Author's Note: Welcome back! Thanks for the reviews and favorites! You're all so amazing and wonderful! Without further aDew ( See what I did there? ), let's move on!
Disclaimer: I do not own DuckTales, but in my dreams I do.
A Bedtime Story: Ch. 2
Della Duck, age nineteen, growled at the front seat, grumbling. The young adventuress was currently in a jeep, on her way to a military camp with her Uncle Scrooge and brother Donald. Just recently, the heirs and their old uncle had received news that the U.S. army had needed more finance to pay their soldiers. At the same time, they were running out of nurses, and thought no one better than Scrooge McDuck and his entourage were the right ones to help.
Della Duck thought otherwise.
"Uncle Scrooge," she groaned, "I thought we were going to Howsputan City. You know, to discover the mystery behind the Lost People."
"Oh, no," Scrooge chuckled, in the passenger seat. "We're on our way to the army."
"Oh, boy!" Donald grinned, nudging his sister. "The army! I cannot wait to see what's there!"
"Um," Della frowned, pretending to think, "let me think … Oh, right! Sweaty men …"
"Hey!" Donald blabbered.
" … Guns … battles … ducks who've lost an eye …," Della smirked, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I wonder what we'll find there."
"Oh, Della," Scrooge laughed as she turned a corner. "You'll find this trip especially exciting! Since you'll be practicing … espionage!"
Della, purposely, swerved the steering wheel and the jeep fell off the road, deeper into the woods.
"BLESS ME BAGPIPES!" Scrooge screamed.
D: Wait, wait; you fell off a cliff?
L: On purpose? Why?
H: Were you pressured?
DD: Of course. Espionage? I was more of an adventurer, than a spy. But back to the story …
"Here we are!" Della grinned, gripping the steering wheel. Donald and Scrooge were frozen up behind her, clutching their hearts for breath.
"Are you crazy?" Donald screamed.
"Maybe," Della winked. "Now, old man, what will I be doing? What will you and Donny be doing?"
"Donald and I will go over financial matters," Scrooge winked, "while you'll be acting as a nurse."
"Girl has to do nothing while the guys settle things," Della groaned. "Typical stuff. Can't I go in disguise as a soldier or something?"
"Nope," Donald shook his head. "Scrooge and I have been planning this for a week."
"Behind my back, Donald?" Della asked, eyes wide. She froze and turned around to see hundreds of thousands of uniformed, male birds stare at her and her entourage.
"Hey!" she waved awkwardly. "I'm-"
"Nurse Kimthony McWaddles," interrupted Scrooge. "She'll be the new nurse, filling in for Harley Quackson*."
"Whatever happened to her?" asked one pigeon. "I liked her."
"Oh, she had firecrackers under her chair," nodded Donald, shaking his head*. "So, so sad."
"Finally!" said the general, a six-foot duck with light brown feathers and an orange beak. He was certainly dressed for the job, in a green uniform decorated with tons of medals. "A new nurse." He bent down to Della's level and shook her hand. "I'm General Darryl."
"Is everyone's name start with D around here?" Della grumbled under her breath. Scrooge hit her with his cane.
"Bwahahahahaha!" Donald laughed, rolling all over the floor.
"Come with me, Miss …," General Darryl gestured.
"Kimthony McWaddles," Della glowered at Scrooge. Darryl led her to a nearby tent as Scrooge, Donald, and the other men discussed matters. After she got dressed in her white uniform, Della sat atop a gurney as the general broke down the rules, expectations, and requirements of a nurse. As soon as he was done, he walked out, tipping his imaginary hat to her, and Della took a look around the room. There were gurneys, medical instruments, mops, brooms, and a refrigerator dedicated to cool snacks and cold drinks.
"Excuse me?"
Della turned around to see a handsome duck with a smooth, orange beak, white feathers, and had a perfect buzz cut. His camouflage uniform fit his forming muscles perfectly, but what distracted Della most was how his left arm covered his right, which was soaking with-
"Blood," Della gasped, blinking. "You're hurt."
"That's life around here," chuckled the handsome stranger. Della pulled him over to a gurney and tended his arm immediately. She rubbed alcohol on it, wiped the wound, then wrapped his arm with a gauze bandage. Although it sounded like Della had done it quickly, she really hadn't, and it had taken nearly an hour.
L: Our dad was in the army? That's so cool!
H: I don't think I can breathe!
D: What was his first impression?
DD:*smirks* Well …
"So," Della said, concentrated on the duck's arm, "are you going to keep staring at me like that?"
The duck stopped ogling, wiping his drool with his left arm, and his beak turned red. "I'm s-s-sorry, ma'am. Usually, the nurses around here aren't very nice. But I can sense something in you."
"That sounds nice," Della sarcastically said, rubbing alcohol on his wound. "Does that hurt?"
"No, not really," the duck shook his head. "So, is this your first day?"
"Yup. How would you rate me?"
"I'd say a good … eight out of ten."
"Really?" Della cocked her head, eyes twinkling. She felt her heart fluttering rapidly. "And why's that?"
"Many, many things," nodded the duck, his brown-eyed gaze intensifying. Della, hypnotized, blushed and looked away.
"Yeah, well, buster," Della rolled her eyes, "when I fix you up, you're gone. Understand?"
"It looks like I have to keep hurting myself, then," the duck winked, smiling bashfully. Della laughed, two inches away from him.
"I'm Lincoln Von Goose," the handsome duck said. "I apologize for not introducing myself."
"That's alright," smiled Della. "Wait. Von Goose?"
"Yes, my mother is a goose," Lincoln spoke bashfully. "Everyone at school made fun of me for being interspecies."
"I hope you didn't let them inside your head, Lincoln," Della said worriedly. "You're a great guy and"-here Della saw Lincoln's surprised face-" … and I'd hate it for someone to get hurt."
"So I'm someone now?" laughed Lincoln. "And you're a nurse; you basically get paid for someone to get hurt."
"That's not true," Della rose an eyebrow, hands on hips. "I'm Del-" She paused. "I mean, Kimthony McWaddles."
Lincoln laughed.
"What's wrong?" Della glowered.
"N-n-no, it's just," Lincoln rasped, gripping the seat. "You're Scrooge McDuck's girl, Della. I know who you are." His beak turned red. "I've been reading the paper about you. Here, nearly everyone thinks girls are only good for nursing. But I say anyone could be a soldier!"
"That's what I wanted to be!" Della laughed, leaning into him. "So, it seems you know about me, but I want to know about you."
Lincoln stared at her, but began to smile; the wider his smile got, the more Della's heart beat. She leaned towards him, entranced by his wit, debonair persona, charm, and gaze, until-
"Ahem."
Della's eyes burst open and she realized three things. One, Scrooge McDuck was at the tent. Two, her hands had been pressing onto Lincoln's chest. Three, she was leaning in to kiss him … and vice versa.
"Kimthony, may I see you?" Scrooge asked, trying to hide a smirk.
"O-o-okay," Della peeped, pulling her hands away from Lincoln. A flash of disappointment and rejection displayed in his eyes as she marched out of the tent.
"Tonight …," she heard him whisper.
H: What does that mean?
DD: You must wait, Huey. I'm about to get there.
Scrooge burst into laughter.
"It's not funny!" Della blushed, crossing her arms.
"What happened?" Donald asked, holding an ice cream cone. He handed it to his sister, who took a bite and handed it back to her brother.
"Lassie here has a flame!" Scrooge wheezed. Donald patted Della on the back.
"Don't worry, Della. He did the same thing to me when I brought Daisy for dinner."
"But Scrooge has always known Daisy," frowned Della. "She's wonderful! Old Man here doesn't know Lincoln."
"Lincoln?" Donald asked.
"Della's boyfriend," Scrooge composed himself. "Della Duck, you cannot find a mate here."
"Mate?" Della asked, beak turning red again. "He's not that important to me, Uncle Scrooge. Just a patient."
"A patient you were going to kiss!" Scrooge frowned.
"You were going to kiss him?" Donald asked, entertained by this drama. He took a nearby seat and ate his ice cream, as if watching a reality TV show.
"Della, when this finance stuff is through," said Scrooge, "you'll never see-"
"Don't say that," Della glowered. "He knows who I am. I wasn't kidding around with anybody. He knows you. He knows Donald. He knows Della Duck! Me!"
Scrooge stared at her for a minute, suddenly turning sad. "I just don't want you to do what I did."
"And you did …?" Donald and Della asked in unison.
"Goldie," sighed Scrooge. "I loved her so much. I still do, I think, but, bless me bagpipes, that lass ruffles my feathers! I don't want you to be heartbroken, lassie."
Della smiled sadly. "I won't, Uncle Scrooge. I'll try."
"Good," Scrooge smiled warmly.
"Aww," Donald beamed, finishing his cone. "Bravo! Bravo!"
"Donald!" Della and Scrooge cried.
Silence.
"What did I say?"
Author's Note: Annnd that's all, DuckTales fans! I really don't like the "fall in love in one day" trope, but it seems to work here, especially since it's true love we're talking about here. Thank you for your reviews, follows, and suggestions, and please leave more!
KaliAnn: Thank you so much!
I love you all 3000,
RomanionWarrior783
Woo-oo!
