A/N: After much consideration on how this plot could turn out, I've finally decided to get started on the sequel to my NSL story. I was originally going to wait until one of my other current works was finished, but Syn has no end in site and I'm on a break from Roomie. Plus, this story has been clogging my thought process for months, so I need to do something with it or else I won't get anything done. Now, the story won't be like the prequel; it's not gonna be like London has Fallen where the plot is the same but on a wider scale. Instead, it will largely follow the life of a certain brunette who has yet to fully face her demons (with her siblings and friends to help her on her journey towards peace). Will this be as popular as Worth? Not likely, because it's not NSL lol. But it'll definitely be worth the read.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
"So, what brings you to my office today?" A masculine voice spoke, an air of professionalism radiating from his tone.
"Dude, this is your room, not an office. And as you know, it's the same old song and dance..." A feminine, tomboyish voice replied. "That bitch inside my head is at it again..."
"You could at least pretend it's an office." The masculine user now sounded much younger. "Amazingly, it's only been 2 weeks since our last meeting; which happened almost a week before the last one. Were you doing anything that made her come back?"
Silence filled the void before the woman spoke again. "Might have caught a glimpse of a football game for a couple minutes..." She spoke with a light growl.
"Minutes?..." The man spoke in a tone that indicated he didn't believe her.
"Ok ok, it was an hour!" The feminine entity admitted, throwing her hands in the air. "I couldn't help it; my favorite team was playing."
"So, I'm guessing you were enjoying yourself until you started getting flashbacks of 'the incident', then she said something you didn't like, which then made you start arguing with yourself?" The male surmised.
"...Actually, it was about the time me and Lincoln swapped around during football season when mom signed him up for it," She waved a hand dismissively "But close enough. How'd you figure that?"
"Lynn, we've been talking about this for 2 years now. Plus, you start spacing out whenever you think long and hard about what happened." The other teen paused as a smile formed. "Annnnnd Lincoln told me everything before you got here."
Lynn rolled her eyes, giving a light huff as she rolled onto her stomach in the lounging chair she lied in to face the boy, who sat in another chair just a few feet from hers. "Of course he would Clyde. You two are practically brothers."
"Yeah, but you're also my client." Clyde scratched the back of his head with the eraser of his pen. "Plus, you've told me like, what? 20 times already about how you end up going through these motions?"
Lynn glowered a little. "Sometimes I wonder if I ought to get a real therapist..."
"Well, our talks have been less frequent, so that's gotta count for something." The African American spoke with great optimism.
"Yeah, but I want this all to just be done with..." Lynn moved her arms forward to rest her chin on her hands. "I haven't done sports in two years; but I get these urges, you know? It's what I've done long before that whole luck bullshit started, and..." She bit her lip as memories of her horrid behavior started to flood her mind, her eyes becoming slightly wet as she easily recalled the night Lincoln ran out on the family after being driven to his limit.
"Aw, is the baby gonna cry? Weeeeeeeeak! Those were my favorites episodes, especially the time you told bro the truth and sacked him in the balls for being a little bitch." Lynn's gaze formed into a hardened glare as a voice much like her own echoed in her head, but with a more sinister and sadistic undertone.
"Look whose talking, cunt..." Lynn growled inwardly.
"You're afraid of becoming a gloating jerk like you were last time, so you're avoiding sports altogether to make sure that doesn't happen?" Clyde guessed, studying her facial expressions.
Lynn only nodded as she focused her glare to the floor, seemingly sinking further into her seat. "Yeah..."
"Ok, but there are ways you can enjoy yourself without letting it go to your head, even when it comes to gloating. Last night, I whooped Lincoln and Conner's butts so hard on Battlefield that I did a victory dance for a few minutes." Clyde had to stifle his laughter as he recalled what came next. "Conner was pretty pissed about it and called me a hacker, but instead of goading him on, I just told him to chill. Well, actually I said 'Chill the H out'; my dads don't like me swearing at others." He crossed his legs. "It's fine to gloat, as long as you don't oversell it though." The nerdy teen frowned a bit. "We ran into a lot of T-Baggers..."
Lynn snorted a little; the image of Clyde showboating, more so cussing, being oddly hilarious. "For you, gloating might be fine. But for me..." She frowned once more. "I don't exactly trust myself to not go nuts. Heck, I even had Lucy not spout her typical mythological crap around me when I do stop talking like I'm crazy."
Clyde bit his cheek. "You don't really think you'd off the rails that easily, do you?"
Lynn served him a half-lidded stare. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't!" She rolled onto her back. "Ever since I stopped doing sports, my grades have been the best they've been in years. I ain't no straight-A student like Lisa (though I get A's in math), but B's and C's are yards better than just D's; especially with all the stupid subjects I gotta take as 'requirements'." She stated the last word sarcastically with air quotes before pointing a digit at the ceiling. "Trust me when I say this: it's a lot of relief off my chest that I don't have to ask my 6 year old of a brainiac for help as often."
"And you got first place in the state math bowl at one point." Clyde pointed out. "But let me ask this Lynn: have you been happy with the way things have been going so far?"
Lynn pursed her lips. She seemed content (more or less) with ditching sports for a while, having absolutely no interest in potentially repeating the bad history she was well versed in; didn't stop her other persona from constantly berating her for other things like not being there for her siblings or being too much of a pussy for avoiding the activity that made her stand out. Lynn didn't even flick to the sports channel during fights over the TV remote, something that was very much noticed by her other siblings. They all thought Lynn was essentially giving up on the dream she had been working so hard for, even having thoughts to arrange a meeting with Clyde's therapist without her consent. The former athlete eventually dropped this little rant when she got tired of all the supposedly stupid questions:
"Would you guys quit being-" She really wanted to say the P-word, but had to be mindful of the little ones. "Babies and suck it up? This is the new me, I'm not touching sports ever again, and no amount of crying will make me change my mind; so deal with it."
And there were no more discussions after that. Lynn continued to just be a regular girl with her only focus being to pass high school as swiftly ws possible upon entry; as well as maintain a decent social standing unlike her first week of middle school.
The brunette sighed through her nose. "I guess not..." She rested her hands behind her head. "Don't get me wrong, I was fine with how things were going. I even started being more supportive of my sisters and brother with their aactivitiesand whatever else they do since I got all the time in the world." Lynn frowned to herself. "Felt like I was a total bitch after I realized how busy Lincoln was when he did it...and on top of that, I started feeling like..." She dropped off again, unsure what to say next.
"Like?" Clyde pressed.
"Like I was, empty? Not the kind of empty you get when you're starving, but I felt like I was missing something..."
Clyde narrowed his eyes as he hummed in thought. "Do you believe that you're starting to miss sports in general?"
Lynn shrugged. "I guess. Sometimes I'd start eyeing people in my class playing volleyball, football, or whatever; then stop when I realized I was staring. Then while channel surfing, I'd flick on live coverage of some game that happened to be going on. Usually, I'd just watch something else, but I've started to get hooked on the action again." Her face scrunched up a little. "Then Ms. Snooty Turd in my head would start yammering on about how 'we' used to own it all before Lincoln did..." Lynn growled a little, her body tensing up as she shook a little in anger. Clyde flinched out of habit, scooting his chair back slightly in case she went into a rage. "Whatever! She keeps making up shit excuses so I can get mad at him; but he had nothing to do with what happened, because I did that to myself!"
Clyde watched as the older teen breathed hot air through her teeth. Even after all this time, he was still a bit fearful of her aggression. "At least it's not as bad as the first 7 times." The nerd reminded himself as he scooted closer to her. Placing a calm hand on her shoulder, "Lynn, remember your breathing exercises."
The brunette continued to seethe for a few more seconds before closing her mouth, her breaths becoming slower and more even as she simmered down. "Now, it's clear to me that you aren't really happy with your life in spite of the changes you made for yourself. From what I remember, and Lincoln even said this too, sports really gave you a lot of joy and pride. Yeah, maybe too much pride, but you remind me of Lincoln when he felt he didn't have any sort of talent."
The boy leaned back in his chair, casting a lazy arm over the side. "He felt he pressured to try and win an award or something because you girls had many achievements under your belt, while he did nothing but cheer from the sidelines. When we talked about it, I kept trying to get him to do something he liked, instead of trying to copy his sisters so he could make something on his own." Forming a toothy smile, " Now he's into art so much that he's doing commissions. Speaking of which, I ought to check if he's done with mine."
"What's your point Clyde?..." Lynn asked.
"What I'm saying is, do stuff that makes you happy. If it's sports, then you should try it." He scratched his hair with the eraser of the pen. "I don't think you'll do anything with baseball though."
"No...I still can't even look at it without almost going into 'Lucy Mode'..." Lynn shifted her position a little. "It was hard enough telling Margo why I won't pick it up again..."
"Does anyone else know what really happened?"
The brunette shook her head. "Aside from you, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby, no one knows a thing; or if they do, they just think it was a typical family issue. And I believe we all prefer to keep it that way."
Before Clyde could answer, a knock was heard at the door. "Clyde sweetie, dinner's ready!" Howard shouted.
"Coming dad!" Clyde answered back before addressing Lynn. "Guess that's all for today. Um..." He paused as the Loud moved her legs over the side. "You can stay if you want. I think my dad cooked a roast."
Lynn smiled a little, as she stood up. "Thanks, but I'll pass. Dad's got meatballs in the oven tonight, and I'm hankering for one of my subs."
"Well, at least let me be a gentleman and show you the door." Clyde smirked a little, placing his notebook by his desk before getting up. "I gotta say though, you're pretty strong Lynn. I mean," He gace a brief pause to fix his thoughts. "You're already physically strong, but I mean mentally. If I had to go through what you've been dealing with for two years, I don't even think Dr. Lopez could help." He added as he walked past her and into the hallway.
Lynn halted her movement at this, her cheeks emitting a faint red hue as her eyes glued to Clyde while he passed her. When they first started these amateur therapy sessions, Clyde was initially some inches shorter than she was, resulting in her always having to look down at him. However, now that he was in the middle of a growth spurt, his height had quickly caught up over the months. He was just about eye level with her now; or dare she say, a wee bit taller. That wasn't the only thing that changed about Clyde though; his hair was cut a little shorter now, he wore glasses with square-shaped lenses that were bigger than is old pair due to his growth, his voice would occasionally break if he laughed or yelled too much, and there were small amounts of stubble around his chin the top of his lip, indicating growing facial hair. Aside from that and the fact he wore plain clothing, he was still the same old geek she knew of.
His room however, did not change much. He still had some of his prized antiques, graphic novels of superheroes, and some other stuff she didn't care much about neatly stacked on the shelves and some wallpapers of geeky movies hanging about. Thankfully, the memorabilia of Lori had disappeared after the first week; Lynn unfortunately had that creepy site engraved in her head, and she swore she saw some of Lori's stuff in it. The fact Clyde tried to come up with some poor excuse for it all didn't help matters either.
"Lynn?" Clyde's voice cut through her thoughts, making the brunette shake herself out of her daze. "You coming?"
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." She stammered out whilst rubbing the back of her head, following him through the house.
After bidding him Clyde and his two dads goodbye, Lynn hopped onto her bike and pedaled home. It was a short trip of only 6 minutes, a bit longer if she preferred to jog, but didn't want to waste time. The brunette wondered to herself why she stared the other teen longer than she felt was comfortable. Maybe it was the subtle hint that people were going through puberty faster than she was? Being 15 years old, Lynn was in the thick of it; she's already on a monthly menstruation cycle, sometimes it's been noted by Lisa that she'd have bouts of anger that wasn't caused by the voice inside her head, and lastly, she had to pop a one or two pimples on her face a month ago.
Her height increased a bit, and her hair was able to reach down to her lower back; but she always kept it short so it wasn't noticeable. Because Lynn didn't wear any jerseys these days, her style usually consisted of denim shorts (during the warm season) with whatever shirt she wanted to wear for the time being.
Maybe it was the way he complemented her? Clyde did sound like he meant every word that left his mouth...Nah. It definitely had to be the height thing. Lynn was even looking for a guy right now.
The Loud gave a light shrug as she pedaled. "Probably one of those inferiority feelings Lori mentioned, or whatever. Sides, Luna moaned about not having any boobs or ass for months, but at least she's got some junk in the trunk now. Leni is probably about the same size as Lori with how big her bras are now, and Luan is getting up there too."
In Lynn's case, she was a little bit bothered by her lack of a bust, but not as much as her two nearest older sisters. Her issue was height. It was already bothersome that Luan was a head taller despite being only 1 year older, and now the comedian was practically towering over her. Ok, that might be a stretch, but the top of Lynn's head only came up to Luan's neck. In comparison, Lincoln was already matching Lynn's height just a year ago, and now he was definitely surpassing her by a few inches. Sad as it may be, this opened the door for the incessantly neverending 'little sister' jokes from Luan.
Naturally, Lynn grew irritated and managed to get the comedian to hold her tongue with some not-so-idle threats; it didn't last long before the cycle would repeat itself, and Lynn swore that one day, she was going to make Luan wear braces again.
As Lynn continued up the street, she caught the familiar sight of the two-story house with various toys scattered on the lawn; some of which were on the roof, having been long forgotten. The house may have looked the same, but there were some noticeable changes inside and around it. For example, the driveway was now the staging ground for Vanzilla 2.0. Or should Lynn say, Veronica.
The 15 year old let a sigh escape her. "Still can't believe Dad went with that name."
During the summer of last year, Vanzilla died for the umpteenth time. Shocker, we know. It didn't happen on the road thank God; the family just returned from a pretty crazy summer trip where everything went wrong except for the van crapping out. It stopped working right as they pulled into the driveway; but the family would soon learn it wasn't just any ordinary engine failure, with a notable popping sound being the cause of worry. Upon cracking the hood, Lana and Lynn Sr. found the engine had a hole the size of a tennis ball in the forward section. The young mechanic deduced that one of the cylinder cranks hadn't been properly lubricated by the oil, causing it to eventually get stuck in its rotation and break. Lisa was also quick to point out the family ought to be lucky the whole engine didn't explode, as similar signs of wear and tear were found on the pistons and crankshaft. Not only that, the miniature explosion also severely damaged the antifreeze lines, radiator, and sliced open the fuel line; combined with the intense heat of the engine itself, the van catching fire would've been the least of everyone's concerns.
In Lynn's own words, the van was absolutely FUBAR; Lana doubted her magic would make it work again, and it would cost a ton just to get the parts to fix it all. Lynn Sr. thought about taking the van to someone who might be able to get it running at a cheap price, but Rita (with a scowl on her face) dragged him off to have a talk before the opportunity arose. None of the kids knew what they discussed, but silently thanked their mom for getting it through to Dad's head that the 40 something year old van needed to go. One quick internet search later and their parents found a van that was a perfect replacement. In fact, it was the same brand Dad originally got the last time Vanzilla broke down; with some extra features that is.
Lynn looked at the readers. "And since we're talking about the new van, Dad gave us a new rule: make a mess? We clean it. Or in Lana's case, fix it; she's not allowed to get in when she's got mud on her either. Personally, I don't got a beef with it; hated those old, soggy, broken spring seats. Obviously, this had everything with to do the whole 'sweet spot' thing in the old van." The brunette frowned a little as she directed her attention forward, slowly riding past Veronica to admire its freshly clean, metallic skin. "It was a good thing Lincoln pointed out how banged up the seats were. Oh, and did I mention the fucking A/C hardly worked and the windows wouldn't come down? Not to mention the locks were broken. I'm a little surprised no one stole that hunk of junk the whole time we've had it. But then again, who would want that thing? Even Lincoln didn't want it when Dad said he'd inherit it some day." The brunette smirked as she rode her bike into the garage, "Good riddance, that's what!" She set it up on the wall, leaving her helmet to dangle on the handle. Honestly, if she had to push that old hippie van one more time, she'd trash it herself.
Lynn Sr. hummed fo himself as he held a pot with tonight's dinner sloshing in its containment; the patriarch stirred the handle vigorously whilst moving his hips as if he was on a dance floor. The man glanced to his left upon hearing the back door open, a smile on his lips as his 5th oldest daughter walked. "Hey sweetie. How was your talk with Clyde?"
Lynn shrugged. "Eh. The usual." The 15 year old replied as she shuffled past.
"Did he give you anything new to work with?"
Junior stopped at the entryway to the dining room, briefly glancing back at her father. "He said I should try out stuff that makes me happy; especially if I'm being beaten down." She specifically left out the fact it was about sports, as Lynn didn't want to talk about this with the 'rents (yet).
Lynn Sr. raised a brow. "Beaten down?" He turned towards his daughter. "Is someone picking on you?"
"He was referring to the other me in my head pops." Came Lynn's reply as she turned away.
The patriarch's face fell a bit. Two years of Lynn suffering from her inner turmoil and neither parent knew what to do about it. Privately, he and Rita believed Junior needed to see a real shrink instead of talking to one of her peers; not to discredit Clyde or anything, it's just the assumption that Lynn should've been over this by now. However, the adults relented and opted to let their daughter figure it out for herself as, while the events of the luck incident stung, Lynn was clearly affected on a level none of them might understand. And because of how unstable this situation was, neither of them wanted to push Lynn into doing something she'd hate.
"Ok..." Lynn Sr. glanced down at the pot. He turned his head back toward the dining room, just barely catching Junior's disappearing form. "Oh, can you do me a solid and tell everyone dinners ready?" He called after her, becoming satisfied after seeing Lynn give a thumbs up from around the corner.
"So, Mom is taking me and Sid shopping for school clothes soon." Spoke a certain Hispanic tomboy with an affinity for skateboarding. She let out a heavy groan whilst burying her face into her bed. "I really, really wish I went to one of those schools that didn't have a dress code..."
"Guess I'm lucky that Royal Woods doesn't care for one." Came the snarky reply of a certain white-haired Loud child who was leaning back in his chair. "I thought they might do something different when they built the new middle school, or when that K-8 school all of us went to got turned into elementary." The middle child gave a shrug, his smirk returning in force. "Guess the school district really doesn't care."
"Lucky you..." The female replied upon lifting her head.
"Don't worry Ronnie. You won't have to worry about that once you move back here."
"Which won't be for a while Link..." Ronalda replied glumly as slammed her head into her pillow, sending several strands of loose hair over her shoulders.
"Well, I imagine your mom has to get her degree first, then try to find a new house right?" Lincoln smiled a bit, only to drop it when Ronalda didn't return it. She just gazed off to the side while giving a shaky breath. "Ronalda..." The boy started as he sat up straight. "What's wrong?"
The Santiago pursed her lips slightly and rubbed her nose, not something normally worrisome; unless you listened closely and caught a light sniffle. For Lincoln, it was a sign that he was in for some bad news. Was she going to break up with him? Did she find someone else while in the city? Sure, the distance was a bit of a strain on their relationship, but- "My mom is getting her degree in two weeks...but we won't be moving back to Royal Woods any time this year...or the next..."
Lincoln mentally slapped himself for thinking about those earlier thoughts, but his heart still felt like it was being stabbed right now. All he could say was, "How come?..."
"Both of us aren't exactly geniuses in the medical field; but from what mom told me, even if she does get her master's, she'd still have to go to medical school for a few years before becoming a licensed doctor..."
"Oooooh…" The Loud sighed.
"I'm sorry Lincoln..." Ronalda continued, propping up her arms to raise her head a bit. "I knew both of us were thinking I'd be back some time later this year; but then Mom told me what she has to do next a few days ago, and I didn't know how to tell you..."
Lincoln brought a faint smile. "It's fine. I mean, like you said, none of us knew this was coming so..." He trailed off as he started to let his depression take over. However, one glance at his girlfriend's saddened look told him that he needed to change the mood. Lincoln wouldn't let this bring them both down, even though it stung like a Box Jellyfish. "You're still coming down for the summer, right?" He asked with what little hope he could muster.
It did the trick, seeing as Ronalda smiled a bit. "Yeah. School's gonna be done in a few days, so you better be ready for me next week." She pointed at the screen briefly before an annoyed sigh escaped her. "And it would help to get away from those morons at my school. Only a few more days til freedom, and everyone goes nuts. I mean, I get it, cause I don't want to be stuck in that prison all day. But some of the boys clearly need to get their hands cut off..."
Lincoln raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Nearly broke some dude's wrist last week because he tried to touch me..." Ronalda replied, using air quotes on the word 'touch'; the sentence alone carried more negative vibes than she let on. Lincoln held a poker face at the news, but he was silently fuming at the thought of someone trying to get all physical with her. A typical response given how close they are; in spite that Lincoln was normally his usual, peaceful self, he still carried somewhat of wary reputation around his peers since his elementary school days.
"Long story short, he won't be doing it again unless he wants to lose a couple fingers; but he ought to be lucky that A) I didn't use my abuela's taser, and B..." The tomboy developed a smirk. "My boyfriend wasn't around to beat him into paste."
Lincoln felt his chest flutter at that last statement. His cheeks reddened a bit as he scratched a nervous itch on the back of his skull as a flattered smile appeared for the Santiago to chuckle at. "Heh heh, I-I'm pretty sure I would."
On Ronnie Anne's end, a familiar squawking could be heard. The tomboy looked up, and at the top of the screen, Lincoln could see her family's pet bird flying around her room. "Soups on! Get yer butt in gear!" Sergio squawked before flying out.
"Well, I gotta go get some grub. Hope Abuela doesn't stuff me like a turkey again; with as much as she cooks, she could easily feed all the homeless..." The tomboy muttered to herself before directing her attention back to the screen. "Smell ya later Lincoln." Ronnie Anne smiled, bringing her hands together in the shape of a heart. "Love you..."
Lincoln replied with a smile of his own, putting his hands in the shape of a heart as well. "I love you too..."
The call ended seconds later, with Lincoln's smile dropping as he let his hands fall to his sides. A heavy, depressing sigh escaped him as he lied back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, letting the news about Ronnie Anne's unfortunate circumstances hit him like a freight train. While the two knew that being hours apart would be a boon on their hang-out time, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne usually managed to catch up during school breaks; this coming summer would be no exception. Like Lori and Bobby before them, they made do with weekly video chats (sometimes a bit further apart due to school related issues); but this paled in comparison to being able to talk in person. You couldn't hold the one you liked in your arms through digital chat, and sometimes using the computer to talk just reminded Lincoln of how far away Ronnie Anne was. He was sure she felt it too, but didn't really show it.
During the breaks, Lincoln and Ronalda would go to their favorite locals just like old times; sometimes with their group of friends if they felt like it. There was one particularly funny moment when Stella floated a few flirts to Lincoln, with Ronalda immediately taking offense. The Filipina was just being a troll though, making the situation much less serious (hilarious even) in spite of the Hispanic girl chasing the tall Asian around the arcade. If they had time to, Lincoln would even treat the Santiago to a good movie; just the two of them, alone (while secretly being watched by one of Lincoln's sisters).
A smile crossed Lincoln's lips as he recalled one such instance. During spring break last year, he and Ronnie Anne saw a trailer for IT; Lincoln didn't want to see it due to thinking it'd be too scary for him, with Ronnie feeling confident due to how cheesy it looked. Normally, the tomboy refrained from teasing Lincoln's masculinity, but she successfully goaded him into seeing it while offering to pull him into a nice, little smooching session if Lincoln didn't scream during the whole movie as a reward (no, they haven't used tongue yet you perverts). If he did scream, he'd have to admit it to their friends on Facebook. In return, Lincoln came up with his own conditions: if Ronnie did find the movie to be scary, she had to wear the Fenton Fox suit and do the happy dance for Lily. If not, then Lincoln would play a cute little song for her; he had been going to Luna Luna for guitar and singing lessons, but couldn't find the right opportunity to take advantage of his new skills.
Both kids wound up losing their bets when they screamed along with the audience, on top of holding each other in a vice grip as if Pennywise would come for them next. Their torture session finally ended when Leni arrived and dragged them out of the theater, opting to not tell their parents since she felt they were punished enough. Even so, for a few weeks, Lincoln couldn't look at Luan whenever she put on her clown costume for the birthday parties she was working for; in comparison, Ronnie Anne had to go without even hearing the word 'clown' for a similar amount of time or else she'd freak out. The young couple called it a draw, with no one having to subject themselves to further humiliation.
The holidays were much more peaceful, and dare Lincoln say, cute even. On Valentine's Day, due to it falling on a Saturday this year, Lincoln took a trip up to Great Lakes City with a particular gift in mind. Upon presenting it to Ronnie Anne, she found it was a framed photo of the two posing for a picture they took at a fair the previous year. The tomboy wasn't normally one to be all mushy, but the numerous kiss marks on Lincoln's face said otherwise; at least for this one time. Last Christmas, both families got together with the young couple exchanging gifts; Lincoln gave Ronalda a yellow hoodie with the initials for Royal Woods on the front, with the Santiago giving him a black windbreaker jacket she thought would look nice on him. They still have those items in their closets, if only to use them when the cold season starts.
Bottom line, spite of the distance, the two still found a way to make it work. However, Ronalda and Lincoln always held onto the thought that it would only last two years; and boy did those years fly by quickly as Lincoln recalled the important bits.
Lori graduated from high school just a few months after the 'luck' fiasco, and she (along with her best friend Carol Pingry) were accepted to Fairway University on a scholarship the following autumn. Because the campus was only a half-hour drive from the Casagrande's building, Rosa allowed the two to rent out one of the apartments so their parents wouldn't have to spend extra for on-site housing. Being the courteous woman she was, Rosa even had their monthly rent come out a bit less than the other tenants due to how well everyone knew each other; however, the two blondes still wanted to get part time jobs so they could become more independent. Transportation wasn't a problem as Mrs. Pingry gave her car to her oldest daughter as a graduation present; it should also go without saying that the two fit right in with Fairway's Golf Team, given their impressive skill as witnessed by the head coach months prior.
The oldest child going to college wasn't the only change either. Along with getting a new family van, the parents decided to have the house renovated to include two additional bathrooms. The closet of the master bedroom was turned into one with another sizable closet being built on the opposite side of the room, while another, smaller bathroom was built next to the dining room. Out of the two, only the master bedroom's facilities had a shower and tub installed; still, it cut down on the time needed to get ready in the morning instead of having everyone rely on one washroom. Because the renovations would require the family to be out of the house for a couple weeks, the parents timed the construction with their annual family vacation. Lincoln would be the first to tell you many things went wrong with it on the way to their destination, but that's a whole 'nother story.
As it stood now, Leni was still deciding on what college she wanted to attend. Like some students, the fashionista didn't immediately set her sights on the higher education system right after graduation; she did narrow it down to a few choices though, but for now, she maintained her job as assistant manager of Reininger's. When Lori moved out, Leni became the only other Loud aside from Lincoln to have a room to herself, and she took her job as the oldest sibling seriously; unlike Lori though, she still kept her bubbly nature (while coming off as dense occasionally), but she still looked out for her siblings when they really needed her. The fashionista also improved her driving enough to earn a license, though sometimes you'd question if she used to live in New Jersey.
Luna was on track to graduate at the end of the month, with Luan following after her next year. The musician formed a band with her girlfriend Sam, which rose in popularity around Royal Woods. They were planning on reaching to new heights by looking to perform at popular places in the surrounding cities, but so far had no luck. They weren't in a rush though, with senior year having been a pain in the ass like usual. Luan continued to master her aspirations in comedy, with some theater on the side thanks to her boyfriend Benny. The two had been going steady ever since they started in a Romeo and Juliet play two years back, and the family really opened up to the guy; Lincoln even found him to be somewhat of an older brother surrogate due to Bobby's absence. The comedian also had her braces removed in the spring, though Lynn had openly stated she might be tempted to make her use them again if she didn't cut down on her puns.
Lucy was more or less the same, having grown to wear baggy clothing and had a noticeable increase in her height. For the first time in her life though, she changed her hairstyle. Yeah, it sounds boring and unimportant, but the reason why it's even being mentioned is because Lucy finally allowed one of her eyes to be shown 24/7. If Lincoln had to be honest, it sort of looked like Haiku's style with the way her hair was swept to one side, but slightly more puffy; if you could call it that. She still gave this dull, half-dead stare whenever you locked eyes with her, though it was easier to tell what her emotional state is, especially if she grew agitated. The 10 year old has also taken to writing actual stories to post online; naturally, just about all of them were tragedies or drama filled.
The twins had changed only slightly. The gaps in their teeth had filled up, though Lana was missing a canine after having a tooth pulled recently. Lola stopped wearing gowns and a tiara 24/7, now preferring to use them only for pageants. Because she was no longer qualified for the Little Miss Cutie pageants due to her age, she instead participated in the Little Miss Preteen circuit. They didn't occur as often as those for younger children, at least once every second Saturday; but the pageant goer still participated in regionals on a monthly basis. Lana was still the mud throwing, animal loving mechanic everyone was used to; sadly, she was barred from bringing more random animals into the house at the insistence of her parents. She also didn't play in the mud as often as she used to, though her work on house maintenance and occasionally the van still meant you'd see at least a few dirt or grease stains on her.
For the youngest Louds, it was no surprise they'd go through some of the biggest changes. Lisa's intellect grew sharper with age, even developing a bit of a moral compass in the sense that she managed to break her habit of human experimentation (without asking that is). Didn't stop her from conducting some tests on herself on occasion, one of which successfully resulted in growing her hair back after losing it in a failed experiment. While biology was still her strong suit, the 6 year old now had a focus in cyber security and psychology to better understand human behaviors she once claimed didn't affect her. The little genius was also a bit more expressive with her emotions these days, thankfully dropping the indifferent attitude some of her siblings found to be infuriating. She still talked with big words just to irritate them though.
Being 3 years old, Lily was one of those kids you had to keep an eye on whenever you go outside or else you'll lose track of her. Rita even had to get a child leash after the toddler tried to poke an ant hill at the park. Still, her bubbly nature continued to grow with her, increasing her curiosity and asking many questions about how certain things operate. Lana and Lisa in particular found this enjoyable, at least until Lily got on the latter's nerves to the point Lisa sometimes wished Lily would go back to only saying 'poo poo'. Regard, everyone loved her all the same, and had a few ways to tire her out if she became a handful.
And where did Lincoln sit in all of this? A 13 year old in the midst of his middle school years. He had grown quite well, standing at about 5' 4"; most of the baby fat on his face had disappeared with his height increase, his trademark chipped tooth was as prominent as ever, and he let his hair grow out to where it sat as a slightly unkempt bush on his dome; because of this, his usual cowlick was no longer visible. The boy also changed his clothing style; instead of blue jeans, he wore black jeans with small cuts at the knees along with an orange hoodie that he'd wear frequently unless it was excessively hot, which then devolved into an Ace Savvy t-shirt of his choosing. It was a quite ironic; Ronnie Anne used to wear a hoodie no matter what, and now she just wore a long-sleeved purple sweater with shorts that only reached half-way down her thighs. Her hair style stayed the same, with the edge of her ponytail reaching down to her lower back. The Santiago also dumped her lace-less flats for sneakers at the start of the year.
In terms of height, Lynn could take comfort in knowing there was at least one other girl around her height; Ronalda was just a couple inches shorter at 5', with Lynn surpassing her by an inch.
Lincoln's smile faltered as he thought about the two girls; one was still carrying an emotional burden from two years ago and the other couldn't be within walking distance for a few more years. Now, Lincoln had been helping Lynn cope with her self-deprecation since it started, constantly reminding her that he'd already forgiven her for everything that transpired. Needless to say, the sole Loud boy doubted this worked; even Clyde's visits (while very reassuring) haven't completely stemmed the tide. When it came to Ronnie Anne though, it seemed like she was able to get through to Lynn on a level no one else could. If Lincoln was correct, it was almost as if Lynn and Ronalda connected in a way the twins did. Wasn't hard to notice since both are tomboys with a bit of a rough exterior (and had a hidden girly side they'd only show once in a while). It also helped that Ronnie Anne was considered an honarary Loud due to how close she was to himself and Lynn.
Before the white haired child could dwell on this further, he jolted a bit as a knock at the door pierced his thought process. Turning his head to the left, "Yeah?"
The door opened to reveal the one sister he was monologing about. "Come on Lame-O, dinner's ready." Lynn spoke, only pausing when she got a good look at his face. The way his mouth sat and his eyes sporting a dulled color in them were all the clues she needed to know something was up. "You ok?"
"Um..." He stuttered a little, giving Lynn more assurance. "Yeah? Why?" He smiled nervously.
The former athlete gave him a half-lidded stare as folded her arms. "Lincoln, you're like an open book." She dawned a smirk as he dropped his faux smile. "To me at least." Eyeing the computer, and noting the time on his alarm clock, "Did something happen while you were talking to your girlfriend?"
Lincoln squinted his eyes in suspicion. "How'd you know I was even talking to her?"
"Well, I was just guessing, but thanks for confirming it!" Lynn laughed a little, walking in and sitting on his bed. "But seriously, what's the deal?"
Lincoln pouted his lips a bit before leaning back in his chair, the same depressing sigh rearing its ugly head as it escaped him. "Ronnie Anne isn't gonna be moving back this year. Her mom still has to go to medical school..." His eyes drooped a bit, his head falling backward to resume his staring contest with the ceiling. "Which could last until my senior year..."
Lynn gave a frown of her own. "Dang...that bites..." Seeing her brother start to slip further into his pit of sorrow, the brunette decided to put his mind on the positives. "At least you guys can still see each other when school isn't a problem. She still coming over for a couple weeks, right?"
"Yeaaaaah..." Lincoln drawed out before leaning up just enough to look at his sister. "But it's not the same as her being back in the neighborhood for good. Sure, we get to hang out while she's here, or when I go visit her in the city; but all of it is still on a timer that I wish we didn't have to deal with. The moment I have to leave, or she does, it's..." He paused in order to get his thoughts together. The boy pursed his lips as he felt his eyes becoming wet, giving another huff as he slouched in his chair. "It just reminds me of how far away she is..."
Lynn could only nod in agreement. She couldn't speak from experience, but there was a general consensus that long distance relationships didn't always work out. It was only natural that her brother was freaking out because he didn't want to lose the stable relationship he had now. Then again, the circumstances of Lincoln and Ronalda getting together weren't typical by any means. Even more so, the two should be lucky that no plane ticket is required for these year round visits.
"Ok, I get it. You worried that your relationship might stagnate over the years." Lynn started, crossing over and taking a seat on his desk. "But you guys are still going strong after two, so what's another four?"
Lincoln gave a light lift of the shoulders. "I guess..."
"Sides, she took you in when..." A frown crossed her face. "When you really needed help," Lynn then formed a straight face. "And she's been there for you since; plus, you've stuck to her like glue and made her happy whenever she's feeling down, so I doubt you have any real reason to be worried that some other guy is gonna come and sweep her off her feet just cause you aren't around." The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Or do you?"
Lincoln twitched an eye a little, his body heat rising slightly as irritation started to take over. He sat up straight and turned towards his sister. "No? In fact, she just told me she nearly broke someone's hand last week because they tried to grope her." He folded his arms. "I'd very much would've liked to punch the guy who did it, thank you."
Lynn returned his scowl with a wide grin. Unexpectedly, she grabbed part of Lincoln's cheek, giving it a light pinch as she pulled on the skin. "Aw, look at Linky being strong for his girlfriend." She spoke in a cutesy tone before glancing at his arms. "Still gonna need to bulk up a bit more. And your swing could use some work."
Lincoln frowned before slapping her hand away. "I don't need to be one of those guys that lift those ginormous weights Lynn..."
"I know." She squeezed his bicep. "You're one of those muscular lean type of guys. I mean, your muscles might be more noticeable if you were just naturally flexing; like picking up something. Plus," An impish grin formed. "I bet Ronnie Anne digs it."
Lincoln's cheeks became flush with red as he looked away from his sister. He looked a little pissed, but Lynn knew he wasn't mad. During the past year, to Lynn's surprise, Lincoln had often asked her to spar with him or do some type of workout routine to better himself. That was only half the truth though. While Lincoln did want to become stronger to protect himself and his sisters, he also saw it as a way to help Lynn keep herself in shape since she dropped all forms of sports. In some ways, it did help with the tomboy's self esteem by engaging in a pastime she once considered fun; though it came with mixed results. Lincoln could tell when Lynn was holding herself back to keep from hurting him, and sometimes she'd lose the will to continue after being reminded of how hard she used to be on her brother when Lincoln had no interest in being her 'practice dummy'.
It took some trial and error before Lincoln managed to convince Lynn she would in no way hurt him during their practices, and soon enough, the two made a rounded schedule that also included doing other simple exercises like lifting weights and running. Thanks to his sister's insight, Lincoln found himself becoming more limber and stronger; he was able to lift one end of the couch in spite of his littlest sisters sitting on it without straining himself too much. He was still no match for anyone that was well above his weight class unfortunately.
"She does..." Lincoln muttered, biting his cheek to stave off further embarrassment. Deciding to turn the tables, he threw a side glance at Lynn. "What about your chat with Clyde earlier? Did that lead to anything?"
Lynn dropped her cocky smile and was quick to scowl at her brother. "Mood killer..." She muttered loud enough for him to hear. "...He said I should try doing things that I enjoy to help with my moods." She furrowed her brows a bit. "Or used to like..."
That was a rather generic statement. "Like what?" Her brother asked as he raised a brow. "I know you don't enjoy coming to everyone's events all the time. And while we do our workouts twice a week, they aren't necessarily for fun."
"He was talking about sports Lincoln..." Lynn finally uttered. "I mean, I'm getting back to liking just watching it, but playing is a whole different story."
"Did Clyde actually suggest playing?"
Lynn squinted her eyes a little. "Mmmmm..." She shook her head. "Not really. I guess he implied it, but I ain't sure."
"Well, how did you feel about when he first brought it up?"
"Geez, now you're starting to sound like him." The brunette groaned. "I just felt like I'm missing something in my life; but I keep asking myself, is it worth doing something that I ended going overboard with?"
"Well, no one ever said you had to quit sports Lynn. It was pretty much your life's goal to become a professional athlete, so seeing you giving up on it is still a shock to everyone in the house."
Lynn frowned as she gazed at the floor. "After everything I did, I doubt I deserve to be one..."
Silence filled the void for a brief moment. "Do you believe in second chances at least?" Lincoln asked, making his sister glance at him. "Yeah, you calling me bad luck was a dick move, and me not doing anything to say otherwise until I was put outside didn't help." The boy gave an uncharacteristically dry laugh. "I'll be honest Lynn: I didn't feel like myself that first week I ran away. You know that I nearly called the cops too, but it didn't just come to me," He snapped his fingers, "Like that."
"I'm surprised you didn't. If I was in your place at the time, I would've blew that whistle without a second thought."
Lincoln shrugged, a bit of uneasiness setting in. "Probably...but let me ask you this though. What would you have to gain from breaking up the family and watching Mom and Dad spend 10 years in jail? Not to mention having everyone, including yourself, be taken into Foster Care because Pop-Pop and Aunt Ruth can't watch over us." Lynn's mouth fell agape as she looked at her brother with the best 'What The Literal F' face she could muster. "I got a little curious a while after the party we had when I came back home to see what might've happened if I did go that route."
"...I...uh..." Lynn stuttered, her mind drawing a blank.
"What I'm saying is, I didn't do it because not only would I have done something that would've made everything much, much worse, I had nothing to get out of seeing you guys suffer." The boy slouched in his seat. "Yeah, I wanted you guys to prove you really cared about me as your brother, but you wouldn't have been able to do that behind bars."
Lynn brought her hands together, her thumbs folding over each other. "Was it really hard making that choice?..."
Lincoln tapped the arm of his chair with a finger. "My brain and my heart were arguing with each other..." He turned to her. "But my heart won out because not only would it have been wrong of me to ruin our family forever just because everyone was being dumber than Leni, but I also wanted to let you guys have a chance to fix things. I mean, you guys let me do it when I mess up, so why shouldn't I let you do the same?"
Lynn blinked a few times, her lips a thin line as she contemplated her response. She unclapsed her hands and sat them at her sides. "Are you sure you're 13 and not Lori's age? That sounds like something we'd ought to be hearing from her."
Lincoln smiled a little. "Guess I kinda had to grow up faster than anyone thought. I mean, an 11 year old shouldn't have had to think about what I just said. But seriously, "He dropped his smile and rested a hand on the back of Lynn's palm. "I think you should give sports another chance if it makes you happy; especially if you want to move past all this. I mean, you'll take some losses; it's sports after all. But I know you won't make the same mistake."
Lynn bit her cheek. "Easier said than done. I've been fighting with myself for 2 years, and you're still getting nightmares about the day I went to the hospital..."
Lincoln gave a light huff, momentarily glancing away from her. "They'll stop one day..." He muttered quietly. "But I'm not letting them bring me down, so you should stop being a baby and try to move on. I already have to remind you several times that I forgave you."
"Who says I'm being a baby? You're the one who still has Bun Bun sitting on your bed." The brunette pointed to the plush toy resting by the pillow.
"I'm not the one who probably still needs to wear diapers for how much crying she does." Lincoln smirked, ignoring the comment about his childhood toy. "Want me to hold you and rock you to sleep?" He taunted with a wide grin on his face.
Lynn's eyes widened as her pupils shrank to the size of peas; her cheeks became flush with red as her face started to heat up. Seconds later though, her eyes returned back to normal size as her brows formed a wide V shape; a growl forced its way through her teeth as her hands curled into fists. "Oh, I'll show you a good hold..."
Lincoln dropped his smirk, thinking he might've accidentally angered his sister. He had little time to react before she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and wrestled him to the floor. Lincoln immediately tried to counter by breaking out of her grip so he could turn the tables, but she had him pinned good. The poor teen thought he was about to gain some aching limbs, but the tomboy surprised him as he felt her digits rapping at the sides of his ribs. Being that he was really sensitive at that area, Lincoln tried to stifle his laughter as he wiggled around under his sisters weight.
"Say uncle!" Lynn smirked.
"N-Never!" Lincoln chuckled as he continued to squirm. He managed to get an arm free and pressed it against her face.
"Alright," She grabbed his arm. "You asked for it." She pinned it to his back and lifted part of his shirt, exposing his delicate skin to the open air. She rubbed her fingers against his side more vigorously, earning a howl of laughter from the younger boy as Lincoln tried harder to get her off, kicking his feet around until they accidentally banged on his chair.
Lynn kept up her attack until she heard someone clear their throat. The teens looked up to see Lisa staring at them with her trademark indifference. "If you two are finished with your playfighting, your dinner is below optimal eating temperature."
Lynn barely suppressed a groan. "Dang it. Microwaved meatballs aren't as good as fresh ones..." She released her brother before climbing off him, soon grabbing a hand and pulling him to his feet. Lisa took that as her cue to leave, entering the room she shared with her toddler sibling.
"O-Ok, that didn't count as a win cause I wasn't ready." Lincoln pouted, though it was clear he was still holding back his laughter.
"Ah, but you like it anyway." Lynn replied as she ruffled his hair. Giving a short giggle, "It's almost like petting a sheep."
"Hah hah." Lincoln chortled, calmly grabbing her arm. "Careful Lynn. You might take Lori's title as my favorite sister." He stated as he lifted her hand off his head.
The brunette could only smirk. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"So, are going give it a shot?" Lincoln asked. "If not for me, at least do it for you." He then added as a smirk formed. "Or Clyde."
"Yeah, I'll try it out. Maybe we can work something into our-" Lynn stopped upon catching the last two words. "Wait, what do you mean Clyde?" Lynn watched as her brother's shoulders moved in a way that let her know he was laughing to himself. "Lincoln?" The middle child pretended to ignore her as he walked out the room, heading for the stairs. "Lincoln!" She spoke again, this time clear irritation in her tone as she bolted after him.
A/N: And that's all I will leave for now. You may be wondering what happened to Chandler as well as Hank and Hawk, particularly since they would be out of prison by now. However, those questions will be answered in due time. Next chapter we'll take a better look into the Louds and their social lives, as well as the Casagrandes.
And speaking of which, yes, Marcus is still dead. Don't ask me about putting him back in just because the show suddenly decided to do something with him after 2 flipping years. I hope you realize Worth ended in November of last year, long before anyone knew a thing about Dr. Santiago; so it's pointless to go back and change it.