A Ticket Home || Solo
James had a multitude of problems. That was putting it lightly, in fact. Jenna had not been as easy to find as he'd hoped, and the first couple times he'd approached her, she had been completely unreasonable, had resorted to name calling and threatening to call the police. He could of course completely imagine the pain of seeing a father that had died several years ago, but it barely compared to the relief of seeing her. He'd missed her so much, and seeing her so vital, so full of life and intelligent and animated, even if it wasn't quite the right sort of animated, had given him the inspiration and motivation to continue his work. The Can Opener was not exactly easy to replicate, not without his extensive notes and specifications, but he had a sharp memory and enough failures to get him close to the right track. Without his career, contacts, and even a home, it had been hard on him, construction had been slow, but he would succeed as he had before. He would bring Jenna, himself and - what was that young man's name? - Niles home.
James wiped his brow and put his soldering iron back in the cradle, collapsing into his seat. This warehouse would give his doctors nightmares, but it was the best place for this. He pulled out his multimeter and checked the Can Opener for short circuits and safe currents, then, satisfied with his work for the night, he went to brew himself a coffee. It was almost done. He just needed to find a test subject or two.
And Jenna. He needed Jenna. She might not know it yet, but she belonged with him. His sweet, sweet girl. She'd come to understand in time. That was just the one thing he didn't have. As he pulled out his book and turned in for a good night's sleep, sparks started jumping behind him. The Can Opener was still on, and its lights were flickering.