A/N: I know that this has probably been done millions of times now, but everyone has to have their own take on a subject so here is mine on when the girls start school. I guess you count say that this chapter was before the first chapter. I will have a few more shorts of just Gru and the girls before I begin to incorporate Lucy into the grand scheme of things.

"Dad, it's time to get up. Today's the day we start school!"

"Daddy, do we have to go today? I think Mr. Fluffles is getting a cold!"

"I don't wanna go. I won't fit in with anyone!"

All three girls clamored on the other side of his door making him want to bury his head deeper into the pillows, but as they continued to pound on his door, he found that sleep was going to elude him.

He blinked sleepily at his clock of 7:31 as the sun peaked in through his curtains. He wondered briefly why it was so hard for him to wake up early in the morning because he had done it for years right up until he adopted the girls.

He sat up on the edge of the bed feeling his entire skeleton crack inside of him. He cracked his stiff neck and slipped on his usual attire and looked at himself in the mirror noting that he looked like an extra from The Walking Dead at this hour. Snapping him out of his reverie, Margo pounded on his door once more in hopes to elicit a response this time. He groaned and snatched up his scarf and wrapped it around his neck hastily.

"Hold your hourses Margo, I'm coming!" He could hear Edith outside thanking Margo sarcastically for reminding their father again that they had to go, because for the past week Edith had been tallying how many times that Margo had said that school started on this particular date. It was at a spectacular number but Margo just wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget, like he tended to forget their birthdays and such.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had received many letters in the mail stating that the girls would have to be starting school in the fall, so he was quite sure there would be no way that he would forget.

He had heard more than enough about the subject of school and frankly it was beginning to give him a headache. Not to mention the copious amounts of paperwork that he had to do leading up to this day.

"Dad, ignore Margo," Edith said as she stuck her tongue at her older sister, earning herself a glare in the process."Do we have to go today?"

"Yes you gurls will have to go today. Eet is mandentoree dat you start school dis week. I deedn't make dis rool." He explained opening up the door to the three little girls. Edith scoffed letting her mouth hang open as she threw her arms out in front of her exasperatedly. She glanced over at Margo who was now beaming with a look that screamed I told you so.

"Can't we just call in sick this once, I'm not ready to go today! Please! We'll go next week!" Edith looked up at Gru with eyes that flashed with the intent to change his already made up mind.

"Dat's what you said last week when we went for de 'open house' and dat was just showing you around de school. Beesides, what ees going to be so different about next week than dis week?" He asked leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.

"You will probably make lots of friends Edith. People, surprisingly like your personality so you have that in your favor, at least. Don't be so negative about it. We'll go today and then you can tell us how you really feel about it, just give it a try first. And don't go getting into any fights." Margo said confidently, ignoring the death glare that was being directed at her.

"And Agnes," she said smiling down to the more momentarily mild mannered of her sisters.

"Your teachers really seem to like you." Margo said finally, hoping to deter her two younger sister's negativity about the whole situation. Edith rolled her eyes and crossed her arms set totally against it all, while Agnes pondered the idea now cheerfully.

"Yeah Mrs. Daniels said that we would do lots of arts and crafts. That's going to be so fun!" She jumped up and down in excitement.

"I get to bring you my drawings daddy!" Agnes smiled as she tugged on his pant leg. Gru smiled back and picked Agnes up and embraced her happily.

"Dat's the spirit my leetle gurl! I have to remember to make room for more unicorn pictures on de fridge." Agnes giggled happily as he placed her back down to see Edith's glare switching from him to Margo and back.

"Of course you would be all for this Margo. You are always such a goodie little two shoes, bookworm!" Edith said crossing her arms to make the point crystal clear that she wasn't happy about today, or the constant input from her older sister.

Smartly aware of the fact that her two older sisters were about to go at it, Agnes quietly shuffled behind Gru grabbing ahold of his leg for safety.

"I am not! I just like to learn, that's all. It would definitely do you some good!" Margo yelled back, effectively tired of Edith's insults.

Gru stood to his full height and stood between the two. He could tell that Margo was beginning to have quite enough of Edith's wit, because it was extremely rare when she decided to retaliate. He was proud of Edith and her strong personality, but there were times when it tended to get in the way big time, and this was quickly escalating to one of those times.

"No fighting gurls! Thees eesn't something to fight over. Ow!" He yelled as one of Agnes's mid-sized plastic unicorns hit him in the shoulder. Margo had been the target but being in the way, Gru threw the trajectory off a little. Margo gaped wide eyed at her younger sister, obviously sorry for Gru that he had been hit, but more so knowing that she would have been hit with the toy herself had her father not been in the way when she hadn't even seen it coming.

"You hit dad, you brat!"

"Yeah, well sorry dad," Edith countered glancing up at him apologetically, albeit halfheartedly.

"It was meant for you, big mouth!"

Rubbing his shoulder, Gru closed his eyes for a moment and could feel a headache beginning to develop and he had only been up for less than 15 minutes.

"Stop eet!" Gru crossed his arms and stomped his foot to get their attention.

"I will nawt tolerate any more bickering from either one of you! Edith, you are going to school today and dat ees final." He looked down at both girls sternly and immediately quieted them both, but Edith continued to stare at Margo, daring her to say something else.

"You weel be perfectly fine my fierce leetle keetin. Go learn and make friends. Hold your head high with confeedeence and you won't have to worry about anything. And hey, don't worry about fitting in. You weel fit een with anyone you choose to. Beesides, eef you have any probleems with anyone, I weel be sure to fix eet very quick like." He said keeling down so he was eye to eye with her.

Unconvinced, Edith crossed her arms tighter, still set in the determination of not going.

"Dad, you don't understand. I don't fit in with anyone."

"Oh yes, keeten, I understand completely. I mean come on, does your dad look like he would fit een with anyone?" He gestured to his face making Agnes giggle, even earning one from Margo.

"Your grandmother has certainly pointed out dat I deedn't ever fit een with anyone plenty of times…" He muttered somewhat darkly to himself.

At his painfully obvious insinuation, Edith's scowl turned up so quickly and reverted back that if Gru hadn't been paying attention, he would have never noticed it.

"No, I certainly do nawt, and I happen to like eet dat way." Gru puffed out his chest mocking the superhero stance, earning a very faint smile from Edith.

He tucked some of her unruly strands of hair behind her ear and smirked at her. He could tell that she wanted to give in and smile back at him, but still caught up in the heat of the moment before; she kept her features set in angry resentment of the fact that she had to go to school.

"Fine, but don't you guys dare hold me responsible for what might happen." Edith stormed off in a huff just as Gru was about to fix said beanie. He winced as she slammed their bedroom door.

"A little FYI young ladiee; eets nawt nice to throw theengs at people!" He called after her. After a second the three of them heard a soft squeaky toy hit the door.

He exhaled and glanced back at Margo and Agnes, both of which had confused looks on their faces.

"Why does Edith insist on being so difficult about everything that requires you to have social manners? She always does this." Margo groaned, thoroughly annoyed.

Agnes sighed and hugged her unicorn closer. "Yeah, I don't like it when she gets mad. She's no fun when she's like that."

Gru scratched the back of his neck, looking back at Margo and Agnes. "I guess dat she's just nawt comfortable with starting something new een an unfamiliar environment. All we can do ees eencourage her like you were doing Margo."

"I'm very proud of you by de way. " He said pulling her and Agnes closer in a shoulder hug even though his shoulder was still sore. He was almost sure there would be a bruise there later.

"I know dat she can be a little rough around de edges at times." He glanced at Margo knowingly.

"Oh gosh, I don't have a clue as to why she would be more like that now, considering how our dad is such a fluffball." Margo laughed and nudged him, earning a proud smirk.

"Eet looks like we weel have to leave shortly gurls. We'll go get your lunches fixed." Gru said as he stood up and looked at his watch.

"You both go ahead. I'll be dere in a meenute."

Edith sat with her back against one of the bomb beds and sulked heavily. She knew exactly how things were going to play out. She'd go to school the first day, get into a fist fight about her pink beanie and get sent to the principal's office for bloodying a boy's nose and then Gru would be called to come and 'talk' to her. Then he would be mad at her and then things would start over from there.

Many of their previous adoptive parents weren't that approving of having to go sit in a principal's office the first day of school so they were sent back a lot of the time for that very reason. 'Miss' Hattie, being the cheer that she was always reminded Edith that she was a problem child, and she and her 'stupid pepto bismuth colored attire' were the reason adoptions for the three of them were a no go. She always acted like she couldn't have cared less what that bitter woman had to say, but she had been cut so deeply by her harsh words more times that she wanted to remember.

Of course when it came right down to it all she could have avoided fights by not wearing it every waking moment like she had been told to thousands of times, but it was her one true comfort, aside from finally have been adopted and loved by the coolest dad that anyone would ever know. Before, she never really knew what it was like to be accepted and loved until she'd been adopted by Gru, and she wanted to spare him the aforementioned issue by not going to school in the first place.

"Edith, ees eet safe to come een? Your nawt going to throw something at me again, are you?" Gru's voice was muffled by the door. He twisted open the door handle and peered around the door at her. He jokingly sighed in relief wiping at his forehead as she shook her head no.

He walked in and sat down beside her, taking her into a shoulder hug just as he had Agnes and Margo earlier.

"Why are you so upset my leetle keeten? Is there something you want to tell me?" He frowned as she rubbed at her eyes and refused to look up at him. She just shook her head and took her beanie off. She handed it to him and he looked down at it confused.

"This has always caused me trouble, ever since I was real little. I always get made fun of for wearing it and I don't see what the big deal is." She shrugged her shoulders and looked over at Gru as he held her coveted hat.

"And the reason I didn't want to go to school today is that I don't want this to cause me any more trouble, because I have been sent back to Mrs. Hatties many times for this hat. And I don't want to go through that ever again." She finished with a sigh, involuntarily shuddering at the thought. She heard him scoff in disbelief and felt his hug get tighter.

"I know my record eesn't that great when eet comes to you gurls, but you don't ever have to worry about me giving you up again, eespecially for something as simple as dis hat. Eet's what makes you who you are and I wouldn't trade dat for de world. Or de moon." He stopped and looked at her sincerely.

"Beesides, I expect you to get eento fights here and dere. Eet's perfectly acceptable een my eyes, so eef I do happen to have a parent/teacher conference don't worry about me really being mad at you. But with dat said, don't geet eento fights just beecause you can. Eef someone starts something, then you have my permission to feenish eet. Unless of course, I have to intervene." Gru winked at her finally receiving a smile.

Now comforted more than she had ever been in her entire life, Edith leaned over and buried her head against his chest in an enclosing embrace. Hearing Edith sigh as if a weight had been lifted, he couldn't help but feel guilty for her fear of being returned to the orphanage, and he returned the embrace, convinced he couldn't be any happier that he had a second chance to show them love and care.

He ran his fingers through her messy hair playfully before placing her bright pink beanie back where it belonged and kissed her forehead for good measure.

"So, do you think you can handle eet today? If you want, I'll go hide in the janeetors closet and keep an eye out for de punks." Unable to help himself, he grinned maliciously at the thought of scaring a snot nosed brat for bothering one of his precious kittens. Edith's own smile faltered at the thought of her father scaring and or hurting just anyone that decided to walk in her proximity. He could get a little carried away with his fear inducing methods, and all in all, Edith did want to have a few friends at least.

As he moved to stand up and she quickly grabbed his hand getting his attention.

"Uh, no dad, that will be fine. I can handle today I think. In fact I think we need to hurry up and get ready!" She jumped up and grabbed her back pack and ran out the door. Just as quickly as she had ran out, she had run right back into the room giving Gru a forceful hug almost knocking him back. He smiled at a muffled 'thank you' and the fact that in just a split second she was out the door again, now seemingly excited about going to school, strongly comforted by the fact that she didn't have to worry about getting in trouble for something that wasn't worth trouble. He didn't ever want his daughters to fear that they would end up right back where they started for (as far as he or Nefario were concerned) a second time.

All the times that they had been given up made him want to throttle the heartless people that had halfheartedly adopted them before him.

Though, he had to remind himself that if they had in fact been adopted by someone else, he would have never been able to know and love them as his own.