"Sorry for this interruption, but could Ms. Lynn Loud please report to the main office? I repeat, could Lynn Loud report to the main office?"

Lynn pulled her head from her desk, looking at the loud speaker in surprise. Great, now what did she do? She couldn't think of anything… Did she fall asleep in chemistry again without realizing? She didn't think so…

She sighed, pulling herself from her desk, doing her best to ignore the snickers that came from her classmates. Just shut up already, you don't even know if I'm in trouble… Morons…

She moved past her classmates, keeping her head forward. She didn't have time for this dorks. She passed through the door, heading into the hall. Wonder what they wanted from her. She was fairly certain she didn't do anything wrong, as she had only been there today and yesterday. Perhaps Principal Green had some questions about Lincoln or maybe they found some proof as to whether Cristina did it or not.

It would definitely be nice to know. She had been trying to find Cristina's friend, Cookie all day, but didn't have a drop of luck. She even recruited Lincoln's two friends, Stella and Jordan, but still came up with no idea where to find her.

Lynn was honestly ready to give up and she hated quitting. She didn't really have a choice. There was always tomorrow, but they had planned to find her today. Lincoln was very adamant about talking to Cristina as soon as possible.

Lynn was still on the fence with the whole Cristina possibly being innocent, at least for the prank, but she had to admit, there was a lot of holes in this whole thing. There was definitely something bigger going on and as long as it involved Lincoln, Lynn was going to see it though till the end.

Even Stella and Jordan were unconvinced about Cristina and Lynn wasn't sure they even really cared to find out, but she was certain they didn't want to take any chances. Neither did Lynn. If someone had gone through all of this trouble just to hurt Lincoln, than only god knew what the heck they had planned next.

What Lynn did know however, is that whoever really was responsible would come to regret their choice to go after Lincoln. She would make sure that they paid… No matter what.

Lynn sighed, picking up a bit of speed. If the office needed her so badly, then why would they wait until this close to the end of the day to call on her? For heaven's sake she was in the back of the school…!

"Screw you, I don't have time for this. Now move, I need to get back to class."

Lynn's brows furrowed. Stella? What's going on?

"Oh come on Stells, can't you just hear me out?"

Lynn frowned. Rusty…? Didn't he stop hanging out with Lincoln and their friends? Why was he talking with Stella? Weirdo…

"No. I already told you, I'm not interested in dating you. Quite frankly, you're an ass. Now please, move, I'm busy."

Lynn grit her teeth, starting to look around, picking up her pace. The last thing anyone needed was a clingy kid hanging around… There… Lynn spotted the very annoyed Stella standing in front of a locker, glaring down at Rusty, who was grinning up at her with his hands on the locker, either side of her.

"Come on, let me buy you a Flippy after school. Me and some of the guys are going. I promise it will be fun."

Stella shook her head, glaring down at him. "I said no, now move your arms or I'll kick your butt."

Lynn couldn't see his face, but she did see his hands form fists, making her frown. He wouldn't… "Hey Stella, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you."

Rusty jumped, spinning around. When he saw Lynn, his face hardened for a moment, but less than a second later it softened. "Oh hey Lynn, how's Lincoln? I've been meaning to stop by and say hello, but I just haven't gotten the chance. I haven't seen much of him over the summer."

Lynn gave him a guarded nod. She didn't know why, but she didn't like him. She never had, never will. From what she had seen of him and heard of him from Lincoln, he sounded like a bit of a perv… "Oh, you know, taking it all one day at a time. But this is Lincoln, nothing will keep him down. Even managed to get the blood out of his hair. Great timing for when he goes back to school next week."

Rusty's eye twitched a few times, but Lynn paid it no mind, just turning to give Stella a big smile. "So, did you find what I asked for? Margo has been asking me about it all day." Come on kid, play along and you can go back to class sooner.

Stella returned her smile, giving her a nod. "Oh yeah, I sure did. My grandmother knew just where to find one. I picked it up last night. It's in my locker right now if you want me to give it to you."

Lynn nodded, pulling an arm around Stella, starting to walk. "Great, Margo is going to flip when she sees it… Have a good day Rusty. I'll tell Lincoln you said hello."

She didn't wait to hear his reply, she just walked off with Stella, gently patting her back. "So I take it you didn't find her?"

Stella gave her head a slight shake. "No, sorry… Thanks by the way. Rusty isn't too bad most of the time, but today he's been super clingy. Kind of annoying. Most of the summer he just ignored me, Lincoln and the rest of our group, but since Lincoln's been out of school, he's been around me none stop. I don't know if he's worried about Lincoln or if he wants to kidnap me… It's creepy…"

Lynn nodded, glancing over her shoulder… Rusty was just standing there, watching them. Lynn turned her head back to Stella. Her skin was crawling. "Dude… Be careful around that one, I think he has a thing for you… Anyway, do you need me to walk you to your next class?"

Stella shook her head, pulling a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. "No thanks, I'm actually heading to the office to deliver a letter."

Lynn nodded, letting out an amused chuckle. "That's funny, I was just called to the office. I guess I get to walk you any way. You never know, some other kid might want to stop you to get your phone number. We should get you a stick. You can use it to beat them off."

Stella let out a snort, shaking her head. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I can handle Rusty. He's all talk… So, no luck with Cookie? That's a shame… Are you sure that talking to Cristina is a good idea? I mean, what if it's a trap? I mean, I'm sure Lincoln can handle himself and he will have you girls, but how do you know she won't try something?"

Lynn shrugged. "Look Stella, I know you are worried about Lincoln, we all are. Just trust him, okay? He wants to know the truth and I want to make sure he gets it. One way or another, Lincoln will get what he wants. Even if he has to sneak out and hunt her down on his own. He may be smart and a great planner, but his plans tend to go a bit…"

"Unexpectedly?"

Lynn nodded. "Yeah. That is why his older sisters and I are going to be going with him. That way, if something happens, we will be there to help him out of it."

Stella sighed, putting her head down. "Well, I hope it goes off without a hitch. Lincoln has had enough trouble this year to last fifty… I wish I could go… So does Jordan… But there is no way that our parents would let us. How did you convince yours to let you do this? They must have been hesitant about it."

Lynn awkwardly scratched her arm, looking around the hall. "Well… They don't technically know. We just told them that we were going to take Lincoln out of the house to cheer him up. Which is not a lie, just not the full truth."

Stella gave her a shocked look. "But aren't you worried that you will get in trouble? I mean, I get why you would do that, but…?"

Lynn just shrugged, not very concerned. "If we get caught we either get in trouble or we don't. I just want Lincoln to know that we have his back."

Stella nodded, slouching a little. "Yeah… I wish I could help…"

Lynn sighed, lifting a hand to pat her back. "Hey, don't worry. Just keep being Lincoln's friend and you will be doing plenty. Your friendship means a lot to him and… Well, it means a lot to me that you've continued to stick with him. Lincoln was really upset after Clyde moved and he was even more upset when he learned that the others wanted to stop talking to him."

Stella sighed, straightening. She gave Lynn a small smile, turning her head to look forward. "Thanks. Lincoln's friendship means a lot to me as well. He was my first friend when I moved here and he was the only person to stay my friend. Now that Jordan makes our friendship a trio, it isn't that bad, but still… Anyway, we are here."

Lynn blinked a couple of times before she realized what she meant. She turned her head, seeing that they were standing in front of the front office window. "Oh… Yeah… Well, I hope Rusty leaves you alone and if I don't see you again today, have a good one."

Stella nodded, holding her hand out to let Lynn pass. "Yeah, you too… And I'm sure I can handle Rusty. Tell Lincoln to call me after your meeting with Cristina. Well, that is if we can find her."

Lynn nodded, walking past her to the window. "Of course."

Lynn sighed as she stepped up to the window, waiting for the secretary to finish whatever it was that she was typing. "Hello, I'm Lynn Loud. The office called for me…"

The woman nodded, typing some more. "Ah yes, go right in the first side door and have a seat."

Lynn nervously tapped her finger on the counter. "Umm… If you don't mind me asking, why was I called here? Did I do something wrong?"

The woman shook her head, not bothering to look up at her. "Oh goodness no. A student asked if we could call you to the office. I guess she wanted to talk about something relating to your brother."

Lynn raised a brow. "Oh? Okay, thanks."

The woman gave Lynn and nod as she started for the office door. As she passed, Lynn gave a final wave to Stella. "See yah."

Lynn stepped to the door, grabbing the knob, turning it. Who would call her to the office? Maybe Jordan? But why not just text her? Wait… Unless… Lynn opened the door, walking into the room. Sitting at a table, towards the side of the room, was Cookie.

"Hello, you must be Lynn. I hear you have been looking for me. It's about time."

Lynn was slightly taken aback, surprised by this kid's bluntness. "You're telling me, I've been looking everywhere for you. We need to talk."

Cookie nodded, crossing her arms. "Yes, we do… Also, why didn't you just come to the office and have them call me up?"

Lynn sighed, mentally face palming. Give me a break would you? It's been a long day. Lynn started towards her, moving to sit in the chair next to her's "Never mind that, I need to know where Cristina is."

Cookie stiffened, moving to stand, but Lynn grabbed her arm, gently pulling her back down. "Calm down. It's for Lincoln. He just wants to talk. He thinks she might be innocent."

Cookie gave her a shocked look, visually relaxing, though not fully. "Really? How do I know I can trust you? When she tried to talk to his little sisters yesterday, they nearly bit her head off. Well, them and that Haiku girl. What if I lead you all to her and either you or Lincoln try to get revenge?"

Lynn sighed. Cookie did have valid points, but she wasn't in the mood for games. "Listen, we don't have time for this. Either tell me or I will just walk out that door and pretend that I didn't see you. That way, it will be your fault that Cristina got into trouble."

Cookie frowned, nervously rubbing her arms. "Look… I'm sorry about what happened to Lincoln, he didn't deserve that… But neither did Cristina. Her entire life was ruined over the course of a few short hours. All of her friends, her family, for heaven's sake, even her parents have treated her as nothing but garbage since. I'm her only friend, the only person that believes her. If I lead you to her and you hurt her, I would be abandoning her… I can't do that."

Lynn sighed, forcing herself to relax. "I can respect that, but if you want her to even have a chance at her old life, you are going to have to bring us to her. I would say to just bring her to my house, but Lori, our oldest sister, won't allow it… I promise, even if she did do it, we won't hurt her. Lincoln wouldn't let us. Hell, he was the one that convinced me to even come here to talk with you. If I didn't believe that there could be even the slightest chance that she didn't do it, I wouldn't have even come. I would have just let her rot in her own misery… But once Lincoln told me all of his reasons for thinking she was innocent, I couldn't help but to agree… He's a really convincing person. I don't even know why he would care. I don't know if it's because he subconsciously still has some kind of feeling for her or if it's just Lincoln's usual sweat nature, but he's convinced she might be innocent. Please, for the sake of your friend, don't throw away this chance. She won't have another."

Cookie bit her lip and started to nervously tap her fingers against her arm, giving Lynn a thoughtful look. "This doesn't give me much time to think… And I doubt you will give me time to discuss this with Cristina… Sigh… Fine… I will take you to her after school… But, only if you and whoever else stays outside until Cristina is certain you won't try to hurt her. Until then, only myself and Lincoln will go in, is that fair? …"

Lynn frowned, thinking it over. "I don't know if Lori and the others will like that… But I guess it would make her more comfortable… I'll tell you what, if you let me stand five feet behind Lincoln the entire time, we can call this a deal. Fair?"

Cookie bit her lip harder, but stopped her finger tapping. "I… I… O.. Okay. As long as I can stand between Lincoln and Cristina…"

Lynn nodded, holding her hand out. "Deal."

Cookie nodded, shakily bringing her hand out to take Lynn's, shaking it. "D..deal…"

Lynn sighed, watching as Cookie's lip started to tremble slightly. Poor girl was terrified… "Hey, it's going to be fine. You believe she is innocent, right?"

Cookie nodded, letting Lynn's hand go. "Y..yeah. I do. Cristina has done a lot of stupid things, a lot of them involving treating Lincoln like crap… But I'm certain she will never do anything to upset Lincoln again. I think she really regrets what she said to him and the fact that she avoided him like the plague. I don't even think she hates him anymore. She just wants to move on."

Lynn sighed, giving her a small smile. "Good, that is what Lincoln wants. I'm sure this whole thing is going to go very well…"

"Tat tat tat tat…"

Cookie vigorously tapped her foot while she waited for Lincoln and the rest of his sisters to arrive. The waiting was killing her.

"Hey kid, relax. You're going to wear a hole in your shoe if you don't."

Cookie looked up at Lynn, biting her lip. "Sorry, I'm just nervous…" She sighed, tightening her grip on the paper bag she had been keeping in her locker since that morning. She had hoped to find Lynn and just give it to her to give to Lincoln, but nope, those plans had changed. She was rather surprised as to how nervous she really was to see Lincoln again.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Lincoln is just as nervous… So… Are two friends or something? You and Lincoln that is?"

Cookie nervously shook her head. She still wasn't convinced that Lynn wasn't going to beat the crap out of her. She heard a lot of people say that the whole Loud family was insane, but Lynn was supposed to be the worst… Then again, Lincoln was pretty nice… Actually, he was one of the nicest people she knew…

"N..no, not really… We don't really talk much…"

Lynn nodded, giving her a curious look. "Are you alright? You should really relax."

Cookie nodded, trying to stop her foot from shaking. "Y..Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… This is a lot to take in, okay?"

Lynn turned to her, lifting her hand towards Cookie, making her flinch. Lynn's hand rested on her shoulder, making her heart beat faster, but when Lynn dropped to one knee, giving her a serious look, she thought she was going to pass out.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to make sure you are alright. I promise, we will not hurt you or attack Cristina… Maybe we should just call this off. You could go and see Cristina and let her know we want to talk with her and then we can all decide were the best place to meet would be."

Cookie shook her head, forcing herself to relax. "No, it fine. We already decided what we would do… I'm sorry, you really aren't any think like the other's say."

Lynn raised, giving her a confused look. "What? What others? What did they say?"

Cookie sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Lynn didn't seem very mean… "I was always told that Lincoln's sisters are all wild and crazy, but you don't seem mean to me. You just seem like a really protective sister. I guess I'm just not sure what to think."

Lynn blinked at her a few times, making Cookie feel nervous that she had offended her, she was a much larger girl after all… But then Lynn's eyes softened and she dropped down on her other knee, leaning back. "I understand. Look, I do tend to get a bit… Over the top when I'm playing sports or if it's a competition, but this neither. This is serious and very important. This could either ruin or fix your friend's life and I'm not really into ruining lived. I will admit if I do find out that she did it, which seems highly unlikely right now, I won't do anything to her or you. Lincoln doesn't want any once else getting hurt and he just wants to move on. And quite frankly, I think moving on is the best idea. I think you are very brave for agreeing to this meeting and you should be proud of yourself for standing by your friend, even if nobody else did. That takes some serious guts. It's pretty impressive."

Cookie nodded, feeling her face heat up. She wasn't used to getting complimented like that… It was nice… She decided that Lynn was nice too and she could trust her. Lynn wasn't a bully… "Thanks… Someone had to stand by her, especially when not even her parents would."

Lynn frowned, raising a brow. "This is the second time you mentioned this. Did they do something to anger you? They didn't hit her did they?"

Cookie shook her head, not sure of the best way to answer that question. "No, they didn't hit her and well… Technically they didn't do anything. They plan to take away a lot of her things when they get back, but the thing that really upsets me is that they wouldn't let her tell her side of the story. They just accepted Principal Green's world and let it at that. She feels like they abandoned her… Which I guess they kind of did…"

Lynn furrowed her brows, looking concerned. "What do you mean by that?"

Cookie sighed, biting her lip again… It was starting to hurt… "Well… I'm not sure if I should tell anyone, but they went on a business trip a few days ago and won't be back until the end of the week. Cristina has been alone since I walked her home yesterday after not getting to meet Lincoln. Frankly, I think she's terrified of what every punishment they have for her and I don't blame her, they were really angry."

Lynn shook her head, looking up as a car honked it's horn. "That is very unfair. The very least they should have done was to listen to her. I wouldn't blame her if she was angry at them. What jerks… Well, they are here. Hopefully if we can clear her name, we can knock some sense into her parent's heads too."

Cookie nodded and Lynn stood, giving her a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Yeah… I hope so. She doesn't deserve any of this." She let out a long, nervous sigh as a rundown van pulled to a stop in front of them. There were four other, older girls sitting in the front and back seats, while Lincoln sat in the middle alone. The thing that really caught her eye though, was the fact that Lincoln's hair was white… And not just the paper white she thought she remembered, but for some reason it seemed whiter, like freshly fallen snow… Or like a cute little rabbit had decided to use his head for a pillow… Wait… Cute? Those words never belonged in the same thought. Lincoln was a lot of things, but cute was not one of them… But she did have to admit, she was starting to hate that stupid smile a lot less. It was a lot better than that dreadful sad look he had before…

Lincoln reached across the seats, opening the van's door, smiling at Lynn and Cookie. He didn't want to give her the impression that they were going to cause any trouble… Also, he was just in a good mood. He was finally going to get the chance to talk things through with Cristina.

Of course he was still nervous about it and he was still upset with her. He was just tired of being angry or sad. It was all going to end and it started today. It was as simple as that.

Lincoln watched as Cookie looked up at him, giving him a nervous smile and a small wave. "Hey Lincoln… Your hair looks great."

Lincoln ran a hand through his hair before patting the seat next to him. "Thanks, come and sit. We really need to talk."

Cookie nodded, losing her smile, making Lincoln sigh. "It's okay, I'm not angry at you. I just want to talk. That is all I want to do with you or Cristina. There is nothing to worry about."

Cookie nodded, turning her head to look at Lynn. In response, Lynn gave her a kind smile and brought a hand up to pat her back. "It's okay. You know Lincoln isn't going to hurt you right? I mean, this is Lincoln, he doesn't have a mean bone in his body."

Cookie nodded once more before pulling herself into the van, sliding to sit next to Lincoln. After buckling her seatbelt, she turned to look at Lincoln, biting her lip. "S..so what do you want to talk about? Wouldn't it be better to wait until we get to Cristina's?"

Lincoln shook his head. He had to admit, he was surprised with how nervous Cookie was and the fact that her cheeks were a deepening shade of pink. "Don't worry, it's just a few questions so I can learn things from your point of view… Are you okay? You're not feeling unwell are you?"

Cookie shook her head, tightening her grip on a paper bag she was holding in her hands. "No, I'm feeling fine… I'm just, you know…?"

Lincoln nodded, trying to give her a comforting smile. Why was she so nervous? She didn't do anything and all he wanted to do was talk to Cristiana. "Nervous?" Cookie nodded and Lincoln let out a sigh. "Me too. The last time I felt this nervous was when I accidentally knocked Lori's phone into the toilet. I thought for sure she was going to turn me into a human pretzel… But then it turned out she had just boughten a new water proof case."

Cookie seemed to relax a little at that, giving Lincoln a small chuckle. "That must have been a relief."

Lincoln snorted, looking at Lori in the front seat. "Not really, she made me buy a new one for her. Though… I did get a new case for my phone, so I guess it did work out. Oh, that is after I washed it… So, really, how are you feeling about this whole thing?"

Cookie let out a long sigh and he turned back to look at her. Lori started to pull out of the school parking lot. "I'm fine I guess. Mostly I'm just worried about you and Cristina. I'm really glad your hair is as white as ever, if not more so. You definitely look way better with white hair, it makes your smile shine… Err… I mean…"

Lincoln raised a brow at her and a couple of his sisters started to laugh, making Cookie blush. "It's okay, I like it white too… So how is Cristina doing? I heard she tried to get Lucy or Haiku to tell her where I lived."

Cookie nodded, looking down at her hands, fiddling with the bag in her hand. "She's… Not doing so well. And… Please don't be angry at her for trying to talk to you. She really wasn't going to do anything to your little sisters. I know she can be a bit dense at times, but she really is a good person, I swear. She just made a stupid mistake…"

"A stupid mistake? She treated him like shit for almost a year. She was a bully and you know it."

Lincoln turned to look behind him, shaking his head at Luna, making her frown, crossing her arms. "Please Luna, don't upset her. She didn't do anything. It was Cristina, not her… But, you do have a fair point. Cristina either avoided me like a plague or straight up told me how much she hated me. What would suddenly change her now?"

Lincoln turned back to look at Cookie, sighing. "Please, continue. Why isn't she having a good time? Did something happen?"

Cookie nodded, looking at Lincoln with a sad frown. "Yeah, all of her friends told her to screw herself and her parents refuse to use their brains. They were told that she did the prank and they just accepted it without even a single thought. They wouldn't let Cristina explain her side of the story and just started to punish her. It isn't fair, I swear she didn't do this."

Lincoln gave her a thoughtful look. He did have a hard time believing a few of the things she was saying… But he couldn't prove her wrong. He would just have to wait to talk to Cristina herself… Wait… Proof…

"I see… Can you or Cristina prove that she didn't do it? If we have proof, we can start trying to figure out who really did it. Then they can be punished and no one else has to get pranked or hurt."

Cookie opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. "I… I… I can't answer that question… I mean, no don't think we have proof, but… I… err… I'm sorry, you might want to wait until after you talk to Cristina for that question… I'm sorry…"

Lincoln gave her a confused look. Something wasn't right about her answer.

"What do you mean you can't answer that question? Are you hiding something?"

Lincoln looked towards the front of the van as Lori pulled to the side of the road, glaring at Cookie through the rear view mirror. "Lori, please don't…"

Lori shook her head, turning to face them. "No. I don't even know where I'm going. Spill kid, where is Cristina and why are you trying to avoid questions?"

Cookie flinched, pulling her arms around herself, looking like she was starting to freak out a little. "Please… I already told you guys I was going to bring you to Cristina, please don't get angry with me… I promise we will explain when we get there, I just think you should hear Cristina's side first. Otherwise, it won't make sense."

"You know who did it, don't you?"

Lincoln turned his head, giving Lynn and Cookie and surprised look. "What?"

Cookie's face paled as she looked at Lynn. "Please don't be mad. I swear we were going to tell you guys, we just don't have any proof yet. After Cristina explains everything, you will understand. I swear, we weren't trying to hide it, is just wouldn't make sense."

Lynn gave her a look that Lincoln couldn't read, making him nervous. "Guys, calm down. There is no reason to get upset. Scaring Cookie will do nothing but make her uncomfortable. We need to trust her and we need her to trust us. Let's just give her some…"

"DAMN IT Lincoln, HOW CAN YOU BE SO FUCKING CALM?"

Lincoln flinched as Lori yelled at him. He opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted.

"DON'T YELL AT HIM, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG."

Lincoln sighed. This was what he wanted to avoid… "Please stop yelling…"

"OF COURSE HE DIDN'T AND APARENTLY NEITHER DID CRISTINA… OH WAIT, SHE'S BEEN TREATING HIM LIKE SHIT FOR A YEAR…"

Lincoln was getting irritated and he could feel Cookie stiffening next to him. She was getting uncomfortable. He spotted Lynn trying to get her to relax… it wasn't working.

"Guys…"

"STOP TREATING HIM LIKE A BABY, HE'S IN MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW, HE CAN TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF"

Lincoln sighed, bringing his hands to his face. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen…

"APARENTLY HE CAN'T. HE'S NOT READY FOR THIS KIND OF…"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTHS! STOP TELLING ME WHAT I AM OR AM NOT. JUST STOP, I CAN'T TAKE THIS SHIT ANY MORE."

The yelling stopped. Everyone just stared at Lincoln in shock. He was heavily panting, his face red from yelling. "Just stop. You want to know something? I'm not calm. I'm not okay. I'm tired. I just want you to stop yelling. I want Cookie to stop getting yelled at. She didn't do anything wrong. She just wants us to be patient for a little while longer. Is that really too much to ask for? No? Good, just shut up and listen. We are going to listen to Cookie while she tells us where to go. We will drive there, we will stay calm and we will listen to what they both have to say. Then and only then will we make our final judgment. No one will try to scare Cookie anymore and no one will touch Cristina. We will find out who did this, and then they will be punished. Does that sound like a fair plan?"

Everyone remained silent, just giving Lincoln shocked nods. He sighed, feeling like a jerk. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell. I just want to put this behind us and move on." He turned to Cookie, sighing when he saw how rattled she looked. Even Lynn looked a bit frazzled behind her. "Sorry Cookie, you don't have to tell us anything you are uncomfortable with sharing. We can wait until we get to Cristina's. Could you please tell us where she lives?"

She nodded, her eyes rapidly moving from Lincoln to Lori. "Uhh… Yeah, sure thing. Just head down this road until you get to…

Cookie felt really awkward. The van was dead silent other then the occasional direction she gave to Lincoln's oldest sister. She felt really nervous now. She had never seen someone go through such a dramatic mood shift as Lincoln had a few minutes ago. He was so calm and collected, but as soon as his sisters started to freak out, he became really scary. She didn't ever want to be on the receiving end of that… His sisters even seemed unsettled by it, making her think that this was a new thing… He must be way more stressed then he let on…

She sighed, looking at him out o the corner of her eyes. He was so calm again… It was really weird… Man… What the heck happened to you? And she thought Cristina was upset…

"Hey, are you okay? I hope my sisters or I didn't upset you with our yelling. I promise we don't usually act like this. I'm sure you understand how stressful this is for all of us."

Cookie turned her head, looking at Lincoln… And now he was being really sweet… "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit nervous I guess. I didn't mean to make your sisters angry at me, I just think it would be best to hear it from the source, you know?"

Lincoln nodded, giving her a curious look. "I understand… But I also understand where my sisters are coming from. I mean, I would love to know who started this mess, but I will respect your choice to let Cristina explain everything herself… I want to thank you for trusting us. I am still mad a Cristina and she definitely has things she needs to answer for, but this whole thing has been blown way out of proportion. I'm sorry that you have been dragged into the middle of it."

Cookie sighed, looking at the bag in her hands. "You don't need to apologize. I'm sure I would have reacted a lot worse than both of you if I was in the same situation… I made something for you."

Lincoln gave her a curious look, making her blush. "It's nothing much, I just wanted to see you cheer up a little. You looked really sad after that stupid prank and I wanted to see you smile again. I know this is probably a terrible time to give you this, but it's better than never… Here…"

Cookie handed him the bag, making her heat up more as she felt everyone's eyes on her. "I know it doesn't make things right between you and Cristina and I know you and I don't exactly have a strong friendship… I'm not even sure if you consider me a friend at all… I just hope you like them…"

Cookie looked at her empty hands, listening to Lincoln unwrap the bag.

"…"

"Cookies? You made me cookies? I love cookies. Thanks Cookie… Wow… that was an interesting sentence… Anyway, thanks… Oh… And there Chocolate Chip? I could kiss you right now…"

Cookie felt her face catch flame as Lincoln started to munch on a cookie. She didn't know why, it was only a joke… But it made her feel really good… And of course the chuckling of Lincoln's sisters didn't help… Cristina you really lost out on an interesting guy…

"Wow, I think these are the best cookies I've ever had. I want to share, but my sisters would probably just eat them all… I'm kidding, who wants a cookie?"

Cookie shook her head, trying to hold back her smile. What a dork… WHAT…?

Her thoughts were cut off and her eyes widened as Lincoln leaned over, giving her a quick, yet comforting hug. "Really, thanks. I feel a lot better after these. Where did you learn to make cookies like these?"

Cookie reached a hand up, pulling at the neck of her shirt. "Oh, my mother and I used to bake cookies all the time. After she got her most recent job, we didn't have as much time to bake, so I started to bake on my own so she could have cookies in her lunch… I guess I just make them so often they just started to get better and better… Do you really like them?"

Lincoln nodded, holding a cookie out to her. "Yeah, I was serious about them being the best cookies I've ever had… Nobody tell dad, but these are way better than his. I love the fact that you have both chunks of chocolate and the chips."

Cookie sighed, taking the cookie, biting into it. Why couldn't things stay like this? What if they could? What if she could get Lincoln and his sisters to forgive Cristina and get them to be friends? She could make them all cookies… Yeah, she would just have to help them get rid of Rusty and the other two jerks…

She looked up just in time to see that they were coming onto Cristina's house, so she raised her hand, using her index finger to point at the house. "That's were Cristina lives. You can park at the curb… Guys… Please be patient with her. She's under a lot of stress too."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, making her turn her head towards Lynn. She was giving her a smile. "Don't worry kid, I told you we would keep our agreement. You will go first, then Lincoln and I'll follow five feet behind. The others will stay with the van. If Cristina is okay with it, they can come, if she is not, they will stay… Isn't that right?"

"Yes Lynn, we've been over this."

Cookie let out an amused sigh. These people really were crazy… But not in the way people had always talked about them. Especially Lynn and Lincoln. Lynn was a bit odd and could be intimidating, but she obviously had a real soft spot for Lincoln… and Lincoln… She wasn't really sure what to think about him. She had always seen him as a bit of a dork that smiled way to much… Now she realized he was actually a sweet kid that was just super misunderstood. That actually made her feel really stupid… Maybe she could make him more cookies to help make up for it… of course, helping them with their problem with Cristina would help too…

"Alright, let's go. We need to be home before five or mom and dad will get suspicious. Also, when should we drop you off Cookie?"

Cookie looked up at Lori, sighing. "Oh, umm… Well I told my parents I would be hanging out with Cristina for the day and I can just walk home. I actually only live a mile or so from here. We actually passed my house on our way here."

Lori gave her a nod before opening her door and stepping out. "Okay, just let me know if you change your mind and need me to drop you off on our way home."

Cookie nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt. She wasn't really sure what to think of her or Lincoln's other older sisters. They had a bit of a temper and were very loud, but they didn't seem that bad… But Lori did seem to be a bit too over protective of Lincoln and she was pretty sure she didn't like her or Cristina at all… Really, she could blame her. She just hoped she could change their mind about Cristina. Sure she didn't always use her head, but she really was a great person.

"You coming Cookie?"

She looked over at Lincoln, who was holding the door for her, while holding his hand out towards the outside. She nodded, managing to stifle a grin. Wow, what a dork… And a gentle man…

She slid across the seat, hopping out as she got to the end. Lynn quickly following. "Thanks Lincoln."

He nodded, giving her a small smile. "Of course… You nervous?"

Cookie nodded. "Yeah. What about you?"

Lincoln nodded, closing the door after his last sister stepped out. "Terrified. I'm not good with conflict. Hopefully we can avoid conflict completely and talk this through like civilized humans."

Cookie nodded, looking towards the house. "Indeed… Come on, let's go. She probably already knows we are here… I just hope she isn't mad I didn't call first… I didn't even think of it…"

"Okay, just lead the way and Lynn and I will follow."

Cookie sighed, starting towards the house. She really hoped this would go over well. The last think any of them needed was more stress. She just hoped Lincoln wasn't too angry at Cristina. If he…

"Mommy…"

Cookie froze and Lincoln bumped into her, nearly knocking her down. "What was…?" Cookie trailed off, her eyes glued to the ground by her feet… Something was wrong.

"Hey, why did you… Is that blood?"

Lincoln said something in responce, but Cookie didn't wait to listen. She just headed for the front door. No no no… Please tell me that it's not… Cookie froze, feeling her heart skip a beat. The cookie she had just finished felt like lead in her stomach as it churned. Oh no no no… "Cristina?"

Before her, sitting against the bloodied front door, was Cristina. Her face was bruised, her nose was crooked with blood steadily streaming from it. She was bare foot. Both feet were bleeding, but one was swollen and bruised… and her hand… She was holding her hand to herself. It was badly bruised and very swollen… And her clothes… They were ruined and soaking wet…

As Cristina's eyes focused on Cookie, they filled with relief and hope, but it quickly changed to horror as a voice spoke from behind.

"Cookie, what the heck is going on? Where is… Oh my god…"

As soon as Cristina saw Lincoln she burst into tears and tried to scoot away, starting to hyperventilate. "No, no… Please, I didn't do it… Please don't' hurt me… Please… I beg you… I'm sorry, I'll never… I'll never… I promised I won't go near you again… I'll drop out of school… I'll run away, just please don't hurt me… Please, I promised… I promised…"

Cookie snapped out of her horrified daze, dashing for Cristina. As she reached the steps, she could hear Lincoln yelling for someone to call an ambulance. She paid little attention, she just had to go to her friend. "Calm down, calm down. Cristina, I promise Lincoln isn't going to hurt you, just calm down."

Cristina either didn't hear her or didn't care to. She just kept trying to crawl away, rolling onto her stomach, leaving trails of blood everywhere. Cookie dropped to her knees next to her, trying to keep her from moving. "Stop moving! You are making the bleeding worse. Cristina, stop, you are safe."

Cristina shook her head, spewing out unintelligible cries. Cookie was starting to freak out, if she didn't get her to stop moving, she was going to hurt herself even worse.

"Hold her by her shoulders, I'll take her legs."

Cookie nodded, feeling tears will in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. What the hell was happening? Why did this happen? Who?

Cookie shook her head, placing her hands on Cristina's shoulders, firmly pressing her down. She could worry about that crap later, right now she had more important things to worry about. "CRISTINA STOP MOVING!"

That seemed to do the trick… Either that or it was the fact that Lincoln was literally holding her down by the legs… Yeah, that seemed to be more likely what it was, as her eyes were wide with terror, her breathing coming out in panicked gasps.

"Cristina, please listen to me. You are safe. I will not hurt you. We are going to get you help. Do you understand?"

Cristina didn't reply, making Lincoln sigh behind Cookie.

"Cristina, I promise I will not hurt you. You are safe. You are among friends, we will not hurt you…"

Cristina's breathing was getting faster, making Cookie panic. Please… Please…

"Cristina, I know it wasn't you that did the prank. I know you were set up… Cristina I forgive you."

That did it. Cookie watched in amazement as Cristina's eyes focused behind her, then quickly switched to look at Cookie, then back to Lincoln. "Y..Y…You do?"

Cookie looked at Lincoln over her shoulder. His face was dead serious… But she could also see anger growing in his eyes and she had a strong feeling that it wasn't towards Cristina.

"Yes, I do. Please, try to relax. Can you tell me what happened?"

Cookie looked back at Cristina. Her eyes started to unfocus again, but she seemed to relax a bit when Cookie moved one of her hands to take her's. "It's okay Cristina, just tell them everything."

Cristina shook her head, shaking as she sobbed. "I… I… I can't… They'll hit me again… I can't… Please don't make me… Please, I don't want to…"

Cookie choked on her own cry. This wasn't the Cristina she knew and loved… This was a terrified little girl… And Cookie was the very pissed off best friend to this girl. She turned to Lincoln, giving him an angry look. "This has gone to far… I'm sorry Cristina, this has to end. Lincoln, the people who hurt you and Cristina are…"

Cristina's hand wrapped around Cookie's face, clamping over her mouth. "No… Please, they'll hurt him… They'll hurt me… They are going to kill him if he knows… He'll be really angry… Please…"

Cookie tried to pull away, but Cristina held her down with a surprising amount of strength. What ever Rusty and the others did to her, it obviously scared her to death…

Lincoln suddenly leaned in, his eyes aflame with anger… and yet he spoke with a calming voice. "Cristina, Cookie… I'm sorry that you have both been dragged into this. Please tell me who did this. I know you are scared, but you don't need to be. Once you tell us who did this, we will call the police and have them arrested. Pranking me was a sick joke, but what they did to you was just evil. Tell me Cristina…"

She shook her head, crying harder.

Lincoln's breathing was starting to get heavier, making Cookie nervous… Oh no… Not again…

"Cristina, tell me."

No response…

"Cristina, Tell Me…"

Still nothing…

"CRISTINA, TELL ME NOW!"

"IT WAS RUSTY, BOY JORDAN AND PAIGE WHO PRANKED YOU. RUSTY AND BOY JORDAN ALONG WITH THEIR NEW FRIENDS HIT ME… PLEASE… Please… I'm sorry, don't hurt me…"

Cookie glared at Lincoln in anger. Why the hell would he do that? Lincoln was nothing but a no good… Huh…?

Cookie's eyes widened as Lincoln leaned down, wrapping his arms around them both, tears flowing from his eyes as he pulled them both into a hug. "I'm sorry I yelled… Are you sure it was them? Just nod and I will believe you."

Both Cristina and Cookie nodded, making Lincoln sigh. "I see… I can't believe… Why would…? But Rusty is my friend… Fine…"

Lincoln pulled away from them, sitting up. He gave them a sad look before he turned his back, placed his face in his hands and sobbed. It truly broke his heart… Cookie could see it in his eyes… That look was a hundred times worse than the one he wore after the prank… It was something that would be stuck in her mind as she slept for the rest of her life… Right alongside the sight of her usually strong and sassy friend broken and bleeding. She had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping for a while…

I piss myself off. I hurt Cristina way too much. This chapter hurt to write. I'm sorry…