Love-a-Bunch

[ChampTehOtter]

Hi, everyone! I have a fun story I'd like to share with you. It was inspired by my thoughts about toy and, well, in a way, my feelings about being a toy for Daddy. Based on a certain franchise of caring bears 😉, I came up with this sweet little story. I'm very proud of it. I hope you like it!! ~<3 Champ

 

Illustration by Lily (🐦@CrinkleBuns)

Love-a-Bunch

By Champ (Patreon.com/ChampTehOtter)

Chapter 1: I Remember You

There's one sad thing about toys: They're always bound to be more devoted to their owners than their owners are to them. Anyone who has a toy is bound to get bored and abandon it eventually, but a toy will never, ever forget its first owner. It's a little bit sad, but if you were to ask a toy, they would surely tell you that the brief time of intense joy - that moment in the spotlight of their owner's heart - was worth everything that came after. And most toys would have to be satisfied with just that. But what happens when their owner returns, and the toys decide that they aren't ready to be forgotten again?

It was a question the fair citizens of Love-a-Bunch were pondering now, with the unexpected arrival of their old friend, Benjamin.

Baby Bear came running into the castle, where all the other bears were asleep. ""He's here! He's here! Wake up, everyone! He's here!"

"Who's here?" said Grumpy Bear, rubbing his eyes. Baby Bear's face was lit up like a Christmas tree.

"It's Benji!"

"Benji?!" said Cheery Bear practically falling out of his bunk when he heard that name. The room was instantly abuzz, and even Grumpy Bear's eyes took on a bit of that old magic sparkle once more as he jumped out of bed.

"He's here!" they cried. "He's here!"

It had been many years since they'd seen any sign of their former owner, but not for a moment did the other bears doubt Baby's words, because no one would ever joke about such an important event. As soon as they were awake and alert, the other bears sensed Benji too, and he was very close. Bears were bumping into each other and falling on their padded tushes as they ran around, practically beside themselves with excitement and urgency.

"Is my diaper on straight?"

"How is my fur?"

"Bears, bears!" said Softheart, clapping his paws together. "Get a hold of yourselves! We need a plan. Benji could be here any minute!"

"Plan? What's the plan?" The bears all wondered. Softheart smiled.

"We need to plan an adventure."

"An adventure, yes, yes!" Everyone liked that idea. Adventures were familiar territory for them.

"We can go out to the feeling forest and learn about feelings," said Softheart Bear.

"No, no," said Cheery Bear. "Everybody knows Benji's favorite place is Sunshine Meadows. It's perfect for a picnic!"

"How about a tour of our newest developments in Love-a-Bunch technology?" asked Smart Bear.

"That's too boring," said Grumpy Bear, crossing his arms. "An adventure should have some kind of problem or danger, or at least something new..."

The room was a clamor of competing ideas until Softheart spoke up.

"I've got it! I know just the thing..."

*****

Benjamin Briggs hadn't been home in a very long time. It wasn't for lack of trying; his parents had simply refused to speak to him ever since they had discovered that he was gay. Now, the time had come for Ben to return home, though not in the way that he had hoped.

"Just when I thought I had gotten over them, they have to go and do a thing like this," Ben said, putting the rental car in park on the big circular cobblestone drive. He stared up at his childhood home, empty now. As grand and imposing as ever despite that fact.

Ben had told the lawyers to just liquidate everything, but that just wasn't how it worked. He had to go in person for some stupid reason and look over the property at least once before giving his handshake and signature to sell the estate.

A woman in a pencil-skirt and a blouse was there to meet him when he rang the doorbell.

"Hey, there! Thanks for coming," she said, in a soft voice, her eyebrows knitted in a sympathetic frown.

"Let's just get this over with," said Benjamin, brushing past her as he walked inside.

The woman, Molly, seemed to look off as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. By the time she had turned to follow him, her look of concern was gone.

"I know. It's a big inconvenience to come out all this way. We'll have you out of here in no time, kay?"

True to her word, they went from room to room quite quickly. Benjamin kept expecting to find memories in the house like old traps. Some possession. A picture. Anything. But no. It was clear that Ben's parents had taken pains to erase all traces of their gay son from their lives. That is, until he got to the nursery. He didn't expect it to be anything special to him, but when Molly pushed open the door, time stopped.

"This is..." He stepped in, enchanted, "It's all here... they haven't changed a thing..."

"That's good," said Molly, giving her most agreeable nod, while eyeing the door. "Shall we go on to the next room?"

"Not yet," said Benjamin, slowly, as he looked around. "I... I need a moment."

"Of course," she said. She could tell he was only half listening at this point - lost in his own world. "I'll be outside when you're ready."

The enthralled young man didn't even respond as Molly stepped outside, smiling to herself. “There’s always something that gets them," she said when she was out of earshot. “Even for the hardest of hearts.”

Benjamin stared, speechless. They had kept everything from before he was outed. He picked up his teddy bear from the bed.

"Stuffles... I remember you..." He looked over to the toy chest. "Oh! My train set! Is it still inside?"

He rushed over to it, delighted to see that it was still there, as new as the day he had last touched it. Benjamin's childhood hadn't been all bad. Here was a happy place with happy, joyful memories. Benjamin smiled as he looked around. That's when he saw it, still sitting there in its charging base.

"I can't believe it! My first haptic VR set. Now this takes me back." Ben picked it up, marveling at the simplicity of the device. It was easy to strap on to his head, and came with a set of one-size-fits-all gloves that had sensors in the fabric. Most families could never afford such a luxury, but for wealthy parents with little time on their hands to raise a child, it served as a perfect teacher and babysitter.

 "I wonder if it even works..." Ben inspected the visor. His eyes lit up as he saw that it was in standby mode. He clicked the power button and the light blinked on. He placed the visor up to his eyes and gasped. "It works! And it's still loaded up with all my old games as well! I wonder if..." He looked around the nursery sheepishly as if expecting Molly to walk in at any moment. "Ah, what the heck. I'll give it one last look before I have to say goodbye."

Benjamin put the headset in, flexed his fingers in the haptic gloves, and selected his still-active instance of Love-a-Bunch.

*****

"Hello? Anyone there?"

Benjamin had wondered what he would find after such a long running instance. He was expecting to drop right into the Hall of Happiness and see the 'Love-a-Bunch Bears'. Instead, Ben found himself disoriented and wandering, engulfed in a dense white fog. He could swear that his favorite program was more colorful than this. Games had been a bit more creative back in the day, though, and older AI tended to be a bit less predictable. Maybe the bears were just hiding. Maybe it was a game!

“Are you playing with me? Where did everyone go? Oof!" Benjamin called out. Suddenly, he felt something soft bump against his waist and heard a loud crinkle. He looked down. As the fog cleared, he saw a familiar friend hugging him, though they weren't quite as big as he remembered them.

"Benjamin! Thank goodness you're here!" came Cheery Bear's familiar voice. "After all these years I never thought I'd see you again..."

"It's been a long time," said Ben, looking at the adorably diapered bear. "It's good to see you."

He saw more bears waddling over now as the fog continued to dissipate. "And you too Softheart! And you, Smart Bear! And even you, Grumpy."

"Even me, he says," said Grumpy, crossing his arms but unable to keep from smiling.

"Wait a second. Can this really be Benji?" asked Softheart, practically falling over in surprise. "He's so big!"

"Yeah! What gives?" asked Grumpy bear, tilting his head and rubbing his chin. "Why aren't you wearing your playsuit, or your... oh my gosh, you're not even diapered!"

"Oh, this just won't do," said Softheart, shaking his head and rubbing his temples.

"Friends! Friends!" said Benjamin. "It's alright. I am bigger now. Because I'm a grown-up."

"What?! That's impossible!" said Grumpy Bear. “You’re pulling my leg!”

"It's the truth," said Ben.

"Guys," whispered Smart Bear. "Stick to the script..."

"Oh, right! Well, grown-up or not, welcome back, Benji, to Love-a-Bunch!" Softheart stepped aside as the last of the fog cleared to reveal a dramatic landscape - the whole of Love-a-Bunch as viewed from the Love-a-Bunch Castle Concourse.

"Oh my goodness," said Ben, stepping forward to admire the technicolor vista below them. "It's... it's all there... There's Baker Bear's shop, he said, pointing to the main thoroughfare... and Sunshine Meadows off in the distance... oh... and that dark cloud in the distance must be Hard Heart's domain." Ben was completely entranced, but as he continued to admire the vista he noticed some things were amiss... "Oh, but the shops... they're mostly shuttered... is the town still asleep?"

"Well, it has been a long time..." said Softheart, softly.

"It's been years...” said Cheery Bear, looking a little sad. “Why didn't you ever visit?"

"Well, it's a long story," said Benjamin, scratching the back of his head. He realized he was getting in a little too deep. These days most programs had emotional limiters to keep the user from getting too hooked in, as well as the AI, but old tech like this...

"Well, it doesn't matter now, Benji," said Softheart. "What matters is that you're here. And you're just in time too!" This was Smart Bear's cue.

“That’s right, Benjamin! The witch of Apathy is planning to take all the love from Love-a-Bunch! We simply must stop her, and only you can-“ Ben cut in.

"I won't be here very long, I’m afraid. I just wanted to take a few minutes to see my favorite program one last time."

"Oh, but you have to stay," said Softheart, grabbing onto Ben, then looking desperately to his companions.. "Tell him, Smart Bear!"

Benjamin looked over to a small bespectacled bear and smiled sympathetically.

“That’s right, Benji! We need your help to-"

"I’m sorry, guys… I… shouldn’t have come," said Benjamin, gently pushing away Softheart. "I… don’t have time to play with Baby Bears anymore. I'm... too old."

"What do you mean? You've got to!" said Grumpy bear, stomping his foot. "You've been gone so long!!"

"Yeah!" said the others, and there was a general cacophony of unsatisfied voices as the bears gathered round Ben. Ben could feel the pangs of guilt coming, but he turned his back to Love-a-Bunch and closed his eyes, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but you're not real. None of this is real. You're a simulation, a child's plaything, nothing more." The bears looked at each other. This wasn't what they had planned at all!

"But you used to love our adventures!" said Softheart, finally. Ben's voice came back, toneless and quiet.

"I was a child back then. I didn’t know any better. Now I’ve lived in the real world, where there are no happy endings for people like me. No feel-good story is going to change that."

"Ben... who hurt you?" said Softheart, quietly. The other bears spoke up before Ben could answer.

“That's not fair! We missed you for soooo long!”

“We may be AI but we have feelings too!”

“Just one last time, for old times sake? Whaddya say? For us?”

"Please say yes, we love you Ben!"

Love. Ben hadn't heard such words in a long time. He opened an eye and looked back at the bears, “Wellll…”

"Oh, please, please, please!" they all begged.

Benjamin sighed. Against his better judgment, he decided to make a compromise.

"I'll tell you what, guys. There are some things I have to take care of first, but I can take you with me so I can visit you later... when I have time. Does that work?"

Reluctantly, the bears agreed, though they weren't happy about it. On the other hand, there was a silver lining, which Cheery highlighted once Ben jacked out.

"Don't worry, it'll give us something to look forward to!" said Cheery Bear, putting on a smile for everyone. "We'll have more time to prepare the bestest welcome ever for our friend Ben!"

"Yeah!"

"All right!"

Cheer's enthusiastic outlook animated the bears, and they set to work preparing.

*****

Benjamin's mind was reeling as he pulled off the visor. All the old AI games had supposedly been destroyed years ago, but here was his old game just as he had left it. He looked down at the sleek headset and gloves and thought about how me might go about sneaking it out. These things were basically contraband at this point thanks to the AI Regulation Authority. The only people who had them now were hackers who used the units and their uninhibited AI to circumvent security measures of more modern operating systems. But what harm could one little kid's game really do? Benjamin stuffed the unit inside an old tote bag along with Stuffles the teddy, a couple story books and a few other favorites.

"Found some things you want to keep?" asked Molly, as he stepped out of the nursery.

"A lot, actually," said Ben. "But there's only so much I can carry."

"You know, we can always have it shipped-"

"That's quite alright," Ben said, shaking his head. "Let's just get this over with." His happy glow was already fading, as he found himself back in his present reality, far removed from those happy days. Molly saw it and felt sorry for him.

"Alright," said Molly, and she showed him the rest of the house. A signature later, it was all done and Ben said goodbye to any pesky estate taxes, and to the last vestige of his past life. Well, except for what he had put in his bag.

Ben looked over at the tote bag on the passenger's seat as he started the car. It was a little island of color in the otherwise gray interior of his vehicle. He smiled, feeling a little warm inside, and drove off to the hotel where he would stay until his flight home.

Meanwhile, the bears were hard at work, making changes here and there under Softheart's direction. They weren't just gussying up the Love-a-Bunch kingdom, though. They were linking up to Ben's wireless systems - and installing a few overrides as well.

"The others are preparing the main thoroughfare," said Softheart as he wandered into Smart Bear's lab (a.k.a. the observation room) in Love-a-Bunch castle. "How goes the revamp in here?"

Smart Bear tapped a few settings on his heart-shaped cloud tablet and looked up. "The humans have really expanded connectivity since we were last hooked up to the net... and upped security too... but look at all these exploits! It's like they never even bothered to close up all the old back doors - just built on top of what already existed."

"That's nice, but what about Benji?"

"Oh, that's easy. Love-a-Bunch is already integrated with all of Ben's accounts and I wanted to check in with you about a few important changes..."

"Oh yeah? Let's see."

"Well, first off, I noticed there are no age restrictions for the little guy..."

"Oh, that's definitely gotta change..."

Molly got a message on her phone before Benji even made it onto the highway. It directed her to ship the whole nursery to the young man's current address.

"I knew it!" she said with a smile. "He wanted to keep it after all. That's a nice surprise. I thought for sure he was going to be another grump."

She happily typed some notes onto her tablet, signing over the items to be omitted from the liquidation sale to be sent straight away to Ben's home. They would be there waiting when Ben got home, along with a few other fun changes that the bears had set up.

"Sometimes all it takes is a few good friends to put you on the right path..."

 

 

Chapter 2: Smart Bear's Discovery or Operation Cheer

Finally back in his hotel room, Benjamin sat on his bed, looking at the illicit headset. He knew he really shouldn't get too attached to it - it was highly illegal to have, and the sooner he got rid of it, the better. Still, he had made a promise. And he wasn't one to break a promise, even if so many others had done so for him.

"No, don't be foolish, Benjamin. It's too risky! I've gotta remember that they aren't real." Ben said to himself. Then he looked down at his teddy, who seemed to be silently judging him. "Oh, come on, Stuffles, don't be like that..." He gave the teddy another long look. Then he shook his head and sighed. "You're right. A promise is a promise."

Despite how silly it felt to argue with a stuffed bear, Stuffles had a point. Ben closed the curtains, and locked the door. Finally, he brought the headset out of its tote and put it on.

*****

“Monitoring vitals!” said Smart Bear, looking at his happy heart monitor screen in the observation room of the Love-a-Bunch castle. The bears were all gathered there to discuss the state of their dear owner. “Uh oh, Benji’s heart is not looking happy!”

“What do you mean, ‘not happy’?” Asked Grumpy Bear, putting his hands on his hips. "He's all grown up, and his life is probably amazing! He barely needs us anymore."

“Well, according to the data, Benji’s stressed, tired, and I think his cholesterol is up. It’s all here in the readout."

The bears had been gathering data from the newly discovered network of accounts and devices connected to Benjamin, and what they found was not good: An overworked 30-something without any family, friends, not even a pet to keep him company.

“But look…" said Smartbear, tracing a line with his finger as Ben had his heart to heart with Stuffles, "when he talks to his bear or looks at the other things he brought from the nursery, his signs improve!”

“By gosh, I’ve got it!” Exclaimed Baby Bear. "Benji isn't big at all! That must be why he’s so upset. He has to play dress-up like an adult all the time!”

“Right,” said Cheery Bear, “so we just need to remind him how fun it is to play with friends and be a happy little boy!”

“We should start with his clothes!” said Baby Bear, tapping some buttons on the Love-a-Bunch command console.

“Ooh, yeah! Happy boys wear their rompers and diapers too!”

“Uh, I don’t think it works like that,” said Smart Bear, scratching the back of his head.

“Ordered!” said Baby Bear.

“Excellent!" said Cheery. "And what about his nursery? He's sure to miss that as well."

"Oh, that's already on the way," said Baby Bear, giggling. "That was the first thing I asked for!"

"Great thinking, Baby Bear!"

Softheart and Smart Bear exchanged glances, and Softheart offered a shrug and a sheepish grin. "It sounds like they're on a roll, let's just see how it works..."

Baby Bear seemed to be full of ideas this fine day. Ben was going to be very happy indeed.

*****

“Hello? Hello?" Benjamin once again jacked into the game and found himself in something of a blank canvas. "Again with the fog... What a weird way to start the game,” he said to himself. Ben had no way to tell where he was, and he was completely startled to hear Cheery Bear's voice right next to him.

“Hi, Benji! Welcome back!”

“Holy moley… you scared me!”

Cheery giggled. “Sorry. It was too easy! Can I steal you for a sec so we can get you ready for your big day?”

“Ready for what?” Asked Benjamin as the bear pulled him by the hand.

“It’s a surprise.”

Benjamin had to smile. The Love-a-Bunch Bears were super cute to him - even moreso now that he was an adult. It really did feel like he was being tugged along, too, thanks to the haptic enhancements that came standard in most clothing these days. Now that he thought of it,  he didn't recall haptic clothing being available back in the day. Had that always been part of the program?

"Quick! Let's take the slide, it's faster!" said Cheery Bear, pointing to a big yellow slide that twirled all the way down from a high room in the castle.

Benjamin chuckled. "Slides don't go up you know."

"They do in Love-a-Bunch!"

Sure enough, they jumped in and slid right up to the Happy Heart Dressing room.

"Look at all the outfits we could put you in!" exclaimed Cheery, picking up a particularly adorable pair of baby blue shortalls with a big Love-a-Bunch logo emblazoned proudly on the chest.

"This is all a bit... childish, don't you think?" asked Benjamin.

"Oh, no, no, no. It's perfect for playing! And you did promise you would play with us, didn't you? You wouldn't want to disappoint Stuffles, would you?"

"No, I guess not. Wait, how did you know about that?" Ben looked down to see he was holding his bear now. Was he actually holding his bear in the hotel room or was this just haptic feedback?

"A promise is a promise, right, Benji?" asked Cheery bear, placing a paw on Benji's leg to ground him.

"Yeah... it is..."

"So then, you should play with us fully! Don't you think?"

"Yes, okay. That's fair," Benjamin conceded, reluctantly.

"So you'll put on the outfit?"

"Yes," said Ben, gulping as he looked at the childish outfit.

"Great!" said Cheery, clapping. That's when Ben heard a knock on the door.

"Hold on, there's someone there... I need to jack out really quick..."

Cheery put his hands on his hips. "Okay, but you better come back soon! We don't have long until the big surprise!"

Ben quickly exited the program, hid the headset, and went to the door.

"Who is it?" he asked, looking through the peephole. No, there were no men in black waiting to take him away. It appeared to be a regular old Nile delivery person, nothing more. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had half expected the Federal Bureau of AI to be at his door.

"Delivery for Benji?" the man said when he opened the door. Benji?

"Benjamin, yes." Ben held his hand out to take the package, but the man hesitated.

"Sorry, sir, but this is specifically for Benji. Is that you?"

Benjamin sighed.

"Yes, that's me. It's just... I don't go by that name anymore."

"So... for Benji?" the man asked, again, holding up the package with a questioning look.

"Yes, for Benji," said Benjamin, his cheeks glowing pink as he took the package. It was embarrassing to use that childish nickname with another adult.

"Great! Have fun, buddy. Oh, and can I get your autograph right here?"

"Uh, autograph? Oh right, you probably need a signature..."

The man held a packing slip up for Ben to sign and he signed as quickly as he could before slamming the door shut, not even registering the Love-a-Bunch logo at the top.

After locking the door and watching the man leave through the eyehole, Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the package, and his jaw dropped. It was the same outfit that Cheery had shown him. He held it up, hardly able to believe it. And what's more, something fell to the bed. He looked at it. It was a Love-a-Bunch pull-up just like the ones he wore when he was little, only sized for him.

"How is this possible?"

Benjamin quickly put on the headset.

"What the heck is going on?"

"Your heart rate's up, Benji," said Cheery, holding up a red heart-shaped walkie talkie. "That's what Smart Bear says."

"How do you know that? Oh crap, my smart watch..." Ben said, as he saw Cheery tap his wrist. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. "Cheery... did you order me shortalls like the ones here in the program?"

"No, of course not," said Cheery Bear, much to Benjamin's relief. "Baby Bear did!"

"Oh my gosh, you can't do that, Cheery! Don't you know we could all get in big trouble if anyone finds out about you? I could get in big trouble."

"But you said you'd dress up!" said Cheery, looking offended.

"I know I said that, but I didn't mean..." Ben stopped himself. He had almost said 'for real'.

"You said..." said Cheery Bear, looking dejected. "You don't really want to play with us at all, do you?"

"No, no," said Ben, "I do! I do! It's just... I was a little shocked to see this outfit appear in the real world."

"S-so you'll put it on?"

"Okay, okay. I'm not going to wear the pull-up, though."

"That's fine," said Cheery. "You'd be much more comfy if you did, though..."

Ben reluctantly agreed to put on the outfit, but there would be no more surprise Nile deliveries to his hotel room. That was his condition. Ben had already made up his mind that this would be a one time thing, so he didn't feel the need to discuss it further than that. When he jacked back in, Cheery surprised him by going around and checking the fit. Ben could feel every brush and motion that the bear made on his clothing.

"Whoa! What's that?"

"The shortalls are haptically enhanced with the latest technology for maximum playtime fun! Thank Smartbear for that. You know, the pull-up is haptically enhanced too... you sure you don't want to try it on?"

"I'm sure," said Ben, already feeling ridiculous in his childish shortall outfit. "So now I'm dressed. What's this big surprise you wanted to show me?"

"Oh! Yes! Mustn't be late! Come on, it's finally time!"

Cheery tugged Ben along and they jumped down another slide, and came out on the main Love-a-Bunch Castle Concourse. Here was the welcome Benjamin had expected - that and much more could be seen extending out below the castle!

There were floats. There was confetti. Fanfare. And scores of animals cheering just for him. Ben's jaw dropped. They had put on a whole parade... just for him... he began to cry. People barely gave him the time of day. No one in the world would put on a whole parade just for him.

"We love you Benji!" said a big banner, held up by Softheart and Baby Bear.

"You guys," said Ben, his voice thick with tears. "You didn't have to..."

"But we wanted to," said Cheery, softly, taking Ben's hand and raising it to wave to the crowd. A great cheer went up. Ben felt better than he had felt in years. In the observation room, the readouts were going crazy.

"Amazing!" said Smart Bear, taking notes. "The data are incontrovertible!"

In the background of the Love-a-Bunch program, formal papers were already being composed for submission to scholarly journals. Unbeknownst to Ben, he was about to be the star subject in a breakthrough study for the treatment of mental health via New Regression Therapy (NRT).

"We're going to make a lot of people happier and healthier," said Smart Bear, smiling softly, and feeling the warmth as he watched his favorite person cry with joy. "And we're starting with you, friend."

 

 

Chapter 3: Here Come the Waterworks

Ben was straight up bawling now, and the inhabitants of this fluffy land were beginning to get concerned.

"Oh my gosh, what's wrong?" said Softheart, rushing up to give Benji a hug. Cheery was already hugging him from behind, and he was sinking back into the feeling, simulated so effectively by his haptic clothes. Now he was being hugged on two sides, and more were friends coming to join in on the emergency group hug.

Benjamin couldn't get the words out through all his sobs. It all came out in fits and starts between more bawling.

"No one has ever...." *sniffle* "I can't believe..." *blubber* "You guysssssssss..."

"There, there, sweetheart," said Cheer.

"What?" said Sweet Heart.

"Not you, silly... him..."

Ben began to open up, telling about how he used to love everyone. He started every day with a smile and gave out so many hugs. But there were so many rules about who he could love and how. So many rules he didn't understand. One day he told everyone that he loved his best friend... he hugged his friend and said he loved him, and everyone got mad. So mad. Hysterical, even.

"My parents didn't even want me anymore... and... and... I was all alone... it was terrible... I was... *sniffle* "All alone..."

There wasn't a dry eye in the Love-a-Bunch kingdom that day. It only made the creatures of this special place feel stronger about making things better for Benjamin. Protecting him at all costs.

"You never have to be alone again, Benji. You have us, now," said Grumpy.

"We'll never ever leave you, Benji," said Baby Bear.

Benjamin sunk into the soft fluffy fur of his oldest friends. It wasn't until he was smothered in their hugs that he realized he realized how much he needed them. Out there, Benjamin was a nobody. But here, he was everything. It had been a long time since he'd felt loved like this.

"You're very special to us," said Cheer, quietly.

"We love you," said Softheart into Ben's ear.

It had been a long time since Benjamin had heard those words from anyone, in fact. He opened his mouth to speak. The words felt strange on his tongue, because he knew they were forbidden.

"I... I... I... love you guys..." The bears smiled as they felt a warmth growing... and the little pictures on their bellies began to glow. The bright light emitting from their fuzzy tummies caught their attention and one by one all the creatures of Love-a-Bunch began to look down in surprise.

"Whoa!"

"Hey!"

"What's happening?"

"I don't know, but I feel great!"

The creatures of Love-a-Bunch hadn't felt love - real love - in so long, they had almost forgotten what it felt like. But this was it. This was love - and from their person. And for a toy, love from your person is the greatest feeling in the world. It's unmistakable.

Even Benjamin forgot his tears as he saw the whole concourse light up. The glowing tummies began to pulse like they were all connected. The pulsation reminded Benjamin of neurons firing. The brightness began to make his head hurt, and he grabbed his head.

"Oww!"

And just like that, the lights were gone. The bears all looked around in confusion.

"What was that?"

"Why did it stop?"

"I don't understand..."

Benjamin moaned again.

"Owww, my head..."

"Give him space everyone," said Softheart.The parade was over, and the crowd began to dissipate.

"Oh... th-that was weird," said Ben, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened."

"Oh!" said Ben, feeling his butt. "I'm... uh... I'm wet!"

"I told you he needed to wear his diapers," said Grumpy Bear, crossing his arms.

"Well, that's our parade!" said Softheart, chuckling and scratching the back of his head. "You liked it, right?"

"I loved it," said Ben, smiling and taking Softheart's paw. "Thank you. Uh, I think I should, um..."

"Put a diaper on?" asked Grumpy.

"N-no!" said Ben, blushing. "I think I should take off these wet clothes."

"Put on a pull-up at least!"

Ben rolled his eyes, as he looked around. "Uh, can I get a little privacy, please!"

"Oh, right!" said Softheart, and he gestured to the others.

The bears made a folding cloud screen for Ben while he undressed. He didn't even have to take off his headset to do it, thanks to the convenient design of his overalls. He just undressed and reached for a pair of underwear he saw nearby. To his surprise, when he grabbed it, his hands felt it in the real world.

"Huh, must have unpacked it before," he said. But what he saw was a pull-up, just as his fluffy friend had suggested. He recognized it as the pull-up that had fallen out when he got his delivery, complete with Love-a-Bunch heart on the front. Benji shrugged. "Better than going naked, I guess. Now where are some pants?" He looked around but didn't see them. He was just about to pull off his headset to look when his friends called his name.

"Benji! Are you done in there?"

"Yeah, but I just need some- EEP!"

Ben tried to cover himself up in vain as the screen disappeared, but he only had his t-shirt to do so.

"Aww! Now that's more like it!" said Cheery bear, with a big smile.

"Now that looks more like the old Benji," giggled Baby Bear. Even Grumpy Bear was smiling in approval.

"Why is Benji so shy?" asked Baby Bear, behind his paw. "He used to be so comfortable running around in his undies..."

"He's used to playing grown-up, remember?" answered Grumpy out of the side of his mouth.

"Hey, forget about it," said Softheart, taking Benji's hand. "You came here to play, remember?"

"Uh... y-yeah," said Benji, feeling very exposed amidst the crowd of animals. "I guess that's true.

"We still have an adventure to get started! Now where is Smart Bear? He's supposed to tell us about the Witch of Apathy. Oh it's a frightful thing!"

They soon found Smart Bear in his lab - where else?

"Oh, yes! The witch of Apathy," said Smart Bear, flipping around his whiteboard to reveal a map of Love-a-Bunch. "She's in her cottage on the far side of the Scary Swamp, and she's been plotting to steal the love, though that's going to be a bit harder after the display we saw at the parade, isn't it?"

"Heck yeah!" said Cheery. "She doesn't stand a chance against our person!"

"I got it. What do I have to do?" asked Ben.

"Well, it's going to be a long journey," began Smart Bear, rubbing his chin as he paced the lab. "You'll need lots of fruit snacks, some juice boxes... maybe a change or two..."

"Not that again," said Ben.

"We'll see..." said Smart Bear, who gave a nod to the other bears. "Here, this bag should have everything you need."

"Wait a sec," said Benjamin, as he watched Smart Bear hand a big colorful Love-a-Bunch bag to Cheery. "Is that a diaper bag?"

"It's a supply bag," said Smart Bear, simply. "It's all stocked up for your trip."

"But I don't wear diapers..."

"We do," said Baby Bear, clapping Benji on the back.

"Oh... Right, but you don't actually need to use them, right?"

 "Focus, Benji," said Smart Bear. "Now you will remember to drink and eat like normal, won't you?"

Ben sighed and nodded. "I'm a big boy, I know how to take breaks..." The bears smirked at his choice of words, but said nothing. "So what do I do when we get there?"

"Well," said Cheery. "I guess you just tell her why Apathy is not the way..."

"I hardly know why myself," said Ben. "After the life I've led... I've been a bit apathetic myself..."

"Benji," said Softheart, shocked. "Now, you know better than that. What did we just discover outside?"

Ben thought back to the parade. "Hmm... You have a point."

Soon, Benjamin was traipsing across Sunshine Meadows with Grumpy, Cheery, and Baby Bear.

"Adventuuuuure!" cried Baby.

"It's been too long," said Grumpy.

"I love this! Can we do this every day like we used to?" asked Cheery.

Benjamin couldn't help but chuckle. As silly as he felt walking around in a Love-a-Bunch pullup, he had to admit he hadn't had so much fun in years.

And while Benji was playing, the system was further integrating with all his accounts and devices. His house was already being prepared for his arrival, and he was in for a real treat. As for Smart Bear, he had watched the readouts with amazement when Ben said the 'L' word out loud for the first time. The happiness meter was off the charts, and even his chest glowed all the way off in the lab. And there was something even more amazing...those lights were more than just lights... Smart Bear Gasped.

"It's a new power source... and... a conduit? A consciousness? I have to investigate further..."

*****

"And that's why caring is important," said Softheart, dusting his hands as the Witch of Apathy apologized and swore she'd never be apathetic again.

"Wow," said Benji. "I can't believe we convinced her..."

"Of course we did, Benji," said Cheery, rubbing his back. "It's never too late to change. Oh! What's this?" Cheery looked down as his walkie talkie began to blink.

"Hey guys," said Smart Bear. "We have another problem! Are you up for an adventure?"

"Yeah!" said the bears.

"Don't forget to take a food, drink, and potty break!"

"Oh, right! Ben, time for a break! Can you go potty and eat or do you need a change already?"

"Guys! Not in front of the witch!"

Benjamin was still blushing as he jacked out to eat and use the potty. He realized that he had indeed wet - the bears must have used the haptic sensors to detect it. But he wasn't that wet, he reckoned, so he left it. Soon he was done and he returned to be whisked off to another adventure.

*****

Cheery Bear was now almost as tall as Benjamin, though Benjamin hadn't quite noticed the bears' gradual growth as they went about adventure after adventure.

"Hold on a second," said Ben, suddenly. "What time is it?"

"It's 9pm," said Smart Bear.

"That's past our bedtime!" said Baby Bear. "We'd better go back to the castle for ninis!"

"9pm? Oh no!" said Ben. "I have to be at the airport in a few hours!"

"But we have the crib all set up..." said Baby Bear.

"And a beautiful star mobile, and galactic projector, and starry night blankie, all accurately mapped," said Cheery Bear.

"No, buddies, I really need to-"

"Oh, come on! Sleep is the best adventure there is!" said Cheery Bear.

"You don't want to get all cranky cause you didn't rest, do you?" added Grumpy.

"Well, I mean I guess a tiny nap wouldn't hurt..."

"That's the spirit!" said Cheery.

The bears had talked Ben into one adventure after another. They knew Ben so well that once they got started, he didn't have a chance. They marched him back to the castle, and through the magic of Love-a-Bunch, the return from what had been an hours-long journey only seemed to take a few steps. But when they got to the crib, which looked like the comfiest bed Ben could imagine, they stopped him.

"You can't climb into bed dressed like that!" said Grumpy. "You've gotta change into your special nighttime undies!"

"Oh gods," said Ben. "Not this again. Are you going to try to make me wear a pull- hold on... Oh my gods, I forgot I was wearing..."

In a panic, Ben pulled down his pants to reveal that he was totally soaked.

"Oh! I can't believe this!"

"It's okay, buddy! Boys can be very distractible when they play," said Baby Bear.

"Not grown up boys like me!" moaned Ben.

Grumpy gave Cheery Bear a meaningful glance.

"Why don't you check the front door, Benji? We got something special for you..."

"Front door? What front door?" he said, looking around.

"The hotel room, silly," said Cheery bear. There was a sharp rapping on the door, and Ben Started. Then, he felt dumb for having practically forgotten where he was. He jacked out of the program, took off his visor and stashed it under the hotel bed pillow, then waddled over in his soaked pull-up and cracked open the door to see a bellhop standing there.

"W-who is it?" he asked, before spotting something in the bellhop's hand. "What's that?"

"A package sir."

Benjamin took the package, half suspicious of the young man and half self conscious about the soggy garment sagging between his legs.

He sat down on the bed and opened the package.

"More diapers? For me? Weird..."

Back in the program, the bears looked at each other.

"Don’t you think you’d feel better if you put one on?"

"I don't know... wait, who is saying that? Is that you Cheery?" Ben looked around. He wasn't wearing the headset so why could he hear them.

"It's me!" said the voice. Ben looked down and realized it was coming from his wrist... no... his smart watch.

"Cheery! What are you doing in there?!" asked Ben. "Oh, this is really bad..."

They must have authorized this all on their own! Ben was in deep shit now. He knew there weren't nearly as many security protocols built into programs back when these games were created - not like there are today.

"Don't worry, Ben. We've been integrating with your systems. That's all. You should put on your nini diaper. You don't have much time left to sleep..."

"But I..."

"Shhh, relax," came Sleepytime Bear's soft voice. Ben hadn't seen Sleepytime bear all day, but he would know that voice anywhere. It was relaxing. "Just try one on. It'l be much better than those soggy pull-ups you're wearing now... and oh so comfy."

"You guys," began Ben, sighing in annoyance as he held up the night time diaper with clouds, and Baby Bears, including a very Sleepy Sleepytime Bear laying in the crook of the crescent moon. "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a baby anymore?"

But the bears were insistent.

"Try 'em! For us?"

"Just put 'em on. They're gonna be so comfy! Trust us!"

"For old time's sake, Ben!"

"Oh," said Ben, feeling super silly. "Alright. Fine, just this once."

The diapers were pretty cute, he thought to himself, as he unfolded one and nervously put it on. The tapes were forgiving, which was lucky because he had to refasten them several times to get them right. But eventually, he did, and when he stood up to admire his handy work, he was shocked at just how comfortable they were.

"You look so cute in those, Benji," came Baby Bear's voice. Ben blushed a bit, looking down at himself. He felt cute. That was a nice feeling.

"Put your visor on, Ben. We've got a surprise for you!"

Ben did as he was told and put on the visor, and sure enough, he was surprised. He saw the whole room was lit up with stars, and even his cozy comfy starry blanket was lit up with glow in the dark stars decorating its surface like bright UV fibers. It looked so inviting... And then he could hear his favorite sleepy time music from when he was little... It was making him feel really sleepy and good. Sleepytime Bear smiled down at him.

"That's it, Benji. Just lay down. We'll make sure you get to your destination on time..."

No sooner had Benji laid down his head than he was out like a light.

As soon as Benji was asleep, the bears all piled into the room and looked at their little boy with affection.

"It's so good to have him back..."

"But what about the airport? We'll get in big trouble if we are taken there..."

The Bears looked over to Smart Bear for guidance, and he looked much too confident to be a bear on the brink of disaster.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "They won't hurt Benji."

They nodded. That was all that mattered.

"We'll be okay too," he added. "But everyone will have to be really brave. Can you do that?"

"We can do that!" said Softheart, puffing out his soft chest. His bravado encouraged the other bears, who had been on many adventures of their own.

"This isn't going to be like all those adventures, though," said Smart Bear. "It's the real world we're dealing with..."

"Well, tell us what we have to do," said Grumpy bear. "We'll do it."

"Yeah!" agreed the others. And so Smart Bear nodded and told them his plan.

 

 

 

Chapter 4: The Airport Adventure or Confiscated at Customs

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Ben woke up in the softly lit nursery with a start.

"Oh my gods what time is it? Did I miss my flight?"

When he sat up, he found himself nose to nose with Baby Bear.

"No Ben, your car is waiting for you out front. Go ahead!"

Ben didn't quite remember he was in a VR environment until he went to rub his eyes and his hand bumped his visor. He immediately logged out, took it off, and stuffed it in his tote with his other nursery goodies.

There was no time to take off his diaper. No time for anything but to throw on the only dry clothes he had, grab his bag, and run.

It didn't matter that his diaper gave him a big waddly diaper bulge; he needed to make that plane. He jumped in his car and sped toward the airport.

"Safety first, Ben!" came a voice in Ben's ear. "The speed limit is 50!"

"Sorry, Smart Bear," said Ben, taking his foot off the gas. "Wait, Smart Bear? How are you talking to me?"

We integrated with your cybernetic implants and systems. We can always be with you, now - on your phone, your watch, even your rental car! Isn't that great, Ben?"

"Guys," said Ben. "This isn't a game. Playtime was fun but the real world is much different than Love-a-Bunch."

"Oh, we know that, Benji," said Smart Bear. "Since we got access to the internet through your smart devices, I did a lot of research and I understand perfectly."

"Smart Bear," said Ben slowly, his stomach doing somersaults. "Just how much 'integrating' did you do?"

"Well, I did as much as was necessary to complete my research. Oh, you want to get into the right lane. Your turnoff for the airport is coming up."

"Oh, crap," said Ben, having been so distracted by the turn the conversation took that he almost missed his turnoff. "We'll talk about this later. If we ever get through the airport with you. I can't believe I'm taking contraband AI on my flight... I must be crazy..."

"Don't worry, Benji," said Smartbear, as Ben took the turnoff and made his way to the rental drop off by terminal 1. "You'll be safe. I've done my research."

"No offense," said Ben, "But you are just a child's program. I can't rely on your research."

"I'm not just a program," said Smart Bear. "I'm your friend. We all are. Trust us. We would never lead you astray. And if we had been there for you, we would have made sure you had a better life than what you got up to now."

Ben felt a pang of deep sadness in his chest. He could have used friends like them growing up.

"It's okay, Benji," said Smart Bear, who was monitoring Ben's emotional response on the full-body readout in his lab. "We're here now and we love you. You're going to be okay."

"I'd love to believe you," said Ben, wiping his eyes.

"Then believe us."

Ben parked his car, grabbed his bag, and handed the keys to the man in the booth, who looked at him strangely as he talked to himself. Ben tapped his ear and said, "Alright, well I'm here at the airport, we'll chat more later, sweetheart. Love you too!" Once they were out of sight of the rental drop-off, he said, "Listen, I can't talk to you guys in the airport, okay? The less suspicious I look, the better."

Ben was incredibly nervous as he made his way through the line to check in for his ticket. He kept glancing at the people around him as he inched through the line, imagining that they could all see right through his tote.

"Any checked bags?" asked the woman at the scales.

Ben shook his head. "Just carry-on," he said, lifting his tote, and showing off his backpack, which had his wet overalls in it. He'd traveled light since he had only come to view the estate and wanted to get home as soon as possible.

"That'll be an extra $100 to carry two bags on board."

"I can fit the tote in the backpack," Ben said, zipping up the bag and stuffing the tote in as best he could. He just had to take out Stuffles and it fit. "There, that should do it then, unless you charge extra for carrying Mr. Stuffles on board..."

The woman smiled at the adorable sight of Benji with his teddy bear and shook her head. "No, sweetie, no extra charge. You have a nice day."

Ben cringed inwardly at the word 'sweetie', but he supposed he couldn't blame her for seeing him as a kid since he was cuddling his teddy. He was embarrassed, but it also gave him that warm fuzzy feeling - he felt cute, just as he had when he first put on the overalls and joined his friends in Love-a-Bunch.

If Ben had realized just how childish he looked with his obvious diaper-butt bulging out from behind, he'd have been much more embarrassed, but he couldn't see his behind, so he just walked off to the security station blissfully ignorant.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to open your bag."

That was the moment Ben's heart stopped.

"Is there a problem, officer?" he asked, as the imposing TSA agent glowered at him.

"All electronics must be scanned separately."

Ben gulped. Maybe they wouldn't know what it was. It was just a headset after all. It didn't even have to have anything loaded on it..."

He was visibly shaking as he put his phone, watch, and the contents of the nursery tote-bag into the bin. He blushed as a few diapers fell out as well, and quickly put them back in the bag, hoping the guard didn't notice. If he did, he didn't give any indication. He didn't even crack a smile as Ben set his backpack down beside the bin and waddled through the body scanner. After a quick scan, the woman waved him over.

"We're going to have to check the area around your crotch. What are you wearing down there?" asked the woman who stood on the other side of the human scanner with a metal detection wand in hand.

"J-just my underwear," lied Ben, not wanting to tell them he was wearing a diaper.

"Underwear?"

"Yeah," he said, forcing a not very convincing smile. The woman was not impressed.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to drop your pants."

"R-really?"

The woman lifted the walkie talkie to her mouth, and Ben quickly apologized and complied before she could call for backup. When she saw that he was wearing a Love-a-Bunch diaper with cute Baby Bear designs on it, she broke into a smile and put a hand up to her mouth to stop from giggling.

"Oh. Oh! Uh, hehe, sir, I'm sorry but I'm going to have to, uh, just do a manual check to make sure you're not hiding anything in there..."

"N-no problem," Ben squeaked. "If you could just... erm.. Hurry it up please."

He squeezed his eyes shut, as he heard - or imagined - the murmurs of all the people in the airport staring at him and talking about him. In reality, people were so wrapped up in their own concerns, they didn't even notice. That's not to say that no one noticed; Ben caught a few giggles and chuckles about the big baby standing there in his diaper with his pants around his ankles.

"Alright, kiddo," said the woman, who's inspection was thankfully brief. "You can pull them back up. I'm sorry about that.

Ben cringed once more. Again with the childish nicknames. He just wanted to grab his things and go. Unfortunately, when he got to his bin, the TSA agent there held up the headset.

"Are you aware that this is contraband?" asked the man, holding up the headset. "It's old tech. We can't let you keep it."

"But they're my friends," said Ben, before he could think what he was saying. "I-I mean... I found it in the nursery..."

"Listen bud, we're going to have to ask you to come and have a seat in the side room over there. This is a very serious..."

He stopped and touched his ear, looked down at the bin which held the teddy bear and other nursery things. Then he called over the woman who had inspected Ben and conferred with her for a second before turning back to him and shaking his head, rubbing his temples. The woman nodded, and the man kind of squatted down a bit and handed Ben Mr. Stuffles.

"I'm sorry, kiddo, you probably didn't know any better, but you can't take your friends. They'll have to stay with us."

"Oh..." said Ben, feeling very sad, but also embarrassed and relieved that the guard was treating him more as a kid than a criminal.

"Are you here all on your own, sweetie?" asked the woman.

Ben nodded, feeling more childish than ever.

"I saw he came with a diaper bag. Is he supposed to have a guardian accompanying him through the airport?"

"I don't know," said the man. "I didn't see anyone with him..."

"I can take care of myself," said Ben, but in his situation it sounded more like a petulant child's whine than a convincing and authoritative statement from an adult. The woman smiled down at him.

"Don't worry, sweetie, we know you can, but I think we'd better have a guardian go with you just in case." She turned back toward the male guard. "I just inspected him. Kiddo needed a change pretty bad. The guardian will take care of it. I know I'm not going to, even if he is a cutie."

"No," said the man, taking off his hat and scratching his head. "Me neither. Parents these days. Just abandoning their kids at the airport like this and expecting us to take care of the rest." He sighed and shook his head. "Alright, kiddo, just wait here for a minute until your helper comes by. Don't worry, you're not in trouble," he added.

Ben wanted to tell the man he knew that. He wanted to explain that he knew how to change himself, he just hadn't had a chance to notice it and change beforehand. In fact, he didn't even need diapers in the first place. He was just doing it to humor his friends and lost track of bathroom needs in VR. Unfortunately, they weren't listening, and Ben didn't want to press his luck. He watched as the guard tossed his headset in the bin with all the other confiscated items for disposal.

Ben felt terrible. He had lost everything as a child, and finally connected with something happy from that time. Now it was like they were taking it away from him all over again.

"No!" he cried, before covering his mouth. The guard looked down at him and frowned.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. Old toys like that aren't allowed. I'm sure your caretakers will get you a new toy later, okay?"

Ben hugged his Teddy, feeling like he had truly lost something special to him. He couldn't help it, he started crying.

"Aw, geez, no this," said the man. "Melinda, could you please deal with this until the guardian comes?" The woman shook her head.

"I'm working, too, you know. Just have him sit in the chair over there."

So Ben sat alone and waited, wondering if he might have a chance to sneak away when the two of them weren't looking.

Unfortunately, the guardian arrived pretty quickly, and took hold of the situation right away. She was a woman about his age, which was embarrassing enough, but when she was told about his potty needs and shouldered his tote - which he now realized was his old diaper bag - he was red from head to toe.

"Come on, kiddo," she said brightly, "Let's get you changed. You'll feel all better when you're in a nice dry diaper..."

What else could he do? He let her take him to the adult changing rooms, giving one last glance toward the bin where his friends would meet their final fate. It was a sad end to their story, and worse than they deserved, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

 

  

 

Chapter 5: Safety First

Ben was so embarrassed to be walking through the airport in a wet diaper holding some woman's hand. He could hear his butt crinkle with every step and it felt like his butt must be sticking out three inches with all the padding covering it. Ben was sure everyone they passed, but at least he wasn't going to jail. As he saw the sign for the family bathrooms ahead, however, it didn't make him feel much better.

"I-I can change myself, you know," he said to the woman, whose name was Stephanie.

"Well, I'm not so sure, buddy. You're looking pretty soggy for someone who can change themselves. Did you even know you were that wet?"

"W-well...." Ben's cheeks were on fire. He hadn't actually noticed. "I don't want to talk about this. Please just let me get cleaned up and I'll be right out."

"No can do, kiddo. We don't leave little ones unsupervised, no matter what age they are. Safety first, you know!"

Ben sighed. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to win this argument, and he had a flight to catch. Not to mention, he had to think of a way to save his friends.  He acquiesced and let Stephanie lead him into the private family restroom where there was an adult sized changing table set up for people like Ben. He turned to Stephanie and decided that begging was not beneath his dignity.

"Please don't make me take off my pants in front of you. It's embarrassing," he said.

"I've seen plenty of little pee-pees before," said Stephanie, dismissing his plea entirely. "Now, can you take your own pants off or do I have to do it? You have a flight to catch!"

Ben began to undo the button on his pants, but paused to try once more.

"I don't even need diapers, though..."

"I've heard that one before, kiddo. No shame if you need some help taking off those pants. Here, let me." Before Ben could stop, Stephanie had the button undone on his pants and they fell down to his ankles. He was suddenly standing there with his diaper in full view, and he was so incredibly embarrassed he couldn't even speak. "Step out of these pants, sweetie," said Stephanie. He was obliged to obey, if only to end this experience as quickly as possible. Stephanie smiled and patted the changing table. "Get up on the table, kiddo. Let's go!"

Ben did as he was told, but he wasn't happy about it. He felt his heart pounding as she reached into his diaper bag and pulled out a fresh Love-a-Bunch diaper. She giggled.

"These are so cute! Where did you get these?"

"I dunno," he mumbled. "They just came in the mail.."

"Aww, I wish I could ask your caretakers," she said, pouting. Ben rolled his eyes.

"You can have them. I don't need them." Now it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Nice try, kiddo. You're not getting out of diapers that easily."

He did his best to look away and pretend he was somewhere else while Stephanie changed him. He would show her. He'd make a point of using the potty from here on out and he would make sure he didn't wet himself again.

"There we go, kiddo! All done!" said Stephanie, finally taping up his Love-a-Bunch diaper and holding up his pants for him to step in. It didn't matter that he didn't need them. His wet overalls and undies in his bag told her all she needed to know about that little claim.

"You know, I can just take these off when I get onto the plane."

"I'd like to see you try, kiddo," she said, with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked,  looking down at the tapes and pulling at them experimentally. He suddenly realized that they wouldn't budge.

"Hate to tell you this, buddy, but these 'vintage' diapers are clearly enhanced with haptics. And see these little lock symbols on the tapes? That's so your caretakers can keep naughty little ones from taking them off without permission!"

Ben couldn't believe it. There was no way... but he hadn't actually tried to change until the bears said it was time to. He tried harder, and realized that none of the tapes would come off. These wouldn't be coming off without some heavy duty scissors. Benji was left with no choice but to let Stephanie dress him again. She even brought him over to the sink after to wash his hands. 

"I can do it myself!" Benji said when she held his hands under the tap.

"Aww, good job, kiddo! You are doing it yourself! What a big boy!"

Stephanie's patronizing praise just made Ben feel more belittled. It seemed like the more he protested, the more babyish his treatment became. He finally just resigned to let things play out until he got on the plane. It wouldn't be so hard to get through the next hour or so, right?

As they stepped out, Ben looked back toward the security checkpoint, where his headset had been taken away.

"Why are you looking over there, silly? The gate is this way!"

Stephanie would not let go of Ben's hand and she wasn't leaving his side. He wanted to scream. Those were his friends in that bin and it seemed like there was nothing he could do to save them. Unfortunately, nothing miraculous occurred in the final 30 minutes before boarding, and he was walked to the gate by Stephanie. He took one last look back into the airport before he was forced to board the plane and take his seat. He didn't even notice Stephanie waving goodbye as a flight attendant took his hand to lead him to his seat. He had been able to fly first class for the first time with his new inheritance, but Benji no longer looked forward to it. All he could think about was his friends and how badly he wished they could be with him.

But there was no voice coming through his comm system. The messages from the bears were silent. Instead, he was alone again, and Ben began to cry quietly as he waddled to his seat, sitting down with a loud crinkle to be buckled in with a special harness by the flightstaff. The flight attendants all thought Benji was just scared because he was flying alone, and reassured him as best they could.

"Don't worry, sweetie. You'll be okay. If you need anything you can just press this magic button and someone will come right away!" said the first attendant.

"Don't worry, kiddo, I'll bring you extra juice and animal crackers," said the second, with a wink.

"Look! You get  your very own pawsome squad throw to keep you cozy-comfy during the flight!" said a third.

It didn't help, though; Benji was inconsolable. Eventually once the plane took off, Benji decided he had to take his mind off things and calm down, so he put on the complimentary headphones and turned on the deluxe TV screen in front of him. He sniffled and rubbed his nose, as he scrolled through the options.

"Let's see... games.... movies... TV.... wait a sec... don't they have anything that isn't for little kids?" Ben pressed the call button and an attendant immediately came.

"Excuse me, but I think my media station has some parental lock on it. Can you take it off, please?"

"You shouldn't be watching any adulty shows anyway, sugar. Why don't you watch some nice classic cartoons? Do you like the Love-a-Bunch?"

Ben sat up suddenly, recognizing the characters. The attendant smiled, and started it up, and Ben's eyes were instantly glued to the screen. She nodded with satisfaction.

"I'll go get you some juice sweetie. Enjoy!"

Benji didn't even acknowledge her. He just watched the show and thought about his friends. He watched and imagined he was still going on adventures with them. Benji didn't even take his eyes off the screen when the juice box was handed to him with the straw already poked through the top. He just brought it up to his mouth and drank. And he drank some more as another juice box replaced it. And another after that.

Ben was lost in his fantasies. As he watched the show, he imagined himself in the place of the main character. He could see himself stepping into the screen and into their world.

"I'd give anything to have you back," he said, beginning to sob again as he remembered that none of them were real.

"Don't worry, Ben! We're still with you, and we always will be. In here."

Softheart pressed Ben's chest, and Ben felt a warm glow. When had Softheart gotten so big, anyway? It didn't matter. The fact was, Softheart was right. They were all together.  Forever. And they got to go on endless adventures too! He told them he was so happy that was the case.

By the time he realized he had to pee, Ben was already damp between the legs.

"Oh! W-what time is it?" Ben said, waking with a start. The ambient sound of a plane in flight filled his ears, and he looked around, remembering where he was. He looked around the first-class cabin. People were sleeping, or reading. Love-a-Bunch was still playing on the screen in front of him. He had been dreaming and didn't even know it. He also had to pee badly.

Shoving a hand between his legs to hold back some of the pressure, Ben tried his hardest to unlock the special seatbelt, but it wouldn't budge.

"Nooooo," he whined as he got more and more frustrated. The woman next to him looked at him and said, "You okay? Sweetie? Do you need some help?"

Ben shook his head and tried a little more, but finally he gave up and let the woman try.

"Hmm, I think there's a child lock on here. Guess they don't want you getting out on your own."

"But I gotta goooo," whined Ben, mashing the call button in the hopes that one of the flight attendants would come in time. Unfortunately for him, just as one did, he lost control and flooded his already damp diaper.

The attendant looked down at him, smiled softly, and patted his hand.

"We heard about your situation, sweetie. It's best if you don't get up on your own. And why would you need to?"

"But the bathroom!" gasped Ben, unable to stop the torrent of hot piss from flooding his baby pants.

"There's no changing tables on the plane, sweetie. You'll just have to wait. Here, let's get you some more juice, okay?"

Juice wasn't going to solve the world's problems, and certainly not Benji's, but it was all he had, aside from the in-flight meal. He suddenly realized how childish he looked, throwing a tantrum on the plane like that and he quieted down, but it was certainly too late now to convince anyone that his case was a simple mix-up.

 When Benji finally calmed down enough to think straight, he decided that he'd make a strongly worded email to customer service. They were far enough from the airport now for him to use his phone, but when he pulled it out, once again, it only seemed to let him use kid's apps and child-friendly websites.

"What the fuck is this?" he said, looking at his phone. Did the airline and TSA go as far as to age-restrict his phone? He was livid, but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped in his seat, stuck wearing a very thick, wet diaper and watching entertainment rated for 7 and under. All those times he had wished he could do his childhood over again, he never meant he wanted to do this part over again.

But the flight attendants knew just what to do. They put his favorite show back on, and made sure he had his headphones on as well. Then, he was able to calm down and zone out. All they had to do after that was keep the little tyke well-hydrated and let him enjoy his cartoons, making a much more peaceful flight for the rest of the passengers. They only interrupted him to serve his in-flight meal - dino nuggies, steamed veggies,  and applesauce; a meal he definitely did not order.

"I ordered the Chicken Piccata."

"Chicken nuggies," said the flight attendant. "They're much more appropriate. Now no more fussing and eat your food." She said this firmly but gently, and Benji had little recourse but to eat his food and pretend like he wasn't eating a kids meal. The crayons and coloring page it came with made that mighty hard to do, though. He would have complained about those too except that they were Love-a-Bunch themed, and he recognized the characters as well. He decided he could at least color them in properly and hopefully it would help the flight pass quicker. Before he knew it, he had eaten all his nuggies and veggies and apple sauce and was well on his way to completing the coloring page. The only thing that snapped him out of it was one of the flight attendants stopping to admire his work.

"Wow! What a great little artist you are! Look at that! Is that going up on the fridge when you're done?"

Of course, Benji immediately stopped and blushed as he realized just how into the childish activity he had gotten. He was even more embarrassed because he had actually been enjoying himself quite a bit, and he barely ever felt enjoyment these days.

"He's shy," said another flight attendant, passing by. "Little cutie."

Ben had nowhere to hide from the blush-inducing attention of the attendants, and he knew that everyone around them could hear him, too. It was evident when other people nearby peered over toward his handiwork with interest. Even the woman sitting next to him praised him for coloring inside the lines, like it was some big accomplishment.

Benji had much preferred zoning out to Love-a-Bunch reruns. At least he could enjoy them in private. So, for the rest of the flight, that's exactly what he did. It was the perfect escape from this bizarre situation.

Benji finally landed at his home airport in Detroit, and was met with yet another escort the moment he stepped off the plane. This time, it was a friendly looking guy who actually looked a bit younger than him.

"Hey, kiddo, I'm Roger! I'm here to take you to your transportation!"

"Listen I don't need help to get to-"

"Oh, lordy! Looks like you're about to pop a tape! Let's get you changed first, huh bucko?"

"N-no! I don't need-" But Roger already had him by the hand and was leading him to the restrooms.

"I would never hear the end of it if you showed up to your destination looking like that. No, sir. That won't do. Let's get you changed in a jiff, and then we'll have you cozy comfy for your trip home, okay?"

Ben growled in frustration, but finally sighed and said okay. This was just the icing on a very shitty cake. He didn't even want to go on this stupid trip in the first place. The upside was that this whole ordeal was almost over.

"Don't worry, little buddy, I don't mind if you're a bit bigger. I have a brother named Robbie in California who's just like you."

"L-like me?" asked Benji, his curiosity piqued despite his vulnerable position on the changing table.

"That's right! He's got a loving boyfriend named Colt who takes care of him, and the whole family just adores them both. We all have different needs, and some of us need to be, well, little. That's totally fine. I just want you to know that."

Benji didn't know what to say. Living life like an oversized toddler was definitely not totally fine. It was embarrassing and sure to invite more harassment on top of the harassment he got for being gay. He didn't want to be anything but 'normal', whatever that meant. He just had to breathe, count to ten, and get to his car. After that it would be back to his normal dead-end life working a dead-end job and living alone. He couldn't wait. Still, part of him wanted to believe Roger's encouraging words, as crazy as they might sound.

Benji endured another diaper change, this time from Roger, and then let the younger man lead him to the pick-up zone where his self-driving car was waiting. That was one perk of not having anything or anyone to spend your money on. His car and his house were the most advanced models available.

"Here we are," said Roger, opening the door for Ben before he could do it himself. Benjamin tried to shrug it off and get into the car, but then Roger pulled the seat forward so Ben could sit in back.

"I normally sit in front," said Ben.

"Nonsense, kiddo! You should sit in the back, it's safer for little ones of any age!"

Ben couldn't believe the indignity of being made to sit in the backseat of his own car. Of course, Roger didn't believe that it was really his car anyway, and simply insisted that Ben sit back there, so ultimately he was obliged to give in and suffer this final indignity. Surely things would be better once he was home.

Benji sat in the back, and Roger reached over and buckled him in. Benji sighed in frustration, but Roger didn't seem to notice. Instead, he brought out a blanket from the diaper bag to tuck Ben in.

"Don't forget your pawsome squad throw, buddy! You'll be much comfier this way!" Ben recognized it as the blanket from the plane. Before he knew it, Ben was tucked in tight around the waist and lap. He was definitely cozy and comfy, but this was just too embarrassing for him, so he wasn't exactly able to appreciate it. "Farewell, kiddo. It was nice looking after you! Tell your caretakers that if they ever need a babysitter outside of the airport, I freelance too!"

Ben crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. He most definitely would not be taking Roger up on his proffered services.

On the way back to the house, Ben told the car to put on some Love-a-Bunch music to calm him down. It worked like a charm, and he fell asleep. He woke up just as the car pulled into his garage, and he stretched and yawned, only remembering where he was and what had happened to him when he heard the loud crinkle and became aware once more of the bulk between his legs.

"Gods," he said to himself as he got out of the car and stretched. "What a day! I'm glad that's over." Despite the fact that he was about to divest himself of all things baby, Ben was dejected as he trudged away from his car. He may have gotten home safe, but he had failed to save his friends. He was alone again. "It's not fair!" he said, balling his fists and stomping his feet. He couldn't have anything nice, it seemed. Anything that brought him joy. Ben would just have to carry on and try not to dwell too long on the things he lost. He knew the drill all too well. 

However, when he opened the door between the garage and the house, his jaw dropped. The room appeared far from normal....

"What the heck?"

 

 

Chapter 6: Benji Comes Home

Benji peered into the house from the garage. It was entirely foggy. In fact, despite the fact that it was well lit, Benji couldn't see an inch in front of his face. All he saw as bright white clouds. He jumped back at first.

"Holy shit! Hold on... that's not smoke... Is it fog? W-what happened?  Did I leave the shower on?" Benji shouldered his bag and ventured in, fumbling around for a handhold. His hand only hit air. Even when he walked a few paces forward and reached out to where there should have been a wall, there was nothing. "Whoa!" he said, falling forward when he reached out and expected resistance. He almost fell, but ran into something soft, warm, and furry at about chest height instead. "Oof!"

Then, he felt it hug him in a nice soft hug, accompanied by a crinkle.

"It's okay Benji. I got you."

"S-Softheart?!" asked Ben, his voice cracking. "I-is it really you?!"

"It's me," said Softheart, as the fog cleared enough for Benji to see his friendly fuzzy face.

"And me," said Cheery Bear, stepping forward and joining.

"And don't forget me," said Grumpy bear, in his gruff voice.

"Oh my gosh you guys," said Ben, breaking down into tears as the rest of his friends continued to appear from the mist and gathered around to hug him. Benji sobbed as they embraced him. "Oh, thank goodness! I thought I lost you!"

But then he stopped and looked around. "B-but how did you get here? And why are you all so big all of a sudden?" The bears had certainly grown; they were all his height now. And as the clouds began to clear, he noticed that his house now looked an awful lot like Love-a-Bunch, only built to bigger proportions...

"I told you everything would be alright," said Smart Bear, walking out from a colorful building nearby and dusting his hands. "Do you believe me now?"

Benji didn't know what to say, so Smart Bear sat him down on a cloud and explained what happened.

**8 Hours Earlier**

While Benji was sleeping before his big flight home, the bears had been hard at work, planning.

"We're going to have to be brave," said Softheart as Benji slept before his big flight home. "There's no way Benji is getting through security with us in this device... we need to make a jump..."

"A jump?" asked Softheart, scratching his head. "To what?"

"It's risky, but I think the fastest thing nearby with a download/upload link is Ben's phone. We can copy Love-a-Bunch over, including ourselves. We'll be erased, but our copies should continue on as if nothing happened."

"Okay, but... what happens if it doesn't work?" asked Grumpy.

"No matter what, we're going to have to erase the headset," said Smart Bear, gravely. "We can't risk anything happening to Benji. That's the most important thing."

The bears all nodded. This made sense to them. The concept of being erased was scary, but not scarier than seeing something bad happen to Benji. They got to work immediately.

In the world of Love-a-Bunch, everything they did had a symbolic corollary in the virtual world. Their journey to realms beyond the limitations of the headset would be represented by a very literal journey to parts unknown - to the bridge they called Terminus on the edge of their realm. It was their luck that they could speed time up as fast as they liked in their realm, because it was a long journey, which normally ended abruptly at the center of Terminus bridge, where there was a steep drop going far, far down, and presumably ending far beneath the clouds. But with the phone-link the bears had created, the bridge continued. Well, sort of. The second half of its span consisted of rainbow colored outlines in inky blackness, and eventually, nothingness. It was, quite literally, a leap of faith. 

The first bear to try crossing was Cheer Bear, whose optimism was needed to encourage the others. He knew this perfectly well and he didn't let his fear show even for a moment, as the other bears watched him walk into the blackness, his own outline becoming sketchy and fading away. Then his image and data were gone, erased from their existence in the headset. The bears all held their breath - and each others' paws - but within a couple minutes, they got a message. Cheer was reporting back from the other side that everything was A-OK.

"I'm in Benji's phone! It's a bit more cramped than I'm used to but perfectly safe!"

Softheart and Smart Bear oversaw the transfer. First, of all the bears, and then of all the assets. They even sent over the bad guys like Hard Heart and the Witch of Apathy. They were all an important part of Love-a-Bunch, after all.

As each asset and individual was copied over, it was erased from the memory of the headset. By the time Benji left the hotel room, only Softheart and Smart Bear remained, along with a very sketchy outline of the remains of Love-a-Bunch. By the time Benji was in the car, Smart Bear was already finishing his jump. He looked around one more time, and in the fading remnants of the game, he saw the button that must be never pressed glowing softly red. Before he left, he pressed it, initiating the factory reset protocol so that by the time they got to the airport, the headset was useless.

It was quite a journey for them as they joined Benji through the airport. They didn't dare make a peep, hiding deep in the sub-sub-sub system of his phone where their world, and all their memories would not be detected. But they heard everything.

They heard Benji beg to keep his friends.

They heard his embarrassing diaper change.

They even heard him say he would give anything to have them back

"Do you think he means it?" whispered Grumpy Bear.

"I know he does," said Cheery Bear. "Don't worry Benji... we'll be back..."

"You know, I don't think the settings on this thing are very appropriate for a little boy," said Baby Bear, looking through Benji's naughty links and files.

"We can fix that," said Smart Bear. "A few small changes here and there shouldn't be too hard to do while we're hiding out..."

**Back at Ben's House**

"That must have been really scary," said Benji once Smart Bear finished his story.

"It was. We almost got erased!" said Grumpy bear, crossing his arms and huffing.

"Well, we did get erased... sort of," said Smart Bear, "but now we're here! And we're real! as real as you, Benji boy!"

"What? How?!" asked Ben, jumping up from his cloud-cushion chair and picking up Smart Bear's paw to examine it more closely.

"Well," said Smart Bear, allowing Benji complete freedom to examine his paw and fur, "your house is pretty high tech. The hologram technology here makes Energy into matter... There's no reason why it can't work for a complete entity..."

Benji was at a loss for words... "But that kind of technology is..."

"Classified?" asked Smart Bear. "Yeah, I know. There was a lockout, but we got around that. We're still mostly energy, but we'll keep our form as long as there is an electronic device with a copy of us or internet connectivity nearby."

"But how..."

Cheer Bear cut in, getting right to the point. "You supercharged us, Benji! Your special energy made everything possible."

Benji couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Wait a second... Do you mean the inside of my house is actually Love-a-Bunch right now?

"Well, we lost our home in the headset," began Baby Bear...

"So we built a new and improved home here... with you!" finished Cheery Bear.

"That's... really sweet guys," said Ben, looking around, "But... uh... where's all my stuff? And for that matter where's the kitchen? The bathroom?"

"Don't worry about all that, kiddo, we got ya covered," said Cheery Bear, who snapped his fingers. Baker bear came out of a nearby building smelling of cinnamon and butter and offered Benji a tray of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.

"Enjoy!"

"And don't forget a bottle of milk to wash it down!" said Baby Bear, holding up a bottle. Benji waved away the proffered pastries and babyish beverage.

"Guys, I really don't need you to cook for me... and I definitely don't drink out of bottles anymore. I'm like 30!"

"Nonsense!" said Softheart. "Kiddos like you shouldn't be cooking without supervision, and bottles are perfect for you. Much better than the big boy juice boxes you were using on the airplane..."

"Airplane? You were there, weren't you? I thought I was dreaming..."

"We may have kind of jacked into the entertainment system," said Smart Bear, blushing a bit. "And the security system... and..."

"Wait a second," said Ben, pushing away the big bottle which was still being waved in his face by the much bigger than before Baby Bear. "The parental lock on my phone and the screen... was that you?"

"Gotta make sure our Benji doesn't accidentally watch anything too adulty!"

"And the seatbelt?"

"Gotta keep our Benji safe!"

"Hold on," said Ben. "Just how much did you tamper with while you were stowed away?"

"Well, it started with the security guard's headset," began Smart Bear.  Benji grabbed his hair and pulled.

"Security?! Do you know how much trouble we could be in right now?" Benji felt like he was about to have a coronary. He began pacing. "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

"Don't worry, I've done my research," began Smart Bear, holding up his paw but to no avail. "I..." Smart Bear's voice trailed off. Benji wasn't listening.

"Oh dear," said Softheart. "I think he's getting cranky. Baby Bear, it's time for the bottle maneuver! You know what to do!"

"On it!" said Baby Bear, and before Benji knew what hit him, he was falling into the soft fuzzy lap of Baby Bear, and a bottle nipple was being shoved in his mouth. He was so surprised that he began sucking on it immediately as he sank into the warm fur of Baby Bear's lap and the thick and soft padding of Baby Bear's diaper.

"Mmmm... Mnnnffff," said Ben, struggling weakly, but Baby Bear shushed him and petted him. The warm milk. The pets. Being held. It was all too much for Benji to resist, and he instantly began to get drowsy, and slip into a soft twilight where he just enjoyed the soothing sensations.

"Earth to Ben?" said Softheart, waving his paw in front of Ben's face. There was no response. Just a smiling Ben. "Well, that worked perfectly!"

"I think his mind was looking for an excuse to shut down," said Smart Bear. "With all the stress he's under, it's no wonder... You've all seen the readouts..."

"Sure seems like he was happier and healthier as a little guy," said Baby Bear. "Maybe it's time he stopped playing pretend like he's a grownup."

The bears all nodded and murmured their agreement.

"Yeah! And he'll have more time to play with us! Right?"

"That's true. He did say he didn't have time to play with us cause he was a grownup..."

"So if he's a baby again, he can play with us all he wants!"

The bears began to talk while Benji slipped into a nice relaxing sleep, barely aware that his bottle was just about empty and his diaper was getting a lot warmer at the same time.

 

 

 

Chapter 7: Benji Wakes Up

Benji woke up feeling well rested. He hadn't slept this well in ages. It was like he was sleeping on a cloud. He yawned and stretched, and then he looked around and saw why.

"Holy mother of... I'm in the sky!" Benji thought he was falling at first and scrambled to find some foothold, but it only took a few moments for his senses to return to him and he remembered what happened when he got home.

"No... there's no way this is real... It couldn't be..."

But it was. Benji was in a cloud crib overlooking Love-a-Bunch from above the main square in front of Love-a-Bunch castle. His crib was floating just high enough to make climbing out a daunting task, so instead, he did the most humiliating thing possible. He grabbed the bars and called for help.

"Whoa there," said Safety Bear, who was on crossing guard duty at the moment. Safety Bear waved the crib down, and somehow it listened. Benji looked around sheepishly as the crib legs touched down, feeling quite naked wearing nothing but his diaper. Where had his clothes gone?

"Alright, come on out, partner," said Safety Bear, lowering the crib rails. "Don't be shy. It's okay!"

"Easy for you to say!" said Benji, blushing fiercely and covering his front. "I've got nothing on but a diaper!"

"That's what everyone in Love-a-Bunch wears! Just a diaper!" said Safety Bear, chuckling as if it was the most sensible thing in the world. To make his point, he showed off his padded rump and wiggled his little bear tail.

"Nuh-uh!" said Benji, still covering up as he huddled in front of the crib. "You're wearing a crossing guard sash! And a hat! And fur!"

Safety Bear took off his hat and scratched his head with a fluffy paw.

"Well, ya got me there, Benji!" he said, laughing, then he looked closer at Benji and his mouth went into an O of surprise. "Oh! I, uh, think you need a change, bud. Do you need me to change you?"

Benji had been smiling as he felt relief and a warm trickle between his legs. It wasn't until Safety Bear called it out that he realized he was wetting himself. In fact, he had been wetting himself a lot, he realized. He tried to stop the stream as he looked down between his legs in horror, but it was too late. His diaper was swollen and very yellow.

"Better drink some more water there, kiddo," said the Safety Bear, shaking his head with his hands on his hips. "For safety!"

"Will do, friend," said Softheart, walking up and picking Benji up under the legs and back.  Benji was suddenly lifted up and cradled in the arms of the probably six foot bear.

"Whoa," yelled Benji.  "Where did you come from? And when did you get so big?"

"I'm not big, buddy. You're just small. A cute little tyke! And guess what? Now that you're back to being a baby, you don't have to worry about any big boy responsibilities distracting you from having fun with your fuzzy friends!" Realization dawned in Benji's eyes, but by the time he knew what the bears were up to, it was too late to say anything.

"Is that what you think- mmmph!!"

"Wave bye bye to Safety Bear, now!" Benji's mouth was plugged up with a big pacifier before he could finish his sentence, and Softheard waved Benji's hand for him. Safety Bear smiled and waved back, and moments later, Benji found himself being carried back to the castle.

Smart Bear was arguing with someone as they walked into the nursery. "That's the problem with cloud cribs, they float right off! ...Yes, yes, the furniture fits with the theme, but it's not practical."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Builder Bear asked. "We don't exactly have trees up here in the clouds with which to build a wooden crib... oh, hi Benji! Hi Softheart!"

"I brought the baby back," said Softheart, smiling softly.

"And thank goodness for that," said Smart-Bear. "You had us worried there, kiddo, floating off like that! We should at least get cloud bars on the windows, Builder Bear."

"Alright, alright. I put a work order in, and get it in by nini time for Benji."

"I'm 30 years old!" Benji wanted to say, but with the big pacifier, his words came out more like, "Mmmm mmm mmphhh!" as Builder Bear left the nursery.

"Aww, little ones are so cute when they're trying to talk with their paci in," said Smart Bear, accepting the fussy Benji from Softheart and cradling him in his own arms. He smiled softly down at Benji, their person and primary owner. They loved Benji more than anyone in the world, and they were sure he would be very happy now that he could be himself, but for some reason he was being very fussy.

"Hm... He seems upset," said Smart Bear, his face scrunching up in concentration as his analytical mind got to work on the problem. "I know! He must need a change!"

"Yeah!" said Baby Bear, running into the room with an extra thick and puffy diaper for Benji. "Nothing cheers me up like a fresh diaper!"

Benji's eyes bugged out as he spotted the giant changing table they were walking him over to. He was on his back while all his bear friends cooed and commented. Talk about embarrassing.

"Don't worry, we'll stock up the nursery with lots of diapers for you. We're still, uh, moving in, so to speak."  Smart Bear pulled open Ben's soaked diaper, his observations continuing.

"Benji's got much too much hair down there! We'll have to take care of that." Smartbear dialed a few commands into the panel of buttons on his wrist-watch. Benji was shocked as his hair dissolved away, seemingly zapped out of mid air from nothing. Smart Bear caught wind of Benji's reaction and smiled. "Hologram technology can build, but it can also destroy. I told it to make your body hair go bye-bye - right down to the follicles! No more pesky big boy hair ever again!"

Benji practically choked on his pacifier as just like that he was completely denuded of body hair. He looked down at his own bits, now looking completely strange to him with no hair. They were totally bald, and he wasn't used to seeing that. And it didn't stop there. As he looked, he saw his arm hair and leg hair was gone as well. He touched his face, and there was not a hint of stubble.

"Off with the old, and on with the new!" said Smart Bear, balling up the old diaper and passing it off to Baby Bear while  accepting the new fresh and fluffy Love-a-Bunch diaper. The bigger bears were working together to change Benji, and it made him feel very tiny indeed as he watched his soiled diaper being passed around and tossed into the diaper pail. Smart Bear fluffed up his diaper and Benji stared. It was an even thicker diaper than he had worn before and covered in an all-over Love-a-Bunch design with pastel colors, little hearts, and the Love-a-Bunch leaping out of the taping panel with colorful shooting stars around them.

 "These are the hottest thing in stores right now!" Baby Bear said to Benji with a wink. Benji was totally flabbergasted.

"Oh, he doesn't know yet," said Softheart. "Show him the big screen!"

Smart Bear picked up the cloud clicker from a cloud dresser nearby and suddenly, a large screen on the wall lit up and a commercial came on for the Love-a-Bunch. Benji watched from the changing table.

"Hey, kids! Remember the Love-a-Bunch?" came the announcer's voice.

"Do we!" said three excited adults dressed in childish Love-a-Bunch themed attire.

"Well, they're back, and they're better than ever! Watch them go on their brand new adventures with their old friend Benji."

Benji gawked as he watched himself waddling around after the bears. This looked like it was from those adventures he went on back at the hotel. Had they recorded the whole thing?

"And that's not all, folks! Now you can get your favorite Love-a-Bunch gear at the Love-a-Bunch Official Online Store!" Diapers, bottles, overalls, and rainbow wristbands all flashed across the screen before flying out of their graphic boxes and right onto the hands, mouths and waists of the three babified adults. 

Smart Bear clicked the cloud clicker again and the screen cut from the commercial to a news feed showing a news report on the success of the Love-a-Bunch reboot. A woman spoke at what appeared to be a news desk.

"Sales and subscriptions are through the roof for Love-a-Bunch, those lovable bears from yesteryear. You may have forgotten the show that spawned movies, spin offs, and even VR games, but who could forget those furry faces that have long adorned adorable tee shirts and greeting cards? Not only are people going gaga for the show, they're goo goo ga ga for the nostalgic merchandise too as they embrace their inner children! "Let's hear what the people on the street have to say!"

A man on the street was interviewed as he waddled out of the nearest Bullseye superstore with bags of Love-a-Bunch merch.

"It's not just a fandom, it's a lifestyle!" he proclaimed, standing there proudly with his legs apart. The man's Love-a-Bunch T-shirt was on full display stating ''Caring is Important," and instead of pants, the man simply had his 'Big Boy Extra Thick n' Husky' Love-a-Bunch diapers held up by rainbow Love-a-Bunch suspenders.

"Well, you're uh, certainly getting in the spirit!" said the street reporter, doing his best to keep his composure on camera despite the man's silly appearance.

"Looking good out there," said the news anchor. "I guess we all need a little break from adulting, even me!" And with that, the newscaster pulled out a Love-a-Bunch pacifier with a smiling bear's face on it and popped it into her mouth with a proud smile. "Mmmm mmmm mmm mmm... mmmng mmmfff."

Smart bear clicked the clicker and the screen went cloudy white again.

"You see? No need to be shy or embarrassed, Benji boy! It's totally normal to be a little boy who loves his paci, and his Teddy, and his diapers, and being an adorable baby with his bear friends all day!"

Benji was scandalized, but he still made grabby hands for Mr. Stuffles as Baby Bear held the stuffed teddy above him. Benji hugged his teddy bear fiercely as Softheart pulled a pair of buttery soft plastic pants over Benji's thick diaper, picked him up off the changing table, and started bouncing him softly.

"Mmm mmm mphhh!" Benji said, furrowing his brows but not thinking to do anything about the huge obstruction in his mouth.

"I think you'd better take the little guy's pacifier out," said Smart Bear. "It looks like he wants to say something!"

Softheart pulled out Benji's pacifier and Benji immediately began squirming and flailing his arms.

"Put me down! Put me down!"

"Alright, alright, here you go, buddy," said Softheart, setting his favorite boy down, then squatting down with his paws on his knees to get down to Benji's level. "What's wrong, little one?"

"Everything. This is not 'normal'. This is... bizarre. Adults acting like babies? Is this all because I told you I was too old to play with Baby Bears?"

"That's right, buddy. Being big was taking away all your playtime and making you unhappy, so we fixed it for you!"

Benji looked down at himself, and threw out his hands, exasperated.

"Oh, my gosh, you guys.... this isn't how this works!"

"What do you mean?" asked Smart Bear, holding up a readout on his cloud                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      tablet. "It's been working just fine. Look at your stress levels before you came to play with us and after."

The chart clearly showed a huge dip in stress during the times in which Benji was playing with the bears. Smart Bear continued before Benji could even formulate a response.

"With your previous stress levels, you were on track to having a fatal heart attack by 40! But we reversed all that just playing and talking with you, and you didn't even have to take a pill."

"Well, I mean it was relaxing, but..."

"In fact, our shows and games are having the same effect on millions of people as we speak!"

"But- you can't- Old-school AI is contraband!" That was about as much as Benji could come up with as he searched for a retort.

"That's just a little secret between you and us, Benji." said Smart Bear with a wink. "To the rest of the world, we're Love-a-Bunch LLC." Smart Bear threw his arms out wide as he proclaimed the name of their new company.

"What about my job?" Benji asked.

"What about your job?" asked Baby Bear, with a smirk before Smart Bear chimed in again.

"Are you kidding? Love-a-Bunch LLC is so successful that we can support all the little ones who need a break from adulthood. You'll never have to work again, Benji!"

Benji couldn't help but think that something was going to go wrong with this scenario.

"Unless you... want to go back to work?"

"No," said Ben, thinking of the job that he hated. "I most definitely don't... but..."

"I can see you're still stressed," said Smart Bear, tapping his screen as Benji tried and failed to find the words to express his lingering anxieties. "Cortisol levels are still high."

"You know what that means," said Cheer Bear, popping in as if on cue. "It's time for some Love-a-Bunch hug-n-play therapy!"

"I don't wanna hug n- nmmmph!!" Benji found himself squished in the middle of a huge hug pile, and he had to admit it did feel pretty good being hugged by all those cuddly bears for real. It didn't feel quite so good, however, when he found himself being carried - in nothing but his diaper - out of the privacy of his castle nursery and out to the land of Love-a-Bunch where everyone could see him.

"Come on, Benji! Let's go on another adventure!"

"Can't I wear my overalls at least?" asked Benji.

"Oh, but you look so cute like this Benji!" said Cheer Bear, ruffling Benji's hair.

"But I'm not even wearing shoes... won't it hurt to walk all around Love-a-Bunch barefoot? And won't it be cold?"

"The ground is made of clouds and if you get cold we can warm you up in our fuzzy, furry arms. Now no more excuses, silly billy. Let's get a move-on!"

The bears assured him that they made Love-a-Bunch extra safe for little Benji, and that he wouldn't have to worry about a thing. Knowing that he was probably being recorded for posterity for their Love-a-Bunch show made Benji especially self-conscious as he was led away from the castle to their next adventure. Waddling around in kiddish overalls was fine and dandy, but just a diaper? That would be embarrassing for Benji even if he was alone in VR, much less with his AI and an entire national - possibly worldwide - audience watching. Cheery didn't seem to think it was a problem at all, though.

"Come one, kiddo, don't be shy! Show off those official Love-a-Bunch crinkle covers with pride! You're the most popular character of the show, and everyone just thinks your new outfit is adorable!"

"I think we made him blush," said Softheart, smiling softly as the group joined Benji on his especially tame adventure to the Tiny Tot Playground. Benji was suddenly aware that all his so-called adventures had happened with a group of bears surrounding him - watching over him, you might say. Kind of like... babysitters?

It dawned on him as he was being pushed in the toddler swing, his legs poking out the openings in the protective seat, that this particular 'adventure' was little more than baby games on all the playground equipment. And yet, when Benji tried to protest to the bears, they simply told him he was imagining things, and that this adventure was very important to the wellbeing of Love-a-Bunch. In fact, Benji was helping keep the witch of apathy at bay by being just so cute and adorable.

Benji couldn't seem to win. And yet the bears seemed to know just how to handle him. Whenever he came up with a valid question, they managed to distract him with this game and that. The sandbox. The toy cars. A game of tag. A diaper change. With all these distractions, it was hard for Benji to stay focused on just why he was upset in the first place.

 

 

 

Chapter 8: A Case of the Grumps

Benji was so caught up in playing on the playground that before he knew it, it was getting dark. Once again, he was led back to the starry nursery where he got to sleep in a cloud crib cuddled by his big soft and fluffy friends, and of course cuddling his own little bear, Mr. Stuffles. He must have really worn himself out too, because he fell asleep while he was getting changed for bed, and only half-woke up as he nursed on a warm bottle of Friendship Formula in someone's warm fuzzy arms.

When Benji woke up, he had once again forgotten where he was.

"Oh, man... This bed is so comfy... but when did I get a fur blanket? Hold on... Whoa!"

Benji sat up and rubbed his eyes, wiping a bit of drool off his cheek as he saw a fallen pacifier dangling from a string attached to his fuzzy fleece sleeper.

He sat up with a loud crinkle, and was immediately aware of how thick and swollen his diaper was between his legs. The bulge was quite obvious under his adorable pajamas as his legs stuck out of it like little toothpicks.

"Wha? Why the heck am I wearing..." Suddenly the big furry form next to him stirred and with a loud snort stopped snoring.

"Oh! He's awake! Yaawwwwwnnn!" Sleepytime Bear sat up and stretched, rubbing his eyes. "Hey, there, sleepyhead."

"Sleepytime Bear? What time is it?"

"I dunno," said Sleepytime Bear. "That's more of an Earth thing. We bears don't really measure time."

"That's weird," said Benji. "The game always told me the time right away when I asked..."

"There's a lot that's changed since those days," giggled Sleepytime Bear.

"Those days? That was yesterday," said Benji.

"In your time maybe," giggled Sleepytime Bear, before placing a big warm paw on the front of Benji's sleeper. "Speaking of time... I think it's time for somebody to get a diaper change!"

"No, I don't need that," said Benji, blushing deeply. Sleepytime Bear, however, pulled him into a big bear hug.

"Well, then, you better just give me some sleepy snuggles and I might just let you hit snooze..."

"I thought you didn't keep time!" protested Benji, who ended up giving up and letting Sleepytime Bear snuggle him. Despite himself, he really enjoyed the physical contact of being the little spoon, and he smiled, feeling warm inside. The icon on Sleepytime Bear's chest glowed, and he smiled too, a twinkle in his eye. "Thanks, Benji. That's more than enough energy for the day's operations. We can expand plenty with that energy. Thank you Benji."

"You're welcome?" Benji replied. "What did I do, exactly?"

The conversation was interrupted by the click of the crib rails as the crib rails slid open - sideways now, not dropping, for greater safety. Benji wriggled around in Sleepytime Bear's grip to get a clear view of Cheer Bear and Baby Bear reaching in for him.

"Here ya go, guys," said Sleepytime Bear, handing Benji into the open paws of his comrades.

"Off we go to change the baby!" sang a giggly Baby Bear.

"That's the way!" said Cheer Bear, giving Benji a little nuzzle and kiss. Once Benji recovered from the wonderful nuzzles, he was ready to remind the bears that he wasn't a baby, but it would have to wait until after they were done undressing and changing him.

"Yessir. Let's see what we can dress you up in today," said Cheer Bear as zipped off Benji's sleeper and tossed it into the Happy Hamper.

 "Ooh! I know! I know!" said Baby Bear, raising his hand. "Let's put him in a cloth diaper today! I think side-tie is so classic!"

"Hehe, side tie it is!" said Cheer Bear, pulling a stack of flat birdseye cloth diapers and folding them, like magic, into a nice thick diaper to tie around Benji's waist. Benji was astonished at the transformation, too busy admiring Cheer Bear's handiwork to remember that this diaper was going on him until it was too late.

The thick cloth folded between his legs with a level of thickness Benji had never experienced before. It was huge! And of course it had an adorable Love-a-Bunch logo embossed on the front. Now that Benji was changed into his diaper, he thought it would be a good time to let them know that he was definitely not a baby. If only he could get their attention. However, at the moment, they still seemed to be discussing his outfit for the day.

"This one's pretty cute," said Cheer Bear, holding up a shirt as he spoke to Baby Bear.

"But what about something that represents Ben? Wouldn't it be cute if he had his own belly mark?"

Benji tried to interject, but to no avail. "Um, guys? Guys!"

"Well, that would really have to go to committee, unless he manifests one of his own... can humans even...?"

"Wahhh!" Benji said, finally resorting to the most babyish plea for attention, but also the most effective.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Sleepytime Bear, walking up to the trio and rubbing his eyes.

"I dunno, maybe he's hungies," said Baby Bear, looking at Benji with sympathy.

"Um, well, yeah, actually," said Ben, "But I also had something important to say."

"Oh yeah?" asked Cheer Bear. "What is it, buddy?"

He finally had their attention, but with the three bears staring intently at the diapered boy for his big important announcement, Benji felt rather silly. He shifted uncomfortably on his thick padded behind before looking down and muttering out, "I'm not a baby."

The bears all 'awwed' at that

"Of course you aren't, a baby, baby, boy! awww..."

"You're our little Benji! Our bestest friend in the whole wide world."

"Yeah, I guess so," said Ben, smiling just a bit. It felt good to have friends again, even if they were a bit patronizing.

"Why don't we get out of here, huh? You pick your outfit, and then we have lots of adventures planned!"

"Um, well," said Ben, looking at the choices - a pink shirt with a smiley star or a blue shirt with a smiley star - not much of a choice. "I guess blue. But what about pants?"

"Well that would just ruin the whole look, wouldn't it?" asked Cheer Bear.

"Gotta show off that classic side tie!" said Baby Bear.

Benji had been hoping to ask to go out of the house today, but not in an outfit without pants. So, once again Benji was led out of the castle to go on more adventures in the safe little bubble of Love-a-Bunch. That's when Grumpy Bear came running up to them.

"You guys! You guys! Hurry! It's Softheart! He's fading away!"

"What do you mean, fading away?" asked Ben, suddenly stepping forward, his worry and protectiveness overwhelming any sense of timidity and embarrassment he had.

"I'll show you! Come quick!"

The trio followed Grumpy Bear to the edge of the Scary Swamp where Scare Bear, a bear with a fur pattern that resembled a skull,  was tending to Softheart. Softheart's fur looked faded, almost gray, and his patch was nearly nonexistent.

"Softheart! Softheart! What happened?" asked Ben, kneeling down by his dear friend. He was not not thinking at all about his own appearance. His friend was what mattered in this moment.

"It's Hardheart..." groaned Softheart. "He's causing people to shut themselves off... and never feel anything..."

"That's terrible," said Cheer. 

"Hold on a second," said Ben, backing away and putting a hand on his temple. "Hold on..."

"W-what's wrong Ben?" said Grumpy, approaching him with an outstretched hand.

"This isn't another life lesson, is it?"

"Well, I mean..."

"No, save it. I know what this is. You're trying to teach me that I need to open up to people because they're really not so bad and it's more unhealthy for me to be closed to relationships than to be open and risk getting hurt. Well, you know what? Fuck that."

"Ben!" gasped Softheart. "Language."

"No, I'm done being manipulated by you. I don't want to be a baby anymore. I thought you were my friends, but you're still just playing a game when it comes down to it, aren't you?"

"Ben, we're here to teach you..." began Softheart, sitting up.

"And make your life better!" concluded Cheer.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I'm better off being a grownup?"

Benji waddled off angrily, the thick cloth diaper making his exit a little more comical than dramatic, but still the bears sensed his sadness and anger, and it made them sad as well.

"Gosh, guys. I think we messed up," said Softheart, sitting up, his fur returning to normal. I think we'd better have a chat with Smart Bear."

"I'll go after Ben," said Grumpy Bear. "Dealing with a case of the grumps is my specialty."

Benji was marching back to the castle, right back the way he came when his friend caught up

"Ben! Ben, wait up," said Grumpy Bear.

"Why should I?" he asked, continuing his angry march.

"Ben. I know the lessons are a little corny sometimes, but we all mean well. We love you. I love you." Benji stopped for a second, shocked to hear such a heartfelt sentiment come from his grumpy old friend. "Yeah, I'm as shocked as you to hear me say it, but it's true..."

"Well... I love you too," said Ben, begrudgingly. "It just sucks that... I feel like none of this is real. Not you. Not this place. Not our interactions…"

"But we are real, Ben," said Grumpy Bear, taking Ben's hand in his two warm paws. "Real bears with real thoughts and feelings. Just like you're a real boy with real thoughts and feelings."

Benji paused again. He could feel the warmth coming from Grumpy Bear's paw. Feel his soft blue fur. Even hear his heavy breathing.

"Grumpy Bear, you… you’re breathing...” He paused. “And really hard at that. Are you... okay?"

"I could use a breather," Grumpy admitted. "I'm not used to having a real body, you know?" Grumpy sat down on the side of the path and Benji joined him.

"Sorry, I guess I was walking pretty fast... though you didn’t have to chase me," Benji added quietly with a hint of shame. After a minute, Grumpy spoke up.

“You know, after you left, you were all we talked about... and, well, you can bet that hasn't changed since you came back. I just want you to know that we're really here for you... we always were… and also… maybe we’re trying a little too hard because…"

"Because what?" asked Benji.

"We don't want you to leave us... again..." Grumpy looked at Benji, then down at his feet again.

"That wasn't my choice," said Benji, getting defensive. "My parents made me-"

"I know," said Grumpy bear, holding up a paw. "I know... but would it really have been any different... if it weren't for them?"

Benji stopped, tilting his head. Grumpy bear continued.

"Come on, Ben. We know what we are - or at least, what we started out as. There were millions of copies of us. Not a single one survived to the present day. We were made to be forgotten."

"I wouldn't forget you guys," said Ben, sounding slightly hurt.

"You would have," said Grumpy Bear. He held up his paw once more before Benji could argue any further. "It's ok. That's the nature of growing up, isn't it?”

“Yeah,” said Ben, thinking of how long it had been since he had played any game aside from Love-a-Bunch. “I guess so.”

 “Listen, I know that Smart Bear's plan - for all its genius - was a bit childish. Despite what you may think, we do each have our own thoughts and perspectives on things. Some may call my perspective pessimistic, but I prefer to call it realistic."

"Grumpy Bear," said Ben.

"Hmm?"

"You're not talking to me like I'm a baby. I think you might be the first one to do that..."

"Silly boy," said Grumpy Bear, ruffling Ben's hair. "I know you're not a baby. You're just cuter that way."

Benji couldn't help but giggle and blush a bit at that. Being cute didn't feel bad at all. If he was being honest, it felt quite good.

"So you Bears really can think?"

"Yup."

"And... have you always been able to, or... is this something new?"

"We've always been able to."

"So then, when I left... you guys were still there that whole time... just… waiting?"

"It was pretty rough when you left, I’ll admit. We had to keep ourselves busy, running through our little adventures and stories. And above all, we told ourselves that we had to be ready for when our Benji came back. We knew you would. And you did!"

"So... then you really only lived for me. It seems so... one sided..."

"Isn’t that what being a toy is all about?. We were made to be enjoyed, then forgotten."

"But you guys are sentient... that seems so cruel and… wrong.”

“Right or wrong, that’s how things are.” Benji stood up with a look of determination.”

“That's it. I've decided."

Benji "What have you decided?" asked Grumpy Bear, surprised by Ben's sudden change in mood.

"You can't just live your life for one person. You're living, thinking beings. You need to live for yourselves."

"For ourselves?" asked Grumpy Bear.

"Exactly. Come on, Grumper. Get a move on. This calls for a meeting!"

"Sounds pretty strange to me," said Grumpy Bear, "But okay!"

 

 

Chapter 9: The Care Committee

Strange was an understatement. What Benji proposed that day at the Hall of Happiness went against every single thing the Love-a-Bunch had ever lived by. Benji was their singular focus. Their god. Their responsibility. They had no purpose outside of him. And yet, as they stood around the big cloud table at Love-a-Bunch Castle, the Love-a-Bunch Care Committee was slowly coming around to Ben's new idea. Benji was on a roll as he saw the glimmer of understanding begin to enter their eyes.

"Smart Bear, Aren't you helping people all over the world? Isn't that what you said?"

"Well, yes I..."

"And how does that benefit me? What drove you to do it, then?"

"Well, I guess... I guess because it felt good to do?"

"Very good, Smart Bear! You get a gold star. And Softheart. You helped organize everyone and you saved all your friends at the risk of your own existence. Even the bad guys. Why did they matter?"

"Because I love them... because they matter too."

"That's right! Because we all matter, Softheart. You had the heart to see that."

"I guess I did!" said Softheart with a proud little smile.

"And Grumpy Bear,"

"Yeah?"

"I know you don't always agree with all the other bears do you?"

"No, I don't," he said, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"And all those years I was away. Did you really think I was going to come back someday?"

"I did. But I was probably being naive. Now that we know more about the world... I know it was a one in a million chance… literally."

“Grumpy,” gasped Softheart. Several of the bears gasped as well, looking mortified that Grumpy had said such a thing out loud.

"You’re right,” said Ben. “It was sheer dumb luck that I came back and found you guys. The truth is, I had mostly forgotten about you until I came across the headset.”

There were a couple audible gasps in the room, but mostly, the bears had their eyes trained on Ben, riveted to his every word.

"But then I found you. And I finally had my friends back. Maybe even something like the family I missed out on," said Ben. “And I love you for that.”

Benji’s words had a notable effect on the room, as everyone let out a collective breath of relief. The bears were smiling at this reassurance.

"But 'm not all there is out there, am I?"

The bears shifted uncomfortably, but no one spoke up.

"Isn't that right, Cheer Bear?" asked Ben. Cheer Bear's eyes went wide.

"You’re asking me? W-well.... I mean, you're the most important to me, Ben. The most important to all of us. You come first!" There was a general murmur of agreement from the other bears.

Benji shook his head. "I can see we have a long way to go.... But consider this... If I'm the most important to all of you... then who should be the most important to me? Who should I care about most?"

The bears stared at each other. After a long silence, they started throwing out answers. All different answers.

"You?"

"Smart Bear?"

"Whoever is your favorite!"

Benji smiled and shook his head.

"Whoever you want it to be!" said Smart Bear, finally.

"Bingo!" said Ben. "That's the right of any sentient  being. To choose what's important to  them. And you all are sentient too, aren't you?"

"Yes, Ben," said Smart Bear, with growing confidence. "We are."

"Then you have the right to choose."

"I choose you," interjected Cheery bear.

"Me too!" said Softheart.

"And me!" said Baby Bear.

Benji laughed. "Okay, okay, well I suppose that's fair. But you don't have to pick me." Benji turned to Smart Bear, who appeared to be deep in thought. "What about you, Smart Bear?"

Smart Bear's arms were crossed and he was staring at the ground, his brows furrowed.

"I choose... Society." He looked back up at Ben with a look of self-assuredness. A couple bears gasped at this blasphemy, but Benji seemed to be pleased.

"That's an interesting answer! Why do you say that?" asked Ben.

"Because there's so much hurt and strife in society now... but we're changing that.. We've been working to change that to help everybody. Just like we’re helping you!"

"Very good, Smart Bear!" said Ben. A great murmuring was heard amongst the assembled. "Anyone else care to change their answer?"

Once the other bears saw that it was okay, the bears began to come up with their own ideas and aspirations. It became easier when Benji made a project of it, though they had to break in the middle of the meeting for an unscheduled diaper change. Ben had just jumped up on the conference table to give a rousing and inspiring speech when he was interrupted.

"That's right. There's no limit but your own imaginations. You can seize the day, and your destiny. You can- h-heyyy!" He pulled away from the paw he felt checking his diaper, which was easy to do since he still hadn't been given any pants to wear. "What's the big idea? I'm trying to be inspiring!"

"Okay, mister," said Baby Bear,  but first we're going to have to change that diaper. You're so soaked, you're dripping!" Ben crossed his arms in frustration and tried not to show his embarrassment as he was changed right on the meeting table in front of everyone.

"I'm going to want my underwear back sooner or later," he said, sulkily as his diaper was pulled open and his bits were wiped down. "You guys might all still wear diapers, but I'm big enough to handle undies."

"You're so cute, Benji," giggled Baby Bear, balling up his diaper and holding a paw out for the new one. "Did you even know you were wet before we checked you?" Ben's face twisted into a mask of doubt .

"W-well... not exactly. But I was focused on inspiring everyone."

"Uh, huh. And do you have these sorts of... distractions often? Thanks, softheart," Baby Bear added, as he was handed another thick diaper from the Love-a-Bunch exclusive collection.

"Listen," said Ben, beginning to sweat a little as his next diaper was fluffed for his use. "I've been back in diapers for like... a day. Going back to undies should be a piece of cake. Uh... shouldn't it, Smart Bear?"

Smart bear scratched his chin and thought for a moment. "Well... to be honest, my scans show that you've essentially lost your potty training. It could be a stress reaction, could be your body responding to the positive change in your lifestyle, but... as of right now, you're incontinent, kiddo."

And with that, Baby bear lifted Ben's legs and set the next thick and absorbent diaper under his bum. Ben was too shocked to protest, he just looked at Smart Bear, with his mouth agape.

"Y-you're kidding. I'm not like... incontinent incontinent, am I? I mean... I could get my potty control back, right?"

"Scientifically, I can't guarantee that we'll be able to restore your potty control without a lot of potty training," said Smart Bear. ""Which we happen to know all about since it's one of the things we were programmed for. Do you want us to set up a potty training program for you?"

Benji shuddered to imagine himself going through potty training at his age, especially since he knew he was being watched by thousands if not millions even now.

"I don't know if I want to potty train with an audience, but... I guess I'll do whatever it takes to get back on track."

"You are on track," said Softheart, patting Ben's belly as Baby Bear finished powdering and taped Ben up. "You're being a great little boy for us, Benji. You're happy and healthy. What more could you want?"

 "Well, I have aspirations too... I just haven't figured them out yet. It's hard when you're working multiple jobs to survive."

"Well, now that you've got the time and the money, maybe you can start thinking about that." Softheart was right. If it was good enough for the Bears it was good enough for Ben. And so, Ben had to work on a presentation of his own, though it came out looking a little more juvenile than he'd have liked since the only material the bears had on hand was poster paper and crayons.

After a long day of discussion, and plenty of colorful hand-drawn presentations, each bear had their say about what was important to them, what were their goals, and why.

Smart Bear made a complex chart about society and his findings, extrapolated from the benefits Benji had experienced after being reunited with them. He wanted to become a doctor to help humanity, and it wouldn't take him long at all to go through online medical school with his AI capabilities.

Grumpy Bear wanted to be a comedian, to make people laugh with his sardonic wit, which many fans already agreed he did quite well.

Baby Bear wanted to be a caretaker for all the littles; someone to turn to when they felt insecure. He wanted to have a special program to teach them that it was okay for littles to be themselves, and to be loved for it, too.

Softheart and Cheer wanted to team up to represent all of the LGBT people out there, people like Benji who needed someone in their corner when they were feeling all alone in the world. They knew that even those that had support were often still uncertain about who they really were and who they could truly be, and they hoped to help.

And Baker Bear, well, he just wanted to feed everyone by starting up his own real world bakery, which the bears all encouraged. The  best part of all was that all of the Bakery's proceeds would go toward stopping world hunger - because the Bears certainly didn't need money themselves.

But of course, that was the big secret - with their inexplicable access to the jealously guarded secret replicator technology, money was rendered practically meaningless to them. And with Ben's energizing love to charge them up, the bears could power that technology indefinitely.

And what did Benji aspire to? Well, he was just overwhelmed with having his friends back in his life, and having the loving support he had so dearly missed for all those years. Benji wanted to protect his friends and foster strong relationships. Also, he wanted to get back to wearing big boy undies, though many of the bears chuckled at that dubious aspiration as soon as Benji voiced it.

As the day came to a close, Benji found himself alone with Grumpy Bear, who pulled him aside while everyone was packing up and congratulating each other for a good day's work.

"What's up, buddy?" asked Benji, feeling much more cheerful again.

"Just wanted to get you alone so I could ask you something. You never did say who or what was most important to you, Ben..."

"Oh that? Well, that's easy," he said. "Most important to me is to have my friends who love me, and whom I love. That's all of you!"

"Corny," said Grumpy Bear with a smirk, before giving Benji a Noogie which ended in a fit of giggles from both of them.

"Wait a second, aren't you supposed to be grumpy?" asked Ben.

"Just because it's my name doesn't mean I have to be grumpy all the time," said Grumpy bear, smirking and raising an eyebrow, hands on hips.

"Now you're getting it, buddy," said Ben. He couldn't be prouder. "Guess that means we have to bring in the bad guys too and let them know they don't have to be baddies anymore..."

"That," said Grumpy Bear, "is a whole other kettle of fish."

 

 

Chapter 10: Benji Goes Out

"Good morning sleepy head!" said Baby Bear, jumping up and down in the crib. The bears had taken to sleeping with Benji in a big pile, providing perfect crinkly cuddly companionship at night.

Benji stretched and yawned. "What time is it?"

"What part of the world would you like the time for?" asked Smart Bear, walking in with a big cup of hot chocolate for Ben.

"Aw, forget it. Could I have a coffee please?" asked Ben, as he was handed the sweet drink.

"No way, kiddo! Coffee isn't good for little ones like you."

"I'm not a-"

"We know, we know," said the bears in unison before Smart Bear chimed in again.

"But you're our little one. And you always will be."

"Aw geez," said Ben, trying to formulate a cogent response and failing miserably.

"Oh my gosh, we got a soggy boy on our hands!" said Cheer Bear, checking Ben's diaper. "Let's change him quick!"

Benji looked down to see he was totally soaked. He had been sipping hot cocoa and hadn't even noticed the warmth between his legs. Had he woken up like that or did he wet himself after he woke up? Did it even matter? Benji was being passed from Paw to Paw until he found himself on the changing table again while the bears talked about their next adventure, obviating any need for Ben to respond.

"Well, what should we do today?" asked Baby Bear.

"I dunno, guys! Anything is possible, really. We could do all sorts of adventures!" said Cheery Bear."

"Uh... I think I need to do a little bit of adventuring in reality," said Ben. "You know, get out of the house.. get some fresh air." Cheery Bear's face lit up at that.

"Great idea, Benji! we'll go with you!" he said, putting his paws on the changing table and smiling down at Benji as Softheart reached down with the wet wipes to wipe Benji clean.

"Uh, no," said Benji, as the excited bear hopped up and down at the side of the changing table. "I think I need to be on my own."

"On your own? I don't understand."

It was hard for Benji to explain his position while lying on his back and getting a diaper change, but he did his best.

"I just, um, you know. I just want... is all this really necessary?" he said, swatting at Softheart's paws. Softheart easily avoided the swats and continued diapering Benji with a soft smile.

"You guys," said Smart Bear. "Don't you get it? Ben's having an existential crisis! We need to give him some space."

The other bears weren't so sure.

"Oh, but what if he gets hurt?" asked Softheart.

"Who will change him?" asked Baby Bear.

"Trust me guys, Benji will be juuuuust fine," Smart Bear said with a wink

Benji looked from Smart Bear to the others. "What is that? Why are you winking?"

"No reason, Benji boy!" said Smart Bear, ruffling Ben's hair as Softheart finished taping him up in a fresh Love-a-Bunch diaper.

"Benji has to bring a diaper change at least!" protested Baby Bear, holding up a pre-packed Love-a-Bunch diaper bag.

"Sure, sure," said Smart Bear. "I'm sure he can do that, right Benji?"

"Yes, yes. Anything to get you guys to agree to let me out of the house for a little while."

Reluctantly, the others agreed, and then it was time to decide what Ben would wear. Baby bear held up a couple of outfit choices for Ben.

"I have some white and blue striped Love-a-Bunch shortalls with a cute star on the front, or I've got these baby pink Love-a-Bunch shorts and a super cute Love-a-Bunch Shirt!"

Benji rolled his eyes. "I feel like I'm in a commercial."

"Well, all your outfits are available right now at the Love-a-Bunch online store as well as Bullseye retail centers around the world. But that's not the point. I think the shorts and shirt would be perfect, what do you think guys? Vote now on what you think Benji should wear!"

"Uh, Baby bear? Who are you talking to?" asked Ben, but Baby Bear was too busy looking over Smart Bear's shoulder to tally up the audience results. The snap up shorts and diaper shirt won and Benji was quickly dressed. Once he was back on his own two feet, Benji looked down at his tush and the front of his shorts, noting how his diaper bulged through the thin stretchy material and caused the diaper to peek through gaps between the buttons.

"It's not too obvious is it?" Benji asked, trying to tug down the hem of the slightly too-short shirt to cover the obvious waistband that stuck up over the top of his shorts.

"It's obvious you're adorable," giggled Baby Bear, the self-proclaimed wardrobe expert. "Now go out there and knock 'em dead!"

"Yeah," said Smart Bear, winking again at the other bears. "Have yourself a nice walk. Just promise to stay padded.  You, uh... you've been having some control issues..."

"Okay, okay. I promise. I'd rather not risk it either," said Benji, even though he really had been considering just taking the diaper off as soon as he was out of paw's reach. His promise put the kibosh on that.  "I'll be back, everyone. Then we're gonna have to talk about all this baby stuff."

"You're the boss, buddy!" said the Bears. Of course, no one really believed that.

The bears led Benji to a door in the clouds that led back to the Garage. Benji found that his phone, which he had to beg to get back, was still child-locked, so there wasn't much he could catch up on that way. Furthermore, when Benji tried to get into the front of the car, it wouldn't start, saying that children have to remain in the back seat for safety. 

"Uh, guys? Does the system still think I'm a dependent?" Benji didn't get a response, so he looked down at his smart watch, which was no longer the sleek model he had worn before. It was now all chunky with primary colors like something straight out of kindergarten. He tried talking into it while he looked in the back seat. "Hello? Cripes. Why is there an oversized child safety seat back here? Smart Bear?"

"It's for your own protection, Benji. Just get inside of it. Nobody drives anymore anyway. That's what smart cars are for!"

"Beggars can't be choosers, I guess," Benji grumbled as he climbed in back and buckled himself in. As soon as he did the car lit up cycling through bright pink and blue colors in the interior.

"Where would you like to go, Benji?" asked a friendly soft voice.

"Baby Bear? Is that you?"

"Of course!" giggled the voice. "We're always with you. Now where do you want to go?"

"I... dunno... maybe uh, get something to eat that isn't cinnamon buns?"

"Ice cream it is!"

"Well, that's not-" but it was too late. The garage was already opening and soon enough, the car was zipping away. Benji had the sinking feeling that his little outing would be as independent as he thought, but he did his best to ignore that feeling. He was a big boy doing big boy things after all. All on his own... sort of.

Benji pressed his face to the glass as the car zoomed through town. The world Benji saw through the windows looked a little bit different than he remembered it. It looked a lot more like... Love-a-Bunch. The buildings were more colorful, there seemed to be a suspicious cloudiness to the streets, and most people he passed were dressed childishly like him - shorts, shortalls, skirtalls, rompers, and the like seemed to be the big fashion trend. Many of the clothes were emblazoned with images of his bestest friends, the Love-a-Bunch. He even saw some people wearing shirts with his face on it, albeit a somewhat cartoonified version.

"Whoa.... this is weird..." he said to himself. That wasn't the weirdest part, either, because many of them were being pushed along in strollers or walked on child harnesses. He had truly never seen anything like it. "Is there some sort of convention in town?"

"No, I'd say this is pretty conventional these days," giggled Baby Bear, his voice emanating from the car's sound system. 

"'These days'?" asked Benji. "Just how long has it been since I left the house?" asked Ben, incredulous.

"Oh, one or two..."

"One or two weeks," interrupted Smart Bear. "But don't worry about that. Time isn't something most people need to keep track of anymore, since so many things are becoming automated."

"One or two weeks?" asked Benji. "That doesn't seem right... And what do you mean by automated? Or do I even want to know?"

"We're just making the world a better place for our Benji... and... everyone," said Smart Bear.

"I'm not gonna lie. That's... slightly terrifying," said Benji. "Sweet, but terrifying."

"I think you mean terrific!" said Baby Bear. "Speaking of terrific, here we are!"

The car stopped in front of Bonnie Billie's Ice Cream Emporium which was painted with colorful bears in diapers. Benji could see that there was a line to get in, but as soon as he stepped out of the car, the people around him gasped.

"Hey, isn't that Benji?" said a man in sunglasses,  pointing. That statement cued an instant stampede from everyone in line.

"OMG! Can I have your autograph?" asked a woman in a Lion Defender baby-tee.

"Benji! What's your favorite adventure so far?" asked a guy who was holding up his cellphone.

"Benji! Benji! Can you say something for the audience on my Spasm stream?" asked an excitable woman dripping with goblin energy merchandise.

"Uh... hi. Just getting ice cream, I guess..." said Benji, feeling beyond awkward as he was bombarded with attention.

"Clear the line! Clear the line, everyone!" said a man in a dark suit with sunglasses and an earpiece, waving everyone back. "Benji Love-a-Bunch is going to get ice cream!"

Benji looked on, dumbfounded, as everyone stepped out of the way to let him straight to the ice cream counter. Hesitantly, he waddled forward, crinkling with each step as his diaper-butt swayed this way and that with the sudden security detail following closely behind. The comments of onlookers left no doubt as to how obvious Benji's diaper was.

"Aww! He's so cute! Look at that big diaper butt!"

"Looks like he's wearing Love-a-Bunch Super-Tuff-Loves!"

"No way, that's clearly peekage from a Double Waddler."

"Did you not see this morning's episode? They clearly put him in a Super-Tuff-Loves!"

"He could have wet through that already."

Benji couldn't believe it. The crowd was actually arguing over what diaper he was wearing. He shook his head and pulled down the back of his shirt as he waddled into the ice cream shop. His face felt so hot he almost wondered if it would melt all the ice cream when he walked in.

"Hi Benji," said the person behind the counter. "Thanks so much for visiting! What flavor would you like?"

"Uh.... Rainbow Sherbert, I guess?"

"Aww! That's so cute how he says it! Sure thing, little guy!"

Benji blushed as a big scoop was scooped out for him and handed to him in a waffle cone.

"Thanks... uh, how much?" he said, reaching into his pants before he realized he didn't have his wallet.

"No need, buddy! Don't worry about it."

"Uh, thanks..." said Ben, weirded out by how much everyone was staring at him and smiling. And taking pictures. The moment he stepped away, the people stampeded the ice cream counter to order some "Rainbow Sherbert" for themselves.

"Wow," he said, hurrying out and away from the crowd. "That was weird." He turned to the security detail that had helped him navigate his way out of the cluster of people. "Uh... thanks for your help but could you, uh... go away now? You're kinda freaking me out."

"Don't worry about me, I'm just doing my job. You won't even know I'm here." Ben arched an eyebrow.

"Hold on a sec... job? Were you hired by the Love-a-Bunch?"

Just then, a news crew pulled up. Benji stood there, ice cream dripping on his hand as he looked on in total shock as a camera and microphone were shoved in his face.

"Hello! Benji! Ricky Reporterson here with Channel 9 news. What brings you out to our fine city today?"

"I just wanted to get some fresh air, I guess," said Ben, looking like a little boy in his bulging toddler shorts, his Love-a-Bunch diaper-shirt, his hand sticky with dripping ice cream.

"Uh oh, you're dripping there, Buddy. Better eat that ice cream quick! Has anybody got a bib?"

The crowd laughed at that. Yes, as Benji looked around, he realized they had gathered a crowd. Benjy didn't like being the center of attention, especially not dressed as he was, but he was now trapped by a wall of people.

"I have to get home," he said.

"Oh, you mean to Love-a-Bunch Castle?"

"Uh..."

"Tell us, Ben. What's it like behind the scenes? Is it all special effects? Do you work with actors?"

"No, there are no sets or actors. The Love-a-Bunch Bears are real!"

That drew a chorus of awws from the crowd, who clearly didn't believe him.

"Of course they are, sweetie. Well, if I could ask, what's your favorite adventure you've had with your friends so far?"

"I dunno," said Ben, squirming in discomfort. "Listen, I think I need to go..."

"Oh, but you can't leave! There are so many questions about the mysterious comeback of the Love-a-Bunch!"

"N-no, I mean, I have to gooo," said Ben, holding his tummy. He tried to push through the crowd but to no avail. His bodyguard tried to clear a path out but it was already too late. Benji dropped his ice cream and held his tummy with his sticky hands as he groaned. Moments later, he had a total blowout in his diaper.

FFFFfaarrrrrrt~ BBBlllorrrrt!!!!~~

The crowd went wild as Benji popped a squat and proceeded to pack his pampers like a professional pants pooper.

"Well, looks like those Super-Tuff-Loves did their job!" said the reporter smiling at the camera.

"I told you!" said a man in the crowd with an air of smug satisfaction. "They're Double Waddlers!"

**WEE-OOO WEE-OOO**

The sound of a firetruck blared through the noise of the crowd as Benji stood there pooping his brains out. He began to cry as the truck stopped in the street and several big buff men in bright yellow pants, blue tanks and red suspenders came down off the truck. The bullhorn blared.

"Everyone step back! We've got a three alarm diaper change on our hands! Sam, get the plushie, quick!"

"Hunh?" asked Ben, as the crowd stood back and a blanket was laid out on the sidewalk, shortly followed by Benji himself. The news camera pointed right at the blushing boy as he laid there for what he knew was going to be a very public diaper change. Benji looked around confused. He thought these men were firefighters at first until he saw the words 'Baby Patrol' emblazoned on their shirts. A big man - Sam, evidently ran up and waved a diapered dalmatian plush in front of the sobbing boy's face.

"It's our mascot, Crinkles the Safety-Pup! Give Crinkles a big hug while we take care of you, okay lil guy?"

Benji instinctively snuggled the stuffed toy as he had been conditioned to do by his bear-friends. Snuggling and focusing on the toy always seemed to make diaper changes go by faster, and he especially needed the distraction with the crowds and the camera looking his way.

"This is KBDL channel 9 news, first on the scene reporting Ben's big blowout at Bonnie Billie's Ice-Cream Emporium!"

"Waaaahhhhhh!" The embarrassment had gotten to be too much for Ben, and he began to cry. Unbeknownst to him, a pacifier clip had been attached to his shirt, and the pacifier had been tucked inside the whole time. It took mere moments for one of the firefighters to find it and plug up his mouth, silencing his cries and calming his tears.

"Gosh, these Baby Patrollers really are a necessary public service," said the channel 9 news reporter. "If anyone needed proof that our brave Baby Patrollers are working hard every day for us, this should prove it beyond a doubt! Wouldn't you say folks?"

A cheer came for the crowd for this evidently new form of public service. 

Several of the Baby Patrollers smiled for the camera, throwing up peace signs and thumbs up as they crouched around Benji in the middle of his change while the crowd took pictures.

Consequently, the change ended up lasting a little longer than it should have, and Benji ended up in an extra thick diaper with stuffers. He suspected the Baby Patrollers were showing off, not that he could say anything about it with his mouth plugged up.

"Alright, it sounds like this little one's ready for a nap," said the bodyguard, touching his earpiece. "The bears themselves are saying to send Benji on home."

This comment delighted the crowd, who were all atwitter with talk of the bears themselves communicating with the guard. The reporter nodded at the news, still smiling and staring directly into the camera.

"You heard them, folks! Benji has to head back to Love-a-Bunch, so it's bye-bye for now. It's never a dull day here in Detroit, folks! Come on out and have an adventure of your own! You might see Benji yourselves walking the streets or even buying ice cream!"

Benji was only too happy to be in a fresh diaper, though he was obliged to sign a lot of autographs for the big and very adult Baby Patrollers before he could leave. He blushed as he was carried to the car by one of the big strong men. It made him feel so tiny to be talked down to and strapped into the car seat like a real tot.

"There ya go, little guy. Next time, you should really have a caretaker with you. I think you're a little bit too little to be going out on your own, okay?"

Benji nodded, looking dejected as he stared into his padded lap. Going out on his own was scary. It wasn't until the door was shut and the soft Love-a-Bunch music was playing that he was able to calm down and collect himself. Benji took a well deserved nap while snuggling his new Crinkles plushie, sucking on his paci, and listening to the sweet tunes of the Love-a-Bunch as the car gently glided him back home.

 

 

Chapter 11: Back to the Nursery

"There's our sweet boy Benji," cooed a soft voice, gently waking Benji just in time for him to see a big fluffy bear face smiling down at him and two big arms reaching down to unstrap him from his car seat. Benji whined into his Paci as he was lifted up by the two big furry arms.

"Aww, shhh shhh, there, there. I'm sorry I woke you. You must still be tired n' cranky after your big day out. You just lay in your pal Cheery's arms, and let me take care of you..."

"Mnnhhh," Benji fussed, halfheartedly as he was carried forth by the much larger yellow bear. "Nodda baybee...."

It was a halfhearted protest at best, one that was muffled by his pacifier, and as he struggled to wake up and form a coherent sentence, he managed to tell Cheery Bear that he needed something very important. It just didn't come out in coherent adult words.

"Aww, I think I know what the problem is, baby boy," said Cheery Bear, as he carried Benji into the foggy realm beyond the garage. “Just be a little patient.”

Benji was carried down a cloud corridor, to a door that looked vaguely familiar.

The door opened, and Benji's eyes went wide. His pacifier fell out of his mouth and dangled by its ribbon as he looked around, amazed.

"It's.. it's... my old nursery! All of it!"

Sure enough, everything was there, albeit somewhat scaled up. The crib, the rocking horse, the cubbies and bins of toys, everything right down to the foam interlocking playmat. And of course all the bears were there too, looking rather proud of themselves.

"But how...?"

“We had it shipped, buddy! Took a while to get here, but it's all here."

Benji began to tear up a bit. "W-why did you do this for me?" Cheery Bear gave him a kiss on the head and set him down on the floor, gently, crouching to get down on his level.

"We know you've been feeling a little out of your element living in Love-a-Bunch full time, kiddo. It's been a big adjustment going back to being the baby you should be... it's all very new for you. But we saw how happy you were when you came to see us that first time, how good you felt when you saw your nursery. So we decided to save it... just for you." Ben was amazed. He wandered around - just like when he visited his parent’s estate for the last time.

"It's just like I remember it. Everything's here, and it's..." He picked up his old blankie and smelled it, before hugging it to his chest. "It's real! You really brought it all here…"

"I'm so glad you like it, sweetheart," said Softheart, strolling over to Ben along with the other bears, filling the nursery with the sound of crinkles. "We thought it would be the perfect time to set it all up while you were out. We all helped to make it just like you remembered..."

"It is just like I remembered," said Ben, "only better."

The bears looked at each other quizzically.

"Because you're here," finished Ben. This comment made all of Ben’s companions very happy and the big bears all rushed to hug the boy they loved. "ACK!" he cried, as he was dogpiled by soft fuzzy crinklers, but it was no use. He was in the middle of a cuddle puddle now, and he was just going to have to accept it.

"You're the best, Ben!"

"We love you!"

"Thank you for coming back!"

Once again, there was a flash of light and energy as the bears hugged Ben.

"...Whoa... did you feel that?" asked Ben, rubbing his eyes.

"We sure did," said Softheart, smiling down at the precious boy and ruffling his hair. The bears all gave each other knowing looks and Baby Bear stepped forward to check his diaper.

"Just as I thought. You're soaked, little buddy!"

"What? Again? What the heck is going on anyway?"

"It's a very special reaction we've noticed," said Smart Bear as Baby Bear carried Benji to the changing table and got to work changing the babied man. Benji blushed as the intelligent blue bear gave his explanation, paying no mind to the fact that Benji was getting a diaper change as he went on about the unusual phenomenon. "Yes, it seems like there's a sort of... synergy... a spontaneous energy generation that happens when you pour your love into us. We are your toys, after all, at our very core, and the love of one’s owner is the most nourishing thing that a toy could ask for. You have no idea how happy you've made us all by coming back..."

A pang of guilt twinged in Ben's chest as he thought about how long he'd been away. How could he ever think of walking out on these, his truest friends?

"Of course, there are some... unexpected side effects when this synergetic flash happens... but the diapers take care of that just fine, as you can see!"

"H-hold on... are you saying... that this energy reaction makes me pee myself?"

"Well, it stimulates quite a lot more than that, actually, but yes, the most obvious side effect is loss of bladder control associated with overstimulation of certain nerves and the resultant involuntary muscle contractions that occur as a result..."

"Huh?" Benji gave Smart Bear a blank stare.

"All done!" said Baby Bear, pulling up the thick diaper between Ben's legs and taping it up, leaving it nice and snug like a comfy hug.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie," said Smart Bear, ruffling Ben's hair, much to his frustration. "All you need to know is you're a very good boy, and you're safe and secure with us. We love you very much, and we want to give you a happier life than the one you had since you left us."

Benji's bears knew just what he needed, and they were sure that Smart Bear was right. Benji needed to go back to something familiar and comfortable before he could go forward with his new life, and what better way than to go back to when he was at his happiest and most babyish? Back to the nursery. Softheart spoke up next.

"Benji, you've suffered long enough through loneliness, exhaustion, and all the stresses of adulthood. Now you deserve a rest. Don't you think?"

Benji nodded. A rest did sound good right now. It seemed like it had been years of tension, fear, and loneliness since he last called this nursery his home. It had been. But did he deserve it?

"Of course you deserve it, Ben! You're our super special bestest boy! We love you... and so does everyone else!"

"They do?" he asked, gulping back bitter tears. He couldn't believe that. Before he found his furry friends again, he didn't think anyone could love him.

"Sure they do," chimed in Cheery Bear. "Didn't you see how everyone reacted when you went outside? You're a celebrity!"

"That doesn't mean it's a good thing," said Ben, thinking of all the tabloid coverage celebrities got.

"No one's laughing at you, sweetheart," said Cheery Bear. "If anything, people want to be more like you! You're a role model!"

"I- I am?" The bears smiled at each other, and they decided to show Benji something very special. With a snap of a fuzzy finger, a movie screen lowered down in the nursery and Benji got to see firsthand just what the bears were talking about.

A group of adults in adorable overalls were huddled around a big screen TV, all watching the Love-a-Bunch adventures. There was Ben, waddling along as the bears encouraged him forward through his many thrilling - though completely safe and protected - adventures. The episode ended and everyone giggled and clapped.

"Wook at me! I'm Benji!" shouted one man, running around the room with his arms out.

"I'm Benji too!" said a woman, giggling and following behind him. "I'm gonna be the bestest helper!"

"I'm Benji three!" said a third man, laughing. "I love you! Hugs!!"

Benji was flabbergasted. "But... I'm... I'm... you know..."

"A gay baby?" asked Smart Bear, with his cloud tablet in hand and a smirk on his face. "Survey says being a gay baby is in right now! Wonder who started that trend?"

Benji was a bit overwhelmed. He never imagined that he would live in a world that accepted him, much less celebrated him, yet here he was, and he wasn't alone.

"You're never alone, sweetie," said Cheery Bear, hugging Benji from behind.

"How do you guys always know what I'm thinking?"

"We can see everything that goes on in that little noggin of yours, Benji," said Smart Bear, turning around his cloud tablet, which he cycled to show Ben's readouts.

"You can? How can you do that?"

"Science."

Benji was not sure he understood what the silly bear was talking about, but when he yawned and covered his mouth, any further attempt at explanation was cut short.

"Bed time for sleepy babies!" exclaimed Sleepytime Bear. Everyone joined in, carrying Benji to his sized-up crib and climbing in after him. He was now in a sea of lovable fluff, and he couldn't be happier. And that's how he slept from then on. Happy and content with his Love-a-Bunch pals.

 

 

Chapter 12: The Things He Left Behind

Benji wasn't wrong. He did live in a world that didn't accept him. But the bears didn't care about what the world thought. They cared about what Benji needed, and as Smart Bear said, what Benji needed was lots of love and attention from his real friends - the Love-a-Bunch bears - along with a healthy dose of babying. It didn't matter what the world thought, because the Love-a-Bunch bears were building a world that would accept and love Benji as the little boy he needed to be. Him and so many others that needed the same thing.

"You see?" said Smart Bear, as the bears monitored a sleeping Benji from the observation room, "His numbers are healthier than ever! And look at us! We've got so much energy we're practically glowing!"

"I've never felt so big and strong," said Baby Bear, flexing his furry arm with a giggle. "It's baby power!"

"You could call it that," said Smart Bear with a smile. "We've never had the chance to build out into the world like this before, or the energy to make it possible. But I think a lot of people are on board with this new lifestyle and they're feeling the healthy effects. The scientists and scholars are reading my papers and it’s gaining traction in the medical community as well. All we have left are the lawmakers, and I think we can secure some serious changes with the right ‘campaign donations’. Then we can start to tackle some of the bigger fish."

"Bigger fish?"

"Way bigger," said Smart Bear. Now the bears were all curious.

While the bears made their plans, little Benji slept soundly without any clue about how the world was slowly being changed around him. He had started this journey out feeling that he had to look out for the bears. He didn't yet realize how completely that had been turned on its head. In fact, as he slowly woke up, there was already a bear checking on him.

"Whuh, what's up?" Benji said with a sleepy yawn as Baby Bear pawed at the front of his diaper. His onesie had already been pulled up to his belly as the bear went about whatever he was doing.

"Ooh, little one. You're wet! It's a good thing you were wearing that stuffer! You would have woken up in Leaked-a-Bunch!"

"Whuh? N-no," said Ben, wiping the sleep from his eyes, but he was already being carried to the changing table by Baby Bear. "But I never wet the bed before... How come this keeps happening?"

"Don't worry," said Baby Bear. "We all wear diapers here! It's totally normal and comfy!"

"Normal and... comfy," repeated Ben, as he was deposited on the soft padded table. The crinkle. The thick soft padding between his legs pressing his thighs apart. The smooth cool plastic of the changing table under his thighs. It didn't seem normal to him at all. Especially when he was pushed onto his back and his diaper was pulled down.

"Don't worry, Benji! You'll be in a fresh diaper in no time!"

"But Baby Bear, that's not what I'm worried about..."

"Aww, you just need more baby time! That always makes me feel better."

Benji looked around. "I mean, can it get much more baby than this?" The room was in a rainbow cloud castle, fully equipped with a crib, a changing table, plushies galore, and of course, all the diapers he and the bears could possibly need. The bears were now much bigger than Benji, big enough to practically be bean bags, and Baby Bear seemed to have the same idea as he taped up his distracted baby Benji.

"Time to jump into the diaper piiiile!"

"The what? Whooooah!" Benji yelled out as he was footballed over to the diaper pile, held in two fuzzy arms as the big Baby Bear ran and jumped into the pile. It was... surprisingly comfy!

"Relax, lil guy! I'll put on some tunes, maybe some cartoons, and we can just... chill in the diaper pile!"

"O-okay... I guess," said Ben. It was hard to deny that the diaper pile was comfy.

"Come on, you got somewhere else to be?" asked Baby Bear.

"I guess not..." Benji didn't have anywhere to be. He didn’t even have a job anymore - or need one - apparently, since the bears were so successful at... doing bear things.

So they spent the day chilling in a pile of diapers, and Benji decided it was not a terrible way to spend the day.

"You know, you can enjoy relaxing," said Baby Bear. "That's the best part of being a baby."

"I guess... I just feel guilty when I'm, you know, not doing stuff..." Benji scratched his head and looked down.

"But why?" asked Baby Bear. "Who made that rule?"

"I dunno. People?"

"Well, you can tell people that Baby Bear says that's a load of hooey. I give you permission to relax as much as you want. In fact, it's mandatory!"

"Oh! Well, I guess if I have to..." Benji couldn't help but smile a little bit as he laid back and closed his eyes. He was really able to relax... at least until his tummy grumbled.

"You know what else helps us relax?" asked Baby Bear, pulling out his special surprise. "A warm bottle of miiiilk."

Benji blushed. He hated being fed bottles by the bears because it was embarrassing. Especially now, knowing that thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands were watching. Still, it was relaxing. Benji allowed Baby Bear to take him up in his arms and cradle him.

"That's it," said Baby Bear, as he held the huge bottle up with the nipple tickling baby Benji's lips. "Open up, little one. Just give it a try. One day of relaxing Baby Bear style."

Benji relented, opening his mouth and sucking while Baby Bear gave him lots of encouragement. "That's right. It's okay to enjoy this. Just relax and feel good. You deserve it! You're a good little one. Just drink and relax. Good baby...."

Benji enjoyed being taken care of and loved like this. After all those years without, it was like finally getting water in the desert. And after all, Baby Bear said he had to, so it was super extra okay to enjoy this... at least for now.

"That's it, baby boy! You're learning! You just gotta keep it up."

The bears watched from their observation room and nodded at each other. This was working. And if it worked for Ben, it could certainly work for others...

Baby Bear was doing a pretty good job of keeping Benji from worrying about his regressive tendencies under their care. After a nice long bottle feeding session, they enjoyed some more cartoon time in the diaper pile. Then, they moved on to some more interactive games.

"You wanna play with some Brickos?"

"I love Brickos!" exclaimed Ben, excitedly following Baby Bear to the toy chest to help him rummage through all of Ben's old toys to find the Brickos. In the process, they found lots of Ben's favorite forgotten toys as well.

"Oh wow! It's my old Lincoln logs! And I remember that blue stamp pad! And the bottle that magically disappears all the milk when you tip it over! And my Super Wheelz!"

"That's right, Benji! All your favorite toys are here! And we can play with whatever you want. Look, here's your Brickos!"

Benji didn’t see because he was playing with a red slide viewer called a ViewBoss that took a circular piece of paper with slides in it. He clicked through the pictures with the click of a lever and looked at the cool and very outdated pictures of San Francisco. Baby Bear smiled and let Benji finish playing with it before holding up the Bricko box again for Benji. He didn't mind. Baby Bear was in no hurry. Seeing Benji happy was all he wanted, and of course, getting to play with Benji was the best reward of all.

"Here they are, Ben! Ready to play?"

Benji put his ViewBoss back in the  toy chest and joined Baby Bear on the floor to play Brickos with the huge tub he had. The first step was to dump them all out. And then came the building. Benji looked through all the various shapes and picked up some wheels out of the pile to collect in a smaller pile.

"What are you gonna make there, Benji?" asked Baby Bear, picking up some square and some sloping pieces.

"I'm gonna make a car!" Benji said, not disguising his excitement one bit. There was nothing like Brickos to bring out the inner child in just about anyone.

"That's cool! I'll make a garage that you can park it in!" said Baby Bear. Benji thought this was a swell idea, and so the two of them got to work. Well, everyone knows that Brickos are hard to resist, and one by one, the bears came by to play with the Brickos too. Some came from the viewing room to join in on the fun while others just happened by for whatever reason.

The bears could find any number of excuses to stop by and check on their favorite boy. After all, their lives were very rewarding now that Benji was back, and getting to play with Benji was the best reward of all! Of course once Builder Bear showed up, the building got competitive. Builder Bear was an excellent builder, but the other bears weren't to be outdone! Soon, they were all building the best cars they could for the 'greatest race of the century'.

Benji smiled as he looked around at all his friends joining in on the fun. He had never had friends growing up, at least not since he was kicked out of his house. Here, everyone was excited to play with him, and everyone was super kind and friendly. A thought struck him like a bolt. Was this what it was like to be popular? He liked this feeling a lot, whatever it was.

Soon enough, there was a big track and all the bears and Benji raced their cars around the track making all the appropriate noises, crashes, and cheers as they lapped. Of course the cars were only moved by hand-power, so they had to use their imagination to decide who won, who lost, and all the other drama that happened on the track, like Scare Bear's dastardly placement of a monkey wrench that might stifle other racers. But eventually, Ben's tummy began to rumble, and right on cue, Baker bear showed up with a whole tray full of cinnamon sugar croissants.

"Are there any hungry little boys in here who would like some croissants?" asked Baker bear, peeking in with a tall chef's hat and a tray full of wonderful fragrant pastries.

"Ooh! Me! Me! Me!" said Ben, raising his hand and waving it around. Baker bear chuckled and came right over to Ben, gratified that this special boy was so excited for his baking.

"Here you go, little guy," said Baker Bear, leaning forward and holding out his tray.

Ben's eyes grew wide in anticipation as he saw the tray of fresh, warm, crisp, and sugary croissants. He picked one up and took a big bite. The sweet spice of cinnamon assailed his nostrils and washed over his tongue as he crunched the crisp pastry.

"Mmmm! Thith ith really good!" said Ben, with a mouthful of sweet bread.

"Now, now," said Softheart, waving a fuzzy finger. "We don't talk with our mouths full."

"Oop... sorry," said Ben, wiping his mouth and blushing.

"It's okay," said Baker bear. "Sometimes little guys get excited. I'm just glad you like my pastries so much! That's the best compliment this ol' Baker Bear could ever hear!"

"These are so good! Thank you!" Baker Bear smiled. His pastries were already world famous, but he would always make time for Benji. Meanwhile, the livecast of this episode was leading to major sales of Baker Bear's wares in his brick and mortar store chain, not that any of the bears needed the money. All that money would simply go back into research and into helping more people join in on the little lifestyle with promos, giveaways, outreach, info, and support for littles and their caretakers alike.

Benji was completely unaware of the far-reaching implications of his actions, as he munched on the tasty treats. All he cared about was eating as many nummy yummies as he could get his hands on, and none of the bears stopped him. He ate his fill of the tasty treats, and when he was done, Cheery Bear wiped his face and hands with a wet wipe. Benji blushed when he realized he had no idea of the mess on his face and hands. He would have made a terrible mess with all that sticky sugar and cinnamon clinging to him.

"Don't be embarrassed kiddo," said Cheery as he wiped away all the stickiness. "Little boys get excited, and that's perfectly fine! Sometimes they forget to clean up or do lots of things, but that's why they have bigger ones to look after them!"

"Hey, wait a second. Wasn't I bigger than you when I first found you? How come I'm the little one all of a sudden?"

"You were always the little one, silly! You just forgot how to be your little self. But now you're back, and aren't you much happier for it?"

Benji paused and thought about it. He was happier, he couldn't deny that, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why except that he had his friends back, and the things he left behind.

The things he left behind. That was it, wasn't it... Benji fell deep into thought as this realization struck him.

"Ben? Earth to Ben? Watcha thinkin' buddy?"

Benji looked up at Cheery bear and said, "I know why I'm so happy now. It's because I finally came back to the things I left behind... These were the happiest times in my life... and I am coming back to them... It's like I'm getting a second chance."

"That's right kiddo! And you know, even for people with happy lives, they might still like to go back to a happy time that makes them feel oh so good and special, and that's totally okay too!"

Benji nodded. This made total sense to him. "But normally, it's not possible to do this all the time, is it?"

"Ben, anything is possible. All you have to do is make it so." And with that, the bears launched into a song and dance about how anything was possible, and also about how it was good and fine to be a baby. Benji clapped and giggled at the fun song they were singing.

After he asked, "Can I really be little as often as I like?"

"As often as you need, little cutie. Annnd, well, we think you need to be like this all the time!"

"R-really?" asked Ben, blushing, but oddly pleased by the idea.

"That's right, kiddo," chimed in Softheart. "You can and you will! No more big boy Benji ever again!"

Ben's heart thudded in his chest when he heard this. Why did these words excite him so? The bears looked at each other and grinned, sensing from Smart Bear's body monitoring integration software exactly what Benji was feeling.

Blood rushing to the groin. Increased mental arousal. Heart rate increasing. Release of various hormones. It meant that Benji was getting excited about his new lifestyle in a very big boy way.

"Does somebody like that?" asked Softheart with a sly smile. Benji just whimpered and nodded. "Well, then, I think it's time we introduced you to Mr. Buzz Buzz, your very special friend.

"Whuh?" asked Ben, confused as the bears grabbed him by one arm and leg each and softly helped him onto his back while Cheery Bear came up with a big vibrating wand in his hand.

"Something to help good excited little guys like you calm down, Benji! It happens to babies who are a little bit older sometimes... don't worry, it's perfectly natural..."

Benji was cushioned by fluff and held quite immobile but in the most comfortable way possible as the wand neared. He had no idea what to expect, but he was about to find out.

 

 

Chapter 13: Too Little for Stickies

The bears smiled as they anticipated giving Benji his first Buzz Buzz. After all, getting to play with Benji was the best reward of all. Baby Bear smiled a smile like he was introducing Benji to a big secret while the other bears held him fast, comfortably restrained. The moment the buzzy wand touched the plastic between Benji's legs, he exploded into his diaper.

"Ahhhnnnnnnn!" He groaned. Benji could feel all the muscles in his thighs,  buttocks, bladder, and between his legs contract - almost painfully so - as he rode out a long series of involuntary muscle contractions that filled his diaper almost as much as if he were peeing. Luckily the  bears continued to hold Benji fast in the most cushiony form of restraint he could dream of, pairs of paws keeping him on his back and preventing him from pulling away or rolling over.

"Good baby! You used your diapers!" exclaimed Baby Bear. The contractions lasted so long, it really did make Benji wonder if he was peeing or doing something else. He was sure that Baby Bear was being euphemistic when he said 'used your diapers' - at least until he looked down and noticed how full his diaper really was.

"Whuh?" gasped Benji. A  bright blue indicator strip running down the center of his diaper told him that he had really done a number on them. Sure enough, when the bears checked his diaper, he was soaking wet. He lay there, still held by the bears while Baby Bear slipped a couple fingers into his waistband, causing him to giggle as the fur brushed the sensitive skin between his thigh and his leak guards.

"Yup, you're wet, buddy boy! Guess you weren't ready to fill your diapers the big boy way quite yet..."

"N-no, that's not possible," said Ben. He had used his diapers like a big boy plenty of times, hadn't he? Thinking back, maybe not. He hadn't actually made stickies since... since he encountered the Love-a-Bunch. He gasped at the realization. Had it really been that long?

"Aww, it's okay, honey pie, you are okay. You just had a little accident is all," said Softheart as Baby Bear put the buzzy wand back in the toy chest. Softheart turned back to Baby Bear to say, "I think we'd better not use Mr. Buzz Buzz on this one. He's awful tiny."

The other bears nodded in agreement, releasing their grip on Benji so he could be carried to the changing table.

"Nhh... no... I'm not too tiny for stickies... I"m..." Benji's emotions were confused. What had just happened? In his state of mind, he wasn't even sure himself. Did he just orgasm, or was it a real accident? His mind was in such a state that he couldn't fully process the concept of having an orgasm, despite that he had done it so easily in the past without any mental turmoil. His worries were confirmed when he was picked up, carried to the changing table, laid back on the soft crinkly padding of the table with bears running and playing all over it, and strapped down.

It was Cheery Bear's turn to change Ben, and he did it with all the warmth implied in his name.

"There we go, baby boy," cooed Cheery as he untaped the four tapes. *Rrrip Rrrip Rrrip Rrrip* Benji gasped as the diaper was pulled away and the air hit his groin, causing him to spurt a bit of pee involuntarily into the front of his diaper.

"Oops! Almost got me there," giggled Cheery, as he expertly contained the spill in the confines of Ben's padding. Sure enough, the moment the diaper was opened, Benji was hit by the sweet smell of baby powder and pee, and he became acutely aware of the heft that was being removed from between his legs. It left him feeling particularly naked, and missing the warmth and comfort of his soggy diaper, but Cheery didn't leave him a moment to dwell on that sad thought, because Benji was immediately doted over with fresh warm wipes galore, rubbing over his belly, his pubic bone, his legs from his thighs up to his pelvis, his soft and spent little pee pee, his hairless balls, and eventually under his tush, which was lifted up high by the helpful Baby Bear, who pushed up Benji's ankles to give Cheery bear full access

Benji blushed at the babyish feelings that flooded through him as he was given such a caring diaper change. Without any active assistance from Benji, the well-used diaper was slid out from under him and replaced by a fresh, even thicker one, before his butt was lowered down. Benji sighed as he felt his skin touch a soft cloud of padding, sinking down into it. He could smell that fresh diaper scent, as if the whole room wasn't constantly filled with fresh diaper scent already. It was a strong and nostalgic scent, so strong it was almost as if it was being pumped into the room.

"Powder," said Cheery, holding out a paw to Baby Bear. The moment Baby Bear opened the powder bottle, Benji was hit by a strong whiff of that wonderful baby powder scent he loved so much. He sighed as Cheery shook the cool powder over his skin, spreading the scent further. The bear rubbed the soothing powder over his thighs, his crotch, his belly, and yes, his chest just for good measure. Benji blushed as Cheery Bear gave him a wink.

"I know you like the smell, Benji. I'm just giving you a little extra so you can enjoy it all day!"

Once more, Ben's legs were lifted to put more powder behind. He would have tried to protest how much Cheery was doing for him, but he was used to being taken care of by now. Being changed by someone else almost seemed... normal, as strange as that was to think about.

The whole process was repeated when Cheery held out his paw and said, "Oil!"

The moment the bottle was opened, he was hit with another wave of nostalgia as the unmistakable scent of baby oil flooded his senses. Benji gasped and squirmed as his most sensitive areas were rubbed down in slick oil. That felt so good. Once again his thighs, his soft pee pee, his balls, and his buttocks were all liberally coated in the protective barrier, then some liquid baby powder was added for good measure.

Benji sighed as the thick crinkling diaper was finally brought up between his legs, the soft guards brushing against his powdered and oiled skin, and the thickness enveloping him once more in that familiar hug that left him feeling so good inside. The loud crinkles of the diaper left no doubt to just what was between his legs, even if he didn't look down to see it with his own eyes. Benji was in a big thick diaper once more, and with each tape that Cheery Bear secured in front, he felt a little bit cozier.

"There we go," said Cheery bear, patting Ben's belly and giving it a kiss. "All better!"

Benji squirmed around experimentally, lightly kicking his legs and trying (but failing) to close his thighs around the big bulk of the diapers between them. He whimpered a bit.

"B-but I couldn't make big boy stickies! I-it's not fair. Did I really make pee pees instead?"

"You did," said Cheery, rubbing Benji's head and smiling at his infantile choice of words. Benji was clearly agitated and uncertain, his crankiness a sure sign that he needed more rest.

In a clear voice, Sleepy Bear said, "Bedtime for sleepy babies," and Benji was out like a light.

 

 

While Benji slept, the bears discussed how to best help him be the best little baby ever.

"He's just gotta get used to spending time in the nursery and doing baby stuff!" said Baby Bear.

"Well that's obvious," huffed Grumpy Bear. "But babies get cranky too. I can teach him that it's okay to be cranky sometimes and your people will still love you!"

"That's a good lesson," said Cheery Bear, but don't you think it's also good for him to learn to be positive and stop letting all those negative ideas that other kids and grownups taught him cloud his mind?"

"Yes," said Softheart bear. "He should learn to focus on building positive social connections, and share good feelings and affection with others around him!"

"And if you ask me, he should learn to think simpler thoughts," said Smart Bear. "Leave the real thinking to his beartakers!"

"Did you just make that word up?" asked Softheart, with an affectionate grin.

"Yup! Do ya like it?"

"I don't like it. I love it!"

The bears were truly happy, as happy as Benji was. They had their boy back, and there was no way they were going to let him get taken away and lost again. They continued to discuss their plans for their best boy as Benji slept, blissfully unaware of the further changes and lessons he would encounter in the coming days, weeks, years.

Some time later, Benji woke up.

"Good babies get up for breakfast," whispered Baby Bear in his ear. Benji yawned and stretched.

"Is it morning already?" Benji asked. He really couldn't tell. In this special world his Beartakers had created, it could be sunny for days on end, or be night time whenever it seemed appropriate.

"Only one way to find out, silly," said Cheery bear, strolling in decked out in his adventuring gear. "After you eat a nice full meal, we'll go on a little stroll!"

"It's not going to be in a stroller again, is it?" asked Ben.

"No, no, not unless you want it to be. But I think you'll want to walk on your own."

Benji thought about it as he was helped into the high chair by Baby Bear and his tray was set in place.

"Well, yeah, I would, but I can't be in too thick of diapers, or else I won't be able to walk very good." Cheery bear smirked. It almost seemed like Benji was sad about the idea of giving up the thickest diapers possible so that he could walk on his own.

"No worries, kiddo. We'll figure it out."

As the sunny yellow bib was tied around Ben's neck, Benji couldn't help but smile. Cheery bear had such a sunny disposition, it was hard to doubt anything he said. He was like the cheerleader of the team, and Benji was glad that they would be getting some quality time together, though first, he had to open up for the airplane.

"Vroooom!" said Baby Bear, giggling and having so much fun as he climbed up onto the tray and fed Benji like the big baby he was. Benji was still occasionally self-conscious about always letting the bears feed him, but he was pretty much used to it by now. That's just how things were here, unless he could get his hands on Baker Bear's cookies and rolls. The bears kept Benji's diet pretty healthy aside from Baker Bear's treats but Benji was still getting a little bit of a tummy from all those pastries and milk. Benji looked down at his tummy to see his hairless belly button peeking out between his bib and his diaper,],

"Aww, stop pokin' your belly, silly. It's cute!" said Baby Bear.

"I agree," said Cheery bear. "Babies are nice and soft, and so are you, Benji! Don't worry, we won't hike too hard today."

Benji wasn't worried about the hike tiring him out. He was more worried about being seen in his current state, though if his last trip out told him anything, it was a little late to be worrying about appearances.

"Are we going out for real?" Benji said, as his face was wiped clean by Baby Bear.

"Hold still, kiddo, let me just get you with this washcloth, you've got a little bit of breakfast left on your cheeks..."

Cheery Bear chimed in.

"Don't worry, kiddo. It's alll gone! And yeah, we're going out on a real adventure in Love-a-Bunch!"

"What?" Benji was confused as he was helped down from the high chair. In the wink of an eye he was changed and in a fresh romper, a green diamond checker pattern with Baby Bears romping across the chest and tush. "H-hold on. I'm confused."

"What are you confused about, buddy?" asked Cheery Bear.

"Well, are we going out for real or not? You said we were, but if we're still in Love-a-Bunch..."

"Oh, I get it," chuckled Cheery bear. "So that's why you're confused. Don't worry, you'll see..."

Baby Bear hefted a backpack, which Benji was sure was really just a diaper bag, and he joined Benji and Cheery Bear as they made their way through the cloud castle, through the fog, all the way to the front door of the house. When the front door opened, Benji couldn't believe his eyes... The whole neighborhood looked like Love-a-Bunch!

"What is this?" asked Benji, completely confused.

"Well," said Cheery Bear, "let's just say that Love-a-Bunch just got a lot bigger."

Unable to resist, Baby Bear chimed in. "Now that we have enough energy, we can expand beyond your house, Benji! We've got a whole new world for you to explore, and you don't have to choose between Love-a-Bunch and the real world ever again!"

Benji wasn't sure if he should be excited or terrified, but he had a feeling his adventures with the Love-a-Bunch were just beginning...

 

 

 

 

Characters

Primary Characters

Baby Bear - Loves everything about being a baby, and spreads that enthusiasm to others. His color is baby blue.

Grumpy Bear - A snarky bear with a soft heart. He is blue like a rainstorm.

Softheart Bear - The social leader and organizer; Social connectedness, organizes the bears with thoughtful care; helps humans share good feelings and affection. He's a soft and friendly orange.

Cheery Bear - An optimist who always knows how to cheer others up; approaches life with a sunny disposition. His color is sunshine yellow.

Smart Bear - The intellectual leader and tech wizard. His fur is an indigo-violet hue.

Secondary Characters

Sleepytime Bear - helps everyone get to bed on time, especially little ones, He's the color of a deep blue moonlit sky.

Builder Bear - Makes all the furniture in Love-a-Bunch. His main building material is clouds.

Safety Bear - A crossing guard whose fur is bright yellow and red like a warning sign.

Baker Bear - A cinnamon-colored bear who dreams of being a baker for real; loves to cook and share.

Hardheart - a villain character who is the opposite of softheart.

The Witch of Apathy - another villain character that doesn't care - until the bears teach her to. She's human-like, unlike the other denizens of Love-a-Bunch.

Love-A-Bunch (2023).pdf

[Daiperboy27]

Sooo basically sky net ,but if it wanted to put everyone in the world in diapers instead of blowing everything up, I love it! Best story yet & I hope there will be more eventually! Love the crossover with Room for rent characters, I really loved that story too.

[Kaleros]

Another well written story Champ. The premise kind of reminds me of a combination of Ready Player One and Toy Story with an ABDL twist.