9. Sean

"It's bath time, Gabby girl."

Sean closed the dishwasher and turned it on before holding out his hand for Gabby. She looked up from her coloring book and then back down at it again.

"You can finish your picture tomorrow. For right now, it's bath time, and then we will read stories before bed."

She closed the book and carried it with her as she grabbed his hand and followed him up the stairs. He knew she was nervous about bath time, as was he. Not that he was worried about bathing her, that wasn't it. He was worried that it would stress her out and potentially cause a panic attack to have someone else helping her with such a basic need.

He planned to go slow and give her as much space as possible while still making sure she felt his Daddy presence. Taking her into the bathroom, Sean turned on the taps and ensured the water was at the right temperature before plugging the drain.

"Try to go potty, Gabby. I'm going to grab a towel."

He left her and walked down the hall to the linen closet. He had towels stored in the bathroom that Gabby was using, but he felt that staying in there while she went to the bathroom andbathing her all in one night might be a bit much for her. He grabbed a towel and walked back into her bathroom just as she was pulling up her pants.

"Ready, baby girl?"

Her big brown eyes looked up, and he hoped that she didn"t feel fear when she looked at him. She nodded, nibbling on her lip. Sean walked over to her until he was so close that he could smell her. She smelled sweet, like vanilla and honey, and he wanted to eat her up, but it wasn't the time.

"Arms up."

Gabby hesitated briefly before lifting her arms in the air for him.

"What is your safeword, Gabby?"

"Red."

He smiled, "Good girl. Use it if you get scared."

Sean saw her visibly relax with that reminder, so he reached out and lifted her shirt over her head, revealing a tattered white bra and her pronounced ribcage. He tried not to show the emotions he was feeling, which was mostly concern for her health. She was so very thin and clearly not in great health if the dark circles under her eyes were any indication.

Focusing on the task, he reached for her leggings and tugged them down to the floor. Her underwear was just as tattered as her bra, and he was glad he had already done some online shopping for her so he could get rid of the worn clothes and give her a brand new wardrobe. Tucking his thumbs into her panties, he pulled them down to the floor, his mouth immediately going dry when he noticed her bare mound.

It pleased him that she shaved down there, and he wondered if she always had or if it was something new, but either way, her pussy was plump and beautiful, and he ached to touch it. He would never sexually touch her without her consent, but damn, he would surely think about it. Moving quickly, he reached around and unhooked her bra, noticing her gaze was fixated on the floor.

"You're doing so good, Gabby girl. I know this is hard. I will never take your trust for granted."

Gabby looked up at him from under her lashes, and he gave her a reassuring smile before reaching out and lifting her under her armpits and setting her in the tub. He turned off the taps and walked over to the vanity cabinet to grab a bucket of toys and a bath bomb.

"Have you ever seen one of these?" he asked, holding out the bath bomb that was shaped like an ice cream cone.

Gabby studied it with interest and shook her head.

"It's called a bath bomb. When you put it in the water, it fizzes, and turns the water pretty colors. Would you like to be the one to drop it in?"

Her eyes lit up, so he held out his hand for her to take it from him. She took it out of his hand and held it above the water as though she was preparing for the show. It only took a moment before she opened her fingers, and the ice cream cone dropped into the tub, turning the water into a rainbow of colors.

"Oh my gosh! That is so cool!"

Sean grinned as he watched how enchanted his adorable little girl was over something so simple.

"It is pretty cool, huh? I have several more. There are all different shapes and colors of them. Here are some toys."

He sat at the edge of the tub for several minutes while she looked through the bucket of toys. One of the things he loved about her was that while she had her fears and anxiety, she didn't hesitate to play in front of him. She didn't go all out and make a mess of her toys or get loud in her play, but he knew that some Littles really struggled with playing at all in front of their caregivers at first. It seemed to come naturally to Gabby. He just needed to teach her that it was okay to make a mess during playtime, and everything didn't have to be put back perfectly.

"I'm going to start washing you, baby girl."

Gabby tensed for a brief moment before going back to searching through the bucket of toys, so Sean squirted a healthy amount of vanilla-scented body wash onto the cloth and rubbed it together until it became foamy. Starting at her neck, he gently washed her shoulders and back, then down each arm. He was glad that she continued to play while he did his job.

When he slid the washcloth down her chest and washed over her breasts, she tensed, but he made quick work of washing each mound before moving to her tummy and then down to her pussy. Gabby stared at the foam letters that she held in her hands as he washed between her folds and then quickly moved the cloth to her bottom. As soon as he moved his hand away from her privates, she relaxed and went back to making words on the tub wall with the letters.

"Let me see those little piggies."

She giggled and held a foot up out of the water for him. He intentionally ran his finger along the bottom of her foot, causing a fit of giggles. She thrashed around in the water trying to get away from his tickles making the water to splash around in the tub. When a splash of water landed on the front of Sean's shirt, Gabby gasped, and her eyes went wide with fear.

"I'm sorry!"

He chuckled, "It's okay, baby girl. It was just an accident, and you were having fun. Besides, I was the one tickling you."

Sean winked at her, and she smiled up at him shyly as he finished washing her feet. He grabbed a towel and reached into the water to pull the drain when he was finished.

"Alright, baby girl. It's time to get out. I have a new story to read to you tonight, and I think you're going to like it."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

He helped her out of the bathtub and began drying her off before wrapping the towel around her and picking her up to carry her into the nursery.

"You'll just have to wait and see. Let's get you in some jammies first."

When she was thoroughly dried, he sat on the edge of her twin bed and held up a pair of pale yellow cotton briefs that had white daisies on them.

"Hold onto my shoulders and step into these."

She hesitated, "Those aren't mine."

"I bought them for you. I ordered you a bunch of new clothes, pajamas, panties, and bras."

He looked into her eyes and saw tears forming. Shit. She was upset. He was moving too fast.

"I'm sorry, Gabby. I should have asked before getting you new clothes. I'll get a pair of your panties and pajamas out of your bag."

Her small hand touched him as he went to get up, and before he realized it, Gabby was sitting on his lap, completely naked and crying.

"I didn't mean to upset you, baby girl. I'm so sorry. Please stop crying, you're killing me. Look at me, sweetie."

"I'm not upset. I'm so happy. Nobody has ever done anything so nice for me. I've never had anyone buy me clothes before."

Her face was buried in his shirt, and most of her words were muffled, but he understood what she was saying. What he couldn't understand was how no one had ever loved this girl before or done anything nice for her.

Sean wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and rocked her against him, letting her cry. When she finally pulled back from his chest, her nose was red, and her cheeks were tear-stained, but she was smiling.

"Thank you. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you coming into my life."

Her words settled into his chest, and he felt the same way about her. His life had been so meaningless and gray before her, and now she was lighting up his whole world. He knew it would be a long journey before Gabby trusted him and really gave herself to him entirely, but even if what she was giving him was all he could get from her, it was good enough for him.

"Gabby girl, you deserve everything. You deserve the sun, the moon, and all the stars, and I hope I can give you all of that and more. Now, let's get you dressed. You're shivering."

Her nipples were erect, and she had goosebumps all along her arms. He wasn't really sure if she was actually cold, but he needed to get her breasts covered up because otherwise, it would become more difficult not to wrap his lips around each nipple.

Sean set her on her feet and told her to put her hands on his shoulders for balance. When he leaned down to hold her panties near her feet, she stepped into them and he pulled the cotton material up her legs, settling them onto her hips. He hoped she wouldn't notice his erection pressing against his jeans as he dressed her. He could control most of his actions, but unfortunately, he couldn't control his cock.

"Arms up."

Gabby lifted her arms, and he nearly groaned out loud as her small breasts lifted and practically presented her nipples to him. He quickly pulled the purple nightgown over her head and let it fall over her body. It wasn't until she was fully dressed that he practically sighed with relief, although his cock wasn't getting the message that she was dressed.

"Crawl into bed, and I'll be right back."

Sean went downstairs and prepared a vanilla nutrition shake for her, warming it slightly before pouring it into a baby bottle. He had been giving her a shake at lunch each day, but she needed as many calories and vitamins as she could get into her body. He walked back into her nursery, with the new book in one hand and the bottle in the other while Gabby watched with interest.

"Is that a bottle for me?"

He nodded, "Yes, baby girl. It's a warmed-up nutritional shake. It will help you sleep."

Instead of sitting on the edge of the bed like he had been during storytime the previous nights, Sean lay down next to her and pressed the nipple up to her lips. She opened her mouth immediately and began to suck in the liquid.

"Can you hold the bottle while I read you your story?"

She nodded and wrapped her hand around the bottle, taking it from him. He opened the storybook and began to read her the original Winnie-the-Pooh. When he finished the story and closed the book, he looked over at Gabby, who was fast asleep against him. Leaning down, Sean kissed the top of her head and pulled the empty bottle from her lips. She stirred briefly, but he placed Patches into her arms, and she sighed happily.

"Night, baby."

"Night, Daddy," she whispered.

He froze in place at her quiet words and felt a lump form in his throat. Daddy. Gabby's Daddy. She was his, and he didn't think he would ever be able to let her go.