I really loved writing this chapter and was listening to 80s power ballads the whole time while writing this.^^

3. Hopes and Fears

17 April, 1990

The following day Penny was in the girl's locker room changing after a volleyball game with her classmates. The girls were talking about the upcoming spring formal that was going to be held next Friday but Penny was hardly aware of the excited chatter around her. Her thoughts had been heavy since yesterday and she had slept badly last night. It took all of her flagging energy just to get through her classes, much less gym.

"I can't believe you're not going, Penny!" exclaimed one girl. "I mean, it's the spring formal! Everyone goes!"

Penny shrugged as she combed her damp hair. "No one's asked me to go. Besides, I'm going to the gala this year," she added, still lost in thought.

There was a collective gasp from the other four girls.

"No way! That's like, the most exclusive event in the city!"

"How'd you get invited? Are you going steady with someone?"

"Just think of all the guys that will be there!"

"All of those cadets in uniform!" giggled Meg, earning a small smile from Penny. She sat down next to Penny on the bench. "Is your uncle taking you, or did you get invited by a handsome cadet?" she teased.

Penny laughed as she stood and reached for her gym bag, holding the towel around herself as she pulled out her clothes. "My uncle is taking me. I couldn't go last year because I wasn't old enough, but this year I am."

She bent down to pull on her shirt, unaware that her towel had shifted a bit. There was another collective gasp from the girls, but this time it was one of shock rather than excitement.

"Oh my God...Penny, what happened?" said Meg in a strangled voice.

"Huh?" said Penny, jerked out of her thoughts. "What do you mean?" She saw her friends' shocked expressions and frowned in confusion. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Meg shook her head and pointed at Penny's side. She looked down and cursed herself for being careless. There was a long, ugly scrape running under her left rib cage. The skin was mottled with bruises that had darkened to deep black and blue over the past few days, Penny realized with dismay. She had gotten it during Gadget's most recent case when she had been tailing the undercover agent.

While Penny hadn't been spotted by her uncle, she had nearly been seen by one of the M.A.D. agents while hiding out in some shrubbery with Brain. She had only managed to evade discovery by rushing downhill - or rather, tumbling down and earning herself a nasty scrape against a rocky outcropping. She knew she was very lucky she hadn't broken a rib (or anything else) on her tumble down the steep, rocky incline.

"Oh, that…" her mind raced. "I fell off my bike. I was going too fast and wasn't paying attention. It's just a bit of road burn."

The other girls didn't look convinced. "Since when do you do bike stunts?" said Kate skeptically.

"I wasn't doing any stunts," Penny explained, dressing as quickly as she could. "I was just clumsy. I promise it looks worse than it is." She straightened and tossed her long hair back over her shoulders. "Really, I'm fine, guys."

"Well, okay," said Meg, still looking unconvinced. "If you're sure…"

"I'm sure," said Penny, giving her friend what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Say Meg," she added, trying to change the subject. "Has Sam invited you to the formal yet?"

And just like that the conversation turned back to more mundane, normal things. Penny listened quietly but attentively, wondering when her life had suddenly become so complicated and confusing.

She arrived home a few minutes later than she normally did but quickly reassured her uncle that everything was fine (it wasn't, not at all, her guilty conscience reminded her). She had just been talking to a friend after school and lost track of time, she explained.

Gadget nodded. "That's quite alright, Penny," he reassured her. "I had to run some errands myself. Oh, that reminds me! Mrs. Quimby called earlier. She wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping with her next Friday for the gala."

Penny nodded, brightening at the mention of Chief Quimby's wife. She and Mrs. Quimby had grown close over the past four years and the older woman had been a welcoming source of understanding and kindness whenever Penny had needed a woman's advice.

"Yeah, that'd be great, Uncle. Classes are cancelled next Friday because of the formal."

"Excellent! I'll drop you off at the chief's house on Friday morning. Get whatever you like Penny - consider it an early birthday present."

"Thank you, Uncle," said Penny, touched. Gadget smiled at her before going into the kitchen to start dinner.

Penny started to head upstairs to change out of her school clothes but stopped when something caught her eye. Gadget had picked up his dry cleaning earlier and the items were still hanging up in the open door of the linen closet.

Brain followed her as Penny walked up to the closet, gazing at Gadget's dress jacket that hung at the front. The dog sniffed curiously at the garment before sitting down and looking up at his mistress with a questioning expression.

Penny touched the navy blue sleeve, her earlier depressed thoughts returning with a vengeance. All police officers were required to wear their dress uniforms at the gala; she had never seen her uncle wear his dress uniform before except in some old pictures. Back in another lifetime.

She touched the embroidered thread on the jacket's shoulder with one finger, tracing the insignia of an inspector. No matter what people said about him now her uncle had earned that rank, and at an impressively young age too, Penny thought.

And now they were going to take it all away from him.

Sighing heavily, Penny went upstairs to change.

27 April, 1990

"Thank you again for helping me pick out a dress, Mrs. Quimby."

"It's my pleasure, dear. And you can call me 'Edith' in private. After all, you're a young woman now," replied Edith with a smile as she and Penny browsed through a department store in the downtown shopping center.

Gadget had dropped Penny off at the Quimbys' house earlier that morning, saying that he had some last minute errands to run before the gala that night. He would meet Penny there, he reassured his niece, and bring Brain with him.

Penny browsed through the racks of dresses, feeling a bit overwhelmed. These gowns were a bit too garish and frilly for her taste, more suited to her high school's spring formal than a gala. She went over to another section but quickly gave up as the dresses were more in line with what someone like Lana Lamour would wear. She was pretty sure her uncle would have a heart attack if she arrived wearing one of these gowns, Penny thought with a smile.

"Any luck, Penny?" said Edith, emerging from another aisle.

"Not really," said Penny. "I'm not sure what to look for. I definitely don't want to look like a powdered cupcake," she added, making Edith laugh. "But I also don't think these dresses are...well, they're not me."

"I understand," said Edith as she perused the racks, Penny following her. "You want to look like yourself, is that it?"

"Exactly," said Penny, relieved. Mrs. Quimby always looked both elegant yet natural and Penny trusted the older woman's judgement. "Fashion is definitely not my strongest subject!" she added with another laugh.

A saleswoman smiled at them as they approached. "Shopping for the spring formal, my dear?" she asked Penny.

"No," said Penny. "I'm actually going to the Metro City PD gala. I have no idea what to look for, and the gala's in less than -" she glanced at her watch - "four hours."

The saleswoman nodded sagely. "In that case, you'll definitely want something more refined than what would be suited towards a school dance. Have you tried this section?" she asked as she led Penny and Edith farther back in the store.

"Oh, now this is much better," said Edith with a smile. "These styles are much more classic and elegant." Penny nodded, feeling a bit more optimistic about finding something.

"Did you have a particular color in mind?" asked the saleswoman.

"Um, not really. I like blue," Penny offered.

"You'd look stunning in blue - violet or emerald too," said Edith, the saleswoman nodding in agreement. "I have a few dresses that might help you narrow down a selection since you're pressed for time…"

Two hours later Penny was back at the Quimby residence, her new dress hanging up to ensure there were no wrinkles. Edith had let her use her bathroom to shower and now she was sitting in front of Edith's dresser while the older woman helped comb out Penny's long hair.

"How have you been lately, Penny?" asked Edith gently. "It's been a while since we've talked, and your uncle sounded worried when I last spoke to him over the phone."

A panicked expression came across Penny's face. Chief Quimby had promised Penny that he wouldn't discuss Gadget's upcoming retirement with anyone, not even his wife, to protect his reputation.

Edith noticed Penny's discomfort and quickly reassured the girl. "He hasn't said anything to me, Penny, and I wouldn't ask him. If you don't want to talk about it then I won't force you, my dear."

"Thank you. I just…" Penny took a deep breath, relieved that Edith didn't know about her involvement in Gadget's missions. She deeply respected the older woman but wasn't certain how Edith would react if she knew the truth. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet."

"I understand," said Edith gently. "Just remember that you have many people who care about you."

Penny nodded and Edith decided a change of subject was in order. She hummed thoughtfully as she brushed the girl's hair. "Do you want your hair up or down?"

"I'm not sure, I've never really done anything with it except put it in a braid or ponytail." Penny frowned at her reflection. "It's so straight it wouldn't hold a curl anyway."

Edith smiled. "Well, let's see if we can fix that."

One hour later Penny was standing in front of Edith's floor length mirror, staring at herself in astonishment. She still looked like herself, just a more mature, refined version, she thought.

"Well, what do you think?" said Edith, smiling at Penny's stunned expression.

"Wow," was all Penny could say, eliciting a warm laugh from the older woman. Penny smiled at Edith. "You're amazing, Edith. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Penny," she said, reaching up to adjust a strand of Penny's hair. She then stepped back and studied the girl, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. "Hmm, I think there's something missing," she said after a moment. "You look stunning Penny, truly, but…

"I know," she said, going over to her dresser. Penny watched as she rummaged through her jewelry box before returning with something held in her hand.

"Here." Edith handed her a pair of simple but very beautiful pearl earrings that were shaped like tear drops. Penny held them up, watching as they caught the light. "They're beautiful, Edith."

The older woman smiled. "They belonged to my mother. You're welcome to borrow them tonight, if you'd like."

Penny blinked back suddenly moist eyes and hugged the older woman tightly. Edith hugged her back just as warmly before pulling back, dabbing at her eyes. "Now, no tears! You'll have me going as well and then both our faces will be ruined!" she chided gently.

"Now, let's go and stun every single young gentleman at that gala! I can't wait to see your uncle's expression," she added as she gathered up her purse and coat.

"I don't know about 'stun'," said Penny as she followed Edith out to her car. "And I'm not sure Uncle Gadget would notice. He tends to be more focused on tracking down M.A.D. agents," Penny added good-naturedly.

The older woman paused and gave Penny a brilliant smile, suddenly making her appear much younger than her years. "Oh, don't you worry, Penny - you'll turn every head in the room, including your uncle's!"

Smiling but still uncertain, she followed Edith into the car.

The hotel that was hosting the gala was already filled with guests by the time Penny and Edith arrived. Penny looked around for her uncle and Brain in the foyer but didn't see them, but Chief Quimby was waiting for them.

"You look lovely, dear," said Quimby, kissing his wife on the cheek before smiling at Penny. "You as well, Penny," he added.

"Thank you, Chief Quimby," said Penny. She was still upset with Quimby but understood the difficult position he was in and had resolved to enjoy the evening for her uncle's sake if nothing else. "Where's Uncle Gadget and Brain?"

"Already inside," said Quimby, gesturing towards the main hall. "Which reminds me, I'd better go make sure he hasn't set something on fire, or broken anything irreplaceable. Ladies, if you'll excuse me," he added before leaving.

Edith smiled as Penny fidgeted. "Nervous?"

"A bit," admitted Penny. Edith gave her a reassuring look. "Don't be, my dear. All you have to do is walk in there with your head held high like the confident young woman you are, and everything will be fine."

With those calming words Edith left to join her husband, instinctively knowing that Penny needed a few minutes alone.

Penny hesitated, unsure of why she was suddenly nervous. She had faced down M.A.D. agents and countless other life-and-death situations for years, and yet she suddenly felt like an uncertain seven year-old.

'You're being ridiculous,' she mentally scolded herself. 'These are people you've known for years, now get out there!'

Remembering Edith's words from earlier, Penny straightened her shoulders and held her head up as she stepped into the hall.

"And that's how I apprehended the M.A.D. agent!" Gadget finished proudly as he recounted the details of his latest mission. Brain sat next to him, listening with long-suffering patience. The two newly minted officers whom he was speaking with were nodding vaguely, their expressions somewhat glassy-eyed when one of them suddenly snapped to attention.

"Wow," the younger man breathed out, staring at something over Gadget's shoulder. His companion was gaping open-mouthed as well. Gadget turned to see what was so interesting and immediately saw what had caught the men's attention.

A lovely young woman had just stepped into the hall. She was alone and Gadget didn't recognize her. She was too young to be an officer or cadet as she looked scarcely out of girlhood. He frowned, puzzled, and took a sip of his water as he tried to place why the girl looked so familiar.

"Say, Chief, who is that girl over there?" he asked as Quimby joined their group.

The older man cast an exasperated glance to the ceiling before giving Gadget an impatient look. "Gadget, you idiot - can't you recognize your own niece when you see her?"

Gadget did a double-take and he swallowed an ice cube as the penny (quite literally) dropped.

The girl - no, woman - was Penny.

His niece looked stunning.

She was wearing a deep blue off-the-shoulder dress that emphasized her slender build while still looking elegant and appropriate for her age. The dress was fitted through the torso and flared out at the waist in gauzy folds, the light fabric flowing around her knees as she walked towards them. Her hair was piled into an elegant twist on her head though a few strands still managed to escape, framing her face. She was wearing minimal make-up and the only jewelry she had on was the pair of earrings Mrs. Quimby had leant her, as well as her ever-present watch.

Coughing and wheezing as he tried to dislodge the ice cube, Gadget could only mutter, "wowsers."

"Breathe, Gadget, for God's sake," said Quimby, pounding the inspector on the back a few times until Gadget was finally able to swallow the ice.

Wincing, Gadget finally straightened. Quimby followed Gadget's stare and smiled. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" he said quietly.

Gadget could only nod and Quimby bit back a chuckle around the stem of his pipe. It was rare to see Gadget so completely flummoxed and at a loss for words.

Penny smiled at them. "Hi, Uncle. Brain, you look so handsome!" she exclaimed, stooping down to press a kiss to the dog's head. Brain was wearing a collar with a black bowtie and he barked proudly, chest puffed out.

Giggling, Penny straightened to greet the other three men. "Chief Quimby." She suddenly noticed the two young men that were staring at her and gave them a tentative smile. "Good evening, Cadets - excuse me - Officers."

The two men stammered out greetings and Penny felt her earlier confidence fade a bit. Why was everyone staring at her? And her uncle still hadn't said anything.

"Are you okay, Uncle Gadget?"

Gadget nodded, still too stunned to speak. The tiny girl he had raised was gone, he realized with a sharp pain through his very human heart, suddenly replaced with this stunning young woman.

Quimby muttered something around his pipe and prodded Gadget sharply in the side with his elbow.

"Ouch! Oh! Oh, er...yes, I'm fine, Penny. I'll show you where our table is. Come on, Brain."

Penny smiled, feeling more relaxed, and took her uncle's arm. The first part of the reception included brief speeches from the police commissioner and mayor, and then the rest of the evening was dedicated to socializing and dancing. Penny didn't know any of the cadets that had just graduated and was surprised when one of them approached their table after the speeches were over.

"Inspector, I was wondering if I could ask your niece for a dance?"

Gadget smiled. "It's her permission you'll need to ask, not mine," he said, nodding to Penny.

Penny gave her uncle a surprised look and then nodded to the young man who pulled her onto the dance floor.

Gadget sighed and absently stroked Brain's head as he watched his niece dance, wondering how it was possible to feel so happy and proud and yet also so terribly sad at the same time.

Two hours later Penny was starting to feel the physical effects of dancing so much. She was quite fit from years of chasing after her uncle but dancing in heels was something else. And she wanted some time with her uncle. It hadn't escaped her notice that no one had danced with Gadget all night, nor had he asked anyone to. He seemed perfectly content to watch Penny and the other couples, Brain loyally staying by his side. She politely declined another offer of a dance and sank down into a chair next to her uncle with a relieved sigh. Gadget gave her a gentle smile and handed her a glass of water. She took it with a murmured "thank you" before turning her attention to the other dancers.

As the evening had progressed the music had slowed in pace, encouraging some of the older couples to join the dance floor. Penny smiled as she watched Chief Quimby and Edith dance. They were clearly still very much in love and it was nice to see a different side to Quimby's serious and sometimes gruff nature.

"Would you like to dance, Penny?"

She blinked and looked up to see her uncle standing in front of her, holding a hand out. "Unless you're too tired?" he asked when she didn't answer, looking hesitant and almost...nervous?

Penny shook her head and took his hand, letting him help her to her feet. "I'd love to dance, Uncle."

Gadget smiled at his niece's surprised expression as he gently pulled her onto the dance floor. While he wasn't very comfortable with dancing he knew how much Penny loved the song that had started playing.

"Uncle, you don't have to..." Penny began even as she instinctively leaned into his embrace, holding onto his shoulder with her left hand while he took her right hand in his own.

"Nonsense, Penny," said Gadget as he guided her through the crowd of other dancing couples into an open spot. "After all, you were the one who helped me learn how to dance, remember?"

Penny laughed softly, and finally there was a smile on her face, Gadget thought in relief. "I remember," she said, touched that he was making such an effort on her part. Scolding herself for being so mopey the past few weeks, Penny relaxed further in his arms as the music started to pick up.

Gadget smiled down at her and seemed to gain more confidence as they danced. He gently laced his gloved fingers through her own as he spun them in a slow circle, not for the first time moved by how fragile Penny's slender frame felt against his own. Even in her very modest heels he still towered over his niece.

Penny was watching him with soft eyes and Gadget couldn't help but say, "penny for your thoughts?"

His niece giggled at the old joke. "I was just thinking that I've never seen you in your dress uniform before. You look very handsome, Uncle Gadget," she said, her eyes gentle and filled with the familiar love and warmth that never failed to make Gadget's heart lurch.

"And you look beautiful," he murmured, gently squeezing her waist as he spoke. He released her hand to gently brush a tendril of dark gold hair away from her face and tuck it behind her ear.

Penny smiled and wrapped both of her arms around his neck.

From across the dance floor Edith Quimby smiled as she watched uncle and niece dance. She was deeply worried about Penny and had been for some time now. Her woman's intuition knew something was very wrong but she respected that Penny wasn't ready to talk to her just yet.

At least she had a smile on her face, Edith thought.

"What's put that smile on your face, Edie?" said her husband as he returned to their table with two drinks.

Edith accepted the glass of wine from her husband and took a sip before gesturing towards the packed dance floor. "Watching Gadget - he's actually not that bad of a dancer," she said.

Quimby snorted. "Gadget doesn't dance, Edie. Not even before...well, he's never danced."

"Well, he does now."

Quimby frowned in confusion and then his eyes widened as he spotted Gadget and Penny among the crowd.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "If anyone could get Gadget to dance, it would be Penny," he said as he sat down and took a long sip of his iced tea.

"They're so perfectly matched, aren't they?" said Edith softly.

Quimby nearly spat out his drink. "Edie, they're uncle and niece!"

His wife gave her husband a long-suffering look. "I know that, George, and you know that's not how I meant it. Look at them," she said. "What they have is special," she insisted, turning her eyes back towards her husband. "You just said so yourself that Gadget doesn't dance, and yet there he is dancing with his niece. And I'm not sure why Penny has been so unhappy lately, but if anyone can get her to open up, it's Gadget."

"Edie..."

"What I'm trying to say, George," his wife continued calmly but passionately, "is that they love each other. Can't you see it?"

"But, but... it's Gadget..."

"And he's still a man, though it seems you and the rest of the force still refuse to acknowledge that," said Edith quietly. "Penny, as far as I know, is the only one who has always treated him like a man, a man that still has a mind, heart and soul. Those two have a connection that's special, George."

Quimby shifted uncomfortably. "But..."

Edith smiled and rested her hand over her husband's rough, work-worn one. "Trust me on this one, my love," she said. "There's so little innocence and purity left in the world. That right there," she said, nodding towards Gadget and Penny, "is the truest example of unconditional love that I've ever seen."

Gadget smiled as Penny wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer and rested his brow against her own.

'...can't look in your eyes, you're out of my league...'

Penny's hand slipped to his shoulders and Gadget couldn't tear his eyes away from his niece. There was that look again in those beautiful blue-green eyes. Sadness and...something else...he couldn't place it.

He hated it. Gadget knew there was something Penny wasn't telling him and it was tearing him up inside.

As the final chorus of the song swelled around them Gadget slid his hands up Penny's slender arms, pulling them back around his neck. Penny closed her eyes as Gadget pulled her even closer, their steps matching each other perfectly.

'...just a fool to believe...she's like the wind...'

Gadget leaned into Penny and she responded in kind, both unaware of the admiring glances sent their way from the other dancers. Despite Gadget's limbs being less fluid and graceful than Penny's the two moved effortlessly over the dance floor, their movements speaking volumes to each other.

'I love you,' Penny thought, unable to tear her eyes away from her uncle. She slid her hand down his broad chest and rested it over his human heart, her other hand still resting against the back of his neck.

'Why are you so unhappy?' Gadget thought, his chest aching as he covered Penny's hand with his own, his other arm wrapped around her waist.

'I only wanted to keep you safe.' Penny stepped forward and Gadget shifted his weight, bending slightly so that he could lift Penny against his chest and spin her around. He set her on her feet again, noses touching as they moved together.

'...just a fool to believe...she's like the wind...'

'I'd do anything to make you smile.' Gadget pressed his face against the side of Penny's neck.

'Don't ever leave me. I couldn't bear it.' Penny reached up to wrap her arms around his neck again, stroking the thick dark waves of his hair.

'You mean the world to me.' Gadget closed his eyes at the feel of Penny's slender fingers in his hair. He reached up and gently caught her left hand in his right, pressing a kiss to her fingertips before returning it to its previous place over his heart.

Penny smiled despite the moisture brimming in her eyes as she carefully gripped the shoulder of his dress uniform.

"Are you alright?" Gadget murmured, his breath warm against Penny's cheek as they moved together. His hand still rested over her own that in turn rested over his heart and she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered and then gasped in surprised delight as Gadget playfully dipped her before pulling her back up against him. She laughed and rested her forehead against Gadget's again, smiling as the bridge of that familiar, Roman nose brushed against her cheekbone.

Penny's fears and worries about the future hadn't vanished completely, but at least for one night she could be just a normal teenager, she thought.