Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ben was never the wealthiest or well-mannered or well-fed of boys. Being in a group of petty thieves tends to do that.

It was just him, Steve, George, Charles, and James. Just five orphaned boys against the world. Taking what they can, stealing to live, that kind of thing. It may not be much, but it sure beats the orphanage.

Of course, Ben knew of the La Bouff family. A wealthy family with more money than most knew what to do with. 

Every so often, Ben surveyed the La Bouff estate, waiting for the day that the place was empty. 

Of course, one day, the opportunity arose. There weren’t any cars in the driveway. No one through the windows. It was perfect. He didn’t tell the others of what he was planning to do. There simply wasn’t any time to do so. Who knows how long he had till one of the La Bouffs came back. Besides, Ben will love to see the look on his friends’ faces when he comes back packing more valuables than any of them had ever seen.

For one of the richest families in the area, infiltrating the La Bouff house was easier than Ben thought. Seriously, they didn’t even leave the back door locked.

Ben wasn’t complaining. He knows how to pick locks, but this makes things way easier for him. 

Nobody was home. Not a single person. He couldn’t even hear the sounds of footsteps.

Ben made his way upstairs. He knew well enough that most people contained their valuables upstairs in their bedrooms. Not everyone, but enough people for it to be basic common sense to assume that.

It didn’t take long for him to find the room that he was looking for.

It was… pink. Far more pink than he has ever seen in his life. Figurines and dolls of princesses all over the shelves. A large canopy bed. Far girlier than he was expecting. 

Ben made a quick look through of the room. There has to be something valuable that he can sell.

He rummaged through the dressers. Nothing. Just panties. Far from what he’s looking for.

The closet was filled with dresses. Some of them were just casual dresses, but others were full on ball gowns. Fancy enough to make a pretty penny, but there’s no way he can sell them without arousing suspicion; and that’s assuming he can avoid getting them dirty or torn on the way.

It was then he saw it. Sitting right on the desk was a tiara. A very fancy one with diamonds embedded into it. This was perfect. It was small and compact to hide in his pockets without drawing attention. It is also more than fancy enough to have the group set for life. Now he just needs to get-

An aching pain went through his head, a loud noise rang in his ears and then everything went black.

Charlotte looked down at the unconscious intruder. When she came back to get her purse, she wasn’t expecting to hear anyone in the house. However, as she made it to her room, she could hear some rumbles and clicks. A quick peek confirmed what she suspected. A burglar. No way was she allowing anyone to break into her house and get away with it.

A simple use of the frying pan and the burglar was knocked out cold. A handy tool for subduing criminals. Rather unorthodox, but it got the job done.

She couldn’t believe this. It was barely a month since Big Daddy passed away and now she had to deal with this common crook snooping through her stuff. Might as well get the cops before he wakes up.

Her eyes turned back towards the intruder and she couldn’t help but notice a few things that drew her attention. 

Long bright blonde hair, albeit a bit covered with dirt. Eyelashes that are longer than Charlotte has seen on most women her age. Rosy cheeks. A little work and he can definitely pass for a pretty debutante. Of course, those clothes wouldn’t do. They are just so dirty with patches all over. She wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything like that.

Of course, he was a boy. Charlotte sighed. Such feminine features, wasted on a boy in his early teens.

It was then an idea made its way into Charlotte’s head. It was a truly bizarre idea. If she told anyone what she had in mind, they would call the idea scandalous at best, and downright insane at worst. However, it made too much sense to her. It felt so right. She had the resources, she had the cash, and she definitely had the tools to make this work.

“By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be all too eager to follow in my footsteps.”

Charlotte knew she had a lot of work to do if she wanted her plan to go swimmingly. First, she’ll have to make sure her future student is ready before he wakes up.

Chapter Text

Ben groaned. He struggled to open his eyes. Everything seemed like a blur. He remembered seeing this beautiful tiara, then a massive headache and then… nothing.

His sight begins to clear. He can see something pink entering his vision.

“Why, hello there.”

Ben’s eyes opened fully as he heard a voice and he saw the person who’s speaking. One of the last people he wanted to see right now.

Charlotte La Bouff.

“I see you’re finally up,” she smiled. “Good.”

Ben gasped. He had to get out of there. He got up from the chair… or at least tried to. He was completely tied to the chair. His hands were tied to the back of the chair and his legs were tied to the legs of the chair.

Tried as he might, Ben couldn’t get himself free. His bindings were too tight.

“Don’t think you can get out of here so easily, you little crook,” Charlotte scolded. “When th’cops come and see you, they’re goin’ to think you’re a little pervert.”

“I’m not a pervert!” Ben yelled. “Why would they think that anyway?”

“Well you did go through my drawers,” Charlotte grinned. “Besides, if the cops saw you with your little makeover, I'm sure they'd have a whole lot of reasons to think that.”

“My makeover?”

Charlotte turned Ben’s chair and what he saw in his reflection made him let out a very unmanly scream.

The pink flapper dress was the first thing that drew Ben’s attention. The dress itself was fine, cute and flirty. However, it was about a size or two too big for him and it showed. The heels were equally ill-fitting, barely able to stay on his feet.

The oversized outfit was bad enough, but his face was even worse. It was entirely covered in makeup. Bright red lipstick, heavy foundation, way too much blue eyeshadow.

The excessive amount of pearls laced around his neck completed the image. From head to toe, Ben looked less like the beautiful woman Charlotte was and more like a boy trying on his mom’s stuff without knowing how to make it work. He looked absolutely ridiculous and he knew it.

He knew he couldn't go to the cops like this. He didn’t even want to consider what would happen to him if he got sent to juvie under these circumstances.

“No, please!” Ben begged. “I’ll do anything. Just please don’t call the cops on me!”

Ben knew he looked pathetic. Tied to a chair as a caricature of a flapper, complete with overdone makeup and on the verge of tears. He just knew that if he cried, his makeup would run and he'd look even more ridiculous than he already did.

For a minute, Charlotte took pity on the poor boy. She kind of suspected Ben’s character, but she now knew that the teen burglar before her wasn’t some unrepentant thug. There was something in his eyes that seemed genuinely harmless. Of course, she had to make a few confirmations before going any further.

“You’re an orphan, aren’t you?”

The tears from Ben’s face slowly stopped as he thought about the question.

“Y-yes,” he answered. “The orphanage sucks. My friends and I left for a reason.”

Charlotte could tell that Ben didn’t want to talk about what the orphanage was like. She couldn’t imagine what it could’ve been like. However…

“It must be hard to live on the streets, huh? Regardless, it’s still wrong to break into a woman’s house and steal your things.

“Yes, I-I’m sorry I did those things. I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“Of course, dear,” Charlotte frowned. “However, you still broke into my place and tried t’steal my stuff. No matter what sob story you have, that is still a crime and you need to be punished.”

“I know,” Ben sighed. “What do I have to do?”

“Simple,” Charlotte smiled. “You’re in dire need of a little reformin', dear. Which is why, for the next week, you’re going to be my darlin' daughter, Betty La Bouff.”

“...what?”

“It’s quite simple,” Charlotte proceeded to explain. “When I was your age, my daddy got me a tutor t’teach me how t’be a proper bonafide southern woman. My mama died before I came of learnin’ age. I always wanted a daughter to follow in my footsteps and I believe you’ll do just fine. You obviously need a lesson in manners either way.

“But that’s crazy!” Ben yelled. “No one’s going to believe I’m a girl!”

“Are you sure,” Charlotte smirked. “Take it from me. You have a very girly body, whether you like it or not, and when I’m done with you, no one will be able to tell you’re a guy.”

“Now,” Charlotte stated. “I can tell that you’re embarrassed t’be doing this, right?”

“Obviously.”

“Well, I have just the thing t’help you with that,” Charlotte pulled out a small bottle and handed it to Ben. “Drink this.”

“What is this?” Ben looked at the contents of the bottle. A transparent container. The striking thing about the bottle was the liquid inside it. A bright pink color, it didn’t look like anything that Ben had drunk before.

“That is to help you with your voice, Betty,” Charlotte explained. “No woman your age sounds like a man.”

Of course, the voice is far from the only thing that bottle will change. But as far as Charlotte was concerned, Ben didn’t need to know that right now.

Regardless, Ben began to drink from the bottle. It had a sweet taste to it, sort of like candy. He couldn’t remember the last time he actually had candy.

“How does it taste?” Charlotte asked.

“It tasted wonderful-” Ben’s opinion was quickly interrupted by the voice coming out of his mouth. He quickly closed his mouth. He couldn’t believe what just happened to his voice. It was so much higher than what he was used to. Something more akin to a teenage girl than any boy his age.

“Seems that it is workin’ perfectly,” Charlotte smiled. “I expect you to take this about twice a day during your trainin’. Once in the morning, and once right before bed.”

Ben remained silent.

Charlotte moved towards Ben’s chair and proceeded to undo the ropes tying the boy to it. Ben quickly stood up, only to find himself clinging to the furniture as he struggled to stand up in the oversized heels.

“Now,” Charlotte smiled. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

---

What followed may be one of the most embarrassing experiences Ben has ever gone through. Once untied, he was swiftly dragged into the bathroom where Charlotte was running a bath for him.

“Take all that stuff off before you get into th’tub, won’t you dear?” Charlotte requested. “No sense taking a bath in my stuff.”

Reluctantly, Ben took off the oversized clothes. Not so reluctant because of the girlish clothes themselves, and more because he didn’t want to be naked right in front of a grown woman. Definitely not under these circumstances.

But it couldn’t be helped and before he knew it, Ben was completely naked. He quickly covered his privates with one hand, his chest in the other, blushing furiously all the while.

“I’m glad you have your modesty, Betty,” Charlotte praised her “daughter”. “Now, get in th’tub and we can clean you up.”

He slowly stepped into the tub. His body grew more than a few goosebumps at the touch of cold water.

It was then that Charlotte began to clean him.

First was the hair. With her bare hands, Charlotte scrubbed a bunch of shampoo into Ben’s hair. It gave off a very peachy smell. He had to admit it smelled nice, felt good in his hair too. Not that he would admit it publicly to anyone, especially under these circumstances.

Then came the body wash.

With a little loofah, as Charlotte called it, the La Bouff began to scrub all over Ben’s body with body wash. From his face, all the way down to his toes, not a single part of his body avoided the cleaning. Even his privates weren’t safe.

“So much dirt,” Charlotte scoffed. “Thankfully, not only does this special body wash clean off any dirt on your body, but it removes any unwanted hairs.”

“My hair!” Ben gasped. He pulled up one of his arms. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was never the hairiest of guys, but he did have plenty of body and leg hair. Now, it was just gone, smooth and hairless as a newborn baby. The only traces of hair left are on his head and his brows, the latter miraculously avoided being scrubbed away.

“No woman your age should be walking around with any kind of leg or body hair,” Charlotte smirked. “It just looks nasty.”

Of course, Charlotte knew that the effects, if applied often enough on a daily basis, would be permanent. Not that Ben needed to know as far as Charlotte was concerned.

From there, it wasn’t long before Charlotte was done. Draining the water from the tub, she was quick to dry Ben off with a bright pink towel, making sure to wrap it around his body; covering not just his privates, but his chest as well.

“Where are my clothes?” Ben asked.

“Your clothes?” Charlotte pondered, giving off the effect that she had no idea what Ben was talking about. Of course, she knew full well what he meant. “Oh. Those nasty rags. I threw them out.”

“What?” Ben gasped.

“They were filthy and full of holes. No child of mine would be caught in those rags under my watch.”

Ben sighed. He knew his clothes weren’t exactly the best, they had seen better days. But they were still his. Without them, the only clothes available were the ones Charlotte lent to him and he just knew that she didn’t have any pants for him to wear.

“You can wear this to bed.” Charlotte held up a nightgown to Ben. It was a pink frilly nightgown with the skirt all but reaching the floor.

Charlotte was quick to help Ben get the nightgown on. It fitted the latter far too well for comfort. She also added a pair of pink fuzzy slippers to the outfit, covering Ben’s feet in the girlish footwear.

“Now, let’s get you ready for bed, Betty,” Charlotte took Ben’s head and led him out of the bathroom. “It’s been a long day and we need to make sure you’re up bright and early for your trainin’.”

Charlotte took Ben past her bedroom and took him into the room next door.

“This will be your room for the time bein’,” Charlotte said. “What do you think?”

Ben could see it was almost the exact same room as Charlotte’s. The only real difference that he could see at the moment was the fewer number of princess dolls and figurines. Still more than a fair amount of both, though.

“This was going to be my daughter’s room when I inevitably have kids, but I think you’ll fit right in.”

Ben sighed as Charlotte tucked him into bed.

“Why don’t I read you a little bedtime story?” Charlotte pulled out a picture book. “It’s been one of my favorites evah since I was just a little girl.”

“Do you have to?”

“No,” Charlotte giggled. “I just want to.”

Charlotte began to read the story to Ben. It was a fairly simple story. A tale of a girl falling in love with a boy. The girl gets kidnapped by an evil dragon and the man vows to save her. Upon it being revealed that he’s a prince, the man slays the evil dragon and saves the girl. It ends with the two getting married with the young maiden becoming a princess.

Ben could understand it even without Charlotte reading to him. His reading skills were about… average. Not the best, but good enough. The orphanage at least made sure to teach him how to read before he ran off with his friends. There was also Steve. He was the brains of the group and he helped quite a bit with Ben’s reading skills.

His mind turned towards the pictures. Something about the prince drew his eye. He actually looked kind of… hot.

“That prince is cute, isn’t he?”

“Yeah…”

No.

Oh, no.

The color rose in Ben’s cheeks. A scarlet heat that made his embarrassment very clear. He tried to deny it, but it was true. That prince in that storybook was actually very attractive, stirring up feelings in him that he never wanted to admit to anyone. Of course, Charlotte was quick to catch it.

“There there, Betty,” Charlotte cooed. “Dreamin’ of handsome princes is nothin’ to be ashamed of. Why, it’s perfectly normal for a gal your age to want to do a little man catchin’.”

Ben couldn’t protest that he is in fact, a man. Between his girly shampoo and body wash, his hairless body, his frilly nightgown, and his high and girlish voice he didn’t exactly make a very convincing man at the moment.

“We’ll have plenty of time this week to help you get in touch with your feminine side. Nighty night, Betty,” Charlotte said. “Sweet dreams.”

Charlotte shut off the light and closed the door, not enough to shut it but enough to leave just a little light creaking out the door, leaving Ben alone in his new room.

He turned towards the window. His first thought was to get out of here. But there was an obvious problem with that. Charlotte. He wouldn’t be surprised if she was standing right outside the bedroom door, just waiting for him to try to escape. The front door was definitely out.

There is the window right across from his bed. Of course, that came with its own problems. Assuming that Charlotte hasn’t prepared for him to escape from there, there is still going to be the inevitable issue of the police hunting him down in the morning. Besides, it would be embarrassing for his buddies to see him in this girly nightgown.

Oh, god. He really should’ve at least told his friends where he was going. Maybe they could’ve helped him get out of this mess… and probably laugh at him too for getting into this situation in the first place.

Ben sighed as he buried himself in the sheets. He had to admit it was comfortable. Much better than the newspapers he had to use for cover on the streets. Quite warm too. If there was one good thing about this whole mess, it’s that he’ll be living in a nice and warm place for the time being.

Tried as he might, it wasn’t long before Ben closed his eyes, his mind slowly drifting off into dreams.

---

Charlotte smiled. She kept her ear up to the door, and her eyes peeking through the slight crack of light she left. She wanted to make sure Ben didn’t try to make any escape attempt. Only when she could see him sleeping is when she decided to leave him alone.

She couldn’t believe how things were going already. She definitely wasn’t expecting him to be into boys. He probably already swung that way well before she came into the picture. Poor guy. Charlotte knows he’s doing him a favor this way. At any rate, she knew it won’t be long before Ben becomes Betty La Bouff, the darling daughter she always wanted.

Chapter Text

“Wakey Wakey, Betty. We have a big day ahead of you.”

Ben’s eyes slowly opened. Charlotte was there, looking over him with her pretty pink dress and a big smile on her face. 

A groan escaped his mouth. Last night’s sleep was pleasant. The bed was so comfy. He didn’t want to wake up, especially since he knew what was waiting for him. Of course, he couldn’t avoid it forever.

Reluctantly, though, he eventually got out of bed. From there Charlotte was quick to lead him downstairs where breakfast was waiting.

“What’s this?” 

“Bacon and eggs,” Charlotte answered. “With a cup of water. Nothing too complicated. Nevah tried it before?”

“No,” Ben shook his head as he began to eat his breakfast. It was actually pretty good. One of the best things that he ate in a long time. He savored each and every bite. However, it wasn’t long before he was done and Charlotte handed him a very familiar bottle.

“Again?”

“Yes, Betty,” Charlotte said, making it as clear as she can. “You will drink this once in the morning and once right before bed.”

Ben followed Charlotte’s instructions and drank the bottle. The taste was as sweet as last time. He can feel his voice getting back to the higher pitch it was last night.

“Still sounds weird to me.”

“You’ll get used to it soon enough,” Charlotte said. “Now, let’s get you dressed.”

It didn’t take long before Ben was dragged up to his bedroom with the young woman pulling out a dress. It was a simple pink sundress. Quite similar to the one that Charlotte dressed him in last night, albeit in his actual size. And so, Ben was quickly dressed up. Charlotte made sure to have him wear a bra and a pair of panties underneath the dress as well.  

“Don’t you feel all girly inside?”

“Yay,” Ben sarcastically said.

And then there was the makeup. Charlotte applied some stuff to his eyelashes, a little powder to the cheeks, and rolled some kind of red tube over his lips. Ben didn’t know what this stuff was for and Charlotte seemed too busy to explain it at the moment.

“And… done,” Charlotte finally announced, her smile screamed self-satisfaction. She turned Ben towards the mirror. “What do you think? Pretty as a magnolia in May, huh?”

A gasp couldn’t help but escape Ben’s lips. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

It wasn’t the farce it was yesterday, he actually looked like a genuine young woman.

“I wore this dress when I was your age,” Charlotte sighed. “And now you’re wearing it. Bet you feel pretty in it, huh?”

“Ecstatic,” Ben rolled his eyes. What is he thinking? He should not be gazing at his reflection like that. But still…

“I would cut that attitude out if I were you, Betty,” Charlotte scolded. “Very unladylike behavior. We really need to correct that. Speaking of which, we should begin your lessons.”

“My lessons?” 

“Yes,” Charlotte began to explain. “Throughout the week, you will be trained on becoming a lady like yours truly. Of course, if you struggled or if you dare to misbehave, I can guarantee you would be here a bit longah than a week. But that won’t be a problem, wouldn't it?”

Ben shrugged. She kept mentioning his lessons, but really, how difficult could it possibly be to be all girly and ladylike? If someone like her could do it.

“All this girl stuff,” Ben said, voicing his thoughts. “It can’t be that hard.”

Charlotte only smiled.

---

“It can’t be that hard.” As the day went on, Ben’s desire to kick himself for saying those words grew more and more. He really should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.

His first makeup lesson took most of the morning with Charlotte going through the basics of makeup along with explaining lipstick, eyeshadow, mascara and rouge. His hands and feet were not excluded from the lessons, Ben having to learn how to do his nails with a manicure and a pedicure.

“By Friday, I bet you’ll be able to do this yourself,” Charlotte said, for all the comfort that gave Ben, and then guided him to the closet for his first lesson on women’s fashion. Color coordination, accessorizing, style; none of those were words that he was that familiar with. Charlotte was fully intent on changing that. 

At least it didn’t take too long before Ben was able to do his makeup without too much trouble. Rolling a tube of red lipstick over his lips, properly darkening his eyelashes with a bit of mascara. Charlotte knew she won’t even have to wait till Friday judging by how well he’s doing.

She had him select what jewelry would work best with his new dress. He didn’t want to go overboard. Just a pearl necklace with matching earrings. From the smile on her face, it seemed to satisfy Charlotte.

After a rather skimpy lunch (“A gal like you needs to watch her figure, Betty.), the lessons continue. Every so often, Ben was told to try on a new dress, complete with necessary accessories. Charlotte made extra sure to teach him how to put on his bra… which seemed to fit him surprisingly well. He didn’t know why. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to know why.

Aside from his outfit changes, Ben was kept on his feet practically all day, mincing and swishing all around the house in his dresses. To continue what felt like the longest day in Ben’s life, Charlotte took pure delight in drilling every feminine mannerism and gesture that she knew right into his body. She taught him when to flutter his hands as he spoke, telling him that girls were far more expressive with their body language when conversing, when to play with his hair, pout his lips, cover his mouth with his dainty hand whenever he laughed or was surprised. His wrists were kept limp and his hips always swayed from side to side when he went about the estate in his heels. 

Eventually, the lessons began to drill into Ben’s brain, like a thirsty sponge that came into contact with water. He had no idea why he was learning all this stuff so easily and quickly. Until yesterday, he never even wore a dress, let alone knew all of this other girly stuff. Now, it’s becoming second nature to him. 

He knew better than to complain, though. If he did well on his lessons, he will be out of here in about a week. From there, he can toss all this girly stuff to the side, get back to his friends, and pretend that this never happened.

Aside from a dinner filled with a bit of candy (“I really shouldn’t, but you are doin’ so well, I just wanna reward you with my favorite sweets.), the lessons continue well into the evening with Charlotte teaching Ben how to do his nightly evening rituals. She taught him that an evening look is different from a usual look in a few but noticeable ways. Heavier makeup, different dresses and accessories were definitely important for an evening look, Charlotte said.

By the time the lessons were over, Ben was exhausted. His head filled with no shortage of beauty tips, feminine mannerisms and all sorts of girly lessons. His feet were aching from wearing heels all day and a good night’s rest was just the thing he needed right now.

From there, Ben was quickly bathed. Hair scrubbed, body washed and his throat filled with that liquid Charlotte insisted he drink. Once done and dressed in another nightgown, Ben was sent off straight to bed.

“Sweet dreams, Betty.”

It wasn’t long before Ben was out like a light, his eyes covered by a sleep mask that Charlotte lended him.

---

Charlotte couldn’t believe how well the lessons were going. When she began teaching Ben, she was expecting her new student to have trouble with learning the ropes of womanhood. But he’s definitely a fast learner. 

By the end of the week, he’ll definitely become a woman: mind, body and soul. Especially now that the physical changes are beginning to show themselves. He hasn’t noticed them yet, but they’ll be just a bit too obvious to ignore. Of course, she’ll be more than happy to help him deal with them.

Chapter Text

Ben’s eyes slowly opened as he let out a big yawn. After the events of yesterday, it wasn’t hard for the teen to get a good night’s sleep. 

Surprisingly, Charlotte wasn’t there to wake him up. Of course, Ben knew that would not be the case for very long. Might as well get up now and have breakfast.

Slipping on his pink fuzzy slippers, Ben quickly made his way downstairs to see Charlotte making her breakfast.

“Oh, Betty?” Charlotte gasped. “I’m simply surprised to see you up.”

Ben shrugged as he made his own breakfast.

A bowl of cereal and another cup of that striking pink liquid later and he was quickly taken by Charlotte to another bunch of lessons.

A quick refresher was in order. Hair, makeup, clothes, accessories, the works. Of course, it was fairly easy for Ben. After yesterday, everything was burned straight into the feminized teen’s brain. 

From there was the mannerisms. Charlotte made sure that Ben emulated every little feminine mannerism. Like the lessons from earlier, he remembered that too from yesterday. The refresher went straight into the afternoon and that is when Charlotte interjected. 

“You’re such a natural, Betty. We’ll make a proper woman out of you yet.”

Ben remained silent as he applied his lipstick. A bit of red worked perfectly with his pink floral sundress. Definitely worked well with the bright blue eyeshadow too. 

“Of course, there is one thing you really need to learn for today.”

“What is that?” Ben asked.

“How to attract a man.”

Ben’s hand suddenly froze mid lipstick application. She was seriously going to teach him that?

“I-I’m not into men!”

“Oh, Betty,” Charlotte sighed. “We both know you want a handsome young man in your life. How you looked at that prince in my storybook the other night is proof enough of that.”

Ben blushed heavily. As much as he wanted to deny it, that prince was rather cute. Handsome even. 

There was also that dream that he had last night. A dream of princesses in beautiful gowns dancing with handsome charming men. In the center of it all was him in a beautiful pink dress as the fairest of them all.

He dreamt of dancing with a muscular prince that towered over him, made him all warm and giggly inside. And then they kissed.

It wasn’t a dream that Ben was comfortable admitting to anyone, much less Charlotte.

But he couldn’t really be into men… could he?

“It’s perfectly natural for a gal your age to go out looking for a ravishing young gentleman and I’m going to help you learn how to do it right. Time to teach you how to do a little man-catching.”

Ben wanted to protest, insisting that he is a man and he is not into guys. However, he agreed to be Betty for the week and Charlotte was insistent on making Betty follow her footsteps on being a very girly girl. Besides, he knew that he didn’t exactly make a very masculine image at the moment between his heavily made up face and his pink floral sundress.

And so it was there that Man-Catching lessons began. 

First was finding the right boy. Charlotte pulled out a bunch of magazines for Ben to read. Issues of Vogue and Vanity Fair. The outfits and fashion tips weren’t exactly essential right now. What was important were the men that appeared every now and then.

With each man in those magazines, Charlotte instructed Ben to look at them. See what is attractive about them. Is their hair stylish? Do they have a nice bod? What about their eyes?  Ben had to answer all these questions and more for each and every man.

Ben noticed that Charlotte was rather surprisingly thorough when it comes to personality. She was insistent on making sure that person is actually a good person and not someone who is putting up an act to please them. Ben had to admit she was right on that point. Aside from that, it would be a bad idea to attract someone who had a personality that is… unpleasant at best, repulsive at worst. Maybe she had some past experience on that front.

Next was actually talking to boys. Of course, being stuck inside the La Bouff estate limited Ben’s opportunities to actually talk to boys. However that didn’t stop Charlotte from making sure to teach Ben all the ways she knew to talk to boys, little ways to flirt and flounce. 

---

“Oh, you’re just so handsome,” Ben giggled as he playfully batted his eyelashes. “How could any girl reject a true hunk like you?”

Ben couldn’t help but feel more than a little silly. There he is, flirting with an image of some guy on a Vogue magazine while all dolled up in dresses and makeup. But he had to practice somehow and this was the best idea Charlotte had.

“Why, yes. I would adore the chance to go on a date with you. Why would I turn down the chance to be with such a real man?”

“Decent job, Betty,” Charlotte clapped.

“Thank you.” Ben nodded.

“You should remember not to be so easy,” Charlotte said. “Women like us have standards when it comes to men.”

“Of course, Charlotte.” Ben just knew that Charlotte wasn’t always the best when it comes to following her own advice, especially when it comes to princes, but he wisely kept his mouth shut on the matter. 

---

The lessons went well into the evening. By the time Charlotte was wrapping up, Ben knew more about man-catching than he ever thought. All the flirting techniques, what a woman looks for in a man, how to dissuade unwanted suitors, Ben knew all that and more.

It was around that time that Ben couldn’t deny it anymore. He really was completely into men. It would certainly explain why he never felt the same kind of attraction towards women.

How was he supposed to face his old friends like this, knowing he’s into the same sex? Would he actually be attracted to any of them next time he sees them?

He stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. As he is right now, Ben knew he could catch a boyfriend if he truly wanted to. Between his well made-up face, his stylish blonde hairdo, his darling pink dress, and his well-endowed breasts there would be more than a fair few boys that wanted to be his friend… wait, breasts?

Underneath his dress and held up by a lacy bra were a pair of reasonably sized breasts. How could he have not noticed this until now? Last time he checked, boys do not have boobs. He had to tell Charlotte about this.

“Charlotte!”

Charlotte quickly made her way into the bathroom, facing Betty.

“Yes?”

“Why do I have boobs?” Ben asked. “I’m not supposed to have them!”

“Oh,” Charlotte grinned. “It’s no shame for you to have boobs, Betty. In fact, it’s perfectly normal for a gal your age to be growin’.  It’s like a butterfly emergin’ from a beautiful cocoon. Let me tell you what womanhood is like for yours truly.”

As Charlotte proceeded to explain to Ben the wonders of female puberty and what her own experiences growing up were like, the latter was just confused. Boys did not grow breasts and yet…

“That is why growin’ breasts is nothing to worry about. Mothah Nature is just preparin’ you for womanhood.”

Ben shook his head. This isn’t right. It doesn’t make sense, but at the same time, it kind of does?

He was feeling… conflicted. It was the best word that came to mind for his current situation. 

“Why don’t we get you ready for bed? It’s been a long day and I am sure you want to get some rest for tomorrow.”

Ben didn’t even try to object as his mind was still rattling from the conversation. Boys weren’t supposed to be growing breasts, much less have breasts at all. So why hadn’t he said that?

When Charlotte turned off the lights to Ben’s bedroom, the latter at first tossed and turned a bit. He couldn’t get his mind off of his growing femininity these past few days. However, sleep eventually overcame him, sending Ben into the world of dreams. There he could only dream of himself as a beautiful and fair princess dancing with a dashing prince.

Chapter Text

In comparison to the past few days, today’s training was straightforward and yet extremely important. 

Field Training. Going out in public. Going out where everyone can see Ben all dolled up. 

When Charlotte first told him this, Ben did not want to go. He begged and pleaded not to be taken out all dressed up in feminine finery. However, Charlotte put her foot down and made it very clear they were going out for the day whether Ben liked it or not.

“Charlotte please! I can’t go out like this!”

“Oh, don’t worry, Betty,” Charlotte consoled. “You look fabulous.”

That condolence gave Ben very little comfort.

“I understand you’re worried. Just remember, it’s all about body language,” Charlotte instructed. “If people see you stompin’ around like some boy, they are more likely to see you as such no matter how you look. But, if you remember your trainin’ and act like the lady you’re supposed to be, then it wouldn’t be a problem, right?”

Ben had to admit she had a point. All the feminine mannerisms Charlotte trained him on came way too naturally for him now. Between that, his makeup, the bright pink sundress (does Charlotte have anything that isn’t pink?), and matching heels, Ben knew there was a minimal chance that anyone would be able to tell he’s a boy. All he has to do is act like the little lady he’s supposed to be. Be Betty, not Ben.

From there, it didn’t take long for Charlotte to arrange a driver to drive them out to town. Once there, Charlotte told the driver to come back and pick her and Betty up in six hours.

And now there he is, out in public. Ben mincing in heels side-by-side with his “mother”.

This was far from the first time he had been out in town. Ben often had to sneak through the area with his friends, looking for easy marks to pickpocket. But this was the first time he had been out so publicly, in women’s clothes no less. 

Not helping matters was that Ben knew that he was quite the eye catcher. The way his hips sway from side to side, how his mascara-coated eyelashes flutter with each and every blink. Every single little feminine mannerism just screamed “I’m a pretty lady, pay attention to me right now!”. 

Ben hoped that any boys in the area would be paying more attention to Charlotte than him. But he just knew it wouldn’t be the case for everyone. Especially for boys his age.

A wolf-whistle echoed through his ears. He turned to face a rather good looking teenage boy. Judging by the way the boy was looking at him, that whistle wasn’t meant for Charlotte.

Ben minced forward, hiding the growing redness on his cheeks.

As the two went through the area, a question arose in Ben’s mind and he just had to ask. 

“What are we doing here?” Ben asked. He wondered why he didn't ask that question earlier. But he did and Charlotte had an answer for him.

“Oh, we have quite a few things to do.” From her purse, Charlotte pulled out a little list. “Do our hair, get a little mani-pedi, get some clothes for the two of us, maybe get you some pretty pearl earrings like mine while we’re at it.”

Before this all started, Ben doubted it would take more than ten minutes to do each activity. Of course, Ben knew better now. He wouldn’t be surprised if doing everything on Charlotte’s little list took them longer than six hours.

“It’ll be fun! Trust me!” Charlotte squealed. “Oh look, here’s our first stop!”

Ben could see it. It was a beauty parlor. Through the windows he can see women getting their hair and nails done. Right on top of the front door was a sign that made its identity known to anyone passing by.

“Mary’s Kut n Kurls?”

“It’s my favorite and they’ll do wonders for you.”

Charlotte dragged Ben into the parlor. Entering, they were greeted by a young adult woman in a baby blue uniform.

“Hello, Charlotte.”

“Hi, Bloom!” Charlotte giggled. “How are you doing?”

“Perfectly well,” Bloom nodded. “Who’s the little lady right by you?”

“This is Betty,” Charlotte answered. “I’m trainin’ her to be a proper little lady like yours truly. She’s doing so well, she’s like the daughta I always wanted. Today’s like a mother-daughta outing for the two of us.”

“I’m glad you’re helping this poor girl out. Would you like the usual?”

“Oh, yes,” Charlotte took hold of Ben’s hand. “And make sure to give Betty the same too. It’ll really make her shine.”

Covering his body with a white smock, Bloom quickly led Ben to a salon chair. He was placed between Charlotte and some other woman who was also getting her hair done.

“Oh my god, Emma!” Charlotte cheered at the other woman next to Ben. “It’s been a while since I saw you.”

“I know right. How are you doing?”

“Just fabulous. Right next to you is Betty.”

And so Ben remained silent as they did his hair. It didn’t feel right inserting himself on this girly gossip. Maybe it’s because he didn’t really feel like he belonged in the conversation? Or maybe it’s because they wanted him to talk about certain... stuff.

“I’m sure Betty will find herself a nice boy to treat her right.”

“Are you trying to get her interested in princes like you?”

“Who can say? But I know Betty wants a big strong man in her life. Isn’t that right?”

Ben didn’t answer. Instead he buried his face in the magazine, at least as much as he could without smudging his makeup on it. He remembered this magazine being the exact same issue that Charlotte had him read for his training yesterday. He can hear playful giggles from the other women.

The hair styling took a while. Ben wouldn’t pretend to admit that he understood the complexities of beauty parlor work. Cutting his hair, washing it with fancy smelling shampoo, putting curlers into it, then having his head under some fancy machine. Looks to be one of those dryers he heard on the street occasionally. Far more complicated than anything Charlotte made him do to his hair during training.

Then there were the brows. With a pair of tweezers, an employee began plucking at them. Ben winced at each and every hair pulled out. It wasn’t long, thankfully, but it was undeniably unpleasant.

Mani-pedis were quicker. Though he had to give up the magazine to allow the workers to do his hands. He had to slip off the pumps too, allowing his toes to be done as well. It wasn’t long before Ben had twenty well-done painted red nails.

He genuinely couldn’t believe he was experiencing something so peaceful and pleasant. Being all pampered and dolled up professionally. None of the women aside from Charlotte could even tell he was a guy. He was just one of the girls, here for her first appointment at Mary’s Kut n Kurls.

Of course, eventually he was done.

“Meet the new Betty!” Bloom held up a hand mirror to Ben’s face, allowing him to get a look at the parlor’s handiwork. 

His hairstyle. It was exactly like Charlotte’s. A bright blonde bob that reached just a little bit past his chin. Far from the dirty blonde hair he had when he first broke into the La Bouff estate.  There were also the brows, plucked into high arches. The whole work was undeniably feminine and he felt a little bit of pride at how good he looked.

“You did wonders on her!” Charlotte squealed. “I’m sure Betty will be here quite a bit after today.”

After paying the beauty parlor for both customers with a tip a bit bigger than Ben thought she'd give, Charlotte was quick to take Ben off to the next stop. The clothing store… or rather clothing stores.

Sears, JCPenney, Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, there were so many stores that Charlotte dragged Ben to. Not a single clothing store was spared from their little shopping spree. With each store they went to, Ben tried on every outfit that Charlotte gave him. Some were better than others.

There was one dress that stood out in his mind. It was truly ugly. Garish shades of pink, flowers that clash horribly with the shades. And there was one big issue with the dress that he felt was worth mentioning.

“This dress makes my butt look so big.”

Ben and Charlotte agreed that dress was a clear-cut no.

Surprisingly few of the clothes that Charlotte bought were for herself. Nearly every skirt and dress was entirely meant for Ben. The latter figured Charlotte already had plenty of dresses currently in style and she wanted to make sure that his dresses are up to date as well.

Part of him wished that he would get more clothes that aren’t pink. Only a handful of dresses weren’t pink, being red instead. But, it probably wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, with his new hairdo, no other color than pink could do his feminine beauty justice. But red could work as well. He’s not complaining.

God only knows how long all that shopping took. Between all the outfits he had to try on Ben lost track of time and he wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte did as well. Before they could move on, there was one issue that Charlotte had to deal with.

“Have to go to the ladies room,” Charlotte said. “Be back in a bit.”

Charlotte minced off to the bathroom, leaving Ben alone in the complex. He sat down on a nearby bench, four shopping bags held in each manicured hand. 

It was good to take a break from all that walking in heels. Going around the house in them was one thing, but doing it in public was something else entirely especially with the heat beating down on the area. Kicking back and relaxing for a little bit would be nice.

Ben made sure to smooth his skirt, delicately crossing his legs. It wouldn’t be very ladylike to wrinkle his dress, especially in such a public area like this.

“Hey, this place seems awfully busy today.”

“It’ll be easy money, wouldn’t it?”

Those voices. It couldn’t be them.

In the corner of his eye, he could see them. Steve, George, Charles, and James. And they were heading this way.

There was no way in Hell he was going to let them see him like this.

Ben got off the bench and ran as fast as he could. Heels weren’t exactly designed for fast movement in mind and he could definitely feel that as he ran behind the nearest pole, narrowly avoiding a trip down face first onto the floor. Good thing too. His new clothes could’ve fallen out of the bags, and he could’ve ruined his makeup too.

His heart pounded as he slowly looked around the pole. They were still there. Talking amongst themselves. He sincerely hoped with all of his heart that they would not go this way, not see him like this, not recognize him all feminized and girly. 

“Betty?”

Ben held back a scream. Charlotte was right there in front of him with a slight frown on her face.

“What are you doing?” Charlotte asked.

“Hiding from my old friends,” Ben whispered. 

“Your old friends?” Charlotte looked around the pole to face the four. They were still a fair distance away from the pink dressed duo. “Those guys?”

“Yes,” Ben quickly nodded. 

“They look like little ruffian pickpockets, aren’t they?”

“Y-yes,” Ben nodded. “I’m not innocent of that either. We had to survive out on the streets one way or another.”

“Well,” Charlotte grabbed Ben’s hand. “You won’t be doing that anymore under my watch.”

She dragged Ben away from the pole by his hand. He can see the four orphans running straight towards him. His heart beated rapidly and as they ran straight past him, he clutched his purse.

They didn’t try to take it.

“And they didn’t recognize you,” Charlotte said. “Didn’t they?”

Ben didn’t answer. He knew. She no doubt knew too.

Of course they didn’t recognize him. Between his feminine attire, girlish voice, fabulous blonde hairdo and his completely made-up face, they were more likely to try to steal his purse than actually recognize him as their friend. 

“They’re my friends,” Ben mumbled.

“Well, I think we should get you away from these hooligans. No woman worth her salt should be associated with thieves and criminals. We can find you some more appropriate friends down the road.”

“Right.”

Ben offered no resistance as Charlotte took him to the very last stop on her list. A simple jewelry center. 

There, Ben tried on several bracelets and necklaces, seeing which ones worked best with his style. Then there was the main event.

“Time for earrings!” Charlotte squealed.

She picked out several styles, ranging from long dangly drop earrings to simple studs. Of course, Ben knew what he wanted as it definitely worked well with his attire.

Bright white pearls.

He made it clear to Charlotte and the next thing he knew, both of his ears were pierced leaving him the proud owner of a pair of pearl earrings. Of course, Charlotte bought several other styles of earrings for him. Mainly the ones she picked out beforehand alongside a set of diamond earrings

“A girl needs to accessorize, Betty. Diamonds are a gal’s best friend, after all.”

With that, Ben knew he was finally done.

From there, they quickly made their way back to the parking lot where their driver was waiting for them. They were half an hour late, not surprising. Ben found it more surprising they weren’t there even later.

And so they drove home.

It was a long day at the mall so by the time they got home, it was close to dark out. Charlotte didn’t raise a complaint when Ben decided to go to bed a bit earlier after dinner.

“On Friday, your trainin’ will be over,” Charlotte said. “Isn’t that just grand?”

“Yeah,” Ben nodded. He’s all ready for bed in his frilly pink nightgown. “Feels like a bit more than a week already, to be honest.”

“Well, we did quite a bit today,” Charlotte pulled the covers over Ben. “That’s why I understand you’re all tuckered out today. We won’t have much to do tomorrow. I think a day of relaxation between the two of us will be nice.”

“I think it would be nice,” Ben giggled. After the training and the mother-daughter outing today, it would be simply wonderful to just relax and not have much to worry about.

“Oh, you’re doing so well. You’re like the daughta that I always wanted. Keep it up and I’ll adopt you.”

Ben gasped. 

“Really.”

“Of course.”

Ben couldn’t believe it. He’s seriously going to be adopted into the La Bouff family. When he first broke into the estate, he never imagined the possibility of adoption happening. Being swept from being an orphan to being the heir to the La Bouff estate. It felt kind of exciting. Dressing all fancy and the like. However, with the topic of adoption, a question arose in Ben’s head. Something important.

“I need to talk to you about Ben.”

It felt kind of weird for Ben to be treating himself and Betty as two separate people, but as far as Charlotte was concerned, he’s Betty. Something about the whole matter made it seem more convenient and less confusing to approach the topic this way.

“Yeah, what about him?”

“Would you adopt him instead? I think he might need your help more than I do.”

“If you want to,” Charlotte answered. “Of course, that will depend on you. I think we both know the answer anyway.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Charlotte smiled. “Nighty night, Betty.”

With a quick and tight hug, Charlotte quickly made her way out of Ben’s bedroom, leaving him alone. 

He turned towards his closet, filled with all the dresses he and Charlotte picked out for him today. So much pink, only broken up by a few red dresses in varying shades here and there. Each and every article of clothing unmistakably feminine.

He looked down at his chest. His breasts are still growing. His mind wasn’t on them much compared to yesterday due to everything else going on, with all the shopping and makeovers, but it was still worth keeping an eye on. It definitely helped make him look and feel more feminine. Filled out his bra quite nicely too.

The thought of growing breasts didn’t concern him as much as it should.

Ben sighed as he switched off the light and closed his eyes.

Each day he felt less and less like Ben and more and more like Betty. It kind of scared him, he had to admit. But at the same time, it felt so right. Dressing all pretty in pink, mincing down the street in heels, being more concerned about his makeup than having to struggle to find good food. Everything about being Betty feels so…

Ben shook his head. No. He’s not going to stay as Betty. Once Friday rolls around, his training would end and he can go back to being Ben. It should be right. At fifteen years old, he’s almost a man. Not some girly girl all dressed in pink. He should be more concerned with winning girls' hearts, not looking at men and deciding which one is the most attractive.

Being Betty was supposed to be just Charlotte’s little joke at his expense. Make this young pickpocket all dolled up and girly, have him act like a little lady for a week and then just have him leave. 

But with the possible adoption, and all this training throughout the week, things changed quite drastically. And… something about being Ben again didn’t feel right to him.

As his mind slowly drifted off into his dreams, Ben wondered.

Would it really be so bad if he stayed as Betty?

Chapter Text

Ben sighed. After yesterday, Thursday was pretty peaceful. There were no more lessons. Not even a refresher. 

He couldn’t complain about that at all. After the past few days, every little lesson felt all but engraved into his skull. Mincing in heels, doing his makeup, picking out the perfect outfit for the day, it was practically second nature to him at this point. 

He flipped the page. Marie of Nuevailes . A story about a poor but beautiful orphan girl working as a maid in the mansion of a wealthy entrepreneur and attracting the entrepreneur’s heir in the process. He just started reading this novel today, but he found it rather engrossing so far; even if some of the words seemed a bit too fancy for him. Definitely something worth spending the afternoon on. A bit different from the fairy tale he read beforehand, The Lovely Maiden Fair .

He remembered Charlotte reading it to him on Sunday, back when the whole thing started. Of course, this time he read it for himself. A young maiden being saved from an evil dragon by a man who turns out to be a prince. It was simplistic, meant for young children, but it was fun enough. A girl getting married and becoming a beautiful princess.

Charlotte loved princesses, that much was obvious, and Ben could see why. Wearing pretty dresses, having more money than you could ever need, and being with a prince charming who would love her deeply.

Ben scoffed. He knew that becoming a princess was very unlikely, especially in this day and age. Charlotte had a better chance than most at actually marrying a prince, but it was still unlikely to say the least.

And there was Ben himself. He couldn’t imagine the thought of marrying a dashing prince and becoming a princess.

His eyes slowly turned to his closet. Perhaps there was something else he could wear for the day? The pink sundress was nice and all, but he wanted to feel a bit… girlier for the day. Charlotte probably had something fancy in that wardrobe somewhere. 

Setting his book down, Ben made his way over to his closet and began looking through his clothes. It was then he saw it .

It was truly a big and poofy dress. Bright pink, given Charlotte’s preferences it was pretty much a given. Sleeves that poofed out at the shoulders and went down nearly all the way to the hands. The skirts filled with petticoats, giving the rest of the outfit a large appearance topped off with bows and flowers. Far more elaborate and fancy than anything Ben wore so far. It almost resembled a cake. He couldn’t believe he missed it before. It was truly beautiful.

“I love that dress too.”

A light scream escaped Ben’s lips as he turned to face Charlotte who was standing by the bedroom door.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to see how you are doing and then I saw you with that dress,” Charlotte sighed. “I remember having Daddy get Eudora to make that dress for me when I was your age.”

“And it looks really beautiful,” Ben admitted.

“Why thank you,” Charlotte said. “Do you want to try it on?”

“What?” 

“Oh come now, Betty,” Charlotte said. “We both know you want to wear that darling outfit. You felt like a lady before, but this dress there will really make you feel like a princess.”

“I suppose I could give it a try.” Ben couldn’t deny it. He may not be a princess, but he couldn’t resist the urge to at least dress the part. He never wore anything like the dress he was holding up before.

“Great!” 

It didn’t take long for Ben to take off the dress he was currently wearing, leaving him in a pair of bra and panties. He expected Charlotte to just slide the poofy gown right on top of him, but there was something that he had to put on first.

“You need a corset, Betty,” Charlotte advised. “Trim that figure just a teeny bit.”

Charlotte tied the corset onto Ben, crushing the latter’s waist just a little bit. It didn’t need to be extra tight, his diet made sure of that.

Then there was the dress itself. Charlotte gently slid the frilly dress over Ben, allowing him to feel the garment on his body.

“Let me do your hair and makeup a bit, Betty,” Charlotte said. “I would normally have you do it yourself, but I think you deserve a little work from yours truly.”

The makeup wasn’t anything that Ben hadn't worn before: blush, mascara, bright blue eyeshadow and red lipstick. It was the hairstyle that was different. 

With a little brushing, it took Charlotte surprisingly little time to do Ben’s hair. He couldn’t see it right now without a mirror. But it felt much different from the bob he got at Mary’s Kut n Kurls yesterday. It felt higher of sorts.

“And one last thing,” Charlotte placed a silver tiara right on top of Ben’s head.

“Meet Princess Betty!” Charlotte grabbed Ben’s hand and dragged him over to the full-length mirror, allowing him to gaze at his reflection.

Ben couldn’t help but gasp. The dress looked so wonderful on him. The dress hid what little masculinity he had left under petticoats and poofy sleeves. The outfit had a low neckline, allowing him to get a good look at his cleavage.

His breasts are still growing, that much was obvious. Inversely, his manhood was still shrinking. First time he noticed that. It was never that big to begin with, but now he can barely feel it under his legs. He wondered…

His makeup was sublime, perfectly complimenting the pink dress with the red lipstick and blue eyeshadow. 

Then there was Ben’s hair, tied into a big bun. It definitely looked much fancier than any hairstyle he had up to his point and the tiara just completed the style.

He understood why Charlotte wanted to be a princess, but he didn’t truly get the feeling until now. He looked so pretty, so gentle, so girly. The only thing that would make him look more like a princess would be if he was held in a prince’s strong and muscular arms, whisked away on a noble steed to get married and live happily ever after.

“You look so beautiful, Betty!” Charlotte squealed.

“Yeah,” Ben said. “I do.”

It was then Ben knew… He had to be Betty. The outfits, the makeup, being with Charlotte as her daughter. Everything about being Betty felt so right. 

How could he… she go back to the way things were? The mere thought of being forced to wear ill-fitting suits horrified her, let alone going back on the streets in ugly and patched-up pants. It was downright obscene.

The rest of the day felt like a blur. It was hard to remember or focus on anything else with all these thoughts plaguing her mind. Being either sent back out on the streets as Ben or being forced to give up her femininity as Charlotte’s son. As Betty went off to bed in her frilly pink nightgown, she wondered.

“How am I supposed to convince Charlotte to let me be her daughter permanently?”

Her training was supposed to end tomorrow and whether or not she’ll really get adopted by Charlotte, she had to go back to being Ben. No matter how hard she thought, Betty couldn’t come up with an answer for her problem.

Regardless of her worries, it wasn’t long before sleep overtook Betty. Her eyes closed as her mind drifted off into dreams. Simple little dreams of marriage to a nice and handsome young prince.

Chapter Text

Today was the day. Betty couldn’t believe it. Her training was over. Of course, she hardly needed any training after her little shopping spree with Charlotte on Wednesday, not even any real lessons yesterday, but still…

“It’s been a great week, huh Betty?”

“Yeah,” Betty solemnly nodded her head. Her hands nervously folded on her lap. 

“Of course, that means you don’t have to be Betty anymore,” Charlotte said. 

Betty gulped.

“You’re Ben again. If you want I can adopt you and see to it that you’re raised as a little gentleman. Mommy’s little prince.”

Betty didn’t want that. She didn’t want to wear uncomfortable suits, pants that wouldn’t feel right on her hairless legs, or anything other than the beautiful dresses she wore throughout the week. She had to say something, anything.

“But I know you don’t want that.”

“Huh?” Betty raised her head. Charlotte, did she… know?

“You don’t want to be Ben,” Charlotte said. “You want to stay as Betty. You want to be all sweet and pretty like me.”

She pulled out an all too familiar bottle of liquid.

“I bet you noticed by now that this has been helping you look and feel all girly, doesn’t it?”

Betty nodded and looked down at her breasts. Far from the only thing he noticed that changed over the week, but they were the most obvious.

“Just one more drink of this and you’ll be Betty permanently,” Charlotte whispered into Betty’s ear. “You’ll be a pure woman inside and out. You can have children. You can make love on your honeymoon with your special someone and you don’t have to worry about having awful facial hair anymore.”

“Of course,” Charlotte gently pulled the bottle away from Betty, dangling it just enough into view. “If you do, there’ll be no going back. You’ll never be a man again. Ben will be gone forever. As far as I’m concerned, there’s only Betty, my pretty little girl.”

“It’s your choice, Betty.”

Most people will probably refuse the offer. Most men will probably be disgusted at the thought of becoming a woman. Some would even call Charlotte insane for giving them such an ultimatum in the first place. Of course, Betty isn’t most people and for her, it was hardly a choice at all.

“I’ll love to be your daughter, Charlotte.”

“All you have to do is to drink every last drop from this bottle.” Charlotte gently handed Betty the bottle. 

Betty opened the bottle and quickly drank it, making sure that not a single drop was spared. It wasn’t long before it was done. 

It was then she felt it. It was drastic, but quick and painless. She knew at that moment her manhood, any trace of her male body was gone forever. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Oh, Mom!”

It may not be the most ladylike thing, but she couldn’t help the tears rolling down her cheeks. She ran up to pull Charlotte into a hug and her new mother was quick to return the hug.

Regardless of the circumstances in which they first met, they were mother and daughter now and there was nothing that could stop them from being the prettiest little ladies they could be.

Chapter Text

Betty smiled. 

It’s been a month and a half since she has officially been Betty La Bouff, Charlotte’s darling daughter. It took a while to get the legal documentation all sorted out, but it was nothing that a bunch of lawyers on La Bouff money couldn’t handle.

Of course, she was her daughter, adopted but still her daughter. Both mother and child couldn’t help but be proud of how well this all turned out.

Her womanhood was still intact. Betty knew this was the case. Any last trace of doubt was eradicated when that… time of the month came. It was truly unpleasant, to put it lightly.

Betty was mostly done with her look. She had to make sure she was presentable for the debutante ball. A formal occasion where young women like Betty are presented to society. She can’t afford to screw this up, but she knew she got it handled.

And of course, there was Charlotte, who was right behind her doing her hair, styling it up into a big beautiful bun. A bun fit for a proper young woman like Betty.

“Are you sure you want to adopt them into the family too?”

Well, Mother,” Betty said. “It is getting colder out and I do not want them freezing when winter comes around. They may be hooligans, but they are still my friends.”

“I understand.”

“Besides,” Betty grinned. “They would greatly benefit from the La Bouff touch too. Why, recently, they picked up this young boy with messy brown hair and I saw this baby blue dress the other day that he would just look darling in.”

“Well, one thing at a time, Betty,” Charlotte said. “You need to get ready for your grand debut first. Once that’s over, then we can talk about them.”

“I understand, Mom,” Betty smiled. There’ll be no shortage of women who’ll be more than eager to meet the new La Bouff and more than a fair few gentlemen too. Maybe she’ll take them up on a dance or two. They may not be princes, but she was sure that they make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“I know you do,” Charlotte nodded. “I’ll meet you downstairs. Better finish up fast.

“Of course, Mother,” Betty nodded. Charlotte quickly left the room, leaving her daughter to finish up. Not that there was much left to finish.

Sparkly white debutante dress? Check. Matching heels? Check. Petticoats and crinolines underneath the dress? Makeup? Check. Tiara? Absolute check. She was ready, as a La Bouff should be.

Betty turned towards the door with a smirk. She’s definitely going to be the belle of the ball.