Annie XCVIII: Finally

(Chronological index: Lasting Changes 7.)

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Undersized Amendment. The littlest state in the union felt they had a responsibility to the littlest people in society.

Their head start only lasted a few hours, though.

The governor of Montana moved the entire legislature to a field outside of Uhuru. Thousands of off-sized humans watched from a safe distance as they held an abbreviated session of debate on the amendment.

The Gov climbed a podium on a flatbed and said, "I'm gonna sign this document into law. Any opposed?"

Dead silence followed.

"Any approve?"

"FUCK YEAH!" state legislators shouted in mass. A very abbreviated debate it was, indeed.

The nation's response to the multi-agency arrest of 300 alchemists in key political and judicial positions was almost as emotional as the paranoid frenzy following The Day.

President Anthony was not above using that to her advantage. Melissa made several speeches about the nation having the right to choose, not to follow manipulative bastards working their evils to fight freedoms.

She never mentioned her sister, Samantha, or Amelia or the Sylph Center. They were making their own speeches.

The Amendment was sponsored during a presidential election year. Every candidate got a chance to support it. Well, support it or face political suicide.

People accused the President of manipulating people in her own way. She shrugged and said, 'Then vote against it?"

Every legislature sped the process to attach the amendment to the ballots, and after Election Day, sped to officially report the ratification.

So the Undersized Amendment was part of the constitution by the end of November.

Anthony announced an early, if much belated, Christmas Present for the nation when she signed the Citizenship Bill. Every registered sylph, efreet, deva, undine, gnome but one was granted full rights and privileges as a person, a voter, an individual.

Unnoticed to most, one single sylph was left off the list.

The date of the Bill's signing became a national holiday. The media tried to name it after some celebrity sylphs. What stuck was from Amelia's speech. They started to sell 'Rationality Day' cards and gift-wrap.

But that was later. For now, Uhuru went beserk and established the tradition. The party lasted four days. The clean-up lasted three more.

But finally, people crawled into their various-sized beds and slept the sleep of the righteously exhausted.

And just before Midnight, Annie slipped out of the Foster bedroom. She went to the living room and sat in front of a digital clock.

And started a countdown.

Annie's name wasn't on the list of new citizens. She'd celebrated with everyone, exchanged gifts and kisses and hugs and laughs and tears....

But her Citizenship Day was a private thing. She didn't have too many personal holidays.

She hugged herself as the clock numbers slowly closed in on the next day. It was better than a birthday.

She loved Pet, and loved sharing a birthday with her. And she even stopped resenting The Day. She'd never have met Ray without it, or Denise or Pet.

Or Amelia or Sam or Deliah... She shook her head. She could hug her address book some time later and thank her lucky stars for the friends in her life.

This was about her.

Another number changed and she clapped. Sitting alone in the LEDs' glow, she was going to celebrate her own life, her own way.

It wasn't that she was feeling neglected. She was definitely part of the family, consulted on any major decisions and most minor ones.

She had a vote, even for the décor in the nursery.

It was just... Well, she'd been a captive or a pet since The Day. And though Ray and the others had recognized her as a person for a long time now, she didn't want to become a citizen like one widget on an assembly line.

Even if no one noticed the difference, or acknowledge the day, or even knew there was a separate day, she'd know. That was enough.

That's when she heard Ray. Sylph hearing picked up the sound of a man carefully slithering out from between two pregnant women.

Pregnant Denise was a grumpy bear when she didn’t get enough sleep. And she'd be the one to decide what was fucking enough, dammit.

Pet's personality hadn't changed significantly. But that just meant she took Denise's side and they both ripped Ray a new one.

So he was double-motivated to disengage peacefully.

Annie backed away from the clock a bit, trying to hide in the shadows. She forgot, though, that Ray was her familiar.

He stepped out of the bedroom and walked towards her without a pause.

Then he knelt down by the table and smiled at her. "Hey, good looking, you come here often?"

"I, uh, I was going to sit here. Alone. Just for a little bit," she said.

"Then I'll leave you alone," he smiled. He stood and stepped towards the bedroom.

"Master?" Annie called out suddenly. He looked surprised but knelt back down. "I, uh, I suppose I can be alone with you, if you... If you want?"

"I don't want to crowd you," he said. He stroked her hair. "But I did want to congratulate you on your new status."

"You knew?" she hissed.

"Forty two people called me in a panic, saying that they'd personally checked the rolls and you weren’t on them."

"Oh."

"I called Sam. She explained. I told all the worried people it wasn't a mistake and they shouldn't worry."

"Thanks," she said. She wiped an eye and glanced at the clock. "Then... Then I guess this is your holiday as much as mine." It was the LED illumination making her eyes water.

"No," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you got what you wanted. A day all to yourself. Annie day."

"It's supposed to be a secret," she said, not even wondering how he knew her motives.

He gestured to zip his lips shut. "Not even Ruth," he promised. She did start to cry then. He cupped his hands and scooped her up.

She felt soft lips gently kiss her head and she hugged as much of his chin as she could reach.

Then they sat and watched the clock tick over to midnight.

"Yay," they said softly. Then Ray sighed. "I suppose that was the last time you'll ever call me Master except in sarcasm."

"When did I call you master and it wasn't sarcasm?" she replied. He laughed.

"Uh-oh," Annie said, hand to her ear.

"What?" Ray asked.

"WHO LEFT A COLD SPOT IN THE BED!?!" Denise shouted.

"Wha- huh?" Pet replied.

"Better get in there," Annie said.

"I'm not going in there alone," he whispered.

"SOMEone left two pregnant women without a heating system in the middle of a Montana Winter!" Denise called.

"Someone very selfish," Pet added.

Ray lowered Annie to the clock and ran down the hall. The master bathroom had two doors. Annie heard him sneak through one and flush the toilet.

He was all apologies as he crawled into bed. They were slow to accept but quick to cuddle.

Annie waited until they were whispering sweet nothings to each other. Then she climbed down from her perch and walked to the bedroom door.

"Any heat left for me?" she called from the floor. A hand reached down and offered her a lift.

She snuggled into the hollow of Ray's shoulder and Pet's throat and then, Mrs. Annie Ray Foster, Vice President of Foster Enterprises and full citizen of the United States of America, went to sleep.





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