Chapter 43: Dave

Sarah finished my bath and carried me down to the nursery. She stood me up on the floor and started opening up a dresser drawer. "The only underwear I have for you to wear are those panties we got at Walmart," she said. While she was doing that I grabbed one of my diapers off the shelf of the changing table.

I was just standing there holding the diaper when she turned around. "You want to wear a diaper?" I nodded. "Are you sure, Steve is still sitting out there?" I nodded again. "OK, what ever you want."

She quickly put me up on the changing table and diapered me and then put me back on the floor. "So do you want some sweats to wear?" she asked.

I reached out and put my hand on the drawer full of sweats that she kept here for me, and pulled open the drawer below it. It was full of baby outfits and other clothes that were more immature than normal. I knew what I wanted and it only took me a moment to pick out the pink romper dress. I held it up and looked up at her.

"You're sure that is what you want to wear?" I nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head and whispered, "Not yet."

She nodded back and said, "OK, as soon as you are ready to talk, just start." She finished dressing me, and I held up my arms up for her to pick me up. She said, "Wait, let me fix your hair."

She brushed my hair and then put it into pig tails, I always liked pig tails, they were quick and looked cute. I smiled at her and held up my arms again. She picked me up and asked again, "You're sure you want to be dressed like this?"

I nodded and whispered to her, "I really need to be "baby Sissy" right now."

"What about Steve, will he be OK with this?"

I sighed, "I think so. I hope so. If not, be prepared to have me cry on Thor's and your shoulder for a few days."

She carried me down to the living room. There after a moment I heard Steve ask "Dave?"

I turned my head around and shook it. "I'm Sissy right now."

Steve hesitated, "I really can't call you Sissy. I, uh, it just doesn't seem right."

I felt horrible and was about to cry, I thought that Steve could accept me, even like this.

Steve suddenly spoke, "Didn't you say another name earlier." There was a pause and he looked up, "Cecelia, that was it. Is it Ok if I just use Cecelia?"

I relaxed and nodded. Steve was willing to accept me. He stood up reached out for me. I reached out to him and Sarah passed me off.

Steve held me up and gave me a hug, I hugged him right back, then he said, "Hang on, I'm going to sit down." He sat down swinging my legs around so that I ended up in his lap. Thor walked up and stuck his head in and I reached over and scratched him between the ears.

"Cecelia, do you want to talk about it?" Steve asked.

I shook my head no, and whispered very softly, "No, not yet." He whispered back, "OK, whenever you are ready," and held me a bit tighter.

"Steve, would you like a cup of coffee? Or maybe some breakfast? How about you Sissy?" Sarah asked.

Steve looked up, "Yes, please. Cream and sugar." Then he looked down at me, "How about you, do you want some coffee?" I giggled at that, I knew that Sarah was going to bring me a bottle of warm milk.

"I know what Sissy wants, did you want some breakfast? It's no problem."

I nodded to her, and felt Steve shrug. "OK, I'll be right back with the drinks and then make breakfast," she said and disappeared into the kitchen.

We sat there while Sarah fiddled in the kitchen, Steve gently rocking me back and forth slightly.

A knock at the door startled me and I guess I tensed up. Steve gave me a little squeeze and whispered, "Don't worry, if Thor doesn't protect you, I will and no one will hurt you while I am here."

Sarah answered the door, and after a bit of a wait, I heard her say, "Come on in. Did you want some coffee?"

Deputy Wildler walked, and said, "No thanks, I can only stay a few minutes." He yawned, "It's been a long night, and I need some sleep."

"You do look a bit tired. They're in the living room, I'll join you in a minute."

Deputy Wildler came into the living room, and knelt down next to Thor. He reached down and began petting Thor, which got Thor to thumping his tail against the floor. "Da… er, Sissy, Steve I just want to say I'm sorry. I know that you were nervous being out there and saw that you didn't see me. I should have thought about what was going to happen."

I said, "It's all right. I don't blame you. I blame the jerks that attacked me. It's all their fault." I reached out to him, and after a slight pause, he reached over and we hugged each other.

When I started to let go, he did also and made sure that Steve had me in his lap. He reached out his hand to Steve, they shook. Steve said, "It's fine, Cecelia will be OK, and nothing happened to me that couldn't be fixed by a shower and a washing machine."

Deputy Wildler yawned, "I really need to get some sleep. I'll stop by later to see how you are doing." He stood up and said his goodbyes, just as Sarah came with Steve's coffee and my bottle.

"Did you want a bottle of warm milk? It will help you sleep." Sarah asked as Deputy Wildler passed her.

I giggled, as he stuttered out, "Uhhh, no. I, ah, I'm so tired I don't think that I need any help getting to sleep."

Sarah laughed, and I could feel Steve chuckling as Deputy Wildler went out the door. Sarah handed me my bottle and Steve his coffee, then disappeared back into the kitchen to make us breakfast.

I squirmed a bit to get more comfortable, then started on my bottle. Steve grunted a bit as I moved, then I could hear him sipping his coffee.

I lie there thinking about what had happened and Steve's reaction to it. He has surprised me a bit. I hadn't really expected him to be so supportive, so quickly. He hugged me, held me, and then carried me back here, even though I had gotten him all wet. He was a better friend than I had ever thought.

I felt Steve twist a little and heard his cup click on the table as he set it down. His free hand went across my waist and he started to rock me again. It was very soothing. Between that and my bottle I started to fall asleep. Just as I was about to completely zone out, I realized where I was and what I was doing.

"Steve!" I twisted around so I was facing him. Thor jumped up and barked a couple of times and Sarah came running in.

"Cecelia what's wrong?" Steve asked me with a shocked look on his face.

"I, uh. You're the greatest," I blurted out, and then buried my face in his shoulder and sobbed.

He began patting my back and I heard Sarah ask, "What was that all about?"

Steve said, "I don't know. We were just sitting here and all of the sudden he shouted my name. Now he just started crying.

I felt Thor push his nose against my arm, and I looked up at him, "I'm OK Thor." He licked my face and went back to lie down. I turned my head, "I'm OK. I just realized what was going on and it shocked me."

Steve pushed me upright, "Sit in my lap, and tell me why it shocked you."

We got settled with me sitting is his lap. I started talking, "You were holding me and treating me like I was a little baby. Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Aren't you 'Baby Cecelia' right now?"

"Well, yeah. But I'm…"

"Shhh. Dave, if you need to be 'Baby Cecelia' or just Cecelia, or Dave. I'll treat you however you need to be treated. I'm your friend, and this is what friends do. Well maybe a bit more than friends normally do, but…" His voice kind of drifted off.

"Dave," Sarah spoke up. "I think what Steve is trying to say that he would do what was necessary for his friends, whether it was going to a bar to get one to talk, or treat you like 'Baby Sissy.' You wouldn't do well at a bar, and one of his other friends wouldn't do well as a baby girl."

"That's exactly it," Steve said as he gave me a hug. "And I've taken a couple guys out drinking to get them to talk about what was bothering them."

I hugged him back, as Sarah said, "Breakfast is ready. Ah, Steve it looks like you need another shirt."

I looked and the shoulder of his shirt was all wet from where I was crying. "I'm sorry," I started to say.

Steve cut me off, "It's OK. I won't melt."

Chapter 44: Sarah

Dave hugged Steve, as I said, "Breakfast is ready. Ah, Steve it looks like you need another shirt."

"I'm sorry," Dave started to say.

Steve interrupted him off, "It's OK. I won't melt."

They got up and started towards the kitchen, "Sarah, do you have a shirt I could borrow?"

I was about to ask whether he wanted one of my bra's also, but our teasing was over. I said yes, and he pulled of his t-shirt. I let out a little gasp. Steve's shirt had hidden that he must work out very regularly. He would not win a body building contest, but that torso could have been selling lots of Diet Coke.

Steve blushed a bit, and I grabbed his shirt and started walking away. Dave was giggling.

I tossed all the clothes in the washer and started it. Looking for a shirt, I had to dig for a minute, because I didn't think that Steve wanted a pink, yellow, lavender, or other girlie colored shirt. I grabbed a light blue one and returned to the kitchen. "Here, try this."

As he pulled the shirt on, I saw that he had Dave in his high chair, and had brought in Dave's bottle and his coffee cup.

We sat down to breakfast. Steve and I chatted while we ate. Dave tried to join, but every time he opened his mouth, I put some eggs, toast, or something else in it. Dave was way too polite to talk with his mouth full.

We finished breakfast and I cleaned up Dave. Steve got up and refilled our coffees, and then picked up Dave and carried him into the living room. I fixed another bottle for Dave and then joined them.

I handed Dave his bottle, and then sat down facing them. I looked at them, "Dave are you ready to talk yet?"

His eyes got a little wide, and he sucked on his bottle for a moment. He nodded and started talking.

We talked for quite a while, actually Dave did most of the talking. He was talking about how afraid he was, and while some things scared me, nothing terrified me. I was afraid of spiders, but after the initial shock of seeing one, I could deal with it.

Steve surprised me though. At one point when Dave paused, he moved Dave so he could look him in straight in the face and started talking. "Dave, I want to think back to the whole time you've known me. Now have you ever seen me on a balcony, or looking out an upper story window, or anything like that?"

Dave sat there for a little bit, and then slowly shook his head. Steve nodded, "You're right. You won't see me on one either, or on a roof, up a ladder, or any place high. I'm terrified of heights. Not as bad as you and dogs, but there have been times when I just couldn't move. That's also the reason we never had balcony seats anywhere. I can't walk down to my seat, even the higher up seats in Assembly Hall scare me."

"But, you can't be…" Dave's voice trailed off, his head shaking.

Steve nodded, "I am. I even been scared by some scenes on TV shows. As scared as if I had been standing where the camera was. I'm lucky though, I don't really have to worry about a tall building surprising me."

Dave looked at me, "Are you scared of anything Sarah?"

I shook my head, "Spiders scare me, but not like you are afraid of things. I'll jump when one surprises me, but then I just deal with it."

Dave turned back to Steve, "You wouldn't lie to me, would you Steve?"

"Not about this. I might about something else, but this is too important. I really am terrified of heights."

I spoke up, "Dave you make me proud to be your friend. You could have hid from Thor in your home, but you went for your walks. You went out, even though you wet yourself whenever he came near. You kept walking even though Mrs. Parks found out you were wearing a diaper. You went out dressed like a girl even though you were upset, and probably scared about being discovered. Monday you let Bob drag you out for your walk, even though you could have said no."

Dave protested, "But, Bob would have carried me around."

"Do you really think that Thor would have let him do something that put you in that much that much distress?" He shook his head. "And the rest of the week, you kept going out. Steve, Joe and I could have dragged you, if Thor let us, but Judy couldn't have made you. You've been brave ever since I've known you."

Dave jumped off Steve's lap, ran over to me, and jumped into my lap to give me a big hug. "Do you really think that I'm brave?"

"Yes Dave I do. You keep going even though you are scared. That's what bravery is."

"Steve, what about you, do you think that I am brave?"

"I told you, heights terrify me and I avoid them. You seem to have faced your fears. That makes you braver than me. I don't plan on facing mine either," Steve answered him.

"So, how do you feel now?" I asked Dave.

"Uh, wet, and tired, and all stuffy."

Steve spoke up, "Well Cecelia, I think we can fix those problems, a clean diaper, and a nap should help." He got up and stepped over.

Dave had a surprised look on his face as he stood up and turned around. Steve picked him up, and turned towards the hallway. "Steve, are you sure you don't me to handle it?" I asked.

"I think that, with a little help from Cecelia, I can handle it. She can give me some instructions."

I caught up to them, and heard Dave whisper, "You smell like Sarah." Steve stumbled.

I chuckled, "That's probably because he is wearing my shirt and showered with my soap. Or do you usually use lavender soap Steve?"

"No, I don't and that is probably a good explanation."

As they turned into the nursery, "I'll toss the clothes in the dryer."

I moved the clothes and started the dryer. Walking back past the nursery I glanced in and saw Dave sitting on the changing table with a big smile on his face as Steve was pulling out a nightie.

I rinsed out our cups and Dave's bottle and put them in the sink. I heard Steve washing up in the bathroom as I went and collapsed into my chair.