~

“Elizabeth, promise me that you won’t cry.”

“I promise, sweetie, I won’t cry. Not even a little.”

“You sure about that? Because you already look like you’re one sad song away from bawling.”

“Okay, I might cry a little, but can you really blame me?”

Brian, Allison, and Elizabeth were in the living room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Brian’s sister, Jennifer. This was going to be their first time seeing each other in three years, and Elizabeth was already struggling not to get emotional. Allison, having already heard their emotional reunion on the phone, was slightly more mentally prepared. As such, she was primarily worried about Brian, who she knew was incredibly nervous.

Their whole life, Brian had been Jennifer’s rock. Having grown up with a negligent and callous mother, he had taken responsibility for his sister’s health, safety, and happiness. She had really come to depend on him before his arrest, and he knew that she viewed him with the absolute highest amount of love and respect. Due to this, he was unbelievably nervous about letting her see his current one-inch size. Although he typically didn’t care, he was well-aware of how vulnerable and fragile he was, and for the first time ever was feeling pretty embarrassed by that fact. Regardless, he knew that it would be unfair to make Jennifer wait, so he was doing his best to push it down.

“It’s gonna be okay, baby,” Allison said softly, sensing his distress. They knew that Jennifer was going to arrive any second, so his anxiety was peaking.

“Do you think it would be weird if I gave her a hug?” Elizabeth asked hesitantly. “I’m going to ask if I can give her a hug.”

“Listen, Jen always gets a little nervous around new people, and she’s already probably pretty stressed about my size and everything, so go easy on her,” Brian warned. Elizabeth nodded firmly.

“Got it,” she replied, before lowering her voice. “I still might ask, though…”

“Also, for the love of god, don’t bring up any of the bad shit that has happened to me recently. Cathy’s discovery, the session, either of my breakdowns, nothing. I don’t want to worry her any more than she already is, so let’s try to keep the conversation light,” he continued. Both women nodded in affirmation.

“Always the big brother, huh?” Allison replied appreciatively, gently rustling his hair with her finger. Brian shrugged.

“She’s just a kid, and this has been an extremely stressful few days for her,” he replied. “Also, Allie, there’s a good chance that she’ll attack you if she learns that you tortured me.”

“The scary part is that I know you’re being serious…” she muttered. “No mention of the session. Got it.”

Elizabeth, who had been eagerly looking out the front window, suddenly began to flap her free hand in nervous excitement.

“A car just pulled up! I think she’s here!” she exclaimed, causing Brian to stiffen in fear. However, after a moment, Elizabeth noticed something strange.

There are two people in the car… she thought. Who is…?

Suddenly, she realized who the second person likely was, and her eyes widened in shock. That shock was quickly accompanied by a growing level of rage. Making a judgement call, she decided that Brian didn’t need to know. He was already stressed enough. So, she dropped the anger and kept her eyes on the car. To her overwhelming relief, only one person exited and began to run towards the house.

Suddenly, before Elizabeth even had any time to take in the appearance of their visitor, a frantic knocking noise radiated throughout the living room. Brian looked up at Allison with nervous eyes, clearly looking for reassurance. As such, she flashed him the warmest smile she could muster and gently hugged him to her chest. It worked, and Brian was able to reign in his fear. Sharing a quick glance with Elizabeth, he motioned for her to go ahead. Elizabeth opened the door. There, standing outside with an extremely anxious expression, was Jennifer Bentley.

Keeping in line with her family’s genetics, she had jet-black hair and striking green eyes. Her hair, long and straight, reached down to her stomach. She was somewhat pale and quite thin, which combined with her short stature of 5’5 to give her an overall mousey and reserved appearance. Her taste in clothing was very simple, owing in part to her family never having enough money to spend on the latest trends. As such, she was dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jean shorts, along with a simple set of sneakers. After taking a moment to process the appearance of the cute, young thing in front of her, Elizabeth began to speak.

“Hello, Jennifer,” she started warmly. “It is so nice to finally meet you. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Jennifer looked Elizabeth up and down for a moment, as if sizing up the beautiful, mature woman in front of her.

“Yeah,” she replied, with just the smallest amount of suspicious apprehension. “Are you… Elizabeth? The one who sent me the address?”

“That’s right, honey, my name is Elizabeth Dawson. I’m a friend of your brother’s,” Elizabeth answered. At the mention of her brother, Jennifer’s eyes widened in anticipation, indicating that she wanted to see him.

“Now, he’s right inside, but I just want to remind you that he’s a little nervous about his size, so try not to be too shocked,” Elizabeth continued, with a gentle smile. “No matter how small, he’s still your brother, and he still loves you.”

“I know that, and I promised him that I won’t be weird about it. I just need to see him,” Jennifer replied earnestly. Elizabeth nodded.

“Of course. Please, come in,” she replied, before backing up to make room. 

Jennifer quickly made her way inside, before scanning the room. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the somewhat tall woman standing in the middle of the room with auburn hair, and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. After a moment, her gaze drifted down to the woman’s slightly outstretched hand, and her heart stopped. Suddenly, it was as if she was seeing color again for the first time, and her universe no longer felt so empty.

Her brother was alive.

~

Brian was standing in Allison’s palm, doing his best to act natural. On the inside, however, he was freaking out.

She’s so big… he thought, fighting back wave after wave of embarrassment.

How the fuck is she so big?! Has everybody always been this big?!

Indeed, it was as if he was seeing a giant person for the very first time. Memories of his cute, baby sister flashed through his mind, and he was barely able to reconcile them with the enormous woman in front of him. However, Brian was a master in suppressing his true feelings. As such, still respecting his position as the older brother, his outward appearance was completely serene. He simply let Jennifer absorb his new look for a few moments, while he adopted a soft smile.

“Hey, Jen,” he eventually said. The sound of his voice, slightly quieter than normal due to his size, sent a wave of pure emotion flowing throughout his sister’s entire body. 

He’s so small… she thought. Memories of her strong, caring older brother flashed through her mind, and she was barely able to reconcile them with the tiny, fragile person in front of her. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t stop a small acknowledgement from escaping her lips.

“Oh my god…” she whispered. Brian frowned.

“Jen, you said you weren’t going to be weird,” he warned, which caused her to snap out of it.

“I-I’m not!” she hurriedly replied. “I’m not being weird at all. Not even a little. Not weird.”

Brian narrowed his eyes in mock-suspicion, before slowly nodding.

“Good…” he muttered, before taking a moment to truly take in her appearance. Although he had already seen it, both through a picture and her video, seeing her in person was another thing. He was amazed at just how older she looked after only three years, and he couldn’t help but be saddened at the fact that he missed so much of her development. 

After a moment, though, he came up with an idea. He made a show of looking her up and down, before letting out a huff.

“Wow. You’ve sure gotten bigger since I saw you last,” he said dryly, shaking his head in faux-amazement.  Jennifer immediately turned bright red in embarrassment, thoroughly caught off guard by the unexpected joke. Allison stopped herself from laughing out loud, while Elizabeth closed her eyes with a small sigh.

“B-Bean!” Jennifer cried. “You said not to be weird! Now you’re making dad jokes?!”

“I said you can’t be weird about my size, Jenny-bean,” Brian replied. “I’ve the right to make as many jokes as I want.”

Jennifer groaned in frustration, holding her head in her hands. After a moment, though, she raised her head. Despite herself, she was smiling. Brian’s plan had worked, and he had broken the ice. His nerves were fading by the second, and he quickly came to the realization that, no matter how big, she was still his baby sister.

“I’m so glad to see you, Jen,” he said softly. Jennifer’s eyes softened, and she struggled not to tear up. 

“I’m glad to see you, too, Bean,” she replied, matching his tone. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“On that note, why don’t we all go sit down?” Elizabeth gently cut in, placing a hand on Jennifer’s shoulder. “We can do some proper introductions.”

Jennifer snapped out of her hyperfocused haze, and quickly remembered that there were two strangers in the room with her. She whipped her head towards Elizabeth’s hand, before looking back towards her brother. Then, she noticed something that made her feel a little odd.

He was being held.

Not only was he incredibly tiny, but her brother was standing on someone’s palm. Her eyes darted upwards at the person it belonged to, seeing that it was the tall woman from earlier. A quick pang of nervous energy shot throughout her body as she came to the realization that her brother’s life was being held in the hands of a stranger.

“Who are you?” she quickly asked, ignoring Elizabeth’s suggestion. Allison took note of the suspicious and slightly defensive tone in her voice, quickly understanding why she might be suspicious of her. So, she adopted a warm and comforting smile as she prepared to introduce herself. Before she could, though, her tiny boyfriend came to her rescue.

“Jen, this is Allison Starr,” he said warmly, adopting a huge smile. “This is the woman who saved my life.”

Jennifer’s eyes widened in shock, and her gaze darted between Allison and Brian a few times as she processed the information. 

“Wh- What?” she stammered. Although she was intensely curious about how Brian had survived, she hadn’t expected to be presented with the information so soon.

“Yep. She’s the reason I’m alive. In other words, she’s basically the best,” Brian continued proudly. Allison slightly blushed at his straightforward praise.

“Brian…” she quietly chided, giving him a soft poke. She then looked at Jennifer, who clearly was still a little stunned.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Jennifer. Brian has told me a lot about you,” she said, resuming her smile. She then extended her hand towards her. After a moment, Jennifer reached out and softly shook it.

“H-How…?” Jennifer quietly asked. Brian exchanged a nervous glance with Allison, knowing that they needed to frame this next part carefully.

“Well… I was his Chevalier,” Allison said, her heart quickening in nervousness.

Jennifer’s heart stopped. Her world turned fuzzy.

“Yeah, but she-” Brian started, but he was immediately cut off.

“You were his Chev?” Jennifer asked lowly. Suddenly, her expression darkened immensely, and her green eyes might as well have become crimson. 

Jennifer’s anger over what happened to Brian had been given a nameless face through his Chevalier. She could never prove that there was a conspiracy against him, and thus had no clue who was actually responsible for hurting him. However, once she learned of his ‘death’ via the SP, she knew exactly who she could blame:

The person who had tortured him.

Since then, every time the thought of her brother being tortured to death reentered her mind, her hatred for the sadistic psychopath that did it only increased. Several times, she truly felt like she would kill them, should they ever meet. Now, that person was right in front of her, and her one-track anger momentarily stripped her of her rationality.

“You tortured my brother?” she asked quietly, her voice dripping with hatred. She clenched her fists with rage as she began to tremble, and everybody in the room got extremely nervous. However, an unexpectedly stern voice cut through the tense silence.

“Jennifer!” Brian barked, about as loud and authoritative as Allison or Elizabeth had ever heard him. Jennifer immediately snapped out of it, and looked to him with wide eyes.

“She did not torture me. She saved my life,” he started, calmly and slowly. “I was sent to her, but she realized my innocence and decided to smuggle me out. This entire time, she has been keeping me safe, and even quit being a Chev to take care of me. If it wasn’t for her, then I would be dead, my innocence would have never been proven, and we would not be talking right now. Allison is not your enemy. Got it?”

Jennifer was looking down at the ground, clearly ashamed. Allison was impressed that he was able to diffuse her so effectively, once again appreciating the power of an older sibling - even an inch-tall one.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Jennifer muttered, before looking back up at him. She saw that he was motioning upwards with his eyes, and she quickly understood what he was saying. She then stood up straight and turned to Allison.

“I’m sorry for getting angry, Allison. I literally can’t express how grateful I am to you for saving my brother’s life. Thank you so much,” she said firmly, slightly lowering her head at the end.

“I-It’s totally fine, I would have been angry too,” Allison hurriedly replied. “You’re very welcome, Jennifer. It was the right thing to do.”

Jennifer looked back up at her and smiled appreciatively. However, the sight of her brother being held still made her feel a little anxious.

“Um… I know this is a little sudden,” she started, before taking a deep breath. “Bean, would it be okay if I held you?”

Brian’s heart sped up at the unexpected question, and Allison and Elizabeth exchanged a nervous glance.

“Jen…” Brian muttered, clearly expressing his discomfort.

“Please? I’ll be so careful. I just want to… I just need to know that you’re safe,” she replied earnestly.

“I am safe, Jen. Allie and Elizabeth would never hurt me,” Brian said. Jennifer’s nose crinkled a bit at “Allie,” but she decided to let it go for now.

“I need to know that you’re safe with me,” she continued, placing one hand on her chest. “Please, Bean. Just for a second.”

After a moment, Brian let out a small sigh. Just like he had power over her, she had power over him. He could hardly ever say “no” to his little sister.

“Fine,” he replied. Jennifer beamed, before fidgeting a bit with her hands. Brian looked up at Allison, who had a slightly concerned look in her eye, and flashed her a reassuring smile. At that, she hesitantly extended her arm towards the teenage girl in front of her. Jennifer extended her own arm until her upturned palm was right next to Allison’s. Taking another moment to push down his anxiety and embarrassment, Brian made the small jump from his girlfriend’s hand to his sister’s.

Oh my god… Jennifer thought, this time able to keep it in her head. She didn’t even know how to describe the whirlwind of emotions that she was feeling at that moment, as her own brother sat down in the palm of her hand. Scared, loving, possessive, amazed, bewildered, there was no end to the cacophony of sensations coursing through her mind. However, one feeling particularly stood out: 

Protective.

Her whole life, Brian had been the one taking care of her. It was only after he was gone did she realize just how much she had come to need him, and start to feel guilty at the fact that she had not done very much in return. Now, though…

I can take care of him… she thought, as if in a trance. She instinctively curled her fingers around him a bit and held him closer to her chest. All of a sudden, everything was right with the world. Her brother was back with her, where he belonged. He was alive, he was safe, and she could keep it that way. Nobody was going to take him away from her ever again.

“Alright, Jenny-bean, that’s enough,” Brian softly said, breaking her out of her trance. He himself was just about as embarrassed as he had ever been, and simply couldn’t take it anymore. Being held in the palm of his little sister’s hand was a little too much for his brotherly pride to take. Allison reached out her hand, ready to take him back. Jennifer saw the approaching hand, and instinctively took a step back. However, a questioning glance from Brian snapped her out of it, and she reluctantly allowed her brother to jump back in Allison’s palm.

“Well, great,” Brian sighed. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, why don’t we go sit down?”

He flashed a bashful smile at Allison, who sensed his embarrassment and was gazing at him with a sympathetic eye. Elizabeth, just a little concerned by the look in Jennifer’s eye while she was holding him, internally sighed in relief.

“Great idea, Brian,” she chimed in, before once again placing a hand on Jennifer’s shoulder and guiding her in the direction of the sofa.

“While we’re at it - Elizabeth, could you go grab that thing?” Brian asked with a wink.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Elizabeth happily exclaimed. “Why don’t you have a seat right there, sweetie, and I’ll be right back.”

With that, she hurried off into the kitchen while Jennifer sat down on the couch. Allison sat down on a chair opposite the couch, before crossing her legs and lowering the hand holding Brian into her lap. Brian sat down in her palm, placing his hands on the soft skin for support. Jennifer watched him intently, still adjusting to his new appearance. While Brian took a moment to get his heart rate under control, Allison struggled to think of something to say, and an awkward silence overtook the room. Luckily, it didn’t last long, as Elizabeth quickly reentered the room with a small, pink box in her hand. It had a tiny red ribbon on top, clueing Jennifer into what it was.

“Happy birthday, Jen,” Brian said, adopting a huge smile. Allison and Elizabeth followed suit, and Jennifer turned red as she was handed the box.

“I-I thought this visit was my birthday present,” she stammered, to which Brian chuckled.

“Well, you’re getting two presents, because I’m just nice like that,” he replied jokingly. “No, though, this is just a small thing, and it’s from all three of us.”

“Go ahead and open it, sweetie,” Elizabeth said excitedly. Jennifer hesitantly opened the box, and what she saw instantly made her smile.

It was a cupcake. A small, red cupcake with white frosting, and two candles on top that spelled out “18.” Jennifer looked back up at them, a huge smile on her face.

“Is this red velvet?” she asked. Brian nodded.

“You know it, sister,” he replied. “Elizabeth baked it.”

Jennifer turned to Elizabeth.

“Really?” she asked appreciatively.

“I did, but your brother helped,” Elizabeth answered with a wink. Brian let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Damn right I did,” he huffed. “I sprinkled an entire miniscule fist’s worth of sugar into the batter, so it basically would have been ruined without me.”

Jennifer giggled, holding one hand to her mouth.

“Thank you both so much,” she said, placing a teasing emphasis on “both.” 

“My pleasure,” Elizabeth replied chipperly.

“You heard her. I can tell you, Jen, that Elizabeth’s red velvet cake tastes amazing,” Brian added. Jennifer cocked her head in confusion.

“You’ve tasted it before?” she asked, causing Brian to nod.

“A little over a month ago, we had a bit of a birthday celebration of my own,” he answered. “It wasn’t my actual birthday, of course, but these lovely ladies thought it might be nice to catch up on the birthdays I missed while in prison. It was super nice of them.”

A couple guilty looks were exchanged as they remembered what had happened the night of that party, but nobody was about to bring that up. Not noticing this, Jennifer’s face lit up.

“Aww, that is so sweet!” she gushed, before her face fell a little. “I wish I had been there, though…”

Brian’s expression darkened a bit, as did Allison’s and Elizabeth’s.

“I know. I wish you’d been there, too,” he said softly.

“Then why wasn’t I?” Jennifer asked, looking down at the floor. Brian let out a small sigh, as he had been wondering when it was going to come up.

“Jen, I’m sorry for not telling you I was alive. You have to understand, though, anybody who knew about me was in serious danger. If I was found out, then I most certainly would have died, and everybody who knew would have gone to jail. I didn’t want to expose you to that kind of risk,” he explained fervently.

“But… I wouldn’t have told anybody,” she replied, looking back up at him. “You have to know that, right? I never would have let anybody find out.”

“Not even Mom?” Brian asked, his tone suddenly deadly serious. Jennifer was stunned into silence for a moment.

“Mom…? What do you mean?” she asked.

“How would you have kept it a secret from her? What would you tell her when you wanted to come and visit me? How would you be able to hide our phone calls? Our house is pretty small, with thin walls. I’m sure you’d have started to act differently, so what would she think of that? That’s what I mean, Jen,” Brian continued, keeping his tone steady.

“Well… I, um…” Jennifer muttered, not knowing an answer. “Do you… do you really think she would have told the police if she found out?”

“Absolutely,” Brian replied instantly, his face darkening even more. Allison began to softly pet his back with her finger, while Elizabeth looked down at the floor. Jennifer furrowed her brow.

“No… no, I don’t think she would have,” she replied, to which Brian raised an eyebrow. Jennifer thought for a moment, before coming to an important decision.

“Bean, I think you should meet with her.”