Tales From the Cave-Beauty & the Superbeast

Something There

And so, time went by.  The days soon turned into weeks.  The longer she stayed at Mount Justice, the more M'gann found she actually found herself enjoying her stay.  Having her old Team as company wasn't so bad.  After nearly four years of being ostracized back in her hometown, it was nice to be around old friends who liked and understood her.

One day, she was playing in the magic snow with Artemis, Robin and Zatanna.  They were having a snowball fight, Artemis and M'gann on one team, Robin and Zatanna on the other.  They were all having so much fun, none of them noticed the lonely shadow watching them in one of the Cave windows.

Conner looked away from the friendly fight to glance at his bandaged arm.  "I can't believe it.", he murmured under his breath.  "She could have left me in the woods to die.  But instead, she brought me back here, and nursed me back to health."  He didn't want to wish for anything, but M'gann's noble deed had given him a glimmer of hope that she could learn to love him again.  He smiled, not even his ugliness able to conceal his genuine happiness.  "I wanna do something for her?  But what?"

Wally and Kaldur were standing by the window ledge next to him, hanging on his every word.  Wally smiled when Conner said that last part.  He was willing to do whatever it took to get him and Megan together so that the curse would be broken.  "Well, you asked the right guy for this, Con!", he boasted proudly.  "I happen to be an expert on this!"  He started thinking hard.  "There are a few things.  Flowers, chocolates, promises that you don't intend to keep."

Kaldur shook his head.  "Somehow, I think M'gann is no longer the kind of girl who would be easily wooed with flowers and chocolates."  He looked up at Conner, adjusting the hands on his clock face.  "I have a better idea."  Conner leaned an ear towards him, indicating that he was listening.
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When M'gann returned inside, Conner hurried over to greet her, his uneven legs giving him a stomping limp.  "M'gann!  I have a surprise for you!"  She looked up at him with an intrigued expression.  "What is it?"  "Close your eyes."  M'gann quirked an eyebrow, but she did as he said.  She felt him take her by the hands and lead her down the hall.  Even though he was strong, his touch was gentle.

She heard a door open and the swishing of curtains.  "Alright.  You can open them now."  At first, M'gann was hesistant to see where he had taken her.  But that feeling quickly washed away when she remembered how he had saved her from the wolves.  Conner had earned back her trust.  Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.

M'gann was now standing in the center of the biggest, grandest, most beautiful library that she had ever seen.  It was the size of the main room, and the walls were made entirely of bookshelves, each fully stocked from top to bottom with more books than she could ever count.  She could spot a few of her favorite classic stories, and even some new ones that she had never heard of before.

That wasn't all.  The room also had a large fireplace, crackling merrily and filling it with warmth.  Arranged in front of the fire were a bunch of sofas and soft chairs, complete with a thick blue wooly rug underneath.  In one corner, there sat a lovely writing desk stocked with fancy parchment paper and a selection of fine pens.  The place even had a rolling ladder for her to climb so she could reach the shelves.

M'gann could hardly believe her eyes.  She had always dreamed of being endlessly surrounded by books, but thought it would never come to pass.  Father Tom's tiny library, though useful and thoughtful, was always small on selection, but in a town like Markshev, she had been grateful there had even been a library at all.  Now, she had every book ever written at her fingertips.

Conner smiled seeing the wonderstruck look on M'gann's face.  "Well?  What do you think?"  She looked at him, grinning from ear to ear.  "Its...Its wonderful!", she exclaimed, spinning in a circle as she drank it all in.  "Its the most beautiful place I've ever seen!  When did you install all this?!"  Conner twiddled his stumpy thumbs.  "Well, after I offended the enchantress, I knew the outside world didn't have a place for me anymore.  There's only so much a person can do indoors.  I started reading whatever I could get my claws on, and Batman had this installed for my enjoyment."

In spite of his sadness at the memories, Conner smiled at M'gann.  "Do you like it?"  "Like it?", she breathed happily.  "I love it!  Its more than I've ever dreamed of!"  There was admiration in his eyes as he said, "Than its all yours."  She blinked twice.  "Really?"  He gave her a nod.  "Really."  M'gann skipped over and wrapped him in a hug.  He hesitated before he surrendered to the full warmth of her embrace.
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The next morning, M'gann was able to convince Conner to have breakfast with her.  Zatanna and Kaldur were serving a tasty lemon porridge, completed with light toast and orange juice.  Balancing an open book in one hand, M'gann picked up her spoon to scoop up her porridge when she heard a loud gobbling sound.  She looked up to see Conner's oddly-shaped head lowered into his bowl as he slurped up his food greedily like a wild animal.

He glanced up, porridge all over his face, to see her staring at him in bewilderment.  He straightened up immediately and looked away in embarrassment.  He heard a clink and looked to see her pushing a spoon across the table towards him.  He looked at her then back at the spoon.  He reached down and tried to adjust his hands to hold it, but the utensil was much too delicate for his swollen, uneven fingers to grip.

Finally, he managed to hold the spoon.  He scooped some porridge from the bowl clumsily and held it above his head, letting it drip into his lurching, misshapen mouth.  The spoon slipped from his grasp and sprinkled porridge all over his partially-bald head.  He looked down, his cheeks flushed with shame.

M'gann looked back at her own breakfast.  She knew Conner was trying his best.  Perhaps she could help him out.  She clinked her spoon against her glass to get his attention.  Then, she lifted her bowl up with both hands.  Smiling in acknowledgement, Conner did the same.  Sharing a smile, they tipped their bowls back to sip their porridge at the same time.
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Later, M'gann all but begged Conner to go outside with her to feed the birds.  She positioned his hands palm up and poured some birdseed into them.  He knelt down and thrust his hands out towards the small birds to offer him the seed, but they fluttered off, frightened by his strange face and sudden movements.  Conner got very sad.

M'gann thought for a moment.  Kneeling beside him, she took his hands and gently lowered them to the ground.  Moments later, a pair of tiny bluebirds rested themselves on his palms, pecking at the birdseed.  Conner, feeling overjoyed, smiled at her.  M'gann couldn't help but smile back.

Its amazing., she thought to herself.  A few weeks ago, he was mean and brooding and not very nice at all.  But now he's as sweet and kind and gentle as a lamb.  All it took was the right person to come along and bring out his sensitive side.  Who knew I'd be that person?  A bird perched itself on her fingers, and she walked towards the tree to place it back in it's home.

Conner's adoring gaze never left her.  She touched me., he thought in joyful amazement.  She touched my ugly hands, and she didn't even shudder in fear.  Not even once!  He shook his head, scowling.  No, Conner!  Don't get your hopes up.  Just ignore her.  He glanced back to see her smiling at him, and his own smile return.  But how can you ignore her, when she's never looked at you that way before?
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The Team watched the pair from a nearby window.  "I can't believe this!", Robin exclaimed.  "A month ago, they couldn't stand each other!  And now they're inseparable!"  "Who would've thought it'd happen on it's own?", Zatanna thought aloud.  "Its practically a miracle!"

Kaldur turned to Wally.  "My friend, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but perhaps you were right!  Perhaps M'gann will be able to break the spell after all!"  Wally puffed up and beamed with pride.  "Well, was I right, or was I right?  I knew Megan would be the one to set us all free from this curse!  Soon, we'll be human again!"

"Even if they have made a lot a progress in the past few weeks,", Artemis said.  "We're still on the clock.  Conner's twenty-first birthday is only a short period of time away.  We have approximately three days, ten hours, and fifty-two minutes before the last petals falls, and we're stuck like this forever!"  Wally dusted off his metal body.  "Than we better make a grand gesture for the two lovers!"