Full Circle

A/N: Despicable Me fan fiction. My thoughts on Dr. Nefario's relationship to Gru, Gru's lack of a father and the dynamic between Gru and his mom. OC/Gru later.

Chapter 1-Never Knew Papa

As a youngster, I don't remember papa much at all. According to my mom, he left when I was just a baby. Sadly, mom wasn't that much of a comfort either.

I had always been trying to impress her, but she'd just dismiss me. No matter what I did, even if it was extremely brilliant and unique, she'd simply say one word that haunted me until I decided to turn my life over to super villainy.

"Meh".

That one monosyllabic expression of ennui and ultimate disdain echoed in my ears for many years to come. Only because I wanted to make her happy and to become the man that my papa never was.

As I became more mature, I abandoned the search for my real father after learning he had left the country and was living under an alias. Oddly, the pseudonym he was existing by wasn't listed so I thought to myself,

"If he doesn't want to be found, then perhaps I should just let him alone." And that is exactly the course of action I took.

I entered adolescence full of direction and passion toward my goal of becoming the world's most feared super villain and even without getting mother's applause I began to slowly rise up the ranks. Certainly it wasn't without peril. I have seen plenty of action in my lifetime, which accounts for my physical fitness and unparalleled physique. But I didn't come here to tell you that side of my story. No.

I came to orate the tale of Doctor Nefario and my handy little minions.

Chapter 2-Meeting and Befriending Doctor Nefario

One fateful day, while playing a game of dodgeball against my fellow classmates in middle school, a rather weathered, wizened old man hobbled up to me using a walker. Despite his age, he was rather limber and kept good pace. And his reflexes weren't half bad. But I could sense his hearing was already starting to fail him.

"I can see you possess many skills, young man. Would you like to learn what it is truly like to be a villain ? To strike fear and respect into the hearts of those around you ?" the doctor asked. Firstly, I wasn't certain of how the Doctor knew my intent from watching me play dodgeball. But I suppose I was rather ruthless in my style. When I was victorious, typically I would stand atop my victim's back and bask in glory momentarily until another hapless fool threw a dodgeball my way. I came to know this man and we became friends instantaneously. Despite our gap in age, we had oodles of characteristics and pursuits in common. In fact, he too had a mother that disregarded him and a wife that tended to henpeck him. Thanks to this, he had decided to divorce her and devote his life entirely to villainy.

Neville, or as everyone else knew him, Doctor Nefario, became my father. I needed not fret about my birth dad any longer since Neville became my mentor, friend, guide and disciplinarian. He taught me everything I needed to know. He also introduced me to my minions. I will never forget that incredible day.

It was a bleak and stormy afternoon, and nothing particularly good or fruitful was coming out of my efforts to become prominent in the villainy hall of fame. Neville kept kindly reminding me that some things get better with age, and I was simply too young to be worrying myself with such a title. Those who typically earned it had idle hands and eventually became jaded and forgotten later, which I thought was rather tragic, since, ironically, most of those villains, I idolized.

Anyway, as I was relaying…The minions ! Yes, those adorable and incredibly useful little nincompoops. I was returning to my newly renovated lair, which Neville had helped me construct after being turned down by the one girl I loved, Suzanne Pernelle. The svelte brunette was always too good for me, any anyone else for that matter, but my heart, alas, had been broken. I didn't think anything or anyone could cheer me up until Neville introduced me to a machine that created actual living beings. Granted, they weren't human, but they were creatures that spoke their own language. And they had a desire to help me in any way possible. I soon gave these yellow creatures names and designations. Before long, I was becoming more powerful and as soon as I knew it, I was becoming a man.

Chapter 3-Three Little Kittens

The next thing I can remember is that I had been caught up in a whirlwind of my own success. That is until Vector came along. I utterly loathed and despised that guy. He was 10 years my junior and flaunting his innovative ability preposterously before me at every chance he got. It was like he reveled in rubbing my failure in my face simply to prove he was superior to me. I thought my life was going along splendidly until I met three orphan kittens who would change the course of my life forever.

I had absolutely no idea how much I had wanted to be a father until Margo, Edith and Agnes came into my world and turned it completely on its ear. At first, I had grand schemes of retrieving the shrink ray, but the more I was around these darlings, the more I realized that they needed me in their life. And I them.

But you already know about that part of my story. Onward to something a bit more interesting. At least, I hope you'll find it worthy of your attention.

Chapter 4-Suzanne Pernelle ?

It was one of those days. Nothing very exciting had been happening and it was dreary and raining outside. I had to go to the grocery store to pick a few items up for the week and I wasn't really looking forward to going outside in the rain and having my newly washed suit potentially getting wet. But, despite my grumpiness, I took my jet car and drove myself to the local store, feeling fortunate not a drop of rain fell on my new pair of leather shoes.

While I was looking for chicken soup, I backed up and bumped into someone without noticing them. Feeling a bit uneasy and awkward I turned around and apologized, shocked at who was in front of me. It was Suzanne Pernelle. She hadn't changed a bit since the day I had fallen for her. I felt my cheeks rouge a bit in her presence, and momentarily cleared my throat.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to knock into you like that. I'm such a klutz !", I blubbered, feeling flustered. Suzanne smiled at me.

"So, you're a father now, hmm ?", she said, with a wise grin.

"How did you know ?", I asked, awe-struck.

"I could smell crayons and if I am not mistaken, you have the tell-tale markings of children's hands on your neatly-pressed shirt.", she said, astutely.

I did have some dirt smudges from cleaning off Edith's muddy fingers from her myriad of 'muddy delights' for her sisters and myself.

"I adopted Margo, Edith and Agnes not long ago, actually. They are my sweet doves.", I said, unashamed.

"That's lovely. I'm so happy for you. Seeing you as a father. It's really not that much of a stretch.", Suzanne complimented. Again, my heart skipped a beat.

How could I be so distracted by this gorgeous creature illuminating the aisle ?

"R-really ? Is that so ?", I retorted, lamely. I could've kicked myself for such an imbecilic response. Yet, that was just like me. I couldn't be normal around this woman.

After talking with Suzanne for quite a bit, she expressed an interest in me. Honestly, I was surprised but decided to try courting her again. I wasn't sure of what the girls, let alone mother would think, but Susie had escaped me once. I wasn't about to let her elude my grasp for a second time.

Chapter 5-Margo's Past

The girls were surprised when I brought Suzanne home. They had never seen me arrive accompanied, so they were stunned at first.

"Girls, this is Suzanne. She is an old acquaintance of mine.", I said, my cheeks rouging a bit again just being next to her.

"Ooo ! She's so pretty ! And she smells like chocolate !", Agnes said, hugging Suzanne instinctually. I nearly blanched at her uncontrollable affection and trust for others, but at least she could discern benevolence from maliciousness.

"An old girlfriend of yours, huh ?", Margo inquired with a hint of malice in her tone.

"Um…Er. Heh, heh. I never had the chance to actually court her, Margo.", I said, feeling extremely uncomfortable talking to my eldest daughter about my love life. But she had wanted to know who Suzanne was, thus I was obliged to tell her.

"I think she's cool ! I wish I had violet eyes like she does. Super mysterious.", Edith said, admiring Suzanne's naturally amethyst eyes. Margo was still unimpressed but I wasn't surprised with her reception of Suzanne. She would simply have to come to trust her in time, even if that took many days, or maybe months. She had come to accept me as her father, so how difficult would that be ?

In the next few weeks to come, I was about to discover just how challenging that would be and would see the true nature of Margo emerge.

Margo had problems with abandonment and people breaking promises to her. Her sisters had taken going from orphanage to orphanage relatively well. Unlike her, they had healed mostly from the scars of their harsh pasts. But Margo, well.

Margo was different. She was more skeptical and indecisive when it came to making friends. She was aloof at times and could come off as cold or distant. Even though I was courting Suzanne, I wanted the girls to feel included. Suzanne wasn't against the girls being around us. In fact, Suzanne adored children and got along with them quite well. She was, after all, a grade school teacher and was magnificent at teaching every subject. The subjects she had a true passion for were math, science and history out of all of them.

In time, Margo began to open up about her pessimism and how it was difficult for her to be malleable at times, or optimistic. She had changed much since the past and was more mature than her younger siblings. Before long, she welcomed Suzanne and even brought me aside one night to tell me a secret after I had read my girls their ritual nighttime story.

"Suzanne is a wonderful woman, dad. You should marry her soon. I know you let the opportunity pass you by in the past. You can't do that again !", she said. I was surprised at how supportive she was of me now, but I realized she simply wanted me to be happy.

"Your face is even more pleasant when she's with you. I've noticed how joyful you are after she kisses you.", she observed. Suzanne's kiss was the one thing I enjoyed even more than the decadent desserts she would fashion for us just because she cared for us deeply.

"Alright, Margo. If you are serious and you have thought this through…"I began.

"I have, dad. Go get her ! We'll even be flower girls for you.", Margo said, hugging me and kissing my cheek. I felt a tears of joy welling up inside me. Without shame, I let them go and whispered to her I loved her. She repeated the same amazing phrase back to me. My heart burst with elation. I couldn't wait to tell Suzanne the excellent news !

Epilogue

I was able to wed the woman of my dreams and continue doing good deeds despite the fact that being a husband and a father kept me extremely occupied. But to be quite honest, I had never thought my job as a father was the one that I enjoyed the most out of all of them. Even more than being a super villain. My mother approved of me and loved her little grandchildren immensely. She often has to show off embarrassing pictures of yours truly to them, but I could care less. As long as she is happy, proud of me and my daughters, I am the proudest papa in the world and nothing could be better than that.

From the archives of Gru