Panther Cub

Yeah, Miner's Syndrome is a BIG life changing event (like in my other story Tracey's Story!). And here comes Larry making some more... smart life decisions... Yeah, it just isn't fair for the poor guy... Mari just loves him so much, and Josh is a great friend! Hehehe

😈

Nope, and maaaaaaybe.

Awww, the little guy is still adjusting... :3

Hehehehe, gotcha! 😈

O.O

"P-please, Cecily, this is just a little hiccup!" Larry said, holding in a panicky bleat. The middle-aged goat was wearing just a pair of faded blue boxers and a stained tank-top and pacing about his motel room. Nearby was his briefcase, as well as a duffel bag with some spare clothes in it. His breathing was becoming more frantic as he listened to the lynx twenty years younger than him on the phone. "Larry, this just isn't gunna work out between us. You should go back to your wife," Cecily said with a purr. "I c-can't! Ever since I told her I was leaving her for you... well, she hasn't been returning my calls! Except once to tell me th-that she was moving and taking the kids with her!" "Yeah... well, that sounds more like a you problem than a <i>me</i> problem." Cecily continued to purr as she spoke. The goat couldn't believe what he was hearing! Where had gone the sweet and innocent-seeming woman who had breezed into his life when he had taken some of his ill-gotten gains to Pol-Naxa, a city practically built around casinos and gambling, and other vices... She had bumped into him when he'd been on a roll that night, in her tight black sequin cocktail dress, her fluffy gold-ish fur well groomed, and her eyes big yellow disks that seemed to twinkle with a fiery mischief... absolutely nothing like Lisa. After five children and going back to school to pursue her medical degree, the stark white-furred nanny goat was always just too exhausted lately. Some days she would even barely have the energy to make him his favorite breakfast. Larry froze when he heard a muffled voice in the background, one that definitely sounded male. "Wh-who's that?" He asked, feeling as if the world dropped out from beneath him. "Hmm? Oh, nothing, just the TV." He wanted to believe her, but he could swear he heard her voice, now also slightly muffled, hiss 'Jackson, be quiet!' before she returned. "So I guess this is it." "Wait!" Larry cried out, remembering part of why he called. "Yes?" "Wh-what about the key to the safety deposit box? Y'know? Where the... special package went?" "Special package?" Hope began to flutter in Larry's heart when he heard the tone of confusion in the lynx's voice. Maybe he could make all of this just go away… "OH! You meant the big paper bag with all the money in it!" Cecily laughed, but this was a much harsher tone than what he was used to. "Larry, don't be a dullard. That was the very first thing we--I mean I, cleaned out. I mean, c'mon, Larry. You've been caught, it's really only a matter of time, and they're gunna want all of that money back... buuuut, I kinda wanted all of that money too... so you can see the conflict of interest..." "C-Cecily, please! I could go to jail!" Larry did let slip a bleat to that. "Larry, you're a criminal. What you did is called embezzlement. No matter how you liked to justify it to me after... our fun, at the end of the day, you are nothing more than just a thief. And not a very good one if they caught you. Goodbye, Larry! And good luck in prison!" With one last harsh bark of a laugh, the call ended. Trembling, and hot, angry tears running down his cheeks, Larry fell to his knees. "Th-th-this isn't FAIR!" His hooves gripped the sides of his head as he yelled. "It was just a little off the top! The company didn't even care before... before..." The gears turned in his head, but being so rusted, one could almost hear them loudly squeak and grind. His eyes narrowed into two angry slits. "Until that stupid baby stumbled onto it!" Snarling in pure rage, he looked at the nearest wall and tried to punch through it... only succeeding in hurting his right hoof. * * * "And this little piggy went WEEE WEEE WEEE, all the way home!" Michael was grinning and cooing while he played with Varis' exposed toes, the wolf giggling up a storm despite wishing otherwise. "Dad," Mari said, entering with a plate of cut apple slices with peanut butter on them for Varis and Eliza to snack on while the 'adults' conversed. "You know that that's offensive." Bella nodded to her husband and swatted him lightly on the back with her big bushy tail. "Exactly. And you know how impressionable MSers can be, Michael." The older male fennec fox smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Ha! What can I say? I'm an old dog, after all... well, fox, but you all get the point." "Just please have a bit more care around our little precious Vary-Berry," Bella cooed, leaning over to where a now pouty-Varis was sitting on the blanket spread on the carpet, with some soft toys spread out onto it, and began to rub his tummy. Instantly, the annoyed wolf started to melt into one big happy, tail-thumping puddle. "Fine, fine," Michael held up his paws in mock surrender, "I know when I'm outgunned. So, Jimmy, what was it you do again? Professional babysitting?" Josh winced a little but smiled good-naturedly nonetheless, sitting on the couch next to Mari. "Actually, it's Josh. And I work in finance with Vary. Technically, I'm under him a little." "Huh... so they let him keep his job even after he... started to change?" Michael took a sip from the mug he'd been given while Mari rolled her eyes. If it weren't for Bella's magic paws, he'd be properly incensed at the nerve! ... Granted, he'd been worried about that previously, but still! "Yes, Dad," Mari said with a sigh and a shake of her head. "Legally, they can't just fire him for having his condition manifest." "Well, yeah... but aren't they worried he might... swallow some office supplies?" Okay, that was enough to spur Varis up from his stupor. "Micaw, I dun go putting wandowm tings in maw maouf!" Varis lisped around his thumb, earning his headfur a ruffle from Mike. "Dad..." Mari said with a slightly sharp tone to her voice. Michael, for his part, sighed and his ears drooped. "Right... I'm sorry," he turned to look Varis in the eye to apologize, "I'm sure that he still does excellent work. I suppose that I'm just worried about him, is all. I mean, he is more... fragile now." "Oh! Grampa, Mikey!" Lizzy practically shouted, hopping from foot to foot with her paw raised, like she was in school. "Inside voices, Elizabeth," Josh said, to which the hyper bunny nodded. "Sorry, Daddy!" Mike chuckled and patted Lizzy on the head. "That's alright, sweetheart. What was it you wanted to ask me?" "I wanted to say that I'm an MSer, just like Vary, but I can still do lots of grown-up things! I am even part of a group that volunteers to help build homes for homeless families!" Wait... what's this now? Varis wondered internally while Bella inspected his already freshly-changed diaper. This was certainly news to him. "That's wonderful, sweetie. Do you use Snap-os or just regular wooden blocks?" As condescending as Mike sounded, Varis could tell that he was sincerely asking. And for a brief moment, Varis felt shame as he had had a partially similar thought upon first hearing Elizabeth's claim. Lizzy, without looking upset or even annoyed, let out a happy titter and pulled out her phone. "No, Grampa Mike!" She tapped on the screen a bit, and pulled up some photos that she held up for everyone to see. It showed her in a white hard hat, safety goggles, an orange vest over her white t-shirt, and a pink unicorn diaper, as well as a pair of work boots. Swiping with a finger, she showed off pictures of herself sawing, using a nail gun, measuring, getting a diaper change, and working on a roof, putting in shingles. "Well, I'll be!" Mike sounded amazed. What he said, Varis thought, silently suckling his binky after Bella gently tugged his thumb out and slipped it in instead. "Aren't you just a sweet little angel!" Bella reached over to boop Lizzy's nose. Lizzy giggled a lot at that and plopped down next to Vary to start playing with the toys. "It's so nice that Vary-berry has a cute little friend to play with." Varis chewed on his binky for a bit, noticing Mari coming over to him with two bottles of brown formula, which his eyes absolutely did not at all lock onto and track, his mouth working doubletime to suck on his binky. He watched as Mari handed Josh one of them, the two smiling at each other for a bit, which irked Varis a little. Mari turned back towards him when Eliza practically leapt into Josh's lap, and she gave a little laugh when she saw that his eyes definitely were not staring right at the remaining bottle in her paw. "C'mon, Vary," Mari said, taking his paw into hers and prompting him to stand with a gentle tug. "You and I need to have a little talk in the kitchen, okay?" Varis nodded and let himself be led into the kitchen, hugging Mr. Nuggets close, feeling a bit nervous. Sitting in his not-high-chair, with the tray removed; he gladly accepted his baba, spitting out his binky to begin drinking in that tasty chocolate goodness. "Vary?" Mari got Varis' attention. It was only now that he realized that Mari was wearing a bright red dress, one that she had worn on a date night that seemed forever ago. Mari also had on some bright red lipstick and a little eye shadow, and was wringing her paws guiltily, a not-so-subtle tell he'd picked up over the years. "Mom and Dad are here to... keep you and Eliza company, while Josh and I go out for a little while. We have some things we need to talk about, and, well... I didn't want to just spring this on you last minute... but..." Then it all clicked for Varis, who continued to nurse his baba, but now with a scowl. Mari winced and continued on. "Anyways, I promise that we'll be back before bedtime. I want you to be good for Mom and Dad, okay?" Mari looked at Varis with hopeful eyes, but he simply turned away, and continued to silently nurse. "Vary?" The only sounds he was making were the nuk nuk nuk sounds from drinking his bottle. Mari's ears drooped, and she nodded her head. "Alright... I can see that you're... not too happy with this arrangement... and that's my fault for not discussing it with you earlier... I'm sorry, Vary." She still only got silence in return. "Right... I love you, Vary. No matter what." She leaned down and, even though he tried to flinch away, she kissed his cheek. Still scowling, he hopped down and left the kitchen, plopping himself down on a corner of the blanket in the living room, still scowling despite Mike giving him a head pat. Bella now had Lizzy in her lap, the bunny girl all curled up and happily being fed her own bottle of formula. He gave Josh, whom he saw was wearing a much nicer blazer, the stink eye as Josh and Mari started to get ready to leave. With one last wave to him, that he huffed at, Varis found himself being babysat by his in-laws while his wife and best friend went out on a date. "What's the matter, Vary-Berry?" Michael asked, looking concerned at the unhappy expression on the wolf's face. Varis said nothing, but jumped when he felt himself getting a diaper check. "Hmm, well, this little super soaker is already a little damp again, but not too badly. He can definitely wait for another diaper change." Varis blushed as Bella nodded, froze, and sniffed. She shifted Lizzy in her lap in order to pull out the back of the bunny's diaper. "Uh-oh! Well, I can tell someone else can't wait!" Bella chuckled, removing the now empty bottle from Lizzy's lips, and offering her a binky instead. "Thankies, Grandma Bella!" Lizzy giggled around the binky, not caring that two near-strangers knew she'd messed herself. Staring at Lizzy, the wolf huffed and got up, toddling back into the kitchen. "Oh, hold on there a second, Sport!" Michael said, starting to get up, until Bella walked over, Lizzy now securely on her left hip, and placed a paw on the older male fennec's shoulder. "The poor thing is still processing emotions. You saw how upset he was... he probably could use a little time to sort through things." Michael sighed and smiled up at his wife. "You're right, honey." Back in the kitchen, Varis stomped over to the fridge and opened it. Inside, he saw one of his juice boxes, an Up-D fruit punch. Taking it out, in his mounting frustration, when he tore the straw off, his fingers fumbled and dropped it into the nearby kitchen trash can. Growling a little, Varis peeked inside, and saw a crumpled up piece of paper. Curious, he grabbed and unfolded it, to see that the letterhead at the top was for the Miner Syndrome Protective Services. Skimming through all the boring legalese, Varis froze. In it, he read that due to his condition... his marriage to Mari was no longer legal. In the eyes of the law... he was deemed as not able to continue to be capable of handling an 'adult' relationship, and thus their marriage was officially dissolved. What made his blood run cold, however, was a part of the last paragraph. 'Your application for custody has been granted, and the hearing for full adoption is set for Wednesday, 1 pm, at...' The letter fell from his paw, onto the floor, tears in the wolf's eyes. How could I be so stupid?! He wiped his eyes. Mari just can't wait for me to be just like Lizzy! Then she, me, Lizzy, and Josh can all be one BIG happy family! Varis let out a growl and, breathing heavily, headed upstairs, thankful that Lizzy squirming on her changing mat had both Bella and Michael distracted. Off in the distance, he heard a rumble that sounded like thunder, and whimpered a little. Forcing himself to not act like a scared little puppy, Varis squared his shoulders, entered the spare bedroom that Mari had been putting some additional... furniture, to help with caring for Varis in. Looking around, Varis recognized that this was basically just a nursery for him, complete with a crib in the center of the room. "It's all so freakin' clear now!" Varis angrily grabbed the dinosaur-themed bright blue backpack Mari had gotten him so that he could take coloring books and some additional toys to his work's daycare, and stuffed Mr. Nuggets inside, as well as his new stuffed lion and fox, and some more coloring books, and even a bag of cookies he had grabbed on his way out of the kitchen, shoving that inside too. Zipping it all up, he grabbed a green crayon and a piece of paper from the art desk Mari had made for him, and started writing a note. Two Hours Later... "Thank you for being so understanding, Josh," Mari said, dabbing at her eyes with the tissue she'd gotten out of her purse. She sniffed and did her best to calm down, and not look like she'd been crying. "Mari, I understand, and agree. Varis needs to know the truth," Josh gave the fennec a smile, making sure his umbrella was successfully shielding the two of them from the rain that had started coming down. "I just... I don't know if I could handle it... if he hated me," Mari's lip began to quiver, prompting the gator to slip his free arm around her shoulders in a side-hug. "Will he be mad? Probably. Could he ever hate you? Never. Varis loves you too much to ever hate you, Mari." Mari brightened a little and squared her shoulders. "You're right, Josh. Thank you." They continued walking towards the front door, Mari fishing out her keys to unlock it. Entering the house, Mari hadn't been expecting a scene of chaos. Bella and Michael were busy running around the house, frantically searching. "Bella, hun, I found a flashlight! I'll start searching around the outside of the house and then around the block!" He called out, freezing when he saw Mari and Josh looking at him. "Oh goodness, oh goodness!" Bella seemed to be just shy of hyperventilating, bouncing an anxious-looking Elizabeth on her hip. "Don't worry, Grandma Bella, he couldn't have gotten far." Lizzy offered the older female fennec a smile, which did little to help Bella to calm down. "What's going on here? Where's Vary?!" Mari asked, a growing sense of dread welling up within herself. "Sweetie," Mike said, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. "Vary's..." "He ran away!" Bella sobbed, sitting down on the couch and hugging Lizzy tight. "What?!" "H-Hold on now, are we sure?" Josh asked, sounding hopeful that this was all just a misunderstanding, and that maybe Varis made himself a pillow fort somewhere to be alone. Mike looked awkward as he pulled a piece of paper out from his pocket, handing it to Mari. Josh leaned over to read it with her, seeing that it was written in bright green crayon. Enjoy your new life with Josh and Lizzy! I'm going, and don't bother looking for me! "It was taped to the fridge... with the kitchen door to the back yard wide open... I'm so sorry, sweetie. We were trying to give him some space because he seemed so upset earlier..." Just as they both finished the note, there was a crack of thunder, and Mari fell to her knees. "All my fault... this is all my fault!" She cried, Michael and Josh both dropping to their knees to hug her. Josh and Mike locked eyes for a moment as they comforted the distraught Mari, with Mike passing Josh the flashlight. Josh nodded silently, and got up, heading back out into the pouring rain in the pitch black night. He already had a destination in mind. Taking a sharp right, Josh headed in the direction of the park. Nearing it, he started to look around, shining his flashlight on different pieces of playground equipment. Stopping at the giant purple starfish play structure, he peered inside, hearing a whimper. "Hey there, Buddy," Josh said, startling the sniffling wolf. Varis scowled at him and shifted to turn his back to the invading gator. "H-how did you find me?" "Well... this is the only park that caters to MSer's that's within easy walking distance of your house, Buddy." Josh chuckled, causing Varis' frown to deepen. "Go away! I don't need you! I don't need anybody!" Varis let out a whimper while wiping his eyes. "Vary, Bud, we both know I can't do that..." "YOU'RE NOT MY DADDY!!!" Varis yelled, causing Josh to jump a little in surprise. Josh could see a wave of fresh tears begin rolling down the wolf' cheeks. "If you a-and Mo--M-Mari wanna be t-t-together... then fine! B-but I won't b-be a part of it!" "Varis, I know that this is all... complicated..." "Oh yeah! The big puppy's mushy baby brain just doesn't understand grown-ups anymore!" Varis practically snarled as he said this in a very condescending voice. "I saw the letter from MPS! I know that w-we aren't... legally, m-married anymore!" "Oh... Buddy..." Josh said in a soft voice, his heart aching for Varis as he realized just how distraught the poor guy must be. "And I'm not your buddy! Not anymore! Not after y-you... started to... s-show an interest in my w-wife!" Varis let out a hiccup while the rain continued to pound on the roof of the play structure. "Varis..." Josh sighed and shook his head, wondering where to start. He looked back over at the wolf, who was squirming where he sat. He could tell that the poor guy needed a new diaper, but elected to stay on the topic at hand. "You're right... I think... I like Mari." Josh sat down across from his friend-turned-puppy and continued, despite the dark look he was receiving for his efforts. "Ever since your diagnosis, and we've all been hanging around together like the good old days... I can admit that I've been... having some feelings stir. Feelings I haven't had since..." "Since Lizzy's diagnosis?" Varis finished, noticing Josh looking as miserable as he felt. The gator continued to frown and nodded. "Yeah... when we first learned of her condition... we were both terrified. We didn't know just how it would affect her mind, if she would forget everything, or any of that. Would she even remember me?" Josh leaned back a bit, looking up at all the glow-in-the-dark plastic stars someone had stuck to the ceiling of the play structure. "We both started to do as much research on Miner's Syndrome as we could, looking for any crumb of information that could help. Things certainly got rougher since by then, she and her parents had been... estranged... anyways, I had to scramble to file for custody, and we had to meet with a rep from MSer's Protective Services, who walked me through all the... changes... Lizzy was going through. Including the part about... how we could no longer get married." Varis winced. Even though he had started to distance himself away from Lizzy and Josh at the time... he did remember quite a few times walking in on Josh sitting in a room by himself, looking like the life within him had been drained out. Josh was always quick to throw on a smile and crack a joke... but Varis had known what he had seen. In the back of his mind, he kicked himself, despite the still raw and swirling anger and hurt he felt... because if this is what Josh felt... He clamped down on any feelings of guilt for aban--distancing himself from his friends during a... bad time of their lives, choosing to focus on his own pain in the here and now. "I remember that it hit you pretty hard," Varis said. "Yeah... Lizzy was the light of my life. I remember I was actually kinda scared of just how much I fell in love with her. She was this amazing girl who I got to be friends with, and then whom I was going to get to spend the rest of our lives together with, when she said yes when I proposed. We would start our own little family, and one day grow old together. I had never even thought of anything like that before Lizzy. I didn't know it at the time, but I had actually been living in a world of muted colors before she came along and lit everything up." Varis saw a dreamy far-away look in Josh's eyes, recalling how he would get that way when he first started to realize he had feelings for Elizabeth. Then, the look faded, and his face fell. "And then came her condition flaring up. When Lizzy went into denial, I went right alongside her. I didn't want to believe it, the doctor had to have made a mistake, she was too old for it to manifest... and so many more reasonings and explanations that we could both take comfort in. And, when I learned about the legal status of MSers... that's when the world became a place of grays. Legally, she would be a toddler from then on out." Varis wondered if there was a leak above them when he saw the droplet slide down from the corner of Josh's eye. "When her parents found out, they tried to sue for custody... which I knew they would, so I filed my own paperwork first. Lizzy... her childhood was bad enough with them the first time around. But this time? She'd never be able to leave... but I still should have discussed it with her first." Josh let out a sigh and looked up and out as the rain slowly started to lessen. "She was furious with me when I finally told her that I'd... legally filed for custody and full-on adoption." Varis looked down at his dinosaur-covered backpack, shifting uncomfortably where he sat, able to feel how clammy and uncomfortable his diaper was. "I think she actually managed to go nearly an entire year of not speaking to me. Even when I tried to include her in decisions for things she needed, like the design of her nursery, what kind of crib she would like, even her preferred brand of diapers, after I got a few different packs of them for her to try over time. And then... one day, when I was just starting out at the company, trying to make ends meet, what with the rent and Lizzy's daycare and just... wondering if I could even do this... all the while still missing the girl I had lost... she snuck out of her crib and came to me." Varis was leaning forward, listening intently, oblivious to his tail starting to hike itself up. "She tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention. When I turned around to see her in her cute princess jammies, hugging her stuffed unicorn, a big smile on her face... she had done it again, and returned color to my world." Josh smiled, his scaly tail swishing a bit. "That was right before she reared back and punched me right in the throat as hard as she could." Varis let out a snort, clamping his muzzle shut while trying not to laugh. Josh simply chuckled for the both of them. "It's okay, Buddy. It was actually pretty funny. She apologized and said she had to get that out of her system. She then started to tell me all the things she wanted different for her nursery, definitely more dragon-themed stuff, and less itchy jammies. Lizzy then followed that up by telling me she was sorry that she basically gave me the silent treatment for so long, especially since I was already basically punishing myself. Then... she called me Daddy for the first time, and crawled into my lap to cuddle my chest, saying I always gave the best hugs." The two were silent for a time, the pattering of the rain above them now gone, aside from the occasional drip. "Mari loves you so much, Varis," Josh said, looking the wolf right in the eye. "She has fought to stay your rock, your source for constant stability for so long since your diagnosis, even though she was almost overwhelmed by her own pain time and again. I remember seeing... myself, during Lizzy's diagnosis. When she started to ask me about my experiences with Lizzy and her care, I decided to do everything I could to help. When we started to see more and more of each other, thanks to the playdates... that's when we started to realize we were... feeling... things... And tonight, Mari started to cry after we sat down at our table. She felt so guilty, like she was betraying you, despite what the letter said. We left the restaurant and decided to take a walk and talk about things. Mari decided that before anything could happen between her and me, she had to come clean to you, and if you didn't give your blessing afterwards, then that would just be it." Varis wiped at his eyes again, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. "This isn't fair!" Varis cried out, Josh looking on with a sad smile. "It really isn't, Bud--OOF!" Josh was interrupted by the wolf suddenly launching himself at him, clinging tightly to his shirt, accidentally slamming his head into Josh's stomach and knocking the wind out of the surprised gator. Josh hummed a lullaby he always sang for Lizzy to help her feel better, and the hiccupping sobs coming from Varis tapered off into sniffles. "C-can we g-go home to M-Mommy now?" Varis asked, his voice slightly hoarse, looking up at Josh with tearfilled eyes, not knowing what he had just called Mari. Josh's smile became brighter while nuzzling the top of Varis' head. "We sure can, Buddy." He put one hand under Varis' mushy bottom to support him, and slipped his free arm through one of the backpack straps, before settling that hand on the back of Varis' head. They both looked up at the now clear starry night sky as Josh walked them out from under the play structure. They even saw a shooting star. "Make a wish, Buddy!" Josh encouraged, starting to head back towards home. Varis silently nodded, closing his eyes to make his wish. He shed a silent tear as he knew that it was a wish that was never going to come true. The walk back home, with Josh using the flashlight and the light of the now very bright moon to avoid puddles, was a silent one. When they entered through the front door, Mari and Lizzy practically tackled the two of them. "VARY YOU DUMMY!" Lizzy yelled, being scooped up by Josh after Mari took the wolf from him. She pulled Varis close and sobbed into his chest. "Don't you ever do something reckless like that again, Vary! You could have gotten hurt!" A part of Varis wanted to argue and point out that he went on night walks by himself all the time until lately... but the teary-eyed face of Mari was enough to get him to not bring it up. "I'm sorry," he said, beginning to tear up as well. "I just... I got so mad..." "I love you, Vary!" Mari said. "I love you too, Mommy!" Varis said, blushing when he realized what he just said. Mari smiled at him and kissed the tip of his nose. "C'mon, you little stinker, let's get you changed and into some nice warm jammies," Mari said, walking upstairs with Varis now settled on her hip. He blushed when he saw the relieved faces of Mike and Bella, before looking back at Josh and Lizzy, the two smiling at him. A little while later, Josh gently knocked on the door to Varis' nursery, a sleepy Lizzy in his arms and now wearing her pink princess nightgown. He opened the door a bit and stopped, him and Lizzy both peeking around it. Mari was sitting on the rocking chair, going back and forth with Varis curled up in her lap. He let out a yawn as she closed a big and colorful book titled Dr. Moose's Pup with a Cup and put it onto a nearby bookshelf, with plenty of other similar ones, as well as some more 'mature' fantasy books. Mari looked down into the tired big pup's eyes, a warm smile on her muzzle that grew a little wider when she heard a rumble come from his tummy. She had changed out of her dress and into a cream colored blouse and matching skirt. Still smiling, she slowly undid some of the buttons on her blouse and opened it. Varis stared for a moment, looking unsure, while Mari rubbed his back with one paw, the other gently guiding his head closer and she cooed. The moment her nipple brushed against his lips he latched on, his suckle reflex kicking in, quickly rewarding him with her milk. Closing his eyes, Varis soon relaxed as he nursed, Mari's milk tasting so sweet and creamy, better than any formula he'd tried so far. Snuggling closer in her lap, he opened his eyes once more and stopped his night time feeding only once. "I love you, Mommy," he said, his voice a whisper as a drop of milk dribbled down his chin. He resumed after Mari kissed his forehead. "Mommy loves you too, baby. And she always will." Mari was practically glowing as she said it. Turning her head slightly, she could see Josh beaming at her, Lizzy already asleep in his arms. They looked into each other's eyes in the quiet, enjoying the calm that came after the storm. * * * Varis entered his office, the old sense of comfortable normalcy returning to him. After a bit of a... trying night, the wolf felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted. He and Mari and Josh and Lizzy still had some things to work out... but despite only wearing his suit jacket and undershirt and a fresh pair of Snuggies, this with a pterodactyl on the front, things were definitely looking up for the wolf. He walked, with a bit of a waddle, to his desk, still hugging his stuffed tiger, ready to fire up his computer and get to work. Then a hoof clamped itself around his muzzle and yanked him back a bit. He struggled until another hoof appeared next to his left eye, holding a very long and serrated hunting knife. "Hello, Varis," Larry hissed. Varis could see who it was now that he and his attacker had turned to face the mirror in his office. Varis let out a whimper while his bladder immediately gave out.

Excellent new chapter! I'm excited to see where the big kittens and their big kit Captain all end up!

Yay! So happy to get to read the latest chapter! I cannot wait to start reading how the crew deals with the fallout of their new... circumstances... (Hopefully they'll set aside some time for playtime!)

It's being worked on. Just gotta wait for the new chapter to finish baking. Can't take it out of the oven without the cheese all melting and the crust turning a beautiful golden brown... I probably should not be typing while hungry. Oh well!

OOOOH! Excellent new installment! Though, I do think at one point you got Minnie and Winnie mixed up near the beginning. But other than that, it looks like smooth sailing... well, not necessarily for the crew of the Catastrophe, but you get my point... I predict some rather... soggy sailing in their collective near futures instead... :3

Excellent start and introduction of the various crew. And loved that bit of foreshadowing, especially the mentioning of wetnurses... Can't wait to read more!

Ah, thanks for the heads up!

One of my favorite tropes! I actually copy and paste posts. Maybe if I manually delete the spaces that could help?

Hey there, readers! I'm happy to bring to you this fun little one-off that was written, in part, to participate in a fun little contest (check out the description for more details)! I hope you all enjoy it! Kimi and Kodi's Little Bet by Panther Cub "Mom, please don't make us do this!" Kodi whined from the back seat, his arms crossed as he pouted. Up in the passenger seat, Kimi was glaring out the window. "This is all your fault, baby brother!" The teen tigress hissed to the growling gray wolf in the back of the car. Tess sighed as she made a turn into a residential neighborhood. "You two got yourselves in this together," Tess said, taking a left. "I am sick of all this fighting and bickering." "Kodi starts most of it." Kimi looked down at where her phone usually would be, suddenly reminded that she and Kodi had lost their phone privileges for the duration. "Do not!" Was his clever retort. "I don't care who starts the fights, they are ending right now!" Tess let out a deep growl that shocked the two teens into silence. The lioness let out a sigh as she pulled to a stop in front of a large white two-story house with an idyllic-looking picket fence surrounding a lush green lawn. "Besides, trouble or no trouble, Sheila and I both need to attend this conference, and she couldn't get any babysitters at the last minute; so you'd both still be watching Amy and Cady for the week. Only now, you get to do it without your phones." Grumbling almost in unison, the duo-species twins both got out of the car after Tess killed the engine. Kimi was wearing her red flannel jacket over a simple black tank-top and a pair of stylishly torn jeans and had a black and pink backpack filled with a week's worth of clothes and other supplies. Kodi was wearing a loud yellow, red, and green Cawaiian shirt opened to reveal a white tank-top and a pair of black cargo shorts, the white strap of his blue duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Tess, however, was already wearing a charcoal gray, with orange pinstripe, skirt suit. She briskly walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell, Kimi and Kodi in tow. "Juuuuust a minute!" A feminine sing-song voice could be heard from inside. A few moments later, and the front door was practically flung open as a large, middle-aged, rhinoceros woman beamed down at the three of them, easily towering over the two teens. "Just in time, Tess!" "You know it, Sheila." Tess let out a laugh as she pulled her cubs forward. "Kodi and Kimi here are just so excited to get to spend some more time with your girls! Right, kids?" "Yeah..." "... It'll be a blast." The two teens tried to fake enthusiasm, being only marginally successful, not that Mrs. Ramhorn seemed to notice. "That's wonderful! The twins have just been so excited ever since they learned that you two were going to be calf-sitting them all week long!" Sheila invited them all in, grabbing her purse off a nearby table. It was a deep maroon, to perfectly match her own skirt-suit. "Has Charles already left?" Tess asked, absentmindedly smoothing out Kodi's messy headfur, despite his silent protests. "Yup! He and his college friends will be gone about as long as we will be on their little fishing trip." Sheila led the trio into the kitchen. Even though this wasn't their first time watching the twin rhino girls, Kimi still felt weirded out by how the chairs in the nearby dining room, like all the furniture, was sized for rhinos. It made her feel so... small. Sheila walked over to the fridge and opened it up, revealing a bunch of sealed containers, all with sticky notes on them explaining the contents and any additional instructions. "Now we cooked a number of meals in advance for the week, with a few more out in the freezer in the garage. Some of the ones in here need to thaw a little more, but heating anything in the oven or microwave will be easy as can be. So you two don't have to worry about making the dinners yourselves." Mrs. Ramhorn smiled at the two teens, who both seemed a little relieved at having one less thing to take care of. "Prepared as always, I see," Tess said with a giggle, eliciting a chuckle from the rhino. "What can I say?" Sheila shrugged. "Anyways, the girls' bedtime is the same as before, and thankfully Cady no longer seems to be afraid of the dark. The new instructions for the security system are right here on the fridge, all the smoke detectors have been inspected and given new batteries. There's plenty of movies to choose from in the DVD cabinet and plenty of shows and movies to pick from on our Cluckflix." Sheila counted off on her fingers the different details, reading off her mental checklist. "I'm forgetting something... oh yes! The guest rooms!" She chuckled, leading the group out of the kitchen and into the hall. They headed up the stairs and started to pass doors. She stopped at two doors that were next to each other and opened them both. One had a light blue accent to the wallpaper, while the other was a mild pink. "We recently had them refurbished and changed around some of the rooms for my little project." "You mean Project Renewal?" Tess asked, her tail swishing in curiosity. "Maaaaaaaybe," Sheila said with a wink. "And thank you so much again for donating all that furniture! It was just what I needed!" "Well, it was just taking up room in storage, and I figured that you could find more use for it all than that." Tess smiled, happy to have helped in any way. "You mean that old baby furniture?" Kodi asked, remembering having to give up a Saturday of sleeping in to help his Dad haul cribs and high chairs and plenty of heavy boxen down from the attic and out to an awaiting van. "Correct! I still have it all here for further testing. But the results I've gotten already will absolutely be enough for its next phase. However, anything more detailed than that is strictly confidential." Kodi and Kimi both shared a confused look, wondering what their old furniture could be used for that would be confidential. "Anyways, all of that old furniture is in what was Charles' study, before he decided to make the basement into his study instead. It's all right there down the hall. And while I am comfortable with you both taking a look if you really want to see, I must ask that you be careful and not break anything, understood?" The pair nodded. "Won't be a problem," Kimi said, giving Kodi a side-eyed look. "I'll be sure to keep my baby brother from wandering around in there." Kodi shot her an angry look but said nothing. "Excellent! Well then, you two can drop off your belongings in the guest rooms and then come downstairs while I see the girls off!" Sheila and Tess left the two teens, amicably chatting as they headed back downstairs. Kodi huffed and went into the blue room, dropping his bag onto the bed. Kimi rolled her eyes and did the same in the pink room, already finding herself wishing that the week was already over. "Alright Amy, Cady, you both behave for Kimi and Kodi, understood?" The two teens could hear Mrs. Ramhorn's voice just before they entered the living room to find the two pre-teen rhino girls hugging their mother, who was telling them how much she loved them. Amy and Cady were both wearing matching lavender dresses. Breaking free from the hug, they both turned to face the tigress and the wolf, running up and hugging them. "Yay! I can't wait to play you two at Syndicate again!" Cady said in delight. Kimi and Kodi both recognized it was her from the bright red digital watch she always adamantly wore wherever she went. "Yeah! We're totally gunna beat you this time!" Amy said with confidence, her favorite pink locket hanging around her neck. "Heh, bring it on, squirts," Kodi said, patting their heads while trying to disguise a wheeze. Despite being older than the two, the twins were already their height, and, being rhinos, already pretty strong. "Okay you two," Tess said, approaching her son and daughter. She hugged them both and kissed their foreheads, despite their embarrassment at the treatment. "I love you both. And be good." Just like that, the two older females left, leaving the kids to their own devices. "Did mom show you her special project?" Amy asked, now sounding excited. She had waited for the sound of the car starting up and driving off before asking. "Project Renewal?" Kimi asked, prompting the younger set of twins to nod. "We just know that some old furniture of ours was used in it, that's all," Kodi added. "Wanna see it?" Cady asked, bouncing on her feet in excitement. "Well... your Mom did say that it was ok for us to look at, so long as we didn't break anything." Kodi nodded as he let the girls lead him and his sister back up the stairs and to a door that was just a few down from the guest rooms. "It's right next to our room," Amy said, sounding pretty proud of that fact. She nodded to Cady, whose smile grew wider as she opened the door and flipped on the nearby light switch. "This is Project Renewal?" Kodi asked, grimacing at the sight of what appeared to be a nursery, full of all sorts of loud and bright colors, with some softer pastels also jumping out to the unsuspecting eye. In the center of the room were a pair of cribs, one pink, the other a light blue, both with soft teddy bear mobiles dangling above. Near the door were a pair of highchairs, right next to a little mini-fridge. At the far end of the room was an open closet, revealing all sorts of juvenile and infantile clothing options. Next to it was a strange dresser. It had a much wider top with some kind of purple padding, with some odd slots built into the sides. "Is that a... changing table?" "It's Mom's latest invention! The Automated Changing Table! Or Auto-Changer for short!" Cady explained with pride. "In fact, just about all the furniture in here is one of her inventions." "Wait," Kimi said, something that had been bugging her ever since they'd opened the door to this room. "Is this what she did... with our old baby stuff?" Kodi's ears perked up at that as he took another look around. "Hey, yeah! I remember this stuff!" "Yup!" Amy answered with a giggle. "That's part of what Project Renewal is! Making new inventions out of old recycled parts!" "Why is it all... bigger?" Kodi asked, feeling uncomfortable standing next to the high chairs, both now large enough for him to sit in easily. "Because she's gunna test it on some cousins of ours. They're both elephants, as well as toddlers, so everything here should be a perfect fit," Cady explained. "Huh... so wait... you said that these are all new inventions of hers?" Kimi asked. "Uh-huh!" Cady answered. "Geeze! Look at the size of these cribs!" Kodi said, realizing that the bars were much higher than they had been. "So what do they all do?" Kimi asked. "We overheard Mom talking about her project with her work when she was on the phone," Amy explained. "And she said that basically, the first major project of Project Renewal was to make a mostly automated nursery, to help in the care and developmental growth of the children being cared for. But she didn't go into any more detail after describing the auto-changer." Cady looked over at Kodi, still staring at the cribs. "We won't tell if you two decide you want to take a nap in your old cribs." She offered, trying to look sincere, despite actively fighting back a giggle. Kimi rolled her eyes at that. "Yeah, no, not happening." The twins both began to giggle as the four of them all left the room. "Okay, Kimi and I just ate before coming here, are you two hungry?" The wolf asked. "Depends," Cady said, "are chocolate milkshakes an option?" Kodi couldn't help but snicker at that. "Your folks made up quite a few meals for us all to have, along with instructional notes. And, somehow, I doubt that chocolate milkshakes are on today's menu." "Awww," the calf groaned, sticking her meaty hands in the pockets of her dress. "That's okay." Amy smiled, looking excited. "How about we play Syndicate? It was pretty fun the last time we all played it." Kimi snickered. "I'll say. Especially after Kodi threw his little tantrum." Kodi bit back a growl at that. "I did not throw a tantrum!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "You were being insufferable the entire game, and you only got more annoying when you won." "Oh really, baby brother?" Kimi smirked at seeing his eye twitch from annoyance. "Yeah! So, no thanks, I think I'll sit this one out." "Awwww," the twins chorused. "But it's more fun with more people to play it with." Cady started to pout. "What if we made it more interesting?" Amy offered, after looking thoughtful. "What are you thinking, Amy?" Kimi asked, intrigued. "Well, we could have a bet going. Like, if me and Amy win, can we have chocolate milkshakes?" "Yeah!" Cady cheered. "I don't think so," Kodi said. "Stop being such a baby." Kimi's tail swished in annoyance at her brother's obstinance. "Quit calling me a baby!" "I know!" Amy declared, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "How about, if either of you two loses, you have to go and use one of our Mom's inventions in the guest room that the winner gets to pick?" "Uh... I'm not so sure that that's a good idea," Kimi said, suddenly feeling a bit wary at the prospect of using one of Mrs. Ramhorn's inventions. But Kodi seemed thoughtful. "Actually... I kind of like the sound of that. Okay, Kimi, let's find out who the real baby is. The loser... has to use the autochanger and have it put them in a diaper, which they have to wear until we go home!" Kodi looked smugly at Kimi. Kimi hesitated, knowing she could whoop Kodi at any game. However, she wasn't sure how happy Mrs. Ramhorn would be if she ever found out that one of them had used one of her new inventions without asking. But, the idea of Kodi pouting in a pair of Pawpers was one that made her chuckle internally. And it certainly would be something he would never be able to live down. "Unless," Kodi continued, "wittle Kimicakes is too scared of the big bad Auto-Changer?" The wolf's goading had struck a nerve with the tigress, who blushed at the use of the embarrassing nickname their mother gave her. "Alright then, baby brother. You're on!" Amy and Cady were whispering to each other as the two settled on their terms, the two young pachyderms high-fiving before their babysitters turned to look at them. "Okay, girls," Kimi said, crossing her arms, "let's set up the game. And don't think that your dumb motel trap is gunna work a second time, Kodi." One gameplay later... Kimi couldn't believe that this was happening. She blushed fiercely beneath her fur as she trudged up the stairs. Behind her, Kodi and the twins were giggling to each other. Opening the door, Kimi froze, her focus zooming right in on the purple padded table. In no time at all, she was standing in front of it. "How do I use this?" Kimi asked, hoping that the girls wouldn't know and they could all call this whole thing off. "It's really simple." Cady grinned. "Mom likes to make things user friendly!" Of course she does, Kimi thought. "Just climb on top, and I'll press the buttons." Amy was grinning as she practically ran up to the side of the auto-changer. She gave the hesitant tigress a gentle, yet firm, shove, prompting Kimi to do what she'd said. She climbed onto the padding of the table, blushing wildly as she realized that it was the perfect size for her. Rolling onto her back, she saw Cady and Kodi whispering and giggling, before her brother broke away and whispered something into Amy's ear. "That's a great idea!" Amy cheered, pressing a bright purple button on the side of the table, which brought up a small panel of brightly lit buttons. "What?" Kimi asked, nervous. Her earlier bravado had quickly evaporated at the knowledge of what she was going to be wearing. "Mom made a bunch of videos for the babies on changing tables to watch, as well as some instructional videos for toddlers," Amy explained. "Instructional videos?" Kimi asked, confused while a screen attached to some kind of bendy metallic arm slithered out of one of the slots in the side of the table. It was holding the blank black screen up for Kimi to see, taking up almost her entire field of vision. "Yeah. Real basic stuff," Kodi giggled while Amy tapped some more buttons. "In this case, since you're gunna be spending the week back in diapers, Cady suggested that it might be a good idea for you to watch a video on potty training. Y'know, something to brush up on." "Ha-ha, very funny." Kimi grumbled as the screen began to light up. Seeing some odd amorphous shapes and hearing a strange yet comforting tune, Kimi found herself relaxing, even though now four mechanical arms had come out of the other slots in the wood of the table, each one ending in a white-gloved hand. She was too focused on the stop-motion cartoon playing out before her eyes, a pair of headphones being slipped over her ears. It looked like a bright and sunny version of the guest room, looking to be made from clay. In came toddling two figures, a little tigress cub in a pink shirt and wearing a diaper, and a little wolf pup in a blue shirt and diaper. They sat down on the floor and began to play with some blocks. "Hello again, little one!" The cheery woman's voice speaking in her ears sounded so excited. It was enough to help her further be put at ease, even when she could vaguely feel the mechanical hands undoing the buttons on her jeans. Kimi almost giggled when the little tiger girl excitedly waved to her. "I'm so happy that you've returned for another valuable life lesson! Now, if you're watching this video, then that means that potty training might not be going so well, huh?" The little tiger frowned and shook her head, wiping away at her face. "Well, that's okay!" At this, the clay stop-motion tiger looked back up and confused. "Everyone learns in their own way and at their own pace." The little cub was still frowning. "Ah, are you maybe upset because you got to wear snug-ups for a little while, like a big kid?" Kimi found herself nodding along with the cub as her jeans and panties were removed. "That's understandable, sweetie." The wolf toddled off screen, only to come back, now wearing some blue and white snug-ups. He puffed out his little chest and seemed proud, while the little tigress blushed and looked disappointed. "Sometimes, some little ones aren't ready to make the leap to becoming big kids. That could mean that they just don't really feel when they need to go potty." The little wolf looked confused, before he started to panic and do the potty dance. A nearby door opened, revealing a bathroom, the toilet just past the bathtub. The wolf ran inside and the door shut behind him. Kimi laid there, oblivious to the fact that she was alone now on the changing table, Kodi and the twins having left her some privacy. One of the hands grabbed both of her ankles and lifted her legs up, while another produced a canister of baby powder. "However, sometimes little ones have fears and anxieties about change, or about growing up, or even about all those grown-up responsibilities." The music changed in tune, going from upbeat and happy to now a bit more somber. The door to the bathroom opened, and the little wolf pup came skipping out, kneeling down to pat his little sister on the head, and resume stacking blocks with her. The tigress seemed a bit curious, and got up to head into the bathroom. The somber music quietened, now sounding a bit more suspenseful. Kimi couldn't help the feeling of growing dread at the cub nervously shuffling into the bathroom. The faint smell of talcum powder wafting in the air. "And those fears and anxieties can sometimes manifest in what is often referred to as... the Potty Monster!" The cub froze as she heard a loud gurgling sound. Then a creak... followed by a crack. The tiles split open as the potty jerked left and right. From the tiled floor around it arose eight spindly, boney, and pointed pale-white, needle-like legs. The toilet lid slammed down, only to arise and reveal a mouth filled with rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. It sloshed slimy green water from its mouth as it moved... and then started to skitter right towards the cub. The little tigress cried and ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She was sniffling and crying when she plopped right down next to the wolf, who frowned as he looked at her. He got up and went to the door, opening it before his sister could stop him. Instead of a torn up bathroom with a toilet-spider monster, it was just the way it had been. When the wolf turned his back to the bathroom, and gave the cub a reassuring smile, the cub saw the toilet shift in her direction, causing her to scramble away from the door. Kimi let out a whimper as a hand threaded her tail through something soft and crinkly. She didn't care what anyone said, she saw it move to look at the cub. It wasn't just make-believe! She continued to watch as the wolf walked over to his sister and gave her a hug, helping her to calm down. "This is just a sign that they're not ready for potty training quite yet... and that is perfectly okay. Some little ones become big kids sooner than others. While other little ones just aren't that big." The wolf pup's nose wrinkled and he waved away the air around his muzzle. A large pair of tan paws descended to scoop the little tigress up, setting her down in a new room, on a purple padded changing table. The purring tigress cub received a tummy rub, and Kimi let out a giggle, feeling like she was getting one too. The tan paws made quick work of changing the stinky diaper. Just as this new bright pink diaper with a glittery unicorn on the front was being taped snugly around the cub's waist, Kimi could feel something being gently, but snugly, wrapped around her own, the scent of baby powder now stronger and putting her at ease. "Thank you so much for watching this video, sweetie! I can't wait to see you again!" The screen went blank and Kimi stretched out a bit, freezing when she heard a sudden crinkling noise. Sitting up, she looked down to find she was wearing a bright pink diaper with a smiling glittery unicorn on the front. She thought about the video she had just watched, but was finding it a bit hard to recall any specific details about it. Shaking her head a bit in confusion, she hopped down from the table, blushing at what she was now wearing. Spotting her jeans, Kimi tried to put them back on, but they just couldn't fit around the bulky-padding around her hips. Kimi briefly considered looking in the closet for maybe something she could borrow to cover her new... accessory up, but spotting the juvenile outfits and baby clothes was enough to get her to reject that notion on the spot. Wearing baby clothes would just make her wearing the diaper even more embarrassing. Squaring her shoulders, and checking her tank top and flannel shirt for any excess baby powder, she exited the guest room and headed to the living room, blushing from the slight waddle to her gait. "There she is!" Kodi said with a smug grin. "Say cheese!" Kimi froze when she heard a shutter click. Looking back at her brother, her blood ran cold when she saw he had his phone in his hands. "Mom confiscated our phones!" Kimi blurted out, unable to formulate anything better to say then and there. "I found out where she put them and got it back." "Kodes, delete that pic right now!" Kimi growled. "Sorry, Kimicakes, I just sent it to my personal email." Kodi stuck his tongue out at his growling sister. "So, no. But, don't worry, I won't go showing it to anyone else. This is just for me to throw back in your face every time you call me a baby from here on out!" Kimi started to relax a little, confident that her brother wouldn't cross that line of showing anyone else the pic of her in a diaper. He could be a jerk sometimes, but even he wouldn't be that big of a jerk. "I think you look cute!" Cady chimed in. "Yeah! Pink is really your color. And something about the glittery unicorn makes it all fit." Amy snickered. "I gotta agree with the twins, Kimicakes!" Kimi rolled her eyes and plopped down on her padded posterior in front of the coffee table, trying to play it all off as no big deal. Due to the insistence of the twins, Kimi and Kodi played a game of Surgeon next. While playing it, Kimi felt a little nervous about accidentally touching the little surgeon tweezers to the metal sides of the different-shaped holes in the picture of the capybara on the operating table. Something about the loud buzzing and the lighting of his red nose was unsettling to the tigress. So focused was she on retrieving the broken funny bone, she didn't notice a sudden growing urge. Her body did, however, as she slowly started to squirm. Eventually, she was doing basically a sitting potty dance, waiting for Kodi to finish his turn. "Oooo," Amy cooed, reaching over to pat Kimi on the head, much to the teen's surprise. "I think someone might need to use the potty!" Kimi felt her stomach drop out at the mention of... the bathroom. But she couldn't place why. "I-I don't know what you mean, Amy," Kimi said with a laugh, trying to play it off. "Well, she is wearing diapers for a reason," Kodi said with a smirk on his muzzle, relishing the embarrassment on display from his sister. "It seems like a certain little kitten really loves playtime." Kimi let out a low growl at that while the twins snickered and whispered to each other behind their hands. "It's okay if you can't make it, Kimi," Cady offered in a conciliatory tone. "I don't mind using the auto-changer to help change your diaper when you need it." Kimi was certain that one could roast a marshmallow on her cheeks, due to the heat from her blushing. What made her feel even more humiliated was the fact that she could now, faintly, tell that they were right. She had no idea how long she had been feeling the urge, but it was there. "I just wanted to finish up so that my baby brother won't throw a little hissy fit for ending the game early after he's been losing this whole time." Now it was Kimi's turn to smirk as she watched Kodi's tail bristle out in anger. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, she looked at her card and deftly removed the patient's broken heart. "I win." Kimi stood up and sauntered away to the bathroom, speed walking once she rounded the corner. D-did I just leak a little? Kimi thought as she paused, fearing she'd let out a spurt. Unable to tell if that was the case, she hastened her trip upstairs to the bathroom, feeling relieved when she finally came across it. Kimi closed the door behind her and froze. The Ramhorn's bathroom looked exactly like the one from the potty training video! Taking a shaky step towards the toilet, Kimi started to feel her hackles rising. Her breathing quickened and her eyes were staring laser-focused right on the porcelain seat. She felt the pit of dread in her gut grow larger with each footstep closer to the infernal device she took. "Th-this is stupid!" Kimi said quietly to herself. She choked back a whimper once she found herself standing right in front of it. "I-I've used the potty lots of times! It's n-no big deal." She huffed, unaware of what she had just said, all while doing the potty dance. "Th-there's n-no such th-thing as the p-potty m-m-monster," Kimi stammered, looking down at her diaper, trying to figure out how to take it off. Suddenly, in the dead silence, there was an audible gurgle. Kimi froze before she rapidly backed away, leaning up against the door while watching the toilet, only barely registering a warmth spreading in her diaper. Fumbling with the doorknob, Kimi almost let out a shriek when there was another gurgle. Finally, she was able to open the door and leave, slamming the door closed behind her. It took a little while to calm down her breathing. Looking down at her diaper, she could see that it was already drooping a little. I... peed? In a diaper? She though to herself, already blushing... until her body began to relax and the music from the video started to play in her mind again. "Well..." Kimi's voice was calm and there was a small smile on her face. "It's not that big of a deal. That's what diapers are for anyway. And besides,, everyone potty trains at their own speed." Smiling and feeling a little better about herself, Kimi toddled back to the others, her soaked Snuggies on full display still. As she approached Kodi and the twins, she noticed that Kodi was staring transfixed at Amy's phone, headphones in as he listened to whatever video he was watching. Is Kodi... drooling a little? She wondered, surprised when her paw was lightly grabbed. She looked to see Cady smiling warmly at her, giving a slight tug. "It's okay, Kimicakes," Cady said in a gentle voice. "The potty can be really tricky, but you don't need to worry about it or any big and scary monster for a good while, a few years even." Kimi followed along, whining a little when they approached the door for the room containing all the baby furniture. "It's okay, Kimi," Cady cooed, giving her soaked Snuggies a pat. "You'll feel a lot better after your diaper change. Then maybe a nap would be best." "A nap? C-Cady, in case you've forgotten, Kodi and I are the ones in char--OMPH!" Kimi was surprised by the younger, but stronger, girl picked her up and carried her over to the changing table, happily depositing the confused tigress on its surface. Before Kimi could protest, the screen with all the pretty lights and swirling shapes was in front of her eyes, earphones being slipped over her ears again. "Hello, little one!" The chipper feminine voice said, catching Kimi's attention. "This little video will teach you why it's important to listen to your caregivers. Whether they be your mommy or daddy, a family member, a teacher, a nanny, or even a babysitter. Sometimes, some little ones have a little bit of a hard time accepting that there are rules that they have to follow for their own good, and that those in charge of them know what's best..." Kimi laid there while the hands got to work untaping and balling up her used diaper, getting the wipes, powder, and fresh pink glittery unicorn diaper ready. She didn't realize when Cady got out a large pink and white pacifier and slipped it in between the mesmerized tigress' lips. But after a moment of watching the video, her jaw muscles seemed to move of their own accord, beginning to suckle on it. Cady giggled while walking over to the closet, grabbing one of the pink legless onesies that would fit Kimi perfectly, amazed at how smoothly her and Amy's plan was coming along. One week later... "I have to say again, Sheila," Tess said as they pulled up in front of the Ramhorn residence, "I'm still amazed by Project renewal! This will help advance early childhood learning by leaps and bounds!" "Oh, Tess, stop!" Sheila chuckled as she and the lioness got out of the latter's car, grabbing her briefcase. "It's not like this is much different than using tv shows with puppets and the like to teach little ones to count and spell. It's just a bit more efficient is all." "Still, you earned the grant. I can't wait to see what other applications this new learning tech could be used for." They entered the house, Tess following Sheila. "Kids? We're back!" Tess called out. There were two sets of rapidly approaching footsteps. Sheila smiled and opened her arms wide as she expected her girls to come running around the corner for their usual return home hug. Instead, Kimi and Kodi, both giggling around binky's, ran right past her and practically bowled over a shocked Tess. Looking the two teens over, the two mothers were taken aback by what they saw. Kodi was just wearing a bright blue t-shirt and a diaper, with blue and orange trim around the leg gathers and landing strip, a cartoon fox playing in a sandbox on the front of the garment. Kimi was wearing a bright pink legless onesie with a skirt attachment on it, a thick bulge around her own waist. "MOMMY!" The two chorused as they both snuggled into Tess' chest. "Wha-what's happening?" Tess asked, worried. "I don't--" Sheila began, only to be interrupted. "They made bets with each other and the losers had to mess around with some of the furniture in the Project Renewal room!" Cady said, rounding the corner with Amy. "We tried to get them to stop, but they were acting so competitively that they wouldn't listen! And now... this," Amy said, looking sad. "So we kinda had to be the babysitters for the week." Cady added, Amy nodding right alongside them. "Oh dear... well, I guess that that answers that question." Sheila sighed. "I made poopy!" Kodi proudly announced, giggling as Tess wrinkled her nose. "Oh my," Tess choked out, noticing Kimi playfully batting at her paw like a... kitten. "Yes… you certainly did, sweetie." Sheila let out a long sigh and gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "We'll sort this out. Eventually." When Tess and Sheila started to carry the two back to the changing table, heading upstairs to do so, Amy and Cady high-fived each other. "Think we'll get to babysit those two again?" Cady asked hopefully. "Heh, yeah. I think that we're their go-to babysitters from now on..." Amy said with a smirk. Epilogue "Mommy!" Kimi cried out, exiting her room in just her gray pajama shirt and a diaper, this one with pink trim and a blue and yellow dragonfly on the front. "Kodi keeps bugging me when I'm trying to do my homework!" Kimi had her physics book tucked under one arm. "She started it by kicking me off the sofa earlier to play her dumb game!" Kodi whined, wearing a green shirt under a pair of denim short-alls that bulged around his waist. Tess looked over from the stove where she was finishing making up the bottles of formula for her little ones, Sheila having provided the boxes of instant powder, it being nutritionally healthy for Kodi and Kimi. Unfortunately, weaning them off nursing bottles was proving about as difficult as re-potty training them has. "Alright, you two," Tess said in a stern voice, "I don't care who started what. It's your naptime as of now. Hopefully a little rest and some of your tasty formula in your tummies will help you two to calm down and stop this bickering." Looking up from the two bottles she was screwing the nipples onto, she saw Kimi and Cody already back to wrestling each other. Tess rubbed her temples. "Yeah," Tess muttered to herself, "a nap for you two would do us all some good." Woah... I did NOT intend for this story to be this long! Still though, I feel happy with it, and am glad to have been able to bring it to you all! Let me know what you think with a comment or a review!