✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

144. New Roles

They barely spoke on the drive back to Gabby's house, with Tess and Spike just sitting in the back seat of the car holding hands. That was all the communication they needed; words would have been superfluous. But as they approached Palmerston, Tess looked up.

"Don't say anything?" she said, and then after a little pause she added more detail: "I mean, about what happened there. I don't want to make Gabby worry. And Ffrances doesn't need to be thinking about it tonight. Okay?"

"Yeah," Spike mumbled after a few seconds. "Is there anything else we need to do now? They'll hold onto him this time, won't they? Second altercation since he's been out on bail."

"I think so. And I guess... you can look after yourself now? Adam was teaching you self-defence right? But I never expected it to be over so quickly. You're getting good."

"Pretty good," Adam agreed from the front of the car. "That guy's all about intimidating people, and slapping around somebody who can't fight back. You don't need to be scared of him now. Best think happy thoughts."

"Yeah," Spike said. "I think... I really want to stop going over those seconds in my head. Can I get changed when we get back, and we can relax some?"

"Of course," Tess said, and smiled back at him. She was sure that he meant he wanted to be the little sister today, and she was happy with that. "Maybe I should too. I mean... this is one of those situations where there's nothing left for me to do, but I still feel like I should be able to do something. A break might be good. But I'd rather try... well, looking after my brave Spike first."

"Maybe you should remember it's okay to be a little girl sometimes?" Spike suggested, and Tess found herself glancing towards Adam again. Would he have any idea what they were really talking about? She didn't think so; Spike was just reminding herself that she was legally still a minor, so she didn't need to be taking on all the responsibility. But she knew that he probably meant something else. He wanted her to feel safe as well; for them both to be regressed. And after the highly charged atmosphere of the evening so far, Tess knew there was a good chance that he was right. She wanted to be in charge, and felt like it would be good for her, but there was a chance that her actions would look different from the outside. Spike would know more than anybody else if she was pushing herself too hard, and she promised herself that she would trust his judgement.

"Maybe," she said. "If you think I need to let go, that's your choice. But I do think that you need to relax first."

Before he could respond, they were pulling onto the driveway. Spike quickly jumped out of the car, and ran around to the other side to open Tess's door for her. She giggled a little, thinking that was a little piece of chivalry that she had never expected to see in the real world. And then he was taking her arm to lead her to the front door. Somehow, it was really sentimental and kind of funny at the same time. They stood in front of the door for a couple of seconds while Adam drove away, and then Spike turned to her, gently taking her face in his hands. Tess's heart raced; any time Spike touched her was a special moment now, and she hoped that she would never stop enjoying it like this.

"While I'm still grown up enough to do this..." he whispered, and then leaned closer to press his lips against hers. Tess leaned into him, holding him close, and nervously tried to figure out what to do with her tongue. But after the first few seconds it seemed so natural, and she didn't hesitate anymore. Everything was right, and she didn't need to worry. Spike could be her boyfriend now, and her innocent little sister in ten minutes, and she would love him just as much either way. Every moment they spent together weas precious, and nothing else mattered.

The kiss seemed to last forever, and it was way too short. But Tess couldn't stop smiling, even as she felt her bladder release. There was no desperation this time; just muscles that wouldn't respond to the commands from her brain. For a second, Tess started to panic and wondered how she was going to hide this from Spike. And then she saw that he was smiling, and remembered that just a couple of minutes ago, they'd been talking about whether she needed to let go of her grown-up thoughts and relax as well. He could have said the trigger, and she just hadn't been consciously been aware of it. He wanted her to be a baby, so he could have a chance to be her Daddy, and it was clear that in that instant he was enjoying her blushes.