Settling In (Complete!)

[littleTomás]

Awesome chapter! I love how the Gladstones' motivations are slowly becoming clearer. I can't wait till Nattie goes to work diapered.

[thedman]

You left a new hire along in your office

 

Ha ha I beat Trip to grammar patrol

And what a great chapter, things are moving along so nicely 

[the diaper mike]

Awesome chapter really cute

[Sarah Penguin]

[Sophie ♥]

11 hours ago, thedman said:

Ha ha I beat Trip to grammar patrol

Fixed! 

Thank you guys for reading and leaving such engaging comments.  

[Wannatripbaby]

Awwww, she confessed her swear word. Such a good girl already.  

Although one part did confuse me a little:

13 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

 I almost felt sick from the whiplash. “Um, there’s something else too.  I swore at her yesterday.  

Didn't this happen today? Or did I miss something?

Grammar Patrol:

13 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

“We can figure that out together,” Cora said with a smile. “Tomorrow you're going to wear your new outfit”

The "Cora said with a smile" part isn't supposed to be in Bold.

[Sophie ♥]

2 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Grammar Patrol:

Fixed.  And you were right about the time frame - I was confused when Nat took a nap.  But I fixed that too.

[Jayme]

I see some Stockholm syndrome beginning to set in...

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXIII

The onesie was pink and blue with stars, a childish pastel color scheme.  But it had a huge pocket on the front, like a hoodie or something.  It was... weird.  Almost normal, and completely not.  If it wasn't for the snap-together buttons between the legs - like a baby onesie - it wouldn't even be that bad.  I fished around my dresser for the skirt Cora bought at the same store.

"Hello darling.” Cora seemed to have gotten quite good at sneaking up on her little project because Natalie almost leapt from her skin when the older woman spoke. "I thought I'd stop by to help you get dressed for the day, to make your best impression."

"Sam usually helps," I said quietly.  Nervously.  All my anxieties were obvious on my face, and my complete lack of sleep showed in heavy bags under my eyes.  For some reason, I couldn't fall asleep.  Probably nerves.  Always nerves these days... "I can't find the skirt.  I thought it was in here?" She bought a skirt, right?  She said she would, but my time in that store was a blur.  After my accident, I just wanted to get out of there...

"Oh darling, what would you do without me?" Cora kissed her on the cheek and began to help her looking for the skirt. "Did you have any trouble getting your diaper on?" she asked, like it was the most simple question in the world and not one she already knew the answer to. Natalie would push back on this, but Cora was prepared.

"...what?" Diaper?  Did she mean my trainers?  I'd thought long and hard about it, but I couldn't wear them today.  The onesie was tight on my ass, and if I remembered correctly, the skirt wasn't that long.  If someone caught a glimpse of me bending over... "Um, I'm just going to stick with panties today."

"Oh darling, no no. Your onesie is far too immodest if you're not wearing proper underwear with it.  And with your accident you had yesterday we shouldn't take any risks - could you imagine how this might backfire with wee running down your thighs in the middle of the office?" The way Cora spoke was like this was an absolute certainty. "Up on the bed you get, I'll take care of it."

I looked up at her incredulously.  Was this a joke?  But mentioning the threat of an accident brought color to my cheeks.  I wanted to argue, but I didn't have room for it.  I'd already wet myself in my office once.  I shook my head all the same. "I'm not wearing my trainers today.  I really can't.  If someone sees--"

"No, not your trainers darling, that's not what I decided. Now if you want me to help cover up those bags under your eyes, you're going to need to hurry. Up you get, on the bed. And I don't want to hear any more arguing." Cora did something then, something new, something bold. She took Natalie by the chin with her hand and looked right into her eyes. "Who's in charge, darling? Who makes your decisions?"

I looked at Cora with my mouth agape.  I didn't know what she was talking about, and she kept piling it on.  Not my trainers?  The bags under my eyes?  But I was sleepy and anxious, and the way she held my chin felt immovable.  Like a boulder.  I couldn't turn away.  Who is in charge.  Who makes my decisions. "You," I said quietly, shyly, and followed her motions to the bed.

"There's a good girl." Of course, this first gesture was small.  When Cora went to the closet and lifted the lid on the little plastic tote, she was sure there'd be more pushback. Though Natalie, for her part, didn't seem to stir from the place on the bed. Maybe she'd simply accept this.

For a while, I didn't understand.  Call it sleep deprivation, or whatever.  But when she came back with one of those pink plastic diapers - the real kind, the kind from the store - everything fell into place.  I sat up with vigor, with passion. "No!"

She needed to get her 'no' out of her system before Cora could work on her, so the older woman smiled and waited for it to happen before replying just as simply: "My decision." There was a lot she had to say here, a lot to argue, a lot to prove, but maybe Cora would hit a home run out the gate.

"You said I can say no!  I'm saying no!  I'm not wearing that to work!  I didn't even want to wear it yesterday, and I didn't want to wear it at the stupid store!  I didn't even want to go to the store!  I don't have accidents - just those two times, and I had reasons!  And you weren't listening, and... and..." I was getting way off topic. I shook my head and focused. "No!"

"Nobody is going to see it, nobody is going to know, and I'm certain you don't want to risk an accident especially with Mabel being as challenging as she is, do you?" That was the first practical angle, and Cora drove the nail home with another tap on the head. "And this way you don't even need to leave your office, which would certainly make Ando happy."

"No!  I don't care about any of that!  I don't need them, and I won't!  And Mabel is just waiting for me to screw up, and... and I said no!  That's what matters!" Thankfully, that's what mattered.  Because Cora made two really great points.  Arguing with her felt like struggling out of quicksand.

Cora was calm and concise, and Natalie looked out of breath and exhausted. The two kept eyes locked for a moment and Cora made her final strike. "Do you remember dinner last night? Do you remember how well things went for you with your work problems? It was because you promised to let me make your decisions, darling.”

"You SAID!  You told me I could say no!" "You can." "Then I say no!" "Okay." With that, Cora set the diaper aside, resting on the corner of my bed.  But her monologue continued a while longer. "Yesterday, you were safe because of me.  At work.  With Sam.  At dinner.  I am just trying to keep you safe today too." Maybe it was her delivery - like she actually cared - but I made the mistake of responding to her. "Why would a diaper keep me safe?"

"It shows dedication, darling. It shows chastity, it shows devotion, it shows trust. How can you not feel safe wrapped up in feelings like that?" Let's be real here, this was a diaper. This was a baby's garment, this was a big step, but Cora seemed absolutely and one hundred percent certain about this meaning so much. "It's a reminder, too; that you don't decide anymore and that nothing bad can happen to you.  Nothing."

"Wearing a diaper to work is something bad!" Finally, I'd hit Cora's limit.  I didn't even know she had a limit.  But her hands landed squarely on her hips and she spoke to me with the sharpest tongue I'd ever heard.

"You have wet your underwear twice in the past month, once at work!  You decided to wear training panties on your own because you know the risks!  Do not start acting like you're in control of your actions, Natalie!  You aren't in control of anything!"

I looked up at her with wide eyes, trapped somewhere between guilt and disbelief.  Then, I felt sick to my stomach. "I..."

"Don't make your own decisions, anymore." Cora stated for her, like a mother talking to a disobedient child. "And if you want to stay safe, Natalie, I hope I don't need to keep reminding you of that!"

"This is literally the stupidest conversation I've ever had in my life," I said sharply, but... without the word no.  Cora could sense it.  She knew she was winning.  Suddenly, her tone softened.  She let out  along, deep sigh. "I know it seems silly... but why won't you trust me?  Every decision I've made for you has made your life better." ...she wasn't wrong.

"I'm not out to hurt you, to humiliate you, to upset you , or to lead you astray. I've earned your trust by now, haven't I?" Trust was a big word, especially to someone who'd lost the trust of an entire city population once already, and Cora knew this.

"I just... I don't see it.  I don't see why this matters!" "Sometimes you don't see things, Nattie.  You didn't see it coming when Adam stayed with his wife, did you?" I felt a sharp pain in my chest at the memory. "You're a brilliant, optimistic, trusting girl," Cora went on. "Let me keep you safe.  Let me decide." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at my feet. "I'm scared..."

"What is there to be scared of, darling? I'm going to take care of everything, you just need to let me. Is that so scary?" This step was scary, yes, but not for the reasons Natalie maybe thought. This was going to be one of the biggest steps in the changing landscape of her life, and a watershed moment of precedent for things that would follow. ‘Well, you're already in diapers, right? So this other thing is nothing,’ and so forth.

I didn't like this.  I didn't like it at all.  Every ounce of my body, every centimeter of skin, every neuron, every nerve told me this was a mistake.  Something would go wrong.  Someone would find out.  My stomach was full of horrible butterflies, destructive with their wings. "Isn't there another way...?" But we both knew there wasn't.  There aren't a lot of solutions to pissing yourself at work...

A diaper. A onesie. A childish skirt. After this long back and forth, those would be the core of what Natalie was going to wear today - she'd only wasted time by arguing. Cora smiled sweetly, supportively, and held the diaper up. "This is my decision."

It would backfire.  She would ruin all the trust I had in her.  My fantasy of being happy, of letting someone else deal with all my responsibilities, would be shattered.  And I'd go back to making my own mistakes.  But this was Cora's mistake to make. "Okay," I muttered. "If something goes wrong, I'll never forgive you..." I took the diaper out of her hands with annoyance.

“I don't mind helping,” she reassured me. "But if you want to try it yourself, you can.  Just remember the importance of doing it correctly."

“I can do it,” I muttered. I let out a long, exhausted sigh.  Diapering myself.  Not exactly on my to-do list.

"Please be quick, though. I do have plans today, after all." Cora would step out of the room, give her time, and then chastise her for every mistake she made until Natalie became so insecure she wouldn't be able to help but ask for help: an adult who couldn't even put her own diaper on was not a very adult person at all.

I had never diapered anyone before.  Not a baby.  Certainly not myself.  I unfolded the square of plastic, wincing at each crinkle.  I stripped my panties off and climbed onto the bed, sliding part of the diaper beneath my bare ass.  I pulled it up between my legs, but it felt weird.  Too high up, or too low down?  I tried to re-position myself, but it wasn't doing any good.  Of course it felt weird!  I'm twenty-three years old!  But when I tried to tape up the sides, they weren’t in the right spot.  Then I realized… I’d been putting it on backwards the whole time.

I took me five minutes to tape the diaper in place.  It was… uh… a little to the left.  But so what?  Then, when I stood up, it sagged a few inches down my hips.  I pulled the waistband of the diaper and ripped off one of the tapes, trying to tighten it, but the tape wouldn't stay stuck.  It kept popping off.  With every passing minute, I felt worse and worse...

Cora counted slowly to five hundred and went back into the bedroom, where she found a very distraught looking Natalie. Not frustrated, not angry, not aggressive - but legitimately upset. Were those tear stains on her cheeks? Cora waited to be noticed.

I rubbed my cheeks with the backs of my hand and caught Cora's eye across the room. "Um... I dunno, this one isn't sticking.  I... I really don't think this is a good idea..." I didn't want her to see me in a diaper, though she'd seen me in them before.  I didn't want her to inspect it, to see what a terrible job I had done.  I wanted my panties!  I was going to be late to work...

"You need me to do it." Cora said, almost with a question mark, but entirely without at the same time. A statement. You need me to do it. It wouldn't be enough for Natalie to agree, either; it would be a mantra that she'd need to say and accept. Cora needed to hear it.

She was right.  I needed her to do it.  I didn't know what I was doing, and this was... this was humiliating.  Even more humiliating than letting Cora put a diaper on me.  I wiped my eyes again and looked away. "I feel like a failure..."

"Needing help isn't failing, Nattie darling - refusing help when you need it, though? That's much closer." She'd closed the distance in the room now, while she talked, and she helped herself to Natalie's body, inspecting her diaper with her hands and shaking her head with clucks of her tongue. "This just won't do."

I felt sharp stabs of insecurity as her finger traced along the tapes of the diaper.  I looked away, with burning red cheeks.  I hated this!  I didn't want this!  But... but I wanted to be happy.  I didn't want to make this decision anymore.  I closed my eyes tight and muttered: "...could you... please... um..."

Her fingers continued to probe, to draw focus to shortcomings, to make clear the many ways in which Natalie had failed to manage to do this herself. And Cora waited for just the right words, reminding Natalie one last time. “Say, ‘I need you to do it for me, I can't do it’.” Then a pause. "Go on, darling."

I remembered, yesterday, asking why Cora would want this.  She said, because it made her happy.  This was a part of that, I knew.  She wanted to be needed.  She wanted to be important to someone.  If it were anyone else, if it was any other kind of underwear, this moment might even be sexy.  But it wasn't.  It was... comfortable.  Almost loving?  And I knew I wanted to make her happy too, like she was trying so hard to do for me.  So I nodded my head. "I can't do it... I need you to do it for me."

Cora smiled and kissed Natalie once, on the forehead. "Lay on the bed, darling. I'll do it for you, because you can't. Just like I'll protect you, and I'll take care of you - because you can't. And that's okay." Heavy words, thick and impossible to hide from, just like the diaper between her legs.

-----------------

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[littleTomás]

Wow! Awesome chapter. Our little girl is growing down so fast ?

[Sarah Penguin]

[Wannatripbaby]

A lovely chapter. A calm before the storm, most likely. Although I'm sure to Nattie it felt anything but "calm." And of course now she's gonna get a diapered spanking next chapter. O_o Not sure if that will be better or worse for her. Probably worse.

Grammar Patrol

4 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Let's be real here, this was a diaper. This was a babies garment,

*Baby's.

[Sophie ♥]

On 11/7/2019 at 4:08 PM, Wannatripbaby said:

Grammar Patrol

Fixed!  Sorry for the lack of posts - busy week.

[harrycrosby]

On 11/7/2019 at 4:08 PM, Wannatripbaby said:

Grammar Patrol

*Baby's.

I removed like 20 apostrophes from this story and here you are adding more!

 

 

You're correct but still.

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXIV

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.  My hair was tied up in pigtails, and the onesie was more infantile than anything I'd worn to work before.  I'd taken off the skirt and turned it inside out - the stitching was clearly on the outside, but it hid the stenciled words "Mommy's Girl" and "Daddy's Girl" on the bottom hem.  How had I not seen those before?!  I turned around in front of the mirror, bending over just a little, and catching a glimpse of the snap-crotch between my legs.  Beneath the fabric, my bottom puffed out from the diaper.  Why would Cora send me to work like this?  I'd never make it through the day…

I looked down at my phone and checked the time. 9:02.  I had to get to work.  Maybe Mabel was in a different department today.  Maybe Mr. Gladstone would be away in meetings.  Maybe the whole building would burn down.  But then I'd have to find a new job.

I took a slow, wobbly step out of the bathroom and listened to the light rustling beneath my skirt.  No one else could hear that, right?  It was just my imagination...

"Hey Nattie," That overly chipper voice at this time of morning? That could only have been Prin. And for her to be so chipper when talking to Natalie also meant one thing: "I love your new outfit. Is that a dress? Oh, it's a two piece," She corrected herself, and leaned in to whisper. "Hunny, your skirt is on inside-out though."

"Y-yeah... I... got a stain on it, so..." I pulled down on the skirt a little, careful to cover my bottom.  Walking was... interesting.  I'd only walked around in a diaper once before, and I had been so upset I hardly noticed.  Now, I could feel it with every movement.  The plastic rustling.  The padding pushing my thighs apart.  Every moment brought new redness to my cheeks. "I... um.  S-sorry about yesterday.  About... the swearing, and..." I looked away from Prin at my office.  Door closed.  No Mabel.  Good.

"You know, there's a lot of gossip about yesterday. What you said. But when you come to work looks so stinking cute like this? It's easy to think about that instead of what happened, you know?" As Natalie shifted her weight, Prin was sure she heard something and looked over her shoulder, then back at the cutiepie before her. "Huh. Must have been my imagination. Anyways, Mr. Gladstone said he'd be an hour late today but he'll call you to his office when he gets in for your performance review.”

"Right..." I looked forlornly at Mr. Gladstone's office, down the hall, and puffed out my cheeks.  Then again, with a diaper on, I probably wouldn't feel a spanking at all.  Huh.  That was an uplifting thought! "I'll be in my office if you need anything," I said with a smile and walked as stiffly as I could - to avoid crinkling - until I'd closed my office door behind me.  With a sigh, I turned on the lights and sat down at my desk.  Even my chair felt softer with the extra padding.

"Hey girl." Mabel didn't even knock, and when she entered the office she looked around with confusion on her face. "You didn't get me a chair? What the heck, Natalie, did you forget I'd be here?"

I looked up at Mabel with surprise.  No one walked into my office like that, not even Mr. Gladstone.  Even he knocked first.  I gave her a sharp look and crossed my arms over my chest, clad in pink and blue stars. "Check the cubicles - there should be an extra on the far left."

She narrowed her eyes and stifled a giggle. "Jesus, what're you wearing? You know what, I don't even want to know. I'll go get a chair and then you can rub my feet while I do my training. You know, unless you want me to talk to Mr. Gladstone about... you know. What you did."

I looked at her with wide eyes, then pulled my eyebrows together in irritation. "Go ahead," I said flatly, and returned to my computer.  I already told him last night at dinner.  If I hadn't, then she could still hold it over my head.  And I wouldn't have gone to dinner if it wasn't for Cora... maybe she really did know what she was doing.

"I mean, you did sexually assault me and all, I wouldn't be so sure you can be so flippant." And she left the room to find a chair. Now, Mabel and Natalie both knew there was nothing of the kind that happened, but whose word was it going to be? The volatile strumpet who slept with her last boss? Or the keen and eager new employee?

I stared blankly at the door, just... bewildered.  She... she was going to say I assaulted her?  Seriously?!  I felt an anger well up in my chest and I got to my feet.  But the moment I stood up, I was reminded of the thickness between my legs.  The situation I was in.  And suddenly, I didn't feel capable of doing anything.  A minute later, when Mabel came back into the room, I quickly sat back down and looked away. What was I supposed to do now...?

"Log me in here, then get under the desk." Mabel held all the cards, and it seemed like her willingness to play them was shockingly loose. "Unless you want to stress me out even more?"

I looked up at Mabel with frustration, but the fear in my head, the anxiety in my heart... it forced me to look away from her.  "You can't just... treat me like this.  I'm your boss... and..." But no matter how serious I was, I couldn't raise my voice above that of a mumbling child.

"You're responsible for training me." She paused, then smirked at the realization. "It's only fair I train you in something, too, right? Who knows, maybe you'll be useful as a little footslut by the time we're done working together. Now get going Nattie, or else I'll make you go get me coffee first."

Footslut?  Coffee?  I shook my head and tried to muster up some courage.  But what if I swore at her again?  What if everyone in the office hated me?  What if she told Mr. Gladstone I did something bad, even if I didn't, and he believed her?  It felt hard to breathe, tears filling my eyes. "I... um..."

Mabel crossed her arms, and waited. She tapped her foot on the carpet, and then did something that no adult ever does to another adult: she began to count. "One.... two..."

I don't know why, but it was all too much.  It felt like Saturday, at the store.  I had something to say, and Cora wouldn't let me say it.  I wanted to fix everything, but she wouldn't let me!  So I yelled at her.  And I yelled yesterday.  And today, I was too scared to yell.  So I cried.  Tears spilled down my cheeks.  I wiped them away as fast as I could, but they just kept coming.  I tried to fill my lungs with air, but my body would shake and spill all the oxygen out of me.  I felt so pathetic, sobbing in front of Mabel.  But I just couldn't stop... "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Mabel didn't expect the crying, that was for sure. But she also didn't seem to be too put off by it, either. She was a clever girl, she was smart, and she was good at taking care of the most important person in her life: herself. So she put her hands on the girls shoulders and spoke to her clear as day. "You just need to do everything I say, and you won't get in any trouble. Understand? Everything, no more questions, no more arguing. Understand? Nod your head." This wasn't Cora. This wasn't 'let me make your decisions that are best for you’. This was an apex predator, this was 'obey' and nothing more. But to Natalie, was there really as difference?

I felt my head nod.  I couldn't stop crying.  This felt so familiar... that time in the car, on the way home from the store.  And the time in my office, after I'd had an accident.  Even yesterday, when I ran away from work.  I couldn't make my own decisions... I was such a failure...

"Now be a good girl and log me in, then get down under the desk and offer to take care of my feet, understand? You've made me really mad and I'm super stressed now, so you might have to use more than just your hands.”

I slid down from my chair onto the floor.  No matter how many times I told myself to stop, tears kept filling my eyes.  I felt so scared.  I felt so helpless.  I couldn't stop her.  She'd get me fired.  But as I crawled under the desk, Mabel got a clear look under my skirt.

Was that? Mabel narrowed her eyes and smirked, because she didn't need to lie anymore; if Natalie pushed back against her more, she actually had something on her, something real. Seriously, who came to work dressed like this? And in what was obviously a diaper? Was this for real? Was this a fetish for her? What a degenerate. If Mabel had any doubts before, they were gone now - any guilt disappeared.

I sat under the desk and took one of Mabel's feet in my lap.  Almost automatically, I started to rub her feet, like after only one morning I had grown so accustomed to the act.  But my thoughts spun around my head, whirling themselves into a tornado.  I felt sick to my stomach.  My heart was racing.  Every breath felt like a shallow and tight.  Fresh tears dripped onto Mabel's feet.

"You're going to get really good at this, Natalie. You're already a natural, really - you're so skilled with my feet, aren't they pretty?" With Natalie crying, with her will broken, the compliment... it was strategic. Telling her what she was good at, telling her she had a purpose.

There was a knock on the door and I heard it open from the other side of the room.  Prin's voice echoed through my small, empty office. "Hey, um... oh.  Where is Natalie?" I wanted to run into her arms.  I wanted to tell her everything Mabel was doing!  But I'd screw it up.  I'd screw everything up... I felt another wave of shallow breathing and I sniffled under the desk.  Mabel's foot hit me hard in the chest to shut me up.

"She said something about needing to get something from the supply room?" Mabel answered, with a smile. Prin considered this for a moment and then nodded her head., apparently comfortable with the answer. "Okay, well, when you see her can you tell her that she has some mail?" "Of course, Prin!"

I heard the door close.  Mabel slid the chair away from the desk so she could look down at me, curled up in the corner with my skirt riding up.  I looked at her with wet, fearful eyes. "S-sorry.. I'm sorry..."

"I told you that you were good at something, Natalie, I praised you and you didn't even act appreciative? You're useless at most things, but I gave you something to be proud of and you act so ungrateful?" Mabel seethed, getting a much better look between her legs.  Little plastic gathers peered out from the sides of the snap crotch onesie, and they had some cute design printed on them. Definitely a fetish. And absolutely a trump card.

I curled my knees to my chest and pushed my face down into them.  I couldn't breathe right.  I couldn't think clearly.  And I couldn't stop crying.  I wanted it to stop.  I wanted to stop her.  But I couldn't do anything right...

"Stop crying like a baby, Natalie, and be useful." Mabel pushed her foot at the girl, aiming for her hands and slipping until her foot almost touched her face. "Or I'll make sure you lose your job, and you'll go back to being nothing but the town slut. At least here, under the desk, you can serve a purpose."

Everything she said fueled the tornado in my mind.  Winds picked up.  Thought after thought, spinning faster and faster.  My hands were trembling and I rocked back and forth in place, sobbing loudly into my lap.  But for all the effects Mabel’s words had on me, she couldn't get me to listen.

"You're such a fucking baby, Natalie." Mabel sighed, rubbing her temples. She could play her cards, yeah, that was one possible outcome. Or she could spin this situation to her advantage. Mabel, of course, chose the latter. She sighed and got down to her knees, crawling into the tight space under the desk and wedging herself behind Natalie. "Shh. Quiet, you dumb baby.”

Mabel pulled me into her arms and I pushed my face into neck.  Tears dripped onto her shoulder, onto her blouse, but she played with my hair all the same. “You can’t do anything right, can you? Stop crying.” Stop crying.  I was trying!  But for some reason, when she said it, it felt easier.  I sniffled and closed my eyes tight.  I never thought I'd be here, hugging Mabel of all people...

"I don't want much, Natalie, I'm really really nice to you." Yes, nice. Nice was blackmailing her, nice was making her rub her feet, nice was making her cry. But Mabel knew how vulnerable Natalie was right now, and how willing she might be to just agree and play along. "You're a handful, you're a real pain, and I'm still nice to you. Aren't I?"

My head was spinning.  The tornado had settled, but everything was a mess.  No more tears in my eyes, but my thoughts were all over the place.  I felt dizzy.  Uncomfortable.  My heart ached... "Uh huh..."

"And if I'm nice to you, the least you can do is be nice to me and do as I say, right?" Mabel ran her fingers through Natalie's hair, held her back against her own chest and kept her close with her free hand.

I nodded my head again. "Uh huh..." I should just listen.  None of this would happen if I just listened to people.  Was anything worth fighting for?  Did fighting ever get me anything?

“So you’ll take care of my feet today.  Because it’s the only thing you do right anymore.”

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[thedman]

I hate this stupid girl. Mabel needs to go rot somewhere

[Sarah Penguin]

[littleTomás]

I don't like Mabel at all. She's abusing Natalie's sweet vulnerability and making her feel terrible about herself. I want to see Mabel get punished for being so mean to Natalie.

[the diaper mike]

Mabel needs to accidentally fall off the top of the building she's a real

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXV

It wasn't such a bad day, I guess.  Rubbing her feet.  Painting her toes.  Getting her coffee.  An hour into the day, Mr. Gladstone gave me my ritualistic spanking.  He didn't say anything about the diaper, and I wasn't sure I said anything at all.  By lunchtime, I knew Mabel had seen up my skirt.  I'd been all over the floor, and the skirt was so short.  But what could I do about it?  Nothing.  I couldn't do anything anymore...

I stood in my en suite, shifting from foot to foot, staring at the toilet.  It had been weeks and I'd never seen a single spider, but I still checked the lid every time I used the bathroom.  Now, I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to undress until Sam took me out of these clothes.  I had to pee, but the fear of making the wrong decision was insurmountable.  More mistakes, more horrible mistakes... I rubbed the water from my eyes and sat on the edge of my bed and tried not to think about running water.

Sam usually came up to Natalie’s room right when she got home from work. Today, though, she was later than usual; it was a full forty-five minutes before she knocked on the door to her best friend’s bedroom and saw her sitting here on the edge of her bed. And at first she had to double check what she was seeing, because the timid and demure girl sitting there with puffy eyes didn't look at all like her Natalie. "Nat?"

I looked up at my best friend through watery eyes and rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand. "Hey... I... um..." I didn't know what to say.  I'd say the wrong thing.  I'd hurt her, or I'd get her in trouble, or... I shook my head.  Mabel’s words echoed in my ears.  Can’t do anything right…

"Did you wanna watch some TV? We can watch that Strawberry Shortcake show you really like before dinner?" Sam hadn't gotten her dressed this morning. And she certainly hadn't seen her ever so... timid. Her legs were spread, her skirt was barely hiding anything, and Sam was sure she was wearing something under what appeared to be a... onesie.

"I... um..." I didn't know what to do.  I wanted to watch TV.  I wanted to forget about today!  But was that the wrong thing to do?  I felt tears fill my eyes.  I couldn't do this.  I couldn't keep making decisions.  Why would Sam give me a decision like that? "I... I need Cora... can... could you get Cora please...?"

"She's not home yet, I don't think? But I can check? Come on, let me put your TV show on and park your butt on the sofa and I'll see if she's home, does that sound okay?" More decisions that a girl who wanted to give up choices altogether no longer had any capacity to make.

"I... I dunno... I dunno..." Fresh tears dripped down my cheeks, and within a moment, Sam was at my side, wrapping me up in her arms.  I pulled my skirt down as far as I could and tried to push my thighs together to hide my underwear.  She didn't know, right?  I didn't want anyone else to know...

"Bad day at work, huh?" There were two sounds: crying Natalie, and crinkling plastic. Sam didn't know what to do with either of them, so she hugged her best friend tight in her arms. "What do you want me to do, Nat? I can call Cora? I have her number for emergencies, is this an emergency? Do you really need her for something?"

I nodded my head in a panic.  I didn't want to decide if this was an emergency or not.  Was it?  Wasn't it?  Would Cora be mad that I called?  Would she hate me?  Was she busy?  I didn't know.  I couldn't know.  But I needed her.  I needed someone who understood...

It took only a few minutes for Sam to get Cora on the phone, and to give the phone to Natalie, and to hear her best friend saying words she never thought she'd hear her say. Cora on the other end of the phone, unheard by Sam, was so tender and sweet.

"Darling, what is it, are you okay? What happened?"

"I dunno... I dunno, I'm scared, and I... I dunno what to do..." I couldn't explain it.  I didn't know where the fear was coming from.  Mabel?  The toilet?  This outfit?  Or my best friend in the room while I was dressed up like a toddler? "Please come home... please... I dunno what to do..."

"I want you to be a good girl for me, no matter what happens, I'm going to make your decisions darling. Tell Samantha to put your favorite TV show on, and to ask the kitchen staff for a cup of milk for you; they'll know what to do. And no matter what happens, don't move from the sofa until I get home." Simple directions. No ambiguity. No matter what happened.

I nodded my head, listening to every word she said.  Crystal clear. "Okay..." A few more words from Cora, and we hung up.  I looked up at Sam with wet eyes. "She... she said to put on TV and... um... ask for a cup of milk..." Suddenly, I seemed a lot more certain.  I just needed some support, that's all.

"Right." Which was almost the same damn thing Sam had suggested anyway! She stood up and went to help Natalie to her feet, but to her surprise her best friend reached for her hand and held it tight - like a lost child. "Your outfit is uh... cute." Forced smile. A cup of milk? That was weird. But it wouldn't be until Sam got to the kitchen after settling Natalie in that she'd realize just how weird.

I walked carefully down the stairs, making sure to follow Sam step by step.  I didn't want her to look back, to see up my skirt.  I didn't want her to figure it out.  When Cora got home, I'd ask if I could change out of this silly thing.  Of course, she'd let me.  She'd make it all better.  But for now, I just had to sit down and watch TV.  So that's what I did.  Sam put Strawberry Shortcake on and went into the kitchen to get my milk.

Sam was gone a little while, maybe because that simple request stymied her, or maybe because she couldn't figure out why the kitchen staff insisted that the milk had to be strawberry and had to be served in a child’s sippy cup with strawberry shortcake designs. What was happening to her best friend? What was going on here? Begrudgingly, Sam returned eventually and offered up the childish cup. "Sorry, the kitchen staff said that Cora bought this for you and it's meant to be a surprise? I guess it's some kind of joke...?"

I looked at the sippy cup in Sam's hand and my cheeks burned pink. "I... um.  I don't need that..." But Cora's instructions were clear.  Ask for milk.  I asked.  And this is what I got?  I bit hard on my lip and looked away, ashamed. "I dunno why she would do that..."

"I don't know, either, she's a bit of a weirdo." Sam griped, but there was this faraway look on her best friends face - contemplation? Thought? She couldn't tell. She watched as Natalie ran her fingers over the sippy cup, looked at the teat on top, and gingerly put it to her lips. So fucking weird...

Cora said ask for milk.  I got milk.  I had to drink it, right?  She never said, but it was implied.  I sipped at the strawberry milk with embarrassment, but... actually, it was really sweet.  And after such a hard day, it felt kind of nice to have a sweet drink and watch TV.

The childish clothes, the television show, the fucking sippy cup, and what sounded like a god damn shopping bag every time Natalie moved... Sam couldn't bare it. She was going to talk to Cora as soon as she got home about all of this! If Natalie noticed her leave, she didn't really seem to show it.

I watched three episodes of Strawberry Shortcake before I realized exactly how long it had been.  The sippy cup was long empty and I felt uncomfortable on the sofa.  I went to stand up, but my feet froze on the carpet.  Cora said not to get up.  But I had to pee really bad...

"What is going on?" Sam asked, once Cora had walked in the door. She'd actually been waiting for her, too. "What do you mean, Samantha? I told you that I would be late home, was I unclear?" "You know that isn't what I mean - what's going on with Natalie? Why is she dressed that way?"

"Because she wants to be." Technically true; she wanted Cora to make her decisions, and Cora decided upon that. "You're not judging her, are you? She's free to make her own decisions." Free to, yes, but able to, no. She'd surrendered that.

"It's just fucking weird." That got silence from Cora. Silence and a glare. Sam knew she'd screwed up. She pulled on the edge of her maid’s uniform. "I'll have the Head of Help bring you your write-up forms shortly, please go to your room until then. Clearly you need some more... training." Cora was icy. Sam was meek. This whole house was fucked up.

"Cora!" I practically lit up when I saw her!  I jumped up from the sofa and ran into her arms, cuddling tight against her chest.  Immediately, the tears started up again.  I couldn't help it. "I was so scared... I'm so sorry... I didn't know what to do... I didn't know if I should call you... I'm so sorry..."

Cora sat down right where Natalie had stood up from, and she pulled the girl into her lap so she could hold her close and tight; it would have been intimate if it wasn't so maternal. Cora smiled warmly and booped the girl on the nose. "You did the right thing, darling.  And you proved that you learned your one simple truth in your life now: I make your decisions. You were such a good girl to call me, you needed me to decide for you, and I'm so very proud." And a pause. "Did you like your gift?"

"Gift...?" I gave Cora a strange look, but she made clear what she was talking about by nodding toward the sippy cup.  My cheeks went a little pink as I squirmed on her lap. "I... well, um... it's really pretty!  But I don't... uh... need something like that..."

"You need me to make your decisions, darling, and I've decided you need something like this. We own a lot of pretty furniture, and now you can have your drinks anywhere in the house." Solid logic. "And who's on the side, darling, who is it right here?" She pointed teasingly at the designs on the sippy.

"Strawberry Shortcake," I muttered under my breath.  I guess Cora was right.  If I spilled a drink all over her nice furniture, I'd feel horrible.  I'd beat myself up for weeks!  Maybe the rest of my life.  A sippy cup wasn't the worst idea... and it was sort of cute. "Well, thank you then.  I really like it."

"I know you do, because I know you, darling." Cora kissed her on the forehead. It was a touching, tender, sweet little moment. And it was by far the most maternal thing she'd ever done. "How's your diaper, darling? Did you have an accident? I hope you didn't make any naughty decisions on your own, like taking it off, did you?"

Naughty decisions.  Suddenly, I was very glad I hadn't used the bathroom.  The whole day at work wasn't so bad - Mabel didn't let me drink coffee.  But since the strawberry milk... "I didn't have any accidents, but... can I get changed now?  I really... um..." Wow, this felt so stupid.  Why was I asking permission?  Because I'd make the wrong choice?  How could I make the wrong choice about using the bathroom?

"Darling, there would be no point in changing unless you were wet. Once you're wet, I'll be more than happy to change you." Now, this should have caused a big commotion, it should have caused a big push back. Cora was ready for that, too.

I stared at Cora incredulously.  Like... like she was crazy or something!  Was she really expecting me to piss my pants?  Though I'd done it twice before... my memory floated back to today.  Rubbing Mabel's feet.  No trouble.  No fear.  Just do what she says, and... "...okay, I guess..."

Oh. Huh. That seemed... easy. Too easy, maybe? Had something happened, or was she just progressing ahead of expectations? "Good girl." Cora managed, keeping her composure. Simple praise. It was important not to make a big deal out of it, because Cora needed to at least give the impression that her decisions were beyond arguing with.

Cora sat beside me on the sofa and together we watched Strawberry Shortcake.  Wet myself, and I can get changed.  That simple.  But it wasn't that simple at all.  My body really didn't want me to!  But if I disobeyed Cora, then... fear started trickling in again.  Cora, on the other hand, kept looking over at me with concern.  Like I was doing something wrong.  Had I done something wrong?  Then, unexpectedly, in the middle of the episode, she took my hand. "Let's get you to the bathroom." I looked at her with confusion. "But you said--" "I just needed to know that you would let me make the decision.  Now that I know that, I can put you first.” I looked at her with wide eyes and a rush of relief washed over me.  I really really didn't want to pee in a diaper.  I smiled brightly and hugged Cora with all my might.

*     *     *     *     *

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ando was livid.  This moment was as important to him as it was his wife, if not more so. "You are compromising everything we have worked toward, Cora!"

"Something is wrong, dear." She was calm and clear in her wording, though her eyes looked thoughtful as she stood in front of the large glass window of her bedroom. That Ando was furious? Expected. But there was an unknown variable at work here.

"What do you mean?  You've done everything perfectly!  Yes, we're ahead of schedule, but--" "She's afraid..." "She's supposed to be afraid!" "No, there's more to it." Ando pressed his fingers to his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.  He hated to admit it, but his wife was never wrong... "We missed something, then?" Ando asked.  If this variable couldn't be dealt with, everything would fall apart.  They were too late in execution now.  Sam was figuring it out.  They were running out of time...

"Something is happening that we don't know about.  At first, I felt that this was something deeper inside of her; that she wanted this, that we didn't anticipate it. But that's not true." Cora sipped her wine. "Next I considered past trauma, but Sam would have known about that and I played back and listened to her entire bedroom conversation. Nothing there either." Another sip. "There's an uncontrolled factor, something at work, perhaps? Is it Prin?"

"Prin has been playing her part," Ando said quietly. "But maybe she's gone overboard.  Or Mabel is taking her own initiative.  She was always a risky move..." But Mabel was Ando's idea.  He wanted that to work.  "Everything was fine until today... so it must have been at work.  I'll check the tapes."

“Focus on the office recordings and tell me what you find. This needs to be nipped in the bud, and if Mabel has to go then so be it." Things were so formative right now, so delicate.

"I understand," Ando sighed.  Now that he'd had a moment to think, he knew this was the only option.  There was more to this plan than fear alone - no, Cora needed to win Natalie's trust.  Until then, they couldn't move forward.  Everything was out of order now, and it was Ando’s job to fix it.  Luckily, fixing things was what he was good at.

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[Shotgun Diplomat]

I for one, would be happy to see Mabel go. As written, she is a cartoonish baddy, with no redeeming sides thus far. Begone O foul one I say!

[Night Rain]

Put Mabel in jail or fire her.

[Sarah Penguin]

Mabel is a meanie *nodsnods*

[CynthiaCM]

This is a great story and I thoroughly enjoy each installment. As for Mabel, she's very easy to hate. But I disagree with those who want her written out. She is the perfect foil and is serving her purpose as a villain.

[littleTomás]

1 hour ago, CynthiaCM said:

This is a great story and I thoroughly enjoy each installment. As for Mabel, she's very easy to hate. But I disagree with those who want her written out. She is the perfect foil and is serving her purpose as a villain.

Yes, we do want and need a villain in the story. However, everyone wants to see the villain get destroyed by the hero. Mabel will get what's coming all in due time. After all, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.