OOMMGGG I am SO SO SO Sorry that this took as disgustingly long as it did to get this chapter out! For a while there I had a lot going on in my personal life and my muse just up and left me... HUGE shout out to all my amazing friends and all my awesome followers who have helped me along the way, supported me, waited patiently and even helped me with ideas. Another big shout-out to Alpha, Filthy, and Vamp for the ideas and help, another shout out to Alpha for the amazing help with character building for the Doom Syndicate, and another shout out to Alamo93 for your amazingly sweet compliments on tumblr :) ... If I am missing anyone, which I am sure I am, it's not intentional! It's just been THAT LONG since I've gotten around to writing!

I was actually pretty excited because I started a basic layout for this chapter a few months ago (like...October 2013) and when I started it again the other day BAM it just took off!

I'm also really excited to see that there's a large number of you that were asking to see more of Reena and Minion!

and now... what you've all been waiting for...

CHAPTER 8

After the huge blowout both Megamind and Roxanne had tried to get Minion to come out of his room but he had flat-out refused, and eventually had come to not answering them at all. Little did they know that for a good part of an hour Minion had tried calling Reena multiple times to no avail.

Once they had turned in for the night, Roxanne also tried several times with her phone, getting Reena's voicemail every time.

"Hey again..it's me...again. Look Reena, I know that you're really upset, and trust me I'm not taking sides; I'd be pissed too...but Minion really does have the best intentions; even if he's being stupid about it. Just, don't stay mad too long, alright Reena? I know you.. and I know how you feel about him. Just...don't give up too soon, alright?" Roxanne hung up her phone and sighed, looking down at the screen.

"And what do you plan to do to keep her from giving up?" Mykael asked. He had been sitting up next to her, skimming through a book. He had been quite surprised how things had come about, but he also had known Minion well enough to know when to stop pushing and just let well enough alone. That old cuttlefish would calm down soon enough, after all.

"Well...that's where you come in." she rolled onto her side to rest her head on his chest as she wrapped her arm around his stomach."And I need an expert's help with my watch modifications. If all goes as planned well...I have an idea. And I really think that it will help."

"Just tell me what you need." he answered simply.

Megamind and Roxanne arose rather early the next morning, knowing that they would need nearly a full day and a distracted Minion if they were going to pull this off. They'd gone so far as to make that morning's breakfast, setting a plate aside for Minion. He trudged out of his room a bit later, looking tired and forlorn, but he quickly tried to cover it up when he realized the rest of his family was already awake.

"Good morning Minion! We made breakfast!" Roxanne said cheerily, smiling at him. Minion glanced back and forth between the two of them before slowly approaching the breakfast nook and sitting on his stool.

"W-uhm...wow... thanks Miss Ritchi." he said, rather astonished. From his other side Mykael placed a plate of bacon and a mug of fresh coffee, complete with a super long silly straw, onto the counter. The little fish looked suspiciously to his friends once more, curious as to what they were up to. Surely this couldn't be about last night?

"What did I do?" he queried. Instantly the pair broke out into soft laughter, shaking their heads.

"Nothing at all my dear Filet Min-yon. We just know that well...that you're upset and this is our way of saying that we're sorry..."

"Can't we spoil our friend every once in a while?" Roxanne chimed in.

Ah..so it was about last night then.. well he couldn't really fault them...They cared immensely for him, perhaps more than he was even aware bit his bottom lip as it quivered.

"Oh, thank you! This..this means a lot."

Roxanne and Mykael sat down as well and they fell into a comfortable silence as they ate. It was Roxanne that spoke first.

"So Minion...I was wondering if maybe you'd want to hang out today? I was hoping maybe we could look at flowers for the wedding? Maybe get some ideas for centerpieces and have lunch?" Roxanne suggested.

"Oh well...that sounds lovely Miss Ritchi, but what about-"

"Nothing to worry about Minion. I have some work that I need to get done around the Lair." said Mykael.

"And besides, it's been a while since just the two of us have gotten to spend time together."

Minion looked between the two of his friends for a moment; after last night he certainly could use a distraction, but there was still a niggling voice in the back of his mind wondering why they wanted him out of the Lair so badly. They're just worried..that's all. You got too upset and now they're trying to cheer you up. Well.. if it would get him a day out of the Lair and a day off from working, then why not!

"I'd love to Miss Ritchi."

...

It hadn't taken then nearly as long as they had expected to select the right florist, and to come up with a few arrangements. The florist had promised them a week's wait until they could come back, see the samples, and choose from there. Roxanne was preparing to leave when she realized that she was one short and turned around to find Minion gazing at a cooler of flowers waiting to be made into bouquets.

"You know...tiger lilies and white roses are her favorites." she stated. Minion jumped at the voice and spun around to face Roxanne.

"Oh! Miss Ritchi! I-I-I didn't see you standing there." he stuttered. "I w-was just looking..."

"You were thinking about Reena. It's okay Minion...it's not a bad way to say I'm sorry either." she said; her mind going in the same direction his was.

"Well it certainly couldn't hurt to have them delivered..."

"Delivered? Ooh no... I've got something much better planned!" she turned to the florist who had been waiting patiently nearby. "We'll pick them up after lunch...just tell her what you'd like Minion."

... ... ...

Neither Minion nor Roxanne mentioned the flowers during their lunch at their favorite little bistro downtown. They had discussed potential entrees, cake flavors, and merged into a humorous conversation about how Minion used to send her thermoses of tea or soup via brain bot after a rough kidnapping or when she was sick; all kept completely secret from "the boss" of course.

In fact, it wasn't until they were on their way back home, the bouquet of fresh flowers lying on the backseat, the Minion said anything about them at all.

"I can't believe you think I'm going to personally deliver them to her..."

"Oh Minion! Don't be such a guppy!"

"I am not a guppy. I just...I-I can't do it Miss Ritchi!" he remarked.

"And why not?"

"Well...be-because." Minion replied with a stubborn set to his lip.

"Becaauuse?" Roxanne pressed.

"Because...because I'm hurt too. And embarrassed. And Oh! It would just kill me if she didn't accept my apology."

"That's the thing about apologies though Minion...whether or not someone accepts it, what matters is that you were the bigger person and apologized. But I really wouldn't worry about her not accepting your apology." Roxanne said. After a short moment of silence Minion sighed.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Just trust me."

When they arrived back home to the Lair Roxanne called out their arrival to Mykael. Pinky was the first to zoom into the room, hovering around Roxanne before giving her an affectionate nudge.

"I missed you too Pinky. Now; where's Daddy?"

The alien in question was upstairs in the Lab, waiting rather impatiently and trying hard to hide that fact. Roxanne handed off the bouquet to Pinky; trusting that it would be placed safely into water.

"Ah Minion! Roxanne! You're home!"

"Hello Sir. Did you get your work done today?"

"Hmm yes..you could say that Minion." Megamind replied.

"Sir if you slacked off all day watching movies all day..." Minion said with a stern edge to his voice.

"Well it wasn't so much hero work as tinkering around work I suppose you could say."

"Oh? Make anything interesting?" Minion inquired; there hadn't been any plans that he had known about. But then again the boss did always seem to have a never ending supply of ideas.

"Well I.. oh just a gadget or two." he flashed a glance to Roxanne conspiratorially. Roxanne smirked and left Minion's side to join her fiancé's.

"Actually Minion, he was helping me to finish a project idea I'd come up with.." she glanced to Mykael then who handed her something. She stepped towards Minion and opened her hand, revealing the disguise watch. Minion looked to her, his expression confused.

"Oh...It's a disguise generator." he said, unsure of exactly why he was being handed one.

"Well yes...but well its special you see." said Mykael. "Do you remember Roxanne's idea of loading in different outfits for our disguises? And using faces that aren't of those we scanned from the city? If you wouldn't mind helping me test it Minion, kindly turn it one notch to the right."

Minion strung the watch around his wrist and did as requested; he was surrounded by a soft blue glow before shifting into an exact copy of Megamind.

"Right then. That works; now Minion if you would just hold down that button there and then one turn to the right." Again Minion followed the request; this time Megamind stayed and the normal leather outfit was replaced by a pair of jeans and a soft black sweater.

"Sir this is...well wow! Impressive!"

"Oh well I really can't take any credit. This was all Roxanne's creation here.. I just helped with the programming."

"It's swell Miss Ritchi."

"Thanks Minion. But there's still one more thing to test on it. Can you give it a second turn to the next disguise?"

Minion, curious as to her vagueness, lifted his hand and turned the watch as directed. He was confused as he looked down at a pair of lightly tanned hands. He heard a soft bowg to his right and turned to see a pair of brainbots hovering there with a mirror. He found himself staring at the reflection of a stranger. The man before him was tall with a broad chest and broad shoulders and a mop of curly golden brown hair atop his head. If it hadn't been for his familiar brown eyes Minion wouldn't have known that he was even looking at himself.

"This is...this is me?"

"Sure is...I combined features from pictures I found online of different people; but I really wanted to make sure that it looked like you; if you know..you were human." Roxanne said. Minion's eyes welled up and he turned quickly and gathered her in a hug.

"Thank you Miss Ritchi!"

"You're welcome. Gotta say...it's kinda strange to get a hug from you without the furry chest and metal arms." she chuckled.

"Now there's all sorts of different outfits in there Minion. And...well, try it on for yourself." Mykael handed Minion a winter jacket, gesturing for him to put it on. Minion was shocked to find that the jacket did not distort any of the lines of the disguise, as had happened in the past when he and Megamind had tried to do the same before. "I mean really, we can't have you going out there without a jacket, and we can't have you constantly turning the watch every time you go in or out."

"It's fantastic! Thank you! Both of you! Oh finally! I can actually run errands without being stalked or mobbed!"

"Yes well...there is that. But perhaps there's something else you can do too?" Roxanne said, attempting to subtly lead Minion in the right direction.

"Oh yes it will be nice for outings too...dinners and..oh. Oh! But...what if-"

"Remember what we talked about in the car Minion." she said. Minion looked at her for a moment, his inner turmoil clear on his face. Finally he sighed and nodded his head.

"You're right Miss Ritchi."

... ... ... ...

Some few hours later Minion left the Lair once more and headed for Reena's apartment. When he arrived he stared up at the building, fighting back and forth with himself.

"Just.. go upstairs. It's that simple. Sir and Miss Ritchi went to all this work; it'd be an awful way to show my thanks to put it all to waste!" One he got to the hallway leading to her apartment he slowed his trek to her door and began pacing back and forth. "This is ridiculous" he muttered under his breath. "I've lost my mind..." he stopped, realizing that his rambling had led him back to the elevator. He let out a huff and looked down to the flowers in his hands and was struck by an idea. "I've got it! Reena hasn't seen this new disguise! She'll never know that it's me! I'll just go up to her door, pretend I'm a delivery boy and be done with it." Which was exactly what he was going to do... until she opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I uh-uhm..." well this certainly wasn't going as he had planned. He nervously shifted the flowers in his hands, holding them out to her.

"Oh right; tip. Hold on a second." Reena said and turned from the door a moment to lean over to grab her purse from the nearby hook.

"Oh no...that's not it."

"Please" she snorted "You guys do plenty enough hard work, you deserve a little something. Especially for being sent out in this frigid weather." she reached out, offering him a crisp $10.

"No really, that's not it... I-" he stopped his rambling, ready to turn tail and run off.

"Hang on a second... do I know you?"

"Uhm-" he took a nervous step back and she realized that she had unconsciously leaned forward in an effort to get a better look at him. She stepped back, shaking her head.

"Sorry, you just looked familiar is all. My mistake."

"No...actually it's not." Minion sighed nervously and moved to switch the watch off. He looked to her once and turned the switch, changing before her eyes.

"Minion?!"

"Hi..." he said timidly.

"What are you doing here? Wh-what or rather who was that?" Reena's mind was on overload. Just why was Minion back? Had he come to apologize? What was with that disguise? Minion shifted uncomfortably, ready once more to turn away. But then something stopped him; some small little voice that sounded very much like Roxanne's telling him to be brave. He attempted a small smile and offered the flowers once more.

"It's kind of a long story. Can I maybe come inside? Explain over coffee?" he asked. Reena gently cradled the gifted flowers, smiling as she took a sniff. They were lovely indeed, and somehow that sly fish had figured out her favorite flowers.

"Sure. C'mon in."

It hadn't even been but ten minutes after Minion left that the familiar chime went off, signaling that someone had arrived near the Lair.

"Did Minion back out already?" Mykael asked jokingly. He arose from the couch and approached the monitors, checking the door camera "Huh, it appears we have a visitor."

"Warden! Nice of you to stop by!" he greeted the older man as he let him in. Mykael noticed the large bag his father carried.

"Thought I'd drop in and say hello. That and well I was starting to run out of room." David chuckled gruffly and set the canvas sack onto the floor with a heavy thump. He looked up to see the very confused expressions on Mykael and Roxanne's faces. "It's all yours son, fan mail."

"Fan mail?" the alien's eyes lit up in excitement.

"This isn't even half of it. Seems my office has become the Megamind Fan Club head quarters." he chuckled again. "Your address isn't exactly listed, so they've been sending it to the one place they knew you'd been. There's tons in there. Minion and Roxanne even have some letters."

"Seriously?" Roxanne took a step forward. She was no stranger to the public eye; she had gotten her own round of emails both praising and hateful in the past. But the thought of fan mail was something new entirely. Mykael had bent over the bag, picking out a few letters and looking at the envelopes.

"I just...I can't believe it. Me... Fan mail!" he said in awe. David clapped a hand on Mykael's shoulder.

"Seems that you've made quite the impression on people. Children especially." he said. Mykael turned a curious glance to the Warden, who smirked and gave a shrug. "I couldn't help but read a few; I was curious."

"Why Warden Pearce; breaking a federal law. Tut tut." Mykael teased. The older man chuckled, clapping his boy on the shoulders once again.

"I learned from the best."

"Well then, why don't we crack open a bottle of wine, to toast, and read a few of these letters?"

... ... ... ...

"So, let me get this straight, Roxie and Blue Boy worked out this watch thing, so that whenever you want you can become that, just so we can go to dinner?" Reena asked. She had spent the better part of Minion's explanation trying to wrap her mind around the whole concept.

"Well, it's a little more complex than that but essentially? Yes."

"Why?" Reena asked. Minion sighed deeply, wrapping his hands around his mug, focusing on it as he struggled to find the right words.

"It's...complicated.-" He stopped and paused a moment before speaking again. "It's complicated to explain my feelings... I don't even really know what I'm doing. This is all new for me, all of it. I don't understand this whole dating thing; ha-half the time I don't even understand what I'm feeling!" Minion let out a shaky laugh in his own disbelief as he shook his head. He chanced a glance at Reena, who had taken to staring at him in a shocked silence. "But I am beginning to understand it..or trying to at least." he gave a lopsided smile. "I'm not the best with words Reena, especially around you; I get tongue tied and clumsy and nervous.."

"And positively adorable." Reena smiled to him. Minion came to a startled halt, and merely blinked at her before relaxing once more.

"Do you think you forgive me for being an idiot?"

"I think I forgave you the moment you showed up on my doorstep with those flowers." she smiled to him again, a weight seemingly lifted from her now that that particular argument had been cleared over.

"So..." Minion said; shifting awkwardly in his chair once more, unsure of where to move their conversation next.

"So...you do like me then?" not one for mincing words she came right out with it. Minion looked back at her before letting out a nervous laugh and nodding in the affirmative. "Aaannd..dating? Or at least one date? You'd want to try it?" she asked.

"I think that'd be nice." he said slowly. "I like spending time with you." Reena smiled at that, she couldn't help but be pleased at that.

"So then why this? Why the disguise?"

"It's called a compromise. I do want to go to dinner Reena.. but not as me. Please, not yet, not as me. You already know why. So how about me, but with a different face? " he offered. Reena thought it over a moment before nodding.

"Alright, compromise. I can do compromise. Do you think maybe one day?" she began to ask, hoping maybe one day Minion would be willing to appear out with her as himself. Not that he wouldn't be himself of course, but as his physical self. In an absolute moment of bravery Minion reached forwards an placed his large metal hand over her smaller human one.

"Let's just take it one day at a time, alright?"

"Alright. So...do you think you could maybe show me more how that watch works? Just so I know what I'm working with here." she said. Minion gladly obliged, morphing once more into the handsome blonde man that was to be his human exterior. Reena looked at him appraisingly, smiling after a moment.

"Not bad..you know you make quite the hottie."

Roxanne and Mykael had remained on the couch, long after the Warden had left, continuing to peruse their many letters. They'd left aside Minion's letters for him to read once he returned.

"Ahha! Look at this Roxanne! Little Robbie wants to be a hero just like me when he grows up! And little Marie! She wants to invent things; like my motorbike!"

"Seems we've both got some fans." Roxanne smiled to him, shuffling through a few more letters. "And these drawings from children! They're adorable. It's nice to see some actual fan mail for once instead of just hate. I've got a letter here from an old lady who's lived in this city for her whole life, and she says she never really believed you were all that bad to begin with! She's just glad you realized it finally. And this one here, you've made him a real believer!"

She reached over, placing her letters on top of the pile they'd sanctioned off for what they had already read and reached back for the bag. After all the time they had spent reading they still had a little less than half the bag left. She opened the next letter, gasping when she unfolded the papers. The papers in Roxanne's hands were more than just chilling.

She held crudely drawn pictures, from crayon it looked, all of various scribbles of Megamind in various situations of death. The next page wasn't much different, but the next pages sent an ice cold block into her stomach. They contained multiple drawings of Mykael and Minion tortured and bleeding, and Roxanne in the middle of it all, broken and bleeding, with x's over her eyes that meant death for her as well.

"Mykael.." she handed him he pages with shaking hands as she read the last page of the bunch; a letter. "It's Hal." Mykael flipped through the pages in his hands before angrily crushing them.

"He must have somehow gotten the letter through. They normally scan through all the inmates' mail."

"You don't think he has someone on the inside, do you?"

"No, I don't think it's anything but an error. But to be safe, I'll personally go tomorrow, to check in on everything and let Warden know what's going on." Mykael didn't want to let her know of the real worry that was instantly tearing up his mind. "Come on, why don't we get to bed. It will do no good to stay up all night worrying over something."

"But what about Hal?"

"What about him? He's angry. He's very sick in the head, and he's pissed off for a number of reasons.. But I promise you, I won't let him do anything to harm you or Minion or anybody else. I promise Roxanne."

"Alright."

whew! that was fun! I know I crammed a lot into this chapter, but there was a lot to be dealt with! I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I have plenty more ideas for the upcoming ones! :)