A/N: Hi, all! I know, I've been conspicuously absent after my initial burst of activity after NaNo ended. I've been trying to write a story for a holiday exchange, and it's been all absorbing. Right now, though, it's being difficult, and this is what happened.

Prompts:

Song: Measure of a Man, by Heather Dale

Word: Descriptions

Characters: Perry and Eddy

...Yeah, I know. Weird one, but I think it actually worked out fine. :) I would love to know your thoughts, though, so if you have a minute, please review! You can be the FIRST, yes, the FIRST, to review! :D

Be the reason someone smiles today! :D And Happy Holidays!

It was quiet, far too quiet, Perry thought, as she slid through the door. The whole house was still, somber. The very building seemed to understand what was going on, and muffled even its inherent hums and buzzing.

She walks slowly into the sitting room, feeling uncharacteristically shy in her practically unworn black dress, and grandmother's jewelry. She doesn't know where she stands here, not even sure if she should be here or not. She fingers just lightly graze the back on the couch, wondering if she should sit down.

A screen flashes on, startling her. She yanks her hand back as if it had been burned, and faces the screen. Then she huffs a slightly relieved laugh.

"Oh, it's you." The slightly dejected, electronic voice beat her to the punch. An odd little figure sat on the screen, Eddy, if she remembered right.

"That's right, it's me. No real idea what I'm doin' here, but it's me."

Eddy surveyed her with vague interest. "Here for the ceremony?" He asked, after a moment. Perry was a little surprised. Eddy had never been one for small talk. But she guessed he was feeling just as out of his depth as she was. After all, his loss was greater.

She sat down, facing the screen, and mentally cursing her dress. Sitting comfortably in a pants suit was much easier, part of the reason she'd started wearing them in the first place.

"Yes. He was a good man," she said softly. "Weird little guy," she added, shaking her head, "but good."

Eddy perked up a little, Perry thought. If her emoticon reading was as good as it used to be, anyway. So, she kept talking.

"I mean, he had an ego the size of a planet, was oddly obsessed with robots, had one of the most twisted family arrangements I've ever seen, what with raising his evil not actually evil brother who was supposed to be dead, like three time, brother's kids, who may or may not have been his own, and trying to marry an utterly normal woman, idiot move, if you ask me. But he did a lot of good with that mountain of money, helped my students, and a lot of other people." She nodded, and repeated, "He was a good man."

Eddy nodded. "Thanks," he said, after a beat of silence. "I needed that."

Perry nodded back. She guessed no one had really remembered Eddy in the chaos following Donald's death. And he had probably been too shaken to remind them he was there.

"It's kind of ironic," Eddy offered after a minute, slightly bitterly. "That his little minions were made to save people. They've done so many dangerous things, escaped without a scratch. And he's the one that died."

Perry nodded. "Yeah." Car crash, while his children had been on a mission somewhere else. They couldn't have done anything, most likely, he'd died so quickly. But Perry knew that wouldn't stop them from beating themselves up over it. She added that to her list of concerns. "That's just how it goes sometimes."

The front door opened, and Adam, Bree, and Chase all walked in. They'd been on a mission. The world's problems don't stop for a family to grieve. They were probably just glad that it was over in time for the funeral.

Chase was the first to notice her. He stood up straighter, pushed his bangs out of tired eyes. "Principal Perry. What can we do for you?" The strain was evident in his voice, but he was courteous and alert. A good leader, Perry thought.

"At ease," she said, only half joking. "I'm just here for the ceremony, thought I'd drop in. I'm sorry for your loss"

Chase's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile, and he nodded. "Thank you," he said, "I'm sure he would have appreciated that. I do." Chase cleared his throat, eyes on his shoes, before he collected himself. "We'll be just a minute. Tasha's already at the home."

He herded his team off after another respectful nod, and they went to get cleaned up for the funeral. Perry watched them go, fiddling with the strap on her purse. An odd thought his her, and she murmured it aloud. "The measure of a man stand or falls on what he left behind."

She nodded slowly, thinking of Donald's inventions, charities, and of course, his crowning joy, his children. He'd done so much good, alone, and through them. And they would continue to do good afterward. "And I'd say he left behind a solid legacy to stand on."