Chapter Text
“I can't do it.”
Donald had been relaxing in his room when his twin sister had slammed his door open. He shot up in alarm and was met with the sight of Della clutching her three eggs up to her chest. Her hands trembled as she held them, crazed eyes wide with panic and uncertainty. Donald had rarely ever seen her like that before. He stumbled out of bed and took a step towards her to place a hand on her arm. “Hey, what's wrong?”
Della shook her head and quickly shoved the eggs into Donald's arms, earning a surprise quack from the other. “I can't do it, Donald; I can't—I'm not ready.”
Donald slightly fumbled with the eggs and looked over at her in confusion, wondering what had gotten into her. But it wasn't long before the pieces clicked. After a quick scan of his surroundings, Donald carefully set the eggs aside and grabbed a hold of her.
“Hey, it's okay. You'll be a wonderful mom; I know you'll be,” he reassured.
Della kept her gaze away from her brother; her beak kept shut as she stayed still, seeming to be distracted. Donald frowned; he didn't like seeing his sister like this.
“I know it's scary, but you don't have to do it alone. I'll be here to help you; you know that, right?” Donald added.
Della stood still for what felt like forever before she looked up at him. Her emotions almost seemed unreadable to him. A soft yet firm voice soon came out. “I know... that's why I'm trusting you with them.”
Donald furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as Della took a step back. His hands slowly fell down to his sides. “Della…?”
His sister's expression took a more determined look. She stood up straighter and kept her eyes on Donald. “I can't do it, Don, but I know you can, i- I'm not ready, and I don't know if I'll ever be.”
The sailor slowly shook his head. Dread and frustration began to build up in him, and thousands of ideas circulated around his mind. He prayed that his suspicion wasn't correct. He couldn't even fathom the thought of it. “What do you mean by that?”
But he had to know.
“I'm leaving, Donald.”
Donald felt his stomach drop. He looked for any sign that could lead to this being some cruel joke, yet he found none. The determined look on his sister's face had said enough. She had already made up her mind. And there was no turning back, no matter how much you tried to convince her.
“What do you mean you're leaving?!” Donald finally squawked out.
Della didn't falter at the scream. “I'm leaving. I can't be a mom, Donald! I'm only 23! I'm too young to be a mom! There's so much I haven't done yet!” Her voice gradually became louder as she spoke.
Donald couldn't believe what he was hearing. And he wasn't willing to hear her “explanation.”
“Their dad already walked out, and now you plan to do the same?! They need a parent!”
"Well, they can have you!”
A sudden silence fell upon the twins as they stared at one another.
Donald could feel a lump form in the back of his throat as he looked at his sister. Her chest gently heaved in anger as her fists shook against her sides.
“Because I'm not staying.” Della shot him a final glare before she began to turn away.
Donald felt everything in slow motion. One minute he was watching his sister walk out of his life; the next, he was dragging her back into the room as she screamed in retaliation. He begged, no, demanded for her to rethink her decision.
It was all in vain.
She immediately packed her things and left the mansion. Donald tried his best to hold her back. He tried to get her to stay, yet no amount of shouts or tears could change her mind. For the first few hours, Donald sat alone with the eggs in denial. He made sure they were warm as he shot Della a text every now and then, asking her how much longer she planned to stay out.
No response.
He woke up the next morning hoping that she had taken the eggs back and admitted that she planned on staying for the kids and that it was all a nervous breakdown. But when he came to his senses, he noticed that the eggs were still carefully cradled in the makeshift nest he made. He got up and wandered around the mansion for any sign of his sister. Checking in her room and all her favorite spots.
No Della.
Donald quickly got himself something to eat before returning to the eggs. He tried to call her. The phone would ring for a little before the automated voice asked him to leave a voicemail.
It wasn't long until the ringing stopped.
Donald forced himself to take deep breaths as he bore his eyes onto the small pixelated screen of his flip phone. His calls weren't going through anymore.
No ringing.
No answer.
No nothing.
He tried to ask Scrooge if he knew where Della went, but the old man was too cooped up with work to really give him a solid answer. He did, however, mention an adventure.
So his sister was on an adventure.
She'd be back in a few days.
A whole week had passed and no sign of her.
Donald had never felt more angry in his entire life. The sinking realization was setting in as the minutes ticked away.
Della wasn't coming back.
She wasn't coming back.
She had abandoned them.
Donald looked over at the eggs in distraught, the children that Della had abandoned. Under the fragile exterior were three innocent lives that were going to pay the price of simply existing in the presence of someone who didn't care for them. Even before their hatching, life decided to be cruel to them. Donald felt so helpless.
Donald tried to ask Scrooge if he had heard anything, if Della had at least kept contact with him. But even the old man hadn't heard anything about Della’s whereabouts. He half expected his uncle to wave it off. But to his relief, even he thought it was odd of Della to be gone this long. Usually she'd tell them if she was going to be out for an extended period, but the two of them were left in the dark.
Well, for the most part.
Donald told him about the argument he had with Della the last time he saw her—how she didn't want to be a mother and had passed the responsibility onto him.
Scrooge didn't believe him; he was offended even. Because how dare he badmouth Della Duck, his star pupil? She would never do such a thing. “She was talking out of stress, lad. You can't blame her for panicking. She'll be back soon.”
Another week passed.
“She's gone, Uncle Scrooge!” Donald squawked. “She's not coming back!”
Scrooge slammed his cane down and shot Donald a warning glare.
Donald could tell that the old man still didn't believe him, not that he could blame him much, but after two weeks of not seeing or hearing anything from her? Anyone could tell that it was suspicious. It gutted him to even consider accepting that she was truly gone. His twin, his other half, his soulmate. She packed her bags and left without a second thought. Leaving him all alone with three eggs she didn't care to take with her.
Scrooge made a small sound of satisfaction at Donald's silence and turned away from him.
“I'm not lying though.”
Donald softly flinched at the loud smack from the cane hitting the ground.
“Lad, I'll tell you once more, enough of this bad mouthing. This is your sister for crying out loud!”
“You think I don't know that? She's gone, Uncle Scrooge! She's not coming back!”
Scrooge had enough of Donald's blabbering and stormed out of the room; he didn't want to waste his energy on an endless back and forth argument.
Donald, however, wasn't done speaking. “She's not on some adventure; she's not stranded on some unknown land; she's not-!”
“Don't you dare finish that sentence.”
“She's not coming back! Uncle Scrooge, she left! She left her eggs all alone-!”
“Enough!”
Donald looked over at his uncle, who stood still. The feathers on his neck were ruffled with anger, and his hands gently vibrated, causing the cane to softly clatter against the wooden floor.
“Now you listen here, laddie! Your sister would never do something like that! Something must have happened to her for her to not return!”
“Uncle Scrooge, please. Just listen-!”
“I said enough!”
Donald felt his breath caught in his throat as he stared at his uncle in desperation, wordlessly begging him to hear him out. But his uncle didn't want to hear any of it.
“Now you go back to your room and watch over the eggs until we get her back, understood?”
“But-!”
“Understood?”
Donald's expression quickly turned to one of anger and disbelief. He shouted one final time before he returned to the eggs.
He was truly on his own.
It took every last bit of strength to not tear the room into shreds. The lump in his throat only grew as he paced around aimlessly; each breath he took only pushed him closer to the edge. Then a quick glimpse of the eggs from the corner of his eye caught his attention. He slowly removed his hands from his hair and turned his head towards the nest. The moonlight softly shone down on them, giving the shells a gentle glow.
Donald felt his eyes begin to sting.
He kneeled in front of them and gently grazed his hand across the nearest one. Thick tears ran down his face as he kept his eyes on the egg before him. He had three innocent lives who counted on him, whom he now had complete responsibility over. Donald knew damn well that his uncle wasn't going to help out with these kids; the old bird was too preoccupied with work, and Della was completely out of the picture.
Taking a deep breath, Donald stood up and ran a hand through his hair; he couldn't just wait around for anyone to lend a hand. The eggs would be hatching soon, and he didn't want to raise them in this environment. He knew that the moment the ducklings would be able to run around, his Uncle Scrooge would drag them off to some escapade of his. Donald softly shivered at the thought of it; he couldn't do that to them. But where else was he going to go? The mansion was all he knew for the past 13 years of his life; he didn't have anywhere else to turn to. He glanced at his clock and softly sighed. It was far too late into the night to be planning an escape.
It would have to wait until morning.
He wasn't expecting a visitor when he awoke the next day. His uncle came knocking at his door, first to shame him for being awake so late and then to inform him that someone was downstairs to talk to him. Donald scoffed and woke up with a grumble. He swung his legs over the edge of his bed and saw that it was only eight in the morning. With the way his uncle had acted, he was half expecting it to be past noon. Donald quickly and carefully gathered the eggs and headed down.
Whoever he had in mind completely vanished once he saw who was sitting in the living room. None other than his friend Mickey, The King of Disneyland.
The mouse immediately noticed him and lit up at the sight of him. “Donald! It's so good to see you!” He grinned and quickly got out of his seat to hug the half-awake duck.
Donald leaned into the hug as he held the eggs to his chest. “Hey Mick, it's been awhile.” His voice still a bit drowsy with sleep.
The King slowly led Donald over to the sofa before returning to his chair. “So, how have you been, pal?”
"Fine, I guess, just been busy taking care of the eggs.” Donald replied.
Mickey's smile shifted into a more solemn one, his eyes now filled with what Donald could only register as pity. “Your Uncle Scrooge told me what happened to your sister.”
Donald sat up and looked over at his uncle, who was sitting off to the side, He gave him a small nod of confirmation. “What did he tell you?” Donald hesitantly asked.
“That she went missing.”
Donald groaned and ran a hand down his face. Of course that's what Scrooge told him, of course it was. Why would he expect something else? “That's not what happened.” Donald sighed.
Mickey softly frowned and tilted his head in confusion. “Is it not?”
“No. It isn't.” Donald huffed. “Della didn't go missing. She left on her own will and doesn't plan on returning-”
"Oh, bless me, bagpipes—for the last time, Donald! Enough!” Scrooge interrupted him. “First you lie to me, and now you lie to The King?”
“It's the truth whether you like it or not!” Donald shouted back. “Della is gone!”
Scrooge stood up and glared at his nephew,
“I will not argue with you in front of King Mickey.” He gave Mickey a quick bow before exiting the room.
Donald was still shaking with anger; he was gripping onto the cushions with such force that he was surprised that he hadn't torn right through them. His eyes were still locked on the last place Scrooge was; he hadn't even noticed how Mickey had gotten up from his chair to kneel in front of him.
“I can help you with getting her back if you'd like.” Mickey gently said.
Donald gave a squawk of surprise, finally noticing the sudden position change. Once the shock faded, Donald narrowed his eyes and looked off to the side. “No, that's alright. I don't want to air out family matters,” he said. “Besides, Della would put up a fight if you did.”
“Are you sure? It'd be no trouble.”
Donald shook his head. “I'm sure. Even if you did manage to drag her back, I won't be here anyway.”
“Won't be here? Where are you going?”
“I'm not sure, but I can't stay here,” Donald said after a few moments. “I can't raise the kids here; I don't want them around all of this.” He gestured towards the spot Scrooge was at before.
Mickey quietly pondered and held Donald's hands in his. It didn't take him long before an idea came to mind, along with a hopeful smile on his face. “Say, why don't you stay with us at the castle? We could make the kids part of the royal family-!”
"No,” Donald quickly shuts it down. He almost regrets it as Mickey's smile faltered. “I appreciate the offer; believe me, I truly do, but I want these kids to have a normal life.” He shook his head. “I don't want them having the pressure or responsibility that comes with being royalty.”
Mickey silently nodded and gave Donald's hands a gentle squeeze. “I understand. But I still want to help you out; anything you need, just tell me and I'll do it.”
Donald softly frowned and looked away, debating whether he should take his offer or not. But what would he even ask for? Certainly not money; he knew that for sure. He wouldn't do that to him, regardless if he was king or not. All Donald knew was that he wanted to move far away from here, preferably out of the kingdom. Yet leaving one kingdom into another was a tricky situation, one that he wasn't looking forward to.
That was unless… Donald sat up straight and returned his attention to Mickey. “Anything?”
Three eggs and all the stuff he could cram into his car, and he was ready to go. Donald made sure he did it bit by bit so he wouldn't alarm his uncle. He couldn't risk getting caught and having his plans diminished in the matter of seconds. He had to get out of there fast.
But of course the world had other plans for him.
Getting his belongings out of the manor was much easier; sneaking the eggs, however, was not. He didn't move fast enough; he didn't round the corner quick enough.
“And where are you going?”
Donald almost leapt out of his skin at the old man's sudden appearance. He was so close to making it out; he was only a few feet away from the door. Donald took a deep breath and stood up straight. He didn't bother to face him. "Out.” he replied bluntly.
“And with the eggs?”
Donald slightly shifted them in his arms to have a better hold. “With the eggs.” He confirmed.
Deja Vu washed over him as silence drew over the room. He hated how his recent interactions with his uncle were like this. He hated how their last one would end up the same.
“And where exactly do you plan on taking them?” Scrooge eventually spoke. “Don’t think I didn't notice you taking your belongings out.”
Donald bit his tongue.
He knew this would only end ugly. He knew there was no way out of it. So much had happened in the past few weeks, and despite what the old man was displaying, Donald knew that Della's departure had affected him as well. And now here he was, about to do the same.
“Well? Are you going to explain yourself?”
Donald ever so slightly winced. Part of him wanted to ease the situation to his uncle; the other wanted to just rip the bandaid off and give it to him straight. But would that be the smartest option? Regardless of which way he went, it would only end in angry shouts and tears. How he hated the idea of anger being the last thing he'd ever see on his uncle's face. Just like it had been with his sister.
After a deep breath and a harsh swallow, Donald opened his mouth. “Uncle Scrooge, I'm moving out...with the eggs,” he gave a small pause, just in case Scrooge wanted to interrupt. However, much to his surprise, he didn't. So he continued.
“Della isn't coming back, and I can't raise the kids here. I want to give them a normal childhood; I want to keep them safe. I can't risk them getting hurt.”
A prolonged silence.
Anxiety crept up Donald's spine as his uncle kept quiet. He held back the urge to leave right then and there. Despite how badly he wanted to. At least then things wouldn't end in a screaming match.
The deep sigh that eventually came from his uncle stopped him from doing so. “Lad,” Scrooge carefully said. “The eggs would be much safer here than whatever else you had in mind for them.”
Donald didn't know what to feel. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from him, but it certainly wasn't that. He wasn't expecting the calm voice, the genuine question. He couldn't tell if this made things worse or better than he had expected.
“Uncle Scrooge, you have countless enemies that constantly try to attack us. Who's to say they won't attack three innocent children?” Donald pointed out, his voice gradually getting louder. “And those adventures that you'd bring us onto? Even when we were kids? Do you have any idea how many times we, as children, came close to losing our lives?! These kids won't even be safe around you!”
Now he was shouting. “I'm doing what I can to keep these kids safe, even from you!”
Donald softly panted as the wave of emotions slowly faded away. He didn't even notice how his arms gently shook. He did, however, hear both his breath and his heartbeat in his eardrum. Donald couldn't stand being there for a second more; he had to make a run for it before-
“You can't just take them away! Where will you go? Do you even have a home to provide them? Do you even have a way to provide for them?” Scrooge suddenly shouted back.
Donald let out a sound of frustration before shaking his head and taking another step towards the door. “I have it all figured out, so don't even worry about it!”
The old man must've noticed his movement and followed suit. He could practically hear the scowl in his tone as he continued to scream. "Yes, I will worry about it! I refuse to let you leave!”
“I'm going whether you like it or not!”
Scrooge shouted and slammed his cane onto the floor before whipping it up to point at him.
“You can't take her away from me!”
Donald, who was only a foot away from walking out, with his hand right above the door handle, froze when Scrooge screamed out that last sentence. He slowly pulled his hand back and tightened it into a fist.
Her?
He glanced down at the eggs, which were balancing in one arm. The eggs. The last remaining pieces of Della they still had left. He slowly looked back at his uncle.
Scrooge seemed equally surprised by what came out of his beak—if you looked hard enough, that is. However, his expression quickly hardened as he stood his ground, owning what he had said.
An eerie silence filled the room once more.
Donald returned his free hand to balance the eggs as he turned his body around to face Scrooge. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pity when he faced his uncle. The old man's feathers were ruffled and messy, and his clothes were in disarray. Donald had rarely ever seen his uncle in such a state. A small voice felt guilt, remorse even, but he had to push that aside. He couldn't let this one moment take back everything he had been planning for. His car was waiting. His new life was waiting. His… The eggs were waiting.
It hurt him more than he wanted. To leave his home, his family, but had to in order to keep the eggs safe. They were all he had, he was all they had, and he was going to protect them, no matter what. Donald softly shook his head as he slowly reached behind him and turned the handle of the door.
Scrooge's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth.
“You take one step, and you are no longer welcomed here!” He warned.
“I'm sorry, Uncle Scrooge.”
Donald held his breath as he gave his uncle a final glance. The last time he would ever see him.
He stepped out and shut the door behind him.
The drive to the Disneyland border was uneventful, much to Donald's relief. He already had so much on his mind and was one minor inconvenience away from completely losing it.
Donald looked back at the eggs for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour, making sure they were still safe and secure in his sad excuse of a makeshift car seat. He couldn't risk exposing his plan by buying three car seats, but after what Scrooge had revealed to him, it seemed it wouldn't have mattered. It was stupid, dangerous even, to drive them without the necessary protection. But even if he had bought them, there wouldn't be any space for them in the car.
Everything happens for a reason, right?
Donald looked back at the road before him and brightened up when he spotted what he could only assume as Mickey's ride. It was a nice and expensive car without being overly flashy or fancy. One that wouldn't draw too much attention.
He slowly pulled up beside it and placed his own car into park.
The back seat door opened, and a cloaked figure stepped out. Donald undid his seatbelt and followed suit.
Once close enough, the figure gently moved his hood back and revealed his face. Mickey. “Heya pal, are you ready?” A soft smile graced his lips.
Donald gave a small, sharp nod.
Mickey nodded and turned towards the gate before giving out a command.
The duck held his breath as he watched the golden gates open. He felt odd being in front of them; he knew that he wasn't supposed to be here and that he should be by the other gates, the ones that commoners used. But he specifically requested this; he wanted privacy; he didn't need the extra trouble that came with entering a different kingdom’s territory.
A loud clunk sounded once the doors completely opened. Leaving a clear road available to him. A pathway to his new life and future.
Donald let his breath go.
Without taking his eyes off the road, Donald reached over and opened his car door. He had to leave now, while he didn't have any second guesses.
Mickey placed a hand on his shoulder and handed him an envelope. Donald hesitantly took it.
It was much thicker than any envelope he had ever felt before. Raising an eyebrow, the duck carefully pulled the flap back and peered inside. Cash. And a generous amount at that.
Donald stumbled over his words as he struggled to process what he was looking at. “M-Mickey, I-!”
“I know it isn't much." The king gently interrupted. “But I wanted to at least give you a little something, even if it wasn't part of our plan.”
“Not much? Mickey, this is a lot! I can't take this-!”
“Please take it for me? Think of it as a parting gift!” Mickey smiled and pulled his friend into a hug. Donald stayed still for a moment in shock before slowly moving his arms to hug him back. Once the hug was reciprocated, Mickey spoke again, this time in a much softer tone. “You're about to be on your own with three babies; let me help you, okay? This should be enough for a few months.”
Donald softly sighed and relaxed his body. “Mickey, I...Thank you.”
He wanted to reject the money; he wanted to hand it back, but this wasn't about him or his wants. This was about the eggs and what they needed.
“I could send you more in the future if you'd like; it would be no trouble at all,” Mickey offered. His voice was still soft and cautious.
Donald shook his head and pulled back. “No, this is more than enough, really. This is more than anyone has ever done for me.”
Mickey gave a small smile, seeming to be satisfied with the answer. He squeezed Donald's arm before letting go.
“Of course, Pal. Anything for a friend!”
It filled Donald's heart with warmth—his friend's generosity. He often wondered how such amazing people came into his life like that.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Mickey's laugh interrupted his thoughts. “Here, take this. If any patrolers give you a hard time, show them this. It will let them know that I gave you permission to be on this road.”
With that, Mickey handed him another envelope. One that was much thinner and more fancy than the last. Instead of the flap being neatly tucked into the envelope itself, it had the royal insignia wax seal keeping it shut. That would definitely come in handy.
“Thank you, Mickey; I should be going now.”
Mickey gave a small nod, and his smile gained a sad undertone. “Will I ever see you again?”
Donald faltered. He didn't know. He had no plans on returning "home,” and he highly doubted that Mickey would even have the time to visit him. He was surprised he even found the time to help him today to begin with. Would this really be the last time he's ever going to see him? How many goodbyes was he going to say today?
“Maybe” was all Donald could come up with.
His old friend seemed to have gotten the message and took a step back. “I wish you the best of luck, old pal.”
Donald returned the smile before returning to his car. He set the envelope with cash into his glove compartment and set the one with the seal onto the passenger seat. Giving the eggs a final look, Donald clicked his seatbelt on and shifted his car into drive.
He waved goodbye to Mickey as he drove past him and towards the open gate.
The second envelope that Mickey had given him had indeed come in handy. Not even twenty minutes into his drive, a car had pulled him over, asking what he was doing there. Even after he had shown him the official paper, the patroler was a bit skeptical. Thankfully, he eventually let him go. This repeated a few more times until Donald eventually wound up at the gates of an unknown kingdom.
Almost immediately, guards came up to him. He quickly shifted his car into park.
The whole ordeal went a lot smoother than Donald had anticipated. They had him step out so they could search his car, even handing him the eggs while they worked away. One guard interrogated him, asking who he was, where he was coming from, and what he planned on doing in this kingdom. It seemed he had ended up in Warnerstock, based on what the guard had said. A nice, safe, and small kingdom.
Once he was able to set the eggs back into the car, which was to his surprise, back in the state the guards had found it in, Donald retrieved his papers and handed them over to be reviewed. Thankfully the background check didn't take too long, and Donald was eventually let into the kingdom.
After several days of camping in his car, Donald was able to find an affordable home to rent. Based on how the owners had reacted to him, he assumed they took pity on him and his situation before they ultimately decided on signing an agreement with him. He couldn't care less about what they thought of him; all he cared about was now he had a home to raise the eggs in.
The place itself was away from the village, on the outskirts of it and in the woods. It was a smaller wooden house with three bedrooms, one bathroom, and an incomplete basement. The inside was a bit dusty, with cobwebs in each corner, and overgrown weeds littered the outside of the house. It wasn't the prettiest, and it definitely wasn't the mansion he grew up in, but it was much better than living in his cramped car.
Donald spent the first day cleaning up the place. He had lost count of how many spiders came out of the dark and chased after him and how many times he sneezed due to the dust. By the late afternoon, he had gotten it in good enough shape that he could now begin unpacking.
While his car seemed to be filled to the brim, he didn't have much on him. There was only so much of his belongings he could bring with him.
On the second day, his car was officially cleared out, and Donald was finally settled, for the most part. He didn't have any food in the kitchen, nor did he have any furniture aside from the inflatable mattress he had, but that was more than okay with him. He could worry about that later. The eggs were his priority now. Donald was glad he had been able to buy a few things for the eggs before he left, such as formula, a few clothes, and a single box of diapers. They were due to hatch any day now, and Donald didn't want to be unprepared.
It seemed that tonight was the day.
Donald had barely even slept before a soft cracking noise woke him up. He blinked the sleep away from his eyes and poked his head up, holding his breath as he listened out for any other sounds.
Crack.
He wasted no time in throwing the blanket off of himself.
Donald scrambled out of his bed and towards the eggs. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as well as his breathing. With a quick tug on a chain, Donald turned the nearby lamp on before grabbing the spare towel he had hanging on the counter.
Right as he face planted in front of the eggs, a small beak made its way past the shell and out into the world. Donald peered up and felt a lump form in his throat. His eyes locked onto the beak as he slowly sat up, watching as it worked away in the shell until an albumen-covered head poked out. Donald was barely even able to process what he had witnessed before a loud crack came from the neighboring egg. He quickly whipped his head over to see a small head sticking out.
The flood gates broke.
Donald laughed as tears ran down his face.
Now that they had broken through, Donald helped them out and dried them up before dressing them in the tiny onesies he had gotten. Red and blue. Now all there was left was the green onesie. Donald looked back at the other egg, hoping to find a few cracks, yet when he did, the shell was still smooth as ever. It had only been a few minutes, not too alarming. It seemed like they were taking their time. He could wait.
Nearly an hour had passed before the third and final egg began to crack. He had spent his time documenting when the other two had hatched and preparing bottles, they had even finished them long before then. The rest of the time he spent panicking, debating whether or not to rush to the emergency room, worried that there were complications he wasn't aware of. He even prepared the ducklings in case they needed to make a run for it.
Donald cried in relief when the egg stirred.
The final duckling took their time breaking out of their shell. Donald was just glad he didn't have a rotten egg. He wasted no time in taking care of the newly hatched duckling.
Within thirty minutes, he had finished clothing and feeding the youngest, as well as getting all three of them to sleep. It wasn't until then that Donald finally had the chance to process what had happened.
He has three babies now. Three small bundles of fluffy yellow feathers. Three small beings that depend on him.
These babies were supposed to be his sister's; she was supposed to be here to witness this beautiful moment. But no, she wasn't; she wasn't here. And he hated it.
His throat tensed as thoughts raced through his mind.
The empty house never felt more big than right at that moment.
He was alone with no help around. But perhaps that was his own fault; he did move to an entire new kingdom that was a ways from his old home. But he knew he could do this, he had to. He had the money that Mickey gifted him, as well as the money he received from selling his boat, the same one Scrooge had given him just the year before. He had already used some for the security deposit and first month's rent, but the rest should help him out for a while as he looked for a job.
It had been two months since the hatching, and Donald still couldn't find a job.
The money Mickey had given him was running out faster than he had expected. All of the baby supplies he had to buy truly added up, as well as the other expenses he had to pay for. He didn't want to dip into his savings more than he already had.
Donald felt unequipped and unprepared to raise triplets. The sleepless nights, the constant crying and not knowing what to do. Everything he did felt wrong; he felt like no matter what he did, it was going to hurt the babies one way or another.
He was scared, terrified even, to mess these kids up from his inexperience. He never felt more helpless.
Nighttime fell, and Donald had just finished feeding the triplets. He stayed close to their crib as he gently sang to them, watching as their eyes drooped with sleep. A sense of relief and comfort washed over him once they finally fell asleep. He gradually softened his voice until it was nothing more than a hushed whisper.
Donald couldn't help but feel the ever-slight tinge of jealousy as he lovingly gazed down on the sleeping ducklings; how he wished he was in that much peace and relaxation. He carefully kissed their foreheads before sneaking away. He hoped to sneak in a few hours of sleep before they awoke.
A loud cry broke out not even an hour later.
Donald immediately rushed over.
Much to his surprise, only one of the babies was crying when he went over. How the other two hadn't woken up from it was beyond him. He quickly removed the crying one before anything could happen.
Not hungry and no wet diaper.
Donald wasn't exactly sure what the small green bundle had wanted or why the crying wasn't stopping. He slowly paced around the room while gently bouncing the duckling in his arms, trying his best to calm them down, yet nothing worked. Donald himself felt like crying.
“I'm sorry, I'm trying. I promise I'm trying,” he pathetically croaked out.
Donald stopped in his tracks and carefully sat down on the wooden floor.
He gently reached down to wipe away the endless tears off the soft down feathers of the baby. The cries faltered as hiccups slipped out of the small beak, and soon big blue eyes were looking up at him. Looking as helpless as Donald felt. Donald couldn't stop the silent tears that fell down his own face.
“I don't know what I'm doing,” he quietly blurted out. “I'm failing you...”
Almost as if they sensed Donald's distress, the duckling began to stir once more, their cries becoming more prominent once again. Donald held back a sob and gently hushed them, his hand carefully cupping their face as his thumb continued to wipe the tears away.
“But I promise that I'll do whatever I can for you, okay?” A small, hopeful smile grew on Donald's face. Whether it was genuine or him simply lying to himself, he didn't know. But he had to start somewhere. “I promise to give you my all, to give you a good life.”
The duckling’s cries gradually softened, and Donald gently held the green bundle close to his chest in a hug. He carefully tilted his head towards them and took a deep breath.
Donald was going to do everything in his power to give these babies the world, to be a good parent to them. He wasn't going to let them down, and he certainly wasn't going to fail them. They were his life now, his reason for living, and he was going to make sure they lived a life they deserved.
Donald softly sighed in content as soft sounds of sleep came from the green bundle. The sound of even breathing never seemed so beautiful before.
Donald gently turned his head to the side and planted a small kiss on the infant's head.
“I promise my little Lou, I promise.”