Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino

Demons and Angels

Note: There will be various responses from the family members. Some expected, some not. It's not what happens that is important, but the dialog. With each encounter, things will get said that seem isolated and unimportant. But in the end, they will all come together and make sense as it shapes who Lincoln will become. So pay attention to everything.

By Lola Presents

Chapter 8

The ride into Great Lakes City was long and mostly dull, and the siblings spent most of their time reminiscing over times long gone. Lincoln and Lily only mentioned Hannah once or twice, leaving her relatively anonymous as Lisa had never met the girl. Not knowing how well their sister would take to the newcomer, especially since she wasn't family, was entirely problematic.

Twice, they had to make a pitstop for bathroom breaks and food, which added another forty-five minutes to the trip. Fortunately, none of them had work the following day, so there were no pressures or time constraints for them to worry over. As long as they could get there and see Lucy and Lori by the end of the day, it didn't matter.

Their discussions consisted mainly of sexual acts, ordinary and perverted, or the girls suggested how to approach Lucy. For Lincoln's part, he'd already made his mind up, but he entertained his sister's ideas regardless. It was always good to have a flexible plan which could adjust at a moment's notice.

Finally, around six in the afternoon, the little car pulled into The Cauldron's parking lot. It wasn't a colossal establishment but looked like it could fit fifty or more people inside, within the fire code limits. The building was lined with egg-white plaster, with a few small windows across the front, though not many.

As everyone opened their doors, preparing to leave, Lincoln stopped them. "Girls, I think I should take this one alone," he said firmly.

"What?" gasped Lily, not wanting to miss seeing her sister, regardless of her reaction. "Why not?"

"Think about it," Lincoln suggested. "The last time we were together, we raped her, and you two took part. If we walked in together, eyeing her from across the room, we'd probably scare the shit out of her. No, it's better that I go by myself. Alone, I'll be less intimidating."

Neither Lily nor Lisa could argue with his logic and closed their doors. However, they remained outside the little car, chatting while Lincoln took care of business. And as Lily leaned against the old rust bucket, she pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a lengthy draw, she tilted her head back and exhaled, away from Lisa.

"I hope Lucy isn't still pissed and has Lincoln roughed up by her bouncers," Lily worried. "I'm going to need his services later tonight."

"I don't think she'd do that," assured Lisa. "I know, sure, she was furious for a while. But I think that deep down, she still cares about him."

"Maybe," Lily sighed. "But what if Lincoln reads her wrong, and we're not there to intervene. I don't like this."

"Neither do I," concurred Lisa, staring at the pavement. "Then again, this is his choice. We have to respect that."

Lincoln walked through the front door and had to widen his eyes until they adjusted to how dark the place was. All the windows were heavily tinted and covered with a thick, black material. Minimal lighting, except over the bar on the far side of the room, illuminated the ample, open space. Loud but slow thumping music droned throughout the building, laden with electronic drums and synth bass.

It took a while to pick his sister out of the crowd, much more complicated than he imagined, as nearly everyone looked alike. Sure, several different overall styles were present, including goth, emo, and vamp attire. People sat, quietly brooding, at small booths that lined the room, danced slowly, swaying to the somber beat, or just stood there talking.

But eventually, he noticed Lucy standing behind the bar, preparing her patron's alcoholic beverages. For a moment, he only stared at her, taking in her beauty. She'd finally cut her hair a little, highlighted her bangs with two maroon stips, and took to parting on the left, brushing her bangs over her right ear, which sported several piercings. Lucy had also adorned her bottom lip with a set of snake bites.

His little sister wore a black and maroon bodice, tightly laced into a cute, though significant, bow in the back, and a short and entirely enticing black leather skirt hugged her hips. Her legs were bound in a pair of thigh-high black leather boots, secured with maroon laces. Lucy smiled as she poured and mixed the drinks, smiling and waving at her patrons.

That is until her eyes spotted Lincoln standing just inside the entrance. Suddenly, her look of unimpeded serenity dissolved into one of utter terror. Her face went blank, and she stopped moving, raising concern in the man standing next to her. Lincoln watched as the man asked her something, then listened to her response.

She turned and left the bar in the hands of her employee, headed toward him. Lincoln took this as his cue and moved forward to greet his sister. "Hi, Lucy," he spoke softly, yet still loud enough to be heard over the music. "You look well. Is there someplace more private and quiet we could talk?"

Lucy stared at him for a moment with her usual indifference. It was difficult for Lincoln to make much out of her response. But silently, she headed toward a small dark hallway near the back of the building, and Lincoln instinctively followed. Lucy led him into her office, the last door in the hallway, and Lincoln closed the door after entering.

His sister folded her arms and leaned against her desk, waiting for whatever it was he had to say. But Lincoln wasn't saying anything. Instead, he browsed the pictures on her wall. There was one present for every member of their family, except him. His heart sank, and he prepared for the worst.

Finally settling his gaze upon Lucy, he addressed her, keeping his distance. "Lucy..." he muttered regretfully. "I need to apologize to you. What we did, what I did, was inexcusable, and I don't blame you for hating me," he said, stuffing his hands defensively into his pockets. "But, I want you to know how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you. I was just a dumb, hormonally driven teenager, and I'll never forgive myself for what I did."

"Go on," Lucy murmured, taking in what he'd already said but needing more before replying.

"The thing is, I can't completely forgive myself until I know that those I love have forgiven me," he offered, pleading with her. "I've already reconciled with Lily, Lisa, Lana, and Lola. " I understand if you're not ready," he said, acknowledging his sudden appearance, "but I would like to make amends with you."

"I see," sighed Lucy, moving her hands from in front of her to supporting her on the desk. "So, you've come absolution, then? Well, you're not going to get it from me. You raped me."

"Lucy..." Lincoln begged, offering his open and empty hands. "Please? I still love you. At least help me understand your feelings. Don't just shut me out like that. If you can't forgive me, fine. But I need to know why because you seemed to come around while it happened, and things were blissful until we got caught. Please, won't you tell me what happened?"

Lucy stood and slowly advanced on Lincoln, her blank, entirely unreadable expression causing him to back up in unison with her approach. "I grew up," she said. "I stopped believing in monsters a long time ago. But then..." she explained, pausing for effect, "...I met you."

"This place may cater to the macabre, but you'll find no werewolves or ghosts here," she continued in her monotonic voice. "And until today, there were no vampires either. Not until you walked in the door," she told him, pressing her advance until she had him against the door.

"That's what you are, Lincoln," she scolded, her voice beginning to crack under the strain of emotion. "You're a vampire. You seek out the young, weak, and insecure and fill their heads with dreams and fantasies. You make them fall in love with you and put sparkles in their eyes," she continued, tears beginning to fall from her beautiful eyes. "And once they're willing to do anything for you, you take everything from them, everything they were, are, and might become, and make them like you."

"B-but..." Lincoln stammered, his back against the door. "I thought that's what you wanted," he replied honestly. "You were into that stuff, so I stole into your room, drew blood, and claimed you as my own."

Lucy blinked and stared at her highly intimidated brother, feeling powerful in her dominance. "You don't love me, Lincoln, despite what you said," she growled at him. "You don't even know me. The books I used to read weren't just about getting taken by vampires. They were love stories full of romance and intimacy," she whispered from inches away.

"You know," she said, hesitating momentarily but deciding to press her point, "there's a big difference between what I wanted and what you gave me. I needed romance, to feel special, not get raped," she cried, tapping herself in the chest. "That's why I was so surprised when you burst into my room, said I was hot, and that you wanted to fuck me!" she nearly screamed."

"I was already in love with you and had you given me the proper chance and respect, leaving your little sisters out of it, I might still be with you, and none of this would've ever happened," she bawled. "But as I lay under you that day, I had two options, hate you for the rest of my life, or give in, and I couldn't ever see myself hating you, so I embraced what was happening."

"You took everything from me, my innocence, my virginity, and my self-respect," cried Lucy, her face contorting in pain. "You can't give any of that back, so why should I forgive you now?"

"Lucy..." wept Lincoln as he listened to Lucy's thoughts and account of what happened. "I'm so sorry..." he whimpered. "But if you love me like you say you do, can't we put the past behind us and start over?"

As Lucy considered his proposal, staring at him with a mixture of love and betrayal on her face, Lincoln leaned in to kiss her. However, she quickly backed up, not wanting him to touch her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "but no. I can't put myself through that again, especially if you're still involved with our little sisters. Instead, you'll have to go through life knowing how much I love you but never have me."

"I hope you enjoy your penance as much I enjoyed getting raped," Lucy told him as she opened the door, motioning for him to leave. "Please leave now."

Lincoln longingly stared at his sister for a moment without saying a word, then silently left. He wept all the way to the car, where Lily and Lisa embraced him, immediately understanding what had transpired. They had known beforehand that Lucy would be a difficult encounter for him, and they only hoped that whatever she said didn't affect their relationship.

Not wanting to revisit his recent discussion, the girls left Lincoln to silently mourn his loss as Lily pulled back into traffic, heading for the Bodega. Gradually, Lincoln's tears stopped, and he regained a little composure. But maybe that was a good thing, as he didn't have high expectations from his eldest sister, Lori.

Lori married her long-time boyfriend, Bobby Santiago, roughly ten years ago. Not even out of college, she realized that golf, however enjoyable, would only ever be a pastime for her and accepted his proposal. Today, they lived in the same set of apartments over the Bodega where Bobby's parents resided, along with their two children, Lorianne and Roberta, respectively, four and six.

Lincoln held onto the emotional aftermath of having dealt with Lucy in preparation for facing Lori, hoping that some of it would add to his sincerity. He and Bobby had once been relatively close. At least friendly. But now, he feared an altercation with the man, should he prove to be intolerant of his presence.

Inviting Lily and Lisa along this time seemed prudent, and as the trio ascended the stairs to the third floor, Lincoln became increasingly agitated. Not only would he have to face his sister, who could single-handedly turn one into a pretzel, but there would also be two young girls present. And as much as he wanted to meet them, he knew it was a bad idea.

Finally, he stood before an old red door with the number 302 mounted upon it and knocked, then waited nervously as light footsteps approached the door. Soon, the footfalls abruptly stopped, and the door opened. After peering into the hallway, Lori's eyes flew open as she stared at her brother and sisters standing before her.

"You have some nerve coming here," scolded Lori, furrowing her brows at her brother. "After what you did to Lucy, I'm surprised you had the guts. I'm not entirely surprised to see Lily and Lisa are still with you, though," she added, scrunching her mouth in thought.

"I know," Lincoln sighed, "but I'm trying to be a better person, you know, and I've taken it upon myself to visit everyone so I can apologize and, hopefully, seek forgiveness. And while you might not have been directly involved, I understand how you must have some questions and feelings regarding the past. So, here I am."

Lori stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Lily. "You've never been one to talk down about Lincoln, and seeing you here with him, I have to assume you've forgiven him for molesting you when you were a child?"

Smiling innocently, Lily clasped her hands and greeted her older sister. "Hi, Lori," she chirped enthusiastically. "Yes, but he didn't need to apologize to me in the first place. I was already in love with him and still am."

"I see," replied Lori, pursing her lips. Lori then faced Lisa, whom she always believed would avoid getting mixed up with someone like Lincoln, considering her intellect and reasoning skills. "And what about you?" she asked. "Did you ever forgive yourself, let alone him?"

Lisa nodded while latching onto Lincoln's hand. "Both, actually," she replied with a genuinely happy smile, pausing to catch he breath before continuing. "He forgave me for my selfishness, so how could I not forgive him?"

Lori glanced down at Lisa's and Lincoln's intertwined fingers and then at her brother. "Lincoln," she prodded. "I know who you used to be, but who are you now? And tell me the truth. Don't leave anything out, regardless of what you believe I might think."

The nervous young man quickly shared glances with the sisters by his side. And giving him sharp nods, he told Lori the truth after taking a deep breath. "I'm still the same way. Only now, I wouldn't rape anyone," he said. "I've learned to respect a girl's choice."

Lori stood silent for a moment, then backed away from the door, letting it swing open. "Alright," the blonde sighed. "I guess, if they've forgiven you, I can too. I'm still mildly upset that you targeted our younger sisters instead of one of us. I mean, even though they seem fine with it, they weren't even physically mature, unlike us."

"What?" gasped Lincoln as he sat in a nearby recliner. "What are you trying to say?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Lincoln," suggested Lori as she sat on her sofa, crossing one leg over the other. "It's not like I was interested. It only made more sense."

"I see," responded her brother, nodding slowly. "I must admit, I'm a little surprised you forgave me that quickly, let alone allow me inside your home. I mean, you do have children, after all. Knowing I still harbor those attractions, doesn't that worry you?"

Lori drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled as she rubbed her mouth with the palm of her hand, contemplating her reply. "Maybe a little," she eventually sighed. "At least until you displayed concern over the possibility."

Then Lori did something entirely unexpected and called her girls. "Lorianne? Roberta? Can you come here for a minute?" she called merrily. And within moments, the two girls stood before their mother and her siblings.

"Hi, aunt Lily!" chirped Lorianne, excited to see her youngest aunt outside of a holiday. "Hello," Roberta said, greeting them.

"Girls," Lori announced. "This is my brother, Lincoln. You know, the one that went to jail?"

"Mmhm," came the girls' response through pressed lips, cautiously and respectfully.

"Here's the thing, girls..." Lori said, uncrossing her legs and leaning in, resting her elbows on her knees and holding her girls by their waists. And giving them the "this is important" look, she told them something that surprised the others. "He's just like your daddy, okay? Now, say hi to uncle Lincoln. I'm sure he's going to want to play with you," Lori finished with a smile and a wink.

"Really?" the girls gasped, rushing to Lincoln's side, each taking a seat on one of his legs.

"Do you think we're cute?" asked Roberta, staring intently at the man before her.

Both girls had a complexion that sat somewhere between Bobby's and his sister's, and both had dark brown hair styled like their mother's. However, Roberta looked more like Bobby, while Lorianne resembled Lori. Lincoln nervously looked at his older sister as she sat there grinning awkwardly.

"I don't understand," he muttered in utter disbelief, pulling the girls in for a warm hug against his chest. "What's going on?"

"Yes, Lincoln, I was mad at you for the longest time," Lori admitted. "But later, when I discovered Bobby was the same way, it didn't hit me as hard. I guess I had gotten used to the idea. I still don't understand it, but I couldn't say no after seeing how loving he was with them. I loved him too much."

"What about you?" Lincoln asked, slipping his hands up the girls' short little dresses and into their pants. And working his way down their adorable and hopefully unwashed cracks, he inserted the tips of his middle fingers into their assholes and wiggled them around, making them moan as their mother answered.

"Meh," Lori muttered, waving the suggestion off. "I'm not interested and don't see it myself, but as long as they're treated with love and don't get hurt, I don't see the harm."

"That feels really good," moaned Roberta as she pushed back onto his digit, pleading for him to go deeper. "Put it in more!" cried Lorianne as she licked Lincon's cheek.

"Heh," chuckled Lori at her brother's surprised look. "That's how she kisses. She likes you."

"No, I meant what about you and me?" Lincoln said, being more specific. "I love you, Lori, and I'd enjoy having you as a part of our little family."

Lori covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "Oh, God," she chuckled. "I'm sorry, but no," she finally replied. "I couldn't date my brother. But you're welcome to my girls. All of you."

Lincoln sighed as he pulled his finger from their smelly surroundings and licked them clean, as the little girls giggled and gazed up at Lincoln expectantly. "Thanks," he said. "They're delicious. But it's late. We need to head home if we're to get any sleep tonight. We still have to visit Lynn, Luan, Luna, and Leni, you know." Then, looking at the girls, he made them a promise to return soon, when he'd entertain them properly.

Lori nodded and stood to see them off, beaming at him. "You were cute with them, and they seem to adore you. And, it looks like Lana rubbed off on you, hm?" she said before opening the door.

"Uh, yeah," Lincoln murmured. "A bit."

"Alright," Lori cooed, waving at them as they left. "Call ahead next time. I'm sure the girls will be glad to see you again!"

"Bye, Lori!" the trio called as they headed down the stairs and made their way to the car.

"Well," chirped Lisa. "That went a lot better than expected," she said before slapping Lincoln's shoulder from the back seat. "But you could've at least given us a taste, moron! You didn't have to eat it all, you know!"

"Sorry!" exclaimed Lincoln, dodging her assault even though it didn't hurt. "I didn't know, okay? I thought you wouldn't be interested with all your knowledge of biology and stuff."

"Are you kidding me right now?" declared Lisa, folding her arms defensively. "I thought you knew me better than that! Anything coming out of a little girl is automatically the best thing ever..."

They laughed and giggled the entire way home, forgetting about Lucy's sentence. But after dropping Lisa off at her apartment and arriving at Lily's old trailer around midnight, all Lincoln wanted was to go to bed. That's when Lucy's words began ringing through his head again, tormenting him until he finally gave in around two in the morning.