picture copywright Universal, Imagine Entertainment

The Day After Touchdown

Some quick pre-story stuff from the WebGrinch:

The troubles only began when the baby Grinch got caught in the tree outside the Old Biddie's home on Christmas Eve, and worsened when he refused to eat. Introducing my own character, Luna Rise Who, and her family.

The phone rang with an urgency. Serena Whoson tried to ignore it, but it rang with the insistency and persistency that bespoke of an emergency.

"Mark? Can you get the phone, please?" she called to her husband distractedly, waving a flower in front of her newborn daughter's face. "It's the Old Biddies and they sound distressed...don't they, little Luna?" Her daughter giggled in reply, tiny hands waving, trying to catch the bright blossom.

"Someday you have to tell me how you do that," came his voice from the other room. "Knowing who it is before we pick it up." There was a pause. "Hello? Yes, Ms. Biddie...how are you? Yes...yes...oh! Congratulations. So did we."

Sounded good so far, thought Serena, still indulging her little one's attention. The tiny black eyes followed the bright flower as it moved from side to side...that was the only thing odd about the baby that Serena could see thus far. Her eyes were black - a deepless, depthless, fathomless black. They had feared that she might be blind as a result, but after a few minutes they were relived to see that she saw everything and was very alert.

The tone of the conversation decidedly turned, and Serena listened more attentively. "So how is the little guy...oh...he is? I'm sorry, Clarinella, I don't think I quite heard you right...did you say green? How odd. And you checked with Dr. Whoticore...he thinks it's natural? Hmmm..."

Serena appeared next to her husband, hand out for the phone. Mark gave it to her. "Hello Clarinella. Now what's this about green...skin? Fur? You're not making much sense, I'm afraid. No, I've never heard of such a thing, but that isn't necessarily bad...what? Not eating? Now, that's not good." She shifted slightly when Luna grabbed the phone cord in her tiny hands. "Yes of course I'll come over, if you don't mind me bringing Luna along...she's nursing like a fiend right now...who knows? The kids might get along, too. Give me a few minutes to get my medical kit together and I'll be right over. 'Bye."

Serena exchanged looks with Mark. "Green?" he asked.

"'Green' she said. "Green skin. I'm not so worried about that as him not eating. I'm going to have to go over there."

* * *

Two worried WhoFaces appeared in front of the little green baby. His large eyes noted their presence, but didn't seem interested in the food that was also hovering in front of him. Whether it was the smell or appearance, he turned away, crying his displeasure and hunger.

The Biddies put the spoon down, clearly worried and unsure what to do. Rose WhoBiddie made sure the baby blanket was tucked around him for the hundredth time, feeling his skin, making sure it was warm. The little guy seemed even more displeased with this (or frustrated that they just weren't giving him what he wanted) and he cried even harder.

Rose looked to her sister. "We're just not cut out for this baby-thing I guess, Clari. How ever are we going to get him to eat? He hasn't had a bite since he came to us last night."

Just then the doorbell rang. Clarinella went to answer it. "Oh, Serena, Mark! We're so glad you're here. Thank you for hurrying. Come in."

The Whosons came in, Serena carrying their newborn in an over-the-shoulder babycarrier, and Mark was loaded down with his wife's medical bag, baby bag and whatever-else-they-needed bag.

"Oh...." Clarinella fussed, getting a peek at the infant. "She's - " the woman hesitated. " - black! Her eyes are - "

"Yes..." Serena interjected. "Interesting, isn't it? They must be a throwback to a second-late- grandcousin twice removed on my uncle's side - or some such thing as my mother tells me."

Clarinella ushered them through the cheery little abode, going towards the back bedroom. "I guess last night was an unusual night for Whobabies," she was saying. Stopping inside the room, she stepped aside. "Rose?"

Rose WhoBiddle stood up from where she had been sitting in front of the crib. Serena gestured to Mark, who put down all the bags, and she passed off Luna to him. She grabbed the med bag and approached the crib.

Tiny, green fingers waving in the air were the first glimpse of the infant Serena had. She gazed into the crib, smiling.

"Well, my darling," she cooed. "What's your name?"

The baby stopped crying for a moment, staring at Serena's moon necklace, fascinated.

"Grinch," Rose spoke up.

She ran her fingers over him, checking for anything broken or swollen, bruised or bumped, talking softly and gently all the while. "What's the matter, darling? Not hungry?" She asked, putting her finger near his mouth. He clamped onto it. She withdrew it, reaching into her med bag for a plant, not taking her eyes off the little Grinch's. He pouted his lips, ready to scream at the withdrawn meal, but the apothecary waved the necklace in front of him to distract him from his outrage. It worked. "Oh, you're hungry all right."

"Then why doesn't he eat?" Clarinella asked, distressed.

"I'm not sure, but I have a theory," Serena replied, doing something out of their sight. "Forgive me, but I think what he needs I am lucky enough to have an abundant supply of right now."

When her hands were visible to them again, she held some fluid and was soaking a leaf from a plant in it. After a moment, when the tyke was starting to become vocal again, she dipped a finger into the liquid. Clarinella noticed the Grinch's nose twitching at the scent of whatever it was she held.

"If I can't get him to eat, at least this will keep him hydrated and stable," she explained, offering her finger to the baby.

The Grinch sniffed at the substance, then without hesitation grabbed her, sucking greedily on the appendage. Almost instantly the food was gone, so the herbalist pried his mouth slightly open, pouring the rest of the breast milk onto her finger, letting it trickle into his mouth.

She looked at Clarinella. "He's tired....and cold, at least by our standards. How long was he out last night?"

"Well..." she began hesitantly.

The Biddies heard the child gurgle and giggle and sigh. They looked into the crib in time to see his eyes droop. Serena rubbed his belly gently until he fell into a sudden sleep. "Amazing!" breathed Rose.

"It'll help him rest for a moment while we talk," the herbalist told them quietly. "Now...how long was he outside last night?"

"We had our annual Christmas party last night, Serena," Clarinella confessed. "He got stuck in a tree. No one saw him there or coming down and we didn't hear him crying. I'm afraid he was out there all night." She sounded ashamed.

Serena looked quickly at her husband. He shook his head in pain for the child. Despite her first gut reaction of anger, however, his wife couldn't blame them. Reaching into the crib, she picked up swaddling and infant and cradled him in her arms as if he were her own.

"He's lucky," she told the Biddies. "Lucky it was so cold out last night...and that he is what he is, whatever he is."

Everyone stared at her blankly.

"The cold slowed down his metabolism," she explained patiently. "So he isn't as starved as he could be. But we do have to get him to eat soon." She shook her head sadly.

"What is he?" Mark asked. "Do you know?"

"Not yet. He's definitely not a Who. For all current purposes, he's a What. Or a Grinch. I'm not sure which." She held him where everyone could see him. "I am noticing some interesting things about him, though..." She brushed a hand against his eyebrows. The Biddies had noticed them right away - they were quite large, and curly for a babe. "The eyebrows," she stroked his little arm. "And his entire body is covered with rather thick but light-colored hair - "

"So?" asked Mark.

"It's *very thick*," Serena replied. "He reminds me of a newborn kitten...and he has no pores. Animals with fur don't have pores. I think he's going to be completely covered with fur before long...and I mean *completely* covered."

"Like a cat?" asked Rose.

"Head to toe," Serena confirmed, pulling a little foot out of the blanket, showing them it was even thicker there than on the rest of his body. It was just hard to see because its color was nearly identical to his bright green skin. "Like a cat."

By now the mildly sedated milk was wearing off and the Grinch was waking up again. Unfortunately, the taste of food had flared his metabolism to life with a burning hunger worse than before.

He started screaming.

Serena brought him to a rocking chair by a sunny window. She sat down, pulling open her gown's top. They gathered around as she cooed to him, putting him to her breast, trying to get him to drink.

He still refused to eat.

"I don't get it," Mark said, puzzled. "He ate a moment ago."

She stroked the baby's arm, trying to reassure him. He pulled back, making a little growling sound. It gave Serena an idea. She looked up at the Biddies. "Clarinella, do you have an old mink coat?"

"Well, yes, I think so."

"Can you get it for me, please?"

"I don't see how that's going to help - "

"I think I know how. Please, just get it."

"What's your idea?" Mark asked.

"Well, his skin is hypersensitive, which I would expect if it is supposed to eventually be covered in fur. The baby down provides some protection until the coat grows in, but I think he's expecting his mother to be furry."

"I don't understand."

Clarinella came with the coat. Serena stood and handed the baby to her while she took the coat and put it on. "Well," the herbalist explained further. "I wouldn't take food from someone I didn't know - and if I expected my mom to have fur and someone was feeding me who *didn't* have fur - "

"I wouldn't take it from them," Rose suddenly understood.

"But he took it from your finger," Mark pointed out.

"I wasn't holding him at the time...he couldn't tell I didn't have fur!" Serena replied.

Fur coat on, Serena took the Grinch and sat back down in the rocking chair. He quieted, looking at the coat with huge eyes and grabbed a handful of it in his little fist. "That's what you wanted, isn't it, sweetheart?" she cooed, putting him back to her breast. This time he clamped on without hesitation, Serena wincing at his strength, and began drinking. "You just wanted me to grow fur...that's all you wanted."

"Well I'll be," the Biddies breathed, relieved.

"Dr. Whoticore certainly couldn't have helped us with that," Rose chirped.

"We wouldn't have thought of it, either," Clarinella confessed. "Wait until I tell him!"

While they sat, all talking and watching the Grinch drain his surrogate mother of as much nourishment as he could, Serena's daughter, Luna, woke up and started fussing. Her mother looked over at her affectionately. "You'd better feed Luna, dear. There's a bottle in the bag. I don't think he's going to let go soon." She demonstrated by trying to gently pull the Grinch away. He made a sound much like a growl, refusing to let go. She smiled at the infant, rubbing his back in gentle circles. "Shhhh....I'm not going to stop you."

He stopped growling, relaxed and concentrated again on drinking.

"Where did you come from,
Where will you go?
Dropped from the sky admists the fine snow.
Skin of green, your fur has a sheen,
You're not like all the rest."

"But...for now, my darling, close your eyes.
Sleeping safe and warm inside.
One day you'll see where you should be...
Find your place midsts outside."

Fini

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