I do not own Duck Tales.
Goodbye Mother
"When…did…you…get…so…much…stuff?"
The words were uttered in a heavy pant as Louie stumbled down the narrow stairs that led to Della's apartment room. A large, heavy cardboard box was clutched in his wings, his eyes peering overtop the edge of the box to make sure he didn't miss a metal step and go plummeting down three floors.
"Of all days for the elevator in this dump to break," Huey grumbled.
"What are you complaining about?" Dewey asked indigently, adjusting his own stack of boxes so he could glare over his shoulder at his brother. "We're the ones doing the heavy lifting!"
"That's your own fault. It's all about moderation," Huey said, cradling the single item he was carrying (an antique lamp) with care.
"Moderation my tail feathers. You're what society calls lazy."
"I'd just like to say that I find it highly suspicious that I was finally properly introduced to Miss Duck, after months of having to be in a separate part of the mansion whenever she visited, on the exact day she had to pack up all her belongings for the moving truck."
Webby dragged a plastic bag full of clothes down the stairs, her beak formed into an annoyed pout. Indeed, Della had finally managed to convince Scrooge that no more drama or family problems would arise from her reappearance in the lives of triplets and therefore there would be no reason to keep Webby away from her as if she were a rabid wolf.
"Seriously," Della had said, her eyebrow arched in that condescending way Scrooge hated. "The poor girl probably thinks I'm the reincarnation of the Boogeyman. The second I step foot in the house you scoop her up and fling her somewhere where I won't get my nasty claws on her."
And so Scrooge reluctantly brought Webby down to the drawing room and made the introductions. The two instantly hit it off, as they were both females who had plenty of complaints about boys and their annoying tendencies.
"We needed extra wings," Della voiced, balancing a duffel bag on her hip. "I thought I told you to call me Della? None of this Miss Duck business."
"Sorry, Della," Webby apologized. "When do you have to be out of your apartment again?"
"In about an hour," Della admitted sheepishly.
They reached the lobby of the run-down building and went outside into the sunshine. Louie grunted as he shoved the box into the moving truck. "If you had packed sooner, you would be early with plenty of time to spare."
"Don't lecture me. I'm the mother. Plus, I've seen the way you clean your room." Della rolled her eyes and helped the kids load her possessions into the back of the massive truck. "Heavens, I have a lot of junk. You never know how much stuff you got until you have to pack it all up."
"Amen to that," Huey agreed, remembering when he and his brothers had to pack their belongings for the move to the mansion.
"Well, I think that's everything." Della brushed her wings clean and glanced up at the apartment building. "Eh, it's only, what, fifty minutes before the new owners get here? I can leave the door unlocked."
"I'm starting to understand why Uncle Scrooge said you weren't exactly cut out to be a parent," Dewey remarked, snatching the silver key from Della and jogging back into the building.
"He's just paranoid," Della said dismissively. "So, in all this craziness I never got a chance to ask. What exactly did you tell my dear brother?"
"Nothing," Webby said flatly, casting a disapproving glance at her surrogate cousins.
"Nothing?" Della repeated, baffled. "But you guys said you would write to Donald and tell him what was happening!"
As Della had been occupied with so much regarding the moving process, Huey had promised that they would write to Donald and tell him the situation-Della would be moving to South Beaks for a permanent job and the triplets would be staying in Duckburg.
The letter detailing Della's offer had been sent about a month ago, courtesy of Scrooge McDuck. An update, however, had never been sent.
"Donald is probably losing his mind right about now!" Della exclaimed. "Hasn't he written you back?"
"Yeah," Louie said, a grin on his beak. "But a letter takes about a week or two to get here, so we only got one."
"He's frustrated that no one is telling him what's going on," Huey laughed. "Uncle Scrooge can't tell him anything, because he thinks he already knows. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy to intercept that letter."
"Why haven't you told him you're staying here?" Della asked in confusion.
"We want to surprise him," Huey said cheerfully.
"He'll be upset with you for not answering," Webby chided.
"We've endured his temper more times than I care to count," Louie responded. "It'll be fun to see him flip out."
"Okay, the key is back with the guy at the front desk and the door is locked. I even checked to make sure you got everything," Dewey informed, jogging up to the group. "You're welcome."
"What will I do without you?" Della teased. "Alright boys, you got my new address?"
"In my pocket." Dewey slapped his baggy shorts.
"Got my number?"
"In the phone," Huey confirmed, shaking his sleek cell phone.
"Okay." Della took a deep breath and pulled down the door, tying it firmly in place. "Then…I guess it's time for me to go."
"It was very nice to finally meet you properly, Della," Webby said sincerely. "Maybe next time you visit we can get to know each other."
Della laughed and ruffled her hair. "I would like that. You're a sweet kid, Webby."
Webby blushed happily, waved and skipped off to give the triplets some privacy with their mother. Dewey shuffled his feet and sighed. "I know it's only been a short time, but I'm going to miss you."
Della's eyes welled up and she bent down, wrapping her sons into a tight embrace. "I'll miss you guys too. It hurts knowing I have to leave you just when I got the courage to come find you again."
"It's not the end of the world," Louie sniffled. "We can chat and text and take advantage of the wonders technology gives us."
"So long as we keep in contact, you're not leaving us," Huey mumbled, clinging to Della's shirt. "We'll come visit real soon."
They released each other and stood up. Dewey wiped his eyes and gave a watery smile. "Yeah, with Uncle D."
Della chuckled softly. "No matter what façade he puts on, it will make him the happiest duck in the world when he finds out you're going back to live with him."
She gave her sons each a kiss on the head before she climbed into the cab of the moving truck. She stuck her face out the window and waved wildly as the truck began to move on. "Bye, guys! I'll call you as soon as I get settled! I love you!"
"Love you too!" Huey, Dewey and Louie called, waving wildly back. They waved until the moving truck reached the end of road, turned the corner, and disappeared from sight.
"We made the right choice," Louie said softly, staring at the empty street with a small smile.
"What do you mean?" Huey asked in confusion.
"I love Mom and all, but this goodbye was not nearly as heart-wrenching for me as it was when we had to say goodbye to Uncle D six years ago."
"I have to agree with you there," Dewey agreed and Huey nodded. They would certainly miss their mother, but that precious, pure love and adoration belonged to the uncles who raised them lovingly and unconditionally.
"You guys okay?" Webby asked, coming back over to the triplets.
"Yeah." Dewey swung an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "We'll be fine."
"I suppose we should head back now," Webby sighed. "We have to help with the preparations for Uncle Donald's 'welcome home' party."
"Oooor we could get some ice cream." Huey smiled mischievously. "As a reward for doing so much heavy lifting."
"Then why should you get ice cream?" Dewey asked teasingly.
The four kids headed down a few blocks and stepped inside the ice cream parlour. They got their treats and grabbed a booth by the window. Huey licked some whipped cream off of his silver spoon and dug into his banana split.
"Isn't this much better than hanging up some dumb streamers?" Huey asked through a mouthful of banana.
"Uncle Scrooge is going to be mad," Webby warned.
"Then why aren't you going home?"
Webby rolled her eyes. "Uncle Scrooge will be even madder if I arrive back at the mansion by myself. Then he'll be furious at you for letting me walk all the way back to the mansion alone."
"Good point," Huey conceded.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
Dewey choked on a syrup-covered chunk of brownie. "Daisy?" he rasped in surprise, turning to look over his shoulder.
The female duck and long-time girlfriend of Donald leaned over the back of the booth, smirking at the kids in amusement. "Busted."
"I don't what you're talking about," Louie said stubbornly, taking a slurp of his vanilla milkshake.
"I'm pretty sure you were enlisted to help decorate for the party after you helped Della move her stuff."
"How'd you know that?" Dewey demanded.
"Scrooge told me. He figured you'd try to pull a stunt to get out of doing more work and asked me to keep an eye out on my drive over."
"So you just happened to pass by here, the ice cream parlour, which is two streets away from the route that leads directly to the mansion." Huey narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Alright, alright," Daisy laughed. "I actually came in to grab an ice cream cone and I happened to spot you. Lucky for me but not for you guys. Get in the car."
"Can't you just tell Uncle Scrooge you didn't see us?"
"If I have to do work than so do you. In the car."
Knowing that it was simply foolish to argue with Daisy, the triplets and Webby got up from the booth with their unfinished desserts and filed out to the car. "Nobody spill anything," Louie ordered as he buckled his seatbelt with one hand and held his milkshake with the other. "Daisy will kill us if we mess up her interior."
"Remember the time Uncle D spilled ketchup on the dashboard? She flipped," Huey laughed. "She loves this thing."
Daisy returned a few minutes later. They drove back to the mansion and had their treats eaten before they came upon the golden gates. "It's Daisy," she said into the intercom. "I come bearing four gifts."
"Could you possibly return them?" Duckworth's voice answered. "It's been wonderfully quiet."
"Hilarious." Huey scowled. "I'll remember that remark when Christmas rolls around."
The gates opened and Daisy drove up the long driveway. She parked the car and popped the trunk open. "One box per kid. No slackers."
The triplets and Webby each grabbed a cardboard box from the trunk and walked up to the mansion. "We're back!" Webby hollered as they crossed the foyer.
"Not by choice!" Huey added.
They brought the boxes into the grand dining room. A large banner saying 'welcome home' was strung across the wall. Huey could smell dinner simmering in the kitchen. But other than his brothers, Webby and Daisy there was no one else in the room. "Uncle Scrooge!" Huey hollered.
"We neeeeeeeeed you!" Dewey whined.
After a minute Scrooge entered the dining room with an exasperated expression. "How many times do Ah have t' tell yeh t' stop screaming me name? If yeh need me come and find me."
"But it's such a big place," Louie complained.
"Boys, stop whining," Daisy chided. "Hello, Scrooge."
"Daisy, lass. It's been t' long." Scrooge hugged Daisy in greeting. "Ah see yeh found the little rascals. Where were they?"
"Eating ice cream." Daisy grinned. "I just happened to want the same thing and busted them."
Scrooge shook his head and glanced at his nephews, who smiled innocently. "Does nae surprise me. However, Webby, Ah'm surprised at yeh."
"Hey, I would have come back!" Webby protested. "But they wouldn't come with me and you always tell me not to walk through town alone."
"You were hardly complaining when I bought you that brownie sundae," Dewey muttered.
"Never mind, never mind." Scrooge waved his wing dismissively. "There's a lot of work t' be done and nae much time t' do it."
"Then let's get cracking." Daisy opened up a cardboard box. "Let's at least get the streamers up before your Uncle Ludwig arrives."
As he shifted through the decorations in the box, Huey felt a strong burst of excitement and anticipation. He and his brothers would finally get their uncle back permanently after six years. The best part was that, for all Donald knew, the boys had gone with Della to South Beaks.
Yes, Donald would probably be mad that his nephews purposefully didn't tell him what their decision was. But his face when he found out that not only were they still in Duckburg, they were also going back to live with him, would be priceless.