Published: November 10th 2022, 6:30:33 am
"Good morning sleepy head!" said Baby Bear, jumping up and down in the crib. The bears had taken to sleeping with Ben in a big pile, providing perfect cuddly companions at night.
Ben stretched and yawned. "What time is it?"
"What part of the world would you like the time for?" asked Smart Bear, walking in with a big cup of hot chocolate for Ben.
"Aw, forget it. Could I have a coffee please?" asked Ben, as he was handed the sweet drink.
"No way, kiddo! Coffee isn't good for little ones like you."
"I'm not a-"
"We know, we know," said the bears in unison. "But you're our little one. And you always will be."
"Aw geez," said Ben, trying not to blush and failing miserably. His lesson had worked to an extent - the bears were branching out and exploring their interests. It did not, however, get them to stop treating him like a baby. As Baby Bear said,
"You said it yourself - you can choose whatever you want. That means you don't ever have to grow up!"
"Yeah, but..."
"Oh my gosh, we got a soggy boy on our hands!" said Cheer Bear, checking Ben's diaper. "Let's change him quick!"
Ben looked down to see he was totally soaked. He had been sipping hot cocoa and hadn't even noticed the warmth between his legs. Had he woken up like that or did he wet himself after he woke up? Did it even matter? Ben was being passed from Paw to Paw until he found himself on the changing table again while the bears talked about their next adventure.
"Well, what should we do today?"
"I dunno, guys! Anything is possible, really. We could do all sorts of adventures!"
"Uh... I think I need to do a little bit of adventuring in reality," said Ben. "You know, get out of the house.. get some fresh air." Friendship bear's face lit up at that.
"Great idea, Benji! we'll go with you!" he said, as Softheart reached down with the wet wipes to wipe Ben clean.
"Uh, no," said Ben, as the excited bear hopped up and down at the side of the changing table. "I think I need to be on my own"
"On your own? I don't understand."
It was hard for Ben to explain his position while lying on his back and getting a diaper change, but he did his best.
"I just, um, you know. I just want... is all this really necessary," he said, swatting at Softheart's paws. Softheart easily avoided the swats and continued diapering Ben with a soft smile.
"You guys," said Smart Bear. "Don't you get it? Ben's having an existensial crisis! We need to give him some space."
The other bears weren't so sure.
"Oh but what if he gets hurt?"
"Who will change him?"
"Trust me guys, Ben will be juuuuust fine," Smart Bear said with a wink
Ben looked from smart bear to the others. "What is that? Why are you winking?"
"No reason, Benny boy!" said Smart Bear, ruffling Ben's hair as Softheart finished taping him up.
"He has to bring a diaper change at least!" protested Friendship Bear while Baby Bear held up a couple outfit choices for Ben.
"I have some white and blue striped Love-a-Bunch shortalls with a cute star on the front, or I've got these baby pink shorts and a super cute Love-a-Bunch Shirt!"
Ben rolled his eyes. "I feel like I'm in a commercial."
"Yes, you're right! The shorts and shirt would be perfect!"
Ben was quickly dressed, and once he was back on his own two feet, he looked down at his tush and the front of his pants, noting how his diaper bulged through the thin stretchy material.
"It's not too obvious is it?" Ben asked, trying to tug down the hem of the slightly too-short shirt.
"It's obvious you're adorable," giggled Baby Bear, the self-proclaimed wardrobe expert. "Now go out there and knock 'em dead!"
"Yeah," said Smart Bear, winking again at the other bears. "Have yourself a nice walk. You might want to stay padded, though... you, uh... you've been having some control issues and..."
"Yeah, yeah, I'd rather not risk it either," said Ben. "I'll be back. Then we're gonna have to talk about all this baby stuff."
"You're the boss, buddy!"
Of course, no one really believed that.
The bears let Ben to a door in the clouds that led back to the Garage. Ben found that his phone, which he had to beg to get back, was still child-locked, so there wasn't much he could catch up on that way. Furthermore, when he tried to get into the front of the car, it wouldn't start, saying that children have to remain in the back seat for safety.
"Uh, guys? Does the system still think I'm a dependent?" Ben didn't get a response, so he tried talking into his watch while he looked in the back seat. "Hello? Cripes. Why is there an oversized child safety seat back here? Smart Bear?"
"It's for your own protection, Benji. Just get inside of it. Nobody drives anymore anyway. That's what smart cars are for!"
Ben grumbled. "Beggars can't be choosers, I guess," he said to himself as he climbed in back and buckled himself in. As soon as it did the car lit up cycling through bright pink and blue colors in the interior.
"Where would you like to go, Benji?" asked a friendly soft voice.
"Friendship Bear? Is that you?"
"Of course!" giggled the voice. "We're always with you. Now where do you want to go?"
"I... dunno... maybe uh, get something to eat that isn't cinnamon buns?"
"Ice cream it is!"
"Well, that's not-" but it was too late. The garage was already opening and soon enough, the car was zipping away.
The world Ben saw through the windows looked a little bit different than he remembered it. It looked a lot more like... Love-a-Bunch. He saw out of the windows as he passed by that the buildings were more colorful, there seemed to be a suspicious cloudiness to the streets, and most people were dressed childishly like him - shorts, shortalls, skirtalls, rompers, and the like seemed to be the big fashion trend. Many of them emblazoned with images of his bestest friends, the Love-a-Bunch. He even saw some people wearing shirts with his face on it.
"Whoa.... this is weird..."
That wasn't the weirdest part, either, because many of them were being pushed along in strollers or walked on child harnesses. He had truly never seen anything like it.
"Is there some sort of convention in town?"
"No, I'd say this is pretty conventional these days," giggled Friendship Bear.
"How long has it been since I left the house?" asked Ben, incredulous.
"Oh, one or two..."
"One or two weeks," interrupted Smart Bear. "But don't worry about that. Time isn't something most people need to keep track of anymore, since so many things are becoming automated."
"It's all thanks to his technological advancements," said Baby Bear, completely butchering the pronunciation but still getting his piont across.
"What are you talking about," asked Ben. "Or do I even want to know?"
The car stopped in front of a popular ice cream shop which was painted with colorful bears in diapers. Ben could see that there was a line to get in, but as soon as he stepped out of the car, the people around him gasped.
"Hey, isn't that Benji?" said a man in sunglasses, pointing. That cued an instant stampede.
"Oh em gee! Can I have your autograph?" asked a woman in a Lion Defender tee shirt.
"Benji! What's your favorite adventure so far?"
"Benji! Benji! Can you say something for the audience on my Spasm stream?"
"Uh... hi. Just getting ice cream, I guess..."
"Clear the line! Clear the line, everyone! Benji Love-a-Bunch is going to get ice cream!"
Ben looked on, dumbfounded, as everyone stepped out of the way to let him straight to the ice cream counter. Hesitantly, he waddled forward, crinkling with each step as his diaper-butt swayed this way and that. The comments left no doubt as to how obvious his diaper was.
"Aww! He's so cute! Look at that big diaper butt!"
"Looks like he's wearing Love-a-Bunch Super-Tuff-Loves!"
"No way, that's clearly peekage from a Double Waddler."
"Did you not see this morning's episode? They clearly put him in a Super-Tuff-Loves!"
"He could have wet through that already."
The crowd was arguing over what diaper he was wearing. Ben shook his head and pulled down the back of his shirt as he waddled into the ice cream shop.
"Hi Benji," said the person behind the counter. "Thanks so much for visiting! What flavor would you like?"
"Uh.... Rainbow Sherbert, I guess?"
"Aww! That's so cute how he says it! Sure thing, little guy!"
Ben blushed as a big scoop was scooped out for him and handed to him in a waffle cone.
"Thanks... uh, how much," he said, reaching into his pants before he realized he didn't have his wallet.
"No need, buddy! Don't worry about it."
"Uh, thanks..." said Ben, weirded out by how much everyone was staring at him and smiling. And taking pictures. The moment he stepped away, the people stampeded the ice cream counter to order some "Rainbow Sherbert" for themselves.
"Wow," he said, hurrying out and away from the crowd. "That was weird."
Just then, a news crew pulled up. Ben stood there, ice cream dripping on his hand as he looked on in total shock at the camera and news reporter.
"Hello! Benji! Channel 9 news. What brings you out to our fine city today?"
"I just wanted to get some fresh air, I guess," said Ben, looking like a little boy with in his bulging toddler shorts, his Love-A-Bunch diaper-shirt, and his hand sticky with ice cream.
"Uh oh, you're dripping there, Buddy. Better eat it quick! Has somebody got a bib?"
The crowd laughed at that. Yes, as Ben looked around, he realized they had gathered a crowd. He didn't like being the center of attention, especially not dressed as he was, but he was not trapped by a wall of people.
"I have to get home," he said.
"Oh, you mean to Love-a-Bunch Castle?"
"Uh..."
"Tell us, Ben. What's it like behind the scenes? Is it all special effects? Do you work with actors?"
"No, there are no sets or actors. The Love-a-Bunch Bears are real!"
That drew a chorus of awws from the crowd, who clearly didn't believe him.
"Of course they are, sweetie. Well, if I could ask, what's your favorite adventure you've had with your friends so far?"
"I dunno," said Ben, squirming in discomfort. "Listen, I think I need to go..."
"Oh, but you can't leave! There are so many questions about the mysterious comeback of the Love-a-Bunch!"
"N-no, I mean, I have to gooo," said Ben, holding his tummy. He tried to push through the crowd but to no avail. He dropped his ice cream and held his tummy with his sticky hands as he groaned. Moments later, he had a total blowout in his diaper.
FFFFfaarrrrrrt~ BBBlllorrrrt!!!!~~
The crowd went wild as Ben popped a squat and proceeded to pack his pampers like a professional.
"Well, looks like those Super-Tuff-Loves did their job!"
"I told you! They're Double Waddlers!"
WEE-OOO WEE-OOO the sound of a firetruck blared through the noise of the crowd as Ben stood there, pooping his brains out. He began to cry as the truck stopped in the street and several big buff men came down off the truck to run up to Ben.
"Everyone step back! We've got a three alarm diaper change on our hands! Sam, get the plushie, quick!"
"Hunh?" asked Ben, as a blanket was laid out on the sidewalk, shortly followed by himself.
"It's out mascot, Firey the Fire-Pup! Give him a big hug while we take care of you, okay lil guy?"
Ben instinctively snuggled the toy as he had been conditioned to do by his bear-friends. Snuggling and focusing on the toy always seemed to make diaper changes go by faster, and he especially needed the distraction with the crowds and the cameras pointed his way.
"This is channel 9 news, first on the scene reporting a big blowout at Bonnie Billie's Ice-Cream Emporium!"
"Waaaahhhhhh!" The embarassment had gotten to be too much for Ben, and he began to cry. Unbeknownst to him, a pacifier clip had been attached to his shirt, and the pacifier had been tucked inside the whole time. It took mere moments for one of the firefighters to find it and plug up his mouth, silencing his cries and calming his tears.
"Gosh, these baby patrols are really needed," said the channel 9 news reporter. "If anyone had their doubts that our brave baby patrollers aren't working hard every day for us, this should prove it beyond a doubt!"
Several of the baby patrollers smiled for the camera, throwing up peace signs and thumbs up as they crouched around Ben in the middle of his change.
Consequently, the change ended up lasting a little longer than it should have, and Ben ended up in an extra thick diaper with stuffers - he suspected the baby patrollers were showing off, not that he could say anything about it with his mouth plugged up.
"Alright, it sounds like this little one's ready for a nap," said one of the baby patroller's, touching his earpiece. "The bears themselves are saying to send him on home."
This comment delighted the crowd, who were all atwitter with talk of the bears themselves communicating.
"It's never a dull day here in Detroit! Come on out and you might see Benji yourselves walking the streets or even buying ice cream!"
Ben was only too happy to be in a fresh diaper,, though he was obliged to sign a lot of autographs for the big and very adulty Baby Patrollers before he could leave. He blushed as he was carried to the car by one of the big strong men. It made him feel so tiny to be talked down to and strapped into the car seat like a real tot.
"There ya go, little guy. Next time, you should really have a babysitter with you. I think you're a little bit too little to be going out on your own, okay?"
Ben balefully nodded. He wouldn't make that mistake twice. Going out on his own was scary. It wasn't until the door was shut and the soft Love-a-Bunch music was playing that he was able to calm down and collect himself. He took a well deserved nap while snuggling his new plushie, sucking on his paci, and listening to the sweet tunes of the Love-a-Bunch as the car gently glided him back home.