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"Lena!" Lena instinctively turned, ready to bolt or catch anything thrown at her. To her surprise and angry Scrooge McDuck stomped around the corner and stood in the doorway.
She stood, arms crossed, and feigned confidence. "What's up, old man?"
She had once again successfully climbed to one of the top floors of the mansion and wiggled her way in through a 'locked' window. Her slightly charred tail feathers and the tingling sensation in her fingers and toes would heal in due time, and she considered it a success.
It was far from the first time she had successfully gotten in, much to Scrooge and Beakley's annoyance. In the months since she had become friends with Webby Lena had figured out many ways to get past all of Scrooge's defense systems, something which she knew both fascinated and frustrated the old duck.
"For the love of anythin'," He continued as he waddled towards her, "Use the friggin' front door, lass!"
"But that's no fun." Lena barely stopped herself from pouting. "Besides, Beakley always gives me the third degree when she answers the door."
Scrooge gave her a look at that and she grinned. "I didn't say I didn't deserve it."
"Mah point is, ye can't go scaling muh house and setting off all of my deadly traps! What if ye get hurt? What if ye break one of my systems!" He scowled, which made his beak wrinkle up in a funny way. Lena grinned lazily, fully aware of how much not-real-trouble she was in.
To her surprise, though, he walked closer and reached for her. A flash of uncertainty spread through her, but all he did was grab her wrist (surprisingly gently) and make her hold out her hand. Then there was a soft 'ching' as something dropped into her outstretched palm, and what she saw made her heart stop.
A key and a key card.
"Yer over here often enough anu'way. Use the darn front door." He gave her another look and she could feel him search her eyes as he did. Once he was satisfied he nodded--more to himself than to her--and walked back out of the room with a huff. He muttered something about crazy teenagers as he went, but Lena didn't catch it.
In her hand was the key to Scrooge's house. The key to Scrooge's house.
She felt Magica's presence bubble up behind her but before Magica could speak Webby bounded into the room.
"Lena! Took you long enough!"
As Lena let herself be lead away, she couldn't help but feel a bit of gratitude to Scrooge. It was more than her getting hurt, and she knew it.
Still, she didn't yet know how to react to someone apparently caring about her. Soon enough, she let herself be pulled along with Webby and the boys' games, and forgot about it.
She could deal with all of that and what it meant later.