Huey was the first one to wake up the next morning. He stretched and checked his phone.

Violet: hey, want to grab some breakfast?

Huey smiled as he texted back.

Huey: I'm down. Can my brothers and Webby tag along?

Huey set his phone down. Getting Louie out of the house was his best move. He was sure the house reminded him too much of Goldie.

His phone buzzed:

Violet: sure. I'm bringing Lena too

Huey: sounds good, come to my house whenever

Violet: kk. Love you

Huey: love u more :)

He set his phone down and slid down the ladder, shaking Dewey awake.

"What?" Dewey asked, annoyed.

"We're going to breakfast with Violet and Lena. Get up!" he said.

Dewey rolled his eyes. How Huey was so preppy in the morning would always remain a mystery.

"Good morning, Louie! We're getting food!" Huey said, trying his best to keep the mood light.

Louie sat up, and gave Huey a small smile. "Sounds good."

Louie went to the bathroom, grabbed a towel. Huey frowned when he heard the water go off.

"He's good at that, no?" Huey murmured.

"Good at what?" Dewey asked.

"Hiding his emotions. Acting like he's fine when he's really not. After 19 years of being brothers, he hasn't once opened up to us." Huey said, hurt.

"Don't worry, Hue. Something good is going to happen, I can just feel it." he smiled.

Huey smiled back and went to go pick out some clothes.

Louie walked out, wearing a towel around his waist, and Dewey caught his breath: His younger brothers hair was growing well past his ears, and reached the bottom of his neck. He was growing a light stubble, and he looked weary. His eyes were red, and it was obvious that he had been crying. The whole get up made him look 5 years older.

Dewey wanted to hug him, but Louie's body language made it clear he didn't want any physical contact.

As Huey and Dewey went to go shower and brush their teeth, Louie picked out some clothes. He chose a beige bomber jacket unzipped over a dark green turtleneck. He wore light blue jeans and white converse. Louie reached into his drawer and pulled out a pair of black rounded sunglasses. He frowned when he saw the length of his hair. Louie liked keeping it medium length, but this length was almost touching his shoulders…

"Keep your hair long, I like it this way." Goldie said, running her hands through his hair.

"I hate it." Louie grumbled.

"But don't you like it when I play with your hair?"

Louie melted into her touch. "You're acting like I'll keep it like this only because you like it."

He smirked when Goldie scowled.

"Fine." she said, turning away from him.

He chuckled. "I'm kidding. I'll keep it long for you."

"I'm still mad." she grumbled.

He smirked, and started kissing her bare shoulder. Goldie moaned.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked huskily.

"Kiss me like that one more time and I'll see what I can do."

Louie kissed her again and she pounced on top of him—

"Wow! Louie, you look great!" Webby said.

Louie snapped out of the memory when Webby walked in.

"I just felt like dressing up, it's nothing big." he said aimlessly.

"Well," she smiled. "You look good."

"Thanks." he said, with a forced smile.

He grabbed his phone and went downstairs. He didn't want to go to the TV Room… it gave him too many memories. Instead, he decided to go to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Louie. Where are you going?" Della asked.

"To a breakfast place."

"With?"

"My friends and Huey and Dewey."

Della frowned at him. "Are you okay? You seem dull."

"I'm fine!" Louie snapped.

He didn't mean to sound so harsh, and felt guilty when his mom stepped back.

"Okay." Della said meekly.

Louie let out an anguished sigh and angrily stormed out of the kitchen.

000

At their local diner, the gang all noticed Louie was acting off.

"So," Lena said. "What's up with you?"

Louie glared at her and Webby gave Lena a pointed look that said 'drop it'.

"Nothing." Louie grumbled.

"Your clenched jaw, intense eye contact, furrowed brows, scowl, and irritability says otherwise," Violet said dryly. "Are you angry, Louie?"

Huey nudged his girlfriend and Violet frowned.

"I'm doing fine!" Louie snapped. "Can everyone just leave me alone?!"

Before anyone could say anything else, their food arrived, and Louie feigned interest in his eggs, bacon, waffles, and pancakes. After they were done, Louie quickly got up and haphazardly threw two twenty dollar bills onto the table even though his breakfast only costed $11. Now everyone was worried: Louie loved money, and he wasn't one to tip the waitress an extra $29. Before anyone could confront Louie, he stormed out of the diner, all too eager to get home.

Outside, Louie swallowed the lump in his throat, blinking back tears. How could he have been so careless?! Letting Huey and Dewey find out about him and Goldie. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

"Hey, you!" someone called out from behind Louie.

Like an idiot, Louie turned around. He saw two Beagle Boys walking up to him, cracking their knuckles.

"Look at this, Bouncer. Its one of Scrooge's dumb little nephews." one grinned.

Louie mentally noted that his brothers and friends were still inside the diner, paying their bills.

"Get away from me," Louie snarled. "I'm not in the fucking mood, you morons."

"What'd you just say?!" Big Time demanded.

"Chill out, Big Time!" Bouncer said.

Louie clenched his fists. "I said I wasn't in the mood. Maybe you should clean out the fucking wax out of your ears so you can hear me next time!"

Big Time sized him up, and poked his chest. "Maybe you shouldn't tell me what to do, faggot!"

In one swift move, Louie grabbed his arm and pulled it up and behind his back.

"Get. Away. From. Me." Louie hissed through clenched teeth. "Or I'll kill you."

Bouncer stepped back and his eyes widened in… horror? Fear?

Louie had dealt with the Beagle Boys before, but realized that this time seemed different. He'd never wanted to hurt someone more than he did now. There was a powerful surge of anger fueling him and his fingers twitched to hit Big Time. Just one time. Louie wanted to see blood ooze out of his nose, lifeless glazed eyes. He wanted to watch him bleed out…

Stop it. Louie chided himself as he regained his composure.

"Now I suggest you get out of here before I break every bone in your body," Louie growled at Big Time.

He gulped. "Jeez fine! Just let go of me. Worthless bastard!"

"What'd you just call me?!" Louie snapped.

Bouncer's eyes widened. "He didn't mean it! He didn't!"

Huey saw what was about to happen, and he rushed outside. Before he could come out and put an end to it, Louie slammed Big Time against the pavement of the diner's parking lot, and began punching him furiously. A giddy sense of insanity and satisfaction overwhelmed Louie when he saw his now bloodied fists. Louie continued pummeling Big Time mercilessly. Bouncer was desperately trying to pry Louie off of his brother, but he roughly shoved him away.

"LOUIE!" Huey cried out.

"CALL ME A BASTARD ONE MORE FUCKING TIME! I DARE YOU!" Louie bellowed with rage.

Big Time whimpered and coughed up blood. Louie raised his fist to hit him again, but this time Huey caught it. Huey pried his brother off of him and slammed Louie against the side of a car, the way a police officer does with a criminal. Louie violently tried to break free from Huey's grasp, but his older brother held on. Big Time and Bouncer seized the opportunity and ran back from where they came from.

"Are you crazy?!" Huey snapped once they were safely out of sight.

Louie roughly pushed him away. "You're damn right I'm crazy!"

Louie's hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. His beige bomber jacket was dirty and his sunglasses were cracked. His hands were covered in blood that trickled down his fingers. He really did look crazy!

"I need you to calm down." Huey said.

Webby, Dewey, Lena, and Violet remained paralyzed, staring at him in shock.

"Calm down?" Louie asked, amused.

Huey uneasily shifted. Two seconds ago, Louie looked like he was ready to kill, but now he was in a strange, giddy, calm trance.

"CALM DOWN?!" Louie bellowed with rage. "I WAS ALMOST JUMPED AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!"

"Louie—" Huey tried.

He laughed. "Oh no you don't, Hubert! You think me having sex Goldie O'Gilt makes you better than me?!" Louie was getting angrier and poked a finger inside Huey's chest. "Well. It. Doesn't." Louie hissed out. "I'm a stupid kid who made a stupid mistake and got caught. I'm only sorry I got caught, aren't I?" Louie asked darkly.

Huey's eyes widened, and suddenly he was back at Castle McDuck all those years ago: They were being chased by a demon dog and Dewey just revealed he had been researching their mom by himself:

Huey protectively barricaded the door with his body to protect his be out hers and interrogated Dewey.

"How do you know this is Mom's?" Huey demanded.

Dewey sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I've, uh… kind of been researching her on my own. A little! I mean, I just searched a forbidden library, crashed the Sunchaser, talked to the goddess Selene," Dewey paused, once he realized how much he really kept from his brothers. "Okay. You know, hearing it out loud, it comes off way worse than it sounded in my brain."

Huey grew curious. "How could you keep this from us?!"

Dewey grew defensive and clenched his fists. "I was trying to protect you from a potentially devastating revelation!"

Huey panicked when the demon dog managed to bite its way through the door. He scowled. "Or you just kept it to yourself so you can feel special! Classic Dewey! She's our Mom!

Dewey bit his lip, trying to form the words. "Okay, it's just… first I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get hurt. Then I couldn't tell you because I found out all this stuff and I didn't want you to hurt me. I'm sorry, okay?!"

Huey got angrier. "You're only sorry cause you got caught!"

Huey shook out of the memory. Louie was still glaring at him, eyes bloodshot. He took a deep breath, and gently placed a hand on Louie's arm.

"Listen, bud…"

Bud. A name Huey only reserved for Louie when they were kids. Louie's eyes widened when he heard the affectionate pet name, and he softened by a fraction.

"You need to chill out." Huey said gently.

That seemed to do the trick. All of the emotions Louie kept suppressed came out, like a leak in a dam. Huey could only hold him as he cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Louie helplessly whimpered.