Settling In (Complete!)

[Sarah Penguin]

[Wannatripbaby]

9 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

"This morning, I'm going to change your diaper, darling, but you're going to let your handmaiden know that in future it's going to be her responsibility

Oh my! O_O that's gonna be... interesting. It's not very often you come across a story with an unwilling diaper changer. It was actually one of my bigger inspirations for Angel Hunter. :)

Grammar Patrol

9 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

The idea that I could get a few hours sleep was the best thin gin the world.  

 

[Sparkle Dust]

Sophie is always right!

 

[Sophie ♥]

8 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Grammar Patrol

Fixed.

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXXVI

Sam and I were in rocky waters.  The "being commanding" thing was as weird for me as it was for her.  If I didn't trust Cora so much, I might not have done it.  But when Sam reached to get me a sundress from my closet I spoke sternly. "No.  The one with the flowers." My co-workers responded well to that one, even if it was a little more childish.  After yesterday, with Maple fired, I wanted to make the best impression possible.

"This one?" Sam asked with equal parts annoyance and resignation, holding up a different dress. "It's pretty cute, I think it'll look good on you." To her credit, despite the fact that Natalie had worn this before, that Sam had dressed her in it before, at least Sam seemed to be trying.  Even if her words were sour.

"Mmhmm.  That one." Sam came over to me and reached for the hem of my nightgown.  I held it down in irritation. "I can do it," I said strongly.

"Mrs. Gladstone says its part of my job," Sam countered.  

That's when I faltered.  Cora's words overruled mine.  I bit my lip and looked away. "Fine..." She'd seen the diapers already...

Sam sighed hard enough to empty her entire lungs in one go. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. "I guess this is normal now, huh?" Sam poked the diaper, her tone nothing even close to content or okay with this. But at the same time, she had a sense of... resignation, too.  Like she'd accepted that she didn't get a say here.

"Cora says it's good for me," I said shyly, looking at the far wall.  I couldn't meet Sam's gaze when I was dressed like this... "Work has been so stressful, and you know about my accidents... sure, it's not ideal.  But it means I don't wind up in wet clothes." She had to understand that much, right?

"If you say it's true, it's true." Sam responded, actually sounding a little bit empathetic if anything! Maybe Cora was onto something with this dynamic shift. "Are you gonna get into shit for being late to work today? You slept in a while." Casual conversation.

"Oh." I blinked in surprise and realized the time.  Then I remembered what Cora said to me. "No, Cora let me sleep in.  If she makes a decision, I can't get in trouble for it." I smiled happily, but Sam looked a little skeptical. "The benefit of being friends with your boss's wife?" I tried.

"Mhm." Sam mumbled. "Does she know you have a crush on her yet? Foot." Sam had finished getting her into the dress and had sat her best friend back down. She was now working on her frilly socks to go with the buckled shoes she'd picked out.

I puffed out my cheeks. "I don't have a crush on her!  But..." This conversation was going to end poorly, I just knew it. "But we did talk about... about how I feel.  About how she feels.  And... uh.  Maybe you were right.  Maybe I sort of see her like a mom...?"

"Oh yeah, you do, huh? She's gonna be Mom and Mr. Gladstone is going to be Dad?" Sam had said it jokingly, but as she looked up at her best friend with a smile, she didn't see Natalie smirking - she noticed her blushing.

"Is that really so bad?  I mean, my mom and I barely talk anymore.  After Adam, she just..." I shook my head and kicked my feet. "I've never felt like this, Sam.  I've never felt so..." I stole a word from this morning, from Cora. "Important..."

"Yeah? Is that why you've gotten so pushy all of a sudden?" Sam stuck out her tongue. "I don't care, it's whatever, just something to get used to. If you're happy, I guess that means I ought to be happy, too."

"I know it's weird.  Like, I feel so weird all the time!  Dressing like this?  Wearing... these?  But it's also like... the happiest I've felt in months.  Maybe years?  No sneaking around.  No hiding in locked offices.  I am honest with Cora.  I'm honest with myself.  And Cora listens, and she fixes it, and... and I... I didn't know anyone could fix it.  I thought I was broken..." Tears filled my eyes.  I'd never been so emotional with Sam before.  I'd never been so honest with her.  Cora was rubbing off on me, in a good way.

Sam, for her part, didn't know what to say because it had been a very long time since she'd seen her best friend so vulnerable, so open; it was almost the antithesis of who Natalie was. And here she was.... dressed like, diapered like, and crying as simply and readily as... a baby. "I'll get you some tissues.”

Sam finished dressing me and helped me downstairs, putting a lunchbox in my hand.  It had Strawberry Shortcake on the front and I looked at it curiously.

"Another gift from Cora," she told me.

"Oh... alright." It would save me money if I started bringing my lunch to work, actually.  Though I would only be working for a few hours today.  The car pulled around out front and I waved goodbye to Sam, waddling down the steps and into the back seat.

*     *     *     *     *

"Hey Nat!" That chipper voice could only be Prin, and she called out from over the lip of her desk counter. “I love your hair!”

I looked up at her with curiosity, and then I remembered.  Cora had dyed it cotton-candy pink the night before.  With everything that had happened, that tidbit hardly seemed important. “Thanks,” I said with a smile.

“Mr. Gladstone would like to see you just as soon as you come in, for your 'Morning Briefing', alright?" Morning briefing was an excellently bland name for 'come sit on his lap and get spanked to show you he loves you', really.

Briefing?  I felt a chill run up my spine and I looked nervously at Mr. Gladstone's door.  Yesterday, he said we would be done with the spankings.  He said I'd had enough.  But now he wanted to see me again?  I felt my eyes fill up with tears as I took shaky steps toward his office.  Was this because I was late?  Was this because I was taking the afternoon off?  Cora said... she said...

"Good morning, Natalie." Mr. Gladstone, as usual, didn't look up from computer. "Are you feeling rested? Your Mommy," thankfully the office door was closed, "let me know that you had a long and stressful night. How are you feeling?"

"F-fine," I said quietly, under my breath.  Mr. Gladstone looked up at me and I felt a cold rush across my skin.  He was going to lift my dress and spank me again.  With a diaper on, it didn't really hurt.  But I didn't want him to.  I didn't want this... then his voice softened.

"Not to worry, Nattie.  You aren't in any trouble."

The warm smile reassured me that he was telling the truth.  Then... if I wasn't going to spanked, what was this all about...?

"I wanted to touch base and let you know what I'd expect done today, and to remind you of my offer; if you ever feel as though you've done something to deserve it, I'm willing to help with your discipline. Now, take a seat and let's begin your briefing for the day." All that nervousness, all that fear, all that insecurity... and it was just a literal morning briefing.

I sat in the chair across from Mr. Gladstone's desk and he went into detail about some of the shipping orders that need correcting.  Then a few papers that needed filing.  The more he spoke, the more it overwhelmed me.  I was already two hours late today, and I knew Cora would be picking me up for lunch at one in the afternoon.  I swallowed sharply and worked up the courage to interrupt him. "I... uh.  W-well, Cora said I was only working half a day today..." Though two hours was more like a quarter-of-a-day. "If you want me to stay, I can!" I offered. "I don't mind.  I just... she told me..."

"You'll get everything done that you feel you can handle, and anything left to do will be passed on to Prin. I know you're having some stressful circumstances right now, and your Mommy has kept me abreast of those. But at the very least, you won't need to waste time on bathroom breaks. So I suggest you have Prin make you a coffee and get to work, my dear."

He kept calling Cora Mommy, and every time he did, I slid further down in my chair.  But I didn't want to argue.  I was already late to work, and I wanted to stay on his good side.  Even if I couldn't get in trouble, my relationship with Mr. Gladstone was important to me. "Y-yes sir," I muttered, and hurried out of his office, crinkling with every step.  Prin glanced up from the reception desk as I closed the door behind me, letting out a deep sigh.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah... just need some coffee.  Would you mind?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Gladstone actually got you a special cup for your coffee, too." Now, Natalie wouldn't know it, not until Prin came in a few minutes later, but the cup was... well. It was an insulated coffee cup for traveling, the sort with a lip spout to prevent spills, not too unusual. But this one was adorned with Strawberry Shortcake in pastel pinks, and had two plastic handles extending one to each side, like a child's sippie cup. It sure was cute, though. "Here you go."

I looked up from my desk at the cup and felt a blush on my cheeks.  This childish motif was going a little far, especially at work.  But Prin didn't seem to mind.  Actually, no one seemed to mind at all.  If anything everyone was kinder to me.  Sweet.  Loving. "Thank you," I said softly, sipped the coffee cup.  Then, before Prin could walk out, I stopped her. "Wait.  Uh... could I talk to you about something?"

"Sure thing, Nattie, what's up?" Prin was the sweetest girl in the office, really.  In-fact except for the time that Natalie had been caught swearing, she'd never even had a bad thing to say to her. She closed the door and came back to Nat's desk.

"...I have a bit of a reputation in the city," I admitted, though I knew Prin was aware of it.  Everyone was. "And I have my meetings with Mr. Gladstone.  And I dress kind of weird, and I was late today, and..." I shifted uncomfortably in my chair.  I was afraid to ask her the question I wanted to ask.  But in the end, it was important.  For me.  I had to know. "...what do you think of me?"

"I think I've never seen someone so eager to change what other people think of her for the better,” Prin answered, without skipping a beat. A moment of pause later, she added onto that. "You're my favorite person here, Nat, and I don't think you dress weird at all. You dress like you, you're proud of your idiosyncrasies. And that's kinda badass."

"It is?" I asked, blinking in surprise.

"Sure!  I mean, the cup?  So you.  And your dresses?  And..." Prin blushed a little and looked away. "I mean, you wore a onesie to work this week, Nat.  I could never be that confident in myself..."

She noticed that?  I was hoping the skirt hid it...

"And then those awful things Mabel was saying to you..."

"Huh...?"

"Well, she was screaming, and I'm just outside your door, so..."

The diapers.  Diapers.  Oh god, oh fuck.  Prin must have noticed the panic on my face.

"Hey, look, I'm not that surprised, and it's not a big deal at all. Like," Prin leaned in close with her voice lowered. "I wear my boyfriend’s boxers to work, " she tugged out the waistband of her skirt to show it, and then continued, "and Janey in Accounts Payable has to own like thirty thongs and that's all she wears. If you wanna wear... y'know, for underwear? That's... it's actually kinda funny, because it's obviously what's gonna go best with your sense of fashion.” Prin laughed, but not meanly, not maliciously, but rather... kindly. Bright and chipper.

I blushed furiously and sunk into my chair.  It's not like that!  But how was I supposed to explain it to Prin?  I couldn't even explain it to myself... and I'd be wearing them for a while, wouldn't I?  Prin would notice sooner or later.

"It's an... experiment," I muttered. "Something new I'm trying."

"And is it going well?" she asked. I looked at Prin for a moment, then thought about this morning.  No spanking.  A half day at work.  Dinner with Cora.  Laying in bed with her last night.  A kiss on the forehead before I fell asleep.  Slowly, I nodded my head.

"I think it is..."

"Awesome. That's awesome, Nattie, I'm real proud of you. Did you need anything else? I bet you have a lot to do today, huh? I should let you get to it." Prin thought about her words for a second, and then tilted her head. "Is there a cute nickname you like? Like, in-line with your new self you're putting together? If you think of something, tell me, okay? I'll call you by it."

"A nickname...?" Prin walked out and I sat at my desk, thinking to myself.  A nickname... Cora called me darling, sometimes.  And Mr. Gladstone would call me sweetheart.  But they would both call me Nattie.  Actually, even Prin had called me Nattie in the past.  I was never big on nicknames, but maybe a nickname would help everything run smoother.  Like I was a new person.  I'd have to ask Cora...

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

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[Sarah Penguin]

[Wannatripbaby]

You'd think she'd start to become desensitized to all the embarrassment by now. XD

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXXVII

"Coffee goes right through you," I said with a bit of annoyance, climbing into the back of the black car.  Cora waited with a bright smile on her face and I wiggled uncomfortably on the leather seat. "Could I use a bathroom at the restaurant?  Please?"

"I think you know the answer to that one, darling, but I'll help you with it anyway: you're wearing your bathroom now and it's for the best. How was work, did you get as much done as you wanted to?" Cora was dressed in orange today, and she popped and shone like a flower.

I let out a sigh and decided it was best not to argue.  I had opted into trusting Cora, and that was that.  And anyway, the whole 'wetting a diaper' thing wasn't as cataclysmic as I thought it would be.  This morning, when it happened, it was a casual inconvenience at best. "I didn't get a lot done, but Prin is helping.  Everybody loves my new hair." Cora had mentioned getting it cut sometime this week, but I didn't know if that was in the cards for today.  Honestly, it wasn't my decision and I was okay with that.

"I'm so glad to hear that. We're going to have lunch somewhere quick and easy - I was going to try to meet with my friends at the country club, catch up with Frannie and Etta and Immy, but it was just too short notice, I'm afraid. Fliss recommended this place, though, and it's close to where we're going for your surprise afterward." There was so much to Cora's life, so many names, so many friends, but Frannie, Etta, and Immy? Those were familiar names.

I recognized the names, but I couldn't quite place them.  Like I'd only heard them once or twice.  Fliss, I remembered.  The short woman who seemed to know Cora better than anyone.  For some reason, I felt a pang of jealousy in my chest. "Okay," I said in resignation.  The car drove uptown and dropped us off on the side of the street.  I spun the hem of my dress and assessed the length.  The likelihood of seeing my diaper was exactly zero, which was just how I liked it.  But I still had to pee...

Cora had noted the relative gracefulness to her projects slight waddle, which was a giveaway that she was dry, and commented casually. "If you're wet by the time we finished lunch, I'll change you before our trip is over, otherwise I think you'll be fine to wait until we get home." And then. "Oh, did you get your gift at work?"

"Gift...?" Oh!  The coffee cup! "Yeah, I got it.  And the lunchbox too.  Though I don't think the kitchen staff knew you were taking me out for lunch today..." Maybe I should have mentioned it.  

“I’ll have Ando bring it home from work,” Cora assured me.  But something she mentioned was a little more pressing…

"I really don't think I can... uh.  Do... that?  Like... in public." But if I waited long enough, would I even have a choice?  And anyway, where would she change me?  It's not like they made adult sized changing rooms.

"You'll get used to it, darling; it'll come naturally in time and maybe even get to a point where you just don't even care ~ can you imagine being able to be free of a stressor that no other adult has ever been free of?" That was some spin right there. Cora led them into a hip looking restaurant called Pennies (notably, not Penny's) which smelled of garlic and middle eastern spices.

I looked at Cora with a bit of surprise.  Not care? "I don't want to not care,” I said to her, though she walked into the restaurant and I felt a little more nervous talking about it.  I looked at the restroom sign in the corner with a longing stare.

"It's not like you're ever going to change for good, Natalie, that's not how it works." Although, perhaps, that might have been the first outright lie she'd told Natalie. “You're going to trust me because?" Because Mommy know's best, obviously. She pulled out a wicker chair for Natalie and helped her to sit, before sitting down for herself.

I let out a sigh of annoyance at the mantra.  I was building a level of resentment for it, because I didn't want to follow it blindly.  But on the other hand, I'd already begun to do so.  And my life was better for it.  I shifted awkwardly in my seat and looked again at the bathroom. "I... um.  I'm gonna go use the restroom," I said with enough of a blush that Cora would know I very clearly didn't mean "use the toilet".  I just needed some privacy...

"Of course, hurry back, though - Fliss said this place serves its food up very quickly." And the idea of Natalie ordering for herself was a foolish one, anyway. Cora watched her waddle to the bathroom and couldn't help but allow herself the smile; the others had been so close to being worth settling for, but Nattie? She was perfect.

I sat on the toilet and closed my eyes.  Here, in this cubicle, where I had done it so many times before, it was easy.  A blissful relief washed over me, just as the heat washed over my skin.  The first time, it had been startling.  This time, it was almost soothing.  I stood upright and took a few steps.  Now that the diaper was wet, it was a lot weirder to walk.  My thighs were forced apart more than before and I squished with each step.  On the bright side - it seemed to dull the crinkling sound.

Cora watched as Natalie came out of the bathroom, like any other person. She came back to the table, she pulled out her chair, and she sat down. If not for the burning red of her cheeks and the slight wince when she sat, nobody would even have known that she'd just been an adult woman who'd gone into a room with a toilet and instead chosen to piss herself. Cora was thrilled. And one of the wait staff was already bringing over a plate of falafel, too!

"You mentioned changing?" I said nervously between bites of my food.  I didn't order, but I seemed to enjoy whatever this food was all the same.  Still, in public, I wouldn't say the word diaper.  I would barely mention the word when Cora and I were alone! "I'd really like to be out of this..."

"I'll take care of you after lunch, darling." It was good for Natalie to get used to this, anyway, right? "You must try the cucumber dip, and try the baba ghanouj with the pita. It's divine." The most normal lunch exchange in the world.

Lunch was really good, and I was stuffed full.  Even without the sagging diaper between my legs, I would have had trouble walking out of that restaurant.  I followed behind Cora with my hand in hers, not thinking twice about it. "Thank you for lunch," I told her, through labored breaths.  Her legs were longer than mine and I struggled to keep up in my waddling walk.

"Of course, darling, that's what Mommies are for." And speaking of Mommies, it took very little time at all to reach the destination; a perhaps familiar - if discrete - shopfront.

I recognized the place before we went inside.  That baby store, where I pissed myself all over the floor of the changing room.  I tried to dig my heels into the cement outside, but Cora pulled me inside with next to no effort. "Wait, wait!" Then I saw her, behind the counter.  The Matron; the same woman from before.  The one who changed me into a diaper for the first time.  I felt my cheeks burn like fire and hid behind Cora. "W-why are we here...?"

"Well, firstly, your diaper needs changing darling, and secondly... this is your surprise. We're going to pick you out some cute new diapers, maybe a few outfits, a cup that you'll be allowed to use even in the theater room, and well.. anything you like, really.” Cora narrowed her eyes, and nodded to the expectant Matron. “Don’t be rude; go say hi.”

"But... but..." Cora gave me a look that I was quick to read.  Mommy knows best.  I bit hard on my bottom lip and looked nervously across the room.  The woman smiled and me and came out from behind the counter.  Without waiting for me to react, Cora ushered me forward until I was standing in front of the Matron. "...h-hi," I muttered, looking at my feet. "S-sorry about... last time I was here... I... um..." I rubbed my arm nervously.  I felt so humiliated!

"Oh think nothing of it, peach," The Matron began with a big smile, warm as a summer’s day, and she took the initiative and wrapped the girl up in a hug. "Girls your age struggle with things like that, and I'm quite used to it, I promise. Now, what brings you in today?" She knelt down now, putting hands on her knees as though she had to do it to look Natalie in the eye. "Are you looking for a pretty dress, hunny? Shortcake, if I recall?"

I blushed a little deeper and took half a step backward, bumping into Cora. "I... uh.  I'm not really looking for anything, I was just--"

"We need to borrow your changing room, if that's okay," Cora interrupted.  My cheeks went crimson and I looked straight at the floor.  I was going to die from embarrassment...

"Of course," the Matron smiled, leading the way to the familiar back room where Natalie had once been put in a diaper before. And the room was stocked, too, dominated by the adult sized changing table. "Would you like me to change her, Cora?"

"Oh no no, I need the practice; this one's a bit of a baby bladder, you know?" The Matron laughed and nodded.

"I'll be out here, then, you take your time."

"Don't embarrass me like that," I whispered sharply. "I'm only wearing these stupid things because you told me to!"

"You're wearing them because the last time you were in this room, you made a puddle on the floor."

Immediately, Cora's words shut me down.  I looked away from her and crossed my arms in a pout.

"Nattie, darling.  She's a matron of an adult baby store.  She isn't judging you."

"But I'm not an adult baby!" Until last week, I didn't even know what an adult baby was!

"No, right now you're acting like an actual baby, and being quite ungrateful." Cora lifted Natalie up under the arms and sat her down on the padded changing table. "I'm doing everything for you, darling, down to making your choices. The least you can do is be a little bit grateful and maybe even smile a bit when I'm taking you for a surprise shopping spree, okay?"

...damnit.  I hated when she was right... "Sorry," I muttered. "I'm just embarrassed.  I don't want other people knowing.  And Prin at work knows.  And you and Mr. Gladstone know.  And Sam knows.  And it's just..." I sighed and laid back on the changing table, like it was almost even normal to have my diaper changed at twenty-three years old. "Why can't it be a secret...?"

"Do you want it to be a secret that you've put your trust in me? Or are you proud of what a brave decision you made?" Cora had this discussion while she laid Natalie down on the table and lifted her long-ish skirt up over her waist to access her diaper.

Prin said something earlier too: that being myself so openly was badass.  I sure didn't feel like a badass.  But maybe I was thinking about it the wrong way... "I'm not really sure about the stuff in this store.  It's not really my style, you know?  Can't we have a shopping spree at a normal place?" All the while, Cora was untaping my wet diaper and wiping me down with warm wipes.  I shivered at her touch.

"Do you really think any normal store is going to have things in the style you've come to cultivate? Here, they have shortalls, onesies, jumper dresses, rompers, the prettiest shoes you might ever see, and although it's my decision to have you in diapers full time, I am going to let you choose your fashion with your padding. I think it's going to help your acceptance, and your confidence." And then, sealing the deal. "It's what I've decided."

Padding.  A much nicer word for diapers.  My soul felt relief at learning a new term, one that I wouldn't be humiliated to say in public. "Well... can I decide to wear a style that maybe isn't onesies and stuff?  Like, grown up clothes?" At work, I'd been wearing childish outfits for over a month.  But that was like... a uniform.  Right?  Then again, I never really went out anywhere unless I was with Cora.  Now that I really thought about it, had I worn grown up clothes this week?  Or last?  Uh oh...

"Well, you're going to be in padding for the foreseeable future - most clothes sold in other stores are going to make that really obvious. Whereas the fashions they have here expect little cutie pies to be attired as such, so they're both cuter and more discrete." This was a somewhat true statement, but absolutely not a guarantee. "I want you to follow this path, darling, I want you to dress as cute as can be so that even when your pretty little head gives you messed up nonsense feelings, a quick look in the mirror brings you back to the very simple truth: I make your decisions."

Her logic made sense.  It didn't always, but this time it did.  In some ironic way, dressing more infantile meant hiding the fact I was wearing diapers.  In retrospect, I knew I could never wear my black work pants - they were too tight.  I couldn't wear my pink or yellow blouses - they would show off the waistband of my diaper.  But there was something more to it.  Something Cora wasn't telling me.  So when she had finished taping a diaper on me - the same pink kind as every other time - I sat upright and looked Cora in the eyes. "Why do you really want me to dress like this?  Why do you even know where this store is?  You're hiding something.  And if you want me to be honest with you, then... then you should be honest with me."

Cora was quiet for a moment, but Cora rarely lied; this wasn't a silence that meant 'let me think of a story', this was her being careful with the words she chose. A few agonizing seconds later, she replied with a simple answer, and then a more complex one. "I'm helping you with this, because I think you need it."

But that first half was never going to satisfy her, was it? "But also because I have a lot of love to give, and Ando and I can't have children. We both climbed out of awful situations in our lives, darling, and we want to be able to pass on that experience, that... desire to help someone to grow.”

“We had another girl, one like you... a few years ago, her name was Sophie.” This part was true, although Sophie wasn't the only girl. "She came from a broken situation, a broken life, and certain things helped her. Not having to make decisions. Not having to spend all of her time as an adult. And our Sophie, she got what she needed from us and she moved on." Also not the whole truth, but some truth.

"I learned a lot from her. I learned that this kind of thing could help girls like her, like you. And... I learned that I liked it. Being someones Mommy. Making their choices. Protecting them, dressing them up adorably... and being needed. You needed someone, Natalie, and I needed to be needed."

I looked at Cora for a hard minute, trying to figure out if I believed what she was saying.  But in the end, one truth was obvious.  I trusted her.  I let out a sigh and looked down at my dress. "Did you plan this...?"

Cora looked away. "I wanted to help.  You were so anxious.  So stressed.  Everyone turned against you, and you had nowhere to go.  I… I used your circumstances to my advantage.  But I swear.  I promise.  I never did anything that wasn’t best for you…” Cora took a step back and crossed her arms, looking down in shame.  It was a rare sight: Cora ashamed of something. "You can get any kind of clothes you want," she said. "I'm sorry for pushing you.  We can go to a different store.  I just want you to be happy."

I swung my feet off the side of the changing table and kicked them lightly, thinking to myself.  It was all a game?  Orchestrated by Cora… not a goddess, but a puppet master.  Would I even wet the bed if it wasn’t for her?  Would I be this scared?  But I wouldn’t have a job - that much I knew.  I wouldn’t be happy.  And I was happy.  She made me happy.  Whether it was a trick or a lie, the feelings I felt were real.  I couldn't deny that. "This other girl... why did it stop?"

"She grew up," Cora confessed. "She realized she didn't need me.  So she left..." Cora looked forlornly at the changing room curtain, and spoke quietly. "What about you, Nattie?  Do you need me?"

Her eyes were wet.  Almost crying, maybe.  She couldn't even look at me.  I'd never seen Cora so... broken up.  But whether her story was true or not, she used me.  Right?  She just wanted someone to dress up, to treat like a doll, just like Sam said!  But wasn’t I using her too?  Her money?  Her love?  To fill some empty place inside me?

Do I need her?  I should say no.  I should leave, just like that Sophie girl did.  But… I'd gotten good at telling the truth recently.

"I think I do...”

Cora smiled brightly and wiped her eyes with her fingers, smearing her makeup just a little. "Well.  That's all I care about.  I'm sorry for acting selfishly today."

I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. "I'm just being a jerk.  You're doing so much for me.  Taking care of me.  Letting me live with you.  Buying me so much stuff.  And you know?  I like dressing like this.  Everyone is nicer to me.  People treat me right.  Not like some vapid slut, but like... like a real person." In a way, this was a mutual relationship, as any mother/daughter relationship was.  We each provided something to each other.  And maybe I wasn't holding up my end of the bargain.  Part of what she needed was a cute kid.  I could be a cute kid.

"Mommy?" I asked with a shy smile. "Will you help me pick out some clothes?"

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

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[Wannatripbaby]

Hmm, was the vulnerability genuine? Or just another well-thought-out play that payed off? The world may never know...

1 hour ago, Sophie ♥ said:

We had another girl, one like you... a few years ago, her name was Sophie.”

Alright, was that your idea or Pudding's? XD

[Sophie ♥]

39 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Alright, was that your idea or Pudding's? XD

Puddin's. 

[Sparkle Dust]

So will Natalie start with Ring Pops or actual pacifiers?  Had to throw mine away. Also had to hide my diapers when my mom visited again.  Imagine if Natalie’s mom walked in her in this chapter or your mom walked in on you dressed as Natalie?    Would be super embarrassing.  LOL.

Also Mr. Gladstone will be pissed at his wife.  Make sure Natalie can still watch R rated shows.  She could be a COOL baby and all the ABDLs at Cora's clubs would be super jealous.  

You rule girl!!  (Gives you one of my Angel feathers).

[Baby Billy]

Pretty Cora is going to have to change Sams from a maid to a nanny

[littleTomás]

3 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

“We had another girl, one like you... a few years ago, her name was Sophie.”

Ok Sophie. I'm calling you out: What happened to Little Miss Chatterbox when she lived at the Gladstones?

Great Chapter!

[Sophie ♥]

3 hours ago, littleTomás said:

Ok Sophie. I'm calling you out: What happened to Little Miss Chatterbox when she lived at the Gladstones?

I wasn't always a Little!! THEY MADE ME THIS WAY!!!

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXXVIII

"How about this one?" The dress was beyond cute, soft and ruffled with little lights stitched into the skirt that lit up as Cora demonstrated. "Maybe electricity and my little wet princess shouldn't mix, though?" Cora teased happily, laughing a little in the nicest most positively spirited way. "What's that you've got?"

I pouted.  Just because I had agreed to play dress up didn't mean that I liked wetting myself!  In fact, it was one of the weirdest things I had ever done.  Weirder still, I was getting used to it... "Uh, this is a skirt, but it has straps like overalls?  Is it cute?" I honestly had no idea what was "cute" and what wasn't.  It all looked ridiculous to me...

"That is absolutely darling, darling." Cora picked it up, held it against Natalie, and nodded her head. "You have to try this one on, for certain." It was weird how things were turning out, because out of all the traits Cora had expected Natalie to have, this level of maturity was nowhere near the top. At the same time, her maturity had been the thing that made it easier for her to accept losing her adult freedoms and embracing being a little baby. Mr. Gladstone wouldn't approve, Cora knew, but in so many ways this was better.

Snap-crotch onesies.  Fluffy dresses.  Shirts with blocks and teddy bears.  Everything Cora picked out was overwhelmingly childish.  But I already wore this stuff to work; might as well wear it all the time, right?  Then she picked out a pacifier and held it up to me, showing the starry decorations.

"Perfect for bedtime!"

"Seriously?" I muttered.

"Oh come on, darling, it'll be cute! You can stay up and watch TV with me and Sam, and suck on your binkie until your eyes get too heavy to stay open, won't that be the cutest thing? And then Mr. Gladstone can carry you to bed in his big strong arms." Cora was on cloud nine.

I let out a sigh of exhaustion.  It felt like Cora was a kid and this was a candy store.  In a way, it was.  She wanted so badly to take care of me, and I wanted so badly to let her.  But did it have to be with all this stupid baby stuff?  I crossed my arms and looked down at my feet.

"One pacifier," I relented.

"Two," she shot back.

"I don't need two," I told her. "I don't even need one."

"But you don't make the decisions."

I opened my mouth to argue, but my words caught in my throat.  Her stupid trump card... "Fine..."

"There's a good girl." Cora hoped that one day she wouldn't need to play that move, and with the progression Natalie was undertaking at the moment it seemed more than likely that she'd get her wish. "You pick one, and I'll pick one, and if you're a good girl and take it seriously, I'll promise not to buy you anymore without you being here with me, deal?"

I gave Cora a look of annoyance, and stepped up to the display.  There were bins upon bins of pacifiers.  Like, hundreds!  And though they all had different colors and shapes, they all seemed to have the same oversized nipple.  I would have been more surprised if I hadn't been stuck in oversized baby clothes for the better part of a week.  I fished through the bin, staring at each pacifier, one at a time.  Too blue.  Too pink.  I didn't even know who that cartoon character was?  Within a few minutes, I was shifting intently through the bins, looking for the perfect pacifier.

Her look of annoyance gave way to focus, focus to curiosity, curiosity to fixation and fascination, and soon Cora wasn't even there by her side. She'd probably pick something with Shortcake on it, Cora mused, but then again her little girl had been known to surprise her. Like, for example, Cora had no idea how Natalie was going to approach this topic with Sam.

In the end, I found a pacifier I well and truly loved.  The guard was purple and the button had a plaid design.  It had the shape of butterfly wings and sparkled under the lights of the store.  Plus, it was one of the less childish options!  I turned around with excitement to show Cora, but she wasn't there.  I blinked in surprise and wandered around the store, only to find her on the far side, along the wall of training pants.  I remembered standing here last weekend.  How I hated it.  How I fought tooth and nail to get out of this stupid place.  That was only five days ago...

"Oh my heavens, Natalie, what a perfect choice. Do you have an outfit in mind to go with it?" Coordination was important, after all, and Cora asked that question so seamlessly that Natalie might not even question the fact that a supposedly night time item didn't rightly need matching day outfits unless she was intended to use it more often than that.

"Huh...?  Oh... um..." I looked at the wall of training panties, lost in thought.  All this was happening so fast.  So much had changed in the month since I'd moved in.  And now, I was buying a pacifier at some adult baby shop?  I felt my heart race. "I... I dunno if I can do this..."

"I know you don't, darling." Cora was calm, serene, and patient. Her words came simply, like nothing scared her at all, like nothing could stop her. Conversely to that, Natalie was frightened of everything, and Cora knew she just needed to remember that. "You don't know too much of anything, because everything is so scary. You remember that, don't you? What it's like without me to make your decisions, what it's like to be a big girl? So much can go wrong at any given moment, and you're just not.... cut out, for that. And for most people that would mean a life of fear and pain, but for you..." She put her hand in her daughter’s, smiled warm, and tilted her head. "You have me to keep you safe."

I looked up at Cora as tears filled my eyes.  She was right.  I was scared.  So much was changing.  So much was different.  Not just my underwear, or my clothes.  Sam and I were different too.  But if I tried to make everything better all on my own, I would just make everything worse.  So I swallowed my pride and nodded my head.  Without Cora, my world would fall apart...

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

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[Wannatripbaby]

Awwww, another adorable chapter. :)

Also back on the subject of the self-insertion, here's my headcanon on how that went down: You and Pudding had just had a minor fight of some sort before sitting down to write, and Pudding was like "And they had a baby girl named Sophie who was the babiest baby of them all. Xp" And you countered with "But then Sophie grew up because she didn't need to be taken care of and they got a new baby named Pudding who was EVEN LITTLER AND ALSO SUPER STINKY ALL THE TIME!" Then you started throwing pillows or stuffies at one another before breaking down ibto a fit of giggles. XD When you finally calmed down you edited it down to what was necessary to the story.

[littleTomás]

12 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

I wasn't always a Little!! THEY MADE ME THIS WAY!!!

For some reason I'm not sure if I believe you...

 

Awesome Chapter. Cora is a fantastic mommy. She's manipulative, but I still like her, lol.

[Sophie ♥]

11 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Also back on the subject of the self-insertion, here's my headcanon on how that went down: You and Pudding had just had a minor fight of some sort before sitting down to write, and Pudding was like "And they had a baby girl named Sophie who was the babiest baby of them all. Xp" And you countered with "But then Sophie grew up because she didn't need to be taken care of and they got a new baby named Pudding who was EVEN LITTLER AND ALSO SUPER STINKY ALL THE TIME!" Then you started throwing pillows or stuffies at one another before breaking down ibto a fit of giggles. XD When you finally calmed down you edited it down to what was necessary to the story.

I gotta get those cameras you planted out of my house.

[Sarah Penguin]

[Sophie ♥]

Chapter XXXIX

"Uhhuh." Sam was doing her best to pretend to be interested in what Natalie was showing her. Outfits. Pacifiers. Plastic undies. Diapers. Ugh. The freshly-minted handmaiden leaned on her hand and nodded again, although her feigned interest seemed to be completely transparent to her best friend.

"Cora and I had this sort of heart-to-heart.  And she told me the truth - that she likes treating me like a kid.  And honestly?  I kinda like it.  I know that's silly, but... I really do like it." I let out a sigh of relief and set the final diaper down on the bed.  She had bought me more than just the usual pink one: some had rainbows, some had unicorns, some had paw prints.  I still didn't like wearing diapers, but it seemed like a small price to pay for unconditional love.  Right?

"Whatever you say, princess." Sam had bitterness to her tone. Mostly because every single part of her wanted to scream that she had told her best friend something was afoot here; but recently it had been harder and harder to make a stand against Natalie. She was becoming both more infantile, and more sure about it. "So..." Don't do it Sam. "This was her plan all along, huh?"

I looked sharply at Sam and crossed my arms over my chest. "No.  I mean… she just wanted to help me.”

"You really believe that?"

I felt frustration rise in my chest.  She was saying rude things about Cora. "You know what?  So what if she planned it?  I'm happy!  Does that even matter to you?  Or are you jealous because she didn't pick you?"

"No, I'm just worried that me getting a job here was just a ploy to get to you, and now that she has you tied to her apron strings, she's gonna cut me loose and I'll never see my best friend again."

...oh.  She was scared?  I... I didn't expect that.  I looked at Sam nervously and then down at my feet. "Sorry... um.  I didn't realize..." We were both quiet for a second, unable to meet each others' eyes.  Then I shook my head and forced a smile. "She can't fire you.  You're my maid, right?  And a princess gets what she wants!" I smiled brightly, absolutely sure of myself. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

"Uhhuh." Sam didn't sound at all convinced, and she took a deep breath in to gather her words like they were swirling all around in the ether. "She doesn't need me once she's done playing pretend with you. It's not like I'm indispensable here; they have like six other maids and I'm not at all the best one."

"Nuh uh!  You're great!  You always bring me my food, and you draw my baths, and you put my clothes away.  Maybe you're not the best maid, but you're my maid.  And you do a great job... and if Cora fired you I'd be so angry at her, and I know she doesn't want that." It was a weird thing to think: I was Sam's job security. "I won't let anyone else be my maid.  No one."

"Yeah? So now I'm indentured to you, huh? You're the princess, I'm the maid, you boss me around and I'll just curtsy and be like 'oh yes miss, of course I'll change your diapers' like that's completely not insane?" There was definite resignation in her voice, though, not anger.

"...is that so bad?" I looked a little nervously at my best friend and then down at my feet. "I know it's insane.  This whole place is so backwards... but that doesn't mean it's wrong or bad.  It's just different.  And it's a kind of different I like.  Maybe you can like it too?" I forced another smile. "You basically took care of me back at our other place.  Now you get paid for it!"

"I guess." Sam looked up with a forced smile. "I really feel like with all these new duties I should be asking for a pay rise." Said the girl who made literally five times what she used to in her old job. "And I should negotiate for some time with my best friend that's off the clock, cause I don't remember the last time I saw you and I wasn't in uniform."

"I always work on your days off," I pouted, crossing my arms. "Maybe you could negotiate with Cora?  She's really understanding..." Sam gave me a hard look and I let out a sigh.  I guess they didn't have the same relationship Cora and I did. "Maybe I can ask...?" I had to ask her something else anyway.

"Alright, you can ask. I think I ought to get a raise if I'm going to have to learn about... adult diapers." Funnily, she almost took a job in a nursing home some years back, too. Ironic. "But I want some time with you, like I wanna go to the mall with you or see movies or do something outside this house." And Sam was willing to bargain away her dignity on this.

"Uh huh!  I want that too!  You put all my stuff away," I told her, motioning to the piles of new clothes, "and I'll talk to Cora.” I hurried out of my room and down the stairs.  But I didn't go to Cora's room.  I went to the second floor bathroom.  I sat down on the toilet without pulling up my dress and closed my eyes.  I'd had to pee for well over an hour now, but I still couldn't do it unless I was on the toilet.  I didn't see the point of wearing diapers if I still had to run to the bathroom, but it wasn't my decision.  When I was done - when the diaper between my thighs was heavy and warm - I waddled down the hall to Cora's bedroom.

"I haven't seen your mother," Mr. Gladstone was in the bedroom, musing over an electronic tie rack, and he didn't look away from his task even when he heard his waddling daughter coming into the room. "She might be in the conservatory, though, have you looked there?"

"Oh, um... no." I looked awkwardly at my boss, but he didn't so much as turn around to say hello.  I peeked around the door just to make sure Cora wasn't in here, but sure enough... "W-well... I'll go check the conservatory then."

"Oh, and Natalie?" Mr. Gladstone called out, once she'd taken a few steps away from the doorway. "You've been such a good girl, and we're both very proud of you." Just. Random praise. No strings attached.

"Th-thank you, sir..." I blushed a little and hurried down the stairs to find Cora.  True to Mr. Gladstone's words, she was in the conservatory.  It had been a long day for the both of us.  An emotional, revealing day.  But we were closer because of it.  So I took a deep breath and went over to Cora, without saying a word, and pulled on her sleeve like a kid would do.  Honestly, pretending was... kinda fun.  Like a game.

"Oh hello there, darling, I didn't even hear you come in - quiet as a little baby mouse, aren't you?" Her smile was warm, even if her words might have been a little bit played up for fun. "Did you come to tend to the flowers with Mommy?"

"Oh, uh..." I shook my head and held the hem of my dress with both hands. "Umm... I was wondering if we could talk about something.  About Sam?"

"Is she behaving?" Cora asked, as if she was the child and I was the adult.

"Nothing like that," I said nervously. "We just miss spending time together as friends.  And I was wondering if she could have more time off?  On a weekend, maybe?"

"Well, the weekends are when the help does the deep cleaning, and you're home all day on those days so she's going to need to keep working those, I'm sorry, darling." Watering a pretty white rose, Cora paused for noticeable thought, and waited for dramatic effect. "Although, I suppose with the order season winding down, you could spend a little more time at home on a weekday or two, and I could arrange for that to coincide with her days off?"

"...you mean, I work less days at the office?" But that was my job.  I couldn't be a part-time office manager, right?  I had to be there.  To... you know.  Manage the office.  I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms. "I don't want that.  Can't we re-arrange our schedules."

"Like I said - Sam needs to work weekends.  And your office is closed on weekends."

...so there was nothing else she could do?  I bit my lip.

"Listen, darling, around this time of year the office quiets down for a spell anyway, and you'll still be there - let's say Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays, that way you can have two days with your best friend mid-week, and handle both the start and end of the week at work." Although Cora was uncertain about allowing Sam not to feel maidly. Hmm. "It's important, though, darling - even in a friendly dynamic, Sam still needs to remember that she serves you, or it's going to be like whiplash for the poor thing any time she finishes her days off. So please be kind to her by being firm."

"Okay..." But the tone in my voice and the expression on my face betrayed my certainty.  Two days a week off work.  Fear of being replaced seeped back into me.  What if I lost this job?  What if Mr. Gladstone needed someone there full time?  What about my paychecks?  I didn't have many expenses these days, but I should be saving money...

"I hear a but there, little one, and the only butt you need to worry about is safely protected.” To show her seriously, Cora left her roses be. "Your pay won't change, and if we need you more days in the office then we'll make sure you're brought in; I know how scared you are of things being taken from you, but I promise you darling, I'm going to make good decisions for you."

"But Mr. Gladstone--"

"Ando," Cora corrected me for the thousandth time.  With a deep sigh, she touched her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

"Why is it so hard to call him by his first name?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and looked at my feet. "It feels too personal..." Like Adam.

"Would a title feel better? Daddy, perhaps? If I'm your Mommy, that might only make sense, and that's far less formal and personal, isn't it?" Cora acted like she was only just considering this now, in the moment.

My cheeks went crimson. "I... I don't think--"

"Actually... I like the sound of that.  And Ando will be so happy to hear..."

Her eyes sparkled in delight and I shied nervously into myself.  Calling my boss Daddy?  Ugh, this was so embarrassing... "But......"

"This will be much simpler, and easier for you to remember, and oh so precious. Oh, Mommy and Daddy, that's just perfect, darling. Now, I will try to arrange Wednesday and Thursdays to be at home days for you, but you will still be expected to come in on time on the other days, and you might very well be needed at short notice for your days off, understand?"

"...'kay," I muttered, looking shyly at my feet.  Cora knelt down so I had to look down at her.  She smiled up into my eyes and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I know it's still new.  But you are doing so well.  Thank you for listening to me.  I'm so proud of you."

Maybe all I needed was some encouragement, because after that, I was feeling a whole lot better.  Then I remembered the other question I wanted to ask Cora. "Um, can I be changed, please?"

"You're a very good girl for noticing you need to be.  Head up into your room and you can have Samantha take care of it, and if you want to wait I'll be up in a few more minutes." Just so casual. Have your best friend change your soggy diaper.

Sam?  Cora had mentioned before that part of Sam’s responsibilities was to change my diapers, but I wasn’t willing to let that happen. "I.. uh.  I can just wait for you to come up and do it," I said anxiously.  Allowing Cora to give me a diaper change at twenty-three years old was already embarrassing enough.  But my best friend?  No thanks.

"I'll see you up in your room then, darling. Hurry along." Cora was, admittedly, a pretty good Mom.  Even if this was all some big scheme, her love seemed real all the same. Genuine.

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

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[the diaper mike]

I love it's amazing it's so sweet

[Wannatripbaby]

Another great chapter. It's about time Nattie & Sam started arranging to spend time together. And it'll be interesting to see just how "off" Sam's "Day Off" ends up actually being. XD

Grammar Patrol

2 hours ago, Sophie ♥ said:

Why is it so hard to call him by his first name?" she asked.

The "She Asked" was in bold like the dialogue.

[littleTomás]

And so Natalie progresses towards not working anymore and being a little girl. ?

[diaperpt]

She's gone across a line that she won't see again. I do have to wonder what fun little twist the two of you have coming up.

[Sophie ♥]

18 hours ago, diaperpt said:

She's gone across a line that she won't see again. I do have to wonder what fun little twist the two of you have coming up.

 What makes you think we have a twist?!  It's not like we ALWAYS do or anything.

Also, fixed.