Wow! First, thanks to all who've enjoyed my other work, especially those who reviewed!
2nd, I want to thank Hunger4Righteousness for her help, support, insight, brilliance, humor, inspiration, and most of all, friendship. And, dear reader, if you haven't read her stories yet, you've missed the best Megamind stories in this archive. Read all her stories, they're all excellent!
OK, this is the 1st chapter of a 6 chapter story arc, following the steps Megamind and Roxanne take on their way to being a full-fledged couple. Set immediately after the battle with Titan. Those who've expressed an interest in a nod to my other Megamind story coming up in this one, you will get your wish but not 'til the 5th chapter ... sorry. They have been waiting forever but they also have a lot of baggage to sort through before they are ready for that level of intimacy.
Oh, I don't own any of Dreamworks' stuff and no one is paying me (darn).
However, if anyone at Dreamworks sees this and thinks my ideas would work well in the sequel, I will work as cheap as the law will allow. Even if that's FREE. Seriously. If payment is required by law or union edict, I will work for a replica of the De-Gun. Wouldn't turn down a watch that looks like the disguise generator either but if I could only have one I want the gun. It's hot. Admit it.
I know, I use ellipses like fast food places use salt. Sorry. My train of thought is the one Ozzy was singing about while Megamind and Minion were playing in Metrocity. LOL :) Hope you enjoy this and the rest of its parts to come.
THE JOURNEY TO US
Chapter 1: I Can Explain
"We won, we won, we won!" Megamind cried exuberantly, elated after taking down Titan, even more so after Roxanne had wrapped him in her embrace. He held her face in his hands, then picked her up by the waist and spun her around. She slid her arms around his shoulders and hung on, giggling while he swung her around happily, laughing. Then all at once, he noticed they were completely surrounded by the citizens of Metrocity. Quick as a flash, he dropped Roxanne to her feet and whipped out his trusty De-Gun, leveling it at the crowd, and roaring "GET BACK, YOU SAVAGES!"
Roxanne leapt to the task of damage control, easing his De-Gun down with one hand and trying to make soothing gestures to the confused crowd with the other, explaining that her hero is "... just not used to positive feedback!" He relaxed cautiously, and began to receive well-deserved praise from the people he'd terrorized for so long. Roxanne recounted for all within earshot his feats of daring-do during her rescue, detailing his disguises and clever gadgetry like a proud mother bragging how her son earned that "child of the month" bumper sticker.
A red-headed woman stepped forward and spoke to Megamind. "I just wanted to tell you that I thought the way you were treated in school wasn't fair."
Megamind looked surprised, said, "Thank you ..." then recognized her. "... you were next-to-last picked for everything that semester, right, because of the cast?"
She smiled, impressed, "Yeah, and my eyes hadn't been corrected yet either ... I'm surprised you remember me."
Megamind shrugged and smiled a bit. "I remember everything. And it was better I got chosen last, then you didn't have to be ... You had enough problems."
She smiled again and said, "Well, thanks for saving us. Hopefully people will be nicer to you now."
That's a nice thought. Wouldn't it be loverly if it came true, was the thought echoing in his head, though he didn't expect people to even so much as leave him alone, much less be nice.
However, there was really only one person whose opinion mattered to him now, and that was Roxanne's. It seemed that she had forgiven him and was back to launching herself into his arms for hugs. The gutsy brunette may have been trying to reassure him, or could it be that she was actually enjoying contact with him? He couldn't be sure and didn't want to screw it all up, so he just let it be.
Her last hug had been around his chest, in an attempt to avoid more spikes poking her, but she must have hit a cracked rib, causing him to wince slightly. "Oh, my gosh!" she gasped, pulling her arm away, much to his dismay. "You're hurt! Oh, duh, Roxanne! Titan hit you so hard, and you hit that building hard enough to crack the masonry. You probably have broken ribs ... maybe even a concussion!" she said with wide eyes. Before Megamind could object, she was pulling out her phone and dialing 911. "Yes, we need paramedics here, downtown, right next to the Metro Man fountain. Tell them the patient is Megamind. They should download his medical records from the prison ... Yes, there are, I've read them!" she spat out, exasperated. That surprised Megamind a bit. He didn't want to ask now but filed the info away. He was amazed at how collected she was under pressure, and how she was being so fiercely protective ... of him. "Possible broken ribs, be sure they check him for signs of a concussion. Thank you."
She stroked his head gently with her free hand, and Megamind sighed and smiled, enjoying her touch. "Really, Roxanne, it's OK. Minion always does a fine job of tending my wounds after a fight and ..."
"NO!" she said, very firmly, then softened as her eyes glistened with tears she was trying not to shed. "Please, Megamind ... I just, finally, opened my eyes and saw you, how you've been standing by my side all the while. When I thought you were the one lying injured by the fountain, my heart sank into a pit in my stomach, and all I could think was 'Well, Roxanne, you never even gave him a chance to explain, but he came back for you. You finally found the smart, sweet, funny guy you've been dreaming about your whole life, and he walked into certain death to defend you, but it's too late.'" Megamind's mouth hung open in shock. Roxanne gingerly took his face in her hands and said, "PLEASE - let them check you out, and if they want to take you to the hospital, go. I'll go with you ... I just ... I don't want to lose you." The last words of her speech were delivered in a pathetic whimper. Megamind couldn't believe his ears. But the look in her eyes, pleading, almost desperate, convinced him that his continued existence mattered very much to her.
"OK, Roxanne," he said softly. "You know I'd do anything for you." She broke out in a hugely relieved smile. "That's what I want to hear!" she said warmly. Megamind was watching the change in her blue eyes as the worry fell away. Then he saw her expression change slightly again, and he saw something familiar, realizing it was the same look she had on her face in the restaurant, right before she leaned forward to kiss him. Was she feeling an urge to kiss him again? Suddenly she leaned forward and planted a lingering kiss on his cheek. Not on the lips, he noted.
Well, of course not, you fool, Megamind thought, you don't look like Bernard anymore, it was his looks that inspired her heart ... and her lips.
"Oh, wait ... " Roxanne spoke up, "What about Minion? His robotic body is so wracked up, he may qualify for a special parking spot." She turned and leaned over the fountain and asked, "How ya holdin' up, Minion?" The fish was still cavorting in the water.
"Fine, Miss Ritchi ... Sorry if we scared you with my little performance," He grinned mischievously.
"I never knew you were such a cut-up, Minion." Roxanne's expression showed she had suddenly realized something. "Did Megamind know the whole time?" she asked.
"Pretty much," Minion gave her "the face" and continued on, "He knew I'd love playing a matinee for a new audience! It was fun how he ran with it too," Minion chuckled.
"Well ... code: you were very entertaining, Minion." Roxanne smiled at her odd little friend, reflecting upon how she'd always had a good rapport with the unconventional henchman. "So, what are we going to do about your suit?" she asked.
"Sir can have the brainbots bring one of my spare suits," he answered between splashes. From behind her came the unique voice that was quickly becoming one of Roxanne's favorite sounds.
"On it." Megamind called for the brainbots on his watch, giving them instructions for which suit would be best to bring.
Meantime, Roxanne leaned over the water of the fountain and addressed her finny friend again. "Hey, Minion ..."
He wriggled and swam closer. "Yes, Miss Ritchi?" he replied with an earnest expression.
"I just wanted to say thank you for saving me up there," she told him, trailing her hand in the water, unsure how she might be able to touch him without hurting him.
He swam to her hand and nuzzled his head into her palm. "Aw, shucks, Miss Ritchi, I couldn't let anything happen to you ... you're like family." This made Roxanne grin, happy to be held in such high esteem. "Besides," Minion said softly, swimming closer and using a fin to gesture for her to lean down closer to him, which she did as he continued in a whisper, "if anything ever happened to you, Sir would be devastated." Roxanne let his words sink in, and then regarded her hero, who was finishing up with the brainbots' orders.
"... and don't drop it, or Daddy will be verrry upset! Off you go, now." He caught her gaze on him and smiled sweetly, wondering what had her making googly-eyes at him. He walked back to her and sat next to her on the edge of the fountain. She took his hands, and they began a kind of staring contest. Minion saw the lovesick gazes and decided to swim over ... there for a while.
After a while of Megamind and Roxanne just sitting together holding hands and exchanging shy glances, the brainbots showed up with Minion's suit, and Megamind reluctantly let go of her soft pink hands and lifted his best friend up into the bowl so he could get settled. "That's better!" the fish declared, flexing his metallic fingers. "Shall I take the invisible car back to the Lair, Sir?"
Megamind shook his head. "Not yet, Minion ... let's see what the paramedics say. If they want me to go to the hospital, take it back then and wait for word from us. We should be ready to come back tonight, but Roxanne will call if they find anything drastic."
Minion's brow furrowed but he agreed, adding with a weak smile, "If you do have to go ... watch after him for me, Miss Ritchi."
"I will, Minion," she promised "No worries." The toothy smile and a sign of relief in his eyes told Roxanne he trusted her, likely more than any other Earthling, with the life of his ward and best friend. She was determined to live up to that trust.
Just then, an ambulance pulled up nearby and paramedics got out, gathered equipment, and headed over to where the couple sat. As they went about checking vital signs, Roxanne took it upon herself to describe his injuries and how they had occurred, pointing out the damaged building to illustrate how hard the impact had been when Titan punched him across the street. She noted with satisfaction that they had indeed downloaded his medical files from the prison and were consulting them for baseline figures.
The one looking at the screen noticed her concern and indicated the information. "It's good that you thought to mention these, but really, he's not all that different from us."
"I know," she agreed, "especially in ways that matter most."
The young man looked in her eyes and, having seen it a lot in his line of work, immediately saw the look of someone worried about a loved one. Fortunately, he was not one of those who would judge her harshly for that. "He's in good hands, Miss Ritchi." He reassured her, "We're not about to let anything happen to our new hero."
Roxanne gave him a grateful smile and said simply, "Thank you."
Further examination led the paramedics to declare he should be taken to the hospital, to address the likely damaged ribs and to be safe checking for possible concussion. Megamind wasn't thrilled with the concept, but looking at the expression Roxanne wore on her face that made her seem like a scared little girl, he agreed. "Put away the big doe eyes. I'll go ... if you'll really come with me."
She glanced expectantly at the younger medico and got a confirming nod. "I won't leave your side," she promised.
He hated hospitals. The halls seemed to have absorbed the pain of those stricken with illness and the grief of those whose beloved family and friends never left alive. The psychic imprint of all that agony made him uneasy the second they rolled him through the doors. The endless poking and prodding and questions weren't much fun either, though again, Roxanne took a lot of the chore of explaining things off of him.
He really balked when the phlebotomist arrived to draw blood for tests. "Must you?" he said, trying not to whine in front of Roxanne. "I loathe needles."
Roxanne to the rescue! "Yes, they must ... but, let me tell you the key to getting through unpleasant medical procedures." As she spoke, she held his right hand with her left, absently using a fingernail to spell nonsense words in his palm, and with her right hand she caressed his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Redirection of attention works wonders," she said gently, never taking her eyes off his. The tech went to work, and Megamind was so lost in her eyes and the sensation of her touch that it never occurred to him that her right hand, in addition to providing a physical source of soothing comfort, acted as a visual barrier to the movements of the blood technician, like half a set of "blinkers" on a horse. "All you need is someone to help distract you, allowing your brain to go on vacation for a minute, and before you know it, it's all done."
The tech had pulled out the needle and was pressing a cotton ball on the site she had drawn blood from while Megamind vacayed in the blue limpid pools he had so come to love. He gaped at the tech, "That didn't even hurt!"
The dark-haired woman pushed her glasses up her nose, smiled, and said, "She's good. You should always bring her with you."
Megamind gazed in wonder and admiration at Roxanne. "Yes," he murmured, "I'd like that." They exchanged sweet smiles at the memory of the last time he'd said that.
The room cleared of hospital personnel, leaving the couple alone. Roxanne had a random thought hit her. "Metro Man ... or, Music Man, whatever he's calling himself ..."
"Humph," Megamind grumbled, "'Music Man' ... I'm sorry, but I saw that movie, and he is NO Robert Preston!" Roxanne stared at him, chuckling both at his insult of Metro Man and at the image of the "evil overlord" kicking back on a Saturday watching old movie musicals. She had to admit it actually sounded like a nice way to spend an afternoon and made a mental note to rent some of her faves to share with him.
"Sooo ... why did you tell him he had talent?" she queried, amused.
Megamind returned her smirk and said, "Well, how helpful would he have been inclined to be if I had been truthful? 'Golly Music Mangler, that sucked so bad Simon Cowell just called. You've been pre-eliminated from auditioning for American Idol.'"
Roxanne couldn't help but let out a loud laugh at that, but toned it down quickly. "Well, he needs to come clean with the authorities about his 'demise' so your name can be cleared of that charge at least. I'm telling him in no uncertain terms that either he tells them, or I will." Megamind smiled at her gratefully.
"You know," she said when she'd calmed down and had another thought, "I really do want to apologize for that night I dumped you. I've been haunted by how sad your eyes looked, and I wish I hadn't said those things ... I didn't mean them. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings." She had sat down next to him and grasped both his hands in hers.
Megamind looked at their clasped hands, then at the look of sincere sorrow on her face, and told her, "Well, there was one thing you said that didn't hurt ... when you said I got you to care about me." He had looked back down at their hands, and suddenly he realized he was afraid to re-establish eye contact with her.
But that hardly mattered, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled their faces close together. "Oh, that one, I meant ... no retraction there." She punctuated this with a kiss on the tip of his nose. Now he looked in her eyes, a small sweet grin letting Roxanne know all was forgiven.
Then he had a sobering thought. "Actually, Roxanne, I'm the one who should apologize, for the whole 'Bernard' FEE-a-sco ..."
But Roxanne interrupted. "No, I get what you were trying to do. You were showing me that if I got to know you, I'd like you."
"No," the new hero insisted, "in all honesty, none of that was planned. It just all fell into place by accident. But I let it go on because ... I was truly enjoying your company."
Roxanne smiled, but was confused. "What do you mean, by accident?"
Megamind sighed. "That night at the museum, we both happened to be there, I was feeling awful about what I'd done ... or thought I'd done anyway ... and when you heard me and came looking to see who was there, I didn't want you to see me ..."
Roxanne raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you afraid of me?"
Megamind rolled his eyes, deciding not to tell her part of the reason he'd fled was because he was in his jammies. "Judging by your question for me in the report you'd just done I figured you'd, at the very least, give me a piece of your mind." His green eyes suddenly twinkled, and he got a mischievous grin. "Though you might have beat me up like you did 'Music Mangler'!" He let out a gleeful giggle, "I loved how you 'El Kabonged' him with his own guitar!" It was Roxanne's turn to giggle at the Quick Draw McGraw reference. Movie musicals AND cartoons? Wasn't he just turning out to be one big, adorable enigma?
"Anyway, I tried to make a run for it, and I almost got to the elevator, but Bernard was in the way." Megamind snorted derisively. "Big expert, told me I was wearing a 'tasteless costume!'" He mimicked Bernard's flat drawl, "'Megamind's head is NOT that grossly exaggerated' ... I mean REALLY!" Roxanne stifled a giggle, imagining the encounter. "I barely had time to scan his physical appearance into the disguise generator. Couldn't get the voice, but figured I wouldn't need it just to get out of the building. But then we started talking and brainstorming the whole make-a-hero thing ... we ... seemed to ... click. There was such strong chemistry between us, I couldn't get you out of my mind," he admitted. Roxanne favored him with a loving smile. He took it in and reveled in the emotion evident on her face, his own face returning the sentiment in spades.
"Then, when you called Bernard's phone the day you found my lair," he continued, "at first, I thought I just wanted to get you out of there before your nosy reporter skills uncovered my secrets ..." a sly smile graced his lips, then a side thought hit him and his face fell. "Oh, sorry I had forgotten we had disguised the alligator pit as an exit, by the way. I shouldn't have steered you towards that ..." He now wore a genuinely apologetic look.
"Yeah, that was my next question," Roxanne said. "You'd never actually put me in any real danger before."
His look became remorseful. If anything had happened to her, I'd never have forgiven myself, he thought.
Roxanne could see his anguish and grasped his hand to reassure him. "It's OK. I know you've never meant to hurt me."
He gave her a weak smile, but his brow was still creased. He sighed and relaxed a bit, then pressed on, warm memories of that day turning his expression wistful. "When we got outside, you started looking at me differently. Like I was ... special, I guess ... and when you called me your partner, well, I didn't know what to make of that, but for some reason, it felt ... good. It sure seemed to upset Hal," he recalled, grinning. "Then, when you hugged me," he breathed, looking into her eyes, "I was a goner from that moment on. There was no way I could give you up after that."
Roxanne's smile doubled and her eyes gleamed. "Just from a hug?" she asked. He nodded with a shy smile. "Well, to tell you the truth," she admitted, "I was pretty hooked on you by then too. I couldn't say why. I must have been feeling the chemistry too. It's not like I go around hugging guys on a whim, but with you it just felt ... right."
Blue lips spread in a wide smile, and blue hands squeezed peach colored ones. "I came to cherish every moment with you," Megamind sighed. "I really enjoyed learning so much about you, the you that most people don't get to see. It was much more productive than tying you up and trying to scare you with weaponry."
At this, Roxanne sputtered through a laugh, "Yeah, your dating skills definitely improved."
Megamind grinned. "I especially loved to hear you laugh. It was like beautiful music." Roxanne remembered him saying at the library that he'd never heard her laugh before. How could something so simple be so foreign to him? Seemed like much of what we all take for granted in life had been denied him. Like riding a bike, or sharing enjoyment of art such as the day he'd taken her to the museum, hands over her eyes, so he could see her reaction to the paintings being returned, and listening intently as she pointed out her favorites to him. No wonder he'd toasted to "being normal," which now seemed so sad when considered in this new light. Being normal had gotten him close to the girl of his dreams, and nothing could mean more to him.
"You started undoing all the evil you'd done, returning the city to its former glory, for me?" she asked, amazed.
He nodded slowly. "It became important for me to see you happy again in the place you'd grown up, so I'd never see disappointment on your face like I did in the park when we were bike riding. Then I realized that it must be that way for every citizen of Metrocity. They all had good memories of growing up here, and those experiences made them who they are and affected everything they do. Seeing what 'normal' people get to have from life, through your eyes, changed my whole outlook." He fixed his eyes upon hers with a meaningful look. "You were the one who 'tamed this monster.'"
Her mouth hung slack, wishing she had never called him that, then a thought occurred to her. "Do you watch all my reports?" she asked with a bright smile. "Of course," he answered, with his best flirty-shy smile, "you've always been my favorite show."
They locked eyes, and the lovesick puppy-dog eyes Megamind was giving her, combined with the goofy smile he now wore, made the last little ice crystal in her heart with his name on it melt away. She wrapped him in a gentle hug with a soft sigh, making his heart leap. "It's a rotten shame this city didn't let you have the kind of life we take for granted ... and you risked your life for us anyway ... thank you," she whispered in his ear, and the leap became a whole dance.
He nuzzled her neck and said, "Thank you ... for showing me I could be so much more than a villainous clown in an endless cycle of failure. I could actually have a ... real life." They held each other, neither wanting to let go and have this moment end. But as all moments must, this one ended when the grey-haired doctor entered the room. He considered the scene unusual but sweet.
They relaxed their embrace and looked at him expectantly. The doctor smiled and looked at the chart. "OK ... you're going to live," he joked, his preferred method of putting patients at ease. "Couple of cracked ribs, I understand you usually heal pretty quick from those, but I'd like to tape them anyway." Megamind nodded in agreement. "You don't show any signs of concussion, so I'd say you got off pretty easy considering the beating you took. I can give you some pain meds if you want ..."
Megamind shook his head. "No thanks, just need some rest."
Roxanne interjected, "So what else should we know about aftercare?" Megamind glanced at her. Aftercare? Was she planning on taking care of him?
The doctor took a sheet from his clipboard and handed it to Roxanne. "Nothing you can't handle, Miss Ritchi." He turned his gaze to his unique patient. "You're in good hands, Megamind. Listen to your nurse and you'll do fine." He winked and tipped his head towards Roxanne at the word "nurse."
Megamind smiled and winked at Roxanne. "Well, I don't have much experience at it, but I'll try to be good."
Roxanne grinned playfully. "You better ... or I'll have to put you over my knee and spank you!" Megamind had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Roxanne noticed, not for the first time, how cute he looked when he did that.
The doctor chuckled and said, "Actually, you kids oughta hold off on such ... strenuous activities until those ribs have a few days to heal." The suggestive tone of voice the doctor chose to use caused the pair to turn and stare agape at the doctor, both blushing furiously.
"No ..."
"Of course not ..."
"Out of the question."
"Not yet."
They stumbled over their own and each others' words all at the same time, but Megamind didn't miss the last input that had tumbled from Roxanne's enticing lips ... NOT YET. Yet? he thought. That sounds promising! She may not go through with it, but it means she's considering it! This was more than he'd even thought possible until very recently.
"Mmm. I see ..." said the doctor, with a clear "suuure" look at the would-be lovers in denial. "Well, just try to cut down on things like breakdancing and naked Twister 'til next week," he said with a sly grin. "Take care of yourself, Megamind ... and thanks." He stuck his hand out to shake Megamind's, who took the offered hand and shook it, trying desperately to excise the images of naked Twister with Roxanne from his mind. "This city needs more people like you."
That surprised Megamind but put a smile on his face. "Thank you, doctor." That sort of thing would take some getting used to, being praised by an individual who saves lives himself, someone Megamind felt he should be looking up to, not the other way around ... but it was nice to feel some positive reinforcement from others for a change.
As they left the hospital, Megamind ventured a guess. "I imagine you'd like to go home now." He glanced at her in his peripheral vision to check her reaction. She looked ... almost impish.
"Oh, ho, ho, nooo way, mister," she laughed and waved the aftercare paper, "I'm taking you back to the lair and putting you to bed." They both blushed a bit at that, but paid it no mind otherwise, except for a brief smirk flashing over Megamind's lips. Roxanne shot Megamind a sultry smile. "You're not getting rid of me that easy."
Megamind's face was now dominated by a large, natural grin, but quickly dissolved into a honey-dripping smile. Her playful, slightly seductive expression made him feel all warm and gooey inside, like fresh cookies. Suddenly he realized how hungry he was.
"Well, how about I call Minion and have him pick us up? If he hasn't already started dinner we can pick up something on the way home. I don't know about you, but I'm starved!" He put a hand over his stomach to quell the insistent growling.
Roxanne realized she was running on empty too. "Oh, yes, anything is fine with me. We just need some nourishment."
Turned out Minion had already done all the prep work for a pasta with salad dinner, just waiting to cook the ravioli. He'd figured on Roxanne joining them too. "Very e-FISH-ent, my fantastic fish friend!" Megamind praised his partner in crime ... fighting.
"See you soon, Sir!" Minion was fairly beaming, from being appreciated more openly, and from how well things were working out. He had no idea how his friend had managed it, but he had done it ... switched sides AND gotten the girl. She really did seem to care for Megamind. When Hal was beating the tar out of her aspiring hero, she didn't run away to save herself. She ran towards the dangerous maniac, sneaking up on him with a street sign to bash him in the head (even though that would barely be a distraction to him), to save Megamind. That spoke volumes to Minion. Plus, she had been a great audience for Death Scene Theatre, he recalled with a satisfied grin as he hopped in the tricked-out Hudson to shuttle his friends home.
Roxanne and Megamind sat on a bench while they waited for Minion. "So ..." Megamind began, "... my medical records. No light reading, huh?"
Roxanne smirked. "No, that's for sure. You got hurt a LOT," she said softly. Megamind eyed her, watching her reactions and expressions.
"Well, I was Wayne's personal punching bag from pretty early on," he explained, watching her face screw up into that defiant look with that lip sticking out ... Snap out of it, man! Megamind scolded himself.
Then Roxanne spoke, or rather, growled, "I didn't hit him with enough."
Megamind bit his lip but couldn't help bursting out in a fit of giggles anyway. Roxanne ended up joining him, and they laughed themselves silly for a few moments. When they'd calmed down, he was gazing in her eyes, smiling, and finally just came out and asked, "So, what made you want to pore over that dreary tome, anyway?"
She smiled back and tilted her head a bit. "You don't know?" She seemed surprised. Megamind shook his head. "Gee!" Roxanne chuckled with a silly smile. "I didn't think I hid it that well." She took his hand in hers and confessed, "I've always been fascinated by you." That seemed to stun the genius for a minute. "You are totally unique, one-of-a-kind, an outrageous personality ... and, smart guys have always been my type." Casting a coquettish glance in his direction, Roxanne saw him wearing a sincere smile, both happy and hopeful. She found him so charming at that moment, and felt like a giddy schoolgirl as she reminded herself that this was HER guy. OK, maybe that was a bit possessive, she thought, but that's just how Roxanne rolls. I don't share.
Megamind recalled an incongruity that he just had to know the truth about. "Roxanne ..." he began hopefully, "Were you just trying to tell me where the car was so Titan wouldn't know, or did you really look back that night?" He held his breath without realizing he was doing so, and was rewarded with a crooked grin and a confession.
"Yes, I really did. I should have known by then that ... I couldn't help but care about you. Even though I was mad as a wet hen, and kept saying things to hurt you, I still ached for you in my heart." Her voice softened. "I was so confused by the time we were at Wayne's place, I had finally decided to stop fighting it just as you were giving up. When you were walking away, I should have yelled, 'HEY! What makes you think you didn't get the girl?'" She smiled smugly. "Betcha THAT would've stopped you in your tracks!"
An obnoxious ring tone Roxanne had assigned to her boss shattered the moment, dragging a frustrated sigh from the exhausted reporter. She held up one finger as she answered, indicating she'd only be a minute. "Yeah, I know, I'm with him now. We just got out of the hospital and then we have to get something to eat. I'll ... what? Are you SERIOUS?" Roxanne sprang to her feet and stalked back and forth, trying to walk off the agitation she was feeling. "Why didn't I get any footage? My cameraman kinda went insane! He threw the damn camera over his shoulder from THE TOP OF THE TOWER! If you want to go look for it, be my guest! I'm done." Roxanne was fuming. Megamind worried for her health and reached out and caressed her shoulder to calm her which startled her for a second, then she smiled at him and relaxed, sliding onto the bench next to her sweetheart. "Listen, I'm sure he'll let me talk him into exclusive interview rights once he's had a chance to settle in and heal a day or so. That'll give you some time to hire me a new camera op ... a STABLE one! When he's ready, you'll be the second one to know. Until then, I'm staying with him to make sure he's OK, so I'm taking a few personal days ... I have them coming, deal with it." That was it, no bones about it. If they want an interview with my boyfriend, they better pucker up and I'll dust off a back pocket for them, she resolved.
When she hung up, Megamind told her, "I can give you an interview whenever you like, Roxanne."
She shook her head. "Not tonight. We're both beat. We'll see how you feel after tomorrow."
Megamind looked puzzled. "Isn't your job a bit more important than me lounging about like some pampered prince?"
Roxanne cracked a cute little smile. "Believe it or not," she confided as she entwined her fingers with his, "you are more important to me than any job."
Now he was truly stunned. He smiled and ran his fingers over her cheek. Then a mischievous light twinkled in his eyes, and he purred, "OK ... but I'm looking forward to seeing just how you plan to talk me into exclusive interview rights."
Roxanne's eyes opened wider and sparkled, and she giggled, standing up to change her seating arrangements. "Well, for starters, I'll be in your lap ..." Megamind's eyes widened to match hers and a low chuckle hummed through lips twisted into a playful smirk. Right then a horn sounded from thin air, making Roxanne jump and land on Megamind's lap.
He grinned at her and sighed, "That's our ride," a bit disappointed that their flirting was cut short. However, he was getting the impression that there would be more time for that soon enough. He scooped up his beloved in his arms and jumped up and into the invisible car after Minion swung the door open.
Roxanne giggled and instructed their Piscine chauffeur, "Yo, homes, to the lair!"
A few sharp-eared Metro citizens wondered why they heard disembodied laughter traveling down the street and decided it was best not to wonder about such things.