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 DarkwingDuck.

Contains Major Spoilers to Double Triangle Trouble

Written By:

Stef with an 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, The Ruddys : James, Jeffery, Suellen, and Ashley / 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.

Added Disclaimer

Contains a mention of a character smoking a cigarette. I am a non-smoker myself and am not promoting smoking in anyway. If you are a child or a teen reading this, don't start smoking. If you have already started smoking, personally I think you should quit, but that is not my business. I just don't want people mad at me since I have smoking character in this. It was the same one that smoked in a previous chapter.

Chapter 24

Later that evening after the police escorted the group of villains to their respectful jail cells, and after Binkie and Cindy helped Morgana to a quick job cleaning up the messy from room, the wedding was finally ready to take place at last.

"Dearly beloved," Ludwig began. "We are brought together today, again, to join these two fine ducks, Launchpad McQuack, and Dumbella Duck Widgeon as one."

"Are you okay?" Louie whispered to his brother Dewey, who was stealing glances out the window, when he thought no one was looking.

Dewey blinked, forcing himself out of his self-created trance and smiled at his brother. "As much I can be, Lou. Mom and Launchpad deserve some peace for once."

Louie nodded in agreement.

Huey smiled at his girlfriend, Gosalyn. It was quite a way off but the love he felt in his heart for her was so strong that he could not image not being with her all their lives.

Webby looked away for a moment, feeling lost and confused, she knew that Louie cared for her, even loved her, but still she had great jealousy for the relationship Huey and Gosalyn had. Louie would be away to college next fall and the way he tried to throw their relationship away out of fear still sucked love out of her bones. The feeling made her feel hollow and she wasn't sure she could survive the fall.

Louie reached out to touch Webby's hand.

She stared up at Louie, her eyes hopeful and eager.

"I love you," Louie whispered.

And within that second Webby's face took on a new color of warm and she felt steady again.

Bella smiled at her two sons that had found young love and was hopeful that they would guard their hearts and enjoy what love can bring. She knew she was ready.

"Are you ready?" Ludwig said again.

Bella nodded, "Yes, Uncle Ludwig."

The minister nodded, "Do you two have the rings?"

Launchpad turned to Drake who took the ring off his right ring finger and handed it to Launchpad.

"Thank you Drake for all you did for me," Launchpad said.

"Heh. Feel free to come by and visit anytime," Drake offered, fighting back tears of an end of an era, though, of course he wouldn't dare show that.

Apparent of Drake's inner thoughts, Launchpad replied, "Anytime?"

Drake smirked. "Maybe you should call first."

Launchpad laughed, as did the crowd. But only Launchpad and a few others realized that though, his marriage would truly be an end of an era, Launchpad and Drake would still very often be together under their crime fighting personas.

Donald took Daisy's hand and squeezed it gently. "I love you toots," he whispered. "And I am so I excited about our own new addition Mommy."

Daisy sighed softly as she placed her head on her husband's shoulder.

"Mommy? I love the sound of that Daddy," Daisy replied.

Donald turned a new shade of pink, "Sounds good to me too toots."

"The doctor says around Christmas. Could anyone ask for a better Christmas present?"

Donald shook his head. "Nope."

He wrapped his arm around Daisy's middle (trying to be firm, but still gentle enough as to not accidentally hurt the baby), as the two redirected their attention to Launchpad.

Launchpad gently took Bella's left hand and slipped the ring on the correct finger.

"With this ring, I thee wed," he vowed.

Still holding onto Launchpad's right hand, Bella received Launchpad's wedding ring from Cindy.

"Third time is the charm," Cindy whispered.

"And forever is forever" Bella whispered back.

She took Launchpad's left hand and caressed his palm before finding Launchpad's ring finger.

"And to you, my dear Launchpad, I thee wed."

Ludwig Von Drake smiled at the couple as he proceeded in his duties.

"Do you take each other in sickness, and in health, in sadness, and in happiness, as long as you both shall live?"

The betrothed couple squeezed each other's hands and glazed in each other's eyes, before they replied, in unison, "We do".

"Then by the power in entrusted to me by the state of Calisota, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Launchpad caressed Bella's cheek before meeting his beak with hers.

"We are finally married," Bella whispered.

"Where would you like to go for our honeymoon, Mrs. McQuack?"

Bella twirled a piece of Launchpad's red hair. "You still owe me that plane ride. You ever fix the Jump Start?"

Launchpad blushed. "Yes. But where should we fly to?"

"Uncle Scrooge is going to tell us borrow his cabin in the Klondike."

"You want to go to mountain country in the summer?"

Bella nodded, "Uh huh."

"Bella Lass, why don't you take the limo for a spin why we set up for the reception, which I hope," Scrooge said, directing the next question to the Darkwing Decoy, who was again activated when the wedding resumed, "Is a lot less eventful."

"Who me?" the decoy exclaimed. "I didn't invite them!"

"Bella?" a familiar voice whispered from the door way.

Bella turned to see Tank Muddlefoot hurryingly stump out a cigarette on the porch, but it was the male duck beside him that really got her attention.

She shook her head at the man, and gestured for him to stay on the porch.

"Can you excuse me for a moment Honey?" she told her new husband before she bolted to the door.

"What's going on?" Drake asked. "Who was that?"

Launchpad shook his head. "I don't know…"

…

Bella closed the door behind her, and looked into the man's eyes.

Noticing that she was not alone, she turned to Tank, and in a calm, steady, yet stern voice, she asked for privacy sending Tank home to reflect on his own mangled thoughts that tortured him since the woman he loved was taken away.

Now, when there was just the two of them, Bella continued her address to the mysterious man. "Kyle, what in the Dog-gone world do you think you are doing coming to my wedding? I almost expected Gregory to show up but not you! If you think I am going to allow you to storm on my wedding parade and bring my children's lives in a Sea of Peril, today of all days, you have something else coming."

"You're children? Or do you mean our children?" the male duck asked staring into his ex-wife's eyes.

It wasn't a cold tone, yet, it was filled with firm determination and true heart, that was in fact, kind of sad.

Bella felt herself tremble for a bit and she grasped a hold of porch.

"Please don't do this to me. It's my wedding. I know I am not much better than you. But you should at least have the decency…"

"Bella…I'm sorry. That is not why I am here…"

"No? Then why? What if anyone else saw you? Kyle, just get on with it."

"I wanted to know if you are happy. If you are really happy. We were young when we got married, and you were my friend first. I'm married. I have other children. You asked why I am really here. By accident. My son Devin was spotted here a few days ago. He ran away. I didn't know where he was. My wife and I were frantic. And then I got a call from a Detective Pincher that he was spotted in Duckburg. It was only then that I saw the news paper article about your wedding."

"I thought Drake learned that lesson already," Bella mumbled.

"Huh?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing. But please Kyle. Not today. My, own boys, might hate me for doing this. But please not today. I have a daughter too, and she also doesn't need this drama."

"Okay, Bella, I get the point. I leave. Just take care of yourself," Kyle Duck said.

Bella nodded.

"Thanks you too."

Kyle tried to smile as he turned to return to his car, which she noticed a young teenaged boy in the passenger seat.

Bella watched as the car drove again.

She clenched her fist in anger trying her best to keep her emotions calm. After counting to ten she was sure she will be okay. Kyle was her past, and Launchpad was her future. Though, she now knew, she was foolish to believe that she seen the last of her sons' father.

Bella returned to the front door to see everyone staring at her.

"Who was that?" Loopy McQuack asked.

"Are you alright?" asked Cindy.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, no one we should worry about. But I think I will take you up on the limo idea Uncle Scrooge."

Scrooge nodded. "Have fun Lassie."

Launchpad hooked his elbow with Bella's and whispered in his ear.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, it was just something I had to deal with." Well, someone…

"Okay, I trust you," Launchpad smiled back. "I love you."

"I love you too, and I am so very ready to enter a new live with you. Now and forever my husband."

Bella and Launchpad turned to the crowd and waved.

"See you later, all!" Launchpad said to his guests.

"Have fun LP," the decoy the shouted.

Drake wrapped his arms around Launchpad. "I'm giving away your room you know."

"Hey! We are coming right back! Not leaving for the honeymoon yet and you are already trying to get away from me."

Drake laughed. But also found that he was wiping a tear from his eye.

He knew it would never be the same… They all did.

End of Chapter 24

Epilogue

About a week later…

Dewey, still raw about Ashley's arrest, and recent sentencing, took a seat on the sofa, staring into space.

Huey and Gosalyn decided to try to cheer him up since Uncle Donald called and informed told Huey; though under a vow of discretion, of course; that one hormonal monster in the house; the pregnant Daisy, of course; was much more than enough.

Gosalyn and Huey each took a seat on the sofa, on reverse sides of Dewey.

"Well, one good thing at least; At least Ashley only got four years. She'll definitely be out by the time we finish college." Huey revealed.

Gosalyn tried to smile, "If it's any consolation, Dad went through the same thing with Morgana eight years back. Well, almost the same thing. In the month between his first meeting with her and when he finally apprehended her... well, don't even get me started. The only thing that saved her from any real prison time was that Dad was able to get her a full pardon for helping him and Launchpad save the Earth twice in that time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the first time was when Dad and Launchpad were on a SHUSH mission in Egypt and they had to contend with the great-grandson of Anubis (who also happened to be one of Morg's constantly spurned old suitors) and his army of powerful renegade mummies. The second time happened to involve a demonically possessed Tuskernini."

"So how did Mister Mallard manage to swing the "pardon" deal? I mean, no offense, but back then, half the cops in Duckburg and Saint Canard thought he was a crook."

"A fact that he was quite well-aware of, so he took the precaution of gathering carefully detailed undisputable evidence of both times to make sure the account was believed."

"Thus, he was able to use that evidence to guarantee Morg got pardoned for all of her past crimes."

"Exactly. That was also the exact same time she really started going straight and she and Dad could start seeing each other officially.

Dewey put in "Yeah and, soon after that, the Justice Ducks first got together and your Dad's reputation started gradually improving. Okay, VERY gradually, since it STILL took about two years for him to really start getting the respect he worked hard to earn, but ..."

"Yeah. Even Dad will admit, however grudgingly, to that being one positive side effect of having to work with Gizmoduck so often; the general public started thinking "Hey, anybody who works with Gizmoduck this often has to be one of the good guys."

"Yeah, too bad Ashley didn't get a pardon."

Gosalyn sighed, "Yeah. She did, however, get a reduced sentence for agreeing to testify against her thought-to-be-dead super-criminal mother, which is why she only got four years; two with good behavior."

"Yeah, key words "'with good behavior", Huey added, amused.

Dewey glared at Huey with his "don't even joke about that" look.

Huey quickly looked down, "Oops, sorry about that bro."

Dewey rolled his eyes and turned his back. "Yeah…you better be."

…

Tank Muddlefoot took a hold of the phone on the other side of the visiting glass.

"You finally decided you would let me see you?" Tank asked. "And what's with the glass, not like you killed anyone?"

Ashley looked up to see ex-boyfriend studying her, "Hi Tank. I'm just depressed."

Tank looked around. "I would be too if I had to wear that outfit."

Ashley managed a fake smile.

"Okay that is better. You have such a pretty smile."

Ashley sighed. "Hey, Tank. I'm sorry to do this. But I am not so up to visitors now."

Tank frowned. "But aren't you getting transferred next week?"

Ashley nodded, "Yeah…"

"I love you Ash."

Turning her back on Tank, Ashley rubbed her abdomen.

"Take care Tank."

"I'll write you."

"Okay."

After Tank left Ashley cried in the corner.

"Need to take you back now, Miss Ruddy," an indifferent, yet not unkind, guard informed Ashley.

Ashley nodded, "Yeah…I'm sorry. I'm just not used to this scenery yet."

The guard nodded. "Well, you will have plenty time to think about what you have done."

Ashley sighed. "Yeah. I suppose I will at that."

The End

Author Notes: The End of an era, yes, but not the end of the saga. Stay tuned for another joint effort from Nightw2 and me soon. He also helped with the epilogue and beta read the last few chapters. Thanks again. Also, as I have mentioned before, Kyle Duck is the name I ended up using for Huey, Dewey and Louie's father way back in an earlier book of my series. It is not the canon name, which was in fact never officially named, though some sources call him Daniel Duck. Also, the major theory that Daisy and this father are siblings that actually was somewhat officially suggested, I know. So, please no flames on this. I am aware. Also, I know the boys scared him with a firecracker, but he was never specified as being dead. (Which very well might be the case) Again, I am. Thanks again :)