Days Later
Liby was still unable to believe the complete and utter chaos that had ensued in both hers and Lacy's perilous journey that began when Lupa made her way into Lacy's life. They had it, they had the mindbreaking evidence they needed to put Lacy's parents as unfavorable members of the family. She believed it was over. She believed they gained an everlasting victory, one where Liby was finally in the more open world, exploring the limitless new life that Ronnie Anne promised her, and with her new friend, who had turned out to be one of her unknown blood relatives. They did it, they accomplished what Ronnie Anne had tasked them with. Everything went their way, and they won. But it wasn't like that at all, and Lacy Loud was left with a hole in her heart in the end.
But here they were, one early morning of a quiet Saturday in Royal Woods cemetery. Lacy was dressed more darker this time. She had a black jersey, mixed with gray shorts, a soft, tomboy-like look that was perfectly synchronized with her current state of mind. Her face was marked up with small, multiple cuts of red that hinted at what went down awhile back. She was positioned down on her knees, disturbing a grave. She touched the headstone softly, already having gone through the next stage of grief.
"L-Liby?" The athlete of incest squeaked just as a mouse would, not taking her eyes off of the grave. "Was it my fault?"
Liby was there solely to console her half-sister, and to push away any thoughts that would sent Lacy into a hurtful state. She placed her hands around Lacy's neck, and closely brushed up against her, parallel to that of a loving couple's actions. "No, Lacy. This wasn't your fault, nor mines. How could we have known? How could we have known, Lace?"
Lacy just shook her head, whimpering like a puppy. "I'm sorry-"
"Hey, Lace... Don't-"
"I wish I'd never have done all this. Lib, I screwed up so bad with my parents. I wouldn't listen, I wouldn't see it their way. Oh, God..." Lacy was practically wailing, lightly sobbing. "I didn't want this to happen. I'm so sorry I did wrong by them..."
"We, Lace. We did wrong by everyone..." And Liby kept snuggling up to Lacy while the athlete was shedding her heartbroken pain. She rested her head on the girl's back, also engulfed in the guilt for helping the crazy Ronnie Anne in the first place. "It's not too late to make it right. It's not too late to-..." But was an apology the only thing she believed Lacy needed to do? Ask for forgiveness? No, this was way too big, way too cruel for one. And even if that was the case, it surely didn't mean that Lacy had no reason to try.
"It's not too late," she finished, still soothing about on Lacy's back. "I'm sure of it." She zipped her lips to let Lacy cry further until she was no longer able to. However long it would take, Liby was prepared to wait to the ends of time.
Now
"I'm sorry you had to see this," Ronnie Anne simply said, voice calm as this was nothing more than a papercut. "Go inside, and don't worry- I won't kill her."
Liby was frightened and alarmed at seeing how tortured Lynn, unconscious in the moment, had become. "W-what are you doing? That's Lacy's-"
"Go inside, girlie! I won't say it again!" Ronnie Anne rotated the bloody bat and pointed it at the house. "Vete!"
But it would've been horrifying to forget as quickly as Liby had just seen. This was far beyond what she'd have agreed with. Liby and Lacy both knew that there would be hurt after her parents were exposed, and were already embracing for the worst. Lupa, that was Lacy's reasoning. Lupa might've crashed her way into Lacy's life, but did so with the intent to find out what they found out was something that should have never been.
Her sudden fear of Ronnie Anne possessed her, sending her off into the house. Her breaths heightened with the rising heartbeating that also played with her temperature. Never before had the young prankster experienced fear of this magnitude. She didn't bother closing the backdoor behind her, only mindlessly going to the living room, where she then slid out the photos from underneath her sweater and placed them on the red couch.
She left the world in that second, retreating into her mind to wonder what do to. Going to the police would mean everyone would get the blame, and the unknown part of her family tree would be aware of what had happened from then to now. But she had to do something, at most. The phone in her pocket was yet sleeping in the comforts of it. This heavily concerned Lacy, so she had to know. The main problem was being able to tell her, and doing so in secret, while Ronnie Anne was minding her dangerous business.
Lacy had to know, to come down here. But would she be placed in the same situation as Lynn was at this moment? What would- Liby gasped at the thought of an annoyed Ronnie Anne binding the three up and doing all kinds of physical horrors onto them. She yelped like someone had snuck up nehind her and gave her a good fright. Her fingers slid inside her pocket, dramatically gaining the courage to tell someone about what was going on. It had to be Lacy... But what could they do by themselves?
She pulled out her phone, opening up to their text thread. Before she typed in the first letter, she felt an insane amount of guilt, and was gradually concerned with what was likely to happen if they really did try to defy whom they believed were on their side. What was it? What led to this?
Liby started out with a simple;
Hey...
Ronnie Anne returned without notice, creeping up to see Liby holding her phone. "Hey, what are you doing? Who are you texting?" She wiped the blood from her hands onto her black sweater.
Liby stuttered, carefully choosing her words. "I was, uhhh, just letting Lacy know I was home."
Ronnie Anne observed into the girl's eyes. "You sure about that? Give it here."
Liby tried to keep herself cool, with all that was coming in like a freight train. "Sure, here..." Liby reluctantly handed the Mexican woman her phone, which was swiped carelessly from her hands. "Hey, be-" Lupa had taken Liby's backpack, a present from her seventh birthday party at Rennis. She was not going to be pleased if Lisa's gift, or in a sense a bribe, was doomed to be broken. "Be careful, please."
"This isn't this years model, Lyra."
"It's Liby," the girl corrected. "And also, this is my first phone. Hasn't been two months with it, you know."
Ronnie Anne looked to the thread. Liby had yet to send Lacy her message. "Oh, alright. But keep quiet about all this," she ordered, handing back Liby's phone. "Ah, you've got them! Well done, little one!"
Liby decided to blurt it out. "I'm sorry, but... What are you doing with... Well, my aunt?"
"Hmm, you're becoming a nuisance, kid. That's actually personal business, more than you'd understand..." Ronnie Anne then realized something. "I wish you could've let me know you were coming."
"To avoid seeing that?! This is-" Liby was then met with a cold slap on her face, strong enough to being her to tears. "Ow!" It hurt so much, even at impact her struck cheek had turned red. She stroked it gently, twitching at its sting.
"Stay in the house, alright? You're lucky I'm letting you keep your phone." Ronnie Anne grabbed the photos on the couch, exiting her angry expression to replace with clear joy. "Nicely done, Liby. Hey, don't worry about Lynn, I've just finished up hurting her."
Liby didn't feel less relieved from this. She looked to the direction outside, and then back at Ronnie Anne. She nodded with the watery glittering still in her eyes, and began to move into her room without looking back. She made up her mind right then and there. Liby shut the door, went under her covers on the bed she was assigned to, and quickly began to inform her half-sister what was really going on at this moment.
Meanwhile, at the Loud residence, Lacy was banging a tennis ball against the walls of her room. She didn't know what to expect later tonight. Probably some notification from Liby but she wasn't too sure of such a thing. Both her parents had yet to come home at the time.
It hadn't even been eight, which was usually around the time they'd start showing up. Lynn first, followed by Lincoln. Lacy was a bit bored, with no one to really play with. Something inside of her had begun to feel more empty with each new day she got through, namely the ones in which she and her parents would not really speak to each other. Or, rather she'd just ignore them when they tried to start a conversation, like nothing had happened. She guessed they were no longer mad about the whole Lisa thing, but they would be again, if they knew everything, which was the everything that was not, and ever, going to be retracted.
The lights in her room were off, rendering it a cool atmosphere. Her bowl of soup wasn't finished, and sat on a small table on the side of her bed, which was holding a ln ugly blue lamp already. She, placed in a criss-cross position on her bed, faced the wall tnat was usually behind her, still tossing the tennis ball mindlessly. A few more of those she cycled until the buzzing vibration of her phone finally made the athlete break the streak, redirecting the ball to the floor.
She went to her phone which was rested face up on top of her dresser. The damn thing was tall enough to give the short girl a bit of trouble; she had to tiptoe nowadays when she'd, or her parents, would set something down, which was more bother as much as this. She wasn't too annoyed to actually wish the phone would vibrate out from the top of the dresser and into the floor.
Who could this be? The text had indeed come from Liby, as she figured. They did it! Lacy swiped the lock, opening up to view the confirmation that all had gone their way. Lacy had no guilt in her heart, for she, and Liby, had done this to avenge a fallen half-sister, the reason which they justified their actions.
But no, it wasn't what she imagined. It was not what she had expected one bit;
YOUR MOM'S IN DANGER! OUR NEWFOUND PARTNER IS LITERALLY TORTURING HER! I DON'T KNOW WHAT DO TO!
Lacy let out a loud gasp, and re-read the text. Her green eyes widened with a surprising shock, moving around to carefully read each word as she thought she misread. Nope, it was all correct, and it didn't help that it was all caps lock, either.
There was a chance that she almost didn't buy it, because of how skeptical it seemed. But this was the fair and honest Liby, who had been on her side through the whole ride, and had not lied to good d Lacy, despite being kept away from the half Lacy had kept from her. It couldn't have been a lie, so-
A second text broke her concentrated stare;
SHE'S GOING TO HURT ME WHEN SHE FINDS OUT! I NEED YOUR HELP!
Lacy wasted no time in sending her own reply, now obliged to move quickly. It was real, and her stomach was legitimately twisting and turning with emotions that felt equal but the opposite she felt when she had her first crush a few grades back. These certain sentiments were nearly sickening to her.
Oh, God, the young athlete screamed in her mind, having already sent out her response;
Send me the address!
Lacy wasn't sure of what to think, but she was definitely able to trust her half-sister. Now was a time to get moving. She was basically dressed up in her usual orange shirt and blue shorts, ready to set out for the rescue mission.
She had already headed out the door, as the address to Ronnie Anne's place was given to her. Jesus! I'm on my way!
Liby remained put in her room, listening in on the cringing sound that led her to find the heavily bruised Lynn in the hands of the Mexican woman. Maybe it was over...
She decided to wander back out, quietly tiptoeing out of her room. Everything had indeed gone still, that it seemed no one was around. "Uh, hey?" Liby had yet to mark down Ronnie Anne's name into her brain. "Hello?"
She sniffed while still looking around. Maybe Ronnie Anne had gone back out to wrap up her cruel business with the Loud mother. She wasn't so afraid as to take a look back out there, believing Ronnie Anne was covering Lynn from Liby's eyes with her dark clothed shape standing in front of her. She took a glance through the glass of the sliding balcony doors, and saw the tilted Lynn Loud alone in the lights, still out for the night. The bat that had done its unintended work was right in front of her feet.
Liby immediately faced away from the horrible sight, before her brain had gathered the intel that the torturer was not actually there. In turn, Liby heard a pair of footsteps behind her. She gulped in rising fear, with the back of her hair standing on edge.
"What... The fuck... Is this?" Ronnie Anne had Liby's phone in her hand, opened to the thread. "You told her..."
Liby had no intention to turn around, and even so, the riled up nervousness in her system would keep her from doing so. Her entire body was only screaming off a single command; to run. Liby was closer to the balcony when she decided to make a run for it. All she had to do was hold off the psychotic Mexican until Lacy came running to her rescue.
Liby was perfectly still until she finally broke into it. She had begun to sweat at the simple thought of fleeing. Her hand reached the handles, and quickly guided them to the right. The damn thing took effort to drag with her hands, and that might've been the few seconds that wasn't on her side.
"Where do you think you're going?!" Ronnie Anne beat her to the punch, grabbing the girl by her scrawny shoulders and pulled her back. "Points for trying!"
"Let me go-!" Liby lost grip of the handle once the stronger Mexican used enough force to tug her away and throw her down to the floor. Liby plummeted, secretly thankful the floor had a fuzzy carpet to prevent some serious damage. "Oof!"
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Ronnie Anne grunted, placing a foot on one of Liby's legs. "Why did you go cause me some trouble?" She bent down to her and began to deliver a session of physical abuse onto the minor in the form of hard face slapping and further crushed her leg, making a terrible song composed of the girl's powerful cries.
"Stop! Please!"
Ronnie Anne would've been a little amused, if this was Lacy rather than Luan's brat. "You, I didn't want to hurt," the older woman admitted softly. She then turned her flat hand into a fist, which stopped Liby's live performance.
"Wait, wait-" Liby raised her hand, but did so too late. It plopped as she did, after Ronnie Anne had delivered the punch point blank.
"Damn you, Liby," Ronnie Anne hissed, placing two fingers on Liby's wrist. "Hopefully I didn't kill you by blunt force trauma. Jeez, you're scrawny." Another thorn of a nuisance poked away at her side, now with Liby having gone to try and stop the woman's personal vendetta against the superior athlete.
She had to bother going through the same goddamn thing, which was to tie her up and gag her. But then there was the matter of Lacy, the daughter of the damn cheater who played her hidden card at the perfect opportunity. Lynn struck where Ronnie Anne was needed to be placed in, and the game was over. She had won, and that had enraged the Mexican ex like crazy.
Lacy Loud, the sole reminder of a love that should never have been. Ronnie Anne had everything to expose them, but... No, there was that change of plans now that Ronnie Anne had actually gone back to remember all that had happened. Not that she ever forgot, but she just never thought about it. She never thought about it until...
She dropped Liby off to collect the intel, and then drove off fast but in a smooth manner. She was content with her move in the new game, but maintained her seriousness as she kept driving back. For a second, she was distracted in what Lynn and Lincoln built together.
And she remembered it happened, that she was once in that spot. That she loved him, and he loved her back. Thar could've been her future, with him. The boy who was different than the others. He had heart, and, maybe due to being around one too many sisters, had a great sense of maturity. There were also the great times they had, and if anything, they built a strong friendship, even more stronger than their relationship. Hell, maybe that was the relationship.
She remembered that she would never be there again. And that drove her to hunt Lynn down.
She got the drop on her in a parking lot, outside of Royal Woods school grounds. She studied as much as she could gather on her. Ronnie Anne wasn't even a little surprised that Lynn had ended up as P.E. instructor. She used a bat for the job, sneaking up behind the unsuspecting Lynn as she made her way to her car.
"Hate you!" Ronnie Anne screamed with rage, raising the bat over her head and swinging it down with all her might.
Lynn was fast enough to turn but not to avoid the hard wood coming at her. The impact knocked her out, and that put a pleasing smile on the clouded Ronnie Anne.
She finished tying up the now useless daughter of the annoying jokester she wouldn't mind punching here and now. Then again, she did murder Lisa, whose lifeless body was waiting to be discovered during trash day. There was no need for loose ends in her great cruel scheme, and there was still not gonna be.
Ronnie Anne didn't need to tie the girl up to a chair; all she did was place the girl in a closet that only locked from the outside, where it was dark, and was bound to get hot the longer she was there, meaning probable suffocation. Next order of business was Lynn, who Ronnie Anne deemed as bait.
Lacy followed the path her map app had guided. She was on the opposite street, scouting around thr house. The lights were indeed on, but no silhouettes were moving behind the curtains. Did Liby get caught? Was she already too late? Lacy grew concerned, moving closer to the smaller house than the one she lived in.
The short athlete made her way to the window, peering through the curtains for any shadows. She then ducked down and checked her phone for any word from the prankster. She went on to shoot another text before the lights eerily flickered off at once, and muffled sounds rang off to give her a fright. Lacy circled around, looking for an entry inside.
And that was what Ronnie Anne anticipated. Lo and behold, the bloody mother of the girl sat motionless, still bound to the chair.
"M-mom?!" Lacy risked her element of surprise and ran up to her. "Oh, my god!" She immediately untied Lynn and carefully peeled back the duct tape from her mouth. She leaned her head in close to her mother's drooped face, relieving herself once she heard the faint breathing from the first athlete's nose. "Mom!"
Lacy slapped her, something she never believed she would ever do in this lifetime. The sound emitted was like a single firework going off on Lynn's face, and Lacy was able to feel it strongly.
Lynn's eyes popped wide open, and gasped around the cool environment she found herself in. "Lace- Lacy, what's-?" Lynn succumbed to the painful bruise she endured on her skull. The wound had stopped its bleeding by then, but the side of her face was still red, and dripped down the side of her face. "Who- Who was it? Who did this to me?"
Lynn had no inflicted damage on both of her arms or legs, but had taken a couple of blows to her stomach by the ruthless Mexican, so much that she felt like barfing up whatever would come out. "What are you doing here, Lace?" There was so much Lacy needed to finally tell her, and this is where she then finally had her eyes open; this wasn't a simple win-or-lose type of game. This was something way bigger, and spiralled out of control.
"Mom, I'll answer that later. I'll tell you everything, I promise, now we just have to-" Lacy was rightfully distracted by trying to help her badly hurt mom that Liby was almost forgotten in the mess. "Liby!"
"Li- Liby? The abom-" Lynn groaned before she could finish, and gripped her stomach as she wobbled herself to a stance. "I remember someone hitting me..."
"Mom, wait here, I'll be right back..." Lacy said with a mixture of fear and courage.
"Lace?" The curious Lynn had no idea what was specifically happening, but she knew danger wasn't too far away. "Lace, no!" But Lynn wasn't up for quick movements, and lost the race to Lacy, who had already entered the house and began her frantic search for Liby. Her shorts buzzed with the notification of a new text;
You'll have to find your friend, and fast!
No doubt it was from Ronnie Anne, the current holder of Liby's phone. "Damn it!"
Find her where? Around the house? Lacy looked around the living room. If I was playing hide and seek...
Lacy tried the closets first, then, if there was a basement, she'd go there. Luck was with her when she saw the unconscious comedienne lying inside the third closet she came to. "Libster!"
Lacy worked her magic on the poor girl, untying her and shook her rather than a slap.
"AGH!" Liby returned a horrific face and yell, and scratched Lacy's face before she could gather the currently new situation. "OH, LA-"
The sporty girl was the welcomed into Liby's arms, and allowed herself to be crushed to death for coming to her aid. "I'm glad you're okay! Did she- She hurt you, didn't she?"
"Not worse than..." Liby began. "Is- Is she-?"
"She's not dead, Liby..." Lacy felt so relieved to know that both Liby and her mother were fine, as fine as they were able to be. "Jesus, Libster, we really got into quite a pickle now, didn't we?"
"If only I could crack a food yolk," teased the prankster.
Lacy allowed herself to have this moment, and gave a hearty laugh along with Liby. "Where'd she go? Did she leave you there and run off?"
"That would make sense... What's gonna happen now? She's gonna shake up your family tree, Lace. I know we had nothing to worry about, but what if that's not true anymore? No... What if it never was? What if the two girls did wrong the whole time?
Lynn made her way inside, feeling the same disgust she had when she saw the other two illegitimate daughters of Lincoln. "What's she doing here, Lace?"
"Mom, she- I didn't mean to do this, I didn't know she'd-"
"Lacy..." Lynn felt the tone that sounded something like a confession. "Start-" She gagged a little, still feeling stomach tension. "You'd better start talking..."
Liby thought it best to stray from the pending mother-daughter talk, moving into the kitchen.
"Lacy, I'm not asking again. What is all this about?!"
And, like before, like those psst times she'd get into trouble with them, she was legitimately afraid of a natural scolding of the harsh, but loving mother. That's why she couldn't form words at first. Her mind was going off the charts, totally unfocused and nervous. "Mom, I'm- I'm so sorry..."
Lacy wanted so much to take everything back now.
"We'll talk later, Lacy. You can count on that... As for the girl-" Lynn had been promised by Lisa that Liby would be returned to Rennis. Clearly, there was more she had yet to be filled in of. "Damn it, my keys are gone..." Lynn tapped around her jeans, sighing with aggravated irritation. "Phone's also gone..."
"Here, mom. Use mine," Lacy offered. "Lib? Liby, where'd you go?"
The tall comedienne came back from the mess of a kitchen, jingling around some keys she bobbed around in between two fingers. "Did you see the van outside?"
"Hard to miss, Libster," Lacy answered. "Why?"
"She would've taken it if she ran off, right? And by the looks of it, she's not around."
"Who, girl? Who are you speaking-?" Lynn was called away by some hanging pictures she didn't closely notice. Most of them consisted of the entire Santiago family, smiling around next to each other in various backgrounds. Lynn understood what was generally going on in that instant. "Oh, my God..."
"What? What is it, mom?" Lacy wanted to know what the story was between them, now that it was realized that there was definitely true history there. "Who is she?"
"Tell me, Lacy. How do you two know her? Tell me right now!"
And so Lacy did, without a choice. Not that she earned one, with what she and Liby had done. "Ph- Photos, mom. She's the one who called you that day, and she wanted evidence of... Of your incestuous relationship with my father. I-"
"You... Didn't," Lynn softly hissed, outraged at learning this methodically perfect betrayal. "How, Lacy? How could you do such a thing?!" The urge to slap Lacy rose to exponential heights, but she tried harder to fight it off. "You both did this?"
"No, not this. We didn't know, we didn't know she'd kidnap and hurt you, mom. We didn't know this would happen."
"And what did you think woulf happen, Lacy?! This whole thing is beyond you, out of control. Now, call your father, we're taking Ronnie Anne's van. Come on, Lacy."
"Wait, what about Liby?"
"She stays here, not my concern-"
"Mom, she was tied up in a closet. She was the one who saved you, not me," Lacy protested. "She'll be in danger if Roxanne or whatever her name is comes back."
Lynn thought about it, then exhaled. "Alright, fine. Liby, was it? Go, get moving."
"Thank you..." Liby quietly said.
The three exited the house, still cautious about the hostile Ronnie Anne not too far away. Lynn had begun her call to Lincoln as they boarded the vehicle. Lacy took shotgun, leaving Liby in the backseat.
"Linc?" Lynn hoped she was able to drive in this condition, for she was barely able to keep up with Lacy. "Are you home?"
There was nothing in this world that was ever going to allow Lacy to take back and forget everything she had done for someone who had chose death than to live with the hard reality of her origination. All this, what was it worth?
"Lacy did something awful, Lincy. Ronnie Anne's involved. Come home soon, okay? I'm on my way now, I'll explain everything."
Lynn started the ignition after hanging up. "We need to find Ronnie Anne immediately. Any ideas of where she could be?"
Liby shook her head, unable to answer.
"So, she took you from Lisa, right? That's what I'm thinking."
"Yeah, she said I'd be able to remain. I didn't want to go back to Rennis, if I'm to be honest. So-"
"You're kidding me right?" Lynn wasn't able to see the logic in that. "You're a kid, how do you not want to?"
"Mom!"
"Because..." Lynn was hitting an all too familiar nerve Liby grew uncomfortable in. "I just wanted to stay around this... This new world I've only seen in television back-"
"New world? What, you mean you want to stay beyond the orphanage? That's-"
"But I wanted to with my family, and that means Lacy as of now. Aunt..."
That word, aunt, was one she didn't believe she'd ever hear in her life. To be called that, it felt strange, yet pleasant. Lynn felt something good inside as Liby kept talking.
"I just wanted what I thought I could have. I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for Lisa to use me as some object. She didn't care, she didn't care about me." Liby entered her gloomy mood and simply looked down.
Lynn had bought the play, and was feeling something like guilt before they were at halfway back home. "Geez, I didn't look at it like that. I figured you'd have it good there, you know?"
"I wanted to know more about myself, and this... This isn't anything like I'd hoped for. Who would've thought, Lupa and Lacy, my half-sisters, and we didn't know about each other's relation. Funny, right?"
"I mean..." Lynn groaned out. "Well..."
Liby used Lynn's loss for words to move down and silently cry. Her feet felt a soft, long object lying flat over the car floor on the backseats. "Huh?" She turned into a curious cat, zooming her face to wbat seemed like a rolled up carpet.
"What is it, Liby?" Lacy asked.
Ronnie Anne revealed herself and let out a hag-like scream, hitting Liby again. "LYNN!" She then lunged at the winner, placing both of her hands on Lynn's neck.
"Ack!" Lynn tried to keep her face on the road. "Ruh!"
"Mom!" Lacy flew into panic, backing into the corner of her side in the van.
"You took it away! You took my life with him! It was supposed to be me who won!" Ronnie Anne released Lynn only to slam her head back into the seat, and did so a few times after. "Disgusting! You there, don't try anything!"
Lacy simply raised her hands, complying in fear. "Don't hurt her, please!"
"You all are going to pay dearly for this!" Ronnie Anne wrapped an arm around Lynn's throat while making a grab at Lacy. "Come here, you little shit!"
"Lac-" Lynn frantically swerved the steering wheel, trying to shake off the psychotic Mexican. "Fahhhh-!"
"Drive steady!"
Lynn quickly pointed at herself. "Lahhhce! Huhhh!"
"Keep quiet! Go to the school, now!"
Lynn applied the brakes abruptly, sending the Mexican forwards. She fought back and returned the favor by biting into Ronnie Anne's ear and then elbowing her face after she realized the scream. Lynn coughed before starting again. "If you wanted a rematch, you should have come more prepped! I've always bested you, tacos!"
Ronnie Anne fell back, covering her mouth while bleeding from her nose. "Mmm!" She only grew more angry, and then jumped to the driver's seat, landing on top of Lynn. "YOU'RE DEAD!" The relentless Ronnie Anne cried out, shoving both hands onto the gas pedal as her feet went on to kick Lynn.
The car began to gain speed as Lynn tried to move her leg away from the accelerator. "Damn you, get the hell out-" She tried to push away Ronnie Anne's resisting feet away from her face. "Lacy, freaking help me! Get in the back and pull her from there!"
"M-mom!" The young daughter began.
"LACY, DO IT NOW!"
Luckily for them, the streets around were usually quiet and desolate at this time of night. They presented no apparent danger to anyone. Apart from themselves, that was.
Lacy made a terrified leap back into the backseat, joining up with the unconscious comedienne lumped down, but still hanging on by her seatbelt. "Lib..."
"NOW, LACY!" Lynn was still struggling with the wheel while shoving away Ronnie Anne's insane kicking.
Lacy grabbed ahold of one of the Mexican woman's legs and pulled with all her might. "Urgh! She smells!"
"I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT! KEEP DOING IT!" Lynn began to kick Ronnie Anne's hand with the one she was able to move. "FUCK OFF!" She took off her eyes in that moment, to take Ronnie Anne's arm and bit it as hard as she could.
"FUCK!" The Mexican reacted by pushing herself over the driver. "TOGETHER!" She turned the steering wheel quickly to the right, and forced herself off from Lynn. The van overturned as she jumped to the back and grabbed Lacy. "Shield me!"
"LACY!" Lynn unbuckled as the van began rolling, but wasn't able to reach Lacy with the unsteady movements.
Windows shattered, and much of the van took some damage, earning heavy denting around. Lacy felt several shards of glass cut into her face. "MOM! MOM!"
Ronnie Anne was still hidden behind the girl. The four of them were thrown around to be hurt enough until the vehicle had finally stopped rolling. They were upside down, rolled in between a lawn and the street pavement.
Ronnie Anne, who took less damage than Lacy, crawled through the window, limping. "I'll get all of you, I'll get all of you!"
Lacy, feeling horrible in the crash, brushed her face away with her arm. Several lines of blood marked on the arm, and she was practically disturbed by it. "Mom!"
She crawled to Lynn, who went quiet and motionless. "Mom, hey-!" She turned her mother's shoulders, and readied an arm to jumpstart a wake-up. But that was out of the question the moment Lacy gazed upon her.
A large piece of glass had dug itself into her eye, creating such a sight not suitable for her eyes. The wound, a dark red one, was gushing out Lynn's blood before her daughter. "M-mom?" Lacy gave her a poke, and wasn't sure what this was. She had never seen death face-to-face before, so there was that, and the scars it came with it. "Mom," she said, shaking Lynn's head now. "No, please..."
Ronnie Anne peeked over, and saw to it that her rival had now finally died here. "She cheated, kid. This has been a long time coming." Ronnie Anne took out the photos she folded in her pocket and dropped them on the ground. "I guess that's that..."
Lacy cradled her dead mother, crying. "Don't leave- Don't leave me, please!"
"Huh?" Liby came back to, but found herself in a different situation. "Oh, God, my leg!"
"Li- Liby! Liby, are you okay?" Lacy sobbed.
"Yeah, I'm- Hey, what's the crying ab-?" Liby then stopped. "Oh, my God, what happened?!"
Ronnie Anne kicked at the overturned car. "I happened..."
"You'll pay dearly for this!" Lacy screamed.
In Lynn's pocket, Lacy's phone had begun ringing. She pulled it out slowly, seeing it was none other than her father. "D-dad?" She answered, with the still-yet quaking voice. "Daddy, I'm- I'm hurt real badly... Send help. It's mom- Sh- She's-"
Ronnie Anne backed away nervously. "Damn it! One day, we'll meet again, Louds. Count on it!"
Liby watched the shadow of the cruel Mexican begin to drift out of view. "Hey, hey, get back here!"
"I- I'm so sorry, dad..." She coughed with guilt, trying to keep from breaking down. "Please hurry."
Liby crawled out of the car, bruised and scraped on some parts of her body. "Ow! Lacy? Get out of there."
"H- Help me, help me take my mother out-" Lacy sobbed.
Liby went to the driver's side and budged open the door. "Alright, alright, how is-" Liby bent down and saw for herself that Lynn wasn't harmed, but rather dead. "Oh!" She stepped backwards, and then fell from the shock of it.
"Liby, please," the athlete commanded.
"Oh, my God, Lace..." Liby slowly stood up once again, and went to help drag Lynn's body out of the van, amidst the intense shaking at the horrendous scene. "Aw, God..."
Lacy bawled her eyes out, letting her wails go higher as Liby grunted with her pulling. "Ah, she's- So- Heavy!" Liby set the body leaning against the sidewalk.
"M- M- M-" The crying daughter stuttered uncontrollably, finally deciding to come out of the overturned van. "No!"
Liby left Lacy to grieve, falling silent besides the fallen Lynn.
Wrong. They were wrong, and it was here that Liby had understood it. "Lace..."
A pair of headlights closed in from distance away, approaching the girls eerily. "Huh?" Lacy was dazed by the pair of lights. "W- Who's that?"
The second car stopped right at the scene, and Lincoln quickly rushed out after seeing Lynn.
Lacy only felt even more like absolute shit at seeing how heartbroken her father's face expressed. "D- Dad... I'm sorry-"
"LYNNIE!" Lincoln dashed to the lifeless corpse, and then embraced it in his arms. "NO, NOT YOU, PLEASE!"
Lacy approached her father carefully, feeling a possible barrage of intense screaming about to burst from his mouth. "D- Dad..."
Lincoln wept into Lynn's jersey, and then lightly set it back down. He eyed Lacy, through the watery, red eyes he developed. He then walked up to her, while Liby kept spectating.
"Dad, I- I can't even-" Lacy expected some sort of punishment, a truly god-awful one for this. And moreso when she'd have to explain the complete mess to him.
Instead, he hugged her tight, which was a surprise for Lacy as she did not believe she earned it with all that she allowed and accepted. But maybe it was something she needed. "I didn't know, I promise, I didn't know..."
They stayed formed in their hug, while Liby was left wondering what was going to happen from here on out. The three sank into the night, as everything was calming down, as much as it was able to.
Days Later
Liby returned to Rennis after everything was cleared up. They had to say this was a random kidnapping, and nothing was dug deep enough to uncover the clear connections, apart from Lisa Loud, who had a different alias known by her fandom, being found dead at the motel. Wherever the suspect was, she sure as hell was wanted all the way around, and this marked the Louds safe.
Lincoln hid whatever evidence suggested otherwise, to prevent the incestuous connection from being discovered, meaning the texts from Lacy's phone and the photos Ronnie Anne had decided to leave behind after it was realized her petty revenge had succeeded.
The funeral for Lynn was mostly filled with her students and the school staff who knew her, and Liby was invited, once Lacy persuaded to her father that she had helped Lacy rescue Lynn and herself from Ronnie Anne.
Lacy and Liby were the only two there, because they had to be there. Lacy had yet to finish her everlasting mourning, but her tears had stopped for sure.
"It's all my fault," Lacy uttered once more. "I killed her. I killed my mother."
"No, Lace. She died trying to fight off our attacker. She loved you, Lace. I'm sure of that."
"I want to take it back. It's not fair, at all. I need her."
"I know I can't say anything to relieve you of your pain and what you're feeling, but I'm sorry, and you can't beat yourself up. We both did wrong here, and... I feel guilty that I played a hand in leading ourselves to this. I care about you, and you're a real great friend to come rescue me. Of course I'll be there for you. We're in this together, and we always will be."
"I'm going to miss her, Libster," she whispered.
"I know you will, and as she was my aunt, I will too," Liby further added. "I'm glad I've been allowed to attend. Normally it's against the orphanage policy but they cut me some slack when they knew enough. And Lupa..." Liby gave a second to pause. "They're mourning her, and she has yet to be buried. Funds aren't high to bury her, is what I've heard."
"Oh..." Lacy simply replied. "Hey, um, how are you holding up? I'm sorry this isn't what you wanted."
"It's the same, but there's not much, really. I'm not in any peril, so that's something, right?"
"It's something good, yeah. I'm glad you're doing okay, and you know I'll try to visit you, alright? That's a promise, Libster."
Liby gave in to a semi pseudo smile, while still having all the recent troubles on her mind. "At least I can watch my mother's old videos back home. Pity my phone was never returned, but all of aunt Lynn's belongings were left in her car."
Lacy chuckled a bit, keeping her eyes locked on the grave. "Ha, yeah, that's a bummer. But, you know, I'm glad you found some answers about your biological parents."
"Well, yeah, I mean, it's not the best, but it's... It's fine, right? I see where I get my love of hijinks and pranks."
"I wish Lupa was here. She's one of us, too," Lacy said.
"We could've been a trio. I can see it now, the daughters of sin living about."
"Daughters of sin? Interesting label for us..." Lacy had the desire for fairness- And the need for it didn't just apply to games and sports. The three, all products of incest, and Lacy was the one rewarded for breathing. The fact, the only fact she let slip was that there was the huge difference between her and the other two; Lacy was the planned child of two loving parents, who knew it wasn't legal, but did so anyway. They not only loved each other, but also adored their little Lacer-beam throughout her life. "All I can wish for is that damn... Whatever her name is, getting caught by the police."
"I want the same, as well. She wanted us dead, and- Is the history even still relevant at this point?"
"No, the past should've died. My fault for digging..." Lacy sighed deeply, and Liby gave her a good patting. "Whatever the reason was, we shouldn't bother in finding. We're alive, and I wanna keep it that way. All the skeletons in the closet aren't worth our lives."
"I agree," Liby replied. "So, I've to go back soon, by the way."
"That's fine, dad'll give you a ride back." Lacy finally stood up, ready to leave. "Well, mom..."
Lacy waved her final goodbye to the grave. "...I'll miss you."
Liby shed a single tear but wiped it away, and strolled off with Lacy away.
Epilogue
Lacy waited when the intruder began to move into the creaky hallway. She knew who the primary suspect could very well be. She wasn't scared as much as she was before, but she still shook. The footsteps stopped, followed by the openind of her door.
She had anticipated such a thing, and it happened sooner than she believed. All this while dear daddy was working overtime now.
Ronnie Anne was pleased to have eluded the cops and gain a further step in her conquest of vengeance. She spotted the hidden Lacy under the covers of her bed. "I've got you know, you little demon!" The insane woman sported a kitchen knife in her hand, and then pulled at the covers with the other hand. "Ha, I've got-!"
Underneath, were just a pile of clothes, arranged to look like it was Lacy.
"What the-?"
"This..." Lacy was actually concealed behind the door, when Ronnie Anne barged in. She gripped a bat tightly in her hands, and crept up to the Mexican woman.
Ronnie Anne turned around in full surprise. "You!"
"This is for my mother!" And Lacy swung the bat into Ronnie Anne's face.
AN: Thus concludes SotS, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when writing. Ah, I just wrapped this today, on Christmas Eve. Ah, how annoying it was to have such little time! Anyhow, it all tries to revert back to how it was before the poem was found, which Liby still had hidden away in her room back at Rennis.
I'm very satisfied with all that I've received for this, which was beyond this site, to add. There are indeed a whole lotta viewpoints in this fic, which I feel are strong enough to be felt and seen. There's the whole Lynn and Lincoln thing getting together, which serves as a form of hypocrisy in a way, and the three daughters of sin know what they are, as well as how they came to be. Of course, Liby and Lacy made sense of everything after, well, you know.
It wasn't just a quest to avenge the dead Lupa, but that's basically the base of much of what this fic is founded on.
With that being said, this is officially my final fic of 2017. Starting off fresh with The Twisted Case of Lynn Loud, followed by a Luaggie and another DoS story. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!