When the Loud sisters split up to begin their search for Lincoln, Luna backed away from Lori and Leni, her confidence already shattered from them bashing on her and convincing her that it might be too late to fix things. Instead, Luna went with Luan and Lynn Jr. to supervise them. Lori couldn't help but notice that Leni appeared to be slightly disoriented. If she wanted to talk to Lori, she would have surely spoken up by now. Being the good sister she was, Lori decided to start a conversation with with her.

"Hey, Leni," Lori said awkwardly. "Is everything okay?" She didn't know what to ask her blonde sister, but knew that even a simple question was better than no question at all.

"..."

"Yeah, I know. I understand, Leni. This whole thing must be so hard to swallow, for you especially. But... you know you can always talk to me... right?" Lori assured her sister. Out of the corner of her eye, Lori saw Leni turn her head a bit to her.

"I...I hate them... all of them," Leni said, giving a small shock to Lori, as she wouldn't expect her sister to act that way. Lori knew that hate was a strong word, but it seemed that Leni meant it.

"I know you do and there's no excuse for what they did," Lori said. She was about to add something else, but Leni fully turned to her with puffy red eyes and fresh tears running down her cheeks.

"I failed as his sister, Lori!" Leni cried. "After you left, I was supposed to fill in the mantle! I was the oldest daughter in the house! I was supposed to be like you and hold the line!" More tears flowed from her eyes. "But I'm not like you..."

"No, Leni," Lori started. "You aren't like me. You are my sweetheart sister that always wants the best for everyone. Just like... Lincoln... in a way."

"I am?"

"You don't need to be like me, Leni. You just have to be yourself. If anything, I kind of wish that I was more like you," Lori said while comforting her sister.

"Why? I'm just a dumb blonde that everyone laughs at," Leni said, staring at the ground.

"Leni, would a 'dumb blonde' have handled being a manager of a clothes store at a mall?" Lori asked Leni. "Would a 'dumb blonde' learn how to drive in just a few days?" Leni's head tilted up a bit and she showed a small smile.

"True. Thanks, Lori. I needed that friendly reminder," she said gratefully, receiving a small hug from Lori. They continued their search on the wonderful streets until Lori got an incoming call from her mom.

"Hey, Mom," Lori answered.

Hey, sweetie. Any luck?" Rita asked.

"Sadly, no. How are the little ones doing?" Lori asked over the phone.

"I guess it's going okay," Rita answered. "Although... Lucy is just following silently, the twins have barely said anything and Lisa... Well... she's just being Lisa."

"I see," said Lori with a sigh. "Leni and I will keep looking until we return. Thanks for calling."

"Okay, good luck. Love you," Rita said. There was a bit of silence, like she knew what Lori would say to her.

"Love you too, Mom," Lori said quickly before hanging up. The more Lori and Leni continued to walk through the large city, the more Leni's face shifted and it got to the point where Lori was compelled to ask again.

"Leni, are you all right?" Lori asked while glancing at her sister, who gave her a small nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Leni as convincingly as she could muster. But Lori could tell that she was lying, having shared a room with her for the longest time.

"Are you sure?" Lori asked, trying to press on. Leni looked down.

"I gotta use a restroom," she said. Lori thought it was something more serious.

"Then let's go find one," Lori said, looking for a place that would have one.

"But we'll be wasting time!" Lori complained.

"What, are you thinking like Lynn Jr. now?" Lori had raised her voice a little. "If it helps, we're wasting our time as we speak. Let's just get you to a restroom." Lori grabbed Leni's hand and dragged her to a nearby restaurant that would definitely have one. This restaurant was one those fancier and more expensive ones, like the kind people would go to for a honeymoon or a special day or occasion. It had a very classic style to it and many couples were seen inside enjoying their dinners. When they stepped inside, a bell went off, which alerted a maître d'.

"Ah, bonjour, ladies," he said politely. "Could I perhaps get you a table?" Lori shook her head.

"Sorry, we're not staying. My sister here just needs to use the restroom. Is there one?"

"But of course, mon amie," replied the maître d'. "Right over there." He pointed to the right corner of the restaurant where two doors led to separate restrooms for men and women. Leni went on ahead while Lori stayed put. With nothing else to do, Lori found herself examining the fancy restaurant, her eyes scanning every corner. But while waiting for her sister to return, a word coming from one of the couples snuck into her ear.

"...Lincoln." That name practically made Lori jump and look in the direction she heard it from. But she then thought it might be referring to someone else, so she ignored it. It would have been too good to be true, right?

"I feel like we talked about him enough as is, but... I feel bad for that poor boy," said the male. "He's been through so much. I'm just glad our little girl found him." However, this dialogue arose Lori's suspicions on the slight chance that this could be her brother they were mentioning, so she slowly crept up on the couple and listened in to calm her mind.

"He did say to you that he'd give it some thought to getting the police involved," said a feminine voice to the man who was her husband.

"I have been waiting for him to come to a decision, but..." The man trailed off, catching the suspicion of both his wife and Lori.

"But?"

"I got a call today from Officer Schoffner back in Royal Woods and there are rumors about what happened." Lori froze to the bone when she heard her hometown being mentioned. There was no doubt this couple was talking about Lincoln. The stars had lined up too perfectly.

"Meaning it won't be long before the police get involved anyway," said Kate, getting a confirming nod from her husband.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Still, there's one other thing that I just thought of."

"And what's that?"

"Unless there's a bad history in his family, maybe getting the law involved might not make too much sense at this stage," said Jack. "Would you agree?"

"Possibly. In a case like this, it would be up to the parents to dish out proper punishment to their children."

"That's if they've been capable of properly disciplining them. Among the rumors, it's been said that they haven't. We'll have to see what the police have to say about any of this. It may also depend on how much the boy tells them and odds are, he'll talk if there really has been a whole history of abuse against him.

"Jack..."

"Hey, look at it this way, honey. At least Lincoln won't have a bad conscience if he does screw his family over." His response left the mouths of both Lori and Kate agape.

"Come on, Jack," said Kate, trying to keep things quiet. "You can't say that."

"Again, that depends on how things are," said Jack sternly. "Already seven of Lincoln's sisters partook in driving him away from home, so if that's of any indication, it's possible the law will see fit to punish the family however necessary. You should know this." Jack turned to reach for his fork to resume eating, but spotted Lori staring at them out of the corner of his eye.

"What do you want?" he asked, catching her red-handed. "Wait... you weren't... listening, were you?"

"I-I was wondering if... you were talking about... t-the same person," Lori answered sheepishly.

"Who?" Jack asked. He and Kate got a better view and noticed a similarity. But it wasn't until Lori confirmed it that Jack understood.

"Lincoln... Loud." Lori took a deep breath. "He's my brother." There was silence cutting deeper into Lori more than anything could. Jordan's parents looked at each other for a short second before Jack stands up.

"We've said too much," he muttered. "Honey, it's time for us to go. The kids are waiting." He left some money on the table and proceed to walk away with Kate. But another hand grabbed his shoulder.

"We have to find Lincoln... Please." It was Leni, having finished using the restroom at around the time Lori was caught, but had managed to avoid being seen herself.

"This might not be the best place," said Kate. "Jack... we'll listen to what they have to say." An audible sigh escaped Jack's mouth.

"Alright," he grumbled. "Let's talk outside." The four left the restaurant, with Lori and Leni keeping their eyes on Jordan's parents, wondering how they knew of Lincoln to begin with. One thing was for sure, though - Lisa had assumed correctly that Lincoln had in fact gone to New York City. They headed into a forest, Leni and Lori thinking that maybe Jack and Kate wanted their upcoming conversation to be somewhat private.

"Look, we've walked long enough. Can you just answer if it was my brother you were talking about?" Lori said, who got too impatient, but Jack and Kate didn't answer. Instead, they asked the Loud sisters a question.

"Do you know what place this is?" said Jack.

"A... park?" said Leni, unsure what answer Jack wanted.

"This is the spot where my daughter, Jordan, found your brother, all alone and far from home," Jack said. Both sisters' eyes widened and a certain chill went down their spine.

"Wait... Jordan?" said Leni. "Lincoln's friend from school? Girl Jordan?"

"She told my wife, who told me everything he told my daughter, and trust me when I say that I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Seven sisters all gained up on their only brother just because only one among them could be selected to be a new roommate. You're lucky that your brother somehow still cares for you. Honestly, I'm surprised that Lincoln wanted more time to think about getting the police involved, but it might not matter at this point, not when the police of Royal Woods know everything." While the lucky ones bore no responsibility, but it made sense that any kid would want to get out of an abusive situation, even if it meant getting as far away as possible, regardless of anyone not directly involved.

"Look, our sisters never meant to hurt him-" Lori started, but was immediately cut off.

"Not meaning to hurt him is a far cry from not hurting him at all," retorted Jack. "Also, you failed to mention your parts. Are you saying you're not responsible?" This struck a nerve with Lori.

"Listen here," Lori snapped, pointing at Jack. "I wouldn't dare lay a finger on my little brother! I wasn't even home at the time, so I wasn't responsible for what happened and neither was she!" Lori had pointed at Leni, who had more tears falling from her eyes. At this point, Jack came to realize something.

"Wait a minute... What's your name?" Jack asked seriously. Lori was unsure why he wanted to know, but she answered anyway.

"Lori, Lori Loud," she said, calming down a little. "And this is my sister, Leni." Jack thought back to their brief talk in the restaurant, but Lori expected him to at least respond. "Why did you want to know?"

"Lincoln spoke of you," said Jack. "Gimme a sec." He gave the others some space and proceeded to pull out his phone and make a call.

"I'm really sorry about my husband's behavior, but this is a serious matter," said Kate.

"No need to tell us twice," said Lori. "No offense. Damn, I told Mom this might not have been a good idea."

"So your family is here, then. All of them."

"Mm-hmm," said Leni through her tears.

Back at Jordan's house, the two kids were still in Jordan's room, watching the animated series Spectactular Ace Savvy while eating snacks. They were both cuddled up next to each other covered by one blanket.

"This is so comfy," said Jordan, practically half-asleep. Subconsciously, she found her head resting on Lincoln's shoulder and she winced upon realizing what she was doing. She looked embarrassed while Lincoln looked confused, but he realized what happened in that moment.

"It's okay, Jordan," he chuckled slightly. "I don't mind." His smile killed her embarrassment instantly. She got a little closer before cautiously laying her head on Lincoln's shoulder again. Only one eye kept her awake, but she was afraid of falling asleep on him because she tended to snore. Jordan... Lincoln soon grew tired himself, letting out a small yawn and placing his head next to hers. Jordan's cheeks glowed red, but she didn't hide it this time. She just relaxed, wishing this moment could last forever. Sadly, it didn't last long, as Jordan's phone set to max volume began playing music to notify her that someone was calling her. The noise made them both jump and Jordan muttered something angrily under her breath as she picked up her phone. Her caller ID showed that it was her dad, so she left her room to talk privately.

"Dad? This had better be important..." she started, but was swiftly cut off by her dad.

"Never mind that," he said. "Look, sorry if I interrupted anything, but... something's come up. Could you put Lincoln on, please?"

"What? Why?" Jordan was confused, wondering what could be happening involving Lincoln.

"His sisters are here."