This One-Shot story is dedicated to my best friend Gabbie who has always been there for me through good days and bad. Thank you for standing by me. I love ya other sister!
Penny sat on her bed, all lonely and saddened. This was because today was the day that both her parents had died in the lab they were working at. Penny was only a few years old at the time. When the accident had happened, Penny was too young to understand until a week later, when she was about to be sent to an orphanage. Luckily, her uncle, John Brown, took her in. But, it wasn't the same without her parents.
Then, she slowly got used to living with her Uncle John, who was a police officer. Even though he was a crime fighter, he'd always been a loving uncle to Penny, like a fatherly figure. When Penny was little, and he had to work, he'd bring her to daycare before leaving to go on duty. But, when his shift was over and came for Penny at the end of the day, he always had time for her.
The girl,while sitting on her bed, thought of all of this, and how she is now. About a few years ago, she found out that her Uncle John had been in a life and death situation, and had to be in surgery. But, she wasn't expecting her uncle to be filled with mechanical parts. That's how Inspector Gadget came to be. Without the gadgets, he would have been dead. Penny was a bit scared at first about what would happen to her uncle. She thought about that day that she first saw him in a hospital bed.
One of the doctors had told Penny to walk down with them to her uncle's room where he was resting. Going down a couple of hallways and turning around curves, they finally arrived at the door. The doctor opened it, and Penny went strait to the bed where the figure, which was her uncle, laid. He had a hospital blanket covering the bottom half of his body, but the top part, Penny could see. In his chest, were many mechanisms and wires attached to him. She also saw that his arms were different, and his hands had brown gloves covering them.
Penny looked at her uncle's face, which his eyes were shut closed.
"U-uncle? W-what happened to you?"
The doctor answered the question for her, "We have equipped your uncle with gadgets to help him catch criminals. Without the technology, you might've lost your uncle."
He then went down low, level to Penny's height, "There is going to be some changes to him. I know it's going to be hard, but do the best you can to help your uncle."
Penny nodded. Then, the two heard a moan escaping someone's lips nearby.
Penny looked to where the sound was coming from, and found that it was her uncle that made the noise.
The mechanical man's eyes slowly opened.
"Ah, Mr. Brown. Good to see that you have gotten some rest after the surgery," the doctor smiled.
"A bit," John said a bit weary, "And I'm still trying to catch on that I am half metal now."
Penny's eyes widened to see that her uncle was very much alive.
"U-uncle John?"
That voice made the cyborg turn his head right away, realizing that his niece Penny was there in front of him.
"Penny. Oh, sweetheart..."
Penny's eyes started to water as her uncle tried to move his gloved hand to touch her cheek. Failing, Penny gently wrapped her arms around him. When she hugged him, he felt strong and not as fleshy as when he was human, but Penny didn't care. John finally got his arms to work, and slowly, but gently, enveloped his gloved hands around her. He pulled her close, but not too close to hurt her or his circuit boards.
Penny cried softly, "I-I thought I'd lost you forever..."
John felt guilt emerge inside him, but he shook it away quickly, "Well, I am here now. You won't be alone ever again. I promise you that, Penny."
The little girl nodded, but continued to let the tears flow, until her uncle rubbed her back reassuringly.
"I...I love you, uncle," Penny said finally looking up at him, wiping tears from her eyes.
John's half robotic heart went warm when he heard that.
He smiled, "I love you too, Penny."
"Penny," Gadget called as he knocked on Penny's door, "It's time to go to bed, sweetheart...Are you alright? May I come in?"
"I'm fine, Uncle Gadget. You can come in," Penny's voice said softly because of crying.
The man nodded and opened the door to the girl's room. He saw Penny on her bed in her pajamas, and a photo in her hands. He saw that it was of Penny's parents, which were Gadget's sister and brother in-law. He then remembered what day it was.
"Oh, Penny," he said apologetically, "I'm sorry. If I would've remembered-"
"It's ok, Uncle Gadget," Penny replied as she put the picture on her nightstand.
Gadget looked at the poor child, "May I sit down with you?"
The girl nodded, and the Inspector sat down next to the blond little girl with pigtails.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.
Penny didn't answer for a few seconds, "Lonely."
The Inspector was shocked inside, but he didn't show it, "Why do you feel that way, sweetheart?"
"Well, it isn't the same because mom and dad aren't around, and even with Brain I feel sad."
He nodded, and put an arm around her, "You don't have to be lonely...You've got me."
Penny put on a soft smile, looking up at her uncle. He smiled back at her warmly.
Penny sighed sadly, though.
"What's wrong?"
"I..I know if I ask this, it might be a bit much..." Penny said looking down.
"No, never, Penny. What is it?"
"Can..Can I sleep with you?...Just for tonight?"
The Inspector gently hugged her, "Of course, sweetheart."
In Uncle Gadget's room, Penny pulled back the covers of the bed, and climbed in. She realized that the bed sheets were a bit ripped from her uncle's gadgets that would go off at night.
Gadget, in his pajamas, walked in and saw the bed and its condition, "Wowzers. Sorry about that, Penny. I'll get some other blankets to replace the tattered one."
He went to a closet and got out another blanket and two pillows. He went back over to the bed and took off the old pillow and blanket, and replaced them with the new items.
"There we go," he said as he pulled back the covers of the new blanket.
Penny nodded, and climbed into the bed. Gadget climbed in after her. He then remembered he forgot to turn off the lights.
"Whoops...Go,go gadget arm!"
One of his arms extended and went to the light switch, his hand switching the light off. His arm went back to normal, and went back under the covers. Penny closed her eyes and snuggled her head in the Inspector's chest, and she could hear the soothing buzzing and whirring of his mechanical parts. Gadget looked down at his almost asleep niece and wrapped his arms around him as he closed his own eyes.
"Goodnight, Penny," he whispered.
"Goodnight, Uncle Gadget."