THE SOUL CAGES
Copyright 2009 Q Illespont
All characters trademark their appropriate owners
Chapter 2
Gosalyn tried to hold back the sniffles as she sat on the couch.
She looked at the skirt on her black dress, and the shiny black shoes on her feet. She loathed them. She loathed this outfit, and not just because of how frilly it may have been.
It was the same outfit she wore to her grandfather's funeral. And now she had to wear it to her father's. It just wasn't fair. Most kids generally only get orphaned once. She's now at three and counting!
She felt Launchpad put his big arm around her, and heard him clear his nose in his handkerchief. 'Are you gonna be allright, Gos?' he asked, looking at her.
She nodded morosely. At the funeral, she'd let it all out. She couldn't stop it even if she wanted to, and she sure didn't want to. Her throat still felt raw from the screaming she'd done there. No-one blamed her, of course.
At least they'd buried him as Darkwing Duck, although at this point it was obvious that he was really Drake Mallard, her father. Not even SHUSH could stop that, and there were a few reporters on hand for the funeral of Saint Canard's trademark (well, now the Mallard estate's trademark) crimefighter. The other Justice Ducks had come as well to pay their respects, too, although Darkwing's low popularity did at least keep the scene manageable.
Morgana walked to the pair, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. She'd also chosen a black dress for the day, a somber one rather than some of the other outfits she'd worn on dates with her father. She said nothing, just sat on the other side of Gosalyn, and the three of them just stared ahead.
Honker walked in after a while. 'I had to get changed,' he offerred half-heartedly as he saw those Darkwing was closest to hadn't changed. 'Um ... ' he hesitated, and then tried, 'so what do we do now?'
Launchpad blew his nose again, and wiped his eyes. To Honker's relief, he switched handkerchiefs. 'I dunno. It's been so long since I joined up with DW,' he moaned, then sank forward again. Gosalyn herself sobbed again, a pang of pain through her soul, and she sobbed into Launchpad's shoulder.
Morgana saw the two, and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy, she thought to herself, and turned to Honker. 'I think we need to talk,' she said.
'Maybe I should do something,' he answered, fidgeting. He didn't remember seeing this side of Gosalyn before. Then again, he'd only met her after she and her family had moved in.
'You will. Gosalyn and Launchpad,' Morgana began, and paused. She then continued, 'are going to need some other help, and you're about the only other person I know they know, aside from Gizmoduck or those spies they used to hang out with.'
Honker tried to wave his hands to deny, but Morgana touched his shoulder. 'Trust me, I can find that sort of thing out. But you can help me with something else.'
--
Morgana walked through the musty library, sniffing the air. Dust and neglect were a second home to her, although she had been lately pondering the benefits of a home in the suburbs. Of course, at this point she was in the library to figure out the fate of that home.
She allowed herself another tear of sorrow, and dabbed at it with the sash from her dress. Back to business, and this was a dangerous profession she was going into. And she also had a duckling in tow as a helper.
'Allright, Honker,' she said. 'Know what you're looking for?'
He nodded, and trotted off carefully towards a section promising the state's laws on inheritances. Morgana herself glided to check on the statutes on adoption. While the loss was still fresh in their minds, they also had to worry about Launchpad and Gosalyn, as well as their home. Honker would get information as to Darkwing's estate, although fortunately not everything he owned was mentioned. While the press did discover his identity, they still hadn't found his secret hideout, and for the time being Stegmutt and Neptunia had volunteered to keep an eye on it until they could decide on a plan.
Well, Neptunia was convinced after being reminded of how bad it would be if all of Darkwing's crimefighting gear ended up in the bay.
In either case, while Honker was dealing with property, Morgana was making sure that Gosalyn would at least still have a home. Sure, Darkwing may have put the house in her name, but that wasn't what she needed--worst case, she'd live in the Tower, anyway. And while Launchpad was a great guy, he was more a brother-type figure to her than a father. Maybe an older brother, but still a brother.
She frowned as she remembered that she would've had to do this anyway. She'd been putting this off, but why? Fear? Maybe not knowing? After all, if she did marry Darkwing, maybe she would've been Gosalyn's mother that way without any paperwork. But now, with his death, she had to start getting ready for adopting Gosalyn as her own daughter.
Whispering a spell to grant patience, she opened the tome.
--
Gosalyn scowled at the table in front of her. The gallery behind her had a few members of the press waiting on the results, too, but she wished she could just get this over with.
Darkwing had named Launchpad as the executor of the estate, and had left it split between the two of them, and that was about as fine as it could get; at least she wouldn't be forced to move out. She still didn't like sitting around waiting, though.
She'd initially tried convincing everyone to let Launchpad adopt her; she was sure that he'd be decent, although she was also sure she'd be able to get away with a little more than her dad did. However, Morgana vetoed the idea and insisted it should be her.
She fretted a little, and a part in the back of her mind wondered what it'd be like with a mother--it had been a long time since she'd had anything even close. Her own mother had died a year or two after she'd been born, and ever since she was raised in her grandfather's home/office/lab. Since then, the closest she'd gotten to maternal attention was Binky Muddlefoot (and, a few times, her father when he got too concerned about his parental duties and tried to be both father and mother, but those don't count--and were pretty awkward anyway).
In a way, she did miss the idea. Launchpad was great, but not really an actual mother figure. Then again, she did have to toughen up as a result, and only rarely had to hear about how unladylike it was to bodycheck a wayward forward into the third row, or fake a linebacker out of his shoes, socks, and shoulderpads. She idly wondered how Morgana would try to raise her, and thought about how to keep the 'family legacy', as she thought of it, alive as Quiverwing Quack.
The rap of the gavel brought her back to the real world. She saw the government councilor, some tiger in a suit, walk back from the bench; the judge was ready to render her decision.
'Regarding the matter of custody of Gosalyn Mallard, born Waddlemeyer,' she read as she looked at the paperwork in front of her. 'The court has a petition from Morgana Macawber to adopt you in her home. While the court sympathises with the intent and with the situation, I must find against.'
Morgana and Gosalyn gaped. Launchpad rose to his feet, slamming his hands on the table, and yelled out, 'Objection! That's just wrong, your honour!'
The judge rapped her gavel again as the gallery buzzed. 'Mr McQuack, I understand your opinion, but while Ms Macawber has shown a willingness to be a good mother, and is undoubtedly able to provide materially, there are two items that the court cannot ignore in this matter.
'First of all, there is the issue of Ms Macawber's prior criminal record. Despite recent actions, you do have a past that is full of felonies. Combined with the home life and background of Ms Mallard, we find that the combination would cause excessive friction between parent and child.'
'I have reformed, you know,' Morgana grumbled. 'Or is this because of witchcraft?'
The judge shook her head. 'We didn't factor religious beliefs into the finding. Anyway ... the second reason that we are concerned is that you would end up as a single parent. Ms Mallard's childhood records show she had been in single-parent homes for excessively long, and honestly I am surprised that the late Drake Mallard was able to adopt her. Seeing his documents, I would have been more inclined to grant custody to his Darkwing Duck persona. But ideally we want to place children in a home with two parents.'
'What about me?' Launchpad said. 'I was with DW when he adopted Gos, why can't I move in with Morgana?'
Morgana stared at the pilot. She hadn't thought of it, but that would explain a few things--and help prevent having to explain others.
The judge thought on it. 'Ideally, there should be a marriage, but I'm not allowed to forget the precedent set earlier.' She called a bailiff over, who left the courtroom. 'There has, however, already been much interest generated in adopting Ms Mallard. We expedited this hearing due to the close relationship between yourself and her late father, but I've entered my finding. Gosalyn needs to report back to the Saint Canard Orphanage in one week. At that point, the normal adoption process will begin. I will enter you with the revised application, although I cannot guarantee that circumstances will change. And if a more suitable home is found, we must put her needs before your own wishes.'
'What about my wishes, Judge?' Gosalyn yelled. 'What if I don't wanna leave my home?'
'I'm sorry, Ms Mallard, but that is all we can do. Court adjourned.'
