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When the girls had been racing to the hospital it seemed as though time was impossible to measure since it was going by so fast. Now when Minnie, Millie and Daisy were waiting outside of Horace's room, time was slower than the sickest tortoise. Clarabelle was inside and woe to any doctor that attempted to make her leave, lest they wanted a painful headlock. The waiting girls struggled to keep patient with small talk, which was helped by the fact Millie was still wearing her wedding dress and getting plenty of stares. Minnie could have helped with the talks by telling them what had happened ever since Mickey's crew attacked Mortimer's ship but she was having an uncomfortable time with those memories.

Minnie was feeling selfish by being so concerned with what Ortensia said when there were other more important matters going on. She shook her head hard to try and get rid of the cat's comments and focus on the situation at hand. Why had Horace's back begun bleeding so terribly after that attack? What did Clarabelle mean by 'his back is still bad'? Minnie cast a glance to Daisy who looked just as confused, and then glanced at Millie who carried a sad understanding. If Millie understood it, and Pete had been 'reminded' about it, then did it have something to do with their childhood long ago?

Minnie was tempted to ask when the door to Horace's room opened and Clarabelle staggered out. The three girls stood at once, and they could tell from her reddened eyes and exhausted appearance that Clarabelle had been sobbing heavily. Minnie couldn't remember a time if she'd ever seen Clarabelle cry. Clarabelle had been one of the strongest and most stubborn women Minnie had ever known, so to see the cow falling apart like this was startling. Millie tried to use her wedding veil to wipe at Clarabelle's face and Daisy led Clarabelle to the waiting chairs for her to sit. Minnie watched them and asked what they had all been wondering. "Is… is Horace okay…?"

Clarabelle nodded slowly with distant eyes. It was if part of her wasn't with them but somewhere distant and painful. Daisy took Clarabelle's hand and tried to get her attention. "Clarabelle, what's going on with him? What's wrong with him? I-It was like his back was exploding!" Minnie jabbed Daisy with her elbow to try and stop her from being so morbidly descriptive, and Daisy ducked her head in apology.

Clarabelle's head lowered, and her fists clenched her pants, a tremble to her arms. "… It's my fault." She spoke and even her voice was radically different. It was delicate and timid as if she was going to break into a million pieces. "It's my fault he's in there."

Millie made gentle shushing noises and touched Clarabelle's shoulder. "Don't say that, it isn't - "

Clarabelle shrugged off the help. "It is… I, I, I should have made him go home, I shouldn't have let him stay at the palace…" Her breath began to hitch and quicken in anger. "Why does he have to be so stupid… Why does he always feel like he has to be some… some hero…" She heaved heavily in an attempt to calm down and refused to look at her friends. "… His back is my entire fault. I almost killed him."

"That was an accident!" Millie insisted, looking back and forth between Clarabelle and Daisy with Minnie, the latter looking confused. Millie began to stammer, unsure if this was the time or place to explain what was really going on. "H-H-Horace, he, uh, well… he g-got his back injured a long time ago, and it's still, um, pretty bad, and…"

"Stop it." Clarabelle slowly sat up straight though would still not meet anyone's eyes. "I'll tell them." She took a breath, and closed her eyes. "… When I was little… when we were all little… I really liked playing with my dad's matches… I would always take them from his desk and go outside to light them. I just… liked the sound, the smell, the look… to make fire so quickly, it was like magic… I thought playing with fire made me brave, and I'd show off to everyone else…" Millie leaned her head on Clarabelle's shoulder, and Minnie and Daisy held onto Clarabelle's arm. "… One of our favorite places to play was this old farmhouse nobody used anymore… One day I brought the matches there, and I began to play with them…"

Clarabelle's body began to shake even harder and fresh tears were spilling. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't something or someone stop her? "… I wasn't even looking where I threw the matches when I was done with them… A fire had started but none of us realized it until… until it was too late… the entire farmhouse… it just…" It became evident that all of her shakes and tears weren't just of guilt but a deep seated fear. Clarabelle held herself as if to protect herself from the flames she was seeing again, her voice going in rapid pitches. "The fire was everywhere, and… and everything was falling apart… everyone else got out, but I was trapped… the ceiling was falling, and the fire just grew bigger and bigger… but Horace realized I hadn't gotten out, and he came back in to help me… but then… one of the ceiling planks… collapsed on top of him, and he…" She couldn't finish, and buried her face in her hands.

Millie tenderly stroked Clarabelle's head, and found silent permission to continue the story. "Horace's parents managed to get the both of them out. He had… a terrible burn on his back that's never fully healed. It's really limited him, it's why he shouldn't fight." Millie tried to wipe Clarabelle's face again with little success. "… All of our parents began fighting over whose fault it was. It got so bad that Pete and Peggy's parents moved away."

That final detail stuck out to Minnie as she reluctantly recalled Ortensia's lecture. Goofy running away, and Pete and Peggy's parents moving from such a good town… did that mean Ortensia was right? That these children were doomed from the start to become pirates? No, that couldn't be it. Surely Minnie was jumping to conclusions, and she bit on her lip to try and focus again on the matters at hand. She didn't know Horace as well as the other girls but she knew enough to be confident in what she said. "Clarabelle, there's no way Horace would blame you for any of that. It wasn't your fault."

"Why doesn't he blame me?!" Clarabelle's hands suddenly slammed down on the arm rests. "Why does he think he's invincible? Why doesn't he hate me?" She was almost screaming as she slammed down her fists over and over. For all the hate she had for herself, why didn't Horace feel the same? Even Clarabelle's own parents had blamed her, her father had even struck her for what happened, so why didn't Horace? She didn't deserve all of the friendship and kindness he bestowed on her yet she had always so selfishly clung to it. Did she love him on some level? Most definitely. There was no way she deserved to feel this way, she thought, and never in a million years could she earn the right to have that love given back.

Words became lost to her as she sobbed, and the girls could find no words of their own to comfort her. All they could think to do was gather together and hold each other close as a mutual understanding was reached. To love someone so deeply and yet know you did not deserve such affections in return was something they all hesitantly admitted to themselves. Millie's relationship with Goofy was constantly putting him in danger, Daisy treated Donald shabbily with all of her affairs, and Minnie couldn't get a particular image out of her head – an impossibly beautiful mother with the same eyes. How does someone tell the difference between love and lies?

It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, they honestly had no idea, before a new voice penetrated their circle. "Is this a bad time?" Minnie looked up and saw a lovely young woman standing nearby and looking right at them. She was wearing the exact same uniform as Captain Amelia, though her peaceful face made the appearance less intimidating. She was a fair human with slightly pale skin that helped her blue eyes stand out all the more. Her light brown hair was tied up tightly in a bun, and she was tapping a pen against a notebook in an effort to keep her hands busy. "You girls are…" she checked her notebook to keep busy. "… Minerva Mouse, Daisy Duck, Millicent Manchester, and Clarabelle Cow, correct?"

"We are." Daisy replied angrily, her grip on Clarabelle tightening. "Do we look like we're in a mood to chat?"

The woman stopped tapping and frowned in sympathy. "… I am sorry, but I've been given orders to get you girls back to base. Except Clarabelle, here, I think we can make an exception." When Clarabelle lifted her head for this, the woman offered a smile. "I was assigned today and given all the details of what happened during the wedding. You can stay here with your friend." She closed her notebook and gestured to herself. "My name is Jane Porter, and I'll be standing in for Amelia Doppler until her leave of absence is over."

Minnie's eyes widened and she rose to her feet. "Leave of absence? What happened to the captain?"

Jane's smile grew bigger. "She's on maternity leave. She probably won't be back until after she's had the baby."

If the girls hadn't been sitting already, they would have been knocked off their feet at this news. Minnie found herself sitting back down like the news was a heavy gust of wind. The idea of Amelia pregnant was mind boggling. Daisy touched her forehead in shock. "I didn't know the captain was pregnant!"

"I didn't even know she was married." Clarabelle mumbled, and it gave the girls pause. Come to think of it, Amelia never spoke about any husband and gloves always covered her hands so spotting a wedding ring had never been thought of. They tried to imagine what kind of man would be suitable for Amelia, and came up with images of a strong, hulking man who was the stuff of nightmares.

Jane cleared her throat to get their attention. "I'm sure you'll have enough time to question her later, but we really must be going."

The friends looked to Clarabelle with hesitance but she nodded with a sigh. "I'll call you later. I'll be all right." One last group hug was shared before they reluctantly tore themselves away from her and followed Jane. Minnie rubbed her face and made an attempt to cheer herself up. Horace would be all right, and Clarabelle would join the girls soon enough. Amelia would come back too and now that she was pregnant she was a little adorable in Minnie's vision. Everyone who attended the wedding would be fine thanks to Mickey's vow not to kill. She could find positive things about every situation except when it actually came to Mickey.

But really, what did she have to be upset about? Ortensia was just proving Minnie had been right, that Mickey didn't… l-word Minnie. Soon Mickey would realize the connection and finally leave Minnie alone. He was just chasing after an illusion. That's all Minnie was to him. This should have good news yet Minnie became so overwhelmingly distracted by it that she wound up bumping into a nurse. She backed up and apologized quickly before quickly running to catch up with the girls. The brown cat nurse hadn't seemed to mind, but Minnie did note for a short second that the nurse was wearing a singular golden armband. It was a strange accessory for a nurse, but the thoughts of Mickey were enough to distract her again.

~*~

The next day, mid-afternoon to be exact, Drake Mallard was in a wonderful mood. Ever since he and Donald had first met Morgana, he had been making all sorts of excuses to go to the same building and see her again. He had even taken her on dates all while under the persona of Darkwing Duck. In his egotistical mind he believed Morgana was helplessly in love with him and so he never thought about the consequences. To his credit he had tried to ask about Magica's business a few times but she would retort about his dazzling eyes or his dashing physique and the topic was easily changed. Launchpad by this point had given up trying to point out the obvious, and as he guided Drake's carriage that day he was grumbling with each block they crossed.

As they traveled along Launchpad spotted Donald at the corner of the next street, and Launchpad waved his hand to try and get the duck's attention while slowing the carriage down to a halt. Launchpad liked Donald, though he had trouble understanding what he said. Donald caught the gesture but instead of waving back his eyes went right to the carriage. He bolted from his place on the corner and headed right to the carriage. Launchpad tried to greet him but went ignored as Donald slammed open the door to the carriage and jumped inside, snarling ferociously and pointing at Darking. "You!"

Drake sat up straight to respond to him. "V, W, X, Y and Z. What do you want?"

Donald closed the door behind him, and Drake could see a newspaper in Donald's hand. Donald leaned forward dangerously, his body quivering in anger. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Drake was about to reply with his classic wit but something was terribly off about Donald. This wasn't Donald's usual temper tantrum that was funny to watch but an unfathomable rage that looked ready to kill. This was emphasized when Donald grabbed the front of Drake's jacket and slammed him against the back of his seat. "Do you realize what you've done to me and my family?!"

Drake grabbed Donald's wrist in an attempt to wrench him off. "Enlighten me, and while you're at it, have a breath mint."

Donald was in no mood for jokes and shoved the newspaper into Drake's face. He didn't give Drake a chance to properly read it before saying the news for him. "My uncle has been kidnapped!"

"What?" Drake fumbled with the paper and tried to read as fast as his eyes could go. The night before, Scrooge McDuck had gone missing and couldn't be found in any of his business ventures. His servants had reported that he had no appointments to go anywhere, and there were some valuables missing from his office. Someone had cracked his security code to get in but there were no suspects as of yet. "This only says he's missing." Drake said slowly but even he knew it wasn't such a reach to agree to what Donald was saying.

Donald's fists clenched and his voice grew deeper with his anger. "My uncle has been able to fight off anyone who's tried to hurt him, even pirates. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't joined your organization and started looking into Magica's business!"

"First off," Drake folded the paper in his hands. "There's no connection between what we're doing and his disappearance. You've been keeping your identity a secret, and there weren't any clues at the crime scene to indicate - "

"Why weren't you at the crime scene?" Donald interrupted, looking as if he was physically struggling not to strike Drake. "You've been in contact with him before, you told him to trust you! You haven't tried to do anything about this case! You wanted me to join help to help you fight crime, but instead all you've done is ignore me for some broad and put my uncle in danger! You're nothing but a fraud!" The struggle was lost, and he grabbed Drake by the shoulders, slamming him against the seat again. "If my uncle is hurt, I swear I'll expose you and everything about the Justice Ducks!"

Drake was uncharacteristically quiet. It wasn't out of fear because he knew he could easily win in a fight against Donald and that there were always precautions taken to protect the secrets of the Justice Ducks. His silence came from the guilty bad taste knowing some of what Donald was saying was true. He swallowed down those unpleasant feelings and tried to sound serious. "I can admit I'm not perfect", which wasn't easy, "but you've got to believe I haven't been neglecting things on purpose. If Magica was involved with Scrooge's disappearance, we'll find out. Just give me some to investigate."

"I've already done investigating on my own, since you wouldn't." Donald sneered as he let go of Drake's shoulders. "My ex-girlfriend Donna works in Magica's company. She helped me look into some things. The accounting department has a fake account with funds reserved for false purposes. Donna's bosses say it's for charity donations, but the charity organizations they supposedly donate to don't exist."

Drake was already connecting the dots together in his mind. "That account has to be how they pay the pirates to do their dirty work! If someone kidnapped your uncle, they could have been paid out of that account. We have to find the exact source and flow of that money."

"Maybe you can." Donald reopened the door to the carriage. "Because according to Donna, Morgana is in charge of the charity donations." He left without another word, and ignored Launchpad's attempted greeting again. Launchpad shrugged it off, and stirred the carriage into motion again, oblivious to what had transpired inside the carriage. He resumed the original trip which was to take Drake home. As for Drake, his eyes burned into the newspaper as Donald's words rung in his head. Why did Donald insist that Morgana was part of the problem? Surely she didn't know any evil misdeeds were going on, and if she did, she'd cry about them into Drake's strong, loving arms. He could feel a flicker of common sense nagging at his brain to see the truth about this affair, but his love for the woman continued to defeat it.

They weren't far from Drake's house and he was relieved when the carriage came to a stop. All of his troubles could be forgotten when he was here. He rolled up the newspaper and stood up with a smile. There was one person who he loved more than Morgana and she was waiting for him inside his house. He stepped out of the carriage, and waved Launchpad off. Launchpad bade him farewell, but as he rode off, he spotted someone at Drake's door. He wondered who this gorgeous woman was but he was already gone before he could question her existence.

Drake turned to head for his home and saw the woman as well. The newspaper was dropped in shock for the woman who stood there was Morgana, arms crossed and smiling coolly. Time froze and Drake's jaw dropped. Why was she here? How was she here? He had kept his identity a perfect secret yet there she was and her eyes were seeing right through him. Her expression said she knew almost everything. Drake mechanically picked up the paper and ever so slowly walked up to her. "Helloooooo there, miss!" He squeaked in a desperate attempt to play off as if he'd never seen her before. "Can I… help you with something?"

Morgana smirked down at him and she seemed now ten times taller. "Good day to you, sir." Her voice was both sweet and venomous, lying on her end as well. "My name is Morgana McCawber, and I'm from the DeSpell Group. I'm head of legal affairs and of our charity division, and we were wondering if you'd like to make a donation to our funds." Her eyes narrowed. "Our research has indicated you have a good fortune in your bank account… which, I must admit, is a little strange, given such the quaint little home you have." She looked behind her. Drake's home was nothing special and was the average staple for a middleclass man. "It makes me wonder what all of your money could possibly be spent towards."

Drake fumbled for words, as his love for her and her stellar beauty were causing his usual excuses to become lost in his brain. "Oh, well, you know, I, uh, I never cared for those mansions and fancy living. I've always wanted a simple life."

"That's very admirable." Morgana looked back to him. "But also puzzling, since we've also been unable to find where exactly you're employed. Which begs the question, just where is your fortune coming from?"

Drake wished he had worn stronger deodorant that day because of how profusely he had started to sweat. It was amazing how beautiful she was even when she was being threatening. "Inheritance?" He meekly attempted, leaning back as she leaned forward. "Um, listen, Miss McCawber, I'd love to answer all of these privacy invading questions, but I really need to get inside."

Morgana was now so close a penny could barely fit between their beaks. "I just wanted to make sure before we got any donations from you… we wouldn't want to be getting donations from any illegal funds. You aren't involved in any illegal activities, like, oh, I don't know, vigilantism, hm?"

Drake was not a praying man but he would have done anything for a miracle right then and there in any shape or form. He probably should have been more specific in his prayer -

BONK!

-so that a flowerpot falling from his own window wouldn't come crashing down on his head. It cracked on impact, covering his entire face in dirt with a single flower sticking out on his forehead. A voice from the same window called out soon after. "I didn't do it!"

Morgana looked up the window with surprise as for all her research she had gone through, none of it had indicated that Drake lived with anyone else. A little girl stuck her out of the window, a pretty little bird with fiery orange hair and curious blue eyes. She leaned on the windowsill to get a better look at the damage. "I'd apologize, dad, but like I said, I didn't do it!"

Morgana stared even harder at the child. 'Dad'? But Drake wasn't married and his kind of obnoxious morality would never allow him to cheat on women. She had also been led to believe that a man with such narcissism couldn't possibly care for another person, let alone a little girl. She had come there to ruin him but now found herself without footing. Drake began brushing the dirt off of his face with the newspaper. "Funny how you're still going to get grounded. And I'm in the middle of a conversation."

The girl took a quick look at Morgana and raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you never bring women home." She then grinned, and leaned out further. "Dad, did you get yourself a girlfriend?"

"Gosalyn!" Drake hissed as both he and surprisingly Morgana's cheeks reddened.

"I'll be down in a second to check her out!" Gosalyn began climbing out of the window.

Drake rolled up the newspaper and pointed at her in an attempt to discipline her. "Young lady, don't you dare climb down the storm drain again!"

She climbed down the storm drain again, easily sliding down until she was by the adults' side. On closer inspection her hair was wrapped up in two pigtails and instead of wearing a dress, as most girls her age would, she was in dirty overalls. She put her hands on her hips as she looked Morgana up and down. "So, you think you're good enough to date my dad? I know most women are into the single dad thing, but I'm going to have to see some credentials first."

Drake's hand shot out and clamped itself on Gosayln's beak. "Gosalyn, dear, apple of my eye, get in the house before I find the boarding school brochures." He began shoving her towards the door, nodding fervently at Morgana. "Well it was nice meeting you, but we have to go in, and… work on her homework!"

Gosayln managed to free her beak when Drake opened the door. "But I don't have any homework! And she's your first girlfriend, I wanna know about her!"

Drake's face had become redder than the flower still sticking out of his head. "And those boarding schools have the most delightful uniforms." He quickly closed the door behind him, although Morgana could still hear more playful squabbling.

Morgana stayed in place as she tried to understand what she just heard. She was his first girlfriend? It didn't make any sense if he had a daughter, but on top of that, Morgana had thought a man of Drake's age would have had other women in his life. Despite his ego, he had proven to be quite charming at times and he did seem earnest in his desire to protect the people. Her role had been to seduce him and find out what she could about the Justice Ducks in order to help destroy them but now something unprecedented had come up. He was a single father, and a good father if Gosalyn's words were any indication, and he was completely inexperienced with women.

Morgana found those traits wonderfully endearing. It would be the first of many mistakes she would make. She smiled to herself, and quietly left the house.

~*~

Mickey was lying uncomfortably on top of his bed that night. It was uncomfortable because for reasons he was still grasping with, Minnie wasn't in it with him. He flicked his yo-yo back and forth above his face, and the only other sound was Pluto's gentle snoring at the end of the bed. They had gotten a good haul from the wedding but Mickey was still unsatisfied. Why had Minnie looked so upset when she left the ship? He had apologized for his past errors and made sure she was treated well while on board. What reason did she have for those sad eyes?

There was a knock to his door and the voice that came with it was Ortensia's. "Can I come in?"

"Aye." Mickey didn't look at her as she entered and instead kept his eyes on the yo-yo. "Did ye do as I asked?"

"Dropped the rat and the rabbit off in the biggest garbage dump in the city." Ortensia walked up to the bed and then leaned on one of the bed posts. "Thanks for lettin' me stay on board."

"Well someone's gotta look out fer ye." He shrugged dismissively, still distracted by thoughts of Minnie. "Just stay outta trouble."

"Speakin' of which, what's our next job gunna be?" She put her hands on the bed and watched him in an attempt to get his attention. "Gunna be hard to top crashin' a royal weddin'."

"Dunno." Mickey sighed sadly as he slowed down his yo-yo tricks. "Maybe we should hit a gift shop. Minnie was lookin' glum when she left, I gotta find a way ta cheer her up."

Ortensia's pleasant demeanor was gone in an instant. Her claws dug into the bed sheets but she otherwise tried to control her anger. "She'll be fine. We gotta concentrate on a real job! Real money! Are there any banks ye haven't touched yet?"

Mickey sat up and rewound his yo-yo. "Maybe she didn't like the food we served." He tapped his chin in thought. "Who was in charge a dinner that night?" He looked at Ortensia and didn't understand why her eyes were full of frustration. "Did she talk to ye when she was on board? Did she anythin' about what upset her?"

"Who cares!" Ortensia scowled, climbing on top of the bed. "Maybe it was 'cause she was on a pirate ship and she's a N.A.V.Y. girl! Maybe it's 'cause she hates ye! Just forget about her and concentrate on the next haul!"

Pluto was woken up by the loud conversation, and yawned as Mickey spoke back to her. "What's got ye so upset, Ortensia? Anytime I bring up Minnie, ye get in a bad mood. Just 'cause she's a N.A.V.Y. girl doesn't mean she's our enemy. I thought I made meself clear in the letters that I was gunna marry the girl."

Ortensia ground her teeth as she spoke. "Those letters weren't clear at all, and I didn't understand why ye'd wanna go chasin' after her until I saw her meself. Ye don't love this girl at all!"

Pluto looked back and forth between them as the heat of their words escalated. Mickey put his yo-yo in his pocket and tapped his fingers on his knee. "What makes ye say that?"

Ortensia clenched and unclenched her hands, over and over, hesitant to say her thoughts but knowing they had to be said. Maybe this would help Mickey finally get over Minnie and see where a potential bride was this entire time. "… She… She's got yer ma's eyes! I know that's why yer goin' after her!"

Mickey stopped in place and he stared hard at his little sister. Even Pluto shut his mouth as those dangerous words hung in the air. When Mickey spoke it sent a chill down Ortensia's spine as it was an anger she'd rarely seen in him. "What. Did ye say." It wasn't a question, but a demand to know what insolent thing she had just uttered.

Feeling it was for Mickey's own good, Ortensia kept going and kept pleading. "She's got the exact same eyes, I'd never forget 'em in a million years! Ye only want the girl cause ye see yer ma in her! It ain't right! I told her it wasn't right!"

"Ye - " Mickey's arm was on her wrist before he made any conscious thought to do so. "Ye told her about ma?" The anger in the room had now been completely flipped over. It was now Mickey who was seething in rage. "Who gave ye that right ta tell her anythin' about ma?!"

Ortensia swiftly managed to yank her arm free and jumped off the bed to get a free spot. "Don't try and deny it! It's the only reason ye want her! Ye don't love her at all, ye just wanna rescue yer ma!"

Mickey climbed off his bed with a hard stomp on the floor. "Don't ye say another word about ma! I love Minnie fer who she is! This never had anythin' ta do with ma!"

"How would ye even know?" Ortensia stood her ground, determined to win this emotional battle. "Ye've never been in love before, how would ye know that's what ye got fer her? Yer chasin' nothin' but a dream!"

"I just know!" Mickey pounded his chest. He didn't care if the argument didn't make sense because he knew he was right. This overwhelming desire and desperation to be with her, how could it be anything else? To insult his love was as bad as insulting himself, especially since Ortensia had dragged his mother into this. "I love her, I do! And I'm gunna marry her and make her happy!"

"She won't make ye happy!" Ortensia was all but screaming, causing Pluto to crawl under the bed sheets in fright. "Yer only hurtin' yerself, ye… ye big fool!" Unable to bear another word from him, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door so hard it made Pluto jump in the bed. The dog slowly poked his head out to check on his master. Mickey stood in place, taking deep breathes in order to calm his nerves. The gentle whining of Pluto eased him, and he reached over to scratch his loyal hound between the ears.

"It's okay." Mickey murmured gently to his pet. "She's just tryin' ta look out fer me." Though why Ortensia was being so ridiculous about it was confusing. No matter what good intentions she had, there was no right in telling Minne about his mother. He sat on the bed and Pluto put his head on Mickey's lap. Mickey kept petting him as his thoughts wandered about. He had never made the connection between Minnie's eyes and those of his mother, but now that it was brought up he could somewhat see the resemblance. A part of him wondered if maybe his sister was right. Did he, on some level, go after Minnie because she resembled someone he had lost long ago?

"Nope." He said out lout with absolutely no hesitance. "Ma was ma, and Minnie is Minnie." Pluto lifted his head a little to try and understand what his master was trying to convey. "I may not have ever had a girl befer, but I know what I feel. Love's about wantin' ta make someone yers and make 'em happy, right?" Pluto shrugged in response but Mickey kept going. "And that's what I wanna do. I'm gunna marry Minnie cause I wanna make her happy, and I'm gunna make her smile every day, and I'm gunna be with her until I die, and then I'll beat up some angels so I can get inta heaven ta be with her." He then paused. "… Course she ain't happy now, I bet. What with Ortensia sayin' that stupid stuff. I gotta make her happy so she can marry me. She rejected me last gift so I gotta try harder. Now… what do girls like…" He tilted his head back and forth, the emotional plight with his mother and Ortensia easily shoved aside in favor of Minnie.

Pluto also tried to help his master think, and then came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. He sat up in place, his paws on Mickey's shoulders, yapping in delight. Mickey stared at him, trying to understand what the barking was supposed to convey. "What is it, boy? Ye got an idea?" Pluto nodded, and jumped off the bed. He pawed lightly at his collar, and Mickey's face burst into a smile upon recognition. "Why… that's a great idea! Aw, Pluto, ye really are man's best friend!" He slid off the bed to give his dog a hug, and after enduring a few ticklish licks from the pup, he released the dog. "It's a good thing we kept 'em around! Let's go pick out the right one fer her!" He and Pluto happily raced out of the room to get the perfect present for Minnie.

This idea was brilliant, and was sure to win Minnie's heart! It didn't occur to him that all of his past 'brilliant ideas sure to win Minnie's heart' hadn't worked out too well.

~*~

That same night, Horace was drifting in and out of consciousness. The drugs given to him were easing his pain but also giving him strange visions. In one moment of clarity, he thought he saw one of his nurses pushing his moving bed down a hallway and towards the exit. It didn't make sense to him, because he thought he'd heard one of his doctors say he wouldn't be cleared to leave for a week. He tried to talk to the nurse pushing his bed but found his mouth was sluggish. The nurse, a brown furred cat wearing a golden arm band, merely smiled at him as he fumbled to talk. Where was she taking him?

The cat looked ahead of her, and he blacked out again. When his consciousness returned, he couldn't have known how much time had passed, but he was definitely not in the hospital anymore. He couldn't tell where exactly he was but there was rumbling all around him. It wasn't that his bed was moving, but his bed was in some sort of moving vehicle. The cat was leaning against the wall, talking to people he couldn't see. Again, a futile effort to ask her what was going on was made. She ignored him, but he could make out a few words she was saying.

"One down." Was she chuckling? "I hope they're all this easy."

End of Chapter Twelve.

Description
When the girls had been racing to the hospital it seemed as though time was impossible to measure since it was going by so fast. Now when Minnie, Millie and Daisy were waiting outside of Horace's room, time was slower than the sickest tortoise. Clarabelle was inside and woe to any doctor that attempted to make her leave, lest they wanted a painful headlock. The waiting girls struggled to keep patient with small talk, which was helped by the fact Millie was still wearing her wedding dress and getting plenty of stares. Minnie could have helped with the talks by telling them what had happened ever since Mickey's crew attacked Mortimer's ship but she was having an uncomfortable time with those memories.

Minnie was feeling selfish by being so concerned with what Ortensia said when there were other more important matters going on. She shook her head hard to try and get rid of the cat's comments and focus on the situation at hand. Why had Horace's back begun bleeding so terribly after that attack? What did Clarabelle mean by 'his back is still bad'? Minnie cast a glance to Daisy who looked just as confused, and then glanced at Millie who carried a sad understanding. If Millie understood it, and Pete had been 'reminded' about it, then did it have something to do with their childhood long ago?

Minnie was tempted to ask when the door to Horace's room opened and Clarabelle staggered out. The three girls stood at once, and they could tell from her reddened eyes and exhausted appearance that Clarabelle had been sobbing heavily. Minnie couldn't remember a time if she'd ever seen Clarabelle cry. Clarabelle had been one of the strongest and most stubborn women Minnie had ever known, so to see the cow falling apart like this was startling. Millie tried to use her wedding veil to wipe at Clarabelle's face and Daisy led Clarabelle to the waiting chairs for her to sit. Minnie watched them and asked what they had all been wondering. "Is… is Horace okay…?"

Clarabelle nodded slowly with distant eyes. It was if part of her wasn't with them but somewhere distant and painful. Daisy took Clarabelle's hand and tried to get her attention. "Clarabelle, what's going on with him? What's wrong with him? I-It was like his back was exploding!" Minnie jabbed Daisy with her elbow to try and stop her from being so morbidly descriptive, and Daisy ducked her head in apology.

Clarabelle's head lowered, and her fists clenched her pants, a tremble to her arms. "… It's my fault." She spoke and even her voice was radically different. It was delicate and timid as if she was going to break into a million pieces. "It's my fault he's in there."

Millie made gentle shushing noises and touched Clarabelle's shoulder. "Don't say that, it isn't - "

Clarabelle shrugged off the help. "It is… I, I, I should have made him go home, I shouldn't have let him stay at the palace…" Her breath began to hitch and quicken in anger. "Why does he have to be so stupid… Why does he always feel like he has to be some… some hero…" She heaved heavily in an attempt to calm down and refused to look at her friends. "… His back is my entire fault. I almost killed him."

"That was an accident!" Millie insisted, looking back and forth between Clarabelle and Daisy with Minnie, the latter looking confused. Millie began to stammer, unsure if this was the time or place to explain what was really going on. "H-H-Horace, he, uh, well… he g-got his back injured a long time ago, and it's still, um, pretty bad, and…"

"Stop it." Clarabelle slowly sat up straight though would still not meet anyone's eyes. "I'll tell them." She took a breath, and closed her eyes. "… When I was little… when we were all little… I really liked playing with my dad's matches… I would always take them from his desk and go outside to light them. I just… liked the sound, the smell, the look… to make fire so quickly, it was like magic… I thought playing with fire made me brave, and I'd show off to everyone else…" Millie leaned her head on Clarabelle's shoulder, and Minnie and Daisy held onto Clarabelle's arm. "… One of our favorite places to play was this old farmhouse nobody used anymore… One day I brought the matches there, and I began to play with them…"

Clarabelle's body began to shake even harder and fresh tears were spilling. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn't something or someone stop her? "… I wasn't even looking where I threw the matches when I was done with them… A fire had started but none of us realized it until… until it was too late… the entire farmhouse… it just…" It became evident that all of her shakes and tears weren't just of guilt but a deep seated fear. Clarabelle held herself as if to protect herself from the flames she was seeing again, her voice going in rapid pitches. "The fire was everywhere, and… and everything was falling apart… everyone else got out, but I was trapped… the ceiling was falling, and the fire just grew bigger and bigger… but Horace realized I hadn't gotten out, and he came back in to help me… but then… one of the ceiling planks… collapsed on top of him, and he…" She couldn't finish, and buried her face in her hands.

Millie tenderly stroked Clarabelle's head, and found silent permission to continue the story. "Horace's parents managed to get the both of them out. He had… a terrible burn on his back that's never fully healed. It's really limited him, it's why he shouldn't fight." Millie tried to wipe Clarabelle's face again with little success. "… All of our parents began fighting over whose fault it was. It got so bad that Pete and Peggy's parents moved away."

That final detail stuck out to Minnie as she reluctantly recalled Ortensia's lecture. Goofy running away, and Pete and Peggy's parents moving from such a good town… did that mean Ortensia was right? That these children were doomed from the start to become pirates? No, that couldn't be it. Surely Minnie was jumping to conclusions, and she bit on her lip to try and focus again on the matters at hand. She didn't know Horace as well as the other girls but she knew enough to be confident in what she said. "Clarabelle, there's no way Horace would blame you for any of that. It wasn't your fault."

"Why doesn't he blame me?!" Clarabelle's hands suddenly slammed down on the arm rests. "Why does he think he's invincible? Why doesn't he hate me?" She was almost screaming as she slammed down her fists over and over. For all the hate she had for herself, why didn't Horace feel the same? Even Clarabelle's own parents had blamed her, her father had even struck her for what happened, so why didn't Horace? She didn't deserve all of the friendship and kindness he bestowed on her yet she had always so selfishly clung to it. Did she love him on some level? Most definitely. There was no way she deserved to feel this way, she thought, and never in a million years could she earn the right to have that love given back.

Words became lost to her as she sobbed, and the girls could find no words of their own to comfort her. All they could think to do was gather together and hold each other close as a mutual understanding was reached. To love someone so deeply and yet know you did not deserve such affections in return was something they all hesitantly admitted to themselves. Millie's relationship with Goofy was constantly putting him in danger, Daisy treated Donald shabbily with all of her affairs, and Minnie couldn't get a particular image out of her head – an impossibly beautiful mother with the same eyes. How does someone tell the difference between love and lies?

It could have been seconds, minutes, hours, they honestly had no idea, before a new voice penetrated their circle. "Is this a bad time?" Minnie looked up and saw a lovely young woman standing nearby and looking right at them. She was wearing the exact same uniform as Captain Amelia, though her peaceful face made the appearance less intimidating. She was a fair human with slightly pale skin that helped her blue eyes stand out all the more. Her light brown hair was tied up tightly in a bun, and she was tapping a pen against a notebook in an effort to keep her hands busy. "You girls are…" she checked her notebook to keep busy. "… Minerva Mouse, Daisy Duck, Millicent Manchester, and Clarabelle Cow, correct?"

"We are." Daisy replied angrily, her grip on Clarabelle tightening. "Do we look like we're in a mood to chat?"

The woman stopped tapping and frowned in sympathy. "… I am sorry, but I've been given orders to get you girls back to base. Except Clarabelle, here, I think we can make an exception." When Clarabelle lifted her head for this, the woman offered a smile. "I was assigned today and given all the details of what happened during the wedding. You can stay here with your friend." She closed her notebook and gestured to herself. "My name is Jane Porter, and I'll be standing in for Amelia Doppler until her leave of absence is over."

Minnie's eyes widened and she rose to her feet. "Leave of absence? What happened to the captain?"

Jane's smile grew bigger. "She's on maternity leave. She probably won't be back until after she's had the baby."

If the girls hadn't been sitting already, they would have been knocked off their feet at this news. Minnie found herself sitting back down like the news was a heavy gust of wind. The idea of Amelia pregnant was mind boggling. Daisy touched her forehead in shock. "I didn't know the captain was pregnant!"

"I didn't even know she was married." Clarabelle mumbled, and it gave the girls pause. Come to think of it, Amelia never spoke about any husband and gloves always covered her hands so spotting a wedding ring had never been thought of. They tried to imagine what kind of man would be suitable for Amelia, and came up with images of a strong, hulking man who was the stuff of nightmares.

Jane cleared her throat to get their attention. "I'm sure you'll have enough time to question her later, but we really must be going."

The friends looked to Clarabelle with hesitance but she nodded with a sigh. "I'll call you later. I'll be all right." One last group hug was shared before they reluctantly tore themselves away from her and followed Jane. Minnie rubbed her face and made an attempt to cheer herself up. Horace would be all right, and Clarabelle would join the girls soon enough. Amelia would come back too and now that she was pregnant she was a little adorable in Minnie's vision. Everyone who attended the wedding would be fine thanks to Mickey's vow not to kill. She could find positive things about every situation except when it actually came to Mickey.

But really, what did she have to be upset about? Ortensia was just proving Minnie had been right, that Mickey didn't… l-word Minnie. Soon Mickey would realize the connection and finally leave Minnie alone. He was just chasing after an illusion. That's all Minnie was to him. This should have good news yet Minnie became so overwhelmingly distracted by it that she wound up bumping into a nurse. She backed up and apologized quickly before quickly running to catch up with the girls. The brown cat nurse hadn't seemed to mind, but Minnie did note for a short second that the nurse was wearing a singular golden armband. It was a strange accessory for a nurse, but the thoughts of Mickey were enough to distract her again.

~*~

The next day, mid-afternoon to be exact, Drake Mallard was in a wonderful mood. Ever since he and Donald had first met Morgana, he had been making all sorts of excuses to go to the same building and see her again. He had even taken her on dates all while under the persona of Darkwing Duck. In his egotistical mind he believed Morgana was helplessly in love with him and so he never thought about the consequences. To his credit he had tried to ask about Magica's business a few times but she would retort about his dazzling eyes or his dashing physique and the topic was easily changed. Launchpad by this point had given up trying to point out the obvious, and as he guided Drake's carriage that day he was grumbling with each block they crossed.

As they traveled along Launchpad spotted Donald at the corner of the next street, and Launchpad waved his hand to try and get the duck's attention while slowing the carriage down to a halt. Launchpad liked Donald, though he had trouble understanding what he said. Donald caught the gesture but instead of waving back his eyes went right to the carriage. He bolted from his place on the corner and headed right to the carriage. Launchpad tried to greet him but went ignored as Donald slammed open the door to the carriage and jumped inside, snarling ferociously and pointing at Darking. "You!"

Drake sat up straight to respond to him. "V, W, X, Y and Z. What do you want?"

Donald closed the door behind him, and Drake could see a newspaper in Donald's hand. Donald leaned forward dangerously, his body quivering in anger. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Drake was about to reply with his classic wit but something was terribly off about Donald. This wasn't Donald's usual temper tantrum that was funny to watch but an unfathomable rage that looked ready to kill. This was emphasized when Donald grabbed the front of Drake's jacket and slammed him against the back of his seat. "Do you realize what you've done to me and my family?!"

Drake grabbed Donald's wrist in an attempt to wrench him off. "Enlighten me, and while you're at it, have a breath mint."

Donald was in no mood for jokes and shoved the newspaper into Drake's face. He didn't give Drake a chance to properly read it before saying the news for him. "My uncle has been kidnapped!"

"What?" Drake fumbled with the paper and tried to read as fast as his eyes could go. The night before, Scrooge McDuck had gone missing and couldn't be found in any of his business ventures. His servants had reported that he had no appointments to go anywhere, and there were some valuables missing from his office. Someone had cracked his security code to get in but there were no suspects as of yet. "This only says he's missing." Drake said slowly but even he knew it wasn't such a reach to agree to what Donald was saying.

Donald's fists clenched and his voice grew deeper with his anger. "My uncle has been able to fight off anyone who's tried to hurt him, even pirates. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't joined your organization and started looking into Magica's business!"

"First off," Drake folded the paper in his hands. "There's no connection between what we're doing and his disappearance. You've been keeping your identity a secret, and there weren't any clues at the crime scene to indicate - "

"Why weren't you at the crime scene?" Donald interrupted, looking as if he was physically struggling not to strike Drake. "You've been in contact with him before, you told him to trust you! You haven't tried to do anything about this case! You wanted me to join help to help you fight crime, but instead all you've done is ignore me for some broad and put my uncle in danger! You're nothing but a fraud!" The struggle was lost, and he grabbed Drake by the shoulders, slamming him against the seat again. "If my uncle is hurt, I swear I'll expose you and everything about the Justice Ducks!"

Drake was uncharacteristically quiet. It wasn't out of fear because he knew he could easily win in a fight against Donald and that there were always precautions taken to protect the secrets of the Justice Ducks. His silence came from the guilty bad taste knowing some of what Donald was saying was true. He swallowed down those unpleasant feelings and tried to sound serious. "I can admit I'm not perfect", which wasn't easy, "but you've got to believe I haven't been neglecting things on purpose. If Magica was involved with Scrooge's disappearance, we'll find out. Just give me some to investigate."

"I've already done investigating on my own, since you wouldn't." Donald sneered as he let go of Drake's shoulders. "My ex-girlfriend Donna works in Magica's company. She helped me look into some things. The accounting department has a fake account with funds reserved for false purposes. Donna's bosses say it's for charity donations, but the charity organizations they supposedly donate to don't exist."

Drake was already connecting the dots together in his mind. "That account has to be how they pay the pirates to do their dirty work! If someone kidnapped your uncle, they could have been paid out of that account. We have to find the exact source and flow of that money."

"Maybe you can." Donald reopened the door to the carriage. "Because according to Donna, Morgana is in charge of the charity donations." He left without another word, and ignored Launchpad's attempted greeting again. Launchpad shrugged it off, and stirred the carriage into motion again, oblivious to what had transpired inside the carriage. He resumed the original trip which was to take Drake home. As for Drake, his eyes burned into the newspaper as Donald's words rung in his head. Why did Donald insist that Morgana was part of the problem? Surely she didn't know any evil misdeeds were going on, and if she did, she'd cry about them into Drake's strong, loving arms. He could feel a flicker of common sense nagging at his brain to see the truth about this affair, but his love for the woman continued to defeat it.

They weren't far from Drake's house and he was relieved when the carriage came to a stop. All of his troubles could be forgotten when he was here. He rolled up the newspaper and stood up with a smile. There was one person who he loved more than Morgana and she was waiting for him inside his house. He stepped out of the carriage, and waved Launchpad off. Launchpad bade him farewell, but as he rode off, he spotted someone at Drake's door. He wondered who this gorgeous woman was but he was already gone before he could question her existence.

Drake turned to head for his home and saw the woman as well. The newspaper was dropped in shock for the woman who stood there was Morgana, arms crossed and smiling coolly. Time froze and Drake's jaw dropped. Why was she here? How was she here? He had kept his identity a perfect secret yet there she was and her eyes were seeing right through him. Her expression said she knew almost everything. Drake mechanically picked up the paper and ever so slowly walked up to her. "Helloooooo there, miss!" He squeaked in a desperate attempt to play off as if he'd never seen her before. "Can I… help you with something?"

Morgana smirked down at him and she seemed now ten times taller. "Good day to you, sir." Her voice was both sweet and venomous, lying on her end as well. "My name is Morgana McCawber, and I'm from the DeSpell Group. I'm head of legal affairs and of our charity division, and we were wondering if you'd like to make a donation to our funds." Her eyes narrowed. "Our research has indicated you have a good fortune in your bank account… which, I must admit, is a little strange, given such the quaint little home you have." She looked behind her. Drake's home was nothing special and was the average staple for a middleclass man. "It makes me wonder what all of your money could possibly be spent towards."

Drake fumbled for words, as his love for her and her stellar beauty were causing his usual excuses to become lost in his brain. "Oh, well, you know, I, uh, I never cared for those mansions and fancy living. I've always wanted a simple life."

"That's very admirable." Morgana looked back to him. "But also puzzling, since we've also been unable to find where exactly you're employed. Which begs the question, just where is your fortune coming from?"

Drake wished he had worn stronger deodorant that day because of how profusely he had started to sweat. It was amazing how beautiful she was even when she was being threatening. "Inheritance?" He meekly attempted, leaning back as she leaned forward. "Um, listen, Miss McCawber, I'd love to answer all of these privacy invading questions, but I really need to get inside."

Morgana was now so close a penny could barely fit between their beaks. "I just wanted to make sure before we got any donations from you… we wouldn't want to be getting donations from any illegal funds. You aren't involved in any illegal activities, like, oh, I don't know, vigilantism, hm?"

Drake was not a praying man but he would have done anything for a miracle right then and there in any shape or form. He probably should have been more specific in his prayer -

BONK!

-so that a flowerpot falling from his own window wouldn't come crashing down on his head. It cracked on impact, covering his entire face in dirt with a single flower sticking out on his forehead. A voice from the same window called out soon after. "I didn't do it!"

Morgana looked up the window with surprise as for all her research she had gone through, none of it had indicated that Drake lived with anyone else. A little girl stuck her out of the window, a pretty little bird with fiery orange hair and curious blue eyes. She leaned on the windowsill to get a better look at the damage. "I'd apologize, dad, but like I said, I didn't do it!"

Morgana stared even harder at the child. 'Dad'? But Drake wasn't married and his kind of obnoxious morality would never allow him to cheat on women. She had also been led to believe that a man with such narcissism couldn't possibly care for another person, let alone a little girl. She had come there to ruin him but now found herself without footing. Drake began brushing the dirt off of his face with the newspaper. "Funny how you're still going to get grounded. And I'm in the middle of a conversation."

The girl took a quick look at Morgana and raised her eyebrows. "Wow, you never bring women home." She then grinned, and leaned out further. "Dad, did you get yourself a girlfriend?"

"Gosalyn!" Drake hissed as both he and surprisingly Morgana's cheeks reddened.

"I'll be down in a second to check her out!" Gosalyn began climbing out of the window.

Drake rolled up the newspaper and pointed at her in an attempt to discipline her. "Young lady, don't you dare climb down the storm drain again!"

She climbed down the storm drain again, easily sliding down until she was by the adults' side. On closer inspection her hair was wrapped up in two pigtails and instead of wearing a dress, as most girls her age would, she was in dirty overalls. She put her hands on her hips as she looked Morgana up and down. "So, you think you're good enough to date my dad? I know most women are into the single dad thing, but I'm going to have to see some credentials first."

Drake's hand shot out and clamped itself on Gosayln's beak. "Gosalyn, dear, apple of my eye, get in the house before I find the boarding school brochures." He began shoving her towards the door, nodding fervently at Morgana. "Well it was nice meeting you, but we have to go in, and… work on her homework!"

Gosayln managed to free her beak when Drake opened the door. "But I don't have any homework! And she's your first girlfriend, I wanna know about her!"

Drake's face had become redder than the flower still sticking out of his head. "And those boarding schools have the most delightful uniforms." He quickly closed the door behind him, although Morgana could still hear more playful squabbling.

Morgana stayed in place as she tried to understand what she just heard. She was his first girlfriend? It didn't make any sense if he had a daughter, but on top of that, Morgana had thought a man of Drake's age would have had other women in his life. Despite his ego, he had proven to be quite charming at times and he did seem earnest in his desire to protect the people. Her role had been to seduce him and find out what she could about the Justice Ducks in order to help destroy them but now something unprecedented had come up. He was a single father, and a good father if Gosalyn's words were any indication, and he was completely inexperienced with women.

Morgana found those traits wonderfully endearing. It would be the first of many mistakes she would make. She smiled to herself, and quietly left the house.

~*~

Mickey was lying uncomfortably on top of his bed that night. It was uncomfortable because for reasons he was still grasping with, Minnie wasn't in it with him. He flicked his yo-yo back and forth above his face, and the only other sound was Pluto's gentle snoring at the end of the bed. They had gotten a good haul from the wedding but Mickey was still unsatisfied. Why had Minnie looked so upset when she left the ship? He had apologized for his past errors and made sure she was treated well while on board. What reason did she have for those sad eyes?

There was a knock to his door and the voice that came with it was Ortensia's. "Can I come in?"

"Aye." Mickey didn't look at her as she entered and instead kept his eyes on the yo-yo. "Did ye do as I asked?"

"Dropped the rat and the rabbit off in the biggest garbage dump in the city." Ortensia walked up to the bed and then leaned on one of the bed posts. "Thanks for lettin' me stay on board."

"Well someone's gotta look out fer ye." He shrugged dismissively, still distracted by thoughts of Minnie. "Just stay outta trouble."

"Speakin' of which, what's our next job gunna be?" She put her hands on the bed and watched him in an attempt to get his attention. "Gunna be hard to top crashin' a royal weddin'."

"Dunno." Mickey sighed sadly as he slowed down his yo-yo tricks. "Maybe we should hit a gift shop. Minnie was lookin' glum when she left, I gotta find a way ta cheer her up."

Ortensia's pleasant demeanor was gone in an instant. Her claws dug into the bed sheets but she otherwise tried to control her anger. "She'll be fine. We gotta concentrate on a real job! Real money! Are there any banks ye haven't touched yet?"

Mickey sat up and rewound his yo-yo. "Maybe she didn't like the food we served." He tapped his chin in thought. "Who was in charge a dinner that night?" He looked at Ortensia and didn't understand why her eyes were full of frustration. "Did she talk to ye when she was on board? Did she anythin' about what upset her?"

"Who cares!" Ortensia scowled, climbing on top of the bed. "Maybe it was 'cause she was on a pirate ship and she's a N.A.V.Y. girl! Maybe it's 'cause she hates ye! Just forget about her and concentrate on the next haul!"

Pluto was woken up by the loud conversation, and yawned as Mickey spoke back to her. "What's got ye so upset, Ortensia? Anytime I bring up Minnie, ye get in a bad mood. Just 'cause she's a N.A.V.Y. girl doesn't mean she's our enemy. I thought I made meself clear in the letters that I was gunna marry the girl."

Ortensia ground her teeth as she spoke. "Those letters weren't clear at all, and I didn't understand why ye'd wanna go chasin' after her until I saw her meself. Ye don't love this girl at all!"

Pluto looked back and forth between them as the heat of their words escalated. Mickey put his yo-yo in his pocket and tapped his fingers on his knee. "What makes ye say that?"

Ortensia clenched and unclenched her hands, over and over, hesitant to say her thoughts but knowing they had to be said. Maybe this would help Mickey finally get over Minnie and see where a potential bride was this entire time. "… She… She's got yer ma's eyes! I know that's why yer goin' after her!"

Mickey stopped in place and he stared hard at his little sister. Even Pluto shut his mouth as those dangerous words hung in the air. When Mickey spoke it sent a chill down Ortensia's spine as it was an anger she'd rarely seen in him. "What. Did ye say." It wasn't a question, but a demand to know what insolent thing she had just uttered.

Feeling it was for Mickey's own good, Ortensia kept going and kept pleading. "She's got the exact same eyes, I'd never forget 'em in a million years! Ye only want the girl cause ye see yer ma in her! It ain't right! I told her it wasn't right!"

"Ye - " Mickey's arm was on her wrist before he made any conscious thought to do so. "Ye told her about ma?" The anger in the room had now been completely flipped over. It was now Mickey who was seething in rage. "Who gave ye that right ta tell her anythin' about ma?!"

Ortensia swiftly managed to yank her arm free and jumped off the bed to get a free spot. "Don't try and deny it! It's the only reason ye want her! Ye don't love her at all, ye just wanna rescue yer ma!"

Mickey climbed off his bed with a hard stomp on the floor. "Don't ye say another word about ma! I love Minnie fer who she is! This never had anythin' ta do with ma!"

"How would ye even know?" Ortensia stood her ground, determined to win this emotional battle. "Ye've never been in love before, how would ye know that's what ye got fer her? Yer chasin' nothin' but a dream!"

"I just know!" Mickey pounded his chest. He didn't care if the argument didn't make sense because he knew he was right. This overwhelming desire and desperation to be with her, how could it be anything else? To insult his love was as bad as insulting himself, especially since Ortensia had dragged his mother into this. "I love her, I do! And I'm gunna marry her and make her happy!"

"She won't make ye happy!" Ortensia was all but screaming, causing Pluto to crawl under the bed sheets in fright. "Yer only hurtin' yerself, ye… ye big fool!" Unable to bear another word from him, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door so hard it made Pluto jump in the bed. The dog slowly poked his head out to check on his master. Mickey stood in place, taking deep breathes in order to calm his nerves. The gentle whining of Pluto eased him, and he reached over to scratch his loyal hound between the ears.

"It's okay." Mickey murmured gently to his pet. "She's just tryin' ta look out fer me." Though why Ortensia was being so ridiculous about it was confusing. No matter what good intentions she had, there was no right in telling Minne about his mother. He sat on the bed and Pluto put his head on Mickey's lap. Mickey kept petting him as his thoughts wandered about. He had never made the connection between Minnie's eyes and those of his mother, but now that it was brought up he could somewhat see the resemblance. A part of him wondered if maybe his sister was right. Did he, on some level, go after Minnie because she resembled someone he had lost long ago?

"Nope." He said out lout with absolutely no hesitance. "Ma was ma, and Minnie is Minnie." Pluto lifted his head a little to try and understand what his master was trying to convey. "I may not have ever had a girl befer, but I know what I feel. Love's about wantin' ta make someone yers and make 'em happy, right?" Pluto shrugged in response but Mickey kept going. "And that's what I wanna do. I'm gunna marry Minnie cause I wanna make her happy, and I'm gunna make her smile every day, and I'm gunna be with her until I die, and then I'll beat up some angels so I can get inta heaven ta be with her." He then paused. "… Course she ain't happy now, I bet. What with Ortensia sayin' that stupid stuff. I gotta make her happy so she can marry me. She rejected me last gift so I gotta try harder. Now… what do girls like…" He tilted his head back and forth, the emotional plight with his mother and Ortensia easily shoved aside in favor of Minnie.

Pluto also tried to help his master think, and then came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. He sat up in place, his paws on Mickey's shoulders, yapping in delight. Mickey stared at him, trying to understand what the barking was supposed to convey. "What is it, boy? Ye got an idea?" Pluto nodded, and jumped off the bed. He pawed lightly at his collar, and Mickey's face burst into a smile upon recognition. "Why… that's a great idea! Aw, Pluto, ye really are man's best friend!" He slid off the bed to give his dog a hug, and after enduring a few ticklish licks from the pup, he released the dog. "It's a good thing we kept 'em around! Let's go pick out the right one fer her!" He and Pluto happily raced out of the room to get the perfect present for Minnie.

This idea was brilliant, and was sure to win Minnie's heart! It didn't occur to him that all of his past 'brilliant ideas sure to win Minnie's heart' hadn't worked out too well.

~*~

That same night, Horace was drifting in and out of consciousness. The drugs given to him were easing his pain but also giving him strange visions. In one moment of clarity, he thought he saw one of his nurses pushing his moving bed down a hallway and towards the exit. It didn't make sense to him, because he thought he'd heard one of his doctors say he wouldn't be cleared to leave for a week. He tried to talk to the nurse pushing his bed but found his mouth was sluggish. The nurse, a brown furred cat wearing a golden arm band, merely smiled at him as he fumbled to talk. Where was she taking him?

The cat looked ahead of her, and he blacked out again. When his consciousness returned, he couldn't have known how much time had passed, but he was definitely not in the hospital anymore. He couldn't tell where exactly he was but there was rumbling all around him. It wasn't that his bed was moving, but his bed was in some sort of moving vehicle. The cat was leaning against the wall, talking to people he couldn't see. Again, a futile effort to ask her what was going on was made. She ignored him, but he could make out a few words she was saying.

"One down." Was she chuckling? "I hope they're all this easy."

End of Chapter Twelve.