Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck

Coming Home Part 5 (flashback)

The year was 1998. The date...sometime after the school year had ended. Ten year old Launch Pad McQuack was walking to the park to fly his new Bletroit XI plane model. He'd just finished fixing it...after some school bullies had smashed it on the last day of Show and Tell. But now that it was fixed, and school was out, he didn't need to worry about bullies.

Smiling to himself, Launch Pad made a "wooshing" sound and pretended his plane was flying in the air. He was really getting into it, the world around him fading. Suddenly he wasn't holding the plane in his hand - he was in the plane, flying over a forest of trees. The air smelled fresh, the sky was blue, and there wasn't a sky pirate to be seen.

Launch Pad's imagination was broken, however, when he heard a shout. Blinking, he came back down to reality, with him holding a model plane in a park.

"Hey carrot head - I was talking to you!" An obnoxious voice shouted from behind him. Launch Pad turned, only to see Biff, the biggest bully in all of Saint Canard (because he'd been to pretty much every school before being kicked out) walking leisurely towards him. Launch Pad's eyes widened with fear, and he felt his heartbeat rise. This was not good. Not good at all.

"Don't think you can ditch me, now," Biff said, sporting a deceptively friendly grin. Launch Pad gulped and took a few steps back. Biff's grin turned into a frown. "Hey, what'd I just tell you."

Launch Pad could only stare. He was too scared to speak, and for some reason his legs wouldn't move. The hand holding his model plane was shivering, and Launch Pad wondered if he should have stayed home today. I mean, the day wasn't that nice.

Biff came closer, so close that Launch Pad could see the intricately designed guitars on his leather jacket were made of small studs. Hands in his pockets, Biff came next to Launch Pad, carefully surveying the area around them. If there were any adults nearby...Biff could get busted for child molesting. After all, he was technically eighteen, even though he was still in ninth grade.

"I-I-I-" Launch Pad stammered nervously. He always stammered when he was nervous or afraid. Gulping down air, Launch Pad tried to speak again. "I d-don't want any tr-tr-trouble."

"Well, too bad," Biff stated, glancing down at Launch Pad and grinning menacingly at him. "Cause tr-tr-trouble seems to follow y-"

Before Biff could finish his sentence, a clod of mud splatted against his face. Launch Pad stared, his mouth agape. What...had just happened?

Sputtering, Biff stepped back from the red head, wiping off the mud while at the same time trying not to get it on his jacket. When his face was, mostly, clean, he glared around the park. Rows of waist-high bushes lined the pathway they were on, with a few Oaks and Douglas Firs dotting the landscape behind it.

"Who threw that!" Biff demanded, glancing first down one row of bushes, then another. The only answer he received was the rustle of leaves brushed together by a breeze. Cursing under his breath, Biff looked back at Launch Pad, who was still staring at him with his mouth open. "What are you looking at!"

"N-n-nothing!" Launch Pad stammered, closing his mouth and moving until his back was to one of the bushes. He searched his mind for something to say so Biff would go away. Telling him his parents were here would be a lie, they were practicing their airplane stunts for an upcoming show. Telling him he had friends in high places would also be a lie - because he didn't have very many friends...and even then, they were like him. Kids who were picked on because of their interests, or looks, etcetera.

"That story better not change or el -" Biff was interrupted when another clod of mud slammed careened into his eyes. Letting out a scream, Biff turned towards where the mud had come from, and blindly threw himself there. His body met the waist-high bushes, and Biff was tossed face first on the other side of the divide. "WHO THREW THAT?!"

As Biff started cursing the air, and life, and whoever it was that threw the mud clod, someone grabbed Launch Pad's hand. Gasping, he started to pull his hand away - but whoever had him was holding on fast. Turning, Launch Pad opened his mouth to protest - and stopped when he saw a girl standing there.

"Sshh," She whispered, putting a finger to her beak. Then she started pulling him down the sidewalk a few feet, stopping when she came to an odd looking bush. Reaching over, she pulled back a branch to reveal a hollowed out space. "Come on!"

Launch Pad hurriedly went in, being careful that his Beltroit XI plane didn't get scratched in the process. Once he was safely inside, the girl came in after him, closing the branch safely behind them. Surprisingly, there was enough space for them both to sit up comfortably. Actually, there seemed to be enough room for more people, maybe even an adult.

"W-who are you?" Launch Pad asked, keeping his voice down to a whisper. The girl, who was a mallard, shook her head, and pointed back to the entrance. From beyond the bush, he could hear Biff stumble back onto the concrete, still cursing.

Then there was an eerie silence. Nervously, Launch Pad turned the propellor of his plane. Reaching over, the girl put a hand on his, silencing his movements. Then, reaching over next to her, she grabbed a nearly imperceptible string - and pulled.

The silence was broken by the sound of Biff shouting: "MY JACKET!" Which was of course followed by more cursing, and then promises to find whoever had tossed mud at him and make them pay.

This didn't last long, however, because Biff's leather jacket was dry clean only - and the dry cleaner was only open for another hour or so.

"I'll find whoever did this!" Biff promised, shouting so the whole park could hear. "And when I do I promise I'll make whoever did it pay!"

With that, he left. The girl waited a few minutes before she let go of Launch Pad's hand. She let out a sigh and smiled.

"Phew - that was a close one, huh?"

"Yeah." Launch Pad agreed, nodding. He spun the propeller to his airplane, his eyes wandering around the inside of the bush. You could see outside somewhat, but not very well. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" The girl asked. For the first time, Launch Pad noticed that she looked a few years younger than him. Maybe eight or so.

"Throw the mud." He replied, like it was obvious.

"Oooooh, that." She said, rocking back a little as she drew out the "Oooooh". She pointed to the strings laying beside her. "I have these traps set up in case Biff, or anyone in his gang, tries to bully someone. I can't really aim them, so I have to be sure whoever's out there is standing in just the right spot to be hit with mud."

"How did you know Biff was in the right spot?" Launch Pad asked, saying Biff's name quietly, as if even uttering it would summon him there. The girl leaned in conspirtitatingly.

"Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I come here to spy on him, and I set up traps all over the walkway. I know exactly where he'll stand just by where his voice comes from. And then - Splat!" She exclaimed loudly, making Launch Pad jump. "He's covered in mud!"

"Wow," Launch Pad glanced outside. Through the holes in the bush, he could just barely see the white-washed sidewalk. "You must have been here a long time…"

"I come out here all the time, actually. I don't live too far away. Just down the road from the cemetery, actually."

"C-c-cemetery?" Launch Pad squicked, turning to look at the girl. Rumor had it, anyone who lived near the cemetery was actually a ghost. At least, that's what everybody said. It was even rumored that some of the ghosts went to Saint Canard Public School. "Are-are you a g-ghost?"

"What? No!" The girl shook her head quickly. "I'm not a ghost - not yet, anyway. My name's Darcy Mallard, and I'm very much alive."

Darcy stuck her hand out to Launch Pad, who flinched back. He'd always been afraid of ghosts, and ghoulies, especially after what happened last October 31st.

"I'm not gonna bite." Darcy said. When Launch Pad still didn't move to shake her hand, she sighed. "Look, if I was a ghost, then you couldn't shake my hand - because I'd go right through you."

"B-but ghosts can make themselves s-s-solid!"

"Only on Halloween," Darcy said, rolling her eyes, "Or wherever there's a dimensional portal. And there's not one here. At least I don't think so."

Launch Pad stared at Darcy a little longer, trying to decide if he should shake her hand or not. Almost every sense told him not to risk it. But one part of him, the part that liked to take risks, said to give it a try. Besides, what she said sounded logical...though he didn't know what Halloween was.

"I'm L-Launch Pad McQuack." Launch Pad reached out and gave Darcy's hand a shake. Immediately, the girls' face lit up. "It's nice to meet you, and I'm glad you're not a ghost."

"It's nice to meet you too!" Darcy exclaimed, bubbling with excitement. "Does this mean we're friends now? I don't have a lot of friends. Most kids think I'm weird, or they stay away from me because I stand up to Biff and get into fights - but that's not my fault because he started it! That's why I started making traps for him and…"

The rest of what Darcy said blurred with what happened next. Taking his hand, Darcy took Launch Pad out of the bushes and took him on a 'tour' of the park. She showed him where she liked to hang out, where she liked to catch frogs, where the best place to fly a model plane was, and the best trees to climb. By the end of the day, Launch Pad was absolutely certain Darcy wasn't a ghost - more like a spy than anything else.

That first day when he'd met her, he knew she was special. He didn't know he'd grow to love her, or that he'd break her heart, all he knew was that they were going to be the best of friends.

Sorry for the late update! I've been so busy, and I wasn't sure if anyone was reading this...But I've gotten more notifications that people have been adding this to their library, and I posted the story on Wattpad and it's getting lots of reads - so I have more reason to update. I hope you like this chapter - and I'm glad you have all liked the story thus far! Please don't hesitate to leave reviews, because I love them. Anyway, till next chapter!