After Huey stormed off, Dewey left to fix the RV. Uncle D could probably sense that she was destroyed and hunting them down as they spoke. If they were going to be headed back to Duckburg, the RV needed to have some work done. He had said something about Louie helping him fix it, but that sounded like a horrible idea. First off, when was Dewey able to fix anything? Secondly, the two of them were never really good at working projects together, just the two of them.

Dewey would always say something overly confident or arrogant that'd rub Louie the wrong way. Then Louie would pass off a backhanded comment. After a little bit of back and forth, the blame game would start up and somehow it would end in a fist fight that Huey inevitably either joined or broke up.

In the end, Louie avoided the whole thing by saying he had a headache and needed a nap. Dewey rolled his eyes and grumbled about it, but he didn't argue, and instead left Louie to his own devices.

Louie slunk off to the Mallard's cramped den that they had filled with two air mattresses the night before, for both Dewey and Louie while Huey was knocked out on the couch. He plopped onto Dewey's since his own was slowly deflating and looked like a sad, squished marshmallow.

He stared up at the ceiling, his fingers still gripping the worn photo of Sam. Our dad works for the D.A.S.A. after working with F.O.W.L. He must have a lot going for him if he was able to land a job at both places. He must be smart.

He let out a sigh and lifted the picture and stared it. "I wish Huey cared about finding you as much as Dewey and I do. It'd be so much easier to find you if he was onboard. He knows a lot more about DASA with all his nerd stuff." Louie rolled his eyes and shook his head into the pillow, pushing his hat over his eyes. "Instead he's got to be weird about the whole thing. It's a bad time for him to be weird. But what am I even saying? He's always been weird."

Louie took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. "Even so, it'd be nice if he would just get a hold of himself and come up with a plan like he always does. It would make this trip a whole lot easier and there'd be a whole lot less fighting."

Louie rolled onto his stomach and felt something poke him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small vial. Professor VonDrake's growth serum. Setting it on the pillow and resting his chin on his arms, he watched as dozens of bubbles floated to the top of the green liquid. He smirked.

Blinded by his emotions, Huey had stormed out of the house and forgotten all about the little green vial Louie borrowed from Professor VonDrake's lab. He tapped on the vial, making the bubbles dance. Who says I can't keep it? Huey's too distracted by Gosalyn and his own issues and Dewey probably forgot it was even a plot point by now.

He picked it up and twirled it between his fingers. It would be handy to have around. Especially if Gus finds me again. This serum would be worth millions to the right people… and I'm just the duck to find those money-grubbing dealers. Easy money and nobody has to get hurt.

VonDrake can just make a new serum and Huey doesn't have to know. For all he knows, I could have given it to Gosalyn.

He tapped the cork against his chin. "But, knowing Huey, once we're away from Gosalyn he'll remember and he'll ask her to make sure I gave it back." A smirk slowly slid its way onto his beak. "I'll have to make sure I give it back to Gosalyn then."

He hopped off the air mattress, fixing his backwards cap on his head and slipping the vial into his pocket along with the photo of their dad. Cracking the door open, he peeked out into the living space. All clear.

He ducked out the back door and dove into some bushes. Creeping around the side of the house, he headed for the garage. He froze, holding his breath at the sound of voices coming from the front of the house.

"I understand why you're mad at them but they just want to find your dad." The voice sounded like Gosalyn. "It's a family mystery you've all had to live with for your entire lives."

"So what?" Another voice cracked. Definitely Huey. He's the only person I know who sounds like a scratching record when he's mad. "I think we're better off. If he's never bothered to find us, then there's no point in trying to find him. On top of that, he was a F.O.W.L. agent! For all we know, our father could have been trying to kill us! I'd rather not become Luke Skywalker and lose a hand over meeting my father, thank you very much."

Louie laid on his stomach in the grass and palmed his forehead. Typical. I felt the same things about Mom before we met her but we were wrong. I'd like to give our dad a little room to justify himself. Gosalyn giggled, prompting Louie to peek around the corner of the garage.

Huey sat under the tree in the Mallard's front yard, while Gosalyn stood with her hands on her hips in front of him. Huey's furrowed brow, tense shoulders, and red eyes visibly relaxed at the sound of her laughter.

"Don't you think you might be being just a little hard on everyone? Including yourself?" Gosalyn twisted one of her curls. "Sure, I agree. Your dad could be a horrible person… but you're putting waaaaaay too much responsibility on yourself to protect your brothers from that possible truth. Dewey's right. They're old enough to learn the truth for themselves, good or bad. Try as you may, you can't always protect them… and with you three going your separate ways this summer, maybe this is part of the process. Your brothers have to learn how to protect themselves."

Huey rested his elbows on his knees and raked his fingers through his hair. "I know you're right. It just feels wrong." He closed his eyes and sighed. The cracking in his voice went down to the normal, cheeky sound it always had.

Louie blinked. Honestly? That's kind of remarkable. I've never been able to talk him down that fast… and I'm ME! Maybe Gosalyn is the girl for him. While Huey's eyes were set on Gosalyn, Louie snuck into the garage.

"I've never had siblings but Honker was my… well, he was like my brother. Especially in highschool. He always tried to protect me from finding out ugly truths about girls I thought were my friends or boys I had a crush on that weren't right for me. Honker saved me from a lot of heartache, but there were some things I just had to learn the hard way… and, while painful, those were the mistakes I learned from the most."

Louie barely paid attention to what they were talking about. All he needed to know was that Gosalyn was in the middle of the monologue and Huey was falling even more in love with her. Seriously, he could have gotten away with murder and Huey wouldn't have noticed. Louie grabbed Gosalyn's purple bicycle and slipped out of the garage with it. He hid behind her car and inched down the driveway with it.

"You've got a point. It's just against my nature and there's so many ways this could go wrong. But you're right. Wow, Gos, you should really think about becoming a psychologist. You've got quite the knack for analyzing the situation and giving good advice."

BARF. "Oh, Gosalyn, you're so smart! You're unlike any other girl I've ever met. Will you marry me? Mwah, mwah, mwah!" Blegh. Mush!

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks for talking some sense into me. I'm going to have to go with them anyway. I'll try my best to let them make their own mistakes."
"But, that doesn't mean you can't be the to say I told you so."

Huey chuckled and Louie could just imagine his dumb, cheeky grin. "Well, duh! What are big brother's for anyhow?"

Greaaaaat, the last thing we need is for her to encourage him. Louie took a breath and tried to remind himself that this meant Huey was back onboard, even if his superiority complex flexed more than ever.

Huey spoke up again. "Where'd Dewey go off to?"

"He went with Launchpad to the airport to work on the RV. I can give you a ride if you want."

Louie's limbs went stiff against the side of Gosalyn's car. He held his breath. Please say no, please say no….

"Sure. That'd be great. I'm cringing at the thought of Dewey trying to fix that hunk of junk by himself, much less with Launchpad."

Louie swallowed hard and glanced around, looking for an angle out where they wouldn't catch onto him.

"But let's grab a drink inside first." Huey was using his smooth-talker tone. "Let him make his own mistakes while we enjoy each other's company for a while, what do you say?"

Louie melted against the door of the car. I never thought I'd be grateful for his awful flirting. He crouched and peeked under the car, watching their feet take them inside. The door latched shut.

He waited several minutes, picturing everything.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Um. Well… it's kinda my house soooooo what would you like to drink?"

"Heh, oh yeah." Cue nervous rambling, awkward fumbling, probably some stumbling… aaaaaand they're distracted.

Louie hopped on the bike and pedaled down the driveway, flying out of the subdivision and down the hill towards downtown St. Canard. Dewey could have his planes, Huey could have his girls. But him? He preferred something a little more green.