The Golden Heart

Chapter 6

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Stepping into their shared room, Fenton gave out a small whistle. "Blathering Blatherskite!" he whispered, knowing if he said too loudly his Gizmosuit would set off. The room was quite fancy. The bed had a thick soft pink and white comforter on it and large fluffy pillows resting up against the oak headboard. The room was large and spacious, with two large dressers; one of which had a large matching mirror hanging on the wall above it.

Fenton had walked in first, slowly soaking in the atmosphere. Scrooge, on the other hand, gave a small huff before gently pushing past the accountant. He couldn't care less about what the room looked like. It only served one purpose, after all.

"Yes, yes" he grumbled impatiently. "It's all rather lovely, isn't it? But there's no time fer lolly-gaggin'." Scrooge went to the other side of the bed and tossed his smaller suitcase on top of it. With a click, he opened it switfly, immediately digging through its contents. "Now, let's see here..." He rummaged through everything for a moment before he pulled out the research papers Glomgold had provided. He hopped up on the bed and laid out all the documents around him.

"Heh, sure not wasting any time, are you, Scroogey, my love?" chuckled Fenton, a bit uncertainly.

Scrooge glanced up at him before looking back down. "Aye. What were yeh expectin'? I was given all this information just before this trip! I haven't had all that much time to decipher it all." He began organized the papers and scrolls.

"Decipher? What? Are things in code on those?" Fenton heaved his arm up and with a slight grunt, got his suitcase up on his side of the bed. He was grateful Scrooge had chosen the side of the bed that he had for it meant Fenton was closer to the door. Fenton did have a bad habit of needing to get up in the middle of the night, whether it be sleepwalking, midnight snack, or a desperate need for the restroom. He'd hate to have to wake up Scroogey and vowed that if he did wake up in the middle of the night that he wouldn't.

Scrooge should his head. "Not that I can tell so far. I wouldn't be surprised if there were though. Nae, I didn't just mean deciphering codes. I meant just trying to understand all this to begin with!"

Climbing up on the bed, Fenton boldly crawled over so that he was sitting next to Scrooge. He slowly inched his way closer until they were touching. Scrooge didn't seem to mind in the slightest, which only made the accountant's heart balloon with happiness.

"Aha! Ya see here, laddie!" Scrooge began excitedly. He picked up a particularly old and weathered piece of parchment that was covered in ink written in fancy cursive. He held it gently in his knowledgeable hands. "This here speaks of the legend the Golden Heart originates from."

Fenton smiled, looking up into Scrooge's eyes. Scrooge's eyes held the bright shine of thrill and adventure in them; the very shine that Fenton craved to see. It was that shine that Fenton had fallen in love with. He loved seeing it in his paramour's eyes and he vowed to himself that he would never let that shine dim or fade. "It originates here in Sitka, France?" The question was half genuine curiosity and half simply wanting to keep Scrooge in such a good mood by talking about the treasure.

The old miser nodded. "Aye!" He turned his gaze away from the parchment and looked Fenton in the eyes. Their beaks were only inches apart. "The very property I just bought from Glomgold is the very ground that an old french castle used to reside!"

The idea of a castle made Fenton excited, his eyes widening. "A castle!? Like with a King and Queen and everything!? Cheese and crackers! That's exciting! But what happened to that old castle!? It's not still there, is it?"

Encouraged by Fenton's own enthusiasm on the matter, Scrooge turned away and began sifting through the parchments till he found the right one. "Nae, it fell to ruin a couple centuries ago. The royal family that once resided there disappeared along with any nobles. All that's left on the land now is greatly decapitated stone walls and what's left the royal gardens. The farmlands that surrounded the castle are still very much in tact. It's the very farmland I'm currently helpin'." He snickered gleefully. "Oooh, Flinty sure didn't see that one coming! Ha ha! What he doesn't know is that I've been plannin' this for quite some time! I knew how important it would be repair the damage Glomgold had done while it was in his care."

Fenton laughed along with him. "You can be so devious, my paramour!"

Scrooge leaned back against the pillows, pulling the parchments up onto his lap. "Certainly! I didn't get t'be the richest duck by standin' by and lettin' things happen. I make things happen me'self!"

Fenton leaned back against the pillows as well, their arms just barely touching. "So, what IS the legend of the Golden Heart, exactly? Or don't you know for sure yet?"

"Good question, laddie" replied Scrooge. He lifted a parchment and handed it to the accountant. "Here, I read through some of this earlier and this is the best idea I have found on the legend. I believe that's actual text on it. Or so I hope so, for it aligns with the other facts I'm counting on t'be true."

Fenton took the offered parchment and began reading aloud from it, "Once upon a time - Aww, I love stories that start out that way!" gushed Fenton.

Scrooge rolled his eyes. "Just read it! And go ahead and read it aloud. I wanna hear it again."

Fenton gave him an apologetic smile. "Heh, sorry, Scroogey." He then cleared his throat and began reading, "'Once upon a time, there was a king who was so obsessed with his treasure -' Heh, sounds a bit like you, Scroogey."

Scrooge shrugged.

"'He was so obsessed with his treasure that he went to a a nearby fairy living within his kingdom and asked that nothing harm his precious money and treasure. The fairy, in turn, asked the King if there was anything else he deemed worthy to protect.

The King said there was nothing else.

The fairy asked if he wished for his wife, the Queen, to be that heavily protected from harm. 'Not immortality' said the fairy. "but promise for a long happy life. Gold is simply gold, but the love of another is truly priceless. Choose wisely.'

The fairy gave the king three days to fully decide, insisting that he had to choose wisely. The King was quite unhappy by this, for his paranoia was high and feared most for his treasure, but he did as was asked.

Three days later, the fairy came back, telling him they hoped he made a better decision. The King still only wished for his treasure to be protected. Once again, the fairy wanted to make sure. 'So, at the cost of saving your precious treasure, you will need to bring me three tree saplings."

'That's it!?' demanded the King.

'Yes' replied the fairy.

As the king goes to collect the three saplings, a great calamity befalls the kingdom. Storms ravage and rain down on the kingdom and the castle is struck by lightning and strong winds. The damage is so great, the castle's treasury collapses and the King loses half of his treasure to the desperate theiving people of the kingdom.

In devastation, when the King next sees the fairy with the requested three saplings, he demands, 'I want to change our deal! Not only do I want you to protect my treasure! But I want you to triple it. Triple my treasure in exchange for the three saplings you asked for! It is fair!"

The fairy disagreed and said, 'No. It is not. If you truly wish for your fortune to triple in size, along with being protected, then you must give up the love of the one you love most.'

Not giving the ultimatum enough thought, the King agreed. 'Done!'

The King's castle is restored and his money and treasures triple in size over night.'

Fenton paused, squinting down at the parchment. "I...there's a chunk of text here that's not legible..."

Scrooge nodded. "Aye, it's what happens when text are this old. I'm just happy the majority of the text is readable. There's a bit more that yeh can read. Keep goin'."

Fenton cleared this throat once more and began where he left off, "'The king never stopped crying after his Queen's death, and where she died, he left a pool of his tears.

Decades later, after the Kingdom's predictable end, the fairy hid the Golden Heart deep inside the pool, which covered the pathway to the Golden Heart. To find the cursed treasure, one must simply find the pool of tears surrounded by the fairy's request.'"

Finishing the reading, Fenton gulped. "I feel like that part we can't read is rather important. Something causes the King to cry so much that he creates a pool of his own tears! What could have possibly happened to him!?" He looked to Scrooge, handing back the parchment. "Do you think the treasure is cursed or something and it made the King sad?"

Scrooge shook his head, clearly not at all that perturbed by the story. "Nae, all legends and folklore seem to have their flare for the dramatics. It's just more flowery words to make a bigger fuss. " He placed the parchment back among the others. "Now, the castle, according to the history books, once was located on these very hills. It took me years to figure out the exact location, cross referencing every bit of information I could find. Flintheart is the one who provided the information about the actual legend. I had never heard the full story of it. I had heard of the treasure that could triple one's one. And, of course, this duck is quite interested in THAT!" He cackled.

Still not convinced, Fenton grabbed another parchment. "So, we have to find the King's pool of tears?"

Scrooge scowled and gave a grunt of annoyance. "Aye and the most annoying bit is that not anywhere on this property is there a lake or pond or anythin' of the sort. So findin' said pool will be trickier than I had predicted..."

Never one to handle negativity well, Fenton instead focused on the brighter side. "Well, I have no doubt in my mind that you won't figure it out, Scroogey, the apple of my eye!" He leaned over and kissed Scrooge on the cheek. He was then heartened by the sight of a blush forming on his paramour's face.

"Thank yeh, Fenton. Yer confidence in me has always been a delight" murmured the old miser. "Now, let us get ready fer bed!"

"Oh, uh..." fumbled Fenton, causing Scrooge to give him a curious look. "Is there any place downstairs to get a quick snack? I don't handle sleeping while hungry very well."

Scrooge thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Aye. Might not be a bad idea. It's been a long day. Go down and ask Toby. I'm sure he can find somethin' for ya."

"Do you want anything?"

"Nae. I tend not t'have much of an appetite when I'm out on a treasure hunt."

Knowing that to be true, Fenton didn't waste time in scooting himself off the bed with a hop. He blew Scrooge a kiss, which was deftly ignored, before opening the door to their room and stepping into the hallway. Just as he closed their door, Launchpad's door across from them opened. They nearly ran into each other in the narrow carpet lined hallway. "Oh, heh, hey there, Fenton! How are you and Mr. McDee settling in?"

"Oh, alright, I guess. He's busy fussing over the research papers we have on the Golden Heart" replied Fenton as they began walking to the end of the hall towards the steps. "You off to look for something to eat too?"

Launchpad nodded. "Yeah. Mr. McDee had wanted me there at his mansion so early before we left and yeah, sure, I brought snacks for the trip, but I uh...heh, ate them all." He scratched the back of his neck.

"I ate the snacks I brought too. Scrooge doesn't want anything. But I figure I could check if there was anything."

As the two of them descended down the steps they could both hear humming. It grew louder until they turned and reached the front counter where Toby was humming as he swept behind it. When he turned and saw the two of them, he set aside his broom and smiled brightly. "Ahh, hello, good sirs! How are you both settling in!? Are you finding the room to your liking?" He looked between them.

Fenton opened his mouth to speak but Launchpad beat him to it. "Oh, yeah, the rooms are great!"

If Toby was curious by Launchpad's wording, he didn't show it. He just kept smiling. "Great, great! Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Umm...yeah, actually. We came straight from the airport, you see, and -" Fenton was cut off by Toby.

"Ahh, you're hungry! Say no more! Follow me to the kitchen!" the canine gestured for them to follow, quickly making his way from behind the counter.

The three of them walked past the large fire place they had seen earlier and past a corner of the room where there was a large dining room and a door that led to the kitchen. Fenton blinked in surprise. "Wow! This cute little place of yours is bigger than it looks!"

Toby nodded, his smirk showing that he obviously got that all the time. "Yes, from the front of the house it looks much smaller. But I can assure you, my husband and I have plenty of room for our guests! We actually added on to this place shortly after we bought it." He guided them into the kitchen. "We had hoped to adopt a couple children but...it was never in the cards for us."

"Awww, shucks, Toby, that's awful" lamented Launchpad.

Toby was still smiling as he shrugged. "Eh, thankfully we both have a couple nieces and nephews to spoil. We then decided to open this Bed & Breakfast and we get to see enough little ones who visit with their families to fill our hearts. Allowing other families to make beautiful memories is enough for us." He walked to the other side of the kitchen and called out, "Caleb! We have hungry guests!"

They could hear a muffled voice come from the inside of a massive pantry in the corner of the kitchen.

Launchpad and Fenton glanced at each other as they waited. "Boy, that could have easily brought tears to my eyes! So touching!" gushed Fenton.

"I hear ya!" replied Launchpad, wiping at one of his own eyes.

A moment later, Toby came back over towards them, followed by a taller canine with lighter fur and thick dark hair on top of his head. The new face smiled at them and gave a small wave. "Hello! Nice to meet you both! I am Caleb!"

Fenton and Launchpad both nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm Fenton."

"And I'm Launchpad."

Toby leaned over to stage whisper into Caleb's ear, "They're staying in the Couple's Suite!" He gave them both a wink.

Caleb's eyebrows raised with intrigue. "Oh? How lovely! Have you two been together long?"

Once again, just like earlier, both pilot and accountant blushed cherry red at the misunderstanding.

Floundering, Fenton shook his head. "N-no-We're not! I'm with Scrooge-"

That gave both canines pause.

"'With' him?" echoed Toby in confusion. He thought about it a moment before a light seemed to go off in his head. "Oh! You mean he's your relative!? Let me guess, an uncle? Bit old to be your father..."

Fenton made a sound deep in his throat that sounded somewhere between a groan and a whimper. Not this again! It had only been several weeks ago, after trying to keep it under wraps as much as possible, Glomgold had outed his relationship with Scrooge and it had felt like that whole world had sat there and gawked at them. Of course, in reality, it had only been about fifty news reporters jabbing microphones in their faces. But Fenton figured there wasn't much difference at this point. At first, before Daisy Duck, who worked as a newscaster, managed to intervene with our more positive coverage of their relationship, most people's reaction had either been confusion, denial, or disgust. Fenton really didn't want to deal with any of it anymore. Couldn't everyone just see their undeniable true love story already!?

Coming back to reality, Fenton continued to fumble for an answer. "He's my-the um...the love of my life-my paramour-My-"

Toby and Caleb began to give him looks of confusion and concern, which made Fenton clamp his beak shut tightly. Oh, how he hated the looks of judgement and disgust!

"His uncle. Mr. McDee is his uncle" supplied Launchpad, drowning Fenton out and gaining both canine's attention.

The sound that came out of Fenton's throat sounded as though the shorter duck was choking as he placed a hand over his heart. He turned to stare incredulously up at Launchpad, suddenly unable to recall a time that he was ever this angry and annoyed with Launchpad in the history of their friendship.

The expressions on Toby's and Caleb's faces instantly softened into understanding as they both chuckled nervously. "Oh! Yes, that makes sense! You're here to help him with his business? Caleb and I are still so happy he ended up buying the property from that awful Mr. Glomgold!" He looked to Caleb for confirmation, receiving a nod.

Well, the second half of all this was thankfully the truth. In a way. Fenton was there to help Scrooge with business, though he didn't think treasure hunting fell under the category of 'business' in the sense they were using.

Much to Fenton's chagrin, Launchpad continued to do the talking for he was still too overwhelmed to even contemplate formulating his own response. "Yeah, you could say that. And believe me, we're relieved you're relieved that Mr. McDee bought Mr. Glomgold out." There was a pause as Launchpad replayed what he had just said in his head. "Heh, grammar is not my strong suit!" he added bashfully.

Fenton face palmed, debating whether or not it was worth staying angry at Launchpad for lying. He was just trying to help and he knew Fenton still got uncomfortable when strangers asked too much about the dynamics of his strange and nontraditional relationship with Scrooge.

"Toby tells me you boys are hungry?" asked Caleb, wiping his hands on an apron that was identical to Toby's. "You're in luck! I haven't put away the meat and cheese tray I had out earlier. You lot are currently the only guests we have here but we have a couple check out earlier this afternoon. They munched on this tray earlier." He made quick work of reaching to one of the counter's where a covered tray was waiting. He brought it over to the small table that was in the kitchen and lifted the tray's lid.

With gentle encouragement from both of their hosts, Launchpad and Fenton sat across from each other at the small table crammed against the wall of the kitchen. They had expected to eat at the larger dining table just outside the kitchen, but Toby and Caleb were hardly ones to follow ceremony.

"Yes, you are our guests, but we treat guests as family!" explained Toby. He then asked them if they wanted anything to drink and quickly provided them with some juice.

Once the two of them started munching on the meat and cheese, Toby and Caleb wondered off and left them alone, finding other tasks to get done.

Biting into a piece of cheese, Fenton began by saying, "I really wish you hadn't lied to them, Launchpad..."

Gulping down a bite, Launchpad said with sympathy, "Aww, I'm sorry, Fenton! I was just tryin' to help! I panicked a bit too! It's just they seemed really confused when ya started trying to tell them about you and Mr. McDee datin', I just figured I'd make it easier by fibbin' a little. Please don't be mad!"

Fenton was far from a mean person. It simply wasn't in his nature. He wasn't wired to hold grudges. Instead, he saw the good in people and he knew Launchpad sincerely hadn't meant to do any harm. He sighed. "I know, Launchpad. It's not your fault. I just- It upsets me that people don't understand my love for Scroogey. No one believes our love is pure! They all think I'm some gold digger." He sulked and took a big bite of cheese.

"There, there, Fenton. It'll get better!" reassured the taller duck.

Popping a piece of ham into his mouth, Fenton changed the subject. "What about you?"

"Huh? What about me?"

"Do you have a crush on anyone or anything?" clarified Fenton. "I mean, and pardon me for being blunt, but you're quite the catch, Launchpad! You can't tell me you don't have any ladies wanting to go on a date with you!"

Launchpad looked away uncomfortably. "Well, shucks, I don't know. I don't think so. Course, I do technically have two homes, so maybe they're all knocking on the wrong door, if ya know what I mean. I do have my little shack over in Duckberg along with my place at DW's."

Fenton watched Launchpad for a moment, taking in his suddenly shy and nervous attitude. "Is there anyone you like? Any girls you have a crush on?" When Launchpad didn't reply and continued to look completely fascinated in the floral wallpaper of the kitchen walls, Fenton asked, "Or maybe I should be asking if there are any guys you like?"

That gained a reaction as Launchpad nearly choked on the peice of cheese he'd been chewing on. Fenton quickly jumped up, rounding the table until he was behind Launchpad, pounding on his back to help Launchpad clear his lungs. It took a moment till Launchpad could properly breathe.

"Holy smokes! I'm sorry, Launchpad!" cried out Fenton, rubbing the pilot's shoulder before going back to his seat. "I didn't mean to freak you out! But if there's something you want to tell me, you should know, I'm in no position to judge seeing as I'm dating Scroogey! No shame in it at all. Love is love!"

The need for air still remained his main priority as Launchpad took a moment to catch his breath. He reached for his juice and took a slow sip of it. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "Oh, it's fine, Fenton. The cheese just went down wrong, that's all."

Fenton gave him a patient smile. "If that's the story you wanna go with."

Launchpad blinked at him.

"I was once in denial too, you know. I was still dating Gandra Dee when I started having feelings for my lovely Scroogey. It took me a while to realize what I'd been feeling..." he trailed off, thinking about it. "And a LOT of teasing from Glittering Goldie and Gladstone...But at the end of the day I had to make a choice. Gandra or Scrooge. My point is, it's okay to like both, I swear!"

Launchpad nodded. "Well, yeah, I know all that. I know its okay, I just- I don't think I've really ever felt romantic feelings for...anyone? Sure, a few crushes. There was that cute purple alien who visited Earth several years back. Heh, we both had a thing for each other...But, nothing, ya know...serious. For me, it's just all been about flying planes and...adventures...More recently, solving crime with DW. I love being his sidekick!"

Fenton bit his lip, deciding not to comment on Launchpad's comment about a certain vigilante. He figured it was best if his friend figured that mystery out for himself. Instead he said, "Well, just think about it, Launchpad. Think about what you like in a person and what you find attractive and I'm sure you'll find someone worth pining for someday!"

Launchpad smiled. "Thanks, Fenton."

The rest of their snack went without a hitch, both of them gulping down juice to wash down the meat and cheese. Roughly a half hour later, Toby returned from the other room, walking up to their table and ready to take their now empty tray. "Need anything else?"

Fenton shook his head and gestured for Toby to take the tray away. "No, thank you, Toby. This was plenty!"

Toby beamed. As he walked away, he asked over his shoulder, "So, if I may ask, do you two have any plans for sight seeing while you're here? Surely it isn't all business. I can recommend a few romantic locations for couples in the nearby area."

Ignoring the kind offer, Fenton instead thought of Scrooge upstairs, who was most likely still frantically researching his most recent obsession. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask: I've done some reading and I've heard about one particular legend from around here. Would you know anything about it?"

Toby tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm. It would depend on the legend! The eerie rolling hills of France are shrouded with legends and mystery. Are you referring to one specifically?"

"Do you know anything about the Golden Heart?"

Toby sucked in a quick hissing breath between his teeth, fear and concern covering his features. "Oh, dear! That is certainly a sad one! Do tell me you're not too interested in it! It's not a happy story!"

Fenton frowned in concern. "Really? I mean, I've read a bit about it and it didn't seem all that awful. About a King and his desire to protect and triple the size of his fortune."

Toby wrung his hands together. "Yes, but that's only part of it-It's what happens once he gets his wish that's truly disheartening! They say that-"

"UGH! If it isn't McQuack and Crackshell. Just who I DON'T want to see!" came Glomgold's deep Scottish voice. They watched as Glomgold stomped his way into the kitchen.

Upon seeing him, Toby stood straighter and glared at him. "The kitchen is closed!" he barked at Glomgold before turning on his heel and walking further into the kitchen.

All three of them stared in his wake.

"What crawled up his leg?" sneered Glomgold.

Fenton sighed. He had hoped he would have been able to get more information of the legend. He knew there was part of the parchment upstairs that was too faded to be read. Perhaps that was what Toby had been talking about. Cheese and crackers, this was so unfair! He would have made his Scroogey so happy had he been able to gain more knowledge on the subject. His paramour would have been so proud!

He stood up, suddenly very tired. "Come on, Launchpad. Let's head to bed."

Silently, both friends walked right past Glomgold who was glowering at them for ignoring him.

It didn't take long for Fenton to get up to the stairs, say goodnight to Launchpad, and walk into his shared room with Scrooge. Perhaps it was the long trip or the fact that he had just eaten, but Fenton was now bone tired. All we wanted to do now was sleep. The door shut behind him with a soft click and Fenton lifted his eyes to see that Scrooge was in fact still heavily invested in the research and old texts.

Scrooge glanced up at his arrival yet said nothing, quickly going back to reading.

"Ugh, this egg has been whipped and ready to be added into the pancake mix..." mumbled Fenton as he face planted onto his side of the bed. The movement caused Scrooge to get bounced slightly, earning the accountant an annoyed huff, but Scrooge simply set the scroll he had been reading down.

"'An egg that's been whipped?', laddie?" he scoffed. "Where do you come with these strange phrases of yers?"

Face still planted in the mattress of the bed, Fenton did his best to shrug. "Doesn't everybody say stuff like that?"

"Nae."

Fenton hummed yet didn't reply.

"Get changed. I'm tired too. We have a long day ahead of us. Hopefully we're able to'find the Golden Heart, or at the very least, get a head start on pinpointing its location" suggested Scrooge, sliding off the bed and opening his suitcase. He made quick work of changing out of his blue jacket and tee and sliding into his night gown. He placed his little bed hat on his head with a yawn before glancing at Fenton. The accountant had also begun changing and Scrooge had to do a double take at what he saw.

"Yeh wear onesie pajamas, lad? Really, Fenton?" The displeased frown on Scrooge's face could stop a clock.

"Errr, no?" Fenton had froze mid motion, in the middle of sliding one of his arms into the sleeve of the onsie. Not only was Fenton wearing a onesie, it also had little cartoon space rockets on it with a deep blue sky and stars in the background.

Scrooge groaned. "Yer hopeless, lad. Hopeless. Now hurry up. I'm gonnae go turn the light off."

The light was turned off as Fenton zipped up his onesie. They both pulled back the covers and slid into bed. As they rested their heads on the pillows, Fenton quietly whispered, "Love you, Scroogey. May your dreams bring you happiness and joy."

Scrooge didn't reply for a long moment. Just when Fenton didn't think he would, he heard, "Night, Fenton."

Fenton tried not to let the lack of sentiment hurt too much.

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