Just as Cosmo exited the gas station, his arms full with an overflowing paper bag, Dewey rushed up and grabbed him by the elbow. "Ah, Dewey, perfect timing!" Cosmo said, trying to peer around the bulky bag to see his son's face while being careful not to drop any of the items. "I wasn't sure what your brother liked, so I got a bit of everything." As he spoke, Dewey's grip on his arm tightened, forcing Cosmo to quicken his pace to keep up.

"I grabbed electrolyte water in three different flavors. I also picked up some medicine to help soothe his stomach and three different types of Pep. Do you like blueberry? That's what I chose for you, but if you don't, I have two other flavors you can choose from." He continued, "Does your brother have any favorites? I realized as soon as I stepped inside the gas station that I have no idea what your boys' favorite things are. When we get back to the RV, I'd like to fix that."

When Dewey didn't answer, Cosmo's throat tightened.Aw man, I screwed up again, didn't I? What'd I say this time? This whole trip Dewey's been the talkative one, eager to chat about everything, and I haven't even taken the time to ask the basic questions to get to know him better—like what his favorite food is or what he enjoys doing for fun.

The paper bag crinkled as his fingers dug into it. "Aw phooey, listen, kid, I'm sorry. I know I haven't been the best at–wait, where are we?" He finally got his head around the paper bag enough to see that they were in the hull of an airplane–nowhere near the RV. "Dewey?"

Looking up, he spotted his son climbing a ladder to the top of the front of the plane. Hearing a whirring sound behind him, he jumped and spun around. The back of the plane sealed shut, closing them in. "Dewey… what are we doing on a plane?"

"Finding my brothers," was the only answer he received.

What is he talking about?Cosmo hugged the bursting paper bag to his side and trudged up the ladder rung by rung. "Hey, that's great!" When he finally reached the top and realized they were the only two aboard, a familiar pit formed in his stomach. "But where's your brother and Webby? Or thepilot, for that matter," he forced a chuckle, as he inched closer to the captain's chair where his son was seated.

Dewey's voice lowered as his hand reached for the accelerator. "He's right here."

Aw Phooey.In an instant, Cosmo dropped the paper bag to the floor and hopped into the seat next to him. "Dewey, don't-" He reached for the yoke but it was too late, Dewey was already in control, and taking off. By the time Cosmo managed to fasten his seatbelt, they were airborne. His fingers dug into armrests and his feet scrambled to find a foothold as the plane rumbled from the ground into the sky.He's lost it!Cosmo pressed himself back into the seat and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing deep, steady breaths.

Calm down… he's not crazy.His stomach flip flopped. He opened his eyes to watch as Dewey guided the bird into the air, his tongue slightly sticking out.He's Della Duck.

"Relax, Dad." Dewey finally spoke up. He flashed him a smile. "You can stop acting like you're about to die."

Cosmo slowly uncurled his fingers from the armrests, each one trembling. He took a shaky breath and managed a small, nervous chuckle. "H-how old are you again?"

Dewey smirked and rolled his eyes. "Trust me, I may not be book-smart but I've studied more about airplanes than you can imagine. Not to mention my Mom is–"

"Della Duck," they spoke in unison, one with certainty, the other with a touch more restraint. They met eyes.

Cosmo's stomach began to churn again, unsure whether it was from the hotdog or the fact that his underaged, unlicensed son was flying a couple tons of metal through the air. But what else did he expect? Dewey Duck was Della's son and he had been raised by the McDucks. To him, this was probably normal. He swallowed hard.How do I even approach this?He racked his brain for something to say.

Dewey turned his eyes back to the skies. A crackle came through the coms, and Cosmo watched as Dewey picked up the handheld radio, speaking fluent air traffic jargon into the line. The response on the other end sounded encouraging, though Cosmo couldn't make sense of a word. Dewey set the radio back on the dashboard and took hold of the yoke, adjusting their altitude and scanning the instruments.

It sure seems like he knows what he's doing.Cosmo settled back into his seat. "Let me guess, your mom is your flight instructor."

A small smile crossed Dewey's face, and his chest swelled with pride. "Yeah, she's been teaching me since I was eleven. So when I tell you to trust me, you've got every reason to. You're in good hands."

"I don't doubt it. Your mom… she's the best pilot I've ever known." He rubbed his forehead and chuckled. "Come to think of it, she's the best at everything. Pilot, astronaut, adventurer, explorer, treasure hunter—she's unmatched." A dull, familiar ache thumped in his chest, and he sank deeper into his seat. Sensing Dewey's eyes on him, he straightened and cleared his throat. "What I mean is, I'm sure she's taught you well."

"Look, I know I'm a lot like her. I know I can talk a bluestreak." Dewey let out a soft chuckle. "And I know I can be reckless, always diving into things headfirst. That's just who I am. I'm my mother's son, and I always will be. If that makes you uncomfortable, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to pretend to be someone else. And if I can be even a fraction of the adventurer she is, I'll give it everything I've got."

A warm, full feeling stirred in Cosmo's chest as he listened to Dewey express himself so freely.Della must have instilled that in him. Honest to the bone."I wouldn't want it any other way." He took a breath, releasing some of the tension in his throat. "I will admit, sometimes it's a scary resemblance, but only because it's been so long since I've seen her and I'm finally getting to know you. You're so much like she was back in the day… it's just amazing."

"So… it doesn't bother you?"

Cosmo shook his head, his heart sore at the thought that he had made Dewey think that. "No. Not at all. Remember, I did love your mother." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. It clearly left one question in the air that he was in no way ready to give an answer for.

Dewey's brow furrowed but before he could open his mouth, Cosmo spoke up. "So, where are we headed, son?"

Dewey's face fell dark again. "We're going to find Louie and Phooey on our own."

Okay then. Something clearly went down while I was gone.Cosmo went quiet. He looked back at all of the dented Pep cans and bottles of water as they rolled across the floor and fell off the ledge into the hull. He could hear the hissing from the carbonated "bombs" as they hit the floor.I may regret this question but I need to know."Did your brother say something? If it has to do with me, I want to know. I don't want to be the thing that comes between you boys."

Dewey grunted slightly and shook his head. "This has nothing to do with Huey. He's entitled to his own opinion." His voice fell to a salty mumble. "But she isn't…."

Of course–Webby.Cosmo clicked his tongue. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"If it made you kidnap me in a plane that you're flying without a license, I rather think it matters." He smirked, wading into the subject just to see how he would react. If it had been Della he was confronting, he definitely would have gotten snapped at, but Dewey seemed a bit more level-headed.

Dewey heaved a sigh before blurting it out. "Webby thinks you're a F.O.W.L. agent. She's been spying on you. She knew where you were, who you were—all of it and she never told us! When I found out, I was furious. I told her to stay away from us." Dewey flipped the auto-pilot switch and slumped back in his seat. "She and Huey can be skeptics together. They deserve each other. I thought we'd be better off looking for Louie and Phooey on our own."

Cosmo watched as Dewey sat with his arms crossed and a storm of frustration clouding his face. His chest tightened.Well, no wonder he's confused and angry… he's trying to protect me. He's bound to get hurt that way.He reached over and touched his arm. He understood the boy's pain all too well. "Sometimes the people who care about us make choices we don't understand, thinking they're protecting us or doing what's right. It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, though."

Dewey's eyes flickered with bitterness. "I just couldn't let them continue to treat you like a suspect, especially after she broke my trust. And Huey? He wouldn't understand." He rubbed his beak on his arm to hide the few tears he squeezed out.

Cosmo rubbed his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"Huey's been looking for a reason to mistrust you. If Webby gives him one, it'll be the same as now—us against the world." Dewey sniffled, jaw clenching. "I thought it'd be best if we left before that could happen."

He pressed a hand to his temple as a subtle headache drummed across his forehead.I'm tearing them apart.He studied Dewey, who sat brooding in the cockpit, and wondered if the young adventurer knew just how deep this could go.