I made it through the night without the nightmares of my twilight state coming true. Everett was true to his word and was out with the dawn before the neighbors could have anything to say about it.

It was a relief, all of it was a relief.

Floating up through the vents I could hear quiet conversation and the sounds of furniture being shuffled around.

They were back.

I quickly tossed on clothing and headed out to the lower apartment. The doctor and I shared it when I was growing up, when I was small and needed an adult ever-present. The living room had been draped with plastic to keep the dust away in the doctor's absence, save for the couch where the doctor was now draped dramatically over the arm, locked in a teasing argument with Tris. He looked well. Or better at least. He was still pale but he had trimmed his goatee back into a recognizable shape.

"You're right, Bea, I must not have been in my right mind to agree to spend any about of time with my parents."

"Edward, you're changing the subject" She sighed from the kitchen.

"Edward," the doctor jumped into his falsetto, "None of this would have happened if you just became a lawyer in the first place."

"Your mother does not sound like that." She slipped out from around the corner, "Ah, Ellowyn, good morning, I'd offer you breakfast but it would appear that there is none to be had." I wasn't surprised, he lived out of the shop most days.

"I told you I barely live here, we're fine Bea."

It had been some time since I had been in the lower unit of the apartment, yet little had changed. On the living room wall opposing the door the doctor's military medals sat untouched and unmentioned in their dusty shadowbox. Around them were carefully positioned pictures of my parents and me when I was just a baby. Pictures of them with the doctor. Pictures of him and I. All grinning in sepia. He wanted me to know them, my parents, for them not to be strangers. He explained that he would always be the father figure I needed but he refused to replace them, I needed more not less. I appreciated his openness about them, even now after I was his daughter there they stood in plain sight.

On the table beneath them sat a dented metal cow, no larger than my hand, wind-up key still in his back.

"You kept him?" I tried to hold back my excitement at seeing the toy, he made it for me out of metal scraps, a nontraditional toy for a nontraditional child. If memory served the little thing broken sometime when I was ten.

"I couldn't get rid of him, he's the first thing you ever disassembled."

"Can I have him?" I clutched the cold thing to my chest, fully prepared to pocket him as soon as the doctor said yes.

"He's always been yours, Ellowyn, though I must say I'll be sad to see him go."

"Ellowyn, Edward," Tris addressed us formally, "The time grows late, and I'm afraid I must ferry back to my own shop," she and the doctor loosely held hands, like a handshake but too long.

"Thank you for everything Bea."

She withdrew her hand and turned away, all though it was a little late to cover the smile creeping across her face, "Anytime my dears. You'll be seeing me, maybe even this evening."

I exhaled, not realizing I'd been holding my breath. I was mostly just relieved they didn't decide to kiss in front of me. Something about it was just gross.

"And we should be off as well." He rose to his feet. The slowness of his movement was the saddest part of all. He existed in a state of perpetual motion, seldom stopping to eat or sleep. That was not the man who stood beside me now, who labored to get off the couch.

The pair of us made our way across the street and to the shop, waving Beatrice off as she boarded the rail car destined for the pier. It had been a very long time since the two of us made our way there together, today was going to be a day of relived memories it seemed.

"I'm really glad you're back." I mentioned, "I'll do my best to do all the heavy lifting so you can rest."

He gave me a gentle smile, "I suppose you are ready to take on more responsibilities. How about we start a hand from scratch? It's been a while since I taught you something new."

I did my best to hide my excitement, if he was too tired it needed to be back to business as usual.  The hand would have to wait my excitement didn't get to factor into it.

"Home sweet home." He signed hands on his hips, taking in the shop as though seeing it for the first time. Some of his energy returned as we crossed the threshold. He motioned for me to follow him into the workshop.

"Hands are particularly delicate," he knelt on the floor, sliding boxes out from under the bench and into the light, "The outsides are simple; sheet metal over a skeleton of cables and pulleys. Each box is labeled for the digit and joint separately. The hands we sell are one size fits most, although I do special orders for exceptions."

I lightly bit my cheek to continue hiding my excitement. I was sure he could tell either way.

So the two of us sat at the workbench making hands in tandem. Threading deceptively strong cables through each joint, over minuscule pullies to give the hands some flex, they were metal muscles for metal arms.

It was mostly silent work, the kind that took all my focus. The doctor occasionally punctuated it with instructions, even then it was mostly watch-and-learn.

"They aren't true to life. Real joints can move in a lot more directions," he held out his hands for me to watch as he spread and wiggled his fingers. It was subtle but his mechanical arm was lacking in some of the fine movements, little things like how far he could spread his fingers, "Remember we are striving for it to be lifelike, always."

As soon as he finished explaining he closed his eyes for a long time.

"Are you feeling alright, doctor?" I asked. I had completed four fingers down to the seconded knuckle, with cables threaded through a ring that would later support the wrist.

He nodded, setting the unfinished product gently on the workbench, "I can almost hear Beatrice telling me I should lie down, perhaps that means I'm tired," he laughed lightly.

"There are plenty of things around the shop I can do while you rest." I insisted.

He nodded again and made his way silently to his cot. There was no fighting, no pushing through the exhaustion, just silence.

I tidied up the bench some before creeping out of the room, closing the door as softly as I could. I wanted the old doctor back desperately. I wanted him jumping from idea to idea around the shop. Instead he seemed wrapped up in gloom, one heavier than his usual, post-adventure sadness.

With the sky outside threatening rain I felt safe calling it a slow day and working on a side project. I spread out a cloth on the counter the same way I would have if I was doing a costumer repair, although instead of an arm it was a cow. With an experienced touch he should be back to new in no time, I thought delicately unscrewing the panel in his belly.

The work was monotonous, but not in the sense that it was boring. It was calming and familiar. The cow wasn't the only little creation the doctor made for me but it had been my favorite for a long time. The others included a fish on wheels that made his fins flip and a bird that when wound flapped its wings. They were made of scrap metal riveted all over to form one sheet but they were my prized possessions.

With the panel off it was no wonder the poor thing stopped working, the inside was gear-soup nonsense, full of mistakes that only a child could make. Though in my defense I was, at the time, a child. 

I lost all track of time while I worked. Only to be taken out of my trance by the phone ringing.

"You've reached Dr. Von Heikenroter's shop, this is Ellowyn speaking."

"Did you pass along my message?" a voice hissed over the receiver, I could almost smell the reek of alcohol and the sight of his rotting teeth.

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"It's getting impatient. The doctor needs to see it before it has to be set free again."

Silas. "The doctor wants no part in it," I hissed back, "This conversation is over." I set the receiver down and returned to the workshop.

"Who was that Ellow?" The doctor stumbled out of the workshop, holding himself up of the door frame, still groggy from his nap.

"It was a wrong number," I flashed a smile. One day I would tell him about Silas and how I found out the truth about the master of invention. One day when he was feeling better and I could trust that Silas was far away but today was not that day.

As I returned to my work I felt his eyes linger on me. He probably knew I was lying. I had always been honest with him in the past, I had done my best to be an easy child.

Withholding the truth, for now, was the right call.

"That was a surprisingly sound sleep, nightmare aside,"

I nodded so he would know I was listening while I finished screwing the last panel of the cow back together.

"It was Beatrice and I walking through the streets of New Ellington. It felt like the smog was going to crush us from above, and people just kept hitting the ground. She didn't notice, no matter how many times I pointed out that people were dying all around us she just kept walking."

"Is that what your dreams are always like doctor?" I asked cautiously, not wanting him to relive things

He nodded solemnly, "Beatrice recommended talking and writing down the nightmares. I can't tell if it helped."

"I'm sure it will take time doctor," I gave him a reassuring nod while winding up the cow for a test drive of my hard work.

The key spun slowly while its little legs waddled across the table.

"I don't know that I've ever told you how proud I am of you, Ellowyn. "

I glanced up at him, cow caged in my fingers to prevent him from diving off the counter.

"I have been blessed by a brilliant and kind daughter. I could not have imagined the wonderful young lady you would turn into when I brought you home. The Fairs had no family to pass you to. So stepped in with absolutely no idea how to be a parent. So thank you Ellowyn, for being a bright spot in my days. "

"I do my best doctor." I nodded. 

"I think I'm going to visit the market so Beatrice can't be sore about the lack of food when she comes back. Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine doctor, thank you."

As soon as he had passed I sunk into my chair, holding back tears. He never told me about bringing me home. Although I could imagine it being tough, going from bachelor to parent in a matter of moments. My memories were happy. I had a big shop to play in, I was surrounded by things to sate my curiosity with a parent that answered my every question.

He was proud of me, they should have been happy tears but something about the way they stung my eyes felt so sad.

I scooted over to the phone and dialed the number for Greene's greenhouse. Talking to Everett made things better, maybe he's even want to come for dinner.

"Hello you've reached Green's Greenhouse."

"Everett-"

"If you leave a message I will review it as soon as I return. Thank you"

I waited a moment for the recording to end, "Everett, it's Ellowyn, Lady Tris of the unsinkable airship variety is coming for dinner, you're welcome to join us. Bye."

I was disappointed to have gotten the answering machine but it seemed a handy tool. I'd have to see if the doctor was interested in getting one for our little shop too.

The phone rang, and I lept for the handset.

"Dr. Von Heikenroter's Shop, Ellowyn speaking," my heart lept at the thought of Everett's voice on the other line.

"Ellowyn, my dear, will you be joining us for dinner?"

"Lady Tris," I sighed failing to mask my disappointment, "you're back already."

"I am. Is something the matter Ellowyn?"

"It's nothing, I can't get a hold of Everett. I invited him to dinner."

"Why don't you bike over there before you come home?"

"That's the plan, I'll see you soon Tris."

"Be safe."

I hung up, quickly clearing off the counter before locking up the shop for the night. Where ever Everett was off too he had to be back by the time I got there.

One by one the storefronts flipped their signs from open to closed and the street lights started to glow. The last regular railcar for the night rumbled down bricks behind me. Fairberg was slowly falling asleep.

"Everett," I called into the shop. It was wide open, a half-finished transplant on the counter. Like a moment frozen. The cassette on his answering machine hadn't been rewound, so there was no way he heard my message.

My heart sunk at the thought that something might have happened to him. I worried that it might be Silas.

But that didn't make sense, he was a feeble old man, and Everett was much taller and stronger. there was no way he could be overpowered and taken out of here by force.

Plus the market district was heavily populated during the day. There would have been witnesses.

I sat on the park bench outside his store hoping someone walking by would mention something. A nosey neighbor would stop and comment, 'Is he not back yet?' and I could question them but in the fading light of day it was just me and the empty shop.

"You can thank me for this later by coming home safe," I whispered as I tucked away the open sign and closed the door, doing my best to make the place look locked up for the night. 

My ride home made me terribly jumpy, in the dark, my fear of Silas returned. I kept imagining him sliding out from every dark corner. Taking me like he took Everett. Be reasonable Ellowyn, I thought, He has to pass you on his way back to the greenhouse. That was a comforting thought, but one that fell flat when I didn't see him by the time I arrived home.

The scent of roast beef and fresh bread wafted through my apartment. It wasn't often that we had the chance for big dinners, it seemed the doctor coming home was as good an occasion as any. 

"Ellowyn, you're timing is perfect," Tris smiled, drying her hands and joining the doctor on the couch, "you look troubled, dear."

"I can't find Everett," I helped myself to a slice of bread, dressed with an unnecessary amount of butter, "I called, and the shop is empty."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." She soothed.

I gave her a half-smile before slumping against the counter, under the wall phone.

It was in between the quiet ticks of the stove timer and the doctor and Tris's idle chatter that something struck me odd. I had missed a crucial detail in all my detective work. In a moment of honesty without the masquerade had been dancing with Tris about S.E.B. I blurted out, "So which one of you made Everett's arm?"

"The boy has a prosthetic?" Tris's violet lips curled in distaste.

"You told her?" The doctor leaned in towards Beatrice, his voice a hiss to let off all the hot anger brewing. I had never seen him angry, never watched his mood shift towards upset so quickly. It seemed to raise the temperature of the whole room.

"Darling, I didn't have to tell the girl a damn thing." 

"On the phone, at the shop, Silas said I had to tell you he finished it. I just ignored him." My heart sunk, somewhere between my knotted stomach and gelatin knees. It was almost worse that my daydreams turned nightmares were true. Silas made the arm. Silas must have taken him.