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Kaeden's Commitment

by Draugr

Chapter XIX: A Case Of Do Or Die

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This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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"Wait, my what?" Kaeden said, jaw dropping.

"You've got a new sister in the playroom. We used the time you spent at the sleepover to help get her acquainted with her new... situation. You remember how hard it was for you? She's adapting a little faster, but I bet she could use some help."

"You mentioned a surprise when I got back, but I thought it was gonna be like, you know... "

"Yes?" Ashleigh queried.

"I don't know, I guess. Can I go see her now?"

Ashleigh nodded, then took his paw, leading him out of the entryway and toward the playroom.

"Sonia is here because she's got some personal issues that have caused her to lash out at others and take out her pain on them," she explained, wanting Kaeden to know what he was getting into. "She's not physically abusive, but she does hurt people with her words."

"Kind of like me?" Kaeden asked.

"Whatever do you mean, pup?" the Pyrenees asked, confused. "You said some very terrible things when you first came here, but that wasn't your problem."

"No, but I used my problems to lash inward and hurt myself, right? She just went outward instead. Not _that_different."

Ashleigh blinked, clearly not expecting this insight. She picked up Kaeden, embracing him in a quick hug.

"You're such a smart puppy," Ashleigh said. "And I'm very proud of how far you've come. Just be yourself, and... well, don't take anything she says to heart." She set him down, and then walked into the playroom. Sitting in the corner was a very unhappy arctic fox. The pink shirt, diaper, and ribbon in her hair reminded Kaeden very strongly of himself, the first time he'd met Alex in this room. She wrinkled her nose at the sight of both of them.

"What? You got a staring problem, mutt?" she asked, looking at the smaller dog. She then turned her ire toward Ashleigh. "I didn't believe you when you said you had someone willing to play along with this crap. Now I can't decide which one of you is more of a freak," she said, arms crossed. "The freak in the diaper or the one who wants to change him."

"Sonia, last warning. We talked about how to behave when Kaeden showed up." The fox fumed, but remained silent after that. Evidently there _had_been some serious talk... and if Kaeden knew Ashleigh, some serious_consequences_as well.

"It's okay, Mommy. I don't mind. She's just hurting inside," Kaeden said. "I'm not mad at her."

Despite her determination to have a bad time, Sonia couldn't help but drop the sour look from her muzzle for one of shock. Clearly she'd expected her barb to have more of an effect.

"I'd like you two to get to know each other better while I go make dinner," the Pyrenees said. She then pointed toward a baby monitor on the top shelf of the bookshelf. "I'm listening in, Sonia," she said. "So be nice to your big brother."

After Ashleigh left, Kaeden turned toward the newest addition. He felt a bit jealous that Ashleigh would spend her time with her instead of just him - but he knew that was a selfish feeling, and there were other people who needed help just like him.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, trying to break the ice.

"Get out of this stupid freak show," she said, grumbling.

Kaeden frowned. "I thought the same thing when I first came here too. I didn't think I needed help, and-"

"I_don't_need help. I'm being held captive against my will, and the last thing I want is some dog with a load in his diaper trying to tell me why this is all for my own good."

"I'm not messy," Kaeden said, indignantly. "And it is for your own good. If you quit fighting it, you'll see it sooner."

"You mean you actually... you know, in your? There is no _way_I'm doing that."

Kaeden laughed. "I'd rethink that position. Ashleigh won't give you much of a choice if you refuse."

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" she bit back. "She gave me those same idle threats."

Kaeden shook his head. "Far from idle. Refuse and find out at your own risk," he said, putting his paws up.

"Whatever, it can't be _that_bad," she said.

Kaeden tried to stifle in his laughter. Sonia was in for a _very_bad time. "Well, it's not that important anyway. Do you want to-"

"So, do you like... actually _like_this stuff?" she interrupted in a mocking tone.

The Shepherd was getting a bit irritated at the interruptions, but kept his cool. Sonia's question wasn't actually as easy to answer as he first thought. His first instinct was to answer no, but that wasn't right. But he couldn't say yes, either. Or maybe he just _wouldn't_say yes, just yet.

"I... like what all this puppy stuff has done for me. I'm not the same dog I was when I first entered the program. I wish it could be done without all of this, but, I'm happy to do it for Ashleigh and for me if it means I get better."

"Pretty sure you don't need this to get over your problems, dog. Pretty sure you're gonna need a _real_shrink after all this, too." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Pretty sure you _do_need this," Kaeden retorted, also sticking out his tongue.

"You know," Ashleigh said, opening the door. "If you do that too much, your face will get stuck that way."

Kaeden feigned a gasp for his caregiver's benefit, although he was a bit mortified at being found acting so childishly by her.

"That's a stupid fib you tell babies," the fox snarled. She then directed her wrath at the Shepherd. "And only dumb babies are stupid enough to believe it."

Ashleigh sighed, then produced a piece of cloth from her back pocket. Kaeden hadn't seen it in a very long time - it was the muzzle he'd been forced to wear to keep the soap in his mouth all those months ago.

"Apologize to Kaeden right now or the muzzle goes back on 'till bedtime."

"I'm not apologizing to a stupid baby. Do your worst."

"Let it go, Sonia," Ashleigh warned again. "Last chance."

The irate fox stood up and spat on the floor. "If you think I'll let it go, you're mad. You've got another thing coming."

The Pyrenees sighed again, placing a paw on her forehead. "I really don't like having to do this," she said, moving forward to muzzle the new charge. Sonia did not physically resist - if Kaeden had to guess, she'd already learned from Rashid what happens when one resists.

Both charges were led out to the kitchen, then. Kaeden was elated to discover that he was allowed to sit at the kitchen table and eat a sandwich - although, of course, it was cut up into bite-sized pieces. Still, he took great pride in using the plastic fork.

Sonia, meanwhile, was strapped into the high chair and adamantly refusing to accept the nipple of the bottle, despite Ashleigh's best efforts. Kaeden couldn't help but laugh at the scene playing out in front of him. Sonia was leaning way back, flipping her head back and forth to try and avoid the nipple of the bottle. The front of her muzzle - and the cloth muzzle itself - were splattered with creamy-white formula.

Sonia wound up succeeding in her bid to refuse dinner, although that was certainly an odd sort of 'victory' to have. After both charges were cleaned up, Ashleigh checked their diapers. Both of them were wet and needed changed, so she led them off to the nurseries. Sonia was first.

"Wait here please, Kaeden," she said, pointing to a spot outside the door to the girl's nursery. Kaeden did as he was told, although he couldn't help but listen into a one-sided conversation, intersected with a few occasional muffled grunts from a muzzled Sonia.

"You're pretty wet, Sonia, for a girl who promised she wasn't going to use her diaper. Speaking of that, how are we coming with number twos?"

There was a _very_loud, and indignant-sounding grunt at this.

"You know, I heard Kaeden warn you. Are you sure?"

Silence.

"Very well."

There were some sounds of struggling for several minutes - Kaeden almost considered stepping in just to see if Ashleigh needed some help, when everything went silent for a moment, before a loud, high-pitched vulpine squeal emanated through the nursery door.

When the door finally opened a few minutes later and he saw Ashleigh carrying Sonia, he nearly fell over laughing. The fox's headfur, and the rest of her fur, for that matter, was matted and laying in multiple different directions. She now had on a onesie, although the snaps were not exactly done up correctly. Her tail looked like a bottle brush, and she was trying to push away from the Pyrenees. Ashleigh's overshirt had a couple buttons ripped off, and her own headfur was disheveled. Despite her white fur, he could still see the tell-tale marks of baby powder where wayward puffs had landed.

"Kaeden!" Ashleigh reprimanded sternly. This got the Shepherd to straighten up and stop laughing in very short order. "I'll be along to discuss your behavior shortly. Go to your nursery and lay down on your changing table while I put Sonia down for a nap."

Kaeden's ears fell, but he did as he was told. He laid there for several minutes, although it felt like an hour to the Shepherd.

Ashleigh stepped in, and walked up to him, getting out a clean diaper. She didn't say anything to him as she started to remove his wet one.

"I'm sorry, Mommy," he said remorsefully.

Ashleigh remained silent a few moments more, taping up Kaeden's diaper before speaking. "Kaeden, Sonia does need to understand what it is like to be treated that way, but that is to come from me, not you. I am _very_disappointed in your behavior."

"I know," he said quietly. "I just... I know what happened in there, and... "

"And? Was it very funny when I had to help you use your diaper that way?" she asked sternly.

Kaeden stopped, then shook his head. "I guess not," he said.

"No, it wasn't, pup. Under normal circumstances I'd give you a pill, since that's what you were laughing at her about. But, seeing as that would hardly make a difference in anything, perhaps we should remove some big boy privileges."

Kaeden nodded. It was only fair.

"No solid food for three days, pup. And I think you probably need afternoon naps again during that time, too."

"Mommy!" he protested. "That's so unfair! Just for laughing once?"

"Yes, just for laughing once. You've come a very long way, Kaeden, which means it's an even worse slip-up than it would have been a few months ago."

Kaeden couldn't argue with that, as much as he wanted to.

"I'm sorry Mommy... " he said again.

"You can be as sorry as you like, Kaeden," she said. "But for the next three days you're getting some privileges revoked."

The rest of the day took on a sullen attitude. One charge did not feel like speaking much, the other could not even if she wanted to. She did have a few angry grunts to communicate once nature took its course from the pill Ashleigh had given her, but didn't so much as sniffle afterward. After taking care of that need, they had dinner and watched a short children's film. The film had taken them into the later evening, so it was time for the charges to get their teeth brushed, diapers changed, and dressed in their sleepers for bed.

As Ashleigh left Kaeden's nursery, he finally said what had been on his mind all day.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you, Mommy," he said, quietly.

Ashleigh smiled. "I know you are, pup. And it speaks wonders that you're able to say that. I am very proud of you, but I am sticking by my punishment."

Kaeden nodded. "That's okay. I just wanted you to know that."

"Goodnight, pup. Sleep well."