Well here I am once more. I have been missing you and I felt the last chapter was a bit sad so I am making it up for it with Ludwig seeing his children again. In some of the versions of comics Ludwig is married to Matilda – Scrooges sister. I have decided to role with it for dramatic effect. I also hope to explain how all these who wasn't in the plane of the Sunchaser managed to get home.
Ludwig sat in the empty plane feeling drained and exhausted after more than 10 hours of flight. Back at the library it had been clear that the plane Scrooge had arrived in wouldn't be enough with so many people being held prisoner of F.O.W.L. Scrooge had solved it by calling in two cargo planes to take everyone home. Even so due to amount of people who had to be transport home it had taken more than 10 hours to get around to all the different places. Finally it had been his turn and all Ludwig wanted now was to return to the doomsday vault and see his children. He was still not sure how to break it to them that he was indeed still alive. He was just so eager to see them. There was also the question about his wife. The woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago. The most womderfull woman he had ever meet. He had thought about her more and more. If she was even alive given how many years he had been imprisoned. How many years had it been since he had seen her? 20? 25? 30? He had lost count. How many years of his childrens life had he missed? So many birthdays he couldn't be with them. Being there when they needed him.
"We will be arriving in Duckberg in 10 minutes please fasten your seatbelt Mr. Drake" the pilot said interrupting his line of thoughts.
"Whrat! No I'm heading to Borvik. To my Doomsday vault" Ludwig said.
"Mister McDuck was very specific. You were to join him in the McDuck Manor" the pilot said.
Ludwig wondered why his former friend and freelance agent would say that. It wasn't that he did not want to see him he just wanted to see his children first and then hear if his wife was still alive. The last part worried him. Given how old he was it was a fair assumptation that she had already passed. The plane landed and Ludwig went out and saw a limmo waiting for him. Next to it was the same man he had seen fly Scrooge home earlier. Ludwig went over as the chauffeur opened the door and he got in and they set up.
"Hi I am Launcepad. Nice to meet you. Don't worry I will have you at the mansion in no time where Scrooge is waiting for you" Launcepad said as he got into the drivers seat.
They drove through the city, but Ludwig found he wasn't to pleased by his skills as he drove in and out between the other cars.
"Yes, yes but I would like to see my children" Ludwig said.
"Well then it is good Scrooge definitely not has a surprise I am not suppose to tell you" Launchpad said grinning.
Ludwig wanted to ask what surprise but the driver was so focused on grinning that he was about to crush into the McDuck Manor.
"Breaks" Ludwig shouted.
Launchpad looked up and cut the breaks as he crashed into the wall of the mansion. Ludwig recognized his former agents' mansion. Launchpad stepped out and opened the door for him and he stepped out. He walked up the stairs and was about to knock the door opened by Duckworth.
"While Duckworth good to see you but you are looking a bit pale Has the doomsday begun already? Did you get eaten by a werewolf?" Ludwig asked.
"Thank you, sir. As you have noticed I have died some years ago but no the doomsday hasn't begun and no I was not eaten thank you for asking. I am merely back from the dead. Now Mr. McDuck is waiting for you upstairs in his study. If you please follow me" Duckworth said as he floated towards the studies.
Ludwig nodded and followed Duckworth to the studies. He was a bit nervous because he knew Beakley most likely was there. He owed that woman a lot of thing including an apologies. After all he had sold her out in order to save his own children. He hoped she would be understanding but even if she did he was still guilty. Black Heron had been sent by Bradford to kidnap her she had held no qualm in telling him how she had knocked her out and kidnapped her. Hoping Scrooge would follow to save her so she could get revenge as well.
Duckworth and Ludwig came to the door which Duckworth knocked and then floated in through while he was waiting. For some reason he was a bit nervous. It wasn't that he was really nervous but it still felt strange to see such an old friend after so long. He wondered if Bentina would be waiting for him in there as well. Duckworth came back out.
"He is ready for you" Duckworth said and opened the door for him.
Ludwig went through it.
"SURPRISE" a lot of voices shouted and he looked up.
Ludwig was shocked to see Corvus Von Drake, Anya Von Drake, Klara Von Drake, Bentina Beakley and Scrooge McDuck being together in the studies. They all looked happy at him holding flags and was smiling to him. It made him so happy. All his worries melted away. He was seeing his family and friends after so long and they were all here to see him.
"Whry what a surprise. You are all here. My dear children are all here along with my friends" Ludwig said.
It appeared it was to much for his three children and they all ran forward and hugged him all at once. Ludwig spread out his arms and engulfted them in a hug. He could feel how tears was pressed to his eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for. After all those wretched years he was finally home with his family.
"Dad your alive" Corvus said as he started crying.
Corvus had always been the more sensitive of the three and pressed his face to him. Anya and Klara held him too as they to started crying and he felt his owns tears falling down. It had been what had brought him through the long days when Bradford had forced him to work for him. The faint hope that he at some point could see them again. Even after he had given up on escaping he always kept up a tiny hope that he somehow, some way see them again. They held each other for a long time before they finally let go and Scrooge and Bentina came over to him.
"It is good to see you again Ludwig" Scrooge said.
"So it is" Agent 22 said.
Seeing her happy face made him feel guilty. He had sold her out to Bradford. How could he stand next to her and pretend he was her friend?
"Reight Agent 22 …" Ludwig said.
"Just Bentina Beakley. I gave up those thing a long time ago" Beakley said.
"Look Bentina I owe you an apology. I … I .. I was the one who told F.O.W.L. where you hid. Bradford came to me and demanded me to tell where you might be hiding. I had to tell or he would send Stealbeak after my children" Ludwig said.
Anay, Corvus and Klara all gasped horrified hearing what had been in store for them.
"Ludwig that is not your fault. You did what any parent would have done. I would have done the same for Webby had it been me. In fact I gave Black Heron the super serum formula in exchange for Webby's life" Beakley said.
"But I …" Ludwig began.
"No Ludwig you don't need to apologies. I forgive you" Bentina insisted.
Ludwig sighted in relief. He had felt so guilty over it ever since then. Black Heron had told him how she had managed to break in to the mansion and kidnap Beakley and use her to capture Scrooge he had felt guilty. Since Black Heron didn't say much more he assumed they had managed to escape but it was still a life threatening situation that could have been avoided had he not told Bradford what he wanted to know. But his fears for his children had made him do so.
"Now Ludwig there is one more who would like to see you" Scroge said.
The door opened and a new person stood in the door entrance. Ludwig turned and took a look before he gasped. His legs almost collapsed under him. This was the person he had thought on ever so often. He had felt horrified when he had give up on ever seeing her and his children again and yet there she was. The love of his life. Matilda McDuck.
"Matilda my sweet" Ludwig muttered.
"Ludwig dear" Matilda replied.
The two of them ran over and engulfed each other in a deep hug. He had never thought he would get to do this after having been captured so many years ago. Tears pressed towards his eyes. He had his family back and was with his friends. It was what he had only dared to dream about. He never thought it would actually happen. The two of them held on to another never wanting to let go.
"Father, mother" Corvus said with even more tears in his eyes.
Ludwig and Matilda opened their arms and soon all five of them was hugging while openly crying. Scrooge looked so happy at them. He was happy he could do this for his friends and family. Matilda deserved to get her husband back. Bentina and Scrooge sneaked out to let them have a talk in private. They could talk later. Right now the family deserved a bit of privacy. Even so they kept smiling. They had done a good dead today.
A/N There you go. I know it is unsure if Matilda married Ludwig in Ducktales 2017. Yet I felt the story benefited from it so I wrote it in. I hope I did it justice. Right next one will be a request about the triplets and May and June making up.