Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Abner Duck wouldn’t say he hated everyone. There were a select few people that he could stand. Most of his family (besides Scrooge and sometimes Donald and Gladstone). A few other fellow lumberjacks, and maybe that weird old bear pilot from Cape Suzette that delivers cargo sometimes.

Besides those who are related to him he has one person who he actually seeks out every weekend. Donna-Maria Delgado, who owns a little tavern for the local lumberjacks where the city of Duckburg meets the forest.

He knew Donna’s mom died when she was younger and her dad remarried a woman with two kids of her own, but what he didn’t know was that Donna’s step-sister Daisy was now going out with Donald. After learning that he started subconsciously treating the tavern owner a little bit nicer. He didn’t need Donald mad at him for messing up his relationship accidentally through her.

He met Donna after he moved into the cabin grandpa Loon left him in his will, after Fethry got out of college and had his own apartment, of course. Out of everyone on the planet Abner could never hate Fethry. Despite how different the brothers are, they somewhat understand each other. Besides, Fethry’s the last remnant of their parents that Abner has left. Of course, even if they’re parents were still alive, he’d love Fethry just the same.

Speaking of the same, it had been the same hot, thirteen hour day at the mill. Cutting trees, splitting wood, and getting pine sap stuck in his feathers. To top it all off, it was the middle of July, so he was pretty sure he was three minutes away from melting into a puddle.

He was so exhausted in fact that he didn’t even shower before going over to the tavern. No one would say anything, and if they did they would get a fist to the face, luckily the regulars all knew that.

The second he walked in he caught the attention of a particular duck. “Yikes Whitewater, did you fight a bear?”

He sighed, “Long day Glory.” Gloria Pascoalina was Donna’s best friend, she owned her own restaurant in town, but stopped by the tavern every so often just to hang out and say hi. Her dad came from Italy and was the one who established the pizzeria that Glory now owned. Her mom was born and raised in Duckburg, she works in the accounting division for Abner’s richest (and most annoying) relative.

He sat at his usual spot and waited for Donna to be done with some retired lumberjacks who couldn’t really see the menu, it took around five minutes.

“Sorry Ab, busy night.” He glanced around the tavern, there were maybe ten people.

“You know, you and other restaurants have different definitions of busy.”

She snorted as she got his regular root beer ready, “Other restaurants don’t have a staff made up of three and a half people and a square footage of fifteen feet, ten if you subtract the kitchen.”

“Fair enough.” He simply said as he just sat there drinking his root beer and looking through his messages and emails. Fethry always makes fun of him for having a flip phone, but he didn’t need a smartphone. All he really cared about was being able to call and maybe text, he didn’t need games or distracting social media or whatever else you could do with a smartphone. He was content with what he had.

Fethry had sent him sixteen videos of him and Mitzy having a ‘picnic’ out in the sea. What it actually was just Fethry eating some cheese and crackers on her back as she wandered around. Besides that he was clear of anything else.

“Oh, before I forget.” He glanced up at Donna, who somehow materialized an old broom in her hand. “Those pesky raccoons got in the trash again, and I think they’ll be back.”

“Ok.” She pushed the broom closer to him. “Is that a gift from Magica De Spell’s grandmother?”

Donna rolled her eyes and basically shoved the handle of the broom into his chest, “At least hold it in case they come back.”

“Why don’t you ever scare em away?”

“The last time I tried I almost got rabies from one of those ladrones peludos de diablos.” With that she promptly walked away, leaving Abner with nothing more than an old broom that looked like it came from the McDuck castle basement.

Not having the energy to argue he just leaned the broom next to him against the bar and went back to his drink. He really didn't have the energy to do much of anything, let alone deal with possible raccoons. He was smelly and gross and to top it all off he was downright exhausted. Even talking to Donna was kind of a chore tonight.

Once he finished his drink Donna had basically vanished, probably taking over cooking again. She was very particular on how certain things should be served, and the chefs she hired never really cared enough to listen. Even with the knowledge that Donna will willingly tear them a new one if they dare utter a negative word about her tavern.

He tucked some loose change under his cup and stood up to leave. Maybe he’d stop by that small man made lake and just submerge himself and call it a day on personal hygiene. Just the idea of everything he needed to do in the shower made him want to vomit from exhaustion.

Unfortunately the universe did not treat Abner Duck as well as it treated Gladstone or McDuck. Just as he was pocketing his phone a loud crash came from outside, so loud in fact everyone in the tavern froze, even the loud simmering oven seemed to quiet down.

The silence was interrupted by heels clicking down the hallway leading to the back entrance. A moment later Donna was in the doorway looking like someone just spit on her.

“Abner.” Was all she said, it was all she needed to really say.

“Raccoons?” He asked, really not in the mood to deal with anything, let alone those trash creatures.

“Raccoons, now get those gilipollas away from my tavern or so help me god.” Abner being in a bad mood wasn’t rare. Come to think of it, Donna being in a bad mood wasn’t rare either, but both of them being in a bad mood? At the same time? Well, that was a different story entirely.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the broom, at this point the other nine people in the tavern went back to whatever they were doing previously. Donna moved out of his way so that he could stomp down the hall, both to release some tension from himself and as a warning for those annoying little pests.

Kicking the door down (an action that Donna will definitely belittle him about later) he stepped out into the weird little alley-that-wasn’t-really-an-alley. It was blocked off from sight of the ‘parking lot’ and faced a clearing that showed off some of the taller buildings as the forest faded and the city grew.

Two out of the three tin garbage cans were knocked over, throwing scraps of food and used napkins and broken utensils all over the ground. The third tin can was shaking a little, so either the raccoon posse had either abandoned the scene or it was one dumb raccon that decided to try and get one last scrap of food.

Too tired to really deal with anything else he held the broom over his head, ready to strike, and kicked the third tin over. Which, in hindsight, was nothing more than just causing more trash to spill out. But something else tumbled out too.

It wasn’t a raccoon.

Instead of grey and black fur and a bushy tail, it was pale yellow feathers and dirty clothes. More specifically, it was a kid.

The kid tumbled out almost like a gymnast, grunting a little as he landed on his back. He wore a white shirt that had little holes scattered around the collar and sleeves and too small blue shorts. He sat up and glared at Abner, a smear of what looked like barbeque sauce around the corners of his beak.

“You’re not a raccoon.” Abner stated dumbly as he lowered the broom.

The kid stood up and dusted his pants off, “No. I’m not. Are you a cop?”

“Um no. Where are your parents?”

“You’re not a cop?” The kid repeated.

“No?”

He smiled, “Then I can do this.” Before Abner could even blink the kid had wound up and kicked him as hard as he could directly in the calf. In his surprise he dropped the broom and stumbled back, slipping on some moldy lettuce in the process.

Landing on his ass Abner was too stunned to really comprehend what just happened, but he could comprehend that the kid was currently booking it back to the woods like a spooked horse.

Eventually he stood up and picked up all the stuff that had been knocked over before going back in, definitely smelling worse. “Donna.” He tried to get her attention but she was too busy ignoring him in favor of serving an older couple more coffee. “Donna.” Still nothing.

When she walked away from the couple, still ignoring him, he hit her with the straw part of the broom as gently as he could. “Ow, Abner!”

“That did not hurt.”

“You’re stronger than you think. Did you get the raccoons out?”

“There were no raccoons, it was a kid.”

She just stared at him like he suddenly started speaking a different language. “Huh?”

“Yeah, a kid. A duck, couldn’t be more than five, if that. Kicked me in the shin and booked it to the woods.”

She looked conflicted and a little sad, “I’ll ask around if anyone would recognize them. What were they wearing?”

“It was a boy, all grubby and had a white shirt and blue shorts. No shoes or socks.”

“Weird. That’s never happened before. I’ll ask some people around here and then make a call to the police.” She then rushed off to grab her cellphone, stopping Gloria on the way to fill her in. Abner stuck around long enough to watch Gloria float around the restaurant and ask a few of the tables if they knew anything. He was able to watch three tables shake their heads before realizing he was swaying.

Made sense. He was exhausted and hadn’t eaten anything neutritional since noon. He was no use in this state.

So he turned on his heel and walked out of the tavern, on a trail that led to a dirt road, and eventually stumbled upon a log cabin. His log cabin. The moon was almost full, two or three more nights until it was. It shined through the leaves of the pine trees, casting threads of moonlight onto the ground, highlighting random pinecones and mushrooms. If Fethry was here he would have stopped at every mushroom just to poke it.

But Fethry wasn’t here. No one was. It was just him and the cabin.

A cabin that was luckily installed with electricity and running water before Abner moved in. A going away gift from Grandma Duck, she would never accept any type of payment back. Sometimes that woman was more stubborn than the king of the klondike himself.

He dragged himself to his bathroom and managed to at least get the food remnants off of him. Though he decided the clothes he was wearing were going to stay on the bathroom floor tonight. His body screamed at him to just stop everything and lay down, or at least drink some damn water.

Tomorrow was his day off. A rarity for him, but that meant he could sleep in without worry. Well without a lot of worry.

He had never been a fan of kids, he’s seen Huey, Dewey, and Louie maybe four times in their whole lives. Nothing against his cousins' kids, they were nice kids, but they were still, well. Kids.

Though being an adult meant he, unwillingly, had at least a little bit of paternal instincts. Meaning if he saw a random kid that looked grosser than he did he couldn’t help but worry. And worry is exactly what he did, but only for a brief moment, sleep came over him faster than expected.

_______________________

Fourteen hours later Abner was in his kitchen with a headache and a mug of shitty black coffee from the dollar store. It was foggy and surprisingly chill for the middle of summer. Not that he was complaining, he preferred a good chill over blistering heat.

He was tempted to call Donna to get the rundown on the kid, but he made no move to do so. Partly because he had no clue where his phone even was. He may have left it in the tavern or dropped it on his way home. Looking for it could wait.

It was expected for Donna to get in contact with him no matter what with updates, if there were any updates. A part of him didn’t care what the deal was with that kid, a bigger part of him told him he should care at least a little.

A majority of his life he had worried about his little brother, four when their mother passed and four and a half when their dad followed suit a few months later. While Grandma had looked after them, Abner took it upon himself to ‘parent’ Fethry. Meaning he taught him how to sew, how to swim, how to tie his shoes, even how to cook. Though with that he mostly copied Grandma’s recipe book.

A knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts, good, he could feel them starting to spiral.

He combed his fingers through his hair a few times, as if that would save his disastrous look. Opening the door he was met with two women dressed nicely with badges of some sort shining brightly on their coats.

The shorter one held up a more professional badge and documents. “I’m officer Cabrera, can I assume this is the home of Abner Duck?”

He blinked, a bit startled, but nodded anyway. “Is this about the kid?”

Officer Cabrera nodded sharply and tucked her badge and credentials back in her jacket pocket. “Donna Delgado down at the Dawn Tavern said you came across a little boy. Officer Flagstarr and I are here to get more details and run through the reported missing kids from the past few months.”

“So will it be okay if we step into your uh, cabin?” The other woman, officer Flagstarr apparently, added.

“Uh, sure. Mind the mess.” He stepped aside and let the women in. Trying to ignore the looks they gave him on the way.

They sat themselves at his dinner table, if you could even call it that. One leg was crooked and nothing really stayed on the table unless you glued it down.

Officer Flagstarr clicked her pen a few times and scribbled something down, then flipped to the next page and nodded to her co-worker. Officer Cabrera cleared her throat.

“Can you describe the kid please?” She had a manila folder with colorful tabs sticking out the sides. From where he was leaning on the counter he couldn’t see what was in it.

“Uh, he was bony. Looked like he hadn’t had a good meal in a few days at least. He had messy hair and a cut up old white t-shirt. No shoes or socks, blue shorts that looked way too small on him.”

It seemed like the officers were busy doing their own things, one writing and one looking. But they listened and asked him to repeat a few details even.

“What about identifying marks? You said he was a duck, feathers out of place? Signs of unusual feather loss or discolor?”

Abner shook his head, “Besides looking pretty grubby his feathers seemed fine. I didn’t get a great look at him.”

“How’d he get away then?”

He wanted to cringe, but managed to stop himself. At least Donna had spared the embarrassing details for him to tell. “The kid asked if I was a cop, then when I said no he kicked me in the shin. I slipped and fell flat on my ass, and he took that as his opportunity to book it to the woods.”

The officers exchanged a look that was hard to read, but there was still an aura of judgment there if you looked hard enough.

“How was the kid talking? Did he seem to have any hiccups?” Officer Flagstarr asked.

He shrugged, “Seemed to speak fine, said maybe two full sentences to me. But he definitely knows how to talk, and considering he knew what a cop meant he isn’t stupid either.”

“And what direction in the woods would you say he ran?”

For that one he had to think for a minute. “I was on the East side of the tavern, so he ran South East towards the lumbering mill almost.”

Officer Flagstarr looked a little dejected, but Officer Cabrera kept her poker face and stood up. “Well thank you for your time Mr. Duck, if you see anything let us know.”

“I will.” Was all he said, refusing to move a muscle as they showed themselves out. He could be considered a gentleman in some definitions, but not when it came to cops. Though there was a tiny part of him that wanted to follow and ask more questions.

Did that kid match any descriptions? Will you be able to make sure he’s safe?

Instead he stood in his kitchen, waiting until the officers were gone. Waiting for the vexatious feeling to stop gnawing at his gut. Waiting for things to go back to normal, where he continued his life as a recluse who only really cared about his little brother.

But unlike some of his relatives, the universe was not particularly well known to treat Abner well. As this was only the beginning of his worry.

Chapter Text

Forty-ish minutes after the officers left Abner noticed his shed door was open. The shed door that was usually locked to make sure no nut wandering the woods would get a hold of his tools. Tools including chainsaws, axes, and blow torches.

He had one hundred percent lost his phone. He was looking for it before he got distracted by the shed door. So calling for backup of any kind was out of the question. Not to mention the officers were definitely good and gone by now, unless they were the ones who had tried to sneak into his shed.

Luckily, as a lumberjack, he always had an axe nearby. So with his favorite axe in hand he made his way over to his shed as quietly as possible, a pretty hard task considering how many sticks and dried up leaves were on the ground.

He kicked the door open and got ready to swing, but was met with nothing but a dark, damp, shed. The lock was broken, a rock the size of his hand near the broken chain on the ground. But nobody was in his shed, it didn’t look like anyone was ever in it. Except for one glaring thing that took him a moment to notice.

His old flare gun was missing.

Instinct told him to be mad, no, to be pissed. Told him to snap the handle of the axe in half out of frustration and yell obscenities until his throat gave up on him. How could he have missed someone breaking into his shed and stealing something that belonged to him?

But logic took over pretty quickly. Why would someone want to in the first place? Not to mention take a cheap flare gun he bought off a fisherman at the docks.

He crouched down to check the toolbox he kept under his work table, maybe the culprit took something else.

“Whitewater?” In his surprise he tried to turn around but ended up just hitting his head on the work table instead.

Once composed he finally turned to see who called him. Donna was wearing her favorite white long skirt and yellow tank top. She had a grey sweater tied around her waist and a green messenger bag.

“Donna? What are you doing here?”

She rummaged around her bag and pulled out his flip phone. “You dropped your phone in the alley.”

“Ok? But shouldn’t you be running the tavern?”

He took his phone back and leaned the axe against the shed. Donna rubbed her arm, “Police told me to shut down for the day. There’s a lost kid running around here.The police actually are trying to do their jobs for once.”

“Right, well there's a trespasser around here too.” He muttered, kicking the already broken lock across the dirt.

It was only after he said that did Donna seem to understand what was going on. “Someone broke into your shed? How stupid is that person?”

He just shrugged and closed the shed, trying to tie what remained of the chain around the handles to at least keep it shut. “I’m being serious, everyone around here knows you have a reputation. Even Scrooge McDuck is scared of you.”

“Don’t use my rich husk of an uncle as an end all. He’s not that impressive.”

“He is the richest person on the planet, and one of the oldest.”

“Didn’t see any of that money when my mom was sick.”

“Abner-”

“No, I’m sick of Scrooge claiming to be such a family man. He only likes Donald and Della.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Really? Then why’d he spend half of his fortune trying to get Della back but abandoned and ignored my brother in a sorry excuse of an underwater lab for four and a half years? Why didn’t he pay for Aunt Daphne’s funeral? Why didn’t he even show his face at either of my parents' funerals?” To this Donna was quiet. “The only thing keeping me going right now is the pure spite I feel towards that miser.”

He took his axe and went back into his cabin, feeling the not so sudden urge to punch something until his knuckles bled. But if you had to describe Donna Delgado in one word it was stubborn.

“Scrooge apologized for all of that. Your grandmother said she wanted to pay for her own kids' funerals anyway.” She started following into his cabin.

He just rolled his eyes, “An apology is not going to make up for actively ignoring my brother.”

“Oh? And what have you been doing for the past, I don’t know, thirty years?” To this he went still.

“I talk to my brother.”

“Do you? Texting doesn’t count, especially when you don’t even care enough to keep your only form of communication from getting damaged. Don’t even get me started on Gladstone and the triplets.”

She was getting worked up, which in turn, made him not want to get worked up.

“Honestly Abner, you have a great family. And I recall how excited you were to see Della again when she came back.”

“Della was pronounced dead, of course I was happy to see her.”

“So if Gladstone was pronounced dead you’d care? You really hate Scrooge that much you want him to die? Do you know how much he means to Della? To Donald?”

“Donald avoided him too.”

“A choice he regrets. I mean mierda Abner you should see him when he talks about it.” Donna was growing more and more pained as the conversation went on. He sometimes forgot that Donna has a direct connection to Donald. His cousin goes over to have dinner with Daisy and her family at least once a month.

“He was separated from his twin sister for eleven years, how long has it been since you had a real life conversation with Fethry? Not to mention what you were doing those years when Fethry was in the lab.”

Abner shot a glare her way, “Scrooge wouldn’t let me talk to him.”

“Since when do you listen to Scrooge? Just admit you didn’t want to try. You say Scrooge is a phoney for portraying himself as a family man, but you act like you’d move heaven and Earth for your brother. When in reality you don’t even make an effort to text him.”

He turned on the table and slammed his fist down on it, making Donna jump. “You know why.” He made sure the venom in his voice was easy to hear.

In a much quieter voice than before she spoke again, “You can’t keep holding on to that Abner.”

He was so close to exploding. His face felt hot and his guts seemed to be set on fire. He wanted to scream at her, to say she had no right to meddle in his business. Instead something much worse happened. “What do you know? You’re not even a part of this family.”

“And you are?”

“More than you’ll ever be!” To this Donna looked like she had been sucker punched. All of her aggrieved emotions seemingly vanished and were replaced by pure shock, but that didn’t stop him. “Daisy, April, May, June, hell, even Molly can say you're their real family. But you aren’t Donna! You aren’t and you’ll never be!”

It took him a moment to realize what he said, and it took a little more time to realize that Donna looked more hurt than angry. A reaction he’d only seen once or twice before. It made him feel, almost ashamed.

“Donna-”

“Don’t.” She shook her head. “Just. Don’t.” She turned on her heel and left, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly.

All he did was just stand there a little stricken by his own words. Angry words that have landed him in trouble dozens upon dozens of times before in his life. He thought he had control over it but Donna was saying some questionable things about his personal life that he didn’t like.

Still…

That didn’t give him a right to insult her like that. Family means everything to Donna, and he of all people should know that blood doesn’t make a family. She had told him how hard it was when her mom died and her dad started dating other people again. How all the women he introduced her to were snobby or didn’t care for her fashion sense or told her not to speak Spanish around them.

Then her father brought home Molly Duck, a reporter who absolutely adored him and Donna both. Molly being the mother of Daisy and her older brother David, both of whom adored Donna and immediately started treating her like their cool older sister.

“There were nights before their wedding where I would just bawl my eyes out. Hoping and praying that she would be my mom.” She had told him a few years back. “I was convinced there was no one else on the planet as perfect for my dad and I as her. She was already fluent in Spanish too, so instead of telling me to shut up, she started having conversations with me in Spanish. Encouraging me to follow my dreams, comforting me when they backfired.” Donna loves Molly Duck like there's no tomorrow, and Molly treats her with so much respect. It almost makes him a little jealous.

Not to mention when David’s girlfriend abandoned him with their three eggs. Donna and Daisy were thrilled to be aunts to those girls. Donna always spoils them with shopping sprees and free food whenever they visit the tavern. Not to mention she and Daisy were a force to reckon with.

A father of one of June’s classmate’s apparently made a sly remark about her acting abilities during a middle school play and security had to kick Donna and Daisy out for yelling at the man to the point of tears.

Donna was as much a Duck as Daisy was. And Abner really screwed up with saying anything otherwise. He wasn’t much of an apology person, but Donna was probably the closest person he had to a friend. They had blowouts before, but this one felt different.

He thought about what Donna had told him when he asked about when she and Daisy didn’t get along. “Sure we argue a lot, sisters always argue. You should see April, May and June when they argue. But no matter how mad the two people are, we have one rule.”

“What’s that?”

“We always have to end the day with some form of I love you. Whether it be through a text or giving them the last chocolate chip cookie. My dad and Molly made that rule when they got married, and now the girls use it too.”

Maybe it was about time he made that a rule for himself too.

Before he could even think of what to do next a loud shrill noise rang out through the woods. Causing quite a few birds to scatter from the trees, cawing out warnings of danger.

But he recognized that noise.

He rushed outside and saw just above some trees maybe half a mile behind his shed, a red flare, from his flare gun.

This time he double checked that everything was locked before snatching his hat and chasing after the flare.

Of course it could be some poor sucker with a flare that was just lost, but after his was stolen he highly doubted it.

The trails behind his house were a mess, the city had long given up trying to tend to them, but that didn’t mean they were impossible to go on. There were just a lot of roots and weeds that would make it easy to trip on. Luckily he had been on those trails dozens of times before.

Within two minutes he was at the spot where the flare was shot off, it had to be. Red smoke filtered through the air and the distinct smell of ambers was still pretty strong. He slowed his pace and wandered around the clearing, his flare gun and the suspect were nowhere to be seen.

“Hello? Who shot that flare?” He spun in a circle, looking high and low, until he stopped abruptly at an unnatural yellow splotch in the trees. “Hey. You.” He walked up to the tree and shook the smaller trunk a little, getting a small gasp out of whoever it was. In their shock they also dropped the flare gun. Though there was a strange red spot near the handle.

“Are you alright?”

“Go away.” They said in a tiny voice. A tiny voice he recognized.

“You’re the kid from the tavern right? Did you hurt yourself playing with the flare gun?” No response. “I would reprimand you for taking things that don’t belong to you, but I prefer to do that when you aren’t bleeding.”

The kid sniffled and shifted, turning carefully to face Abner. His eyes were puffy and red from crying, his elbows and legs looked scraped up, and he was currently cradling his left hand like a baby. “What does repri-repir. Uh, what does the r-word mean?”

“Reprimand?”

“Yeah.”

If he told him what it really meant he might get scared and try to bolt again, the safest bet was to do what he used to do when Fethry was little. Lie and hope it worked. “Have you ever been to the doctor’s office?”

The kid nodded, “Reprimand is just a fancy word for a check up. I wanted to check up on you for taking others things and getting hurt, and then check up on how bad you hurt.”

The kid hesitated, but swung his legs over the tree branch he was sitting on. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but somehow he looked even grosser. Not to mention the ever growing stain on his shirt from where he kept his injured hand.

“I won’t hurt you.” Abner said in the most pleasant tone he could muster. He took his hat off and dug into his pockets for the bandages he carried on him. He shook the box, “See? I just want to help.”

“Other people have said that too.” The kid said grimly, a little too grim for a kid his age. “But then they just take me to the police.”

“I’m not going to do that. Between you and me, I don’t like the police.”

The kid swiped at his beak, “You don’t? Why?”

How much time you got? “They scare me.” He decided to say, get the kid on the same level so he can come down and get patched up before he got an infection.

“Yeah… They are pretty scary.”

“So will you come down and let me help?” He didn’t want to be pushy, especially with a feral child in the woods, but the day's events so far put him in a bitter mood. A bitter mood he was trying very hard not to let the kid see.

The kid looked at his hand, still unsure. But he winced and nodded after he tried to shift how he sat.

Without warning he flung himself off the branch and landed flat on his face, barely giving time for Abner to react appropriately. He knelt down to help the kid but now he was full on sobbing.

“I felllll.” He groaned, covering his eyes with his good hand, letting the injured one hang at his side.

“I saw. Here.” He handed the kid a somewhat crushed granola bar from his pocket. “Eat this, it will make you feel better.”

The kid continued to cry. “I don’t want it.”

“Do you like chocolate?”

“Yeah?”

“Then you want this.” He opened it and took the kids hand away from his face to put it in his hand. “It has chocolate in it, and despite what other people tell you, it’s not all that healthy either.”

The kid was still sobbing and hiccuping as he took his first bite and started to chew. Now all his crying was quiet, but he was still crying nonetheless.

“Can I see your hand?”

The kid shook his head and retracted, “It hurts!” He mumble-yelled through tears and a mouth full of granola.

“I know it does, kid. But these bandages will help protect it.”

After a moment, and scooting back a foot or so to make sure the kid had enough space, the kid surrendered his bloody hand over to the adult. There was a surprisingly deep cut on the back of his hand that started right below his thumb metacarpal.

“Yikes. What happened?” As he cleaned the cut as gently as possible he prayed that this kid wasn’t as talkative as Fethry was when he was a kid.

“Well, um.” He sniffed. “I went into your shed thinking I’d find a flashlight, but I took the toy cause it looked cool.” Toy, huh. All those advertisements about gun safety were right, kids are stupid enough to think real guns (even flare guns) were nothing but harmless toys.

“Uh huh.” He replied in a gentle tone. Hopefully it made him comfortable enough to keep going.

“And I wanted to play cowboys. Like those old westerns I seen at the laundry building’s tv. But when I shot it up it actually fired something. It scared me and I ended up falling over there.” He used his good hand to point over to a tree that looked like it was struck by lightning. The truck was split with lots of jagged pieces of bark, once he looked close enough Abner could faintly see what looked like jam on one of the spikeier pieces.

“And, and, that scared me so I climbed that tree to calm down.”

“You like being outside?”

The boy nodded, but cringed as the adult wrapped the bandage around his hand. He recoiled like someone was going to attack him then fake gagged. “I don’t like that noise.”

“Of the bandage?”

“Yeah it’s gross.”

“I can see that. I promise I won’t do it again.”

The boy nodded once and shoved the rest of the granola in his beak. “If you don’t mind me asking kid-”

The kid swallowed roughly, “Dugan.”

“What?”

“My name’s Dugan.”

“Oh. Alright then. If you don’t mind me asking Dugan, how long have you been playing in these woods by yourself?” He just shrugged.

“My mommy gave me this note and told me to stay here.” He dug in his pocket for a wrinkled piece of yellow note paper. “I can’t read it, but she said she’d be back so I’m staying.”

“Can I read it? If it doesn’t bother you.”

“Sure.” He handed the paper over and got distracted by a weed on the ground.

Abner unfolded the paper and almost immediately his stomach fell.

‘To whomever is reading this note. My name is Mary Pond, and if you’re reading this you probably have already met my son Dugan. Before you call me a terrible mother for abandoning my child in the woods, please hear me out. My family kicked me out when I found out about Dugan, and his father didn’t want anything to do with either of us. I had him alone in a hotel room at seventeen. But laying his egg took a huge toll on my body. I got diagnosed with sepsis, but I can’t pay for any treatment. No one wants to hire a highschool dropout, even if I could get work I wouldn’t be able to afford for anyone to watch Dugan. The past few months I have been feeling worse and worse. So I’m leaving Dugan here in the woods, hoping, praying, wishing, a good person will win his trust and watch over him. Unless a miracle occurs I probably won’t see my baby ever again. I want him to live a good life, and I don’t know what else to do.’

“Jesus Christ.” He muttered. The date May 11th was scribbled at the bottom. So this kid has been wandering around aimlessly for the past two months. “Full offense Mary, but dropping your kid in the woods was probably the worst thing you could do.” Why didn’t she take him to an orphanage? The fire station? The hospital? Anywhere but the fucking woods of all places.

“What does it say?” Dugan said, suddenly appearing at his side.

“Um.” Lie quickly. “It says that she misses you and can’t wait to see you again.”

Dugan beamed. “Yay! I miss her a lot, my favorite thing is making her laugh y’know. She’s always been a little sad, so when she smiles it makes my day.”

“Right.” He folded the sheet of paper back up and just held on to it. “Hey you’re mom said to stay in the woods right?”

“Yep!”

“Did she say where in the woods you should stay?”

He tipped his head to the side like a puppy. “Um, I don’t think so.”

“So do you want to come back to my cabin? You could stay there for a few hours to rest.”

“Mom said I shouldn’t go with strangers after the Taffy Man at the grocery store tried to put me in his van.”

Wow this kid doesn’t have a filter. Does any kid have a filter?

“Well Dugan, my name’s Abner Duck, but my friends callme Whitewater.” If he has any ‘friends’ left after this. By this time Donna would have already called everyone they knew to inform him of his behavior earlier.

“Why do they call you Whitewater?”

“Because I’m a fast swimmer.” At least that was half true.

“Can I call you that?”

“Only my friends do, unless you want to be friends.” He felt a little bad for lying to this kid, and he felt creepy doing it. But he was hurt and alone. And luckily Abner is nicer than he looks.

Dugan thought for a moment. “Ok! Do you have cookies at your cabin?”

“I have oatmeal cookies.”

“Hmm, better than no cookies!” And just like that, Abner “Whitewater” Duck suddenly had a kid to deal with.

Chapter Text

Dugan was nothing but a whirlwind of energy and pure chaos. The first twenty minutes he was inside the cabin he ran around touching everything he could reach, turning on the facets and then leaving the room while it was still running. He almost broke a snow globe from Cape Suzette and did break a snowglobe Donna gave him from her last trip to New Stork.

“Do you have a tv?” The four year old (it took him a minute to remember how old he was) asked with oatmeal cookie crumbs falling out of his mouth.

“I do not.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not here a lot.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have a job.”

“What do you do as a job?”

“I’m a lumberjack.” Dugan was surprisingly similar to Fethry and even Abner himself when they were his age. He said his favorite color was red and he loved the woods and said that earthworms don’t taste like gummy worms.

“I love hedgehogs.” He announced out of nowhere.

“Really? Why?”

Dugan brightened up and immediately started a tangent about how hedgehog’s are the greatest thing on the planet, no, the whole galaxy. If not the universe. He talked about a hedgehog family he followed for a few days after he was put in the woods and how the mama hedgehog even let him pet him one time.

“It was the best day of my life.” He said proudly.

“That does sound pretty cool kid.”

“What’s the best day of your life?”

Despite all the horrible and down right bad days that instantly popped into his head, one memory seemed to outshine the best and worst days. “The day my little brother hatched.”

“You have a little brother?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s his name?”

“Fethry.”

Dugan wrinkled his nose, “That’s a funny name.”

“He’s a funny guy.”

“Can I meet him?”

“Maybe. When’s the last time you took a bath?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Can I trust you to take a bath by yourself while I look around for some decent clothes for you?” Dugan smiled, showing off pieces of oatmeal cookie stuck in his little teeth, and nodded.

“Where’s your bathroom again?”

“Down the hall, second door to the left.” Dugan stared at him then held his hands up and debated for a moment.

“The same side your injured hand is.”

“Right.”

He supplied the kid with a towel and prayed he didn’t overflow his bathroom. Watching him as he vanished into the room and loudly turned things on and knocked other things over.

The sane idea was to call the police. Request Flagstarr and Cabrera to collect the kid and get him out of his hair. But the kid had obviously run away from the police before, so if two officers were to suddenly show up he’d definitely freak and try to bolt.

On the other hand he could just talk to them, ask for no one to be sent over and instead just get some idea of what to do with him on his own.

But in his gut both options seemed to sit odd. So he tried to call Donna.

And he got rightfully ignored.

So the next option was to try and get a hold of Gloria. Except she wasn’t answering. She did inherit a whole restaurant from her dad, she most definitely was swamped with work.

Maybe calling wasn’t a great idea. Maybe face to face would work just a smidge better.

An hour later, after he struggled to get Dugan to settle down long enough to get an oversized red t-shirt over his head, he finally had the kids full attention.

He had just finished cutting the shirt a bit so it didn’t look like a dress (at Dugans request that it was too hot for dresses) when he brought up food. “I know a good pizza place. Do you think if we leave a note at the door for you mom, if she comes by, you and I can get some actual food?”

Dugan thought for a moment, “How good is the pizza?”

“I’d give it a solid eight out of ten.”

“Is that good?”

“Almost perfect.”

Dugan beamed and jumped up and down, “Pizza!” If that isn’t a yes then he doesn’t know what is.

Abner scribbled down random words and tapped the paper to his door before leading the feral child down the trail into town.

“Can you give me a piggyback?” Dugan asked, tugging on the adult's sleeve.

“Are your legs broken?”

At this Dugan slowed down and, dramatically, fell to his knees and then laid himself on his stomach. Groaning all the while. “My legs!” He gasped out like a bad actor in a movie. “I can’t go on. Save yourself!”

Abner rolled his eyes, fighting off a small smile. “Ok, ok. Hop on.”

He knelt down in front of the now perfectly ok kid and waited for him to pounce. Only trouble was that he pounced a little harder than expected.

“Oof-“ The sudden force almost toppled both of them over, but Abner was able to recover. Dugan saw no issue with what had just occurred and was giggling harder than Abner thought necessary. Having the weight of a literal kid on his back made him feel somewhat nostalgic.

When they’re parents were still alive Fethry would beg for piggy back rides every time they made they’re way down the dirt road to old Ms. Edie’s fruit stand. Ms. Edie always liked their family, spoiling both Abner and Fethry with armfuls of free fruit and a sneaky brownie here and there. She died two years after their parents.

Dugan took his hat off his head and hit his head lightly like a drum. “Hey! Did you hear me?”

“No, I was thinking.”

“What were you thinking about?” Dugan asked. Before he answered, Abner glanced over his shoulders just to make sure the child didn’t drop his favorite hat on the ground.

“It’s not important. What did you say earlier?”

Dugan placed the hat back on the adult's head, though backwards and too low on his face. “Something about pecans. Or was it toucans?” The rest of the way out of the forest the child rambled on about how he could have been talking about either pecans and toucans and their similarities.

A tangent that lasted the whole walk to the pizzeria, maybe after this whole mess was over he’d invest in a car.

It was getting late at that point, the sky was turning more orange every minute. Though it was still summer, which meant it was still hot. Plus with Dugan’s weight on his back he was sweating more than usual.

“How old are you?” Dugan asked suddenly.

“What?”

“How old are you? I told you how old I am, so how old are you?”

“Uh, forty three?”

He could feel the kid try and shift on his back without falling. “That’s why you’re breathing so hard.”

It took him a few seconds to realize what he was implying. But when he did he stopped dead in his tracks and moved Dugan off his back so that he was holding him under his arms and they were looking at each other in the face.

“Did you just accuse me of being old?”

Dugan twiddled his thumbs, but a shit-eating grin was overtaking his face. “Maybe.”

Abner, not wanting to punt a literal child, just sighed and tucked the kid under one of his own arms and carried on. Trying to ignore the sting of the dig the kid who lived in the freakin woods just gave him.

Luckily, it being the middle of the week, the pizzeria’s inside seating wasn’t super busy. A few highschoolers and elderly couples, or tired parents just not wanting to cook. That’s basically what he was doing with the kid under his arm. Cooking was never a strong suit of Abner’s, despite what he may say to others, and himself on occasion.

There have been multiple times where he burned something or just made something genuinely bad, but scoffed it down anyway. Trying to convince himself that it was good, even if it tasted like chewing old fishermen boots.

After the four other people ordered their food Abner stepped up to the counter and eyed the young cashier. He had to only be in highschool, or maybe just starting college. He was a little scrawny, but working in customer service might give him a backbone he looked like he was lacking.

“I want to speak to the owner.”

The kid blinked, “What?”

“You heard me. I want to speak to the owner.”

They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other, waiting for something. Eventually the kid realized that was all he was going to say and cleared his throat. “If we made your food wrong you can speak to the manager, but I don’t think we can bring the owner-”

“I didn’t order any food.”

“Yet!” Dugan piped up still dangling from under one of the lumberjacks arms. His sudden noise made the cashier jump a little.

“Right yet. I will after I speak to the owner.”

“Um. Why?”

“Does it matter?”

That made the kids nostrils flare a little, he was getting irritated. But he didn’t have a right to know personal details. “Look, I’ve known her and her family for years. Just let me talk to her.” Abner spoke before the kid could say or do anything else.

To the claim the kid just scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Right, you know the owner. What’s her name?”

“Gloria Pascoalina. Now let me talk to her before I do something you’ll regret.”

“Don’t you mean ‘before I do something I’ll regret’?”

Abner placed a single hand on the counter and leaned forward, getting eye level with the kid. “No.”

The kids' eyes widened and backed up a bit. “Uh, Ms. Pascoalina! A customer wants to talk to you!” With that he scampered off behind an employees only door.

Not even half a minute later the one and only Gloria Pascoalina was walking through those same doors, looking ready to kill. Plus the stained pizza cutter in her hand made her appearance even more intimidating to the outsiders view.

“Abner Duck.” She growled.

“Glory.” He simply said as she stomped over to him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him away from the cash register.

“What the fu-” She started.

“Hi!” Dugan interrupted. Almost springing out from under his arm. Abner caught him and held him up by the under arms again so he could look at Gloria. Who looked absolutely gobsmacked. “Do you make pizzas?”

_______________________

Abner and the duckling were allowed to stick around after closing. After many minutes of begging from Dugan, and a little bit of blackmail from Abner.

After Dugan finished his slices of pizza the closing manager, a very nice rhino guy who was helping pay for his boyfriends medical school bills, distracted the kid with the pinball and foosball games off in the corner.

Leaving Abner to get verbally berated by his closest friend's best friend.

“I can’t believe you would say that!” She whisper screamed for the fiftieth time that hour. “You know how much Molly and her family love Donna. And you out of everyone on god's green earth should know that blood doesn’t make a family! What about that flippy pink kid that Huey Dewey and Louie treat like a sister?” Despite Abner himself being the only one in the Duck family that Glory knows personally, she’s met Daisy multiple times and gets the rundown from her. Not to mention Mrs. Pascoalina drops in the money bin from time to time and witnesses the four kids causing all sorts of problems for Gyro and Quackfaster. Not even dear old uncle Scrooge is safe from their tomfoolery.

“I’ve never met her.” He doesn’t even remember her name or how she got involved with his cousin's kids in the first place.

Gloria sputtered before throwing her hands in the arm. Making her bangle bracelets ding together like miniature bells. “That’s not my point! She’s been treated like a legit member of the family for years! Not to mention you seem to have caught yourself a kid in the woods.” She nodded towards the boy who was currently yelling at the pinball machine like a maniac.

“I didn’t catch him. He’s not an animal. Besides, once I figure out where this woman went he's out of my hair.” He grumbled, sliding the note Dugan gave him over to Glory. Who sat there and read it, the anger visibly draining from her expression.

“Yikes. But dropping your kid off in the woods? Why not just send him to an orphanage or something?”

“That’s what I said.” He took the note back and leaned forward. “Look. I know what I said to Donna was messed up. I know that, and I will apologize. But for the time being, getting that kid to a safe place is the top priority.”

“Why not just bring him to the police station?”

“Cops freak him out. Once we get even a block from the police station I’m scared he’ll bail. He’s been through a lot already, and he’s only four. I want to transition him as non traumatic as possible.”

Glory slumped in her seat. “Will you apologize to Donna? Afterwards I mean?”

He nodded. He didn’t know how to say that he meant it. She was the first person who was nice to him when he moved to this part of Duckburg. She was the first one to make him laugh in what felt like eons. He felt comfortable telling her things, and in turn she told him things as well. She respected his boundaries, and was patient when he overstepped hers. He wasn’t good with people, but Donna wasn’t ‘people’ she was his friend. Probably his best friend. And losing that would be like losing another family member, and like usual. It would be all his fault.

But he couldn’t say all that. So he just nodded.

After a few moments that seemed to last forever. Gloria finally sighed and sat upright again. “If Dugan’s staying at your house for the time being he’s going to need some proper clothes.”

“Are you suggesting I take him shopping?”

“No, I’ll take him shopping. Tomorrow. I’ll drop by your house and take him shopping. I’ll buy him proper shoes and shirts, maybe even a hat. And while we’re doing that. You’re going to get as much information about this kid as possible, at the police station. Got it?”

He blinked, “Really?”

“Really. You will be paying me back for the clothes though.”

He thought for a moment. He’d need to take another day off work, it’ll be tough bargaining two in a row, but it wasn’t impossible. He’ll do it first thing in the morning, then take Dugan to get some actual breakfast.

“Fine, but you’ll meet us at a diner around nine. Deal?”

She nodded once. “Just text me which one. Then it’s a deal.”

The two of them explained their plan to Dugan (leaving out the police station part) and after he was convinced to go along with it Abner took him back to the cabin.

“You’ll be sleeping in my bed.”

“Where will you sleep?” Dugan asked, rubbing his eyes. It was well past midnight at this point. Which meant hopefully Dugan would be knocked out all night.

“Couch pulls out.” He informed, digging through his closet until he found what he was looking for. “Here.” He offered. “A spare toothbrush. Go brush your teeth then you can go to sleep.”

Dugan took the pink toothbrush Abner’s dentist had given him last time he went. “But I’m not even tired.” He tried to protest, but it was hard to believe after the jaw breaking yawn the little duckling gave.

“Just go brush your teeth, for my sake.” Dugan stumbled into the bathroom and ran the faucet the entire time. Hopefully his future parents will teach him how bad for the environment that is. While he was doing that he switched out the sheets for new ones and set the old sheets up on the pullout.

He was about to turn the living room light off and go brush his own teeth when Dugan slithered out of the dark hall. “Whitewater?”

“Yeah?” Expecting a request for a glass or water or a stuffed animal or something the adult made his way to the kitchen, preparing a speech to convince the kid that an old washcloth is a stuffed animal of some sort.

“What’s this?” Abner turned and felt his heart stop for a millisecond. An old, beat up red yarn beanie. One that his own mother made for Fethry when he was a toddler.

He didn’t even realize he had moved until he was snatching the hat from the child's grasp. “Where did you find this?” He demanded. He thought he had hidden it when he had first moved into the cabin.

Dugan blinked sleepily, but also seemed a bit surprised by the reaction. “Under your bed. What is it? An old hat?”

Abner looked at the old hat. It gave off an odd smell. Like mothballs and dust mixed with old shoe polish. “Yeah. It’s just a hat. Now why don’t you-”

“Was it your hat?”

“Um, no.”

“Was it your brothers?” When Abner didn’t respond, Dugan came to the conclusion that he was right. “What’s your brother like anyway?”

Instead of answering Abner set the hat aside and picked Dugan up again, this time carrying him gentler than he had previously. Setting him down on his bed and forcing the blankets over his legs. “I don’t know.” Abner admitted, a thing he would never admit when he wasn’t running on little sleep.

“What do you mean you don’t know? He’s your brother!” Dugan shoved the blankets off and sat on his knees, snatching a handful of Abner’s shirt. “Tell me a story about him. Please?”

For a moment the lumberjack just stood there staring. Donna was the only one to really ask about his family like that. A genuine interest in whatever Abner had to say. He couldn’t think of a way to get out of the situation. So he gave in and sat at the edge of the bed, as far away from Dugan as he could get.

“Um.” Abner himself yawned and shook his head to try and clear the dreariness from his head. “I was eight when my parents told me Fethry was coming. Eight when he hatched. Eight when I saw him for the first time, not covered in gross stuff from the egg. While our dad claimed I fought my way out of the egg, my fist being the first thing out of the shell, Fethry struggled. He was so small.”

He drifted away a bit, remembering holding a tiny Fethry for the first time. Seeing him not even make the length of their mothers forearm. He looked so fragile, so innocent and sweet. Everyone in their family loved him almost immediately. And yes, Abner loved him too, but it was different. It was a protective, worried, type of love. Worried that he may cause damage to the infant. Like he may get angry and drop him, shattering Fethry like glass, and not to mention shattering his parents hearts in the process.

“And?” Dugan whispered, on the brink of drifting off.

“And, I didn’t know what to do with him. I was scared I was going to.” He interrupted himself before finishing that sentence. “I was thirteen when I tried to not talk to him at all.”

“Why?” Dugan whispered again.

“I did something bad. I didn’t mean to, I don’t even remember what I did.” He had blocked out the memory a long time ago. All he remembered was turning around behind the barn and seeing Fethry curled up in a ball, sobbing like he had never before. Abner just stared as his father came rushing out from the barn, demanding what had happened. Abner lied and said that Fethry tripped near the well. But the damage had been done, Fethry had a black eye. And Abner couldn’t remember if he gave it to him or not. But based on the fact that he doesn’t remember… Leads him to think of the not so great outcome.

“If you don’t remember.” Dugan grumbled, obviously trying to fight off sleep the best he could. “And you didn’t mean to.” He continued. “He might not remember either. Maybe all you need to do is talk.” And with that, he promptly fell asleep, curled up under the blankets and snoring lightly.

Abner sat there for a moment more. Just watching his little chest rise and fall, make sure he was really asleep and not faking like he himself used to do when he was younger. Once he was positive that the feral child was one hundred percent asleep, he crept back out to the living room. Completely skipping on brushing his teeth.

He had gotten the same advice before. ‘Just talk to him’ ‘He’ll understand.’ Donna’s words seemed louder ‘You can’t hold onto that forever’ or whatever it was exactly what she said.

People have been telling him that ever since the incident occured. But he had never believed them before. So why did a sleepy four year old suddenly change his mind?

He laid down on the pull out and glanced towards his bedroom again.

If he actually found Mary Pond again, she better have a good excuse for leaving behind this kid behind.

Chapter Text

Currently it was the next morning, eight forty-ish to be exact. And Dugan was grumbling while poking at his eggs and bacon.

“I know you wanted Hamburger Hippo, but they don’t have any breakfast food.” Abner said, sipping on his quickly cooling black coffee. Luckily, it was a lot better than the coffee he makes at home.

Dugan grumbled to himself some more, shoving more bacon into his mouth as he did so. He swallowed roughly, “Hamburger Hippo has the best burgers!”

“That’s not a breakfast food.”

“Do you make the rules on what is and isn’t a breakfast rule?” Dugan demanded.

“No.”

“Then how do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Abner rolled his eyes, he heard similar arguments between himself and his dad when he was younger. “You don’t.” He admitted. “But if you ask someone else they’ll agree with me.”

Dugan huffed to himself and threw his back against the cushions of the diner booth. Still, he continued to poke at his scrambled eggs until he finally started eating for real. Amber couldn’t wait until Gloria took the kid out of his hair for a while. The morning started off rough with Abner’s boss threatening to not only fire him, but infest his house with termites as well. Which was a little overdramatic in Abner’s opinion.

Not to mention Dugan threw a tantrum when Abner dragged him to a diner instead of the hippo themed lunch spot. And people wonder why Abner never settled down and had his own kids. Well that, and he didn’t like romance very much. He thinks he’d heard the term ‘aromantic’ thrown around towards him a few times.

“When’s Glory taking me shopping?”

“You getting sick of me?” He teased, taking another sip from his mug.

He expected the kid to lie, but he forgot which kid he was talking to. “Yeah.” He appreciated the honesty, but not when he was trying to drink coffee. As he ended up coughing most of it back into the cup.

At the sight Dugan cracked a smile but tried to pretend it never happened. Abner pretended he didn’t see it either. “Wow. That’s so mean!” He mockingly accused the kid.

Dugan giggled for real this time and bounced in his seat. “It is not! It’s the truth! Mom said that telling the truth is important, even if it hurts other people.”

“You know, you’d make a good Junior Woodchuck.” Abner said, but he couldn't help but think about how he had lied to the poor kid multiple times in the span of twenty four hours.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a fancier term for boy scouts basically. You earn badges, you have cook outs, so on and so forth.”

“Oh. Were you a Junior Woodchuck?”

“No, but my brother and cousins were. I think one of my cousins' kids is too.”

“Are they nerds?” Ok, this kid may be funnier than Abner originally gave him credit for. This time he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I guess you could call them that. I wouldn’t recommend doing it to their faces though. My cousin Della has a temper.” And a lot of trauma from being stuck on the moon for ten years. She had told the whole story to Gladstone, Fethry, Gus, and him a week after she got back. Scrooge, Donald, and the kids were already informed at that time.

In classic Della charm she told her decade long story as if she went on an everyday adventure with her brother and uncle. She was loud and changed the voices during different events, even tried to throw in some jokes. She wanted everything to be the same as when she left.

But a lot can happen in ten years.

She got tired more easily, and had constant migraines for a while. The spark in her eyes had died down immensely, and her voice waved whenever she had to talk about rocket ships or black licorice. If you didn’t know her before you’d think she was fine. But Abner remembers the day he went over to his uncle Quackmore’s house to see the newly hatched twins. He had watched Della from a distance until she was old enough to beat even him in wrestling matches. She was so much, in a good way. Remembering when he got the news of her disappearance, wasn’t his favorite thing to do.

Nor was the day his dad sat him and Fethry down, tears in his eyes and shaking. He remembers how both his parents were absolutely devastated over the deaths of Quackmore and Hortense. His father had hugged him and Fethry more after that, a thing Abner was glad about. But the reason why always lingered in the back of his head.

At the time Abner didn’t really understand just how badly it affected his dad. But he eventually realized why he was so sad. Quackmore was his older brother. Quackmore was the one who taught Abner’s dad how to shoot a gun and how to fish. Quackmore was there when Grandpa Duck died when Eider was sixteen, he was there again when Eider and Lulubelle Loon learned they were having Abner merely a year later.

Quackmore watched Abner while Eider tried to finish high school. Abner may have taught Fethry how to tie his shoes, but Quackmore taught him.

Not to mention aunt Daphne and uncle Goostave’s accident a year afterwards. It was on Gladstone and Daphne’s birthday no less. The Loon/Duck family was getting ready for the birthday picnic, and right as they were about to step out a hysterical grandma Duck called, sobbing over how a manufacturing accident took both the Gander’s lives.

Daphne was the prettiest person Abner ever saw, even to this day. He was baffled by how different she looked from her brothers. Quackmore and Eider both had black hair and looked rough, they were all squares and sharp edges. Meanwhile their sister was blonde and looked like a living angel cake come to life. She was soft and always looked ready to dine with the queen. Standing next to her family she looked like a random person had just wandered into the frame just as the picture was being taken.

Before Gladstone came along she would give Abner the toys she had won. She was determined to be the best aunt, and determined to prove herself. Unlike her son, she was a hard worker, it was easier for her with her luck. She’d find a random diamond ring in the field occasionally, or a small gold nugget after shucking the corn. But she still worked, and that was more than Gladstone could say.

His mind was about to wander to the days his parents died. A too calm Fethry came up to him saying mom wasn’t moving in bed. Or dad was in a funny position in the barn. He was the one to find both of them, another thing Abner hates so much. But he didn’t have too long to dwell before someone tapped him on the shoulder.

His first instinct was to swing, but realized it was just Gloria. “You’re early.” He pointed out.

“Hi Gloria!” Dugan said, no, yelled over him.

“Hi Dugan.” She greeted first, sitting down next to the child in the booth. “I know I’m early but I didn’t have anything better to do.”

“Is the pizzeria closed?” Dugan asked.

“No, I’m just not going in today. That doesn’t mean we can’t get lunch if you want though.”

“Ok! Once I eat this last piece of bacon can we go?”

“Sure.” Finally she made eye contact with Abner, she was still mad at him. Makes sense.

“Are you going to work?” She asked.

“N-Yes. After this I’m going to work.” He forgot he never told Dugan that he took the day off. Gloria gave him a look and turned her attention back to the child.

She wore a simple pink shirt, black skirt, red heels, and a blue headband. The headband was blended in nicely with how she had her braids done.

“Ok I’m done.” Dugan announced, standing on the seat and looking ready to jump over Gloria to get past her. Luckily she stood up in time for him to change his mind and get out like a normal person.

“See you later Whitewater!” Dugan called over his shoulder before taking Glory’s hand (with his non injured one) and walking down the street with her.

He was forced to pay himself, begrudgingly giving a tip because the waitress was patient with Dugan. But he was out of there not so long after the other two, though he walked the opposite way.

Duckburg’s police station always seemed busy. He didn’t go into town much anymore but on the rare occasion he did, the police station resembled a movie theatre. Handcuffed crooks waiting outside with officers. Sometimes Gizmoduck would be delivering a baddy himself. And it wasn’t rare to see one of his relatives, mostly Scrooge, paying off some sort of property damage.

Today was no exception.

He was met with a heavily armed security guard at the entrance. That was new.

“Uh hi. Is officer Cabrera or officer Flagstarr in the building?”

The guard, a jackal maybe, sneered. “What’s it to you?”

Abner wasn’t one to be easily intimidated, and maybe if the guard didn’t have a gun as big as Dugan on him he wouldn’t be as weary as he was. “I’m the one who saw that kid near the Dawn Tavern a few nights ago? I was walking around the woods and I found this.” He pulled the note out from his jacket pocket and handed it to the guard. “I wanted to talk to one of the officers about it.”

The guard looked the note over, his expression not even flinching as he did so. “I’ll accept the evidence but you’re not coming in.”

“What? Why?”

“Last time someone came in to deliver evidence, some shape-shifting chameleon lady tried to take our supply of evidence gold. No visitors unless you have a pass.”

“That's ridiculous! I found the note! I should be the one to give it to the officers who stormed in on my property!” The jackal turned his whole body, gun and all to face Abner.

“Unless you know where the kid is I can’t help you.” He basically growled.

“I just want to know what to do if I do find him.”

The guard narrowed his eyes but stood down a bit. “All I know is Mary Pond was a wanted criminal for supposedly trying to sell the kid to the black market.” Before Abner’s blood could run completely cold he asked a clarifying question.

“Was?”

“She was found dead two months ago, without the kid. So if you find him, bring him to us. Then we can get him back safely to his family.” With that Abner could tell the conversation was over and he wasn’t getting anymore information out of the guy. He was surprised he got that much information in the first place.

With the new information he made his way back towards his cabin, unsure where else to go.

Unless that guard was just totally lying to get him to go away, that meant Dugan’s mom really was dead. But he had other family members. That would also mean Mary Pond was much more messed up then she let on in the note. A note that he’d have to explain to Dugan that he no longer had.

It was a lot of information, and even more confusing on Dugan’s situation. Mary’s note said her family disowned her and the father wanted nothing to do with her. She seemed genuine in the note, but it would be easier to lie in notes than in person.

Eventually he looked up and was in front of the cabin. His cabin.

He could go to the tavern and apologize to Donna, maybe even hunt down Fethry and give him a proper apology. It’s not like they haven’t spoken in person in years, but Abner really did owe him an apology. For everything.

Sorry for not trying to get him out of that lab sooner.

Sorry for not really acknowledging him unless he acknowledges him first.

Sorry for running away in the first place and avoiding you the second you could fend for yourself.

Sorry for giving you that black eye.

Sorry you had to be the one to find mom dead in her bed and dad dead in the barn.

Really just, sorry for everything. But apologies rarely make anything better.

Abner was sorry that he was such a coward.

He didn’t like thinking like that, he didn’t like thinking of anything much really. His mind can take any subject and twist it until it appears that everything was his fault, or that he was a horrible person.

If he thinks ‘these pancakes are really good’ his subconscious would respond with ‘anything’s better than the shit you make.’ It’s been like that since he was a kid, he knew it wasn’t healthy, but at this point he was used to it.

Used to comparing himself to everything, and even when deep down he knew he was better at something than someone else. His brain convinced him in under ten minutes he was worthless.

‘I wouldn’t abandon my child in the woods’ but maybe he would. Maybe the second Glory brings Dugan back he’ll take the kid straight to the police station. Doesn’t matter if he’s clawing and kicking and screaming. Even if he’s begging. Anything’s better than being stuck with Abner Duck.

_______________________

Somehow he ended up dozing off on the couch. Napping instead of dealing with insecurities isn’t a thing he’s done since high school. He woke up to a knock on his door.

He glanced at the old clock above his fridge, only one thirty in the afternoon. There's no way Glory and Dugan were already done so soon. Unless something happened.

In a rush of adrenaline Abner went over every bad thing that could have ever happened. Dugan hurt his hand again, a police officer recognized him at the mall, some moron thought Glory was kidnapping him and called the police on her.

Not even thinking he stood up and almost pulled his doors off the hinges trying to get his door open. Instead of the familiar brown feathers and round glasses Gloria was known to sport, he was met with a familiar police officer.

“Good afternoon Mr. Duck.” Officer Cabrera greeted, though she seemed to be searching for something in Abner’s face.

“Yeah…” He rubbed his eyes. “Why are you here?”

The officer held up the note Abner had given the security guard mere hours ago. “I got this note and heard you wanted to talk.”

“Yeah I did, but not right now.” He rubbed his eyes and tried to get his brain to fully wake up.

He caught the officer rolling her eyes, but it was so quick he doubted that he really did. “Well I’m here. So let’s talk.”

That was when his brain caught up. A tidal wave of panic overcame him for a moment. Did she know? Did she figure something out? Even if she didn't, there was a possibility that Glory and Dugan would come back any minute now.

“I can’t right now. I’m busy.”

“With what?” She challenged.

“Look I just got off of work and I have a headache, I will talk sometime, just not right now-”

“We have to talk now because Scrooge McDuck wants us to talk right now.” The mention of the millionaire miser made him still, and she noticed. Though she assumed the opposite of why he really did. “Dugan’s grandfather, Thomas Pond, has worked in the marketing department of McDuck enterprises since 1983. He and McDuck have had multiple lunches and McDuck even knew Mary herself before she died.”

“Does McDuck know that one of his employee’s kicked out his daughter?”

“That’s what her note claims, but you don’t have the full story of the Pond family.”

“No I don’t. What is it?”

“Mary Pond was of unwell mind. She was a rebellious child who did a lot of bad things for the fun of it. She didn’t get kicked out, she ran away. Social services has done multiple checks on the Pond residence and found no signs of any type of abuse. Once Dugan was born she realized she needed money and tried to sell him illegally to some shady people. She was reported to the authorities and any fire or police station, orphanage, and dumpster men were instructed to keep a look out for Dugan and try to get him to C.P.S any way possible.” So that’s why she didn’t take him anywhere normal.

“And how did she die?”

“Sepsis. Most likely due to damage from laying him. Her parents suspect her of doing other illegal activities for a few years beforehand as well.”

“Ok? Now that I know all of that, what do you want me to do?”

“Find Dugan Pond and take him immediately to C.P.S.”

“Am I the only one doing this or?”

She rolled her eyes for real this time. “We have search parties and multiple other officers involved as well. I’m just telling you because you were the one who found him in the first place.”

“Right. Whatever.” He tried to close the door but her foot got in the way.

She pried it open and gave him a stern look he hadn’t seen since his second grade teacher Mrs. Ludlow. “Just know I got my eye on you.” Whether that was a threat or a promise was a mystery as she allowed the door to close and walk away.

None of this seemed right. Officer Cabrera was acting suspicious, and the tone of Mary’s note didn’t match what other people have claimed of her parents. One way or another one thing was clear, Mary Pond was good and dead.

And telling Dugan would be an absolute nightmare.

Two and half hours later he saw the rugrat again, looking as excited as ever.

“Whitewater!” Dugan called, running as fast as he could to greet him at the door of the cabin. “Look! Look!” he spun on his heel and almost fell over, all to show off his outfit. A pale blue t-shirt with a black stripe around the stomach and blue sneakers that match.

Glory followed close behind, arms full of shopping bags. “We also bought some sweaters and other shoes.” She put down all the bags in the cabin and Dugna immediately went digging through them.

“I hope you don’t mind.” Glory started, a bit too smug with herself. “But I told him some old stories about you.”

“Which stories?”

“Like-”

“The time you fought an alligator and won! Or how Scrooge McDuck, your uncle apparently, lost to you that one time you went to Dawson for vacation! Or when you chopped down a whole redwood in a single hour by hand! Or-”

“Yes! Thank you Dugan, just like those stories.”

“Did you tell him about the time I met Rufford Radhoof?”

Glory shook her head the same time Dugan asked, “Who?”

“You said you like westerns?”

“Yeah?”

“Ever see ‘High Noon’ from like the fifties? The one about the dog sheriff Lonnie ‘Wolf Tooth’ Mutt?”

Dugan’s eyes brightened with recognition, “Yeah I recognize that name!”

“I met the actor before he died.”

“Really? Cool! I love westerns, did I tell you? I used to watch a lot of them with my mom in hotel rooms and some of her friends' houses. They would all be like.” He pulled a fake pistol out a holster and pretended to shoot off. Rolling and running about the whole cabin, quoting different westerns and even one quote that Abner was 75% sure came from a Super Snooper comic.

Glory watched with an amused smile. “He really likes you, you know.” She said under her breath.

Abner blinked at her, “Me?”

“Yeah you, he thinks you're pretty cool. He told me not to tell you.” He couldn’t help the warm feeling in his chest. When's the last time someone told him they thought he was cool? Had to be well over two decades by this point.

“He’s starting to grow on me too.” He admitted. After a quick goodbye and Gloria quadruple checking that Abner was still planning on apologizing to Donna, she made her way back to her apartment.

“Do you always get out of work this early?” Dugan asked. Abner had almost forgotten about the job, a job he would have to go to tomorrow or risk getting fired.

“Uh, not always. But today was a half day.”

“A half day?”

“Yeah, everyone got to go home at one.”

“Oh, does every job give half days?”

“Not usually, my boss is just really nice.” His boss was, in fact, not nice. Far from it actually. He was sexist and cocky, despite holding himself up in his office all the time. He thought he ruled the world, when in reality, Abner couldn’t remember a time in the last nineteen years he had worked for the guy where he saw his boss even touch an axe or a chainsaw. He was the definition of all bark and no bite.

“Maybe I’ll work there too someday.”

That almost made Abner double over in laughter. “No, I don’t think you’d like it.”

Dugan pouted and placed his hands on his hips like a mother about to scold her child. “How do you know! I could be the greatest lumberjack in history!”

Abner held his hands up. “Ok, ok, point made. If you do become the best lumberjack in the world, don't forget to mention me in your speech.”

Dugan scoffed. “Yeah right.” But his smile gave away that he was kidding. Abner’s smile gave away that he wasn’t. Maybe keeping the kid around for a little while wouldn’t be as bad as originally thought.

“You want to go for a walk? On actual tended trails?”

“Sure!” Grabbing his hat he led Dugan out the cabin and down towards the newer trails. Hiking had always been fun to Abner, and for the three and half hours the two of them were on the trail it seemed it was fun for Dugan too. Despite surviving in the woods for over two months he didn’t seem to get sick of the outdoors.

He got excited over every little thing. A different color leaf, a lizard he chased for four minutes straight, claw marks on a tree, even pebbles seemed to become the most interesting thing in the world to the kid. All the while he rambled on to Abner about his interests and disinterests. Asking a few questions that Abner didn’t mind answering and a few he did mind.

“Who’s your favorite superhero?” Dugan asked as they made their way back to the cabin for a simple hot dog dinner.

“I dunno. I guess I don’t have one.”

The child gaped at him like he had just slapped a baby. “You don’t have a favorite superhero?! That’s not right!”

“Well who’s yours?”

“Super Snooper duh! Though I guess Gizmoduck is pretty cool too.” Abner had heard the hype around Gizmoduck, and he didn’t really understand it. It was just a guy in a spiffy suit was he not? Anyone could do that. How well they could do it was up to them he supposed, but still, his point still stood.

“Mom said that Gizmoduck helps people.” Dugan continued, leading the way back, following the orange light that now illuminated the last trail to the cabin. “She said that when I was still in my egg, he was just starting out. She was staying over with her best friend Kari Curfew at the time when a villain was trying to rob the jewelry store across from the apartment building.”

He paused to kick a small rock as hard as he could down the path. “She said that she watched as Gizmoduck carried the crook off to the police station from the roof. She said her life was pretty rough up to that point, but watching someone fly away. Looked up as a hero to pretty much everyone in Duckburg at the time. She said that was the moment that she decided she wanted to try. To be a hero.” The kid looked up and smiled at him. “I think she did it. I think she is a hero.”

Abner wished he could agree.

The things Officer Cabrera had told him did not line up with what Dugan had said. Dugan seemed to adore his mother, always lighting up when he spoke of her or Abner asked a question about her. He had seen abused kids before, even neglected kids, and Dugan didn’t show any signs of either abuse or neglect. Well, he showed some neglect signs but if he had to guess those developed while he lived in the woods.

In the back of his mind he heard the child continue to ramble on about a new subject. He made sure to nod and make noises to let Dugan he was at least hearing him, no clue what he was actually talking about though. His thoughts were preoccupied, but he was alert enough to realize that the kid had stopped mid sentence and was no longer walking.

Abner stopped too and looked up.

They were maybe thirty feet away from the entrance of his log cabin, but four feet away from it was officer Cabrera again. She wasn’t dressed as a detective (or whatever division she worked for) But instead a red t-shirt and some black cargo shorts. Either way, Dugan still looked a little startled.

“Is that a cop?” He asked, his voice breaking just a bit.

Before he responded Abner made sure to make contact with the kid in case he decided to bolt. “Looks like it.” He had his hand on Dugan’s shoulder, and felt him tense up just a bit. Muscle memory must’ve kicked in because the four year old made a move to run.

Abner caught him from the underarms again and lifted him up in the air, holding him away just a bit as he was now thrashing.

Officer Cabrera saw the scene and made her way over, cautiously approaching Dugan like he was a hurt deer. “It’s ok tramposo, I’m not here to take you.”

“No!” Dugan yelled. “You’re gonna take me away and I’ll never see my mom again!” He continued to thrash to the point Abner had no choice but to hold him to his torso, just so he wouldn’t slip.

“Dugan-.”

“No!” He continued to kick and scream, trying to get Abner to release his grip. He was pretty sure the kid tried to bite his arm at one point. Instead of continuing to struggle with the kid he turned his whole body so Dugan couldn’t see the police officer and bent down, switching positions so he was cradling the boy now.

“I know this is upsetting. I didn’t know she’d be here either.” He wished she wasn’t. Why she was in such a rush to grab the grandson for a rando who worked for Scrooge was lost to him. “But please don’t run away.”

Dugan had started to cry, hyperventilating a bit. Whatever happened to him in the past had obviously given him at least some trauma towards police officers. “I have to, I have to go! Mom said not to go to the police station.”

“I know buddy. I know.” For the first time in years Abner’s eyes stung.

He took a deep breath. “Listen. Your mom isn’t coming back.”

Dugan looked confused and angry, “Yes she is!”

“I’m sorry Dugan.” Officer Cabrera said, kneeling next to Abner. “We found your mom a while ago. That’s why so many of us were looking for you.” She swallowed. “Your mom is gone.”

“Gone?” Dugan sniffled. “Gone where?”

The adults exchanged a look, but not for long. Abner couldn’t look at what was about to happen. He pulled Dugan closer to him and closed his eyes, trying to block out exactly what the woman was going to say to get the idea across.

He was successful in that realm.

But as the sun set past the tree line he could feel Dugan’s heart race, could hear his screams and pleads that it wasn’t true. He felt it as the four year old crumbled completely.

Chapter Text

It took another three and a half hours for Dugan to calm down enough that he stopped crying. In reality he probably just ran out of tears.

Officer Cabrera carried the kid to the cabin and told him to freshen up before the three of them went to the police station. It took some convincing, but Abner wormed himself into the cabin too. Only to see the most depressed four year old he had ever seen in his life sitting on the floor.

Dugan was in the middle of Abner’s bedroom, holding the note loosely in his hand. Not doing anything but staring at it.

“Hey Dugan.” Abner said. It was the first thing he’d said in a while, a few hours at most. The gruffness of his voice surprised him more than it should have.

“You lied to me.” Dugan mumbled, not looking away from the note. “She read me the note. The real note.” She had done that, Abner felt like punching every tree in the forest just listening to her read the note to Dugan. Even Officer Cabrera herself was struggling not to cry at that point.

He knew Dugan didn’t blame the officer, Abner didn’t really either. Sure it wasn't handled that great in Abner’s eyes, but it was handled, and Dugan knew the truth. And the truth hurt like a bitch.

“I know.” He whispered. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say, but that was obviously the wrong thing to say at that moment.

Dugan shot his head up and glared daggers at him. Eyes red and puffy from crying for three hours straight. “Sorry?” He demanded. “You knew my mom was dead and you lied to me!”

“I only found out she was dead this morning, honest.”

“Doesn’t matter! I’m not even mad about that! I’m mad that you’ve been lying to me from the beginning!” He stood up and his eyes glazed over, he was shaking and looked ready to cry again. “I trusted you! But now that I know that you're nothing but a jerk and a liar! I don’t even know if ‘you’ is really ‘you’ in the first place!” He wiped at his eye a little too roughly. “I liked you! I thought you wanted to help me! But all you wanted was to try and get me out of your hair as fast as possible!”

“Come on, it’s not like that.” He tried gently.

“Then what is it like?” When Abner didn’t respond he continued. “Tell me!”

“Dugan-”

“Don’t lie to me again! Is that what you did to your brother? To Glory? Is that why she didn’t like talking about you? Is that why you don’t know your brother? Because you lied to them?”

The words stung like someone just whipped him in the back with a belt. No, something more painful than a belt. Whatever metaphorical object he felt like hit him, it hit. And it hit hard. It hurt.

“I was just trying to protect you.” He tried to reason, he couldn’t bring himself to get mad right now. All his emotion had been long drained by then.

“Protecting me? ‘Protecting me’ would involve telling me about my mom and trying to help from there! Not ignoring the problem and hoping it went away!” Dugan shoved a chair out of his way and got in Abner’s face. As well as he could anyway, he only came up to his waist if that.

“If I ever see you again.” He closed his eyes and took a breath. Opening his eyes and tightening his hands into fists he continued. “I don’t know you.” With that he side stepped Abner and stormed outside.

All the while Abner just stood in the doorway of the living room, staring at the knocked over chair.

A period of time passed. He wasn’t sure how long or how short it was. He waited, listened for any sign that Dugan changed his mind and decided to stay. Him breaking the shed lock again, stealing a flare gun, coming back in and asking for a story to calm down.

A period of time passed. Nothing happened.

A period of time passed, and eventually Abner walked outside the cabin and was met with nothing but darkness.

He went to bed.

In the morning he was met with a less than pleased boss who rambled about taking two days off in a row, but Abner zoned out a majority of his rant. He hadn’t even looked up from the floor since this morning.

After however long his boss seemed to notice this. “Whitewater?” Irritation was laced in his voice, but not as much as usual. There was a hint of worry there as well. An emotion that was rare to hear coming out of the man in front of him.

Finally he looked up and met his boss’ eyes.

He was used to people looking scared or intimidated when looking in his eyes. Even shock or grief. Fethry and Donna were the most likely culprits to look him in the eyes and laugh about whatever they were talking about. Concern was an emotion he’s only seen when looking at his parents and grandmother. Never his boss.

“What?” He mumbled.

“Did you. Um.” His boss wrung his hands together in front of him. “Are you alright?”

He thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

He was used to his co-workers avoiding him. He was used to barely speaking a sentence to other people. Not for people to approach him like a traumatized animal and express their concern. About fifteen people asked if he was ok in the span of his whole shift.

Usually so many people talking to him in such a short span of time would irritate him and he would lose it. He would yell and hit something if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t have the energy to. Today he was nothing but an empty husk being dragged around by a kid who found it in the middle of the road. Five thoughts spinning around his mind like a broken record player all day.

He needed to apologize to Fethry.

He needed to apologize to Donna.

He needed to apologize to Dugan.

He needed to apologize to Glory.

Lastly, he needed to change. To be a better person. Or else he would be cursed to be alone for the rest of his days.

That’s all he wanted when he was younger. To not be bothered by anyone. To be left to his own devices, occasionally coming out of his self assigned hibernation to talk to his family every so often.

He had followed through on those plans. He had had limited interaction and maybe two friends.

Dugan though, he seemed to take his supposed ideal life and tear it apart. Abner had never liked children, they were loud and cost a lot of money and sneezed on everything. Dugan either did or would have been all of those things of course, but he seemed better equipped for life than Abner did, and he was almost four decades younger.

Knowing the kid for almost two days made him rethink almost twenty years of decisions. Bad decisions.

If he had never stolen his flare gun he wouldn’t feel bad about Donna or Glory. He wouldn’t have even thought of Fethry for a moment. But Dugan seemed to flip a switch. A switch that made the lumberjack realize his actions, or lack thereof, hurt people. Affected people. A thing he never meant to do. He thought staying away would help, but all he did was end up making it worse.

Now he was alone. Truly alone.

Hopefully not for long though.

As soon as he got out of work he was marching to the tavern and was going to do anything to apologize. He was willing to get on his hands and knees right then and there. Spewing on and on about how sorry he was and how he wanted to make it right, she didn’t even need to forgive him. Just listen as he tries to at least make something in his life right.

Apologizing may not make anything better, but he might as well try anyway.

For once the tavern was actually busy. He had dragged his feet the whole time there. Procrastinating was what he was really doing. The feeling of needing to apologize battled the thought of how stupid what he was about to do was.

The commotion would be expected in regular establishments, but tonight it felt out of place. He could hear laughing and conversations from over where he was on the trail. The noise was enough to almost take his hide back to his cabin and never come back. But knowing that he needed to apologize to Donna or else she would never speak to him again.

The scene in the tavern only served to confuse him more. No regulars, no lumberjacks, not even older couples trying to get cheap food. Nothing but teenagers as far as the eye could see. They didn’t even seem like the older teenagers, they were short and none looked old enough to operate any vehicle by themselves.

All the kids looked like eighth graders or freshmen in highschool, or on the cusp anyway.

The sea of kids had distracted him from a particular duck approaching him. “Hey man, only incoming freshmen are supposed to be here.” The duck, a girl, had messy short hair and round glasses that overtook most of her face. She was wearing what looked like a homemade orange long open orange sweater and a t-shirt for some band called the Feather Weights.

“Uh, right. Look, I'm just here to talk to the owner about something.”

“It can wait.” The girl decided for him.

“No it can’t.” He was getting frustrated, but remembered his challenge to better himself and took a deep breath. “Look, I messed up big time a few days ago. I’ve already waited too long to apologize to her.”

The girl seemed to scan him. “A lumberjack who needs to apologize to my aunt about an argument they had a few days ago. You must be Whitewater.”

Aunt?

Oh.

Donna had explained that April, May, and June each wore their favorite color most of the time. Purple, yellow, and orange. He just couldn’t remember which color went with what girl.

Luckily the universe seemed to finally take pity on him, just this once.

“May!” A similar looking girl in a yellow sundress shoved her way through the crowd. “No adults! I told you and aunt Donna that about a million times!”

The girl in orange, May, rolled her eyes at who Abner assumed was one of her sisters. “This is Whitewater.” She simply stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a split second the yellow girl looked confused, then angry. Really angry. “Oh, so you’re the one who told my aunt that she wasn’t really my aunt huh?” He could see which daughter inherited the famous temper that both Daisy and Donna (and he assumed their brother) possessed.

“Yeah. I came to apologize. I just wasn’t aware that it was teen takeover night.”

At that the yellow girl rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “Apologize all you want. What you said was messed up.”

“She wants to say ‘fucked up’ but she’s too big a goodie two-shoes.” May informed.

Her sister glared at her before turning the glare back to Abner. “Five minutes. Then I’m kicking you out.” He was tempted to reply with sarcasm, but if this girl was anything like her aunts then he thought it would be better to just listen to her.

She shoved her way through the crowd again, multiple times he watched as someone turned to confront whoever pushed them, realized who it was, and then promptly went back to minding their business.

Whichever triplet this was, she was definitely part of Donna’s family.

Donna had a small office that used to be a broom closet, she said she didn’t need a huge office, just a place to do taxes and go over tips in peace. So of course she’d be back there with a wave of teenagers out in the main building.

The girl knocked four times before opening the door just enough to stick her head through. “Aunt Donna that jerk of a lumberjack is here to give his unceremonious apology.”

He couldn’t see where Donna was but he could somehow still see the scowl that he assumes had overtaken her by now. “Tell him I’m busy.” He heard her say.

Her niece turned around and was about to shut the door when his patience finally ran out. “Hey!” He opened the door fully and saw a confused Donna sitting at her really pathetic excuse of a deck.

“I just went through a spawn pit of teenage hormones, I am not going back through there without talking to you.” Yellow niece looked furious at what he had just done.

“You can’t just-”

“April.” Donna said, shedding some light onto some questions Abner didn’t even know he had. April was the oldest, and according to Donna she was also the smartest. She reminded him of Della’s oldest, except from the limited interaction he had with his cousin's kid he could easily point out more differences than similarities. Huey was kind of timid and never wanted to make a fuss, whereas April seemed to solely exist for that purpose.

But like both sets of triplets both the oldest ones seemed to have a protective streak for their family, and April definitely looked willing to throw down at any moment with anyone who talked shit about her family. Abner included.

“It’s fine.” Donna continued. “You can stay. For now anyway.” That was directed to Abner.

“Are you sure?” April asked.

“Sí, ahora relájate y diviértete.” With that April physically relaxed and basically jumped back into the group. For a moment he just stood there watching the crowd and wondering where the other one, June, was.

“Are you going to just stand there? Or are you going to talk?”

Abner looked back at Donna who did not look impressed. “Talk.” He decided, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him, almost immediately muffeling the music and endless chatter of the party.

There was nowhere else to sit. Once he realized that he realized his legs were pretty much shaking at the point. When was the last time he sat down? When he went to bed? Whatever. He needed to say something.

“Look, I know what I said was messed up the other day. I shouldn’t have said it, and you were right. I should talk to Fethry and probably my cousins. I’ve only had maybe two or three conversations with Della ever since she came back from the moon and that’s just me being a jerk. I should have come and apologized sooner but then life got hectic and I realized I’m highkey a terrible person, and I know saying this doesn’t really fix anything but I wanted to say. I’m sorry. Like, really, really, sorry.”

Donna just blinked at him, taking in the long winded ramble one word at a time. He did say that pretty fast now that he thinks about it.

He half expected her to scream at him to leave and never come back. Donna was the type of girl to hold herself to ridiculously high standards and cut people out of her life when they show even a sliver of toxicity. Scream, explain that apologizing won’t be enough, anything really.

He wasn’t expecting her to smile at him though. “What?” She said with a laugh. “I’ve never heard you ramble like that.”

“I guess I just realized how bad I was acting towards everyone, you especially. I’m sorry.”

“You already said that.”

“I know but I don’t really know what else to say.” He admitted.

“You could start by talking about that kid Glory told me about.”

“Dugan?” Donna nodded and waited. Abner waited too. For what he had no clue.

After a minute or so of just standing there, and not really thinking of anything, he landed on something. “Does the name Thomas Pond ring a bell?”

His friend frowned, “Thomas Pond? Is he a character from the Double O Duck movies? Or that video game at Funzos?

He shook his head, “He’s Dugan’s biological grandfather.” He then spent the next few minutes going over the details of the past few days and all of the drama that had occurred with Officer Cabrera and how Dugan made him actually want to be a better person.

“When you said that I should know better when I insinuated that blood makes a family. I guess I didn’t really know what you meant, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense.”

“Sounds like it.” She hesitated before continuing. “You seem to have grown attached to this kid.”

“I hate to admit it, but yeah. I have. I really have. I just feel shitty for lying about his mom.”

She hummed in agreement. “He sounds like he’s been through a lot, but based on how obsessed he is with his mom. It doesn’t sound like she was crazy. It sounds like she’s just trying to deal with a shitty situation.”

“That’s what I thought. That’s why I wanna know about the Pond family better.”

“Thomas Pond sounds like he’s a good liar. But you know who can sniff out a liar like a damn bloodhound?”

“Who?”

She raised an eyebrow at him and waited for him to figure it out himself. But knowing how slow his brain has been working lately, that may take a while.

“The oldest woman in town? One of the only people that Scrooge McDuck is scared of?” He still wasn’t getting the hint. He had to think.

Donald had told him about some Goldie O’Gilt character that had swindled their dear old uncle out of a lot of shit multiple times in the last few decades they had known each other. There was also that rumor that his housekeeper was a former spy, but Abner had yet to confirm or deny that claim.

Besides those two no other woman came to mind. No other woman came to mind immediately anyway. That was until he stopped to think about one person in the Duck family.

He felt his eyes widen, “You don’t mean.”

“I do.” Donna confirmed, leaning back in her small rolling chair. Satisfied that he came to the conclusion himself.

“Not only is Scrooge scared of her but I’m scared of her too.” And not many people can scare him.

She shrugged, “It’s just a suggestion.”

“Yeah. A suggestion to an early grave.”

“I’m just saying. I think talking to your grandmother may be a good idea.”

Chapter Text

The suggestion ended up in a petty argument. It wasn’t a huge blow up argument like the one they had earlier in the week, in fact it was more friendly.

Donna took his phone and refused to give it back until he agreed to her plan. Forcing him to call his grandma the very next morning and asking to visit that weekend.

The phone conversation was quicker than he would have liked, but his grandmother explained that Gus was busy looking for a cow that had gotten loose and she had a blueberry pie in the oven that she didn’t want to burn.

She had acted like they had just spoken a few days ago, when in reality it had been a few months at least since he had heard his grandmother's voice. Now that he really thought about it, he treated everyone in his life really shitty.

Today was going to change that.

Saturdays in the middle of July always seemed to be so humid. Especially in Quacktown at the crack of dawn.

Despite the weather man on the radio claiming it was going to storm all day, Abner struggled to even spot a spec of a cloud in the sky. All there was a giant yellow ball of pure fire.

He rented a truck from his old friend Tony in town and drove to Quacktown at eight in the morning. With only two stalls and one break down he managed to get the heap of metal and tires to the edge of his grandmothers driveway.

A strange hissing sound under the hood encouraged him to walk the rest of the way.

Grandma Duck owned a lot of land. He never really understood just how much she owns. Sure the McDuck side of the family had wealth in money and treasure, but the Ducks themselves had wealth in land.

Two full barns, ten corn fields, three stilhos, at least a dozen different sheds scattered about, and almost six hundred acres of land. That’s how massive the farm was. Though usually grandma and Gus stuck to the main house with the barn that had the triple Distelfink hex painted on it.

Abner and his cousins, especially Gladstone and Donald, had always asked who painted the damn thing that made Gladstone and aunt Daphne so lucky. Every time grandma shrugged and claimed that pa hired a rando for cheap near the farmers market. Didn’t give a name, didn’t give a price. Just showed up and painted the thing and vanished mere moments after Daphne’s egg started to hatch.

The symbol had always creeped him out.

He knew it used to scare Fethry when he was really little. Sobbing about how the biggest bird was watching him play. Their dad always calmed him down saying it was just paint, but Abner and him both knew something was off with that symbol.

As he walked by it up to the porch he tried to shrug off the feeling that it was watching him.

He came up to the main door already opened, only the screen protecting the inside from bugs. He knocked on the frame of the door and waited.

A few seconds passed before his grandmother poked her head around the corner and squinted. “Abner? Why are you knocking? You were born and raised here just come in.” With that she disappeared around the corner again.

He stood there for only a moment before doing as he was told. Stepping deeper into the house he was hit with a wave of nostalgia and the sweet smell of pies. The day Elvira Coot stops baking pies is the day she dies.

Two pies sat on the open windowsill, a pumpkin and an apple if he could tell, and his grandmother was standing at the counter kneading more dough muttering to herself over the consistency of it.

“So what brings you here?” She called over her shoulder, still continuously kneading at the bread.

“Well, uh.” He wandered over to the old kitchen table. Knitted placemats from Gertrude Gadwell, his great-grandmother, sat on the tables with different stains littering here and there. He recalled a time Donald and Della got in trouble for using one as a frisbee and throwing it straight in the mud.

He cleared his throat and sat down, “Well Donna suggested I call and just check in. I haven’t been the most on top of socializing with my family recently.”

She paused her kneading and turned around, a concerned and slightly sad look plastered on her face. “What happened?”

“What?”

“You’ve never been one to socialize Abner, only when something big happens.”

“Like Della?”

“Like Della.”

He wrung his hands on the table and tried to think of an excuse. He could talk about Dugan, but just thinking of the kid still kind of stung. Especially thinking about their last conversation. He could talk about the fight with Donna, and the subsequent apology. He could talk about a lot of things, but he shouldn’t.

He sighed, “Look. I feel horrible about how I’ve treated you and Fethry, and Donald and Della, even Gladstone and Gus. This past week has been insane for me and it got me to realize that.”

Elvira wiped her hands off and pulled up a chair next to the table, lowering herself in the seat slower than usual. She forced a chuckle though, “Not Scrooge?” She laughed again when Abner cringed like he just ate a whole lemon.

“I’m serious gram, I feel horrible.”

“I bet you do.” She picked at the tablecloth in front of her, not making eye contact. “I’ve missed ya y’know.”

“Yeah. I’ve probably hurt you and the others pretty bad too.”

She just hummed, continuing to poke and prod at the tablecloth. For a moment neither of them said anything, Abner tried to enjoy the peacefulness of it all. It was cool in the house and the open window was blowing the scent of pies back into the house. Not to mention just seeing his grandmother’s face again was nice, nostalgic in a way.

“Abner.”

“Yeah?” Anxiety slowly started to pool in his gut, unsure what she was about to say, or ask.

“Do you know where Gus is?”

“No. I don’t.” That was strange. He was never certain how Gus was related to the Duck’s, just knew he was in some way shape or form. He was certain that Gus was always eating, or in the hay bales napping. Even then he would take the time to greet someone if they ever came to the barn, just out of politeness, but the goose was nowhere to be seen.

Elvira smiled and tilted her head to the side like she was remembering something fond. “Went out and got himself a girlfriend. Cecille Swan, or Cissy. Her father owns the Swan Ice Cream Shop in that cute plaza in Duckburg.”

He remembered that shop, the ice cream there was really good if he remembered correctly. “Is that where he is?”

She nodded, “They’ve been dating for awhile now. They’re looking for a new apartment to rent together.”

It took a second for him to understand what she had just said. “What? Gus is moving? What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t you need help on the farm?”

“Well sure, he said that too. Told him it’d be fine. I would be fine.”

“Gram you’re old, you can’t run a farm all by yourself.”

“No I agree. I’m pushing ninety Abner, did you know that? Your pa would have been fifty eight this year.” The mention of his pa made his heart twang, and it didn’t help with the ever growing anxiety that was slowly building up.

He adjusted in his seat, “So what are you saying?”

She finally looked up, just a smidge of heart break on her face. “I have to sell.”

“What?” He was standing before he even realized. “You can’t do that. Didn’t grandpa help build this place?”

“He built the house. Scrooge and I have been talking about moving me up to the mansion until I either die or have to be sent off to a home.”

“That's ridiculous! Can’t he just buy it? Can’t he make it a part of his business?”

She shook her head, “We have a contract he made when he wanted to buy the deed of Duckburg from me. The only property he’ll take, or that I’ll give, is the town of Duckburg. He can’t touch my property here in Quacktown, and I can’t give it to him.”

He plopped back into the chair, “How’d everyone else react?”

“You’re the first person I’ve told.”

Oh…

Maybe he should have expected it. His grandmother was pushing ninety, and just by being in the same room as her for not even ten minutes, he could spot some differences. For one thing, his grandmother was moving slower than the last time he saw her. She lowered herself to sit slower and took longer to stand up. That’s not even talking about how she must be with the farm chores.

He should have expected that his grandmother would get old. He never expected to prepare for the family farm to be sold.

“Isn’t this the most successful farm in Calisota? You can’t just sell it.”

“It’s in the top five.” She corrected. “And I don’t really have a choice.”

“What about Gladstone? Or Gus? Or even Della? Can’t they buy the farm?”

“I don’t want to interfere with Gus’s life. He’s always been a city boy at heart. Not to mention he’s finally happy and thinking of settling with a nice girl. Della needs more time to adjust to her new life and spend more time with her boys.”

“And Gladstone?”

She stared at him with a blank expression. “Do you not remember how bad him leaving Duckburg for four months was?”

He thought back to a couple of years ago and how his cabin had flooded and he was in a black out for two months straight. “That was because of Gladstone?”

Elvira nodded, “Should have seen your aunt Daphne when she was an ankle biter. Caused a tornado to blow clear through here and Duckburg when Quackmore hid her favorite dolly.”

The dread that his laziest cousin could basically destroy the world if he really wanted to seeped in and mixed in with the already existing anxiety. Whatever, that’s not the biggest issue right now.

He physically shook the information overload off and took a deep breath. “If I can help, let me know and I’d be happy to do so.”

“I know you would be. So would your cousins and brother.”

As if he were summoned, the one and only Fethry Duck barreled through the front door and landed face first on the floor in view from the kitchen table.

“Good mornin’ Fethry.” Elvira greeted with a slight smirk. Abner on the other hand was stuck in a timeless existence for a moment, just watching his brother peel himself off the floor.

“Good Morning grandma!” He greeted, pushing himself to his knees and fixing his hat. “I’m glad you called actually, Mitzi is running low on treats and-” He cut himself off, a rarity that occurred as much as an agave americana blooming, and held a blank staring contest with Abner for a moment.

Eventually his smile became brighter than the sun and he launched up, “Abner!” He cheered, immediately wrapping his arms around his big brother's neck in a surprisingly tight hug. “What are you doing here? Did grandma call you here too?”

He risked a glance at his grandmother who only shrugged, but didn’t even try to hide her smugness.

“Uh, actually I called a few days ago to say I was coming up for a visit.”

“Wow! What a coincidence! We should do something, just the two of us. We haven’t had a brother day since… Well you know what I mean.” He did know what he meant. They used to have ‘brother days’ together all the time before their parents died. Near the end he felt like he was more babysitting Fethry than bonding, but he never complained. Out loud.

They would always walk in the woods or take a trip to the farmers market and get some flowers for mom. Most likely though they would fish at a river only a mile or so beyond the farm property. They never caught anything, but it was peaceful nonetheless.

“Uh sure, we can do something once I-”

“Actually, now that you mention it hon, I did find your old fishing rods up in the attic.” Elvira interrupted.

Abner shot her a look but Fethry was too caught up in his own excitement to notice. He lit up like a Christmas tree and clapped his hands. “Oh goody! I’ll go get them and we can go back to the river?” It was a question, not a suggestion or a demand. He always appreciated that about his brother. He was a very physical and time consuming person, but he was always considerate enough to make sure he wasn’t overstepping.

He smiled at his little brother, “Sounds like a plan. I’ll find some bait and meet you outside.”

Fethry beamed and dashed towards the attic’s pull down entrance. Abner shot a glare at his grandmother. “You planned this.”

She simply shrugged, “Hey you can’t blame me for scheming. I just had Goldie O’Gilt over for tea last week.”

He rolled his eyes and stood up to go find some worms or something outside, but before he got too far Elvira called out to him. “Hey.” He turned around, “Whatever you wanted to tell me, tell your brother first.”

He nodded, slower than he meant. “Yeah. I will.” Maybe.

Half an hour later the brothers were sitting on a creek bed fishing poles in hand and sun in their eyes. “We never caught anything here, did we?” Fethry asked, kicking his feet against the surface of the water.

Abner shook his head, staring at how the thin fishing line caught the sun. “Not here.”

“I wonder why that is. Considering that the water’s calm enough that are lines would just drift into the eddies without issue. Not to mention the roots growing slightly in the water, this seems like a perfect place for fish to hang out.”

Abner just stared at his brother's feet, still kicking the surface of the water. “Maybe they’re scared.”

“Of what?”

“Gee Feth, I don’t know.” The sarcasm went right over his brother’s head.

Fethry shifted and turned to look at Abner, “So you said you wanted to visit grandma, what happened?”

He sputtered for a moment, raising his arms above his head. “Why does everyone assume something happened? Can’t I just visit my grandmother?” Fethry just gave him a look. He lowered his hands.

“Fine.” He ran his hands over his face for a second, trying to figure out what to actually say. “Ok, it’s been a weird week.”

“Weird how?”

There were points in the story where Abner contemplated just dropping all together, but it was Fethry. Fethry who once felt so bad for stepping on a butterfly he didn’t eat for two days. Fethry who, at the first ball Scrooge took them too when they were kids, tripped and completely destroyed a noble woman's super expensive dress. At this point Abner wondered if his brother got embarrassed over anything.

He listened intently, never interrupting, even when it was obvious he had a question. Just sat there and listened. Not speaking for a while even after he finished retelling the past week’s insanities.

Until suddenly he looked really irritated. Fethry, who even if Abner loved dearly, had to admit was infuriating himself to an extreme degree. Not all the time, but it was more likely that he was irritating someone else rather the other way around. His brother was patient and a little air headed, just like their mom. So any insult would usually fly far above his head.

So to sum it up, irritated Fethry was an uncommon thing to see.

“Did you say Mary Pond? As in Thomas Pond’s daughter?”

Abner blinked, he never mentioned Thomas, he probably should have. “Yes?”

Fethry clenched his fishing pole tighter and looked ready to snap it. “Of course it’s him. I didn’t even realize what had happened! She had a kid and her parents did jack shit about it.”

Irritated Fethry was uncommon, but swearing Fethry? That never happened.

“Did you know her?”

“Know her? Abner I babysat her.” Fethry got to his feet and uncharacteristically slammed the fishing rod to the ground, with the lure still in the water. “Her mom used to tutor me in history and she seemed nice enough, but then I met Thomas. He had Mrs. Pond and Mary under his thumb and he was just overall super controlling. Mary was fourteen years younger than me and I never saw her smile around her parents once.”

The note said she had Dugan at seventeen, but he never realized just how young she really was. She was still a kid, especially since the youngest Mc/Duck cousin was over a decade older than her.

“He works for Scrooge. Has worked for Scrooge since the eighties.”

“Thomas?” Abner nodded, Fethry rolled his eyes.

“Figures. He was one of those charismatic types. Always putting up a show around other people, even getting Mary to act like she was ok. The last time I babysat her I was nineteen and she had a black eye, and you know what she said? She said she had fallen into a door. A door Abner! That’s like excuses for abuse one-o-one!”

Abner reeled his lure back in and stood up to reel Fethry’s lure in too. “Officer Cabrera seemed pretty adamant about C.P.S not finding any signs of abuse.”

“It’s C.P.S, you expect them to actually do their jobs?” He snapped. Eventually he took a deep breath and pressed his palms into his eyes. “Oh god. I babysat her.” And then he started crying.

Unsure of what else to do, he wrapped an arm around his brothers shoulders and let him lean into him for support. He couldn’t imagine. He didn’t want to imagine. Especially now that that horrible monster claiming to be a man was legally in charge of Dugan right now. He had been for days.

That thought alone gave him enough adrenaline to fight off a pack of grizzly bears.

Though, trying to be a better person, he stood and comforted his brother until he seemed to get everything out of his system. It took a while, but as previously mentioned, Fethry is an emotional guy. And it gave Abner a pretty good plan.

“You said you knew Mary?”

“Yeah?”

“So did you know her best friend, uh?” He paused trying to fish the name out of all the information he had gotten. “Curfew?” Was that it?

Fethry’s eyes flashed with recognition. “Kari Curfew?”

“Yeah, you know her?”

“Kind of, her grandmother Stella used to be a police officer. I think her grandma knew our grandma.”

Perfect.

He grabbed Fethry’s shoulders gently and forced him to look at his face. “Feth, I know you don’t owe anything to me. Nobody does, but I’m not asking you to help me. I’m asking you to help Dugan, because I got a bad feeling about this Thomas Pond guy.”

Fethry’s brows furrowed but he seemed interested. “What are you saying?”

“I have a plan to get Dugan out of there. But I’m going to need your help. I’m gonna need a lot of people’s help.”

Chapter Text

Three days later Abner found himself standing outside the accursed money bin belonging to the one and only Scrooge McDuck.

Luckily he wasn’t by himself.

Donna nudged his ribs, startling him enough to look at her. “Did you hear anything we just said?”

“No.”

She rolled her eyes as Fethry bounced in place a little ways behind her. Even from a few feet away he could tell his brother wanted nothing more than to just run and skip around in his excitement. Apparently he loved doing ‘secret missions’ like Della, Donald, and the kids do. But he was being a good grandson and helping their grandmother stand without too much pain.

“Listen this time.” Elvira encouraged, although a little sarcastically.

“The plan is.” Donna started. “You go talk to Scrooge while Fethry and your grandma go to Fenton to get his mom on the case. I know Quackfaster so she’ll be happy to help me learn more about this Kari Curfew character.”

“Right right, but why do I have to talk to Scrooge?”

“Because he’s our uncle and he loves us.” Fethry said, Abner couldn’t tell if he was faking the sincerity or not.

“Right. I totally believe that.” Donna elbowed his ribs again and started for the door.

He watched Fethry and his grandma go up the steps and he really didn’t have any other choice but to follow.

Mrs. Quackfaster was always an odd duck. She replaced Mrs. Featherby when Abner was still a little kid. He remembered Mrs. Featherby used to spoil him rotten. Sneaking him cookies and candy whenever he visited the Money Bin with his parents. Mrs. Quackfaster was not as nice as her.

She was, strange, to say the least. Dramatic like Gyro and stingy like Scrooge. She treated even the most well behaved kids with glares and even growling a few times. He (not so secretly) pitties her poor husband.

Luckily she was nice to a select few people, Donna included. For some reason

“Hello Mrs. Q!” Donna greeted with her usual cheerfulness

The receptionist/secretary/archivist/whatever-else-she-was looked up. With a smile she greeted, “Donna! Elvira! Boys.” The small group walked up to the desk and Mrs. Quackfaster fell into an easy conversation with Elvira first.

“What brings you down in this neck of the woods?”

His grandmother shrugged with an easy going smile, “Whitewater’s on this journey to be a better person.”

“And who better to start with than uncle Scrooge!” Fethry added, a little too loudly.

Mrs. Quackfaster raised an eyebrow and turned her curious gaze on him like a predator sizing up her prey. “Is that so?”

“Yep.” He wasn’t sure what else to say. Crack a joke? Say Scrooge deserved an apology?

She didn’t look convinced but turned to the others, “And you’re all going up to Mr. McDuck’s office?”

Donna shook her head and held up a brown bag that Abner had forgotten she was holding. “I came along to see if you wanted to take a break and have some of my dad’s famous sopapillas.”

“And Fethry wanted to introduce me to his co-worker Fenton.” Once Abner explained his plan to Fethry he surprised him with the fact that he was the money bins new janitor. Mostly in the underwater lab, and he had been working a lot more since Manny the headless man-horse (who or whatever that was) turned out to be some apocalyptic demon horse that was supposed to bring an end to all things. Since that revelation occurred, Manny supposedly took a vacation to ‘find himself’ whatever that meant.

Mrs. Quackfaster looked longingly at the brown bag that Donna was holding. “It has been awhile since I’ve had sopapillas.” She mused. “Ok, one second.”

She spun around in her chair and leaned in at an intercom. “Mr. McDuck your nephew is here to see you.”

Nothing but crackling came over the intercom for a moment before he replied. “Tell Donald I’m busy!”

“First of all, you're not, you told me to clear your schedule today. Second of all, it's Whitewater.”

There was a pregnant pause, even the crackling noise seemed to hold its breath.

Abner counted to fifty seven before Scrooge replied, a lot grimmer than before, “Send him up.”

Mrs. Quackfaster nodded and set up an ‘Out for Lunch’ sign at her desk before leading Donna down the hall without another word.

Elvira led the boys to two elevators, one that was out of order. “I can take the stairs.” Abner said.

“Tsk, no you ain’t. I’ll go down to the lab first and Fethry will ride with you to Scrooge’s office.”

Fethry smiled, “Ok, meet you down there. And make sure Gyro doesn’t yell at you.”

Elvira scoffed as she hit the button, “Fethry I knew Ratchet Gearloose when he was in diapers, if that boy yells at me even slightly I’ll tan his hide.” Even the ‘smartest man in Duckburg’ knew better to disrespect Elvira Coot.

Once the elevator doors shut on their grandmother the brothers stood in silence for a moment.

“Hey, do you remember the game mom used to play with us when we were little?” Fethry asked out of nowhere.

Abner finally hit the button and thought. “Be more specific.”

“You know, the game where the garden gnomes would come looking for us if we didn’t do our chores?”

“You mean when we slacked and mom terrorized us by moving the garden gnomes to terrifying places?”

Fethry snapped, “That one yeah.”

“I think that was more to scare us, you thought of it as a game?”

“Course I did. Garden gnomes are symbols of protection. I used to sneak out of the house when everyone was asleep and try to watch them. See if they’d do, I don’t know, patrol? Around the garden? Fend off foxes and deer who tried to get our stuff.” He chuckled to himself, “Even after all these years, I think I have mom’s favorite garden gnome stored in a box somewhere at my apartment. It was the first thing I packed to bring with me to the underwater labs.”

The elevator dinged at them, telling them to enter the thing that would bring them to the dragon's lair. They both stepped in and Fethry hit the button immediately.

“That’s… really sweet Feth. I’m sure she’s happy you kept it.”

Fethry beamed at him, and all those old familiar feelings of dread came flooding back to him. Everyone loved Fethry, even when they claimed they didn’t. If Abner did anything to hurt him again, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

Neither of them spoke again until the doors opened to reveal Scrooge McDuck’s famous office. Abner remembers rumors that it was so hard to get to look inside the mysterious room. Reporters, collectors, even biographers, so desperate to get in to even get a glimpse of it resorted to trying to break in. Not realizing the whole building had been booby trapped by the crazy Dr. Gearloose. Abner didn’t see the appeal.

He stepped out of the elevator and smiled slightly when Fethry stayed back and gave him a thumbs up. Once the elevator closed between the brothers Abner had no choice but to turn and face the one relative he truly never liked.

Unlike usual, Scrooge was hovering near the meeting room where Bradford Buzzard used to sit and plot behind everyone’s backs. He wasn’t there for the fight with F.O.W.L, but he remembers the stories and all around worrying things that he had heard happened.

“Abner Duck.” Scrooge said flatly.

“Scrooge.” Abner said trying to match his tone.

Scrooge took his time to sit at his desk but made no move to ‘allow’ Abner to do the same. So he took it upon himself to just stand in front of the desk and get to the point.

“Look, I know neither of us want to see the other-”

“I don’t mind seeing you Abner, just curious on why you’re here. Hopefully you’re not looking for a hand out.”

“I wouldn’t take anything from you even if you paid me.”

Scrooge waved him off, “Bah. I don’t pay family with money, I just give them a share of the McDuck Friends and Family stock.”

Abner rolled his eyes, “Just let me talk.” He snapped, there was a beat of silence. “Thomas Pond, do you know him?”

Scrooge blinked, that was the best physical indicator that he was shocked that Abner had even seen from the man. “He’s one of the best employee’s I have, what about him?”

“Are you aware that he kicked his daughter out and let her rot in an alley?”

Scrooge sighed, “He told me-”

“I don’t care what he told you.” Abner interrupted, getting a little irritated. “That man is a grade-a liar. He kicked his only daughter out of the house while she was with child and forced her to abandon her kid in the woods of all places.”

Scrooge leaned back in his chair, “Who told you all that? Because it seems we have different sources.”

“Your sources are paid to support whatever that monster says. My sources come from the victims directly.” He didn’t have the note as evidence, he didn’t even have Dugan to help him. But he had to convince Scrooge that Thomas was a bad person. He had to.

“The victims? Plural?”

“Mary Pond and her son Dugan. Thomas’s grandson.”

Scrooge furrowed his eyebrows (which desperately looked like they needed to be trimmed). “Dugan? He’s with Thomas as we speak. In fact he took three whole weeks off so he could bond with the lad.”

That just made Abner want to be sick. If that man even raised a pinky finger towards Dugan he’d kill him.

“I’m the one who found him in the woods. Officer Cabrera had been on my case the whole time about it, so if you want to double check that I’m telling the truth just ask her.”

Scrooge thought for a moment, seemingly turning over multiple scenarios over in his head. “So you found Dugan, what does that mean?”

“That means whatever Thomas’s people told you wasn’t true. Dugan loved his mom more than anything, and now that she’s dead he’s vulnerable. I don’t trust Thomas Pond as far as I can throw him.”

“What proof do you have that Thomas is really as bad as you say?”

Abner was shaking, he could feel himself shaking. From anger or pure grief he couldn’t tell, but he refused to break down. He needed Scrooge to listen to him, and he wouldn’t listen to a mushy pile of emotional lumberjack.

He took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, trying desperately to ground himself. “Mary had a note that Dugan gave to me, which I then gave to the police. She claimed that his dad wanted nothing to do with Dugan and that Thomas kicked her out of the house. I know he told people that she was of unsound mind or whatever, but I don’t think that was the case. I think Thomas abused her so much she didn’t know what else to do. She wasn’t crazy, she was abused and desperate.”

Scrooge gave him a look that told him he wasn’t entirely buying it. So he took another deep breath.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that.”

That seemed to hit the target well enough. Scrooge thought for a moment more. “So what do you want to do?”

“I want to talk to Thomas Pond and get proof myself, if it’s enough proof then I want Dugan out of there too.”

“And what do you want to do with the lad?”

He knew. “I don’t know.” But it wasn’t the best option for the kid. “But I have a plan, if you’ll listen.”

“Fine. But I’m not paying for anything.”

“You don’t have too, though I did have another request.”

__________________________

He wasn’t sure how long he was in that office with Scrooge. He just knew, by some miracle, he got him to agree to his plan. And right now, that’s all that mattered.

That and he was causing an apparent huge distraction for the neighbors of the Ponds.

Officer Cabrera had reluctantly given up Thomas Pond’s address with the urgency of both Scrooge and her son, who apparently was Fethry’s co-worker.

When he learned that Abner was convinced this plan was supposed to happen, succeed? Maybe, he’ll just have to wait and see.

So far what he was seeing was a bunch of privileged people gaping at him from their tidy identical homes of the suburbs. He didn’t know what the neighborhood was called, he didn’t really care. All he knew was that the richest of the richest (besides Scrooge) lived there.

So when he pulled up to 374 Enyo lane in a screaming pick up truck that he was ninety percent sure was rusting on the bottom, people took immediate notice. Some mothers were even covering children’s eyes or ushering them back inside. Whether that action was intended for him or the car was unknown to him, he would understand both honestly.

The people in neighboring homes seemed to make a note of him going to the Pond residence. Good. If his plan worked out he would give the people of this suburb quite a show.

No one emerged from the house in front of him, but the two cars in the driveway seemed to indicate that they were still here. That or they were hiding.

He knocked on the door. Nothing.

Next he rang the doorbell. Nothing.

Counting to ten he knocked on the door again. This time, though it took a little while, the door opened a crack. Just enough for a hesitant eye to peer through.

“Yes?” Asked a feminine voice in a quiet tone. She was very soft spoken, not a bad thing to be, but he could barely hear her.

“Hello, my name’s Abner Duck. Is this the home of Thomas Pond?”

He saw the eye glance back, so quick he would have missed it if he blinked. “It is. Why do you ask?”

“Well, as stated before, my name is Abner Duck and I’m the one who found your grandson Dugan in the woods. I was coming through the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see how he’s doing.”

“Oh.” The eye vanished for a moment before reappearing. “Wait there.” With that the door was closed.

Hushed voices drifted through the door, though muffled and hard to hear. He could definitely tell that the woman was talking to a man. And he could tell that he was not going to be a fan of said man.

After a minute or two a duck around the same height as Abner opened the door all the way. His head feathers moussed off to the left side of his face, it looked awkward. The man's lopsided smile didn’t go well with his grey button up and grey and yellow checkered sweater vest.

“Ah, you must be this Abner Duck I’ve heard so much about.” He held his hand out, Abner crossed his arms across his chest.

“You must be Thomas Pond. Very nice house you got.”

A flash of irritation crossed the man's face before he dropped his hand. “Yes. Why thank you. That’s what happens when you spend almost forty years with Scrooge McDuck himself.”

“Right I heard you’ve worked for him for quite a while. My brother works for him.”

“Oh really? What does he do?”

“He’s a janitor in the money bin at the moment, but he helps occasionally with odd jobs here and there.”

“That’s, interesting. Would you like to come in?”

“Sure. Why not” He stepped into the house and immediately felt strange.

The atmosphere was odd, cold even. Though he couldn’t tell if it was the cold or the sense of dread attaching itself to his spine. Either way he fought off the urge to shiver.

Thomas led him to a living room with fancy looking blue furniture scattered about, even the little piano pushed against the wall leading to the hall seemed to have a tinge of blue in the wood.

He sat down at the edge of the blue couch and readjusted his pockets, making sure his phone and everything was nice and secure. “Would you like a drink?” Thomas asked.

Abner looked up and realized just how old he looked. His whiskers seemed shaggy and streaks of grey were threatening to poke out of the greased up hair. Not to mention the wrinkles that were slowly gathering around the man's eyes. He could fit a description of a horror movie killer.

He shook his head, “No. I’m all set. Thank you though.”

Thomas seemed a little awkward, just standing at the edge of his couch for a moment more, before plopping himself in a well used recliner, which was also blue.

“Now I suppose before we do anything I should thank you Mr. Duck.”

Abner raised an eyebrow, “Thank me?”

“Of course! You’re the one who rangled my dear grandson out of those disgusting woods. Lord knows what my embarrassment of a daughter was thinking at the time. Abandoning her only kid, leaving him to fend for himself.”

Like what you did. His mind bitterly thought, but he held his tongue.

“Well he was quite a treat to have.” Abner said. “A little rambunctious but he was good company.”

Thomas’ eye twitched but kept up the smile. “Rambunctious is right. Broke a family heirloom not even ten minutes into the house.”

Abner nodded, “He broke one of my snowglobes in under five minutes.”

Thomas chuckled and seemed to relax.

“By the way, where is he?”

The relaxation was short lived. “Pardon?”

“Dugan. Where is he?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Well I spent a few days with the kid. I fed him and gave him new clothes. I even bathed him for Pete's sake, and trust me, he was gross. I know we ended on bad terms but I do care about the kids' wellbeing.”

Thomas just stared at him for a moment, looking a little dazed. Before he forced a chuckle. “Well, Mr. Duck, I appreciate the concern but he’s busy with my wife upstairs.”

“Doing what?”

“Huh?”

“What are they doing?” Abner pushed. There had to be a reason why the door was only fully opened when Mrs. Pond was gone. He had noticed when she vanished, he wasn’t stupid.

Thomas blinked, “I don’t see how that's any of your business.”

Abner shrugged, “It’s not.” He agreed. “But I was just curious. The whole reason I dropped by was to see him.”

“Well you aren’t his legal guardian now are you?”

“Of course not.” He agreed. That just made the older man more irritated. “But he still is a child. A child who has been through a lot.”

Thomas scoffed, but quickly passed it off as a cough. “He’s four Mr. Duck. I don’t think any of this, besides maybe the few months he was alone in the woods, will affect his psyche.”

“My brother was around his age when he found our dad dead in our barn. So ask him if he thinks traumatic events affect the psyche.”

Thomas breathed heavily through his nostrils, “Don’t get me wrong, I loved my daughter dearly. She was the only child my wife and I ever had. But she had problems, I honestly don’t understand why he’s so attached to his mother.”

“Problems? What kind of problem? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I do mind actually, that's personal.”

“Right. But still, you must understand that a parent is a parent. Even if they weren’t the best in the world, a small part of you would be sad when losing them.”

Thomas narrowed his eyes and stood up soundlessly. “I think it’s time you leave.”

Instead of standing up and trying to talk him down, Abner did something he wasn’t used to doing. He laid back and relaxed. “No.”

“No?”

“No.” He repeated, making sure not to break eye contact.

“And why not?”

“Because I know you abused your daughter. Both emotionally and physically. And since Mrs. Pond isn’t here. I assume she’s fallen under your fist a few times as well. You have power, privilege, you can get away with bribing the police force. Especially since the new police chief is your second cousin, isn’t that right?”

Thomas just narrowed his eyes, venom basically pouring out of them. Abner continued.

“I actually didn’t mind chief O’Hara, but chief Plume? He’s nothing but a blockhead that's too easily influenced. But that benefits you and all the other rich men in Duckburg doesn’t it?”

“Mr. Duck, with all due respect, you are talking out of your ass.”

“Am I? Then why did Mary’s note claim you kicked her out when you told the police she ran away? Why did you report Kari Curfew as a kidnapper when Mary, at the time, was a legal adult who was just staying with a friend?” He would have to remember to thank both Kari and officer Cabrera for the information he had collected.

“My daughter had mental health issues, that is not a laughing matter!”

“No I agree, but why do you think she had mental health issues? Her only father, a man who is supposed to protect her and make sure she’s safe and healthy, spent her whole life being a condescending asshole towards her.”

“Enough!” Thomas yelled, slamming his hand on a nearby table. In a flash he was looming over Abner and forcing him to stand. “You are nothing but a low class hillbilly who can’t get his foot out of his ass! I can end you without even lifting a finger.”

Abner raised an eyebrow, “So I’m right? You are an abusive piece of shit?”

“It isn’t abuse.” He hissed. “You don’t know how hard it is! My wife and my daughter both thought they could break their roles. Both thought they could voice their own opinions and think they could challenge me! I had no choice but to put them in their place!”

He lightly shoved him back, “By hitting them? Did your mother drop your egg?”

Thomas scowled, “You don’t get to talk to me like that. I’m Thomas Pond! I rule this neighborhood and the whole marketing department of fucking McDuck industries!”

“Yet your still a fucking pathetic sexist man who only feels better when he hits someone like a child throwing a tantrum.”

Thomas let out a yell of frustration and suddenly swung. Abner didn’t have time to process what was happening before his fist met his face. In his surprise he stumbled back and somewhat collapsed back onto the couch. Slowly but surely a metallic taste invaded his mouth.

He shook it off the same time Thomas laughed, only further proving his point. “You think you're the first person to try and confront me? I’ve had co-workers and low level scum like you try to out me before. But trust me kid, between you, a lowly hermit who lives in the woods and has no friends. And me, who has a royalty level reputation in this city, you’re gonna end up losing.”

Abner spit some blood out of his mouth onto Thomas Pond’s floor and smiled up at him, reveling in the down right confused expression the man in front of him wore.

“That’s the difference between you and me Thomas. I may be a lowly hermit, but I’m a lowly hermit with one good connection.”

Thomas scoffed and crossed his arms smugly. “Who's going to believe you over me?”

“I am.”

The heavily accented voice from the doorway made Abner, for the first time in forever, actually thrilled. Meanwhile Thomas Pond seemed to become as pale as a ghost.

They both turned and saw the one and only Scrooge McDuck looking more than displeased. Officer Cabrera standing beside him scowling while holding onto a very embarrassed chief Plume.

“Mr. McDuck!?” Thomas cried. “What are you doing here?”

Scrooge narrowed his eyes, “Listening to you assaulting my nephew.”

Somehow Thomas seemed to grow even paler, glancing over at Abner absolutely dumbfounded. Abner just smiled smugly and pulled out a strange microphone doohickey that Fethry got Gyro to make out of bulb tech.

“Not to mention you just outed your cousin to the whole police department.” Officer Cabrera deadpanned, addressing her own listening device that was handed out to most of the policemen and women on the force.

“Now Mr. Pond I think you know what's coming next.” Scrooge said. “You’re fired.”

“And under arrest.”

“Yes that too.”

Watching a few police officers taking both the chief of police and Thomas Pond away in front of the whole snobby neighborhood was probably the best thing that had happened to Abner in the past month.

Well, the second best. He still had to deal with the first best thing that happened to him.

Chapter Text

He wasn’t allowed to see Dugan for two more weeks.

Unsurprisingly, C.P.S only did their job when Scrooge demanded they do so. Even then the handling of Dugan was messy to say the least.

Abner was unfortunately correct in both Mary and Mrs. Pond’s physical abuse. The day he got the confession out of Thomas, Eleanor (his wife) was trying to hide the very obvious deep cut on her forehead and bruising around her neck.

He hadn’t heard if there were any physical signs of abuse on Dugan.

Last he heard of Eleanor, she was checking into a week-long therapy thing at the mental health department building and getting help to file for divorce. Before that she was forced to undergo a mental health test to determine if she would be able to step in and be Dugan’s sole legal guardian. Surprise surprise, she wasn’t.

So legally, Dugan was announced an orphan, for the time being anyway.

“So do you have everything you need?” Donna asked. She, Fethry, and Elvira were gathered in Scrooge’s office. Who was also there helping go over the paperwork.

Fethry stood on the back of the chair, peering over Abner's shoulder who was sitting reading over the same sheet of paper for the third time. “I didn’t realize it was this complicated.”

“This is what Donald had to do with Huey, Dewey, and Louie.” Elvira said, sitting in the other chair next to Abner, also doing a fair amount of peering herself.

“Yes but Donald had to go through parenting classes, didn’t he?” Donna asked.

Abner scowled, losing his place. “For your information, I am going to do parent classes. This is just temporary, right?”

“Yes.” Scrooge and Elvira replied in unison. “It’s not a common thing, in fact the only other person who has gotten this ‘speed foster license’ thing was Mrs. Featherby when she wanted to take in her neighbor’s kid.” Scrooge continued.

“So basically, it would be illegal for anyone else to have it, but Abner can have this license because he’s related to you.” Donna asked, a very obvious hint of skepticism on her face

“Exactly, though it’s not one hundred percent legitimate.” Scrooge explained, shuffling some papers. “The speed foster parent license is only issued to me because I requested it after Hortense and Quackmore died. It took a long time to actually clear, but now I can give out the license to someone who I personally endorse. But it’s only legitimate for two weeks. If two weeks pass without the person holding the license to at least start the actual foster parent classes then the license will be revoked and I’ll be fined a pretty penny.”

“I called to schedule an appointment yesterday.” Abner added.

“And?” Scrooge asked.

“My first class is next Monday.”

“Perfect! Then everything should go swimmingly.” ‘Everything’ refering the process of Abner becoming Dugan’s legal guardian. For how long he was unsure at the moment. He could foster or he could work his way to an actual adoption, but he was going to let Dugan make that call.

“Will they let you take Dugan in that dingy little cabin?” Donna asked.

“Probably not. But I did make a claim on an actual house.” He tried to avoid Scrooge’s gaze. He didn’t want to give away the surprise.

Fethry bounced on the back of the chair, “Well if you have everything you should go!”

“Gee, tell me how you really feel Feth.” Abner teased.

“You know what I mean!”

Abner rolled his eyes and turned to Donna, “Glory said she was going to drive me right?”

“Who?” Scrooge, Elvira, and Fethry asked in unison.

“Gloria Pascoalina.” Donna said. “Her mom works for you, Scrooge. She’s also the owner of the Pascoalina Pizzeria in town.”

Scrooge seemed to flip through an imaginary filing cabinet, searching for any clue of who they were talking about. “The name Pascoalina doesn’t ring any bells.”

Elvira chuckled, “Well you are gettin’ older by the minute, must be harder to keep track of all the thousands of people who work for you.”

Scrooge rolled his eyes as Donna checked her phone. “Glory just texted, she’s in the parking garage.”

Abner sighed and stood up, collecting all the papers he needed in a manilla folder. “Then I should be going.”

“We’ll walk you to the lobby.” Fethry said, clapping his hands in excitement.

“You two can, I would like Elvira to stay back.” Scrooge requested. Elvira gave him a look but stayed in her seat.

“What was that about?” Fethry asked as soon as the elevator doors closed.

Abner fought off expressing his feelings and shrugged, “Who knows?”

As promised, Glory was tapping her foot in front of her surprisingly sleek car in the parking garage. “Took you long enough.” She retorted.

Abner rolled his eyes as Donna rushed forward to hug her best friend quickly. “If you want to blame anyone, blame Scrooge for making this so damn confusing.”

“Yes, blame your uncle for everything.” Donna replied sarcastically.

“It did take awhile.” Fethry added. Abner smiled and nodded, glad his brother was taking his side.

The two girls separated Glory turned to Fethry, “You must be Whitewater’s brother.”

“Yep! The name’s Fethry.” They shook hands and Fethry continued to ask about the car and a sticker she had on her tailgate of a manta ray. Of course Fethry of all people would notice the sea creature sticker, considering he used to ‘scuba dive’ in their grandmother’s pond looking for all sorts of creatures. He was also one of those kids who pretended to be a mermaid at the public pool every summer.

Not to mention Mitzi.

Donna elbowed him and had a mischievous look in her eye. “They seem pretty chummy.”

It took him a moment to understand what she was implying, “Ew, no. I love them both, don’t get me wrong, but they wouldn’t be a great couple.”

Donna chuckled, “You have your opinions, I have mine.”

He rolled his eyes just as Glory turned to him and beckoned him to her car. Fethry and Donna both wished him luck before they left the parking garage and started the journey to the Duckburg Orphanage.

Just the thought of Dugan being shoved into an unfamiliar setting with a bunch of strange (and probably rude) kids made him feel guilty for taking so long to get there. Glory nudged him with her elbow, if people kept doing that he was going to end up with a permanent bruise. “Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking about it.”

He sighed, “I can’t help it. Last time I saw Dugan he told me not to talk to him ever again. Not to mention that whole debacle with his grandparents. God knows what they put him through when he was with them.”

Glory’s smile faded, but not completely. “You don’t know what he’s been through. He maybe won’t tell you what he’s been through. But I think you showing up and trying will mean a lot to him in the long run.”

He hoped she was right.

She dropped him off in front of the huge, gated off building. A corner of the building seemed to be under construction, probably caused by that giant snake his dear old uncle accidentally let loose on the town a month or two ago. He wasn’t there to see it personally, but he did hear horror stories.

He was buzzed in and met in the lobby by the woman he must’ve called on the phone a few days prior. She was a short sweet looking duck with black hair and red cat eyed glasses. “Hello!” She gave an enthusiastic wave.

“Hello.” He said, trying to smile, but he was still letting anxiety and worry gnaw at him so it wavered a bit. “Are you-”

“Hope Anas, I run this little place. You must be Abner Duck, right?” He just nodded. “Great! If you’ll come into my office I can have one of our helpers collect Dugan for you.”

She led him through a hallway that was littered with decorations. From pride and country flags, little kids drawings, framed diplomas, and even a few paintings and family photos. It was cluttered, but oddly welcoming.

Two kids, a cat and a llama, squeezed past him squealing and laughing like they were having the time of their lives. The adults passed the tv room where multiple kids were either reading or watching what looked like some sort of horror movie. Or period drama. All he could see was there were two characters in a foggy field at sundown, so either genre could work.

At the end of the hall, under the staircase that was littered with clothes and toys itself, was a door that Hope unlocked and let Abner go in first. And, for being under the staircase, the office was surprisingly spacious. Houseplants and world maps were scattered in the corners, and to top it all off, a fancy looking desk pushed near the back in front of a busy looking corkboard.

“Mind the mess.” She said as she removed a pile of files off a rolling chair and rolled it up to her desk. “I’ve been busy with both personal and business aspects of my life.”

“I can imagine. Running an orphanage doesn’t sound easy.”

She cringed a little but shook it off and made a so-so motion with her hand. “I don’t like calling it that myself. ‘Orphanage’ has gotten such a bad rep in the past few decades, not that I don’t understand it. This system is very hard to get through, but the government isn’t handling it stupendously either. Oh, but you aren’t here to listen to my grievances. Let’s talk about Dugan.”

She shuffled through some files until she found what she was looking for. “You have the incredibly rare privilege of having Scrooge McDuck on your side, so you have a speed foster parent license. I’m assuming you’re doing parenting classes and working towards an actual license?”

He nodded, “I start the actual process next Monday. I just want to make sure Dugan is safe in the meantime. Not that this place doesn’t seem safe, I just. I just want to see for myself.”

She nodded with a strange understanding crossing her face. She sighed, “Yes, it can be hard when you build a connection with a child only to have them be put somewhere else.”

“Yeah. So the speed license is ok for now?”

Hope nodded, “For now. He’ll still have to stay in the orphanage for another day or two while the paperwork is filed through and whatnot. But with Scrooge McDuck himself listed on your papers it shouldn’t take too long. Do you want me to get him?”

Abner thought for a second. Bring Dugan, here? He wasn’t sure. Of course he wanted to see the kid, but did the kid want to see him? Last time they spoke, weeks ago at this point, Dugan had pretty much made it crystal clear that he never wanted to see the lumberjack again.

Realizing he hadn’t spoken in a second he was alerted to come back to reality. “Yes.” He decided. “If he wants to come.”

Hope smiled and nodded, motioning him to stay seated as she stood up and popped her head out of the room. “Vanessa!” She called. A few seconds later Abner heard the pitter patter of feet off the staircase and halt right in front of the office.

“Yeah?” The girl, Vanessa, panted.

“Can you be a doll and get Dugan for me? The man who found him is here.”

Vanessa leaned her body to get a look at him, allowing him to get a look at her. She had intense eyes, icy blue eyes that looked like they could kill a man with one wrong look. She was around the same height as Hope and had similar black hair at shoulder length, a pale blue butterfly clip getting her bangs out of her eyes. Eyes that shone with recognition.

“Hey I know you!” She said. “You crashed April’s party at the Dawn Tavern awhile ago.”

He cringed, “Yep, that was me. Unfortunately.”

She snorted, “She and May are still super pissed at you.”

“Vanessa!” Hope hissed through gritted teeth. “He is looking to adopt Dugan. So please behave yourself and get him please.”

The girl looked slightly embarrassed as she nodded and made her way up the stairs, not in as big a rush as before.

Hope closed the door and chuckled awkwardly, “Please forgive me. Teenagers are a handful.”

“Is she your daughter? Cause if not you might have been cloned.”

She chuckled for real this time and settled back down in her seat behind the desk. “She is mine. She helps out here occasionally if I need it. And I need help a lot here.”

He wasn’t sure how to reply to that. So he didn’t, forcing himself to focus on literally anything except the awkward silence that suddenly plunged the room.

After a moment, she opened her beak to say something but a loud crash came from upstairs which made her jump up in her seat. Both adults listened intently for a moment before everything seemed to calm down.

“Um.” She said fiddling with a ring on her hand. “Excuse me for a moment?”

He nodded and watched her leave the room and disappear around a corner. Her heels clicking off the stairs above him. Did Dugan make that noise? What even happened?

He should stay in the office. He couldn’t just leave, what if Hope came back and thought he had ditched? That would look bad. Besides, he wouldn’t know where to even start looking for Dugan. This place was huge.

But he didn’t think he could live with himself if it was Dugan causing the scene. He had been handed around like a hot potato too much in such a short period of time. Now he was shoved in a building stuffed full of strangers. Of course he’s probably scared.

Then again it could be a completely different kid. Dugan couldn’t be the only kid suffering in this building.

He groaned and slouched in his chair. He could play this game all day. Has been playing games like that his whole life. He swore he would try to change.

So change.

Standing up his mouth felt dry, but he walked out of the office and up the stairs like he had done it a million times before. Passing kids and teenagers who didn’t even give him a second glance.

At the top of the stairs a rush of little kids and middle schoolers trudged towards his right, either looking disappointed or curious. So they were definitely pushed away from something interesting, like a temper tantrum.

He made his way to the left and continued to pass kids who were chatting amongst themselves about a ‘feral kid who can’t take a joke’ so he figured he was going in the right direction.

The open door and the knocked over houseplant in the hallway confirmed his ideas. A little boy crying helped too.

He snuck up to the door frame and hung back as he heard Hope shushing the child as soothingly as she could. “It’s ok, you don’t have to come down.”

The boy hiccuped, “Noooo.” He moaned before breaking into a mess of sobs again.

Abner peered around the doorframe and saw the one and only Dugan Pond sat in the fetal position on his bed with Hope and Vanessa on either side of him. Vanessa rubbed soothing circles on his back but it obviously wasn’t doing much.

“No?” Vanessa asked quietly. “No what?”

“Noooooo!” Dugan repeated, flapping his arms wildly like a bird. The whole scene reminded Abner of Fethry when he threw tantrums as a kid.

He flopped back down on the bed and buried his head in his pillow only to sob even more.

Abner took a deep breath and knocked on the door frame. He didn’t say anything, to make sure Dugan didn’t get even more upset. Hope and Vanessa both looked startled but also backed in a corner. Having hosted Dugan in his own home for a few days Abner knew damn well that he was hard to console. He couldn’t imagine how disastrous him getting settled in the building could have been.

The mother daughter duo gave each other a look before Hope sighed and shrugged. Standing up and dusting off her skirt. She gave him a small smile before passing him in the door. Vanessa was on her heels but stopped before going past him. “Make him happy.” She whispered.

“I’ll try.” With a nod she followed her mom down the hall.

Abner stepped in the room and closed the door behind him. Dugan was still busy crying his eyes out, so he didn’t notice that Hope and Vanessa left or that Abner was even there.

He made his way to the bed and hovered for a second. It felt weird. No matter how many times he comforted Fethry or Donna or Glory, he still felt awkward doing it. Like how he imagined Scrooge would feel when giving out money.

Eventually, after realizing just looming over a four year old is creepy, he sat down at the foot of the bed.

Dugan sniffled and sat up, but was still facing away from Abner himself. “Go away.” The child demanded wiping his nose with his sleeve. “I don’t want to go with anyone.”

“I don’t blame you.” Dugan jumped and turned around, a deer in the headlights look plastered on his face. “And you don’t have to.”

The kid pouted and threw himself back down on the bed. “I don’t want to see you.” He said matter of factly. “In fact, I don’t even know who you are. Strange Danger!”

“Hey, abababa, don’t do that.” He tried to put a hand on Dugans shoulder or something but the child wiggled away. “Look. I know you’re mad at me, you have every right to be. I just wanted to check on you.”

“Why? So you could lie to me again? Get another person arrested?”

He didn’t see Dugan the day he got Thomas Pond arrested. As soon as the older man had punched him and his plan was revealed some hospital staff dragged him away to check on his beak. Nothing broke, but the spot he was punched is still a little sore.

He sighed, “I’m so sorry. For lying to you.”

Dugan looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, “Not getting someone arrested?”

Abner shook his head, “No, I don’t regret that. Thomas was a little bit of a jerk.”

Dugan relaxed a bit, but immediately tensed up again. Refusing to let his guard down. “He was.” He muttered. “He told me that I should change my name to ‘David’ because it sounded more proper.”

“He did?” When Dugan nodded his head Abner wished he could return the favor and punch Thomas Pond in the face. Even a childish flick to the forehead would do.

“Well I think Dugan is a very good name. Your mom picked a good one.”

“My mom was a good person.”

“She was a good person, so you know what that means?”

Dugan finally turned his whole body towards Abner, but was still in the fetal position. “What?” He whispered.

“It means that she’s resting. Watching. She did what she thought was best for you so that she could watch you grow and become your own person. I know it's hard. Losing someone, trust me I know. I can’t imagine how much it hurts for you though. You loved your mom so much, it's obvious to anyone who talks to you. But you don’t have to be hurt alone.” He sighed again, feeling himself start to unravel. “I lived with my own hurt for years. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t let anyone in and I felt even worse for doing so. And you’re young, too young to have gone through all of this already. I’m not saying you have to come with me, you can stay here if you really want. I just want to make sure that you’re not keeping the hurt to yourself.”

Dugan was staring at the floor, silent tears falling down his face. “I don’t want to stay here.” He muttered. “The older kids are scary and mean.”

“I bet.” Abner said, knowing he said way too much for Dugan to understand. Maybe one day he’ll understand what he meant. “What do you want to do?”

Dugan sniffled, “I don’t know. I want my mom.”

“I know bud. I know.” Dugan fell apart again and uncoiled himself to lean into Abners side and cry again.

He had no idea how long he sat there with the kid and just allowed him to cry. He needed to cry, so he let the kid cry.

After however long Dugan calmed down enough to go back to his regular self, meaning, he asked a million questions. “So your friends with your brother again? Did you talk to him about the bad thing you did? Are you and Glory friends again? Were you going to take me back to your cabin?”

“I am friends with my brother again. I haven’t yet, but I will. Glory and I are friends again. And no I wasn’t.”

The kid seemed satisfied with every answer except the last one. “You weren’t going to take me to your cabin?”

Abner shook his head, “Nope.”

“Why not?”

“I sold the cabin.”

Dugan’s eyes went wide, both from shock and horror. “You sold your cabin!” He exclaimed. “Why?!”

“Well, to get the speed foster license I needed to qualify for a bigger house.” Dugan just stared at him blankly. “I can’t adopt you unless I have an actual house.”

“Oh. That’s dumb.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind though. I quit my job, sold a majority of my belongings, including my house, and bought a new one in New Quackmore.”

“Where’s that?”

“About twenty minutes out of Duckburg maybe.”

“Oh. Ok.” Dugan played with the hem of his shirt, suddenly looking a little embarrassed. “Will you really adopt me? Like for reals?”

Abner couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes for reals.” He reached for his jacket pocket. “You made me realize the life I was living wasn’t made for me. Not to mention you’ve been through a lot and need someone semi-stable in your life.”

After a moment or two of struggling he finally pulled out what he wanted from his pocket. Dugan’s eyes lit up as Abner unfolded the object and placed it on Dugan’s head. Fethry’s old beanie fit him perfectly.

“It fits!” Dugan cried. “Can I really keep this?”

“It’s yours now.” The way the duckling smiled at him made him realize this was real. He was really going to adopt a kid. He was really going to be a father figure. Lord knows if his parents were still alive they’d spoil the hell out of the kid. He deserved it of course, but still. “By how good it fits I’d say it was made for you.”

Dugan continued to beam, opening his beak to most likely ramble about how excited he was or what not, but Abner’s phone interrupted.

He didn’t even look at the number as he answered and made sure he switched the speaker setting. “Hello?”

“Abner Humperdink Duck! Is Scrooge pulling my tail feathers or did you actually sell and quit everything just to buy my goddamn barn?!”

As Dugan giggled at the use of a bad word, Abner couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, he was going to get lectured into infinity when he met with his grandma again in person. But just seeing the kid happy was enough for him.

This wasn’t a perfect happy ending, everyone involved knew that. But it sure was a pretty happy beginning to a new chapter of their lives.

Safe to say, Abner wouldn’t change a thing.