The wedding itself had gone off without a hitch, much to her surprise.
She had been afraid that something would go wrong, that one of the women who could have brought the whole thing down in flames would show up and ruin everything, but neither did.
All throughout the reception she kept a vigilant eye out for either of them, or some other unforeseen interference, to appear and foil her plan… but surprisingly, nothing happened to give her away as the fraud she was.
Her phony Daisy had fooled Donald and no one suspected that she herself was a phony; for once her plan was working to perfection.
Except for one, not so small, complication…
She might actually be falling for the groom.
As she and her new husband sat in his limo, heading off to the hotel for their honeymoon, she was doing her best to keep herself in check. He had one arm around her and was gently stroking her shoulder, which had more of an effect on her because the wedding dress she'd chosen had an off-the-shoulder design, meaning his fingers gently stroked the exposed feathers instead of fabric.
She inwardly cursed herself for picking a dress according to her own taste in clothes and not choosing the most conservative, frumpy dress she could find or conjure.
"So, what's first on our honeymoon agenda darling?" Scrooge asked before giving his new wife a loving peck on the cheek.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her mind on her goal. "Well, we did talk about goin' on that expedition on Mt. Neverrest…"
She maintained the southern drawl and honestly didn't care about whatever plans they had discussed, she just wanted to get to their hotel room so she could finally get that dime and get away from him before she changed her mind.
Changing her mind… that was a real possibility at this point; she had realized that she had been enjoying this sham too much after Poe accused her of it, realized that she might actually be falling for Scrooge, or least be attracted to him enough to make this one of the most dangerous schemes she'd ever tried.
Sure, he believed she was Goldie O'Gilt and that was the only reason he had proposed, and she was genuinely shocked that the self-proclaimed "Smarter than the smarties" had actually fallen for her plan so completely; but then, she hadn't realized just what she was getting herself into.
Magica had never expected Scrooge McDuck to be such a romantic or as passionate as he turned out to be; the way he looked at her, the way he touched her like he was now, and especially the way he kissed her… if she wasn't careful, she was going to find herself in some serious trouble, she'd realized that the first time he'd started a kiss.
Anytime she had kissed him she made sure it was bland and the bare minimum, just enough to keep him fooled, but then one day it happened… he kissed her and it was a world of difference; the heat, the thrill the… love in that kiss had been almost overwhelming, it led to a heated make-out session in his office that had been thankfully interrupted before it could go any farther.
That day had almost been enough to make her back out, almost enough to make her feel guilty about the whole charade.
But it was too little, too late now, she was Mrs. McDuck; at least for the next twenty-four hours and once they were alone, she'd give him some sleeping powder, take the dime, and run; and so far, everything was going perfectly, so all she had to do was not get too comfortable with him and soon enough she would be home free.
Then she realized they weren't going to the hotel they were supposed to be staying at that night, they were headed to the airport!
"Uh, Scroogey, where are we goin'?" She asked, trying not to sound nervous.
"Just a wee change of plans, a little surprise I planned for you," He explained, gently kissing her shoulder, causing her to shudder slightly from both uncertainly about his "surprise" and the touch.
Daisy sat, helplessly bound, in the closet of the hotel room she'd been left in, unable to free herself and, realizing that too much time had passed and that the wedding was likely already over, sobbed through the gag that was wrapped around her beak.
Daisy had sensed something was off when Scrooge's former flame had shown up and talked about missing him and wanting to spend time with him.
Of course, on the surface nothing was strange about it but still, something just felt off; then Daisy, after finally putting her concerns aside, came in to this room and saw the reflection in the mirror, now she sat in the closet, tied up and unable to warn anyone about the danger.
"Poor Uncle Scrooge! What is that awful witch going to do to him?" She wondered, then wondered what Magica and Poe had done to Goldie, why Donald, of all people, hadn't realized she was missing, and how long it would be before someone found and got her out of this closet.
Suddenly, Daisy heard the door to the hotel room slam open and for a moment, she both hoped and feared that Magica had returned; hoped because surely that would mean someone saw through her disguise and stopped the wedding, feared because if her plan had been foiled the witch would surely be in a foul mood and might decide to take it out on Daisy.
Then she heard a voice.
"Not here; ooh, when I get my hands on that no-good witch and her bird-brained brother…"
It was Goldie! The real Goldie! She'd escaped whatever trap Magica had her in and was, understandably, looking for payback.
Daisy did everything she could to make as much noise as possible to get Goldie's attention and hopefully get out of the closet.
Goldie had just gotten away from the Beagle Boys after having been imprisoned for the last couple of days, it hadn't taken much to get away or figure out that Ma Beagle wasn't the one who wanted her locked up, the phony treasure hunt she'd fallen for that led to the trap had been far too elaborate to be the Beagles' doing and although she didn't know what Magica was up to, she was going to find out and give the witch a piece of her mind.
She had gotten some information from the Beagles that led her here but it was obvious she had missed Magica and she was just about to leave the hotel room when she heard something in the closet. Leary of it being a trap, she cautiously approached the door and thought she heard a muffled voice inside.
Carefully, she positioned herself against the wall beside the door, arming herself with a lamp from the bedside table just in case, and opened the door, allowing it to swing open and a figure came tumbling out on to the floor.
Daisy now lay on the floor, wrapped up like a mummy in either a curtain or bedsheets and had been gagged.
Goldie knelt down freed Daisy.
"Goldie, thank you! I'm so glad you're okay!" Daisy gasped, grateful to be able to get a deep breath of fresh air and be free again, "Uncle Scrooge married Magica DeSpell, we have to save him!" she cried.
"What? Why in the world would he marry her?" Goldie asked, confused and concerned.
"Because she disguised herself as you! She tricked Uncle Scrooge to get his dime!" Daisy explained, getting to her feet and heading for the door. "We've got to get to Uncle Scrooge and tell him the truth!"
Donald, the triplets, Mrs. Beakley, Webby, Launchpad, and Duckworth had just about finished cleaning up the rental hall, when they saw something seemed to be wrong with Daisy.
She had been more quiet than usual but Donald had written it off as her trying to be polite and keep her uncertainties about Scrooge's wedding to herself, which seemed reasonable, but now it was obvious that something was definitely wrong; Daisy had stopped filling the trash bag she was carrying and started making choking sounds, then began jerking strangely.
"Daisy! What's wrong?" Donald cried in panic as he ran over to his girlfriend to try to help her.
However, before he could do anything, she suddenly made a sound like a loud hiccup and, in a puff of purple smoke, was gone and sitting on the floor where she had been standing, was a little white mouse!
As Donald and the others gaped at it, the tiny creature looked up, squeaked in alarm, and fled out the nearby exit.
"What in the world was that?" Mrs. Beakley questioned.
"A dirty trick!" Daisy said panting as she ran into the hall from an entrance on the opposite side of the room.
"Daisy! What happened to you?" Donald cried, now relieved but still confused.
"Magica DeSpell happened," Goldie said, entering behind Daisy.
Everyone was astonished to see Goldie, whom they all had thought just married Scrooge and left with him for a honeymoon.
Goldie explained how she had been captured by The Beagle Boys and had finally managed to escape from them, and Daisy explained how she had seen Magica's true reflection in the mirror when she entered her hotel room, and was then tied up and locked in the closet until Goldie freed her.
The others then told them that the wedding had already happened and Scrooge had already left with the fake Goldie for their honeymoon.
"We know where they are though!" Huey said, eager to help rescue his uncle from the witch.
"Yeah, they're at the Duckberg Plaza Hotel!" Dewey said, also ready to go rescue Scrooge.
"Well then, let's go save Scrooge!" Goldie said, and with that, she and the others left the rental hall and headed to the hotel.
"What do you mean Mr. McDuck canceled his reservation here?" Mrs. Beakley demanded when the clerk at the front desk told them Scrooge had canceled and wasn't there.
"Just what I said madam, Mr. McDuck called in two days ago and canceled his reservation," the clerk reiterated his earlier statement.
"Did he say anything else?" she pressed, hoping for a clue to where Scrooge may be.
"No madam, just that he wanted to cancel," the clerk replied.
The group walked back outside and pondered the situation, unsure as to what to do.
"Where did they go?" Webby asked.
"I bet Magica was the one who canceled the reservation," Louie said.
"Yeah, so she could trap poor Uncle Scrooge!" Dewey agreed with his brother's theory.
"But where did she take him?" Donald was worried and mentally kicking himself for not taking Daisy's concerns more seriously, for not realizing something was wrong before it was too late.
The whole group wished they had somehow picked up on Magica's scheme but it was quite possibly too late now. All they could do was try to find some clue to Scrooge's whereabouts and worry for his safety.
Magica kept her composure as they boarded Scrooge's private plane and found herself feeling very grateful that he had decided to fly it himself, meaning that even though it was just the two of them on the flight, he would be too busy flying to be whispering sweet nothings or giving her sweet little kisses like he had in the limo.
She made herself comfortable in her seat and fell asleep after a while.
It hadn't seemed like much time had passed before she was being gently awoken by Scrooge, informing her that they had arrived.
Arrived to where was the question though; as Magica stepped off the plane, she realized two things: It was after dark, and she had no idea where they were other than someplace very cold and snowy.
"Where did you bring me?" She couldn't help hissing through her teeth as she shivered from the cold.
Scrooge handed her a heavy coat from inside the plane, as he put one on himself, then shut the plane door, locking it securely behind him.
"I brought you to my newest investment sweetheart," he said, putting an arm around her.
In this instance, she didn't mind his embrace because the desire for warmth was stronger than any stomach butterflies it caused.
"A plot of freezing land?" She deadpanned through chattering teeth.
Scrooge chuckled. "No dearest," He turned on his flashlight and in the bright beam she could see the tall building a few yards away. "I recently purchased this old Ski lodge and I've been having it restored and renovated," he explained. "The work is mostly finished so I figured we would stay here a couple of nights so I could personally inspect it,"
Magica had to laugh. "Of course, always thinking about work, even on your-our honeymoon," she caught herself, she was annoyed with the cold and the abrupt change of plans. Oh well, she could manage, although, now she had no choice but to stay for the night since it was dark, freezing, and the wind seemed to be picking up.
Waiting until daylight to leave would be the safest strategy, because she was afraid that if she dropped the dime because of any turbulence on her broom flight that she may never find it in the snowy night.
"Actually, I thought this place very appropriate for us since it reminds me somewhat of the Blackjack Ballroom and Saloon back in Dawson," Scrooge said as they entered the building and he flipped on the lights, revealing a splendid old lodge that was very reminiscent of days gone by with its rustic architecture and furnishings.
Magica felt just a twinge of guilt and something else as she muttered a quick "Yeah," in response to his statement before changing the subject. "Can we please go to our room now, I'm really tired from the long day we've had and would like nothing more than to curl up in a nice, warm bed and get some sleep," she punctuated her statement with an exaggerated yawn.
"Of, course darlin'," He replied, guiding her to the stairs.
As they approached a room, Magica was startled to find herself being picked up bridal style.
"What are you doing?" she cried, nearly dropping the fake voice as she threw her arms around Scrooge's neck in alarm.
"It's customary to carry the bride across the threshold dearest," he said with a light chuckle. 'I didn't mean to startle you,"
He opened the door and carried her across the threshold, then gently set her down. "You make yourself comfortable and I'll go get our bags from downstairs," he said, leaving her alone in the room.
The room was rustic, like the rest of the lodge, with log cabin walls and a queen size bed with a frame that looked as though it was made of logs, a plaid bedspread and plain white sheets and pillows, but the room did have a certain charm to it, namely the large size, it was a suite so it had another large room with a sofa and a fireplace as well as a large bathroom, but what really drew Magica's attention was the set of French doors in the bedroom that led out to a balcony.
That balcony would be a perfect escape route.
For the moment however, she was more interested in the fireplace, so she left the bedroom and tossed some firewood in the hearth and started a fire, settled herself on the sofa and had almost fallen asleep again by the time Scrooge had reentered the room with their bags.
She took her suitcase and claimed the bathroom while Scrooge changed in the bedroom.
While washing the makeup from her face and putting on her nightgown she tried to plan out her next move and decided she would make some excuse to get something to drink, dose him with the sleeping powder she placed in a hidden pocket in the folds of her nightgown, then go curl up on the couch while he slept in the bed.
If she didn't escape with the dime before he woke, she'd claim he was snoring obnoxiously loudly as her reason for not being in bed with him, then ask him for breakfast in bed. While he prepared the food, she could pull out her collapsible travel broom from her suitcase, fly right off of the balcony and be back in Naples before breakfast was served.
Confident in her plan, she turned off the light and left the bathroom.
Then she saw him; laying in the bed, reading his monthly expense reports and wearing just a thin undershirt.
In that state, the only thing that made him look like the business magnate he was, was the expense report he was reading; the rest of him showed what a seasoned adventurer he was.
Despite his age, his muscles were still well toned, making it obvious he kept more than just his mind fit.
Pulling her gaze away, she sat on the bed, his attention drawn to her as he felt the mattress shift with her weight.
She was wearing a plain cotton sleeveless nightgown, nothing fancy or special. She had taken her hair down and it hung down to her shoulders. The thing that drew his attention most however, was that she must have left her spectacles in the bathroom, since she wasn't wearing them now.
"Are you still cold? Do you want me to add anymore wood to the fire?" he asked, his eyes taking her in.
"No, I'm better now, thank you," she said, forcing her own eyes to focus on anything but him. "That's last month's expense report, why are you reading that? I would think you'd be reading this month's report,"
She tried to make idle chit-chat, noting what he was reading, since money-related topics were usually the best way to make conversation with him, she figured she'd use the tactic to keep him distracted while she prepared the sleeping powder.
Scrooge sighed and put down the report.
"You're really dedicated to this one, aren't you?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye.
"What are you talking about Scroogey?" she asked, confused and a little nervous.
"Drop your act already Magica," he said flatly, still maintaining eye contact.
She gasped, how had he figured it out? When had he figured it out?
Knowing her jig was up she waved a hand and removed her disguise, the gray hair darkening to black, the green eyes returning to their natural dark onyx color. Most of the lines and wrinkles smoothed away as she was a few years younger than the 'Star of the North' she had posed as for the last month.
"How did you figure me out Scroogie?" She asked, genuinely curious.
"You had me thoroughly fooled for a while," he started, then sighed deeply, "Honestly, I was probably fooled by myself more than you; thinking Goldie and I were really going to give it another chance, a real chance,"
"You're still not answering the question, how did you figure out it was me and not her?" Magica asked again, mildly annoyed at his rambling.
"I started to suspect something that day that we… uh… made out… in my office," he explained, unable to help turning a bit red as he spoke.
Magica reddened a bit as well at the mention of their impromptu make-out session.
That was the day she'd realized she might have made a mistake with this plot, had even considered abandoning the idea altogether, but she kept up the act and a few days later he'd proposed and she'd accepted, continuing on for the dime; she'd never intended for it go so far, but she desperately needed that dime.
"I seem to recall you being more… bewitched, than suspicious that day…" she said teasingly, trying not to sound awkward or give anything away in her tone.
Scrooge turned a bit redder and cleared his throat. "Well, yes, I-we clearly got carried away, but it was after that I realized something seemed… different. Something, about the kissing I mean, seemed different."
"You didn't seem put off in the least," Magica scoffed, somewhat offended at the idea that she was less than pleasing to kiss.
"T-That's not what I mean!" Scrooge stammered, not caring one bit for the awkwardness of the situation. "I mean that it just felt different compared to the last time Goldie and I kissed, that your kiss was different… albeit enjoyable…" he trailed off, wondering why he was concerned about offending her and taking a deep breath before continuing. "The point is, I started to wonder a little bit then and started paying closer attention after,"
Magica was even more confused now. "If you suspected something then why did you propose, let alone actually go through with the wedding?"
"Maybe a little wishful thinking that I was just being paranoid and it wasn't a lie, especially because I didn't think you would actually go through with it… but mostly just playing along so you wouldn't put some maniacal spell on my family," he answered. "Although, I have to admit, I'm disappointed in you Magica," He added, giving her a pointed look.
She raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look in return. "Why are you disappointed in me, and why did you bring me all the way out here?"
"To answer your second question, I brought you here to see how long you would stick to your ruse and… to talk to you," His answer cleared up no confusion for her.
"To talk to me?" she echoed, wondering what was really on his mind.
"Well, really, more to ask you something… Why? Why did you do all of this?"
"For the dime obviously!" She snapped, although he noticed the slight quiver in her voice.
"You stooped this low for the dime? I respected you for not resorting to such underhanded tactics in our fights; yes, you've used love spells and potions on me, but you never went any farther than just trying to talk me into giving you the dime… but now…" For the first time since the conversation started, he looked away from her, in fact, he seemed truly hurt by all of this.
"The dime isn't here," he said, turning his back to her. "It's safely locked away in the Money Bin back home. We'll get this marriage annulled in the morning, if we have to,"
"What do you mean 'if we have to'? Obviously, we have to!" She snapped, angry that her plan had once again backfired in her face and unwilling to admit that she felt hurt that he seemed to have lost all respect for her and guilty because this seemed to have hurt him.
"We may not even really be married since you used someone else's name. It may not be legally binding so an annulment would be redundant," he explained, still refusing to look at her.
After that, the room was silent, neither of them could think of anything else to say, neither of them really wanted to say any more.
Scrooge laid down and Magica got up, then he heard the balcony doors open and close.
Magica stood on the balcony and gazed at the night sky. It was still cold but the wind had died down and the moon had come out, even though only a half-moon, it was still bright, the light reflecting off the sparkling white snow.
She had no idea how to deal with the mess of emotions and questions inside her, why did she even care so much what Scrooge thought of her? Why did she hesitate to go after the dime when she had perfect opportunity while he slept to sabotage the plane and get to the money bin before he could stop her?
She was startled by a rustling of feathers, a brief choking sound, and light tapping on the railing beside her.
She looked down and saw Poe had perched himself beside her on the railing.
"Poe! Are you okay? Why are you here?"
"I'm fine sis, how's it going with you? Did you get the dime?" the duck turned raven asked his sister.
She sighed and leaned against the railing. "No, he left it in the money bin because he caught on to me. Apparently, I don't kiss like she does,"
Poe gave her a sideways look, "What? He figured you out by your kiss?"
"I'm sure the fact that I forgot those stupid glasses in the bathroom and read what he was reading without them was a big tip off too," she added, trying not to think too much about the kiss thing.
"I guess considering you weren't really putting anything into it, it makes sense your kiss would make him suspicious," Poe snickered.
"Yeah… I guess I could have put a little more oomph into it," She gave a half chuckle but her brother saw right through her.
"No!" He gasped, realizing what really made her kiss suspicious. "You actually kissed him at some point, didn't you?" Magica's reddened face gave her away, but turning away to hide it made it too obvious. "You got too into it… and you are falling for him, aren't you?" he asked, though he already knew he was right.
Poe had suspected his sister harbored secret feelings for McDuck for some time, he'd seen the signs and at times it had seemed like, just maybe, McDuck might have secret feelings for her as well.
"No, this was just a stupid plan, and like all my stupid plans, it backfired," she said, unwilling to admit her brother might be right.
"If this was like every other plan you wouldn't be this kind of upset right now…" Poe said, concerned for his sister, her demeanor giving away just how upset she was.
Normally she was disappointed and angry when her plans failed, but this time she seemed genuinely hurt.
"What exactly did he say to you?"
"He's disappointed in me and has lost respect for me," she said, now starting to shiver from the cold.
His heart ached for her; he was pretty certain that hers was breaking at the thought of having permanently damaged the strange relationship she had with Scrooge McDuck.
"Sis, you should go back inside before you get sick," Poe said, moving closer and nudging her arm with his head. "And maybe you should try talking to him… maybe tell him how you really feel… and apologize…"
Magica immediately turned back to her brother. "You've got to be joking!" She snapped. "I can't do that, and even if I did, I doubt he would believe me anyway,"
Poe nudged her arm again, "It doesn't hurt to try, and it's better than freezing out here. Besides, if it's alright, I want to go in too because I would rather not freeze either!" he chuckled as she stroked his head. "You won't be in there alone," he added reassuringly.
After waiting for a couple of hours of trying and failing to sleep, Scrooge sat up. He looked to the balcony and saw no one there, which confirmed his thoughts; Magica had left.
He couldn't quite wrap his head around what he was feeling and that was a large part of why he'd made sure they would be isolated from everyone else… so that he might have a little time alone to figure it out.
Magica was his enemy, although the term 'frienemy' often was the better descriptor for her. There had always been some level of respect between them, even a camaraderie at times, and what seemed almost like unspoken rules of conduct for their encounters; certain lines and boundaries that were never crossed.
He couldn't help thinking of the incident when Ma Beagle had convinced a judge that they were married, just so she could try to claim half his fortune, then proceeded to not only violate his home, but his bedroom, forcing him to bunk with Duckworth until the unwanted wife was finally evicted.
Then there was Millionara Vanderbucks; she'd manipulated him too, and there had been other such situations where someone tried to marry him for his money and threatened to do things like send the kids away to a boarding school half-way around the world and other clichés.
Magica however, only ever went as far as to make him go crazy over her with a spell for just a few hours, just long enough to talk him into giving her the dime, except something or someone, usually Donald or the kids, prevented him from handing over the dime.
However, she never crossed the lines others had under such conditions; she never violated the sanctity of his home, never allowed for any physical contact, never even really pushed the ideas of marriage and weddings beyond just suggesting giving her the dime instead of an engagement ring.
Why now had she broken these unspoken rules? Why had she sunk to the same lows as the likes of Ma Beagle and lower, going so far as to kiss him and lead him on while pretending to be Goldie and why did it bother him so much?
Sure, he felt used and he should rightfully feel disgusted or at least disturbed by the situation, but somehow, he mostly felt betrayed and he wasn't really sure why.
Scrooge got up and decided to get a midnight snack, he hadn't eaten much all day due his nerves and the cheap buffet for the reception.
He pulled on a robe, left the bedroom and headed toward the door but something caught his attention from the corner of his eye, a figure on the couch.
He jumped, turning to face the figure and realized it was Magica, sitting on the couch, wrapped in the heavy coat he'd given her from the plane and shivering ever so slightly.
"Magica? What are you still doing here?" he asked, startling her.
Magica had been so lost in her thoughts and focused on trying to warm up again that she never heard him walk in, so when she heard Scrooge's voice, seemingly out of nowhere, she jumped.
"T-t-trying to w-w-warm up," She stuttered through chattering teeth.
"Why didn't you just restart the fire?" he asked, then walked over to the fireplace and found the answer. There was no more firewood. "Oh, I see… well, just stay there and I'll be right back," he said, grabbing his coat and leaving the room.
Scrooge returned with more firewood and it wasn't long before he had a warm fire burning in the hearth. He then left again and returned a few minutes later with a tray in hand.
The tray held two mugs with steam billowing out of their mouths and some sandwiches.
"Here," Scrooge said, setting the tray down on the coffee table in front of the couch and handing Magica a cup.
The cup contained hot cocoa and was very welcome as Magica carefully took a few sips.
"Thank you," she said between sips. "You didn't have to do any of this,"
"I'm not going to just let you sit there and freeze," he replied with a small smile as he sat down on the other end of the couch. "So, are you going to tell me why you're still here?"
"It's too dark and too cold to leave," she muttered, continuing to sip her drink.
"Darn right it's cold out there!" a third voice chirped from under Magica's coat.
Scrooge was startled and then he saw the small, fedora wearing head poke out from the coat and realized where the voice had come from.
"Sorry for barging in," Poe said, "But it really is freezing out there. I promise, I won't be in the way, just ignore me," he flew off Magica's lap and found himself a cozy spot on a chair near the fireplace.
"Of course, he followed us out here…" Scrooge shook his head and sipped his cocoa.
"Caw! I followed you to the airport, caw, then stowed away on your plane, caw," Poe explained with a few 'caws', snuggling himself up in a nest on the chair, comprised of the throw blanket that had been draped over the back of the chair and the small decorative pillow that was resting on the seat.
"Right…" Scrooge watched Magica's brother make himself comfortable. "So, you're both just going to stay here for the night then?"
Magica nodded slowly. "If that isn't a problem…"
"No, it's not a problem, I just wanted to confirm," he said, trailing off, unsure of what else to say at the moment.
They had both been quiet for a while, just sipping the hot cocoa, eating the sandwiches, and watching the crackling fire.
Magica looked over at her brother.
The raven was now sound asleep in his little blanket nest.
She sighed deeply, debating what she should do; Should she talk to Scrooge, tell him what was on her mind and heart? Would he even listen or care?
It wasn't as though he had any reason to care, she and her brother had only ever been thorns in his side and it seemed that whatever goodwill had existed between them was worn thin.
For some reason he was still being kind to her, although it was probably just because while he wasn't necessarily a nice person, he wasn't cruel, and forcing her out into the cold night wasn't something he would do.
Scrooge couldn't decide what to do, but with the sandwiches and hot cocoa almost gone there was little excuse for remaining silent.
However, just as he was about to break the silence, Magica spoke first.
"I'm not sure how much longer Poe has…" Magica said quietly as she watched her raven brother sleep.
Scrooge was puzzled by this unexpected revelation, "What do you mean, is he sick?" he asked.
She turned her head to look at Scrooge. "No, he's not sick… it's the raven curse… everyday he loses a little more of himself to it. Some days he hides it well though," She lowered her gaze to the cup in her hand and sipped the last of her hot cocoa. "It's gotten worse lately; a few days ago, he had trouble speaking, almost the only sound he could make was a raven's caw,"
Scrooge's eyes widened in shock. "I had no idea… I thought it was a transformation spell,"
"It is, just a much more comprehensive one that may eventually become… permanent…" she set the now empty cup back on the tray, then, taking a deep breath, looked him in the eye. "That's why… that's why I went to the lengths I did this time, because, if that dime can help me save him, I'll do anything to get it,"
Scrooge understood now… if the shoe was on the other foot… if one of his sisters, or Donald, or one of the kids, was in such a predicament, then he too, might sink to whatever lows were necessary to save them. He couldn't fault Magica for wanting to save her brother.
"I… I know I crossed a line, several lines, but… I can't lose him…" she fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and choked back a sob, "He's all I have… without him, I'll be alone…" forcing out those last words caused the tears to win the struggle and start trickling down her cheeks.
Scrooge started to say something but she continued speaking after taking a moment to wipe her cheeks.
"I… I'm sorry Scrooge… I just…I had to do something to try to help him…"
Magica had decided that she would explain herself, she owed that to Scrooge; but she wasn't, under any circumstances, going to tell him how she felt about him… that would be the stupidest thing she could possibly do, although she figured she probably should confess some other things...
"I should also tell you… I locked Daisy in the closet in my motel room and I… had the Beagle Boys detain the real Goldie two days ago; by now, I'm sure either they've released her as per my instructions, or she's already escaped from them… they really aren't the most reliable henchmen," Magica focused her eyes on the last bite of her sandwich, fearing Scrooge's reaction.
Scrooge was upset by this information, but right now he couldn't really do anything about any of it anyway, so he just took a deep breath and asked the question that had just popped into his mind.
"Why do you keep hiring the Beagle Boys then?"
"Because, they're also the cheapest henchmen," she chuckled a bit and much to her surprise, so did Scrooge.
"Fair point," He nodded.
"You aren't upset?" Magica questioned, now looking in the eye again, curious.
"Of course I'm bothered by all that; but I know the others have most likely found Daisy and I also know Goldie is a tough gal who can take care of herself…" he trailed off.
Scrooge wasn't sure how to handle this situation, he didn't know how their strange relationship would change after tonight, just that it likely had already changed and there really wasn't any going back, not without discussing it thoroughly and acknowledging certain things.
"Magica…" Scrooge started, trying to choose his words carefully,
"What?"
He took in a deep breath, "I'm… curious about something,"
She didn't know why Scrooge was suddenly acting so nervous, no one else would've been able to tell, he usually hid these things well, but Magica had known him long enough to see the subtle giveaways; the slight shifting, the fingers on one hand fidgeting at his side ever so slightly…
Normally he'd have his hand in his pocket in what would appear as a 'tough guy' type of pose, but secretly he would be flipping and rubbing his number one in his fingers like a worry stone inside his pocket when he was nervous and trying to hide it. The fact that he wasn't now was proof he did indeed leave his precious dime behind.
"That day… in the office…" He started slowly, trying not to think too much about their make-out session, lest his mind wander to other thoughts he should be avoiding right now. "You, uh, didn't seem too… put off by it… in fact, you seemed to enjoy it… even the wedding kiss was a little… more than other kisses before that day,"
Magica stiffened, remembering their impromptu make-out session in his office; she had been caught off guard when he started it and somehow had found herself completely helpless to resist, instead she'd begun to realize just what she actually felt for him and after that she'd started questioning her actions…
But she had to keep moving forward with the plan, because if it meant saving Poe… so she had tried to maintain a certain distance after that day but it hadn't been easy; after that day almost every little touch between them sent chills or sparks through her and she knew that if he started something again, she wouldn't be able to fight it.
She realized that day that she had fallen hard for him and that realization made it harder to continue with the plan, torn between her feelings for Scrooge and her desire to save Poe, knowing that she had to choose one or the other… of course she chose her brother but now… it seemed she'd lost both. She had failed to get the dime and more than likely the strange frenemy relationship she'd had with Scrooge would never be the same again; put simply, this was officially her worst failure ever.
"So what? I… was just surprised by what happened and you fully believed I was Goldie otherwise I'm sure you wouldn't have touched me with a ten-foot pole,"
She only briefly made eye contact with him but otherwise just focused her eyes on anything else, she couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye for more than a few seconds.
Scrooge swallowed hard and his fingers fidgeted even more for a moment while he contemplated his words.
He could feel the shift in the tension, could plainly see how Magica's body language shifted when he brought up how she hadn't stopped him or even complained about what happened between them in his office and he was curious about what that might mean.
She was right, he had only kissed her because he thought she was Goldie, but even after he realized something had seemed different he hadn't questioned it, even though he'd begun to suspect it might have been Magica he had continued with the charade despite having had opportunities to confront her before the wedding; of course, he hadn't believed she'd actually go through with the wedding, so he wasn't entirely sure but his gut, and his heart, told him that she wasn't Goldie and sure enough, both were right.
After a moment of silence Scrooge decided to take a chance by confessing one of the thoughts on his mind, hoping to lighten the mood and maybe show that their strange relationship wasn't too badly damaged.
"You know, it may sound sort of terrible but… in a way I'm actually relieved that I didn't end up marrying Goldie,"
Magica couldn't not look him in eye with her own eyes widened in shock at his statement, "What?... Why? WAIT… Are you saying you're glad you married ME?" she asked, thoroughly confused.
Scrooge loved Goldie; if he had realized sooner that she wasn't Goldie he surely would never have proposed, let alone actually gone through with the ceremony… so just what the heck was he saying?
Scrooge scratched the back of his head with one hand, the fingers on the other still fidgeting, eyes now looking away as he responded.
"What I mean is that I can't help but think that maybe I acted on impulse and would have come to regret it later… or that the real Goldie would have left me at the altar," He explained with an awkward laugh. "Ultimately, as much as a part of me wanted to believe she'd actually marry me, I don't think she would… and the more I think about it, maybe this situation worked out for the best, in a weird way,"
Magica nodded, now understanding and feeling a little relieved herself; at least it was looking like things weren't as bad she'd thought, maybe she hadn't lost Scrooge after all…
"Maybe… so I take it this means you're not- never mind!" Magica stammered, realizing what she about to say would sound ridiculous and catching herself mid-sentence.
Scrooge just chuckled, knowing what she was going to say anyway. "No, I'm not that mad, and no, this won't change anything… at least, I don't think it will,"
Magica glared at him for a moment, irritated that he seemed to be able to read her mind, then realized what he said at the end.
"What do you mean 'you don't think' this will change anything?" she asked curiously.
Scrooge continued to avert his gaze as he spoke, "Well… I still can't help wondering about something…"
"What?"
"That day in the office… like I said, you didn't… well, you seemed to… enjoy… what happened," he said, face flushing a bit as he spoke.
Magica's faced reddened as she listened to him hesitantly admitting what was on his mind and again recalled what had happened.
If she dared to be honest about it: yes, Magica had thoroughly enjoyed that situation, probably as much as he clearly had since there was a good probability of things continuing had they not been interrupted, but would she dare to tell him that?
"So… um, what exactly was all that? Why didn't you stop- I mean you could have said something… unless… did you…?" Scrooge finally asked outright, trying not to think about it too much because if he was honest; yes, he had liked it and yes, he wouldn't be averse to seeing what kissing Magica would be like when she wasn't pretending to be someone else, but he would never dare for fear of being cursed.
Magica couldn't think of what to say, obviously there was the truth, but she couldn't say that she'd liked it!... could she?
Then the thought crossed her mind that Scrooge hadn't complained or said anything about being put off or disgusted or anything negative about it…
"Well, what about you? You don't seem to be upset about it or anything," She asked, a sudden bolt of courage allowing her to pose the question.
Scrooge looked her in eye, surprised she turned the question back on him. "That's not fair! I didn't know it was you at the time and besides, I asked you first!" He snapped, face a shade redder now.
"Well, now I asked you!" Magica shot back, face still red as well.
The two of them just argued back and forth for a bit about who should answer first until finally their bickering was interrupted.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Will you two just admit you both liked making out with each other and shut up already!" An agitated Poe snapped, looking up groggily from the chair.
Scrooge and Magica both fell silent when Poe snapped.
"I'm sorry Poe, we didn't mean to wake you," Magica said, looking at her brother apologetically.
'It's fine, just kiss and make up already. I'm going back to sleep," and with that, he snuggled back in his blanket nest and fell asleep again.
Magica stood. "Maybe we should go into the other room if we're going to keep fighting," she suggested.
"Good idea…" Scrooge said somewhat absently, getting up and following Magica into the bedroom.
"Now, are you going to answer the question?" Magica asked as they entered the room and she closed the door behind them.
"You know what, maybe we should just drop it and get some sleep too," Scrooge said, forcing a yawn and stretching his arms.
"What! No, you're going to answer the question Scrooge!" Magica snapped.
"Not unless you answer first!" He snapped back.
"No, you first!"
Again, they started bickering to avoid having to admit to anything, until Scrooge started to turn his back to her and walk to the bed.
"I'm just going back to bed and try to get some sleep,"
"No, you don't! You're not getting out of answering the question!"
Magica grabbed his arm, yanking him to make him face her again and in the process, he lost his balance and when he fell, he took her down with him.
They landed with a thud on the floor… her landing on her back and him on top of her.
They looked at each other, faces beet red, for a long moment before Scrooge tried to gently get up and again, he accidentally brushed her beak with his.
This time she started it; unable to resist the temptation, she pressed her beak to his and her arms made their way around his neck, pulling him back down.
Scrooge didn't take long to respond, kissing her back and running his fingers through her hair.
After a bit he broke the kiss and buried his beak in her neck feathers, nuzzling her.
"Magica," He softly murmured as he planted light kisses on her neck and his hands began to gently roam.
Hearing him saying her name while running his hands over her and kissing her like he was felt wonderful and riled her up even more than she already was.
"Ooh, Scroogie darling," she cooed as she enjoyed his touch and writhed in response, "Kiss me," she breathed in his ear and he obliged, returning to her lips after placing a last, passionate kiss on her neck.
When Scrooge felt her tugging his robe open, he stopped kissing, and pulled away.
"Magica… what…?" He asked breathlessly.
"What? We are married and this is our wedding night…" she grinned seductively at him. "But if it makes you feel better… yes, obviously I enjoy kissing you,"
Scrooge chuckled. "Now you answer my question,"
"Yes, and clearly your answer is the same or you wouldn't be kissing me or touching me the way you have been," she said, pushing her hands under the robe and rubbing his shoulders.
"But Magica-" Scrooge attempted to talk to her further but was cut off by another intense kiss.
"M-Magica please, we really should discuss this," Scrooge said, forcing himself to pull away and sitting up.
Magica sat up, looking rather annoyed. "What's wrong Scrooge? Why do you insist on stopping?" she asked as they again sat up and she pushed the nightgown straps from her shoulders and gave him a seductive look, "Like I said, we're married and it's our wedding night… so why not?"
Scrooge swallowed hard and took a deep breath to compose himself, then looked her in the eye, "You're right, but also wrong… you used a name that wasn't yours so it's not legal and I married you under false pretenses so this still doesn't feel quite right,"
Magica's face fell. "You're denying me on our wedding night over a technicality? Scrooge!" she whined.
Scrooge looked away to keep his eyes from focusing too much on the straps of her nightgown hanging off her shoulders. "I just think that, well, we shouldn't do something we're going to regret…" He chuckled, "Believe me, it's not easy for me to do this, but I think we should stop and I still think we need to make sure this marriage is annulled, if necessary, tomorrow," he tried to stroke her cheek but she pulled away.
"So, you mean you don't want… this?" Magica asked, starting to back away from him.
"No!" He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to him, into an embrace. "No, that's not what I'm saying… It's just... I'm not sure this is the right time and I think that… well… we shouldn't…unless we're both really sure…" Scrooge sighed, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say.
"Well, considering I did try to undress you, I think I'm sure," she deadpanned.
Scrooge sighed again, she still didn't seem to get it, "Are you, really? I mean, what exactly is it you want?" he knew he had to be blushing furiously and he was too embarrassed to say the actual words, to ask outright if she simply wanted one night or something more.
"I want you, obviously," she tried to kiss him again but he turned away, why was he acting like this? All over her one minute, then seemingly afraid the next, she didn't understand.
"Magica, please, part of me wants to just let this happen too but, I can't… I don't want… something that's not real,"
She just looked confused for a moment, then it dawned on her: he wanted to know if what was happening between them was because of love or because of lust.
Suddenly she felt terrible, could he be trying to tell her that while he was attracted to her, he wasn't in love with her and therefore didn't want to go any further? Then it occurred to her that he thought she didn't love him and just wanted… wait, did she love him?
Magica thought about it, thought about how she'd been feeling since that day in his office, since the day she'd first met him…
He infuriated her, constantly standing her way and preventing her from achieving her goals of getting the Midas touch and saving her brother.
He drove her absolutely insane because he always bested her, was constantly either on par with, or one step ahead of her with most every plan she tried to get the dime and he wasn't shy about it either, often playfully gloating or teasing her about his victories, and the fact that she had grown to find that stupid, smug grin of his to be kind of cute, also drove her crazy.
He had gotten thoroughly under her skin to the point that she rarely went a day without at least thinking about him, if not trying a new plan to get the dime; sometimes she helped him recover the dime from another thief and other times he helped her out with her own troubles. He had become an ever-present fixture in her life.
He made her feel things she'd never imagined when he kissed her in his office, got under her skin in a completely different way and hearing him utter Goldie's name while loving her, had actually sparked some jealously, a brief moment of wishing it was her name on his lips instead, then just moments ago when it was, it made her heart soar.
Of course, she was in love with him, he was her perfect match in so many ways how could she not have eventually fallen for him?
After a long silence, she finally spoke, "Scrooge…" she looked helplessly into his eyes, "I… I was jealous," she started.
"Jealous?" He asked, confused.
"Yes, that day in the office, I was jealous when you said her name while holding and kissing me… I know I was disguised and making you believe I was her but… I still got jealous," Magica laughed a little at the silliness of it.
Scrooge laughed a little as well, "Really?"
Magica nodded, "Yes, but I didn't know why until I was out on the balcony, in the freezing cold, and Poe confronted me about it,"
He looked at her curiously, "Okay… why?"
She took a deep breath and readied herself for rejection. "Because… I…I don't know when it happened but… I love you, Scrooge McDuck," she finally forced out, following up by pulling him into a kiss, figuring if she was going to get her heart broken, she might as well get one last kiss.
To her great surprise he kissed her back and held her close.
"This isn't a trick, right?" He asked when they finally parted, "You really mean it?"
"Yes, Scrooge, I meant it honestly… I love you… but I understand that you-"
He cut her off, "Magica… I didn't realize it until tonight but… the reason I was so upset by this scheme of yours… I hated the thought that it was all a trick, that you didn't care…" now he was the one looking helpless, "Magica I realized tonight that I… I love you and that's another reason why I'm glad I didn't end up marrying Goldie…"
He kissed her intimately, passionately, and she responded, returning every ounce of passion, and after a bit they parted again.
"So, what happens now?" Magica asked, gently stroking his arm with her finger tips.
"Well, I think we should get some sleep now, we have a lot to do tomorrow," he replied, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
"You still want to end the marriage? Earlier I did agree with you about it but now… why? Is it because you would rather keep things between us a secret? I can understand that I suppose,"
Magica looked hurt but Scrooge just smiled and shook his head.
"No, I just think if we want to do this then we should do it the right way; without false pretenses and then, if we decide to, get married for real when the time is right and no one is going out of their minds worrying that I've been abducted,"
Scrooge laughed and Magica realized that yes, his family likely believed that he was her prisoner, and yes, that would be a terrible way to start their new relationship.
"Okay, you make an incredibly good point..." she admitted, fixing her nightgown straps, "Besides, I think would prefer to hear you say you take ME as your lawfully wedded wife instead of Goldie," she laughed as they finally stood up.
"And one more thing," Scrooge said, looking deeply into her eyes, "I'll help you in anyway I can to find a way to save Poe,"
Magica felt her eyes well up at those words, "I love you…" she said softly before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. "Thank you so much…" she whispered in his ear as she released him.
"I love you too, but don't think you're going to get out of helping me explain everything to everyone tomorrow, or apologizing," he said, grinning and pretending to be stern.
"Really? Do I have to?" she mock-whined, grinning back at him.
He nodded, "If you're serious about this, about you and I not being enemies anymore and being… well…" He blushed, again too embarrassed to say the word.
"Lovers?" She smiled teasingly and gently flicked the bottom of his beak with her finger.
He nodded again, face even redder, "Yes… that… um, well, you should set things right so we can start this new relationship on the right foot,"
Magica giggled and got into the bed, then turned to Scrooge, "You're right Scroogie- hey! Where are you going?" she interrupted herself when she saw him heading for the door.
"I thought I'd let you have the bed and I'd sleep on the couch, or did you want to go sleep in the other room with your brother?" Scrooge asked, confused.
Magica gave him an annoyed look, "I want to sleep in here, in the bed, with YOU!" she snapped.
Scrooge grinned playfully, "Are you sure about that, I mean you were having trouble behaving yourself just a minute ago," He teased her.
Magica groaned. "Oh, come on Scroogie, I'll behave so just let me at least have this… it's our wedding night after all," she laughed.
He chuckled as he got into bed beside her. "Alright, alright…" He kissed her tenderly as they settled in, "Goodnight love,"
She snuggled against him, "Goodnight darling,"
They lay there, snuggling and cuddling until they fell asleep.
They didn't know where this new relationship would go or if it would be accepted by anyone other than Poe, but what they did know was that they would have Scrooge's rather peeved family to deal with the next day when they got back to Duckburg.