a small one-shot practicing a new technique I wanted to check out. I tried to explore the characters with very little emotion involved. failed miserably, but thought it could go out anyways.

Disclaimer: I do not own Despicable me, or the characters.

Gru woke up to the sounds of someone in the kitchen. Or someones, he decided, hearing a minion crash into something. By the tapping on the tapping on the tiles, and the sharp cry of surprise. . . Gru guessed that Tim had touched the hot stove and had run into the pots again.

That was enough to get him scrambling around for clothes. Minions were good at a lot of things, burning down kitchens, burning down houses but not cooking. Never cooking. He rushed out of his room before he even had his socks on. He fell down the stairs, and ran into the kitchen in record time. Only to find the minions fighting with pots and pans. Lary held his finger sitting lonely in a corner nursing it back to health.

"They sure are bad at cooking," Margo told him, shaking her head. Gru jumped, not noticing her before hand.

"What?" Gru scratched his head.

"They were trying to spray vegetable oil on the stove!" She laughed. "I need that spatula."

Poor Larry must have been burned trying to get to the utensils high above the stove. Gru had put them specifically at that hieght and angle so no one shorter than he could reach them even if they had a chair, like Margo.

"Dey are not allowed to touch the stove. Dey cause too many acceedents," Gru told her. He frowned at the clatter the minions were making. "Tim, Steve, Dave, Larry go to the table."

Gru stopped by the stove to grab the spatula, "What are you cooking?"

"Eggs, I was hoping someone would come by before they burned. All the utensils are too high. I can't reach them." Gru picked her up off the chair she was standing on, and took over. Gently, he put her down beside him.

"Why were you cooking?" Gru discreetly glanced at her, trying to decide if she'd been burned or not. She looked fine and normal. She would have told him anyways, Gru decided. After figuring out she wasn't in trouble, Margo began looking through the cupboards.

Margo shrugged, "I know how, so why not?" Taking out the bread, she set out to find the toaster. They hadn't had toast so far. She wasn't even sure if there was a toaster.

"I see. You should be careful, the stove is very hot," Gru told her.

"I know, and it gives off blue sparks every once in a while," Margo told him. Gru frowned. That had never given him a problem before. It was his first electric oven, only about 40 years old. He's stolen it from a lab base years ago.

"So, you like cooking?" Gru asked, breaking out of his thoughts. Margo took a few seconds to answer from where ever she was. Gru saw her head pop up, smiling triumphantly.

"Sometimes. I only know a few foods though," Margo said, popping out the toaster. Under the island counter, who knew?

"Why did you not cook before. Before now I mean."

Margo shrugged, "I wasn't comfortable, and you cooked all our meals first."

Gru appreciated her honesty. Above all things Margo was, she was very honest and intelligent. She didn't muck up the air the way smart people do trying to be political. The hardest part was figuring out what made her uncomfortable in the first place. Obviously something that changed recently. Gru would have to think on it.

"Well, eef you are going to be cooking, I'll have to get a new stove first," Gru tossed the eggs in the air.

"Will I be cooking often?" She watched the eggs fly, already worried about cooking every morning or worse every meal. Alone in the kitchen for hours on end.

"I don't know, do you want to cook often?"

"Not too often," Margo assured him.

"But you must wait until I am here. In the Room. I must be here and in the room!" Gru fumbled trying to warn her, characteristically stomping his foot and pointing at the ground. Margo grinned feeling properly chagrined.

"Alright. Deal," Margo expertly loaded the eggs onto two plates.

"That's my kitten," Gru gave her a hug. He took the condiments in one hand and balanced the orange juice on his head. "Steve, Dave, get the cups!"

"Edith and Agnus won't be up for at least another hour," Margo added, sitting down. The two minions ran around in a full circle with the cups before putting them down on the table, and running out of the kitchen before she could thank them. Gru didn't ask why she was cooking so early when it obviously would be too cold to serve when her sisters got up. It was probably the minions fault.

"Dey sure like to sleep," Gru agreed. "Where deed you learn to cook?"

"Foster parent, a long time ago," Margo waved off the ketchup. "She was thinking of adopting."

"You get to meet the parents that adopt?" Gru was surprised, but it made sense. Most parents want to see their children as often and as soon as possible. Even Gru had trouble staying down in the lab. Knowing the girls could visit anytime they liked made him feel better though.

"Sometimes," Margo told him.

"Ahh, I know I deedn't follow this protocol." Margo nodded.

"That's okay, we like it better this way anyways," Margo assured him. She seemed lost in thought for a second.

"I would steell rather you gurls than any other," Gru guessed at why she looked so sad now.

"You've never met many other kids," Margo was honest, "but that's besides the point. It's too late to go back now, and I like it here."

Gru wished once again for a manual, should he address that fear or leave her alone. In the end, he couldn't leave his daughter to think that. He didn't want just any girls; he wanted the three he had.

"I would rather you gurls dan anyone else. I have met my fair share of children and not one of them had me sit down and read or play tea. You gurls are special, and not just to me. No other children could have handled what you deed so admirably. The minions love you. And Dr. Nefarious loves you, and trust me he ees a hard person to geeve love."

Margo's eyes were wide in surprise, for the longest moment, Gru was afraid he had scared her. Then she shook her head and turned back to her breakfast.

"We were nearly adopted a few times, but it would have split us up. We didn't want that. That's what I was thinking of. But thanks for the pep talk, I now have so many fears that I didn't before," Margo smiled at him.

Gru was slightly put off, it was rare for him to be so far off in his estimations. If he weren't so suddenly curious, he would have made a rare moment of banging his head off something solid. Sounding as nonchalant as possible, Gru asked, "Who was thinking of adopting you?"

"Agnus was getting a few offers every month. Twice she was adopted and had to be brought back a short time later. Eventually Ms. Hattie took her off the list." Margo stopped when Gru well, she wasn't sure what he was doing. He wasn't glaring at her, or slamming his hands down, he did seem to be breathing, just very quietly. It just seemed wrong for some reason.

"Uhh, Mr. Gru?"

"Yes Margo? you were saying?" Gru speared his eggs with no more force than usual. "Did you or Edith ever get adopted?"

"Uhh, nearly a few times. Edith actually moved out of Miss Hatties home and in with this couple. The adoption was never finalized. I did nearly leave for a boarding school closer to the capital, both times we ended up not going through with it."

"I'm glad," Gru told her, reaching over to pat her shoulder.

"Us too. You like all three of us. No one else tried to adopt all of us before. They either liked Edith's energy, or Agnus's charisma or my grades. It's hard to find someone who can understand all three of us."

Gru smiled at her, patting her back again. "Come," He spread his arms out for a hug. Margo happily gave in, even if she couldn't fully wrap her arms around him.

At least he wasn't very tall, or at all scruffy and dirty. He was perfect. He was evil enough to keep up with Edith. He was fast enough to save Agnus from whatever plan she currently was trying to harm herself over (ie the 'flying takes practice' plan she had jumping off the landing yesterday). Margo was happy she had someone to have sophisticated talks with, who could still read, look after them and tuck them in at night.

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