starhuevalley

[Some of the other patrons near them might've jumped at the sudden slam, but Scrooge only watched his double with one eye.]

You don't, eh? What makes you so sure?

I'm still here, aren't I? Didn't need any...[He pauses to close his mouth around a hiccup.]...any fam'ly ta make my fortune or even ta keep goin'. They wanted me out of their lives? Fine! And good rid-riddance to 'em!

[And grabbing that bottle to pour himself another with a shaky hand. He locks eyes on the glass.]

I'm be'er off.

That's something I would've said thirty years ago.

[Thirty years? Has it really been so long. Raise a glass to the passage of time.]

When my sisters left, all it was was my businesses. Left alone in exile, I shut out the world because I didnae need it anymore. Who was going to miss auld Scrooge McDuck, eh?

Then I decided to call Donald one day. [He snorted, then laughed fully.] Gave him a right fright! 'Twas a Christmas on Bear Mountain I won't soon forget. Not even the second time 'round.

[He tipped in another shotglass.]

Wanted to test him, see how much he deserved bein' part of the McDuck bloodline. Came to find out... [He paused, then sighed, staring into his drink.] Hortense was gone. And I ne'er got the chance to make up with her. Della had disappeared. Never got to know her at all. Matilda... Is a story for another day.

[And likely another bottle.]

An' look at you now, eh? Nephews, adopted son, a wife.

Ye lost e'ryone, but ye still managed ta get a fam'ly. Not quite the same but you got some o' them.

Though believe you me, the second they think ye've set a toe outta line? You're gone. Dead to them. Sure as shootin', they won't e'en show up for the funeral but just the will-readin' on the off-chance you left 'em anythin'. Doesnae matter if you can prove they're wrong, Scrooge McDuck makes a great scapegoat when things go wrong.

I've got a family, but only because it took me those thirty years hence to remember who I was before I lost it all.

And believe me, they've been put through the test. Could say I did that meself, and no' even all that long ago.

[He drained his glass, and glanced up.]

I stand by what I said before. I'm more'n capable of keeping them in line. And I'm not about to lose my family again, not after how long it's taken me just to nearly get back tae the point I'd been at in the first place. And certainly not when I've fought just to keep them alive.

[He shook his head slowly, deeply, as if trying to push away a memory. Another shot oughta do it.]

Nor w- would I let them shove me away either, or cheat me outta anything. Not after everythin' that's happened. So aye, I do have a family. [Another scowled word.] But I worked m'self to the bone for it. I've got an entire Money Bin full of memories for it. And I'm not lettin' it go, like I'm not lettin' anything go.

[He takes another gulp of his whisky, coughing a bit as a choked sob causes some of it to go down the wrong pipe.]

Well then clearly there's somethin' about ye tha's be'er than me. Somethin' that makes 'em give ye a second chance.

[He crosses his arms and puts his head down on top of them.]

I donnae have it though. [He gives a bitter chuckle.] Maybe it's why Goldie sold me to pirates an' left me in the ice an' e'erythin' else.

I'm not trying to say I'm better than you. Just that I unnerstand where you're comin' from, because that's where I was.

[He snorts some, then glances at him at the Goldie remark.]

Sounds almost like somethin' my Goldie would've ever done, if she'd ever had the chance. She only took so many potshots at me my feathers smelt of gunpowder for three months after, swindled me out of gold-laden land, made me lose a lucrative property deal, and...

[He trails off, mumbling something into another shot. He slammed that glass down himself.]

And o'course you already know she died. With her went the last one I knew from my past. End of an era.

Doesnae make it less true.

[He's only half-listening to the last part. Well, at least Goldie is consistent across realities.]

[He lifts his head up just enough to free up a hand to grab his drink and take a large swig.]

No secon' chanzes. So I don-donnae need 'em. I'll make it all on mah own. Done it plenty o' times b'fore.

Make it how? You said you were retired. What're you goin' to do?

[He braced his hands and leaned down, trying to get a look at his face.]

And believe me old boy, I'm not- not any better'n you. Have you tried to kill someone because o-of a curse on you? No? Come back to me when you've put someone in the hospital because of you.

[He sat up, muttering a bit, filling up one more shotglass.]

Fully expected them to abandon me after that. 'Twas surprised when they didn't. Specially when it all started because of my mistake in the first place.

[He sipped at the drink.]

I've made... a great number o' mistakes. So no. Family or no, I'm not the better one here.

Get up in the mornin', look after the an'mals, look af'er the farm, an' go to bed. Wake up the next mornin' an' start all over again. E'ryday until these old bones fin'ly stop movin'.

[It's how he's lived his life for the past ten years. The only difference he sat at a desk and through board meetings.]

[And then there's an actual sob and he buries his face in his arms, the next part coming out muffled.]

Not in the hospital. I donnae know where Della is.

[He looked up again, staring at the other Scrooge, and something made it through the alcohol haze.]

Della's disappearance was your fault?

It wasnae my fault!

[It's an automatic response, and his eyes are red as he lifts his head, the feathers around them a bit damp.]

She-she stole it! Left me a note an' jus' left! An' they all blamed me an' left, too!

[He trembles and chugs the rest of his whisky down, swallowing a bit thickly before he continues.]

So who needs 'em?! I don't!

[That one caused a bit of a flinch. Somewhere, once the whisky had worked itself out of his system, he'd better process this. But right now, all he's got is-]

Sorry.

[He swipes at his eyes, trying to wipe away the tears.]

I donnae need 'em. I donnae need anybody. Nothin' but trouble, the lot o' 'em.

[Better to be alone so no one can hurt him.]

[He'll find this Scrooge has placed a handkerchief beside his glass, if he should want use of it.

He doesn't say anything either, he doesn't have much to say. What is there? Come be part of our family? That's his instinct, having brought in the lost before, but he knows his double would reject that so hard it'd leave an imprint. He'd about do the same thing, in this situation. And he doesn't know enough about the other Scrooge's life yet to make counterarguments. The alcohol, too, is making it difficult to marshall up any helpful words.

So instead he lapses into silence, deciding to top off one more shot. The bottle was nearly empty anyway, but he left what remained in there for the other duck.]

[He doesn't take the handkerchief. Instead, he takes the bottle, empties what's left into his glass, and bolts the contents down.]

[He's definitely drunk, but he needs more. He's still not numb. Why can't he just numb everything? Having nothing in his stomach but booze and gulping down so much in such a short period of time is definitely allowing the alcohol to hit him all the harder, but why can't he get to that point where he can't feel anything?!]

[He breathed a deep sigh, glancing over towards him, resting his arms half-crossed over each other.]

You'll show 'em Scrooge McDuck is on top. There's nowhere to be but there. And however y'get there... is how you get there.

[He laid his own head down, because it was starting to get difficult to support it.]

You'll see. Scrooge McDuck is a winner. Even when no one else thinks so, anymore.

Zackly. An' I'll do it all on my own.

[And looking a bit green around the gills.]

...Need some air.

[Gonna wobble as he gets up from his seat.]

[He dragged his head up and around, then started to get up from his own seat.]

Wait. 'Least I can do this part.

[Theoretically. Thankfully he's got his cane with him, because it's going to be pressed into service now.]

And I'm no' takin' no for an answer, so you can shove it in your money belt. C'mon.

[Up under one of his arms, let's go.]

[Can't even argue as he gropes for his own cane. His leg hurts like fire right now.]

[And going to stumble towards the exit, definitely looking green. This is what he gets for drinking so much on an empty stomach.]

Jus' wanna go ta my f'rm. I've...[Swallow.]...I've gotta milk Bess in the mornin'.

Easy now, try not to dispense your change 'til you get outside.

[And until he can separate from him for a minute, because while he may not be quite as green, he can't guarantee against vicinity effect.]

We'll get ye to your farm.

[Getting outside does help a little at least.]

I c'n get there. Jus' wash me.

[And going to try and prove it by pushing off from the other Scrooge to stumble along on his own.]

[He does stumble back a bit when his double shoved off, but he's right back there beside him, giving him a sharp look.

...Well, as sharp as he can manage after 3/4 of a bottle of Scotch anyway.]

Aye, and you'll get there faster if you let me help. Time is money, and you're wastin' it by stumbling 'round like a new hatchling.

[Not taking no for an answer, remember? So he's going to resume his space as support for the other Scrooge.]

[This Scrooge is starting to understand the old adage "beer before liquor, never sicker" far too well. He bows his head to focus on his feet as they resume walking together.]

Donnae need help.

[Yes, he does. Don't listen to him.]

Too bad.

[At least their heights let him do this easily enough. Can't say that for some people he's known.]

You're gettin' it anyway.

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