In the kitchen, Mrs. Loud was preparing lunch for the family. Since she wasn't in the mood to make anything fancy, she decided instead to serve them roast beef, ham, and/or bologna sandwiches on multigrain bread served with a side of Ruffles potato chips. Then after they finish their meal, it's off to the movie theater! While she was getting the sandwiches ready, Mr. Loud walked right in to grab a snack. A lot of roughhousing, bickering, and rock music blasted throughout the whole house, but that didn't bother their mom and dad one bit.

"Mmmmm, that sure looks good, honey! The roast beef with lettuce and tomato is always the best!" Mr. Loud said, giving her a kiss. Mrs. Loud kissed him back.

"Lunch will be ready soon, sweetie. I'm sure Lincoln and Lynn will be back home in a few minutes. Speaking of Lincoln, there are times I wish the girls would be more sensitive to how Lincoln feels whenever they say things to him. They could learn a thing or two from Leni when it comes to being considerate to other people's feelings."

"Oh, don't worry about Lincoln. He's taken a lot of stuff from his sisters since third grade. I'm pretty sure he'll get over it. He's stronger than you think. And besides: his sisters would never disrespect Lincoln. They love him too much for that."

"I know, sweetheart, but I think this time the girls went a bit too far."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Perhaps we should have a word with the girls about that. Why don't we-" The phone on the wall rang right next to Mr. Loud. The father of the Loud family picked it right up.

"Loud residence, Lynn Loud Sr. speaking. Yes. Uh-huh. The police? Wait a minute, what's this all about?" The smile on Mr. Loud's face started to fade away.

"WHAT? What happened? Oh no…" Mrs. Loud could tell from her husband's face that something very horrible has happened. Lori walked right into the kitchen to see what she could snack on.

"Hey, mom. Do you know if we have any Keebler's Chips Deluxe left? I think Lana devoured it all and- uh, mom? What's the matter?" The expression on Mrs. Loud's face began to make Lori worry. Mrs. Loud's face was a heart-wrenching combination of fear and sadness as she silently watched Mr. Loud talk very seriously on the phone. Mr. Loud's serious tone over the phone made Lori worry even more.

"Mom? What's going on?" Lori asked nervously.

"Lori, dear. Please tell everyone to quiet down right now. Please, hurry." Lori began to feel a chill run down her body. Without any hesitation, Lori quickly ran out of the kitchen and told all of her sisters in the house to shut their traps. When everyone stopped doing their usual routine, all the girls rushed to the kitchen to see what the phone-call was all about. Mr. Loud's voice began to shake uncontrollably when the whole family silently watched the patriarch of the family listen to the other end of the line.

"The kids… are they all right? They're not hurt, are they? I see. THERE WAS AN AMBULANCE THERE AS WELL? Oh. Oh… I see now. Okay. Thank you so much. Yes, of course. Goodbye." When Mr. Loud hung up, all the girls and Mrs. Loud gathered around the patriarch and poured down on him a barrage of questions concerning the call.

"Honey, why did the police call? Did something happen to my babies?" Mrs. Loud asked.

"What's going on, dad? Are they all right?" Luan asked.

"PLEASE say they're fine," Lana said, feeling a tear roll down her cheek.

"… Lynn was viciously attacked. She was attacked by three boys." Mr. Loud's words caused a major commotion upon the Loud family. All the girls started to cry when they heard that one of their own sisters was attacked in the absolute worst way. Lily, the baby the family, was crying the hardest but Leni did her best to calm her down when she cradled her in her arms.

"Dad, you mentioned that there was an ambulance at the scene. PLEASE tell us that it's not for Lynn or Lincoln!" Lori pleaded. Trembling, Mrs. Loud wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and held him tight. Mr. Loud gently placed his hand on Mrs. Loud's shoulder to calm her down.

"… No, Lori. That ambulance is for Lynn's attackers. From what I heard, the attackers were very seriously beaten. The police said that when Lincoln showed up at the park and saw Lynn being attacked by those animals, Lincoln fought them head-on and saved Lynn.

"Girls: I want you all get the house cleaned up. Lynn and Lincoln will be brought home soon by the police. We're going to comfort them the best we can, but I don't want any of you to ask them about what happened at the park. They'll need their breathing space. Is that understood?"

"Yes, dad," all the girls said.

"Good. Well, what are we all waiting for? Let's hop to it!" All the girls scattered and began to clean up the mess they all caused. Since Lily was too little to help, Leni brought her baby sister to her crib and gently placed her there so she could help her sisters out. Mrs. Loud began to cry when she pictured Lynn Loud facing the worst-case scenario.

"They… they attacked my baby girl! THEY ATTACKED MY BABY GIRL!" Mrs. Loud cried. Mr. Loud embraced his beloved wife, letting her tears soak his shirt.

"It's okay, my love. Lynn Jr. and Lincoln will be coming home soon. Come on. I'll help you prepare lunch."

-:-:-

The doorbell rang. Many of the girls rushed to the door, but Luna beat them to the door and opened it immediately. Right at their doorstep was Lynn and Lincoln, escorted by a pair of police officers. Lynn and Lincoln, covered by a blanket, weakly smiled to the rest of the Loud family. None of the Louds were able to hold back their tears when they saw Lynn and Lincoln arrive at their doorstep safe and sound. Lynn started to cry when she set her eyes on her parents.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" Lynn screamed. Lynn threw off her blanket and rushed into her parents' arms. Mrs. Loud and Lynn cried together when Mrs. Loud picked Lynn up like a little girl and hugged her as if there was no tomorrow. Lori, Luna, Lana, Lola and Lucy gathered around their sister and gave her a big hug, happy that no true harm fell upon their sister.

"I was so scared! I thought I wouldn't make it back home!" Lynn cried.

"It's okay, sweetie. You're home now, that's all that matters," Mrs. Loud said, lightly kissing Lynn on the forehead. Leni, Luan and Lisa hugged their brother, happy that he was able to fight off Lynn's attackers and that no harm came to him. Mr. Loud placed his hand on Lincoln's shoulder, happy for their safe return.

"Oh my gosh, Lincoln! What happened to your hands?" Leni asked.

"Your elbows and knees look really banged too. Wow, you must have given those dirtbags a real beatdown!" Luan said.

"… It's nothing serious. It doesn't really hurt… much," Lincoln said. Mr. Loud turned his attention to the policemen.

"Thank you, officers, for bringing our kids back. What's to become of those three teenage boys?"

"When they get out of the hospital, they'll be transferred to our jail-cell in the precinct. The boys committed a very serious offense, and they're going to pay dearly for what they have done to your daughter. If it wasn't for your son, the girl would have been violated in the most horrible way."

"Is there anything we can do to show you how grateful we are for your help?"

"No need to do anything, Mr. Loud. Your children's safety and well-being are our rewards. Take care, Louds."

"Take care, officers, and thank you." When the officers left, the girls were escorting Lynn to her room to console her. Lynn stopped at her tracks and turned her attention to Lincoln.

"Lincoln, you need to get to your room and get yourself fixed up. If there's someone who really needs to be looked to, it's you. Please get some rest, okay?" Lynn asked with a tone of concern. Lincoln smiled weakly to Lynn.

"… No problem, Lynn. I'll get to my room soon, I promise." When Mrs. Loud and all the girls headed off to Lynn's and Lucy's room, Lincoln was left alone with his father. Lynn Loud Sr. stood before Lincoln and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Lincoln Loud, I'm very proud of you. You risked your own life to protect your older sister. You've proven to me that you are on your way to becoming a true man." Mr. Loud's smile began to fade away when he looked into Lincoln's eyes. Looking away from his father's eyes, Lincoln began to sob.

"…They… they were hurting her…. They were hurting my Lynn…" Tears began to come out of his eyes and stream down his cheeks.

"They…. They put their filthy hands on Lynn. I… I couldn't let them get away with it… it was horrible, dad! WHAT THEY DID WAS SO HORRIBLE!" Lincoln couldn't hide his pain anymore. The boy cried as he held on to his father. Mr. Loud closed his eyes and held on to his son, feeling a stream of a tear roll down his face.

"Shhhhh… it's okay, son. You don't have to hold it in anymore. It's all right. Everything is going to be all right…"

Upstairs, the girls and their mother heard Lincoln crying with their father, a side of Lincoln they never heard before. His pain and sadness cut right through all their hearts.

Especially Lynn's.

-:-:-

"Hey, wassup, Lincoln? I brought you a roast beef sandwich with a side order of Ruffles potato chips and a pickle," Luna said, placing the plate of food on his desk.

"And here's a glass of orange juice. How are you holding up?" Luan asked, placing the drink next to his food.

"I'm doing pretty okay. Lori and Leni were nice enough to put ice on my joints and my hands. I think they're getting better now. Ouch. I guess I spoke too soon," Lincoln said.

"Just take it easy on yourself, little bro. I'll tell Lori and Leni to get some more ice for you, especially for your knuckles," Luna said.

"Thanks, you guys. You're the best," Lincoln said. Luan quickly sat on the edge of Lincoln's bed and got closer to her little brother.

"To help you feel a little better, I'll give you a Chuck Norris joke! A-a-ahem… One time, Chuck Norris paid a visit to the Virgin Islands. When he left, the residents changed the name of their home to…. The Islands! GET IT?" Luna grabbed Luan by the ear and started heading out of Lincoln's room. Luan writhed in pain and immediately followed her older sister to make sure her ear won't get torn off.

"Come on, Rodney Dangerfield. Let's give Lincoln some privacy," Luna said.

"OW OW OW OW OW OW-" In a split second, Luna and Luan shut the door and left Lincoln alone to heal up. Lincoln couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Oh Luan. I gotta admit: that was a pretty good joke. Chuck Norris jokes are the best," Lincoln said to himself. Resting on his bed, Lincoln still had some ice sitting nicely on his knees, elbows, and hands. The young man could still feel the stinging pain from the terrible beating he gave the three would-be rapists. However, the pain he was feeling could never compare to what Lynn went through when those three boys were about to rape her. It was something Lynn and Lincoln would have to live with for the rest of their lives, and they'll need the whole family and each other to heal from the pain.

Lincoln heard someone knocking at his door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Lynn. Can I come in?"

"Sure you can. I ain't gonna stop ya." Lynn opened the door and entered Lincoln's room. When she saw Lincoln sitting upright and leaning his back on the board of the bed, Lynn sat at the edge of his bed to be with her brother.

"How are you holding up, Lincoln?"

"I think I'm doing fine. Boy, that sandwich looks really tasty right now. When my arms start feeling better, I'll finally eat it," Lincoln said. Lynn smiled and grabbed the sandwich.

"Here, Lincoln. I'll feed it to you. Open up and say aaaahhh." Lincoln blushed.

"…. Okay. Aaaaaahhhh…" Lynn placed the sandwich into Lincoln's mouth and let him take a big bite out of it. Lincoln was amazed as to how incredibly delicious the sandwich was.

"Mmmmm! It's amazing! Mom has really outdone herself!" Lincoln said.

"Want another bite?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Little by little, Lynn helped feed Lincoln the sandwich and the chips. She also helped Lincoln gulp down his juice. As for the pickle, since Lincoln didn't want it, Lynn chomped it down. When she saw how messy Lincoln's face was from devouring his lunch, Lynn giggled and gently wiped his face with a napkin. After helping him finish his lunch, Lynn sat closer to Lincoln.

"Lincoln… I… I want to thank you for what you did back in the park. You're a real hero, ya know that?" Lynn said.

"Oh, stop it, Lynn. You're making me blush. Seriously."

"No, I mean it, Lincoln! I owe you for what you've done!"

"You don't owe me anything, Lynn. All that matters to me is that you're safe. I… I care about you, Lynn. I would never allow anyone to hurt you or any of the others," Lincoln said. Lynn started to blush from Lincoln's sense of nobility. Then a question popped in her head.

"Hey, Lincoln. What made you come to the park all by yourself? And why were you dressed up as though you came from Comic Con? That event doesn't start in more than 7 months."

"…. Oh, that. You see, I wanted to dress up as my hero named Kenshiro, a.k.a. The Fist Of The North Star. When I dressed up like Kenshiro, almost all the girls made fun of me for doing that. They all said I looked… gay." Lynn wore a serious look and frowned.

"Well, that wasn't very nice of them to say that. I thought you looked pretty cool in that outfit. You looked kinda…. nice."

"Thanks, Lynn. If you want, when I get better I'll wear that outfit again and give you a small act based on 'Fist Of The North Star'. Would you like that?"

"Sure, I'd love to see your act, Lincoln! Okay, I'll let you get some rest. Get well, little bro."

"Thanks, Lynn." Before Lynn was about to leave, Lynn leaned towards Lincoln and gave him a nice kiss on the cheek. Lincoln froze and felt his face blush when he felt Lynn's lips slowly break away from his face.

"… Get well soon," Lynn whispered in Lincoln's ear. When Lynn left Lincoln's room, Lincoln slowly placed his hand on his cheek as he focused on how soft and nice Lynn's lips were.

"Uh… what was that all about? It's… probably nothing. Hey, I think my arm is getting better now! Yeah! Ow. Spoke too soon. Again."