The Opening: A Diaper Dimension Story (Chapter 26 - Complete)

[Guilend]

That entire first part you had me scared lol. First I thought, this must be a nightmare, then I remembered you mentioned time jumps and I was like omg did we skip that much or did that much happen in the skipped time that she's all the way in diapers. Then she woke up and I thought I was the one having issues lol.

I did love in the nightmare that the evil lady said that Jennifer wasn't being a good girl as if she was talking about a Little lol.

I can't wait for the next post. Hopefully tonight/morning. If not I'll see ya when you get back.

[LostBBoyBear]

Hiatus

Well, no one can accuse me of not trying, but I'm leaving with my family and they are all morning people. I am most decidedly a night owl, but as it stands right now, I'll probably get less than three hours off sleep... Anyways, I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to post the next chapter tonight as I originally had intended because of my early flight. Ugh... 

I might have been able to do it, but I also had one of my busiest days of work today and my blasted IPhone is now displaying the wrong artwork after I just synced and tried to fix it for the past two hours. I would have really loved to have left the cliffhanger off at the next chapter instead, but I just don't see that happening at this point unless I pull an all nighter. 

Regardless though, moving forward, I will be back next week and should be able to start posting again. If everything goes how like I want it to, I should be able to post almost everyday at that point until the story is finished. As of tonight, the ending is still standing at 26 chapters. 

Again, I really do apologize for not being able to get out the next chapter in time for this hiatus, but I guess that's just how things go. I wish you all nothing but the best, and with any luck like last year, I'll come away from where I'm going with several more stories that I can write in the future!

[Guilend]

7 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

Hiatus

Well, no one can accuse me of not trying, but I'm leaving with my family and they are all morning people. I am most decidedly a night owl, but as it stands right now, I'll probably get less than three hours off sleep... Anyways, I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to post the next chapter tonight as I originally had intended because of my early flight. Ugh... 

I might have been able to do it, but I also had one of my busiest days of work today and my blasted IPhone is now displaying the wrong artwork after I just synced and tried to fix it for the past two hours. I would have really loved to have left the cliffhanger off at the next chapter instead, but I just don't see that happening at this point unless I pull an all nighter. 

Regardless though, moving forward, I will be back next week and should be able to start posting again. If everything goes how like I want it to, I should be able to post almost everyday at that point until the story is finished. As of tonight, the ending is still standing at 26 chapters. 

Again, I really do apologize for not being able to get out the next chapter in time for this hiatus, but I guess that's just how things go. I wish you all nothing but the best, and with any luck like last year, I'll come away from where I'm going with several more stories that I can write in the future!

Enjoy yourself 

[Guilend]

Also I'm probably glad you couldn't leave us with a worse cliffhanger, I guess I'll find out next week lol

Also I'm probably glad you couldn't leave us with a worse cliffhanger, I guess I'll find out next week lol

[Kat5]

16 hours ago, LostBBoyBear said:

and they are all morning people

The most dangerous type of people: Morning People!

Good luck and I hope that you have a great time with your family! (Despite their being morning people.)

(I personally do not consent to morning. Morning happens to me once per day completely without my consent)

[Guilend]

4 hours ago, Kat5 said:

The most dangerous type of people: Morning People!

Good luck and I hope that you have a great time with your family! (Despite their being morning people.)

(I personally do not consent to morning. Morning happens to me once per day completely without my consent)

I'm with you there. Which why I switched to working nights. I now get to not interact with the morning people until my evening when I'm the most awake lol. After years of working 1st shift I don't know how I managed lol. I definitely love working my current job in retail.  I just stock shelves and straighten them up, while the store is closed for 6 of the 9 hours I'm there (hour for lunch). 

[LostBBoyBear]

Okay… so I felt really bad about not getting the next chapter out as I was writing my hiatus post, but I also knew there was just no way I could finish in time and get any semblance of sleep before my trip. Now, the day after I got back, I can tell you that was in fact the right decision. In only 9 days of travel, I walked almost 200,000 steps and had one of the most magical times of my life in both Universal Studios and Disneyworld! It was a lot to do and super busy, but I figured out the rest of this chapter, a few bits for later in the story, and even thought of ideas for at least two more stories.

Now, moving forward, I am hoping to work very diligently to just pump out these next chapters until the end. As such, with what I have planned right now, this chapter marks the halfway point, and while it might be possible to finish before the New Year, it is still the holiday season (like my Saturday being filled with baking cookies), so there may be a day or two where I run out of time to post.

Anyways, I think you all will understand why I wanted to leave this chapter as a cliffhanger instead before my little break, but I still hope you enjoy it just as much now as well!

Chapter 13: Anything Yet?

Losing a close friend is never easy and it never gets any better… one just tends to move on rather than completely heal. As a cop in arguably one of the more dangerous still-existing cities back on Earth, losing my fellow officers and friends was sometimes a daily occurrence in the rougher weeks we had. Each was terrible, but Harry… he felt like something else now.

He had vanished like the others, but as I looked out to the stars and heavens that night, staying up extra late on allowance from Jennifer who knew that I needed something relaxing after my rough day, I had seen something strange… and yet so wonderful. It was another bright light, the very same light that I had been tracking and that had even led me to this dimension in the first place. It immediately filled me with a wonderous joy, but after I thought about it for a moment, also led me to ponder several questions.

Having investigated so many occurrences of other instances of bright lights and this being a research facility, I wasn’t even sure that I could confirm that the light actually was a portal back home. Also, any bright lights, even in the research town here, would wipe out power within a fairly expansive range. That didn’t happen that night afterward, only further adding to my doubts of what I had seen. Still, it was a hope of some kind, so as the weeks began to roll on and more Littles were taken, I began to watch the skies for more bright lights to try and confirm that I had finally found what I was looking for and its source.

Life is funny in a way though. Despite my observance of a possible portal and the Littles even still being taken during quiet time by Mrs. Harrington, no more bright lights had occurred since Harry had left. It was a conundrum that my investigative mind kept coming back to repeatedly, even when I should have been focused on other things.

“You in there, partner?” Jennifer asked, now bending down to me to adjust my dress, but was really just checking in with my more adult persona in a crowded room. Being a Little, something could always be adjusted, so Jennifer had picked up the habit a few weeks ago to maintain our cover story while in public. In the current month of May, my jackets and pants had transformed into shorts and dresses. Tonight, Jennifer was adjusting the pleats on my aqua-colored and flower-themed sleeveless dress.

I quickly looked embarrassed over my oblivious state and only stood there as she adjusted my address in front of everyone. Having been more diligent with my meds, they were certainly helping at the party tonight and kept my squirming to a minimum and my independence in check at the suddenness of it all. “Sorry, Jennifer. I was honestly thinking about… well, you-know-who,” I whispered to her after she smoothed out the left side of my dress.

Jennifer nodded and whispered back as she went to work on the right side. “I understand, but just try to stay focused tonight. There’s a lot of Bigs here tonight and if this party goes well, my promotion might just go through, and we could potentially end the mission much sooner.” I nodded and felt a burst of joy in my heart and a relief settle on my mind.

I was finding this life to be deceptively simple, and I had started to begin to worry about going home now. Beyond the fact that Amy only seemed to grow more frustrated in the three months since our first debriefing, I now found myself waiting on Jennfier for many things in my life that I used to do myself. Distressingly, I even found a little pride when I did things for myself.

It all started with me having grown so used to the guiding hands at daycare under the influence of my meds, but more recently though, I had noticed that it had begun to bleed into my home life as well. Nothing terrible, but Jennfier had recently begun to start reminding to do things more often than not. Before, I would do them without her asking or reminding me. Now… I’ll just leave it at that I realized I hadn’t made my bed today before coming over here and had elected to swing outside instead.

“Do you think anything will change for me because of that?” I asked a little nervous over what Amy’s response was going to be tomorrow after daycare once she heard of Jennifer’s new promotion. Jennifer was making progress on the mission while I was not… it didn’t take me long to worry that I would be replaced as a Little on this mission from my lack of progress at daycare.

Jennifer looked a little concerned but ultimately smiled. “I don’t think so… but we’ll just take things as they come, alright?” I nodded. “Good. Now,” she said, raising her voice once more, “I think I see some friends of yours over there who look like they could use another cheery face in their group tonight.”

I nodded and after Jennfier got back up off the floor, I paraded over to my friend group. “Hiya everyone!”

“Hey…” they all said in unison, a little more down after all that happened recently. Ben was now being called Bea at daycare, Kelsey had been demoted back down to pull-ups after an accident apparently at another dinner party the other night, and even Jasper was now wearing training pants after his caregiver noticed him dribbling more now after each now-termed ‘potty visit.’ Plus, Harry’s absence still lingered heavily in all our minds even after three weeks had passed here.

I tried to think of something, but I then noticed a few of my friends staring at me. Kelsey then broke the silence. “You two are getting pretty close, huh?” she asked, her head motioning over to Jennifer.

“I guess… no more so than the rest of your right?” I asked, fearful that the meds and my acting in between hadn’t been fooling anyone. It would honestly explain so much and why I still sometimes felt like an outsider, but I waited to act or hastily jump to any further conclusions.

“I suppose so,” Ben said, quietly fiddling with his dress. Harry’s absence and his caregivers’ insistence on further feminizing him before he was ready had begun to take a toll, particularly at this party where he had been particularly put on display. His makeup and hair were done quite tastefully, but his dress ballooned out comically whenever he stood up and anything but walking completely straight would also quickly reveal his diapered status. The other Big’s insistences that he was ‘such a pretty Little’ weren’t likely helping either.  

“We’ve just noticed however,” Jasper interjected after seeing that Ben wasn’t really in the mood to ask further questions tonight, “that you’ve seemed closer. We all were just wondering if you two… had the talk?”

I raised my eyebrows in curiosity just as one of the nearby Big groups burst into laughter. I never underestimated the effect that alcohol could have on a dinner party like this one, but my focus soon returned to my friends. “Anyways… what do you mean ‘the talk’?”

“Probably a no then,” Kelsey then pointed out. Despite her seemingly brushing off the question, I wanted to know what it was, and she could clearly see that I wasn’t letting this go from the face that I began to make. “Fine… just know that it doesn’t happen with every Little and it doesn’t mean anything either way… so don’t freak out.” She was a friend, and I don’t think she wanted to hurt me or even realized that she was doing it, but her wording was just making things worse by beating around the proverbial bush and not in fact telling me everything.

“The talk,” she explained, “is basically when your caregiver, or caregivers, sits you down one day and talks with you about… what to call them… something besides their name.” My stomach dropped as I realized what they were asking me.

“No. Definitely not,” I quickly responded. “We have not had that talk and Jennifer is still Jennifer to me. Not mommy or anything.” I was adamant in my answers, and I was somewhat furious that they would even ask me, but it posed one of the many ever lingering questions that started to become more of ‘when’ they would happen rather than ‘if’ they would around here.

“No need to get defensive,” Kelsey said hastily as she tried to seemingly backpedal from what she had just implied with me getting closer with Jennifer and realizing the error she had made in asking the question in the first place.

“Told you she wouldn’t take it well…” Jasper boasted annoyingly. Despite his demotion to training pants like the rest of us had worn for at least a few months now, he still seemed to hold himself in a higher position. I briefly wondered how long his ‘maturity’ would last and how long he would still be the ‘oldest’ amongst the group.

“Neither did you,” Ben shot back at Jasper, much to the boastful Little’s annoyance and partial embarrassment.

“Enough!” Kelsey shouted out, drawing the attention of some of the nearby Bigs. Seeing that it was just an argument between a bunch of Littles though, most just went back to their cocktails and gossip. Still, Kelsey seemed a bit embarrassed about her outburst and quickly lowered her voice. “Don’t like the bunch of babies they think we are.” She then turned back to me. “Seriously though, Megan. You shouldn’t worry about the whole naming business with Jennifer. I’ve been here a while now and I still call Drew by his first name. An uttered ‘daddy’ may have slipped out once, but I was really just trying to get an extra cookie before bed, so who could really blame a girl for saying that, huh?”

I stared back at my friend and the others with their previous question still bouncing around in my head. Seeing their wait for my response to what she just said, I then simply shook my head to make Jennfier feel better. I had seen the babying technique deployed around here before, but at the same time, it felt so… juvenile to me still in this setting. Despite having done the same thing myself before, it still felt different… something that persisted in other areas of my new life as well.

Even with my meds, this life still felt foreign in some inescapable way and far different than my life before in New Eboracum City. Of my three remaining good friends, I knew Jasper would likely never be a great friend with his ego and Ben and Kelsey both seemed to be slipping into younger abilities and even mindsets at times. So, how I was supposed to be getting information from them, as requested by Amy, still puzzled me to no end.

This ponderance continued even through the rest of the party and the next day at daycare. It was an easy-going day fortunately, but I knew that Jennifer and I would once again drive out to Centerton and debrief Amy. This time though, I felt a strange sense of hopelessness that I would never accomplish anything with this mission. From our conversations, and despite Jennifer’s new promotion about to take effect, she had distressingly told me the other day that she had felt the same way. We were properly motivated and doing our best for sure, but as she soon picked me up from daycare and we left the research compounds before heading out on the road to Centerton, I could feel the weight of our possible upcoming failure of a debrief with Amy.

Once int town, like we had done three times before, we parked on one side of the dilapidated factory, and Amy and her driver parked on the other side in their same spot as well. Once again, a burst of one short, one long, and then two shorts by us were followed by their lights flashing twice. We then stepped out of our car and a single figure came out of the car before us before saying loudly, “Hold. Identify.”

Jennifer, with her confidence in the role on growing, steadfastly replied, “Jennifer. A6G348. Verify.”

“HQ. Code word, dragonfly,” the voice replied before getting back into the car.

On the other side, Amy got out of the car and walked over to us, but I could tell that her patience was already growing thin from her drained walk and yet tight-lipped and grimace of an expression. “Well? Anything to report this time?”

Jennifer stiffened as I had come to expect of her in Amy’s presence. “About the same ma’am as far as actionable intelligence goes, but I have now been promoted to a higher level of security in my role.” I could feel the hope ooze off that last statement that it might just be enough to satisfy Amy. My hopes were soon dashed though.

“Hmmm… that’s something at least.” Amy then turned to me without much more thought or emotion onto our one piece of good news. “And you? Any news on your front to report this time?”

As I had since his disappearance, I pondered what I should tell her since Harry had been taken away and the strange events that followed later that night. I had my speculations about what had happened to him and even what was occurring with the daycare, but that’s all that my report to her would be backed up with: speculations. For the debriefing of the head of one sector in an agency like the ABI, it felt too fragile and as if it didn’t have the kick that I knew that she was really looking for. Without any other options, I responded in the only way I knew how. “No,” I replied with a great deal of regret.

“I see…” Amy replied, her emotionless expression not casting any further light on what was to happen with this mission. Curiously though, without another word, she then turned around and headed back to her car.

To see her go just like that… expressionless, vacant… dissatisfied… I knew the mission was in trouble, and I had seen too much of this world to know that I would just be let go and returned to my old life. I was likely just reported as another missing Little and was just as likely assumed to be filling my diapers as the highlight of my day now. Therefore, I would have to start all over again from scratch. Knowing this dimension as I did now though, I don’t think I would be lucky enough to make a go of it again… and that was a best-case scenario from what I could tell. Without any other real options, I leaned into my instincts. “Wait!” To my relief, Amy stopped walking back to her vehicle and turned only her head back over her shoulder.

“Yes?” she asked, still emotionless visually, but I couldn’t help but hear a faint glimmer of hope masked under her tone of our perceived failure so far.

I then realized though that I wasn’t sure what I even wanted to say. Even Jennifer was now looking down at me with a curious expression that maybe somehow or for whatever reason I was holding something back from her. Like me as well, I could also quickly tell that she was just as distressed about the perceived failure of our mission as I was. “I…” I scrambled to think of anything to tell her to save the mission, but I couldn’t come up with anything. Desperate, I knew I just had to tell the truth and take a gamble. “We have nothing… and I don’t think that will change for another two years at this rate… I don’t want to fail you, your agency, or society… but I also think that you believe that this mission is becoming a waste of time as well.”

I didn’t mean to spout it all like that so bluntly, but the words just came out. I felt certain that Amy would cancel our mission now and I could feel the palpable silence and stillness of the encroaching night begin to surround us. It all felt like too much, but to my relief though, Amy then spoke up.

“I agree with that as well,” she replied calmly. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear at all, but Amy had at least stopped in her tracks and was now looking directly at us once more. “I have others embedded in this program and I am getting more intel from them than both of you combined. They seem to be able to get me what I need… but despite that, I still don’t have the ultimate prize needed for the success of this mission.”

“Ma’am?” Jennifer asked with an almost indignant curiosity. “There are others who are a part of this mission? Why didn’t I know about them?”

“You,” Amy said with an ounce of scolding to her underling agent, “should know that very well, Agent Jennifer. It’s compartmentalization, pure and simple. You are not the first team and of the six teams I sent in before you two, five of them were captured and interrogated. Each broke, but fortunately only revealed a small part of the operation. If I told every agent about everything and everyone, this mission would have failed over a year ago by now.”

Jennifer stepped back and lowered her head. She clearly knew why and that she shouldn’t have questioned something like that, but I, on the other hand, wasn’t an agent. I felt I had a bit more leeway into everything and I also felt pretty confident in saying that the consequences would be worse for me should the mission and our team fail. “So… do you have a suggestion for us… or another plan or…?” I hesitantly asked.

Amy smiled as if she had been hiding a big secret all this time. “Well… to be honest with you both, I was considering cancelling this mission outright if you all didn’t have any valued information for me after this debriefing.” I felt my throat catch and I nearly coughed from the insinuations laced within her single statement… I also didn’t like how she also was looking at me as she said it either.

“But,” she continued, “my other previous teams all seemed to show one thing.” She paused. “Both of you need to embed yourselves more into this research lab.” She then turned to Jennifer. “Jennifer… your promotion is admirable, but I need you at a higher position. That being said… some changes will need to be made to accommodate that…” As if to confirm my worst fears, she then turned to me next. “Which is where you come in, Megan.”

“Me?” I asked. Amy nodded. “What can I do as a Little more than I do now?”

“Well… it’s actually quite simple for you at least in some regards.” She paused again and I could feel my palms begin to sweat and my pulse increase. “Jennifer’s new job essentially requires a… younger Little. Call it an etiquette of sorts around here… but she’ll never go higher in her position without a change in you first.”

My stomach dropped at hearing those words. I was already teetering on the balance of Littlehood in my current life and I worried about what she meant. Any further along the path to regression and the long-term consequences could begin to rapidly add up. As it stood, I now felt that my training pants were an immense comfort in my life and that mini-hotdogs and milosauce, which I discovered was in fact their version of our applesauce, were surprisingly really underrated as part of my new diet. So, I had to protest at least somewhat. “It’s got to be a trick, right? I can’t be the only one thinking that right now…”

Amy shook her head. “No, you’re not. It’s probably a ploy to incentivize Bigs in the regression of their Littles here and I have to admire that initiative at least a little bit. More pay and a Little transformed to be further in your care? Too hard to resist for most Bigs, but this can be our way in. The crack in their armor if you will.”

I really disliked how she said all that with such glee and some kind of odd longing in her voice, but I still wasn’t sure what her plans for me were. “So… you’re regressing me?” My nerves felt ready to pop at any second as I waited on her answer.

To my relief though, Amy just shook her head once more. “In two days, I will be giving you another pill to take instead. It’s like the one you’re already taking now, but this one may last a bit longer and should be stronger throughout its effective time. From your past debriefings, you’ve had some pretty close calls with blowing your Little persona. This new pill should help with that.”

I wasn’t a fan of a stronger and longer-lasting pill, but I knew Amy was right as well. I had nearly taken a swing at another Little who had stolen my reward cookie for being good the other day at daycare. A big intervened and gave me back my cookie, and I was immensely embarrassed over having gotten so worked up over a cookie no less, but I also knew that it could have gone much worse. Something, even a new pill, was preferable to the alternative.

“Now,” she continued, “the pill will help pass you off as a slightly younger version of yourself, but we need to start getting more access for this mission to be a success. With one of my contacts, I will arrange for the daycare to go on a tour of the research facility as part of a field trip at some point next week.” She then stopped and seemed to be analyzing Jennifer and I for our reactions. “Take note of what you see there.”

“That’s a good plan, ma’am,” Jennifer said to her boss, ever the diligent field agent in her presence.

I wasn’t a consummate fan of the plan Amy had concocted myself, the whole thing feeling far too planned to just be thought of on the spot by her, but I didn’t have any alternatives myself. Resigned, I nodded my head in approval. “Sounds good to me…”

Amy smiled. “Perfect.” She then turned around and went back to her waiting car. Before entering though, she stopped and looked back at us. “Oh… one more thing. There’s no easy way to say this, but Megan… you should consider wearing pull-ups to sell your younger new Little side a little more convincingly.”

I didn’t say a word, but I guess my expression said all that it needed to for how I felt about wearing that type of undergarment.

Amy chuckled a little. “Easy there. No need to get so worked up. I only think you should consider wearing them is all… not using them.” I could feel my cheeks flush from embarrassment over even the tiniest notion of actually using them for their intended, or I guess in this case, intended user’s accidents. “Again, though, I’ll leave that up to you two.” Shen then got in her car and sped away.

After, Jennifer and I just stood there for a moment, both clearly too shocked to say anything to each other. In fact, it was only after a dog barked in the distance that neither of us even moved began to snap out of our stupor and headed back to the car, albeit still silently. Once inside though, Jennifer spoke first. “Uh… I guess we had to expect something like that, huh?”

I reluctantly nodded. “Yeah… just… it’s a lot I guess…”

Jennifer looked at me with her now familiar and comforting look of sympathy. “I’m really sorry, though… I’m surprised you didn’t protest all that. Are you…?” She didn’t finish her thought, but her questioning implication of my actual regression lingered heavily in the air still.

“No!” I fired back, trying desperately to defend myself. I knew I was changing after all this time… but definitely not in that way at least… I’m pretty sure. “I just need to get through all this though. Nothing more. Harry…” I said with still some remaining sadness, “I don’t want to end up like him, so we just need to get all this over with. If that means further into this screwed up mess, then that’s what I’ll do. That’s all it is.”

Jennifer nodded. “Well, I’m glad that you’re still going along with all this. I just read a report that a hole is forming in our ozone layer near one of the poles.”

“Global warming?” I asked, remembering back to when that was our society’s largest problem right before everything else collapsed.

Jennifer smiled and seemed to try and suppress a veiled laugh under all her worry. “No… that hasn’t been an issue for at least 80 years by now.” Her face quickly darkened and all signs of her previous enjoyment over my own naivety seemed to vanish. “It’s the portals… the breaches are starting to degrade some of the natural properties of this world.”

After that, the weight of what was truly at stake kept the car in near complete silence as we then drove back into town to maintain our cover story of picking up a candle and some seeds for the backyard. As I looked out onto the bustling streets of the main part of Centerton, I knew I hated most of these Bigs with a passion as I knew for a fact that most would try and regress me given half the chance. Still though, they were alive. They were a culture and a people that all would be gone if the breaches continued. My very essence was on the line with this mission, but it felt wrong to outweigh it compared to the life of billions.

Stopping in a parking garage near the main avenue, Jennifer and I silently made our way through our necessary errands to not raise suspicion about why we left the research town in the first place. Instead of going back to the car afterward though, Jennifer guided me down a new street that we had yet to travel before. I wondered what we were doing but I trusted her enough at this point to not feel nervous or even ask any questions. At the end of the alley though, it opened to a large strip mall of sorts, and I saw that we were soon headed to the largest store there: a Littles store, called ‘Transitions.’

Now, Transitions was a store like most I had seen back on Earth before everything collapsed that one could go to and get all their clothing, food, and even furniture needs. Walking inside though, I knew by the signs that it was anything but what I knew from my youth. Instead of being for everyone, this store was an array of all things to take care of Littles only. What’s more, it also contained items for nearly every age category imaginable.

Jennifer then stopped and crouched down to look at me. “I know we haven’t talked about this much, but I want to promise you something.” She then held up her pinky. “Do you know what a pinky promise is, Megan?” I nodded. “Good. For me and my family, it meant that you do not break this no matter what. It’s the highest form of trust I can offer… so, I want to promise you that I will never treat you like most Bigs treat their Littles.”

I nodded and pinky swore with her, but I also felt a bit confused during the whole event as well. “You know that I already I know that, Jennifer… so, why are you pinky promising me something that you’ve already told me?”

She let go of my pinky and sighed. “Because… this mission,” she whispered. “Amy wants you younger to infiltrate the facility more. It’s in part to get me a higher clearance as well, and that’s good for the mission, but I’m not sure where it will stop. We’re in here today to start you on a new life, but I wanted to let you know that despite whatever happens next, I’ll still be here for you no matter the outcome.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of all that she was saying to me, but I knew beyond all the implications of my regression and failure, her promises and words just felt good. So, after I thanked her and we both did our little agreements to still care and communicate with each other with whatever came next, we then went over to our first section; clothing. It was there though, that I began to realize why she had renewed her promise to me.

While everything was still at a preschool level comparatively speaking, she began to make more suggestions that would edge my Little persona down a little bit. Nothing much and she still let me choose, but the cart we had grabbed soon began to fill up with an assortment of clothing definitely meant for someone younger than was meant to go to school.

As I eyed the new designs of unicorns, princesses, fairies, and even cartoon characters I had only heard about at this point while at daycare, Jennifer guided me to one last aisle. It had been the one I was hoping to avoid at all costs when I first saw the five aisles dedicated to items like them, but I knew it was likely inevitable at this point after what Amy had mentioned earlier.

“Now,” Jennifer said, stopping to scan the aisle before her, “no diapers, but is there a pull-up that maybe you had in mind that you wanted to try first?”

I rolled my eyes at the mere question itself and could feel the blow to my already tiny ego by now. I didn’t like it at all, but Amy’s suggestion from earlier had absolutely felt more like a command rather than a suggestion as she had put it. Still, I felt I was choosing the torture implement my captor was about to use on me first. “No… I don’t think I can choose. I… I trust you, Jennifer. Just use your best judgement. I’ll go a long with the plan, but I can’t make a choice like that.”

From our outing today, I almost worried that Jennifer’s face would permanently contort into one of sadness and guilt over what she was a part of on this mission regarding her role of my care. She was a Big, but she was proving just how different she was compared to the so many others I had met. I almost wanted to oddly hug her in that moment, but I didn’t want to add to my dwindling perceived age anymore than my new clothing or pull-ups were already about to.

“I see… I guess I can do that if you want…” She sighed and then began to look at all the options in front of her. Just to see what I was now facing in my daily life; I did the same.

I could almost feel a terrible prickling sensation and wave of dizziness overtake me as I looked before me. Pull-ups of nearly every conceivable type now loomed like a threatening killer over my tiny form. They were an enemy I couldn’t defeat at this point in the mission, and despite not using them, I knew they would still serve as a symbol to others that I in fact may very well use them as more than just normal underwear. Multiple colors, extra softness, or smiling princesses on the front panel wouldn’t change that.

Finally, Jennifer plucked a single case from the shelves and then went to check out. It didn’t take long, however, for the cashier to notice all our purchases. “Oh? Looks like someone might not be too ready for being a big girl, huh?” I quickly felt my face grow hot and just looked at the floor in silence.

Jennifer spotted the awkwardness of the moment and my subsequent embarrassment, not being on the medication anymore by now, and gratefully stepped in. “Well, maybe not just at the moment. I think she could just use a few steps of the simpler life; you know?”

The giant lady in front of me scanned a pair of jeans with an embroidered crown on one of the back pockets and smiled. “I can understand that. There’s a kindness for all the Littles that I sometimes envy myself, but… oh!” She then held up the package of pull-ups that Jennifer had picked out. “Looks like someone is learning one of the bigger reasons I would never actually want that. Is someone having a few accidents, lately?” she asked me condescendingly.

By now, my cheeks felt like they could burn a house down from their immense heat, but I could also quickly feel Jennifer’s hand on my back as if to say, ‘Don’t worry. I’m still here for you.’

To my delight, to further confirm her support for me, she spoke up in my place once again instead. “Just a little bit. Nothing terrible but that’s just a discomfort I don’t want for my precious Little.”

“Awww. That is so cute!” the woman blushed as she scanned the last of my new t-shirts, this one emblazoned with a newer cartoon of the adventures of a preschooler and her talking dog. “Aren’t you just the best mommy in the world!”

The m-word floated about for a while in my head. Jennifer seemed only to smile and quickly pay for the items we had purchased today, but I couldn’t shake my feelings over it. It was such a little word compared to everything else, but it and the conversation of the ‘talk’ from Kelsey yesterday, made my unease and nervousness shoot right through the roof. I was already accepting a stronger dose of the medication I already was on, and was about to wear pull-ups and even more juvenile clothing… The m-word just felt like too much and I remained a stunned shell as Jennifer guided me out of the store and to the car outside the store next.

Minutes later and still mortified, I was now sitting back in my car seat and staring at my new form of enslavement here in this dimension. From the front of the package, I could see a cartoonish princess held a single rose and smiled back at me as she was surrounded by dozens of other, equally spaced roses as well on the front panel of the actual pull-up depicted there. I knew it was supposed to be cute, but I couldn’t help but be afraid of that smiling princess and her roses. They represented a downfall in my life… a curse of all Littles… and my likely not-too-distant and foreseeable future.

From the front, Jennifer saw me eyeing the package and smiled with as much sympathy as she could muster. “I know this isn’t what you want and I’m sorry for the little show back there with the cashier, but I promise that those things are just for show. Maybe to ease your mind a bit though, we can try them on tonight and see how they feel?”

I knew she was trying to be supportive in everything she did, but it did nothing to take away from the fact that I was now looking at my new underwear and could very well be the crack in the damn to this mission that plummeted me toward the very regression I had been trying to avoid. Still, I had to acknowledge Jennifer’s words, so I only nodded. She seemed to pick up on the fact that I just needed some alone time now, so she turned around and soon left Centerton without another word.

In the dark that night, I could feel my whole world getting smaller… more inescapable. Amy had been too excited about all this… too prepared. ‘Was it a trap, or just an inevitability in this mission by now?’ She had sent others in, so things were bound to get better by the notion of simple improvement with each trail. My fingers then glided and danced over the package and some of my new clothing. It was all too much in that one moment, so I just leaned back and closed my eyes, hopeful that somehow and someway, I could still make it back home after all this.

[Guilend]

26 minutes ago, LostBBoyBear said:

giant lady in front of me scanned a pair of jeans with an embroidered crown on one of the back pockets and smiled. “I can understand that. There’s a kindness for all the Littles that I sometimes envy myself, but… oh!” She then held up the package of pull-ups that Jennifer had picked out. “Looks like someone is learning one of the bigger reasons I would never actually want that. Is someone having a few accidents, lately?” she asked me condescendingly

I'm sure she'd enjoy the simpler life, even with the pull ups, or something thicker. She wouldn't even have to wipe herself anymore. Just play and have fun. I'm sure nothing bad would happen to her, she is a Big after all right? Lol

Definitely a cliffhanger. But not near as big as the one I imagined when you posted last lol. Which is probably better then if you had posted this because it would have probably been bad lol.

I was actually expecting Amy to tear into Jennifer, even do a bunch of threatening before leaving and that would be the catalyst to the regression in Magens age. But still good work. Even added more mysteries to solve in this chapter and the last.

Thank you so much. I can't wait for more chapters.

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! Tried to get this out earlier, but I was at a pretty jolly Christmas party yesterday and just couldn’t get one of the scenes in this chapter quite right. I’m pretty satisfied with it now, but my perfectionist-self took its dear sweet time in trying to fix it properly.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 14: The Future Is Now

Time seemed to move very fast from that point onward. Wearing the pull-ups somehow altered my life in ways that I had never anticipated, and each day became a new struggle. I found that the increased medication that I was now on also became necessary with my new undergarment as each Big began to treat me differently. Not cruelly mind you, just differently.

Littles reacted to my change as well, but most just found it as a connecting factor, like Kelsey had, or stylish with my wardrobe as Bea had. It all felt like such a blur, but like most other things in this new life of mine, I knew it was just yet another thing that I needed to get used to.

A week later though, my thoughts were far away from the changes being undertaken in my life and far more on the daycare’s visit to the research lab. It was apparently a big deal and had never happened before, but Amy’s upper contact had easily manipulated everyone into a frenzy of the daycare maintaining a closer connection with the main research facility. It seemed strange to me that the connection hadn’t existed before, but I stopped questioning some of these things long ago. It only served to muddy the waters further and today, I had to focus on observing everything I could.

On the way over, the entire daycare that could still function properly was on the bus. Bea and Jasper sat next to each other, and I sat with Kelsey. Unfortunately, the seats were a little dense and pressed my new padding up against my butt. It felt awkward and too cushiony, so I began to fidget a bit, particularly whenever the bus hit a bump in the road.

Knowing my new status and seeing what I was doing and my grimacing face, Kelsey piped up but in a tone that only I and a few others could still hear against the laughter going on elsewhere on the bus. “You know that it’s okay to wear a pull-up, right? You’ll get used to them eventually like I did,” she said without any regard for my privacy.

I shot around to scold her for revealing my secret out in public like this, but to my shock no one else really seemed to notice, or at least even seemed to slightly care. So, just trying to maintain my relationship with her and keep the peace here, I eased my temper up a bit. “Not so obvious, Kelsey. Please. You might be okay with wearing them, but I’m still… I…” My new morning pills were highly effective, but my embarrassment over my new undergarment still shone through occasionally. Fortunately, my stopping midway through a sentence and my blushing just seemed to make sense in this instance.

“Oh, that’s okay, Meggy,” she said with a sympathetic smile while also using one of my nicknames that she had given me recently. “I know I might not care about wearing a pull-up now but there was a time that I did too. You’ll probably get used to them eventually and might even find them even more comfortable and safe. Besides, beyond Jasper, we’re probably all bound to be diapered within the year you know. It’s a judgement-free zone… particularly from your best friend.”

It was a haunting thought, but I knew she was probably right. Being May and already a few months into the mission though, I just prayed fervently that I still wouldn’t be here in a year. “Thanks, Kelsey. I still don’t like them, but I’m glad that you’re not judging me at least.” Something told me that the inclusion of pull-ups wouldn’t be the last embarrassing thing that we shared with one another if the pattern held. She was regressing in her own ways naturally and I was regressing with my pill for my assignment here. Bouts of something messy were bound to happen in front of each other.

The bus then screeched to a halt in front of a large glass and white and black cinder block building. It was extremely modern and sparse, but it also seemed to convey a sense of grandeur and of futuristic ideals. If there was ever a society building from this dimension that showed that these people were actually ahead of us, I felt pretty confident in saying this building would have demonstrated that the best. No flying cars or anything, but it just seemed to breathe innovation and progress.

Mrs. Louder then instructed us to get out and follow her in line into the building. Kelsey walked next to me while Jasper and Bea walked in front of us as we passed through the immense glass doors and were quickly greeted by a large sign in the lobby with the quote, ‘The Future Is Now.’ Moving beyond that and within seconds, I could already see Jennifer perched behind the front desk as she had informed me of this morning. She still wasn’t in her new position yet from Amy’s influence, but overseeing building security at the front desk meant that she could still give me aid today if I ended up needing it. If everything went well today though, we wouldn’t see each other again until after daycare. I cannot tell you how much I wanted her beside me right now, but my undercover persona just charged through, and I hoped all would go well.

After we all donned our specialty visitor badges, a near-Middle heighted figure stepped out of a door and began to briskly walk up to us. He continually shoved his dark blue framed glasses back toward his frizzy hair and he seemed disheveled in a manner that made it seemed like he cared far more about other more important matters to him at least. “Uh, welcome everyone!” he announced, a slight hesitation discernable in his voice. “My name is Dr. Simmons, but you all can call me Dr. Reggie or even just Reggie if you really want to.

As instructed, Mrs. Louder gave us all the cue we had practiced on our way up here. “Good morning, Dr. Reggie!” we all said in unison.

He gave us a wide grin back and bowed. “Good morning to you all!” He then clapped his hands together and turned to our daycare caretakers. “They’re parents all sign the wavers?” They all nodded, and Dr. Reggie smiled with relief. “Good! Now, I am the special helper of Dr. Talbott who is basically our head leader around here. She’s really busy with another project right now, but if we’re lucky, you all will be able to meet her later on.” The class nodded and then followed Dr. Reggie after he gestured to us to do so.

The tour then consisted of mainly looking over offices, board rooms, and even a mini classroom experiment where we all made a slime that we could take home. I thought I was doomed to fail in my reconnaissance here as I seemed to be viewed as nothing more than just a Little like all the rest. That’s when, however, an even shorter figure then burst into the room as Dr. Reggie was passing around and inspecting our slimes. Fortunately, he just so happened to be very close by my table when their encounter and exchange occurred.

“Dr. Simmons… we got a new Little…” the Middle said quietly but exhaustedly. Dr. Reggie didn’t make a move and just looked at him with venom in his eyes, until the assistant spoke up once more. “They’re from Earth 1218, sir.” Needless to say, my ears immediately perked up, but I could see that so did Dr. Reggie’s.

He quickly turned to the runner. “Really? In the field?” The runner only nodded.

“They fought back, sir… some sort of gang affiliation we’re guessing,” the runner said hesitantly. “Could be an error but seems like the perfect test subject for Project Swan. Do we have your approval to proceed with screening?”

Dr. Reggie’s eyes seem to glow with hope and a fervor that unnerved me deeply for some reason. I could tell that he was giving the proposal serious consideration, but I could also see hesitancy there as well. I wasn’t sure why, but it hardly seemed to matter in the end. “Proceed,” he said coldly. “Take the current subject in the surgical wing to daycare to be processed and inducted. We need observable test data starting onward from next Monday. These procedures are no good to us if they can’t even pass themselves with their fellow Littles.”

I had so many questions about everything that I just heard, but as soon as the runner assistant had fled out of the room once more, Dr. Reggie quickly whiplashed back to the persona we had originally seen him with. “Sorry about that everyone! A little bit of business with one of our new projects. Exciting news that I can’t quite tell you all, but rest assured, it’s very good new and very complicated.”

I wanted to ask so badly about the specifics, but two things stopped me. First, I saw several other Littles look deathly pale as they had seemed to hear about the captured Little as well. I knew there were bound to be others from Earth here, but of the at least seven within earshot of that conversation as I was, at least five looked spooked and maybe even still hopeful of returning home. They all had looks in their faces that I had seen over dozens of times by now in the mirror staring back at me. Then secondly, within minutes, I stopped thinking period as Dr. Reggie was looking at my own slime before me. In my vulnerable and even somewhat confused state, I could only stare up at him with wide and questioning eyes.

After a moment though, he smiled, and we both looked down at my slime. Now, not having been regressed in my cognizant abilities, I was easily able to follow the instructions and create a near perfect gelatinous and gooey green slime… a move I quickly became unsure of as I noted the state of other slimes around me… most utter failures.

“Oh?” Dr. Reggie said surprised. “I see we have a prime slime here. It’s Megan, right?”

I could feel my pulse race and my mouth quickly dry up, but I just managed to nod my head to at least confirm my name.

He smiled and nodded. “I thought so. Jennifer is one of our top security guards and talks about you all the time in fact.” He then paused for a moment as I slightly blushed that she would talk about me to her coworkers. “You should be very proud of her, Megan. Your… caretaker is doing very well here and I’m guessing she will go far as one of our very important guards here. It seems even, however, like you’ve taken right after her as one of the best too though, huh? Such a smart Little.”

It all felt like a compliment to me… the wording at least, but I couldn’t help but feel a threat bounced along the tip of each of his words. He sounded like he could be on one of those informational children’s programs, but I couldn’t help but detect something else more sinister within his core.

“Thank you…” I finally managed to spit out, and to my relief, he only gave me a wide smile before continuing to look at the other near disasters that my fellow Littles were cooking up. I was extremely happy that nothing else occurred with him during that encounter, but in a class of 35 that were here right now, it turns out that only 12 of the slimes were even close to being the right consistency while the Littles were also able to maintain a clean workstation. If I was indeed supposed to be acting younger now for Jennifer’s new position, I knew I had messed up. It wasn’t much, but I could still feel the fear begin to collect in my stomach.

Still though, I couldn’t dwell on it, and after a brief lecture on various scientific principles and simplistic experiments we could do at home with our caretakers, Dr. Reggie then led the class out into the hallways once more. Soon, we came to a large door with a large sign above titled, “R & D.” I had finally come to the place that I had wanted to see all along.

After a brief safety lecture, we all then donned a nice pristine lab coat that contained safety goggles and a single mouth-covering medical mask. “Now,” Dr. Reggie explained, “this equipment is just a bunch of precautionary measures with some of our projects here. We wouldn’t take you all on anything tremendously dangerous, but science can always be a bit… unpredictable.” He paused and an awkward silence overtook the room. “Now! Are you all ready to go exploring some more?” Everyone, including me this time, eagerly nodded our heads. Dr. Reggie only smiled and opened the doors.

Inside though was honestly not what I was expecting.

The whole thing amounted to what was basically just a long hallway, but on closer inspection, I began to listen in on the inside and read the signs above several of the doors. The first was labeled, “A.I.” Now, it was basically a bunch of computers and frayed wires, but I took note of the writing on the wall of future projects. Amongst the ones that interested, or terrified, me the most were the blueprints for nannies, service workers, and even bodyguards.

Dr. Reggie didn’t spend that much time in there, but right before we left though, I noticed a single board below everything, labeled, “Little’s Modifications.” It chilled me to my bones as I quickly saw many things listed there that included spankings, injections, behavior modification, suggestibility settings, force feedings, and so many others. Needless to say, I quickly scrambled out of the room. In a place like this though, I quickly discovered that the other rooms weren’t much better.

Each proved the scientific genius and might of this society, and yet perhaps their cruelty towards us Littles as well. I also began to quickly notice that there were no reactors here… no solar panels or even a better way to produce food. I guessed they may have already designed those, or maybe that this lab just catered to one category, but all implementations here seemed directly focused on Littles in some form.

We then entered another room and Dr. Reggie called for a volunteer. Another Little, Sylvia, a cute more regressed Little with pigtails today, immediately raised her hand. “Perfect! Come up to the front of the room and stand right here,” he said, pointing to a spot on the floor.

The naïve Little quickly bounded to the front and crinkled as she did so before planting herself right onto one of the floor tiles in the area that he was pointing to. Without a moment’s hesitation, she then flopped her head upward and sent her pigtails flying about. “Like this?”

Dr. Reggie smiled widely and enthusiastically nodded. “Excellent.” Dr. Reggie then turned around and plucked a single object from the crowded desk behind him. I could only see the faintest of purple exposed through his fingers. “Now, Sylvia, I would like you top open your mouth for me.” Her smile quickly vanished.

Sensing her hesitancy, Dr. Reggie just patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, honey. It’s just a tiny experiment here. I won’t hurt you permanently.” Sylvia hesitated again but then obediently opened her mouth. Almost instantly, Dr. Reggie popped a pacifier into her mouth. Now, at her regressed age, she took to suckling on the pacifier almost instantaneously and only looked perfectly content.

“God girl,” Dr. Reggie praised. Sylvia giggled back and Dr. Reggie turned back towards us. “This pacifier is like any other you all may or may not use, but with one very key difference.” His eyes then grew dark, and he began scanning the room until he found the Little that he was looking for and pointed in their direction. “You! Come here now.”

The whispering Little soon stopped and quickly panicked, but still came to the front of the room. Dr. Reggie loomed large over him with a scowl on his face. “You were talking while I was. Do you do that often?” Otto, the Little being questioned, only looked at Dr. Reggie with a great amount of fear. He was a talker, but was more of the timid variety, especially in stressful situations like these.

Dissatisfied with his lack of response but still determined to prove something, Dr. Reggie looked to our daycare caretakers for an answer. Of course, Mrs. Harrington spoke out first. “He’s always talking. Gotten in trouble a lot that one, but nothing seems to work.”

Dr. Reggie smiled with such satisfaction upon hearing that and then quickly produced another object… this one black and shiny. “Open,” he commanded Otto. Otto whimpered but complied, nonetheless.

At first, it just seemed like another pacifier. “Now,” Dr. Reggie announced, “this pacifier is special. While the one that Sylvia has is designed for extra comfort,” I saw her eyes even beginning to drift off now as if to confirm his statement, “this other one is for something different.” Dr. Reggie then took hold of the pacifier firmly between Otto’s lips and gave the front of it about two taps. Otto’s eyes soon bulged out.

Dr. Reggie then turned back to us, and I could quickly see Otto trying to remove the object from his mouth, but to no avail. “As you can see,” Dr. Reggie continued, “this pacifier is lockable. It can be undone, but usually only by a Big or Middle. Two pumps… locks it. More and…”

Mrs. Harrington edged closer and looked like she was in heaven waiting for what three or more pumps would do. So, without any sign of hesitation, Dr. Reggie then gave the pacifier two more pumps. Otto’s eyes bulged out even more and I could only hear the muffled screams of his pleas for help.  

Dr. Reggie backed up and smiled even more cruelly and wickedly than he had before. It sent chills down my spine, especially when contrasted with his pleading victim, Otto, who was now scrambling to rip the device out of his mouth. Nothing seemed to be working and I could even begin to see a crack of worry appear on Miss Ginny’s face from the corner. Still, no one did anything.

After a minute or more though, Mrs. Louder spoke up. “That will be enough for today, Dr. Reggie.” She then gave him a look and gestured toward the now crying Otto.

“Oh…” he said, almost looking like he was just snapping out of a trance, “right…” He then removed the pacifiers from both Sylvia and Otto, and both had very different reactions. Otto was still crying and was quickly wrapped up in Miss Ginny’s arms while Sylvia almost looked like she had already begun to miss an old friend.

“Anyways,” Dr. Reggie said after setting the two pacifiers back down and handing a lollipop to both Sylvia and the now sniffling Otto. “Next room then, shall we?”

We all nodded solemnly and then exited the room right after Dr. Reggie. Most of us Littles looked at the two pacifiers with horror. Mrs. Harrington only looked at them with joy.

After that, Dr. Reggie then allowed us to wander around the next parts of the hallways. Some visited the eatery room, some the furniture room, and even others to the robotics lab. I thought robots were cool, but it mostly just looked like a place of wires and old metal parts. I swore I saw another list, but I only could see such things listed as bears, bunnies, monkeys, army men, ballerinas, and others. It was very strange and just to add to my confusion, I wondered why there was so much fluff stored in several bags in the back of the room. It was all very confusing.

Regardless, Kelsey, Bea, Jasper, and I had split up after being prompted to do so and relieved, I felt like this was the best time to do some more snooping. Rounding another corner, I then came to a large black door at the end of the hallway. I wondered what the heck it could be, but right before I tried to open it, something popped up from right behind me. I spun around and saw bright colors pouring out of the room behind me.

I didn’t think much of it at first, but I slowly began to want to look at those pretty colors more… and more. My steps fumbled beneath me, and I almost felt drunk in an odd sort of way as I moved closer to the room and the spiraling images that now flooded my vision. I barely registered crossing the threshold or the tiny whispers floating about. I just saw a big bunny next, and I only wanted to oddly hug it. ‘Why am I thinking of Jennifer all of a sudden. Jen… so nice… so loving… she cares about me… really cares… maybe she is my…’

“Megan!” A voice pierced through my shell, and I could feel a sharp pain ripple down my arm.

I felt dazed but I shook my head as the voices repeated my name about half a dozen more times and I saw someone shaking me from my daze. The cobwebs soon seemed to clear though, and I could see highly concerned Mrs. Louder and a panicked Dr. Reggie standing over me. “Wha… what happened?” I asked as I rubbed my eyes and then my head.

“You entered a room,” Mrs. Louder explained. “It’s meant for…”

“That’s not important right now!” Dr. Reggie hastily interjected. “That room was supposed to be closed while you all were in this sector. It’s a mistake by someone here that will soon be rectified. Harshly.”

After that, there was a bit of an awkward pause around me. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I could feel the tension between Dr. Reggie and Miss Ginny, Mrs. Louder, and even Mrs. Harrington. I wanted to ask what was happening, but Mrs. Louder just pulled me up and escorted me from one of the rooms I hadn’t explored yet.

Then, rejoining my friends, each asked if I was okay, and I could only nod my head. Finally, though, Dr. Reggie exited and addressed us all out in the hall. “Well, that was a bit… unexpected, but with that, our tour is concluded. Now, are there any questions?”

It all felt so abrupt and short. We had maybe seen only about two dozen rooms, and none were larger than the main room of the daycare. Even from the outside of the building I could tell there was more going on here, but we clearly didn’t see it. I knew I would have to return here, but I was still unsure of how I could manage that.

Still, out in the hallway, I saw the looming closed black door that I had wondered about before all those pretty… uh, bright lights. “What’s behind there?” I asked as I pointed to the door behind Dr. Reggie.

His face went pale for a moment and he turned around to look at what I was pointing at. “Oh, uh… this is, uh…” He stammered about for a few minutes. “Oh! Dr. Talbot!” The entire group then spun around to track where Dr. Reggie was now looking. There, coming right towards us, was an above average height woman with a tightly drawn silvery blonde bun situated on the back of her head. Compared to Dr. Reggie, she could have been his opposite in her immaculately pressed and coordinated clothing along with her flowing lab coat.

“Dr. Simmons… is this the tour group you were supposed to watch today?” she asked, a slight chill escaping from her lips as she spoke. Dr. Reggie seemed immediately humbled by her question.

“Uh, yes ma’am… doctor… they are,” he said while gesturing to everyone in front of him. “Say hello everyone.”

“Hello, Dr. Talbott,” we all said in unison, staying mostly together as a group in our singular greeting chant.

Dr. Talbott smiled down at us in a way that made me think she practiced it in front of the mirror to perfect her natural expression over her real robotic one. I silently chuckled to myself for that joke. “Good afternoon, everyone. Did you all have a good time touring our facility here?” We all nodded quickly. “Wonderful. I’m sure I’ll be seeing each of you soon regardless, but I’m sure each of you is just a wonderful gift to us until then.” She smiled once again and then looked back at Dr. Reggie with wide yet focused eyes.

“Uh, right, you all! Let’s head back this way!” Dr. Reggie then scrambled out of the way from the door I still was unsure about and bolted for the opposite end of the hallway.

We all then filed out behind him, but my focus lingered on the tall, well-manicured woman in front of me. I thought I would blend in with the rest of my near-bumbling class, but I was wrong. At the last instance before leaving her sight, she gave me a tiny wave. I quickly panicked and picked up my speed as fast as I could. Leaving the hallway on this wing of the building, I swore I could hear a small, chuckle echo off the walls before a creaking sound could then be heard as if a great large door was now opening.

We all then loaded on a bus and headed back to daycare where the rest of our day proceeded without much fanfare, for the casual observer at least. Kelsey, Bea, and even Jasper seemed too invested in a board game, but I noticed that the daycare’s numbers had grown by one. The Little wasn’t very loud and stuck to themselves mostly, so I suppose I could cut the rest a break for being so oblivious, but I desperately wondered who they were. So, without any more delay, I wandered over to them as quietly and as cautiously as I could.

Finally, I approached the girl Little who had been propped up against one of the larger stuffed animals that could almost double as a pillow. “Hey there. I’m Megan. What’s your name?”

The Little only seemed to twitch subtly in her seated pose against the near pillow-like structure of the penguin next to her. She wore a matching long sleeved shirt and pants that were pleasantly pink and dotted with strawberries all over that I almost caught myself thinking would look cute in my wardrobe as well. It was a disturbing thought of a kind, but I just reminded myself of the still large difference between us was between our legs; mine a pull-up and hers a clearly outlined diaper against her outfit.

Still though, despite her more babyish attire, I knew I couldn’t judge her for that either. Littles came in all shapes and sizes here and her caretaker may have just wanted to dress her up in a more babyish attire to humiliate her or some such nonsense. Her diaper didn’t help matters much, but even I was wearing a pull-up. So, determined to break through to this new girl, I tried again. “I’m Megan.” Still no response.

I knew I had to go simpler. Yes and no questions seemed appropriate under the circumstances. “Mind if I sit here?” I asked. Still nothing from the new Little.

I had patience, but even she was starting to annoy me… more than I wanted to admit and I knew my meds were just starting to wear off by now, the new ones almost getting me entirely through the day now. I could tell my temper was rising though, and I knew that wasn’t good, so I had to think of something else. That’s when something else occurred to me to ask. “Can you talk?”

I heard a grunt but not much more from the Little before me. I had worded my question in such a way that allowed it to be taken plainly or even as an insult. Anything to just get a response, but still, I got nothing.

Determined to find out what was going on though, I leaned forward and placed my hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t anywhere close to a massive shove or anything, but in seconds, her limp form fell and slumped before my feet. Still, she said nothing… did nothing.

She reminded me so much of a doll, lifeless and limp and… a sudden realization then rushed to my brain. Dr. Reggie had been talking about transferring someone from the surgical wing to the daycare later in the day with us. Surgery… it just had to be.

I looked down at the Little before me and saw her delicate limbs splayed out in front of her. Marcy had just thrown a toy at another Little and had caused a whole incident that all the daycare attendants were now addressing. So, with the hope that I was completely wrong, I lifted the sleeve of her shirt with as much tenderness as I could.

It wasn’t too invasive or anything. Certainly nothing that I really could get in trouble for, but it only took me seconds to realize that I was unfortunately right. I had seen these marks before, but they were faded… maybe even old to some degree, but these were fresh. Sealed up and healed, but still fresh. I then traced my hand along her arms and hands and from my old anatomy classes in biology, I remembered and could even feel the tendons right underneath the scars, but these… felt loose… deadened.

I wasn’t sure what they had done, but the Little now just letting me examine her seemed as if she was a broken shell of herself. No power… like a puppet without any strings. It was a devastating realization of depravity to see it all firsthand, but I needed to know more.

I didn’t want her to suffer any further though, so I delicately propped her up and into my lap next to the large penguin now behind me. She seemed grateful for the comfort, and I was glad to give it, but I could feel a tear forming in the corner of my eye. It stung as I traced my fingers along more lines… more deadened systems now. Even the ones at her temples… not tendons, but it didn’t take a genius to recognize that someone had been messing with her mind, and given her blank stare back at me, had done more than tickle that mass that had once been intact up there.

“Daisy…” a voice said from above me.

I panicked as I felt like I was doing something that I shouldn’t have been. To my relief though, as I slowly raised my head to the voice, I saw that it was just Miss Ginny. “Daisy?” I asked.

Miss Ginny smiled in a hurt and yet understanding sort of way. “Yes, Megan. Her name is Daisy.”

I looked back down at the Little now cradled into my arms. “Daisy…”

I continued to look at her and just wanted to hold her tight. Even in her limited movement, I could tell that I was making her happy like this. I think Miss Ginny saw it as well.

“Poor thing… she just arrived today.” She sighed wearily. “No caretaker or family. She’s all alone here right now… a ward of the town…”

I nearly shuddered at the thought, and I think I would have wanted to punch a wall at the sight of her and of the news that Miss Ginny just told me. There was a lot going on here, but for a moment, I was just glad that my sadness seemed to outweigh my rage so that my cover would still be maintained.

Holding Daisy, I tried to think of all those other Littles… the scientists… their interactions with each other. It all just made me sick, and while I knew I was here for a larger purpose in saving everyone from the portal device, Daisy represented something more to me than all that. In a very real sense, Daisy was me. I could walk, talk, and even hold my bladder in, unlike Daisy as I could feel her diaper grow warm on my lap, but there was a bond there that I could still feel.

We were different in those regards, but like Harry… Bea… Jasper… Kelsey… all of us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that one day, maybe not even that far away, just because we were Littles in this dimension, we all had the terrible potential of becoming just like Daisy. Like so many other things, as I shifted in my pull-up on that matted floor at daycare, I wondered if becoming like Daisy was now more of a ‘when’ rather than the ‘if’ that I once thought it to be at the start of the mission.  

[Guilend]

Very good. I can't wait to see what happens next. Some part of me really likes that Dr lady, but I don't know how well i could work with her as I don't think i could keep up with her expectations as an Amazon.

I can't wait to see how Amazons are punished, or at least have Jennifer explain it to Magen at some point lol. I am sure she has seen it first hand at this point and I am sure that with her new position she probably will have to hand out those punishments. 

Now a mystery door, nice. I wonder also what that hypnosis did to her. Also I love the part showing the future of the stuffed animals and the nanny bots. I want one of those stuffed animals and maybe a nanny bot too lol

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! Still trying to maintain my daily posting, even if they are coming out a bit late now. I’m going to try and do some catching up her sometime soon, but at this point, I can only say that I’ll try my best.

Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 15: I Know You…

I quickly became amazed at how I could feel so immature and yet so mature, often simultaneously. I guess things moved all relative to one another around here, and in a daycare full of Littles, day-in and day-out, one was bound to feel more mature than the run of the mill pants-poopers, but still, I took notice of the contrast in my feelings, particularly because of my new relationship with Daisy.

She had yet to be taken in by any of the Bigs in town and because of her surgical procedures, she whined very little, so many of the daycare workers only prioritized her as a sympathy check-in more than anything. Mrs. Louder and Miss Ginny were the most attentive, but compared to a wailing Little, the quiet and usually smiling Daisy felt more like an extra task rather than a necessity most of the time. Being a natural carer of sorts myself, I thus became a pretty routine visitor to her corner of the daycare just to make sure she was still doing okay… or at least as okay as one could be in that state.

By now, I knew I wouldn’t learn much from her, but I also couldn’t just abandon a fellow Little left in such a mess of physicality. It just felt wrong, so in between rounds of playing with my friends, the continued tests, or the occasional meal or snack, I would wander over to Daisy and make sure she was comfortable. It could have been a diaper check, a bottle feeding, or even just a cuddle, but most of the daycare soon began to consider her as my own personal dolly. I despised the notion, but I knew there were far worse names that could have been attributed to me as a Little in this facility.

Still though, life moved on beyond that for much as it had been since the daycare’s initial visit to the research lab. Dubbing it a ‘science day,’ the daycare made sure to visit the facility at least once every two weeks for some kind of lesson. It might have been downright juvenile, but it was still something else to break up the daily routine beyond just the fear of someone else being taken after testing on Mondays, and similar to days like today, it gave me a chance to really do some digging for the mission.

After some kind of childish science experiment as a class or something done individually, like that first day’s slime, we would all be given free reign to just wander about the designated areas of the facility. Due to being perceived as only Littles, in their minds, we weren’t capable of espionage or escape and thought we would prioritize the stuffies or new swing set. I, however, proved their assumptions very wrong each week with the utmost pride and glee.

For example, today, after creating paper airplanes in class, I had split up from the rest of my friends and wandered down a corridor I had yet to go down. I had been keeping a small map tucked away in my jacket in a pocket that Jennfier had specifically sewn delicately into the lining for me. Being in the more northern climates and this world not experiencing global warming I suppose, meant that the temperatures, despite it being July, could occasionally dip. Still, my tiny jacket that I would often just carry in my arms came into use more often than not.

Now entering a large entryway room, I began to hear a rustling movement from somewhere inside. To my shock though, instead of the usual frayed wiring or blueprints, I only found what looked like to be a nursery of sorts. No storks or pleasant colors mind you, but the several bassinets and perpetual smell of cleanser and baby powder trying to mask everything else unmentionable was still unmistakable.

Soon, about in the middle of the room, I came across a gently shaking single bassinet. To my relief, before I gazed upon what very well could have been a trap, I found and began to read over the chart attached nearby. “Little… found in field nearby Losantiville. Transferred here…’ I then found exactly what I was looking for. ‘Portal subject… Earth.’ It was then that I realized that the Little I was about to meet could have very well just been my ticket out of here. She was already embedded into the research facility, so surely, she had to know more than me. So, with eager anticipation, I climbed as steadily as I could up the sturdy base of the bassinet and looked inside. The Little, as I soon discovered… wouldn’t help me.

Though, in all fairness to the unnamed Little, it was more like she couldn’t really help me out, even if she wanted to. Like Daisy, the scars lining her body left little to my imagination of what had happened to her. Even more distressingly though, as she soon as she saw me, she began to laugh and even spit and gurgle up to me. Then, however, I saw something that was very different from Daisy… her eyes.

Now, I had always believed a bit of the whole notion of the ‘eyes being the windows to the soul.’ It might have been a bunch of hooey to some, but here, despite a Little’s physical condition, their eyes told a different story. Some were dull and lifeless, like Daisy’s, but others were wide and innocent, like Harry’s had started to become before he had been taken. This Little though… her eyes were focused… full of hope… longing even.

“Can you understand me?” I asked still without allowing myself the inkling to hope for at least some kind of break in this mission. So, of course, as she tried to move her head as she had done perhaps millions of times throughout her life, her now diminished and butchered body just spasmed as her head rolled sloppily about. ‘Damn.’ But still, her eyes… they remained alert and focused through it all.

“Hmmm… I know what they’ve done to you is horrible…” I even saw some faint scaring over her throat that I didn’t want to think about or guess at. “But your eyes… they’re still there. I can see that myself. Can you blink for me? Uh, controllably, I mean?”

She blinked once.

“Okay… I don’t think a fluke, but just to be sure… blink once again for a yes.” I just hoped this would work and secretly crossed my fingers out of her view.

She blinked once again.

“Yes!” I then popped my head back around to the doorway and waited for a moment to see if anyone was coming if they had been alerted from my stupidly loud shout. To my quick relief though, they weren’t, so I turned back to the Little before me. “Okay… I can’t tell you much about who I am, but I might be able to help you. You’re from Earth, right?” One blink. “That’s so amazing. There’s lots of us here from what I can tell and I’m trying to help, but again, I shouldn’t say too much. Do you remember everything… from before I mean?”

One blink again, even though her hand spasmed again and clanged the side of her bassinet. My hopes were rising, but I also hated to see that she remembered everything. Her scars… even the faded image of a dragon on her limp calf told me she had gone through a lot. I could still see the red horizontal lines across it where a laser had gone to work to try and remove the image roughly. With it all, I just hoped I was in time to save the rest of her. “Okay… now, tell me your name. I want to be able to…” I heard a creak from outside in the hallway.

It wasn’t much, but I felt that someone was likely coming this direction. I turned back to the Little in front of me with now fearful eyes. “Okay. Just stay here. I think they heard that last clang from your arm, so I’m going to hide, but just act normal, okay?” One blink again.

That’s just what I needed to see, and I dove inside some nearby open cabinets near the floor just in time. The creaks and groans grew louder, and I could then hear footsteps. Quickly, I took a large breath and waited. The door then opened in the room.

“Hmmm… thought I heard someone in here,” the first said.

“Probably just this little one trying to move about like she used to. Track and field, right?” the second one asked.

“Maybe… doesn’t matter now. All that’s gone. She’s just a widdle baby,” the first one mocked cruelly. From my perch I could see him messing with her from above her bassinet. I very much wanted to slug him right in the face, but my meds and calmer mind ultimately won out.

“Ah, quit it, man,” the second chastised. “Her surgical procedures were a complete success and that’s all that matters around here. You know that. Besides, her true purpose of testing the new surgical laser sights and frequencies with her surgeries and healing processes… which I might add were also a complete success… and you know what that means.”

“Bonuses,” the first one said dreamily.

“Huge bonuses, my friend,” the second clarified. “But for now, we have a new transfer coming in and Dr. T wants her checked out right away before sending her back to daycare by the end of the week at the very latest. Let’s try for even faster for even bigger bonuses.”

“Geez…” the first one groaned. “No rest after all our good work with this one? But bonuses… but anyways, what’s so special about this next one?”

“Not sure,” I saw the second one say after shrugging her shoulders. “Probably acclimating her to the daycare to better blend in with the other Littles after her transfer or something.” The woman scientist then paused. “Still, we just follow orders around here and that’s that.” The woman scientist flashed her light around the room one more time. “Now, come on. There’s a chicken surprise in the cafeteria today for lunch and I’m definitely not going to miss that over nothing but shadows and a shaky Little.”

The two then nodded at each other and ambled off and back out the doors. Once I was sure they were truly gone, I crawled out of my hiding spot, thanked the universe and everything I could that they didn’t investigate the room further, and then went back over to the still terrified Little. “Sorry I had to dive out of the way there. Too much going on to be caught now.” I then looked at the clock and saw how late it was getting.

I knew I had to be back at a certain time or others would start to look for me, and worse, begin to ask questions. I could answer them, but they also represented more problems than I really wanted to deal with. I then looked back at the Little and saw her pleading eyes and I felt like such a turd for leaving her now. “I’m sorry. I have to go now, but I promise I’ll be back. Just stay strong… from one Earther to another.”

I then quickly exited the room and made my way down the empty hallway. I felt pretty good, but I also felt a sense of direction now in the way that I could maybe even help a fellow Little out. I guess I was too in my head about helping her escape though, as soon as I turned the corner, I ran headlong into a security guard.

“I…” I began to stammer out after being knocked back a little bit from my carelessness.

“You,” the man pointed at me. “You’re not supposed to be back here… but wait… you’re Jennifer’s Little from the daycare tour.” His eyes narrowed and I saw his hand reach for his radio from his belt.

‘Shit.’ I had been spotted, and worse, recognized by a fellow coworker of Jennifers. This could go very badly, and I knew I had to act fast or else everything could go up in flames in an instant because of my one stupid mistake of getting caught in the act of my own snooping. Fortunately, I had a single plan, but unfortunately, it was a little embarrassing to execute.

I had seen it enacted numerous times by now by my fellow Littles, but wetting my pull-up was still a fairly foreign concept to me. When I had first started wearing them, Jennifer and I had spent the afternoon getting used to them, maneuvering about, and encountering various scenarios where they might be exposed. It was grueling without the medication to say the least, but then she requested that I wet a pair for numerous reasons. I hated it, but I ultimately complied.

It taught me the feeling, so it wouldn’t be a shock the first time. It allowed me to gain the confidence to know that the relatively thin pull-up could hold at least one full-blown accident without leaking, but most importantly, it showed me how easy it was to wet it on command at this stage. Now, with the medication even, I barely had to put on an act.

I needed to go for at least 30 minutes now, but the Little I had met had been a far more important priority for the mission as a whole I felt. With the security guard now eyeing me suspiciously however, everything now just seemed to click. “I… I… need to go…” I then let myself pee freely into the pull-up, “potty…”

The man looked at me suspiciously for one more moment, but my pouty lips, the slight bulge around my hips, and even my unicorn shirt all put on a show for him. As a seemingly kindly and protective Big, he was helpless to resist what he was now witnessing. “Oh… oh…”

I could see his brain begin to shift at the understanding of what was now happening before him. I wasn’t sure who his Little was in this town, or if he even had one, but it didn’t seem to matter in this society. Like some odd homing pigeon or sixth sense, it seemed every Big knew when a Little was having an accident.

He then knelt before me and placed the hand that had been reaching for his radio onto my shoulder. “That’s okay… Megan, right?”

I cast my eyes to the floor. From Jennifer’s instructions, I knew it would easily sell my embarrassment more and could hide some of my tells if I needed to lie. Again, it seemed to work like a charm, and the security guard only patted me on the back as I sorrowfully nodded. For added effect, I poured on my carefully selected wording that I had practiced beforehand. “Jennifer is going to be so mad at me. I was just looking for the potty… I… I just want to be a good girl.”

I could almost see the sympathy ooze out of the guard before me. “Well, that’s okay, Megan. Accidents happen.” He then got up and held out his hand. “Come on. I even know where Jennifer is working today, but I guarantee she won’t be upset at you. She shouldn’t be too hard to find and get you all sorted out and will probably even give you a treat or something knowing her as I do.” Somewhat relieved, even beyond my little act, I then only nodded again and just calmly took his hand. I was then glad my rouse had worked, but the squishy warmth now emanating from between my legs was certainly less than desirable.

The guard slowly walked me through the hallways, and I felt so happy to be able to see Jennifer again. Fate, it seemed though, had other plans for me. About halfway to the room I now knew to be the central security hub of the building, Mrs. Louder popped up from one of the nearby hallways. “Oh! There you are! We were all worried sick!”

I quickly realized that the time had slipped away from me when I was hiding and then making up the story to placate the guard still holding my hand. My only relief though came when the guard spoke up on my behalf. “She’s okay, ma’am. Seems like little Megan here was trying to find the potty and be a big girl. I think I interrupted her, so it was all too late though, and she…” he then lowered his voice, “had an accident.”

Mrs. Louder eyes quickly dropped to me, and her former look of panic and even anger quickly melted away. “Oh dear. That’s okay, Megan.” She then quickly trotted up to us and took my other hand and pulled me away from the guard. “Thank you, sir, but I can take it from here. I’m sure Jennifer is far too busy to handle something like this. I can do what needs to be done now.”

I could feel a little panic rise in my chest if all this was just a rouse to punish me later and I was honestly sad to see the guard go as he then waved goodbye to me and headed back off away from us. Without skipping a beat though, Mrs. Louder quickly pulled me into the nearest restroom and stood me up on what I only knew to be a changing table. “Just wet, sweetie, right?”

I hated even the basis for her asking that question, but I was also partially mortified and partially just wanting to maintain my cover, so I just nodded my head.

“Okay, good. I’ll just get you out of these in a jiffy.” I then could only stand there as she quickly removed my pink pants and exposed my soaked pull-up. It was awful to be exposed like that, but it got even worse when she got me to hold my shirt up as she then ripped the garment off me. In seconds, I was almost completely naked in front of her. I could feel the heat quickly rise to my cheeks as the cold settled onto my damp skin below.

“Just one moment, honey.” From a nearby cubby in the bathroom, she then produced a packet that contained a few essentials for the whole process. “At least they have these here, so you don’t have to just wait around in that old wet thing, huh?”

I silently nodded and Mrs. Louder quickly took that as her cue to tear open the package and then quickly cleaned me up with one of the provided wet wipes. I nearly yelped at first, but I just kept my mouth shut and tried to keep my wiggling at a minimum. Due to my compliance, the work went quickly, and to my relief, a fresh new pull-up soon slid up my legs followed by my pink pants once more.

After setting me back on the ground, Mrs. Louder crouched down. “Now listen, Megan. I’ll have to count this as an accident and mark this on your chart, as well as tell Jennifer, okay?” I nodded and almost groaned when I remembered about the chart that I had been added to that marked me as ‘In Training’ to the whole daycare class. I hated it, but I was still deemed dry enough to remain in pull-ups. I was one of the few still remaining, and even Kelsey had to re-earn her way back into pull-ups after a few too many accidents last month.

“Good. Now,” she then reached behind her and pulled out a small silvery blue package, “you’ve been a very good girl for me today. Accidents do happen, but you handled the whole event very maturely. I’m very proud of you, so here’s a cookie to celebrate.”

I smiled and took the small cookie in her hands. “Thank you, Mrs. Louder.”

The rest of the day went relatively smoothly, and Jennifer soon picked me up and drove us home. Even more, as soon as we entered the door, I couldn’t hold my news in anymore. “Jennifer! I think I found an inside source that could help us… and… I want to save her!”

Usually by now, Jennifer would have gone as far as to even hug me, but instead, her face just became sterner, and she soon crossed her arms. “That explains a lot… but listen here, Megan, and listen well. I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention. Right here and right now telling you no, right now, and you won’t ever ask that again.”

She wasn’t exactly putting the fear of the whole world into me right now, but I could feel an unusual chill come off her words as she spoke. I could feel my mouth drop as I just stared back at the normally kind-hearted woman before me. I also suspected my expression must have been equally telling, because Jennifer’s whole demeanor soon shifted back.

“Oh! Sorry! Too dark!” I could see her panic, but I was still too shocked by what had just happened to offer her any comfort. “Crud. That’s not how all that was supposed to come out. I really am sorry about that. Still though, it’s a solid no, Megan. You need to realize that not everyone can be saved on this mission.”

“That’s something you definitely don’t need to tell me,” I shot back. In the about six months since I had come here, beyond Harry, there had been at least 22 other Littles who were now missing in some capacity from daycare. Ten had already almost regressed and often kept in another room for most of the day, but not saving Littles just felt like standard operating procedure by now.

“Right… sorry, again, but I heard about what happened today.” I instantly knew she was referring to what had happened with the guard rather than with the accident in my pull-up. “It was bound to happen, but an accident in your pull-up as well? Are you okay?”

I quickly nodded. “I am, but I was doing my usual snooping around and was caught. The guard was going for his radio, so I used the only card I had yet to play.”

“Ah, that makes more sense now. It’s even commendable quick thinking on your feet,” she complimented, “but it also worries me.” I raised one of my eyebrows to try and figure out what she meant. “Megan… I really admire the way you care about others. In fact, it’s one of the reasons that you’re one of the best Littles I think I’ve ever met for being so selfless on this mission. I know you have an incentive to go home at the end, but the risks far outweigh the rewards, and personally, you’re also still helping an entire society of people you’ve never even met. That’s impressive.”

I blushed a little. “Thank you.”

“Yeah,” she hesitated, “but, I don’t think you always think about the consequences. For instance, that Little you wanted to save… her abilities are likely permanently ruined forever and even if we saved her, she would be in a long-term care facility for the rest of her life without some sort of miracle.” She then sighed heavily. “As much as I hate to admit it, but she’d probably have the same life if we saved her or not. At least this way, she might find a family who can love her and then be surrounded by all the stuffies she could possibly want.”

I looked at Jennifer as if she had lost her mind. “You have to be kidding me! She would be free… she would be hap…”

“A prisoner in her own body, Megan,” Jennifer loudly interjected. “That’s not freedom in the way she would ever want it. They ruined her body and saving her wouldn’t even really be saving her.”

It was a lot take in, but I then thought the whole thing through. Jennifer was of course right, but it was a large and bitter pill to swallow. Still, I kept thinking back to one thing. “I just wanted to do it because it was right… but I also wanted it for Karma, Jennifer..”

Jennifer cocked her head to one side. “Karma? How so?”

I sighed. “Well, I’ve almost come to term with the fact that I’ll probably be taken away myself one day at this facility.” Jennifer stared back at me in shock and horror. “It is what is at this point, but for Karma… if I helped some helpless Littles now, maybe… when it was me, someone could save me the same as well.”

Without warning, Jennfier immediately broke and pulled me into a large hug. I had gotten used to them, and even if I had come to terms with my likely fate by now, I still realized that I really could have used that hug. It was so nice and soft and warm. I could feel all my troubles wash away.

Jennfier broke the hug first and then gazed down at me. “That’s horrible, Megan, but I’m actually working on something to help you out. Know the silver wristband device you always wear when we’re out and you’re not at the research facility or daycare?” I nodded. “Well, I’m working with others to create something undetectable for you just in case something like that was to happen. Plus, I was even trying to add a panic button. You just never know, right?” I nodded and snuggled into her hug once more.

Back at daycare the next day, I had put much of the previous day out of my mind. I had to stay in the moment while at daycare most of the time, but Bea’s panic over the new wing was an easy distraction to remain in the present and to get even more souvenirs. “I’m telling you! It’s going to take us all!”

He was panicking once again over the new wing to the daycare that would eventually replace the room where he currently went to take his naps. The new wing, however, would be exclusively for the more regressed Littles. Non-walkers, surgery victims, empty headers, and the rest of the younger crowd would spend most of their coming days in there to better accommodate their increased needs.

“Relax, Bea,” I said, trying to comfort her, “it’s just a wing. I don’t think you qualify yet.”

“Exactly,” Kelsey chimed in. “We’ll all be fine. We just need to sit back and relax, okay? Together until the end.”

I hated that saying, but it seemed to help Bea calm down. Curiously though, I then realized that Jasper hadn’t spoken up once. I suspected that even his own ego was ill-suited for his demotion down to pull-ups as well since last month. Had been much quieter since then and had begun to eye the wing in panic. Still, I just leaned back and relaxed on the large animal pillow… or at least I did until I heard a loud commotion began to slowly trickle through from the front of the main area of the daycare.

Opening my eyes now, I saw that many of the workers were now huddled around a single point, and it just so happened that a few were standing very near to where our stuff had been placed. “Did you hear?” one of the temps asked. “She’s a new Little. Fresh transfer and despite being physically on the younger end of the spectrum, she’s still all mentally there.”

“No way! Might explain why she’s so special though,” another one noted.

“Maybe… but I heard Dr. T was thinking of adopting her personally,” a third added. “It’s gotta be for something bigger than just a few qualities that many Littles have thanks to surgeries and all.” I then quickly thought back to the Little I had met yesterday. ‘I still didn’t even know her name…’

Seeing all the commotion, and I guess thinking it was something for them, all the Littles then swarmed over to see what was going on. Most soon departed, but I still didn’t move from my spot… well, until I heard a single sentence utter just a little more loudly over all the others.

“All valid points, but I heard the Little was one of those portal transfer cases they caught from back on Earth,” they explained. “You know how Dr. T is about those Littles for whatever reason.”

My heart surged and I felt positively giddy over yet another portal Little from Earth, and from their own mouths, they even said they were mentally intact. I wasn’t sure what being on the younger side of the spectrum meant for a Little like them specifically, but I just crossed my fingers and dove into to get a better look. It was hard to do, but I finally got a look. ‘Tess?’

There, being cradled in Mrs. Louder’s arms, was Tess. My Tess. My mentor, Tess. The tough as nails, once got shot four times saving another rookie from a gang shoutout, Tess. The one I had been compared to and had been given my leave of absence over when the precinct back home found out they were investigating Carlyle, Tess. I nearly fainted.  

That being said though, as soon as the shock dissipated though, I realized what they meant by being on the younger side as a Little. I could still see her eyes were full of hope and intelligence, but the rest of her… I stared at her thick diaper bulge underneath her onesie-tutu combination. Her usually tight and in-a-bun hair was gathered to the sides into two pigtails held together by a pink ribbon. She was adorable for sure… but I couldn’t believe that this was my Tess.

I almost thought she didn’t see me, but then when I knew she did, I thought she was actually too far gone or didn’t recognize me. Those thoughts were quickly washed away though as her face soon turned to shock and she gave me a tiny wave. Before I could reciprocate it though, she was taken away to another room, leaving me all alone with my swarming thoughts.

She was the best at our precinct and a model cop, with her only flaw being too dedicated… but now and to see her like I just did… I just couldn’t get her image out of my head. She had clearly fallen in so many ways, but she did recognize me, so again, I had a tiny hope for my future here and the mission. While that weighed at forefront of my mind though, another thought kept coming back to me that I just couldn’t shake. If that type of regression scenario could happen to someone like her, the rest of us never stood a chance.

[LostBBoyBear]

Sorry for the late posting of this chapter, but I was just way too tired last night to do any proper editing, especially when I could even seem to spell the word 'practicality.' Ugh. Regardless though, I'm already looking at the next chapter and I'm hoping to be able to post a good amount more before the upcomming holidays.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 16: New... Opportunities

More time passed over in my life and things once again settled into a routine. The predictability helped with so many things in my life these days, anything from my new undergarments to the new yogurt they were having us test out at daycare. As the weeks rolled on though and Jennifer’s and I’s debriefing with Amy soon approached, I dreaded the whole business once more as I began to think about what I would even tell her this time.

The Little in the research facility, who I learned was called Vicky, had been a valuable spot of information in the past few weeks, but it still wasn’t anything actionable that Amy would want to know. Vicky’s use as an informant had held off Amy’s frustration last time, but I didn’t think I could do the same again. Additionally, I also noticed that Vicky was… drifting, for lack of a better word. She could still answer my questions, but I noticed there were times where her mind seemed to be awash in a sea of her new environment. After conferring with Jennifer about it and some speculation thrown around, we realized that her brain was likely atrophying from sheer disuse. I could only see her every two weeks still, and I didn’t imagine any others would treat her as anything more than a baby for the rest of the time. So, my highly valuable informant was slowly sinking into the muck of regression. Soon, I knew that she would just be like Daisy…

On a different note, though, despite likely slowly losing Vicky in my life, I knew that it was a distinct possibility that Tess might just be the person who I needed now for this mission and just in life generally. After all, she had been trained like me at the academy, had been a decorated undercover cop for years, was my mentor no less, and was even the Little of the head of the research facility, Dr. Talbott. It was perfect… except for one small thing… I still hadn’t seen her for more than 20 seconds at a time since that first day back in July. Now, in August though, I felt confident that all that might just be about to change.

Due to the construction of the new wing of the daycare, Tess and Daisy had been sequestered in there for most of the day lately. Mrs. Louder would often flip between the rooms, but beyond her, most other personnel just stuck to their own rooms, so finding any way to get in there had proved particularly difficult. At last, though, I finally broke through to Mrs. Louder and I was allowed inside.  

Mrs. Louder took my hand and guided me to what essentially amounted to a nursery type of room that smelled oddly floral and yet subtly chemical-like. It contained what amounted to practically all my fears about this mission in a single room, but I knew my priorities for it had to come first. So, with as much courage as I could muster, I let go of Mrs. Louder’s hand and toddled over to Daisy in the corner of the room.

She hadn’t changed much, but I also sometimes felt that she was less scared now. Before, loud sounds could set her off into a large crying fit, but now, she seemed to just be a limp, but certainly one of the giggly types of Little in her own way. No communication or hope of recovery for sure, but I still saw some life in her now and I was thankful for that at least.

Having planned all this out, however, I had spotted Tess in another corner of the room seemingly playing with a singular plush doll. It was still extremely disturbing to see my mentor in such a way, but it gave me the perfect time to observe her for a moment and then choose the right time to alert Mrs. Louder that Daisy could use a diaper change. Now, distracted with the care of Daisy and not watching Tess like a hawk anymore, I made my way over to her.

As soon as I got within eyeshot of my old mentor, she placed the plush doll down and waved over at me, looking slightly amused but also embarrassed as well. “Hey, rookie…”

Seeing other Littles confined to a nearby padded and colorful playpen, I was relieved she was still free and less restricted in her movements. “I didn’t want to hope that it was you… this place…” I dropped my head and tried to keep my emotions in check out of her view… I wasn’t very successful. Nicely though, I then felt a hand calmingly pat my shoulder.

“Easy there… this place is a lot, but it can also grow on you in some ways.” I then looked up at her familiar smiling face, the same that had gotten me through so many uphill battles when I had first started off as a cop. “Remember what I told you… it always could be worse and you just gotta find the stuff that is actually still even the tiniest bit good.”

I sighed and I looked at us both in slight disbelief over how things could actually be worse. While my attire was still somewhat dignified, albeit with some sparkles sewn into my shirt and sporting a pull-up underneath, I wasn’t entirely sure if Tess could be wearing anything worse herself. I didn’t want to upset her, but I just couldn’t ignore what she was wearing, so I gently gestured at her outfit.

Tess looked down and chuckled. “Okay… I can give you that one.” She then brushed out her small powder blue dress that I knew with confidence would do absolutely nothing to hide her thick diapers underneath. I could only see them a touch as she sat down now, but the smell of baby powder was unmistakable. “Much better than where I was though...” I quickly raised my eyebrows in curiosity, letting my actions give her an out if she didn’t want to talk about what had happened to her. Fortunately, she just leaned back and began to tell me.

“Well… as you may recall… I was kicked off the force.” I nodded. “Yeah… that sucked, but then I realized I needed something… a drive if you will.” She then adjusted the doll precariously close to her as if it was actually a genuine comforting item to her now. Given that I just wanted to know more about what had happened to her, I didn’t question her action.

“So, I did a little private investigating and merc work in the city,” she recalled. “Nothing major to get me noticed and likely killed in that cesspool of a city, but it was enough to keep my skills sharp. It wasn’t long though before I started investigating into a series of disappearances.”

My eyes widened. “The bright lights…”

Tess smiled and nodded. “I’m guessing that’s how you got here too then… great minds and all I guess… Too bad ours ended us up in a place like this.” I noticed her hand absentmindedly rubbing the doll once more.

“Anyways… I got transported here and I managed to live on my own for over a year on the other side of this country. Learned a lot and kept my nose clean,” she said with a sense of pride. “It wasn’t easy.”

Tess then paused and looked a little distant. I had to know more at this point, so I pushed a tiny bit. “But then something happened, huh?” I asked, remembering my own situation, and briefly wondering if she was yet another source of information for the ABI like me.

“Yes… I was on the west coast and minding my own business, but I was mugged,” she said with some sadness. “I held them all off, but I guess my skills were too much for an ‘innocent Little,’ as they told me in court, and I was deemed a threat as likely part of the resistance movement out there. I wasn’t but I was still placed in a foster home and then just quickly ended up at one of those blasted reform schools.”

My blood went cold. It explained so much about what I was now seeing from my old mentor. At the restaurant before I was captured, I would always hear the worst of stories about those places from other Littles who had family taken to those places before. Torture, surgeries, experimentation, and all to just get Littles to comply better… no one came out the same way that they went in. I suddenly felt guilty about slightly judging her over the comfort she seemed to be deriving from the doll still by her side. It was either a comfort that had just occurred naturally under such brutal conditions or it was something that she could actually no longer control. Either way, I just wanted to know what happened next. “And then?”

Tess sighed. “Then… I was there for only about a month when I was plucked out and sent here. I saw you and I’ve been trying to find ways to get back to you since… then.” I looked at her oddly over her small break in her wording, but it didn’t take me long to realize that she was now wetting her diaper right in front of me without any real effort. My heart felt heavy over her complete lack of reaction, but again, I didn’t want to judge her. She had likely been through even more than me and I could scarcely begin to even try and guess what was happening under the watchful eye of Dr. Talbott every night at her new home.

“So, what’s up with you rookie?” she then asked without batting another eye over her now likely soaked diaper. I sighed and moved on from her accident as I began to relay what had happened since we had last seen each other. Due to her current… status, I felt it necessary to keep my association with the ABI a secret still. I could tell her another time when I trusted her not to accidentally slip after being bribed with a diaper change or something. I felt terrible about it, but I knew I needed to stay on my guard still. Friendships were wonderful, but complete trust in another I knew was a rarity in this type of mission. Despite my friendships with Kelsey and the rest, and now Tess as well here, I was slowly starting to feel more confident in my assessment that Jennifer was the only person that I could truly open myself up to around here.

“Wow… that’s a lot,” Tess finally said as I finished telling her my own story.

“Yeah, but it’s not so bad,” I said shrugging my shoulders. “As you said it could be wor…”

“Snack time!” one of the workers on this side announced.

Tess’s face soon lit up in what I could only describe as complete ecstasy. “Oh goody! We’ll have to talk again. It’s snack time, Meggy!”

Without another word, Tess quickly got up and shakily toddled over to the attendant who had just made the announcement. As she waddled away, my fears were confirmed after seeing her clearly wet diaper, but again, she seemed to not care in the slightest. It was all so odd, but resignedly, I knew my old friend and mentor were still here… just in a very different way now. Unfortunately, when I moved to get up, I felt a tiny squish emanate from my own pull-up. ‘Shit! When did that happen?’

The incident that day weighed heavily on my mind for the next week, but I soon passed it off as a mere fluke with it not occurring again to any degree. I had quickly and embarrassingly informed Jennifer later that night and I could see her concern as well, but we both rationalized that it could be from a dozen or more things. As such, we decided to try and narrow them down to try and prevent me from getting yet another tally on my chart at daycare. So, remembering the smell when I first walked into the nursery room, I had yet to return there, now relying on seeing both Daisy and Tess when their group joined the main playroom of the daycare at least twice a day. It meant giving up some time with Kelsey and the others, but not peeing in my pull-up soon became a frightening new task of my daily life.

It wasn’t much in the grand scheme of it all I suppose but my mind now quickly focused on the task at hand as Jennifer and I once again traveled to Centerton to brief Amy. I reflected on all that I would tell her there, but I could also feel my fears and frustration with the mission begin to mount more than they had since I had come aboard.

The pull-up incident was embarrassing and highly concerning, but it also felt comparatively minor in the face of everything else. My dependence on Jennifer had only seemed to grow and while I could play it off as her just being my servant as my way of coping, that façade was quickly fading. Additionally, and I wasn’t sure if it was just what the mind grows to accept and condition itself with over time, but I was slowly becoming accustomed to my new wardrobe and even entertainment options meant for the younger Littles. Again though, I had to put it all out of my mind and focus on the debriefing.     

Once by the abandoned factory and verified with the new code word, ‘centipede,’ Jennifer and I both gave our reports. As usual, I went last. “So, in summary, I have formed deeper relationships with my two new contacts in my exploration that I believe can help us further in discerning more details than we already currently know about the portal device.”

For once, to my relief, Amy almost looked impressed this time, but still, I could see that we were still behind in her own managerial viewpoint. “Very commendable to you both, but recent reports from our scientists… I’m in a bit of a bind, ladies.”

My good feeling quickly vanished. “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked brazenly.

Amy sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I want to first say that what you two have done by not getting captured at this point, puts you in the highest of echelons for teams on this mission. You should be proud of yourselves…”

Jennifer remained her usual rigid self, but I just couldn’t help myself by asking more questions. “Where’s the ‘but,’ ma’am?” I just knew there had to be a caveat to what she was saying with how frustrated she was looking now.

Amy smiled and continued as I predicted. “But… things are progressing rapidly and unless a solution to those problems is discovered by next March, our scientists believe a complete collapse could become inevitable despite our best efforts.” She then paused, and for once in my life I think that I thought I saw a speck of being uneasy or even nervousness in Amy. “I don’t want to ask you all to embed yourselves further, but time is also now more of a crucial factor than ever before.”

We were all silent for just a moment. “We just want the mission to be successful, ma’am,” Jennifer then touted. I wanted to add that surviving the mission in one piece was also on that list of our wants, but I just kept my mouth shut on that part.

Amy sighed once more but then seemingly gratefully nodded. “I’m glad to hear that…” she then reached into her pocket and pulled something out, “because I believe I have a solution to this whole mess.”

“Is that…?” Jennifer began to ask but then seemed unable to finish her question. Fortunately, Amy deduced what she was going to ask.

“Yes, Jennifer,” Amy confirmed. “This is the next level of the pill that you,” she turned to me, “Megan, are already taking. I don’t want to ask you to do this, but frankly, a lot of people are getting nervous that no matter what you do in this state right now, both of your efforts will either be too late, or just be completely ineffective in preventing anything at all.”

I stared at the small triangular pills with the number three etched onto each of their sides. They were small and looked harmless, but I just didn’t trust their effects, long or short term. I was already having some problems, real or only imagined, but still, I didn’t want to take a chance. I needed to know everything. “Any side effects with those, ma’am?”

To my dismay, Amy nodded. “While you would of course still keep your fight or flight response like you have now, you might find that you could feel more compliant to others, and you may feel temporary regression side effects while on the new medication.” She paused for a moment. “Plus, there could be a few… others as well.”

It was even worse than I was thinking. I felt like I would be essentially signing up for what I was and still have been trying to avoid in this dimension in the first place. It was just too risky, so I shook my head. “No… not this time. I just… I can’t do it.”

Amy heavily sighed and I could see Jennifer immediately tense up. “I’m very sorry to hear that, Megan. I know this isn’t ideal, but for the position I’m thinking of for Jennifer, you can’t be how you are now. You would be observed a lot more often and someone could still see your maturity from a mile away.”

I knew what she was saying, but I had to stand my ground. “No. There’s too much of a risk for just a single promotion for Jennifer. It’s not even remotely worth it.”

I could see a small muscle twitch in Amy’s face as I could tell she was trying desperately to control her temper over my refusal of what she was offering me. “Maybe, but you yourself have noted success with speaking to other Littles about the inner workings of the research facility. Your current perceived age has already been noticed… or did you think I didn’t know about your little accident last month?” I quickly blushed. “Being younger though, will give you an in with the more regressed and even more leeway than you do now if you are caught again. With this, it might just be the break we’re looking for. Please… reconsider my offer.”

I could feel my resolve breaking, but I still held. “It’s still a no… I’m sorry. I’ve seen their technology and reported it back to you. Isn’t that enough with all the evidence you have?”

Amy sighed and snapped her fingers. Her driver then quickly got out and trotted over to hand us a singular but stuffed manilla file. Jennifer and I quickly opened it and looked inside before looking back up at Amy.

“What you have there is our reports from past breaches in this dimension,” she explained. “We know the portals are opening all around, but we can’t tie them directly back to the research facility. For whatever reason, to fool us or maybe even just out of necessity, all the parts we’ve been tracking have another use entirely and could be just thrown out as circumstantial evidence at this point.” I could feel my heart begin to drop over the news she was sharing with us.

“We’ve had a lot of this information for years,” she continued. “Littles from your dimension have been falling through and at least being tracked for over one hundred years now. Some Bigs, though I do believe they are wrong, even believe that Littles here originated from your planet originally and came through one of the more natural breeches accidentally.”

“Wouldn’t we have known about the portals or at least their effects?” I asked tentatively.

Amy nodded. “Yes… and in fact, if you read that file a little more closely, from our research and agents in your dimension now, your society always just chalked the disappearances or incidents up to something else other than the truth. A few examples… alien abduction stories, the Bermuda Triangle, or even the Tunguska incident… all were instances of portal travel to varying successes or failures.”

It was a lot to take in, but Amy just kept up her unloading of information to us, or at least me more specifically. “ABI has been officially keeping files on the incidents for years internally, but we can’t tie them to any one place. The research facility is the closest we’ve gotten, but we still need the files… hard proof of the facility altering the fabric of space and reality from our side. That’s what we need from you all.”

“Oh…” I thought they had a lot more to prosecute the facility with, but I guess they still needed the actionable intelligence that they just couldn’t seem to have access to.

“Yes…” she replied wearily. “It’s not the best news for anyone… trust me, but it is what it is. Besides, I want to help you… I really do, but if we go in right now, we’re likely not to find much either before anything would be destroyed in an instant and just continue somewhere else. So, if we went in now, all our hard work would be over in a second and the mission would be deemed a failure.”

‘Damn it…’ Amy had done her job very well. She had only given us the bare amount of information, but it was just enough to set both our minds into a critical frenzy and up the stakes of what we had to do. The ABI and Amy needed more hard evidence, and I knew I was the one who needed to step up and accept my role in all this to accomplish that task. “I’ll do it.”

Amy seemed pleased but also surprised as well. “I’m glad to hear you say that, but just to be completely transparent here, this new medication can be some powerful stuff, and in all likelihood, you’ll be likely to have even more changes in your life… food… clothing… even furniture is all possible.” Amy then sighed. “I guess what I’m trying to say… just be careful with it and definitely don’t take too much.”

I nodded vigorously and the driver then walked over to us once more and handed Jennifer a small case with the pills inside. Once he returned to the car, Amy continued. “These are a little sample of your new pills. You don’t need to, but as daycare is still tomorrow, I might suggest that you take at least one tonight right away… just to see how they feel. I’ve been told they can be a bit… trippy, but I leave that up to you all.”

After that, Amy left as she usually did and Jennifer and I were once again all alone, but this time we were now looking cautiously at the pills now held in her hands. After a second, Jennfier then looked at me with a serious expression. “Before you take them… if you take them tonight,” Jennifer began, “I just want you to know that I will keep my promise to you to protect you no matter what happens.”

Her wording made me more worried on one hand, but actually surprisingly calm in another. “I know that… but thanks for telling me again anyways.”

Jennifer nodded and then handed me the pills. “It’s still up to you of course, but with my new position even now, you should know that you’re only real concerns right now would be the random surgeries or punishment drugs that I’ve seen them begin to test out. With my position in security though, I can largely prevent those from ever happening to you. Try to keep your nose clean, but just try and take things easy, okay?”

I nodded. “I’ll try, but sometimes… you just have to roll a hard six.” I didn’t clarify what my words meant to her, but I just proved my words and downed the pills in one gulp. I desperately wished I had some water, but they went down and sealed whatever my new fate would be.

Needless to say, Jennifer was very surprised over my suddenness with the pills, but she then just guided me to the car and decided to go to Fun Zone to test out their effectiveness without another word. So, not long after we left the abandoned and dilapidated factory meeting point, we came to the front of the squat brick building with the colorful block letters emblazoned on their sign just over the doorway. I could almost feel the building beckoning me in…

I found the feeling a little unnerving, but once inside, the new chain venue clearly shined out to me in the most appealing of ways. When I first heard of it, I had just thought of it as some weird and depraved fun zone exclusively for Littles, but now, not even sure if it was the new meds were kicking in or not, I could feel my opinion had changed.

The tunnels and slides now looked like they would be exciting, I was always a sucker for arcade games, and even the music had a catchy tune that I wanted to dance to. Still though, as I looked around, I could feel my pulse race and I had an uncontrollable itch to just go and play and have fun and not care about a single thing in life. It was juvenile in the most basic of terms, but also oddly freeing.

As I made my way with Jennifer out to the main play zone and the large grouping of people there, however, I suddenly froze in place. I couldn’t place what I was feeling, but I knew at least one of them was fear. Pure and all-encompassing, it gripped me like nothing else I had really known before, and as much as I tried to self-soothe myself, nothing seemed to work. Jennifer soon noticed, however, and crouched in front of me.

Putting on her more caregiver persona, a side of her I was seeing with increasing regularity now, she tenderly took my hands and looked deeply into my eyes. “I know that look, Megan. What’s wrong? Is there something I can do? Do you need to leave, sweetie?”

Now, normally at least in this dimension with her, I would say yes or no, and we would just plan or act accordingly, but today, all that was different. Instead of verbalizing, I could only shake my head that no, I was not feeling okay.

Jennfier quickly looked at me with sympathy and concern and then quickly toward the still nearby exit. “Is this place too much? I’ve done some research on the different forms of the drug you’re taking and this one is a little more intense. Not like a drugged state like the first when you tried it, but more… well, Little. To be honest, it’s probably exacerbating all your emotions right now… and I know you’re big and tough, but I’m guessing you might be a little shy and scared as well. Is that the case, honey?”

Her comforting yet childish language was not lost on me, and maybe it was just the drug, but I quickly felt a sense of endearment now from her rather than pure condescension as I might have in the past. Regardless though, I just nodded my head at her suspicions.

Without warning, Jennifer then proceeded to immediately give me a tiny half hug. Nothing smothering, but just enough to show me that I wasn’t all alone here in this new and potentially scary place. “That’s okay… it’s actually perfectly natural in this instance. I know all this is probably a lot for you to take in, and I’ll still leave it up to you if you want to leave or not, but I also feel pretty confident in saying that if you stay, at least with the medicine, you might actually find some enjoyment here.” She then paused and looked around for a moment before looking directly back at me with her wide, caring eyes. “So, what do you want to do, honey? Do you want to leave now, or do you want to stay here?” I started to move to tell her my answer, but she then quickly stopped me. “Tell me with your words, sweetie.”

I vastly appreciated her still giving me some agency in my life and I always tried to take advantage of it when I had the chance. I could already tell that this new drug was going to be a whirlwind of new experiences, so it was nice to have that base of support to at least fall back onto. Others might just assume that the support would be there with a caregiver, but I had learned that was sadly not the case in all situations. I already knew that Jennifer was an amazing person, but the further this mission progressed, I began to see her in a different light. I wasn’t sure what that light was, but whatever it was, I just felt closer to her… safer. “I wanna stay…” I finally managed to almost only whisper out.

Jennifer smiled and then stood back up from her crouched position. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Now,” she then extended her hand out to mine, “come on. Let’s go and find you some fun.”

Now, Jennifer could have chosen any of at least two dozen or so groups that had been huddled together, but she was also a field agent. I normally wouldn’t have given it much thought, but I quickly remembered that judging people and analyzing them to be potential informants was one of her main jobs. I had the skill as well, but my senses were less than accurate right now with the new medication. As such, I relied solely on her judgement and where she was guiding me.

This also probably worked best in my favor in another unexpected way as well. With the new drugs, I felt my mind scattered. Not dulled mind you, but just wanting to go off in so many new directions. Bright lights appealed to me by one group and the slides by another. Jennfier, however, was looking for different criteria, which I only realized later that night. She was looking for Littles that were older, but not mature; younger, but not babies; sociable, but not standoffish. It was a tall order, but finally, she found a singular group of about three girls that seemed about the Little age that I was supposed to be at now. They quickly stopped their conversation as we approached.

“Hey, girls. Mind if we join you for a minute?” Jennfier brazenly asked. The Littles, who were likely natives, knew never to say ‘no’ to a Big, so they all just quickly nodded. “Excellent.” To my embarrassment, Jennfier then easily scooched me forward in front of them.

“Girls, this is Megan.” There was an awkward pause as they looked at me and in retrospect, I guess they expected me to say hello, but my senses were far too overwhelmed to make out a single syllable. Jennifer only chuckled. “Sorry about her. She’s just shy.”

I half expected to be ridiculed, but I was quickly finding that unless your ages were terribly different, like diapers versus underwear, most Littles were actually pretty kind to each other. In a way, we all seemed to be quite harmonious with each other here. I guess in such moments of oppression from the Bigs, more enemies, even to the most regressed Little, were just pointless and stupid. So, to my everlasting relief, one of the girls stepped forward and smiled at me.

“Hey there. No need to be shy, Megan. I’m Wendy,” she said with almost a twinkle in her eye. Of the three Littles before me, I could tell that she was the only one not in diapers, and as much as it pained me that Jennifer thought that this was likely my new age group, Wendy’s likely pull-up felt more equalizing.

“Hi, uh… Wendy. Sorry… just really shy around new people,” I said truthfully.

Wendy just smiled and held out her hand, which I promptly took. “That’s okay. This place is meant to be fun. Just stick with us and I’m sure you’ll be laughing in no time.” She then gently guided me over to the other two Littles before looking back at Jennifer. “Don’t worry Mrs…?”

“Miss Reynolds actually,” Jennifer replied confidently and happily, likely over the fact of seeing me be accepted so quickly with these new friends, “but you can call me Miss Jennifer or even just Jennifer. I don’t mind either way for such a nice Little like yourself.”

I could see Wendy blush a bit at the compliment, but now satisfied that she had done her due diligence with the Big in front of her, she quickly waved goodbye to Jennifer and pulled me into their group. Moments later, were deep in conversation about silly Little things, but I guess because of the new medication and maybe even my extended time here, I quickly was able to join in on the conversation. Before I knew it, I hadn’t even realized that Jennifer had left to go sit down with some other Bigs nearby.

Time moved rather quickly after that as I began to have fun. Nothing forced or even acted out as a façade, but real, genuine fun. It was wonderful, but the passage of time also meant the passage of other things as well. Before I knew it, I was quickly overcome with an urgent need to pee.

I ran away from my new friends after a brief explanation and found a previously relaxed Jennifer. I quickly then began to squirm around to prevent an accident right there in front of her. “Jenn! Jenn! I have to… have to…” I squirmed more and it felt like I had to use all my concentration to not just wet myself on the spot.

Jennifer looked at me questioningly, but her instincts as my caregiver were as sharp as ever… not that a Little squirming about and even tugging at their pants was hard to discern the meaning over, but more of the fact that she quickly bolted up and pulled me into the closest restroom without a moment of panic. I didn’t see it at the time, but she also managed to snag a bag that she had brought with her from the car.

Jennfier quickly hurried me into the bathroom and for a brief moment, I worried that the changing tables were going to be my next stop, but another pang from my bladder didn’t allow me to dwell on the notion for very long. Instead, Jennfier only ushered me into a nearby stall. I almost felt relief that I had made it, but a quick jostling from Jennifer also reminded me that I wasn’t quite there yet as she almost instantaneously dropped my pants and pull-up and then sat me perched on the edge of the pott… uh, toilet…

The splash below me was almost instantaneous, and my body relaxed in an almost euphoric relief. Oddly enough, with my urge now faded, I felt entirely confused over what had just happened. I had felt a tiny urge not long ago, but before I knew it, I felt like someone had quickly filled up my bladder to twice its normal capacity. Disturbingly, I felt that if I had waited for any longer than another few minutes, the padding in my pull-up would have become an embarrassing necessity.

I quickly shook the thoughts out of my head as I soon realized something else. Jennifer was now holding my half-naked form over a toilet. “Uh, Jenn?” She then looked at me closely. “You mind if we uh… finish up here?”

Jennifer then realized that despite the urgency from my bladder, in a very real sense, I was still me. I still had some of the same qualms about privacy and the like, but I could also tell that like my fight or flight response still being intact, the medicine seemed to work off my desires or needs at the time. Needing to go potty, as I reminded myself to start saying more often now, was my highest priority and other concerns… like vanity, embarrassment, privacy, and the like… were all secondary considerations. I wondered just how far that would go, but Jennfier’s words quickly interrupted my thoughts.

“Wow… that was a close one.” She then horrifyingly checked the pull-up around my ankles and then smiled. “All dry. Such a good gi…” She then quickly looked embarrassed and cleared her throat for a moment. “Sorry… I guess old habits in this same position and all, but no accidents… so that’s something in all this at least.”

“Yeah…” I said, trying to move on from all this as quickly as humanly possible. “I don’t know what happened. The urge just took me on suddenly and I felt like I was going to explode.”

Jennfier sighed. “Yeah… it’s a potential side effect of your new medication.” I looked at her with shock and confusion. “You see, the medication doesn’t take away your potty training or anything like that, but it also works on your mind temporarily to prioritize other things… like a more regressed Little might. Having fun is a top priority, but going to the potty might not be… until you really need to. Make sense?”

I nodded in horror over the implications, which Jennifer then perfectly noted. “You know… they actually suggest using diapers while on the medication…”

“No!” I shouted. There was a pause in the stall as my single word bounced off the tiled walls… me still sitting on the potty with a pull-up around my ankles and Jennifer now looking at me with a bewilderment that quickly embarrassed me. My ‘no’ had been a bit too adamant… immature even. Fortunately, for my own dignity and sanity, Jennfier just moved on.

“But I won’t do that to you,” she clarified to my relief. “I might just suggest, however, that you keep a closer eye on things from now on. In this dimension, as I’m sure you already know, one accident in your record isn’t usually a deal breaker… more than one… well, even the saintliest of Bigs can only go so far with some things.   

The full weight of her words sunk into what felt like my very soul. They weren’t necessarily soul crushing, but her implications rang loud and clear… stay vigilant or my next padding will be decidedly thicker… even in her presence. It was a highly sobering thought, as if my sitting on the edge of a potty with my pants and pull-ups around my ankles and my caregiver holding and watching over me wasn’t enough.

Still, the new medication was certainly something that I didn’t see coming, and as I began to clean myself up, something that I saw Jennifer almost reach over to do initially, I knew that things would certainly be changing in my life. I was an undercover operative for the ABI and a Little at a highly experimental and dubious research facility run by the most unscrupulous Bigs I could imagine. With all that was now going on in my life, if I hadn’t felt nervous about my future before, I certainly did now.

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! I was trying to get this chapter up earlier today, but I wasn't able to edit it in time before I saw a new movie with my friends tonight. Spoiler alert: there's a part of me that wishes I had just skipped that movie for now and just focused on this chapter, but I guess that's just how these things go sometimes.

Moving forward, with this being chapter 17, there are now less than 10 chapters to go before the end. I'm hoping to keep writing and pumping them out, but I know I will probably have to take a day or two off for the upcomming holiday season where I likely won't have access to my computer. I'm trying hard to get ahead and write in advance to maybe be able to release two chapters in a day... but I won't make any promises right now. 

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 17: You Again

Change comes swiftly to everyone, but more so let’s say… to a Little in this dimension who just so happened to be taking a new medication to alter herself for the betterment of a mission and for a people that just mostly seemed to only want to baby her. In this same vein, in the weeks since I had begun to take the new medication, I noticed a few… slip ups that I normally would have just taken for granted before all this.

First, it was my wording. I can freely admit that Jennifer and I trained specifically to use younger words when appropriate and to monitor my language, but I now felt a shift. Terms could become simpler, or I would even think of others as forbidden for someone like me to us. For example, I used to have to guard my words carefully so as not to curse with my frustrations, even with the medication sometimes, but now… I thought of those words as ‘bad’ or ‘dirty’ and that ‘good girls’ like me didn’t use them.

It wasn’t too bad though, and, in some ways, I felt it could even make me a better person, but my submissiveness and my interests of typical Littles posed other problems. Now, while I could connect to Littles more freely than I ever had before, even on my best days, I genuinely worried when things like the news or crime dramas hardly interested me anymore. My fight or flight response seemed to still be intact, but I also found myself nodding and following along with almost every instruction a Big gave me… even ones that could be humiliating as I started to find myself in the midst of another… more pressing problem.

At Fun Zone, I had a near accident, but my warning for the potty never really seemed to go back up when I was on the medication afterward as I had initially hoped. The other drugs had a usage curve the first few times and I was hoping my potty problems would have been part of that this time. They weren’t.

It wasn’t a big deal at first, staying within reach of some potty within five minutes of usually wherever I was, but then the potties sometimes got harder to find as time progressed where I wasn’t spending my time only at daycare or at home. I hadn’t had a genuine full-blown accident yet, but I had felt a spurt or two at least a few times by now that I barely noticed when I had been distracted. Jennifer seemed to always find out, and while she said that it was okay, I started to see a look in her eyes that made me squirm on the training potty that she had now set up for me back at home. In order not to be devastated just in case, I readied myself for a day where my fall from undergarment maturity was only a matter of luck rather than my timing or ability any longer.

So, resignedly, about the only positive with all this, as I had mentioned previously, was my connection with other Littles. My snooping had taken a bit of a hit, but I was far more easily able to relate and converse with just about any Little now. Even Bea, who had now accepted her new life and was seemingly more like the more regressed Harry every week now, could be relatable on some level. For those like Tess or Kelsey, who now found herself back in diapers, the process and connections were even easier, and I quickly found myself having fun with them in ways that I didn’t know were still possible beyond the age of 10. It scared me a bit to have the realization that in some ways here, I was younger than 10, but I just tried to cling onto the maturity I could still somehow muster whenever possible.

Finally, there was one more unintended side effect of the new medication. As I was in an experiment of sorts and being monitored carefully, the scientists testing me had quickly noticed my change as well… particularly when I realized too late that I had answered one of their questions differently on testing day… and had gotten one of them wrong entirely.  

“Just another check,” Dr. Reggie told me as I lay back as he examined me for the third week in a row off to the side in the main playroom of the daycare.

“I’m just the same, Dr. Reggie,” I tried to defend myself. “Promise.”

He raised an eyebrow in doubt over my statement and then almost seemingly puffed out his chest to accentuate his white lab coat. “I’ll be the judge of that, little miss,” he quickly popped back as he checked my lower reflexes for at least the third time today alone. It turns out, when a research facility is in charge of secretly regressing their Littles, when one begins to regress on their own, they tend to take notice and panic just a smidge.

As part of our preparation for scenarios just like this one, even if it was a remote possibility initially, Jennifer and I had passed it off as a simple case of lingering radiation effects from my cover backstory of my home island. I didn’t think the cover story would work, but to my surprise and slight horror, no one batted an eye. Apparently, there had actually been some war between the Bigs and Littles some time ago and the Bigs retaliated at one point with unstable regression chemicals that still occasionally would pop up and effect some hapless Little.

“So? What’s the verdict? Am I all okay, Dr. Reggie?” I asked as innocently as I could as Dr. Reggie began to finish up with my now seemingly routine checkup.

Dr. Reggie sighed. “Yes, Megan. You are the same as last week. Whatever happened to you seems to have stopped for now at least. I’ll continue to monitor your progress, but you can go back with your friends today.” He then backed up and placed his reflex hammer and stethoscope back into his bag before turning back to me. “Since you were such a good girl for me, as always, would you like a loli?”

I felt a sudden rush of excitement and I rapidly nodded my head. “Yes please, Dr. Reggie!”

Dr. Reggie just smiled and gave me my usual favorite green-colored and lime-flavored loli. “Thank you, Dr. Reggie!” I then hopped off the table and rejoined my friends nearby. They were playing a board game that I only knew the theming of as one of my favorite cartoons… or, at least favorite under the medication…

This lasted for a few minutes, and I soon saw Dr. Reggie talk to Miss Ginny, Mrs. Louder, and Mrs. Harrington. All looked a little concerned, but their attention was quickly taken over by the nearby TV suddenly switching away from the regularly scheduled cartoon show.

“Hey!” one Little I didn’t know cried out. “We were watching that!”

“Shhh!” Mrs. Harrington shushed everyone. “It’s a special new report. Quiet everyone!”

The room dropped to a deathly silence as the stiff and manicured man on the screen suddenly appeared and then began to talk. “Good evening. This is a special report brought to you directly from New Columbia. The president has just announced that she has received reports of further environmental degradation by unauthorized portal travel.” I could feel my breathing stop for just a moment. “We come to you now as a warning. Please stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to your local law enforcement. These are dangerous times, and we all need to be on our guard. The president will speak as part of a formal address later tonight. Thank you.” The special report then ceased, and the silent room filled with noises of joking beavers and singing cats once more from the previously airing cartoon show.

“I bet it was friggin’ Catalon or Honshu that did it!” one Little finally called out.

“Jeffrey!” Mrs. Harrington admonished. “We do not accuse others without proof first, understand?” she asked threateningly. Jeffrey could only nod back in terror of her near-rhetorical question laced with her threat of punishment of the ‘or else’ variety.

Of course, most of the daycare knew he was probably right. Those two countries had been experimenting around with portal travel for years according to the news that Jennifer watched at night back home. It was only natural to make such a conclusion, but in this case at least, I knew the truth. This very research facility was the ones who were truly responsible.

“You know he’s right,” Jasper said a little more quietly, adjusting his shirt to cover up his own pull-up now, still very uncomfortable and unused to his new garment. I couldn’t say I blamed him.  

“Well, duh,” Bea noted as she rolled her eyes. “We all know that, silly, but I’m more worried about the other countries stealing us away than some stupid portal travel.”

“What?” Kelsey panickily asked. “What do you know, Bea?”

“Yep! You heard it from me, and I heard it from my mommy who then heard it from her work at the mayor’s office,” she seemed to boast. “One of the reasons I have to be back by seven every night now in fact.”

“And not your babyish new bedtime?” Jasper asked, obviously trying to get a rise out of our friend. It didn’t work and Bea just ignored him.

“I’m not sure about that,” I chimed in after a second. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to be a teensy extra bit cautious as a Little these days though, huh?” The whole group nodded their heads, and while I wasn’t sure if I believed what I was saying, from their previously worried looks, I knew they could use the boost of doubt concerning that rumor. Before I had a chance to think about it more though, I quickly saw a nervous looking Dr. Reggie in the corner of the room.

It didn’t take a genius to see the guilt oozing through his pores after the news report had come on and I desperately wanted to know more. So, using the ruse of getting a blanket from the other side of the room, I quietly tiptoed over to his general location when he just happened to call someone.

“I don’t care if she’s busy!” he yelled into the phone before quickly looking around to see if anyone was listening. Fortunately, I managed to duck my head down just in time and pretend to play with a nearby bear. He was so soft… so nice… so… ‘Shit!’ I realized I had distracted myself once again with another stuffy. Seeing Dr. Reggie listening on the phone call now though, I tried to edge closer to hear when he would start talking again. With any luck, I might just catch something useful in his panic.

“I understand, Dr. Talbott,” he continued frantically. “Our research is very important.” A pause. “Yes, I understand that the last war unleashed something terrible, and the last sickness hurt fertility, but…” Another pause. “Yes… yes… I know. I…” Dr. Reggie then looked around and noticed that another Little was staring at him from nearby. Tomas had already been severely regressed, so I knew he didn’t pose a threat, but that didn’t seem to matter to Dr. Reggie currently. So, without me hearing anything else, the good doctor then scurried away and through one of the doors I knew to be a ‘no-no’ zone. I briefly pouted and wanted to smack Tomas for spooking what could have been a highly promising lead, but I knew it wasn’t his fault and just resigned myself to getting the blanket and rejoining my group.

That night, in the safety of our bug free house, I told Jennifer what happened. “…yeah, and Dr. Reggie was really suspicious afterward. You think he knows something important about all this portal travel in the news, Jenn?”

Jennifer had been quiet throughout as I recalled my whole story, but she then gave me a little smirk that indicated she knew something more. “Maybe…”

My eyes widened and I nearly pounced on her in excitement and anticipation. “Tell me! Tell me! Oh please, oh please tell me, Jenn!”

Jennifer chuckled. “Easy there. I’ll tell you but you just need to remain calm for a moment, okay? Can you do that for me?” I quickly nodded my head, yet I couldn’t stop my small amounts of squirming on the couch cushion right next to her. “Alright… that’s good enough. Well, ABI determined we needed to push in a few ways. Your meds and my promotion were two of the options… this is another.”

My squirming stopped as I then realized what she was subtly telling me now. “You mean…?”

“Yes,” Jennifer nodded in confirmation. “ABI released the story to the media. We wanted this facility to panic. TO be on their guard even. It will ensure more security is needed, which will secure my new higher-up position, and they will push harder to complete things for fear of being raided or discovered by even just the media alone.”

I thought it was going to be good news, but maybe it was because of the meds or even just my natural instincts taking over, but I now felt a pronounced pang of fear over her words. “But… won’t that just cause them to become more ruthless or increase their degradation of other Littles… my friends with their experiments now?”

Jennifer sighed and reached into her pocket to retrieve something. “That is a risk, yes, but we have a shortened deadline now for our efforts to pay off. So, it was either this or pushing yet another pill on you. I didn’t want that…” I could easily see the fear and sadness written all over Jennifer’s face.

I knew what she had to do to protect me while also ensuring the success of the mission, but her emotional state over my fate was also really touching. Still, the Little beckoning inside of me from the meds desperately wanted to know what was now in her hands and if it might even be a gift for me. “What’s that?” I asked as I pointed to her hand that had previously reached into her pocket.

Jennfier smiled and opened her hand to reveal a small bracelet. “This?” I nodded. “Well, you know that bracelet I have you wear whenever we are leaving for an extended period of time from the house and not going to Centerton for a debriefing?” I nodded again, remembering the several times we had gone to places like the park or downtown and I had worn the silvery bracelet that she had given to me on my third day with her.

“Well,” she continued, “you won’t need that anymore. You see, I’ve been working with the ABI to create this new bracelet, but I also knew that it might seem particularly odd if you were the only Little wearing one at daycare… so… uh, I created a rumor.”

Her words just hung about for a second before they seeped into my brain fully. “Wait… rumor? A kidnapping rumor maybe?” I quickly thought back to the rumor that Bea had mentioned and that I had slightly been worried about but also doubted regarding other countries kidnapping Littles.

Jennfier seemed shocked but ultimately nodded. “Yes. I began to circulate a rumor here and there about other countries kidnapping Littles recently. I didn’t give specifics, but I knew the fear would be just enough to push the mayor and the facility’s board to approve of more Littles wearing these new bracelets for extra security.”

“I knew it!” I now felt so vindicated over my theory of it being a false rumor. “Bea was talking about that today actually. It felt fake but I was really scared actually there for a moment.”

Jennifer then looked a little hesitant. “Well… I did create that rumor for around here, but so you are at least aware, Little abductions do occur from other countries taking them for their own purposes.” I could feel my breath catch a little. “But you don’t need to worry about that here. We’re not on the coast anymore, your caregiver is second in command now of this entire facility’s security department, and this country is also predominantly governed by Bigs. The chance of abduction to another country is almost zero for you while you’re still here with me.”

“Oh…” I wasn’t sure how to feel about all that… I mean, at one time I thought the chances of me being transported to another dimension through a portal would have been zero, but yet here I am. Quickly wanting move on, I switched my attention to and began to examine the purple wristband that Jennifer was now presenting me with. “So, what does it do?”

Jennifer then comfortably strapped what essentially amounted to a decorative soft rubber-like band on my wrist. “It’s comfortable but it’s also made with a near indestructible material, so it can’t just be cut off if someone were to take you. Future versions might have electronic locks or the like, but for now, this one just has a clasp that I have the key to.”

“What if I want to take it off?” I asked, slowly now thinking about the bracelet as more of a sign of my submission and other’s oppressions now. After all, if only Littles wore these around here, it would almost be a mark of our subservience to the Bigs.

“There shouldn’t be a need for that with how it’s designed, but just in case, as I said, I have the key.” I wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but I just let her continue to try and find out more without asking. “All will be able to be tracked up to about 2,000 of your miles in almost any direction so we always will know where you all are.” Again, it now felt like a chain bolting me to my Big around here. Jennifer was nice, but I felt certain that these things could quickly be abused. Jennifer didn’t seem to notice though. “Yours, however, also has a special security feature… a panic button if you will.”

I looked at the tiny button that nearly blended in with the rest of the band almost seamlessly. “And you come running if I press it?” I asked, still not liking the whole concept that much anymore. It seemed like a good idea at the time but giving it to every Big for their Littles… it wasn’t something I had anticipated at all.

Jennfier however, only nodded in answering my question. “Yes, but please, only push it for emergencies. I still trust you to discern what is or isn’t one, but please don’t make me regret that decision.” Her tone had a note of finality in it that unnerved me, but I just hoped that I was seeing stress or something… not Jennifer’s true Big persona to seemingly more regressed Littles as I was now becoming.

I wanted to protest. I wanted to tell Jennifer just what I thought of this new almost manacle-like device now strapped around my wrist. I could see the appeal to it for sure, but knowing this society, I wondered just how long it would be before these things became required rather than just as a precaution against a fake rumor. ‘How long before it become smaller, or they eliminate the band altogether and start sticking trackers in our bodies?’ I could feel the slippery slope we seemed to now be heading down, but before I could say anything, a knock came from our front door.

“Expecting someone?” Jennifer asked me, which I could only shrug to. Now, my thoughts quickly shifted as I saw Jennifer, looking nervous and intense, slowly walk over to the door and then place her hand on her waist by some sort of large bulge that I had only now just noticed. She was head of security… an undercover agent of the ABI… and now, there was some stranger knocking at our door. I didn’t have to guess very hard over what that bulge could be or if she knew how to use it when needed.

Jennifer then slowly peered through our peephole, looked a little funny over what she saw and then surprisingly slowly opened the door while still keeping her foot wedged a little bit back to try and prevent it from being forced open. I could see a figure dressed mostly in blue standing outside of the door from the small crack that Jennifer had allowed from the slightly open door. “Hello, officer. What can I do for you tonight?” she asked the stranger.

“Hello, ma’am. I’m actually Detective Stefano… Paul, if you will.” I squinted my eyes over the still mostly obscured figure, but that voice… it sounded so familiar. “I’m here to follow up with a case… mind if I come in?”

Jennifer clearly looked uneasy about his question, but just nodded and slowly opened the door all the way to let him inside. As she did so though, I could still see her finger twitch near to where it had been on her waist. I think it was a fairly safe assumption that we were both still a little on edge.

Entering our home, however, I quickly recognized the chiseled features of Detective Paul. I remembered him as the nice cop who had originally interrogated me at the station back in New Eboracum City… the same night I met Jennifer and Amy and then agreed to this whole mission. As if to confirm this, he then quickly nodded his head toward me. “Evening, miss. Do you remember me from a few months ago?”

I nodded. “I do… you’re that nice officer I met from earlier this year.”

He smiled and nodded back. “That’s right.” He then turned to Jennifer. “I’m sorry to intrude like this, but the news today… well, to be blunt, Megan’s case always kind of stuck with me.” Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “You see, I watched her interview tapes after she left our station and the way she was so quickly escorted out of there that night… by you no less. And then there was just her whole demeanor and the way she conducted herself. She was calm and cool under pressure… even with Officer Blausky making the arrest that night.”

I shuddered a bit at the memory of that man. He certainly wasn’t the most intimidating Big I had ever met, but there was just something about him that had stuck with me, and I think Detective Paul quickly caught onto this. “You don’t need to worry about him anymore… he’s been, uh… dealt with since then.”

I wanted to ask questions about him and what he was even implying about the Big, but Jennifer spoke up first. I could tell that she was still nervous with this cop now in our home. “So, detective… I appreciate you following up with Megan and all, but as you can see, she’s perfectly sa…”

Detective Paul then raised his hand calmly and Jennfier stopped talking. “I can appreciate how all this looks, but as I was saying before, Megan kind of just stuck with me ever since that night. Now, I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I did my research… there’s just too many questions. So, I’m just going to say it.” He then paused and took a deep breath and turned to me. “I think you’re one of those portal Littles everyone is talking about now. Someone from the other side of those breaches the president just talked about.”

The air seemed motionless for a moment and only the soft rustling of the trees outside in the fall air could be heard. I knew that Jennifer would appear calm to the outside observer, but I had lived with her now for almost nine full months. I knew for a fact that inside, she was screaming and panicking over what Detective Paul had just said to us.

Now, I wanted to play if off. Detective Paul seemed nice, but he also was an outsider and walking into a mess that seemed far above his paygrade. I didn’t want one of the few law enforcement Bigs that had been nice to me to get hurt. It seemed though, that Jennifer had other intentions rather than to just lie to the man.  

“So, what do you want detective with this bit of information?” she asked calmly yet intensely. “Money? A higher position? Name your price.”

The detective looked a little uneasy for a moment, but then seemed to just play off the whole situation. “As much as I would appreciate those things in my life, I’ve just come here for one purpose.” Jennifer and I began to subtly lean into what he was going to say. “I actually just wanted to stop by to warn you two and to make sure that Megan was still okay.”

That was unexpected and I clearly wasn’t the only one who was now shocked. “Oh… I…” Jennifer seemed to be taken aback by his comments. She was clearly expecting the worst out of this Big and not the almost equivalent of a knight in shining armor like I had been reading about in one of my favorite stories here now. “I’m sorry detective… I assumed…”

Once again, the detective held up his hand to stop her. “That’s okay. I know all this has to be a lot, and from your overall demeanor tonight before, I’m guessing you’ve known about her since probably the beginning. I respect the secrecy, but my concern is just for Megan’s well-being. You see… the news report has people on edge.” He then heavily sighed. “My captain is under pressure to deliver results… so tomorrow, he’s enacting a new policy to capture all suspected portal Littles and question them… severely.”

I practically gulped in fear. I was with Jennifer, but I could connect the dots of where this was going. The Bigs were now rounding up my people here and interviewing them in conditions I suspected weren’t… ideal. It was a bad precedent, but it also told me something else. If I was ever to fail on this mission, or succeed and yet somehow couldn’t return home as the ABI had promised me, I would be stuck in a world that had a particular desire to see me captured once again and then likely permanently regressed. If I wasn’t fearful of failure of this mission before, now, Detective Paul had just skyrocketed that overall feeling.   

Jennifer noticed and side stepped a little bit to rub my shoulders to give me some semblance of comfort. “Thank you detective. I’m just her caregiver, but Megan has become like family to me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know that someone else cares about her as well.”

Detective Paul just smiled kindly at us. “I appreciate that… I really do, but I’m just doing my job and being a good person. A good Big as it were in all this mess.”

“That may be, but take it from me, detective. Those qualities amongst us Bigs can be a sad rarity these days,” Jennifer said with a little crack in her voice. “I don’t know how I can ever repay your kindness to us…”

The detective just smiled and the two began bantering for a good while now. Now, I was a Little still in the depths of my new medication, but I wasn’t naïve. I could see the sparks forming between the two as soon as they had both let their guard down. It was nice and I knew Kelsey would be squealing if I told her about the interaction between the two tomorrow at daycare, but to me… I just felt stuck between the two. Oddly enough, I would much rather just go to my room and color, so, I asked.

“That would be fine, dear,” Jennfier told me, still in her near dream-like state in the presence of Detective Paul. “The detective and I need to talk about a few… details anyway.”

I wasn’t sure if she was implying something or if the ABI agent in her was really going to try and talk to the detective, but either way, I didn’t want to be a witness to it. So, I quickly scrambled away as they soon sat on the couch together.

Now, back in my room, I couldn’t help but look around and feel somewhat elated and yet also dismayed over what I was now looking at. Due to the increasing amount of ‘playdates’ with Kelsey as of late, coupled with my new meds and subsequent younger Little persona, my life at home had been forced to change as well. While I still felt like a ‘big girl’ compared to those like Tess or even now, Kelsey, looking around, I had to at least somewhat question how ‘big’ I truly was anymore.

While I still functionally had the same bed as I did when I first arrived here, my focus was immediately drawn to the small railings that arose from the top half of the bed. While I didn’t really need them myself, my younger Little age for society required me to have them. Plus, it was hard not to notice that my sheets had also taken on a younger vibe as well as they now sported the various cartoons that I would be amiss in saying that I now didn’t at least somewhat enjoy.

Posters of various other cartoons also dotted the walls and a small bookshelf of Little’s books now occupied my room as well. I didn’t mind them as much along with my coloring books as they gave me alternative entertainment options to occupy my free time with. After all, as long as I continued to stay in the lines while coloring or still read to myself, the content seemed to not matter as much anymore.

Finally, Jennifer had gotten extremely concerned for my well-being after my nightmares had continued for over a month. She knew it was the stress of the mission weighing down on me, and like any good caregiver, she didn’t want me to suffer anymore. So, along with my slight aversion to the dark due to my subsequent possible night terrors, Jennifer had graciously gifted me a small nightlight that remained perched on top of my dresser. It was small and in the shape of a glowing blue owl when turned on, but almost instantly, my dreams became pleasant once more. It was one of the new additions in my life that I truly didn’t mind… well, other than my blanket of course.

I quickly walked over to the small bean bag chair Jennifer had gotten for me to relax on and the light blue blanket that lay draped over it. For a while now, and to be honest, ever since that first day at the research facility and I saw those bright lights, I had been craving comfort in my life. Being a Little, my options seemed obvious in the form of a stuffy or Jennifer, but my adult persona still rallied against those simple desires. They were too… babyish, so I had instead opted for a small blanket that Jennifer had gifted to me back in February when the temperatures dipped briefly into the single digits outside.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, but I had dusted it off last month and held it close to me that first night I had taken the new medication. It wasn’t much, but it was something that I could latch onto and hug as much as I wanted to. Besides, I had been exposed to gases, swirling lights, was in the middle of an undercover operation, and kept testing foods, drinks, or even toys almost every week that most scientists still weren’t even sure of what the effects were. I found it almost a miracle by now that a small blue blanket was the only item of comfort I was now saddled with in my life.

Regardless, I just stared at my room and wondered just how far all this would still go. My life seemed in shambles, and while I definitely seemed to have a support system, I knew that there was only so much they could do against all the other odds stacked in opposition to the success of this mission. Still, all that could wait. For now, I just wanted to relax, so I quickly plopped down on my bean bag chair to rest for a minute before I continued coloring in one of the princess-themed coloring books. Unfortunately, right as I did so, I could feel a squish… and what’s worse, the squish felt a little more powerful and I could soon feel a dampness running down towards my rear and my now outstretched legs. ‘Oh… shingles!’

[LostBBoyBear]

Well, sorry everyone for posting this much later than I usually try to. With the holidays and all, present wrapping and baking cookies just had to take precedence over finishing my edits with this story.

That being said, I should have at least one more chapter up before I take a mini break. I might have another chapter out and the break might only be a single day from your all’s perspective, but I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep at this point. Also, next week might be a lighter workload, so I might be able to get more chapters done in a timelier manner.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 18: The Falls Begin to Stack

The weather began to grow colder, and my days started to become tougher as new obstacles felt like they presented themselves at my every turn. At first, I could just push past them with my skills or intellect, but more and more lately, each issue felt like it was looming ever larger and threatening to capsize me into a sea of permanent Littledom.

Despite my own commitment to staying out of diapers for example, all my friends now wore diapers very freely around me. Jasper had held out for a good while, but I guess wasn’t paying attention as he rode down the slide at daycare the other day… and that’s not just something you can hide from anyone. Bea, Tess, Daisy, Vicky, and even Kelsey had already entered their padded confines previously, but not even a single one of them even seemed to mind anymore.

Kelsey and I remained close friends, but our playdates had only grown stranger. Last month, she had decided to start carrying around a fish of some kind with her almost all the time. It might not always be on her person, but it was almost always within what I would estimate to be 100 feet of her. Also, due to her aforementioned diapers, she would often just pause in the middle of playing or even talking to me and just completely use her diaper without a care in the world. I didn’t want to judge her, but the smell and the change by Jennifer that came after were dark warnings that continually plagued my mind afterwards… especially as my own potty habits had seemed to have taken a hit.

I still made it… most of the time, but like that first day when Detective Paul had come over, I just wasn’t as aware anymore when I was on my medication. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel it, but it was almost like air on your skin or breathing. After a bit, you just didn’t think about it and soon, for the pull-up at least, I would leak. As such, the other problem with Kelsey and I’s playdates was that anytime Jennifer changed her, I could see her look at the diapers in an almost wistful way. At this point, I just waited for the day where even her resolve would break like the rest of the Bigs.

“Megan! She’s almost here. Come to the front to meet her!” Jennifer then called out from the front door. I quickly put my book down and ran over to greet her. Her dress was elegant but definitely what I would classify as refined yet sexy. She was even wearing her new perfume for the date she was about to go on.

“Paul is going to love you tonight, Jenn,” I complimented and pointed out as I neared where she was now standing.

Jennifer blushed a bit but then gave me a little twirl. “I really hope so. I’ve always… uh, I mean since we met last month, hoped he would notice me a bit more.” She then looked off into a nearby window to catch her reflection and adjust a stray hair from her face.

While she did that, I couldn’t help but feel that yet again, Jennifer knew something about Paul that I didn’t. Her comment of ‘always’ from before wasn’t the first time it felt to me that she had slipped up and revealed something about him that she wasn’t supposed to. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what, but my thoughts were soon interrupted as Jennifer soon began to unbutton my jeans.

At first, she would just ask me the status of my pull-up, but after another leak two weeks ago, she had started to just take matters into her own hands. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust me I began to rationalize to keep my sanity here, but she was just a bit of a control freak with some things in life and she just didn’t want to take the risk of another leak on her carpets. So, after I had thought of that notion, it didn’t take me long to realize that the more I just cooperated with her, the faster a pull-up check would go.  

“Very good, Megan,” she said after prodding the front of my padding and then zipping my pants back up, proving my previous adage of just cooperating with things like that now… no matter how embarrassing. “You’re all dry and should be good, but I did warn her tonight.”

I quickly groaned as I thought of my new ‘babysitter’ already knowing about my pull-up. I guess it was inevitable to need a sitter around here or that she would know about my extra protection, but it was still embarrassing, nonetheless. Less than a year ago, I was a mature adult and a respected Sergeant in the NYPD in one of the toughest cities in the world since the fall. Now, I was deemed to need a babysitter, I wore a pull-up myself, my best friend here wore diapers freely now, and I felt an almost giddy excitement whenever one of my favorite cartoon shows would come on.

Jennfier then looked through the peephole. “Alright. She’s almost here. I’m not sure how late Paul and I are going to be out tonight, but you should be asleep by the time I get back.” She then put her hand on the front doorknob. “Just please listen to her tonight. I know this may not be the thing you were hoping to do on a Friday night, but please just behave… for me, okay?”

Alright, for the record, I’m not some heartless creature that expected Jennfier to drop all pretenses of her social life in order to continue to protect me. I may have been a slowly regressing Little from the medication, but I wasn’t naïve. Detective Paul was good looking, and Jennifer had needs in this world outside her own job as an agent of the ABI and as my caregiver in all this. Since he had first come that night, I had seen him more as part of his kindly check-ins with me at least twice a week now. I didn’t mind it and it seemed to make Jennifer happy. So, feeling some sense of obligation to give her some happiness back in her life after all that she had done for me, I nodded. “I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise.”

Jennfier smiled. “That’s all I ask.” Then, she peered out once more and then opened the door a few seconds later.

Standing there just outside our door now, was clearly a Big and likely a high school student from the small personal school wording that I could see on the front of her blue and white shirt. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail and her eyes looked at me with a simple kindness rather than as a toy for amusement as I had originally feared when Jennifer first told me about her. “Hey there, cutie. I’m Nancy. You must be Megan.”

I only nodded and Jennifer chuckled a little. “Come on in, Nancy. I need to leave in just a minute, but we’ve already talked over most of the important things already.” She then bent down and looked at me directly. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll be back before you know it, so just try and be a good girl for Nancy here.” She then quickly hugged me before getting back up and waving goodbye to me.

As I waved goodbye to her as her car left our driveway, I couldn’t help but be reminded once more of how my life was now all blending together. Back In January when I first started this mission, my home was my sanctuary and a place I could just be free to be the ‘real’ me. With my current life though, I felt that difference was only shrinking now. Jennifer’s hug and her words and tone to me weren’t necessarily off-putting, but at the same time, I would be lying if I said that I was sure that she was still only acting with me in our daily lives now… public or private.

Nancy then turned to me after she shut the door. “So, Megan. Whatcha’ wanna do first?”

My brain raced about for a moment, but I couldn’t seem to decide of what to do with my babysitter. I just couldn’t make it past the fact that first, I was in the position to even have one, or second, and more worrying, I might have actually needed one now. Fortunately, though, Nancy had been prepared and soon popped out a pack of cards from the bag I now just saw her carrying on her shoulder.

The game was like ‘go fish,’ but seemed to show several species I had never seen before and include rules I wouldn’t have ever thought to include, including the ‘Big Kahuna Rule,’ where if the other player drew that card, they would have to show it and then get another for a new matching pair. If they didn’t find it within two turns, they would have to automatically void one of their pairs and reshuffle the card back into the deck. If they did, they could steal two of the matched pairs from one of their opponents. It was a lot to take in, but soon, I was very distracted with the game.

In fact, it got to the point where Nancy reminded me a few times to tell her if I needed to potty. Getting too sucked in by the cards and feeling a little insulted over how she phrased the statement to me, I essentially just ignored her. Little did I realize, but I had begun to subtly squirm on my place on the couch in front of her. Being a seasoned babysitter of other Littles, she knew what the signs were, but she was also the type of Big it turned out to respect my boundaries and not force me to do something that I didn’t really want to do. Normally, this would be fine, but in this case, it proved to be my detriment.

Suddenly, I felt a jolt from my bladder and quickly clamped down my legs. “Oh! I have to… have to…”

“Potty?” Nancy asked me worriedly. I could only squirm in my seat and urgently nod my head. Wasting no time, she quickly bolted up from her seat and guided me as fast as she could to the potty room on this floor. Being the idiot I was, under the medication or not, I should have known better, but I let my Little persona take over far too much. So, only steps away from the potty room and my small training potty in there, my poor bladder let loose. “Oh… oh god no…”

Nancy had almost been dragging me to the bathroom, but she suddenly stopped and looked at me after hearing my words. She knew what was happening, but I guess she had also trusted that I would know if I had wet or not beforehand… which was nice of her, but I guess I hadn’t noticed a previous accident in my pull-up. So, once again, my protection proved no match for my new accident and began to leak.

“Oh, honey!” Nancy then ran to the bathroom immediately and returned with a few of the Little towels that the research facility had given out at the daycare a month or two ago. They were small but highly absorbent and easy to wash. They were perfect for just accidents like these or the vase I had unintentionally knocked over last week as I danced with Kelsey to the tune coming from one of our favorite cartoons on the television.

“I…” I could feel my stupid unstable emotions welling up inside of me. It didn’t take long for tears to start cascading down my cheeks. “I… couldn’t help it. I… didn’t feel it coming… I’m sorry…” My voice cracked and even my words were so pathetic and weak, and this time, it wasn’t even an act. I wasn’t even sure I could blame it totally on the medication even. I was genuinely sorry and even more doubly upset over my latest accident and in front of my new babysitter no less.

Nancy only sighed as she dabbed up my accident that now pooled under my feet. “It’s okay, Megan. I’m not upset, but let’s see if you need to go anymore, okay?” I could only nod as she then held my hand and guided me to my still awaiting training potty in the nearby potty room. Then, without any warning, she quickly but gently pulled off my socks, shoes, pants, and virtually destroyed pull-up while also ensuring that I wouldn’t fall over. Then, a quick wipe later and I was sitting alone on my training potty in shame and defeat.

As Nancy went to clean up the rest of my accident outside and to deal with my pee-soaked clothing, I could feel my breathing begin to rapidly increase. My pulse quickened and I suddenly felt trapped. The tears continued to flow, but I needed to get out. I needed to go home. I just had to right at that very second! I didn’t care about this mission! I just wanted to be home and in my own bed and not worry about any of this stupid stuff or any Big ever again! I began to hyperventilate, and then started to quickly feel dizzy.

Just then, Nancy returned. “Okay… that wasn’t too bad, but I think… Megan? You okay there?” I saw Nancy look at me with immediate concern.

“I… I… need to… leave! I shouldn’t be here! I… I…” I tried to stammer out. I was about six seconds away from blowing my cover… and I didn’t care one bit. I was an adult and now here I was after a full-blown accident on my own frog-themed training potty. Fortunately, I don’t think I was the first Little to panic like this in front of Nancy.

She immediately saw I was in distress and quickly plopped the remaining cleaning supplies on the sink counter before hurrying over to me and then dropping to my level. In a second, she was quickly rubbing my back. “Shhh… shhh…. It’s okay, Megan. There’s no need to get so upset. Just try and take some deep breaths for me.”

The walls felt like they wanted to swallow me. My eyes widened and I nearly teetered off my training potty. “I… I can’t! I… I’m not supposed to be here!”

Nancy then pulled my half-naked form into a tight hug with one arm as she then started to stroke my hair with her other hand. “Easy… easy, Megan. You’re going to be okay. I know this can be difficult for you Littles, but it will all be okay. Shhh… shhh…”

I began to shudder under her hug, but she just kept up her encouraging words and the stroking of my hair while keeping me wrapped up tight in her warm hug. They were small gestures, but her patience began to win out and I could feel my mind begin to return to normal… or at least the normal of what it was before I had my accident. Nancy quickly took notice of my calmer self.

“There… you see?” she asked as she thumbed away a few stray tears from my cheek. “It’s all going to be okay… we just might need to think of some extra steps to take to keep that from happening again. No one wants to be all wet and cold, huh?”

Her words pranced around my head. ‘Extra steps’ sounded so innocent… calming even compared to the pants-wetting Little I was only moments ago. At the time, nearly anything sounded better than that, so without even much thought, I just nodded my head to what she was saying.

“Okay. Let’s get you all fixed up now.” She then broke her hug away from me and I wiped a few more tears away as she grabbed a few wipes from nearby. “I don’t think you went anymore, but I’m just going to clean you up a bit anyway, okay?” Again, I just nodded.

Nancy was ever the professional, and just made sure that my whole lower half was now clean. Satisfied, she helped me off my training potty and then wrapped my lower half tenderly in one of the spare clean Little towels. Then, without another word, she gingerly gathered me up into her arms and began to carry me out of the bathroom and up the stairs to my room. It was nice and comfortable, so I was just happy when she set me down on the bed.

“Okay…” Nancy said as she walked away and then faced me. “I’ll be right back, so I’m trusting you to just stay there for a moment, okay?” I nodded and she quickly went out of the room.

While I was alone, I looked around me. Not much had changed in my room in the past few weeks, but I still saw a few things that irked me a bit. Most prominently, there was the package of pull-ups that were now stored here along with some changing supplies. I didn’t like them displayed so out in the open, but it did make my mornings a bit easier when I would get saddled into a new pull-up, though I wasn’t sure why they were stored on one side of my dresser or why a new top had been added to the whole piece either.

Regardless, Nancy then reentered my room, and I noticed her phone that she was now slipping back into her pocket. “Okay… I just tried calling Jennifer, but I think she’s busy or something.” Nancy then sighed and looked a little troubled. “She did leave me some instructions, but it would have been really nice to hear from her directly in this case.” She then shook her head and looked up at me with a sweet smile. “Okay… it is what it is, so let’s just do this.”

I thought it was a lot of bluster for just changing me into another pull-up and some new clothing, but I just went along with it. I even continued to do so as she seemed to fuss with something in the back of my closet and then came out with a single bag I didn’t recognize. I didn’t even think much of it as she then laid a floral plastic but cloth-like print pad down on my bed. My panic, however, started to set in when she proceeded to lay me down on it. Not sit, mind you, but actually lay me down on it and then pull a strap over my midsection from the pad’s sides.

“Uh… Nancy? What’s going on?” I asked with a good deal of fear rebuilding in my head. “What are you doing?”

Nancy was busy fumbling around with the bag that she had brought out, but then popped up with a few things in her hands and looked at me in confusion. “You nodded… uh,” she then heavily sighed, “but I guess I should have made myself clearer.” She then held up her right hand and everything horrifyingly clicked. “I’m going to put a diaper on you now.”

The one event that I now had held off for almost eleventh months had seemingly arrived. From my continual accidents and the medication that I was on, I made a realization that this day was likely inevitable. I had noticed that of the entire daycare, only three were wearing underwear still and only one was in pull-ups besides me… the odds were decidedly against me. After, I cried myself to sleep that night.

I think Nancy quickly realized the mistake she had made though, and her face quickly showed a tremendous amount of guilt. “Oh phooey! I’m so sorry, Megan. I thought you knew. That was really, really stupid of me. I wasn’t sure if Jennifer had talked about this with you or not like other Bigs had around here, but… oh! Stupid, stupid me!” She then paused and shook her head in disbelief over her simple assumption and mistake. “I… I’m really sorry, Megan. I… I’ll understand if you want to refuse all this now. It goes against my better judgement to be honest, but I’ll still leave the choice up to you. Do you want to go back to wearing a pull-up now?”

I hated to see anyone beat themselves up over my well-being, regardless of what they had done. I appreciated her looking out for me, but at the same time, her apologies were almost wasted on me. Not that I wanted any of this to happen, but I was kind of stuck at this point. Jennifer, the one who I wanted to be here when I had made the realization that this day was coming, was now far away and couldn’t be reached. My continence had taken a turn for the worse and I was emotionally dying inside, but I knew I could either fight this now and give in later or just give in now and maybe save everyone a headache. I practically wanted to throw myself off the roof, but slowly, I shook my head no.

Nancy raised an eyebrow, but I could also tell that she was just relieved that I didn’t flat out refuse her proposal or even throw something at her. Having seen many Littles break down after an accident and then throw a whirlwind of a tantrum myself in the past months I had been here, I had to imagine that my at least externally calm demeanor was a nice change of pace for her.  

“Thank you,” she said as if to confirm my suspicions. “I promise I’ll try to make this as easy as possible and go as fast as I can. Now, just take some deep breaths.” I could then see her turn around and fumble with a few things, one of which crinkled heavily. She paused for a moment and turned back to my still half naked form. “Sweetie… do you want to maybe hold or hug something? No judgement if you do or don’t, but I know that’s helped others who have been in this position before you.”

She said it all with such a sincerity and kindness that I had always hoped to have found with other Bigs. Jennifer, Miss Ginny, Mrs. Louder, and now Detective Paul all seemed to be some of the few exceptions lately, so now adding her to this list, I was at least comforted by her actions if nothing else. To be frank, I did oddly want to cuddle with something really badly right then, but I didn’t think my ego could take it at the time, so I just shook my head.

Nancy seemed a bit disappointed but just moved on. “Okay… just let me know if you ever change your mind. As I said, no judgement here.” I nodded and just waited for her to commence with the moment that I knew was coming.

Moments later, I quickly braced myself as Jennifer then took ahold of both of my legs and began to manipulate them around. She first wiped me thoroughly… almost too thoroughly for my comfort, but I just clenched my fists and knew that she was just doing her job rather than being cruel to me.

She then lifted my legs up once more and as soon as I heard the crinkling sound below me and then felt the slight tickle of one of the diaper’s edges against my bottom, I clamped my eyes shut as tightly as they would go. There was a reality that I knew I had to accept and face here, but I didn’t need to witness the entire event firsthand tonight.

So, with my eyes closed, I remained in the dark for the rest of the change. I could quickly feel and then smell the powder being applied to my nether regions and then softly rubbed in. It was all so smoothing and tender, and I almost forgot about my current situation… almost. Nancy then lifted my legs once more and manipulated them open. It all felt so strange, but then the intruder that I knew I was about to become intimately familiar with, soon slid up in between my legs. I could quickly feel the extra bulk and smooth plastic of the front of the diaper, but still, I didn’t open my eyes until I heard the two tapes ‘scritch’ off and then feel them pull me into the confines of my new prison. “There. All done, honey. You can open your eyes now.”

I did just as Nancy was helping sit up once she had unbuckled me from the pad. There, right over my previously viewable pelvis, I saw the diaper. Of all the ones I had become sadly more familiar with due to all my friends being in them, this one was almost shockingly plain. It was mostly white and just contained two purple tabs, a few flowers gracing the landing strip, and a single yellow line that ran through the middle of the main bulk between my legs. I then felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up and Nancy was staring down at me with a level of genuine concern that almost felt comforting to me. “Are you okay?”

I really wasn’t sure if I was or not, but still, I wanted to give some form of kindness back to my babysitter, so I nodded my head to ease her burden at least a little bit. “I… I think so? It’s… it’s just a lot…”

Nancy nodded and continued to smile in her own sympathetic way, but then quickly cleaned up around me. With the time quickly passing over into night, she then just opted for a simple pair of my old pajamas bottoms to go over my new padding. As I suspected and to my utter chagrin, the prominent bulge around my crotch and butt left little to be imagined over what I was wearing underneath.

The next part of the night with Nancy seemed to all be a blur. I just couldn’t get out of my own head over the fact that after all this time, I was now wearing diapers. Thoughts of ‘how long’ or ‘would I still be in them even if I wasn’t on the medication’ continually plagued my mind.

Nancy, being the observant, trained, and caring babysitter that I was quickly finding her out to be, quickly noticed my dourer look now. She tried playing more games with me, sessions of make believe, and even resorted to funny faces as she fed me some new brand of Little’s food. Nothing worked, so sadly, even when she offered me a new Little’s drink that most seemed to love with a dash of chocolate syrup in it that almost made it like a milkshake, my attitude wouldn’t shake.

Resigned, Nancy then just moved on and tried to make me as happy as she could. With my permission, she soon popped on one of my favorite cartoons and sat behind me on the couch to do my hair up in something called ‘crisscross pigtails.’ Having not done my hair like that in years, I just nodded and tried to enjoy my drink, my cartoons, and her at least soothing ministrations as she went about arranging my hair.

Still though, even after all that, my mood hadn’t changed. Nancy saw and sighed. “Hun… I really don’t like seeing you like this. I know diapers are a big deal to you Littles, but they really shouldn’t be. Try and think of them as a medical necessity rather than a symbol of anything else. You all need a little extra help with some things, and like a booster seat to protect you from an accident in a car, diapers just prevent another type of accident.” She paused and looked down as if she had been defeated. “I’m not sure if I’m helping or just making things worse, but I just hope that you’re at least okay…”

Once again, the genuine emotion that Nancy conveyed touched me in ways that I wasn’t prepared for to get from a Big. I knew the world I was in, but another person caring about me in this manner still felt really nice. “No… thank you, Nancy. They’re… just going to take some time to get used to. It’s nothing you did.”

Nancy immediately looked relieved and smiled at me before getting up and retrieving something from her bag. “I got this a few months ago. Some new fad that a lot of you all seem to like a lot.” She then turned on the TV and popped in the miniature disc. “It’s really simple, but I’ve seen it help you all relax in a really pleasant way. Maybe just give it a try and see if it helps bridge the gap until you are okay. Is that okay?”

I wasn’t sure if I entirely trusted a new video just out of the blue, but I could see the appeal and the hope on Nancy’s face. She had earned a good degree of trust from me tonight, so I just nodded and settled back onto the couch as it popped on.  

I was confused at first as I began to watch the cartoon that now appeared before me. It was simplistic with its plot and characters, but I couldn’t seem to peel my eyes away from it. It made me feel… warm… pleasant almost. Beyond a handful of other times since I had even arrived in this dimension… I soon felt safe and as if I didn’t have a worry in the world. I think Nancy was saying something to me, but I just smiled and continued to watch. Whatever this was, it seemed to be working.

I was concerned for a moment over my lack of control and almost drugged feeling, but that notion just washed away like some footprints on the beach after a passing wave. I was just happy, and I didn’t want the feelings I was having to end. They didn’t, but my relaxed state soon began to catch up with me. I tried to fight these new feelings, but I was too tired to really care that much. I didn’t even think much about it as my eyes soon closed and I drifted off to a restful sleep.

Darkness took me and my dreams drifted along pleasantly. At one point I thought I saw a panicked Jennifer in my dreams, but I didn’t seem to have the capacity to care about her presence in them, and she didn’t seem to stick around either. I was so happy, and I probably could have spent forever in the soup that I now felt like that I was in. It was like I was being bathed in a joy that I wanted forever, but… that wasn’t my luck here. So, soon, I heard a small thud and then a creak. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but I then felt a very sharp pinch.

My senses came to first almost instantly, but my eyes still slowly opened. I first I wasn’t sure where I was and I mildly panicked, but as my sleepiness ebbed away though, I quickly recognized I was back in my room. I felt something shift beside me though and I looked over. “Jenn?”

She smiled calmly at me and rubbed my outstretched arm. “Hey there. I’m so glad you’re up…”

I shook my head to try to remove the cobwebs that didn’t seem to want to leave. It didn’t really matter to me though as I was just so overjoyed to see her again. “How was…” I yawned, “…tonight?”

Jennifer continued to smile, but I could almost see a sparkle of something else behind her eyes and then something… more concerning though beyond that. “It was… wonderful…” Her thoughts then seemed to drift away but she then looked back down at me. “Sorry… uh, we can talk about it tomorrow morning if you want… how are you doing?”

I felt perplexed over what was going on, but then as my eyes drifted around the room, I noticed a very large… and empty, syringe laying nearby. “Jenn… what happened?” I asked with a great deal of fear that somehow, she had been compromised, and was now actually going to or had already regressed me. I clung to my sheets as I slowly inched away from her in fear.

“Easy sweetie. Just relax.” As always and as if like magic, her words and tone quickly soothed my jangled nerves. “Tonight… do you remember watching a video from Nancy?”

“I…” I then thought back to right before I passed out. I was quickly filled with an overwhelming amount of joy… too much now that I actually thought about it. “I do… was it a bad video?”

Jennfier mournfully nodded her head. “I’m afraid it was, sweetie.” She then heavily sighed and brought the needle closer for a moment. “Nancy didn’t mean to show you that video. She was really sorry after you passed out. She didn’t think anything of it, but then… well, you acted… younger.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, and besides, I had already felt pretty young tonight after I had been diapered. “Younger… Jenn, I don’t understand…”

Jennifer slowly smiled at me. “That’s okay sweetie. It’s all over now. You see, she called me up and it just so happened I was already on my way back home.” She then emphasized the needle in her hand. “I told her it wasn’t her fault once I got here and sent her home … and that I would get the research facility to help you and just wouldn’t involve her. She agreed to keep quiet about it all, so that’s good, but I had to inject you with this.”

I looked at the needle that seemed almost as thick as my pinky and about as long as my forearm. If I had seen that monstrous thing before, it would have been the stuff of my nightmares. “What… what is that, Jennifer? What did you give me?”

Jennifer sighed and put the needle down. “Well, I found out you were under a trance of sorts. The video you watched was experimental in the temporary regression of its viewers. This shot pops you out of almost any trance. It’s good for emergencies, so that’s why I requested it for this mission specifically. Doesn’t always work I’m afraid, but I’m very glad it did tonight. Do you understand what I’m saying, sweetie?”

I did but I still felt a bit confused over what exactly had happened to me and why she and Nancy were so panicky. Jennfier seemed to be able to tell this almost instantly. “You see, as most of Nancy’s charges have usually been already regressed, she never noticed the effects of the video. You though… well…” She paused and seemed hesitant to continue, but she just sighed and asked me a question I wasn’t prepared for. “Honey… how’s your diaper?”

In truth, I hadn’t actually thought about it for a single moment since I had awoken, but now that she had said something about it… I noticed an odd sensation and maybe even smell in the room, but I didn’t really think anything of it. ‘What is that? Maybe homey… peaty smelling perhaps?’ “I haven’t really thought about it… but I’m not sure. Why?”

Jennfier seemed to grimace over my simplistic answer to her question. “That’s what I was afraid you might say…” She pinched her nose for a moment, sighed, and then looked deeply into my eyes. “I want you to know that it’s not your fault, baby. I don’t blame you for what happened, but… we’re going to need to take extra precautions… more than we already would have before. Do you understand?”

I shook my head, and I could quickly see the mounting concern behind her still kind and patient eyes. “Honey… have you realized… the state of your diaper?”

Her question was simple but telling. Half under my covers still, I wiggled around. My eyes widened… “I… I…” I felt like I was seconds away from bawling at the top of my lungs. Jennfier noticed and quickly placed a single finger to my lips.

“Easy… easy there. It’s all going to be okay. Just trust me.” I nodded my head with her finger still pressed against my lips. “You messed your diaper in your sleep, but as I said, it’s not your fault,” she then said calmly. “Now, just lie back once more and let me help you ou…”

To be frank, I think my mind disconnected for a moment and I lost the plot for a bit. I could feel certain invasive movements and smell that foulest of stenches, but it all felt like I was underwater. I didn’t come back to my senses until I saw Jennifer smiling at me once more. “There. All better?”

I could only blink and squirm as I felt my new and fresh diaper. I was so confused over what was happening to me tonight, but Jennifer just quickly reacted and moved closer to me on my bed as she then pulled my form into her lap. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. You just rest awhile, and everything will be okay.” My panicked and turmoiled inner mind seemed to freeze and then ease up. Jennifer’s body felt so comforting and safe, and I soon relaxed back into her arms.

“There you go. That’s it.” I could feel her begin to stroke my hair as Nancy had done before… and again, it also worked at calming me even further down. “Now, I just want you to take it easy. You’ll need to wear diapers for a while longer just in case there’s any lingering effects, but I at least know that you’ll still be you. Now of course you’re still my best partner, but I also just need to help you a little more now with all that happened. No biggie.”

As I lay in Jennifer’s arms, I was hearing what she was saying, but nothing seemed to truly be clicking, though that’s when I saw us in a mirror from the other side of my room. Jennfier was her previously almost regal self, but me… now being October, I realized that it had now been a year since I had first been introduced to the bright lights that had set me on the path to where I am today. I was a cop, a leader, mentor… an adult through and through. Now… my diaper… my pajamas… my room… even Jennifer in the way she was holding me. I wasn’t really sure if I could call myself an adult anymore. Sadly though, I knew there was nothing I could do about it, so, I just rested my head on Jennifer’s chest more and blinked away my feelings as a single tear passed down my cheek.

[Panther Cub]

This is very well written! I'm so jealous how quickly you can crank out each new installment! (Please don't burn yourself out!)

[Guilend]

I'm sure everyone that's read any of my comments on any diaper dimension story already has an idea of what I'm about to say. I don't want to disappoint anyone so I'll say it lol.

I might have had my hopes up that when Magen woke back up, the babysitter would be standing in the corner with a very red bottom lol.

I'm sure the babysitter feels completely guilty and might even wish that Jennifer had punished her just to not feel so guilty. 

I have a feeling that Jennifer and that detective knew each other long before this mission. I also have a feeling that they might actually be married. 

Magen was thinking about Jennifer's romantic life, what about hers? Yes Jennifer has urges that almost every adult has and needs to be taken care of, but what about Magen? I'm sure she also has needs that are definitely not being met. I doubt she's even enjoyed herself sexually since the mission started, or at least not since she's been wearing pull ups. Unless that new pill has suppresses her sex drive.

[LostBBoyBear]

Okay, I tried to pump out another full chapter today, but with all the last-minute stuff for the holidays after my trip, I realized there was just no way that I could release two chapters before I took a tiny bit of time off. The good news, however, is that I have been able to make enough of a dent that I should be able to post again on Wednesday, if not Tuesday.

As such, if I release a chapter every day after that, I will be dipping into the New Year. So… I’ve decided that I’m going to use a little of the downtime I have in the next week to try and post everything before the start of 2024. I’m still debating a few things after that, but I feel pretty confident in my plan going forward with at least this story as of today.

Regardless, for now, I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and enjoys this next chapter!

Chapter 19: A Merry Surprise

Well, son of a biscuit. Jennifer and even Nancy had at least implied that my diapers were temporary. Now, almost two months later, I won’t call either of them liars… I am a good girl after all, but as I look down at my current state as I sit on the edge of Jennifer’s bed, my diaper is still there.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Jennifer held true to her word that as soon as she felt that the video’s effects had been undone, we would try pull-ups again. I had my doubts, but I still went along with her plan right before I celebrated Samhain for the first time. Needless to say, four days later when I went prancing about in my fall-themed outfit to celebrate the occasion in the town square once again, I was back to diapers. I just simply wasn’t ready.

I guess the video had taken its toll on my body and I suppose with the medication, my bladder just didn’t seem to be able to hold much anymore. Admittedly, I could still feel an ounce of control over that… and certainly my other potty needs, so I guess I was at least hopeful when I asked one more time last month to try out my old pull-ups. Surely, the video’s effects were gone, and my bladder wasn’t that bad. Well, I was very wrong.

I was able to last about two days in my pull-ups with only one minor incident… I was such a big girl! I guess though in retrospect, I just happened to be near a potty for most of that time, so when Jenn and I went shopping on the third day… that wasn’t the case. I felt a need but then Jenn and I were eating some pumpkin flavored ice cream… it was so good, and then it just kind of… happened. I suppose that the combination of being on the medication every day now and the effects from the video really hurt my bladder capacity. So, being a little distracted with my delicious treat, as soon as I finished my last bite of ice cream, I felt a trickle begin to form down my leg.

Jennifer was so nice and calm during the whole thing afterward and gave me some extra cuddles as a nice bonus, but my fate had been sealed. I had an accident in public that Jenn had to apologize to the sweet shop workers about. Everyone knew about my accident, and while they were okay with it, I knew I was demoted to diapers from then on. If I hadn’t been consigned to them immediately after, Jenn might have been seen as a poor caregiver, or at the very least, a suspiciously pro-Little person. For the number two ranking security officer here and an undercover ABI agent, that was a strict no-no.

To my relief though, back at home, Jenn showered me with dozens of apologies and ways to try and cheer me up. Getting close to the seasonal holidays and hearing my stories about them before, she decided to embrace my home traditions and host a Christmas party in about a month’s time… which is why I was now sitting on the bed upstairs in her room and waiting for Jenn to come out from the bathroom.

The guests were about to arrive, and the food had all been prepared. I twiddled my thumbs about as I sat in my brand-new outfit that Jenn had found specifically per my specifications of what the holiday was. As such, I wore a nice long sleeved white onesie that read on the front, ‘Happy Holidays.’ It wasn’t Christmas and I hated the onesie part of it, but the addition of my red and green snowflake socks and the plaid pinafore skirt with white snowflakes over it, perfectly made up for it all.

“I’ll be out in just a sec, honey,” she called from the bathroom as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. Detective Paul had been invited as well, and while I thought it was risky, I was just happy that Jenn seemed to be in a better overall mood these days. “Our guests should be here any minute and we still need to put your shoes on.”

“Right…” I looked at my sock only clad feet and the shiny black Mary Jane shoes with bows plopped right next to them. I could have put them on myself, but Jenn would have been faster at this point, and I didn’t mind the attention. I quickly smelled as she puffed a bit of perfume over herself, and I sadly mourned those days now seemingly long gone. I had only a smidge of Littles makeup on, and my hair was simply parted down slightly off the middle and was all held in place with a single red hairband complete with a large festive bow.

Jenn then came out of the bathroom and gave me a little turn to show off her own outfit. Her own black leggings and her fashionably knit sweater, where the red matched my own skirt, made me swell up a little in envy. “You look beautiful tonight, Jenn. I’m sure Paul will love it,” I said, through my complicated emotions. I didn’t hate her or anything for the differences between us, but her outfit basically just reminded me of what was now seemingly far from my own reality and wardrobe. ‘There’s no way I wouldn’t spill something on it or that my diaper wouldn’t show up underneath.’

Jenn sweetly smiled over my compliment. “Thank you, Megan. I’m always glad when you think so.” She then casually walked over to me and began to strap my shoes onto my feet.

As she did so, my envy quickly turned to fear. “Are you sure all this tonight will be okay? I mean… aren’t we exposing the fact that I’m a portal Little to everyone?” I asked, now using the simplistic term that nearly every Big was now referring to us as.

Jenn sighed as she finished one shoe and went on to the other. “You know, I thought the same thing a few weeks ago after I sent out the invitations. I even reached out to Amy,” she said bluntly. I wondered why she didn’t tell me about the meeting and if they had met in secret other times as well without my knowledge. ‘Weren’t we partners in all this?’

Jenn then let out a small laugh. “She actually encouraged it…” she paused for a moment. “Shocking I know, but she wants us to get closer to the town now.” She then finished strapping my shoe and looked at me closely. “We’ve embedded ourselves pretty well, but now, we can actually make the connections she wants to find out what’s going on. After all, the Big drinks we’re serving tonight might loosen a few lips if we’re lucky.”

I still wasn’t sure what to think about it all, but Jenn just stood up and helped me stand up as well on the bed to nearly be eye to eye with her. “Try and not worry about anything tonight. Just have fun and keep your ears open,” she said as she stroked my arms in comfort. “Besides, everyone here just thinks that ‘Christmas’ is some odd tradition from your ‘home island.’ Personally, I think a few of the Bigs around here think that Little islands are practically other planets, but it works just as well for us tonight.” She then put her hand on my shoulder and looked deeply into my eyes. “Just try not to worry and have a little slice of fun from your real home.” I only nodded and Jenn let me down to the floor as we strutted out the door and down the stairs to go and begin to welcome our guests to our party.

Just as Jenn predicted, being usually right about most things these days, everyone invited to the party just thanked us for having them over and casually commented on the oddities of my ‘home island’ traditions. They even ran along with everything we requested, and every single person was dressed in red or green, had brought a present for the Littles to open later, as well as some sort of festive treat. So, while there wasn’t really any real Christmas music playing, I almost forgot for a second that I wasn’t back on Earth before the fall of everything. To be honest, there was even a second where I thought my parents and brother would zip around the corner and yell ‘Merry Christmas’ at me and ask why I was so late to the party… but sadly, I knew that would never happen.

Still, the party, to my pleasant surprise, quickly proceeded as everyone began to enjoy themselves. As the Littles and I played our small games as we usually did, though now surrounded by our holiday decorations, the Bigs continued to joke and laugh amongst themselves. Some even seemed to begin to embrace the holiday festivities and more than a few wished that this would become a new tradition rather than their usual Saturnalia festival. Not really thinking anything of it, or what it could mean for this dimension in the future, I just moved on and decided that it was now probably best for my scheduled story time with my fellow Littles.

So… I had been a bit worried about what other Bigs would say when a Little began to read to their own Littles, thinking it could be breaking some stupid and prejudiced law, but most of them just went along with it and a few even gathered with their Littles around me on the floor.

Now, ever since I had found out about this party, I had secretly been using some computer programs to create the ‘night before Christmas’ book with Jenn’s help. We just passed it all off as something that she did for me after hearing my stories one day, but we both knew otherwise. Additionally, I knew something that not even Jenn did about this particular tradition.

As I began to read, “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...” I looked over the Littles and Bigs now seated before me. Most were now nibbling down on the Christmas cookies I had made for the party and the other Littles at least seemed to be switching between the cookies and nursing on their bottles. All were content and seemed peaceful, but I knew that there was likely an even deeper reason why for their clear contentment.

Having been in the daycare for coming up on a year now, I had learned about every Little, and using my covert skills, I found out just about everything there was to know about them. Being regressed, I quickly discovered from their loose and uncaring lips of who was a native here and who was from Earth like me. Of course, I kept my own identity a secret still, but at this point. I knew that at least 3/4^ths of them were now from Earth. Their Bigs may not have known, but they did, and they recognized the story and the traditions I had brought over.

Some were downright shocked over the whole affair, but most just seemed dreamy and content in their little reminders of their old homes. I wondered if any of us would ever return there, but for now, I was just satisfied with the notion of helping each of them out a little bit. For a moment, all seemed good.

Once I was done reading though, many Bigs began to confront me. “Strange traditions you have there, missy.” “Is this… Santa… breaking into people’s homes?” “What is a mouse?” I had to stifle my laughter a few times, but most were quite pleasant or even genuinely curious in their questions, or at least until I bumped into Dr. Talbott.  

“You know… I’ve traveled quite extensively. Your island though… it seems to be very unique…” she said with a tone I couldn’t quite place.

“Yes,” I nodded, “very unique, ma’am.”

“Doctor,” she corrected, “but your fellow Littles seemed to enjoy your story and all these traditions plenty. Almost seems as if a few recognized the story you were telling. Odd, isn’t it?”

I could feel my pulse quickening. Dr. Talbott was the caregiver and even now self-appointed mommy of Tess… my mentor and fellow Earther. ‘Did she know about me?’ I had to probe further. “Doctor? How is that odd? Aren’t we all from here?” Despite my nervousness, I decided to shoot back at the Big before me. Of course, I knew that there were portal Littles here and she did as well, but after the news reports, I now doubted that she would ever mention that in a public space or to me no less.

As her eyes began to quiver and she almost seemed to bite her tongue for a moment, I wondered if she would break here and now though. True to form, however, she then just smiled. “Indeed. All of you Littles are from here. You all just have so many unique… and yet so similar traditions it seems.” She then paused and looked at me a little funny. “You know… you and Tess seem to be very close. Did you know her before you came…”

“Present time!” Jenn then announced. “Present time everyone! Get to your Littles for present time!”

Dr. Talbott paused for a moment and then smiled back at me. “Better go to her for your present, Megan. Wouldn’t want you to be missing out on your own island traditions now, huh?” I quickly shook my head and just toddled off to the relative safety of Jenn. Once there, I just tried to put the doctor’s words or insinuations out of my head.

The next few minutes then seemed to fly by in a fury of multiple colors, shrieks, and laughter as each Little was then presented with a gift by their Big. I had thought at first that everyone would reject the idea of giving a gift out for the party, but as Jenn sweetly and hilariously reminded me, Bigs hardly ever needed an excuse to dote upon their Littles, especially if it made them feel like better caregivers.

So, before me, amongst the red and green seemingly toddler and baby outfits, all chaos broke loose as each Little then dove practically headfirst into their gifts. Nearby I saw my own, but I decided to wait for a moment to at least capture the joy of my friends opening their own varied gifts.

Now, I knew I should have expected it, but my hopes were slightly crushed when I began to see just what everyone else was now opening before them. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting in truth, but as each gift was opened, they just began to reveal another babyish item. I knew at that moment that while I could bring some traditions over here, they would never really truly be the same. My friends and I after all were still Littles in a sea of Bigs that treated us as nothing more than children or babies.

Finally, as most then began to be distracted by their babyish gifts, I spotted my own once more. Jennifer noticed and then turned to me before quickly handing me the gift as I sat on the floor next to her. As I began to remove the bow, I saw Detective Paul and a few others squeezed in to watch. Each looked eager to see what was in my own gift.  

The package had some weight to it and was practically half my size and decorated quite beautifully with sparkly green paper and a giant red bow on the top. Not sure of what to expect and preparing my face to show gratitude no matter what, which I’m sure the medication helped with, I started to tear off the paper.

After a minute or so, most of the Bigs just chuckled over my tender tearing of the paper. “It’s okay, sweetie,” Jenn finally said as she crouched beside me. “You don’t need to save the paper or anything. You can rip into it as much as you want.”

I nodded and began to rip the paper off a little more quickly. In truth, I was readying myself to be disappointed with the gift. Jennifer was a wonderful caregiver, and I Knew full well by now that couldn’t have asked for a better Big for this mission, but we were also surrounded by her Big colleagues from work. Whatever the gift was, I knew it wasn’t a ticket out of this dimension or some new piece of technology to truly help me out or make me like an actual adult. So, I tepidly began to open the box to whatever my gift was inside. As soon as I saw it though, I was at a loss for words.

My relatively small hands reached into the sparkly white tissue paper and retrieved the object inside. At first glance, I wasn’t entirely sure of what it was, but I could still see the fluff poking through from the sea of white. Now, out of the box and tissue paper, I could clearly see that it was a stuffed animal, but it wasn’t just any kind. This wonderful fluffy companion was a dog… my dog. The Bigs seemed to call it something else, but I just recognized it from back home as a German Shepard.

My fingers began to tremble as they touched the fur of my new friend, and I could already imagine myself taking him with me whenever I slept now at the very least. It was an embarrassing thought, though as recent events had unfolded, my blanket was wonderful, but I needed something more. As I looked up to the awaiting Bigs and to Jenn, it was immediately obvious that she had paid attention and had filled in this unspoken need in my life.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I quickly bolted up and immediately hugged Jenn as much as my little body could. She was clearly not expecting it and almost fell over from my force. A few of the nearby Bigs just laughed, but as her arms then wrapped back around me tightly, I just didn’t care.

After a moment of our tiny and wonderful moment, she then pried me off her. “So, I take it that you like it?” I quickly nodded my head and squeezed my new friend tightly, which elicited a small giggle from her. “I’m glad, but there’s also something special about this one though.”

“Yeah!” one of the nearby Bigs, Dr. Phyllis, shouted out from above. “It’s the latest thing we’ve designed for all you Littles potentially. It’s got some new features like being able to play white noise or even heat up. Should be a nice comfort at nights or whenever you feel bad.”

“Thank you, Dr. Phyllis,” I said, still clutching my new stuffy and secretly wondering what I should name him.

“Yes, thank you, Jeffrey,” Jenn restated, “but that’s not exactly what I was referring to.” I looked at Jennifer with confusion and she quickly drew my attention to the dog’s chest. “This here, honey.” I drew my eyes to the dog’s chest, and there, off to the side a bit, was a sewn-in police badge that read, ‘Officer Megan.’ Tears swam to my eyes, and I once again dove headfirst into Jennfier. Seeing the tender moment unfold more now, many of the Bigs began to disperse to give us some room.

After another brief and touching moment, Jenn pried me off once more. “Thank you, baby, but only the idea was from me. Paul here actually got you the dog from his precinct station.”

I looked up at the nearby and still-standing Paul. I wasn’t sure what to make of him quite yet, but I knew that I couldn’t just thank Jenn and not thank him as well for my wonderful gift. So, I broke away from Jenn, looked up at Paul and then hugged one of his legs nearly as tightly as I could to convey my thanks in part. “Thank you, Paul.”

I could tell from his stiff muscles initially that he wasn’t expecting the hug, but after a moment, I felt him ease up as well as his hand then pat me on the shoulder. “You’re very welcome, Megan.” Of course, he was actually one of the few who knew that I was from Earth originally, and from Jenn at least, I surmised that he also likely knew about my former career as a police officer. Standing there and hugging him in my Christmasy attire and diaper while still holding onto my new stuffy, it was almost hard to imagine, but the thought of my old life at least was still there. Getting that stuffed dog was a sign of my Littlehood, but in a tiny and covert way known only to the three of us, it was a little nod to the notion that ‘yes, I was still a cop and an adult on some level still.’ That in and of itself was enough of a gift to me.

The party then continued pretty smoothly after that and my gift, along with a few others, was the talk of every Big who now wanted one for their Little. “Yeah, that was my design,” Dr. Phyllis boasted. “We’ve already got others in the works… including a racoon and a bear that I’ve personally begun calling, Mister Brown. All sort of new features that you wouldn’t believe!”

“Oh?” Dr. Talbott asked, as she leaned in, “do tell. Please give me the inside scoop, doctor.”

After that, I tuned them out as I began to focus on another odd sensation near my stomach. I thought it was just gas at first, probably being some oddity laced into the food like Nancy had unintentionally fed me I later discovered, but before I could investigate further, Jennifer quickly distracted me as she approached me and then pulled me aside. “Hey you… mind if I check?” she asked me in a low whisper in one of the few spots where most couldn’t see us.

I internally groaned a bit, but I knew what she had to do, so I just nodded and slightly lifted my skirt. Jennifer smiled back, crouched down a bit, lifted my skirt a little higher, and then prodded gently into the front of my still shielded diaper. For once, I was somewhat glad of the long-sleeved onesie I was wearing over it. “Hmmm… I think I have a bit of a soggy girl on my hands.” She then let go of my skirt, stood back up, and held out her hand. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s do this really quick, okay?” I only nodded and followed her through the crowd and back upstairs, my new stuffed dog still clutched tightly in my other hand.

Entering my room, while I knew it had changed a lot over time since I had first arrived, the only real new addition had been the changing table atop my dresser and the diapers that now replaced the pull-ups that had been there before. Seeing the padding on top and the shelving below, I felt stupid for not realizing what it was sooner, but I just let myself then be lifted onto it and then gently laid down.

Jennifer was a professional about all this lately to my relief and she just quickly went to work as she ensured my skirt and, after being unsnapped, onesie flaps were fully out of the way. Without a word, she then started to change my diaper.

Now, I had fought hard initially to having such a babyish piece of furniture up here in my room… my supposed safe place against everything else, but Jennifer had insisted. So, what was seemingly more usual now, Jennifer was right about the convenience of it and my protests soon disappeared into the background. I still hated it as a symbol of being a regressed Little, but at least part of me liked the… “Hey! Too cold! Too cold!” I shrieked as Jennifer began to wipe me down.

“Oh, sorry about that, pumpkin. We might need to think about getting you a wipe warmer to help during these colder months,” she suggested.

“Please,” I begged in frustration as I clenched my stuffed dog even tighter to distract me from what was happening below, “don’t remind me of the extra things we need to get to help me with my new diapers…”

Jennifer quickly noticed my now sour demeanor and I could tell that she knew that all this was still a lot for me to process. Still, she didn’t like seeing me like this, so after one more wipe, a playfully wicked smile spread over her face. “Oh yeah? Would you still not like all this if I… started tickling you!” I was confused for a split second, but Jenn was too fast for my tiny reflexes and soon pounced on me with her nimble fingers all over my exposed tummy.

“Stop! Please!” I pleaded between my peals of laughter. “Oh! You’re going to make me pee again! Ah! Stop it!”

Jenn backed up and let me take a breath, but her playful smile soon returned. “Oh yeah? What about if I do… this?” Again, I was confused, but she then grabbed my legs and bent them backward towards me before blowing several loud raspberries on my stomach.

“Ah! Jenn! No fair!” I continued to laugh loudly between her little playtime with me, both of us soon forgetting that I was still undiapered now… and me forgetting about the uneasiness I had felt right before Jenn had checked my diaper downstairs. Well… almost.

Within moments of my legs pressed against my chest, I could feel a bubble of gas make an appearance once more beneath my now tortured tummy. Jenn was too loud and distracted with her raspberries there I think to notice, but I certainly did. “Jenn… please… stop now!” I think she probably only heard my request to get her to stop because of her raspberries as I had done before, so she just continued to tickle me. She did stop a moment later, however, when a small fart soon unintentionally escaped from my exposed rear end.

Jenn immediately stopped and backed up. “Did you just…?”

I could feel a rumble take hold again, and this time, the whole sensation felt lower. “Jenn… potty! Now!” I exclaimed.

Jenn still seemed pretty passive but then her eyes quickly widened and as had happened many times before by now, snatched me up from the changing table and ran to this floor’s potty room. For such times, we had still kept a training potty in there, which may have been embarrassing, but it was better than the alternative. As Jenn sat me down and my intestines almost immediately released in front of her though, I questioned just how much better it really was.

Due to the size disparities and the fact that most Littles were diaper dependent where we went, Jenn often had to help me with Big potties since I had arrived here. It was always a little awkward, but in a small way, she had always given me as much privacy as we could muster for wherever we were. Now though, after so much, she just stood and watched as I used my training potty before her. I wasn’t sure why, this whole thing having grown sadly routine, but I soon buried my head into my still-held stuffed dog.

“You know,” she finally piped up, “you should really think of a name for him.”

I was a bit too distracted though from my obnoxious bathroom habits and I truly wondered if one of the Bigs had slipped something into one of the Little-specific treats. While there was the perceived age difference between us, I had quickly learned that we Littles preferred things on the sweeter side and Bigs preferred things on the more savory or spicier side. After one incident with wanting Jenn’s chicken, I had learned that the hard way and had subsequently downed about three glasses of milk right after.

Still, I was just glad that I had now finished up my business without any further incident. “Very good, Megan. You should be proud of yourself,” Jenn told me, clearly not realizing what it was like to be praised for going poopy in the potty. Still, I remained firmly fixed on the notion that it could always be worse, something that rang very true as Jenn wiped me down here and then rediapered me back in my own room. If I was at the level of most of my friend’s downstairs at the party, I might have already used my diaper for number two, or worse, gone while Jenn was already cleaning me up and then only laughed about it all.  

Regardless, not long after, we were back downstairs, and I was conversing with Kelsey over our favorite sweets. Hers was a peppermint swirl cookie but mine was a sugar cookie with sprinkles. It was just an innocent debate, but my eye soon caught someone I didn’t recognize as they quickly ran up to Dr. Talbott. Whatever the news they conveyed was, it seemed important and Dr. Talbott’s eyes and face soon lit up in a form of intrigue and giddiness that almost looked odd on her. As such, I knew I needed to hear this. So, armed with my dog as a potential cover story, I tiptoed and snuck past most of the guests to hide behind a corner of the wall where I could still hear the two talk in private and yet not be seen.

“…weird. There’s some kind of dead spot with this house, which is why I wanted to let you know firsthand,” the assistant informed.

“Yes… it is very odd… both of them are as well, but that’s excellent news,” Dr. Talbott said with enthusiasm. “Soon, we’ll be able to start the next phase of Project Swan.”

‘Project Swan… what kind of name is that?’ I quickly thought back to when I had heard that name before and for a moment, I tried to figure out what the name could be implying. I just knew it had to be important. ‘Swans are graceful… so maybe a calming effect on Littles? No… too odd for a Big.’ I then looked down at my own animal, albeit the decidedly stuffed version. ‘Hmmm… dogs… dogs are loyal… maybe swans represent change? Geez, names are so weird… probably should get one for you little buddy. How about… Spot? No. Buster? No… although… Buster… Buster. I like it!’ I then held up my new stuffy, Buster.  

Someone then almost spilled their drink not far from me and I looked away from Buster for a moment. It wasn’t much of a distraction, but I quickly heard Dr. Talbott begin to speak again. ‘Cheese and crackers, you idiot! You’re supposed to be listening in! Not cuddling with Buster!’ I then leaned over a bit and started to listen once again.

“…and I assume you’ve checked the bearings on the drive?” Dr. Talbott asked. “The last time we did this, you didn’t check, and it put us behind for almost a full month to send Littles back. You see this party? There’s over thirty Littles here right now and there’s another twenty that Megan didn’t even know and invite. Lots of them are still here because of that tiny mistake!”

“I’m sorry, doctor,” the assistant apologized. “That was a delay that I deeply regret, but I’m also pleased to report that all the paperwork is back at HQ and Project Open Sesame is still a go now.”

“Quiet!” Dr. Talbott barked. “That’s good news, but we don’t anyone listening in… dangerous out here enough as it is.” Dr. Talbott then paused briefly. “Come on… we need to go back to the party, and you need to check those bearings.”

Realizing they were done with their conversation for the moment at least, I quickly scrambled out of the way and sat next to one of the more regressed Littles, Yvonne. She didn’t care at all and seemed more to care about her new bunny, but my tiny interaction with her and said bunny provided a nice cover in case either Dr. Talbott or her assistant did see and care about my presence. Fortunately, they just moved on.

Once they had left and were mingling once again at the party, I recalled the name the assistant had used and that Dr. Talbott had chastised him about, Project Open Sesame. It felt so familiar… so… My eyes then grew wide as I remembered that was the very name ascribed to the portal project. It wasn’t much, but it was something. It was a tangible link and the paperwork mentioned felt just like what I had been looking for after almost a full year now to give to Amy as her tangible and actionable evidence.

Just one slip up by them… Geez, I knew not everyone here believed in Christmas, or even for the Littles, celebrated it back home, but to me, I felt like I had just witnessed a tiny Christmas miracle. Buster was brilliant as I even gave him a celebratory hug right then, but this fresh news about the portal felt like the best gift of all. I could almost taste going back home even. There was just one problem. Now, I just needed to figure out a way to get in there and find what I was looking for to bring back to Amy without getting caught.

[Guilend]

Oh boy. I knew that jamming device would be a bad idea. The doctor is on to them. I know it. 

It would be funny if a Big ate a few of whatever cookie that acted as a laxative lol.

[Guilend]

@LostBBoyBearI hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

[LostBBoyBear]

4 hours ago, Guilend said:

@LostBBoyBearI hope you had a wonderful holiday. 

Thank you! I hope you did as well. 

I did a little work and I should be able to post another chapter by tonight at the very latest.

[CDfm]

I have been working on this story.  It’s taken me longer than it should have to get caught up.  It’s an awesome story!  Really enjoying the slow regression of Megan. It’s kind of nice seeing a little regressed out of necessity rather than out of mean spirited bigs or desire to create a baby by a big. The plot is also very interesting and very easy to get caught up in.  I will definitely be watching for more. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a good holiday season and are ramping up to get ready to celebrate the new year just around the corner. 

I tried to get this chapter out last night, but as I was editing it, I really didnt like how some of it ended up, so I scrapped it... It may have been a little rash, but I'm also much happier with the way this new chapter flows a little better.

That being said, my delay in posting means that unless I post more than once for at least two days at this point, this story will now bleed over into 2024. It's not really what I wanted, but it is what it is at this point. Also, I'm not sure when the last chapter will post here, but I'll definitely let you all know when I know a more definitive date. 

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 20: New Discoveries 

The turn of a new year had always been a curious aspect in my life. On one hand, I was grateful to chuck out the old humdrum of the past year… all the filth or evil that had accumulated in my life, and then on the other, to just openly embrace the coming year and all the possibilities of good that could await me. As the week progressed though, despite ringing in another year in this strange dimension, I found myself once again both dreading and eager to embrace the new year of my new life.

My emotions were also all a mix due to multiple factors, but I was mostly happy. Of course, the darker aspects of my life, the diapers, or just the general regression aspects, weighed heavily on my soul and my mind at nearly every waking moment when I felt that my mind was still my own. Not that I was regressed, mind you, but I was feeling more unburdened in some odd ways as my new life began to solidify since my last increase in dosage per suggestion from Amy a few months ago. I had gone along with every single one of her past suggestions, and to my delight, she actually seemed to almost be salivating now whenever we briefed her.

Her emotions were of course still stoic, but I had come to learn the facial tics of that old, marbleized creature very well by now and Jenn’s and I’s debriefing with her last had shown her emotion in all its glory to the discerning observer. I, along with all others it seemed a part of this mission, was also happy over the news of the connection between Project Open Sesame and the research facility. Before now, we had been operating on largely just speculation and conjecture, but with this new information from the predicted ‘loose lips’ of Dr. Talbott and her assistant at the party, our mission now felt it had a goal in mind. As the hours ticked by on New Years Eve, we just waited to spring our plan into action.  

Dr. Talbott and her staff wanted to embrace some traditions and had decided to inaugurate a grand party in celebration of everyone’s work in the town over the past year and to look forward to the coming year with as much gusto as they could. Rumor was an announcement was to be made. So, as such, tonight on New Years Eve, a near opulent party was being held at the research facility’s largest building. It was still a bit removed from some of the other wings, but Jenn and I knew that it could be the perfect cover for me to slip away while she covered for me elsewhere.

“I still don’t like this,” Jenn muttered as she drove up the hill to the research facility, her black, leggy dress practically shimmering off any light source and looking as fabulous and elegant as ever.

“Aren’t you supposed to be filling me with confidence here?” I asked from the back, me wearing my own version of the glittering dress. When I had first seen it, I had audibly groaned. The black head band with a golden bow wasn’t terrible but the sequined top, tutu-like dress, and large gold bow in the back left much to be desired from an adult fashion perspective… though I was realizing more and more that I was likely never to be viewed that way again as long as I stayed in this dimension.

“Sorry…” Jenn looked visibly guilty. She of course knew that the mission tonight held on my shoulders, but I couldn’t blame her for her doubts. After hearing what I had overheard at the party, immediately after her praise, Amy had initiated an infiltration plan for tonight. Jenn and I knew it was important, but the whole thing still felt too flimsy on several levels. Pulling up to the main research facility building and parking out front though, it felt that it was now too late to turn back, our trepidations or not.

Heading inside and dropping our coats and my diaper bag off at the coat check, the party scene before us made our own from two weeks ago now feel like practically a ho-down in some backwoods plot of land. Crystal balls, spotlights, a DJ, and even a staff of waiters and waitresses to serve drinks and appetizers all buzzed about before us. Still, despite all the glamor and then taking my hand, Jenn and I drew a long breath and entered.

After making nice and conversing with our respective friends, Jenn and I gathered by one of the exit doors and whispered to each other closely as I was held in her arms briefly. I had gotten good at working up a cry recently and Jenn attended to me as quickly as she could, noting me as ‘being a little too overstimulated with everything.’ It was almost the truth, but the difference was between me and a normal Little was that I hadn’t taken my meds tonight. It was a risk for sure on some levels, but Jenn and I both agreed that I needed to be sharp for whatever I might encounter. Still though, I wore a diaper and for some odd reason, had insisted that Buster at least be packed away into my diaper bag. I know I should have been embarrassed on some level, but I’m not ashamed to say that his presence helped build my confidence for what I was about to do.

“Okay,” Jenn said after quickly looking around to ensure no one was watching or listening to us. “I think everyone bought your little breakdown. Earlier today, as planned, I planted a bug behind one of the servers. It will disintegrate after activating but once I trigger it, it should give you just under a minute to get out of the quiet room where I’ll be pretending to calm you down and beyond the main security door. I’ve passed off the temporary outage to everyone here as a result of a necessary security update before the new year.”

“Won’t it be suspicious though that we’re gone for so long?” I asked, still a little unsure about some of the logistical sides of things now.

“To a few, maybe, but I am co-head of security, and you were being fussy. I can always say that you almost had a blowout diaper or that you’ve been having some latent potty issues,” she said confidently yet a little sadly. “Won’t be hard to be believed for most of them. Besides, this whole thing shouldn’t be that long, and I can always even add my security authority to the mix to reduce the number of questions being asked of us afterward.”

I then thought of Dr. Talbott and her suspicious questions about my ‘home island’ and us two. I felt like we were a breath away from being caught, so my nerves were doubly frazzled even before this whole mission. “And what is too long?”

Jenn stopped smiling for a moment and thought. “Well, I would say no more than twenty minutes. We can muster a diaper change or feeding story during that time, but more could be suspicious.” I was almost about to ask about contingencies, but Jenn just held up a single finger and stopped me cold. “If you can’t find the stuff by then, we’ll just have to come back. Not ideal, but I’d rather you leave here home free and have to try again rather than risk being caught, okay? Please… promise me, Megan.” She then held up her pinky.

In our increasingly changing lives, Jenn felt like she needed something else to promise me by than just her words as she had done in the past. After seeing Drew and Kelsey pinky swear after he promised her to come back early one day when she wasn’t feeling too good at daycare, Jenn had quickly picked up the idea. I wasn’t the biggest fan of how it looked, but I still performed the ritual tonight and interlocked my pinky with hers. “Okay. I pinky swear… no more than 20 minutes.”

Jenn smiled sweetly down at me. “Okay. Good. Now, are you rea…?”

The lights then shut off and everyone was bathed in darkness for just a moment. Jenn quickly stopped and I could feel her breathing quicken along with mine. We were both likely thinking that they had somehow caught us. It was a tense few seconds, but then two spotlights popped on and highlighted a single figure on the stage.  

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” she began, her salt and pepper hair glinting off the intense lights now on her. “I would like to thank you all to our first annual New Years Eve Holiday Party. For those who may not be more aware of our structure here, I am Georgette Beakerman, and I am the head of the board for this little enterprise of ours. We are striving to make an impact on our world, but after some long meetings this past year, we have decided to move in a new direction for what we are doing here.” The crowd quickly began to murmur in panic that everyone might just be getting the sack tomorrow with this ‘new direction.’

Ms. Beakerman quickly used both her hands to quiet the uproar of the crowd. “Easy everyone. Easy.” She then cleared her throat. “Now, when I say, ‘new direction,’ I still want to inform you all that we very much want every one of you to stay where you are at. In fact, the work you have done here will be instrumental in our next phase. You see… we will be going public with a new company in the new year.”

The crowd once again began to murmur, and I could see the sly smirk start to overtake Ms. Beakerman’s face. “Yes. It’s all very exciting.” She then paused and took a quick sip of water. “We know here that this world can be very cruel. I lost my parents in the last Height War, and I want more than anything for my daughter to be able to thrive as the young woman she is now. I want that for our all children, but also, and this may be surprising for some of you, for the Littles of this world.”

She then paused and looked over a few of the Littles near to her by the front. “These Littles… from your work here, we’ve found them to be the wonders they have always been and not the filth or burden that others outside of this institution may think them to be. I only hope we can bring what we’ve done here together to the rest of our world. Maybe one day, all others will see their Littles as we see ours. Like precious tiny gems.”

“They seem more like diamonds in the rough, ma’am!” one of the Bigs in the crowd shouted out. Several of the Bigs in the crowd began to laugh and nod their heads in agreement.

Ms. Beakerman only smiled. “Yes… that maybe so, but I think Dr. James Oliver in his own department might be able to help out with that little nugget regarding the other more… uncooperative Littles of this world.” Again, more laughter was now directed at her comment, but I wasn’t sure why. Dr. Oliver though, only looked a bit too pleased with himself.

“Anyways… I…” Ms. Beakerman seemed a bit too distracted now for some odd reason. “Gems… Sapphires? No… hmmm… diamonds? Diamonds… have to think about that one…” She then shook her head and smiled back out to the crowd. “Anyways… I just want you all to enjoy yourselves as we count down to the new year together in just a little bit here. Thank you all and have a good night!” She then cheered her champagne glass and most everyone else did as well. As the crowds begin to converse amongst themselves once more, Jenn and I quickly took advantage of the merriment and made our exit.

Now, slipping away I saw that the quiet room was just that. It was disconnected from most of the system and formed a bit of a panic room of sorts just off the main lobby where the party was being held. I despised the diapers, bottles, and toys stored in there, but otherwise, the butterfly’s, comfy chairs, and thick carpet just seemed like a nice way to spend one’s afternoon. “Alright… you ready?” Jenn asked once we were inside.

I nodded while keeping the door open. “Do it.”

Jenn nodded and with a heavy sigh, clicked the single device in her hand. Everywhere soon turned to utter blackness.

Fortunately, the emergency lights popped on and the baseboards glowed with luminescent paint to show me the exit. Instead, though, I just went in the opposite direction and towards the main security door. It was the reason for the tiny blackout as it required too many steps to bypass going through from this end. It wouldn’t have been practical or would have been a dead giveaway by hacking it or an insider breaking in. So, with the power out, I took a breath and charged through the door. Just as it closed, the lights popped back on. No alarm.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I got up and started exploring. Unfortunately, though, as I predicted, our lack of prep time was quickly evident.

Jenn was a good security person, but we hadn’t been able to prepare where I should even begin to start looking for the evidence of Project Open Sesame. To be frank, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for, so, ten minutes later, I still hadn’t found much.

I continued to see a few areas that I had seen before. The hallway with the black door at the end of it was still there. More parts lay strewn about outside the door that I now knew led to Dr. Phyllis’ office and where Buster had been created. I was tempted to look in there just to see the latest developments and maybe find a friend for Buster… but I steeled myself away and went down another long corridor. Finally, I came to a room that had a familiar label above it, ‘Project Swan.’ Intrigued and remembering that it was spoken about in the same blip by the assistant at the party, I pushed the door open and walked in.

Inside, was a small hallway that then led to four rooms. The first appeared to just be an office space for the head of the project and the second was a large operating room that still contained the x-rays of a single patient, known there as ‘patient XY6.’ The third room, however, was an observation room that peered into the fourth, which was clearly meant to be a nursery.    

I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting, but with my time ticking down and this having been my only discernable lead, I decided to stay and do some investigating. So, I quickly plopped myself on a nearby chair as best I could, using the desk to hoist myself up and my diaper slightly crinkling beneath me. Hoping this would be the break I needed, I got to work looking over several of the files that had been haphazardly strewn about.

I thought it would be a simpler task, but clearly, whoever had been working here must have detested the very notion of organization. I suspected that may have been the security system in and of itself, but I just pressed on and finally found a single video recording that went along with a large manilla folder that was about half the size of me.

Pressing play on the video, soon, a balding man came onto the screen. “Many subjects have been failures for Project Swan at this juncture, but I believe the vigor of newly acquired Patient XY6 may prove useful.” Another recording popped up that now switched from the previous office setting to the same man now hovering over a single bandaged-wrapped patient. “Patient XY6 has taken to the treatments very well. New precision xenon lasers on loan from Project Open Sesame have aided beautifully in the grafting of new bone structures and tissues. This will soon be combined with the hormone replacement therapy cocktail that has been strengthened from the current course of gender reassignment in Littles.” My jaw nearly dropped as I remembered Bea. She was coming along nicely with her own new treatments, and I could scarcely believe that she was the same person I had first met almost a year ago now. This project, however, seemed to be even more effective. Another recording that switched back to the previous office setting. “I can now consider Project Swan to be a success on all the levels we originally intended. As our name suggests, we have taken the former ugly duckling of our drug king pin and made ‘him’ into a near-perfect and adorable ‘her.’ A beautiful swan if you will. Despite the party, I have sent a runner to Dr. Talbott.’

From the folder before me, I flipped through a few more pages and saw that there was one file remaining from only two nights ago. The writing seemed almost agitated… frustrated even. “Patient XY6 is still to be considered a success for Project Swan, but I must convey that only the physical side has been a success. In fact, since about two weeks ago and our announcement to Dr. Talbott, the patient has taken even more to the treatment.” He paused and looked grim and even as if he was about to be sick. “That being said, the personality of the former drug king pin from earth is still very present. Extreme caution should be taken. I will be talking to Dr. James about adaptations of his new program to possibly make mental changes.” The recording then flipped off.

I had almost expected to bust someone out of here tonight, but now… the words, ‘a former drug king pin’ continually rang in my head. Looking through the file more, the patient was only ever referred to as ‘Patient XY6.’ Then, I noticed a stirring beyond the viewing glass into the nursery. Someone was still in there. ‘Patient XY6?’

Determined though, I needed to know more. I could see the clock ticking on the wall and I only had minutes to find out and then run back to Jenn if I was to keep within our pinky-sworn twenty-minute timeframe. I was desperate. Finally, though, I found what I was looking for… and I nearly dropped the file on the floor completely.

I couldn’t believe it. It had to be a mistake, but as I switched to the video recording, low and behold, I could see the changes happen before my eyes of ‘Patient XY6’ at the end of the video that showed their progression through the various stages. I thought I was going to puke. Still, I was out of options to try and find anything on Project Open Sesame, so, mustering my courage, I then walked out of the observation room and into the nursery.

All around, the nursery room was themed with storks and swans and the walls were mixtures of both pink and light blue. It was beautiful, but my focus remained… had to remain on the playpen set up before me. It was mostly mesh, so I couldn’t see much from my current height on this side of it. So, it took me until I was nearly upon it, to see the… creature inside.

They slept peacefully, and his… her hair, flowed gracefully from their head into two sprouts of pigtails, both fastened by pink scrunchies. They were cute… horrifyingly cute. Now, I didn’t know their face in this state, but the video was proof enough for me. So, despite the diaper, new face, and pink dress, I knew the score. I knew their body count. I knew their rap sheet. I knew who they killed… who they poisoned with their drugs... I knew Carlyle.

Well, I guess Carmen to this research facility now, but it was still them. I even saw one of her faded, but still there, rose tattoos still there. My evidence was enough, and as I eyed a mallet nearby that babies would use to pound in shapes… I wanted to kill this demon before me. They needed to suffer. Carlyle shoved drugs into my baby brother, George, and killed him. He didn’t pull the trigger, but he might as well have. Bent nearly only on my path of revenge now, I then unlatched the simple door and stepped into the playpen after I picked up the wooden mallet.

I eyed the sleeping figure with malice in my heart and death laced about my eager palms. I wanted to do it… to end his miserable life. I wanted my revenge. I had the time… or I would make it tonight. Jenn would be disappointed with my actions, and I would undoubtedly be a bad girl, but family meant a lot to me, and Carlyle had taken the last of mine. Jenn would understand… one day.

That moment didn’t come though, as the odious figure inside began to stir… and quickly saw me. “You…”

I still readied my stance as they quickly bolted up from the padded ground under and before me now. “Carlyle… or should I say Carmen…”

“Reynolds…” I could see the fear, but also the hatred in their eyes. They knew me… though I suppose it was hard to forget the person who had put a massive dent in your operations back on Earth. Cap had even rewarded me for my efforts, but in truth, I just wanted my revenge against him and all his associates. Now, here… in this nursery… my ultimate hour felt like it had come. From their eyes, I saw that they could sense it too.

The air went out of the room. A few papers rustled and machines hummed nearby. His eyes squinted first. Mine did next. It was now or never.

He then lunged for his own piece of weaponry. Hard to honestly do that in a playpen in a nursery, but as I readied my mallet for the killing blow, he grabbed a rattle. It wasn’t much from either of us admittedly, but we began to attack each other and our furry plenty made up for our lack of deadly armament. A lunge to the left followed by a jab to the right. We were both diapered, and our movements were almost clumsy, but our attacks were true. After a few minutes, I could see that we were nearly evenly matched, so something had to change.

It did quickly when he broke his rattle first. Now, he was lunging at me with the sharpened bits of plastic that remained on the tip. I couldn’t just stand by and wait for his kill shot. No… I had to respond in kind. So, I quickly snapped the flimsy mallet in two as I chucked a block at his head to give me the time. It wasn’t much, but soon, I had my own weapon in the form of one end of the mallet in one hand and the splintered remains of the lower half of the handle in my other.

More lunges. More dodges. I couldn’t believe how out of breath I was, but so was Carlyle. Our new lives had interfered with us greatly. I hated it. Our bodies were what they were though, so, panting and exhausted, we both collapsed back into our own corners.

“See you’ve lost some of your old moves…” they breathed heavily in an almost comically higher tone of voice. I would have laughed if I wasn’t so out of breath.

“See you’ve gained some curls… and frills there yourself…” I shot back.

They grimaced. “Screw you… you don’t look much better yourself. Is that a dress on the fearless and decorated sergeant of the city?”

I scoffed. “I’ll have you know this is the latest fashion around here. Can’t say the same for… that,” I said, pointing to their almost cliché pink babydoll dress. Their eyes burned but they ultimately just shrugged. Tired and out of time, I had to know how another Earther came to be here just in case she would reveal more than she really knew, so I quickly asked.

“Yeah… you stupid cops are the reason I’m here like this now.” I raised an eyebrow to what he… she, ‘definitely she,’ said. “You all cracked down on me right after my fellow king pins did. I was in a bad spot, so I left the city to lay low. Then, one night, I see this bright light. Thinking it was all of you, I came out guns firing… then, boom! I got sucked into this big ball of light.”

I nodded, remembering my own travel here over a year ago now. I felt a little better with my way coming here in that I was at least trying to save someone.

“Anyways…” she continued, “almost got caught instantly, but I just attacked all of them giants right out the gate. No deaths, but they weren’t happy. Got sent here and… well, this…”

“Serves you right…” I muttered.

She glared back at me. “Fine. I was an ass, but this? Screw you for thinking that Reynolds. I’ll kill you a little extra in a minute. Almost makes me a little sad that… what’s their name? Little Georgie isn’t able to see all this, huh? His big sister finally fail.”

My rage was now building and felt just about to overpower my exhaustion. “What did you say?” I hissed at my now smiling enemy.

“You heard me… God! That kid just didn’t know when to shut up about you, his brave, big sister,” she mocked. “I could have turned them out… five dollars a blow for a little on the side to pay off his debt to me, but I wanted to send a message to all you elite types downtown. Little Georgie was a warning shot…”

I could see the time just clicked down to twenty minutes, but I didn’t care. This filth had to die. Another day of living by them would have been an insult to George. I lunged out again.

This time, Carlyle wasn’t ready. My splintered stick almost went straight into her neck. Death in seconds, but she quickly struck me back and knocked me just enough to where I struck the mesh instead. We tussled about. Jabs, blocks, parries… all flung about the place. It was a lot to keep up with inside the playpen. It turns out, too much.

A few rolls around the playpen, it got jostled about just enough. It hit a desk and a glass bottle fell over. We both saw as it rolled and began to teeter off one of the sides. “Shit!” Carlyle cried out unexpectedly. “Don’t let it hit the floor. This place is wired for certain things to trigger the alarm. Glass breaking is one of the top triggers!”

I immediately recognized the danger of triggering the alarms and lunged off him, but I was too distracted with him not stabbing me in the back to be quick enough to stop it. In a second, just as I reached the gate, the glass fell to the floor… and shattered… loudly.  

Almost instantly, the alarms started going off. Jenn and I hadn’t planned on this, but everything just went on high alert. The air filled with sirens, flashing lights, and even smoke.

“You idiot!” Carlyle cried out. “Look what you’ve done!”

“You pushed me into the playpen! This is your fault. All of it!” I shouted back. I then saw the open door and ran for it. Carlyle quickly blocked my way though.

“No way! You aren’t leaving!” she yelled, thrusting her broken rattle close to my eye.

The alarms blared seemingly even louder, and I could barely hear myself think, but I knew the longer we would wait, the longer I would risk getting caught. Everything would be in jeopardy then, so I weighed my options. Having just wrestled about with her, I knew my odds were slim for a victory in the time I had to go that route. As I looked around though, I didn’t see another way out. So, another, even worse solution had to be made to the mess we were both now in. “Shit… what about a truce, Carlyle?”

“A truce?” I could tell from my enemy’s face that a truce was the last thing they were thinking of, but I could also see the gears start to whir and click in her head as well. “A truce… crap… fine! I have information you might want if you have the way out!”

It felt like a trap, but I knew my options were extremely limited and narrowing for every second I debated it. “Fine! Spill!”

Carlyle groaned but relented. “You’re probably snooping around here for things. I’ve been here for months now… heard all sorts of rumors… stories… even remember places and names. Like maybe project… uh, other seesaw?”

I blinked and my mind whirled in curiosity over what they were talking about. Like a bolt of lightning though, I then realized what she was likely trying to say. “Project Open Sesame, you mean? Is that it?” To my relief, she quickly nodded.

“That’s the one! Now, take me out of here!” she commanded while also stepping aside. More smoke began to fill the room.  

I didn’t want to help them, but my options had been basically chosen already for me as soon as the alarm went off. If Carlyle was caught, she could rat me out. If I was caught, the mission could be placed in jeopardy. In the end though, my internal debate didn’t matter, and a deal was a deal… even with my enemy. So, I quickly led the way, the broken half of the mallet handle still clutched in my hand. I could see that Carlyle still had her own snapped rattle as well.

Soon, even making our way through all the smoke, alarms, and flashing lights, we came to a four-way intersection. “Wait,” she said quickly as she stopped so close to the end. “Down there,” she pointed to my left as her chest heaved in and out, “is where you’ll find Project Open… Sesame.”

I nodded. “Good. Deals a deal, Carlyle.” I then pointed straight for the way out for her. “I need to check your lead out first, but you go on ahead. Just go straight, second left, right, fourth right, then forward. Should take you right to the exit out of here and even past the party outside here.” I briefly considered lying to her, but I didn’t think that would help anyone at this point. Besides, I also needed to see this other place first before leaving, and chances were, she might just be nimble and brutal enough to escape any wrong turns and come and find me and kill me then. So, we were leaving each other now with our deal still intact, but I wasn’t sure how exactly to do that. “Uh, so… do we…?”

Carlyle then held up her hand. “No. We don’t thank each other. We are temporary allies and nothing more in this screwed up world. We see each other again, Reynolds; it will be proper knives…” We then only nodded at each other and went our separate ways as we each cautiously backed away from one another. Our deal having been concluded; we were clearly enemies once more.  

As Carlyle ran away first but also having little time to think about it all, I then ran as fast as my diapers would allow me. Fortunately, there were no security personnel down here, and after a few turn arounds in some odd directions, I finally found the door, ‘Project Open Sesame.’ I felt my heart nearly leap out of my chest in joy. I then practically jumped to the door handle and twisted the knob.

It was locked.

I knew that it just couldn’t be that easy, but I was hoping for something to come out of tonight. I hated this place to its very core, but I could hear voices coming for my exact location. I knew I had to flee immediately, so I then went back and rounded the several corners to get out of here.

Right as I got back to the main security door, I was worried that guards could be right on the other side, but I knew it was a risk I would have to take. Right before I opened the door though, I then heard a giant commotion from not far away. There were several angry voices that popped out between the smacks of sticks on something I couldn’t quite describe. Pushing open the door, I realized that Carlyle had likely taken a third left instead of the second like I told her. Under my circumstances here though, I knew I couldn’t think of her or her fate.

To my relief though, as soon as I pushed past the door, the hallway was empty, and I sprinted back to the quiet room. To my surprise ‘quiet room’ was an apt name as there were no flashing lights, smoke, or alarms blaring inside. I was only able to breathe out the words, “Alarm. Tripped. No Sesame. Found Door” before a security guard then escorted us out of there in a hurry after Jenn picked me up.

Slightly disjointed, frustrated, panicked, and now fleeing out to the party now, Jenn and I rejoined the rest of the masses out the front door after grabbing our coats and my diaper bag from the coat check. There was a security checkpoint but having Jenn as my caregiver and her being co-head of security meant that we didn’t have to wait and went right on through. It was a relief, but her status also came with a drawback.

“Miss Gallup?” Jenn spun around at the mention of her name. Another security guard was rapidly approaching us with a noted look of concern on his face.

“Yes, that’s me. I figured this might be coming…” I was confused but Jenn just looked back at me still nestled safely in her arms. “Sorry, baby, I’ve got to go with all this… and you can’t come with me…”

“But…” I wanted to debrief Jenn, but I also just wanted her to stay with me. I had just infiltrated a research facility and had no idea if I was on any of their cameras. If I stayed with Jenn, I felt I would at least have some leeway if I was in trouble. Without her though… I didn’t like my chances. Plus, I didn’t want to be alone tonight anyways.

Jenn could see my concern though and looked at the crowd around her before focusing on a single individual just escaping the security checkpoint. “Nancy! Over here!” she then waved over at my kindly babysitter, now sporting her own skimpy but refined blue dress.  

Nancy and I had only grown closer since our first meeting back in October. In fact, if she was a Little and wasn’t changing my diapers, I would have almost considered her about as an equal of a friend as Kelsey was. Still, despite our closeness, I didn’t want to leave Jenn, which I think she knew because she quickly gave me a small but reassuring squeeze.

“Hey, Miss Gallup. Hey, Megan. Some night, huh? Everything okay with you two?” Nancy asked in her usual caring manner as she finally came over to us. She had a soothing tone and a fresh and calm demeanor that I had come to rapidly appreciate since our first meeting, especially with my increased potty problems as of late, and tonight it suited her very well in all this commotion.

Jenn sighed heavily. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could you take Megan here home for me?” she asked with a lot of hope and hesitation. “I can even pay you double, but… I just got called away because of all this mess.” She knew what she was asking of the teen Big, but also knew how to appeal to her in case there were any potential conflicts. She knew me and likely wouldn’t have taken a ‘no’ as an answer from her tonight.

Nancy seemed shocked for a moment, but gratefully her smile soon returned and held out her arms to take me from Jenn. “It’s absolutely no problem, Miss Gallup. I need to stop off at my house first, but I can totally take Megan home right after.” I was then gently transferred over into her arms before Nancy then took my diaper bag as well.

Jenn then gave my hand a little squeeze and we both looked at each other that easily conveyed, ‘I don’t really want to leave you.’ Still, she had to go, so in moments, Nancy and I were all alone as Jenn disappeared back into the still flashing and blaring research facility building.

Sighing, Nancy then briskly walked away from the noise and over to her own car. Fortunately, she babysat so many of the Littles around town that she had a car seat almost always already set up in the back seat. It had been designed by the facility specifically for those caring for Littles with all types of needs. So, while it could easily cater to a newborn, I could still fit it in myself as a front-facing seat and still reap its safety features.

I despised the notion of it being a car seat, but I was at least comfortable when Nancy then slowly lowered me into it. Before she buckled me in though, her hand quickly snaked into my diaper. Now, back in October, I might have yelped or even cursed at her without my meds, but tonight, I just flinched a bit and let her do her job. If I was on my meds though, by now, I wouldn’t have even flinched at all.

“Hmmm… you’re definitely wet, but I think you can last,” she said, now backing out of the car. “I don’t think you would relish a public change, right?” I quickly shook my head and Nancy just calmly smiled. “I thought so… but I’m also really sorry about Jenn. You know she would take you home if she could.”

“I…” I drooped my head in sadness. “I know. It’s just not fair…” Nancy could then likely see that nothing she would say could help me, so she just patted my thigh reassuringly and got in the front seat before driving away. Her gesture was small, but it did feel nice and oddly enough, I wasn’t all alone in the world.

 As she drove to her place first and then ran inside, I had plenty of time to think about my night. I hated that I hadn’t received the documents for Project Open Sesame, but I was at least relieved that I knew where the door was now. Still, I also had no idea when I could even go back. I very much doubted that there would be another party and despite Jenn’s likely best efforts, security would have to be increased in some way after all this commotion with so many witnesses.

My thoughts then quickly switched to Carlyle. ‘He,’ and now a ‘she’ in nearly every way, was my mortal enemy, but I also had two realizations. First, my enemy had been Carlyle. Proud, strong, violent, and a man, but now… Carmen was just as fierce and dangerous, but also a woman, and more importantly, a Little in this dimension. I knew they were the same person, and my hate would likely never leave me in this state, but she had also become my ally tonight… even if it was just temporarily. So, secondly, like I had done with so many others here, I had become at least allies with someone only because of our species together.

Back on Earth, we still seemed to fight about everything that ever divided us. One would have hoped our near destruction would have ended all that, but it didn’t. Still, here, all that didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. We were all Littles now and had to unite against the Bigs. I wasn’t sure if I would ever see Carlyle, or Carmen, again, but maybe there was still the possibility that we could be allies if we ever needed to stand against the Bigs once more. Never friends mind you, but just civil enough to increase our odds enough to maybe just bea able to leave here with our minds still intact.

As I felt a fresh new warmth begin to spurt in my diaper uncontrollably, I wasn’t sure how much I believed in that hope anymore, but the hard lesson was also an ironic one in that the only way I could learn of our similarities was to come to another dimension entirely. One day, I hoped others could learn the same lesson, but perhaps with less… burdens in doing so. ‘Stupid diaper…’

The clock on Nancy’s dashboard then switched over to midnight. If nothing else, it was a new year. If tonight was to be believed at all, new, terrifying, and maybe even spectacular events lay ahead of me. Only time would tell if maybe, just maybe, this year would also bring me home.

[Guilend]

First off, wow, the last half had my heart pounding hard lol. That was amazing, especially the fight scene.

Okay, unless Jenn deletes the security footage, they'll see what happened. Plus that ex drug dealer will have no reason not to tell them about her. 

Honestly I think they're about to be caught, I think that's really why they called her to stay because the Doctor lady has been watching them close and saw everything. 

Is it bad that, while I don't really want them to get caught, I kind of do just because I'm curious to what they'll do to Jenn? Fine, I just want to see how they punish the staff ever since you said it's not how I think, but you're sure I'll like it anyway. My curiosity has been peaked lol.

While I'd rather it be someone else, maybe the young Amazon that man's the front desk, and gets punished for something not related to their mission or put it in jeopardy. 

My prediction is they get captured in the next chapter or two, they end up being the distraction needed for secondary secret team to get the evidence needed and Amy had planned it that way after their initial failures. They're questioned and tortured, both physically, but mostly mentally till they're finally rescued when the facility it finally raided by the authorities.

[CDfm]

Having Megan meet up with Carlyle again was definitely not what I was expecting to see.  At this point I wouldn’t be too concerned about cameras.  If they had them installed, there would most assuredly be someone monitoring them.  And even if no one was actually monitoring them it only takes a second to go back and check them.  The point is. enough time has already passed that if there were cameras, Megan and Jenn would know it.  To loose an asset like Carmen, the facility people would have a high priority on talking to anyone involved in her disappearance. I don’t think that will stop the Doctor from questioning them though and that’s probably coming.  
Loving the story, looking forward to seeing more. 

[LostBBoyBear]

Hey everyone! Just finished editing this chapter just the way I wanted it. I had a few other ideas for how this one would go since the beginning, but I like how it ended up. 

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter as well!

Chapter 21: Waiting is Overrated

To say that New Years Eve hadn’t gone as planned I believe would have been a massive understatement. If it had gone all according to plan, I would have taken any of the necessary evidence I had found and given it to Jenn and Amy. Heck, I might have even been home by now at the end of January and away from all this insanity, but alas, things did not go right that night.

So, as predicted, even despite Jenn’s influence over security, their protocols had only increased for most hours during the day and even more at night. Amy was still yet to be debriefed for this month, but she knew things hadn’t gone well from the private chats I knew she was still having with Jenn without me. In truth, while this still irked me a bit, I was fearing the day we would have to tell her about the state of things face to face.

Regardless of it being a failure though, life had practically just continued as it had for many months now. I was still worried about staying here longer, but I was still me on most levels. Sure, I would probably need to do some massive Kegel exercises when I got back, but I still had my mind, which was more than I could say for most around here. Chicken nuggets and Buster would also have to be integrated somehow into my life back home, but I didn’t honestly mind them as much as the diapers by a long shot. Frankly, by now I could only say a ‘screw you’ to anyone who would ever judge me for them anyways.

Still though, as life had continued very much as it had before all this, I found myself back at daycare, and even with the medication, I still found myself adrift from my group of friends more than ever now. When I first went on my level three medication back in the fall, we were all mostly equal in most ways one would judge that sort of thing around here, but now… I felt myself advanced over almost everyone.

Vicky had finally mentally collapsed under the weight of it all, but after her transfer to the daycare, I still recognized her and Daisy whenever I went to meet up with Tess in the rear nursery. Tess… well, Dr. Talbott was a real cruel being as I doubted that the original and real Tess would ever smile when she messed herself or would have at least been able to color within the lines on a simple coloring page. It was really distressing to see her like that, but for my old friend and mentor, I persisted in my visits to her and just grinned and bared it when I continually just felt almost like her babysitter at times than anything else.

Regardless, as I sat with my friend group now, we all held onto our respective stuffies, but with one key difference… our imaginations. While Buster was my old reliable friend, I knew he wasn’t real. After observing Kelsey, Bea, and Jasper, I wasn’t sure at all if I could say the same about them, but for now at least, that line of questioning would have to be put on pause.

Currently, we were in the middle of a game of duck, duck, goose. Now, I’ll go on the record right now and say that I am a fan of that game. It fills the time, can be played by multiple ages, and can even get your energy levels out while still having moments of suspense that can appeal to almost anyone. The problem was though that memories and even the simple coordination required to play were now a bit faulty in some of the Littles whom I called my friends.

“Duck, duck, duck, duck…” Bea continued as she waddled around the circle of our close friends and a few others. Of course, some Littles might just try and be cute and say ‘duck’ about twenty times, but from her growing panicky look, I could tell that Bea was now struggling with what actually came next in the sequence.

Not trying to embarrass my friend, I waited for her to make another two passes around the circle before I whispered, “You’re supposed to say goose, Bea.”

Bea immediately blushed but smiled back in my direction. “Thank you,” she whispered with her infectious grin. She then raised her voice once more, “Duck, duck, duck, goose!” She then quickly tapped Jasper’s shoulder.

Unfortunately, the two forgot the rules a bit and while the chase only lasted for a few laps though, Bea, lacking the coordination required, promptly fell onto Kelsey on the third go around. Seeing all the commotion, Mrs. Louder and Miss Ginny were quickly on the scene and offered their assistance, kisses, cuddles, and advice. Fortunately for my tiny headache, they got there just in the nick of time to prevent any meltdowns from occurring. “Maybe you all should play something more… calm?” Mrs. Louder then suggested once everyone seemed settled.

Not being outdone and noticing all our stuffy’s, Miss Ginny quickly added. “Maybe a spot of tea for the stuffy’s?” From their immediate nodding of their heads, I could tell that at least Kelsey, Bea, and a few others were truly excited. Jasper was less so, and it not being real tea, I just opted to sit back and watch.

After a few more minutes and some shuffling about, Bea and Kelsey grouped off alone and were now fully into their new playtime together. “More tea, Fifi?” Kelsey asked her orange stuffed cat.

“Wadda ‘bou’ me, Kelsey?” Bea quickly asked in distress and not wanting to be left out. “Or Marie here?” Bea looked about six seconds away from bursting into tears when she held up her stuffed brown pony. Fortunately, Kelsey still had most of her mind intact and just played along by smacking her forehead.

“Oh! Silly me! Of course, our guests should get tea first, right Fifi?” She then waited as if her cat would actually respond. “Exactly! Couldn’t agree more.” She then turned to Kelsey and Marie with her empty teapot. “Would you ladies like some hot tea? Just made a fresh pot!”

Almost instantly, Bea’s distressed frown vanished, and she quickly just held up her’s and Marie’s plastic teacups. “Oh, yes please!” Satisfied that she had settled things like a big girl, Kelsey only smiled back and pretended to pour out the tea into the two awaiting cups.

“Stupid girls…” Jasper then muttered from nearby as he played by himself, “we don’t need them, right Otto?” Jasper then shook Otto’s, his stuffed otter’s, head for him. In all honesty, he was still a real jerk most of the time, but I also felt bad for him. The rumor was that he upset his caregivers by questioning their intelligence one day last year. It was a big no-no in the community, and so they made the executive decision to teach him some needed humility. Now, despite it not working quite as they expected on the humility front, they also appeared determined to continue until he had been fully regressed like most here were now.   

I sighed over the fate of my friends and just hugged Buster more to keep my medicated and unstable emotions in check. It was just enough time for me to start to get a whiff of something unseemly, but now ultimately routine around here. From my proximity and trained sniffer, I knew that at least one of my friends had messed themselves. Before, I could tell by looks alone, but now, the three of them all just looked content to play with their stuffy’s without a care in the world. Not wanting them to get a rash, I waved over for Miss Ginny.

She smiled and quickly came over to me. “Yes, Megan? You need a snack or something?”

My eyes then widened as I realized how hungry I was, so I quickly nodded my head. Just as Miss Ginny was about to leave though, I quickly reached out to stop her. “Wait, Miss Ginny!”

She turned back around and raised an eyebrow. “Yes? Is there something else you need. A diaper change, perhaps?”

I was suddenly aware that I wasn’t even sure, and a quick rock back and forth confirmed that I was at least a little wet from the squish I felt below me. “Yes… but that’s not why I need your help.” Seemingly intrigued, she then crouched down to be more at my level.

“Oh? Something else then?” She then ruffled the top of Buster’s ears. “Someone else need a treat too?” she asked playfully.

I internally groaned a bit, but only outwardly shook my head. “No, Miss Ginny. Buster is fine. Thank you, but my friends…” I then lowered my voice, “I think they could use a change…”

Miss Ginny paused for a moment, but I quickly saw her nostrils flare up. “Ah. I see what you mean…” She then smiled sweetly and ruffled my own hair now. “Aren’t you just such a good friend to them?” She stood back up. “Let me go get your snack, and I’ll give you something extra special for being such a good girl today.”

I blushed a little over the simple praise and my soon-to-be-rewarded snack, but I always knew now to count my blessings when and where I still could. So, as such, I was even more satisfied as Miss Ginny came back with a cookie for me and a series of diaper checks for my friends. It turns out that both Bea and Jasper needed a change for their messiness and Kelsey was almost about to leak. It was another crisis averted around here.

So, while each of them was whisked away and were only upset to be interrupted in their playtime, I just leaned back and munched down on my cookie. Its sweet flavor played about in my mouth, and I smiled contentedly. Just then, I heard a loud noise begin to stir up from nearby.

“… I can’t believe they’re coming so soon, Mrs. Harrington,” Dr. Talbott exclaimed as they exited one of the rear rooms. My attention quickly turned back to them as they exited and listened in as discreetly yet as intently as I could. I hadn’t heard Dr. Talbott speak like this since the party. ‘Who was she talking about?’

“Yes, Dr. Talbott,” Mrs. Harrington tentatively agreed. “It’s very soon, but we should be ready. We already have a number of err… candidates that should be suited to the task required of them.”

Dr. Talbott stopped and seemed to ponder the notion for a moment. “I suppose… could use a few more though. Might want to introduce the experimental Tabers milk perhaps… we’ve gotten some good results from it so far back in the lab.”

I think for once in my entire life, I then saw Mrs. Harrington turn an almost deathly shade of white. “Tabers? Are… you sure, doctor? I mean… that stuff is pretty potent. Don’t you want… I don’t know… more, uh… aware candidates?”

Dr. Talbott looked incensed for a moment, but then relented and nodded a bit reluctantly. “I suppose you’re correct. Not sure when they’ll be coming, but we should have enough time to prepare until then. For now… maybe just take note of a few potential candidates… maybe one from a few different age categories to check various mental functions with the travel and all…”

Mrs. Harrington nodded. “Yes, doctor. I already have a few in mind.”

My mind was ablaze with the possibilities of what I had just heard and seen from my small vantage point on the floor. I wasn’t sure how their conversation started or even know the full scope of what they were discussing, but I knew a few things now that I didn’t before. First, something important was about to happen to be witnessed by important people. Second, even Mrs. Harrington seemed disturbed by the notion of their arrival and the steps that Dr. Talbott seemed to be willing to take in light of their arrival. Lastly, and likely most importantly, whatever was happening had something to do with traveling and was happening soon.

I was practically a wiggle worm for the rest of daycare and Miss Ginny and Mrs. Louder continually checked my diaper, likely in the assumption that I was getting diaper rash or had messed myself. I definitely wasn’t and I might have cared at one time or another for their intrusion, but I was just so antsy to get home and tell Jenn the breaking news. Not entirely convinced of the security measures or our secrecy in daycare, the parking lot, or even our car, as soon as the front door closed once we were home, I unloaded on her.

“Jenn! Jenn! I heard the most interesting thing today!” I exclaimed, nearly knocking her over as I rapidly tapped her side to get her full attention.

Jenn took my hand to quickly stop me from doing that anymore, but then also looked at me with a sense of curiosity. It oddly felt like a parent looking at their child as they recalled their dream from the night before, but I just put it out of mind. What I had to say was too important.

So, I quickly informed her about all I heard. “That has to be something, right? I mean, Dr. Talbott wouldn’t have been that happy or Mrs. Harrington that nervous unless something big was going down.”

Jenn’s overall demeanor had fortunately turned very serious once she realized what I was actually relaying to her. It wasn’t about a new toy, a rumor over who was now in diapers at daycare, or a new show that I wanted to watch on a recommendation from a fellow Little. I didn’t always like to tell her about those aspects of my day, but at the same time, if I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have talked about much at all. Still though, I could see from her face that she was pondering something very intensely. “Is this something big, Jenn? Was I right?”

Jenn thought for another moment but then slowly nodded. “I think so, Meggy.” I hated my new nickname that she would use sometimes, but oddly enough, from her, it also felt like a term of endearment like when I started calling her ‘Jenn.’ Jenn then readjusted herself on the couch. “Amy sent word to keep my eyes open at work for something more substantial. With the readings she’s been getting from our science observers, the breeches seem to be getting more intense, but maybe also more focused.”

“Like they’re getting closer to their goal?” I asked, though I wasn’t really sure what to make of this news.

To my surprise and tiny bit of worry for its implications, Jenn nodded. “Most likely, yes. In fact, from what you’ve just told me, Talbott may be trying to move to the next stage. Testing to practical application and then the main event.”

Her words struck an icy sliver down my back. “You mean… she’s going to attempt to do the very thing that we’ve been trying to prevent this whole time?”

Horrifyingly, Jenn nodded once again. “Probably. The only issue is that we have no idea when all this will go down yet. It could be tomorrow… but it could be four months from now.”

The two of us then eventually migrated over to the family room and sat down on the couch there. I could tell that we were both deep in thought over what all this could mean. Finally, though, I just had to share the notion that I kept coming back to over and over again. “Jenn… we need to infiltrate the facility again. If Dr. Talbott is really planning a demonstration that could end everything in this dimension, we need to act now.”

Jenn seemed pleased with the notion, but then held up two fingers. “That’s a good idea, but we have two problems. First, we have no plan right now, but more importantly and crucially, second, security has only tightened, and you have no way in.”

As usual as of late, she was right, but I knew something that she might not. “But Jenn… in two days, my daycare has another lab day with a field trip to the daycare. If we time it right, I could be in and out before I’m even noticed… because your guards… well, they tend to slack off when we’re there for our trip.”

Jenn’s eyebrow seemed to twitch as I revealed my plan. “They do… what?”

For a moment, I honestly couldn’t tell if she was acting more as an ABI agent or her job here as the co-head of security for the research facility. “Yeah… but it’s not a big deal. Besides, it also gives me a perfect window to access the facility with your help. You told me that you were able to disable or at least scrub the cameras to keep me hidden from view mostly last time… we can just do that again and then its no problem. I can even put the evidence in your locker before I rejoin with daycare. Plus, I even know where the files would be located now. Just need one key from you and I’m in.”

Jenn was awash with emotions. On one hand she seemed very impressed with my plan, but on the other, she also seemed perplexed with how to go forward. I knew that she probably knew more than me at this point, but she just had to approve my plan. It was the only one we had, and time was running out to save this entire dimension from the mechanizations of the scientists here.

Finally, her face became oddly stern, and she spoke up. “No.”

I blinked in confusion, and I think my brain honestly took a moment to process what she was telling me. “I’m sorry… must be some holdover from the meds earlier. I thought you said no.”

To my shock, Jenn nodded. “I did say that.” I tried to form words, but they mostly came out as if I was just trying and failing to beatbox like people did in the old days. Jenn, however, quickly noticed my confusion. “It’s a wonderful plan, honey, but we need to approve it first with Amy. She needs to know all this, and two days just isn’t enough time to properly plan things out to the degree we need to. So, hold off for now. You all go back next week, right?” I nodded. “Well, we should be able to go then. We’ll be much more prepared and this way we can avoid any unnecessary alarms this go round.”

I had explained the whole situation of what had happened to Jenn the next morning and she had even ensured that Carlyle wouldn’t be taken seriously if she was questioned. Whatever it meant, she later told me that I didn’t need to worry about her anymore. I was alarmed briefly, but even more so now, I just felt baffled by her rejection of my plan. “But Jenn…”

She quickly held up her hand to stop me. From its previous use, I knew not to mess with that gesture. “I understand that you want to help, sweetie,” she began to explain, “and I’m sure Amy will be very appreciative of your efforts, but we need to go about all this with safety in mind. That place is dangerous, and I don’t want to lose you. Just tell me that you won’t go. Tell me now, Megan.”

I nodded my head and though hesitant while also seemingly satisfied, Jenn gave me a quick hug before going off to change out of her work clothes and start dinner.

I hated lying to her, but all this was different. The fate of this dimension, and by extension my life and everyone else that I cared about here, were in danger. I trusted Jenn and knew that she was just looking out for me, but I was undercover too. Risks were part of the job that I had agreed to.

So, the rest of the night and the next day went about as they usually did. I then woke up on the morning of our field trip to the research lab and decided to pick out my own outfit this morning. Jenn had gotten into the habit lately and I trusted her judgement, but today was different. So, even when Jenn seemed entirely confused as to why I would ever want to wear my knit long sleeve onesie with purple flowers on the cuffs along with only a pair of my black denim skirtalls, I still insisted on it. I knew full-well that any breeze or bending over would quickly expose my diapered behind, a purposefully humiliating gift from some distant aunt of Jenn’s, but I also knew that if I was caught today, my outfit and a little acting could get me out of most tight spots.

I could still see Jenn’s confusion over what I was wearing even at breakfast, but I just pushed past her looks and ate my oatmeal before swallowing my morning medication. I knew it was a risk to take it, but I also knew I would need its calming effects on my mind if I was to succeed today without direct support from Jenn this time.

Then, when Jenn was distracted with cleaning up in the kitchen after our breakfast, I quickly went to her coat and the keys I knew she kept in her pocket. I once again felt guilty as I ever had, but I just kept repeating the same mantra inside my head. ‘It’s for the mission and to save this dimension. It’s for the mission and to save this dimension.’ Fortunately, I knew exactly which key to take as each section of the building was categorized by color. Seeing the green hallway on New Years Eve, I removed the green key. Curiously though, I noticed there wasn’t a black key for the single black door I still wondered about.  

Regardless though, satisfied and secured with my plan, the rest of the morning went as usual, and my daycare class was soon bused to the research facility not long after I had been dropped off. Inside, once again, we were treated to a new science experiment and lesson.

By now, I’m pretty sure most of my fellow Littles would have been overjoyed to see an expanding straw by just wetting it, but I was relieved that today was at least the study of volcanoes. As such, one lemon, a few drops of food coloring, some baking soda, and then a dash of lemon juice at the end made it all fizz out and delighted nearly everyone in the class. A bit messy perhaps, but the unexpected delight of the experiment had calmed down my nerves. So, by the time we were given the freedom to explore the facility once more, I was nearly as laser focused as I could be.

As predicted, the free tour of the research facility, which I found out was a slight ruse to gauge interest in on-going projects in real-time by actual Littles of varying mental age ranges, pushed us beyond the initial security doors and about a dozen or so checkpoints that I normally would have had to contend with after my initial infiltration of the facility back at the party.

Still, I needed to feign a reason to leave, so I swallowed my pride and stuck to my plan. “Oh! Oh! Mrs. Louder I gotta go potty!” I yelled when I knew she was in earshot.

She looked at me strangely for a moment, but my quick thinking to poke and guard my rearend, quickly switched her face to one of realization. I was a known diaper wearer, but the whole daycare staff still knew that I used the potty for number twos. My cheeks flushed from embarrassment, but she quickly pointed me to the nearest potty room around the corner.

After insisting I would be fine on my own and making a show to ensure the door slammed closed, I then wandered away and toward Project Open Sesame. In truth, I did have to go a little, but I knew that it would be the perfect ruse with Mrs. Louder. Mrs. Harrington might have insisted that I just use my diaper and Miss Ginny might have just gone with me without asking. I felt a little bad about using the perceived weakness and charitable nature of Mrs. Louder, but I was just relieved to finally be on my way to success with this mission at last.

Finally, I then got to the door that I had seen initially, and the words, ‘Project Open Sesame’ were still emblazoned at the top. I was grateful that this part of the facility was hardly ever used during normal business hours, so I just counted my lucky stars and at last, I used Jenn’s key and opened the door.

Inside, was just like most of the other rooms I had seen here, but to my surprise and disappointment, there was still no sign of the actual physical portal device. While I may have been devastated on that level, the varying and detailed diagrams posted on the walls were just enough for me to claim a victory here. “Oh, thank you!” I was so relieved even after my outburst that I stupidly kissed one of the larger diagrams for a portal device in front of me. Right now, it may as well have been made of solid gold.

As I then began to peruse through the various files and the charts and graphs all detailing portal travel, I finally felt a triumph I hadn’t felt in so long. It was almost a high of sorts to be this close to victory. After all, while I knew Amy wanted to shut down the portal itself, I also remembered her words describing her desire for the paperwork and evidence attached to this project. From everything before me, I knew that after almost a full year under the thumb and watchful eye of this research facility, under those terms, I could finally call the mission a success in one of the larger aspects on my end.

Knowing there was no way I could ever get everything fully out and back to Amy; however, I grabbed a single manilla folder, again, about half the size of my body and filled it with several files that I thought would be of use. Additionally, I also snagged a USB device and duplicated several of the files I found online onto its drive.

Checking the clock, even though I could have stayed there for another hour at least, I knew I had to get back. So, I packed up the folder and USB drive, and then quickly slipped out of the room. As the door shut, I could feel a close to all this mess was soon just around the corner.

Tiptoeing quietly, I soon made it down the hallways and to the security locker room. To my relief, no one was in there once again, so I quickly deposited the folder and USB drive into her locker and into a secret compartment I knew about in her bag. It was the spot where she kept her own tracker, so I knew the scanners hadn’t picked it up yet, and from her description, my tiny pile of evidence wasn’t enough to pierce the shielding of the pocket either.

So, my day’s mission now nearly complete, I turned around and headed back to the main grouping area. On my way though, I had to check out one final thing. As I was about to deposit my evidence into Jenn’s locker, I thought I saw one of the rooms open and full of light. More importantly, I thought I saw another Little in there. Determined not to leave someone behind in that state, I went back just to be sure.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly when I ran headlong into a security guard. “Megan? What are you doing over here?” I quickly panicked and being on the medication, I was able to whip up some rapid tears and voice trembling.

Being close to where I was supposed to be, I began to spout out my prepared statement. “I… I… got lost goin’ to the potty, Mister Bert,” I said, trying to make my lips pout as much as possible. My meds took care of the bulk of what I needed to accomplish with Jenn’s underling, but I needed to push it just a little extra to reduce the possibility of questions being asked later. I was already breaking Jenn’s command not to come here today in the first place. I didn’t need her getting in trouble on top of that because her Little wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

“Oh…” Bert blushed a little and I could see his eyes quickly wander over to my backside. Knowing he was seeing that if I had an accident and trying to play up my role as the bashful and innocent Little, I began to fiddle with the front of the hem of my dress. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough to show off my padded rear a little extra for his view.

“I made it on time, Mister Bert, but… I got lost… I’m sorry… please don’t tell Jenn,” I pleaded with the widest eyes I could muster.

“Oh gee…” He then pushed his hair back a bit and quickly looked flustered. Fortunately for my own sake, I knew he was one of the better guards to run into. A nice Big and all, but not the most forward or commanding of the lot. I quickly used that to my advantage.

“Ummm… maybe you could help me get back to my class, or just the area?” I kindly offered the flustered guard. I knew my wording could bail him out and get me to where I needed to go. It was nearly a perfect plan, so I was just relieved when he only extended his hand, smiled, and led me back to the area I was supposed to be in.

Once there, I turned, thanked Bert, and skipped off back toward my class. As soon as I rounded the corner though, I stopped and made sure that he had gone back to his duties. He had and fortunately for me, the room with the bright lights was in the vicinity of where I was supposed to be. There wasn’t anyone nearby, so I might have seemed out of place at the time, but I wasn’t breaking the rules in the strictest of senses anymore. So, seeing the open door, once again, I carefully peeked inside.

Sure enough, right in front of a screen with bright lights, swirling images, and a giant bunny, the Little, Yvonne, sat dumbly, yet also oddly more aware than when I had seen her last, watching it all in her little booster chair. For a brief moment, she almost seemed even… less regressed… but it didn’t matter though. Only her well-being mattered now. “Yvonne! Yvonne!” I yelled at her while also shielding my eyes and ears. No response.

Remembering the same room across the hallway from that same odd black door, I knew that the last time I was here, I had been slightly put under a trance. Still, knowing the risks, I knew I just couldn’t leave Yavonne to these monsters and to be stuck in that room. She had been taken on the last testing day, and maybe if I hadn’t just collected the evidence I had needed after a year, I might have just left things alone… but I didn’t.

I felt on top of the world! I could do no wrong and I had avoided almost every trap that had been laid out before me. In retrospect, my victory was probably messing with my better judgement, but I was definitely in the thick of it now. I mean, all this seemed to be just a bunch of bright lights and loud noises. It all seemed decidedly simple when I had access to so many labs and their own equipment. So, within two minutes, I had collected both earplugs, which I cut in half to fit my ears, and a pair of shielded glasses that others used in some project with lasers. Satisfied with my preparedness, I walked right in and confronted Yvonne again.

“Yvonne! Yvonne! I need to get you out of here, girl. Come on with me!” She didn’t move an inch. I then started to see if I could shake her out of her trance. “Yvonne! Yvonne!” Still nothing.

Determined to not give up on another Little and trying to prevent what had happened to Daisy and Vicky from happening to her, I knew other tactics had to be deployed.

Raising both my sleeves, I then looked over her contraption. She was attached to what essentially amounted to a cushioned baby carrier with a five-point harness. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to detach the straps, but I guess they weren’t worried about her escaping as I was able to pop them open with just a little effort. “Come on, girl! We’ve gotta go!”

“No!” Yvonne almost seemed to pout and then giggled immediately when she began to watch the screen once more. It was almost like that once I, the threat, had been dealt with, my presence no longer mattered.

Shaking off my shock over her clear denial, I knew she was in a trance, so I needed to get a little more handsy. “Sorry, Yvonne. I promise you that one day, you’re going to thank me for all this when you can actually still sit up on your own.” I then bent down and picked Yvonne up as best I could.

Now, Littles are very rarely ever known for their strengths, but as one of my previous partners had found with an English Pitbull one day, it’s not always the size that matters, but the sheer effort. So, after her view broke from the screen once more, Yvonne began to fight me.

“No! No! Bad widdle! You bad! Wet me go! Now! Now! Now!” Her fists then began to pound into me, but I just shifted her around to be easier to carry out. I was at least an NYPD cop in my former life… I had handled worse in my career.

The problem was though, as soon as I shifted her to a better position to carry her out more quickly, I inadvertently lined up one of her arms to be within perfect striking distance of my face. As she had just pounded my back for a moment, I didn’t think she was capable of any other movements under her current level of trance. It was my biggest mistake yet on this whole mission.

Her hand flew as straight as an arrow and made direct contact with the side of my face. “Oww!” I could feel my face snap to the side, but I could also feel something else beside the quickly throbbing part where she had hit. One of my earplugs and my glasses had been knocked clean off and outward.

Still holding Yvonne, I was powerless to plug up my ears. So, squinting my eyes and just relying on my memory, I tried to take us out of there, but it was too late.

“Stop… look at me… listen to me… be a good girl for me…” The words felt like rain dancing off my brain, and I could feel my grip on Yvonne lessening in seconds. “Come… be a good girl for me… just watch… relax… get comfortable… sit down…”

I tried to fight it. By all the powers of heaven and the cosmos did I try to fight it. But it was no use. The program was strong, and even with one ear plugged up still, the words enticed me closer. Closer to the screen. Closer to the sounds. Closer to it all. Closer to happiness.

I tried to shake the words out of my head, but it just felt like trying to fight a train driving straight into my ear canal. Oddly, only pleasant sensations began to ripple throughout my body. I knew it was wrong, but with all these feelings, how could something that felt so good… be truly wrong?

“Come… stay with me for a while… relax…” Oddly enough, the bunny that had become my bane in this room then switched to two characters: a boy and a girl. Both were young Littles, but both also seemed mature in some odd way that I couldn’t quite place. ‘Maybe they’re wearing big boy and girl undies? Not like me. Must be older…’ I shook my head and tried to remove those thoughts… but the sounds and images just persisted.

“Easy there… we’re your friends…” the girl noted.

“Yes… your friends… we’ll help you,” the boy coaxed. “Don’t you want to do what we say? Don’t you want to be a good girl or boy for Oliver?”

“Yes…” I said sloppily though curiously at the same time that Yvonne did as well. I didn’t want to say it, but to be a good girl… that felt like my only mission in life. No ABI, no Earth… nothing… just being a good girl was what seemed to matter now to me.

“Good. You are such a good Little for us… doesn’t it feel good. It’s okay to laugh if you want to…” Yvonne and I quickly giggled. I then suddenly felt a whoosh of air as I plopped down on the floor in front of the screen. Yvonne sat back in her chair. Neither of us seemed to care about the other… I certainly didn’t care about her anymore. I just wanted to be a good girl.

“Wonderful,” Oliver cheered. “Isn’t it so nice to be friends with us?” I nodded. “I bet it does, so we just want you to do something more for us.”

The girl nodded in agreement. “I know it may seem like we want you to do work, but that’s just icky, right?” My face quickly contorted, and I nodded my head in disgust. “Exactly! Very good, but we just want you to do something that will only help you. We’re your friends after all and that’s what friends do. We help each other out. We help you.”

“Help you…” I mumbled, not caring in the slightest over the wetness that now seemed to persist and string off my mouth. I still wanted to be a good girl, so I listened in to what my new friends wanted me to do.

“Perfect,” she continued. “Now, it’s really easy, darling. I want you to relax. Can you relax for your good friend, Naomi? Wouldn’t it feel so good to just let go. Try it for me.”

I wasn’t really sure how, but I guess this was one of those things that my stupid brain thingy knew how to do already. Sitting on the floor, I could quickly feel my muscles loosen up. My diaper suddenly felt odd but warm all over. ‘So good… so nice… just relax… I’m a good girl…’

Yvonne giggled next to me, and I felt compelled to do the same. ‘Being relaxed is so fun! I could be relaxed forever… and ever… who needs all that other stuff? I just want to have fun… and relax…’ My eyes rolled back, and I fell onto my back. I wasn’t looking at the screen, but it didn’t seem to matter anyways. I was a good Little. I was a friend. I was Meggy. Jenn was my… I wasn’t sure what she was, but I definitely knew one thing… I was a Little!

“Perfect… you really are the best Little. Now… just relax and listen to us… We’ve got it from here… Just listen to your friends, Naomi and Oliver and all will be okay… Just relax…” I did and my eyes seemed to almost flutter close. I was happy. I was at peace.