Little imagines b.e.

Protective

Billie just finished tour. It was amazing seeing her perform and see fans all over the world. She gave it her all. We got back at the hotel, we leave early tomorrow morning for the airport. Flying from New York to California. I look down at her sleeping with her thumb in her mouth. I put a blanket over her. She shuffles a little but stays asleep. I set my alarm for 5am and go to bed.

4:45am
I woke up to the sound of crying. It was Billie. Uh oh she must've regressed. Poor girl hadn't regressed in many months cause of touring. I turn on the bedside lamp and look around. She's not on the bed. "Billie?" I slowly get up. "Bils? Where are you?" I hear sniffles again. I look all over the room, until I saw the closet door not closed all the way. "Oh my god Billie?" I run to the closet swinging open the door. I see her curled up in a ball looking scared and confused. She looks up at me with teary eyes. "Mama?" She reaches out to me. "Hi baby, what are you doing in here?" She shrugs. "How about we get back into bed hmm?" She shakes her head and backs up. "Hey Billie, tell me what's wrong." I bend down to her level. "M-monster." "There's no monsters here I promise." She stared at me then looked down playing with her thumbs. "C'mon baby, let's just cuddle then." She goes further back hitting her back against the wall. Looking terrified. "Billie, it's okay. Mama is here to protect you." I hold her hand. She sniffles and cries again. "Hey shhh baby, it's okay." I try to bring her in my lap but she resists and whines. "Baby what's got you so upset?" All she does is cry harder. It broke my heart to see her upset and that I didn't know how I could help her. I let her get out all of her emotions. "Billie, c'mon I can give you your baba." She shakes her head. "Are you feeling sick?" I go over to feel her forehead, normal. "I-I'm bad." She says quietly looking down. "Billie no don't say that. You didn't do anything wrong." She shakes her head again. I let her cry a little more then try to pick her up again. She whines and tries getting away. "I'm bad." "Baby why do you say that?" "Not 'posed to be like this." "Billie, who said you can't be yourself?" She shrugs. "Come on, why don't I wash your pretty face and I'll give you some cereal." She shakes her head. I hear my alarm going off which makes her jump. "It's okay, It's just my alarm." I stand up to go turn it off. "Billie we need to start getting ready and cleaning up." There was no answer all she did was look at me scared. "Hey please tell me what's the matter." I sit down to her level. She shrugs. "There has to be a reason why.." "Mad?" "No baby, whatever it is I won't be mad, just want to help you." She starts crying again. "Aww baby, come here." I pull her into my lap, this time she tries resisting but gives up. I feel a wet spot on my pants. "Hey baby, let's get you cleaned up okay?" She nods while cries into me. "Next time let mama know. We might have to put you in pull ups for the plane." She nods. I set her down in the bathroom, whining when her feet touch the cold floor. "Sorry, I know it's cold but let's make this quick." I help her change out of her soaked bottoms and into a pull up and gray sweatpants. I end up changing her shirt too. "No wan dat!" She points to her bra. I sigh. I go find an extra baggy shirt for her to wear and put it on her. I use a damp washcloth to wipe her face. "Mama?" "Yes?" "Am bad?" "No honey, but next time tell me." She nods. "Tummy." "What's that?" She points to her stomach. "Are you hungry?" She shakes her head. "Are you getting your period?" She shrugs. "Do you have to go?" She shakes her head. "Maybe we should try.." She pouts but does her business. I walk out giving her some privacy and check the closet. There was a damp spot on the carpet. "Shit." I try to clean it up the best I could hoping the hotel wouldn't be able to tell. "Mama?" I hear Billie calling me. "I'll be right there!" Throwing away the paper towels and washing my hands then running to her. "Did you go?" All she does is giggles. I go to check, nothing. "Baby, we have to hurry, if you have to go, go now. If you don't, we need to start cleaning up and packing." She pouts. "You decide what you want and I'll be packing up. Mama could use the help though." I walk out of the bathroom to clean up and get dressed. I try not to worry about her current state. I did worry when we got to the airport and with paparazzi seeing her. "Mama!!" I hear her scream out. I rush to her seeing her on the bathroom floor. "Whats the matter?" "Uppies?" She reaches out to me. I pick her up and bring her on the bed while I continue packing our belongings. "Mama I wan play!!" She starts jumping on the bed. "Just be careful okay?" "Kay!!" She giggles while jumping. She stops when I pick up her stuffed dog. "No no no don't put away!!" "Baby we're leaving the hotel soon." "Wan carry it." "Oh okay.." I put the stuffed animal back down. Didn't have a problem with her carrying it but worried about what people would say. I finish packing up Billie's things then onto my stuff. There was a knock on the door. "Y/N, It's me Finneas." I run to go get it. "Morning!?" I say. "Where's my sister?" "So about that.." He walks in seeing a regressed Billie laying on her back grabbing her feet. "Y/N you really had to let her regress now??" "Hey! She was already like this when I woke up to her crying." He sighs. "What are people gonna think?" "No one will think anything, I'll get her out of headspace before we go." He scoffs well you got about an hour." "FINCH!!!" Billie yells out. "Morning Billie, hope you're ready for our flight." Billie looks at him then at me. Her bottom lip shakes then cries. "Thanks a lot." I say to him while comforting her. "Shhh it's okay. Finch is just grouchy." He sighs and walks out. "Meanie!" She blows a raspberry. "Hey Bils that's not nice." "Hun-gry." "Thought you'd be." I make 2 bowls of cereal for each of us putting it on the dining table. I begin eating mine while she just stirs it around with the spoon. "I thought you were hungry?" "F-feed?" "Billie Can you be a big girl and do it yourself?" She starts eating slowly. I hated seeing her sad but Finneas was right. She couldn't be regressed in public. "Candy?" "Okay if you finish your cereal I'll give you one." She nods excitedly and starts eating.

We get to the bus with everyone in. Billie is eating her chocolate which is melting on her hands and face. "Here baby." I clean up her face and sticky hands with some baby wipes. "All clean!!" She smiles. Maggie looks at us smiling. She knew about her regression but didn't approve of it much. Finneas was accepting but not in public. No one else really knew about it. She tries putting her thumb in her mouth. "Uh uh Billie, don't put your hands in your mouth." Maggie scolds. "Why?" "Cause it's dirty." She pouts and looks at me. "Baby, you need to listen to your mom." She nods. The whole ride, she was quiet. I could tell she was upset. "Alright we're here." The driver says. Everyone starts getting up and walking out. "C'mon Billie, time to go." "Wan spot." She tries reaching for her stuffed dog in my backpack. "Okay if I give you Spot, will you be a big girl?" She nods. I give her the stuffie which she hugs. She follows me out of the bus. Thankfully no fans or paparazzi was here. Surprisingly. Finneas sighed in relief seeing no one noticed her. Maybe it was the shades and hat she wore too.

"How about now??" Billie asks for the hundredth time. "Not yet babe." "When??" "I told you about half an hour." "Finch? Can we play tag?" "No Billie the airport isn't a place to run around." He says sternly. She pouts and crosses her arms in her seat. "Billie why don't you read a book while we wait?" Maggie suggests handing her a poetry book. She nods and takes it. I feel her tugging on my sleeve. "Yes?" "Read to me?" I wanted to give in but I couldn't with her family with us. "Uh you can read yourself." She pouts but ends up reading it anyway.
A few minutes later, I feel her tugging on my shirt again. "Yes?" "I gotta go." "Thank you for telling me, let's go." We stand together. "Um we're gonna go to the bathroom, we'll be quick." Maggie nods. We walk away and Billie is now softly crying. I take her into the family restroom. "Hey shhh shhh it's okay, mama's here." I rub her back. "Finch and mom m-mean!!" "I'm sorry baby, they just want the best for you." "H-how?" "They just don't want people to bully you, that's all baby. They love you so much." She wipes her tears with the back of her sweater. "Okay come on why don't you potty." I help her and realize she got her period. Now it makes sense why she was extra emotional. "Oh baby, it's natural. That's why you've been sensitive today." "I No want it!" "I know but it's a natural thing, means you're healthy." I rub her back. I get her cleaned up and we walk out hand in hand. Right when we get back, it was time to board the plane. "I scared" Billie whispers to me. "Nothing to be afraid of, I'll be with you the whole time. Plus you have spot!" She smiles at me and hugging spot tighter. "Billie!?" "Oh no." I say. "BILLIE OH MY GOD!!" A girl shouts from a few feet away. Billie shyly waves at the girl which causes her to freak out. She starts filming us. Maggie goes over to her and asks not to film us. She nods and calls out to Billie once more. "Do I have to?" She asks. "It's up to you." "Come with me?" "Of course." I walk with her to the girl. "Oh my god!! Billie I love you!!" The teen shouts. "Can we take a pic together??" "Okay." Billie says quietly. "Y/N Can you take it?" She asks. "Sure." I take a couple of pictures of them and hand the phone back to the girl. "Are you Billie's girlfriend??!" "Oh um no I'm just a family friend." "She mama!" Billie says. "What?" The girl asks. "Uh she meant to say my mama knows her mom well." Billie nods. "Oh okay." "Well nice meeting you, we have to go." I take Billie's hand and walk faster.

We get settled on the plane. It was only us in our row. Finneas and her parents were in the front of us. Other crew too were in the back of us. "Mama?" Billie whispers. "Hmm?" "That girl knows?" "I don't think so." "I now get why finch doesn't like me." "Hey no, he loves you. He just wants you safe is all. People can be mean and he doesn't want that to happen to you." "That girl mean?" "I don't know, she seemed nice... hey why don't I read to you?" I ask trying to change the subject. "Okay! And spot too!!" "Yes and spot too."