February 10th, 1983

"Aww, Donald, they're adorable! What're you going to do with them, though?"

Donald paused, sighing as Daisy kept cooing over two of the three boys in his house. "I don't know, Daisy…I guess until Danica is found, I don't have much choice…I can't let them take these boys…"

"Take them?! Wha…what do you mean, take them?"

Donald's mind went to only three days ago, when he had been getting ready for a date with Daisy, and the telephone had rung…

"Donald Duck residence, who is calling?"

"Mister Duck? Yes, my name is Carrie McDowell, and I run the Pediatric and Natal Unit of Duckberg Medical…we are calling to contact you about three little boys in our care currently. I understand, from our records, you have a sister; Della, is it?"

"Danica. What's wrong? Is she…is she in trouble or something?" It had been years since he had seen or spoken to his rebellious and addict of a sister, but blood was still blood. He would do anything for her.

"Well, Sir, I don't know how to answer that…we don't know anything about her. However, we were calling to confirm your tie with her. Would you know her whereabouts?"

"I haven't seen her for years now…look, I've got some important things to do, so if you would kindly tell me why you're looking for her, I would appreciate it." His rougher tone made it clear this wasn't a question, and over the line the phone crackled loudly, a result of the small snowstorm in Montana in early February.

"This morning she left a note and a large basket at the steps of this hospital…the basket contained three ducklings, all boys. Her sons, Sir. And as Duckberg Medical only has a Safe Haven policy in place six hours after a birth, she has broken the law…she left a note with your phone number saying to call you and you would make it all right…I'm simply following my superior's orders, Sir. We need somebody to contact, and to relinquish rights of the triplets."

But Donald's head was spinning. Triplets? His baby sister had had kids? Oh, Danica…was the only thought his mind could echo as he tried to figure out why she would have been so foolish…of course, with her track record there was a good chance she didn't remember their conception, much less their father or have a way to provide for them. His jaw stayed hanging open, and he stuttered, eyes widening as he tried to not have a heart attack right there.

"I…I…I…What do you mean, relinquish rights?"

"Well, Sir, until she can be found -and properly charged to the fullest extent of the law- we have to do something with these three kids. We can't leave them here. As her only family, you're the one who has to either take them in, or sign papers saying that the State can take care of them in their mothers' absence. Tin her letter, Miss Duck states the boys were born on February the Fifth, and so should easily find a new home, being young and still within the wanted market for newborns…"

Donald glanced to his calendar which marked today as February the seventh, and he could only assume it took Danica that long to process everything and then to decide what to do after a likely panic attack. "You would…what? Foster them, adopt them out? And what do you mean, Danica would be in legal trouble…but why? She put them in a good place today…at a place they could be taken care of."

"Mister Duck, she still broke the law. According to the law, she abandoned them…I do not control the law. I know it is unfair…I am sorry."

Donald sagged against the wall, and sighed heavily, running his wings through his head feathers. "How…are they? Are her kids well?"

Silence over the end, then: "We found multiple drug traces in their blood stream, so we want to keep them until tomorrow evening to make certain the toxins are out of their systems. Other than that, they each weigh in at four pounds, seven ounces, and seven and a half inches long. A touch under-developed, but not nearly as bad as it could have been, considering the presumable circumstances."

Donald nodded, a rush of anger and numbness washing over him. That dumbella! She could have killed those kids with all the drugs…he only hoped she had slacked off at least a bit while pregnant. But she had been an addict since she was fourteen, and the male duck had to admit that it was unlikely she had slowed down or even really recognized what pregnancy really was at this point, if she was as bad as she had been during their last meeting…

The duck was no fool, and realized that with her record, even if she showed up this very instant, it was unlikely she would ever see those boys again, much less regain custody and be capable of caring for them. And even if she became clean, it would be years before she would be legally allowed to have those three again, though it could take years to find her, let alone prosecute her.

"Alright. I'll be there in…in a couple days. Tomorrow. Yes, I…will be there tomorrow."

Only minutes after obtaining the address of the hospital, his doorbell rang, and Donald stumbled towards it, knowing it was likely Daisy. His mind stayed on the subject of his three nephews throughout their date, and into the night.

"Oh, Donald! I wish I could make it better for you. Maybe they'll find her soon…"

His troubled eyes met his high school sweetheart's gaze and he went back to rocking the third triplet, who was sound asleep. "Even if she barged in right now…it would be a decade or more until she could care for these three. For right now, I'm going to raise them. I'm steady enough with income, and it could be a trial run for our own kids one day…"

Daisy blushed at his words, but her mind went back to his other words, her brow creasing. She and Donald had been a couple since they were sixteen, and though she knew he and his sister were estranged for good reasons, she didn't realize things were that bad.

"What happened between you and Danica? You were close as kids, right? Your mom always went to that kiddie picture of the two of you at the beach…"

Donald smiled, his eyes misting as he traded babies with her. "Yeah, we were close…but when she was fourteen, she got into the wrong crowd at school and none of us could get her away…drugs had claimed her, Daisy. After Mom and Dad died, it got worse…then, she left…and you know the rest. I would do anything to turn back the clock, but I can't. Speaking of which, my dear, it's getting late…and you have work tomorrow."

"So do you, Donald." She smiled at him though, carefully placing the infant she held in the basket Donald had brought him home in.

"Well, yes, but there's things to do that likely mean me being off. I practically own that store, but you…well, you can't afford to take more time off. I'm just looking out for you, sweetheart."

She grinned to him, giving him a long slow kiss as he stood from putting down the two other ducklings, her arms wrapping around his neck as she lengthened the kiss. He leaned in to her affections, encasing her in a hug. Warmth and love lit the air around them, an at long last she pulled away, her cheeks heated.

"Well…goodnight, Donald."

"Night, Daisy."

She turned to leave, hoping for one last kiss as she stood on his porch, but she could see he had already turned around to tend to his nephews and she smiled, unable to help but feel as though she was being replaced.

You'll be a good daddy one day, Donald… and she left, flinching against the chill of the night.