Chapter 39: Fire

Thief in Service – LittleFallenPrincess

I’ve honed my lockpicking skills over the years, and these locks that restrained me were the
easiest locks ever to pick... the problem was I had to do it with one hand, at an angle. Sure,
whilst practicing at home, I had managed to pick some easier locks with one hand, but they
were large. These padlocks on the cuffs were only small.

But still... I only needed to get one undone. With what is most likely a broken arm.

I can do it.

I hope.

Opening my pick pouch, I pulled out the smallest tension wrench I could find and one of the
smallest picks I had. Bending my wrist back, the pain from my arm became nearly
unbearable as I inserted the tension wrench and positioned in so I could provide tension
whilst also getting a pick in.

Thankfully, this kind of lock can be easily opened with a rake pick, so I inserted that and
moved it about until the lock opened.

Taking a second to let my arm rest after all that, I took the tools and used them on my other
arm’s restraint. It was a lot easier this time as I could manoeuvre about a lot better and
could use both hands to pick it, so it hurt less and took even less time.

Once I unlocked both of my legs, I lay back on the ground, trying to catch my breath, but
with the smoke starting to reach this floor... I quickly rolled over and climbed to my feet. I
didn’t have much time.

“Naomi... no wait... umm... yeah, Naomi!”

Grabbing my picks and pulling up my nappy, I opened the door to the dungeon and ran out,
heading straight into the nursery. I saw Naomi in the crib, flailing about, panicking.

“Mimi! I’m here. I’ll get you out!”

“Thank god! I heard your girlfriend downstairs!” She said.

“You did? OH fuck, soundproofing in the dungeon. Right. I’ll get you out, and then I need
you to run downstairs, all the way to the ground floor. Wait for us outside. I’ll go see if she
needs help.”
I quickly picked the locks, my hands shaking the entire time.

I needed to see if Alex was okay. I needed to get out of here. I needed to make sure Naomi
was safe. But this fire... the burning smell... my heart was beating faster than ever and I was
terrified.

“GO! I’ll be down soon!” I yelled as I picked the last lock and she climbed over the crib wall.

Naomi grabbed a dressing gown from the back of the door to cover herself, as she was
wearing only her top and the nappy she was forced into, and ran downstairs. I quickly
followed her down.

But as she carried on to the ground floor, I stopped on the third. Looking around, no sign of
Alex.

Second floor... nothing.

First floor was where the smoke was at its thickest. I could feel the heat coming from one of
the nearby rooms.

Remembering some old fire safety tips from my childhood, I checked the door to the smaller
room before opening it.

And to my surprise... Christian, Emily and Jack lay there, unconscious.

“I... I’m sorry. I have to find Alex. Maybe I can come back and save you!” I said to them,
closing the door, hopefully buying them some time if the fire managed to spread into the
hallway.

Even if I stopped to help them instead of looking for Alex... I’d be lucky to be able to carry
Jack out of there, but there’s no way I could lift Emily or Christian.

“Other door... must be it... but that’s where the smoke is coming from...”

I edged closer to the door. I was terrified of entering... of seeing the fire. Reliving the events
where I lost my parents would shut me down, so I tried focusing on Alex.

And as I got closer and closer... I could hear a faint voice.

“FUCK! I need... I need to... save... Paige... she... needs... m... me...” I heard nearby.

‘Wait...’

A large crash came from the other side of the door.

“ALEX?” I yelled.

But there was no answer.

‘She’s in there. I’m sure of it... but the door...’

I pushed and pushed, I even pulled my picks out and tried unlocking it, but it felt like it was
blocked by something, no doubt whatever made that crashing sound. “Wait! The window!”

Running down the hallway, grabbing a rather heavy looking ornament from the table along
the way, I headed to the window.

“If I unlock this...”

Opening the window, I climbed out onto the staircase in the alley.

“And then if I use... THIS!”

Hurling the ornament at the back window, smashing the one next to the one I climbed out
of, I reached in with my arm carefully, trying not to cut myself, and unlocked it.

Pulling the window up, I climbed in.

Making my way through the burning room, I scanned the floor for both obstacles and any
sign of Alex.

But the room was full of smoke, so it was hard to see anything. Piles of burning books,
artwork set ablaze... I pushed all my memories of the crash to the back of my mind. I
couldn’t think about that right now. I needed to find Alex.

“I... can’t... see... a thing...”

But that’s when I saw something in the distance, past the bookcase that had collapsed.

A blue light.

“ALEX?” I yelled.

Running with all my might, I leapt over the remains of the bookcase and landed on the other
side. Just by my feet was Alex’s phone, and next to it... Alex.

Instincts told me to check on Alex, but a quick look at the phone changed my priorities as I
quickly scooped it up and looked at the options.

“Fire... suppression... system... OH! ACTIVATE!”

Pressing the button, a heard a beep and suddenly the room filled with gas and the sprinklers
activated, drenching the whole room.
The flames quickly subsided, but it was getting increasingly more difficult to breathe, so I
grabbed Alex’s hand and dragged her to the window I had entered through. We had to take
another path around the bookcase, as I couldn’t lift her over it.

Managing to reach the window, I gathered all my strength, using all the built-up adrenaline
to lift Alex up and out of the window. Quickly following, I climbed out and landed on the
staircase next to Alex, taking the fresh winter air into my lungs.

But we weren’t out of the woods yet. The fire may be out, but Alex wasn’t responding.

So I got up, hovering over her.

“ALEX? PLEASE! TALK TO ME! I CAN’T LOSE YOU TOO! ALEX!” I screamed, shaking her
violently.

I checked her pulse... she was still alive. I checked her breathing... yep, still breathing...

Tears ran down my face as I stared at my girlfriend, who just lay there, unresponsive.

When all of a sudden, her eyes opened and she shot up.

“PAIGE! I NEED TO SAVE...” She shouted, before stopping and looking around.

She turned to look at me and coughed heavily.

“P... Paige... you... wait... you saved me?”

“MUMMY!” I flung my arms around her and gave her the biggest hug I could, kissing all over
her face.

“Oh baby! I’m so glad you’re okay! What... what about the fire?” She asked.

“I put it out. I saw the thing on your phone and activated it.”

“Good job...” She coughed a bit more. “Good job babygirl. I’m proud of you. And tha... thank
you for saving me.”

“Shhh. I’m just glad you’re okay.” I kissed her again.

“What about... what about your crew? Are they okay?”

“The fire didn’t spread outside of the storage room, they’re still unconscious. Mimi should
be safe downstairs.”

“How... how did you get out of the restraints?”

“Huh?” I was confused. How did she know I was restrained?

“I got an alert... at work... saying someone broke in. I watched most of it on the video feed
on the drive back. I saw... I saw what that guy did to you baby...”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Just wait until I’m done with him... he’ll regret everything...” I wouldn’t want to be in
Christian’s place right now, not with the venom in Alex’s voice.

“Let’s just go find Mimi, okay? Then we can figure out what to do.”

I helped Alex up onto her feet and down the staircase into the back alley.

“YOU’RE OKAY!” Mimi ran at me and tackled me with a hug.

“I’m... I’m okay. Just... be careful... I may have a bit of a broken arm... but I’m okay.”

“A broken arm? We’ll have to get that sorted as soon as possible sweetpea!” Alex said.

“And your... and your girlfriend is okay! Thank god!” Mimi took a sigh of relief.

“You... I saw you try and stick up for my baby...” Alex stepped up, looking down at Mimi.

I blushed at the fact Alex was referring to me as her baby in front of my best friend.

“...Thank you.” Alex finished.

“She’s my best friend. I’m sorry... I’m sorry for being a part of everything that happened.”
Mimi apologised. She was sincere. I could tell when she was lying.

“Look, let’s just catch our breath. Once I’ve got my strength back, I’ll decide what to do with
you and your friends.” Alex said to Naomi.

“What to do...?”

“You broke in. Don’t think you’re off the hook just yet...”

Naomi went quiet and walked over to the corner of the shop, sitting down and awaiting the
judgement.

I got a glass of water for us all, and we all took a bit to relax after everything that had
happened upstairs.

I was surprised Naomi hadn’t made a run for it honestly. She had the perfect opportunity
whilst Alex was catching her breath, but she stayed.

Once Alex had rested a bit, she stood up and looked at the two of us.
“We’ll need to get you a new uniform, babygirl. That one is ruined...”

I looked down at the dirty, ripped maid uniform I was wearing and smiled.

“So... umm... what now?” I asked.

“We get those three upstairs restrained before they wake up. Mind helping?”

“Sure.” I answered.

“Be careful with that arm though. I’ll call a friend who can give it a look at soon. And you?
Mind helping?” She turned to Naomi, who looked surprised that she was asking her.

“Umm... sure?” Mimi replied.

“Thanks. Let’s go then...”

I let Alex take the lead regarding everything from now on. She was the one who nearly died,
she was the one whose collection was now ashes in the storage room. Sure, I’d love some
payback on Christian and Emily... but that could wait.

We sat there in the event room, the three unconscious ex-crew members sat in chairs, their
hands and ankles bound to them.

I sat next to Naomi, holding her hand. I could tell she was nervous, but she was ready to face
the consequences for her actions. And if needed, I could plead to Alex to take it easy on her.
It wasn’t her fault she came here, she was forced. And then she helped me and everything...

“Wakey wakey...” Alex opened a small bottle under their noses and one by one, my ex-crew
mates all came to, shocked and scared.

“MMM!” Christian cried out, the gag in his mouth muffling his words. The other two did the
same, but they all quickly realised the situation they were in.

“So...” Alex paced around the floor between the crew, and Naomi and me.

“Mmmm!” Emily screamed, that gag working perfectly, yet again.

“I’m going to say a bunch of things, and you’re going to listen, got it?”

They all nodded one by one.

“So first... you broke into my home. You assaulted my babygirl.” She looked at Christian with
a look that could kill. “You tried to steal my possessions... and inadvertently set fire to one
of my rooms. Is that everything?”

“MMM!” they all tried to beg and plead.

“So let me make this clear. You will pay for everything. HOW you pay... is up to me. You
have no say in this. I won’t make an offer, like I did with Paige. You take the deal.
Otherwise... I will come up with something much... MUCH worse for you.”

All three of them shut up. Naomi started shaking, so I held her hand and squeezed it.

“Firstly... I understand why you came here today. I know exactly who put you up to it. And I
know you were forced to do so. That’s why I’m not just going to send you all off to the other
dimension.”

All of them started screaming, terrified at the thought of being sent over there.

“I also know... if I call the police... your employer will just bail you out and you’ll be in the
same position that Paige was in. So I won’t be calling them. You will, however, be paying me
back for everything you have done today. That includes you, Naomi.”

Naomi gasped a little.

“Paying her back? What does she mean?” Mimi asked.

“It means... I’ll be having a little word with Tony. So he won’t be chasing after you, or Paige,
ever again. But for the next.... let’s say... six months... you will be under my employ.”

“Umm... what do you mean?” I asked Alex, on behalf of Naomi.

“It means, babygirl, that all four of them... will be paying me back by working for me. I’ll pay
you all for the time, and give you accommodation... but you will be doing jobs I assign you.”

Alex paced back and forth, thinking, before stopping in front of Jack.

“What’s this one’s name again, babygirl?”

“Jack.” I answered.

Turning to Jack, she looked him dead in the eyes.

“Well... Jack. I will say, I was impressed by your hacking ability. You still have a lot to learn...
but you have potential. For now though... I need a maid.”

“Mmm?” he tried talking, so Alex removed his gag. “A... maid?”

“Oh yes. I need a cute little maid... so I’ll get you a maid’s uniform just like Paige’s, and you
can take over her shop and cleaning duties, especially as her arm will need time to heal. If at
the end of six months you’ve impressed me with following orders... maybe I could find you a
job at my security company.”

“I... yes. Sorry. Please.” He looked like a scared little boy, it was kind of adorable.
“Maybe I’ll find you a cute wig too...”

He started blushing as Alex moved over to where Emily stood.

“You...” Alex looked down menacingly at her next target.

“Emily.” I said.

“Emily... I saw you helping the other one torture my babygirl... so I’m sorry, but you don’t
get off so easily. However... I do like the way you handle yourself, so if you are also looking
for a job after six months... maybe I could be convinced. If you impress me that is...”

Taking the gag out of her mouth, Emily looked at her.

“Impress?” Emily said.

“Well I need to know I can trust you. I heard you were good at driving... so... maybe I can
offer you a job doing that. But to impress me, you are to take on the role of Paige’s nanny.”

“NANNY?”

“No shouting. Yes. I saw the way you made fun of her, especially making comments about
not wanting to change her.

“I... I...”

“You’re strong enough to lift her up, and with the right training... you could be quite the
Nanny.

“I... okay. I’m sorry.” Emily hung her head in defeat.

I looked at my old crew mates. They all look defeated. And Alex... was being reasonable, in
my opinion. I understood why she wouldn’t call the police and why she had to come up with
such... unusual punishments. I felt a bit... uneasy with Emily being my Nanny, but no doubt
Alex would be keeping a close eye on her. I just hoped she would pick something nicer for
Naomi... and I wondered what she had in store for Christian, who deserved much worse.

Offering them humiliating jobs, followed by actual jobs, was a clever idea, but I wondered
how much she had thought about how much she can trust those three whilst they’re
‘employed’ by her. She had great faith in people, but I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t just run at
the first opportunity or try to steal from her or get her back for everything.

But hey, I trusted her to know what she was doing, so I just stood there and held my best
friend’s hand, awaiting the next judgement.
“And you...”

“Christian...” I said with venom in my voice.

“I know exactly what you did to my babygirl... whipping her, making her bleed like that...”

“What? What the fuck, Christian?” yelled Emily. Even she was disgusted by her friend’s
actions. Jack’s face indicated he was too.

“Mmm!” he tried to talk just like the others.

Taking the gag out, Alex allowed him to speak.

“FUCK YOU!” He yelled.

“Not sorry at all, are you? At least your friends showed remorse for their actions. Now...
what to do with you...”

“GET FUC...” he was quickly silenced again as Alex shoved the gag back in his mouth, tying it
behind his head.

“That’s quite enough language from you...”

Alex thought for a moment, before walking over to me.

“Baby... I want your opinion. I have an idea, but I want you to tell me if it’s too much. And if
it is, do you have any other ideas? I can’t trust him. The other two... I could see the good in
them. Him... there isn’t any.”

“W... what’s your idea?” I asked.

“I know I said I wouldn’t... but I honestly don’t know where else I could send him.”

“No... you mean...?”

“Yeah. I have a contact. He could take him through the portal, find him a family.”

“But... that’s horrible!”

“Can you think of anything else I can do with him then, babygirl?”

Naomi nudged me a bit.

“Umm... I mean... it would be poetic justice... after all those times he threatened to send
you there... after every mean thing he’s said...” I couldn’t believe Mimi was actually okay
with this. Of all people, she was least likely to do so.

“You too? You agree with Alex?”

“Think about it, Paige. He’s a selfish, obnoxious dickhead who would have happily have
done all this today, even without the threat from Tony.”

“I... but...”

“Baby, if it makes it any better... I can make sure he’s given to a loving family who won’t
treat him bad.” Alex offered.

“But...”

“Okay, how about... I let them foster him for just the year? No permanent changes, no
hypnosis, nothing like that. They just keep him as their baby for a year, before sending him
back through the portal. If he’s learnt his lesson when he comes back, I’ll give him a job like I
did the others. If not... we’ll figure it out when that happens.”

“That’s better. Not perfect... but I suppose it’s the best we can manage without the ability to
send him to prison. Fine. Do that then.” I answered.

Alex turned around to Christian, who had been trying to listen in the whole time, but hadn’t
heard a thing.

“So Christian, I apologise...” Alex started.

He looked up at her, confused.

“I lied earlier. You... you can’t be trusted around me, around my babygirl, around... well
anyone really. So I’m sorry, but I’m going to send you through the portal.”

Christian looked terrified. He tried freeing himself, but he was restrained and couldn’t do
anything more than struggle.

“But you’ve got Paige to thank for making it as easy for you as possible. You’ll be sent
through the portal, where an Amazon family will foster you for a year. No drugs, no physical
or mental changes, nothing. It’ll be a nice, loving family. But you’ll be their baby for the year.
If, when you return, you’ve learnt your lesson... I’ll offer you a well-paying job. If you
haven’t... well we’ll figure that out if it comes to it.”

“MMMM!” Christian screamed into the gag.

“Think that’s fair?” Alex asked Jack and Emily.

“Uh huh.” They said in tandem, grinning at their former leader.

“Good. You’ve got off easy, Christian. I could have had you thrown in one of their adoption
centres and forgotten about you... but I like to see the good in people. And I believe deep
down, even if it’s only a shred of good... that’s enough. Remember, Paige is the one who
saved you. All those times you threatened to send her there... remember that. Remember
who took it easy on you as you get your nappy changed by your new Mummy and Daddy...”

He started yelling again, so Alex pulled out syringe and injected him with the same thing she
injected me with that first night I broke in.

“Now. I need to make a few calls for him... oh wait.. I nearly forgot...”

Alex turned to me and Naomi and grinned.

Naomi started shaking more, so I squeezed her hand even harder.

“Naomi... or is it Mimi?” Alex asked.

“Umm... either...” Mimi said, nervously.

“Please take it easy on her, Alex...” I spoke up.

“You trust me, sweetpea?” She asked me.

“Of course.”

“Good. Now... Naomi...”

Naomi looked at her feet, awaiting the judgement.

“You broke in. You helped try to steal my possessions. But I also understand you were
threatened to do so. You also came to Paige’s aid, and you’re also Paige’s best friend...”

Naomi squeezed my hand.

“So I have three jobs for you to pay me back.”

“Huh? Three?” Mimi looked up suddenly, confused.

“I’m to understand you helped pick out some of Paige’s better outfits?”

“Umm... uh huh...”

“Then your first job, is to be my shopping expert. You have good taste and an eye for what
Paige looks good in. So I want you to assist me whenever I’m looking to expand Paige’s
wardrobe.”

“Umm... okay... but... what are the other two jobs.”

“Those jobs... are more for my babygirl than for me.”

Even I looked confused at this point.

“Depending on what she needs, you are to play as either her playmate... or her dolly...”

My face must have turned bright red at the thought of Naomi playing either of those roles.
But I also felt bad, because that was involving her in kinks she’s not into. I mean sure, Jack is
having to wear a maid uniform and be dressed up all feminine, and Emily is forced to be a
Nanny, albeit to a larger than normal baby... but this is Naomi...

“Yes!” Mimi blurted out, sounding rather excited.

‘She... she said that rather quickly...’

“I’d love to!” Naomi looked at me, a huge smile on her face; I had never seen her look so
excited.

“Well that settles that then...” Alex smiled at me.

“I... umm... okay!” I replied.

“So anyway, let me go call my contact for Christian and call my doctor friend about that arm
of yours... Paige? Will you please release the other two? I’ll sort their uniforms out as soon
as I’m done with Christian.”

Alex turned to the Emily and Jack.

“You two...? Don’t let me down. If you betray my trust, let me down in any way, or try to
run... I’ll make sure you find yourselves with a fate similar to your ex-leader’s...”

They both nodded in agreement. “Yes Miss Carver.” They said in unison.

“Well these next six months are going to be a lot more interesting... A nanny, a maid, a
playmate and dolly...” I said, looking around at my friends. “Mummy?” I called out to Alex,
not caring at this point about hiding that dynamic in front of my friends. They were part of it
now, even if it wasn’t their choice. I would have preferred to have given them the choice,
but there wasn’t any other option.

“Yes, pumpkin?” Alex replied.

“We’re going to have to find a new job for me if Jack’s working downstairs.”

“Don’t worry sweetie, I’ve got the perfect one for you...” She grinned.