happilyeverbeginning | insert witty title here

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Normally, the kids didn't bother Scrooge McDuck when he was in his office. It was more than mere politeness - supposedly that office was just where fun went to die. But after a school trip and some double-triple-quadruple checking, Della Duck felt she had a good reason to visit what was known as the most boring place on earth. She knocked twice, the only warning she'd give before she suddenly walked in, knowing her rich, dull uncle was alone.

Her cell phone was in one hand, her other hand lightly drumming her arm. She wore the same expression she had when Donald revealed the ruse behind some of her favorite magic tricks - it wasn't a happy face.

"Heeeeey, Unc." She stretched the word out, leaning over the desk. "Mind putting a pause button on the paperwork? I got something to ask."

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Scrooge held up a finger as he continued to read the document in front of him. He was almost done with this rather thick contract, and he didn't want to lose his place.

Honestly, he was glad to be busy. When he wasn't, he'd look around his office, see some of the trinkets from his adventures (the more mundane-looking trinkets), and miss the good old days of being a spy or finding lost treasure or something equally exciting.

However, when one's sister had impressionable children -- one of whom had actively tried to imitate him when she was too young to remember it -- one had to hit the brakes or risk losing family members. Putting his own life at risk? Acceptable. Anyone else in his family? Beyond unacceptable.

Alas, it wasn't going to be that easy to get rid of her. Della clicked her tongue and then put her phone in both hands, pretending to be merely scrolling through it like most kids her age.

"See, I dunno if you remembered, but me and Donald went on a field trip today to the Duckburg museum. Pretty interesting stuff. I actually slid away from the tour group so I could check out the new relics that would be put on display but weren't ready yet."

Scroll, scroll, scroll.

"One really cool thing that caught my eye was this tablet of ancient prophecies from Egypt, like about the sun god Toth-Ra."

Scroll... stop. Eyes up.

"And the really interesting thing was the name of the person who donated it."

"Della, I'm glad you're interested in the museum, but I'm a bit busy right now."

He was only half-listening as he furrowed his brow at the contract in front of him. He flipped back to the fourth page, scowling as he re-read something over with. He reached into his desk for a red pen, circling the offending paragraphs.

"Then you'll be glad to know for once I did my homework." Della then slammed the phone onto the desk, showcasing the photo she took of the Scrooge McDuck plaque underneath the tablet.

"The people that worshiped Toth-Ra vanished centuries ago and it was only discovered less than fifty years ago that all this time they'd been living underground. It was difficult to discover this due to the fact that Toth-Ra's tomb was littered with death traps! The only way someone could have gotten that tablet was if they'd gone into that pyramid themselves and dodged each and every single one of them!"

Scrooge actually jumped as she slammed the phone down. "Della, I'm very -- "

Then he saw what was on the screen.

Oh...fuuuuuuuuu --

"So, here's my question." Della placed both her hands on the desk, leaning in as much as she could.

"How long have you been traveling the world and going on adventures?"

Sure, it was one question, but it contained multitudes within itself. What else had he done in his life? Where had he gone? What had he done? And, most importantly of all, why had he kept it a secret?

Scrooge slowly put the contract away. There was no way he was going to be getting back to that any time soon. (Another late night, it seemed.)

"Well, you know me: I travel all over the world for business."

Dodging the question? Whatever do you mean?

"What business did you have INSIDE A PYRAMID FULL OF DEATH TRAPS?!" It was clear the desk was the only thing preventing Della from reaching over and shaking him vigorously back and forth - like Ma used to do.

"I was...following up on a lead. Honestly, finding a living civilization down there was the last thing I expecting..."

Not helping.

If he wore pants, they'd so be on fire.

"THE LIES END HERE, OLD MAN!" Della began to stomp around the desk to face him better. "Where else have you gone, what else have you done, and why didn't you ever tell us?!"

"I never lied to you!" he countered. "I just...didn't tell you about my more...eh...exciting moments."

He raised a hand as if swatting a fly.

"Besides, it's been literally decades. All in the past now."

A-ha. She defiantly stuck a finger into his face.

"So there HAVE been other adventures! If there weren't, you would have said the Egypt deal was a one-time thing!"

"And if I did, you would use it as evidence of something else entirely!" he snapped.

"ADMIT YOUR GUILT!" Deny and defy!

"Is there anything else you've been hiding?! Are you really the world's richest duck? Are there ancient artifacts in this very mansion? Am I even really your niece?!"

"Oh for crying out loud, yes, you're my niece! And, yes, I'm the world's richest duck!"

He slammed his hands down on the desk and stood up, glowering at his niece.

"And you already know the answer to the ancient artifacts! You and Donald just always assumed I bought them!"

"Why would we assume otherwise?" Della refused to back down, arms crossed. "You've got a whole secret life you've never even hinted about! Why would you create some... some other persona and not tell us anything?"

She then dropped her arms, getting to the real heart of the matter. "It feels like... you didn't want us to know the real you, like you wanted to keep this wall between us!"

"That's not true at all."

Scrooge walked around his desk to reach out, hoping she'd let him hold her.

"I didn't tell you about those things I've done in the past for your own protection."

She hesitated, but then allowed it, not returning the gesture just yet.

"How could hiding the past protect us? We're your family!"

Scrooge sighed. "That's why I did it, lass: Because when you were a wee one, you tried imitating me."

Della blinked. There was a new piece to the puzzle.

"Wait, what?"

"You don't remember it, Della, but I still went on adventures after you and Donald were born. I'd tell you two bedtime stories of some of my adventures when your mother put me in charge of watching you."

He released her, putting a hand to his chest in memory of the heart attack he'd nearly had.

"You and Donald were playing, but...you were sword fighting with actual short swords. Gods, if your father and I hadn't found you two, one of you could've died."

Della didn't reply right away... because it actually did sound kind of familiar. Very distantly, very vaguely, but it was there.

"One accident and you decided to stop doing anything fun?" To her, it sounded like the overreaction of the century. "I get that you wanted to keep us safe, but... it also sounds like we totally ruined your life!"

"Oh, Della..."

He took her in his arms again, hugging her tightly.

"You didn't ruin my life. You and Donald made life worth living for me. If anything bad were to happen to either of you, I'd willingly go bankrupt trying to help you. I enjoyed adventuring, but it wasn't worth the risk to you two."

Della sighed, leaning into the hug, chin on his shoulder. She wasn't entirely convinced, but she knew her uncle did care about them.

"I guess, but... we're not little kids anymore. You shouldn't feel you have to hold back now."

"I thought about telling you," he admitted. "Honestly, I did. If nothing else than to prove I'm not just some over-the-hill rich fuddy duddy." He raised a wry brow at her.

At that, Della couldn't help but smirk. "You played the role of a over-the-hill rich fuddy duddy too well, Scrooge. Donald didn't even believe me when I told him about the tablet."

"Again, it was for your own protection. If I wasn't an adventurer, you wouldn't try anything to copy me."

He sighed and ran a hand through his head feathers.

"I will admit that I missed it. I missed going out and proving to the world that I was more than my money. Show you all the grit and determination that got me to the top, but I would just keep picturing you two as toddlers with swords and I'd just...freeze."

Because he remembered as if it were happening in front of his eyes her beaming up at him as she proudly proclaimed, "We're fighting piwates like Unca Scwooge!"

"Not even salvaging my own pride was worth putting you two at risk. I'd rather died with you both thinking I was some boring old man than bury either one of you."

Edited 2020-08-12 01:39 (UTC)

Della let out a long sigh, but then took Scrooge's hands into her own.

"We're not toddlers anymore - we know what dangers the world has, and how to protect ourselves." She told him with a smile. "You don't have to hold back anymore... and you don't have to do this alone. I've always wanted to see the world and all the mysteries it has - we can rewrite history together!"

"You know what dangers the world has, lass, but not the ones I'm used to facing. Honestly, the last time I went on an adventure was ten years ago for something I had no say in the matter."

But if Ragnarok was going to be delayed for longer, Earth's Champion had to fight in the arena. (Della might remember a time when Scrooge had been "ill" and hadn't been seen for nearly a week as he'd healed from the injuries.)

"Besides, I'm not exactly young anymore." He gave a wry smile. "Perhaps it's for the best I've more or less retired."

Edited 2020-08-12 19:21 (UTC)

"Oh, I don't believe that for a second!" She slapped him hard on the back. "Come on, I know you've got another round left in you - and you totally owe us at least one adventure."

It was clear she wasn't going to let this go, no matter what the argument.

"Your mother will kill me if I take you on an adventure," he muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Della, I love you very much, but you're not exactly known for caution."

Okay, she couldn't exactly deny those points. "Donald, on the other hand, has always been super cautious." She tried to counter. "I'm the brawn, he's the brains, you're everything else in-between! With the three of us, we'd be unstoppable!"

Time to land the blow with a devastating move... the doe-eyes.

"Pleeease...?"

Scrooge put a hand over his face.

"On one condition," he moaned.

So close to victory! Just one more step towards the finish line!

"Yes, yes, yes, absolutely anything! What is it?"

"You're to make at least a B in English on your next report card," Scrooge said, crossing his arms. "Your GPA is atrocious."

Scrooge had never gotten the chance for an advanced education. He'd be damned if his sister's children didn't make the most of the opportunity.

... Ah, fudge.

"C-minus." One last shot at negotiation?

"You said 'anything'," Scrooge said. "The moment you did, negotiation was off the table."

"Now, see, if they taught loopholes and negotiation in English, it wouldn't be so boring." She grumbled, but held out her hand.

"Fiiine. But you better keep your end of the deal."

He took her hand, giving it a firm shake.

"You know my word is better than gold."

He then grinned.

"And consider that your first lesson: Never lead with your best bargaining chip."

Della shook it back.

"And here's a lesson back... Never assume Della Duck can keep her beak shut."

That said, she began to bolt out of the room.

"DONAAAAAALD! UNCLE SCROOGE IS ACTUALLY COOL AND WE'RE GOING ON ADVENTURES WITH HIM!"

"I'm going to learn to regret this," Scrooge sighed.

Well, he'd known she was going to tell her brother about this. Besides, how likely was Donald to believe any of this?

"He might even talk her out of it if I'm lucky."

From his office, he'd be able to hear the usual quacking between the siblings that typically meant an argument. It ended with Della's victory, in that she had him in a choke hold and was dragging him to their room.

"Now quit being a weenie and be my tutor!"

Scrooge cast his gaze to the ceiling. Gods help them if Della actually managed to hold up her end of the bargain.

For now, however, he needed to get his work done and then try to find an adventure that wasn't immediate death. Too bad most adventures didn't come with training wheels.

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