This story mentions Louyd but it's not Louyd. It's based on an idea I had of Della and Boyd bonding on their similarities and it's set a few years after the finale. An alternate title for this fic could be "Della Uses Pet Names With Every Child Who Breathes" lol.

Boyd was fourteen and he spent a lot of time around McDuck Manor. He said it was because Huey was his best friend but that was clearly not the only reason. Though he hadn't admitted it to anyone yet, including himself, he'd developed a bit of a crush on Louie. He had no idea what to do with those feeling or if they would be reciprocated. So today, like most days, he just showed up at the house and hoped he could keep his mouth shut and his heart from bursting.

Today, however, no one seemed to be home. He rang the doorbell a few times and then took a step back, ready to bail after a minute.

"Ah, Boyd!" Della called, walking up from the side of the house nodding at him, "Honey, the others aren't home right now. They should be back in a bit though if you want to wait."

"Oh, thanks, Ms. D," Boyd said with a smile.

"You know you can just call me Della, right, Boyd? And if you want something to do while you wait you could always help me work on the plane."

Boyd's eyes lit up, "Oh, cool! I'd love to!"

"I know a budding engineer when I see one. You can never let your dad know but I'd trust any kid of Gyro's with my plane. I wouldn't trust him, obviously, but his kids? That's a different matter."

Boyd beamed, feeling really special when she said that. If Della liked him despite her feud with Dr. Dad then he must have done something right.

"Why do you two hate each other so much, anyway?" Boyd asked, leaning against the plane as Della began to work.

"Oxychew," Della said simply.

Boyd nodded sympathetically, searching Della's expression and picking up on the sadness in her eyes that she tried so hard to mask.

"It must have been hell, all those years on the moon."

"Well…" Della sighed, deciding not to sugar coat it, "Yeah."

"I know about being alone," Boyd said softly, wringing his hands together and immediately regretting bringing up his own trauma, hoping she wouldn't get mad at him for making this about himself.

Della gave him a motherly smile and handed him a wrench, "Yeah? You want to talk about it?"

Boyd's eyes widened in surprise and he found himself nodding without intending to.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not, honey. It's good to talk to someone about these things. I'm here for you, Boyd."

Boyd smiled, feeling a bit better, "Thanks… Let me just figure out where to start."

"Take your time, honey," Della said, patting Boyd's arm, "I know it isn't easy to open up."

"I was built wrong," Boyd said in a whisper after a moment of thinking.

"What? Oh sweetie, no, no. You're perfect just as you are." Della put an arm around Boyd's shoulder instinctively.

"I was built to hurt people! I never wanted that… And when the dust settled they dumped me in the trash so I couldn't hurt anybody else."

"That wasn't your fault, Boyd. That was a decision made by someone who used and abused you. You were being controlled."

"They clearly must have thought it was my fault though, they must have thought I couldn't be better than my programming or they wouldn't have thrown me away. I think I spent at least a decade in the trash heap and no one came to find me. No one wanted me." Boyd's head dipped down, shuddering when he remembered the years of being unwanted and alone.

Della wrapped her arm tightly around him, shaking him a little so he'd pay attention as she reassured him, "Sweetheart, listen to me. You didn't deserve that, and none of it is your fault. No kid deserves to be abandoned like that. You have a family now. Lots of family. You're not going to be left behind like that again."

"Thanks, Ms- I mean Della. Thanks, Della. I didn't mean to dump all of that on you. I didn't mean to still be hung up on it."

"Trauma doesn't just go away overnight. Like I said, it's good to talk about that kind of thing. I'm glad I could be here for you. I know how hard it is to be alone, it sucks that you were kept from having a normal childhood. So you seize every opportunity to just be a kid you can get, and if you ever need to open up to anyone don't hesitate to come to me, or Gyro or anyone in this family, really. You don't have to deal with your pain alone."

"Do you open up to your family about what happened on the moon?" Boyd asked, a genuine and innocent question.

Della cringed, "Okay, you caught me. But I talk to a therapist. I guess that's the other thing you can do. Ask your dad if you could start seeing a therapist if you think that would help you. It can help a lot of people."

Boyd nodded thoughtfully, "I'll talk to him about it. Do you think your family would understand if you told them about the moon stuff?"

"Hmm, well, they're not quite built like us, Boyd," Della jokingly tapped her metal leg, "But that doesn't mean that they wouldn't try to understand as much as they could. That's what family does. And you have a lot of people who care about you, kiddo."

Boyd stared up at her, unblinking, "So do you."

"Yeah… I should take my own advice, huh?"

"Probably," Boyd said with a laugh, "Thanks for talking with me, Della. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, any time. You're part of the family. All my kids love you."

Without meaning to, a blush lit up Boyd's face and he turned away. Della picked up on it and casually leaned against the plane.

"Hm, who's that blush for, Boyd?" Della asked in a teasing voice.

"Ah! Nothing! Nobody!" Boyd attempted to hide his face but he could not.

"Honey, I'm teasing. You don't have to tell me. But it's okay to have crushes on your friends."

"Do you think Louie would like me?" Boyd blurted.

"Louie does like you," Della said.

"No, I mean like, you know, like like me. I…. It's probably hopeless. I'm dumb for even asking."

"You're not dumb. I can't tell you how Louie feels, sometimes I think not even Louie knows how he feels, the only way you'd know is by shooting your shot. I'm sure Louie would still be friends with you even if he wasn't interested in a relationship."

Boyd let out a sigh of relief. Losing Louie's friendship was one of the things he worried about the most.

"I think I hear the others returning," Della added after a moment, "Ready to play Prince Charming?"

Boyd blushed again, "Not sure if I'm quite ready just yet. But uh. Maybe I'll talk to him. Thanks again, Della…"

"You're welcome, honey. Go have fun with the other kids. I appreciate your help with the plane."

Boyd smiled and nodded and then ran off, regrouping with the others, Della's words still on his mind. He didn't know if today was the day to shoot his shot, but he was gonna do it, sooner or later. And he knew he would have someone to run to for advice whatever the outcome was.