Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Where Love Leads
By Lola Presents
Chapter 9
"I thought I'd lost you!" cried Lola, hugging Lincoln tightly. "After last time, I couldn't go through this again!"
Lincoln embraced his wife and held her firmly while those who were only now wakening looked on.
"Are you kidding, Lols?" Lincoln cooed. "There's no way I'd ever leave you. Family is everything to me. You should know that."
Calming down somewhat, Lola pulled her chair closer and studied him intently.
"What happened?" Lola asked. "One minute you were, uh... you know, and then..."
Lincoln sighed and pressed his lips together, furrowing his brows. He looked around the room to make sure nobody but his family was present before he began explaining things.
Everyone was now awake except Lucy, who remained embedded in slumber. The girl's head lolled backward, and she was smiling profoundly. Her cheeks were the color of light crimson.
"Hey, Luce!" Lana called as she ribbed her sister. "Linc's awake!"
"Huh?" muttered Lucy, leaving the comfort of her dreams. "What?"
"Lincoln's awake," repeated Lana. "See?"
Lucy blinked and focused on the gurney. Sure enough, her brother was gazing at her lovingly.
"Sweet dreams, Luce?" kidded Lincoln.
"Oh, uh, yeah..." stammered Lucy, turning even redder. "I dreamed about us," she muttered. "We were under a tree in a meadow. It was nice. I want to do that for real someday."
"I think we just did," Lincoln said.
"What?" Lori said. "No, you didn't. You've been here the whole time."
"A wise woman I once met told me the soul never forgets," explained Lincoln quixotically.
More than one sister was confused at this point. Had Lincoln sustained another head injury? Worried looks passed around the room until Lola broke the silence.
"Perhaps you should start from the beginning, honey," Lola prompted him. "We have no clue what you're talking about."
For the next half hour, Lincoln explained what he had just experienced in as much detail as possible. He left nothing out, including making love to Harriet/Lucy. Of course, Lucy began to cry tears of joy upon his retelling of events. Being a girl of supernatural leanings, it all made sense to her.
They had made love while asleep, tucked far away from reality.
"Well, that's not fair!" barked Luan, who had stopped by to visit. How come she get's an other-worldly affair, and all I'm going to get is a bed!"
Naturally, Luan and Leni rushed to the hospital when called. Once there, Lola sequestered them in the room and explained their new living situation and the developing relationships. Leni didn't seem surprised at all, but Luan was shocked.
After all, Lori was the one who protested the most at the beginning. Once Lori explained that she was only jealous, things became more apparent, and Luan calmed down, only to admit her feelings for her brother as well.
"I'm sorry, guys," Lincoln apologized. "It isn't as if I planned that. Harriet did. But don't worry, you all have a place in our bed."
Lola beamed at his use of the word "our." For a while, she became afraid of losing her marriage to her sisters, becoming an afterthought. Now, she could see Lincoln considered her his one faithful wife, which pleased her.
"But..." Lincoln began. "I think we need to set some ground rules. I can't support all of you, and we certainly don't have space. My work is suffering, as well."
"Oh, we're sorry, bro," Luna said. "We didn't mean to burden you."
"No, no," Lincoln corrected her. "None of you are ever a bother. I mean that those who can work should, and those who already have homes should continue to live there. We only have one spare bedroom, so what we'll do is rotate. There are two beds in the guest room, and we can entertain two of you weekly. I know you all want to be with us all the time, but realistically, that's not possible. At least, not right now."
A collective sigh resounded within the small room, and more than a few retorts, but eventually, all agreed.
"Yay!" exclaimed Leni, waving her hands around merrily. "I can't wait for you to get me pregnant!"
Lincoln chuckled. "Heh, well, everyone will get their turn. There's no need to rush things."
A knock on the door alerted them to someone's presence. Lynn, nearest the door, answered it, inviting in the nurse. A quick glare around the room was all that was required to silence everyone.
"Well, well!" gasped the nurse as she strode in and checked his vital signs. "It looks like you've made a full recovery. Of course, we still don't know how a perfectly healthy person randomly becomes comatose, let alone recover. Then again, miracles never cease. Let me get these devices off you, and I'll get your release papers in order."
"Of course," Lincoln replied as the nurse removed the electrodes and I.V. feed. "Thank you very much."
Once the woman had exited the room, Lincoln mindlessly tossed off his covers, and swinging his legs around, he came to a comfortable stand and stretched.
"LINCOLN!" Lola gasped, holding her hand over her mouth. "You're standing!"
Lincoln looked down, and indeed he was. He was so engrossed with the event that he completely missed another.
"What's with the standing ovation, Lincoln?" laughed Luan, pointing at his midriff, where a very prominent tent presented itself. "Get it? Standing ovation?"
"I think the question isn't whether he gets it, toots," said Luan in Mr. Coconut's voice. "But rather, who is GOING to get it!"
"Luan!" groaned the assembly. "Not now!"
"Hey, you can't blame a girl for trying!" shot Luan.
Not bothering to shoo his sisters, he immediately dropped the horrid hospital gown and reached for a stack of clothes on the counter, no doubt brought by Lola. Lorianne grinned and let out a quiet whistle upon seeing her lover's butt.
"So. Who. Gets. To. Stay. First?" asked the horny girl.
"Well," Lincoln said after slipping on his underwear, then sitting to pull on his pants. "You and your mom have already stayed a while, as has Lana. So, I think we'll continue with Lola's suggestion the other day, from youngest to oldest. By the way, how long was I out?"
"Six days," Lola informed him. "And that was six days too long."
Lincoln chuckled, pulling his shirt on over his head.
"Anyway, that means Lily and Lisa get first dibs," Lincoln continued.
"Yes!" chirped Lily, nearly leaving her seat in joy.
"Fine," Lisa stated. "I'll have to move some things around, but I believe I can... oh, what the hell. I'll be there, horny and wet!"
Not thirty minutes later, Lincoln was processed and released. Everyone, except those who drove themselves, piled into Luna's van. Soon, everyone was home, trying to make Lincoln as comfortable as possible.
Not to mention a LOT of sex.
The next day, Lincoln visited the bank once more. This time, he withdrew enough money to subsidize Lana's new garage and Lucy's new Pagan book store and cover some of Lynn's expenses on her gym. One last thing remained.
"Are you sure about this?" asked the banker.
"Absolutely," answered Lincoln.
"Alright, then," responded Mr. Milligan. "Let me check your account for collateral, and... oh, my. Just under a million? You're a shoo-in. You don't happen to have an offshore account, do you?" he joked.
"Ha, ha, no," Lincoln laughed politely. "Just a settlement for a legal claim. My wife and I keep it a secret, so we're prepared for anything."
"Very well," Mr. Milligan said as he finalized the purchase and handed Lincoln a set of keys.
"Thank you very much," said Lincoln, standing and heading for the door.
"I am curious, though," the banker said. "What are you going to do with a home that large? It seems an awful lot of space for a family of three."
Lincoln turned, his hand still on the door handle, loosely holding the keys he had just received. The dangling key-tag read "1216 Franklin Avenue."
"I'm going to fill it, sir," he informed the man. "I'm going to fill it with love."
Epilog
It was the day of Lincoln's thirty-third birthday, ten years since he purchased his childhood home. Upon learning that his parents were selling their home, he immediately put in the highest bid and secured it for another few generations.
The man sat in a rocking chair on his front porch, waiting for the rest of his family. Mom and Dad were the only ones not attending. He offered to let his parents stay, but they turned him down, citing Lincoln and his sisters' need to raise their families on their terms. Not wanting to contribute to any drama by stepping on their toes, they took his second offer of the smaller home. Besides, they rather enjoyed the solitude they so long deserved. They'd give him a present later, they said.
Soon, the guests began arriving. Luan was the first to pull up, along with her eight-year-old daughter, Holly. Luna came next, quite unexpectedly, as she had been on tour with her daughter Melody, who was also eight. Lynn was a tad late due to having to clear her business of clients. But she eventually showed up with her six-year-old boy, Lynn II. No surprise there. Finally, Leni arrived with her four-year-old girl, Chloe, in tow.
Once they'd shared pleasantries, they entered his home, the air inside bursting with sweet aromas. Lola, Lana, and Lori worked all morning, feverishly preparing a turkey dinner with sides for Lincoln's birthday.
"Hey, Hops," called Lana, turning to her nine-year-old son. "How about getting Ree and Nova to help you set the table?"
"Yeah, sure," he griped but did as asked.
"Oh, look at little Chloe!" gasped Mara, Lucy's nine-year-old girl, running to greet her cousin. "Aren't you the sweetest thing?"
Together, Mara and Albert, Lisa's six-year-old, sat and played with Chloe.
"Come and get it!" Lola called as she set the last dish on the table.
Everyone gathered around to sing Lincoln happy birthday as soon as Lily arrived with her Flower, their two-year-old girl.
"Sorry!" Lily apologized, shrugging. "When she needs changing, she needs changing, you know?"
"WAIT!" Lorianne cried, beginning to run through the house. "I forgot the most important thing!" she announced, speaking quite well after years of practice.
The family sighed as Ree darted from place to place, ensuring she locked all the doors and windows and pulled all the curtains before stripping entirely.
"Come on!" she clamored. "It's not a party until we're naked!"
Lincoln smiled to himself as everyone undressed.
The End
