How could he have POSSIBLY forgotten it was Father's Day? he thought, chagrined. Well, so much for suggesting they do something together today...
Gadget looked like she was just about finished packing up for her annual visit to her father's old place, in fact. Actually, it looked like she was prepared to do a complete overhaul this year, instead of just touching up a couple deathtraps and a vigorous few hours of 'tidying up' by Gadget's somewhat dubious definition of the phrase. Chip was sure she didn't usually carry THIS much along; could the Ranger Plane actually lug that much cargo? He couldn't tell what most of the oddly shaped packages even were.
The chipmunk was just opening his mouth as Gadget turned around and he promptly forgot what he had to say. It was such a STUPID reaction he had an even stronger urge to bop himself upside the head; it was only three tears in her jumpsuit, after all, and they didn't even go through the t-shirt underneath, but still... Gadget's obvious total ignorance of even this small reduction from her usual total coverage and the rarity with which Chip got even this kind of a look made it look like the sexiest thing in the world, somehow. Chip resolved angrily not to look at it or mention it in any fashion to her- this was a serious day for Gadget, and there was no place for his involuntary impulses.
Even if Chip hadn't been distracted it's doubtful he would have noticed Gadget 's expression was more distant and vague than usual. "You guys have the fort today, right?" she squeaked absently, holding a nut up to the light and squinting through the hole as she spoke. "I'll probably be gone a little longer than usual-" she paused, lowered the nut, and with a thoughtful expression began polishing it, slowly, with a small rag. "... I doubt I'll be back when you expect. Maybe... maybe not even tomorrow. I'm not sure i- when I'll be back, actually. ...kay?"
Her teammate had managed to calm himself down and refocus by this time, and nodded seriously, as if he'd been paying close attention to her every word. "Sure thing, Gadget!" he said with a winning (he hoped) smile, diligently not looking below her neck. Fortunately this was extremely easy to do in its own right. "Installing something new this year? You look like you've got enough to rebuild the whole place with you."
Gadget tossed the nut up with one hand. She bounced it off of the back of her paw, imparting a precisely calculated flip to it without conscious attention, and on its next descent caught it and flicked it into the back on the plane.
Gadget shook her head, forcing a smile. "Oh, no. I just-" she paused, then said firmly, "I just need to make a few small repairs."