The Adoption Of

 Little Orphan

 Danny

By K.T. Leone

(Little Katie)

Part IV: Sugar and Spice, Ribbons and Lace

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Danny was in a sound sleep. He had never been so comfortable in all his life. It was not just the bad that was comfortable, though it certainly helped, it was everything. The soft cotton nightie didn't itch and get in the way like the pajamas he was forced to wear at the orphanage. Without anything covering his legs except the blanket, he didn't feel unbearably hot and confined either. Even the undies he wore seemed to be an improvement, they didn't bunch and ride, but instead snuggled against his middle, providing comfort and a sense of security. Even though the new clothes helped, there was an added comfort Danny didn't count on; the doll he lightly held against his chest, even after all these hours of sleep.

Danny slowly opened his eyes and quickly got his bearings. He looked down at the doll and smiled. "You're still here, cool!" Danny said in his small voice and then lifted his head to kiss the doll's forehead. With his free hand he slowly lifted the hem of the nightie under the blanket and put his hand in his panties. Danny rubbed the thing that dispelled the fantasy that he was truly a real girl. "They're still there too," Danny said in a mixture of disgust and sadness.

Danny decided not to dwell on things that he couldn't change. Instead he sat up and decided that he would us some of his free time to play. "I bet the baby is hungry," he spoke to the doll. "It's okay, mommy will feed you." The boy lifted part of his nightie to reveal his flesh colored nipple and brought the doll's mouth to it. He knew he was being silly, but imagining that he was truly breast feeding a real infant brought a sense of warmth to him he didn't expect.

"Being a real little girl wouldn't be all that bad," he told the doll as he rocked it in his arms. A moment later, he started singing a soft lullaby.

The high pitched sound of a little girl sweetly singing in play filled the hallway and Carol knew that her new guest was awake. She paused next to the bedroom door, watching the child while she stood out of view and enjoyed witness the child be her true self. Casually she walked into the room.

"Good morning, Aunt Carol," Danny said happily as he continued with his play.

"Good morning, Danny," Carol said as she sat on the bed. "I heard you were up and I thought I would come in and see what you were up to."

"I'm feeding my dolly." Danny smiled and blushed all at once.

"I can see, and what a good mommy you make, too," Carol praised.

"Aunt Carol I was thinking something," Danny told the lady as he returned the nightie into place.

"What were you thinking sweetie?" Carol brushed Danny's hair back with her fingers.

"Would you have liked to have a little girl?" Danny asked innocently. "I mean a real daughter, not like an orphan or nothing."

Carol smiled. "I think I would've, but I wasn't able to have babies."

"Would you like to pretend that you have a little girl today," Danny continued.

"I thought that was what we were going to do today anyway."

"I mean a real little girl," Danny slightly whined at not being fully understood.

"Oh? Do you want to pretend to be a real little girl, a part of your game?"

Danny blushed and nodded his head yes.

"And how old do you want to pretend to be?" Carol asked as she watched the child.

Danny held up four fingers. "This years old," he said shyly and then giggled. "I know I look that old anyway, everyone tells me so."

"Are you sure it's something you truly want to pretend and be treated like a real little kid and have me full over you and such?"

Danny shook his head yes again. "Just for today, so I can see what it's like."

Carol chuckled. "Okay little miss." With her finger she lightly tapped Danny on the top of his crown. "Poof! For today you get to be a four year old girl until you decide against it."

"Goody!" Danny clapped, getting into the spirit of things. "First you get to dress me for our trip to the zoo. Real pretty too."

"You got it, Princess." Carol was delighted and amused and a little confused at how Danny was diving into such territory with her. She didn't think the child would trust her like this so quickly.

Danny continued to smile, even though he too wondered if he was taking things a bit too far. But the idea sounded like fun, more fun than a lot of other choices he had. He watched as Carol grabbed the silver brush from the counter.

"What do you think we should do with that gorgeous hair of yours?" Carol asked as she pulled the cover down for the child.

"Pigtails!" Danny exclaimed, for a second forgetting himself, or was he? "I've always wondered what pigtails were like," he continued to gush, deciding he might as well make the most of the game he was to play.

"A marvelous idea," Carol said as she opened the drawer of the nightstand so she could get at additional supplies. She then sat on the child's bed. "Come and sit on Aunt Carol's lap and we'll start making you look real pretty."

"Cool!" Danny crinkled his nose. He crawled on the bed and sat on the large lady's lap with her back to her. He could feel the brush going through his long hair, parting it down the middle with care.

"You certainly have very pretty hair, Danny," Carol said as she clumped together the hair on the child's left side and readied a black hair-tie.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," Danny said as the hair-tie tugged his hair into a pigtail. "It's a good thing it's long 'cause it makes me look prettier." Danny stifled a giggle as Carol worked on the other side. He sat as still as he could while his hair was being finished. Once the two hair-ties were put in place, his hair was brushed out again. Danny was sure something more was being added, but he couldn't see what it was from his vantage point.

"All done!" Carol claimed with joy.

"Do I look really pretty?" Danny asked as he turned towards her.

"I'll let you decide that for yourself," Carol said as she stood up, holding the child around the waist. She took a short walk until they both appeared in the mirror that sat on the dresser.

Danny looked at the reflection with his mouth opened wide in amazement. The image of a four year old girl stared back at him. The pigtails were done to perfection and the finishing touch were ribbons of red, pink, and white streaming down from both clumps of hair, seeming to keep them in place. "That's me," Danny stammered as he pointed at the mirror.

"That's right," Carol said in amusement. "What do you think, Princess?"

"I am pretty!" Danny said affirmatively and then smiled brightly.

"That you are." Carol gave the child a big kiss on his puffy cheek. "How about I get your clothes ready and dress you for the day."

"Okay," Danny said, still slightly bewildered by what he saw. He didn't mind the fact that he would be dressed, after all, he did ask to be four today.

After being placed on the bed, Danny watched as Carol gathered together the clothes he would wear for the day. She grabbed a few items from the top two drawers of the dresser and then vanished momentarily into the closet and returned with the white dress in her hand. "Do you want me to leave so you can change your panties?" Carol asked in a soft tone, assuming the boy would be embarrassed despite his exploits from the previous night.

"No. You can do it, Aunt Carol," Danny said shyly as he turned away and slightly blushed.

Carol was surprised by the answer to say the least, but she assumed that after so many years of not being personally looked after, perhaps the child thought it was time to be pampered by a caring adult. "Okay princess." Carol smiled. "How about you stand on the bed so Aunt Carol won't have to bend as much."

"Yes ma'am," Danny said joyfully as he hopped to his feet before he even finished the sentence.

"Good girl! Now, up with those arms." Carol actually meant to say good boy, but her Freudian slip went unnoticed as the child lifted his arms. It was getting hard to picture Danny as a boy, but she figured this game would be over in a day and she was sure the child was enjoying himself.

Danny shivered slightly as the panties were removed from his tiny body. He couldn't help but look at his anatomy and feel embarrassed. His blush wasn't because he was nude, however. It was because such a thing ruined the fact that he wasn't really a girl and even though the clothes would hide the fact, he would still just be a boy playing a game. This wasn't the first time he thought to be a girl, he often pretended in the orphanage as he went to sleep and in those wistful moments before he drifted off to sleep he could be that which he truly desired. He never shared his feelings with others and definitely couldn't act upon them for fear of death by the hands of the other boys. He never thought he would live his dream come true, but Carol seemed such a willing participant to allow him to be silly and free, for at least a little while.

Carol lifted the ruffled pair of white panties to the child's waist. Even naked he more resembled a girl than a boy and Carol wondered if there were perhaps a medical reason for the child's slow development. It wasn't quite time to ponder such a thing, there would be time later and with the small part of the child that resembled a boy covered, there was nothing left to hinder the image of a four year old girl. "Lift your left foot please," Carol instructed as she held a rolled up piece of material in her hand.

"Yes ma'am," Danny said and did what he was told. A long lacy item traveled to his thigh that reminded the child of a very long sock, only thinner and with images of hearts on them. "What's that," Danny asked as the cool material hugged his legs.

"It's a stocking. I thought you'd like to look extra pretty today," Carol said as she saw the sparkle in the child's eyes and his deep, rosy cheeks.

"I do! I think they're nice." Danny lifted his right foot without being told and reveled in the feel as the elastic band hugged yet another thigh. A moment later he found his feet shod in the same white Mary-Jane's that he wore the night before. Carol laced a white baby-tee over the child's chest and then lowered the white dress into place, careful not to mess up the hair.

"Want to see what you look like princess," Carol asked as she looked at the child. She was pleased with Danny's look, but doubted she really did anything at all.

Danny eagerly shook his head yes and found himself being placed on top of the dresser once again. The little girl he saw before returned, only dressed very prettily. Her white dressed looked very delicate, almost as delicate as she did. The poofy sleeves looked like they came out of a fairy-tale and the short puffy dress came down just to the bottom of the panties, but Danny saw that every time he shifted his weight or moved his leg to walk in place, sure enough, a small hint of his underwear would show. The skirt itself had a few layers of white lace under it, making it stick out a little further than the pink dress he wore the day before. "What are these?" Danny asked as he pinched some of the lace.

"Oh, that." Carol chuckled. "That's a mock petticoat, it use to be all the rage in the 50's but they've always looked darling on little girls."

"Cool!" Danny said as he shifted his weight once again.

"So what do you think of everything?" Carol asked as she put the child on the floor.

"You made me look very pretty," Danny said as he looked up.

"I think you did that on your own," Carol complimented as she pinched the child's cheek.

Danny blushed and soaked in the compliment. "Thank you," he said softly as he looked down at his shiny unscuffed shoes.

"Why don't you run off downstairs for breakfast while I get ready myself?"

"Yes ma'am." Danny perpetually smiled and in a flash he was off.

Carol didn't think her offer would be taken quite so literally, but she smiled as the blur of ruffles scampered past her.

Danny wasn't the fastest of children, but he made his way to the doorway of the kitchen quick enough, and then came to an abrupt halt. A large figure dressed in white was standing off in the corner and slowly turned to face the child.

"Why hello there," the towering man with long locks of black hair and matching goatee said.

"Wh-wh-who are you?" Danny stammered as he stared at the giant's dark eyes.

"I'd like to say I'm Pierre, the chef, but really I'm Peter and I cook and serve other functions for Carol, I mean Mrs. Adams," the man said in a casual, relaxed way.

"Oh." Danny took a sigh of relief. "I didn't think anyone was here."

"Just me pumpkin." Peter smiled and got on one knee. "Mrs. Adams told me about a new guest but she didn't tell me we had a beauty queen.

Danny blushed and shied away.

"Do you have a name sugar or should I keep calling you pumpkin."

"My name is Danny," the child said in a whisper and wondered if he should've given a girl's name instead, considering how he was dressed.

"Danny," the man said with joy. "That name is almost as pretty as you are." Peter gently took the boys hand and kissed the back of it lightly. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Danny giggled, partly because of the way the man's whiskers tickled when they touched his skin and partly because of the attention he was receiving. "You can still call me pumpkin if you like." Danny didn't know what caused him to say the words but part of him felt giddy about uttering such nonsense.

"Okay Pumpkin. I like that. Do you know why?"

"No," Danny said as he looked up and thought. "Why?"

"Because I love to eat pumpkins and put them in pies." With that, Peter snatched Danny into his arms and stood up. His mouth quickly went to the child's neck as he playfully slobbered on it.

Danny kicked and screamed and laughed with delight. He had never felt so free and sill in his life, and he liked it. "Stop eating me," he squealed.

Peter placed the child on the counter. "You're right. I should save you for desert."

"For desert?" Danny asked in a whine as he swung his legs off the edge of the counter.

"Of course. You're all sugar and spice and everything nice. I think I'll save you for after dinner." Peter playfully tweaked the child's nose.

"You're silly," Danny said as he leaned back on his arms and soaked things up.

"I hope you don't mind," the man said as he kept his attention on the child.

"No, I like you."

"Good. You're pretty and I like you." Peter kissed the child on the forehead and then pinched his cheek for good measure. "So, Pumpkin, what do you want for breakfast? We got Apple Jacks or Lucky Charms, neither as sweet as you."

"Apple Jacks, please." Danny positively glowed.

"One bowl coming up."

Carol made her way into the kitchen a little while later. She saw Danny sitting on Peter's lap finishing off a bowl of cereal. "I see you two met and from the sounds I heard earlier, it seems you get along."

"Yes," Danny piped up first. "I like him a lot."

"I like Danny too, I hope she stays," Peter gave Carol a look that said he meant every word of that statement.

"I have the lawyers working on that," Carol said as she sat down to a half a grapefruit. One of Peter's jobs was to make sure she ate healthy.

"Is Peter gonna go to the zoo with us?" Danny asked during a lull in the conversation.

"Sorry pumpkin, but maybe I can have dinner with you tomorrow," Peter answered.

"Can he?" Danny asked in eager anticipation.

"Peter's always welcome here and he knows that," Carol said.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Danny giggled lightly.

"Something like that pumpkin," Peter answered diplomatically. "But don't worry, you're my second girlfriend."

"Cool!" Danny smiled as Carol winked at him.

"We better get going princess," Carol said as she stood up. "We have a big day ahead of us and quite the long drive."

"I better give you this then." Peter rose and handed off the child. "You make sure you have a good time and bring little Danny home in one piece." Peter leaned in and gave Carol a casual kiss on the mouth.

"Don't worry," Carol said. "We'll have fun and be back late this evening."

"Make sure you be good Pumpkin, have fun and behave," Peter said to the child.

"Don't your second girlfriend get a kiss on the lips too," Danny protested.

Peter laughed. "Sorry, I almost forget." Peter gave the child a peck on the lips.

Danny giggled. "Bye Peter," he said as sweetly as he could.

"I better get out of here before she snatches you away," Carol joked as she walked out the front door.

"I like him," Danny said as he was placed in the car. "He's nice."

"I'm glad you like him and I'm glad you're getting into your little game of pretend."

Danny looked down and saw that he was still dressed as a little girl. He had actually almost forgotten about that as he was going off on pure impulse. "Oh, yeah," he said in a surprised tone and slightly blushed. "I guess I'm good at being a girl."

"You got that right," Carol smiled as she buckled the boy in. She got in on the other side, started the car and they were soon off. Carol put on the CD of classical music but even before they hit the interstate, Danny was out like a light. Carol would occasionally look over and smile at him as she made the 90 minute drive in relative peace.

Carol pulled her car into a specially reserved spot near the entrance of the zoo. There would be few people there on this day as the patrons would be those who could readily write a philanthropic check and keep the place afloat. Though Carol was invited to many of these various functions she rarely enjoyed the elitist attitude of some of the patrons. Today, she was willing to be occasionally annoyed for the child's sake. "Danny," Carol gently shook the child's arm. "Wake up, we're here."

Danny's eyes fluttered open. "Already," he said as the energy of youth raced through his body and totally revitalized him. He patiently, though eagerly, waited as Carol walked around the car and helped him get out. "This is gonna be fun."

"That it is princess. Now make sure you stay near, we don't want you getting lost."

"No. We don't want that." Danny smiled as he put his hand in the waiting grasp of his guardian. As they walked towards the entrance, the swishing of the faux petticoats reminded Danny all too well of the way he was dressed. Deciding that this was his idea of fun, he remained in the spirit of things and started to skip, albeit awkwardly.

"Hello, Mrs. Adams," a finely dressed gentleman in a suit greeted at the front entrance. He softly shook the older woman's free hand.

"Hello Greg." Carol gave a slight nod to the graying man before turning to Danny. "Mr. Johnson here runs the zoo and made this day possible for us to enjoy with a smaller crowd."

Danny looked up at the plastic smile. "Do you take care of all the animals," he asked as he shifted his weight back and forth on his hips, trying to get comfortable.

Greg Johnson's smile became more genuine. "Not all the animals, sweetie," he said as he got down on one knee. "I have a lot of people help me do that because it's a very big job. But I'm sorry to say we don't have any animals here that are as precious and pretty as you."

Danny blushed and giggled and turned away. "Thank you, sir," he said shyly.

"Such a polite little girl too," Mr. Johnson continued. "What's your name."

"I'm Danny," he said proudly as he daintily held out his hand. "And I'm pleased to meet you."

Mr. Johnson laughed and then shook the child's hand with just his thumb and index finger. "Well Danielle, it is certainly a privileged to meet you. When we get pretty, young guest like you here, we like to put a special bracelet on them so if they get separated from their adult we can reunite them as soon as possible. May I put one on you." Though the adult was looking right at the child, it was plainly obvious that he was talking to Carol.

Danny nodded anyway as a plastic strip with a coded number was fastened to his arm. "It's pink," he said joyfully as he twisted his wrist and looked at the letters.

"Of course, nothing else would do for a pretty little girl," Mr. Johnson replied.

"Come on Danny, there's a lot to see and I'm sure Mr. Johnson has a lot of people still to meet." Carol turned to the now standing adult. "I'm sure we will talk later," she said cordially.

"Bye Mr. Johnson." Danny said as he was led through the main gate.

"Bye sugar." Mr. Johnson waved back.

"I liked him Aunt Carol, he was nice," Danny said as he walked in step with the adult.

"He is nice, but I think you do have a certain affect on people." Carol squeezed the child's hand.

Danny didn't reply, he just contemplated what she meant and wondered if the way he was dressed had any effect on the matter. He couldn't decide and the question left his mind just as fast as it popped in.

"Would you like a balloon for your little girl," A vendor asked as they made there way deeper into the front pavilion.

"What do you say, Danny? Would you like a balloon?" Carol asked.

"Yes Ma'am," Danny said with excitement as he looked at the bunch.

"Which one would you like?" the young lady in the red and white striped collared shirt asked.

"The red one that looks like a bear," Danny said as he pointed to the one in question.

"A very good choice, the bears are my favorite ones too." The vendor tugged on a few of the strings until she found the correct one and separated the single balloon from the many. In a feat of agility, she tied the balloon around the child's wrist.

"I hope I don't fly away," Danny joked and amused the adults.

"I think you're safe princess," Carol said. "Now thank the nice lady for the balloon."

"Thank you very much for the balloon," Danny said to the vendor and did a slight curtsy.

"You're welcome very much sugar," the vendor replied, then watched the pair walk away.

The morning was spent watching many of the animals do whatever they wanted, which was not very much at all. Except for the monkeys, who were being vulgar and otherwise disrespectful to their audience, Danny enjoyed looking at the simple beauty that nature provided. Carol, on the other hand, was watching the beauty that was Danny himself. He was still as polite as ever, but there was something about the way he acted that was different but seemed so natural.

Danny stood on a bottom rung of an iron fence and looked at the baby elephant that was a few yards away. "Hello baby," he said sweetly as the elephant looked his way.

The small pachyderm trumpeted it's trunk and then walked to his mother.

"Aunt Carol, Aunt Carol," Danny said excitedly as he hopped off the fence and ran to the bench where the lady was sitting. "Did you see that? I said hello to the baby elephant and then the baby elephant said hello right back to me."

"I saw." Carol was amused at the child's reaction and knew this was what memories were made of. "It's about time for lunch princess. How about we join the others?"

Danny smiled. "Yes, Ma'am." he turned back to the large fence and waved. "Bye baby Elephant."

Carol chuckled as she stood up. In an instant she lifted Danny into her arms and walked towards the pavilion where the planned meal was to be served. Danny wasn't too accustomed to being transported around like this, but he liked it. In a matter of minutes, they were towards the center of the compound where a lunch of deep fried chicken and watermelon was being served.

"Carol," a voice called out from among the crowd.

Carol walked towards the younger woman. "Hello Grace," she said in a friendly manner. "I figured I would find you around here somewhere."

"You know me," Grace replied. "Anything for Cynthia. "I see you have a precious little angel with you too today. What's your name pretty?" she asked the child.

"My name is Danny, Ma'am," the boy said in his small tiny voice.

"Oh so cute and how old are you precious?" Grace continued.

Danny held up four fingers, still going along with his game.

"Just like my Cynthia. I could just gobble you up." Grace playfully gummed on each of Danny's fingers in succession.

Danny laughed and squealed and kicked his legs in delight.

"Come on you two. I have an extra seat and an extra high chair at my table. I just know that Danny and Cynthia will be the best of playmates." Grace led them to her table, which wasn't very far away. A small blond haired girl was sitting in a high chair eating small pieces of cut up watermelon. "Cynthia, this is Danny and she wants to be your friend."

Cynthia looked up from her food. "Hi Danny."She waved her little hand at him.

"Hi Cynthia." Danny waved back and then it dawned on him how much of a little girl he must actually look like. Cynthia had her hair also in pigtails with pink ribbons. Not only that, but she wore a similar dress to the one he was wearing, even the same color white. But what really struck him was that even sitting down he could tell Cynthia might even have been a little taller than he.

"In you go, Princess," Carol said as she slid Danny into the high chair. When the tray was slid over his legs did he finally snap out of his self analysis. "I'm going to get our food, you be a good girl while Aunt Carol's away."

"Yes Ma'am," Danny replied as he wondered what he should do in a high chair.

"Let's get this on you," Grace said as she tied a bib abound Danny's neck that said 'little princess' and had a picture of a crown with a heart at its center. "We would hate to ruin such a pretty dress."

"No. We don't want that," Danny said as he crinkled his pudgy nose as the lady.

"You're simply darling," Grace complimented as she finished her task.

"Thank you Ma'am." Danny decided to watch Cynthia for a little while, hoping that he could pick up some of the finer points on being a girl.

"Here you go Danny," Carol said as she returned and placed a tray of food in front of the boy. "We have chicken nuggets and some seedless watermelon."

"It looks yummy, Aunt Carol." Danny started to pick at his food.

"Aunt Carol is it?" Grace mused. "Your niece is an absolute peach."

"I know," Carol said proudly. "She's the most precious girl I know."

"Don't forget, you know Cynthia too," Grace joked and giggled.

"You're right," Carol joined in on the fun. "It's a tie for first."

"I can definitely live with that," Grace wiped the side of her daughter's face.

Lunch went by calmly enough. The adults chatted back and forth as the children slowly ate their handful of chicken nuggets and drank from provided sippee cups. Danny didn't mind the fact he didn't say much, he just carefully observed the girl across from him. The only thing he noticed was that he already was doing the same things that Cynthia was doing and he was doing it naturally.

"Aunt Carol," Danny said in a raised whisper after a while."

"Yes, Princess," Carol asked as she excused herself from her conversation.

"I got to use the potty," Danny whined.

"Okay Princess, we'll go." Carol answered.

"Do you mind if we tag along?" Grace asked. "I'm sure Cynthia could use a fresh diaper and perhaps the girls would enjoy each others company."

Cynthia's still in a diaper?" Danny asked in surprise.

Grace smiled at the boy. "Cynthia is just as much a big girl like you, but when we go to some special places that are far away and might not have many potties, we use diapers just to be safe."

"Oh?" Danny said in wide eyed astonishment. "That makes sense."

"Cynthia?" Grace lifted her daughter from the high chair. "Do you mind if pretty little Danny shares your stroller with you?"

"It okay," Cynthia answered. "I like her, she my friend."

Danny didn't have time to accept or protest the decision before he found himself placed in the double wide stroller next to his new found friend.

"Here Danny, baby for you." Cynthia handed the slightly shorter child a small unclothed doll and then grabbed a stuffed pink bunny rabbit for herself.

Danny decided to go with the flow and cradled the doll as he leaned back.

"You know," Grace started the conversation while both adults pushed the stroller. "You may want to consider a diaper for your niece in a public place like this. Though I'm sure they tried to clean the restrooms as much as possible, you never know what germs are crawling around. Plus, you have a long drive home and it cuts down on stops and stinky messes."

Carol laughed. That's certainly something to think about."

"I'll give you one in the bathroom for your little miss and some to hold you over for the rest of the day," Grace offered. "I keep a spare box in the back of the trunk."

"Thank you. I think I'll let Danny decide, she's a bit particular about letting people see her bottom, so I don't know," Carol said doubtfully as they walked into one of the public restrooms.

"Here." Grace handed Carol a thick diaper. "In case she decides it is a good idea and I'll wait out here and make sure no one tries to look at Danny's precious little honey."

Danny giggled slightly at how the lady put things and knew the last comment was directed towards him. He didn't mind though, he thought it was kind of cute.

"Come on Danny." Carol took the child's hand and led him towards the stall. "Time for potty-land express." Carol slid the latch on the door. "Down with these," she lowered the child's panties to his ankles, lifted the skirt over his belly button, and then helped him sit on the toilet.

Danny was actually accustomed to going while he sat. He made sure his private was facing downward and got going with his business.

"Good girl," Carol praised, more for the companies' sake than for the child's. "Now let me wipe the rest of the tinkle away." Carol wrapped some toilet paper around her hand and wiped the child's middle just to be sanitary.

"Aunt Carol?" Danny asked as he looked up from the bowl.

"Yes sugar?"

"Is that a diaper in your hand?" Danny questioned further.

"Yes it is sweetheart," Carol answered honestly but expected a disapproving reply.

"I don't mind being like Cynthia today and wearing it."

"You don't?" Carol was shocked by what the child said as much as Danny was for finding himself saying the words. Danny shook his head no. "Okay, stand up on the bowl and I'll put it on."

Danny stood on the lid of the toilet and kept his legs spread far enough for Carol to position the thick diaper on him while he held up the skirt of the dress. Though Carol didn't have any babies of her own, she expertly put on the diaper in no time flat and fastened the two tabs of tape into place.

"Look Aunt Carol, They got duckies on them," Danny said in a happiness that he didn't know he had within him.

"That they do sweetie. Let's go find your friend." Carol neatly tucked the small pair of panties into her purse and led the boy out into the main area of the public bathroom.

Danny was surprised that walking didn't become more difficult from the thick undergarment as he walked out of the stall. In fact, the warm padded cloth provided an obscure sense of security that he didn't quite expect, nor did he expect that warm glowing feeling to radiate throughout his being. As if at once he no longer felt like he was a boy who was pleasantly pretending to be a girl, he felt like he was a girl and wondered why she spent most of her life pretending to be something that she absolutely wasn't. "I'm all finished," Danny announced with certainty.

"That's a good girl," Grace complimented. "I made sure no one tried to look at your cute little honey, it certainly was hard work. Phew!" Grace exaggeratedly ran the back of her hand across her forehead and wiped away imaginary sweat.

Danny laughed, he couldn't help himself. "You're silly," he said between chuckles.

"Now it's time for Cynthia to be freshened up," Grace said as she pulled her daughter out of the stroller and placed the child's feet firmly on the floor. Would you like to be a good girl and help."

"Yes ma'am, I would," Danny said confidently as he stood next to the slightly taller, though younger child."

"Good!" Grace smiled and turned to her daughter. "Now you, up with those arms."

Okay Momma," Cynthia's voice had a certain sing-song quality to it as she obeyed her mother's command. In a flash her dress was pulled off and the toddler stood in the middle of the floor wearing nothing but a saggy diaper and a pair of white sandals with pink flowers on them.

"It's easier to do without the dress on and it makes sure nothing gets stained," Grace told Carol as she pulled down the blue plastic changing table.

"I will try to keep that in mind for later," Carol replied as she watched the actual four year old be placed on the changing table and lay there passively while petting her stuffed pink rabbit as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Danny, I need you to hold these for me while I take care of Cynthia," Grace said as she handed the boy a fresh diaper and a blue plastic box of baby wipes.

"Yes ma'am," Danny answered as he was placed on the counter that was directly next to the changing table. "Hi Cynthia," he said in his small voice as he looked at the other child's body and was surprised that he saw more similarities than differences. "Your Mommy's gonna take off the old diaper and make you feel so much nicer."

Cynthia smiled. "I know," she said as she placed her hand on the back of Danny's hand. The toddler didn't seem to notice that her mother pulled on the two taped tabs and slid the diaper from out from under her. She just lay there naked, looking at Danny like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Let's throw this stinky thing away," Grace mused to the smiling delight of both children.

Cynthia may not have noticed she was nude, but Danny certainly did. His eyes went directly towards the part of the anatomy that they didn't share. It wasn't like anything Danny expected. He expected a gaping hole where he had a little something stick out. Instead he found that a girls 'thing' was in a slightly different area and did look something other than an absence. He looked at Cynthia's puffy private area in awe and with a sense of longing. He didn't long for it the way he figured most boys did, especially the way the older boys at the orphanage spoke of such things. He didn't want to taste it, and he definitely didn't want to jab at it with any part of his body. Instead, he found himself longing for it, or something very similar to be a part of his own anatomy. For a brief moment he imagined that between his legs, he too had a 'honey.' instead of what was there and he found the concept very appealing and reality became a tad unsettling to the child.

"Danny," Grace said in a voice most adults reserve for young children. "Would you be a dear and use the baby wipe on Cynthia's honey, make sure you clean it real good so she doesn't get a rash."

"Yes ma'am," Danny said with a little hesitancy. He pulled a cool, moist towelette from the blue box. Tentatively he reached forward and gently placed the baby wipe on the area he was about to clean. He knew some of the older boys told stories of touching a girl on the spot he now found his hand, he always knew they were lying. Danny rubbed the area well and he could feel the softness and the warmth of the child beneath him, even through the towelette. The boys at the orphanage always spoke of how there bodies reacted around girls. Danny found that his body didn't react in such a way. He was confused, but glad. Instead of feeling anything growing or 'getting hard,' Danny found a certain warmth through his body and a happiness that he was being helpful. "All done," Danny piped up when he was finished.

"You did a very good job, Danny," Grace praised as she threw the dirtied baby wipe into the trash can. "I bet you make a wonderful mommy when you grow up."

Danny smiled and blushed but didn't say another word. He just watched as the fresh diaper was placed on his new friend and her dress was returned to her body.

"We're going to go to the petting zoo and to the playground," Grace told Carol. "Would you care to join us and pass the rest of the day sitting on a bench watching these two beauties."

"How does that sound Danny," Carol asked the boy, not wanting to have the child do something that he truly didn't want to do.

"That sounds like a totally wonderful awesome cool idea," Danny said joyously.

Carol laughed. "There you have your answer."

Danny found himself back in the stroller being pushed out of the restroom.

For the rest of the day, Danny found himself staying close to Cynthia's side. It wasn't that he felt obliged to do so, but because he genuinely liked her company. She was fun to be with, but more importantly, Danny found it was easier to be his true self around her. They fed the animals at the petting zoo together and each took turns petting all the white bunny rabbits, which was decidedly their favorites. They both decided to make sure to pet each and every animal available so none would feel left out. It was Danny's idea to do such a thing, a suggestion that would've been met with ridicule and scorn by the boys at the orphanage, but one that Cynthia agreed with whole heartedly.

After the petting zoo, they took a short stroll to the playground. They climbed up the inside of a tree and slid down the provided slide together, neither caring that the world could see their diapers on the way down. On a rope ladder that was designed like a spider web, they each pretended to be a trapped fly to their laughing delight. Before long, two hours were spent and the children didn't notice that they played the day away while the adults talked to each other about whatever adults found important.

"Danny, it's time to go," Carol called out.

"Yes ma'am," Danny replied unenthusiastically. "Bye Cynthia," he said as he turned to the taller, yet younger, child. "It was real nice playing with you and I'm really happy we're friends." Danny didn't know what impulse came over him but he found his lips pressing against Cynthia's as he gave her a goodbye peck.

To his surprise, Cynthia returned the gesture without so much as a second thought. "Bye Danny, maybe you can visit and we don't go to be treated like such babies if we're at my house."

"Maybe," Danny said softly as he waved goodbye and walked to Carol. Instinctively he grabbed the adults hand and headed out of the zoo, stopping only briefly at the gate for Carol to receive an information packet on how to make a large donation.

"So sugarplum, did you have fun?" Carol asked as she put the child in the car.

"Oh yes, thank you so much for taking me Aunt Carol," Danny said energetically. "I never had so much fun in all my life."

"Good!" Carol smiled at the child. "Let's get some dinner and head home."

---

Author Note: This was a lengthy little thing and every time I read it I wonder if I should really post it because I know where the rest of the story goes. It's fun, I suppose, but I often wonder how in the world things like this ever enter my head. I guess I need counseling or another life to sort it all out. I believe the main thing I was trying to establish was how detached Danny is to the "normal" ways boys respond to things and give him a chance to discover the differences in anatomies as well as introduce it to his psyche. Well, enjoy as I sit in the corner babbling incoherently to myself.