Chapter Text
It had been Danny who had seen her on the news, being carried out on a stretcher and his heart had immediately stopped, the colour draining from his face.
“Oh…my god…”
“What's that babe?” Dash asked as he peeked into the living room.
“It's Courtney…she's…she's in Torrance…she's hurt…” Danny's voice was barely a whisper as he just stared at the TV in disbelief.
“What?!” Dash yelled and rushed over to his husband's side. “What's happened?” He asked as he placed a comforting arm on Danny's shoulder, pulling him flush against his side.
“A super villain attack, Shroud or something…but look! Look, that is our Courtney, right?” He pointed to the TV when they showed her again and Danny could feel Dash stiffen beside him.
“Yeah…fuck, let me grab my keys, we gotta get there…” Dash said and hastily went to grab his keys and wallet. “Danny? Babe let's go.” He called out when Danny hadn't moved an inch from in front of the TV.
Danny snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head before he walked over to Dash. “They'll probably take her to the nearest hospital…I'll google it on the way.” He said as they left and practically jogged to their car.
Danny's heart was in his throat the entire drive there. They hadn't seen or heard from their daughter in over 5 years, not after she just up and left without a word. They tried to search after her for a while but they had only received a letter from Courtney telling them to leave her alone.
Danny's world had crumbled. He knew Courtney had been struggling and they had argued on more than one occasion but it had still broken his heart to lose his little girl.
“This is it…if she's not here, we can try the other hospitals…” Dash said as he parked the car and they got out, rushing inside the hospital and to the front desk.
“Excuse me…Excuse me! Yes hi…We're looking for Courtney Baxter?” Danny asked the receptionist, who looked more than a little stressed.
She gave Danny a tight smile before turning to her computer. “Who's asking? We can't give out information to just anyone.”
“We're her parents. Dash and Daniel Baxter.” Dash said as he wrapped his arm around Danny again, needing to comfort his husband who was shaking and just barely holding it together. They were so close. So close to seeing their daughter again.
“Hmm.” The receptionist said and typed on her computer for a moment. “Fine. Her room is on the fourth floor, room 25-”
“Thank you!” Danny said before she could finish and was already tugging Dash towards the elevators.
When they neared the room Danny was practically buzzing with nerves. Five years…they hadn't seen her in five years and they were just about to see her again.
There were people outside of the room, some of them clearly superheroes but Danny didn't stop, he couldn't. He burst into the room. “Courtney!”
Courtney's eyes widened in surprise and she sat up, then winced when it pulled at the bullet wound on her shoulder. “Ow…what the fuck, dad? Daddy?”
“Oh my god it is you!” Danny practically sobbed as he rushed over to her bed, looking at her from head to toe. “Are you alright?!”
Dash followed after his husband and came to Courtney's bedside, his arm back around Danny's shoulders.
Courtney just stared at them wide eyed and open mouthed. “What…what are you doing here?”
“Your dad saw you on the news…” Dash said as he rubbed Danny's shoulder.
“Oh sweetheart…Courtney I've missed you so much…” Danny whimpered, his hand hovering over Courtney's arm, he wanted so badly to touch her but he was also afraid of overwhelming her. He wanted to hug her, to hold her tight and never let go of her.
Dash looked at his husband worriedly before turning to their daughter. “We've both missed you, Courtney…”
Courtney for her part looked a little sheepish, not quite being able to look her parents in the eyes. “I'm sorry…I just…I needed some time away to figure out some things…” She said quietly and fiddled with the bed sheet over her body.
“You could have told us that instead of just disappearing. Do you have any idea how worried we've been? How much you've been hurting your father?” Dash said, his voice hard. He loved his daughter but he had seen how devastated Danny had been for years. This wasn't something he could just forgive her.
Courtney bit her lip before looking up defiantly. “You were smothering me. And I did send you care packages every now and then.” She said defensively.
Dash just shook his head. “But we never knew where you were or if you were okay.”
“Please…it's…it's fine, I don't care about that right now…” Danny said and this time he couldn't stop himself as he took a hold of Courtney's hand, holding it tightly in his. “I just wanna know that you’re okay…”
“I'm…I'm fine…the bullet didn't hit anything major…” Courtney said quietly, allowing the touch.
“Good…good…and…how have you been?” Danny asked softly, bringing Courtney's hand up so he could kiss her knuckles.
Courtney bit her lip again, hesitating but then she looked at her parents, really looked and she relented. “I've…done some things I'm not proud of…but I…I'm trying to do better…I'm in the Phoenix program, they…give villains a second chance…”
Danny's lips quivered, thinking of his only daughter as a villain. It hurt him more than he knew how to describe. He felt like he had failed as a parent. He had failed her, his own little girl.
“I'm so sorry…” He whimpered and squeezed Courtney's hand, hugging it to his chest.
“H-hey…dad…it…it wasn't anything you did…I know I've been a…difficult kid…” Courtney said, averting her eyes. “I didn't make it easy for you guys…”
“You didn't.” Dash agreed, far more unforgiving than his husband and Courtney winced.
“I'm sorry…” She said and suddenly she had her arms full as Danny embraced her carefully, sobbing into her uninjured shoulder.
“It's okay…it's okay baby…” He mumbled. “I love you…I always have and I always will Courtney…you're my baby girl…”
“I…dad I love you too…” She said, her own voice catching at her throat as she hugged Danny back.
Dash stood back for a moment, just looking at the two before he placed a comforting hand on Danny's back. “And I love you too Courtney.” He spoke quietly. Then he leaned in to join in on the hug, wrapping his arms around his family.
Courtney could feel tears stinging at her eyes, which she completely blamed on the painkillers she was on. But she was glad to have her parents there, to know she was still loved, even after everything.