Chapter 5
Millie felt like crap.
Pure and utter crap.
Opening her eyes, she stared straight into Mr. Fluffy’s face.
“Your breath stinks.”
“Woof.”
Awesome. Just what she needed. Some more air in her face.
“Still stinks,” she muttered.
He just gave her a huff of disbelief and then drew away, flopping down with a groan.
Right. She got the message. She was hard work.
With a moan, she sat up. The world kind of swum for a moment and she had to convince her stomach that she didn’t need to vomit up its meager contents.
It was a hard fight, though.
She hated the aftermath of a migraine almost as much as she detested the migraine itself. She always felt like a train had run her over, then backed up to run over her again.
But as much as she just wanted to hide in bed and forget any of this had happened, she really, really needed to pee.
She stood and the world spun again.
“Stupid building. Stay still,” she muttered.
Mr. Fluffy let out another bark. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. It was difficult to tell the difference between ‘stupid human’ and ‘I love you.’ She kind of thought it might be something in the middle.
Moving forward, she stumbled her way to the bathroom and collapsed on the toilet with a sigh.
Then she nearly cried as she realized she still had panties on.
“Stupid panties.”
“I don’t know, I’m rather fond of your panties,” Spike told her quietly.
She could have cried in relief. “Daddy. Panties.”
“Yes, I know. You think they’re stupid.”
“Off.” Millie didn’t care that she was sitting on the toilet. That she was basically asking him to strip her off.
She had to pee.
Right. Freaking. Now.
“Millie,” Spike grumbled. “Why didn’t you call for me?” He lifted her to her feet and reached under her skirt to pull her panties down before sitting her back on the toilet.
A sigh of relief left her as she peed. “Didn’t know where you were.”
“I had the baby monitor on. I would have heard you.”
Okay. She made a mental note to complain about him watching her sleep later. When she had energy. Right now, she barely had the energy to clean herself up.
Lifting her, Spike carried her back into the bedroom and laid her on the bed.
“I don’t wanna go back to bed, Daddy.”
He eyed her, then grunted. She wasn’t sure if that was a grunt of agreement or not.
Sometimes she was well-versed in Spike-Speak. Other times, not so much. But he picked her back up, cradling her against him like she was tiny.
When she definitely wasn’t.
But Spike made her feel that way. Like she was fragile and precious.
He walked into her playroom. She loved her playroom. The cream walls with decals all over them. The huge tree that spanned almost two full walls with little fairy houses hanging from the branches. Along with fairies flying through the air.
Then there was her karaoke machine and stage as well as her reading corner.
She loved her playroom.
Spike laid her down on the bed, then gave her Chompers.
“Chompers! Where did you come from?” she asked.
“Just appeared out of thin air,” Spike told her.
She sighed and hugged her toy dinosaur tight. “Always knew you was magic. You know any fairies?”
“I know lots of fairies, magnificent, marvelous Millie,” she replied in Chompers voice.
“Magnificent, marvelous Millie, huh?” Spike asked.
“That’s my name, Daddy. You should start using it,” she replied tiredly.
Spike snorted as he walked over to the closet, returning with a dinosaur onesie. This onesie even had a hood with a dinosaur face on it.
Millie didn’t even try to help as he undressed her. He gave her a worried look, but she smiled up at him.
“Just tired, Daddy.”
“Okay, baby doll. Your job today is just to rest, then. Let Daddy take care of you.”
“Daddy always takes good care of Millie the Magnificent,” she replied.
“Are you just trying out names to see what you like best?” he asked as he finished putting the onesie on her.
“Uh-huh.”
“My vote is the second one,” he told her.
“Has a nice ring to it,” she agreed as she attempted to sit up.
“Uh-uh.” He placed a hand gently, but firmly on her chest. “Thought we agreed that Daddy is taking care of you today.”
“I can’ts sit up?”
“Nope.”
Huh. Okay. She didn’t have the energy to argue. And why would she want to?
“I’m going to put you in your pod while I get you some food and a bottle, all right?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No food.”
“Yes, food.”
“No bottle.”
Spike gave her a firm look, his hands on his hips. “Are you just arguing for the sake of it?”
“I wouldn’t do that, Daddy. Millie the Miraculous doesn’t be naughty.”
“That one wasn’t as good,” he told her.
“Yeah, I could sense it sucked.”
Lifting her, he placed her in her pod. Well, that’s what they called it. It was this large round seat that sort of sucked you into it. It was green and the back of it had a dinosaur head on the top of it.
When she sat in it, it surrounded her, supporting her.
Also, she couldn’t really get out of it on her own. Not without a lot of huffing and puffing and a fair amount of humiliation thrown in.
Spike made sure she had Chompers, then he grabbed her dinosaur pacifier. She opened her mouth and he popped it in.
“Stay.”
Millie wrinkled her nose. How rude. She was not a dog. She was a dinosaur-fairy-loving Little.
Stay. Pfft.
Although to be fair, she did stay. He returned shortly after with a sandwich and a bottle with some pink water in it.
Fairy juice! Yes!
Daddy was so good to her. Spike placed the plate and bottle down, then sat in front of her.
He drew the pacifier from her mouth.
“Fairy juice! Yummy!”
“You have to eat some food first,” he told her sternly.
“No food.” She pouted.
“Millie the Naughty is going to do as she is told,” Spike warned.
“Um, Daddy, that isn’t right. You need to use M words.”
“Couldn’t think of one,” he muttered.
“Yeah, it’s tough when you aren’t as magnificent as me,” she agreed. “Maybe one day you’ll be this good, Daddy. If you practice.”
“One can only hope,” he agreed solemnly.
Indeed. One could.
“You’re still eating your sandwich first,” he said sternly. “Cheese and mayo.”
Millie let out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. If I must.”
He held a piece up to her mouth and she took a bite, chewing slowly. After a few bites, she had to admit that she felt a bit better. The nausea in her stomach eased and a small surge of energy filled her.
But she wouldn’t tell him that. You should never tell a Daddy that he was right. It set a bad precedent.
Then he’d start to think that he was always right. And that just wasn’t a good idea for a Little. Not if they wanted to save their bottoms.
When the sandwich was gone, Spike held up the bottle for her. Millie grabbed hold, drinking down some fairy juice.
She could feel the magic already. Spike disappeared with the plate and when he returned he had her medicine.
Removing the bottle from her mouth, she took the pills without protesting.
“Good girl,” he praised her.
Well, of course she was. She was always a good girl.
“What would you like to do? It should be something quiet and restful.”
Pfft. Sounded boring.
“I feels loads better, Daddy. I think I might build an Easter egg. For the Easter Bunny. Or maybe make a welcome sign.”
He raised his eyebrows. “And how were you going to build this sign?”
“With Lego, of course, Daddy.” She gave him a look that told him he was silly. “How else?”
“Of course. What was I thinking?”
She didn’t know. He was a Daddy. Who knew how they thought?
If she could figure that out . . . imagine how much naughtiness she’d get away with.
Heck. She could write a book. How to be naughty and not get your butt spanked: The key to controlling your Daddy.
She’d sell so many. Then she could go on tour. Take over the world . . . the possibilities were endless.
Hmm.
Spike wondered what Millie was thinking. That was definitely her, ‘I’m going to conquer the world’ look.
Lord knew if he didn’t keep a close eye on her, he was pretty sure she could take over the world.
And then it would be cake for breakfast, ice cream for lunch, and fairy juice for dinner.
“I’ll get your Lego for you,” he told her.
Best to keep her distracted when she got that look on her face.
Grabbing the tub that held her Lego, he put it on the rug as she attempted to get out of her dinosaur pod. He loved that pod. It was one of the few ways he had to keep her contained.
The door to the playroom opened and Mr. Fluffy wandered in, flopping down on his side about a foot into the room as if he couldn’t possibly make it to his dog bed.
Spike just shook his head at him as he lifted Millie out of the pod and set her on the mat. He’d keep a close eye on her to make certain that she wasn’t overdoing it. She tended to ignore how she was feeling when she was busy.
That’s why she needed him.
“What do you think, Daddy? Do you think the Easter Bunny will like my creation?”
“I think he’ll love it, baby doll.”
She frowned, staring it over. Then she shook her head, wincing as she did.
“It’s not big enough, it needs to be grander. Something that will wow him. I want the Easter Bunny to leave lots of chocolate for me and my friends. What if he comes here and thinks that the sign is crappy and not big enough and then leaves?”
“Baby, that’s not going to happen,” he soothed.
“It might! You don’t know, Daddy! I wants this to be perfect for all my friends.”
Shit. She was getting wound up. He knew it was because she was still feeling tired and out-of-sorts. But this wasn’t going to help her feel any better.
“That’s enough playing for today. It’s nearly dinnertime.”
“No, Daddy! I have to get it right.” Millie gave him a stubborn look.
He cupped her chin in his hand. “No, what you need to do is listen to Daddy. We’ll put your creation away somewhere safe, then pack this up. Dinner and an early night.”
“No, Daddy! No dinner and an early night. Leave my Lego alone.”
“Millie,” he said warningly. “I’m going to give you one more chance to pack up your Lego like a good girl.”
“And if I don’t?” she challenged.
“Then you’re spending some time in the corner.” He wouldn’t spank her when she’d just had a migraine. No way did he want to risk hurting her. But corner time was definitely a punishment she could handle.
Her lower lip trembled and he had to harden himself against giving in and letting her do whatever she wanted.
Spike knew her tricks.
“You’re being so mean, Daddy. All I was trying to do was make something beautiful for the Easter Bunny.”
“And you have,” he said. “But now it’s time to pack up.” He scooped up a handful of Lego pieces and put them in the tub. With a sigh, Millie started to help. Then he lifted her creation and set it on the shelves.
“I still don’t think it’s good enough.”
“You’re too hard on yourself.” When all of the Lego was put away, he grabbed Chompers and gave him to her. Picking up her pacifier, he placed it in her mouth. Then he scooped her up onto his hip and carried her out of the room.
Mr. Fluffy let out a woof of protest as they went past.
“If you want fed, dog, you’re going to need to get yourself down the stairs.”
Millie pulled the pacifier from her mouth. “That’s not kind, Daddy. I think we need to put in an elevator.”
“We’re not putting in an elevator for him.”
“What about one of them dumb waiter thingees?” she asked. “He could ride in that.”
“Nope.”
“How about a sled that he can ride down the stairs and then attach a pulley system to get him back up?”
“Also nope.”
Millie sighed. “Don’t you love Mr. Fluffy, Daddy?”
“I like him. But I’m not hauling his heavy ass up the stairs on a sled. And he needs the exercise.”
“That is true, Mr. Fluffy,” she called back. “You do need the exercise! The vet said so.”
There was a growling noise from her playroom.
“Oh, I said the V-E-T word,” Millie whispered. “Oops.”
Spike started down the stairs.
“Be careful, Daddy. Don’t slip.”
“I won’t slip. Precious cargo.”
“You’re the best Daddy ever.”
“Only because I’ve got the best girl in the world.”