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Author's Chapter Notes:

Decisions, decisions.

~

“I feel like you just said something insane like it was nothing,” Allison said, after a moment of silence.

“Allie, you were a Chevalier and you didn’t know the truth behind the SP?” Elizabeth asked skeptically. 

“What the fuck are you talking about?! Nobody ever said anything like that while I was a Chev!” Allison shouted, rising to her feet. “Are you seriously telling me that the shrinking can be undone?!”

“Wait, they really didn’t tell you that…? I thought this was more common knowledge… maybe I shouldn’t have…” Elizabeth muttered.

“Professor!” Allison exclaimed, snapping her out of it.

“Well, too late now. Yes, the whole ‘permanent’ thing is a big fat lie. The government tells people that so it creates greater fear surrounding the SP. People would be more afraid to get shrunken down if they believe it can never be undone, you know?” she explained, as if giving a lecture. Allison sat back down, a faraway look on her face.


“No shit…” she whispered. “Brian, did you hear that? This changes everything!”

At that, both women turned their attention to the one-inch man on the table. Up to that point, he had been listening quietly. Whereas one might expect him to be crying tears of joy at this revelation, or perhaps shouting in excitement, Brian’s face at that moment was showing something else entirely: pure and overwhelming suspicion.


“How do you know that?” he asked quietly. Elizabeth’s eyes darted away for the briefest of moments, before returning to their original position.


“Look, you two. One of my primary goals since becoming a lawyer and educator has been to fight against the Shrink Penalty. That means, outside of actually talking to a Chev, I’ve made myself as intimately familiar with it as possible. That includes digging into areas that most people don’t know about. Frankly, though, I thought that this was more common knowledge among SP insiders. I’m genuinely surprised that they don’t tell Chevaliers. But, on the bright side, this means I’m the one who gets to break the good news! Brian, the shrinking isn’t permanent. It is possible for you to return to normal, and I truly believe that it will happen if we cast enough doubt onto your case. So, I would implore you to reconsider.”


Brian’s gaze intensified, while Allison’s mind was running at a million miles an hour.

“B-But wait… how does…? Why don’t they, but wait a minute…” she stammered. “Um, okay… okay, okay, okay… okay, I have a question.”

“Deep breaths, Allie. What is it?” Elizabeth asked.

“Um… if it’s a secret, then how are we gonna get them to unshrink Brian? Wouldn’t that mean revealing to the world that the shrinking isn’t permanent?” she replied. At that, Elizabeth’s face lit up.


“Excellent point, Allie. You see, you two, I think that this whole situation presents a game-changing opportunity. Do either of you know what it is?” she continued.

Great, she’s entered ‘teacher’ mode, Allison thought. She then pondered for a moment before a small voice cut through the silence.


“You think this could bring down the Shrink Penalty,” Brian said calmly, his expression blank. “People accept such an extreme and violent system because they believe it is perfect. Introduce an unstable element, me, and the whole thing could crumble. Then, with no need to protect the lie, they would be willing to restore me to normal.”


“Y-Yes, that’s exactly right, Brian. Well done,” Elizabeth replied, slightly unsettled by Brian’s intense gaze.

“Holy shit…” Allison whispered. “I mean, finding out about Brian was enough to change my mind about the SP, but I never felt too strongly about it to begin with. You really think it would have that big of an impact?”

“It certainly wouldn’t convince everybody, but I’m confident that it would convince the right people,” Elizabeth answered. “Don’t forget that Brian’s case was one of the most famous events of the last few decades. The government even lowered their bar for what constitutes the SP, so the revelation that the Brian Bentley is innocent would undoubtedly create chaos. Chaos that we could then use to our advantage.”


Allison groaned, holding her head in her hands.

“This is too much. I just want people to know that Brian isn’t a killer, and now we’re talking about bringing down the Shrink Penalty and exposing the fact that the shrinking can be undone?”

Elizabeth chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Allie, we’re just talking. Obviously nothing is going to happen unless everybody in this room agrees to it. Speaking of which, how are you feeling about all this, Brian? You’ve been kinda quiet, I imagine that this is all a lot to take in,” she asked kindly, turning her attention to the tiny man sitting in front of Allison’s hands. His expression was still neutral, making it impossible to get a read on what he was thinking.


Brian did not respond. After a few moments, Elizabeth’s face twisted in concern.

“Brian? Is everything okay, sweetie?”

Brian did not respond. At that, Allison grew concerned as well. She stood up and moved around the table to where she could see his face.

“Brian?” she asked softly. At the sound of her voice, he snapped out of it.

“Sorry. Allie, could you take me to our room? I need to do some thinking, alone,” he said firmly. Allison’s eyes widened in surprise, and her heart quickened. After all…


“Brian, the last time you asked to be alone…” she started, remembering what happened after the session. At the sound of her troubled tone, Elizabeth grew worried as well. Brian shook his head reassuringly, though, which helped put them at ease.

“It’s not like that. I promised you that I would never do that again. I seriously just need to think in silence for a little bit,” he replied calmly. Although still apprehensive, Allison decided to trust him.


“Okay, of course,” she said, before holding out her palm. 

“Thanks. And thank you, Elizabeth, for telling us,” he replied, casting a glance in her direction. She smiled warmly at his gratitude.

“Of course. You deserved to know all the information.”

“Right…” Brian muttered, before climbing into Allison’s palm. Once he was secure, they moved into the bedroom, where he was promptly placed inside of his pet carrier.


“Alright, I’ll come check on you in a little while. If you need me before then, your phone is right there,” she said. “And listen… whatever you’re thinking right now, and whatever you think the right decision is, just know that I’ll support you no matter what.”

With that, she left the room. Once she was gone, Brian sat down in a corner of the carrier. He then closed his eyes, and began to run through all the available information.


~


Allison made her way out to the living room, and threw herself face-down onto the couch. Hearing the noise, Elizabeth stood from the dining table and moved to join her. She sat down at a corner of the sofa, right next to Allison’s head.

“How you doing, honey?” she asked.

“I don’t know how my life ended up like this,” came Allison’s muffled voice. “I don’t even know how I became a frickin’ Chev in the first place, and now I might have made a decision that could bring the whole system down?”

“There, there, Allie…” Elizabeth soothed, running her fingers across Allison’s soft hair. “Regardless of how it happened, it sounds to me like it happened for a reason.”


“I guess…” Allison grumbled. “It was a really hard six months, though. I feel like a murderer. I have a higher body count than anybody I ever executed. I feel like… what’s the name of that Shakespeare character, the woman who washes her hands?” 


“Lady Macbeth,” answered Elizabeth.

“Right, right… she felt like she had blood on her hands, and it wouldn’t come off no matter how long she cleaned them. That’s me. Sometimes, I just feel… tainted.”

“Allison Starr, you listen to me,” Elizabeth said sternly, while lifting Allison’s head with her hands. “You. Are. Not. Tainted. Despite the entire world telling you not to, you made the choice to save an innocent life. You saw the SP for what it is, and now you have the chance to make sure there will never be another Brian Bentley. You are a good person, Allie. Your hands are clean.”


Allison teared up, and Elizabeth scooted over and placed her head in her lap. Allison closed her eyes and leaned into Elizabeth’s warmth.

“Sometimes, I just wish none of this had never happened…” she choked out, before Elizabeth shushed her and resumed stroking her hair tenderly. After a few moments, though, Allison relaxed.


“Actually, that’s not true…” she whispered. “Because of this, I met Brian. Meeting him… it’s one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time. I love him.”

At that, Elizabeth furrowed her brow.

“That reminds me, Allie…” she started, before motioning for Allison to sit up. She did so, and looked at her former mentor with a questioning eye. She saw that she had adopted an interrogative expression.

“What exactly are your intentions with that sweet boy?” Elizabeth asked skeptically, her arms crossed.

“…come again?” Allison replied, caught off-guard at this unexpected line of questioning.


“You heard me. I see the way you look at him, I heard you kissing him a little while ago, and now you say you love him? Tell me, what is the exact nature of your relationship?” Elizabeth continued.

“O-Oh, I suppose it hasn’t really come up, has it?” Allison replied with an awkward laugh. Elizabeth was unimpressed.

“Um… yeah, starting a bit over a week ago, we kinda… you know, started seeing each other. As in boyfriend-girlfriend,” she continued, intimidated by Elizabeth’s intense gaze.


“I see,” she said lowly. “And how many days had passed between when you rescued him and when this relationship began?”

Allison cocked her head, then began counting the days on her fingers.

“Er… five…? No, it was six. Six days. Yep, six,” she replied with a brisk nod. Elizabeth closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, confusing her former student even more.


“Look, Allie,” she began, “despite what I said to you and Brian, I am still somewhat concerned over the casual way in which you have been handling this whole situation. My guess is that this attitude is exactly what led to him being discovered by this Catherine Gates, right?”

Allison lowered her head.

“Yeah,” she replied quietly.

“Okay. So, I need to know if you are handling this relationship with the appropriate amount of consideration,” Elizabeth continued. Allison raised her head, a slightly defensive look in her eyes.


“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“Put yourself in his shoes, for a moment, and think about what you are to him. Not only are you thousands of times his size, you were the first person in three years to show him any amount of kindness. You showed him greater kindness than his own family did. Not only that, you rescued him from death and took responsibility for his life, a decision that permanently altered the course of your own life. He also relies on you for everything. Food, shelter, comfort, it all comes from you. You are his entire world right now, Allie. Think about what that could do to a young man’s psychology. So, with that in mind, do you think he feels like an equal in this relationship?” Elizabeth replied. As she continued, Allison’s face grew more and more concerned.


“W-We’ve… we had that discussion, Elizabeth. I told him that I wanted him to feel like an equal, and not to feel overly indebted to me. We had that discussion!” she exclaimed defensively.

“Okay, that’s what you wanted him to feel. And did he agree that he is your equal?”

Allison’s face dropped.

“N-No… he didn’t,” she replied. Elizabeth nodded.

“Okay. And how did that discussion end? Did he agree with you eventually?” she asked.

“We… we had an argument… I almost…”

She shook her head, a sudden burst of confidence renewing her resolve.

“We had an argument, but we made up right away. I told him that I understood why he felt that way, and promised to move slowly in gaining his trust. He also promised to not be so afraid in telling me what he thinks, even if it might upset me. I have given this a lot of thought, Elizabeth,” she continued firmly.


“Okay, you had an argument, made up, and promised to move slowly,” Elizabeth repeated. “And how long after that did your relationship start?”

Allison recoiled, as if she had been shot. A look of crushing realization overtook her face.

“It was the next day…” she whispered. Elizabeth’s face twisted in concern.

“That doesn’t seem very slow to me. I assume you’re the one who confessed to him, yes?” she asked. Allison nodded, a glazed look in her eyes.


“So, do you see my concern, Allie? I just worry that there is an unhealthy power balance, and it’s extremely important that you are aware of that. You should know better than anybody what it’s like to be in a relationship like that,” Elizabeth said. At that, Allison’s eyes shot up, glaring at her with a fierce intensity.


“Are you saying that I’m like him?” she growled. Elizabeth shook her head, refusing to budge under the pressure.

“Allie, don’t listen to what you think I’m saying, listen to what I am saying. What I’m saying is this: in a situation where you were to ask him to do something he didn’t want to do, do you think he would feel like he is allowed to say no?” she said. Allison’s eyes softened, and Elizabeth took her hands in her own.


“Allie, sweetheart, you are probably in the strangest relationship in the world right now,” she said with a light chuckle. Allison gave the faintest trace of a smile in response.

“All I’m trying to do here is make sure that you’re aware of that, and that you’re taking the proper steps to make sure that Brian feels respected and safe. Do you understand?” she asked. Allison nodded, brushing a tear out of her eye.


“I do. I know that you’re just looking out for him, and I promise that I’ll navigate this relationship carefully. Like I said, I love Brian. I’ll make sure that he is happy,” she declared. Elizabeth smiled, and moved in for a hug.

“That’s all I ask. Thank you.”


Suddenly, Allison’s phone lit up, accompanied by a somewhat unusual chime. Checking it, her eyes slightly widened.

“It’s Brian,” she said. “He wants to talk to us.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“He’s able to send you messages?” she asked incredulously

“Yeah, it’s a long story. Anyway, let’s go see what’s up,” Allison replied, before standing up and motioning for Elizabeth to follow.


~


Allison was sitting cross-legged on her bed, Brian perched snugly in her palm. Elizabeth was seated at the edge, and was patiently waiting to hear what Brian had to say.

“So… here’s what I’d like to do,” he began. “I’d like to cooperate in forming a plan to clear my name.”

Both Allison and Elizabeth’s faces lit up. However, before they could get too excited, he continued.

“Here’s the deal, though,” he said. “Until what we have is a sure thing, we pursue this goal in absolute secrecy. I’ll tell you everything I know, and help where I can, but you both have to promise me that you will not make any public moves unless we’re guaranteed to win.” 


“Of course, that makes total sense. Right, Allie?” Elizabeth replied.

“No complaints here.”

“Okay. You said you wanted a detailed account of what really happened with Timmy Osment, right? Let’s start there,” Brian said. At that, both women stood up and began to leave the room. Once Elizabeth was out of sight, though, Brian spoke up in a hushed tone.


“Allie, hang back for a second,” he said. She complied, looking at him questioningly.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“This isn’t going to make any sense, but I need you to do something for me.”


~


Back at the dining table, Brian began to explain what really happened the night Timmy Osment died. He was walking around, heard a cry, saw a man, saw Timmy, tried to save him, and was arrested. Through it all, Elizabeth was furiously taking notes, absorbing every piece of information she could. She asked him dozens of clarifying questions, to the extent that even Allison grew bored.


“Brian, are you okay by yourself with Elizabeth?” she had asked at one point. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to watch some TV.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Brian had replied, causing Elizabeth’s heart to soar. At that, Allison moved to the living room, laying down on her side as she turned the television on at a very low volume. The questioning continued. A few minutes suddenly turned into two hours, and Elizabeth had filled several pages in her legal pad with what, to her, was priceless information.


“Wow…” she breathed. “This is incredible. Awful, of course, but incredible. The evidence is even more damning than I thought, if we can find it.”

“That’s a big if,” replied Brian. “I’m no expert, but if I were to guess, the two most important pieces are the autopsy report and the bodycam footage, right?”

“That’s exactly right, Brian,” she replied. “The autopsy would show that he did not die from strangulation, and the bodycam footage would show the blood and how you were actually trying to save him, not choke him.”

“The question is how we make that happen.”

“Right. With that being said, I think we have enough for today. I don’t want to push you too hard right off the bat. Thank you for being so cooperative, though. I’m confident that you’re making the right choice,” Elizabeth continued.

“I hope so,” Brian replied quietly. Elizabeth smiled warmly, and lightly tickled his chin with the tip of her fingernail.

“And with that, I think it’s time to call it a night. It’s been a big day, I’m sure you both need some rest. Sorry for keeping you up so late, Allie!” she called over into the living room.


There was no response, prompting Elizabeth to make a questioning noise. She rose from her seat and peered into the living room, only to chuckle at what she saw.

“Oh, dear. She fell asleep,” she said softly.

“You’re kidding,” Brian replied flatly, his expression unchanging.

“Not one bit. I suppose it would be rather boring to listen to an extended edition of something you’ve already heard before,” she said. Brian’s nose crinkled, thinking of a certain fantasy series.

“Regardless, I’m still surprised she allowed herself to fall asleep, considering how protective she is of you,” Elizabeth continued. Brian shrugged.

“It just means that she trusts you completely,” he said, fixing his eyes on her. Elizabeth turned to look at him.


“And what about you?” she asked, sitting back down. Brian went quiet for a moment, apparently in contemplation.

“If nothing else, I think I owe you some thank-yous,” he finally said.

“Oh?” Elizabeth replied, a light smile forming.

“Well, for one thing, I never thanked you for sticking up for me when I was first convicted. Even in hindsight, it’s nice to know that at least one person was on my side,” he began. Elizabeth lightly blushed.

“Nonsense, honey. I was just doing what was right. And believe me, I was not the only person who was on your side,” she said with a chuckle. Brian raised an eyebrow, but decided to let it go.


“More importantly, though, I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for you. After all, you got Allie to where she was,” he continued in a strange tone. Elizabeth took note of this, and cocked her head to the side in confusion.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean, you mentored her in college. You helped inspire her sense of justice. And by sticking up for me when you did, you planted the seeds of doubt that ultimately led to her realizing my innocence,” he continued, returning to normal.

“Oh, I see,” breathed Elizabeth, adopting a gentle smile.

“So, anyway, thank you for everything,” Brian concluded, nodding in appreciation. Elizabeth beamed.


“Sweetheart, it is my complete and absolute pleasure. Compared to how things could be right now, I think it’s safe to say that things ended relatively well for us. And now, we’re creating an even better beginning,” she said cheerfully. Brian gave a small smile before laying down on his back, looking up at the ceiling with a faraway look on his face.

“Yeah…” he whispered. At that, they transitioned into comfortable silence for a couple minutes. Eventually, though, Elizabeth spoke back up.


“Can I ask you a question?” she asked softly. Brian raised his head to look at her, before nodding.

“How do you manage to smile?”

Brian sat up, looking at her with a confused expression.

“After everything you’ve been through…” she continued, furrowing her brow in sympathy. “No person, let alone a young person, should have to go through what you did. I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of pain that you felt, and must still feel. And yet… infrequent as it may be, you still manage to smile. You still manage to joke around with Allie. There’s still… light in you, Brian. How did you do it?”

Brian turned away from her, looking in the direction of the living room. He sat silently for a few moments. Then, he spoke in a gentle tone.


“I’ll tell you when the first time I smiled was, after the day where my mother abandoned me,” he began. “It was the first night when Allie brought me home from the facility.”

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair.

“Between realizing my innocence, deciding to rescue me, getting me to cooperate, smuggling me out, and taking me back home, she had actually forgotten to tell me her name by the time we went to bed,” he continued. “So, just as I’m about to give up for the day, she smacks her forehead and calls herself a ‘goddamn idiot.’ She then calmed herself, straightened her shirt, and extended her finger out to me, just like you did. She then said ‘my name is Allison Starr, It is very nice to meet you.’ And I thought to myself, Star? The person who rescued me from death is named Star? At that moment, all that came to mind was a shooting star. It was as if this amazing woman was a shooting star, here to make my wishes come true. That’s when I smiled.”


Elizabeth was smiling widely, a growing heaviness behind her eyes.

“I see,” she said softly.

“Allie is my entire world,” he continued. “I want to become normal sized again, if for nothing else than to give her the hug that I’ve wanted to give her since she saved me. She’s my only priority.”

Elizabeth nodded appreciatively. Her concerns that his love for Allison was born simply out of gratitude had lessened considerably.


“Can I ask you a question?” Brian said, turning his attention back to Elizabeth.

“Of course,” she replied with a smile.

“Are you the person who recommended Allie to be a Chevalier?”


~


Elizabeth stared at him in shock. Her eyes were wide.

“W-What did you say?” she asked quietly.

“I know that Allie was only offered the job because somebody recommended her. I think that person was you,” he continued. There was an overwhelming pressure radiating from his striking green eyes, burrowing a hole into Elizabeth’s consciousness.

“Why… why on earth would you think that?” Elizabeth asked incredulously. “After all I’ve said about the Shrink Penalty…”


“Yeah. You want nothing more than to take it down. And now, you have a former Chevalier, with intimate knowledge of the system, helping you to achieve that goal,” Brian replied.

“What are you implying? That I’m using Allie as some kind of tool to help me take down the SP?” she asked defensively.

“I’m not saying that. But it sure did work out in your favor,” Brian responded, lowering his tone.

“That’s ridiculous,” Elizabeth said dismissively. “And what, exactly, is your evidence for this claim?”


“Oh, just a few observations that built up over time,” Brian said, his gaze never breaking away. “I thought it was strange that she was offered the job shortly after she left an abusive relationship. It was as if somebody knew, and was waiting for the right time. I thought it was strange that you didn’t reach out to her once during that six month period. It was as if you knew that she wouldn’t respond. I thought it was strange how you reacted to the news that Allie had been a Chev with immediate acceptance and forgiveness, without even a shred of anger. It was as if you were expecting the news, and wanted to get on her good side right away. I also thought it was very strange that you knew the apparently well-kept secret that the shrinking can be undone. It was as if you had access to highly classified information, and perhaps the appropriate influence to get it.”


Through it all, Elizabeth’s face transitioned from defensive and incredulous to completely fearful. Something was changing.


“Really, though, it comes down to simple process of elimination. When I asked Allie who she thought might have recommended her, she was only able to list one person who knew her well enough to justify doing that. That person was you. She said it was impossible, due to her absolute trust in you, but I have no such trust. I think you did it. I’m not exactly sure how or why, but I think you recommended her. Am I correct?” he asked, turning the conversation over to her.


Elizabeth was now holding her head in her hands and taking irregular breaths. After a moment, though, she steeled her resolve and raised her head. She then turned her attention back to Brian with a resolute gaze.


“No, I didn't,” she said firmly. Brian raised an eyebrow.

“But… I know who did,” she continued.

“And?” asked Brian.

“And they did it at my request.”


Brian closed his eyes and let out a colossal sigh. Elizabeth sat silently, allowing him to process the information.

“Well, shit…” he muttered. “Alright, I have another question.”

He took a deep breath.

“Was it a coincidence that I was sent to Allie?” he asked.


“Hold on,” Elizabeth said with a raised hand. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, but you have to tell me one thing first.”

Brian nodded.

“I… I was planning on telling her. I swear I was, just not right now. She deserves to hear it from me.”

“She deserved to hear it a long time ago,” Brian cut in. Elizabeth closed her eyes in frustration.

“Perhaps,” she replied quietly, “but the truth is that finding it out another way would crush her. I’ve betrayed her trust, and I at least want to be the one to tell her. So, my question is this.”

Brian narrowed his eyes.

 

“Will you keep my secret?”

 

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

What a surprise! Again! That does it for this week, sorry about the cliffhanger.

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