Time-Out: Nancy's Way (Chapter 2) (Patreon)

“Oh, there he is! My favorite little Casanova,” Nancy swooned with embarrassing melodrama the instant she opened her front door and caught sight of both Judy on the other side and a one-inch-tall Scott perched in his mother’s open palm. “Come in, come in! I know you and the kiddos have got a flight to catch, Judy dear, so I won’t keep you too long, but I thought we could at least make sure everyone gets nice and cozy before you head off, and leave your precious firstborn in my care!”

Scott had been steeling himself for the arrogant syrupiness of Nancy’s voice, though his lowly current size still made it impossible to tune out the sheer booming quality of it as he humbly sat in the cushy creased platform of Judy’s hand. And like it was the last time they met up, the mere sight of the showy giantess was enough to activate a simultaneous fight-or-flight complex in him: hateful of everything she’d done to him against his will, but also foolishly unfearful of what was to come, and unfortunately just a little aroused by the sensory memories of her “physical” talents – though thankfully not in a way that manifested itself with an erect pants tent under his micro-clothing. Judy followed her beaming and obviously-giddy friend into the house with the small bag she’d packed containing the PMRD and Scott’s meager belongings, while the one-incher himself did his best to psychologically shield himself for the misfortunes ahead. Granted, his hostess wasn’t acting as openly taunting or seductive toward him right in front of Judy today, and there was overall more gleeful sunshine in her tone and body language, almost like she really did want to give the impression that she had more-positive intentions for her shrunken houseguest. But Scott still knew better than to fall for that.

After placing her inch-high child on the coffee table when kindly prompted by Nancy, Judy and her friend efficiently conversed about the campaign work the candidate had ahead of her on this trip, as well as needless reminders about Scott’s prescribed care and what to do in the event of an emergency, like he was an infant or hamster. Meanwhile Nancy nodded along with apparent interest, as if she would really do anything with him during this stay if it didn’t rigidly adhere to her overall life plan: which was to do precisely whatever she wanted to do, to whoever she wanted to do it, at any given time.

The little guy himself hardly received a glance during this rapidfire upbeat chat, as his parent and soon-to-be custodian each loomed intimidatingly above him, and talked about Scott like he wasn’t even in the room. Not that this behavior represented any change from the usual. If anything, the shrunken detainee was actually ready for his mother to leave already so they could just rip the metaphorical Band-Aid off and get over the clumsy introductions with Nancy, rather than forcing him to stew in increasingly-scary expectation of whatever was in store. He already knew he was screwed; the sooner they got started, the sooner these endless three days would be over. Just as Scott had grimly willed, then, Judy limited her exchange with Nancy to five minutes, promising to check for updates after she and his siblings landed at their destination.

“All right, sweetie. I’ve got a lot of work to do. And I’m expecting to hear good things,” his mother intoned from on high, not even squatting to bring herself slightly-closer down to his level. Judy waggled her fingers by way of farewell, then added a wink, in case Scott wasn’t already uncomfortable enough. “Be good for Mommy, now.”

“Don’t you even worry about him for one single second, lady! You just have yourselves a good time, treat yourself some, and also get that work done like a… what are the kids calling it these days… a badass girl-boss!” Nancy laughed, playfully bumping hips with her amused friend. “This little smooth-talker and I are going to get along so famously, you’re going to have to chase him down just to make him leave, by the time you get back. Mark my words. We’re going to have a grand old time.”

Scott didn’t doubt this statement was true, but with the caveat that only one of them here would be seeing this as any kind of happy occasion. He nodded by way of polite assent to his mother’s veiled warning while craning his neck up to meet the gaze of both mountainous women, which seemed to satisfy Judy well enough that she could finally make her way back out the way she’d arrived. Only now having left Scott to his probably-dire circumstances in Nancy’s ritzy homestead. The pair of giantesses briefly disappeared, and giggly whispers were exchanged from the front hall that were too muffled for the boy to parse out. Then Scott heard the door swing shut, followed by a heavy dead-bolting that made his stay here feel suddenly conclusive and hopelessly real, and then he heard only a single pair of thick-heeled mule shoes clomping impactfully back down the hall and toward the living room. It was time.

“Well, well, well,” Nancy invitationally drawled, with hands on her eye-catching hips, as she reappeared in the doorway. She mugged at her tiny houseguest with a pearly-white smile that sent shivers down the lad’s spine. “Alone at last. Do you know how long I’ve been making this offer to your mother? I’ve always told her I’m happy to take you off her hands at any time since your little, well, legal indiscretions led to you staying back home again. But Judy just LOVES you so gosh-darned much, I guess she can’t stand to be away from you for more than an hour or two at a time. Except for now, when she has no choice but to leave you behind for a while… your impressive Mommy has a political future to build, after all… which means that, finally, little Scott and his favorite Auntie Nancy get some quality bonding time. It’s about time, don’t you think, hon?”

Too nervous to look anywhere else but upon Nancy herself now, for fear that she’d quickly force him to take in her grandeur if he averted his gaze, Scott absorbed the glamorous enormity of the admittedly-lovely and fiercely commanding fifty-something woman’s visage. No matter the complicated emotions he had toward her, it had to be acknowledged that she was empirically attractive, no matter the plastic surgeries or litany of essential oils and ointments she must’ve regularly used to keep every bodily feature looking camera-ready. Her hair had changed once again since their last encounter at in the Stevens’ house, with that platinum dye having washed out, returning her tresses to a natural brunette hue, and a few wisps of trend-following lighter strands to complement it. Though in fact a full four inches shorter than the above-average-tall Judy, not to mention with a slenderer albeit still-shapely frame thanks to a regimented diet and obsessive yoga compared to the more maternal anatomic curves of Scott’s parent, Nancy’s presence alone somehow made the woman seem far more humongous than the boy’s usual warden. Which was quite the accomplishment, considering he was currently shrunken to his minimum-possible stature of one solitary inch, and he didn’t have high hopes that Nancy was going to allow him to be much bigger than this anytime soon, even though she had full access to the PMRD.

“Sure,” he sighed in calm affirmative, choosing not to get on her bad side, but also not wanting to give her the satisfaction of puppy-like docility.