A Rewritten Family History
When I loosely outlined major plot points I wanted for this piece at the start of hiatus I had always planned for Della to properly meet Drake in this universe shortly after Moonvasion (early June) and then the big Goss introduction to occur around July 4th ... THEN LETS GET DANGEROUS was announced!... this chapter was completed just before said episode aired...hope you enjoy...
Della stepped off the hydrolater with Selene a few hours later all dressed up from their recent trip to the spa and boutique.
"Hey Fenton," she spoke with a smile as her fiancé's lab assistant looked up from what he was working on, flashing her a smile as he gave her a once over.
"WOW!" he spoke as she noticed a slight flush peaking through his dark feathers. "You clean up… Doctor Gearloose is a lucky one."
Giving a playful twirl Della couldn't help but nod her head as she watched the younger duck squirm a bit.
"I'm the lucky one," she spoke with a smile stepping further into the lab, "Though don't tell him I said that, it's your job as his assistant to keep his ego in check."
Fenton couldn't help but chuckle at her comment before nodding in agreement, his eyes still trained on Selene filled with a look of wonderment and intrigue.
"So, where is Gyro anyway? He does remember that we agreed to meet here and not our place."
"He stepped out to pick up a birthday gift for you, speaking of…"
Della watched as Fenton crossed the room before picking up a small gift bag from his work station.
"And before you say I didn't have to get you anything know I wanted to."
Taking the bag and pushing the tissue paper aside in the moment she soon revealed a leather bound book with the initials DG embossed on its front. A smile crossing her bill at the sight of her once and future 'married initials'.
"For journaling or sketching out blueprints for a new aircraft safe from Launchpad's crash happiness."
Della couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that jab at her friends expense before giving Fenton a friendly shoulder squeeze.
"I love it," she replied as she let go and began to cross the room to place the book on a bookshelf for safe keeping. Eyeing a book called 'The Great Outdoors For Dummies.' she could feel her heart melt a bit thinking about just how dedicated a father Gyro had been to Huey in the time she'd been gone. Her thoughts were broken however as Fenton's voice spoke up again.
"So…" he said, eyes looking back toward the Ibis who'd been standing silently across the room acting as a passive observer to the moment. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend."
Gently slapping her face with her hand, Della thought of how rude it must of made her look.
"Sorry, sorry," she spoke in an apologetic tone crossing the lab once more until she had stood between the scientist and goddess.
"Fenton, this is Selene one of my oldest and dearest friends...Selene, this is Gyro's lab assistant Fenton."
Della couldn't help but watch as her friend reached out to take Selena's hand, giving it a quick kiss before looking back up to gaze into her eyes.
"Selene, that's a pretty name...like the moon goddess?"
The Ibis couldn't help but let out a melodic laugh at his comment.
"One and the same," Selene spoke as the look on Fenton's face in the moment was priceless as he looked over toward Della.
"Your life is more colorful than I thought, best friends with a goddess!"
"You don't have to give me any special treatment, think of me as just a girl standing in front of a boy…"
"...asking him to love her."
Della and Selene gave Fenton a look causing him to blush some more.
"Never mind."
Della looked at the way Fenton was still looking at Selene as she shrugged her shoulders back as an idea popped in her head, the bulb that had been resting in her hand in the moment lighting up simply added an effect.
"You two should come with, we can make it a party, I mean Sel is already dressed for it."
"Absolutely NOT!" Selene said, "you and your doctor deserve this much needed date night. But if Fenton wishes he can escort me back to your place."
"It would be an honor and a pleasure, just let me pack up my work space and we can be on our way."
Della couldn't help but turn to Selene and let out a small squeal of delight. Sure it was a slippery slope for her friend to get involved too deeply with a mortal but she couldn't help but think the two of them would be so cute together and who knew...maybe Zeus would be swayed if he found out about Fenton's not so secret identity.
While tonight was all about her and her fiancé she couldn't help but have visions of double dates dance around in her head once more like she had when she thought Launchpad and Penny would have been a nice couple. Those thoughts were soon put on pause as the hydrator opened up and her heart began to flutter once more as the doctor entered his lab. He was all dressed up himself in a dark blue suit and red bow tie, his hair having slightly less product in it then he'd been using as of late allowing for his natural curls to shine.
Letting out a deep sigh, Della couldn't help but think of the first time that the two of them met.
March 2000:
The Guest House had always been a place of solace for Della, especially when Donald wanted to practice his music. It wasn't normal that the place was occupied, usually only being used if one of her uncles contemporaries or a member of their distant family had come to call.
At sixteen, Della was a girl on a mission and that mission was to design and build her own airplane by the time she turned eighteen sure it was ambitious but nothing could stop Della Duck when she put her mind to things. She was hard at work sketching when a sound shook her from her concentration.
"It's just an old house, it's settling." she thought to herself when suddenly she heard voices.
"It's not much compared to the main house lad…" she heard her Uncle Scrooge speak before hearing another, much younger, male voice begin to speak.
"It's more than enough, you don't have to give me room and board."
"Nonsense, I will not have the head of my scientific division living in a motel or worse living on the street."
"I promise I won't overstay my welcome, I'll find an apartment and…"
Della realized she was spotted as she looked over toward her uncle and the man he'd been with.
Could she even call him a man? He was a boy about her age, a bit of a beanpole with kind eyes and a messy mop of curls.
"What are ye doing here lass?" Scrooge asked.
"Drafting."
She watched as her uncle turned to the boy, a proud smile crossing his bill.
"My niece Della here is a bit of an engineer herself."
"Are you now?" The boy asked as he looked over toward the open notebook resting on the table.
She watched the way he raised his brow, judging her before finally breaking the tension.
"Impressive…"
"Go on say it… for a girl."
"I was going to say for an amateur."
"AMATEUR! You're what sixteen like me?"
"Yes, but I received my masters at the age of thirteen and just came off of having a prestigious internship."
Watching as he held out his hand the chicken flashed her a smirk that silently said I am better than you before speaking up again.
"I'm Gyro Gearloose , remember that name because I'm going to change the world some day."
Della nodded thinking in the moment while his ambitions were lofty she didn't doubt them one bit.
"For you," Gyro said, handing her a bouquet of Blue and Ivory roses.
She smiled at the bouquet thinking about how roses were her birth flower and the meanings behind the colors he'd chosen thinking about how much thought must have gone into this.
"They are lovely," she said as she gave the flowers a quick sniff before beginning to lean in for a hug. Gyro stepped back however with a shake of his head before reaching into the interior pocket of his jacket soon pulling out a box causing her to slowly shake her head.
"I know… but like your Aunt Goldie says never commit your heart unless there's jewelry and besides I missed a few birthdays."
As she opened up the box to reveal a pearl necklace she couldn't help but smile. Sure, aside from her ring she wasn't a big jewelry person however pearl was her birthstone and it was a classic statement piece that could go with anything including what she had on. Motioning for Gyro to clasp the necklace around her neck it was then that she noticed Fenton who had been all packed and ready to leave still standing across the room with Selene taking photos of the couple with his phone.
"They look so adorable Don't they," Della could hear Selene whisper, "I wish I could have something like that someday."
Fenton's cheeks flushed a bit, Della noticed but she wasn't going to say anything as soon Selene linked her arms with the other duck and began to head out of the lab, Della and Gyro close behind
They had decided to hold their date at a quaint wine bar in Downtown Duckburg where during the weekends they were known for their music. It was a Sunday night and an in house jazz band was hitting the stage and a fair amount of tables were removed to make way for a dance floor. While she'd been the one to initially suggest dancing, thinking about the museum gala a lifetime ago where she was pleasantly surprised by Gyro's waltzing prowess she was beginning to second guess herself as her eyes drifted subtly toward her prostatitis.
"Follow my lead," Gyro spoke as he gently cupped her chin with his palm before flashing her a reassuring smile. Nodding, Della took his hand as the next song began.
It was like second nature moving around the bar in her fiancé's arms as if they were the only two people there.
They weren't the only two there however as proven by the fact that she could feel the gaze of a duck dressed in a purple dress shirt looking at them from over a glass of Pinot. Normally she would just ignore a thing like that however there was something about him that gave her a stinging sensation of deja vu though where she'd seen him before she just couldn't place. One of those faces she guessed.
"We're going to take a brief intermission but we will be back soon," the pianist of the jazz ensemble spoke as the music stopped.
"I'm going to get us some hydration," Gyro spoke soon after placing a peck on her forehead making her wonder if her love language had in fact been physical contact after all and not words of affirmation as she had initially thought.
As her fiancé walked away, Della watched as the mystery man from across the room soon got up and began to head into her direction.
"Della Duck?" He spoke in a tone that sounded as if he were asking a question as she simply nodded.
"A mutual friend of ours told me that you'd be here tonight and so I thought I'd introduce myself and perhaps throw a business proposal your way."
"If said friend knew I'd be here I'm sure he also knew that I'd be here on a date night for my birthday."
Della watched as the man shook his head clearly not up on that detail as she shared it with him.
"He might have missed that detail, to be honest he was just so excited at the prospect of the two of us meeting."
"Well, you know my name but I seem to be at a disadvantage as I don't know yours."
The man simply nodded as he held out his hand with a wide grin crossing his lips.
"Drake Mallard."