AN: AU - this is a Despicable Me/OUAT crossover after all – though maybe the creators for OUAT could be persuaded to use the idea for Season 6 if enough people tweet the idea….? So excited for StorybrookeUK this week seem to be writing more (really should start on the packing list) - though it might also have something to do with another course I've just started (I think I have a problem - some kind of study addiction, I love the idea of it but when it comes to actually doing the work any excuse sends me back to writing instead... oh well...)

Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or Despicable Me, wish I did!

The Gru mansion was hosting another birthday party. This time, it was for Lucy. There were balloons, presents and a three-tiered cake (because Margot, Edith and Agnes all wanted different colours when they helped make it). The minions had helped make paper-chains and Gru had carefully pronounced his request to Doctor Nefario (after recent embarrassing misunderstandings he dreaded to think what the mad genius could come up with) for the best ever 'fireworks' – (illustrating with pictures, just in case).

All that remained was for them to wait.

Lucy had been called away on a last-minute assignment for the Anti-Villain League. As her partner Gru should have gone with her, but the girls were so excited about planning the secret party, and wanting his help, that he had made an excuse to get out of going. He sent two of his best minions along, instructing them to warn him when she was on her way back. Part of him was just relieved to have two less pairs of hands to worry about causing mayhem in his house.

Agnes waited on the front step of the house; a pink ribbon tied to her wrist was attached to a round balloon hovering over her head. She wore her best party dress, and a coned party hat sat on top of her head. Margot kept her company, though she was reading a book rather than staring intently up and down the street watching for Lucy's car like her youngest sister.

Edith was in the garden, organising and keeping the minions occupied while they waited. She ordered them into two teams for tug-o-war, supervised a bobbing for apples barrel (they had wanted to use bananas, but swarmed over to eat them all before she could put them in the water) and taught them other games to play.

Gru waited by the phone. He had made the minions memorise the telephone number, then put a copy of the number in each of their dungarees pocket, with some loose change and a minute tracking device (they would wander off and get lost), and secured each pocket with a button.

They should be on their way by now. Lucy had assured him the mission was a simple one: a quick recon, just a check-up on a minor situation.

As time passed, Gru began to pace up and down in front of the phone. It was probably nothing. The minions might have used the change to purchase some bananas. Lucy's car could have a flat tyre. Of course, the last one was ridiculous. Dr Nefario had provided Lucy with his latest experiments re-self-inflating tyres. All she had to do was find the puncture, use the sealing spray and the tyre would puff up on its own.

What was he thinking? Tyres created by Dr Nefario? They'd probably floated Lucy into space. Or exploded. Or…

Gru glanced at the clock. It was midday. Time for the party to start.

Where was Lucy?

Henry was enjoying one of the rare days when his entire family gathered for breakfast at the diner. Even rarer, everyone was smiling and there was no kind of danger in sight.

"How's school, Henry?" Charming asked.

Okay, perhaps enjoying was too strong a word. Henry forced his eyes to look straight ahead, rather than roll as they wanted to. With his grandmother still teaching at the school, Charming probably received daily updates on his process.

"Same as always."

His mom hated one-word replies of 'fine' when asking that question. Charming didn't give up.

"I hear soccer try-outs are soon. If you want I could help you practice. Back in my farming days I used to play kick-about with small stones while out with the sheep. Got good enough to make the village team, which used an inflated pigs bladder encased in leather for matches. Then my mother made me my own ball, getting the bladder part back from one our sheep she'd sold to a butcher and sewing the leather herself from a jacket I'd outgrown. It was smaller than the village one, but just as good."

Henry's face was a picture, so Charming continued: "of course, the balls here are much better. Ours would get waterlogged if it rained making the ball twice as heavy. You didn't want to try a header when that happened."

"I don't think that is appropriate conversation during a meal," Regina told him.

"Yeah dad," Emma pitched in, "it is kinda gross."

"You kids don't realise how lucky you have it in this world, back then that was all we had."

"Anyway, changing the subject," Snow always tried to play peacemaker, "Neal's birthday is in a few weeks and I thought we could have a little party to celebrate."

As the normal flow of conversation resumed, Henry felt relieved at being out of the spotlight and the grown-ups began to discuss the Charming's plans for their son's first birthday party. He wondered what to get his uncle as a present. He was old enough now that he wanted to choose something himself, rather than having his name added to one of his mom's cards.

As he glanced out of the diner window, running through a few ideas, he saw a flash of yellow – almost like a blur - then it was gone. Shaking his head, Henry turned his attention back to his breakfast.

Gru was tired, but he knew he had to stay awake. It had taken nearly an hour to get the children to go to sleep - they all wanted to wait up and know that Lucy was all right. He had promised that he would contact the AVL headquarters and see if Lucy had been in contact with them, reminding them that their work was very important and it was possible she hadn't been able to call because she was deep undercover. The girls wanted to believe him, but he could see that they were still upset.

He'd left a message for the AVL Director, Silas Ramsbottom, after failing to get any information from his other contacts. Dr Nefario was trying to locate the minions, but the tracking devices were no longer emitting a signal. Backtracking to the last recorded location took time, and even if they got an answer Gru didn't want to risk Lucy's mission by charging in after her.

Sitting in his office, he rested his head in his hands and waited for the phone to ring. That was when two of the minions decided to begin tidying the room. He didn't see them enter, didn't register the sound of the door opening. The sound of the vacuum startled him and he jumped up, ordering them out of the room despite their babble about cleaning. He needed to be able to hear the phone if Silas rang. When Silas rang.

Phil was holding a large blue duster nearly as long as he was tall, and as they left Bob stopped to remove the plug from the wall socket. Then, because he wasn't looking where he was going, Phil tripped over the vacuum cord and the duster flew across the room knocking a picture off the wall. Gru closed his eyes as they rushed over to check the frame. Bob climbed onto Phil's shoulders, Phil passed up the picture and Bob tried to reach the nail…

"OUT!" he yelled at them, pointing to the door.

He turned away from the pitiful, sad faces. Ignored the way Bob's eyes seemed to well up at the harsh tone in his voice. As soon as the door closed behind them, he lowered himself back into the chair to wait.