Note: Unfortunately, none of the Ducktales characters, save for the OCs, are legally mine. Which makes me very sad...
:-(
See…I made a sad face. That's how sad I am.
I know; it's THAT upsetting!
Beagle Without A Mask
Chapter 14
It's Who They Are…
The weekend had gone by without a hitch. In fact, it'd gone a lot better than Bonnie had ever imagined it would with Jennifer being around. The young red-head had basically replaced the television as the most entertaining thing in the house. They'd never had a chance to be around someone with such a warm personality before, her sense of humor and kind-hearted nature being an entirely new experience to the dimwitted goons.
It was somewhat awkward during introductions for those who hadn't been at breakfast earlier that same morning, giving the others the opportunity to gloat about eating blueberry waffles made by an angel to the ones who'd missed out, as well as vouch for the girl as being an "all right dame". After that, things seemed to go much smoother…though she did have to win the rest of them over with a home cooked meal, or two.
They were at least behaving themselves while a lady was present…as well as a group of prison escapees could, anyway. Still, she wasn't about to let her guard down.
Despite her paranoia towards what intensions the group may or may not have, a part of her was actually grateful Jenny was there to keep her company, brightening a few spirits in the process. And although she was somewhat weary of Bigtime and the others' behavior around the young woman, she couldn't help but feel that it was probably good for them to have someone other than another Beagle to socialize with.
It also worried her how Bigtime hadn't been acting like himself for a while, prior to the news of their mother's illness. According to Bouncer and the others, (Bankjob could care less) somewhere along the line, their "Boss" began to lose interest in what they did. It'd been sometime since he'd truly put his heart into prison breaks, bank and jewelry heists…as well as McDuck's fortune, which they hadn't taken another crack at for quite some time now, much to Bonnie's amazement.
Though she found this surprising, the fact that Ma Beagle had almost immediately warmed up to Jennifer upon their first meeting, just seemed down right impossible. Looking back on her younger years, she couldn't recall ever bringing home a friend that her mother actually liked. It could only mean one thing; the old woman really was deathly ill. It was the only explanation as to why she'd become so lenient to the idea of having someone other than family stay with them. Probably because when Bonnie mentioned Jennifer needed a place to hideout from a police officer, she strongly insisted that the "poor thing" stay as long as she needed. After which, they'd had a long talk about how things had been going since she'd left. Apparently, much more difficult than the youngest Beagle had ever anticipated.
Burger had been right; things just weren't the same without her around.
Fortunately, everything seemed a little more relaxed since Bonnie's return to the small hideaway deep in Duckburg National Forest. With their mother bedridden, as well as their leader becoming more and more distant towards them everyday, it was good for the remaining brothers to have someone there to turn to, if only for simple minded decisions, but mainly whether or not they should go through with whatever scheme Glomgold had decided to hire them for, the only insistent one being Bankjob.
In fact, her eldest brother's behavior was the only thing that really kept her on edge. Something wasn't right with him…more so than usual. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but he'd never been this forceful with any of the others, not even with Bigtime. The little brawl they'd had in the kitchen was nothing new…what went on the night before she'd arrived, on the other hand, had never happened before. She'd have to keep an eye on both of them, just to play it safe. The last thing Ma needed was to worry about her sons trying to kill each other.
Though she attempts to keep the peace, Bonnie refuses to offer her thoughts on the questionable job from Glomgold, never being too fond of the idea of a shifty billionaire that's always requiring her family's "services". She had to agree with Bigtime; it wasn't the right time to be doing anything to grab the attention of the authorities. But hopefully for Ma's sake, he was willing to at least talk with the others about it, if only to say they'd considered the idea. Regardless of Bankjob's opinion.
For now, coming together as a family was what mattered most. Bonnie just hoped she and her mother weren't the only ones to realize this. Otherwise, it was going to be an even longer visit than she'd hoped for…
Bonnie grumbled to herself as she continued rummaging through the small closet, pushing aside numerous clothes on hangers, the majority of them being the matching uniforms her brother's wore day in and day out. She'd searched everywhere else except here, frantically looking for her own belongings.
A floor board creaks from behind her. She whips her head around, relaxing at seeing Jennifer coming through the doorway.
"God, you scared the crap outta me!" Bonnie hissed.
"Sorry," Jenny responds in a hushed voice, coming closer. "What're you doing in here?"
"Shh!" She listens for a moment, only hearing the sound of the television in the next room before resuming her search. "I'm looking for something."
"Like what?" Jenny asks, glancing over her shoulder into the dark closet. "And why are we whispering?"
Bonnie stops, looking over at her friend's curious expression. She sighs, leaning up against the wall. "I have a date next week."
Jenny stares. "Yeah, I remember it being brought up before we got here. What about it?"
She bites her bottom lip, glancing over at the room's open doorway before getting back to her. "Jen…it's with Jack Russell."
The red-head beams. "Wow really? Bonnie, that's great! You guys are so cute tuh-" She pauses, her smile fades. "Oh… right. OFFICER Jack Russell."
Bonnie nods once. "Yeah. That Jack Russell."
"Talk about bad timing, huh?"
She bumps her head on the wall a number of times. "Tell me about it. Not only that, but I didn't bring anything to wear." She turns back to the closet, getting down on all fours to search underneath everything else. "But I know I left a box of clothes and shoes around here somewhere. If I could just find it in all this mess…"
"Want some help?"
Bonnie laughs. "You have no idea."
It's silent between them as she hears Jennifer moving about what used to be her room growing up. Her brother's had basically turned it into an extra place to sleep, or just somewhere to throw random junk into for storage after she'd moved out. They were at least nice enough to clear the majority of it out, giving the two women a place of their own to stay, offering as much privacy as possible. Naturally that didn't stop a few of them from knocking on the closed door constantly, seeing if their guest needed anything before going to sleep. Bonnie couldn't really blame them too much for hoping to sneak a peak at something. They were still guys, after all.
After finishing her search on the closet, Bonnie is back on her feet, scratching her head in frustration as she scans the small room. Jennifer is on her hands and knees, delving underneath one of the two beds. "Find anything?" she asks before noticing movement beyond the bedroom door.
"I'm not sure yet!" Jenny calls, her voice muffled. "How 'bout you?"
Bonnie doesn't answer, now glaring at the open doorway. She takes a few steps over, bringing into view Beebop and Babyface, unable to help themselves from ogling at Jen's backside while passing by the room. She shakes her head, clearing her throat once to get their attention. They freeze, no longer grinning and drooling like idiots. They keep moving down the hall again, whistling innocently. Bonnie shakes her head.
"All day with this," she murmurs.
"Say what!" Jenny says, struggling with something heavy.
Bonnie had to smile, going to close the door before one of the other boys had the same idea. "Nothing Jen."
She stands over her now, watching her put more effort into whatever she's found. "You, uh, need a hand?" she asks.
"Yeah, it's a bit heavy." Jennifer shuffles out from under the bed, pulling a decent sized crate with her. Once it's in plain view, Bonnie bends down to help her lift it up onto the bed, the two of them grunting under it's weight. Jenny rubs her lower back. "Phew! Probably should've had one a' them do this. Ya think?"
Bonnie scoffs, struggling with the old latches holding the lid in place. "Yeah, right. I'm not about to let them think I've turned into some kinda girlie-girl…no offense."
Jenny smirks. "None taken. I guess. So…" She raps on top of the dusty crate. "Is this it?"
Bonnie nods once, pulling up the last rusted latch. "Should be…just hope nobody's messed with it…from the looks of it, I'd say not."
It takes their combined strength to lift the top open. Once it's off, Jennifer quickly scans the inside while Bonnie gives a sigh of relief, glad to have found some of her clothes, as well as a few dresses and high heels. The last thing she wanted was to have to head back into Duckburg just to go shoe shopping. She doubted any of the Beagle Boys would volunteer to tag along on that trip…of course, if the woman next to her were to come, they'd probably consider it.
"Oh, my, gosh!" Jenny squeals, suddenly going into a fit of giggles as she makes a grab for something.
"What?" asks Bonnie. She then rolls her eyes at what Jennifer finds on her side of the crate. She groans. "Dammit, I thought Mom threw that stupid thing out. Give it here!"
"Are you crazy?" Jenny coos, holding up a mask similar to the Beagle Boys' but significantly smaller…and pink. "It's so adorable! Like a lil' baby burglar!" She looks over at her lovingly. "Please tell me that somewhere there are pictures of Baby Bon Bon wearing this!"
Bonnie turns red. "I don't know, probably!" She makes a grab for it, but Jennifer plays keep away, still laughing.
"And little bootees to match, right?"
"Shut up! It's not that funny!" Once she gets a hold of it, she quickly shoves it in the front pocket of her jeans. Much to Jenny's disappointment.
"Aw, yer no fun," she whines, then giving a shrug. "That's okay. I'll just ask your brothers about a family photo album later."
Bonnie shakes her head, unable to hide a smile. "Oh, they won't talk if they know what's good for 'em."
Jenny continues to giggle while going through the chest of treasures, probably hoping on finding something else from Bonnie's childhood. Instead she comes across something a little more useful, showing it off mockingly.
"Ooh, la la!" Jenny had plucked out a sleek black sleeveless dress with a v-cut, the material sparkling in the room's light. She presses it up against her own front, winking at Bonnie. "Me think Jack like-ee!"
"I might have to wear that one," Bonnie laughs, shuffling through the other contents. "I think the heels I have for it are the only ones that still fit me."
Jenny folds the dress neatly, placing it on the bed. She looks on at her for a moment before asking, "so, uh…what're you gonna do?"
"About what?" She responds absently, checking for scratches on the black heals she'd retrieved from the bottom.
"The guys…do they know about him? What he does…they know you have a date, obviously. Just, not who he is?"
She stares at the inside of the box, still looking through her belongings. "No. They don't…it's probably better that way."
Jenny shrugs. "If you say so…There's no chance they just wouldn't care, huh?"
She shakes her head. "They rarely ever do…they're awfully protective. Besides, the fact that he's a cop isn't the worst thing, either."
"Whatta ya mean?" Jen raises an eyebrow. "What's worse than a Beagle having a romantic evening with local law enforcement?"
Bonnie clears her throat, feeling a little warm. "Well, where said evening is taking place might be more of an issue." She finally looks over at her. "It's at that charity event Scrooge McDuck is hosting."
Jenny nods in understanding. "Okay…So?"
"Jennifer, it's at his private museum…in his money bin…"
It takes a minute, but eventually the thought dawns on her. "Oh!" Her eyes then go wide. "Oh."
Bonnie nods. "Yeah…oh."
The two friends stand in silence, both of them thinking hard on this. At some point, Jenny speaks up first, shrugging somewhat awkwardly.
"Well, maybe yer right. It's probably a good idea to keep them in the dark about this one…what they don't know can't hurt 'em. Right?"
Bonnie exhales. "Maybe…" After a moment she shakes her head. "No. No I have to tell at least one of them. I can't lie to them like that. They would do the same for me."
"Yer probably right…so who's it gonna be?"
Bonnie refrains from rolling her eyes again. "Who do ya think?"
Jenny thinks on this for a moment before Bonnie has to actually come out and say it. "Bigtime," she states, watching her reaction at hearing his name; her busy hands had faltered in mid-fold of a pair of kaki pants, eyes scanning the scenery through the dingy window in front of them. But she recovers herself quickly, probably hoping she didn't notice.
"Really?" she asks nonchalantly. "Why him?"
"Well, isn't it obvious? He is practically head of the family, ya know. Next to Mom, anyway." She continues to study her now awkward posture, looking back on all the times she'd had a talk with the young woman on what exactly to expect when she'd finally meet her family.
She'd warned her of many things, especially to be wary of trusting them in certain situations. It had also been imperative that she not get too comfortable around them, such as becoming involved in their line of work as a getaway driver, or possible distraction for any security guards that might interfere. As much as she'd always seemed interested in what it was they did, it just wasn't the kind of life Bonnie was willing to get her mixed up in. But out of everything they'd ever talked about, she'd failed to bring up the subject of the very unlikely possibility of her falling for one of them.
Bonnie had always been concerned about this, but only with the other way around. It wasn't too often that the Beagle Boys were graced with the presence of a charming young woman, the female figures in their lives only being family. Mostly their mother. So it wasn't surprising to her that the majority of them would eventually take an interest in someone like Jennifer Anne Baronski. Although Ma Beagle had given her blessing to allow the girl to stay, there was a very good reason why someone like her wasn't brought around very often; seven adult males, incarcerated for long periods of time, and the only means of companionship being each other.
It wasn't exactly rocket science…
Bonnie raps her fingers on the old crate before exhaling. "Look, Jen…I, uh…need to talk to you about…well." She shrugs, nodding over at the closed door. "Ya know…Bigtime?"
"It was an accident, okay?" she comes back defensively. "I said I was sorry, like, a hundred times already. Jeez-"
"No, no. Not that," she shakes her head frantically, trying to keep the image of Jenny and her brother's little scene on the rooftop a few days before out of her mind. "I just…" She stops, holding her hands out in front of her as if hoping for the right words to fall into them.
"Just what, Bon?" Jen asks, no longer folding clothes, only clutching onto a sweater rather tightly.
Bonnie lowers her gaze, picking at the box's chipping green paint. "I uh…need you to do something for me."
Jenny stares. "Um, okay…depends what it is." She gives a smirk. "If it's to stop making waffles, I think yer gonna have a riot on yer hands." She then giggles.
Bonnie isn't laughing, only fixing her blue eyes on her. She stares at her so long that Jennifer begins to shift about uncomfortably. Finally Bonnie comes out with, "I want you to choose…right now."
Jenny blinks. "Choose? What do you mean by-"
"It's exactly how it sounds…"
"Bonnie…I don't, really know what yer getting at…choose what?"
Bonnie breathes deep, knowing she had to get this over with now before things got out of hand later. "Jenny…" She turns away from the chest, taking her friend's hands in her own, speaking sincerely. "I know that, it seems too soon to be asking this of you…but you need to understand, that, if you don't choose one of them…things will get really bad around here. So bad that, I won't be able to bring you around anymore."
Jenny's eyes go wide, filled with confusion. "Wait…You mean, yer brothers? Why would-"
"Trust me. I know it sounds crazy," Bonnie continues. "Look, I'm not stupid, okay? It's obvious with the way you've been acting…I get it. For some crazy reason yer actually into a few of them. Now, as gross as that sounds to me." She pauses to shudder. "It still isn't my decision…it's yours."
"Well, I guess I am, but," she answers, turning a bit red from this. "I mean, I can't just up and pick one of them right on the spot. It's not like choosing which movie to watch at a theater! It doesn't work like that. Besides, I barely know them-"
Bonnie nods. "Yes, I know, but please…try to understand." She almost pleads with her now, lowering her voice as she'd heard movement in the hallway. "If you don't decide which one of them that you'd actually want to have some kind of relationship with soon, then all hell is going to break loose." Bonnie sighs. "One thing I never told you about them is that…they can get very easily attached, especially if it's with someone like you."
She raises an eyebrow. "Like me? Why?"
"Yer kidding, right?" Bonnie can't help but look annoyed with the red-head. "Jenny, I don't know if you've noticed this but yer a stone cold fox! Not only that, but the nicest, sweetest, kindest, and most innocent person they've ever met! It's not something they're surrounded with very often!"
She shrugs, still a shade of crimson. "Oh, stop. Now yer just trying to flatter-"
"Jen, seriously," Bonnie says sharply. "If you don't, I'll do it for you."
Jennifer's color fades slightly at this as she gapes. "You, can't be serious? Get real, Bonnie, yer not in charge of my love life. Or theirs-"
"If it means keeping the peace between them, then so be it…Jenny, you don't know them like I do…With the way things have been going, there's a good chance…" She stops, shooting a quick glance at the door before continuing. "…that a few of them have already fallen for you…and hard. But they won't admit it." Her voice is more consoling now at seeing how flustered she's made her. "Jennifer…something like this could break them apart…and they can't handle that right now…neither can I."
Jennifer's expression softens at this. "Bonnie…"
She shakes her head. "Look, you don't have to tell me now. Whether if it's Bigtime or Bouncer, even Babyface. Whatever, that's fine…just keep in mind that, if you do end up getting attached to one of them…you need to make it clear with who…cuz if you don't, you'll be playing with their emotions, even if you don't mean to be…They may not look it on the outside, but inside it would tear them apart if you were to lead them on in some way only to turn them down-"
"Bonnie," Jen interrupts, squeezing her hands. "There's no way I would ever hurt you or them…I couldn't. That's not who I am. You know that."
Bonnie nods. "But like I've told you before, they can harbor quite a soft spot for someone like you. You're my friend, Jenny…and to them, that means yer an okay person to be around. It's just, another little perk some of my brothers go for." She finally lets go of her hands. "At least, just…promise me one thing?"
Jenny smiles. "Name it."
"If you do decide you like one of them…promise me that, you'll make the first move." Bonnie couldn't help but smirk at this. "Believe it or not, they're actually pretty shy about this sorta thing."
Jenny returns the expression, nodding once. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Good," Bonnie says, feeling a little better about the strange situation. As long as Jennifer was aware of what was going on, then maybe things wouldn't turn out as bad as she thought. But, only time will tell…
"Come on," Bonnie says, leading her over to the door. "I need to let Bigtime know about next week. He'll get suspicious if he sees me trying on a dress and heels…something else they're all not used to…"
Jennifer turns the knob, opening the door. But instead of seeing an empty hallway, a large Beagle occupies it instead. His fist had been raised as if to knock, only to have it hang in midair, eyes wide, no doubt surprised by the door suddenly opening.
"Can we help you?" Bonnie doesn't attempt to hide her frustration.
Bouncer Beagle clears his throat rather ineptly, slouching despite his usual tall posture. "Oh, uh, yeah…hi…I was just-er I mean, we…we, the guys we're just wonderin', if it ain't too much tuh ask…" He fidgets with his fingers while gazing down at Jenny fondly. "Could you maybe, make some more uh' that hot chocolate we had yesterday…it's, a little cold in here…and it was really good."
"Well, of course. All you have to do is ask." While Jenny smiles up at him brightly, Bonnie merely hangs her head in defeat, wondering why it is she even bothers. "I'd love to!"
Bouncer moves back a little to allow her to squeeze past him. He watches her go with a somewhat blithe expression, failing to notice his sister's glare until she coughs loudly. His head snaps back in her direction, as though seeing her for the first time. He shrugs, turning a bit red. "What?"
She merely grumbles to herself, pushing past him and throwing her arms up in frustration. "All, friggin, day with this!"
"Okay, there ain't much to go off of," Bankjob explains, pointing at the front page of the newspaper laid out on the kitchen table for the other Beagles to see. "Except that we know when and where this little party of McDuck's is gonna take place." He looks to each of them, grinning. "But here's how I see it; why bother with all the junk that's gonna be in that stupid museum today, when we could swipe anything we want from that whole bunch 'uh rich snots showing up that night!" He then rubs his hands together greedily. "And who knows…there may even be time to pay a little visit to McDuck's personal piggy bank!"
"Wait, so, yer sayin' we ain't gonna go for Scroogie's bin now?"
Bankjob slaps his brother on the back of the head. "No, Burger! We just ain't gonna do it tonight, is all. Pay attention to what's goin' on here instead of what goes on in there." He prods him in the stomach.
Burger scowls at him a little, crossing his arms over his large chest. "Well, ya don't have tuh be so grumpy about it. I was just askin'."
Bankjob bears his teeth. "I wouldn't be so grumpy if you'd stop agitatin' me!" He then calms himself, getting back to explaining his plan. "Now where was I…"
Bigtime, who'd chosen to read the sports page rather than listen in as the biggest moron at the table attempts to take charge, had seated himself at the end opposite to Bankjob, attempting to block out everything being said. Unfortunately that was before they'd decided to hold this group meeting, interrupting his well overdue reading time. Normally these sort of things took place in the living room, but Bankjob had decided to change it at the last minute. Bigtime had a feeling it had something to do with the brute just wanting to get on his nerves…because it was working.
He tries not to groan as he raises the newspaper up further, avoiding eye contact with anyone for the time being. He'd given up entirely on trying to convince Bankjob and the others that it was a bad idea to attempt any major heists right now. But when the eldest of the group had asked their mother for guidance, she had insisted that maybe this was exactly what they all needed; get out of the house, get some air, and knock off a couple of banks. The perfect Beagle family bonding activity. It had only made things worse when she'd said to ask Bonnie what she thought of the whole thing.
Naturally, she hadn't given an answer, and hopefully never would. The last thing he wanted now was to worry about their sister getting mixed up in all of this…as well as the innocent Jennifer. He hadn't admitted it to Bonnie yet, but with each passing day he actually found himself worrying more and more about her friend's wellbeing. She may have been welcomed with open arms, but he'd been a Beagle too long to not have learned what goes through most of his brothers' minds whenever a woman was present. The only one he didn't need to worry about was Burger, since food always seemed to be the only thing ever taking up his thoughts.
Bigtime kept getting the strangest feeling whenever she came into the room. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he did know one thing; there was a good chance he wasn't the only one who felt this way…and if that were the case, Jennifer would need to be watched during her stay there. For her own safety.
The feeling of guilt began to creep up on him for yet another time since she'd arrived…the poor girl had no idea what she'd gotten herself into.
As if on cue, the slender red-head had walked into the kitchen, as usual causing every head in the room to turn.
"Hey guys," she beams, giving the group a casual wave as she goes over to the fridge.
"Hiya Jenny," came everyone's much too innocent reply, save for Bigtime, who only rolls his eyes.
She stops, glancing down at the table, eyeing what could only be the makings of a plan taking shape. "I'm sorry. Am I, um, interrupting something?" She points back at the door. "Cuz I can come back later if-"
"Well, actually," Bankjob states, attempting to sound patient despite the interruption. "We were kinda in the middle of-"
"Oh no, yer fine!" Babyface blurts suddenly, smiling up at her.
"Yeah, it's nuthin' important!" Baggy nods with far too much enthusiasm.
"Wh-Why don't ya have seat, and join us!" Beebop practically jumps out of his chair, pulling out the one next to his own. "Always like havin' a pretty face around to brighten things up a bit."
"Aw, thanks you guys!" She places a hand to her chest, flattered. "But I just came in here to make some more hot chocolate. Would any of you like some-"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Burger's arm shoots up into the air, waving frantically. "Right here! Me! I do, I do!"
She giggles, opening the refrigerator door. "I figured you would, Burger. Anybody else?" When nearly everyone in the room repeats Burger's actions, she laughs again. "Okay, okay! Gimme a minute!" She then turns around, frowning at the shelves before her. "That's weird. I thought there was still some milk left."
"Yeah there is," said Babyface. "I-I think it's just behind a lot uh' stuff." He shrugs. "Sorry, I was, uh, messin' around in there earlier."
Jenny bends down slightly. "Oh! I got it." She reaches into the fridge, having to stoop a little lower. Once she does, however, most all the Beagle Boys seated at the table look over expectantly at her backside. Bigtime rolls up his newspaper, whapping Babyface back down into his chair as he'd had to stand up for a better view.
Just then Bouncer had entered the kitchen, stopping in his tracks at seeing what's grabbed his brothers' attention, cocking his head to the side, eyes fixed on the sight before him. When Bigtime clears his throat he looks down at him.
"I suppose yer the one who asked fer more hot cocoa?" Bigtime gives him a stern look, receiving a dopey grin and a shrug as a response.
At seeing Bouncer's sudden appearance, Bankjob manages to pry himself away from Jenny to glare over at him. "Where've you been, ya bum? We already started makin' plans fer the big heist comin' up. Hurry up and get in here!" He jabs a finger at an empty chair between Bigtime and Babyface.
"Yeah, yeah, keep yer shirt on," he waves a dismissive hand, plopping himself down onto the wooden seat. "It's not like I'm missin' much, anyways."
"Yer not," mutters Bigtime, opening up his newspaper again to look over the baseball stats, ignoring the sneer he receives from Bankjob.
Jenny had made her way from the fridge over to the stove, pouring milk into a sauce pan, humming softly to herself. After a moment, she snaps her fingers. "Ah I forgot the chocolate sauce."
Babyface stands in his chair again. "Bottom shelf!"
"I got it!" Bigtime projects, throwing his newspaper at him before getting up and going to the fridge, reaching in and shuffling through random things that he was pretty sure hadn't been in here until today, blocking the view of the brown jar now pushed to the very back. Once in his hand, he turns to glare at their disappointed expressions before passing it off to Jennifer. "Here ya go."
She gives him a warm smile as she accepts the jar, her fingers lightly grazing his. "Thanks, Big."
He's unable to hide a grin himself before she goes back over to the stove. But it immediately drops into a scowl when he turns to the table, seeing Burger and Babyface making kissy-faces at him. He ignores their ridicule, plopping himself back onto his chair and crossing his arms tightly.
Bouncer nudges him in the shoulder. "Maybe you two would be more comfortable on the roof, eh 'Big' ?" he murmurs, receiving snickers from those in on the inside joke, as well as a hard punch in the arm from Bigtime before he snatches up his paper again, pretending to read an article on the Duckburg Mallards' losing streak.
Just to make him feel worse, he thought he heard a giggle from over by the stove. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad thing. Either way, he wasn't going to come out from behind his reading material until his face changed back to its original color.
"Would you goons stop messin' around," Bankjob suddenly growls, banging his fist down. "We got a heist tuh plan here! Next week will be the best shot we've ever had at McDuck's bin in who knows how long, and all yous' guys wanna do is goof off!" He looks to each of them. "It's time tuh get serious, Boys…not just about the job…but Ma, too."
The others look down at the table sadly upon hearing this, ashamed at once again being reminded of their behavior while their mother was deathly ill, only having the strength to stay awake for brief parts of the day, barely able to get out of bed on her own. Jenny, remaining quiet as she stirs the milk while it begins to simmer, sneaks a side glance over at the group, noticing Bigtime's stoned expression as he stares at his paper much too intently.
Satisfied with their silence, Bankjob continues, his tone more consoling than before.
"Look…I know things are tough right now, and that the last thing you all wanna do is go off and do something this big…especially with Ma not doin' so good. But, just think about it; what's the one thing she's wanted all her life, more than anything else?" He stands, pointing down in front of him again. "This. Right here. Ever since before most of you were born she's wanted tuh get inside uh' that damn thing, and have it for her own. I mean come on, why do ya think we turned out the way we did?
"Let's face it; part uh' the reason we're The Beagle Boys is cuz uh' McDuck's fortune. If it weren't for that bin, Ma never woulda' had somethin' to go for in life…somethin' to have us go for." He jabs his finger down onto the table repeatedly. "This is who we are…and it's how Ma Beagle raised us tuh be…and I say we take this chance that Glomgold's given us tuh make her proud…and give her what she's always wanted…what she deserves." Bankjob's gaze lingers on the one hiding behind the newspaper. "She'd be able tuh die happy…knowing that she'd raised us right…
"Now…I'm askin' ya, not as a Beagle Boy, but as her son, and yer brothuh…Please, let's do this…fer her." He, too, lowers his gaze, his voice actually trembling slightly. "Fer our Ma…it's, what she would want."
Once he's finished, the room becomes silent, the only sound being the whisk Jenny uses to stir the contents of the pan as quietly as possible. No one knows exactly how to respond to all this. Although they were expected to start making these decisions as a family, it was the first time anyone other than Bigtime and Bankjob who even got to offer an opinion on things. The rest simply kept their mouths shut, letting them figure things out. Being confronted with this made them uncomfortable…and Bigtime knew it.
After a moment, the stout Beagle sighs, finally lowering his newspaper, immediately seeing Bankjob staring him down, his face sullen. He does the same. It was at that point that he couldn't fight it anymore. This life was just meant to be, and no amount of late night walks to Duckburg were going to change that. They needed him…more than anyone else ever would. Like Bankjob had preached; it's who they are.
He can feel Jenny's eyes on him as he takes a breath, any remaining resentment gone from his voice as he asks quietly, and somewhat defeated;
"What was that plan uh' yours, again?"
Once again, things just aren't looking too good for our boys, especially poor Bigtime. Good thing Bonnie and Jennifer are there to keep spirits up.
Stay tuned…cuz things are definitely gonna get more interesting!