Daddy's Precious Little Girl

Timeout

Ashlynn's POV

"Okay guys, we have a new friend with us today. Why don't you guys introduce yourselves and show her around the room." That was it, then Miss Emily was gone, and I was left all alone. The other Littles gave me a quick glance before going back to whatever they were doing. Looking over at the door, I realized Ethan was gone too. I had been looking forward to this class, but now, for some reason, I felt nervous. I just wanted to paint.

I wandered over to the painting area from yesterday, but all the easels were taken. Feeling a bit deflated, I sat at a table to color instead. My picture was almost done, but I needed just one more color to finish it. Digging through the crayons in front of me, I couldn't find the right blue. After searching through another bin at a different table, I finally found the crayon I needed.

But when I returned to my seat, someone else was sitting there. The girl had taken my spot and was coloring on the other side of my picture. My heart sank.

"Excuse me?" I said in a small voice, trying to get the girl's attention. She looked up but dismissed me, going right back to coloring.

"That's my paper," I said, my voice uncertain, not sure how to handle the situation. The other girl simply covered the paper with her hands and turned her back to me.

Frustrated and annoyed with her behavior, I reached for the paper, hoping to just grab it and move on.

But the moment I touched it, the girl screamed. I froze, completely startled, unsure why she was reacting like that. Almost immediately, two Shifter caregivers rushed over. I instinctively took a step back, my heart pounding.

"Marcy, what's wrong, dear?" one of the caregivers asked, kneeling beside the girl who had screamed.

When I looked over at Marcy, I saw big tears falling down her cheeks. She looked up at the caregiver and began to speak in a shaky voice.

"I... I was just trying to color, and this girl came up to me and tried to take my paper. I told her it was mine, but she didn't care. She pushed me off the chair. I got back up, but then she grabbed my paper and ripped it!" Marcy's voice wavered as she finished.

Ripped it? The paper wasn't ripped... was it? I glanced down and felt a wave of confusion and panic when I saw the corner of the paper slightly torn. It wasn't a big rip, but it was definitely there.

"T-t-that's not w-w-what happened," I stuttered, trying to explain. The caregiver glanced at the paper, then back at me, her expression unreadable.

"So, you didn't try to take the paper from Marcy? Ripping it in the process?" the caregiver asked, her voice sharp.

"W-w-well, I did try to take the paper, but it was mine first," I explained, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I see, and why did you push Marcy out of her seat?" she continued, her tone making it clear that she thought I was in the wrong.

"I d-d-didn't touch her," I whispered, barely able to meet her gaze.

The caregiver scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Listen here, young lady, we do not put our hands on others, and we do not lie!" Her words stung, cold and harsh.

"I-I'm not lying..." I tried to say, but before I could finish, she roughly grabbed my arm. I winced as she pulled me across the room to a quiet corner, roughly sitting me down on a small stool.

"Marcy had tears in her eyes, and you admitted to trying to take the paper from her. If you had just told the truth, you would have been made to apologize, and that would've been it. Now, you'll sit in this corner until you can admit what really happened and apologize."

I was in shock. The caregiver hadn't even given me a chance to explain that my drawing was on the other side of the paper. I stared down at the floor, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. How much longer until Ethan came back? I hoped I could tell him what really happened. He would believe me... right?

***

Ethan's POV

That first class was amazing. I had no idea I would love teaching this much. The first lesson I led was Dom and Sub Dynamics Vol. 1. It was all about introducing first-year students to the variety of dynamics between Doms and Subs—from romantic to non-romantic, sexual to non-sexual, and everything in-between. Growing up in a household where different dynamics played out every day, I was already familiar with most of the content. My parents had their own unique relationships. Mom is a Dom/Sub switch, while Dad is strictly all Dom. They each had their own subs, but the only dynamic between them that was both sexual and romantic was the one they shared.

As I walked back to the daycare, feeling great about how the class went, my mood suddenly shifted. The moment I stepped inside, I spotted Ashlynn sitting in the naughty section of the classroom, tucked away in the corner.

Before I can walk over to Ashlynn, one of the older caregivers flags me down. "Mr. Lupin, to what do we owe the pleasure of you visiting us today?"

I immediately recognize her. "Ms. Crawley, hi. Please remember it's Lupo here. I'm just here to check on my Little. Today was her first day, and she was a bit nervous when I dropped her off."

Her smile falters. I know she's aware of the Lupin name and what it means, I still don't know how she found out when I attended with Duncan. "Your Little?" she asks stiffly, clearly caught off guard. "I wasn't aware you had another Little already."

"Yes," I respond, noticing the shift in her tone. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. Can you find me the caregiver who put that Little in timeout?" I point over at Ashlynn, still in the corner. "I'd like to know what happened."

"Umm, I put her in timeout," she says timidly, but quickly straightens her posture, trying to project more confidence. "I put her in timeout for lying and pushing another student out of her chair."

What nonsense is this? I can feel my frustration rising. "What did Ashlynn say about what happened?" I ask, keeping my voice steady, though inside I'm furious. There is no way Ashlynn would've pushed another Little. She's far too timid for that.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lupo," she replies, her tone growing more formal. "But I can only discuss that with the caregiver who signed her in—if she even has one yet."

Is she really this dense? "I am the caregiver who signed her in," I state, my voice colder than before. "Now, once again, what did Ashlynn, my Little, say about what happened?"

She just stares at me, balking at the question.

"You know what, never mind. I'll ask her myself." I start to walk towards Ashlynn, but Ms. Crawley steps in front of me, blocking my path.

"You can't do that. It's against protocol," she insists, her voice firm. "She can only be taken out of timeout by the caregiver who put her there. I won't be letting her out until she tells the truth and apologizes to the other Little she hurt."

Hurt? That doesn't sound like Ashlynn at all. "Where's this other Little? Did you even question her as to why Ashlynn supposedly pushed her?" I ask, still not believing a word of it.

"I'm sorry," she says with a smugness creeping into her tone. "But I can't disclose the identity of the other Little without their caregiver's approval."

"Fine," I reply, my patience thinning. "Then get their caregiver here so we can get to the bottom of this." As I speak, I send a quick text to Mr. Delas. I have a feeling I'm going to need a neutral party here to help me keep my cool.