"Ah. So you told them about me Oberon. Pray tell Aspen. What did he say about me?" Ebonheart asked. "That you plan to nuke the word to kill off humanity. That and my child can stop you forever" Aspen replied. Ebonheart burst out laughing so hard it hurt their ears. "The absurdity! Well at least the nuke part. Why would an unleash nuclear Armageddon on the world? Poison it for not just them but for every form of life? That's like a you burning down your house to kill a roach infestation. I'm not some super villain Aspen. I have no intention of nuking the world. I do admit I need nukes for my plan however. Oh Aspen. How I longed for the day to meet you" Ebonheart sighed. "Then what are you trying to do?" Aspen asked boldly. "Humans are so dependent on their machines now. Their very lives tied to them. That plane flying overhead. Ambulances running down the street. Hospitals, the Internet, telecommunications, so many things humming right now saving human lives. What if it just stopped?" she asked.

"You said you needed nukes. Oh my god. You're going to unleash an EMP" Keith said. "Your file said you were very smart. Indeed, I am in the time of my choosing. Millions will die within a month due to starvation, war, riots, and disease. And when humanity is killing itself off for their friend's last can of beans...a new disease will emerge. Tiny species of the world will be the carriers. Borrowers will infect North America. Alux the south. Gremlins Europe. Koonago east Asia. And Mogwai Central Asia" she chuckled. "Impossible even for you!" Oberon interjected. "You're right, which is why Aspen's child will do it for me. Only she can conjure a sympathetic magic spell so mighty" she quipped. "Never!" Aspen yelled. "Oh yes you will for the other option is far worse."

"Humans are doing a bang-up job of destroying themselves as it is. Seen the news lately? A fat fuck in North Korea is building bombs instead of feeding his people. An egotist in the White House compares his launch button to the size of his penis. Both men are too foolish to put their egos aside to speak. Syria, north Africa, Palestine, Russia, hell you would be hard pressed to find a country with no worries. I remember the Cold War Aspen. Regular old humans going about their days wondering if one day somebody pushed that button...and it would all end. Almost borrower like really. Living or dying at the mercy of men bigger than you. And what if it actually happened? To die is one thing but to survive? Knowing it all ended because a lunch of politicians got cranky? Would that be fair? Of course not! I don't want to extinguish humanity. They're a resource to be used. To spread our Fae bloodlines. Like grapes they’re sweet if nurtured but then again you still get the sour diseased ones that threaten to kill the vine. And so they must be cut off."

"75% is enough to ensure the world survives. And from death, a new world will be made. A world of hybrids ruled by Fae whose blood hasn't been thinned to the point magic is useless. It will be a new age that hasn't been seen since the days of Tír na nÓg" she smiled. "You're insane" Keith said. "All visionists have been called such but history proves them right. Now Aspen. Time for you to make a deal" she said. Ebonheart snatched Claire right off the ground. "You will agree to handing me your child when she is born. If not I'll kill you all. To show I’m a Slaugh of my word..." she said pushing Claire into her mouth head first. Claire’s screams were muffled by her lips. Her legs kicking in the air until they were slurped in. Ebonheart's eyes grew wide as if noticing something. "Please don't do this!" Aspen yelled up at the giantess. She was ignored and Aspen fell to her knees in disparity as she saw her swallow and the lump that was Claire traveled down her throat. "I had no idea she was pregnant. A two for one. Oh and that sweet salty taste...she'll die inside me before she gives birth." the wicked woman cackled. Aspen so distraught she peed herself. Keith himself felt his heart break...and Oberon took over. If this was the end he would die on his feet. He bit his finger and bent down. Ebonheart slid her foot out of the pump. Her smelly giant sole hovered over Aspen. "She's next if you finish that!" she yelled.  

"Give her back!" Aspen yelled. "Sorry, can't hear you. Oh she's a fighter. You were saying?" Ebonheart asked. "I AGREE! JUST GIVE HER BACK TO ME!" Aspen shrieked. The giantess patted her belly. "...alright. Don't say I don't show mercy today" she replied. Ebonheart used a tiny bit of magic to force Claire up her throat. Holding her hand out she spat out the half comatose Claire who coughed and gasped for acid free air. She placed her on the ground next to her and Aspen rushed to her only to be stopped up by the titanic woman. "Now to enact our contract. Failure to do so and they will die in a way even I can't take back" she warned. Aspen nodded. Ebonheart bit her finger and let blood trickle out. She held it to Aspen's tiny face. "Drink it so our pact is sealed" she said. Aspen did as told. She wanted to puke immediately as it was like drinking three pints of blood to her. Like drinking wishing well water with an overtone of rust water. She got goosebumps as arcane magic electrified the blood. No doubt some kind of curse or spell was carried by each drop. Aspen coughed and gagged and Ebonheart pushed her finger into her mouth to prevent vomiting. "There. That wasn't so hard. Down you go" she said placing Aspen back on the ground. With a snap of her fingers they and the car were back to normal. "The hospital is three blocks that way. Congrats on the baby Claire" she said before turning away. A gust of wind kicked up and she was gone..."Aspen..." Claire groaned as fluid pooled around her butt on the ground. "Claire...the shock caused her water to break" Keith mumbled. He pushed Aspen into the car and handed Claire to her. He hopped into the driver seat and rushed to the hospital. Needless to say, people were stunned to see the smashed-up limo screech to a stop at the ER door. Aspen was in shock and he pushed her as she held Claire into the lobby. "Jesus! Get a cart!" a nurse said seeing Aspen with blood not of her own all over her face and dress. "Isn't that the girl that was in congress earlier?" someone asked. "Not her...her!" Keith said handing a groaning Claire to a nurse.  "Oh! She's ready to pop! Get doc Stafford down here! He's had experience with borrowers" she called out. "It hurts...its hurts..." Claire groaned. The hairs on the back of his head stood on end hearing her suffer. Aspen trembled looking at her. "I'm here. Oh my...let’s get her to my office" he said taking Claire from the nurse. "There we go... Let me run some warm water. In the meantime, steady breaths" he said placing Claire on a soft towel.

"Apparently you three had a hard day. Ma'am...are you alright?" he asked Aspen. "The blood isn't mine" she muttered. The doctor could see she was in some kind of shock, but he chose to deal with the more immediate issue. "Remarkable. I've never seen a with blonde hair and blue eyes before. Okay sweetie. This is going to sound very weird but bear with me. Place your feet on top of these tic tacs" he said placing two an inch apart. Claire groaned and propped her feet up on the candies. Gently, the doctor cut off her panties and rolled her dress up slightly. "No bleeding. Very good. How frequent is the pain?" he asked. "Every few minutes" Claire replied. "Okay. Now I want you to sniff this" he said applying cream to his finger. "Hell is that?" Keith asked. "An analgesic to lessen the pain. Steady breaths...now when another bit of pain hits I want you to push" he said. Claire nodded. "Aspen...Aspen where are you?" Claire asked. Aspen brought her finger to her and Claire gripped her fingernail tightly. "You did the right thing..." she muttered. Aspen looked down at the floor silently crying. The Doctor looked at them both not knowing what was going on.

The old man counted the time from each yelp and push. "Aspen...I'm scared" Claire whimpered. The tiny girl was sweating profusely. Her breasts leaked milk. Her tiny toes curled in pain. Keith could only imagine how rough it would've been without the analgesic. Speaking of Keith, he had to bite his lip to stop himself from scooping Claire up and holding her. His instincts screamed for him to cuddle her and help with her delivery. Her scent was flooding his nostrils. A sweet delicious scent came from her. He knew delivery was the most vulnerable time for a female borrower but he fully understood now. Her body screamed vulnerable tasty prey. He held her hand between his fingers. Claire looked at him to see him terrified and his lip bleeding from him biting it. "He's so worried...I have to be brave" she thought. She thought back to a time not long ago when she was goofing around on the table and slipped right off. Aspen and Keith rushed to catch her and she landed in both of their hands. "Thought I was gonna splat" she said. "Not happening. Between us...we'll always protect you" Keith grinned.

She smiled at them weary and yelped as another contraction hit. "Push!" the old doctor yelled.  Claire pushed with all her might and collapsed. Faintly, she heard crying. So gently it had to have been honed by years of practice, the doctor held the baby on his fingertip and gave it to Claire. Expertly, he snipped the umbilical cord and cleaned the incision with a cotton swab. "Congratulations. It's a...(gets a magnifying glass) boy. A healthy itty-bitty boy" he said smiling. "Oh my god. He's so precious. Keith...he has your nose" Claire said holding the boy close to her. The doctor gave Keith a puzzled look. "What exactly is going on here?" he asked. Keith didn't want to answer. "Son. I've seen many things over the years but what I saw today defies everything" he said pointing to a metal chair Keith had been sitting in. He was so worked up his hand bent part of it and didn't realize. "Doctor patient confidentiality?" Keith asked. The old man locked the room. "I'm not human and that's my kid. Aspen, let's hold the baby" Keith said. Keith was the first to shrink down followed by Aspen. The old man gasped in shock.

"You not having a heart attack are you?" Keith asked. "No just wondering if I was dreaming" he replied. "You're not" Keith said holding the baby. "He smells like us both. Oh Jesus..." Keith muttered feeling his offspring in his arms. It was a mind-blowing thing for him. A being he created brought into the world. His proof that he was a successful borrower. Proof that his sister and his parents didn't die in vain. Keith began sobbing. "I wish they could see this" he muttered. "Maybe they can" Aspen said taking her turn holding him. "We're a family sir. He was gracious enough to be a surrogate for Claire. You see how" she said. "Astounding. This process is by science?" he asked. "Yeah. I made it to help her with her Borrower rights podcasts" Keith replied. "An age we live in. I see why you keep it secret.  Pandora's box" the old man said. "Yep. As dangerous as it can be, it can give us miracles" Keith said stroking the fine hairs on his son's head. "Thank you for helping us. How did you know escarole what to do? Med school?" Aspen asked.

"Not exactly. When I was very little, I was in an orphanage. My father died in Normandy and my mother a few years later. In the orphanage we had comfort borrowers. Tiny people to play with to make our lives easier. Some children were cruel, others kind to them. I befriended one we named Patty. Around 12 years old and cute, at least to me. Many times, Patty would sleep in my bed as the other kids were prone to...naughty things. I kept her safe and...well she was my first crush. Years passed and she grew to a beautiful girl and I a strapping young man. The headmaster decided to mate her with a Borrower male to keep the linage going. Patty wasn't too keen on it, but she wasn't in a place to say no. She got pregnant and one night she crawled into my bed for warmth. She loved it as I stroked her tiny body till she fell asleep. In the middle of the night she awoke in pain. She was going into labor. She begged me to be the one to help which I did. A cute little girl was born and Patty loved her so. Not long after she got very sick from an infection."

"It was clear she was dying. So afraid for her child. It's cruel to say but no way would they take care of a Borrower baby. They would...anyway I took it upon myself to steal some penicillin from the nurse station and gave some to Patty. For three nights I smuggled it to my bed and gave it to her. Patty survived and was very thankful for what I did. It was discovered what I had done, and I was beaten for it. Patty sobbed blaming herself but I told her not to. I did it because I loved her. Patty...Patty was my first. My first time with a girl. Never told that to anyone but I see I'm in extraordinary company. Not long after I was adopted by a rich family in New York and I never saw her again. I remembered the pride I felt nursing her back to health. Saving her with medicine. It prompted me to become a doctor."

"This curious fellow I met in med school sheltered borrowers during the harsh winters. I helped him after he saw I was of like mind. There I leaned so much about how to treat them. Broken bones, infections, and more importantly pregnancies. I almost switched to veterinary school because of that" he said.

"Why didn't you?" Aspen asked. "Because back in those days vets didn't care for borrowers. It was like taking a sewer rat to the vet for a cold. Later on in my life I did some volunteer work at vets when attitudes began to change. Here they call me the Doctor Doolittle of tinies" he chuckled. "That's why they called for you" Keith said. The old man nodded. "We appreciate your kindness" Claire said looking at the old giant. "I appreciate letting this old man see something wonderous. I wish more were of like mind" he said. "You haven't been watching the news today" Keith chuckled. "No. Busy with patients" he said. "Do yourself a favor and turn on the news" Aspen said smiling stroking the baby with her hand. "Okay...in the meantime I'll draw up your paperwork" he said leaving the room.

"So it's a boy. What are you going to name him Claire?" Keith asked. "Luke Victor Thimblekin" Claire said. Aspen and Keith were shocked. "Luke...the name of my father" Keith muttered. "The name of my dad was Victor" Aspen said. "I want this little guy to be a part of all of us" Claire said. Aspen gave Luke back to Claire and they bit hugged her. "We should grow back before someone stumbles in" Keith said. Little while later they were leaving the hospital and headed back to the hotel. "Let’s get our shit and leave" Keith hissed not wanting to stay any longer in a room bought by Ebonheart and her accomplice. The ride back nobody talked. The realization that Ebonheart knew who they were exactly wore on their minds. "We're home" Aspen said parking her luggage and going right upstairs. "How was...A BABY!" Rebecca said sprinting to Claire and Keith. Keith placed her on the floor. "Shh! He just nodded off" Claire said handing him over. "Oh so precious! Thomas!" Rebecca yelled. Keith left them to fawn over their new grandchild. He went upstairs to Aspen. He found her trying to throw up.

"I have to get it out!" she yelled. "Ehat out?" Keith asked. "THE BLOOD!" she screamed. "Aspen stop. You're hurting yourself. Just...just stop" he said. She fell to the cold floor in a hysterical sob. Keith rubbed her arm and sat on the floor waiting. When she settled down, he carried her to her bed and laid her down. "I don't wanna give our baby to her" she whimpered touching her belly. "Neither do I sweetie" Keith said. "Oberon...is there a way to break the curse?" Aspen asked. "...this is all my fault. If I was attentive. Came out sooner. I should've absconded with you the moment I saw that crow" Oberon muttered. "Who was the crow meant for?" Keith asked. "Any one of us but most likely Claire. Aspen...to answer your question, there is a way to break it" he said. Aspen brightened up. "Stop. Please let me finish. There is a way but we cannot do it. The nature of the curse makes the cure far worse" he said.

"She has to give up her kid to a genocidal maniac! If you know a way then tell us!" Keith yelled. "The curse is of the contract variety. A solemn oath forged in blood. Hence why she had you drink hers. The binding spell kicks in when the contract is broken. If Aspen doesn't fulfill her part of the deal, she will immediately die. Ebonheart’s blood was ingested by Aspen. Carried throughout her body like a disease and even infecting her unborn child. So not only Aspen's life is on the line, her unborn child as well if broken before giving birth" he explained. "But you said there was a way to break it" Aspen said. "Aye I did. Since it infected Aspen, the only way to eliminate the curse would be to burn her to ashes. Now do you get it?" Oberon asked. Aspen hung her head and cried softly. "We can't just do nothing" Keith said hugging her. "And we won't. You were explorers discovering lost species of tinies. The time of being explorers is over. Now is the time to be warriors. Go downstairs to the grandfather clock in the living room" he said. Keith did as asked and Aspen followed as she didn't want to be alone.

"Open the glass pane and turn the hour and minute hand to midnight" Oberon said. Keith turned the hands and the clock chimed. That wasn't the only sound though a very faint click was heard. "Now use your fingernails to pry open the moon sigil" he said. He did to find a tiny crevice. "What is that inside?" Keith asked. "Take it out" Oberon said. Keith took it out and held it in his palm. "Is that a sword? It's tiny as fuck!" Keith said. Oberon took over. Once he did, the sword grew to normal size. "Rune Breaker. I hid it here years ago just before my body died. I knew one day it would be needed again" he said. "It's beautiful" Aspen said touching it. "Careful! The sword was gifted with every enchantment I know. One of them is to cut which cannot be cut. This blade can cleave a diamond. It would have no issue cutting your fingers off" he warned. Aspen backed off slightly but still mesmerized by it. Its blade was iron that shimmered in light. The hilt was of alabaster with a lock made of Philosopher Stone. Gold inlays of roses with a counterweight made of lapis lazuli.

"Elegant. Makes Excalibur look like a backscratcher" Oberon said turning it in his hand. "I'm going to wield it?" Keith asked. "In time. Right now, it's useless to you" he said giving him back control. As soon as he did it shrank back down. "Rune Breaker chooses its owner by the quality of their soul. It finds you...lacking" Oberon said. "Then how do I impress this thing?" Keith asked irritated. "That I don't know. There are people who might help you with that. If they’re still around" he replied. "I'll bite. Who?" Keith asked. "The Yaksha. I'll tell you about them but first...something to eat. You're starving" he said. Keith was so wound up he didn't even notice. Aspen made dinner that night just to keep occupied. "Claire?" Rebecca asked. "Sleeping. She told me everything. Oh Aspen...you made that deal to save her" Rebecca said starting to cry. "I made it to save us all auntie. Luke alright?" Aspen asked. "Resting on grandma's shoulder" Rebecca said smiling. The homunculi were looking at the baby with awe. Mostly the women. "Someday huh?" Ruby asked. As the unofficial leader of the women she chose to speak.

"You can say that again. I'm happy for your girlfriend ma'am" one of the men said. "Thanks...Jake right?" Aspen said. The man nodded as he chewed on a green bean. "Hate to be a downer but am I the only one seeing a problem with granting borrower’s rights with the stroke of a pen?" a woman asked. "You mean blowback? Violence? People taking advantage? We're optimistic not naive" Keith muttered. "People will kill some that they have just go get that last thrill" a man said. Some looked at him. "You know that's true. And while we're at it. They get rights but what becomes of us?" the man asked. Keith slammed his fork down and walked to the patio door. He tore it open. "Feel free to leave. Heard they are getting shelters ready for borrowers. What? Why are you hesitating? I'll help you!" Keith yelled walking back and snatching the man up. The giant pulled his arm back to throw him like a baseball. "KEITH!" Aspen yelled. Keith caught himself and looked at the terrified man. "...well we know why Rune Breaker thinks I'm a piece of shit" he muttered dropping the man on the sofa and heading upstairs.

"Please don't pay him any mind. He keeps his emotions bottled up inside until they break" Aspen muttered. The shouting woke up the baby and he began crying. "May I?" Ruby asked. Rebecca gave him over to her. "Aw don't cry" she muttered patting him on the back and soothing him. The girls stopped eating to fawn over him. "I should go talk to him" Aspen said. "Give him time" Rebecca said. Aspen reluctantly agreed and kept eating. Later in the night, Aspen came to his room. He was not alone. He was in the company of Chen who was being taught English by Keith. "There. That's it" he said. Aspen went to close his door. "It's okay. You can come in" he said. "You sure? Looks like you're busy" she said. "Not really. Chen came by to check on me. Like you're doing?" he asked smiling. "I go home" Chen said in English sensing the mood. She walked by between her legs. "I think I upset her" Aspen said. "A giantess can do that" Keith chucked. "That's not what I meant and you know it" she said sitting down. "Chen...she's in love with me. We had a moment" he said. "Knew that dummy. Don't care about that. I care about that little outburst" she said.

"Just frustrated. Here I was thinking we were safe here. Took all the precautions. VPN's, untraceable back accounts, avoiding cameras. She knew all about us!" Keith yelled. "Nothing is foolproof. You did what you could" she said. "It was not enough Aspen! And now...now you're indebted to her" he said. She held his hand. Her finger pushed the button on his size watch. "Nobody is perfect Keith. Not even you. Don't punish yourself for not being perfect" she said holding him. "Your hands are so soft" he muttered. Keith reclined in them. "If there's anything I've learned Keith...there's always a way. I hurts me to see you in so much pain" she said. She looked down to see him asleep. She tucked him into bed and unshrank him. It was very late but she had to check on Claire. Shrinking down, she tiptoed into her parents’ home and made her way to her room. Luke was asleep in his crib in the corner. Aspen looked at the miniscule infant with love. A taste of how it would feel to have a baby of her own. She sat on Claire’s bed and gazed at her lover.

Her tiny foot peeked out from the covers Aspen held it on her lap and massaged it. Her fingers rubbing the ball of her foot. Pulling on her tiny toes. It was her way to relax as what she had said to Keith she should do as well.  Aspen kissed the tips of her toes. "I almost lost you" she muttered. "But you didn't" Claire whispered. "You're awake?" Aspen asked. "You were rubbing my feet pretty good" Claire chuckled. She pushed her foot onto Aspen's chest. "Still though. My world stopped" Aspen muttered. Claire used her legs to pull Aspen close to her. "Aspen. I was sure I was going to die. What little air I had burned my lungs. I thought about mom and dad, Ritchie, Keith, and then you. All the people I would leave behind. I could hear you both in there. I knew she would want to spare you. If she had...I would've died happy. Of all the close calls we've had, this was the first time I was ready to die" Claire said. Aspen hugged her face into her chest and made a frightful whimper. Claire stroked her hair.

The shrunken human sobbed into her belly button. "When I became groggy from lack of air, my life flashed before my eyes. Painting our toes. Your sweet 16 birthday party. Your grandmother hosting mine. That time you even made a tampon for me hehe...and the way I hated Keith. God I was such a bitch. And as my body began sinking into her stomach bile, I thought of a conversation I had alone with your grandmother. She found me sobbing on the windowsill days after I came out to mom and dad. "What's wrong lemon drop?" she asked. She would call me that nickname because I was tiny and had blonde hair. I miss that. I told her what happened. "So you decided to finally tell them. Take it that it didn't work out well" she said. "No. Mom screamed that borrowers can't be gay. I was destroying the linage of our family" I replied. "Do you regret falling in love with my granddaughter?" she asked. "Of course not. I don't regret that" I said. She took me up in her old wrinkled hands and carried me to the study. She poured me some tea and broke off a chunk of gingersnap.

"Good. Life is full of regrets but love shouldn’t be one of them. The people we love Claire won't always be in our lives. Love them to the fullest so you won't have any regrets" she told me. "I will grandma" I said to her hugging her finger. I found peace in that memory. Peace in death and then I felt fresh air. Aspen, I'm going to love you and keep loving you until I can't. I won't die with regrets" she said to her. Claire kissed Aspen passionately pushing her tongue into her mouth. Her hand grazed her nipple and Claire shivered. "I'm alright. They're a little sensitive" Claire said as Aspen froze. As if taking her invitation, Aspen sucked her left nipple into her mouth making sure not to use her teeth. "Oh, fuck that feels so good. Your mouth is so warm" Claire cooed as her milk flooded her lover's mouth. Aspen drank the very essence of her. Her hormones, antibodies, the sweet life nourishing fluid of her borrower soulmate. Claire cradled her head as she did.

"You taste delicious" Aspen whispered. "Easy now. I got eaten already today. You ever...think about that with me?" Claire asked. "Every day. Just snatching you right up as you watch tv and gulp you down. But then I'd lose the one meant for me" Aspen replied. Claire giggled lewdly and her baby awoke crying. "Stay there. I'll take care of it" Aspen said getting up. Aspen cleaned and changed him and handed him to Claire. She gave him her right breast. "There there. Your other mommy was greedy but this one still has milk" she said chuckling. It made Aspen so happy to see Claire this way. Becoming a mom but more importantly alive. For the first time today she forgot her troubles. Aspen took ahold of her foot. "Aspen Sheila McCormick. If you tickle my foot while I'm holding this baby...oh nevermind" Claire said as Aspen sucked her big toe. "How's Keith?" Claire asked. Aspen stopped worshipping her foot to answer. "Blames himself. He thinks she should’ve been more careful" Aspen replied. "Typical. He always bears the weight of the world on his shoulders" Claire said. "I talked to him already. He's so worn out he passed out in my hands" Aspen said.

"Did you see his eyes when he held Luke? I wonder if daddy looked like that when he held me" Claire said. "I saw. Like every answer to his life was right before him" Aspen said snuggling up to them.  Claire passed Luke to her and she cradled him. "Asleep already. And he came so close to not seeing the world" Aspen muttered. Claire reclined in her bed. "You have such a full life ahead of you Luke...at least I hope you do" Aspen said stroking his cheek. In reality, the infant was no bigger than a cooked grain of rice but to Aspen...his presence was far bigger. It heralded a change in their lives. The first of many. Aspen placed him back in his crib and saw Claire had gone back to sleep. Aspen kissed her lips gently and left. Upon exiting, she grew back to normal and went to her room. Aspen fell asleep just as quick as the toll of the day sank in.

"Mommy? Where's mommy?" a young girl asked walking down the street. Aspen saw her. "Lina! There you are. Come here baby!" Aspen yelled seeing her. The ran towards her. Her little sandals slapping the broken and dirty street. Aspen held her arms out for the girl...and the girl ran right past her. "Mommy!" the girl cried. Aspen turned her head to see Ebonheart grinning and hugging her. "Let her go! That's my daughter not yours!" Aspen screamed. "No she's not. You gave her to me remember?" Ebonheart asked waving her hand around. Aspen looked around. She saw dozens of bodies in offices, restaurants and stores. Abandoned cars everywhere. Corpses in versions states of decay littered the sidewalks and streets. A sign on a wall said "Do your duty. Report any borrowers to the CDC"

Aspen saw them walking away. "NOOO! DON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!" Aspen screamed as they disappeared. Aspen awoke soaked in sweat. It was very early in the morning. The sun had barely rose.  She went to check on Keith and he was sound asleep. The homunculi tucked in tiny beds in their dollhouses. Seemingly normal morning. She came downstairs as it was no way she could go back to sleep. "Yeah kiddo. Well I haven't asked yet but with what happened I don't see them saying no" a voice said. Aspen saw Lily sitting on the table on a FaceTime call. Aspen had never seen her daughter but she could tell they were related by their eyes. "Mom? Are we in danger?" her daughter asked. "No Rose. This woman is focused on Aspen here. Taking her and her family back to the estate keeps her off the radar. Having said that, I plan to beef up security when we arrive" Lily replied. Aspen entered the kitchen to make coffee. Lily turned around hearing her bare feet slapping the hardwood floor.

"Anything strange going on at home?" Lily asked. "You are getting a lot of calls back at the office. Orders are streaming in after what happened in Washington" Rose replied. "A silver lining I guess. Missing me?" Lily asked. "A teensy bit. Can I borrow the jag? There's a party tonight at Jessica's" Rose asked. "Boys?" Lily asked. "A few but there's her parents to chaperone" Rose replied. "And you got a handle on your size magic? It is that time of the month" Lily said. "Jeez mom! Yeah I got it" Rose replied annoyed.  "Very well but watch your speed!" Lily replied. "Thanks mom you're the best!" she said ending the call. Lily sighed. Aspen poured a cup and a thimble for Lily. She sat them down on the table. "Thanks Aspen" Lily said tossing her hair. "Sweet girl" Aspen said. "Rambunctious" Lily whispered. "I take it she's into boys?" Aspen asked her propping her feet up. "She's taken an interest. She thinks she's being sneaky, but I can smell a male scent coming from her room sometimes. I'm hoping it's a borrower and not a human she's shrinking to hide from me " Lily replied.

"And if it was? Maybe he's like me. A human that can keep a secret. A human that sees past the species difference" Aspen said. Lily looked at Aspen from between her toes. "One can hope. I was talking to her about something I wanted to ask you all. With Ebonheart knowing about everyone it stands to reason she knows where you live. I want you all to came back to my estate in England" Lily said. "Ebonheart gave me her word she wouldn't touch me, Keith, or Claire" Aspen said. "That didn't include Claire's family. My family. What if she chooses to use them as some form of leverage later on?" Lily asked. Aspen sat her cup down. "Good point. This is more than about me. I'm on board if Rebecca and Thomas are" Aspen replied. Lily clapped her little hands. "Excellent! Well wait for them to wake. How are you holding up?" Lily asked looking at the worn-out giantess. "Throng to deal. That nightmare didn't help much" Aspen replied. "Nightmare? Tell me about it" Lily said. Aspen told her what she dreamed. Lily's face went pale.

"That was no dream. That was a vision. Aspen...lift up your shirt" Lily said. Aspen did and Lily flew over to stand on her thigh. "How long have you been pregnant?" Lily asked. "Barely a month? Lily...you're starting to scare me" Aspen said. "I want you to stay calm as I tell you this. I can feel the energy coming from your womb and it's nothing like I've ever seen. The development is far enough that you're more like 2 1/2 months pregnant. Any pain or discomfort?" Lily asked. "N-no. Hungry more" Aspen stammered. "The fetus is producing so much magic it's leaking out and triggering what little Fae blood you inherited over the centuries. Astounding. It's giving you some weak form of clairvoyance" Lily said.

"As in seeing the future. If that's true then she's gonna win no matter what we do! She's...she's going to get my daughter!" Aspen sobbed. "No! Aspen what you saw is a possible future. Just seeing it can change it. All the more reason you all need to stay with me. One moment sweetie" Lily said casting a spell to shrink her. Lily held her close to comfort her. "You smell like Claire. So much like her right down to your pretty toes" Aspen muttered. "Sweet. I try to keep my feet nice looking. You'd be surprised how easy it is to sweet talk businessmen when you have a nice pedi. This was this one French guy who kept typing to screw me by charging a "inspection fee" for my branch store in Paris. I took my heels off and put my bare feet up on the table. "Look Francois. I'll agree to 1% but not 5%" I said. "Well um Miss Durmont, I don’t know if my office can agree to that. Gremlin inspections are costly and how do we know all your borrowers you want to import as models are the genuine article?" he asked looking at my soles. I flexed my toes and spread them slightly. "Because I pride myself on ethics. Ethics is like grooming. How you take care of even the smallest things says something about your character. I take it you find no blemishes concerning me right?" I asked. "Not a single one. Flawless" he said looking at my painted toenails. "Good. One percent it is. We can seal the deal at dinner tonight alone?" I said. "Sounds good" he muttered. "This is the start of a delightful arrangement. Personally, I admire men that can recognize a deal that doesn't SUCK so easily" I said wriggling my toes a little before slipping my heels back on. He was speechless as I felt the conference room" Lily said.

"And did you see him later?" Aspen asked. "Oh yeah. I promised I would. However, I wore comfortable sneakers that evening. When it came time for dinner to end...I feigned fatigue and dismissed him" Lily chuckled. "Haha! That was so mean!" Aspen laughed. "Thank you Lily" Aspen said still hugging her. Lily kissed the top of her head. "You're not alone child. Never forget that" Lily said. Later on after everyone had awoken and had breakfast, Lily had gathered them together to discuss moving everyone to her estate, including the homunculi. They themselves were encouraged to attend. "And that's why you all need to come back with me. Anyone have anything to say? Objections?" Lily asked.  Everyone was silent. "So you're saying this ancient bitch knows where we live? Fuck that. Sign me up" a man said. "So there are many people our size living with you?" Ruby asked. "Hundreds on a protected sanctuary spread over an acre of land. We've built it up into a small town by this point. Shops, bakeries, schools, even a transit system" Lily said. The homunculi nodded very much in approval. "Don't feel right fleeing our home" Thomas said. "Honey, think about Claire and Luke not to mention poor Aspen" Rebecca said.   

"I have dear. I know what we have to do its just...we raised our kids here. We watched Aspen grow into a beautiful woman. This...this is home" he muttered crying a little out of frustration. Aspen picked the man up and held him close. "And it will still be again one day. Nobody can truly take that away. It just isn't safe right now. I once asked grandma if she missed her old home before she moved in after mom and dad died. She said that home isn't walls, pictures, a roof, or even furniture. It's the people that make it home. Those we love that live with us. That's what makes it a home" Aspen said. The small man looked up at the giantess. "You've grown so much. You're right Aspen. Wherever we go, what's important is we're together" he said smiling. "Then it's settled. Begin packing what you need. We'll leave this next weekend" Lily said. Everyone went about themselves to talk among themselves leaving Aspen and Keith alone.

"You were very quiet" she said. "Nothing to say" Keith said softly. "Nothing to say but you're feeling something" she said. "Anger, shame, helpless " he replied. "Love concern, hopeful" Aspen said looking into his eyes. "Don’t mean to interrupt but I've been thinking. I think it's wise we got some outside help" Oberon said taking over. "Help from who?" Aspen asked. "The Yaksha. They have been sympathetic to our cause before. They could still be and they could help Keith with his problem wielding my sword" he replied. "Oh so you know why I'm unworthy?" Keith asked. "No but the Yaksha might. They're experts on the nature of magic. In fact they were better practitioners than Fae" Oberon replied. "If they were so good then why didn't they fight her?" Keith asked. "Because they're pacifists" he replied. Keith rolled his eyes. "Keith. We need to take any help we can get. How do we find them?" Aspen asked. "Won't be very easy. The communist revolution in China displaced the Yaksha and mogwai. I haven't even heard a peep from them since then" Oberon replied.

"Then how do we know they're even still alive?" Keith asked. "I know a way to find out. Aspen, there's an atlas in the study. Please get it for me" Oberon said. Aspen left and came back with it. She unfurled it on the coffee table. Oberon bit his finger and whispered a chant to his bleeding finger. He held his finger over the middle of the map and let a drop of blood fall on it. At first nothing happened until the drop began to move. "Is it on a lean?" Keith asked looking at the table. "No. Wherever that drop stops is where the Yaksha are" Oberon said watching. "It stopped!" Aspen said. "Yeah. Lopburi Thailand. They must've fled back to their ancestral home sometime in the mid-20th century. Keith I'll leave the arrangements to you" Oberon said. "Will do. Aspen I want you to go with them to England. I'll take care of this" Keith said. "No Keith. She's coming too. I'm curious to see what they will make of her. I myself sense extraordinary power coming from her. Better safe than sorry" Oberon said. "Alright. Two tickets. Claire won't like this" Keith said. "Claire won't say shit. She has a baby to look after" Aspen said. Keith went upstairs leaving her alone. Aspen looked at the noonday sun shining through the trees.

"Every dog has his day Ebonheart but that doesn't mean I'm going to throw you a bone. I have an advantage you don't. Family" Aspen muttered clenching her fist.

Meanwhile in Boston...

"About time you arrived" Ebony said tapping her foot. "I had to drive all the way back from New York through vacation traffic. School semester just let out and everyone is on the road" John replied holding a container. "Well at least you pulled it off. Any problems?" Ebony asked looking as he sat the metal container down. "No. Your contact was right on the money. They arrived right on schedule. Just had to wait for them to set this in the circle" John said sitting down next to her. Ebony rubbed her bare foot on his leg. "Danica! It's here!" Ebony shouted up the stairs. A bunch of footfalls came down the stairs. "You got it?! How many?!" a girl of 16 asked. "96 so I was told" John replied. Danica danced in her tip toes. "Go ahead honey. Open it" Ebony said. Danica opened the container. "Oh fuck yea. You little shits are so screwed" she grinned looking at the contents.

"The triads are gonna be pissed when those undocumented don't arrive in Chinatown" John said. "Who are they gonna tell? The police?" Ebony laughed as she stood up and walked over to them. She bent down to look at them. "Small but not too small wouldn’t say sweetie?" Ebony asked looking to see that each person no bigger than her pinky nail. Danica slipped off her shorts and panties exposing her enormous pussy to the terrified throng of illegal Chinese. She reached down and they scrambled. She snatched one man up. "Speak English? No?" Danica asked. The man was babbling in Chinese. "Yum yum or fuck?" she asked. She made his decision and stuffed him screaming up her cunt. "Nice..." she groaned. Ebony picked one up herself pulling her away from the crowd. "Sex trade you would've went. A keeper but I don’t need mommy" Ebony said seeing a middle-aged woman pleading for her to let her go. Ebony plucked her right up and held them close. Each one crying and reaching for another. "Bye bye" she said placing the woman in her mouth. Ebony pulled her daughter into a kiss and slipped the woman into her mouth. Danica swallowed her whole with a sadistic grin. "You're in a happy mood" Danica said blushing.

"Just pleased I can share my work with my daughter" Ebony said. "And what about me?" John asked. "You? Oh John you I like very much. You're more than my servant. You're the one betrothed to my child. The one that will unite my blood with the Mogwai. The one that will ensure my bloodline reigns supreme. Now go be with my daughter. I need to divide these people up into useful and not useful. After all, if I'm going to visit your people next month, I need my Stone powered up to show there is more to me than a pretty face" she said. "Can we take some for the road?" Danica asked. Ebony chuckled and nodded.  She watched them disappear not before Danica scooped up a handful of shrunken people for their own lewd amusement. "Family...what can you say right? Now out you tiny shits. Momma needs to get back to work" Ebony said shaking the container free of the immigrants that would meet not a new life in the country but a horrific death...