Hey! Roxy Goth here, thank you to MelodySouth65, Steampunk Wilson + KaliAnn for reviewing the last chapter and to everyone who has favourited and followed so far. It means a lot.

So with that, see chapter one for the disclaimer and let's crack on.

28/09/2019

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! What do you DO with your children on a Saturday!? They just don't sit still! Well, except for Louie who would be happy to spend the entire day in front of the TV if I would let him. To be fair, I can see why, TV is SOOOOO much better than when I was a kid, especially since they introduced the X Factor, but, sigh, I am a mother. I have to put my foot down sometimes. But of course in order to do that, I needed to have something else in mind for him – them – to do.

And seeing as I'm certainly not going back to Funso's anytime soon I decided to ask Auntie Beakley for help again. I got to the top of the stairs and then paused as I pictured the look on her face if I asked her for yet MORE ADVICE on how to raise my own kids. So I went back to my room, sat on my bed and pondered everything she had told me over the past couple of weeks about what my kids like. After a couple of minutes I had what Gyro would call a 'LIGHTBULB MOMENT!'.

The library. Beakley mentioned Huey likes the library. Fair enough I can't remember if she said the rest of them likes the library, but it'll be something for them to do for a couple of hours. And it'll stop Louie making his eyes square.

So with that I rounder all my darlings up – and Webby – and told them all we were going to the library.

4 different reactions their. Huey looked delighted and started babbling about books he wanted to get out. Webby kind of did this little jump and spun around before clapping her hands and announcing she had books she wanted to take back before then running off to her room.

Dewey waited till she had gone and started complaining about why we had to go to the LIBRARY Mom and that it's BORING and only nerds like Huey like it and can't we go to a theme park instead?

Geez, I had enough trouble getting money for Funso's let alone a flippin' theme park!

Louie didn't really say anything at first, but when I asked him he kinda wrinkled his beak and said. "Do we havta take books out?"

No Louie. I'm taking you there so you can stare at them for a couple of hours. Yes! I would prefer you to take books out!

However, he looked nervous and remembering Gladstone's attitude around books – I.E. detesting them whole-heartedly – I said. "Well, maybe not, but if you could at least have a look?" And he paused and then nodded, and I did a kinda 'yes' motion, before realising I had actually done that in front of my boys [and Webby] and they were [all] now giving me very strange looks.

So I ushered them of to the library after telling Beakley and Scrooge where we were going and we set of.

Except that it turned out that the library wasn't where I thought it would be. It used to be right in the middle of Duckberg, next to the Mayer's office, but clearly it's moved because there's a pub there instead that is literally called 'The Old Library'

Louie took one look at it and with an exaggerated shrug said. "Ah, it's not there anymore – what a shame! Let's go back, we can watch-"

"No!" I snapped, feeling my blood boil. "I SAID we are going to the library therefore we are GOING to the library!"

Louie folded his arms and full-on glared at me. "And how are we going to get there, mom?" He asked, with a voice just FULL of sass.

To which I gave him my best 'Gladstone Glare' - I.E. the glare I used to use to get Gladstone to do stuff – and said. "LlewellynDuck." He flinched, but I carried on. "I have had ENOUGH of your sass, young man! Now, I SAID we are going to the library therefore we are GOING TO THE LIBRARY!"

"I've got it." Huey interrupted, looking at his phone.

I'll be honest with you, at first glance I nearly ripped it out his hands and threw it into the traffic, but then his words actually sunk in and just said. "What do you 'you've got it'?"

He grinned brightly and waved his phone at me. "I looked up the directions on the GPS on my phone." He explained. "It's about twenty minutes walk."

I paused and weighed up my options before grinning and ruffling Huey's hair. "Well then, Scoutmaster Huey. You better lead us there. C'mon b-kids!" I said, seeing Dewey and Louie had their mouths open. "Let's go!"

So, we all followed Huey to the library. We did the duck line, because I thought that was safest. So, picture the scene, he was at front with the phone rattling off directions and I was at the back yelling thing like. "Louie, look up! Dewey, watch the kerb! Huey, press the pedestrian button!" At one point I was so flustered I went. "Webby-!" Before realising that she hadn't actually done anything, but by that point she was looking at my curiously, so I saved the situation by going. "-Carry on!" To which she gave me a happy salute and skipped after Louie.

Anyway after longer than twenty minutes – because Louie kept stopping for various different reasons – we made it.

So the kids ran through the doors and proceeded to split off in different directions, while I stand in the doors and shriek after them. "STAY TOGETHER!" and proceeded to get angry stares off strangers.

So while the boys [and Webby] where running round the library, I collapsed into a nearby chair, put my head in my hands, and although I couldn't actually scream out loud because – hello? Library. I kinda banged my head against my knees for a little bit while hissing 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' to myself.

Because what was I thinking? I don't like the library! I haven't even been in a library since I left school, and the only reason I went then was because – A} I had to pass SOME subjects and b} Gladstone refused to go in without some form of moral support AND Donald refused point black to be in a library with Gladstone for more than five minutes at a time.

Anyway, going back to the present-day library, the next thing I hear is a female voice going. "Excuse me, are you alright?" And I looked up to see this member of staff looking at my sympathetically. And Of course, because I didn't want to seem like a freak, I said. "Of course."

And she looked at me and said. "Well, If you're sure. However we do have a lot of self-help books in the library, if you'd like me to show you where they are?"

Self-help books! You have GOT to be joking me! You think that after eleven years stuck on the freakin' moon I'm gonna open a self-help book and go, 'Oh, this has fixed everything this has! I've seen a new way of life!' Yeah right!

However, because I'm not my brother, I didn't actually say that, I just gave a vague. 'I'll think about it." And thankfully the women took the cue and left me alone.

Anyway, eventually the kids just martialized in front of me, Huey carrying about ten books on varying non-fiction subjects, Dewey with some adventure books – mainly this guys called Bear Grills I noticed – Louie with some comics and Webby with a good mix of fiction and non-fiction.

So the next thing to do was to take them out, and did I have any clue how to work the machines? No. Thankfully I had four kids with me who just KNOW this stuff like it's their second language and they worked the machine for me.

Then we went home and I started of by going. "Right, let's go-" Then Huey interrupted with. "Mom…"

"Yes, Huey?" I said, smiling at him.

He adjusted his books in his arms and nervously said. "Could I kinda…lead us back again? I liked it."

Well – firstly I just want to stress I actually have a very good memory for routes and stuff and when I've been somewhere I can generally remember the way there and back and this was no exception – but what kind of mother would I be if I ignored those lovely puppy-dog eyes?

So Huey led us back and I just kept all the kids in line.

When we got back they happily told Scrooge and Beakley how much they enjoyed the library and what it was like and Beakley gave me a thumbs up - when the kids weren't looking of course – and Scrooge nodded at me and smiled, which I took to mean he thinks I did well as well.

Yay! It went well! I can't WAIT to tell Donald about this! Two days to go – Woo-hoo!