This will probably not be a great story. Mediocre maybe. Criticism no matter how harsh is welcome.
"I fear this time you will suffer defeat Victoria" Aunt Lisa said with a tone devoid of any emotion.
Lynn Victoria Loud III or as she was called by her mom Victory merely smirked.
She was playing chess with Aunt Lisa while LuLu climbed up her mother's back watching the game with curiosity. Aunt Lisa was A world-renowned genius and Victory's favorite out of all her Mom's siblings. Victory absent mindedly glanced around the living room. Her eyes landed on a picture they took after arriving at their house a couple years ago. Victory was still a little taller than her sister and Leia couldnt talk. If only things could have stayed the same in that respect. Today was the adults would take their annual celebration of the event-away from the children. They cried they deserved a break at least once a year.
It seemed kinda weird that her mother and her mom's siblings decided to buy a house together. Most of them seemed well off enough to afford to live by themselves. Aunt Lola was some big-shot model, Aunt Lori was a Lawyer working for a pretty fancy law-firm, Aunt Luna was a rock in roll star, Aunt Lisa was a world-renowned scientist. She didn't exactly mind the predicament. Moving in together meant Victory could spend more time with Aunt Lisa, the woman who helped ignite Victory's passion for science. And unlike most of her Aunt's who were well-off to afford houses, and lavish apartments, Victory's mother wasnt nearly as well off. She was a gym teacher and part-time fitness instructor. The home they lived in before this was a crummy two-bedroom apartment. It was almost as bad as Uncle Stincoln's old apartment. The only thing really good about it was the white haired man living in it.
The one drawback to their living arrangement was that campy ass Van they got. "Loud and Proud" was engraved on its right side. It was embarrassing as hell to be seen in such a monstrousity.
Victory's eyes returned to the board finally. Her Aunt was frowning at her, annoyed with the tardy reply to declaration. Victoria loved teasing her aunt. Especially during chess.
Aunt Lisa began teaching Victory about how to play chess when she was five after see Victory saw her Aunt beat a machine she personally made to play chess. When Victory expressed interest in the game. Aunt Lisa was more than happy to oblige giving a three hour lecture about the history of the games, history figures in it, strategies, theories of it and the rules of it.
Eventually Victory just flat-out asked if they could play the game. She was demolished completely. Victory still remembered the smug smile on Aunt Lisa's face. The small woman asked if she could continue on with her lecture. Victory just decided to shut up and take notes. ShHer perseverance paid off. By the age of eight, Victory was able to give Lynn a proper challenge. By ten, she was able to beat Lisa on occasion. By now Victory has beaten Aunt Lisa ten times in a row at chess so far in their hour and half of playing today
Victory looked at the board fully confident this time would be no different
"Oh, what could you give you that impression Aunt Lisa?" Victory asked.
Lisa explained her previous and bizarre proclamation with candid clarity. "You have lost your rooks, a Bishop, and your queen. While I've so far have been able to retain all my power pieces. The odds of you achieving even modicum success going forward is infinitesimal."
Victory shrugged. "I figured I'd at least try to give you a fair chance."
Aunt Lisa frowned. "Great Einstein's mind girl, You truly are your mother's daughter. Arrogant to the point of absurdity."
Victory took that as a compliment.
Five minutes later, the game was over. Victory won.
Rather than being frustrated at having been defeated by her young niece once again, Victory's favorite Aunt smiled in absolute approval. "That was impressive."
Victory smiled broadly. She looked at the board and could not help but feel a little smug at her Accomplishment.
Aunt Lisa always made Victory feel like a winner. Special. Whether it working on creating some badass monstriousty of scinece, or playing game of strategy like Chess spending time with Aunt was always a blast.
When Lacy came in the house, sweating bullets, and wearing a huge smile, her first statement was "I beat Mom!"
She rushed to Victory lifted her from the chair Victory was sitting in and spun her around in excitement. " I beat mom." Victory younger albeit much bigger sister screamed in joy once again right in Victory's ear.
The bigger girl let her go once their mom came in the house, wearing an even bigger smile than Lacy's.
"My girl beat me! Did you hear Lisa, my girl bested me in a race for the first time ever. I'm telling you Lacy will go pro. Today just proves it!"
Victory's mother and sister, for some reason(probably just for the challenge ), decided to run all the way to Flips and back with the goal being to be back before it was time to go.
Aunt Lisa offered her sister a smile. "That is wonderful news, Lynn. Your namesake here beat me in chess eleven times in a row. It's truly an accomplishment to have produced such a talented progeny."
Her mom didn't seem to be that impressed with Victory's accomplishment. "You beat ole four eyes huh? That's cool." her mother said, before going about praising Lacy's defeat of her and profound implications of Lacy being an inevitable success.
Victory's mother was obsessed with sports and took after her in that respect. Lacy was a prodigy at Sports. She was captain of three of her schools's sports. Victory on the other hand didn't like sports. She wasn't interested in sports. Watching them, playing them, was boring for her. They simply weren't her thing. Plus, Victory was bad at them. All of them. From tennis to soccer, to Football if it were sport Victory would probably suck at it. Victory was not being facetious. Her mom had enrolled Victory in practicly every sport she could think of. Victory failed spectacularly at every single one. Victory was both exulted and saddened when her mother stopped pushing Victory to be in sports. Exulted that her mother got the point that Victory would never be that good at sports. Saddened that it feels like her mom gave up on her. She never mocked Victory for being bad at sports,but Victory could see in her eyes the tall woman was disappointed with Victory.
As her mother continued her praise of Lacy, Victory felt like a loser.
Victory looked down to her short legs and frowned. She could never beat her mom in a race.
When they finally left the room, she could not look at the board with the same level satisfaction as she did a few moments ago.
"Do you want to play again?" Aunt Lisa asked.
Victory shook her head. "Nah, I'm going to go bother Uncle Stinkcoln." that was some thing that could usually cheer her up." Thanks for humoring me Aunt Lisa"
And with that she made her way upstairs.
"Victoria."
Victory looked back to her aunt before she ascended the stair case. The small woman walked over to her niece and gave Victory a hug. "I am proud of you." her Aunt said. Lulu seeming to want to comfort Victory as well began petting her on the head.
Victory sighed. "Thanks Aunt Lisa." and she was grateful. She just wished those words could come from her mother some time.
"Oh, Uncy Lincy, why can't I go with you? Did I do something wrong? I pwomise to be better!" Leia put her hands together and gave her favorite(albeit her only ) uncle the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. She even employed a tiny lip quiver and managed to coax up a tear. Just like her mother taught her. She could tell by the look of remorse on his face he would crack under the weight of the guilt and let his favorite come along with the spa. They were in her Uncle's office. Comic books were framed around the room, and her uncle sat behind a desk with a computer that was just the latest expensive gift from Leia's mother. She was sure if she could break him that her mother would follow suit. Her mother was always giving gifts to her uncle usually with Leia's input.
He sometimes told his sister didn't have to be so generous, but her mother brushed his objections off. Her mother just said that family should be generous with each other and given she's become so rich off her modeling and acting careers she could easily afford it. That last point was a quasi-brag. Though Leia herself never saw her mother give any of her sisters give gifts half as luxurious or expensive as the ones she's given uncle. Even Aunt Lana only got a new tool-belt for their last birthday. Aunt Lana liked the belt, but it still just a tool belt. Leia remembered for Aunt Lynn's birthday how her mother just bought a football on the way to the party.
So it reasonably obvious Uncle Lincoln was a soft spot for her mother. So logic dictates that the best way to get Leia's mother to do something is to get her white-haired brother to want it.
"Well, may_" before he could finish the sentence, a familiar voice cut him off. "Don't do it, Uncle Stinkcoln. You know Mom will have your head for dinner after Liena gives it a nice cooking." Lynn, the third more commonly known as Little Lynn by most of relatives and Leia's least favorite cousin, stepped beside Leia. The girl's presence was always sufferance. Just looking at her teeth Made Leia feel queasy. One was so long that it always poked out of the girl's mouth. And all her teeth were sharper than knives. How the girl hadn't bitten her tongue off is something Leia doubts even Aunt Lisa would able to find out.
Now the sharp-tooth dork was attempting to thwart Leia's valiant attempt at getting to go with the adults' on their luxury spa. Leia shot her cousin the deadliest, meanest, spirit-crushing glare she could muster. The one her mother taught her. Little just shot a Leia an ugly smirk. "Besides, the twins will need their favorite Big cousin once they're moms are gone." she put a hand to grasp. "Do you truly want to abandon them in their time of need? Because that would break those tots' little hearts."
Ouch. The twins were a soft spot for Leia. She refused to feel shame about that. The little girls were just so cute. Lizy was bubbly, and open to all. And so imaginitive. The girl was always enlisting her cousins and sometimes even some of the adults in her little homemade movies, she'd make with the little video-camera Leia got her last christmas. Usually the plot was involved superheroes vs supervillians with Leia playing the role of lead villain. Leia not like to brag, but she felt she played the parts of an evil crimnal mastermind particulary well. monsters destroying cities this was usually just Lulu smashing some carbord boxes. Whatever the story Aunt Leni helped in the props and fasioned clothes. Lops was shy, but oh so so incredibly sweet when you got to know her. She wasnt as adventurous as her older twin. Her excitement skewed towards plants. Plating them, harvesting them, if it was plant related the girl loved it. Gardening with her and Aunt Lana was one Leia's favorite past times, by virtue of just watching her normally quiet cousin become so lively. They would need their favorite cousim.
Leia sighed. "Point taken."
Her uncle still looked guilty even after Leia acquiesced.
"I promise I'll make it up to you, Princess when we get back. It's just that we grown-ups need this break."
He held his arms open and gave a hopeful smile. Leia quickly hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, when she let him go she spoke to him in her sternest voice she could muster "A Five-hour tea party and a whole day of pampering, no complaints of any kind. Also, I get to dye your hair a fabulous shade of pink and braid it, and you'll have to keep it like that for a whole week. "
Her uncle shook his head and grinned, "Take out the part of dying my hair pink, and it could be a six-hour tea party."
Leia looked him straight in the eye. "Deal," she said before giving her uncle a firm handshake. Her uncle gave her a big smile. She couldn't help but smile back.
A telephone started beeping, and her uncle answered it. His smile fell slightly. "Girls, could I please have a minute. Grown-up business."
Upon exiting the room, Leia immediately began interrogation of the nasty troll that was her cousin.
"Why did you do that, Little?" Leia implored the obnoxious girl.
Little just shrugged her shoulders. "Your plan wouldn't have worked." Leia grounded her teeth at that. Her Uncle had always been accommodating to her wants before. Logic should dictate this time would be no different.
"Explain," Leia demanded.
Little grinned.
"Our easily malleable uncle would have surely bent to your cutesy act, and say you could play tag along. Of course, a lot of our other cousins would whine that should be able to come to such hard people the state of Michigan may get flooded, which, although maybe good in that it would mean no school would probably mean my favorite comic book shops would get wrecked. Can't have that. Also, our Aunts would have shut him down, your mom probably would have shut him down the hardest, which in addition to embarrassing to him, would make the poor sap feel bad for having let down the girl who sees him as her hero."
Leia wanted to object. But she couldn't see anything wrong with what Little Lynn just said. It had been her mother's idea. Leia had begged her to come along and been given a stern refusal. She'd probably get mad at Leia for trying to manipulate her uncle. Mad and proud, but mostly just insane.
"Besides, even if you could worm your way into going with them, the rest of the kids would have to go too. It would bring down the relaxed mood. And the guys deserve a break now and again."
Leia thought that statement was surprisingly unlittle like. It almost sounded human.
"Plus, I just like messing with you, cuz." Now that sounded like Little. Without warning, the older girl grabbed Leia by the head and proceeded to give Leia a noogie. "Get off," Leia demanded, as regally as she could, given the uncomfortable position she was in.
"Not until you say I was right."
"Your analysis of the situation wasn't exactly wrong."
Little Lynn merely grounded her knuckles in Leia's scalp much harder. Leia struggled with all her might, but the older girl's hold was solid.
"You're making me do this cuz. Come on say I was right and you were wrong."
"Never!" Leia declared, still desperately trying to loosen her cousin's grip.
Leia watched in abject horror as Little stuck a finger in her mouth.
"Last chance, princess."
"You wouldn't dare!"
Little inched her finger to Leia's ear slowly.
"Ok, you were right." she screeched in a not so regal manner. "You were right, and I was wrong. Now release me, you disgusting little goblin!"
Thankfully Little let her go.
Leia sprang up and smoothed out her hair, trying to repair some of the damage inflicted by Little.
The sharp-tooted girl proceeded to clap Leia lightly on the cheek, not hard enough to hurt, but it was still patronizing. Leia tried brushing Little's hand away, but the other girl pulled her hand back and flicked Leia on the forehead. That did hurt a little.
"Leia, you're not as stupid as other seven-year-olds. But you're short-sighted. Like other seven-year-olds. You'll hopefully grow to have refined temperament as you get older."
Leia growled. "Maybe you should hope to grow more in height, Little. God, there are girls in my class bigger than you."
Leia wasn't exaggerating that much. Lynn, the third, was tiny, especially in comparison to her sister and mother. Aunt Lynn was taller than a lot of men, and Lacy herself at just eleven wasn't that far behind. Little Lynn was just Little. Little for a girl, little for her age, flat out Little.
Her cousin just laughed, "Nope, I'm about as tall as I'll ever get. Based on my estimates, I'll reach a height of five feet by fifteen I'm cursed to remain just above being a dwarf. I guess that's a fair trade for having such a winning personality, handsome face, and a great mind. Could you imagine if I could reach the top shelf at stores without help? I'd practically be a god!"
"A god of self-delusion, perhaps." sneered Leia.
"I was thinking of a God of wisdom and beauty."
Leia scoffed. "Beauty? Maybe to dogs with those teeth."
Little shrugged. "I mean of course even lesser species recognize my great looks. Are you admitting to being more stupid than a dog dear cuz?"
" I meant dogs that are in so much pain they need to be put to sleep. Your Face could put them out of their misery."
"So you think my looks are so good they could kill? Geez, thanks, cuz. I'm flattered, though I have to say you're not my type. My type tends to be a little older, not family, and have a full mouth of teeth."
Leia was about to make another vicious retort, but a voice seemingly out of nowhere interjected. "Guys, could we just try to be nice?"
Both Leia and Little jumped at the sound of the voice and turned to its source.
She expected it to be in London or Lucy. The gothic mother-duo were always popping up in places like her mother. It never stopped being creepy.
She was surprised to see the person whod made Leia's heart beat so hard it threatened to claw its way out of her chest was A tall, gawky teen with white blouse and black skirt. And a really farcical magician hat on her head.
"Lois, you shouldn't sneak up on people. It's rude." Leia lambasted her cousin.
Lois sheepishly shrugged her skinny shoulders and gave a nervous, looking smile. "Sorry. It's just I've been asking for Aunt Lucy how to appear out of nowhere to help with my act. It's hard to turn it off once you learn how she does it."
"It is a wicked skill to have. Though it could prove annoying when you want to be noticed," a monotonous voice piped up.
Leia and both of her cousins jumped at that sound. Little laughed at the absurdity of it all.
"How long have you been here with us London?" Little asked the gothic suit-wearing girl, with a grin.
"I was Uncle's office before all of you. Leia barged in here to beg our Uncle to deliver her from the hell of our company, right when I was about to ask him to read some of my Princess pony fanfic. I also walked out of his office with and have been witnessing you guys' antics."
London's fascination with that show was always baffling to Leia. The show sweet that the times she watched it with the twins, she felt if she didn't brush her teeth for thirty minutes; afterward, her teeth would fall out.
London was not sweet. She was dark.
Like for example, London had taken up a weird hobby of burying dead things for a fee. Part of the reason? Leia thought it might be fitting With a funeral director as a mother, Leia figured it wasn't shocking. It was still in Leia's opinion incredibly creepy. But Leia always felt she might have owed the girl an apology. "I'm sorry interrupting your business with uncle." she hesitated, "I could give your writings a look over if you'd like. All my teachers have said my writing and reading level is well above my peers."
Little nodded."Yes, she's able to read things that don't have pictures in it. Practically a literary genius."
Leia scowled at her short cousin.
London shook her head. "It's NSFW"
Leia cocked her head, confused at the meaning of the acronym. She glanced towards her cousins. Lois looked confused as well, but Little was giggling."What does that mean?" Leia demanded to know. She hated being in the dark about what others were talking about around her.
"As much as I yearn to become one of the black Abyss that will consume us all when all die, I'd rather not do so today because your mother destroyed me for corrupting her Princess' precious little mind. Your Mother could even be scarier than mine. An impressive feat."
"Uncle Stinklon would give you feedback on that stuff?" Little asked, still grinning.
London scoffed. "Little you're too smart to ask that. He'd faint after reading the first couple of lines."
"But why ask him to read it?" Lois asked.
London shrugged. "It would be funny to see and perhaps secretly record his reaction."
Little clapped the gothic teen on the back in a show of approval.
Leia shook her head and decided to drop the issue. Just London being a weirdo as usual.
"Lemy the floor is lava." screamed a voice from down the hall. The group of Loud children looked over to the source of the noise. A balloon came floating up and the tall Lacy gave it a mighty thump towards her cousins direction. Without a word for his intrusion the small boy thumped the baloon further down the long hall.
Their uncle came out of his office and Lacy ran right into the door while chasing the balloon.
A look of horror crossed Uncle's face.
"Lacy, are you alright?" Uncle Lincoln crouched to inspect the girl for sighns of injury
Though visibly unhurt the girl howled in pain. At the sight of the balloon falling to the floor. Leia rolled her eyes at her sport's obssesed cousin's overreaction. Lacy, was generally an likable girl. So likable Leia often wondered how could she be the sister of such a nasty Troll like Little. Where Little was dour and delighted in being mean, Lacy was upbeat and was nice. Lacy could be such a drama queen when losing during the initial sting of it. She'd be her usual cheery self shortly.
Lemy never being a particularly gracious winner started to dance and boast of his victory. He shut up and gave a sheepish grin after getting a hard look from Uncle.
"That's poor sportsmanship Lemy."
"Sorry Lincoln. And sorry Lacy. Are you okay?"
Lacy nodded. Then gave a massive grin. "Best two out of three?"
Uncle Lincoln shook his head. "Not right now."
Their white haired uncle turned to the rest of them.
"Kids, it is about time we leave. Come downstairs, and say goodbye to your mothers."
"Remember while we're away, Lyra's and Liena's word is literally law." Loan's mom announced with a tone that brokered no argument.
Loan did not take offense at not being included in the list of people who'd have authority while the adults were away. Honestly, it was just good sense. Lyra is strong, calm, and would snuff out any sort of trouble before it had a chance to happen. Although younger than Liena the brunette would typically take the lead. Liena tended to be laid back, willing to only intervene in the shenanigans of their younger cousins unless absolutely necessary, peppy.
People could count on Lyra and Liena
No one could count on Loan. She was not an ironclad autocrat like Lyra, nor was she an especially good nurturer like Liena. She was Loan. And nothing about Loan was good. The ideal day for her would typically be locked in her room playing on her PC until the next morning, sleeping until late into the afternoon and starting the whole process over again once she woke up. She had no business being in charge of anything. Honestly, if Lyra and Liena weren't around the younger kids would probably be better off looking to Lulu for guidance. At least a baby wouldn't make things worse.
At dinner time, Lyra scanned the room for any hint of bad behavior and clamped down on it ruthlessly. Whether it was overly-aggressive teasing by Little, or London trying to gross out Lois by recounting tibit details of her latest Princess Pony fanfic, Lyra was quick in quelling such behavior.
Liena was busy feeding Lulu with some homemade mashed carrots and kindly telling Lizy not use their hands to eat. Lops
When the door rang, Loan decided to make herself be a little useful. When she peeked out the peephole and saw a group of people that included men in police uniforms, Loan immediately ran back to the table and told Lyra what she saw.
The younger teen's eyes narrowed.
"Stay here," she commanded.
Loan was more than happy to obey.
When she came back with the group of adults she looked as paler than Aunt Lucy.
"Get your backpacks, put clothes, toothbrushes in them."
Everyone looked at her in confusion. Loan noticed Liena glancing at her. Loan shrugged her shoulders.
"We're going to with these nice people here. Right now. I promise I'll tell you what's wrong when get we get to where we need to go, but we need to leave. Please hurry.
"Who are they?" Loan asked scared for the shift in Lyra's behavior.
The brown-haired girl looked and put a hand on her shoulder. "Social-services. I promise I'll tell you more when we get where we need to go."
Loan was not put at ease by the crypticness of Lyra's statement.
Moments later everyone had a backpack on their back, ready to go.
Liena held Lulu in one arm.
"Do you have everything you brought with you?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good."
They all managed to squeeze into the van. Loan looked to her cousins. Each looking as confused and anxious as she was.
When they were brought to a police station and was escorted to a small room and told to wait only then did Lyra tell them what was going on
"Our mothers and Uncle are dead. " Lyra announced.
Everyone looked confused at her confused
No one said anything. What could you say to that?
Then laughter was heard. It was from Little.
"Ok, you almost got me Lyra. So where's Aunt Luan with the camera? I mean this joke is pretty dark, even for me, but pretty elaborate so kudos."
Little thought this one of her Prankster Aunt's jokes." Loan wanted to believe her small cousin was right. She glanced back at Lyra, hoping to a smile on her face. She just saw the same dead-seriousness face that just told her the worst possible news ever.
"It's not a joke Victoria," Lyra said.
Little's smile only stretched wider. "Sure it is isn't. Do tell us what happened to them. A prank gone wrong by Aunt Luana? Good Did Aunt Spooky summon a demon which devoured them all?"
Lyra looked Little dead in the eye. "It was a drunk driver."
Little rolled her eyes. "Seriously that's the story you guys settled on? You could have picked something more believeble. I mean come on a van that size no matter how stupid it looks would more likely kill any driver ramming into them"
A look of annoyance flashed on the small girk's face. "Great Eienstein's ghost, is this all for some lame lesson for why we shouldn't drunk drive?"
Lyra did not show anger at accusation. "The crash happened on a slope on a hill over a river. Our uncle swerved to avoid them. That unfortuneatly proved to be mistake."
Little still looked annoyed. "This isn't funny anymore Lyra."
Lyra just looked at the small girl with great sadness.
A look of understanding dawned on Little's face.
"Oh, you're serious." Little said nonchalantly.
Lyra nodded.
Small trickles of water began to fall from the girl's eyes.
And with that, a dam of tears was unleashed in the room.
Lacy rushed to her older sister and hugged the smaller girl
Lemy slowly walked to Lyra and clasped his older sister and let out deep sobs into her shirt.
The twins and Liena clomped onto Liena.
Nearly everyone was screaming and crying in pain.
Hours later screaming and crying mostly stopped. Because most were all just too tired to do it Lyra did not cry.
The twins, Lulu, Leia were tuckered out from the exhaustion of it all and resting on Liena.
Lois was sitting beside London, suit-wearing girl rubbed her cousin's back. Loan had never seen London cry even as a baby. But tears rained fully on her pale cheeks.
"What're we going to do," Loan asked Lyra as the teen held her long-haired brother in her arms
"We get through this together."
Loan could almost believe Lyra. Almost. She was not some great attorney like her mother by any stretch, but she knew the odds of them staying together, was basically nonexistent. The most that could be hoped for is that siblings could be kept together but even the chance of that happening wasn't certain.
Loan was not a religious person. But desperately prayed to whatever god who'd listen for a miracle.
She was relieved when a lady from Social-services came to get them to take them the man who was supposedly their grandfather.
Loan did not know anything about her grandfather other than his first name.
On their ride to their grandfather's home, she asked her oldest cousins if they remembered anything about the man.
Loan, memories of the man where jumbled. She vaguely remembered a curly-haired man with a big smile wearing a pink apron peering down at her.
She asked her cousins if they remembered anything.
"My mom says_" the large teen grimaced. "My mom said I got my cooking skill from him."
Loan turned to Lyra. The brunette merely shrugged. "My memory of the man is just good as your Loan."
A balding, skinny old man, greeted them at the door a large house. The man talked to the social worker before she left. Their grandfather seemed to be wary of them. He did not offer condolences. Or hug them. He didn't even ask for their names. He merely gave them a motion with his left arm to follow him upstairs to see where'd they'd be sleeping for the night.
"There is enough room for you girls to share." he pointed to a room on his left "I put up a crib for the baby in that one. There are also diapers, and I've scrounged up some food for her downstairs." he directed a look towards Lemy. "The boy could sleep in his Uncle's old room." he pointed to the last door down the hall."
"I'll start assigning chores tomorrow. We'll see about enrolling you into school as well." with that the man turned and made his way to his own room.
Half of Loan's family including her mother was gone and her own grandfather apparently hated his grandchildren. She turned to Lyra.
"We're going to be ok." Lyra declared seeing the look of fear in cousin's eyes. "We will get through this."
Loan could almost believe her. Almost.
A/N
Um some minor retractions last chapter I attributed a drawing Trill-house. That was a mistake. It was artist by the name of Patanu.
Discrtion-Assured beta-read this. He made it a lot less terrible than it originally was. You should read his stories. Much better than my trite.
Edits done on January 7. Some mistakes in grammar, some minor expansion on the accident.