By K.T. Leone

(Little Katie)

Part VIII: The Guest

Danny was once again alone in the large house. Other than the pool, he had free reign over all the abode had to offer. The first thing he did after kissing Carol goodbye was rush up the stairs so he could decide what to wear for the day.

Danny stood next to the bed and pulled his nightie and pair of pampers off. Though they provided him great comfort during the night, Danny was more interested in dressing more appropriate for his age and not the age that he actually looked. In his mind he already had an idea of how he planned to spend the day and wanted to dress appropriate for those activities. He found a pair of pastel purple panties and slid them up his legs, once again creating the illusion that he was 100% girl. He added a matching baby tee and then a purple jogging suit with pink accents followed. Even though Danny was dressed in pants, they somehow felt different and that made him smile.

Danny found his ballet slippers that were placed neatly under the bed. He laced them up as best he could, but didn't do nearly as good of a job as Carol did the day before. That didn't matter, he was still pleased with himself.

“Come on Betsy,” Danny said to the doll he loved above all others. “Mommy is going to do her dance lessons and you're going to be her audience.”

Danny carried the doll in one hand and the video cassette in the other as he slowly and carefully descended the stairs. He placed the doll on the overstuffed chair in the perfect position to see him and then slid the cassette into the VCR.

Danny decided to go through the first lesson over again, this way he could perfect the lesson before proceeding with the second lesson which he planned to complete directly after the first.

After stretching he was ready to begin.

Danny spent an hour working on the two ballet lessons, at one point taking off the jogging suit's top. He was proud of what he accomplished in those two lessons, but knew he was a long way from perfection. He was also proud for another reason, he was finally doing something athletic and this time he was enjoying the activity more than he enjoyed any other.

At the end of the second lesson, Danny curtsy to his doll. “What's that baby?” he asked out loud. “Mommy was marvelous? Oh you're too kind little baby. Mommy thinks she did just okay, but if she keeps practicing then maybe one day I can have my picture just like Aunt Carol."

Danny looked at the posters in questions , this time picturing it was his face and his body that was being displayed. A week ago he would've found such things impossible, but now the world seemed to offer so much more.

“Come on baby,” Danny scooped up the doll. “Let's find something different to do before lunch.” The child ran up the stairs holding the doll in one hand and the discarded sweatshirt in the other. He placed both nicely on the bed before searching the room for some new activity.

Danny didn't take all that long formulating a plan on how to spend the rest of the morning. There was one curious outfit that he wanted to try on but felt a little embarrassed wearing it around others because he never wore anything like it in his life.

Danny opened the third drawer of the dresser and found a small pink bikini tucked away amongst the other bathing suits and tights. For the second time in the morning, Danny stripped down to his skin and placed the clothes he wore neatly on the chair. He held up the bottom half of the bathing suit and examined it closely, trying to discern which way was the front and which way was the back. Both panels were quite small, being held together by two thick piece of string that were already tied together on either side. On one pf the panels there was an extra layer of a thick white material and Danny supposed that was meant to go up front in order to provide some protection of being seen. He slid the bottoms over his own bottom and once again marveled how any sign of his masculinity vanished. Danny retied the two strings in large looking bows so the bottoms fit snuggly. He could feel the material behind him cling to his butt cheeks, slowly creeping in between a minuscule amount. Oddly, that didn't bother him as he shook his rear just for the fun of it.

The top was easier to discern and Danny slid it over his arms and head, making sure the two small triangles covered his dime sized nipples. Danny reached behind him and retied the string around the back of his neck to make the garment fit better, but had no clue how to reach the second string that was lower that the first and out of reach.

Danny modeled in front of the mirror on top of the dresser and marveled over how much he actually looked close to his own age in this particular outfit. Even turning around and seeing the other side of him caused Danny a certain amount of satisfaction where he realized just how attractive he was.

Danny decided to make a quick trip to the master bathroom to get a fashion magazine and a bottle of pink nail polish that closely matched his bikini and then made his way for the back patio.

Once out back, Danny set up a lawn chair in the most perfect position to capture the mid-morning sun so he could get some color to his skin. He laid on the padded wooden chair with his legs up and proceeded to apply the nail polish using all the skill he learned from his years of drawing. After all twenty nails were perfectly painted, Danny relaxed and looked at the sky, trying to determine what the clouds resembled and just thinking how content he was with life.

Carol arrived home at 3:30 in the afternoon. Though she would rather have been at home with the child, something came up and she needed to do certain errands without Danny being underfoot or bored. She was, however, looking forward to seeing the pretty little boy and hearing how he spent the day.

After dropping off some packages in the kitchen, Carol went in search of the child. Seeing that the day turned unbearably hot, she figured she would first search the living room.

“There you are,” Carol said as she entered the child's bedroom, seeing the child sitting at the desk still wearing the pink bikini from the morning.

“Aunt Carol!” Danny squealed excitedly as he spun off the chair. “I was waiting for you for a very, very long time and I missed you.” Danny sprinted into the large lady's arms.

“I missed you too, Princess.” Carol embraced the child. “I had some very important things to take care of, but what's really important is that I'm here now.”

Danny smiled at hearing the words and felt wanted.

“So tell me Princess, how did you spend the day?”

“I went in the yard and tanned myself, and then I ate lunch, and then I decided to draw something. I just finished when you came in,” Danny reported.

“That sounds like a lot.” Carol grinned. “I see you found the bikini it's a good thing no boys were around or you'd have had to fight them off by yourself.”

Danny looked frightened. “You think boys would want to beat me up if they saw me dressed like this?” Danny thought of the boys from the orphanage as he asked.

“Heaven's no.” Carol laughed. “I think they would find you too delicious to resist and probably want to kiss you and pinch your cute booty.”

“Aunt Carol!” Danny whined in protest as he blushed.

“Oh? Wouldn't you like a little boyfriend?” Carol asked whimsically.

Danny thought on the question for a moment. “Yes I would,” he stated confidently. “But if he tried to pinch my booty, I'd give him a smack on the face.”

“You might feel differently once you're older,” Carol said in a knowing tone. “We're going to have company tonight and a special surprise, so I'd like you to dress your prettiest. Perhaps in the little pink dress you wore the first night."

The request didn't strike Danny as odd, in fact, he found the idea to be very pleasing. “Can I wear stockings too, and maybe make up?”

“I think both ideas are perfectly exceptional. Our guests will arrive in about an hour, so I think you should start getting ready now,” Carol informed.

“Who's coming over?” Danny asked excitedly.

“That's a surprise and you don't want a surprise ruined, do you?”

Danny pouted. “No. I guess I don't,” he said sadly.

“Don't worry, it won't be that long until you find out who it is. Would you like to show me your art project before I leave so you can get dressed.” Carol remembered the picture and wanted to encourage the child in whatever endeavors he participated in as long as they were appropriate.

“Yes!” Danny's pout quickly turned into a smile. Carefully he picked up the large 11x17 sheet of paper and gently handed it to Carol.

“Oh! What do we have here?” Carol said with genuine astonishment. “It looks just like the poster of me downstairs, but with you in the middle looking oh so pretty.”

“Do you like it?” Danny immediately asked.

“Oh, I wouldn't say I like it,” Carol started.

“I love it,” both of them said in unison.

Danny received a hug and a pinch of his tushy. “You better get princess. You want to look nice for tonight,” Carol said and then left the room.

Danny's mind raced with ideas of who could be coming over that night. There weren't many possibilities for him to list, but the unknown was enormous. At first he thought of Peter as he laid the pink dress on the bed as carefully as possible. As he took out a pair of ruffled panties and the white lace stockings, the idea of Cynthia paying him a visit popped in his mind and caused him to smile. As he reached under the bed for his white, shiny, Mary-Jane's he caught a glimpse of the poster he drew and wondered if perhaps a ballet instructor might be coming by in order to discuss him becoming a star.

There were many more people who could be dropping in and the anticipation seemed almost too much for the child. He rushed through taking off the bikini, but made sure to treat it with care as he put it away. The first thing he put on was the white pair of ruffled panties. Though they were designed for little girls, Danny found them to be his favorites. In imitating Carol, Danny balled up each of the stockings and unrolled them up his leg. Before putting on the dress, Danny took a few laps around the room to enjoy the feeling the clothing caused. He also liked seeing his painted toenails through the practically transparent material. Finally, being careful not to mess his hair, Danny put on the dress and adjusted everything into perfect position.

After putting on the Mary-Jane's, Danny walked down the hall towards the sound of humming. Though he didn't know the tune, he found it enjoyable.

Carol was humming the tune to “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” as Danny walked into the room as if on cue. “Don't you look absolutely adorable,” Carol fussed as she watched the epitome of childish femininity stand by the door.

“Thank you ma'am.” Danny smiled, showing off his dimple as he curtsied. “Can we put the makeup on now? Please?”

“Of course we can, Princess. I picked out just the perfect shade of lipstick and blush for this occasion.”

“Cool!” Danny said as he was lifted on the bed.

“Now, go like this.” Carol puckered out her lips in an over-dramatized kiss.

Danny followed in like kind. A moment later the dark red lipstick was applied, adding a stark contrast to his porcelain white skin.

“Now, like this.” Carol sucked in her lips and gently smacked them together.

Danny successfully blotted the lipstick, even though he didn't understand why he was doing the things he was. He looked at his reflection in a mirror that Carol handed to him and was pleased with the results. “I like it,” the child glowed .

“So do I,” Carol confirmed. She opened up a compact and applied the slightly moist mixture to the supplied pad. She added the pink blush to the child's cheek in a way that made Danny look like he was permanently blushing.

“I look like a doll,” Danny remarked as he stared at his reflection in awe.”

“Honey, you are a doll. You're my little Danny doll,” Carol teased as she tickled the child's ribs.

Danny kicked and laughed and loved the attention. The doorbell sounded and put a premature end to the festivities.

“It looks like our dinner guest has arrived,” Carol said as she performed a final fuss-over check of Danny and his dress.

“Aren't you going to tell me who it is?” Danny whined.

“You'll see soon enough.” Carol chuckled and took the small child by the hand. Together the two descended the stairs and strolled to the front door.

“Coming!” Carol called out from a few feet away.

Danny stared at the door as Carol put her hand on the knob. Time seemed to be going at a quarter speed as Danny watched the doorknob turn.

As the door swung open, Danny could see exactly who it was. “Ms. Lewis,” Danny stammered as he saw the secretary from the orphanage stand a few feet away.

“Oh my God!” Ms. Lewis exclaimed. “Danny? Is that you?”

Danny wondered if he should run and hide or just die on the spot. The choice was too difficult so he stood frozen on the spot. “Yes ma'am,” the child finally managed to whisper as he looked down at the floor in shame.

“Oh my!” Ms. Lewis blinked hard, wondering if she could believe the image before her.

Slowly Danny looked up, first at Carol and then at Ms. Lewis, trying to gauge how much trouble he was in.

“You're absolutely precious,” Ms Lewis exclaimed as she walked around the child.

“Huh?” Danny was dumbfounded by the response and tried to make sense of things.

“Why, you're the prettiest little girl I've ever seen,” Ms. Lewis continued.

“I guess,” Danny murmured as his thoughts spun inside his head.

“You more than guess you're pretty. It's okay, I know you love being a girl.” Ms. Lewis lifted the child to eye level and followed Carol into the dining room.

By the gentle way he was held, Danny knew he wasn't in any trouble at all. “I do like being a girl,” Danny admitted. “I like being pretty too.”

Ms. Lewis watched the child smile and could feel herself melt. For the first time the child she knew for years looked genuinely happy and the pair of dimples seemed to emphasize the point. “I think being pretty comes naturally for you.”

“It does!” Danny exclaimed as he was placed in a chair. Soon the child found himself at the head of the table with Ms. Lewis on his left and Carol sitting on his right.

The meal, homemade lasagna, was a big hit with all three. It was the first time that Danny ate such a dish and he decided it was already one of his favorites. The child was extremely careful not to spill any sauce or any of his drink on the delicate dress. In that regard, he was completely successful.

“When did Aunt Carol tell you I was a girl?” Danny asked as Dinner concluded.

“She didn't.”

“She didn't?” Danny was surprised his caretaker would take such a risk. “So you didn't know I was a girl until you came over?”

Ms. Lewis chuckled. “I knew you were a girl for a long time, even well before you ever met Mrs. Adams. You didn't do a very good job of hiding the fact.”

“You knew for a long time?!?” Danny's eyes grew big.

“Danny,” Carol spoke tenderly. “Ms. Lewis actually told me about you a long time before I ever visited the orphanage. We met at a fund raiser and became friends. I divulged certain information about myself and Ms. Lewis told me about a child who was in a place where she truly didn't belong.”

“So you knew I wanted to be a girl before I did,” Danny confusingly asked.

Both adults laughed. “Not exactly,” Ms. Lewis answered. “We thought it was a good possibility and wanted to give you the opportunity to explore that side of you while you were still open to the idea. We could never have expected you to take to being a girl like a fish takes to water, but here you are.”

“That's because I am a girl,” Danny stated whole heartedly.

“That you are, sugar.” Ms. Lewis grinned. “No one can deny you that.”

“Now Danny,” Carol interrupted. “Ms. Lewis is here on a bit of business as well. You know when you visited here it was on a temporary basis, like a trial run?”

"Yes ma'am.” Danny took a deep gulp as his eyes darted between the two adults. He wondered if Ms. Lewis was going to take him back to the orphanage or a one for girls.

“I need you to think about my next question very carefully. Okay?” Carol asked.

“Okay.” Danny saw the seriousness in Carol's face and figured his original assumption was correct and he would have to choose between a boy's or girl's orphanage.

“I would very much like it if we could make your current living arrangement a permanent one. I'd like to adopt you Danny and make you mine.” Carol looked at the child as the stress left his face. “That is, if you would find that acceptable.”

Danny's heart stopped for barely a moment. He had waited a lifetime to hear that question asked of him and suddenly found that his mouth refused to work. A tear rolled down the side of his face, leaving a trail in the blush.

“What do you say, Danny?” Ms. Lewis prodded.

“You really want me?” Danny asked in disbelief.

“Of course I do,” Carol answered.

“As a pretty little girl?” Danny was still digesting the situation.

“As you! I want to adopt you for who you are,” Carol stated kindly.

“I want you to adopt me,” Danny finally was able to speak the words he so often wanted to say. “I want to be your little girl.”

“Then that settles it. I'll make the arrangements first thing in the morning,” Carol said as she was beside herself with happiness.

“Congratulations Danny, you found a home,” Ms. Lewis said with equal joy.

“Thank you for finding it for me,” Danny replied as he filled with emotion.

“Danny, I did get you something small for this occasion,” Carol said as she knelt by the child's chair. She pulled a small jewelry box from her pocket.

Danny watched as the casket was opened and saw the gold heart shaped locket with intricate lace detail on it. “It's beautiful.”

Carol clasped the gold chair around the child's neck. “I just wanted some way to remind you that you are always in my heart.

Danny cried and wrapped his arms around the large lady. “I love you Aunt Carol.”

“I love you too, my precious little Danny.” Carol returned the embrace.

For the first time in his life, Danny heard the words he had so longed to hear. He buried his head into the lady's shoulder and could actually feel the love rain down on him.

AUTHORS NOTE: So there you have it, some questions are finally answered. Aren't I a stinker. I knew all along that Carol knew Danny was a girl trapped inside and I waited to chapter 8 to let you know. It explains a lot from the first chapter with Carol seeking a girl, looks like she knew there was one at the boys orphanages. But don't worry little girls and ladies and devotees, there are more chapters to come. I am sure there will be some kind of conflict, and there is still the doctor visit, and Cynthia, and a few surprises.