AN HOMAGE TO VINCENT VEGA, SEASON THREE, SCENE 89: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH: LINH

[Bobbyca]

Peter Sellers of course

[littlebopeeper]

13 hours ago, Bobbyca said:

Peter Sellers of course

I second that.  And he played 3 different roles, just like in Dr. Strangelove.  Inspector Clouseau is on the case!

[Babypants]

WHAT'S COOKIN', DOC?

“God, it smells heavenly in here,” Vicki moaned, inhaling deeply as she walked into the kitchen, suitcase in hand. "What's cookin', Doc?”

She gave Ian a peck on the cheek, then grabbed him by the nape of the neck. Eyes closed, she leaned forward to kiss him hard on the lips. “That's just a preview,” she murmured, “of what I have in store for you.”

“Punishments and rewards,” Ian asked, “in the form of spankings and sex?”

“Mommy's orders,” Vickie giggled as she sneaked a peek at Sarah.

“Works for me,” he grinned.

“This clinches it,” Sarah decreed, her eyes taking in the organized chaos that only hours before had been Rita's neat and tidy kitchen. There were pots and pans everywhere. “Ian, from now on, this is your domain. Everybody else? Keep out!”

“Thanks, Mommy,” he managed to get out before kissing her in turn. Simply holding Sarah in his arms summoned warm memories of the night before …

And the morning after …

Sarah reached down to pat his diaper, her hand lingering over the chastity cage that lay beneath.

“I like your new diaper,” she quietly noted as her hand continued to wander. “Do you like your new toy?”

Vickie looked at her curiously. Neither Sarah nor Rita had brought up the subject of Ian's chastity cage when they were at the hospital.

“Barely notice it,” he said in return.

“What gives,” Vickie asked. Watching Sarah's fingers dancing across the surface of Ian's diaper, which was now identical to her own, she had her suspicions. She was certain that it would be easy for him to masturbate through the fabric, which was markedly thinner than his usual hospital diaper.

“I locked him up this morning ...”

“What? I thought we agreed that ...”

“Vic, I'm good with this, and it's not like it's forever.”

Ian was choosing his words carefully. He did not want Vickie to fly off the handle and start a fight in the kitchen.

“We need to temper his libido in order to make Anna more comfortable with Carlie,” Sarah interrupted. She did not want Ian to defend her actions; she could take care of herself. “You know the drill,Vic; one of us will summon the Princess, then pass her on.”

“I'm also worried about Tippi,” Ian confessed. “If she's going to change me several times a day, this will keep things from getting out of control … and I mean that quite literally.”

“But here, in the house?”

“No cage … no diaper cover. And yes,” Sarah smiled, “I'm well aware of the conflict between caging Ian to help Carlie on the one hand, and us making babies on the other. We'll have to play it by ear, and make adjustments as we go along.”

“This is also about skin care,” Sofia added. She was slicing up cucumbers and tomatoes for the Greek salad that she was preparing. “I don't like these diaper covers because they make it awkward to do a diaper check, and they don't allow the skin to breathe. They're an open invitation to diaper rash.”

Sofia turned away from the kitchen counter, and looked Vickie squarely in the eye. “The cage will prevent Ian from giving in to a moment of weakness, but what are we to do about you? Your lack of self-control is glaring.”

Vickie blushed. Between them, Rita and Sarah had taken her wands away, but without the canvas cover locked over her diaper, she would have been happy to let her fingers do the walking.

“So my cover really is a chastity belt, isn't it?”

“It's like this, baby girl.” Sarah decided to pick up where her mother had left off. “Your skin also needs to breathe, so I've brought a pair of locking mittens home that has your name on it. We all know how creative you can be, and how impulsive. This will allow us to give you the run of the house without having to keep an eye on you at all times.”

“Save all that pent up energy for me, Vic. Spankings and sex, remember?” Ian's eyes were alive with mischief; he was eager to find out just how crazy Vic could get in the bedroom.

. . . .

“I was expecting you a couple of hours ago,” Sofia commented as she continued slicing up the vegetables. Ian's instructions had been exact, and she was following them to the letter.

“The movers were on time,” Sarah sighed, “but it was a slow process because Ian's couches had to go out the window. They had to use a winch ...”

“Probably the same guys who moved me in back in August. They were obviously prepared.” Ian was busily dicing up the feta cheese that was a mainstay of any Greek salad.

“And then I decided to stop by the office, and let them know that Ian's car is down for the count. They want it gone, so we have to decide what to do with it. There's no room for it here, so it comes down to junking it or putting it in storage.”

“It's a good runner; all it needs is a new alternator.” Ian was pleading his case.

“I'll let you know what I decide.” Sarah's tone was firm, and Ian got the message. This was her call, and if she wanted his opinion, she'd ask for it.

“Mom, when's the last time you checked his diaper?” She wanted Ian to understand that she was his Mommy, and diaper checks were an efficient way to underscore the point.

“He's overdue,” Sofia admitted. “We've been busy. You, or should we call Vickie?”

“Turn around, Ian.” Sarah made it an order, and Ian knew better than to mouth off. He barely avoided snapping off a crisp salute.

“Vickie needs time to put her things away in the nursery. With so many stacks of diapers eating up space in the drawers, she doesn't have a lot of room.”

“You need to be changed,” she observed after checking both his front and rear. “You're wet, and you're poopy. Why didn't you say something?”

“I didn't notice,” he confessed.

“That's the breast milk in action,” Sofia gleefully noted. “From now on, every time you nurse him, he's going to dirty his diaper.”

“Such a baby,” Sarah theatrically sighed. “Well, come on; I'll change you in the nursery, and then you can get back to work. It does smell good in here; what are we having?”

“I'd like to start with saganaki, but it's flambeed, and I don't know much about smoke detectors. So, we'll play it safe and lead off with spanokopita. That's a spinach and feta cheese pastry.”

Ian pointed at one of the large trays sitting on the counter.

“Baklava for dessert. Kleftiko is in the oven, and won't be ready until around seven. It's roast lamb with roasted potatoes, onions and so forth. I'll whip up lemon rice to serve as a bed for it while everybody's working on the salad. Your Mom's got that under control.”

“Not planning to eat with us?”

“I'll steal a few bites in the kitchen. I've done this sort of thing before, Sarah, in Viet Nam. I always tried to put on a good spread for my command, so take my word for it: laying out a four course meal for twenty is time consuming.”

“Are you afraid, Ian? The only man at a dinner party with some twenty women? Be honest.”

“A bit. The last time we did this, the crowd was a lot smaller, and I was drunk. Dutch courage.”

Sarah fingered one of the bottles of Kourtaki that Ian had opened and left out on the counter to breathe. Curious, she picked one up, and sniffed the contents.

“Well,” she smiled as she eyed the stacks of glasses on the dining room table, “perhaps we'll lift the ban on alcohol, but just for tonight. Smashing glasses the way they did in Never On Sunday sounds like a lot of fun, and water would ruin the moment.”

“Not to mention what it would do to the fire,” Sofia cheerfully warned.

“Hmm, that's true.” Ian pretended to think about it. “It would get smoky in here, and the detector ...”

“Can't have that,” Sarah murmured as she took him by the hand and headed for the bedroom. “It would definitely spoil the moment.”

Vickie looked up when they walked into the nursery. She had finished unpacking the first suitcase, but there was one more out in the car, as well as a number of garment bags. She still had a lot of work ahead of her.

“I have to change the baby's diaper; how's yours holding up?”

“I need a change, Mommy, but it's not urgent.”

“Then let's get to it. Ian, you first.”

When he kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants, Vickie gasped.

“Pink baby pants?” The look on her face was priceless.

“Hey, I like pink, and hopefully Anna likes it too!”

Ian pulled himself up onto the table and stretched out.

In a matter of moments, Vickie found herself staring at the chastity cage that imprisoned his penis. It's so small, she thought, so impossibly small …

To her surprise, Sarah took the key out of her pocket and unlocked the sheath. Using a fingernail to pry out the insert that prevented his cock from escaping, she slowly pulled the sheath down and set it aside. Ian was free.

“Vic, this isn't some kind of kinky game. I meant what I said: at home, no cage … no cover. You and Ian wear the same diaper, and he can have a freebie with anyone in the household who's in the mood. Right now, my job is to clean the both of you up so that you can get back to work. But he goes back into the cage before leaving for campus on Monday morning. Am I getting through to you?”

Vickie nodded. “I'm sorry, Sarah; I misunderstood. We all want you to give Ian some space. I … I guess it's an okay compromise.”

. . . .

“Long day?”

Manny Cepeda teased the steaming cup of coffee with his spoon, and waited for Rita to get started. He visited the hospital on Saturdays only for special occasions and true emergencies, but a summons from the beautiful head of the Psych ward was always special.

Rita looked around the cafeteria. It wasn't crowded, but she chose nonetheless to keep her voice low.

“Very. Manny, we want to go ahead with the 'diaper your favorite nurse' auction,” she explained. “Ideally, we'd like to hold it on Tuesday afternoon, at the shift change. The winner will have to be upstairs to diaper Sarah at eleven on Wednesday night, and she should be back to change her when the first shift takes over at seven on Thursday. I'll take my turn in the trenches on Thursday night.”

“And we're still limiting the auction to female members of staff, with all funds going to one of our charitable causes?” Manny wanted to make sure that nothing had changed since he and Rita had first discussed her proposal.

“Exactly. There's a lot at stake here, Manny, and time is somewhat pressing. Can you reach out to all the departments on Monday?”

“Not a problem. Tuesday at three, here in the cafeteria? Do you guys still want to mount one of the tables and display your wares?”

“Absolutely. And you can invite the press, if you think it will gin up interest.”

“Good idea. And I'll set up a bank of telephones so that third shifters can get in on the action. Fair is fair.”

“Thanks, Manny; you're a peach.”

“Who can resist the pleas of a beautiful woman,” Manny smiled, before reaching for Rita's hand and gallantly kissing it.

. . . .

“How's it coming,”

Sarah smiled as Priscilla walked in the door. Like Vickie, she entered with a suitcase in hand.

“So far, everything's going according to plan. Bob and Amos set Ian's bed up in my room. It's really too small for a king size, so we had to stick one of the dressers in the closet. Then they collected the stuff from Vickie's apartment and put it in the garage. Not sure Dad will be able to get his car in.”

“How's your diaper holding up?”

“Mom changed me just before I left, so I'm good.”

Priscilla peeked over Ian's shoulder, and almost burst out laughing when she saw that he was actually using breast milk in his homemade tzatziki.

“Where am I putting my stuff?”

“My bedroom. I'm not a clothes horse like Vickie, so there's plenty of room in the closet and the dresser drawers. Help yourself.”

“Great! Where am I sleeping?”

“You can share a queen with me, a king with Rita, or I suppose you could squeeze into Vickie's crib.”

“So I don't get a bed of my own?”

“Nope … well, at least, not in this house. Not enough space. But you'll have a room of your own when we get our new digs.”

“How about Carlie? Where is she going to sleep?”

“Rita wants to partner with her, and I'm leaning in that direction. What about you, Pris? We would both welcome you, and I take it for granted that Carlie would as well. Are you willing to try?”

“To be honest? I don't know. I mean, I've thought about it … it's been in the back of my mind ever since you welcomed me into your household. But I don't think I'll know until I'm actually doing it.”

“That's fair. Again, you could also bed down with Vickie. You'd be locked into the crib for the night, so you'd have to use your diaper. You fine with that?”

“Yep. I take it Sis has no interest in sleeping with you or Rita?”

“None whatsoever,” Sarah laughed. She found the idea of Vic having sex with another woman infinitely amusing.

“She's a man's woman through and through, and she's deeply in love with Ian. She won't stray, but she also needs a mother's love as well as a sister's. That's where you and I come in.”

“Got it. Are you good with giving my Mom a key to Vickie's cover? Then she can change both of us.”

“When the two of you are staying over at your parents? Sure. I'm glad to have your mother's help. That reminds me to ask her for the key to yours.”

“Mom's a mind reader; she bringing you one tonight. I don't think this will work when I'm on the job-- we argued about it just before I came over. She wants me kept under lock and key, just like Sis. It's pretty obvious that she wants her baby back.”

“Well, I'm bottle feeding Vic; I guess your Mom and I could nurse you as well. This would really help Vic with her therapy, but you should know that there's a downside ...”

“Like I'll start pooping my diapers for real?” Priscilla had a huge grin on her face. “I'm okay with that, Sarah; after all, it's only temporary. All of this stops when I go to Quantico.”

“Having you and Vic share a crib is beginning to make more sense. And what's another baby in the house? Two becomes three …”

Sarah thought about it. Vic was the older sister that Pris badly needed to fill a gap in her life, which hinted at a lonely childhood. Treating them as baby sisters might do them both a world of good.

“Big deal,” Sarah shrugged as she made up her mind.

“Pris can share my crib,” Ian offered.

“Only when the two of you are making love,” Sofia cut in. “That's going to be a hard and fast rule. You make love in your crib and only in your crib … nowhere else in the house. The beds are for grown ups; you're just a big baby.”

“If we go down this path, Priscilla, the same rule will apply to you.” Sarah wanted to make sure the young policewoman knew what she was getting into. “Your cover stays locked on unless someone is changing you, bathing you, or you and Ian are making love. No exceptions to the rule.”

“I understand; but wouldn't it be more convenient if Sis and I changed each other? We've talked about it, and we're both willing.”

“I'm sure you are, but it isn't going to happen. As you pointed out, it is pretty obvious that your Mom wants to treat you like a baby, and I'm happy to oblige. But babies don't change one another; mommies and aunties, and only mommies and aunties, do the diaper changing in this family.”

“But the added work ...”

“That's Mommy's problem, Pris, not yours.”

Ian sensed that Sarah was on the verge of losing her temper. Priscilla clearly wasn't seeing the connection between regressing and submitting. It was time to set her straight.

“Pris,” he warned, “you are this close to getting a spanking … a real spanking.”

“What?” Priscilla blinked; she had no idea where Ian was coming from.

“You're a junior partner, Pris, and you're mouthing off to the boss. Personally, I think that she should spank you. Call it a reality check.”

“And where does that leave us, Ian? You and me?”

“It doesn't change anything. Pris, I'm the infant in this household, and you are one of my aunties. But you and Vic both act like whiny toddlers, Vic most of the time and you some of the time. You'd better believe that your two Moms are going to have a heart to heart talk about your future tonight. It wouldn't surprise me if Julia ends up putting you over her lap in front of everybody, including Babs and Carlie. You want that?”

“No.” Suitably chastened, Priscilla stared down at the floor.

“I'm sorry, Mommy,” she murmured. “I forgot my place. Please be patient with me.”

“My patience is wearing thin,” Sarah replied in a tone that made it clear to Priscilla that she was on thin ice. Reaching out, Sarah grabbed the girl's wrist, and dragged her into the dining room. She stood Priscilla in the corner, and told her not to move.

“We'll start with a time out so that you can think about your behavior, and what I will expect from you going forward. Don't move, and don't talk; if you do, you will go straight over my knee. You won't enjoy the experience because I spank very, very hard.”

. . . .

Herb jumped out of the car and ran into the house. The back of the garage had the usual clutter, but he had it well organized, with just enough room to get the car inside and lower the door. Only someone had stacked a row of boxes right in front of the space that his four door sedan called home. And with the rear end sticking out into the driveway, there was no way for the garage door to come down.

Desperate, barely holding on, Herb dashed up the stairs, the bathroom door second on the right.

It looked like he would make it. Standing in front of the toilet, Herb fumbled with his zipper, a few drops of urine beginning to dribble into his underpants. His sense of urgency increased tenfold.

Zipper down, he was preparing to get down to business when the dam burst. A gusher of hot pee exploded, soaking his pants, warming his hand, and puddling the floor around his feet. He tried to clinch, but nothing happened. All he could do was stand there, bearing witness to his own humiliation as the puddle turned into a pool. His trousers, his socks, his shoes, the floor …

He started to whimper. Julia had dashed up the stairs behind him. She had stood in the doorway, mutely observing her big, strong husband wet himself like a two year old still struggling to get to the potty on time.

“I feel like such a baby,” he whispered, not turning his head, not wanting to see the look in her eyes. He could not bear the thought that she might pity him.

“Take off your shoes and your clothes, and leave them where they lay,” she ordered. “I'll clean up out here while you take a shower. Then we'll run everything that got wet through the washer. Not sure what to do about your shoes, though.”

“I didn't drink anything at work … not one single, solitary cup of coffee. Not one. Why is this happening to me? Why?” Herb was on the verge of tears.

“You know why, Herb. The only question that matters is what we're going to do about it.”

“Diapers,” Herb sighed. He knew what Julia was going to say.

“Protection,” she corrected. “You did well today, Herb … cutting back on the caffeine. We'll tackle alcohol the same way … see if reducing stimulants will reduce the urgency … buy you more time to get to the toilet. Still, for the time being, you're going to have to wear protection. Changing our diet … exercise … we can get on top of this, Herb, but Rome wasn't built in a day. It's going to take time.”

“I love you, Julia.”

Julia hugged her husband, ignoring the fact that she was now standing in his pee. “We're lucky, you know,” she whispered into his ear. “All these years, and neither of us has ever had to fire a weapon except on the range. No accidents, no tragedies … just life taking its course. If you need to wear diapers to bed, I'll wear them too. Who knows, maybe a change of pace will add a little spice to our middle aged lives.”

“Like adopting a daughter at our age isn't excitement enough?” Herb kissed her on the cheek.

“Not adopting when Pris was small, when we found out that I couldn't have more children … that's my one regret in life.”

“We were so busy, trying to get ahead so that we could give Pris the best of everything.” Herb sighed, his regrets running as deep as Julia's. “We missed the one thing she really wanted until it was too late to do anything about it.”

“And then Victoria stumbles into our lives,” Julia laughed, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. “Oh, I spoke with Tom Reynolds a couple of hours ago. He wants to administer the adoptions himself, but he'll leave the venues up to us. He encouraged me to think big, like a formal wedding, rather than a small ceremony in his chambers. I got the impression he's done this before!”

“I'm looking forward to meeting Bernice. I've heard about her … Fraternity Row's Rock of Gibraltar … but I've never had the pleasure.”

“You'll meet her tonight.”

Herb leaned back so that he could study Julia's face. After thirty years of marriage, he knew his wife well.

“Herb, you're going to be spending the night at the sorority. There's no alcohol in the house, so no need for you to resist temptation. I want the two of you to put your heads together and start sorting out the nuts and bolts of the adoptions. How many people do you want to invite from the Department? How many friends does Vickie have up and down the Row? We may need to rent an auditorium to hold everybody who's expecting an invitation.”

“Uh huh,” Herb grinned. “And by an amazing coincidence, every girl in the house will be well and truly diapered when she climbs into bed. Is that what this is all about, Julia? Do you want Bernice to diaper me?”

“Would you rather have one of the sorority girls do the honors?” Julia reached down and patted Herb's dick. “I'm pretty sure there would be quite a few volunteers, but no. Since it looks like Bernice will be changing Pris when she's at work, let's keep this in the family. Yes, Herb … no coffee, and no booze. Perhaps a nice cup of warm milk at bedtime instead. I'm hoping that you'll give diapers a try, and I thought it might be less awkward for you if Bernice diapered you rather than me, but it's still your call.”

“Sort of like having it done by a nurse in the hospital.” Herb nodded; he could see the logic in what Julia was saying. “And what,” he added, “will you be doing while Bernice and I are hard at it?”

“I'll be partying at Rita's house. It's a big to-do, so a chance for me to get acquainted with Vickie's friends outside the workplace. And since Ian will be there, we can go over both adoptions at once. Will we end up inviting everyone who works at the hospital? Ian's whole department? The whole of Fraternity Row?”

“Ah, well, there goes that cruise to Hawaii. Or maybe we'll take out a second mortgage.”

“We could sell the house … buy something close to wherever Pris and her menagerie settle, downsizing in the process. And no more stairs! I am sick and tired of lugging the laundry up and down two flights of stairs! Enough, already!”

“Maybe one of those airplane sized bathrooms in the entryway? You know … for guests.”

Julia glared at her husband.

“All right, already; I'll wear the diapers. But I draw the line at pink baby pants!”

. . . .

“From now on, let's make it a rule,” Rita declared as she came into the kitchen. “First two to get home park in the garage, and the rest of us use the driveway. Since we all have to be at work by seven, it really doesn't matter who parks where.”

“We could carpool,” Sarah suggested. “It would save a lot of wear and tear on my beater.”

“Worth thinking about,” Rita agreed. Seeing Priscilla standing quietly in the corner, she looked curiously at Sarah.

“She's in time out. She's been a little too mouthy for my liking, so it was either this or a spanking. We'll try a gentle punishment first, but she's going to be diapered for the duration, and share Vickie's crib. When Julia gets here, the two of us will sit down, discuss her behavior, and figure out her place in the household. It may turn out that we have still another baby on our hands.”

“The nursery is going to be crowded. At this rate, we'll need a much bigger room in our next house.”

“One room for all the babies, big and small?”

There was something about the image of Ian and her daughter making love in one crib yet trying not to wake their firstborn just a few feet away that brought a smile to Sofia's lips.

“Well, maybe two rooms,” Rita laughed, catching Sofia's point.

“I'm done here,” Ian announced as he covered the bowl of tzatziki with Saran Wrap before slipping it into the icebox. “And I need to talk to Vickie … preferably before she throws my stuff out the window to make room for her stuff.”

Sarah looked sharply at Ian. He was keeping it casual, but she caught the underlying tension in his voice. She remembered what he had said to Vic last night-- how he wanted to help Babs, but didn't know where to begin.

And she desperately needs help. Thursday night, that girl put on a clinic … a graduate seminar in self-destructive behavior …

Priscilla caught it too. Standing in the corner, nose pressed to the wall, her body stiffened.

“Do you want me to start cleaning up?”

Sarah blindly gestured at the pots, pans and utensils that littered the countertops. Her eyes never left Ian's.

“No rush … and Vic's volunteered for KP, remember? Besides, this won't take long.”

I love you, Ian mouthed, reaching out to clasp both of Sarah's hands.

“One more soul to save,” she whispered, wanting to reassure him that she was good with this.

“Habit forming,” he conceded in a resigned voice. Ian never spoke of his final mission and the terrible choice that had awaited him in a tiny hamlet deep inside North Viet Nam. Coming to terms with his own humanity had jeopardized the mission and put his command at risk, but he had always refused to second guess his decision. The French had honored him with the Croix de Guerre, which was gathering dust in a desk drawer in his office alongside the South Korean Order of Military Merit and Australia's Victoria Cross.

It was harder to forget the children whose lives he had spared that day, harder yet not to wonder what had become of them. Some would now be Linh's age …

North, South … what does it matter … they were all children, and they all deserved better of us …

Sarah silently watched the play of emotions in Ian's eyes, knowing that it was not Babs but something in his past that had swept him away.

“I love you,” she softly declared, wanting with all her heart for her feelings to cleanse his soul. She nodded in the direction of the nursery.

Ian quietly left the room.

. . . .

“How's it coming,” he asked.

Vickie looked up, and smiled. It had been a while since she and Ian had been alone.

“Be it ever so humble,” she nervously stammered.

She didn't quite know what to say. They were standing in a nursery, both in diapers, with hers locked on. Ian was the only man with whom she had ever fallen in love, and suddenly she felt very shy.

Holding her close, he kissed her, tentatively and then with greater passion.

Vickie melted into his arms. She was an intensely sexual being, but with Ian she had finally come to understand that lust and love were not one and the same. The single minded pursuit of one's own pleasure in the arms of another, she now realized, was selfishness in its purest form.

“Ready to tackle the pots and pans?”

“I guess … maybe ...”

“Don't worry; I'll teach you the dos and don'ts. Show the kitchen some love, and it will reward you.”

“And will you reward me? If I show you some love?”

Vickie's voice was hushed, but her eyes were on fire.

“I can't believe how much I love you … you and that ridiculous turkey drumstick of yours. Doctor Victoria Robinson … the only woman who's ever taken up arms to defend me.”

Ian nuzzled Vickie's nose. If she had not been under lock and key, he would have taken her right then and there.

“I need your help, Vic; I don't know what to do.”

“Babs.”

“Babs …”

“And me,” he added after a very long moment.

“It stops with me, Ian.” Vickie looked up into his eyes, wanting him to understand that she would never betray his trust.

“In a lot of ways, my life began when I was nine years old … when I was raped.”

Vickie screamed, and her face collapsed, the pain washing over her like water exploding from behind a shattered dam.

Footsteps.

Racing from the living room. Priscilla was the first. She had been dreading this moment.

Sarah stood in the doorway, blocking her mother and Rita. She knew without asking that the demon that had tormented Ian for so long had finally been unleashed.

Priscilla rushed to Vickie's side and threw her arms around her, wanting to protect her from something monstrous, even if it was invisible. She looked at Ian, her eyes imploring, helpless to fight back against a ghost summoned up from the depths of his memories.

“It's okay, Sis,” Vickie stammered as she began to pull herself together. “Really, it's okay. Now, I need you to go, all right?”

“But ...”

Vickie sadly shook her head, her eyes mirroring the anguish that was overwhelming her being. But she was a physician and she had taken an oath; in this terrible moment, it was her salvation.

“Priscilla, we need to give them some space.”

Sarah was gentle, but she was also insistent. She held out her hand, and waited for Pris to take it. Leading her from the room, she closed the door and pushed everyone away.

Time passed, moments measured in heartbeats.

Eternity took the form of a ticking clock.

The door opened.

. . . .

This concludes season two of An Homage to Vincent Vega.

[mushy bottom]

Terrific end to the season.  Answers big questions about Ian but still leaves us hanging.  Can't wait for season 3 to roll out.

 

 

 

 

 

[Babypants]

On 4/18/2025 at 5:49 PM, mushy bottom said:

Terrific end to the season.  Answers big questions about Ian but still leaves us hanging.  Can't wait for season 3 to roll out.

Many thanks for staying the course, and for taking the time to comment.  Last Saturday was this story's second anniversary; heartfelt thanks to everyone who has stayed the course across more than 373,000 words!  

[mushy bottom]

Congrats on your 2nd anniversary.  And almost 375,000 words.  This takes a lot of time.  Thank you for giving so much time and effort to this site.

[Guilend]

I have been reading along and have been enjoying it. However the last part of this chapter I have a hard time knowing who said what or what is even going on. I am very confused.

[Babypants]

17 hours ago, Guilend said:

However the last part of this chapter I have a hard time knowing who said what or what is even going on. I am very confused.

Thanks for commenting.  I see no problems with the dialog in the last segment, but losing track of what's going on is easy to do in any story that takes a serial form.  A reader misses a key chapter, or forgets something that appeared earlier, and as a result a strand that now drives the narrative can cause a "say what" moment.  Here we are picking up on the final segment of scene 76 (Quo Vadis), which appeared back on 16 January (page 30/34).  This is where Ian confessed to Babs that he had been raped as a child, and she collapsed in his arms. Take a look if you have time, and see if that segment sheds light on this one.

I'll have more to say about "seeding" a text, which is key to good mystery writing, but useful in any fiction setting as a means to introduce tension by planting a bomb that the author knows is later going to be exploded.  

Again, thanks for sticking with this story across more than two years.  You were one of the first to comment, and I truly appreciate that you and a handful of others have stayed the course.

[Guilend]

28 minutes ago, Babypants said:

Thanks for commenting.  I see no problems with the dialog in the last segment, but losing track of what's going on is easy to do in any story that takes a serial form.  A reader misses a key chapter, or forgets something that appeared earlier, and as a result a strand that now drives the narrative can cause a "say what" moment.  Here we are picking up on the final segment of scene 76 (Quo Vadis), which appeared back on 16 January (page 30/34).  This is where Ian confessed to Babs that he had been raped as a child, and she collapsed in his arms. Take a look if you have time, and see if that segment sheds light on this one.

I'll have more to say about "seeding" a text, which is key to good mystery writing, but useful in any fiction setting as a means to introduce tension by planting a bomb that the author knows is later going to be exploded.  

Again, thanks for sticking with this story across more than two years.  You were one of the first to comment, and I truly appreciate that you and a handful of others have stayed the course.

Thanks. That helped a lot. I have either forgotten or missed that part of the chapter. 

[Babypants]

Quickie entertainment quiz:

"What's Cookin', Doc" take us back a long way in time.  Which dimensionally challenged celebrity got the line?

A.  Bugs Bunny

B.  Daffy Duck

C.  Speedy Gonzalez

D.  Foghorn Leghorn

E.  Pepe Le Pew

[zwergi]

Danke für die Geschichte,  ich bin schon auf den  Samstag Abend  gespannt. 

[littlebopeeper]

Season 2 was tense from beginning to end, and a great read.  Thanks for giving us a set of characters who seem all the more real because they are such imperfect people.  Looking forward to seeing what season 3 brings us.

[littlebopeeper]

On 4/23/2025 at 5:28 PM, Babypants said:

A.  Bugs Bunny

Good one!  It's A, Bugs Bunny.

[mushy bottom]

Has to be Bugs.  A take off on his what's up, doc?

[mushy bottom]

Great job describing the onset of middle aged incontinence.  I have walked in Herb's shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mushy bottom]

Babypants asked me to tell everyone that he is in hospital with a stroke.  Story will resume when he recovers.

[Babypants]

My thanks to Mushy Bottom for being my eyes and ears for this site while I was in hospital.  Outpatient stroke rehab from this point on.

[CDfm]

I am so sorry to hear about your stroke.  I hope it wasn’t too debilitating. I am definitely praying for your recovery. 
I missed this last addition somehow but saw it tonight. I enjoyed it.  Honestly though I am much more concerned about you than the story right now.  Get better soon my friend. 

[littlebopeeper]

Sorry to learn about your misfortune.  Hope you are on the mend, and will soon rejoin us.

[Babypants]

THE LONG JOURNEY HOME

“No,” Vickie wailed. “Not this! Oh, God, no! Not you … not Babs. Nooo!!!”

She was drowning, her fists blindly punching Ian in the chest. It was a struggle just to draw her next breath. All of her nightmares came surging to the surface.

Ian held her tight, his head resting on her shoulder. He was naked now, his last secret revealed.

“My father,” she sobbed; “he touched me … he touched me ...”

Ian tightened his grip. Suddenly, it all made sense. Vic never spoke of her parents, and she was clinging to Pris like a woman battered by the storm and going down for the third time. And Babs ...

One phone call, that's all it takes to track the bastards down. And then I'm going to fucking kill them …make them pay …

“We're the survivors,” he whispered as he heard the door open behind him-- open with such violence that the door crashed into the wall. “You, me, Babs … we're the survivors.”

And then Priscilla was there, wrenching Vickie from his grasp, throwing her arms around her sister. Another soul that had gone astray somewhere in the distant past.

The way Pris was looking at him … Ian felt something shatter deep inside, at the very heart of what defined him as a human being.

“It's okay, Sis,” Vickie stammered as she began to pull herself together. “Really, it's okay. Now, I need you to go, all right?”

“But ...”

“Priscilla, we need to give them some space.” Sarah's voice was gentle, but insistent. There was so much pain in Ian's eyes that she was close to tears for the man she loved. But he needed this moment, and she would give it to him.

Sarah held out her hand, and waited for Pris to take it. Leading her from the room, she closed the door and pushed everyone away.

. . . .

“Sarah's doing this right, Vic. Taking you back to the beginning, creating a space for you that's warm and loving … and above all, safe. And now you have Pris and Julia ...”

“And Herb,” she cut in. “I'm scared, Ian. At some point, I'm going to be in a room alone with him, and I don't know how I'm going to react.”

“Get out in front of it. Julia is very observant; if you're tense, she'll sense it. So, sit down with the three of them and put it out there. Maybe over dinner, so it won't all seem quite so melodramatic.”

“And what have I got to be worried about anyway,” Vickie grinned, trying to put Ian at ease. “I mean, like I'm wearing a diaper and it's locked on … a chastity belt by any other name. God bless Sarah for keeping me pure until we … well, you know ...”

“I do indeed,” Ian agreed as he gently kissed her. “And Sarah's created a safe space for me as well. I'm not at my best around men.”

“It must have been so hard for you in the military ...”

“Basic was bad, but after that I was pretty much able to wall myself off. The hospitals were the worst. I was at their mercy, just like when I was a kid. And I did not respond well to being catheterized. No one ever pushed the point, but it must have been obvious that I was more comfortable with the nurses than I was with the doctors. Other than the surgical teams, over the last six months I didn't have much interaction with men. The nurses kept me safe.”

“And now, here we are. Thank you, Ian. We all wondered why you seemed so at home in room eleven. This explains a lot.”

“Don't tell her I said so, but there's gotta be an assembly line someplace churning out Marges. There must have been five of them at Tripler … always pushing me to work harder, never helping me up when I fell. They made the drill sergeants at Hood look like a bunch of wimps.”

“Nurses are overworked and underpaid, Ian. So, not surprisingly the profession has little tolerance for self-pity. What a lot of patients need is a good, swift kick in the butt-- especially the males. You're all so whiny.”

“Guilty as charged! To Hell with breast milk. I want a steak and baked potato, damn it … and waitress, bring me another beer!”

Ian and Vickie fell into one another's arms, both of them laughing helplessly, the tension melting away.

“About Babs. Ian, are you sure about this?”

“Has she come right out and said it? No. But walking back from the Student Union? I took a chance, and told her what happened to me when I was little. And she broke down completely … started howling like a wounded animal. I had to hold her upright, and all but drag her the rest of the way to my office. When Pris showed up, she was shocked; later, driving down to Bloomington, she told me that she barely recognized Babs. That's how shaken up she was, Vic; Carlie didn't say anything when she arrived, but even though Babs had calmed down a lot at that point, you have to wonder. Bottom line? I'm very, very glad that Joyce has taken her in tow, and that Bernice is letting her stay at the sorority. I don't want her left alone.”

“I don't like the sound of that.” Vickie pursed her lips as she mentally reviewed their options. “I wish I could say that such cases are rare, but they're not. A lot gets swept under the rug … teachers, ministers … even doctors frequently look the other way because their professional reputations are at stake. And my profession is left to pick up the pieces of all these shattered lives.”

Vickie sadly shook her head. “Abuse is Candy's specialty, and she does two groups every week in addition to working one on one with patients inside the secure ward. Her sessions always run long because you can't call time on a patient who's opening up and finally venting emotions that often have been bottled up for decades.”

“Tough way to make a living.” Ian liked Candy, and he respected her. The more he learned about the Psych ward, the more obvious it became that Rita's drunken parties were a safety valve for a beleaguered staff earning its living inside a pressure cooker.

“She can work with you, Ian … you and Babs both. One on one, two on one, in a group, but there are two requirements. You have to want help, and you have to be willing to do the work. No one who goes through this is quite the same at journey's end. Happily, most people finally come to terms with what happened, and walk out the door firmly in control of their own lives. It's a heady experience, especially for those facing up to child abuse.”

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Ian massaged his temple. All he could do was take the lead, and hope that Babs would follow. Babs and Vickie both.

. . . .

The door opened and Sarah exhaled, not even realizing that she had been holding her breath. Vickie was pale but composed. Ian had hit her hard, but she had taken the punch and bounced back.

Sofia studied Ian, taking in the set of his shoulders and the resolute expression on his face. The warrior had stepped out of the shadows.

The warrior and the baby … Ian and Anna … what complicated terrain my daughter will have to negotiate. How I envy her …

Pris took Vickie by the hands and simply stared at her. She needed reassurance.

“The four of us need to sit down over a family dinner,” Vickie managed. “There's something I need to get out in the open because I'm done running away. Closing the final chapter on Victoria Robinson will set me free to become Victoria Canon.”

“You're in luck, then.” Tears were welling up in Priscilla's eyes. “Because at this time of the year Mom goes crazy in the kitchen. We all put on weight ...”

Vickie's only response was to hug her close.

“Rita, do you know if everyone is planning on coming tonight?”

“As far as I know, Ian. Do you want me to make some calls … just to be sure?”

“Everyone will be here,” Vickie interrupted before Ian could reply. “The whole team; she'll be in good hands.”

. . . .

“Counting your gray hairs?” Julia put down the laundry basket and smiled at her husband from the doorway.

“I'm thinking about growing a beard when I retire,” Herb answered. He was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, massaging his chin, and trying to imagine what it would look like.

“I'd like that,” Julia grinned; “give me something to grab onto when you're trying to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night.”

“It might come in gray. Mack says that the beard's the first thing to go … first gray, then white.”

“You would look so distinguished.”

Julia glanced down at the gym bag on the counter. “Herb,” she warned, “if you're thinking about smuggling a six pack into the sorority, don't. We're going to be seeing a lot of Bernice and the girls, so her house, her rules.”

“I was just … uh … you know … packing some spare clothes. You know … just in case.”

“'Just in case' what?”

“Uh, just in case I have an accident, or something.”

“Have you packed some more menstrual pads?”

Herb mutely shook his head. “Julia, are you sure that you want Bernice to diaper me? I know that I'll make a mess of it if I try to do it myself, but what if I … I ...”

“Respond?”

Julia stepped into the room and gave her husband a peck on the cheek. “I will be disappointed if you don't … well, at least a little bit.”

“But I don't want to embarrass her ...”

“She will be flattered, Herb. You're the one who will be embarrassed, and then I will get one of those phone calls telling me how lucky I am to have such a sweet and loving husband.”

“So, I can't talk my way out of this, can I?”

“Nope. You're stuck. Passing the night with another woman for the first time in our marriage. Oh, the horror ...”

“What's this about spending a lot of time with the girls,” Herb asked as he fingered his shaving kit.

“Oh, Pris has struck a deal with them. If the house gets its GPA up, she's going to organize a cycle club in the Spring. A few of the girls have bikes of their own, and the three of us are going to give lessons to anyone else who wants to learn.”

“Neat. And it reminds me to ask: does Vickie know how to ride?”

“Good question. I'll find out tonight. You thinking about Sturgis?”

“Yeah. We've always done it as a family.”

“And that isn't going to change. Somehow, I don't think Victoria will be a hard sell. And then there's the sorority girls ...”

“What?” Herb's jaw fell open. “Julia, you're not thinking ...”

“I am,” Julia gave him another peck on the cheek. “Our very own motorcycle gang … dozens of heavily diapered biker girls cruising the highways and byways … no one struggling to hold it in until we get to the next gas station or rest area ...”

“And the extra padding will absorb some of the vibration,” Herb grinned; “get the hitch out of my giddy-up.”

“That's the spirit!”

Herb wrapped his arms around Julia, and patted her shapely rear end. “We've got the house to ourselves,” he leered.

“And I just made the bed,” she observed. “The sheets will be nice and warm ...”

. . . .

“Door's open,” Rita shouted. She was standing in the living room, trying to figure out how to seat twenty people for dinner. Even with most of their guests sitting on the floor, she figured that it was a hopeless cause.

“I come bearing gifts,” Carlie yelled back as she held her coffee pot up for Rita's inspection. “I'm guessing that, come the morning, it's going to be all hands on deck!”

“You guessed right,” Vickie called out from the kitchen. Ian was currently teaching her how to give his prized ironware the tender loving care that guaranteed years of faithful service. He was convinced that, left to her own devices, Vickie would instantly reduce the kitchen to rubble.

“By the time the sun comes up, the percolators will be percolating, and black, scalding hot coffee will be going down many a throat!”

“I'm definitely in the right house,” Carlie added as she climbed the stairs. “And I found a couple of suspicious characters skulking around in the shrubbery. Should I cuff 'em?”

“We'll be doing that later tonight, when we bring out the whips and chains!” Vickie charged into the living room, eager to find out who had just arrived. Her eyes lit up when she saw Harriet and Francine doing battle with their boots in the entryway.

“What's with the suitcases?” Vickie pointed at a pair of nondescript bags perched part way up the stairs. “You two moving in?”

“Nope … well, not yet. These are the officer's; we're just helping out-- doing our civic duty.” Harriet finally managed to get her boots off, and unbidden tossed them into the entryway closet. She had attended enough dinner parties in the dead of winter to know the drill.

“Rita, say hi to Harriet Belmondo and Francine Sullivan, who run the diaper service that caters to the needs of one and all on Fraternity Row!”

“Our most profitable account,” Francine chuckled as she and Vickie hugged. “But what's this?” Francine patted Vickie's tush. “Are you also wearing one of our diapers?”

“Sorry, I started out with yours, but I've moved on. Sarah bought Ian and I our very own, private stash from a maternity shop in the Galleria. We even have pink baby pants!”

“Which they are both wearing right now,” Sofia said as she and Sarah belatedly joined the group. They had both been hard at work in the bathrooms. There was no such thing as having too much toilet paper on hand when twenty females got down to partying hard.

“Mary sells a good product,” Harriet grudgingly admitted, “but it won't stand up to the wear and tear of an industrial washer. Strictly boutique.”

“But very comfortable,” Ian noted as he wandered out from the kitchen to finish the introductions.

“Ian, you look absolutely adorable.”

Harriet was grinning from ear to ear, and Ian blushed. He was wearing a pink polka dot apron and matching latex gloves, which reached halfway to his elbows.

“I've been introducing Vickie to the kitchen,” he explained. “She's a walking disaster area.”

“So, you're staying the night?” Rita was looking at Carlie, trying to be nonchalant, but failing miserably.

“The weekend for sure; then, we'll see. Where's Pris?”

“Some last minute shopping,” Sarah answered. “We need a lot more glasses, and more booze.”

“What?” From where she was standing, Harriet could see the stacks of glasses holding court on the dining room table. “We could have brought some along,” she added in a lame attempt to hide her confusion.

“We're doing Greek tonight.” When he finished up in the kitchen, Ian was planning to move on to the fireplace. “Rumor has it that getting loaded on ouzo and then throwing your glass into the fire is highly therapeutic. We'll find out.”

“And if it turns out to be fun, we won't stop until we run out of ouzo. That should take a while.”

“Where am I bedding down?” Carlie wanted to get the sleeping arrangements sorted out before she got drunk. Cat fights were not her cup of tea, and she definitely did not want to set Rita and Sarah at one another's throats.

“The master bedroom is at the end of the hall, and mine is the last door on the right. You can use either closet, but Rita's bath is en suite, so it affords more privacy.” In private, Sarah and Rita had decided to leave matters in Carlie's hands. They both wanted to sleep with her, but for different reasons. Neither was champing at the bit.

“When does the bar open,” Francine blurted out. “Lunch was a long time ago.”

“Where did you go?” Rita wondered whether Harriet and Francine had shared a liquid lunch.

“Do you know Mama's? On the West Bank? Uncle Vinnie does business with the owner, so we like to go there when we're downtown. The Veal Marsala is to die for …”

“And they have a fantastic wine list.” Francine interrupted Harriet in mid-stream. “We shared a wonderful bottle of Valpolicella with the food, and finished up with Galliano. Yum!!”

“An espresso coffee liqueur,” Ian explained when he saw that no one had any idea what Francine was talking about. “A bit too sweet for my taste, but then I'm a Sambuca man.”

“You were,” Sarah corrected. “Because this is a special occasion, tonight you can share a few glasses with the rest of us. But tomorrow morning you go right back to drinking breast milk cocktails.”

“Breast milk? For real?” Francine was sure that Ian and Sarah were pulling her leg.

“For real,” Ian agreed. “Consider the source,” he added nonchalantly.

“Ah! I see what you're getting at! Sort of like practicing for the real thing?”

“Yep. This stuff makes Galliano taste like dry toast. Down the road, payback's gonna take the form of cracked nipples-- four sets of them.”

“Need a little help here,” Priscilla called out from the garage. A few moments later, she stumbled into the dining room holding a bottle of ouzo in each hand. “I cleaned out half a dozen liquor stores, and I found enough glasses to keep us going into the wee, small hours. Oh, and someone needs to change my diaper; I tried to hold it, but I couldn't. I'm messy!”

Turning around, Priscilla ground to a halt when she saw two strangers in the living room staring at her with mouths agape.

“Priscilla, say hi to Harriet and Francine, our guests from Lullaby Diaper Service.” Fumbling in her pocket, Sarah located the key to her diaper cover.

“Do you want me to change her,” Sofia volunteered.

“I want to do it,” Vickie barked; “she's my sister!”

“And your mother will be changing both of you once she gets here. Until then, I'll do the honors. Pris? The nursery.”

“Oh, wow. Can I watch? I've never seen a big girl get her diaper changed!” Francine was so excited that she was hopping up and down.

“Of course. You can even help me if you'd like.” Sarah's indulgent smile embraced both Harriet and Francine. The four of them adjourned to the nursery, where Harry and Francie got their first look at the oversized cribs that Ian and Vickie both called home.

. . . .

“Want to cut and run,” Julia asked as she pulled into the sorority's parking lot. “This is your last chance.”

Herb shook his head. He had been happy to let Julia drive because the maxi pad that was stuck inside his underpants was driving him to distraction. “No. I'm spending so much time in the men's room that I'm thinking about moving my desk in there. I've got to get this under control, so I'll … uh … I'll give this a try.”

“Thank you, Herb.” Julia reached over to pat him on the arm. “I know how hard this is on you, and how much courage it takes to face up to this kind of problem. But we'll get through it … together, just like we've always done.”

“I love you, Julia. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't marvel at how lucky I am to have you in my life.” He leaned over to kiss her, his words heartfelt.

“Remember,” she whispered, “Babs is inside. I don't know what's awaiting us, but let's try not to stare. Tonight is going to be hard enough on her as it is.”

“And Pris doesn't know what this is about?”

“No. All she said was that Ian shared something with her … something terrible. And it set her off; she apparently collapsed into his arms.”

“We've all seen this coming; thank God it didn't happen in the line of duty.” Herb took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “Okay. Time to enter the belly of the beast; Sergeant Herbert Alan Canon to the rescue!”

Julia got out of the car and came round to help her husband, who was still coming to terms with the maxi pad between his legs.

“We're supposed to use the back door, and let the noise guide us from there.”

“A sorority,” Herb grinned as he opened the door and peered into the kitchen. “God help us all.”

. . . .

“Thanks for riding along, Sis. I can use the company, and if Suzie's having second thoughts about deserting her post tonight, I'm relying on you to get it done.”

“I'm happy to get out of the house for a while,” Vickie answered. “Suzie knows what Delta keggers are like, so I'm counting on the fact that Dad's going to be camping out just four doors down the street to close the deal. Well, that and getting to inspect our diapers up close and personal. I can't see her passing on the opportunity to put us both down for the night in our crib. The nursery will really turn her on.”

“She might have to battle Francie for the privilege,” Priscilla softly laughed. “That was one weird diaper change!”

“Meaning? Come on, Sis … give!”

“Well ...” Priscilla shook her head, thinking about it. “Mommy Sarah put me down on the changing table, and went about her business. You know, 'lift your widdle butt, baby girl, so Mommy can get your cover and those cute baby pants down'. I mean, she was laying it on pretty thick ...”

“Reminding you that you're just my baby sister,” Vickie interrupted.

“Yeah, it's been like that all day. Corner time, and now a humiliating diaper change. Clearly, she doesn't want me to have any doubts about who's in charge.”

“Next up, your first spanking,” Vickie giggled.

“You think?”

“I know. Tonight, Mom and Mommy will be sitting down to decide your fate. I've got the naughty toddler bit down pat, so guess where that leaves you … baby sister!”

“Sheesh. Anyway, as soon as Mommy opened my diaper … I mean, I stank something terrible and I guess I was pretty dirty, but Francie's eyes got as big as paper plates, and then she dove in. For one crazy moment, I thought she was going to lick me clean!”

“Oh, yuck!” Vickie rolled the window down and dramatically stuck her head out into the cold, early evening air. “I'm no prude, but that's gross!”

“I'll say! But Mommy didn't even blink. She asked Francie if she would like to clean me up-- and she didn't have to ask twice. Mommy did have to remind her, though, only to wipe from front to back. Francie went through a lot of wet wipes, then she had me roll over and she rubbed baby lotion all over my butt before powdering me ...”

“Ah, that's why you smell so good!”

“Yeah. Anyway, then she did my front, and to put it mildly, her fingers knew what they were doing. But Mommy put a stop to it when she saw that I was beginning to … uh ... respond.”

“Wow!! Double wow!!! So, bottom line: if Carlie invites you into her bed … Carlie or Rita or even Mommy … will you?”

“I think … I think I'd like to have Francie babysit me, and see where it goes. I mean, she's really cute, and I don't want to cause trouble at home. Starting something with Rita or Sarah, or even Carlie, and not being able to finish it ...”

“I hear you; keep it casual, like Fort Lauderdale during Spring Break. Do you want me to take Francie aside and talk to her? You know, try and sound her out, make sure that she's interested?”

“Thanks, Sis. What would I do without you?”

“End up in a crib all by your lonesome,” Vickie laughed. “Just think, tonight we are going to sleep together, in our very own crib, in our new home!”

“Bit of a tight squeeze, but we'll manage.”

“Arm in arm?”

“Arm in arm,” Pris agreed as she turned into the driveway and pulled into the lot behind the sorority house. “Hey, there's the war wagon!” Priscilla was pointing at her father's massive four door sedan. “They got here ahead of us.”

“Oh, boy. If Suzie's here, I hope that she's behaving herself!”

. . . .

When she saw Julia and Herb standing in the rear entryway, Bernice jumped to her feet and screamed “POLICE!!!”

Heads snapped back and chairs clattered all around the dining room as wholesale panic set in.

”YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST,” Herb roared. “NOBODY MOVE!!”

“Except for you, Babs,” Julia called out. “You can move if you want to.” Julia was glad to see that her husband had found a way to lighten the moment, even if it was at the girls' expense.

“Hey, wait a second,” Kimberly protested. “What gives? Jackknife and I helped get you into the house the other night, when you were drunk. You can't arrest us!”

“Girls!” Bernice had to rap the table hard to get their attention. “If you have not yet had the honor, say hello to your aunt Priscilla's parents … Julia, and Sergeant Herb Canon. Sergeant Canon will be spending the night with us, and he will intervene if any of you wander too far off the reservation. Am I making myself clear?”

“Sure, but in the meantime, I'm going to need another diaper change. You scared the piss out of me!” Kimberly was staring at the Canons with daggers in her eyes. She had literally wet herself she was so convinced that she was headed back to jail.

“Would you like me to do the honors,” Julia asked with a straight face.

“What! You … you're volunteering to change me?” Kimberly couldn't believe what she was hearing.

“I need the practice.” Julia was still poker faced. “Herb and I now have two daughters in diapers, and I'll be changing them both when they're home. Which reminds me … I'll need somebody to change Priscilla while she's on duty, and this house seems like the logical place to go about it. Would anyone like to volunteer?”

Hands shot up all over the room.

“Has Priscilla agreed to this?” Ever practical, Bernice wanted to make sure that Julia wasn't sucking ZAP into some kind of kinky game akin to the drunken nonsense that went on at The Pig Sty. She already had one diapered policewoman on the premises, and one was enough.

“She has,” Julia confirmed. She chose to leave it at that.

“Excuse me, but I do believe that PISS would like to get in on the action. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that every sorority on the Row would like to have a go at changing the Batgirl's diapers.”

“Too right,” Slasher called out. “The Kappas would be all over this in a heartbeat!”

“Well, I do have one spare key to her diaper cover.” Julia was frowning, pretending to think about the offer as she examined the blonde seated to Bernice's left.

“Julia, this is Suzie Marshall, and over here we have Amy Reynolds. Suzie is my counterpart at Pi Iota Sigma, and Amy is the head secretary in Ian's Department. Now, unless any of them need to be changed again, Tippi, Babs and Joyce should be ready to go. Priscilla should be here soon to pick up Suzie and Amy; I know that parking is a challenge at Rita's, so we're trying to help out.”

“Sergeant Canon.” Suzie called out to get his attention. “Not too long ago, three of my girls were drunk and disorderly in public, which earned me yet another dressing down in the Dean's office. I would like to avoid a repeat performance, so please try and keep the kegger inside the Delta house. And if any of the girls do stumble outside, please bring them back here. Bernice has agreed to keep watch over any of our strays.”

“And lots of luck, Dad; you're going to need it!”

Neither Herb nor Julia had heard Vic and Priscilla sneak up behind them, and he was so startled that he almost jumped out of his skin. Worse yet, he felt pee beginning to dribble into his maxi pad. He struggled to stop the flow-- tried, and failed. He could only stand there, wait for it to end, and hope that the pad could absorb it all.

“Pris! What the … you just took ten years off of my life!”

“Sorry, Mom,” Priscilla grinned; “”I couldn't resist!”

“And I'm having an equally hard time resisting putting you over my knee and paddling your behind … right here and now!” Julia was furious.

“Told you,” Vickie giggled.

“Meaning?”

“Sis got into an argument with Sarah, and ended up doing corner time. Driving over here, I warned her that she was due for a spanking, and that you and Sarah would decide her fate. The only question remaining is who gets to do the honors.”

“I'll have a go,” Joyce called out; “I'll introduce her to Mister Holeywood.”

Applause erupted all around the room. Joyce had administered many a ritual spanking to the rear ends of their pledges, and she was renowned for her expertise.

“A popular choice,” Julia concluded. “Any other candidates?”

“Tippi, you need the practice.” Bernice knew that she had Sarah's permission to spank Ian if he gave his caregiver grief.

“I would be willing,” she decided after a moment's reflection, “but I want to learn how to give a good hand spanking.”

“It's a fine art, but I've mastered it-- and I would be delighted to teach you how to minister to my baby sister's poopy butt. But you might have competition: Francie Sullivan, from the diaper service!”

“Poopy butt? Priscilla, what is this all about?” Julia was glaring at her daughter.

“Mom, I … uh … I had an accident while I was out shopping. Mommy Sarah let Francie change me. She and Harriet were already at the house when I got home.”

“Let me get this straight.” Arms crossed, Julia had fire in her eyes. “My twenty-eight year old daughter, who is supposed to be wearing diapers in a show of solidarity with her sister, actually messed herself in public? And it's been what … less than forty-eight hours since you started? My God, Herb, where did we go wrong?”

“Not sure … somewhere,” he muttered. Herb wanted to bow out of this conversation, and find a place where he could quietly dispose of the pee soaked maxi pad.

“Hey, I know!” Vickie snapped her fingers as the solution came to her. “Why don't we auction off the right to spank Priscilla's butt? That's how we do it at the hospital! In fact, next week Rita and Sarah will both be up for sale in our 'diaper your favorite nurse' auction. The proceeds go to one of our charitable causes-- buying presents for neighborhood children who might otherwise miss out on Christmas.”

“Vic, that's an incredible idea,” Suzie said as she climbed to her feet. “We could raise money for the scholarship fund, and paddling the Batgirl's ass would soothe a lot of hurt feelings from one end of the Row to the other.”

“Then let's do it,” Priscilla snapped. “How about a public spanking, at one of the end of term parties?”

“The house that has the highest bid gets to host the festivities,” Cindy declared. “And we can start spreading the word at the kegger. By tomorrow morning, everybody on the Row will know what's going on!”

With the girls carried away in the excitement, Julia turned to her adoptive daughter. “Victoria, this seems like a good time to introduce you to your new Dad.” Julia suspected that neither Herb nor Vickie would recall meeting at The Pig Sty.

Reaching out, she clasped Vickie's hand and slid it into Herb's.

“Hi, Dad,” she faltered, struggling to find the words. “I'm … I'm sorry that Pris and I sprang this on you as a surprise. I … I hope ...”

Vickie fell silent, looking up into his eyes, hoping to find acceptance there.

Herb swept her into his arms, and patted her on the back. “You are the best surprise that Julia and I could ever hope to receive,” he whispered in return. “Now, I need your help. Can you guide me to the guest bedroom? I need to use the john.”

While Priscilla was monopolizing the girls' attention, Vickie guided her new parents across the dining hall. Leaving Herb to attend to business, she introduced her Mom to the three older women. She was not at all surprised when Julia and Bernice adjourned to the office, leaving her free to catch up with Amy and Suzie. Vickie had attended no less than six Delta keggers in her undergraduate years, and despite the fact that her memories were trapped in an alcoholic haze, she was reasonably certain that she had always had a good time. A part of her accordingly envied the girls who were embarking on this rite of passage, but a larger part was glad to have finally put the misspent days of her youth to rest. Priscilla was right: she had turned the page, and it was time to embrace the future.

Babs watched Priscilla slowly making her way through the crowd. Some of the girls were cheerfully offering her a place in the Diaper House while other teased her with promises to bid high for the privilege of delivering her well earned spanking. There was a smile on Priscilla's lips, but it could not mask the concern that Babs saw in her eyes when Priscilla looked her way. Babs envied the girls and the innocence of youth sheltered from tragedy. Her innocence had been brutally stripped away when she was eight years old, and she had spent two decades wandering in a wilderness of nightmares and pain, impotence and rage.

Standing over her, looking down, Priscilla reached out to grasp Babs' shoulder, the age old gesture offering comfort.

Babs reached up to grip Priscilla's hand, gently pressing down on it, acknowledging the gesture and welcoming it.

It's time, Babs thought, knowing that Ian would be her anchor. It's time to start the long journey home.

[CDfm]

Wow, I was really surprised to see this new chapter. I guess that’s actually very good news and that you are recovering well from your stroke. 
This was another pretty intense chapter with a hole lot going on.  It’s actually hard to focus on any one part. I will just say that I enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more when you are able. 

[kerry]

This is a great new chapter, and I'd also like to congratulate you for rescuing Sarah from the ugliness I complained about earlier. She's a much healthier character now.

[Babypants]

ANNOUNCEMENT: a seventeenth tranche, consisting of scenes 48-49, is now up and running on the STORIES page of the site.  Once again, comments have been removed to enable readers to enjoy the story without interruption.  The balance of season 2 will follow.

[Babypants]

On 5/25/2025 at 12:34 AM, CDfm said:

Wow, I was really surprised to see this new chapter. I guess that’s actually very good news and that you are recovering well from your stroke. 

Thanks for your show of concern.  Therapy is going well, but typing is very difficult.  This scene was written some time ago, and it did not require editing, so getting it out was easy.  Gets harder from here on out.

On 5/25/2025 at 12:34 AM, CDfm said:

This was another pretty intense chapter with a hole lot going on.  It’s actually hard to focus on any one part. I will just say that I enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more when you are able. 

 

On 5/25/2025 at 11:36 AM, kerry said:

This is a great new chapter, and I'd also like to congratulate you for rescuing Sarah from the ugliness I complained about earlier. She's a much healthier character now.

Glad you both enjoyed it.  Coming to grips with managing this complicated household has compelled Sarah to put the brakes on her fantasies.  Responsibility has brought out the best in her.  She will be just what Tippi needs in a mentor.
 

[mushy bottom]

Terrific chapter.  Now we know the demons driving Vickie and Ian.  What will become of poor Babs?