Not much really Rated M material here but a few words that might get under some people's skin. So Rated M just to be safe.
Also, I went back to the original story and changed some things. Nothing too big or major, just some spell checks.
And can you guys believe that it's been five months since I posted the original story? It's crazy.
"It's been two years since my brother left town, leaving every past sin behind him..."
Lucy Loud, now twenty-three, looked down into her journal while nipping her pin with her teeth.
She sighed not out of the inability to think what to write about, but wether she should just spill her feelings to another person.
Lucy leaned back on her recliner and looked at the ceiling.
She then looked to the right at her side table and saw her cellphone lying face down.
She immediately thought of Lincoln. It's been so long since she spoke to him on the phone. The last time she heard his voice, Lincoln told her about his upcoming wedding with Girl Jordan. That was about ten months ago.
Lucy recounted the day she found her brother with the woman he loved. She still found it funny that Lincoln didn't think of concealing the one thing that would've immediately exposed him.
Lucy's just glad that out of all of the family members who could've caught him, it was herself.
A part of her still felt the need to confess the truth to her family about Lincoln's actions. Yes, his marriage with Ronnie Anne is atrocious and one-sided, it still wasn't right for him to go behind her back like that.
Besides, what difference would it of made if she did tell everyone? It wouldn't improve squat.
But she also remembered how he begged her to not reveal his sin to the family. Not out of fear of the pain he's garanteed to receive, but out of Girl Jordan's safety.
So she agreed...
Days later, Lincoln packed whatever he could including a large sum of money he kept for himself and ran off while everyone was out of the house.
Everything was a mess after that.
Most of the sisters tried anyway they could to find out where Lincoln went but found no luck.
Lucy managed to convince Lisa to not disclose where their brother ran off to if asked by anyone...with a price, of course.
Lucy remembered how Ronnie Anne acted so broken up when she found out that Lincoln left.
But she was fine the next day with her side guy who she loved more than Lincoln anyway.
Her kids, Bobby and Reina, were happy that not only the buzz kill they know as their dad left, but Chandler can now move in. The only thing that Ronnie Anne hated about Lincoln being gone is now coming down to her cleaning the house and staying home with the kids.
They pretty much forgotten about Lincoln.
Her family all reacted differently so to say. Ways that Lucy wanted to write down in her journal until she found herself holding her phone.
Air exiting loudly through her nostrils, Lucy dialed the number only she knew, brought the phone to her ear, and waited for the ringing to end.
Suddenly, the ringing stopped and a voice sounded on the other phone.
"Hello?" a male voice answered.
"Lincoln. It's Lucy." she replied.
A few seconds passed before Lincoln spoke again.
"Lucy! It's been so long! How have you been?" Lincoln asked with such happiness.
"Fine." she replied.
"You've never answered my texts or calls in a while. I was getting worried about you." he said with concern.
Lucy rubbed her arm.
"I-I just wanted to be with my own company for a while. Sorry." Lucy apologized.
"It's fine. We've been busy here as well. Getting ready for the baby and all can rea-."
"Wait! Baby?" Lucy asked in shock.
"Oh, yeah. Jordan's eight months pregnant! And it's going to be a girl." Lincoln replied with glee.
Lucy smiled.
"How is Jordan?"
"Great. She's a nurse down at the hospital. I still do animations but for another show now. Even...if our family never watched any cartoon I helped draw, I still wanted to be safe." Lincoln explained, a hint of sadness at the last part.
"I'm...sorry that not even our parents thought that what you did was interesting." said Lucy.
There was silence on the other end.
"How are they?"" Lincoln asked.
Lucy scowled.
"What?" she asked.
"I know. You ask why I want to know how our terrible family is doing. But that's the thing... they're still my family." Lincoln signed.
Lucy sighed with him.
"You know...I was actually thinking about calling you about this." Lucy admitted.
"Heh. Nice to know that you want to keep me informed." Lincoln chuckled.
Lucy grinned.
"Anyways, Mom and Dad are fine. They still disowned you for cheating and completely disregard why you did it. They acted like you were incredibly ungrateful for everything, but they barely speak of you now which isn't really surprising given how you weren't a winner to them. But besides, they have other reasons why they don't have you on their minds anyways." Lucy said with a snicker.
"Why's that?"
"For starters, Lori and Bobby divorced."
"WHAT?" Lincoln yelled through the phone.
"Okay, so Bobby didn't like how you left his sister. And for some reason, he found this as an excuse to divorce Lori. I really don't blame him but I never understood why his life revolves around his sister's feelings. Anyways, after the divorce, Lori won custody of her favorite children while the kids she saw as losers stayed with their dad. But she didn't stop there."
"What did Lori do after the divorce?"
"Given the kind of person she is, Lori immediately went to social media and bad-mouthed Bobby. Saying things like how he only loved her for her body or how he was a dirty cheater. Her social media accounts were terminated by multiple reports not long after. She eventually got over it after playing victim for a full week and now lives next to mom and dad in the house that used to belong to Mr. Grouse before he died." Lucy explained.
"Typical Lori. So what about Bobby?"
"Remember Carol Pingrey? She's now Carol Santiago."
"Really? I thought that she and Lori were friends."
"No. Lori just pretended to like Carol just so she can find out why she took better selfies than her. But Carol is a better mother to Bobby's kids than Lori ever was." said Lucy.
"What about her kids?"
"The ones that are living with Bobby and Carol pretty much forgot about her. The ones living with Lori really despise her."
"Lori's own kids hate her? I really didn't see that coming." Lincoln said with a hint of sarcasm.
"And every time Lori is around her "Little Winners", she always mentions about how they'll allow her to live with them and take care of her. They all roll their eyes when she isn't looking." Lucy said with a little laugh.
"But I can't help to feel sorry for her, knowing what it's like for your own kids to pay you no mind." said Lincoln
"She has brought all of it on herself. And no need to feel sorry for her because she also posted some nasty things about you online as well. Saying how everything that has happened is your fault and that you're dead to her." said Lucy.
There was silence on the other line. Lucy then heard a sigh.
"I wasn't really expecting Lori to change. What about Leni?" Lincoln asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Leni's doing great! Her fashion line is still going strong, her marriage is stable, and she's surprisingly a great mom. Our parents are even surprised that she had made it this far." said Lucy.
"...I miss her." Lincoln said with a sigh.
"She misses you too. Leni wasn't too proud when she learned that you left without a trace but hopes that you're having a great life. Most of our other sisters have come to their senses as well, accepting that you left because of your bad marriage." Lucy explained.
"Huh. Anyways, what about Luna? Still facing the cops over drug use?"
"Okay. I'm about to tell you something that you won't believe. Remember what Kanye West did years ago?" Lucy questioned, sounding happy for some reason.
"Voted for Trump?" Lincoln scowled
"No. Luna pulled a complete 180°." Lucy corrected.
"...Meaning?"
"Luna became a Christian." Lucy revealed.
Lucy could hear Lincoln gasp.
"R-Really? How?" Lincoln asked with uncertainty.
"This actually happened a few months after you left. You see, Luna overdosed after her bands nightly drug session and was on the brink of death. She managed to pull through but it changed her. It's like almost dying finally lit the bulb in Luna's brain. Her doctor just so happened to be a christian and gave her a Bible to read if she was interested. So with that, Luna was a different person. She swore off drugs, went to rehab, took every piercing off of her body, got every offensive tattoo removed from her skin, and started making songs about glorifying Jesus."
"Woah... This is hard to take in. Wait, what about Sam?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh... They are no longer a thing. You see, Luna tried to tell Sam about her change and how she wants Sam to join her so she can live a better life as well. Well Sam's an atheist, and not the agnostic kind. So Sam told Luna how she would never join her brainwashing cult and left the band. Luna was heartbroken but she soon moved on."
"Darn. So what kind of Christian is she? Like the kind that hates same-sex marriage?"
"More or less. You see, Luna explained to me that she doesn't hate anyone who's homosexual, but she doesn't support their relationships. She says that everyone, whether it be different color, race, gender, or sexuality should be treated equally. And you know, I've never been religious myself, but I completely accept her new ideals. She isn't hypocritical and doesn't act like she's "holier than thou" either."
"Wow. But what about her political views? Because we both know that she was very left."
"Luna said that she really doesn't want her life to be focused on politics. But she will act in God's name if needed." Lucy answered.
"Dang. Never have I ever thought that I would see the day where Luna quotes scripture."
"I know, it's crazy." Lucy smiled
"But what about her music?"
"Like I said before, Luna now makes Christian music. To be expected, she lost most of her fans and some of her band mates when she announced her changed life. But she got new ones who adored her music. Heck, she has far more than she did before!"
"Seriously? I'm...proud of her." said Lincoln, sounding gloomy.
"Luna also misses you, if you were wondering. She wasn't happy when she learned that you left, but she said that if she could see you again, then she would wrap you in her arms and squeeze you tightly. She also prays for your safety." Lucy explained, hoping to cheer her brother up.
"I'll think about contacting her later. Is her phone number the same?" Lincoln questioned.
"Yes. So is the rest of our siblings. Though, there are still few of our sisters who you should really avoid contact with." said Lucy.
"I can see that. So if that's all for Luna then tell me about Luan."
"Well Luan and Benny are still married. Their daughter is healthy and growing. Luan really hasn't changed much, her jokes are still cleaner than the ones she used to tell when we were kids."
"Oh, thank God! Remember when I was thirteen and you were ten, Dad took a road down to the lower east side of town where crime is more common? Well Luan decided to "lighten the mood" by telling a joke about black people as we passed by a group of black men."
"Her window was down as she was saying it too."
"I'm glad that nothing bad happened to us. But I remember seeing one of those guys looking our way after Luan told the punchline. Thankfully, Dad was already driving off."
"It's a good thing that Luan has matured with age. Which is great because I would've hated it if her daughter was like how Luan was."
"I was surprised with how good of a mother Luan turned out to be."
"We all were."
...
...
"Does...she miss me?"
"Of course. I mean, she is still mad about how you just left like that but she accepted why you did it. Luan sees how bad Ronnie Anne really is."
"I wonder if she even wants to hear my voice anymore." Lincoln said sadly.
"I'm sure she does." Lucy attempted to reassure her brother.
"Right." said Lincoln, not sounding convinced.
Lucy wanted to cheer Lincoln up but couldn't think of anything until a certain sister popped into her head.
"I know what to say that'll lift your spirits." said Lucy
"What?"
"It's about Lynn."
"No thanks. I would rather talk about anyone else but her." Lincoln argued.
But Lucy added on anyways.
"Lynn's sporting career is no more. Her name is now mud." Lucy replied happily.
...
"Oh, that. I remember hearing something about Lynn on the news but didn't pay attention to it. I heard that she was fired but assumed that it was from one team or something." said Lincoln, sounding confused.
"Yes. As it turned out, Lynn has actually been using steroids to make herself more better at sports. Has been ever since she was thirteen." Lucy explained.
"That explains so much. Tell me how it all went down." said Lincoln, showing interest.
"Someone found out and leaked proof of her use of supplements all over the web. An investigation went down and a batch was found in her gym bag. So she was fired from every sport team across America." Lucy replied.
"Every sport team? She probably wasn't happy."
"Furious. There's a video online containing footage of Lynn trying to beat up some officials who were confiscating every trophy in her name. A video taking place after shows Lynn screaming like a madman as security carried her out of the stadium past her booing ex-fans."
"They confiscated her trophies?!" Lincoln said in surprise.
"Correct. Then there were other videos online of the people who were once fans of Lynn, kids who looked up to her, throwing away or burning every piece of merchandise with her name or face on it. Jerseys, Posters, Signed Baseballs, you name it. Even our old school which was famous for being the place where Lynn learned and grew up made sure to get rid of every reward, plaque, and anything else won by her. Even old sport team photos were re-edited so she would no longer appear. Everyone sees her as a disgrace."
"Gosh...I wonder why Jordan and her family never came to talk to me about this." Lincoln muttered in shock.
"They probably didn't want to push the wrong buttons, assuming they know how big of a jerk she was." Lucy replied.
"You're probably right." said Lincoln
"And that's not all, Francisco had no idea that his wife was a cheater and divorced her like how Bobby did Lori. Their son was heartbroken because he really looked up to his mother who he now sees as a fraud. Francisco got remarried to Margo Roberts who is a far better wife and mother to both boys. She punishes Lynn's son when he needs it and puts Francisco in his place when he tries to stop it. Yep, that kid will turn out better than Lynn!" Lucy replied happily.
"Did she try to defend herself? Prove her innocence?" Lincoln asked.
"She did but what she said was crazy. Lynn said that Lisa was the one who's been supplying her with the drugs for years and the proof is in her lab at home. But nothing relating to the ingredients of the steroids was found. Lisa even showed her activity log and work videos from 2016 to now. So Lisa was innocent and Lynn was made out to be a dirty liar. I have no idea why Lynn would think that lying on Lisa would've worked, she would never do anything for us at all." Lucy explained.
"...Where's Lynn now?" Lincoln asked quietly.
"Oh, she's back at home with mom and dad. They were very disappointed in her but still took her in anyways. And even if dad doesn't admit it, he really regrets naming Lynn after himself. All of our sisters, and mom, look down on her now, even the others who are just as bad as her. And she now works with at Flip's old store because he's the only one willing to hire her. Every time I get a chance, I walk in there, grab a Flippy, and look into her eyes when I pay her. And as I do, I remind her of all the terrible things she has done to all of us and explain to her that this is karma. She gets so angry but knows that she can't do anything because that will lead to her getting fired and she needs that job. Her face gets so red to the point where she starts crying!" Lucy says with full on amusement.
"Lucy, that isn't funny!" Lincoln argued.
Lucy was taken back by her brother's outburst.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.
"Just because Lynn was a jerk, that doesn't mean you can make fun of her like that. She lost her career, her marriage!" Lincoln barked.
'Why would you care? She did nothing but bully you ever since we were young, she even blames you for her life being ruined even though you had no hand in it! She hit you, tortured you, insulted you, and got you kicked out from that stupid luck thing. Remember?" Lucy fired.
"Oh, I remember. I also remember that you also treated me terribly during that time. You never took my side and followed Lynn like a sheep just like the rest. You're no better than her!" Lincoln fired back.
Lincoln heard Lucy's breath stop over the phone.
He then heard Lucy beginning to whimper and cry.
Lincoln took a deep breath.
"Lucy...I'm sorry. I shouldn't of said that. Yes, I believe that Lynn got what she deserved but we don't need to make the matter worse. She set herself up to fail and we can't just kick her while she's down like that. We have to be better than her. Okay?" said Lincoln somberly.
"Okay..." Lucy sniffed.
"And I was wondering if you would go apologize to her?." Lincoln suggested.
"Apologize? For what? Just forgive her just like that?" Lucy growled.
"Apologizing to someone and Forgiving someone is two different things. But you don't have to do it if you don't want to." Lincoln elaborated.
Both were quiet for a few seconds.
"Moving on: How's Lana?" Lincoln asked, hoping to change the subject.
"She's fine like always." Lucy replied, drying her tears.
"Is she still working at that auto shop?" Lincoln questioned.
"No, she actually opened up her own sometime ago and it's slowly reaching the ranks of Royal Wood's #1 Auto Shop." said Lucy
"Wow!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"And she and Skippy are now engaged. Their wedding is only a few weeks from now." Lucy added.
"Little Lana getting married. What a world." Lincoln said, sounding depressed that he will miss it.
"She also wishes to see you again. Now more matured, Lana saw what you went through and felt terrible about it." Lucy revealed.
"I'll give her a call eventually. I really miss that little mud rat." Lincoln chuckled.
"And she's doing far better than her twin, that's for sure!" Lucy exclaimed.
"What? Something happened to Lola?" Lincoln asked.
"She got what was coming to her just like Lynn." Lucy replied.
"What happened?" Lincoln asked again, growing impatient.
"Like how Lynn's steroid use came into light, it turned out that Lola has been secretly blackmailing the pageant judges for years so she can always win." Lucy explained.
"How did anyone figure it out?"
"Like I said, similar to Lynn, someone posted audio clips of Lola making phone calls to the multiple pageant judges explaining that if they don't let her win then she will reveal their dirty secrets. Along with that was her online history where Lola searched the judge's names to find the dirt on them in the first place. And to top it all off, some people who went to school with Lola came forth and explained how Lola used them just to get by in school."
"And I thought we were the only ones getting blackmailed by her." said Lincoln.
"Yeah. So Lola was banned from every pageant in the country with all of her titles and trophies taken away from her, the only thing not taken from her was the money she earned from the past. Every social media account who followed her online immediately unfollowed Lola except for the creepy guys who think they have a chance with her. And her high school diploma was considered useless so Lola has to get her GED now." said Lucy.
"I bet she didn't like that. Wait, did she have any confrontation with the police? Because I've read enough Ace Savvy to know that blackmail is a crime."
"She did. She was originally going to be sent to prison for two years but our parents came to her rescue, of course, and begged the judge for an alternate punishment. So Lola was sentenced to community service for a long period of time. She finally completed her service" Lucy explained.
"I assume Lola tried to lie her way out, huh?" Lincoln questioned.
'Yes but her lie was the same as Lynn's. Lola claimed that Lisa was the one who dug up all the dirt on those judges but Lisa was once again proven innocent. So Lola lives back at home like Lynn but instead of working at Flip's, Lola got a job at Burpin' Burger."
"You don't go there just to make fun of her, do you?" Lincoln asked accusingly.
"No, I've never found Lola to be worth my time. But I've seen her work and she's terrible at it. Always wining about having to touch a greasy spatula or how she reeks of beef." Lucy giggled.
"Poor Lola. She was so sweet as a baby but grew up into a monster." Lincoln groaned.
"But there was some good to Lola being caught. It turned out that a large majority of the judges were arrested because most of them were actually pedophiles. So if Lola's secrets was never revealed then those judges could've remained around little kids." said Lucy.
"Well that's good at least. But what about Lisa? Because both Lynn and Lola tried to lie on her to save their own skin. Did anything happen to her?" Lincoln asked.
"*Pffft* No. Lisa is still the emotionless hermit we grew up with. She has no friends, no relationship, and no life. She just stays in her room all day and only comes out to eat or use the bathroom. And she's been making more contraptions ever since Lily moved into her own room. Our parents should've made Lisa come out of her room but they never did and look how it is now. They barely know anything about her except that she's intelligent, the second-to-last child, and one of the few sources of income that kept us all fed over the years."
"Well how did she feel about everything that has happened to our siblings? She must've had something to say."
"Well the last time I visited the house, I spoke with Lisa and she reacted to each sibling in her own way. She said that she isn't surprised that Lori got a divorce, she admitted to be surprised that Leni lasted this long in life, she groans and rolls her eyes as Luna's newfound faith, saying that it was bad enough hearing her music but now she will hear Luna quoting scripture, she has really said nothing about Luan, Lisa admitted that Lynn and Lola got what they deserved, and she's impressed that Lana has her own business now. The only people besides Luan who I don't know how Lisa thinks of is Lily and I." Lucy explained.
"Well what about me? Has Lisa ever mentioned me in anyway?" Lincoln asked, hoping that Lisa at least remembers that he exists.
"Believe it or not, yes. Lisa admitted that out of all of our siblings, you were the one she tolerated the most." Lucy replied.
Lincoln gaped.
"Really? I mean, I know that's not much to other people but I see that as a compliment from her." Lincoln smiled over the phone.
"Other than that, she's still the same. Now I assume you want to know about Lily?" Lucy asked.
"Oh, of course! How is the little ray of sunshine doing?" Lincoln asked happily.
"Hm. I see that you're eager to hear about the youngest sister." Lucy pointed out amusingly.
"You bet! Lily was different in more ways than one. She never treated any of us wrong and none of us ever gave her a hard time. I wonder what she's been up to?" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Well Lily's eighteenth birthday is coming and she only has one year of high school remaining before graduating, marking the final child of the family to finish school."
"Well Luna dropped out and Lola cheated her way through, so technically not every kid finished school." Lincoln interrupted.
"You know what I mean. Anyways, she has found a passion in art, like you. And also has a thing for purple clothing. She's kind, generous, and smart, the three things I wish the rest of our siblings were like." Lucy explained.
"Is she dating anyone yet?" Lincoln asked, really wanting that tea.
"Well she did have her eyes on Ronnie Anne's cousin, Carlitos, for a short while. That was until she learned about what RA did to you that led to you leaving everyone. So Lily assumed that Carlitos wasn't right for her and she stopped crushing on him. It was probably for the best." said Lucy
"Wait, so Lily knows about all the things that have happened?" Lincoln asked.
"Affirmative. At first, Lily thought that you were a no good cheater after you left. So she tried to make it up to Ronnie Anne by offering to babysit her kids every blue moon. As time passed, Lily saw how bad everyone acted. She saw how cruel and manipulative everyone in that house can be to each other when it benefits them. She eventually came up to me and asked what happened between you and Ronnie Anne and I told her the truth. So Lily finally put two and two together and saw how bad Ronnie Anne and her new husband, guess who, really is. Lily feels bad for not knowing the truth before and wishes that she didn't despise you for that short amount of time." Lucy explained.
"I feel bad too. Leaving without saying goodbye like that. Does she baby sit for them anymore?" Lincoln asked.
"Not since Chandler flirted with her one time." Lucy responded.
"WHAT?!" Lincoln shouted.
"Your anger is justified." said Lucy
"Did that rich freak touch her? I swear to God, if he did then I'm going to his house and chop off his d-"
"Fortunately, no. He just tried to butter her up is all. Lily explained that she's not interested, collected her pay, and left." Lucy jumped in.
After taking a minute or two to calm down, Lincoln spoke again.
"Did she tell our parents? Anyone?" Lincoln questioned hastily.
"She told mom and dad. I guessed they believed her because I heard that dad was arguing over the phone with who I believe to have been Chandler. I'm not so sure what happened next but I assume that our parents finally see that the Santiago siblings aren't as good as they make themselves out to be." said Lucy.
"I'm surprised that Chandler didn't try to bribe our parents in order to sweep this under the rug. What about Ronnie Anne? Did she have anything to say about it?" Lincoln wondered of his ex.
"Haha! What do you think? She loves that d-bag to death!" Lucy laughed.
"Of course...You know? Long before I decided to leave, I actually tried to make our relationship work. And if not that, then being there for our kids instead." Lincoln sighed.
"I believe you. I also believe that any love she ever had for you died at the age of 12. You've done everything for her and worked your butt off as she went shopping daily using your bank account. She left you to clean, cook, and take care of the kids on your own without so much as a thank you. You know what she's doing now? She just spends everyday at home now with the kids now that they make far more money because of Chandler inheriting his father's business. Oh, and are Bobby and Reina even your kids?" Lucy asked.
"Yes, one hundred percent. I remember the night they were conceived and the day they were born. I wanted to make sure they didn't go through what we did growing up and made it clear that they can depend on me. Sadly, their mother spoiled them rotten. I can make a guess that none of them remember me, right?" said Lincoln.
"That's...correct. They don't even speak of you. Ronnie Anne and your two kids would rather have a cheap rich boy with daddy issues other that a hard working man with a heart of gold. It's their loss, not yours!" Lucy vented.
...
...
...
"I miss my kids!" Lincoln sobbed.
Lucy was surprised but was expecting for her brother to be like this.
"Lincoln?" Lucy asked.
"I should've been better!" Lincoln cried even harder.
"LINCOLN!" Lucy yelled.
"You've done all you could to give them a happy home and they failed to recognize that! You gave them love and support and what did they do? They crumbled your love up like trash and tossed it away. You have to move on for Jordan and your new baby on the way! Give them the love that your old marriage didn't want." Lucy continued, hoping to knock some sense in her brother's head.
Lincoln sniffed before taking a deep breath.
"You're right. I need to move on. I will be strong and care for my new daughter while keeping my other kids in my heart, even if they no longer care about me. Thanks, Lucy." said Lincoln
"Any time, big brother." Lucy smiled
"You know? You've told me a lot about everyone throughout our call but you haven't gone into full detail about yourself. So how are you, Lucy?" Lincoln asked, interested.
"Me? Not much. Still single, living in the same apartment, and about to graduate college." Lucy replied, sounding bored.
"That's something! But I feel like you're not telling me everything. Some things had to of changed with everything that had happened." Lincoln pressed on.
Lucy was silent for a short time.
"Well, seeing now that most of their 'Star Children' aren't as spectacular as they originally believed, except for Luna and Luan, they are actually trying to make conversation with me." Lucy answered.
"Really?" Lincoln asked, sounding amazed.
"Yes. They finally show interest in my hobbies and career choice. It's almost like they finally see how unfair they have treated most of us and are trying to make up for it. They even talk to Leni and Lana like normal people now! And I don't mean to brag, but I heard mom saying how she wished that Lynn was like me instead." Lucy explained, definitely bragging at the last part.
"That's incredible!" Lincoln marveled.
"They even talk about you..." Lucy said all of a sudden.
Lincoln's heart stopped.
"They did?" he asked, sounding confused.
"I wasn't fully honest with the part out earlier when I explained to you how they're doing now because I just didn't think that you would believe me. At first, mom and dad said how they wish you could've been better yourself, mentioning you leaving. I defended you by revealing everything you've been through ever since you were young to you becoming an adult. They were hesitant at first but it all slowly started to sink in that what happened could've been avoided if they just been good parents. Of course, I left the part out about Girl Jordan." said Lucy.
"So...they miss me then?" Lincoln asked, his voice containing a small spark of hope.
"I'm pretty sure. Of course, they aren't happy with you just disappeared like that but knowing the truth, they feel like they have a hand in it. They do want to try and apologize but they just don't know how, you changing your phone number and all." Lucy explained.
Lucy could hear Lincoln's shallow breathing through the phone. She could tell that he was trying to register everything he was told.
"Wow. Just wow." said Lincoln dumbfoundedly.
"Do you want to talk to them?" Lucy asked, really curious about Lincoln's answer.
"I-I don't know. I've spent my whole life trying to impress them only to be seen with little interest. They only ever truly payed attention to me if I were in trouble or none of our popular siblings were in the house. And the fact that they never had my back when I needed them! Why should I even bother giving them any mind when they barely did the same? I should just ignore them like they did us all! but..." Lincoln argued, now his voice mellowed.
"But?" said Lucy.
"But I still love them. Even if we didn't have the best relationship, I still care. I won't promise that I will give them a call, but I will think about it." said Lincoln
"Maybe call everyone else too? It's a shot in the dark, but maybe we could-"
"Try and rebuild our family?" Lincoln conclude.
"Yes." Lucy replied.
"Huh, that will be difficult. Lori and Lynn won't be easily swayed." Lincoln pointed out.
"True, who knows? But that was a small idea I had. You don't have to go through it if you don't want to." Lucy replied.
"Mmh." Lincoln grunted
Both were quiet for a few seconds.
"Well, Lucy. I had a great time talking to you. Please call again!" Lincoln begged.
"O-Of course!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Heh. Alright, I'll talk to you soon. Goodb-"
"Lincoln, wait!" Lucy called her brother's name in a hurry.
"What? Is something wrong?" Lincoln asked surprised.
"...Remember earlier when you said that I was no better than Lynn?" she asked shyly.
Lincoln sulked in guilt.
"Lucy.. You know I didn't mean it." said Lincoln
"You were right." Lucy replied.
"What do you mean?" Lincoln questioned.
"That time you ordered noise canceling earbuds: I knew of Lola's plan to get back at you and I didn't warn you because I was mad that you showed no sign of sharing them with me." Lucy explained.
"Lucy..." said Lincoln
"And the time you were labeled as bad luck: I never believed that you were bad luck in the first place. I only went along because I thought that our family would accept me." Lucy continued, her voice cracking.
"Lucy." Lincoln called again.
"And the years you were forced to date Ronnie Anne: I just watched as your life was slowly destroyed and did nothing to help you!" Lucy pressed on, now crying.
"Lucy!" Lincoln called once more, this time a little louder.
"I've done nothing for you and yet here you are, talking to me on the phone like you still care about me. You can give up the act now, Lincoln! Just tell me you hate me and this can be over with!" Lucy sobbed.
"LUCY! STOP TALKING!" Lincoln yelled.
Lucy's breathing was uneven as she sniffed and cried some more.
"I don't hate you. I've never hated you! You act like I was so perfect growing up but you know as well as others that I wasn't! The earbuds I bought for myself because I wanted a break from the constant noise, I wasn't thinking about everyone else who had to deal with it. That whole bad luck mess was my fault! I should've ignored Lynn instead of feeding her paranoia! And I'm glad that Ronnie Anne and I were in a forced relationship! You know why? Because I wouldn't of married Jordan if things didn't turn out the way they did. So thanks Lucy for not intervening because you helped me find ah happy future for myself!" Lincoln fussed.
Lucy sniffled and wiped her tears.
"Why?" she croaked.
"Why what?" Lincoln asked, calming down.
"Why did you ask me to not tell anyone about you and Jordan? Where you just desperate and hoped that I could keep my mouth shut like I always do? Or did you actually trust me?" she asked.
Lincoln was shocked by the question.
"Of course I trusted you, Lucy. Why wouldn't I? You're honest and compassionate and I'm glad that it was you who found me that day and not anyone else. I know this because out of all of our siblings, you are the most trustworthy." Lincoln argued.
"*Sniff* Thanks, I needed that." said Lucy.
"You're welcome. And please don't doubt yourself again." said Lincoln
"I promise." Lucy confirmed.
"And I may call Luna or Leni tomorrow. And if things go well, we could try your idea." said Lincoln
"That would be nice." Lucy responded.
"I love you, Lucy." said Lincoln
"I love you too, Lincoln." Lucy replied happily.
With that, both hung up.
Lucy sat her phone on the table next to her chair, leaving the goth to her thoughts.
After almost an hour of thinking, Lucy decided to make a trip to Flip's.
Flip's Food & Fuel
Lynn Loud Jr sat behind the counter at Flip's doing what she always does.
Stare off into space, imagining herself still playing professional sports.
She misses standing in the middle of the open field with the stadium lights shining down upon her as her fans yell and rejoice her name.
But some snitch found about her medication and blabbered to everyone on the internet, ruining her career.
Then she was fired and her trophies were confiscated.
Lynn remembered pleading that it was Lisa who made her the drugs since she was thirteen years old yet that nerd managed to cover her tracks! Lynn knew that when she got caught, Lisa wouldn't fall with her. Stupid traitor.
Lynn believed that those "officials" had no right firing her.
Yes, she was juiced. But she also led the teams onto multiple victories and they had the audacity of kicking her out.
Lynn laughed at the thought of those teams failing without her and very soon will be crawling on their knees, begging for Lynn to come back and carry the team like she always had. They could even through in a check for something close to a million dollars while they're at it!
And Francisco divorced her? Who does he think he is?
She now hears that he got remarried to that Margo she went to school with. Stupid b-
Ding-Ding
The bell rings as the door to the store is opened.
Lynn looks to her side to see Lucy coming in the store.
Lynn groaned.
Lucy has been making fun of her ever since she started working here. Lynn knew that the wrist slasher was just jealous that she is ..was.. living the good life until everything fell apart.
Lucy made eye contact with Lynn and just stood there.
The goth then turned right and went towards the flippy machines.
Lynn hated Lucy because she's weak.
But she also hates Lincoln more.
He was wimpy and could never take a hit.
And she doesn't know but Lynn knows for a fact that his bad luck costed her life. Even if she has no proof on that claim.
But she knows it was his fault.
It's his fault that Lynn had to move back in with her parents!
It's his fault that Mom and Dad are disappointed in her!
It's his fault that Lynn constantly gets sour looks from everyone in town!
It's his fault that the schools she went to disowned her!
It's his fault...that her son isn't with her anymore.
Lynn knows that her son is still able to visit on weekends and holidays but that's not the point. She was training him to be the best athlete so he can take her place when she retired one day. Now he'll grow up to be a mediocre sports player because of Margo. That long nosed punk could never go the distance like her!
Lynn noticed Lucy walking up to the counter.
The ex-athlete knew that Lucy had some smart comment to say to her knowing that Lynn couldn't do anything out of fear of her being fired again.
But Lynn didn't care anymore!
When Lucy says whatever insult that comes out of her dead fish lips (I see you've yet to experience your first kiss, huh? you dumb noose lover!), she would knock the jerk onto the ground and give Lucy something worse than the black eye she got at the age of eight! Flip could shove it! Cheap a-hole.
Lucy already had the correct change ready and handed it to Lynn.
Lynn took the money and placed it into the cash register, eagerly waiting for Lucy to say something she'll regret!
"Lynn..." Lucy began.
Here it comes!
"I'm sorry."
IT'S PUNCHING TI- ...what?
"What?" Lynn asked, looking up at her sister in confusion.
"I'm sorry for making fun of you these past few months. It was wrong of me to treat you like that. The reason why I did it is because I wanted to finally get back at you for all the times you bullied me in the past. I'm not saying that I forgive you, we have a while before that arrives. But I just hope we could be sisters instead of enemies." Lucy explained.
Lynn didn't know what to say.
She looked down and noticed Lucy reaching her hand towards Lynn.
She wanted toe jock to shake it.
Lynn wasn't sure what to do. For once in her life, she just didn't know.
So instead of saying anything, Lynn placed her hand onto Lucy's, one gripping the other, and gently shaking hands.
"I'll come back another time. See you later, Lynn." Lucy smiled (forcefully) as she grabbed her flippy and left the store.
Lynn watched as Lucy walked off and disappeared into the distance.
Lynn sat back at her desk, staring off into space once more.
She didn't know why Lucy was so nice to her.
But for whatever reason, Lynn felt...
Better.
Half an hour later. The Loud House:
Lucy entered her childhood home and after greeting her parents, she walked up the stairs.
As she was about to reach the top, a blonde girl in a Burpin' Burger uniform zoomed past towards the bathroom. Lucy recognized the woman to be Lola who got home a few minutes ago.
"EW! EW! EW! I smell like grease and raw meat!" Lola cried, running into the bathroom and starting the shower.
Lucy couldn't help but to smirk as she walked towards a room onto the right belonging to Lisa.
Lucy gently knocked on the door and waited.
"Come in." a voice replied from the other side.
Lucy turned the knob and entered the bedroom, seeing Lisa working on a complicated machine.
Lisa looked over and stared as Lucy with a face of boredom.
"Greetings." Lisa greeted.
Lucy nodded and closed the door behind her.
Lisa placed down her tools and took off her goggles.
"What brings you here, elder sister? Here to have me knock another sibling down a peg?" The genius questioned.
Lucy tensed.
"lower your voice!" Lucy whispered.
Lisa waved her hand.
"Fear not. This entire room is soundproof. Haven't you noticed the decrease in the amount of times our family have woken up in the dead of night caused by a loud explosion?" Lisa questioned.
Lucy shook her hide left and right.
"I haven't been living here for almost three years already." Lucy replied.
"Ah, yes that's right. So why are you here? Feeling guilt for paying me to expose Lynn's and Lola's secrets to the world?" Lisa asked while wiping off her glasses.
"That's not why I'm here." Lucy answered.
"Good. We both know that they deserved it after all." Lisa concluded.
Lucy nodded in agreement.
"And you managed to hide your tracks perfectly." Lucy added.
"It was simple, really. Now, what brings you here?" Lisa questioned, putting her glasses back on and staring at her sister.
"Do you miss Lincoln?" Lucy questioned.
Lisa scowled.
"Lucy. You know how I am with human emotions." Lisa reminded.
"I know, I know. But do you at least wish to see him again?" Lucy asked again.
Lisa looked down and contemplated the question.
The scientist looked back up to Lucy.
"To tell you the truth: Lincoln was one of few siblings who I actually tolerated. Lori was rude, Leni was...slow to put it kindly, Luna was loud, and so on. But Lincoln was the only sibling who attempted to show interest in what I did even if I never did the same for him. He always asked how my day was, made sure if I wasn't feeling down, didn't talk to me only because he wanted something, and made a PB&J the way I prefer it to be made. And above all else, he doesn't see me as an emotionless hermit."
Lucy froze.
Lisa just described herself the same way she did when talking to Lincoln earlier. It must be a coincidence.
"Does that sound familiar to you, Lucy? That is the same thing you told Lincoln on the phone." said Lisa, eyeballing Lucy.
Dang it...
"You were tapping the call?" Lucy asked in shock.
"I have no idea why you're so surprised by that revelation. Just like when you learned that I placed trackers in you all." Lisa commented.
Lucy rubbed her arm awkwardly.
"I..didn't mean anything by that remark." Lucy apologized.
"No worries. I hold no ill will towards your comment. You're right, actually." Lisa reassured.
Lucy scowled under her bangs.
"I am emotionless and can be a bit of a recluse all my life. But that doesn't mean I can't have an out of character moment on rare times. Why do you think I didn't give away Lincoln's location two years ago?" Lisa asked.
"Because I begged and payed you to keep it under wraps." Lucy replied, unsure of where Lisa was going with this.
Lisa chuckled with a small smirk. Something that is both rare and kinda creepy.
"No. I could've just told everyone that Lincoln ran off with Girl Jordan because I wanted to see how the events would've played out, but I decided not to. That was when you came along and 'convinced' me to keep it a secret. I saw not only your dedication to keep out brother safe, but we both knew that this was right for him." Lisa explained.
Lucy thought back to that day and something popped up into her mind.
"Wait. You were going to keep his whereabouts safe anyways and didn't need my money?" Lucy asked, sounding very annoyed.
Lisa looked at Lucy dead in her eyes.
"Exactly." the prodigy answered before reaching into her nearby desk and pulling out a ziplock bag with cash in it.
"I didn't even spend any of it. You can have it back." said Lisa as she tossed the bag over to Lucy.
Lucy grabbed the bag.
She then looked back at Lisa.
"You know? All I had to eat until my next paycheck was toast and tomato soup because I gave you this money?" Lucy growled.
"I was going to give it back, but I was caught up in other things." said Lisa, almost like she was making a quip.
The smartest Loud then continued talking.
"Back to before: I felt like repaying Lincoln's kindness to me, even going as far as to sneak some extra money into his bank account from time to time."
Lucy was surprised by what she just heard.
"I know that I haven't been the best of siblings but I accepted who I am. I did some things that most of you wouldn't agree with and even attempted to preform experiments on you all without your consent. But I wouldn't do anything that would cause your deaths." Lisa continued.
"Really?" Lucy asked, surprised that Lisa had some type of restraint this whole time.
"Correct. For starters, not even I enjoy the idea of getting involved by the authorities, And also, I may be emotionless, but I'm not a monster." Lisa concluded.
Lucy placed a hand over her mouth. She has never seen Lisa open up before.
"I'm sorry... I used to see you like that when I was younger. I always thought that if I told anyone about the tracking devices then you would do something to me." Lucy apologized, feeling bad for how she doubted Lisa.
Lisa shrugged.
"To be fair with you, I did give off the impression that I would do such a thing. But like I said, it's simple to hide my tracks." Lisa responded.
Lucy nodded.
Seeing that she's done here, Lucy turned and headed for the door.
"And to fully answer your question, elder sister-" Lisa began.
Lucy turned back to Lisa.
"In my own complicated way, I do sorta miss Lincoln." Lisa replied with a small smile.
Lucy was astonished.
She dropped the bag of money and hurried over to Lisa and wrapped the scientist into a hug.
Lisa's eyes widened as Lucy's arms tightened around her.
"Ummm...Lucy." Lisa called.
"This is weird for you, isn't it?" Lucy asked, sounding embarrassed.
"Most definitely." Lisa replied.
Lucy released Lisa from the hug with a blush on her face.
"Sorry." Lucy apologized.
Lisa patted Lucy's shoulder.
"Baby steps, elder sister. Baby steps..."
Lincoln sat his phone down and sighed.
He scratched the small hairs on his chin.
"That was one heck of a call." a woman cracked.
Lincoln looked over to see his wife, Jordan Loud, standing at the door frame with a hand resting on her swollen belly.
In one month, they would be parents.
"Is everything alright, dear?" she asked her husband.
Lincoln recalled the first day they ever met in elementary school. After Ronnie Anne moved to Great Lakes City, the two to together until they were forced to split apart. Jordan was heartbroken that day.
Years later, they came into contact again.
Jordan was shocked that Lincoln was trying to have an affair with her and Lincoln agreed that it was wrong but he just wanted to be with a woman who actually loved him. Lincoln explained everything as to why he wanted to be with her despite already married and that's when their relationship re-started.
But Lincoln knew that if anyone found out and told his sisters, then there would be a high chance that Jordan would've been killed, Lincoln doesn't deny it.
So they planned to leave to a state or two away from Michigan, anything to get away.
Lincoln eventually met up with Girl Jordan's parents and told them of their plan.
At first, they didn't like that their daughter was with a guy cheating on his wife. So Lincoln told them everything about his own wife cheating on him way before their wedding and how he wasn't allowed to divorce her, so the next best thing was to run away.
Lincoln also showed the parents proof and they felt sorry for Lincoln.
And reluctantly, Jordan's parents agreed to help them move. But the condition was that they had to move to one or two states away from Michigan so they wouldn't be so far from potential grandchildren.
And the rest is history.
As they finished their move, Lincoln and Girl Jordan were married.
Girl Jordan also asked her friends still living in Royal Woods to keep the secret that Lincoln is her husband.
Now, the woman he loves, and who loves him back, is bearing his child.
Lincoln smiled.
"Yes, honey. Everything's fine!" he replied happily.
The End.
So this is the end, I hope you all enjoyed. I originally wasn't going to make a sequel but a lot of people asked for one on the previous story so I did it for you all. I most likely wont be continuing this story because I feel like it ends well here. But I might decide to do a one-shot one day, who knows? If anyone wants to continue this on their own, like Lincoln and Lucy rebuilding the family, then go for it.
I do want to go over one character, however, that being Luna. I know that a lot of people on this site aren't christian and don't believe in God and some of you won't like how I developed Luna but I wanted Luna's story to go this direction, it felt right. Besides, it was either this or Luna was going to die of a drug overdose like I originally planned.
And to make one thing clear to everyone else one last time, I don't hate Ronnie Anne as a character. I don't ship Ronniecoln as much as I used to, but I don't hate her. I just wanted to work with the Mean!RA Cliche in stories like this.
MC, out!