Penny charged and lunged at her father. He caught her easily and she hugged him. "I missed you." She announced.

"Not as much as I missed you." He replied with a smile. Walter was a few steps behind. Penny looked at him.

"Hello Walter." She greeted.

"Hi," Walter replied awkwardly.

"Were you successful on your mission?" She asked. Walter almost gawked at her seemingly adult language. But he reminded himself just who and what Penny was and he nodded to her.

"We found what we were looking for."

She smiled and looked back to Rick. "Is the NOD factory gone?"

"Yes, the FBI took it apart." Rick replied.

"That's good." The girl murmured.

Jessica was waiting by the luggage claim. "Glad to see you two aren't injured." She greeted.

"We came out alright." Rick replied.

"It wasn't as dangerous as the next time will be." Walter admitted.

Jess frowned at this. "Where do you think you'll be sent next?" She asked. Walter shrugged.

"I can't say. We took out a major facility. If anything we've slowed them down at least a few weeks."

"That's reassuring." She replied. "But how long will this last?"

"There's no tellin'. But we've got to be ready for retaliation. Things could get mighty dicey." Rick remarked. Walter wanted to tell them to watch what they talked about in front of the child, but she caught his look and gave him a brave smile.

"If they think you'll go down easy they don't know you." She joined in. "The whole organization couldn't possibly match the FBI in size or power."

Everyone agreed as they grabbed a couple of suitcases and headed for the parking garage.

At home Rick and Penny sat on the couch quietly. Jess had dropped them off and taken Walter back to the mansion. Penny had her father's hat in her hands. She'd been enthralled by the tool and was constantly playing with it. He didn't mind so long as she didn't activate the helicopter feature by accident. Not that she could just looking at it, but he warned her not to try and open anything up.

Rick put his feet up on the coffee table and sighed. He was tired. "How were you while I was gone?" He asked.

Penny looked up from the brim of the fedora and smiled, "I behaved. I did nothing I know Jess dislikes. In fact I even helped her clean up the dishes."

"You two get on well." Rick remarked. "So you'll be fine when she moves in?" He asked. Penny set the hat down. She realized that a casual question had turned into one of those father-daughter talks.

"Yes. I like Jessica a lot, I've known her since I was little. She's practically a mother to me." She answered.

"I'm glad to hear that." Rick replied with a yawn.

"Tired?" Penny asked with a giggle.

"Yes." Rick answered. "I didn't get much sleep." He blinked heavily.

"Why don't you rest Dad." Penny suggested standing up. "I'll keep quiet and watch some TV. There's a special on the Discovery Channel about computers I want to watch."

Rick shrugged. "Will do. I'll just make myself comfortable right here." He leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

Penny turned on the television and pushed the volume low. Rick chuckled. "Won't make no difference how quiet it is." He murmured. "You can turn it up some. I'm used to ignorin' sounds with these ears of mine." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Penny turned it up a little bit. She looked at the man she called her father for a brief moment. She knew he wasn't like other men or fathers for that matter. His blood didn't run through her veins, she didn't carry his Midwestern accent, and she certainly had none of his rugged thoughtful charm. She shared one common factor though.

She wasn't normal either. Her mind didn't work like other eight year olds'. She knew her speech was more like an adult's and that she was more inclined to intelligent thought before emotion. She was born in a laboratory.

He had been saved in a laboratory and rebuilt into a cyborg. He sometimes claimed that he had been reborn in that lab in Chicago. It wasn't much to go on, but their 'birth' in the lab was a bond like none other.

The commercials changed to the special and Penny left her musings for later.

Rick snoozed for a few hours while Penny watched a rather detailed history of the computer. When he woke up the documentary was almost over. The narrator's voice came out of the background noise and he listened for a moment. He opened his eyes to see Penny on the couch next to him.

"Enjoying your show?" He asked.

Penny jumped slightly and turned. She gave a sheepish smile, "Yes."

Rick stood up and stretched. He walked to the kitchen. "Hungry?" He asked.

"I am." She answered. Rick went to the fridge and opened it. He found a Tupperware bin with a piece of tape labeled 'lasagna' on the top shelf. Jessica had left it in there for him.

He pulled it out and glanced at the time in the corner of his left eye. It was just about time for dinner. "Lasagna for dinner?" He called.

"Yes please." Penny replied from the living room. Rick opened the case and pulled a knife from a drawer. He cut up a couple portions and placed them on white glass plates. He put the smaller piece in the microwave and turned it on.

The doorbell rang and Rick frowned. He went to the door and looked through the peep hole. Greg Tanner stood on the porch in jeans and a grey polo tucked in.

Rick wondered why the cop was there. He realized he hadn't showered or shaved since he'd left for Wichita. And his hair was disheveled and greasy. He ran a hand through his messy dark hair and then buttoned up the cuffs on his sleeves.

He opened the door.

"Hello," Rick greeted slightly confused.

"Hey," Greg replied.

"What are you doin' all the way out here Tanner?"

"Please, call me Greg." He replied. "I'm here to thank you for helping me out with that-uh-NOD thing."

"Tweren't nothin'." Rick replied smiling. "You were trying to kill me, but I knew it was out of character for you."

"Still, you could have cuffed me even after you knocked that thing loose from my neck. I owe you Barnes."

"Rick."

"Rick," Greg corrected himself.

"Well, why don't you come in?" Rick offered.

"Oh I couldn't."

"Please, we're just about to have dinner." Rick stepped aside.

"Are you sure?" Greg asked.

"We'd be glad for the company." Rick's reply was sincere.

Greg nodded and stepped into the house. Penny stood up and looked at the guest. "Hi."

"Hello."

"I'm Penny,"

"Greg Tanner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Penny stepped over and offered a hand. Greg shook it surprised by her outgoing spirit.

"Penny, please go set the table for three."

"Yes, sir." Penny turned off the television and vanished to the kitchen.

"So how's work?" Rick asked trying to make small talk.

"Good, I just got back to work. Looks like you've been busy." Greg returned.

"Yeah." Rick agreed almost laughing. "Can I get you somethin' to drink? Soda, beer, water."

"Just water. I've got to drive home." Greg replied. Rick headed into the kitchen. Penny was pulling a second plate out of the microwave. Rick grabbed some glasses out of the cabinet and then to freezer for ice. He then filled them from the tap and carried them back to the living room.

Greg was at the table against the back wall looking at the pictures on it. Rick hadn't been one for putting up pictures, but Jessica and Alex had made sure he had framed photos. Some were old pics of him in his younger days, his parents, Penny, and one of Rick and Jessica together.

Greg heard him approach. "You got some nice photos."

"I have my fiancé to thank for those." Rick offered the other man a glass.

"Thanks." Greg took it and sipped. The two men stood in silence for a few minutes.

"Dinner." Penny announced. Microwave leftovers weren't exactly rocket science and she probably could have handled rocket science.

The two men walked through the kitchen to the dining room. A square table stood ready for dinner. The plates with hot lasagna and some bread and butter were waiting.

Rick took his seat and Penny hers. Greg sat down at the empty chair. No one started eating. "You don't mind me sayin' grace before we eat?" Rick asked. Greg shrugged.

"Bless this food Father. Amen."

"Amen."

"Amen, I didn't know you were a religious man Rick."

"It's more of a habit from home." He replied.

Greg nodded taking a bite. "This isn't bad."

"Not my cookin' either. My fiancé left it in the fridge for us." Rick answered.

"Jessica likes to cook us meals and drop them off." Penny added.

"Lucky. Your girl's a good cook." Greg remarked.

"She does spoil the two of us." Rick admitted.

Dinner passed quietly for the most part. Near the end the phone rang. Rick set his fork down, but instead of standing up he simply raised his arm towards the closest phone. It was on a cradle on the counter by the coffee pot. A mere two yards away. His hand extended quickly, he grabbed the phone, and brought it to his ear.

"Hello." He answered. He didn't notice Greg's horrified expression. Penny saw it though. Not that Greg was still in the dark on the subject, he'd seen the photos and the little demonstration. He was slightly in denial. Out of politeness and discomfort he'd pushed away any thoughts the entire meal.

"Yeah, I'm actually busy right now. No. Just a friend. Thank you."

Rick was about to put the phone back the way he'd retrieved it when he felt a pair of incredulous eyes on him. He turned to Greg who quickly averted his glance. Rick almost face palmed.

"You must excuse me, that was rude of me to answer the phone at the table." Rick broke the uneasy silence.

"No big deal." Greg replied a little flustered. He was at a loss for words. Though a few questions were bubbling up in his mind.

Penny rose and gathered the dishes. She scraped them off and then put them in the dishwasher. Greg was still quiet.

"I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable." Rick tried to elicit a response.

"No," Greg replied automatically.

"You can ask away." Rick said. "I know you have questions." Rick was getting used to everybody having questions. He'd only answered about a hundred from newspapers, the AMA, and other officers.

Greg looked at him and seemed to relax a bit. While Rick had been a man of privacy at the precinct, he was rather relaxed in his own home.

"Why don't we go in the other room." Rick suggested. Greg agreed.

Once seated on the chairs facing either side of the coffee table Greg worked his mouth into forming a sentence. "So how exactly did you end up as…" He trailed off.

"A cyborg?" Rick provided easily. Greg nodded. "Simple. I was dying and Alex needed someone to test her invention out on. She came to me in the hospital and offered me a second chance. I took it."

"Just like that?" Greg asked.

"It was either this or end up as a name on a slab of concrete." Rick replied.

"Don't you ever feel weird?" Greg asked. That's what he'd been dying to know.

"I used to." Rick answered quietly. "It isn't everyday a scientist takes a poor hopeless man and turns him into the Six Million Dollar Man. But it's been almost nine years now. I've gotten used to it." Rick was almost in shock. This man had once been a rival. Now they were in his living room talking like buddies. Everyday my life feels more and more like a movie script.

"You probably get tired of answering that." Greg remarked.

"Sometimes." Rick admitted. "Ain't no law against curiosity."

"So that fight, it was real footage." It was a statement. Rick nodded. Greg checked his watch.

"I really should get going. Thank you for dinner."

"You're welcome." Rick replied.

"Hey, I'm serious about owing you one. If you need some help just give me a call." Greg offered.

Rick nodded, "Thank you," he held up his hand. Greg shook it and from the gleam in his eyes he hadn't expected it to feel so normal.

"See you." Greg said as he headed out the door.

"Bye." Rick closed it behind him.