A/N: Here's the first of my crazy Grucy fics. In this one, I wanted to give a little more depth into Edith's character. Let me know what you think!
Date Night?
Date #58: Pouring Rain and a Sneezing Edith
It was a little less than an hour before her date with Gru when Lucy looked out the window. It was pouring rain outside.
"Good thing we're just going out for dinner." Lucy said to herself, going for the closet to find her jacket.
Just then, her cell phone rang from where she'd left it on the kitchen counter. She ran over, absentmindedly carrying her coat with her. Seeing that it was Gru, she picked it up.
"Yeees?" She answered with her usual elation.
"Lucy?" Gru answered. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cancel our date tonight. Edith is sick."
"Oh, poor kid." Lucy said, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter. As disappointed as she was that they couldn't go out tonight, she was much more worried about Edith. "How'd she get sick?"
She could hear Gru give a heavy sigh. "She was playing in the rain again."
"Again?" Lucy inquired curiously, the tone in his voice implying that this had happened before, if not often.
"With the Minions, so a few of them are sick as well. I would ask Margo to keep an eye on Edith, but she's at a sleepover." Gru sighed again, this time on account of the sleepover, Lucy could tell. "Anyway, Edith knew it was against the rules, but she goes and does it anyway! I was in the lab at the time and didn't even know it was raining."
Lucy could just imagine Gru throwing his free arm in the air in frustration and then resting it on his hip. Or maybe he was doing the dishes and had the phone balanced between his ear and shoulder. She loved seeing him do housework, especially in his apron; it was a major turn-on for some strange reason.
"Oh well, don't beat yourself up about it." Lucy said. "Maybe now that's she's sick she won't do it again." There was a natural pause in the conversation before Lucy got an idea. "Hey, does she need anything? I could go to the store and bring it around so we can at least hang out, or something."
"You would do that?"
"Yeah, why not? And with Edith getting all the attention, I bet Agnes could use a little company."
Lucy had grown quite close to the girls despite her lack of experience with children prior. Since she learned years ago that she couldn't physically have children, she'd since then forgotten about wanting to be a mother. But now, having fallen in love with Gru's children, she was thinking things might be able to change after all.
…
"Lucy!" Agnes greeted when she stepped through the door.
"Hi, sweetie!" Lucy replied as she shrugged off her coat and hung it on the coat rack. Just a ten foot walking distance from her car to the house and she was already drenched. Placing her keys back in her pocket, she knelt down to give Agnes a hug, lifting the girl off the ground in the process.
"I heard Edith was sick. You were smart enough not to play in the rain, huh?"
"I didn't want my unicorn to get wet!" Agnes said, pointing to the stuffed unicorn she'd left in the living room. "Last time that happened, we had to put it through the dryer, and it shrunk!"
Lucy smiled, making Agnes smile. The little girl reached up and touched Lucy's hair, which was soaking wet.
"You're not going to get sick, are you?" Agnes asked, her innocence and genuine concern showing in her voice.
"Oh, I'm fine, sweetie. It's nothing I can't handle." Lucy said, lightly poking Agnes' nose, making her giggle.
Just then, Gru stepped into the hallway, having heard their voices. "Lucy! When did you get here?"
"Just a second ago." She said, getting up and showing him the contents of the grocery bag she'd brought in. "I got Edith's favorite soooup." She sang.
"You're an angel." Gru replied, smiling at her like a love struck teenager. He gave her a quick kiss and headed for the kitchen to make Edith dinner. Lucy was tempted to follow him when Agnes tugged at her hand.
"I drew something today that I want to show you! It's in our room, come on!"
Lucy followed close behind as Agnes ran up the stairs. When they reached the girls' room, Edith was lying in bed, bundled up in a number of blankets, her hat over her eyes and her nunchucks dangling from the side of the bed. Lucy went over to her as Agnes rummaged through her things trying to find the drawing.
"Edith?" Lucy said softly.
Edith poked her arm out from the blankets and pushed her hat up from over one eye. Peeking out, she looked up. "Hi, Lucy." Just then, she sneezed.
The girl's voice was the weakest Lucy had ever heard it, and her sneezes were like a kitten's. She almost didn't know whether to find Edith's condition sad or adorable. She supposed it could be both.
"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked.
"Like crud." Edith replied, pushing her hat up all the way.
"But nothing a ninja can't handle, right?" Lucy asked, knowing how much Edith loved the title.
Edith smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess."
"Well, Gru's making you ramen, hopefully that'll make you feel better."
The girl smiled wider. The two of them had bonded over their love of mixed martial arts and anime. Lucy had even begun teaching Edith some new moves.
"I was practicing my Karate today. It was in the rain *kitten sneeze* which made it even more fun!"
Lucy shook her head, reaching for the box of tissues on the floor and handing Edith one. "Gru says playing in the rain is against the rules. But you knew that, didn't you?"
"Yeah." Edith answered, her voice a bit raspy. After blowing her nose, she continued. "How else was I suppose to get Gru out of the lab?"
Lucy blinked. That was not the answer she was expecting. Breaking the rules on purpose to get Gru's attention? That didn't sound much like Edith. She was usually so independent, what had gotten into her?
Before she could further her conversation with the middle child, Lucy felt Agnes poking at her side. She looked down to see the girl proudly holding up her drawing, motioning for her to take it. She did, and immediately found it difficult to register the feeling it gave her.
"Oh, Aggie, this is beautiful." Lucy said after a moment, her heart melting as she took in the drawing. It was done in crayon, obviously a family portrait, with Lucy included quite obviously by the tall stick figure in a blue dress with red hair.
She looked down at Agnes, seeing that the six year old was all too happy with her response. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled Agnes into her lap for a bone crushing hug.
"Let me see, Let me see!" Edith said leaning a little to look over Lucy's shoulder. She saw it and smiled. "Nice *sneeze*"
…
Gru was just about ready to bring Edith her dinner when Lucy walked in.
"Hey." She said, a little more somber than usual, which Gru easily noted.
"Hey. How are the girls? Talking your ear off?"
"No more than normal." She answered with a smile, leaning on the kitchen table as Gru poured the soup in to a bowl.
Lucy cleared her throat after a moment. "Have you been working in the lab all day?"
"Hmm?" Gru hummed in response, not understanding immediately. "Um, I was before I found Edith. Why do you ask?"
"And Margo's been gone the majority of the day?" Lucy said, ignoring his question.
"Yes." Gru replied, turning to face his girlfriend. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm just trying to figure something out." Lucy said. "I have the feeling Edith was bored and wanted your attention, so she went and broke a rule." She shrugged. "Sounds normal, but at the same time, Edith doesn't act like that."
"Oh really?" Gru said, thinking about that for a moment. Out of all three of his girl's, Edith had always been the easiest to handle. Agnes was the youngest, thus needed the attention for numerous reasons, whereas Margo was getting older and interested in boys,- -something Gru was very unhappy with- -therefore, he kept an eye on her every chance he got. He would have never suspected that his Edith would be feeling left out.
"I suppose that would explain why her stunts are getting more dangerous." Gru said. "She reminds me a little bit of me when I was her age, except for the jiu-jitsu, she gets that from mom somehow." He sighed. "She's a little more devious then the other children. If I were still a full time villain, I'd be proud, but then again, I wouldn't have the children."
Lucy smiled, having always admired Gru for retiring from evil because of the girls. Even before she'd met him, she knew he must've loved them a lot to give up a career like that.
"Although, I can't say that I'm not proud of her." Gru snickered. "Deviousness must runs in the family."
...
It turned out to be a quiet evening. Edith was happily eating while Lucy was brushing Agnes' hair. Moments later, Gru returned with cold medicine and a warmer blanket for Edith. He walked over to her and replaced the blanket hanging loosely on her shoulders with the new one.
"Thanks." Edith said, her voice a bit stronger.
"You're welcome." Gru said, bending down to kiss her forehead. He pulled away only slightly so that only she would hear what he had to say next. "But next time you get bored, try not to jeopardize your health. Stick to jeopardizing other people's health."
Edith chuckled at the joke. "Ok. And, uh, sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about." Gru replied, straightening up. He looked back at Lucy and Agnes sitting on the floor. Agnes' eyes were drooping, a tell tale sign that sleep was not far away. He knelt down next to them and gently cupped Agnes' face in his hand. She looked up drowsily, Lucy's embrace keeping her upright.
"Time for bed, kitten." Gru said, smiling when Agnes' only sign of approval was a slight nod. Lucy handed her over and made her way to Edith, who had just finished eating. She took the bowl and placed it on the desk, then proceeding to wrap the blankets tighter around Edith.
"You should get some rest, too. Even warriors need their sleep."
Edith made a face at her, which Lucy gladly countered with a face of her own, making Edith laugh and fall into her pillow. Lucy quickly tucked her in, in triumph.
Gru came over, giving the two of them skeptical looks before kissing Edith goodnight. The two adults then quietly left the room.
"What's this?" Gru questioned, kneeling to pick up a paper that was caught under the door.
Lucy quickly recognized it. "Agnes made it." Lucy said softly as to not disturb the children. "It's a...a family portrait."
Gru couldn't help but smile at his youngest daughter's handiwork. He looked up at Lucy. "It's wonderful." He rolled up the drawing and they began walking downstairs. "You know," Gru continued. "She really loves you. They all do."
Lucy smiled. "I hope so. Its kind of obvious with Agnes. I kinda got that when she asked if I was single that one time." Lucy laughed. "You were so embarrassed!"
Gru furrowed his brow at her and rolled his eyes before they both started laughing. "Yeah, I was pretty embarrassed."
After a moment, they had reached the bottom of the stairs. Both noticed that the rain had stopped, its noise having ceased.
"She never knew he mother." Gru said, his tone of voice more factual then sad.
Lucy shrugged. "Then I guess I don't have any competition."
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