Sharing what was meant to be a happy fun plot that I’m somehow made sad when I wrote it out. (probably because I’ve been writing too much sad stuff)
I’m calling it “The Battle of Custody!”
So Della’s just gone missing. Donald is still in shock, the only thing he’s clinging to is HDL everything else is just, nope, not dealing with that.
Scrooge is trying to help, Donald (and HDL) are in the mansion, but he has no idea how to deal, Donald isn’t speaking to him (or at all really, but Scrooge is a bit self centered) and nothing Scrooge does seems to help. He can’t even pick up one of the triplets without Donald taking the duckling off of him. (Yes Scrooge, because attempting to leave Donald’s sight with one of the only things he has left of his sister is a great idea.)
The family holds a remembrance service for Della (she’s missing not dead)
Scrooge makes sure Donald attends (with HDL since Donald won’t let them out of his sight)
The family starts drawing up battle lines almost immediately.
Donald’s generation just gather around Donald, they’re trying to support him, but the elder generation…
A lot of accusations are leveled at Scrooge, it’s his fault she’s an adventurer, his fault she’s a pilot, his fault she didn’t settle down. He should never have taken Donald and Della in.
Scrooge fights back. It’s not his fault. He did the best he could.
Matilda may not have the family temper, but her words are all the sharper. “No one needs you. You’re not welcomed here.”
Scrooge looks to Donald, surrounded by his cousins.
They’re right. Donald doesn’t need him. Donald won’t even look at him.
Scrooge leaves. No one stops him.
Then there’s the question of what to do with Donald.
He’s barely an adult, he can’t be expected to look after three young Ducklings, can he?
Donald doesn’t react well to the suggestion that someone else will take the triplets. They’re his. Della trusted him.
Legal battle! And the start of another family feud.
Donald retreats to Grandma Duck’s farm, alongside the family members that support him (mostly his cousins at this point), and they fortify the farm.
Back and forth goes the feud and the legal battle, with Donald coming back to himself and working through his grief, and the cousins trying to help look after the triplets and getting into crazy hijinks.
Ending with the cousins accidentally kidnapping the judge for the custody case, the judge seeing first hand Donald not only being a great Dad but somehow also riding herd on his crazy cousins.
So Donald gets custody of HDL.
@donaldtheduckdad @miilkydayz the crazy list of plots keep growing