I do not own the Despicable Me franchise.

For this story, the minions speak their words backwards. For example, review is weiver.

Loss of a Minion

"You punched Silas Ramsbottom in the nose?" Nefario asked in disbelief. He was at the front of his airship, steering the vehicle through the night sky. Gru stood behind him, his expression one of exhaustion.

"Dat ees what I just said," Gru said in annoyance.

"That is not the best example to use when teaching Edith on how to tone down the violence," Nefario mused.

"I know, I know." Gru rubbed his forehead tiredly. "But I already told her to do as I say and not as I do."

"The good ol' fall-back of parenting."

"No, de good ol' fall-back of parenteeng ees de television," Gru said jokingly.

"How are the girls handling all this?"

"I won't be surprised eef dey have recurring nightmares," Gru muttered, his heart heavy.

Nefario glanced at Gru guiltily. "I am sorry for bringing them along. I suppose I wasn't thinking."

"Dat seems to be a trait een dis family." Gru managed a smile. "Eet ees not your fault." He paused for a moment before adding softly, "None of eet ees your fault."

"We can't pretend that that's true. I had a heavy hand in this whole ordeal. I regret every moment of it."

"Yoo knew de formula would not kill dem. Yoo have been around dem so much dat you know what dey can withstand and what dey can't. Yoo also t'ought I would be happy to be a part of El Macho's plan-and a year or two ago I would not have hesitated. Yoo did all dis for me."

And one look at Nefario's face told Gru that he was right. The elderly scientist may have missed being evil but what he missed more was being evil with Gru, someone he had known for a very long time. "I thought you'd agree," Nefario admitted softly. "I thought…maybe things could go back to how they used to be, even with the girls here. They don't mind your occupation-I sometimes think that they miss the excitement of it."

"T'ings are different now," Gru explained gently. "I know dat making jelly eesn't exciting. De minions certainly don't like de taste-testing part of eet. Dey would rather swallow unknown chemicals. But I need a job, one dat does not put my gurls een danger. And with a record like mine eet ees hard to find one. I do what I can."

"I understand. It was my fault for making assumptions." Nefario spotted the tall, dark mansion that was Gru's home. He flicked a switch on the console and the backyard slowly began to part, revealing a secret landing pad. Nefario landed the airship on the large metal square and it slowly descended into the vehicle storage part of the underground lab.

Nefario pushed the button that opened up the side of the airship. The sides retracted and Gru and Nefario exited the pilot's cabin. The last dozen and so minions were snoozing, heads lolling to the side. Margo, Agnes and Edith were each cuddled against a minion, their small chests rising and falling with gentle breaths.

"I'll be right back," Gru said softly. "I'm goeeng to put de gurls to bed."

"I'll start waking up these little buggers." Nefario gestured to the horde of yellow behind him. "It may take a while, so don't rush back."

Gru nodded gratefully and gently scooped up his three daughters. He carried them to the elevator and all the way to their room. He set them in their respective bomb beds, peeled off their shoes and socks, placed Margo's glasses on her bedside table and tucked them all in.

He then stood, staring down at them with loving eyes. It was amazing, how one little event could change a person's life. The adoption of three spirited little girls caused his heart to open and his life to do a one-eighty flip.

And now with Lucy…he knew that his life would only get better.

"Goodnight, keetens," he whispered, kissing each of their foreheads tenderly. "I love yoo so very much."

Gru turned around and nearly had a heart attack. "Kyle!" he hissed. "How many times do I have to tell yoo? Don't sneak up on me like dat!"

The bluish-green furred creature gave him a look that clearly said, And just where have you been?

"Eet's been a long day," Gru said dryly. "I am sure Agnes will tell yoo all about eet tomorrow. Have yoo been fed-wait, never mind. Eef yoo hadn't, I would not be standeeng right now."

Kyle gave a snort of agreement and hopped onto the end of Agnes' bed. He curled up against her feet and smiled contentedly. Gru rolled his eyes and left the room, gently closing the door behind him. "He's never dat nice to me," he griped. "And I brought de little beast into dis world."

The ex-villain descended back into his underground lab. He was able to catch the last few minions making their way into their sleeping chambers, which was a large, rectangular room with thousands of bunks imbedded into the insulated walls.

"Gru…I have something to tell you," Nefario said carefully, coming to meet the man by the automatic doors that led to the minions' sleeping chambers.

"What ees eet?" Gru asked, concerned. "Are de minions getteeng sick from de formula?"

"No, they're fine. It'll take them a while to get over everything they've been through."

"Dat's to be expected. What's de problem?"

"There's one missing." Nefario broke the news as gently as he could, holding out the clipboard that was piled with sheets that were filled with the names of every minion in Gru's employ (which was the entire species).

Gru's heart froze in his chest. His eyes drifted slowly to the top page, where one name was circled with a red marker, making it stand out from the rest.

Mark.

"Are yoo sure?" Gru asked shakily.

"Yes. And I know he's not on El Macho's property. I scoured the area when I came in for the last trip. Even searched the mansion. There was no one left."

Gru leaned against the stone wall, pressing one hand over his moist eyes. He thought of Mark, alone in a place that was unfamiliar to him, and for all Gru knew his minion could still be under the effects of the mutagen. "I failed him," he whispered.

"That's not true and you know it," Nefario said sternly. "Just look at what you did for his brothers. You simply cannot be expected to know where they all are at all times. We've lost some before-remember when Jack took that serum and floated all the way into space?"

"And I hijacked a NASA spaceship to get him." Gru reminded. "It was my last big mission before I settled down."

"See? You go through so much trouble to make sure they're happy. They've never had a master like that before. They'll understand. Mark will understand."

"I suppose I shouldn't be as upset as I am right now," Gru said, his voice cracking slightly. "After all, as Ramsbottom said, I have ten thousand three hundred and ninety-nine left."

"Now we both know that's not the case," Nefario chided. "Since the day you first met Phil in New York you've grown affectionate of these creatures, all of them. You never left them behind on missions, you never work them to the bone and you went out of your way to make their own sleeping chambers and recreational room. You didn't think it was fair that they were considered worthless enough to be nameless. So you fixed that.

"You connect with them in many ways and they connect with you. Actually, I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when you fell for the girls. The minions cracked the barriers of your heart first-it was only a matter of time before the girls destroyed them completely."

Gru took a deep breath and lowered his hand. "Yoo helped crack dose barriers too, Doctor," he said feelingly. "I missed yoo."

Nefario was not an emotional man, but at Gru's words he felt a lump rise in his throat. "Gru…I don't know if I can come back. Not after what I've done. The minions won't want to work with me since I-"

Gru placed his hand on Nefario's shoulder. "The minions either don't remember who gave dem de mutagen or dey're chooseeng to forgive yoo. We both know dat de minions rarely hold grudges, especially on dose dey consider to be family. Yoo made a mistake. Yoo fixed eet. Yoo came back to save me and dem. Did de minions say anyt'ing to yoo on de trips home?"

"No," Nefario admitted. "They didn't. They actually seemed pleased to see me. But I don't feel right coming back. I betrayed you."

"Eef yoo had not warned me about Lucy, den yoo would have betrayed me. Eef yoo would have sat the battle out, yoo would have betrayed me. But yoo didn't."

When Nefario still looked doubtful, Gru pressed on. "De gurls were asking about yoo when yoo were gone, yoo know."

"They did?"

"Dey wanted to know why yoo weren't in de lab anymore. Dey wondered why yoo didn't say goodbye to dem. I told dem dat yoo didn't want dem to see yoo get emotional."

"I…I didn't say goodbye because I didn't think they would care."

"Oh, dey care. Edith's been pusheeng for me to get her to become your assistant. Margo hopes yoo will help her with her science and math homework when school starts up again. Agnes' been askeeng eef she can call yoo uncle."

"Uncle?" Nefario repeated, stunned. "Really?"

"Dey like yoo very much," Gru said softly. "And I do too. Will yoo please stay? For me? For us?"

Nefario was silent for a long moment. Just when Gru began to think he would lose his dearest friend, Nefario answered.

"Yes," he said. "It would be honour to come back in your employ."

"Family," Gru corrected, a massive amount of relief and joy crashing down on him. "And yoo never left."

Nefario smiled and the two men walked off, leaving the minions to sleep peacefully. Gru cast a glance back at them, a pang in his chest upon knowing that one bunk was empty. I'll find you, Mark. One day. I promise.

"So, are things with the redhead serious?"

Startled from his thoughts, Gru glanced at his close companion, eyes wide from the sudden question. "Yes, eet ees," he said slowly. "We are meeteeng een a few days, after she gets all de paperwork and reports filled out from de mission, which I thankfully do not have to do."

"Good, good. Never thought you'd end up with a girlfriend, though."

Indigently, Gru glared at him. "What is dat supposed to mean?"

"Well, just look at you." Nefario waved his gloved hand at Gru's frame dismissively. "Didn't think you'd ever snag a catch looking like that."

Gru halted in the middle of the tiled hallway and scowled at Nefario's retreating back. "Oh, and what's your excuse? I don't see yoo with a girlfriend!"

"I'm working on it."

"Who?" Gru asked, baffled.

Nefario shot a mischievous over his shoulder. "You know her very well-Marlena did raise you, after all."

Complete horror and utter disgust crossed Gru's expression. "My mom? Oh, oh, dat's gross! Dat ees nasty, man! Why would yoo even say dat?"

But Nefario was already at the end of the hallway, laughing wickedly.

"Not cool," Gru muttered under his breath, starting after the man. "Not cool at all. Now I'm goeeng to have nightmares."

The bit that states Gru first met Phil in New York City comes from my previous minion story, Extraordinary Creatures.