Tess saw Gru again that following Monday. The science fair was that Friday and a test launch was scheduled for Monday evening. At work, she had been given an update for the readings from a team of investigators that worked under her lead. The readings would indicate levels of explosive materials and other materials used to make weapons. The last time, they were incredibly high. This time, however, they had significantly decreased.
'Now that's strange.' Tess thought.
No one had heard from Fisher. As much as she hated to admit it, she had checked with the police that afternoon to see if his body had turned up anywhere. It hadn't and there was no other sign that Fisher was dead either. Tess took this as a small blessing, even though she wasn't a religious woman.
Truth be told, she was looking forward for the test launch that evening for two reasons; she wanted to see if the rocket Percy and Edith had worked on would actually fly (not that she didn't have faith in them) and if she were painfully honest with herself, she wanted to see Gru.
She had only just reconciled the fact that she did like him. It wasn't love. What he felt towards her, well that was a total mystery. She knew he didn't feel the same way. She told herself it was just an innocent little crush that would dissipate once this case was closed. She knew that nothing would come of it in the end.
The thought of closing this case brought her dilemma back to the forefront of her mind. It meant that she had put Gru behind bars and those girls back in to Miss Hattie's custody. That and, she had exactly fourteen more days until her brother and sister-in-law would be back.
As a criminologist, it was her duty to study her target to establish a routine of said target, estimate his or her next crime and to keep the police as safe as possible along with any potential victims when the target was brought in. Her case, for the most part, had fallen apart. All the counts of child abuse were removed from his file, but she knew he was doing something. Those old readings told her he was militarizing, but now, they had dropped off. The police could bring him that day if Tess made the call; she had enough evidence for them. She knew where he would be. What stopped her from doing it up until now were the safety of the police and the location of where Gru's daughters were. She didn't want them to see their father being arrested. Now, the whole 'feelings for Gru' thing had thrown a bigger wrench into the situation.
Tess hated the colloquial term, but it seemed to sum her feelings and situation perfectly. "Fuck my life…" she muttered, dropping her head down on her desk a bit harder than she meant to.
For once her life, she had no idea what she was going to do.
'Take it one step at a time. You are going to his house tonight. Test the rocket. Go home. Fix dinner and go to bed. That is it. No ifs ands or buts.' She chided herself.
She chanted this to herself as she drove Percy to the Gru household, following the patriarch after (she was going to send the bill to him after having her car detailed, anyone who followed him in the tank ended up covered in soot from the engines) picking the kids up from school, only losing him when he strayed to pick up Margo at her school.
He didn't lead her inside his home when they arrived, just around to the gate that fenced the backyard. Tess knew that Gru was selective about who he let inside his home. Tess, being an extension of the arm of the law, and being a relative stranger to him, was not on that small list. Taking a few steps into the entryway a few nights ago, by way of the Minions, was a breach.
Gru seemed to be blocking out all this mess about Cassie Whitlock and Agnes' custody, probably trying to keep the girls calm by not seeming to be too upset over the matter and to keep himself from seeking Cassie Whitlock out and slitting her throat. He actually seemed excited about the test launch.
Tess knew that Gru was shutting the world out for the moment. Building a rocket, science, was understandable to Gru and controllable, unlike the situation of Agnes' rightful custody. Right now, Gru probably let himself believe that everything was fine.
In the backyard (which was just as dead as the front yard), a small, portable launch pad was built. Gru placed the rocket in the center and struck a match.
"Ready?" He asked Percy and Edith, grinning. It was the first time Tess saw Gru smile at anyone besides his daughters. Margo and Agnes had come out and were standing on the porch. Agnes was holding her ears in case the rocket blew up. Edith looked like she was about to jump out of her skin in excitement.
Tess was finally to get a real look at Gru, consciously a least. She had stared at him several times without really knowing it. He had a magnificent upper body, with broad shoulders. He was probably stronger than many thought he was. His file said he had just turned 51 a few months prior, but he honestly didn't look like it. Or act like it, either. That whole 'no ifs ands or buts' thing was starting to sound ironic. She couldn't keep herself from one innocent glance as he bent over to light the fuse. She was not displeased. Despite the dangerous occupation he had chosen for himself, he took care of himself.
The sizzling of the rocket's fuse brought Tess out her daydreams. Suddenly, the rocket shot straight up in the air. Just as it was about to disappear from sight, the parachute deployed and it floated gently to the ground. Tess, Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes all cheered. The test launch was successful!
"I want to build another!" Edith exclaimed.
Gru examined the rocket thoroughly when he returned with it. It had landed in the nearby park and was still perfectly intact aside from the scorch marks on the base and fins. "I would be surprised if the two of you didn't win the science fair. All your rocket needs right now is to add more of the fuel and replace the parachute."
Tess was so proud of her nephew and his new friend. They had built a functional rocket; something that flew… for some reason, knowing that her nephew made something that flew astounded her. They even built the rocket with minute help from Gru! That and, Percy had made a new friend, something that he wasn't very good at. He was coming out of his shell.
Tess subconsciously procrastinated on Gru's case for the rest of the week. She had no real deadlines, just as long each active case got attention. Tess also had a certain amount of clout at work. Daniels knew how Tess worked, when she was stumped, she'd put the case to the side temporarily and look into another. Her fresh eyes always produced results. He wasn't worried. That week, she was able to bring in two criminals and an entire gang, each case leading to a conviction. He never once had to take a case from her and send it to a criminologist who he thought would be more competent. More often than not, she was the one who was given those cases. Daniels thought that this is what she was doing with Felonious Gru's case, sitting it aside for the moment, but really, she was sitting it aside, hoping it'd disappear. Friday could not come fast enough for Tess; it meant she didn't have to make any progress on Gru's case for two days.
After lunch on Friday, Tess was able to take the rest of the day off to make it to the science fair. The fair was held in the school's auditorium and all the chairs were pushed aside for booths the experiments were based on. Percy's and Edith's booth was somewhere in the middle and Gru was already there with them.
Their rocket sat proudly in the middle of table, under its launch pad. Percy and Edith had decorated the rocket after the test launch and calling it The Ediper Suttergru saying it needed to look 'official' and the name sounded like Latin, an amalgamation of their names. A trifold board sat behind it with their essay on how they made it and the science behind it was glued to it.
"Have you guys already been judged?" Tess asked, fearing she was late.
"No. The teacher's just started." Percy replied, pointing to a cluster of teachers at the front of the room, a few booths into the judging.
"A couple of other kids have projects that do stuff, like ours. We're getting skipped over till the end so everyone can see whatever they do and the teachers will grade us then." Edith explained.
As time passed and the teachers graded one booth after the other, Percy was getting nervous and Edith was getting impatient.
"Everyone! Can I have your attention please?" A teacher said through a mike from the stage behind everyone. "We are ready to grade the projects that require demonstrations. We are starting with Kalynn Copeland and Chelsea Hutchins."
Two little girls moved outside with one of their father's carrying a handmade volcano. Everyone followed and expected to see it erupt into a goopy mess (which is why it was taken outside), but unfortunately it failed to erupt. The only eruption was one of the girls erupting into tears.
"Edith Gru and Percy Sutterfield." The teacher called.
Carefully, they retrieved the rocket and set it down in the place the principal designated for their launch. Gru followed behind them and lit the rocket. It went off without a hitch. As their audience cheered, both Tess and Gru ran to get the rocket, letting Edith and Percy bask in their praise.
Their hands touched as they both grabbed the rocket, it was still warm. Just his hand was enough to set her heart aflutter with that mysterious electricity. Like last time, Gru felt it as well.
"I'm sorry. For all of this. For this investigation. For what's happening to Agnes. I honestly do not know what I'll do." She blurted, the words coming like a waterfall.
This time, Gru did not immediately remove his hand. No, this time, he got a better hold of Tess' hand, wrapping it in his own. "I trust you will make the right decision." was all he said.
As he walked of, Tess muttered to herself, "At least someone does." Because either way, she felt like whatever decision she would make, letting Gru go or sending him to prison, would be the wrong one.
Author's note: SeventhSinner got it right first, along with JeMS7 and Cutie Kyuubi, I named the minions after Pirates of the Caribbean characters. JackSparrow,and, JamesNorrington. I love Norrington…be still my heart! Also, a big thank you to ancientdragonduelist for the lovely review in the last chapter!