WARNING: Mentions of child abuse.
Mrs. Beakley didn't like to admit when she made a mistake. Her judgment was scarily accurate, and it often helped her back when she was a S.H.U.S.H. agent. But there were rare occasions when Beakley was wrong. When she'd misjudged someone.
And there was no one Beakley had misjudged more than Lena.
The young girl's presence was always a painful reminder of the harsh words she'd spouted in the abandoned tunnels underneath Duckburg.
"Who raised you, anyway?"
"I know a bad influence."
"Those are good children with bright futures."
"Yeah? What does that make me?" Lena had shot back.
"I don't know." Beakley had admitted honestly. Said honesty seemed to shock Lena before the teen decided to help the ex-agent 'vandalize' the subway car. Later on, the housekeeper would think about how resigned Lena had looked, as if she was used to being put down and belittled.
Admittedly, Beakley was in the wrong just as much as Lena if not more. She was the adult in the situation yet she was the one who escalated the argument and told off a child that wasn't even one of Beakley's wards.
Afterward, the girl seemed to have all but forgotten about their conversation after saving the older woman's life (though Beakley still had no idea how she'd done it) and was more than happy to join them for pancakes.
But it seemed like Beakley kept misreading the girl, like when Lena showed up at the mansion with a black eye, a cut on her left cheek, and a multitude of bruises that littered her arms.
The second the older woman saw her, she rushed Lena into the nearest bathroom and found a first aid kit, something that could be found in nearly every room in the house. Having an adventurous family constantly coming home with injuries made Beakley a little more paranoid than normal, and for once, she was glad for it.
As she patched up the younger girl, she noticed Lena frown in confusion.
"I gotta know something. Why are you doing this?" Lena asked.
"What do you mean?" Beakely was more focused on treating the injuries rather than what Lena was talking about, until she heard what the teenager said next.
"Why are you taking care of me? I thought I was just some bad influence," Lena stared up at the woman, confusion written on her face.
Beakely gawked at her for a moment before composing herself. She cursed herself inwardly; of course Lena wouldn't have forgotten about that. What child could forget such harsh words, especially when it was an adult who had said them? Beakley thought carefully about what to say, gauging the girl's reaction as she spoke.
"I am sorry, Lena. I shouldn't have said those things. You might be a little, er, wild, and certainly unorthodox, but you clearly care about Webby. And even if you didn't, I wouldn't let an injured child go unattended. Not in my house."
"Isn't this Scrooge's place?" Lena asked, almost jokingly. The tension seemed to evaporate and Beakley hoped that meant the young duckling was starting to feel more at ease.
"This may be Mr. McDuck's mansion, but it's my house," Beakely stated matter-of-factly. Lena snorted with laughter. Beakely smiled. The teen hardly ever laughed, so it was nice to hear it. Unfortunately, the purple-clad woman still had something she needed to ask. "Lena, I know you probably won't like this, but I must ask what happened to you."
"I figured as much," Lena mumbled, though the tension didn't return as Beakley had feared it would. She noticed the way Lena glanced at her shadow on the wall, something the girl tended to do a lot whenever she thought no one was looking.
And something deep inside Beakley begged to ask why, practically screamed that something was wrong, but the former agent didn't say anything. It was a miracle that Lena was opening up at all, and Beakley didn't want to risk Lena closing up and withdrawing from the conversation entirely.
Later, after the Shadow War, Beakley would berate herself for not investigating. For not looking past Lena's facade. But that was a guilt-wracking problem for future Beakley.
Lena simply sighed and looked the large woman in the eye. Beakley began to examine Lena's arm, hoping her casual movements would help Lena feel confident enough to speak her mind.
"I don't know if Webby ever told you this, but I kinda made an enemy of Ma Beagle. Her boys didn't really like that, and when they saw me on my way here, they decided to 'avenge their mom' or something like that," Lena explained, her voice not even shaking. As if stuff like this happened all the time.
Beakely halted her movements, unable to continue despite knowing she needed to. She hoped, no, she prayed that she had heard the teen wrong. But a sinking feeling in her gut told her she hadn't as Lena glanced away to stare at the floor.
"How many?"
"What does it matter-?"
"Answer me," Beakely cut Lena off sternly. While she didn't want to interrupt the girl, she needed to know. Needed to know how many people had the audacity to hurt a child. Lena looked up and winced at Beakley, who realized she probably looked fairly angry. She rushed to assure Lena that the anger wasn't directed at her, purposefully softening her gaze. "I'm not mad at you, just the no-good delinquents who dared hurt a child. And yes, you are a child, teenager or not."
"I...I don't know, it was kinda dark," Lena shifted, a nervous look on her face. But Beakley knew better than to believe that, so she stared expectedly at Lena, waiting for an actual answer.
"Fine!" Lena groaned. "There was like seven or eight of them. Happy?"
"Happy to see you injured as a result of seven or eight individuals ganging up on you? No, I am not happy," Beakely stood up, having finished examining and patching up the teen. She was indeed not happy, but she needed to make sure Lena knew it wasn't her fault. "But I am glad you told me the truth."
"I don't see what good it'll do you. Nothing you can do about it now," Lena stood up too, though she wobbled a little before steadying herself.
"You'd be surprised," Beakley replied, her thoughts racing as she opened the bathroom door. She had a few ideas in mind, but would need to get to her armory first. "Webby's in her room. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."
"Alright. Thanks for the help, Tea Time," Lena said as she made her way down the hallway. Beakley took a few breaths to calm herself down, shaking angrily.
Lena was only a few years older than Webby. And yet it seemed like she was far older and wiser than a girl her age ought to have been. It made Beakley wonder for what felt like the thousandth time who was looking out for Lena.
'Well, if no one else will step up the plate, I suppose I'll have to,' Beakley thought grimly as she made her way to the armory.
If questioned, Beakley would deny ever having been at the junkyard that the Beagle Boys called home. She would also deny having worn magical armor that made her ten times stronger than she already was, waving a mace around to find out who had attacked Lena. And she would definitely insist she hadn't been the one to beat up eight men while warning them to stay away from her wards.
However, when she was in the kitchen preparing for dinner later on that evening, Beakley couldn't help but smile smugly. She even winked at Lena as inconspicuously as she could, and continued to grin throughout dinner.
Unknowingly, the events of that day had left Beakley feeling a sense of respect for the girl who seemed to have been dealt a rough hand in life. Not that she'd ever tell Lena that, of course. The ex-agent still had some dignity, after all.
ーーーーー
Scrooge had heard his honorary niece talk about her new best friend for quite some time before she finally introduced him to Lena.
She was a skinny little thing who played the part of a sullen teenager. Though the way Lena seemed to light up whenever her gaze landed on Webby indicated she had a soft spot for the younger girl.
"Ah, so here's the infamous Lena I've heard so much about. Glad to make your acquaintance lass," Scrooge grinned, sticking a hand out. He noticed the way Lena looked at it, then at his face, then his hand again before she reluctantly shook it. He tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "I'm not gonna bite, if that's what you're worried about."
"Oh, I know. But from all the stories Webby's told me, I wouldn't be surprised if your hand was cursed right now," Lena replied. Scrooge noticed how her hand seemed to shake but said nothing of it so as to not make Lena uncomfortable. "And maybe the only way to get rid of it is to pass it on to an unsuspecting teen who made the mistake of shaking your hand."
"If that kind of curse existed, I'm sure Mr- I mean, Uncle Scrooge would've come across it by now," Webby chimed in, earning her an eye roll from her best friend. Scrooge smiled slightly. Lena was a regular little spitfire who reminded him of….well, of someone he'd once known, lost to the stars.
"Even if a curse like that existed, I'd never pass it onto a child," Scrooge smirked slightly as he leaned in to whisper. "Mostly because Beakley would make me take it right back."
"Most definitely, sir," Beakley said calmly, startling Scrooge and Lena, though Webby didn't seem the least bit surprised. Scrooge placed a hand on his chest as he took a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart. Even after all these years, 22 still managed to take him by surprise from time to time.
"My bad, then. Shoulda had more faith in Tea Time here," Lena crossed her arms. Scrooge blinked for a moment before laughing.
"Hah, 'Tea Time'. Why, that's brilliant!" Scrooge winked at Lena before he glanced at Beakley's unamused face. He knew he'd probably pay for that remark later so he tried to leave as quickly as possible to avoid Beakley's wrath. He coughed slightly and glanced at an imaginary watch. "What do you know, it's time for me to go to the bank. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lena!"
And with that, he took his coat and left the manor. On his way to the Money Bin, Scrooge thought about the teen he'd just met. More specifically, about the haunted look in her eyes that looked like it belonged to someone much older than her. Beakley had said she was about thirteen or so, yet the guarded way she held herself and her obvious trust issues spoke volumes about the girl.
Scrooge hated that a child that young seemed to have so much pain hidden inside her when she should've been playing with kids her age, or whatever it was teenagers did nowadays.
He vowed to keep a close eye on Lena, to try and let her know she was safe at the manor.
Months later, he would realize how badly he'd failed her as he watched in horror while Lena was sucked into the Shadow Realm right in front of him.
"No! Not again! Don't send me back! Noooo!"
Scrooge would never forget how terrified she sounded, and how much he wished he could've saved her. He had nightmares every other night, her screams echoing in his head when he woke up with a start, reliving the terrifying realization that the dream was in fact real. The rich duck would never admit it, but Lena was yet another source of guilt that he carried around with him, like a certain long-lost niece.
'I'm so sorry, Lena,' Scrooge thought sadly. 'The manor wasn't safe after all.'
ーーーーー
"It's been a long day, boys. Why don't ya head to bed?" Donald waited until the boys were out of earshot to bang the table. "Why didn't we see it?"
"We were blind, laddie."
"That's no excuse!" Donald yelled, though not as loudly as he might've since the boys (and an exhausted Webby) were trying to get some sleep.
Launchpad sat down on a bar stool sadly. Beakley sighed and got out some mugs to make coffee. She had a feeling nobody would be going to sleep anytime soon.
"I'm not saying it is, Donald," Scrooge replied, gently placing his hand on the sailor's shoulder. "She needed our help, but we didn't realize it. Not until it was too late."
Donald sighed softly, leaning against his uncle dejectedly. He thought back to his first real conversation with Lena, when she told him why she didn't join the other kids on their adventures.
"I like being where it's safe. The world's a crazy and dangerous place. Heck, half of their adventures happen here. I'm lucky that I somehow manage to avoid most of them."
Donald had been concerned, but hadn't pressed the issue. And he desperately wished he had. He felt sick to his stomach as he thought about any of his kids being without a home. Because that's what Lena had become; one of his kids, just like Webby.
"I ignored the red flags," Beakley admitted as she shoved the mugs filled with coffee to the three men, leaning against the counter. "She was always looking at her shadow when she was nervous. I felt like something was wrong, terribly wrong, but her walls were always up. I didn't feel like I could ask, especially after the way I treated her."
Scrooge, who knew of the Terra-firmian incident, glanced over at the ex-agent. "You couldn't have known what that meant. I neva' would've guessed she was that witch's shadow."
It had quickly become an unspoken rule to never say Magica's name in the manor after the Shadow War. That sorceress caused so much chaos and wrecked so many lives. She hurt Clan McDuck and their allies more than she probably knew. But not just because of her attempts at revenge. No, the main reason behind Scrooge and the others' hatred was because of what that monster did to Lena.
And they didn't even know half of what that poor girl had probably been through.
"I wouldn't have guessed either, Mr. McDee," Launchpad replied as he stared at the contents of his mug. "And I know I'm not the brightest of guys, but that's not a good enough excuse. We never saw or heard about any parents, Dewey and the others never went to her place. Heck, we didn't even know her last name. And...she said things."
"What things?" Scrooge asked curiously. Launchpad sighed and crossed his arms.
"Did any of you notice she didn't seem to talk highly of herself? Like, she always acted like I would think she was a bother or whatever. It was weird."
No one could really deny that fact. While maybe Lena didn't say things very often, the point was she still said them.
"Want me to go get one of the more trustworthy kids to help?"
"I thought I was just some bad influence."
"Besides, wouldn't want anyone to go out of their way to pick up some kid. Beakley thinks I'm a bother as it is."
"I'm sure Tea Time already warned you about me. I get into trouble sometimes."
"As I said, I didn't know her as well as the rest of you," Duckworth began, hoping to end the heavy silence that had fallen over the group as well as get back on the topic of Lena's home, or lack of. "We never really interacted, and I never sensed any darkness from her. I suppose that cowardly sorceress hid it. But I did get a sense that she didn't have the best of living conditions. She always ate a lot when she was here."
Beakley knew the specter was right. The child was so thin and always seemed to be eating something, so Beakley tried to give her double helpings whenever Lena was at the manor. She even made it known that if she wanted, Lena could bring leftovers home. The teen hardly ever left the house without a plastic container full of food.
"She was homeless for who knows how long and lived under an abandoned building," Beakley said shortly as she tried to ignore the lump in her throat. "And we were all too involved with ourselves or the other children to notice, even when she was right under our noses."
"I need to see it," Donald said suddenly, a determined look in his eyes. Scrooge looked at him in confusion, so Donald clarified. "The theatre she lived in. I….I gotta see how bad it was."
"I don't think that'll help you the way you think it will, BUT," Scrooge hurried to continue as his nephew's eyes narrowed. "I agree that we need to see how bad it was. Only then can we hope to move on and better ourselves, so nothing like this ever happens again."
Duckworth agreed to stay at the manor to keep an eye on the children as the adults made their way to the limo. Beakley chose to drive, to avoid any car accidents.
When they arrived, Scrooge and the others had to spread out to find the trapdoor that led to the place Lena had to live in for who knows how long. The pitiful state of the room made Launchpad cry as he ran back to the surface, saying he couldn't bear to look. He felt bad, but it was worse than he'd expected.
Beakley and Scrooge looked around the area as Donald knelt on Lena's bed, running his hands over the mildew-covered posters on her walls. Scrooge pulled back the curtain and saw the mad writings of an insane woman desperate for revenge. And Beakley felt her resolve to not break down weaken when she saw the containers she'd given Lena in a small mini-fridge, the food only partially eaten.
"I wish I coulda kept my promise," Scrooge whispered as he examined the writing on the walls, his back facing his nephew and housekeeper.
"What promise?" Donald asked. Scrooge sighed as he leaned against the wall.
"I said if she helped me get my family back, she'd have a place in it. But then...then that wretched woman took her. Absorbed Lena into her shadow," Scrooge admitted tearfully. "She was so scared, Donald. And I couldn't do anything but watch."
Donald felt the tears running down his face (for like the millionth time because it had been such an emotional evening and seeing his uncle tear up made Donald even more upset) and he crushed his uncle in a hug.
Beakley watched them silently before she wiped her eyes. She wasn't sure if Lena would have forgiven them for not helping her, even if she could see how sorry the bedraggled adults were. And honestly, Beakley wouldn't have blamed the teen one bit.
She just hoped the girl was safe, wherever she was.
ーーーーー
AN: In case you didn't read the last one-shot, I really think that the timeline has Lena returning before Donald leaves on a cruise and Della returns to Earth.
Lena had never felt as safe as she did until after she came back from the Shadow Realm, surrounded by people she cared about.
Which is why it made it so difficult when Donald left.
She knew the sailor needed that cruise, since he was so stressed out and tired all the time, but that didn't stop her from feeling disappointed that he was leaving so soon after her return.
"I'll be back in no time at all, kiddo," Donald reassured the teen as Launchpad loaded the last suitcase into the limo. He'd already said his goodbyes to the other children as well as his uncle. But Lena had stayed by his side a little longer than the rest of the family. Donald smiled as he wrapped his arms around Lena. "Beakley and Scrooge will take care of ya until I'm back."
"Pssh, I know that," Lena tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, though Donald's laugh told her she hadn't done a very good job. "Don't tell the others...but I'm gonna miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Donald admitted. He kissed her forehead before he walked over to the limo. With a wave, he got into the car. Lena waved back and watched as Launchpad drove the duck away. She stayed outside until she could no longer see the limo.
"I've got pancakes waiting inside."
Lena jumped at the voice and turned around to see Beakley standing behind her. She smiled nervously.
"Tea Time! I, uh, didn't see you there. Pancakes sound good to me," Lena ducked her head sheepishly as she walked indoors. The housekeeper smiled knowingly but said nothing in response.
To her, it made perfect sense that Lena was nervous about seeing Donald leave. The girl had finally gotten herself a real home, a family, and that was a big change. To have something else change so suddenly, even if it was just a relative going on vacation, was bound to affect the former shadow.
But Beakley wouldn't make Lena talk about it just yet. For now, she would simply ensure that the teen knew she was loved and that Donald was coming back.
Little did the ex-agent know that Della would also be coming back much sooner than her twin brother would.
ーーーーー
"Lenalenalenalenalena-" Webby squealed as she ran into the teen's room, her voice rising in pitch as she called out for her best friend. Lena sighed in fond exasperation as the excited duck jumped onto Lena's bed, nearly bouncing the older girl to the floor.
"Webby, breathe," Lena said as she waited for her friend to calm down, scrolling through her music playlist on her phone. After Webby's erratic breathing had evened out a bit, Lena spoke again. "Okay, now what did you want to tell me?"
"Della's back!"
"Wait, what?" Lena sat up and stared at her friend in shock. As a shadow, she had overheard Webby talking to the boys about their mom, though she had clearly missed some of the details. Once she returned, Webby had filled her in on the whole story but never once did Lena think there was any chance at all that Della was still alive.
But she'd been wrong before. And apparently, she was wrong once again.
"Come on, you should meet her."
"Oh, I don't know about that-" Lena was pulled by Webby before she could protest and dragged out of the room, down the stairs, and into the main foyer.
The boys (and Scrooge) were all gathered around a woman with long white hair, goggles on her head, and a blue scarf wrapped around her neck. Almost the spitting image of the woman Lena had seen in the photo on the wall, with Scrooge and Donald beside her and three eggs.
The infamous Della Duck.
Louie was the first to notice her, and he pulled away slightly from the main group to wave her and Webby closer.
"Oh hey, um, mom, this is Lena. Webby's best friend," Louie kind of stuttered over the word 'mom', something that didn't really surprise Lena. After all these years of growing up without a mom, it must be pretty weird to have to call someone the m-word.
Della turned around, her eyes glancing at Webby before focusing on the teen. Her eyes seemed to have a depth to them, almost a haunted look that was all too familiar to Lena. She felt out of place, like she really shouldn't be there for this big family moment. But as pretty much everyone in the manor had told Lena time and time again, she was part of this family and deserved to be there too.
"Um, hi. Nice to meet you, Ms. Duck."
"Pssh, none of this 'Ms. Duck' stuff. It's just Della," Della insisted, stretching out her hand. Lena reluctantly shook it, feeling just as nervous as she had when she'd first met Scrooge. "Glad to see my boys seem to have pretty good friends."
"Well, more like family than friends," Huey interjected quietly, still staring in awe at the woman before him. "They both live here in the manor like the rest of us. "
"Yes. I've already explained Webby's presence, but Lena here is my ward," Scrooge added. Della blinked a couple of times before smiling warmly.
"Oh, well then welcome to the family."
"Thanks," Lena replied shortly. She didn't really stick around too much, letting the boys and Scrooge catch up with the long-lost pilot. She parted ways with Webby and went back to her room. Once she was alone, she let out a sigh.
For some reason, seeing Donald's twin made Lena miss the sailor even more. He was the first adult she went to whenever she needed to talk (ironic, considering how hard it was to understand him when they first met).
But she was glad for the triplets nonetheless. They'd finally been reunited with their mother. That was all that mattered, really.
ーーーーー
Lena hadn't expected to really talk to Della much after that awkward meeting, seeing as how the woman had ten (almost eleven) years of lost time to make up for with her sons.
But she did, on one late night when Lena had another nightmare of Magic (not magically-induced this time) and she'd decided to visit the kitchen for a midnight snack.
Once she entered the kitchen, however, she spotted Della at the counter with a mug of what looked like coffee. The older duck didn't seem to notice the teen at first, not until Lena coughed to let her presence known.
Della glanced up in surprise and smiled nervously.
"Oh, hi, Lena. I was just, um, looking at the kitchen. Wanted to see what all had changed."
"Uh-hu," Lena replied, not really believing her. "I was gonna grab a snack, if you don't mind."
"This is your home as much as it is mine," Della said, gesturing towards the fridge for Lena to go ahead and get something. After grabbing a yogurt cup, Lena had to strain her ears to hear Della faintly whispering, "Probably more your home than mine, considering how long I've been gone."
"Well, that wasn't all your fault, really. Uncle Scrooge said that the cosmic storm was a total surprise," Lena spoke softly, trying to sound as reassuring as she could, like Donald did whenever he talked her through a panic attack. "Besides, you're here now. That's all that matters."
"Thanks, kid. But I shouldn't be bothering you with this," Della sighed, looking at her mug sadly. "Children shouldn't have to deal with grownup problems."
"No one's really told you about what happened before I came to live here, did they?" Lena asked softly. She grabbed some yogurt from the fridge and sat next to Della, who shook her head in response. "I've been dealing with 'grownup' problems my entire life, thanks to Magica."
"Hold up, Magica? As in Magica de Spell!?" Della asked, practically shouting as she stared at the younger duck in shock.
"Yeah, that Magica." Lena glanced around as she spoke, half-expecting someone to walk into the kitchen to scold them for being too loud. But no one did, so she relaxed a little.
Lena didn't feel like telling a not-quite stranger about all of her issues, so she summarized the story of life by just talking about Magica's plan to get revenge on Scrooge, her part in the Shadow War, ending up in the void known as the Shadow Realm, and how Webby and Violet brought her back.
As Della listened to the young teen's story, she wanted to hug Lena and protect her from everything that could harm her but the pilot had a feeling the former shadow wouldn't have appreciated that.
So she stayed quiet and tried to keep a neutral expression on her face. But she started to tear up when Lena described the Shadow Realm, as the pilot felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
An empty void of darkness, with no one to talk to. Seemingly no hope of anyone ever finding you. A life spent alone. Forced to miss out on important moments in your family's lives. Wondering if you even had a family to get back to. If they'd remember you. If they'd forgive you for being gone.
"Kid…" Della paused and took a deep breath before she continued. "I've been through something similar, and I wish you'd never had to experience that. I spent 10 years on the Moon, dealing with the same things you did, and my sanity was hanging by a thread. And I'm an adult. For a kid, for you, to go through that, well it hurts to hear you describe the same hell I went through."
"Better not let Tea Time hear you, she's not a fan of cussing," Lena noted dryly, trying not to let any emotion show on her face. She had only been in the Shadow Realm for six months, and she couldn't imagine being anywhere like that for ten years.
"Tea Time- ? Oh, you mean 22! Yeah, please don't tell her I said that" Della laughed nervously. "She'd have my head if she knew I said that in front of any of you kids. Especially Webby."
"Your secret's safe with me," Lena smirked. Then she stood up and stretched a little. "Should probably get some sleep or else she'll be on me about not sleeping again."
"Well, goodnight Lena," Della smiled softly. Before Lena left, however, Della gently placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "For the record, if you ever need to talk, from one void-survivor to another, I'm here. I know we don't know each other that well yet, but we're family."
Lena blinked at the pilot for a second before coming out of her stupor and nodded slightly toward Della. "Thanks. I'll think about it."
Della sighed once she was sure the girl was out of earshot. She may have been gone without any social interactions for the past decade, but at least she hadn't completely blown the whole conversation.
Then again, she'd had decent conversations with Penny and that gave Lena hope that she could connect with all the new kids living in her uncle's house.
'Maybe I should try contacting Penny, see how those rockets are coming along,' Della thought absentmindedly.
ーーーーー
When the Moonlanders invaded a few days after Lena's midnight encounter with Della, she'd been at Violet's house, waiting for Launchpad to pick her up. Lena cast a quick safety spell over the entire house, but Ty and Indigo Saberwing still rushed the girls into the basement, just to be safe.
The teen sent a text saying where she was and that she was okay to the group chat that included Webby, the triplets, as well as Donald and Scrooge, though the adults hardly ever used said chat.
No one responded, but Lena figured they were probably trying to help keep the aliens at bay or something. So she wasn't too worried.
If she seemed a little anxious and kept messing with her friendship bracelet, neither Violet nor her dads said anything.
After the news reported that the invasion was over, the four of them went upstairs, where the girls settled on a couch in the living room while the two grownups walked over to the kitchen and called up various friends and family members to make sure they were okay.
And that was when Lena finally received a reply.
AgentPink: Lena! I'm so sorry I couldn't reply earlier, there was a lot going on. But we're finally back on Earth and everything is fine!
ShadowGirl: Back on Earth? Where did you guys go?
Dew-tective: The Moon. Duh! It was really cool. You should go there sometime.
FutureBillionaire: Yeah, there's a lotta gold up there. Maybe Penny could let me visit.
ShadowGirl: Gold? Penny? Why do I never know what any of you are talking about?
BestSailorUncle: You and me both, kid. LP is kinda preoccupied at the moment, but someone will come by to pick you up soon. Glad to hear you're alright.
Lena froze. Was it really him? It'd been months since she'd seen a text from him. She cleared her throat, ignoring the confused look on Violet's face as Lena tried to hold back the tears.
ShadowGirl: You're back? How? When?
JuniorWoodchuck: Long story. He was kidnapped by aliens and then got stranded on an island.
ShadowGirl: ….what?
Webby and the triplets took turns telling the story of what happened to Donald, as well as everything that had happened during the invasion. Violet read Lena's texts over her shoulder so she was soon caught up to speed as well.
Lena knew she should probably reply, but she was just hoping to see Donald say something, anything. She tapped her fingers against her phone impatiently, wondering why he hadn't said anything else.
Was he ok? Did the aliens hurt him? How had they not noticed he'd gone missing, and why had they assumed he was on a cruise?
While all these thoughts circled in Lena's head, Violet was silently observing the older girl. She seemed pale, or at least paler than usual, and her eyes were glued to her screen with an anxious frown on her face.
"I'm sure your uncle is fine. He's most likely busy dealing with the fallout, like the other adults. Aliens invasions probably have a lot of collateral damage," Violet said. Lena didn't turn to face the hummingbird, staring at the blank screen on her phone.
"I know. And he's not technically my uncle." Lena replied shortly. Violet either didn't notice or didn't care about the warning tone in Lena's voice.
"Oh right. I suppose he's your cousin, since Scrooge is your-" Violet was cut off by Lena shushing her and shaking her head adamantly.
"Nuh-uh. Do not go there. He's my guardian," Lena stated firmly, crossing her arms and looking away from the hummingbird.
"Who you share the same last name with."
"For legal purposes," Lena wasn't quite sure why she was arguing, unsure if it was from pride or if it was simply because she wasn't ready to talk about this particular topic. Not yet, anyway.
"Whatever you say," Violet shrugged.
"Look, we both care about each other. That much I know for sure. He's taking care of me, but so are Beakley and Donald, so it feels weird calling him 'dad'. Even if he acts like one," Lena sighed.
"And Donald?" Violet felt like Lena was conflicted on her opinion of her guardian, so she figured discussing the sailor that Lena had definitely been missing was a safer choice of topic.
"He acts like an uncle most of the time with a few dad moments, but he acts like that with all the kids. I feel like I was just lumped in with them, so he feels like he has to take care of me too," the teen admitted. "I don't know if he sees me as a niece or just Scrooge's ward."
"I believe he sees you as a child he's close to, one he wants to take care of. And yes, maybe he does the same thing with the triplets and Webbigail, but is that really so bad?" Violet questioned. "It shows that he loves you as much as he does them. And I'm certain he missed you as much as you missed him."
"How would you know?" Lena asked, though surprisingly without any snark.
"Because he's about to walk up to our door, which implies he dropped everything to come to pick you up personally," Violet smirked.
"Wait what?" Lena jumped off the couch as someone rang the doorbell. She peered around the corner to see Indy answering the door, and spotted a familiar duck in the entryway.
"Ah, hello, Mr. Duck. Lena is-" Indy paused as Lena ran and practically jumped into Donald's arms. The sailor staggered back a bit before steadying himself and wrapping his arms around the young girl. "-Right there, apparently."
"I can see that," Donald said with a laugh. He peered down and smiled at Lena. "I'm happy to see you too, kiddo."
"I missed you, Uncle Donald!" Lena exclaimed. She glanced up to see Violet standing in the doorway with her dads, and the teen glared at the younger girl, silently daring her to say anything. She didn't, of course, but Violet did have a smug grin on her face.
"I missed you too, Lena. Thanks for taking care of her," Donald told Indy before he wrapped an arm around Lena, waved at the Saberwings, then guided her towards his car. "Come on, let's get you home."
Home. Lena's heart still skipped a beat every time she heard that word. They got into the car and Donald began to drive toward the mansion.
"Hey, you think we could not mention the whole 'jumping and hugging you' thing?" Lena asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Your secret is safe with me. Can't risk ruining your angsty teen image," Donald winked and Lena smiled brightly. She hadn't even realized how much she'd missed talking to him until this moment.
They talked about everything that had happened in Donald's absence, like getting to know Della, hearing about Webby's adventure in Cornelius Coot's armory, and the whole Timephoon nonsense Lena had unintentionally missed when sleeping over at Violet's house for the weekend.
Donald wasn't exactly thrilled with how Della had handled punishing Louie, and he was downright angry when he heard about Magica coming into the kids' dreams to try and turn her to the darkside, yet Lena was just thrilled to be able to talk about it with him.
Once they arrived at the mansion, Lena spotted Della and Scrooge waiting out front. Lena exited the car just in time to be brought into a hug by the trillionaire.
"Ah, there ya two are!" Scrooge exclaimed as he squeezed the teenager. "I'm sorry I couldn't come and get ya myself, lass. This invasion has left a lot of work to be done."
"So I've heard. But Violet's dads took care of me," Lena smiled at him, and she saw Scrooge visibly relax as she assured him of her safety. "And I may or may not have placed a little safety spell on their house."
"Under these circumstances, I think I can allow it," Scrooge teased. "As long as it keeps ya safe during events like this, I don't care if ya use magic."
"Softie," Della said fondly as she hugged her twin and waved at Lena. "Too bad you couldn't come with us. Moon was a blast."
"Yeah, Webby and the boys were telling me about that. Are all of you okay?" Lena asked, mostly wanting to know how Della was doing. They'd talked a few times and shared various experiences during their unintentional "banishment from the world", as they liked to call it, and Della had always seemed tense whenever someone brought up the moon.
Della nods and smiles appreciatively.
"Of course we are. Ducks don't quit," Donald stated proudly.
Indeed, they don't. And Lena was glad for it if it meant that her family would always come back to her.
ーーーーー
Donald hadn't meant to eavesdrop, he really hadn't. He'd been on his way to his room when he'd passed by the triplets' bedroom and he heard Lena's voice. Her words stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Um, well, I thought maybe…Maybe you guys wanted to know how I got burnt, that one time when I asked you not to tell any adults."
He quickly pressed against the wall and strained to hear the conversation. A small part of him felt guilty for listening in on what was clearly a private conversation, but a larger part wanted to make sure Lena was okay. Or as okay as an anxious shadow-turned-real person with trauma could be.
"Okay, so this is, er, I don't know how to say it, really. It was because of Magica."
That statement confused Donald, because last he checked, there was no way a shadow could hurt a person. Possess her, yes, but that wasn't until the eclipse was almost there…right?
"Did you...were you the one who did it?" Dewey asked.
"Yes, but not the way you think."
"What do you mean? How is it not the way we think?" Huey's voice rose, and Donald could tell his nephew was trying really hard to contain his anxiousness.
"Because she made me do it. Kind of like how she possessed me when Webby and I were in the Other Bin. But she could only possess my arms and only one at a time. So she...she made me hurt myself to punish me."
'I'll strangle her next time I see that sorceress,' Donald thought angrily. Hadn't she hurt Lena enough?
"That explains so much," Louie's voice didn't seem any different from how he usually spoke, but Donald knew his boys better than anyone. The youngest of the brothers must've been struggling not to burst into tears right there and then. "I always thought it was kinda weird you'd gotten hurt. I mean, you and Webby did take on the Beagle Boys. You know your fair share of self-defense too."
"Can't defend myself against me. Beakley looked at these earlier. Said most of the injuries would heal with time," Lena replied.
Donald couldn't help but feel hurt. Beakley knew? Did that mean Scrooge did too? Did…did Lena not trust him enough to tell him?
He shook his head. This couldn't have been easy to talk about, and Lena could tell whoever she wanted to. Besides, it sounded like the boys had already known about it, or at least had seen one of the injuries Magica had inflicted on her. It made sense that Lena wanted to explain it to the triplets first, so they knew what really happened.
"Physical or mental?" Huey asked, drawing the older duck out of his thoughts. Donald noticed that Lena didn't respond and probably didn't intend to, and apparently, Huey realized the same thing so he was quick to ask a different question. "These look awful. How...how'd you manage to hide all of them?"
"Her sweater. Duh," Dewey snarked. Donald winced as he heard the bitterness in the middle triplet's voice. And maybe he sounded a little hurt too. "Add in some paint and makeup, and bam! More secrets hidden in plain sight."
"Look, I get why you'd be mad. I didn't tell you, or Webby, or anyone. But I'm telling you now. Guess it's a little too late though." Lena spoke in a defeated tone, and Donald fought the urge to rush into the room and hug the poor kid.
"I'm not mad at you. I just...I just wish we'd told someone. Or noticed your pain or how you never gave LP an address or...or something!" Dewey exclaimed.
"I wish I'd done things differently too. I'm sure everyone in this house does as well, but you gotta quit torturing yourself like this. We can think of the 'what ifs' or we can focus on the now."
Those words made Donald feel a sense of pride to hear her say that. It was a testament to how far she'd come since returning from the Shadow Realm, proof that she was listening to the adults and trying to learn not to blame herself for what Magica made her do.
"Since when did you become wise?" Louie always had a way of lightening the mood when he felt like he needed to, and now was definitely one of those times.
"Since I defeated Magica de Spell, spent a lot of time reflecting in the Shadow Realm, and since I got to be older than all of you. So listen to the wise words of Lena de Strange."
"Lena McDuck, you mean," Huey corrected, and the sailor had to refrain himself from chuckling as he heard Lena groan. The day Scrooge had legally been named Lena's guardian had been exciting, yet the teenager had the habit of forgetting that her last name had also changed. It was something everyone had teased her about, but she'd been lucky enough to not slip up in front of the trillionaire.
"Do not tell Scrooge I forgot about the name change or else I'm dragging all of you into the Shadow Realm," Lena warned. The boys laughed, and Donald could feel the tension in the air disappearing. "Why don't we find Pink and play that dumb video game you guys like?"
"Are you gonna tell her?" Huey asked softly.
"Yeah. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning," Lena replied. After hearing that, Donald had decided he'd heard enough and he marched straight to the kitchen to find Scrooge and Beakley, who looked like they'd been having a tough conversation of their own before the sailor had interrupted them.
"Heard Lena telling the boys what all Magica used to make her do. Did you know?"
Scrooge and Beakley shared a look before nodding. Scrooge patted the bar stool beside him and Donald sat down, his shoulder sagging slightly.
"We found out yesterday, after the sweater stealing incident," Beakley replied. "We've been trying to figure out a way to broach the subject with you, actually. Hadn't realized she was telling the other kids yet. How'd the boys react?"
"They were supportive. She's gonna tell Webby tomorrow," Donald replied. He glared at the table before sighing. "It's not fair. She's been through enough."
"I agree with ya, nephew. We can't change it, but we can fix it," Scrooge stated determinedly, glaring at the coffee mug in his hands. "She thought I was gonna hit her."
"What?!" Donald yelled, standing up suddenly. Beakley put a finger to her lips in a shushing manner. "Don't tell me to shush!"
"Donald, we aren't happy about it either, lad," Scrooge tried to placate his nephew. "We explained that none of us do it, and we're gonna try to help her realize no one in this house will hurt her."
"It's important that we make her feel safe, and maybe then she'll realize what a real family looks like," Beakley added. Donald sighed but nodded in agreement.
"I just…how could someone be so cruel?" Donald whispered, tears in his eyes. "She's a good kid. She didn't deserve this."
"Magica is the lowest piece of scum I've eva' had the displeasure of meeting," Scrooge grumbled. "Rest assured, she will pay for this the moment I see her again."
"You better let us get a hit in as well, McDuck," Beakley warned, a grim look in her eyes.
"The witch has to pay," Donald murmured, tears freely flowing at this point. To think that anyone would hurt their kid, or even just another family member, was something Donald couldn't imagine happening in the McDuck-Duck family. Hurting one of his boys, or Webby, was something Donald would rather die than do. Hurting Lena…she'd been hurt enough and deserved the world. "I hate that woman."
The door to the kitchen swung open, startling the three adults, all of whom turned to see Della with her hands on her hips with a determined look in her eyes.
"Who do we hate and how did she make my brother cry?"
ーーーーー
Telling Lena he knew had been a little difficult but at the end of the day, she was glad that Donald (and apparently Della, who alternated between hugging Lena and cursing Magica's name) knew.
No more secrets.
Lena sighed in relief after a somewhat teary conversation with Donald. All the people who mattered knew and hadn't judged her one bit. And instead of pity, she'd had people emphasize with her and offer unconditional support.
She was able to go to bed fairly easily that night, feeling like this weight had been lifted off her shoulder.
That is, until she woke up at 2 a.m. with dread in her eyes.
"I still gotta tell Violet. Darn it."
ーーーーー
Lena meant to tell Violet sooner. She really did. She hadn't meant for Violet to be the last one to find out about the abuse.
But since she was the last person, Lena had a whole little speech that she would try to get through before the Junior Woodchuck could interrupt her. This speech covered most of everything that her family members had been concerned or confused about.
Not that it mattered, in the end. When Lena came over to Violet's house to talk to her, the conversation was surprisingly simple and Violet did most of the talking. It went something like this:
Lena: "Violet, I have something to talk to you about. About Magica."
Violet: "Oh? And what would that be?"
Lena: "Well, I didn't mean to make you the last person to find out, but more and more people kept finding out and it turned into a bunch of emotional conversations. It's about what she did, when she got more powerful, near the eclipse."
Violet: "Was it how she possessed you in the Other Bin because I am already aware of that. Or perhaps how she found a way to hurt you, and not just in the emotional sense?"
Lena: "Wha-? How'd you know about that?!"
Violet: "Simple; you talked about Magica possessing you in the Other Bin and how you hated it when she did that, insinuating she had done it before. Not to mention the fact that I have seen you with your sleeves rolled up, and there were a variety of scars that I doubt you would've received from anyone else with your magic protecting you. And, you tend to flinch at loud noises or raised arms, classic signs of an abuse victim. So I came to the conclusion that Magica must have done something, probably possession, to hurt you. Am I correct?"
Lena: "Well, yeah. Got it in one go. But why didn't you tell me you knew?"
Violet: "I wanted you to say it, so that you could either have some form of closure or so you could decide when and how much you trusted me. I also figured that you most likely already had some difficult conversations as well, so I dealt with my own emotions beforehand and waited for this conversation. I am, of course, outraged and wish to invoke justice fury the next time I see this sorceress, yet I can wait until you are ready to start planning her demise."
Lena: "Hopefully we don't have to deal with her again, let alone plan her demise. And this conversation hasn't gone at all like I thought it would. I thought it was gonna be this whole thing, honestly."
Violet: "Do you want it to be a whole 'thing'?"
Lena: "No."
Violet: "Then it won't be. Talk as much or as little as you want."
Lena: "...thanks Vi."
Violet: "Of course. That is what friends are for."
Violet was so understanding and honestly, Lena was glad that she didn't have to have any more emotionally-charged conversations. She was ready to let go of her past.
AN: I'll be honest, wasn't sure how this convo should've gone and I just tried to get it over with lol.
ーーーーー
Scrooge's past was another story.
Lena wasn't sure how but there were apparently magical druid stones that kept the restored Castle McDuck hidden by the Mists of Dismal Downs, only allowing it to appear every five years. It also granted Scrooge's parents immortality. Somehow.
Magic was just plain weird sometimes, Lena concluded as Scrooge had Launchpad stop (crash) the car, the Mists surrounding them.
"Do ya think ya can lift the Mists long enough for us to find the Castle?" Scrooge asked, hopping out of the car alongside the young magic user.
"I can…kinda surprised you're actually encouraging the use of magic," Lena admitted.
"I know I can be a wee stubborn about it, but I'll admit magic has its uses. It did give us you, after all," Scrooge's fond smile turned into a sheepish grin before he spoke again. "And well, I promised my mum that I'd bring ya by, and your magic is the only way I can fulfill that promise without waiting five years for the Mists to part on their own."
Lena cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the adventurer with confusion, but simply took a deep breath before closing her eyes. When she reopened them, her eyes and fists glowed bright blue as she began her incantation.
"Show thyself, castle of old
Mists, do as you're told
Allow us passage to this home
Where we wish to roam."
The Mists began to fade, allowing the trio of ducks to see Castle McDuck, not far from where Launchpad had crashed the car.
"Nice work, lass. Now, let me introduce ya to our family home," Scrooge smiled proudly, telling Launchpad he could come in after the car was fixed. The Mists immediately came back, blocking Launchpad from view, but Lena was quick to reassure the rich duck that she could cast the spell again when it was time to leave.
Waiting by the doorsteps were two older ducks, ones Lena found to have a striking resemblance to her guardian. They must've been Downy and Fergus.
Though disappointed she couldn't go, Webby had filled Lena in on how Scrooge and his dad argue every time they saw one another, and Downy was nice and knew a bunch about McDuck family history.
Scrooge led Lena towards the two ducks, clasping a hand onto her shoulder as he beamed proudly at his parents.
"Ma, Da, this is my- er, this is Lena," Scrooge stated. "Lena, these are my parents, Fergus and Downy McDuck."
"Oh please, call me Nan. I've been so excited for your visit!" Downy pulled Lena into a tight hug. A very tight hug.
'Nan?' Lena thought to herself before glancing over at Scrooge, hoping he'd help her. He shrugged before turning his attention to Fergus. 'Traitor'.
"Ay, cannae believe ya dinnae think to bring her by sooner. I'd like to actually get to meet my new granddaughter," Fergus ignored Scrooge's eye roll and smiled at Lena with a soft look in his eyes that didn't seem to match his grumpy face.
"Oh, I'm not…" Lena trailed off. Legally, Scrooge was her guardian, not her father, but Fergus and Downy looked so happy. As did Scrooge. And the former shadow had to admit, being called someone's granddaughter sounded kinda nice, and oddly domestic. She sighed inwardly; Webby must've been rubbing off on her if she was getting all soft and emotional with these new family members. "...really someone who likes people talking about her, but it's nice to meet you both."
"I had to make sure she could lift the Mists before I made the trip out here, da," Scrooge shook his head as his mother dragged Lena into the castle, leaving his father and him to follow.
"Why, would taking a trip to see your dear parents be too much trouble for ya?" Fergus seemed to argue just for the sake of arguing. Scrooge sighed exasperatedly.
He may not have always gotten along with the old man, and Scrooge may have loathed their arguments, he would be the first to admit that he loved seeing the fondness in Fergus' eyes whenever he looked at Lena. And Downy's doting on Lena reminded him of the first time he brought the twins to the castle. It'd been…a long time since he'd seen his parents act like this.
"My, it must've been quite the chore to lift them all by yourself," Downy remarked as she sat Lena down at the dining room table. "Scroogie says you've got some magic in ya. Cannae imagine how tiring it must've been, why don't I get ya something to eat?"
"Oh really, I'm ok," Lena tried to object, though she kinda liked the way Downy was acting. She definitely wasn't anything like Webby's grandmother, but it was still pretty nice. She wasn't used to being the center of attention like this, especially with all the other kids back in Duckburg.
"Donnae try and change her mind, lassie. It's best to just go along with it," Fergus chuckled as he sat down across from her.
Scrooge sat down as well while Downy hurried off, presumably to the kitchen. Scrooge nodded at his father's words, so Lena figured there was no point in fighting it. Everyone always seemed to be trying to feed her, saying she was too thin, and while it was a little annoying, Lena would never turn down free food.
"Whatever you, Mr… uh, what do you want me to call you?" Lena asked.
"All the other grandkids call me 'Granda' so I suppose that'll do," Fergus 'Granda' replied.
Downy came back with some sausage links along with a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches, most of which were given to Lena. Scrooge joked that she had a new favorite, but Lena noticed that Downy didn't exactly deny it.
She had a good time, surprisingly. Lena thought she would've been bored while the grownups talked, but all the attention seemed to be focused on her. She was told stories of Scrooge's childhood, including some embarrassing ones that she was so using for future blackmail, along with tales of ancient ancestors.
The castle itself was amazing, and Lena enjoyed learning about its layout, Fergus being quick to guide her away from any potential traps.
Downy was doting and Fergus clearly protective in his own, gruff way, all the while Scrooge just smiled with pride whenever he locked eyes with Lena. Which was a little odd, but considering she was doing next to nothing besides talking with his parents.
He even had her show off her magic when it was time to leave.
"Come back to see us anytime, dear!" Downy hugged Lena tightly before allowing Fergus a quick squeeze.
"Our door's always open for ya," Fergus affirmed as they waved goodbye.
Lena and Scrooge waved back while walking over to Launchpad and the newly repaired car. They got in and started the long drive back to the plane that would take them back to Duckburg.
"You have a good time?' Scrooge asked. Lena nodded as she leaned into her sit, a little sleepy from using her magic along with all the good food in her stomach.
"Yeah. They were nice," Lena yawned. "You seemed pretty happy."
"Ay, I was. I was worried ya wouldn't get along with them, but they took to you almost immediately. Haven't seen my father that happy since I told him Della was back," Scrooge said as he let Lena lean against his shoulder, watching her try to keep her eyes open.
"Yeah, they were pretty cool. Guess this is how Webby feels to have Tea Time," Lena felt her eyelids grow heavy and decided she might as well try to get some sleep before the plane ride home. "Night, dad."
Scrooge's eyes widened in delight, but if he was gonna say anything, it was interrupted by the soft snores from his ward-turned-daughter.
"Night, dear."
Neither of them brought it up when Lena woke up, nor on the ride home. In fact, Scrooge was beginning to think she'd completely forgotten about it until she came down for breakfast the next morning, with pancakes (not the British kind) on her plate.
"Good morning, Lena."
"Good morning," Lena paused as she sat down, glancing at Scrooge for a moment before turning her attention to her pancakes. "How'd you sleep, dad?"
Scrooge sighed in relief. He had feared that Lena wouldn't call him that again, that she'd only called him that due to her tiredness, or that she'd be too embarrassed to do it again. He wouldn't say it out loud but he liked his new title. 'Dad' was much better than 'guardian'. And hey, this way he could truthfully say Fergus and Downy were her grandparents without anyone trying to argue.
"I slept fine, Lena dear."
If he had a big smile on his face for the rest of the day, well that was no one's business. He had a daughter, and he couldn't be happier.
ーーーーー
The Last Adventure had been a lot to deal with. A lot of complicated drama was brought up, but Lena wasn't too phased. After living with Scrooge and the Duck family for nearly two years, she'd gotten used to unforeseen changes and additional family members.
Like the appearance of these two girls originally kept in incubators, and they turned out to be clones of Webby of all people. Then, Webby was apparently a clone of Scrooge McDuck! And her name was supposed to be April. Webby suited her far better, in Lena's opinion.
But the first thing Lena had thought of when she'd heard the news after Bradford was defeated and the rest of the villains had vanished, was that she had sisters.
Sure, Webby was her sister in every other way, but now she was really Lena's sister. And May and June kinda were too, but Donald had wanted to adopt them as his own, so they were technically Lena's…cousins?
'Webby's way better at figuring out family trees than I could ever be,' Lena thought fondly as she waved at the houseboat carrying her uncle, sisters/cousins, and aunt.
No, Daisy and Donald weren't married yet, but Dewey had been the first one to call Daisy 'Aunt Daisy', and after seeing the teary smile, all the triplets along with Webby and Lena had vowed to call her that from that moment on.
She always smiled so brightly when they called her that.
Lena was a little sad to see her uncle leave, but it wasn't nearly as hard as when he was supposed to go on his cruise. She knew he deserved his own adventures, and May and June needed good parents to help them find out what real life was like with a family that loved them.
And Donald was definitely the perfect guy for the job.
"It's a bit odd, seeing them leave. I'll miss him," Scrooge admitted as he walked up to Lena. She leaned on his shoulder and nodded in agreement. "Ya doing alright?"
"Yeah. Little weird, but he deserves a nice break after that disaster of an adventure. You cool with learning about your new kids?"
"Cool might be a bit of a stretch. I have ta say, though, Webby kinda already was one of my kids. And I'm glad you two get to be sisters, officially. May and June, well, they're better of with Donald and Daisy," Scrooge replied. "They need somethin' normal."
"Something they can't have with you," Lena smirked. Scrooge glared at her playfully.
"Watch it, girl."
"Am I wrong?"
"...not the point," Scrooge huffed. Lena laughed. Her dad was great to mess with.
"What's not the point?" Scrooge and Lena spun around in shock, as neither had noticed Webby had snuck up on them until she spoke.
"Ay, Webbigail, don't sneak up on me and your sister like that," Scrooge chided softly. Webby practically glowed with happiness and Lena hid a fond smile.
"This is the best family ever!" Webby exclaimed as she hugged Scrooge and Lena, both happy yet slowly losing oxygen with the excited girl's tight grip.
"Yeah, it really is. Now, do ya mind letting me go? Dad can suffer, but I like breathing," Lena laughed loudly as Scrooge sputtered, though he and Webby were quick to laugh too.
Their family might've been completely crazy, but it was theirs. And family is the greatest adventure of all.
AN: I had decided to do a short sequel but I got such great feedback on my first one-shot that I made it a little (okay, a lot) longer than I had planned. I got ideas from people who commented on the story. (For , the accounts I mention are from Archive of Our Own and not ).
Featuring Scrooge's parents and their reaction to their new granddaughter was suggested by Kely_Liqui. Another commenter, Raunen, recommended mirroring certain parts of the original one-shot but from the adults' POVs so I did that as well. And for Lomo (a guest), I included Lena bonding with both Della and Violet like you wanted! I couldn't find a good way to incorporate Boyd but I will try to include him in one of my next stories.
I hope you enjoyed this story! And while I hate making Lena sad, there are so many ideas I have that may be angst-filled but only because I want to give Lena some comfort and closure. I love her, promise I'm not trying to torture her with all these sad stories.
- Kitkat Out!