This is not something I thought I'd actually do.

When I started this story I internally debated whether or not I'd explore the parentage of the girls and at first I was like 'no. That would be too close to the first season of the reboot and I'd probably be lambasted for it.' Then the more I thought about it, the more I was trying to think of my own spin to put on it. And well, this is what I came up with. Don't murder me in the comments, please and thank you very much.

Side note: chapters might come out slower because I am currently wearing a wrist brace to deal with carpal tunnel and tendinitis. I'm still writing, though!

April silently crept through the house.

It was late at night. Her aunt and sisters were asleep in their rooms, but May and Daisy were both light sleepers. June slept like the dead thanks to all the exercise she got. Tonight, though, April had a mission that meant she couldn't be caught, not one little bit.

Ever since she'd begun spending time with Donald's nephews, she'd heard the story of how they'd discovered the truth about their mother's disappearance. While May and June simply accepted the story as a fun yarn now that Della was home again, it had started April on thinking about her own parentage. She'd always known that her mother left them with their aunt as eggs but now she was wondering why. They hadn't heard from her since then, or at least she and her sisters hadn't.

As quietly as she could she made her way into her aunt's office and began to look through the drawers with the help of a pen light she'd 'borrowed' from June. Most of what she found were documents from Daisy's continuing role as Emma Glamour's personal assistant. The file cabinet wasn't hard to navigate, either, but it also turned up no results. She was about to give up when she caught sight of a letter stuck at the back of the files. It had a logo she didn't recognize at the top and she grabbed it just as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Quickly she closed the drawer and rushed to the kitchen after stashing the letter under her pajamas.

"Hello, Showers. What are you doing up?" Daisy yawned, entering the kitchen.

"Getting a glass of water. You know how dry my throat gets from reading lines."

"All right, but remember: tomorrow afternoon you're going to the manor, and knowing those kids you're gonna want as much sleep as you can get."

April nodded, the letter crackling against her belly. Daisy grabbed a glass of water for herself and headed upstairs. To calm herself the eldest triplet did the same and climbed into bed, putting the letter in a folder in her backpack.

You'll find out what happened to her.

The following afternoon, they arrived and were ambushed by Webby and the boys.

"You're here! Awesome!" Webby cheered. "Today we're having a dart war!"

"Cool! I call April and May on my team!" June cheered.

"We don't do teams," Huey told her.

"Why not?"

"There's seven of us. Someone would have to sit out or the teams would be lopsided. Besides, it's more fun if we go everyone for themselves."

"Why not make it a game of capture the flag?" April suggested. "Webby can be referee."

"And it can be Triplets versus Triplets!" Dewey finished. "You okay with that, Webby?"

"Yeah. I'm too advanced in espionage and combat for you guys. Ooh, or I can be a wildcard!"

"Let's do that," June agreed, nodding. "Girls take one side, boys on the other!"

"Come with me!" Webby yelled, grabbing June by the hand. "I know where you guys can have your base!"

"We have ours," Dewey stated. "See you guys on the battlefield."

The girls made their way to Webby's room, where she dug out their weapons.

"Decide who's doing what. I'm heading out to set up my traps."

"Isn't there tagging out?" squeaked May, straightening her glasses.

"Not around here. It's a fight to incapacitation. Or getting covered in darts. Whichever comes first."

Webby left her room and the trio gathered in a little circle.

"Okay, May is going to guard the flag," June proposed. "April, you and I are going to go out on the hunt. The manor has plenty of places to hide and ambush the boys when they run by."

"Sounds good to me—less running on my part."

April nodded. She could feel the letter in her skirt pocket. She'd been meaning to ask Webby to take a look at the logo and see if she recognized it, but the mystery could wait another day. For now she'd focus on having fun with her friends and family she had.

"This isn't fair."

Huey turned to face Louie, who had his arms crossed.

"How isn't it fair?"

"You know I'm not going to shoot June."

"That's why you're on guard duty," Dewey scoffed. "It's simple—we're going for the flag and you're protecting ours. That way, your totally-not-a-crush won't get in the way of victory and proving that the Duck boys are better!"

"When was that a stipulation?" Huey asked.

"Since I said so."

"Do the girls know?"

"Nope, but they will when we win!"

"Hey guys!" Webby greeted them, appearing in the doorway with a flag. It was made up of red, blue, and green. "Here's your flag. Theirs is yellow, orange, and purple. Should be easy to spot. Good luck!"

Huey set up the flag and Louie prepared to guard it. He picked up his gun.

"You can do this," he whispered. "It's not like June kicks that much butt with this."

"DUCK TRIPLETS, IT'S TIME TO GO GO GO!" Webby screamed into a megaphone in the hall. Huey and Dewey ran out of the room, saluting Louie on their way out.

The battlefield lay before her hiding spot. April took a deep breath and caught sight of June perched in another place in the hallway. She'd already taken another one of Webby's dart guns and used the roll of darts from it to give herself a quick reload time. They nodded to each other and April stepped out.

Dead silence.

Then there were darts flying. April ducked and one grazed her bangs, seemingly in slow motion. June tossed her a ball of yarn and the eldest Duck sister stretched it tight, causing Dewey to trip in his zealousness to catch them. June opened fire.

"NOOOOO!" he screamed. "HUEY, AVENGE ME!"

Huey took aim and nearly hit June. She ducked past him and started booking it for the boys' room, her feet pounding against the wooden floor. April was right behind her, covering her back as Huey pursued them. Dewey had gotten back to his feet. Neither of them had expected June to go out on the run. She seemed more like the type to guard and make a special gun to protect the flag. But no, they'd underestimated the girls and now they were worried. Louie would let June take it with minimal fighting.

Suddenly darts flew out of nowhere.

"NOBODY IS WINNING TODAY!" Webby cackled.

"You fools!" cackled June evilly.

"Oh my gosh, she and Louie are made for each other," Dewey whispered.

June dodged the next volley from Webby, continuing onwards while April was surrounded. They'd planned for this, however, and they'd swapped guns when nobody was looking. April had the modified one now.

"Little tip," April laughed. "Never mess with the grease monkey or her allies."

She began firing faster than they'd expected. Dewey was dodging most of them, thanks to training with Webby, but Huey chose to go for a more sacrificial method. He tackled April to the ground. Her gun clattered across the floor and Dewey picked it up.

"Okay, get off me! You beat me!" April whined. Huey obeyed, but then June came rushing by with the flag. Louie was hot on her tail.

"Once I make it back it's over!" she yelled.

"Did I mention June is the evil triplet?" April asked. Everyone began pursuing June.

In the ensuing chaos, there was a dogpile and April was knocked backwards, the folded letter falling from her pocket and onto the floor. Huey spotted it, taking a break from the chaos to pick it up.

"What's this?"

April's eyes widened.

"Wait!" she begged.

"Is it yours?"

"No, it's—get off!" She shoved Louie off her rather forcefully and stood up, going to Huey with a defeated expression. "It's about… our mom."

June stopped pulling on Dewey's hair and stared with wide eyes.

"Mama?" she whispered. April nodded.

"Let's go somewhere safe to talk."

The seven kids congregated in Webby's room, informing May that the game was temporarily paused and that April was investigating their mother.

"It's blank," the girl explained. "All that's on it is a logo I don't recognize but the logo wasn't on anything else. It's the only thing that didn't fit."

Huey unfolded the page and Webby's eyes went wide.

"It's not blank." She shook her head. "That's the S.H.U.S.H logo—the spy agency my granny used to work for."

"Give me a pencil," Huey told her. Webby handed it over without question and the eldest boy rubbed it over the page. All that was revealed was that there was nothing written on said page. He frowned.

"That's weird. Why would Daisy keep a blank page from S.H.U.S.H in her filing cabinet?" Louie asked.

"Maybe we should ask Daisy," Webby suggested.

"Aunt Daisy never talks about our mom," May sighed. "Trying to get her to tell us anything would be pointless."

"Then maybe we should talk to Granny."

"Talk to me about what?"

All seven glanced up to see Mrs. Beakley in the doorway.

"Hi, Mrs. B," Dewey greeted her.

"What is it you want to talk about?"

"April found a paper with the S.H.U.S.H emblem on it," Webby explained. "It was in her house."

"Hm… odd. I don't believe your aunt has ever worked for the agency."

"I thought it might have something to do with our mother," April confessed.

"Your mother—oh, dear. Girls, the best thing to do is discuss this with your aunt. Trust me. Dewey almost fell off the wing of the Cloudslayer while it was precariously perched on a pillar thousands of feet in the air in his pursuit of the truth about Della." Dewey bowed his head in shame. "There is nothing to be gained from hiding secrets."

"We can't," June snapped. "We ask her anything about Mama and all she'll tell us is that Mama left us with her. That's it."

Mrs. Beakley took a deep breath.

"Try again. And don't take no for an answer."

"We'll be with you," Dewey promised. "We have some experience with devastating revelations."

April pulled out her phone.

Aunt Daisy, we need to talk.

About what?

Mom.

There was no reply, only the speech bubble appearing and disappearing a few times.

What brought this on?

Huey, Dewey, and Louie's mom disappeared for a decade and they still got to find out who she was.

Why can't we have the same?

April…

Was it bad?

April, it's a very complicated situation. And I'm not sure of all the details.

We deserve to know.

She was our mother and your sister.

I want to know who she was.

More silence.

Fine. I'll tell you tonight when I pick you up.

"She's going to tell us."

"Good. Nothing good comes from hiding the truth from loved ones," Mrs. Beakley stated pointedly.

That night, the kids and Mrs. Beakley sat down in the living room at McDuck Manor. Daisy had tried to do it privately but her nieces had very pointedly refused, wanting their friends there for support. They were eager to hear the story but it was a story she wasn't sure she'd ever be ready to tell them.

"When my sister—April, May, and June's mother—was around, she told me that she was working for a prominent business that sent her around the world. It was true, but instead of filling out paperwork and arranging deals for more money, she was working for an agency called S.H.U.S.H. She was one of their top agents. Her name was Iris."

She took a deep breath.

"Almost eleven years ago she came to me with three eggs in tow and told me to watch over her daughters. She never came back. It was after that I was told the truth about what she did for a career and… it took her from us."

"She's dead?!" June wailed, clinging to Louie. He held her close, stroking her ponytail comfortingly.

"As far as the agency was concerned, yes. She went missing on her last assignment before maternity leave and they haven't heard from her since. I was her closest living relative so I got the news. My heart broke, but I stayed strong for the sake of the girls." Her eyes went to her nieces. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you but how do you say that your sister was a secret agent who went MIA?"

"These things are always difficult," Mrs. Beakley agreed. "Especially where S.H.U.S.H is concerned. I remember Iris."

"You do?" gasped the kids.

"I was her mentor at S.H.U.S.H. She was one of the best—cheerful, skilled, sharp as a tack. I'm surprised I didn't realize she was their mother sooner. I was told about her disappearance but… I never imagined she left children behind. To be honest she never seemed the type to settle down."

"That's my sister," Daisy agreed. "I was as shocked as anyone when she turned up with the eggs."

"She didn't want us."

Everyone stared at April, who rubbed a fist across her tear-filled eyes.

"She left us with Aunt Daisy and used the mission as an excuse to disappear so she didn't have to take care of us."

"April!"

"Think about it! Her sister had no idea what she did for a career and her agency had no idea she was having kids! She was keeping secrets that big? What else was she hiding?"

You could've heard a pin drop.

"I think we need to talk to someone," Daisy finally said, breaking the silence. "April has a point."

Mrs. Beakley nodded.

"I'll call one of my old contacts at S.H.U.S.H and see if they know anything else about Iris."

"In the meantime, I'll see if you girls can spend the night," Daisy offered.

"They can," Webby spoke up. "I think they need it."

Outside the manor, a spy camera disguised as a bird sat perched on a tree.

"I'm afraid they're starting to suspect something."

Bradford turned to the woman who stood in the corner, leaning against the wall.

"They're asking about you, Duck."

"I'm not surprised. The one in yellow is right, though. I didn't really have an interest in raising them. Daisy was always more responsible than I was so it seemed better for her to do it."

Iris smiled at him and then looked back to the screen.

"Aw, looks like one of those boys has a crush on one of my girls." She was staring at the triplets in green and purple. "I think we might have a situation we can take advantage of here."

"You haven't been seen publicly in over a decade, Iris. Stepping out now would mean revealing you're alive."

"I can work with that. A mother returning to her family—what could be less suspicious? We'd have to make it look good, though."

Bradford grinned.

"Another way to gain information. Well done."

"It's what I do."

"I'll have the others prepare for your return to the outside. In the meantime, you sit tight."

"Yes, sir."

She grinned evilly.

"Mama's coming home, girls. Mama's coming home."

Shorter but setting up a plot point for later.

Iris is my own original creation. I borrowed from Della's story as well as the "Webby's parents are agents of F.O.W.L" theory. These three aren't gonna be as quick to forgive, though. There's too much they don't know about their mother.

I WROTE THIS CHAPTER IN LIKE SIX HOURS WHAT THE FRICK

So long and thanks for all the fish.