Winter stood in her father's former office, now an almost empty room. All that was left now was the carpet, desk, a wardrobe they stored their old clothes in, and a shelf full of books. It was strange. Between her father's equipment and the general junk they stored inside, the room was never empty. All of it was now either scattered around the apartment, taken to the office building, sitting in boxes in the hallway, or already thrown out. Being that it was the weekend, her parents went shopping for furniture. She didn't have any interest in walking through stores and looking at tables and beds, so she decided to stay.
Her mind didn't let her do anything but think about him, however. It was starting to border on having a crush territory, though she deeply hoped it wasn't that. Whatever it was, she couldn't get him out of her mind. She had so many questions, too many perhaps. For example, why did they throw him out? The news said it was over luck, but you know how they are. It could have easily been sensationalism or a water-down version of events, molded to fit a narrative. Was it his fault? Was he a bad kid? Did he cause problems for years before the family just couldn't take it anymore and threw him out under a flimsy excuse? He would have to be incredibly despicable for that to happen, as no parent would kick their child out over something minor.
But what if it was the truth? What if her parents were that terrible? Are two monsters fully willing to kick their child out over superstition? She didn't think about them that much. What were they like? What would they think of her? Would they love her? Would they even want to meet her? Would they reject her as well? What if they kicked Lincoln out because of his hair? Did they hate white hair? Her father said it was some rare genetic thing that ran on his side of the family, so they could have known he was never their kid. If that was the case, they might think she isn't either. All her sisters might. No, no, no they wouldn't, Lincoln talked about them so dearly. But... they mistreated him. Was he lying? Did he try to sell her his family so he could have hers for himself?
That little shi...p. Yes... that was it, a ship, a boatload of-
"Sophy, can you move a bit?" Walter said from the door.
"Sorry." she said.
He soon came into the room, carrying a large box with a picture of a bed on the side.
"Oh, hi Winny." he said, panting slightly. He put the box down before pausing briefly to catch his breath, "What brings you here?"
"Just looking around." she said, clearly not fully present in the conversation.
"Is everything okay?" Walter asked worriedly.
"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" she asked, bringing her body fully awake.
"We know that these changes might be a lot for you." Walter said kindly, "But, you know you can always tell us when something is bothering you."
"I know." Winter said, making a quick exit.
Walter stood in the room, spacing out at an empty wall. This was never going to be easy. Both him and Sophy were incredibly out of their depth. They had nothing approaching experience in handling something like this. They could tell her for days they loved her to death, they could buy her every toy in the store, take her anywhere, but it wouldn't help. How do you tell your child, a daughter you raised for twelve years, that she isn't yours? That everything she believed was a lie, that her real family is full of monsters, that you have a son who is related to you, and that all of it happened because they didn't pay attention. What do you tell her? How do you console her? There is no magic word to do it for you, no pre-made speech, no anything. Would taking her to a therapist even work, or would it just make her think they think she is broken.
"You're thinking about her too." Sophia said worriedly.
"Who else?" he said solemnly, "She is hurting, and I don't know how to help her. This isn't some injuries I can kiss away, it's not a broken toy I can repair; she thinks we don't love her, and I don't know how to change it."
"She just needs some time." Sophia said with a lot of hope. "You'll see, in a few days, she will be back to her old self."
"I don't think we should just leave her be." He said worriedly.
"We won't. We are there for her, and she knows it." Sophia said sternly "You'll see, you are just worrying too much."
"I hope so." Walter said.
And God help them if Lincoln becomes like that too. In theory, he should be much easier to deal with. It's a classic adoption case, they take him in, have some good time, and reassure him if he ever doubts them. Dr. Lopez said he took the whole thing well, so he shouldn't be too difficult. But Winter worried him much more. Would she blame him? They would have to give him a lot of attention at the start, so she would certainly feel left out at times. And not to mention regular sibling rivalry. They might not share blood, but they would see themselves like that sooner or later if they didn't already. Will she blame him? For taking her current parents away, for taking her real family away, for how her family ended up? Just thinking about it made him crave aspirin.
One step at a time, he thought. He started unpacking the bed. They needed more time to think it all through, the time they didn't have. It's funny. They thanked Dr. Lopez for speeding up the process, and a day later he wishes she hadn't.
Lincoln was in the living room of the Loud house, surrounded by most of the people he loved, and one he would surely grow to. It was truly a shame not everyone was there, but it was almost as good as that. They only missed his friends from school, Lisa, and Lynn. What was with Lynn? They said she was feeling sad, no doubt about everything that happened, but he didn't think it was this bad. He looked at the stairs a few times, but she never even as much as peeked out. Eventually, he decided to go check on her; he had to tell her about the mix-up. Lori, and everyone else, offered to do it for him, but he declined, saying he wanted to do it.
Climbing the stairs, he saw the hallway was clearer than ever before. He guessed, and confirmed with a quick search, that each of the sisters had a room of their own, his still being empty. He pushed that thought back, however. It was done now, it was over, he had to move past it. He approached Lynn's door before knocking cautiously.
"Lynn, it's Lincoln, can I come in?" he asked nervously.
She didn't respond, but he could hear a ball bouncing on the wall. She was inside, she just didn't want to see him. Was it apathy? Did she not care for him anymore? He ruined her family, and she decided she wasn't going to even dignify his presence. Or was it shame? Blaming herself for everything, and not wanting her presence to be dignified? Regardless, he had to tell her.
"Lynn, I'm coming in." he said, giving her some time before slowly opening the door. The ball's rhythm didn't falter at any point.
He came through the room slowly noting some of the changes. They moved the desk to where Lucy's bed was as well as removed all of her decorations. It felt oddly empty, though that was probably him being used to cramped rooms.
"Lynn, can't we talk?" he asked, his confidence draining with every word. There was no reason to worry. All of his sisters reacted positively, so she would no doubt do the same. like always, they would hug it out, and everything would be fine, or as fine as it could be.
"Yeah." she said empty, catching the ball. Lucy wasn't joking around; she really was stealing the shade. The only thing she was missing was the clothes and she would be Lucy.
"How are you feeling?" Lincoln asked worriedly.
"How do you think?" she said. She was no doubt angry, but it was like she had no will to show it. "I destroyed the family. You should leave before I do something stupid again."
"Lynn, no, it wasn't your f-"
"Stop saying it. How can you all say that? It is. It is! If I hadn't accused you, our parents would still be here, our younger sisters would still be here, you wouldn't have been hurt." she said, tears trickling from her eyes.
"Lynn you are forgetting our parents let all of it happen. They decided to kick me out, not you." Lincoln said kindly, taking her hand. "And don't worry, everyone is in good care, including me."
"What are you talking about?" Lynn asked. She spent the last few days cooped up in her room, so she was horribly out of touch.
"I'm getting adopted Lynn." Lincoln said with a small smile.
"That's great." she said, "You deserve it."
"Yeah, but there is something about it I have to tell you." Lincoln said worriedly, here it goes, "I'm not your... real brother." he said awkwardly.
"What do you mean?" Lynn asked. Did he already ditch them? It's good that he realized it was for the best so quickly.
"I was swapped at birth." Lincoln said. He looked at Lynn, but she wasn't looking back. Not literally - she was looking toward him - but it was clear her view was empty. She wasn't looking at him, her brain short circuited.
He was swapped at birth, Lynn thought, which would mean... he isn't her brother... She was right. She was right! None of it was her fault, it was his. If he hadn't been there, none of this would have happened. Her parents would be here, her sisters would be here, her friends would be here, and she would have an infinitely better brother. One that would love sports, one that would be playing on her team, one with whom she could carry any team to the world championship! It is his fault, all of it. He stole her family, he stole her career, and he stole her brother.
"I know it sounds wild, but it's true, I even met my biological parents, and your sister." he said, trying to bring her out, "And we might not be related, but we still share something deeper than that."
But Lynn wasn't listening to him. Her face quickly shifted from empty to angry, and then to furious. Lincoln got scared by this, as angry Lynn was never a good sign.
"You..." she said, smoke coming from nostrils.
"Yes..." he asked fearfully, unconsciously moving out of the way.
She squeezed her ball, popping it. "You ruined us!" she yelled.
"What..." he said meekly, shrinking four feet.
"You destroyed my family! You destroyed my sports career! You took my brother away!" she thundered, "And you let me blame myself for it! It's your fault, Lincoln, all of it's your fault!"
Lincoln took a few steps back, "No..." he said through the tears. "You don't mean it."
"I do, I mean every part of it!" She screamed angrily, "Go away to your family, I bet you'll ruin them as well! But do not EVER come back here, NEVER! Do you understand me! GO!" she started crying with the last words, pointing her finger at the door.
Lincoln couldn't speak. Any word would die before ever leaving his throat. His eyes were flooding, his nose was running, and he could only do one thing, run. He ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house. Everyone looked at him for the few seconds he passed them, before looking at the stairs, looking for Lynn.
She broke down, falling on her knees and letting herself cry for the first time in her living memory. He really was a jinx. How could she have been blind to it for so long? At least now he couldn't do any more damage. Or could he? If he was swapped, that meant his family had her brother, and if they were adopting him, he would live with him. Her brother was in grave danger. Hold out bro, she thought, your big sis is coming. She had to get to him before Lincoln and bring him here. Then they could show everyone that it was all Lincoln's fault and get him locked up. Then her family would be back together, and Lincoln and his family would rot in prison, right where they belong.
Before she could put her plan into motion, she saw someone on her door, Lori, accompanied by everyone else close behind her. She was beyond furious, Lynn could see her blood boiling before her very eyes, and the flames in her eyes that made it so. The rest were no better, only obstructed by her.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" she said, so angry she made Lynn wish for a bathroom break.
Lincoln didn't stop running until his legs felt sore, stopping to rest on a bench in the park.
She hates him, they all do. They didn't want to say it, but they are all thinking it. She is right, he ruined their lives. The family will never be whole again, that was just not negotiable. Any plans they had for the future were out the window, Lori's college, Luna's music, Lyn's sports, all of it would be nearly impossible now. And not only did he ruin the family they had, but he deprived them of a member. Winter would have been much better than the poor excuse of a brother he was.
Speaking of the Whites, he should leave them be. He'll just cause them problems, probably destroy their family as well. Lincoln started crying again. That was all he was, a walking time bomb. Eventually, he will go off, destroying everything around him.
"Lincoln?" an older concerned voice asked. He turned to see who called him, finding Mrs. Johnson, his homeroom teacher.
"Hello, Mrs. Johnson." Lincoln said, wiping his tears away.
"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." Lincoln said, trying to clear his throat to sound more normal.
"The Louds didn't do anything, did they?" she asked. Her tone was soothing and calm, but a clear disdain spied in at the mention of that name.
"No... well, one of them..." Lincoln said hesitantly. He could trust Mrs. Johnson, she was his teacher after all. If he told her the entire situation, it would stay between the two of them.
"Is it Lynn?" she asked. After the trial, Lynn became even more famous, though for all the wrong reasons this time. People came to see her as the worst of all of his sisters and she soaked up the bulk of the attention of the others. If he told a random person his sister hurt him, they would ask him if it was Lynn, even if they knew more about his family.
Lincoln didn't want to admit it. If he did, she might call the cops before he gets a chance to explain she didn't hurt him, at least physically, "... Yes..." he said.
Mrs. Johnson grew angrier. Some people just don't learn, she thought. "If she hurt you, you can tell me." she said. She tried to remain calm, but it was beyond her. She grew close to most of her students and seeing one of them repeatedly abused was something she rarely saw, and it made her blood boil each time.
"No! She didn't, she just said some hurtful things." Lincoln said before looking at the ground, "She said I'm not her brother..."
"Lincoln, don't listen to her." Mrs. Johnson said kindly. "She is still angry about what happened, I'm sure she doesn't truly think that. Give her some time, she will apologize." For all of her opinions on Lynn, she was still a kid. She knew well that most of the hate targeted at that poor girl was because of how the whole trial was framed. It is difficult to give twelve people a spotlight, so you pick out one or two and have them speak for everyone. Even if she wasn't the best of children, and the school reports from a few years back said as much, Agnes knew most of it was due to her parents. What happened was that she needed someone to blame for everything that happened and picked out Lincoln.
"But... you see... the thing is... she is... right..." Lincoln said nervously.
"Ah, I see." Mrs. Johnson said. She never knew he was adopted, though that is not something she inquired with her students. "How long have you known?"
"You know?" Lincoln looked at her with surprise, "How?"
"You said you aren't really her brother." Mrs. Johnson said. "Don't worry Lincoln, it's okay, plenty of people are adopted."
"I'm not... adopted..." Lincoln said.
Mrs. Johnson looked at him with surprise.
"... I was swapped at birth..." he said quietly.
"Oh..." Mrs. Johnson said. Okay, that was a first.
"Yeah... I know it sounds crazy, but it's true... I even met my real parents; they are even adopting me." Lincoln said worriedly.
"How are you dealing with it?" Mrs. Johnson asked calmly.
"Okay... I guess..." Lincoln said, "I was fine with it at first, even happy, but now I don't know..."
"I'm guessing because of what Lynn said." Mrs. Johnson said.
"She said I stole her sister and destroyed her family..." Lincoln said shamefully. "She doesn't want to see me ever again."
"Did you?" Mrs. Johnson asked rhetorically.
"Well, I didn't steal her sister... but I did destroy my family, and I will probably destroy this one..." Lincoln said solemnly.
"That isn't true, and you know it." Mrs. Johnson said kindly, "Lincoln, what happened to you, and your family, isn't your fault; don't ever think it is. Lynn didn't mean what she said, I can assure you; in a few days, she will tell you so herself."
"I don't know, she sounded sure of herself..." Lincoln said. Lynn was stubborn enough to make a mule fickle, and now she sounded surer than ever before.
"Well..." Mrs. Johnson said solemnly. "Lincoln, in life, you will often lose touch with people, sometimes through no fault of your own. It is good that you want the two of you to be close but, if she doesn't want it, there will be little you can do. But I'm sure it won't come to that; she will eventually come around to it. When she does, show her that it is never too late." she finished on a more hopeful note.
Lincoln nodded. What she said hurt. He knew Lynn was wrong, not even that deep down. The Whites will be nothing like the Louds, so he has nothing to worry about. As for Lynn, he will leave her alone. She doesn't want a brother, more power to her. He doesn't want a sister who doesn't want him for a brother. He has nine other amazing ones, and one he had no doubt will be as well. "Thank you, Mrs. Johnson." Lincoln said with a small smile.
"You're welcome. So, what will you do now?" She asked kindly.
"I'm going to go and meet my family." Lincoln said happily.
Mrs. Johnson smiled. "Go on now, you don't want them to keep them waiting."
