Hi folks! Here it is - the first chapter of 'A Man's Worth'. This is going to be a long fic and I'll do my very best to update at least once a week, but this is gonna be an emotional roller coaster and a bumpy ride, so buckle up and have tissues handy. ;)

A few quick things I wanted to mention. This is set within the original 80s series, specifically the first season. I can't reconcile Season 2 with Season 1 of the show so Capeman never happened in this fic.

As with the rest of my stories, there's absolutely no incest here but I have written Gadget and Penny's relationship as very loving and close. The pandemic and social distancing over the past year really made me start thinking about how being a cyborg would affect Gadget not just physically, but also emotionally and psychologically and how that impacts his interaction with Penny. I also wanted to really explore my own theories on why Gadget is so clumsy and clueless and why Quimby keeps Gadget around.

I especially wanted to address how Gadget would react as a father-figure if he found out about Penny being involved for so long in all of his cases. I can't imagine Gadget being anything other than horrified that Penny placed herself in danger for him so many times, and at such a young age, and would care more about his reputation than about Penny. They're always together in the original show and Gadget (despite being clueless most of the time) always came through for Penny and Brain when they really needed him.

That's about it. As always, do feel free to leave a comment if you enjoy this fic.^^

1. A Walk in the Park

6 April, 1990

Penny sighed as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, suddenly wondering how seven years had gone by so quickly.

She was sitting in her room, the window open to the warm spring air. The scent of fresh grass and the tulips her uncle had recently planted wafted in with the breeze, tickling her hair. The warm sun called to her but despite the beautiful day and the fact that it was the start of the weekend Penny found herself feeling drained and strangely morose.

The face that gazed back at her was no longer that of a ten year-old but instead that of a young woman. Penny propped her elbows on the desk and rested her chin on her hands as she considered her reflection. It had always amused her when people found out that she was the niece of the famous Inspector Gadget. They looked nothing alike and Penny had heard more than one snide comment over the years that surely she must have been adopted - that there was no way she and her uncle were blood relatives.

But they were. Her uncle was her father's younger brother though she knew little else about her extended family, if she even had any aside from her parents. Gadget had once told her when she had been about seven that he couldn't remember much from before the reconstructive surgeries that had both saved his life and turned him into a cyborg. Penny had sensed even then at such a young age that the subject was painful for her uncle and so had never asked him again.

Penny barely remembered her parents as they had died when she had been two and a half years old, and had come to live with her uncle when she was only three. But that was alright, Penny had decided long ago. She supposed it was understandable that so many people assumed Penny was adopted by Gadget. They really didn't look anything alike, she mused as she tilted her head thoughtfully.

Her uncle Gadget was all sharp angles and long, lanky limbs, with a strong, determined jawline and a Roman nose. He was also much taller than his petite niece and towered over Penny who was still a head shorter than him and barely reached his shoulder. Penny's features were also nothing like her uncle's, from the slender bridge of her nose to her fine-boned, slender build.

Sighing, Penny unwound her hair from the practical braid she had put it in for school, running her fingers through the strands that now hung past her shoulders. It had darkened from sun-kissed blonde to a rich, dark gold color over the years. Blue-green eyes blinked seriously back at Penny as she found her thoughts drifting like the clouds in the sky outside her window.

She would be seventeen at the end of June. Her counselors and teachers were already pestering her about college applications and scholarships but she had been so busy the past few months that college was the last thing she wanted to think about.

Like today, for example. It was a rare, beautifully warm and sunny Friday afternoon in April and her friends had all been excitedly talking about their plans for the weekend, including dress shopping for the spring formal, about who was dating whom, about the travesty of their English teacher assigning an essay over 'King Lear' so close to the formal, and dozens of other normal activities that any teen Penny's age would be thinking about.

Penny smiled as she thought of what her classmates and teachers would think if they knew that her top priorities at the moment were M.A.D. having been so quiet of late, and making sure that her uncle had stayed safe on his most recent mission.

Her thoughts sobered again as she returned to the problem that had been plaguing her more and more in recent years. In another year she would be done with school and everyone expected her to go to university and do great things, including her uncle.

What would happen to her uncle if she moved away? Could she leave him?

Penny sighed and rubbed at her temples. It was getting harder and harder to keep herself from being noticed on missions. When she had been a small ten-year old it had been easy enough to disappear. But now that she was nearing her seventeenth birthday Penny wasn't able to do that as easily as before. And it was also getting harder to juggle her classwork, combined with her part-time job as a math tutor, with chasing after her uncle.

There was also one more factor in the equation that she hadn't considered in past years. Chief Quimby was starting to grow suspicious, she was certain of it. But then he was a chief of police, she reasoned. Being suspicious and picking up clues were second nature to him.

When she had been younger and more naive Penny had always prided herself on managing to summon Quimby whenever he was needed without being found out. Her watch had a blocking signal that disguised her voice and kept the calls from being traced, but there were a few times in the last year that she had caught Quimby staring at her with an unreadable expression, frowning as he chewed on his pipe after congratulating Gadget on another job well done.

What would happen to her uncle if Quimby and the rest of the police force knew the truth? He would be devastated, and humiliated. Penny would never do that to her uncle. She knew that despite his fame many people still muttered words like "freak" and "monster" under their breath. She would never hurt him like that.

But the worst part of this problem was the guilt that had been building over the years. Penny remembered with a pang how her uncle had once made her promise never to keep anything from him that involved her safety and wellbeing. She remembered how earnest and sincere he had sounded that night...

"If you're hurt or sick I need to know so I can help you. Please promise me you won't keep anything from me. Why, if anything ever happened to you…"

Just remembering the look in his eyes made a fresh surge of guilt rush through Penny.

'I have to tell him,' she told herself as she gazed sternly at her reflection in the mirror. 'He deserves to know.'

She had been telling herself that for the better part of four years now, she thought ruefully. Time was running out and she had to make a decision soon, because Penny knew that it was only a matter of time before Quimby or someone else learned the truth. And she would much rather her uncle hear it from her first.

But at least for now, she wanted to enjoy a quiet and relaxing Friday evening.

Penny pulled off her school uniform and hung the blazer and skirt up before changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She then went downstairs and into the kitchen to find Brain sprawled out on the cool kitchen tiles, snoring softly as he lay flat on his back, paws akimbo.

Smiling fondly at the sight, Penny knelt down to press a kiss to his muzzle before sitting at the kitchen table.

Determined to push her earlier unpleasant thoughts out of her head, Penny pulled out her calculus textbook and began working through some of the equations in preparation for next week. Math had always been her favorite (as well as best) subject and she quickly forgot her worries as she lost herself in the familiar realm of numbers and equations.

Penny was so engrossed in her math problems that she didn't hear the Gadgetmobile pull into the garage or the garage door opening and closing.

"Penny, I'm home!" her uncle's voice called as he entered through the kitchen.

Penny finally looked up from the equation she had been pouring over to smile at her uncle. "Hi, Uncle Gadget. How was your day?"

"Busy!" he said as he hung up his hat and coat before walking up to the kitchen table where Penny had her textbook and notes spread out. Gadget smiled down in amusement at Brain who was still snoozing away before returning his attention to his niece.

"What's this, homework on a Friday afternoon?" he teased. "You can't possibly have homework," he added, hands braced on either side of Penny against the table as he leaned over her shoulder to better see her work.

Penny nodded. "I don't have any homework but I wanted to get a head start on next week's lesson. Calculus is hard but I really like it," she added, tapping a slender finger against the equations she had written.

Gadget smiled even as his heart twinged. Penny would be seventeen in just under three months. One more year of school and then she would be gone…no more afternoons of coming home to see her smiling face beaming at him from over a stack of books...

"Uncle Gadget? Are you okay?"

His niece's concerned voice snapped Gadget out of his morose thoughts and he smiled down in reassurance at the girl - no, young woman - he had raised.

"Yes, just glad it's Friday," he said, pressing a kiss against Penny's silky soft hair. "It's been a long week," he murmured, unable to keep from pressing another kiss to her temple. He lingered for a moment, just breathing in the scent of her hair and listening to her heartbeat with his enhanced hearing. Gadget couldn't believe it had been nearly fourteen years since this remarkable child had come into his life. And soon she would be out of it again.

Gadget was fiercely proud of his niece, but oh…how he would miss her when she left.

As if sensing his morose thoughts Penny stood to wrap her arms around Gadget's waist in a warm hug. She had always been sensitive to his moods and could read him just as well as Gadget could read her biorhythms - the rhythm of her heartbeat and the cadence of her breathing - with his bionic systems.

"Yes, it has," she agreed, resting her chin against Gadget's chest as she smiled up at him. Gadget wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze. While he had become more comfortable with physical affection in the past few years he was still very careful of his own strength whenever he held Penny in his arms.

Penny returned the embrace just as warmly, pressing her nose against the collar of his shirt and breathing in deeply. Gadget drew back slightly, one dark brow raised.

"It's nothing," said Penny, seeing his confused expression. "It's just…you smell good. You always did," she added gently, giving him another warm smile.

Penny knew that one reason her uncle always took very hot showers was that he was constantly afraid of smelling like oil or anything that even hinted of metal. He had always been fastidious about his appearance, scrubbing his synthetic skin until it was red with the sandalwood soap he used. That, combined with the familiar scent of his leather gloves and his cologne that smelled of something warm and woody, had created a distinctive scent over the years that Penny had always associated with safety and home.

Gadget's expression softened and he bent his head to rest his cheek against the top of her head, not for the first time marveling at how his niece could lift his spirits with just a few simple words or a single touch.

He closed his eyes as the soft, sleek strands of her hair brushed against his face. Most of the skin on his face was still biological rather than synthetic, including the nerve endings, making it easier for him to experience touch than with his hands. Unable to help himself, thinking again that someday soon he wouldn't come home to this, Gadget cupped Penny's face in his hands and gently tilted her head up. He brushed a light kiss to her nose, eliciting a soft giggle from the girl, before kissing her forehead again.

Gadget rested his brow against Penny's, the bridge of his nose pressing against her cheek as he held her face, suddenly wishing he could keep a lasting memory of her touch permanently imprinted on his skin.

"Are you sure you're okay, Uncle?" Penny asked quietly, her own hands coming up to touch his wrists, slender fingers curling around powerful, titanium-laced bones. She made no move to pull away, instead shifting closer to him.

Gadget nodded, still not speaking, and Penny moved her hands from his wrists to his upper arms, not sure that he was alright but content to let him hold her for as long as he needed to. He seemed thoughtful and almost...sad, so unlike his normal confident and optimistic demeanor. She wasn't certain what had brought this mood on but didn't mind. Penny knew how much her uncle craved physical touch and how rare it was for him to reach out to her like this even after so many years together.

Squeezing his arms to silently let him know that this was fine (he was always so very careful with her, afraid that he might hurt her, she thought with a mixture of sadness and affection), Penny shifted her head slightly so that she could kiss the sharp angle of his cheek. Gadget moved at the same time and Penny giggled again as the long bridge of his nose brushed against the sensitive skin of her throat.

She felt Gadget smile against her skin and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, feeling her own exhaustion and stress from the long week melt away. She ran her fingertips through the dark strands at the base of his neck and felt him exhale slowly, the strong muscles in his neck and shoulders relaxing under her gentle touch.

Gadget pressed his face against the side of her neck, still holding her close. Her skin was soft and warm and just the slightest bit damp with sweat from her bike ride home. Her pulse thrummed in a steady rhythm against his cheek. He breathed in deeply again, feeling the headache he had been fighting back all day fade as the familiar scent of lavender and something sweet and subtle washed over him. 'Wowsers, what is that?' he wondered. As far as he knew Penny didn't wear perfume.

Penny still had her arms wrapped around him, leaning into him with perfect contentment. She tilted her head up as Gadget nudged her cheek with his nose, pressing more kisses against her cheek and temple. He heard Penny let out a soft puff of laughter, twisting a bit in his arms as his slightly rough cheek rubbed against her throat.

"You need to shave, Uncle," she said, trying again to squirm away. "That tickles!"

Gadget chuckled and rubbed his cheek against her neck again, suddenly feeling playful. "Maybe I shouldn't," he replied. "How do you think I would look with a moustache?" he said against her ear before feathering more kisses against her cheek and the delicate sweep of her jaw before trailing down her throat, eliciting more giggles from her.

"Awful!" Penny said, making her uncle laugh again with her blunt assessment. He continued with his playful touches until Penny had tears in her eyes from laughing. Taking in another deep breath Gadget rested his forehead against her own again, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.

He was so grateful for all the years he had with Penny, the one person who had always treated him like a human being first and not just a machine. He wished he could tell her how much she meant to him but was too afraid of losing her respect, of being anything less than the perfect in her eyes. No, Gadget thought, far better that she see only what everyone else saw rather than the broken remains of the man he had once been.

"Uncle, what's wrong?" He felt Penny's arms slide from his neck to touch his face, her fingertips soft and gentle against his skin.

Suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed, Gadget raised his head to give her a sheepish look. "Nothing, Penny, I just…"

"Needed a hug?" she supplied softly.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't be," said Penny, tightening her arms again. "I like when you hold me."

Gadget had to swallow before he was able to speak again. "It's such a nice day outside," he said after a moment. "How about we go to the park? We haven't been there in a while."

"That sounds fun - we can play baseball!" she added and Gadget nodded. "What do you think, Brain?"

Brain, who had finally woken from his noon nap, sat up and barked excitedly.

The citizens of Metro City had long grown accustomed to seeing unusual sights, from Gadget flying overhead with his 'copter, to the Gadgetmobile streaking down the streets in pursuit of M.A.D. agents, to a host of other bizarre and crazy events that most long-term residents took in stride.

So when a long, extended metal arm suddenly zoomed across an elderly gentleman's chessboard where he and his partner were seated in the city park, chasing a baseball that had zipped in front of them seconds earlier, the old man simply sighed and cast a long-suffering look skyward.

There was a flash of dark gold hair as Penny ran up, chasing after the arm. "Oh, crumbs! He caught it that time." She turned and flashed the two old men a bright smile.

"Sorry about that, sir!" the girl chirped before hurrying back, a dog following close behind her.

"No harm done," the old man replied, straightening the chess pieces.

"What the...who...what was that?" the man's chess partner, who had just moved to Metro City a few weeks ago, gaped. His friend chuckled.

"Don't mind him. That's Inspector Gadget."

"And the girl with him?"

"Oh, that's his niece. Very well brought-up young lady," he added thoughtfully.

The second man was still gaping at the space where Gadget's mechanical arm had been. His companion gave him a light kick with his foot.

"Quit gawking, James! It's your move."

Gadget grinned as he tossed the baseball in his gloved hand. He had finally discarded his hat, coat, and tie given that the April day was a humid and hot one. There was a slight smell of rain that promised a storm later, but for now the clouds were far off and the sun was high. The park was filled with people enjoying the first Friday of April but Gadget had eyes only for his family.

"You'll have to do better than that, Penny!" he said with a grin, and then blinked as Brain nimbly jumped up, snatching the ball out of his hand. "Brain, that's cheating!" exclaimed Gadget as he gave chase.

Brain wagged his tail and gave a playful bow before darting off towards a laughing Penny, Gadget hot on his paws. He dropped the ball into Penny's hands and then leapt aside moments before Gadget dove face-first into the spot Brain had been standing in.

Spitting out a mouthful of grass, Gadget glared in mock anger at their dog before struggling to his feet.

"You'll have to do better than that, Uncle Gadget!" Penny repeated with a breathless laugh.

Gadget turned his mock glare towards Penny.

The girl's eyes went wide as they both glanced down at the ball she held.

Penny looked back up at her uncle.

Gadget grinned.

Penny ran.

Gadget was fast but Penny was as agile as deer and she managed to dodge his playful attempts to grab her as they ran around each other. Penny knew that if her uncle truly wanted to catch her he could in an instant with his extendable arms but he was playing fair.

Brain joined in and soon the three were chasing each other into what had quickly turned into a game of "keep away".

Penny dodged another playful grab, by now breathless with laughter. As she darted around a tree Penny suddenly stumbled on the cool grass, gasping in surprise as she lost her balance. Gadget wasn't agile enough to stop his forward momentum and stumbled into her back.

She felt herself start to fall in the same moment Gadget's arms went around her waist and she reacted instinctively, going completely limp in his arms. She barely had time to let out a startled yelp before they tumbled down the small hill together. Penny caught a glimpse of the blue sky spinning above them and heard Brain's worried barks as he chased after them.

Gadget twisted as they fell, throwing his weight forward so that he landed first and wouldn't crush Penny underneath him. "Wowsers," he exclaimed as his back hit the grass. He barely noticed the impact, his only concern for his niece. "Penny! Are you alright?" he asked anxiously, his arms still wrapped tightly around her.

Breathless but unharmed, Penny raised her head and nodded. "I'm fine, Uncle," she said. She giggled and reached up to brush some blades of grass out of his dark hair. "Thank you for catching me."

Gadget smiled, reaching up to sweep her hair out of her face. "You win," he said, his eyes gentle.

Brain skidded to a halt next to them, barking around the ball he held in his mouth. Gadget chuckled as Penny stood, accepting her hand up. "Sorry Brain, I guess you win after all," he said, patting the dog's head.

And then he blinked when a large raindrop landed on his nose.

"Looks like that storm's coming soon," Gadget said, looking up to study the approaching cloud bank with his keen vision. "We'd better pack up and get home."

"I thought it would have held off a bit longer," sighed Penny. At least they had gotten in a good few hours.

Gadget nodded as he pulled on his coat and pushed his hat back onto his head. "Storms are funny like that. You never know when they're going to break or how bad they'll be when they do."

Penny nodded, shivering as the suddenly cold wind blew against her sweaty skin. For some reason her uncle's words chilled her though she didn't know why.

Later that evening after she had finished showering and getting ready for bed Penny came downstairs to find her uncle in the den. Gadget was seated on the couch, a frown on his face as he rubbed at his temple with one hand.

"Uncle?" she asked softly, making him raise his head. Gadget gave her what he hoped was a reassuring glance. "I'm fine, Penny. Just a bit of a headache. I think I got too much sun today."

Penny bit her lip. Her uncle had been getting headaches a lot lately, especially in the last few months even though he rarely became ill. Concerned but not wanting to nag, she nodded. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"I'll be fine," he said again, managing to give his niece a smile despite the lines of pain around his eyes. Penny nodded again and stepped forward, gently running her fingers across his brow, pushing the thick dark strands aside so that she could press a kiss against his forehead.

"Good night," she whispered before heading upstairs.

Gadget sat there for a while longer when a familiar wet nose brushed against his hand. He opened his eyes to see Brain watching him in concern.

"I'll be alright, boy. I think I've just been working too hard lately."

Brained whined, clearly not reassured. Gadget sighed as he stroked the dog's head. "Where did all the years go?" he said quietly as his earlier dejected thoughts returned to him.

The dog whined again and pointed his nose up the stairs, clearly indicating that he thought Gadget should go lie down. Smiling, Gadget gave Brain one finale pat before heading upstairs to his room. He tried to sleep but the storm outside was loud and raging, adding to his already depressed mood.

He tossed and turned throughout the night, unable to sleep due to his pounding head. When he did finally manage to drift off his dreams were haunted by terrible images...by things he had thought were long-buried and forgotten.