A Rewritten Family History
I know the last chapter was a bit meh but I kind of just wanted to share a bit of what Bradford's background was before going into things. In regards to my flashback in this chapter keep in mind how earlier I commented that I was too lazy to put in the research about Duck procreation so for math's sake and due to the fact these Duck's are anthropomorphic I'm taking creative liberty and going with nine months….This was the last chapter written before the series finale which was kind of fitting due to the fact that it sets up the whole Bradford vs Scrooge conflict in this world a bit more. Again thanks for reading.
Scrooge was both excited and nervous about the upcoming board meeting. Excited as this would be the first meeting since Della's return that she would be attending. His niece had served as an unofficial community liaison for the company from her late teens until she started carrying and he couldn't wait for her to see first hand what his business had accomplished and the legacy he was leaving for her youngest. The nerves came in the form of his CFO. He hadn't seen or heard from Bradford since that day in St. Canard and that plus the idle threat the buzzard had made well…
Soon there were sounds of someone approaching the study. It had to be Beakley, arriving with a pot of his favorite nutmeg tea to ease any of the multi billionaire's concerns.
Looking up however instead of his housekeeper, Scrooge was met with the sight of someone else holding his tea.
"You're not Beakley," he spoke in a deadpan tone.
"Disappointed there Scroogie?" Goldie asked as she placed the silver platter on the desk, a playful smirk crossing her bill.
Scrooge paused for a moment as if to contemplate an answer. Disappointed? Quite the opposite in fact as he was pleased to see his beautiful wife's face in the moment.
"More like pleasantly surprised, Mrs. McDuck ," he responded letting out a slight sigh thinking about how that moniker easily rolled off his tongue.
It was still so surreal at times to think of his present relationship with this impossible woman who he'd played cat and mouse with for nearly a century. Neither had ever considered themselves the marrying type in the past however fate worked in mysterious ways and next to his prized number one dime, Goldie and his kids had become his most precious treasures.
By now Scrooge had removed himself from his chair and walked around the desk to pull Goldie in for a kiss.
Their moment however was soon broken as another figure stood in the doorway letting out a slight coughing sound to make her presence known.
Looking up, Scrooge and Goldie spotted Della who had dressed for the occasion in a pair of black dress slacks and a blazer in the same shade of garnet as his favorite waistcoat he'd presently been wearing.
"Is one of your fiancé's maniacal minions necessary lass?" Scrooge soon spoke, raising his brow at the sight of the helper bulb peering out from his niece's pocket."
He watched as his niece looked over toward the bulb, which for a split second began to flash a glow of red until she gently brushed it with her thumb calming it down instantly.
"It's for emotional support," Della spoke in a defensive tone.
As the girl said this Scrooge couldn't help but give her an understanding nod. He couldn't imagine being lost to all the ones that he held near and dear like she had been.
Sucking in a deep breath wondering if he should open up a dialogue to talk about...things… the awkward moment of silence that fell over the trio was soon interrupted as Della spoke up once more.
"So, Uncle Scrooge, what's on the agenda for the meeting?"
"Well," Scrooge replied glad that the subject remained on business as he never knew what to do when it came to emotional stuff, "There is a shipping company based in Cape Suzette that's been in a perpetual state of foreclosure which I think would be a perfect addition to my holdings."
Another moment of silence began to fill the room as it seemed that both his niece and wife had been processing thoughts on the subject.
"And you want me to run it?" Della asked which was a valid question after all she was a pilot so why wouldn't he want her front and center to run a cargo company. It was clear that Goldie had jumped to the same conclusion as her hand flew to slap him in the back of his head.
"Scroogie! You JUST got her back...do you really want to lose her again? Not to mention your top scientist and my favorite great nephew?"
Scrooge watched his wife as she turned to Della and in a whisper added.
"Don't mention that last part to Dewey."
The younger of the two women nodded as soon both pairs of eyes were once more shooting daggers at Scrooge and putting him on the spot. Shoving his hands nervously into his coat pockets he shook his head. No, he hadn't planned to put Della in charge of the company but who he had in mind well, would probably be much more controversial.
"I was actually thinking about offering the company to Ma Beagle."
"Scroogie!"
"Uncle Scrooge!"
Both ladies shouted at once.
"What, she is quite a savvy woman and being in charge of a legitimate business will keep her and her boys off the street, not to mention getting her off my back about the town deed. I earned that square."
He observed as both women looked between themselves before turning back to her trying to continue to process this bombshell however before either of them could speak, Duckworth apperated into the room.
"Mr. McDuck, the car is waiting." the spirit said before turning toward Della, a smile crossing his face, "Looking fierce Miss Della."
"Thanks, maybe now that old Buzzard will realize I'm not the ditz he thinks I am."
Duckworth just nodded before disappearing as quickly as he showed up causing Scrooge to look over toward the platter that had sat on the desk. Well, so much for having a soothing cup of tea while collecting his thoughts he pondered to himself as he watched Della leave the room, assumingly heading out toward the limo leaving him and Goldie alone for one final moment.
"Go get em Scroogie," she said with a flirtatious smirk as she playfully gave his backside a light smack causing his cheeks to flush slightly allowing his mind to fall into a state of sentimental mush for a solid minute before getting his head back into the game.
The ride from the manor to the bin was a quiet one...well, mostly anyway. He'd been looking over the latest facts and figures of his various holdings while his niece had her own methods of psyching herself up as she sat by his side with headphones on. It was both endearing and distracting as every so often the girl began to sing along under her breath though honestly it was part of her charm and something that he had greatly missed in her absence.
As they entered the bin, Scrooge couldn't help but feel a slight chill.
"Winter Is Coming" Bradford's voice echoed in Scrooge's mind still trying to process just what that meant as he nearly walked right into an impeccably dressed Hawk that was standing imposingly just inside the boardroom.
"I know you have your enemies Uncle Scrooge," Della spoke in a lowered tone, "But I didn't think it was this bad that you needed a bodyguard to protect company secrets."
"This is the first I'm seeing him lass," Scrooge whispered back.
It was at that moment that Scrooge noticed that this imposing Hawk was standing next to Bradford. Why did his CFO feel the need to hire muscle? Did this have to do with what plans he did or did not have? No, Scrooge didn't need to be distracted now though perhaps a distraction was what Bradford had wanted.
Taking a deep breath and counting to ten, Scrooge soon took a seat at the head of the boardroom table, Della to one side and his trusted confidant and administrative assistant Emily Quackfaster to his other.
The shuffling of paperwork soon filled the air as fellow members of the McDuck enterprises administrative board took their own seats. Once everyone was settled in, note taking devices of choice set down in front of them, Quackfaster turned toward Scrooge with a slight nod of her head.
As Scrooge nodded back, the older bird adjusted her glasses as she pulled out a steno pad and pen.
"Any old business?" she asked as Scrooge let a smile cross his bill.
"For those of you not present in our last meeting a miracle has happened and my niece Della has returned to us."
"Hi," Della said with a wave of her hand.
"I've invited her to sit in on today's meeting in the hopes that her brilliant mind could give us a fresh perspective to help us stay on the cutting edge of innovation."
Bradford soon let out a slight cough that did not go unnoticed to the business owner.
"Something caught in your throat there Bradford?"
While the Buzzard took a sip of water and the Hawk sat just as stoic there were a few questions asked by other members of the board. Scrooge watched as Della was asked a barrage of questions ranging from the subject of her time on the moon to if she could disclose any information on what secret projects Gyro had been working on. He could tell from the look in her eyes that some questions made her nervous and overwhelmed however he was proud at the way that she took it like a champ.
"Any New Business," Quackfaster's words filled the air and as Scrooge continued to look at his niece with an feeling of pride he briefly allowed for his mind to wander.
October 1982:
Scrooge looked around the table at the members of his board. The Eighties were going to be a thriving decade for the company; he could feel it in his gut.
"Okay, any new business?" He asked turning toward his brother in law, thinking that while many thought it nepotism that the Duck was seated by his side as company CFO it wasn't the case. Quackmore Duck not only held degrees in business and finance but he had a bit of a secret weapon. His sister Daphne had a bit of a lucky streak and had a sixth sense in being able to spot what was about to become the next big thing which gave Scrooge a leg up on the competition.
Quackmore sat in silence as if lost in a wave of thoughts before finally nodding his head.
"Hortense is with eggs," the man spoke in a proud yet whispered tone causing Scrooge to slightly lower his jaw.
His baby sister, having babies of her own! He was going to be an Uncle! It was never something he had ever considered. A new generation to carry on his legacy...not that he planned on leaving this earth anytime soon.
If only Quackmore could see Della, charming the board or Donald successfully running a business of his own he would be proud.
He'd been lost for too long in these thoughts that as Scrooge was about to take the floor to talk about his proposal he noticed Bradford had beat him to it.
"I have some new business."
"Proceed," Quackfaster replied, allowing for Scrooge and the others to turn their attention toward the buzzard.
"The harsh truth is that while McDuck enterprises has been thriving in many sectors, over the past ten months since the Shadow War our stocks have reached a bit of a plateau. Honestly it's to be expected as Mr. McDuck has had a lot on his plate. Between Miss Duck over here returning from the moon and its inhabitants trying to conquer earth, to a mysterious step daughter showing up on his doorstep practically out of thin air…."
At the reference to Dickie, Scrooge could swear that Bradford shot him a wink from across the table however he continued to listen to what his colleague had to say.
"...his family has become a bit of a distraction. Now, I know that Mr. McDuck wants his son to be his successor however in its current state I fear the company may not last long if we don't act now. I know this might be a bit controversial however I would like to put onto the table a vote for Scrooge McDuck to take an early retirement and step down from the role of company CEO so that he can focus more on his family and for Falcon Graves to become his successor."
Scrooge looked from the Buzzard to the Hawk and back again not believing the words that were coming out of his mouth. He trusted Bradford to help him maintain the business that he built up with his own blood sweat and tears and to be betrayed like this...well.
"Don't listen to this mutinous miscreant," Scrooge replied, "I'm Scrooge McDuck I'm sharper than the sharpies tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties and I don't plan on retiring until I'm pushing up daisies or until my son turns twenty one...the latter most likely."
"What about me?" He heard Della reply standing up, "I'm at least family, I could take over as an interim…"
"YOU have a Bachelor's Degree in mechanics from online correspondence courses, hardly the credentials to run a company," Bradford spoke in a condescending tone, "Graves here has earned his MBA from Mouseton University."
"And where did you go to school again Mr. McDuck?" Graves asked with a raised brow speaking for the first time and catching Scrooge off guard.
"What I lack in a fancy, formal and might I just add ridiculously overpriced education I have in my decades of experience."
There was another moment of silence as Scrooge watched Graves raise a brow.
"Well, like Bradford said, why don't we put it to a vote, see what the rest of your shareholders have to say. Do they want to stick with the status quo or keep moving forward."
As the members of his board began to nod their heads in agreement to this vote a small part of him began to feel a tinge of nervousness...they wouldn't actually consider voting him out of running his own company now would they?
The results were in, it was a tie, 50% of his board members did actually want him to step down. Sure, they had commented that there were no hard feelings, that they just felt that fresh blood would help the company progress however Scrooge still couldn't help but take their choices personally.
"Well, that takes care of that," Della replied with a smile as she clasped her hands together, "My Uncle's still CEO and we can move on to more important business which will actually turn a profit."
There was a moment of silence as Scrooge took in the optimism of his niece's voice however it was a truth universally acknowledged that a tie didn't mean a majority and no majority meant that he hadn't been out of the woods just yet. He had known that in case of a tie they had a 'ghost' shareholder on standby to cast the deciding vote. He had no knowledge of who this stockholder was, only Quackfaster. As he watched his assistant dial this person's number, Scrooge hoped that their alliance was favorable.
The next few minutes seemed to drag on in slow motion as Scrooge's eyes as well as the eyes of everyone in the room began to turn toward the woman on the phone. As Quackfaster placed the receiver down, he knew that for better or worse his fate was sealed and from the look in her eyes as they turned to meet him he knew in an instant it was in fact for the worse.
"I'm sorry Mr. McDuck."