Authors note:
GiddyReflections: I know! I'm so mean! XD
There will be much more Gladstone in this chapter
Puppydogs68: Louie is definitely the one you should worry about. NGL
Lucy moon: Well...
Brendagy429: I know! Poor boys! they don't deserve this.
Riverajocabed1: All interesting suggestions, some of them will happen but not in the exact way you'd expect. Hopefully what will happen is interesting enough :)
Mac349: oh yeah, Della won't be too happy when she finds out what's happening.
Wacky620: Of course Della will be returning as scheduled as for Lena and Webby...well, you'll see.
Now on to the chapter!
"So how long do you have them for?"
Gladstone took a large drink. Despite putting on a face of hope all day, he was devastated to hear about his cousin, "Long enough for them to find the boys a better home."
"Poor lil Donalds"Fethy said, he didn't mean to but just saying the name alone was enough to hurt Gladstone. He and Donald never got along, but they had a lot of fun arguing and challenging each other, it wasn't ideal but it was something Gladstone will soon miss.
"So why can't Scrooge take them?"He asked.
Gladstone scoffed, "Because I'd know or understand anything about that geezer? He's the one who left it to Donald to take care of the boys in the first place."
Fethry nodded stirring his drink softly, "he can be complicated. Where are the kids now?"
"In the hotel room, they have tv, doors locked, and they have their phones in case of an emergency so they're fine."
"I don't see why you can't just keep them"Fethry said, "you already seem to know them well".
"You too?"Gladstone asked, "Why don't you just keep them?"
"I haven't seen them since they were like two. Besides I have my own little ones to worry about."
"Not sure krill is the same thing as having actual kids"Gladstone said, "listen, with me constantly moving around and touring, it just wouldn't be fair on the kids, besides I'd barley know what to do with them."
"You could always get a job"Fethry said.
"Now you're talking crazy"Gladstone laughed.
"How are the boys taking it by the way?"He asked.
"Huey and Dewey are stubborn, they have hung onto the feeling that Donald made it and he's coming back".
"And the last one?"Fethy asked.
"You seriously got to learn their names"Gladstone said, "It's Louie. He's distant emotionally and physically, I'm not sure how to help him so I give him space".
Fethry nodded, "at least they have each other".
"Yeah. More then I had as a kid. They'll be ok."
"First Della and now Donald"Fethry sighed, "I always thought we'd all grow old together like the ya-ya sisterhood but you're the only first cousin I have left."
Gladstone sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I always kinda thought Donald and Della were immortal like Scrooge."
"Scrooge is immortal?"Fethry asked.
"I always thought so"He says.
"Are they going to have a funeral for him?"
"Probably not, he didn't for della."
"That's not right"Fethry says, "The boys should be able to properly say goodbye."
"It may be for the best"Gladstone says.
"Maybe"Fethry agrees, "To the ones remaining, may we live longer and happier"Fethry says.
"To the ones remaining"Gladstone repeated.
"Granny, what's wrong with Mr. McDuck?"Webigail asked, "He's been locked in his office all day and he hasn't even come out for meals, he had a board meeting today."
Beakley fixed her granddaughter a glass of milk and a plate of cookies to lighten the mood, "Webby darling, something unfortunate has happened to Mr. McDuck."
"What? What happened?"
"His nephew, Donald has sadly passed away."
"Wait..."
"He was caught up in an explosion in Atlantis and he didn't make it out".
Webby's eyes widened, She almost convinced Scrooge to go there, what if he were caught in the explosion too? He could've gotten killed and it would've been her fault.
"Webby, are you alright?"
Webby nodded, "Yeah, I'm just- really tired. I'm going to bed".
Beakley gave her a hug and kiss. "Goodnight dear."
Of course she, like the boys, didn't sleep well that night. Thinking about Donald and what could've happened to Scrooge and eventually realizing that Huey Dewey and Louie were orphans again. As wrong as it was, she wondered if they'd live in the mansion and they could all be friends. With that thought, she could finally sleep.
Everything was going to be ok.
"Morning Uncle Gladstone", Huey and Dewey greeted.
"Morning kiddos"Gladstone says, "where's Louie?"
"We tried waking him up but he refuses to get out of bed"Dewey says.
"I see, you guys ready for breakfast?"He asked mustering the best smile he could, this is how Louie greaves.
"What are we having?"Dewey asks.
"Don't know, your cousin Fethry is bringing it over. You don't have any allergies do you?"
"None that would be an issue for breakfast"Huey says.
"Who's cousin Fethry?"Dewey asked.
"He's nice, works at a deep secret laboratory."
"Really?"Huey asked.
"Yup, when he gets here you can ask him all about it. I'm going to see if I can get Louie out of bed"He says.
Gladstone walked in the room with no clue what to say or do. He could pretend nothing's wrong but that would indicate that he doesn't care, if he mentioned it, it could make the situation worse.
"Hey green bean, we have breakfast, you want something to eat?" Blissful ignorance it is.
He could hear Louie's heavy breathing but no verbal answer.
"Louie?"He asked.
Louie finally shook his head.
"Come on Louie, you have to eat something."
He heard Louie sniffle, was he crying?
"Come on, for me?"
Louie finally got out of bed, he didn't want to, but right now Gladstone was the only family he had left, the only person who would take them in, he can't disappoint him. "Ok"He said.
Gladstone smiled and lead Louie into the other room, when they got there Fethry already let himself in and is chatting with Huey and Dewey.
"And then Hans did this really cool trick where he- oh hi gladdie!"
"Nice of you to let yourself in"Gladstone said.
"I brought food, I thought that counts as an emergency"He joked.
"You- yeah, that's actually a good point"he laughed.
"Hi Louie, I'm your cousin Fethry".
Louie smiles slightly but nothing else.
Fethry smiles back and continued his story.
Gladstone put his arm around Louie as they all enjoyed Fethrys story, for a moment it was like the calm before the storm, they knew things wouldn't get better from here, but they wanted to enjoy life for half a second.
They had spent the whole day with Gladstone and Fethry, they went to the casinos, earned a five family discount to funzos for dinner, and they went out for ice cream for desert. It was a good day, exactly what the boys needed right now, a day where they didn't have to worry about Donald or where they were going to live, a day to just be kids.
Gladstone tucked the boys into bed, still unsure about the protocol or how to take care of the boys but he was glad he could help them out, at least for a little while. "Goodnight boys"He said turning out the light.
"Uncle Gladstone?"Asked a small, obviously tired duckling.
"What's up dew?"He asked.
Dewey rubbed his tired eye, "thanks for taking care of us".
Gladstone smiled, "hey, no problem kid"He chuckled softly.
"If you change your mind, and you decide to keep us. It's ok with me".
Gladstone was about to say something but Dewey was already asleep. Gladstone sighed, it was all for the best. The boys needed a real home with real people to take care of them. He can't take them in, it's not what Donald would've wanted anyway.
"Are they asleep?"Fethry asked.
"Yeah."
"The youngest, uh- Louie. Is he always so shy and lifeless?"Fethry asked.
"On the contrary, he's usually very active and chatty. I mean, not as much as Dewey but around me he's always been."
"Him and Donald must've been really close".
"They all were- uh are? I don't know which term is right here. Huey and Dewey are so much like Della, remember when her parents died? She was in constant denial about it, always trying to make the best of a bad situation but Donald and Louie are the ones that scare me most, they're quiet and distant, basically they shut everyone out and there's nothing you could say or do to snap them out of it."
"They get it from Scrooge"Fethry said.
"Speaking of which, we need to see what's really going on with him."
"Let's call him tomorrow, I'm exhausted. Kids are exhausting"Fethry complains.
"Wait till you see them while they're actually energetic"Gladstone laughed.