Disclaimer: I don't own Megamind and am not affiliated with Dreamworks in any way.

AN: Another short one. Sorry guys, that's just the way it worked out. Once again, thanks for the reviews everyone!

Chapter 8

Megamind woke up feeling more content than he had in quite a while. He was thrilled that his first date with Roxanne went so well, but he was starting to wonder why he shared so much. Not that he didn't want to, and wasn't going to eventually tell her what she wanted to know if this relationship worked out. It was almost like his mental filters were lowering and instead of his usual defenses of deflection and denial, he was pouring out his secrets. Granted, he thought it was common knowledge that he had grown up in Metro City's Prison for the Criminally Gifted so he wasn't aware of that being a secret. Heck, he didn't even think to blindfold Roxanne on the way back. She did it herself.

He sat up with a smile as he remembered the massage that she gave him last night. She had him take off his pajama top and didn't seem to mind all the blue skin that revealed. He had never felt as relaxed as he did after she was done kneading his muscles. He was planning to do some work afterwards, but just couldn't convince himself to get out of bed.

Well, no rest for the wicked. Minion's salt water cycle was fast approaching and he needed to continue work on Project Vacation. He got out of bed and snapped his fingers for the brainbots to get him into his normal villain attire. When they were finished, he once again removed his gloves. He wanted to soak up every moment of skin to skin contact that Roxanne would allow, and keeping his hands uncovered was a good way to go about it.

He walked to his planning area to go over the designs of the Metal Detector Deflector he drew up the previous day. Today he would get started on building it and Roxanne's dehydration gun and he would have Minion book their vacation. There was no doubt that he would have all his needed inventions in working order before then.

"Morning, Min-yon!" he greeted when he spotted his loyal henchfish with a laundry basket.

"Good morning, Sir! How did it go last night? I didn't want to impose in the car," Minion asked.

"It was incredible! And you! That dinner was inspired, you fantastic fish you!" Megamind enthused.

"Oh, it was nothing, Sir. Was the setting appropriate? I mean… I know I always liked the area, but I started having doubts after I got it set up," Minion asked nervously.

"Absolutely appropriate," Megamind replied grandly. If the look of amazement on Roxanne's face when she saw the setup was anything to go by, then Minion did a fine job indeed. Minion had that bashful look on his face that indicated he had about as much praise as he could take for any given task, so Megamind dropped it and moved on to today's plans.

"Minion, I'll be working on the Metal Detector Deflector today and I think I'll simultaneously test the disguise watch's longevity. Keep the brainbots away from the planning area or they might think I'm an intruder. Why don't you see what you can do about booking us that trip? I think a two week stay would suffice. Somewhere tropic-kal and as private as you can get it. Think we can rent out an island to ourselves? I don't want to be wearing these watches the entire time. And come get me for lunch. You know I tend to lose track of time," he instructed.

"I'm on it, Sir!" Minion replied with a wide smile.

"Oh, and Minion?" he said a little nervously. He wasn't quite sure what his friend's reaction would be to his question. This was supposed to be their trip after all. Minion turned in his bowl and looked at him, waiting. "Do… Would you mind very much if I asked Roxanne to join us?"

Minion gave him an appraising look then finally answered, "If that's what you want, Sir. And I think it would do Miss Ritchi some good to get away from everything here. I think she knows that too and that's why she's reluctant to return to her apartment."

"Thanks, Minion," Megamind breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, I think she's waking up. If you see her before I do, send her my way. I'll ask her then." He started walking off to his work area.

"How do you know that, Sir?" Minion asked as he was leaving.

His thoughts were full of his new invention so he didn't register much of what Minion asked him. He just replied airily, "I'm a genius, Minion. I know many things," and left the room.

When he got to his planning area, he got a scrap of paper, wrote the time down and turned on his disguise watch. As usual, the air around his arms seem to glitch and then reform slightly differently. He was now looking at the sleeves of a pair of coveralls with a set of pale-colored hands coming out of the ends. He sighed resignedly and dropped his hands. It wasn't the cloak and dagger style hiding they went through when they first got out on their own, but it was hiding all the same.

Damn inferior life-forms and their ill-informed prejudices. Here he was, the most intelligent being on the planet, and he was forced into hiding. And it was all Metro Man's fault. If he had landed where his pod was aiming, then he would have had the benefit of being raised where money could overlook a lot of differences. And even supposing he landed in the prison, if they hadn't been in the same kindergarten class he probably would have had the chance to win over some of his classmates. But of course that didn't work out. The only thing he learned in that place was just how much more intelligent than his peers he actually was and that he was destined to be a supervillain.

He shook off his depressing thoughts and turned a radio on. There was nothing quite like the booming base beats and guitar riffs of rock and roll to get his mental wheels turning. He went over the blue print he had strung up in his idea cloud the day before and looked it over. Soon he had jotted down a couple more ideas and had them suspended on red strings near the initial blue print. He smirked at his unparalleled genius and went to his part pile to collect what he suspected he would need.

His part pile wasn't accurately named any longer. It had started as a heap of scavenged material but over the years, it had slowly morphed from scrap heap to organized warehouse. He had shelves full of recent technology like TVs, MP3 players, video game systems, hair dryers, etc., in addition to just 'computer parts.' He was never sure when he would need to cannibalize something at the last minute, so they started keeping a stash. Today he grabbed one of the MP3 players, calculating that it would be the correct size. He grabbed a few other odds and ends and came back to his work station.

He had just cracked open the MP3 player when he heard Roxanne's voice over his music, "Megamind? You in here?"

He straightened up and felt a smile grace his features. He turned down the radio slightly and called, "Yes, I'm in here." He frowned as he heard a voice different from his own. He momentarily forgot he was using the watch. "I'm using the watch," he warned her before she got close enough to see him. He looked at the time. The hologram made an hour without any problems.

"Yeah, Minion told me," she said as she entered the room. Her gaze sweep across his idea cloud with a look of wonder and he realized this was an area he hadn't allowed her in before. He hadn't wanted her to see his plans. Why wasn't it bothering him now? Then she looked at him and actually sputtered, "S…Sam?!" she asked incredulously.

"What?" he asked right back to her, shooting a quick glance behind him, confused as to what she meant.

"Coffee-shop-Sam!" she exclaimed, pointing and approaching him. A look of realization crossed her face, "That's how you knew I was looking for you. Minion is Max isn't he? Sir and Minion, Sam and Max," she laughed then. "I guess my plan of wondering around the industrial district hoping to find you actually worked. Man, I'm good," she said with a hint of pride.

He smirked and crossed his arms, "But does it count if you didn't know it was us?"

"Sure it does! I found you, you brought me here, goal accomplished," she replied. "I really should have at least suspected it was you though with that unmistakably gorgeous eye color you have."

"I would hope that you wouldn't have had reason to suspect it was me until I revealed my watch to you. Otherwise, it's fairly useless," he replied.

"True, I guess. So, what is this room?" she asked, her curiosity coming out.

"For want of more succinct terminology, it's my invention area. I do planning and drafting work over there. Suspend ideas in my idea cloud there and this is where I cobble together whatever I'm working on," he explained.

She was looking over everything and instead of a sense of panic that he would expect; he instead felt a sense of pride. "It's amazing, Megamind," she said with a smile. "I never really appreciated all your inventions and stuff over the years since, you know, I was a target, but it's really very impressive."

"Thanks, Roxanne. It's nice for my genius to be recognized," he replied a little smugly.

"Please. You do enough of that yourself," she snarked back.

"A little positive reinforcement never hurt anybody," he said with a smile and she laughed.

"So what are you working on, Mister Genius?" she asked while looking down at his workbench. When she noticed the MP3 player she added, "And did an iPod really have to give up its life to do it?"

"I think I like 'Evil Overlord' better, Miss Ritchi," he said with a grin. "I'm working on a Metal Detector Deflector so Minion and I can go on vacation without Minion sacrificing his suit." He gave her a sideways glance and said softly, "We have room for one more if you would like to join us…"

"What happened to 'evil never takes a vacation?'" she asked.

"Evil changed its mind," he reached out and held both of her hands. "A two week tropic-kal vacation. Sun. Sand. Snorkeling. My treat. What do you say? Minion's booking the trip now," he could feel his eyes almost begging her to accept. He didn't think he could spend that much time away from her after the last few days.

"I dunno… we've only been on one amazing date," she said, only putting up a token protest.

"Ahh, but we've known each other for years," he countered.

"I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"A vacation is the perfect cure."

"My passport is expired."

"Easily fixed."

"I'll need new clothes."

"Then let's go shopping," he said with a wide smile. He had her. Clothes sounded like a last defense.

"I guess I'm going on vacation," she said with a shy smile. He laughed, picked her up and twirled around. He set her down and leaned in for a kiss. Suddenly he was stopped by her index finger on his lips. She reached down to his wrist and turned the watch face. He saw a brief flash of blue light and realized that she turned off the watch. She removed her finger from his lips and said, "I only want to kiss you, Megamind. Otherwise it feels like I'm cheating."

He smiled and kissed her deeply. He could look like anyone and she wanted to kiss him? How did he get so lucky? She pulled back to get some air and he rested their foreheads together. This was starting to feel less awkward and more right every time they shared this intimate gesture. He smiled fondly at his girlfriend. He had always had a crush on the woman in his arms, but those feeling paled in comparison to what he was feeling for her now. He hoped that he wouldn't do anything to make her ever leave him.

He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss and asked, "So, shopping?"

"Sounds like a date," she agreed and kissed him back.

"Just don't mind my bad habits," he told her with another kiss. Hoping that would distract her a little. He knew that he still held shaky ground with his criminal habits.

"Five fingered discount?" she asked, pinpointing exactly what he was suggesting.

"I came in with those little blue cubes. The store definitely doesn't carry any," he gave an innocent grin.

"Uh huh. I'm paying for my own stuff, got it?" she said while poking a finger in his chest.

"Nope. I will. I did mention that I was paying for the trip. That would include the shopping beforehand, I would think," he told her.

"Just because I don't have a job right now doesn't mean I need handouts, Megamind," she pushed away from him slightly and glared at him.

"I never said you did. But can't I buy my girlfriend some presents before we leave? And I think it would be helpful to take you with me so I can ensure I buy what you like," he tried. He didn't want Roxanne to not have what she wanted simply because she didn't think she could afford it.

"You make a persuasive argument… but no stealing for me," she said sternly.

He couldn't absolutely promise that so he said, "I'll do my best. Now I have a question. Does your purse get routinely inspected going into and out of these shopping arenas?"

"Of course not. Why? You're not going to stuff dehydrated cubes into my purse," she told him firmly as she thought she caught where he was going with the question.

"No, no. I thought I would put them into mine," he explained patiently.

"You. Have a purse?" Roxanne asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"No, not yet. When I reach into the pockets of my clothes while wearing the hologram it glitches slightly. But if I use an external method of conveyance, the illus-shion stays intact. Here, watch." He backed up and activated his watch again. Then he drew his de-gun. "See? Glitchy." He put the gun back in its holster to demonstrate again before switching the watch back off.

"So, you're going to use a purse to get around that? Won't 'Sam' look silly with a purse?" she asked.

He laughed, "Oh, very much so. No, I'll need to scan a woman and use that as my disguise."

"And that's not going to bother you? Being a woman?"

"I won't actually be a woman, Roxanne. I'll just project the appearance of one. It's just an illus-shion to blend in, what does it matter who it looks like? Now come, let's inform Minion of today's change of plans and head out. Oh, maybe you could use his watch and get some scans for him? So far he only has the visage of my incredibly handsome self and 'Max' programmed. And I don't think Sam and Max would blend in at the airport with their work coveralls," he rambled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her excitedly from the room.

He yelled for his friend when he got out to the hallway and headed to where his answered originated. "Make that a trip for three," he told Minion when they entered the room and spotted him.

"I'm on it, Sir. Did you want to use a couple names we have on file, or something different?"

"Just use a couple clean ones we have on file. Let me know soon so I can get the passports straightened out. We're going shopping. Need anything? And if you loan Miss Ritchi your watch, we can pick up a few new scans for you. Found anything promising?"

"A few possibilities, Sir. I still need to see about availability. We are booking this last minute. And I really do need a price you don't want me to go over. Some of these are really expensive."

He thought a moment and replied, "Don't worry about the price. I trust your judgement."

"OK, thanks. Hopefully I'll have something booked when you get back from shopping. I'll call if I have any questions." Minion took off his watch and handed it over.

"We're off then, ciao!" Megamind said as he left the room still holding Roxanne's hand. He was about to go shopping! And it was an activity that he had never done during business hours before. Best of all; he was going to do it with Roxanne.