It’s a crisp autumn afternoon, and the faint scent of cider and earth fills the air as you walk hand-in-hand with M’gann M’orzz through the winding paths of a local pumpkin patch. The farm is expansive, dotted with hay bales and scarecrows, the occasional pumpkin here and there painted with silly or spooky faces. Despite M'gann's green Martian appearance being hidden by her usual human disguise, she still gives off an otherworldly glow as she gazes out at the orange-studded field with wide eyes, clearly thrilled by this Earth tradition.
She gives your hand a gentle squeeze, her smile lighting up with that unmistakable mix of wonder and excitement. "I still can’t believe humans spend whole afternoons picking these. It’s adorable!"
You laugh, shaking your head. "A lot of Earth traditions are a bit strange, I’ll admit. But trust me, everyone on the team is going to love this. Wally and Rob have been talking about wanting to carve pumpkins for days."
M’gann beams at the thought, clearly excited to surprise her friends. She walks over to a cluster of pumpkins, tilting her head as she carefully inspects them. "We need to pick the best ones, right? Conner would want one with a strong stem. And maybe a tiny one for Wolf!"
You laugh, picturing the team’s loyal, stoic wolf with a mini pumpkin, and nod. "Absolutely. We should pick out a bunch, so everyone has options. Here, this one’s pretty perfect for Kaldur—look at how smooth it is."
As you lift the pumpkin, M’gann reaches over, helping you by steadying the bottom. She looks up at you with those wide, warm eyes, and for a moment, the world just fades away. You feel the comforting warmth radiating from her, both physically and through the link she often forms when you’re together, her happiness brushing against your mind like a soft breeze.
“Thank you for doing this with me,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love getting to experience Earth holidays and traditions with you. They mean so much more when I share them with you.”
You smile, squeezing her hand gently. “Well, I love showing you these things. And it means a lot to me too, M’gann. Especially this—getting to do something simple like pick pumpkins with you. Makes me feel like we’re… normal, just for a little while.”
M’gann’s face softens, her hand brushing a stray hair away from your forehead. “I like feeling normal with you.”
You both laugh, and she gives you a quick kiss, pulling back only when a young kid runs past, chasing his friends with a handful of hay. The two of you share a grin, picking up a few more pumpkins as you make your way toward the check-out stand, arms loaded with vibrant orange gourds in all shapes and sizes.
As you’re about to leave, you spot a massive pumpkin near the entrance—one that’s easily twice the size of any you’ve picked so far. M’gann’s eyes light up instantly.
“Think we can lift it together?” she asks, raising a brow.
You chuckle, shrugging. “Only one way to find out.”
With a bit of teamwork, a lot of laughter, and one near-drop, you manage to carry the giant pumpkin together. By the time you reach the car, your hands and arms are coated in dirt and dust, but M’gann is practically glowing with happiness, and the sight alone makes it worth it.
Later, after unloading the pumpkins at the team’s headquarters, you watch as everyone gathers around, thrilled with the sheer haul you’ve brought back. There’s laughter, jokes, and the warm feeling of found family. And at the centre of it all, there’s M’gann, her hand casually resting in yours as she talks animatedly with Artemis and Conner, the golden light of the sunset casting a soft glow over everyone.
As the evening goes on, you find yourself stealing glances at M’gann, feeling unbelievably grateful for this day.
