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 Trouble

Written By

Stef 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 / Arachnia Ink, Ronnie Mallard, Lisa Mallard, Detective Doberman Pincher, Devin Duck, and whomever else I mention in the future. Time Setting: About eight (8) years after the Darkwing Duck series.

WARNING

This story is rated PG-13 and/or TV-14-LSDV, which means it may or may not (chapters may vary, some will be possibly PG rated only or a less severe TV-14) include references or incidents of mild/moderate language, sexual content and or themes, mild or moderate violence, and possible other adult themes. Not a porno, or even R-rated, but be advised and please no flames.

Chapter 12

"Well Drake, your son wanted to come home," Moloculo said. "And I was going to that party anyway.

"Well, we were going to drink…" Drake said, slightly annoyed, but he blushed when he saw Ronnie come in. "Not that you are not invited sport."

Ronnie crossed his arms. "Whatever, I rather be camping anyway. Where did you say they were at again?"

"I don't know…" Drake hesitated. "That's a woman only thing."

Ronnie crossed his arms. "But I am going to be bored at that party and you know it."

Drake looked at his clock; it was about 2pm now. And he really didn't want Ronnie at the party, no offense.

"Fine," Drake relented. "Go ask your mother. They are in the middle of no where, so I bet it will be safe to teleport her."

"Yay!" Ronnie shouted, as he ran into his room to pack.

Moloculo walked closer to Drake, and in a near whispered, inquired, "You are not really going to drink are you? Do you think that is wise if an incident takes place?"

Drake shook his head. "No, that wouldn't be wise. But, some of the other guests might and it might get goofy?"

Moloculo nodded.

A couple hours later, after Ronnie was packed and done watching a Billy Duckling cartoon, Ronnie began the process of summoning his mother.

Soon, Morgana appeared into his bedroom.

"Bella…Ronnie?!" Morgana shouted.

"Hi Mom!" Ronnie said excitedly.

Morgana crossed her arms, "Ronald, did I not tell you that you are to not teleport me without my consent unless it is an emergency?" she demanded sternly.

"But mom…" Ronnie began.

Morgana opened her mouth to speak and then she paused, as concern suddenly came over her. "Is something wrong?!"

She looked around the room and started to advance to the hallway.

"Where's your father?"

"Mom…wait. Dad is fine. He is talking to Grandpa. And they are both setting up for Launchpad's party."

Morgana let out a sigh of relief, before tossing her arms in the air.

"Then answer my question. Why did you summon me? You know that I do not like it especially when I am with normals other than ones we live with."

"Dad said I could. Mom, before you get mad, I need to tell you something. I want to go with you! Dad and Launchpad's party is going to be so boring. I know it will!"

Morgana paused for a moment considering if she would or should grant her son's request or not.

At last she nodded. "Sure Lisa and Melanie have been asking about you anyway. Are you ready?"

Plus, she really doubted that a six-year-old boy would hinder their girl time much more than two young girls.

"Yup!" Ronnie said grasping his mother's hand. "You just need to tell me where you are going…"

Morgana laughed. "Don't worry, I know. I can handle this one," she said seconds before the two vanished.

Back at the house, Drake was finally finished setting up the party, and with only seconds to spare, because the doorbell rang with the first arrivals.

Launchpad came to the door, and answered it.

"Hey!" he said in excitement. "Dad! So glad you came!"

Ripcord padded his son's shoulder. "Didn't really think that I would miss it son, did you?" he asked.

Launchpad shook his head. "Oh no."

Ripcord laughed, grabbed his son into a hug. "I know it's been a while since you and I have seen each other, but I want to change that. And your mother is really looking forward to the grandchild or two or three that you may have in the future."

"Heh, two or three?" Launchpad asked.

"Well, yeah, I thought you loved kids Launchpad."

"Oh I do, but I will already have a stepdaughter, and I'm not sure how many more Bella would want."

"She wouldn't deny you a son or daughter of your own would she?"

"Uh…I don't know," Launchpad muttered nervously. "Umm…have you met my roommate Drake?"

Ripcord shook his head, "No," he informed, "I do not believe that I have."

"Well, then," Launchpad, eager to end this conversation for the moment responded, "Let me introduce the two of you."

Launchpad led his father to the other side of the room, "Drake?" he called. "I would like to introduce you to my father Ripcord McQuack."

Drake extended his hand, "Drake Mallard. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. McQuack."

Ripcord accepted the hand, "It's Ripcord, and it's a pleasure to meet you too Drake."

Launchpad smiled and slithered away. He would let his father and best friend chat for awhile. His first priority for the rest of the week is his wedding to Bella. The possibility of children will wait for a while, months, perhaps years. He felt that it was important to get used to his new family with Bella and Melanie before adding number four to the bunch. Yet, he knew in his heart that as much as he loves Melanie and Bella's three boys, he did yearn for a child of his own.

The sound of another doorbell momentarily halted his journey into deep thought, and he was relieved. Tonight was the celebration of his end of bachelor hood. And he wasn't going to let anything tarnish that goal.

"Hey Herb! Honker! Is that a Tuna Cheese Casserole?" Launchpad letting the two Muddlefoots in.

"Yup. Courtesy of Binkie. I told her that she didn't have to, but she insisted," Herb informed.

"Well, I'm glad she did, that was so nice of her. You will have to say thank you to her for me. Actually, I will do so at the wedding. Here, let me put that down on the table."

Herb handed the casserole to Launchpad and made his way to where Drake and Ripcord were talking.

The next arrivals were Doofus and Louie.

"Hey!" Doofus shouted, "Mr. McQuack!"

Ripcord turned around, "Oh I'll be. It's my surrogate son Doofus Drake." Ripcord paused a second and looked at Drake, "Hey! Is that weird or what?"

Drake glanced at Ripcord flabbergasted, "What?"

"His last name is your last name…"

Drake nodded, "Yeah, Rip we figured that one out already. Though, you are right it is eerie in a coincidence kind of way."

"Hey Louie," Launchpad called, "Is your brothers coming?"

Louie nodded, "I think so, I just haven't really seen them since last night. Huey has been hanging out with Gosalyn all day. And Dewey, well."

Louie frowned. "We haven't heard from him since yesterday afternoon."

"Really?" Launchpad said with a hint of concern in his voice, "Well maybe he had some errands to do?"

Louie nodded. "Yeah. Wish he would call though. Let us know that he is alright."

Launchpad nodded, "Yeah, doesn't really seem like him to just take off. Is he feeling singled out like he has before?"

Louie considered that for a moment, "You mean the time he decided to pitch the same colored t-shirts we always wore and wear that clown type spinner top?"

Louie laughed, "That was so long ago. I remember. It was he that volunteered to stay behind when Huey and I made our escape from the tower."

"You three were always the greatest team," Launchpad marveled. "And in some ways better than DW and I, but don't tell him I said that."

Louie grinned widely, "Well in the off chance I ever seen him, I will make sure that I don't let him know."

Launchpad smiled back Louie, "Ha Ha. Sounds like a couple more people pulled up."

Louie nodded, and disappeared in the party scene.

"Hey Launchpad, so you finally decided to get married!" Fenton exclaimed, who was holding a red sports bag.

"Me?" Launchpad challenged. "I only knew Bella for two years. It took you twice as long to propose to Gandra."

Fenton gulped his orange flavored Cuckoo Cola, "Well, not because I didn't want to. It was complicated. Mr. McDuck kept me busy. She decided to go back to college. So, who do I get to walk down the isle with?"

Launchpad paused for a second, counted up the attendants and paired them with their most appropriate companion. "Let me see, "Drake and Cindy, since she is the maid of honor; you and Morgana, wait…would that work?" Launchpad pondered.

"Well, I don't know…" Fenton sputtered.

The sound of the doorbell momentarily ended the conversation. Launchpad made his way to the door, and Fenton made his escape.

"Hey Stegmutt!" Launchpad shouted excitedly. "You came!"

"Why wouldn't I come Launchpad? I was so glad when Mr. Darkwing called me."

Launchpad paused for a second. But then quickly recovered realizing it must have been the voice that tipped him off. Drake probably called to invite Stegmutt either as Darkwing or allowed Stegmutt to believe this after correctly detecting his voice.

Launchpad nodded. "Great. Well, we have snacks and soda, on the table. Plus a few more options in the fridge. Ice in the cooler. You haven't met my fiancée have you?"

Stegmutt shook his head. "But I wanna. She must be really pretty!"

Launchpad blushed, "Oh she really is. She is the love of my life. And she has a daughter too, that I am more than ready to be her stepfather."

"I love kids," Stegmutt informed. "Hey Honker!"

"Hey Stegmutt!" Honker called back.

Stegmutt turned back to Launchpad. "Where is Mr. Darkwing? Isn't he coming? What about GizmoDuck?"

"I don't know. Well they are both invited of course," Launchpad informed.

"Well, GizmoDuck owes me a rematch with arm wrestling."

Launchpad sighed, he remembered this episode like it was yesterday, Morgana and Drake were fighting in the back room. He just came back from checking the grounds for the second time, checking if it was safe for the wedding to resume. GizmoDuck was eavesdropping at the door, thinking no one saw him. In fact, it was only when Launchpad closed the front hall door that he asked Stegmutt to an arm wrestling match.

"Yes, I remember," Launchpad stated.

Fenton, when into the kitchen to refill his cola, when he noticed Drake sitting at the kitchen table.

Sure that he was out of earshot of the other party guests, Fenton took a seat right next to him.

"Speaking of weddings, Drake, I still remember your wedding."

Drake smirked knowingly, "You mean GizmoDuck remembers it. Do try to keep your identities straight, Fentonio."

"Sorry, Wingy."

"And my identities too", Drake added, taking a sip of his cola.

"Right. Sorry about that," Fenton apologized. "Anyway, speaking of your wedding, Drake, I still remember the first time I met Morgana, which was just a week after you did and two weeks after we first met but about six weeks before the first time the Justice Ducks got together…"

"Yeah, no fooling. There was a supernatural theme crime spree hitting Duckburg and at first you thought it was Magica De Spell; obviously forgetting that Mister McDuck's "'ol' number one'" had not been targeted in any of the crimes. "

"Don't rub it in. Anyway, you found about the crime spree too and came to Duckburg to investigate."

"Yeah. I can remember the look on your face when you found out that I was right about the culprit and not you. I also remember the look on your face when you first saw the culprit."

Fenton sighed, "Hey, give me a break. Gandra and I were going through a pretty rough period at the time. Heck, Gandra and I were still going through that aforementioned rough period the first time the Justice Ducks got together. Well, I definitely remember you spelling out to me "'She's my girl ... you galvanized glory hog and hands off or else!!'

Drake groaned, "Good memory".

"Thanks," Fenton grinned. "Anyway, I remember that we spent more than a month competing for her affections after the Justice Ducks first formed but before Gandra and I finally patched things up. I mean, you and I were like Bob Hawk and Bing Crowsby fighting over Dorothy Loonmour in one of those Route movies. Of course, that would put you in the Bing Crowsby role because you obviously won out, which Bing did in every Route movie except Route to Paradise."

Drake, in a pseudo-Crowsby tone, "You'd better believe it, junior."

Back in his normal tone, "Well, if your memory is that good then you remember that GizmoDuck, Neptunia and Stegmutt were all only invited because Morg insisted our Justice Ducks teammates be invited in case of trouble."

"Which," Fenton paused with a chuckle, "proved to be a good thing considering the last interruption."

"But Morg!" Drake cried out. He and Morgana were in the back room of the banquet hall in which his wedding with Morgana was taking place. "How was I supposed to know the Fearsome Five was going to show up?!"

Morgana clenched her fist, and took a deep breath, trying her best not to kill her hubby to be, "The full page wedding announcement?! One would think that would perhaps generate some attention. Especially from Negaduck!"

"I know! I know! I know! But Honeywumpus, I wanted to share my love with the whole world!"

Fenton smiled, and tried his best to hold back a laugh. He was only eavesdropping so he didn't catch the exchange very well, but what he did catch was amusing. In fact, that wedding was almost Jeri Spring-Chicken maternal.

"Yes," Drake admitted, "but just that last one. I still can't believe it took us six years to figure out each other's secret identities with all the times we've run into each other.

"Six?" Fenton inquired.

Drake stared at Fenton questioningly, yet Fenton gave no explanation.

"Then again," Fenton continued, "It did take you a pretty long time to figure out Megavolt's true identity and, even then, only with Gosalyn's help.

"Well, in my defense, Megs had so long ago abandoned his real name, that it didn't really matter who he really was," Drake rationalized.

Fenton nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

Fenton sees Stegmutt waiting patiently at the arm-wrestling table, with Herb leaving in slight pain after defeat.

"Well, I'd better get into uniform for that arm-wrestling match with Stegmutt. Do you have a safe place where I can set up?"

Drake nodded and led Fenton to somewhere safe.

To Be Continued

Author Note: So how did you like the party? More in chapter 13! Big thanks to Nightw2 that wrote most of the Fenton and Drake exchange. And to Mandy who allowed me to bounce ideas off her. And of course, last but not least, thank you to all of you that have reviewed.