Archive of Our Own

Work Text

Chapter One

Inside a snowflake, on the north wind as it blows, there happened a story that every child knows.

A story of Christmas in the range of Pontoos,and how it was stolen away from the Whos.

Ask any Who, and they'll have this to say, “We were happy the Grinch robbed us on Christmas day!”

Yes, every Who who was present that day, learned that 'presence' was better in every way. For without any gifts those Whos did sing, and learned that Christmas meant more than what you could bring.

Now this tale ended in a happy affair, but what happened after should also be shared.

For high on mount Crumpet the Grinch still did hide, but he wished for another to be by his side...

The Grinch paced back and forth, shoulders hunched in frustration.“I'm not doing it!” he declared for the fifth time that morning, “I can't do it Max!”Max barked in reply.“NO!” the snapped cantankerously, “I've made up my mind!”Max barked again.“I'm a confirmed bachelor!” he snarled, “How can I give this all up! celebrating Christmas is one thing, but this? THIS?!” He held out the small red box and waved it at Max dramatically, “This is too much! Too soon!”Max whimpered as his friend flopped into his armchair sideways.“Besides... what if she says 'no'?” his yellow eyes widened with worry, “Worse, what if she says 'yes'?!”Max walked over to him eagerly and rested a paw on his leg.“I know I know!” he grizzled, “Three weeks until Christmas! And if I don't ask her tonight... GAH! You know she's going to want to have it on Christmas day! She loves Christmas!” he ground out the L word like a sour grape.He curled into his armchair, looking desperately cornered.Max huffed, tapping his leg.“Yeah, yeah I know! you don't have to rub it in!” he griped, grabbing at his chest in annoyance, “This treacherous heart wont stop pounding when I think about her, but maybe its not... you know... maybe its an allergy!”Max looked at him silently.“SHUT UP!”

The slopes of mount Crumpet were a treacherous place, and most Whos down in Whoville were happy to stay safe.

Only the bravest, most kindest of all, would climb to the top and risk taking a fall.

Cindy Lou Who, now another year older, had not only grown taller, but wiser and bolder.

She climbed up mount Crumpet without fear each weekend with a handle of mail to deliver her friend.

“Mr Grinch!” Cindy called out as she let herself through the door, “Mr Grinch I have your mail! You've gotten so many letters and cards! I think all of Whoville wants to invite you to their Christmas parties!”The Grinch made an annoyed sound, “BAH! At least they'll make good fuel for the fire!”Cindy giggled, shoving his legs off the side of the chair so she could climb up and sit on the arm, throwing the satchel of letters heavily into his lap, “You don't mean that, you mean old thing,”“I do so!” The Grinch raised his nose in the air, “You have an entire village over to your house for one Christmas, and they never leave you alone!”“Well, I know one person who really wants to see you,” Cindy said coyly, “She asked me to make sure you were coming to the neighbour-who potluck tonight!”“She did?” he looked at her slyly, “By name?”“She begged me to ask you in person, I think she knows you don't read your mail since you never give me any letters to take back down,” Cindy nodded wisely.The Grinch kicked nervously at a pile of letters stashed under the armchair that he secretly read each night, most of them signed by the same person.He looked away guiltily, “Haven't had the time to... reply... lost all my pens and-BAH! FINE! What is this neighbour-who-what-muck anyway?”Cindy Lou began explaining excitedly about how each month the street she lived on held a dinner party together, rotating between different houses while each family bought their own signature dishes to add to the meal.She had explained it before, as he had been invited every month this year, but Cindy Lou got the distinct impression he was never really listening.By curious chance, the final potluck before Christmas always seemed to be held at the mansion of Martha May Whovier, who relished the roll of hostess and used it to kick off her yearly Christmas celebrations, and she had cornered Cindy on her way out of the post office that morning, instructing her to remind their cantankerous friend of the invitation.

The Grinch listened and listened, and nodded his head, and thought about all the things Cindy Lou said, and when she was gone with a wave and a smile, it was with the promise he would see her in a while.

He toyed with the box and he toyed with ideas, and when he reached a decision, a smile grew between his ears.

Then he scrounged through his kitchen for something to bring, and as he prepared, he started to sing:
“This Christmas will be the most memorable yet! Something that Whoville will never forget! They'll gasp and they'll swoon when I'm down on one knee, and I'll ask Martha May if she'll marry me!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Two

In a fabulous mansion at the end of the street, where every Who living nearby planned to meet,

A pretty Who sat by the window, her face in despair, fearing the one she loved most might not be there.

Martha May Whovier, once Who-coming Queen, looked down to her lawn at the unfolding scene,

of Whos and Whoettes and little who children all dressed in their best for the neighbour-who function.

Martha May chewed the corner of her lip nervously as she checked herself in the mirror of her bedroom.Her silvery hair was perfect as always, curling around her face from beneath the tiara of diamond studded snowflakes she wore each year at the beginning of the festive season.Her dress of silky blue matched perfectly, and it had taken twenty-two Whos more than twenty-two weeks to sew all the jewels into the hem at her feet.But for the first time when she looked at herself in the mirror in all her finery, she did not feel content.She had good taste, and she would never apologise for that, but something had happened the previous Christmas that had changed her more than ever, and instead of following along with what she thought she was supposed to do as she had done her entire life, she had turned down all the gifts from the mayor and confessed her love to the mischievous Grinch.Letters upon letters were sent to him up on crumpet mountain, but still he secluded himself, and Martha understood that he needed time and space, as any Who would after such a drastic change of heart as he had undergone.But now all she wanted this Christmas was to see his face, and she hoped in her fluttering heart that the precocious little Cindy Lou would bring her the news that she so desperately wanted to hear.With a final look in the mirror, Martha adjusted her cleavage and wend downstairs, flinging open the great double doors and welcoming her guests inside out of the snow with an elegant greeting.

The Whovier mansion was filled to the brim, with Whos and as much festive food as they could bring.

There were towering Frump-wumps with sugary eclairs; there were slow roasted beach bumps, and honey soaked pears! Spicy fried dumplings with tiramisu, and eight types of pudding, from yellow to blue.

Displayed at the centre of all this great feasting, was an ice sculpture of an eight legged beast, and its baby beastlings.

With the dining room filled, The band started swinging, and the Whos who weren't already eating were singing.

“Don't worry, Miss Martha May,” Cindy put her hand on her arm comfortingly, “I'm sure he's just running a little bit late, he promised he would come!”Sitting to Martha's left and steadily working his way through a large glass of eggnog, Mayor Augustus Maywho gave a bitter laugh, “Or maybe he's just showing his true colours- hic! Green as a bitter apple! Perhaps now you can see the- hic! Mistake you have made, my dear Martha!”“What makes you think I'm worried?” she tried for a small laugh, ignoring the Mayor.Cindy Lou smiled kindly at her, her expression far to wise for someone who still hadn't quite grown into their nose, “You forgot to give your welcome speech, and you haven't eaten anything,”Martha gave a weak scoff, “I'm simply watching my weight! And I was just about to give my speech now!” she sprang to her feet, tapping the side of her glass to gain the attention of the chattering diners.“Attention! Attention all my dears!” she called, giving a warning glare to the trumpeter when he failed to stop with the rest of the band, “I want to formally welcome you all to our final neighbour-who potluck of the year, and be the first to give my wishes for a most merry Christmas this season!”The Whos cheered wildly, some of them raising their gasses in agreement.“You've all done so wonderfully bringing forth this delicious feast for us all to enjoy, and I hope-”her sentence was cut short by the clanging of the door knocker and she gasped, almost dropping her fizzamalliz drink onto Cindy Lou's head.“My... who could that be?” she said breathily, “Excuse me a moment, my dear friends,” she scurried around the table and disappeared down the hall, Cindy Lou following close behind.She paused at the last moment before opening the door to fix her hair in the shiny door-handle, then pulled it open, her heart in her throat.Leaning against the door with a mischievous grin on his face, the Grinch's yellow eyes lit up when he saw her, and Martha May had the good sense of grace to ignore the trail of pointy footsteps where he had clearly paced back and forth from her door for quite some time.“Grinch! You made it, oh it's so wonderful to see you!” she exclaimed a little nervously, clasping her hands together.“Ahh... “ his eyes slipped around, looking just as nervous, “I was told we had to bring food?” he produced a rusted looking tray holding what could only be described as a dogs breakfast, holding it out dramatically for her to inspect.“Oh, it looks...” Martha's heart sank a little thinking of what sort of meals her poor Grinch ate when he was all alone, and she had the sudden, desperate urge to run to the kitchen and cook a three course meal just for him, “Is that a banana peel?”She tried reaching out to the dish, but before she could blink he tossed it over his shoulder, sending it flying across the lawn where it hit a tree and fell to the snow.“Oops, my hand slipped!” he gasped in pretend shock, looking more close to panic.“Oh, well... no matter!” her hand reached out and gripped the sleeve of the soft red Santa coat he wore, making sure he couldn't disappear along with the dish, “Why don't you come in out of the cold, there's plenty of food inside and everyone will be so happy to see you!”“Mr Grinch!” the face of Cindy Lou appeared from behind Martha, “You came!”“I said I would, stop calling me a liar!” he snapped at her, patting her on the head as he stepped inside before tossing his Santa coat over her head, “Hang this up, don't let it wrinkle!”Cindy giggled and ran off to the coat room, excited to announce to the rest of the guests that he had arrived.“Swanky digs,” he whistled, reaching a long finger out to poke at a decorative vase and almost knocking it over.“Come, I was just about to give my welcome speech!” Martha slipped her arm into his elbow, almost melting just as surely as the Grinch became frozen by the closeness.“Look everyone, look!” Cindy Lou's voice called out over the chattering crowd, as they stepped into the luxurious dining room,“The Grinch came, he really came!”The cheer that rose from the Whos was almost deafening, and several of them crowded around to shake his hand or pat him on the back despite his protests.“What nonsense,” a single bitter voice muttered,”He isn't even a member of this neighbourhood, why should he be a part of the potluck?!”“Cheer up Mr. Maywho,” Lou Lou Who, Cindy's father said, “Try some of the triple glazed fudgeamaroos my wife made, I'm sure you'll love them!”“But he didn't even bring a dish!” the Mayor protested, “Are we to let this Grinch destroy all our Who-ly traditions?”“HA! if it isn't my favourite Mayor!” The Grinch grinned naughtily, jumping up and sitting on the side of the table next to Augustus and patting him infuriatingly on the cheek, “How's that Christmas cheer coming along? Just keep drinking that eggnog, you'll find it!”“Well, isn't this perfect!” Martha May raised her voice before they could get into an argument, “Now if I could have everyone's attention for just a moment longer, as I was saying I wanted to thank you all for such wonderful-”“YES!” The Grinch jumped to his feet on the table, “Attention everyone! I have an announcement!”Martha jumped when the dog that always seemed to trail along behind the Grinch barked loudly and he turned to look down at him with a glare.“What? OH right, right, right!” he climbed down from the table again to stand next to her, “The question first... got a little ahead of myself,”He spun dramatically to face her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he struggled to pull something from the pocket of his jacket... which he was no longer wearing.“Grinch,are you alright?” Martha asked.He looked around at the crowd he had just ordered to pay him attention, and Martha could hear his teeth grinding together in frustration.“Stop paying attention! stop looking!” he shouted at the Whos so frighteningly that several of them covered their eyes with their hands.“Stay right there!” he turned to Martha, shaking her shoulders slightly to make sure she was still in place before reaching into the crowd and pulling Cindy Lou out of nowhere, dragging her out into the hallway.

The Whos were confused, astounded, aghast!

The Grinch had decided to join them at last!

But what was he planning? What was hidden in his sleeve?

Poor Martha just didn't know what to believe

The Grinch slammed the door to the coat room shut, and he, Cindy Lou and Max stood awkwardly in the darkness, barely able to move for the shower of coats, mittens and scarfs that crowded around them.“Mr Grinch, what are we doing in here?” Cindy whispered.“Alright kid, here's the deal,” he whispered back conspiratorially, “I didn't come here for the food... well I did, but I came here for something else! Something very important... and scary... and...”He trailed off, staring off over her shoulder in horror until Max barked, bringing him back to himself.“We need to find my coat! Get to it!” he snapped suddenly, plunging into the pile of coats like it were a swimming pool.Caught in the moment Cindy dived in as well, and a flurry of clothing filled the small space.Out in the hallway, Martha eased the concerns of her guests and told them to go back to eating before following the sound of a scuffle to the coat room, pressing her ear delicately to the door.“I found it!” she heard the soft coo of Cindy Lou.“Gimme!” The Grinch replied, and she heard more scuffling.Shaking her head, she grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, screaming when a torrent of coats fell out across the hall, bringing a disoriented Grinch and Co. along with it to wash out at her feet.“What in Whodom is happening here?!” She gasped, watching him de-tangle himself from a striped scarf.“Hi...again, Martha May,” The Grinch waved sheepishly.Martha May sighed, “I like to think I'm a patient Who, but this is getting rather silly, don't you think? I was so happy to see you at my door tonight, but I have barely gotten to speak two words to you, and now you are turning my coatroom into chaos and you're getting Cindy Lou involved! Now what kind of message do you think that is sending her?”“Oh Miss Martha May please don't be mad!” Cindy piped up, “We can explain everything!”Max barked excitedly through the mouthful of jacket he was holding, and The Grinch snatched it up excitedly, rifling through the pockets.By now, all the Whos had heard the racket, and heads were poking out through the doorway curiously.Martha crossed her arms and waited, tapping her crystal slipper on the marble floor as The Grinch wrestled with the fabric, pulling out a small red box from the pocket of the festive jacket with a triumphant cheer.“HA! We're back in business!” he smiled gleefully, holding the box in the air and crowing.It was a small box, with no fancy wrappings or ribbons or bows, but Martha May felt her heart leap suddenly.“Martha May Whovier,” The Grinch grinned his grinchy grin, standing up before seeming to remember he wanted to be on the floor and dropping to one knee.“Yes?” Martha asked softly, her eyes wide.

A chorus of Whos gasped, gathering closer to see,

whispering excitedly over what it might be...

The Grinch paused, his eyes darting to the onlookers, “Wow... this is way harder with an audience... Max I told you we needed to practice more!”Max whined apologetically.“Grinch?” Martha pulled his attention away from the dog, “Is that... Is that what I think it is?”The Grinch bit his lip, opening the clasped lid like it contained a grenade and scrunching his eyes closed.“But... but,” Martha felt dizzy. The ring was small, its jewels were just glass, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life, and it reminded her of another gift she had gotten a long time ago that she kept hidden in her bedside table.“But you never...never wrote me back... after I confessed last Christmas you didn't... and I thought,” she couldn't find her words.“Uh-oh,” His face fell and he lowered the box and Martha couldn't bear the look of sadness.“Wait!” she cried, “I can''t give you an answer if you don't ask me!”

Awaiting the Question, every Who held their breath

Hoping, and knowing the answer was 'yes'...

“Martha May Whovier,” The Grinch tried again, “Will you... havethehonourofbecomingMrsGrinch?”The words tumbled out so fast that they formed a single line and began to dance, but Martha got the gist, and unlike the last time she was asked to give her hand, she had no hesitations about the answer.“YES! YES! A thousand times yes!” she squealed, and in that most Who-ish manner that no Who can fight when they are happy, she began to speak in rhyme, “Oh, this day has turned out to be just the best!”I'll marry you, Grinch! You've always had my heart! Oh, I have to get planning, I don't know where to start!”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Three

All over Whoville, the joyous news spread

Miss Martha and her dear Grinch would be wed!

No one in town could have been more excited, as every Who young and old, was invited

The bakers were baking a magnificent cake

Tailors and seamstresses had new clothing to make

All of Whoville was going to be there, and of course it would be such a Christmas affair

Only one Who in this entire thing

was unhappy at all of the joy it did bring

But it only takes one grape to sour a bunch

At least, that's what Augustus told himself over lunch

and all of his envy made him see so much green, that all of his once kindly thoughts...

turned to mean

“This is wrong!” Augustus shouted, slamming his fist on the table, “Wrong, wrong, WRONG!”His faithful friend Whobris managed to grab his mug of hot chocolate before it could bounce off the edge.“That Grinch is ruining everything again!” he wailed, “He stole Christmas last year! Robbed me of my dignity! Now he is doing it again! ITS. NOT. FAIR!”He pounded the table like a child.“No one respects the institwhotion anymore!” he bemoaned, “You know, I passed by the toy store last week and there was a sign saying they would be closing early on Christmas eve... early! Can you believe it?! No last minute discounts or sales extravaganzas!”“Well, perhaps the toy-makers want to spend a little more time with their families this year-” Whobris tried to reason with him, but Augustus waved his hand in annoyance.“They can do that any time! It's that damn Grinch! he's a bad influence... Oh, how could my Martha May be making such a big mistake after all I have done for her?”“Well... I believe she does...” Whobris gulped, “love him,”Augustus made a disgusted noise, “But why?! He's so green... so hairy! I bet he hasn't even had his tonsils removed once!”Whobris shrugged in a non-committal way.“If only I could show her the error of her ways... wait, that's it!” Augustus cried, sitting up like he had been struck by a bolt of lightening.

Augustus Maywho got a glint in his eye,

and to this day I could not tell you why

(Maybe his neck tie was too tight on his collar)

But in that moment, his heart became two sizes smaller

“I have to win her back! Then it will all go back to normal!” he declared, a crazed look in his eye.“But how would you do that, Sir?” Whobris asked nervously, not liking his expression.“Well, I can out-gift that horrible Grinch any day,” he said, “But it will take more than that to win Martha May! I'll have to make her see just how bad the Grinch is...”“I think she might love him no matter his faults,” Whobris pointed out.“Oh don't worry about that,” Augustus smiled menacingly, “I have some ideas...”

Two streets away was the Cafe Pontoos

Where Martha May met with her bridal party Whos

To talk of the flowers and music and all things that glitter

Not knowing Augustus planned to make her wedding bitter

“Now, Betty Lou, are you sure this isn't too much to ask of you?” Martha May sat surrounded by her bridal party, and had just asked her next door neighbour if she would be her maid of honour.“I know you have your hands full with two boys,” she glanced sideways at Cindy Lou, “Not to mention a very headstrong daughter,”Betty Lou Who, who once held more than a little bitterness herself towards her old school mate, had taken the lesson of last Christmas to heart just as much as Martha May, and the two had discovered they had far more in common than they had in difference, and had become the closest of friends, visiting each other almost every day.“Don't you worry about me, Martha May,” Betty Lou smiled, “If I can handle them then I can certainly handle this!”“I'll help too!” Cindy Lou said excitedly, “A Christmas wedding sounds so romantic!”“It does, I've always dreamed of one,” Martha May sighed, “But truthfully the only thing that really matters to me is that we're together... the rest is just for fun!”The bridesmaids, Christina Whoterberry and Suzie Nottingwho burst into giggles, “Oh Martha, you sound so happy! Tell us some stories about The Grinch won't you?”“Yes, tell us about your first date!”“No, your first kiss! It must have been so romantic!”Martha May looked at them in confusion, her face falling.“Oh...erm,” she looked around nervously. The truth was that she had no stories to tell.“Well you know how he can be,” she said, waving her hand, “He's not very traditional, its just another thing I love about him! We've sort of done this whole thing backwards-”“You mean no dates?” Christina gasped.“No kiss?” Suzie added, both of them looking shocked.Betty Lou, older and wiser than the others, stepped in to save the day, “Now ladies, don't pry! Martha is perfectly happy with the way things are, there's no need to act like silly high school Whos!”“We're sorry, Martha May,” Suzie said, “It's just so heartwarming to think of the Grinch saying 'I love you'!”Martha bit her lip, and again Betty Lou stepped in, changing the subject to what sort of flowers would be best for her bouquet.While the older ladies talked, Cindy Lou sipped her hot cocoa, deep in thought.

At the centre of Whoville was the Old Oakwho Inn

where Cindy Lou knew she would find the Grinch with her kin

For just as Martha had invited her mother, the Grinch was being helped by her father and brothers

and even though he was here quite against his desire

he seemed quite content in the inn by the fire

“Yep, marriage sure is just about the best thing ever next to Christmas!” Lou Lou Who said proudly, “Trust me my green fellow, you will not regret a moment of it!”The Grinch, still unsure why he had been dragged down from mount Crumpet by Cindy Lou's father in the first place, wrapped his long fingers around the tankard of mulled wine and tried not to think about how easy it would be to climb out of the nearby window and make a run for it.“Don't you worry about a thing,” he continued, “The girls will sort out all the big stuff, they love it and my Betty Lou is a dab hand at functions. Yep, all we have to do is make sure you're standing at the altar when Martha May walks down the isle... oh and the speeches of course, can't forget those!”“Speeches?” The Grinch looked away from the window.Lou was not a foolish Who. He knew that The Grinch would be clueless when it came to a wedding, but having had such a successful one of his own and with his wife and daughter already being so involved in the affair, he considered it his duty to help the poor fellow out and make sure things went smoothly on the groom side.So that morning, after kissing his Betty goodbye, he had grabbed his twin boys by the scruff of their collars and they had climbed up mount crumpet, refusing to leave until The Grinch agreed to a friendly drink down at the Inn.“Yes, there's always lots of speeches at weddings,” Lou nodded, “There's also dancing and food and most importantly, your vows!”“Vows?” The Grinch tugged nervously at the collar of the striped sweater one of the Who twins had forced over his head when he finally agreed to come.“Yeah, dude,” Drew, or possibly Stu, said, “You gotta write them yourself, and they better be good cos' chicks take it pretty seriously,”The Grinch paled.“Stop it boys,” Lou frowned, “Don't worry, all you have to do is speak from the heart!”“The heart... right... easy thing to do,” The Grinch muttered.“It is for any normal Who,” a voice joined in, and they looked up to find Mayor Augustus smiling down at them all, “But you're not just a normal Who, are you Grinch?”“Thankfully,” he muttered in reply.“No, you're much better than us!” he grinned, the smile not quite reaching his eyes, “Martha May has very high expectations, after all, even I wasn't enough to satisfy her! She'll be expecting the best, most romantic vows any Who has ever heard, and it would just break her heart if they didn't sound right,”The Grinch growled, stuffing the tankard into his mouth and biting down.“In fact, I would be willing to bet that if this whole wedding doesn't go just right, she would call the whole thing off!”“Now that's quite enough, Mr Mayor,” Lou said, “Martha May might have... refined tastes, but she also has a big heart! I don't think there's a force in all of Pontoos that could stop her from marrying the Grinch! Why I would be willing to bet she would be just has happy with a wedding in a rubbish tip!”“A bet you would loose, Lou,” Augustus shook his head, “I've known Martha May for a long time, and she was impossible to keep pleased-”The Mayor let out a yelp as Drew and Stu grabbed each of his arms, lifting him up and carrying him out of the room.“hey, what do you think you're doing?!” he protested, his toes dragging on the floor, “You can't treat a government official like this!”“Go home, Augustus,” Lou called out as his boys dragged him out the door and deposited him in the snow, “The Grinch has all the help he needs!”As the door to the Inn swung closed on the Mayor, Cindy Lou slipped through and ran up to give her father a hug.“Hello, sweetie, I thought you were with your mother today?”“I was, but I have to talk to Mr Grinch about something,” she said, panting slightly from her run from the cafe up the road.“What now?” he grouched.Cindy Lou planed her hands on her hips, looking at him just as grouchily, “You have some work to do!”“Okay, I'll write the stupid vows!” he snapped.“What? No, you have to take Miss Martha May on a date!” she shook her head in exasperation.“Why, she's already marrying me!” he replied childishly.“That's not the point!” Cindy pointed her finger at him, “There are so many other things that are supposed to happen before you get married! All the first things! The first date! The first kiss! The first 'I love you'! You've done it all backwards!”“So?”“Actually, Cindy Lou might have a point there,” Lou said, “They don't matter much in the grand scheme of things, but they might be important to Martha...”The Grinch's eyes grew wide with alarm, “Would she cancel the wedding?!”“No, she would be happy to marry you in the garbage tip,” Cindy shrugged, and Lou nodded satisfactorily, “But I think she would still like them,”

The Grinch, he considered this list of first things

and realised that marriage was more than a ring

If he wanted to make sure he kept Martha May's heart,

Then these things were worth trying, and he knew just where to start

If a date and kiss was all it would take

to stop the fear in his chest that made him tremble and shake

then traditional romance was something he could try

(So long as Cindy and Max would help, and stay on standby)

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Four

The big day crept closer, with two weeks to go

and the houses and streets became piled with snow

Martha May loved this most glorious sight,

and could often be found watching it fall late at night

But this fresh wave of snow, the biggest one yet

fell on a night that she would never forget

For Cindy informed her that her first date would be soon...

Tonight, in fact!

(but she had been ready since noon)

Martha May had never even considered how strange it must seem to all the other Whos that she had declared her heart to someone she had barely spoken to since they were both children.She had always believed in love at first sight, and her very first day of school she had seen the Grinch and fallen utterly, hopelessly in love with him.Never one for subtlety, Martha had tried her best to convey her emotions to the shy, green boy, and on the day he had gifted her the beautiful, handmade tree topper was the happiest day of her life. It was also the saddest, for when he couldn't take the cruelty of his classmates and snapped, destroying the tree and disappearing into the mountains her heart had broken, and she had blamed herself for not coming to his defence.Too ashamed of herself to ever try and approach him again, Martha May had spent every Christmas since that one trying to make sure her house was the most beautifully decorated house in the village, hoping that if she just put enough shining, twinkling little lights on it, then it might be visible from the top of mount crumpet, and he would think of her.As far as she could tell, The Grinch, despite never responding to a single letter or invitation until the night he had thrust a ring in her face, also had no cares for the strangeness of the situation, and Martha very much doubted he had came up with the idea of a first date on his own.But she was not complaining, because every moment she got to spend with him was a whole lifetime in her eyes, and when the knock at her door finally came that evening she pulled it open excitedly before he could even pull his fist from the wood.The Grinch, frozen in what might possibly be terror from her sudden appearance, simply stared.“Well,” Martha breathed huskily, “It's certainly good to see you again,”He nodded quickly in agreement, his mouth held firmly shut.“And look, we match!” she said, twirling around in front of him, hoping to spark him out of his stupor.With the feeling he might wear the festive Santa coat again, Martha had donned her short red dress with white trimming, fixing a small Christmas hat to the side of her wildly styled hair.The Grinch looked at his coat, then to her dress, his eyes dropping down slowly and widening when the dress suddenly cut off at her thighs, revealing her cute, striped stockings.“I think mine is warmer,” he said, making an odd, choked noise in the back of his throat before shaking his head.“Well, if I get too cold, I'm sure you can think of a way to warm me up,” she smiled, batting her eyes and leaning in closer.“I'm not giving you my coat,” he raised his pointed nose in the air, but the effect was ruined by the goofy grin that had spread over his face, “Now, let's get this show on the road!”He grabbed her hand, his long furry fingers wrapping around her wrist as he dragged her out the door, spinning her about so she could face the cobbled road.“TADA!” he exclaimed excitedly.Martha gasped, her free hand coming to her mouth. Standing patiently on the snowy street, a dappled pony pawed the ground while it waited for them to climb into the sleigh that it was pulling.“Oh how beautiful!” she rushed forward, “You did this for me?”“No, I just like making horses do manual labour,” he grinned, “especially this one, it has an attitude problem,”Martha giggled, letting him help her into the velvet covered seat before climbing in after her and snatching up the reigns like a gleeful child.“Wait, isn't this Postmaster Lou's mail sled?” she frowned, looking over into the back at a pile of undelivered letters.“We're just borrowing it,” The Grinch said noncommittally, and Martha got the feeling that Lou may not have been involved in this part.“Now, let's hit the road and see what this baby can do!” He cracked the reigns, and the sweet pony took off at a happy trot.“No!” The Grinch glared at the backside of the pony, “Go faster! What sort of horse power is this!”The cracked the reigns again, but the pony refused to speed up, and he flopped back into the chair, crossing his arms.Martha giggled, taking the chance to slide closer to him, “Whats the rush?”He stiffened for a moment, then seemed to melt into her touch, his arm creeping around her shoulder to pull her closer.“I just...thought it would go faster,” he mumbled foolishly.

As the sleigh pulled them both into the night

a pair of eyes followed them, hidden from sight

and those eyes held such malice for what they could see

that even you, dear reader, must know who it could be

The watcher watched closely, and followed behind

and victory was already sure in his mind

He had a plan that would ruin their first ever date,

and everything else would just fall into place

there would be no wedding for them on Christmas day

after all, Mayor Augustus was used to getting his way.

On the edge of Whoville, just before the turn off that led to the best skiing slope in Pontoon was a large lake.In the summer time, children would swim there every day while their parents set up picnics on the shore or fished in little boats out in the centre, but in the winter time, after all the geese had flown south, the lake froze over and became the perfect place for ice skating.Whos crowded around the kiosk and wobbled their way from the wooden logs that were used as seats over to the ice to glide gracefully out over the lake, lit by the strings of festoon lights that were hung at the beginning of each winter.Unseen by the flocking crowds, Augustus Maywho lurked by side of the kiosk, tapping his foot impatiently and checking his watch.“Whobris! What took you so long!” he snapped when his companion finally arrived, red faced and out of breath.“Well, it is rather hard to walk on ice without proper footwear, sir,” he replied.“Never mind!” he snapped, “Did you do what I told you to?”“All six bags, Sir!” he said proudly, holding up an empty hessian sack with the words 'ROAD SALT' printed on the side, “But... are you sure this is safe? I would hate for someone to get hurt-”“It's fine, I have it all figured out!” he silenced him, peering around the side of the kiosk to look at the crowd.“I'll trick that horrible Grinch into skating out to the other side, and when the ice breaks and he falls in, he will be a laughing stock! And with such a terrible temper... we'll just sit back and let him do the work for us! Everyone will be reminded of why he shouldn't be here, and I'll be right there to comfort Martha May!”Whobris nodded, but didn't look convinced.

The Sleigh moved through Whoville at a comfortable pace

and The Grinch was reminded it wasn't a race

Martha May curled up close at his side

marvelling at all the decorations as they enjoyed the ride

and his once tiny heart swelled with warmth just because

he'd forgotten how horribly nervous he was

The view from the top of the hill as the sleigh moved down the path to the lake was breathtaking, and Martha May gasped in excitement, gripping his arm tightly and taking in the lights and music as Whos skated gracefully around the edge of the lake.“Oh my, I haven't been skating since I was a little girl!” she looked into his eyes, “What a wonderful idea!”The Grinch preened at the compliment.“I hope I remember how, it's been so long...”“Stop worrying, I'm a grade A skater! I could whip circles around everyone here!” he said proudly, “Just stick with me!”“Oh, I will,” she leaned in closer, half wishing they could stay in the sled just so she didn't have to let go of him.The sled pulled up, breaking apart the crowd to stop next to the kiosk and causing several small Whos to run frantically so they didn't get crushed, and the Grinch climbed out, offering his hand to her to help her down.A walking bundle of coats and scarfs appeared at their side as she stepped out gracefully.“Mr Grinch, Miss Martha!” Cindy waved from under a woolly hat two sizes too big for her.“Beat it kid, you're cramping my style!” he Grinch pulled the hat down, covering her face and making her giggle.“Well, hey there neighbours!” Lou appeared from the crowd holding a pair of Cindy sized skates, “Perfect night for a- hey! is that my post sled?”“Sorry, can't hear you over the music!” The Grinch grabbed Martha by the hand and pulled her quickly into the crowd, pushing his way through to the front of the line and snapping at the kiosk worker to get them some skates.Martha made sure to thank the terrified worker before heading over to a log and sitting down, slowly unzipping her red boots and placing them neatly to the side.“Allow me!” The Grinch slipped from her side and crouched down in front of her, his warm hand running down her stockings and lifting her foot up to slide the skate on.“Such a gentleman,” she smiled, trying not to swoon and fall from her seat at his touch.He really did drive her wild.She watched him work the laces, a tiny crease forming on his brow as he struggled to tie them without catching the furry tips of his fingers in the knot, and the thought struck her anew that this was her fiance, her beloved Grinch, all hers!She rubbed her left hand, making sure she could feel her engagement ring beneath her gloves.After several minutes of fussing, they were finally ready to hit the ice, hobbling gracelessly across the snow tot he edge of the lake.The Grinch took a running leap off the edge, hitting the ice and turning in a graceful pivot to face her and hold out his hand.Martha took it, almost slipping backwards when she moved out, but he leaned back to counter balance her and pulled her upright, and she pressed herself against his chest, holding tight until she was sure she wouldn't fall.“I am sorry,” she giggled, “I usually make a better entrance,”He made an odd squeaking noise, and whispered something that sounded suspiciously like “perfect,” before taking both her hands and slowly moving backwards, pulling her along with him and letting her get used to the movement.She wasn't lying when she said she hadn't skated since she was a little girl. The years of pressure to be perfect and graceful with never a single hair out of place had pushed a lot of things out of her life, but when she looked up from her feet and saw him watching her, she realised she no longer cared how she looked, and she remembered what it felt like to simply have fun.“Go slow, don't let me fall!” she giggled, moving her feet the way she used to when she was little and thankfully not toppling over as they joined the neat circle of skaters.“Tempting,” he ginned, “But don't worry, I'll catch you,”She blushed, almost loosing her concentration.After a few laps, her confidence slowly returned, and the Grinch let go of one of her hands, holding the other tightly as they moved side by side, sneaking small glances at each other as they went.“Mr. Grinch!” Cindy Lou darted in front of them, “Look what I can do!”The little Who pivoted and jumped, landing again and skating backwards in front of them.“Ha! Amateur!” he smirked, releasing her hand and darting forward to skate fast circles around Cindy Lou.Martha wobbled, holding her arms out for balance and laughing as he childishly began to compete with his friend.“Well, well,” a voice said, and suddenly Martha found the Mayor at her side, watching the two skaters with a smile, “Looks like you've lost your partner,”“Not for long,” Martha shrugged, “They're just having a bit of fun, and I do love seeing him happy,”She kept her eyes on The Grinch and Cindy, shaking her head as he reached out and tugged the little girls hat down again so she had to stop her spinning, pointing and laughing at her.“He's very... child-like,” Augustus allowed, “But I suppose it is Christmas... Speaking of, how are your wedding plans going? It must be very stressful having to do it all by yourself,”“I'm not doing it by myself,” Martha answered, “Everybody is helping, even the groom,”“Really?” he looked genuinely surprised, “I would have thought this sort of thing beyond his capacity,”“Well, I guess you need to stop underestimating him,” Martha countered, getting annoyed, “You seem to forget that the whole thing was his idea,”“Yes, with a ring that came out of a cereal box...” she heard him mutter.The scowl she gave him seemed to cow him to silence, and Martha was thankful when her partner returned, scowling at the Mayor when he spotted him.“Martha May, Grinch is cheating!” Cindy whined, “We're trying to find out who's the best at skating, will you be the judge so he plays fair?”Martha looked at The Grinch with mock anger, “Grinch darling, are you not playing fair?”The Grinch gave her a look so innocent there could have been a halo over his head, “I would never!”“Might I make a humble suggestion?” Augustus smiled benevolently.“I guess we can't stop you,” The Grinch muttered.“Why not a race?” he pointed to the far side of the lake, “See who can skate to the dock over there the fastest, you can do it one at a time so no one can cheat, and we can time you!... The Grinch can go first,”The Grinch's face split into a grin and he turned to Cindy, “You're toast, kid!”Martha clapped her hands together to grab his attention, “Okay, okay, you can race each other. Whoever can skate to the dock, touch it and came back here the fastest is the winner! And to make sure everything is fair,” She gave the Grinch a warning look, “I'll go wait at the far end to make sure you both touch the dock before turning back, okay?”“Don't-” Augustus tried to say something, but Martha was already skating away towards the far end of the lake as fast as she could. It was nowhere near as fast as The Grinch, or even Cindy, but at least she was keeping her balance.It was quieter away from the crowd, which kept close to the shore and the joyful music that was playing on the kiosk gramophone, and a light snow was beginning to fall, dusting her hair and eyelashes as she moved.An odd groaning sound started up as she passed the last string of festoon lights and she paused.Another groan, and then a bristling noise, like glass being dropped began to echo across the lake, and all the skaters stopped to listen, looking around in confusion.“Martha May, come back!” The Mayor shouted, sounding scared.“Wha-” Martha tried to shout back, but stopped when she saw the splintering lines that were forming between her and the safety of the shore.The ice was beginning to break up beneath her.She looked up in terror, her eyes meeting with yellow ones filled with terror, and before she could even scream, the seam split between her feet and broke, plunging her downwards into the cold black water.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Five

Ice broke all around them, Whos panicked and screamed

and fled to the shore as the lake split at the seams

Only one skater had chosen to stay

The Grinch sprang into action to save his dear Martha May

A terrible plan from the start.Why did he even bother doing this in the first place? Why did he let those foolish Whos convince him to take Martha May out for the night?If he had used his brain, he would have said no and Martha would have been safe at home in bed, and he would still be up on mount Crumpet with Max arguing about his vows.Convinced he just watched his fiance sink to her death beneath the ice, the Grinch let out a horrified scream and began skating as fast as he could towards the spot she had disappeared in, stumbling on the spiderweb of cracks that were forming as he moved.A head emerged from the water as he slipped to the edge of the ice, and Martha May appeared, screaming.He fell to his stomach and held out his hands, grabbing her before she could sink again.“Grinch!” she cried, holding onto him, “The ice is breaking, you have to-”The ice groaned again and they both screamed as it broke beneath his weight, dropping him into the ice cold water next to her.“COLD!”” was all he could shout as he came back up for air.“Mr. Grinch, grab the scarf!” he turned to look back at the shore, and sure enough, every Who that had ran from the ice had formed a line out across the lake, holding hands so they could pull them back to safety.Right at the end, Cindy Lou was light enough to not break the ice, and tossed the end of the scarf towards them to use as a rope.“Hold on!” he shouted at Martha, who grabbed onto his shoulders from behind as he snatched up the scarf and began to pull, arm over arm, until they were leaving the water and moving through the slush of ice towards the shore.The rescue Whos started a chant of “PULL! PULL! PULL!” and began walking backwards, and slowly, much too slowly considering how absolutely freezing the water was, Cindy's mother and father reached the shore, then her brothers, followed by herself and the scarf and finally, finally he was pulled onto solid ground with Martha still clinging to his back for dear life.The Whos surrounded them, fussing about and bundling them into as many blankets and coats as they could find until they were lost in a sea of hand knitted fabrics.Annoyingly, The Grinch saw Martha May being wrapped in the heavy fur coat that Mayor Augustus had been wearing, her face pale and streaked with mascara as she tried to work out what was happening.“Grinch?” she shouted over the chattering of her own teeth, crawling through the mass of blankets to get to him, “Are you okay?”The Grinch was about as far from okay as one could possibly be. He was cold, wet and surrounded by annoyingly kind Whos that wouldn't stop staring. Worst of all, his romantic date, the one that he was told was so important, was in complete ruin, and it infuriated him.Unable to control his temper, he snarled at Martha, but instead of recoiling from him like most Whos would, she threw her arms around him, almost crushing him.“Oh my wonderful, brave Grinch!” she cried, and he found his face squished embarrassingly against her chest as she hugged him, “You rescued me! You were so brave!”“I- I...” He lost is trail of angry thoughts.“And so, so strong! Pulling us from the water like that!” she petted his head, “Oh you poor thing, your fur is all soaked! You must be freezing!”She reached around and pulled the fur coat over him, wrapping them both inside it.Someone passed a thermos of hot cocoa through the crowd and thrust it into their hands, and they both gripped it gratefully, warming their numb fingers.“Are you alright?” she asked a bit quieter.“No,” he grouched, “This was NOT part of the plan!”He looked at her sourly, and absurdly, she began to laugh, darkening his mood further.“Yeah laugh it up!” he snapped, knowing how ridiculous he must look with damp fur, “Take a picture, it'll last longer!”Standing in the crowd, the Mayor smirked.“Oh don't be mad!” she stifled her giggles, “I'm not laughing at you, silly thing! I was just so frightened, and then you saved me without a single thought for your own safety, and its just such a perfect first date!”“It was?” he looked at her, confused, which only made her laugh again.“It really was!” she said, “Dinner and a movie is such a cliché! But this? It's the most romantic night I've ever experienced! How many Whos can claim their date jumped into a freezing cold lake in the middle of winter to save them?”His anger shrivelled away and disappeared with a little pop, leaving behind a weak and warm feeling that had nothing to do with the hot cocoa and everything to do with the way she was holding him, smiling happily.He also noticed that, despite his embarrassment, not a single Who was laughing at him.He wanted to say how amazing she was in that moment. Wanted to hold her just as tightly and tell her all the ways she seemed to make him better, even wanted to say that dreadful, terrifying word that begins with L, but he couldn't seem to make his stupid mouth form any words, and he sat there limply, letting her fawn over him in front of half the town, including one very bitter looking mayor.

Martha May bundled them into the sleigh

and they rode back to her house, where she insisted he stay

the snow was now falling faster and harder

and she bullied him until he sat down by the fire

Armed with a towel, and a brush and a comb

she made him sit still on the lounge in her home

Now, a Who as you know, when they're happy,they rhyme

well, a What does something just as odd in these times

and as her fingers worked softly to tidy his fur

To the Grinch's embarrassment, he began to...

Purr!

“Is that a happy noise?” she asked coyly, leaning around to look at his face.The Grinch cringed, and tried to stop the rumbling in his chest, but his body had a mind of its own and he felt his face flush, making him even more self conscious.“Mmm, sounds like one,” she said, looking very pleased with herself, “I must be doing a good job,”The Grinch squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the the hideous, traitorous noise. It had been so long since it last happened that he thought it was gone for good, but then again, he also thought that all the joy and love in his heart was long gone, and had been proven wrong.“It's an allergy,” he snarked.He heard her giggle, running her fingers over his scalp and making him shiver, causing the noise to get louder.“There, all dry, and no more knots,” he smirked, putting the comb aside and continuing to pet his head, causing him to melt and fall backwards into her lap.“That's a dirty trick,” he muttered, his head resting on her warm thighs as he looked up at her.“Oh, and you wouldn't know anything about playing dirty, would you?” she teased, stroking her finger down to the tip of his noise.A choked whimper escaped his throat, and he realised she was flirting with him, just like when they were children. Caught in her gaze, he was just as stunned and confused as he was back then, quite unsure how to react when all of her passion was directed at him.It was stupid, and morbidly embarrassing considering they would officially be married in just two weeks, but Martha May had a way of driving people crazy in the best ways, and poor Grinch, being the love of her life, seemed to get the worst of it.It did not help that he was completely smitten with her, and every time she touched him, or spoke his name he felt like he would explode into a million little pieces like an especially volatile firework.Trapped by his own limbs which had turned to jelly, he lay there while she toyed with his hair, curling it around her finger while she hummed a carol.Through the haze of happiness that was seeping into his body like a noxious fume, he noticed her own hair was still damp and matted against her head, her disgustingly cute little hat lost to the depths of the lake.He didn't think he had ever seen her quite like this.Everything she did was naturally intense and extreme, and that included her immaculate appearance, but in the flickering light of the fire, her hair a mess and her makeup ruined, she seemed so dreadfully happy and her only care was for making sure he felt the same.The little seed of doubt that had lived in his chest from the moment he first realised he wanted to ask her to marry him, the one that almost had him convinced she would never say yes, was long gone, and it was frightening, but also exhilarating to think that there would be so much more of this in his future.He lifted his head slightly and she paused, her fingers hovering over his head.“Did I hurt you?” she asked, looking worried.The Grinch shook his head, not trusting his words in case his voice broke or he stuttered. A truly mortifying urge had hit him to do something. Something he had never done before, and never thought he would.“What's wrong?” she asked, looking at his face in alarm.He took a deep breath and let his own natural recklessness take over as closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to her own and feeling every strand of green fur on his body stand on end, his eyelids fluttering closed.Martha May made a soft noise of surprise and he pulled back, opening one eye to find her cheeks were flushed bright red and her eyes were hooded, her expression dazed.He gloated inwardly that he had nailed their first kiss.Before he could do anything else, she gave a little shake of her head and leaned over, capturing his lips with her own and sending a jolt of electricity down his spine when she moved softly against him.He felt his own cheeks growing brighter as she deepened the kiss, and he almost jumped out of her lap in alarm when the tip of her tongue slipped past his lips and brushed against his own, and only managed to stay anchored to the ground by her hand threaded through his hair, holding him in place.Still, it was almost too much to bear and he was sure that he was going to melt, or explode, or simply blink out of existence entirely, and he was very glad for the blanket across his legs because something very private was starting to stir in his body at the feeling of her tongue wrapping around his, gently moving their mouths together, and little lights were flashing behind his eyes, darkening his vision until he was sure he was going to die.Thankfully, she pulled back with a sigh, still keeping close enough for their noses to touch.“I've been waiting for you to do that for a long time,” she whispered, and despite the feeling of nearly having departed this earth from sheer bliss, he couldn't get rid of the ridiculous smile on his face.Always one to tempt fate, he replied, “I've been waiting to do a lot more than that,”She smiled prettily, “Just you wait,” her cheek pressed against his as she whispered in his ear, “Because there is going to be a lot more on our wedding night, I'll finally get to show you just how much I've wanted you,”His heart beat several beats at once then stopped entirely, melting into a gooey puddle in his chest.

The Grinch spent the night, so Martha May wouldn't worry

In the guest room, of course (get your mind back on the story!)

And Martha May made the best pancakes when they were awake

before they set off to the bakery, to inspect their wedding cake

The snow that had fallen through the night piled high on the roofs of the cottages as they walked into town.The mysterious disappearance of all the Whoville council road-works salt supply meant that the Whos had no choice but to close off the roads for safety, but this bothered the village very little, as walking in the snow was considered a very joyous affair and they were happy to leave their vehicles behind.The Whoville bakery was always a busy place, but as Christmas crept closer those clever bakers went into a frenzy of flour and sugar, and always made sure to have plenty of extra ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg on standby for any last minute requests.Their load was considerably lighter this year since many Whos had decided to do their own baking at home, but the excitement of a Christmas wedding had them all working happily in the kitchens behind the store, and they waved cheerfully when the bell over the door chimed and Martha May stepped in, her face glowing with joy as she dragged a shy and slightly dazed looking Grinch behind her.The Head pâtissier, Philippe Whocasse, stood on top of a ladder as he worked to put the finishing touches on the icing of a towering, seven tiered cake of the clearest white sugar, covered in delicately frosted snowflakes, and beamed when he looked down and saw the couple admiring what he considered to be his greatest work.“Bonjour!” he squeaked, “Ahh so good the young lovers have come to inspect my work, what do you think?”The Grinch leaned close to whisper in her ear, '”That thing is massive! Are you planning on jumping out of it or is there already someone in there?!”Martha giggled and shushed him, “Mr Whocasse, it's beautiful!”The tiny Who slid down the ladder like a fireman and landed at her feet, sweeping the toque from his bald head and bowing deeply, “Ahh the honour is all mine, Miss Whovier! I have made your birthday cake every year, and I have been looking forward to catering your wedding for longer than you can know, you have zi finest taste in town!”Martha May allowed the little chef to guide her around the monstrous cake, pointing out the details in the frosting from the candy wreath that circled the bottom to the tiny, chocolate filled garlands of holly that wrapped around each tier.“Oh, wait here just one moment, I will fetch something that you will adore!” he darted away and Martha looked about the room curiously, noticing just in time her Grinch attempting to fit his arms around the base of the cake to measure it and pulling him away.“What flavour is it?” he whispered excitedly, “Ask the little guy when he comes back what flavour it is!”Martha giggled and pulled him close, “You are absolutely hyper this morning, maybe I shouldn't have let you eat an entire bottle of syrup with those pancakes!”He pouted adorably, and she kissed his cheek, “Behave yourself, and we'll get some pastries before we leave,”Whocasse reappeared so quickly that Martha jumped and The Grinch shouted in downright alarm as he placed a box on the table for them to inspect.“The pièce de résistance!” he declared, sweeping the lid off to reveal the bride and groom in perfect miniature.“Oh how absolutely darling!” Martha May gushed.The Grinch leaned in and looked at them curiously, “Tiny... us?”“Zi green fur was the greatest challenge,” Whocasse said, lifting them out of the box and placing them side by side, “But I savoured it greatly, and it is perfect, yes?”“Yes, oh yes!” Martha May clapped her hands in excitement, Oh! look at the tiny bouquet! And the veil! Oh, Grinch don't they look adorable?”The Grinch reached out and poked the miniature cake topper of himself, “What flavour are they?” he asked suspiciously.Whocasse opened and closed his mouth in confusion, while The Grinch toyed curiously with the little plastic replica and Martha May held up her hand, “Don't worry, I'll explain to him later,”

Outside in the cold, his nose pressed to the glass

Mayor Augustus watched the happy couple, a new plan forming fast

He had failed to turn their first date to disaster

So now it was the beautiful cake he would go after!

And maybe, just maybe, The Grinch would be blamed

and Martha May's love for him would turn into shame!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Six

The weeks came and went, and The Grinch had returned home

to work on his vows, he had to get in the zone

because Martha May's presence was a distraction at best

so he told a small lie, and said he had to rest

Of course he told her he'd finished them already

there was no reason to tell her he couldn't hold a pen steady

So Martha May said goodbye, just for a while

and for the rest of the day she couldn't hold back her smile

It wasn't until the day before, on Christmas Eve,

that a knock at the door made her fill with unease

Martha May was in her living room with her bridal party and as many of her friends as could comfortably fit in the room for the bachelorette party.There was an enormous amount of giggling going on, and Betty Lou passed around bubbling glasses of fizzamalliz and cherry-berry-merry's that she had whisked up in the kitchen, the contents of which only heightened the girlish chatter.Suzie and Christina were desperate for her to spill the beans on what had happened after the ice skating incident, and Martha May was coyly avoiding answering their increasingly obvious line of questions.“You can't hide it from us, Martha May!” Suzie urged, “We know that The Grinch stayed here the entire night!”“Yes we heard it from a very reliable source, so don't bother to deny it!” Christina nodded.Martha shot a look at Betty, who mouthed a sorry to her and handed her another drink.“Of course he did!” she argued, “He was cold as ice after our little swim, there was no way I was going to let him walk back up that horrid mountain in a snow storm, he would have turned into an ice sculpture!”“So did you warm him up?” Christina asked, causing all the women to burst into giggles.Martha May rolled her eyes, “Not in any way you're thinking of!”“Yes, Christina, what are you thinking of?” Betty Lou asked sternly, “I should hope nothing scandalous, since you are currently dating my son!”Christina pursed her lips and took a long sip of her drink..Suzie finished her fit of giggles, coughing slightly, “It's okay, we know you're telling the truth, Martha May. I mean, The Grinch is such a hermit he probably still thinks babies come floating out of the sky in little baskets!”The group fell into a new fit of laughter as Martha May tossed a cushion at Suzie, making her fall off her chair.Betty Lou sat down next to her, “Don't mind their teasing, Martha,” she said soothingly, “They're young and silly, and have had too many fun drinks, they don't have any respect for privacy,”“Umm, Betty?” Martha May whispered, making sure no one else could hear, “They might... have a point,”Betty Lou raised her eyebrows, “Well... I'm sure you will both work it out soon enough,”The two women shared a small laugh between themselves, and Martha May was so very grateful that they had became good friends.“And don't forget,” she added, “Lou has him cornered at the Inn for his bachelors party right this minute, so I'm sure they will talk...erm, man to man, as they say,”A knock at the door cut through the laughter, and Martha May sprang to her feet, “Pizza-pies are here! I hope you're all hungry!”There was cheers and applause as she went tot he door, wobbling a little as she walked and glad that she would have some food to eat and hopefully calm everyone down a bit, but when she opened the door, it was not to the usual baby-faced delivery-who boy that usually bought the pizza.“Mr Whocasse?!” she looked down at the diminutive baker,”Whatever are you doing here?”Miss Whovier!” he exclaimed, looking panicked, “You must come quickly, I don't know how it happened, but-”“Martha, what's the hold up?” Betty Lou joined her, frowning when she spotted the baker, “What's this, what's happened?”“THE CAKE!” he shouted, throwing his hands dramatically in the air, “OH MY POOR CREATION, SHE IS RUINED! Come! You must come at once!”Martha May looked at Betty Lou, who nodded and grabbed two coats at random from the rack by the door, “Let's go, then!”

They hurried and scurried toward the main street

slipping on snowdrifts beneath their cold feet

And when they arrived it was just as they feared

the cake was in ruin, knocked over and smeared

with little red berries all over the floor

and glass from the window shattered next to the door

The Constable Wholihan was already there when they arrived, his notepad open while another officer put tape across the broken window. Standing by his side, looking very solemn and serious was Mayor Augustus.“A dreadful shame,” he shook his head, “I came as soon as I heard,”“I don't understand,” Martha looked at the once beautiful cake, “What happened?”Constable Wholihan pointed to the broken glass, “Someone broke in and made an awful mess of the place; nothing was stolen but there's quite a bit of damage to the property,”“But why? Who would do such an awful thing?”“I'm so sorry, Martha May,” Augustus took his hat off and held it in front of him, nodding to the Constable, who produced a small evidence bag containing three strands of green hair.Martha gave an incredulous laugh, “You think The Grinch did this? My Grinch?”“Well if the pointed shoe fits...” The Constable gestured to the floor inside the bakery, where someone had tread through the fallen cake leaving a trail of frosting covered pointy footprints behind.“And he does have a history of criminal activity,” Augustus said annoyingly, “Breaking and entering, theft, destruction of property...”“Don't be ridiculous!” Martha shook her head, “It was his cake too, why in Whodom would he ruin his own cake? And besides, Grinch is out with Mr Lou today and even he can't be in two places at once!”“Ahh, I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you this,” Augustus said, sounding like he couldn't wait to tell her, “But I was just on my way home from the Inn when I heard of this terrible atrocity...”He looked over at Betty Lou, who was holding Martha's arm supportively, “I spoke to your husband there, and it seems the bachelor's party is short of... well the bachelor,” he shrugged, hiding his smile a little too well.Martha looked at Betty, who looked just as shocked by the news.“Now, I know this is hard for you,” Augustus put his hand on her shoulder kindly, “But when you consider the facts... I do believe our mutual friend has a case of cold feet, and well... you know how temperamental he can be! He must have decided to put an end to the engagement the only way someone like him knows how. Destructively... Who knows, maybe that terrible date he took you on really put things in perspective!”Martha looked from the broken window, to the cake, then to the oh so very punch-able face of the Mayor, then took a step back, escaping his touch.“You're lying,” she said with as much dignity and calmness as she could manage, “I don't know what's going on here, but I know you're lying! You've always hated him, you're just looking for any excuse to justify it!”“Martha, look at the evidence!” Augustus begged, still smiling like the cat that got the hat.“I am,” she raised her chin, “And all the evidence points to me marrying the Who that I love, The Grinch that I love! He asked me to marry him not because I'm pretty, or I have nice things or have an excellent taste in fashion! He asked me for me, which is more than I can say for some people here,”“Now, Martha, no need to-”“He loves me,” she said simply.The Mayor's smile slipped away and his brow furrowed, “Has he told you that?”If Betty Lou hadn't been holding so tightly onto her arm, Martha May would have slapped the foolish Mayor, probably landing herself in jail for the night.As it was, she simply gave him a look that, if she possessed any sort of power, would have killed and said, “It is Christmas eve, Mr. Maywho, and tomorrow is my wedding day. Cake or no cake, I will be Mrs. Grinch, because even if you don't believe in him, even if this entire village doesn't... I do, and that is enough,”She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving the Mayor to shrug at Constable Wholihan and mutter, “Women,”Betty Lou quickly caught up to Martha May after giving her own stern look at the Mayor. (She never much cared for Augustus, who was always trying to put her husband down).“Don't you fret, dear! We'll get this sorted out! Lou and Cindy and the whole Who family are right here with you! I don't believe for a second that The Grinch had anything to do with this! As soon as we get you home Ill go find Lou and send him up to mount Crumpet, he'll find out the truth!”“I'm not going home, I'm going up there myself!” Martha replied, “I'll not stand for anyone slandering him, least of all that pompous, self absorbed Mayor!”“Oh my dear you can't!” Betty Lou grabbed her, “You're getting married tomorrow, you have so much to do! Besides, you can't let him see the bride before the wedding!”Martha bit her lip, looking between her motherly friend and the distant mountain visible beyond the village.“Fine, but send Lou up there immediately!”

The big day loomed closer

and feelings were tense

Would the groom be there in time for the wedding to commence?

Or did what the Mayor say hold a hint of the truth?

After all, did seem to have all the proof

Martha May sat in front of the fire in her spacious and immaculately decorated living room, all by her self long after every other Who in town had gone to bed.She knew she should be tucked away, dreaming of tomorrow, but she couldn't seem to stop wringing her hands in worry, especially after Betty Lou had came by just after sunset, with an apologetic Lou to explain that even though he had spent half an hour banging on the door at the top of the mountain, there was no answer.Worse than nothing, he had heard the sounds of Max barking, and what sounded like someone pushing something heavy in front of the door before hastily turning out the lights.As a cherry on top of her un-salvageable cake, The Mayor had also came by to once again offer his condolences, at which point Martha took a page from The Grinch's book and slammed her door shut, turning out the lights.The handcrafted grandfather clock in the corner chimed midnight.It was Christmas Day, and Martha let out a small sob, so absorbed in her own woes she didn't hear the soft jingling of little silver bells on her rooftop.“Why are you crying, little one?”Martha May very nearly fell out of her seat at the unexpected (except by everyone in Whoville) visitor.Stepping out of the fireplace, as big and as jolly as ever with his red coat, rosy cheeks and curly, white beard, Martha stared at Santa Claus in utter disbelief.Oh, she believed in him of course, every good little Who grew up believing in him, but she had never been one of the lucky few to actually meet him, and she had certainly never heard of Santa showing up to talk to an adult, that was usually reserved for the particularly inquisitive or questioning children.“Why are you here?” she asked rather stupidly.The fat man laughed, loud and cheerful, his great stomach bouncing up and down, “Why, I came to bring little Martha May her present! She's been at the top of my NICE list all year, and a little bird told me that this Christmas was going to be an extra special one for her!”Martha wanted to know how he knew, but then, that was always the point. Santa was always watching, and he knew everything.“So, why is my favourite spreader of Christmas joy sitting here crying instead of being asleep in her bed like a good Who?”Martha felt very foolish, and dabbed her eyes with a silk kerchief, “As odd as it sounds, It seems I forgot that tonight was Christmas,”Santa Claus made a thoughtful noise, and to her surprise, sat down next to her.“You know, a long time ago you wrote me a letter,” he said, getting comfortable, “You used to write to me every year, just like all the other children, but you stopped after this one even while all the others kept on sending me their wishes,”Martha May looked at him nervously, but he only smiled benevolently, “That last letter, you never asked me for a new doll, or a bicycle, or a pretty dress... You asked for something much, much harder to give, and I fear I may have let you down, and you never wrote to me again. Do you remember what you asked?”Martha May nodded sadly, “I asked you to make The Grinch happy, so he would come back,”Santa Clause nodded back at her, “I exist to spread joy, but I cannot simply snap my fingers and make people happy, I cannot change the bad things that happen to good people, and when a Nice Who turns Naughty, I cannot make them change their hearts, they have to do that themselves,”“It was a silly thing to ask,” Martha gave a little laugh.“Oh, no! Not silly at all!” Santa corrected her, “Wishing joy and happiness for others is what Christmas is all about! Your Grinch was very, very Naughty, but even still you wanted him to be happy, because you knew he had the capacity to be nice,”“He really does,” she smiled, “I suppose you know all about... you know, last year?”Santa frowned a little.“I do. He tried to steal Christmas. Tried to undo all my hard work that night... very naughty indeed!”Martha blushed a little, “Oh but he was so sorry! He apologised and-”Santa began to laugh again, a great “HO!HO!HO!” filling the room and making everything warmer and brighter.“Yes I know, he learned the true meaning of Christmas, and what an amazing thing that is! I tell you, the elves celebrated that one for quite a few weeks after the holidays! Yes, the story of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, or rather, saved Christmas, has become a classic! And for the first time ever, I was very happy to find he had made it to the NICE list; it may be right at the bottom, but his name is there, so I got to land my sleigh on the tippy top of Mount Crumpet!”Martha Looked up at him quickly, “And he as there?”“Asleep in bed with a smile on his face, just like you should be!” Santa leaned in close to whisper, “And I may need to get my glasses checked, but I'm pretty sure I saw some rather romantic wedding vows clutched in his hand!”She let out a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob, “Truly?”“Young lady, Santa Claus would never tell a lie, certainly not on Christmas!”“I knew it! Oh I just new it!” Martha jumped up, clapping her hands, “Santa, you've given me the best gift ever! The Grinch wouldn't abandon me, no never! He's just been working on his vows, no wonder he turned the party down!”“I do love it when Whos are happy,” Santa smiled, “Such clever little rhymers,”Martha wasn't listening, she was too busy bouncing up and down, the heavy feeling in her stomach long gone.“Now, no more tears?” the jolly man asked seriously, standing up and stretching.“No more tears unless of joy!” Martha sighed, “The cake was just some horrid ploy! I'll bet Augustus was behind it, he's been so mad since he he offered his hand and I declined it!”“Well, I really shouldn't gossip,” Santa said thoughtfully, “But did not see young master Maywho on my delivery list tonight...”

Martha May went off to bed

with wedding bells inside her head

but what of that most naughty Who

that destroyed the cake?

What did he do?

Well, dear reader, I'll tell you this,

he didn't lay in dreaming bliss

Instead he sneaked, and snuck and slunk

(an impressive feat, considering how much he had drank)

to the top of the mount Crumpet that always loomed

his newest target?

The wedding Groom

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Seven

And so it came to Christmas day

and all was bright, and merry and gay

Little Whos, both girls and boys

sang and danced and played with toys

None of them could be expected to know

that on the tip of Mount Crumpet, where it continued to snow

The Grinch and Max

were full of woe, fighting a familiar foe

“This is getting ridiculous!” The Grinch shouted, or at least he tried to through the scarf that had been tied around his mouth.Two things he had not expected were in his cave when he woke up that morning; one was the beautifully wrapped box with a bright red bow sitting under the Christmas tree Cindy Lou had hassled him into setting up, signed by none other than Old Saint Nick himself, and the other was a very dishevelled and rather scary looking Mayor Augustus Maywho, who had lunged at him before he could even work out who he was looking at and tied him up in surprisingly sturdy ribbon.“Scream all you want!” the mayor gloated, “No one is going to hear you! And when your hairy green face doesn't show up for the wedding, everyone will think you've just gone back to the way you really are! I am so sick of hearing my voters fawn over you like you're some sort of Christmas hero, when we both know that all you are is a mischievous, trouble-making, anger-filled, cruel, hairy...”The Mayor continued to list off various nasty traits, rambling as he paced the room.“Wow, this guy really holds a grudge,” The Grinch mumbled into the scarf, trying to spit out the scratchy kitted baubles.Sure he had tried to steal Christmas, but this? This was just... not very nice.“...weird smelling, hairy-”“You said that one,”“selfish Grinch!” he finished, panting slightly.The Grinch rolled his eyes, then caught sight of a shadow on the cave wall behind the Mayor, grinning wickedly.The shadow moved, creeping closer to the mayor behind the Christmas tree, baring his teeth and letting out a low growl.The Mayor paused, turning his head at the noise, then let out a high pitched scream as a set of very sharp teeth bit into his rather soft behind.“DISGUSTING MUTT!” he shouted, spinning in circles with Max hanging off his rear end while The Grinch cackled gleefully, “GET OFF ME YOU WRETCHED FLEABAG!”“HAHA! GET HIM MAX, GO FOR THE JUGULAR! TEAR HIS THROAT OUT!”The Mayor spun faster, turning them both into a lopsided spinning top until Max finally lost his grip, flying through the air and landing in The Grinch's lap.Max barked again at the Who that had invaded his home, but the Mayor aimed a kick at him and he ran off with a yelp of fear.“COWARD!” The Grinch shouted after him, finally ridding himself of the gag, “and you! Who tries to kick a dog?! on Christmas?!”

Max was a clever dog in more ways than one

and he knew a fight that couldn't be won

So he scampered and slipped down the side of the slope

towards Whoville and help...

at least, that's what he hoped.

It was a perfect, clear Christmas day.All around the neighbourhood, the sound of laughter and music filled the air as families gathered together to enjoy their hard earned holiday, and when the excitement of Christmas morning was over, every Who in Whoville made their way to the town square to marvel at the beautiful decorations and salivate over the wedding banquet that awaited their rumbling tummies after the ceremony before being shown to their seats by Stu and Drew Who, with the help and stern guidance of Lou.At the back of the square, Martha May watched the crowd through the gap in the door of a bridal Marquee, wringing her hands nervously.“Stop fretting Martha May, you need to sit and eat something,” Betty Lou, who had been with her since mid morning helping organise, rushed about the tent, wrangling Christina and Suzie away from the snack table and back into their chairs so she could finish their hair with the aid of Rose and Clarnella, who had let themselves into the bridal marquee with the nosiness and authority that is reserved only for elderly women.Martha sat down, but didn't eat anything. She couldn't bear it. Her heart was somewhere just at the top of her throat and her stomach seemed to have been replaced by a swarm of butterflies.“Oh dear, where has Cindy Lou run off to?” Betty Lou said in exasperation, only noticing their lack of flower girl when she tried to hand her a comb and it dropped onto the floor, “She's going to get her dress all dirty!”“My goodness,” Rose said, calmly braiding Christina's hair, “Perhaps you should take your own advice and sit down, Betty,”“Yes, stop worrying,” Clarnella nodded, “Dirty dress or not, it wont make a difference when Little Martha walks down that isle, every Who in town is going to be looking at her!”Rose nodded sagely, “Oh my yes, such a pretty bride! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if half the men turn greener than our little Grinch out of jealousy!”“Speaking of which,” Betty Lou said between mouthfuls of eclair, “That's probably where Cindy Lou has run off to! I swear those two together are dangerous, I can't tell which one is the worse influence on the other! Do you know I heard Cindy Lou was spotted on the slopes of Mount Crumpet with him using a slingshot to throw snowballs at the skiers?!”Martha May laughed before she could stop herself, “To your daughters credit, Betty, he no longer puts rocks or garbage inside the snowballs, and I've heard the older children have turned it into a whole new winter game. They seem to love it!”“Well, that's a relief,” Betty muttered, “Still, if she doesn't hurry up and get back here we may have to start without her,”“We'll do no such thing,” Martha said, “I have Cindy Lou to thank for all of this, why, if she hadn't such a big heart and reached out to him last year, then none of this would have happened!”Clarnella and Rose both agreed as, despite his deafening reluctance to acknowledge their existence, they were over the moon to see their son back.“Oh alright, don't all gang up on me I was only joking!” Betty said, shaking her head.A few shouts came from outside and Betty Lou jumped to her feet again, sticking her head out of the marquee only to see Cindy Lou running so fast that she collided with her, knocking them both backwards into the tent while a frantic Max tore in behind her, barking madly.Max was quickly followed by Lou and his sons, looking just as shocked.“What in Whodom?!” Betty Lou sad up, “Cindy! What are you doing!”“Martha May, Martha May!” Cindy ignored her mother, jumping up and running over to her, grabbing her hand.“Max says something bad has happened! You have to come quick!” she pulled until Martha hand no choice but to stand up or be pulled out of her seat.“Cindy, calm down!” Lou said, putting his had on her shoulder, “tell us what's happened!”Cindy Lou looked as though she were about to burst into tears, “Max says something bad has happened to Mr Grinch! The Mayor broke into their house and tied him up and he can't get out! Max said-”“He what?!” Everyone in the tent looked about at each other, every face wearing the same shocked expression.“There's that green I was talking about,” Rose muttered.“Okay! Everyone stay calm, I'll get my sled and-” Lou tried to say, but he was drowned out quickly by the bridal party, who all started talking at once.A tug at her hand caught her attention and Martha May looked down at Cindy Lou.“Come on, it will take dad ages to get up there, I know a shortcut!” she smiled, lifting up the back of the marquee so they could sneak out without anyone seeing.Martha May followed her without a second thought. She knew Augustus had taken the news of her engagement badly, and she had her suspicions about her cake, but she never thought he would try something like this! It didn't even make sense! There was no way he could have thought he'd get away with it, so Martha could only assume he had taken a brief leave of his senses.“This way!” they broke into a run down the street, Martha May holding the front of her tulle and ribbon covered dress while the train dragged along behind her.They rounded a corner and Cindy came to a halt beside a trash disposal unit.“Quick, get in!” She said, lifting the lid.Martha May pulled a face, leaning over to look cautiously into the chute, “Oh my... Is it safe?”“I do it all the time!” Cindy Lou said proudly.Martha May hesitated a moment longer, then said goodbye to her beautiful white dress as she climbed into the chute next to Cindy, feeling ridiculous and more than a bit unhygienic.With far too much excitement for someone sitting in a trash chute, Cindy Lou smacked the button on the side, and with a scream of joy from the little Who, and one of utter terror from Martha May, they disappeared.

Martha and Cindy moved fast as a flash

through the loops and the twirls in the tunnel for trash

with no way of telling the ups from the downs

until they reached their end, far beyond town

the ride opened up and they flew out and then flipped

and landed safely and grossly in the Whoville garbage tip

Inside the cave at the top of Mount Crumpet, a confusing grudge battle was taking place. Far from trying to escape the situation, The Grinch had simply devoted himself to trying to pulverise the crazed Mayor by headbutting him, to which Augustus had responded by attempting to string him upside down from the twinkling Christmas lights that looped across the roof.This had only half worked, and the tussle resulted in the both of them being tangled up in the mass of destroyed decorations, with The Grinch swinging back and forth attempting to bite him while he kicked at him, struggling to get his arm free.This was the scene that poor Martha May walked into when she finally extracted herself from the trash pile at the back of the mountain.Unfortunately, The Grinch was the first to notice her standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, and he tried to stop mid-swing, shouting her name in alarm and giving Augustus an opening to kick him in the side of the head before registering what he had shouted and turning to look in horror.“CHEAP SHOT!” The Grinch snarled at him.“Ahh, Martha-” Augustus stammered, “This isn't what it looks like-”“Mayor Augustus Maywho,” Martha said slowly, “I suggest you think very carefully about what you say next, or I might just leave you hanging there,”Naturally, the mayor took the safest path and said absolutely nothing at all.Hanging upside down, his head throbbing from the kick, Grinch struggled to focus on her.She was wearing the prettiest dress he had ever seen on her, and considering it was Martha May, that was certainly saying something. It was white, and matched the lace veil on her head and...he screamed again, suddenly remembering why they were fighting in the first place.“Grinch, are you okay?” she came up to him, holding his head in her hands, “Are you hurt?”He watched her, upside down, as she held his head, tilting hers so she could examine where he had been hit.Over her shoulder he could see the bloated, blustering Mayor glaring at them and he poked out his tongue.A loud, joyful barking filled the cave and suddenly Max was jumping up on him, his weight causing him to swing about.“Knock it off, Max!” he growled, spinning about uselessly. A small pair of hands shoved him from the other side and his turned his head over his shoulder to see Cindy Lou, “Quit shoving me! Why are you even here?! And what are you wearing!?”Cindy Lou spun around to show off her dress, “I'm a flower girl!”“Well go pick some flowers or something!”“Here, let me get you down,” Martha May grabbed him until he stopped swinging, fussing about with the string lights until her finger unhooked a crucial knot and the tangle unravelled, dropping him onto his head on the floor.“OW!”“Hey, what about me?” Augustus called from behind them, still hanging awkwardly.The Grinch sprang to his feet, stalking over to him, but Martha May grabbed his arm before he could do anything reckless.“Please, Martha May,” he said, looking awfully sorry for himself, “It's Christmas...”Grinch was all for simply leaving him there, but that came with the fact that he would then be stuck with the horrible man in his cave even after the day was over.Martha May rolled her eyes at the Mayor and turned to him, “What do you think?”The Grinch groaned, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically before crossing them, “Fine, get him out of here, he's uglying up my decorations!”When everyone was finally back on their own two feet, Augustus rubbed his wrists, trying to get the blood flowing again.“Well, I'll just erm... be leaving-” he began stepping slowly towards the door, “And I hope now you realise the mistake you're making, Martha May-”The Grinch narrowed his eyes, furious at the stupid, cowardly Who that had tried so hard to ruin his life ever since they were little, and the idea of him simply walking away after causing such a ruckus was too much.“I changed my mind!” she shouted, grabbing the lights, “Let's string him up again!”Augustus screamed, backing away and running for the door with the Grinch hot on his heels, leaving Martha and Cindy to follow behind as the chase went out the door and onto the snowy mountain top.With a great deal of shouting and smacking, the two wrestled about, trying to wrap the lights around each other as they slowly moved further and further upwards until they were fighting on the very peak, completely unfazed by edge of the cliff that was looming ever closer.Grinch of course could hear Martha May shouting something, but with Augustus pulling painfully on his hair it was hard to make out what she was saying, and he pushed off the considerably larger sized Who and spun around to face her.“WHAT?!” he shouted, immediately regretting it when she crossed her arms.Augustus shoved him heavily from behind, and caught off guard he stumbled, crashing into Martha May before she could answer him.The was a scream, a flurry of kicked up snow, and a horrible, awful moment where she seemed to freeze in place, then her arms pinwheeled as she fell over backwards at the edge of the cliff and then...She was gone.Now thoroughly over their tussle, both The Grinch and Mayor Augustus shouted her name, and Grinch lunged at the edge of the cliff, grabbing the trailing train of silk from her dress before it too disappeared, gripping it tightly in his furry hands.He peered over the edge, his yellow eyes meeting with hers in wild terror as she clung to the train, her feet kicking uselessly.

What kind of Christmas demands such a feat?

That for the second year now-

“WILL YOU SHUT IT?! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR BAD RHYMES!”

...Sorry

The fresh snow on the top of the mountain slipped beneath him, pulling him further to the edge, and worse, the silky material of her beautiful but wildly impractical dress was also slipping beneath his fingers.“Why does this keep happening?!” he shouted at nobody in particular.Martha May screamed again as she dropped lower, “Oh my Who, I'm going to die!”They slipped again, but something warm and heavy landed on his legs, and he turned around to find Augustus had thrown himself into the mix, wrapping his arms around The Grinch's legs.The Grinch made a disgusted face, ready to kick him, Martha screamed his name, and the urge to save her won out over the urge to not have this particular Who touch him.“Pull!” Augustus shouted, and The Grinch nodded, slowly beginning to pull the train up, arm over arm while the Mayor kept them anchored.A finely manicured hand reached over the edge, grabbing at snow and eventually finding purchase on his arm, and her face reappeared, followed by the rest of her as she scrambled back to the safety of the rocks and into his arms.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Eight

On the top of Mount Crumpet, surrounded by fresh snow that lit up a brilliant white in the cold Christmas sunlight, three Whos, a What, and one very intelligent dog lay flat on the ground, filled with a mixture of terror, elation and utter exhaustion.Cindy Lou, unnoticed as usual due to her size, had grabbed onto Mayor Augustus by his tailcoat, adding her tiny weight to the line with Max pulling on her own coat, and both had fallen down flat when they had won the struggle.The sound of scuffling came from below, and they turned their heads to see the worried faces of Lou and Betty, quickly followed by Stu and Drew and, clearly not wanting to be left out again, Clarnella and Rose following close behind.The wonderfully selfless Who family, having raced up the mountain with the help of Lou's postal sled, froze when they found their daughter with the missing bride and groom laying haphazardly in the snow next to the Mayor that was rumoured to have caused so much trouble.“Did we miss something?” Lou scratched his head uncertainly.Cindy Lou giggled, jumping to her feet and running to hug her father.“Oh my, I never knew there was such a lovely view from up here!” Rose gasped, waddling over to the edge to get a better look, “Look Clarnella, you can see our house from here!”The Grinch finally looked up from Martha May where she was curled in his arms, “What the Who are you two doing here?!”“and listen!” Clarnella said, ignoring him, “You can even hear the marching band! They must have decided to start playing for everyone while they wait, such pretty music!”The Grinch gave them a withering glance.“That would be our wedding band,” Martha May said softly, “I suppose we should go back,”Clambering to their feet, The Grinch pulled her close, keeping her away from the edge just in case she decided she hadn't had enough of near death experiences.On the edge of the circle, looking very ashamed, Mayor Augustus timidly called her name, “Martha May?”Martha turned to him, waiting for him to gather all his courage and say the one thing he had never been able to say in his life.“I... he looked nervously from her to The Grinch, holding her close and glaring daggers, then to the confused but patient faces of the Who family, “I'm sorry, Martha May... I truly am! I've done such foolish things! Can you ever forgive me?”“Augustus,” Martha may shook her head kindly, “I'm glad you've finally decided to grow up, but I'm not the one you need to apologise to,” she flicked her eyes at The Grinch, and Augustus grimaced, but nodded.“Alright, yes- Of course,” he cleared his throat and thrust out his hand in offer, “Grinch... I'm sorry,”The Grinch looked down at his hand, then a wicked, not at all friendly smile slipped across his face, his yellow eyes glinting with mischief.He crept from Martha May's side, and shook the mayors hand.“Can you forgive me?” Augustus said, only slightly less pompous than usual.“Oh sure, after all, it is Christmas!”“Really?”“NO!”Before anyone could react, The Grinch pushed him hard in the chest, sending him backwards off the cliff with a laugh.There was a moment of terror, but then Martha May heard the unmistakable squelching sound of someone landing in a pile of trash and she ran over to look down.On the opposite side of the cliff from where Martha had hung so precariously, the piles of trash from hundreds of Whos, who up until last year had been far less mindful of their wasteful habits, had mad a soft but undignified landing for the disgraced Mayor.Martha may looked at the Grinch, who was cackling and pointing gleefully, and couldn't even muster the effort to pretend to be mad at him.“You're a villain,” she chided, slipping her arms around his shoulders and sufficiently distracting him.“I know,” he grinned, “I'm the horrible, wicked Grinch! Bane of all Whoville!”Martha May kissed him on the cheek, and he grabbed her, lifting her easily into his arms and making her gasp.Truly, she couldn't resist how strong he was.He pulled her tight against his chest, and kissed her, and Martha was glad he was holding her as he legs turned to jelly, her toes curling in the air.After a moment of soft 'awws' from the watching Whos, it became evident that they would not be pulling apart any time soon, and the twins began to chuckle and make goofy sounds, resulting in Lou grabbing them by the scruffs and walking them back down the mountainside to the sled, quickly followed by Betty Lou, who covered her daughters eyes and walked her blind away from the affectionate embrace.It was only when Clarnella loudly asked Rose if she wanted to duck inside and start cleaning up that they pulled apart, The Grinch furiously telling them not to set foot in his home while Martha laughed, and they all climbed into the sled to head back to Whoville.

In the centre of Whoville, under a mistletoe arch

Martha May and The Grinch promised never to part

Cindy Lou threw rose petals, and Max bore the ring

and a choir of little Who children did sing

And the Vows?

Well dear reader, they were too romantic to share

I'm afraid you just really had to be there

And although the wedding had started quite late

and because of the Mayor, they had no wedding cake

none cared a little, least of all the bride

she was just happy to have her dear Grinch by her side

A beautiful wedding, and Christmas day too

something to be remembered by every Who

and as the sun set, and all the Christmas lights shone

only Cindy Lou noticed that the bride and groom were gone

slipped from the party while all the Whos danced

in search of some privacy

and some Christmas romance

~*~

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter Nine

In the grand bedroom of the Whovier mansion, lit by the warm light of the fireplace and what could only be described as an unWholy amount of candles, The Grinch was left to wait while Martha May disappeared into her en-suit to 'Change into something more comfortable'.“This is why I don't wear clothes!” he shouted at the locked door, collapsing onto the gigantic bed and sinking into the feathery mattress.“Darling, I'm quite sure I couldn't do the same without causing a scandal!” he heard her muffled reply.He snickered, rolling over to snoop through her bedside table, poking at the various jars of cream and sniffing her perfume before opening the drawer, his heart freezing in his chest.There, gently placed on a velvet blanket, was the remains of a long forgotten Christmas gift.The first and only he had ever given.One of the wings were bent, and many of the beads had fallen out, but the tree topper angel was unmistakable, and he lifted it out gently, turning in in the dim light.Did she really keep it the entire time?Last year, when he had sneaked into her room to pilfer the atrocious ring that had been offered to her, had it sat there silently in the draw right beneath?He imagined her sitting on her bed, looking between the two gifts, and his heart swelled painfully at the realisation that this poorly crafted little trinket made of cheap household items had won out against a three tiered diamond ring.“That is the best gift anyone has ever given me,”He jumped, dropping it back into the drawer and slamming it shut guiltily.She giggled, leaning against the open door in just the right way to show off her lacy white negligee, the fluffy hem puffing around her chest as she breathed deep.His mouth dropped open comically, his yellow eyes opening wide to take in the outfit (what little there was of it).“I bought this special for our wedding night,” she slinked off the frame and walked slowly towards the bed where he lay, turning around to give him a full view, “Do you like it?”Poor Grinch tried to reply, but his brain had short circuited at the words 'wedding night', and he opened and closed his mouth uselessly as she came closer and sat gracefully on the bed, resting her hands on either side of his face to lean in close.“If you don't,” she whispered softly, “I can take it off,”The last little piece of his mind broke at the words, and the voice screaming in the back of his head to do something! Say something! DO OR SAY ANYTHING! Simply fell to unintelligible yelling.His life had been woefully deficient of any sort of physical contact until recently, and even less filled with emotional intimacy, but Martha May, leaning over him with her hair falling softly around her face, was breaking all his roughly thrown together boundaries with alarming ease.It was one thing to be suave and charming to win her over; to earn those little gasps and dazed looks that came with every move he made on her, but it was quite another to be laying on her bed, her lilac scent assaulting his nose while she looked at him with a love mixed with something so raw and desperate that he couldn't even begin to think of a word for it.He was panicking, and he knew it, but that had never stopped him doing so before, and he latched on to the first thing he could see that wasn't her adoring face.“Is that mistletoe?”Hanging from the top of the bed frame, the innocuous little weed filled with white blooms hung innocently over their heads.Martha May looked up without moving her head and smiled, “You once said it was your favourite of Whovian traditions,”The Grinch felt his face flush at the memory, he had been so enraged by the Mayor's prank, and so heartbroken when he had seen the ring in Martha May's hands that he had told all of Whoville to kiss his ass before rampaging through the town and burning down their beloved Christmas tree.“You know,” she said, “If you had kissed me then, I would have turned down that Who and all those gifts on the spot... but I must say it was worth it just to see you all fired up,”She breathed the last words, her lips tracing against his cheek and he felt the fur on his back stand on end.“I'll show you fired up,” he growled, turning and claiming her mouth with his own, his long fingers wrapping around her hips and pulling her down on top of him.She was nothing but soft whimpers and warmth against him, a situation he had never imagined even in his wildest late night dreams, and for the first time, instead of wanting to push away the love and affection thrust on him, he wanted more.Her leg shifted, and the warmth of her thighs wrapped around him, maddeningly soft beneath his fingers.“Oh, Grinch,” she purred, pulling away from the kiss as his hand crept cautiously along her thigh, “You have no idea how many times I've imagined this... having you in my bed... touching me... those powerful muscles pinning me down while-”He stopped her with a kiss, sure that if she finished her sentence she would finish him off along with it.Her hands fluttered across his chest, tracing muscles and petting fur, exploring with a touch that had clearly occupied her mind for almost too long, and he desperately wanted to do the same.He gripped her tightly and flipped, rolling until she was on her back and making her gasp in shock, looking up at him with eyes sparkling in the firelight.Beautifully flushed, Martha May melted into the bed below him, her eyes fluttering closed as he kissed a trail down her neck and across her chest, reaching the fluffy hem of her thing gown.Without giving himself time to hesitate, he hooked a single long finger around it and pulled down.Se moaned headily, her eyes hooded as she watched for his reaction, and his own golden eyes glazed over at the overwhelming sight of her bare breasts.“Touch me,” she said, barely a whisper.He did not need to be asked twice.With an eagerness that quite made up for any lack of experience, he bought his hands up, stroking the tips of her nipples cautiously before burying his face between them, licking her soft skin and making her moan louder.He bought his mouth up sucked greedily, and he felt her thrust upwards beneath him, her warmth making contact with something that was rapidly demanding attention.“Oh, wow,” she opened her eyes a little more, thrusting up again and causing him to groan into her chest.Her hand slipped from the pillow and disappeared between them, and suddenly he felt her fingers brush against him and he froze, tongue still out mid lick, as she wrapped her hand around his length.He was going to die.He was going to do something very embarrassing, very enjoyable, and then he was going to die.“Is this okay?” Her voice was far off, somewhere outside the thick layer of cotton that had suddenly wrapped around his skull, blocking his ears and his eyes.He mumbled a whole bunch of nothing, then lifted his head to look at her, “Take this off,” he said, tugging at the lower half of her negligee, hands trembling, “Or I am going to destroy it!”She bit her lip, her eyes hungry, and wiggled beneath him, mercifully taking her hand away from him to slide out of the lacy material.He moved back up, almost unable to bear looking at her his chest was so tight, but she slipped her hand behind his head, stroking her nails in his hair as she pulled him closer, their mouths almost touching.“I've waited for so long,” she breathed, “Please don't make me wait any longer,”How could he not comply after such a desperate appeal?Nerves shot to hell, surrounded by fluffy blankets and flickering candles, he adjusted himself between her welcoming thighs.Slowly... agonisingly...he felt her body pulling him in and he gasped, sure that at any moment he might wake up from the most self indulgent dream his wicked mind had ever dared tease him with.Martha May whimpered beneath him and his head shot up, terrified he had hurt her, but the look on her pretty face was as far from pain as could be while still clearly suffering.He thrust further, trying his best to move slowly, and her eyelids fluttered before opening wide, her brow creased.Wha-” he tried to say something, but she shifted beneath him and he groaned, sliding fully inside her, and he felt her clench tightly around him, letting out a moan.“Oh...” he mumbled foolishly, his mind finally catching on.Martha May whimpered, riding out her pleasure without so much as a single movement from him, so desperate she was to finally have him.When she finally slowed, her breathing returning to normal, he gave an experimental thrust of his own, unable to hold still any longer.The result was a husky moan from deep in her throat, her head tossing to the side.“More,” she breathed, looking up at him.He thrust again, finding a rhythm between her twitching thighs, and he closed his eyes, burying his face in her shoulder to fully enjoy the feeling of her beneath him, writhing with every move he made.It was like melting into vanilla chocolate.Like every Christmas that never was had crammed into his heart and was jostling for the chance to bring a new and different type of joy until there was no room left for thought.He could feel her tightening again, her breathy moans becoming louder until she was almost screaming, and thank Whodom for that, because he knew that he was racing toward the end, his self control in complete shambles as he thrust into her, groaning against her soft neck and gripping anything he could find beneath his fingers like a lifeline.A single word escaped her lips as she reached a peak higher than any mountain in Pontoos, and he felt her pull him over the edge with him using only his name.Fireworks exploded behind his eyes and a wave of pleasure rippled from the base of his spine out through his limbs as he thrust inside her one last time without any sense of rhythm, his heart exploding before falling into a shower of sparks in his chest and he stilled, almost crushing her beneath his trembling weight before slipping to one side in a sweaty, furry, panting mess.Martha May curled into him, resting her head on his chest which, embarrassingly, had begun to make that traitorous noise that told the world just how happy he was.In the peaceful afterglow, with nothing but the sound of the crackling yuletide log on the fire to fill the silence, he thought maybe, just maybe, he could say those words that every Who in Whoville had long since mastered, and had been very long overdue when it came to the Who laying half on top of him, her hand tracing idle patterns in the fur on his chest as she thought of a million little ways in which she loved him back.He tried the words. Failed. Tried again, baring his teeth at his own stupidity. Then finally managed to rush them out before they could retreat back into the dark corners of his mind,“Iloveyou-”Martha May lifted her head, looking at his terrified expression, and melted into a smile.“I love you too,” she said, seemingly much more at ease with facing her own emotions, no matter how vulnerable they rendered her, “I've always loved you, and I always will, my Grinch,”The Grinch narrowed his eyes playfully, “More than Christmas?”“More than Christmas,” she agreed.“So next year we can just skip the whole stupid thing?”Martha May laughed, “But that's our anniversary, if anything, it's going to be the biggest one ever!”He groaned, rolling his eyes.“Oh, I almost forgot!” she lifted herself up, taking with her the warmth as she darted from the bed, “It's Christmas, and we haven't opened a single gift!”“Cold!” he grumbled, rolling himself up in her blanket and glaring at her as she pulled on a silk bed robe.After much cajoling, she managed to lure him out of the bed and downstairs with the promise of hot chocolate, and they sat next to the much grander fire in her living room next to the Christmas tree that was almost completely hidden by the amount of presents beneath it.“I thought you Whos were going to take it easy this year!” he looked wide eyes at the stack of gifts.“Oh, these are mostly wedding gifts,” Martha May replied, handing him a festive mug filled with deliciously sweet hot chocolate.He watched her, marvelling at how joyful she was as she searched through the mountain of gifts and pulled out the very largest one, having to side it across the rug to get it to the lounge.The Grinch grabbed the label hanging from the side and turned it around to see curly handwriting.

'-To Little Martha May,

Merry Christmas!

-Santa Clause'

He rolled his eyes, tossing the label aside while Martha May pulled on the ribbon, letting it fall to the floor.She pulled the wrapping aside, then gasped, her hand coming to her mouth.“What?” he frowned at the weird gift, “What is it?”Decorated in the finest red and white lace, with little embroidered candy canes and bells across the sides, the wooden bassinet sat innocently in front of them.“Oh my...” Martha May whispered, her eyes growing wide.Did Santa really have to know everything?“It's a tiny bed!” The Grinch looked inside the bassinet, “What does it mean?!”Martha May looked at him almost pityingly. They were going to have a very fun talk soon.“It means,” she said slowly, “We should probably start leaving the front porch light on... just in case,”The Grinch frowned at her, then at the bassinet, then to the door and back to her, his eyes growing wide in terror.While Martha May admired the bassinet, he looked for the nearest window.Just in case.