"So we're pretty much telling the truth save for the fact you're a vampire hunter and an alien. Right?" Roxanne asked as she sat in the passenger side of the car while she gave Megamind directions through the suburbs.

Today was the big day. Her parents, and sisters, were all having dinner at her parents place and that was an opportune moment for Megamind (or Ethelwine) to finally make his appearance and meet them. Roxanne would, also, announce her pregnancy which she was sure her parents were already 100% certain of. How was it they could pick it up before even she could? She didn't understand.

Megamind looked nervous, and his knuckles were almost white since he was holding the steering wheel so tightly in them. He had already donned a disguise, the 'John' one that he had wore when he had met Roxanne at the gala all those months ago. Only he had added hair to the look, so he wouldn't come off as too strange to Roxanne's family.

"Right." he said after a moment of taking in the scenery of the suburb. This was a part of town he hadn't been to before since it was surprisingly vampire-free. Rare, but nice when it happened.

"Don't be so nervous. They'll love you." Roxanne assured him.

"Ah... we'll see." Megamind hated these nerves. Why wouldn't they leave him be?

They soon parked outside the house and Megamind took a moment to take in the sight of it. So this was the house Roxanne had grown up in. It was rightly beautiful because of it, and he envied that swing since he had never had one of his own. It just looked so... perfect. No wonder Roxanne had turned out amazing if she had grown up in such a beautiful spot.

"From the looks of things only one of my sisters is here... come on." Roxanne patted his hand and got out of the car and waited for him to follow suit. Naturally they had taken the Bentley. The Invisible car was no good for this place.

"I'm actually afraid. I don't like this." Megamind said as she held his hand in hers while they walked up the garden path. "I want to run."

"Nice." Roxanne said sourly. "Come on, they're my family. Don't be worried."

"I'm not worried. I'm scared. There's a difference."

Roxanne laughed and kissed his cheek before ringing the door bell.

It was pulled open seconds later by Roxanne's younger sister, who looked a lot older wearing that pinstripe business skirt and jacket, Amanda. She had jet black hair and was tied in a long plait that reached all the way down her back, and her beautiful deep brown eyes looked hard edged and critically at Megamind for a fraction of a second before she opened her arms out to Roxanne. "Roxi," she smiled with her thinly painted lips. "It's been far too long."

"Mandy! Gosh I know right?" Roxanne hugged her little sister tightly before pulling back and eyed her outfit. "Just came from work?"

"Stock market doesn't stop for the weekend." Mandy replied before looking back at Megamind, setting her hands on her hips in a very Roxanne-like way. "So, this is him is it? The one Mum's been telling me about?"

"Hello." Megamind tried to sound sure of himself but it came out as a squeak. This woman was intimidating, all sharp angles and heels and that mascara.

"Is that Roxanne?"

Then her mother was there, and Caroline pulled Roxanne into another hug before smiling broadly at the young man who had accompanied her daughter. "And you, you must be Ethelwine. I must say that's quite a distinguished name you have."

"Thank you Mrs. Ritchi." Megamind said quietly.

"Oh don't call me that. I'm Caroline. Come in, come in! I'm afraid Julie isn't here yet. Her band practice ran late." she ushered her daughters and the man inside before shutting the door behind them. "Charlie! Roxi's here!"

Megamind was keenly aware that Mandy was watching him as he was led down the hallway through to the main entertainment area. He finally saw Roxanne's father and felt his stomach empty out. He was massive. He might even be the same height as Wayne! While he wasn't as board it was obvious this was a man, even in his sixties, could most probably give Megamind a run for his money if it came to fists.

"Well then. Let's have a look at you." Charles said as he approached Megamind while Roxanne remained standing besides him, knowing better than to leave him unaccompanied in her father's presence.

"Hello… uh... Charles." Megamind wasn't sure if he should try calling him sir, Mr. Ritchi, or something else.

"Charlie works." Charles responded as he held his hand out and when he shook Megamind's hand it felt like he was going to rip his arm out. "Nice to finally meet you Ethelwine. We haven't heard much 'bout you I'm afraid."

"Daddy..." Roxanne warned.

"What? It's the truth." he let go so Megamind could start to get feeling back in his fingers. "Good handshake there, I like that."

"Oh good." Megamind said which made the man laugh. He hadn't meant to be funny, but... whatever helps break the ice?

"I like him so far." Charles informed Roxanne bluntly, despite Megamind standing right there.

Roxanne smiled. "I'm glad."

The front door was suddenly opened and in walked Roxanne's other sister. She had a shaved head. That's the first thing Megamind noticed. She was dressed in black clothing comprised of big leather boots with studs, skin tight black jeans, multiple belts around her slender middle while like Roxanne, she had good hips. She had at least two spiked collars around her neck and her shirt was first a fishnet long sleeved thing with a simple black tank top over that. She had a nose piercing, lip piercing, and her ears had at least three piercings each. Thick black eyeliner circled her eyes, and black eye shadow dotted her eyelids.

The only thing of color about her was her red lipstick and nothing else.

"Julie!" Roxanne went over to her other sister who enthusiastically embraced her.

Megamind could only stare.

"You're looking great, Roxanne." Julie smiled.

"So are you! I love what you've done with your hair." she joked.

"Oh yeah, I'm glad I couldn't do a thing with it." grinned the younger woman before peering around her sister to see Megamind. "Ah yeah I forgot you're bringing your new beau today!" she went over to him and stuck out her hand. "Heya, I'm Julie. You heard of me?" she asked.

"Yes, I have..." Megamind shook her hand. "I like your um... blackness?" he asked.

She laughed. "Thanks. I been like this since I was sixteen. Daddy!" she was suddenly hugging the tall man tightly. "Are you growing a beard?"

"No, you guys just arrived as I was going to shave." he informed her while he hugged her back.

"What is with her outfit?" Megamind whispered to Roxanne.

"That's Julie. It's who she is. Just like how Mandy loves her suits." Roxanne shrugged.

"And they're twins." he stated.

"Not identical, thankfully." Mandy said, who had suddenly joined the conversation.

"Ah!" Megamind jumped.

"Relax, I don't blame you for questioning my twin's fashion taste. I've done that since I can remember." she said, eyeing her sister.

"My ears are burning~" Julie sung.

"Well that means your latest piercings are infected, then." countered Mandy.

"Girls, girls." Charles said, lifting his hand for attention and got it. He was, after all, the king of the house. "Come on let's not scare Roxanne's man with our petty bickering."

"It's no big deal." Megamind spoke out. "My own family's a little like this." if anything, Mandy reminded him of Bernard a little.

"I think every family is." Roxanne smiled, taking his hand into hers and squeezed it gently.

"Okay everyone!" Caroline reappeared from her vanishing act into the kitchen. "Lunch is pretty much on. Girls, can you help me set the table up?" she asked.

Julie and Mandy followed their mother while Roxanne hung back to look at Megamind. She gave his hand one last squeeze before looking at her father. "Be nice to him, Daddy. Please?"

"I'll be nice as I can be." agreed the man.

Megamind watched Roxanne go, before he looked up at the tall man.

"You wanna sit?" Charles asked.

"Yes."

He found a seat in a arm chair and glanced around the room. It was full of bookcases and books, awards were on display, and of course there were family photos. He spotted some framed baby photos and he could recognize Roxanne straight away; that tiny beauty spot was even there as a baby. He smiled faintly.

"So Ethelwine," Charles said. "You're a lawyer?" he asked.

"Hmmh." Megamind nodded. "Business law."

"Sounds like a right mess."

"It gets very messy." Megamind said. "Cut throat business you know."

"I know son. I was in the army my whole life." Charles replied.

"Your whole life?" Megamind asked, eyes wide.

"I enlisted as soon as I was old enough." the man shrugged and glanced up at the portrait of him in his army uniform. "My family's been in the army for several generations and I followed my heart in what I wanted to do."

"Wow."

"I appreciate the wow." Charles smirked.

"So how did you meet.. uh. Your wife?" Megamind asked.

"Shore leave." replied the man. "I'd been in the army, what... five years. I came home for a break, and on my first day back I ran into Caroline in a coffee shop."

"Simple as that?"

"Simple as that. How about you and Roxanne, how did you two meet?" Charles asked.

I saved her from a blood-thirsty vampire.

"Ah, is it fair for me to give you spoilers? I think your wife and two other daughters want to hear that story too." Megamind smiled nervously.

"Good point. I hope it's a good one."

"I know it is, because it's the day I met her." he hadn't meant to gush it like that, but it had just happened without any forewarning.

Charles raised an eyebrow and gave a small, proud smile. Yes, that had been a good answer. A brilliant one, even.

"Boys!" Caroline called. "Food's on!"

The dining table had been laid out with quite a spread including a casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, a leg of lamb and bread rolls. Minion would have loved it. Naturally Charles sat at the head of the table with Caroline to his right. On his left sat Julie and Mandy and on the other side besides her mother sat Roxanne. That left Megamind to sit at the other end of the table.

"Oh this looks delicious." he complimented Caroline.

"Thank you Ethelwine! Now come on, help yourselves..."

There was small chit chat while the food was passed around. Seemed Julie's band had an opening gig on a big event happening in Metro City park the following weekend. It was for youth to attend, so it was alcohol and drug free but there were always idiots who tried sneaking either in. No doubt there'd be drug dogs about. Steadily her band's following was growing, and their records were finally making some money back. Mandy, meanwhile, was on the verge of some kind of business proposal that would rake in the millions if they were lucky. Roxanne talked about her position at work and how things were a lot easier having given up her column in the paper.

Then the questions started, and of course when Megamind was eating some mashed potato. Julie had just offered Roxanne some wine but she discreetly declined.

"So tell us, Ethelwine, how did you come to meet Roxanne?" Mandy asked.

"Oh yes please, details!" Julie grinned.

"It's going back a few months now." Roxanne helped.

"May 20th to be exact." Megamind spoke up, which seemed to impress Charles and Caroline. "Friday night in the city, and I had just finished up with a client and I felt I deserved a drink. So," he picked up his glass of water. He was driving after all and couldn't afford to drink anything especially if his pregnant girlfriend was going to be in the car with him. "I head to a near by hang out and just 'round the corner from there I see this guy harassing somebody."

"Oh no." Caroline said.

Roxanne flushed.

"He's obviously drunk but he's a mean one. Doing the right thing I go over and manage to see the guy off, and that's when I first met her." he gestured to Roxanne. "She'd been celebrating, right?"

"Yes." Roxanne mumbled, embarrassed he would mention her being harassed. But at least he left out it was a vampire. And that she was running for her life. "I was a bit drunk myself."

"Oh Roxi." Caroline tsked. "I'm just glad the incident got by without anyone getting hurt."

Oh if only you knew. Roxanne thought.

"You came to her rescue? Oh my God." Julie clapped her hands together. "That's so awesome. Like a knight in designer clothing."

"He actually helped me get home that night too and before you ask Mandy no he did not come in." Roxanne said, cutting off her sister since it seemed she was opening her mouth to speak. "He was very polite."

"So did you exchange numbers?" Julie asked.

"Surprisingly no." Roxanne said.

"So how did you meet again?"

"He was at that big gala for KGMP 8, turns out he does some business with the company. I was there, minding my own business, suddenly there he is." Roxanne smiled at him, even with that disguise on she had recognized him so easily. Those beautiful eyes were impossible to miss once you knew them. "We got to talking, and he asked me to dance."

"Do you have a brother?" Mandy suddenly asked.

"Uh. Yes." Megamind answered. "His name's Wayne."

"Mandy come on now." Charles said. "You don't need help finding men."

"Oh yes I do. What's he like?"

"Taken." Roxanne informed her quickly. "And somewhat homosexual."

"All the good ones are either taken or gay. I swear to God."

"So is it just you and your brother, Ethelwine?" Caroline asked.

"Oh, no. Well..." Megamind thought fast. "I have a younger brother too."

"Is he taken?" Mandy asked.

"No." Megamind answered before realizing he should have said yes. "Ah... his name is Minh."

"Adopted?" Charles asked.

"Oh we all are. Myself, Wayne, Minh... my parents couldn't have children so they adopted." Megamind said truthfully.

"Isn't that nice?" Caroline asked. "So three sons? No daughters?"

"Ah, no afraid not." Megamind replied. "And Father died when I was only thirteen too."

"What about your mother?" she asked. "Did she take care of you?"

Roxanne saw Megamind freeze. She took over quickly. "His mother and father actually... had a bit of a fall out when he was only five. They divorced, and she's only just now tried to get back in touch with him."

Megamind gave her a look. She shouldn't have said that. That much was personal.

"Oh sweetie I'm sorry to hear that." Caroline said softly. "But at least she's trying to form a connection with you all again."

"I guess." Megamind mumbled quietly.

"It isn't hard for a mother to abandon her children. I'm sure it was very painful for her, if not more so than it is now trying to contact you again. Have you spoken with her?" Caroline asked.

"No not... not yet." he answered.

"It's his choice if he does or doesn't." Roxanne spoke up. "She hurt him very deeply."

"Some wounds need to hurt more before they can heal." Charles spoke up. "Maybe this is the last push before that wound fixes itself."

Megamind said nothing more on the subject so he busied himself with a drink of water.

The rest of the meal was more small talk about this, and that, and Megamind gave his opinion when asked but was more or less an observer of the family. So this was the small family who had helped shape Roxanne into the woman she was today... he could certainly see her in both of her parents. Caroline not only had the same facial shape but she had that playful, joking kind of temperament that Roxanne used on occasion when the mood suited her. Yet in her father, that tall, rock jawed army man who would defend his family until his dying breath, was all direct and honest. Roxanne got that way when talking about her job, and didn't mess around when it came to serious matters.

He found it hilarious though to notice it was her Father who was the one with the beauty spot on his chin that Roxanne had inherited. Her sisters though, didn't have it.

Mandy was serious like her Father, but not the same 'type' of serious. You felt that if you put a word wrong with her she'd come down on you like a ton of bricks, cutting at you with her sharp tongue and leaving you a pile of whimpering mass when she chose to finally be rid of our existence. Her determination in finding a man was obvious, since she kept asking Megamind about his 'brother' Minh and what he was like. Megamind just hoped she didn't want to go on a date with the fish since that would be... yeah. Awkward.

Then there was Julie, fun loving, quirky, joking Julie who didn't seem as though she could take anything too seriously outside of her love of music. He learned throughout the rest of the meeting with the family that Julie was actually already engaged to a man by the name of Nathan whom she used to date in college and who had been on and off again for years. The idea of this bald, leather wearing, spike clad woman having a fiancé was mind blowing.

He couldn't deny he admired a woman with a bald head though. But nothing compared to Roxanne's beauty, absolutely nothing.

It was after the meal now, washing machine filled, the family had filtered outside into the backyard to sit on the patio and talk a bit more. Megamind watched as Roxanne purposely sat besides him and away from her father since he was pulling out a lighter. He smoked? Well, to each their own really...

"I wish you wouldn't, it smells awful." Caroline said as she plumped the pillow on the chair she was going to sit on.

"Let a man have a few basic pleasures, woman." Charles replied jokingly, to which she huffed in his general direction.

"Actually," Roxanne said after clearing her throat and subtly took hold of Megamind's hand into hers. "I... I'd like it if you didn't, at least while I'm here Daddy."

"Oh?" he asked, and this seemed to get everyone else's attention which was something since the twins had been in the middle of a private debate over whether Mandy should get her ears pierced or not. Julie was all for it and was listing all the guys she knew who could do it at a great price, even free, but Mandy didn't want to go to one of those places to do it.

"Um. Yes." Roxanne said quietly, suddenly not all that fond of being in the spotlight despite her job being that of a news reporter. Speaking into a camera was one thing, speaking in front of your family with some big news was something else entirely.

"Don't you feel well, Roxi?" her mother asked as she sat down. "Are you still feeling unwell from before?"

"That's one word for it." Megamind mumbled, to which Roxanne jabbed him in the stomach. "Sorry!"

"Fact of the matter is... well. I'm going to have a baby." Roxanne said with a lot more calm and dignity than how she had shouted it at her boyfriend. "You were right, Daddy. I was pregnant. I just didn't know it at the time. But it's been confirmed... I am."

Her sisters stared at her in total shock, and Caroline looked so excited all of a sudden. Charles, meanwhile, continued to look at her in the same watchful way like before.

"Congratulations!" Caroline finally cried, getting up from her seat quickly to embrace not only Roxanne but Megamind too. "I knew it, I knew it!" she said excitedly while Megamind's eyes widened at her embrace. He hadn't expected that.

"I knew it. You told me not to be crazy." Charles said.

"Oh hush! Our daughter's having a baby, that's wonderful news!" Caroline chided her husband.

"It is wonderful." he agreed, nodding as Julie rushed over to Roxanne and hugged her too.

"You're making me an aunt, that is so amazing!" she grinned. "I'm going to be the greatest aunt ever. This kid's going to be spoilt rotten."

"Oh boy." Mandy rolled her eyes but still gave Roxanne a hug. "This will be fun."

"So what are you two going to do?" Charles asked both Roxanne and Megamind. "Are you living together?"

"Mm." Roxanne nodded as she took Megamind's hand back into hers again for the support. "I've been living with him since I found out. It just... I don't know. Feels better having him near by when I can."

"I'm going to be cutting back on work too. I don't want to be away if anything major happens during the pregnancy. Especially when the birth happens." Megamind explained though in reality he didn't know how he could 'cut back on work' with his job.

"What about marriage?" Mandy asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Mandy, that's their choice." Caroline scolded slightly. "Remember, your father and I didn't get married until Roxanne was five. Just because she's pregnant doesn't mean they have to tie the knot right away. They just need to be together, and support one another throughout this whole big... well. Adventure the two of you are about to embark on. Of course I'll be available any time for babysitting you realize this?" she asked.

Megamind now began to seriously wonder what kind of child they would have. What if the baby was blue? How could you explain that? Or an overly large head? Chalk it up to a genetic default? oh God. And the sudden proposition of marriage, that was another thing that had never dawned on him until now. Did Roxanne want to get married? Did he want to get married? He once thought that he would never be given the option of either having children or marriage at all so to suddenly find two options being very liable it was like... lightning had struck him twice. His hand in Roxanne's suddenly tightened more and she glanced at him with a soft smile. She thought he was just worried about something else, didn't she? Oh boy.

"You'll have to fight Mini... Minh over that, then. He said he'd love to watch the baby for us if he can. So has Wayne and Bernard." Roxanne smiled.

"You guys will be lucky to even hold the kid once it comes out by that rate." Charles smirked. "So how far along are you?"

"Seven weeks this Tuesday." Megamind answered, and Roxanne smirked. He knew everything, didn't he?

"Oh!" Caroline gasped. "I can lend you the baby books I have, they're full of information about all sorts of things! If you want I can even give you some of you girls old baby clothes. Uh, if it's a girl I mean." she smiled faintly.

"That'd be a help yeah, but it's far too early to even determine what it is yet." Roxanne said as she touched her own stomach subconsciously.

"Besides a miracle." Megamind said out loud before he could stop himself.

"Oh now that is the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Caroline smiled, clasping her hands together. "When I told Charles I was pregnant he asked me if I was half asleep."

"Well you did collect call me while I was in Africa." Charles pointed out.

"That's besides the point." she replied, setting her hands on her hips.

"Right, of course." Charles smirked.

By the time Megamind and Roxanne left the house their arms were laden with left overs and deserts. Roxanne told her boyfriend that this was just the way things were done in her family; no doubt her sisters would be given leftovers too when they left as well. It happened every time, without fail.

"Your Mother still said I was too skinny." Megamind muttered.

"She says that about everyone." Roxanne laughed, reaching over and rubbed his leg reassuringly. "But you must admit, you are skinny."

"It's not my fault it's my genetics!" He spluttered. "Both my parents were skinny!"

"I still find it astounding that you can remember your parents." she replied, watching him carefully. "Your kind... their memories must have been huge."

He shrugged weakly. "Sometimes I wish I couldn't remember everything."

"I know." Roxanne replied gently. "Some things are best forgotten."

Megamind only nodded, and they drove in relative silence for a while before Roxanne giggled suddenly.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm just remembering! Mandy made me promise to give Minion her number!" Roxanne laughed and clapped her hands together. "Oh my God, I feel so bad for her!"

"I feel bad for Minion." Megamind said. "He's never been on a date in his life, I don't know how he'll react to this."

"I don't know, do you think I should give it to him? I mean, you were pretty honest about him. Cooking, cleaning, sewing... keeping out the fact he's an alien fish in a gorilla robot suit though. I can just tell her he isn't interested..." she mused.

"I can't believe we're actually discussing this." he snorted. "No, we can't give him her number. He's a fish. He's never showed interest in anyone."

"Mandy isn't so bad though, is she?" she asked.

"I don't think she'd mesh well with Minion." Megamind replied honestly, but didn't answer the question smartly.

"No, I don't think so either... she can be pretty domineering." Roxanne admitted, sighing.

"...I'll still tell him that a girl is interested in him though. Just to see how he'll react."

"Oh you're awful!"

"I know."

She chuckled and looked out the window wistfully, hands resting on her stomach as she did.

Megamind glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before looking back to the road in front of him. The question of marriage suddenly bloomed in his mind like a great flower bursting open at the first rays of sunlight for the day. Did Roxanne want to get married to him? They hadn't been together four months yet, but they were living together... she was pregnant... was this considered moving too fast? He guessed it would be for most people. But he loved her, he really did; that much he was 100% sure on. But marriage?

Would he want to raise a child out of wedlock? Roxanne had been raised that way until she was five, and she was fine. It makes no real difference at all.

But the idea of standing in a tuxedo besides Roxanne, who would wear a flowing white gown and holding a small bouquet suddenly shimmered in his imagination and he didn't know how to feel about it.

Life really had changed a lot recently...

"Megamind? Megamind!" Roxanne's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "What are you doing?" she asked.

What was he doing? He was taking a side road suddenly through the city, not going in the direction of home at all. Megamind put the brakes on and pulled up onto the curb, knuckles white against the wheel. "Sorry, I just..."

That's when he felt it. He turned his head away from her, his eyes widening as he did. "Stay in the car."

"What?" Roxanne asked as he suddenly reached into the back seat and pulled out his sword from where he kept it. He also quickly strapped a stake to his leg before climbing out of the car. "Oh for... now? How do you know these things?" she asked, partly exasperated but also amazed.

"I don't know." he admitted weakly before taking off into the shadows and soon vanished from sight.

Roxanne locked the doors quickly before sitting back in her seat, and sighed.

"Crazy."

To be continued