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

Tainted Love

By Lola Presents

Chapter 13

The children remained where they were, whether they were still sitting or had gotten up to leave the table. Each had retreated into themselves, staring silently for a few moments while processing what they'd learned. Not only were their grandparents siblings, but their parents were half-siblings, which made them not quite second-generation incestuous children. Their parents had different fathers, which introduced new genes. But what did this means for them all?

"Ehem," Lisa finally coughed. "I see no reason for this to affect us negatively," she began. "We should carry on as before, save for Lincoln and Lori. Our past doesn't dictate our future, you know. We are all here, and all sound, mostly."

"Mostly?" sighed Lincoln. "Are you implying that me and Lori aren't sound?"

"That's not what I meant," Lisa retorted. "You two fell in love, even before knowing all this. It's not like we are all destined to that fate."

"Ew," groaned Lana. "I'd rather not think about that."

"Oh, come on," complained Luan. "It's not that disgusting of an idea, Lana. However, I assume we can all agree that having been raised well, we'd never come between any two lovers."

"You assume?" asked Luna. "Who knows? Maybe it's something in our genes. Perhaps we'll all feel its effects one day. Then what?"

"I assure you that genetics has nothing to do with this," interjected Lisa. Sure, there may be predispositions, such as alcoholism and certain conditions, but we always have the power of rationale and discernment on our side."

"We have what and what on our side?" mumbled Lola.

"Common sense and the ability to tell what is right from wrong," explained Lisa.

"Right and wrong..." mumbled Lori under her breath, but not so quiet that nobody heard.

"What was that?" inquired Lincoln, unable to make out her words.

Lori closed her mouth and shook her head slightly. "N-nothing..." she spoke softly. "I need some time to think," she eventually added before fishing her keys from her pocket.

"Wait!" gasped Lincoln, standing and trying to head her off at the pass. "Where are you going?"

Lori stopped shy of the front door as Lincoln barred her passage. "Lincoln..." she sighed, relaxing her shoulders. "Please, don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

"Difficult?!" he exclaimed. "You don't know what that means! Did you go an entire school year with your heart literally aching, waiting for the one you love to come home?"

"No. No, I didn't," Lori said as she crossed her arms. "But don't presume to tell me what I know. You have no idea what I've been through the past two days, trying to justify my feelings for you."

"Why do you have to justify anything?" Lincoln demanded to know. "We love each other. That's all that's important. Right?"

Lori sighed as tears began meandering down her cheeks. "Lincoln, we're siblings, and in the eyes of the public, that makes us deviants. And I'm supposed to be an adult, more than five years your senior, which also makes me a pedophile, at least by the legal definition. Difficult? No, try horrendously painful! Now, move. I need to get away for a while."

"But..." Lincoln stammered. "What about cuddling on the couch after a long day? What about our future children? Don't you want that?"

"That's the problem, Pooky," Lori cried, weeping earnestly now. "I do. I want it so badly that I can't stand it. Only..."

"Only what?" asked Lincoln quietly, not entirely sure he wanted to hear her answer.

"Only..." she said once more. "I don't see how it's possible. I mean, sure, our siblings support us. But you saw what it did to Mom and Dad. How long before people outside our family learn about us? Hm? What then? I'll tell you; jail for me and therapy for you. Does that sound fun? No, please..." she concluded, gently moving past Lincoln and out the door.

Lincoln whirled about as she left and stared at the closed door when Luna appeared at his side. "Don't worry, bruh," she whispered, leaning on his shoulder and tenderly wrapping her arm around his. "She'll come to her senses eventually."

"That's what I'm afraid of..." Lincoln muttered sadly as his eyes began to water.

"Hey, Hun," said Lynn as he sat down beside his wife. "Are you alright?"

Lynn had walked for nearly three blocks before finding Rita sitting on the sidewalk retaining wall, sobbing into her hands. He stood and looked at her in wonder before approaching, reminiscing about days long past. He vividly recalled being around fourteen years old and walking in on her getting dressed.

Rita was only a few years younger than he, but that never bothered him before. She was only his annoying little sister. Though, something never felt quite right about her. He could never put his finger on it, but for whatever reason, he felt compelled to forgive her for being so annoying and claim responsibility for all her misdeeds around the house. As much as he wanted to despise her like all older brothers did their little sisters, he found that he couldn't. And the feeling had been manageable up until that point.

"Uh, Rita..." he'd said, his heart pounding against his rib cage like a trapped animal.

"Hm?" hummed his little sister, turning to face him, entirely nude. "Yes?"

"Y-y-you're b-beautiful," he'd responded, stammering terribly.

"I am?" inquired Rita, having been taken wholly off-guard and forgotten about her bare state.

"Mmhm," nodded Lynn. "And, if I dare say, sexy even."

"Sexy?" she'd declared. "Let me guess. You're going through puberty, saw me naked, and now you're horny? Mom was right. All boys want is sex."

"No, it's not like that!" exclaimed Lynn as he walked up to her. "Okay, maybe a little. Alright, a lot. But, I was thinking more about spending the rest of my life with you and raising a family of our own."

Rita had clasped her hands in front of her chest, and her eyes had lit up. "Seriously?" she'd said. "Do you mean..."

"Rita, my darling little sister," Lynn began, "I'm in love with you. Though, I didn't fully realize it until just now. Would you..."

"Oh! Yes!" Rita squealed, embracing him around his waist and pressing her bare chest against him. "I will! I've waited for this moment for so long, and now it's finally happening! I can't believe it! And, if you truly love me, I'll stand by you no matter what!"

That evening, Lynn and Rita consummated their relationship and discussed how they'd handle it publically, eventually deciding on some bullshit story about how they met.

"Hey," Rita said in the here and now. "I'm sorry I ran out on you like that. But I thought we decided to wait until they were older to tell them their history. Why now?"

"You know why, love," Lynn responded solemnly. "Even despite their ignorance, Lori and Lincoln fell in love. What else could we do? If we continued to deny our past, we risked alienating them. Besides, don't you remember all the headaches we had trying to keep our relationship a secret, not to mention the occasional bullying from our peers who suspected? We wanted to save them from that. Had they known they were children of incest, they might have been more predisposed. However, if they were ignorant, they might have had a chance at a normal life. At least, that's what we thought at the time."

Rita snuggled up to her brother and husband, resting her head on his shoulder. "What do we do now?" she asked. "Not only do Lori and Lincoln know, but the rest of them too."

Lynn took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I'll tell you what I think," he said. "We take the same approach Mom did when she found out about us."

Rita gazed up at her brother. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I don't remember."

"The night we got together," Lynn started reminding her. "I'm sure you remember that. Mom came in as we were, uh..." he added. "Anyway, she looked at us calmly and asked, 'Lynn, do you love her?' Of course, I said yes. She then asked the same of you. Heh, I remember it like it was yesterday. You said yes as you giggled with delight."

"Funny," Rita said. "I barely recall that. It's like something from a half-remembered dream. Of course, I was only ten or so at the time. Anyway, what happened next?" she added, smiling warmly.

"Mom stared at us together in bed and said, 'alright, but be careful. You could get into trouble if anyone else finds out, other than Albert and me.' Then, she said the most curious thing, 'carry on,' then she left."

"So, am I to infer that you accept this?" Rita asked poignantly. "That we should just let it happen, despite the risks?"

"Yes," sighed Lynn. "Yes, I do. It's their risk. Not ours. Let them take it. After all, if they're truly in love, they'll find a way to make it work. Otherwise, things go back to normal, and there's no harm done."

"But, what if the others are emboldened?" inquired Lynn's sister. "What if..."

"Rita, honey..." cooed Lynn. "I haven't seen one bit of evidence that might happen. Leni, Luna, Luan, and L.J. all have boyfriends now. Lucy lives in a fantasy world, Lana is too busy being a tomboy to notice, and Lola is too self-absorbed. Lisa, well, she isn't interested. At least for now. And Lily is just a toddler."

"I suppose you're right," sighed Rita. "I mean, we did teach them to respect an existing relationship. Right?"

"That's the spirit, hun," chucked Lynn, hugging his sister tightly. "And, for the record, if things do expand, if you know what I mean, it's still their choice, not ours."

"I know, and I'm sorry," cried Rita. "I was just afraid something might happen, and we'd lose them all."

"Who knows what the future holds?" asked Lynn, not expecting an answer. "But, one thing is for sure. It's theirs to make. Now, how about let's head home? Hm?"

"Sound good to me," Rita cooed.

"Where do you think she went?" asked Luna, sullenly sitting on Luan's bottom bunk.

"She probably went back to that nitwit, Bobby," sulked Luan, pacing the room nervously.

"No way, dude," Luna responded. "They only just broke up. He'd still be mad and hurt. There's no way."

"Are you kidding me?" barked Luan. "That dolt has like, what, half a brain cell? He'd welcome her back without hesitation. How often have they broken up, only to get back together days later?"

Luna scrunched her brows. "Oh, yeah..." she mumbled. "But still, Bobby might only have half a brain cell, but Lori's smarter than that. Right?"

"Yeah..." conceded Luan, unfolding her arms, letting them dangle lifelessly by her side. "Only, I can't but feel bad for Lincoln. He must be in such turmoil right now."

"I know what you mean, bro," responded Luna. "I hope things work out for them. They're so cute together, and I'm not joking. I've even diddled myself to sleep a few times thinking about them together."

Luan's eyes sprang open, and her mouth drew up in a bit of dot. "T.M.I., Luna..." she finally offered. "But, as you're being honest, I have to admit that the idea of them being together gets me quite hot and bothered too."

It was a little after midnight when Lori knocked on the door, and she remained standing in the hall until the door finally opened. Ronnie Anne wiped the sleep away from her eyes, blinked, and stared at Lori for a moment. The sad state of Lori's makeup divulging her distress, not to mention the hour of her arrival, the young girl knew something was wrong.

"Hang on," she said. "I'll get Bobby."

"Wait. Actually..." Lori barked. "I don't want to see Bobby. Ever again. I need to talk to you if you don't mind. "

"Me?" gasped Ronnie Anne. "Well, alright, but make it quick. I have a championship to defend tomorrow, and I'll never manage the nollies if I don't get some sleep."

Lori stared in confusion. "Uh, nollie?" she pondered out loud.

Ronnie Anne merely facepalmed. "Nose ollie?" she asked. "Nevermind. It's a skateboarding thing. Now, what's up?" she asked as she exited the apartment and closed the door behind her.

"I don't get it," exclaimed Lana as she and Lola lay in bed. "What's the big deal over who dates who? Isn't it enough that someone be comfortable with themselves?"

"Oh, Lana..." yawned Lola. "You wouldn't get it. Some people like winning. Like me. And, for some, boys are like living awards that can do stuff for you. Or, with you, depending on the circumstances."

"What do you mean?" asked Lana, propping herself on her elbows.

"Oh, come on..." Lola groaned. "You, the nature girl, asking a question like that? Think about it."

"Hmmm?" hummed Lana before doing so. "Oh! Wait! Do you mean they..."

"Duh!" shot Lola in the darkness of their bedroom. "Why do you think anyone gets together at all?"

"So, they're..." stammered Lana. "They're going to have babies?"

"Hopefully. One day," yawned Lola. "Now, please, I need some rest."

"Fine..." sighed Lana, unable to sleep, thinking about Lori and Lincoln mating. And, for some reason, her entire body was on fire.

Ronnie Anne sat on the stairwell leading to their apartment for twenty minutes, silently listening to Lori's explanation of the last two days, struggling to keep up.

"So, you're telling me that your entire family is inbred and that you've now fallen in love with Lame-o?" asked Ronnie Anne in summary. "Is that right?"

"Uh, basically," Lori muttered. "And, even though it feels so right, I can't help but wonder how much of it is real and how much is our genetics."

"But, didn't you say Lisa said something about that not being a factor?" inquired the petite Latina.

"Well, yes. But, I'm sure Lisa was only being supportive," Lori sighed. "She tends to do that; bend the truth to spare those around her."

"Well, I can't say I don't blame you," sighed Ronnie Anne. "He is rather cute and kind."

"Tell me about it," squealed Lori. "The way he smiles, his optimistic outlook, and how his cowlick sticks up are all inviting. I want to hold him and kiss him forever."

"Girl..." agreed Ronnie Anne. "I know how you feel. I used to hate guys until he came along. Even now, I have a difficult time admitting it, and I'm sure you're aware of how awkward getting together was for us. Well, for me specifically."

"Oh, right," replied Lori after recalling Lincoln's many recounts of being hit slapped, hit in the head with a steak, accidentally insulting her, kissing at the buffet, and later getting beaten again, ending in nothing more than a farewell when the Santiagos moved away. "I almost forgot about that. Tell me, why did you end it like that, anyway?"

Ronnie Anne shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I couldn't handle splitting up. It's not like we were ever officially together, only unofficially. It seemed best that if we never acknowledged what we had, neither of us would miss it."

"I see," sighed Lori. "Is that what I should do?" she then asked. "Just leave?"

"Not necessarily," Ronnie Anne said. "Yes, I think it's weird that you two love each other. But, considering your family history, it kind of makes sense. But, there's a big difference between us. You live with him. I don't. And, even if you're away at college for a while, you can always come home to him."

"Yes, but..." Lori stammered.

"No! No, buts," demanded Ronnie Anne. "If we all lived according to buts, nothing would ever get done, and nobody would ever be happy. Listen, are you in love with him?"

"Of course," Lori whispered. "I'm definitely in love with him. I know it doesn't make sense and isn't legal, but yes. I'm totally in love with him."

"Enough to risk getting arrested?" prodded Ronnie Anne.

"Absolutely," Lori said with complete conviction.

"Then, why are you here?" pondered Ronnie out loud. "You should be with him, not here, talking to his former girlfriend."

"You think so?" inquired Lori. "But, what about society and Mom and Dad? What about our other siblings? What if they..."

"Stop. Just stop," demanded Ronnie Anne. "They aren't important. What matter is that you and Lincoln are happy," she announced, gulping slightly at the thought of Lincoln.

Lori picked up on Ronnie's hesitation and suddenly felt a rush of empathy. "Ronnie?" she asked softly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," responded the girl, becoming a little emotional. "I still love him, you know. And, I want him to be happy, whether it's with me or someone else."

"Are you jealous?" asked Lori. "I never thought of you two as serious, so I'm a little..."

"No, it's okay," interjected Ronnie before she began to weep. "It's not like that. I let him go a long time ago. I know you, and you're a wonderful person. I know Lincoln will be happy with you."

"Are you sure about this?" posited Lori serenely. "If you still have feelings for him, I don't want to get in the way of him having a normal relationship."

"No," said Ronnie defiantly, finally coming to a stand. "I said 'no buts.' Never concede what it is and never regret what was. Lincoln is yours and yours alone. Please, for me, make him happy?"

Lori stood and offered Ronnie her hand with a smile. "Thank you. I will, I promise. Friends?"

Without warning, Ronnie leaped forward and embraced Lori, ignoring the offer of a handshake. "More than friends," she said. "As long as you make Lincoln happy, we're more like..."

"I know what you mean," sighed Lori as she accepted Ronnie's affection.