I am beyond pleased with the reaction that Charles has been getting! It's exactly what I wanted …to make someone that is just absolutely despicable that he just makes your skin crawl from the moment you meet him.

I also really wanted to apologize for taking so long to get this out… work has really been getting in the way of.. well..EVERYTHING. And that one (maybe two) days a week a get off I use to sleep and maybe do things haha.

**edit 5/2013**

Chapter 4

Roxanne made her way down the sidewalks and towards the shopping area that the hotel receptionist had directed her to. She had left Pinky and the other brain bots back in her room at the hotel, telling them to take the day off but to behave. It was a risk, but she highly doubted that many stores would be so welcoming to a bunch of flying robots that had a tendency to chew on clothing. Roxanne stopped in front of a store window as a light blue dress caught her eye. It was lovely; a smooth light blue adorned with a wide dark blue belt of lace. She studied it for a minute before she reached into her purse and pulled out the sleek black card that Mykael had handed to her only days ago.

He did tell her to go shopping after all…and to enjoy herself. She smirked and made her way into the store.

"Well…he did say to spare no expense."

Roxanne searched through the various racks of clothing, picking out not only the light blue dress from the window, but several sweaters in varying colors and a white scarf that she thought would look stunning on Mykael. After a number of more stores for shoes, a new handbag and another dress, Roxanne began to wonder if maybe, as much as the retail therapy was helping, she was spending a little too freely with the gifted card. She stopped once more only to pick up a few gifts for everyone back home and she was set to head back to the hotel for a nice dinner and a phone call home when her eyes caught another store.

What could it hurt?

Roxanne walked into the shop and within five minutes the sales girl that approached her not only squealed at the sight of her engagement ring and called over her other three co-workers, but the girls soon had a fitting room full of different pieces for Roxanne to try on.

It was nearly an hour later when Roxanne walked out with a large bag full of an assortment of pieces that she was sure Mykael would adore, including a deep blue lacy number and a corset made of black leather. It had started to drizzle while she was shopping and she hitched her coat more tightly around her neck as she headed for her hotel.

As she walked through the city and looked around at the rainy sky and the dark buildings she felt homesick. She missed the white towers and the golden statue of the museum that shined as the sun hit it. She missed the buzzing of brain bots as they floated about, and the sound of rock music drifting out from behind a red curtain. But most of all she missed a certain blue man who held her heart so dearly.

To Hell with London.

She was heading home.

Roxanne sighed as she hung up her phone and stared at the screen. That was twice now that she had called home and hadn't gotten an answer. She knew that if something were terribly wrong she would have gotten a call from someone, but even that reassurance didn't help how lonely she felt.

Just one more day…

All she had to get through was the dinner she'd been pushed into and she was home free. She had cancelled her wake up call for the next morning and woke up after 9, something that she considered sleeping in. She was served another delicious breakfast; this time of oatmeal, fruits and yogurt. As she ate she worked over what was supposed to have been her report on Stuart. She knew that there was no way that his flop of a project would have ever gone anywhere unless he paid off the right people.

Throughout her illustrious career, and relationship with Megamind, Roxanne had made a number of different friends and colleagues from all walks of life. And so a few emails and telephone calls later, Roxanne had a new story fit for a Queen.

Stuart had been paying off several various officials and other less trustworthy members of society to pass over his project as an "energy source". In reality, this very same source was to be sold to an eastern country for weapons of war. By the time she finished the last sentence of her email to Richard, the law would be showing up at Stuart's front door.

Of course, as Roxanne knew, her dinner with Charles was inevitable. She sent one more text home to remind Mykael that she would be coming home the next day and resolved herself to getting ready. She refused to make it look as if she were trying to impress Charles in any way and dressed in a simple white ruffled blouse and a knee length black pencil skirt. She slipped into a pair of black heels just in time for the receptionist to call and inform her that her ride had arrived.

Roxanne stepped outside of her hotel and sighed as she took in the limousine that awaited her. She had been expecting a cab, or at least a town car; but certainly not a stretch limousine. But as unexpected as the limo had been, even more unexpected was Charles sitting in the backseat.

"Roxanne, good evening!"

"Hi…Charles." She attempted a polite smile as the limo pulled away from the curb.

"We received the news of your findings; shame about it all." He said, looking none too remorseful at all.

Throughout dinner Roxanne often found herself biting her tongue against retorts at many of Charles' comments. She began bragging as much as she could about Megamind and her career back home. But, once more, Charles directed the conversation back to his inappropriate compliments. Finally Roxanne feigned exhaustion and, stating that she needed to fly home tomorrow, suggested she head back to the hotel. They stood at the sidewalk, waiting for the limo to return when Charles turned to her, an odd smile upon his lips.

"You're truly impressive Roxanne. You're charming; you're beautiful, and brilliant. Why, just look at that quick investigative work that you did earlier!"

"It's really nothing compared to what I've done back home…" Roxanne tried to brush his comment off. Her patience and ability to be polite was wearing thin now.

"It was really quite fantastic Roxanne; you're really a very remarkable woman. We could use someone like you on our team."

"Excuse me?"

"We've already got a contract drawn up. We'd be willing to pay you twice what you're making back home. What do you say?"

"I'm engaged."

"I don't see how that's a problem." His lips turned up at one corner in a smirk as he reached out to place a hand on her side. Roxanne stepped back and glared at him.

"I need to be going now."

"Stay here in London…with me." And then he moved in, his lips overtaking hers. Roxanne's eyes opened wide and she pulled back from him, pushing him off of her as she went. She lashed her hand out and smacked him clean across the face. He slowly regained his composure, wiping the back of his hand against his newly split lip.

"Funny… I thought you were smart." He sneered at her.

"I am." Roxanne had already stormed off; she wouldn't waste another breath on him.

She stormed into her hotel room and slammed the door loudly behind her, not giving a damn to the hour or her neighbors.

"Pinky! Fang! Rally the troops and pack up… we're going home!" she stormed off to the bathroom and slammed that door as well. The collection of brain bots looked to one another; once more Mommy's rage had shown itself. With an annoyed bowg Pinky reached out and slapped Nibbler across the back of his dome, sending all the bots into action of packing up the room.

Roxanne scanned the crowd as she rode down the escalator; behind her the group of brain bots carried her luggage and the various equipment that had been brought along. She was glad that Minion had finally answered the phone and would be there to pick her up. It had taken a lot of finagling but she'd managed to get the earliest flight out of London and had left her hotel the moment the last suitcase had been locked. She spotted her piscine pal through the crowd and was twice as happy to see a large mug of coffee gripped in his metal hands.

"Hello Miss Ritchi! It's so good to have you home."

"Believe me Minion; it's good to be home." She sighed. She gladly took the cup of coffee from her piscine pal and hugged him before turning to the brain bots and waving for them to follow her.

As Minion directed the Hudson down the streets Roxanne noticed a few improvements to the city; large clear screens replaced where the older models had once been, and on top of some of the larger buildings she noticed the panels that she knew to be the solar panels Mykael had invented.

"Not the only changes that the boss made around here." Minion said as he noticed Roxanne's observations. As he pulled into the garage Roxanne instantly noticed the first change. Where there had once been an opening from the garage into the workshop was now a glass wall and door. Minion pressed a series of numbers on the lit panel and the door swung open.

"What?" Roxanne looked back at the wall in awe.

"Just a new security feature…" the fish shrugged. Roxanne followed along through the workshop. Once they got upstairs Roxanne noticed a yet another large screen. It was, if possible, larger than the previous collection of observation screens had been. Instead of the many separate screens, there was now one large projection; there were six separate views of the city, and Roxanne was sure that more would appear if necessary. It looked like the entire lair had been cleaned and organized, and from her viewpoint it looked like a series of new computers had been built, much in the same fashion as the new screens. Where there had once been a messy workbench, now stood a gleaming metal table with a shining top. If Roxanne stood close enough she would see that the entire surface was covered in a unique touch screen of dials and buttons.

"Roxanne! You're home!" Mykael rushed forward and swooped her up in a hug; clinging to her tightly. She wrapped her own arms around him as she buried her face into his neck. She felt the distinct scratch of facial hair against her face and when she pulled back she was surprised to see stubble along his normally smooth face. She smirked and ran a thumb along his cheek.

"Oh yes, that." He chuckled sheepishly as he placed her feet back to the floor, keeping his arms around her. "I'm afraid I've been rather busy lately."

"He couldn't sleep." Minion muttered.

"Really? I couldn't tell." She teased. He took her hand and gently pulled her to lead her through the lair.

"Oh you should see it Roxanne! It all started with an idea for a screen for the tower! And then it moved to a new security system, and then new computer!"

"I was barely gone a week…" she said with a laugh.

"And don't forget the improvements you made on the hover bike sir!"

"Yes yes, that too!"

"Woah woah… hang on!" Roxanne laughed. "Go back; security system?"

"We needed something a little new…we had a slight break-in."

"A break-in?" Roxanne couldn't deny the prickle of fear that she felt.

"Oh nothing to worry about at all…it was just an overzealous fan. But it got me to thinking; we were always lax about security because everyone was always too afraid to find us. But now that I'm good there's no reason for people to stay away." He reasoned. Roxanne had to agree with him. Mykael moved in and wrapped a lithe arm around her waist before he placed a kiss on her temple.

"But enough about that, I want to hear all about your trip! Minion can make lunch and you can tell us all about it."

"Oh…no, you don't want to hear about that. It was just all work business."

"Tish tosh!" He waved his free gloved hand. "You went away, and we all missed you, and now we want to hear all about your time there!"

"Can't I just give you your gifts?" she smirked.

"You brought presents!" he got so excited that for a moment Roxanne thought that perhaps she would not have to talk about the whole issue with Charles. But knowing that he couldn't lie to her blue beau, and knowing that his considerable mind would not forget; she knew that the truth would have to come out either way.

whoo! I hope that you all liked this chapter :) sorry again that it took so long to get it posted!