Chapter 5
Road Trip!
The big day had finally arrived, and despite the overcast sky everything was bound to be cheerful! Over in Lori and Leni's room, Bobby was snoozing away in Lori's bed, holding her in his arms. In order to beat traffic and get some good gas mileage, he decided to leave in the late afternoon and arrived at the Loud House around 11PM, promptly passing out in Lori's bed. The trip was rather sudden but his family understood, and Hector and Ronnie Anne agreed to watch the Mercado in his stead. All of his luggage was packed snug in the trunk, so that was one less bit of packing to do in the morning. They wanted to get an early start after all!
The road trip would be broken up over the course of a day and a half. Bobby was used to long drives, but the drive from Royal Woods to Bradburton was twelve hours. No way would he be able to do that in one day! They got a decent hotel in Buffalo for the first night, and would get a lovely view of Lake Erie on the way there!
Meanwhile, Lincoln slowly tiptoed down the hall towards Lucy's room, still in his pajamas. He had made sure to pack his red, Ace Savvy suitcase the night before so he could afford to take his time. He could hear the gentle sounds of sleep from each of his sister's rooms. Slowly making his way to the middle of the hall, he peeked inside a large door. His beloved's room. It was still dark and Lynn was snoring loudly as usual. The ray of light from the hallway hit the suitcase in front of Lucy's dresser, sporting a cute bat pattern on it. Lucy was ready to go, too, and even had a big black blanket folded neatly on top. With a sweet smile, Lincoln tiptoed over to his dear beacon of hope, gently whispering in her ear.
"Good morning, my love~ Today's the big day~" Lincoln kissed her nose gently.
Lucy's eyes gently fluttered open as she looked up from the comfort of her cozy bed. The immediate sight of her dear lover's face made her happier than ever. "B-Big brother...? G-Good morning~" She whispered, sporting an adorable smile. Lincoln leaned in for a kiss and gently nuzzled her cheek.
"You should get up soon~ We have a lot to look forward to~" He said, keeping his eyes fixated on his lover's face. In the background the sounds of an alarm blared from Lori and Leni's room, followed by a very loud, deep yawn. Bobby most likely. The two chuckled as they embraced.
"I'm all packed, just like you asked...~ More time to enjoy this moment together~" Lucy cooed, gently pulling Lincoln under the covers with her. The two kissed and nose nuzzled as more sounds could be heard coming from the hallway.
"This is going to be a magical weekend, that's for sure~" Lincoln said with a smile as Lucy rested her head on his chest. The two spent what felt like quite awhile listening to each other's breathing and heartbeats. reminiscing over what was to come. This was only the appetizer after all! Not even that, this was just the free bread at the beginning of the meal!
"Lincoln! You already up?!" Lori said from the hallway rather loudly, noticing that the young boy's room was wide open. More yawning could be heard coming from Bobby as he dizzily stepped towards the bathroom.
Lincoln looked at Lucy and kissed her softly. "Looks like I should go get dressed. We'll have more time for this in the car~" He said, gently stepping out of bed. Lucy nodded and followed suit.
"I look forward to it, sweetheart~" Lucy cutely said in response, nuzzling her brother's cheek as she made her way to her dresser.
***SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE*** Lynn suddenly let out, sounding almost deliberate but evidentially still asleep. The two lovers couldn't help but look at each other and burst into laughter!
Lori heard the two and peered into the room with a smile, looking almost as groggy as Bobby. "Morning you two~" She said. "Let's go get dressed, we need to hit the road and beat the morning rush..."
"You got it, sis~! Was just about to do so anyway!" Lincoln said proudly, before giving Lucy a hug and then running off to his room. Lori smiled in return and went to join her boyfriend in the bathroom.
About an hour later the car was all packed and everyone was ready to go! Lincoln brought all of the suitcases downstairs, nearly tripping over Geo several times, and helped Bobby fit everything in. Lori brought some water bottles and other supplies for the way there. All that was missing... was Bobby.
"Boo Boo Bear?! Bobby, where are you?!" Lori called into the house. Bobby was in the kitchen, looking frantically around a map, Lori promptly snapping him out of his little panic with a little kiss on the cheek. "Bobby, what are you doing? We have to leave now!"
"I know, babe, but I want to pick a good route! We can't afford to sit in traffic, and I don't want to get us lost!" Bobby said, scrambling in his spot. Lori took a deep breath.
"Bobby, don't worry, we have a GPS! We'll be okay~" Lori said calmly, gently taking his hand, the two making their way back towards the front door.
"True, true, eheheh...~" This was probably best for Bobby, given that, while he was pretty smart, he often made some rather critical mistakes in more mundane tasks. His grandfather Hector was all too familiar with this.
Lincoln and Lucy continued to wait by the car, now accompanied by their parents.
"Ready for the the park, kiddo? You've got a lot to look forward to! Man, I wish I were going!" Lynn Sr. said enthusiastically, ruffling his son's hair.
"Of course! How about you, Lucy?" Lincoln said with equal enthusiasm, turning to his sister.
Lucy nodded and smiled brightly, earning an 'Awwww!' expression from their parents. Lucy didn't smile often, at least before she began her relationship with Lincoln, so it was always a treat for them. "Wouldn't trade it for the world~".
Rita leaned in and hugged both of them warmly. "It was so good of you to do this for your sister, you two have always been so sweet!" She said lovingly.
"It was our pleasure!" Lincoln said happily, his eyes lighting up. "Lori hasn't been well since she had to miss that concert, she's been really missing Bobby..." Lincoln winked at Lucy, who nodded in response.
"We wanted to give them a fun outing to make up for it. Long distance relationships are tough." Lucy said calmly and sincerely.
"Well, I hope you two have fun, too, because you deserve it!" Rita said, gently kissing each of them on the cheek. As this was happening, Lori and Bobby came out the front door and took their seats in Bobby's car.
"Lincoln, we're ready, let's go!" Lori said, signalling her brother to wrap up their conversation.
"Coming!" Lincoln said, taking Lucy's hand as the two hopped into the back seat together.
"Bye Mom, bye Dad! We'll see you in a few days!" Lori said happily, waving goodbye to their parents.
"Have a good weekend, we'll bring back lots of soda for you!" Lincoln said, waving alongside Lucy. After having that one bottle of Nuka Cherry a couple of weeks back Rita was absolutely hooked.
"Goodbye honey~! Safe travels~!" Rita shouted, waving at her children.
"Take good care of your sisters, Lincoln! Your old man's counting on you!" Lynn Sr. shouted with a smile, waving alongside his wife.
With that, Bobby's shiny new car pulled out of the driveway and made its' way down the road. Weaving through the streets of Royal Woods, the pace initially felt slow. It was like an effect, getting out of Royal Woods always look longer than it really needed to, and Bobby was all too familiar with that. Still, in good time they navigated their way to I-90W, the road that would be their primary path, and after passing through the Detroit metro area there were no more major cities on the highway until they hit Buffalo that evening. Bobby had no need to be paranoid! Though, it was understandable, this was his first road trip of this caliber. As they entered the interstate, the four of them began to ease into the drive.
Lincoln's stomach quietly growled, followed by Lucy's, causing both of them to blush.
"Bobby, we forgot to grab breakfast! Is there anywhere we can stop?" Lincoln said, his hunger suddenly hitting him like a truck.
"I'll be all skin and bones if I don't eat soon..." Lucy added, in her delightfully creepy manner.
"Lincoln's right..." Lori added. "I told you to check if we had everything back at the house but you were busy fiddling with that stupid map!"
Bobby was thankfully able to easily diffuse this minute annoyance from his girlfriend. "Relax, babe, I always come prepared!" He said in a calm and quite proud tone, a far cry from about an hour ago. He promptly held up a big box and placed it down on the storage stand between the two front seats. "Who wants some donuts~? Had these babies delivered this morning!"
Lori's eyes immediately fixated on the two chocolate-frosted chocolate donuts in the front of the box. If it was one way to Lori's heart, it was certainly through chocolate! "Oh BOO BOO BEAR! She grabbed both of them and began stuffing her face. Bobby couldn't help but chuckle as Lori's eyes sparkled, she practically squee'd with every bite!
"I knew you'd love them, babe~! I made sure to get each of your favorites!" Bobby said happily, as Lincoln and Lucy reached for the box themselves.
"SWEET! Thanks a ton, Bobby!" Lincoln said excitedly, grabbing a couple of donuts from the box. Lincoln loved most kinds of donuts, but his favorite was chocolate-frosted with colorful sprinkles. Not the most manly doughnut but it didn't matter. They were absolutely tasty!
"Sweet...yummies~" Lucy said in her usual deadpan tone with a big smile, as she searched the box. Quickly she came across something that shocked her. A doughnut that was tailor-made for her. Lincoln must've mentioned some of Lucy's preferences to Bobby at one point, because this doughnut was on point! The top was frosted black with rainbow sprinkles and little candy bats. But what really was incredible lay inside. It was a jelly doughnut, a GRAPE jelly doughnut! Not only was jelly-filled Lucy's favorite kind of doughnut, but the exact kind of jelly made from her favorite fruit! Lucy couldn't help but let out a big. "SQUEEEEEEEEeee~!" Instantly this caught the attention of everyone in the car.
Ever since she started dating Lincoln in secret, her mood typically improved by quite a bit. She smiled more often, spent more time outside of her room, and was a lot more open about expressing certain emotions, happiness being one of them. With a bright smile, she began to dig into the doughnut happily, and within seconds she had finished the entire thing, making happy sounds the whole way through.
"Awwww, Luce~ That was precious~!" Lincoln said, his eyes lighting up like a puppy.
Lucy then turned to Lincoln, bouncing a bit in her seat. "That was so yummy! SO YUMMY!" She giggled pulling Lincoln into an excited hug. Lucy also had a little-known sweet tooth!
Being practically an honorary Loud, Bobby looked at the joy and elation of his family and smiled, glad to see them in such a warm and playful mood. He was always willing to go the extra mile, especially for Lori, and it showed. With a content expression, Bobby slipped on some upbeat music, taking a bite out of a glazed doughnut as they continued their way down the interstate.
A couple of hours later the group had really gotten cozy. They were happily singing along to the tunes of many upbeat artists, including family staples like Mick Swagger and SMOOCH. Lucy took out the extra blanket she had brought and spread it out, making for a cozy cuddling spot for the two lovebirds. The two would nuzzle and play together between songs, and the balmy April weather allowed the two of them to wear looser clothes. The smooth touch of Lucy's skin had a calm, tender effect on Lincoln, and Lucy did not mind it at all! Energetic, happy music blared from the car speakers. From the Go Gos to Scatman John, much of it was stuff Lori liked. Bobby loved all kinds of music and was always happy to oblige for her. Lincoln and Lucy had their own tastes, but loved the positive atmosphere, swaying back and forth to the music and smiling cheerfully. More jokes were made and laughs were had as the quartet made their way down the interstate together!
Soon enough, though, The four of them spotted a big billboard. 'Hoo wee! Come on down to K.R. Cigar! Just 50 more miles!' It had a gator mascot as well with a cigar in his mouth and a simple but distinct red and white design.
"What's this?" Lincoln looked at it, rather puzzled. The others turned to look just to miss it...and come upon another sign from the same business. "From Brassieres to Chandeliers?". Lucy giggled.
"Wait, what was that?! HOT DOG!" Bobby's eyes widened as the three of them looked for more signs, clearly this place was rather quirky.
"BOO BOO BEAR?!" Lori said, shocked and clearly unamused at his reaction to their brassiere ad. She caught a glimpse of the third sign. "Designer brand bags? Those are cheap knock offs!"
Lincoln and Lucy were already tallying up the signs in the back seat, giggling to each other as another sign passed by.
"Premium Collectables...very nice~" Lucy said in her usual tone, with an ear-to-ear grin.
"Come on, Bobby, you aren't seriously buying into this!" Lori said with pure disbelief.
"Relax, babe, this is going to be a blast!" Bobby said smoothly. "We're stopping! What do you think, guys?"
"Bobby, we're not...!" Lori said.
"K.R.'s! K.R.'s! K.R.'s!" Lincoln cheered, with an absolutely elated expression. Something about these kinds of stores always intrigued him.
"Lincoln!" Lori's disbelief only grew. She then turned to her younger sister. "Lucy, these guys are so immature! You're with me on this, right?!"
"Actually I'd love to see if there are any cool statues there, or cute books~" Lucy said with a smile, looking up at yet another sign. Lori shook her head, giving up. The somewhat tacky cigar outlet had had beat.
"Uggghhhhhhh, fine... But no more than an hour, we still have a few hours until Buffalo!" Lori said, calming down a bit.
"WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!" The three of them cheered. "Thanks babe! This is gonna be GREAT!" Bobby said, kissing Lori on the cheek with an excited smile.
After another 40 minutes of anticipation (and dread, for Lori) they had arrived at the correct exit, complete with a billboard of the gator mascot enthusiastically pointing them in the right direction. The large, blue and white somewhat gaudy-looking building came into view, Lori's face slowly growing more horrified while the rest grew elated. There were banners on the front that read "PREMIUM OUTLETS", others saying "BOOKS", "FOOD", "SHOES", and much more. A quick stop in the massive parking lot later had the gang standing at the massive entrance to this once-in-a-million cigar outlet.
"Alright..." Lori said, taking a deep breath. "Like I said, we're only staying for an hour, so don't get too absorbed..."
"Don't worry, Lori, we got this~!" Lincoln said, in his usual trying to sound reassuring but only making one worry more sort of tone. Rolling in a blue shopping cart, he turned to Bobby with an elated expression, which Bobby's face matched. "You ready for the best shopping EVER?"
"AM I!" Bobby responded excitedly.
"Alright, let's meet back here for..." Lori said, but before she could finish the two boys had already dashed into the store. "...lunch..." She said, with an annoyed expression. She took a deep breath and looked beside her. "Lucy, you caught all that, right?..." Lucy was nowhere to be found, likely already in the store like her boyfriend. She had a knack for seemingly teleporting. "...literally the worst stop ever." A put-out Lori slumped her way inside.
What followed was a montage of several shots throughout their shopping hour:
- Lincoln and Lucy trying on various gaudy NASCAR hats and laughing.
- Lincoln filling the cart with Goo Goo Clusters, a famous southern chocolate and marshmallow candy.
- Bobby picking up a brassiere, with Lori angrily snatching it out of his hands.
- Lucy picking up a doll and smiling, as it resembled those that Great Grandmother Harriet used to have.
- Lori picking up a nice-looking, if bootleg purse, and sneaking it to the register to save face.
- Lincoln, Lucy, and Bobby laughing while looking through a bin of mockbuster bargain bin DVDs.
- Lincoln and Bobby smugly posing like the gator mascot with unlit cigars in their mouths.
Soon enough Lucy could be found back in the collectables section, her eyes fixated on a small statue she found.
"Big brother, dear, come look at this~" Lucy said with a smile, gesturing her lover to come closer. Lincoln, who was looking at some superhero figurines, came over to see what the little goth wanted to show him. "Isn't it beautiful~?"
Lincoln took a look at it and slightly winced. It was a bat standing upright on a crystal ball on a podium. Something about it was rather unsettling, as were a lot of Lucy's things (there's some things that he could never get used to) but he was always willing to oblige for his lover. "Y-Yes...~"
Lucy wasn't quite convinced but nodded with a smile. "That's not all it does, watch this~"
Lincoln thought to himself as she said that. What was it going to do? Maybe scream or turn red? Despite being lovers, Lucy wasn't above occasionally (but harmlessly) scaring Lincoln with little pranks. But she was always flustered whenever she saw her brother scared like that, she loved how cute it was!
Lincoln was pleasantly surprised as Lucy flipped a little switch, making the crystal ball glow and shine with spectacular colors. It was like a light show, a guiding light, a beacon. Lincoln was in awe with the little statue. "W-Woah...~"
"I love it, too~" Lucy said, watching the light softly dazzle in front of their eyes. She turned to her lover and moved a little closer to his face. "Sweetie, do you know what this reminds me of~?"
"N-No, what?" Lincoln said, blushing wildly.
"It reminds me of the night I confessed my love for you, a night I will always cherish~" She said, gently kissing her lover on the lips. "Reminds me of the symbol of our love~"
"And that beautiful poem you wrote~" Lincoln said lovingly. "Look to the one who seems darkest...~"
"And you'll find the light that shines the brightest~" Lucy added, about to lean in for another kiss.
Bobby promptly popped up from another isle, pointing to his watch. "There you two are!" He said, "Our hour is almost up, let's go pay for this stuff and head out!" Bobby said, worried that they'd agitate Lori.
"Right behind you!" Lincoln said, as the two lovers quickly followed Bobby to the register, cart in tow.
The three of them wheeled that cart of precious treasures out into the parking lot as Lori caught sight of them.
"Bobby?! How are you going to fit all of this stuff into the car! I told you not to get so much stuff!" Lori clearly wasn't happy with all of the impulse spending.
"Relax, babe~" Bobby said, giving Lori a kiss on the cheek to try and calm her down. "We'll figure this out! I've had to do things like this at the bodega, we're gonna be fine!"
"Alright..." Lori said, crossing her arms. "But I'm not waiting around for this. I'm going to find a place for lunch and get us a table..."
With that Lori walked off. Lincoln already had a goo goo cluster in his mouth, nearly dropping it as the three of them packed the stuff up in the car. Some stuff had to be rather stuffed, but given Lincoln and Lucy's smaller statures, there was plenty of room in the back seats.
There were very few options for dining in this town so Lori had to settle for K.R.'s Down Home Barbecue, the restaurant attached, much to her dismay. Though once she got inside, the more homey atmosphere made her feel more comfortable, much more so than the store itself. A quick text later and the four of them were eating a surprisingly good meal. Lincoln and Lori both got burgers, while Lucy opted for some grilled Tilapia. Bobby, meanwhile, had more driving ahead of him, and thus the big rack of ribs on his plate was the fuel he needed. The four of them had a relaxing lunch full of fun discussions and good jokes, one of which owing to the restaurant's soundtrack. Ad music for truck commercials like "Back in Black" and "This is Our Country" played on loop over the restaurant speakers, but in a way it did add to the road trip feel. And soon after that, the four of them were back on the road, full speed ahead towards their stay in Buffalo for the night. With the exception of one stop made in order to let Bobby hurl. Looks like he ate a few ribs too many!
After another couple of hours of fun and music the four of them pulled off of the interstate and to a nearby Hampton Inn, with downtown Buffalo visible in the near distance. Lori was happy to step out and stretch her legs, having had to take over driving duty for a bit while Bobby recovered. The four of them stepped out of the car and loosened up a bit.
"Well, we're here~!" Lori said happily, with a hint of relief that she no longer had to drive. Normally she enjoyed driving but found it pleasant to be the passenger for once.
"And we made good time, too!" Lincoln added. "I thought we'd be at that rest stop forever..."
"Come on, it's not my fault!" Bobby said, sounding rather offended. "But yeah, maybe taking that rack of ribs challenge wasn't such a good idea..."
"I heard it's a classic down south..." Lucy added, as Lincoln patted Bobby on the back. "I wrote a poem about it! Here it goes~"
Rack of ribs
barbecue fun
tummy rumbles
bathroom run
th[...]
Lincoln's hand quickly covered Lucy's mouth, making her blush from his soft touch.
"N-Not now, Luce, not before dinner!" He let her go and looked at Bobby. "Either way I'm just glad you're feeling better!" Lincoln said, earning a smile from him.
"Thanks little bro!" Bobby gave Lincoln a thumbs up and opened up the trunk of his car. He then turned to the others and smiled. "You guys go ahead in, I'll grab the overnight bags!"
"Sounds good, Boo Boo Bear~! We'll meet you inside!" Lori said cheerfully as she headed towards the entrance, Lucy following suit.
"Here, let me help!" Lincoln ran over and picked up two of the bags, along with a box of Goo Goo clusters.
"Thanks bro! Let's head upstairs!" Bobby said, closing the trunk and locking the car.
Meanwhile Lori and Lucy were already in the hotel room. 312, looking out at the river nearby. Lori sat down on the closer bed, texting Lynn Sr. and Rita on her phone, letting them know how the drive went. Lucy was rolling around on the bed closest to the window, unable to sit still.
"Lori..." Lucy said, bobbing in place as she eyed her older sister. "I'm so excited, I can barely keep it in~"
"And that's good, Luce! You should be totally excited, you've got a big weekend ahead!" Lori responded, looking up from her phone.
"I know, I can barely contain myself, I can't stop thinking about all of the wonderful times Lincoln and I are going to share together~ But normally I don't act like this. Normally I'd just reflect on it in silence, it feels weird..." Lucy said in her deadpan tone with a little more emotion.
"Lucy..." Lori said, getting up from the bed and placing her phone aside, putting a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with this at all! Ever since you and Lincoln became a couple you've been more expressive of your feelings, and even then you've had plenty of moments of excitability! You're perfect as is, you can be a goth and still be excitable and sweet!"
Lucy smiled brightly and hugged her sister. "Th-Thanks, Lori~"
"You're welcome~" Lori hugged her back and gently booped her nose. "Besides, Lincoln literally loves it when you sound excited! He think it's cute~" This made Lucy turn red like a tomato, as the door could be heard opening in the background.
"Babe, we brought the bags!" Bobby happily exclaimed, placing his and Lori's next to their bed.
"And they even have a pool with a water slide!" Lincoln cheered, placing his and Lucy's bags next to their bed as Lucy's expression brightened.
"Oh my god, a POOL!" Lucy said, grabbing her bag and popping out of the bathroom in her green dolphin print swimsuit. Lincoln immediately followed suit, in his trademark orange swim trunks.
"Just be sure to be back before dinner!" Lori said. "...Lincoln? Lucy?" Apparently they had already left. No matter, it gave Lori and Bobby some alone time together! The two of them cuddled up on their bed and relaxed to an episode of the Dream Boat.
Downstairs at the swimming pool, Lincoln and Lucy were having a blast! The two had the pool to themselves and were already going wild! Having funny splash fights, squirt gun wars, and loads of fun trips down the water slide! And most importantly, Lucy was having a fun time and looking cheerful, which meant everything to Lincoln. During a free moment, Lincoln covertly swam underwater and gave Lucy a big hug from behind.
"H-Hey, no fair~!" Lucy reeled back slightly, in shock that for once she was the one being startled.
"I couldn't help it, Luce, you were looking too cute~" Lincoln said coyly, as Lucy turned around, kissing her lover's nose.
"I couldn't be any happier, Lincoln~ You know, I've always loved pools, and even the beach~" Lucy said quietly, her face still close to Lincoln's.
"True~ But didn't you try to get out of that field trip with your Mortician's Club? Something about hating the sun?" Lincoln looked at her curiously.
"I know, I know...~" Lucy admitted. "But they expected a certain image of me, I always hid my beach-goer side...but now I no longer have to~"
"And even then, you showed them how fun it could be! I never knew you were such a talented surfer~" Lincoln said, massaging her shoulders.
"Lincoln, I hope we can go to the beach together this summer~ Share some time in paradise~" Lucy said, prompting a warm smile from Lincoln.
"I am the man with the plan after all, we'll make it happen~ We won this, we can do anything~" Lincoln said with that reassuring smile she loved so much.
Lucy leaned in and whispered "I know you will, you always know how to make things work out~" then kissing her lover passionately.
After a fun couple of hours the group was out for dinner. They had found a nicer family restaurant with a fun atmosphere and cozy seating, a welcome change from their fun but somewhat uncomfortable lunch experience. Lori really appreciated the different options, and settled on some delicious Korean Steak Tacos. Bobby's stomach was still feeling a little ill so he opted for a big bowl of the daily soup special instead. A nice minestrone is always a treat! Lincoln ordered buffalo chicken fingers with fries, and Lucy ordered her delicious fish cakes, the two lovers periodically trading bites and laughing cutely. Lori even ordered a plate of Jalapeño and chili cheese nachos for the table. And they were surprisingly GOOD! Sure as hell beat whatever Flip was serving! At one point Lincoln took a happy picture of Lori and Bobby sitting together, smiling, and sent it to their parents. About ten minutes later, Lincoln receives a text containing the same photo, but a poorly edited-in smug Clyde head placed over Bobby's. Looks like Lynn or Luna shared the photo with him! Lincoln showed the table, which made all of them laugh, even Lori! Though she was with Bobby, she grew to appreciate Clyde's harmless antics!
A few hours and a trip to a local ice cream parlor later the four of them were climbing into bed. Bobby had already fallen asleep and was snoring, while Lori turned to her younger siblings.
"We have a big day tomorrow so be sure to get some rest you two!" Lori whispered as she reached for the light switch.
"Sleep well, Lori!" Lincoln whispered happily, hugging his adorable little sister.
"Night, sis~!" Lucy said, snuggling up into her brother's chest. She looked up at Lincoln as Lori turned out the lights. She'd already slept with Lincoln many times but now she could relax, and didn't have to worry about someone catching them.
"I love you, Lincoln~" Lucy whispered, blushing.
"I love you too, my adorable little bat~ Sweet dreams~" Lincoln whispered softly, kissing Lucy's forehead. On the other side of the room Lori giggled happily and gently closed her eyes.
The next morning was surprisingly pleasant for the four of them. For once, they didn't have to deal with a long line or big scramble just to use the bathroom. Granted, Lori took more time than she really should've, but there was no rush, they had all day to get to the park. It's not like they would lose their reservation for being a minute late! After washing up and a rather average continental breakfast the four were back on the road. Bobby also took the opportunity to sneak some Froot Loops out in a small container!
They had covered the majority of the drive the previous day so today's drive would overall be shorter and more uneventful. More fun music, cuddling in the back seat, inside jokes, and much more ensued, along with a rather dreadful hour-long wait at a chicken sandwich place for lunch. Lori nearly cracked from all of the noise! But as the evening grew closer and closer so did their anticipation. Not long after they passed Albany and eventually into the state of Massachusetts. The final leg of the trip was here. And everything was going smoothly, right until they had reached a toll booth trying to enter I-91.
"Why did we forget the EZPass?..." Lori groaned as Bobby was unfazed.
"Relax, Babe, I grabbed some change while we were at the restaurant! I...oh no..." Bobby felt around his pockets, the $5 bill he had saved for the toll was gone.
"Bobby?! What the hell! Did you literally just stick us in a jam?!" Lori said with clear frustration as Bobby put his hands on his head in a comedic panic.
"I don't know, babe! It must've fallen out of my pocket!... it might be still in the car somewhere! Lincoln? Lucy?!" Bobby said in a panic.
"We're on it~" Lucy said as the two dove under the seats searching for the $5 bill. Bobby looked over and began to smooth talk the woman running the booth, who was clearly unamused with his antics. The people behind them were already getting impatient, blaring their horns, which only stressed Lori further. "Come on, you two, where is it?" Lori whispered.
"Almost there...got it~!" Lincoln said in return, grabbing it from a very hard to reach spot under Bobby's chair, caught in the seat sliding track. He quickly passed it up to a much relieved Bobby, who passed it along to the woman. before turning to the cars behind him.
"Sorry about that, everyone! Have a good daaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" He said, before speeding off.
Another hour came and went, and they had just driven past Bradburton, a town inhabited by mostly Nuka World employees. The four of them looked into the distance from there, and there it was. Nuka World itself was almost in full view! Lucy and Lincoln unbuckled and got close to the window (and each other) as it drew closer and closer, the different attractions popping up on the horizon. Red and white fireworks filled the evening sky, and the lights made for a fantastic and exciting display! The top of Fizztop Mountain popped up from behind the walls, as did Dry Rock Mountain and King Cola's Castle. And the two eyed cars zipping back and forth on the brand new Angry Anaconda roller coaster. It was a real treat for the eyes.
"Th-This place is incredible!" Lincoln said in awe as they pulled up towards the large thoroughfare that passed through Nuka World's center. All around them happy families carried glow sticks, food, balloons, and loads of soda, and they all had warm smiles on their faces! Except the guy who dropped his nachos...
"It warms my heart~ The lights are so pretty~" She said, fixated on the different colors and how they bounced off of the park's decorations.
"Just like you, Luce~" Lincoln said coyly, making Lucy blush.
"Awwww, sweetie~" She said with a giggle.
"This place really is something else! Who knew a cola-themed park could be so cool!" Bobby said, absolutely enamored. He always had a sort of childish side to him.
"It really is incredible!" Lori added. "And it's huge, Dairyland isn't even half of this size!"
Lincoln and Lucy continued looking around, spotting promotional images for various new brands of cola that had yet to be rolled out en masse. All of them were very colorful and eye catching, almost making you thirsty. Nuka Orange, Nuke Victory, Nuka Grape...Nuke GRAPE. This immediately caught Lucy's attention. Her sweet tooth along with a love of grape flavoring had her extremely excited. "Sweetie, look! we have to try that! And I have to bring some back for Fangs!" She said
"Bats can have soda?" Lincoln said curiously with a slight hint of skepticism.
"Fangs certainly can, I know him well~" Lucy said with a big grin.
"If it makes you happy, it makes me happy~" Lincoln said sweetly, promoting Lucy to pull him into a lover's embrace.
Soon they pulled up to a ticket kiosk as they entered the parking lot. What was inside startled Bobby as he rolled his window down. A large red robot that looked like a vending machine. It had no face and was playing ads and safety regulations from a little screen on the top.
"WELCOME TO NUKA-WORLD. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR A PARKING PASS?" the robot said, being a curent-gen Nukatron model.
Bobby simply sat there stunned for a moment as the other came to observe this rather odd staff member.
"I didn't know they had a leg in advanced robotics...~" Lori said to Lincoln and Lucy.
"I know, talk about cutting edge!" Lincoln responded.
"...SIR? ARE YOU PRESENT?" The Nukatron asked.
"Oh! S-sorry..." Bobby said, regaining his composure. "We're looking for Bradburton Towers, we won that contest!"
"LET ME SEE YOUR PROOF OF VICTORY." The robot said, as Bobby pulled out the necessary materials.
"Here you go!" Bobby said cheerfully, handing them to the robot.
The Nukatron robot scanned the victory printout and Golden Cappy bottlecap. "EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT. CONGRATULATIONS, LUCKY WINNER. FOLLOW THE GOLD SIGNS AND SHOW THEM THESE MATERIALS, THEY WILL LET YOU IN. ENJOY YOUR STAY AT NUKA WORLD."
"Thanks a ton! Alright, everyone, the real trip begins NOW!" Bobby said, happily raising his arms.
The others followed suit and cheered as Bobby revved up the car, locating the first golden sign. A world of adventure awaited them just beyond those gates!
Well, looks like they're ready for their fun weekend! I apologize for the extra wait on this chapter, Legends Arceus had me pretty busy! xD I tried to cram a lot of ideas into this one so I hope the pacing is still as good as before!
To keep the arc on pace I'm gonna try and cover all six attractions across three chapters as a road map for the rest of the arc:
Chapter 6: Nuka Town USA and Dry Rock Gulch
Chapter 7: Galactic Zone and Kiddie Kingdom
Chapter 8: Safari Adventure and World of Refreshment.
I hope you all enjoyed another exciting chapter!