Author's Note: I really wanted to get this finished before a month beyond Christmas had gone by, and happily, my Muse cooperated and let me get it in with a few days to spare! My sincerest thanks to all who have been reading and reviewing, not only this story, but all the others that came before it. With this, I am very close to finishing the uberplot I had in mind when I first began writing fanfic in this genre, and though this isn't the last story I plan to write, most of what I envisioned for Megamind's life from his beginnings to his full transition from villain to hero is about complete. Fear not, there are other tales to be told (the Typhoon Cheese one, in particular; being a descendant of Wisconsin dairy farmers, I can't possibly skip that one), and as real life and my Muse permit, I'll be getting to them!

Part Six
Epilogue

It took five days for the miracle to be made into a reality.

After Roxanne let Megamind go and Minion had his turn and then Roxanne again, Minion had the happy brainbots bring their Daddy a good big meal with plenty to drink, since as expected, he complained of being hungry and a bit thirsty. He asked the Thurmers to remain, as he explained what he already realized had happened while he devoured his food and Minion happily provided as much as he wanted.

"I was in such a hurry to have everything worked out and ready to go in less than a week, I neglected to consider one big variable," Megamind explained between bites of his fourth serving of lasagna. "The assimilation phase. When I didn't include that in the compression algorithm, it wasn't included as a proper part of the teaching process. I needed to include the time it takes for my brain to process all the raw data dumped into it, and I didn't because I rushed things. A stupid mistake, I could've included it and still shortened the process, but I didn't. Splinter was able to interface with the computer scanning my neural processes, and he interpreted what was happening as a normal compilation process, running exactly as it should. And he was right. Knowing what he did, he could peg the exact time I would be finished with that phase and wake up."

Roxanne might've been angry with her husband under different circumstances — and she supposed she would be, at some later date — but not now. She was so relieved to have Megamind awake and aware again and apparently unharmed by the experience, she might never bother to vent at him for his foolish haste. "I think we need to find a better way for the brainbots to communicate with us, or at least some of them," she told her still enthusiastically feasting spouse, where they were all still gathered around the guest room bed. "If we'd only understood what Splinter was really trying to tell us..."

Minion sniffed. "It wouldn't've made any difference, unless I'd brought him in sooner. I guess we were all guilty of making some mistakes because we were too quick to jump to conclusions."

"All's well that ends well — if everything did end well," the warden said, a bit cryptically. "Did you find out what you needed to know, son?" he asked the eating hero. "Is what you were hoping to do for Emily possible?"

Megamind nodded vigorously as he nodded, his eyes suddenly more bright and alive than they'd been since he'd awakened — almost literally glowing with the inner excitement that lit his entire expressive face. "Oh, yes, it's definitely possible. I've already come up with some of the things that would be needed to do it successfully, on my own, things I used to help myself heal quickly from the beatings I took in my battles with Metro Man, and devices I used in developing the brainbots. I hadn't realized quite the immense potential these things had before, but then, I never needed to know, and I had so many other things to keep my mind busy! The possible medical applications for nanotechnology and biomechanics..."

His voice drifted off for a few moments even as his eyes grew brighter. The impression he sometimes gave of the workings of his mind being visible on his face was stronger than ever, and those watching found it startling, even Minion and Roxanne, who knew him so very well. "It can be done, yes," he said more softly, clearly laying plans in his thoughts even as he spoke. "There are some other things that would need to be made beforehand, some highly specialized tools and equipment, but Minion and the brainbots could help me with it — so could you, Roxanne, you're smart, a fast learner, and already know enough about how I work to assist with it. It would take at least a few days to assemble everything, but yes. It can most definitely be done."

Almost as if a switch had been thrown, he went from intensely thoughtful to laughter. "I overdid it you know," he admitted through his merriment. "I not only pushed things the wrong way, I went overboard, wanting to be sure I learned absolutely everything I might need to know. I think I covered areas of molecular biodynamics and accelerated mitosis in unrelated specialized cloning, not to mention — mmm, a lot of things I could've skipped for now. But they'll be useful, anyway, make things go faster and more smoothly. But it can be done, yes! The Ayalthans learned how, oh, thousands of years ago, with the help of the Potrell, Minion's people."

The ichthyoid, who had been happily listening while he directed the brainbots to bring whatever his ward and Roxanne and any of the guests wanted, was startled, amber eyes wide. "Really, sir?"

Megamind chuckled softly at the question, understanding the subtext clearly. Help but not as in mere service, fetch and carry, do the menial tasks, the heavy lifting, the make-it-look-good, but not the real creativity of designing and planning. "Yes, really, Tori. Remember, your own parents were a microbiologist and an engineer! They were very much a part of all those discoveries, an important part, because the Potrell physiology had an extremely adaptive genetic structure, making it easier for them to adjust to the more changeable demands of underwater life. It can be done, you can help me do it—"

He abruptly looked beyond Minion and Roxanne to Warden Thurmer and his four children, the children who might have been his adopted brothers and sisters, if not for the twist of fate that had led him to make the mistake of pursing a criminal career at far too young an age. He smiled broadly, brilliantly. "All of you can help me do it! Elliot, you have considerable experience with microtechnology, Andy and Marcia, you both have skills with medical equipment, Lisa, your college degree was in chemistry — all of these are skills that can help."

The warden's smile was crooked. "And does this plan call for someone with a degree in criminal justice?" he asked. "Or will it be enough for me to just sit by and hold Emily's hand?"

The blue genius flushed. "That would be more than enough, sir," he replied, truly meaning it. "But if Roxanne is going to help us get ready to do what's needed for Mrs. Thurmer, someone will need to be ready to run interference with the media. I suspect the hospital is already itching to get their hands on more stasis devices like the one we installed in your wife's room, for both good reasons and bad. We asked them to keep it quiet for now, but there've been questions, leaks — haven't there?" His eyes slipped to Roxanne, who nodded.

"Not a lot yet, but yes, there've been questions raised," she told him. "People on the staff know Mrs. Thurmer was admitted, what her condition and prognosis were. They know you and Minion and a group of brainbots went into the hospital to install some sort of equipment, they don't know what; the most common speculation is that it's for security, but that's not the only possibility being tossed about, the tabloids are being their usual lurid selves. And they know that you suddenly 'got sick' right after that. It couldn't've been stopped entirely, all it takes is one nurse, one technician, one janitor asking questions or saying something to the wrong ears. So far, everything is rumor, but they've been persistent, and no matter what you do to keep this from being seen, the fact that someone who should've died will suddenly live, and be whole again..." She shook her head. "It's going to be big news, Mykaal. Huge news."

He nodded soberly. "I figured as much. After it's over, no, we can't prevent it from becoming news. Before then... I'll need help to do this, quickly and efficiently, and I'll need someone to run interference, keep the media off our backs. You could do it, Roxanne, of course, but I need your help in other ways, much, much more."

The big green eyes returned to the warden. "Do you think you can handle that, sir? Keep the media diverted as long as I need to get this done? It won't be more than a week, I promise."

Thurmer smiled slowly at the blue alien who had been both one of the biggest pains and the most unusual joys of his life. "Mykaal, I was able to keep the media and even the government from touching you and interfering with your life for six years, while you were living in a damn prison. I can keep them from so much as looking your way for as long as you need to get this finished. Even if you need a year, that's a promise."

Megamind sighed with relief. "So you'll let me try? Even if I can't do it instantly?"

The older man's smile broadened. "Son, I asked you to just see if the possibility existed, and you went and put yourself at risk to find the exact ways to do it. Even if I still had any misgivings for myself — which I don't, I've always known you're more capable than even you realized — I know what Emily would want. She'd be mad as hell if I gave up on you after all you've done, and I'd be mad at myself if I did, too. Do it. Whatever it is you need to do to make this healing thing work, just go ahead and do it. We'll help you, any way we can."

He spoke with great conviction, so strong that his four children all nodded their agreement. Roxanne could feel the tension drain from her husband, just through the touch of her hand on his arm. When Megamind said, "I won't let you down," she smiled and kissed his soft blue cheek, adding her loving support, and her conviction that if there was any way in heaven or on Earth to succeed, she had faith that he would find it.

Three days later, all was ready, and the work of healing Emily Thurmer began. Because it was her brain that required the repairs, the work was more delicate and tricky than it would have been, had her arm or leg or any easily accessible organ been involved. But the process was almost miraculous, once it had begun. Employing nanotechnology that involved DNA specific tissue and temporary organic mechanisms, the procedure introduced the materials at what careful analysis with highly advanced medical scanners pinpointed as the most critically damaged areas of the brain itself, and the various connective and supportive tissues as well.

Megamind was very familiar with some of the basic processes, as he'd done plenty of work with brain cells and cloning and DNA during his development of the brainbots and other genetic explorations, such as the extraction of Wayne's DNA and its conversion to a form that would meld it to an Earth human. But he was no doctor or surgeon, he'd never done actual surgery on another person.

He fretted about it during those days, in the times when Roxanne and Minion and even the Thurmers all leaned on him to rest, since he would be of no use to anyone if he burned himself out. Oh, he now possessed the knowledge of precisely how to do what needed to be done, but he lacked the practical experience, and feared that he might make some critical mistake because he simply didn't have the skill and finesse that came only with practice. Minion was the one best able to reassure him on this account, pointing out to him all the times over the years that he'd had to help with his own healing after battles, and had done the exacting, delicate work of both constructing and repairing the damaged cores of brainbots, many, many times.

That did help bolster his confidence; Roxanne was able to do a bit more by contacting one of her younger and more amiable cousins, Neal Ritchi. He was a neurosurgeon, fresh out of his residency, with a strong desire to find ways to do just the sort of thing that Megamind had learned to do. He was eager to come and help, both as a surgical assistant, an advisor, and an observer, desperate to learn any techniques that he might be able to carry over into and use to improve the effectiveness of his own practice.

When it was finished — the preparations as well as the job of making the actual implants that would affect the healing, literally rebuilding and regenerating the damaged parts of Emily's brain while carefully preserving as much of the structure as possible, to prevent her from suffering any significant memory loss — Mrs. Thurmer was moved into a highly secured but otherwise ordinary hospital room, to begin her recovery. By the time she was settled into the room, her vital signs were largely back to normal and continued to improve by the hour. Before two more days had passed, she opened her eyes, saw her waiting family, smiled and knew them and spoke to them. On Christmas Eve, though the regeneration process was not quite finished, she was ready to return home.

"It really was a miracle," Roxanne told Megamind when they'd returned home themselves, finally able to relax, secure in the knowledge that Mrs. Thurmer was truly healed. The media hounds, they would come next, though Roxanne had spent her time since the surgery was over to work on ways to break this news to the world. It couldn't be kept secret, and neither she nor Megamind wanted it to be, it was simply too important. He had every intention of recording all the information necessary to do this kind of work so that it could be shared with those doctors who wanted to learn, but now that it was over, the whole thing had the blue hero shaking in his faux baby seal leather boots.

"It was technology," he countered quietly, in the very subdued manner that had clung to him since the day of the surgery. "Of an extremely high level, granted, and I suppose that Clarke is right, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, or miracles. I don't think I want the reputation of being a miracle worker or a magician, and spend the rest of my life performing this same magic trick, over and over. I'm not a doctor, and I don't want to be forced into it."

She nodded. "Which is why I called in my cousin Neal. He has a good heart and a good head on his shoulders, and he does want to spend the rest of his life healing people. He'll help set up a way of teaching these techniques once you have them in a form others can learn from, and Wayne will help with providing any manufacturing or lab and supply connections and facilities to make the necessary equipment and such. They're both trustworthy. They won't let the information be abused, and I won't let the media and other people hound you."

Megamind was quiet as they walked across the garage floor of the Lair, headed for the elevator to the living quarters. It was the evening of Christmas Eve, now, and while brainbot patrols were out, helping to maintain the city's peace, those in the Lair were doing a splendid job of behaving themselves, as an early "gift" to their Daddy and Mommy. A frown creased the blue hero's broad brow. "Oh, they'll do that, I expect it after all these years. It's..." He considered his words before continuing. "Did you see the looks the doctors and nurses that were allowed to watch the procedure or to come into Mrs. Thurmer's room kept giving me?"

Roxanne smiled, but didn't make little of his question. "You mean the ones who were astonished by the fact that you had done it, or the ones who were worried that you were going put them out of work?"

He grimaced. "I mean the ones who were whispering about me 'playing God.'" He snorted, both annoyed and worried. "I wasn't playing God, Roxanne, I wasn't playing at all! I told you, this wasn't a miracle, it wasn't magic, it was just knowledge my ancestors had that I learned to use again. Okay, I came up with ways to streamline and accelerate the process all on my own — but that doesn't mean I was playing, God or anything else! I don't want to be a god, can't they understand that? All the bragging and boasting and making a huge show of all my schemes and plots and inventions — that was giving myself the acceptance I didn't think I'd ever get from the rest of the world. This is nothing like that! I'm supposed to be a hero, now, and someone I cared about needed help! Isn't that what a hero does, tries to find ways to help when everyone else gives up?"

Roxanne could tell how upset he was by the fact that instead of gesturing broadly, as was his habit when excited or disturbed, he had his arms wrapped about his slender torso, tightly, as if armoring himself against the attack of bitter cold. Skilled at handling his many moods, she kissed his ear, gently, her soft caresses making him loosen his tight stance enough for her to slip a hand under his arm and cajole him into opening up for her. He sighed softly as he relaxed his arms to let her wrap her own around him, not needing her nudge to return the gesture. She felt good against him, warm and loving, and being able to pull her closer into his own embrace made him feel accepted, if only by her.

The reporter settled into the hug, resting her head in the curve of his long neck and strong shoulder. "Of course it is, sweetie," she assured him. "And no matter what those people said, they knew that all you really did was the best you could. This 'playing God' nonsense just says how little they thought you could do, and they didn't like being wrong. New things frighten some people, especially people with narrow minds."

He grumped, though he did nothing to withdraw from her arms, or the soft, affectionate kisses she placed against his neck and jaw. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, taking comfort from its fragrant silkiness. "This means we're going to hear screaming from the religious fanatics, then. They have the narrowest minds of all, when it comes to powerful things they don't understand."

He could feel her smile grow a bit wider and craftier as she laid a gentle kiss on his neck. "Already on it," she promised. "I have connections on the Metro County Ecumenical Council, and I've spoken to a couple of key members about this, on the QT. They'd like to talk with you before going public, when the time comes — and not to find things to use against you, or burn you at the stake. They're fascinated by the little I've told them, and they'd like to understand better how the process works, if you can find ways to give them the basic concepts in language that won't confuse them."

She chuckled softly. "Eli Singer, one of the rabbis on the council, practically jumped through his phone, trying to get to wherever I was, to see everything right away. He's always believed that science is simply us learning to understand the works of God, that God wants us to learn all we can, to make the world a better place. He'd stand behind you without knowing anything more than the fact that you found a way to save Emily Thurmer from dying or being crippled by a massive stroke. And others will, too, you'll see."

She lifted her head and withdrew from the embrace only enough to look into her husband's green eyes. "So, even if we have trouble from fanatics, we'll have support from reasonable people with better reputations. But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"

Megamind shook his head, now tilting it so that his temple rubbed against hers. "I'm glad I could help Mrs. Thurmer, and I don't regret finding out how to do it, or making it possible for others to do it. But... When I started this, I didn't really think about how I'd feel afterwards, I just figured I'd be happy and relieved that I could do something. I've barely scratched the surface of all the data that was sent with me, Roxanne. A part of me wants to keep going, to keep right on learning until I've gone through everything in that box, and then find ways to do even more things with what I know."

He took a long, deep breath, then released it in a huge sigh. "And another part of me is absolutely terrified. Would doing all that make me a different person, a real alien, not just an extraterrestrial? And should anyone ever know that much? Is this legacy of mine worth having if I screw up when I try to use it, or if other people use what I learn in terrible ways, or if people think I'm trying to set myself up as God — and if I save one life, does that mean that I have to save every life, all the time, no matter what or when? What happens when people start demanding that I find ways to put an end to death, bring people back to life...? I can't do that! My people weren't immortal, they couldn't stop accidents from happening, couldn't put an end to death — they never really tried, I know that much, they didn't think it was right. I'm supposed to be exceptional, special, someone who could change the world — but I don't want to change it that way! I can't! I—"

He was getting hysterical, not merely agitated, and Roxanne stilled him by laying one hand across his mouth and leaning against him, reassuring him with the warmth of her presence. "Shh, sweetie, it's okay, it's okay," she said, as gently as she knew how, her other hand stroking the back of his head and neck. "I thought you'd worked all of this out last year, just after you first used the Teacher, but I guess not."

When she could feel that Megamind had calmed, she removed the hand on his mouth to kiss him tenderly while she continued her soothing caresses. She added a small kiss to the tip of his sharp nose before speaking again. "Did something happen to bring all this back? Something besides the worry about the press and prejudiced idiots, that is."

"Yes," he admitted, the word another sigh. "I thought it would be easy to stay objective about the things I learned, keep it all detached, impersonal. Advances to things like power supplies, water purification, manufacturing process, weapons, computing — they can be exciting, but..."

He paused, searching for the right words to explain what he was feeling. "This isn't objective, and it's definitely not impersonal. Looking at someone who was hurt and dying open her eyes again, talk again, get up on her own two feet and return home, knowing she'll be back to normal soon, and that you were responsible for healing her...!"

Roxanne needed no further explanation. "That would feel awesome — and awfully scary, you're right. It would feel like playing God. But I know you, Mykaal, and I know that's not why you did it. Even if other people make that stupid accusation, anyone who knows the real you would never believe it."

The ex-villain let her words settle into his thoughts for several moments. "Will you always feel that way?" the uncertain hero asked then, in a small voice.

"Always," she replied without a trace of hesitation. She then grinned, impishly. "Do you want me to prove it?"

Megamind nibbled on his lower lip, reluctant to admit to such terrible neediness, but in light of all the emotional upheavals of late, he couldn't deny it.

He nodded, and her grin grew wider, more mischievous. "Good! It is Christmas Eve, and I know everything's kind of off schedule because of what's been going on, no big party until New Year's Eve, Minion's gone to Ypsilanti to pick up Astrid so we'll all be here to celebrate tomorrow. But I have a few presents for you that I wanted to give you in private, anyway — you know, things from that online shop where you bought that little silver number you surprised me with on that snowy day a few weeks ago."

The abashed hero blushed, remembering that very enjoyable day, when he'd fulfilled a deal they'd made during the photoshoot for his charity calendar, a few months earlier. She'd only wanted to take pictures of him posing on a fur rug in front of the den's fireplace, as her own photographer had done with her when she'd made a similar calendar for charity; it had been entirely his idea to add the seductive little striptease to make the payoff more enjoyable for them both.

Even as he blushed at the memory, he smiled wickedly. "Are you requesting a repeat performance, my dear Ms Ritchi?" he asked in his best and silkiest tones.

She responded with a kiss and an even more wicked smile. "Actually," she purred huskily, "I was thinking more along the lines of starting by returning the favor — for you. After that... we'll just have to improvise. Are you any good at that, Mr. Evil Overlord?" she challenged. "Or do you need a hundred-step detailed plan for everything?"

Smirking, Megamind wrapped his arms around her more tightly, gave her a long, deep, lingeringly passionate kiss—

—then in a quite unexpected and rare show of his actual strength, he scooped her up and tossed her over one shoulder. Roxanne put on a less than half-hearted show of protest as her husband carried her to the elevator and cheerfully sang out, "Alfred! Get a fire started in the den, Mommy and Daddy will be there in a few minutes to warm up! And make sure the fire is in the fireplace, this time!"

They were both laughing as the doors closed behind them.

ooo

And hours later, when they finally snuggled together to sleep for the night, sated by the ecstasy of all the intimacies they had shared — of body and heart, mind and soul — Mykaal no longer had any worries about this part of whatever might lie ahead. No matter what he became as the result of embracing his destiny, no matter how the rest of the world accepted or rejected it or him, he knew beyond any doubt that Roxanne would be with him, and love him. She would always believe in him — and holiday or no holiday, that certainty alone was the greatest gift of all.

Finis