"What can I get her?" Visionary wondered as he paced back and forth along one of the Lair's wide corridors.

For the past four hours, he had been trying to think of a gift to give his beloved Cheryl. There was no special holiday that demanded he buy his wife a present, and he was not having any marital problems at the moment either that required any token of appeasement. It was just that a few days ago some mysterious villain had tried to steal Cheryl away from him by travelling to the past and changing history. Although this dastardly plot had been thwarted thanks to the valiant efforts of Yo, the whole experience just made him appreciate the fact that right now, he was happily married to the most wonderful woman he could ever imagine. And he knew that at any moment, some crazed super-villain or some deranged giant wallaby could suddenly come into the picture and change it all. And there was never any assurance that things would ever be the same again. So Visionary just felt that he had to do something special for his wife right now, just to make sure she knew right away how much he loved her. But while the heart was willing, the brain was unfortunately weak at the moment.

The marbled floor he had been walking on was getting noticeably eroded as he continued wrestling with his dilemma. There had to be some gift that was worth giving a blonde haired goddess. Candies? No. She'd just complain about her weight after a few days. A stuffed animal? Maybe, but he didn't really approve of taxidermy. Jewelry? Nah, way too expensive. A car? Aw, who was he kidding? Visionary slumped down to the floor in frustration. All the gifts he could think of were either too cliché or too expensive. There had to be something out there that was special enough. If Visionary was having this much trouble with a casual gift, he didn't even want to think about the seizures he was going to have when Christmastime came.

Well, it looked like it was time to ask for some help. Visionary went through the Lair Legion's roster in his head, trying to determine who among them was the best person (or being of pure fill-in-the-blank) to ask advice from. He considered asking his faithful partner Yo for help, especially considering that Yo was once female. However, being rather new to earth, Yo's unfamiliarity with human customs didn't make Yo the best person to give gift suggestions. Fin Fang Foom and Chronicler of Stories were possibilities, but the two were better known for their ability to escape women than they were for their skill at courtship. Jarvis, the Lair Legion's fearless leader might be the a good person to ask help from, especially since he managed to snag Lisa, one of the Parodyverse's most desirable females. However, knowing Lisa, Visionary figured that Jarvis probably didn't do much to get Lisa. (Heck, most men probably had to be more imaginative in trying to find ways of keeping the sex-crazed Lisa away. Perhaps that was why everyone had suddenly been bringing in their female friends into the Parodyverse recently.) Also, considering Jarvis and Lisa's recent relationship woes, it probably wasn't the best time to approach him with queries about women. The last thing Visionary needed was another month of monitor duty. Visionary sighed. He was running out of candidates. Maybe Bubba had left a forwarding address somewhere in the Lair.

Suddenly, Visionary's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Yo. Yo was in female form that day and her Zorro-style hat was adorned with all kind of beautiful flowers. She skipped merrily along the corridor humming "If I Were A Rich Man."

"Doo-di-doo-di-doooo! What? Oh, Visi! How do you do today?" Yo chirped when she noticed her rather glum teammate. "Why are you doing sitting on the floor?"

"Oh, just thinking of something, Yo," Visionary sighed.

"Is thinking of Cheryl?" Yo smiled. "Oh, Visi you is such sweet fake man."

"I am not…oh, never mind," Visionary shrugged in resignation. "Hey, where did you get all those flowers?"

"Oh, NTU is giving them to me," Yo laughed. "I was saw his beautiful plants in his greenhome and I was asked him to be giving me some."

"Greenhome? Ah, NTU's greenhouse!" Visionary clarified. "Hey, those flowers are rather pretty."

"Thanks, Visi. Anyhow, I will be going to see bunnies now. Maybe they also like flowers," Yo said as she waved goodbye to her forlorn friend.

"I bet those rabbits will like the flowers…for breakfast," Visionary mused to himself. Suddenly, it hit him. Flowers weren't such a bad idea. Okay, maybe they were the most common gift any man could give a woman, but hey, they were classic. Besides, NTU probably had some of the most exquisite and unique plants around since he was a scientist and all. He remembered the plants he had been asked to water while NTU was away at the beach. They were very…nice…and…green. Well, at least he was pretty sure they met whatever quality standards plants had. Also, flowers couldn't blow up, so NTU's knack for technological misfortune wouldn't be a problem. Heck, NTU probably grew fantastic flowers all the time to give to Tina. At that moment, Visionary wondered why he didn't think of NTU first when he was looking for someone to give him advice. After all, the guy was happily involved with Tina and they didn’t seem to be having problems. That really didn't matter now that he had an idea of what to give Cheryl. Actually, when he thought of it, it was kinda weird that a married guy was planning to ask a bunch of single men and …beings…for tips on giving gifts to women. Visionary decided not to pursue the subject any further lest he lose what little confidence he had left in his romantic skills.

Visionary warily entered NTU-150's laboratory. One could never be too careful when entering the lab of a technological genius, especially one whose major inventions have been the subject of several major disaster pictures. Slowly, Visionary crept towards the section of the lab which was the greenhouse. He eyed each and every instrument, every mechanical arm and servo, half-expecting them to suddenly spring to life and gut him. When he finally reached the entrance of the greenhouse, Visionary weakly leaned against the door frame, sweat trickling down his temples. This was absolutely the last time he was ever going here on his own.

"NTU?!!!" Visionary hollered. "Where are you? I've got a favor to ask you!!!"

The greenhouse was gigantic. Only the glass ceiling was visible from where Visionary was standing. All around him was foliage. There were all kinds of strange and exotic plant life around. It was like he was standing in the middle of the Amazon. Luckily, a clear path of titanium was visible on the floor. Visionary followed it, hoping that NTU-150 hadn't decided to turn his greenhouse into an indoor safari.

"NTU?!!!" Visionary cried out again. "NTU where are….GWAAAAA!!!" Visionary fell backwards as a huge pod-like thing suddenly dropped down from one of the trees. He shielded himself with his arms, closed his eyes and just waited to be devoured by the giant pod creature. However, it was not a sudden death but a familiar voice that greeted Visionary's cowering form.

"Hey, Visionary, how's it hangin'?" NTU-150 said as the giant pod opened revealing the armored Legionnaire seated inside. Visionary sat up and realized that the giant pod wasn't some beast or some man-eating plant but some sort of vehicle. NTU quickly jumped out of his hovering transport and in the blink of an eye, it zoomed off and disappeared into the greenhouse.

"Man, you startled me," Visionary said as he got up and dusted himself off. What was that thing you were riding in?"

"Oh, just my greenhouse hover transport. I use it to get around this place. I never expected the plants to grow this much," NTU explained. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could have some flowers," Visionary said.

"Sure, no problem! Just follow me," said NTU as he activated his boot jets and flew off.

Visionary just stood there unsure of what he was supposed to do next. Did NTU expect him to run? Suddenly, Visionary's question was answered by the sudden arrival of the hover transport. Well, at least transportation was provided. But something didn't seem right. The transport wasn't slowing down. Visionary quickly turned around and started running for dear life.

"I guess NTU did want me to run," Visionary panted as he tried to evade the oncoming vehicle. Unfortunately for Visionary, sprinting was no more his sport than volleyball was. Fortunately for him, the transport was not trying to run him over but simply pick him up. The hatch popped open and swallowed the hapless Visionary. The hover transport then sped over to a clearing somewhere in the middle of the greenhouse. Upon arrival, it stopped abruptly thanks to intertial dampeners, and then just hovered in place.

The hatch opened once more and Visionary shakily stepped out. This was definitely the last time he was coming here alone. As he looked around him, Visionary noticed that this area looked more like a traditional greenhouse. There were dozens of flower beds and potted plants arranged in symmetrical rows. NTU-150, with a rather peculiar straw hat upon his helmet, emerged from behind a bed of daffodils and approached Visionary.

"So, Viz, what kind of flowers do you want?" NTU asked as a holographic list of all his flowers was projected in mid-air from his gauntlet.

"Gee, I really don't know," Visionary sheepishly said. "Roses maybe. What do you suggest?"

"What are they for?" NTU inquired.

"Well, I was thinking of giving them to Cheryl," Visionary explained. "I wanted to give her something special…but I really couldn't think of anything better than flowers."

"This is for Cheryl? Heck, then you don't want flowers," NTU laughed. "Wait a minute," he said as he suddenly took off and flew to another part of the greenhouse. After a few seconds, NTU returned with something in his hand. He then placed the object in Visionary's hand. "Give her this."

Visionary looked down at the thing in his palm. "A carrot?"

"Do you know how Tina shows her love for me?" NTU asked Visionary.

Visionary shook his head.

"Well, Tina shows her love for me by offering me carrots," NTU told him. "Actually, she doesn't always give me carrots. Sometimes she gives me spinach, mangoes or even broccoli. Whenever we eat together, she always insists that I eat vegetables. Now I never used to understand just why Tina would always make me eat vegetables. To be honest, I hate vegetables. Anything green is an instant 'yuck' on my menu. But somehow in these gifts of leaves, stems, fruits and seeds, I sensed a feeling of love. I felt Tina's concern for me."

Visionary was starting to feel concerned too. Had NTU been experimenting with radiation again? God only knows how it affects the brain. Still, Visionary decided give NTU a chance. "So what's the secret of this carrot? What makes it so special?"

"Actually, it's what's in them that makes it and all plants like it so special.," NTU replied. "The plant itself is just like the starch of a pill or the wrapper of an elaborate gift. The secret is called Beta-Carotene."

"Now why the heck would I want to give Beta-Carotene to somebody special? Why don't I just give her a bottle of vitamins?" Visionary mused sarcastically. "How about a rose? A rose is poetic and most girls go crazy over roses," he then suggested, hoping to somehow push through with his original plan.

Following a cybernetic command from NTU, a monitor and seat suddenly popped up from out of the floor. NTU-150 took a seat and began typing something into the keyboard.

"All I can say is that no rose can compete with a carrot when it comes to being a special gift for a special someone," NTU countered as he looked up from the monitor. "What can you say about a rose?"

"Well, it's beautiful and it smells good," Visionary answered.

"Right," NTU quickly commented. "And I suppose if you give Cheryl some roses, you would then equate their beauty to her, correct?"

"Um…that's right," Visionary hesitantly agreed.

"If you ask me, I think Cheryl should feel insulted," NTU said. "By doing that, all you're saying is that you think she's beautiful. By giving her a carrot, you're saying so much more!"

NTU-150 could see the confusion in Visionary's eyes. To clarify his statement, NTU punched in a few commands into the keyboard and then, with a simple thought channeled through his cybernetic helmet, caused the monitor to morph into a much larger viewing screen that Visionary could see. All kinds of graphs, diagrams and data were on it next to a CGI image of a carrot.

"The Beta-Carotene in a carrot is an abundant source of vitamin A," NTU said as he used a laser pointer to direct Visionary's attention to the data on the screen. "Now vitamin A is needed for good vision. Your carrot can symbolize your hope that you and Cheryl will be able to see each other for a long time. By giving her that carrot, you're wishing her all the joys of viewing a sunset or appreciating an oil painting or even the fun of making animals out of the clouds."

The image on the screen then dissolved into a picture of a lovely red rose. "Now a rose has pigments that make it a beautiful velvet red," NTU went on. He then pointed to the carrot in Visionary's hand. "But a carrot has pigments that can do that and a whole lot more! Beta-Carotene is a pigment called a carotenoid. It's the pigment that gives many fruits and vegetables their red, orange or yellow color."

NTU then jumped down from his elevated seat and walked beside Visionary. He looked at the screen and Visionary then followed suit. The image on the screen then became a time-capture video of a rose slowly drying up. "Now a cut rose will die after a week or two. It will wither away and turn a depressing black. Now what does that say about external beauty?" NTU then took the carrot from Visionary's hand and held it up in front of his golden faceplate. "On the other hand, a carrot is a symbol of long life. The Beta-Carotene in it has been found to reduce the risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease. The tragedy of losing someone to these diseases is absolutely devastating. Now I would never ever want to see Tina's heart stop beating any more than you would want to see Cheryl's stop, right?" Visionary could only nod.

"There is also the possibility that the oxygen we all breathe could be dangerous as well," NTU added as he pointed to the screen with the carrot. A 3D diagram then appeared on-screen. "A form of oxygen, called singlet oxygen, produces unstable molecules called free radicals that can damage vital cell components in the body. Beta-Carotene is believed to help in deactivating singlet oxygen and neutralizing free radicals. I know you would never want to lose Cheryl to such diseases. Heck, I would give Tina a carrot everyday if I had to just to keep her safe from these dangers. It would be all right to do so. There are no ill effects from taking in too much Beta-Carotene."

"But just how am I supposed to present this 'Beta-Carotene' to Cheryl?" Visionary wondered out loud. "Isn't the presentation also supposed to be romantic?"

The screen then quickly folded up and disappeared into the metal floor. NTU then led Visionary to a section of the greenhouse which was full of vegetables. "You could show up at home with a carrot and sweet potato bouquet, trimmed with leaves of spinach and broccoli," NTU suggested. "Maybe you and Cheryl could have a nice little picnic in some field. You could have some carrot cake, a salad, some mangoes and pastrami sandwiches with lots of mustard. Yes, even mustard has Beta-Carotene. Maybe you two could eat a nice candlelight dinner by the seashore with some steak and a lot of vegetables. The possibilities are endless, Viz!"

Strangely enough, Visionary found that NTU was actually starting to make sense. "So tell me again, why would I want to stand outside the door of our home waiting for Cheryl to open the door and see me looking like a walking salad bar?" Visionary asked.

"Well, because that's how Tina shows her love for me," NTU replied with a grin. "I know you and Tina both have something in common. You both want to share a love that will not just sound good in some story or look fine in a wedding photo album. The love that Tina and I have, the love that you and Cheryl have, it's a love that is deep. It's inside us. It's a love that mixes beauty with a wish of a long and happy life together. That's the kind of love fruits and vegetables can symbolize. That's why Tina wants me to eat my vegetables and that's why I think you should give that carrot to Cheryl."

After thanking NTU-150 for all the advice and for the carrot, Visionary walked over to the nearest department store and bought some ribbon, some wrapping and a box. He then tied a pretty golden bow around the carrot and then placed the vegetable inside the cushioned box. He then neatly wrapped the gift up and started for home.

As he walked, he started thinking about what he was about to do. This was ludicrous, he thought. All that NTU had said was true, but he doubted that it would really catch on. There was no chance in hell that the neighborhood flower shop would suddenly turn into a carrot and broccoli gift store. He also didn't think that he'll be reading any romance novels that will have the hero serenading his lady love with a squash in his hand. Nor will there be any wedding with the bride tossing some beets and turnips in a bow at a crowd of desperate single women. Vegetables will probably never replace flowers as the symbol of romance. Still, he thought of what NTU-150 had said:

"The love that Tina and I have, the love that you and Cheryl have, it's a love that is deep. It's inside us. It's a love that mixes beauty with a wish of a long and happy life together. That's the kind of love fruits and vegetables can symbolize."

Cheryl had just finished taking a shower when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly put on some clothes and rushed to answer the door. She then opened it to find her Visionary standing there with his innocent schoolboy expression on his face.

"Hi, Honey. What took you so long?" Cheryl smiled.

Visionary took a good long look at his lovely wife and he knew that he was doing the right thing. He entered the house and then handed her the box he had been hiding behind his back.

"What's this?" Cheryl asked in a surprised tone.

"Just something to let you know how much you mean to me," Visionary curtly responded.

Cheryl smiled at her husband and then quickly tore open the gift wrapper. She then opened the box and found a bright orange, smooth and perfect carrot within. She stared at the carrot with a puzzled look in her eyes. She could sense that his Parodyverse teammates had something to do with this. "I really should talk to him about the kind of friends he has," Cheryl thought to herself.

But then she looked up at Visionary's face. She wasn't sure what it was but she knew that there was something in his eyes that said this rather bizarre present meant something. She could see in his face that this was no ordinary gift. Cheryl knew her husband and she knew deep inside of her that somehow this humble little carrot with the cute bow-tie meant something much greater. She knew that he had some explanation as to why he was giving her this strange gift. She also knew that she didn't have to hear it.

Cheryl then looked at the carrot, and then at Visionary. Before he could even start to explain, she moved towards him, put her arms around his neck, pressed against him and gave him a big kiss. She then gazed into his eyes, touched him on the tip of his nose and quietly said, "I love you too, Honey."

THE END