Second Chances: Stargirl

Chapter 4

Barbara was getting concerned about the fact that she hadn't seen Courtney or Yolanda since they'd gotten home from Midvale, but not for the reason most parents would be concerned about it. She was concerned because of the dreams Courtney was having, since she knew what it meant, but she was determined to put it off for as long as possible.

However, that did not stop her from making her way to her former husband's study, the one room she'd kept off limits to her daughter, though she'd entered it a few times over the years, since even though she'd moved on with Pat, Barb still liked feeling connected to Sylvester, especially since that way it felt like she could still tell them about their daughter.

However, she was concerned when she saw that the door had been left open.

"No Courtney, you didn't." Barbara said as she rushed into the room and sure enough, she could see the signs of someone having having been in recently, particularly a certain photo of Courtney and her father and Barbara checked her phone and saw that sure enough, even though she'd muted her phone, she still got a notification saying that the Citadel's systems had come back online.

"No." Barbara said as she looked down at the picture of Sylvester.

"Why Sylvester. Why did she have to be so much like you? Why did the staff have to choose her like it chose you and why did it choose her so young. She's only a child. She should be worrying about telling the girl she likes how she feels and what she's going to wear to prom, not the things the staff brings. I thought that it would wait until she was at least done with high school before picking her. I knew this day would come, I just didn't think it would be so soon." Barbara said, since she knew this day was coming, she just didn't expect it to be so soon.

But she was pulled from her thoughts when Pat entered the study.

"Barb, what's in this room, you've never shown me?" Pat asked as he noticed all the Starman paraphernalia.

"This room was Sylvester's study." Barbara said, since Pat was aware that his old boss was Barb's old husband.

"And you didn't show it to me because you didn't want to give Courtney any ideas. But what are you doing here now?" Pat asked.

"Because Courtney finally broke in here after we got home, which means that she's finally figured out who her father really is." Barbara said and to her surprise, Pat actually smiled.

"Good, I'm tired of hearing her say bad things about Sylvester when he was a great man. Now she knows it." Pat said, since he'd been waiting for Courtney to learn the truth about Sylvester ever since he'd met her, but had kept his mouth shut out of respect for Barb.

"Pat, I wanted to protect her from this life. I saw what it did to Sylvester and I don't want that for Courtney." Barbara said.

"I get that Barb, believe me I do, but it's your choice. It's Courtney's and believe me, keeping this truth from her for so long, it's not going to end well, since she's gonna be pissed at you for lying to her. Besides, if what you told me is right, the staff has already chosen her, which means that we can't do anything about it, since sooner or later, the staff will find its way to her. Might as well do it now, since it wouldn't be choosing her at this age for no reason. Which means that she needs to learn how to use it while she still has time to." Pat said and Barbara sighed.

"I know, but I'm her mother. It's my job to protect her." Barbara said.

"I know and if it were Mike in this position, I'd feel the same way, but now you have to protect her in a different way. By trusting her with information she should've had a long time ago. And trusting her to be able to keep herself safe. Besides, you know I've been preparing for this in my own way." Pat said, referring to what he had hidden in his new machine shop.

"I know and I also know that you were with Sylvester every step of the way as he learned to use the staff, but since he isn't here to do it himself, I want you to promise me that you'll do everything you can to prepare her for this." Barbara said.

"I promise. But now I think I'm gonna go get the staff." Pat said, right as they heard a warbling sound and saw the staff float into the room.

"Guess it got tired of waiting for me to give it to Courtney." Pat said.

"I forgot that my father built that thing with its own personality for some reason." Barbara said.

"Where is Courtney?" Pat asked, changing the topic he gripped the staff, only for it to turn off, causing Pat to roll his eyes at that, since he was used to the staff giving him the cold shoulder.

"I think I know where she is." Barbara said as she picked up the picture of Courtney and her father and placed her hand on the scanner.

"Identity confirmed, Barbara Whitmore, access granted." the digital voice said as the secret elevator was revealed.

"Should've known that Sylvester would've built a lair under his house." Pat said as he and Barb entered the elevator.