Hey! I'm back, thank to Average Everyday Sane Psycho, Steampunk Wilson + KaliAnn for reviewing the last chapter and to those who have favourited and followed it so far.

Couple of notes about this chapter - number 1 - I've had issues with my computer. I've been trying to type this for the past two days and the computer keeps losing my work, so I've had to re-type this chapter twice. So I personally don't think this chapter is as good as it could be, but I'm sick of re-writing it so here it is.

Secondly - They'll be a few gaps in dates after this one for a little bit. I'm behind as it is, I need to speed things up a bit. But I need this chapter to set the foundations.

Anyway, my rambling aside, see chapter one for the disclaimer and let's crack on.

17/12/2019

So…turns out avoiding your brother is QUITE hard work, especially when you live in the same house. Even if that house is a mansion. I thought it would work because I'd just spend the time with my sons, but turns out - despite my being on the moon for the first 11 years of their lives- that 9 days of me hovering around them is enough to drive them insane. Even Dewey yesterday said:

"Mom…"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"…Is there a reason you're staring at me like that?"

He was watching TV. I was sitting on the couch next to him. I had been looking at him – trying to visualise if the Tee-Shirt I brought him would fit him – and I thought I'd been doing it quite slyly. Not slyly enough, apparently.

To which I said, without really thinking. "Can't a mother stare at her son occasionally?"

He gave me a very weird look – like he thought I might need therapy or something – and I, realising I'd messed up, left.

So I was pacing round the house, muttering under my breath while I did so, the next thing I hear is Scrooge asking. "Della, what are ya doin'?"

I shrugged. "Just…mumbling, Uncle Scrooge."

He nodded. "Oh, is that wha' tha' is? I thought you were tryin' ta summon somethin'."

Because I'm known for summoning things. Well. There was that unfortunate incident when I was 16. But to be fair thar WAS Gladstone's fault. I mean, what did he THINK bringing back a haunted talisman was going to do? NOT release a ghost? But anyway…

Scrooge suggested I go and see Gyro if I was looking for something to do. Now. Normally I stay fairly far away from Gyro on account of the fact that he can't stand my company for more than 30 seconds, but as I was SO BORED I decided to make an exception.

I knocked on the door and once again Doctor Cutie's head poked round it. "Oh, Miss Duck." He said, looking a bit frazzled. "Er…now's not really a great time-"

"WHO'S THAT!?" Mr Sociable screeched from inside.

"Miss Duck!" Fenton yelled back.

"TELL HER TO GET LOST!"

Fenton took a breath and turned to face me.

I shoved past him and marched in. "Morning Gyro!" I said, deliberately cheery. "How are we this fine morning?"

Doctor Sunshine slammed his coffee cup on the table and shot me a truly epic death glare. "Della." He said. "It may have escaped your limited braincells but we are actually VERY busy right now-"

"-What? With the Christmas rush?"

"-Yes, actually! We've got to get all this done before Christmas break because then we've got to take a…" Gyro shuddered. "…A mandatory break. For a week."

"I'm looking forward to it." Doctor Cutie said, cheerfully.

The King of Crazy gave his assistant a death glare which quickly shut him up. "Well so am I, of course. But the fact is we've got all of this to deal with and nearly no time to do it in. And a week spent with our families is a week with no work done-"

"-But feeling refreshed!"

"Shut up, Crackshell!"

"Well, Fenton's right." I said, trying to play the part of the sane women.

"Crackshell is never RIGHT-"

"-Well that's not technically true Doctor Gearloose-"

"Shut up Crackshell!"

"But he's right!" I insisted.

The King of Crazy glared at me. "And why's that?" He snarled.

I raised my eyebrow. "Er…because you're acting like a butt-hole? I mean seriously Gyro, you look like death-"

"-A stupid expression!"

"-But you do! What's wrong with you? I mean I know you've never exactly been the picture of sanity – but this is something else."

"I have mentioned this to him before." Fenton said, his tone long-suffering.

"SHUT UP CRACKSHELL!"

Crackshell threw his hands in the air. "Okey, I've had enough. You clearly need a time-out, so I'm going to take Lil Bulb into my office and do some work." And with that he picked Lil Bulb up and headed into his 'office'.

"…Isn't that the bathroom?"

Gyro gave me a flat look. "Obviously, yes. Your point?"

Well. That's a battle for another time.

"Seriously Gyro, what the heck's the matter with you? You look AWFUL-"

"And what are you – an oil painting?"

"Be nice!" Fenton called from inside his 'office.'

Gyro glared at the door like he wanted to vaporise it and, because I'm genuinely not sure if Gyro has access to a vaporising ray or not, I decided it'd be best to divert his attention. "So what do you need to finish then?" I asked.

Sounds a simple question, doesn't it? Apparently it's not. Apparently it has the most complicated answer ever known to anyone. With more words and complex sentences than you could ever think. To be honest, five minutes in, I did wonder if Mr Sociable was taking the piss a little. Ten minutes in I decided I needed to interrupt him for my mental and his physical health. "But do you really need to get this done before Christmas? I mean, can't you ask the Board to move the date till after the new year or something? It can't be that desperate, can it?"

To which Gyro gave a hollow laugh. "Move the date? MOVE the DATE? Oh Della. Della, Della, Della...this is the Committee of Total Prats we're talking about. They'd rather dip themselves in burning oil than move the date. They're the most unhelpful, un-cooperative-!"

While Mr Cool-Under-Pressure ranted about the board, I remembered a couple of months back when Feathry was telling me about how his pay went down and down and down...

"Has your pay ever gone down?" I asked.

Gyro blinked. "Oh no. I don't have any problems of that kind. Not since the first time." He lifted his coffee-cup to his beak, realised it was empty and went over to the kettle to fill it up again. By the time he'd got back again my brain had started working again.

"Wait - what do you mean 'not since the first time?'"

Gyro took a long sip of his drink, hummed appreciatively and said. "Well, when I first started here my pay was fine. Then after about...I don't know...six months? No, longer than that - I'd passed my probation. Eight months?"

"It doesn't matter!" I burst out. He looked at me, annoyed and I took a breath. "Just...did it go down?"

"Yes. At first I thought it was because I hadn't submitted any projects for approval. So I didn't question it to much. But then it got less and less and eventually I lost my temper and went storming round to Mr McDuck's office. Waved my paycheck in his face and demanded to know why my pay was getting less." There was another pause while I waited.

After about ten seconds I went: "And?"

"Well, he was as confused as I was. He wanted proof of course. Thankfully I'd thought ahead and printed them out. After that he went straight down the Board's office to demand to know what was going on."

"And what was going on?"

Gyro shrugged. "Well. Mr McDuck said it was a misunderstanding regarding the contract, but I'm not sure. I read the contract and it's pretty clear but-" He shrugged again and sighed. "No point getting het up. It was a long time ago now."

Wow. I wasn't expecting that response from the King of Crazy. Seeing as he was handling this trip down memory lane quite well, I decided to go one step further and ask about Fenton.

Gyro frowned. "I don't know. He was an unpaid intern for a long time...I assume he is. Hold on - FENTON!"

So Fenton comes out, and he seems a bit nervous. Whether it was because I was there or Gyro had actually called him by his name for once I don't know. But he came out and Gyro asked him if he's had a dip in pay.

Dr Cutie shook his head. Gyro said that was sorted and was about to dismiss him when I had a brainwave. "How long have you been working here? Paid I mean."

"Rounding it up - 1 year and 5 months."

I clicked my tongue. "They'd have docked it by now if they were going to."

"Docked what?" Fenton asked, looking confused.

"Your pay." Gyro said.

Fenton rolled his eyes. "Oh don't. I had a temporary contract once with this company. They didn't want to pay me so they tried to withhold my pay. Funnily enough the minute I mentioned my M'Ma was a police officer they gave it to me." He shook his head. "That was a couple of years back though. Anyway - is that all?" He nodded at me, but it was clear he was addressing Gyro, who dismissed him with a sharp nod of his head before snapping at me to get out.

So, it looks like I might have stumbled on some kind of mystery here. The mystery of the missing pay. I think I'll wait till after Christmas to start investigating it though. Don't want to miss Christmas with my boys.