starlightcafe | All I want to know is how the world goes 'round...

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All I want to know is how the world goes 'round...

Worming information out of her youngest son was not easy, but nothing could stop Della Duck. It may have taken about a month to ease him into opening up about just who - and what, as it turned out - his new friend was, but it was well worth it; Louie brought up Gobo comfortably around her now. It was clear that the Fraggle'd had a strong impact on him - not that briefly being the Richest Duck in the World hadn't, but still, there was definitely more to Louie coming into his own lately than that whole adventure. In fact, Louie wasn't like Della, or most of the others in the family. Adventure didn't have the deep effect on him it did on the rest.

Della loved her boys unconditionally, even when they were causing disasters. But Louie... He didn't just seem to have grown, he seemed to be happier lately. So, if nothing else, she wanted to meet Gobo. Louie had rolled his eyes and protested a bit - "Mom, you don't have to run checks on my friends, that's such an Uncle Donald thing..." - but he'd shared the location of the nearest Fraggle Hole with her. Now she stood outside, hands on her knees so she could get a better view inside, calling down. "Hello! Is there a Gobo Fraggle down there?"

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He looked at the Hole, then back at her, and rubbed his head. "Well, maybe? You ducks aren't much bigger than us Fraggles I guess, and the tunnel gets bigger past the Fraggle Hole, so maybe with some wiggling-"

"Only one way to find out, huh?" Della interrupted, taking a few steps back to wind up, so to speak, before making a running dive for the Fraggle Hole. At first, she got stuck around her shoulders, and then again at her hips, but Gobo had been right. It just took some wiggling to get her through.

That first jam got a snort, then the second a choked sound, and even once she pops through she might hear a weird sort of noise behind her- surppressed giggling through a mouth he was holding closed, before nope it turned into full-on laughing instead. It wasn't jeering though, it was the warm sort shared with friends, even if he might be the only one actually doing so right now.

His hand braced on the side of the Hole as he peeked in and then stepped inside, walking over to her. "You alright? No bruises, no clothing tears?"

She was already checking herself over when he came in after her - just a quick check, because nothing hurt, and her general feeling in these situations was if she could carry on at all, she absolutely would, and worry about the rest later.

So her answer came quick, with an amused little snort. "Yeah, dad, I'm fine."

He laughed again and shook his head. "Fine, fine. C'mon, I'll lead the way."

"I'm right behind you, Gobo!" Della said cheerily - though she was barely so, more right at his side, not that she knew which direction to go. But, hey, adventurer's instincts, right? "So, Louie says these tunnels connect to a lot of places..."

"Oh yeah, lots of places, eh?" He glanced at her, smiling. "There's this one place in Fraggle Rock especially that goes to all sorts of different places in Outer Space! Plus there's one that goes to your Duckburg, and one that goes to the other Duckburg, plus another city on that side called Birchpointe."

"Man, that's all so neat! I can't imagine how much that must come in handy for exploring - Louie said you're an explorer? Do lots of Fraggles explore?" she asked. It wouldn't surprise her if they did, it sounded like their habitat was made for such a way of life.

"Not really, most Fraggles like to stay around the Rock. Oh but we've got plenty of stuff to do there! Parties, and games, and other caves to go into, it's pretty exciting.

"Me though, I'm an explorer. So's my uncle, and my dad was, and my great-uncle too."

"Well, parties and games are great, but I'd rather go the way of you and your family - my uncle's an explorer, too, and my brother... Uh, was. He still is, deep down inside of him." Della shrugged, ducking around an overhanging rock that jutted down. Something did hit her, although not until a moment later - and maybe it wasn't the sort of thing to bring up right now, anyway, but... Had he said his dad was an explorer?

"It's a great life, that's for sure." He went around a larger rock, paused at a crossways and then led Della down the left path. "It took me a while to warm up to it, since I started when I was pretty young. But I wouldn't have it any other way, now!"

That wasn't something Della could relate to - sure, she'd been young when she'd started exploring, but she'd never needed to warm up to it, really. Still, if nothing else, it was an insight into Gobo's life - and it perhaps was a factor in why Louie had taken such a shine to him.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," she said with a smile. "I heard you even got Louie coming along with you for some of your adventures. That's kind of a big deal, you know."

"Yeah, Louie's told me he doesn't go on many adventures, but he certainly enjoys coming with us!" He smiled fondly, thinking. "Especially if Mokey is coming along. She's another Fraggle, like me, and she's real protective and sweet. I think she called Louie an honorary Fraggle within somethin' like five minutes of having known him, and I know that means a lot to him."

"Oh, Louie mentioned her - he showed me some pictures of her paintings," Della explained, her pace slowing considerably, a faint a smile on her face. "I'm sure that does mean a lot to him. I think sometimes Louie can forget how he fits into our family..."

"I've got a friend like that, too." He adjusted his pace to hers, glancing up at her. "His name is Boober, and- well, Fraggles as a whole love fun and games, and don't take things too seriously. Boober's the opposite of that; he claims he only has enough time to worry about two things and that's death and laundry. And sometimes, it's made him worry that he's not much of a Fraggle period, because he doesn't enjoy the 'fun stuff' as much as we others do.

"But y'see, laundry, and reading, and cooking? Those are all what Boober has fun with. It doesn't have to be loud fun to make one a Fraggle, and from what I've seen of all you ducks, it doesn't have to be exciting to be part of the family. I think Louie has trouble remembering that, but that's what I'm here for. To remind him, because I'm his friend."

Della nodded. "Oh, Louie's mentioned him, too. A lot, actually." Relative to how much he'd told her about the other non-Gobo Fraggles, anyway. She paused, allowing herself a brief chuckle, but then her more somber - and deeply caring - tone returned. "You're right. Louie will always have a place in our family, but when you're his age, it can be easy to feel lost... My other boys deal with it too, in different ways, but Louie won't talk about it if he can help it, so... It means a lot to me that he has you."

"Believe me, I know how much having a good friend can mean." With them walking a bit slower, now his own smile got a bit distant. "When I was little, I often felt a bit lost too. My uncle was gone often, since he was exploring Fraggle Rock's tunnels and caverns, and I didn't always get to go with him because I was so small. Some nights, I think my only company was my pet thimblebug, then it disappeared..."

He was quiet a moment, then shook his head gently and glanced back up. "But that changed when I got a little older and I met Wembley, and Red and Mokey, and Boober. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have them when Uncle Matt decided to leave for Outer Space. So, I know what it means to be lost, and how important it is to have people there who can find you."

Della paused in walking, looking down at Gobo with new eyes and placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him, as well. "That's sweet, Gobo. I mean- Being a mom means you really just want your kids to have what they need. And it's hard when they can't get it from you, but all you really care about is that they have it. And Louie does, thanks to you."

She paused, for just a second, before adding more. Gobo had just told her a lot about himself, after all. "Being a mom also means I know when someone needs one of these," she said softly, crouching down a bit to hug him.

Gobo blinked in surprise at the hug, half-glancing toward her with an attempted reply, "But- I don't- I-..."

But he didn't move back from the hug. His eyes glanced down and to one side, and with a bit of an exhale his weight went into it more, head resting at the crook of her neck, almost perfectly as if meant to be that way. Then after a moment he lifted his arms and hugged her back, and that tightened after a moment more.

Della gave Gobo a squeeze with one arm, her other hand going up to hold the back of his head. She held onto him like that for a good, long while, and seemed hesitant to draw away. When she did, she leaned down further, right on eye level with him, as the hand behind his head shifted up to pat at his hair.

"Hey..." She paused, then, smiling gently. She couldn't quite come up with the right words for a bit, but then she remembered something Gobo had said earlier in their conversation. "You know, if Louie's an honorary Fraggle, well... It only makes sense, now, for you to be an honorary Duck."

He looked up at her, and though his eyes were already stinging a bit just from the hug, this close she might notice him physically tearing up at that.

"Really...? Wow, I- I'm honored. Thank you."

"Really. And no, I should be thanking you, Gobo... Aw, come here." She pulled him in close again. "You know, the way Louie talked about you... I knew you had to be someone special, but- Wow."

He laughed gently, shifting enough that he could somewhat glance toward her. "Louie's someone special too, I'm really happy I've gotten to know him."

"Oh, I know he is," Della assured him with a little nod. "I'm just glad you see it, too." A little while longer for the hug, and then she stepped back and stood straight.

"Well, come on. We've got tunnels to see."

"Right! Tunnels." He laughed softly, turning and gesturing her to walk with him. As he went though, he pulled his sleeve down a bit further so he could wipe at his eyes. While doing that though, he lifted his head some.

"Oh-! I've got the perfect place. I think you're really gonna love it."

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