[Disney, Donald/Daisy: Birds of a Feather]
Title: Birds of a Feather
Fandom: Disney Ducks (The Three Caballeros, Carl Barks and Don Rosa comics)
Genre: Romance/Friendship/Humor
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Donald Duck/Daisy Duck, Gladstone Gander, José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles
Word Count: 2,722
Summary: At that, both Panchito and José perked up. If anyone knew Donald for more than just an anger management course poster-boy, it was them. They were amigos, compadres, caballeros! And it was time that their dear friend Donald got what he deserved, without the headache.
“Ah, Donal’ shall be very surprised, don’t you agree José?”
“It will be a beautiful surprise for our old friend. It was kind of his nephews to send us that letter, no?”
Panchito laughed, “Sí, poor Donal’ being so down on life. It is up to us to bring him back the joy of his youth!”
José paused on the doorstep, quickly yanking Panchito aside with the handle of his umbrella. Quietly, he motioned inside the home where Donald sat moodily on his couch, head in hands. As they watched, he sighed heavily.
“It seems it is as they said, the times of the world, they weigh heavy on his shoulders.”
“¡Ay, caramba! This will take a lot of work, so let us get to it!”
With a flourish, Panchito hastily knocked on the front door, causing Donald to jump up in shock and subsequently bash his head on the ceiling.
“@#%$+*!” Donald swore, shaking his fist at the ceiling before angrily stomping to the door. “Told those brats I was busy. Better not be Gladstone here to rub his current victory in my face, that rat-faced ba-“
“¡Hola, mi amigo!”
His eyes tried to focus on the Mexican rooster. “Pan-Panchito?” Then he turned to the Brazilian parrot. “José?”
“Donaldo, meu amigo,” José said, pulling him into a hug and slapping him on the back. He then began to ramble in Portuguese, before finally letting go and saying, “Or, as you Americans say, what’s up?”
Donald blinked, looking from one to the other. “What are you guys doing here?”
“It is, how they say, we were in the neighborhood,” José replied.
“And tres little birdies told us you could use some cheering up,” Panchito added.
His face fell at that, before his gaze drifted sideways. “Oh that old stuff? It’s nothing.”
“Ah, I see, he thinks we are not good enough friends to be let into his secrets.”
José shook his head, putting his arm around Panchito and whispering loudly, “Or, he is heartbroken and wishes none to witness his sorrow. Ah yes, that must be it! Brave Donaldo, suffering in silence.”
Pulling Donald into their hug, Panchito gave him a piercing look.
“Come, we are friends are we not? The Three Caballeros, yes?”
“Well yeah, we are but…” Donald trailed off, took a deep breath and looked up at his friends. “Okay, so there’s this girl…”
Panchito whistled, “A beautiful lady?”
José patted Donald’s shoulder. “Say no more, we all know the woes of a broken heart at the hands of a lovely senhorita.”
“No this one, she’s different. Just…look why don’tcha come in for drinks and I’ll tell you, okay?”
-------------------------------------
“As always, you put us to shame!” Panchito said, wiping a tear from his eye. “Putting her feelings before your own.”
“It is so noble. Our wonderful, noble amigo, Donaldo.”
Donald flushed. “Aw shucks, it’s not like that. It’s just, Daisy would be happier with Gladstone. He’s the luckiest guy in the world and I’m…”
“Brave?” Panchito offered. “Noble?”
José continued, “And you’ve been on all those adventures! You’re worldly wise, my friend.”
“Yeah, but Daisy doesn’t see that. She just sees me…being me.”
At that, both Panchito and José perked up. If anyone knew Donald for more than just an anger management course poster-boy, it was them. They were amigos, compadres, caballeros! And it was time that their dear friend Donald got what he deserved, without the headache.
“Donal’, it is time you show your beautiful señorita that there is more to you than that.”
“And,” José added leaning in to whisper to the others, “we have just the plan, do we not?”
“¡Aha! Let’s get this started! The Three Caballeros shall be matchmakers tonight!”
The three huddled close as Panchito and José told Donald their plan. They wouldn’t try to show Daisy that Donald was someone he wasn’t, but they wanted her to see him for what he was: their brave best friend and, if they were lucky, a worthier match than Gladstone Gander.
“Now, remember what it is we tell you, Donaldo.”
“Uno, be honest. Dos, be yourself even if it doesn’t seem like the best idea. And tres, remember we’ve got your back, amigo.”
Donald nodded, before putting his hand in. “All for one?”
“And one for all!” The other two finished as they added their hands to the mix.
-------------------------------------------
Gladstone had chosen the best place (for him at least) to show off for a date, namely a casino. He’s already won everything he touched and was easily getting away with using some of his own cards to fix the games that were rigged. The casino dealers had been so baffled when their usual slight of hand hadn’t worked in beating him out.
“Are you having a good evening, Daisy?”
Daisy smiled. “Yes, though I would like to try my hand at a game.”
Gladstone waved her to the nearest slot machine, and then while she was watching the wheels spin, he casually leaned on the machine. Instantly, it froze on the winning combination.
“Oh Gladstone, look I did it!”
He smiled. “Ah my luck must have rubbed off on you.”
Daisy paused. The whole evening had been a little…off to her. Sure, Gladstone was rich and handsome, but he definitely seemed more interested in the idea of being on a date rather than who he was with. Hoping to get him away from the casino’s games to see if he’d lighten up, Daisy noticed the sign for the live show.
“Look Gladstone, a real bullfighter! Let’s go see that.”
He stopped mid-yawn and plastered on a smile. “If you insist, my dear.”
Together, they walked into the arena and choose a seat. Behind the curtains, three familiar fowl peered out.
“There they are and like you said, she is wearing a red dress.”
Donald looked worried for a moment. “She won’t get hurt, right?”
José patted his shoulder. “Oh no, Donaldo. That’s why you’re here.”
He gulped. But the moment he saw Daisy smiling and laughing at something Gladstone had said, he steeled his nerves.
“All right then. Let’s do this!”
Panchito went out with a flourish, a small black mask over his face to disguise him for now. He feigned looking out at the entire crowd before settling on Daisy and Gladstone. Pointing them out, he yelled, “You sir look like you have amazing luck, would you like to test it?”
Gladstone stood up smugly. “That will be no trouble at all.”
“Aha! And please be bringing your lovely señorita with you. Wouldn’t want her to miss the show!”
Together they made their way to the middle arena, a circle of dirt that was heavily pawed by the hooves of a bull. Panchito held out the red cloth to Gladstone and said to the audience, “We shall now see if his luck is lucky enough! Stand here good sir, and when the bull enters, give out a loud ‘aha!’ to draw his attention to you.”
Gladstone gave the cloth a shake and gave out a weak , “aha.”
Panchito had to suppress a grin. ”Ah, Donal’ knows his lucky cousin well. He just stands there, bored as a burro in the field waiting for his luck to do the work. That lack of enthusiasm will end, no so well for him, I think.”
The weak fluttering of red barely registered to the bull as he entered the arena to the ooohs and ahhs of the crowd. In fact, Gladstone’s attempt at drawing the bull’s attention was so pathetic that a certain gasp caught the bull’s ears first.
With a snort, the bull looked up to find the noise, but that’s when he saw red. Fluttering, shaking, red from head to toe.
Daisy, in her coordinated outfit, bow and handbag, was an arena-side target without knowing it.
As the bull began his charge, he dashed right by Gladstone. He suppressed another yawn, thinking the crowd’s gasp was for how easily he’d dodged the bull. “See, my luck wins again.”
Daisy’s eyes went wide as the bull drew closer and closer. She was afraid to move, fearing that the excess movement would only make things worse. But as the bull barreled closer, she realized she no longer had a choice. Gladstone was too busy nonchalantly waiting for the bull to return and breeze by him again to even notice the dilemma she was in.
“¡Ole!” A new, but familiar, voice called out as a shorter bullfighter jumped in between Daisy and the bull at the last moment.
As her heart stopped racing, her eyes went wide. “Donald, what are you doing here?!”
Donald kept his focus on the bull, already knowing that she was suspecting he was spying on her and Gladstone. But, everything was still going to plan, and right on cue José ran up beside Daisy. He just had to run around and distract the bull until Panchito could come get it.
“Ay, Donaldo! That is too dangerous, my friend!”
Daisy looked over at him questioning. “You know Donald?”
José nodded. “He is my good friend, stupidly brave sometimes though. He was here to help me find a place to sing, even if he has, how do they say it? No connections.”
That’s when it dawned on her why this stranger seemed so familiar.
“José Carioca, the singer from Brazil?” She asked.
He gave a small bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you are?”
“Daisy.”
At that, José put a hand to his heart. “Ah, I understand now why Donaldo was so quick to jump in to defend you then. He is so devoted to you, my lovely flower, that I will restrain from being too friendly.”
“Devoted? You must be talking about someone else, bucko.”
Her scowl was back, and even though Donald was still out in the arena distracting the bull, she wouldn’t let it budge the look off her face.
“Oh no, no, he may look, but you are the only flower he wishes to pick. He was so heartbroken to hear that you were dating another.”
Daisy tried to refrain from seeming too interested. “You mean jealous?”
“His nephews sent an urgent request that we come console him, he was very depressed. But nothing we could do, no suggestions of beautiful women, could move him. He only came out of his house because he is such a good friend and we both needed jobs.”
Giving him a skeptical look, Daisy was just about to ask if Donald also asked him to come suck up to her, but a loud cry from the crowd distracted her. The bull was furious now and was heading out into the crowd.
“Get out! Run for it! Gladstone, you good-for-nothing, use your luck to help these people!” Donald yelled, shoving his cousin towards the fleeing masses.
Of course, as he’d paused in his distracting, the bull had turned his sights back on Daisy. José put his umbrella as a guard.
“Panchito! Get this bull out of here!”
The plan, which had been mostly to have José talk up Donald while Panchito got the bull back under control, was slowly unraveling.
“Panchito!”
“Un momento, this rope is caught on my leg!”
Donald looked to his friends, one stuck and one trying his best to guard Daisy. Then he looked down to the red cloth that Gladstone had left when he’d fled. With a deep breath, he picked it up.
“Hey you big hamburger, come have a taste of this!”
The bull whipped his head around at the voice, snorting as he began to paw the dirt, ready to charge. As Donald shook the red flag again, the bull raced towards him and he held his ground.
“Donald, don’t!” Daisy called out as the bull lowered its horns.
But Donald wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt. Except, well, him. He was used to it, after all. After all the windows that had slammed down on him and the doors that had squashed his fingers, what was getting hit head-on by a raging bull?
“Donaldo!”
“Donal’!”
Then at the very last moment, a wild and crazy idea popped into Donald’s head. It was something he’d seen once, probably in the boys’ Junior Woodchuck manual, and figured it was worth a try. So he jumped right on the bull’s head, yanked the fabric as tight over his face as he could, and he began to tie it off.
“Aha! That should do it!”
The bull froze for a second, before promptly bucking Donald off his head and sending him airborne. He crashed down onto the floor a moment later.
By this time, Panchito had freed his leg and quickly rushed out to reign in the bull before he could cause Donald any more harm. Daisy and José ran over, Daisy reaching out to pull the dazed duck into her lap.
“Oh Donald.”
“Da-Daisy, get away, the bull might…” he mumbled weakly.
José shook his head. “No worries, amigo. Panchito has taken care of the bull.”
Daisy yanked Donald upright at that, pressing a kiss to his throbbing temple. “Donald, you might have the worst temper in all of Duckburg but…” she kissed him again, “your friends are right that you are one devoted, stupidly brave duck.”
Gladstone poked his head back in the room then, and called out, “Daisy, we’ve got to go! When fleeing some of my extra cards fell out, but instead of arresting me they realized that the casino was rigging games, so they’re closing down the place. Rigged games and a shoddy bull act, lucky for Uncle Scrooge he doesn’t invest in this place!”
Daisy looked up at Gladstone then back down at Donald, who now that she noticed it did have a rather hurt edge to his expression (underneath a very jealous glare).
“That’s nice Gladstone, but I think I’ll be escorting Donald home. He just took a bull on head-first and survived. Isn’t that lucky of him?” Daisy asked with a smirk.
The lucky gander gaped. For once it seemed that his unlucky cousin had gotten the better luck.
“Ah, please do not worry about us,” José interjected. “You wouldn’t want to leave your lady friends waiting, hmm?”
Sure enough, behind Gladstone was a flock of ladies who had all been “saved” when he stumbled into them fleeing the arena. He shrugged then turned to them.
“So that’s the luck of the draw, is it?”
Daisy shot him a nasty look. “Looks like it, Gladstone. Have a nice night.”
He tipped his hat to them, then departed with his flock.
------------------------------------------------
Back at Donald’s house, Daisy insisted on putting him to bed and getting him an icepack for the large bump on his head. She then sat next to him and held his hand.
“Are you sure that’s all I can get you, Donald?”
“Yeah. That’ll do the trick, toots.”
She gave him a playful swat at the nickname, but they both shared a small smile that neither of the others could miss.
“So, it seems we are out of our jobs for the evening,” Panchito began.
“Ah me, but I think our friend could use some cheerful music to help him heal, no?” José suggested, pointing to the guitar sticking out from under Donald’s bed.
Panchito took the hint and yanked it out. “Lovely señorita, do you mind if two of the Three Caballeros serenade you tonight?”
Daisy smiled. “Not at all.”
“Do not worry, you are not missing out without Donald in the mix. His voice is, how they say, like nails on a chalkboard.”
“Why I oughta…” Donald started to sit up, but Daisy just kissed his forehead and pushed him back down onto the bed before giving his hand a squeeze. He blushed, then mumbled, “Aw, phooey.”
They all laughed as Panchito started strumming on the guitar and José began to sing. Sometimes, you didn’t need luck on your side; just good friends.
Fandom: Disney Ducks (The Three Caballeros, Carl Barks and Don Rosa comics)
Genre: Romance/Friendship/Humor
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairing: Donald Duck/Daisy Duck, Gladstone Gander, José Carioca, Panchito Pistoles
Word Count: 2,722
Summary: At that, both Panchito and José perked up. If anyone knew Donald for more than just an anger management course poster-boy, it was them. They were amigos, compadres, caballeros! And it was time that their dear friend Donald got what he deserved, without the headache.
“Ah, Donal’ shall be very surprised, don’t you agree José?”
“It will be a beautiful surprise for our old friend. It was kind of his nephews to send us that letter, no?”
Panchito laughed, “Sí, poor Donal’ being so down on life. It is up to us to bring him back the joy of his youth!”
José paused on the doorstep, quickly yanking Panchito aside with the handle of his umbrella. Quietly, he motioned inside the home where Donald sat moodily on his couch, head in hands. As they watched, he sighed heavily.
“It seems it is as they said, the times of the world, they weigh heavy on his shoulders.”
“¡Ay, caramba! This will take a lot of work, so let us get to it!”
With a flourish, Panchito hastily knocked on the front door, causing Donald to jump up in shock and subsequently bash his head on the ceiling.
“@#%$+*!” Donald swore, shaking his fist at the ceiling before angrily stomping to the door. “Told those brats I was busy. Better not be Gladstone here to rub his current victory in my face, that rat-faced ba-“
“¡Hola, mi amigo!”
His eyes tried to focus on the Mexican rooster. “Pan-Panchito?” Then he turned to the Brazilian parrot. “José?”
“Donaldo, meu amigo,” José said, pulling him into a hug and slapping him on the back. He then began to ramble in Portuguese, before finally letting go and saying, “Or, as you Americans say, what’s up?”
Donald blinked, looking from one to the other. “What are you guys doing here?”
“It is, how they say, we were in the neighborhood,” José replied.
“And tres little birdies told us you could use some cheering up,” Panchito added.
His face fell at that, before his gaze drifted sideways. “Oh that old stuff? It’s nothing.”
“Ah, I see, he thinks we are not good enough friends to be let into his secrets.”
José shook his head, putting his arm around Panchito and whispering loudly, “Or, he is heartbroken and wishes none to witness his sorrow. Ah yes, that must be it! Brave Donaldo, suffering in silence.”
Pulling Donald into their hug, Panchito gave him a piercing look.
“Come, we are friends are we not? The Three Caballeros, yes?”
“Well yeah, we are but…” Donald trailed off, took a deep breath and looked up at his friends. “Okay, so there’s this girl…”
Panchito whistled, “A beautiful lady?”
José patted Donald’s shoulder. “Say no more, we all know the woes of a broken heart at the hands of a lovely senhorita.”
“No this one, she’s different. Just…look why don’tcha come in for drinks and I’ll tell you, okay?”
-------------------------------------
“As always, you put us to shame!” Panchito said, wiping a tear from his eye. “Putting her feelings before your own.”
“It is so noble. Our wonderful, noble amigo, Donaldo.”
Donald flushed. “Aw shucks, it’s not like that. It’s just, Daisy would be happier with Gladstone. He’s the luckiest guy in the world and I’m…”
“Brave?” Panchito offered. “Noble?”
José continued, “And you’ve been on all those adventures! You’re worldly wise, my friend.”
“Yeah, but Daisy doesn’t see that. She just sees me…being me.”
At that, both Panchito and José perked up. If anyone knew Donald for more than just an anger management course poster-boy, it was them. They were amigos, compadres, caballeros! And it was time that their dear friend Donald got what he deserved, without the headache.
“Donal’, it is time you show your beautiful señorita that there is more to you than that.”
“And,” José added leaning in to whisper to the others, “we have just the plan, do we not?”
“¡Aha! Let’s get this started! The Three Caballeros shall be matchmakers tonight!”
The three huddled close as Panchito and José told Donald their plan. They wouldn’t try to show Daisy that Donald was someone he wasn’t, but they wanted her to see him for what he was: their brave best friend and, if they were lucky, a worthier match than Gladstone Gander.
“Now, remember what it is we tell you, Donaldo.”
“Uno, be honest. Dos, be yourself even if it doesn’t seem like the best idea. And tres, remember we’ve got your back, amigo.”
Donald nodded, before putting his hand in. “All for one?”
“And one for all!” The other two finished as they added their hands to the mix.
-------------------------------------------
Gladstone had chosen the best place (for him at least) to show off for a date, namely a casino. He’s already won everything he touched and was easily getting away with using some of his own cards to fix the games that were rigged. The casino dealers had been so baffled when their usual slight of hand hadn’t worked in beating him out.
“Are you having a good evening, Daisy?”
Daisy smiled. “Yes, though I would like to try my hand at a game.”
Gladstone waved her to the nearest slot machine, and then while she was watching the wheels spin, he casually leaned on the machine. Instantly, it froze on the winning combination.
“Oh Gladstone, look I did it!”
He smiled. “Ah my luck must have rubbed off on you.”
Daisy paused. The whole evening had been a little…off to her. Sure, Gladstone was rich and handsome, but he definitely seemed more interested in the idea of being on a date rather than who he was with. Hoping to get him away from the casino’s games to see if he’d lighten up, Daisy noticed the sign for the live show.
“Look Gladstone, a real bullfighter! Let’s go see that.”
He stopped mid-yawn and plastered on a smile. “If you insist, my dear.”
Together, they walked into the arena and choose a seat. Behind the curtains, three familiar fowl peered out.
“There they are and like you said, she is wearing a red dress.”
Donald looked worried for a moment. “She won’t get hurt, right?”
José patted his shoulder. “Oh no, Donaldo. That’s why you’re here.”
He gulped. But the moment he saw Daisy smiling and laughing at something Gladstone had said, he steeled his nerves.
“All right then. Let’s do this!”
Panchito went out with a flourish, a small black mask over his face to disguise him for now. He feigned looking out at the entire crowd before settling on Daisy and Gladstone. Pointing them out, he yelled, “You sir look like you have amazing luck, would you like to test it?”
Gladstone stood up smugly. “That will be no trouble at all.”
“Aha! And please be bringing your lovely señorita with you. Wouldn’t want her to miss the show!”
Together they made their way to the middle arena, a circle of dirt that was heavily pawed by the hooves of a bull. Panchito held out the red cloth to Gladstone and said to the audience, “We shall now see if his luck is lucky enough! Stand here good sir, and when the bull enters, give out a loud ‘aha!’ to draw his attention to you.”
Gladstone gave the cloth a shake and gave out a weak , “aha.”
Panchito had to suppress a grin. ”Ah, Donal’ knows his lucky cousin well. He just stands there, bored as a burro in the field waiting for his luck to do the work. That lack of enthusiasm will end, no so well for him, I think.”
The weak fluttering of red barely registered to the bull as he entered the arena to the ooohs and ahhs of the crowd. In fact, Gladstone’s attempt at drawing the bull’s attention was so pathetic that a certain gasp caught the bull’s ears first.
With a snort, the bull looked up to find the noise, but that’s when he saw red. Fluttering, shaking, red from head to toe.
Daisy, in her coordinated outfit, bow and handbag, was an arena-side target without knowing it.
As the bull began his charge, he dashed right by Gladstone. He suppressed another yawn, thinking the crowd’s gasp was for how easily he’d dodged the bull. “See, my luck wins again.”
Daisy’s eyes went wide as the bull drew closer and closer. She was afraid to move, fearing that the excess movement would only make things worse. But as the bull barreled closer, she realized she no longer had a choice. Gladstone was too busy nonchalantly waiting for the bull to return and breeze by him again to even notice the dilemma she was in.
“¡Ole!” A new, but familiar, voice called out as a shorter bullfighter jumped in between Daisy and the bull at the last moment.
As her heart stopped racing, her eyes went wide. “Donald, what are you doing here?!”
Donald kept his focus on the bull, already knowing that she was suspecting he was spying on her and Gladstone. But, everything was still going to plan, and right on cue José ran up beside Daisy. He just had to run around and distract the bull until Panchito could come get it.
“Ay, Donaldo! That is too dangerous, my friend!”
Daisy looked over at him questioning. “You know Donald?”
José nodded. “He is my good friend, stupidly brave sometimes though. He was here to help me find a place to sing, even if he has, how do they say it? No connections.”
That’s when it dawned on her why this stranger seemed so familiar.
“José Carioca, the singer from Brazil?” She asked.
He gave a small bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you are?”
“Daisy.”
At that, José put a hand to his heart. “Ah, I understand now why Donaldo was so quick to jump in to defend you then. He is so devoted to you, my lovely flower, that I will restrain from being too friendly.”
“Devoted? You must be talking about someone else, bucko.”
Her scowl was back, and even though Donald was still out in the arena distracting the bull, she wouldn’t let it budge the look off her face.
“Oh no, no, he may look, but you are the only flower he wishes to pick. He was so heartbroken to hear that you were dating another.”
Daisy tried to refrain from seeming too interested. “You mean jealous?”
“His nephews sent an urgent request that we come console him, he was very depressed. But nothing we could do, no suggestions of beautiful women, could move him. He only came out of his house because he is such a good friend and we both needed jobs.”
Giving him a skeptical look, Daisy was just about to ask if Donald also asked him to come suck up to her, but a loud cry from the crowd distracted her. The bull was furious now and was heading out into the crowd.
“Get out! Run for it! Gladstone, you good-for-nothing, use your luck to help these people!” Donald yelled, shoving his cousin towards the fleeing masses.
Of course, as he’d paused in his distracting, the bull had turned his sights back on Daisy. José put his umbrella as a guard.
“Panchito! Get this bull out of here!”
The plan, which had been mostly to have José talk up Donald while Panchito got the bull back under control, was slowly unraveling.
“Panchito!”
“Un momento, this rope is caught on my leg!”
Donald looked to his friends, one stuck and one trying his best to guard Daisy. Then he looked down to the red cloth that Gladstone had left when he’d fled. With a deep breath, he picked it up.
“Hey you big hamburger, come have a taste of this!”
The bull whipped his head around at the voice, snorting as he began to paw the dirt, ready to charge. As Donald shook the red flag again, the bull raced towards him and he held his ground.
“Donald, don’t!” Daisy called out as the bull lowered its horns.
But Donald wasn’t going to let anyone get hurt. Except, well, him. He was used to it, after all. After all the windows that had slammed down on him and the doors that had squashed his fingers, what was getting hit head-on by a raging bull?
“Donaldo!”
“Donal’!”
Then at the very last moment, a wild and crazy idea popped into Donald’s head. It was something he’d seen once, probably in the boys’ Junior Woodchuck manual, and figured it was worth a try. So he jumped right on the bull’s head, yanked the fabric as tight over his face as he could, and he began to tie it off.
“Aha! That should do it!”
The bull froze for a second, before promptly bucking Donald off his head and sending him airborne. He crashed down onto the floor a moment later.
By this time, Panchito had freed his leg and quickly rushed out to reign in the bull before he could cause Donald any more harm. Daisy and José ran over, Daisy reaching out to pull the dazed duck into her lap.
“Oh Donald.”
“Da-Daisy, get away, the bull might…” he mumbled weakly.
José shook his head. “No worries, amigo. Panchito has taken care of the bull.”
Daisy yanked Donald upright at that, pressing a kiss to his throbbing temple. “Donald, you might have the worst temper in all of Duckburg but…” she kissed him again, “your friends are right that you are one devoted, stupidly brave duck.”
Gladstone poked his head back in the room then, and called out, “Daisy, we’ve got to go! When fleeing some of my extra cards fell out, but instead of arresting me they realized that the casino was rigging games, so they’re closing down the place. Rigged games and a shoddy bull act, lucky for Uncle Scrooge he doesn’t invest in this place!”
Daisy looked up at Gladstone then back down at Donald, who now that she noticed it did have a rather hurt edge to his expression (underneath a very jealous glare).
“That’s nice Gladstone, but I think I’ll be escorting Donald home. He just took a bull on head-first and survived. Isn’t that lucky of him?” Daisy asked with a smirk.
The lucky gander gaped. For once it seemed that his unlucky cousin had gotten the better luck.
“Ah, please do not worry about us,” José interjected. “You wouldn’t want to leave your lady friends waiting, hmm?”
Sure enough, behind Gladstone was a flock of ladies who had all been “saved” when he stumbled into them fleeing the arena. He shrugged then turned to them.
“So that’s the luck of the draw, is it?”
Daisy shot him a nasty look. “Looks like it, Gladstone. Have a nice night.”
He tipped his hat to them, then departed with his flock.
------------------------------------------------
Back at Donald’s house, Daisy insisted on putting him to bed and getting him an icepack for the large bump on his head. She then sat next to him and held his hand.
“Are you sure that’s all I can get you, Donald?”
“Yeah. That’ll do the trick, toots.”
She gave him a playful swat at the nickname, but they both shared a small smile that neither of the others could miss.
“So, it seems we are out of our jobs for the evening,” Panchito began.
“Ah me, but I think our friend could use some cheerful music to help him heal, no?” José suggested, pointing to the guitar sticking out from under Donald’s bed.
Panchito took the hint and yanked it out. “Lovely señorita, do you mind if two of the Three Caballeros serenade you tonight?”
Daisy smiled. “Not at all.”
“Do not worry, you are not missing out without Donald in the mix. His voice is, how they say, like nails on a chalkboard.”
“Why I oughta…” Donald started to sit up, but Daisy just kissed his forehead and pushed him back down onto the bed before giving his hand a squeeze. He blushed, then mumbled, “Aw, phooey.”
They all laughed as Panchito started strumming on the guitar and José began to sing. Sometimes, you didn’t need luck on your side; just good friends.