“I’m gonna pick the biggest one,” Dusty sneered, turning against the restraints of their car seat to poke at Rosa’s arm. “And it’s gonna be the scariest jack-o-lantern, too!”

Rosa rolled her eyes and pulled her arm away with a groan, and tightened her hug on her teddy bear. Noticing the girl’s discomfort, the mouse in the driver’s seat flashed a stern look toward the lab through the rearview mirror.

“Dusty, be a good girl and leave your sister alone, or you’ll need to take your sleepy medicine, alright?” she said.

“But Momma,” the dog retorted, but was immediately cut off.

“Want me to have Daddy give you a spanking when we get home?”

The girl immediately recoiled and ducked her head, splaying her ears.

“N-no Momma,” she murmured in response.

“Good girl,” Mindy replied with a soft smile before returning her attention to the road.

“Uhm…Momma?” Rosa piped up after a moment.

“Yes, sweet pea?” the mouse looked her way through the mirror.

“Do you think there’s gonna be apple juice?” she asked.

“Well, I packed you both some bottles,” Mindy replied, “but I’m sure they’ll have some things there you can try.”

“I’m thirsty,” the husky pouted.

The woman offered a playfully mocking lower lip-protruding pout in response and consoled her saying, “Don’t worry honey, we’re almost there. When we get out, we’ll get you something to drink, alright?”

Though brief, the remaining moment of waiting felt like an eternity for the pair of adult-toddlers. Family outings such as this were far from uncommon, and were just as exciting for the former wait staff of the Young at Heart Café, as they were for actual children. Though, due to the nefarious nature of the front, the newly-formed families tended to congregate in private communities wherein they could happily live seemingly normal lives with oversized children playing and behaving as one might expect. However, certain needs often would call for outings beyond the community’s gates, when client families would typically make arrangements with cooperative third-party venues to partake in particular activities without worry of prying eyes.

With a soft lurch, the vehicle came to a stop and the engine fell silent, giving way to distant gleeful squeals and playful screams as similar, diaper-clad regressees hurried down dirt paths, racing one another toward apple orchards and pumpkin patches. As the pair of Littles lost themselves in plotting out their activities, the driver’s door closed abruptly, and their adoptive mother disappeared from view before reappearing as Rosa’s door slid open and her restraints were promptly unbuckled.

“You two should leave your stuffies here,” Mindy said as she helped the husky out of her seat. “We don’t want them getting dirty.”

“But won’t they be sad they can’t come have fun, too?” Rosa replied, following close behind her as she made their way to the other side to help Dusty out.

“They can guard the car,” Dusty replied excitedly as she climbed out.

Reluctantly, Rosa agreed and gently positioned her plushie next to her sister’s as a white school bus bearing the name “New Beginnings” pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop nearby, prompting the pair of Littles to direct their attention toward the new arrival while Mindy retrieved a large diaper bag from the back of the van and slung it over her shoulder.

“I guess we got here just in time, huh?” Mindy smirked, taking the pair’s hands and leading them toward the bus.

As they arrived, the side door opened, allowing a young female grizzly to step out and stretch with a contented sigh.

“Ms. Sable!” the pair exclaimed in unison, breaking free of their mother’s grasp and nearly tackling the woman with a great hug.

“Hey girls!” Sable greeted them, returning the hug as best she could. “Are you excited to pick pumpkins today?!”

The pair eagerly nodded and released the woman as other wide-eyed Littles began to disembark the bus.

“Hi, Mrs. Meadows! Thanks for helping out today,” the bear waved to the woman before returning her attention to the pair. “I’ve got to make sure your classmates get off the bus alright. Be good for your mommy, and I’ll see you in a little bit, alright? Do me a favor and try to help me find the prettiest pumpkin out there, okay?”

Mindy smiled and returned the wave as she finished fishing a baby bottle of water from the diaper bag, and the girls returned to her side. Rosa waved her hand as she was offered the bottle.

“No thank you, momma,” she said with a slight smile. “I’m okay now.”

With a smile and nod of acceptance, the mouse slipped the bottle into an exterior pocket.

“Fair enough,” she replied and then briefly took the girls’ hands in her own and turned her attention toward the bear. “We’re going to go see if we can find some decent pumpkins. Give me a buzz if you need a hand!”

The trio turned about and headed down the dirt road toward the farm proper. As a steady breeze blew in, sweeping along dried leaves and corn husks, it carried with it the light scent of spices and apples and the distant cries and laughter of other littles as they played under the watchful eyes of their caretakers. As they approached the wooden fence and the gateway leading into the farmstead, the family was greeted by a smiling, portly raccoon.

“Good morning,” he said with a small wave of his hand. “I take it you’re with the school group as well?”

“Yes that’s--,” Mindy began but was quickly cut off.

“I’m gonna pick the biggest pumpkin,” Dusty cried. “And then we’re gonna find a super good one for Ms. Sable!”

“Dusty, it’s not nice to interrupt when grown-ups are talking, sweetheart,” Mindy scolded before returning her attention to the man who chuckled at the scene before him.

“It’s alright, miss,” he said. “Welcome to Autumn Acres! If you need any assistance, our staff’s wearing shirts like mine.”

He motioned to his burnt-orange t-shirt, emblazoned with the stylized image of a pumpkin and a pair of maple leaves before turning to motion toward the various facilities around the farmstead.

“We’ve got signs posted, but I know little ones often have a hard time reading,” he continued. “We’ve got hay rides over near the cider press, and our corn maze is ready to go! Naturally, our orchard’s got plenty of Golden Delicious and Jonathans, and we’ve got more pumpkins than you can count! The school’s already paid for you two to each pick your own pumpkins, so don’t worry about waiting around in a boring ol’ line…But if you like lines or relaxing a bit, our concession area and gift shop’s over here to your left, next to our restrooms. While not particularly perfect, we’ve made arrangements for your group’s particular needs for scaled-up changing tables.”

He paused to look past the mouse’s shoulder for a moment.

“I’d offer you a tour if you preferred, but it looks like the main party’s headed in.”

“That’s alright, but thank you,” Mindy replied with a smile, accompanied by a small nod from Rosa. “Part of the fun is in exploring!”

“Yeah! C’mon! I want to do the maze!” Dusty cried as she began to tug her mother and sister past the raccoon.

“Uhn-uh,” Rosa protested. “What if we get lost…and it gets dark…and monsters find us?!”

“Aww, don’t worry sweetheart,” Mindy consoled the husky. “The monsters won’t get you.”

She gave a firm tug to Dusty’s hand to pull her back to her side.

“But, if your sister doesn’t want to go to the maze, it would be unfair to force her, don’t you think, Dusty?” she said. “Besides, we could take quite a while trying to figure out how to get out, and if we spent all of our time there, someone could pick out the biggest pumpkin before you!”

Dusty perked her ears and her eyes widened.

“We’ve got to go pick our pumpkins!” she cried.

Together, the pups eagerly pulled Mindy along to the pumpkin patch, where a few littles already toddled about in search of the perfect prize. Satisfied with the area, Mindy let go of their hands, and the girls raced off to choose their own pumpkins.

Spotting a sizable gourd, Dusty hurried to it but stopped dead in her tracks as she noticed a large yellow-brown patch along the bottom and creeping up its side. With a disgruntled sigh, she took to scoping out the field once again, rushing from pumpkin to pumpkin to check its size and quality. Meanwhile, Rosa slowly walked down a single row, occasionally glancing about to scope out gourds from nearby rows before continuing on her path. Eventually, she settled on a modest, egg-shaped pumpkin and plucked it from its vine. All the while, Dusty struggled to lift the massive pumpkin she finally discovered. Straining to lift her massive mark and causing the leafy vines to rustle as she worked, the lab hardly noticed the faint hissing as her diaper began to swell and grow warm. Finally, with a great effort, she snapped the pumpkin from its vine and hoisted it a few inches in the air, doing her best to carry it bow-legged toward Mindy.

“You found it, huh?” the woman giggled as the pair returned to her. “You’re such a big girl getting it all by yourself!”

“Yeah,” Dusty beamed proudly. “And it’s gonna be the most scariest one so everyone runs away, and I’ll get all the leftover candy!”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Mindy replied, “But don’t forget you’ll have to share with Rosa.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to carve mine,” Rosa noted quietly. “I think it’s really nice just like this.”

Mindy smiled, “That’s a good idea, sweetheart. I think you both picked out some really good ones!”

Dusty’s sagging diaper caught Mindy’s attention and the woman chuckled to herself.

“Let’s get a picture of the two of you with your pumpkins, okay?” she asked. “Just come over here and hold them in front of this fence.”

The girls followed her obediently to the road just beyond the field’s gate and took positions near the fence, displaying their pumpkins proudly. A moment and a shutter sound effect from Mindy’s phone later, their photo was taken and the phone was redeposited safely in the girls’ diaper bag.

“Now then, it’s been a little bit since we got here and last time you girls were changed was after breakfast,” Mindy said, approaching the pair who calmly lifted the fronts of their skirts to display their diapers as the woman gingerly lifted the padding with her outstretched hands.

“Are you sure you aren’t thirsty, Rosa?” she asked. “You’re still dry…But as for you Dusty, let’s get you cleaned up, hmm?”

The lab lowered her head, blushing as she splayed her ears. With her sister giggling behind her, she hoisted her hefty pumpkin once again and headed for the changing station, keeping close behind Mindy.

When the trio arrived, they found the changing room unoccupied, and the padded table across the room offered a welcoming seat in the warm, cream tile-clad room.

“Alright, let’s put the pumpkins by the door,” the mouse instructed as she began to unpack a diaper and a pack of baby wipes from the diaper bag before lowering it to the floor and tucking it beneath the table. “We don’t want to get dirt everywhere.”

Doing as they were told, the girls gently lowered their pumpkins to the floor before returning to their mother’s side. Before she could be told though, Dusty carefully hoisted herself onto the table and laid back on the changing pad, spreading her knees to allow access to her diaper while she held the hem of her skirt to her belly.

Unfolding and fluffing the stuffing of the diaper between her hands, Mindy cooed, “Such a good girl, being a good helper! Can you raise your bottom for me, sweetie?”

The pup lifted her hips into the air, allowing the rear half of her skirt to be raised and tucked under her back, and the new diaper to be placed to receive her. Quickly plucking a pair of wipes from the nearby pack, the woman set to work untaping the soiled diaper. Dusty blushed and looked away as the front panel was pulled away, only to lightly yelp with a flinch as the cold wipe caressed her skin. The mouse worked quickly to sufficiently clean the girl’s loins before pulling away the soiled diaper and rolling it into a tight ball. Then, folding the front of the diaper over the pup’s groin and lightly pressing it in place, she ducked down and plucked a bottle of baby powder from the open diaper bag, and lightly dusted the girl’s most sensitive regions with its contents before setting it aside and securing the diaper snuggly around her hips.

“Alright honey, sit up so I can get the back,” Mindy said, dropping the used diaper into the nearby bin.

Once again, the dog did as she was told and sat upright, allowing the woman to affix the remaining wing across the top of her tail.

“There we are,” Mindy announced proudly with a gentle pat on the girl’s freshly-padded bottom. “Now, what would you two like to do? We could go pick apples or take a hay ride…”

Rosa, teetering to and fro on her toes quietly shrugged as she looked quietly out the window, watching a flock of geese as they flew over the farm.

“Hay rides are boring!” Dusty said, slipping down from her perch.

“Yeah, and my arms are tired,” the husky nodded in agreement. “Our pumpkins are kind of heavy…”

“Is that so,” Mindy asked with a chuckle. “Well, if you like, we can head home, I suppose. We’re not far and I’m sure the other kids will be here for a while. Maybe we can get some lunch and have a nap and see about coming back for a little bit this afternoon?”

The girls nodded eagerly in unison.

Mindy smiled and collected the diaper bag from the floor, “Alright then, let’s get your pumpkins and head for the car.”
When the three stepped back out into the crisp air, they spied the rest of the group resting as they sloppily devoured packed lunches at the picnic tables nearby. Sable raised her hand to flag them down, and hurried to them, with a sheepish-looking red fox in tow. As the pair approached, the boy kept himself concealed behind his teacher, his tail tucked between his legs as he occasionally peeked over her shoulder, blushing profusely.

“Hello again,” the bear greeted them with a sing-song voice and a smile. “Did you—Oh my goodness! You really did find the biggest pumpkin, didn’t you, Dusty?! Yours is a great one too, Rosa! It’s just right for carrying, and I’m sure it’ll look wonderful when you decorate it!”

Both girls beamed proudly at the praise.

“We’re going to head home for lunch,” Mindy said, pointing in the direction of the parking lot. “But we might come back after naptime and see about having some more fun.”

“Aww, tuckered out, huh? That’s alright,” cooed the bear. “Say, Mindy, would you have a spare diaper handy? Poor Victor here, had a little spill a little bit ago and his diaper bag got soaked!"

“Poor little guy,” the mouse replied, pulling a purple and white diaper from the bag on her shoulder and handing it to the bear. “These are about the best I can offer—Everything else is probably too girly.”

A soft whimper could be heard from behind the bear as Victor ducked behind her to conceal himself.

“Aww, don’t worry kiddo,” Mindy reassured him, “Even if they were the pretty, girly ones like Rosa and Dusty usually wear, no one would know—Your outfit would keep them covered!”

“But…But I’m a big boy,” the fox murmured.

The bear giggled and pulled him toward the changing room, “Sure you are, Mr. Soggy Bottom. Now, let’s get you nice and dry, hmm?”

With that, the pair disappeared behind the door of the changing room, and Mindy led her pups toward the parking lot once more.

After a short walk, the group arrived at their van, and Mindy carefully helped the girls load their pumpkins into the back before strapping them into their car seats and taking her position behind the wheel. Quietly nuzzling into their stuffed animals as the van pulled out of the parking lot, the pair of pups quickly fell asleep. Mindy could only smile lovingly, humming softly to herself as she caught a glance through her rearview mirror at the two of them.

---

YCH Story and image, featuring...

as Mindy
as Dusty
as Rosa
as Sable
and as Victor