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Author's Chapter Notes:

Let me be clear: this is not the final chapter of this story. However, it is the final chapter of this section of the story. The chapters after this will be like an extended epilogue. It'll all make sense eventually. Maybe. I hope.

~

“What… happened…?”

Brian fell over in Allison’s palm, completely passed out.

“Brian!” she cried, bringing him closer to her face. She inspected his body, looking for any sign of pain or distress. Thankfully, he looked completely peaceful. She sighed in relief, and wiped a tear from her eye.


“He must be exhausted,” came a soft voice from the doorway. Allison turned, and saw that Elizabeth was standing there with teary eyes, showing an enormous smile.

“You brought him back, Allie,” she continued softly, looking adoringly at her former student.

“I’m also the one who made him leave,” Allison replied quietly. Her heart was still plagued with unbearable guilt, and she wasn’t about to accept any praise.

“Oh, stop that,” Elizabeth chided. “One thing at a time, honey.”


She walked over and sat down right in front of Allison on the floor. She gently took her hands in her own, providing extra support to the hand that held their precious one-inch companion. Elizabeth gazed lovingly down at him, before closing her eyes and letting out a colossal sigh of relief.

“He really loves you,” she said. Allison nodded, adopting a sad smile.

“I know. And I love him,” she replied. “But… I keep screwing up, and he seems to always get hurt because of me. I know what I need to do, but… I don’t fucking want to!”


“Allie, you have to do what’s best for you both. Even if it’s unbearably painful right now, I promise that it’s the right move in the long run,” Elizabeth replied softly, rubbing Allison’s hands with her thumbs.

“I know…” Allison whispered sadly, looking back down at Brian.

“And I am so proud of you for realizing that. You need to take some time to heal. We’ve talked a lot about Brian’s past, but let’s not forget that you’ve been through quite a lot too, yeah? Much more than any wonderful young woman should,” Elizabeth continued, gently teasing Allison’s head towards her with her hand. Allison locked eyes with her, and her face darkened. She decided that something needed to be said out loud.


"You’re right. I’m still dealing with my previous relationship. And… I’m still dealing with the fact that I’ve… that I’ve murdered…”

She took a shaky breath, drawing her free hand to her mouth. What she was about to say was something that she usually kept hidden in the darkest corner of her mind.


“I’ve murdered 256 people,” she whispered, barely able to say it out loud. Elizabeth softly gasped, as Allison looked away in shame.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Elizabeth breathed. Noticing that Allison’s hands were becoming less and less stable, she gently removed Brian from her grasp. With extreme care, she moved him to the bed, tucking him in under the covers. Once she confirmed that he was safe, she turned her attention back to Allison. She scooted closer, and gently enveloped her in a soft embrace. Allison leaned into her warmth, desperate for comfort.


“I counted,” she choked out. “I counted, and I remember every last one. I tried to tune it out, but I can’t. I’ve murdered more people than any serial killer. I’m a monster, and I don’t deserve to be happy. Sometimes, I feel like… I don’t… d-deserve to live…”

“Oh no, honey!” Elizabeth exclaimed, gently pulling away and taking Allison’s face in her hands. “That is not true! Please don’t say that, Allie, that is not true! You are a kind, intelligent, caring, and wonderful person. You deserve to be happy, and you absolutely deserve to live. Please don’t say that!”

Allison couldn’t make eye contact, and weakly shook her head in Elizabeth’s grasp.


“No, I don’t. I keep screwing everything up. I’m the one who chose to ignore what everybody was telling me. Regardless of how I was offered the job, I’m the one who chose to become a Chevalier. I’m the one who disregarded Brian’s safety. Brian is the only thing that makes me happy, and I keep hurting him. I’m so fucked up… Elizabeth, I… I n-need…”

She looked into Elizabeth’s eyes.

“I need help,” she whimpered, before breaking down crying. Elizabeth embraced her once more, squeezing her with all her might. Allison desperately clung to her, as she was completely overwhelmed. Saying those words out loud was one of the hardest things she had ever done.


“Oh, Allie,” Elizabeth whispered, overcome with emotion. “It’s okay, we’re going to get you help. You’re going to get all the help you need, I promise. Everything is going to be okay…”

Allison could barely think through her unbearable sorrow, but she somehow managed to nod in affirmation.


“Okay… okay… okay…”


~


“You promise, Bean?”

 

 

Brian opened his eyes. He was instantly comforted by an all-encompassing sensation of softness and warmth, and his confusion was quickly soothed.

“Rise and shine,” came a soothing voice in the distance. Brian sat up, resting his hands on the soft skin below him, and looked up at the person holding him. To his modest surprise, it was Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth…?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. His whole body was sore, which made even talking somewhat difficult. At the sound of his voice, Elizabeth beamed.


“I’m glad to see that you recognize me,” she said, barely able to contain her overwhelming relief. Brian was slightly confused.

“Huh? Why wouldn’t I…?”

Suddenly, it all came flooding back to him. He had tried to be sexual with Allison, it went horribly wrong, and he spent the better part of an hour having forgotten the last three years. His recollection of that hour was somewhat fuzzy, but it wasn’t completely gone either. At that moment, he suddenly became aware of a mild headache above his eyes, and he drew one hand to the location.


“My head hurts…” he muttered, narrowing his eyes in confusion. 

Elizabeth made a sympathetic noise, and began to rub his back with her free hand.

“You’ve been through a lot. Your brain is probably a little overloaded,” she softly replied.

“Yeah. I don’t think the human mind is built to remember three years all at once,” Brian sighed.

“That means you remember everything, then?” Elizabeth asked hopefully, to which Brian nodded.

“More or less. Some of the finer details are still hazy, but I remember everything important,” he answered, before his face darkened slightly.


“And, look…” he began quietly. “Let’s just get this out of the way. I was sexually assaulted in prison, okay? It all came back to me at once, and that’s what caused the whole… thing.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, and sighed deeply.

“We figured it was something like that,” she said softly, her voice dripping in empathetic concern. “But, you’re aware of it now? And it’s not causing you any, um, distress?”

“I’m not going to freak out about it again, if that’s what you mean,” Brian replied dryly. “Yes, though, I remember now. Six months in, some guys were harassing me. I stupidly told them that I was asexual, and… well, they didn’t believe me. Tried to prove me wrong.”


“I’m so sorry…” Elizabeth whispered. Brian shrugged, but it was apparent that he was forcing himself not to react. Even she could tell that he was more upset about it than he was letting on, but she decided not to press him. At least not right away.

“Well, maybe now that it’s out there, I can begin to move on. Somehow,” he replied, lowering his eyes.

“That’s right,” Elizabeth said firmly. “And don’t worry, Allie and I will support you as best we can. I can also assure you that she will never try something like that ag-”

She stopped, before clearing her throat.

“Er, anyway. Thank you for telling me. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, sweetie, so I’m confident that you’re gonna be okay,” she continued, with a reassuring smile.


Brian looked back up at her with grateful eyes.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “Anyway, where is she? Is she okay?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” Elizabeth assured. “She insisted on staying awake for you, but she was practically falling over. I could tell that you weren’t going to wake up any time soon, so I convinced her that we all needed to get some rest. When we woke up, we agreed to take shifts in watching you.”

“Huh, I’m surprised she agreed to that,” Brian muttered. “Well, thank you. She sometimes forgets to look after herself when she’s looking after me. What time is it, then?”


“About ten in the morning,” Elizabeth answered softly, gently stroking Brian’s hair as she gazed at him with a tender expression. Brian closed his eyes, and allowed himself to enjoy the comforting sensation.

“Well, can I go see her? I don’t want her to worry,” he asked.

“Of course. Oh, and I don’t know if you remember, but I told you last night that you could have some cake for breakfast, so we can go do that as well,” she replied. Brian slightly perked up in response.

“Oh yeah, I suppose you did. Well, if you insist,” he responded with a sly grin, which Elizabeth reciprocated.

“That’s what I thought,” she said smugly. “Let’s go, then. There’s also something that I eventually want to ask you both about.”


With that, she rose from her sitting position on the bed and made her way towards the living room, carefully and lovingly cradling the tiny man in her palm.


~


“Ta-da,” Elizabeth said softly, before uncovering her hand to the anxious woman in front of her. Allison rested her eyes upon the one-inch man contained within, and her eyes softened in relief as she adopted a huge smile.

“Hey, Allie,” Brian said quietly, lightly blushing.

“Hey, Brian,” Allison replied, matching his tone.

He said “Allie,” she thought, as a wave of comfort washed over her. Elizabeth saw that her hands were fidgeting, and she had the sneaking suspicion that Brian was glancing in their direction.


“Oh, just take him already,” she said exasperatedly, holding her hand out while smirking. With a quick nonverbal confirmation of permission, Allison gently pinched Brian between her fingers and transferred him to her own palm. Brian relaxed into her soft skin as he closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He felt like he had finally returned home after a long journey into darkness. Allison and Elizabeth made their way over to the couch and sat down.


“How are you feeling?” Allison asked.

“My head hurts,” Brian answered. “They probably don’t make any painkillers for one-inch convicts, do they?”

“Afraid not,” Allison replied, with a sympathetic smile. “Just one more reason to get you back to normal, right? But I’m sure we can figure something out if it doesn’t go away.”

“I guess,” Brian sighed. “Other than that, though, I’m fine. I remember all the important stuff. And, um…”

He stopped for a moment.


“Elizabeth told me that you both had an idea as to what caused the whole thing, and, well… you were right. I don’t really want to talk about it any more, but that did happen to me. I remember now,” he said quietly, averting his eyes. Allison’s face darkened, and the guilt came flooding back.

“I see,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Brian. But don’t worry, you don’t have to talk about it with me unless you want to. I won’t push it.”

Brian nodded gratefully.

“But yeah, it’s all back now. You brought me back, Allie. I love you,” he said, looking back up at her with a loving smile. However, despite the happiness that those words brought her, Allison couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.

“I love you too,” she replied quietly. Brian noticed her odd expression and tone, and he cocked his head in confusion. At that moment, though, Elizabeth cut in.


“Well, enough of that,” she said comfortingly. “Brian, honey, you need some cake.”

The mention of cake snapped Brian out of it, and he turned to her with sparkling eyes.

“Agreed,” he replied, which caused both women to smile. With that, they all stood up and made their way to the kitchen, ready to unwind and relax for a little while.


~


Some time had passed. Brian had gorged himself on cake, and was currently flopped over on the armrest of the sofa with his eyes closed. Allison was sitting next to him, and Elizabeth was sitting opposite them on a chair she had brought from the dining table. As she had told Brian earlier, she was wanting to ask them something.


“So,” she began, “I’ve been doing some thinking about the future.”

“What, like with Brian’s case?” asked Allison.

“Not exactly, more like with us three,” Elizabeth replied. “We’re obviously going to be working together a lot from now on, and I’ve been thinking about how best to make that work. My classes start up again tomorrow, and I can’t exactly ignore my other responsibilities while I’m helping with the case.”

“Makes sense,” Brian murmured, practically in a food coma.


“It also isn’t practical for me to come over every day, since that would make it hard for me to do other things. None of my stuff is here, after all,” she continued. “Lastly, Allie, I remember you telling me that you were looking for a new place to live, right? Since you lost your source of income, and you don’t need this much space.”


“Yeah, that’s right,” Allison replied, before her eyes widened in realization. “Wait, are you saying…?”

“That’s right. How would you two like to move in with me?” she asked. Brian’s head shot up, and he looked at her with questioning eyes. Allison, on the other hand, was shocked into silence.


“How would we like to what?” he asked incredulously.

“How would you like to come live with me? That would solve all of our problems. And frankly, I could use the company,” she replied, averting her eyes in slight embarrassment. Brian’s confusion only increased.

“You live alone? You’re not… married, or something?” he continued, to which Elizabeth shook her head softly. Brian sat up, raising an eyebrow.

“I find that hard to believe,” he said, before instantly blushing once he realized how that sounded. Elizabeth reciprocated his blush at the unexpected compliment, but quickly got herself under control. 


“Oh, I was at one point, but… well, it’s a long and sad story, so I’ll tell you another time,” she replied, her expression slightly saddening. Brian looked towards Allison, and saw that her face had also darkened.

Only one out of the loop, huh? he thought, before mentally shrugging it off.

“I see. Well, I’m certainly not against it, but are you sure we won’t be a burden?” he asked, causing Elizabeth to wave her hand dismissively.

“Nonsense, honey, I have more than enough room. Besides, it’s not like one of you will take up much space to begin with,” she replied with a wink. Brian nodded appreciatively, before turning to the giant woman next to him.


“What do you think, Allie?” he asked, which snapped her out of her haze.

“Um, well, I’d feel bad if we just freeloaded off you. Can I at least pay rent, or something?” she questioned.

Allie,” Elizabeth replied in a scolding tone,” the whole point is that you’re running out of money!”

“I know, but-”

“Look, I never said that I won’t expect anything of you,” she continued, raising one finger for emphasis. “More people means more mess, so I’d appreciate it if you helped out with the chores, and maintained the place while I’m away.”

“Yes, of course,” Allison hurriedly replied. She started to feel a tinge of excitement at the prospect.


“Also, I assume you’re still quite the capable cook, right?” Elizabeth asked.

“She sure is,” Brian answered appreciatively, to which Allison lightly blushed.

“Excellent! Then we can split up the cooking duties. I promise, honey, you wouldn’t be imposing. Like I said, I could really use the company. Especially from such an amazing couple of kids,” Elizabeth continued, smiling brightly. She herself was quite excited about the idea, and it showed through her face and tone. In the face of such excitement, Allison found it impossible to keep protesting. One last person had a concern, though.


“That’s great and all, but what can I do to contribute?” Brian asked nervously. “My skill set is somewhat limited at the moment.” 

Elizabeth leaned towards him, with an ever-so-slightly flirtatious smile.

You can just sit there and be handsome, handsome,” she replied teasingly.

“Done,” Brian instantly replied, shooting her a thumbs-up. Elizabeth leaned back and let out a hearty chuckle, and even Allison smiled at their amusing display.

“Seriously, though, don’t worry about it. I’ll love having you around, and you take up hardly any resources,” Elizabeth continued reassuringly. Brian nodded, satisfied with her rationale.


“So, is that it, then? Are we ready to do this?” she asked expectantly, already knowing the answer. Brian and Allison shared a glance, before turning back towards her with extremely grateful expressions.

“We’ll gladly accept your generosity. Thank you for having us,” Allison answered firmly. At that, they all broke out in enormous smiles. Elizabeth’s was the widest of all.


“I’m so excited!” she squealed, lightly clapping her hands a few times. “I’ve already figured out a plan. First, Allie, you’ll need to pack some necessities. Clothes and the like, anything you need to get by for a few days. We’ll also need to be sure to clear every trace of Brian’s stuff, little as they may be.”

Allison and Brian nodded in agreement.

“Then, we move all that stuff, along with our precious little companion here, to my house first. Once he’s settled and safe, we can move everything else out of here. It would be safe to hire a moving company once Brian is gone. How does that sound?” she continued.


“Do you have room for that obnoxiously large TV?” Brian asked hopefully, causing Elizabeth to giggle.

“I surely do. I hate to say it, but the selfish side of me has to admit that I might be getting some nice upgrades out of this whole arrangement,” she admitted, to which Allison smiled.

“Happy to contribute,” she said.


“Now, here’s the important question: how do we safely transfer Brian to my place?” Elizabeth asked. Allison nodded thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing in contemplation.

“That’s a good question. It might be a little tough, since we need to conceal him while keeping him safe in the car,” she replied. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“Well… what did you do the first time, when you smuggled him out?” she asked. Allison’s eyes widened, and Brian sensed an opportunity to mess with her.


“Oh geez, it seems like parts of my memory are still missing,” he said jokingly. “I wonder, how did you smuggle me out of there, Allie?”

He looked up at her with a mockingly-confused expression, and she went beet-red.

“You are the actual worst,” she grumbled down at him.

“And proud of it,” he whispered, with a small wink.


Allison took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and reluctantly pointed to her breasts. Elizabeth looked at her questioningly for a moment.

“Oh…? Oh!” she exclaimed, suddenly understanding. It was her turn to blush heavily, while Brian watched on smugly at the chaos he had created.

“Well, that’s, um… p-practical, I suppose,” Elizabeth stammered, averting her eyes. “We can keep that as an option… but, um, perhaps we can think of something more, well, delicate.”

“Agreed,” Allison mumbled, while Brian simply nodded. 

“W-Why don’t we think about it while you get packed,” Elizabeth said firmly, before clearing her throat. “We might as well get started.”

Suddenly, Allison’s expression dropped off a cliff. Before they could continue, she had to do something she had been dreading more than anything else in the world.


“Wait,” she said softly. Elizabeth noticed her expression, and instantly knew what was coming.

“What’s up?” Brian said, looking up at her. Allison quickly changed her expression, and steeled her resolve.

I have to do this.

“Brian, can we go talk in private for a little bit? There’s something I need to tell you,” she asked, adopting a small, sad smile. Brian was confused, and a little nervous, but decided to roll with it.

“Sure,” he gently replied. Allison beckoned him into her palm and stood up, ready to move into the bedroom. At that moment, though, a tidal wave of uncertainty and fear overtook her consciousness, and she looked to Elizabeth with panicked eyes. Elizabeth gave her a reassuring nod, along with a sympathetic smile. With that, Allison closed her eyes in quiet resignation and began to walk towards her bedroom.


~


“What did you want to talk about?” Brian asked, somewhat hesitantly. He’d seen enough movies to know that “we need to talk” scenes never ended well. Allison took a breath.

“For one thing, I wanted to apologize for causing your episode,” she started, her voice dripping with guilt. Brian’s eyes softened, and he adopted a gentle tone.

“Didn’t I already forgive you for that?” he asked, to which Allison shook her head.

“That was amnesia-you, when you didn’t remember the context. It didn’t count,” she replied, causing Brian to frown.


“Brian, I am so sorry for how I acted. It was supposed to be your first sexual experience, and I never let you take the lead. I was just doing what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t nearly as careful as I should have been. I didn’t check on you enough, I didn’t make sure you were always comfortable, and I didn’t confirm that you wanted to do what we were doing. My actions reminded you of the time you were r… that something really bad happened, and I feel so fucking badly that I did that to you. I am so, so, sorry,” she continued. 


“Thank you for saying so, but it’s fine,” Brian replied softly. “It was an honest mistake, and-”

“No it wasn’t,” Allison interrupted. “At every step of the way, I made the worst possible choice. I was a little drunk, but nowhere near enough to excuse what I did. I was disregarding your safety to satisfy my own urges, and there’s no excuse for that.”

Once again, Brian frowned.

“It wasn’t like that…” he replied, somewhat confusedly. “I agreed to it, and I’m the one who kept ignoring my alarm bells. I was too eager as well, and I should have called it off earlier. That isn’t your fault.”

“No, no!” Allison said, her voice rising slightly. “I should have taken your warning signs more seriously. You fucking said that sexual stuff makes you panic and forget where you are, but I still thought it was a good idea to fucking jump you in lingerie. It’s not your fault that I pressured you into all this!”


“Why are you getting upset?” Brian asked concernedly. “I’m trying to tell you that I forgive you.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t!” Allison exclaimed, causing Brian to flinch. Allison internally scolded herself for not controlling her emotions, which only further convinced her that she was doing the right thing.


“Brian, I have some experience of my own with bad sexual experiences,” she started. “I was never held down or anything, and I never explicitly said ‘no,’ but I was pressured into it more than once. I was ‘convinced’ more than once, and I definitely had sex when I really didn’t want to more than once.”

Brian’s eyes darkened in concern.


“I felt like, when it came to sex, I had no power. So… looking back, I can see that the way I acted with you was me trying to take some of that power back. I told you how helpless you were because I wanted to feel like I had complete control,” she continued, before letting out a huff.

“Don’t you see? I was using you to get back at a guy who’s in prison! I had no concern for your safety or enjoyment, I was just using you to get off! Doesn’t that make you mad?! That’s not something you can forgive, just like that!”


“Allie, I’m not mad at you for having trauma that you need to work through…” Brian said, slightly intimidated by her unexpected anger. “You’ve always been there for me through my cacophony of issues, so why can’t I be there for you?”

“This isn’t like that,” Allison replied dismissively. “I wasn’t leaning on you during a time of crisis, I was using you to get over my issues. That’s not your responsibility, and that’s not something you can even do in the first place.”


Brian had nothing to say to that. He understood the logic to what she was saying, but he was having a hard time accepting it emotionally. More than anything else, though, he was just confused at how the conversation had ended up there. Allison sensed that she was scaring him a little bit, and softened her approach.


“I have issues that you can’t fix, and I shouldn’t put that on you. So… I’m going to seek out some help, from people who are qualified to give it,” she said.

“Like, therapy?” Brian asked, to which Allison nodded.

“Elizabeth is going to help me find something. And, um… I feel a little guilty about it, if I’m being honest,” she muttered. Brian’s eyes narrowed in confusion once again.

“Wait, what? Why?” he asked, causing Allison to avert her eyes.

“Well… because you can’t get help, too,” she admitted. “I feel guilty that I’m getting something that you need, but can’t get.”

“Wha- me? I mean, I don’t necessarily feel like I need therapy that badly,” he replied with a shrug. Allison looked back at him skeptically.


“Brian, you grew up with a negligent mother. You took on a parental role to your sister, which was a lot of responsibility for someone so young. You witnessed a child being stabbed, and he died in your arms. You were assaulted by a police officer, and arrested for a crime you didn’t commit. Your trial was covered up, and none of the evidence was released all so they could pin the blame on you. Your own mother betrayed you, was unbelievably cruel, and even said that she would squish you. You were sentenced to life in prison. You spent three years with the entire world despising you. In prison, you were treated like a child murderer. You were harassed and assaulted, physically, mentally, and sexually. You were ‘re-sentenced’ to death via shrinking and torturing. You thought I was going to torture and kill you, even by tricking you into thinking that I believed in your innocence. You were under the impression that you were going to be one-inch tall for the rest of your life, and that you were going to have to live in hiding. You saw your mother say that she didn’t care about your death. You were tortured by me and Cathy, and it brought back one of your worst memories, which led to a mental breakdown. And now, you had a mental episode which gave you amnesia. You were saying?” she asked, in a slightly scolding tone.


Brian stared at her suspiciously for a moment, his eyes narrowed.

“…okay, perhaps I could benefit from some therapy,” he admitted. “But listen, don’t feel guilty about seeking it out yourself. Better that at least one of us is getting it, and we can look into it for myself if we prove my innocence. Okay?”

Allison nodded gratefully.

“Okay. Thank you. So, here’s the last thing…” she replied, her voice trailing off at the end. Suddenly, she felt like she was about to jump off a cliff.


“Moving forward, a lot of stuff is going to be happening. We’re going to start really working on your case, I’m going to start therapy, and you’re going to have to deal with the effects of what happened to you in prison. Safe to say you won’t want to try being sexual again for a long time,” she started.

“Not necessarily true…” Brian cut in.

“Regardless. We both need to heal, and we need to do what is best for both of us in that regard. So, after last night, I came to a really hard decision.”

She steeled her spine and closed her heart, for she knew what needed to be done.


“I'm going to stop being your girlfriend.”


~


Brian stared at her blankly for a few moments, as the words slowly registered in his mind. His expression strained Allison’s heart, but she was fully convinced that she was doing the right thing.

“What…?” he finally asked, barely audible. At that, Allison leaned into her rehearsed justifications.


“Brian, I haven’t been a good partner to you. I have been way too careless, and I haven’t treated you with the consideration that you deserve.  My actions have consistently led to you getting extremely hurt. My carelessness caused Cathy to discover you, and my selfishness caused you to have a mental break. As I am now, I don’t deserve to be your girlfriend,” she explained firmly. She was working extremely hard to contain her emotions, so as to not make it any more difficult than it had to be.


“But… I forgave you for those things…” Brian replied weakly, his face still clouded over.

“Well, like I said, maybe you shouldn't have. And I certainly haven’t forgiven myself,” Allison responded. Her words snapped Brian out of his haze, and he slightly narrowed his eyes.


“So, what, you’re doing this to punish yourself?” he asked lowly, to which Allison shook her head.

“I’m doing this so I won’t keep hurting you. I can’t put you in harm’s way again due to my issues. Until I move past them, I don’t trust myself to be in a relationship with you,” she replied.

“You don’t need to do this,” Brian said, trying to keep his own emotions in check. “You don’t have to break up with me in order to work on your issues. You don’t need to do this.”


“I do. I caused you to have one mental breakdown already, and it didn’t stop me from doing it again. Why would it be any different moving forward?” she asked.

“Because you’re finally aware of your issues, and you’re actively trying to work through them,” Brian replied calmly. “Now that you have an awareness of what caused those things, you won’t repeat that behavior. You don’t need to do this.”


Allison shook her head.

“We have no way of knowing that. I simply don’t trust myself right now, and it wouldn’t be fair to make you deal with the consequences of that. I’m sorry, but this is what’s best for you,” she said firmly. Brian closed his eyes in frustration, as he fought back tears.

“Don’t tell me what’s best for me,” he replied quietly, before taking a breath. “Allie, answer me this: does being in a relationship with me make you happy?”


Despite herself, she smiled.

“Yes,” she whispered, causing Brian to nod.

“Okay then. Being in a relationship with you makes me happy, too. More than anything else in the world. How can you say that’s not what’s best for me?” he asked, to which Allison lightly shook her head.

“No, being in a relationship with me doesn’t make you happy, it makes you get hurt,” she replied. At that, Brian got angry.


“Don’t tell me what makes me happy!” he exclaimed, before getting himself under control. “I know what makes me happy. You make me happy. I love you. You don’t need to do this.”

“Brian, it’s because you love me that you don’t understand why this is the right call. You’ve been willing to immediately forgive me for things that absolutely should not have been forgiven. Clearly, you’re blinded when it comes to me, which is even more reason why you should separate yourself from me,” she responded, still keeping her tone level.


“So what, then? I’m supposed to just wait around until you decide it’s time for us to get back together again?” he asked angrily. Allison adopted a soft, sad smile.

“It’s not like that. I don’t know what the future holds, but I hope that I can get to the place where I can be the girlfriend you deserve. That’s all,” she said softly. Brian’s eyebrow twitched.

“That isn’t fair. You don’t get to do that. Stop acting like this is some foregone conclusion. If you’re so worried about not considering what I want, then why aren’t you doing that right now?! Aren’t you listening to what I’m saying?! You don’t need to do this!” Brian cried. Allison could tell that this would go on forever if she didn’t stop it.

“I’m sorry. I know you don’t understand, but this is the right decision,” she said firmly. At that, Brian exploded.


“Stop acting so fucking noble!” he shouted. “Stop acting like you’re some fucking martyr, making a sacrifice for the greater good! Don’t you see what you’re doing to me?! Allie, if you need to step away from this relationship to focus on your mental health, then I can accept that. But stop acting like this is solely for my benefit! The way you’re acting right now is not helping me at all! It’s fucking killing me! You’re the one good thing that’s happened to me in three years, and now you’re throwing everything away without even having a real discussion with me first! You don’t get to just turn this relationship on and off whenever you want, like it’s a light! Clearly, you don’t want to do it, so don’t fucking do it! Come the fuck on! You don’t need to do this!!”


He held his head in his hands for a moment, trying and failing to take deep breaths. Allison’s heart was being shredded, but she was firm in her conviction. 

“You said that you would do whatever it takes,” he continued weakly. “You said that we were in the strangest relationship in the world, and we had to work harder to figure things out. But you said you would do whatever it takes, and so did I. This isn’t you doing whatever it takes. You don’t need to do this.”

“I’m sorry,” Allison choked out. Brian finally looked back up at her, and what she saw completely obliterated her already shredded heart.


He was crying.

Allison had seen many different types of tears from the one-inch man she had rescued from death. She had seen tears of fearful resignation, when he thought he was going to die. She had seen tears of frantic lamentation, when he had his breakdown. She had seen tears of devastating realization, when he remembered that he hadn’t returned to his little sister. She had seen tears of quiet desperation, when Elizabeth was comforting him about his mother. Now, though, she was seeing something completely different. In many ways, they were the least complicated of the tears he had shed. In other ways, though, they were the most impactful.

 

 

They were the simple tears of a broken heart.


At the sight of him, Allison’s stoic facade broke, and she herself began to tear up.

“See?” she whimpered. “No matter what I do, I end up hurting you. You deserve better than me.”

With that, she ran out of the room. Without saying a word to Elizabeth, who was waiting in the living room with an overwhelmingly concerned expression, she grabbed her things and fled to her car. Elizabeth sighed as she heard the sound of her car driving away. Although she had expected it to go badly, she was hoping it wouldn’t go that bad. Just like that, for the first time ever, she was alone with Brian.


~


After about fifteen minutes, Elizabeth moved inside the bedroom and slowly approached the sole inhabitant. He was sitting on his knees, and his eyes were closed while he took deep breaths.

“Hey, sweetheart,” she said gently. “I know you’re hurting right now, but-”

“This was partly your doing,” Brian interrupted, his voice neither high nor low pitched. He then opened his eyes in her direction, and a shiver went down her spine. He looked about as neutral as he ever had been, but there was an undeniable pressure radiating out from his striking green eyes. For the first time ever, Elizabeth was facing the infamous robot child murderer named Brian Bentley, and not the charming young man named Brian that she was so fond of.


“Don’t do that, Brian, don’t shut down,” she quietly pleaded.

“Don’t tell me how to deal with this,” he replied flatly.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it, but this is what’s-”

“Don’t tell me what’s best for me,” he interrupted flatly.


“Very well,” Elizabeth said solemnly, closing her eyes in resignation. “But what’s done is done, so we all just have to find a way to move on. I promise you, Allie is not the only thing that is worth living for.”

Brian lightly scoffed.

“You’re both missing the point,” he muttered, breaking his gaze away. Elizabeth furrowed her brow.


“What-”

“You’re going to tell me to focus on my case, right?” he asked. Elizabeth was surprised into silence for a moment.

“Er, well, yes I was,” she stammered. “I just thought, um… we’re just starting, you know? We can give Allie the time she needs, and we can get to work on getting you back to normal.”

“I suppose,” Brian sighed, finally wiping the tears from his face. Elizabeth was surprised at how quickly he was adjusting, but she quickly realized that he was only doing so by completely suppressing what he didn’t want to feel. Although she wasn’t happy about this, she decided to simply work with what was available.

“With that being said, I’m really not sure where to start,” she admitted. “I plan to talk to my connections, but I don’t exactly know where to point them.”


“I do. I have a plan to prove my innocence,” Brian replied plainly, his eyes still pointed downwards. Elizabeth was completely stunned by this unexpected development.

“You- what?!” she exclaimed. “Since when?!”

“Since twenty minutes ago. Allison reminded me of something,” he answered.

“W-What did she say?” Elizabeth asked, to which Brian finally looked back towards her. To her great relief, there was the faintest trace of a spark in his eyes.

 

“That I was assaulted by a police officer.”

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

NOT FUN! The next chapter will be a bit of a jump, so I hope you'll bear with me. Until next time.

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