'It was a horrible day when they were so cruel to him… and I could hardly bear it.'
What most Whos did not know about Martha was that her body was very weak. She hid it well so that no ridicule or embarrassment would come her way, but there was one person who did know…
Martha stared at the blizzard swirling around Mt. Crumpit with a lump of fear in her throat and a sick feeling in her stomach, but she gritted her teeth and started up the snow-covered mountain. When he'd first left, she had been so certain he would come back. But a few days turned into a few weeks, and weeks to months, and eventually months to years. A whole 12 years had passed and with each day the aching inside of her had continued to grow. And today, she'd finally made the decision to go after him.
"Grinch?!" She called out into the wind as she continued her slow, struggling pace up the mountain. Her breathing grew heavier and heavier. She had to stop multiple times, warding off the dizziness that had started to take hold of her. She felt so stupid for being there. Would he even want to see her? She hadn't stood up for him on that day. She'd just stood there, watching as they all tortured him. But for some reason, her aching legs kept going, her lungs kept breathing, slowly lurching her upwards, higher into the mountain. She lost track of time, how long had she been climbing? An hour? A whole day? She was getting colder by the minute and the harsh winds seemed to whip right through her. She finally sat down in frozen fear when blackness started to spot her vision. She whispered out one last, heartbroken 'Grinch?' before her eyes closed in exhaustion, chest heaving from her shaky breathing.
"…tha?" She wasn't sure if she'd heard it or not, but she was too weak to open her eyes and look. Her toes and fingers were beginning to go numb. She only managed to crack her eyes open a tiny bit when she heard a gasp close to her. "Martha?!"
He stood there a few feet away, staring at her with wide eyes full of disbelief. He was taller, he looked stronger, but his eyes were the same. He was also the same green color, the beautiful green she loved so much. She couldn't believe he was there. She opened her mouth but, to her embarrassment, all that came out was a whimper and he seemed to snap back to himself, scrambling in the snow to get to her.
"What are you doing here?" He grumbled and hesitated for a second before hoisting her up in his arms, shielding her from the bitter cold. He was so warm. She could hear his weakened heartbeat. It must have shrunk a size and it made her cringe to know of the most likely reason why. She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and holding herself as close to him as she could, burrowing her face in the crook of his shoulder. He shook his head a little, cleared his throat, and then took off up the mountain and things once again went black for her.
Her head was pounding fiercely as she blinked open her fuzzy eyes. She immediately grew frightened as she looked and didn't recognize anything around her. She seemed to be in a factory of some sort. There were different machines everywhere she looked. She hadn't the faintest clue what they were for. It wasn't until she looked down that she saw him. He was bent over a fire, feeding it twigs. She slowly sat up, but couldn't help the moan of pain as a jolt went through her head and body. She fell back against the bed in which she'd been placed. He turned to her at the sound and their eyes met. He played with his hands in front of him and took an unsure step to the side. It was silent for a long time until his voice came, embarrassed and shy.
"You, um… you shouldn't try to move yet." The fire was growing stronger and it felt so good, but she didn't want to go back to sleep, fearing that somehow, if she did, he would be gone the next time she awakened. He still stood awkwardly, too far away. She opened her mouth, managing a weak croak,
"Come closer… please." He looked genuinely surprised and instantly reluctant, but after shifting on his feet for a bit he took a small step forward, out of the shadows and into the light. She could now see just how much he'd changed. He was so tall; his arms and legs thick, his chest broad. His eyes were still the bright, almost neon green, the same as his body. Upon seeing her study him, he moved back away in shame, but she, ignoring the pain, shook her head and raised a hand.
"No! Please… please don't disappear again." She hadn't meant to say the last part, but fear and exhaustion won out over caring too much. She saw again the surprise in his eyes, but he came forward and she still held out her hand. He continued to come closer until he was within reach of her. He visibly swallowed as he stretched his own arm out to hers, hesitantly reaching for her also. Her fingers touched his and they felt so cold, but it didn't bother her in the least. Finally touching him, feeling him in her hands, made this whole thing real. She let out the breath she'd been holding and gripped his hand tightly.
"It's you," she whispered, unable to keep the emotion from her voice. "It's really you."
"Martha?" She opened her eyes, not realizing they had closed and he was right beside her, unbelieving and utterly confused. And something inside her broke, tears flooded her eyes and she raised her free hand, still holding his tightly with the other, and placed it to his cheek. She stroked his beautiful green hair and he froze. The tears began to leak down her face and his eyes widened.
"I've missed you so much." She cried, her hands now shaking. She lifted herself up painfully and he wrapped his arms around her back to help her, but she only threw her arms around his neck, holding him close. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, burying her face into his shoulder. "So sorry, Grinch." After a long minute, she felt his arms tighten around her and felt his head fall against her shoulder, simply holding her as she cried.
"I've missed you too." He said softly, his voice heavy and she tightened her arms around him. But he pulled back and she felt instantly cold once he was out of her arms. He avoided her eyes, in fact, looking everywhere but at her and cleared his throat.
"You should probably… go back now." She didn't want to, she didn't think she'd ever wanted to not do something so much. She liked to think she knew him best, that she had some sort of connection with him that the others hadn't. But if she was honest, she knew she didn't understand the first thing about his pain, his loneliness, his likes and dislikes. She really didn't know the person he was.
"I'm sorry that I came here," she said softly and the immense hurt that flooded his eyes almost reduced her to tears again and she quickly added. "I didn't want to cause you pain or grief. I only… I just… had to see you." She finished lamely. She didn't expect him to answer, so when he did it caught her off guard.
"Why?" He finally met her eyes again and the look in them was something she couldn't quite place. She truly contemplated her answer, knowing that something could go very wrong or very right with her next words. But what came out was just the truth of how she felt.
"Because I didn't get the chance to figure out why the sight of you makes me quit breathing. Why my heart aches every time I look out the window and see this mountain, " she slowly sat up and he didn't even move to help her, he was so stunned. "Why I dream about you, all the time." She knew her face was burning, but she had to keep going. She just had to. She placed her legs over the edge of the bed and stood shakily. She caught her breath and took a step towards him. "Why…" she reached him and waited, but found the strength, rose up on her toes, and pressed her lips gently to his. He froze and she pulled back. "I love you." He didn't move, he didn't speak and her actions finally caught up with her and she blushed horribly at what she'd just done. She looked away. No one spoke for a long time until she finally managed a weak, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that…"
The next thing she knew, his mouth had pressed back to her lips and she jumped slightly in surprise. The feelings the kiss brought made her head spin. She felt his pain, his loneliness and she gave him her own that she'd felt in his absence. When they pulled away after a long time, both had tears in their eyes being held back with difficulty.
"Martha…" He breathed and she closed her eyes, never getting enough of his voice, when suddenly a large boom thundered through the place, making the walls vibrate. She looked at him in alarm, but he looked just as confused as she did. She instinctively moved closer to him when another loud thud came from the front of the cave.
"The door?" She heard him mutter and he took a step that way, but Martha had to hold back a scream when the said door was pounded so hard it fell off its hinges, crashing to the ground. She stared wide-eyed as Whos, angry Whos, poured into the cave. Her heart turned to ice in her chest as Augustus marched in. They all swarmed the two.
"Martha!" Augustus was the loudest, of course. "Unhand her, Grinch! Martha, it's alright now!" He was yelling much louder than he needed to be. She felt something leave her curled fingers and she froze, slowly turning her head to look up at him. The utter betrayal and hurt that she found in his eyes made her knees go weak. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She felt someone's strong hand grab her arm and start pulling her away. She shook her head, still pleading with him with her eyes. Finally, her voice managed to croak,
"No… No, I didn't-" But his eyes merely narrowed and anger quickly replaced the hurt. She felt her heart breaking. "No…" She whispered weakly, shaking her head, but Augustus swooped her up before her faulting legs gave way beneath her and began to carry her back towards the door. The Whos were still yelling and shouting at the Grinch, whose untrusting eyes never left her as she looked back, horrified. She felt her vision start to go spotty. No, not now! She weakly tried to reach for him, but he finally turned away, squeezing his eyes shut against all the accusations and prodding of the Whos. A loud sob ripped through her body before the dark took her once more.
When she awoke, her throat was raw and her eyes were bloodshot. It had to have been a dream. It had to. But she knew it wasn't, she still felt his warm touch and saw his child-like eyes. The hurt look on his face, the blatant distrust and betrayal. The hatred. She shivered in her bed and curled inside herself. Something inside Martha died that day. She threw herself into pretty things, because of all the terribleness around her. She even gave in to Augustus' courting efforts because she had some strange, wild hope that he'd come down and steal her back. But he didn't, and she never went back. But every Christmas she stared out that window, looking up at the mountain and felt his lips against hers. She never gave up hope, that one day, some day, someone would be strong enough to break his walls. Because it couldn't be her. Something about that daughter of Betty Lou's gave her a twinkle of that hope.