Pirates Versus Privates, 16

It was painful for Daisy to wear these raggedy pirate clothes, but she knew she had to endure this fashion disaster if she wanted to get what he needed. The N.A.V.Y. had plenty of disguises in stock, and no one asked twice when Daisy grabbed these clothes, since she was a respected officer. She made sure to bring nothing valuable with her, except for what she planned to 'pay' Mickey with, and that was snugly hidden under her vest. With every step she took into the bar, there was a feeling of regret to match it. If she was found out, she'd be tossed in jail without another word. Yet she kept moving, for no amount of regret could kill the seething jealousy of anyone being with her Donald. She swallowed down her bitter feelings, and made her way through the guild of thieves.

She went unnoticed, as the patrons of the bar were more focused on the skimpily dressed attendees. She weaved her way around the dirty tables and headed straight for the rooms above the stairs. They were all empty, except one, so logically this had to be the one Mickey was waiting for her in. She knocked twice, and when she heard his familiar squeaky voice beckon her to enter, she quickly rushed in, and then slammed the door behind her. She fumbled to lock the door, but Mickey spoke again.

"Don't bother, these gosh darn things don't have locks." He was still sore that thanks to that slip of door design, his moment with Minnie had been massacred. He was lying on the bed, one arm playing with his yoyo, the other resting behind his head, and he had one leg propped on his knee. "Besides, ain't anyone gunna disturb us."

Daisy hesitated to move from her spot, but turned to face the bed with growing confidence. "… Thank you for coming here.  I really appreciate-"

"Whaddya want?" Mickey didn't even bother looking at her, stringing his yoyo back and forth above him.

Daisy did her best to ignore his rudeness for the more important matter at hand. She now stood at the bed, looking down at him. "I want you to investigate someone. If I did it legally, everyone would know about it, and I don't want anyone looking into my business." She drew a breath, and became angrier as the thought of that awful woman reached her beak. "There's this shrew of a woman - "

"Ye want me to look up a shrew?" Around the world, walk the dog,

"No, she's a duck-"

"Then why'd ye call her a shrew?"

"Let me finish!" Daisy reached out and yanked the yoyo out of his hand. He made a flailing attempt to grab it back, but she held it above him, and glared at him until he settled down. "Look, I just want you to find out everything you can about a duck named Donna. I want the best kind of dirt on her, so I can ruin her, if need be. Do you understand?"

Mickey kept his eyes on his toy, but nodded when the question was asked. "Sure, sure, whatever." Since he understood, Daisy relented and gave the toy back to him. Mickey immediately started playing again.

Daisy now felt free enough to vent all of her rage, walking in circles in the room while moving her arms to fit the story. "I'm sure she's a terrible person! The kind who steals people's fiancés right from under their noses. Then she tosses them aside like yesterday's garbage! Why, if I wasn't a lady, I'd show her what happens to men thieves! I bet under all of that make up, she's terribly ugly too, and…"

Mickey went quiet, almost unusually, as the duck woman blathered on. He merely kept doing his yoyo tricks, letting her drone on as he played. In fact, he wasn't even paying that much attention to what she was saying. Something about his help and favors and background information and some other nonsense he couldn't care less. When his boredom was at its maximum, he cleared his throat to stop her. "Listen… uh… Daffodil?"

"Daisy." She replied, leaning over him, trying to make sure the deal was being made. "So, will you help me get some info on this girl?"

A snort came from the mouse, highly indignant. "What do I look like, girly? I'm a pirate, not a detective. And since I haven't heard a single word about price comin' from that beak a yers, ye might as well step right back in from whatever air ship ye came from." He sat up, ready to leave this entire matter behind him. It just felt strange, to pry for the info behind a girl, and while he wasn't a perfect gentleman, there were boundaries to respect when it came to women.

Daisy smiled, if one could call it that – it contained a bit too much deviousness for an ordinary smile. "I can give you something better than money."

"I just bet." He stood up, pocketed the toy in his jacket. She still hadn't mentioned the thing about Minnie that she hinted about during their last talk, and he was an impatient man.

"I've got something I know you'll want." She slid her hand into her vest, and Mickey could have gagged. Did she really think seducing him was going to win him over? He was a one-woman man. To his surprise, she pulled out something, and slammed it down on the bed. There were five photographs there, each one of that 'one-woman'.

In the first was Minnie changing out of her uniform, oblivious to the fact there was a camera in sight. In the second, she was in a spring dress, accidentally spilling some chocolate ice cream on herself. In the third, she was catching a piggyback ride thanks to their tall friend Millicent, trying to reach for something stuck on a roof. In the fourth, she was swimming with some of her friends in a delightful little violet swimsuit. In the fifth, Minnie had flopped onto her bed, ready to sleep right then and there.

Mickey stared with wide eyes, and then made a swipe for the photographs. "Gimmie!"

Daisy had just as quickly collected them right back, stuffing them back into her vest. "You can have them, along with all of the others I took… along with the negatives…  if you help give me that information." She held onto the first photograph, dangling in front of him, as if he was a kitten and this was a cat toy. With the way his eyes followed it, she had to wonder if he'd pounce on it like one too. "Do we have a deal?"

Mickey grumbled, knowing he was being tricked, but unable to resist the chance to carry a bit of Minnie around his pocket. "…Yer a she-devil. We have a deal." Sure, he was twisting his ideals, but when it came to Minnie he scruples were often juggled. "I'll call ye when I get the goods… now… can't I just have one?" He made another grab for the photo , and she moved her arm again. The dangling game went on for longer than it should have, and Daisy had to laugh. Maybe Minnie was right. Maybe this guy really was more like a childish little boy than an actual bloodthirsty pirate. That didn't mean she really encouraged the relationship, but it did have its advantages.

She would have continued enjoyed this teasing for who knows how long when a knock came to the door. "Big Brother!" The female voice on the other side called out. "We gotta talk, right now!"

Daisy paled, suddenly panicked at the thought of being caught. "You didn't tell me there were going to be other people here!" Thinking quickly, but not intelligently, she dropped to her hands and knees and began to crawl under the bed. Mickey didn't mind, as in the process she had dropped the photo and he now happily held it in his hands. He'd deal with the lump under his bed later.

The door opened without waiting for an invitation. Ortensia was the one who had interrupted the meeting, which didn't surprise Mickey, and she was dragging a shabbily dressed Oswald by the arm, which surprised him greatly. "Hey, hey, hey!" He pocketed the photo and pointed an angry finger to the unwelcome rabbit. "What's that rabbit doin' here? Did he try ta get someone after ye again?"

Ortensia clung to Oswald's arm, carrying a smile that echoed Daisy's similar expression mere moments ago. Just like Daisy, she had a devious plan in mind to secure the one she loved. "No, I brought him here." This plan would definitely make Mickey realize his feelings for her, and forget all about that pathetic N.A.V.Y. girl. "Ye see, Mickey… I thought about rich boy fer a while now…  and I decided ta take up his offer." She grinned, flashing off her pearly whites. "We're getting' hitched!"

"What?!" both men dropped their jaws to hear of this news, but when Oswald shouted it, he was roughly jabbed in the ribs by Ortensia's elbow, and stammered as he remembered his role. "O-Oh, uh, right! She's finally agreed to marry me." He put an arm around Ortensia's shoulder, and for the sake of the plan she allowed it. "We're going to live happily ever after, because she loves me with all of her heart. Isn't that right, my cute little kitten?" To be fair, she was legitimately blushing at the nickname.

Mickey was legitimately furious, storming up until he was in the faces of the fiancés. "No way! Uh-uh! I'm not lettin' ye do this ta me lil sister!" He grabbed Ortensia by the shoulders and looked her right in the eyes, searching for an explanation.  "Ortensia, what's goin' on in that head a' yers?"

Ortensia was ecstatic and struggled to keep up her act. The plan was working beautifully! Mickey was obviously jealous of this sudden engagement, and it was now making him realize his true feelings for her. She would no longer be his little sister, but his lover. He just needed a few more shoves in the right direction. She leaned in closer to him, batting her eyelashes, and spoke in what she thought was the tone of an interested seductress. "What's the matter, Mickey? Is there some big reason why I can't marry Oswald? Anything you wanna tell me?"

Mickey ground his teeth, wondering where this rebellious streak was coming from. Ortensia had always done as she was told, and would never do anything to anger Mickey this much. He tore himself away from her, turned his back to the couple, and lightly touched Minnie's photo with his fingers to calm himself down. As he touched the photo, an idea came to him. Perhaps he was looking at this the wrong way. He glanced behind him, taking a careful glance at the couple. Oswald was content just to hold Ortensia, while Ortensia's eyes were digging into Mickey ravenously.

Mickey turned himself back around, settled with his idea. "I think I understand what's goin' on here. Has to do with me and Minnie, right?"

Ortensia happily shoved Oswald away and bounced up to Mickey, hands clasped together in delight. "Aye, aye! It does!" It was working, it was actually working! Mickey was hers at last!

Mickey kindly looked down at the cat, and placed his hands on top of hers. "Ye could have told me all along, Ortensia. I'm sorry I've been puttin' up such a big fight… all I ever wanted fer ye was yer happiness. I'll let ye have what ye want… ye have me blessin's ta marry Oswald."

"Oh, Mickey, I love y- " Hold on a moment. Something wasn't right about what he just said. Her hands loosened and she tilted her head. "… Say that again?"

"Ye have me blessin's ta marry him." Mickey patted Ortensia's hands, missing the complete horror going on in her eyes. "No wonder ye have been so mean ta Minnie lately… ye were upset cause ye couldn't have Oswald! But if he's the man fer ye, then I won't stop ye." He then looked to Oswald, and gave him a friendly thumbs-up of congratulations. "Take care of me lil sis, won't ye?"

"Whoo hoo!" Oswald still didn't really understand how this plan was supposed to have gone, but the important thing was that Ortensia was going to be his wife, so nothing else really mattered. "You bet! I'll treat her like a princess! Oh, Ortensiaaa~!" he flew to her to wrap her up in his arms, but his loving efforts were met with a kick to his chin, spending him spiraling backwards.

"Nooo!" Ortensia stomped her feet over and over, waving her arms in a frantic tantrum. Why did the love of her life have to be such a sweetheart and such a moron? "No, no, no, no! I don't wanna marry him! Ye ruined everything, Mickey! I hate ye, I hate ye, I hate ye!" She left the room, but came back and kicked Oswald while he was still down. "And I hate ye too, ye stupid rich boy!" She then left the room again, slamming the door behind her, and her stomping footsteps could be heard in the hallway.

Oswald dizzily tried to stand up, losing his footing twice before being able to regularly stand up. "… Am I engaged or not?" he opened the door to try and stumble after Ortensia. "Can't we talk about this, kitten?"

Only when Daisy was certain they were gone, and she had finished laughing at the whole scene, she poked her head out from underneath the bed. "… So, do normal pirates exist, or are you all just that crazy?"

Mickey scratched his head, staring at the place where Ortensia had once been. He thought about pointing out that someone who was hiding under the bed lest her illegal investigation and bribery be found out had no right to call anyone else crazy, but he still wanted those other photographs.

~*~

That same afternoon, Amelia Doppler was staring down at a now cold cup of tea, noticing her own miserable reflection. Though she was happy to be home and with her husband, she missed her work, and there was still the looming danger she hadn't entirely explained to Delbert yet. She didn't know how to even begin to tell him about her sordid family secret. He was the best thing to have ever happened to her life, and while she would like to believe their love was invincible, the slightest hint of damage to their relationship scared her to death.  He had reminded her that she had a heart, and filled it to the brim with happiness. She continued to stare at this distraught woman until her tea was refilled, and she looked up to see Delbert pouring her a fresh batch, with worry on his face.

"You know," he spoke gently once he stopped pouring. "All of this emotional bottling can't be good for the baby. I wish you would just tell me what's going on." He placed the kettle on the coffee table, and then knelt down, taking one of Amelia's hands in both of his paws. "You said that when you came home, you'd tell me about this older sister, but it's been weeks and you haven't even tried. You can't keep that kind of burden to yourself."

Amelia tried to look away, but she still felt his eyes on her. She knew she had no right to keep this secret from him, but she was just as afraid to let it loose. "Delbert... I know what I told you. It's just…" She sighed heavily, reluctant to even describe what was going on through her mind. "… Once I tell you, I can't take it back. What happened… who she is… it's not something that can just be forgotten. I never wanted you to get involved in my family's shame."

Delbert delicately took Amelia's chin into his hand and made her look at him. "Amelia, your family is my family. Your secrets are my secrets." With his other hand, he ran a thumb across her wedding ring. "I trust you with all of my heart. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you." Amelia said quickly, not wanting him to think otherwise. "It's… it's not about you, it's…" With a great, heavy sigh, she relented. He needed to know, and she needed to tell him. "… Please, sit down." Delbert nodded, pulling away to sit in a chair across from her. He stayed quiet, giving her the time she wanted in order to prepare herself. She placed the cold cup of tea away from her to free her hands, clenching them together. The sight of her wedding ring urged her to speak on. "… The woman from the letter… she is my older sister. My older… half sister." She then closed her eyes, remembering the once proud image of her father.

"You know my father. He was one of the most respected generals the A.R.M.Y. has ever seen. He was a wise leader, a tremendous fighter, and I thought he was perfect. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up. But… but when I was just a little girl… one day, I was at our vacation home in the country, with my mother and father. Mother and I were out in the gardens, when this woman barged in past the gates and began screaming at the both of us. I remember so clearly those golden arm bands she wore… She demanded to see father, and for him to own up to what he had done. She was holding hands with a little girl who didn't look too much older than me, and… and that little girl just stared at me."

Delbert was already guessing the implications of the story, but kept quiet. Occasionally he glanced up at the wall, where family photos and paintings were hung up with pride. There was a large painting of her father, and Delbert had always thought the man to be the perfect soldier and family man. Amelia's voice remained steady as she continued. "My mother managed to chase them off, and when she told father what had happened, he said he didn't know what the other woman was talking about. But the woman and her daughter came by every day to harass us, until my father broke down and told us what he had done. The other woman was a pirate wench, and my father had an affair with her long before he met mother. When he got married, he had tried to cut the wench out of his life, but she had gotten pregnant. If word got out about what he had done, we would have been shamed forever, and father would have gone to jail for associating with a pirate.  So eventually he gathered us all together to arrange a deal."

Delbert nodded, as he remembered the letter that had been sent to them, the one that started this whole mess. It had mentioned something akin to a deal, though he couldn't figure out what it had been. Amelia's voice sounded colder with the story progression. "He paid the woman a large amount of money and made her swear she would never tell anyone about what had happened until the day she died. We never saw them again, and we thought we were rid of them forever. Father tried to pretend like nothing had ever happened, but I knew how it hurt mother. I could see it on her face every day. After that, I didn't want to be like my father anymore… I wanted to be better than him."

"You are." Delbert felt it was all right to speak now, and that his wife needed this assurance. "You're better than him. And I can understand why that letter worried you." He looked to the fireplace, where he had burnt the letter as instructed. "It sounded as if she wishes to expose what your father has done. We'll do what we can to stop her, but there is a chance we can't."

"And if it does, everything I've worked for will be for nothing." Amelia became bitter, nails digging into her own skin. "His shame will become my shame, and all of my respect will be turned into scorn and pity. People will see him as some kind of monster, and I'll be…"

"But what could they possibly fault you for?" The idea of such accusations was enough to make the doctor rise out of his chair. "Everything you've done for the N.A.V.Y. and the kingdom has been by your own hands, not your father's! Why should you have to pay for the mistakes he's made?"

"That's not going to matter in the eyes of the public." Amelia stood up as well, turning her body away from her husband. "Maybe I'd have a chance if it looked like my mother and I knew nothing about the affair, but if she can prove we knew all about it and helped push them away, then she becomes the victim and I become another monster. And they'll drag you through the mud as well." She held herself and lowering her head, the last fact one of the most painful ones. She had wanted to keep him safe, but was powerless to do so. She knew how much prestige counted in his field, but as long as he was linked to her, his reputation had just as much chance to be stained.

Delbert knew this as much as she did, but he couldn't care less. He gripped her by the arms from behind. "Then let them drag me, but I'll be dragged kicking and screaming. No matter what it takes, I'm not going to let this destroy us. We will get through this, no matter what this woman does." He slid his arms around her, and placed a hand on top of her stomach. "Together. This little one isn't going to care what your father did or what this woman says. He's going to be raised in a good home with good parents, and that's all that matters."

Amelia leaned against him, resting comfortably against her body. A thin smile played on her lips as she looked up at him. "He?"

Delbert met her smile with one of his own. "It's a strong possibility. My family has always been prone to boys." He nuzzled the top of her head with his chin, and felt her body rumble with quiet purring. "I love you no matter what your family has done. I love you, not your father." He knew it was impossible to banish all of her worries with these sentiments, but at least he had relaxed them. His love for her went beyond her reputation, but if she needed the respect of others so desperately, then he would try to find a way to keep the ugly business hidden. For now, he kept her safe in his arms.

~*~

"Eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three…"

That night, Drake Mallard stopped walking in his living room to look at his daughter, who was lying on her stomach on the couch and watching him. "What are you counting?"

"How many times you've paced around in a circle." Gosalyn drew a circle in the air with one figure, and then pointed below. "You're wearing a hole in the carpet. Are you still worried about that whole Morgana thing?"

"Of course not." Drake continued his eighty-fourth circle, arms crossed behind him and brows furrowed. "I don't get worried. I'm… contemplating."

"Contemplating about worrying?" She began to sit up and easily ignored her father's short lived glare. "If she was gunna rat out about your secret identity, don't you think she would have done it already? Maybe you were right and she really does like you after all." She didn't understand matters of the heart, but she knew that for all of Drake's narcissistic tendencies, he made the right choices when it really mattered. "Maybe women go for the whole single dad thing."

"Thank you, Gosalyn, but I don't want you worrying yourself either. Not that I'm worrying." Now he was making circles around the couch, so he could pace and talk to her at the same time. "Whatever happens, I'll take care of it." He also didn't want her to think about anything relating to dating until she was seventy-five or he was dead, whichever came first.

"Why don't you just call her?" Gosayln began to father around the couch, figuring he shouldn't have all the fun in ruining the carpet. "Don't you still have her number?"

"And what would I say?" Darkring grumbled, eyeing the household screen off in the kitchen. "'Oh hey, Morgana, are you free this Saturday? And by the way, are you going to expose my greatest secret and put my daughter in unspeakable danger?'"

"I thought your greatest secret was that you were never kissed until you and Morgana started dating. And that you actually kind of like the Muddlefoots. And that you once wet the bed when-"

"You know, darling daughter of mine, secrets are called secrets because you're not supposed to talk about them." Another secret of Drake's was that the thought of Morgana approaching his house again scared him slightly, which is why he stopped in place when he heard a knock at the door.

Gosalyn bumped into him, not realizing their walk was over, and rubbed her beak was she looked to the door. "Is it Morgana?"

Drake cautiously approached the window and pulled back the curtain just enough to catch a glimpse of whoever was this door. "Not unless we know of any other raven haired, hourglass shaped bombshells." He smoothed down his casual outfit as he left the curtain return to its place. "All right, Gosalyn, you know where to go."

"You got it." Gosalyn climbed back on the couch and stared at the door expectantly.

Drake rolled his eyes, since he thought he made it obvious that she should go to her room. He allowed her to stay, and ran a hand over his head to make his feathers look good before opening the door. He greeted her with pleasantness, as if she wasn't one of the biggest threats to his family. "Why, Morgana, what a lovely surprise! What brings you here… again?"

Morgana normally greeted him with an alluring flair, standing in a way to accentuate the curves of her body and looking at him with the delicious eyes of a hunter. Now she stood before him with fumbling hands and apologetic shy glances, unaware that by making herself nervous she was just as appealing as when she was actually trying to ensnare him. "Hello, Drake, I… I've missed you. I was wondering if you'd like to go on a date tonight, if you're not too busy."

"My schedule is all clear whenever you're around!"Drake chirped, and then noticed Morgana had started looking past him and was staring at Gosalyn. He cleared his throat, and looked behind him at his daughter. "Gosalyn, don't you have a room to clean?"

"It's not going anywhere." Gosalyn waved to Morgana, ignoring the attempts to get rid of her. She wanted to get to know this woman better, despite her father's worries. She felt she had just as much right to be a part of the big investigation as did any member of the Justice Ducks. "Hi Morgana! We were just talking about what to do with you."

Morgana looked down at Drake with light surprise. "Really?"

Drake laughed nervously, still holding onto the door. "Oh, that, haha… My daughter says all kinds of crazy things… before she's grounded." He began to step backwards, hoping to get to the kitchen. "Let me just call a friend to watch over her, and then we can get going."

"Actually…" Morgana reached out a hand in a weak attempt to stop his movement. "I was hoping to take the both of you out to dinner. So we could all get to know each other better." Her words sounded forced, as if this was actually the last thing she wanted to do. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with them, but something was holding her true feelings back. Father nor daughter could understand what she was being so suspicious about.

Daughter didn't care too greatly as she jumped on the couch in excitement. "Keen gear, free food! And since you're rich, we can eat as much as we want!" She jumped off and landed in Drake's startled arms, grabbing the front of his jacket in a childish plea. "Can we go, huh, huh, pleeeease? Think of all the dessert we could have!"

Drake was already having a hard time resisting Morgana, and resisting his daughter was often impossible. The two of them were powerful enough to break down his reluctance, and he chuckled lightly as he placed Gosalyn down on the floor. "Well, all right… go get dressed, and then we can go."

"She's fine as she is." Morgana swiftly turned away from the small family, her hands twitching in fright. "I've… already made the reservations, so we really must get going." She was already off the porch by the time she finished her rushed sentence.

Drake found that sentence odd, but Gosalyn was tugging his hand and dragging him towards the front door, suddenly starved for more than attention. He decided to go along, figuring that with his daughter around, Morgana would never try for something devious or underhanded. Outside, a long black carriage was waiting for them. It was twice as long as a regular carriage, with two separate rooms for two separate parties of people. Morgana went to the back end carriage, but she stopped as she opened the door. She shuddered, and took her hand back from the door. "… I can't do it."

Drake raised his eyebrows, with him and his daughter right behind Morgana. "What, did you forget your wallet?"

Morgana whipped around instantly, panic and determination mixed together in her fluid motions. "Both of you, run! Magica has something planned, and you have to get out of here before it's too late!" Her words rang truth because it was already too late as rushes of hands smacked the door back open, and yanked Morgana back into the carriage. The family didn't even have a chance to register her screams before they too were snatched up and stolen inside, with the door quietly clicking shut. The three of them were shoved to the floor, feeling their arms and legs tied up and unable to fend off their multiple beagle attackers. A window above the seats slid open, revealing the other party inside the front part of the carriage, and Morgana gasped in further shock. "Magica?!"

Magica looked down at the squirming bodies, clicking her tongue against her beak. "You didn't really think I was going to let you do this alone? You can't be trusted anymore. People in love always do the stupidest things." She then slid the window shut, and with a snap of her fingers, the carriage rode off.

~*~

At midnight, most people tend to be asleep. Most people weren't Clarabelle, and most people weren't looking into the disappearance of their friends. When she had gotten enough moral courage to go and see Horace in the hospital, she discovered someone had already checked him out, but she knew none of his family would have done it. Then when she had tried to locate Millicent to ask for advice, she discovered the poodle had taken a leave of absence, but the letter to the N.A.V.Y. announcing this wasn't in her handwriting. Clarabelle had taken her private investigation further, and thanks to some eye witnesses, discovered the last place Millicent had been seen was the docks that now Clarabelle was exploring. The docks were empty, save for one small boat in the harbor.

Clarabelle quietly walked on the wooden boards, unable to find any hint of where her friend had vanished to. As she continued her fruitless exploration, she noticed that there were extra footsteps on the docks. She held onto her pistol, but didn't draw it out of its holster. The clouds above her moved, and bright moonlight helped to illuminate two people on the docks with her. Far to the left was Goofy, worriedly stepping backwards in desperate search for someone. Far to the right was Peg, holding onto the folder Barnaby had given her, and she was grinding her teeth in frustration. As all three figures lifted their heads, they all saw each other, and panic was instantaneous.  Clarabelle whipped out her pistol, unsure who to aim at first. "What are you two doing here!"

Goofy held up his hands in defense. "I'm just lookin' fer Millie!" He regretted the words as soon as they escaped his buck teeth, but they were the truth. Millie hadn't responded to his calls in days, and he had followed the same paths as Clarabelle to find his sweetheart.

Peg fumbled with her folder, trying to take her own pistol out without dropping her papers. "I'm not here ta cause any trouble… I'm on a job, and I ain't hurtin' nobody!" She pulled out one of the papers and held it out to try and prove to Clarabelle that she was telling the truth. "I was hired ta keep an eye on some fellas… But every time I try and find them, I can't! It's like they're all made up! This is the closest I've gotten to a real lead!"

"That's because they were all made up, Peggy."

The three surprised bodies swiveled towards the singular boat in the harbor, for there stood the speaker, her golden armband shining in the moonlight. Mirage also held her folder from Barnaby, and smirked down at the three confused former friends. "Barnaby never wanted you to search for anyone… you were just given a job so he'd know where you were at any given time. And now that the three of you are together, this makes my job a lot easier." She lightly tossed her folder at their feet, and it spilled open with six photographs. They were of Goofy, Clarabelle, and Peg, but also of Pete, Millie, and Horace.

Clarabelle didn't understand what the upcoming King of America had to do with any of this, but she had a large guess as to the meaning behind the photographs. She angrily pointed her pistol towards Mirage, having to use all of her restraint to not pull the trigger. "Do you know what happened to Horace and Mille? What did you do them?" The threat to their loved ones caused Goofy to snarl and Peg to growl, ready to react with their own weapons with less restraint than the N.A.V.Y. woman.

Mirage didn't flinch and kept calm, not impressed by the threat of violence. "They've been invited to Barnaby's coronation, as have the three of you. If you want to see them alive, you'll come with me." She gestured to the boat she was standing on, and the trio reluctantly lowered their weapons. "All aboard."

~*~

Bright and early the next morning, Gadget was working on Minnie's roller skates again, and she noted to herself that it had been far too long since she had seen Minnie this happy. The owner of the skates was rocking back and forth in her chair, smiling brightly, and fidgeting with anticipation. Daisy was casually brushing Minnie's head with the brush from their room, not quite as excited as Minnie but still very happy in her own way. Gadget's curiosity couldn't hold her back much longer. "Minnie, you look ready to bounce off the walls. What's got you so happy?"

Minnie let loose a few loud giggles before being able to share her reasons. "Oh, it's wonderful, Gadget! Daisy and I going to the Prince of America's coronation! Something that big is going to show everyone that I really can be trusted!"

"Stay still, I'm almost done." Daisy gently chided her friend before resuming grooming. "They're only sending us two as an act of good faith from our kingdom to theirs. They have their own branches of the N.A.V.Y. and A.R.M.Y. to watch over things, so we probably won't even be noticed. It might be kind of boring."

"That doesn't matter." Minnie kicked her legs back and forth, needing to move in some way so she could let all of her joy out. "It's not kitchen duty! And this will be my first time near a royal family, isn't that exciting?" She didn't count the crashed wedding of Edward and Millicent, as she had done her best to block plenty of memories from that time.

Gadget paused in her work, uncomfortable with how she wanted to word her next questions. "… Not that I don't think you're ready for it, Minnie, but… why aren't they sending Clarabelle and Millicent? They are… more experienced. And they were chosen to help a royal family before."

Minnie wasn't insulted as she had wondered the same thing herself. Her kicking slowed down as worrisome reminders were exchanged between her and Daisy's faces. "… Millie has a leave of absence, but she's never taken one before. And nobody knows where Clarabelle is. She hasn't been seen since yesterday."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Daisy squeezed Minnie's shoulder in kindness, hoping that by assuring her friend she could also assure herself. "I bet she's snuck off to see Horace, and they're confessing their love. They'll probably be engaged by the time he gets out of the hospital." Finished with her brushing, she stepped back from Minnie. "Are you just about done, Gadget? We have to go and get ready to leave for the Kingdom of America."

Gadget screwed in one more screw, and then took a sweeping bow, proud of her repairs. "All finished. I'm sure you two will do great."

Minnie got out of her seat, and picked up her skates. "Thanks, Gadget! I'll come and see you the second we get back." She left the room with Daisy, but instead of squealing more about their assignment or worrying more about their friends, she asked about something else entirely. "Say, Daisy… you know how to get boys to do what you want, don't you?"

Daisy was puzzled by such a question coming from such a person. "Sure I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because I need to learn how to do it." Though her pride gagged at it and her heart fluttered at it, she needed to know how to wrap Mickey around her finger. Who better to ask than Daisy? "When we're done with the coronation… I'm going to visit a friend."

End Of Chapter Sixteen.