Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Louie stared blankly at the place where his family’s plane was supposed to be. At the same exact place.

“Guys?! C'mon this ain't funny!”

The young duck searched the area nearby, mostly made of trees and rocks, yet he found no one. No left belongings, notes for him or anything else. He was alone. Completely alone in the woods. 

“Shit.”

He cursed quietly, pulling out his phone and unlocking it. The words ‘no service’ laughed into his face and he threw the device onto the ground, ignoring the sound of the screen shattering. Gods, why did he agree to go on an adventure with them again? 

Ah. Right. Because it was his family’s ‘thing’.

He hated them, most to say at least. The so-called ‘adventures’. Louie was never much of a fan of them, but he always ended up putting up with them. He had no other choice, it was Uncle’s Scrooge’s thing, his brothers and to top all of that, his Mother’s. His Mom’s. He still wasn’t used to it. To call her Mom. It felt… odd. It’s been almost two months since she came back home from the moon.

“Focus Louie, it’s not the time for your emotional baggage! Think, think, think… What are you supposed to do in this situation?”

He asked himself, walking back and forth anxiously. Unfortunately for the duck it was getting late and the sun was slowly hiding behind the trees, the night arriving. He stared at it and reached out to it as if to grab the last once of sunshine present, but he knew it wouldn’t do anything. His hand was enveloped in darkness and the moon started rising up from behind him. He wasn’t safe here.

But he was used to that. Used to being in danger.

Not like he could help it, he was born in the Duck family. The most adventurous and brave ducks Earth could ever have. But mostly reckless. He loved them, obviously. Yet, it felt like he didn’t belong there. He didn’t belong with them. Llewellyn Duck didn’t feel like a ‘Duck’.

He didn’t like his birth name, and almost despised it. A lot of things changed for him. For example: the duck didn’t feel comfortable with either masculine or feminine nouns. He was comfortable with being a brother and didn’t want that to change, but he wouldn’t mind being a sister too. It was confusing, hell of a lot. He didn’t tell anybody, but Huey. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Dewey, yet the thought of telling him made the youngest sibling’s stomach churl.

He could tell the others yet Louie.. He didn’t want them to know. For now.

The duck was walking for awhile now in the darkness, his hands wrapped around himself protectively. The barely present, cold wind was there, occasionally making him shiver. It was gloomy and Louie wanted nothing more to be with his family on the plane, Dewey rambling about the way he catched the treasure just before the ceiling’s room collapsed on them and Huey looking over the two, scolding them and patching all of them up. His… Mom would be talking (correction: bickering) with Uncle Dunald, while Scrooge was watching them in the back, usually laughing at their antics. Launchpad would be joining in their conversation every now and then, his optimistic attitude somehow bringing their moods up.

He missed it so much at that moment.

The truth was, they didn’t need him. He was irrelevant, he already saw that his disappearance wouldn’t change anything. Maybe that’s why he ended up here. In the forest. Abandoned. Left behind. With probably no one looking for him. Maybe they just wanted to get rid of him, to get rid of the useless one, the different one.
He wouldn’t be surprised if that was the truth.
Before he could think about it more, the ground under him suddenly crumbled and within a minute he was rolling down some kind of hill or cliff, and there were rocks and-

“DAMN IT, OW!”

Something sharp cut his right arm and he couldn't help but cry out in pain. By the time he reached the ground again, the wound started bleeding and Louie saw red taint his green hoodie. He pressed his hand onto it so it didn’t bleed more, but it didn't help much. The duck needed help, urgently. He picked himself up from the ground, tiny tears slowly falling down his face as he walked forward. He was so, so tired. The pre-teen noticed something in front of him and let out a quiet ‘yes!’. There was a road ahead of him. His walking turned into running soon he was right in front of him. Louie laughed hysterically, his legs giving up and his knees hit the black pavement. He slowly collapsed onto it too, the tiredness catching up to him.

“Maybe I'll just… Take a quick break, yeah..”

He mumbled as he drifted off, losing his consciousness. Empty silence filled the air for a few minutes until a white car drove Louie’s way. There was only one person that could be oh so ‘lucky’ to find him and bring him home safely.
Gladstone Gander.

He was driving to a smaller manor he had, about one hour away from Duckburg, hidden in the woods. He wasn’t prepared to see his passed out Nephew on the side of the road, maybe even bleeding out. The older duck hit the brakes harshly when he realized who it was and rushed over to the boy.

“Louie is that you? Holy shit it is you- What.. Hey, hey! Wake up! Louie!”

The boy seemed to wake up after Gladstone shook him a few times, panicking. He blinked a few times scanning his surroundings until he saw the other.

“Uncle.. Gladstone?”

“Yeah! Yup, that’s me, that’s me. C’mon kid we gotta get ya’ somewhere safe and take care of that nasty cut you got there on your arm.”

He picked up Louie carefully and got them into the car. The older duck searched it in a hurry and found bandages, alcohol, and a few clean shirts too small for him, but good enough for the young duckling.

“Alright, you have to let go of the wound Green Bean, we gotta disinfect it.”

“But! It, it hurts-”

“I know, just please let go of it, it’ll hurt less after we take care of it. If you do that for me you can ask me for anything you want.”

“Will, will you.. hang out with me? Like y’know play games and, and get shitty food, and all that stuff.. I mean you don’t have to, but..”

Gladstone looked at him, genuine shock freezing him for a second before he ruffled the duck’s hair, grinning.

“Gosh, of course.”

Louie let go of his arm, a quiet sob coming out. The older one poured some alcohol onto the cut and the boy bit into his cheek to not let out any more pathetic sounds. Shortly the arm was clean and wrapped in a bandage, still bleeding but not as much as before. Gladstone helped the young duck pull the emergency shirt over his head and covered him with his mint jacket. The adult began driving with Louie snuggled up to him. It was quiet in the car, until he spoke up, laughing awkwardly.
“Soo… Uh, how’d ya’ end up on the side of the road? Where are your siblings, Uncle Moneybags and Donnie?”

The duck didn’t answer at first before murmuring.

“They left me.”

“I’m sorry- Could you, uh, repeat that?”

“They LEFT me.” He exclaimed louder, frustration taking over sadness. Gladstone glanced at him worriedly and took off one of his hands from the wheel, to start playing with the kid’s hair. He could see the tension rubbing off him.

“Well, I’m sure they didn’t mean it. Maybe they just..”

“They just what? They forgot about me? That doesn’t make it any better!”

“... True. Still, even if they did, I’m sure they’ll come back to get you! When we finally get to my house, how about you give them a call so they know where you are?”

“Do I have to do it so soon?”
Gladstone sighed, because damn it he was too soft for this kid and they didn’t even spend a lot of time together.

“Nope. You’re free to call them whenever you like, just, soon, okay? I don’t want Uncle Donald to hate me more.”

“But, he doesn’t actually hate you. You know that right? Sure you’re annoying him from time to time and act like a stuck-up rich guy-”

“Ouch Louie.”

“-yet! He doesn’t hate you Uncle Gladstone, he never did, from what I know at least.”

“Thanks Mr. Junior Blunt.”

“Your welcome.”

The two relaxed, Louie slowly falling asleep in the other’s arms. The ride to the manor was silent but comfortable, and Gander couldn’t help thinking that maybe his luck decided to have mercy on him this time. After about twenty minutes they arrived and the adult got them inside, thankful that he didn’t live that far away. The lights lit up automatically in the whole building and Gladstone made his way to one of the guest rooms. He tucked the duckling into the bed and left the room, turning off the lights while leaving. Thankfully his thoughts remained silent and he didn’t have to worry about something bad happening.
He entered the kitchen, pulled out two mugs and poured water into a kettle to boil. Gladstone searched the counters and got out a bag with marshmallows, automatically opening it and placing some in his mouth. They were sweet and soft, and melted funnily because of the warmth. He sat down on a kitchen chair, still munching on them and finally realized what had just happened. He found his nephew on the road, bleeding from his arm, half conscious and, most importantly, somehow forgotten by the rest of the family. Which didn’t make any sense at all. Donnie? Forgetting about his nephew?

No way in Duckburg.

But then why… Why wasn’t Louie with the rest of the family? With his brothers, that blue one Dew-.. Was it Dewey? - and the red one, Huey, probably. It didn’t seem like anything happened to them, since the kid would be really freaking out if they got separated like that. Yet that wasn’t the case, only the youngest duck was left behind, there was no accident, no emergency crash landing or anything like it that would explain why Louie was alone. There was no reason. No explanation.. and that made him so incredibly mad.

What kind of sick joke was this? Gladstone didn’t know a lot about how Donald and his nephews got along, but he knew that he cared for them deeply and it was the same way for the ducklings. He didn’t understand how this could happen. How much they put the kid in danger. Actually, he could believe knowing the strive for adventures that has been in the Duck family for ages. He knew because he used to partake in adventures too, with Fethry and Donald and… Della. Wait- Why wasn’t Della searching for her kid? Why wasn’t she here, she should’ve been here a long time ago.

“This is the exact damn reason I refused to go on adventures anymore.”

Gladstone whispered angrily, abandoning the kitchen and walking into one of the bathrooms, to get some fresh bandages and a disinfectant liquid for the duckling and to check on him later.

Hopefully Gladstone could help the kid with whatever he went through.

Hopefully he wasn’t as hurt both physically and emotionally as Gladstone suspected.

Louie deserved so much.. yet seemed to get back in reward so little.

Chapter Text

Louie stirs in his sleep, slowly regaining his consciousness as he realizes that this is not his home, he's not in his bed and it's incredibly dark. 

“Hello..?”

The duckling tries to get up until he feels a burning pain in his arm the second he put some weight on it and remembers everything. 

The adventure. Being forgotten. Getting hurt. And-

Uncle Gladstone. 

Actually where was he? 

“Uncle Gladstone?!” The kid panics, hurriedly gets out of bed, opens the door and smacks his uncle's beak with it. 

“Son of a feathery b- Ow ow, never mind, I didn't say a thing! You didn't hear that!” He massages it while giving the other a confused smile. 

“What's with the rush? Did I miss somethin'?”

“I- sorry, nope. I just.. forget about that. Sorry for hitting you with the door Uncle Gladstone. I should go back to sleep I think-”

“Jeez, calm down and c'mere, you'll sleep some more when I change your bandage. Don't want you to worsen it on accident or anything, and Donald would have my head if you weren't taken care of.”

“I'm sorry- ”

“Louie. If you apologize to me one more time for no serious reason you won't get hot chocolate.”

The kid's eyes light up and he nods his head eagerly, forgetting about his earlier concerns. At least for now. 

The two move from the guest room, to the halls, and finally reach the kitchen, where the sweet smell is really strong. Gladstone grabs some stuff somewhere behind the counter and mentions for the kid to sit on one of the chairs. 

“Okay, same rules as in the car. If it hurts too much just tell me and we'll wait a bit before continuing. Got it?”

“Yup.”

“Alrighty. Try not to move too much.”

The adult takes off the kid's shirt and then the bandage, which is lightly soaked with dry blood, and drops the second thing into the garbage can. He grabs a wet towel and cleans the cut while Louie tries to keep himself from squirming. Gladstone watches the kid for any signs of pain, but finds only discomfort and unease. Thankfully after a few minutes he drops the towel into the sink, wraps up the wound in new bandages and helps the kid put on the shirt back on. 

“.. and we're done! How does it feel?”

“Still stings, but it's better. Thanks.”

“Don't worry about it. Now, as I promised-”

He pulls out two cups, pours the hot beverage in it, drops some fluffy marshmallows into them and hands one of the cups to Louie. 

“-my famous hot chocolate for you! And a bonus of a few sweet clouds. ” Gladstone smiles warmly and the kid is glad that he's not still bleeding somewhere on the side of the road, abandoned. It feels safe and cozy, and he wants to treasure that feeling because the moment (if) his family comes back he will be scolded, gets possibly grounded again and his mother will pull another one of her monologues of he should've listened to her and keep close to them. 

“Louie are you fi- Oh crap, okay, no no no. Everything's fine, please don't cry-” His uncle puts the two's chocolate aside on the table and kneels before him. The duckling realizes that there are tears falling down and starts crying even more because he shouldn't cry. 

He's eleven, nothing happened and he just got chocolate, what is wrong with him?! Why can't he just be normal? Why does he feel so useless?! 

“Why did they abandon me? Do they” he hiccups and covers his face with his hands. “-really hate me that much? Did they grow tired of me screwing things up?”

“What? No, absolutely not. Louie they love you. They're your family. You might make mistakes, but they'd never leave you behind.”

“But I.. I but I always ruin their moods. And Mom says that I'm dangerous, that I need to stop my schemes and I've been trying to! I tried to so hard! I don't know what else she expects from me-” The duckling is going on desperately, words flowing out his mouth before he can even think about what's he's saying. Gladstone doesn't seem to mind until the kid mentions his mother and his eyes darken visibly. 

“Louie. Della said what now?” He asks, his tone wavering between worrying and angry. 

“Well.. She said that they put everyone in danger. I got grounded and they left on an adventure without me. Said I needed time to think about my actions and stuff. That I could hurt everyone again. I'm sorry.” He apologizes again for good measure, seeing his uncle scoff. He manages to put his rage aside and smiles reasurringly at him. 

“Hey, it's alright. I'll talk to her about it. Your Mom as it appears hadn't clearly thought her words through. You've done nothing wrong Lou. You've done great and you're incredibly strong to have dealt with so much. You're a brave duckling baby boy.”

Louie grins relieved up until the last sentence, trying to hide his grimace by taking care of his teary face. However Gladstone notices. 

“You don't like.. being referred to as he/him?”

He asks slowly, observing Louie's reaction. He looks up stunned, looks to the side contemplating something before finally speaking up. 

“Uncle Gladstone?”

“Yeah?”

“How would you react if I told you that while I do like everyone using he/him pronouns for me, I'd also like them to use other ones? Like they/them or she/her? Or to be called sometimes niece or sister, and not nephew nor brother? Or to be simply called a duckling, just without use of any pronouns on other days?”

Gladstone stares at him in reply, purely out of shock until blinking rapidly. He manages out a light chuckle, sitting the two back near the chocolate. 

“Well, I'd say that's totally okay. Look, I don't know if you've heard this before from anyone, but this is normal. Normal as in, you shouldn't be ashamed to ask about it because some people question their gender identity and it's alright. You can be whoever you want to be. You can switch back between pronouns like me, you can just dismiss any pronouns at all like being non-binary or you can just say you're okay with all pronouns like being genderqueer. But you also don't have to use a label, label's aren't helpful much at the beginning, they only confuse you until you understand after some time.”

“Wait... Hold on. 'Switch back between pronouns like' you?” Louie tilts his head, obviously confused yet curious.

“Dear Scroogey hasn't told you has he? Can't say I blame him, although that's even a new low for him and blaming me for my unnatural luck. Well, either way, I am genderfluid.”

“So.. You switch between genders?”

“Uh, no, not exactly. See as you described, sometimes I feel more comfortable with female pronouns, sometimes with masculine. The other day I may feel like people should use only androgynous nouns and the next I might be okay with everything.”

“... How did Uncle Scrooge, Uncle Donald and Mom react to it?”

“Oh Della was a delight, she made me three bracelets that I'd change depending on how I felt about each pronoun. Donald took it well too and promised to respect it so long he wouldn't use them when you and your siblings were born so I'd later on explain it properly. Scrooge was.. Well, he didn't understand much, but he was glared out of his body by Della and Donnie, so he accepted the change without much thinking.”

Louie lights up like a lighthouse, now unbothered sipping at his chocolate peacefully. Gander waits for him to ask about something but eventually starts drinking the beverage too. The calm silence settles over them, trying to lull them into calmness and a feeling of safety right before the storm. 

“Alright. I guess it's time for me to call Scrooge. Do you want to stay to listen in to the call or do you want to nap before they come pick you up?”

Louie shrugs, not knowing how to answer yet not moving an inch from his seat. Gladstone takes it as a yes to the first option and picks up his phone. He hears about two rings before someone picks up and he hears Scrooge on the other side of the line. 

“Hello! How are you doing Scrooge?”

The elder mumbles something incoherent, probably an insult, Gander thinks sadly before the other speaks up. 

“Doin' just fine. Why'd you call?”

“See, I simply wanted to check in on all of you. How are the kids?”

“Uh, beside me we are getting ready to go on another adventure.”

“Oh really? Are you missing any of them?”

“No there’s Huey, Webs, Dewey. Yup. Launchpad too if you wanna count him.”

“You sure?”

“Look Gladstone I don’t have time for this-- wait Della where's-?” His voice quiets and he hears the worry in his tone, and Gladstone can't help but ask one more time, nearly growling. 

“Anyone missing, anyone at all?”

“No. Stop asking.” He responds, trying to hide how Della starts screaming on their plane, how Huey and Dewey start yelling that they need to immediately go back and Donald seems to be trying to calm Launchpad shaking the steering wheel. He also hears Webby trying to grab onto Scrooge's phone, demanding to know what Gander knows. 

“Where’s Louie?” Gladstone asks, tone flat, void of any amusement. 

“…”

“Fuck you Scrooge, he’s at my mansion by the last place you'd probably ever visit, you better get here soon, or after your ‘adventure’ since you don’t seem to care for him. Bye~”

He ends the call just before the other has a chance to say anything and takes a deep breath. You'll let it all out when they're here. Now you need to focus on Louie. 

He looks up hesitantly, seeing the duck's surprised gaze on him. 

“They had it coming.”

“Remind me to never make you angry again, Uncle Gladstone.”

“Don't think I'd be able to be mad at you, but sure.”

He takes the two empty cups, placing them in the sink. He wants to say many things, he wants to mainly scream at Scrooge and Della, and Donald, but he can't. At least not yet. He washes them and follows Louie into the living room. The teen states at the plazma screen, the control players and a set of games in the shelf under the tv, stars in his eyes. He glances at the adult for permission, staying in place. 

“Knock yourself out.”

Gladstone happily hands him one of the control players and Louie nearly faints right there, excitement surging through him. They turn out Duck Kart, Louie cussing out Princess Beak and Gladstone beating him in half of the races. They spend almost an hour at this, laughing, playing and bickering with each other and Louie hasn't felt this much attention being given to himself once forever.

 He feels relevant. That someone cares about him too. That he's important. 

The final realization of it is cut short however when the two hear the bell ring. Gladstone pauses the game and nods for the duckling to follow after him, mentally preparing himself for the conversation ahead. 

They walk out the door, Louie in a shirt and jacket too big for him and Gladstone in his more casual clothes, grey jeans and a light emerald green sweater. The kid doesn't dare move from behind him as he finally sees the rest of his family one by one. 

Huey. Dewey. Launchpad. Webby. Scrooge. Donald. Della. 

He feels small now. He feels awful. Because gods, his siblings look wrecked. Huey is on the verge of breaking one of the adults neck and currently can't decide whether Della's or Scrooge's while Webby presses soothing circles into Dewey's back, trying to relax him before he spirals into another panic attack. 

Launchpad seems to be shaking a bit and Donald is standing next to his left, leaning onto him and looking tired out of his mind. Scrooge and Della aren't making eye contact with each other and Gladstone half guesses what happened at the plane in the air. 

“Louie!” His brothers and his sister scream at the same time, running towards him and lunging at him with their arms open. They hug him on the ground, all tearing up and the duck starts crying too. 

“I missed you guys so much!”

“Lou we're so so sorry. We left you. We forgot about you!” Webby apologizes, breath hitching at her own exclamation. 

“Please, please, please, don't ever do that again. I thought-- We thought you were gone for a second.” Dewey mumbles into Louie's shirt while Huey is currently bawling his eyes out, stopping from time to time to mutter something wrathful when glancing at the adults, besides Launchpad and Gladstone. 

Gladstone seizes them with a wrathful glare of his own, taking a few steps forward, making sure to be in front of the kids when doing so. 

“So... You better have a good god damn excuse for this, all three of you.”

“Gladstone-!” Della starts off, looking exhausted and tired before Scrooge cuts her off. 

“Why's that any of yous business? How'd Louie even end up here anyway?”

“Well, because my luck you despise so much, made me see him on the side of the road. Bleeding and looking scared out of his mind, if I may add.”

He hears the kids shriek simultaneously behind him, now looking over Louie's wounds. Launchpad also rushes over wobbly, too worried to speak. 

“Now. Since apparently you only Scrooge don't give a damn about him.. How about we talk about Della's parenting instead?”

The female looks at him, broken and confused, and Gladstone shoves the guilt back inside. Not this time. He's glad Louie told him the whole story. He's glad he heard about the Timephoon accident otherwise he'd might not believe as hard that Della hadn't worked out very well so far as Louie's mother. 

You took off in that contraption without even thinking about the consequences or the people you would hurt!

I wonder who I got that from. 

Your little scheme to bypass the present almost cost us our future, this all stops now. You are grounded. No schemes. No treasures and Louie incorporated is done! 

Gladstone has heard of it all. 

“I know about the Timephoon incident. I know that you grounded him. I know that you were trying to teach him a lesson. But for fuck's sake, a bit tough love now will make them better people? Better people my feathery ass Della! You literally rubbed into his face that you were going to a place he's always dreamed of going to without him! What the hell were you thinking?!”

He doesn't care anymore that he's screaming, he doesn't notice how his eyes turn ever so similar to the color of his sweater and Donald noticing it tries to step in. 

“No. You aren't any fucking better. If Beakley was here I'd tell her off too, but for now you will listen. That's some sick passive aggressive shit and I will not tolerate it. Louie is eleven. They all are. They're kids! God, if they were any older maybe I wouldn't be this angry, but Della, you need to stop doing that! Louie had a point when he said 'I wonder who I got that from'. I was practically the last time to learn that you've came back a few months back. That you were alive and okay! Same way, I was the one to too late learn that you were gone! You do what your heart says, I know that and I've accepted it, but think. Think about your actions because your trip to the moon has hurt so many people. And that will never, ever be okay. You hurt them all, you hurt Donald, Scrooge, the kids. You tore the family apart with your disappearance and then pretended that everything was nice and dandy when you came back. Like you haven't been gone for eleven years! And I am sick and tired of this shit. You all better gather your wits and pieces of good sense from the floor and do what's right. If I have to I'll be the one to tear the family apart this time. And you won't be able to do anything about it.

Got it? Now fucking apologize properly before I fully snap and make you wind up in that damn plane without Launchpad and the kids.”

Della keeps sobbing weakly throughout his whole dialogue, Donald looks shocked but understanding with Scrooge just a tad bit more scared. Gladstone feels relief flood his system, finally getting everything he's kept inside for years out. Everything he's been repressing. He wipes the tears from his place, looking mildly displeased by them. 

“Gladdy?”

“Don't. Just don't. Please.” He adds weakly. He walks over to the bundle of kids, now more calm and relaxed. He notices Webby and Huey deep asleep while Louie is still getting hugged mercilessly by Dewey. 

“Hey Clover.”

“Hey Uncle Gladstone.”

“You still doubt they care about you?” He questions teasingly. 

“Nope. Thanks for all that.” Louie manages an exhausted grin and Gladstone smiles at him back. 

“It's alright. If you need my help, you know my number. Feel free to visit me anytime if they give you trouble.”

“Okay. Thank you, again.”

“I'll see you soon.” Gladstone walks into his house, feeling light as ever. He hasn't felt this much weight drop from his for years and he's glad to get it off. He was glad Louie would be okay. After all, a family like the Duck one don't give up easily.