A few days later
Mikey's pov
Living here was fun. I liked everyone, they were super chill and fun to be around. I also loved helping to take care of the girls, I feel like I'm getting a good in depth practice. I learned how to braid hair! Jess and Kate taught me with their barbie dolls. Its really not hard I was surprised. The little auction is the day after tomorrow and honestly I'm super nervous. Thankfully I don't have to worry about my mom for the time being- my older brother was back at home taking care of her for awhile. He got furloughed because of the pandemic so he's got the time anyway.
I was pulled out of my thoughts by the harsh sound of the girls running around the house shrieking and laughing. I have no idea what they're playing but it looks like fun.
Mason came in from a workout, looking quite shiny and damp. Jessie ran by him and he ruffled her hair but she didn't even pause. He laughed, meeting eyes with me, then headed upstairs to shower.
I was scrolling through twitter, exhaling air through my nose as a form of laughter, and Chad came from some random location in the house. He bent over the back of the couch, his eyes scanning the room.
"Hey man, where are the girls and Mace? I think it's time we sat them down and told them about the possibility of you getting a little." Just as he finished, Jessie and Katie came tearing through the room again, still being noisey. This time Charlie was trailing them, tail wagging excitedly.
"Girls it-" loud laughter, they couldn't hear him. "Girls." he tried again, but they were too absorbed in what they were doing.
"GIRLS" he finally said in his deep commanding voice. They immediately stopped and stood at attention, trying not to giggle.
"It's time for a chat. Jessie can you go find your daddy?"
She nodded and ran upstairs and into their room. Katie walked around and sat on the couch, Charlie jumping up next to her and settling his head in her lap. She was catching her breath and petting him.
"Daddy," she started, "what's this meeting about? Is it gonna be boring?? I don't like boring meetings so if it's boring let's not have it." She pouted before even receiving an answer.
Chad glanced at me, then back at her.
"You'll find out, okay sweetie?" She nodded.
Just then I felt a strange feeling. I tried to brush it off but I couldn't help but feel anxious about something. I've never really felt like this...then it dawned on me. The reality of getting a little was setting in. What if she didn't like me? What if she didn't like J&K? What if they all fought? What if-
The sound of Jessie bounding down the stairs, Mason following suit as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, interrupted my panicked thoughts. Everyone took a seat, even Sierra wandered in from somewhere. Once they were all settled, Chad and Mason looked at me in expectation. Jessie was sucking her thumb, a habit we were trying to break. They could probably tell I was nervous as hell. I stood up, taking a deep breath.
"Okay. Well girls...uhm.. On Friday, both of your *nervous cough* daddies agreed to take me to the Little Auction to try and find a little of my own." I held my breath in anticipation.
Their 2 precious faces were blank for a moment as they processed what I said, what that meant. Jessie was the first to speak.
"Sche go' wive hewe? Wif ush?" Mason pulled her thumb out of her mouth.
"Try again princess" he said softly.
"She gonna live wif us?"
I nodded. "If it's okay with Chad and Mason, yes. And you two, of course."
"She nice?" She followed up, raising her arm to put her thumb back in her mouth but Mason held her arm down. She whined, but he grabbed a paci from the table and offered it to her. She accepted.
"Well I hope she will be nice. I don't want to get someone mean or rude, that just won't do." I said
She sat back against Mason's chest, quietly thinking.
Katie is quiet. She's never quiet. Is she upset? I hope she's not upset...
The silence was killing me.
"Soo..Katie?" She looked up at me with big doe eyes.
"Does this make you nervous?" Chad asked her.
She nodded, but finally spoke.
"But i-if she's nice, we can all be friends! And we can play together..r-right?
Chad smiled and kissed her cheek. "Of course Princess. 3 princesses in a pod."
I exhaled a sigh of relief and sat back down.
"What we gonna do when u guys are gone?" Katie piped up again.
"You guys will just hang out here. Probably watch some movies, do your homework, and then go to sleep. We won't be back till after your bedtimes, so we'll see you in the morning." Mason explained.
"Ish okey wif me" Jessie said around her paci. Katie nodded in agreement.
I looked at the 2 men in front of me, and they gave me nods and smiles of approval. Thank God they were here to help me out, I really hope I'm not in over my head.
Vinny came out of the kitchen. "You guys want some lunch?" She asked. "I made some sandwiches with chips and fruit."
We all nodded and stood up to join her.
"You guys go, I have to take care of something" Chad said.
Chads pov
Everyone went into the kitchen, but I didn't. I started to go downstairs. I had to check on security and set up things for Friday night while we were gone.
Just as I was nearing the bottom, Z burst open the door and nearly ran smack into me.
"What's-"
"We found it! We found the truck. It's at a bar near the main road sir."
"Show me! Now!!"
We walked to the monitor setup and he showed me video feed of the truck driving through our secret road a few days ago and turning onto the main road.
"He must be staying in the area. We were able to make out the plate number and track it to a nearby hotel. I told Jack to tail him discreetly. He's getting drunk right now, we could make the grab tonight."
Without hesitation, I approved. I told all non-perimeter men to meet us downstairs. We went into the meeting room to make the plan.
We'd wait till dark, and we'd make our move. Some of the lower level guys began to prep the room for holding him. Rope and handcuffs were brought in, as well as duct tape, a lamp, and some of my special tools.
I surveyed the area and nodded, then went back upstairs.
Mason's pov
I closed the door to the Little School so that the girls would focus. After lunch, it was school time, then they could play more afterwards.
Just as I was making my way back into the living room, Chad came back upstairs. He'd been gone for awhile. And he looked very threatening right now. Something's up.
"Where's Mike?" He asked,
"We three need to talk."
"I'm right here, guys." We hadn't even noticed him laying on the couch.
"What's up?"
Chad glanced at the Little School door, and jerked his head, indicating we should move into the kitchen.
We all sat around the kitchen table and looked at Chad.
"Alright, so here's the deal. We found Mr. Stalker in the gray truck, he's at a bar down the road right now. He appears to be getting fucked up, so we should be able to pick him up and interrogate him."
He relayed the plan to us. And the girls were not to know. They would be asleep through the entire operation, and their doors would be locked, with 2 guards instead of 1 outside their doors, and one in the bedroom just in case. We weren't taking any chances.
A few hours later, at the dinner table
Katie's pov
"Thank u Vinny and Winny! This dinner was so yummy!" Daddy fed me the last of my chicken parm. I kinda want more..
The 2 smiled at me as they began picking up everyone's plates. I looked around at our family. I loved everyone so much, we all took care of each other and every day was so fun! I hope Mikey's new little fits into our family well, then we can make TRIPLE trouble instead of jus me an Jessie. Ish gonna be so much fun.
I looked over at Jessie and smiled when we met eyes. She grinned back.
"Daddy we want a movie night!" I said, a bit too loudly I think. Daddy darted a warning look my way before asking "What did you girls have in mind?"
"Frozen 2!" Jessie blurted out and I gasped.
"YES! FROZEN 2!!!"
"Katie, inside voice please" Daddy said.
"Sowwy. Can we watch Frozen 2 and eat ice creams?" I whispered.
Daddy looked at Mr. Mason and he didn't immediately say yes. Time to turn on the puppy dog eyes.
They both looked at us, with our pouty lips and wide eyes.
"Hmmm...do you think they deserve it Chad? Have they been good girls?" We of course started nodding quickly. Daddy pretended to think about it too.
"Hm, I don't knowww..."
Jessie and I looked at each other. "Pleeeeeeaaaasseeeee" We said at the same time.
Mikey suddenly said, "Wait, there's a frozen 2??" We all looked at him in shock. Finally daddy answered him.
"Uh. YEAH! Where you been bro?!?! It's better than the first one!"
Mikey shrugged. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Well that settles it. We're watching frozen 2 tonight!" Mr. Mason said.
"YAYYYYY" Jessie and I exclaimed happily, and jumped out of our seats to go get the best seat in the house. Charlie and Sierra got excited too and jumped on the couch.
The big bois joined us in the living room, and Daddy put on the movie. This was one of my favorite movies! I loved it so much.
We got to the part of them exploring the enchanted forest and me and Jessie were both staring at the tv like Anna in that one scene.
Mason's pov
Vinny and Winny had the night off.
"I'll be right back sweet girl" I said to Jessie, who was so engrossed she didn't even acknowledge me.
I went to the kitchen and got 2 small snack bowls, and I poured some gummies into each. Then I opened the highest cabinet, the one where all the medication is stored, and I grabbed the bottle of melatonin gummies. One each should be enough to help them sleep through our operation tonight.
I cleaned up and brought the bowls of gummies to the girls. They gasped and thanked me, not missing a beat with getting sucked back into the movie. I kept an eye to make sure they ate the important gummy. When they did, I took a deep breath and felt a little more relieved that there shouldn't be any problems with them while we're gone.
End of the movie
Jessie's pov
"Alright girls. Bed time." Daddy said. We both yawned. I feel more tired than usual, but oh well.
Daddy picked me up. "Say goodnight."
"Nini evewyone, sweep *yawn* well."
Katie waved at me, in the middle of a yawn so she couldn't say anything. Mikey blew a kiss at both of us and I drifted off as daddy carried me upstairs to our room. I was barely awake as he undressed me and changed me into PJs. He brushed my teeth and laid me in bed, climbing in behind me on the opposite side than what he's usually on. But I was too tired to say anything. He kissed my head.
"I love you Jessie. You're my everything."
I murmured a response as best I could, but drifted off to sleep before I could do anything about it.
Chad's pov
I looked down at my watch, growing antsy as we waited to strike. The girls went to bed with no issue thanks to Mason, and we were getting our weapons and stuff together. Everyone was wearing black. I had instructed a few of my guys to get the things to restrain our target. Finally we were ready. Mason, Mike and I got in the car. I was driving this time. We took only 2 cars so we wouldn't draw too much attention with a caravan.
We headed down the path, flashing my high beams at each guard station we passed and a chorus of 'good lucks' came through the walkie each time. When we got onto the main road, I turn off the walkie since the range stopped at the tree line. We headed to the bar, going over the plan on the way there.
We pulled into the parking lot of the bar. Sure enough, there was the gray truck. We parked in a way that allowed for easy leaving, and got out of the cars. My heart was racing; I wanted to get this guy so bad.
I instructed one of my guys to put a tracker on the truck just in case. We liked to know everything.
Mason's pov
We went inside the bar and sat at a table in the corner to observe. One of the men stayed outside with the cars and keeping watch. Inside, we assessed our situation. First we identified our target: a tall brawny guy with a light stubble and meaty hands. He was wearing a hat and drinking a beer, his 4th one by the looks of the empty bottles near him. Other people were here too. There was a group of friends playing pool, other people watching some show and barely staying awake.
A waiter came by and asked what we wanted. We ordered drinks and began talking. Chad nodded to Kane and he moved into position, which was right next to out target. He ordered a drink and started chatting with him. He should be learning his name, basic details...
After a few minutes Kane got 'mad'.
"WHATDOYUH MEAN YOU DON'T LIKE BASEBALL?!?! IT'S THE DAMNED BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY!" he yelled in a fake country accent. Mr. Stalker took the bait.
He slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "IT'S THE WORST! IT'S ALL FAKE STUPID SHIT. REAL MEN SHOOT GUNS AND FUCK WOMEN"
Ohhhh now he's done it. I can't wait to-
He punched Kane in the face. Kane stumbled back a bit, surprised. Then he punched him back with a hard right hook. The bartender came over by then and yelled at them to take it outside or else he'll call the cops. Kane spit in Mr. Stalker's face to further enrage him, then went outside. The stalker bared his yellow teeth and followed. The rest of us waited for maybe 10 seconds, then got up and followed them, leaving money on the table for drinks and the tip.
Outside the 2 were yelling back and forth at each other. Mr. Stalker was throwing punches and stumbling around as Kane was artfully dodging all of them, though his sobriety made it admittedly easier.
Chad leading the way, we walked up to the guy and surrounded him. It took him a moment to realize. He glanced at his car.
"DON'T even think about it. Don't give us the pleasure of shooting you."
Kane spoke up. "Sir, it would be my absolute HONOR to put a bullet in Duncan's face. Or leg. Or heart! Anywhere really."
Chad smiled. "Should it come to that, you'll be the first to pull the trigger."
Kane smiled and stepped back to let us have his full attention.
"Duncan, huh? That's what your name is? You know you're a piece of shit. I am so going to enjoy torturing information out of. Who do you work for?" Duncan spit at Chad's feet in response.
Chad began cracking his knuckles. "We can do this here, or we can do this at my house. Your pick."
Duncan looked like he was weighing his options. He seemed to be sobering up a bit.
Chad gave him a minute, but was running low on patience. "No? Okay," he shrugged. "Your call."
He punched him once, his fist making contact with his temple. He fell over. Chad moved to stand over him, and our men moved in closer. He rolled him over so he was laying on his back. He was barely conscious. "This is gonna be so much fun" Chad said, right before Duncan passed out.
We put restraints on him and got him loaded into the car. Then we put on a blindfold, and 2 bags over his head. We wanted to hide the route, even though he new where the lake was...
We patted him down and checked him for trackers, including in his teeth, ears, and veins. We smashed downloaded all the information from his phone, then smashed it and threw the pieces in different directions. Chad and his men are very thorough.
🛑❗️The following scene contains mentions/descriptions of bone breaking, cutting, and other forms of torture. I will indicate the end with another message like this.❗️🛑
Duncan's pov
Fuck my fucking head hurts. What the fuck happened...and why is it so bright??
I opened my eyes to find lights in my face. I tried to move but my hands where tied behind my back and to the chair I was sitting in. My legs were tied to the chair as well. My chest was tied too, and I noticed the chair was bolted to the floor. My eyes finally started to adjust. The rest of the room began to fade into view. The memory of the bar also began to come back. Fuck.
I coughed, which made my head pound more. The frame of a man came into view. I looked up, frowning at the light. The man known as Mason was standing in front of me.
"Who. Hired you? Tell us and make your life easier yeah?" I chuckled, earning a punch in the face. He was wearing brass knuckles too. I hissed in pain and spat out some blood. I looked back at him. "I ain't talking." He nodded and looked behind him. 2 other men appeared next to him.
"Hey Mike?"
"Yeah man?"
"What should we do first?" Chad asked, "break fingers? Carve some choice words into his skin? Or shatter his knee caps and elbows?"
Mike I guess his name was thought about it, then smiled. They were all smiling. Then they all looked at me.
"All of the above" Mike said.
The 3 of them retreated to somewhere I couldn't see in the room, and came back with various items, a knife and a hammer among them. Chad moved behind me, tearing off my shirt. I could feel him trailing the knife down my back, pressing just hard enough in random places. In front of me, Mason was putting on a bigger set of brass knuckles. Mike had the hammer. He looked small and incompetent.
"Who do you work for?" Chad asked again from behind me.
"Mike- is that your name?" He looked at me. "You look like you'd give CPR to a bunny. A big softy."
Mason's newly polished brass knuckles came in contact with my cheek bone, and I'm pretty sure I felt something break. Then I felt a piercing pain right on my shoulder blade. I grit my teeth, trying not to show pain.
"I may look soft..." Mike started, freeing one of my arms and taking one of my fingers into his hands "But you've threatened the people closest to me. You think I'm just gonna be okay with that?" I shrugged. He picked up a small plank of wood from the ground and but my hand on it. He's not gonna do anyt-"
I yelled in pain as he brought the hammer down on my ring fingertip. "Soft?" He asked.
More piercing pain in my back. "S...O...F...T...I...E" Chad spelled out. "There we have it folks, our first word. Another punch to the throat. I coughed as my head was jerked back by one of my gray patches.
"Are you gonna make us ask again?" I was panting now, the pain from different places on my body becoming worse and worse. I wonder if they'll kill me after? If they don't, and I get out of here, Manta will kill me for giving him up anyway.
"I'm thinking pussy for your next word, Chad. He's too afraid of what his pussy ass boss will do to him when he finds out he spilled."
"I like the sound of that Mason."
🛑❗️This marks the end of the torture scene.❗️🛑
Chad's pov
We tortured him for awhile longer. He now has 7 broken fingers, a shattered kneecap, one side of his face is black and blue and his right eye swollen shut. His back has the words "Softie, Pussy, Bitch, Stalker and Errand-boy" carved into it. Those will scar nicely; everyone who sees will know exactly the type of guy he is.
I left a few of my men to clean up the room and keep watch on him. We left him unconscious. We walked upstairs to talk about what we learned.
"Okay" I began, sitting at the kitchen table, the other 2 joining me. My top men were also in the room.
"So he works for Jake Manta. That name sound familiar to either of you?"
Mason shook his head, but Mike was squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, uh" he stood up in frustration. "Manta was Jessie's substitute teacher the day of the auction, her last day of school. She only mentioned him briefly. The real scare of the day was when she got chased by that shithead downstairs while walking to school that morning."
Mason slammed his fist on the table. There was dried caked-on blood on his knuckles.
"Well what does he want with Jessie?" Mason questioned through gritted teeth, clearly angry.
"We don't know. But he lives in the next state over, not far from the border. If he were to kidnap her, local law enforcement would have to pass it on to them. It would make the investigation much harder." I explained.
"What else do we know?" Mike asked, sitting back down.
"He's just a henchman, probably disposable. Manta has a smaller team than ours, and he likes to keep them close. They all swore loyalty to him and have a necklace on that indicates their status. That's pretty much it. And remember, the girls are NOT to know.
We all nodded, exhausted. We said goodnight and headed to bed. I showered and joined Katie in bed, relieving her 2/3 guards from duty. Mason would be doing the same right about now.
Mikey's pov
We finally got that prick. Breaking his bones was an intense start, but it felt good, especially knowing he caused Jessie so much fear and anxiety. I think I'll sleep well tonight.
I fell asleep thinking about my future little, and how I'd already do anything to keep her safe.
I can't wait to meet you.
Friday
Mikey's pov
I woke up early than usual. I was super excited for tonight, and I already knew today was gonna feel like the longest day ever.
I got out of bed after scrolling through Twitter for a bit, then got in the shower. I rubbed one out so I wouldn't feel horny later and make decisions based purely off of sex.
I got dressed and went downstairs to see Mason on the couch drinking some coffee and watching TV. I didn't see Chad or either of the girls.
"Hey man" I sat down on the couch too, yawning.
"Hey M. You excited? How you feeling?"
"Honestly?" I started, "I'm nervous but I don't think it's really hit me yet. It probably won't till we're about to leave."
He nodded in understanding. "Well Chad is downstairs in security making sure everything goes smoothly tonight while we're gonna. Vinny and Winny are gonna watch the girls and put them to bed."
"That's good.." I trailed off. "Hey so I kinda have a question..err a few actually. "
"Okay shoot" he replied to me.
I took a deep breath.
"Okay...what if I find a little I want but I get outbid or I can't afford her?"
Mason was quiet for a minute. He's so rich he's never considered that..
"Well honestly I'm not sure. All I know is that Chad and I will cover whatever you can't. This isn't a car or something, it's a person. And if you feel like you've found the perfect one for you, then so be it. We're not gonna let money stand in the way of that."
"Woah woah, really? No I can't ask you guys to do that it-"
"Mike, we're both rich. And you're apart of the family. You're getting who you want, it doesn't matter."
I sighed in relief. "wow th-thank you I don't know what to say. "
Mason chuckled. "You have other questions?"
"Yeah yeah uh how far is the drive to the auction?"
"Oh it's maybe an hour from here. The closest one at least."
Chad strutted in from downstairs. "Yeah but that one is weird and always has shady people running it. We're going to the one in Mendevouí." He said proudly
"Oh?" Mason questioned.
I raised my eyebrow too.
"And how far is that one" Mason asked.
"Umm 2 and a half hours south instead of north."
"Jeez. Long car ride huh." They both nodded.
Just then, Katie came out from her and Chad's room in her PJs, yawning and whining a bit.
"Heyyy princess" Chad went over and picked her up. She laid her head on his shoulder. "hi dada" she said, and popped her thumb in her mouth.
"Did you sleep okay my love?" He asked, bouncing her gently. She sneezed, then nodded, then yawned again.
"Hey Katie? You wanna go lay next to Jessie in my room? She still asleep."
She nodded and Chad went to put her down, but she clung to him and whined.
"Ok ok ok I'll take you" he said.
I can't wait to have someone of my own to treat like a princess.
He took her upstairs.
I looked at the clock on the wall. 7:49. Ugh. Slowest. Day. Ever.
A few hours later.
Jessie's pov
"Dadaaa I no wan u to weave" I whined and tugged on his shirt while he was making chicken nuggets for Katie and I.
"I know babydoll but don't you want Mikey to find someone? Don't you want him to be happy? Or do you want him to do this alone?"
I sighed as he picked me up and I laid my head on his shoulder. He kissed the side of my head and got some plates out of the pantry. Katie came in with a juice box.
"Mr. Mason? Do chu know where my dada is? I wan huggies from hims.."
"I think he's in the backyard with Mikey and the dogs little princess. Why don't you and Jessie go out there and I'll let you know when these are done in a few minutes." He put me down. We walked over to the door and opened it. Mikey and Chad turned around and looked at us. Charlie and Sierra ran over to sniff us, tails wagging nonstop. We both smiled and pet them. Then we walked over to the guys and they each picked us up.
"Hi dada" Katie said and poked his cheek. Mikey bent down and took a toy from Sierra and threw it close to the tree line. She and Charlie ran after it at top speed.
"Hi cutie pie." He kissed her all over her face.
I looked at Mikey. "R u excited Mikey? U gonna get a wittwe."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah I'm excited, but I'm getting more and more nervous and the clock ticks closer."
I hugged him. "It gonna be okey. U have all of us and so does she!" I smiled. After a few minutes daddy came out.
"Lunch is ready girlies."
They put us down and we went inside, everyone following behind. We sat down to chicken nuggets, curly fries, and apple slices and grapes. Yummy.
"Thankies daddy." I popped a grape into my mouth and enjoyed the sweetness.
The guys sat down with us, but weren't eating. After a couple minutes, Chad nudged Kate.
"What do you say?"
"Fank u Mr. Mason. U da bestest!" She looked at Chad and beamed. He smiled in approval, then turned his attention to the rest of the table.
"Alrighty. Time to discuss the plan for tonight." We all looked at him expectedly.
He checked his watch really quick. "Ok, the 3 of us are leaving in a couple hours. The auction starts at 9 pm, and we need 30 mins for any extra time, like check in and seats, etc."
"But daddy! It only 2! Why you leaving so early!" Chad rubbed her head.
"It's a bit of a drive baby. Plus we have to account for traffic. Vinny and Winny are gonna watch you guys. In the evening they'll make you dinner, Vinny will bathe you and you guys will go to sleep. If you behave you can watch a movie. We'll be back in the morning."
I finished my food. "Dada can i haves juicy? Pease?
"Since you asked so nicely, sure. Katie, you want one as well?"
She nodded since her mouth was full.
He opened and gave us each one and we kept talking and eating. Soon we finished lunch.
"Alright," Mikey started. "Time for school. Come girls."
We stood up and followed him. Since it was Friday it was arts and crafts day! I ram back and kissed daddy bye until later.
Chad's pov
Mason and I were the only ones left in the room.
"Okay so...I don't know if it's just me, but do Katie and Jessie seem more little than usual??"
I nodded. "Yeah. Definitely . I think it was the melatonin gummies. Maybe it makes their headspace easier to get into?" (!!Disclaimer, I 100% made this up, please do not take melatonin gummies without telling someone, especially if you're a minor! And please do not take them for anything else other than sleeping unless advised otherwise by a medical professional!)
"yeah..maybe. Anyway how are you feeling about tonight? Do you think he's gonna find his girl?"
I picked up the girls plates and started washing them, along with other dishes that were in the sink.
"I really hope so. I think he's ready. He does great with J&K, and I think we would all enjoy it as well. But you know 3 peas in a pod are gonna stir up trouble" He cracked a grin and I chuckled.
"I think we can handle it."
Another few hours later
Mike's pov
Chad cracked the door open the the playroom and said: "Girls, we're leaving. Come say goodnight to us." I heard them standing up and taking, and they opened the door fully. There were the 3 of us, looking very dapper in our suits.
I was in gray, with the other 2 in black. The girls squealed and clapped, very impressed with our clean up. We struck some dramatic poses that made them giggle, then began to say bye. We hugged them, and I headed downstairs. Mason stayed upstairs, probably telling Jessie to be on her best behavior. Chad and Katie came down after me. I went and got a glass of water. The nerves were really starting to hit. I heard Katie whine about something. Something gives me the impression that Chad is threatening her with spankings or some other punishment for misbehaving. Soon I'll have my own little to tell to behave...remind her to use her manners. Cuddle her to sleep...I can't wait.
Mason came downstairs and looked at me. "Ready to go find your girl?" I nodded and knocked back the last swig of water. I put the cup in the sink and bounced on the balls of my feet, shaking my hands. "Let's go."
On the drive to the auction-
The three of us were in the car with one bodyguard. We left the house awhile ago.
"Are we almost there?" I asked Chad, who was the one driving.
He shrugged. "Shouldn't be too much longer, probably another hour and 15.
"Alright," I said, trying to hide the nervous waver in my voice. They weren't fooled though.
"You're gonna be fine dude. We're gonna be with you the whole time. You're gonna find her."
I smiled gratefully to Mason, looking at the clock again. Only 2 minutes had gone by. Sigh.
An hour later
"We're around the corner. Your new little is around the corner. How you feeling?" Mason punched my arm and smiled.
I faked a smile back and nodded. "Good." My voice cracked, giving me away. Chad and Mason looked at each other, then Mason fiddled for something at his feet.
"Here. Drink this. Some call it liquid courage." He chuckled a little and handed me a bottle of beer.
"Guys, I'm not even 19 y-"
"Just drink it." Chad said. I pulled out my keys and used my carabiner to pop the top off. I took a swig and it burned going down. I saw Chad eyeing me in the rearview mirror. Mason looked back at me with the biggest smile on his face. I smiled back and took another swallow. It tasted terrible. I kinda like it.
A few minutes later, we turned down a poorly paved street. There were all sorts of unruly trees and foliage near or on the road. If I were a murderer I'd hide my bodies here haha...
A couple more seemingly random turns and we stopped. I looked out in front of us to see cars. Lots of cars all going through a gate that guarded a huge building. There was security at the gate, checking people in and making sure they were decent people. We finally got up to the guard hut and Chad rolled down his window. "I need your IDs guys."
All of us in the car gave him our IDs and he gave them to the guard who took them inside. I started tapping my leg subconsciously and I took another drink from the beer. No wonder this line is so slow, they take forever. I guess that's a good thing though.
I met eyes with Chad in the rearview and I know he could tell I'm freaking out. What if I can't afford who I want. What if I don't even find someone I want? So many things could go wrong.
He finally gave us our IDs back and told us we were clear. We drove through and parked and got out. That drive felt like a year long. I finished the last of the beer and left it in the car.
"Alright I'm ready." I said with fake confidence, rubbing my hands together. We walked to the building and into the doors, and it was breathtaking. There were people everywhere dressed very fancy and looking very expensive. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling and sparkled. You could feel the atmosphere. Competitive, but upscale.
We each got drinks from the bar, including a Shirley Temple for me, my favorite since I was a younger teenager. Then we went inside and found seats. We waited for the lights to flicker, indicating that it would be starting soon. After another 15 minutes or so, it happened. Another 5 minutes after that, nearly all the seats were full, and the house lights faded to black. The stage lights came on, and an announcer walked out.
"Good evening ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between. Thank you for joining us tonight at our monthly Little Auction! We have lots of littles looking to find their forever person tonight. For those of you who are new here, we do things a little bit differently than other auctions. We will bring all the littles on stage, and they get to introduce themselves one by one, show you their favorite belonging, and what they're looking for in a caregiver. At the end, you will get a chance to bid for who you want. There is no limit on price, and we will call 3 times before calling sold. Once the auction is finished, you will be asked to stay in your seat until your row number is called. Once that happens, if you won a bid, you may walk backstage to pick up your new little or littles. Please do not get up before that. We then ask that you check out before leaving, meaning go to one of the check out desks, and we will verify that you have the correct little that you bid on, and that they are removed from our system. This is for safety reasons. 80% of tonights proceeds go towards care of those littles who don't find their caregiver tonight or in the future. That being said, let's get started!"
There was a round of applause, and then it got quiet as the littles were brought on stage. Some of them squinted trying to see into the crowd, and others shielded their eyes from the bright stage lights. Some of them had pacis, some had stuffies, others had small trinkets or nothing.
I looked at Chad and Mason and they gave me smiles of encouragement. I took a deep breath as the first little was given the mic and started to speak.
"H-hi. My name is Jason..Jace for short. I like to play with trains and puppies, and this is my favorite blanket." He paused and looked at the worker nearest to him and started to fidget. She whispered something to him and he looked back at the crowd. "O-oh I looking for a daddy to take care of me and pay with me. I am obedient and I like to play outside!" He beamed and the whole auditorium clapped.
Next up was a girl who reminded me of someone from high school. Her name was Maddy. She waved and the crowd coo'd to her a bit. She began to speak, but we couldn't understand her very much around her paci. The worker came and popped it out to hold it while she spoke. She introduced herself and we all clapped again as she popped her paci back into her mouth.
This kept on for awhile, but after an hour and a half, I wasn't feeling optimistic. They were cute and all, but I felt like they were all trying too hard. I wanted someone natural and who could be themselves. I slumped in my seat a bit and Chad leaned over. "What's up man? Are you not feeling any of them?" I shook my head glanced at him sideways. There were only 10 littles left on the stage.
All 10 of them went, and I was disappointed.
"Alright, that's all of the littles here ton-" The announcer was interrupted as someone ran onto the stage. It was a rogue little. Another worker came running after her. I perked up. She grabbed the mic from the last little before she could give the it back. "My name is Roselyn! I like roses cause *sneeze* well my name has 'rose' in it and I want a caregiver who will chase me around and put up with my brattiness!" She placed the mic on the ground gently and ran off stage.
"Okay then. That's it! Let the bidding begin. Little #1, Jason, let's sta..."
I leaned over so Mason and Chad could hear me. "Roselyn. She's the one for me. Why wasn't she on stage?"
Mason shrugged, but Chad had a very serious look in his eye. "We'll find out. By tonight, you'll have Rose in your arms." I smiled and sat through all the bidding, hoping they would let us bid on her. They didn't call her name do be bid on. Then they called everyone up, row by row. When ours was called, Chad stood up, and we all followed him blindly. He went outside the auditorium and found a check out table.
"Hey man. My buddy here wants Rose, any reason she wasn't up there?" The guy shrugged. Chad tried to hide the irritated look on his face. "Okay , well do you know someone that can help us?"
The guy pointed over to an unmarked desk with some woman sitting at it, looking at a computer. We went over and she looked up and smiled.
"Hi! My name is Keisha, what can I help you with?" Chad turned on the charm. "Hello Keisha, my buddy wanted to bid on Roselyn, the little rascal who ran out on stage at the end of intros? How come she wasn't up there originally?"
"Oh! Here let me look at her file." She clickety clacked on her keyboard and waited, then read something on the screen.
"Oh I see. Okay. She has a cold, and when we have littles with a cold, we put them in quarantine basically, because we don't want them to get any of the other littles sick. But if they're sick on auction night, they aren't allowed to participate." I visibly sagged and rubbed my face before stepping up to the desk. She looked at me politely.
"Look I really want her and I can pay. What's her starting bid? She's the one for me and I'm not leaving without her." The lady smiled. "I'm sorry sir but we-" Chad interrupted her.
"We'll pay double her price." the nice lady's eyes bugged out and she picked up the phone.
She dialed and paused, then spoke into it. "Get down here. And prep Roselyn to go home."
Chad turned around and smiled at me. Mason and the bodyguard we brought with us sat down on some chairs against the window. I was too antsy to sit. I started pacing and chewing the skin on the middle of my index finger. After a few minutes someone finally walked over.
"Hi! I'm Marina, the director. What can I help you with?"
Chad opened his mouth to talk but I needed to speak up for myself.
"I want to buy Roselyn. I know she has a cold but I can take care of her. My mother is sick and bed bound and I used to take care of her before my brother stepped in. I can handle a little cold." Marina smiled, a smile that means no. I looked at Chad and he nodded.
"We can pay double whatever her starting bid is." I said flatly. Marina had a thoughtful look on her face, then looked at Keisha. "What's her starting bid?"
"$380K ma'am." Marina looked at me up and down. You have $760 thousand dollars?" She smirked a bit. Mason stood up and approached.
"He has much, much more than that. We want her, end of story." He had a look in her eyes that dared her to challenge his words.
"Okie dokie." She smiled and turned on her heel, walking in the direction of backstage. It better be to get Rose. My Rose.
"That'll be $760k." Keisha spoke up. I pulled out my $200k cash. Why did I think I could cover this myself? Thank god for Mason and Chad. They split the remaining $560k and gave me the cash. I gave it to Keisha and she put it all into a cash scanner/counter.
"Great! You can have a seat until they bring her out."
We waited for 10 minutes, and Marina came back. Empty handed. What is her deal??
"What's your name sir?" She asked looking at me. "Mike." I responded bluntly.
"Mike, do you mind coming with me?" She looked at Mason and Chad, then added "Just you."
"We'll wait here" Mason said. I nodded and got up to follow her. She lead me backstage, and it was crazy town. It was crowded, hot, and sparkly. Some littles were crying, some were hugging, and some were sleeping. Marina led me through a doorway and down a stark white hall. The noise of backstage faded to nothing, and soon we stopped at a door. She gave me the key.
"Leave the key in the door when you're leaving." I nodded and she left.
Roselyn was on the other side of the door. The rest of my life was on the other side of the door. My joy, my happiness, my everything. I was about to knock when I heard singing. Then a sneeze and a whimper. I knocked and heard a squeal too.
I put the key in the door and unlocked it. I took a deep breath and opened it. I stepped inside and closed it gently behind me. I turned around and there was stuff everywhere. Except a person. There wasn't a person. She must be hiding.
"Roselyn? Hi..um... my name is Mike" I heard a sniffle from somewhere. "You can call me Mikey. And maybe eventually daddy? I want to take you home, if that's okay with you.." I trailed off and sat on the floor. Maybe I can get her to come to me. I took off my suit jacket and laid it across my lap and waited.
After a couple minutes, she still didn't come out, but I heard more sick sounds. There was a box of tissues on a table near the bed. There was also a golden retriever stuffie.
"You know, I have 2 golden retrievers at home. Their names are Charlie and Sierra. They like to play fetch, and go swimming, and even-"
I was interrupted by a particularly nasty sounding sneeze, followed my whimpering. She came out from behind the bed, and there was some red stuff on her hand.
"Hey Ros-woah is that blood?" I stood up and grabbed the tissues, then knelt down in front of her. She was squeezing her eyes shut.
"Will you let me help you?" She popped on eye open and looked at me before opening the other one and nodding. I grabbed a couple tissues and gently pulled her hand away. I wiped off most of the blood, then got another tissue and gently put it to her nose.
"Lean forward and look down a bit for me little one."
She did and we waited until the nose bleed stopped. I had to get a couple fresh tissues. Finally it stopped, and she rubbed her eyes and yawned. I looked at my watch. It was after midnight.
I rubbed her arm and looked her in the eyes.
"Will you come home with me Roselyn? I want to take care of you. Forever"
She looked at me and nodded hesitantly. I smiled at her. "Okay. Let's get your stuff together. Do you mind if I call you Rose or Rosie?" She shook her head indicating that she didn't mind.
She had a duffle bag with some clothes. I picked up any toys she wanted, grabbed her paci from the bedside table, and gave her her stuffie off the bed.
"Anything else princess?" She looked around and shook her head.
"Alright then, let's head out yeah? I have some stuff to tell you."
I took her hand and began to lead her out of the room, but turned back and grabbed the tissue box for the ride home. I put the key in the door, then we walked back down the hallway from where I came from. We walked through the door to the chaos room, aka backstage, and stayed close to the wall. I hear whining and she stopped.
"I gotta sneeze" She said in a tiny voice. I stopped and knelt down to her. "You can sneeze babes." She made that sneeze face but then her features returned to normal.
"It went away." She pouted. "Aw okay. Want me to carry you?" She nodded and I slung her duffle back over my left shoulder. "Can you hold this for me?" I asked, offering her the tissue box. She nodded and took it from me, and I picked her up and put her on my hip. I walked through everything and finally got back to the auditorium. We went out to the main hall, and I made my way back to Mason and Chad.
"Guys," I set her down in front of them. "This is Roselyn. Rose this is Chad and Mason." They smiled, and she held onto my hand tightly. "You can trust them, okay?"
She nodded.
Chad stood up. "Let's hit the road, we have a drive ahead of us."
We checked out and began walking back to the car. When we got outside the building, it was even more chaotic than backstage. There were people and cars everywhere, and car lights made it harder to see properly. I picked up Rose protectively and we navigated our way back to the car. We got in and I took a deep breath. Everything is falling into place.
We made it through the guard gate and turned out onto the main road.
"Hey Chad, mind if we stop for some cold medicine?"
He nodded and we stopped at the closest Walgreens. Rose and I went inside and I carried her as we walked to the medicine aisle. We stopped in front of the cold medication, and I looked at the options.
"Do you want strawberry, grape, or blueberry?" She wrinkled her nose. "All nasty."
"I know honey but you want to feel better right? How long have you been sick for?"
She shrugged and looked around. "Did they give you any medicine in there?" She nodded.
"But I never taked it. Taste gwoss." I sighed. "Well then I'm gonna have to watch you take it. Pick a flavor please. I know you're tired."
She pouted but mumbled. "Bwuebewwy."
"Thank you princess." I grabbed the night time and day time cold medicine in blueberry flavor, and we started walking to the front.
"Candy!" She piped up as we passed that aisle.
"You can get some but you can't eat it until tomorrow, understood?"
She nodded and I put her down so she could browse it freely. She picked up some Airheads Xtremes and pretzel M&Ms, and looked at me for approval. I nodded. We grabbed some water and apple juice and went to the register and put the stuff on the counter. The clerk checked us out, and we were almost ready to leave.
"Come here." We went to the pharmacy and I sat her in a chair, then pulled out the night time medicine. "I want you to take this before we get back in the car okay?" She eyed the packaging as I opened it and looked very unhappy. I looked at the directions for the dosing and poured it into the cap. "You want to feel better right?"
She shrugged and looked at other stuff.
"If you want candy tomorrow you gotta take your medicine."
She looked at me and sighed. "But it taste like expired stuffs! And it burns."
She made a pouty face and crossed her arms.
"This, or no candy. It's your choice. Katie and Jessie will happily eat it for you."
She cocked her head to the side. "Who dat?"
I offered her the medicine cup. After a moment she took it a knocked it back, then made a grossed out face. I gave her the bottle of apple juice that I opened. She took a few swallows to wash it down.
"Open. Let me see." She opened her mouth to show me that she swallowed it. "Good girl" I stroked her chin a bit before I began to pack up the stuff.
"Katie and Jessie are littles." I glanced at her. "And I'm hoping they become your best friends. They belong to Chad and Mason. You can meet them when you're ready, but not before that."
She looked down as she thought about what I said. I took her hand and helped her up off the seat, and we went back to the front and out to the car. I put her in and climbed in after her.
"Don't forget about Charlie and Sierra. They're gonna love to meet you."
She nodded and yawned. I held her hand and kissed it softly.
"Go to sleep Rose, we have a long drive home." I told her as we resumed driving. She whined but nodded again, drifting in and out. Every time she drifted off she would jolt back awake and whine.
"Don't fight the sleep it's okay. I'll keep you safe, and so will everyone else in the car." She whined more and kept fighting it, but then I remembered her paci. I fished it out of my pocket, took off the cover, and gave it to her. She was asleep in minutes. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Chad and Mason.
"You did it man;" Mason said. I could hear the smile in his voice. "You found your girl."
Word Count: 8854
Hiii guys how's it hanging?? Did you like the chapter? What do you think about what we learned?!?! What do you think about Roselyn? Do you think she'll get along with the others?Please leave comments and feedback!
P.S. Obviously Roselyn won the poll with a total of 17 votes. Violet was a close 2nd with 16, 3rd place Haven had 5. Thank you to the 43 votes, you have contributed the story. Be on the lookout for more like this!