CHAPTER FIVE - Forgive

It seemed like a night that would never end. All three ducks stayed in their respective rooms, none talking to the other, all pained by what they endured. Each quietly suffering, each wishing the nightmare that became their lives to end. Wishing for better days, a thing that seemed so far away. Gosalyn cried herself to sleep. Darkwing worked on his computer until he collapsed. Launchpad simply left.

Finally, the morning came, and the morning went. Darkwing slowly awoke, lifting his head wearily from the keyboard. He rubbed his eyes, and looked at the clock.
{Damn... How long was I out...Gosalyn...} It took a moment to register the time. Early afternoon. Is Gosalyn here? Did she even go to school? The thoughts of the night before flooded his mind. He shook his head violently, and sighed to himself. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. He needed to check. Slowly, he wheeled himself out, and painfully hauled himself and his chair up the staircase.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

It really would have been easier to call her to come down to the living room.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

If she was even home. It was a lot of work to drag himself and his chair up the stairs, especially if it was all for nothing.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

No. He had to do this on his own. He had to go see her. Something in his mind decided it was time. No matter how hard. He would go to his baby.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Finally he reached the top step. He rested for a moment, catching his breath. Never did he think a simple set of stairs would wear him out so badly. He looked back down the stairwell, and a feeling of satisfaction came over him. For the first time since the accident, he smiled.

"Take THAT, you stupidly simple staircase!" he quipped, and then smiled again. {That felt GOOD.} he thought to himself. Darkwing then straightened himself, and made his way to Gosalyn's room. He gently knocked on the door.

"Gosalyn? ...Gos honey...? Are you in there...?" He said slowly. After a long pause, he slowly opened the door. She lay curled in her bed, still asleep. Her pillow still looked damp from the tears she had shed the night before. Darkwing wheeled himself over to her, pulling up beside her bed. He gently brushed her hair from her face. "Gosalyn... sweetie... wake up..." She murmured in her sleep.

"...dad..dy..."

"Wake up sweetie... I'm here..."

"...dad...?" She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, then sat up quickly. "Dad! How did you...?!"

"Just a little hard work, that's all. Woulda been easier with my grappling gun mind you..." he gave a small smile. She looked at him, unsure what to think. "Listen, Gos... I... I'm sorry..." he hung his head, ashamed. "Launchpad was right. It has been all my fault. I've been a jerk, an asshole... I've been worse than Negaduck..."

"Oh dad..." she wrapped her arms around him. "I forgive you... but you WERE acting like an ass."

"Language Gos!" He quipped.

"You said it, not me!" She smirked at him. he looked back, and smiled.

"Yah, okay. So I was an ass. I'll own up to it. Just wallowed in my own self pity for so long, blamed the world for my problems, and took it out on you and LP. I'm sorry..." he hugged her gently.

"it's okay dad, really... oh!" She pulled away and hopped over to her desk. "I made you something!" She picks up a box, and goes back to him. He takes the box and opens it, revealing two pendants, one black, and one white. Together, they formed the symbol of the Yin-Yang.

"They're nice hun, but why?" He looked up at her quizzically.

"Because the Yin and Yang are light and dark. You and Negaduck. You're both different, but the same, in your own way. You're light, but you have some darkness. Nega is dark, but has some light inside of him."

"No way! There's no way there's any good in Nega at all! He's evil!" Darkwing snapped.

"He's got a daughter too." She replied. Darkwing looked at the pendants, then at her.
{...Nega Gosalyn... I had almost forgotten about her...} He gently brushed his hand over Gosalyns cheek. {Can one so evil such as him... really be a parent?} Darkwing was about to speak, when the emergency alarm began to blare. "Something must be going on! Help me to the computer!" he quickly wheeled out of the room, and they made their way to Darkwings computer.

A message was being sent over the system, audio only. A cold, familiar voice spoke.

"Oh Darkwing... guess who's got your partner?"