The phone rang, which shouldn't have been an oddity in the manor, but the rather late hour and the fact that it was not Scrooge's personal line made it a bit strange. Still, Mrs. Beakley simply picked up the phone as though everyone else in the mansion wasn't in a battle royal, throwing darts all around, screaming and running.
"McDuck's residence," she said.
"Is it the pizza delivery?" Dewey asked standing in front of her.
"You call the pizza, not the other way around, remember?" Louie stopped to scold his older brother.
"We'll claim the pizza as our prize!" Webby charged in with Della in tow, only having heard that one word.
"Run!" the boys scattered as Webby chased after. Della stopped for a moment trying to catch her breath and take a second away from the loud noises. She noticed Mrs. Beakley was still on the phone, the most subtle hint of worry showing in her frown.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
Beakley covered the speaker, turning to her "Have you seen Lena?"
Della's brow arched "No, not today. She isn't here" that confirmed Beakley's suspicions.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sabrewing, she isn't with us"
Della knew right then something was wrong "Is that Ty or Indy?" she approached, stretching her arm.
"Tyrone" she handed her the phone.
"Ty, hi, it's Della," she said "You are looking for Lena?"
"Della" his voice was shaking.
"What's wrong?" she didn't mean to sound so aback herself, but she knew that tone, that was a parent's tone when it was something concerning their kids.
"We...we had a little accident at home and I...I did something stupid and now Lena is gone" he tried to keep the sob out of his voice "she ran off, we don't know where she is. Violet went to the beach to look for her but I don't- I don't know what to do"
"Hey, it's okay. I'll help you look, where will you be at?"
A humorless laugh escaped his beak "I can't go, I'm still stitching up Indy"
"Stitching?" she repeated and immediately regret it, it wasn't her place to ask questions "I'll go look for her, don't worry, I can get the kids' help"
"I don't think...I don't think Lena is ready to be around a lot of people right now, maybe it's best-" he exhaled, questioning if he truly knew what was best for his daughter.
"Okay, I won't tell my kids," she said "Webby included" she assured "I'll call if we have any news, don't worry, we'll find her," she said reassuringly and determinedly, giving the phone back to Beakley.
"Mr. Saberwing, if you or your husband need anything, we can go to your home" she waited for a moment hearing his response "of course, she's our priority too. Until then" she hung the phone exhaling.
Della folded her arms, shrugging into herself "Do you know anything that I don't?" she bit on the tip of her finger.
"Only that she left about an hour ago in a pretty distressed state," she said "we can't let the kids find out, we might scare her away"
"Webby might know her hiding spots, though" Della's voice was conflicted because she had said to Ty that she wouldn't tell anyone.
"The amphitheater is a pretty good bet, I'm sure young Violet is currently heading there"
"Yeah" Della unconsciously tugged at the bracelet Lena had gifted her, it felt like it was pulling her somewhere "I'll go for a flashlight, where should we go look?"
"Public spaces are my guess," Beakley said "She spent a lot of nights in the streets, that could be a familiar space"
Della grimaced at the idea, but had to admit it was a solid plan "Ok, meet you downstairs in 10 minutes"
"I'll inform your Uncle about our absence, he will have to cover for us"
"Right" Della nodded, still fidgeting, tapping her metal leg against the floor repeatedly "I'll tell Donald" she turned around hastily.
"Della" Beakley called, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"We'll find her," she said with complete confidence, in a reassuring voice, talking to Della as if she was the parent looking for her child. And Della had to admit to herself, it felt exactly as it would if it were any of her boys the one missing. Did Beakley know? She shouldn't be surprised, but still, it caught her off guard, as she swallowed the knot in her throat.
"I know we will, Ty and Indy are counting on us," she said, redirecting the attention to them.
"Of course," Beakley said softly, removing her hand, perhaps noticing she wasn't ready to openly unpack that "Then let's make sure we get her back home" she offered instead since everyone knew Lena considered both households that; home.
The pilot gazed away, knowing the spy couldn't be fooled "...Thank you"
Beakley nodded "Let us go"
Della raced to her poorly illuminated room, looking for everything she would need to scout Duckburg. She would turn the whole city upside down if necessary. Webby would probably burn it down if she ever found out Lena was missing. Perhaps not telling her was a smart decision after all. They didn't need a reckless kid on top of a missing one.
"Okay, cellphone" she grabbed the device, noticing belatedly a few missed calls from Ty, twenty minutes prior. She felt guilty for not having answered or have the mobile near her because now it showed she had been one of the first people they had tried to reach out to. And she had missed it.
Della closed her eyes tight "Focus" she told herself. Lena was missing...it...it scared her because when she had been missing on the moon, it took ten years to find her way back home. Lena couldn't go through that.
"Car keys" she grabbed her spare "wallet" she ought to be prepared "Flashlight" she opened her nightstand grabbing it, double-clicking it to see if it would have battery, and just as the light filled the otherwise dark room, Della noticed the strange way the shadows were being cast. And as she pointed the beam of light to a far corner, she heard a muffled whimper.
"Lena?" she called softly, turning off the flashlight as she approached. She had seen the teen merge with the shadows before, sometimes lightly enough not to be fully submerged in them, just under the surface, hidden in plain sight "Honey?" she called again, stretching a hand towards the shadow that curled in there. Lena could have easily moved through the Shadow Realm and go basically to any part of the city in seconds, or fusion even deeper into the darkness to avoid being reached, but instead, she let herself be caught as Della's palm gently landed on her shoulder.
Della felt her silhouette, even though she was still made of mostly shadows, so she carefully grabbed her arm, tugging her towards the dim light, outside of her hiding just as Lena became 'real' again, Della could see how completely devastated she looked. Tears were still roaming down her eyes as she scrubbed them with the sleeve of her sweater, which was stained by a dark fluid.
"Lena?" Della called again.
"It was an accident," she said through a sob that broke her from within "I-I didn't mean to"
Della didn't hesitate to come closer, rubbing circles on her back as the teen hugged her knees to her chest crying inconsolably "Hey, hey, it's okay, honey"
"I'm sorry" she hid her face away "I'm sorry"
"Sweetie" Della sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders "it's okay" she cooed "can you tell me what happened?" she asked softly.
Lena tried to catch her breath but choked on tears through multiple attempts.
"Lena, take one deep breath with me, come on" she instructed "long and slow" she did it to demonstrate until she got the teen to do it too "that's it" she praised, holding her a bit closer "that's better"
Lena managed to regulate her breathing, although the tears were still flooding her eyes persistently.
"Honey?" Della tried to talk to her once more "are you okay?"
Lena hid her hands against her chest "I-I messed up" was the first thing she said "I thought- I was sure it was her" her beak quivered, there was no need to say the name, Della knew Magica was Lena's soul tormentor "the shadow in the kitchen, it- it moved. It the corner, above my head. It-it had to be her, or- or at least I thought it was, and- and I got scared" her hands clenched the fabric of her sweater, at the same height the amulet used to hang "because she doesn't know where I live, she doesn't need me anymore, she shouldn't have come for me, but she was there, -or at least in my head- it got all confusing, it felt like I was being dragged back into the shadows and" she shut her eyes tight "I must have screamed or something, and suddenly I felt a touch on my shoulder and I snapped" she tensed at the memory "I blew the kitchen's window with my magic and after the blast I saw Indy lying on the ground and he..." she swallowed with difficulty "he must have rushed to check on me, but I didn't see him, -I swear I didn't-, even though he was probably right there in front of me and there was...there was so much blood in his forearms from the glass and..." she chocked "And Ty rushed to him, but...but when I tried to help, he shielded Indy from me" her voice broke as her real wounds came to show "he...he was afraid of me" she hugged herslef tighter "And he is right to be, I hurt my dad so badly" she sobbed once more "they must hate me so much"
"That's not true" Della held her tightly with both arms, letting Lena cry all her fears out against her chest "They don't hate you" she rubbed circles on her back "And I assure you, Ty is not afraid of you"
"You didn't saw the look on his face" the girl trembled.
"Listen, honey...sometimes...parents make mistakes too. I am...the living proof of how badly we can mess up" she said weakly "We try our best, but we are human too. His reaction isn't more than just a reflex, he was probably confused and just acted on impulse. That doesn't mean he doesn't love you. You have to give him a chance to reach out to you. He is worry sick, he just wants you back home"
"I can't..." Lena chocked "I can't go back"
Della froze at those words "Lena-"
"I can't, I won't" she sniffed "It could happen again, I can't let them get hurt because I jump at the sight of my shadow"
"Lena" she called again.
"It's not fair on them"
"Fair?" she grabbed her shoulders so they would be face to face "You know what's not fair? For them to lose their daughter overnight just like that"
"I could wind up doing something worse than breaking a window!"
"Yes, and it's likely this won't be the last time your head plays these games with you, but your parents are willing to work with you to go through this"
"I can't do this to them"
"Lena" Della pressed her shoulders tighter, really looking into her eyes "Don't make the same mistake I did," she said with such pain and regret, that her words emblemed into Lena's heart "I walked away from my family, I spent a decade apart, I nearly destroyed them" the bitterness stung her beak with each word "you don't want that, I promise. However scary this looks, it's much worse to leave. They don't deserve that and you don't deserve to be severed from the people that love you. Magica already kept you isolated long enough, this is your life, not hers. So if you want to take it back, you need help, and your family is one of the most important pillars to help you through"
Lena was silent, but her body tremored as she hugged herself, hiding into her own arms, because truth was, she was afraid of that. Of staying, facing all the things that were wrong, of having a family to truly belong to, of hurting yet again the people that opened their hearts to her, that loved her. Feelings were hard to understand, when she became sentient they were inexplicable and painful to have, but they were real – they made her real. So it was worth exploring them because it meant she was more than what Magica made her believe.
Lena was so absorbed in those thoughts, she didn't notice when Della took off her jacket to gently placed it over her shoulders. The pilot hoped the pressure would help her settle, or at least give her small comfort. To her surprise, the teen immediately held on to it, shielding herself underneath. They stood in silence for a while, as Lena's sniffles were the only sound to fill in.
Della looked at her closely, trying to figure out if she should call Ty, at the same time, Lena didn't seem quite ready for that reunion and confrontation. But while inspecting the girl, she noticed the dark stain in her clothes had only grown bigger and that her hands were also darkened by it.
"What's this?" she pointed at her mushed feathers.
The teen gazed at her hands as if only now realizing they were that shade "I...also got cut by the glass" she said weakly.
"That's your blood?!" she tried to keep her tone from rising, as the teen shrugged her shoulders, looking smaller.
"Don't move" Della asked, rushing for the first aid kit she always kept near her bed.
"You don't have to-" Lena hid her palms away, under her elbows. Della stopped her actions as she was about to touch her.
"I won't if you ask me not to," Della said "but I do think you need to be treated" she set everything down "and if what's keeping you from getting healed is guilt over what happened to Indy, then neglecting this is a self-imposed punishment," she said firmly yet calmed.
Lena held into the aviator jacket even harder, she was clearly battling her own demons, but ultimately she shakily stretched a hand.
Della smiled kindly, grabbing her wrist to turn it over, taking a closer look at the cuts, luckily there wasn't any residual piece still piercing her skin "Are they deep?" she asked
"No" Lena mumbled "superficial, just...messy"
Della nodded with sympathy, carefully stretching her skin, for which Lena winced taking in a sharp breath "Sorry, I'm sorry" she cooed, turning to grab a piece of cotton that she mixed with a solution to disinfect the cuts. She gently applied it, noticing the multiple lines that she methodically cleaned.
Lena took one deep breath "M-my dads-?" she cut herself off as Della gazed up at her "did they call?"
"Yeah" she answered softly "we were about to go out looking for you. I think Violet went to the amphitheater?"
Lena averted her eyes "I used to live there" she said. Of course, Della knew this, but she had never been to the place and other than what the kids have told her, she couldn't picture it being Lena's home for so long.
"Do you want me to call them?" Della offered instead, but Lena tensed.
"Not yet" she shook her head, her shoulders dropping "I- I'm...not ready"
"I wish I could say it will get easier with time, but..." Della left the rest unsaid.
"I know" Lena mumbled "just not now"
"Of course" she gently started wrapping bandages around her palm, then taking her other hand to repeat the process.
"...Thanks," Lena said after a beat.
"It's okay, honey. I'm almost done"
"No, thanks for..." Lena lost her nerve, looking away "just, thanks"
Della tried to meet her eyes to prompt her to continue, but the teen didn't budge, so Della finished her work, caressing softly over the bandages.
"All patched"
Lena nodded, doing an attempt to stand up, but her body was shaking, she was physically exhausted. Probably due to the outburst of magic, moving with the shadows and overall, the emotional toll of crying her non-existent heart out.
"Easy there" Della helped her up "come on, let's get you to the bed"
Lena sat there, almost falling over, but Della settled her in place "That's it" she secured the jacket around Lena's shoulders, kneeling in front of the girl, noticing the dark circles under her eyes "Have you been sleeping alright kiddo?"
Lena scrubbed her eyes as if that could wipe away the marks "Yeah, just... a couple of nightmares"
Della cupped her face. That looked like more than just a couple of sleepless nights "Why don't you lay down for a moment?" she suggested gently, trying to lure her into slumber. Della knew that her own triggers and panic attacks intensified when there was a lack of sleep involved, so she assumed Lena's brain had taken whatever nightmare to life and the exhaustion had managed to trick her into believing it to be real.
But Lena shook her head "I don't want to sleep"
"Okay, then just to rest your body for a sec, alright?" she rubbed her arm up and down "I'll stay right here" she offered.
Lena swallowed but ultimately nodded.
"Perfect" Della smirked, standing up and gently helping the teen curl over the mattress. She noticed Lena was still hiding her hands onto her sides and that the shivering wasn't completely gone.
So Della sat at the edge, keeping a hand on Lena's back, rubbing circles there to soothe her.
"What if...they don't forgive me?" Lena whispered into the silence "For what I did? What if Ty and Indy-?"
"They know it was an accident. A parent's love is unconditional"
"No. Not that...for...for leaving"
That hit too close to home for Della "They will" she said right away "you just...have to come back" she swallowed the knot in her throat "are you worried about that?"
Lena hid her face into the pillow, ashamed. That look on her face was more than answer enough. She had run away, she felt like a coward.
"Honey," Della said softly, but Lena didn't meet her eyes. So she sighed, removing her scarf as she laid down in front of her, being face to face. Lena seemed surprised, but didn't pull away, nor did she tensed "I think on this matter, I am an expert" Della began slowly "I know that the idea of seeing them again it's scary" she exhaled "how do you even look someone in the eyes after disappearing without a word, right? With what right do you knock on their front door?"
Lena shrunk even deeper into herself, she couldn't imagine how Della felt when she was on the other side of the entrance, expecting to meet her kids for the first time.
"But you have nothing to be scared of," Della said, gently running her fingers through her pink streak of hair "you were scared, you were confused, you were trying to protect them the only way you could think of, which was by not being there"
"But I still managed to hurt them, even when I tried not to, they got worried about me"
"Kind of how Ty reacted?" Della offered "he acted out, he wasn't thinking clearly and that hurt your feelings, but he didn't mean to and he's waiting for you to come home"
Lena felt her eyes water a bit, reasoning through her words. She knew Ty loved her, that everyone at her house did, but sometimes it was hard to believe she was deserving of such affection and care "they are looking for me as though I was worth-"
"Hey" Della wrapped an arm around her "don't finish that sentence," she said sternly, yet with unmovable tenderness.
To her surprise, Lena's reaction was to lean in and hide into her shoulder, holding her back and cuddling under her embrace.
Della was shortly aback, but didn't hesitate to properly hug the teen, gently stroking her back "You are worth much more than you give yourself credit for" she said in a gentler tone "if you won't believe that from yourself, then believe it coming from me"
Lena cuddled under her chin, her eyes still shut tight as she held her a bit tighter "...I'm sorry, Della"
"Kid-"
"I'm sorry I made you relive those memories, I didn't mean to-"
"Lena, honey" she cut her off, caressing her back "You don't have to apologize to me, kiddo," she said tenderly before trying to overcome the knot in her throat "I just don't want you to carry what I had to, you don't need that in your life, you've been through enough" she hugged her closer to her chest.
Lena balled her fists until they hurt, to then let go "Can I stay for a bit longer?"
Della was surprised by the request, but nodded "Of course, as long as you need"
Lena's posture relaxed, even if unconsciously. She wasn't ready to leave. For now, she felt safe right where she was. In the darkness of that room, she knew no shadow could harm her, not as long as Della was there.
Nothing else was said, after a couple of minutes, Lena's eyelids finally gave out and slumber took over. The sight of the teen so calmed brought relief to the older duck. As long as Lena was under her embrace, she could make sure nothing bad would happen to her.
And then, a thin beam of light crept into the room as Beakley stood by the door that was opened ajar.
Della carefully stepped away from the bed, reaching the entrance to step outside.
"I see you found her" Beakley murmured, sneaking a look inside to make sure Lena was still asleep, as though she feared she might vanish within the darkness.
"More like the other way around" Della admitted, rubbing a palm up and down her opposite arm.
"Is she alright?" Beakley asked with unusual preoccupation.
Della hesitated "I'm not sure" she admitted.
"Do you know what happened to her?"
Della fumbled with the bracelet on her wrist, what Lena had told her were her secrets to keep, but not saying it felt worse. She trusted Beakley, and maybe she needed someone to lean on to as well "she...had a panic attack. And used magic, accidentally hurting Indy and herself. I've taken care of her wounds but... she's hurt that Ty looked scared of her"
Beakley listened carefully, her face saddening "I see" she took a second glance inside "I'm glad she came to you" she patted Della's shoulder "She searched for a familiar place and found it, in your company"
Della smiled weakly, but it slipped "I don't think I've ever seen her this..." she couldn't find the words to describe it.
Beakley nodded understandingly, somehow no explanation was needed "I'll make sure to let both Mr. Sabrewings know where their daughter is"
Della's shoulders jolted up "Wait-" she asked "I mean, yes, they need to know, they must be worried out of their minds, just-" she gazed over her shoulder, at the sleeping figure.
Beakley sighed "I can't imagine how difficult this might be for her, but she'll have to face this sooner rather than later. Might as well put her dads at ease and figure out the rest while they get on their way here"
Della folded her arms but nodded "Alright" she mumbled.
Beakley gently squeezed her shoulder "I'll be right back, can you make sure she's okay until then?"
Della nodded, going back into the room as Beakley left.
She sat next to the teen, making sure not to wake her, but other than a mumble, Lena stood peacefully asleep.
Della smiled at the image, running her fingers ghostly over her hair for a couple of minutes before her face turned sad "I'm sorry, kiddo" she mumbled hoping for no answer "I should have done something before it came down to this" she continued "you are always there to pick up my broken pieces, you notice so easily whenever I'm losing my grip and...I couldn't tell. You were sleep-deprived, you were having nightmares again and suffering in silence. It was a matter of time before it came down to this" she exhaled.
"That's not on you" Beakley's voice interrupted.
Della gazed up, standing from the edge of the bed. The former spy had walked in without making a sound "Mrs. B-"
"Della" Beakley walked up to her, minding not to raise her voice too loudly "Listen to me, dear" she held her shoulders "This doesn't fall on you"
A humorless laugh escaped Della's beak "Of course it does, she always comes to me, we talk, she understands!" she felt the sting in her own eyes "You know how awful that is? That the only person in the world that can relate to what I went through is just a kid!" she hissed under her breath, pressing a hand to her face "She doesn't deserve this" the tears were rolling down "I had it coming since the moment I set foot on the Spear, but she didn't ask for any of this, so why should she suffer through this?!"
"Della" Beakley tried to approach her, but Della took a step back, closer to the exit.
"I don't need your sympathy or your understanding, she does" she pointed at the bed.
But Beakley hugged her, against all her protest, she held the pilot close, and soon, Della's struggle to free herself turned into a broken sob as she held back. Beakley felt her crumble and gently patted her shoulder.
"Why is nothing I do ever enough?" Della asked brokenly.
"What are you talking about?" Beakley sounded equal parts shocked and outraged "you are always doing everything in your power, you can't ask more out of yourself. You built a rocket and came back through sheer will and determination, you made it home on your own, that was enough"
Della sniffed about to refute, but Beakley continued "And you've done much more than you can imagine for her as well" the English duck added softly "you've helped her find a place, with us, with her family, with herself. Having you means she's not alone. It means that when she's scared of shadows and turns to you, it's because she knows you'll take her seriously, that her feelings will be validated" she explained "and as much as any of us -your brother, your Uncle- would like to help out too, the only one that can truly connect with her, is you" she caressed the back of her head "so you've done enough"
Della felt her shoulders slump "Not tonight"
"Della" Beakley let go, looking at her "we both know healing isn't a straightforward process. Some days are good, others are hard, that doesn't mean there isn't progress. You've both come a long way. And just as you would never hold Lena responsible for one of your episodes, you can't feel guilty about this one"
Della breathed in, looking back at the bed. Somehow Lena had slept through the whole thing and...Della smiled. Because, in fact, she could remember the first sleepless nights in which they would run into each other roaming the halls, both trying to avoid the rest of the family that so desperately tried to no avail to welcome them in. And now, here they were. Lena hadn't isolated herself, she had sought her out. She could have gone to the abandoned amphitheater or left with the shadows altogether, but she didn't. And Della had been there, she had earned Lena's trust. So they must have been doing something right.
Beakley saw the small smile tugging at her beak "You've come a long way"
"...Thanks"
She nodded before turning to the door "I should go to the entrance to expect their arrival, we don't want the children opening the door"
"Right" Della nodded "I should wake her up"
Beakley looked almost apologetical "Let her have a couple more minutes"
Della smirked softly "Of course" she tugged at her friendship bracelet.
"I'll be right back" Beakley closed the door behind her.
Della sighed, going back to the bed, moving through the darkness with such familiarity it was almost appalling. She sat there, waiting in silence, to then just actually lying down facing the ceiling, fumbling with her hands, absently playing with the bracelet.
The sudden sound of Lena grumbling under her breath made her turn towards her as the teen, still asleep, grabbed into her, leaning in and groaning. Della turned over her shoulder, rubbing Lena's arm up and down trying to soothe her. If she was having a nightmare, then it might be a good time to wake her up.
"Hey, sweetie" she called softly "it's only a dream, you are here, you are safe"
Lena winced as heavy drops of sweat ran down her forehead right before her eyes snapped open in terror.
"Honey, honey" Della called "look at me, you are here, it's okay"
Lena swallowed hard, rubbing her eyes, pushing the reminiscent images of the nightmare to the back of her head "Yeah, yeah, I'm here" her voice faltered.
Della held her close "I've got you, it's okay" she mumbled "nothing can harm you"
Lena buried her face against Della's shoulder, swallowing the know in her throat "Thanks, mom"
It had been so faint Della almost missed it but...she had called her that, mom.
And the word kept repeating on her head. Della knew they had become close, leaning into one another, but she had never expected the teen to actually say it or even acknowledge it. And if Lena saw her as a maternal figure then...maybe admitting she saw the kid as her own was also...okay.
So, Della hugged her, pressing a kiss to her head. Nothing else was said for a long pause. And then a couple of voices echoed from the hallway.
"...Violet stayed with Indy," Ty said, and if the hoarseness of his voice was any indication, he had been crying.
"It's quite alright, Mr. Sabrewing" Beakley replied softly, their footsteps getting closer.
Lena tensed, snapping her eyes open, looking at Della.
"It's okay" she cooed.
"I'm not ready" the teen mumbled, her tone ringing with anxiety.
"I don't think there's ever a right time for these things," she said "but you don't have to face this alone either," she said "come on, let's get you home" she helped her up just mere seconds before the door opened and the light of the hallway lighted the inside of the room.
As soon as Ty's eyes landed on her, he rushed towards her, kneeling down and hugging her tight "I'm so sorry, pequeña. Perdóname, nena" he all but pleaded for her forgiveness as tears took over again "I didn't mean to-" he choked on the words "we love you so much"
Lena felt her own body tremble as she hugged him back "I didn't mean to hurt Indy" she said "Please, you have to believe me"
"I do! Of course, I do! I know it was an accident. We should have known better than to try and touch you, we are the ones that frightened you"
"No, dad it's not your fault" she hugged tighter "you shouldn't have to put up with me"
"Put up with you?" he repeated "Lena, you are our daughter, we are not 'putting up with you', you are part of our family and that's what families do, help each other, see what the other needs and sometimes, make mistakes like mine" he let go, caressing her cheek "I should have never made you feel as though I didn't trust you or that I was afraid of you. I'm your dad and tonight I failed at parenting"
Lena wiped her own tears away "We both kind of had a bad night"
Ty chuckled despite himself "Yeah, querida. We kind of did" he smiled softly "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep trying" he saw her eyes with tenderness "will you come back home with us?" he asked, sincerely. If she was to say no, then he was willing to respect it.
"Is...is Indy okay?"
"Few stitches" he admitted, he was not going to lie to her. He then took notice of her hands "are you?"
Lena was about to hide them behind her back, but Ty held them with gentleness.
"Um...yes," Lena said after a beat. "Della took care of them" she gazed up at the woman that stood by the door next to Beakley.
Ty looked over his shoulder at her, mouthing a sincere "Thank you", to which Della nodded solemnly.
So Ty gazed back at the teen "Do you want to go home?"
Lena shrugged momentarily, but nodded "Yeah. I do. I want to go home" she hugged Ty "I love you guys" she mumbled.
"We love you too" he stroked her back, before standing up "come on, then. Indy and Violet will be so happy to see you"
Lena flinched slightly, she still needed to face them too. The idea of seeing Indy hurt by her own hand made her stomach turn, but she had the reassurance that they understood what happened, and Violet was always there to help her through. Somehow she knew everything was going to be alright "I'll...be happy to see them too"
Ty nodded encouragingly, walking her to the exit.
"Mrs. Beakley, Della, thank you so much, I could never repay you"
"No need for that, Mr. Saberwing," the English duck said "Lena is always welcome here, we are just glad she knew that"
Lena shrugged smiling shyly at her "Thanks, Tea Time" she mumbled.
She smiled back, noticing that Ty was still finding the words to talk to Della "Well, why don't we give you some medicine to alleviate the inflammation?" she suggested "we'll see you downstairs" she said, walking the teen down the hall. At least, since the kids had actually ordered a pizza, they were all in the rec-room and no one would notice them in the kitchen.
Once alone, Ty turned to Della, looking rather awkward.
"Thanks, Della"
"Really, it was no problem," the pilot said "I'm just so relieved we found her"
"You found her," he said, dragging a foot through the carpet "and you took care of the cuts"
"They are not severe, I just disinfected them and put on a bandage"
"What I mean is...you are...always there for her. She mentions you a lot at home, really" he chuckled shortly "and...when she can't find the words to tell us something, we know she'll figure them out with you"
Della averted her eyes "We...can understand each other. And the reason why is one I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy, let alone on a kid" she grimaced "sometimes I really wish she couldn't relate to me because that means she's been through-" she couldn't finish the sentence, her throat closed up. It was something no one shouldn't tell a parent, about how their child was suffering and there was nothing that could be done or said to prevent it.
Ty looked down "I know" he mumbled "and even if it's not with me or Indy, I'm glad she has someone to lean on. I guess what I am trying to say is...thank you for...everything"
Della shook her head "You give me far too much credit" she said "believe me, you are the ones that gave Lena something she's always dreamt of. You are her home, her family"
"And so are you," he replied and the open and sincere gesture in his face said everything else.
Della took a moment before her eyes started to get watery. So she nodded, trying to wipe away the forming tears.
Ty offered a smile, nodding back, stretching a hand towards her. Della shook it. It was...a strange gesture, but a comforting one. Like being on the same team, to make sure Lena could grow happy and free from her past.
After that, they walked down the stairs, meeting the other two at the door.
"Lista?" Ty asked, to which Lena nodded. She was ready to go home "Okay, time to say goodnight, then"
Lena turned to the women, fidgeting for a moment under Beakley's gaze "Um...thanks for…" she gestured with a hand "um...you know...leaving the door open for me" she decided to say "if our shared history has taught us anything is that you clearly shouldn't but...thanks for still doing it" she said trying to meet her eyes. If the older duck had chosen to get her out of the manor, then not even Della would have been able to stop her. But Beakley still decided to trust Lena, even after everything they had gone through.
"That's never going to change, dear," she said, patting her shoulder. But Lena did the unexpected and leaned in to hug her.
"Thanks"
Beakley was surprised by the action, but it soon moved her as she hugged her back "Anytime"
They let go and now Lena stood in front of Della. She wanted to say a lot of things along the lines of "sorry" and "thank you". But nothing left her beak as it hung uselessly open.
So Della knelt down and hugged her tight as Lena embraced her with equal affection. Words didn't need to fill the silence, both knew what the other was saying through that soul action. So when they let go, it all felt better in a way. Lena took a step back going with Ty as they reached the car parked outside. And as they drove away, Della and Beakley waved from the entrance.
Beakley smiled "I'm glad she's okay" she commented, "should we check on the children?"
"Yeah, we should. Although I don't think they've noticed our absence" she chuckled.
"We can't compete against pizza when it comes to your kids"
"To the boys, maybe, but it's okay. Tonight...my other kid needed me too"
Beakley gazed at her dumbfounded, but upon seeing Della's accepting smile, she knew she meant her words, that she was ready to say them, at least to her.
"I'm glad you were there to help her" Beakley patted her shoulder "Now, let's go see if the other three saved at least a slice for us"
Della laughed "I'm pretty sure we'll have to make do with something from the pantry" they walked through the hallways as Beakley wrapped an arm around the pilot and Della leaned her head over the older woman's shoulder sighing slowly "Thanks, Mrs. B"