Habits

Changes

~This Filler Chapter Takes Place During "Raiders of the Doomsday Vault"~

I walked out of the kitchen with my coffee thermos in hand. It was around 1pm, so it was pretty late, and I had just woken up, which was weird for me.

Everything seemed to be very slow. It was quiet. Almost too quiet.

I walked into the living room to see Louie on the couch, watching, you guessed it, Ottoman Empire. "Where's Dewey?" I asked, suspicious.

Louie looked at me, then shrugged. "He and Mom went with Uncle Scrooge on a business trip."

I nodded, sitting next to him. "That's why it's so quiet."

He hummed in response, taking a sip of his Pep.

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Something's wrong. Or, something's bothering him, at least.

But if I know Louie, and I do, you can't get anything out of him by just asking. You have to play it smart. And I'm fully prepared to do that if it means making sure my brother is okay.

~~~

We sat on the couch in a comfortable silence. I knew Huey was at a Junior Woodchucks meeting, which left Louie, Mrs. Beakley and I as the only people in the house. Duckworth had decided to take a ghost vacation. And if Mrs. B was going to be cleaning all day, that meant I had no distractions.

"Stop it," Louie told me.

I looked at him, confused.

"Stop it, you're... analyzing. I can tell. You and Huey do it. So stop," He told me, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Okay that's fair," I offered. "But I can tell something's wrong, and there's no point in being roundabout it."

He shook his head. "Nothing's wrong."

I raised an eyebrow. "You're not one to be especially secretive about your true feelings on something," I mused.

He shrugged. "I'm always secretive," He smirked, playfully.

I rolled my eyes, and left it at that.

~~~

I left the room for about 15 minutes to grab a circut board I was working on. Just something to keep my hands busy.

I flopped on the catch, laying my legs across Louie's lap.

"Hey!" He shouted in protest, moving his hands off his lap. I looked at his hands, seeing two knitting needles, yarn and a half-knitted sock.

I smiled. I haven't seen him knit in... forever.

He met my eyes, and immediately scrambled to put it up.

"No, no, it's okay!" I told him, "I won't bother you about it! Nothing wrong with kni-"

"Ah! Don't say it!" He exclaimed, cutting me off.

I nodded. I know how embarrassed Louie gets about this stuff. He especially hates it when people mention it. So I didn't.

I focused on my circut board, moving the wires and pins around. If I move the yellow one here...

I began trying to make the craziest shape possible without electrocuting myself. Which, of course, wasn't possible without the battery, but if I was to add the battery, and say, a tiny train to travel along the currents, I wouldn't want the train to spark and pop off the board. So I continued moving wires methodically.

I zoned out, listening to the voices around me. There was the light hum of the TV, the Ottoman Empire brothers arguing, before switching abruptly to a Pep! commercial. There was the slight clinking of Louie's plastic knitting needles hitting each other. There was the knowing voice of Mrs. Beakley getting closer to us. I listened even more, curious.

"Did you ever consider, Mr. McDuck, that Della and Dewey took the plane to the vault?"

I looked up, and so did Louie. We met each other's eyes, having a silent conversation, before Mrs. Beakley got closer, and we pretended not to be listening.

"Och, come now, Beakley!" I heard Uncle Scrooge exclaim over the phone.

After a minute or so, I heard Mrs. Beakley hang up the phone, and let out a deep sigh, before leaving the house out the backdoor.

Louie looked up at me. I looked at him, and shrugged.

We sat in a comfortable silence. He worked on his sock, and I took willful glances at him knitting. Yarn, loop, pull. Yarn, loop, pull. It was mesmerizing to watch, almost hypnotic.

He set his needles down abruptly. I sat up, giving him my full attention.

"I miss Uncle Donald," He said, with certainty. "And I want him to come home! I know Mom is trying her best, but it's hard!"

I set my hand on his shoulder. I thought for a moment. How do you give an 11-year-old advice without telling them that you agree with them?

"Louie, this is all new for us. I know it's hard, but..." I sucked in a breath. "Sometimes we have to just stick it out and roll with the punches."

Oh-ho, that's rich coming from me, isn't it?

"I dunno," He folded his arms into himself, "It's probably my fault, I just... don't know how to have a mom? Or- no, that's not it," He paused for a second, trying to get ahold of his words. "She's not very... motherly?"

"Touché. But... well," I don't want him to hate her. But she isn't the most maternal. Or nurturing. At all. "Well, what traits do you think she has that makes her... 'not motherly,'?" I quoted.

Liar. Can't believe I'm actually trying to defend her.

I mentally hit myself. Stop it for one second! This isn't about her, it's about Louie!

He shrugged. "I dunno? She's bold, and brash and very Dewey-like. Dewey gets along with her perfectly! Huey and her can nerd out! But we don't have... anything in common." He frowned.

"Oh honey," I began, scooping him into my lap. He leaned against me, and I squeezed him a bit. "Louie, how many times do I have to tell you? You are enough."

He said nothing, and I continued. "You're enough for me, you're enough for Scrooge, you're enough for the kids and Uncle Donald and Mrs. Beakley. And you're enough for Mom, even if you don't share any interests with her." And this time I wasn't lying.

"It's okay to feel like this, Louie. I imagine she feels the same." I paused, and he looked at me. I tilted his face upwards.

"We love you, okay?" I asked.

He nodded.

I kissed his forehead. "And don't you ever forget it, Llewellyn."

He groaned, pushing away. "Gross! Why'd you have to ruin the moment?"

"It's a pretty name! I don't know why you hate it!" I defended.

"Hubert and Dewford are okay-ish, but Llewellyn is just blech!" He argued, gagging.

"To be fair, you have the most up-to-date name out of all the brothers!" I offered.

He shook his head. "Nope! Still gross!"

I laughed at that, rolling my eyes. Okay, Louie. Okay.

~~~

We didn't do much else after that. Just chatted and waited for everyone else to get back. Huey was the first, then Dewey, Mom and Scrooge. Scrooge and Mom went up to his office, and the boys sat down with Louie and I, Webby soon joining, though from where? I have no idea.

We all laughed at some show Dewey put on, and I felt Louie nudge me. I looked down and he mouthed the words, "Thank you." I only nodded, smiling to myself.

If there's one thing I've done right, it's doing my best to be there for these kids. And you know what? I'd say I'm doing a pretty good job at it.

(A/N: Here's a small filler before the next big episode! Cuz this next one? I'm excited!

anyways, thanks again for reading! love you guys! <3)