"Goal!" cried Launchpad. "Point for Two Mallards and One Duck."

Scrooge glanced up from his score card and declared, "That's the end of the game. Team Two Mallards and One Duck wins!"

Gosalyn all but barreled into Drake, wrapping her arms around him as Goofy, Max, and Daisy cheered. He hugged her back fiercely as Donald also collided with them for a celebratory group hug on the ice.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie skated over to the winning group to shake hands. Drake almost didn't relinquish his hold on Gosalyn, but managed to release her before he became too clingy.

"Good game," said the boys as they shook the hands of the opposing teammates. No sooner had Donald shaken each of his nephew's hands that he was whisked away by Daisy. The two skated around the lake with their arms wrapped around each other.

Huey observed Gosalyn. "You should be Strike Team Omega for these competitive sports."

"What, sit on the sidelines until called?" she asked.

"It makes sense," said Dewey. "You're hard to beat with your long history of playing sports and your crime fighting expertise is a huge asset."

Louie shrugged. "If you're always on my team, I don't care if you play or not."

His brothers looked over to him and Louie threw up his hands in surrender, but Gosalyn laughed.

"Fine. Maybe now you boys will actually win."

Huey turned to Drake saying, "No hard feelings, Mr. Mallard, but you should be on Strike Team Omega, too. Between the hockey game and the snowball fight earlier, you and Gos shouldn't be allowed to team up anymore. For the sake of everyone's sanity."

"The snowball fight was brutal," agreed Gosalyn.

It had been. Drake and Gosalyn had been building a snowman in the front yard earlier that morning when the triplets had all but attacked them with snowballs. Naturally, Drake and Gos has retaliated, annihilating the boys but losing their snowman in the heat of battle. The good always did die young.

Drake puffed out his chest. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can't take down team Dar— Team Mallard without a fight."

"A long intensive fight," said Dewey.

"You two make a good team," said Louie.

Gosalyn elbowed Drake playfully and he grinned at her. They did. They really did.

The boys skated off to join Donald and Daisy as Max glided up, kissing Gosalyn on the cheek. "Good game!" He nodded to Drake. "And to you, sir." Max Goof was nothing if not polite.

Drake nodded in response as Max wrapped an arm around Gosalyn. "Mind if I borrow Gos, Mr. Mallard?"

He wanted to say no. To tell Max to return to sledding with Goofy and to leave Drake alone with her.

But father and daughter had been spending a lot of time together during this trip. Being up here, away from St. Canard and all the villains that plagued the city, had been difficult for Drake to adapt to initially. Part of the excitement of Christmas was apprehending the criminals that came out in droves this time of year. But there weren't criminals around the cabin.

And Drake had looked. Even used the fancy GPS Negaduck had gifted him. He even checked in with S.H.U.S.H.. A few times.

His investigations of the surrounding mountains were how he'd found the valley the group was currently in. The whole area was picturesque with frozen lake and several large hills that were decent enough for sledding. So his reconnaissance hadn't been a complete wash.

He'd come to learn that his break from crime fighting — while somewhat infuriating — also meant that Gosalyn had one, too. They'd baked and decorated his famous sugar cookies, adding them to the pile of Daisy's gingerbread, Scrooge's shortbread, and Goofy's… everything else. Seriously, the man could cook. Max, Launchpad, and Donald had become his happy kitchen attendants in the past few days, which had also helped to free up Gosalyn's time since her boyfriend was occupied.

Drake had even managed to convince Gosalyn to go on a hike yesterday, during which she had complained and dragged her feet. But she'd claimed that it was Christmas and she wanted to spend time with him, even if he was gonna go trudge through the dumb wilderness.

Her words.

He would never disrespect Mother Nature like that.

Looking at the young couple, Drake didn't have it in him to deny the request for some time spent together. "Go ahead. But we need to go cut down our tree tonight," Drake said, pointing at Gosalyn, "so don't stay out too late."

She nodded and Max flashed him a grin before they shot off across the ice.

He'd have to get used to this, wouldn't he? Max and Gosalyn going to do their own thing. They were already living together; it was probably just a matter of time until they were engaged. Gosalyn didn't just belong to Drake anymore.

Max was nice enough, and seemed to keep Gosalyn on her toes in addition to, you know, making her happy or whatever. So Drake begrudgingly liked the kid. And watching him skate around the lake with Gos, seeing how they glided around everyone, and managed to always stay together while turning or sliding backwards in complicated twists, proved he was a good match for her. That they were good for one another.

It was a complicated thing, this father business. On the one hand, he wanted his daughter to be happy and successful and to have everything she wanted. And on the other, he wanted to hold onto her all the tighter and keep her all to himself.

Gosalyn caught his eye and sent him a smile. Max glanced up and nodded at him with a smile of his own. Drake nodded in return.

Launchpad skated up to him and asked, "Think I'm gonna head back to the cabin for some hot chocolate. You wanna come, DW?"

Drake allowed his gaze to follow Gosalyn a bit longer, the internal war still raging. But after a moment he sighed and glanced up at his friend. "Sure, LP." He followed Launchpad off the ice and back to their home away from home, only glancing back at Gosalyn once. Maybe twice.

But he followed Launchpad all the way back. Made hot chocolate and warmed his frozen feathers.

He'd had a tumultuous relationship with this holiday from a young age, but Gosalyn had made it special, with how much she loved it. And if this was their last Christmas as just the two of them, then he was determined to make it the best one he could.