Who is Julie McDuck?!

An Unexpected Visitor

"C'mon, Jake!" Julie cooed, arms outstretched. "You can do it! Come to Auntie Julie!"

Jake just looked at her, chewing on a teething ring and simply having no interest in walking to his aunt. 

She sighed as she picked him up. "You're lucky you're so cute, ya little rascal," Julie said, playing with his tiny hair feathers.

"Bah!" he babbled, pointing behind her to Scrooge. 

"Still no interest in walking, eh?" her uncle asked, cocking his head to look at his great-grandnephew. 

"Nope," Julie replied, cupping Jake's cheek. "Starting to get a little worried about him."

"Ya get that from Donald," he laughed. "Aren't you and the boys supposed to go out today?"

"Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!" Julie gasped, checking the clock and handing her nephew to Scrooge. "Can you watch Kylee and Jake until I come back?"

"Well-I...uh," he stuttered.

"Thank you so much! I'll be back by eight!" she said, petting Jake's head and giving Kylee a quick hug. "You two be good for Uncle Scrooge, okay?"

"Yes, Auntie Julie!" Kylee replied, a halo practically floating above her head.

She ran out the door, and the two kids looked at Scrooge with wide eyes. Scrooge could feel his heartbeat quicken. Sure, he'd supervised the kids on adventures and told the two stories, but being their primary caregiver was WAY out of his wheelhouse. Especially with children as young as this.

He sighed, realizing he only had one option left. He pulled his phone out his pocket with his free hand, dialed a number, and waited for the person on the other line to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Donald," he sighed, shifting Jake to his hip. "Can ye come over to the mansion? Ae need your help."

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(Scrooge's POV)

I waited until I heard a knock on the door and opened it to see Donald with a concerned look on his face.

"Everything okay, Uncle Scr-oh," he said, taking notice of the baby duckling on my hip.

"Julie left me in charge of the bairns, and Ae have no idea what to do!" I sighed as Donald came in to the mansion. 

Donald thought for a minute. "Did she leave you any instructions?"

I felt a small tug on my coat and looked down to see Kylee, holding out a piece of paper, which I took. I sighed in relief to see that Julie did leave me some instructions. Very through ones, in fact.

"Thank you, lass," I said, petting Kylee's head. "I guess I'd be crazy to believe your aunt would leave me with you without some kind of manual." 

"Just be glad you got some instructions," Donald laughed. "I never got any, and I still did great."

Jake began to squirm on my hip and whined. "What's wrong, laddie?" I asked, moving the duckling into my arms so I wouldn't drop him. It'd been over sixteen years since I'd taken care of a baby, and I was beyond rusty. 

Donald gently took the duckling from me, and gagged a bit when he smelled him. "I'll go change him; you just focus on getting his bottle ready," he decided, carrying Jake to Julie's room.

I nodded, taking Kylee by the hand to the kitchen and boiling some water on the stove. She quietly waited by my side as I warmed up the bottle, rocking back and forth on her feet before speaking up.

"Unkie Scwooge?" she asked.

"Yes, darlin'?"

"You take Auntie Julie and my cousins on adventures, right?"

"Aye, we just came back from Castle McDuck."

"Why can't Jake and I go with you?"

I turned the stove off. "Lassie, ye're a wee bit young to go adventuring with us. How old are ya?"

"I'm this many!" she said proudly, holding up four fingers.

I chuckled. "Yer aunt didn't start adventuring with me until she was seven. I originally wanted her to go when she was ten, but Julie decided to sneak onto the plane."

"So I gotta wait six years?!" she whined, pouting out her bottom beak. 

"That's up ta your aunt," I replied, patting her head. "Ye're a McDuck, so I wouldn't be surprised if you started adventuring sooner."

Donald finally came downstairs with Jake in his arms, who was babbling away and reaching out for me.

"If you want, I can feed him," Donald suggested with a shrug. 

I looked at my great-grandnephew and then back to Donald. "I-It's okay, lad; I can handle it," I politely declined. "Thanks for yer help, though. I don't think Ae could've done it without ya."

My nephew smiled. "No problem, Uncle Scrooge; see you tomorrow!"

Donald walked out the door and I collapsed onto the couch, cradling Jake in one arm. I brought the bottle to his beak, which he accepted without hesitation. After he finished, I burped him and Jake started to nod off on my chest, gripping my coat as he struggled to stay awake.

With a paternal love I didn't know I had, I started to pet the boy's small head feathers. "Sh, laddie. Just go to sleep; I'll be here when ya wake up."

As if he understood me, Jake simply closed his eyes and began to sleep soundly. I walked up the stairs and entered Julie's room, Kylee close behind me, and laid the boy down in his crib. As I pulled his yellow blanket over him, Jake looked up at me, grabbed my finger, and opened his mouth.

"Unca," he babbled sleepily. I felt my jaw drop and tears gather in the corners of my eyes.

His first word. 

A wave of guilt washed over me.

Julie's brother should've been here to see this. I looked down at the small duckling, all cuddled in his blanket and fast asleep. He let out a small yawn and rolled over. 

The doorbell suddenly rang. That's odd, I thought. Julie and the boys aren't supposed to be back until eight. But I decided to answer it anyway. 

When I opened the door, standing there was a young adult. He looked about twenty, maybe older, sporting a hairstyle much like my own as a teenager, but with brown hair feathers. He had dark blue eyes....

 It couldn't be....

His beak twitched into a smile. "Hey, Uncle Scrooge."