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Scrooge sighed, content, as he entered his room, hands resting on his hips. It had been a wonderful, full day of adventure.
The old duck looked around his room. The off-white walls with light brown trimmings and the light oak flooring filled him with pride, remembering every purchase that led to that moment.
It had cost him a pretty penny, but he was a trillionaire and had certainly earned a proper bedroom.
His four-poster canopy bed, with thick teal sheets, was pushed to the side wall, near the window, perfect for seeing the beautiful view of his money bin in the morning’s glow.
The golden chandelier hung in the center of the room. It was off, of course. Why would he waste money on something as frivolous as electricity when he could simply open the curtains and let the sun brighten his room for free?
The curtains were a lovely deep blue, perfect for keeping the room engulfed in darkness when it was the wee hours of the mornin’.
The room felt hot due to the warm, spring weather. You could bet yer bottom dollar that Scrooge McDuck wasnae goin’ tae spend his hard-earned bounty on some trivial, and abundantly overpriced, air conditioning when he could open a window and cool himself down just fine.
Scrooge smiled as he threw open the large, diamond lattice window, the evenin’ wind blowin’ in his feathers. The air had a slight salt to it, as it always did, bein’ within view of the coast.
He strode across the room to sit in his beautifully red heirloom chair. As he sank into the cushions, he kicked off the spats he had worn for the day's adventure.
The spats were lovely, the best money can buy, but even the best spats can’t keep up with the adventuring prowess of the McDucks.
They had flown to the Okeyfedokey swamp to find the Golden Gator Egg. Donald had come along on the adventure this time, excited to use his sailing experience. It had been chaotic in the first few hours, as Donald and Della fought over who got to drive the boat. Donald had claimed he was the sailor, while Della had claimed she was the adventurer. Thankfully, they quieted down after Launchpad had suggested he drive, while pondering if he would be able to crash the boat the same way he crashed a plane. After that they quickly came to the agreement that Donald would drive them there and Della would drive them back. After facing perilous traps they found the egg, which happened to have been guarded by a giant golden gator. They defeated the gator and came away with even more gold than expected, after it had fallen to pieces. His money bin was full and his family was near, he could ask for nothing else...
Scrooge winced as he set his cane aside, leaning it against the arm of the chair. He would never tell the kids, but all this adventuring was torture on his old back. He looked out the window to see the sun had already begun to set.
“Bless me bagpipes!” Scrooge cursed, jumpin’ out of his chair. How in Dismal Downs was it already so late?
He lifted himself out of the chair with minimal gruntin’ before makin’ his way tae the ensuite bathroom to wash off the swamp water and the day’s grime. He turned the hot nozzle on the tub and filled it up to just under halfway. He would normally bathe in only gold coins, but no amount of gold can wash off swamp grime. Scrooge sighed as he slid into the tub. The water was nice and warm, soothing on his old joints. It was always pleasant to have a nice wash off at home after a long day of adventuring.
As Scrooge stepped out of the clawfoot tub and began drying off, he grabbed his robe off the hook of the door. When he re-entered his room he saw that it had started raining outside.
“Curse me kilts,” Scrooge grumbled as he walked towards the open window. As if he hadnae had enough water for one day, his beautiful blue curtains were now soaked! He continued to grumble as he closed the window and went into his closet to find a respectable pair of pajamas and get some much needed rest.
********************
Scrooge shot up as a thud sounded to his left, right under the window. He jumped out of bed and into a fightin’ stance, ready to take down whoever or whatever intruder had been able to bypass his thousands of dollars’ worth of security.
“Oh, calm down Moneybags. I’m not here to rob you.” Scrooge looked down at a dark lump on the ground. As his eyes adjusted, he was able to make out the blonde locks of Goldie O’Gilt, The Ice Queen of Dawson.
Scrooge stared at her for a minute before her words sank in.
“Aye,” Scrooge nodded as if he believed her claim, “What are ya doin’ here then?”
“What? An old friend can’t just drop in for a visit?” Goldie smiled and batted her eyelashes.
“Ye? Ne’er,” Scrooge said, shaking his head.
“Fair enough,” Goldie smiled, her voice losing its overly sweet tone as she moved into a sittin’ position. Scrooge smirked.
“Ye want some help gettin’ up there, lass?” He chuckled, putting his hand out to help her up.
“Oh please, I’m still young, I went to a fountain of youth just a few years ago. You look like you could use a trip yourself, old man,” she said, smirkin’. Despite this, she took his hand, her knees crackin’ as she righted herself. Scrooge chuckled as she hit him upside the head.
“You’re not any better off yourself, you old coot.”
“Ah, forget that,” Scrooge dismissed, trying not to think of his own aching back, “What are ye doin’ here, Goldie?”
Goldie huffed as she started squeezing the water out of her hair, puddles forming around her feet.
“Well, I was in the neighbourhood for some business.” Scrooge snorted. Goldie turned away from the tangle of knots to glare at him, “Anyway, I was in town and this downpour started!” She gestured toward the window as if it had personally offended her. The rain outside was coming down very hard, each drop hitting the window loudly and echoing around the room.
“I thought I might as well stop by and get some proper rest before tomorrow, instead of trying to set up a tent in this weather.” She had given up on her hair and was looking at Scrooge expectantly. What was she waitin’ for?
“Ye couldnae get a hotel?” Scrooge asked. He had heard of a few nice ones in the area, certainly up to Goldie’s standards, though he’d never gone himself, too expensive and pointless.
Goldie’s face dropped for a moment. It was quick and if he hadnae been sharpest of the sharpies he wouldnae have caught it. Nae a moment later and she looked like her usual self again, but Scrooge wondered, what had that meant?
“No hotel has the amenities of the McDuck mansion.” Goldie stated, putting her hands on her hips. Scrooge looked her up and down, eyes narrowing.
“Are ye sure y’arenae here tae rob me?”
“We’ll see.” Goldie patted him on the shoulder as she made her way towards the dresser, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out a long, green nightgown.
“When did ye stash that?” Scrooge said over her shoulder.
The drawer was full of Goldie’s things: pajamas, dresses, a makeup kit, hair ties, shorts, pants, shirts and bags that looked to be full of adventuring gear.
That had been Goldie’s drawer for years, Scrooge had noticed that she’d been hiding clothes in his home since the forties, about a decade after he had the house built. Anything she left behind over the years, purposeful or not, would go in that drawer. Scrooge thought he had been quite good at catching when she’d hidden something new in his home, but this gown looked fairly new and Scrooge couldn’t for the life of him remember when she’d hidden it.
“Back, after that fountain of youth adventure in Florida.” Goldie shrugged as she walked towards the washroom.
“But ye ne’er even came to my house!”
How had the mischievous minx managed to slip into the mansion without him noticin’?
Goldie laughed and Scrooge couldnae tell if his face felt hot because of anger or because her laugh sounded like clinking coins and angelic bells. Ironic considering what a dishonest, deceitful, devil she was.
“You’re losing your touch, Scroogey,” she called over her shoulder as she shut the door to the washroom.
Scrooge groaned as he fell back onto his bed.
What was Goldie doin’ here? Sure she’d stayed at his house when she was in town before, but this was different. She would usually never stay this soon after an adventure. There was normally at least a year in between any adventure together and her stoppin’ in, not a week. Was this a trick? Was she here to steal something? Had she been telling the truth?
He hoped Beakley wouldnae find out she was here. She was still upset about being tied up in the wardrobe.
What should he do? It would be rude to kick her out in the rain, especially if she actually was nae here to steal anythin’. What are the chances of that?
He knew they’d had some kind of breakthrough at the fountain of youth. Was this them changin’? Bein’… different? Would she start coming around more? Would she stay?
No. Definitely not. Breakthrough or not, she was Goldie O’Gilt and he was Scrooge McDuck. They dinnae do normal… but it would be nice to see her more. He groaned louder, annoyed by his own thoughts. He shouldnae be getting his hopes up.
“Are you having fun out there without me, Scroogey?” Goldie called from the shower.
Scrooge spluttered as Goldie’s laugh echoed from the shower.
Aye, he wasnae getting any sleep tonight.
If Goldie was in the shower, and he was foolish enough to drift off, there wasnae any telling what she might do… or steal. Best to keep himself occupied.
Scrooge grabbed a tall stack of papers from his nightstand and squinted at the words. He sighed, reachin’ for his spectacles off the table. He laid back on the bed and began to read.
The stack was mostly company updates, with a few documents needin’ his signature. He had planned to start on them the next mornin’, but if he was nae doing anything else at the moment he might as well get the jump on them. Besides, the tower of papers was taller than he had anticipated. It was probably a good thing to get a head start on it in case the family went on an adventure tomorrow.
If they did, would Goldie come? She wouldnae stay that long… Would she?
Blast! He was tryin’ tae get work done and that sneaking succubus was invadin’ his mind even when she was nae in the room. It had been so much easier before Florida. At least before he knew where they stood… Sort of. Now he dinnae know if he was going to be stolen from or if he was goin’ tae wake up next tae her tomorrow. Somehow this was worse.
Enough of this futile fretting. Scrooge scolded himself. He needed to focus, regardless of whether his oldest… everything… was going to stay the night. He dinnae know what they were or how it was goin’ to turn out or if it really was different or—
“Curse me kilts,” Scrooge grumbled under his breath. This wasnae goin’ well.
Alright. Things are fine. So what if things were different? He was Scrooge McDuck! He could handle any changes she threw at him. Besides, they had known each other for over a hundred years. He needed to get over these silly nervous butterflies one of these years.
He was Scrooge McDuck. He was going to have a nice night with or without her and if things were different he would handle it. Just like any other twist she’d thrown at him over the years.
(Her stayin’ around more would be nice though.)
With that decided, Scrooge finally turned his attention to his work.
After a few minutes Goldie came out of the washroom in her sage green nightgown. The lace hem of the dress reached down to the floor, and the short sleeves ruffled at the ends. The whole dress had an ornamental pattern printed over it in a slightly darker sage green, definitely more expensive than somethin’ she would buy, at least with her own money. A white bath towel was wrapped around her head and hot steam was wafting into the bedroom.
“Put the coins back,” Scrooge called, as if reminding her of something mundane, never looking up from his papers.
Goldie smiled and blew him a kiss before sauntering back into the washroom. There was an audible sound of coins clinking together as Goldie threw the coins back into Scrooge’s mini money bin. (The one used for when he wanted to bathe in his money.)
This time when she came out of the washroom the towel was no longer on her head. The water dripped from her long golden hair down her shoulders and onto her nightgown.
She sat down on the edge of the bed next to Scrooge and started to brush her hair.
“Aye!” Scrooge called out, throwing his papers to the side. “Yer goin’ to get m’bed all wet!”
“Oh, please. A little water never hurt anyone.” Goldie shrugged as she continued to comb through the knots in her hair, making a face every time she hit a particularly nasty one.
Scrooge grumbled as he reorganized his papers and set them on the far end of the night side table, where the water wouldnae reach them.
“Yer gettin’ water everywhere!” Scrooge continued to gripe. As he felt the water seeping through the sheets he sat up.
“Just let me do it!” Scrooge took the hairbrush out of Goldie’s hands and began to brush.
They sat in silence as Scrooge carefully worked through each knot, steadying her hair in one hand. It smelled like his expensive shampoo, the one he had hidden in the closet. He should have guessed she’d find it. A small smile spread across his face.
“So, what business did ye have in Duckburg?” Scrooge asked, gently brushing to ensure that the water was nae being flung about (and for no other reason).
“Just the usual.” Goldie shrugged. “Some rich guy found a rare artifact at one of his archaeological dig sites and wanted to show it off to his friends. You know, when you put something like that on display you should have better security, he was practically begging for it to get stolen. Honestly, these “new money” types have no idea how to properly protect an artifact. I found a very willing buyer, who paid very well for it. I was just on my way back from selling it when the rain started up.”
Scrooge sighed, “Would I know this ‘rich guy’?” Scrooge asked.
“Probably not. He was some new billionaire. So way below the net worth of most of your fancy rich friends.”
Scrooge sighed in relief. It was unfortunate she’d stolen from the poor lad, but at least Scrooge wouldnae have to face the kid while knowing who had taken, what had probably been, his new favorite toy.
Scrooge wordlessly handed the brush back to Goldie after he had finished brushing out the last tangle. Goldie took it from his hand and got up to place it in her bag.
“Goldie,” Scrooge said in a warning tone. She looked over her shoulder and smiled before dropping his brush into her bag.
“You don’t have any hair to brush, Hun,” Goldie said, sticking out her hip. “I would certainly get more use out of it.”
Scrooge continued to grumble as she strolled back towards the bed, throwing back the cover to get in.
“Ye cannae go to bed with wet hair. Ye’ll get sick!” Scrooge commented.
“I’ve gone to bed with wet hair a million times. I’m not always in reach of a place to stay when a downpour starts, Moneybag.”
“Well then ye cannae sleep in my bed with yer hair wet. Ye’ll get all the pillows wet.”
“Do you have a hair dryer?” Goldie said, raising an eyebrow at the lack of hair on his head.
“Aye!” Scrooge said, defensively.
Goldie stared at him.
“The girls use it,” Scrooge said after a minute.
“Alright. I’ll dry my hair to save your precious pillows” Goldie started to get up.
Scrooge motioned for her to still back down. “Well, it’s in the main bathroom and I dinnae want you to wake the bairns.” (or Beakley). I’ll just go nip in and grab it.” Scrooge got up from the bed and headed towards the door. “I’ll be back in a moment, dear,” He called as he exited the room.
********************
About a minute later Scrooge came back in, hair dryer in hand.
Goldie got up and walked towards him. “I still say this is silly”
“And Ae still say you cannae sleep in my bed if yer goin’ to make the pillows wet,” Scrooge replied.
“Humph,” Goldie grunted as she grabbed the hairdryer from Scrooge’s hand and headed back into the washroom.
Scrooge smiled, pleased with his win, as he went to settle back into bed.
“Ack!” Scrooge exclaimed as his feathers met the sopping comforter.
Well this wouldnae do.
Scrooge grabbed his papers and made his way around the bed to the other, drier, side of the bed and continued to steadily work his way through the stack which was now half completed.
Goldie stepped out of the washroom with her newly dry hair and smiled.
“Wow Scroogey, you really missed me, huh?” She chuckled.
“Ye made my side of the bed all wet and Ae’m nae goin’ tae sleep on wet blankets in my own home!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Goldie muttered, as she moved to squeeze on to the dry side of the bed.
“What do ya tink yer doin’?” Scrooge squinted his eyes at her in suspicion.
“Well, I don’t feel like sleeping on a wet bed tonight, either. Besides, this is my side of the bed.” Goldie was crouched with her knees on the bed as she motioned to where Scrooge was lying.
“Ye ne’er use it.” Scrooge argued, shuffling away from where she was kneeling.
“Well that doesn’t change that it’s mine. Does it now, Sourdough?”
Scrooge grumbled, aware that he was not going to win this one. (He dinnae want to make Goldie sleep on a wet bed anyway) Goldie smiled in triumph and pulled the sheets back to get into bed.
After much shuffling, both ducks were comfortably situated on the dry side of the bed. Scrooge was sitting up against the headboard, pushed up next to a pillow wall that had been made, between the dry and wet sides of the bed, while Goldie was curled up under his arm, with the covers pulled up around her neck.
“Comfortable?” Scrooge sighed.
“Mm, very,” Goldie replied, her voice sweet as honey.
With the ducks both comfortably situated, Scrooge reached over Goldie’s head to turn off the night side lamp.
As darkness consumed the room Scrooge tilted his head back to rest against the headboard.
As much as his eyes yearned to close and his mind wished for rest he could not and would not fall asleep first.
Scrooge glanced down at the blonde mop resting on his chest. Her eyes were closed and her breathin’ was evenin’ out. She’d likely be asleep soon. Curse me kilts, Scrooge thought to himself, this is too good to be true. Maybe things were different, but a good different. Maybe he would get to see those emerald eyes more than once every few years.
But what had caused the change? What had made The Ice Queen of Dawson decide to melt, even for just a single night?
“What are you think’in about, Sourdough?” Scrooge looked down to see Goldie mumbling into his chest. “I can practically hear the gears turning in your head, so either share or think quieter.” She continued to mutter with half-lidded eyes.
“Yer askin’ me to share?” Scrooge chuckled.
“Well if you’re going to disrupt my sleep I might as well know why,” she said, this time with her eyes open.
Scrooge sighed as he looked up at the canopy above them, barely visible in the darkness. “What made ya change yer tune?”
Goldie looked at him, confused.
“Ae mean,” he gestured with his hands, trying to find the right words. “This is so different. Ye donae normally stop in a week after an adventure. It’s bonnie that ye did. Ae’m happy tae see ya, it’s just so different, good different, but…” He glanced down at her, tae see if she could understand his meaning so he wouldnae have to keep struggling, her eyes betrayed no emotion, the maddening mischief-maker.
“But…?” She raised an eyebrow.
Scrooge sighed, “But I dinnae understand it. What changed that made ye want to stay?”
“First of all, I’m not staying. I just wanted a warm place to stay tonight.”
He continued to look at her, waitin’ for an answer.
Goldie hummed lightly, closing her eyes. “We said at the fountain that we were going to be different.”
Scrooge smiled to himself. So this was them being different, he knew it!
“I thought if we were going to be different then I could at least get a few extra meals and nice nights out of it” She shrugged.
“That doesnae answer my question,” he pointed out.
Goldie grumbled. “I don’t know. The idea of that fresh start just sounded so good. Getting to relive our lives together, not making the same stupid mistakes as before. I know that we’re not young anymore, but I thought I could test the waters. See what it’s like to see each other more than once a year.”
“Ah, lass, Ae’m sor–”
“Oh, don’t start. I already told you, a fresh start isn’t worth it without you. Besides, it never would have worked. You’re a family man at heart. You would never have left Sharpie and the rest of those rugrats. It was a scatterbrained plan fueled by teen hormones and old dreams.” Her voice was quiet.
“Aye. Well, ye’re part of m’family too, ya know”
She chuckled lightly. “I wouldn’t say family.” The side of Scrooge’s mouth dropped. “I’m more of an adventure that comes a knocking every once in a while.”
“Family is the greatest adventure of all!” Scrooge commented.
Goldie stared at him. “That might be the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said. These years have made you go soft, Scroogey”
“Well, it’s true!” He said as a blush spread across his beak.
“Hm. Well, I don’t think I’ve ever really been a part of that particular adventure of yours” Scrooge glanced down at her and saw that she wasnae looking at him, instead playing with a free thread on the comforter.
“Well, maybe not this family adventure, but ye’ve certainty always been family” Scrooge said with confidence.
“Mmhum” She nodded sleepily. “Sure Scrooge, Sure”
“Do ye not tink yer my family?”
Goldie dropped the thread and glanced around the room, as if to see if someone was listening. Only the darkness greeted her.“Well, we’ve never really been like that, have we? We’ve got history, but I know that family comes first for you and I’ll never fit into this perfect little world of yours”
Scrooge experienced a plethora of emotions. Hearing Goldie say how she dinnae believe that she’s family, it hurt. They’d known each other for over a hundred years! Of course she was family. How could she havenae known how important she was?
“Well that’s utter blasphemy!”
“Really?” Goldie said, with obvious skepticism in her tone.
“Aye! The kids tink yer great. Louie’s practically obsessed with ye. Every time Ae try to show him the value of hard work ‘e just starts talking about how ye made it rich without all the ‘boring stuff’” Scrooge’s tone became mocking on the last words.
“Sharpie’s great, but you can’t say that all the kids like me, Beakley's kid certainly doesn’t. I’m pretty sure her hatred for me could match her grandmother's and I might not have seen Della in a while but I’d be willing to bet quite a few coins that her opinion of me hasn’t changed.”
“Webby’s just tryin’ to follow what Beakley does and Della’s grown. She’s nae the same kid she was last time ye saw ‘er-“
“Scrooge” Goldie said, forcefully cutting him off. She looked back down, “I don’t fit in here and nothing you say will change that. It didn’t change it last time and it won’t change it now. Nothing you say will make me be able to fit into this world you have now. Not pretending that the kids like me and not pretending that you could have chosen me in Florida” Goldie sighed, “It won’t change”
“Ae’m not pretendin’,” Scrooge said earnestly.
He took a deep breath, staring straight ahead into the shadowy room, “If we hadn’t learned where all that youth really came from, I really would have run away. Ae’m not proud of that, but yer not the only one who thought that fresh start sounded nice”
Goldie looked up at him.
“Ae liked that idea ye said earlier. We might not have that fresh start, but we could make our own. Start seein’ each other more. Not havin’ to wonder when Ae’ll see ya next. Ye’ll always be my family but Ae’d love it if ya became the kid’s family too”
“Scrooge”
He looked back down to meet her eyes.
“I know ye said yer not made fer it and Ae’m not askin’ ya to move in or anythin’ like that. Ae know adventure and treasure are in yer blood, but this could be a pit stop for ya. Where ye come if ye ever need a break or a place to rest. Maybe stay for more than a night?”
Scrooge looked at Goldie, hopefully. A sort of conflict seemed to be happening behind her eyes.
After a long moment, she sighed.
“I’m not making any promises here, Sourdough…but…that sounds nice”
Scrooge couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face and the sparkle in his eyes. His heart filled with the joy of knowin’ that this was real, this was actually happenin’.
“I’ll take it back if you keep making that sappy face” Goldie said, bringin’ an arm up to tap his beak.
“Ae‘ll show ye sappy!” Scrooge exclaimed, shoving his beak into her neck and playfully pulling at her feathers.
Goldie laughed at the ticklin’ sensation that spread over her shoulder.
A moment later Goldie had flipped them so, instead of resting on his chest, she was on top and began to mimic Scrooge’s earlier movements.
Before either of them knew it, they were a mess of feathers and laughter.
********************
Minutes (or hours later, who could really tell), they were back where they started, with Scrooge lying against the headboard and Goldie lying on his chest. This time with quite a few feathers out of place, smiling at each other like they were love sick teenagers again.
Scrooge broke the silence.
“So, are ye staying for breakfast?”
Goldie gave him a questioning look.
“Ae’m sure Louie would be delighted tae see yew,” Scrooge prompted.
Goldie laughed, “And are you going to explain that to 22?”
“Ae could,” Scrooge shrugged, with only a slight hesitation.
“I might stay just to see how that conversation goes” She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye.
Scrooge felt a smile spread across his face.
“That’s not a certainty,” she remarked.
“It’s better than what ye normally do”
He smiled as he put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, while shuffling himself down so his head was resting on the pillow instead of the headboard.
“Not scared of falling asleep first?” Goldie said, because of course she knew why he hadnae gotten into bed yet.
“Am Ae goin’ tae wake up with my gold stolen?” He asked, knowing that she heard the unspoken, and you gone? Wanting just a wee bit more confirmation that this was real.
“You’re safe for tonight, you tightwad.” She chuckled softly, playing with the feathers sticking out from the collar of his shirt.
He smiled and turned over, pulling her to his chest. She happily obliged and rested her head under his bill.
“G’night, Goldie Girl,” he whispered softly, closing his eyes.
“Good night y’old argonaut,” she mumbled into his neck.
“I’ll see yew in the mornin’?” He peeked one eye open and glanced down at her body, resting against his.
“Mm.” Scrooge felt her nod against his feathers.
That night Scrooge McDuck went to sleep with a smile on his face, because it was moments like this that made him feel whole, and although he might never know, it was moments like this that caused the Ice Queen of Dawson to melt.