Despicable Days

Disclaimer: Despicable Me belongs to Illumination Entertainment. Congratulations to them for having their first movie be such a big success! Oh, and Universal Studios too!

This isn't exactly a day-by-day massive fic. It's more like a collection of one-shots (some of which are going to be pretty long) that all have to do with the Gru's new family after the movie. I also want to encourage others to write some Despicable Me fanfiction! You might have seen this fic on deviantart, but I wanted to put it here too.

I wasn't going to write in Gru's accent at first, but the dialogue seemed to be lacking something so I had to put it in. So, just go with me on the spelling, it's not technically correct, but I hope it will make the story feel more real. And it's hard, because it's not so heavily a Russian accent that 'where' is 'vhere', but it's still prominent enough that I wanted to show it somehow.

Warning: Please do not read this until after you see the movie! It's such a good film and I don't want to be the one to ruin it for you.

Chapter 1: First Day

"Edith? Where are you?" Margo called as she made her way through the maze of a mansion she lived in. She had lived in this house for a little over four months and she still didn't think she had been in all the rooms. The house's large structure sure made hide-and-seek a blast though.

She called out her sister's name a few more times, but received no reply. Edith couldn't be found in any of her usual places and Margo was starting to think she wouldn't find the seven-year-old in the house. With a sigh, Margo headed back down stairs. She knew she should have checked there first; after all, it was Edith's favorite hangout.

A secret entrance and some overly dramatic high-tech machinery later, Margo found herself in the basement of the house, otherwise known as the secret lair. If she thought the house was confusing, it was nothing compared to the lair. The few times she and her sisters had been down here they had mostly stuck with their father, and usually only visited the main room and the inventing room. This was the first time she had been here by herself, and it was much more intimidating alone. Margo was relieved when she saw one of her father's minions coming around the corner.

"Fred! Hi! Have you seen Edith anywhere around here?" In the beginning Margo couldn't understand how her father knew all the minions by name; they all looked the same to her. However, as time passed she started to get to know a few of them and their different personalities.

Fred looked up at her in confusion, and she knew why. She and her sisters weren't exactly allowed down here unsupervised. "bodakada ne?"

Although her father seemed to be able to understand his minions most of the time, Margo had to guess at what they were saying. Sometimes it was obvious and other times not so much.

Having no idea what he asked, Margo did her best to answer. "I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I have to find Edith. We are going to be late for-"

A loud discharge was heard from a few rooms away, cutting her off.

"Never mind, I think I found her!" And with that Margo went racing off towards the explosion, hoping her younger sister was alright.

When she entered the large room where the blast had come from, Margo realized she had never been in here before, and for good reason. The walls were lines with hundreds of the most elaborate guns, rays, and missile launchers imaginable. The oldest sibling went slack-jawed at sheer number of weapons her father possessed. It was cool, but also a little scary he needed so many. As she continued in the room, she was torn between shivering with unease and actually admiring the collection.

When she reached the end of the room, her attention was directed towards a figure decked in pink who was attempting to remove a large gun from the wall.

"Edith! What are you doing? Don't play with that!" She rushed towards her little sister and pulled her away from the dangerous weapon that could do who-knows-what.

"Hey! Let me go!" Edith protested against her sister's grip. "I just want to try it!"

"No way, it's dangerous! You don't know what it does." She yelled back, still struggling to hold the girl.

"Duh, that's why I want to see it!"

Margo sighed. "You're not even supposed to be down here without Dad."

"Neither are you!" Edith pointed out, finally managing to pull herself from her sister's grip, but thankfully she didn't make a move for the gun again.

"I'm only here because I was looking for you! Now come on, we are going to be late for school if you don't hurry."

Edith crossed her arms. "I don't want to go."

Margo sighed and rubbed her temple in frustration. "I know you don't, but everyone has to go to school."

"Why can't we just stay home with Dad?"

Margo smiled a little at the idea, school had never been fun for her and her sisters, and staying home with their new father sounded like a much more agreeable choice. However, she knew she had to be the big sister and do what was best for her siblings.

"Come on Edith, school can be fun."

Her little sister snorted in amusement.

"Okay, I know last year wasn't the best…" Margo admitted, "Or the year before that, but things are different now, really really different, aren't they?"

Reluctantly, her little sister nodded her head, a small smile on her lips.

"And school can be different too if you give it a chance. So come on, please?" She held out her hand, but her sister just stared at it blankly. Margo decided to try one last thing; this was the reasoning she used to gather up enough courage for herself, and she hoped it would work for her sister as well.

"And even if school is bad… it's not the end of the world. We can just come home and forget all about it, all we have to do is make it through the day."

Margo watched her sister consider her words, and with a hesitant nod, Edith seemed to accept her logic. This time they wouldn't be going home to a lonely orphanage with a cruel Miss. Hattie. No, this time when the school bell rang they would really be going home.

Margo and Edith took the lift back up to the house where their father had finished making their lunches.

"Here yoo go gurls." Their adoptive father said in his strange accent. "Peanut butter and jellee for Margo, ham and cheese for Edith, and peanut butter and banana for Agnes."

Margo and her sisters took their respective paper bagged lunches.

Even though she was feeling nervous about her first day she found herself beaming up at her father. "Thanks, Dad." She just loved calling him that. Dad. She had a dad, and so did her sisters.

And although he was nothing like what she expected… she couldn't imagine having anyone else, at least not anymore. The perfect mother and father that her and her sisters used to dream of were nothing compared to what they had now.

Margo knew that out of her sisters, she was the only one old enough to really understand how different her dad was. Agnes and Edith barely blinked at the secret lair, the dozens of minions running around, and the gadgets created for nefarious purposes. She, on the other hand, was able to understand much better what her father meant when he first told them he wasn't a spy, but a super villain. She understood that meant he was a 'bad guy', similar to the ones on Saturday morning cartoons. The characters she always rooted against. Her sisters understood this too, but not to the same degree she did. To them, he was the Dad that loved them, the 'good guy' who brought them to ballet and made their favorite sandwiches.

Margo fully understood that he was a villain, someone who made dangerous weapons meant to hurt people, someone who enjoyed causing others pain, who spent their time scheming their next selfish act in order to make themselves rich and famous. Her Dad did all of that, and proudly. Margo could see this clearly, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to care, or fear him as one might expect. This is because she could also see the 'good guy' her sisters' saw, and she couldn't help but love her father not despite his despicable career, but including it. He was a villain that could do anything, even steal the moon, and he chose to be their Father. She was proud of everything he could do, good or bad. And even though the hundreds of weapons and sleeping in bombs could make her uneasy… all she had to do was remember that the villain she lived with was also her father, and suddenly, she felt like her and her sisters where the safest kids in the entire world.

"Ready gurls? Let's geet eento dee car." Their father ushered them out of the house after checking each one of them had their backpacks.

All three of them sat quietly in the back, which was unusual for them. Agnes sat hugging her small unicorn plushie (she had been talked out of bringing the big one) tightly to her chest. Margo hadn't wanted Agnes to bring her small unicorn either, for fear of it getting lost or stolen, but it was obvious Agnes needed it. She was too nervous to go without at least one comfort.

Their car pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. "So, umm, yoo gurls must be excited for school?" Their father asked, and surprisingly he sounded slightly nervous to Margo.

"Yeah Dad, I'm sure today will be a lot of fun." Margo forced a smile in hopes making her sisters feel less nervous.

"Oh, dat's great. Yeah… school… yoo gurls are going to 'ave a good time…"

Margo couldn't ignore how distracted her father sounded. "Are you okay?"

He seemed to shake himself. "Me? I'm great! Nevair been better!" He coughed into his hand awkwardly and changed the subject. "Now, listen gurls, if anything happens… if yoo want teh go home… even a leettle bit, joost call me and I'll come pick yoo up."

Edith's eyes lit up, and she looked ready to ask him to turn the car around immediately, but Margo shot her a pointed look and she closed her mouth.

"Thanks, but we'll be fine. We went to school last year, you know."

"Right, I know, but joost een case… if anything happens..."

Margo seemed to catch on. "Are you… worried about us?" She smirked slightly, enjoying the idea that someone cared enough to be worried about them, even over something as simple as school.

He blinked at the accusation, but then denied it vigorously. "No! Why would I be worried? Eet's joost school! I joost mentioned eet een case yoo t'ree were worried, dat's all."

He denied his accusation far too well, and Margo knew she had been right. She didn't press it though, if her sister knew their father was worried it would only add to their anxiety.

"Here we are." Their father announced, pulling into the school's parking lot. He dented a few cars purposefully before putting it in park.

The four of them headed to the schools entrance. The three girls knew this place well enough to know where their new classrooms were going to be. Their father followed them, his shoulders squared and his hands behind his back. He looked stern, and his eyes were harsh and untrusting. Children and adults alike shrank away as he passed, instinctually sensing his dangerous demeanor.

Margo smirked at the people's reaction to their father and understood their precaution. She remembered a time when she used to feel intimidated by this man, but now the notion was almost laughable. It was hard to fear the man who read her bed time stories and tucked her in at night. However, he was extremely stiff at the moment and his frown seemed glued to his face. He looked like a true villain, and they way he walked behind them… it was almost as if he was their body guard. Margo stifled a giggle as she realized he was acting this way because he didn't know how he should act. Today may have been her first day of fifth grade, but it was also a first for him too.

"Here, this is Agnes's kindergarten class." Margo told them as they walked into the room. The room was a decent size and consisted of abnormally small desks, placemats in the corner, bookshelves to the right, and an assortment of building blocks and toys in the corner across from them. The teacher noticed them walk in, and quickly made her way through the room to great them. She was a big lady with an even larger smile. Her grin only faltered when she got closer to Gru and was able to take in his stern expression and tense posture, but she quickly recovered.

"Hi! I'm Mrs. Waterbottom, its lovely to meet you Mr…"

"Eet's Gru." Margo's father offered awkwardly, casting an unsure glance at his children.

"Lovely! And these must be your daughters! Let's see… you must be my new student, what's your name sweetie?" the teacher asked the only five-year-old among them.

Never afraid in the face of a stranger, Agnes answered the large lady's question without flinching. "Agnes... and I really like unicorns, see?" She showed the teacher her small plushie.

"Aww, aren't you just a peach! You're going to have a lot of fun this year!"

"Really?" Agnes asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Absolutely! We are going to have a scrumdiddlyumptious time!"

"But…" Agnes hesitated. "I don't wanna go."

Throughout the whole conversation, Gru's expression had been unyieldingly severe, but at Agnes's plea his eye's softened as he looked down at his youngest in concern.

"I wanna stay home with Daddy," Agnes requested forcefully, stepping closer to her Dad's legs.

Before Mrs. Waterbottem could say anything Gru was suddenly down on one knee next to Agnes.

"Yoo don't want to go to de school?"

Agnes shook her head and squeezed her stuffed unicorn tighter.

He nodded in understanding, a small triumphant smile on his face, but what he said next made Margo and the teacher's mouths fall open.

"Okay, den yoo don't 'ave to go, yoo can stay home."

"Excuse me?" The teacher asked shrilly, but Gru chose to ignore her.

"Dad!" Margo exclaimed, and was rewarded with his attention. "Agnes has to go to school! It's like… the law!" As soon as she said it, Margo knew it was a stupid argument. After all, what did the world's greatest villain care for what the law said? Before her father could mention something about that, however, she continued. "And she has to learn!"

"So? She can learn et home."

She knew her father meant well, but she was pretty sure he was far from a good teacher. The only thing her and her sisters could learn from being homeschooled is how to concoct an evil plan and build weapons.

"School will be better for her. I don't want to go either, and neither does Edith, but we have too."

"None of yoo want teh go?" Her father looked surprised by the news.

"No way! I hate school!" Edith complained, pulling her beanie down to cover her eyes.

"Den you're not going," Gru decided, standing up.

Desperately, Margo grabbed his hand in a last-ditch effort to make him understand. "Dad, we have to! If we don't then we will be way behind everyone else and we won't do well in high school and we won't get into college and we won't have a future!"

Gru looked at his eldest, slowly considering what she had said. He then looked into the hopeful faces of his younger children, and knew what he had to do, even though it was the last thing he wanted.

"Vhery well, yoo t'ree need to go to school."

"Aww great, thanks Margo!" Edith kicked the floor grumpily.

"But-but-" Agnes protested.

Their father kneeled down on the ground once again and pulled Agnes into his lap. He took Edith's hand and pulled her closer.

"Can I tell yoo t'ree somet'ing?"

Agnes looked up at him with wide-eyes and Edith nodded.

The teacher watched them curiously, but she went completely unnoticed by the strange family.

"I don't like de idea of yoo gurls goeeng teh school eit'er, but I t'ought you wanted to go so I knew I couldn't be stopping you."

"You don't want us to go?" Edith asked, mystified.

Gru shook his head. He hated the idea of school. The three children would be out of his sight for hours every day and he wouldn't be there to help them if something bad happened. They had never been apart for this long… at least not since the day he had given them up, and that had been the worst mistake of his life. He feared he was making another mistake by letting them go to school, for the last time he allowed them to part his girl's lives had been endangered by Vector. It was an irrational fear, he knew, but it didn't make today any easier.

"Sometimes we 'ave to do things we don't want." Like going to an amusement park with three children you'd rather get rid of…" And sometimes, yoo might be surprised." …coming home with cotton candy in your hand and a smile on your face… "Yoo nevair know, yoo might actually 'ave fun," he finished with a small smile.

Edith crossed her arms. "But school is never fun!"

"Oh come on, Edith!" Margo sighed in frustration. "Just give it another chance."

"Okay, I'll make yoo deal. You gurls go teh school joost for today, and we will see how eet goes. We'll talk 'bout whether or nawt you're going back over peessa tonight."

Agnes brightened up. "Pizza for dinner?"

Their father nodded.

Edith thought about the offer, and then cautiously added her own terms. "Stuffed crust too?"

The man grinned. "But of course, what ot'er kind of peessa would I geet?"

The blond girl smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll go, but just for today."

Agnes was smiling as well, as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm going to miss you, daddy."

Gru never thought such a small action could still have as immense effect on him as it did the first time. Gently, he hugged her back, noticing how tiny she was in his arms, and he still couldn't believe he was going to leave something so fragile alone in a strange classroom. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to let her go.

Margo's laughter finally broke through his thoughts. "Dad, you have to let go," she giggled.

Gru blinked, he had just been stalling without realizing it. "Uhh, of course." He gently set Agnes down on the classroom floor.

Agnes's sad eyes met his, and the look on the small girl's face almost made him change his mind once again. But before he could declare that they were all going home, Margo spoke.

"Hey Agnes, look at that. They have a stuffed unicorn too." Her older sister pointed to the corner.

"Really? Where?" She gasped when she saw it, and before anyone could blink she had crossed the room to go play with it.

Numbly, Gru stood up, still watching Agnes closely.

"Don't worry Mr. Gru, she's going to have a great time." Mrs. Waterbottom assured him.

The Supper Villain nodded and watched her for a few minutes more before taking Edith's hand and leading the two kids out the door.

When they arrived at Edith's third grade classroom, the blonde looked up at her father sternly.

"Remember what you promised."

Her father got down on one knee. "Absolootely, yoo 'ave my word." Gru wasn't eager to break another promise to his children, not after what happened last time.

Edith seemed satisfied with this, and she turned around to enter her classroom when out of nowhere she stopped, as if remembering something important. Quickly she ran back to her dad and threw her arms around his middle. Taken off guard, he slowly returned the gesture. Edith was never as affectionate as Agnes, but she did have her sweeter moments.

The hug ended, and Edith was almost inside the classroom when Margo grabbed her arm, stopping her abruptly.

"Edith, what do you have in your backpack?"

"Umm, nothing," the seven-year-old denied a little too quickly, as she tried to pull herself out of Margo's grip.

Her sister pulled her back. "Seriously, what do you have in there?" Margo grabbed the bag and began unzipping.

Gru suddenly noticed how much fuller Edith's backpack was compared to Margo's. It looked like she was carrying something large and bulky.

"What the-" Margo managed to get the bag open and she reached in to pull out a small ray gun.

She looked at her sister with disbelief. Gru, on the other hand, started laughing…

"Dat's my gurl!" He announced proudly.

"Edith! You can't have this. What were you thinking?" Margo scolded, handling the ray gun carefully.

"Obviously, I was thinking I would freeze people if they go on my nerves, but I was only going to use it for emergencies!" Edith explained, trying to get the gun back from her sister.

"She 'as a point." Gru noted, still snickering to himself.

"Dad! She can't bring a gun to school!"

Gru was finally able to stop laughing. "Yes, yes, I know." He tone became serious as he fixed his gaze on the middle child. "Edith, my weapons are vhery dangerous and I don't want yoo touching 'em."

Edith looked at the floor, grudgingly accepting she had done something wrong.

"So, if yoo want teh use one, let me train yoo how teh shoot properly furst."

Edith instantly brightened, and Margo slapped her forehead.

"You're going to teach me?" Edith asked, bubbling with excitement.

"Sure, I'll be showing yoo after school." Gru was grinning at his daughter's enthusiasm.

"Cool! You're the most awesomest Dad ever!" Edith cheered before running into her classroom, eager to get the day over with so she could go home and learn something that actually interested her.

"You're really going to train a seven-year-old how to use a gun?" Margo asked in disbelief.

Her Dad shrugged. "Eet's safer for 'er to know how to use eet den to wait for 'er to find one and try to teach herself."

Margo had to admit her dad had a point.

"Of course, yoo should learn too."

Margo blinked in surprise and looked down at the weapon in her hands. Carefully, she handed it up to her father, and he tucked it away in his coat pocket.

"Okay… but what about Agnes? She's only five…"

"No problem, I'll start 'er off on somet'ing small." Gru assured Margo, as if it made sense to give a five-year-old a gun at all.

Margo rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile spreading across her face. She knew her worries were unfounded. No harm would come to her or her sister, because her father always found a way to keep them safe.

The two of them found her fifth grade classroom easily, and staring at the door Margo felt a jolt of nervousness. School had always been so hard for her and her sisters. They never seemed to fit in, and all the kids and teachers knew they were orphans, so they were treated differently. She hoped things would be different this year, but she didn't know for sure. She wanted to be strong for her sisters, because she knew it was important for them to learn, but the truth was, she was just as scared as them.

She tried to walk forward, but her feet wouldn't move. She remembered the cruel kids from last year, the ones that would tease her and laugh. She knew they would be behind the classroom door waiting for her, and the thought made her hands shake. She was never out right bullied by her classmates, and she never got into a physical confrontation. However, when some kids called her orphan-girl and told her no one would ever want her… that cut deeper than any injury, especially when they said it to her little sisters as well.

When the three orphans heard these insults they would pray even harder the following night, asking God that someone, anyone, would want them. Just so they could prove to themselves that they weren't unlovable.

All of a sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder and the unexpected contact made her jump.

"Margo?" Her Dad's voice was soft as he looked at her in concern.

That little bit of concern was all it took, and her knees turned to jelly. She struggled desperately with her body to keep herself standing. She knew her father could probably feel her shaking now, and he responded by firmly wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Margo was perplexed by her childish reaction, but no matter how stupid she felt, she still couldn't stop herself from leaning into his arm for support.

She really did feel like a child right now, small and helpless. She never allowed herself to act like this in front of Edith and Agnes, especially when she used to be the closest thing they had to a parent. But now that they actually had a father, she didn't have to be so strong anymore… it was okay to feel small and helpless. And perhaps, she didn't have to hide it, at least, not from him.

Gru was taken aback by his eldest actions, and was at a loss of how to help her. So he just kept his arm around her until he felt her finally start to relax.

"Are yoo okay?" he asked, his voice sounded more than just a little concerned this time. Now, he was really frightened.

She pulled away and looked up at him, trying to smile. He made out traces of embarrassment and gratefulness in her features.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just- just really hate school, that's all."

This explanation didn't alleviate the worry in Gru's eyes. "What's goeeng on Margo? Why ees school so bad? Joost tell me who to use de freeze ray on."

She laughed at his little joke, and at the same time wondered if it was really a joke at all. "No, it's nothing like that. We just don't fit in." She explained, referring to her and her sisters. "We just grew up different from other kids I guess, and no one ever wanted to be friends with us."

"Den don't go teh school," her father pleaded one last time. "It can't be good for yoo eef eet scares you like dis." He was still shaken by the way Margo had almost fallen apart, and he couldn't understand why she would still be willing to go if she knew how hard it was going to be. In a way, he was proud of her. She was a strong girl, and always bravely did what needed to be done. However, it was times like these when her stubbornness frustrated him. He was forced watched his girls face something that truly scared them. And the worst part was: he couldn't be there to help if they needed it.

Margo sighed, wishing she could do what he suggested and never go to school again. However, she couldn't just think about herself. She needed to do what was best for her sisters.

"It's okay Dad, really. It will be hard, but… it won't be as hard as last year. Things are different… things are better now." She looked up at him with admiration, knowing he was the reason things had changed for the better.

Gru didn't look convinced, but he knew Margo couldn't be talked out of something once she made up her mind.

"Okay… eef you're sure." There was a short pause while he thought to himself. "Do you want to take de freeze ray? Just een case?"

It may have not had been his intention, but her father's suggestion made her break out into warm laughter.

"No, just be here at three-fifteen so we can get out of here as soon as possible."

"Three-fifteen? What I'm supposed to do until den?" Her father asked rather childishly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know, go do Dad stuff."

"Well, what ees eet dat Dad's do?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, I'm not exactly the expert on that subject." She sighed. "Fine, go do Villain stuff instead. Go… take over the world or something."

"Oh yes, because I joost 'ave a giant death machine lying around dee house waiting for me to use eet." Gru responded sarcastically.

"If you had, then Edith would have destroyed half the house playing with it already. Why don't you ask Uncle Nefario to build one for you? That's his job, right?"

"Dat's what I pay him for I think…" Gru scratched his head, slightly unsure. "But I'll find somet'ing to work on." To be honest Gru hadn't even thought about coming up with another dastardly plot for months now. His whole purpose for living had just shifted drastically, and his career suddenly didn't seem that important at the moment.

"Good, and don't worry about us. I have a feeling today is going to go really well!"

"This is unacceptable!" The principal glowered at them. "I knew I should have expected something like this from you girls! Every year it's the same thing! I'm going to have a talk with that Mrs. Haitte."

"Actually," Margo corrected. "We don't live at the orphanage anymore. We…" she faltered at first, but then her voice came back stronger than ever, "we have a Dad."

The principle looked surprised, but then her eyes narrowed. "Are you telling lies, Margo?"

Margo was taken aback by the accusation. "No! Why would I make that up? We got adopted a few months ago; you can check your records!"

"Mm hmm, well I'm going to have a talk with whoever comes and gets you, and if no one does then I'm calling Mrs. Haitte about the two of you."

Edith glanced up at her older sister. "Do you think Dad is going to be mad?" she whispered apprehensively.

"Mr. Gru?" Mrs. Waterbottom called out. "Are you looking for Agnes?"

He nodded; a confused look on his face. He hadn't been able to find any of his children and it was past three-fifteen.

"I believe the little pumpkin is still at the nurse's office. And I believe her sisters are talking to the principal."

The color drained from Gru's face.

"What?" He demanded gruffly, talking a step towards the surprised teacher.

Her breathe catching in her throat, and Agnes's teacher took an intimidated step backwards. "W-well, you see, I sent the poor dear to the nurse not too long ago. A-and I heard there had been two little- umm, misshapes with her sisters…"

Gru's eyes become alight with anger as Mrs. Waterbottom backed herself into a desk in fright. She was about to say something else when Gru swiftly turned and left the room, his stride purposeful and almost… desperate.

Gru was furious, but not towards anyone but himself. How could he leave them alone? He just knew something bad was going to happen and yet he let them go anyway! If anything happened to them it was all his fault. However, the unmatched feeling of anger that was bubbling in his chest was in fact just a symptom; the real aliment was a cold hopeless pit of fear burrowing deep in his gut.

He reached the front office quickly, but that was probably because he had been sprinting through the halls. To his relief, he caught sight of Margo and Edith sitting in chairs by the front desk. They both looked distracted, but other than that, completely unharmed.

Edith saw him first and quickly jumped out of her seat. "Dad!" she yelled as she came running towards him.

He caught her easily in one arm, and for the first time since he arrived back on school grounds, he found himself breaking out into a smile.

"Dad," Margo said slowly as she approached. "There is something you should know…"

As much as Gru wanted to know what had happened, there was still one other person he had to find. "First, where ees Agnes?"

"She's in the nurse's office just down the hall. She's alright, the teacher just over-reacted." Margo assured him. "Apparently someone took her unicorn plushie and well… you know how she gets. She held her breathe and ended up passing out. The nurse hasn't let her leave even though I talked to her and she's perfectly fine."

As Margo finished Gru let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Dat's good. I'm glad you're all okay."

"Okay? These children are far from okay." A shrill tiny woman with high cheekbones appeared from out of her office. "You must be their…" she hesitated, a look of surprise and disgust on her face, "father."

"Yes, who are yoo?"

"I am Principle Millard!" The woman informed him shrilly, as if he should have known that. "I'm also sick of these brats. It's the same thing every year!"

Gru's expression darkened as the principal continued.

"Edith, here, can't seem to keep out of a confrontation. Last year she was averaging a fight every few weeks, and it's only the first day of school and she's already brawling!"

"Yoo were een a fight?" Gru asked the seven-year-old in his arms. Edith just glanced away and pulled her beanie down to cover her eyes.

"He had it coming…" she murmured under her breath.

"We had to send her victim home! He had a black eye and we think some teeth might have come loose. This is very serious! I can't allow this to keep happening!"

"Wait, wait," Gru interrupted, and then turned back to his daughter. "You won?" he asked grinning, "excellent."

Edith was taken aback at first, obviously thinking she was going to be in trouble, but then she smiled proudly. "Yep, I always win! He was making fun of me so I made him stop. He was really easy to beat."

"Excuse me," the principal interrupted, flabbergasted. "We are trying to discourage her violent behavior, not make the problem worse!"

"What's dee problem? She won, didn't she?" Gru challenged, still slightly grinning at Edith's accomplishment.

Marge snickered to herself. Obviously the Principle had been hoping for a more typical parental response like a grounding … She should have known; only a Dad like hers would actually be proud of their child.

"If this happens again I will be forced to take more drastic measures! And Margo… I can handle fighting, but the one thing I can't stand is a know-it-all."

"Well, she ees a very smart gurl," Gru agreed, not fully understanding what the principle meant.

"Or she thinks she is. I always get complaints from her teachers about how she's always undermining their authority, questioning what they say."

Gru couldn't help but grin; that definitely sounded like Margo. When they first met she was always the first to say 'no' to him, and the last to do what he wanted.

"Her teacher informed me of how she was contently arguing with him about the classroom rules and even the subject he was teaching!"

"Well, obviously dee teacher was wrong den." Gru shrugged.

Margo looked at him in amazement, but he didn't notice.

"What?" The principle stared at him incredulously.

"Maybe yoo should be more careful 'bout dee people you hire. Dat's okay, everyone makes mistakes."

The small lady's face flushed a brilliant scarlet. "This isn't about who was right or wrong! This is about respect and discipline! Those… those children," she spat, "have neither! The three of them are the biggest brats I have ever met, and they're completely hopeless! I don't know why you would have ever wanted th-" she cut herself off abruptly after seeing the man's free hand clench at his side, and his eye's, which were locked into her own, become dark and dangerous. There was an empty silence for a few long seconds before Gru calmly set Edith down on the floor. However, in this time the principle had stopped breathing, for this was a terrifying kind of calm, the kind where you know a storm is soon to follow.

When Gru stood up again his back was ridged and lower jaw clenched. His eyes seemed to burn into her own as he slowly approached her. She tried to hold her ground, but the instinct to flee was too great. Her legs not working, she was able to stubble backwards, but she never managed to get out from underneath his eclipsing shadow.

"Eef I were yoo I would be very careful of how yoo are choosing to finish dat sentence, because I 'ave a very long memory, and no one insults my gurls." As he spoke his words were utterly soulless, and the Principle couldn't help but wonder if this man had killed anyone, and from the look in his eyes it was obvious he had no qualms about killing her.

"I-I'll- I'll call the police!" she managed to squeak out. As absurd as the threat sounded, for technically Gru had done nothing, in the teacher's fear-stricken mind it seemed more then necessary.

He just smirked. "Go ahead," he invited, motioning towards the phone, but the principle found herself too frightened to move.

"I-I didn't mean anything," she tried again. "Your girls are very lovely… I must have made a- a mistake." Principle Millard gulped, hoping this would be enough to placate him.

"Wow," Edith breathed, amazed that her father had so easily reduced their no-nonsense Principle into this pitiful creature.

Margo, on the other hand, was beyond words. She knew her Dad could be scary, but this… She was actually feeling sorry for their principle.

"It happens." Gru took a step back from the principle, effectively allowing her to breath properly again. "We are goeeng home now, come on gurls, let's go geet your seestor."

As they walked away from a recovering Principle Millard, Margo turned to her father. "Dad… was that necessary? I really thought she was going to faint, or at least call the police."

"Are you kidding?" Edith jumped in excitedly. "That was awesome! Come scare my teacher next!" she requested, pulling on his hand.

Their father just chuckled to himself.

"It was kind of cool," Margo admitted. "I never liked Principle Millard and she's always hated us."

The family arrived at the nurse's office, and as they entered they found Agnes sitting on a bed petting her unicorn, a lollipop in her mouth.

When she saw her father, Agnes's entire face lit up. "Daddy!" She jumped off the bed and ran towards him. "Look, look! The nice nurse-lady gave me candy! She's so nice! I like school!"

Gru was surprised, he would have thought she would be upset about having her toy taken away, but it seems like she had gotten it back somehow, and with the addition of candy, her day had been deemed 'fun' in her book.

"Are yoo sure? You gurls don't 'ave to come back tomorrow." He informed them. Personally, he hoped they wouldn't want to come back, not after he met the people running the school.

"I want too! School is so much fun! I hope I get candy everyday!" Agnes cheered.

Edith pulled on her father's coat sleeve. "I want to come back too. People usually yell at me for fighting and stuff, but you scared the person who does the yelling!" She looked up at her father awe, still smiling goofily.

Margo, on the other hand, still couldn't believe it. This had been the one of the worst school days they have ever had (rarely did all three of them get into trouble on the same day), and yet none of them had truly gotten in trouble. Their father had defended both her and Edith, even though they had broken school rules.

No one had ever been on their side before.

"Can we some back tomorrow?" Margo asked. "Please?"

Gru hesitated, but he always had trouble saying no to his girls pleading eyes. "Okay, you gurls can keep going to school."

"Yay!" They all cheered, making Gru smile.

"Now, let's be headeeng home. I believe we are 'aving peessa tonight."

There was another collective cheer.

And Gru, who had been even more frightened of his girls going to school then they were, finally started to relax… at least until tomorrow.

Okay, I'll admit it, the three girls have some issues… but who wouldn't after what they've been through? However, this is the first time they've had someone support them regardless of what they do.

What do you think? About Mrs. Waterbottom, ummm… I really DON'T know where that name came from so don't ask. It just popped into my head and just kind of… fit. In a really weird over-hyper teacher kind of way.

I'm sorry about the spelling errors btw, I didn't have a beta so they were probably pretty bad.

Edit: I fixed some of the errors in this chapter. Really, they were horrible. I'm sure it's still far from perfect, but it's much better now.

Please Review!