"Mmmm, that was delicious." The Grinch said, smiling and licking his lips. "Thanks for inviting me over for lunch, Martha."
It was a nice, sunny day in spring and Martha May had invited the Grinch over to her house for a casual lunch. They had just finished eating.
"No problem. It's the least a girlfriend can do." Martha said, smiling and standing up from her chair; she walked over to her boyfriend and kissed his cheek.
"Here, I'll get the dishes." The Grinch stood up and took the dishes from the table.
"You don't have to do that." Martha started picking up the glasses and silverware.
"Come on, M. It's the least a boyfriend/house guest can do." He smirked at her and she giggled.
After cleaning up and talking for a bit, Grinch stood near Martha's door with Max at his feet.
"This was great. Still on for dinner tomorrow night?" He said with a chuckle, fiddling with something in his hand behind his back.
"Absolutely." Martha replied before she and Grinch heard a knock at the door.
Feeling curious, Martha opened the door to see a man with dark skin and slick black hair, wearing a plain button-up shirt and black slacks, and holding a bouquet of daisies standing on her doorstep; Martha and Grinch's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hello, Martha May." He said in a suave voice.
"Dallas?" Martha asked.
"You know this guy?" Grinch asked.
"Yeah, we used to work together back in Who York." She answered before turning to Dallas with a nervous smile. "It's, uh… good to see you again, Dallas and I don't mean to sound rude, but… what are you doing here?"
"Well I was pretty shocked to learn that you were fired from Who Runway back in January. In fact, I was devastated and I wanted to see you again. It took me a while, but I finally found you." Dallas answered, handing her the bouquet.
"Uh, thanks." Martha said, trying not to sound uneasy.
"You're most welcome." Dallas said before taking a look at the Grinch and his eyes widened. "Um, Martha? Aren't you going to introduce me to your… friend?"
"Oh yeah. Dallas, this is the Grinch, my boyfriend."
"Hi." The Grinch politely offered his hand to Dallas, which he rudely pushed away.
"Boyfriend? Him?!" He scoffed. "Really, Martha? You're dating… this guy?"
"What do you mean?" Martha raised an eyebrow.
"What do I mean? I mean look at him! You can do so much better than that. No offense, he's practically a walking, talking stuffed toy factory reject with a face that looked like something the cat dragged in, ate, and spit up. Simply grisly."
"Uh… how exactly is that not offensive?" Grinch asked, trying to remain calm.
Dallas continued, ignoring the Grinch's question. "Green? Really? Such an awful, AWFUL color. And so bright, too. Eugh. And how about his shape? Look at that gut. I mean I've heard of barrel-chested, but never PEAR-chested!"
He laughed, completely oblivious to the Grinch and Martha's sudden change of mood. The Grinch's face fell as he heard Dallas's harsh words; they stung, real bad. He nervously glanced away from his girlfriend, unable to process what was happening. Martha furrowed her brow and shoved the bouquet into Dallas.
"Dallas, I think you'd better leave." She said sternly.
"Leave? But I just got here." Dallas replied, sounding surprised.
"I don't care. No one talks about my boyfriend like that, especially not to his face."
"What? Don't take it so personally."
"It's a little too late for that."
"Come on, I was just kidding."
"That is exactly what my ex said before he was arrested. Leave."
She pointed a finger out the door and after a moment, Dallas let out a hoity huff and walked away in defeat. Martha closed the door and looked back at the Grinch who had an ashamed look on his face. She frowned and gave him a hug.
"Come on, Grinchy. Don't let Dallas get to you. He's just a jerk, and not a very bright one at that." She said.
"Do all of the men at Who Runway talk like that?" Grinch asked.
"No, of course not… at least not that I know of."
"Uh… I think I'd better get going."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I've got a few things to do. But thanks again for lunch."
"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, see you then."
They hugged and the Grinch walked out the door with Max following close behind. The door closed.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Do I look fat? Am I that ugly?" Grinch asked, looking at his reflection in a shop window.
Max just sat on the sidewalk in silence, unsure of what to do. He heard his master ask himself those questions twenty times already and it was getting really annoying. But Max was starting to feel worried; he had never seen the Grinch look this distressed before, especially over his own looks.
"What is Dallas's deal anyway?" He asked himself.
"Hey, Mr. Grinch."
The Grinch turned around and saw Cindy-Lou Who walking towards him.
"Oh, hi Cindy-Lou." Grinch said, sounding distracted; he turned back to the window and continued to look at his reflection.
"Something wrong?" Cindy asked, cocking her head to the side.
The Grinch paused and looked back at the little Who girl. After a moment, he took a breath and asked,
"Cindy-Lou, do you think I'm… ugly?"
Cindy was taken aback. "Ugly? You? No way. Where'd you get an idea like that?"
"Well… while I was at Martha's house for lunch today, one of her old co-workers from Who Runway came by and he just started insulting me out of the blue… right to my face, nonetheless. He called me ugly and fat and he said that Martha could do much better than me." Grinch sadly looked at his reflection again; he put his hands to his chest and stomach, then to his face. Then he took out the thing he was fiddling with earlier; it was a small velvet box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful ruby ring. His face fell before he closed the box. "…What if he's right?"
"What?!" Cindy shrieked. "No way! Whoever this guy thinks he is, he's wrong! He doesn't know what he's talking about! You're an amazing guy just the way you are! Mr. Grinch, Miss May loves you! You know that! And you love her! Plus, she knows that you'd do anything to make her happy."
"Yeah, but it's not like I wouldn't change if I could." He sighed and hung his head, clutching the velvet box tight in his hand. "It's impossible. I just wish there was something I could do."
Then Cindy-Lou got an idea. She took the Grinch's hand.
"Come with me." She said, dragging her friend along as she walked; Max barked and followed after them.
"Where are we going?" Grinch asked.
"It might be a long shot, but I think I know someone who might be able to help."
"Who?"
"You'll see."
They continued walking, but what the Grinch didn't realize was that they were heading to the little old woman who lived in a rundown cottage on the other side of town. When they finally arrived, the Grinch was surprised and a little grossed out by the state of the cottage; windows were broken and boarded up, the roof had a few holes in it, chipping and peeling paint graced the wooden walls, and shriveled ivy vines had tangled themselves all around the house. This place was in desperate need of repair.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked.
"Of course, Mr. Grinch. Trust me." Cindy said before she knocked on the door.
After a moment or two, the door opened and a round, little old woman with silvery white hair and hazel eyes and wearing a lilac dress answered.
"Oh! Why hello, Cindy-Lou. What a surprise." She said in a sweet voice.
"Hi, Mrs. Tizzletop. I'd like you to meet my friend, the Grinch." Cindy said.
"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Grinch." The old woman, Mrs. Tizzletop said, offering her hand to him.
He reluctantly shook it. "Nice to meet you too, ma'am." Max barked. "Oh, this is Max."
"Awww, hello Max." Mrs. Tizzletop said, petting the little dog's head. She turned back to Cindy-Lou. "So, what brings you here?"
"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I was sort of hoping you might be able to help me." Grinch said.
"Yeah, Mr. Grinch wants to change himself to impress his girlfriend, Martha May." Cindy added. "He wants to look more normal for her."
"Hmmm… Your heart has grown more than an inch. You wish to change, Mr. Grinch?" The old woman asked.
"Yes, I do. Wait, did you just rhyme?" Grinch asked.
"Well, you're in luck. Please, come in. I have just the thing, let us begin."
They all walked inside and the Grinch was surprised to see shelves upon shelves of many different things. A large black pot was hanging over a lit fireplace at the other side of the room with a wooden desk cluttered with books and papers standing near it, there were stacks of books and many scrolls, strange looking plants and flowers in pots, bottles and jars of all shapes and sizes filled with strange contents, and lots of empty jars and bottles filled the shelves lining the walls; in the Grinch's eyes, this place looked more like a witch's shop than somebody's home. Mrs. Tizzletop grabbed a book from one of her shelves, placed it on the desk near the fireplace, opened it up, and leafed through its pages until she finally found what she was looking for.
"Aha, I have it. It is just the fit." She rhymed.
"You do? Great!" Cindy exclaimed.
"Uh, is this rhyming gonna be a regular thing or what?" Grinch asked.
"The recipe for a potion that will turn you into an ordinary Who. It has worked many times, so it should also work for you." She pointed a finger at the Grinch, whose eyes widened in shock.
"Really? You can turn me into a normal Who?!" He asked in disbelief.
"That's right, but I'm going to need your help in making the potion. This is no easy task, this requires great devotion." The old woman said to her guests.
"Okay. What do you want us to do?" Cindy asked.
"I need you two to fetch me the ingredients while I get the pot ready. Luckily, I have them all, but we must go at a pace quite steady." She grabbed a bucket of water and dumped it into the pot before heading back to the book. "First, we need ten petals of a Binky Blossom."
"On it!" Cindy said, running off to fetch a pot filled with Binky Blossoms. She picked two flowers and handed them to Mrs. Tizzletop who plucked the petals from the flowers and dropped them into the pot; by now, the water was starting to bubble.
"Yes, that is quite awesome. Next, we need Sapphire Juniper Juice."
"Oh, found it." Grinch said as he grabbed a measuring cup and a huge gallon jug from another shelf; it had a label on the side that read 'Sapphire Juniper Juice'.
"Add three whole cups, no excuse."
The Grinch did as he was told and added three cups of the juice to the pot. As it sat over the fire, the water started to change color the moment the juice was added. It turned a bright blue and it slowly began to fizz and bubble like soda pop.
"Now four drops of Beezlenut Oil."
"This stuff?" Cindy asked, holding up a bottle that read 'Beezlenut Oil'.
"Yes, and we let it come to a boil." Mrs. Tizzletop took the bottle. She picked up a dropper and added four little drops of oil into the frothing concoction, which made it turn brown and start to boil. "Now two cups of mashed Fruzzle-Floom Fruit, a pinch of baby blue salt, six Orchid Ube Mushrooms soft as silk, crushed Sneezeweed leaves, a spoonful of pretty pink sugar, and a cup of ruby red Sprinkleberry Milk."
"No offense, but will you cut it out with the rhyming?" Grinch asked.
"No time!" Cindy-Lou exclaimed.
Cindy grabbed a bottle of sparkling red milk, a container of Fruzzle-Floom Fruit mush, and a jar of pink sugar while Grinch grabbed the purple mushrooms, some Sneezeweed leaves, and a jar of blue salt. They were all added to the mixture one at a time, which made the brew quickly turn from brown to orange to blue to purple to orange to pink to red.
"And now for one ingredient left to toss." Mrs. Tizzletop said.
"What is it?" Cindy asked.
"It is a handful of ripe Moose Moss. Then we stir the brew with a Zubble Wump feather until we see it glow, all while I recite the spell within my book, fast not slow."
The Grinch looked around and saw a patch of dark green moss clinging to a nearby wall. He approached the wall, reached out, and ripped off as much moss as he could. He then brought it to the pot and after a moment, he dropped the moss into the mixture. It boiled and bubbled and turned a bright green, the same shade of green as the Grinch's fur. Cindy-Lou ran to an umbrella stand, took out a long yellow feather, and gave it to Mrs. Tizzletop. She dipped the feather into the pot, half submerging it. Then she cleared her throat as she stirred the potion with it.
"Let this being become another, this shall be the norm
Until midnight does come, then they'll return to their true form"
The brew in the pot boiled and bubbled even more and it glowed a bright green, so bright that Cindy, the Grinch, and Max had to shield their eyes. After a moment, the light faded and the potion turned clear with the viscosity and appearance of water.
"Here we are, all done. And just for you, hon." Mrs. Tizzletop grabbed an empty bottle from another shelf, emptied the potion into it, and handed it to the Grinch. He reluctantly took it.
"Are you sure this will work?" He asked.
"Of course, dear. But listen here. If you want your new form to not be a flop, you must drink the entire potion, every single drop."
"Is this how it feels to be told riddles? 'Cause it's annoying." Grinch said in exasperation.
Mrs. Tizzletop then put a sticker on the bottle of potion that reads 'Happily Ever After'. Grinch looked at it with confusion.
"Happily Ever After?" He asked.
"Who doesn't want one?" Mrs. Tizzletop said with a shrug.
"Oh, now you stop rhyming."
"I rhyme when I mean business."
"Thanks so much for your help, Mrs. Tizzletop." Cindy said, handing the old woman a handful of money. She pushed it away.
"You're most welcome, dear. And please, no charge. I'm just glad I could help."
"Thanks again, ma'am."
And with that, the Grinch, Cindy, and Max left the little house with the potion in tow, leaving Mrs. Tizzletop all alone. She smirked to herself.
"If you would only know where this was going to go." She said to herself, cleaning up her supplies.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"A what?!" Donna exclaimed.
"A potion, Donna. It's a potion that will turn me into a normal Who." Grinch said as he stood on the doorstep of Cindy-Lou's home that evening; Donna was holding Buster and Bean, who were completely oblivious to the whole thing.
"I don't like this." Donna said.
"But mom, Mrs. Tizzletop said it'll work." Cindy chimed in.
"Yeah. Besides, how bad could it be?"
"Tizzletop?" Donna sighed and shook her head. "Guys I'm sorry, but there's no such thing as spells or potions. Besides, I already have a really bad feeling about this whole thing. I mean, an old lady offering you something that would supposedly help you? Something doesn't feel right."
"Well, I don't care. I'm taking it right now." Grinch said, uncorking the bottle.
"Mr. Grinch, wait! If you drink that, there's no telling what could happen."
"I know, but I have to try."
"You have no idea what that stuff could do to you."
"I thought you said you didn't believe in magic."
"I know what I said, but if that stuff glowed and changed colors while you were making it, it must've been something. What if it's something bad?"
"What if it's something good?"
"Stuff like that is unpredictable. Is it even worth it?"
Grinch looked at the bottle in his hand. "I'm doing this for Martha May and all I want is to make her happy, so… bottom's up." He raised the bottle to his lips.
"Mr. Grinch, no! Wait!" Donna cried.
"Remember, every last drop." Cindy pointed out.
The Grinch gulped down all of the potion, making sure he got every last drop of it. When the potion slid down his throat, he set the bottle down and waited for a moment, then another, then another before he suddenly let out a loud belch. Donna and Cindy cringed.
"Eww!" Cindy-Lou cried.
"I'm not one to say 'I told you so', but…" Donna trailed off.
"I should've known it wouldn't work. Oh well. I'd better go. I'll see you guys lat…" Grinch said before pausing. He groaned in pain, feeling dizzy and nauseous at the same time; he put a hand to his stomach as his vision began to blur.
"Mr. Grinch? What's wrong?" Cindy asked worriedly.
"Ugh, n-no idea. All of a sudden, I don't feel so well." Grinch said, trying to keep his balance.
"It must be that potion. It's making you sick." Donna concluded as she and her daughter ran to their friend's aid; she set the twins on the floor inside. "Come on, you're staying with us tonight."
"What? No, no, I can't. I don't want to impose." Grinch said before groaning again; he gripped his stomach tighter.
"No, I insist. You are in no shape to walk all the way up to Mt. Crumpit by yourself. Now come on. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Donna led the Grinch into her house with Cindy-Lou following close behind.
Max paused and picked up the empty potion bottle with his teeth before running inside. By the time the Grinch made it up to the guest room, he was in so much pain that he collapsed and lost consciousness. It took a bit of effort, but Donna and Cindy finally managed to get him to bed. Max quietly entered the room, hopped onto the bed, set the bottle down on the nightstand, and laid down next to his master to fall asleep, hoping he would be okay.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Mr. Grinch? Mr. Grinch, are you okay in there?" Cindy-Lou asked as she knocked on the guest room door. "Mom is almost done making breakfast and she's wondering if you'd join us."
No answer.
"Mr. Grinch, you've been in there all morning. Come on out."
More silence.
Cindy groaned in frustration. "Fine. If you're not coming out, I'm going in."
But just as Cindy-Lou opened the door a tiny crack, Max came bounding out of the room, barking like crazy as if in a panic.
"Max? What is it? What's wrong?" Cindy asked, mentally wishing she could speak dog. Then she opened the door even wider and looked into the room when she heard a moan coming from inside the room.
She heard the Grinch's voice. "Cindy-Lou?"
"Mr. Grinch? Are you…?" She gasped and her mouth fell wide open in shock.
"What?"
"…MOM!"
The moment she heard her daughter's voice, Donna came running up the stairs to see what was wrong. She ran into the guest room and everything went quiet; she saw what Cindy-Lou was seeing. Sitting up in bed wasn't the Grinch it all; it was a tall, slim man with messy brown hair and a fair complexion. Even though he was totally unrecognizable, Cindy and Donna still knew it was the Grinch because of his deep green eyes. Grinch stared at them and they stared at him for what felt like an eternity until the Grinch finally spoke.
"What is it?" He asked.
"…It worked. It worked, it really worked!" Cindy-Lou exclaimed.
"What worked?"
"The potion!"
"It did?"
The Grinch turned his head in the direction of the dresser mirror and what he saw gave him the shock of his life. He screamed and nearly fell out of bed in surprise; he put his hands to his face.
"Is… is that me? No, it can't be me. The potion was a dud… wasn't it?"
"A dud? No way! Look at you, Mr. Grinch! You look like a whole new person!"
"Yeah, I… I guess I do."
"Huh, well what do you know…?" Donna said before noticing the empty potion bottle sitting on the nightstand. She picked it up and read the sticker on the front before peeling part of it off to reveal writing on the back of it. "Look here. It says… 'Warning: Side effects may include watery eyes, blurred vision, scratchy throat, occasional headaches, mild stomach pains, and a burning and itching sensation all over. Not intended for people with weak hearts, high blood pressure, or mental disorders.' This almost sounds like medicine."
"That's weird." Cindy commented.
"Wait!" Donna said, reading on. "There's something else here. 'To make the effects of this potion permanent, the drinker must obtain his true love's kiss by midnight.'"
"Midnight?!" Grinch exclaimed, snatching the bottle out of Donna's hands and reading what the label said. "Sheesh, why is it always midnight?"
"Midnight?" Cindy asked as she looked at the clock on the wall. She gasped when she saw the time. It was 11:30 am. "Mr. Grinch, that means you only have twelve and a half hours until you turn back to normal."
"You're right!" Grinch said, sounding determined. He stood up. "Look out, Martha May! Here comes the new me!"
"Uh… first things first. We need to get you some new clothes." Donna awkwardly said, covering Cindy's eyes.
"Huh?" Grinch asked before looking down. He realized he was in his underwear and quickly covered himself up with the blanket; his face turned bright red in embarrassment.
"Uh, Cindy-Lou, could you run to the closet to find Mr. Grinch some clothes?" Donna asked.
"Sure, mom. Maybe some of dad's old clothes could work. I'll be right back." Cindy answered before running out of the room to find some clothes.
"We need to get you some breakfast, too." Donna added.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Thanks for breakfast… and for the clothes." Grinch said as he sat at the table and finished his plate of pancakes; he was now wearing a green long-sleeved shirt, gray pants, and brown shoes that used to belong to Donna's husband, Clark.
"No problem." Cindy and Donna said in unison; they were both in shock.
This man sitting near them almost looked just like Clark, but they knew that it wasn't really him. Buster and Bean were blissfully unaware of the whole situation and continued to wrestle and tussle with each other in their highchair.
There was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it." Cindy said, excusing herself and running over to the front door.
Donna sat in her chair, feeling very uncomfortable.
"Look, I know this must be a little weird for you, but it's weird for me too. And until Martha sees me like this and kisses me, I guess we're gonna have to get used to it. I know I'll have to." Grinch said.
"He's right in here." Cindy-Lou said as she and Mrs. Tizzletop entered the kitchen. Donna and the Grinch's eyes widened at her.
"Mrs. Tizzletop?" Grinch asked.
"What are you doing here?" Donna asked.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but I only came by to drop this off." Mrs. Tizzletop said, holding up a small velvet box.
The Grinch recognized it almost instantly and he quickly snatched it out of the old woman's hand. "Where'd you get this?"
"At my house. You must've left it there by mistake." Mrs. Tizzletop replied. "That is a very beautiful ring, and I believe you are going to have one satisfied girlfriend." She winked.
"You really think so?" The Grinch smiled a hopeful smile.
She nodded.
"Wait, you're the one who gave Mr. Grinch that potion?" Donna said, getting up from her chair.
Mrs. Tizzletop nodded again. "I am."
"Ma'am, is it true that the effects of that potion will be permanent if Martha May kisses me by the stroke of midnight tonight?" Grinch asked.
"Yes. Only true love will keep you this way… but will Martha May be in dismay?" Mrs. Tizzletop asked the Grinch.
"Again with the rhyming? Good grief." Grinch said in exasperation.
"You know, she might have a point there. Are you sure this is what Martha even wants? Did you even ask her?" Donna asked.
"Well I, uh…"
"Wait! Mr. Grinch, don't you have a dinner date with Miss May tonight?" Cindy-Lou asked.
"Oh my gosh, you're right! I do! I almost forgot! What time is it now?"
Donna checked her wrist watch. "It's exactly 12:15 pm."
"So that means I have… eleven hours and forty-five minutes until midnight. I've gotta find Martha." The Grinch then put on a black coat and a green scarf made his way to the front door and he was about to grab the doorknob until Cindy-Lou stopped him.
"Wait! Where are you going? You can't approach Miss May empty handed." She said.
"What do you mean? Isn't this new look enough?" Grinch asked.
"You wish. Your new look is good, but what you need to do is to dazzle her. Luckily, I know what to do." Cindy-Lou said with a sly smile.
0-0-0-0-0-0
At the grocery store in town, Martha was looking at the laundry detergent when she heard a familiar voice greet her.
"Hi, Martha."
She turned around to see her friend Tina walking up to her. She smiled.
"Hi, Tina." Martha said.
"What are you doing?" Tina asked.
"Just running a few errands. I need some more detergent and shampoo."
"Me, too. Are you excited for your date with the Grinch tonight?"
"I sure am. Hey, have you seen the Grinch lately, Tina? I haven't seen him or heard from him since yesterday."
"Nope, sorry."
"I hope everything's okay."
"Well hello, ladies." A third voice said.
Martha cringed; she immediately knew who it was.
"Hello again, Dallas." She said, trying to sound polite.
Dallas suddenly appeared next to Martha, holding a bottle of the shampoo she was planning on buying. He even had a bottle of conditioner.
"For you." He said.
Martha rolled her eyes, took the bottles, and put them in her basket. Tina cleared her throat.
"Um, Martha? Aren't you going to introduce us?" She asked.
"Oh, right. Tina, Dallas. Dallas, Tina." Martha said in a deadpan tone.
"A pleasure." Dallas and Tina shook hands.
"Ooh, hey! Hey!" The shopkeeper said, approaching the group. "Hey, folks! Did you hear?"
"Hear what?" Tina asked.
"There's a new Who in town!" The shopkeeper exclaimed.
"There is?" Martha asked.
"Oh, you must mean me." Dallas said proudly.
"No, not you. This guy is brand new; no one has ever seen him before. I think he arrived only today. And word on the street is all of the single ladies of Whoville, both big and small, are already swooning over him, probably even as we speak."
"Wow." Martha said.
"Is he good looking?" Tina asked.
"According to every lady he's encountered so far, yes." The shopkeeper answered. "He's probably the most handsome Who they've ever seen. Their words, not mine. But here's the thing: this guy has turned down every single girl that approached him, saying he already has a true love."
Dallas scoffed. "True love? Pfft. Only children believe in true love and fairy tales and nonsense like that. Well, whoever this guy is, I bet he's not half as good looking as I am."
Martha put a hand over her eyes and shook her head in frustration before grabbing what she needed and heading towards the front to pay. The shopkeeper went off after her to ring up her items. Dallas looked at Tina.
"What?" Tina asked.
"Did Martha ever talk about me?" Dallas inquired.
"No. She doesn't like to talk about her time in Who York."
"Well, she must've remembered me, right? …Right?"
"She never spoke of you."
Dallas paused before he huffed and walked away, leaving Tina alone and very confused and slightly annoyed in the middle of the aisle. Cindy-Lou and her four friends were watching everything from outside the window.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Oh no, oh no, oh no I am so late!" Martha said, race walking down the street towards the town square.
She was wearing a white dress with pink flowers printed on it, a little yellow jacket with medium-length sleeves, pale yellow leggings, and a pair of pale pink ballet flats. She also had her red hair pulled into a ponytail with a yellow ribbon tied into an elegant bow and the pearl necklace the Grinch had given her was hanging around her neck. It was already dark out by the time she ran into the square.
"I hope the Grinch will understand." She said to herself before she arrived at the restaurant; she was in such a hurry, she accidentally bumped into someone in front of her. "Oh, I am so sorry!"
"No, it's okay." A familiar voice said.
Martha looked to see a Who she had never seen before. It was a man with green eyes and messy brown hair and he was holding a bouquet of red and white roses; she thought she hadn't seen this stranger before, but there was something very familiar about him. She stared at him for a moment before he cleared his throat.
"Something wrong?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, but… have we met before?" She asked.
The stranger smirked at her. "You could say that… Martha May."
Martha's eyes widened. "How did you know my name?"
"You told me."
'Wait, that voice… No, it can't be.' She thought.
After a long moment of silence, Martha finally exclaimed, "…Grinch?!"
She said it so loud, it caused lots of other Whos passing by to hear and stop in their tracks. They turned their heads in Martha and the Grinch's direction with wide eyes, curious to know what was going on. The Grinch smiled nervously and offered her the bouquet of roses; she hesitantly took it.
"Is… is that really you?" Martha asked in disbelief.
"Yep, it's me." He replied with a shrug.
"Grinch, what… what in the name of Seuss have you done to yourself?"
"I changed. Now you won't have to be embarrassed to be seen with me anymore. What do you think?"
"What do I think? Wha-what? …Wait, embarrassed? Grinch, what are you talking about? I was never—"
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Dallas's voice smugly asked.
"Oh no…" Grinch muttered under his breath.
He and Martha turned their heads to see Dallas walking towards them with a smug look on his face. He was wearing a tuxedo and he had his arms folded over his chest, as if he had just won some sort of debate. The Grinch took a step closer to Martha to protect her.
"This is the mysterious new Who in town? The Grinch in a cheesy disguise?" Dallas burst out laughing. "Oh, that is rich! It would insult me if it weren't so funny."
"Not this again." Martha commented, trying not to roll her eyes.
"You asked that old witch to change you with a spell, and this is really the best she could do?" Dallas asked.
"Mrs. Tizzletop is not a witch, and it wasn't a spell. It was a potion." Grinch argued.
"Witch? Potion? What are you talking about?" Martha tried to ask.
"Like I said, Martha; I changed… for you." Grinch said.
"But, Grinch, I-I… I didn't want you to—"
"And as it turns out, you failed. You may be a lot easier on the eyes, but underneath, you're still a green, furry freak who doesn't deserve a girlfriend like that." Dallas pointed a finger at Martha. "Martha deserves to be with someone better than you, someone… like me."
Martha furrowed her brow in anger. "No I don't."
Dallas slowly turned his head to face her. "What did you say?"
"I said… No. I. Don't. I've seen what you did with your past girlfriends, Dallas, and I don't want a toxic relationship like that. Not again. I'll admit you're not as bad as August, but you're a REALLY close second."
Dallas raised his eyebrows. "August May-Who? You used to date him?"
"Yes. And he was so jealous he attempted to kill the Grinch! …And you are too, aren't you?"
By now, a small crowd had started to gather around and a few people had began to whisper and talk amongst themselves. Dallas's eyes widened and his face turned bright red in embarrassment; he opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the right words.
"I knew it." Martha said, furrowing her brow in anger. "This is all because you're jealous, isn't it?"
"Me? Jealous? Oh, please! What would I have to be jealous of?" Dallas tried to argue. "I mean, come on! He's a freak!"
Everyone gasped in shock.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"Yes, you are. No one insults my boyfriend!"
Before anyone knew it, Martha roughly slapped Dallas right across the face as hard as she could. The Grinch gasped in shock the moment Dallas fell to the ground. Dallas snarled at Martha.
"Do you honestly think you can treat me this way?" He asked, standing up and approaching her.
"Leave her alone!" Grinch shouted before getting in Dallas's way.
Dallas scoffed and clenched his fist. "You don't know when to quit, do you?"
The whole scene was a bit of a blur, but the last thing the Grinch remembered before he blacked out was Dallas's fist coming towards him, Martha screaming his name in terror, and his head hitting something hard.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Grinch? Grinchy, are you okay?" Martha's voice asked.
The Grinch's vision was very blurry, but he could still clearly see his girlfriend's fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes. He shot up, only to be met with a pounding headache. He put his hand to his head as Martha helped him onto his feet.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine." Grinch said. His vision began to clear up and he looked around to see that he and Martha were still in the town square, but Dallas was nowhere in sight. "What happened? Where's Dallas?"
"You don't remember?"
"Nope."
"Uh… after you stepped in front of me, Dallas punched you and you fell and hit your head kinda hard. When you collapsed, I told Dallas to leave Whoville and never come back or else I'd call the police on him. He left a while ago and you've been out for a couple hours. I stayed by your side the whole time."
"Wait, hours? Then how long do I…?"
"Mr. Grinch! Mr. Grinch!" Cindy-Lou's voice shouted.
It was then that Max, Mrs. Tizzletop, Donna, Tina, Cindy-Lou, and her friends ran up to the couple, relieved to see that the Grinch was okay. Cindy was still holding the empty potion bottle.
"Did she kiss you yet, Mr. Grinch?" Groopert asked.
"Excuse me?" Martha asked.
"You're running out of time! She has to kiss you before—" Izzy said before the clock tower began to strike the time. It was now midnight.
"Oh no! We're too late!" Donna cried.
"Mr. Grinch, the potion!" Cindy said.
"Midnight…" Grinch said before turning to face his girlfriend. His expression turned serious. "Martha, is this what you want? For me to be this way forever?"
"What?" Martha asked in disbelief.
"Because if you kiss me now… I can stay like this." He took her hands.
"You… You'd do that? For me?"
"Yes."
Martha blinked a couple times, she was in shock. Was the Grinch really willing to change himself this much? For her? She paused, but she already knew her answer. She smiled.
"I want what any girl wants, to live happily ever after…" She said. The Grinch smiled and leaned in to kiss her, only for her to stop him. She giggled and held her face in her hands. "…with the Grinch I fell for."
The Grinch was surprised; he wasn't sure if he was hearing her right. Does she really want him to be his old self? The clock finished striking and he suddenly felt a strong fluttering and bubbling sensation in his stomach. He looked down and saw that his body was beginning to glow and he started floating up into the air. Martha took a few steps back as she watched her boyfriend rise up as he glowed brighter and brighter; the light was so blinding that it caused the whole crowd to try and cover their eyes and a great gust of wind suddenly blew out through the town. When the light subsided, the Grinch floated back down to the ground. Martha quickly went to his aid and she saw that he was back to his regular old self.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Grinch said before looking down at himself; the clothes he was wearing had disappeared and his body was covered in green fur once again. He looked at Martha. "I'm so sorry, Martha. I just thought that if I looked more handsome, then maybe—"
She stopped him. "Grinch, I never wanted you to change."
"You didn't?"
"No. That's what I was trying to tell you. I love you just the way you are and I would never change a thing about you."
"You mean that?"
"Of course I do."
The Grinch smiled. "Good… because there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Martha, I know we've only been dating for a little while, but… I really cannot imagine a life without you. And now I'm sure I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on one knee, took out the box, and opened it to reveal the ruby ring to Martha. Her eyes widened and she gasped, as did everyone else. "Martha May Whovier… will you marry me?"
Martha's eyes started to fill with tears of joy and a smile slowly crept its way onto her lips. "Yes. Yes. Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
The Grinch smiled and placed the ring onto her finger. Everyone in Whoville applauded and cheered for the couple, especially Cindy-Lou and Max. The Grinch stood up and held Martha's hands.
"So… you really don't mind how I look?" He asked.
She giggled. "There's a saying. Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
"You always know just what to say, don't you?"
She shrugged and gave a playful smile.
"Come here, you." He pulled her closer to him. "I love you, Martha May."
"I love you, Grinch." They shared a kiss.
Mrs. Tizzletop smiled as she watched from afar; she chuckled. "As certain as the sun that rises in the east, no love can match that of a beauty and a beast."