Magica woke up with a shock and didn't know where she was. That was not her hut on Vesuvius. The bed was far too big and comfortable. The whole room was too luxurious. Slightly panicked, she rose up in bed and looked around in the half dark. The clock on the bedside table indicated five o'clock in the morning. Her heart pounded like wild, where was she? Suddenly something moved beside her. She wasn't alone in bed?

"Magica? Whats wrong, beloved?"

Scrooge McDuck. She was in bed with Scrooge McDuck. He called her Beloved and oh my God, was he naked? Wait, was SHE naked? With a terrified outcry she hid under the blanket. Why, why was she in bed with Scrooge? Obviously in his room, in his Manor?

"Hey..." His voice sounded so infinitely tender as he bent slightly over her. He gently stroked her face with his hands, probably to calm her down, but her mind couldn't handle the situation. "Did you had a nightmare?" He continued to stroke her hair soothingly.

It felt...good, if she was honest, everything about this situation.

But... why was she in it?

"Scrooge?" She asked carefully. Who knew if he was real or not?

"Of course it's me..." How could his voice sound like this when he was talking to HER? So full of... Love?

He leaned over her to turn on the bedside lamp, then he looked into her eyes that it made her dizzy. Had his eyes always been so deep and warm? A shiver ran down her back and her heart kept beating wildly, but now less because of panic and more because of... Him!

She was still so perplexed that she could hardly move, so she didn't fight back when he lay down so carefully that his elbows were supported next to her head, his body now sat very gently on hers. There was nothing sexual in that touch, it was more like a hug. He wanted to protect her.

"It's all good, I am with you..."

His face approached hers, did he want to...?

Awakening from her rigidity she turned her head to the side to avoid him, her face had turned red in the meantime. But she watched him from the corner of her eye. Shortly he looked... hurt? But then that soft glance came back into his eyes.

"It's all right, you know, I only touch you if it's all right with you. Was it a bad nightmare? You're all pale. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Talking, yeah, maybe it helped explain what was going on. He thought she had had a nightmare anyway, so it wouldn't seem strange to him if she sounded confused.

"I... I'm not sure, I have the feeling... well, why am I lying in bed with you? I mean... we, we are... Enemies... right?" His eyes widened briefly surprised, but then something like understanding scurried over his face. He smiled at her so tenderly that she couldn't turn her gaze away from him.

In the light she could now also see his face and upper body properly. He was really naked and... he looked so good. She had to swallow, she became terribly aware that only a thin blanket lay between him and her, she could feel his warmth. She suddenly had the desire to put her arms around him to draw him closer.

"Did you dream of the old days? I know, it wasn't that long ago. Your subconscious probably plays tricks on you... that's normal, we both were really stubborn until we realized what we really are for each other." He reached under her blanket with his hand and she panicked and stiffened.

On the one hand she was delighted by the thought he would touch her, on the other hand she was afraid of it. Everything was so unreal. But Scrooge just carefully took her hand in his and raised it to his lips to kiss it.

No, what he kissed was...

He turned her hand so she could see her own fingers and there was a beautiful ring she had never seen before. Golden, shaped like a feather, it wrapped around her finger. But the most significant thing was the gem that pranced at the beginning of the feather. A small, polished piece of moon quartz...

The ring was beautiful but... was that...?

Again he kissed the piece of jewellery and then tenderly her hand.

"You see? Everything is fine. It may have been only one month ago, but you are my wife Magica, nothing will change that, unless you decide not to want to be at my side any longer".

Her mind had more and more problems following the whole thing, on the other hand there was a growing desire to just fall into his arms and accept what was happening.

Then he gave her, so to speak, the coup de grace.

"I love you Magica."

Slowly, so that she could protest at any time, he put his forehead to hers. "Tell me when you're reassured."

His look... so intense, piercing, loving. He sighed softly. Not annoyed or exhausted, it was a small sound of contentment.

That it didn't bother him that her heart was beating under him like crazy…

"May I kiss you...?" His question was honest. She felt he would never give in to his desire as long as she didn't make it clear that it was all right. A feeling of comfort and protection flooded her.

Had she really only had a nightmare? Was this the reality?

Was she really in Scrooge McDuck's arms as his lawfully wedded wife?

She had never felt such a wave of happiness that overcame her before, tears rose into her eyes.

Immediately his facial expression changed to concern. Again he stroked her hair soothingly. "Sssshhht, don't cry, my love..." Now he sat up in bed and pulled her up with him into his arms.

The blanket slipped so that now their bare upper bodies lay against each other. But his touch was still nothing but tender and protective. If he desired her, he succeeded in suppressing this for the benefit of his care.

His hands stroked tenderly over her back and he swayed her in his arms. Carefully he kissed her temples and forehead. "I'm sorry that you had such a terrible nightmare..." He backed away from her a little, wiped the tears from her face and looked at her seriously.

"Do you want to sleep alone? Please, if you feel oppressed by me right now, you only have to say one word. Even if..." He had to swallow a little to say those words. "Even if you should have doubts about our connection... I love you Magica, I really love you".

His look reflected his honesty, Scrooge McDuck was always honest and stood by his word. "That's why the most important thing for me is that you are happy, even if it means... without me...I just want you to know that you can talk to me about all insecurities!"

The thought that he could leave her alone scared her. "No!" She called out a little too loud. "Please, don't leave me alone, don't let go of me." She pressed herself tightly against his warm body and her arms naturally wrapped around his neck.

Immediately, the situation had something more erotic about it but... In Circes name, never before had she felt as comfortable as she did now.

"When I woke up I was firmly convinced we were still enemies, I didn't even know where I was at first. She whispered into his ear while he continued to sway her tenderly in his arms. "But that's over, it's really over I..."

She laughed briefly because she could not suppress the joy that took possession of her. "I am your wife..." She looked deep into his eyes where she found nothing but affection.

"I love you Scrooge..."

With that words she nestled herself even closer to him, nudged his beak slightly to make him understand what he should do.

His warm smile widened. Lovingly he caressed her beak before catching her lips in a tender kiss.

Magica got dizzy, she didn't expect it to feel so wonderful. A feeling of affection and satisfaction flooded her heart.

Why did all this seem so new to her? As if it were the first time? Or was it just him, was every kiss from him so uniquely breathtaking that it surprised her every time?

She didn't know, and if she was honest, she didn't care. Only one thing was completely clear to her, she wanted more of it.

Quickly the kiss deepened, became more passionate. She greedily absorbed every touch from him.

With one arm he pulled her even closer to him, while he leaned on the bed with the other to slowly lower them both back onto the mattress. The kiss became more and more intimate.

A lustful moan escaped her as they released briefly to take a breath. Embarrassed, her cheeks turned red, she had never made such noises before. But Scrooge just smiled contentedly and kissed her again.

She became infinitely hot, his tenderness felt so good. She cursed her nightmare, never again did she want to go back to being just his enemy and miss these touches, this feeling of being loved and desired by him.

Magica had always been greedy when she wanted something and just at that moment she wanted nothing in the world as much as this man.

"Scrooge please..." Still a little shy, she looked him in the eye. "I want you to..." Why was it so difficult for her to speak? "... to touch me..."

Everywhere, now!

To her astonishment his eyes widened surprised at her words "Really? Are you sure?" Again he stroked her cheeks so lovingly. "I don't want you to force yourself into anything, you were always so insecure because all closeness was so new to you. Even a kiss was foreign..."

His eyes so infinitely understanding and tender. "Please don't do it only for me, I can wait. I would wait forever for you."

Maybe it was still a nightmare after all.

They had been married for a month and had never...? Was she still quite clear in her head? No wonder she didn't remember anything… There WAS nothing.

"Was I really that foolish?" Now it was her turn to caress through his sideburns tenderly.

"I'm sorry, you must think I have no faith in you. Forgive me for letting you suffer so long..." She pulled him back to her to kiss him, making sure her soft breasts press onto his upper body.

"Believe me, I want to feel you. Nothing I want at the moment as much as that!"

Scrooges eyes became dark with lust as he understood that she was serious.

"I love you, Magica McDuck..."

He repeated before his hands and lips began to explore her body.

Magica McDuck... only the sound of these words caused her to burst into tears again for sheer happiness.

She closed her eyes delighted as his caresses wandered deeper down her body...

She opened them again when he grabbed her rudely by the shoulder and shook her. What was that about? He had just been so tender. But as soon as she had focused the person in front of her, she screamed in shock.

Roberta sceptically raised an eyebrow at her friend's reaction: "Hey Magica, what happened? You suddenly groaned so much in the trance that I was afraid something had gone wrong." Checking, she placed a hand on Magica's forehead. "Besides, you're all red and hot in the face. Now tell me, how did it feel to finally get the Midas touch?"

For a moment Magica looked confused at her friend Roberta. Why was she suddenly in her hut, where was Scrooge?

But then everything came back to her mind. They had brewed a potion called "Heart's desire" that showed you the fulfillment of what you carrie as your deepest wish within you. It had been for fun, a foretaste of what would happen if she finally managed to trick Scrooge and take the dime.

Instead, the potion had done its job too well and really showed her what she didn't even dare to admit she wished for...

"No..."

She whispered, ignoring her friend's question. Everything had just been in her head. She looked at her hand.

No ring...

She was overwhelmed by a terrible feeling of emptiness. As if a piece of her heart had simply been ripped from her chest. She felt infinitely miserable, how could she ever live normally again after experiencing what happiness felt like, just to realize that it was an illusion?

She burst into desperate sobbing.

Roberta was surprised and anxiously tried to comfort her friend. What had happened? Before, she had tried the potion herself. And knowing what it would feel like to reach her goal only motivated her to fight for it.

So why was Magica so upset now? It didn't suit her to give up. "Hey, don't cry now. I know it's frustrating to lose against this McDuck again and again. But now you know how great it will be if you win in the end. Take this feeling as motivation! Magica de Spell does not give up all of sudden! You'll get the dime for sure!"

But Magica only cried louder and buried her face in her hands. "I don't want the stupid dime!" She sobbed heartbreakingly.

"Exactly! You will... WHAT?" Now Roberta was completely perplexed. Magica de Spell did NOT want the first dime of Scrooge McDuck. These words just didn't fit into one sentence. At least not in this universe.

"But... why suddenly no more? What...?" But she was interrupted by Magica's desperate cry.

"I want HIM. I want Scrooge!"

Then she cried on. Just saying these words showed her how hopeless this wish was. Compared to that, the chance to get the dime was practically secured.

Suddenly, some kind of understanding scurried across Robertas face. "Oh I understand... the potion worked TOO well, right?" Gently she put one hand on her shoulder. "If I'm completely honest, I've been wondering for a long time when you'll finally realize that. But I didn't want it to cause you such pain. What exactly did you see?"

In her voice sounded honest regret. Magica was one of her very best friends and if she had insisted for the rest of her life that it was just the dime she wanted, she would have been by her side. But now, she had finally become aware of her feelings and suffered terribly from them.

Of course, as hard as she tried, even to her it seemed impossible that McDuck could feel anything for Magica. After all she had done to him.

With wet eyes and tears Magica looked at her friend.

„I was his wife…"

Now Roberta also had tears in her eyes: "Oh God, sweetie... I am so sorry... I didn't think you'd suffer from what the potion shows you..."

But then she pulled herself together again. No, that was not the end. With every other person maybe but not with her friend Magica! "You know... it is not proven that it is impossible before you have tried... you never let it stop you that you have countless times, miserably failed to get the dime. And now you just want to stick your head in the sand without at least trying?"

She pulled Magica from the chair she was sadly sitting on and pulled her in front of the mirror. "Look at that. You are Magia de Spell, the witch who doesn't even know how to give up. You and McDuck are so similar in many ways! Besides, he would have to be blind if he didn't see how beautiful you are! That's a good beginning! There are relationships that started with less. Don't just give up now! Fight! I stand behind you, and if necessary also Mim and Hazel. We support you, you are our friend!"

With sad eyes Magica looked up into the mirror and was shocked. Roberta was right, that wasn't like her giving up before she got the mitten. Sure, the illusion she had been shown might be utopian, at least for now. But who knew if Scrooge didn't have a little bit of affection for her? If she fell in love with the man who had stood between her and her magical mission for years, why would it be impossible the other way around?

They were similar, very much so. Even his nephew Donald had thrown this at their heads once. With new courage she turned to her friend. "You are right! Even though it might hurt, I have a better chance of success if I try it than if I give up immediately. And even if it is really impossible for him to feel something for me..."

Her heart contracted painfully as she thought of his soft eyes from the illusion, of his tender touches...

"... then I'd rather hear it from him myself than imagine the worst! I will go to him!"

And that immediately!

In record time she had arrived in Duckburg, now she hovered at some height above the money bin to not activate the witch defence and pondered what she should do. Maybe her decision had been a LITTLE too premature? What was she supposed to tell him? Would he let her have her say? That was a stupid idea, a foolish idea that had no chance of success!

With this realization she landed in front of the money bin, now she was in known territory...

Still, she couldn't prevent her heart from beating like crazy and her cheeks from turning red. After all, this was no ordinary, hopeless attempt...

Shyly she looked up at the camera she knew was already pointed at her. Together with an overdose of garlic probably.

In the money bin, Scrooge was about to scold his nephew, who once again excelled at giving him a headache because of his inability. When his alarm system announced the arrival of Magica de Spell. He took a quick look at the monitor to see that she was just standing in front of the entrance.

"At least someone here today who still knows how to stimulate my mind." He growled towards his nephew. " Of course they both knew that he basically loved Donald more than anyone else in his family. Maybe that's why he always got his uncles every bad mood.

Donald wondered a little how pleased his uncle seemed about the appearance of the witch. As if he could hardly wait to measure his strength with her. But as soon as Scrooge had looked at her picture properly in the camera, his face was worried. "Something's wrong with her..." He meant more to himself.

Donald looked over his shoulder, but for him the witch looked like always. "What should be?" Scrooge thoughtfully zoomed the picture closer. "She seems... desperately, the last time she came to me with such a face she had accidentally conjured up a comet that would destroy the world..."

Donald laughed. "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little? One could think that you care what's going on with the witch..." His laughter stopped when he saw the look of his uncle. Oh... he really cared...

But still everything could be a trick. "What do you want here witch?" Scrooge spoke brisk into the microphone.

As if that wasn't clear, but decency had to be.

She flinched as his harsh voice resounded over the loudspeaker. He was in a bad mood, great timing Magica...

Calming, she held her hands in the air. "Stay calm, I am unarmed I..." She faltered for a moment, should she really go through with it? But why delay the inevitable? Better she knew immediately where she stood.

"... I just want to talk to you..."

"Obviously...Not a single bit suspect..." Donald meant contemptuously.

"Shut your mouth nephew!" Scrooge interrupted him rough. "You have no idea! There are unspoken rules between us..." He looked into her face again, was mourning to be seen there? "... she tells the truth... Witch safety systems switch off!" On his word all anti magic shields were shut down.

"Come up, I'm in my office. And Magica... you know the rules, if that's a trap I'll give you a load of garlic that even your ancestors will feel!"

Magica had to smile despite everything, she loved their disputes. The fact that Scroge found her a worthy opponent, filled her with pride and that he let her in without much fuss, only proved what a good heart actually beat in his chest.

In Circe's name she really got it hard...

Thank you..." She barely whispered audibly. Only Scrooge noticed, worried, his forehead wrinkled, what was wrong with her?

Of course they all had to stare as she walked through the building. Everybody was on alert despite the boss's orders, especially his secretary Mrs. Quackfaster, the faithful soul. But the worst moment was when she entered his office and his nephew Donald stood there.

The garlic loaded shotgun pointed at her was expected, but couldn't Scrooge McDuck be found without part of his family for once? She was looked at expectantly by two pairs of eyes. But how could she speak like that?

Impossible...

Scrooge immediately noticed how Magica recoiled when she saw that he was not alone. She could hide it good, but he just knew her too well. He sighed softly and turned to his nephew. "Donald, I believe you still have some work to do today, go!" His nephew stared at him. "I shall leave you alone with the witch? Have you already been bewitched, or what?"

It was nice that he was so worried, but why did you always have to tell him everything twice? "I have already told you that there is no danger and if there is, I am well prepared to defend myself. Go!... Please..."

Donald looked at him with big eyes that he asked instead of commanding was more than rare. He would never understand the dynamic between his uncle and the witch. Whenever he listened to them he had the feeling that the two would live in their very own world and understand each other without words. Very well, he was right, Scrooge knew how to take care of himself... mostly. With a nod he left the office, not without casting a warning glance at Magica.

She couldn't blame him and actually envied Scrooge for his loving family, how much she wanted to be a part of it...

When they were alone, Scrooge lowered his shotgun and put it aside. He instinctively knew when to trust Magica and when not. He looked at her standing silently and insecurely in his office, knowing how much it took her to be here.

"Just tell me one thing, is the world in danger?" Magica shook her head. No, only her own.

Scrooge seemed relieved and much more relaxed. "Come with me..." He meant briefly and marched towards the vault, he opened it, let her in and closed the door behind them. This unsettled Magica a bit until he spoke again. "Here we are really undisturbed, whatever you have to say will stay in this vault if you want. No one can hear us here."

His smile was almost as loving as in her vision, her heart was beating faster. Where did he get this charming composure? He sat down on the ledge and told her to do the same. Shyly, with a little distance, she sat next to him. "You are crazy to just let me into your vault, you know that, right?" She mentioned not without smiling.

Scrooge laughed, it wasn't gloating or condescending, no, he just sounded cheerful. "Magica, you are pretty much the only person I know who is not interested in my money. Or do you think I would have let you polish coins as penance here otherwise?"

Without looking at her, he put his hand on hers, which she had placed next to her. "I know when I can trust you and you wouldn't be here if you didn't trust me too... so tell me what's going on. No matter what it is. As I said, what happens in this vault stays in this vault" He winked mischievously at her. He simply had no right at his age to look so charming and young when he was like that.

Without wanting it she started to cry.

Immediately his facial expression changed to concern. He didn't expect that. He slipped closer to her and after a short hesitation he put his arm around her. "Has something bad happened? With Ratface, or your family?" She shook her head again. "The witch council?" Again, just shaking her head, although that might become a problem if the council found out what her feelings were like.

Now Scrooge was at his wits end, what else could have happened, that a strong woman like Magica burst into tears in front of her arch-enemy? Whatever it was, it seemed to affect her pretty hard personally. Taking all his courage together, he moved even closer and gently embraced her. His hands stroked tenderly over her back and he swayed her in his arms.

"It's all good, I am with you..."

He whispered into her ear in a soothing manner. Magica had the feeling her heart would explode in her chest so fast it was beating now. This gesture, these words... it was exactly like in her vision. That only made her sob harder.

But she took the opportunity to cuddle into his strong arms. Who knew if he would ever allow that again if she confessed to him what she...

Then she felt him kissing her forehead as light as a feather. These parallels made her desperate. She never wanted to leave this embrace and yet...

She knew she owed it to him, she was not allowed to take advantage of his kindness to satisfy her longing for him, without him knowing what he triggered in her.

That was unfair.

"Please Magica, talk to me, we're alone here, no one will judge you, no one will hurt you..."

She just couldn't stand his tender words anymore, which he only said because he didn't know what was in her heart.

"No one but you!"

She called desperately and pushed him away to hide her face in her hands. Her whole body was shaken by her sobbing. It hurt Scrooge so much to see her like that, he wanted to help her. If only she would understand what she meant to him... if only she would be interested in what was in his heart...

How could she assume that he would hurt her now of all times? She had already inflicted so much suffering on him and his family, had that ever disturbed him? Had he ever seen more than another adventure in it? No, so what had happened so badly that she thought he would despise her now of all times?

"You can't be serious." He began hesitantly. "You came here to talk to me. Because you instinctively know how much we resemble each other, that only I can understand you." He closed the gap between them again and gently laid his hands on her shoulder until she looked him in the eye. Such fear was reflected in them.

"Please..." He whispered once more.

Something in Magica broke. Every second she stretched it, would only make it worse.

"I love you!"

She sobbed out. "I love you so much..."

She jumped on her feet. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I feel that way." She couldn't stop crying. "I know you hate me. I know I'm ruining everything, but I just can't undo it anymore."

With all the courage she could muster, she looked him in the eye. He just stared at her stunned, of course, he had to think she was completely crazy.

"As soon as I realized what I felt for you, I couldn't think of anything else..." Again she hid her face, she was afraid to look at him again...

"Forgive me... please forgive me..." She repeated it again and again between sobs.

Suddenly she felt her hands being grasped and slowly pulled away from her face. Stubbornly she kept her eyes shut, she wasn't brave enough to see his contempt.

"Please open your eyes, look at me Magica..." Scrooge's voice sounded very soft.

She hesitantly complied with his request and looked directly into his beautiful eyes, which looked at her tenderly. Eyes exactly like in her vision, how cruel it was to be so close to her wish but to know that he only tried to be a gentleman about this. Because he just had to be such a damned, loving fool under his hard shell...

God how much she loved him.

Scrooge took a deep breath. It was visibly difficult for him to choose the next words. He kept holding her hands in his. "Magica, I swear, if this is a trick of yours, I will never speak to you again..." He waited briefly to give her the chance to admit such betrayal, because he knew the prospect of never being able to compete with him again would make her do it. But she only looked at him with big, wet eyes. Fearful and insecure. No, she was really serious about it...

He felt his cheeks turning red and his heart beating faster. Magica de Spell had feelings for him? Could that really be true?

A laugh came out of his chest and his eyes filled with tears as well. All of a sudden he pulled her firmly into his arms and buried his beak in her soft neck feathers. A suppressed moaning could be heard from her, which made him realize how intimate this gesture had been.

He looked at her again with a bright red head. "I'm sorry... I didn't wanted..." He lost himself completely in her beautiful, deep black eyes and suddenly all nervousness had disappeared.

"I love you Magica..." He finally said very gently. "I have been undyingly in love with you for many years."

She shook her head wildly "I know that, you don't have to apologize for the fact that you... excuse me, WHAT?"

Finally she looked up and into his eyes which were still loving, although a little amused, directed at her.

"You don't!" She meant with utter conviction. That was out of the question, but his tender smile remained stubborn in his face. "Are you making fun of me?" She asked unusually meekly with an injured voice, but looked him firmly in the eyes to see the lie in them.

She found none.

She couldn't help but have tears in her eyes again.

Soothingly he closed his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I would never have dreamed myself that these feelings had a chance. I had already come to terms with the fact that I would always be your enemy... How... I mean, what made you realize it wasn't like that?"

Very slowly Magica understood that what was happening here was the reality, that she wouldn't wake up every moment. Carefully she put her arms around his neck and enjoyed looking into his eyes. When she was so close to him, she felt that his heart was beating as fast as hers.

Embarrassed, she began to tell him about the potion... but she couldn't get any further than to the point with the ring when he suddenly interrupted her. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pushed her so far away from himself that he could see her properly.

"What are you saying?"

It gave her a sting that he reacted so panically that she had dreamed of being his wife. Even though she understood that it was pretty much, all at once. But when she looked at him she noticed that there was nothing pejorative in his face but only bare astonishment. With his eyes wide open in amazement he looked at her for a while, pondering. Finally, he let go of her completely.

Immediately she became cold. She didn't want him to turn away from her now, wanted to lie further in his arms. Uncertainly she wrapped her own arms around herself and watched him pull something out of the inside pocket of his jacket. With a faltering voice he held the object out to her.

"Do you mean… this one?"

She was wrong. That HAD to be a dream. Because Scrooge held exactly the same ring in his hands that she had worn in her illusion. But... that was impossible. She reached out a trembling hand for the piece of jewellery, but did not dare to touch it for fear everything would vanish into thin air. "Yes, that... thats it... but how can you..."

She looked Scrooge in the eye, so many questions in her face but none wanted to get over her lips.

"Because I had it made... for me I have exactly the same, I always carry them in my pocket, close to my heart ..." Now he definitely seemed more embarrassed than she. "I knew of course, or at least I thought so, that my feelings for you would never be reciprocated, but still...

After our adventure on the Moonquarz Island, I had pieces of the quartz worked into the rings. I own the rings themselfs even longer... I thought you would like them, shaped like a raven's feather... just in case the possibility would arise to..."

It was visibly unpleasant for him to talk so openly about it. He had felt so silly to have let rings made for a woman who abhorred him, to whom he could never confess what he felt.

But here he stood now…

"Magic is really not to be underestimated if it even knew about these rings and showed them to you in your illusion..."

Shyly he looked into her eyes, shining with wonder. "Would you like to wear it?"

Then he noticed how that sound. "That doesn't mean that it must have the same meaning from your vision!" He quickly made clear. "Not immediately that is..."

He added a little bit hopeful. "Only, as a sign of the bond between us..."

With this promising smile even Glomgold would have accepted the ring and Magica was already floating on cloud nine anyway. This time her new tears only reflected the extent of her joy. Laughing, she fell around his neck and he lifted her into his arms and rotated with her in a circle of joy, as if she didn't weigh the slightest bit.

He was ridiculously strong. But it was clear to both that only such strong arms as his could tame a fire like the one that burned in Magica.

Now they stood opposite each other, forehead to forehead and looked at each other happily for a while. Scrooge's heartbeat drummed uncontrollably in his chest. He still couldn't believe that his feelings were returned and she was so intoxicatingly beautiful that it made him dizzy at her sight.

Carefully he leaned forward and gently caressed her beak, looking into her eyes to see if she resisted. But Magica returned the tender touch and slowly her eyelids closed.

With a contented sigh he caught her lips in a tender kiss...

Frightened Magica opened her eyes again and withdrew from him.

Not enough to release the embrace but to interrupt the contact of their lips. Immediately Scrooge had an apologetic look in his eyes. "That was too fast, I'm sorry Magica I thought you were okay with me kissing you..."

Honestly worried, he looked at her. But she shook her head quickly, her cheeks were so hot that it almost hurt. Soothingly she snuggled herself closer to him again and put her head to his chest. It calmed her to feel his heart beating as fast as hers.

"No, thats not it Scrooge. It was just... I thought it would feel like in my illusion..." Embarrassed, she buried her head in his jacket before she could look at him again. Astonished, she saw that Scrooge looked distressed.

"Oh… I see... I... I'm sorry if it wasn't that good..." He looked so damn cute when he was so embarrassed. "I fear... I have no special experience in that field..."

Wait, what did he say? Quickly she caressed reassuringly through the soft feathers of his sideburns and lovingly rubbed her beak against his. "No, Scroogie, I didn't mean that, but..."

This time, she kissed him. Longer and deeper than before.

"...but that it felt so much more beautiful, so much more intense, that it chased a shiver through my whole body..." She looked down.

„That scared me a bit because, you know, I don't have ANY experience in it yet... it is new for me to be touched so tenderly. Please forgive me if I behave silly, I have to get used to the fact that the person I love, loves me back and wants to touch me..."

It was so embarrassing for her to have to admit that in front of him. There she lived for infinitely many years and was uptight like an old door...

In the meantime Scrooge's sorrow had completely disappeared from his face and in its place lay a tender love.

"Then together we will learn to understand, beloved... and I will never touch you if you don't want it. I promise you that!" Gently his arms closed around her, while Magica sank into them with a contented sigh. He had called her, Beloved. She could die happily.

At some point they had to leave the undisturbed silence of his vault. Hand in hand they walked out of his office, the rings proudly on their fingers. For people who knew him well, like Mrs. Quackfaster, one look from him was enough and she understood. Smiling, she looked after the couple, her heart filled with joy to finally see her boss happy. She had been one of the few who had known about the rings. The rest of the staff would have to wait for an explanation.

Later, as they stood in front of his front door, still hand in hand, Magica shyly spoke.

"How will you explain this to your family?" She asked, not without fear in her voice. But Scrooge only smiled at her tenderly.

"I don't have to explain anything, it's my family. They will understand..."

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the ring on her finger.

"And you, are now a part of it!"