"Mom, this is literally gonna be so awkward," Lori spoke to the Loud mother, after she, Jordan, Kate, Jack, Leni, and Lincoln came out of the room to join the others. "My Boo-Boo Bear and I are gonna have to explain to so many people that they're my siblings and not our kids!"
"Sweetie, that should be the least of your worries right now," replied Rita. "I'm sure not that many people are gonna raise those kinds of questions. You're still only 18, but you are an adult."
"What if I can't-" Lori began, but Rita would not hear any doubts.
"You have to, honey!" she insisted. "You have to take care of them. I know you feel like you've been thrusted into something you're not fully prepared for. But you won't be alone. You'll have Bobby. And Lincoln can help with-"
"He's been through enough as is," Lori interrupted. "I gotta give the little guy a break before he can start helping out. And he still has to go to school."
"And you're in college," said Rita.
"Exactly!" Lori proclaimed. "That literally gives us less time to look after Lily!"
"Why not just call the Casagrandes?" suggest Lynn Sr. "Have someone babysit Lily whenever any of you are not around."
"It's not like I literally have much of a choice," retorted Lori. "But even that might come across as unfair. Bobby and I have made enough money to make ends meet, but I literally doubt we counted on this. Makes me wonder if that judge even thought this whole thing through."
"Lori, honey," assured Rita. "You, Bobby, and Lincoln are strong enough and capable of making ends meet. Just take things one day at a time and you'll do fine. You're already living away from home. That's a big step, right?" Lori sighed.
"You're right, Mom," she said. "Besides, Lincoln and I literally have a lot of catching up to do."
"Well, there you go."
"I'm so sorry you guys have to lose Lily... like this," Lori apologized with a heavy heart.
"Honey, we're very sad to have to see her off, but the court's decision is final," Rita sighed. Jordan was beside herself after she helped dry her boyfriend's tears. She couldn't even bring herself to look into the eyes of the seven Loud sisters that wronged him then and all the times before. Her mother gently put her hand on her daughter's shoulder, hoping that her hatred at least wouldn't blind her, or at least for long.
"Honey?" said Kate. "Do you want to say anything to them?"
"There are several things I would like to say," Jordan snarled. "But I won't."
"Just promise me one thing, sweetie. Don't let this get to your head." Hearing her mom's request, Jordan took a deep breath and thought of the good in her life. Her parents, her friends... Lincoln.
"I won't," she said sincerely, looking to Lincoln and his sisters, trying to make peace one last time.
"I guess this is goodbye, bruh," said Luna, trying not to cry, but the rocker could barely hold herself together.
"I can't stay the way I am forever," Lincoln sniffled. "I know in time..." He swallowed. "...that I'll see you all again... and when I do... I'll... I'll forgive you then... maybe... But I am... I am... beginning to..."
"Can I get another hug?" Luna croaked. "Just one for the road." Lincoln fell into his sister's arms, shedding tears, both of them with their arms around each other.
"I... I'll miss you," Lincoln suddenly admitted, earning a gasp from Luna.
"Aw, bro!" Luna's hug tightened and she could no longer stop herself from bawling. This led the other sisters to throw caution to the wind and join in to form a large group hug, followed by Leni, Lori, and the Loud parents. In spite of everything, the family was able to share one last hug together before being taken their separate ways. One day, Lincoln thought to himself. Maybe... we'll all be a family together again.
"All right, we're done here," declared the officer, stepping out of the court room. "It's time to go."
"But where to?" asked Rita.
"Where do you think?" the officer responded.
"You can't just take us to prison!" Lynn Sr. pleaded. The Loud sisters started talking all at once, not wanting what could be their final moment together, or for a while, to end this way.
"Enough is enough!" the officer bellowed. "I have had it with you monkeys and snakes! So once you're escorted to our vehicles, strap yourselves in. You're all gonna take a few road trips." The officer began to speak his next sentences at a slightly faster pace in order to work quickly. "Rita Loud, Lynn Loud Sr., you're returning to Royal Woods. Your parenting classes begin as soon as the new school term begins. Luna, Luan, Lynn Jr., you're gonna be laying low in foster care until you're sent to juvie to serve time. Lucy, Lola, Lana, Lisa, you're all going to day care! And you're gonna like it!"
"Don't separate us, please!" the twins begged.
"We'll see about that, but for now, keep your holes shut until I say so!" barked the officer like a drill sergeant who was proud of his position as a peacekeeper. A few officers stepped forward, ready to begin their escorts.
"Take care, sweetie," said Rita to Lincoln quickly, kissing him on his forehead. "Lori, take care of Lincoln and Lily! I love you both!"
"Bye, sport," said Lynn Sr. "See you again!"
"Take care, baby bro!" said Luna. "We'll miss you!"
"Linky!" cried Leni, as she was to be taken home with her parents. In less than a minute, the Loud parents and eight of their daughters were escorted out of the building and placed into vehicles to be transported to their destinations. Lincoln stared into space. It all happened so fast that Lincoln didn't even have time to cry.
"This could have been worse, Lincoln," said the officer. "A lot worse. It had to be done. You know that, right?" Lincoln nodded, starting to pant slightly. It's over, he thought to himself. It's all over... and done with.
Back at Jordan's home away from home, Lincoln and Lori relaxed with Jordan's family. They agreed to have one more night together before Lori and Lincoln would leave together for Great Lakes City. They knew Leni would be okay, but it was almost frightening how quickly the NYPD wanted to move everything along. For a long time, nobody said anything. Either they didn't want to or no words were really necessary. But then, Lori's phone went off and she saw Leni's name on the caller ID.
"Leni!" Lori exclaimed, struggling quickly to answer the phone. That got everyone's attention. Lori answered her phone. "Leni! Where are you?!"
"I'm okay!" Leni immediately responded. "Mom and Dad got our things from the hotel and we're on our way home. I miss you and Linky already!"
"So do I, Leni," said Lori, sniffling a bit. "Thanks for calling me and bringing me into this. I'm so glad we could help our little brother together!"
"Me too! Oh, this might sound a bit strange, but... I don't hate my other sisters anymore!"
"Somehow, I'm not surprised," said Lori. "Neither do I." This exchange drew a warm smile on Lincoln's face. It was the start of mentally healing and bringing their family back together in due time.
"Lemme talk to Linky! Please!" Leni begged.
"Settle down, sis. He's right here." Lori handed the phone to Lincoln.
"Linky!" Leni cried on the other end as soon as she somehow heard Lincoln hold Lori's phone. He could help but chuckle.
"Hey, Leni," Lincoln said, a bit awkwardly. "So you're heading home?"
"Yep, back to Royal Woods," she declared. "I wish I could stay with you, but I still gotta finish high school first!"
"Everything's gonna be okay, Leni," said Lincoln. "Remember what I said before?"
"I'm anxious, scared, and happy about what this all means," Leni said, having a slight fit of panic. "I... I don't want to lose you again!" she cried. Lincoln responded by hugging Leni again.
"Leni, you won't lose me," he whispered, trying to soothe her. "I... I don't know what's gonna happen to me. I don't know if I actually will return to my old home, or if I'll end up staying here as long as I can... but I promise you with all of my heart... No matter where I go, you will always be my forever sister," Lincoln said, tearing up. Leni started to cry again, but kept it down.
"Oh, Linky..." she sniffled. "You... you will always be in my heart... n-no matter what..."
"You'll always be in my heart, Leni, all of you," said Lincoln. "And as long as we all follow our hearts, we'll be together again, however long it takes."
"That's so beautiful, Linky!" Leni wailed. "I love you so much! Don't ever change!"
"I won't. See you again. Love you too." The phone talk soon ended and Lincoln let out a content sigh, handing the phone back to Lori. Although it hadn't felt like there was complete closure as of yet, getting back into Lincoln's good books was not that far off. All his sisters had to do was ride out their punishments and he too had to decide when he would finally return home himself. His mind was telling him that it may be months or even more than a year before he'd be ready. As he lay on the couch, Jordan embraced him and they snuggled together.
"You know, I'm really happy for you two," said Lori.
"You kidding? I thought you'd be furious with me that it's not Ronnie Anne," Lincoln joked.
"Oh please, I literally do not want to confess all that again," said Lori, half chuckling. "I can't believe those police don't even get moved by sob stories and I'm just glad Leni and I didn't literally spend a night in a cell or something." Lori then looked a little sad. "It was... literally a nightmare... bringing myself to confess all those times I hurt you."
"You don't have to bring it up," Lincoln reminded her. "I mean, there's no sense in putting yourself through it again now that it's over and done with."
"Yeah..."
"So... do you think things are gonna work?" asked Lincoln. "You know, with us."
"We're prolly gonna be really busy for a while," sighed Lori. "But at least we'll have each other. And Bobby's helped make a little more than enough money for our apartment. Still, good thing I only have temporary custody of Lily."
"I'm sure the Casagrandes can help if need be," Lincoln said, remembering his mom's suggestion.
"We'll help too," said Kate. "If you need anything, we'll be happy to donate on our part. Oh, that reminds me. Jordan, I spoke with Officer Gavelyn and he's helping see to it that we'll all get some much needed time off, both for Spring Break and summer." Jordan's eyes widened and her face glowed with joy. Was she dreaming?
"If you'd like, you can invite Lincoln along for the ride," said Jack. "Might get him out of Lori's hair for a while."
"Hey, I resent that," said Lincoln sarcastically. "But I do like the sound of a vacation!"
"The schools in Great Lakes and Royal Woods have separate Spring Breaks, so Lincoln will have to wait until summer vacation," Kate pointed out to her daughter. "And... after Lori and Lincoln leave, it may be that long before you see him again." This was definitely a bombshell getting dropped on Jordan. Although things were set to work out until Lincoln was ready to return to Royal Woods, he and Jordan would only be able to stay in touch digitally for a good six months or so. The boyfriend and girlfriend looked into each other's eyes, a little sad.
"I..." Lincoln started nervously. "I guess we'll say goodbye... tomorrow. B-but...we'll stay in touch. I promise." They held an embrace for a while longer, Jordan not wanting it to end.
"I just wish we could stay like this," she sighed. "I've been so much happier."
"I know," said Lincoln. "But your parents are finally gonna be able to make time for you. That's gotta count for something, right?"
"Mm." Jordan nodded.
"We can make phone calls, e-mail, and live chat," suggested Lincoln. "I've been live chatting with Ronnie Anne since she moved to Great Lakes. We're still very close friends."
"You might wanna stay in touch with all your friends," said Jordan. "They must be missing you something terrible. But don't worry, I'll tell them everything once my parents and I go back to Royal Woods." Lincoln lowered his head, remembering Zach, Rusty, Liam, Stella, and... Clyde, his best friend. He had left them behind as well, all in his haste to get away from his family. But surely word would spread back to Royal Woods with the court hearing having concluded. The only problem being, his friends would eventually find out that he was not coming home, not yet.
"Great, now I feel like I ditched them," he said miserably. "I'm so stupid."
"Did you forget, Linc?" said Jordan. "You had to get away, right?"
"But if I had stayed where I was, maybe things would have been different."
"How so? If you had gone to school with all those bruises, it would have gained a lot of attention and your family... would have been in trouble... a lot sooner... Ooh, I think I see where you're going."
"..."
"Look, we can't change what happened, nor can we figure out how things would have gone if you hadn't run away," said Jordan. "But right now... well... think like Ace Savvy. You've been a dealt a new hand and you just gotta play your cards right!" This brightened Lincoln considerably.
"That's right," he agreed. "Yeah, I'll be busy, maybe a bit overwhelmed and exhausted, but I kinda helped make my own mess. So I'm gonna deal with it."
"That's what I like to hear!" Jordan exclaimed. "The Lincoln Loud I love is finally coming round! ...Oop!" She quickly realized she said she loved him, so she covered her mouth and blushed feverishly as Lori, Kate, and Jack chuckled.
"Man, I'm gonna be jealous if I have to put up with Lori and her Boo-Boo Bear getting all lovey-dovey," Lincoln groaned.
"Come on, twerp," said Lori playfully. "We'll try to keep it down."
"The key word being 'try'," grumbled Lincoln.
"Lincoln, seriously," said Lori. "We're literally going to make this work. I'm not gonna lie, though. It's gonna be hard work."
"Well, with all that 'training' my sisters put me through... what's another year?"
"You have come out a lot stronger than when you first came here," said Kate. Jack nodded in agreement. Discussions continued until it was time for a good night's sleep once again. Lincoln and Jordan decided to share a moment in Jordan's room first, as tomorrow would have them part ways for a while.
"Lincoln," Jordan whispered. "Thank you... for being a part of my life. You've been more than a friend to me when I was lonely and needed someone by my side."
"I have to thank you too," said Lincoln, keeping his voice way down. "I wish I could stay here with you... but it might be better to wait until we're older for that."
"Yeah, I agree," said Jordan awkwardly. "We'll stay in touch."
"Yeah," Lincoln agreed. The two children shared a few more kisses before Lincoln would leave her room. "Good night, Jordan. See you in the morning."
"Good night, Lincoln. Sweet dreams."
The following day, Kate and Jack gave Lori and Lincoln a ride to the train station. It was time for them to depart to Great Lakes City, where they would take on a new adventure together. Yes, it would be challenging, but the brother and sister had each other's backs and it would begin with Jordan and her parents seeing them off. Jordan and Lincoln held hands the entire way from her mom's car to the train station.
"I can't thank all of you enough for everything you did for my brother," said Lori gratefully. "You guys found him, gave him shelter, and kept him safe. And now I guess it's my turn."
"We have no doubts," said Kate. "So here." Both Kate and Jack handed Lori a copy of their business cards.
"Don't hesitate to call us if anything comes up," said Jack. "We can send a bit of money your way if you need to cover a few expenses such as babysitting."
"Definitely," Lori agreed. Then it was time for the cute couple to say their goodbyes. Jordan handed Lincoln a little basket with cloth covering the top.
"Here," she said sweetly. "I packed you a few muffins... for your trip, I guess... and... as a way to say... thank you."
"Jordan..." murmured Lincoln.
"So much has changed since we bumped into each other at that park... and I took you in and... took care of you... I know we'll stay in touch and all that... but... I'm gonna miss you..."
"I know," said Lincoln sadly. "I'll miss you too. I... I can't wait for the day that we can be together again." He and Jordan embraced and both of them let out a few sniffles. Lori had to wipe a tear away watching them. After their hug, they smiled at each other and had one last kiss. Jordan's parents held each other and smiled, looking on.
"Aww..." Lori muttered under her breath.
"Be brave, Lincoln," said Jordan. "And take care."
"I will," said Lincoln. "I love you."
"I love you too." They waved goodbye until Lori and Lincoln made their way onto the next train. Jordan was right. So much had changed. While the Loud family had indeed been separated for accusations of domestic abuse and previous actions, it was to be temporary and the next step was to patch things up, which could only happen with one powerful thing that heals all wounds - time. Day by by.