"Okay, gurls, yu brushed yur teeth, made yur hair, had breakfast - Agnes, dun't draw Mister Fluffy through dhe puddles again, I'm not sure if I'll get his fur white again next time! Edith, dun't bite yur classmates, Margo - dun't speak to boys, okay? Okay!"
"Hey, hey slowly there!" Margo stopped Gru and crossed her arms.
"Why are you so eager to get rid of us huh?"
"Rid of yu? I-I jus' think yu guys shuld hurry so yu'll get dhe bus for school!"
"But why can't you drive us to school?" Asked Agnes.
"Hon, I told yu i need dhe car today so i can bring Lucy to dhe doctor, dat's all."
"Why exactly does she have a doctor-appointment?"
"Out of dhe same reason she isn't going to train vith yu for a while now, Edith, so enough vith dhe questions now!"
"But you never told us why Lucy is-"
"Ooh, guys, look, dhere is dhe bus, okay, yu have much fun, be polite and burn anythin' except shakespear, okay? Okay, aaand bye!"
Pushing them outside the door, he closed it behind him and sighed loudly. He didn't want to kick them out like that. But what else should he tell them without unsettling them or arousing any floods of questions.
But he was already stressed enough!
He was scared of the appointment - he was scared that anything could be wrong, or that their baby was sick...it was their first ultrasound, one of the many, yet he was already scared, but excited at the same time. There wouldn't be much to see, probably - but who knows.
"Lucy, dhe kids are off. Are yu done dressin'? We..." he gulped. "We gotta go."
"Just a minute!" Lucy shouted out the bedroom. A last check in the mirror, she readjusted the clothes she wore, somewhat loose linen together with one of Gru's old shirts she had never seen him in but she liked the fabric of. The linen without shirt would show the belly too much when the girls got home, but she really needed thin fabrics on a hot day like this. A few buttons under the bust tightened the outfit up, and she sprinted out, running down the stairs and put on her most comfortable ballerina shoes.
"I know we've gotta go, but I won't go out just looking like something the cat dragged in", she muttered and pulled her curly hair into a ponytail.
"Honey, yu look fine, now come on…"
"Stop telling me that!"
Ugh, those mood-swings! Gru had to suffer her moody self for the last three weeks, and thinking that this was going to go on the next seven and a half months, he mentally groaned.
"Heh…sorry, Gru. I'm just nervous, alright? We're actually going to see the baby today. Can you believe it!" She jumped from excitement and grabbed his hands, and he pulled her closer.
This was the day they were also going to find out what gender it had.
He himself was feeling his hands slightly shaking, questions, concerns and whatnot filled his mind and he just waited for the right moment to ask them and share them with her, but for now, he wouldn't disturb her own happiness.
"Yaay..." he said, holding their in the air, just sounding about half as enthusiastic as her. She pouted. "Now now, mister Grumpy-pants. Aren't you happy to see junior yourself?" - "Yes…of course I am." He gave in and smiled. "Alright then, let's go!"
He closed the door behind them and they jumped into her little blue vehicle. His was more comfortable than hers, but it was hard to find a double-parkinglot.
Lucy had no trouble fitting inside – but Gru, as always, had trouble with the with of his shoulders.
"Ugh, dis thing is like a lunchbox on wheels." "I just like it…cozy."
"Tell dat my too big body."
Lucy just rolled her eyes, yet she grinned.
As soon as they sat inside and started to drive, Gru took a deep breath and looked at her.
"Uh, Lucy, uh-vhat if dhere's somethin' wrong vith dhe baby? I-i mean it's not uncommon dat dhey can have, uh, diseases or even uh-yu know, disabilities." he shrugged.
He knew that back in his pedigree nothing of these things ever happened, nor was his bloodline prone to serious diseases, but who knows.
"Oh?" Of all things she had thought about, the child's genetics were none of them. She had been worried about the birth itself and things, but not the health of the baby. She all of a sudden felt very guilty over that. "Well, uhm…the risk for those things ARE higher when the mother is old, and I am no spring chicken. But we'll see. If it's something so wrong with it so it won't survive, heaven forbid, then I guess we need to..." She swallowed hard.
"Gru, promise me you won't freak out, but if it's something way too serious that it won't survive from, like the brain being outside of the head or something, then we need to abort it, and I can't have you raging at neither me nor the doctor if that is the case."
Too serious to survive? He barely knew anything about diseases, his interests were mostly fixed on science, and not on biology.
"I-uhm-" He already was startled but the thought something very serious would be with their baby was only making him more stressed. "I-I-I wun't freak out..." he said, more scared than angry about her thought of, after all, killing it so it wouldn't have to suffer. But would that be really needed? He just hoped so much it wouldn't happen.
She took a deep breath in relief and tried to be cheery again. "Good news is that I'm perfectly healthy, no allergies what I know of, never had any diseases, just issue with getting burnt instead of tanned…you know?" She tugged on her red curls and laughed. But Gru wasn't as cheery as she was.
"Dis really sedates me..." he mumbled absently-minded and in a sarcastic manner, brushing his hand over his forehead.
And suddenly, something struck him. "Hey, speakin' about dat-" he quickly changed the subject. "Uhm, I dun't think I have already asked yu, but-vhat du yu wish dhe baby to become? A boy or a girl?"
"Oh, I dunno. Both are good I guess." She stayed silent for a beat, before she changed her mind. "No, wait both are not good. Both are still pretty terrifying." Gru frowned at her. "It's just - How would I be a good mother to a girl if she ends up being, you know - boyish?" She huffed in frustration. "On the other hand, having a boy would be even harder. I don't have much experience either way to know what I would prefer. How about you Gru? Do you want a first son or a fourth daughter?" She put a hand over the small bulge, trying to imagine both.
She had been thinking about this a long while – what he would want. Of course, he would want a boy. A first son! He had his three girls already and a man like Gru – she always thought that if he ever would have had a wife, he would be the father of a male offspring.
Within a short amount of time, he replied: "I'd be okay vith both, I guess. " he shrugged, but then he placed a hand upon her cheek and smiled at her. "Hun, dun't yu worry, yu're a wonderful Mom, and no matter vhat it will be - yu'll du a great job, okay? Trust me..."
Lucy tried to figure out what was more taking effect right now: Her surprise he didn't say a son right away – or the way he encouraged her. She went along with smiling at him.
"And you're a wonderful Daddy."
While they were driving, he started to imagine what it would be to have a son or a daughter. He knew how to handle a female, he had his girls, and he loved them more than anything. He knew it was important to keep their hair always brushed, to play with dolls instead of cars, he knew that they weren't much into the stuff he liked back when he was a boy, and the older they'd become, the more he had to make sure they weren't doing something they'd regret. But a boy...
He would suck at trying to raise the only male kid in the house, he was sure.
Lucy suddenly noticed how pale he had become during the entire conversation.
"Hun…you okay?"-"Y-yeah, s-sure…" he nodded.
"Good! We're here." She stepped out of the car, locked it and walked towards the ob. Looking back at her boyfriend, she got the feeling that the support today was going to be her for him and not the other way around. "Just sit and listen to me talking to the doctor, and if you have any questions, ask." She grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, and Gru nodded with a lump in his throat.
...
Inside the hospital, Gru felt all his confidence sinking instantly. He didn't like hospitals. He didn't like them at all. The metallic and burning scent of medication, the bright light that hurt his eyes, the white walls and suits of the nurses, it made him crazy, but for her, he stood tall and pulled himself together.
They were told to sit in front of a door that probably was the office of the doc, but however, Gru didn't let go of Lucy's hand during the entire time, even as they were called to meet the doctor inside his office. From there on, he left the talking to Lucy.
Lucy and Gru entered the office, that at the moment was empty. No biggie, the doctor would be there soon. Lucy went straight to sit on the strange chair that had two supports by the bottom and Gru followed. She looked around the room, checking the diplomas and information posters like she'd done before. Within a minute or two, Lucy's gynecologist, Dr Saxena, got in with a smile.
"Lucy, so glad to see you! And this must be...?" Lucy turned towards Gru, and with a pat on his back, she smiled.
"Hey! This is Felonious Gru, he's the father." The doctor reached a hand to both of them to shake, welcoming them. The handshake was firm but gentle, and to Lucy's constant relief, warm hands.
"Welcome Felonious, I hope everything is fine."
"Y-yah, yah." He assured her with a gulp. "Just fightin' a nearin' panic-attack, dat's all."
The Doctor laughed. "It's okay. I can understand if you're nervous. First child, I assume?" - "Furst biological child, yes…" he tugged on the turtleneck of his sweater. "Honey, you can wait outside, hm?" Lucy comforted him. "No…no,no, dun't worry." He shook his hand, grinning awkwardly.
"So Lucy, today is the day! We're gonna do an ultrasound." She nodded eagerly.
"Already having ideas which gender you'd prefer?"
"We're good with both." She said for him. - "Alright then…you sit down on the bank and I'll get the ultra-sound device…"
Lucy jumped on the flat cot and pulled up her shirt to reveal the quite grown belly. The doctor took out the ultrasound-device, covered it up with lube, and Lucy grabbed Gru's hand. "Don't worry Lucy", the doctor said. "It'll be a little cold but won't hurt at all." Still, Lucy pinched Gru's hand a little when the doctor put the ice-cold scanner on her belly-button. Then she turned the machine on.
That thing was huge, he was sure they would hurt her or harm the baby when she continued to press it that hard on her belly!
He held her hand a bit tighter, although the rest of his body felt like the minion had shot his freeze-ray at him, frozen to the toes. And out of any reason he just couldn't stop staring at what she was doing there with that device on his girlfriend, until his attention was drawn to the monitor next to the chair. While the doctor moved the device over her, the buzzing blackness on the screen changed, step by step, until something popped up on the screen. It was something round and apparently quite big, but as she moved onward, he could swear he saw something inside that big round organ.
"Ah, here we go." the doctor mumbled, and suddenly Gru's eyes widened.
A little something, not much bigger as his hand, was revealed inside. It had a giant head, some accentuation's that perhaps could be a nose or even lips, and downwards he could see some tiny, thin sticks, probably the legs or the arms. It lied there, inside that big round organ, barely moving.
That was their baby.
He cracked a smile, overwhelmed by what he saw there. Just some weeks it was inside Lucy and they already could see what it looked like.
She looked over at Gru, breaking out in a smile when she saw his eyes go wide. He couldn't say a word, but staring and grinning and he saw her staring at the screen herself. Lucy looked over at the monitor, seeing the little form that was inside of her. Then she turned back to Gru, sharing a smile. She had never seen him smile this genuine.
"It looks absolutely normal Lucy and Felonious, you have nothing to worry about. Single little baby. I... I can't see if it's a girl or boy yet."
"Oh, dat's alright," Gru said. "We haven't decided if we vant to know yet."
"Well, I'll write down that everything looks fine. You can your clothes back on now." The doctor shut the machine down and pulled away, leaving room for Lucy to get down and get dressed again.
"Now, is there anything you two need to know before you skedaddle home again?" The doctor leaned over to a printer, and handed them all papers, including a print of the ultrasound.
"Not really. Everything's fine? There's nothing wrong?" The doctor shook her head with a smile.
"Well, as much as I have seen yet, your child seems to develop into a perfectly healthy individual."
Gru sighed in relief and Lucy smiled up at him.
"See? Nothing to worry about."
Given the print, some documents and some bright smiles on both of their faces, both took a look at the photo that was taken. It wasn't much to see, and yet he recognized the form of the baby, it's spheroidal head, the tiny frame and thin limbs which were crouched to its body.
He didn't say much, almost nothing until they stood outside the hospital, heading back to the car. And then he suddenly blurted everything out in a tone of bliss, fuss and astonishment.
"Did yu see it, Lucy? Di-did yu see how tiny it is?" he beamed at her.
"I DID!" She shouted in excitement as tears were running down her face in happiness.
"I-It was so tiny, Gru! Like, not even the size of a kitten! And it'll grow so big soon!"
"Y-yes!" Gru grabbed Lucy and hugged her with a swirl around. "I-I can't believe it, I have never seen such a thing before..." "Yes…and - And it's well! Whohoo!"
Looping her arms around her, they hugged each other tightly, the future parents chuckled and whispered and squealed in happiness.
They hadn't been seeing much of it yet, and Gru already couldn't believe the wonder of mother nature.
"Oh! Gru, We should totally tell the girls soon! I want to hang that picture up on the fridge!" She scooted closer with him to the car.
"Both are good ideas – and vhen? Today?"
"Naah - How about next week, the day after they're on holiday? We can bring them to Super Silly Fun Land and spend the whole day with them and then tell them the news when we get home!"
"A'right, sounds good!" He chuckled. If he loved one thing more than anything, then it was things working just right according to plan...
...
"Uhm-Agnes, Edith, vhy are yu home already?"
Okay…
This was apparently not working according to plan.
Gru hadn't even entered the mansion, and he already noticed that the jackets and schoolbags of the girls lied around the floor, the youngest carrying a big colorful box across the hallway. "Oh-hey Gru, hey Lucy!" she greeted. "They gave us off school, it was too hot in the classrooms." Gru looked back at Lucy for a split second, seeing she was just as surprised over their appearance here as their father. "So, how was the doctor appointment?" Asked Margo. "Everything's fine?" Lucy smiled towards the girls while taking off her shoes. "Everything is fine, even better than fine." She said. "The doctor didn't find any issues"
"Does that mean you can train ju jutsu again?" Edith asked hopefully. Lucy looked over at Gru, not knowing what to say. But Gru bit his lip and slowly shook his head. "Uh - No sweetie, not yet. The doctor wants me to take it easy for a while on." - "But can you play Twister? I found it in the attic." The girls beamed at her and she started laughing. "Sure Agnes, I'd love to. Gru, my papers are in the handbag if you need to check on them. I'll be in the living room for a bit." She followed the two youngest girls and set up the game.
Gru and Margo watched them taking the game into the living room, and the eldest looked up at her father.
"Ain't yu playin' vith dhem?" he asked.
"Nope!" she shook her head, grinning knowingly.
"So, yu have photos?"
Gru nodded, picked up Lucy's handbag and pulled out some sheets of paper and a photo. "But let's go to dhe kitchen, I dun't want Edith and Agnes to see dis already."
"And when will you both tell them?"
"Hm, probably next week? We'll have some things prepared for yu guys!"
Following her father into the kitchen, he finally revealed her the photo that was taken.
"Oh my god!" she cheered silently. "That's amazing! Look at it, it almost looks like a fully evolved baby!"
"Yeah..." he chuckled. "It's all healthy and fine, we'll have some odher checks on it around dis week, but so far, it is developin' jus' fine!"
"You already know the gender?"
"Nah, we can check on dat in six days."
He put the photo back into the stack of paper.
"But shh, no word to yur sisters, deal?"
"Deal!"
Agnes was sitting on the couch, watching Lucy and Edith okay after she had fallen, now in charge of the board that showed what you were gonna do.
"So Lucy, how come you're not on some funny mission like Gru gets send out on? Did you get demoted?" Lucy huffed, standing in a weird position over Edith, trying to answer Agnes' questions. "Nah Agnes, Director Ramsbottom needs me right now at the headquarters for important conferences and meetings. In fact, it's more like I got promoted!"
"But why?" Edith asked, moving her hand to blue. Lucy was a bit taken aback at the question.
"Well, Edith, don't you think I deserve a promotion?"
"Sure you do. What did you do to deserve it?"
"Well, Edith, I've worked hard. I've been with the AVL for years, but got moved here to recruit someone who could handle the El Macho business. I'm specialized in profiling and identifying both the bad guys, but also find fitting new members. And Silas thought he needed a second hand now due to things changed in the head office." The girl looked suspicious, as if she was trying to determine if Lucy lied or told the truth.
"Right foot on yellow!" Agnes shouted. Lucy stretched out her leg, but fell and knocked everything over when Agnes burst out in surprise.
"Lucy, what's that!?" Lucy and Edith landed their bottoms at the floor, both confused.
"Sorry Edith, I guess you won."
"That's alright."
"Lucy!"
"What is it Agnes?" The little girl crawled up into Lucy's lap and started tugging on the shirt. Lucy was about to protest, but before she realized what was going on, Agnes had pulled up the fabric enough to expose her whole belly and Lucy gave a surprised yelp. She put a tiny finger and ran it over a dark streak that was going from her panty line to halfway toward her navel. "What's that? You haven't had that before." Lucy looked between the girls and then back at the place where Gru had left a few moments ago. Well…this was definitely not going according to plan – but the cat has been let out of the sack.
"It's a linea nigra, Agnes. Sometimes mommies get that when they're having a baby." The shout from the little girl could be heard all through the house.
"YOU HAVING A BABYBELLY!?"
Margo dropped the photo, and Gru the rest of the paper. The sound of Agnes voice echoed through the entire house, and he was sure, people outside have had heard her as well. Did Agnes just said...babybelly? Looking up, all across the hallway and into the living room, where Lucy was sitting on the board with the many colorful circles and Agnes, sitting in Lucy's lap and poked her exposed belly. "Oh...damn..." mumbled Margo, finally realizing what was going on. She slowly turned back to Gru, who stared from the scene in the other room back to his daughter, and back to Lucy.
They found out.
Edith turned around, looking at her father, and he saw how everything, really everything, suddenly seemed legit for her. The sudden and quick moving in, the way she acted towards her, the omission of the training-hours, the wide clothes... Lucy gave Gru an apologizing glance.
Margo bit her lips, seeing that Gru indeed had a lot to explain them. He, himself, felt his sweater increasing in heat, and nervously, he nibbled on his lower lip. "Uhm...here, you'll need this." she put the photo of the ultrasound in his hand. Gru took the photo, looked back at it, before he took a deep breath and entered the living room.
"Uhm...Edith, Agnes, Margo, uhm-may we have a talk togedher?"
The kids turned to him and he sat down on the ground to be closer to them. Lucy stood up and moved next to him, grabbing his free hand.
"Me and Gru, we uh, we wanted to tell you guys about it, really! We just thought we should wait until next week, but...yes, it's true."
He offered a weak smile. "Yu guys are gettin' a leetle siblin'."
Gru held up the photo, showing it to Agnes and Edith, and boths eyes widened.
The ex-villain glanced back at Lucy, pressing his lips together, feeling a bit guilty they kept it a secret from the entire time.
Lucy felt like the odd one out. Every now and then, one of the three girls glanced over her, her belly in particular. She felt so exposed, so naked. The truth had come out and absolutely not how they had planned.
"So, you're pregnant?" Edith asked. It was the only thing she had said for minutes. Her arms crossed, the beanie pressed hard over her face, Lucy had a hard time reading the little girls emotions.
"Yeah, I am. That is…that is the reason I cannot train with you anymore, Edith…I'm sorry, but – yes, I'm pregnant."
She didn't get much more time to explain before little Agnes jumped up on her with a cheer.
"I'm gonna be a big sister!" Lucy grabbed Agnes in surprise. "I'm not gonna be the smallest anymore! Is it a girl or a boy?"
"Oh, sweetie, we're not sure yet. You see, with how far I've gone, the baby's ge-"
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO HAPPY WHEN GRU IS REPLACING YOU!?" In a sudden moment, everything stopped. Margo, Lucy, Gru and Agnes looked at their sister in shock.
"Edith, we're not replacin' yu." Gru tried to console his daughter. "Dis was a total accident and we veren't tr-"
"WELL IT HAPPENED." The girl got her face straight up towards Lucy's and if she had been an adult, Lucy would have feared for the safety of her and the baby. There was so much anger and hurt in the little girl's eyes. "You just had to come and make an own." Before Lucy could calm her down and have her explain what was really on her mind, the blond girl ran away from the family and up to her room.
Silence filled the room. The previous happiness over the new member of the family faded instantly. Lucy looked over to Gru and felt like she was going to cry any second.
"I-I'm…" she stammered. "I'm sorry…this was a bad idea…"
"No, no it vasn't, honey…" He approached her and hugged her and his daughters, comforting them. "She jus' - snapped I guess..."
That did definitely not go as planned. Nothing about this.
He knit his eyebrows together. He didn't feel sad, or sorry for Edith - he was simply angry. What the hell was wrong with her, acting the goat?
"I'll go and talk to her..." he growled a bit as he walked into the hallway. "But Gru, honey…?" Lucy caught his hand before he left.
"Please…don't be too hard with her, okay?"
Gru blinked a few times, before he nodded.
He stomped upwards the stairs, opened the door and closed it behind him. Edith sat behind her bomb-bed, crouched together and her beanie pulled over her eyes. "Edith..." he said, firmly. "Edith, vhat was dat now? Yu can't jus' yell at her for bein' pregnant, du yu think we have actuall dat in dhe first place to make yu feel replaced?"
"Go away!" Edith yelled back at him.
"No Edith, I have enough! I simply have enough of yur-"
"GO AWAY!" she grabbed a stuffed animal and threw it after him. "Just go back to your beloved girlfriend and your own little CHILD!"
"Edith, stop dat, okay? Dat's jus' rubbish!"
"IT'S NOT!" Tears ran down her red face, anger in her eyes. "I have seen people's true character - I know what's like to be thrown away! I know this story - you and Lucy are going to have that 'thing' and then you'll forget about us! Everything you'll think about is that thing! Everything you'll talk about is that thing! You'll just care about your own kid and you'll push us away from you! You'll leave us alone...I bet you even would give us back to Miss Hattie!"
"Vhat?! No, dat's not true! I'd R give yu back to Hattie!"
"Yes you will...yes you will..."
The girl broke down crying, burying her face in her hands and Gru couldn't do anything but stare at her in shock.
That...thing...
He knew the pain of being alone his entire life - but knowing what it feels like to rely on somebody so much, and they'll let you down like what she had witnessed...
Gru knelt down getting on her level and put his hand on her head to pat it slightly. He was lucky she wouldn't push him away. She accepted it silently, but he knew that she hated him right now more than anything. "You don't love us anymore, do you?"
"Edith...no." he whispered, calmly. "I'd never, ever give yu back again. I love yu, I love yu more dhan anythin' in my life..."
Edith just continued to sob and whimper. "They told me that too - and then they gave me away. They replaced me by a stupid baby and left me alone, all by my own." - "Yu really think I am 'dhem', Edith?"
The blonde looked back at her father. "Yu really think I am a person to du dat to my own daughters? - Givin' yu up like yu're not dhe most important part in my life?" Gru brushed off her tears from her face, caressing her cheeks. "Honey, I'll never let yu go again - i promised dis to yu, remember? And I'll keep my promise." Edith grimaced again, fresh tears rolling over her face. She barely cried. She was such a tough, strong little girl and he never saw her crying that much as today. Whether as she hurt her ankles as she fell off that tree, nor as Kyle bit her, nor as they have these very, very hard fights. The blonde repressed another whimper, but Gru already had pulled her close to his chest, pressing her tightly against his body. "Oh, Edith..." he whispered softly, her tiny arms clung to his collar and she continued to cry into his shoulder. Stroking over her head gently he kissed her forehead, her temples and her hair, rocking slightly to calm her down. "Shhh, it's fine, it's fine, baby-gurl..."
After some more minutes, Edith walked with Gru holding her hand back into the living room and looked up at Lucy in shame. She gulped, twice and then she whispered: "I'm…I'm sorry, Lucy."
Lucy had been sitting with the photos on the couch, with Margo and Agnes, to distract them and help them get over the shock. But now she smiled at her.
"Oh, pumpkin…it's okay…" she smiled at her and caressed her cheek. "I'm not mad with you at all…you wanna join your siblings and see your sibling?"
She nodded, jumping up on the couch and sat next to her. "Do you guys already know if it's going to be a girl or a boy?" she asked.
"No, we don't. You see, there is the head, and that's the legs and arms", she pointed out what every white blob meant for the girls. "And here is where we would have been able to see the sex. But the baby had the leg in the way, and might have not developed yet. You see, at the start, all babies are female."
"No way!" Agnes said surprised.
"Way. Then a bit in the pregnancy, the sex is transformed into a penis if it's gonna be a male, and continues the same path as before if it's gonna me female."
The girls have gathered closely around Lucy and all looked at the photo with interest, following her explanation. For each of them, the photo showed something else - for Agnes a little, gorgeous baby sister she could play with, for Edith something weird and alien-like, laying there in Lucy's belly and growing larger every day, for Margo, it was just a great opportunity - not for her, personally, but for her father. She knew how it was to raise a toddler, she had been taking care of Agnes when she was a baby.
But Gru never witnessed the joys of raising a newborn.
Gru had joined them on the couch, an arm around Lucy and one around Edith and also he listened to her words. What this tiny thing would become eventually, he wondered…Giggling a bit when she mentioned how it either can become a male or a female, Agnes blurted: "I hope it's going to be a girl!" - "A girl? Blewwgh, no, how lame! I want a brother!" Edith answered. "I could do awesome fighting tricks with him!" "And what do you guys want?" Margo asked, looking at Lucy and Gru.
"Uuhm…" Gru blinked at the redhead.
"Hmm…" Lucy mumbled back.
She put a hand over her belly, trying to find an answer.
"We dunno Margo. As long as it's a wonderful little kid who you will love, I'm happy for giving you a little sibling. I haven't had much experience with children until I met you, and by any implications of how it is to have girls, I wouldn't mind a daughter if she would be half as cool as the three of you."
Edith grimaced slightly, rolling her eyes. "Noo, I'm sure it's going to be a boy! You know, a cool, small brother, I could teach him how to climb trees and be a cool ninja!" - "You only say that because you 'want' one, hm?" Margo shrugged. She was fine with any of these. Either a baby-brother, or a baby-sister. Gru watched the kids throwing their imaginations of how they would treat their brother or sister, leaning his head against Lucy's and took her hand. She smiled, sighing happily. She was happy she now had become a part of his family. She and this little baby inside her.
...
"Ouch!" Agnes yelped slightly. "Sorry Agnes, I just-grr!" Gru held the brush in his hand, trying to solve the snarl of black hair. "Yu haven't been dryin' yur hair after takin' a shower again, hm?" - "I forgot, sorry Gru."
Gru carefully ran the comb through her hair, sitting on the edge of the bathtub with her to get her done for bed. Edith and Margo already were in bed, while Agnes always was the last one. But she had the longest hair and she always needed Gru's help when she had to brush her teeth.
Quickly tying her streaks into the ponytail-form, he put the red braid around it. "So, dhere yu go..."
Taking the big blue pyjama shirt, he pulled it over her head. "Here we go, all ready for bed."
"I'm not even tired!" - "Sure yu are." Gru smiled. "Yu're always dhe fastest fallin' asleep." - "But this time I'm not tired! I wanna know more about my little baby-sister."
"Agnes..." he picked her up. "Yu dun't even know if it's goin' to be a gurl, hm?" - "Hmm..." Agnes hummed, nuzzling against her father's shoulder.
He carefully dipped her down into her bed, pulling the blanket over her and kissing her forehead. "Goodnight, Agnes..."
"Wait..." she mumbled, half asleep. Gru tilted his head. "Hm?"
"Uhm...I wanna say Lucy goodnight too! Can you bring her here?"
"Oh? Sure." He quickly scooted to the door. "Lucy?" he whispered loudly. "Agnes wanna say goodnight to yu..."
Lucy heard him calling for her across the hall, and walked silently into the girl's bedroom. So far, she had rarely been in there, seeing it as a sacred place for the small family of four. Now, she felt as if she was being invited into the family, becoming one of them.
"Huh? You called Gru?" She stepped in to see the father and daughter by the bed. "Oh, of course I'll say goodnight!" She sat herself on her knees in front of the little girl and gave her a hug.
"Goodnight Lucy."
"Goodnight sweetheart."
"Can I wish the baby goodnight too?"
"Oh, honey, it won't hear. It won't have ears until midsummer." She looked confused, looked away while biting her lip, and then looked up again at Lucy.
"Could I still? Maybe it'll hear me anyway." Gru couldn't help but smile. Oh Agnes…his little Agnes.
He stood in the doorframe, observing her with the kids. She said she wouldn't be made to be a mother...he was sure she was. She was, like, the best mother to the kids he had ever seen. Something he couldn't offer them, she was giving them.
Gru didn't know what it was, yet he could feel the kids have changed. All to good. And so have Lucy - and perhaps he has too.
Breaking out in a grin, Lucy got herself up on her feet and pulled up the shirt."Alright then." The little girl scurried over to the edge of the bed, and pressed her mouth against the lower part of the tummy.
"Nighty night baby, sleep tight." Lucy stopped herself from giggling, Agnes' voice vibrating against her skin. She kissed the girl's forehead, and moved over to Edith. "Night ninja." A hand reached her cheek. "Night", she mumbled. "Want a hug and a kiss too?" The little blond girl smiled, and Lucy gently leaned over her for a hug. She finally moved over to Margo, who busied herself with sending a text. "Who are you writing to?" - "Oh, just Avery." -"Right. You have to tell me about this Avery someday, still haven't met any of your friends."
She looked over at Gru, but saw him pout angrily. Apparently it was somebody that Margo really liked – and Gru not so much.
Hugging and kissing her, Lucy got herself up to leave the room, feeling buzzed and giddy and hyped. Looking up at Gru when she closed the door, she squealed with a muffled voice, trying to be silent.
"They wanted hugs! They treat me like family! I have daughters! Well, not literally, I haven't adopted them yet and I don't know if they would want it or even if you would want me to adopt them but oh my gosh did you see Agnes talk to the baby?" She grabbed Gru's shoulders and shook them slightly and Gru chuckled, holding her elbows to settle her down. "And all of them seems to handle the news rather well! I'm so relieved! Oh, I'm so happy!"
"I told yu dhey love yu." He smiled at her, leaning his forehead against hers and grinned like a lovesick teenager. "Yes…yes they do." She smiled, and then she cupped his cheeks to kiss him. Gru closed his eyes, smiling lightly and savoring the kiss until she broke away again.
"Gru, I – I know I'm new to this clan, but – do you think I could become something like a mother to them? And…join your family?" Gru looked deep into her eyes, heart pounding with love and happiness over this entire day and then – he smiled. He smiled and started chuckling and then he giggled in his husky, beautiful voice.
"But Lucy…yu are already a part of dis family – of our family."
Lucy sobbed in happiness, tears formed so quickly in her eyes she couldn't keep them away from falling down.
"Lucy, are yu okay?"
"Curse these mood-swings…" she sobbed and brushed her tears away. "I'm…I'm just so happy, Gru. I love you so much. You, the girls and…"
She paused, slowly reaching for his hand to place it upon her belly. "And junior…"
The Ex-villain cupped the bulge with eager hands, his face lit up in a beam. "I love yu too, honey…so much…"
And then, he knelt down, his hands still holding hers, and he pressed his lips on her enlarged stomach.
"And Daddy loves yu too, my baby…"