A/N: Yet another appropriate but annoying chapter title. Stupid tune! Get outta my head!

Two Steps Ahead

Darkwing stepped out of the fire station and dialled the public library number on his cell phone. "Hi, I need to talk to a Gosalyn Mallard. She should be there?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't do that. I can take a message, though."
"Never mind, I'll see her myself." He hung up. It was a better idea for him to go to the library himself and check on her than it was to leave a message. He got onto the motorcycle, and drove on.

The Masked Mallard parked a block from the library and did a perimeter check. He found two surveillance agents standing in the bushes across the road from the front.
"What are you two doing?"
"We're surveillance."
"Uh, yeah, I can see that!" Darkwing fumed. "Who ... exactly are you surveying?"
"Gosalyn Mallard."

Fireworks went off in his head "... I tell you what." Darkwing forced his anger into a tight ball and did his utmost best to swallow it. Ironically, he would never have managed it at all before the singularly destructive force that was his daughter had come into his life. "Director Hooter gave this case to me, and you lot have been impeding my investigation at every turn."
"Look, Darkwing Duck, we have our orders."
"You'd shoot a ten year old civilian as she's coming out of the local public library!" Darkwing exclaimed in horror. "You're the ones that are the criminals."
"This is war and that civilian is on the bad guy's side."
Darkwing froze three steps in the direction of the library.

He turned slowly back to them. "I'll have the real killer identified soon enough." He pulled out his gas gun and fired the gas grenade at them. "I don't want you killing any innocent civilians in the meantime."

They coughed, and fell asleep in a heap in the bushes. Darkwing finished his perimeter check. That seemed to be the lot and he disapparated, gliding in shadow form along the pavement and into the library.

"Gosalyn."

"Darkwing Duck." She said, timorously. "I haven't found anything, yet."
"I expect that they had a station at Ducklehoff together. If we could find a picture of the squad both of them will be in it along with their killer. I'm reasonably certain, if I only had the chance to call Mane's ex-wife I could find out for sure. But it doesn't matter, Gosalyn. I have to get you out of here. Grizlykoff has agents on you right now."
"Me? But what did ..."
"Not now, Gosalyn! Just come with me."

He drew her into his arms, and in a whirl of disorientation, they were at the side of the rat-catcher.
"Whoa. Geez, dad," she steadied herself and got into the sidecar, "that's one ride they don't have at the fairground."

They drove back to the tower.

Gosalyn and he stepped away from the motorcycle. "Dad, they'll expect me to come out of the library!"
"I knocked them out. They'll understand."
"You'll get into trouble for that."
They both stopped and looked at each other. Darkwing raised an eyebrow. Gosalyn giggled for a moment.

"Oh, dad," she hugged him. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about me, kiddo. I'm just ... This is still the safest place I can think of for you right now."
"I'll stay here, dad, don't worry."
"Oh, sweetie. Darkwing Duck is in danger as well as Drake Mallard."

He sighed. "This is stupid. My father has been dead for twenty years. I dealt with that. The police cold cased him, sure, I was angry when I found that out, but I dealt with that too."
"I was thinking, dad when you were talking about them being in a squadron together. It could have been someone like Grizlykoff."

"Now, isn't that an interesting thought." He petted her head and wandered over to the table that had a mound of books on it and picked one up. "What if my father faced the same situation in the war as I did today? He'd quit, because I feel that way. I feel like tearing up that contract with S.H.U.S.H. to think I associate with people that would hurt my little girl." He flicked through the pages, "any little girl or boy." He flicked faster, unseeing. "I'll stop them all!" He pushed the books off the desk with a snarl. He had read every one of his father's books time and again. He knew there wasn't a single military photo in any of them.

"Dad! Dad! Easy, easy dad." She grabbed his arm fiercely.
"Gosalyn, don't you see, Grizlykoff won't even let me get at the criminal. The library that we just escaped from has the information locked away in it. Can't you see, sweetie? I'm just dodge-balling him all day and all night." He rubbed his tired eyes.
"Then you need help, dad. You can't do it alone. Let me help you."

"You need to stay here, Gosalyn, or they'll start taking pot-shots at you! That is until I can find somewhere safer for you." He grunted in thought and then he pulled out his cell phone. He began texting. "Right now we're okay because we're two steps ahead." He glanced up at her. "I want to stay at least one step ahead and no less."

"What about your new boss? Can he help you?"
"I think I upset him ..." He yawned and put the phone on the desk. "Never mind now; there's no point because I can't think."
"You get some sleep dad; you've been up too long. I'll be alright here." She picked up a book from the floor. "I'll do some reading."
"Whatever, kiddo," he yawned. "Just ... try to be a little bit quiet for your poor father." He patted her head.

He went up to the security monitors and checked them. There was nobody in the house for the moment. He yawned. This was the last opportunity he had. "Where's your backpack, Gos? I'll get some food for us before I get to bed." Putting his feet on the vertical poles of the stairs he slid down to the floor below. She handed him her bag. "I'll just be a minute."

He translocated to the kitchen and loaded up her bag with supplies.

He reappeared in a few minutes and handed her the now bulging bag. "Alright, you're all set. Apples, a thermos, sandwiches for lunch ..." He yawned "... and your toothbrush." He hugged her tightly.

"I'll arm the house alarm, dad. You go sleep."