Panther Cub

It could have a subconscious trigger!

This was a fun one for me too! It's fun to explore the backstories of others in the same boat as Tristan. It certainly helps put some things into perspective. And I think it will help him to relax some and let them shower him with some much needed tender loving care.

This one was lotsa fun to write!

Hello, readers! I am super-DUPER excited to bring to you the latest chapter! Tristan's story has become one that is just so close to my heart! GAH! I love the little grumpy winged little guy so much! I really hope that you like the latest chapter here! Please let me know what you think! Back to Basics (Chapter 8 ) by Panther Cub "... and we went back the next day. It turns out that a tree had fallen over and punched a hole through the roof. So I've been staying with Mia and Sally. I... uh... actually have been needing a little extra... help, and they've been really nice to not only let me stay with them, but also to give me that extra h-help." Tristan looked around at the adults-turned babies, several nodding with looks of understanding and sympathy. After Bill had introduced him and then offered Tristan the opportunity to tell his story, the winged kitten had felt nervous. He'd never actually put into words what all had happened, as he realized before opening his mouth. But then, with only the briefest of hesitation, it all came spilling out. Why he'd gotten the serum, the surprise regression, fighting to keep his job, trying desperately to be taken seriously, having to deal with Child Protective Services, meeting Mia, to coming to live with her and her wife. And as he spoke, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. "Sometimes... I get scared, though. That I might be enjoying all the attention and... care, a bit too much. I mean, I know physically, I'm a baby. But I'm still my adult self up here," he tapped his head, "so I want to be taken seriously, and maintain my autonomy. I guess I'm scared that if I just... enjoy being babied too much, I'll become one in mind as well as in body. Uh... thanks for listening..." Tristan jumped a little as everyone politely clapped. "Thank you for sharing, Tristan," Bill said with a warm smile. "And that is a very common concern for regressees like us. But I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with the way you feel. I know that it can be hard to accept, but it's true. It's not easy, no siree. It's definitely something I would recommend having a frank and open discussion with Mia and Sally about. I think that you'll find that letting go and letting yourself be vulnerable around those that care about you can be an emotionally fulfilling experience." Tristan seemed to mull the words over in his head as he thought this over. Bill looked around the room. "Would anyone like to go next?" Tristan let out an OOF as he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders pushing him down. Looking a little to his left, he saw that Terra was standing on the top of her chair, leaning over onto his shoulders for stability, her little paw waving in the air as she grunted. "Okay, I think Terra wants to go!" Bill chuckled as the bunny girl cheered and hopped back down into her seat. "You all know me, Terra Burrower! Three time recipient of the Realtor of the Year Award, and fairy princess extraordinaire! I had been hitting a bit of a slump, both in sales and in my marriage. So when the serum came out, I was just so darn excited! A youthful and pretty face always helps in sales, and I thought I could surprise my dear Thomas with a 'younger woman'... not that he actually noticed. Always going out on business trips." Terra began to play with the hem of her tutu. "So it had been a good month of being back in my twenties, and I was showing off a particularly frustrating house to sell. It was a nice property, just a bit on the cozy side, if you catch my drift. Anyways, I was showing it off to this sweet expecting couple when I started to... regress past my selected age of twenty-two. I remember trying not to lose my composure as my blazer and blouse started to feel a bit loose on my person. Heh... I actually remember chalking it up to a new diet and exercise routine I'd started, wanting to keep my body as young looking and healthy as possible. I led them all the way to the kitchen before I fell over in a pile of my clothes." Terra's thumb snuck its way into her muzzle and she began to suck on it, visibly becoming more calm compared to her previous bouncing self. "Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were both very helpful and not only called an ambulance, but even left a message both at my office and at my home. I remember feeling pretty surprised that Tom, my husband, hadn't picked up, as he was usually home around that time. But then I kinda... wet my expensive blouse and started crying. Mrs. Cooper had her husband run out to the car to get some of the supplies they had gotten and, well, she cleaned me up... and then put me in a diaper..." Terra crossed her arms and huffed. "I had half a mind to tell her off right then and there, but she then picked me up and rocked me while humming a lullaby and, well, I guess I musta needed a little bit of a power nap. 'Cause next thing I know, Miles is there, and I'm in his arms, still wearing nothing but a diaper!" Terra let out a growl at that. "Miles... my most hated rival! He had the gall to be a newbie as a real estate agent and show me up twice! Both with listings that sold for more than ones I had sold at the time! GAH! He thought he could try and come after MY award? Nu-uh! And he was always so underpawed about it! Every day at the office he would have that friendly smile on his muzzle and ask me how things were going, acting like he was genuinely curious! But I knew that he was a cunning hunter putting on a facade! Trying to get in my head and psych me out!" - - - Out in the parent group, Miles was showing off some more pictures of Terra and Caroline, these ones clearly taken at a playground. "I always thought she was pretty cute, even before she regressed. Back when I started at the firm, I always got the feeling that she couldn't wait to see me each day. She was always staring straight at my desk first thing when she'd enter. And she always made a point of saying hi to me first. There wasn't anything romantic about it, considering how much her husband Tom meant to her. Still, I just got the impression that she could really use a friend, so I always went out of my way to try and be a friend for her. So when I played the message left at the office, I rushed right on down." - - - "After I woke up in his arms, I went right back into Real Estate Mode, and sold the house right then and there to the Coopers! HA!" Terra then started to blush and turned to look away. "Of course, with that done and the ink dried on the papers, that still left me to deal with the fact that I was a baby again... and only wearing a diaper. Miles... I didn't know he had any experience with children or that he even had a carseat set up in his minivan. He offered to give me a ride home and even checked a diaperbag he'd forgotten was in the back seat for something for me to wear. All he found was a pink t-shirt that only covered my diaper a little. So yeah, that was a humiliating drive over to my home. I had to put up with him chatting me up and checking on me in the rearview mirror all the way there. He'd even offered me some toys to play with in case I was bored! Can you believe the nerve of him?!" Terra was standing on her seat now and stomped her foot in frustration. "So, anyway, I tried calling Tommy a few more times, and it just kept going to voicemail, so I figured he'd let his phone battery die or something. We pulled up, and despite me saying I can walk just fine, Miles carried me up in his big strong arms! He even checked my diaper to see if I needed a change! Ugh! So, yeah, we got to the front door and as Miles rang the bell, I started to notice that there were a few boxes sitting out on the lawn next to a You-Move-It truck. There were also some pieces of furniture, stuff I remembered picking out for us over the years, like my vanity, and one of the boxes was open to reveal some of my clothes tucked away inside. I thought this was strange, but when Tom opened the door, shirtless and with his fur all mussed up, and next to him was a... another bunny gal... someone who looked half my... half my as of then previous age." Terra wiped at her eyes and looked down. Tristan felt a pang of sympathy for the little bunny... before he felt a sudden weight on his lap that caused him to let out and OOMPH! He looked down to see Caroline leaning over him to pull Terra into a hug. "So it was quite the surprising shouting match right there out on the lawn. Tom had been wanting to get all my things packed up onto the truck when he and his new fiance decided to... have a little fun. Then I show up as a baby, screaming and trying to claw his face. Miles looked really shocked about it all, which was when the bimbo let out an ear-piercing SQUEA and snatched me from his arms." Terra looked like she had just bit into a lemon. "She honestly suggested that this was the best possible outcome. This way, I wouldn't have to move, and she and Tommy could get started on that family he'd promised her they'd start having. She then held me up and asked me what I thought about her becoming my new Mommy..." Tristan's jaw was hanging open at the thought of someone being that dense. - - - "Not only does she have a set of lungs on her for a toddler, but apparently a mean right hook!" Miles exclaimed to the stunned Mia and Sally. Neither one could believe someone could possibly be that dense. "I actually had to catch Terra because the lady dropped her as her eyes rolled back in her head!" Miles then frowned. "That's when her husband started yelling at her. I mean, intellectually, I know she's an adult in a baby body, but at that moment, seeing this dirtbag actually scream at her, making Terra start to curl up in my arms in fear... I'm not proud of what I did, but no one treats either of my little girls like that." - - - "Miles loomed over Tom, who immediately shut up. I guess he must've thought I was scared by that jackass yelling at me about the prenup I signed and how I was no longer the girl he married, and now I'm a pants-filling baby... Terra was smiling a little now, still being embraced by Caroline who was still practically laying on top of Tristan to do so. "And he very calmly and quietly told Tom to shut it and to expect to hear from my lawyer. Tom actually tripped over his new floozy running back inside!" Terra resumed frowning and let out a sigh. "So yeah, here I was, tiny and in need of a lot of help, now effectively homeless, sitting in Miles' arms in his car, totally not crying my eyes out as he hugged me and rubbed my back. He then started asking me about any family or friends I could stay with, and unfortunately, I didn't have anyone. So he offered to let me stay with him and his sister Caroline. I... reluctantly agreed, and after a bit of an adjustment period, I decided to take Miles, my former rival and still newbie Real Estate Agent under my wing as my protege. I still work on commission at my firm with him as my assistant, mainly diaper changer, and I've been using my newfound adorableness to help in both sales and haggling." "Thanks for sharing, Terra," Bill said with a chuckle, starting a clap that the rest of the group followed suit with. "Now would anyone else like to share their own stories before we move on to new business?" The little rhino looked around the room, spotting Meggy handing out bottles and binkies while holding up a hoof-hand in excitement. Chuckling and not seeing anyone else raising a paw, he nodded to the sheep girl. "Alright, Meggy! It's been awhile since you told your own story!" "Thank you, Billy," Meggy said, continuing going about the group and seeing to their needs. "I had just celebrated my ninety-sixth birthday the month prior to my taking the regression serum." Tristan was startled by that. While curious about the sheep's story, her or anyone here being that old never once crossed his mind. "I had a lovely birthday party with my oldest granddaughter, Leslie, whom I'm now currently staying with." - - - "Heh, so yeah, I'm now looking after my grandma who's ninety-six going on eleven-ish," Leslie said. Mia had thought that the sheep woman had looked a bit young. She had estimated the girl was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She was currently wearing a black tank-stop that contrasted with her stark white wool, and a pair of short jean shorts. "A bit of a shock for the whole family... and I'll admit, it wasn't the thought that had crossed my mind when my phone started ringing in the middle of the night from my brother, calling about Gam-Gam. But this is far from the first time she's shocked us. Heck, for her birthday she went skydiving... and told us via a video that she filmed just as she was jumping out of the plane!" Leslie chuckled at that, though Sally caught the wistful smile on the girl's lips. "She'd always said things had been so... difficult for her growing up, that she wanted to take any and every opportunity while she still had the chance to really live. That's... actually something I've always loved and respected about her. So yeah, even though I'm in college, thankfully I got me a full-ride scholarship; I wanted to be there for her during this... I guess we can call it a new phase of life. It's not always easy, because while she's not as little as the rest of her friends in the group... there are still some things she can't do, at least not yet! Not until she gets a bit bigger." Mia and Sally shared a knowing look, both being reminded of some difficult conversations that they knew they were going to have to have with a certain little winged kitten. They both looked over to where Amy was entranced by the Growlaga game she was playing right next to them, a stack of tickets next to her almost as big as she was, courtesy of the skii-ball game. - - - "Growing up, my mother was always obsessed with out family's public image, and making sure that I grew up as a prim and proper young lady. Now, as most of the girls in the group here can attest, I do enjoy the occasional tea party and wearing pretty dresses and the like. But you have to understand that it was stifling. A proper young lady does not raise her voice or shriek in excitement. She does not run around jumping in leaves or mud puddles or both. She does not work with her hands unless it's to knit or make a needlepoint or to cook or... well, you get the picture." Tristan listened and watched how Meggy's ears drooped as she spoke, her demeanor becoming more subdued as she recalled clearly difficult memories. "All around me, the world was changing, but I felt like I was removed from it, stuck... no, trapped, in a place and time my mother seemed desperate to preserve at all costs. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I had finally had enough. My mother and I had a terrible fight, and we both said some very harsh words. But as much as it stung, I pushed forward, and finally broke free. In the middle of the night, I snuck out with what few belongings I had, and left. It was hard at first... and even downright terrifying, especially sleeping out at night without a tent. But as scared and alone as I felt, I still remember seeing the stars, and I do mean REALLY seeing them, right above me on that moonless night. Goodness, I could've caught pneumonia, but I didn't care... because I was finally free." Meggy did a twirl causing her cream-colored blouse's hem to raise a little, and Tristan's eyes went a little wide as he saw what was clearly the waistband of a diaper, possibly Pawpers. Having seen it, only now was Tristan able to spot the telltale diaper bulge around Meggy's waist. "I moved from place to place, apprenticing and learning different skills along the way. One of my favorites was working in an auto garage. The owner, a rather crotchety old warthog, hadn't been too happy about me answering his want-ad, but seeing as he had no other takers, he took me on as an apprentice and taught me how to be a mechanic. There's nothing quite like fixing up an old rust-bucket and hearing that engine purr like a kitten." She reached over with a hoof and began to rub Tristan's headfur, causing him to let out a purr. "It was when I was working at a butcher shop, however, that I met the man who would become the love of my life, Sven! Mother would never have approved of me dating anyone she hadn't personally vetted, specifically for status, and in no way would she have ever let me near a wolf. Yet there we were, two young fools. I know it sounds cliche, but the moment our eyes met, it was love at first sight. And to think, there I was splattered with blood on my apron, and there was Sven, all dashing even with the large black eye and his fur still smouldering a little... oh dear, I'm so sorry dearies, I seem to have gotten a bit sidetracked!" Meggy gave a nervous bleat and rubbed the back of her neck while blushing. Bill smiled and waved a dismissing hand. "Don't worry about it, Meggy. Please continue." "Right, so anyways, after my most recent birthday, I started thinking about my life and all the wonderful things I've been able to see and do... and I came to a realization that... I still wanted to see and do so much more! But time has a funny way of running out on you, and I knew I didn't exactly have a good portion of it left. Then I heard about the regression serum, saw how it worked on those cute little singing tots, and it got me to thinking. I didn't want to be too greedy, so I figured going back about forty or so years, back into my fifties, would be a reasonable age. Of course, as you all experienced, I had myself a bit of an allergic reaction, and snapped back to being a young girl... with some additional complications." She blushed and pointed to her waist. "The doctors believe my lack of... control there is a result of, ironically, not regressing all the way back to babyhood. As it stands, the muscles in charge of controlling things there are... a tad stunted. But... be that as it may, I think that it's a small price to pay to get to be young again!" Tristan was a little surprised by the sudden enthusiasm. "For me, this is just one big do-over, just with the knowledge and experiences of my life up until now to go with it! Plus, I've got my loving family, friends, fun new styles to try out, games and the interwebs, and Leslie is even letting me run my own babysitting business, as most of you know." Meggy giggled while a number of regressee's faces blushed. "I've gotten to see so much already, I just can't wait to see what comes next!" She did another twirl and ended with a little bow, prompting the group to clap. Tristan found himself clapping along, amazed at the sheep's positive outlook. He continued to ponder this as the arctic vixen volunteered to go next, taking a moment to smooth out her dress. "Hello again. Sorry about missing last week's meeting, but you know how it is with photoshoots." She didn't seem to notice the number of blank looks and rolling eyes and continued on. "I'm Veronica Snow, and I've been a professional model for the last twenty years. I won't say what my actual age is, but let's go ahead and agree that it's not in the low single-digits." She chuckled at her own joke, clearly on a roll. "I've appeared in commercials for some of the finest perfumes, on billboards next to the most exotic and elegant of cars, and modeled all manner of outfits and designs." She frowned as her tail began to tuck itself between her legs. "Of course, everyone knows that every model, no matter how naturally gorgeous they are, has an expiration date. And, well, I'd reached mine. Job offers began trickling in when they should have been flooding in, shoots started getting delayed and even outright cancelled at the last minute, and in the ones I was able to work, it was always to help introduce some NEW talent, eugh!" Veronica sighed. "So yeah, I didn't take much convincing when the serum became available. You can never be too young or too thin... that's what they say. Well, after I had my own allergic reaction... I found out that half of that was a lie. At least when it comes to the jobs I used to do. Now I'm stuck doing... diaper commercials and my photoshoots are for ads for baby products... Still, my manager has been a pretty solid teammate, even letting me stay with her while I apartement-hunt, which is not easy when the rentor finds out that they're talking to a toddler, regressee with money or not. Of course, while I need some assistance, we've been maintaining a working relationship. - - - "And here she is, asleep in the laundry hamper!" The motherly she-wolf in the mom-jeans said with a heavy wag of her fluffy tail. Sally looked at the offered phone screen to see a little arctic vixen asleep in a hamper, only dressed in a diaper. "I've always thought of Veronica like a daughter, and now I get the chance to be an actual mommy to her! I know she still wishes she was big, but I plan on making this new childhood of hers a fun one filled with love and so many cuddles!" "Well, she certainly seems like a real cutie," Sally smiled, happily exchanging numbers for yet another potential playdate playmate. Mia had been so excited to show how many they'd gotten already. The parent... or rather, caretaker group had been so welcoming to her and her wife that everyone was in a rush to add them to their contacts and vice versa. She looked over to where Mia and Amy were. The cub was sitting on the older panthress' shoulders at the ticket exchange, excitedly pointing at one of the prizes to the amused teenaged jackal behind the counter. "I will say that Veronica certainly had herself a bit of an adjustment period to get through. Did your little guy go through one as well?" Sally was snapped back to her conversation and quickly nodded. "We and Tristan are kinda collectively going through an adjustment period still. I mean, I'm just so proud of how far he's come as it is. He's started opening up to us, let himself begin to relax and even let Mia and I start doing things for him. Of course, we still try to be as respectful of his wishes as we can. It can really be a bit of a balancing act." The she-wolf, whom Sally had learned was named Heather, nodded emphatically. "Oh my goodness, yes! It broke my heart seeing Veronica struggle with basic everyday things, and I wanted to just jump in and start helping left and right, but I still tried my best to respect her decision to handle certain things herself. Unfortunately, that nasty rash she got, as well as the, uhm, well, no longer usable states of a couple of her favorite outfits was finally what it took to convince her to let me handle diaper changes and bathing." - - - "Thanks again, Veronica, for sharing!" Bill said to the slightly muted claps he got that the vixen was more than happy to bow to. "Would anyone else like to go today?" He looked around and saw that no one was raising a hand. If anything, everyone was starting to look fidgety in their seats. He smiled, a feeling of excitement growing in his belly. "Alright, it looks like we can move on to the next segment of today's meeting... having a blast in the arcade! Let's go!" There was a collective cheer of childish voices as all the tykes bolted from their seats, heading towards the door. Tristan found himself being dragged along by Caroline and Terra, who were each holding one of his paws. "W-wait! Caroline, I never got to hear your story!" He called out, causing the little tigress to look over as Meggy opened the baby gate blocking the doorway, letting the regressees spill out in little groups. much to the amusement of those at the caretaker section looking on. The tigress simply turned and gave him a wink. "I'll tell it to ya, sometime, Twinkletoes! Now c'mon! They have the wild west shooting gallery set up!" "Then after that we can try the Prance-Prance Evolution game, right?" Terra asked. The trio came to a sudden halt, which caused Tristan to stumble and bump into Caroline's back. He looked up, a little confused, to see Mia setting Amy down right next to him. Amy had her arms behind her back and a wide smile on her face. "Hi, Tristie! I got something super special for when you got done at your secret baby meeting!" Tristan sighed and got ready to explain, once again, he was not a baby, when he found a bright purple stuffed shark pushed into his face. Caroline and Terra let go of his paws just in time for him to wrap them around the stuffie. It had a large goofy smile with a tongue sticking out and was about as big as he was. It was also very, very soft. He knew that in places like this, prizes always tended to cost many more tickets the bigger they were. "You got him for me?" Tristan asked, touched as Amy pulled him into a tight hug. "Of course! You're the bestest baby brother I coulda ever asked for! Plus, as the big sister, it's my job to make sure you're having fun!" Caroline and Terra and Mia were all cooing at the sight, and Tristan's ears twitched at the sound he recognized as being when a phone was taking pictures. But he didn't care. His eyes watered and he quickly returned the hug, crushing the shark between himself and Amy. "You're a great big sister," he said. It was fun to explore some of the backstories of Tristan's new friend group! I might go ahead and make one-offs about each of them one day! Anyways, thanks for reading! Tune in next time for more cute winged kitten adventures!

Pfft!

Glad someone got the reference!

PFFT! I was wondering if anyone was gunna get the reference!

Heyo, readers! I'm super excited to already be bringing to you the next chapter of Tristan's cute little story! Please let me know what you think of it! Back to Basics (Chapter 7) By Panther Cub "Howdy, y'all! Welcome to Chester A. Cheddar's! Where kids get ta be themselves!" The talking animatronic alligator sheriff at the door greeted them as they entered. Amy was bouncing on her feet and pointing at the bot while looking back at the rest of them. "It's Sheriff Matty!" "It sure is, Hun!" Sally said, leaning down to ruffle Amy's headfur. Tristan found himself being carried by Mia, He tried not to blush seeing the purple diaper bag that now went with him wherever he was outside of home. The winged kitten looked past the waving robotic gator dressed like a wild west sheriff, trying to spot William. He ignored all the flashing lights and buzzers going off, and tried not to get distracted or drawn in by any of the attractions that they were passing. Mia came to a stop in front of a large room cordoned off by large glass windows, normally reserved for private parties. Inside were a bunch of children of various species, all seeming within the toddler age range. Some were running about playing with toys, others were sitting in chairs at tables, chatting over food, and he spotted a little coyote boy in just a purple t-shirt and diaper, binky in his mouth, while he concentrated hard on the page he was vigorously coloring. There was an open doorway to the room, from which the sounds of excited shouts of happy and very young children drifted out of, secured with a set of bright flashing pink and blue neon baby gates so that none of the room's occupants could just wander off. Right next door was where a group of adults was sitting, the private party room in full view of them. Tristan was about to ask why they had stopped in front of it when he spotted the sign board next to the baby gate, with bright green chalk writing on it reading Private Event: Regression Anonymous. "This looks like it," Sally said with a happy chirp. She started to wave to someone inside the room just as Tristan felt Mia's arms start hugging him a little tighter. He looked up to see her smiling down at him right before she gave his head a happy nuzzle and planted a kiss on his forehead. Looking back through the doorway, just as he was wondering if maybe this was a mistake, he spotted a sheep girl that he had somehow missed, who couldn't have been more than ten or eleven, practically skipped right on over to the doorway. She was wearing a pair of bright pink light-up sneakers that looked coated in glitter, a pair of orange shorts, a cream colored shirt with a denim coat that cut off at the midriff. Her headfur was bunched up into two pigtails with little pink bows securing them. She looked over at their group with bright yellow eyes that sparkled with pure joy and excitement. "Hello there! I'm Margaret, but everyone just calls me Meggy!" Tristan clutched Mia tighter as he looked to the pre-teen sheep girl who bounded towards them. Her big brown eyes sparkled with excitement and her grin widened upon seeing the nervous little winged kitten. "I take it that this little cutie will be joining our group?" Meggy gestured behind her to a series of child-sized plastic chairs, each one rainbow colored, circling a table with short legs. It had paper plates with snacks set upon it, with sippi cups and bottles also present. "That's right!" Mia cooed, giving Tristan's head another nuzzle and smiling as he visibly relaxed and began to purr. "Tristan here is also a regressee." "That's wonderful! The more the merrier I always say! OH! And I too am also a member of the group, as well as the designated babysitter, since I'm pretty much the biggest." Megguy smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "You're a member of my baby brother's secret baby group?!" Amy asked in wide-eyed wonder to the big girl before her. Meggy simply giggled and nodded, reaching over to ruffle the younger girl's headfur. "Pretty much, dear! Though I and everyone else in the group are actually a bit older than we appear." Amy just rolled her eyes and waved her paw dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Tristie and my Aunties have been saying that ever since he came to live with us. But I wasn't buying it then, and I'm not buying it now. Imma find out what the secret you and Tristie and this baby club is hiding!" Before Amy could ask anymore questions, and possibly say something rude, Sally scooped her up into her arms and gave her a cuddle. "C'mon, you little sweetheart, let's go see if we can find some skiiball to play! I still want my rematch after all." Successfully distracted, Amy cheered. "Bring it on, Auntie Sally!" "My goodness... she is just so spirited and precious! She reminds me of my niece when she was around that age!" Meggy clapped her hooves together with a giggle. She then looked to Mia and held her arms out. "I can take the little sweetheart from here if you'd like, dear. And I can take his diaper bag too if you'd like. I have a lot of experience in babysitting, and now more than enough energy to keep up with this gaggle of tots, so I promise that you have nothing to worry about." Mia and Tristan both let out pent up sighs neither one had realized they were holding, and she loosened her grip on him. Tristan, in turn, released his tight hold on Mia's arms and allowed himself to be passed over to the awaiting hooves of Meggy. The sheep cooed at him as she accepted his diaper bag. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Tristan," Meggy said to him, rubbing her nose with his. That caused him to giggle, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mia visibly relax more before shrugging off and handing over the diaper bag. "Now we packed plenty of spare diapers in there, with the powder and wipes and rash cream over in that far left pocket. In the main pocket, along with his diapers, is an extra set of clothes, just in case. I also brought him a bottle of juice, and some color by number books in case he gets a little bored, which can be found in these pockets here. Also, he has a special stuffed friend in this side pocket for when he gets sleepy or maybe nervous--" "Mo--Mia!" Tristan whined as the sheep girl chuckled. Mia leaned down, making eye contact with the blushing kitten. "Now don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be right over there with the other grown-ups, and Sally and Amy will also be around. You go and have a good time and maybe make a new friend or two." Tristan suddenly felt his earlier anxiety return as Mia started to walk away. It only just now struck him that this was the first time since coming to live with Mia and Sally that he was going to be away from both of them, even if it was just a room away with glass walls. "Now don't you worry one bit, little fella," Meggy said, seemingly picking up on his feelings and giving him a bounce in her arms. "Everyone in this group is nice and mostly well-behaved. I'm sure that you'll be making friends in no time!" She stopped at a nearby table with an assortment of different style and colored diaper bags set upon it to add Tristan's bag to the collection. She then continued on to the first familiar face Tristan was able to spot. "Hey, there he is!" William said with a chuckle. The rhino boy was wearing a pair of overalls over a white shirt, with a bright green bib on that had a few small spots of red pizza sauce dribbled onto it. Next to Bill was a chocolate brown lop-eared bunny girl wearing a pink and glittery ballerina outfit, complete with tutu, that did nothing to hide her pink trimmed Snuggies. Tristan was set down next to them, the back of his padded bottom receiving a gentle pat from Meggy. He briefly looked over to where the par--the presumed caretakers for all the regressees here were gathered and caught Mia's eye. She stopped her conversation to give him a happy wave, that he, blushingly, returned. She resumed her conversation with a horse lady that he recognized as being the one who was with Bill when they'd met him. "It's great that you could make it, Tristan!" Bill said, holding his hand out for the kitten to shake, which he was quick to do, suddenly feeling, for the first time in a while, like he wasn't just being pandered to. "I'm glad to be here, Bill," Tristan said around his binky. Noticing he was sucking on it, he quickly spat it out into his paw and shoved it into his pant pocket again, wondering when he'd gotten it back out to suck on. Bill and the bunny both chuckled and smiled at the blushing kitten. "Try not to worry so much about stuff like binkies or stuffies. No one here's gunna judge you for it. Heck, I always make sure whenever my Mommy takes me someplace, that my blankie is always with us in the diaper bag." Hearing the admission from the rhino made Tristan feel a little better about his infantile slip-up. "Terra Burrower," the bunny girl said with a bright smile, holding her paw out to shake. When Tristan finished shaking it, he realized she had slipped a business card into his palm. Looking down at it, he saw an older-looking version of the little girl before him in a professional-looking black skirtsuit standing in front of a large two-story house. "Three time recipient of the Realtor of the Year Award. If you're looking to buy or sell a property, be sure to let me know! Some say I have the magic touch!" With a ballerina spin, she stopped, having a plastic glittery star-tipped fairy wand in her paws. "Terra, we've talked about this. No sales pitches during meetings." Bill scolded with his hands on his hips. Terra crossed her arms with a huff and pouted. "Oh fine!" She then pirouetted off to a nearby group of girls. "Sorry about that. She always gives the new kids a pitch. But she's actually a lot of fun, especially when we have our meetings over at the lazer tag place!" "It's okay... it actually felt nice," Tristan said, slipping the card into his pocket. "Yeah, it can feel really empowering when someone actually treats us like adults, despite how we look or how much help we might need," Bill said, clapping Tristan on the back, making sure to avoid the wings. "Now there's no pressure to mingle before or after we start the meeting, or even during for that matter. If you'd feel more comfortable doing your own thing, that's great! But if you'd like, I can help introduce you to the others before we start." "Uh... s-sure... but, can I ask, what do we normally do during the meeting part?" Tristan asked, now holding his tail for comfort. "Well, we go around introducing ourselves, talk about our lives before we got regressed, how we're feeling, what's going on with our lives now, things coming up in our lives, stuff like that basically. With Meggy pretty much hovering around and checking to see who needs a change. Then we have some group playtime, some arts and crafts, all optional of course; and then we get a couple of hours in the arcade, chaperoned." "Huh... that sounds pretty nice..." Tristan said, his tail starting to swish a bit. Bill smiled and nodded. Outside, Mia watched intently as Bill put an arm around Tristan's shoulders and began to guide him towards the main group in their little meeting room. Her heart swelled at the thought of Tristan finally making some friends and having more social interactions than just being cooped up with her, Sally, and Amy. "Your little guy just seems like a real sweetheart!" Bernice gushed from directly across from where Mia was sitting, also watching along as Tristan started shaking a little wolf boy's paw. "He is. And your little Billy was just so nice to invite him to this group," Mia replied, smiling at the horse woman who was wearing a simple blouse and jeans. "Even before his regression, he was always the kind of guy to go around helping people. Heck, we were even roommates... until, well..." "That must have been so rough for the both of you." Mia said, turning to look at the chestnut brown horse lady nod, her mane swishing about. "It was a bit of a challenge at first. I mean, neither one of us had any idea what was happening. And then we had to make some... changes, both in our friendship and in the house we were renting. But we bonded after some initial awkwardness, and now he's my precious baby boy!" Bernice pulled out her phone and pulled up a series of photos. "There's a picture here, somewhere, of him feeding the duckies at the park that is just beyond adorable!" Blushing a little herself, Mia found her phone quickly in her own paw, excited to showcase some of the pictures of Tristan and Amy she'd taken. "OH! We should exchange numbers!" Bernice offered. "That way we can set the boys up for some playdates in the future!" "That's a wonderful idea!" Mia smiled, having to stifle a giggle from the picture of Tristan in his high chair, covered in pasta sauce with a little bowtie pasta piece stuck to the tip of his little nose. She was still glad about convincing him to take his shirt off first, as even with the bib on, there were blots of sauce all over his chest, and somehow on his wings too. They quickly exchanged numbers and proceeded to show off increasingly adorable pictures of their charges "Is that cute little kitten with the wings yours?" Mia looked up to see a large tiger man sitting next to her. He was dressed in a blue polo shirt and khaki slacks, giving her an easy smile. He held out his paw which almost completely enveloped Mia's when she shook it. "I'm Miles, by the way." "Mia." The panthress couldn't help but feel that the tiger near her looked very oddly familiar. "Have we met before?" Miles chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, but I get that a lot. What with all the ads on the sides of buses and on city benches. I work in real estate." "Ah. So which little one is yours?" Mia asked, looking back into the private party room to see the kids now arranging the colorful plastic chairs into a large circle. She spotted Tristan next to the cute bunny girl from earlier who seemed to be talking his ear off. "I've actually got two. My formerly big sister, Caroline, she's the little tigress dressed like a cowgirl, and my former coworker and business rival, Terra. She's the one in the fairy princess tutu." Mia cooed as she spotted the two, both taking seats on either side of her Tristan. The little cowgirl had a bow around her long orange and black striped swishing tail. It matches her bright pink cowgirl hat with a red fringed vest over a white t-shirt, and a pair of red cowgirl boots. Her diaper was on full display, not that she seemed to mind. "That sounds like quite the challenge to deal with!" Miles just shrugged. "It can be, at times. Carrie is just so used to bossing me around, so me having to start making some decisions I knew she wasn't going to like have made things a little... trying. And Terra... well, it was either she come live with me and Carrie, or try her luck in the system. They can both be pretty stubborn in their own ways, but both of my little girls are actually very sweet and ridiculously cute. Plus, they get along together." Mia looked back over to the RA meeting that now seemingly was getting underway, as all the kids seated with the little wolf boy now speaking to the assembled group. "The name's Jeff, Jeff Hunter. Maybe you've seen my name once or twice in the papers. Or maybe you've just seen my ads here and there. Either way, I'm a private detective, and a dang good one at that. Or I was... until that fateful night. I'd been pushing fifty-six and had been feeling my years starting to catch up to me. So I decided to give that regression serum a try, and for a while there, it worked. I was back at my peak in my twenties, and I was completing jobs left and right, closing cases, and even putting to rest a few that had gone cold... Then, one morning, about a month later, I woke up as I am now. A toddler! Now I'm under the care of the partner I hired just before I shrank, a sweet gal even if she can be a bit of a ditz. We're working around this little setback to have me reestablished as the number one detective in town. It certainly helps that a cheating spouse wouldn't naturally suspect a little puppy in a stroller of filming them as they go and meet the person they're cheating on their significant other with." Tristan felt that the wolf pup's gray fur went well with the cliched noir detective aesthetic he was trying to pull off. Jeff opened his muzzle to continue, until a tug at the back of his pants left him sputtering. Turning to look with a glare, Jeff spotted Meggy standing over him, giving a warm smile as she let the waistband of both his pants and diaper go. "All clean, dear! I guess someone else is the little stinker here, but it never hurts to check the usual suspects first! Right, Veronica?" Meggy turned her attention to the snow white arctic vixen sitting on Jeff's right. She was wearing a little white with blue trim sailor dress complete with hat. Meggy pulled up the hem of the dress a little to examine the Wuvs brand diaper underneath. "MEGGY!!!" Both canids exclaimed in unison. Everyone had a chuckle at that, even as the sheep girl scooped the fussy vixen into her arms to carry over to the diaper bags, grabbing a snow white one and heading into the restroom attached to the private party room. Bill began to ask others about any news they'd like to share with the group. The little otter girl, Tina, began to excitedly explain how she's been assessing property lines since her regression, with most people being very kind to her as she did her work. Tristan was listening intently, until he started feeling someone poking him in his side. He batted away at the paw doing it, but they kept resuming the poking. Scowling, he turned to look at the tigress sitting next to him, who was smiling in excitement, no shame whatsoever being out in public with her diaper on display. "What?" Tristan quietly hissed. "Is your last name Granna?" The tigress asked. "Y-yeah?" Tristan now felt nervous as to how this strange little tigress knew him. The smile on the girl's face grew. "How've you been, Twinkletoes?" The cub asked, making him blush. "Twinkle..." Tristan trailed off, as he suddenly remembered the only person to ever call him that. His heart began to race as he frantically looked her up and down. "C-CAROLINE?!" "Right..." Bill said, chuckling and rubbing the back of his head, holding a yellow fleece blanket in his free hand while looking at Tina. "So as I said before, I'm happy to say we've got us a new face joining our little group." He looked towards Tristan, who smiled and nodded back. "Uh... hi! My name's Tristan." He could feel the blush on his face as his whiskers twitched. "Hi, Tristan!" The group called out, which at least helped the butterflies in his tummy to settle a bit. There you have it folks! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!

Thank you for reading my story! I just love imagining all the adorable shenanigans and scenarios Tristan can find himself in. And expanding on Amy, while hurting my heart, was definitely something I wanted to explore. And please don't worry, I'm taking it easy.

I'm really glad to be able to post another chapter! And I think I'm moving past the stress.

Hey there, everybody! Ugh, this is a little awkward... because it's not something I'd ever thought I'd be discussing... but, here we are. It's come to my attention that lately I've been feeling what others I've talked to have called burnout. The reason I phrased it like that is because I couldn't believe that's why I felt so... slow... and tired all the time, and why it was such a chore just to write a few new sentences, let alone a whole paragraph. Like I was all used up... And it took me talking about it with some friends who floated the idea by me before I finally understood. I always assumed that burnout was something that only affected someone constantly putting out new content. And I do mean CONSTANTLY. However, taking the time to actually learn about burnout, I also learned that things like prolonged stress, working long hours and pressure can cause major contributing factors. And I hit the trifecta there, with the pressure largely coming from me, both to not screw up at work and also to make sure I'm still providing things for my readers to... well, read! So I've taken some time to step back for myself, and to give myself some breathing room, which has already worked wonders for me. Please, if you feel like you might be experiencing burnout, talk to someone, if nothing else than to just acknowledge it so that you can begin to take steps to help improve your mental health. Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble there. Anyways, here's the latest chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! Back to Basics (Chapter 6) by Panther Cub "Okay, Buddy, say ah!" Tristan rolled his eyes and opened wide, feeling the tongue depressor as the doctor took a look inside his mouth. The chipper red, blue, and green-feathered macaw smiled during the examination. "Alright, looking good on that front, Champ!" Dr. Arini chuckled, tossing what Tristan thought of as an over-glorified popsicle stick into the nearby waste bin. He grabbed his stethoscope and turned back to the little winged kitten sitting in just a diaper on the colorful paper sheet drawn over the examination table. He saw the frown on Tristan's face and gave a soft smile. "Still not happy to be weighed on the baby scale?" Tristan's wings fluffed out and he blushed. "I'm just fine, Doctor Arini." Hector gave Tristan a sympathetic smile, making eye contact with Sally, who was sitting in a nearby chair and leaned over to give the top of the kitten's head a nuzzle. Tristan couldn't stop the small smile that formed on his muzzle. "Sorry, honey-pie, but it's like the nurse said, you are just too little for the regular scale." "It still stinks." Tristan sighed. "If it's any consolation, you're not the only regressee patient who has taken umbrage to needing the... special scale. Now, deep breath in." Tistan sighed and took in a deep breath while the doctor held. the flat disc to his chest. He did so again when Dr. Arini moved it. "Alright, again everything seems just fine." He scribbled onto his clipboard for a moment before looking at Sally and then Tristan. "Now comes the not-so-fun part. We are going to need to take a blood sample, Buddy." Tristan frowned but remained composed. He'd had his blood drawn many times as an adult, this should prove to be no different. That was until the nice deer nurse in the pink and white scrubs entered holding a tray. There was some tubing, a vial, and a clear plastic case which held the disassembled needle. He felt his resolve start to shake as the nurse set the tray down nearby and grabbed the packet, snapping it open. In seconds, the needle was assembled and sitting back down on the tray while the nurse took the tubing and gently, but firmly, tied it around his arm, just above the elbow. "There we go, easy does it, cutie," the nurse said in a soft voice and picked up the needle. Unable to take it anymore, Tristan rapidly started scooting back, straight into the now waiting Sally's arms. He was breathing heavily, tears streaming down his cheeks. Scooping him up and walking around to take a seat herself on the table, she quietly bounced and nuzzled him. It took a bit for him to calm down. While he still stared at the needle in abject horror, he also felt his cheeks redden. "S-sorry, everybody," he mumbled. "Don't worry about it, Sugar Plum." Sally leaned over to look down at Tristan, giving him a bright smile. When he started to turn and look at the needle again, Sally's taloned-hand touched his chin and turned his gaze back up into her eyes. She then gently began to wipe away the remaining tears. "Everyone gets scared sometimes, but it helps when someone is there to hold you close and let you know that you're safe and sound." She briefly looked away and winked before returning to maintain eye contact with the kitten in her arms. Tristan felt his arm being pulled a little bit, followed by a slight pinch, but he took no notice. "And I promise, Mia and I will always be there for you, sweetie." Tristan felt a warmth in his chest, one that felt both foreign and familiar at the same time. He felt a gentle tugging on his arm and something being wrapped around it, but he didn't care. After she wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of his prickling eyes once more, the moment he felt his arm release, he turned and buried his face into Sally's chest, purring as she began to rub his back. He felt so... small, and vulnerable. While part of him hated it, a much larger part of himself couldn't get enough of the feeling. He heard voices speaking, but at that moment couldn't care less. He snuggled in closer, wanting to bury himself in the safety and warmth he felt radiating from Sally. He can feel that they are moving and come to a stop, where there are more voices and some childish squeals. "Tristan, hun?" Sally's voice was quiet while she rubbed the top of his head with her chin. Slowly he started to uncurl, having to blink his eyes a few times in the bright sunlight, seeing that they were outside, heading right for the car. "There he is!" She opens the door to the back passenger seat, but simply grabs the diaper bag instead of buckling him into his carseat. She then shuts the door and uses her key fob to pop open the hatchback and then uses her free hand to pull out the rolled up changing mat and set it up just inside the back storage area. Tristan then found himself being gently laid on the mat on his back, looking up at the still smiling Sally. Before he could speak, she ran her fingers across his tummy, making him giggle and kick his little legs. She then reached into one of the many pockets on the bag and pulled out a very familiar red and yellow pacifier. Tristan blushed as it was held out to him, but he took it. Ever since he had found it in the pocket of one of the overalls he would find himself dressed in from time to time, Tristan would find himself using it as an alternative for his thumb. The second he slipped it between his lips, a wave of calm engulfed him, with not even the tapes of his diaper being torn open being enough to interrupt his relaxation. He examined his arm as he felt his legs being lifted, and spotted the green paw print-themed bandage on the spot where the blood had been drawn from. "Now, Tristan," Sally said as she finished taping the new diaper with the orange and blue-colored leg guards and landing strip. "I just wanted to say that I'm very proud of how you handled yourself at the doctor's office," Sally smiled down at the kitten, quickly helping him into his bright green t-shirt and black shorts. He was then scooped up into her arms, followed by the diaper bag being slung over her other shoulder, with the changing mat rolled back up and tucked inside along with the other supplies. She then grabbed the used rolled up diaper and closed the hatchback. Tristan blushed as he watched Sally drop his diaper into a nearby trash can. Blushing, he decided to rest his chin on Sally's shoulder. "Thanks... but it was still pretty humiliating though!" "I'll bet! Still, we now have that business out of the way, so how about something fun?" Tristan's ears perked up at that. "Like what?" "Like, how about we step inside the ice cream shop at the corner and get ourselves a little treat?" The eagle lady began to nuzzle the kitten, who giggled and kicked his little legs in response yet again. "Well... 'kay," Tristan said, his mood now much more improved. As Sally continued down the sidewalk, she noticed Tristan stretching out his wings as far as they would go. He then held them open like that for a good minute before they got tired and he had to close them. She let out a happy chirp as he started again. "I see that someone is taking their wing exercises seriously!" Tristan blushed and began to rub the back of his neck. "You did kinda make some pretty good points about stretching them as often as I can." "And they're already looking stronger for it!" Sally praised, raising Tristan up high. "In fact, I think they can already carry you short distances." Sally then began to make WOOOOSH-ing sounds and swoop him through the air above her head, keeping a secure grip on his little body. Tristan let out a loud excited squeal and laughter as he pretended to be soaring through the skies. All too soon, there was a loud jingle that forcefully dragged him back to reality as the bell above the door to the ice cream parlor rang, his disappointment being very brief as his eyes grew wide at the sight of all the different ice cream flavors and toppings that were now displayed before him. "Welcome to Frosteez!" The middle-aged polar bear smiled at Sally and Tristan. They walked past a table with a trio of chatting teenage-looking hyena girls, while he tried to maintain focus on the red and white tiled flooring of the shop. Their conversation stopped as he accidentally looked up and made eye contact with all three, which he immediately regretted upon hearing the chorus of cooing coming from them. Hearing comments about how cute he was, he bashfully buried his face into Sally's neck, able to perfectly hear them comment on what a cute shy little guy he was. Thankfully he and Sally arrived at the counter, with him getting another supportive nuzzle. "Would you and your little guy there like to try a free sample of today's special? It's a chocolate caramel cheesecake swirl!" Sally looked down at the kitten, who gave her a very hasty nod in return. "Yes, please." She and the polar bear shared a chuckle just as he offered her two light blue plastic spoons, both with a dollop of the frozen chocolate goodness. Sally took both and held up Tristan's spoon right near his mouth. He blushed a little, but opened his mouth without protest, his taste buds exploding in sweet delight. A few minutes later... Mia sighed and rubbed her temples as she sat at the park bench. Looking over towards the swings, she smiled sadly as she watched her sister, Haley, pushing Amy higher and higher, the little cub's face a picture of pure delight. Mia's smile became a frown as she pulled out some papers from her purse and bit her lower lip. Hearing a chime, Mia stashed the papers away and pulled out her phone. A few taps later, and she couldn't help but smile as her heart melted at the sight of Tristan, wearing a bright blue bib with some brown splotches on it that were a match to the brown around his muzzle. He was smiling excitedly as he was holding a triple scoop chocolate ice cream waffle cone, that looked almost as big as he was. She let out a chuckle as she noticed he even got some ice cream in one of his ears, somehow. Just as quickly as it came, the smile was gone, replaced with a frown. Looking back up, she saw Haley setting Amy down in the sandbox and saying something to the girl, who nodded and began to scoop some sand into a pink plastic bucket with a bright yellow plastic shovel. "I always forget just how energetic Amy is." Haley said with a chuckle. Mia looked her sister over, taking in their family resemblance. "Well, a lot of that energy is just how excited she is to get to see her Mommy again. You know how she misses you." Mia tried to keep the accusatory tone out of her voice, but seeing the slight tilting of Haley's head, she knew she'd failed at least a little. "I-I know... it's just been... hard, that's all. What with the new job, moving into a much nicer apartment, meeting Tim..." Mia picked up on how her sister gushed when she mentioned the lion's name. To say that Haley was smitten with the man would be an understatement. Of course, she was the same way with Hugo, Boris, Luke, and that ferret who had claimed to be an astronaut over in Caltellia. "So... when do you plan on taking Amy back?" Mia opted for being blunt about this, as her sister always had a way of dragging things out. Haley's ears drooped a bit at that. "Well... see... about that..." Mia huffed and crossed her arms, glaring daggers at her sister, but staying silent so that she may continue. "Tim... he said Amy was a cutie, because she really is... but, after his divorce... he said he wanted to start things fresh. With him and his daughters, Lizzy and Michelle. And... uh... w-well... he feels that the move will be hard enough on them, as will be getting to know me and all that... and he felt that it would probably be best if they didn't... have to feel like they'd have to compete for my attention... or my affection." Mia took a deep breath, her force of will being the only thing keeping her from grabbing her sister by the collar of her expensive-looking red leather jacket and pulling her close to sock her in the face as hard as she could. Silently, staring a now nervously-fidgeting Haley down with a cold gaze, Mia pulled out the papers from her purse. She steeled herself, this having been a long time coming, and simply set them down before her sister along with a pen. "What's this?" Haley asked, having not expected this. "Petition for Termination of Parent-Child Relationship?" She looked back up at Mia, the cold fury she saw in her eyes freezing her to the spot. "There's also paperwork there granting me legal custody of Amy." Mia's voice was even and measured. "I don't understand?" Mia pointed over to the sandbox where Amy was excitedly showing a little wolf pup how to build a sandcastle, a ray of pure happiness that was a complete contrast to the despair and fury that was easily within eyesight. "That sweet and precious little girl over there has wanted nothing more than to be with her mother. Whenever she talks about you, it's like she has stars in her eyes, and that when you two will be together again will make everything right in the world. Then you go and let her down and dump her right back onto me and Sally to go off chasing some band around all of Tseriana!" "The lead guitarist and I had a real connection!" "Or then you go out with a con-artist who ends up talking you out of what little savings you had as well as six months worth of rent!" "R-Renaldo really made it seem like those Sugi berries would become a staple in the medical community!" "Then to shack up with a cult leader--" "Reverend Daniel was not a cult leader... all he got convicted for was tax evasion and fraud!" "And now here we are again. You get a nice new government job, you actually start paying your own bills instead of begging me for help because you just had to get the latest ridiculously overpriced purse or something, and I, like an idiot, actually thought you were finally growing up and going to start being an actual mother to your own daughter! But no, the one good consequence of all of your selfish, thoughtless actions, and you are just ready to abandon her yet again. And why? Because some jackass who slept with you behind his wife's back and now has split custody with their children is moving in with you and decided he didn't want her there." Haley shrunk in on herself, looking like a scolded kitten. "I-I helped you run away from M-Mom and Dad when you got legally emancipated..." Haley's voice was barely above a whisper. "And?" Mia furiously blinked away the tears she could feel prickling at the corners of her eyes, but pushed through. "While I'll always be grateful that you helped me, let's not pretend it wasn't so that you could just get me out of the house and be the golden child you always wanted to be in their eyes." Haley flinched at that, and Mia felt a pang in her heart having finally said it aloud. "But that has nothing to do with any of this. The fact of the matter is, you don't want to be Amy's mother, and you never did." Haley looked up at that. "That's not... fair..." "No... it most certainly is not fair, to Amy. Especially with how you keep coming back around and get her hopes up that you two will be a family again. Each time you leave, she has an armful of new toys, and a heart that breaks just a bit more every single time." "I..." "No, Haley. No more!" Haley flinched back again, looking like she'd been slapped. "You are going to do at least one good thing for that little girl there and give me custody of her! And you're going to do it because deep down, you know that it's the right thing to do. Because unlike you, neither Sally nor I will ever abandon her." Haley's ears splayed flat as she signed the documents, not bothering to read them. Later that afternoon... Tristan was excited as he sat in his carseat, making sure his little polo shirt and khaki shorts were smoothed down. It was perhaps the most mature outfit he had to work with now, but he liked how he looked in it in the mirror. Like he was going on a job interview, instead of a daycare. He looked over at Amy, and frowned a little bit. She smiled at him, but she seemed to have a far off look on her face as she did it. He knew that she'd seen her mother recently, as she had practically been cheering it the closer the actual date got. But now? The cub seemed really subdued, which was not normal for her, and set Tristan on edge. He made a mental note to ask Mia about what happened later... and hoped that it wouldn't come across as prying. "What happens at a baby meeting?" Amy suddenly asked, looking curiously at Tristan. He pouted a little at that. "It's not a baby meeting, it's just a group of people who were regressed getting together so that we all have someone to talk to who's going through the same or similar things." Amy smiled and reached over to rub his headfur, having to stretch a bit from her own car seat. "You can talk to me too, Tristy!" Tristan tried batting her paw away, but he couldn't stop giggling as it quickly turned into a tickle attack. Amy giggled along with Tristan while Mia and Sally shared a warm smile with one another. "Are you excited for your first Regressee Anonymous meeting, honey?" Mia asked, having turned from where she'd been sitting in the passenger seat to look back upon the two. "Uh-huh!" Tristan said with a smile around his binky, which upon realizing what was in his mouth, he was quick to spit out and pocket. "I'm gunna get to talk with people like me! It'll be nice to actually make small talk, and actually feel like a grown-up again!" "Hey! I play grown-ups with you all the time, Tristy!" Amy said, starting to pout. "It's different. We won't be pretending at the baby meeti--I meant to say Regressee Meeting!" Tristan was now blushing while Mia and Sally tried not to giggle. "Anyways, this will finally be some time where I don't have to worry about feeling like a little kitten." "We're here!" Sally sing-songed as she pulled to a stop in a very busy parking lot. Straining to peek through the windshield to see where they were, he noticed the sign the same time Amy did, her eyes going wide with a sudden rush of excitement. "WE'RE GOING TO CHAZ A. CHEDDAR'S PIZZERIA AND ARCADE?!" "You have GOT to be kidding me!" And there it is, folks! Please let me know what you think with a comment or review, as I just cannot describe how awesome it is to find a new one. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

I'm working on it! It's just been going slow!

Hey! Wait one second! What was that hippo girl doing at a baby supply store in the first place?

GRRRR!!! PROTECC THE BABY! SHE'S A PAMPERED PRINCESS!!!

Awwww! Someone better learn to be nice to the baby, or they're asking for a clobberin'!