II

Evidences

As Lincoln climbed the stairs with Lisa, he wondered why none of his other sisters had come out to greet him; but when he reached the top floor, he had his answer. Throughout the hall it could be heard the solo Luna played in her room; it was impossible for any of the girls to listen to him with such a loud volume. Now, of course, it was not bad at all. Lincoln wanted to go to his older sister's room to not only greet her, but also congratulate her on such a magnificent job.

Seriously… If Luna doesn't become a world-renowned rock star, I swear that I myself will go and burn all the records of the current "artists".

"Lincoln," he heard and looked down. "What's the matter? Why did you stop?"

"Oh! Is nothing. I was just listening to Luna play her guitar. I should go say hello."

He lifted one foot, but before he could take a step, he felt Lisa squeeze his abdomen, preventing him from moving. He looked at her, confused. "Lisa?"

"Mmm."

"Erm… Will you let me go for a moment, please?"

"Why?"

"Because I want to go say hi to Luna, and on the way to Luan too."

"No," she said, sharply.

"Huh?" The boy asked, totally confused. "Lisa, it will only be a moment; besides, I haven't seen them in all the week. In fact, I think I will also take the opportunity to greet the others."

"No!" She tightened her hug even more. "I didn't see you in the whole week either; I greeted you first; I asked for your help first; and I will help you with your project."

"Actually, Lily was the first one to greet me…"

Lisa flinched and let out a faint growl.

"Those details are inconsequential," she said with annoyance, but then looked up at her brother's face and, with pleading eyes, exclaimed: "Come on, Linky, they will grab all your attention and you won't have time for me! I'm not asking for much! Please, just stay with me!"

The young man tried to take his gaze off his little sister, or at least close his eyes. He was tired of that. All his sisters did the same. And the worst of all was that he fell into the same trap over and over again.

The sad puppy eyes. Just one look and they already had him in their power.

If only I had no heart… He thought.

"Okay, sis…" He sighed. "I'll stay with you."

"Hooray!"

"But!" He stopped her. "But only until you show me your research and I finish my project. After that, you will let me go with the others. I want to greet them all, is it clear?"

Lisa snorted, but nodded slightly with her head. Lincoln let out a small laugh and stroked the girl's hair. She just buried her face in the boy's torso, thus hiding the huge smile she tried to suppress, and the very notorious blush that covered her face, from her cheeks to her nose. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she loved when he caressed her head that way.

They entered the room.

"And with this last piece, the model will beee… ready!" Lincoln exclaimed, stretching his arms to the sky and letting out a shout of victory. After four hours of arduous work the boy felt he could finally breathe.

Lisa giggled and covered her mouth with her left hand. Although Lincoln was an adult, he acted like a child sometimes. Not that it bothered her, in the slightest; after all, that was what characterized her silly brother. Her kind, cute, handsome and perfect older broth…

"Lisa?" Lincoln asked. "Are you alright?"

The girl turned to see him, immediately leaving her reverie. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Ehmmm… For nothing. The thing is that… you're drooling."

Lisa stood still for a couple of seconds, processing what Lincoln had just told her. When she understood, her face dyed vermillion. She immediately brought both arms at face height and wiped the small thread of saliva that went down her chin. She cleared her throat and, while trying to regain composure, said: "I-I'm sorry, L-Lincoln. What happens is that…," she tried to find an excuse, "is that… I'm hungry! Yeah, that! It has been since morning that I don't eat, and I already feel famished."

Lisa watched how the boy observed her carefully. His brow was slightly frowned, and his lips drew a horizontal line that did not denotate any particular emotion. The intensity of his gaze made Lisa give him a smile and let out a trembling laugh.

Please, believe it. Please, believe it. Please, believe it. Please, believe it. Please, believe it, she begged, feeling how a thin layer of cold sweat covered her forehead and back.

"Lisa…"

"Y-Y-Yes, L-Linky?"

"… If you were hungry you only had to say so! It's not good to put up with those needs! Besides, you know that I enjoy preparing your favorite sandwiches," he exclaimed, with a smile.

Lisa watched him for a moment and relieved said to herself: Good thing that he is a dummy.

Lincoln got up from his seat, gave the girl one last smile and left the room, but not before giving a slap with the right hand to the robotic arm of his sister's android and whisper: "Thanks for the help, pal." He chuckled. Although he knew the object didn't need that gesture, his good mood did not prevent him from doing so. The device released a "Beep!" in response.

Once alone in her room, Lisa turned to see her robot for a moment. She didn't remember that her invention beeped in response to an acknowledgment. When the machine turned, the scientist gave it a penetrating, emotionless look.

"… Don't even think about it," she said finally. "He is my brother. Mine…"

The android made no sound.

While he was in the kitchen preparing a sandwich for his sister and himself, Lincoln hummed a "SMOOCH" song with a smile and thinking about the thousand and one things he could do when he returned to college on Monday. He could go and look for his teammates and beat them up until he was satisfied, and then hang them from their wrists with chains from the third floor of the Business School building (there were no plants or grass, only a solid, cold stone floor). That way, all students would know what a traitor looks like.

Or maybe he would just kick them out of the team. What happens first.

His fantasies were interrupted, for at his back he heard a scream that made him jump from the impression.

"Linky!" Two voices shrieked at the same time.

The boy turned around and was tackled by two pretty fifteen-year-old blonde girls. Both identical in face and body, but so different in dress, tastes and personality.

If it weren´t because Lincoln had greatly improved his physical condition, he would have been thrown to the ground by their combined strength. They had run at full speed and used all their energies in the hug they gave the young man. However, he smiled and stroked both of their heads. "Hi, Lola. Hi, Lana."

"Brother!" Lana greeted with a huge smile. "How are you? Where were you? We thought you were stuck in traffic.

"Why didn't you let us know you would arrive later?!" Lola shouted; the discomfort very evident in her tone of voice. However, she never stopped hugging Lincoln. "Do you have no manners?! It is very impolite to leave a lady waiting, you know?"

"Oh… Well, heh-heh. Ehmmm… I-It's funny now that you mention it, L-Lola. In fact, I…" Lincoln began to sweat; he knew the twins would get mad at him if he told them the truth, but he had no other choice. It was better to come out clean. "In fact, I had already arrived… for more than f-four hours ago…"

Silence reigned in the kitchen for a couple of seconds. Lincoln kept his eyes firmly closed, until he felt the hug of both girls became tighter. With fear, he looked down and gazed first at Lola's face. The color drained from his face when he saw the girl with a smile that showed all her teeth and with eyes that only promised pain.

"Wow, Linky…" She talked between teeth. "Four hours, huh? And you didn't plan to greet us? Hmm…?"

"I-I-I was going to, b-but L-Lisa asked me to h-help her with s-something," he stuttered.

"Oh, I see… Lisa asked you to help her with something… And it really took you four hours? Four… hours?

The young man wanted to answer that he not only saw the investigation of the brown-haired girl, but that he had also finished building a model that was vital for his final grade. However, that explanation would not come out of his mouth, for Lola gave him a malicious grin. Lincoln felt his heart run out of his chest.

Oh, my God! Is she going to—?

"Lola…," he begged, "don't do it."

The girl ignored him and shouted with all her might: "Girls, Linky is here!"

The boy shivered when hearing a tumult on the upper floor that was approaching the stairs dangerously fast.

"Lana…, please, help me," he pleaded, trying to get out of the kitchen, but without any success, as both girls had him trapped.

"Sorry, bro… But it would be very rude if you still don't say hello to your sisters, don't you think?" The aforementioned answered, giving him the same smile as her twin.

Once that small stampede came to an end, Lincoln swallowed the lump in his throat and prepared for his destiny. He turned to the dining room and met his older sisters and the rest of the younger ones, all smiling. Just like him, the older daughters had the habit of going to their parents' old house (every time they had time) to spend the weekend with their whole family.

Lori and Leni rented together a luxurious apartment in the most expensive area of Royal Woods. The first one, since she finished high school and ended her relationship with Bobby, devoted herself fully to her studies; it had been a difficult process, considering her emotional state. But in the end, with the support of her loved ones, her efforts paid off, as she had become a lawyer in a major law firm in the state of Michigan. And the second one worked as a designer in a renowned fashion house in the United States. Although high school had been the most difficult stage of her studies, Leni managed to finish it with the help of her family and teachers; after that, her admission to college was unexpectedly simpler, because now she was confident that she could prove her true abilities.

Luna rented a simple apartment in the urban area of the town but were few the occasions when she stayed there for long periods of time, for her band constantly toured Michigan and the surrounding states. The woman and her band members' hard work seemed to bear fruit, since within two months they would have the opportunity to record and release their first album.

Luan, by twenty-one, had managed to save enough money with her internet blog and her Funny Business to buy her own house. It was a simple, yet homely, place with only one floor, but completely hers. Plus, she was already working as a professional comedian in bars —some truly popular—, private meetings —very different from her children's party business—, and in the Royal Woods Theater —her greatest pride—.

Lynn had no apartment of her own, since she was usually out of town or traveling to other states, training and preparing herself for the state and national competitions of the teams in which she was the captain. Since the age of eighteen she caught the attention of sports representatives who forecasted her a bright future in that world. And currently, she was training to play in the next Olympic games in the Women's Soccer League.

Lucy had become the oldest of the sisters still living in the house of their parents, but even at her age she had already won numerous literature and poetry awards, not to mention her various presentations at the Royal Woods Theater. Some writings had her characteristic dark thematic, others were even more gloomy than the previous ones, and another —unique in its class and which gave her her most important prize— of romance and drama.

Lana and Lola remained as close as they were in their childhood, with the difference that the quarrels were less constant. The older twin had perfected her mechanical skills to the point where, even at her age, she found a workshop that hired her to work after school. And her love for animals remained so intense that she spent hours of her spare time to rescue stray animals and find them a good home. Meanwhile, the youngest of the twins was now the captain of the cheerleading team in high school and won the "Little Miss Michigan" beauty contest —the most important pageant in the state—. However, even with all that, the girl had greatly improved her behavior, although there were times when her temperament still dominated her.

Lisa (who was still in her room) already had more than five doctoral degrees in the areas of physics, chemistry, robotics, biology and mathematics. She had become a teacher at the state university, but all her courses were online, for she also had to continue her own researches and patent the inventions that had no problem at all.

And little Lily (who was asleep on the couch) already showed a natural talent for drawing and photography. Since her brother gave her a camera for her seventh birthday, the girl spent hours practicing and improving her shots. Also, since she had discovered an old comic drawn by the boy, she found it interesting to try to combine both disciplines to create her own works of art.

Lincoln watched them for a moment. Yes, it was certain that each one of her sisters had matured over time. But on the other hand, he also concluded that people do not change that much; he saw that with Lola and Lana. And if they were that upset because he hadn't greeted them, he wondered what they all would do to him when they find out.

They all approached him and wrapped him in a huge group hug.

"Brother, it's so good that you have arrived!" Lori squealed.

"Yes, Linky, I was beginning to get worried!" Leni exclaimed, while applying a little more force.

"Ah, ha-ha. But now I'm here, aren't I?" Lincoln replied, doubtful about what would happen next.

"Yes, that's the important thing. And don't worry, I also know how maddening traffic can be," Luna said.

"At least you are no longer 'bottled' in traffic. Ha-ha-ha! Get it?" Luan joked.

"Yes, ha-ha-ha! You're so funny, Luan!" If I have at least one ally they'll hurt me less, right? He thought.

"It's good to have you back, bro. Although I must say that it would have been better if you came earlier," Lynn said behind him and hugging his neck on her tiptoes.

"I´m glad you arrived safely, Lincoln," Lucy said, snuggling her head against his chest. "I was afraid to consider the idea of asking great-grandmother Harriet if you were with her."

He smiled but said to himself: Soon I will be.

"Actually, girls…" Lola started.

His blood froze. This is it!

"Lincoln was late because he got a flat tire," Lana finished.

The boy was dumbfounded; he didn't think the twins would cover him up after seeing their reactions. He turned to see them from the corner of his eye, and they both gave him a look that said: "We'll settle accounts later. This is not for free".

He thanked the heavens that his sisters would not tell the truth. His heart rate began to normalize, and the air returned to his lungs. Yes, now he would spend a peaceful weeke—

"Oh, Linky. Are you done helping Lisa? Can we play now?" Said Lily, who yawned and rubbed her eyes with both hands.

All women turned to see the girl, then the boy, and then the girl again.

"What do you mean, Lily? Linky just arrived," Leni said, clearly confused.

"Huh?" She asked, in the same state as her older sister. "No. Linky arrived a few hours ago. I asked him to play with me, but Lisa snatched him away," she crossed her arms and annoyedly added: "Hmph! It's not fair! I had greeted him first!"

The girls slowly turned their necks and gave the boy a terrifying smile, as they made the hug tighter and tighter. Even Lola and Lana joined the attack; apparently that detail was more important than he thought.

They're gonna crush me! He thought, while his face turned purple.

Suddenly, he felt a glimmer of hope invade his body when he saw Lisa at the entrance of the kitchen. She had her mouth agape and disbelief. Then, her face turned red and her cheeks swelled in total discomfort; he even believed he saw tears in the corner of his little sister's eyes. He knew she would scream, he hoped she would say something for everyone to release him; however, Lisa screeched something he never expected…

"Traitor! Treacherous! Cheater! Why do you let them hug you like that?!"

He had to say it: now he was really confused.

Wow, wow, wow! Guys, seriously, I'm really surprised with the reception of this story. I mean, really? 24 Favs and 28 Follows with the first chapter? In only ten days? I know I'm not the perfect writer, and even more with english, since it's not my first language, but I want to thank all of you. I swear I'll improve my english and bring you a better quality next time.

Now, with some reviews:

NoSoul01, here you go, man. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

henry-kun, I´m glad you liked the first chapter. I hope this is even better for you.

Anon, I try to keep the mispellings to the minimum, but I know I'm pretty far from perfection. Anyway, I hope you liked this new chapter.

nuuo, I've seen you around commenting in different fics, and I really appreciate that you did it with mine. If possible, point out my mistakes, and really hope you liked this chapter.

Mr. Haziq, here you go, dude. Enjoy!

SIAMES, I´m flattered, dude. I know I still commit some mistakes, but I try. Thank you.

With nothing more to add, I say goodbye.

Dark Dragon Of Creation