The following Saturday morning was a mixed bag of sorts for Tanner. Ingrid went out with Blake to the gym and as predicted Ivory last minute went out with Rick for an early morning coffee and brunch, narrowing down the numbers to just himself and his favorite person in the world Marcelle. If Ingrid had known that her mother was going out Tanner was sure she wouldn't have been keen on leaving if it meant him being in the lone care of a nightmare in a teenagers body.

Like a predator on the hunt he knew she was lying in wait for her moment to strike. A moment that she thought was going to be as soon as Ivory left however for once lady luck was shining her fortune on Tanner. Right as Marcelle was on the prowl believing that the time was ripe and herself to be in the clear a knock on the door stopped her in her tracks. As a bonus it wasn't some stranger at the door, but one of Tanner's doctors Julie Hoffman.

Tanner was ecstatic that she arrived not only for inadvertently putting a monkey wrench in Marcelle's plot of the day, but he could genuinely say she was one of the people he felt most comfortable around.

When he first met her when he was five she introduced herself as a doctor in charge of his mental well being or some euphemism like that. Being wiser now Tanner knew that she was assigned a mish mash role between being a social worker to check in on him every now and again, and more importantly act as a counselor. Julie was one of the few constants in his life and has been there nearly every step of the way in his ever shrinking life from a smaller than average child, to an abnormally small adolescent, to whatever you'd classify a 3 ½ inch young adult.

Unlike the dozens of people he's seen come and go from his life, as Julie's seen him shrink before her very eyes, he's seen her mature from the woman in her late 30's when he first met her to a lady on the brink of her elder years. Her hair no longer sporting the rich shade of black it once did in her glory years as it gave way to the gray hairs that were making its presence known.

With her present, Marcelle opted for a tactical retreat while Julie took Tanner into the dining room to chat. Julie donned on her black rimmed glasses another recent addition courtesy of the years reading studies and documents taking it's toll on her eyesight, and turned her notebook to a blank page.

“ So the gals are on some Saturday festivities I take it?” Julie inferred based on neither one of them being the one to answer the door.

“ Nope, I murdered them both so I could inherit the house.”

“ You do realize you'll have to buy my silence now?” Julie responded flatly.

“ Hn, do you accept warm smiles and hugs?” Tanner asked forming an exaggerated grin and spreading his arms wide.

“ Only if it can be directly exchanged for legal currency.” She answered, her tone of voice unwavering. To many her monotone voice can be off putting, but Tanner found her deadpan snark to be humorous and oddly charming.

“ Anyway, moving onto to business how has the family been treating you since shrinking below 1 foot?” She clicked the top button to ready her ballpoint pen.

Tanner looked over to the ground as he gave it sufficient thought. “ It's a two sided coin. I appreciate everything Ivory and Ingrid do to try and accommodate me.” He began.

“ But?” Julie asked wondering the caveat.

“ But it's. . mind boggling to me. I would've laughed in my own face a few years ago if I told myself I'd get this small. It's almost surreal how this house went from being just a house to now it's like a whole world to me. Not to mention watching normal size people look . . superhuman from my perspective. Even with Ivory and Ingrid behaving as gentle as possible it's hard to shake it from my mind if they forgot how powerful they were for any fraction of time well . .” Tanner stopped there since the outcome to that scenario was obvious enough to go unsaid.

Julie jotted down some notes. “ In fairness, it's probably not easy on them either.”

“ You think so?”

“ Why of course. I doubt it's effortless on there part to handle you and having to be cognizant of every last move they make. It's a scary thing to have another life in your hands.” She explained. Outside of Marcelle, Julie had her ways of making him feel naive and looking at things from another perspective. Key difference the latter had his best interest in mind while the other simply delighted in tormenting him.

“ So latest word is your step-mom began dating, any news on that?”

“ Yeesh, don't get me started. I met the guy yesterday.”

“ Really?” Julie said, her voice barely rising a decibel above her usual flat tone, but enough to constitute that she wasn't expecting that. “ Dare I ask how it went?”

Unlike before where he had to contemplate his response, he was at a lack of words to give a decent overview. “ It was alright I guess. He reacted as you'd expect him to react to the sight of me.”

“ A heart attack?” She quipped, drawing a laugh out of Tanner.

“No, but he was kind've nervous and awkward. It's hard to tell how much of his behavior was because of me or him meeting the family for the first time.”

“ Strange, but acceptable given the circumstances I suppose. On an unrelated note . . I didn't recognize her at first. But I see Marcelle is here.”

Tanner jumped a little at her mention. Though she wasn't as privy to everything that happened as Ingrid and himself, she knew that they had some issues, but as far as she knows it was mainly bullying. “ Yeah, she'll be staying here for a while.”

“ She's been behaving herself I hope?” Though her tone largely unchanged he knew what it meant if he told her that she was no better if not worse now. For the most part everything they talked about was strictly confidential. The only time where she'd act without his consent would be in situations where his well being was in imminent danger. He wasn't doubtful that she was capable of getting Marcelle out his hair, in fact it'd be a day worth celebrating. But with the proponent of her foot weighing above his body the risk wasn't worth it. The time it'd take Julie to cover basis to get something of a restraining order on her would be ample time for Marcelle to retaliate.

“ I think she's mellowed out over the years, she's been pretty pleasant.” Tanner responded in a lie so bold he was afraid a supernatural force was going to strike him down at once for saying it aloud.

Julie gave Tanner a skeptical glance before resuming her writing, he didn't expect her to buy it but without clear evidence suggesting otherwise or him saying so directly she couldn't pursue the matter further.

“ All in all, I guess you still seem sane.” Julie dryly stated.

“ Is there anything you want to mention that we haven't discussed?”

Tanner hesitated to whether he wanted to spill his guts out after all things last night didn't go too well with Ivory, but Julie was different and capable of seeing things more objectively.

“ Sometimes I just wonder if this is all there is too my life you know? Lets not sugar coat it, what does the future have in store for me now? I'm far beyond the point where I can do anything that normal people can. . .I wonder if they can grasp that.”

Julie clicked the button on top of the pen a couple of times as she thought. Though her face remained stoic a crack of sympathy showed in her smokey brown eyes at this issue she wasn't prepared to address.“ . . Sorry, I wish I could tell you I had a straight answer, but we're doing as much learning and adapting on the fly as you are in regards on how to handle this. Have you talked to either one of them about this?”

“ Funny enough after the dinner with Ivory's boyfriend I tried mentioning it to her. She was too ecstatic afterwards and I could hardly get a word out.”

“ Maybe pick a time where she'll be more receptive. In addition maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to get some fresh air to invigorate you.”

The concept seemed laughable to Tanner. “ Fresh air!? Please tell me that's your sarcasm again.”

Julie though was 100% serious this time. “ I'm not joking, it'll do you some good and stimulate your mind from the monotony. Obviously you'll need supervision from your mom or sister.”

“ That's well and good, except I'd believe it was possible for me to sprout wings and fly before Ivory approved of that. Heck, I'd need the best advertiser in the world to help me think of a pitch to get her to even consider it.”

“ Then I'd get to work on recruiting advertisers if I were you.” Julie responding reverting back to her trademark dry wit.

Again Tanner couldn't help laughing at her response. “ Alright, I'll give it a shot.”

“ Atta boy. That completes the session. I'll check back in a week again to see if you made any headway.” Julie collected her belongings into her bag and once she was sufficient distance away from Tanner she announced upstairs to Marcelle that she was leaving. He found it comical how when it came to anything else she could be borderline lethargic, except when he was mentioned she was there with time to spare.

“ Leaving so soon?” Marcelle frowned, pretending she was actually disappointed to see her leave.

Julie only stared at Marcelle before dismissing her words without a direct response. “ Anyways, bye Tanner.” She said upon her exit.

“ Tch, good riddens bitch.” Marcelle spat. Her charm worked on most adults she knew, Julie though had always been too savvy to fall for her niceties. She marched with irritation seeping out of each step of her movement to the dining room, at the sight of Tanner at his lonesome once more her disposition calmed.

“ Soooo.” She drew out her word as she came closer. As he's come to expect his giant step cousin made a point in placing her hands on the edge of the table and leaning in to emphasize her size. “ Have a nice discussion with Julie?” She asked. To a person unfamiliar to her ways that would've came off as a simple question, to Tanner who was accustomed to her nature knew it was never that easy.

“ It was okay..”

Marcelle nodded along. “ What did you two talk about?”

“ Nothing in particular..”

“ Don't be silly you must've talked about some very particular things.” Marcelle was being as indirect as possible doing everything under the sun to implicate what she wanted outside of writing TELL ME on her forehead.

Things were bound to get worse if Tanner continued to play ignorant so he figured if he told her a bit here and there she'd be satisfied. “ She figures some time outside the house would be good for me.”

“ Outside?” Marcelle repeated, barely able to believe he said those words and as the thought marinated in her brain she started snickering uncontrollably to herself. “ Doesn't Ivory keep you on house arrest or something?!”

Tanner huffed not needing confirmation of what he already knew. “ Yeah, I'm going to have to convince her somehow.”

“ Right, right, good luck with that. She's too afraid something will happen to her precious little boy out in the big bad world.” Marcelle mocked Tanner leaning in closer to his face. “ Anyway, did I come up in your conversation at all?” Her voice shifted right back into seriousness. There it was, the ulterior motive. Prime objective? Making sure her name was squeaky clean.

“ . . .Briefly.”

“ Oh?” Marcelle loomed in closer, with each extra centimeter Tanner felt the hot exhalations of carbon-dioxide from her nostrils blow into his face. “ I hope nothing you said portrayed me in a bad light.”

With each word spoken a gust of her minty breath hit his body making it feel like it was being frozen in place as if he lost sovereignty over himself and couldn't perform any action without her permission. The natural task of breathing escaped from him as well and he found himself subconsciously holding his breath as if Marcelle commanded the very air in the room.

“ Well what did you say-” Marcelle began, however lady luck intervened on behalf of Tanner once more, this time in the form of Ingrid and Blake arriving home.

“ Hey guys, I'm back!” She stated.

Tanner had to stifle a shiver as he saw her grit her teeth in irritation upon being interrupted again. In true manipulator fashion though she collected herself back to her cheery disposition and stood back up in a normal unsuspecting position, much to the relief of Tanner who suddenly remembered he needed to breathe to stay alive. “ Hey Ingrid I'm here!”

Ingrid had to do a double take seeing Tanner with Marcelle with no one else around, the equivalent of leaving a mouse with a cat. “ . . Ivory went out with Rick huh?” She quickly reasoned.

“ Mhm. We were spending a little quality time after Julie left right Tanner?” Marcelle provided the perfect blend of covert and force to demand him to comply without alerting Ingrid.

“ . .Yeah.”

“ That's a relief . . that Julie was here that is.” Ingrid said happy that Marcelle wasn't left unfettered for too long.

Marcelle chuckled her usual sweet laugh and gave her innocent smile. “ Oh don't be that way. And how have you been Blake you're looking healthy.” She asked the mountain of a teen.

Though usually the more jovial of the two the fact that Ingrid wasn't too fond of Marcelle, Blake by extension wasn't going to let her on her good side too easily. “ I've been aight.”

“ So when we're through giving me the cold shoulder, Tanner has something important to say.” Marcelle ever the tactician managed to shift the venom from her and the spotlight onto him.

“ I. .wait, what now?!” An astonished Tanner asked.

“ Tell them what you told me just now.” Marcelle clarified.

“ What's the matter Tanner?” Ingrid asked, her tone far less aggressive than compared to when she was speaking to her cousin.

Tanner held his tongue for a moment trying to workout what Marcelle's angle was. “..Julie thinks it'd be a good idea for me to go out for some sunshine.” He tentatively answered, feeling guilty even uttering the words like it were a blasphemous statement.

“ Um.” Ingrid started, uncertain on how to proceed. While she didn't have the same reservations as Ivory who'd keep Tanner wrapped in bubble wrap at all times if it was viable, bringing him out into the open beyond the house was not an idea she was keen on. “ . .I think we should get Ivory's input on that first.”

“ Pfft.” Marcelle rolled her eyes. “ As if you even need it, you know she'll say no and give you a detailed speech as to why.”

There was no arguing with that point and Ingrid knew it. For as cold as she behaved towards her cousin Marcelle knew she had a soft spot for Tanner, an advantage she was going to press. She got Tanner to say his piece now she was going to play arbiter to move things in the right direction.“ The mall's only 10 minutes away why not take him?”

“ . .What if Ivory gets ho-”

“ We'll be back before she knows it. She's having lunch with Rick, all we have to do is take him out, show him a good time for an hour, come home, and all is peachy.” Marcelle laid out before Ingrid could get out the concern.

“ . . .” Ingrid bit the corner of her lip still hesitant, her eyes drifted up to Blake looking for some sort of visual input from the statuesque teen.

“ If Tanner wants to I guess...” Blake tenuously shrugged her shoulders.

“ Are you up for that Tanner?” Ingrid asked with a small smile. Her smiles were normally highlighted with self-assured confidence, not this one. She was more trying to convince herself it was okay than it was to invoke confidence in him.

“ I think it'll be fun.” He said, returning a smile of his own that rivaled his stepsister's in its lacking of conviction. In the back of his mind he wondered how the hell Marcelle weaved what he thought was an ill-timed coincidence into her scheme. What made matters worse Tanner had the aching suspicion he was several moves behind in this game.

“ Awesome lets go!” Marcelle declared with the most authentic grin of the three.