Disclaimer: I do not own Ducktales.

Chapter 5: Meeting Everyone

"He...has a family…" Diane said under her breath, watching as Donald held Dewey and Louie as far apart as possible.

"You two are brothers," Donald said, standing between them. He was looking at each of them sternly. "That means you're going to get on one another's nerves, push each other's buttons - and drive each other crazy." Dewey and Louie glared at one another. Donald bent down and looked each of them in the eye. "But that also means you'll always have someone to talk to, someone who understands what you're going through, and someone to help you out when you're in a pickle. That's what being brothers -"

"And a family," Huey added, coming forwards. He knew Donald's speech was going to end in a hug. Donald smiled at him and nodded.

"And a family, means." Donald said, opening his arms up and embracing Dewey, Louie, and Huey.

"Awwwww," Webby said from the side, wiping away a tear of joy. She loved seeing families put aside their differences and hug things out….the only problem was, with this family, she always felt awkward when they hugged. Because she wanted to join in - but she wasn't technically part of the family, and sometimes she could just tell it was a 'guy' family moment.

"You know, Webs," Louie said, glancing over at her. "It's nice and all that you like touching family moments like this, but…"

"It's kind of a family thing?" Webby said, turning. She could practically see Louie nod his head before he went back to hugging Donald. Diane just stared. She wasn't sure what to do, or where to go - if she was supposed to clear her throat or what.

"Um…" She said, glancing around. Launch Pad had left, Scrooge was leaning on his cane and watching the scene unfold as if he were in a theater, and that girl, Webs, had just realized Diane was here. Suddenly Webby darted forwards, grabbing one of Diane's hands and giving it a hearty shake.

"Hi - I'm Webby!" Webby said, smiling wide. "What's your name? And what are you doing here in McDuck Manor?"

"Uh, hi," Diane said, debating how much to tell this girl. Diane assumed she lived here, or at least was close with the family, otherwise why would she be here? And if they were close or she lived here, then that meant she'd hear about Donald being her dad. "I came looking for my dad -"

"Is he related to the McDucks?" Webby asked, dropping Diane's hand. Out of a hidden pocket she pulled a notebook titled: McDuck Family Tree and began to flip through it. "What's his name? Does he live here? Is his last name McDuck - gasp - is your last name McDuck?"

"Yes, Donald, I don't know - probably, and no." Diane said, answering her questions in order. Webby nodded her head and went to a blank page, writing everything down.

"Okay, then, that means -" Webby said, opening to another page in her book. Before she could say anything, however, Dewey entered the scene. He and his brothers had disengaged from Donald's hug after Webby started interrogating the new arrival.

"Wait - I heard Donald," He said, coming to stand right in front of Diane. He grabbed her arms and pulled her down to his level (she was only a few inches taller than him). "Why did you say Donald?"

"Because," Diane said, wriggling out of his arms and backing away a few feet. Things were getting a little overwhelming now. "He's my dad."

"Whaaaaaaat?" Dewey said, turning to stare at Donald. The older duck nervously chuckled and brushed non-existent dust off his shirt.

"You have a daughter?" Huey asked, looking between his dad and Diane. He put a hand to his beak. "Huh, I always thought you'd be the responsible one…"

"Guys," Louie said, coming up behind Diane. She jumped, and clutched her backpack close to her. Louie watched her, his hands in his pockets. "This is Donald we're talking about - I mean obviously he doesn't have a daughter. She's probably just trying to scam us."

"I am not." Diane said, feeling a burst of anger. She scowled at Louie, who merely glanced at her and shrugged.

"Well then," He said, "If you're not scamming us - where's your proof?"

Instead of answering, Diane dug back into her bag, and pulled out the page from her mom's address book. She handed it to Louie.

"What's this?" He asked, frowning at the crinkled piece of paper. He could just make out the penciled previous address of Uncle Donald's houseboat. But it didn't mean anything. He looked back at Diane. "It's a piece of paper."

"It's got his address," Diane said, using as much deadpan sarcasm as he was. Louie shrugged and tossed the paper behind him - where Webby grabbed it and put it in her notebook for safe keeping.

"That only proves that you had his address," Louie said, shrugging. "I mean, you could have grabbed it from anyone -"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. I just went up to some random person and stole an address book," Diane said, rolling her eyes. Dewey jumped up on Diane's shoulders, throwing off her balance.

"Did you?" He asked in her ear.

"No!" Diane said, shaking Dewey off. He fell back with an 'oof'. "Why on Earth would I do that?"

"Then why'd you describe Deweying it?" Dewey countered, leaning forwards. Diane shook her head, wondering if her dad's family was crazy, or if they were just trying to psyche her out.

"What the heck does 'Deweying' it even mean?" She asked, spotting the photo of her parents a few feet away. Either she or Donald must have dropped it when she hugged him...or when Dewey and Louie came tumbling in.

She went solemnly over to the photo and picked it up, dusting off any dirt that may have gotten on it. Louie came over and plucked it out of her grasp.

"Hey!" She said, trying to take it back. Louie held it out just out of her reach - and was ruined when Donald came and took the photo from him.

"Louie." Donald said, frowning at him. Louie gave him an innocent look, and gestured at Diane.

"She might be conning you -"

"She's not." Donald said, his voice so serious that the green triplet let the subject drop. It wasn't often that Donald became really serious about anything - passionate? Yes. Over protective? Yes. Serious? Hardly ever.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Huey asked, coming over. He'd been standing on the outskirts, and reading over Webby's shoulder, while Louie interrogated Diane. Dewey joined him, sliding over on a puddle of water.

"Well," Donald said, handing the picture back to Diane. She gave him a thankful smile and put it in a safe spot in her backpack. "You see -"

"He didn't know." Diane said, before he could say another word. Everyone looked at her, and she tried to put on a brave face. It still stung knowing that her dad didn't know she existed, that her mom hadn't said anything to him…

"Oooooo!" Webby said, looking up from her notebook. "A secret daughter! I suspected as much after the Break-Up!"

"Wha - how do you know about that?" Diane asked, surprised. Honestly, this family was beginning to freak her out.

"Because I know everything about everything when it comes to the McDuck family!" She said, closing her book and twirling around.

"Oh...kay," Diane said. Dewey patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't worry - we all felt that way when we first met Webby." He said, and Louie, Donald, and Huey nodded.

"So," Scrooge said, clearing his throat. "Diane, do ye have a place to stay the night?" Diane turned to look at him, and shook her head. "I dinnae think so."

"I could make you a room on my boat," Donald said. Diane felt a warmth bubble in her when he said it - that was...something she'd always wanted to do.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," Huey said, holding up his phone. "It's supposed to be pretty stormy all this weekend."

"So?" Donald asked, looking up from the phone.

"So," He replied, closing the tab and tucking the phone back under his hat. "Your houseboat in Uncle Scrooge's pool -"

"Excuse me - what?" Diane asked, blinking. When she was told Donald lived with his Uncle...she didn't think it meant his boat was in his pool. A lake? Maybe. I mean Scrooge McDuck was the richest duck in the world - it was more than likely he owned a lake. "You live in a houseboat, in a pool?"

"Only until he gets it fixed," Scrooge interrupted, coming forward. He frowned at the puddle of water pooling around Diane's feet. His frown deepened when he also saw a tint of red forming around one of her feet - not a lot of red, but some. "Something happen to ye foot, lass?"

"My foot?" Diane asked, looking down. She saw the tint of red in the puddle of water under her right foot. She frowned at it. "Stupid stray road rocks..."

"She's definitely related to Uncle Donald," Dewey whispered to Louie. His brother didn't respond, unsure if Diane was telling the truth or just another con man.

"Do you need first aid?" Huey asked, pulling out his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook and flipping to the First Aid page. Diane glanced at him, and then back down at her foot.

"Probably." She said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "But before I do that - what I really need is a nice, hot shower. If that's okay…?"

"Of course!" Donald said, ignoring the glare Scrooge was giving him.

"Oh, yes, agree to give her something that isn't paid for by you." Scrooge said sarcastically. Donald glared at him.

"Look at her, Uncle Scrooge - she's soaked!"

"Aye - and so am I!"

"She's just a little girl -"

"I'm eleven years old," Diane said, feeling that she'd caused this argument. "And I don't need a hot shower that-that would just be nice. I could take a cold shower - and I can make it super short. I even brought my own soap and shampoo -"

"Oh, no, lass," Scrooge said, giving her an apologetic smile. "I was nae saying ye couldn't take a hot shower - yer probably cold as ice by now. I was just tellin off yer father about giving away things that aren't his to give."

"Oh," Diane said, blinking. "Okay. So, um, where is the nearest shower?"

"Up the hall and the third door on the left." Donald said, and Diane nodded. He grabbed her arm a moment. "Do you have anything dry to change into?"

"I have my jacket," She said, shrugging. From the look of shock on Donald's face, she could tell he wasn't happy about that answer. "What? I brought two pairs of clothes - but someone on the bus barfed on me and I had to change early…"

"Someone barfed on you?!" Dewey asked, excited. Diane nodded, shivering at the memory.

"Yeah. That was not fun."

"You didn't...keep the clothes that were barfed on," Louie said, stepping away from her. "Did you?"

"Ew - no! Of course not." Diane said, gagging at the thought. Louie sighed in relief, and Dewey sagged with disappointment.

"Don't worry, Diane," Donald said, "Uncle Scrooge has -" Scrooge cleared his throat and glared at Donald.

"What was it I told ye about giving away what's not yours?" Scrooge asked. Donald opened his mouth to retort, and then thought better of it. He glanced at Diane, and then let out a sigh and looked back at his Uncle resignedly.

"Uncle Scrooge, do you have anything Diane could borrow?" He asked, to which Scrooge smiled and nodded approvingly.

"That's better," he said, turning to Diane. "Don't worry - I'll have Mrs. Beakley find ye something to wear."

"Mrs. Who?" Diane asked, a little confused. Mrs. Beakley...that couldn't be who her dad was married to...

"That's my Granny!" Webby said, jumping in. she had put her book back in her pocket and took Diane's hand. "Come on - I'll show you where the bathroom is!"

"What about your foot?" Huey asked, taking a few steps forward. Webby held her hand up and stopped a moment.

"Don't worry, guys," Webby said over her shoulder. "I know how to give basic first aid. And how to mend a broken arm, and how to realign a dislocated shoulder, and -"

"Okay - yes - you know a lot," Louie said, turning a bit green. He didn't like thinking about blood or dislocated limbs. It was one of those things that just, really grossed him out. "Please stop talking before I barf."

"Right." Webby said, turning back around. Diane glanced down at her, finding that this girl wasn't trying to freak her out...she was just really intense and very happy was all. Webby gave her a smile before she started up the stairs. "Ready for the best shower of your life?"

"Yes." Diane said, limping up the stairs. Now that she'd seen the blood puddling around her foot, it had started to sting. Before it had just felt like a bruise. But now...it hurt a little. "I've been on a bus for two days straight - I am so ready for the best shower of my life."

"To the shower!" Webby said, holding one hand in the air like a warrior and letting out a battle cry. Diane did the same, limp running with her up the rest of the stairs and all the way to the bathroom.

Hi! I hope you liked the newest chapter! I'm super glad you all like the story so far! I'm still pretty busy this week, but I finally found some time to sit down and write, and I'm sorry if this chapter's short but...well like I said, I'm pretty busy this week. Anyways - thanks for the reviews! I love hearing feedback on my stories. Till next chapter - stay safe!