"Ruby, you're going to be late for school" Susan said on bent knee outside her apartment. "I know I know! Can't find my other sneaker!" the girl said looking under her bed. Susan stuck her nose in through the open window and sniffed the air. "Thought I told you to bring your dirty clothes down last night. Try looking near your door" Susan said. The girl found her shoe near the door and put it on. "Let's go" Susan said holding her hand out. The small girl climbed into the giantess' hand and held onto her thumb as Susan began walking.

"When will I learn magic stuff like you?" she asked. "Arcane is only taught to agents or self-defense soldiers, not civilians" Susan replied. But what if I wanted to be big like humans, like you?" she asked. "It takes years of training to use growth magic consistent enough to walk among humans. Concentration and stamina are key" Susan replied stepping over a group of people.  "Maybe I should just join the people you work for" Ruby sighed. Susan stopped in her tracks. "Absolutely not. Not everyone is suited for my line of work. It's dangerous Ruby. Extremely dangerous" Susan said. "I've had my share of dangers. I survived on my own since I was seven years old" Ruby huffed. "Are you fully capable of killing someone? To end their life under your foot as they beg and plead for forgiveness?" Susan asked. Ruby bawked. "Your reaction says no" Susan said.

"You've done that?" Ruby asked. "To protect innocent lives? To keep the knowledge of dangerous magic out of the hands of evil? Yes and then some. Some of their faces you don't forget. It stays with you" Susan replied. "You haven't said much about that day. It's been a week now. How was I the only one that survived what she did to me?" Ruby asked.  "Lucky I guess" Susan replied. "I was sealed in plaster with no air for hours. I may be a highland country girl but even I know I should be as dead as William Wallace" Ruby said. Susan said nothing and continued her walk. "Am I alive Suzie? Am I or am I just a thing walking around?" Ruby asked. Susan stopped again. "You're alive. You eat me out of house and home. You hog the bathroom. Your feet smell. And you cry yourself to sleep at night. Dead people don't do that" Susan said softly. "Then how am I alive?" Ruby asked upset. "Sometimes miracles just happen" Susan said to her.

Susan arrived shortly after. Kids of all ages ran between her giant bare feet heading to the first classes. "I feel weird going to a school where I'm one of the oldest kids in class" Ruby muttered. "The classes are mostly divided on general knowledge of the student. We try to keep the ages in a range for social reasons. If you think that's weird you should see the advanced classes. Teenagers with full grown adults" Susan said. "But why do I need to know where Boston is? I'll never go there. And math?" Ruby whined. "We live in a human's world. For our kind to prosper, we need to know as much as they do" Susan replied. Ruby scoffed at that. "I love you" Susan said. Ruby didn't answer. Susan lowered her head. "I'm trying Ruby..." Susan muttered. "Sorry. I love you too" Ruby said. Susan smiled and kissed her face before lowering her to the street. She waved bye before leaving her to go into the building.   

"Sorry I'm late" Susan said entering the briefing room. "It's alright. I know you got a lot on your plate" Keith said. "As I was saying, with another of their rank down, ZODIAC is only going to up their efforts. The trail went cold again so I need you guys to press on possible leads. Where do we stand on social media?" he asked. "We flagged any mention of the word zodiac but as you can imagine..." Fiona said. Keith nodded. "Their experts at info manipulation. Try the dark web where it's harder to censor. Tulip, they have been trying to control the flow of money. Any blips?" he asked. "It's Christmas time sir. Money is exchanging hands like it's going out of style" she said. Keith sighed. "Keith. If anything, they'll come to us. They need Hope" Susan said. "And the collateral damage in the process?" he asked. There was silence. "Dismissed everyone" he said. Agents filed out leaving him and Susan alone. "You should me on bed rest" he said as she shrank down to relax.

"The doctor cleared me" she said softly. Keith placed the girl on his desk. "You had a miscarriage. Our kind don't have miscarriages unless severe physical trauma occurred" he said. "I can try another day. Besides, I got my hands full with Ruby now" Susan said smiling. Keith now held her in his hands. "It's either smile or cry Keith" she said quietly. "The lawyer needs to get with you about her adoption papers. This is a big responsibility Susan" he said changing the subject. "She has nobody Keith. She alone and traumatized. She came into my life for a reason. I'm sure of it" she said. Keith nodded. He placed her on the floor. "If you need help remember to ask" he said. "Guess you're the expert with so many kids" she chuckled. "Susan. I'm winging it every day praying I don't fuck up" he said. Susan nodded and left him.  

She had some downtime before her scheduled session with Ruth the therapist. She found herself at the civic center idling her time watching people come and go. What she saw most though was parents with their younger kids. Kids not old enough to go to school yet. One woman looked utterly exhausted as she sat in a chair not far from her. The common grounds was an area exposed to the outside with small bonsai trees dotting the 3 ft by 2 ft square. Not as spacious as the park but considerably quieter. Susan watched the woman as she sat down a basket containing a sleeping infant. she slipped her shoe off and began rocking the basket with her foot as she pulled out a book from her satchel. Susan walked over to her.

"She's adorable" Susan said looking at the baby. "She is when she's not crying" the woman chuckled. "What's her name?" Susan asked. "Belle" the woman replied. Susan sat down next to her. She touched her abdomen thinking about her empty womb. "Is being a mother fulfilling as it sounds?" Susan asked softly. "Don't know. Never had one. Oh, you thought she's mine. No, I'm a nurse" the woman said. The baby woke up crying. "May I?" Susan asked. The woman nodded. Susan picked up the infant and began rocking it in her arms. "Forgive me but aren't you old not to have a child?" Susan asked deeming her age to be in her upper 20's. "Can't have one. My previous owner injured me badly enough I can't conceive" she replied. "I shouldn't have asked" Susan muttered. "It's alright. You're not the first" she said. "I miscarried last week" Susan whispered. The woman nodded.

"How did you come to terms with it?" Susan asked. "By loving the children of others" she answered calmly. "Thank you" Susan said. "For what?" the woman asked. "For confirming what I want to do" she replied handing the now sleeping infant to her. Susan left the civic center, grew to human size, and continued her thoughts as she walked to the grassy area on the north west side of the dome.

"Aspen. Didn't expect to see you here" she said looking at her sitting down. Oddly enough, a normal sized baby was toddling around her.  "Wanted to give my son some fresh air. Have him feel the grass under his feet. It's amazing his taking his first steps already" she said. "Borrower babies learn to walk sooner than humans" she said sitting next to her. "Has he been on his best behavior?" Aspen snickered. "A gentleman to a fault. I worry about him" Susan replied. "He looks tired all the time. I showed him my pedi and he barely bat an eye" she said. "He doesn't sleep well. Nightmares" Susan replied.  Aspen cocked an eyebrow. "You two..."

"Not exactly. We're close but not involved. He does confide in me" Susan replied. "He'll work himself to death if you don't stop him" Aspen warned. "He shoulders everything! Like he needs to fix every damn thing wrong!" Susan blurted out. "That's who he is. That's one way he shows his love" Aspen said softly bouncing Luke on her knee. It took me some time to truly understand his heart. When he chose to stay with Lawan it hurt so much I wanted to curl up and cry. I came to understand that he loved me, wanted to pleasure me, make me happy, but he needed something for himself. That perfect one meant for him. He gave me a precious gift here, well two in fact" Aspen chuckled. "I'm trying to adopt a girl I saved" Susan said abruptly. "That's fantastic Susan! I know you'll make a great mom!" Aspen smiled.

"Will I? I am boorish country hick whose day job is to kill bad guys. That's not exactly mommy material" Susan said. "Do you love her?" Aspen asked. "With all my heart" Susan replied. "That's a damn good start. Look, I'm in a same sex marriage with a magic using three-inch girl. It's not the Brady Bunch but we make do. I'd die for my family. They are my world. They complete me. This little guy bouncing on my knee here? I'm worried if he misses us. Will get a good education. Worried some asshole will come here and do something to this place one day. Being a parent always gives you doubts" she said. "I know I want to be one. I saw a woman earlier today that said taking care of someone else's kids gave her comfort. I want that for myself. I just don't know if I'll be good about it" Susan said. "You'll do fine" Aspen said patting her shoulder. Susan listened to her talk about her travels with a lighter heart soon after that.

"This is unusual. Normally you're human sized" Ruth said to her as Susan laid down in her recliner. "I had a good day so far" Susan replied. "Well that's nice. Care to share?" Ruth asked. Susan explained how she planned to adopt Ruby and her talks with other about her doubts of being a parent. "And yet you didn't try to have one yourself?" Ruth asked. "I miscarried last week" she replied. "How are you dealing with that loss?" Ruth asked. "I dealt with it" Susan said softly. "By jumping right into adoption?" Ruth asked. "Ruby was a girl I befriended on a mission. I saved her when the shit got real. She has nobody else" Susan replied. "I'm concerned you’re not grieving this loss Susan" Ruth said.

"I lost my baby! It happens!" Susan yelled sitting up. "For humans not us. I'm worried your physical trauma is blocking your emotional one" she said. "Physical trauma? Like me waking up with blood soaking my panties? Or how about I'm fucking lactating for a baby I won't give birth to? Hmm?" Susan asked angrily. "Okay that" Ruth said. "I'm fine Ruth. I'm fine with the reality I got denied from having something all borrower women think about since the first day they bled. I'm fine with the aching in my empty womb. I'm fine with...with the fact I'll never see what could've come of my child" Susan said shaking and crying. The woman sat next to her. "If I didn't go on that mission, I'd still be pregnant!" Susan sobbed. "And all those people, including Ruby, would be dead" Ruth said. "I've been so hard on her. I'm worried I'm taking out my anger on her. Blaming her in some way. Makes me think I'm not ready to care for a kid" Susan said. "Oh? Others disagree. You don't need to be perfect Susan. You just need to be there" Ruth said. The clock chimed. "That's it for this week" Ruth said. "I need to pick her up from school anyway" Susan said getting up. "Call me if you need me" Ruth said as Susan headed for the door.

Susan waited patiently as she towered over the school. Tiny little kids waving to the giantess as they passed by. Susan waved back as she waited to see a small tuff of red hair. Ruby exited the school to see a giant pair of bare feet. She looked up to see Susan waving. She plucked the girl up and placed her on her shoulder. "How was school?" Susan asked. "School was school" Ruby replied. "Make any friends?" Susan asked. "One girl liked my hair. The other girls are kinda bitchy at me" she said. "Because they're jealous. It's rare to see a borrower with red hair. It'll drive the boys crazy" Susan chuckled. "Well one boy keeps staring at me" she said. "Oohhh..." Susan grinned. "Cut it out!" Ruby laughed punching her earlobe.       

Back at home, Susan watched tv on a giant iPhone while Ruby did her homework. "I don't know this word" she muttered. Susan paused the video with her hand. "Faith. It means to believe in something or someone" Susan said. "I know what faith means" she grumbled. Ruby slammed her hand down on the coffee table irritated she couldn't understand some words. "Beating my coffee table won't help" Susan said. "Excuse me but I just started this crap. Bet you had problems too when you learned to read" Ruby spat. Susan calmly sat next to the girl. "You have it very easy compared to what I had problems with when I was your age. I learned to read in Braille" she said. Ruby looked confused. "It's a type used for blind people" Susan explained. "But you can see now" Ruby said. "I got my sight back this summer. I learned Braille, then when my sense of touch evolved, I could feel the letters on a page and relearned to read" she said. "Evolved?" Ruby asked. "A word than means for something to get better than it was before. My hearing, taste, smell, and sense of touch became far better than ordinary people" she said. "Sounds cool" Ruby said.

"No. It's very troublesome" Susan said as she closed her eyes.  "My hearing can detect your heartbeat. My sense of taste can be so strong I can't eat certain foods. My sense of smell so strong I can smell your feet through your shoes. And my sense of touch? I can't walk barefoot on carpet without getting wet down there. But...these sharp senses have saved my ass more than once" she said. Susan got up to check on dinner. "This Saturday we need to go into town to take care of business" Susan said taking food out of the oven. "But I want to go with Ryan to the park" Ruby said. "When we're done in town you can. Come to the table" Susan said. Ruby sat down at it. "How long will that be?" she asked. "Not a clue. Could be hours" Susan said. Ruby stared at her. "...whatever" Ruby muttered. The dinner between them was quiet.

The girl scowled as Susan had her bring her clothes to be washed. "I was thinking of..." *slamming of a door* "...making cookies" Susan sighed. Her phone rang. "Hey it's Keith. I know it's slightly late" he said. "No. Go ahead" Susan said looking at Ruby's bedroom door. "Control picked up something. Come to the briefing room" he said. Susan left the house and made her way to the briefing room.

"You look upset" he said seeing the small woman enter the room. Susan climbed up onto his desk. "Had better days" she muttered. She motioned for him to get on with it. Keith clicked on a file and opened it on his terminal. "This got flagged on social media. Check it out" he said pulling up a post labeled "crazy borrower says she's human Lol". "I'm human! Why won't you help me!" a small teenage girl said screaming from the cashier counter. "Miss. If you can't control yourself, I'll call the police" the barista said. "Call the police! Call them!" the small girl shrieked as she kicked over a tip cup. "Ma'am that's enough!" another worker said grabbing her. "Get your fucking hands off me!" the tiny teen yelled. Suddenly, the worker dropped her. "Shit! Fuck did you do?!" he yelled looking at his hand. "Are those burns?!" the barista asked seeing his hand. The barista slapped a cup over the girl and poked an air hole at the top. She held it in place as muffled screaming came from it. The video ended seconds later. "How does this relate to us?" Susan asked.

We did a follow up and got some info as this happened three days ago. The cops arrived and arrested her after drugging the girl. She was taken to a hospital where they examined her. While she was there, two EKG monitors were fried as they were connected to her. Massive electrical discharge" he said. "Lightning magic?" Susan asked. "Possibly. She's being held at a mental institution for borrowers as she still claims she's human" he said. "Any chance of it?" Susan asked. "We cross referenced missing persons. The name she gave does match a missing persons. A Candice Chambers reported missing February 17, 2017 out of Savannah Georgia" he replied pulling up the file. "The eyes and hair are different. The girl we saw in the video has blonde hair and blue eyes" she said. "Indeed. If this girl is who she says she is, then she's messing with magic. We can't let her tell anyone about it in that case. Last thing we need is a psychiatrist scribbling down a shrinking spell" he said. "If I go, what are my orders?" she asked.

"A truth spell will tell us what we need. If she's nuts let her be. If not blank her memory" he said. "This seems low key" she said. "Thought you might want to check it out since it's near your old home. The mental institution is in Atlanta. Since you know the lay of the land..."

"And my country fried southern drawl" she said. "I know some of your memories of the place isn't nice. I thought you might want perspective" he said. "I'll pack my bags" she said. Susan returned home and began packing her things. "What're doing?" Ruby asked. "I was assigned a mission. I'll be gone for a few days" Susan said packing her panties. "What kind of mission? You gonna kill someone?" Ruby asked. "Hopefully not. A simple recon mission" she replied. "Can I come with you?" she asked. "Nope" she replied. "If it's simple recon them it's no danger" she huffed. "All missions are dangerous" Susan said packing a few shirts and a dress. "I can handle myself" Ruby said. Susan was losing her cool fast. "You've never been in a human city. You have no training. No arcane experience. The answer is no" she growled. "I watched after my own ass well before I met you!" Ruby yelled. "And I didn't bring you back from the dead just to put you in harm’s way!" Susan yelled.

"You...you did what?" Ruby asked. Susan wiped her tears away as she zipped up her luggage. "I'll be back in a few days. Fiona will come by to check on you while I'm gone" she said as she walked past her. She ignored the crying girl as she closed the front door. Susan didn't even tell Keith goodbye as she took the Jag to the airport. She regretted her words as she waited for the private jet to get ready. She wanted the child to have a peaceful life but the balance between protecting her and exposing her to the world was still new to her. Ruby has said her birthday was in three months. By colony law, she would be an adult. Free to make her own choices good or bad. She couldn't live on her own out in the human world, but she was free to join THORN or live in a place of her own. "Dammit. She really hates me now" she muttered as mechanics went over the final checks of the plane.

"We can take off ma'am" the pilot said. Susan nodded and boarded the plane. She slept the entire 8-and-a-half-hour flight. The giant seat a good cushion for her as her magics waned. "Miss. We're here" the pilot said poking her tiny sleeping body. Susan yawned and stretched. She pissed and washed her face. The time back home was well past noon. "Did Fiona get her to school on time? Did she remember to take her homework?" she wondered. Susan found herself worrying about things she never had. Usually before a mission, she would think about her target, the mission details, the condition of her equipment. Entry and escape plans. Now she wondered if Ruby was alright. She was sobbing when she left. She was quiet as she got out of the plane as it sat in the hangar. She walked to the drop off and hailed a taxi. "Where too miss?" the man asked as she got in. "5th and Broadway" she said. "No hotel? I see no luggage and the address is not close to any apartments" he said looking at the GPS. "Just head there" she said. Susan wanted to get this out of the way fast and her luggage if need be was still shrunk and in her pants pocket.

After paying the man she stood in front of the mental institution. The windows were barred. One fire exit and one entrance. The building itself wasn't huge. A refitted elementary school by the design. Susan, like so many others, had kept track of the changes to human society to accommodate borrowers and gremlins. When it was revealed that the borrower population was over three times the expected size, it was clear that it would be so easy feat. Jobs, religions, housing, medicine, education, we're all hot topics for sure but one topic had slipped through the cracks at the start. Borrower mental health. It would be stupid to think three-inch people wouldn't have mental problems far greater in number than humans. Living your days fearing animals that could eat you. The instinct to breed. Human hang-ups concerning incest. And that's not to say the trauma borrowers received from seeing their families ripped apart by humans.

Seeing your kids sold off. Your husband or wife raped, crushed, or devoured before your eyes. And the child mortality rate for captive borrowers could be brutal. Any of them could leave one a twitching, screeching, PTSD mess. But it was downplayed due to their population. Only 13 mental facilities catered to borrowers in the US. A mentally ill borrower in Providence RI would be bussed to the nearest shelter...in New York.  The one before Susan catered to borrowers from Florida all the way to Baltimore. She didn't wish to think how many would be inside.

Making sure nobody was watching, she applied her enchanted lipstick creating a glamor to hide her appearance. Her hair turned dusty blonde with curls. Her eyes hazel and a small splash of freckles on her cheeks. She walked into the building past the two guards on the door to reception. "Rachel Hurst Center of Missing Persons. I'm here to see a Candice Chambers" Susan said. "Identification please" the receptionist said. Susan pulled out a fake ID laced with a perception spell. "Very well. Please take a seat while I get the general practitioner on duty" she said. Susan sat down and patiently waited.

She did not like the sounds and smell at all. Crying, wailing, muttering, and the smell of piss and bleach. She turned to look to see a young borrower man being fed by a nurse. "Manda? Where Emma?" he asked. "Asleep Jacoby" she replied. The young man nodded. "Poor thing. He lost his wife and daughter the same day they got rights" a nurse said next to her. "How many of them are here?" Susan asked. "Last count was...407 I think" she replied. Susan bawked. "Jesus. Are they all his age? He looks no older than 16" Susan asked. "No. We get all ages here. From young kids to middle aged" she replied. Susan's heart sank. "My god. You have enough staff for all of them?" Susan asked. "30 plus a couple borrowers for the younger kids. It's a full-time job within a full-time job" the nurse replied. The sounds of ranting filled their ears. "Excuse me" the nurse said rushing off. Susan went back to scanning the room.

Other borrowers played games pushing and carrying checkers. Children played hopscotch on a piece of paper with squares drawn on it. A nurse sat close by. One boy around 13 sat quietly alone near the edge of the table. Susan got up to get a closer look. "That's looks nice" she said. "One of their better days" the nurse said softly. "Why won't you play little guy?" she asked the boy. He glanced at the giantess and turned away. "Impulse control issues. He's prone to emotional outbursts" the nurse said dismissively. "Have you tried petting him?" Susan asked. "I don't know where you've been but they ain't pets no more" she said with disgust. "Didn't say that. I asked if you petted him" she said. The woman shook her head. "Thought not. Borrowers go through not just physical changes when they go through puberty but psychological ones too."

"Males get aggressive. The urge to mate gets stronger. Their extremities get sensitive and they need tactile release. Bottom line is he's horny and wants intimacy" she said. "You crazy? He's barely a teenager" the woman scoffed. "Your human ideals don't work with his kind. They're built different" Susan said bending down to pluck the boy up. The boy struggled in the giantess' grip. "There there. I won't hurt you. Let me see your feet sweetie" Susan cooed as she opened her palm. The boy settled slightly and straightened his legs. Susan pulled off his slippers and began rubbing his little feet. "Put him..."

"Be quiet and learn something" Susan hissed at her. The boy relaxed as her fingers kneaded his small soles. She let go of his feet and used her finger to push his shirt up to rub his small delicate chest. His eyes looking at the giantess so softly. "That's right. It's okay" Susan said. The boy looked dazed as she brought him to her lips. She could smell his arousal on him. Pheromones topped off with the sweet smell of teenage testosterone. Her own instincts whispered to her. She planted soft gentle kisses on his face until he seemed to doze off. "There. If you do that at least once a day, he won't have the urge to have sex so much. He should be much calmer" Susan said handing the boy to her. The nurse didn't know whether to be amazed or disturbed by it all. "Miss Hurst? This way please" said a man in a white coat.

"What's the status of the patient?" Susan asked. "Sedated and restrained. A necessary precaution as anyone who tried to touch her got some kind of strange injury. We didn’t want to do anything invasive until she stabilized. Why did CMP send you? Clearly she's delusional" he asked. "It's our policy to investigate any information regarding a case no matter how outlandish it seems. We can't pick and choose how we fulfill our duty when it comes to policy" Susan replied trying to sound authoritative. Susan observed the setup as she walked through the hallways. The old classrooms converted into alphabetical wings. Each room had a one foot by one-foot cubical box lined next to one another and stacked five feet high. It resembled a prison block to her. The front had a shatterproof window so the patient could be observed. A nurse stood on watch in every other room. He turned a corner and checked a folder. "In here. Wing M box 22" he said pointing to it. "I'll take it from here. Please, I can't have her agitated by anything" Susan said. "Sorry but its policy to have a nurse or doctor present for visitors" he said. Susan sighed.

She pulled out a scrap of paper from her purse and slapped it on his coat. "I'm fine. You can go now" she said after activating the spell. "You're fine. I can just go now" he muttered leaving. Susan sat down and unlocked the solid steel deadbolt keeping the box’s roof shut. "No more meds...please no more" the tiny girl whimpered as she scooted to the corner away from the giantess. Her floor and walls were padded. She was restrained in a very small straight jacket. Barefoot and hair a mess, Candice has seen better days. "I'm not here for that" Susan said before biting her thumb. She used her blood to write out a simple truth arcane on the padded floor. Even though she was sedated, the girl had begun to freak out. "What the..." Susan said smelling ozone in the air. There was a faint crackling sound in the air. The sound of static electricity. "Please step into that circle" she asked. The girl shook her head frightened. Susan sighed and went to mover her herself. "Shit!" Susan said jerking her hand back as the skin of her index finger touched her small face. No don't about it. She felt an electric shock.

Candice looked weaker than before. Very carefully, Susan gripped her hips between her fingers and placed her in the middle of the bloody circle. Once done, she activated the spell. "What's your name?" Susan asked. "Candice...Chambers" she answered in a flat tone. Susan cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you from?" she asked. "Savannah Georgia" she replied. Susan was getting anxious. "Are you human?" Susan asked. "Yes" she replied. "What do you remember before going to the coffee cafe?" Susan asked. "I was dizzy. My legs hurt. Everything was so big. A cat attacked me. Pinned me on the ground. I screamed and it screeched before it fell down. I followed the scent of coffee thinking someone could help me" she said. "Anything before that?" Susan asked. "No" she replied. "Excuse me but it's time for her meds" a voice said behind Susan.

Susan moved Candice off the arcane and wiped it away with her thumb. Immediately, Candice was free of the truth spell. "Go right ahead" Susan said. "Facility policy but visitors aren't allowed in the room while I administer" the male nurse said. Susan stood up and began walking out. She paused when she smelled something alarming from him. "Just one question. Is it policy for nurses to carry firearms?" Susan said smelling gun oil from him. The man dropped the metal tray and went for the gun hidden in his white coat. Susan pushed his arm aside just as he aimed and fired. The shot went wide hitting the wall. A chorus of screams and wails came from the boxes as the deafening sound agitated the borrowers. He swung his left arm knocking Susan aside with inhuman strength.

He aimed again and she ducked down. The round grazed her scalp. She retaliated with an uppercut hard enough to lift him off his feet. She was astounded he was alive. Such a blow would normally snap his neck or at least server his brain stem. He grinned and stuck his tongue out slightly to reveal a tattooed fortifying arcane on it. It glowed as fresh blood touched it. "Answers that!" Susan said. He lunged at her and in such close quarters, she couldn't dodge left or right enough. He grabbed her and used his weight and momentum to slam her into the floor. His hands squeezing her neck tightly. She couldn't breathe. Susan pulled her right leg back and slammed the tip of her high heel right into his balls. He howled in pain as he fell to the side holding his testes. "Fortifying only does so much" she hissed spinning her body and locking him in a scissor hold.

Her ankles were firmly locked around the front of his neck. The toes of her left foot pinching his nose closed as her calves squeezed tight. He struggled and began turning blue. Susan readied herself and jerked sideways hard snapping his neck. Her victory she couldn't celebrate though as she could hear staff coming. Susan snatched up Candice and began drawing an arcane on the outer wall. "Activate!" she yelled as it flared up. The transmutation spell broke the plaster and concrete back into its base forms of limestone, water, sand, and cement dust. Candice watched in a daze as the giantess punched a hole in the weakened wall and run out. Even small, she could tell the giantess was running faster than a normal person. She had to duck her head close to the giant fingers to avoid the gust of wind.

Susan knew she had to get off the streets. A woman in a dress, running barefoot faster than an Olympic athlete down the street would turn heads and make them talk. She looked back. "Wow" Susan said as her borrower adrenaline wore off. She had covered 10 blocks in under five minutes. She couldn't remember the last time she ran that fast. She looked at Candice concerned that she might have squeezed her too much as she ran. She was unconscious but alive. There was a motel across the street, and she chose to make use of it. She walked into the lobby office. "Jesus lady. Ya got something wrong? Pimp troubles?" the old man asked. "Naw. Just lookin' for a homestead for the night" she said slipping her natural dialect in. The man nodded nervously. "Room 25 please" she said. The man took her cash and gave her the key.

The motel was a common one. Nothing fancy at all. Just another in a sea of them in Atlanta. 50 rooms total with 25 on the ground level and another 25 on the level above. Susan went into the room and quickly changed. She wiped her lipstick off cancelling the glamor and went right back to the old man. "Excuse me sir? May I have a room?" she said very proper. "Miss? Something wrong...oh. Sorry you sound like a girl that just came in. Look like her too" he said. "Can't be me. I just got in from Boston" Susan said. "Right. She sounded like a native. Not a Yankee. No offense" he said. "None taken. Room 26 please" she said. The man gave her the key after getting his money. Sudan went to room 26. She kicked off her shoes, placed Candice on the pillow, and took out her phone. She dialed Keith.

"I've been waiting for you check in" he said answering. "I went to her right after I got off the plane. There's something really wrong here" she said. "Explain" Keith said. "She confirmed who she said she was under a truth spell. Right down to where she was from" she replied. "Hypnosis?" Keith asked. "Not that deep. And get this, some guy came for her. Posing as a nurse, he showed up carrying meds and armed with a Glock" she said.  "What?!" Keith said. "And there's more. He had an fortifying arcane tatted on his tongue. He nearly strangled me. I'm sure he was sent to either grab or kill her and I got in the way" she said. Keith was quiet. "So someone that knows magic went to silence a girl who's the size of a borrower claiming to be human. Did she say anything about symbols or anything?" he asked. "Haven't got that far before she passed out. That wouldn't explain the hair and eyes even if she was fucking around with a shrinking spell" she said. "True. Anything else?" he asked.

"She walked in a daze to the coffee shop and was nearly eaten by a cat. Electrocuted the thing. She couldn't have gotten far from wherever she was before" she said. "I'll check the surrounding area. So you confirmed that lighting magic she's been using?" he asked. "She had an insulated straight jacket on. Humans can't use magic so if she is human, how's she doing it?" she asked. "Don't know. Oberon has said that there have been human hybrids in the past who had fae ancestry that could perform very simple spells, but it took a huge toll on their bodies" he said. "I see. Call me when you find something" Susan said ending the call. Susan watched from the window down to room 25. It didn't take long for her to see what she was expecting.

Two black Chevy Suburbans quickly drove up. Four men got out. One of them heading to the motel office. Susan hoped whomever it was didn't hurt the old man. The man came out pointing to room 25. They kicked the door in with guns drawn. Susan watched. She had left her stash of clothes she had worn in the institution on the bed there. A few minutes later they left. "Amateurs" she chuckled before closing the curtains. The girl was groaning in her sleep. The smell of ozone coming from her. Susan began searching for something to help the girl. She turned over a cheap chair and inspected it. "That'll work" she muttered taking the screw off the chair leg and slipping the iron washer off. Carefully, she slipped the iron washer around the delicate neck of little Candice. Candice began to wake.

She opened her eyes to see a giant woman looking down at her. Susan flinched as the shrill scream came from the girl's lips. "I won't hurt you. Do you understand me?" Susan asked softly. The girl stopped screaming but backed away slightly. "So, you're Candice. That's a pretty name. I'm Susan" Susan said holding her finger out to her. The girl looked at the large digit. Susan sighed. "Hungry, thirsty?" she asked. She nodded. "I need to go to the bathroom" she muttered. "Okay" Susan said. Susan began unblocking the straight jacket. "Don't. People get hurt when they touch me" she said. "You won't hurt me. That thing around your neck will stifle the shock" Susan said finishing. Candice was free of it wearing just a long shirt and panties. "I won't pick you up, but I do have to help you" she said placing her palm on the bed. Cautiously, Candice stepped into it. Susan took her to the bathroom.

"Hmm. Well, you have to take off your panties and I'll hold you" Susan said looking at her. Candice wanted to object immediately until she saw the toilet bowl the size of a swimming pool and the outflow to certain death. Candice slipped her panties off and Susan placed them on the sink. She held the girl by her waist and with her second hand balanced her legs. Susan could hear the girl sob as she defecated and urinated for a few seconds. Susan said not a word as she cleaned her up. "Why don't you take a bath? That always makes me feel better" Susan said to her as she ran the sink. "I'm not so fucking pet!" She blurted out. "Second person today to say something along those lines. I know that but you need help doing things" Susan said placing her on the sink basin. Susan tested the water and nodded. "I'll give you some privacy as long as you promise not to do anything rash" she said Candice looked at the giantess. "I didn't risk my life to save you so you could off yourself later. Oh, and do NOT take that metal ring off" she explained. She handed her a sliver of soap. "Chinese or pizza?" she asked. "...pizza" she replied.

Susan made the call and waited 10 minutes. She knocked on the door. "Come in! I'm done" Candice yelled. Susan entered as the girl had finished drying herself with a Kleenex tissue. "A change of clothes. Hope they fit" she said. The girl looked confused as she put them on. "They look okay?" the giantess said studying the girl. "Tight in the chest" Candice said. A slight irk and a little amusement from Susan. She carried the girl to the bed just as a knock came from the door. Susan willed her sword to her as it grew in midair. Candice was frozen in shock. Susan hid the blade behind her and opened the door. "$11.45 ma'am" he said. Susan sniffed him briefly but smelled only teenage sweat, raw dough, sauce, and pepperoni. "Keep the change" she said taking the pie and closing the door. She placed the pizza down and began tearing off a slice. "That...that sword flew out of nowhere and grew!" Candice yelled. "Yeah it did" Susan said sitting down and pulling a chunk off. She handed it to the girl. She devoured it within seconds.

"Slow down girl. Ain't going nowhere" Susan said tearing off another chunk. "God I'm starving" she mumbled. "I'd imagine so seeing what you've been doing" Susan said. The girl paused.  "What do you mean?" she asked. "What you've been doing is a kind of...magic" Susan said. Candice just stared at her. "How did a girl from Savannah end up like this?" Susan asked. "So, you believe me?" she asked. "I do but answer the question. Were you messing around with weird looking writing?" Susan asked serious. The tiny girl was frightened slightly from her tone. "...no" she replied. "Then how did you end the size of a borrower?" she asked. Candice sighed. "I think it was from what those doctors did to me" she replied. "Maybe you should start from the beginning" Susan said.

"I ran away from home and ended up in Atlanta. Things happened and I ended up on the streets. A woman in a lab coat promised me $5000 if I participated in a clinical trial. They strapped me down on a table and when I said I changed my mind they ignored me. They injected me with something, and I passed out. I was in and out of it for days but when I came too, I was in a cage and everyone was huge. They ran tests on me. Blood, pee, and a bunch of other stuff. And then I saw my reflection. Blonde hair and blue eyes. They poked me over and over until I cried. When I did, Sparks came out of me. They looked so happy. Then the other day...a man came and opened my cage. He took his dick out..." Candice said before shaking her head.

"He grabbed me, and he lowered me to it. Said he liked me I was so terrified I let lose this feeling of pressure inside me. Next thing I know I was dog-tired laying on his body. The door was still open, and I escaped" she said sniffling. Susan petted her head softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that" she said. "WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?! WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT THE HELL DOES MAGIC HAVE TO DO WITH IT!?" she screamed. "I'm a person who goes around protecting people from magic" Susan replied. She stared at the giantess. "I'm crazy. I'm really nuts and I'm sitting in my cell right now" she muttered. Susan poked her in the chest. "Sorry kiddo but you're sane" Susan said. "Your body is kicking off magical lightning. Either instinctive, a side effect, or both. That ring is iron, and magic doesn't do well with cold iron" Susan said. "So, what happened to me?" Candice asked. "Not a clue" she replied. "Am I stuck like this forever?" she asked. Susan didn't answer. The girl sobbed as Susan laid next to her petting her till she calmed down a little. "I know smart people. If there's a way to fix it, we'll find out" she said. The girl hugged her finger tightly.

"So magic is real?" she asked. "Very real. Elemental magic, size magic, healing magic, curses and stuff, all real" she replied. "Size magic?" Candice asked. "Shrinking and growing"' Susan explained. "PERFECT! Grow me back!" she yelled. "No can do. Your body is in a kind of instability right now. To do it I'd have to take off that ring which would bring back the shocks and because you're human...well the magic is slowly killing you. Magic draws off life energy, stamina, chi, whatever you call it. Growing you in such a state could kill you" she replied. "Mom was right. God is punishing me" she muttered. "Come again?" Susan asked. "...I ran away because I fell in love with a girl in Atlanta. I came out to mom and she said God would punish me for being gay. I ran away that night. She said she was curious. I showed up at her door and she said I was just an experiment" Candice laughed broken hearted. Susan picked her up after sitting up in bed.

"God ain't got nothing to do with this. Someone did this to you. And my belief? Ain't nobody on this earth qualified to know god's mind. Who do you think God likes more? The sweet loving gay girl or the asshole heterosexual?" Susan asked. "...the gay girl" she replied softly. "I couldn't hear you!" Sudan said ticking her little bare feet. "The gay girl! The gay girl!" Candice laughed. Susan' phone rang. She put Candice down and answered it. "You found anything?" she asked. "Actually, I did. I estimated that she walked no more than two blocks in her condition. Searching a radius that size got one outstanding hit. A branch facility for the CDC" he said. "The Center for Disease Control?" Susan asked. "Same one. Strange though. From what we could find, this one isn't officially on the books. I think it's a grey site" he said.

"Hell's that?" she asked. "A government run site that's publicly known but only the bare basics is given to the public. Like Area 51. You know it's there and it's an air base but that it" he said. Susan looked at Candice. "She told me some more stuff. She said she was taken off the streets by a women in a lab coat. Injected with something and she woke up small" she said. "This is looking worse by the second. I think we're looking at a genetic experiment gone wrong" he said. "I thought The CDC cured viruses and shit" she said. "They do but they also examine the DNA of microscopic organisms. They were a part of the human genome project at the turn of the century. Rumor is they were asked by the CIA to bioengineer a strain of smallpox and a host of other nasty shit back during the Cold War*" he said.

(Authors note: This is a very real rumor. There was the fear of the Soviets using bio weapons back then and the US did set aside a budget for defense and possible use of their own. That much we know. As the CDC being the largest organization in the US dealing with contagions (and being government funded), they would be the de facto guys to go to about doing it. Currently, only two strains of smallpox exists. One at the CDC in Atlanta, and the other at the Kremlin bio research division)

"Isn't human genetic experimentation banned by the UN?" she asked. "Borrower too. Whoever is doing this has a shitload of pull and clout. I'm worried about their goal. This might be a test to see if they can implant magic genes in humans" he said. "Whoa...wait a minute. Magic genes?" Susan asked. "Well yeah. How do you think Yaksha, Mogwai, koonago, and fae passed down their magical abilities to their kids?" he asked. Susan shrugged and nodded. "So, the shrinking and blonde hair and blue eyes?" she asked. "If I had to guess, a side effect of putting fae genes in her to stimulate fae magical abilities" he replied. "Which is slowly killing her every time she discharges" Susan said. "Again, side effect. Magical beings have evolved to handle the strain. Humans haven't" he said.  "Can she be cured?" Susan asked. "In early stages maybe. But her entire body incorporated it now. I'm sorry Susan but I don't think so" Keith replied. Susan bit her lip looking at Candice. "I'm going to get some rest and check the place out at dawn" she said. "Susan, don't do anything crazy. That is still a government-controlled agency. If it's too much pull out" Keith said. "Understood" she said before ending the call.

"You looked at me funny after you asked whoever it was if this can be cured. It can't can it?" Candice asked. Susan didn't have the heart to answer. "Why would someone do this to me?" she asked. "There are people in the world that use magic to control others. Either by written spells or magic tools. In this case I think they want to give humans real magic powers. You were just a test subject" Susan replied softly. She picked the girl up. "Whomever did this will pay" she said. Candice nodded sniffling. "Susan? Your shirt" she said. Susan looked at it to see two wet spots where her nipples were. "Oh damn. Be right back" she said placing her back on the bed. "You okay?!" Candice shouted to her. "Yeah. Just bloated is all" Susan said squeezing her tits over the sink. She sighed contently as her breastmilk squirted into the sink. She returned a few minutes later topless.

Susan dried her nipples with tissue. "You got a baby?" Candice asked. "Would’ve if I didn't miscarry. Was pregnant just long enough to start lactating" she replied. Candice stared at her humongous tits. Susan chuckled at her. The girl blushed and turned away. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm not" Susan said. "...you're really beautiful" Candice said. "So are you" Susan told her. "You're big and beautiful. Hell my head is barely the size of your left nipple. What good is a tiny thing like me?" the girl asked defeated. "Tiny people have worth too. I'm a borrower myself" Susan said. She looked at the giantess astonished. "I use a growth spell to be big" she explained. "You beautiful, sexy, Precious young woman. Don't sell yourself...short" Susan said smirking. "I'm sexy?" Candice asked. "By scale, your tits are bigger than mine and I'm lactating. Nicer feet too" Susan replied. Susan sat on the bed with her feet pointed to her. "I know some boys back home that would love to date you. Girls too" Susan winked. "What about you?" Candice asked. Susan didn't answer.