I was organizing some of my WIPs and found a way to tie several plot ideas together into this story. I know there's a lot of craziness going on in the world right now and I wanted to write something soft and gentle. Gadgetgirl-rach, this one's for you. Enjoy! :)

No Regrets

Penny remembered the exact moment she realized her uncle was so much more than what people saw, including those who knew him best like Chief Quimby and Professor Von Slickstein.

She had been six and had found a piece of crumpled-up paper that had fallen behind her uncle's desk when she had been emptying the waste baskets as part of her chores. Curious, she had unrolled the paper and had stared in numb shock at what she had seen.

The equations for calculating pounds per square inch were written in her uncle's somewhat messy, sprawling handwriting (his hands didn't have quite the same fine motor control as a normal man's did). It took Penny several moments to realize what she was reading.

'PSI - can I hold my niece?'

'Hugging - no, definitely no! Too much pressure.'

'Pat on shoulder? Arm around shoulder? - Yes, possibly.'

'Kiss on the forehead? - Safe, less PSI compared to hands.'

When the full enormity of what her uncle had written hit her she had wept bitterly, not for herself, but for the pain and isolation her uncle so needlessly put himself through. He actually thought he might hurt her, simply by holding her? It was nearly unbearable for her to think about.

Penny hadn't revealed the paper to anyone, not even Brain, instead keeping the paper tucked away in a wooden box in her closet. After that day she never hesitated to show her uncle physical affection. She snuggled into his side when they sat together on the sofa watching TV, took his arm in her own when they walked, and kissed his cheek whenever she could. She didn't care what other people thought - she would only stop if her uncle seemed uncomfortable.

Gadget had seemed a bit surprised, even uncertain, by his niece's affection but never once shied away. He didn't return the gestures, but neither did he pull away whenever Penny reached out to him. It sometimes made her sad that her uncle wouldn't hold her but she understood, or at least thought she did.

It wasn't until she was thirteen that she learned that Gadget couldn't fully register touch through his hands and that had only made her more determined to show her uncle he was human, that he deserved warmth and comfort just like anyone else. Penny's gentle but insistent reassurances that he wouldn't hurt her gradually wore down his aversion to physical affection, especially now that Penny wasn't so small. Since then Gadget had grown more comfortable with physical affection and his sense of touch gradually became stronger the more he actually allowed himself to feel, to touch.

Like now, Penny thought with a smile as she lay with her head in Gadget's lap. It was a hot, humid evening in July and the AC was broken. The humidity had built all day and that, combined with the oppressive heat and her recent lack of sleep, had left Penny with a crushing headache. She didn't get headaches often but when she did they were pretty nasty. She had tried sleeping it off but hadn't been able to relax and had eventually gone downstairs with Brain to see if some TV would distract her.

To her surprise Gadget had coaxed her into stretching out on the sofa, putting a pillow in his lap before urging her to lay down. He had been outside most of the day doing chores so as to avoid disturbing Penny and the familiar scent of his soap and aftershave from his recent shower was soothing.

"Wowsers, Penny, you don't look well at all," Gadget said once she was settled. He turned the volume on the TV down and kept his voice low as he spoke, one gloved hand carefully brushing her hair out of her face. Penny managed a weak smile for him. "I'm fine, Uncle. It's just the heat and humidity."

Gadget frowned, unconvinced, but didn't press her. He flipped through the channels for a while while Penny rested. At one point she rolled over onto her side, pressing her face against Gadget's t-shirt, and suddenly felt him stiffen.

"Uncle?" She blinked and raised her head, trying to focus in the dim lighting. Gadget was staring down at her, or rather her side. She frowned. Did she have something on her? Penny looked down and saw what he was looking at. Oh, that, she grimaced. Her appendectomy scar.

That had definitely been a close call, she thought, and ironically enough not because of M.A.D. agents. She and Brain had gone with her uncle to some remote area of eastern Europe to track down a lead on Dr. Claw, but had ended up trapped in the village due to the spring floods. And of course that was when her appendix had decided to give out. Penny didn't really remember much but even after six years she remembered how close to panicking her uncle had been. It had been one of the rare times Penny had seen him truly terrified, and her Uncle Gadget wasn't easily scared.

Six years ago…

The doctor tugged at Gadget's sleeve and pulled him aside so that Penny couldn't hear their conversation. The pain and fever were making her delirious and she was too weak to move.

Gadget left Penny's side with only the greatest effort. "What's wrong with her?" he demanded. "She was fine a few days ago!"

"Inspector, I'm almost certain your niece has appendicitis. And an advanced case at that."

Gadget's already pale face went even whiter. "Then we need to get her to a hospital!"

The young doctor glanced in sympathy at the miserable ten year-old curled on the bed before turning back to Gadget. "I know, but we can't move her in this storm." He waved a hand at the rain-lashed window. "These spring storms always flood out the roads. I've no idea how long the rain will last, and..." he paused, hesitating, and Gadget resisted the urge to shake the man. "What?"

"If we wait too long and her appendix ruptures...the condition is life-threatening, Inspector."

Gadget sagged back against the wall, his knees suddenly feeling more like water than titanium. It took him a moment to find his voice again. "Keep trying to reach Quimby, another town...anyone. Please."

"Of course." The young doctor went over to Penny's side and checked her pulse. His jaw tightened and his gaze was grim but determined as he readjusted the cloth on Penny's brow before standing.

"I'll give her some more morphine in another hour. Try to keep her calm and quiet until then," he added quietly before hurrying downstairs to try calling out again.

After he had gone Gadget slowly walked back towards the bed. His heart twisted as Penny moaned softly, her face covered in a sheen of sweat as she shifted restlessly on the bed. Her normally bright eyes were glassy from pain and fever. Gadget sat on the edge of the bed as carefully as he could, taking hold of Penny's cold hand between his own.

"Don't you worry, Penny," he said, only just managing to keep the tremble out of his voice.

"You'll be fine, just fine." He smoothed her sweat-dampened hair away from her face as he spoke, hoping his niece could somehow hear him.

Gadget didn't know how much worse things could get - Penny was sick and poor Brain was lost somewhere out there in that storm - but his niece's next words nearly shattered his composure.

"Mom...Dad..." Penny whimpered, her head tossing back and forth. Gadget squeezed her hand again and leaned close to murmur in her ear. "Penny, it's me...I'm here."

Penny turned towards his voice but Gadget could tell she wasn't really seeing him. "Dad?" she whispered hoarsely before another spike of pain had her moaning and shaking again.

Gadget felt heat burn at the back of his eyes but ignored it. He had to be strong for his niece even as a voice in his head whispered, 'Not good enough...you'll never be able to replace her real parents. You're just a machine, after all.'

He ignored that voice and gently gathered Penny into his arms, holding her shaking body against his own, one large hand holding her head under his chin. He rested his cheek atop her head, closing his eyes in pain as she continued to mumble in her fever dreams. "Dad...don't leave..."

"I'm here, Penny," he whispered. Better to let her think that her father was here rather than him, Gadget thought. Anything to ease her suffering. "I'm here, sweetheart."

"Uncle? Uncle Gadget, are you alright?"

"What-oh! Of course, Penny. I'm fine," he said, smiling down at his sixteen year-old niece as he tried to shake the memories off.

Penny frowned. It didn't take a detective to guess what he had been thinking about. "You know I don't really remember much from that time, right?"

Gadget nodded, his thumb absently sweeping over her scar. It was a soothing touch and Penny was once again reminded with a pang that he would have never have done something similar just a few years ago. Penny rolled onto her back again so she could look at him fully. "I'm glad you were there, Uncle," she continued. "I was really out of it for a while, but I do remember some things. I-I know it got really bad before we were able to get to a hospital," she added gently.

After the first night she had woken up Gadget didn't return all day, only arriving back at her hospital bedside just before she fell asleep. She knew he stayed the whole night by her side, but it was clear that he was avoiding her as much as possible during waking hours.

Confused and hurt, Penny tried to think of what she might have done to upset him. Brain stayed with her day and night, only leaving for breaks and to eat.

Finally when Gadget arrived back later than usual one night Penny finally blurted out, "Uncle Gadget, are you mad at me?"

"Wha-no!" Gadget exclaimed but quickly lowered his voice as a passing nurse shot him a glare. "No," he added again, this time much more softly and gently. "I'm not mad at you, Penny."

"Then why are you avoiding me?" She hated that she couldn't keep her voice from trembling or her eyes watering but she was still recovering from major surgery and the lingering pain and nausea were draining her resolve.

Gadget saw the tears in her eyes and quickly leaned forward, taking her small hand between his own and kissing the back of it. "Penny, shush. Please don't get upset - you'll make yourself sick again. And you don't want the nurses angry at me!" He tried for levity but it failed. Brain gave Gadget an exasperated look and hopped down from the bed to get some water and give them some privacy as well.

After Brain had gone Gadget sighed and ran a hand through his mussed hair. "I'm not mad at you," he repeated. "I just...wowsers, this is hard to explain."

Penny sniffed and wiped at her eyes with her free hand. She knew it was almost time for more pain medicine that the nurse would bring shortly but wanted to be clear-headed. "Well, you could try anyway," she managed, swallowing hard and then wincing when her healing stitches throbbed.

Gadget saw her grimace in pain and he very gently took hold of her shoulders and nudged her to lay down, covering her with the bedsheets. "Alright but please, Penny, you've got to calm down. Otherwise that nurse will kick me out," he added with another smile and this time Penny did laugh a bit.

"That's it, just take a few deep breaths...shh." Gadget grabbed a damp cloth from the bedside table and placed it on her forehead. He dabbed at her face as Penny's breathing slowed. She was so tired but didn't want to sleep just yet. Once he was satisfied Penny was calm and comfortable Gadget sighed again.

"I wasn't avoiding you, Penny. At least, not in the way you think. I thought, well...I wasn't sure you needed me."

Penny shook her head. "I'll always need you, Uncle," she murmured.

"I should never have taken you with me."

Penny frowned and carefully sat up at that, wincing as her head throbbed. Gadget kept one hand on her back to support her as she held onto his shoulder with one hand for balance. "I'm glad you let me and Brain come with you, Uncle," she said, making sure she looked him in the eye as she said it. "Besides," she added when Gadget didn't seem reassured, "If I had been home by myself when my appendix burst that would have been even worse."

Gadget blanched at that and shook his head. "I should have been at home with you, Penny. But it seems like M.A.D. always gets two steps afoot - or is it ahead? - of me no matter what I do." He sighed and looked down at her. "I'm sorry I've been gone so often," he said softly, tracing soothing circles on her back with the hand that supported her, his other gently stroking her forearm.

"That's not your fault, Uncle Gadget. You go where you're needed - it's what you do." It was true. In recent years Gadget's cases had become more dangerous as his reputation grew, keeping him away from home for longer periods of time. When Penny was younger Gadget had always taken her and Brain on less dangerous (at least to his knowledge) missions but that was no longer the case. She was in high school now and Gadget insisted that she stay home and focus on her studies. She knew her uncle took pride in always being on duty, and the fact that he had asked Quimby for some time off this summer spoke volumes to how exhausted he truly was.

Maybe that was why he was revisiting this now, Penny wondered. He still looked troubled and she reached out and touched his cheek. "I knew you'd make sure I'd be alright, Uncle Gadget, and I was. So don't blame yourself for this, okay?" she pointed to her scar.

Gadget stared at her for a moment, clearly moved, before he gave her a gentle smile. "Wowsers, Penny, when did you become so grown up?" He sounded almost sad and when Penny gave him a confused look Gadget took her hand that still rested against his cheek and folded it within his own. "I just…sometimes I worry I'm missing too much. And I'm sorry."

For the briefest of moments Penny wondered if he was actually referring to her secret - but how could he possibly know, she had always been so careful - but felt her jolt of panic ease when he continued. "You know you mean the world to me, you always have, and if I've ever done anything to make you think otherwise-"

"Uncle."

Gadget stopped his rambling at Penny's gentle but firm voice. "Yes, Penny?"

She rested the hand Gadget still held over his heart, feeling the mixed sensations of his heartbeat and the pulse of electrical currents. "I've never regretted my life with you, not once. Okay?"

Gadget looked as though he were trying to say something but instead he just swallowed and nodded. Penny smiled and then winced when her head throbbed. She felt Gadget's hand slide to support the back of her neck as he gently pushed her back down to her previous position. Penny sighed as he stroked her hair and carefully rubbed the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders. They were silent again but this time it was a more peaceful, easy silence.

A soft rumble of thunder announced that the humidity was finally breaking, and soon a steady rainstorm was falling. The sound was soothing and Gadget looked from the window back down to his niece. "Want to watch a movie? It's your turn to pick."

"Hmm…can we watch Labyrinth?"

Gadget raised a brow but a Gadget hand obligingly emerged from his hat to grab the video and insert it into the VCR player so he wouldn't have to move and disturb Penny. "Again? How many times have you seen that movie? Twelve?" he teased gently, fingers now rubbing her scalp.

Penny laughed. "It's a good story. Besides, David Bowie's in it. And he's a great musician," she added.

"I thought Rick Rocker was your favorite?"

"Well, second favorite," she mumbled. It was so hard not to fall asleep when those long, incredibly strong yet gentle fingers seemed to find every knot of tension and erase them.

Gadget huffed and mumbled something about pop music and Penny fought to hide her smile.

"Don't worry, Uncle Gadget. You're still my favorite."

"And you're my favorite niece."