Over the years of attending the annual McDuck Christmas party, Gosalyn had gotten used to seeing all the finery.
The bright lights intermingled with the green of the Christmas tree, the garland, the wreaths.
The vibrant ribbons and bows that adorned every surface that could boast of fabric.
The full scale model of Calisota, Duckburg, Spoonerville, and St. Canard all perfectly replicated out of gingerbread and frosting and candies.
The towering Christmas tree that extended up towards the vaulted ceiling of the bi-leveled ballroom.
The fireplace that took up at least a fourth of the wall space, chairs and couches pulled up around it as flames roared in the hearth.
The wooden floors gleaming, warmed by the Christmas lights shining around the room.
But her multiverse companions were not prepared for such a thing.
Scrooge preened all night whenever he heard someone talking about how grand the ballroom was, how amazing the decorations were, how delicious the food tasted. Tony was the only one nonplussed, saying he had been to his fair share of holiday parties and this was all pretty typical; but he still glanced around the room occasionally, impressed when he thought no one was looking.
Everyone else was rightfully aghast at the extent to which this party was taken. But as the night wore on, people settled into the extravagance and into the spirit of the season, talking jovially with one another and partaking in the different offerings Scrooge had prepared.
The carolers that came out to sing songs of the season and the staff that catered the event had all been informed that the evening was cancelled, so the partygoers helped themselves to the mountains of food from the kitchens and poured each other drinks from the full bar.
As much fun as it was to attend a Christmas party with hundreds of versions of her father and Negaduck, Gosalyn couldn't help but feel some guilt over the fact that this party had been meant for others. Had been intended for invited guests from Duckburg and St. Canard and Spoonerville and other cities beyond. There were people who looked forward to this party all year long. And they hadn't been able to attend because Gosalyn had been thought dead.
She wished it could have been different. That people wouldn't have assumed that she was gone forever. That, somehow, her father or Negaduck or Max had known she was alive and safe and was coming back home. To be able to spare the heartache that her "demise" had caused.
That pang of guilt resonated deep within her every time Max reached for her hand and held on a little too tightly. Every time her father's eyes frantically searched the room for her. Every time Negaduck swept by, some brief physical contact to put his mind at ease that she was here. She was alive. She was safe.
Seeing all of this only cemented in her mind the idea of keeping her one year of time travel a secret. Those few hours without her had been brutal on each of them. What would they do if they had learned she'd really been gone for over 8,760 hours?
They were better off not knowing.
Those few hours would haunt them forever.
She didn't need to add to that.
Though it was a relief to be back home.
To be walking around in her own clothes instead of the time period specific ones the Doctor had given her from one of his many closets.
To spend time with the people she loved and not just shadows of them.
To be in a room she had been in so many times over the years she would be able to successfully navigate it if she had a blindfold on.
On some level, she'd always feared monotony. She'd always wanted to be different and never be comfortable, to keep challenging herself and seeing new things.
Which wasn't inherently bad, wanting those things.
But the level of excitement she felt in being able to go back to doing the every day repetitive chores like laundry or going to the grocery store or doing the dishes was unparalleled. For a year, she had been fighting to get people to protect her home. Along the way, she'd fought in wars and participated in cons and gone on adventures and thrust into life-or-death scenarios.
To be able to sleep in. Or order take out. Or just run out to get coffee.
Yeah. She was okay with that.
Even this, watching Scrooge and Negaduck play chess, was soothing. She was sitting on the couch with Max, his arm looped around her with her head resting on his shoulder. Drake and Launchpad were sitting across from them, watching not just the game, but the players involved for any signs of who would win. The nephews flitted in and out as other multiverse travelers snagged their attention, but Donald and Daisy were nearby, Donald and Goofy catching up on what their lives had held over the past year.
It was a ferocious game, Scrooge decimating Negaduck's pieces until he only had a scant few left. Negaduck didn't seem bothered by all the sacrifices he made; there were even a few times Gosalyn could have sworn he had moved pieces deliberately so they could be taken.
She knew very little about chess, but she knew a lot about Negaduck. And he was as calm as she'd ever seen him.
Suddenly, Scrooge smirked.
Reached forward.
And moved one of his white pieces in front of Negaduck's black.
Negaduck's eyebrows shot up and he glanced at Scrooge with a gobsmacked expression on his face.
Looking absurdly pleased with himself, Scrooge sat back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other and grinning.
Looking back down at the board, Negaduck leaned forward.
Studied it for a moment.
Glanced back up to Scrooge.
Reached out his hand, placing his finger on his queen.
And slid it across the board, saying, "Check mate."
The silence in their corner of the room was deafening as everyone who understood the rules studied the board while those that didn't know the game glanced back and forth between Scrooge and Negaduck.
The self-satisfied grin slid of Scrooge's beak when he realized what had happened as he leaned forward to look over the chessboard.
Then.
He threw back his head and burst out laughing. "Good game, lad!"
The chess board was re-set, Scrooge getting up to resume the role of party host. Gosalyn, too, got to her feet and began wandering through the guests again. Max had been right when he'd said they were all here because of her.
She managed to thank each of them individually for their help. They were all gracious, saying of course they would help or that they were happy to do it. A few said it was the least they could do after Gosalyn had helped them (which was true).
Tony just tweaked her beak and yanked her in for a hug, saying, "Anytime, kiddo. Bring your boyfriend by my workshop sometime; his spear and shield are pathetic. Gotta get the St. Canard crime fighting team up to snuff."
The Doctor only smiled when Gosalyn approached and opened his arms for a hug, which she immediately went in for. "You were a good companion," he said, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head.
Gosalyn smiled into his shoulder. "Thank you for helping me." She stepped back and met his eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, but please don't come knocking on my door again. Unless you absolutely have to."
The Doctor grinned and did some sort of complicated salute. "Scout's honor."
Lyn shook Gosalyn's hand, her grip unwavering and strong. "Hopefully I won't ever have to warn you of an impending army coming to destroy you again."
"Hopefully not." Gosalyn nodded to Lyn and smiled at Posiduck and Stellar, who'd been granted a pretty wide berth by all Drake Mallards all evening. "Thank you for warning us. And for fighting."
Stellar nodded with a grin and Posiduck went so far as to do a little bow.
Eventually, Gosalyn ended up back on a sofa with Max. Her father, Launchpad, and Negaduck were situated in armchairs nearby. The fireside crackled merrily behind them as they watched the other partygoers enjoy the festivities.
"You know," said Launchpad eventually, "even though our lives just got a lot more complicated, it feels simpler, somehow. Like this was always how things were meant to be."
Gosalyn looked to Launchpad and smiled.
"I agree, LP," Drake said, clinking his mug of cocoa against Launchpad's. He caught Gosalyn's eye and winked before taking a drink.
She glanced at Negaduck and would have tumbled right off the couch if Max didn't have a hold on her.
Negaduck was fast asleep. Contorted in an armchair in a position that could not be in any way comfortable.
Mr. Paranoia.
Mr. Always-Watching-From-The-Shadows.
Mr. Don't-Trust-Anybody.
Had fallen asleep in a public place. Which was a testament to how exhausted he probably was. Or to how much things had changed. Negaduck wasn't alone anymore, much as he might deny it. And it wasn't just Gosalyn who considered him family.
Sighing, she relaxed fully in Max's embrace and continued to watch the multiverse travelers enjoy the Christmas season.
A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope you've enjoyed your trek through Geronimo; it's been a pleasure to write it.
Now, I'll never say "never" when it comes to this series (it tends to find a way to drag me back in), but I won't be able to do much writing in the coming months, so this story really feels like a grand finale for the series.
I would like to send my eternal gratitude to Pharaoh and Mal, both of whom inspired this story. Mal with her genius idea to have Negaduck square off with a darker version of himself to show just how much he's developed over time, and Pharaoh for always being so positive and caring. Both of your theorizing and screaming about ducks with me has made me fall in love with all of these characters even more. I don't deserve either of you and am so grateful you're both in my life.
To AJ-the-bluejay and Bl3ramdomfandoms and Bookwormgal who comment on every single chapter; your constant support is so very appreciated and I cannot thank you enough.
To Smolgrump, Crazy-fangirl-10, Pastel-comic-dust, Amgehron, Trixifox, Moonraven_Sparrow, Jay A. Mallard, Mistyrainbow101, Sokudoningyou, and SelyneNightshade, your excitement for this series makes me excited for it all over again.
To Amelia, whom I owe so much of this series to.
Lastly, I want to thank you, dear reader, for deciding to try this series and for sticking with it for so long. Without you, these would be a collection of words on a screen, but you brought them to life in your imagination, and it's been an absolute honor to share this headspace with you.
Happy Holidays! I hope 2020 will be one of the best years for you and all of your loved ones!
~Rebel