So some people asked if the whole Luna & Luan scene was inspired from Future Love Run Amok! Yes, it was. TotCall's description of them are my personal favorite, and I was grateful to have TotCall's blessing to use that look for them, so keep those images in your head when the kinky stuff happens *wink wink*.
Thank's TotCall, Love Ya!
SonAwesome: All I have to say is... You're in for a treat. I'm also curious... did you hate that song?
He23t: The reason Lincoln is fighting there was mildly explained in chapter 2, when Lincoln arrives to the palace. But to sum it up, There's an evil dictator the U.S. don't like so they "help out" by invading and try to arrest/kill him.
Dread55: The ages at this point: Lori should be 25, Leni 24, Luna 23, and so on. I know for a fact Lincoln is 19.
Renner15: Thank you for that comment! It REALLY means a lot, glad you're enjoying it. Now, I HAVE to dedicate this chapter to you because your guess was spot on the money! Good to see our minds are on the same page ;)
February 28, 2026: Camp Red Rock
It was a cool night as Lincoln and the rest of his men were relaxing, spending their down time in their tent. It was one of there rare day's. They hadn't been in any firefight, hadn't been called to escort anybody or to respond to any suspicious activity. All they had done was patrol the surrounding area and try not to die from boredom, looking at nothing but rocks and some caves. A small part of them actually enjoyed easy days like this one. They were able to take a breather, knowing that they will survive another day. But they always said it's the Wild West out here, this place always finds a way to get you killed.
Lincoln was lying on one of the top bunks, doodling in his sketch pad to pass the time before shut eye. Dylan was sitting diagonal from him, on his cot, cleaning out his gun. And Chris and Ortiz were sitting in front of a table next to Lincoln, playing cards and talking about their relationships back home.
"So you sure Jody ain't fucking her?" Ortiz said as he placed down a full house, beating Chris's flush.
"Man, fuck that drill sergeant shit. They just like to say that to fuck with you." Chris shouted, shuffling the cards.
"I don't know~? Pretty girl in college all alone, while her boyfriend is overseas is going to get an itch one day... and she's going to want someone to scratch that itch." Dylan said from afar as he scrubbed the inside of his rifle.
"Screw you Dylan, alright. She's not like that. Just because she's from the hood doesn't mean she's some slut... We grew up together... She's my best friend. We were each others first for... well... everything." Chris's tone calmed near the end, feeling a bit embarrassed after sharing his intimate secret.
"Damn... Everything? Like even a kiss?" Dylan asked.
"Yep. From a simple kiss to full on... you know. We love each other, man, so I know we're gonna make it." Chris stated as he examined the cards in his hands. "What about you Ortiz?"
"Na, not me, I've been single for a while. Although there was this one Latin chick I dated awhile back, and man was she Thick! I wonder what happened to her? She moved when we broke. I wish I still stayed in touch." Ortiz said as he reminisced on his dream girl. "*sigh* I still remember our first fight. She yelled at me because I used her hair spray to kill a bug... Good times."
"What about you Sarge? Any special someone waiting for you back home?" Ortiz asked, looking up at Lincoln on the bunk.
"Wha-?" Lincoln looked back down, coming out of his artistic zone, "Oh- uh... No, no, there's nobody."
"Aw, what!? Come on, we know you got somebody." Chris exclaimed.
"Look at this guy, trying to be all humble. It's all good Lincoln! Let it out, we all know you must be drowning in pussy back home!" Dylan encouraged.
Lincoln chuckled from Dylan's statement. It reminded him of when he and his friends at the lunch table would always joke around how they would "smash" the hottest girls in their school. Lincoln felt like a hypocrite during those talks since he couldn't even walk up to his crush without being a nervous wreck. Lincoln also wasn't a "use 'em and lose 'em" type of guy, he was more of forming a relationship type of guy. It explained why he was single most through high school; the hot ones didn't really care for the "nice guys". God, were we such dorks.
"I appreciate the compliments, guys, but for real, there's no one. And I hate to tell you this, but girls don't dig the white hair and chipped tooth." Lincoln said with sarcasm.
"Well, there's got to be someone you had a thing with. If not, at least someone you liked. There's has to be plenty of those." Chris kept persuading.
"There was this one girl, Ronnie Anne; I kind of dated for awhile. But things weren't working out so I kind of called it off... We're still pretty close though, Then again, I haven't really heard from her since December." Lincoln said. He then started to think back on all the girls he had a crush on. Well, the normal ones that is.
"Before I had a thing for her though, I had a major crush on this girl Christina. But my chances with her were ruined when she saw a video of me... practicing kissing on a balloon." Lincoln's face slightly turned red after admitting one of his most embarrassing childhood moments.
They all burst out laughing, not really toward Lincoln, but just the thought of kissing a balloon. Lincoln was beginning to regret sharing that incident till Dylan came to reassure him. "Ahh, the good old balloon trick. Classic."
"Anyway... After that nightmare and Ronnie Anne moving, I ended up liking this girl named Paige, cute redhead that loved videogames and stuff. I even gave her a love letter. Honestly not sure what happened after that, probably should have signed it with my full name instead of my initials."
"Then there was this girl that everyone called Cookie. I think she hated me in middle school, but that all changed when I decided to ask her out to the prom. We had a lot of fun, even if we didn't go 'all the way'. Lincoln was remembering the fun night they shared that day. He remembered being surprised that she said yes. Was it out of pity or for bragging rights because he was going away to fight? Maybe, but he did know why they never went that extra mile. It was because at that time his heart was in a different place, a more forbidden place. "Oh, and then there were some of my oldest sister's friends." Lincoln grinned in a mischievous way.
"Ooh, our boy likes mature girls~. I told you this guy was a stud." Chris teased out.
"You should have seen this one girl, Becky. Whoa, was she a freak. She started hitting on me when I was 11! Then again, I was discussed as some old Russian guy, but still. Dana was another friend of my sister's that I had a huge crush on, and it was bad, I still stutter at times when I'm near her... And I can't forget about Carol~." Lincoln sounded like he was daydreaming when he said Carol's name at the end. He still never understood why his sister had a grudge with her.
"Who's this Carol you seem to be drooling about?" Ortiz asked with a wink.
"Carol Pingrey was this girl that came from some wealthy family that my sister despised. But once I got to really know her, she was actually just a sweet, simple girl like any other, and man, was she beautiful. She dressed classy, was caring, had perfect skin and long, soft, blonde hair...~ She was just like Lor-" Lincoln went bug eyed and cut himself off before he could finish that sentence. He tried to play it off, hoping that none of them heard that last part.
"Lor-, who?" Chris asked as he looked up from his cards.
Dang it.
Lincoln's mind was on full reverse. He had to come up with something and quick.
"Uh- uh- L-Lor- LOREN!" Lincoln quickly shouted out.
"Loren? Who's Loren?" Ortiz asked Lincoln with a confused face.
"L-Loren's uh... Carol's... t-twin sister." Lincoln was praying that they would buy into the lie.
"Hold up a sec! You're saying this Carol girl, who you say is hot, has a twin? Dude, that's like every guys fantasy!" Dylan yelled out in excitement.
"Yeah, why are you holding out on us!? And you said there was nobody. So, what's Loren like? Is she just like Carol?" Chris asked. Lincoln didn't want to further this discussion. But judging how there full attention is now on him, and that they all stopped what they were doing, Lincoln felt he had no other choice.
"S-she's kind of like her, in some ways... But in my opinion, I sort of liked L-Loren a bit more. I mean she was bitchy at times... but when she was kind and showed her compassion... I-It just washed away all the bad memories." Lincoln was falling deep in thought, remembering all the great times him and Lori had. He was in a trance when he started to spill out his true feelings for her. "Whenever she gave you a hug or a kiss, you could feel the love running all through you. I also thought she was prettier too. Her perfect, smooth legs, her gold like hair that smelled like strawberries, and her comforting voice... I love her."
He did it, he finally did it. Lincoln shared his true feelings to someone other than himself. It may have not been exact, using a different name, but it still felt good. He felt like years of pressure were finally lifted off his chest.
After coming back from his trance, Lincoln looked back at the guys and saw they all gave him this goofy smile on their faces.
"Are little boy is in love." Chris teased, acting like an emotional mother see her son in a suit for a first date. Here we go. "Linc this is the one. You have to tell her."
"What? N-no, no, I can't-"
"Yes, you can! Lincoln, think about it. You've known this girl for years, you obviously like her, and I'm sure she's probably worried about you. So, you arrive back home, you tell her exactly how you feel, and BOOM, she's head over heels for you!" Chris explains.
"I-I don't know, guys. It's not that simple and s-she's already... with someone. Look it's all good." Lincoln was trying to come up with any excuse to be done with this topic. He thought this was crazy. They don't realize but this is his sister there all talking about.
"Oh- well- Still! You need to at least tell her, she diserves that much. You never know, maybe she's only dating this guy because you didn't ask. Maybe she see's you in him; and why not get the original!" Chris was not letting this go, and it looked like Ortiz and Dylan weren't either.
"I'm with Chris on this one, for the most part. Linc, we can all see that you love this Loren, and you'll never know if she feels the same way if you don't tell her. I get that you don't want to tell her because your afraid or you might not want to break them up, but if you don't you will never find out her true feelings and it's going to bite you in the ass and haunt you for the rest of your life." Ortiz stated.
Lincoln always admired Ortiz's way of motivation. It was a big help with morale in their unit. But right now he kind of hated it because it always got to him.
"M-Maybe... maybe you're right. I- I'll think about it..." Lincoln had caved in. They were right though. He knew he would regret it, but still... it was his sister. He only had one thing to lose, and he already nearly lost it more than once.
"There you go! Oh, you should try to be all romantic, like 'Loren, I'm home... You're my home.' Damn that's good. I surprise myself sometimes." Chris said.
"I call best man!" Dylan added.
Loren Loud~. I like it; it's got a ring to it." Chris said as he and Ortiz got back to their poker game.
Lincoln got back to his sketch book, pondering on their discussion while Dylan got back to cleaning out his rifle.
Loren~.
Loren~.
Lori~.
Lincoln paused from his sketching after hearing his sister's name echo in his head. He gazed at his sketch seeing that his sketch became Lori. *Sigh* This isn't how it was suppose to go.
March 1, 2026: Camp Red Rock (Midnight)
Lincoln woke up in the middle of the night having to take a leak. He stepped outside, still drowsy; he decided to pee against a giant rock near the fence of the base. While doing his business and admiring the night sky, he felt a presence walk next to him and join him.
"The restrooms are just a few feet away, and yet here we are, peeing against a rock." It was Chris.
"We're doing it the old way, and you don't get a view like this inside there." Lincoln replied as he pulled up his fly.
"It is a nice scenery." Chris said, finishing up as well.
"Hey, Chris? Do you really think I should tell her?" Lincoln asked, leaning against the fence.
"Jeez, Linc, you really are too much of a nice guy if you're worried about that other guy. You have to make some hard choices when it comes to love, man."
"Ha, well he is one of my best friends, but that's not why. It's just that... she sees me like a b-brother figure, and we all know how that goes. I-I'm also scared I might ruin the relationship we already have if I tell her... I can't lose that, Chris, I-I just can't." Lincoln told Chris. He didn't want to bring this up again, but it was on his mind all night.
"Oh... damn, I-I didn't know. Shoot, you're in a tight spot. But I still think Ortiz is right; you'll regret it if you don't. It's your call Lincoln; you're always the man with the plan. I know you will make the right choice." Chris said his opinion and walked back to their bunk, leaving Lincoln wondering in the night if he should tell her or not.
March 1, 2026: Camp Red Rock (Morning)
Lincoln had just finished putting on his camo pants and tying his boots, ready to start the day. But he still needed to do one last thing. He grabbed the satellite phone near his desk and headed outside bunk. Lincoln came to the conclusion that he was going to finally confess, starting with Lori. He knew if he waited he would end up chickening out. No, he had to do this.
Lincoln walked passed Ortiz who was working on a humvee, shouting at Chris, who was carrying over ammo boxes.
"Chris, where's Dylan!? I can't find the problem to the damn engine!"
"He's taking a shit! Must be all that crap the army feeds us in those cans." Chris yelled back at Ortiz.
Lincoln then stopped by the communications room to check up on them. He peeked in the doorway, seeing the radio operator fiddling around with the tuner. "Hey, D.J., you able to reach command yet?"
"Sorry, Sarge, I still can't reach them. It must be the sandstorm; it's messing with the frequency. We might not be able to reach them till it passes, but I'll keep on trying." D.J. answered.
Lincoln walked up near the side of the fence, next to one of their watch towers. He looked out into the distance and saw the sandstorm approaching. He sure hoped he could be able to reach Lori on the phone. He dialed the number and held the phone up to his ear. Here goes nothing.
The phone rang, and rang, but finally someone picked up.
"Hey, Lincoln! What's going on?" Lori said. She sounded like she was also getting ready for the day. It was early over there. This is it Lincoln, you can do this is!
"H-Hey, Lori, I'm doing good. I j-just wanted to see how t-things are?" Lincoln replied, trying to calm his nerves. He began to walk back-and-forth.
"I'm just getting ready for work. How abou-t y-ou? Any top secret miss-n you -ave to do?" Lori was breaking up a little. Lincoln was now wishing that they'll be able to hold the line for just a few more minutes.
"Haha, nope, just fixing up around the camp is all... look, Lori... there's something I need to tell you..." No going back Lincoln. Just tell her, and if things go south... well, hopefully the sandstorm will cut their connection.
"Sure Lincoln, you can tell me anything. You're kind of breaking up though." Before Lincoln could tell Lori his true feelings, he paused to get his composure; looking toward the main gate and seeing a supply truck pull up to the entrance.
Jeez, again? They just keep handing out ammo like its candy. He reset his focus on the issue he was in at this moment. He took a deep breath and proceeded with his plan.
"Lori, I know we may have had our problems when we were younger, but I still knew you always cared for me... and t-that I always cared for you too. As I got older, I felt like- like we were closer than ever and- I-I guess what I'm trying to say is... that I- I love you, Lori." Lincoln let out a deep sigh inside. He did it. He actually told her how he feels. Lincoln felt invincible, like nothing can destroy this moment. But that quickly faded when he realized that she hadn't said anything back.
"Aww, Lincoln, you know I love you too. I'll always love you. W-Why are you telling me this though...? L-Lincoln, a-are you in trouble? Are you hurt?" Lori asked. Her tone went from sweet to worry in an instant.
Lincoln was now getting a tad frustrated. The sandstorm is starting to kick up now, the argument going on in the distance is getting annoying, but the worst part is Lori didn't understand what Lincoln actually meant.
"N-no, Lori, what I mean is I Love you-" Lincoln cut himself off when he felt a hard rock hit the tip of his right boot. He lowered his gaze down toward the rock at his boot, completely forgetting about Lori on the phone.
"Hello? Lincoln?"
Lincoln examined closely, confused by its oddly perfect shap- Oh Shit! Lincoln didn't hesitate, and kicked the grenade away, flying a few inches away into the air.
*BOOM!*
Lincoln opened his eyes, seeing everything in a blur. He heard nothing but mumbling due to the constant ringing in his ear. He also realized he was laying facedown in the sand. He turned to look near the main gate seeing a bunch of his men running away screaming something, but was hard to hear as it came out muffled.
"Ambush!"
"AMBUSH!"
Lincoln saw a few men trying to grab the driver of the supply truck, but slipped through, running back into the truck. Lincoln flinched when the supply truck blew up, causing the ground to shake from the blast.
Lincoln was still on the ground in pain. For a split second he forgot what he was doing till he remembered. LORI. He saw the phone just a couple inches away from him on the ground. He could slightly hear her through the speaker.
"Lincoln, are you there? What was that loud noise?"
He started to crawl to the phone; his right hand shaking to grab it as he got closer. "L-Lori... Lor-" As Lincoln was about to grab the phone, calling his sister's name in agony, he heard a bullet whiz by, hitting the phone. This caused Lincoln to pull back his hand, which at the same time, his hearing came back. Explosions and gunfire rang everywhere. He was trying to get back onto his feet when Ortiz came running toward him, helping Lincoln up.
"Lincoln! I got you, man, come on!" Ortiz shouted, pulling his friend from the ground.
Lincoln looked all around him, seeing everyone running to their battle stations. Some were grabbing their guns and running to shoot back, while others were setting up the artillery canons. He saw Dylan running out of the restroom, fumbling with his pants, and heading toward the nearest mounted gun. He then looked past the fence and his stomach sank when he saw enemy soldiers and tanks advancing toward their base.
Ortiz and Lincoln started running back to join the rest when mortar's started falling around them. Some of the buildings were on fire or already blown up to nothing. Lincoln knew, after seeing the enemy forces, they didn't have the man power to hold them off. He had only one option left. Retreat.
"We have to fall back." Lincoln said silently. Mostly to himself, but Ortiz heard.
"Fall back? Sarge, are you sure?" Ortiz questioned.
"Get the guys to the humvee, we're leaving." Lincoln ordered him. He rushed to his feet and ran to their bunk. "Tell everyone to retreat, will meet up at the overlook just east of our position!" He shouted over his shoulder.
As Ortiz ran back to the humvee, Dylan and Chris were confused seeing Lincoln run to their bunks while everyone was in the middle of an attack. "Linc, where the fuck are you going!" Dylan shouted. But Lincoln ignored him and kept on running as he disappeared inside the tent. He came running back out, carrying some equipment for the ride. But the real reason he went back into their bunk was for his family picture. If he was going to die then he was going to die with them close by.
"Come on! Get your ass in the truck!" Dylan cried out to Lincoln as he resumed shooting back at the enemy on the mounted gun.
Lincoln came bolting into the backseat. "Ortiz, punch it!"
Ortiz slammed on the gas, heading to east side exit of the base. He swerved around burning vehicles and craters formed by mortar shells. He passed by other soldiers who were getting in their own humvees, ready to join them.
"Ram the gate! Don't stop for anything!" Lincoln commanded, leaning between the driver and passenger's seat. They crashed through the gate, driving in the open field as other began to follow. Dylan watched behind them seeing their base bombarded with explosions. What they once called home was now gone. He then heard the sound of whistling and realized they still weren't in the clear. Mortar fire was now raining down on them from above. Ortiz and other drivers were trying to dodge the explosions.
"Shit Ortiz, get us the fuck out of hear!" Chris shouted as he looked forward, seeing the land in front of them blow up into the air.
"What the fuck do you think I'm doing!?" He yelled back.
Lincoln got on the humvee's radio to try to contact the rest of Charlie Company, well, what's left of it that is, while Chris tried to contact command for assistance. "Ace 5 to Base Liberty, do you copy!? Base Liberty, can you respond!? Damn it! Base Liberty this is Charlie Company, we are under attack! Red Rock is gone, I repeat gone! We are in a full retreat!" Chris was getting nothing but static. "Fuck! I can't reach them!"
Lincoln was telling all the drivers through the radio to disperse. He didn't want them to close in case one of the mortar's hit, killing more men then it should have. He looked out the right side, passenger window to see if anyone was near them. "Ok, Kyle, I see you! You're to our right. Just keep heading east and-"
*BOOM!*
The humvee was rocked by the shockwave of the blast that had just gone off next to them. They looked back out the windows and saw the humvee next to them in a heap of fire.
"Holy Shit, they got Kyle!" Chris shouted.
"What the fuck was that!? That was way to big for a-"
"ENEMY CHOPPER!" Dylan screamed as he watched the helicopter fly right above them.
"Oh, fuck! Did he see us!? Did he see us!?" Chris panicked. He was frantically looking all around through the windshield trying to spot its location.
"Of course he fuckin' saw us! He's in a helicopter!" Ortiz yelled back. Dylan then began to shoot back at the helicopter, hoping he could shoot it down.
Ortiz was swerving all over the place, violently throwing Lincoln and Chris around in their seat. As Dylan was shooting at the helicopter which was coming around for another pass, he looked behind him and saw death flash before his eyes.
"Oh... Guy's! Behind us!" Dylan shouted as he was sliding his goggles on his face. They all tried to look behind them and what they saw made their situation a whole lot worst. The sandstorm was gaining on them, and fast. They needed to get out of there now, because their visibility was about to be gone real quick if they don't.
"Keep going Ortiz!" Lincoln cried out.
"You want me to out run nature!?" Ortiz looked out to his left and saw the cloud of sand next to him. They were neck and neck. Lincoln, Ortiz, and Dylan then saw something that they thought they would only see in the movies. As the helicopter turned around to try and target them again, it was sucked into the storm. The chopper spun around as debris flew all over, some of it landing mere inches away from them.
"Holy Shit!" Chris screamed. Lincoln pulled down Dylan to get back inside the humvee. They were now driving in the sandstorm, trying to dodge the hell that is falling from the sky and hoping they were still heading in the right direction.
"Man, I can't see shit in this! And how the fuck are we suppose to know where we're heading!? For all we know, we could be heading back to the enemy!" Ortiz argued, squinting his eyes to see the road better.
"Just a few more feet and we should be out of range! Then it's smo-"
"LOOK OUT!" Dylan yelled.
*CRASH*
Base Liberty: Command Room, moments before the attack
Everything was hectic as officers were running back and forth, from post-to-post, giving orders and strategizing. Captain Corman was in the middle of forming a plan as other officials were informing him of all the situations occurring around them.
"Tell Lt. Davis to send his platoon. We can't afford to lose that station." He commanded to his radioman.
"Sir, I still can't reach Charlie Company. I'm getting nothing on their end." Another one of his operators said. That seemed to be the only thing coming out of his men's mouths and he didn't like it. Something felt off to him. It wasn't common to have trouble reaching a couple squadrons, but an entire battalion? It didn't make any sense.
"Well keep trying! We need to know their status. Maybe they can tell us what the hell is going on." Cpt. Corman instructed, getting aggravated.
His second in command came running to him. He crossed his fingers, hoping he had some good news for him. "Captain, we just got a hold from Delta Company. They were also attacked, but were able to hold out... Sir, it's a full scale assault." Their worst fears had been answered.
"Good Lord..." Cpt. Corman whispered.
March 3, 2026: Loud House
It was chilly afternoon in royal Woods as the Loud Family was enjoying their activities inside, away from the cold Michigan wind. Lynn Sr. was in the kitchen trying to come up with a new dish of his for dinner. Rita was cleaning up in the living room as Lynn and Luan were eating lunch in the dinning room. Luna was in her room, tuning her guitar with Lucy, who was helping her with lyric ideas. Lana was relaxing in her room with her pets and Lily was playing with Lincoln's old virtual reality goggles in the hallway. Lisa was busy in her room, putting her final touches to her new jetpack she has been working on for months. When she went to grab her tools on her desk, she looked out the window and saw a black sedan pull up in front of their house.
"These boys are so pushy. I thought I told them it would be ready in a few more months." Lisa said to herself as she watched two men step out of the car, dressed in their dark olive green suits. Lisa was puzzled when she saw a third man come out from the back seat, dressed in all black. As the man fixed his collar, she realized he wasn't some government official, but their local priest. It didn't take a genius, like herself, to put two-and-two together to know what was going on. Lisa slowly took of her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She knew what was to come in just a few seconds.
*DING-DONG*
Rita's cleaning was interrupted by the sound of their doorbell ringing. She walked over to the door, dusting her hands off her pants. She opened the door, greeted by their priest and two strangers in front of her.
"Father Donavan? H-How can I help you?" Rita asked, confused by the surprise visit. He didn't say anything, the look of pity in his eyes. He took a step to the side to let the two gentlemen speak.
"Mrs. Loud?" One of the mysterious men asked.
"Y-yes, I-I'm her? W-what's this about?" Rita asked, nervous of the tall men looking at her with sympathy.
"Honey, who's at the door?" Lynn Sr. shouted from the kitchen. He walked over to join his wife. "Wow, you boy scouts are getting taller." He joked, trying to be friendly. "So, how can we help you fine gentlemen?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Loud, I'm sorry, but I have been asked to inform you that your son has been reported missing in action... There was an attack, where he was stationed at."
Rita felt her insides sink. She was still a bit confused, well, that's what she called it. But she was really in a state of denial. "N-no, no, I'm sorry but you most have the wrong house. O-our son is fine. H-He's a-always f-fine."
"Hey, mom, who are you-" Lynn stopped as her and Luan went to see what all the commotion was about. They stood by staring at the two men.
"Ma'am we have the right house. Your son's squad was attacked and we haven't been able to contact him since. When the rescue team arrived... Th-There wasn't much left. There were a few survivors... but your s-son wasn't among them." The soldier said.
Rita was shaking as tears were forming, causing her vision to become blurry. Lynn Sr. placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her shaking. He was stunned by what they were telling him. But the way they are doing it? Isn't this when a family member is killed? "And what, you just stopped looking!? My son is out there! And if he's missing then why is our priest here?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"Lynn-" The priest sighed out. He was cut from speaking when the soldier began to talk.
"Mr. Loud, we are searching for your son. We are searching for a lot soldiers at this moment. Sir... It's just that... the situation of the war has changed through the years. Missing soldiers... they end up-" The one soldier was stalling, trying to find his words.
His partner jumped in to help him out. "We haven't found a single missing soldier alive, Sir. Mr. and Mrs. Loud, we aren't jumping to conclusions but... Y-Your son is most likely dead... I-I'm sorry."
Those words... Those four simple words put in one sentence, was the one thing Rita never wanted to hear. No mother should be told those words. But Rita was one of the unlucky ones. The evidence was right in front of her this entire time, watching the news and seeing how the stats of missing soldiers kept shrinking and the death toll rising. It wasn't because they were rescued, but because they were found dead. She will never get to hold him close; see his white, fluffy hair, or perfect smile. She'll never get to see him graduate college, or see him have a family of his own. Her pride and joy, taken away from her. Her only beloved son was gone... Forever.
"No... no, No, NO!" Rita cried out. She fell to her knees. Her whole world was falling apart. Lynn Sr. stared into space as tears were now rolling down his cheeks. He looked back down at his wife and got down on his knees to hug her close.
Lynn was in complete shock, hearing that her brother was- could be dead. Luan stood next to her. Her hands covering her mouth as she silently cried her eyes out. Luna came running down the stairs, followed by her other sisters, after hearing their mother screaming in pain. Lisa had staid in her room, resting her head in her hands. She didn't want to see her mother in tears. She didn't want to face her fears. She thought if she stayed in here, all the bad will go away, and she could pretend that her brother was still with them. Luna asked what was wrong with mom, but when she saw Luan's face, she knew. She knew that Lincoln wasn't coming home. No words could find the courage to come out, so all she did was shake her head in denial.
"NOOO! LINCOLN! MY BOY... MY BABY!" Rita screeched to the heavens.
Lana and Lucy were gripping each others hand tight, trying to find comfort in their embrace. Lucy was always fascinated with death, but for it to happen to someone she knows... Someone she loves... Her one and only brother; she felt sick.
Luan was wiping away her tears when her eyes were on her baby sister, trembling, standing at the foot of the stairs. Before she could comfort her, Lily ran past them to the kitchen, running out through the back, tears falling and Bun-Bun held tight in her hand.
"Lily, wait!" Luan cried out to her. She went to chase after her.
"We won't give up on your son ma'am." The soldier said, bending on one knee to reassure the crying mother in front of him. The other soldier looked at Lynn Sr. and told him: "On the behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I extend to you and your family my deepest sympathy... We'll be in touch Mr. and Mrs. Loud." Lynn Sr. quietly thanked them and with that the two soldiers made their leave. Before the priest left with them, he went up to Lynn Sr.
"If there is anything, and I mean anything that you need, we're here for you Lynn." Lynn Sr. looked at the priest and gave him a reassuring yet sad grin and nodded his head.
The Loud House was silent the rest of the day. Something that was very rare. Everyone was alone, grieving by themselves. Rita was devastated. She hadn't quit crying since she was given the tragic news. There was a small slither of hope that her son was alive. They did say he wasn't confirmed dead, but Rita knew the missing being found alive was slim to none. She had told her husband to give her some space, to let her drown in her sorrows alone. Rita had hid in the bathroom shower, turning it on to muffle out her cries and pleas; she didn't care she was getting her clothes soaked. She was holding Lincoln's shampoo bottle up to her nose, trying her hardest to picture her little boy still with her, safe and happy.
Lynn Sr. was sitting on the edge of their bed, staring at the picture of him and Lincoln after their first time fishing together. An 8 year old Lincoln was standing by his father, holding a giant fish he had caught while his father held up a baby fish. Lynn Sr. remembered that day, how happy they both were and hearing his son laugh his guts out when he had fallen out of the boat and into the lake. But now that's all it could ever be. A memory. No more father son bonding, not even their first beer together. Lynn Sr. couldn't think like this though, he had to be strong, for his family. He had to be the one to show them that Lincoln was out there. Strong, and fighting for their sake, and they should do the same.
Lisa had been in her room the entire time. She had just stayed in her chair, pondering. She hadn't shown any of her emotions, which was normal for Lisa. But deep inside, she was hurting. She kept thinking if she showed Lincoln enough love; that she did care for him. She thought of all the times her older sisters showed him the affection he disserved, like hugs and kisses. And what did she do? Just a smile of approval, a pat on the back or a small complement? That wasn't love, Lisa thought. She hoped Lincoln though still thought of her as a sister. That he still loves her. Lisa made an oath right then, that she would find her brother. Bring him back, and show him that she really did love him.
Luna had locked herself in her and Luan's room. She had said nothing when she had walked back upstairs to her room. She wanted to scream, but couldn't. All she felt was to throw up. She now knows how it felt for Sam... To lose a brother. She crawled into Luan's bed, feeling too weak to climb up onto her own, and wept. She held her knees to her chest, curling up into a ball, trying to escape from reality.
She had stayed in the same position for hours as she listened to the one song she could relate to. A song that understood how she was feeling at the moment.
'Here comes the rain again... falling from the stars...'
Luna thought back on the day Lincoln had told her of him thinking about joining. She thought it was kind of a ridiculous idea, seeing that her little brother wasn't really a fighter, and that he was such a caring person that he would never have the guts to actually kill someone. But she didn't tell him that. She just shrugged it off and told him it was just an option.
'Drenched in my pain again... becoming who we are...'
Then she remembered running up to him when he was alone, crying a little. He did it, she kept thinking in her head. He really did it. She remembers pleading with him that he didn't join, that it was just some joke him and Luan were in. She remembered him apologizing to her, but saying it was true which caused her to cry a bit harder. It was his choice, Luna knew, but her younger self came out at that moment. She saw herself holding her baby brother, a new addition to the family. She promised him that she would always protect and love him. But now she couldn't protect him. He'll be so far away, in the middle of danger... and it scared her, so, so much.
'As my memory rests... but never forgets what I lost... Wake me up... when September ends.'
Lucy was in the attic, hiding from the outside world and from her sisters so they wouldn't see her crying. Lucy was never one to show her emotions. But right now was different. The one person that understood her, and that loved her for just being her, was now gone. Lincoln was her life and it's gone, all gone. She now knew what it feels like to die... and she hated it... every second of it.
Lynn was sitting on the roof of the house, watching the sun slowly set beyond the horizon. The only thing on her mind was Lincoln. So many emotions were swimming inside her. Lynn, however, was determined that her brother is safe, and that he will come home. Lynn never said it... or showed it, but Lincoln was the strongest guy she knew. With all the stuff he's been through and the craziness he's had to put up with, living with 10 sisters... You have to real tough to deal with that. So she had to be just as strong, she had to keep the faith burning inside, and remind this family that Lincoln isn't dead!
Luan was searching all around the front and backyard, trying to find Lily. One sibling has already gone missing... she wasn't going to let a second. Luan was in the backyard when she heard the faint sounds of a weeping girl. She got closer to the sound and heard it coming from their tree house. Luan climbed up and found Lily sitting under the toy table, hugging her legs close. Luan crawled over to her and wrapped her arms around her crying sister.
"Is- Is- Is Linky really g-gone?" Lily sobbed, looking up at Luan with her puffy eyes.
"He's... he's j-just... missing, is all." Luan answered.
"W-Will he c-come back?"
Luan realized now why Lincoln never promised them that. Why it was so hard to answer that question. Luan didn't have the answer to that, but knew Lily needed one. Luan did the only thing she could do... lie.
"O-Of course Linky will come back, Lily... It just might t-take l-l-longer." Luan held Lily tighter, trying to replace her worries with comfort.
They stayed like that the entire time, in each others embrace. Lily held Bun-Bun to her chest, replaying Lincoln's words in her head over and over again... "I miss him, Luan."
"I miss him too, Lily... I miss him so much."
At Royal Woods Middle School, Lola was in the gymnasium, practicing her cheerleading routine with her teammates. The principle had called over Lola to the side and escorted her through the double doors into the lobby so the other girls wouldn't see. She saw Lana leaning against the wall near the trophy display, hugging herself as she hiccupped from her sobbing. Lana had run over as fast as she could to find her sister. Being the complete opposites caused them to fight constantly as kids. But over the years they became so much closer that it was almost like you couldn't separate them. Lana needed her twin when she heard the news... She needed Lola's comfort... She needed her best friend.
Lola was on edge till her principle told her the news. That her brother was missing in action... and that it didn't look good. Lana shook her head in disbelief but within an instant she broke down crying. Lana walked over to comfort her sister. Lola was quick to grab onto her and crying on her shoulder, screaming in her shirt. He was supposed to come back. Lola thought to herself. H-He said it himself... A prince r-returns to h-his princess... I'm his princess...
Lori found out about Lincoln when her father called. She didn't believe it either, but the sound of her father's voice said it all. Lincoln... her Lincoln... was gone. Her head was in a daze when she dropped the phone onto the floor and walked over to the couch in their apartment, oblivious to her surroundings. She sat down, staring ahead at the wall in front of her with all her family photos, and began to cry quietly.
Leni had walked in from her room so see what had fallen. When she walked over to Lori she stopped to see her big sister wiping her tears with her hands. Leni being the caring sister she was asked what was wrong. Lori looked up at her sister to tell her the horrible news but none of the words formed in her throat. She didn't have as Leni stared into her wet eyes which said it all. She understood why Lori was crying. Leni felt her hot tears forming in her eyes, and like a flash of light, Leni ran to her room, slamming the door shut to hide from the truth, to be alone... because she was alone. Her Linky left her... never to return... She was alone.
It's been nearly a year since Lincoln and his unit went missing. Rita had always had the phone near by in case of anyone tried to report anything about her missing son. The army had told her they would be in touch; that they would speak with her if news came to light. But no one has called since the event.
As months past, the Louds were beginning to crumble. Work was difficult for both Rita and Lynn Sr. as their depression affected them dearly. For a long time they still had hoped that their little boy was still out there. As parent's, you want to believe your children are safe and secure. But as time went on it became so hard to hold onto that light. The news didn't help them either.
Lori was also struggling to keep up with her work, with the loss of her brother. She was still able to manage though, with the support of her friends and boss. She worked more hours because it helped to take her mind of Lincoln's absence, but during work it still found its way to creep out of her and she had to hide in the bathroom stall so she can cry. She also had to work harder now because of her first youngest sister.
Leni, which the family knew, took it the hardest. Without her loving little brother in her life, Leni became depressed. It was so bad that she had refused to do anything. She had given up on her hobbies; she didn't come out of her room, not even to eat. Lori had to leave her food by her nightstand, the first couple of days finding it untouched. The only time she stepped out of her room was to use the restroom, but that was it. She also refused to go to work, making Lori the soul means of income.
With Leni refusing to work and Lori not making enough to afford rent, they had to sell their luxurious apartment and move back to their parent's house. It kind of worked out for the best, now that Lori didn't have to pay rent, she had extra spending money and with her back, her parents had an extra set of hands to help out around the house. But Leni still stayed in her room. At times, Leni would stop in the hallway, on her way back from the bathroom, and cry because she was always introduced with the door at the end of the hall that led to her brother's room... her little Linky.
Luna's music career was taking its blows during some of her performances at local bars and clubs. There were times where she was just too distraught to perform or too angry and smash the equipment to release her rage. The worst incident she had was during one of her performances she was jamming on the guitar, pleasing the crowd. As she looked around the audience she saw white on top of someone's head. It was a beanie hat but for that split second it looked like Lincoln's hair.
She completely stopped, bursting into tears as she ran off stage. It hurt her so much that her brother, the one who she felt the closes to, was actually gone. The most perfect boy in her world and she would never be able to see him again.
Luan was another who fell into deep depression, compared to her parents and other sisters. It was almost as bad as Leni's. During her shifts at the local comedy club, her gigs were fine. The people loved her. The audience never had a clue that she was facing any sort of internal struggles. Luan was her normal self on stage. But once she was done and backstage in her room, she fell apart. She would become a sobbing wreck, so bad at times that she didn't feel the will to go on. There was no point if she couldn't bring joy to her brother. Even her manager was worried about her mental state, offering her more breaks and days off. She never took them. Like she said... The show must go on. At home she also tried to hide it, but it did never work. Luna became really worried when one night she went to investigate strange noises coming from Lincoln's room. She peeked in to find Luan lying in his bed, snuggling with one of his shirts and talking to herself, like if she was talking to Lincoln, resting beside her.
Lynn never showed any kind of sorrow. That was because she refused to believe Lincoln was never coming back home. She was angry at her family for how fast they were to think that the chance of Lincoln being dead was high. She would always end up in some argument defending Lincoln's return. She especially hated Lola the most.
Lola became to feel, over time, that Lincoln had lied to her. That he didn't love her as much as he said. That she wasn't his princess. She always blamed Lincoln for not being able to come home. She also blamed others for his disappearance and for joining the army, and wasn't shy to tell it to your face.
The Loud family was all gathered into the living room, except for Leni of course. She still refused to leave. Sometimes telling them she'll only leave when Linky comes back. Rita and Lynn Sr. had called for a family meeting regarding the situation their all in.
"I know w-we have all been hurting these last c-couple of m-months. Your father and I are worried that some of you are... well, that you're not 'living up to your potential'." Rita said with a calm voice.
"Right, and we're worried that some of you have been slacking in your school performances and in your work... I- I know some of us believe differently about L-Lincoln." Lynn Sr. said, eyeing both Lola and Lynn. "But we need to keep moving forward. W-When the time comes... will know about Lincoln's fa- status."
"Just know that Lincoln does love all of us and that he wouldn't want us to be this way..." Rita added.
All the girls didn't say anything. Lynn wanted to speak her piece, but held it in not wanting to start another full blown argument with her parents again. She was still upset though that her parents sounded like they wanted to just accept that Lincoln was permanently gone.
Lola on the other hand broke the silence, stating her claims.
"This is ridicules. You still all believe these lies?"
"Now sweetie-" Lynn Sr. began.
"No! Look around... Lincoln is gone! Like you said dad, he joined by his choice and now he paid for it." Lola argued, yelling at her family.
"Lincoln isn't gone." Lynn said through clenched teeth. She was seconds away from blowing a fuse and tackling her little brat of a sister... if she could call her a sister.
"Oh, please Lynn. You know it and you're just afraid to admit it because you're part of the reason why he left in the first place! A lot of you are the reason why he decided to go overseas and leave Me!"
Lily was now starting to get scared and began to shed some tears. As the other sister's were angry or curious to this accusation.
"Lola, that's enough!" Rita scolded her. "Don't listen to her Lily, she doesn't mean that." Rita reassured her youngest daughter.
"How am I to blame! I didn't tell Lincoln to join the freakin' army!" Lynn shouted back to Lola.
"You always bullied him! Punching and tackling him, mocking him! Coming up with that stupid theory that he was bad luck! I can keep going if you like!?"
"ME bully him!? What about YOU!? You always blackmailed him, screaming at him for doing the simplest mistake! You even believed that dumb bad luck thing! You were probably the worst to him. I bet he hates calling you princess~." Lynn fought back.
"NO, NO, NO! I AM HIS PRINCESS! HE DOES LOVE ME! I may have been mean to him in the past... But at least I still showed that I still loved him! Now, LUAN on the other hand abused him to no end!" Lola screeched out, trying to defend herself.
Rita and her husband were now trying to defuse the situation but was no use as their daughters just kept arguing over them.
"W-What? M-Me?" Luan said with a whimper.
"All those stupid pranks, you kept doing, putting him in danger! The embarrassing videos you upload of him! What about the time you blew up his cake in his face that one birthday!? We had to take him to the hospital because he nearly went deaf! He cried himself to sleep that night, and it was all because of you!"
"N-n-no... I-I... still lov-" Luan could feel the tears falling down her face, realizing that she was a terrible sister to Lincoln. That maybe Lola was right. She excused herself as she walked slowly back into the kitchen to escape her sister's harsh words.
"Stop it Lola! You know Lincoln forgave Luan for that!" Lori defended Luan.
"And you!" Lola yelled, turning around and pointing a finger at Lori. "You're the worst of all! You tortured Lincoln like he was just an object! You never showed him any kind of love! All you ever cared about was 'Bobby Boo-Boo Bear~' and that stupid phone of yours! You're pathetic... Remember the perfume incident?" Lola has had enough. She decided to bring back the one memory Lori could never forget.
Lori's demeanor went completely blank. She never wanted to bring that up. EVER. Now she was locked in place, forced to relive her biggest regret.
"You pushed him, Lori... over the edge. Remember what you'd said... 'I wish there was only TEN of us'. He barricaded himself in his room... He tried to kill himself... You don't love him... You never loved him."
Lori just stood there. Defeated; rethinking all her interactions with her brother. While down for the count, Lola went overboard as she aimed at her last target.
"And Lily... There's no point in hugging that stuffed rabbit... Lincoln isn't there... he never was... I should know."
"ENOUGH!" Lynn Sr. shouted. "LOLA! ROOM! NOW!"
Lola saying nothing more, eyed Lori one last time and walked up the stairs to await her punishment. Luna went to the kitchen to see if her roommate was alright. Lynn went to comfort Lily who was crying now.
This family meeting was a disaster, Rita thought. She was about to speak to try and fix this mess when she heard Luna screech out.
"LUAN, NO!"
The remaining Louds in the living room, except Lori, who was halfway out the front door to be alone, came running into the kitchen hearing a tussle as the sound of steel rang, hitting the tile floor. They were met with Luna holding down Luan as she struggled to reach for the kitchen knife lying on the floor.
"NO, PLEASE! PLEASE, LET ME BE WITH HIM! I NEED TO BE WITH HIM...! I need to b-be w-with h-him..." Luan pleaded.
Rita looked at her daughter begging and was scared beyond belief. Her family was falling apart right in front of her.
It was night by the time most of the Loud's were in their respected rooms. The sisters were all given shifts to watch Luan, after her stunt, incase she tried to harm herself again. Lily snuck into Lori and Leni's room and asked Leni if she could stay with her for the night. Leni turned to face her and opened up her sheets to let her in. They cuddled together as they reminisced on all the memories they had with Lincoln... Their Linky. For the first time since her downfall, Leni opened up.
Lori was in the garage looking through the boxes of some of her belongings, stored away, from her apartment. She still couldn't get Lola's words out of her head. The things she has done, the things she had said.
She pulled out a photo of her and Bobby on one of their dates back in high school. She thought back on what Lola said. 'All you ever cared about was Bobby...Your stupid phone... Pathetic... You don't love him... You never loved him.'
Lori let her tears fall to the concrete floor of the garage as she gripped the frame of the photo tight. Lola was right, Lori thought. But only a little. All she did as a teen was focus on her phone and Bobby. She acted like they were the world to her... That she loved them more than anything or anyone. But she didn't. Lincoln was her world... She loved Lincoln more than anything or anyone... And she just tossed it to the side.
'Pathetic.'
She was blind... Distracted... by young "love". She didn't know what she had till it was gone... and it was gone. Instead of spending her time with her brother... her only brother... She wasted it, spending every moment texting her friends about nothing... chasing a boy who was already hers... someone who could never compete with Lincoln... Her perfect, loving brother.
'Pathetic.'
Lori threw the photo against the concrete floor, shattering the frame as she screamed in anger. She was enraged. At her stupid high school mentality... At Bobby... At herself. She was the cause of her suffering. She pushed Lincoln away... and she wanted it all back.
"I'm sorry Lincoln... Please forgive me... I-I'm s-sorry." Lori cried to herself.
"I loved you Lincoln... I always had... and always will."
A/N
Happy New Year!
Thank You all for following me on this ride. You helped made these last few months a blast.
We're almost there people! I can almost hear the bed springs squeaking. By now you probably already know that I love throwing in some references from some of my favorite fics, so I hope that doesn't bother you, and to the authors, if you read this, I hope it doesn't bother you as well. I like to share greatness.
The first reference which is a very small one, is when Chris said Lori might be dating Bobby b/c she might see Lincoln in him. That idea was from Memory of A Promise by Midgr9210. I though that little twist was pure genius! The second reference is from the fic Inadequate by Yaridovich23. That fic is pretty dark.
And if you're asking "I thought Lincoln returns home?" Don't worry, all your that will be answered in the next chapter ;)
Oh, and I don't think the military would do that, to announce a soldier who is M.I.A. and they sure as heck wouldn't tell the family "yeah, he's missing... but probably dead." I just did that for the suspense and angst. Same with the Loud family. I'm sure they would never lose faith in Lincoln.I just needed some drama.
