"You can't be serious!"
"I have never been more serious in my life Miss Wilde!"
Lucy got herself up from the table in anger. "It's not that big of a deal Sir! I can totally do it!" The director glared at her and pressed a button to show the next slide in the presentation of Gru's mission. It showed the big mansion, and a picture of the man that was their target.
"I have no doubt that you could get on the good side of this smuggling league Miss Wilde, that is beside the point. You know the policy, no pregnant agents on the field."
"It's an infiltration job!"
"Which could get you kidnapped if they bust your cover! And you know we don't negotiate with villains."
"Lucy, hon." Gru had his hand rested on her shoulder.
She huffed and sat herself on the table, hands slamming on the edge when her round belly was too large for her to cross her arms over her chest comfortably. Arms shaking in anger, she silently cursed over the situation.
She had found out everything about these people for weeks, she had planned how it was gonna be performed, and now Silas announced that Gru was gonna go undercover, solo.
She was worried and jealous at the same time. She didn't want Gru to be away a day's travel in her last trimester, and she certainly didn't want to miss the action when she had planned this so well.
But Gru himself wasn't feeling any better.
A mission, at least 22 hours away from his own little home with his three daughters, ten thousand minions and a pregnant girlfriend in her sixth month, and only he was ordered to solve that case! He alone.
Gru should feel flattered. But he wasn't at all!
It would be his very first mission without Lucy, just a lame spying job that is, but nevertheless Gru felt quite weird hearing that this case was only determined for him - without Lucy.
Of course, he wouldn't have let her come with him anyway, even if Silas allowed it - but also he was aware of what will happen with agents which were debunked, and if these particular agents were with child, the entire situation would only become even more dicey.
Lucy huffed and grumbled all along through Silas presentation, and Gru took her hand.
"Lucy, Silas is completely right - If dhey'll hijack yu, not only yu'll be in danger, but also dhe baby!"
Strange enough it felt he once was agreeing with his boss, but he could understand her frustration - although he wouldn't indulge and try to convince Silas to let her accompany him. Sighing, he faced his boss once more.
"It's fine, I'll take dhe mission." He looked briefly back to Lucy. "I'll stay in dhe field and return home after two or three days, only a couple of days and return dhen."
"Don't worry, Mister Gru..." Silas stirred his teacup. "I'll make sure you'll stay in the active service just for some months, about three or four, and you'll have the opportunity to return home every weekend. So you'll be able to support Miss Wilde to the date the child is born."
"A'right, very good." Gru nodded.
Very good? No, nothing was good! Lucy was fuming!
She wanted some support, or at least being allowed to tag along! Not... not being caged up and continue doing all the boring stuff on the computer. Hearing Silas informing Gru about the conditions just made her madder, as if they were ready to move on from the argument and ignore her wishes. Not saying another word, she puffed, jumped of the table and marched out, slamming the door loudly when exiting the room. She could be ignored in the comfort of her own office.
"Lucy, vait, vhere are yu –"
But she was already gone.
"Oh my", Silas said and put the cup of tea down. "I always knew she was impatient, but I can't let her out there in her state. You do understand that Mr Gru? Her situation is especially sensitive and would put everyone in jeopardy, you in particular." Silas put the cup down at the table, sorting through the papers.
He knew how it was to have a wife, even though he never has had the pleasure of them expecting a child of their own. But he knew agents who had wanted to do missions while having their families growing, and it had never ended well.
"Of course, of course I du!" he nodded quickly, biting his lower lip. He didn't want her to get hurt, nor get kidnapped, and he even didn't want the AVL to come to harm in any form.
Anyhow, he was just glad he would let Gru return home during a short time being on that mission.
A long section of silence filled the room, and Gru started to clear his throat in awkwardness.
"I-uhm, I shall go and try to calm her down again." he suggested and rose up. "How about yu'll send me dhe rest of dhe information and I'll have a glance at it at home...?"
"Hold on Mr Gru!" Silas got his papers together and grose from the table. Handing the papers to the other man, he cleared his throat, looking for words. "I feel I need to talk to you about something. It's about Miss Wilde."
Gru accepted the paper, casting a brief glance at it and turning back to Silas.
"I need you to understand that I care about her as if she was my own niece or daughter, and I care about her well being. I see that she happy with you, and I respect that. I don't understand it, but I respect it. What my concern is, why haven't you made a respectable lady out of her yet? She is carrying your child, that is a huge honor. Shouldn't you repay that by asking for her hand?" He really didn't like to ask these kinds of personal questions, but it had bothered him. No ring, she hadn't mentioned even if Gru had popped the question, and she was getting bigger and bigger, it was soon time.
He-really didn't want to talk with him about personal stuff, especially not if it was about him and Lucy, for he knew Silas would only see more and more of his bad attitude and character. But in this case, also Gru's cramped expression softened up a little bit.
"Yu probably wun't believe it..." he said and shrugged, already turning slightly to head to the door. "But I have proposed to her, some months ago and she said no. She wanted to wait until dhe baby was born..." Gru knew Silas only would want the best for Lucy, so did he. But it was the truth.
"Look, Ramsbottom - I can imagine yu want to make sure Lucy'll be a'right, and she will, trust me - I'll make sure she'll be jus' fine!
I'll make her a respectable lady a'right, but dat is not and never was yur concern, thanks anyway for yur input...!" And with that, he turned around, heading to the door.
"Mr Gru!" Silas shouted and followed him. Gru stopped and looked over his shoulder at the elder man. "I didn't know about Lucy refusing your proposal. Is it something you would like me to talk to her about?" Gru made a face like his boss just told him the worst joke in the world. "If it's that she misses her parents, I would gladly walk her down the aisle." He placed his hand on the door to let them both out. "I'll probably come and visit her during the weeks just to check on her while you're gone, if you would give me the blessing to visit your house."
"Silas, ugh-" he shook his head. Well, once in a while this man does seem to want only the best for this extraordinary couple.
"It's appreciated - but I dun't need yu to talk to her about dis, it is settled."
Hearing his offer to accompany her down the aisle and help along while he was on that mission.
"Well, if yu want to help Lucy while I'm off - dhen I'd be grateful. All I want yu to du is stayin' outta my family-business, a'right? Nothin' more! I know yu kinda...see it as yur duty to worry about her, but from now on, dat is my duty!"
Silas struggled with words, but then, understandingly, he nodded briefly.
"Good – thanks! I'll tell Lucy yu'll take care of things while I'm busy..."
Carefully knocking against the door of her office, he waited a couple of seconds. "Lucy? Lucy, can i come inside? Please, we need to talk, okay?"
Lucy looked up when hearing the knocking on her door. She was still mad, but had calmed down a bit. She knew of the AVL policy, she had signed the contract both when she got hired and once again when she told the medical department that she was going to carry the child to term. Feeling a flutter in her stomach, she put her hand over her belly and stroked, sitting on top of her desk. The baby got stressed by her yelling and sudden running, she couldn't blame it. It normally started to move whenever she was bored and lied down, or when she was in an argument of some kind, like last week when she had argued with Gru's mother about not wanting a second helping of the dinner.
"It's alright Gru, you can come in!" she sighed.
Gru opened the door to look inside. Lucy sat on the desk, holding her belly, and he wondered if she felt fine, she hasn't been moving that fast with carrying the baby...
"Yu okay?" He asked and closed the door behind them.
"Yes…just…junior is a bit startled from my running." She motioned him to come hither and Gru approached her. Lucy took his hand and placed it on her belly.
"Look, uh- I have been talkin' to Silas, and he said I really culdn't let yu come vith me, it's simply too dangerous for yu." Gru looked into her eyes and then down at her already large belly. He really couldn't make an exception this time, he recalled how their mission was with spying out Eduardo, the devilish chicken, the kidnapping, the purple minions - just no! She saw him shift his gaze from her eyes to her belly – and she felt better suddenly, the frustration began to fade. He was so fascinated by the growth, it was heartwarming – but it cost a lot of effort to live with it – and find clothes she could wear. Her plan was to take the girls to the mall this weekend and buy clothes for her while preparing their wardrobes for school, having some girl-on-girl bonding, but now that their father was going to be away now, she felt discouraged. Gru leaned down to kiss her forehead with love and tenderness, and Lucy sighed contentedly.
"While I'm gone, Silas will take care of yu occasionally. Dun't worry, I trust him enough to take over my part." - "That would be nice…" she said with a smile. "Without the company of an adult, I'd go stir crazy!"
A chuckle escaped their lips while they leaned forehead against forehead, and his hands continued holding her belly, making slow and stroking patterns, and not only the baby but also Lucy started to relax more and more by his gentleness.
"If yu want me to stay, I can drop dhe offer, yu know? I'm not keen to go on any missions vithout yu anyway..."
"No. I don't want you to drop it Gru, we really need someone that can keep their head cool, and you know your way around villains. We have the phone and you'll be home at weekends, we just have to make the very best of those days until you wrap the case up." She sighed.
"I knew I would have to stay in while having this baby, I just wasn't prepared that it would get so looooong." She groaned in frustration and flinched when the baby kicked her in her bladder. "And now Junior is upset as well…ouch!"
"D'aw." He chuckled softly and patted his palm on her belly, stroking gently. "Hey dhere, we're not kickin' Mommy, hm?" Gru spoke quietly to the baby. It was beginning to move and twitch inside again and Gru was always glad to capture these moments the unborn was active. He felt it gently kicking in his palm and he cracked a smile. "Well, switchin' over to kickin' Daddy, hm...?"
Lucy laughed. Oh, he was just so sweet and cute and…she just loved these moments of father and bay bonding. He grinned at Lucy through his own frustration. They had planned some things together, as a family, and now that Gru was called to go all alone on a bloody spyjob, he had wished sincerely Silas had picked someone else than him. He wanted to be with them every day, playing with his daughters, telling them how their life with a baby will be, he wanted to stay with Lucy and comfort her when she felt down, and watch how their child was growing...and now he only would be able to see them during the weekends! That sucks!
But if Lucy wanted him to get that case done, he shall obey then.
"Okay, hon. I'll try and hurry to get home a bit earlier I promise." He kissed her nose tip. "If anythin' is wrong or if yu need anybody quickly, yu also still have doctor Nefario and dhe minions. Dun't worry, I taught dhem how to treat a pregnant lady." Lucy nodded with a smirk.
"Don't worry about me Gru, the worst thing that will happen is that I feel like watching a horror movie, or I get horny. I'm just whining, you know that." She smiled towards him. "The munchkins are helpful, but I can't be close to them, you know that. The sweet scent of bananas, ugh. And I'll take care of the girls. Good it's summer holiday, I wouldn't manage to give them breakfast and get them to school alone."
"Well, let dat be my task." He said, and she nodded again, still feeling frustrated – but he just managed to sooth her again.
...
Later that day, Agnes, Edith and Margo have gathered around Lucy, sitting on the table and waiting for their father to get dinner done. Agnes of course sat right next to Lucy, constantly talking to the baby and giggling when she felt it moving inside her.
"She answered me!" she cheered. "I think she heard me, Lucy!"
"He, Agnes! It's a he!"
"No, it's a baby-sister, Edith!" Agnes pouted at the bigger girl.
"It's going to be a baby-sister, right, Lucy?" she looked back at the redhead with big eyes.
"Sweetheart, Gru and I decided we want it to be a surprise, so we asked them not to tell us. We'll see when the baby arrives." Lucy explained patiently to her.
"But how are we gonna give it a name?"
"Agnes", Margo interrupted carefully. "Maybe Gru and Lucy should pick the name for themselves? It's their baby." Lucy blinked and looked over to Gru being in the kitchen and making dinner. She honestly hadn't been thinking about names by now…
Maybe Gru has?
"Well, firstly, we'll give him or her the last name Wilde Gru."
"That sounds dirty", Edith mumbled with a smug grin and Margo burst out in laughter.
"Oh, stop it you two! But we don't know the first name yet."
"I'd like Fluffy."
"They're not gonna name their baby after your unicorn! I'd vote for Rufus!" Edith said.
"Margo, what do you think?" Lucy looked over at the oldest girl.
"I told you, it's not for us to decide. Lucy?"
"I have to think about it, alright? It's another four months yet."
Gru listened to his daughters talk from the other side of the room, but didn't offer them a glance. He was way into pounding about everything, his mission, the stress and especially the time he will stay alone without the kids and his Lucy around him. He was glad they didn't question him about the open suitcase lying in front of the bedroom, but this evening, he eventually had to tell them. It always was hard for him leaving his kids like that, but Lucy was there to take care of them.
"A'right, here we go, Agnes, sit down, it's time for dinner."
Gru carried the plates back to the table, and sat down next to Edith.
The three girls' eyes widened as they saw their father did the "forbidden meal" for them - rice pudding! They have begged him almost daily, they wanted at least once to have rice pudding with cinnamon for dinner, but because Gru was sure that pancakes for breakfast were enough sugar for three kids in one day, he always denied it - also he hated the scent of anything that was warm and sugary.
"Any special occasion?" Margo glanced at her father, pointing at her bowl.
"You know, you never made this for us!"
"Hmm..." Gru mumbled, looking from Margo to Lucy and back to Margo.
"Well-yeah, so to say." he shrugged. "Uhm, gurls - I'll be on a mission for dhe next months...and I'll probably only have time for yu guys at dhe weekend."
"Next months?!" Agnes stared at him. "Bu-but then you won't be there when Fluffy arrives."
" 'Rufus'..." corrected Edith quietly and rolled her eyes.
"No, no, dun't worry - dhe mission goes about half a year, but I'll be back in three months – just in time vhen…uhm…Fluffy, Rufus, vhatever, will be born."
"But-But…" Agnes complained. "Listen to your father guys, he's only gonna be gone for the week days! And he'll be just a days drive from here, if something happens, he'll be here." - "Who will tuck us in?" Agnes asked. "Well, I will." - "Who will make us breakfast?" - "I will."
"Really?" Margo asked with laughter stuck in her throat. She rolled her eyes.
"Fine, we'll fix something together, I trust in you and I hope you trust in me." She was useless at cooking, but she could sure learn at least how to make spaghetti.
"Guys, come on – Lucy will du an awesome job and will take care of yu jus' a'right! IF yu guys stay good and wun't make it any more difficult for her."
They all nodded, smiling encouragingly towards Lucy, who stroked her belly softly.
"And when will you have to go?" asked the smallest.
"Uhm-tomorrow, sweetheart."
"Tomorrow?!" She blurted. "Why tomorrow! Can't you go on Monday? Or tuesday? At least stay the weekend, please." a bit helpless she looked to Lucy. "Can't he stay the weekend?"
"No, honey...but hey, we'll see each odher on Friday again, okay?"
"Can you...before you go can you at least then tell us a bedtime story?"
Edith, Agnes and Margo looked up to Lucy. "Both of you?" Lucy blinked in surprise. She? Both of them? Well, she needed to start doing this kind of stuff the next day anyway, so, she nodded with a big smile. "Yes! Of course we can!"
Lucy got up quickly, but the weight of her belly made her weak on her legs for a second and Gru had to catch her, among the happy cheering of the girls running upstairs.
"Yu okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay…" she held her belly and clung to her boyfriend. "E-Excuse me, I was a bit overexcited."
"Hehe. Well, yu gotta really promise me to keep things a bit slower now vhile I'm in Italy, a'right?" – "Alright…"
...
Once upstairs, Gru was pleasantly surprised the kids were fully dressed and ready for bed-time, as they watched Gru helping Lucy a bit with climbing the stairs. "Is it really that heavy…?" Agnes asked Lucy as she walked next to her. "Well, Agnes, I am carrying a baby inside me…they usually aren't as light and small as a feather." And then she suddenly had an idea of how to start the bonding with them.
"Ohh…I've got an idea – you guys perhaps wanna go to the mall tomorrow? You can choose new clothes and some larger ones for me?"
"Yaaay! The Mall!" Agnes cheered. "I can throw pennies in the fountains again!"
"And I can go dive for pennies!" Edith pulled out her swimmgoggles from her pocket.
However, Margo gulped. She sincerely hoped she wouldn't meet a certain mexican boy there again. She was done with Antonio - certainly done.
"We'll have something fun to do every day until your dad gets home and then we'll use all weekends on spending time together! And before you know it, he's home, school has started again and we're closing in on you all becoming big sisters!" Putting a hand on Agnes, she smiled towards them.
"I'll be there, alright? I know I'm not really your mom, but I can take care of you. And if I can't Margo tells me how, right?"
She nodded as Lucy asked her to help her how to become a proper mom to them.
Gru was relieved they were going to come along without him - seeing them happy together with Lucy was making him just happy.
"A'right, gurls, go brush yur teeth and we'll get started vith dhe story, okay?"
They nodded and vanished in the bathroom and while they were getting ready for bed, Gru grabbed some pillows he'd use to sit on while reading, and got some more so Lucy will have a comfortable seat next to him.
"Dhere we go-yu wanna start or me?" he asked her while helping her sitting down.
"Oh…you start. You're a way better story-reader than I am, after all."
"Heh…very well dhen."
The gang gathered around finally, al sitting in their own little beds.
"So…vhat du yu guys wanna hear?"
"Three sleepy kittens!"
"No we've heard it enough already!"
"And besides Agnes, it's a bit outdated, dun't yu think?"
"How about what happened next?" Lucy joined his idea.
"What do you mean?" Margo asked.
"Like, when the unicorn met his unicorn lady?"
"We don't have a story like that", Edith complained.
"But maybe Gru can make it up?"
Lucy looked at him with a smile. And he nodded, trying to find out what he could tell them…
"A small happy family, vith the number of four, thought dhey culd never wish for more
Dhe three leetle kitten and their unicorn dad, dhey build dhe family neidher of dhem ever had.
Dhey laughed, dhey cried, but dhey were happy togedher, for dhe family of four wuld stay a family forever.
But dhe unicorn met a quirky pegasi, and she took him on an adventure so high!
It made him laugh - it made him cry - but in dhe end, he will never said goodbye."
Suddenly, Lucy grabbed his hand and continued:
"They had big rows, they made amends, their affection for each other had no ends.
So when the two was having a fourth little kitten, they all got very smitten."
The girls were listening, all tugged inside their blankets. Agnes could barely hold her eyes open.
"Wouldn't they have a foal?" She asked while Lucy crawled up to her to kiss her goodnight.
"No, because the fourth kitten is in no way different or more special than the three kittens the unicorn and pegasi already have and love", Lucy said and planted a soft kiss on the girl's forehead.
"Well, the fourth leetle kitten was for some an intruder, and so one of the kittens may have become a bit ruder..."
He looked to Edith and offered an understanding smile.
"The love dhe big unicorn only offered dhem, the fear they'd lose it to dhe new kitten scared dhem. But dhe unicorns love, it wuld never fall apart, to dhe now four leetle kittens..."
"Who changed his heart..." Mumbled Agnes and smiled widely before her eyes shut tight into a deep sleep. As Gru looked into the beds, his kittens were already asleep, tired and exhausted from the day.
Giving each of them a lovingly kiss on the forehead, he stopped at Edith's bed for a second and whispered softly: "I love yu, Edith..."
Turning back to Lucy, he helped her up. "Good job..." He chuckled. "Yu shuld see me, vhen I try and improvise stories...I totally suck at it."
"Nah, you did totally fine!", Lucy reassured, kissing the tip of his nose once he had helped her up. "Come, let's go to sleep so we can get up early tomorrow." She walked out of the room and shut the lights, while he followed her, taking off his coat and his shoes on his way. Smiling, she looked over her shoulder. "You think the baby would like to have that story as a book as well?"
"Well, yes, certainly." He grinned, remembering how he had spent the entire night to fix up the small book he had made for the girls. But he was glad their little poem was just short enough to put it into a little book. He got dressed for the night, a long white shirt with his usual pyjama pants. " I shuld put dat story in a book as soon as I'm back from dat mission."
"That would be nice…" Lucy brushed off her jacket and her pants and grabbed Gru by the hem of his shirt and with a coy smile, she dragged him to the bed.
"You know…I'm gonna miss you a lot."
"I'll miss yu too…" he said with a smile.
She lied down on the sheets and rolled on her side, still looking at him.
"You'll call me, right?"
"Mhm!" Gru nodded while carefully climbing into the bed behind her, spooning her once again, arms loo.
"If I'm not at that mission, at least this pregnant, worried lady deserves to know."
"Yyyup." He mumbled. "But dherefore…" Gru placed his hand on her belly, gently caressing it. "Yu'll keep me updated on junior, a'right?"
"Heh…of course…"
Silence filled the room once again, and Gru counted Lucy's breaths, watched as her body lifted the blanket up just a notch whenever she breathed, his hands still caressing the big bulge with love and affection – and every time he felt a kick, he smiled and buried his face into her hair.
"I'm scared…" he admitted.
"Honey – why are you scared?"
"...Well...I have been dhe fadher of three gurls - vhat if I'll suck at raisin' a baby?"
Lucy turned around to face him and she cupped his cheeks.
"Gru...you're a wonderful father. You're the coolest and most fun dad I know. The baby will love you."
"And vhat if not...?"
Lucy opened her mouth to speak. But she didn't find any words to respond.
"Lucy, I have been a horrible human bein' to my daughters - I culdn't live vith dhe fact dat my own child wuld hate me for vhat I was...Vhat if I can't love my own baby?"
The redhead stared at him. All the time, she herself had been scared she'd be a horrible mother and that the baby wouldn't love her. Somewhat, she never asked herself if not Gru ever had anxieties.
With a smile, she kissed him and snuggled up to him.
"Sweetheart - what you have been is in the past. What you are now is a man who loves his family and is going to be a Dad. I know it's creepy and weird and you'll be scared - but as soon as you'll see your baby, you'll love it and you'll protect it, hold it - and never let it go again."
Gru smiled. Hugging his lovely girlfriend and cuddling her and kissing her face with tenderness.
"Thank yu..."