Chapter 20: Dave

I had been worried about being near Bob, I thought that he was going to keep treating me the way he had the other night. When he wanted to talk to me, I had been worried. He sounded funny when he asked me to come and talk with him. I went with him, and Thor stayed with me and disobeyed Bob to do it.

When Bob sat down to talk to me, I relaxed a little. Then he very nearly in tears began apologizing for treating the way he had. It began to get hard to understand him, because he was crying now. I finally understood why he had done what he did, and told him that I forgave him. I reached over and gave him a hug. He hugged me back, when he let go Thor tackled him and licked his face until Bob could get free. I started laughing at the two of them.

We walked back to the porch and I told Thor to go play with Ashley, and he did. Bob turned towards me and said, "I should make you pay for Thor's food, he seems to be more your dog than mine."

"I think I'm his person, more than he's my dog."

Bob went in to use the bathroom, I think he just wanted to wash his face, but I wasn't going to say anything. I realized that I needed a change and went over to whisper to Sarah. When Bob returned we went in.

The rest of the barbecue was fun. I think I shocked Bob and Joe with what I knew about sports. It's obvious that I never played sports. I doubt I could play little league baseball right now.

After Bob had left and Ashley was still out playing, the four of us were sitting around, when Judy spoke up. "We talked to Ashley this morning. She, ummm, wants to play with you. Now, we don't care with one caveat. You don't do anything sexual do you?"

Before Sarah could say anything, I jumped in, "Ewwww. Ah sorry, Sarah. No, Sarah's old enough to be my mother, but a lot nicer."

"The closest we come to anything like that, would be when I change his diaper or give him a bath," Sarah explained.

I blushed when Sarah mentioned those things, it was embarrassing. I was a grown man, and she was talking about bathing me and changing a diaper. Joe jumped into the conversation, "So how do you feel about Ashley visiting you next time. We figured that maybe the three of you could go see a movie or something."

I thought about it and my first thought was that I didn't want to share Sarah with anyone, but as I sat there I realized that I wouldn't necessarily be sharing Sarah with Ashley, as much as Sarah would probably be sharing me with Ashley. Plus maybe Ashley could teach me more about being a girl and I would be more comfortable out in public.

I'm not sure how long I sat there thinking, but all of the sudden I noticed that they were looking at me and that either Judy or Sarah had said my name, "What did you say? I was thinking and not paying attention."

Sarah snickered, "I said I didn't care, and I had an idea. As long as you don't care, I thought that maybe tonight you and Ashley could spend the night, we wouldn't go see a movie, but we could watch one at my house and Joe and Judy could have a night to themselves."

I looked at them, "I don't care if Ashley spends some time with us, although not all of the time. I do have one thing though. I don't want her giving me a bath or changing my diaper." I still can't believe that I say that.

Joe quickly agreed, "Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that, but your right. It would certainly not be appropriate to have her do that."

"So as long as Ashley wants to, she can spend the night with you two," Judy said with a grin. "Of course, I can't think of anything that would make her say no."

We sat around chatting until Ashley came home. "MOM, I'm hungry," she yelled as she came in.

"Ashley!" Judy said as she came in to the living room where we were sitting. Judy's reaction surprised me a little, I knew that if I had yelled like that when I had gotten home, my father would have hit me and yelled at me louder. Judy just kind of rebuked Ashley.

"Sorry, mom," Ashley said. "I'm still hungry."

"Well, Ashley you have a choice. You can wait and I'll make some dinner for us, or you can go over to Sarah's and spend the night with her and Dave. So which do you want?" Judy asked.

I watched as Ashley slowly realized what her mom had said, again my father would have just told me what to do. All of the sudden Ashley's eyes got big, "I'll go get my PJ's are you two ready to leave?"

Sarah answered her, "Just as soon as you are."

"Ashley, take some clean clothes with you, and take a bath."

"Yes mom," Ashley said as she ran down to what I assumed was her room. I was chuckling at the rapid changes in her, from the demanding, to apologetic, to ecstatic, to sullen all in less than a minute.

Joe asked, "What's so funny?"

"Ashley, the way she just keeps changing. If I had done half of what she just done, I would have been hit, yelled at and punished. I just am kind of ... I don't know. I guess I just don't understand what happened."

Joe looked stunned, but Judy moved the fastest. Before I could do anything she was over next to me hugging me. "Dave that's the way normal parents act with normal kids. Kids yell and do things, when they step over the bounds, parents punish them. Ashley just stepped a little out of bounds, so I just reminded her that what she did was unacceptable. If she did something truly bad, we might have to spank her or ground her."

"You hit her," I was somewhat horrified and now worried. If they were willing to hit their daughter, what would they do to me?

Judy must have realized what I was thinking, "No Dave, we might have to spank her. That means that we tell her what she did wrong and why, and then bare her bottom and swat her with my or Joe's open hand." She leaned over and whispered to me, "And I'll tell you that it probably hurts our hand as much or more than it hurts her. Besides it's more of a reminder to her, than to inflict pain or hurt her."

Sarah could see my face, something that Judy couldn't, "Dave, a spanking isn't just hitting someone. When, ... Okay, spankings as punishment start as a swat on a diaper to get the attention of a toddler. Joe could probably swat you as hard as he could on your diaper, and you would barely feel it. Later they get harder, but never should they actually cause harm."

Joe snuck in then, "Dave, I've never spanked Ashley out of anger and can probably count the number of times I had to spank her on one hand. That doesn't count the swats on her diaper when she was little. Those were about as hard as when you clap. You can ask her, because here she comes."

I looked and Ashley was coming back carrying a backpack, she looked at us and blurted out, "What's wrong, I can still go over with them can't I?"

Judy said, "You certainly can, we just said something that scared Dave and we're trying to reassure him. You can help."

"How can I help," she asked.

"Pumpkin, tell Dave what it's like to get a spanking," Joe said to her.

"I'm not getting one am I?" Her eyes got bigger, as she asked this.

"Well have you done anything to deserve one?"

She stood there for a moment looking contemplative, "No, I haven't."

"Hmmm, if you had to think about it maybe you do," Joe said after she finally answered.

"Daddy, I do not need a spanking."

"Okay, so tell Dave what it's like."

"Ummm, it hurts, but not really. I mean that, well it is painful, but it doesn't last. Like a ... a mosquito bite, but it hurts more than that, you know, the pain is there then it goes away. But sometimes the lecture that comes with it is worse than the spanking, and there is always a lecture. Daddy says if he ever has to spank me for the same thing twice, the second one will be worse, but that's never happened."

"Are you sure?" I asked somewhat plaintively.

"Dave, I'm sure that my mommy and daddy would never hurt me, like yours hurt you."

I could feel myself tearing up, "I never had a mommy or daddy." I thought that I hadn't spoke, but Judy grabbed me and said, "Dave, just because you didn't have them growing up doesn't mean that you can't have, at least, a mommy now."

Sarah came over and picked me up and hugged me, "Dave I'll be your mommy as long as you need one."

I was crying now, I'm not sure why, but I think these people really like me, maybe even love me. I'm not really sure what love is, but if this it I like it.

Joe walked over and looked at me, straight in the eyes, "Dave, I can't be your daddy, it wouldn't feel right, but I can and will be here if you ever need a dad. I think that Bob will too."

Judy added, "Since Sarah wants to be your mommy, I guess that I can be your mom."

Sarah set me down and I imagine that I looked horrible. I faced them and was about start crying again, when someone spun me around and grabbed me, "And I'll be your big sister!"

I heard the three of them start chuckling, and I told Ashley, "Thank you."

"But only if you keep helping me with my homework."

"Okay," I laughed. "But can you stand being helped by your little sister, er brother, or whatever."

"Yep, can we go now?"

"Yes, just let me get my purse," Sarah said.

Ashley and I walked over to the door and stepped out while Sarah was getting her purse. As soon as I cleared the doorway there was a loud "Woof" from my right. I jumped left and did something unexpected. I now really needed a clean diaper, and was glad that Sarah didn't mind changing a messy one.

Thor crawled over to me, doing his best to look sheepish. Ashley started laughing. I looked at her hoping she wasn't laughing at me, and she wasn't, she was pointing Thor and laughing at him. I looked back at Thor, he was whining and whimpering. I knelt down, "Thor you can't scare me like that. I, um, love you, but you still scare me." I scratched his head and petted him.

He licked my face, as Sarah walked out. "What happened?"

Ashley answered, "Thor was waiting on the porch and barked when we came out. He surprised Dave, and then he crawled over like he had just destroyed the living room or something. He looked so funny."

"Are you okay Dave?"

"Yeah, but I ummm, really need to be changed now."

Chapter 21: Sarah

We headed off to my home, and Thor took off to go play. As we walked along Ashley started to skip, "Come on Dave, skip with me."

I looked over at him, and he had a stunned look on his face, "I don't know how to skip."

Ashley walked over to him, "Here, watch me. Then do what I do."

He watched Ashley for a moment, and then started skipping, badly. We helped him get it right and then Ashley grabbed his arm and they started skipping around as we went home. By the time we got there all three of us were laughing.

As we walked in, I said, "Ashley go and watch TV, while I get Dave cleaned up and give him a bath, and then you can take a bath while I make dinner."

"Can I help give him his bath?"

"NO!" Dave said, "Actually there are some rules; you don't get to change my diaper, or give me a bath."

She looked over at me and I said, "Sorry, but that was what your parents said."

She stomped into the living room, "I don't get to have any fun."

I got Dave into the bathroom and helped him undress, there was a definite odor coming from him. I laid him on a towel, removed the dirty diaper, and cleaned his behind. With that done I started the water in the tub and set him in it. While the tub filled, I went and got something to dress Dave in and get rid of the smelly diaper.

I took a little extra time to see if Ashley would sneak a look, and was happy to see that she didn't. I went back and bathed Dave. Finished, I dried him, diapered him and pulled the Carebear nightie over his head. He didn't look happy about it, but seemed to get over it.

We left the bathroom and I heard a giggle out of Ashley. "Okay, Ashley it's your turn."

"Do I hafta?"

"Only if you want dinner."

"Hey, that's not fair." She said, as she got up, grabbed her backpack and ran down to the bathroom.

"Fair or not, that's the rule."

"Humph," I heard as the door closed.

I heard the water start and I walked down opened the door, and stuck my head in, "And I'm going to check to make sure you took a bath."

I shut the door and went to start dinner, some mac and cheese and a salad would probably do. After a while I heard the water draining and I went and knocked on the door. "It's Sarah, can I come in."

"Yes." I heard. I slipped into the room, and looked at her.

She had wrapped a towel around her, but I could see that she had bathed, "I guess you'll pass. Hurry dinner's almost ready." Then I slipped back out.

I got Dave, and put him in the highchair, "Dave, I want to see how Ashley reacts. She might laugh. Don't worry she doesn't mean to hurt you, but if she is going to be laughing at what you do and how you dress, I don't think she should come over."

"Yeah, I think that I understand she doesn't mean to be mean, but I don't think I'd be able to handle it all of the time."

The bathroom door opened and I watched as Ashley walked past. She had put on a sleep shirt, that surprised me, and she was carrying her backpack in one hand. As she passed the kitchen I saw her look in. She stopped, and her backpack fell to the floor with a thump. She looked like she was about to laugh, but paused and grabbed her backpack and said. "I'll be right there."

Ashley came in and sat down. I sat the mac-n-cheese on the table along with a salad. Some of each on our plates and we began to eat. I hadn't given Dave a fork, only a spoon and I was wondering what he would do. He picked up the spoon and was looking at his salad. He dropped the spoon and grabbed a piece of lettuce and stuck it in his mouth. By the time we had finished he had salad dressing all over his face, and a big grin. I was smiling as I grabbed a washcloth and walked over to clean his face.

Ashley was giggling as I washed his face and hands, and by the time I had finished Dave was too. I helped him out of the highchair and we went into the living room to watch a movie. I said, "Get comfortable, I'm going to make some popcorn."

When I came back in Dave was sitting on one end of the couch and Ashley on the other. I came back and picked out a movie, The Wizard of Oz. I had decided on that by watching them skip.

The popcorn finished and I brought it out in a bowl, looking at the two of them sitting there, I grabbed the remote and sat down between them. Dave reacted quicker than Ashley. He moved over and cuddled up next to me. I glanced over at Ashley, she was looking at the popcorn when Dave reached out and grabbed some. Ashley moved over and snuggled up on my other side.

So with two little girls snuggled up next to me I hit the play button and soon we were watching, The Wizard of Oz. Ashley said she loved this movie. I told her that I was inspired by your skipping. Dave squealed and grabbed my arm when the flying monkeys showed up.

When the movie was over Dave said, "That was a great movie."

Ashley asked, "Hadn't you ever seen it before?"

"No, I hadn't seen it before. I'd heard about it, and seen bits and pieces, but never seen the whole thing."

"So what do you two want to do now?" I asked them.

Dave looked at me, "I don't know, what do girls do at times like this?"

I looked at Ashley and with a big grin on my face, "Ashley, let's show him."

Dave looked like a deer with its eyes caught in headlights when he looked at the two of us.

Sunday morning, I got the two of them up, Ashley off the air mattress in the living room and Dave out of the crib. After breakfast Ashley headed home and I got Dave cleaned up so he could home. It had been a good night.

Dave learned a bit about being a little girl and what it's like to have friends and Ashley learned about taking care of a baby, sort of. At least now she knew how to give a baby a bottle. Dave wasn't thrilled with that, but he had said he was thirsty.