Disclaimer: I don't own the Ducktales series!

Title: Counting Cards

Summary: Goldie and Scrooge have known each other a long time now, and that's given them a special kind of closeness. Goldie can't say the same for the children he's dragging around with him now, but if she wants to continue the way they have she's going to have to learn. Too bad Goldie's never been good at being good.

...

"You know, I never got the point of keeping the big vault door in your office. Doesn't the money distract you?"

Scrooge looked up from his paperwork. He clicked his pen and set it aside. "S'not very often yew visit me at work. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She scoffed. "I come here all the time."

"Snooping around and visiting aren't the same thing."

He had her there. Goldie propped her hip against his desk. "I'm leaving."

Scrooge blinked at her. He seemed a bit baffled. "When will ye be back?"

Goldie shrugged her shoulder vaguely.

"Oh. Yew mean leave leave."

"What did you think I meant?"

"I dunno, popping out for an adventure? Yew've never announced it before."

"I was going to just... go. Like I do." She waved her hand. "But Lena convinced me to see you. She said style mattered."

Scrooge frowned at the paper, his mind elsewhere. Tap-tap-tap went the side of his pen against the desk. Finally, with no real pleasure, he said, "I'll cover yer fare- air, bus, whatever."

"Oh?"

"I left yew with babysittin' duty. Consider it yer pay." He inched the chair back but didn't get up just yet. "I'm sorry fer that, by the way. I let me emotions get the best of me."

"Meh. The kids mostly left me alone. I got enough to eat. It was survivable."

Scrooge wasted no time in coming to stand beside her. He took her hand. "Stay the night?"

Goldie frowned. "Scrooge-"

"Jus' one more night," he begged. "I shouldnae been so cold. Let's have one more good night before ya go."

"Fine," she conceded. "But if this is a ploy to get me arrested-"

Scrooge chuckled. "I'd never call the cops on yew. After all, who'd believe me?"

"I love you," Goldie said. Scrooge tensed, breathing in and out his nose. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, touching her arm. "Wanna see why I keep my vault close?"

"They're pretty good at that." Goldie leaned on the shiny new railing. Far below, shapes bobbed up and down in the change. "I guess it makes sense that they'd inherit Donald's hard head."

"Aye." He slouched down next to her, eyes soft and fond even while he groaned. "I'm not as young as I used ta' be. I feel it in my knees."

"You haven't been young in a long time, Scroogey."

"Yer no spring chicken yerself."

"Hmm," Goldie hummed, not agreeing or disagreeing. "I should hope this isn't your way of asking for a clutch, because I went through menopause eons ago."

"Oh, absolutely not. I cannae imagine the havoc mixing the McDuck-O'Gilt lines would cause."

"You were almost a father, once. Did I ever tell you that?"

"Tell me? Yew sent me the bill."

"Did I? That sounds like something I'd do." Goldie let out a breathy cackle. "My memory isn't as sharp as it once was."

"I don't regret not havin' kids. I raised Donald and Della- that was more'n enough." Scrooge nodded to the ducklings. Lena slipped out of a pile, hoping to dogpile on Webby, only for the girl to whirl around and tackle her to the coins. "But these kids are my legacy. I cannae leave this plane until i'm sure they can live up to that. And if that leaves me a feeble old geezer, then I'll just have to deal with that."

"You really have gone soft, haven't you?"

"Yes. Yew have, too."

Goldie watched Louie ducked beneath the surface with a laugh. He clearly had the most practice, though he mostly just dove and came back up, spitting coins like watermelon seeds. Huey studied every old, gum-stained dubloon he could grab, sketching in his book. Dewey chucked handfuls just to see how far they could go. For the first time, those little details mattered more than the actual money involved.

"Maybe I have," she said softly.

Scrooge finally broke away from the sight, grabbing both her hands. "I love yew, Goldie. I'd never ask ya to stay- it'd kill ya." He smiled at her, eyes just a little watery. "But you can't go dyin' before I do."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Only if yer up for it."

That infuriating smirk had her moving before Goldie even registered it, yanking him down that little bit so she could press her beak to his and shut him up. Scrooge stumbled in surprise, conking their foreheads together. She shoved him back and rubbed her temple, hissing in a breath.

She cracked open an eyelid. "Game on, codger."

Author's Note: A bit short lol, but we're in the home stretch! One more chapter and we'll be done. It's a shame, since I loved writing this a lot, but I'm not gonna drag this out either. =)

-Mandaree1