Giant Solidarity G/T

Chapter XXIV. On the Road

Author's Note: Admittedly, this is a short, semi "fluff" chapter. Originally I meant to delve deeper into a subplot, but ended up rearranging things. Hope you still enjoy!

Desperately, Harley approached Crystal as she spun around with the luggage. He scooped her off the ground and brought her to his face. "Crystal babe, we just work under Petra. We don't share any of her-,"

"Don't fucking grab me Harley!" shrieked Crystal, flailing her legs in Harley's fist, kicking the soft part of his hand. Promptly, Harley placed her back on the hearth and stepped back. Crystal was leering at him with that same angry venomous look Rey gave me upstairs. "And don't tell me about Petra," she continued. "That monster giantess called me a rodent, put a muzzle on me, locked me in a cage and expected me to poop on newspaper. I know what she's capable of. I still fought back."

Once Harley set her down, I interjected "Crystal, I don't quite get why your making Harley guilty by association here. His name wasn't on that awful cartoon anywhere."

Now Crystal lashed out at me. "Since that boss of yours first called me a critter, I couldn't believe you two worked for someone like that." Crystal looked back and forth between our high up visages. "That cartoon was just one thing too many."

As Rey and the foster humans gathered their baggage, the volunteers collected the other humans' belongings. Apparently, the plan was for the aides and the little people to carpool in Seth's van to whatever rendezvous point they were meeting this Eli at. From there, the boat would take them across the lake, to wherever this human haven was. As Reagan politely guided the giants to which human owned which personal property, my chest twisted. It took until then to realize that Reagan was disappearing on me, for an undetermined amount of time. Two years, we hadn't been separated from one another more than a week.

A last stitch effort to make things right before she left carried me forward. "Can we talk, please Rey?"

Likely due to the tremble in my voice, hiding a sob, Rey turned and looked up at me. She didn't say a word but nodded. I plucked her up, embracing her against my cheek. She didn't exactly reciprocate. "Look Rey, I know that work project was despicable. Tell me though, what should I have done? Quit my job? Refuse to follow a boss's orders and let Petra call me insubordinate to HR?"

"I don't know Vic. I just don't know." Ambiguous, hurt eyes looked up from my palm. I felt a little better when she massaged my fingertip, tenderly. "Vic, I love you, but... what I saw earlier..." Her little eyes drifted to the two little foot-shaped bruises on the back of my hand. Seeing her sigh and pout so cutely almost made me succumb to weeping. "I'm sorry I kicked your hand. That was uncalled for. I know that Pig Long, or whatever it was called wasn't your idea. It's just gonna take time for me to get over this. For lack of a better analogy, I feel like an animal rights activist who found out her boyfriend lied about hunting."

"Hunting is a hobby," I pined slightly. "People do it for recreation. I was trying to keep my job."

She shook her head. "Don't just keep it though Vic. Be your job. Make a difference in it."

I rolled my eyes. "Easy for you to say, you're a nurse. Hitherto magazine doesn't save many lives by listing Ten Things You Didn't Know About... Celebrity X."

Rey's little fist punched my palm, in a wakeup sort of gesture. "Always selling yourself short Vic. I can't stand that about you sometimes." She nuzzled the tip of my thumb. "Communications is a very powerful industry. You don't realize what you can do." She looked at the orange sunlight in the window. "Vic, we have to get going if we're making our rendezvous. Put me down please... Vic?"