Braced Company

A Disney Duck Fanfic:

Instead of being purely based on one entity, this story takes background from Classic Donald Duck cartoons, Ducktales, and Darkwing Duck.Contains Major Spoilers to Double Triangle TroubleWritten ByStef With a F

Disclaimers: Disney owns most of these characters. Dumbella's past as Bella Widgeon is mine, as are the characters of Melanie Widgeon, Cindy Ganderquack, Jeffery and Ashley Ruddy, Ronnie and Lisa Mallard, and whomever else I mention in the future. Time Setting: About eight (8) years after the Darkwing Duck series. Rated PG-13/TV-14

Notes: Loopy is Launchpad's sister. She was on an episode of Ducktales years back titled "The Flying McQuacks" (check out note in revised chapter 3 for more) Thanks to Mandy for your suggestions on Morgana designed foods. Loopy and Doofus... I felt bad because I placed Webby with Louie, and well, Doofus... Since Launchpad is his idol, I thought he would come. I wanted to flashback on Drake and Morg's wedding because it took place before this story's place setting. Also, I could see Morgana getting really annoyed if her wedding got continuously interrupted. Sure, she would understand it, if well, some thing like a baddie crashed the wedding, but I could see that an optional SHUSH case would be crossing the line! Thanks to you all who reviewed. I really appreciate them all.

Chapter 4

Bella, after chasing after Morgana into the woods, found Morgana at last leaning against a tree, still a little fumed.

"Morgana?" Bella called out, walking over to Morgana slowly. "Are you alright?"

Morgana turned away for a second, and then sighed.

"Yeah, I am fine, I am just getting so sick of people telling me they like my dishes but once I tell him what the dish is they scowl and forget that only moments prior they were raving."

Bella couldn't help to laugh.

"Morg," she said gently. "It just surprised Daisy. She really liked it."

Morgana turned around.

"And you!" she said accusingly. "Why did you say you had trouble cooking yourself? You know that is a lie."

Bella laughed. "It wasn't always a lie. Did you know that I once put vinegar into a cake? I am not lying. But, after I left Melanie's father, while I was living with Cindy, she taught me a few things."

Morgana covered her mouth in disgust. "Did you actually serve that cake? And I thought you had an Easy Bake oven as a kid, didn't you have practice since a young age?"

Bella laughed. "Those things come in a package! All you have to add is water! Well, Betty Crocker comes in a box too but you have to add oil and stuff and well, I grabbed vinegar instead. And no, I didn't actually serve the cake. Donald smelled the vinegar from the other room and thought I was making a salad or something but when he saw the cake, and realized what I done... Well...I was the laughing stock of the neighborhood. He and Gladstone thought it was the most hilarious thing ever to be."

Morgana began to laugh hysterically. "Poor you."

Bella stuck out her tongue. "Yes. Poor me."

The girls started to chat about random things, when they heard the sounds of sticks cracking in the distance.

"Bella!? Morgana?!" a voice called out. "Are you two around here?"

"Daisy?" Bella called out. "Yeah, we are here."

Daisy made it through the trees, into the clearing where the two female ducks were having their conversation.

"There you are," Daisy repeated. "I was looking everywhere. Please don't be mad at me. I just felt a little queasy."

Morgana crossed her arms. Was this an apology?

Daisy took a deep breath before she continued, "I'm trying to tell you, it wasn't really your food. I shouldn't been telling you this, because I didn't tell Donald yet, but..."

Morgana curiously glanced at Daisy's abdomen.

Bella, who was too busy studying her sister-in-law's uneasy expression to notice anything Morgana was referencing to, stared deeply into Daisy's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Daisy answered, placing a hand below her navel, answering Morgana's inquiry.

This time Bella did notice and gasped.

"Daisy!"

Daisy bit her lip. "Yeah?"

"You're pregnant!"

Daisy nodded.

"Yeah, I just took the test not too long ago...It's the store bought kind, so I am still going to have to get it confirmed."

"After all these years..." Bella said.

Bella herself has four kids already, though, three of course are now adults; she was already sure she was going to have a couple more with Launchpad.

Daisy nodded.

"Well, I... We always kept delaying the wedding. Not only did Donald take years to ask me...but also he was in the Navy for so many years, I had my journalist career. It got complicated. And then almost three years ago Donald and I finally got married. We momentarily flirted with the idea of having kids. But Donald practically raised the boys..."

She cut herself off, half avoiding making eye contact with Bella.

Bella nodded. "It's okay. I know what I did."

Daisy nodded.

"Yes, like I was saying, you were gone, so Donald raised the boys as his own for most of their childhood, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to start from the beginning. We both were approaching forty, and we didn't know..."

Morgana nodded.

"Drake and I both thought about that too. But Drake only had Gos since she was nine. And of course he loves her so very much, yet he knew he envied her biological parents and her grandfather who were there to witness her first steps and hear her murmur her first word."

"Daisy, Donald might be 41 but you are only 37, so that's not that bad. I mean, that one actress on Buddies is pregnant and she's 40. And well, your baby should have cousins about the same age. Well, Melanie is seven, so that is quite a bit, but I'm going to have some more soon myself!"

Daisy and Morgana both gasped then, looking straight at Bella.

Bella laughed, "No, I'm not pregnant. But I do plan to have more children."

Daisy shook her head." You already have four."

"And you now have four too. But as you know, three of our kids are now 18, and I want to have some with my new hubby. And yes, I was counting your bun as number four before you ask!" Bella added with a laugh. "Now where are the kids? With Cindy?"

Daisy nodded. "I hope you don't really mind Morgana..."

Daisy felt bad, she knew Morgana just meant Cindy a night or two ago.

"I'm sorry...." Daisy said again feeling very bad.

Morgana put her hand in the air. "Cindy sounds like a nice person. She's not going to hurt Lisa. She was probably busy playing with Melanie anyway. Though, we should be heading back."

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, we have party games to play."

Bella nodded, "Yup, sure do, but I guess you can't play the Drinking game tonight. So you can be the ref! And you better call Donald..." she added.

Daisy forced a smile before she headed back into the woods from which they came.

Bella, witnessing how Daisy was acting, turned to Morgana and frowned. Did Daisy really think Donald wouldn't accept the baby? She couldn't see that as being true.

Donald came into the door, carrying a bag Chinese take out. He was still worrying about Daisy, and wished she would call. Perhaps he would after dinner.

Finding the house quite vacant, he placed the food on the kitchen table then ventured further. He paused once he heard a familiar theme of the boys' favorite video game, Ninja Duck Teens, and found Huey, Louie, Webby, and Doofus all sprawled out on the Huey's bedroom floor all with a game controller.

"Knock, Knock," Donald called, attempting to get the attention of the four teens.

Louie paused the game and then turned to face his uncle.

"Yes, Uncle Donald?"

"Dinner is ready," he told the teens, "Where is Dewey and who is your friend? Hello Webby."

"Hello Uncle Donald," Webby responded with a smile on her face, she then glanced at Doofus and held in a giggle.

"It is Me, Doofus, Mr. Duck, don't you remember me?"

Donald studied Doofus briefly, "Ah yes! Of course I remember you. It has been a long time. Didn't you move?"

Doofus nodded, "Yeah, I moved after 8th grade, but I am back for Launchpad's wedding."

Donald nodded. "Small world, that my sister met and fell in love with Uncle Scrooge's former pilot. Where's Dewey?"

Doofus shrugged, he has only been in town for a few hours. He glanced over to Louie, who also shook his head.

"Did you see Dewey, Huey?" Donald asked, now a little worried.

"Well, yeah, but it was hours ago," Huey began.

Donald sighed, he knew the boys were now eighteen, but he still would like to know where they were going when they left the house. It was a worry issue that would perhaps lessen in time, but he perceived that the time wouldn't be soon.

"Well, it is early," Donald said before he left the room. "And the food is getting cold so you four should give the game a rest for a bit. Are Webby and Doofus staying for dinner?"

"Actually," Louie began, "I was wondering if Doofus could stay the night?"

Donald thought about that for about a second, "Sure. But not Webby."

Louie smiled widely, "Of course not Uncle Donald," he said.

To Be Continued

A/N: Some of the references Bella and Morgana made about Bella's cooking skills are in regard to chapters in "Back to the Nest". Donald and Daisy were quite surprised of the quality of a meal she once prepared since they never knew Bella as being a good cook prior to this event. Also a big thank you to PhantanPhan for beta reading this chapter