Chapter 9: History
"I can't believe Mr. Mallard cancelled practice all of a sudden!" Danny Corvis huffed as he stuffed his homework into his oversized Tardis backpack. The young crow was officially the junior director, and while they were in between productions the drama department had decided to try and SNL type life-skit performance as a fundraiser, which had meant that the normal January dry-spell had been replaced with him helping lead improv classes with his drama teacher.
"It happens, after all it was 'a family emergency', so it's not like he's bailing on us." Alan replied, glancing up from his phone, polishing the messy screen on his brown fur.
"Come on; let's see if Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera is here, if he is then we at least know he didn't ditch us to go on a date with his boyfriend." Danny pulled his friend down the hall, the squeaking of his sneakers dragging behind him.
"Wait! I was going to actually get my chemistry report done."
Danny raised an eyebrow, briefly ceasing dragging his friend. "Really?"
"Okay, I totally wasn't, but still-can't I just have one afternoon to screw around and play League?"
Danny rolled his eyes and resumed pulling his friend toward the science lab.
Five minutes later the two teenage boys were peering through the glass window in the door that lead into the science lab. Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera was there humming to himself, doing some sort of ridiculous half-dance as he set up a bunch of stuff. Alan had to keep a hand over his snout to avoid bursting out in laughter. Apparently they'd done something because suddenly the scientist turned toward the door. The boys ducked down.
"Do you think he saw us?" Alan whispered.
"Given how your giant ears are still visible through the glass…" Danny muttered, gesturing to the mouse's ears.
"At least I have ears."
"We are not having this argument again. Avians have specialized structures that give us superior hearing." Danny muttered.
"Not that superior, apparently." Alan replied pointing up at the adult standing above them.
"Oh, uh, hi Mr. Crackshell-Cabrera." Danny waved.
"Hello boys, can I ask what you're doing here?"
"Mr. Mallard cancelled play practice and Danny thought he ditched to hang out with you." Alan replied. He was quickly rewarded with a punch in the arm by his best friend. "Ow!"
Fenton narrowed his eyes, Drake hasn't mentioned anything. "Did he mention anything about why practice was cancelled?"
"Family emergency was all he said." Danny replied.
Fenton's eyes widened. Shit! Is Gos okay? I've got to check. "Thank you boys. I have to check on him, I'm leaving Mrs. Pollosky in charge of the meeting this afternoon." And with that he exited the room and headed toward the lacrosse field.
***DT***
"Wait, what?" Gos asked, confused as to what was going on. She'd been at practice when all of a sudden her coach called her over and said that there was someone who needed to see her. When she saw Fenton she wasn't sure why he wasn't inside doing his robotics thing. After a brief look of relief crossed his face he'd told her that Drake was gone, apparently on some 'family emergency'.
"And you already tried calling him?" She asked.
Fenton frowned, "Yes, but it keeps going straight to voicemail. He isn't answering any of my texts either. I mean, I don't want to panic, but this isn't like him."
Gos scrunched up her face as she thought back to her day. She hadn't seen dad since that morning, it was a day 3 which meant she didn't have any spare time to drop by his room. "He seemed a bit off this morning, like something was on his mind. I thought it might've been something to do with you two, so I didn't bring it up. I figured if it was you'd work it out this afternoon and it'd be fine." She paused, "Is his car here? Maybe he had to take an emergency DW thing?"
"I didn't check." Fenton admitted, his panic temporarily having impaired his thoughts.
"Here, I'll have coach let me off so we can look." She walked back over to the woman in a grey sweatshirt and a few minutes later was leading Fenton toward the staff parking lot. "We had to park next to the dumpsters because we were late…" She led the way but when they arrived there was only an empty spot.
Eso no es bueno. ¿Donde esta el? "That's not a good sign." Fenton said, trying to keep his composure.
"Wait, you help with all his tech still, right?" Gos asked.
"Yeah, Drake's great at fighting, but he's not great with tech stuff."
"Perfect, just pull up his tracker and we'll know where he is!"
Fenton tilted his head, "Gos, why would I put a tracker in any of Drake's gadgets? That's beyond invasive, plus it could be used against us if someone traces the signal back."
Gos huffed, "I keep forgetting you're a lawful good."
"What?"
"Lawful good, your alignment." She waved her hands gesturing at him.
"I don't understand."
Gos sighed, "In D&D there's an alignment system. You're lawful good. Totally a goody-goody. You follow the rules, play by the book, want to help everybody."
"Hey! I'm not… Okay, I am a little, but still." Fenton sputtered. "So then what's Drake?"
"Chaotic good. Tries his best to do what's right but he's a wildcard. He wants to help others, but he's also willing to bend rules to do it."
"And you?"
"Chaotic neutral. Unlike you two I don't have a moral code to uphold yet; I can get away with some more stuff." She grinned mischievously.
Fenton smiled, the conversation had briefly taken his mind off the panic of his missing boyfriend, but he still needed to find Drake. "You don't happen to have any trackers on him, do you?"
She shook her head, "I wish, but I don't have any."
Fenton chewed his beak a moment before he spoke, "I have to make a phone call. I'll be back in one minute."
***DT***
Yes it was invasive. Yes it made him incredibly uncomfortable. And yes, it was probably technically illegal for them to have one at the lab. But using Gyro's global DNA positioning satellite-how he ever managed to build that thing was a mystery in itself-was the best option he had, so he was going to do it.
"Looks like he's in Duckburg. Somewhere near the water. Can't get much more specific than that." Gyro replied, taking a sip of his coffee before scowling, realizing the barista had used oatmilk instead of almond milk. "Any reason why you're tracking down your boyfriend with a weapons grade satellite?"
"Your weapons grade satellite." Fenton replied, "He went missing earlier and we want to make sure he's okay."
"Alright, well, good luck and all that, I have to finish working on the project you left half done earlier." Gyro snarked.
Fenton sighed, he knew Gyro didn't mean it as an insult, more as a statement. "Remind me again why we're friends?"
"How many other gay scientists do you work with? It was inevitable."
Pues no se equivocal, "Anyway, thanks. I'll call later to tell you how it goes."
"Good." Gyro ended the call.
***DT***
It was after twenty minutes of searching the waterfront that Fenton found Drake. Gos was at home, she had protested, but in the event it was a kidnapping-or worse-Fenton knew that she had to be safe. He was sitting on the end of the pier. He was still wearing his work clothes, no jacket, just a button down and vest as he stared out into the grey-green water.
"Drake. Thank God, I thought something happened to you. You scared me." He paused, adding softly, "And Gos. She was really worried about you."
Drake remained silent.
"What's going on? You disappear right after work, don't answer my calls or texts, and just go on a drive to the boardwalk?"
Drake continued to look out into the glassy water.
"Drake, ¿qué está pasando? I'm worried about you. What's going on?"
Drake kicked his legs aimlessly as he looked out to the water. "I never told you about my family, did I?"
"No." Fenton shook his head. "I just guessed you'd bring them up eventually, I didn't want to pry. You know, with us both being…" He waved his hands in circles, "...and all. Secrets are kinda, parte del negocio…"
Drake finally turned to acknowledge him and gestured for Fenton to sit beside him. "Today's my sister Alice's birthday. She's 14." He paused, "Well, I assume she is. I haven't seen her for a decade at this point, so I don't know for certain."
"I didn't know you had a sister." Fenton commented, sitting beside him.
"And I'm pretty sure she doesn't know she has a brother." Drake spat bitterly.
Fenton was silent a moment before he slid closer, offering a shoulder. Drake leaned on him slightly, the off-white feathers gently leaning onto his tan.
"My dad's a pastor. My mom's a pastor's wife. I was supposed to be the perfect pastor's kid. I was, at least at first." He smiled sadly, "When I was a little kid I'd be in every Christmas Pageant and Easter Play. I even played Jesus a couple of times, believe it or not."
Fenton raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know. Anyway, my whole life was either church or Darkwing Duck. It was basically the only cartoon my mom okayed because even by her standards the violence was too ridiculous to consider a threat." Drake clutched his hands tightly together.
"But things changed when I got into middle school. All of a sudden all the guys I knew, they started changing… they started doing sports and asking out girls, and I didn't. I still wanted to be an actor, I couldn't tell a football from a soccer ball, and girls, well..." He glanced at Fenton.
"They didn't appeal to you." He supplied.
"Yeah."
"So, what happened?"
"Eventually I came out. I was 18. I'd gotten into Jabiruard and I figured, shit, I would end up two hours away anyway, might as well tell now. Needless to say, my father was furious. He thought I was playing a prank."
"Jesucristo…" Fenton muttered.
"When he found out I was serious he literally kicked me to the curb. I had three weeks until the semester started and I ended up homeless until I caught a bus to college. I haven't spoken to them since." Drake concluded, wetness collecting at the edge of his eyes. "Alice was born a little after that. A perfect replacement. A do-over so my parents never had to acknowledge their fuck-up of a son. I didn't even learn her name until I saw a post online from my dad's church talking about her confirmation."
Fenton pulled Drake into a hug. "I don't have anything that I can say to make what happened better, but I can promise you this; I will never do anything like that to you. Te amo Drake. I love you Drake, and I always will."
Drake couldn't speak, his throat had shut itself with the tears he felt rolling down Fenton's shoulder. It was then he realized just how cold he was, feeling the warmth of the tears and the greater warmth of his boyfriend's comforting touch. Things weren't always alright, but at that moment he felt okay.
