I've just been physically and mentally exhausted as of late ...due to overall burnout. I am very much still invested in this universe and have been posting fun aesthetic edits over on my identical-cousins-au tumblr side blog. If you have any questions comments or thoughts on this fic and my overall universe my askbox is always open on there and I love replying to comments. Thanks again for your patience


Chapter Text

It was Monday November fourth however Mark's mind was still lost in the events of Halloween. His Bella looked amazing in that black gown….though she never would be HIS and he was finally reacting to the acceptance phase of that realization. Gearloose was a lucky man and despite the bad blood that had occurred in the past between him and the scientist he kind of hoped that for the sake of Della and by extension Boyd that things could change...that they could be….fri-acquaintances.

Swiveling around on his desk chair while waiting for the woman who lived in his mind and heart rent free to arrive, he couldn't help but allow for his eyes to fall on a snapshot sitting on his desk causing him to smile.


April 2019:

Engaged to Gyro Gearloose! He still couldn't get that idea from his head. What did that crackpot have to offer! Okay, so the engineer was in her uncle's good graces and he did give her children his genetic material but besides those two things?

"I'm the third richest business man on the planet," he mumbled to himself as he began to stroll through the junkyard trying to search for just one little spark of inspiration while at the same time hoping to avoid the Beagle Boys at all costs, "I'm a catch...Bella will see...she has to see."

It was then that a glint of medal caught his eye, calling him like a beacon.

"What the…"

Taking a few steps closer, the tech mogul soon spotted what looked like a child. Pulling out his phone he began to ponder if he should do the responsible thing and call child protective services when suddenly he noticed a spark coming from the child's shoulder.

"An android huh?" He asked the open air as his brow raised thinking that of all the species in all the world this android just so happened to be a young African Grey Parrot that looked like it could pass for around the same age as the Gearloose boy...maybe a year younger. This was PERFECT! He could work with one of his software developers and reprogram the boy into thinking that he was their father. He would appeal to Della's maternal instinct. This was GENIUS! This was a much better conquest than his continuous plot to steal Gizmoduck's armor! Plus, the look on his mother's face when she found out she was a grandma!


"What a nice operation you have going for yourself Marcus," Della's voice spoke up causing him to smile. He had been so busy thinking about first finding BOYD that he didn't realize his guest had arrived. Looking up to face her he couldn't help but smile looking at the yellow cardigan she had on. Yellow was the color she was wearing when he first met her and it made him wonder if she had chosen her outfit on purpose.

"I do all right," Mark replied with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as he stood up. "I'm on the fast track to eclipsing Flintheart Glomgold's net worth by forty so no complaints."

This was a lie...as even if he had amassed enough capital to overshadow Scrooge himself and become the richest man alive he would never be able to claim his first love as his own.

Letting out a slight sigh he wondered if perhaps it was too premature to make a New Years resolution to finally move on and try to find someone who was emotionally available and would like him for all his faults. No, that was a future Mark problem and he just needed to focus on the present and what time he did have with the duck standing in his doorway.

"I'd love to be in the room whenever it happens, I'm sure the look on old Flinty's face would be priceless," Della spoke, crossing her arms over her chest, her bill lighting up into a bright smile. Flashing her a smile right back he agreed. The look on Glomgold's face would be priceless. He would surely be fuming. It would be AWESOME!

"So, I suppose you want the grand tour?"

Climbing up from his desk, he breezed cross the room as he made his way toward the doorway of his office standing across from his current companion.

"I'd like that. So, will Hugo be joining us this afternoon?"

Hugo? He thought to himself before it soon clicked just who the woman was talking about causing him to shake his head.

"Stealy? Nah, he's probably somewhere punching a bean bag or polishing barware or whatever else he does for kicks when he's not on the clock. He's my bodyguard not my secretary and I'm perfectly safe here on the Waddle Campus."

As he spoke, he talked in a tone that both convinced his companion and himself of this matter after all truth be told, Falcon Graves had connections and who was to say he didn't have eyes and ears inside the company just waiting for a slip up. He really didn't want to think of that in the moment as Della's voice soon pulled him out from his mental blackhole.

"Well, lead the way."


This wasn't her Uncle's office building and he made it abundantly clear as soon as they rounded a corner.

"Here at Waddle I've decided to break away from the stuffy model of all offices and boardrooms and have instead opted for some more open concept areas allowing for more employee stimulation. A stimulated employee is a happy employee and happy employees are creative employees and creative employees make me money. It's what I call the circle of life."

He watched as Della rolled her eyes at his words while simultaneously taking a glance at the gaming area that was set up. Those were authentic arcade cabinets from the 1980s … worked like new … and his staff could play them free of charge.

There were a few members of the staff playing Pac Man or Asteroids giving him and his guest a friendly smile or nod as they passed.

"I see being an early adopter had its benefits." Della's voice rang out soon after he had pointed out the black light miniature golf course on the eighth floor.

He simply nodded thinking about how he was all in with instant messenger back before heading to Switzerland. Who knew, if only Scrooge McDuck hadn't thought the internet was a nuisance and a conspiracy by the phone company to force consumers into buying additional landlines than maybe they would have kept in contact. But what if's were not what he wished to focus on, not even when he was prolonging the inevitable and continued to do so for as long as it took.

"I just asked myself what if you could do the same things you could do online in the palm of your hand and well the rest…" "History?"

Mark couldn't help but nod as they arrived at a coffee cart.

"A little early for your 2PM Dark Roast don't you think Mister Beaks?" The bright eyed bluebird chirped.

He knew he was a creature of habit when it came to his caffeine intake however today was special.

"I know, but I have a meeting with the lady and I don't know how long it will go. Totally top secret business stuff. It will be a total game changer."

The barista looked toward Della with a raised brow before turning back toward his boss.

"Considering you are with Scrooge McDuck's niece, this meeting doesn't have anything to do with you selling out would it?"

"ME! SELL OUT!" he had to chuckle at that a bit. However, in the back of his mind he did see an opportunity where McDuck Studios was concerned and if Scrooge were still running the show perhaps he'd work on a proposal to diversify his portfolio.

Grabbing their drinks with minimal continuous conversation he began to lead Della back toward his office.

"You SERIOUSLY Don't get coffee every day at 2PM Marcus?"

"Only when I'm here in the office, my barista team brews a much better blend than Starducks."

He watched as Della raised the eco-friendly cardboard cup toward her bill to take her first sip watching as her expression soon shifted from her resting face to a state of elation.

"This is the best coffee I've ever had."

"Told ya so."

"Seriously, I think this is the first time since the moon that I can actually taste the subtle notes of the beans without an aftertaste of Black Liquorice, thank you Marcus."

Out of nowhere Della draped an arm over his shoulder.

"I still can't believe that of all the places you could have been. All that time you were on the moon."

"I honestly can't believe it myself, and I was there. Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me about my Uncle and Graves and your apparent involvement in all of it?"

By then they had arrived back to the office. Crossing the room and sinking into his posh leather desk chair, Mark couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"When I first heard that you were missing…most likely dead...I found myself finding a way to acquire a share of McDuck Enterprises Stock. Call me a sentimental fool, but I thought that by owning a piece of your Uncle's company even one single share it would bring me close to you. Unfortunately there was a bit of a catch."

"There always is," Della spoke, sinking into her own chair placing her coffee cup on a coaster and crossing her arms over her chest. "Let me guess you were the tiebreaker who voted my Uncle out of his own company."

"That would be correct,"

He watched Della's expression and it wasn't a pleasant one though he supposed it was to be expected all things considering.

"You say you have always cared for me? That I was the one that got away? So WHY MARCUS! Why did you EVICT MY UNCLE FROM HIS OWN COMPANY!"

"HE THREATENED MY SON!" He found himself shouting back, met with an even more shocked look from Della.

"I'm sorry I raised my voice at you Bella." He said as he sucked in a deep breath before taking a sip of his coffee. Watching as she took a sip from her own cup his companion soon shot him an apologetic look.

"No worries, afterall I raised my voice at you first. You never told me you had a son too. How old? Maybe we could set up a playdate some time? Twelve year olds still have playdates right?"

Mark couldn't help but shrug his shoulders back a bit as he was just as clueless as to what terms kids used afterall Boyd wasn't like any normal kid.

"BOYD is actually a Junior Woodchuck with your Huey."

"Gyro never told me this."

"That's because he's a...more recent member."

It will be like ripping off a Band-Aid he thought to himself before finally saying what needed to be said from the start.

"Does 2BO mean anything to you Bella?"

He watched as Della froze in shock. It was just as he thought.

"It was before we met," Della spoke in a whispered tone, "Gyro was an intern in Tokyolk. He had created an android and it went rogue turning itself into a weapon of destruction. 2BO was that android."

Mark nodded his head. He knew all this due to seeing the footage in the androids programming as well as the threats however he just needed to make sure that Della was on the same page. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he'd been talking bad about Gyro for his own personal gains.

"So, what do the ghosts of my fiancé's past have to do with Graves threatening your son anyway."

"Well, because…"

Turning around the photo sitting on the desk Mark flashed an apologetic look toward his guest.

"My son BOYD IS 2BO!"

"Wait...What?"

There was another long moment of silence as the duo locked eyes with one another.

"How?" Della silently mouthed as Mark turned the photo back to face him letting out a deep sigh.

While he didn't know the logistics of just how the android wound up in the junkyard twenty years later he did tell her what he knew. How he was feeling overwhelmed after seeing her again after all those years...the jealousy in hearing she was engaged to Gyro Gearloose of all people. How he thought making a son would both boost his image and if he were really lucky appeal to her maternal instincts.

"And then I saw the program...a young Gyro, a proud father to his boy and at the time I thought it was fate or whatever."

Another moment of silence.

"When Graves called I thought he had some proposition to use my company as a smokescreen for some of his more illicit dealings. I WISH that was the case. He said he knew about my son, that there was an incident on Tokyolk twenty years ago that he'd been in the middle of. That Bradford Buzzard planned to sing the board into tying up a vote at the next board meeting and that if I didn't use my share against Mr. McDuck not only would he make sure that I was arrested for putting 2BO back in commission but that now that Gyro was an adult he'd be charged for all the crimes he couldn't be charged for as a minor."

He watched as tears fell down Dellas cheeks as her jaw dropped in shock.

"Can he DO that?"

"Falcon Graves may not have the net worth that me or your Uncle has but he has connections in both high and low places if you know what I mean. And sometimes who you know outweighs how many zeros you can put on a check."

Another moment of silence.

"You did the right thing Marcus," Della's voice soon spoke out in a reassuring tone, "Finding a means to vote Graves out will be hard but it will still be easier than having to lose Gyro just as I've got him back."

Mark couldn't help but take note at the tone of her voice as she made that comment. It was so raw and vulnerable and full of longing.

"You really do love him don't you Bella."

He watched as she nodded her head before she began to dab her face with the sleeve of her sweater. Without missing a beat he reached over to hand her a tissue to wipe away her tears.

"I don't know what history the two of you had while I was gone and I know it's none of my business but I bet you'd be great friends if you gave it a chance."

He just nodded. He didn't know about being great friends but he could definitely see him and the engineer pooling their strengths, weaknesses, and their devotion to Della together to help put McDuck Enterprises in less corrupt hands.

"I'd be willing to give it a chance if he is." Mark admitted thinking how the world of technology was an ever evolving ecosystem and so why couldn't relationships work that same way. "Though, can you do me a favor and not tell him that my son Boyd and 2BO are one and the same just yet?"

"I don't like lying to my fiancé," Della said gently biting her bill, "But a lie of omission for the greater good...well hopefully down the line it's a forgivable offence."

"If he loves you as much as you love him I'm sure he'll understand. In the meantime maybe one day you can bring Huey over to my penthouse so he and Boyd can hang out and we can strategize on company matters."

Della nodded in agreement letting him know that a meeting could definitely be arranged.

There was still an air of tension that filled the air after that however they had managed to spend another solid half hour nursing their coffees while having some more meaningful conversation. Despite all the circumstances he knew this was going to be the start of something good.