Part II: TODDLER

Chapter 14: Dave

I was working one afternoon, when there was a knock on my door. I got up to see whom it was, and was surprised to see Judy and Ashley there. "Hi, what's up?"

Judy, looking a little harried, answered "There was a big crash on the Interstate. They need me at work right away. Can you watch Ashley 'til Joe gets home? He should be home in a couple of hours."

"Ummm, sure. But doesn't Sarah usually do that?"

"Sarah's busy. The County Building Inspector is checking out the park. He's new, so he's doing a thorough job. I hope Sarah doesn't hurt him."

Ashley giggled at that last comment.

"Well is there anything I need to know?"

"Just that she can't watch any TV until her homework is done. All she has left is math." Ashley didn't look happy about that.

"No problem, but you need to get to the hospital. If I have any problems I'll call Sarah or Steve if he's around. Never mind he must have gotten a similar call, 'cause there he goes." I said as Steve drove off in his cop car.

"Okay. Bye Dave, bye sweetheart."

Ashley piped up, "Bye mom," and gave her mom a hug.

I added, "Bye Judy." Then to Ashley, "Well do you have a lot of math to do?"

"No, just one page of problems," she said with the kind of a depressed voice you'd expect from a condemned criminal.

"Don't you like math?"

"Math's okay, I guess. But I don't understand this and my teacher can't explain it right." She walked over to the couch and plopped down.

I watched her, it was weird. I certainly hadn't acted that way as a child; my father would have hit me. She sat there, her book and a folder on the couch next to her, looking at my TV, which was off at the moment. I was looking at her and realized two very important things. First I was now responsible for another human being, even if temporarily, this had me a little worried. And secondly Ashley was my very first 'babysitting' job. That brought a little smile and chuckle to me.

I guess she heard me, "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking. You know, you're my very first babysitting job."

She jumped up and stomped over to me, "Babysitting! You babysitting me. That is funny. Ha. Ha. Ha." She gave me an 'I know something you don't know' look.

I was a little surprised standing right next to her, I found myself looking straight into her eyes, and she was now as tall as me. That was a little disconcerting. "Yeah, my first babysitting job."

"Well, Mr. Babysitter, I happen to know that there's someone in this room that is more likely than me to need a BABYsitter."

I got nervous when she said that and my eyes got a little bigger. I hadn't thought that Judy had told her anything yet, Sarah and I hadn't really done anything between the attack and now, we were waiting for my hair to grow out. "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

"Well I seem to remember finding a certain person sitting in their yard this summer wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a wet diaper. Seems that person is more likely to need a BABYsitter than me." She had a smug look on her face when she said this.

I was surprised and somewhat relieved to hear her say that. She looked at me, and lost the smug look, "Dave, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that. I didn't want to be mean, it's just that I hate it when someone says they're 'babysitting' me and this is the first time I could do something about it."

"That's all right, I shouldn't have said babysitting after all, and you're not a baby. Besides you are right about one thing, I have worn diapers more recently than you; at least I hope I have."

"You have and I didn't tell anyone what I saw, except for my mom and I think she already knew. I guess I had better start my homework." She plodded back to the couch.

"I'm sure she knew, since you and I have something in common."

What's that?"

"Your mom has put diapers on both of us."

"What do you mean mom put you in diapers?"

"When I was in the hospital, the doctor didn't want me getting up. So your mom put me in diaper. I had to wear them the whole time I was there. Now, do want some help with your homework, I might be able to explain something differently than your teacher?"

"Sure, my mom and dad have tried, but I think they had the same teacher."

"Is your teacher that old?" I was a little confused.

"No, I guess I meant that they learned the same way and don't understand why I don't get it."

"Well, show me what you don't get and I'll help you get it."

Ashley showed me what she didn't get, and we spent most of the next hour working our way through her math book, until I found where she really had stopped getting it. Then we worked forward to where she was now, and she got it. Then she did her homework in what she called record time.

I went over her homework, and found that she had done it all correctly. When I told her that she leapt over and gave me a big hug. Unfortunately she forgot about our size similarity and she knocked me over. "I'm sorry Dave," she said as she helped me up. "I usually hug my mom and dad like that and they don't fall over."

"That's okay, I'm fine, but I'm glad you didn't do that a couple of months ago. So what do you want to watch?"

"Ummm, actually I have another of those personal questions to ask you. Like when I asked you about the diaper."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Well, I noticed your earrings." I reached up and touched my ear; sure enough I had forgotten to take them out again.

"Yes, I got them pierced during the summer."

"Well, there's this..." A loud knock at the door interrupted her.

"Hang on a moment, Ashley." I said as I walked over to the door. I opened the door and saw Joe standing there, "Hi Joe, come on in."

He stepped in and was hit by Ashley, who gave him a big hug and yelled, "Hi Daddy."

She hit him harder than she had hit me and he barely rocked, "Hi Pumpkin, is your homework done?"

"Yep, Dave showed me how to do it, and I got 'em all right on the first try."

He looked at me, "You helped her with her homework?"

"Ah, yes. She said she didn't understand it and she said you and Judy tried to help her, but it didn't work."

"I'm not mad. I'm just surprised, and a little depressed."

"Why depressed?"

"I'm her father, I should be helping her with her homework." I burst out laughing when he said that. "What's so funny?"

I got myself under control, "Neither of my parents ever helped, or even offered to help me with my homework. Heck, they didn't even care about how I did in school."

Joe, had a shocked look on his face and said in a slightly absentminded way, "Ashley get your books and run on home, I'll be right there."

Ashley walked over, got her stuff and started to leave, "Bye Dave." She had a puzzled look on her face.

Joe saw the look, "I have to talk to Dave about some 'man stuff', and then I'll be right home." Ashley rolled her eyes at the phrase 'man stuff', and now I had a puzzled look on my face.

Joe watched her as she walked over to their home and went in. "Dave, Judy told me about what you and Sarah do occasionally."

I got really worried, now I figured he thought I was some kind of pervert and he was going to do something to me. "She did?" I said nervously.

"Yeah, and she tried to explain why you two do that, but honestly I don't understand. I mean she said that you go over there and act like you're her little girl. You even wear diapers and dresses and ... Um, she did after a while make me accept that you aren't a sicko and you won't do anything to Ashley. But I want to understand how a grown man is willing to do that."

"Did she tell you how it started?" When he shook his head, I told him. "But what it boils down to is, well she's the only person to ever show me any real affection and..." I was in tears by now; I'm not sure why but I was.

Joe took a step over to me, and I cringed backward. He hesitated, when I cringed, but pulled me to him and gave me a hug. "I never thought I'd be giving a grown man a hug, but I think you need one." When he let me go I had finished crying and he looked me in the eye, "Do I look like your father?"

"Not really, but I probably react that way to any man that much bigger to me."

"Well, unless you do something to Ashley, I will never do anything to hurt you."

"Ha, me do something to Ashley, she'd probably beat me up. When I told her that she got all of her homework right she gave me a hug. I ended up on the floor."

"Ashley's going to be a problem. We haven't told her yet and I don't know how to. I mean what you're doing isn't really normal."

"I think she might know already."

He looked over at me with a shocked look on his face, "You didn't tell her did you?"

"NO! But after I got out of the hospital, I gave Thor this huge rawhide bone. When I did I wore a diaper to keep from pissing in my pants. After Bob left with Thor I sat outside in the diaper, which I had wet. Judy saw me and sent Ashley over to check on me. She saw the diaper and I explained why I was wearing it."

"What did she say about that?"

"That I was silly about being afraid of Thor," I laughed. "Well just when you got here she said she wanted to ask me a personal question. I think she recognized me in the picture Sarah has on her wall."

"What picture?"

"I figured you'd seen it, I had a portrait done to send to my father. Sarah has one on her wall. I've got a couple around here." I found the picture and showed Joe.

"Damn, I would never guess that you aren't a little girl. But how will your father recognize you?"

"Easy I signed it 'Your loving son, Dave.'"

"Ah... So, I should be heading home, before Ashley storms back here wondering where I am. Hey, Judy and I have Saturday off and we were going to have a barbecue, do you want to come over?"

"Ummm, sure I guess. But what about... never mind I'll figure it out."

"I'll see you Saturday then."

I shut the door behind him and plopped down on the couch. Now what the hell am I going to do, I thought. I agreed to go to their barbecue, and I know that Thor will show up, especially with both Ashley and me out. And when he shows up I know I'll wet my pants. I sat there trying to come up with a solution, well I had one, but I didn't like it.

Any one else would probably call up a parent and ask for advice. I can't do that. Wait a minute, maybe I can. I wonder if Sarah is done with that inspector yet.

Chapter 15: Sarah

I hated it when the County Inspectors came by; the rules have changed so much since the place was built. Every Inspector, this is wrong; you can't do this that way; there is supposed to be eighteen inches here, not sixteen. I'm glad my lawyer had me get a copy of the county ordinances from when this place was built. Every question, I had to show him the rules from then, it made me want to strangle him.

I was relaxing when there was a knock at my door, now what. I answered the door and was surprised to see Dave there. Oh yeah, I remembered he was watching Ashley, "Nothing's wrong with Ashley is there?"

"What? No." A pause, "Oh… no Joe came home a little early, she's already home."

"Good, I was worried." He kept looking around at the ground. "What are you looking for?" I asked him.

"Oh, Judy was worried about what you might do to the inspector, so I was looking for freshly turned earth." He grinned at me.

I laughed, and sighed and a lot of pent up frustration escaped. That was just what I needed. "I buried him under the trailer, so no one would see the fresh dirt."

He laughed back at me, and then sobered up. "Sarah I need some help, and I'm hoping you can provide it."

"Well if there is anything I can do, I certainly will. What's the problem?"

"Well I was talking to Joe and..."

"What did he say? If he did anything to hurt you, I'll..." I started to yell.

"No, it's nothing like that. We did talk about that, and I'm pretty sure he accepts it. He even hugged me." Dave interrupted ending with a puzzled look on his face.

"Good, I was a little worried about that. So what's the problem?"

"Well, he invited me to a barbecue this weekend, and well I'm afraid that if, well when, Thor shows up I'll have an accident and..."

"Hmmm, that would be a problem. So do you want to wear a diaper?" She asked looking at me.

"No, I don't WANT to wear a diaper, but I think I SHOULD wear one. The only problem is that I don't have anything that will fit over the diaper. Do you have anything of your niece's here that I could wear that doesn't look to much like girls clothes?"

"Ummm, Dave about my 'niece'..."

"She didn't come and get her clothes did she?" Dave asked sounding worried.

I coughed, "No, Dave. I have to be honest though. I don't have a niece."

"If you don't have a niece, then whose clothes were those?"

"Ummm, I... ummm... er... I bought them for you. I'm sorry, but that's the truth."

"You bought them for me, why? ... You wanted to dress me up like a girl from the beginning, didn't you? WHY?"

"Ummm, well at first. I mean the first time Thor scared you; you looked so cute in that diaper. I, ummm, thought that you would, well look even cuter as a little girl. I'm sorry." I felt horrible. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I needed to come clean. I only hoped I could get him to let me finish.

"I'm leaving, and I'm not sure if I'm coming back." He started towards the door. I grabbed him, he yelled, "Let me GO."

"Not until I finish, I want you to know everything. Then you can go and I won't even try to stop you."

He looked up at me sullenly and said, "Go on, but when you're done I'm leaving and I'm not coming back."

I pulled Dave over to the kitchen, and sat him down in one of the chairs. I pulled up a second chair and sat across from, now I wasn't looking down at him, but straight at him. And I poured out everything, starting with the first diaper. I probably could have found something different but didn't. Then step by step, getting Bob to let Thor wander around, the kids getting Thor to jump on them, the Nanny cams and that I had deleted all of the tapes. I told him how I set him up with the first Harry Potter movie so he'd have an accident, how I tried to get him to wet his diaper the next morning. How I'd padded the diaper to make sure it wouldn't fit under his pants and he'd have to wear the girl's clothes. I confessed about the bets I knew I'd win, everything I could think of.

When I was done, he was crying almost hysterically. He yelled that he hated me and ran out of my home. I released all of the tears I'd been holding back. I just sat there crying.

I'm not sure how long I'd been sitting there, when there was a knocking at my door. I sat up quick thinking it might be Dave, but I realized that whoever it was, they were hitting the door much too hard to be Dave. Well they could just come back tomorrow; I really didn't care what their problem was. They knocked again and I just sat there ignoring it, crying.

When the door opened, I said, "Hello Bob." Only Bob, Ashley and Judy ever walked in, if I didn't answer the door.

"WHAT in the HELL is going on? I just saw Dave go running into his home and it looked like he was crying. Now I find you in here the same way."

I lurched out of my chair and collapsed into Bob; he grabbed me and held me. "I just confessed to Dave."

"Confessed what?" he asked with a confused sound in his voice.

"Everything," I sobbed. "Everything I had done to get him dressed as a little girl."

"I take it he didn't take it well," he said.

"That's the understatement of the year. He said he hated me and wasn't ever coming back."

"Okay, so what do we do to fix it? I know why you're crying, but why is Dave crying?"

"What?" I asked, I was puzzled, I'm sure he just said something about us fixing it.

"I asked you, why is Dave crying?"

"Huh, why is Dave crying? I don't know, I hadn't even thought about it. I was just sitting here not thinking."

"Hmmm. You're crying because you just hurt your friends feelings badly. Right?"

"Yes." I answered, surprised by Bob again.

"Well if Dave wasn't still terrified of Thor, I'd have Thor with Dave right now. First though, you and I need to figure out how I am going to approach Dave."

"Actually Bob, you just need to go over there right now. No talking with me, and don't try to be my advocate, just go over and talk to him. Because right now he needs a friend. I wish Judy were home, she'd be the perfect one, but all he's got is you."

"Damn, I just thought of something and if I'm right, Dave is going to hate me for a while. I suppose he'll get over it though."

"You're not going to hurt him are you?"

"No, at least not physically. But I have to do something that's going to make both of us feel like crap. Besides I don't think Thor would let me hurt him. I'll see you tomorrow."