[SPOILERS] I can see there's so much to learn

[jerkchicken]

Back to Duckburg, but not nearly back to life as normal. Gyro had heard about the discovery with regards to the little bow girl and Mr. McDuck and all of that... And who would think that he'd ever be able to relate to that? But he could. During the face-off with FOWL, Gyro had realized that - somewhere along the way - he'd accepted a role as parent to Boyd. It wasn't entirely new. Lil Bulb was certainly more offspring than invention to Gyro, but Lil Bulb and Boyd were very different, with Boyd being much more of an actual child.

Theoretically, it would make sense to talk to Mr. McDuck about this shared experience of having fatherhood dropped in each of their laps. Maybe it wasn't exactly textbook conversation between employer and employee, but neither Scrooge nor Gyro were conventional people, anyway. And honestly? Mr. McDuck was one of the few people he respected. Gyro would like to hear any advice he might have, loathe as he was to admit he ever needed input from others.

So, on the first day Scrooge was back at the Bin following all that had happened, he'd soon see Gyro poking his head into his office. It wasn't unusual for Gyro to burst into Scrooge's other work to announce scientific breakthroughs, but this unannounced entrance had an entirely different, uncertain energy to it.

"Sir, a word?"

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[richestduck]

Scrooge looked up from the paperwork on his desk. Despite everything that had happened, he'd been back in the office next business day. As much as he'd been tempted to take some time off to fully adjust to his new role as not father-figure but actual father (something he'd never dreamed would be possible after some terrible news about thirty years ago), he had literally thousands if not millions of employees dependent on him for their daily bread. As much as he hated to admit it, Bradford Buzzard had helped significantly lighten his load over the past twenty years...though Scrooge was having a full independent audit done to root out any lingering FOWL cells using McDuck Enterprises money.

He was surprised to see Gyro. Not in general -- the man did have a habit of bursting in unannounced at random times to share moments of brilliance (something Scrooge had admittedly never discouraged) -- but this subdued, uncertain Gyro was new.

"Come on in, Gyro." Scrooge slid the stack of contracts into his desk, locking the drawer out of habit rather than any distrust in his head of Research and Development. He motioned to a chair in front of his desk. "Sit down."

[jerkchicken]

Gyro hesitated a moment before taking that seat. The idea of having this conversation with his boss was one thing, the reality something else altogether. As much as Gyro behaved as if he didn't care about what others thought of him, that wasn't entirely true, and Scrooge was one of the people he didn't want to think less of him. But he'd already interrupted him. He might as well make that interruption worth the time for both of them, by diving in without formalities in true Gyro Gearloose fashion.

"I understand you've found yourself in the role of father," he stated, regaining some of his usual matter-of-fact attitude, "and I'm experiencing something very similar. I assume you've met Boyd through your Hat Nephew? The two seem to get along well."

[richestduck]

Scrooge's mouth twitched into a fond smile. "Aye, I have. He's a good lad."

Lad. Not robot or anything of that sort. It was becoming clear from the mention of Scrooge's new father status that Boyd was as much Gyro's son as Webby was his daughter despite how they'd come into the world.

This was not a conversation for employer and employee. So it wouldn't be one.

Scrooge had a habit of turning extra energy into motion, making productive use of that extra energy. (It was something that he'd noticed in Webby long ago, having assumed she'd picked it up from watching him while growing up. Now he wondered if it was genetic.) He walked around the desk, moving the other chair in front of it so that it faced Gyro. It placed them on a more or less equal footing in this matter.

"Huey enjoys Boyd's company, and I think the Woodchucks are good for both of them despite one of their former members."

[jerkchicken]

Without even realizing he was doing it, Gyro mirrored that fond smile on hearing Scrooge speak well of Boyd. It faded a bit into surprise when Scrooge moved his chair around, but then, that did seem fitting, didn't it? They were talking as two new fathers, sharing their experiences.

"I myself never found the idea of being a Woodchuck appealing as a child, but I do agree," he said, pushing his glasses up where they'd slid down on his beak. Sure, he had no experience with the Woodchucks, but he'd come to see that the organization encouraged resourcefulness and the pursuit of knowledge. He certainly wanted that for Boyd. Besides, the whole... camaraderie aspect, despite not appealing to Gyro even in his youth- Well, it was good for Boyd. It worked for him, and that was what mattered.

[richestduck]

"If things were different, Webby probably would've been a member, too." There was a momentary flicker of guilt on Scrooge's face, and his hand clenched into a fist for a second or two before it relaxed again.

Honestly, he knew what Webby had meant back when the triplets had first met Della and she'd said that her heart was too full. He was caught in an overwhelming maelstrom of emotions, and it was a struggle to keep tight control over them all.

"So will Della be seeing you at any Junior Woodchuck Jamborees in the future?" he lightly teased.

[jerkchicken]

Though he took note of Scrooge's brief tensing up, he wasn't sure the best way to ask about it, or if he even ought to, despite how informal their current conversation was. And then, well, that joking little jab brought something else to mind, and Gyro's focus shifted, anyway.

"Well, that's the thing. Boyd has become part of another family, as well, and while all of that isn't my sort of thing to begin with, the point remains: I'm not sure where I fit in," he admitted. "The Drakes care for Boyd-" Excluding that unnerving other child they had, but that was a separate issue "-which I appreciate, but..."

He hated talking about this kind of sentimental topic, it just didn't come naturally to him anymore. Gyro sighed, glancing off. "I want to be part of Boyd's life without causing any problems for him."

[richestduck]

"Ah," Scrooge said slowly. He gave a sigh. "Well, the best I can offer is asking if you've told Boyd that? He might not want to bother you." Scrooge rubbed at his arm as he remembered the conversation he and Webby had had on Black Heron's island.