Evan's New Life Part One - Evie is found
by Baby-Becky

Sunlight was breaking through the clouds and filtering across the blinds dappling the desks of the students. One student sat staring ahead blankly not really seeming to concentrate on the voice of the teacher. He was about 13 but people thought him younger, he was small for his age and his body frame often threw people off for his identity.
The classroom was silent to Evan the drone of the teachers echoed round his head. But all that really mattered to him was the image in his mind’s eye. He smiled softly to himself.

Evan looked round the classroom in a daze, his mind elsewhere. The teacher spoke “Evan can you give me the answer?”

The fog swiftly broke from Evan’s head as the voice filtered through his thoughts.
He stared ahead, unsure of what had even been said to him.
“Sorry Miss, I didn’t hear the question” The giggles of his classmates made him turn red.

Slowly he reached out to his thoughts again. Much better he said to himself, I’m happy here it’s nicer quieter and I feel happy.
A poke in his back interrupted him. Clive his best friend was shoving a ruler in him.
“Buck up mate or you’ll be on detention”

Evan shook his head. Quickly glanced at Clive and grinned.
The bell rang and Evan glanced at his watch, end of the day he thought. He smiled. Picked up his bag, drop in his books and pens, closed the bag slung it over his shoulder and made his way out of the class.
“Hey, wait up” Clive jostled his way through the crowd of children along the corridor. He gently punched his best friend.

“What on earth was up with you in there? You looked in a different place”

Evan’s felt an ice-cold shiver run down his spine. Did Clive know? No he couldn’t know, no one knew.
“Is there something wrong?” His friend looked concerned. Evan shook his head.
“No. I’m fine, honestly. Just a touch tired that’s all”

They walked slowly down the corridor toward the doors that would lead to freedom till the following morning.

Evan felt buoyed by the fact he had some time till his aunt got home from the office. The pair walked out of the doors and across the cracked and split tarmac playground. The fresh air gently brushed their faces as they walked across towards the school gates, Evan stopped and reached into his bag and pulled out his iPod nano.
He popped one earphone in so he could still listen and talk to Clive.

He smiled to himself and he moved through the menu to the section he wanted and pressed play. The music started up and Evan sighed, a smile touched his lips and his eyes brightened.
The pair walked out the gates and down the road to the crossing. They watched and waited as the vehicles sped past totally oblivious to the fact they were in a school area. Evan looked up and down the road nothing coming he stepped into the road.

The car came from nowhere, the young woman hand one hand on the wheel the other holding a mobile phone she never saw Evan.
Clive screamed as the car hit Evan with a sickening thud and threw him over the bonnet onto the road.
Evan lay motionless Clive went pale. He walked over slowly, fearing his best friend was dead. “Evan?” Nothing. Quickly Clive pulled out his mobile and dialled the police and ambulance services.

The car had screeched to a halt. The young woman sat in her car shaking. She glanced over at the young boy standing over his best friend.
He must have been no more than 13. What have I done? The woman mouthed inside the car. She shook her head trying to compose herself.
This time she wasn’t going to get off with daddies money. Nothing would sort this especially if he was dead.
The sirens split the silent air as the emergency services roared into the area.
The police arrived first, the first officer out walked to the motionless body lying on the road. The second to the boy, he just pointed.
Jasmine swallowed back her fear as the officer walked quickly but with determination towards her vehicle.

The officer knocked on the window. Jasmine hit the switch as the electric window slid into the door.
He smiled. “This your vehicle Miss?”
Jasmine nodded, her earrings caught the sunlight and danced across the officer’s face.
“Please step out of the car Miss” Jasmine opened the door and stepped out. She took a couple of steps, then she seemed to lose her balance, the officer reached out and held her.
“Don’t worry Miss it’s normal. Shock and the like to lose one’s balance and feel the effects of an accident”
The horror of what she had done suddenly hit Jasmine hit like a truck.

The paramedics silently checked Evan. They looked at the blood and the twisted form of his right leg.
“We have a pulse, faint and slow, but a pulse,” One said. The other walked back to the vehicle and collected a spine board and neck brace.

Clive looked on in horror barely able to comprehend what had happened. One minute he was talking to his friend the next he’s lying in the road looking dead. The tears streamed down his face. A glint of glass caught his eye he walked over to investigate.
Evan’s iPod he picked it up and saw the track Hotel California by The Eagles. He smiled it was Evan’s father’s favourite song he popped the earphones in. He listened but all he could hear was a nursery rhyme. He looked at the iPod wondering if it has taken a bad knock and gone wrong. He speed through a couple of songs till “Weird Al” Yankovic and Amish Paradise came up and hit play. Another nursery rhyme.
Clive looked at his best friend wondering. He knew he didn’t have any younger brothers or sisters so why did he have nursery rhymes on his iPod?

One of the medics walked over to Clive, he looked worried your friend is in a serious condition but stable. Clive gave them Evan’s details and the phone number to call Evan’s mother.
The paramedics carefully eased Evan onto the board and stabilised his head and lifted him onto the gurney and wheeled him onto the vehicle.
They sped off to the hospital.

Alicia Jackson sat her desk when the phone rang. “Alicia how may I help you?”
Afterwards she could barely remember the words spoken to her. But she dropped the phone and screamed, then passed out.

She awoke to her office manager Dexter kneeling next to her asking her if what was wrong. She barely audibly told him that Evan her nephew was in hospital having been hit by a car.
He smiled at her “Right first of all I am so sorry Alicia, I’ll drive you there you are in no fit state to be behind a wheel. Take as long as you need to see Evan is OK we’ll cover for you here”

She could see through the haze that was her mind her friends nodding and them looking concerned. Dexter helped her up and took her out to the cloakroom she collected her coat and Dexter lead her gently out to the car park to his car.
Unlocked the door Alicia slid onto the seat and buckled up. Dexter got in buckled up and turned the key and drove off slowly toward the hospital.

The police officer looked at the woman she was in serious shock. She was pale and her skin looked clammy and slightly sweaty.
“I need you licence Miss please” Jasmine just stared ahead into the distance her world had just shattered for real this time. Nothing could mend this.
“Licence Miss, please”
“What?”
“Miss I need to see your drivers licence”

Jasmine reached in picked up her handbag and took out her purse. Wordlessly she took out her licence and handed it to the officer. He glanced at it and radioed the details in. The details he got back rocked him.
“Miss you are driving with a suspended licence” Jasmine nodded.
“I’m arresting for driving a vehicle with an invalid licence You do not have to say anything but anything you do say will be taken down and may be given in evidence. Do you understand?” Jasmine just nodded. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Please not now.

Evan was wheeled through the doors. With a medic on the side doing compressions.
The patients and visitors parted like the Red Sea as the gurney sped through the corridors. “Come on kid” The medic muttered, “Don’t die on me”

The compressions pressing onto Evan’s chest kicked in. Evan gasped and his eyes flew open. “Well good to see you kid” The medic smiled down at Evan.
They went into the lift and went up to floor three. Along to a private room where the door was open. The gurney passed through the door and stopped they gently lifted Evan onto the bed. A nurse and doctor walked into the room and smiled at the boy lying pale and weak on the bed. He did not look nor more than 8 or 9 and about 70 pounds dripping wet. A knowing smile passed between them.

The doctor quickly examined Evan. “Well you have two broken legs for certain young man I’m sorry to say. We’ll send you for some X-rays to make sure nothing else is broken” The Doctor walked to the end of the bed made some notes on the chart. “I’ll give you something for the pain and I’ll come back when your parents arrive”
Evan looked at the doctor. “My parents are dead I live with my aunt Alicia”
“I’m sorry Evan. I’ll be back to see you when your aunt arrives”

The second officer walked Clive over to the car. “He’ll be alright kid they have a very good team of surgeons at Dangerfield Hospital” Weakly Clive smiled.
“He’s my best friend we do everything together” The officer nodded. “Come on I’ll take you home” he led Clive to the car and opened the door for him. Clive hopped in and buckled himself up. He looked out the window at the car and driver, the tear started to form again as he thought of the car striking his friend and throwing him in the air like a doll.

“Will she go to prison?” Clive asked. The officer turned his head towards the young boy.
“That will be for the court to decide. But she is in a lot of trouble”
Clive smiled. “I hope so she hurt Evan”

Dexter pulled into the hospital car park and found a free slot and parked. He got out and helped Alicia out. “He’ll be OK Alicia they’re very good here. They do a lot of pioneering work”

Numbly Alicia nodded. Silently they walked to the entrance. The Entrance had a big green sign saying Dangerfield Hospital, the doors slid back silently as they got near the sensors picking them up.

They walked through the doors Dexter keeping on Alicia’s arm supporting her. She approached the desk. “My nephew has been admitted he was hit by a car”
The receptionist looked up at woman standing before her 30 maybe 35, young for an Aunt she thought. “Name please?” “Evan Robinson he’s 13”
She keyed in the information. “He’s on Foxham ward, that’s floor 3 turn left and take the lift” “Thank you”

Alicia started to walk briskly down the corridor. She disliked hospitals but she had to put on a show for Evan. Plus she could hardly let Dexter see her weak. No not Dexter.
She pressed the button and doors opened she stepped in Dexter right on her heels followed. He pressed 3 and the lift silently hummed as the powerful motors and cables lifted the steel box to the third floor.

The police car pulled into the station with Jasmine in the back seated, alone, and scared.
She’d had a sheltered life with everything money could buy, and also the ability to make problems vanish. But this was different. She had killed someone, and not even daddies wealth and power could make that issue vanish.
She was lead into the custody suite where she was booked in. A female officer took her into a room and searched her and then led her quietly to a cell.

Alicia raced along the corridor Dexter keeping up easily with his long strides.
They found a nurse who pointed them to the room Evan was in. Alicia walked in and took one look at Evan and would have collapsed again if Dexter hadn’t been there to grab her. “Oh god Evan” She turned to Dexter and wrapped her arms round his chest and wept.
Her long blonder tresses hung limply on his chest as she poured out her anger and grief. Dexter just held her tightly whispering soft words to try and ease her pain.

Clive sat in his room shaking. The officer had dropped him off and after a few minutes explaining to his mother what had happened he’d shut himself away in his room to compose himself. He tried shutting his eyes to clear his head but all he could hear was the crunch and thud as the car hammered into Evan. Evan my friend.
He rolled over onto his bed and his eyes touched on Evan’s iPod.

Maybe I misheard the songs in my daze he mused as he flicked through the menus.
He touched upon Green Day “21 Guns”, he smiled he loved Green Day. He pressed play. A soft voice was heard “Once upon a time in land far, far away there lived”.
Clive pressed stop. He looked in confusion at the iPod. Softly he whispered “Evan what is it you are trying to say?”

Tyrone Dangerfield’s Rolls Royce pulled into the police car park. The chauffeur opened the door for his master to exit. Tyrone stepped out his face as black as thunder, barely able to control his temper he walked towards the entrance.
Pushing open the doors he stepped into the artificial light of the station and stepped to the desk. The duty sergeant smiled “Can I help you sir?” Tyrone just looked at the officer inwardly smiling if only he knew.

“I believe you have my daughter here Jasmine Dangerfield” The sergeant looked down his list of prisoners. “That’s correct sir we do”
A tight smile touched Tyrone’s lips. “I want to take her home. Now”

The doctor walked back into the room containing Evan, he look harassed after a long day, his looked untidy and his eyes has lost their early morning sparkle. He had a large brown folder under his arm.

He smiled as he saw Evan’s aunt and the gentleman holding her hand giving it a gentle squeeze. “You must be his aunt Alicia? I’m Evan’s doctor James Kelly” She looked up, pale and scared out of her wits. She nodded imperceptibly. “Well I have your nephew’s X ray results here I’m sorry but they’re not very good” Alicia started to softly cry, the guy holding her hand quickly held her and whispered softly to her.
The doctor moved to a light box and turned it on the box flickered before settling into a bright glow. He slid the first X ray under the clips and the image of Evan’s legs showed up in grey black and white. The damage was stark and harrowing his right leg was shattered

“As you can see the tibia & fibula bones are shattered in three places. He’ll need surgery to have the leg pinned and plates inserted, he’ll be off his feet for some time I’m afraid”

Alicia just stared ahead barely able to understand what was being said all she could see was the image burned into her retina’s of Evan’s leg. She turned slowly to look at the doctor her voice came out as a soft whisper “will he walk again?”
“Yes he will but he’ll need intensive physiotherapy and plenty of rest. But he should make a full recovery he’s young and his bones aren’t fully formed”
Alicia just nodded numbly. Dexter looked over at the images a flicker of emotion touched his lips but his eyes stared blankly.

Clive sat staring into space. Shook himself and turned on his laptop wait while it powered up. Alone with his thoughts just what was Evan doing with nursery rhymes and fairy stories on his iPod. He waited as the laptop kicked into life them loaded up his browser. He sat looking at the google search engine he tapped his lips what do I type in he thought.
Quickly he typed in the words nursery rhymes fairy stories adults. Several hits came back. He looked “this can’t be right” he whispered to himself. But staring in front of him was the evidence.

The sergeant looked at the man standing in front of him. “Sorry sir I am afraid that is not possible” The man’s face reddened. “Do you know who I am?” the man replied with a condescending tone. The sergeant’s eyes flickered as he looked at the man.
“No sir I don’t. Should I?”

Tyrone pulled himself up he was going to enjoy this. Little upstart officials like this deserved nothing but contempt. “Well sergeant I will have you know I am Sir Tyrone Dangerfield” He placed extra emphasis on the Sir and Dangerfield.
The sergeant looked thunderstruck. He swallowed nervously there where stories round the station. Most saying that you crossed Tyrone Dangerfield once. The man had power money and influence in spades.

The sergeant knew though that he had a duty to perform. He pulled himself up and looked at man who could snuff his career out in the blink of an eye. “Sorry Mister Dangerfield but she can’t leave she’s in the cells till tomorrow morning when bail will be set. I think for the seriousness of the case it’s likely to be high”
Tyrone looked at the sergeant. He smiled and walked out, pulling out his mobile as he did so.

James Kelly walked out of room with the files and took them to the reception and handed them over. He walked along to the staff room and walked in and straight to the coffee machine and poured a cup and took a sip. The caffeine hit his system giving him a slight buzz. Just what I needed he thought.
As he did a buzz in his coat pocket disturbed his train of thought. He pulled the mobile out and checked the caller. Tyrone Dangerfield. He took the call.
“What do you want Tyrone? I told you to not call me at the hospital”
“Now is that the way to talk to the man who controls your private funding?”
“Don’t threaten me Tyrone I know too much” The man on the other end blanched visibly and his breathing quickened as the implications sunk in. But no he had a favour to ask. Well no, not ask, demand more like.

Alicia looked at her nephew and her heart went out to him. “Evan we’ll see you’re safe with us. Dexter and I will help you through all of your physiotherapy”
Evan smiled weakly. “Thank you auntie. I’m sorry I just didn’t see her”
Alicia looked at her broken and battered nephew lying there. In pain afraid and nervous. “Don’t worry honey it will be all sorted out”
Dexter looked across at his lover’s nephew. “Hey kid it’s going to alright your aunt and I will make any adjustments we need in the house. If we have to move your bedroom downstairs we will. You’re strong enough to get through this”
Evan looked across at the two adults “where is Clive?” His aunt spoke “he’s home by now I imagine he’s fine the car didn’t hit him. I think he’s likely to want to see you tomorrow when you’re up to it” Where’s my iPod auntie I need it please it’s important” “Well if it’s lost or broken I’ll get you a new one” “No auntie I need this one” Alicia looked at Evan something was bothering him the iPod seemed very important to him.

Jasmine sat looking at the whitewashed walls. She shook from fear anger and frustration. She got up and started the small pacing that lead to the ends of her tiny cell. “How could I have been so stupid” she muttered.
Shaking her head she kept up the rhythmic pacing more to occupy her mind than anything else.
The officer watched silently from a room keeping an eye on all the cell monitors was hardly fun. But this time he had a bon-a-fide toff in custody. He smiled as he watched her pacing up and down. She looked broken and crushed. Her life and had just crashed and burned monumentally.
Jasmine threw herself onto the tiny bed and started sobbing. Her chest heaved and painful wracks emitted from her tiny body. She beat the pillow with her fists she needed to take it out on something. Always she had managed to get away with her mistakes and errors. But a dead child while phoning a friend wasn’t going to cut it with daddy the police or the magistrates. Would she get bail she wondered. If she did would it be high? Would daddy have to step in and make the appropriate noises to sort it, after all she had money but not that much if the bond was too high.

Clive sat transfixed looking at the screen as a wealth of information passed between his eyes and his brain. He moved the cursor down the page and read on. Hardly able to understand some of what was said. What he did understand he wasn’t really sure he believed it anyway. Did people really want to slide back into childhood? Did they also really want to be in some cases of the opposite sex and play with dolls and wear pretty dresses? He read on. The more he read he started to understand it. Just about. A traumatic event in the child’s life could trigger it. Well Evan had that both his parents had been killed in a car accident when he was five. So that would account for that.
His aunt had stepped in and took charge of as his mother’s sister she was next of kin.
Could this be how Evan feels? He shook his head surely not. But there it was staring back at from the ether. Evan it seemed wished to go back to infancy as a little girl.
His best friend wanted to be girl? He laughed softly.

“Listen to me Kelly” Tyrone growled, “I need you to do something with your little set up. My daughter has gone too far this time she hit and killed a young kid this afternoon” Kelly listened on as Dangerfield listed his daughter’s many faults and how she was always falling back on daddies reputation and money to get her out of fixes.
“What is it you want me to do Tyrone” snapped Kelly. “Funny you should ask that James. I need you to use your little trauma set up to regress Jasmine back to infancy”
“Sure” Kelly answers “She’s had trauma with the accident it will help get her life back on track” Laughter echoed in his ear. “No James. I want her back to a permanent state. Don’t give me any crap about it being unethical I know you do it. So just do it or I’ll hang you out to dry”

Evan had a restless night he’d been given something for the pain but his legs still hurt. The dark shape in the chair moved and spoke. “Evan is everything alright?” It was his aunt. “Yes auntie just thought of something funny”
“Mister Grant has gone to set up one of the rooms downstairs for you” Evan sighed
Why did she call him Mister Grant to him? He was Dexter as far as he was concerned.
It’s not as if he was anything special. Sure he took him to the cinema and to the odd football game, but I only go to the football for my aunt’s sake, I don’t even like football, but I got for her as she clearly loves Dexter.

A female officer came and collected Jasmine shortly after her breakfast. “Come on Miss Dangerfield time for the bail hearing” Jasmine brushed the imaginary crumbs off her dress and ran her fingers through her hair. She sighed and put her hands behind her back as the officer cuffed her. She was gently led out of the cell and towards an exit. This was one of the old style stations and attached to the courtrooms via tunnel.
She was lead down and along the well light tunnel. Neither of them spoke in the short time it took. Jasmine took it to try and compose herself for what could happen to her.
She knew no bail was a strong possibility despite her being who she was. She just needed bail and then she could make a run for it daddy could take the loss. But she knew she couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to take prison and that was where she was headed having killed the boy.

Clive awoke with a start as his alarm buzzed. He blinked in the bright light filtering through the curtains the dust particles dancing in the bright light.
He groaned seven o’clock. He turned over “five more minutes” he mumbled to the alarm clock. A knock on the door disturbed and wrecked the five more minutes he had asked for. “Come in mum” He knew his mother’s knock. He sat up trying to look bright and alert despite feeling deflated and having bed head.
His mother walked in
“How are you feeling sweetie” she asked brightly.
“Guess I’m Okay mother” Clive replied. She moved to the foot of the bed and sat down sweeping her skirt under herself.
“Look darling you had a terrible experience yesterday I think you should have a couple of days off to recover. I am sure the school will understand completely”
Clive just sat and nodded. Inside he was itching to check more about Evan and what it was that drove him and what the person feels by reverting back to infancy.

James Kelly pulled into the hospital parking lot just before seven in the morning. He failed to notice the dark coloured sedan parked where it shouldn’t. As he got out and locked up two large guys approached him. The taller one who was maybe six foot six and a good two hundred and twenty pounds spoke. “James Kelly?” Kelly looked at the guy “Yes that’s me” The guy reached out and wrapped his hand round the top of his arm and squeezed hard trapping the nerves and muscles. A shock of pain ripped through Kelly’s arm. He tried to scream but the guys other hand cupped his mouth and he shook his head as though to say, “don’t even think about it”
We have a message for you from a friend. Kelly knew instantly what this was about.
They showed Kelly a picture of his sister who was off to university at the other end of the country. “Do as asked and she won’t get hurt” Kelly’s eyes showed fear and anger that they had targeted an innocent in this game. But he nodded enough to get through to the goons he understood the message.

Jasmine stood in the dock as the chief magistrate looked at the notes. “You are charged with driving while on using a mobile phone and causing an accident how do you plead?”
Jasmine stood in shock. Causing an accident? The kid wasn’t dead. Thank God.
Jasmine looked straight ahead. She smiled to herself I can get out this one she thought. “Not guilty” She replied. The magistrate nodded “duly noted bail is set at fifteen thousand pounds”
Jasmine felt as if she had been struck. She reeled as the enormity of the whole scenario was unfolding in front of her. But she still could phone daddy to pay the bail fee. “I don’t have that but I can get it” she replied.
The officer collected Jasmine and took back to the station. Once back in the station they allowed Jasmine to phone her father.
“Daddy? It’s Jas I have a problem I’m in the police station I hit a boy yesterday in my car and bail has been set at fifteen thousand”
She waited while her father ranted and raved at her stupidity and carelessness. He promised to go and sort the bail money out and would be down as soon as was feasible.

Dexter was in Evan’s room moving a few of his things down to the lower floors so he could access to his favourite games, books and toys. He picked up pile of books and one slipped out and fell open on the floor. It looked to be a boring history book. But he looked at the inside and got the shock of his life.
There was a picture of a young boy dressed as a little girl hugging a doll. With a big arrow pointing to it with the words “I wish this was me” pointing to it.
Dexter’s mind reeled was Evan gay? No he dismissed that as soon as it hit his brain.
It’s something else. He looked closely at the picture his eyes widen. The picture was
Evan. Well certainly the head was, had he photo-shopped the head onto the image?
It was a thing lots of people did. Alter images to something they wish to be or desire.
He took the books downstairs leaving the image in the book exactly where he found it. The kid had gone through enough problems without starting up another one. He was going to have enough in the coming weeks and months learning to walk again and the physiotherapy.

James Kelly walked in still shaking from the encounter he tried to compose himself before running into members of staff. He ran his mind through the T.A.R.S programme. He knew it was basically designed to helped people from great trauma recover and allow their mind to cover the incident as it built new memories. But in some cases and for certain assistance and funds it had been used rather unethically at times. But now he was being forced to use to the programme on Dangerfield’s daughter and not to cover a memory but to regress it and keep it in a certain place and time. He shook himself could I actually do this to Jasmine he wondered. He mused as he picked up Evan’s charts wonder if I could get old man Dangerfield to cough up a few gee’s to help the kid he looks as though he could do with it after all his daughter caused the accident.

Clive quickly bolted his breakfast down and raced upstairs as his mother called after him to remember to brush his teeth.
He quickly turned to the google home page and typed in acting as little girls adults
The amount of hits shocked him. He started clicking on the pages reading and making notes. That some used the regression as a way to cover and blank out bad childhood experiences and to build new ones and see themselves as what they wished they’d been. They wanted a happier more liberating childhood where life was easier and more carefree, and becoming the fairer sex allowed this is a better way than staying and being a baby boy or little boy. Girls usually got treated better wore nicer clothes and were more gentle.
Clive wrote furiously re-checking and making notes going back on pages and checking if sites differed on points of view.
But the general conclusion he came too by late morning was that this was Evan’s way of coping with his parent’s death and his inability to express himself in society. He started to understand his friend more now and had deeper respect for him. This couldn’t be easy he knew how much Evan had been hurt and shocked by their early death.

Tyrone drove himself down to the courthouse fuming. Fifteen thousand to free his daughter. It wasn’t the money that was incidental it was the fact that once again she had dragged the family name through the mud. Well for the last time he thought. Never again will I pay off some official or member of the public. He smiled to himself if she knew what was coming she’d be making a run for it.
Which is why he’d hidden her passport and closed her trust fund. There was no way she was going to not face the music this time. An injured child was something Tyrone Dangerfield felt tug at his heartstrings. He glanced at his watch as the powerful engine purred under the bonnet. He had time. He took the next turning and followed the signs to the hospital. Pulled into his personal parking slot. Walked through the doors to reception and asked for Evan Robinson’s ward the receptionist told him. Tyrone smiled and thanked her and took the lift up. How do I want to play this he thought? Just say who I am and offer them help? He dismissed both ideas from his head.
He walked along the corridor till he spotted the room where Evan was situated.
He took a deep breath and walked in.

Dexter sat down and looked at the picture. It seemed from the way it had been done it meant something dear to Evan. But the question that kept coming back to him was how or do I say something to Alicia. She cares and loves Evan dearly and would want him happy. But really would this be the best way to go?
He walked back up to Evan’s room and picked up the boy’s laptop. He stopped sat down and turned it on. Waited it powered up all the while turning over in his mind how to handle this. It was pretty obvious this needed specialist help and or gently handling. He watched as the laptop kicked in. Turned on the browser and went straight to Evan’s history.
He tried to take it all in. there seemed to be a lot of stories from fictionmania he clicked on the links several stories from allie elle. He skimmed through them he seemed to reading a lot of what he felt Evan was feeling. He noticed another link Topshelf again this same author allie elle. It seemed to him that this author reached out to Evan and meant something to him. He read through again a couple of the stories quickly. He checked Evan’s folder and found one named me3. He opened it.

Jasmine waited for her father. She frowned he should have been here by now Tyrone Dangerfield wasn’t a man to be kept waiting or to make people wait. He was efficient with his time paring meetings down to the minute. So where was he?
She drummed her fingers on the mattress a soft noise reached her ears as her fingers beat on the material. She stood up and started the pacing that last night had seemed to soothe her from the horror of what she had done, or thought she had done. But now she knew by sheer luck he was alive. But that still didn’t erase the fact she had been driving dangerously and was in serious trouble. The pacing increased and she grew agitated “where was he? Surely he wouldn’t leave her here to go to jail cell?”
Up and down back and forth Jasmine paced.
The officer watched he pacing and noted it. Didn’t want anything to happen and it note be noted down if she did something stupid.

Clive sat at his desk with several pages of notes and link written down. “Well” he mused, “If this is how you wish to be Evan I promise I’ll be there for you. I may not fully understand all of it. But you’re my friend and I hate to see you unhappy and in pain” He did a quick google search of little girl stories and noted down the links.
Clive sat back in his chair and started to read through his copious notes. Shaking his head he wondered how some of the people who felt this way kept it all together it must be such a strain to keep it in. This is hardly the same as slipping on heels and a skirt. Society tends to look upon those better after all Eddie Izzard cross dresses and he’s liked. But from what he had read too many get the wrong idea with those who wish to be, dress and act like little girls or babies.
He checked the time and put his notebook in his desk drawer and locked it. He wasn’t going to chance his mother or sister finding that and quizzing him relentlessly.
He walked downstairs to see what was being dished up for dinner.

Tyrone extended his hand toward Alicia “good morning I’m Tyrone Dangerfield”
Alicia took his hand shook it gently “Alicia Jackson this is my nephew Evan”
Tyrone smiled “I know Miss and I’m truly sorry for what happened. Believe me the person responsible will pay for it” Alicia looked at the man standing before her he was about five foot nine reasonably well built short cut hair black with a hint of grey.
“How can you be so sure they’ll feel the extent of the law. People get off on this sort of thing all the time” Tyrone looked back and smiled softly. “First of all let me reiterate I am very sorry for what happened. But the driver was my daughter” The slap happened so fast he didn’t have a chance to stop it. Alicia sat back down shaking,
“Sorry I am sorry I shouldn’t have done that” Tyrone nodded “It’s Okay I deserved that in a way. But I promise you she will be very sorry for this”
Tyrone sat down next to Alicia he reached into his jacket and pulled out a cheque- book and a gold fountain pen and quickly wrote out a cheque folded it in two and handed it over.
Then handed over his business card and wrote a number on the back. “This is my home number if you need anything call me day or night. He stood up and walked as he reached the door he turned and looked at Evan. “I promise you kiddo I’ll do everything to see you are back to normal and healthy soon”

Dexter’s eyes registered shock and disbelief. The folder was full of images of little girls all with Evan’s had added. Playing with dolls, doll houses. Cuddling soft toys sitting in a high chair being fed.
“Poor kid” Dexter muttered. He skimmed through the pictures. A word document caught his eye. Dexter double clicked it as it opened sat there thinking there must be a way to help him. The document loaded and Dexter sat and read his way through. As on the pages Evan poured his heart out in words he wouldn’t or most likely couldn’t do to a living person. He explained how never felt accepted at school or in life as Evan that life was painful and frightening too him. His whole life was wrong from the start and he wished he was a little girl of 2 years of age and was called Evie.
Dexter sat numb and then angry with himself for not noticing the signs. Evan had always played with younger children and babysat them and enjoyed their games.
He watched all the nanny programmes on television.
Dexter printed the document off turned off the laptop and took it down to the room that for the time being would be Evan’s.

James Kelly walked towards his office and opened it walked in closed the door and leaned back on the door. He shut his eyes trying to wipe the image and memory of what had just happened. But it wouldn’t go. He sat down behind his desk turned on this computer and waited while it started up. Once up he typed in his password then open a file T.A.R.S (trauma assistance recovery system) typed in a secondary password as the file system opened up he sat at looked at the name of previous patients most of who had been trauma patients but a few select ones had been pushed deeper till they reached a state of which they for all intense purposes believed themselves to be the age they were told. James looked at the screen tapped his fingers on the desk “Can I really do it again?” He skimmed through the list, and the stages of the programme. But he knew he had no choice Dangerfield controlled a lot of the funding and he knew way too much for him to not to do it.
Sighing deeply he closed the program and turned off the computer.

Alicia watched as Tyrone Dangerfield exited the room. She opened the cheque and gasped. Evan looked over at his auntie “Is something wrong auntie?”
Alicia blinked away the tears “No sweetie everything is just perfect honestly”
She looked at the cheque in disbelief. But there it was in black and white fifteen thousand pounds. She sat staring at the cheque. She knew it would certainly help, as she would have to be off work to help Evan.
She smiled softly. “Everything will be alright now Evan dear that nice man has just helped”

Tyrone pushed open the door to the courtroom and walked through to the payments section. “I’m here to post Jasmine Dangerfield’s bail” The clerk looked up then skimmed through the names and amounts. She smiled “Yes that’s fifteen thousand pounds please” Tyrone pulled a cheque out of jacket and handed it wordlessly to the clerk. The made a notation next to the name. The she phoned through to the station and spoke to the duty sergeant.
“She’ll be ready in a few minutes” Tyrone nodded and walked off to collect his wayward daughter.

Clive wordlessly sat down and eats his dinner. Cheese on toast one of his favourites but all he could really think about was Evan. The pain he must have been going through well still was this wasn’t likely to end anytime soon was it.
He needed to find a way to talk to Evan and explain he knew and understood and would try to help him. But how was the issue he wrestled with as he munched through his toast. He stared blankly out of the window. His mother looked at him
“Clive is everything alright?” Clive nodded “Yes mum just thinking about something and a way to help a friend”
She smiled “Okay sweetie as long as it’s not troubling you too much”
He put down his last piece of toast half-eaten and pushed back his chair and raced upstairs. Opened his door unlocked his drawer and started reading his notes he was sure there was something in here to unlock the way to talk to Evan. There has to be he couldn’t let him suffer anymore. Not now not now he understood all of it.

The cell door unlocked “Out you come Miss your father has posted bail you are free to go” Jasmine looked up from the bed hopped up and stepped out of the cell. Freedom she thought sweet freedom from that tiny cell.
She walked out with the officer to the desk. Her father stood waiting his face unreadable. She smiled weakly at him. Nothing. She looked at him she knew he was annoyed big time. Just how annoyed she was about to find out.
He opened the door to the fresh air like the gentleman he was. Walked her to the car opened the door “Get in” She climbed in meekly. Tyrone climbed in the other and looked across at his daughter. “Well?” Jasmine tried the old daughter trick of a soft smile. “Cut it out Jasmine this time is serious” “Okay father don’t give me grief it was an accident he just stepped out in front of me. I didn’t see him it wasn’t my fault”
“Don’t lie to me Jasmine I’ve seen the report, you were on your damn phone while driving” Jasmine took the rebuke as though she’d been slapped her father rarely swore and nearly always kept his temper.
“I’ve made an appointment for you to see a friend of mine a doctor something needs to be done to sort your head out. I am not always going to bail you out of trouble, in fact I’m cutting you off you’ll get no more from me.

Dexter finished setting the room up for Evan the room was light and airy it would help Evan. A small table that would go over the bed was in the room with his laptop on and plugged in all Evan had to do was turn it on.
He looked round the room and smiled a germ of an idea was forming in his head. But how do I broach the idea to Alicia. “I have the print out of how he feels but really will that be enough to convince her that he needs to be this little girl?”
Deep down he knew work had to be done to help Evan or the poor kid would crack under the pressure of trying to hold the girl in he needed to be.
He glanced round the room one last time to make sure it would fit its purpose for time being. Satisfied he walked out of the room. Locked up the house walked out to his car and drove back towards the hospital all the time turning over in his mind how and when to tell Alicia.

James Kelly walked out of his office his heart and minding racing. This wasn’t what he signed up to do with the system but it had just led there through a series of miscalculations. But if the right person came along then he’d get a big pay bonus. He cast glances around as he walked towards the room that held the nerve centre of T.A.R.S he unlocked the door and entered turn on the light and locked the door behind him.
Turned on the computer and unlocked the inner door and walked into a different world. In the corner was a changing table with a pink mat on top and underneath a cupboard.
The floor was covered in a soft carpet with Disney characters all over it.
The lights were bright with fairies on them. The walls had Snow White and Cinderella on them. He opened the cupboard under the changing mat. Stacks of nappies in all sizes stood on top of each other some in pink some in white. A second door was hidden opposite the changing the table. He smiled softly to himself, knowing the secret behind that particular door.
He shook himself “No I have to do this I just have too” James walked over the head of Donald Duck to a wardrobe and opened a rack of short baby dresses in an array of colours hung on a rail in front of his eyes. “This isn’t going to be easy but there is no way I am going down for this”

Tyrone pulled into his personal slot with his daughter and smiled at her. “Look this is for your own good dear you’ve been getting in too much trouble”
Jasmine sat looking straight ahead. What did he really know? It wasn’t like she did things on purpose sure she used her name to influence people and get off but not always. “Jasmine are you listening to me?” She turned to look at her father she smiled weakly and nodded. “Then out you get” Jasmine exited the car and stood wondering just what was going to happen to her. After all he rarely did anything to punish them and seeing a doctor over this seemed a bit strange but if it shut him up for a while and allowed her the time to disappear to another country for while then it was all well and good. Jasmine’s father walked round to her come on Jasmine it’s this way. The pair entered the hospital and made their way up the third floor. Tyrone lead Jasmine to the door marked T.A.R.S and knocked. James Kelly took a deep breath at the knock.
“Here goes nothing” he muttered and opened the door. “Hello Tyrone” he greeted the man “You must be Jasmine?” The girl nodded and glanced round the room.
“What is this place?” The man in the white coat spoke “This is a place where we help people who have had trauma and help them build memories to erase that specific event that caused the trauma”
“But I haven’t had any trauma” Jasmine replied. Her father looked at Jasmine “But you have my dear what about the accident?”
Jasmine shook herself this was all about the stupid accident? She looked towards the door but her dad was blocking the way. The shrugged guess it won’t hurt to see what it’s all about she thought to herself.

Evan was sitting up right in the bed the pain a dull ache in his legs. His thoughts drifted off to his happy place. He was sitting in his room the pink walls and princess bed clothing marked the room as that belonging to a little girl.
Evie picked up her favourite and sat her down at the small table around it sat a bear a Snow White soft toy and a pink rabbit. She smiled as he spoke to them in her soft immature voice “would they all like tea?” She clapped her hands as they all replied they would. She filled their cups with tea and then offered them all a piece of cake.
She sat down and spoke quietly to all her dolls and soft toys that she was now happy. Her life was now they way it should be things weren’t wrong anymore, the ache and pain of not being understood had vanished and she felt complete in her mind and body. But she knew one thing was still wrong and one day when she was old enough that too would go away then. And only then would it be truly over and complete.
She giggled as the rabbit made a joke with Snow White. A noise disturbed her she looked towards the door as her auntie came in the room carrying a clean nappy and pair of frilly pants. “Time for a change darling” she called over to niece. Evie stood up and waddled over to auntie and held her arms up. Her auntie picked her up and carried her to the changing table. She pulled up her niece’s dress and pulled down and off her pants and dropped them into nappy bucket then untapped her nappy. And opened it. “Evan are you all right you looked far away?” he just smiled “I’m fine auntie just fine” he closed his eyes and drifted back.

Dexter locked the car as exited in the car park at the hospital still trying to find a way to break the news to Alicia. His hand touched the print out. He had that sure, but he knew he also had to try and explain it to her in spoken words of what he had seen on Evan’s laptop in the hope he could get her to see the boy’s pain and anguish.
He knew that something somehow had to be sorted the boy suffering in silence and from what he had read online that could lead to big problems later on in life and while Evan wasn’t his biological child he loved as such and he was going to help him. “I have to” he said softly to the wind. He walked into the entrance and walked round to the bank of lifts and pressed the lift call button.
He got off at the third floor and walked determinedly towards the room containing Evan and Alicia. He smiled as he walked in. “Evan I’ve set the room up moved some of your books down and your laptop”
Evan glanced at Dexter, had he seen anything? I hope not he thought how would I explain I want to be a little girl. Dexter smiled at the kid lying in the bed and spoke to Alicia “Want to go and get some coffee and something to eat?” she turned to look at Evan. “What about Evan if he needs something?” “Auntie I’ll be okay I promise” Evan replied. Alicia stood up and walked out of the room with Dexter towards the hospital cafeteria.

Follow me please Jasmine Dr. Kelly informed her and led her towards the inner door.
Her eyes registered the shock of what was inside. “But his is a baby’s room or little girls” she exclaimed. “Yes” the doctor replied “We find that by taking people back to an earlier period in their lives it makes it easier to gloss or and hide bad experiences”
He motioned for Jasmine to sit down she found a chair and sat. James sat down opposite her in a large black leather chair. “Now Jasmine the program or system really is quite intense and difficult for some but believe me the outcome is well worth it you’ll be and feel a better girl at the end of it. He flashed a disarming smile.
Jasmine looked round the room trying to take it all in and not fully seeing what it was she felt was wrong. Then it hit her like a run away truck. Did he say girl?

Clive sat alone with his thoughts. Not all of them happy and good. He looked out of his bedroom window across the street to where Evan lived with his aunt and Mr Grant. Mentally Clive shook himself looked down at his notes and sighed. He hit the enter button on his laptop and the screensaver cleared showing back the google homepage. Once again he typed in a few key words this time threw into the mix nappies babies adults. This time the hits dwarfed his previous search. Once again he sat and made notes. Time passed rapidly as he made page after page after page of notes. He heard his mother call him for tea Clive looked at his watch and was shocked to see it was well past six o’clock. He again locked everything up and put a blank page up on his computer. Clive flew down the stairs and quickly ate his tea hardly noticing what it was. Thanked his mother for tea she shook her head and laughed at boys wolfing down food and getting back to video games. If she knew Clive thought. Once back in his room he unlocked the drawer and got out both sets of notes and started ton condense them into something that made more sense so he could take it all in easier and in a form fitting way. It seemed to be that some of the people who felt this way are born, pre-conditioned to be that way from what he understood. But then there where those for who it was sexual thing they enjoyed the feeling of wet or and messy nappies, and then there are the ones for whom it is more difficult. To these individuals it is neither sexual or a condition that drove them, they are that way because it’s a way of coping with a difficult trauma often in their childhood, it may have been an accident or it may have been physical or sexual abuse. For them to be able to go back and erase those memories is an overwhelming force and once they need to grasp and take advantage of. He sat back satisfied he had not narrowed it down but had got it into a form that was easier to read and for others to understand. After all how was he going to explain this to Evan’s aunt and Mr Grant?

Dexter and Alicia walked along the corridor towards the cafeteria. Dexter turned to Alicia “We need to talk about Evan”
Alicia nodded “I know we do dear” They walked into the cafeteria and got a tray ordered two coffees and a couple of Belgian buns. Dexter paid and he walked to table away from other people and sat down.
“Now Alicia before I start talking an show you something I want your word you’ll try and listen with an open mind and won’t fly off the handle and scream and shout”
Alicia looked Dexter across the table from with a puzzled look. “Sure honey but what’s this all about?” Dexter took a deep breath he had rehearsed this in his head but now was the crunch. Telling Alicia about Evan/Evie. Here goes nothing he mentally told himself.
“What do you know about people who wish to be of the opposite sex?” he asked gently. Quizzically Alicia looked at Dexter “Not much really dear, why?”
“Well” He reached into his jacket pocket and felt the pages that where about to break Evan’s life and give him something new. He hoped oh God he hoped. He held them in his hand. “Now before I give you these I want you to read them with an open mind and promise to make no rash judgements and that we’ll talk this through sensibly like adults” “Dexter what is this about honey? You’re scaring me,”
“Read this it’s from Evan’s laptop” He handed the sheets over and took a sip of coffee. Alicia took the folded sheets of paper unfolded them and started to read. Dexter watched her face at first it was unreadable but about halfway down just where Dexter imagined he could see her blink away a tear. Bingo he thought.

Jasmine sat and looked at the doctor as he explained how the system worked. They used imagery and sounds to take the patient back to early memories. Memories that are formed fairly on in development and focus on those to enhance the patient’s own adult brain so it can take the memory and boost it to a level so they, as an adult can focus so they can understand it themselves and be in the memory in their own adult mind, but as that as a child.
Jasmine giggled “This is a joke right? This simply isn’t possible you can’t take an adult back to infancy and then erase bad aspects of adulthood, can you?”
The man opposite her opened his mouth to speak. But instead her father cut in. “Jasmine don’t be impertinent of course it works. I have been funding this for the last five years. I don’t throw my money around without good cause” Jasmine flashed her father a look. “Yes Miss Dangerfield it works and it works well we have a total success rate in helping people past bad experiences and helping them then lead perfectly productive lives afterwards with no bad affects afterwards”
“So let me get this straight,” Jasmine said “You want to try and take me back to my childhood to erase the trauma of the accident?”
A smirk light up the doctor’s face “Well not exactly Miss Dangerfield. Not exactly”

Evan sat alone in the room he drifted off again back to the tea party. He auntie wiped him down and folded and tapped the wet nappy and dropped it in the bucket. And lift his legs up and slide a fresh dry nappy under his bottom and pulled the middle up pulled the sides over and securely tapped it. Shook out his favourite pink frilled pants and pulled them over his legs and up and over his nappy. She then checked the nappy wasn’t sticking out of the legs or waist satisfied she pulled down his dress and put him back down on the floor. There you go Evie dear all clean dry run along and play auntie will come and get you soon for dinner.
Evie waddled back to her friends round the table and giggled happily. The bear sat looking at Snow White’s piece of cake. She smiled at the bear and offered it to him. The bear took it at quickly ate it before she could change her mind. Evie picked up rabbit and her favourite doll and waddled out of the room to find her auntie. She wanted a bottle.

Alicia put down the pages and pulled a tissue out of her handbag and wiped her eyes.
“This isn’t some kind of joke is it?” She asked Dexter. Dexter sat and just shook his head “No it’s not. I’ve seen pictures of little girls where he’s added his own head onto their looks and what they’re doing or playing”
Alicia sat there suddenly really unable to comprehend it all. “So he wants to be a little girl?” Dexter just nodded. Suddenly a light went off in her head and she reached into her handbag and handed over Dangerfield’s cheque he’d given her. “This should help I guess” Dexter took the cheque and looked in disbelief. “Holy cow that’s a lot of money it will certainly allow Evan I mean Evie to come out I guess”
Alicia looked across at him “You really think he needs this?” Once again Dexter nodded. Alicia smiled “Well I guess there is no harm in seeing how he feels about it by asking him and if he truly wants to do it then we’ll support him all the way. I think his mother would have done same thing for him”
Silently they cleared up the empty cups and plates and took them back and then walked back to the room. They opened the door. “Evan sweetie Mr Grant and I have something we need to ask you”

“What do you mean not exactly?” Jasmine snapped. The doctor’s face now had almost an open grin across it. He glanced up at Tyrone who nodded once. “Well Miss Dangerfield it seems you might have issues which you need to work through. You may not seem them as issues your father and I do” Jasmine frowned “What on earth are you on about?”
“Miss Dangerfield. Jasmine you seem to be flying through life living off your father’s reputation, power and wealth and its time you learnt life isn’t a game. It’s a constant struggle with ones own being that shapes us all. You just have to learn how to shape yourself correctly so we’re going to take you all the way to the age of three to give you the chance to rectify and modify your own behavioural patterns”
Jasmine sat there in shock. She couldn’t believe what had just been said the worst part of it all was the singular word we meaning her father agreed totally to this crazy idea.
A knock on the door broke her train of thought and a nurse entered the room. She walked over to Jasmine “If you’d follow me please” Jasmine’s brain seemed to look it’s track and she silently followed the woman towards a door in the corner of the room. The nurse opened the door allowing Jasmine to pass through first then she followed in and closed the door. The room had a small wardrobe in one corner a bath in the opposite corner. “Please strip Miss Dangerfield,” The nurse said. Jasmine just stared at her “Are you serious? I’m not stripping in front of you” The nurse just returned a smile “Oh, you will Miss Dangerfield. So strip now before it becomes unpleasant for one of us” Jasmine looked at saw the steely determination in her eyes. She sighed and started to remove her clothing.

In the other room Kelly looked up at Tyrone and tried to gauge the guys feelings. “Look are you sure this is the right way to deal with her?” Tyrone looked down at the doctor “I pay you to act and do as you’re told not to think or question. Just do it understood?” James Kelly simply nodded “You’re the boss” He started typing some commands into the computer. Asking the odd question to Tyrone about Jasmine before feeding the answer and relevant information into the program.
He spends several minutes feeding in more data then pushes back his chair. “That’s all done and set all we need to do now is start Jasmine on the therapy. You do know once we do it this way there is no turning back? Once reverted and held at a specific age it can’t be unlocked?” Tyrone nodded “Yes I do but I’ve made my mind up I will not have my name wrecked by her anymore she’s made her last mistake”
With a sigh Kelly nodded. “Okay but I am not too happy about this at all” The door to the back room opened and the nurse walked out in front of her walked Jasmine Dangerfield naked.

Dexter closed the door and drew the blinds he didn’t want anyone disturbing this. It was way too important; for Evan. Alicia looked at Evan her heart melted she had to do this she had to be strong her nephew, well niece now. “Evan dear is there anything you want to tell us?” Evan looked at the pair of adults sat down he tried to read their expressions but couldn’t. “I don’t think so auntie Alicia”
She smiled at him “Well is there anything Evie would like to ask?”
Evan’s heart crashed through the bottom of his stomach. A cold sweat rolled over his body. Oh dear God they knew. Please no let this be not happening. It can’t do. The thoughts crashed and boiled inside his head. Then the tears hit and rolled in fat droplets and streamed down his face.
They moved to him one either side. They both reached out and held him. The woman spoke first. “Evan or would you prefer Evie? It’s all right. Honestly we both understand it and how you feel. I will admit I don’t fully understand it. But we both intend to support you”
A soft whisper floated from Evan’s lips. “Evie” His aunt nodded “Okay then Evie it is from now on” “Evie sat in shock “They were going to help? His dream was going to come true he was going to be little Evie and have a doll’s house and tea parties”
A giggle escaped from Evie. Then the tears fell forth as he knew he was on the way to being happy. They held him tightly till the tears and shakes subsided.
Dexter spoke I’m sorry Evie but something fell from one of your books as I was moving it downstairs to your room. Evie smiled “It’s all right uncle Dexter”
Dexter gulped and swallowed back the tears. Uncle Dexter the words slammed home hard and true. Evan had always been kind of surly around him. He’d never really given him any respect. But from those two words he knew Evie was starting to come out of hiding.

Jasmine’s father flushed slightly. The nurse led Jasmine to the changing table “Up you get young lady” Jasmine looked at the woman puzzled. She climbed up and sat with her feet dangling over the side. The nurse glared at Jasmine “No sweetie lie down” Jasmine laid down the nurse open the cupboard underneath and pulled out a large white nappy and a bottle of baby talcum powder. Jasmine caught sight of them as the nurse stood up.
“What on earth? You’re not putting that on me I’m not a baby”
The nurse smiled back “Just lie down sweetie and let nurse take care of you” There was something in the woman’s tone of voice. Jasmine laid back and smiled. Not realizing that the soft whispering tone she cold barely hear was telling her it would be all right, she was safe, she was home, she was doing what she’d always done. The woman, Jasmine assumed it was her nanny, was telling her to lift her bottom up. Jasmine giggled and lifted it up. The nurse slid the nappy under Jasmine’s bottom and liberally talced her then pulled the tabs into place and taped Jasmine’s nappy.
“Come on sweetie” Her nanny was saying “Let’s get you into a nice dress” Jasmine frowned then nodded but something lurking in the back of her mind was screaming at her. This wasn’t right you are being tricked. The nurse helped Jasmine down off the changing table. Jasmine stopped why couldn’t I close my legs fully? She wondered. She followed the nanny across the room towards a wardrobe where the nanny was looking through what looked to be a lot of very short dresses.
The nurse pulled out a white dress with pink lace on the hem, cuffs and sleeves. She held it up on its hanger for her. Jasmine’s eye lit up at the sight of the dress it was beautiful. She clapped her hands. “Would baby like to wear it?” Nanny asked.
Jasmine started to speak then the voice screamed. “This isn’t real you are not a baby”

Clive sat in his room he had Evan’s iPod on playing the nursery rhymes and stories. A tight smile held on his face, while he felt happy that he maybe to help Evan something inside of him was yelling to him that Evan must have been suffering for a long time knowing that he couldn’t tell anyone for fear of rejection and ridicule. “I wouldn’t reject you,” he whispered to the empty room. “Never Evan” He blinked away the hot tears. He sat deep in thought the rhymes and stories just a blur and background sounds as he played over and over in his mind how he was going to approach Evan’s aunt and Mister Grant. He’d sort of got it nailed down it just needed a touch of refining. Not much a few tweaks here and there and then hopefully Evan would be able to live the life he needed too. He knew this didn’t bother him that his friend wanted to be a baby girl. He was still his friend no matter what; if others couldn’t see that then they were not friends.

Evie looked at the two adults. Her voice faltered as she spoke “You know all of it?”
They both looked at their niece “We do honey” her aunt replied, “I’m sorry but uncle Dexter found your pictures and stories”
Evie blinked away more tears. “You read my stories?” Her uncle just nodded. “But they are mine they make me happy you shouldn’t have” She sobbed.
“Shush it will be okay Evie” her auntie replied. “I also read your hope thoughts about how you wished you could have tea parties wear little pretty dresses and nappies” Evie looked ahead the shock still sat deep in her, but there was a lot of hope in it as well. “But auntie you can’t afford for me to be a little girl” She found it hard to say the singular most important name in her life
“Evie?” uncle Dexter said.
“Yes” it came out as a hoarse whisper. The two adults exchanged a look. Alicia stroked Evie’s hand gently “Well Evie we have some good news, the father of the girl who hit you has given us some money to help pay for anything you need to help you get better” She glanced over at Dexter “Your uncle and I think we should use it, and we mean as much as needed to give you the room Evie wants, and of course clothes and toys” Evie burst into tears. Her uncle moved closer and held her tightly “Its okay Evie I promise you everything will be sorted out. You can have what you need to be Evie” Evie looked up at her uncle “Does that mean I can have a pink doll’s house and some dolls? I know they cost money if I can’t I understand” She suddenly looked small, afraid and lost to the two adults. Evie’s aunt spoke “Sweetie listen to me. You can have whatever you want. I promise we got a lot of money so make a list of what Evie wants and uncle Dexter will go shopping for you. Won’t you Dexter” she said with a giggle. Dexter flushed at the thought of a shopping basket full of doll’s, doll’s clothes and soft toys. Then his heart broke and he looked down at Evie. “Just try and stop me. I’ll get you everything on the list and more” he blinked as his eyes filled.
Evie looked at his auntie and whispered softly “What about you know” Her aunt looked at her niece “You mean nappies?” Evie nodded “It’s part of who Evie is right?” Evie nodded back “Then neither of us have a problem you can wear and use nappies” Evie flashed a bright smile and clapped. Her aunt saw the transformation right before her eyes Evan vanished and Evie took over in place.

Jasmine looked wildly round the room for an exit. She saw the door she had been led in through and tried to run, but the nappy made it harder she got within two steps. When the nanny grabbed her and pulled her back. Jasmine started screaming and kicking “You can’t do this to me, I am not a baby I am an adult” Then the doctor was next to her he held a syringe in his hand he quickly wiped an area on her arm. Then the needle sank into her vein.
Blackness. Pain, no sounds where am I? Slowly Jasmine came too she had no idea how long she had been out. She could feel a bulkiness between her legs, she tried sitting up but couldn’t. She opened her eyes slowly as the bright light hit her senses. Bars? Where am I? She thought. As she became accustomed to the light she took stock of her surroundings. She was in the room she had tried to escape from, but things seemed different. There where sounds this time and a strange scent. She thought she could tell what it was, but the ability to remember it kept slipping away from her. She moved her head and noticed she had on mittens but they looked different. “No thumbs” she said softly then she noticed the reins keeping her down in the cot. It was then she realized she was wet. She mentally she shook herself I can’t have wet myself can I? Jasmine lost track of how long she was lying there in her nappy. The door opened and in walked her nanny. Jasmine smiled and looked up to her. “Well how is my little girl this morning?” Jasmine looked from the cot up to her nanny standing over the side of the cot. She spoke “Why am I in a nappy?” The nanny laughed “Because babies wear nappies” Jasmine glared back “I am not a baby I am twenty three” she tried to say except the final word came out as fwee.

Evie looked round at her aunt and uncle and giggled. Her eye’s bright with life and happiness. “Auntie can I have a pink room and fairies on the walls?” Alicia looked at her now niece as far as she and Dexter where concerned. “Yes dear of course you can. Would you like a bed or cot?” Evie looked at her auntie, she swallowed “I can have a cot?” Her auntie giggled “Well of course you can sweetie, isn’t it what little girls sleep in?” A furious nodding from Evie showed she agreed. “Well that’s settled then. “Uncle Dexter will do some checking online and see what he can find. Won’t you dear?” Dexter smiled yes of course “I’ll go and do some shopping then I’ll bring my laptop back and we can go virtual shopping Evie how does that sound?”
Evie smiled “Can you bring me a dolly when you come back uncle Dexter?” Dexter felt his heart melting even more. “Yes of course Evie. Tell you what I’ll bring you back a princess dolly how does that sound?”
A giggling sound told Dexter the idea was perfect.

Jasmine tried again with the same result. The nanny just smiled own at her charge. Then she slipped a finger under Jasmine’s leg band and felt. “Well seems someone is very wet. I think baby needs changing. Don’t you?” Jasmine could feel the wetness clinging to her. She nodded weakly. I have to get away from this she thought. The nanny them pulled down the sides of the cot and lean over Jasmine and unclipped the reins. Then helped her sit up so that she could get herself settled and gain her bearings. Then the nanny picked her up. Jasmine’s mind reeled, sure she’d been light before but not so light someone could pick her up. How long had I been out? Jasmine mused. The nanny carried her over to the changing table and laid her down. She then pulled off the pink floral baby pants and dropped them into a small bucket. Then she untapped her nappy and pulled a wipe from a carton and gently wiped Jasmine’s crotch area. “Lift your bottom for nanny dear” Jasmine complied and lifted. Her nanny slid the wet nappy out folded it and dropped it into the bucket. She then pulled out a clean nappy unfolded it and slid the clean one under Jasmine’s bottom, then shook some talc over Jasmine and then folded the nappy into place. Pulled a clean pair of lemon coloured pants off a hanger with white ruffles on the bottom and shook them open. Then she pulled them over Jasmine’s legs “Lift your bottom baby” She cooed. Without thinking Jasmine did as asked and the nanny slipped the pants over her nappy. Then nanny checked to make sure the nappy was contained within the pants. The she sat Jasmine up and lifted the dress that matched the pants off the hanger. “Right little one here is your pretty dress. Now don’t be afraid when it goes over your head okay?” Jasmine numbly nodded. She was doing as asked but a tiny voice was still telling her something wasn’t correct. The nurse then pulled the dress over Jasmine’s head and buttoned it up at the back. Jasmine sat kicking her legs over the side of the changing table. The nanny picked up a pair of white ankle socks with a lemon-frilled top and pulled one over each foot. Then she slipped on a pair of white Mary-Jane’s onto her feet then lifted her to the floor.

Dexter looked at his watch “Right I’ll be off someone needs a nice doll” As he looked at Evie. “I’ll go and get Evie’s doll then I’ll pop into the house collect the laptop and cable and come back so someone can go shopping” he said the last bit with a laugh.
Alicia looked at Dexter “Get some colour paint cards as well and if you can some wallpaper samples.
Dexter nodded “Sure no problem anything else honey?” Alicia shook her head. “I don’t think so at the minute. I suspect most will be done on the laptop shopping wise” Evie looked from her aunt to her uncle wondering if she could ask or not a troubled expression crossed her face. Dexter caught it “Is something wrong Evie dear?” A nod came back. “What’s the matter honey?”
Evie looked at each of them in turn “I can only be Evie when I come home from school can’t I?”
The adults both caught the question and what Evie really meant. Alicia got in first a second before Dexter “Evie dear, if you want to be Evie all of the time I am sure we can find a way to do it. We can home school you or get a tutor. If this what you want”
Her niece nodded. Then she cast a worried look at them “What about Clive? He won’t understand he was the only person at school who really only talked to me”
Dexter spoke “I am sure if we all, that includes your aunt and me sit down and talk to Clive and explain things he’ll understand it may take him some time, but trust me Evie if he’s that good of a friend he will come to understand”

Jasmine looked round the room as if she was seeing it for the first time. But something was tugging at her mind. She walked towards a small screen on the wall and sat down the air inside her plastic pants whooshed out as she flopped to the floor.
She sat down as the screen flickered and images came into life and flashed and danced across the screen. The images burned into Jasmine’s mind there was floppy her bunny from when she was a child, pictures of her old room she could just about recall from when she was younger. More images made their way across, images of young children dressed in dresses similar to what she was wearing. Babies in highchairs and coats, mothers taking their child out in prams and pushchairs all bored into Jasmine’s retina and hit her brain. She visibly relaxed seeing the images the hidden cameras capturing her change of mood. James Kelly smiled to himself and thought perfect she’s right on course. Another couple of weeks and she should be ready to go home. Jasmine started to notice the scent as it lightly touched her nostrils it caused a flicker of recognition she tried to recall where that smell has come from. But it was just out of reach, at present, it will come back to me she said to herself.
The imagery changed to that of a cartoon for pre-school children all about learning letters of the alphabet. Jasmine sat confused why was she watching this? She knew her letters she could speak. Well at least she thought so. Jasmine hardly noticed as she flooded her nappy.

Dexter walked round the doll section of the toyshop. He found an assistant and asked her for a princess doll. The assistant asked her how old the girl was. Dexter stood for a second wondering how old Evie was then he remembered, “She’s two” The assistant pulled a doll off the shelf in its box. “This one is very popular” Dexter looked at the doll and saw the pretty dress, crown and blonde hair on the doll. “That is perfect she’ll love it. Thank you Miss” She girl smiled and went back to work. Dexter picked up a pink rabbit he spotted on the way to the checkout and paid for the items. Drove back to the house picked up his laptop, power cable and credit card. He was going to need that for certain. He popped them onto the front seat of his car and drove back towards what was going to be one very happy little girl.
He sat at the lights and thought. Little girl, yes he nodded. Evan was no more he could see how happy even the talk about this made Evie. When they started changing things then it would certainly help on a deeper level, of course he knew there would be lots of psychotherapy to help Evie. Then, the horns blared he looked the light were green and he pulled away losing track for a moment of his train of thought.
He knew that at some point the discussion of a sex change would have to rear its ugly head, if of course that was the route Evie wished to pursue but Dexter had no doubt in his mind, that was exactly what Evie wanted and needed to complete her.

Evan's New Life Part Two - Evie falls into herself
by Baby-Becky

Jasmine looked felt the warmth spread across her groin area but she just sat and watched the cartoon. “Jasmine?” Jasmine turned round and say nanny there with a bottle in her hand “Would you like a bottle?” Jasmine nodded and took the offered bottle. Taking the teat into her mouth Jasmine sucked on the warm liquid and felt it running down her throat into her stomach. She felt content drinking the bottle but she didn’t know why, it was almost hypnotic and a comfort factor.
The nurse smiled to herself “Good girl Jasmine drink up your milk it will help you grow” Jasmine smiled through the bottle at her nanny. Jasmine continued sucking on the teat feeling the warm liquid course into her, and felt good and happier as she drank. Jasmine frowned as the bottle emptied then she held the empty bottle up to her nanny and shook it. “No more Jasmine, not yet anyway dear” Jasmine pouted and went back to watching her cartoon. She pointed happily to the big yellow bird and laughed. The nanny walked off carrying the empty bottle and took it into the kitchen where she cleaned it carefully.

Evie sat with her aunt still trying to comprehend what had been said. She was also wondering when she was going to wake up and find that none of this had happened it was all a very bad and cruel joke. “So Evie why don’t the two of us talk, us two girls” Evie looked down at her aunt in the soft chair and smiled weakly. “I guess you’re wondering why? And is it a passing thing and will I stop soon and go back to Evan?”
Alicia looked at her niece “Well not quite in those words and context, but yes I guess so. Evie look at me, I’m not cross with you I want you to know that, I still and will always love you, it doesn’t matter to me you want to be my niece. So why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me how Evie came to be”

In the room closed off to Jasmine doctor James Kelly sat making a few fine adjustments to the sight and sound stimuli. “That should enhance it somewhat,” he muttered. He looked at the flow of data that was being fed back to him and grinned.
“Well Tyrone you wanted a baby girl and you’ll certainly be getting one” He laughed softly “In fact you wanted her to be about three well for leaning on me heavily with this I think we’ll have her eighteen months old”
With that he started adjusting a few parts of the program and watched as the data changed in front of his eyes. “Perfect” he muttered.
Jasmine didn’t notice the change as the soft sounds changed in frequency and tone slightly she just though the slightly fuzzy and soft voice was adults talking behind her.
She clapped happily as her favourite character came on screen and made her laugh.
Jasmine crawled over to a box with a pink rabbit on the front. She pulled herself up by holding on to the edge of the box and looked inside. She giggled as she saw what she wanted. Reaching in Jasmine pulled out a golden-coated bear and hugged it tightly. Waddling slightly over across the room slightly unsteady on her feet Jasmine took in what was around the room. The room was certainly for that of a child but she was still recalling flashes of memory from some other part of her brain.
The doctor walked in Jasmine didn’t smile she didn’t like him. She didn’t know why but she didn’t like him at all. “Hello Jasmine how are you?” Jasmine looked up and giggled “Me is okies fank ooo” “Good girl Jasmine. Now what can you remember today?” Jasmine looked puzzled “Why did he keep asking the same question”
A look crossed Jasmine’s face as an image flashed in front of her eyes of a terrible noise and her sitting behind the wheel of a car. She knew it was a car as her daddy took in one to feed the ducks. James saw the change in expression on her face and wondered what she has remembered. “I saw a car and a noise I think I was driving. But that’s not possible I am too small”, Jasmine giggled.
“Yes that’s right Jasmine you are too small”

Evie took a deep breath smiled at her auntie “Well auntie I first felt different shortly before mum and dad where killed. It was small things at first. I’d be out with my friends and see girls or women out with their babies, and they looked so sweet, the baby that is. I didn’t think anything of it at first. But when they died I felt as if I needed something to hold onto, so I started to do some looking online for how I felt”
A lot of it wasn’t very pleasant and made me feel wrong”
“What do you mean it made you feel wrong dear?” replied Alicia “Well it was a bit sexual some of it and I don’t feel that was Evie isn’t like that”
Evie’s aunt nodded and smiled “Okay sweetie go on continue”
“Anyway I did a bit more reading and started to understand some of it. I mean you’ve read how I feel in words. Some of that was done after I read pieces online it made it easier to say after reading certain areas. But some of it is deeper auntie I never really felt right as Evan I always felt as if I was on the outside of the word looking in. But Evie is different she’s happy she feels at home in the world and wants to make friends. Evan never did either of those”
Alicia felt the words of pain from he niece cut deep. How could she have missed these signs? She knew how. Dexter she was too wrapped in him to pay attention to Evan, no wonder the boy had resented him. But maybe now all sides had a chance to become a cohesive unit. She certainly hoped so. She laughed softly I wonder if Evie would like to be a flower girl?

Jasmine hugged the bear tightly as the man talked to her asking her if she could remember certain other incidents. They tugged at Jasmine’s memory something about them seemed real almost as if she could remember them. But she couldn’t have done them could she? “Right Jasmine could you tell me how old you are?” Jasmine looked at her hands then she looked at the doctor. Jasmine nodded “Me is fwee” and held up a hand with all the fingers spread out. The doctor laughed and smiled and then shook his head “No Jasmine you are not you are eighteen months old” then muttered quietly under his breath “At the minute”
Jasmine nodded as the doctor spoke to her. Jasmine pointed to the screen “toons?”
“Yes Jasmine, cartoons, clever girl”
The nurse walked and over to Jasmine come along sweetie time for a nap. Then she slipped her hand into Jasmine’s and led her back towards the cot. She lifted Jasmine up and into the cot pulled up the side and handed Jasmine her favourite pink dummy.
Jasmine lay back and sucked contently on the dummy. The nanny watched a few minutes till Jasmine dropped off to sleep then she put the baby monitor on and crept out of the room. She walked through to the main room with Kelly in it. “I think she’s coming along nicely she sees herself as younger now, but certain bits keep poking through, we need to try and eradicate those parts of her we can’t go much further in unless we can move those memories away” Kelly grunted “Yes I know but she’s unpredictable and has too much of her father in her, and he’s always dropping in with things I thought he’d forgotten”
“Well you better hope she starts to forget things and she regresses right back or we could all be in a lot of trouble”

Evie kept speaking. “But it was like I was finding myself totally auntie. The feelings I was having reading made me realize that I was reading about me”
“But why didn’t you ever come and tell me any of this? And how you felt.” But she knew why as soon as the words tumbled out of her mouth and she wanted them back. Dexter was the reason why. Evie smiled a touch “I couldn’t auntie you were too much with uncle Dexter and I thought if I told you that you wouldn’t understand me and would freak out and throw me out of the house”
Her auntie sat shocked “But sweetie you’re my nep” Alicia just caught herself in time “Niece I would never throw you out of the house for something you feel. I love you so does uncle Dexter” a warm smile spread across her face as looked at her niece lying there. Evie looked confused for a minute “But this is going to hard for you both to accept right?” Alicia shook her head “No sweetie not as difficult as you think it will be, your uncle and I had a long discussion in the cafeteria about this. The most important thing is that you are happy and getting better” Evie looked at her aunt and giggled “Well it’s something that’s inside me and I know I’m not making it up I know I am this way” Evie tried in vain to blink the tears away from her eyes, but they fell down her cheeks. “I’m sorry auntie” Alicia moved to her niece’s side “Honey there is nothing to be sorry about. I understand and we’ll all try to make sure it works and that you come out of this a happy little girl”

Jasmine’s mind started talking to her soon after she closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure why it did, but ultimately it was speaking to her and trying hard to get her to wake up.
But Jasmine didn’t and couldn’t have known the milk was laced with a cocktail of sedatives and other drugs. Through the fog in her mind Jasmine tried to reach for the images in front of her. They showed her a young adult of about twenty-three, she attractive, dark brown hair and superior confidence in the way she held herself.
She was very well dressed, sexy without being a slut. Her voice seemed to be telling the younger version of Jasmine to wake up. Now. The tendrils of the vision started to waver and break. Jasmine’s mind tried to hold onto the images but the drugs where gripping tighter. Then the vision broke and Jasmine the older slipped away and there seemed to be a scream as she vanished into the ether. But young Jasmine slept on she sucked gently and rhythmically on her dummy.
In the other room the doctor and nurse cast worried looks at each other as the read out showing Jasmine’s breathing and brain patterns altered back and forth, in too much of way for a natural sleep. “What is causing that?” She said. “Well I am only guessing here” the doctor replied “But I’d bet a big stake she’s remembering her old self at some level which something we could do well without”
The nurse nodded “I guess then you need to either up the potency of the drugs or try and push her deeper with the images and scents of her childhood”
“Watch who you are trying to tell what to do. I know what I am doing it’s just going to take a touch of refinement” A soft laugh escaped the nurses lips “You better get it right or we’re both in serious trouble she snapped.
James Kelly looked at the spikes and troughs of Jasmine’s brain pattern and her breathing his shoulder’s slumped. This wasn’t what he went to medical school for. But he was trapped he had to do this or the man who’s daughter was in the other room could make him disappear, literally.

Dexter open the door to the hospital room and walked in with a doll under his arm and the laptop in the case in his hand. “How’s my favourite girl?” He said with a breezy grin. He said with a breezy grin. Alicia laughed “I’m fine honey just been telling Evie there is nothing to worry about” Dexter laughed, “I meant Evie. Now who ordered a doll?”

Evie clapped “I did uncle” Dexter smiled “Then I guess this is for you?” He said as he handed over the doll. Excitedly Evie took the box and just sat there looking at the doll for a few minutes. Dexter went cold, “Have I got you the wrong doll?” he whispered. Hoping that he had not goofed and gotten his niece the wrong doll, “Please don’t let her first doll bought for her be a mistake”

His niece looked up “No uncle she’s pretty”
Dexter breathed a sigh of relief “I was just looking at her after all she’s my first doll” Dexter grinned “I doubt she’ll be your last doll Evie” In the bed Evie shook her head and giggled “I want lots of dolls”
The two adults cast looks at each other a silent look that spoke volumes, they knew that what they were seeing wasn’t some kind of phase or fad of teenage child, and this was real and deep and meaningful. Evie needed help, their help and if they could they’d be trying to talk to Clive to get him to help in some small way.
Aicia looked at Dexter “Sample cards for Evie’s room?”
Dexter looked bashful “Sorry I forgot I was more interested in getting her the doll and bringing the laptop back. I’ll get them next time I’m in town I promise”
Their thoughts got broken as a doctor walked into the room. He smiled at the patient and the two adults “Well Evan is scheduled to go into surgery tomorrow to have his legs fixed. It’s a fairly minor procedure despite it seemingly complex with what they have to do”
Alicia glanced at Dexter who shrugged back “Alicia took a deep breath “Doctor there is something”
Evie spoke “No auntie it’s okay”
Visibly Alicia took the words and stopped. “Yes?” said the doctor.
“No it’s nothing important”, said Alicia.
“Well his surgery is set for seven tomorrow morning. So he’ll not be able to eat or drink till then. Sorry Evan it’s so you have nothing in your stomach for the surgery”
Evie just looked over at the doctor “I understand”

A nurse came in to collect the water jug and cup. “They’ll be here when you come back tomorrow” She walked back out with the jug and cup. The doctor spoke “Any questions?” Dexter got in first “How long before he can walk?” The doctor replied “Well with physiotherapy and the fact he’s young and healthy possibly three months”

James Kelly stared ahead blankly his world was looking like crumbling around him. All due to one mistake years ago, but then he’d been offered a get out chance and he took it. But that chance he learnt had hooks, dirty great big hooks that kept pulling him back into paying. Mentally he shook himself and went back to adjusting the scope of the program for Jasmine.
In the room just of the cusp of her hearing Jasmine could hear soft voices, whispering to her, calling her. She rolled in her cot. The voices kept on telling her she was a good little girl, she was pretty, she loved her dresses, she loved her nappies, she loved her soft toys. Jasmine turned again in her cot she reached out with a hand to grasp what wasn’t there. From the room Kelly watched impassively, “Now it’s working”, he told the screen. Jasmine rolled once again onto her back and the fog started to lift from her. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked round the room, “Where am I?” she wondered then it hit her she was in a small child’s room. Her room?” Jasmine slowly pulled herself into a kneeling position and looked round taking in all that was in the room. “This isn’t my room, or is it?” she wondered Jasmine hardly noticed as she wet and filled her nappy. The voices remained there telling her she was a good little girl and how she loved her nappy. Jasmine looked down and saw it sagging, and she giggled.

Dexter pulled the laptop out the bag and turned it on found the socket and plugged it in. “Right Evie let’s go shopping shall we?”
Evie looked at her aunt and uncle “Can I get what I want?” her aunt just smiled and nodded. Evie clapped and smiled at the pair of them. Dexter sat next to Evie,
“I guess you’d like a cot?”
Evie nodded then asked, “Can I have a highchair please?”

Dexter laughed “Sure you can we’re not exactly paying for it are we?” A soft giggle from Evie made Dexter smile. Dexter went to google and typed in adult highchair and cot. He got several hits and clicked on the links. Evie looked at the sites and found ones she liked, they picked ones that would do for Evie was older so they wouldn’t have to order again in a few years. Dexter paid on his credit card and filled out the delivery details. “Well they should be at the house just for when you come home Evie” he said noticing the delivery time.
Evie typed in adult baby dresses and was swamped with the hits. The pair of them spent a few minutes clicking on links and opening several windows so they could check prices against each and how they looked.
Dexter spoke first “Well sweetie what colours would you like?” Evie rattled off colours excitedly “Pink, lemon, peach, lavender, cream, white, light green”

Dexter laughed, “Right I guess we better see what we can get you. I think we better make sure you can get matching nappy covers or rhumba pants with the dress”
Evie nodded “Yes please uncle” Dexter looked at the screen, the words uncle still seemed alien to him and yet they filled him with warmth.
The pair of them spent the next forty-five minutes picking out dresses with matching covers or rhumba pants in an assortment of colours. Alicia looked across at the two sitting close together and saw that the two were bonding like never before and it made her heart sing with joy. Evie typed in adult nappies to the search engine and got a lot of hits again, so they followed their course as with the dresses checking prices via having several windows open. They narrowed it down to a couple of types and decided to order several from each of them to see which best suited Evie.
Dexter looked at his watch “Evie best if you get some sleep it’s been a long day and your aunt and I need to go home shower and get some rest. We’ll be here when you wake up after your operation”
Evie nodded to the pair. They both kissed Evie on the cheek “Rest well sweetie” her aunt whispered to her as Evie closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The nurse walked in having heard the giggle through the baby monitor and saw Jasmine kneeling up holding the sides of her cot. She smiled at her charge “How is my sweet little princess?”
Jasmine smiled at her nanny and started to bounce gently happy to her. Nanny approached the cot and lifted down the side of the cot and wrinkled her nose “Seems someone is a bit stinky”
Jasmine just smiled. She picked Jasmine out of the cot and held her hand as she walked Jasmine out of the room. The pair walked to the changing table and nanny lifted her onto it and laid her down and swiftly pulled off her pants and dropped them into the bucket. Nanny then carefully untaped Jasmine’s nappy and slid it out and folded it and dropped it into the bucket then started to wipe Jasmine clean, dropping the dirty wipes into the bucket.
Jasmine laid there looking up at the ceiling, as the voices once again tugged at her memory. Something about money, power but as soon as she tried to grasp them and explore the memory is broke away from her and vanished into nothing.
The nurse finished cleaning Jasmine up and slid a clean nappy under her and tapped her up. Then lifted her off and onto the floor. Silently she led the girl over to the wardrobe and picked out a dress in peach and white and matching rhumbas. She lifted the dress off the hanger and pulled it gently over Jasmine’s head. Then she laid the girl down on the floor and shook the rhumbas open and pulled them over her legs and then up and over the girl’s bulky nappy. The nanny turned to the girl and spoke “Now sweetie would you like something to eat?” The girl nodded, the nanny slipped her hand into that of the child and gently took her into a small room. Inside it was brightly lit, the nanny smiled to herself and picked up Jasmine and put her into a highchair and strapped her in.

Dexter and Alicia sat having breakfast both had a tight expression on their faces, worry about Evie and her operation. They knew it was a simple operation but they still had concerns about it. There was a knock on the front door; they exchanged a startled look at each other wondering who could it be at this time of the day. Dexter got up and walked to the door.
Clive smiled as Mister Grant answered “Hello Mister Grant” he said.
“Good morning Clive to what do we owe the pleasure?”
Clive said, “There is something I need to explain to you both” Dexter looked at Clive “This sounds serious Clive, come in”
Clive walked in and followed Dexter. “Hello Miss Jackson”, said Clive as he came into the room.
“Hello dear” replied Alicia. “Please sit down”, said Dexter motioning for Clive to sit down. Clive took a deep breath “I need to ask for your help with Evan” “Oh?”, said Alicia “Why?” Clive looked round at the two adults both had a sort of knowing smile on their faces.
Clive’s words tumbled out in a rush “Evan likes to think of himself as a little girl, he likes fairy stories and nursery rhymes”
Evan’s aunt just smiled “We know Clive”
Clive sat dumb struck, they knew? How? “But” he tried to say.
“Don’t worry” Mister Grant was saying, “We know all of it, we’ve seen the stories and images of how Evan sorry Evie sees herself. We are going to support her all the way. I’m, sorry we’re guessing from the way you are talking you are fully okay with Evie?”
Clive nodded dumbly his head reeling that they both supported it, the last person he thought who would have helped was Mister Grant Evan had never liked him, nor had the other really liked Evan. “But we do need you to not say anything to anyone at school or your parents I don’t think they’d understand. Just wait till Evie gets home and we can start to tell people about it all. But if you want you can help us in some way” Clive happy at being able to help having seen his original help dashed. “How can I help?”
“Well” explained Mister Grant “We need someone at times to be here to take in deliveries and of course we need help in decorating Evie’s room from that of a boy to one fit for a little girl”
A huge grin split Clive’s face, “I’d love to help count me in on everything. Evie needs me now more than ever”

Evie woke up early and wondered if yesterday was a dream. She looked round and started to think it was as her aunt and Mister Grant, she stopped no, uncle weren’t here. Then she remembered they’d had to go home and freshen up. She was still smiling to herself when then nurse came. “How did you sleep Evan?”
Evie looked over “Well thank you” The nurse came in with a small cup with a couple of pills in it
“These are your pre-meds dear” Evie smiled and nodded. The nurse gave then to Evie and she swallowed them down.
“Good boy, they’ll be along shortly to take you down” Evie felt her eyelids feeling heavy and she could barely stay awake she thought she could hear voices and see shapes. Then she fell asleep.
“Evie dear how do you feel?” said a bright voice. Evie tried to focus on the voice and direction but couldn’t reach out and grab awake and drifted back to sleep.
Slowly Evie came too and looked round the room, her aunt and uncle where there and something sat on the bottom of the bed looking at her. Evie squealed happily, it was a big teddy bear with a pink ribbon round its neck.

Jasmine sat in the highchair watching as the nurse scooped up some more of the mush of whatever it was from the bowl. She opened her mouth automatically for it, but not really knowing why she was doing so. There it seemed to be a natural reaction for her, but something on the edge of her reasoning was telling her this wasn’t her.
There was another Jasmine someone who was older, confident, able to do things herself, adult. Not the one sitting in the highchair in nappy and short peach and white dress. Jasmine swallowed the mush down and grimaced whatever she was being fed wasn’t exactly what she was used too by a long stretch.
The thoughts again drifted to her unbidden, uncalled for, yet still they drifted to her.
They showed her walking into a room in a tight black dress, heels and the room just stopped because of who she was and what she represented. But as soon as they came they drifted away again. Lost but the girl knew they’d come again soon.

Evie smiled happily at the bear “Has she got a name?” she asked no one in particular it just bounced between the two adults.
Alicia looked at her niece “No she hasn’t why don’t you name her now? Then we can ask one of the nurses for a name tag for your bear”
Evie sat thoughtfully, pulling on her bottom lip with her teeth she frowned at the bear as if trying to guess the bears name from the bear itself.
“I know”, said Evie “The bear is called Jessica”
Dexter smiled “That’s a beautiful name for a bear Evie”; he said, "I am sure Jessica likes it as well”
A giggle escaped from Evie. The two adults exchanged a look Alicia raised an eyebrow at Dexter. He stared back impassively. Alicia sighed she’d much rather have done this at a later date. But also she knew that Evie would be wondering and worrying about her best friend knowing her secret.
Evie sat hugging her bear and talking quietly to it. He aunt steeled herself for what she was about to relate to her niece. Niece that sounded so much better and she knew that maybe now Evie would be able to stabilize her life.
“Evie we need to talk”

Clive sat in his room he’d closed the curtains and was sitting in the dark. Staring into space his mind was still spinning. Evie so that was Evan’s name for himself, sorry he corrected himself for herself.
Her aunt and uncle supported her and where going to help her all the way.
But he mused to what lengths? He stood up and started to pace up and down trying to think “What does Evie really need to make her happy” he said to the walls in his room. They didn’t answer. Clive continued his gentle pacing back and forth. All the time he was trying to see his friend, as she wanted to be seen. He also wanted to connect the one thing that would bring her happiness. But it remained elusive just seemingly out of touch of his thoughts.

Jasmine was alone sitting watching the television again. The characters were making her laugh. She liked squidward he reminded her of her daddy. He was so grumpy at times. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see what it was. A man in a white coat was coming towards her. Jasmine drew herself inwards and felt afraid, he looked scary and there was something about him, she was sure he had hurt her.
But full recollection eluded Jasmine once again. She shook herself and wondered why she was having problems remembering simple events or people.
Then man moved closer and pulled a chair near to her and sat down.
“Hello Jasmine do you know who I am?”
Jasmine looked up at the man. Nothing. She shook her head. He smiled “Good” he thought to himself.
“Well I am the doctor who is helping you. You see you’ve not been very well so we are helping you to recover by treating you in this special room, it will help you feel better, do you understand Jasmine?”
Jasmine frowned then she nodded. “What a funny man” She thought. She turned to watch Spongebob and Patrick get in trouble and she giggled.
Then nanny was there with her bottle. Jasmine took it and sucked on the teat feeling the milk fill her mouth. She kept her eyes glued to the television. She never noticed the subtle images that had been overlaid the cartoon. But they seared deep into her brain and lodged. Images of baby items, clothing, happy smiling images. Again she didn’t notice as she wet her nappy. She just sat and watched the cartoons. Drinking her milk.

Evie looked from her aunt to her uncle a worried look crossed her face, and she hugged Jessica tighter. She was scared now it was going to end.
“Evie, listen there is nothing to worry about,” said her aunt as she saw the look on her niece’s face.
“It’s Clive”
Evie started to cry uncontrollably. She buried her head in the teddy’s tummy. Only by gentle coaxing could her aunt get Evie to stop crying and look at her.
“There is nothing wrong with Clive, he’s not hurt. I promise he’s at home now most likely playing on games console”
Evie screwed up her face “So why do you need to talk about Clive?”
“Well you see”, said Dexter “Clive knows about Evie. He found your iPod and did a bit of searching online and figured it all out”
Evie went pale. “But he must hate me, he’ll tell everyone at school I’m gay or something else horrid”
“Calm down Evie” came from her aunt “He’ll be doing nothing of the sort. He wants to help you, so while you are here he’s going to be helping uncle Dexter”
Evie smiled happily she looked over at her uncle “Uncle are you going to change my old room?”
Dexter grinned back at the once lost boy who was now starting to grow as the little girl she really was. “Yes Evie I’ll strip the wallpaper take up the carpet and do it in princess wallpaper and pink”
Alicia’s niece smiled and pulled her bear tighter to her “Can I pick the pink colour?”
An embarrassed Dexter coughed. “Sure Evie I just need to remember to pick up the colour cards from the DIY shop”
The conversation got broken as a doctor came into the room. She smiled at Evan, then turned her attention to his aunt “Well it went well his legs are now pinned and plated, with any luck he should be walk in three months, maybe less if he tries harder. He’s young and healthy so I see no reason why not”

Tyrone Dangerfield was used to having things his way, when he wanted them, and most importantly how he wanted them. But he could never get his daughter to toe the line and behave in a manner that suited him. Sure he rode over people to get what he wanted, but there are even with that certain ways of doing it in a way that doesn’t look totally hostile. But Jasmine had used her father’s influence too much to get out of jams. He’d paid off too many officials to get out of fixes and fines. He smiled to himself as he puffed on his cigar in the back of his Rolls Royce. “Not this time” Jasmine he muttered to himself. “Not this time. Now you’ll see what it is to disobey me and what the consequences are it carries.”
He leaned forward and pressed the intercom to the driver “Yes Mister Dangerfield?”
Tyrone preferred being called Sir, but Victor had been his driver for over ten years so he cut him so slack.
“The hospital Victor” Victor sat nestled deeply in the leather well-stuffed seats concentrating on the road ahead. “Yes Mister Dangerfield”

Jasmine sat transfixed by the cartoon on the screen, little realizing it wasn’t the cartoon holding her attention but the images that where laid over the top. The voices softly whispered to her to let go, to free herself, join your mind, become one. She giggled as Patrick made another silly remark to Spongebob. A noise made her turn her head to see what it was. A frown crept onto her forehead; there was nothing there. She pushed herself upright and waddled around the room, her legs now being pushed apart by the bulky nappy. She was sure she had heard a noise. Maybe it someone playing hide and seek she thought. Waddling slowly round the room Jasmine started to carefully look around, giggling she wandered over to the wardrobe. Nodding to herself she thought they’re hiding in here with my dresses. She pulled on the handle and peered into the darkness but the only sight greeting was Jasmine was the rail of dresses and the shoes on the base of the wardrobe. Turning around Jasmine looked, she stood for a few seconds wondering where else someone could hide, so she could go and seek.
Wandering slowly round the room Jasmine noticed there was little else was in the room there was the changing table and wardrobe, a couple of chairs.
Once again a giggle escaped her lips. Where were they hiding? Jasmine waddled over to door and tried the handle it was locked she thought she could hear a voice coming from behind it. She smiled that must have been what she had heard. But no, the voice had sounded nearer and clearer. Wandering back she noticed the cartoon had changed to Dora The Explorer. Jasmine wandered back and sat down in her usual spot for watching cartoons as Dora came into view, but hidden behind the images of Dora where more images of being helpless, small, younger and wanting her nanny.

The three of them sat in silence for several minutes all of them contemplating the life that was heading their way as soon as Evie could leave the hospital. Alicia looked over at her niece she could tell she was itching to ask something; she paused for a beat then spoke, “Yes Evie? What is it you want to ask?” Evie flushed at having been spotted
“I was wondering auntie” then quickly she added in “and uncle, if it will embarrass you to take me outside”
Her aunt and uncle both spoke over each “No Evie of course it will not”
Sitting still her head looking from adult to adult before deciding which one to ask eventually settling on uncle Dexter “Uncle Dexter can I have a pushchair so I can be taken out in it?” Dexter looked at the child in the hospital bed, lying there broken, but also now so full of life and joy. “Evie dear you can have what you need, this is important to you, so whatever it takes just ask us”
The words sunk in deeply to Evie she could have a pushchair. A smile crept across her lips. “But people will know it’s me” she said softly. Alicia saw the look of worry on the face of her niece and knew that she had to allay her fears.
“Listen sweetie, by the time you are ready to go out your hair will have grown and with a girl’s cut and a nice little dress I am sure no one will recognise you”
Evie sat thoughtfully taking in the view of her aunt, then it suddenly came to her everyone would still know after all where had Evan gone? She had to find a way to make him disappear. But could she manage it? Evan had no more real family except a distant aunt who he had rarely seen except for the odd visit every year or so. A smile hit her face, now she just had to figure it out properly and try and get her uncle and auntie on board with it.

Pacing up and down still wracking his brain on the one dead cert thing his friend needed. Then the one item he needed dropped into his head. It wasn’t a thing it wasn’t an item. The one thing Evie needed was me he realized. Yes, Evie needed me to be there for her to assure her it would all be all right. I would support her and check for the monsters under her cot. Well I’m guessing she want a cot he mused. To be there and play games with her, to grant her childhood wishes, and take her to the swings, to feed the ducks. All the things she needed now. This is even more important to me he said to himself than to Evie. While Evan was my best friend and we were tight, he laughed as he recalled some of their exploits. Evie is starting herself afresh and needs someone to guide and gently help her adjust to this. Clive flopped onto his bed with a soft flump. He stared at the ceiling lost in thought he ran through his mind the fun he wanted to have with Evie and how he never wanted to see her unhappy. He mentally cursed himself for not spotting how unhappy Evan had really been. But that was now water under the bridge. He now had to make up for that and keep the fears and bad people away from Evie.

Victor drew the Rolls to a stop in his bosses parking slot got out and opened the door for him. “Thank you Victor, you can take the Rolls back I’ll be making my own way home” Victor looked mildly surprised at that “Very good Mister Dangerfield”
Tyrone walked through the doors and along to the banks of lifts. He pressed the lift call button and waited as the lift descended. The doors opened he stepped into the lift and pressed three. The lift rose up and stopped on three. Tyrone stepped out and turned towards the T.A.R.S door. He knocked. Doctor James Kelly was sifting through the data that was coming back about latest person who was due to come onto the system when a knock broke his train of thought. He rose from his chair and opened the door “hello Tyrone” he said barely keeping the tone civil.
Tyrone stepped through the door without an invite and sat down. Kelly turned locked the door and moved back to his chair and sat down. Turned the screen off and then turned to face Tyrone “What do you want?”
Tyone smiled to him self, so the guy was getting agitated now was he? This was turning out better than he had hoped. Maybe he could deal with this little snot as well.

Jasmine whimpered softly she was wet and hungry. She wanted her nanny to make her feel better. Her eyes looked round for her, but there was no one there. She started to softly cry the hidden baby monitors picked up Jasmine’s cries. The nurse knew the procedure wait a few minutes and then move in and pick up the child. The time gap made the child become more attached as is needed the reassurance from the nanny that the world was being to rights by comforting them. So wait it was. Jasmine’s cries intensified then the door opened, Jasmine turned her head to see what the noise was and saw nanny coming through the door she smiled. It was nanny she’d feed me and change me. Nanny moved swiftly over to her charge and picked her up and hugged her gently and whispered softly to her that nanny was here and she’d chase away all her fears. Jasmine giggled into nanny’s ear. “Does baby want a bottle?” nanny asked.
“Pwease nani”, replied Jasmine.

In the front room Tyrone and James picked the words up from the pair, and they looked at each other. James spoke first “Well her speech is regressing nicely it seems, it just now depends on how far you want it to drop”
Tyrone sat silent for a minute his mind quietly mulling over his options. Should he drop it so Jasmine can never communicate? Or simply have her able to have some form of baby speech? He looked over at the man opposite him, made his choice.
“Leave it at this level baby speech like this is far more humiliating for her, especially if she is able to remember any of her old self”
James looked at Tyrone “She may from time to time get flashbacks of her old self but as tie moves on and her brain adapts to her new way of thinking and acting they’ll get further and further apart to the point she will remember nothing of Jasmine. All she’ll know is she has always been this way”
A tight smile touched the lips of Tyrone Dangerfield. “Superb” he said.

Alicia Jackson sat on the bed next to her niece and gently stroked her head. The poor girl looked so alone, and frightened about the future. But in reality the future was looking a lot better for her than it had a few days ago, when she had been Evan the slightly obnoxious nephew who had always resented Dexter and had just about been civil to her. Now the girl was sweetness and light to the pair of them, it was almost as if she had been completely replaced by another person. But Alicia knew what it was, it was Evie coming out of hiding after years, and she dared not dwell on that, and was now free and she could at last be the little girl she was at heart.
Her heart was joyful now she could tell Evie seemed so happy now, the sight of the doll and bear proved that. Evan had never liked soft toys “It wasn’t his thing” he had snapped at her once when she offered to buy him one.
But what had really brought her to life was the thought of wear dresses and nappies.
She wouldn’t mind changing her nappies for her, she just wanted the child torment over, and now it was looking like it was. She knew there were a still a lot of issues ahead of the three of them. Evie still needed to lay some ghosts to rest, and her and Dexter still needed to work around the fact Evan was now Evie and they didn’t want to accidentally say the wrong name. No that was the one thing they had to avoid at all costs.

Jasmine took the offered bottle, then nanny picked her up and placed her on the changing table pulled her pants down and off and placed them beside Jasmine on the mat, she untapped Jasmine’s wet nappy and slid it from underneath her folded it up and dropped it into the bucket. The then pulled a couple of wipes from a container and started to wipe Jasmine from the urine on her skin. Then she slid a clean nappy underneath Jasmine and then shook some talc over her then tapped the nappy up, checked the pants for droplets of moisture seeing none she pulled them back over Jasmine’s legs then up and over her nappy.
Jasmine meanwhile drank heavily from the bottle feeling the warmth of the milk settle into her. She looked up at her nanny smiling down at her and felt safe she knew nanny would keep her safe from harm. Nanny would protect her from the monsters and the dark, she’d change her when she was wet and give her the bottles she needed.
She giggled through the teat of the bottle.

Dexter smiled over at the woman he loved more than life itself. Yes he’d do anything for this woman. But now he had another reason to stay with her. Evie it was strange he and Evan had never ever seen eye to eye, but the changes in Evie since she’d brought herself was astounding. Her whole persona had been replaced. She more softly spoken, she was polite she talked to adults in a way only a small one does.
Small things pleased like the doll and bear, she wanted her room done in a special way for a princess. He looked at Evie in the bed her aunt gently stroking her hair and smiling at her with only the love an auntie can show. He braced himself for the action he was about to carry out. He dare not think of the consequences should the question go badly. “Alicia?” Alicia looked over at Dexter as he spoke to her.
“Yes Dexter what is it?” Dexter took the deepest breath of life, he was now at the point of no return, get this wrong and well he’d be running three lives.
“Alicia Jackson I love you very much and have never been this happy will you give me the honour of marrying me?” Alicia stopped what she was doing and looked over at Dexter. Alicia blinked back the tears and with emotion in her voice she croaked, “Yes”
Dexter looked at Evie “How would you like to be your aunt’s flower girl?”
A squeal was all Dexter could remember. The tiny frame of Evie hugged him tight.
“Guess that’s a yes?” Evie nodded back her head bouncing up and down.

Alicia smiled at Dexter “It will make me very happy to be your wife, though” she cast a sidelong look at Evie “Not sure who will be the happiest girl on the day me or Evie”
Dexter laughed, “I reckon it will be little Evie,” he said with a huge grin splitting his face. Dexter fished a small box out of pocket and opened it up to show Alicia the ring.
It was a single diamond with a platinum band. “It’s beautiful”, said Alicia blinking back the tears. Dexter removed the ring from the box and gently slid it onto Alicia’s finger. She held the ring up and smiled, then showed the ring to Evie who let a little squeak of approval out.

Tyrone leaned across the desk into the personal space of the doctor. James pulled back he wasn’t used to people doing this, how dare he invade his personal zone of comfort. Before he could complain Tyrone spoke, and with conviction. “This is how it’s going to go down” The doctor flashed a look at Tyrone unsure of what was going to be said. “Before my daughter leaves here you’ll destroy all records of her being in the department” The words shook Kelly, he looked in disbelief at Tyrone Dangerfield.
“I can’t do that, someone will know. There has to be accountancy for patients and nurses time and such”
“Make it up” Dangerfield growled, “I don’t care how or who just make something up”
James Kelly sat stunned, he could of course call his bluff but then the options of doing that and being caught would mean he’d float down the river or have both kneecaps busted. The options left him no choice but to acquiesce to Tyrone’s demands.
But in the back of his mind Kelly had a plan, and it might just work. He just simply nodded to Tyrone “Sure I’ll destroy her records and slip in some fake ones to cover the times. But this makes us even after this I owe you nothing got it?”
Tyrone stared back his gaze bored into James Kelly as if he was insignificant which as far as Tyrone Dangerfield was concerned he was. “No Kelly I own you and I will always own you, unless of course word should somehow leak about the under-age girl and the party”
“You bastard Tyrone you swore you’d never do that, it wasn’t my fault” Tyrone’s face was unreadable as he just looked back at the man who’s very livelihood he held in his hands. “Then I think we’re agreed on the course of action then aren’t we?”
Kelly looked back and nodded back numbly.

Nanny sat Jasmine up and pulled her dress back down. The dress though barely covered her nappy, but that was the way of baby dresses they’re designed to show some nappy off, to speak to others to say, look I’m a baby and I wear nappies, can’t you see it? Nanny looked at her charge suckling on her bottle a clean thick nappy between her legs. She’s coming along nicely the nanny thought, her speech has dropped she now loves cartoons and her bottle. “Yes another week and she should be done”

Evie looked at the two people who would now change her and help feed her, wondering why she had never spoken up before. But she knew why Dexter. Never really liked him till now of course she added mentally to herself. Gazing down at her leg battered, bruised and broken, if that car had missed me, letting out a small sigh, she thought none of this would be happening. None of it, Evie would still be locked up inside me trying desperately to escape so I could be she and be happy.
It’s not as if I can stop being Evie she’s me and I am Evie no matter which way you turn it. The little in me is free now to wear dresses and nappies and be for the first time in my to be truly happy. Evie fought back the tears, but nothing was going to stop them and down her cheeks they fell. Her aunt at her side pulled a tissue from her handbag and dabbed away the tears. “Evie dear the wedding won’t take place till you’re able to walk down the aisle as well. That’s a promise”
Evie looked at her aunt then her uncle she noticed the door was open “Uncle can you please close the door” Dexter stood walked over and shut the door. Satisfied that they wouldn’t be disturbed now, Evie took a deep breath. “I know you said you can afford for me to be Evie since the man paid us off” Alicia looked quizzically at Evie wondering where he got the idea they had been paid off.
“But the question I want too know is are you comfortable with me living as a girl?”
The adults looked at the small child in the bed then her auntie spoke “Evie dear of course we are, yes it may take a little time to adjust and to fully understand how Evie thinks and acts, but that will be the fun part getting to know her. We both want you happy, that is the most important thing sweet your happiness”
Evie nodded and then gave her doll and bear a kiss. She looked at the pair of them “See I tols ooo it wulds be okies”
Dexter got in a beat before Alicia “Evie dear” then he stopped. No I can’t she’s finding herself I can’t step in and destroy it if she wants to talk that way let her. Dexter said to himself.
An almost imperceptible shake of the head cast the warning to Alicia to leave it alone.

Jasmine was back sitting watching the screen. This time Rugrats was on, Jasmine liked Rugrats she liked Tommy best. She watched as the babies went on another adventure. The voices on the edge of her hearing where still there but now they seemed to her almost as if they had always been there for her offering advice and calming her thoughts. Jasmine smiled she liked the voices they seemed helpful to her they understood her. She giggled as Tommy explained what they had to do Chuckie seemed his usual scared self and was worried about it all.
Sitting watching the cartoon Jasmine felt at peace nothing was out of place. Except a thought kept slipping into her head. It was telling her she was an adult and that all of this was wrong, she wasn’t a baby she didn’t wear nappies. She most certainly could talk correctly. But as soon as she tried to reach for the disconcerting voice it slipped from her fingers and fell away, to silence. Jasmine frowned, what was this voice? Why did it keep telling her this wasn’t real? She knew it was, she giggled and looked round the playroom. Pushed herself up and waddled over to the toy-box that had been brought in yesterday she thought but she couldn’t really remember.

Clive sat down plugged himself in with his iPod flicked through the menus till he found his Norah Jones and pressed play. That will do something soft and melodic to help me concentrate so I can do this and make it appealing to Miss Jackson and Mister Grant he thought. Pulled his chair up close to his desk and turned on Microsoft Word.
He sat staring at a blank page, Norah sang softly in his ears he soft voice soothing, and pleasant to the ears. A smile touched his lips. He started tapping away at the keys the premise of the idea now starting to flow from his fingertips.
After several minutes he sat back and looked at what he had written and wondered would it pay off? Yes it has too he said to himself the page glowed white and words seemed to jump back at him. Let Evie regress as deep as she wants, should she want to regress, if she wants to play little girl and be schooled do that, and play the role of parents totally but also take time to find Evie’s focal point in this, the one thing that drives her. The words screamed at him this didn’t look right. He shook his head no leave it his head told him. His father had always told him your first thoughts are more often than not correct. Pursing his lips and nipping down on his bottom lip with his teeth, he added in that is was likely Evie wanted to be pre-schooled so an option and possibly the best would be to make playtime and have schooling as fun because Evie would see school as that. She would need a room or area set aside for it something away from distractions, well as much as she could be after all little girls lose their train of thought easily. Satisfied he had got it he saved the file turned on his printer and printed off the pages of thoughts.

Aunt Alicia was smiling at her but she couldn’t hear what she was saying as bear was telling her he was hungry and wanted to play. “Evie dear are you listening to me?
The little girl looked over at her auntie and shook her head. Her aunt sighed “I wanted to know sweetie if wanted anything to eat?” Evie looked at bear and her doll then at her aunt and nodded. “What would you like?” Evie smiled then she listened to the various requests coming in from bear and doll. She shook her head at the bear’s request. “Nos Jeswica nots hafing her honei” Smiling at her aunt she asked simply “Can Twaci and mes haf sum ice cweam?” Alicia tried hard to stifle the giggle but failed. “Your dolly is called Traci? And the bear is called Jessica?”
Her niece smiled back at her and nodded that auntie had got it right. “Well your uncle and I are going to get something to eat we’ll bring you and your friends back some ice cream and maybe something else, if they’re good”
Alicia and Dexter walked out of the room. Evie sat alone looking at Traci and Jessica and giggled. “Sees me tols ooo dey wulds gets us der ice cweam”
She clapped to herself and smiled the happy smile of a child who has found a fairy at the bottom of their garden.

Tyrone watched, as the man he owned looked defeated and beaten. He grinned at the man “Now, I think we maybe even after this Kelly” The man sitting opposite him eye’s sparked with hope. Tyrone looked back “I said maybe don’t think I haven’t forgotten how you destroyed that girl’s life” Glumly Kelly nodded. He stared at the screen wondering if somehow he could change it and give back some of Jasmine’s adult thoughts and memories just enough to mess with Tyrone’s plans.
“Look Tyrone” he snapped “I’ve been paying on your beck and call for too long, how about you cut me some slack this time?”
Tyrone Dangerfield bored his gaze into Kelly’s “Why don’t you just take a running jump Kelly and while you’re at it remember who cleaned that mess up”
Kelly jumped up fired up by anger and the continual beating down on him by Tyrone and looked down at Tyrone Dangerfield, who was sitting coolly watching Kelly.
“I’ve had enough, do you hear me enough, I will not be pushed around anymore, go screw yourself. I think I’ll take my chances in court” A laugh echoed round the room, Kelly flushed that Tyrone wasn’t taking him seriously. “Do you really think that’s all I have on you? Good grief man you must be dumber than a brick wall. How about the misappropriation of hospital funds? Oh you think I didn’t know about that” as he saw Kelly visibly wince at that barb. “So sit down and shut up”
Kelly slumped into his seat the fight slid from him. He couldn’t do this anymore he’d just get this over and then move somewhere else away from Sir Tyrone Dangerfield and his blackmail. “You win Tyrone, I’ve had enough we’ll finish this and call it square?” Tyrone looked back the reply had formed in his head long ago but he had other ideas, no let’s string him along he mused. “Sure Kelly I think you’ve paid your dues for long enough now” Kelly breathed a sigh of relief he was free now, at long last. “Well Jasmine should be fully regressed in less than week, though I think she could be ready in a day or two with any luck the way she’s dropping”

Tyrone stood “I think this meeting is over. Make sure you do as I say and nothing will ever come out” Kelly nodded and stuck his out for Tyrone to shake. They shook and Tyrone left the office.

Alicia and Dexter sat in the cafeteria wondering who would be the first to break the silence. Alicia took the bull “Dexter, I’m a bit worried about Evie” Dexter looked back. “Sweetie she’s fine” Alicia cast her gaze back mulling over in her head the words “But she started speaking like a little girl”
“That’s the problem?” said Dexter “Isn’t this who Evie is? She’s just finding herself let her be she has a long way to go and her speech is one of the biggest things she needs to find for herself, we’ll soon pick up what she means and then it will be as if she’s always talked that way”
Alicia nodded “I guess so it just sort of surprised me I guess she spoke that way”
Dexter replied “Sweetie she’s probably been rehearsing her speech patterns for years and now she can act as Evie she’s speaking as her, remember this is her journey dear she has to find herself”
Alicia smiled “You’re right of course. This isn’t about me it’s about helping Evie I know we’re going to find some of it hard, but we mustn’t let her see or know if we find it hard. That will only make her struggle at a time she has to move forward at her own pace, putting an obstacle in the way and a big one if it’s something we find hard to accept will cause her more issues and that’s not fair on her. Dexter grinned back
“I know dear we’ll all do this as a family. When we have to decide what to do about Evie and school we’ll try and rope in Clive I think he might be able to help in some way” Alicia replied “Are you sure you trust a thirteen year old boy to help?”
“Honey remember Clive knows it all, he spoke to me about Evie I think we can trust him to help us with Evie, he’s not going to rat us out whatever we decide”
Alicia sat still a thoughtful look crossed her face. Dexter sat opposite her and took a swallow of coffee. “What?” Alicia smiled back as her face split into a huge grin
“I think I maybe have an idea to help Evie, but I need to talk to Clive first”
“Well okay keep your secret” he replied “But just make sure you know what you’re doing, we can’t afford any mistakes for the sake of Evie”
“Trust me darling if this comes off Evan will disappear forever and we’ll have Evie and no one will be any the wiser”

Jasmine pulled a doll out of the toy-box and wandered over to the chair where the man in the white had sat and climbed in. Sitting down she looked round the room holding her doll out so she could have a look as well.
The soft calling told her that the doll was her best friend and she could be told anything she wanted. She would listen and keep her secrets safe. Jasmine smiled she had secrets big secrets that she needed to tell her dolly. She looked at dolly quickly looked to make sure no bigs had walked in “I haf a big secwet dollwie”

James Kelly sat staring into space, wondering if there was any way he could escape this mess, than Jasmine’s words echoed round his skull “I have a big secret” He smiled, maybe there is a way out after all he thought. Just maybe he could match Tyrone depending on the secret. “Come on Jasmine spill the beans, please this could be heaven”

Jasmine looked at her dolly and whispered, “My daddy had a man killed because he wouldn’t sell a warehouse. Daddy wanted the land to build houses on”

In the control room James Kelly sat his mouth open in shock. This was way better than he hoped for. This was his ticket out, and more, maybe even a nice little pay off as well.

Jasmine continued “I over heard daddy on the phone to a man to get rid of the body”
She quickly checked once again to make sure there was no one in apart from her and dolly. “I know where the body is”

James Kelly spat his coffee over the keyboard. “What!” He thought, “She knows where the body is?” He grinned to himself let’s see Dangerfield try and blackmail me now.

Evie sat alone with her bear and doll a smile that had never left her face was sitting there. She pulled them both close and hugged them tightly. She looked at her two friends quizzically “Nos Twaci mes will be betters soon is onwy der one weg dats der car hits” She watched as Traci nodded back to her understanding what she had said. She giggled as Jeswica made a joke about hopping along on one leg. She loved both her friends they understood her and knew that she was starting her life from this point, and everything before had been something she wanted to forget. That was Evan, he no longer existed well except one piece and she knew that was possible to get rid of it, she’d looked into all of this deeply. But she never thought it would happen and that an accident would set the ball rolling for her to be Evie. Evie she smiled that sounded some much nicer than Evan, much nicer.

Alicia and Dexter sat looking at each both very happy with the proposal of marriage. Alicia smiled at Dexter “I never thought you’d ask after all there seemed to be something holding you back from doing it” Dexter looked back wondering how to tiptoe through this minefield he knew the reason he’d never asked before Evan. But suddenly on a dime things had changed Evie. She was everything Evan wasn’t polite, sweet and caring. “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a reason but even you must know why I never asked before. But things have changed I know now I’m accepted into the family”
Alicia nodded she understood why, he didn’t and couldn’t drive a wedge between her and Evan. But now Evie had changed his perception of things and life that little girl had melted Dexter’s heart and made him realize that the one thing he wanted was a family, and now he had it. Family the word struck her and Alicia thought yes that’s what I have sure I had Evan but it wasn’t really there he was a bit distant to me, but that was almost certainly due to Dexter. But now when we all go home she’ll be at peace she’ll have a room like she wants and all the toys we can give her. But the most important thing she’ll receive is love and nurturing to be who she really is.
You know there is a lot of work between us to be done” Dexter said, “We have things to learn about how Evie thinks and behaves”
Alicia smiled tightly “I know darling but we’ll cope the most important thing is get the room done for when she’s out”
Dexter nodded “I’ll make a start when I go home I’ll ask Clive if he wants to help. I think if I offer to pay him he’d help”
Alicia looked back “Sweetie he’d do it for nothing he and Evan sorry Evie are close friends”
Dexter stood up “Right I better go back to the house and start work stripping the room. I’ll go and get paint cards and wallpaper samples in the morning and bring them for Evie to look at” Dexter kissed Alicia softly on the lips and walked out of the cafeteria. Alicia walked back along the corridor down to Evie’s room. As she got to the room she could hear a soft girly voice she carefully peered in and saw Evie sitting up talking to her doll and bear as though they were real. A lump came to her throat.
She pulled herself together and stepped through into the room “Evie sweetie I’m back how are you? Uncle Dexter has gone home to start work on your room he’ll be back in the morning”

James Kelly sat staring at the screen unable to believe the words that had come from Jasmine. He had of course saved them to a hard drive and flash drive. He sat for a few minutes contemplating his next move. Should he do face-to-face or over the phone?
He looked at the phone sitting there next to the screen. Drumming his fingers on the edge of the desk and made his choice.

Tyrone Dangerfield was in his office when the phone went. He picked it up.
“Kelly what the hell do you want?” A laugh echoed in his ear. “Shut up Tyrone and listen to me. I have some interesting information about a certain warehouse and it’s late owner”
A cold chill ran through Tyrone he couldn’t know could he? “I have no idea what you’re talking about Kelly”
“Really Dangerfield? So if I just happened to dig under a certain tree I won’t find a body?”
Tyrone’s face turned pale, “How on earth did Kelly find out?”
Kelly continued, “So old man let’s deal shall we? You forget the incident and stop blackmailing me and in return I forget I ever heard about the body”
Tyrone gripped the phone tight his knuckles going white “I didn’t get where I am by being pushed around by little scrotes like you Kelly”
“Calm down old man you’ll give yourself a heart attack”
Tyrone stared at the phone not quite believing what he was hearing “Forget it Kelly you have no proof of a body”
“I thought you might say that so I suggest you check your email and click on the link I sent you. I think you’ll find it interesting”
Tyrone opened up his mail account and clicked the link a video popped onto the screen of two men one of who was Kelly standing by a tree with a couple of spades.
“Want me to dig?”
In his office Tyrone shook his head. “No Kelly we have a deal I guess”
Kelly waved to the camera “Glad you see it my way, and I want twenty grand as well”
Tyrone spluttered into the phone the little toe rag was now asking for money as well?
“Deal Kelly”, he said as he slammed the phone down.

Tyrone sat for several minutes looking at the telephone wondering if it was all a horrible dream. But he knew it was all too real and that he had little choice but to go along with Kelly and his demands. Twenty grand was nothing really it was the principal of having someone put one over him that rankled him most.
He picked up the phone and called his bank informing them he would be making sizeable cash withdrawal later on. “Damn you Kelly,

Jasmine sat down talking to her dolly, telling her all innermost secrets, and some of her father’s darkest secrets. With childlike hop she jumped off the chair and waddled over to her toy-box she looked through the assortment of dolls, bears, stuffed animals and sets of bricks in plastic boxes. She found what she was looking for, she pulled out the panda she had spotted earlier and dragged him across the room. With an effort she managed to push him, and sit up on the chair, “Ooos sits der an tells me if anywuns comes in pandi okies?”
Panda just looked back at Jasmine and grinned. Jasmine clapped her hands with joy, and went down to watch her cartoons with her doll. Never noticing as she wet and filled her nappy.

Dexter spent the evening emptying Evan’s room in an effort to turn it into Evie’s room. He removed the desk, bed and posters and carefully moved them to the room they used to store things they really no longer wanted.
Then he started making a determined effort to strip off the wallpaper. He cleared the wallpaper and looked at his watch and decided to call it a night. Setting his alarm for seven the following morning he soon fell asleep. The buzz of the alarm went off he turned over and hit the snooze. That too soon went off. Dexter crawled out of bed and went to shower. Feeling refreshed he made breakfast and ate it in silence. The drove to the local B&Q DIY store to collect some paint cards and see about some wallpaper samples.

Tyrone Dangerfield thundered into James Kelly’s office “You scumbag Kelly”
Kelly coolly stared back “Got the money?” Tyrone’s face grew dark as a thunderhead he reached into his jacket and threw a block on the desk.
“Do I need to count it?” said Kelly.
“It’s all there Kelly I had it checked twice but feel free to spend time counting it by all means” Kelly looked at the wad of cash sitting on his desk, picked it up weighed it in his hands and then slipped it into his jacket. “Thanks Tyrone glad we could sort this little problem out we had”
Tyrone smiled back “Just don’t push it anymore” Kelly caught the hint in the voice and swallowed nervously; casting a glance at Tyrone he simply nodded.
“Well you’ll be pleased to know your daughter is fully regressed to the mind and actions of an eighteen-month baby, her speech patterns are and she doesn’t even notice when she uses her nappy”
Tyrone smiled “What are the chances she’ll regain her adult capabilities?”
Kelly shook his head “Zero she can barely speak her mind had been altered totally there is a possibility however remote that she’ll get occasional recall but she won’t be able to make sense of it or understand what it means”
Tyrone stood up and walked towards the inner door “So I can take her home?”
“Sure why not there is little else I can do except push her deeper and while that may stop the occasional flashback it really won’t do much else, so I guess you can take her”
Tyrone stepped into the room. Suddenly a whirl of arms and legs wrapped themselves round him as his daughter squealed in happiness.
Tyrone looked at his daughter physically she was the same, but mentally she was something different she no longer had the mindset of an arrogant spoilt brat, she was now back to when she had been an innocent.
“Hello pumpkin, how are you?”
Jasmine looked at her father she giggled, “Me is okies fank ooos daddy”
“Good girl daddy is pleased. Now do you want to go home?” Jasmine nodded, then waddled over and picked up her dolly. “Me is weady daddy” she replied.
Tyrone slipped his hand into that of his daughter and walked her out of the room.

Dexter arrived at the hospital and walked up to Evie’s room Alicia was there already talking to Evie. “Morning girls” he said with a grin. They both looked at Dexter and burst into laughter. Dexter sat down “Well if that’s how you are guess I won’t show you the pinks or wallpaper samples”
Evie pouted “Nos fair me was onwy hafing funs unkie Dexwer” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small plastic bag. He opened it and started showing Evie the pink colours she could have. Evie looked at the colours, so many to pick from she thought and they’re all nice. She stabbed her finger at a pink “Dis ones is der wun”
Dexter nodded “Sure Evie I’ll go and get the colour later on” He pulled a pen from his jacket pocket and marked the pink Evie wanted pastel Pink.
He then started showing her the styles of wallpaper she could have with cuttings he had managed to get the store to give him.
Evie pursed her lips looking at the differing designs before settling on one with fairies on. Dexter dropped the ones she didn’t want in the wastebasket and put the design and the colour card back in his jacket pocket.
“How’s my little girl feeling today?” said Dexter
Evie looked as if she was concentrating hard on her reply “Me is okies fank ooos me sweep wells”
Dexter smiled back “I’m glad Evie that you’re starting to feel better” He looked at the two opposite him “Are you going to be alright if I leave and make a start doing Evie’s room?”
Alicia replied, “We’ll be fine dear we have a lot of discuss and we don’t need any men around while we do it, do we Evie dear?” Evie shook her head.
Dexter laughed “Fine “Me Man, will go do room ugg” Evie and Alicia burst out laughing. Dexter walked out of the room, leaving Alicia and Evie laughing.

Alicia turned to her niece “Sweetie we have things we need to talk about and while your uncle loves you and will part of this, I’d rather he wasn’t here till we have talked, just us two no Dexter” Evie looked back her soft brown eyes resting on her aunt. “I know auntie”
“Now” Alicia quickly glanced to make sure the door was shut; “Sweetie you know this going to be a lot of hard work for all of us not just you?”
“Yes auntie I do but I think I can handle it”
“It’s not going be a smooth ride there will be some idiots who will undoubtedly call you horrible names because they don’t understand”
Evie sat in her bed feeling concerned at that piece of news, but simply nodded back.
“But Dexter, your uncle and I will do our best to educate the idiots and explain to them why you felt his way, that is isn’t something you can simply stop it’s part of you deep down inside and often it’s trauma related that brings it out”
“Clive will be there for me auntie at least” smiled Evie.
Alicia smiled back at her niece “Indeed he will Evie dear he’s been helping your uncle. But there is something we do need to try and sort out” Evie looked over wondering what it could be. “Evie’s education, now you have to go to school. But no one says what sort of school it is. Also I have a germ of an idea to get rid of Evan permanently so Evie can arrive”
Evie looked at her aunt wondering what on earth she had as a way of getting rid of, she could barely form the word in her mind, Evan.
“But for that I’ll need to talk to Clive a little bit to see what he thinks”
Looking puzzled Evie replied, “How can Clive help?”
“Leave that to me dear I promise you we’ll get this all sorted out so Evie stays and Evan leaves, for good.
The smile was all the reply Alicia needed to know the plan acceptable.
Alicia sat for a second in her thoughts before ploughing on “Now Evie I am guessing that Evie wishes to change her birthday to the day Evie came out?”
Evie just nodded. “I thought you might say that sweetie, so how about your room and some new toys for Evie are your birthday presents?”
The excited claps told Alicia she had got that right “Good girl”, Alicia continued “We’ll try and make it all as easy as possible for you”
Evie’s mind was in a whirl everything she had ever dreamed of was coming true her little girl, the real her was allowed out and she wouldn’t be going way. She thought back wondering if this would ever had happened if the car had missed her, would she ever had had the courage to tell her aunt about Evie? No she thought no not while he was there. Except now he was uncle Dexter and Evie liked uncle Dexter.

Evan's New Life Part Three - rallying To Help Evie
by Baby-Becky

Tyrone took his now eighteen-month old daughter home. Jasmine sat in the back seat of the car watching excitedly as vehicles sped past her. She was wondering where she was going no one had told her what was going on. But she thought it must be somewhere nice. Tyrone gripped the steering wheel tight he was still in a foul mood because of Kelly. Kelly that obnoxious fool, if it wasn’t for me, and my money he wouldn’t be in that position he’s in now he thought. Tyrone lost in his thoughts failed to notice as he went through the red light. He never felt the speeding articulated lorry as is slammed into the side of his Rolls Royce.

The fire brigade, police and ambulance all arrived within minutes. The brigade spent several minutes’ cutting Sir Tyrone Dangerfield’s Rolls so they could get to him and the woman in the back. But they were both dead. The side impact bars had taken monumental force and almost held, but ultimately failed and the bars had driven into the side of Tyrone and the woman had been thrown forward and struck her head on the front headrest. The seat belt had been undone.

Dexter arrived back at the house crossed the road to where Evie’s friend Clive lived. He knocked Clive’s mother answered “Hello Dexter how’s Evan?” Dexter stood and spoke the words that would possibly change Evie’s life for good or bad depending on reaction. “I need to speak to you, it’s about Evan” Clive’s mother stood back from the door “Please come in” Dexter walked into the hall and waited. She walked past Dexter and led him into the main living room. She sat down Dexter followed suit.

Clive heard the knock on the door and the voice of Mister Grant and slowly crept out of his room. Along the landing taking small steps so he wouldn’t be heard.
Tiptoeing down the stairs one at a time. Avoiding the one step he knew creaked.
Getting to the bottom he shuffled along so he could hear his mother and Mister Grant discussing Evan.

“Hazel there is something you need to know about Evan” Hazel lost the colour from her face and she whispered, “He’s not dead is he?” Dexter shook his head.
“No he’s not, technically. What do you know about age regression?”
Hazel looked puzzled “What’s age regression?”
“It’s where a person sees themselves as someone of a younger age often much younger. It can go right back to infancy, some will see themselves as toddlers or even as much as seven or eight years old. This will all of course depend on the individual themselves”
A flicker crossed Hazel’s eyes “Evan sees himself as this?”
Dexter shook his head, “No Evie does”
Hazel stared back “Evie? Who’s Evie?”
Clive spoke “It’s Evan mother, except she now prefers to be called Evie. She was never happy as Evan. She felt she had been born in the wrong body, she also is happier as a two year old baby girl”
Hazel sat stunned not sure what was exactly being said, but was finding it hard to take it all in. Evan wanted to be a girl? Was that what was being said?
She looked from her son standing in the doorway to Dexter on the couch, “Are you saying Evan wants to be a girl?”
Dexter nodded, “Yes she does. It is who she really is, the accident brought Evie to the front of her life, she had previously always been buried deep. Often a traumatic accident or incident will bring something like this to forefront of the person’s mind and then it takes over in the way that it should have earlier. But now it’s Evie, Alicia and I and Clive all know this and accept Evie I hope you’ll understand and take it on board as well”
Hazel’s head buzzed at a hundred miles an hour she vaguely recalled reading about something like this in one of her magazines, where a boy had seen himself as toddler she had at the time dismissed it as a joke. But it was true, this really did happen. She knew Clive and Evan mentally she chastised herself, Evie where really tight they went everywhere together you could hardly separate them. She knew there was no way she could destroy that, not unless she wanted the next five years to be that of a resentful teenager who hated his mother. She smiled back at the two. “I can deal with that I’ll help little Evie in anyway I can, I love Eva she stopped again Evie like a daughter” The next thing she knew was Clive had wrapped himself round her giving her a he hug, something he hadn’t done in a while. She choked up.
“What would you like me to do?” Dexter smiled back at Hazel his answer already prepared in advance “Well Alicia and I would appreciate it if you would help prepare Evie’s room, and make her some curtains”
Clive spoke up “I’m helping mum, Mister Grant and I are doing the wallpapering this morning, I think”
Hazel replied, “Sure I’d love to do that for Evie” She looked at Dexter and Clive unsure as to whether to ask the question or not. Dexter caught the look “Hazel if you have any questions please just ask. There are no secrets in this”
“I was wondering will Evie, be going to school? And well, umm will she be potty trained?
Dexter looked back “We are considering home schooling for Evie depending on how she wants to be and no she will be in nappies”
Hazel nodded “Well I’ve changed my fair share of them so if she’s over here playing with Clive I’ll change her if she needs it”
Dexter stood up “Thank you Hazel this means a lot we’re all grateful for you understanding” he glanced towards Clive “Fancy giving me hand this morning?”
Clive grinned, “Sure Mister Grant I’m not doing anything”
Dexter and Clive left Hazel alone with her thoughts and crossed over to where Evie would soon be living her new life.

Evie sat her room; her leg hurt like crazy, but the medication-helped ease that pain to a dull ache. But she knew she had another type of pain that no medication could ease. School, and what few friends she had, what could she tell them?
How do I tell them that I’m not really who they thought I was? How do I tell them I want to be a little girl and wet my nappy?
But what was auntie’s idea she had that involved Clive? It couldn’t be the school it seemed too secret for that. Evie looked over at her auntie trying to guess what she had up her sleeve. Aumtie? Said Evie. Alicia looked up at the new word coming from Evie and smiled, it was like having a child learning new words and the parents trying hard to understand them. But she figured this one easy enough. “Yes Evie dear what is it?”
“Can unkie Dexwer bwing my iPod in mowwow?”
Alicia smiled, “Yes of course dear. I’ll remind him in the morning” Silently Alicia was shocked at how Evie’s words were dropping in baby speech she expected her too change her vocabulary a bit, but this was a whole different level it was almost as if her brain had reverted back to her childhood with it’s ability to speak and form words.
She giggled to herself she was happy she was learning to speak as a baby and get people to understand her all that she had to do now was wet and mess her first nappy and she’d truly be at peace with the world.
Alicia bit down on the bullet and looked at her niece, “Evie darling is everything okay with you?”
“Me is okies fanks ooos aumtie Awicia, whys?” Alicia felt a pang of concern snatch at her do I say it? She said to herself she shook it off. Shut up Alicia, she said leave it alone, she’s discovering her true identity you can’t go in and destroy something she’s dreamt of for goodness knows how long.
“It’s nothing dear don’t worry”
“Okies aumtie” Her eyes shining brightly upon her auntie, She looked at the person who had saved her a few years previously when her parents had died. Now she was going to be her daughter something she knew her mother had said auntie Alicia had always wanted but was unable to do so. She didn’t and couldn’t remember some of the long and big words, but she knew it meant her auntie couldn’t have babies.

Hazel sat staring into space she couldn’t believe this was happening. Evan was now Evie? She smiled secretly she had half suspected if she was being honest with herself Evan..Evie she told herself, she’d always played very well when her sister’s children came round she’d seemed oblivious to adults around her it was like she was in her own world with the children. Hazel stood up and walked over to make herself a pot of coffee, she had some serious thinking to do she had to help Evie.
Hazel poured her third cup of coffee and had her idea. She picked her mobile up and dialled Clive.

Dexter and Clive had done the first wall of Evie’s room when Clive’s mobile went off he pulled it out of his trousers pocket “It’s my mum” he said to Dexter “Yes mum?”
“Hi sweetie can you put Mister Grant on for me?”
“Sure mum. It’s my mum she wants to speak to you Mister Grant”
Dexter wiped his hands on a rag and took the phone “Hello Hazel what can I do for you?”
“Dexter, Evie’s going to need dresses and rhumbas isn’t she?”
“Yes she will” Dexter was about to speak but Hazel saw her opening and moved in.
“Well I’m pretty good with a sewing machine and needle and thread why don’t I make her some dresses and matching rhumbas I am sure I can find some patterns online and eBay”
Dexter bit back the we can afford it, and have already bought some, he didn’t want to be a total heel and refuse help from Hazel for one Alicia would never forgive him, and two it might cause friction between Clive and Evie and that was something he couldn’t let happen.
“Hazel that is very generous of you, thank you very much” In her kitchen Hazel beamed. “I am very happy to help Dexter I’ll find some patterns and send you the links and you tell me what you think”
“Absolutely Hazel, right now I need to get this wallpapering done so tomorrow we can get on with the painting Evie’s cot is due to arrive in a couple of days and I’d like the room papered and painted ready to put it in”
“Okay Dexter I’ll let you get on and I’ll start looking for some patterns”
Dexter grinned at Clive, “Well your mother is onboard she’s going to make Evie some dresses and rhumbas”
Clive replied, “That’s cool of her, she’s a demon with a sewing machine she’s made stuff for people before” the pair then got back to papering Evie’s room the silence only broken by a few comments here and there to break the monotony of papering.

Alicia was lost in thought she loved Evie so much, but a tiny part of her was screaming at her this was going way beyond what she had bargained for. The acting as her inner child and wearing nappies that was fine. Teaching her from home again she was onboard with that. But this voice was telling her this was so wrong.
Evie was watching her auntie she noticed her face change as if she was thinking deeply. “Aumtie is ooo okies?” Alicia pulled her thoughts back rapidly she shook herself and flushed away the look off her face and smiled brightly at her injured niece.
“I’m fine honey don’t worry about me. It’s just grown up stuff” Evie frowned, “oh okies aumtie me nots wowwy”
Alicia felt the tears coming she quickly got up and spoke “Aunty is just going to the toilet honey” Alicia ran from the room as the hot tears poured down her face and ran to the toilets. Quickly locking herself into a cubicle she sobbed, her chest heaving as the tears kept on coming.
She sat looking at the grey door and angrily berated herself for even thinking about trying to stop Evie from being happy. It’s not her fault she shouted to herself inside her head. She was born this way, this is who she was supposed to be and I was going to take this away? Damn you she screamed at herself. Shaking herself deeply she stood up flushed the toilet to make it look like she had been opened the door want to the sinks. She washed her hands; she then cleaned the tear marks from her face. She smiled at the mirror. Evie you’re going to be happy that idea I was working on I has just slotted the last piece into place. Evan has just died as far as I’m concerned.

Hazel turned on her laptop and waited till it powered up then fired up her browser then typed in adult baby dress patterns. She got a few hits and read some ideas from some sites. Then she thought and changed her search to baby dress patterns, she knew she could alter the pattern upwards it was just a case of simple mathematics to get it to Evie’s size. She found several she really liked and fed the links onto an email for Dexter and sent it. She then ordered them anyway. It would be a surprise for her.
Then she went back and let her fingers do the talking and she signed up to a couple of adult baby chat rooms, she wanted ideas for Evie. Hazel spent the rest of the morning talking to a few babies. They told her to get dummies, bottles, and a mobile for above her cot, Mary Jane shoes, she’d also need onsies to sleep in. Hazel noted down everything. She sat after she had closed the chat and looked at the list, it was long very long. But she whispered to the empty room a baby needs lots of things, well she knew Evie wasn’t really being a baby she was a little girl, but the difference in age between the two was small seeing as she would still be using nappies.
Hazel went to a couple of sites and ordered bottles and dummies that would fit Evie, she then turned everything off and sat back satisfied with her mornings work.

Alicia composed herself she couldn’t let Evie see her upset. Checking her face once more for tear marks seeing none she walked back out. She walked back to Evie’s room and smiled happily at her niece. Evie glanced as her auntie walked back in the room. Now sweetie I have a plan to get rid of Evan for good and have Evie move in, do you want to hear it?”
Evie’s eyes shone with joy “Pwease aumtie”
“Well sweeties you know your auntie you rarely see?” Evie nodded.
“I was thinking that maybe Evan could move to where she lives. As everyone knows Evan and Dexter didn’t get on, even Evan and his aunty Alicia had problems. Then we could say that Evie is one of Dexter’s nieces”
“Buts aumtie peoples will nos me is not weally unkie Dexwers niece”
Alicia smiled, “That is where Clive comes in. I’ll get Clive at school to start fuelling rumours about one of Dexter’s nieces coming to stay because of marital problems at her parent’s home. I’ll also get him to sneak in words here and there about the problems that Evan and I have been having, with him saying do you remember when I said? People will automatically say yes I do rather than feel stupid and say no”
Alicia laughed, "Evie dear once your hair has grown a bit and been cut to look like a little girls you’ll be fine"
Evie sat feeling the excitement bubbling up inside her. She giggled softly “Oh aumtie fank ooos dis wills lets me be Efie all der times” Alicia blinked back more tears, she could see the pure joy on her niece’s face. This was happiness in its purest form nothing could possibly top this.

Dexter and Clive sat on a couple of camping chairs in what would be Evie’s room drinking coffee. They looked at the almost wallpapered walls and smiled. Clive turned to Dexter “Mister Grant do you think we should paint Evie’s door outside as well as in?” Dexter took a mouthful of coffee and swallowed and quickly scanned the idea in his head “Sure Clive why not. Yes the colour will be a bit out compared to the rest of the doors, but this is a special room for a special little girl” Clive nodded back in the general acceptance that is shown between males all around the world.
“Mister Grant?”
Dexter sat looking at Evie’s best friend “Clive what have I told you to call me?”
Clive grinned sheepishly “Sorry Dexter, I was thinking maybe we could go to the local art shop and see if we can get some stencils. One with a fairy or princess and the other with Evie on it, then we could stencil them onto the door”
Dexter smiled back “You’re a great kid and a wonderful friend to Evie Clive. That is a fantastic idea. Drink up, we’ll finish this wall pop into town for McDonalds, I assume you eat that? Then we’ll go and see if we can find some stencils”

James Kelly walked into Evie’s room. “How’s Evan today?” he smiled brightly. Alicia and Evie’s flicker of annoyance at the name vanished almost as soon as it touched their faces. Kelly thought he saw a touch of annoyance hit the woman’s face but he wasn’t sure. Alicia watched Evie wondering how she’d reply, would it be Evan or Evie who spoke? She decided to not risk it. “He’s fine doctor thank you still a bit fragile and hurting but feeling a lot better. When can she go home? Alicia mentally kicked herself for using the female in the speech, but hoped he wouldn’t notice it.
James looked at the woman did she just say when can she go home? Must be the stress and anger of it all he thought. He picked the notes from the end of the bed.
He flicked through the charts. He smiled down at the kid. “I would say about another week just to give the leg time to knit a bit more, and to give you time to start to heal from the cuts and bruises”
Evie sat quietly she’d guessed from her aunt’s timely intervention to not speak. She knew the time was not right, yet to let others know outside the main three about Evie.
James made a few notations on the charts and exited the room.

The two sat silently for a couple of minutes. The buzzing of the fluorescent lighting was the only noise in the room. Alicia spoke first “We’re going to have to tell someone about Evie. It is going to get harder to hide her dear, and maybe we can get some help with her as well if we tell people”
Evie watched her aunt, a serious look on her face. The she nodded. “Okies aumtie, we tells der peoples bouts Efie”
Alicia smiled back at her niece “Okay dear, but we’ll do it carefully so you don’t get hurt” She smiled back nestling her doll on her arm.
The pair sat looking at each other with affection. Evie was feeling things she had never felt as Evan, love and wanting to care for people. She knew Evan had been resentful, rude and at times downright obnoxious towards her aunt and uncle, except then he was Mister Grant. But the accident had changed her in many ways, least all of was Evie venturing out into the world after years of being hidden and only coming to Evan, as he was then, when he closed his eyes and spun his own little world and life of Evie. Evie spoke, “Aumtie is ebebyfing goings to works?” Alicia mentally translated Evie speech, “Yes dear everything will work out just trust the adults to sort it all out, okay?” Evie smiled, then she nodded that she understood what was being said.

Dexter and Clive walked into the art shop having both enjoyed the fast food of McDonalds, not exactly on the healthy side of conscious but it was still enjoyable.
They wandered round till they found the stencils and went through them to see if what they wanted was in. Clive found a princess one tucked away and while not the name Evie he found a nice set of lettering stencils. Dexter paid for the stencils and they walked towards the exit, as the got near the exit Clive spotted some cartoon stickers on a stand and pointed them out to Dexter, he picked them up and they both grinned. Evie would love them they had all cartoon characters on them and would nice on her door. They paid for them then added them into the bag with the stencils and walked out. Walking back to the car they passed toy shop Dexter turned to Clive, “Come on lets have a look round see if we can find anything for Evie”
Upon entering the stood just inside the door and looked at each Clive spoke first, “I think Evie would have a lot of fun in here and possibly break your bank balance”
Dexter laughed, “I have no doubt she’d have a very good try”
The grabbed a trolley and started walking slowly up the aisles discussing items as they went along, some went in the trolley others got left behind. The till assistant face was priceless to Dexter as she saw the trolley piled high with, dolls, soft toys, a dolls house, colouring books and crayons, dress up outfits and the biggest bear in the store which Clive was struggling to carry.
She recovered and spoke, “She must be a very special little girl to be getting all of these presents”
Dexter replied, “She most certainly is very special to me and my fiancée”
Clive looked nearly spoke, but a glance from Dexter told him this would look so wrong and possibly lead to a lot of trouble, so he kept quite.
The bill passed the four hundred mark Dexter blanched as he input his PIN number.
But he knew the cheque from Tyrone Dangerfield covered the bill. They took the goods out to the car and piled them all into the boot, the giant bear was buckled into the back seat, while it was just a bear Dexter didn’t want the chance of that flying forward should he have an accident. It was heavy and the size of a small child, it would cause a lot of damage.
Dexter and Clive drove back to Alicia’s house and unpacked the car. The toys were placed downstairs in Evie’s temporary bedroom. Making a coffee for the pair of them Dexter decided he needed to talk to Clive.
“Clive this whole situation with Evie must feel a bit odd to you” Clive took a sip of coffee and thought about his answer, “Not really Mister Grant, sorry Dexter. I did read a fair bit when I discovered Evie’s iPod and it does kind of explain a lot”
Dexter looked puzzled, “What do you mean, explains a lot?”
“Well, when we used to go into town on a Saturday or holidays Evie” he had just caught himself in time “Always kept glancing at babies and seemed entranced by their looks and how their mothers fussed over them, it was almost as if she was jealous, which I am guessing now, is true she was jealous” He shook his head “I am just sorry that none of us ever noticed”
Dexter replied, “Hey don’t beat yourself up it’s not as if any of us knew about this before all of this came about did we?”
“I guess not, but it would have been nice if just one of us had caught the warning signs”
Dexter nodded “It sure would have kiddo, it sure would”
The pair sat in silence lost in their own thoughts, and both still struggling with their own inner turmoil that they hadn’t caught any inkling about Evie.
“I suppose we should go and finish that piece of wall,” said Clive as he put down his empty cup. Dexter stood up put down his cup “Guess we should that gives it time to dry so we can paint in the morning” The pair of them walked upstairs to continue with wallpapering Evie’s room.

That evening as Dexter and Alicia sat eating their evening meal Alicia turned to Dexter, “You know we have to tell the people at the hospital don’t you?”
Putting down his cutlery Dexter replied, “Why? It’s not as though they have to know about Evie”
Alicia shook her head “No, it’s just that Evie’s coming out more and more it’s getting hard for her not speaking when a doctor or nurse come in the room. They’ll begin to think it odd she’s not speaking, they may see it as part of the accident”
“Well I guess I can see that, it must be hard for her to keep hiding herself away from the world. Well if you’re sure this is the right course of action for Evie go ahead”
Alicia smiled, “Thanks honey we’ll be careful of course. But as far as anyone else is concerned they’re not too know”
Having done the washing up Alicia turned to Dexter “I have something I need to explain to you, it’s about getting rid of Evan”
Dexter looked back puzzled “I thought we’d already done that, Evie was out Evan was gone”
Shaking her head Alicia replied, “Yes and no. Yes we now have Evie, but Evan has to be seen to be leaving here. I have a plan with Evie it just needs Clive’s assistance at school” Then Alicia proceeded to outline the idea to Dexter.
Dexter looked sceptical, tapping his fingers on the table, before he replied “It seems okay but it really hinges on Clive, that’s an awful lot of pressure on the kid you’re putting, more so since his best friend nearly killed, add in the mix his best friend is now living as a two-year old girl, it’s a potent recipe for disaster”
Alicia glared back at Dexter, “Fine then if you think this won’t work you come up with an idea, not forgetting Evan needs to be seen leaving”
Dexter stood up “Hey calm down I’m not the bad guy here I was merely pointing out the possible pitfalls”
Alicia took a deep breath, “Sorry guess this whole Evan/Evie thing is getting on top of us. Trying to get it so she’s seen as Evie is the hard part, but I’m sure with the right hair cut and clothing it will work just fine”
Dexter nodded, then walked out of the room. Upon entering the living room he checked his emails to find some of the items they had wanted had been dispatched and should arrive in two days time. Perfect he thought tomorrow Clive and I paint the room, and the following day her cot arrives along with her high chair. He smiled Alicia walked in “What are you so happy about?”
Dexter looked up from the screen “Evie’s cot and highchair have been dispatched”
“Good now that things are starting to arrive we can start to make this look more like a home than a house” Dexter nodded in reply checking the delivery dates of other items. Alicia sat watching the television trying to keep her mind occupied rather than dwell on the task she had set Clive, she knew it was asking a lot but it was easier if he set the scene for people to believe.

Evie sat alone in her room her aunt had left for the night. She had been kind enough to put Jessica the bear on the bed for her. Traci her dolly was sitting next to her. She was talking softly to the pair of them, her speech now totally that as of a two-year old child. She was giggling and clapping excitedly at their answers to her questions. She reminded them in the way that young children do to behave themselves. She told them of the nice room they were going to be living in and how pretty it would it would be for them all. A nurse walking past heard the talking and clapping and smiled but thought nothing of it the fact it was supposed to be a thirteen-year old boy in the room slipped her mind. Evie was enjoying herself, she felt free from all the misery she had endured since losing her parents, and since Dexter had moved in. But the fact she had freed her inner self was what she was truly happy for, no more hiding, no more gazing at babies and wishing that she was in their place, and the freedom now to express how she felt.

Hazel sat with Clive after they had eaten the air was uneasy they both felt as if things needed to be said, but neither was really willing to be the one to break the silence.
Finally Hazel decided enough was enough, “Clive honey”
Hearing his mother break the silence relieved him, “Yes mum?” Hazel continued on “It’s about Evie dear” Clive felt a rising panic inside, was she now going to change her views on the subject? Was she going to spread the word about Evan being Evie?
He looked up concern on his face, “What about Evie? You’re not going to change how you feel are you?”
Hazel shook her head, “Nothing of the sort dear. I was just going to ask do you not feel as though you’ve lost someone to hang out with, and to go to the cinema or head into town to hang out?” Clive had mentally prepared this answer he knew this was coming long before it was even going to be asked, it was just who asked it first Miss Jackson or his mother.
“No mum I don’t. I like Evie I understand how she feels and her inner feelings to others. I don’t mind going over there and playing with dolls and her soft toys. It’s no different really to playing with my nieces except it’s my best friend now. What counts really is Evie being happy and slowly adjusting to her new life after all she’s buried this deep and for so long, she’s going to try and be all of Evie before she has truly begun to understand even a tiny bit of Evie.
Hazel smiled her son was growing up if he could see things like that in a grown-up way. “You seem to have thought about this a lot dear”
Clive grinned, “Yes mum I have I sort of had too after finding out accidentally I started to look into it a bit deeper. A bit for me and mostly so I didn’t make any mistakes with Evie”
“So have you thought about how you’re going to explain Evan no longer being at school?”
Clive nodded, “Yes that’s all in my head and just needs little refining I guess but it shouldn’t be too hard to get people to believe Evan has moved away. People knew he and Dexter” His mother glared at him. Clive blushed, “Sorry Mister Grant didn’t get on well, add in a few gems of information and well Evan disappears and Evie appears”
Hazel looked over at her son wondering how he was really coping with this, but she was really concerned with how her son’s best friend was dealing with it all.

Across the road Alicia and Dexter sat discussing how they’d have to adjust their personal lives. After all they would now have two-year old to look after and they where a handful at the best of times. They knew they’d get a few funny looks when they went out with Evie in her pushchair, but they were prepared for that, they hoped so at least. The nappy changes wouldn’t be too difficult they’d both done if babies. Alicia knew they’d have to set a routine for Evie times to be woken, have naps, play and eat. Routine was an important structure in the development of a child and just because Evie used to be thirteen doesn’t mean they deviate from a structured routine for her. Alicia suddenly sat up, tense and feeling a cold shiver down her neck.
Dexter noticed the movement and the way Alicia was holding her body. “What’s wrong dear?”
Alicia looked over, “Just realised how do we sell this to Evan’s aunts and uncles?”
Dexter looked back a blank look on his face “oh, I don’t know but I guess we need to think of something”
“Well I guess we have one option which is the truth”
Dexter looked thunderstruck, “Are you serious? You want us to tell them that Evan is now Evie and she wears nappies and baby dresses?”
Alicia glared back, “Yes Dexter that is exactly what I am suggesting”
“Are you sure that is wise telling them exactly what is happening, don’t forget this is something we are also trying to hide”
“I know that”, snapped Alicia “But we can’t fool them that Evie is someone else. They have to know we can still hide Evan at his aunts can’t we?”
Dexter sighed, “I guess you’re right dear, they have to know mainly because they’ll all wonder where Evan is and why when the Christmas list gets sent it has presents fit for a two-year old girl”
Alicia laughed, “I didn’t think of that, but yes that will get them scratching their heads why Evan would want a doll or something for a dolls house”
Dexter stood up “Just going to check that the wallpaper is starting to dry as we’re hoping to pain the skirting boards, windows and door tomorrow” Walking upstairs he checked the room to check it was going to be dry in time to paint tomorrow.
Dexter stood in the doorway surveying the room smiling to himself he walked in checked the walls for bubbling and checking it was drying out properly. Satisfied he called Clive,
“Hey Clive everything is set for tomorrow we can get on and paint the wallpaper will be dry, make sure you wear clothes that don’t matter if they get paint on them”
“Sure thing Dexter I’ll be over around eight”
Dexter finished the call and walked back to Alicia “We can do the painting tomorrow dear. Hopefully the room will be set in two or three days, then I can take some photos and we can show Evie on the laptop what her new room looks like”

The following morning as Alicia sat with Evie her fiancé and Clive where getting on with the task of painting Evie’s windows and skirting boards a pastel pink. The door had been done first so they could stencil it the following day. Clive was lost in his own world as he dipped the brush in the pot of paint and got on with the job in hand the skirting boards near the door. He mused to himself just how much his life was going to change once Evie got home, no more trips to the town to hang out, though he could take her out in the pushchair, no more cinema trips to see PG films. But they were all inconsequential items as far as he was concerned the well being of Evie was paramount to him. He grinned it would only be like playing with his nieces and nephews and that was no big deal every one did that.

Dexter was kneeling down painting when the doorbell went he set his brush on the lip of the can wiped his hands as best he could and went down to answer the door.
A van was parked outside and couple of men stood with two very large boxes.
“Delivery for Grant” Dexter stood shocked for a second then he grinned Evie’s cot and highchair. He signed for them and showed the men where to out the boxes.
Dexter walked back upstairs “That was a delivery for Evie her cot and her high chair. Now tomorrow I have to be somewhere so I’ll need you to be here in case anything else arrives plus you can stencil her door. That would be a nice gesture if she knew her best friend had stencilled her door”
“No problem Dexter I can do that for you” Dexter smiled to himself good he thought I can go and start looking for places to marry Alicia in.

Alicia was again with her niece. They were talking quietly and giggling, Alicia was finding it hard now she knew the time was getting close when they’d have to lie about Evan. While she knew it was necessary to protect Evie it didn’t mean she was comfortable with the idea. She sighed quietly. She noticed the look on her auntie’s face. “Is sumfinks wong aumtie?”
Alicia shook her head, “No sweetie it’s just something aunty has to deal with. I’ll be alright don’t worry”
Evie smiled, “Okies aumtie”
Alicia grinned she loved her nieces speech style it very much suited her and her playful approach to life. This was possibly the one part of the puzzle that Evie had needed to find, as this was her way of communicating with adults and children alike it also gave her a sense of identity. “Now Evie dear where were we?”
She giggled at her aunt, “Ooo was sayings bouts der weddings dwess ooo wants”
“Oh, yes of course I was dear. Well I want one with a nice train and nipped in waist a veil is a must so uncle Dexter can lift it up for the kiss” Evie made a funny face at the word kiss. We’ll make sure that I can get a dress in the same colour for you dear. I need my special flower girl to look pretty”

Dexter and Clive spent the morning doing the painting. Coming back down Dexter checked his emails to find that the pushchair and nappies had been sent. Turning to Clive he spoke, “Seems you’ll be busy tomorrow Evie's pushchair and nappies have also been sent. Make sure you have your phone on and charged in case of problems and call me if there are any issues”
Clive nodded, “Okay Dexter do you still want me to stencil the door tomorrow?”
“Yes please Clive you can still hear the door from the room. There will be no noise in the house and the doorbell is loud enough”
Clive looked back, “Evie is going to be okay isn’t she?”
“Yes Clive of course she will be”
“No, what I mean is, she’ll be safe in being who she is. No one will call her names or anything like that”
Spotting the concern in the young lads face he spoke, “Clive listen to me. Alicia and I will do anything to protect Evie and who she is we all know she wasn’t forced to be Evie. This was a free will decision she made on her own. Yes the accident may have speeded up the choice, but ultimately she would have made the choice eventually. So don’t worry about anything, she’s safe trust me”
Clive felt the reassuring words from Dexter and calmed right back down. Why did I even doubt him? He only wants Alicia and Evie happy it seems almost as if he’d be prepared to do so at his own expense. So trust him until he lets Evie down, then we get nasty. “Okay Dexter I trust you and believe you when you say you’ll look after Evie” the pair worked on in silence till lunch time when ordered in pizza from the local Dominoes. They sat on the stairs eating Clive’s phone rang; quickly wiping his greasy fingers on his trousers he answered his phone.
“Hi mum what is it?” Dexter turned round and saw Clive nod a couple of times and a broad grin split his face. “I think that would be much appreciated mum”
Dexter watched him with a frown on his face. Clive killed the call popped the phone back in his pocket. “A friend of my mother’s is having a clear out and asked my mum if she knew of anyone who wanted a playpen so my mum snapped it up for Evie, I am guessing it’s okay with you?”
Dexter nodded, “Yes that’s just fine I must admit that had slipped my mind and it will be a useful thing to put Evie in when there’s only one of us here and we’re in the kitchen cooking. So tell her it’s much appreciated and I’ll pay her back for it”
Clive shook his head, “I wouldn’t if I was you. She’d be offended all she was talking about last night was how wonderful it would be to be able to make baby dresses, booties, bonnets and such for Evie. You pay her back she’ll rip your arm off. She wants to help so let her”
Dexter looked shocked at the depth of feelings Hazel had for helping Evie, he knew she’d always treated him really well after his parents had died, there was always a bit extra at Christmas and birthdays. But this was a whole other ballgame. He took another bite of pizza and soon wrapped himself up in other thoughts. Alicia the wedding and Evie as the flower girl. Dexter turned to Clive with a smile.
“Clive you know Alicia and I are going to get married?” Clive nodded back.
“Well I was wondering if you’d like to be my best man?” Clive’s mouth opened but he couldn’t find any words to come. He sat in silence stunned. “You’re joking me right?”
Dexter shook his head “No I am serious Clive. Evie is going to be Alicia’s flower girl so I thought why not have you in on the wedding itself as well. What do you say?”
Clive nodded back weakly. “Good that’s settled” Dexter said.
The pair of them went back to finishing off the painting. They had all the upstairs windows to get rid of the paint smell. The pair of them soon finished off the painting and looked round what was starting to look like the room of a little girl. The furniture would drastically change it Dexter thought. The pair of them went downstairs cleaned up the brushes and themselves.

Hazel drove round to her friend’s house to pickup the playpen. This would help Alicia and Dexter no end and she was sure Evie would like it as well. Getting out of her car she walked up to the front of her friend’s house and knocked. Her friend answered and they went inside. Hazel was led into the living where the playpen had been disassembled with the ides stacked up and the bolts and clips together in a bag.
She smiled “It’s perfect April” she said.
“Glad you like it Hazel I hope your friend gets as much use from it as my little ones did”
Hazel had to mentally kick herself not to laugh, “I am sure she’ll love it as will her parents” April looked at Hazel wondering if her friend had said that right, how would a baby be able to enjoy a playpen? And understand? Shaking herself she thought to herself she must have misheard. Hazel then paid her friend for the playpen and the two of them loaded up Hazel’s car with the playpen.
Driving back home Hazel gazed thoughtfully as she drove. Just how big an impact would this have on her life? She wasn’t bothered if it did interfere after all she would have liked a daughter or a second child, but sadly neither of them materialised. She blinked away the tears and carefully pulled over and parked and wept. She’d make sure Evie was looked after this was her chance to lay her own ghosts to rest.

Evie was asleep, as Alicia’s phoned buzzed silently. She pulled it out of her handbag and checked the message. It was Dexter something about a surprise when she got home. Wonder what the old fox is up to she whispered silently to the four walls. They didn’t answer her back. She fired back a message something about not being fair and to tell her what was going on.
Alicia smiled at her niece asleep she got up and quietly crept out of the room to find a nurse. She found one and asked her when her nephew could go home, just stopping herself in time from saying niece. She nurse replied she didn’t know but she’d find a doctor who could give a time frame.
Alicia stood at the nurse’s station watching the buzz of the medical world around her nurses and doctors walking along silently, studiously watching the world slip on by as they cared for the people around them. A short while later Evie’s doctor came along the corridor towards her. He smiled the trust me I’m a doctor smile they all seem to learn. “Hello Miss Jackson I understand you would like to know when Evan can go home?”
Alicia decided not to correct him, though she knew at some point they’d have to be told, “Yes please I would like to know”
“Well looking at his charts and he seems to be doing nicely I think he can go home say the day after tomorrow”
“Thank you doctor I am sure Evan will be pleased to hear that”, she despised herself for using his old name but at the present it had to be done.
Alicia walked back to the room and grinned well if Dexter wanted to play games so could she. Reaching into her handbag she took out her phone and texted Dexter that she too had a surprise that would have to wait till she got home.

Alicia walked in the front door of the house Dexter sat of the bottom of the stairs with a huge grin on his face. “Well who’s going to speak first?” he said. Alicia smiled softly back “Well I guess I will Evie can come home the day after tomorrow”
Dexter’s face lit up “That beats my news easily. Well her room upstairs will start to like a room tomorrow as the cot and highchair arrived this morning”
Alicia looked at Dexter “Your news?”
“Oh, right sorry dear. I’ve asked Clive to be my best man”
“You’ve done what? He’s thirteen Dexter are you sure this is wise?”
Dexter nodded, “Yes I know how old he is but I think it’s a good idea it gives him something to focus on at the minute and allows him to be involved in the wedding. Don’t forget his best friend is the flower girl so offering him a small part is a nice gesture I think”
“Okay dear I get it and that is your decision so I won’t interfere. Just walk him through what needs doing”
The pair of them spent the night making small talk about how life would change in two days time.

The following morning Dexter and Alicia drove to the hospital leaving Clive to do the stencil on the door and take in the pushchair and nappies. Clive stood looking the radically changed room where and Evan used to hang out and smiled. He then turned to look at the door and broke off some masking tape and taped the stencil to the door took a couple of steps back to make sure it was level. Satisfied he started to paint on the stencil of the princess and lower down he stencilled on Evie’s Room. He peeled off some of the cartoon stickers and put them all round the words and grinned. It looked wonderful he was sure Evie would like it, he hoped. Just as he finished the doorbell rang Clive walked down the stairs and answered the door a deliveryman stood there with a long oblong box and a few packages in plastic. Clive signed for the all and put them in the room downstairs then sent a text to Dexter saying the items had arrived. He got a quick reply saying thank you. He then cleaned up the brush and then made himself a coffee and went to watch television till they both came home.

Evie sat with her aunt and uncle she was excited they both told her she could go home the next day and that they had a wonderful surprise for her at home. As with most young girls she wanted to know what the surprise was. They both just smiled at her and said no, Evie tried pouting but they both just laughed and still refused to tell the answer. Evie giggled, “Okies me waits till me gets home den aumtie an unkie”
Both exchanged glances there was no way they could hide this when she got home they’d have to move Evan away quickly. But to do that they’d need Clive to go back to school or at least speak to people milling around outside and start the rumours up.
The doctor came in check Evie over to make sure she was feeling well and no aches or pains beyond the normal level. Evie shook her head the doctor made a few notes on her records and smiled “You can go home tomorrow Evan. I bet you’re glad aren’t you?”
Evie looked up at the doctor “Yes I am thank you” she said weakly trying hard to keep her speech as was expected. “Good lad you’ll need to come back to have the cast off and some physiotherapy to get the muscles back and help you to get your walking back having been off your feet so long” Evie nodded a reply.
The doctor then left the three of them to talk. They spent a quiet morning chatting broken with long silences as they just enjoyed each other’s company.

Hazel knocked on the door of Alicia’s house Clive answered; “Oh, hi mum something wrong?”
“No dear I just wanted to bring over the playpen for Evie”
“Okay mum bring it over and pop it in the downstairs room for now”
Hazel brought the first pair of sides in and propped them on a wall, a couple of trips and the whole process was done. Evie now had her playpen.
“I think she’ll love it”, said Clive “It adds more to the image she has of herself being in the playpen adds the image and feeling of security to her, and for her they are the integral parts of what she wants”
Hazel looked shocked, “You’ve really looked into this haven’t you?”
Clive nodded back, “Yes mum I have I owe it to Evie, I have to understand her mindset so when I’m with her she can sense I know and feel what she does”
Hazel smiled, she knew she’d raised a good caring and compassionate son but this was really going the extra mile.

Dexter, Alicia and Clive finished the take away. The three of them got up and walked to the room Evie would be using till she could get upstairs. Alicia and Dexter got hold of the cot box and started to manoeuvre it up to Evie’s main room. Clive brought up some of the nappy packages. Alicia and Dexter opened up the cot box and started to place the pieces around so it could be easily assembled. Dexter looked at the plans and frowned, “These look a bit complex”
Alicia snatched them from his hand, “Give them here, trust a woman to come to the rescue” Alicia then started to assemble the cot. She grinned at Dexter as he handed her the nuts and bolts to the cot.
The three of them stood back at looked at the cot and they smiled. This was what it was all about. The changing mat was Evie’s old desk and the nappies stacked underneath. It was now looking truly looking to be the room of that belonging to a little girl. Dexter fixed the mobile above the cot a baby monitor was placed on the cabinet next to the cot.
Clive looked at the windows “I think my mum should have the curtains done in a couple of days or so”
“This is now starting to resemble a home” said Alicia “A true home with the movements of a small child bringing in laughter and joy to us” Dexter moved in close to Alicia and held her tightly, “It will be alright dear I promise”

Both of them slept uneasy that night. They knew everything they held would change the next day while they wanted and embraced the changes they still had the crushing fear it could all go wrong.
Alicia woke first and rolled out of bed to go and shower. Dexter got out of his side of the bed and padded out of the bedroom to look in on what would be Evie’s room, he smiled. In the cold light of day it looked so perfect and yes, it was now a girl’s room.
They ate breakfast then Dexter called Clive to come on over as there might well be other deliveries today while they were collecting Evie.

Alicia and Dexter walked into Evie’s room at the hospital full of smiles and joy. Evie was sitting up in bed hugging Jessica with Traci sitting on Jessica’s leg. They both smiled at the sight that greeted them. “If this is what life is going to give us I’ll take it in buckets” whispered Dexter. “Me too darling” replied Alicia “Me too”
They sat down waiting for the doctor to come round and officially discharge Evie.
It was late morning by the time the doctor arrived. He looked at the charts asked the nurses if they’d been any complications, they replied that there hadn’t.
He looked over at Evie and then to Alicia “You can take him home today you just need to sign the discharge papers and it’s all done. I hope you’re soon out and about playing football young man”, said the doctor to Evie. Evie frowned slightly and looked at the doctor as if he was mad. But bit back the obvious reply, “Thank you I’ll try”
“That’s the ticket”
Alicia went off to sign the papers while Dexter helped Evie put her things together and to get dressed. “You feeling okay Evie?”
Evie nodded “I guess. I mean I know this is something I have always dreamt of it’s just now it’s so close I feel nervous about it”
“That’s understandable Evie it’s all new in reality while it’s not new up here” Dexter touched Evie’s head “You’ll find it will work don’t forget your aunt and I fully support you. So does Clive and his mum, we all want you happy Evie”
Evie nodded and whispered a soft “Thank you”

Evie was pushed out of the hospital in wheelchair her bear and dolly sitting in her lap, she held them both tightly. She found it difficult to get into the car as he leg was rigid and her ability to manoeuvre was small. Once in the car they seemed to find a spring in their collective steps, the adults knowing they were bringing home their child, as they saw Evie, and she saw it as the start of her life she had always dreamt of.
Dexter drove carefully and slowly so should he have to brake sharply he wouldn’t distress or hurt Evie.

Dexter pulled into the driveway of the house and got out walked round and opened Evie’s door and helped her get out. He wrapped his arm under her arms and helped her to the front door, which was standing open with Alicia beaming like the Cheshire cat. The first thing they did was show Evie the room she’d be sleeping in for the time being till she could make her way up and down the stairs.
Evie smiled, “Is nice aumtie an unkie fank ooos”
Alicia spoke first “Do you want to see what will be Evie’s room? It’s very special indeed” Evie’s eyes flashed with a light and life that Alicia had never seen in Evan ever. “Pwease me wike to see my woom”
Dexter then lifted her up as if she had weighed nothing and carried her upstairs.
As they got near the top Dexter spoke, “Close your eyes Evie please”
“Okies unkie Dexwer” Evie closed her eyes wondering what the surprise could possibly be. Carefully once on the landing Dexter put Evie down and Alicia slipped the crutches into place for Evie.
“Open your eyes dear”, said Alicia. She opened her eyes and saw the pink door with Evie’s room on it and the princess stencil and the cartoon characters all around it.
Dexter then opened the door Evie stared in amazement she saw the cot, mobile, changing mat, the stack of nappies she then burst into tears. Alicia and Dexter glanced at each other wondering if they had gone too far and got it horribly, horribly wrong.
Dexter bit the bullet, “Is something wrong Evie” Through a mist of tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat she shook her head gently “Nos is perfickt is a weal baby woom” The two adults breathed a sigh of relief.
“We have another two surprises downstairs for you as well”, said Alicia.
Evie smiled at her aunt, “Buts dis is nice enuf nots needs anymores”
Alicia and Dexter laughed, “Sweetie there is so much for you we can’t do it all here”, said Dexter.

Evie was gently carried back downstairs she then hobbled into the living room and a sight she’d only ever dreamed of greeted her. Blinking back more tears she saw the playpen and the toys. She turned to look at the two beaming adults “All dis for Efie?” They both nodded. Evie hobbled over to the pile of toys and gently lowered herself down. Her aunt looked at Evie and decided now was as good a time as any “Evie dear?”
Evie looked up from inspecting her toys, “Wes aumtie?”
“Evie shall we nappy you now?”
Evie nodded happily. Alicia walked over and helped her up and took her to the middle of the floor. She laid Evie down and started to carefully and gently undressed her niece. The clothes got thrown to one side she then unfolded a night time nappy “Can you lift your bottom up?” Evie nodded and did as asked Alicia slid the nappy under her niece. Smiling down “You’ll feel a lot better Evie” she then pulled the middle up and pulled over the two sides and taped them into place. Picking up a pair of pink and white frilled rhumbas Alicia shook them out and then showed them to her. “These are pretty aren’t they dear?” Evie nodded unable to believe her dream and greatest wish was happening, at long last she was living. Alicia slid them over Evie’s legs then got her to lift her bottom again. Alicia carefully pulled them over the nappy then checked to make sure the nappy was fully inside the rhumbas.
She then stood Evie up with her crutches. From a chair she picked up a short dress that matched the rhumbas. Evie gasped, “Oh, aumtie is a pwetty dwess fank ooos”
“Glad you like it dear you have plenty more like that and Clive’s mum is making you some as well. She’s also making you some pretty curtains for your room”
Evie clapped her hands and giggled happily. Alicia beamed back at her niece, “I take it you’re happy?”
“Me is wery happi aumtie fank ooos”
“Good girl Evie”
Dexter sat in the other room listening to the exchange his heart tearing apart with joy he couldn’t believe that something like this could literally bring someone back from the cusp, but it had Evie was now part of the family for good.
Alicia smiled at Evie, “We have one more surprise for you Evie”
Evie looked at her auntie not sure what else there could be, “Wes aumite?”
Dexter hearing this walked in pushing the pushchair, seconds later he put his hands to his ears jokingly as she let out a squeal of happiness.
Evie looked from her aunt to her uncle, “Is all dis weally for mes?”
They both smiled back at her and nodded. Evie walked over slowly to her uncle she could feel the bulk of the night time nappy between her legs and the rustle of the rhumbas, she felt happy this was what she wanted the feeling and sensory touch of being a baby. Dexter guessed what she wanted so he dropped down onto his haunches and hugged her as she made it over. “Glad you approve sweetie” Evie’s head bounced up and down madly.
The pair glanced at each other waiting for each other to take the lead finally Alicia broke the deadlock between the pair, “Evie dear?” Evie scuttled round on her crutches crab-like “Wes aumtie?”
“Well Evie as you see yourself as little two-year old girl you must wait till your uncle or I change you, as little girls can’t tell us they needing changing. Okay sweetie?”
Evie stood for second before she nodded that she understood and it was fine.
“Good girl sweetie. You’ll also have an afternoon nap so you’re not tired and you’ll be in bed by seven in the evening” Once again Evie nodded happily. This is just what I wanted she told herself inside her head, this is the perfect life of a little girl it’s all set and mapped out for her. My life couldn’t be happier at this minute.

Evie was picked up and gently placed in her playpen with her new dollhouse and dolls. Dexter and Alicia walked through to the kitchen. Alicia broke the silence,
“She seems happy enough but don’t forget it’s early days this is all new to her so she’s going to want to try everything”
Dexter nodded, “Yes I know we need to keep an eye on her and make sure that what we see isn’t being forced for our sakes”
“I agree but I think she’s truly at peace with herself and we won’t see anything being forced out”

Evie sat in her playpen she felt uncomfortable she hadn’t relieved herself since this morning when the nurse gave her the bottle to go in. She tried to make herself go but she couldn’t. She frowned and the block got stronger she just couldn’t wet her nappy. She sat down and tried to calm herself down, no point getting upset she thought, as she relaxed she could feel the mental block subsiding, she smiled to herself and went about playing with her dolls. As she started setting up the dolls into moving into their new house she felt the floodgates open and Evie wet her first nappy since she was a baby. She smiled happily to herself all she had to do now was break the barrier permanently that she knew would take some time to do. Evie sat happily in her soaked nappy playing with her dolls.

Alicia walked over and put the kettle on, “We’re going to have to change her while we’re out you know”
“I know dear but we can always say either she’s special needs or just tell them the truth should anyone say anything”
Alicia busied herself setting up the coffee machine it was going to be great to have real coffee again rather than the muck served at the hospital.

Clive sitting up in his room had seen Evie arrive home. He thought best give them some time alone and to show Evie her new room. After an hour he walked over and rang the bell.

Dexter heard the doorbell and looked at Alicia. “Wonder who that is?” he said with a grin. He walked through to the front door as he passed the living room he peered in to see Evie playing she was completely oblivious to the fact the front door bell had gone.
Opening the door he saw Clive. “Hello Dexter everything settled?”
Dexter nodded, “Yes we’re back and got Evie settled down she seems very happy”
Clive looked on edge thought Dexter after all he’d never seen his friend dressed as a little girl before. “It will be okay Clive, she’s very happy she didn’t even know the doorbell had been rung she was enjoying her dolls so much”
“She will know who I am won’t she?”
Dexter nodded, “Yes of course she will”
The pair of them walked through to where Evie was, she looked up from her dolls as she heard the voices coming nearer. Her face lit up as she saw her best friend “Cwife” and clapped her hands. Clive took in the sight that greeted him his best friend sitting in a playpen wearing a pink and white baby dress surrounded by dolls and a dollhouse. While he knew this was what to expect the fact it was now reality just seemed that touch more harder for him to get a grip on. But he pulled himself together he had to for the sake of his friend.
Clive looked at Dexter who gently shook his head to Clive to not say anything about the speech.
Clive walked to the edge of the playpen, “Hello Evie how are you?”
“Me is okies fank ooos Cwife”
“That’s good Evie I’m glad that you’re happy. He pointed to one of the dolls has she got a name?”
Evie nodded, “Me calls her Cwaire she picked up another doll dis one is Beff”
“They’re pretty names”, replied Clive
Evie nodded back seriously “Dey is wery pwetty dowwies Cwife”
Clive smiled he couldn’t ever remember seeing Evan this happy. Yet here he was now in a pink and white dress and nappy going under the name Evie and he was so very happy. He grinned back at Evie, “I’m so glad you’re happy Evie”

Alicia on hearing Clive’s voice got out another mug poured the coffees and set the mugs on a tray along with cream, sugar and spoons. She took the tray into the room where the other three people were, Dexter and Clive took a mug and poured in some cream, Clive took sugar Dexter didn’t. The three of them stood watching Evie who was lost in her own little world she was talking softly and quietly to her dolls. Then she’d reply to one of them when she heard them talk back to her. The two adults and Clive exchanged glances as they slowly began to understand what this was to Evie now she was being herself. While she may have spoken of her dream in the hospital the fact it was now reality made it seem that much real to them and Evie.

Evie watched the three people from inside her playpen and smiled happily to them. She wondered if they truly knew how she felt now. Would they accept that this what she had always dreamt of and that this wasn’t going to go away, she wouldn’t grow tired of play house with her dolls or tea parties. Wet and dirty nappies where part of it as well, being taken out in her pushchair, this was who she was. She was Evie not Evan he was dead never to come back again.

Hazel decided it was time she made an appearance and walked over and rang the bell. Alicia answered, “Hello Hazel nice of you to come over”
“Well I had to see the new addition to the family”, replied Hazel.
The pair of them walked down to the living room Hazel peered round the door and got her first glimpse of Evie. She smiled, “She beautiful and she looks so content”
Alicia nodded, “Yes she does she knows we are here, but it’s as if we aren’t she’s in her own little place with her dolls and enjoying playing with them”
Hazel walked to the playpen “Hello Evie dear it’s auntie Hazel”
Evie looked up from her dolls “Hewo aumtie Wazel”
Hazel glanced at Alicia who shook her head imperceptibly Hazel took the shake and spoke softly to Evie, “How is Evie liking her dolls?”
Evie giggled, “Me wikes me dowws aumtie dey is pwetty”
Hazel smiled down, “Good Evie I am so happy that you’re happy at last and to make you even happier I am making you some more dresses and rhumbas to match”
Evie squealed happily but then noticed that one of dolls had fallen over so she scooted along on her bottom and stood her up. Evie went about playing with her dolls to her as if there wasn’t anyone around, just her and the dolls and the house they all lived in.

The adults and Clive walked out of the room and went into the kitchen they all pulled up stools from the breakfast bar. Hazel glanced at her son, Alicia looked closely at him as well. Clive noticed the looks and reddened, “What?” he said.
Alicia spoke first, “Clive I need you to start spreading the rumours about Evan so we can try and get Evie here so no one suspects anything”
“Sure Miss Jackson no problem, I just hope people buy it”
Clive’s mother turned to Alicia, “I can do some rumours myself I have a coffee morning with some of my friends and I lay some groundwork there too”
“Good as long this all pans out Evie will be free and Evan will have disappeared with one of aunts into the middle of nowhere”

Evie sat looking round the room wondering if this was a dream. Here she was now in the style of dress she’d always wanted one that was short enough to show off her nappy. The nappy was wet and starting to no longer feel warm, but it still felt nice to her. She thought back to the day of the accident and shivered, if the car had missed her none of this would be happening she would still be a sullen miserable person at home her only enjoyment would be at night when she could close her eyes and dream of Evie.

Lunchtime arrived and Dexter came in and picked up Evie and carried her into the kitchen, in the middle of the floor stood a pink highchair with “Evie” painted on it.
Evie’s eyes shone, she had always wanted to sit in one now it was going to happen.
Dexter gently put Evie in the seat then buckled her in and put the tray in place and snapped it shut. He then tied a bib round her neck. “Comfy Evie?” he asked
“Wes unkie Dexwer me is cumfie”
“Good girl Evie. Now sit still and no wriggling”
Alicia then dished up spaghetti and meatballs for them she cut Evie’s up small and gave her a small plastic spoon with a picture of a princess Barbie on it. She smiled and went about using the spoon and her fingers to feed herself. They watched as Evie dropped bits of spaghetti down her front, grateful for the bibs they had bought. Evie giggled as she dropped the food but she just as quickly picked it up and ate it with her fingers.
The adults smiled at each other as watched her regress deeper inside her mind, as she ate not bothering she was getting sauce on her face, fingers and bib. Evie was enjoying herself it felt much easier using fingers than the knife and fork Evan had used. She looked down at her empty bowl and grinned at her aunt and uncle who tried to not laugh as they saw the image of Evie looking at them with sauce all around her lips and on her cheeks, she was a mess but she was happy.

After lunch had finished Alicia cleaned Evie’s face and fingers up and dropped the dirty bib into the washing machine. She then took Evie and sat her down on the couch with Dexter. “Evie dear we need to talk okay?” Evie nodded a reply “Good girl”, replied Alicia. “Now we know this all seems a lot to take in but if it seems as if too much is happening too fast tell us as best you can okay?”
“Okies aumtie me wills” She frowned, “Buts me is happi me nots finks all dis be dones for me. Me finks it jus be der dwesses, nappi and der cot”
“Evie dear”, said Dexter “We both love and care for you very much we want you to fully understand we’ll do our very best so you live as a real two-year old little girl would” Evie nodded back that she understood.
Dexter then went picked up an old storybook that Alicia had kept since her childhood and started reading it to Evie. Evie felt tired after a few minutes her painkillers and the excitement of being home was proving to be a lot for her to handle, she stifled a yawn but Alicia saw it and smiled. “Time for your nap Evie come along and she helped Evie along to her bedroom and settled her down. “I’ll come and wake you in about an hour” Evie smiled and felt her eyelids grow heavy and she soon drifted off into a deep sleep. She woke up and looked around she didn’t know how long she had been asleep but she felt uncomfortable and she knew she needed to go, she closed her eyes and relaxed like she had this morning and she felt herself fill her nappy for the first time. She suddenly had a thought about lying back down, but she knew babies weren’t bothered about it so she lay back down and felt it move around. Slowly she drifted back off to sleep.
The next thing she knew her aunt was waking her up, “Seems someone needs a nappy change” Evie just smiled remembering what had been said earlier. Alicia helped Evie out of bed and with the aid of the crutches Evie hobbled into the living room where her aunt gently laid her down. She pulled off the rhumbas and laid to one side. She untapped the nappy and pulled back in mock shock.
Alicia started to clean Evie up with wipes, and she gently pulled the dirty nappy from underneath her and folded it up then cleaned her underneath she then slid a clean nappy under Evie’s bottom and spread some nappy cream all around Evie’s crotch so she wouldn’t get a rash. Checking the rhumbas for droplets of urine spotting none she slid them back over the nappy and helped Evie to stand up. Checked the nappy was fully inside the rhumbas she patted her on the bottom. “There you go sweetie all clean and dry”
“Fank ooos aumtie”, replied Evie
“You’re welcome Evie my dear. Glad to be of use”
A tiny giggle emerged from Evie. She hobbled out of the room and along to where her uncle was sitting. Dexter could hear Evie coming along easily the uncertain movements and the thump of the crutches striking the floor made the sound easy to pick up. “Well how did my little princess sleep?”
“Sweepings well unkie fank ooos”
“Good that is what I like to hear Evie my little one getting some sleep”
Evie giggled she hobbled past her uncle so she could sit down. Dexter held her round the waist and gently helped her sit down. She felt the air woosh out of her rhumbas as she sat down. She looked up at Dexter, “Pwease weadings sum mores?”
Dexter felt a lump in his throat he looked at Evie, “Sure Evie no problem”
He picked up the book and continued reading from where he had left off. Evie sat entranced by the story he could tell she loved it, she was holding her breath and clapping in places she liked. Dexter smiled this is the life he thought a happy child and the job now of being a parent. His voice as the struggled to break the lump in his throat, Evie looked up at the change in voice from her uncle. “Ebebyfings okies?”
Blinking back the tears Dexter nodded, “Yes Evie, I’m fine sweetie”
The child just nodded, she trusted her aunt and uncle to look after and know when she wasn’t well so why not trust them when they say that they’re fine?

Across the road Clive and Hazel had spent some time trying to find the solution to all the problems Evan. While they knew he had to go, it had to be seen to be a natural movement. So eventually they settled on some rumours about Evan and Dexter having disagreements and Alicia siding with Dexter.
Clive decided the best way to work it would be to start now while they thought about and before they changed their minds and altered the idea.
He walked along the street to the school and waited outside till some of his and Evan’s classmates come out. They were happy to see him and asked how Evan was giving Clive the perfect opportunity to sow the seeds of doubt into their minds. So he told them of the arguments and disagreements between Evan, Dexter and Alicia and how bad it was getting. He also slipped in that Alicia was considering sending Evan to live with a distant aunt His friends looked shocked but they took the news and walked off home, some into other groups where they told them what Clive had said, Clive knowing how the school rumour mill works knew it would have been highly embellished by now and would only get more highly polished and altered by the time it got back to his ears via goodness knows how many sources.
This could even work better he thought as he wandered back home. He took care crossing the road where he and Evan, no Evie he corrected himself, had crossed what now seemed a lifetime away. He trudged back home his hands dug deep inside his pockets as his listened to his music. His mother gave him a quizzical look as he came in via the back door. “Well honey how did it go?”
“Better than I think we could hope for I suspect the school rumour mill and grapevine will radically alter the story and facts, before we know it everyone will totally believe Evan is moving away”
Hazel nodded, “Good that’s what we want to hear”
Hazel phoned and quickly told Alicia that they had started the ball rolling on sending Evan away.

Evie sat and listened to Dexter tell the story then they put on some cartoons on for her. Evie sat and watched them laughing throughout. Evie tried her relaxing method and soaked her nappy again. She hoped that she’d get to the point where she would wet and not even know she had wet her nappy just like a real baby she thought that’s what I want to be able to do.
Teatime came and Evie was once again popped into her highchair. Alicia put down a bowl of fish fingers cut up small and some chips. Evie this time ignored the spoon and used her fingers only. Dexter and Alicia watched their daughter unfold like a flower before their eyes she was changing with each passing moment into the girl she had dreamt of her whole life.
Evie had her fingers and mouth wiped after she had eaten at least it wasn’t as bad as lunchtime her aunt said silently to herself. She then unlocked the tray and unbuckled Evie and lifted her out of the highchair. Evie then hobbled through to the living room she gently got herself onto the floor where she started playing with her dolls.

Alicia walked into the living room to change Evie. A piercing scream rent the air.
Dexter ran into the living room Alicia sat on the floor holding a limp and pale looking Evie. “Phone an ambulance honey” Dexter stood there motionless “Now!” screamed Alicia. Dexter ran to the phone and dialled. Alicia held Evie as the tears poured down her cheeks. She noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor she picked it up and read it.
“I can’t stop being Efie ever”

The End?