Celeste sat at the police station by herself in the waiting area, hugging
herself with a slight twinge of paranoia. She had been there for hours
since Darkwing had brought her, and was waiting impatiently for any news.
News on Negaduck, news on her biological parents' status, anything. She
lifted her head to glance at the small television hanging in the corner of
the wall. Ever since she had arrived, they had been airing the aptly-named
'hostage situation' on the news.
But there was nothing of interest to her. It was only more painful to have to watch, looking at that building where she learned that her parents were scandals and where her father was shot.
"Hey! For your information, this hat is all the rage in France!" barked the familiar tenor voice from around the corner of one of the hallways. Seconds later, Darkwing emerged from around the corner, grumbling to himself. Celeste perked up in her chair and stood to her feet as she caught sight of him. Also having spotted her, Darkwing nodded and headed in her direction. She looked at him with a hopeful expression in her eyes, wringing her hands in front of her nervously.
"Any news yet, Unc...err...Darkwing?" she asked anxiously. He only shook his head slowly in reply as she let her shoulders slump in disappointment.
"Nothing yet, kiddo. I'm sorry," Darkwing responded, then piped up. "But if you want to know, Darcy and Laszlo will be going no less than 30 years in prison for the charges inflicted on them."
Celeste's eyes narrowed hatefully at the memories of them, even though she hadn't seen, nor talked to either of her parents since they were taken away by the police earlier that night. "Is that all?? I hope they rot in their cells and get eaten alive by rats..." she seethed.
The imagery caused Darkwing's face to pale to a light greenish color. "Thanks for the vivid image of that, Cel...Look, it's almost one in the morning. Did you want a coffee or something to help keep you awake? Or did you want to take a nap and I can wake you up whenever I hear anything?"
"No, that's okay. I'll be fine. Besides, I can't really think with all that's on my mind..." Celeste pointed out, but trailed off as the volume was turned up on the television by another citizen. Both she and Darkwing turned their heads to stare at the screen with listening ears at the news flash.
"We have just received this important special bulletin," the anchorman of the local broadcasting station announced, looking from his script on the desk to the camera. "The scene of the crime that took place earlier tonight has been officially cleaned out and cleared. Aside from one fatal attack by gunshot and an intense beating on another, there have been no more reported casualties. The two scandals, Darcy and Laszlo Tealwing, were apprehended by police earlier this evening and are facing imprisonment for fraud and attempted murder charges..."
Celeste didn't even flinch as she stared at the television coldly. There was a momentary pause as the anchorman was handed another sheet of paper, taking a moment to read it over and trying to hide the shocked expression on his face. He then cleared his throat and regained his composure, looking back up at the camera. "And it is my duty to inform you citizens of St. Canard the crucial information I have just been handed. It has been made official that Negaduck, Public Enemy #1, has been declared dead at St. Canard Memorial twenty minutes ago from a gunshot wound to the back."
Celeste's hand shot up to her bill, muffling the despairing shriek escaping her throat. Her knees suddenly buckled as she collapsed forward. Darkwing's eyes shot open and jumped forward, quickly taking the teenager under the arms and holding her on her feet.
"Oh my...Celeste!!" Darkwing shouted at her, trying to make his voice heard through her wails and cries. Others in the police station, officers, citizens, and criminals shifted their gazes from the television to the hysteric young girl.
She shook her head violently from side to side, her eyes squeezed shut as she gripped Darkwing by his purple jacket. The tears wouldn't stop pouring form her eyes as she let herself slump to her knees. "HE CAN'T BE!! HE'S NOT DEAD!!" she wailed as she sobbed into Darkwing's chest. "HE PROMISED ME!!!"
Darkwing took a firm hold of Celeste's shoulders, holding her up so that she was looking into his eyes. "Celeste! Listen to me! Don't do this to yourself! He doesn't want you to be like this!" he shouted at her, staring right into her glazed eyes.
His words stung her as she choked on her sobs, sniffling constantly to try and hold back some of the tears that fell from her face. She panted heavily, her hysterics having drained the intense rage from her. There were dark trails of brown feathers on her cheeks where her tears snaked down her face like small rivers. Every other breath came out in a gasp, protesting that just perhaps what she had just heard on the news was a hoax. But she knew it was the truth; the painful truth.
"Don't do this to yourself..." Darkwing repeated calmly, now that Celeste had managed to calm herself aside from the violent shaking pulsing through her body. "He wouldn't want to see you in pain like this..."
Celeste looked down, closing her eyes and stifling a sob before slowly raising her head once more, staring back at Darkwing with her eyes full of pain, despair, and sorrow. But she regretfully nodded once before throwing her arms around his neck, crying softly onto his shoulder.
"I already miss him so much..."
"Shhh...You'll be okay, kiddo..." he assured, holding her comfortingly in the middle of the police station, paying no heed to the various sets of wandering eyes.
"While the agents of SHUSH attempt to track down where the body has been moved to," the broadcast continued in the background, "the citizens of St. Canard can finally sleep soundly, knowing that the city is finally free from the torment of the masked mallard of menace..."
********************
At the St. Canard Orphanage, Celeste sat on the edge of her small bed in the large room that held at least two dozen other cots all in a line. She was the only one in the room, the other children outside for recess or other recreational activities. Her legs hung over the side and her feet planted on the floor. Leaning forward, she caressed the small cross necklace around her neck with her fingers, staring down at the ground mournfully. Her hair hung loosely around her face, as she had not cared about her physical appearance for the past couple days.
It had been two days since her biological parents had come into her life, took her away from her real family, and took Negaduck's life. The authorities of St. Canard had insisted that she take residence at the orphanage, since there was no other place for her to go, not having any other family.
Sunlight shined in through the rows of windows lining the large room, causing Celeste to cringe each time a ray fell over her eyes. Like her father, her REAL father, she hated sunlight. And since that night which occurred the day before, she's hated almost everything, like Negaduck. She never talked to anyone else in the orphanage, only replying with a nod or shake of the head. Her temper was an even shorter fuse, already causing her to get engaged in a brawl with another teenage girl who had made a snide remark about how much more peaceful the city was bound to be without a 'certain felon' around anymore.
Celeste let out a deep sigh as a single tear escaped her eye, falling onto the bed sheet under her as she continued to gently finger the pendant. "Why did you leave me..?" she whispered softly with a sniffle. "You promised me...You said everything would be okay...I know being the public enemy requires you to lie and break promises, but why THIS one...to ME...?"
She sat in silence, memories flooding through her mind. Memories such as when she saw him for the first time and slipped into the sidecar of his motorcycle, hitching a ride back to his place. The first time she called him 'Dad', or just memories of him holding her and putting her into bed at night. Something she'd never have again.
A sob escaped her throat, but she choked it back as she heard the familiar, gruff shouting from the outside hallway. "I don't care when visiting hours are! What is this, a prison?? I'm going to see Celeste Mallard, and that's that!"
Celeste's head perked up. At first, it sounded remarkably like Negaduck and her heart skipped a beat, the anticipation of hoping to see him turn the corner and take her in his arms being almost too much for her to bear. But her shoulders slumped as she heaved a sigh at the sight of Darkwing Duck strutting into the room.
Noticing her disappointed expression, Darkwing's face fell stubbornly. "Well I'm sorry if I interrupted anything..." he scoffed, then his expression softened. "I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing, kiddo. But if you'd prefer to be alone, I could go."
"No, please stay, Darkwing..." she insisted, not looking up at him and keeping her gaze down at the floor. "I could use someone to talk to who actually understands me."
With a nod, Darkwing glanced around to see if anyone may be witnessing them, then moved over to her bed, sitting down beside her. "Well, uhhh..." he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously while trying to think of a topic to bring up that wouldn't strike a nerve. "This place doesn't seem TOO bad..." he cringed. Obviously, that wasn't the right subject.
"How come he lied to me..?" she replied, disregarding his comment and still looking down at the old floorboards.
Darkwing looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean? How did he lie to you?"
Celeste finally lifted her gaze, her eyes red and bloodshot from the constant production of tears and her lack of sleep. "He lied to me, Uncle Drake. He said he was going to be okay, and he convinced me that he would be..." she paused and heaved her shoulders, taking in a deep breath. "He was always so sure of everything; that's why I believed him. Even he thought he was going to survive. So why didn't he..? Did he know that he was going to die..?"
He hesitated, looking at her broken expression for a moment before removing his gray fedora from his head. "I think he did, Celeste. I hate to say it, but I don't want to lie to you. I.did see a dull flash of something in his eyes as he embraced you that last time..."
She looked at him curiously, her hazel eyes glittering when the sunlight hit the tears bordering her eyelids. "What was it..?"
"Fear..." Darkwing replied, staring forward. "For the first time in my life, I saw fear in Negaduck's eyes. I believe he knew what was coming for him. So he told you that he was going to be all right not only to reassure you, but himself. Negaduck didn't want you to see that fear in him; he wanted you to stay strong."
With a sniffle, Celeste ran her arm across the end of her bill, wiping the wetness away with her sleeve. "It's hard for me to stay strong without him around...He made me who I am..."
Darkwing only nodded in agreement, keeping his glance forward. The two sat in silence for what seemed like hours before she suddenly moved closer to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his waits and leaning against him for the slightest feeling of security. Even though he was taken slightly aback by her action, Darkwing couldn't help but smile slightly, putting one arm around her and soothingly rubbing her back.
"You've...'known' him for a long time, Uncle Drake...Even if it wasn't on good terms..." Celeste finally spoke up, keeping her position against him. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to give me an honest answer..."
"Sure, Cel. Ask away."
She hesitated before asking, still keeping her head down and staring across the room at the wall. "Did I really make a difference in his life..?"
As if it was an automatic question, or if he knew it was bound to be asked, Darkwing looked down at her and placed a hand under her small bill, lifting her head so he could speak truthfully into her eyes with a warm smile. "You bet, kiddo. You're right; even though I'm his 'opposite', I've been chasing him around for quite some time, and I'll tell you this: I never thought I'd ever see Negaduck, of all people, as happy as he was when you jumped into his arms the other night in that building..."
Her eyes lit up, sparkling with a warm satisfaction as a small smile spread across her face. "Really..?"
"Absolutely, Cel..." he nodded with a wink. "You just proved that there was more than just crime that could keep him happy..."
She let out a shaky sigh as she leaned against Darkwing again, nuzzling her face against his chest. "I can't help but think that if it wasn't for me, he'd still be alive. This is all my fault, isn't it, Uncle Drake..?"
Darkwing tilted his head down at her with a sympathetic expression. "Of course it isn't, Celeste. Neither of you asked for it to turn out this way. Why would you think that?"
"Because..." Celeste paused to take in another breath. "Because if he didn't have me around to worry about, he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in that mess...and would still be alive.."
"But then that would mean that you two would have never met, and he would still be a miserable, cold-hearted scoundrel..." Darkwing replied. There was a drawn out silence before he reached down and lifted her head once again to look at him, his face holding an absolute sincerity. "He couldn't help that he cared for you so much. And Negaduck's love for you was the first sign of goodness he's shown in a long time...And it was the last..."
Celeste just stared into his eyes for the longest time, the words sinking into her and filling her with truth. She slowly began to smile and let out a light laugh. "I guess that would have meant I never would have met you either, huh?"
Darkwing grinned back at her and lightly ruffled her hair. "You better believe it! And you know something else?"
"What's that?"
"I don't think he could have wanted a more honorable death than that of what he got..." he stated, slowing rising off of the bed to his feet. Celeste passed him a confused expression as he smiled, picking his fedora off of the bed and placing it back on his head. "He died for you..." Darkwing finished with a wink, then turned and headed for the door, leaving Celeste with the first genuine smile on her face that she'd shown in days.
"Thanks, Uncle Drake..." she called after him quietly.
He looked back over his shoulder and nodded at her. "I'll try to stop by again soon, kiddo. If you need anything, to hesitate to call for Darkwing Duck..!" he grinned smugly before disappearing into the long hall.
But there was nothing of interest to her. It was only more painful to have to watch, looking at that building where she learned that her parents were scandals and where her father was shot.
"Hey! For your information, this hat is all the rage in France!" barked the familiar tenor voice from around the corner of one of the hallways. Seconds later, Darkwing emerged from around the corner, grumbling to himself. Celeste perked up in her chair and stood to her feet as she caught sight of him. Also having spotted her, Darkwing nodded and headed in her direction. She looked at him with a hopeful expression in her eyes, wringing her hands in front of her nervously.
"Any news yet, Unc...err...Darkwing?" she asked anxiously. He only shook his head slowly in reply as she let her shoulders slump in disappointment.
"Nothing yet, kiddo. I'm sorry," Darkwing responded, then piped up. "But if you want to know, Darcy and Laszlo will be going no less than 30 years in prison for the charges inflicted on them."
Celeste's eyes narrowed hatefully at the memories of them, even though she hadn't seen, nor talked to either of her parents since they were taken away by the police earlier that night. "Is that all?? I hope they rot in their cells and get eaten alive by rats..." she seethed.
The imagery caused Darkwing's face to pale to a light greenish color. "Thanks for the vivid image of that, Cel...Look, it's almost one in the morning. Did you want a coffee or something to help keep you awake? Or did you want to take a nap and I can wake you up whenever I hear anything?"
"No, that's okay. I'll be fine. Besides, I can't really think with all that's on my mind..." Celeste pointed out, but trailed off as the volume was turned up on the television by another citizen. Both she and Darkwing turned their heads to stare at the screen with listening ears at the news flash.
"We have just received this important special bulletin," the anchorman of the local broadcasting station announced, looking from his script on the desk to the camera. "The scene of the crime that took place earlier tonight has been officially cleaned out and cleared. Aside from one fatal attack by gunshot and an intense beating on another, there have been no more reported casualties. The two scandals, Darcy and Laszlo Tealwing, were apprehended by police earlier this evening and are facing imprisonment for fraud and attempted murder charges..."
Celeste didn't even flinch as she stared at the television coldly. There was a momentary pause as the anchorman was handed another sheet of paper, taking a moment to read it over and trying to hide the shocked expression on his face. He then cleared his throat and regained his composure, looking back up at the camera. "And it is my duty to inform you citizens of St. Canard the crucial information I have just been handed. It has been made official that Negaduck, Public Enemy #1, has been declared dead at St. Canard Memorial twenty minutes ago from a gunshot wound to the back."
Celeste's hand shot up to her bill, muffling the despairing shriek escaping her throat. Her knees suddenly buckled as she collapsed forward. Darkwing's eyes shot open and jumped forward, quickly taking the teenager under the arms and holding her on her feet.
"Oh my...Celeste!!" Darkwing shouted at her, trying to make his voice heard through her wails and cries. Others in the police station, officers, citizens, and criminals shifted their gazes from the television to the hysteric young girl.
She shook her head violently from side to side, her eyes squeezed shut as she gripped Darkwing by his purple jacket. The tears wouldn't stop pouring form her eyes as she let herself slump to her knees. "HE CAN'T BE!! HE'S NOT DEAD!!" she wailed as she sobbed into Darkwing's chest. "HE PROMISED ME!!!"
Darkwing took a firm hold of Celeste's shoulders, holding her up so that she was looking into his eyes. "Celeste! Listen to me! Don't do this to yourself! He doesn't want you to be like this!" he shouted at her, staring right into her glazed eyes.
His words stung her as she choked on her sobs, sniffling constantly to try and hold back some of the tears that fell from her face. She panted heavily, her hysterics having drained the intense rage from her. There were dark trails of brown feathers on her cheeks where her tears snaked down her face like small rivers. Every other breath came out in a gasp, protesting that just perhaps what she had just heard on the news was a hoax. But she knew it was the truth; the painful truth.
"Don't do this to yourself..." Darkwing repeated calmly, now that Celeste had managed to calm herself aside from the violent shaking pulsing through her body. "He wouldn't want to see you in pain like this..."
Celeste looked down, closing her eyes and stifling a sob before slowly raising her head once more, staring back at Darkwing with her eyes full of pain, despair, and sorrow. But she regretfully nodded once before throwing her arms around his neck, crying softly onto his shoulder.
"I already miss him so much..."
"Shhh...You'll be okay, kiddo..." he assured, holding her comfortingly in the middle of the police station, paying no heed to the various sets of wandering eyes.
"While the agents of SHUSH attempt to track down where the body has been moved to," the broadcast continued in the background, "the citizens of St. Canard can finally sleep soundly, knowing that the city is finally free from the torment of the masked mallard of menace..."
********************
At the St. Canard Orphanage, Celeste sat on the edge of her small bed in the large room that held at least two dozen other cots all in a line. She was the only one in the room, the other children outside for recess or other recreational activities. Her legs hung over the side and her feet planted on the floor. Leaning forward, she caressed the small cross necklace around her neck with her fingers, staring down at the ground mournfully. Her hair hung loosely around her face, as she had not cared about her physical appearance for the past couple days.
It had been two days since her biological parents had come into her life, took her away from her real family, and took Negaduck's life. The authorities of St. Canard had insisted that she take residence at the orphanage, since there was no other place for her to go, not having any other family.
Sunlight shined in through the rows of windows lining the large room, causing Celeste to cringe each time a ray fell over her eyes. Like her father, her REAL father, she hated sunlight. And since that night which occurred the day before, she's hated almost everything, like Negaduck. She never talked to anyone else in the orphanage, only replying with a nod or shake of the head. Her temper was an even shorter fuse, already causing her to get engaged in a brawl with another teenage girl who had made a snide remark about how much more peaceful the city was bound to be without a 'certain felon' around anymore.
Celeste let out a deep sigh as a single tear escaped her eye, falling onto the bed sheet under her as she continued to gently finger the pendant. "Why did you leave me..?" she whispered softly with a sniffle. "You promised me...You said everything would be okay...I know being the public enemy requires you to lie and break promises, but why THIS one...to ME...?"
She sat in silence, memories flooding through her mind. Memories such as when she saw him for the first time and slipped into the sidecar of his motorcycle, hitching a ride back to his place. The first time she called him 'Dad', or just memories of him holding her and putting her into bed at night. Something she'd never have again.
A sob escaped her throat, but she choked it back as she heard the familiar, gruff shouting from the outside hallway. "I don't care when visiting hours are! What is this, a prison?? I'm going to see Celeste Mallard, and that's that!"
Celeste's head perked up. At first, it sounded remarkably like Negaduck and her heart skipped a beat, the anticipation of hoping to see him turn the corner and take her in his arms being almost too much for her to bear. But her shoulders slumped as she heaved a sigh at the sight of Darkwing Duck strutting into the room.
Noticing her disappointed expression, Darkwing's face fell stubbornly. "Well I'm sorry if I interrupted anything..." he scoffed, then his expression softened. "I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing, kiddo. But if you'd prefer to be alone, I could go."
"No, please stay, Darkwing..." she insisted, not looking up at him and keeping her gaze down at the floor. "I could use someone to talk to who actually understands me."
With a nod, Darkwing glanced around to see if anyone may be witnessing them, then moved over to her bed, sitting down beside her. "Well, uhhh..." he began, rubbing the back of his neck nervously while trying to think of a topic to bring up that wouldn't strike a nerve. "This place doesn't seem TOO bad..." he cringed. Obviously, that wasn't the right subject.
"How come he lied to me..?" she replied, disregarding his comment and still looking down at the old floorboards.
Darkwing looked at her with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean? How did he lie to you?"
Celeste finally lifted her gaze, her eyes red and bloodshot from the constant production of tears and her lack of sleep. "He lied to me, Uncle Drake. He said he was going to be okay, and he convinced me that he would be..." she paused and heaved her shoulders, taking in a deep breath. "He was always so sure of everything; that's why I believed him. Even he thought he was going to survive. So why didn't he..? Did he know that he was going to die..?"
He hesitated, looking at her broken expression for a moment before removing his gray fedora from his head. "I think he did, Celeste. I hate to say it, but I don't want to lie to you. I.did see a dull flash of something in his eyes as he embraced you that last time..."
She looked at him curiously, her hazel eyes glittering when the sunlight hit the tears bordering her eyelids. "What was it..?"
"Fear..." Darkwing replied, staring forward. "For the first time in my life, I saw fear in Negaduck's eyes. I believe he knew what was coming for him. So he told you that he was going to be all right not only to reassure you, but himself. Negaduck didn't want you to see that fear in him; he wanted you to stay strong."
With a sniffle, Celeste ran her arm across the end of her bill, wiping the wetness away with her sleeve. "It's hard for me to stay strong without him around...He made me who I am..."
Darkwing only nodded in agreement, keeping his glance forward. The two sat in silence for what seemed like hours before she suddenly moved closer to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his waits and leaning against him for the slightest feeling of security. Even though he was taken slightly aback by her action, Darkwing couldn't help but smile slightly, putting one arm around her and soothingly rubbing her back.
"You've...'known' him for a long time, Uncle Drake...Even if it wasn't on good terms..." Celeste finally spoke up, keeping her position against him. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to give me an honest answer..."
"Sure, Cel. Ask away."
She hesitated before asking, still keeping her head down and staring across the room at the wall. "Did I really make a difference in his life..?"
As if it was an automatic question, or if he knew it was bound to be asked, Darkwing looked down at her and placed a hand under her small bill, lifting her head so he could speak truthfully into her eyes with a warm smile. "You bet, kiddo. You're right; even though I'm his 'opposite', I've been chasing him around for quite some time, and I'll tell you this: I never thought I'd ever see Negaduck, of all people, as happy as he was when you jumped into his arms the other night in that building..."
Her eyes lit up, sparkling with a warm satisfaction as a small smile spread across her face. "Really..?"
"Absolutely, Cel..." he nodded with a wink. "You just proved that there was more than just crime that could keep him happy..."
She let out a shaky sigh as she leaned against Darkwing again, nuzzling her face against his chest. "I can't help but think that if it wasn't for me, he'd still be alive. This is all my fault, isn't it, Uncle Drake..?"
Darkwing tilted his head down at her with a sympathetic expression. "Of course it isn't, Celeste. Neither of you asked for it to turn out this way. Why would you think that?"
"Because..." Celeste paused to take in another breath. "Because if he didn't have me around to worry about, he wouldn't have gotten tangled up in that mess...and would still be alive.."
"But then that would mean that you two would have never met, and he would still be a miserable, cold-hearted scoundrel..." Darkwing replied. There was a drawn out silence before he reached down and lifted her head once again to look at him, his face holding an absolute sincerity. "He couldn't help that he cared for you so much. And Negaduck's love for you was the first sign of goodness he's shown in a long time...And it was the last..."
Celeste just stared into his eyes for the longest time, the words sinking into her and filling her with truth. She slowly began to smile and let out a light laugh. "I guess that would have meant I never would have met you either, huh?"
Darkwing grinned back at her and lightly ruffled her hair. "You better believe it! And you know something else?"
"What's that?"
"I don't think he could have wanted a more honorable death than that of what he got..." he stated, slowing rising off of the bed to his feet. Celeste passed him a confused expression as he smiled, picking his fedora off of the bed and placing it back on his head. "He died for you..." Darkwing finished with a wink, then turned and headed for the door, leaving Celeste with the first genuine smile on her face that she'd shown in days.
"Thanks, Uncle Drake..." she called after him quietly.
He looked back over his shoulder and nodded at her. "I'll try to stop by again soon, kiddo. If you need anything, to hesitate to call for Darkwing Duck..!" he grinned smugly before disappearing into the long hall.