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Kaeden's Commitment

by Draugr

Chapter XXII: I Don't Mind You Hanging Out

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

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Despite Kaeden's initial reluctance to celebrate his birthday as a three-year old puppy, the idea quickly grew on him, so much so that he'd barely slept the entire night.

After his morning diaper change, he was led out to the kitchen, where Sonia was sitting in her high chair - wearing most of her breakfast - and a certain Great Dane was sitting at the table right across from her.

"Alex!" Kaeden shouted enthusiastically, pulling away from his Ashleigh to embrace his friend in a hug. "You came!"

"Of course I came, pup. How could I miss your birthday?"

Kaeden stepped back, tail wagging wildly. "I guess you_couldn't_."

"No, but I almost did. Took a bit of convincing to get a day off, even for you."

The Shepherd looked up at the two inquisitively.

"Alex is training to be a caregiver. That means he can properly babysit for you today."

"Y-you aren't going to be at my birthday, Mommy?" Kaeden asked, ears drooping.

"Puppy, of course I will!" Ashleigh said, shock in her voice. "But I have a lot of things to do today, too, and it will be nice to have an extra set of paws around the house - if you don't mind, that is, Alex."

The Great Dane shook his head. "Of course not. I told you last time, I like babysitting Kaeden. I'm not so sure about Sonia yet," he said, laughing, "but I'm sure I can get her to behave."

Ashleigh snorted. "Don't be so sure." She then turned to her charges.

"Be good for Alex, you two. I have to go pick up Kaeden's cake." The Shepherd tried to suppress his childish excitement for sweet foods, and mostly succeeded. After Ashleigh was off, Kaeden got himself settled and began eating his cereal.

"My, look at you, Kaeden," Alex said, setting his spoon down in his bowl. "Last time I was here, I still had to help you eat."

"You didn't_have_to," Kaeden said, shifting back and forth in his seat in annoyance. "That's just what Ashleigh was making me do... "

Alex wryly smiled. "No, perhaps I didn't have to, but you were still adorable."

Kaeden blushed, and suddenly became very interested in finishing his breakfast. Alex got up to go get Sonia out of her chair, clean her up, and check her diaper. She didn't need changed, so he took her to her nursery and put her down for a morning nap in her crib. The Shepherd could hear her protesting from where he was in the kitchen, but given her conduct over the past few days, he couldn't help but think that extra naps were exactly what was in order.

Knowing what was coming, and feeling a bit nervous about it, Kaeden grabbed Alex's paw when he came back to the kitchen, trying to take him straight to the playroom.

Alex, however, was having none of his shenanigans. Kaeden tucked his tail between his legs as the Dane pulled him back, pulling out the back of his diaper to see if he was messy. Finding him clean there, he checked the front and found his temporary charge wet.

"Come on, Kaeden, there's no need to be shy. Not around me."

"Yeah, I guess... " he said, allowing himself to be slowly drug off to his nursery. "Ashleigh doesn't usually change me when I'm only a little wet... "

"Well, I'm not Ashleigh, Kaeden. She's left me in charge, and I'm hardly going to leave her with a bad impression by letting her come back here and find one of her puppies in a wet diaper._Especially_when it's the birthday boy."

Kaeden got his diaper changed in short order, though he was much more fussy about it than usual. Playtime improved his spirits, however, as Alex once again joined him to build a block tower.

Several hours had passed when Ashleigh rejoined them in the playroom.

"Is somebody ready to turn three years old today?" she asked, as Kaeden rushed up to greet her.

"Meee!" he said, all traces of his earlier 'grown-up' hesitance erased.

Ashleigh pulled out a decorative cone hat and placed it on his head, bringing the strap below his chin. "Puppies can't turn three without the birthday hat, you know. Now let's go have some fun. All your guests are here and ready to have some fun."

Kaeden wagged his tail excitedly as the trio left the playroom. When they got out to the kitchen, he was nearly deafened by the chorus that met him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they all shouted. Sonia hadn't chimed in, of course, although she did look in relatively good spirits, for being strapped in the high chair. Ashleigh and Alex were patting him on the back, and at the table sat Rashid and a very grown-up looking Lily. Her attire wasn't inappropriate by any means, but it certainly accentuated her female features. Kaeden blushed as their gazes met, and he hoped his retention in the program wouldn't change how well they'd gotten along with each other at their sleepover.

"Hi Lily," he said. "You're really pretty today."

"Aww, Kaeden, thanks!" she said, grinning. "And you're quite the handsome pup today as well."

Kaeden blushed furiously at this, and his guests couldn't help but share a laugh at his expense.

"Well, I'd say it's time for some cake, wouldn't you?" Rashid said, interrupting the mirthful mood. "And then I think the birthday boy has some presents to open."

Ashleigh then laid out the cake she'd gotten Kaeden - it was an ice cream cake, decorated with a drawing of a four-legged German Shepherd puppy on the front, with his markings. The puppy had a birthday hat, and was propped up against a large number 'three' at one side of the cake.

"Happy birthday, pup. Here's to a special boy who has made some very remarkable progress over the past eleven months."

After a rousing chorus of the birthday song - which Kaeden even unceremoniously joined in on - they were all served a piece of cake. Before Kaeden could take the first bite, though, he was surprised by a sudden, cold, and forceful feeling to his face, as though he'd been hit by...

"Sonia!" Ashleigh gasped. Kaeden licked the substance dripping down his muzzle - and confirmed that it was exactly what he thought it was. Her piece of cake.

"Rashid, take care of her. I'm sorry about this. I really thought she'd be better behaved," she said, over Sonia's growing laughter.

Rashid got up and began to remove Sonia from her high chair, before being stopped - by Kaeden.

"No," he said firmly. "I want her to stay."

"Kaeden, she threw your cake at you," Ashleigh said. "You don't want to deal with that on your birthday, do you?"

"That's right, Mommy, it_is_my birthday. And I want Sonia to be here to enjoy it with me. If you have to punish someone, punish me. I want her to have a good time," he insisted.

Ashleigh hesitated, not sure what to do. She'd hadn't_ever_been challenged by a charge so late in their recovery - and it hardly seemed appropriate to let the Rottweiler spank him.

Rashid broke the awkward silence. "Well... birthday spankings_are_a tradition... " he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Rashid, that's hardly an appropriate joke," Ashleigh rebuked, wrinkling her nose. She then turned to Kaeden.

"Kaeden, are you sure this is what you want?" she asked. "To take her punishment for her?"

The Shepherd hesitated, but not for long, nodding that he agreed. "I don't want anybody having a bad time, not even my baby sister," he said. Sonia, for her part, seemed just as shocked as the rest of them, for once, having nothing to say.

"O-okay, Kaeden," Ashleigh said, sounding uncertain. "Rashid," she said, then stopping.

"Ashleigh?"

There was a long pause before she hung her head, and sighed. "Thirty spanks." Rashid nodded, before leading Kaeden off to his nursery, to give him his punishment in private.

"I really wish I didn't have to do this to you on your birthday, kiddo. Why'd you go and do a thing like that?"

Kaeden shrugged. "It's my birthday. Just getting presents seems kind of selfish. I wanted to give back and do something nice. Sonia is having a really hard time, and I thought maybe if I showed I cared about her, maybe she would start caring back."

Rashid nodded, pulling Kaeden over his lap and tugging down his shorts.

"You know, this is really hard on Ashleigh, pup. It was hard enough for her to ask me to spank Sonia the first time, but given how much of a piece of work she's been, she was at wit's end."

Kaeden looked down. "I hadn't thought of that," he said.

Rashid untaped his diaper and gently pulled it down below his rump. He held up his tail with one paw, and raised his other in the air. "How about just between you and me, I stop at twenty-five. As long as you promise not to tell Ashleigh."

Kaeden wanted to agree to this, but he'd accepted_Sonia's_punishment. Getting less just because it was him didn't seem right. He shook his head.

Rashid sighed, giving the Shepherd's rump a firm smack. Kaeden yelped out, though more in surprise than pain. "If you won't do it for yourself, please do it for me, Kaeden. This is really difficult for me, too." Kaeden looked up over his shoulder back at the Rottweiler.

"Twenty-five," he said, turning back and bracing himself.

Once his spanking was done, Rashid pulled his diaper back up, re-fastened his shorts, and held the Shepherd in a tight hug, letting him finish crying. A few minutes later, a sniffling Shepherd was led back into the kitchen. Rashid's face was not entirely free of emotion, either. Ashleigh, however, had clearly been crying. Her eyes were reddened. Upon seeing her charge, she tried to compose herself, but failed. Kaeden ran up to her, giving her a big hug.

"It's okay, Mommy. I don't blame you. Don't be sad," he said. When the Pyrenees had regained her composure, she looked back up, but not before whispering in the Shepherd's ear.

"I'm so very proud of you, Kaeden." As upsetting as having the Shepherd spanked was, she was overjoyed to see him do something so selfless without even being prompted. "You've come a very long way... and I think this may have been the breakthrough I needed with Sonia."

"Now," Ashleigh said, this time to the whole room. "This is a party. Let's finish the food, and have some fun."

"Sonia gets another piece too, right? She should be able to eat some," Kaeden added. "As long as you promise not to throw it at me?" He looked over at the fox.

"Yeah. I mean, no, I won't. I promise. And... thank you, Kaeden," she said, looking down - a bit embarrassed. That had been the first nice thing she'd said to anybody since arriving at Ashleigh's home, and the words sounded unusual to her - not to mention everyone else.

Next up were Kaeden's presents. They were mostly appropriate for a 'puppy' of Kaeden's status, of course, but he still was enthralled at each one.

The first present he opened was from Ashleigh. In it were two onesies. One had a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the other had a Stegosaurus on it. The last was a blue footed sleeper like the one he used to wear to bed before 'upgrading' to pajamas, though this had an intricate embroidery of a Velociraptor on the right breast.

"I know you won't be my puppy forever, Kaeden, but something tells me you might get some use out of these even after you've graduated," the Pyrenees said with a knowing smile. Kaeden managed a flustered thank you. 'Mommy,' of course, was probably right about that.

Rashid had gotten him a tub of the building blocks he liked so much - although these were smaller, and more appropriate for older children than a three-year old.

"You might not be able to use these now," he said. "But like Ashleigh, I wanted to think about your future. I think you'll enjoy these for a long time."

Alex got him some themed presents in the same vein as Ashleigh: dinosaur-printed diapers. There was also a pacifier with a T-rex on it. Lily, however, had bought him something different than the rest: canine-safe chocolate.

"I'm not sure if Ashleigh lets you have that or not," she said, "but maybe you and I could enjoy that when you've graduated?"

"I try not to give my puppies too many sweets, but I think I can make an exception - and leave some for you two to enjoy when Kaeden is all grown up."

After presents were all over, and Kaeden had thanked everyone, Ashleigh announced that it was time for afternoon naps for her charges. Although Kaeden had the option to opt out of this, he decided not to: he was feeling tired, and he didn't want to alienate Sonia after the small progress they'd made.

Kaeden had a messy accident on the way to the nursery, so his nap was delayed a bit. Since Alex was a caregiver-in-training, he offered to change Kaeden while Ashleigh took care of Sonia's diaper, which was only wet.

The Pyrenees returned to Kaeden's nursery just as Alex was finishing up. Ashleigh picked him up, leaving him in just his diaper, and placed him in his crib. She pulled his blanket up over him, and brought Ikici over, placing the plushie against his side.

"Lily would like to see you before she goes," she said, as the female Shepherd walked into the nursery. She raised his crib bars, locking them, then pulled up a chair for Lily. "I'll leave you two alone to talk. No funny business, now," she said, grinning.

"Hey," Lily said, smiling, once they were the only ones in the room.

"It was really good to see you," Kaeden said, smiling. "I was afraid you wouldn't like me anymore."

"Why not, Kaeden? We got along really well."

"Well... if this is, you know, something more, I didn't think you'd want a boyfriend who was still in diapers," he said glumly. "You're all grown up now, and I'm just a puppy still."

"Kaeden, I like you for who you_are_. And whether you see it or not, there's a big part of you that is always going to be a puppy. I like you, and that means all of you. Okay? Even the part of you that is 'just' a puppy. Maybe even especially that part."

Kaeden couldn't help but wag his tail at that, making his diaper crinkle. Both of them shared a laugh at that.

"So... maybe after I graduate, we could go on a date or something? And, before you answer, I know you said you like the puppy me, but I'd like to spend our first date as an adult. I-if you want to, you know, um, go out, that is."

Lily laughed. "Of course I do, Kaeden. I like you, a lot. Now, sleep well, and be good for Ashleigh, and we'll see each other again before you know it."

She turned to leave, before Kaeden stopped her. "Wait!" he said, as she turned back around. "How will I get ahold of you?"

"I'll leave my phone number with Ashleigh, and she can give it to you when you graduate."

"Why not before?" he asked.

"Because boys tend to get in trouble when they have a pretty girl's phone number," she said, grinning. "You need to focus on your recovery, though I have to say, willing to take Sonia's spanking for her? I don't think your graduation is long off, Kaeden."

"I hope not. I have one more question before my nap, though..."

"What's that?" Lily asked, curious.

"At the sleepover, you, y'know, really seemed to like me. Like, quick, before we really had a chance to know each other. You didn't have any idea who I was or where I'd come from."

Lily shrugged. "I guess you're just what I needed. And it doesn't matter where you've been - I just like you, I guess. You're funny, adorable, and...nice. And shy. Remember what I was in the program for?"

"You were a bully."

Lily nodded. "Guys like you I especially liked to pick on. Part of my therapy with Chainbreakers was learning to find virtues in the attributes I used to ridicule and take advantage of. I guess I kind of learned to like them in a dog... and you've got a lot of those attributes."

"Thanks...I think," the male Shepherd said, sounding unsure.

"It was a compliment, Kaeden. Now go to sleep," she said. Lily leaned down to give a quick kiss to one of Kaeden's paws, both of which were gripping the bars of his crib. "I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

Nap time was ninety minutes, and despite his excitement over getting to see his 'girlfriend' again, he managed to sleep for most of it. During that time Ashleigh cleaned up all the party arrangements and saw Kaeden's guests off. He was wet, as to be expected after a nap, so she quickly changed his diaper, and got him dressed for playtime.

An hour had passed with no words between the two charges. Sonia wasn't even playing in her corner or trying to occupy her time in any manner. She seemed to be brooding. Kaeden had lost himself in a puzzle before she finally said anything.

"Why would you do that for me?" she said, quietly.

"Hmm?" Kaeden said, looking up. "What did you say?"

"Why would you do that for me?" she repeated. Kaeden got up, and went over to her corner, sitting down next to her.

"Why not? Is it so strange that I would be nice to you?" he replied, placing an arm around her shoulder. She initially recoiled, before accepting the touch.

"Yes, it is," the fox replied. "I've been absolutely horrible to you ever since I got here. I even tried to ruin your birthday party."

Kaeden snorted. "Please, Sonia, I'm a boy. We never grow out of enjoying food fights."

"No, Kaeden, please. No jokes. I really need to know."

Kaeden nodded. "Okay. I did it because you're having a hard time adjusting to all this. I didn't want you to think I hated you, either. Maybe you don't believe it, but I see a hurt girl underneath all the bullying."

"So... this was your messed-up way of helping me?" she asked, but there was no trace of scorn in her voice.

Kaeden nodded. "I figured, if you're here for treating people like you've been treating me, I bet nobody has ever shown you how to be nice. Being mean is all you have. I don't blame you for that."

Sonia was silent for a very long time, and Kaeden had the good sense to be silent to let her think. He had to wonder - had she ever had someone in her life who was a good person? Who had been nice to her?

"Nobody ever has," she said, finally. "My father was a drunk, but my mother made him look sober. They were... not very nice people. I guess there used to be someone... but we haven't talked in a very long time. Thank you, Kaeden."

"Of course, Sonia. Even if you don't believe me and Ashleigh, I know this puppy stuff can help you. If I can get better, so can you."

Sonia nodded. "I just hope it doesn't take me as long as you."

"Ashleigh always told me every one of her charges is different. Sometimes those of us who come in for the same problem might have stays that are months apart in length. Maybe you won't be here long at all, but if you keep fighting Ashleigh like you are, you won't be getting out anytime soon."

"I thought you said there would be a chance for me to leave?"

Kaeden rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not sure if that was something he ever should have mentioned.

"There is, but when that chance comes... you won't want to take it. Trust me. I thought the same way," he replied, finally settling on an answer.

"Well, I still think you're a dumb puppy," she said playfully. "But you took a fall for me today, and I respect that. I owe you. So for your sake, I'll at least give this a chance. I'm not going to just roll over and accept it, but I'll try and go along with it as best I can."

Kaeden nodded. "Speaking of that... is Mommy still giving you suppositories?"

Sonia shot him a dirty look.

"I'm not making fun, I promise. Just wondering."

"Yes," she said suspiciously.

Kaeden nodded. "Maybe you could start by, you know, going. Without being forced to. Ashleigh doesn't like having to punish us like that."

"I don't know, she sure seems to enjoy making me crap my diapers."

Kaeden rolled his eyes. "She doesn't. I went through the same thing, and it definitely wasn't something she enjoyed, though I didn't think so at the time. Anyway, I'm sure you're just as tired of having her finger under your tail as she is. You're going to have to deal with poopy diapers no matter what. Why make it any more unpleasant than it has to be?"

Sonia wrinkled her nose, at the same time her stomach gurgled. "Ugh. Can we please change the subject? I really don't want to think about this anymore... "

Kaeden raised his eyebrows. "After your nap?" he asked, correctly surmising that she'd been 'medicated' before being dropped off in the playroom.

Sonia nodded, wincing as the effects of her suppository grew. "Does it ever get any easier?"

The Shepherd nodded back. "A little, but it's always going to be unpleasant."

Sonia whined, trying to fight against the inevitable.

"Don't fight it, Sonia. Just let it happen. Um...it's a little easier if you get on all fours and kind of stick your butt out a little bit. At least that helped me at first."

Sonia sighed, grunting as she got onto all fours.

"I'm not doing this with you watching," she growled. "Just... leave me alone a minute, and please don't talk about it anymore."

Kaeden nodded, and went back over to 'his' corner, keeping his back turned. A few moments later, an acrid scent told him that nature had taken its course - as well as a sigh from Sonia.

"So, do I get to call for Ashleigh now?"

"What for?" Kaeden asked, turning around - trying to stifle his laughter Sonia's poise. She was gingerly trying to avoid shifting around the contents of her diaper, and making the most amusing faces - at least from his point of view. Not wanting to upset her, though, he kept his composure.

"So she can get me out of this thing."

Kaeden shook his head. "You don't get changed until Ashleigh comes around to check you, remember?"

"What?!" she gasped.

"Just because you behave doesn't mean you can demand a diaper change," Kaeden explained. "You're supposed to be a puppy," he continued, echoing one of Ashleigh's speeches. "And sometimes puppies play in wet or messy diapers like nothing has happened."

Sonia started sniffling, tears falling down her face - she sat down on her rump, abruptly, ready to give up. At this unpleasant feeling, she started crying much more loudly. Kaeden went over to hug her, trying to comfort her - though mostly he just wanted the noise to stop. Sonia may have temporarily decided to be nice, but she'd been horrible to him long enough that he didn't particularly feel sorry that she had to sit in her own mess. After all, he'd been doing the same for nearly a year.

The sobbing, however, summoned Ashleigh, who confirmed with a check that her charge was indeed messy and in need of a change.

"Thank you, Kaeden," she said, gently, before whisking Sonia off to her nursery.

It took Kaeden a moment to remember that the baby monitor in the room meant Ashleigh had heard every word they'd said to each other. His ears flushed red, embarrassed both that the Pyrenees had heard everything, and that he'd forgotten about such a simple thing.

While he waited for his playmate to return, however, he decided that did not bother him very much at all. Mommy always knows best.