Gladstone was having a normal carefree day with winning lottery tickets, Luck pennies, Free this and free that. Yup Gladstone had the ideal life...
Except...
He's always alone and today things were going to get a lot harder.
He had just returned home after selling his blimp for a million dollars when he heard his phone on the table vibrating,
"Unknown Caller"
probably a contest he won or a cute girl calling the wrong number, he answered "Hello".
"Hey...Gladstone...I uh...I don't- it's molly...von drakes daughter...do you remember me?"
"Oh yeah, hey molly what's up?"He asked.
"I don't know how to tell you this.."She stuttered so much he could tell she was crying, something was definitely wrong.
"Dad died".
"I'm sorry what? No that can't be, I talked to the professor a few days ago"He said.
"He had a heart attack, he couldn't make it through the night."
"..."
"...Gladstone?..."
"..."
This can't be true...
It can't be.
The professor was strong, even for an old man, he exercised daily, he had always eaten a balanced diet since Gladstone knew they guy.
Besides he took Gladstone in when nobody else would, he raised him, he helped people all the time, he spent his whole life trying to make the world better...how could someone like that just die?
Gladstone thought about when his parents died,
it was his birthday...
it was his fault, if he never bragged about his good luck to Donald he never would've tied him to the barn, in the rain, and he would've never been cursed.
His parents never would've went on that picnic...
And they would've never eaten that food...
"The poor dear, He hadn't said a word all day"Gladstone heard Grandma duck say, he listened to everyone from upstairs.
"Yeah that's rough"Quackmore said "I couldn't imagine".
"What's goin te' happen to the lad now?"Scrooge asked.
"I'm not sure..."Grandma sighed "His parents didn't have a will. I was sorta hoping you'd take him".
"You canne be serious, I'm no good with loud mouth youngins."
"Well I could definitely take him"Grandma Duck said "Except I need someone to watch him when I leave town, it'll be hard to mange but we'll adjust, we always do".
"What about quackmore?"Scrooge asked.
"No way Scrooge!"He said "We already have our hands full with two"
"Besides.."Hortense said "Gladstone and Donald don't get along, the last thing we need is such burden..."
"Look- it's been a long day, I'll keep Gladstone with me tonight and we'll discuss this tomorrow"She said.
After everyone had left, Gladstone walked downstairs to the kitchen to get something to drink but then heard this:
"Maybe we could take him".
His ears must've been mistaken, Ludwig von drake?
"Are you crazy? At your age?"He heard Aunt Matilda say.
"Age? Pah! I've never felt younger"He said.
"You don't know what your getting yourself into"The said.
"Matilda, I had three children, I would never want someting like this to happen to them..."
She smiled, sighing she took his hand and nodded "There you go again...trying to fix a very broken world."
Nobody asked them to, but they took him in anyway...and he didn't make it easy either. They gave him everything he needed in life, and though its sad to say...Gladstone never thank the professor for what he did...
He was only ten...he had no idea how hard this was on them. First his friend passes away then...he had to take care of a spoiled child who never gave them a chance...
If he could go back and do life again...he'd thank him for everything.
"Gladstone?"Grandma Duck knocked on his door.
"Come in"He said softly, he's lucky she heard him.
"Hey, how are you feeling?"
"I don't know"He said, she sat on the bed next to him and stroked the feathers on his head "Your aunt and the professor have offered to let you live with them"She said.
Gladstone didn't say anything...
"They're great people, they live downtown duckburg..where your cousins Donald and Della and your Uncle Scrooge lives too".
Still no response.
"Sweetheart I know your hurting right now but I think you should give them a chance. Alright?"
"..."
"Gladstone..."
Gladstone sighed, he knew that he had to say something "Ok".
"That's my boy"She said smiling "It'll take time but it gets easier".
The next day Grandma duck took Gladstone to his new "Home" it was a very nice house, they knocked on the door and they were greeted by matilda "Hello Gladstone, Mrs Duck".
"Oh no need for formality dear, you call me grandma Duck like everyone else, we are family you and I".
Matilda smiled and turned her attention to Gladstone "Gladstone, your room is upstairs, second door on the right".
He looked at Grandma Duck who gestured him to go upstairs, he did as he was told while Matilda and Elmira talked "Would you like something to drink? I have lemonade"Matilda offered.
"That is very kind of you dear, thank you"She said "I really appreciate what you're doing for Gladstone. The poor thing has lost so much".
"Honestly I was very hesitant on the idea, I never had children. But Ludwig insisted that it would all be ok, and I trust him."
"He is very kind"Elmira said.
"Always trying to change the world for the better"Matilda said.
Elmira reached out her hand and placed in on Matildas "It will all be alright dear, remember. It just takes time."