"Stunning news today, as a total of one-hundred-eighty-two individual arrests were made this morning. Including the famous designer Victoria Grace herself. The charge? Kidnapping, conspiracy of murder, money laundering, aiding and abetting, and more to come. Judges have agreed that the severity of these charges need to be addressed immediately. Bale has been denied, and the courthouses have a busy weekend ahead of them. This is Katherine Mulligan, watching closely as new details come to light."
Leni sat back into the couch, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"So that's it?" Rita wondered, worry still present. "She can't… get us?"
"Assets frozen," Lori reported, "And they're confident that they caught everyone directly involved with criminal activities. She has no money, and no thugs at her disposal."
"What about the "Deal" you two made?" Luna asked Leni. "Didn't that mean anything?"
Leni looked down, feeling ashamed.
"Crime families might have honor, but that doesn't mean we play by their rules," Lori justified. "She's a thief, and a murderer, and just unstable in general. We did what we had to do."
"I guess," Luna shrugged.
Lincoln piped up, "But she was running the prison with all those criminals. Who's going to watch over it now?"
Nobody answered. The sisters, unsure of what the new day would bring, gathered in the living room with their brother and parents. They were all seemingly waiting for the same things.
Leni hadn't gotten the chance to check with Luan. She sat away from them, on the couch, with a laptop in her lap. She typed and clicked on the screen, seemingly avoiding the older girl. Leni was too aware that the first thing she did when they rescued Luan was happily reporting the thumb drive had been recovered. And by putting Lana at risk, no less. How was Luan taking all of this?
"Kids?" their father called out, he stepped into the living room and paused. "Everyone's here? Good. There's something your mother and I need to talk to you about."
Rita got up and stood with her husband. The two looked at the group of kids.
"We decided to take the Casagrande's up on their offer," Lynn Sr. announced. "We're going to be staying with them until things calm down a bit here."
"WHAT?!"
Everyone rushed them with questions, bombarding the two adults with outcry. Leni's heart tied itself into knots.
"Now, now," their dad spoke over them, "That's enough. It's just not safe here at the moment. The restaurant isn't going to be finished in another month and a half, and school isn't starting back up until next year. The Casagrande's have an extra floor for us to live on, but it's cramped. We're going to be spending the day packing some essential items. And only the essential stuff. We can always come back later."
Everyone looked at each other, unsure.
"Come on everyone," Rita encouraged. "Up the stairs. Your father and I will be along in a minute to help you pack. That means a month's worth of underwear, Lincoln. No recycling."
"Lynn's worse than me," he complained. "Why do you gotta call me out?"
Everyone solemnly climbed the stairs, except for Leni and, oddly, Luan. When Lori saw that they hadn't moved, she hung out by the stairs, letting everyone pass her.
Luan got up with her laptop and sat next to Leni.
"Here." She handed off the device.
Leni looked at the screen, her eyes absorbed the screen, but she wasn't retaining what she was seeing.
"What is-?"
"It's a donation page," Luan explained. "I know you need money, so I thought this would be a tasteful way to… get funds. Lisa helped set up the bank account link and security."
"How?"
"I do run a business, you know," Luan folded her arms. There was something to her words. Something underneath it all.
"People won't be able to donate more than fifty bucks a week. No advertising. No bull-crap. So… there."
She got up and made her way to the stairs. "I got to go pack and update my webpage again. Not that anybody cares."
"Luan, wait," Leni got up to follow her. She had to stop to set the computer down. "Please."
Luan paused, her foot on the first step.
"I…" Leni struggled to think of where to begin. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to protect you, and I-"
"I know what you were supposed to do," Luan suddenly turned on her. "I get kidnapped and tossed around like a salad, while you fly around doing whatever you want. You weren't even out to save me! You're whole plan was to keep your stupid video! But it all worked out in the end, so what does it even matter?"
"Luan," Leni pleaded. She was starting to tear up. "I didn't… I wasn't trying to…"
"Yeah, whatever." Luan dismissed. "You get whatever you want. And everyone ignores me. Same as always."
Luan stormed upstairs. Lori looked between the two girls, giving a look that showed she was just as disturbed as Leni was, and followed Luan upstairs.
Leni thought back to the other night. Did she even ask if Luan was okay? She landed on that rooftop, and she got everyone home. She handed the cops the thumb drive…
She can't remember.
Am I really that self-absorbed? Leni wondered. That I really can't even be bothered to check?
"Leni, sweetie," her mom reached out. "Go upstairs and pack."
Leni blinked. "I… I can't."
"Don't worry about what Luan said," her dad advised. "We'll talk to her. Now go upstairs and-"
"I'm." Leni fought to say the words. "I'm. Not. Leaving."
"What?"
"Honey, what are you-?"
The tears started to flow now. Leni's fists were balled.
"I did this," she said, "I did everything. So that we could be safe. I didn't want to leave my home behind!"
"It's not safe here, honey."
"Yes, it is!" Leni begged. "I fought so hard, so that we wouldn't have to do this!"
"This is not a debate, Leni. Go to your room. We'll be up to help you in a minute."
"I'm responsible!" she begged. "I'm responsible for everyone in this city!"
"That doesn't matter anymore, Leni," her dad said. "We need to protect our family now."
"This is my job!" Leni continued. "I have a... a responsibility to the people out there! They're all counting on me!"
"No. It isn't." her mom dismissed. "Not anymore. No child should be risking her life like this."
"No one should be afraid to go outside!" Leni argued. "No one should have to be scared of... of bad, awful people trouncing around without anyone to stop them!"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Rita waved her hand. "Go to your room."
Leni stared at both of her parents. Both of them unmoving in their decision. Leni flew up the stairs, passing Lori coming down the stairs, and shutting her bedroom door behind her with a slam.
She dove under her covers, burying herself in her blankets. She sobbed. She released a flood of sadness that she couldn't label. She felt like a brat. Like a child throwing a tantrum. She didn't want to leave.
She didn't want anything to change.
She couldn't tell how much time had passed, but she felt a hand press on her blanket.
"Hey, Leni?"
Leni didn't move. She didn't want to be seen. She wanted to disappear.
"Leni."
The blanket was pulled back, Leni turned to the intruder, seeing her little brother.
"Hey," Lincoln said. "You mind the company?"
Leni didn't answer, but she scooched over and sat up in her bed. Lincoln took a seat and got under the covers with her.
"Heard you had a fight," Lincoln noted.
"Hm." Leni grunted. She laid back down, bringing the boy down next to her. She hugged him like a teddy bear, which he allowed.
"You okay?" the boy wondered.
"Just… stay here a while," Leni instructed.
Her mind cleared enough for her to drift off to sleep.
This couch smells funny. Eh. Can't be bothered with it. Someone else will take care of it.
That person just glared at him. Whatever. He'll leave. They always leave.
The TV is losing the image to static again. It'll pass. Probably. If it doesn't, he'll just take a nap. Someone else will fix it in the morning. While he's out.
He's hungry. There's food in the kitchen, but he has to get up for it. Ugh. Not worth it.
Aw crud. Now he has to use a toilet. What a pain. Well, the couch smells weird anyways…
SLOTH!
He flinched. There he goes again. Every night, with the threats and demands. It'll go away eventually. Honestly. This would drive a lesser man crazy.
Get over here this instant! You lazy, slimy sack of-
The voice paused suddenly. Sloth took the second to lazily swat a fly away.
I understand your motivations. You want to rest, to have all your worries disappear. If you help me, I will reward you. You will want for nothing.
Want for nothing? Sloan didn't know what that meant, but it sounded pretty good.
But he has to get up first?
"Aw man," he complained. "What a pain."
He shifted his feet for the first time in days. He placed weight on them and stood from the indention in the couch. He looked lazily across the room at the doors. He took one lazy step, and then another.
Now, dammit. Now!
Sloan zipped across the room, knocking everyone in his way off their feet. He was outside and down the street in the blink of an eye. He'd be at the boss's location at some point in this morning. Maybe before the sun can come up if he pushes it.
Leni sucked in air through her nose. She lifted her head in the direction of the noise. Lily was awake.
Her brother had disappeared from her hold, no doubt asleep in his own bed. Leni pulled herself out from under the covers and stretched her arms over her head.
Lori wasn't in bed. Odd, but not her immediate concern.
She drifted out her bedroom door and down the hall; her toes barely grazed the carpet.
There was a light on downstairs. Her parents' voices, going back and forth. Lori's too. She kept going. She didn't feel like arguing any more than she already had.
She cracked the door to the nursery, seeing Lily awake and fussing. Lisa was on her side, still dead to the world. The Loud house was a host of heavy sleepers.
Leni stepped in and made her way to the crib. With the parents downstairs, they probably don't realize Lily is awake right now. They keep the baby monitor in the bedroom, and they rely on Lori the rest of the time.
"Hey, Lily," Leni whispered, grazing her fingers on the baby's stomach. "What's wrong?"
Is she hungry? Did she need a diaper change? Did it even matter?
Lily was already so much bigger than last year. She's almost at making half formed sentences. Yet she didn't explain what was wrong through the tears on her face.
"Come on, Lily," Leni hefted her up, holding her over her shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong."
It only gets worse, you know. Soon you'll be in middle school, where you'll be judged every second of every day, which lasts till your last day of high school. You'll have to fight for the right to work. Then you'll have to fight to not die of exhaustion. Then, if you have the energy, you'll have to fight to be treated like a human being. Taxes. House payments. Climate change. Corruption. Politics.
Oh, and you'll be fighting our parents, apparently. Since they're the ones with all the good ideas.
Save the tears, Lily. You'll be needing them later.
Leni felt all of those thoughts rest on the bridge of her nose. She hung her head and tried to shake it all loose.
"No." she spoke to herself. "That's… that's not right."
"Eh?" Lily prompted.
"We're both just grumpy," Leni swirled from side to side, patting Lily on the back.
"The truth," she said aloud, "The real truth; is that hope can be the hardest thing to do sometimes. Hoping that things will get better seems so… useless. But it can. And it will. Maybe not tomorrow, but we'll get there. I promise."
She hugged the baby close, and she hugged her back.
"I'm going to keep trying," Leni continued. "I'm still going to be… the best person I can be. And I'm going to hope that's enough. That's… all I can do."
Lily burped over her shoulder and seemed to settle down. Leni patted her back.
"Right," she agreed. "That's what I'll do."
She rocked Lily until she drifted off to sleep and set the little girl down in her crib.
She made her way back to her own room, all her negativity subsiding for now.
"Leni?"
Leni looked back and saw that Lori had stopped at their doorway. She looked tired. What time is it anyways?
"Could you-" she hesitated. "Would you mind coming downstairs? Mom and Dad want to talk to you."