Ducktales: Donald's Daughter

Chapter 9: Back in McDuck Manor

After several hours of reading Huey’s very thorough, and educational, notebook on the McDuck family adventures, Diane was getting sleepy. She had just finished reading about their adventure to Atlantis, which was filled with little facts about sea shanties and Atlantian mythology. And while it was very interesting information, Diane was pretty tired from the bus ride, the walk up hill, and meeting so many other relatives - that her eyelids were starting to flutter.

“How...many other adventures have you guys been on?” Diane asked, breaking the silence that had descended in the boys room. Dewey had fallen asleep, and merely rolled over when Diane spoke. Huey, who was studying his Jr. Woodchuck handbook, didn’t even look up. “Guys?” 

“Hhm?” Huey asked, glancing up. Diane held back a yawn and lifted up the notebook.

“I was just curious how many adventures you guys have been on,” Diane said. Inwardly she was feeling a little jealous of her cousins...they got to grow up with her dad, go on adventures with him and the Scrooge McDcuk. Meanwhile Diane only had a photograph of her dad, and didn’t know she was even remotely related to Scrooge McDuck. But she was here now. And that was what mattered. “I mean...your notebook’s pretty thick, so I assume you must have gone on a lot of adventures…”

“Oh, I’d say we’ve been on...eight and half.” Huey said, stretching from the chair. He glanced at a clock sitting on his desk and his eyes widened. “Is that the time?? I need to get to bed - it’s almost past bedtime.”

“What time is it?” Diane asked, stretching on the beanbag. She was much too comfortable to move. 

“Nine.” Huey answered, placing a bookmark in his handbook and stretching again. As he did, Louie opened their room door and came in. His hoodie had bits of popcorn sticking to it, and he was smoothing down his hair. 

“You would not believe how long it takes to sweep up popcorn -” Louie said, stopping when he saw Diane relaxing in his  bean bag. Literally, his bean bag - the one he had bought with his own “Louie’s Kids” fund. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just leaving,” Diane said, standing up. She got the feeling that Louie didn’t like her...and she was too tired to try and smooth things out between them. She handed Huey back his notebook. “Thanks for letting me read that, Huey. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Huey said with a smile. “I’m curious to hear what you thought of it.”

“Maybe another time,” Diane said, a yawn escaping her beak. “I think I need to get some sleep.”

“Well, then, better go get that sleep,” Louie said in a much too nice voice, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Huey gave his youngest brother a look, but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Diane said, heading for their door. As she opened it, she prayed her dad wasn’t in the room Webby had shown her...Not that she was afraid of her dad - she was afraid of the rage he had. Because...well, Diane had noticed for herself, she had a temper. 

As a matter of fact, not too long ago she’d been kicked off her baseball team for fighting. Someone had been insulting her mom, over and over again - until Diane couldn’t keep her anger in check. In a rage, she’d started punching the guy - and had to be pulled off of him by two adults.

That was what scared Diane - the uncontrollable rage that Donald had shown. If he could become like that, then Diane was certain she could as well. And that kind of rage Diane wasn’t sure she could control…

Gulping down her fear, Diane forced herself to step outside her cousins room. 

“Night guys,” Diane said, before she closed the door. 

“Night,” Huey said. 

“Meh.” Louie said.

 “ZZzz.” Dewey said.

With that, Diane closed the door. Alone in the hallway, she felt like an intruder. She didn’t know this place, she wasn’t sure where everything was, heck, she didn’t even know her Uncle. Nervously running a hand through her hair, Diane made for her room. 

Each step she took towards it, an image of her dad, his face contorted with rage, entered her mind. But she kept going. Though she was afraid, she was not going to run away from that fear. She had to face it. 

When she was in front of the door, Diane swallowed her fear, and shook off the memories. It had been several hours, since she’d last opened this door, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Fingers crossed in her right hand (which was her lucky one), she tried to open the door. 

But when she grabbed the doorknob, the door itself swung inwards, taking Diane inwards. With a “Woah!” Diane was sent careening into the room, tumbling into someone as she did. 

“Ooh, my head,” The someone, who happened to be Donald, groaned. Donald had been tossed back against the wall, hitting his head, when Diane tumbled into him. His daughter, however, had the luck to hit his soft body rather than the wall. 

“Sorry,” Diane got up and dusted off her shirt nervously. Donald rubbed his head as he got up. “I didn’t know you were still in here...I can leave if you want -”

 “No, it’s okay,” Donald said, waving a hand. “I’ll be fine.”

 “Okay,” Diane said, putting her arms behind her back and looking around the room. It was split into two, one side that was messy with clothing strewn everywhere, and an unmade bed, while the other was clean, with the bed made. Diane glanced between the two sides of the room, wondering which side was her dad’s...

“So…” Donald said, shaking away the last of his head pain. It honestly wasn’t that bad. He’d had worse head injuries while adventuring with Uncle Scrooge and Della. “What brings you here?”

“Oh, um, nothing,” Diane lied. It wasn’t a great way to start out her relationship with her dad, but she didn’t want him to get angry again. And, seeing as how upset he got over Scrooge giving her his old t-shirt, she hated to see how he’d react to him giving her this room. “Just...looking for the kitchen.”

“The kitchen?” Donald asked skeptically. 

“M-hm,” Diane said, nodding her head. Already tendrils of guilt were taking a hold of her. She really should just come out and tell him she was afraid he’d get upset. But,compared to the lie Diane had told her mom, this one was nothing. All the same, Diane decided to tell him something that was true.  “I haven’t eaten anything but a protein bar in the last day.”

“A protein bar!” Donald exclaimed, jumping up. Diane took a few steps back, mentally preparing herself for another of Donald’s outbursts. “You traveled all the way from New Duck City, and all you had to eat was a protein bar!?” 

“Well...yeah.” Diane said, blinking. “What’s wrong with that?” 

“It’s-it’s,” Donald said, struggling to find the right words to express his feelings of disdain. “A protein bar!!”

“So?” Diane asked, her fear ebbing away. She folded her arms, feeling a little like she was being lectured. 

“Protein bars are made of processed foods, they have hardly any taste - not to mention they’re full of sugar!” Donald said, listing the points on his fingers. Diane watched, wondering how he’d react if she told him how much frozen food she ate at home. Before she could ask, however, her stomach growled. Loudly.

“Oh, geez,” Diane said, putting her hands on her stomach. “I think I’d better go eat something.” 

“No kidding,” Donald agreed, opening the door for Diane. “Come on, I’ll make you some of my famous chilli!”

Sorry it took so long to update!! This chapter took me a while to come up with, but I was finally able to write it. Yay!! Hopefully next chapter will come more easily. Till next chapter!