I do not own Duck Tales.
Bruder: brother
Grounded-Again
Huey only waited ten minutes in the office for his eccentric uncle to arrive. The professor burst in through the wooden door, his gray hair as wild as ever and his glasses slightly askew on his beak. "De professor is here! Vere is de foolish boy?"
"Here," Huey mumbled, peering over the edge of his chair.
"Professor, your nephew has committed a serious offense. I understand he was being antagonized but as he threw the first punch he must be punished accordingly."
"As he should!" Ludwig exclaimed. "Fighting is a big no-no! Huey, vhat do ya haf ta say for yourself?"
"Sorry," Huey muttered, staring at the beige carpeted floor. "It won't happen again."
"You bet your keister it von't! Come along, mein junge. We haf some talkin' ta do, ja?"
"Ja," Huey said glumly.
He stood up and followed his uncle out of the school. As he stepped out the front doors he heard two soft voices call his name. He cast a glance at Ludwig, who had not noticed his hesitation and was moving further into the parking lot. Huey retreated a few steps into the school and hurried to his brothers, who had moved from their hiding spot behind the trophy case.
"What happened?" Louie asked anxiously.
"I'm suspended for three days," Huey informed. "Uncle Ludwig is taking me to his place...I hope. I don't really want to face Uncle Scrooge just yet."
"I wouldn't either," Dewey agreed. "He's gonna flip when he hears about this."
Louie shook his head. "You really did it this time."
"Tell me something I don't know," grumbled Huey.
"Ahem."
The three boys froze and glanced at the main entrance, where Ludwig stood with a stern expression on his face. "An' vhat do ya t'ink you are doin'?" he asked his two non-suspended nephews.
"Er...going to class?" Louie asked meekly, as he and Dewey's English class had started three minutes ago.
"Den move dose tail feathers. Ya can speak ta your bruder later."
Louie and Dewey obeyed, hurrying off to class. Huey sighed and shuffled after Ludwig, wondering why he had to lose his temper.
He climbed into the passenger seat of Ludwig's small vehicle. The professor gently cupped Huey's chin and turned the boy's head, inspecting the black eye Huey had received. "Tsk, tsk. Dat's quite de shiner. Ve'll put some ice on it vhen ve get home."
"When you mean home..." Huey asked carefully.
Ludwig started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "I mean my home. But only for a liddle vhile. Scroogie vill hear about dis soon enough."
"Yeah, by word of Duckworth. I just want to give him time to cool down, you know?"
Ludwig chuckled. "Mein junge, I'll be surprised if Scroogie ain't dere already."
Huey gulped at the very idea. "He's gonna kill me."
"Now, ya know he von't. Ya vill just be grounded for a long time."
Huey moaned and slumped against the seat. "I'll be surprised if he doesn't ground me until I'm eighteen!"
"Vell, ya shoulda t'ought of dat before ya started a fight," Ludwig lectured as he pulled into his driveway (which, to Huey's relief, was free of Scrooge's limo). "But before ve discuss dat, let's get a liddle ice on dat baby."
Huey climbed out of the car and into the house. As usual, the small space was full of oddities and books-books overflowing on shelves and stacked in all corners and surfaces of the room. A soft hissing came from Ludwig's basement lab. The boy collapsed on the couch and rubbed his throbbing eye.
"Rubbing vill only make it vorse," Ludwig chided, returning to the living room from the kitchen with a small plastic baggie full of ice.
Huey took it and placed it over his injured eye, wincing at the uncomfortable sensation. "Thanks, Uncle Ludwig."
"No problemo." The man took a seat beside Huey. "Now, vhy don't ya be tellin' me vhat you vas thinkin'."
Huey shrugged tiredly. "I just lost it, Unc. Isn't that what the Duck family does? Showcase their infamous temper?"
"Dere is quite de temper in de Duck family," Ludwig agreed. "But dat is no excuse. Look at Scroogie! He has a good hold on his temper."
"True. But what about Uncle D? He loses his temper at the drop of a hat!" Huey pointed out.
"I say dis with lotsa love ta Donald-do ya really vant ta end up a hot head?"
Huey cracked a smile. "Not really."
"Den ya need ta grow a longer fuse," Ludwig advised. "Vhat did de boy say ta make so mad?"
"I'd rather not say," Huey muttered, avoiding Ludwig's gaze.
"Come now, if he insulted ya, you know dat you are a caring, smart and good boy. You know dis, ja?"
"Yeah," Huey said softly.
He fell silent and Ludwig, who among other things was a psychologist, waited patiently. The young child would speak when he was ready and Ludwig would wait as long as he needed to.
Finally, Huey peered up into the gaze of his uncle. "He called you and Uncle D lunatics," he admitted. "And it ticked me off."
Ludwig's smiled warmly. "Ah, come 'ere, you kooky boy."
Huey gladly accepted the hug from his uncle. "I is very touched dat you defended me, but I don't vant ya ta get into fights ever again-you are much better den dat."
"I know," Huey sighed, resting his chin against his uncle's shoulder. "I just forgot myself for a moment."
Suddenly, there came a persistent knocking at the front door. "Where is the boy?" Scrooge McDuck bellowed from the other side. "Where's the lad that's about t' be turned over my knee?"
Huey squeaked in panic and grabbed a couch pillow in a feeble attempt to protect himself from his uncle's wrath. "So much for cooling down time!"
Ludwig got up and opened the door. Scrooge barged in, swinging his cane madly and his sight zeroing in on his nephew cowering against the arm of the couch. "Huebert Duck, Ah am furious with yeh!"
"I'm sorry!" Huey cried. "I just lost my temper for a second!"
"Joost lost your temper?!" Scrooge echoed in disbelief. He grabbed Huey by the scruff of his neck, causing the boy to drop the pillow, and lifted him in the air with surprising strength for a man his age. "Yeh gave the boy a bloody beak!"
Huey winced. "How'd you know?"
"Ah called the school after Duckworth filled me in," Scrooge growled. "The boy's parents have already been notified. You're darn lucky they're nae pressing charges against yeh. What did the boy do t' make yeh sock him?"
"He's a jerk who enjoys taunting other kids for the fun of it!" Huey cried, tired of explaining himself. "He was making fun of my family and I wasn't having it."
"That doesnae mean yeh can start brawling every time someone insults yeh or your family." Scrooge said firmly. "There's a difference between being defensive and being stupid."
"Ah, Scroogie, the boy knows vhat he did vas vrong!" Ludwig exclaimed, loosening the Scottish man's grip on Huey. "An' he promised ta never do it again."
Huey nodded his head furiously.
Scrooge frowned. "He better not. Yeh have a three day suspension, mister, and Ah'm going t' do one better. You're grounded for three weeks."
"Three weeks? But Uncle Scrooge-!"
"Donnae 'Uncle Scrooge' me! Get in the limo!" Scrooge gave Huey's behind a swat with his cane and the boy quickly complied, racing from the house at top speed. The man sighed wearily, the anger suddenly fleeing his body. "Och, Ludwig. Ah cannae believe this is happening."
"The boy only lost his temper for a moment."
"Ha!" Scrooge snorted. "Donald only loses his temper and look at the messes he gets himself into."
"Everyone makes mistakes. Don't be too hard on him, Scroogie."
"Aye, Ah'll try me best. Thanks for picking the boy up, Ludwig."
Ludwig smiled, giving his brother-in-law's shoulder a squeeze. "Anytime, Scroogie. Anytime."
...
Huey was bored out of his mind-and it was only his second day of suspension and second day of Scrooge's three week grounding. He had already done the homework of the previous day that his brothers had brought over and gotten it approved by the warden.
It was probably unfair to call Scrooge such a thing, but that's exactly how Huey felt-a prisoner being watched carefully by the warden. He was confined to his room for the first week of grounding. All meals were sent up to him. Huey was so desperate for something to do he nearly resorted to reading one of Dewey's books.
Nearly being the key word.
"I'm not gonna last much longer," Huey bemoaned.
"Then you shouldn't have thrown the first punch, Slugger."
Huey winced at the name. "Ugh, if Uncle Scrooge hears you calling me that he'll think I'm planning a rematch. And then I'll never get out of here."
Della laughed, moving further into the room and holding two mugs of hot chocolate. "I managed to convince Duckworth to make two cups of sugary goodness. This should brighten your spirits."
Huey accepted the warm mug and took a sip. "So, did Uncle Scrooge tell you everything?"
"Yup."
"Are you going to yell at me too?"
"I probably should. But since I'm not your legal guardian, I'm not really in the position to be doling out discipline, even if I am your mother."
"Trust me, I got enough lecturing from Uncle Ludwig and enough shouting from Uncle Scrooge," Huey sighed. "And I definitely would have had my behind whacked if Uncle D was here."
Della laughed. "That's hilarious, considering Donald got into more than his fair share of fights in school."
"Really?"
"Like I said, an honour student with quite the record. And you're not going to believe me when I say this, but Donald was actually worse back in the day."
"I don't believe it," Huey said flatly. "I simply can't imagine Uncle D being more temperamental than he is now. No being should have that much anger in them."
"Tell that to Donald. But I shouldn't be talking. I got into a few fights myself when I was in school."
"Did you win?"
"Probably shouldn't be having this discussion, considering you're my son and I should be a role model, but I'm remembering that you did live with Donald for six years. Yeah, I won most of my fights."
"How about Donald?"
"His anger gave him an edge. He was a force not to be reckoned with when he was mad. He took down the entire football team just for whistling at Daisy."
"You know Daisy?" Huey asked in surprise.
"Somewhat. I only know her as Donald's girlfriend. You would know her ten times better than I would. Is she nice?"
"She's great." Huey nodded. "We used to call her Aunt Daisy when we were little. But we stopped a few years ago. We're waiting for the moment where she'll actually be our aunt. And we've been waiting for a while."
"Don isn't exactly someone who's good at commitment," Della mused. "But that's kind of contradicting considering he's had the same girlfriend since he was seventeen."
"Can...can I ask a question?" Huey asked.
"Shoot."
"Who's our father?"
"I was waiting for that one. I'm surprised you guys didn't ask it sooner."
"Well, I think Uncle D did tell us once that our dad was a deadbeat. I'm pretty sure that set us off into tears. He felt so bad for making us upset that he took us out for ice cream."
"Your uncle's right. He was a deadbeat, probably still is a deadbeat." Della shrugged. "I wasn't the most responsible person, so let's just say things got out of hand at a party."
"How old were you?"
"Nineteen."
"A young mother, huh? Sounds like one of those cheesy drama shows."
"My life certainly felt like one. I never expected him to help support you so it's not like I was crushed or anything. Although I do wish you could have a father to talk guy stuff with."
"That's what Uncle D, Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Ludwig are for," Huey said.
"They've been good to you, huh?"
"The best."
"I wish I could have been there for you too."
"You're here now. And I realized that's what matters."
"You're a good boy, Huey." Della ruffled his hair.
"You know, we've told you all about our childhood. You haven't told us much of yours."
"Hmm...I'm not entirely proud of what I did when I was your age, but I guess I could tell you so you won't make the same mistakes I did."
"And maybe you could tell some more stories of Uncle D while you're at it? Of the...entertaining variety."
"I'd be delighted to."
