By K.T. Leone
(Little Katie)
 
Part X: One Week Later

Carol placed the phone down on the receiver, an eager little girl in footed pajamas sat on the arm of the chair. Though Danny tried to make sense of the conversation and steal a listen at the voice on the other end, he found that he was unable. The one sided conversation he did hear was full of ''yeses,' 'I understands', and 'that's interestings,' for the child to even fathom a guess of what was said.

“That was the doctor, right?” Danny didn't wait for the adult to initiate the conversation, he didn't want to be in suspense any longer.

“Yes it was,” Carol said confidently. “All the results are in.”

“That means no more tests and needles, right?”

“That is correct. All the tests are over for now so you can relax.”

“What they say? What they say?” Danny cried out.

“Oh, they said a lot of interesting things. Why, I could fill a book. Just wait until I tell all my friends,” Carol carried on.

“Aunt Carol!” Danny whined and turned red.

“Yes, Princess,” Carol looked at the little child get flustered.

“Won't you tell me what the doctor said?” Danny pouted.

Carol laughed and figured she had taken the joke far enough. “I suppose I could do that. Sure, why not?”

Danny hopped from the arm of the chair and onto the lady's lap. The thick padding from the diaper he wore to bed cushioned the blow. “So what he say?” Danny looked up with hopeful eyes.

“It was as he expected, you are part girl physically. In fact, you are at least 99% girl,” Carol explained.

“But how?” The child looked confused. “I mean, I have a thing.”

“You also have a girl's thing, but when you were a little baby someone sewed up the opening so no one could see. Your parents probably were not well to do and couldn't afford the tests to find out more about you.”

“Oh?” Danny said in a voice that sounded as if he didn't completely understand all that was being said. “But why am I so tiny?”

“Everything stems from the same thing. You have what is know as Heinkenson's syndrome. You see, when a person is born they usually have two chromosomes that determine if they are a boy or a girl. If the baby is a girl, she is XX. And if the baby is a boy, then he is XY.”

“But what am I?” Danny asked. “XXXY.”

“Not exactly, but close. In your syndrome you are xx-upside down y. When you were being formed in your mother's tummy, a distorted y chromosome somehow got involved in your development. But it wasn't a true y chromosome. It only contained part of the information to form boy parts on you. There are a lot of cases that go undiscovered because most of the time the baby that comes out looks like it's all boy, but it's mind has all the programing for being a girl. That usually just makes people with the syndrome confused about what they really are, but doctors suspect many people fight their female brain and simply conform to what society wants them to be. You have level five Heinkenson's syndrome. That means, originally, you were born looking like both, even though you were lacking testicles, and your parents probably simply guessed you were a boy. The other thing Heinkenson's does is block your growth hormones, so your body never developed during the normal curves as other children. So, though you have had eight birthdays, your body isn't quite eight years old.”

Danny looked like a deer caught in headlights. “How old is my body really? Could the doctor know that?”

“He can and does. Your body is 40 to 44 months old.”

“That's not even a four year old!” Danny exclaimed. “I'm still a baby!”

Carol could see the child was confused and upset. “Danny, we will talk more about this later. Don't worry about growing, now that we know about you, there is medicine you can take and you'll start developing normally.”

“But,” Danny stammered. “What you're saying is I'm really a 3 year old baby girl?”

Carol thought for a moment. “In a sense, I suppose you can say that. Danielle, you've received a lot of news for now. I think maybe it will be a good idea for you to be alone and think it over. We'll see the doctor later this week and I'm sure he can answer a lot of your questions. We've got an hour before we need to get ready to visit Cynthia for your play date. Why don't you go out back and play with Hazel and think things over, okay?”

“Yes ma'am,” Danny said as if he was punished. Though she wanted to play with the puppy, her head filled with so many new ideas and concerns, that she couldn't even begin to know where to start to sort them out.

Danny trudged out the back door into the yard. The puppy didn't know how to read human emotions, like so many animals seem to be able, yet. All the tiny cocker spaniel knew was that its owner was there and that made it happy. So happy that it wet on the patio floor as its rear shook in delight. Danny leaned down and patted the pooch on the head. The dog responded in play, lowering its head and front paws to the ground while keeping its hind quarters in the air. A quick yelp followed.

Danny chuckled. “You're a silly little thing, Hazel,” she said as she walked towards the center of the yard to find a sunny place to lay.

The dog wasn't done playing and as Danny walked a bit further, the dog sunk its teeth into the cloth covering the child's toe. Though the animal missed any flesh, it had a strong hold of the pajama's foot and wasn't about to let go. Danny tried to pull her foot free but the more she tugged, the more excited Hazel got and the dog pulled even harder in the opposite direction.

Danny plopped down on her padded behind right there on the spot. “Okay, okay, you win, I give up,” she said in mock defeat.

The puppy got what it wanted and jumped on the child's lap to smother her with kisses.

“If you weren't so little you wouldn't be so gosh darn adorable and able to get away with murder, do you know that?” Danny asked the puppy.

Hazel replied with a few more licks to the child's chin.

“When I was a human puppy, I didn't have anyone big to care for my, puppy dog. You're lucky. When I was little like you, they put me in an orphanage; that's like a pound for human puppies, where the bigger dogs pick on you just because you're little and they like to hurt your feelings. I wish I could be little again, but no, I got to think about the thing I got that doesn't make any sense and keeps me little.”

The world stopped. Birds hung in midair. The clouds refused to move. The puppy's tail was frozen in mid-wag and it was as if the voice of God Himself reverberated a message inside Danny's head. That message, loosely translated, was, “Well, Duh, did you just hear yourself?”

Danny felt tingles all over her body as the world started spinning once more. “If the doctor says I'm still a human puppy, then why should I be the one to say he's wrong. I can be little again because I was never big and this time it'll be better, 'cause this time I get to be the girl I truly am and not the boy they made me pretend I was.”

Hazel was neutral on the subject. As long as the child played with it and rubbed its belly every so often, it was happy.

Danny didn't wait for the whole hour to expire. Hazel was tired out from the hard work of playing and was laying on her back, allowing the sun to warm her belly. Danny was careful not to wake the animal as she stood up, but to no avail. Hazel followed the child through the back door and then made a mad dash for her food and water bowl which was filled while she took care of natures business. Danny went off in search of her guardian.

Carol saw the child walk into her bedroom. Though she was only in a pair of panties, she made no rush to cover up. She figured Danny was already girl enough to know that such parts existed and she was more focused on the little child to even think of such things. Carol sat on the bed and watched the child in the dark pink footed pajamas walk towards her. Carol actually smiled as she saw the bands around the wrist were different colors, one orange, one purple.

“Done with your thinking already, Danielle?” Carol asked gently.

Danny slowly nodded his head yes.

“How do you feel about everything?” Carol probed. “Are you okay?”

“Did the doctor say I'm really only three and a half?” Danny asked in his mousy voice as his eyes stared at his pink and white padded feet.

“He said your body is three and a half, but you still lived for eight long years.” Carol wondered if the child might be sad for being physically younger than he was mentally, or perhaps thinking he had to return five years of birthday gifts to make up the difference.

“Well, I was thinking,” Danny started but then trailed off.

“What were you thinking princess? It's okay to tell me, nothing you can say will make me care for you any less,” Carol reassured.

“Do I have to be eight?” Danny blurted out and immediately covered his mouth with her hands.

“What do you mean, sweetie?” Carol asked as she looked at the little child.

“I know we pretend sometimes I'm a little girl, but can we not pretend. Since my body is still a baby's can't all of me be a baby?” Danny pleaded.

Carol tilted her head and looked at the child, perplexed. “Are you sure this is something that you truly want to do?”

Danny nodded her head yes. “More than anything.”

“How come, Princess?” Carol asked, wanting to know more.

“Because my first time being three I couldn't be a little kid and I couldn't be a little girl. I had to be big and tough, even though I was small and scared. Maybe if I can do it over, I can do the stuffs little kids are suppose to do. That and I think being your little girl would be so cool and I thought that maybe you would like a baby girl.”

“Come up here Danielle.” Carol patted her lap for the child.

Danny didn't say a word, she just climbed up the lady's leg and placed her padded behind on Carol's lap.

“This is very important, okay?” Do you want to go back to being three because that's what you think I want you to do?” Carol asked calmly.

Danny shook her head no. “All my life, since I could remember, I always went to sleep pretending I was still a baby. I know it sounds silly and stupid and weird, but I feel I never been one and missed out on stuff that I don't even know what that stuff is. It's like that thing the doctor says I got means I still got a chance.”

“Well, I definitely don't mind you being three outside and in and I bet your just a natural at it.” Carol pinched the little girls cheeks.

Danny smiled bigger than she smiled ever before. “Cool!” she exclaimed in glee.

“Now, little baby girl, would you please wait for Aunt Carol to get dressed, then we can go by Cynthia's house and you can play the day away.”

Danny scooted off the lady's lap and onto the bed where he lay while Carol took to the task of getting dressed. Danny watched the large lady slip into a bra and then put a blue dress with small white dots all over it on. Danielle thought she could actually feel the eight years as a boy slipping away from her. Without thinking, her left thumb found its way to her mouth and she contently sucked the time that Carol took getting ready away.

When Carol was done, she looked on the bed and could tell that Danny was no longer pretending to be a little girl. Something about the baby's face and the relaxed posture of her body confirmed this. Carol could feel her heart melt for the precious little thing and knew that the love she felt for the child was as genuine as if she had give birth to Danny herself. “Time to get you dressed, little one.” Carol scooped the child into her arms and supported Danny's bottom with her forearm.

Danny couldn't tell what was happening, but everything felt natural and right with the world for the first time in her life. She looked towards the way she was being led and before long she was standing on her own bed. The zipper from the pajamas was lowered and quickly Danny was standing, wearing only the diaper.

“We need to find you something to play in,” Carol announced as she walked to the child's closet. She came out holding a set of pink overalls with blue stripes and a white undershirt that had a frilly collar to it. From the dresser, she retrieved a pair of white panties and ruffled socks.

As the diaper was pulled away, Danny found herself naked and looking down at the one part she felt she was never meant to have. Though usually a cause for embarrassment, Danny now felt impartial to being naked and simply smiled at the attention she was receiving.

Carol enjoyed Danny behaving as a little child but didn't know if it would last very long. For now, she was happy for what she had as she slip a pair of panties up the child's legs. It still amazed the older woman how a small piece of fabric could so completely transform the body of a boy into something that looked so fully feminine. “Now we don't have to worry about little boys looking in the window and seeing your cookie.”

“Aunt Carol!” the child whined in protest.

“What?” Carol feigned ignorance. “What I say? What?”

“A cookie? That's silly,” Danny asserted.

“I'm sorry. You're right. Though a cookie is a silly word to call that, since your whole body is just so sweet, it looks good enough to eat.” Carol caused the child to plop on the bed and started tickling Danny's ribs. Danny laughed out loud and kicked his feet as Carol blew against his belly.

“Stop! Stop! I'm going to tinkle,” Danny cried out in laughter.

Carol did stop. “are you all better now?” she asked as the child settled down.

Danny nodded her head yes and the dressing resumed in a more orderly fashion. The socks and undershirt were put on with great care, as was the set of pink overalls and pink canvas sneakers.

“There's a pretty little girl,” Carol complemented.

“Don't forget the locket,” Danny reminded the adult.

“Of course not.” Carol took the locket from the dresser and placed it around the child's neck. She was touched that such a little trinket meant so much to the little girl. “Now you're all ready to go on your play date with Cynthia.”

“Yea,” Danny exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

Carol lifted the child and carried her to the car. "I think since I got a new baby on my hands, maybe it's time I got a car seat. What do you think about that Danielle?"

"It sounds okay. You don't want your little girl getting hurt," she said with child like simplicity and with a sparkle in her eyes.

Carol walked around to her side of the car. "I think I'm in love," she mused to herself as she opened the door and got behind the wheel.

It was a long drive to Cynthia's house, but one that Danny felt was well worth it. He held Carol's hand as he walked up the cobble stone path that led to the front door. Carol pushed the white button on the side of the door and a melody chimed for all to hear.

"It plays music," Danny said excitedly at hearing the door bell. "Cool!"

The door opened and Cynthy stood by her mother's side wearing the exact same outfit as Danny. "Hi Danielle," Cynthia said with as much happiness as a four year old could muster. Before the smaller child could respond, Cynthia reached out and hugged danny, giving him a kiss on the cheek as well. "I'm glad you came over."

"Me too." Danny hugged back and actually enjoyed the physical contact. It was much different than the way the boys touched each other at the orphanage, which was always rough and painful. Danny could see the benefits of being a girl.

"Why don't you show little Danny your room and play nice while Carol and I talk," Cynthia's mother told her daughter. "I'll come get you two in time for lunch, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy." Cynthia looked up and smiled. "Come on Danielle, there's lots of toys in my room and we can play and stuff."

Danny didn't have time to respond as his arm was tugged into the house and her body soon followed. She didn't know what cause her to break out in a run, but the last thing she remembered was hearing Carol say have fun and her not being able to respond in kind.

"This is my room," Cynthia announced proudly as they walked through an open door.

Danny's mouth dropped open as he saw the size of the room. In dimension it looked more like a great dance hall meant to entertain thousands than it did a child's bedroom. The parquet floors seemed to indicate that perhaps at some point that's exactly what this room was. Danny figured the walls were some shade of lavender, but couldn't tell for sure because all the walls had shelving and all the shelves were brimming with stuffed animals, dolls, and toys. "Is this stuff all yours to play with?"

"Uh-huh. My daddy owns a toy company and I gets to get all the stuff he makes," Cynthia noted simply. "He makes boy toys too but my cousin Joeys gets all of them 'cause who wants boy toys except boys."

Danny giggled. "What do you want to play first?"

"Do yo know how to do patty-cakes?" Cynthia asked.

"A little bit, but I don't know if I'm any good."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you to be good. It's easy and then we'll have a tea party, my mommy said so. Come on sit down like this." Cynthia tugged Danny onto the floor and then sat Indian style. The blonde haired girl scooted so that both of their knees were touching. "Now go like this."

"Okay," Danny replied and then she held up her hands the same way that Cynthia was.

The game of patty cake started out simply, with the children clapping their hands against each others and then doing a simple clap. Like most things children do, it progressed to more advanced schemes. Before long Danny had the whole scheme down even though there were breaks for fits and giggles whenever there was a mistake or the children missed each others hands.

"Yay! We did it," Danny said with glee as she panted out of breath.

"See. I told you I would make you good," Cynthia said and then hugged her friend. "Mommy!" she called out, "We're ready now."

"I know," a voice called back from the entrance to the room. "We've been watching and waiting for you two to finish."

"She said tu-tu," Danny remarked and broke into laughter.

"That I did, little miss funny pants." Cynthia's mom smiled. "I brought some tea cups and a pot of my special mint tea for your party."

"Thank you ma'am," Danny said sweetly.

"Thank you mommy," Cynthia said practically at the same time.

"It's nice to see you playing so nicely with your little friend, Danny. I hope you're having a good time," Carol said as she also looked on.

"I'm having the best time, Aunt Carol," Danny retorted.

Cynthia's mom placed the tray of tea supplies in between the two children as they separated. "Now be careful to be neat, we'll be having lunch in about a half an hour and then maybe we can figure out something special for desert."

"Thank you mommy," Cynthia said once again.

Danny gave a childish wave goodbye as the adults backed out of the room.

"Do you know how to tell time," Cynthia asked as she poured some tea into a cup of fine china.

"A little I do, but I can't now," Danny said as she looked around the room.

"And why not?" Cynthia didn't believe the smaller child could do something she couldn't while pouring the second cup of tea.

"Because you don't got any clocks," Danny stated simply.

"Oh yeah," Cynthia said and let the subject drop. She handed Danny a saucer and cup of tea before taking one for herself. "You got to drink it like this."

Danny held the cup daintily and kept her pinky pointed out just in the same way as her friend. She found the cold tea to be a tasty surprise. The children finished their tea party in relative silence, only exchanging niceties that one often exchanged in such affairs. A lot of pleases and no thank you kind of exchanging and acting as stuffy and aristocratic as possible.

"I'm hungry," Cynthia said as she finished sipping the last drop of her second cup of tea, proud not to have dripped any on her overalls.

"Me too," Danny affirmed. "Let's find the big people."

"They're in the parlor, proll'y talking about boring stuffs like money and cleaning. Let's walk quiet like mouses and sneak up on them."

Danny tiptoed behind his friend as they walked the long way round to the parlor. Cynthia carefully slip the sliding wooden door open, just wide enough for er to barely squeeze through sideways. The two children tiptoed behind the elegant couch where the adults were sitting. Simultaneously both children scaled the back of the sofa and put their hands over the adults' eyes.

"Guess who? Guess who?" they both shouted in glee.

"Let's see? Could it be Daddy?" Cynthia's mom stated.

"Is it Peter?" Carol followed suit.

"No!" Danny said loudly and giggled

"Guess again mommy," Cynthia cried out.

"Then Danny must be covering my eyes," Cynthia's mom feigned certainty.

"That means Cynthia is covering my eyes," Carol added.

"Nope and nope. You're both wrong," Cynthia cried out.

"Well it it's not Daddy and it's not Danielle, then I guess it must be Cynthia who is holding on to me and giggling," Cynthia's mom stated.

"You guessed it mommy," Cynthia said, obviously pleased with herself.

"And Danny must have my eyes covered and I'm going to gobble her up." Carol reached for Danny's arms and pulled the child over her shoulders. "Look! I was right." Carol began tickling the child.

Danny laughed her hearts delight, she never remembered playing such a game the first time she was three. "Aunt Carol," Danny said between gasps, "we're hungry and yous said we can have lunch after our tea party."

"That we did, but the proper term is you, not yous," Carol corrected.

"Oops, I forgot." Danny blushed, knowing that she made the mistake on accident and not by actually trying to sound like a little child.

"Come on," Cynthia's mom said. "We'll give you piggy back rides to the dining room where we have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a cup of milk waiting. Then a special desert."

Danny climbed atop Carols back and received the much delighted piggyback ride into the living room. Danny marveled at how much the world looked different from the height as he looked down at the tops of tables and shelves.

Once in the dining room, Carol placed Danny into a high chair as Cynthia was placed into her booster seat.

"I'm sorry you have to sit in the baby seat, sweety," Cynthia's mom consoled. "But we only have one booster seat and your Aunt Carol didn't bring yours."

"It's okay," Danny said as the tray was slid over her lap. "I like it up here. I can see the top of Cynthia's pigtails." Danny smiled.

Danny was served the pre-mentioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was cut diagonally and had the crust removed from the bread. She enjoyed eating the small lunch primarily because she didn't need to worry that much about dirtying her overalls. Other than a small drip of jelly that dribbled onto her chin, the child was completely successful. A Sippee cup of milk provided something to wash it down with. The special desert was and icecream cone served upside down on a plater. Jelly beans made a smiley face that stared at Danny. The little girl smiled and laughed at the sight and ate the treat to her shear delight.

"Mommy," Cynthia spoke after the meal was completed. "Can we go into the little pool."

"I don't see why not, we could all use some sun," Cynthia's mom answered.

"But I don't have a swimming suit," Danny whined

"We don't use a suit for the little pool, silly," Cynthia said as she hopped off her chair and immediately unfastened her overalls, letting the fall to her ankles. She dropped to the floor and struggled to get the outfit off over the sneakers that she forgot to remove first.

Danny looked at Carol in horror. Though the child seamlessly passed for a female, Danny knew she couldn't do that once her clothes were removed.

"I'll handle this," Cynthia's mom stated. "Cynthia, I think Carol can take you out back and help you figure out this mess you find yourself in.

Danny's eyes grew wide as he watched her guardian abandon her.

"Are you okay," Cynthia's mom asked tenderly.

"Um," Danny was at a loss. "I don't know."

"You don't have to worry, I already know." Cynthia's mom grinned.

"You already know what." Danny was unsure to what extent Cynthia's mom's knowledge extended.

"That even though you're a girl, you got a boy part. Your Aunt Carol explained everything to me before, but I must say that even with that little piece of thing I don't think you could ever lok like much of a boy."

"But what about Cynthia, she won' understand." Danny protested.

"Don't worry, I think she will and can I tell you a secret."

"Cynthia was a boy too?" Danny blurted out.

Cynthia's mom laughed "No! But then again, neither were you, were you?"

Danny shook her head no.

"The secret is I am kind of curious what you look like. I hope you don't mind me saying that. If you would rather not I understand and you can go into the pool in your undies."

"It's okay," Danny whispered. "I'd probably have to explain more if I wore something anyway. Anyway you want to see and I don't mind cause I'm just a little kid."

Cynthia's mom lifted him on to the table and pulled off the child's sneakers. "By the way, Carol told me about that too. I think it's a smart thing you becoming a baby again, you look just like one, so precious."

Danny felt the panties being pulled down and knew she was completely naked. Oddly it didn't feel like such a big deal and Danny felt some pride.

"I knew it, you're precious all over and cute as a button. Even you little button the doctor needs to fix is cute. You could tell you were meant to be a girl."

"You can?" Danny was awestruck.

"Of course you can. Now let's not keep Cynthia waiting."

Danny walked out to the back yard naked. To his surprise Cynthia didn't even mention his extra piece of skin. Danny laughed at the bigger girl and as she stared between the other child's leg she found herself longing to have a matching anatomy. Even though the thought persisted, Danny got down to the business of playing. It was as if by magic all her cures vanished and she once again was the embodiment of three year old splendor. Even being naked became inconsequential as she ran around the yard and in the pool and played the day away.