Somewhere in the midst of Brittany's new roommate and his dog still arguing despite the obvious language difference, the girl had already hopped out of the chair to stretch her aching muscles. It appeared that she had been asleep for quite some time, as her legs gave out for a moment when she tried to stand upright. Gasping, she gripped one of the arms of the worn out chair for support and rested for a moment to allow for proper blood flow.

The Grinch ceased his quarrel with Max for a moment to turn his head to the sound behind him. Oh, yes, he almost forgot that he had a guest!

"How long have I been out for?" He heard her ask, honey brown eyes narrowing in concentration as she tested some weight on her legs. The green Who watched her struggle for a moment, eyeing her movements as she began to relax and stretch, bones popping in the process. She looked much healthier now, and for some strange reason, that fact made him feel relieved. However, saying he was relieved would imply that he was worried for her while she was passed out cold for a full day, and the mere thought of that made him gag inside. This girl was nothing but a delusional lost Who...thing (even if she definitely didn't seem like it. The Whos were so much more jolly, and this girl was so...not. He'd have to ask about this later.). He decided he was relieved that she was now healthy simply because he could kick her out sooner, and they'd never have to see each other again. Yes, that was it!

Quite pleased in his reassuring of himself that he wasn't becoming soft, or something disgusting like that, the male responded to her question finally.

"Long enough for you to not look dead anymore," he goaded with a nonchalant smirk and shoulders hunching upwards in a shrug. Brittany glared at his teasing, lips tight.

"Is this how every conversation is going to go while I'm here? You poking fun at my potential death?" She replied in irritation, sighing as she cracked her neck. The Grinch dismissed her with a hand wave.

"You act like that's a bad thing. You're not dead because I saved you, which means I'm allowed to "poke fun" as much as I want!"

Realizing she was going to get nowhere with the practical man-child in front of her, the girl instead rolled her eyes and sighed. If he wanted to be childish about it, then fine.

"Just tell me how much time has passed," she firmly asked again with a sniffle, rubbing a temple with her fingers. She wondered if she'd ever get to have a real conversation with the Who without his lack of manners getting in the way.

The Grinch pouted, his lip jutting out comically as he crossed his arms. "Humph! Ungrateful and sassy! I should throw you back out into the snow right now!" He threatened, but Brittany could sense a large amount of bluffing coming from him.

"Alright, alright," she backed down with a sigh. "Thank you for saving me, really, and letting me stay in your home for a while." She paused for a moment, then side-smiled. "It's an honor to be graced with your presence," she finished, sugarcoating her words with a bow. The Grinch felt better now, happy that he got the recognition he so deserved, and visibly relaxed. Wow, she really had to bend over backwards for this guy, huh?

"That's more like it!" He replied, straightened his back, then answered her question after waiting for a moment.

"You've been out cold for a day." Brittany nodded slowly, letting that register into her mind. A day, huh?

"That makes sense, I guess," she said, mostly to herself as she inspected her crudely bandaged fingers. The wrappings were slightly bloody, but they'd be good for a couple more hours. She'd just rewrap them herself when the time came - it was quite obvious that the Grinch didn't know much about proper first aid. Sure, he had lived alone for years, but it didn't seem like he got hurt a lot; if he did, mediocre wrapping probably sufficed. Or, maybe he knew first aid quite well, but just didn't care to give her careful treatment. She was still a stranger to him, after all.

Noticing how the brunette now stared at her fingertips, the green Who took a step forward to inspect them as well. "Of course it makes sense! You've should've seen yourself! All passed out in the snow, fingers bloody and as cold as ice." He squinted. "What a stupid idea that was, climbing up the mountain by yourself. Did you want to die? You know there's a garbage shoot down there, right?" His nose twitched in annoyance, looking down at her like she was the dumbest person alive. Brittany cocked an eyebrow at him while fiddling with the wrapping.

"Yeah, I saw it. What does that have to do with anything?" Brittany asked with a sniffle and looked up into his eyes, pretending to be intrigued. Of course she knew there was a shoot down there, and what it was for, but why would she tell him that if she was supposed to keep up her ignorant facade?

"Well, I use the one up here when I need to...visit that wretched town," he grimaced when speaking about the place, nose scrunching. "And I use the one down there to get up here. Simple."

Brittany tapped a finger to her chin in thought. This could definitely be used to her advantage. Easy access to the city meant easy living! If the plan was to live here for the time being, she refused the idea of scrounging around for a comfortable lifestyle with god knows what lied around. A bolt of excitement struck her upon the thought of entering that welcoming town and buying (more like stealing, now that she thought about it. She had no currency and the Grinch wouldn't want her abiding by the law anyway.) a mattress and some blankets, because there was no way she was going to spend her nights sleeping in that "precious" recliner her new roommate so generously (reluctantly, actually) let her rest in. Not only was it springy, but she was sure that it hadn't been cleaned once. That chair should've been labeled a disease ridden abomination in her book.

She was going to get a proper bed, and that was that. Well, not completely, but she didn't know that yet.

"Oh, I'm sure it is simple," the small adult replied, dropping the facade act for a moment and ignoring the fact that The Grinch used a garbage shoot as transportation. "I think it'll be nice to go down there soon and get some things-" Her sentence was cut short by a shout.

"NO! Absolutely not!" The green Who exclaimed, his yellow eyes wide and piercing into her soul like before when he interrogated her. Brittany shrunk slightly under his gaze, feeling that twinge of fear from before licking her insides.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away with a pout, his intimidating presence suddenly diminishing. "They're...they're The Who's!" His chin lifted high in an almost parental way. "I won't have any partner in crime of mine be tainted by their jolly goody-two-shoes Christmas spirit!" Before Brittany could respond, the Grinch swiveled on his heel and marched off, hands folded neatly behind his back. He looked like he held authority, but the scraggly appearance of both him and his home didn't do him any justice regarding him looking like a gentleman. No, he was far from that.

Brittany blinked and took off after him, a cocky smirk painting her lips.

"Aww, you care about me! How cute," she teased, and the Grinch rolled his yellow eyes dramatically.

"Correction, sweetie: I don't care about you. The simple fact is that if you're gonna live with me you're gonna live like me." He rounded a corner rather speedily just to be the ass that he was, causing the girl to push her wobbly legs harder to catch up with him. The green Who felt a glare to the back of his head and he smirked at the small revenge.

Under this annoyance, however, the brunette tagging along giggled intrinsically as she found a lie in his words. If he never cared, as he said, why did he do all the things he did? It was clear as day that The Grinch saved her life, even going as far as to patch her up (he never had to go that far, really. Bleeding out from scraped fingertips was laughable.). There was something going on within the midst of this new relationship, and Brittany was pretty sure that it would be easy to get answers soon with how the Who tended to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Then again, maybe that was just too simple. It could be possible that there was a smidgen of compassion within what you could even call a heart resting in his ribcage like she theorized, or maybe he was building up her trust just to rip everything to shreds right in front of her eyes with an evil cackle. It sent shivers down her spine.

Quickly reminding herself that she was in a family friendly movie (movies that always have happy endings), a breath she didn't know she was holding in released. Things had to go well, the girl reassured herself. The story would begin and end, and the Grinch would have an enlightenment sported by a new heart. There wouldn't be any trouble. She hoped.

God, she hated overthinking things.

"You do realize that it's not ideal to live in garbage though, right?" They neared the front door and the tall male sneered at her.

"Not completely! Everything you've laid eyes on has been handcrafted from the dump. If I can make do up here, then so will you. Besides," he rested his hand on the door handle. "Using their garbage is easier than going all the way down for things. Not to mention If I went down there I'd have to...talk to them. Be around them!" A shiver ran down his spine and he imitated a gag. "If going down there isn't for pranks and the like, then it's not practical!" Brittany snorted with amusement and blindly followed him through the door to the outside world, ignoring the heavy chill that overtook her body once again. Great. If her current attire didn't do justice to her freezing body before, what good would it do now that it was stiff and damp from the melted snow? That's right, absolutely nothing. She might as well drop dead right there.

Instead, she pushed on, once again growing jealous of Who in front of her that was covered in luscious, warm fur. A frown etched onto her lips as she hugged her torso and hunched over slightly to contain some of the body heat. The girl then realized that she'd have to battle the cold constantly. She didn't see many heaters spread around what areas of the cave she had seen so far, probably because The Grinch's fur took care of that easily. Some changes would have to be made immediately if she were to survive. Sniffling, the girl mindlessly wiped her nose with the back of a hand.

"Any reason why we have to go back out here? Because I distinctly remember DYING in this place not too long ago!" Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, but it was long enough to still whip around in the breeze and smack her in the face. She growled and threw the piece back over a shoulder.

"Oh, be quiet! You were fine, don't overreact!" The Grinch replied, but all the while remembered that she most certainly wasn't fine.

"Overreacting?!" Brittany exclaimed, running her hands up and down her arms. "I passed out! That's not normal!"

Maybe it was the cold whipping around him, or the power memories had, but The Grinch's hands still remembered the feeling of her stone cold flesh against them. His face twisted into a grimace. She was right, but he'd never admit to that. He never admitted to anyone.

"It's not a big deal! You didn't die, so forget about it already!" His patience on the subject was starting to run thin with him becoming bothered by the image of the pale, half dead body that was burned into his mind. Could it have been that The Grinch actually cared, just a smidgen, about another? Or was it just the pure morbidity of it all? The latter, yes, it had to be that!

Suffering snorkel blatz! It hadn't even been a full day of this girl being awake and he was already questioning himself! Not to mention that they just met!

Now in a bad mood, the green Who stomped over the snow covered rock, not answering when Brittany repeated her question of why they were out here again. The young adult silenced herself, seeming to notice his sudden change in mood, and only followed silently. She watched The Grinch slide down a small drop off with ease like he had done it countless times before. He probably had, Brittany noted, and wondered if she could pull it off as graceful as him or get a facefull of snow. Deciding the latter would happen, the girl carefully picked her way down instead, sniffling.

"Damn cold...I'll be actually dead by the time we get back," Brittany muttered to herself, but secretly hoped that the green Who heard her anyway. She guaranteed he hadn't though, considering how he was already waiting for her at garbage pile, and her still trudging along from behind.

"Hurry up slowpoke, I haven't got all night!" The Grinch called out over the wind, fingers rapping against his crossed arms impatiently. The petite brunette groaned in acknowledgement, too sour herself to reply even remotely decently.

She arrived at his side only a few moments after, body quaking and cheeks as red as berries.

"Alright, w-why are we here?" The girl murmured, her chilled breaths coming out in visible puffs, and The Grinch felt a twist of sick superiority in regards to her shaking form.

"Well," he stated firmly. "Here's the dump, as you saw it yesterday. This'll be your new supermarket from now on, so you better get used to it unless you want to live down there with those goodie-two-shoes." The male jabbed a thumb behind a broad shoulder to Whoville far below. His eyes narrowed as they glared into hers, seeming to test the girl incase she tried to question his authority and rules. He didn't like how she gazed in awe at the village, and how she mentioned before that she wanted to buy things from there. The Who made a mental note to show her just how bad the Whos could be, not matter how quirky and fun they looked on the outside.

Brittany took notice of his warning and nodded, making a mental note of her own to plan out how she'd convince him to let her get supplies from Whoville anyway. She knew he wanted nothing to do with the place, but there was no way she'd live precisely how he did: scraggly, unkept, and smelly.

"Everything you'll ever need will be here. As I said before, if you gonna live with me, you're gonna live like me." He leaned in close, and his bushy eyebrows furrowed.

"So that means no funny business, young lady! You chose to become my new sidekick, and sidekicks live like the hero's, right? Exactly!" The Grinch stood up straight, looking proud of his metaphor.

"R-Right…" Brittany shivered in response, wanting to argue the possibility of well needed toiletries, but didn't want to go against his words just yet. She'd find a way to get what she wanted, eventually. However, for now, it was apparent she required something to sleep on. It was too cold to stay out there longer and make a neat little list of other things to take. Her suitcase could provide the majority, and the girl silently thanked her past self for packing more than needed.

"I'll n-need a bed," the petite brunette stuttered, not even knowing where to start looking in the large pile of garbage. The Grinch hummed in thought whilst grabbing some old cogs for himself, probably for an invention or maintenance. He spared her a glance around the pile before his gaze landed onto an old mattress stuck under some junk.

"There's one right there. Have fun!" Without another word, the male stood up straight with the cogs resting in his arms and began to stroll back to the cave's entrance. Brittany halted in her tracks, blood running cold, and that only made the chill washing over her even worse.

"Wait! Y-You brought me down here a-and you're not even g-gonna help?!" She blurted and whipped around to face the Who who simply cocked an eyebrow, playing the clueless card. That ass.

"What? My arms are full, and yours aren't. You can carry that yourself!"

Brittany's blood boiled now, even though his words were true. "I'm freezing here!"

"You didn't have to follow me, you know."

"You clearly hinted t-that you wanted me to when you walked towards the door!"

"Hm, really?"

"Oh my god, forget it," the girl groaned, taking in a breath before stepping over an old lamp to reach her to-be bed. She had to keep reminding herself that The Grinch wasn't a person that spent his time practicing humanity, manners, and the like. To think that there had already been two small quarrels in less than an hour was astounding to her, not to mention draining. For a moment or two, Brittany questioned why she even decided to take refuge with the Asshole Grinch.

Oh, yeah. Because of her own selfish desires to be the band-aid to his long term wounds. It was fangirlish, and she had no idea if it would screw up the storyline, but hey, he could also help get her home, so that second reason kind of balanced everything out.

The girl continued to think and work as The Grinch turned with a hum and left her to her own devices. The green Who knew he was being cruel, but could only blame himself slightly. He wasn't fond of company, not matter what kind it was, so it shouldn't have been surprising to see him treat her the way he had been. He liked being alone. Even when he was a child, The Grinch didn't taking kindly to many. Then again, the poor boy never had a chance to put himself out there to begin with. From the moment he was placed in society the only acknowledgement he ever received was of disgust. Hatred. Fear, even, and it stayed that way up until the present. The constant pestering, sneering, and ridicule cut a hole into his heart, one full of betrayal and anger. Of course, the child had been a little gremlin since birth, which greatly contributed to the lack of friendliness, but he remembered making an effort towards Martha May, and even that was destroyed.

He hated the Whos. He hated Whoville. He hated their jolly culture and what it stood for. He hated how sugarcoated their society was on the outside, and how their morals were so twisted and full of discrimination towards someone that was different.

It was disgraceful, he decided as he stared down at Whoville with a glare that could kill. Their gentle melodies drifted up from their hearts, but The Grinch felt that they never came from that place.

He found himself becoming so angry and vengeful living up on Mount Crumpit, coexisting with the ridicules that bounced around his skull every day, but oh, becoming so very lonely as well. Max sufficed but...he couldn't shake the want of true interaction.

Maybe that was why he took Brittany in, The Grinch wondered, with his gaze still locked onto the village but his mind elsewhere. Maybe he longed for the time when she would wake up so he could have an actual conversation with another person without having to hide his face behind a mask and cloak. Maybe he was scared she would die because of what little compassion he had left. Maybe having a sidekick, a partner in crime, wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he needed this.

The grouchy Who grunted in his throat, furrowing his eyebrows and wrinkling his nose in frustration. On the other hand, this girl could be lying! She could have come straight from Whoville (despite her lack of name in his phonebook) and ventured up to his home to be a nuisance. It could all be a one huge ruse, and the thought made him boil with anger.

To add onto the list of contradictions, there was also the fact that everything about her was not Who-like, all the way down to her very physical figure.

"Look at me! Does my body look like a Who's? My nose? Absolutely not!"

The Grinch growled through his teeth.

"Because it's more complicated than that! I know that this entire story is crazy; I'm still trying to figure it out myself!"

"So you were making it up!"

"I wasn't! What I mean is that I'm wondering how a damn portal came out of nowhere and sucked me into another world entirely!"

The Grinch stomped his foot into the snow, gripping the cogs in his arms so tightly they could snap. He still wondered what she meant by "how a damn portal came out of nowhere and sucked me into another world entirely!" He did ask, he recalled, but she stopped herself to plead mercy. It just didn't add up! Nothing did!

He send one last hard glare to Whoville below before swiftly turning around to stomp into his cave, slamming the door shut behind him.

Meanwhile, Brittany had finally reached the mattress after tripping on seemingly invisible things along the way. She had dug out half of it, fingers numb but bleeding once more, nose runny, and muscles aching.

She looked miserable (again), and boy did she feel miserable. The girl was sure this was the longest exposure she ever had in the cold while this underdressed. She could have grabbed something from her suitcase before venturing out again, but The Grinch seemed to have wanted her to follow him, even if he hadn't said anything. Plus, she didn't even know where her suitcase was, and that worried her slightly. She knew for a fact that she brought it up with her, as she distinctly remembered catching that damn thing one too many times from falling down the mountain after it constantly slipped out of her grasp, and cursing up a storm for packing so much for the trip her friends invited her to. But hey, the girl couldn't blame herself. She wasn't much of a camper to begin with, nor being used to the outdoors as much as the next person. However, this never meant she didn't find camping fun, though. It was just something she never preferred to do often.

A pang of grief stuck her heart at the thought of her friends and family back home hearing the news that their friend and daughter suddenly went missing. She knew her mother would lose it the most, memories from when she lost her daughter at Disney World springing up, probably. Brittany snorted at the memory, a smile etching onto her lips. All she wanted to do was climb onto a horse carriage display, and got angry when her grandfather plucked her off. She was furious, and stomped out of the museum only to get lost in the crowd. A ranger eventually found her and she was returned to her mother, but the brunette distinctly remembered the look of terror and relief she had on her face, tears falling. She told Brittany that that was the scariest moment of her life, so she could only imagine how petrified she was now.

Another wave of worry washed over her. There could be search parties being sent out, and flyers being printed everywhere. Then there could be mom and dad, sitting at their kitchen table at the end of each day, eyes darkly ringed with lack of sleep, and minds creating a thousand and one reasons as to what happened. Why was she taken from us?

Brittany laughed, sniffling. Wow, leave her alone in another world on top of a mountain for a while and this is where her mind goes? Jeez, she might has well imagine her parents attending a funeral for her while she was at it.

With another cold laugh, the brunette adjusted her glasses and set to work again, wincing at the fabric of the mattress rubbing against her bloody fingers.