It's that time of year again, folks! Putting off finals to write fanfic because I literally can't help myself! Can't wait to graduate college and see what I start putting off as an adult to write fanfic instead. Eating? Working? My marriage? (I'm not married)

It's also the time of year where I usually do 12 days of Christmas! And yet I'm here, three days in, not doing it... Why? Depression, mostly, and also burnout. I decided I wasn't gonna write about any ideas I wasn't passionate about. Maybe there will be Christmas stories, maybe even a Ducktales one, but when they come out and whether they come out before or after Christmas is ANYONE'S guess. I am still going to try to get to 350 stories before the end of the year though, which means publishing 11 more in the next 15 days O_O. Luckily, I have a multi-chaptered college ducks story coming out soon, the first three chapters are already written, I just need to edit them and add in the swear words.

Oh yeah, that's the other thing! I'm going to start swearing in stories, I will warn people in the beginning and possibly start marking things as rated M, mostly for language, other content warnings will be added as applicable. However, I worked really hard though and didn't swear in this story, even though I really, really wanted to in at least three distinct places.

This is my third installment in the Launchpad actually has a really high emotional intelligence saga, following Darkened Skies and Not a Date, check those out if you haven't.

Enjoy!

Dewey Duck matched Launchpad's enthusiasm for adventure and Huey had the same love of videogames and superheroes that Launchpad had gained over the years, but Launchpad really hadn't thought he had anything in common with Louie until he had seen the boy break down.

It was the tail end of an adventure. Standard stuff. Abandoned ruins, cursed statues, tired tweens. Nearly everyone was in high spirits, though there were a few injuries to go around, as they boarded the Sunchaser. Della still insisted the name of the plane was the Cloudslayer but no one else called it that. Louie was holding his arm close, hiding a pretty bad scrape, and only Launchpad seemed to notice since Della was getting the plane ready to fly and Donald was taking care of Dewey's twisted ankle.

Louie sat down away from the others, and Launchpad was getting ready to grab a spare first aid kit and go over to him, when Louie suddenly, without warning, burst into silent tears, leaning his head back against the plane and shaking as tears streamed down his face. Launchpad looked around to make sure no one else was seeing this, grabbed the kit, and went over.

"Let me look at that scrape," Launchpad said, gentle and quiet, warning Louie that he was nearby before he invaded the boy's space. Louie jumped regardless and then attempted to hide his tears, trying to pull his hood over his head with one hand. Launchpad took the seat next to him.

"It's okay to cry," Launchpad assured as he began to clean the cut on Louie's arm, "I bet your arm really hurts."

"It's not that," Louie muttered, swiping at his eyes, "I'm fine."

"You don't have to be fine all the time, Louie. Do you want to tell me what's wrong? I won't tell anyone else. I've been keeping my friend Gizmoduck's identity a secret for like, forever. Almost no one knows Fenton is Gizmoduck."

"Fenton is Gizmoduck?!"

"Oh, you didn't know that… I was joking, almost everyone knows Fenton is Gizmoduck. But I can keep secrets. I promise."

"Guess I dropped the ball again. I had no idea."

"That's okay. You see most of the angles. It's okay if you miss one or two of them."

"I miss a lot of them!" Louie snapped out of nowhere, pulling his arm away before Launchpad could start bandaging it, pulling his knees up to his chest, and staring forward, agitated.

Launchpad sat quietly, waiting, drumming on the first aid kit.

"Why are you still here?" Louie muttered, glowering in the other direction.

"Because you're hurting."

"I'm fine."

"Well, your arm is still bleeding." Louie relinquished his arm and Launchpad began to bandage it.

"How'd you learn how to do this?" Louie mumbled.

"Well, it's basic first aid and I have a kid and very reckless boyfriends. First aid is a required skill in that family."

"Yeah. I guess all families have their thing." Louie still seemed agitated.

"Are you upset that you got hurt?"

"I couldn't care less that I got hurt," Louie muttered bitterly, and it dawned on Launchpad.

"Oh!" Then he lowered his voice, "Are you upset that Dewey got hurt?"

Louie's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to understand, and he cautiously nodded, "If I was better at all this no one would've gotten hurt."

"Ah, Lou, that isn't true. Your mom is the best pilot I know and she's still crashed the plane nearly as many times as I have."

Louie gave him a look.

"Okay, not quite as many times. All I'm saying is that you can be the best at something in the entire world, and danger can still come around. And when danger comes around, you've got to get dangerous."

Tears pooled in Louie's eyes and he looked away. Launchpad kept a hand on Louie's bandaged arm but stayed quiet, letting Louie come up with the words he wanted to say. Some people who were especially closed off would open up if you just sat there with them, giving them space and time to vent.

"I wish this family wasn't so dangerous… Then Dewey wouldn't get hurt so much, and neither would Huey or Webby or any of our friends or," a lump rose in Louie's throat as he glanced toward the cockpit, "or mom…"

Launchpad nodded solemnly, "I understand. I worry about my family too. But you're a kid, Louie. You're not responsible for your entire family. Obviously, you should do what you can but you can't do everything and no one expects you to. So don't beat yourself up when other people get hurt. It's not your fault."

Louie blinked, more tears beginning to stream down his face, thinking about the way his family had blinked out of existence during the timephoon. He had recurring nightmares about that, "It just isn't fair. I don't want to lose them…"

Launchpad felt an ache in his chest. He put a hand on Louie's shoulder, and then he pulled the kid into a hug.

"I know. It isn't fair. You and I both know that we don't control what happens to people. I want to promise you that you're not going to lose anyone but I can't, and I'm sorry about that. I wish more than anything that the world could be safe and fair for kids like you and Gos and everyone who has ever been hurt by losing someone they love."

Louie sniffled and nodded.

"It's okay to be scared, it's okay to worry, it's okay to cry. You're really strong for trying so hard for so long. It's not going to be this fast-paced and scary forever, I promise. If you need to slow down I'm sure your family would understand. It's going to be okay."

"You just said it wasn't going to be okay."

"It won't be okay all the time but it won't be bad all the time either. I know you're looking out for your family but they're looking out for you too. Let them help you."

"How?"

Launchpad gently tapped the bandage on Louie's arm, "Wounds don't get treated if no one knows about them. You have to talk to them, lay your fears out on the table. It's not going to be easy but it will be worthwhile. There's a free spot next to your mom in the cockpit. Why don't you start there?"

Louie looked nervous, "I don't want her to think I'm still mad at her for leaving."

"This is different, she'll understand."

Louie nodded and stood up, hesitating a moment.

"Hey, Launchpad?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we do this again? Y'know, talk about feelings and stuff? You understand stuff that other people don't."

"Of course, Louie. I'm here when you need me." Launchpad watched Louie go over to Della and sit down, the two beginning to chat, and he had to wonder. Had anyone ever just waited for Louie to open up? Because it seemed like the green triplet had been bottling up everything for a while, and no one had told him in a bit that he was a kid and that kids were allowed to feel things. Sometimes you just got tired and scared, and Launchpad wanted to make sure that everyone in his family knew that it was okay to break down and that there would always be someone there to pick you back up. After all, that was what adventure families were for.