#lots of influence from the Life and Times of Scrooge McdDuck comics

[apentotheheart]

Fic - Overdue Reunion

Title: Overdue Reunion Fandom: DuckTales (2017) Character(s): Matilda McDuck, Scrooge McDuck Genre: General Rating: PG Disclaimers: DuckTales © Disney Notes: Pre-series. Applies certain events from the comic The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.

Summary: Scrooge has always been stubborn. But even he regrets what it took to get him speaking with his family again.

At first, she hadn't thought much of the chatter of the crowd quieting some, caught up in her own conversation with Elvira to really notice. It wasn't until catching a glimpse of an all too familiar top hat, approaching the porch where the two of them stood that she finally looked herself, tensing as she saw someone she had not seen in quite a while.

"What's wrong?" Elvira asked, noticing her attention was divided.

She didn't respond right away, especially as her eyes caught his in the crowd. When she finally did speak, it was with difficulty to keep her voice level, "Maybe you should check on the twins, Elvira."

Hesitating a moment, the older woman nodded. As she stepped down from the porch, though, she paused. "Will you be all right?"

She nodded, her shoulders squared as she stepped off the porch herself. "Aye. I just need a few words with my brother."

The skirt of her dress billowed around her as she quickly walked forward, and the friends and family gathered seeming to move out of her way as she went to meet him. Soon they stood in front of each other, and she folded her arms across her chest as she stared him down.

"Scrooge."

His fingers flexed a bit as he gripped his cane, but his expression was unreadable as he returned her gaze.

"Matilda."

The tension around them was heavy as silence followed their terse greetings, and the people around them drifted away to give them some semblance of privacy; as much as was possible as they stood in the middle of the farm's property.

She gave him the courtesy to explain himself, but when he said nothing after a while longer she had to check herself from snapping as she spoke, "So? What are you doing here?"

His eyes narrowed a fraction, and she didn't miss the way his free hand curled into a fist before he tucked it behind his back, trying to stand a bit straighter. "I think we both know why I'm here."

The scoff escaped her before she could stop it. "Forgive me if I'm havin' trouble believing y'actually cared for our sister, with how we last saw ye."

She knew she shouldn't have, but Matilda couldn't help feeling a bit gratified as he winced and averted his gaze. She could only hope he felt some shame with how their last meeting ended.

"…A-Aye," he finally said after another long moment, and even after all this time she could still hear how weary his tone was, though he was trying to hide it. His shoulders still sagged a bit though, and he sighed. "I-It was…wrong of me to treat you all the way I did. I was wrong, and…I'm sorry." His grip on his cane tightened as he shook his head. "I just wish I'd had the sense to realize it before it was too late."

Her own posture relaxing some, she still hesitated, the longing to forgive her brother warring with the pain of being rejected and cast out from his life. It had felt like so long ago, but it had only been a couple of years since he had returned to Duckburg, caring only about his money and status as richest man in the world above even them, his family.

They had promised then that they would not speak to him unless something changed…but he was here now, admitting that he was wrong. Surely that counted, didn't it?

If only the person who had decided that in the first place was still here.

But it was up to her now, and so she sighed. "Well…you've come around, at least," she said slowly, her tone equally as worn-out. Unlike her siblings, Matilda's temper never ran as high, and in all honesty she was just tired of being angry all the time. "I'm only sorry that it took this for it to happen."

Scrooge glanced at the people gathered at the farm, the family and friends who had come together to mourn their shared loss. "…So am I."

Movement off to the side caught their attention, and they both looked over to see Elvira leading two children towards the house. Scrooge drew up a bit, inhaling a sharp breath. "Are those – ?"

She nodded. "Hortense's children. Donald and Della."

They watched as the two sat on the steps of the porch, and Elvira slipped into the house. Scrooge shook his head. "They're such wee ones, aren't they?"

"Aye…Too young to be experiencin' a loss like this." Scrooge and she at least had been adults when their mother, and many years later their father, had passed away. But the twins were still so young, and to have both parents ripped away from them so soon…

Too soon…

She hadn't realized she had been crying until Scrooge offered her a handkerchief, and she took it with trembling hands. Even as she tried to wipe her tears, though, more kept coming as the weight of the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law returned full force. After a moment she felt Scrooge's arm around her shoulders, and as he drew her closer she could feel the slight tremor that passed through him as well.

They remained that way for what felt like hours, but only a few moments passed before she was able to compose herself. It was with some reluctance though that she drew away from him, this time able to dry her eyes.

"Thank you," she murmured, the exhaustion once again weighing down on her. "I haven't…had much of a chance to take it all in yet meself. I've been so wrapped up trying to help take care of the young'uns."

Scrooge glanced over once again to where the children sat, watching as Elvira returned to them from inside the house. "What's goin' tae happen with them now?"

"Elvira insisted on raising them herself, here on the farm." Matilda sighed softly. "I would have taken them in, but I didn't think they'd be too keen to go back to Scotland with me."

He turned back to her sharply, eyes wide with surprise. "You're leavin'?"

She nodded. "Aye." She waved off his shock with her hand. "Dinnae worry, it won't be for some time yet. I want t'make sure the children have settled right. But…eventually, yes, I'll be headin' home. Unlike you and Hortense, I never found a reason to stay State-side."

Scrooge's frown deepened at that, and for a moment it looked like he was going to say something. Instead, he looked over again to where the children sat. "So they'll be stayin' here, eh?"

His words had a tone that she recognized as one he used when he had an idea, like he was up to something, and she couldn't help the suspicious feeling that started to rise. "Just what are ye plannin' now?"

Scrooge squared his shoulders, and picking up his cane started marching towards the house. "I may not have been there for Hortense and her husband…but I can change that with her children."

She followed after him, and catching Elvira's gaze as they neared she only nodded, letting the Duck family matriarch know that Scrooge was all right…and she certainly hoped that she was right, and wouldn't regret letting her older brother talk with Hortense's children.

She hoped he wouldn't disappoint her this time around.

The children finally noticed them as they stood in front of the porch steps, but Scrooge seemed to hesitate. From where she stood, she could see his hand twitching some as it rested behind his back. Was he…nervous?

It took another moment of the twins staring him down before he cleared his throat. "Hello, children," he said, and it was already apparent how unaccustomed he was to speaking with children. "Do ye know who I am?"

Donald suddenly appeared rather nervous, and Matilda couldn't say why he seemed to try to hide behind Della. Even stranger, Scrooge chuckled, pointing the end of his cane at Donald.

"Aye, I see you remember. I still owe y'one for that shot you took." Resting the end of the cane in the ground, he folded both hands over the curve he held, and there might have been something oddly proud in his grin. "Still, it was a good shot…one I might've even deserved, lookin' back."

Matilda couldn't help but wonder what he was talking about, but didn't get a chance to ask him as Della finally spoke up, soft and unsure, "You're…our uncle…right?"

With a nod, Scrooge tilted back his hat some. "Aye, that I am. I'm your mother's brother…your uncle…Scrooge McDuck."

Donald fidgeted a bit, looking at Scrooge uncertainly. "…Mom was always mad at you."

She stiffened a bit at that. She wasn't sure how much of their first encounter with their uncle they remembered, but she and Hortense had done their best not to speak about Scrooge around the children after that. Or at least, whenever she was with Hortense. Had her younger sister talked about Scrooge a lot at home with her husband?

Scrooge, however, didn't seem all that surprised. "Aye. She had a right tae be too, all things considered. I'm sorry I never got a chance to make it up to her. But I'd like tae make it up to the two of you, if that's all right."

Della tilted her head a bit. "How?"

"Well…" He knelt down in front so he was more eye-level with them. "Since you'll be living here with your grandmother, I was thinkin' of comin' by to visit ye more often. Why, I can even take you on a few trips here and there, 'long as it's all right with your grandma. Y'think ye'd like that?"

The twins slid off the porch steps as they got to their feet, glancing at each other before looking to her, a bit uncertain. She could only manage a small smile, hoping it was more encouraging than she felt. While she was delighted that Scrooge was trying – and even showing some traces of the older brother she had once known – she couldn't help still feeling somewhat nervous over all this.

She couldn't help worrying whether Scrooge being present in their lives would really be a good thing.

Whatever worries she had, though, quickly faded when the twins suddenly hugged Scrooge, and as her brother returned the embrace, holding them both close, she realized that maybe he needed this as much as the two of them did. And whatever doubts and fears still lingered, she decided that she wouldn't let them get in the way any longer either. She wasn't about to let those reservations keep Scrooge away…not when he was trying to come back now.

They had lost so much family already, after all.