starlightcafe | I don't want you to worry about what I've just seen, about where I've just been.

Boy, had she been this tired since returning to Earth? Della was pretty sure she hadn't. While she was the sort who could stay up late adventuring and get up early the next day, ready for more, the little sleep she got needed to be quality. Lately? It hadn't been. Memories from the Moon, along with general insecurities about her time away - the mistake she made and all she had to make up for - were an on-and-off problem she dealt with, but since the Moon had invaded, it had been far more "on" than "off," and her sleep was suffering from it.

Of course, being so tired made it harder to focus on tasks during the day; tasks that normally provided invaluable distractions. It didn't matter how much she enjoyed something, her mind... Her heart... They just weren't in it. She had already had to back out of a fishing trip with Donald that day, offering the excuse that someone had to make sure the boys behaved while Donald fished and Scrooge did Binventory. Instead, though, she'd left the task to Beakley, and was taking a walk around the Manor grounds to try and clear her head.

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He smiled at her for a moment, then sighed softly.

"See, over with the other Duckburg, apparently Fraggles are valuable catches, and then sold to whoever wants them, because we're so rarely seen above ground, even though to most people we're just garden pests. And, one night, a bunch of thugs captured me and some others I was with..."

He went on from there, explaining the whole poaching incident to her, from the initial "earthquake" and the electrocution that knocked them out, to waking up in a cage lost until being able to send out word, their breakout with Fraggle magic, and the rescue, trailing off some at the end.

"Oh..."

She felt sick to her stomach at his story, and- and angry, too, at the idea of people doing what could only be described as Fraggle poaching. but she tried to tamp that anger down for the time being. She breathed in and out deeply to calm herself, then put a hand each on both of Gobo's shoulders.

"I am so proud of you."

He'd fallen quiet after finishing what was, honestly, only the first half of his story, when Della reached out to him. He looked up with a bit of subdued surprise, blinking once.

"You are?"

"I am," Della said with a nod. "You're still doing the things that make you, you. That must have been- So scary. I can't imagine it, I really can't, even with all I've seen and done."

She gave his shoulders a squeeze. "But you're a fighter... I'm sorry, I had to interrupt. To say that."

He inhaled softly, looking at her for a long, silent moment. An argument had been on his lips, that it was the others who'd done the real magic, even if that argument would've only been half-hearted at best. But whatever there was of it died as Della spoke, and he nodded after a moment.

"It's okay, I- Thank you."

"Any time," Della said. "Just don't forget it, okay?"

It was alright if he did, of course. She'd be there to remind him.

"So, what happened after?"

"After, well, we went back to the home. The next couple days were kinda difficult, but I bounced back, like I always do."

He sighed softly, shrugging a bit. "Or, I thought I had. Yeah, I was always a little nervous going around or meeting new people, but I've always been cautious, ever since I was a kid. But it wasn't long after me and my friends, Fraggles from the Rock, decided to move out into Outer Space together that the nightmares started.

"I started... reliving the whole night. Except sometimes the other Fraggles were my friends, and sometimes it was just me alone. And no rescue ever came. No matter what I did I couldn't get rid of them, and after long enough I started losing sleep over them."

"Oh, Gobo..." Della sighed, patting his shoulders. She understood that part perfectly, how someone could think they'd moved past their troubles, even when deep down they were still being haunted. "It's gotten better, though?"

"Yeah, thankfully. Though not until Uncle Scrooge and Louie got it outta me." A small, weak laugh as he glanced up at her.

"They realized I hadn't been sleeping well and, when I told them about it, realized why, too. That I was going through it again because of who I am." He waved a hand towards the distance. "I'm responsible for them in as much as I'm their leader, and... it's possible that could happen again, even with some safeguards that were put in place in the aftermath. So, I was thinking about it again because I was worried about that.

"But, they also helped me to see that while they're my responsibility... they're also not my responsibility. They can do what they want and when, and that includes helping me with my problems, or with keeping them, keeping us, safe. After realizing that, and after talking about it in the first place, my nightmares basically went away."

Her pride for Gobo was then joined with for Louie... Her youngest son who was too clever for his own good, sometimes - but on the other side of that coin was a certain wisdom, if an unconventional sort.

"I'm really glad to hear that, Gobo, that they were able to help you. That you've been feeling better. And thank you for passing that on."

"It's what Fraggles do." He looked up at her, smiling softly. "We've got a song that says, 'When you're giving love away, love will come again to stay. What you give is what you gain, when you pass it on.' No matter if it's advice, a neat object we've found in the Rock, cool ideas, or even just friendship, we pass it on."

"Wow, that's... Really great," Della breathed. She adored how Fraggles were able to grasp things that, while seemingly simple, weren't understood by so many. It sort of reminded her of her childhood, but simultaneously, it echoed certain aspects of motherhood.

"Yeah, it's probably one of the best things about being a Fraggle."

He looked up at her, smiling still, though his concern was obvious. Just had to check. "So you are feeling better...?" He certainly believed what she'd said, but he also needed to know before anything else. That's what friends were for, right?

Her smile softened, and she nodded. "I am, Gobo. I promise. And... I feel like I can talk to my brother about this, now, too. Like you said, I've got people around me who can help."

His smile widened at that and he nodded. "Yeah, that's right! And besides all the people here, I know you've got the other Duckburg too, and me and my friends. No matter what, there's someone to go to."

Della grinned in turn. He was absolutely right. She had Donald and her uncle and Penny and Selene to talk to about this, and that was just the tip of the iceberg, too. "Well, that goes for you, too, Gobo. Whenever you need a friend - or a mom - you can always find me."

He was obviously touched at that, nodding once. "Gee, thanks. That means a lot to me."

Della nodded, as well, a bit more than he had. "Don't mention it, it's honestly the least I can do." She still felt so much gratitude toward Gobo for how he was helping Louie figure himself out, after all.

I don't want you to worry about what I've just seen, about where I've just been.

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