Holly sat, anxiously thrumming the table with her fingers. Her eyes scanned the crowded coffee shop over and over. Surely she's spot Sara as soon as she arrived. Even among omegas, she was someone who stood out. And stand out Sara did, as she strode through the door with a tepid look on her face. She was wearing tight jeans with a loose, casual blouse. Simple, but far from the baggy set that had become her new style. Holly waved at her, ecstatically.

She was just thrilled she showed up at all. Holly worried it was too soon to send the *can we talk* text after their uncomfortable exchange. But Sara agreed to meet here, despite her cold response. She was like that. No matter what, she'd always have her friend's back. "I hope this is ok. There was a wait on a mixed table, and..."

"It's fine." Sara replied firmly, trying her best to figure out how to sit down at a table that barely came up to her knees. A barista appeared from behind her, almost like magic. Sara had gotten used to smaller people sneaking up on her by now. 

"I can get you a pad, if you'd prefer. And whatever you're drinking." the barista chirped.

"A pad would be great. And a latte." Sara said as she dropped to her knees, wincing against the hard tile floor.

"On one check!" Holly called as the barista trotted off.

"You don't have to do that." Sara said, adjusting herself into the most comfortable position she could.

"It's the least I could do. I was an ass." Holly apologized. Sara tried to jump in, but Holly stopped her. "No, I was. You don't have to try to make me feel better."

"I was going to agree with you." Sara smirked.

"Oh." Holly went red. "Well, then... thank you. I've just been feeling a lot of pressure lately, and I took it out on you. As much as I hate to admit it, you've become almost like... a gigantic reminder of how much the world has changed around me. Changed without me. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I'm not really mad. You're the only person who still treats me like I'm the same me. I guess when you said what you said, it triggered something."

"I never want our friendship to change. I value it as much as my own marriage. Which is why I wanted to get your advice on something." Holly sighed.

Sara leaned in. She had a good idea where this was going but she could hardly believe it.

"Did it hurt?" Holly squeaked. "Is it painful?"

Sara smiled. "Far from it. There's some discomfort when you go through a heavy spurt, and it can be disorienting, but honestly there's more pleasure than pain." She blushed as she remembered that long two weeks, growing almost 4 feet, the world shrinking around her.

"Ok. Okay." Holly psyched herself up. "So... I've been thinking of taking the Murf."

"Do it, Holly. You won't regret it. I promise you that." Sara beamed. The barista arrived with her latte and a plushy, round pad the size of tortoise. Sara stood to adjust herself on the new seat, but something else caught her fancy. She stood up straight, and stared down at Holly.

"What?" Holly asked, sheepishly.

Sara took her by the arm and pulled her into a hug. Holly found herself over a foot off the ground, dangling inside of Sara's large embrace. "What!?" she laughed as she felt the rumbling laugh of Sara's massive chest against her.

"You spent all this time acting like you were never going to do it. And now you make the decision in 24 hours." Sara stated, setting her friend carefully back on the ground. "I'm so excited for you. Now you get to start your life like the rest of us."

"I could have had a life without it." Holly said, plopping back into her chair.

"Listen," Sara replied, sliding onto her pad and putting her face close to Holly across the table. "Nobody likes to say it. It's not a very nice thing to think, but it's the truth. Omegas are becoming a new class fast. And they're not exactly second, if you know what I mean."

Holly didn't have to be told that. She lived it every day. The omegas were becoming a part of a ruling class without ever firing a shot. It felt natural. No matter how sweet and understanding an omega could be, they had a naturally commanding presence, and society was wrapping itself around them with no need for coercion.

"You could have had a happy life how you are. But now you can have a full life." Sara leaned back, letting her body stretch out against her top. Holly couldn't help but marvel at just how impressive a figure her best friend had been bestowed.

"I don't know if I need to be as... full as you. I wouldn't mind being one of those short omegas. Seven footers. I could get by like that, without making things too different for Grant."

"They're calling them lowmegas these days." Sara corrected.

"Lowmegas. Clever." Holly spat.

"And they're almost as rare as... well, me. You'll probably wind up somewhere a little above 8 feet like most of us." Sara said.

"Ooh, I just felt a chill. It's still so spooky to me." Holly said. "I like my body. People always called me a natural beauty. Well, they used to."

"Imagine what they'll call you now. Are you gonna get a subsidy from your work for the procedure?"

"I'm asking first thing Monday morning. Which is why I wanted to talk to you so soon." Holly replied.

"I'll send you all the literature. Best to be informed." Sara stated. "Make sure you take more of the Nektar than you think you'll need. You can always get refills, but best to start strong. And don't leave the doctor's office without at least a couple stretchies. You call me if you have any questions. I've been through all of this before."

"Really? I had no idea." Holly sneered.

Sara shoved her playfully, gasping when Holly flew out of her chair onto the floor. "Sorry! I-"

"That's the only one you get!" Holly laughed.

-----

The halogen light of the bright office buzzed above Holly's desk. She let it distract her. Even after all of Sara's coaching the night before, she was still nervous to talk to Davis. She added some lines to the design she was working at on her laptop. The logo was becoming too busy, and she knew it. But busy was what she needed right now.

"That looks too busy." came a voice from above. Holly stared up to see Morgan standing over her. She wore a loose, professional, white-striped dress cinched at the waist. Her short-cropped hair hung over her face as she stared down at Holly's computer screen.

"I know." Holly sighed. "I finished it hours ago."

"Are you asking for more logo work? Because I still have 6 due by-"

"How tall are you, Morgan?" Holly asked, standing up to speak to her.

Morgan blushed. It was more direct than she was used to. Omegas had become accustomed to smaller people not asking their exact height. "It's all tall to me." had become a running joke.

"Eight-five." she said, almost like it was a question.

Holly stared up at her, getting closer as if she was examining. She could see Morgan's face get redder behind the curve of her breast. "Everything ok?"

Holly sighed again. "I'm thinking of taking the Murf."

"Oh, that's great!" Morgan encouraged. "We've all been wondering when you'd finally do it."

Holly shot her a look. Were the office omegas talking about her behind her back? Or above her back, technically?

"I'm just working up the nerve to ask Davis to subsidize me."

"Yeah, he can be weird about that. Some of us decided to do it out of pocket, just so he couldn't hold it over us."

"Prick." Holly spat. "Any advice?"

Morgan leaned down at patted her on the back. "Walk in there and talk to him like you're already 8 feet tall." 

Holly smiled back at her. "Thanks."

"See you on the upper level." Morgan smiled back.

Holly marched along the open floor plan to the small office at the far end of her floor. She passed half a dozen omegas as she did, as if cutting through the thick underbrush of possibility on her way to salvation. She would be one of them soon. All it took was a rubber stamp from the man behind that door.

She knocked. "Yeah!" came a voice behind it. Holly opened it to find Davis scrolling through a long list of forms on his desktop. 

"Holly!" he shouted with mock enthusiasm. "Loved the Brandwise logo you sent this morning. When can we expect the full packet?"

"I have it all ready." Holly said, shutting the door behind her. Davis cocked an eyebrow as she sat in the chair across from his desk. "I just wanted to-"

"Something wrong with the brief?" he interrupted.

"No, it was actually really easy. I wanted to ask you about something else."

Davis sighed. "Look, I know you're gunning for something more leadershippy here, but we're fully staffed up with people more..."

"I wanted to ask about taking the Murf. What's the company's process for sponsorship?" Holly shot back.

Davis swallowed his humor. His face turned into a light grimace. "I'm really happy for you that you decided to do this for yourself, Holly. But we've already sponsored three girls this year alone."

"Is there a quota?" Holly asked, confused.

"Not exactly. But it becomes substantially more difficult without spreading these subsidies out."

"When's the last time you sponsored someone?"

"Four months ago. Anna. And you saw how..." he stopped himself, dropping his hands down from the crude swooping gestures he began to make.

"So how soon can you sponsor someone else? I'm not against waiting a bit." Holly tried.

"The thing is... I just approved a subsidy last week." Davis squirmed.

Holly's heart sank. "Who?" Her mind raced, thinking of the handful of women in the office she still saw eye to eye.

"Laurie." Davis spat. 

Laurie. She'd only been working here for 3 months. But Davis always had a weird look on his face when she passed by. And Holly noticed that she passed by quite a lot. She wasn't sure what else there was to say.

"Look, I love where your head's at. Let's table this Murf talk for a couple months, then circle back when we're fresh again. I love your ambition. Nothing's better than ambition. But for now, why don't you just send me that packet?"

The door slammed behind her. Holly didn't even remember standing up. She walked over to the break room, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Morgan as she passed. It wasn't hard. All she had to do was stare straight ahead.

She pulled a coffee mug out of the cabinet and began to shovel grounds into the coffeemaker. Her senses were beginning to readjust. The humiliation was subsiding. Then Laurie walked in.

"Oh! Hey, Holly!" she said, quite chipper.

"Hi, Laurie." Holly replied, warmly. She looked over at the average height women, her thick red hair cascading down in a messy bunch. She was wearing a blue, stretchie jumpsuit that fit her quite poorly. It was rumpled in places, baggy in others. Her naturally appealing figure was given no favors by this new look. "I heard you were approved to take the Murf."

"I just did it this morning." Laurie beamed. "Got back a couple minutes ago."

Holly observed her carefully, then. Apart from the fashion choice, she didn't look much different from her normal 5'6" height. "How was it?"

"Surreal, honestly. They give you this big infodump, pump you full of the catalyzer, hand off some smoothies and one of these bad boys..." At that, Laurie, tugged on her stretchies and watched them snap back against her body. "And... we're off."

"Do you feel different?"

"Not yet. They say it can take a minute for it to really kick in. But it picks up the pace the longer it goes, and-"

Holly watched Laurie continue her ramble. The woman could never keep a statement concise. But what really caught her attention was the realization that her eyes were slowly moving up as she stared up at Laurie. It was starting.

"Woah." Laurie breathed, taking a coffee in her hands. "I guess, here we go."

Holly had begun staring directly at Laurie's neck. Now she was looking at her shoulders. It must have been a couple inches over the course of a few seconds.  "Here we go." she croaked.

"Well, see you around." Laurie said, turning around and heading toward the door. "Just.. you know, lower."

Holly leaned against the counter, holding her own coffee in her hands. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket and pulled it out. A text from Sara.

*how did it go?*

*bad. he said they can't afford it, since they just gave one to someone else.*

Typing. Furious little dots bouncing at the bottom of the conversation. Holly couldn't help but feel invigorated by her friend's textual enthusiasm.

*bullshit. there's no reason he can't give it to you. the government is still fully funding all corporate subsidies.*

*i wondered if he just didn't want another omega gunning for his job* Holly wrote back, feeling suddenly empowered.

*get back in there and tell him he's paying for your murf, or you're calling the ACLU on his ass.*

*do you think that'll work?*

*if it doesn't, i'm coming down there and talking it through with him myself*

Holly smiled. She put her phone back in her pocket, slurped her coffee down in two quick gulps, and stormed back into Davis's office.

-----

"I'm just surprised you were able to see me so quickly." Holly told the doctor. She sat on a bench in a white examining room, surrounded by the standard medical doo dads. Tongue depressors, cotton swabs, upsetting diagrams of the body.

"We don't get nearly as many appointments for this as we used to." Doctor Hastings replied. He was a thin man, almost six and a half feet tall, and seemingly in his 60s. He had a gentle way about him that made Holly feel at ease. "Most of the women who were interested in this sort of thing had taken it months ago. You missed the boom."

Hastings unwrapped the compression pump from Holly's arm. "All good?" she asked, nervously.

"Vitals are perfect. I'd say you're the healthiest you'll ever be, but I'd be lying." Hastings smiled.

"You've done a lot of these?" Holly queried. She still needed some assurance.

"Oh, dozens. There are never any complications, really. Some women get cold feet, but that's their own business." Hastings pulled a cotton swab from a jar and dabbed it with numbing solution. He saw Holly wince as he did. He smiled, and rubbed the crook of her arm carefully with the swab.

"I'm just going to start with the catalyzer. Now, that's the MRPF_3 injection that gets the ball rolling. There will be a little pinch here." He pulled out a needle filled with amber liquid. "If you're squeamish, just relax and look away."

Holly nodded. She never had a problem with needles, but this particular one was very auspicious. She felt the pinch, and then it felt like her blood thickened ever so slightly. It was done. She took the Murf.

Hastings put a bandage over the injection point and squeezed her shoulder like a grandfather would. "Now, the rest is on you. We'll set you up on your way out with 5 cases of Nektar, that's the high-protein solution that will help your growth stay stable, and keep you from any hunger pains or soreness. Comfort is key here. Now, we recommend one serving of Nektar with every meal, no matter how many meals your body feels it needs on your... journey."

Holly blushed. She suddenly felt hungry already. She thought of Laurie, how quickly it started for her. Would it be even quicker in her case?

"The bottles are portioned by the serving, so don't worry about measuring anything. It's all been thought out for you. We're around if you experience any complications. But it's very rare for women undergoing the procedure to feel anything more than the occasional anxiety attack. It's a big change, after all."

"Big change." Holly repeated. She looked down at herself. She was still wearing the same loose black slacks and white t-shirt she'd brought to work. 

"Last thing is, we have some stretchies here for you." Hastings announced, pulling a small garment out from a cabinet. "They come in blue, green, yellow, pink, purple..."

"How many can I have?" Holly asked.

"I can give you one of each, if you like. We're not in high demand, like I said. And the government is footing the bill." 

"The green and purple are fine." Holly said, taking one out of Dr. Hastings' hands. "And the blue."

"Some women like to wear them out, just in case. I can step out if you'd like to change."

"No, that's alright." Holly said, collecting her new set of stretchies. "Thank you, doctor."

-----

Holly rounded the winding hallway back into the lobby. It was still only 2pm, and the place was practically deserted. The nurse behind the counter flagged her down. She was young, and from Holly's estimate about 8'2". "I just need your signature on some forms, and then you're good to grow."

Holly smiled. The nurse seemed very proud of that joke. Who was she to judge? She scribbled her name on the forms, one by one, trying her best to ignore the vibrating feeling along her arms. "All set?"

"We have your Nektar here." the nurse replied, hoisting a pallet of plastic-wrapped shake bottles up from the counter with ease. Holly looked at the impressive stack with concern. The nurse took notice.

"I can help you out to your car if you don't have anyone with you..."

"I, um..."

The door swung open then, and Grant appeared as if on cue. "Holly!" he burst forward, pulling her into his arms. Holly hugged him tightly. He felt, somehow, smaller. She must be imagining things. Her brain was already resetting its expectations for the future.

"Sorry I'm late. I didn't realize you were already headed here."

"It's ok." Holly replied. "Do you mind helping me with my supplements?"

Grant turned to the large pallet on the counter. The nurse smiled down at him, challenging him to say yes.

-----

Holly tugged at her shirt as she sat in the SUV next to Grant. The bottles of Nektar bounced in the backseat behind them. She felt stifled in her clothes, but refused to believe she was already growing.

"I just can't believe you did this so soon." Grant exclaimed, eyes still fixed on the road. "You only told me you were ready last night."

"Well, it just sort of aligned this way." Holly replied.

"And work was cool with you taking the rest of the day off?"

"The way I left things, work would be cool if I threw my desk at Davis." Holly laughed

Grant laughed. "You laugh, but that's not going to be outside the realm of possibility in a couple weeks."

Holly calmed down at that. "Well, no going back now. Ugh..." she tugged harder on her blouse.

Grant pulled to the side of the road, trying to get a better look at his struggling wife. His eyes immediately caught the problem. "Baby, you're off and running."

"No fucking way. I just got the injection 20 minutes ago." Holly debated.

"Holly, I'm pretty familiar with your body. And I know how big your boobs are."

Holly looked down as he said that. Her chest seemed to have swollen noticeably. "No way. You're just messing with me."

"Is your shirt messing with you?" Grant asked. He tugged at the bottom of her white tee. She slapped his hand away playfully before realizing what exactly he had done. She felt the bottom hem of her shirt. It was riding up above her waist. She felt the bare skin of her midriff beneath her undeniably larger chest. Her heartbeat quickened. Fear, but also excitement made her body tingle all the more. Grant pulled back onto the road.

"Have you had any lunch?"

"No, and I'm starving." Holly groaned.

"Growing girl." Grant smiled.

They pulled off into a diner not far from their house. It was one of Holly's favorites and Grant knew it. He wanted to put some normalcy back into the day as soon as possible. He stepped out of the SUV and, as a form of habit, walked to the other side to help his wife out. When he got there, she was already standing on the pavement, beaming up at him. "Easier than it looked."

He looked at her, her tee shirt riding up past her bellybutton. Her loose slacks were showing the shape of her leg more than he remembered. Holly smiled back, staring straight at his collarbone. It was a new feeling, and surprisingly fun for her.

"Let me grab a shake." she said, whipping open the backdoor and snapping a bottle off the stack. "One per meal. Doctor's orders." she cooed, sashaying into the diner. Grant smiled, following her in.

They were sat at a booth near the back. The lunch rush had already petered out, so they had the place mostly to themselves. Grant looked over at the tall tables on the other side of the dining area. So they'd already started upgrading the seating even here. His mind wandered, wondering how soon he'd have to sit at one of those tables with his wife, every time they went out together. He was brought back to Earth by the sound of their plates hitting the table. He looked down at his club sandwich, made to perfection as usual. Then he saw Holly's plate.

"A caesar salad?" Grant questioned.

"I love the salad here." Holly protested.

"Holly, you're gonna get sick if you don't eat enough protein."

"But I don't want to get too big, Grant. It's my first day. Can't I go slow?"

"Ma'am, can we add a few things to this order?" Grant asked, grabbing the waitress before she could leave. At least she was smaller than him, or else she would have been long gone.

Holly grimaced as she watched a double cheeseburger plop in front of her, with two baskets of fries. "Will you finish what I can't eat?"

"At least try." Grant pleaded.

Holly picked up the burger, and stared at it. She took a bite, and felt her whole body quiver. In that moment, she became addicted to that burger. She gobbled it up so fast, Grant had barely finished the first half of his sandwich before she dove into the fries. Grant was stunned as he watched his tiny wife wolf down what had to be at least 5000 calories, barely coming up for air.

In due time, the plate was clean. Holly came to out of her fugue state and looked at the damage. "That was almost orgasmic." she wheezed. She patted her full stomach, feeling just how tight her shirt had become as it rippled against her expanded flesh. She looked down, and her tits stared back at her. "Jesus."

"Not so fast." Grant admonished.

"What? Do you want me to lick the plate?"

Grant pointed animatedly to the shake sitting next to her on the table.

"Grant, I'm so full." Holly begged.

"Doctor's orders." Grant joked.

Holly sighed. She unscrewed the top of the Nektar and stared down at the thick, milky contents inside. The bottle itself had to be at least a liter. Not exactly a quick sip. She brought it to her lips and drank. It was almost like a malted soup, like she was drinking a 3 course meal in a bottle. She choked a bit after the first few glugs. "Think that's enough?"

"Don't be mad when you wake up with pains tonight." Grant said.

Holly sighed. She brought the shake back up to her mouth and chugged, feeling the contents slide slowly down her throat as it distended to take the load. She felt her whole body fill as she drank, as if every inch of her was becoming thicker, more powerful, bigger. Her heart quivered. Her nipples perked up. She even felt her sex grow warm and wet as she imagined what was happening to her body. She'd heard euphoria was a symptom, but she didn't imagine it would be this potent.

Grant finished off his last bite and stared at his wife as she slammed the empty shake bottle on the table. She must have gone from a small B to a CC over the course of the day. The shirt had become a second skin on her body. "Maybe you should put on one of the stretchies now." he offered.

"I'll do it when I get home." she replied. She didn't want to admit that she thought the stretchies looked hideous. She was holding off that stage of the process for as long as she could.

"Are you sure?" Grant asked.

Holly smiled. "I'm very sure." She grabbed his hand in mock solemnity, and in doing so, heard a loud rip from behind her back. Her eyes shot open wide. Grant's face told her everything. Her arms reached behind her back, and felt a long gash down her spine.

"Ok, it's fine. I'll just..." Grant stood up slowly and backed over to her side of the booth. "Just stand up slowly..." he held out his hand and helped her to her feet. As she stood, he spun her quickly, bringing her back to his front. 'You ok?"

"Uh huh." Holly whispered, embarrassed.

"We're just gonna... walk over..." He took her arm and walked her, pressing up close to her to cover her exposed back. He walked her gently to the ladies room on the other side of the dining room. Past the tall omega tables, he nodded at a couple who winked knowingly at them. Holly turned bright red, mortified. Grant saw the ladies room only a few feet away. He realized then that he had to crane his head slightly to see. The top of Holly's head was now just below his eyesight. Before, he had been well over a head taller than her. The change was happening faster than he could have ever anticipated.

Finally, they made it to the door, and Holly rocketed in. "I'll grab a pair from the car. Just... wait a second."

Holly leaned against the wall of the diner's ladies room. She stared at herself in the long mirror across from her. Her shirt was ruined. Her pants clung to her so tight, she could practically see cellulite. And her nipples were poking through the ruined front of her tee. She prayed no one would come into the room in the seeming eternity it took for Grant to return.

Then, a knock. She opened the door a crack, and a hand slipped through holding a folded pair of stretchies. "Thank you." she chirped, as she snatched them from the hand. She set them on the sink, and stared at herself. She slowly pulled the shirt from her shoulders, watching her new chest bounce as she did. She tried with some effort to slide the tight slacks around her expanded thighs. She'd wished Sara was there to help. In more ways than one.

Finally she stood naked, unfurling the rubber-esque garment in full. Grant chose blue. How safe.

He stood outside, waiting for his wife to emerge. When she finally did, he covered his mouth with his hand. He was able to play it off as awe, as thankfully his laugh was too quiet to hear. Holly stood in front of him, dressed in her matte-shiny jumpsuit. Her hair was a mess from the quick change, and her piercing eyes stared at him, one brow cocked.

That look was imposing even when she was a foot shorter than him. Now she was staring at his lips. She kissed him, letting her hands run through his hair, pressing her new body against him, letting her long legs curl around him. She took his breath away. "Ready to go?" she smoldered.

Grant nodded dumbly as he rushed toward the car. Holly chuckled as she followed. She stopped at the door of the diner. Her eyes caught a height chart right next to it. Obviously for the occasional stick-up, the chart rose all the way to 10 feet now. She couldn't help but feel curious when she looked at it. She sidled up, bringing her hand to the top of her head. She stuck it on the chart and stepped back. Her eyes shot open again.

5'9". Eight whole inches. She felt herself, taking in the new perspective she had gained. She couldn't help but feel content. She loved the look Grant gave her when he looked down ever so slightly to see her. She could be happy at 5'9". If this was all the procedure did for her, that was no big loss.

But deep down she knew, it had only been a couple hours. And it had only just begun.