Without Sin: All Star Edition

by Catspeaker

Lincoln Loud struggles to make ends meet as a comic book artist. His sisters have all gone on to better things, all except Lisa, just released from Prison. An experiment designed to get her back into the limelight sends him to a dimension where he has children with his sisters. These unthinkable circumstances are his new reality. Inspired by Red Herald's story.

11. Chapter 11

Cat's Corner: Hey everyone! So again, this chapter is later than I would have liked it to have been, and I'm sorry for that. I really want to try and get these out sooner, but there are other things going on I'll try to explain!

So first, some big news for me, and maybe something you'd be interested in hearing about! I'm helping with work on a Loud House dating visual novel called "The Lewdest House!"

The Lewdest House is being created by an Argentinian artist by the name of D.M.F.
D and I were introduced to one another by Fic, and D really liked my writing and asked me to do something very fantastic! If I could help with script writing on the game he was making and doing art for!

Since then I've been helping with the creation of Chapter 1, and the addition of some new scenes. It's been a lot of fun. Different from writing a novel, but so interesting to see art that goes along with the writing! D's stuff is great and I hope when he releases the finished version of Chapter 1 with my writing attached some of you check it out and try it for yourselves! Lincoln is trying to build courage to tell Ronnie Anne his feelings, and his sisters just might help him out! You can imagine where things go from there!

Fic also really contributed some very great ideas on the dream sequence portion, and really helped me to refine that section and present it as best as possible so he deserves a kudos for that.

Other than that, with the return of Red Herald and his continued updating of the original "Without Sin" I've really wanted to make a conscious effort to try and make sure I'm differentiating this version from the original. This means some things are changing here and there, and I'll explain what I mean.

Back in the early and mid 00's, Marvel launched a new comic book line known as the "Ultimate" line. They had Ultimate Spiderman, Ultimate X-men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and The Ultimates (Which was the Avengers) the idea of the "Ultimate" line was to 'modernize' and 'concise' titles which had been around for decades, and it worked at first and was a lot of fun.

When it seemed Red Herald wasn't going to come back, Fic and I went in the direction of trying to more or less make "Ultimate Without Sin". Which was trying to keep it close to his original vision in the beginning with fewer changes until we reached the point where he had left off and had to completely do our own thing.

But then Herald came back and he's updating regularly! This means I in particular really want to make sure I'm not just covering his story again, beyond the elements that are here and the same foundational idea for the story. So my hope is, thinking hard and trying to find directions that I didn't initially see present in the original and also making sure there's a reason to read both versions. I really think Herald's story is great and his Alan Moore esq take on The Sindom is fascinating.

But that of course means as I've mentioned before, I can't tell the "Watchmen" of Sinkids since he's already doing that, which means more rethinking and representing things. Hopefully it's been successful and you've enjoyed this "All Star" take on the Sindom!

I've rambled for long enough now, so I'll let you go! I appreciate all the comments and reviews as usual, and look forward to seeing you all again later!

-CatSpeaker

A Hotel just outside of Royal Woods, SinVerse

The Hunter was getting closer to his prey with every step he took. Closer and closer towards the day he would finally enact his plan and get to the center of the mysteries that had been plaguing his life. Mysteries that had ruled it for as long as he could remember. Mysteries he knew that would be solved the moment he was finally able to confront the notorious scientist Lisa Loud. Lisa had been at the center of it all always. Even when she was a child, she had been part of it. Lisa had seen the inside of what THEY didn't want you to see. Lisa had seen the truth. He was absolutely certain of it. She was the key, and he would get to her.

In retrospect, his parents should have figured this out years ago. As close as they were to the Loud family themselves, they seemed to never take notice. Maybe it was because his father had been best friends with Rodney Spokes rather than Lynn Loud. His mother had been friends with Rita, but they hadn't kept in contact as much with their own families. Whatever the case, they hadn't taken notice the little Loud had been contractually working for the government since she was 4 years old. She might not have known everything back then, but if they had only made contact with her, let her see the truth they knew, brought her into the fold, they could have had a powerful weapon against the conspirators.

He'd been too young at the time to realize it, but now he would make up for that misstep. It was a shame it took him years to figure it out, and by the time he did, she was already hidden. Years went by where he cursed himself for having the key to everything right under his nose and never acting on it. But then, she went to Prison, and he saw an opportunity! The perfect chance to make contact and bring her into the fold!

He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

He should have counted on the conspirators already being one step ahead of him. They almost always were. They had eyes and ears everywhere. It was why he needed to be careful, why he needed to live off the grid, and why his hidden surveillance was so important.

The conspirators had struck, just as he was about to make his move, and they did so by taking the lynch pin of Lisa's family away.

Replacing Lincoln loud with a confederate.

Of course they would replace the most beloved figure in the Loud family, the center that kept it all going. Of course! It sent a message. He knew it was a warning to Lisa and her siblings. You will never escape us. We will never allow you to show others the truth. We own you.

In light of the knowledge and secrets Lisa had, her family's peculiar lifestyle was small potatoes.

Whatever that THING was, it was not Lincoln Loud. It was not the man who lived for his family, who craved their touch and love, and gave of himself selflessly to all of them. The Hunter didn't know what he was though, and that's what had caused a delay in his plans.

Was it an Android replacement? The conspirators were capable of full model life decoys, he was certain they had advanced far past the original X-J projects. It was a possibility, but not likely. The fake Lincoln smoked and drank too much. Something the REAL Lincoln Loud would never do, and that an android replacement would have no need of. Which meant the most likely option was either a clone, or an agent of the conspiracy who'd undergone plastic surgery. The Hunter was leaning towards the latter more than the former, especially with the way it seemed some of the other members of the family didn't take well to him. A clone would be more likely to fall into the old Lincoln's habits, even with the flaws that came with the process.

But he couldn't be sure.

There was even the possibility it WAS Lincoln, just one that had been brainwashed and turned into a Manchurian candidate meant to guard Lisa for the conspirators. It was the least likely explanation, but one the Hunter feared the most.

Whatever the case, the Louds were compromised. Their Patriarch had been replaced and they were under the watchful eye of the Imposter designed to keep them in check. Under these circumstances it would not be safe to approach Lisa Loud and interrogate her on the matters of the truth.

Which meant his information gathering had to become more flexible and diverse…He had to take engage in, lateral warfare and strategy. Avenues he hadn't considered before.

Avenues which… certainly had their benefits.

The Hunter laid back on the bed of the cheap Hotel he had rented for this rendezvous. A single bed with an attached bathroom in a bland beige color. It was at least clean and in a safer neighborhood. His Quarry was no common streetwalker and wouldn't settle for a No-tell motel in some rough neighborhood. She fetched high prices and was in higher demand. But he also knew she had a soft spot for 'charity cases' like him.

He'd had to do some research on the right websites, talk to the right people, and get cleared by her handler Lori. But then, that was easy. The Hunter had been hacking websites and placing false data since he was still a Child. Lori Loud would find the fabrication, a veteran returned from overseas and just craving intimacy. His money would be good, and she'd pass the all clear safety to Lola. It wasn't a complete lie. He really was a veteran suffering from PTSD and had intimacy issues and a small part of him…did crave someone to hold him and reassure him. But he had to keep in mind this was a mission, not recreation.

A part him almost regretted his lifelong journey and dedication to exposing the conspiracies lies when Lola Loud arrived. The sight of her was enough to make any man second guess his motivations.

She was beautiful, stunning with her long golden hair, big blue bedroom eyes, round hips, large breasts and even larger rear. She was the hourglass of desire that captivated men throughout history. He understood she was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever been with. But it was more than that, it was also the aura of powerful femineity she gave off. That powerful aura of caregiving and nurturing that seemed symbolic to women. It wasn't just an act either.

Lola had a good heart that wanted to help others. It made him reflect on another woman. One from his past, one who had done the same for him and had made him feel more at peace than any other he had been with. The one that had taken his virginity, the one that had wanted to make a life with him, and the one had had to ultimately reject.

The mission had to come first. The mission was more important than his own happiness.

Seeing Lola like this wasn't heart breaking or regretful because of who she was, but because of who she made him think of. A life he could have had but ended up spurning.

Lola made pleasant small talk when she arrived. They'd already conversed over the phone a couple of times and sent a few texts back and forth with what it was he was 'looking for'. She already understood him as a man of few words that just wanted to feel the soft, soothing presence of her feminine energy. But he even found the small conversation they had together enjoyable.

He had to admire how good she was at her job. She would have made an excellent agent for any organization.

Shortly after speaking with him, she began to strip down to her underwear. She didn't make a big production of it, she wasn't trying to seduce him or put on a show for him. He realized the way she stripped down was in the same manner one would with their lover after a long day. It was chosen purposefully by her to give that impression.

She peeled her grey yoga pants and sweatshirt off with ease, revealing a beautiful pink, lacy, lingerie ensemble underneath. It looked comfortable but was also revealing of her beautiful and sensual form. A wireless lacy bra that hugged her full breasts and panties that highlighted her hips and derriere. She had removed the bra shortly afterward, unclasping it with ease and tossing it aside. Her long blonde hair falling over the shapely pillowy masses that rested on her chest. He had stripped down to only his underwear already, a pair of camouflage briefs, and the two had crawled into bed with one another. She told him if he was 'up' for it, she would be willing to provide sexual release for him as well, she had brought plenty of protection.

But the Hunter had declined.

He needed to remain impartial, he needed to remain vigilant, he couldn't form attachments. It was hard enough with how beautiful Lola was, but more her genuine sweet and caring nature. She had held him close, and stroked his hair, and whispered sweet nothings to him. For a moment he could pretend he was back in the embrace of her. The only woman he had ever loved. The one that said she didn't care about the mission anymore, as long as she could form a family with him. He could pretend Lola was her, and it almost made him cry. But he didn't, instead he allowed himself to drift in the fantasy. It was so intense, so wonderful, he had even fallen asleep briefly before she had, which almost ruined his plan.

However, Lola was a snorer apparently, and her snoring roused him just in time. It was almost comical how such an exquisite creature gave off less than exquisite noises while she slept. He wondered if she might suffer from minor Sleep apnea. But it wasn't his job to diagnose her.

While she was still asleep, the Hunter went into action. Slipping free from her grasp, he took the phone she kept on her nightstand, cracked open it's casing with a small hand tool, and slipped the device he had learned to build from a man named Dib, into it. He quickly sealed the phone back up afterward and placed it back while she was none the wiser.

There was, however, an interesting note that happened only about 15 minutes or so later. After he'd managed to settle back in with Lola, and enjoy the sensation of her warm, soft body against his own, she ended up receiving a phone call.

It must have been important since she had told him there would be no interruptions and he understood Lola not to be a woman to lie about such things. But her phone went off all the same, a soft cheery tone playing while he pretended to still be asleep. Lola rose up next to him, clearly annoyed. He began to stir slightly and pretending to be bleary eyed, looked back at her. He was treated to the sight of her soft, full heavy breasts once more, long blonde hair falling all over her shoulders, partially concealing her large pink nipples.

The escort picked up her phone from the nightstand, a frown on her plush pink lips. She looked back over at him as he pretended to stir slightly, she gave him a soft smile and gently ran her fingers through his red hair, "This shouldn't be long, family call, I apologize for the interruption."

It was amazing to the Hunter how angelic she could be. It was also amazing to the Hunter that the Imposter Lincoln was able to resist her advances at all. He must have some kind of implant that deadened his sexual response, or trained complete mastery of his emotions and body to turn her down. It was only due to his own mediations and intimacy issues he was able to turn down her own suggestion they take things further.

Lola spoke into the phone with an annoyed but soft tone, "Lans, you know I'm with a client right now, this better be important."

As she waited, she brought her fingertips down and gently ran them over his bicep. Lola was a consummate professional in everything she did. Even when distracted.

He listened as she continued, trying to keep her voice down while next to him, "Slow down, slow down, what do you mean you messed up bad?"

Lola's expression began to look more and more annoyed, before suddenly she responded, "YOU DID WHAT!?"

She winced afterwards, placing her hand over the receiver as she looked towards The Hunter and whispered apologies, "Sorry, Sorry, Sorry!"

She brought her attention back to her phone, sighing and squeezing the bridge of her nose, "No, don't go and apologize, just…Just leave him alone for now Lans. Yes, you screwed up, you screwed up big time."

Lola looked back to The Hunter once more, mouthing another sorry and giving a sweet smile, she turned back to the phone afterwards, "Lans, just leave it be. I'll call you in the morning about what we're doing with this mess. I swear you horny bitches are going to ruin everything if you're not careful. I'm going to message Lori. We're enacting the mother replacement protocol. Luan's just going to have to wait, it's time to bring Lily in." There was another pause as Lola listened to the other end before she responded, "Just, give him space Lans. I'll call you later."

Lola hung up the phone and placed it back on the nightstand, before she turned her attention back to The Hunter. She gave him one of her most heart melting smiles, before she curled up against him. Her soft chest was so inviting against the muscles of his back. Her voice like honey in his ear.

"Now, sorry about that. Family drama, nothing to worry about. You still have a few more hours with me sweetie, and I intend to give you the full value of every moment."

Her lips kissed his neck, he felt more relaxed than he ever had in years.

He was supposed to be using her for getting closer to his targets, and now he was almost feeling guilty for doing so.

Almost.

Lincoln's Room Sinverse, Night

It was a dream.

Lincoln was aware of that, because Ronnie Anne was with him.

They were alone, in bed, her bed in Great Lakes City no less. Cuddled up close, her beautiful dark hair falling over his naked chest as she kissed up his pecs and his neck. He ran his fingers over her caramel skin, down her back. They were both almost naked, Ronnie wore a pair of violet satin panties, he wore a pair of orange boxers.

She looked just like how he had seen her in the Hospital, but he was 16. Or at least he was in his 16 year old body.

He didn't feel 16, but he knew for some reason that's how old he was supposed to be right now.

Then the details came to him, the room filled in more. Ronnie's posters on her bedroom wall, her door, the littler minifridge she kept near her bed and all the pictures on her walls.

Slowly he spoke to Ronnie Anne as she continued to kiss up his cheek, over to his ear.

"This was…" he trailed off.

"Our first time…" Ronnie Anne whispered back to him...

Lincoln sighed and leaned over to kiss Ronnie's cheek. It was strange, seeing her in this 29 year old form, while he was in his teenage body.

"But it didn't happen like this…" He spoke in confusion.

Ronnie Anne sat up on his waist, her hands sliding over his chest, feeling his form. She smirked down at him with half-lidded eyes, her full heavy breasts with their dark nipples exposed before him.

"You're right Lame-o, I was your age. But you saw me recently like this. It's what's on your mind."

Lincoln sighed as he remembered Ronnie in her medical scrubs. How pretty she looked, and how much she had been on his mind since then.

He looked back to the beauty in front of him, giving a soft little smile, "We started out like this, but ended up with me on top of you."

Ronnie grinned as she nodded, "That we did. I whispered your name over and over again and told you how much I loved you." She leaned down and kissed Lincoln's teen lips, he kissed back against her own, memories flooding him of how all of this went down.

Slowly their lips parted, Lincoln smiled as he responded, "I remember doing the same thing. I also remember we talked about it first, this was a big deal. It didn't happen just spur of the moment."

Ronnie smiled and nodded, "It almost did a couple of times. We had a habit of getting hot and heavy pretty easily." Ronnie giggled, "You remember the first time I touched your dick? When I got you off through your jeans? We were 13."

Lincoln suddenly flushed heavily as he recalled, looking down, "You said you were willing to go further, but I told you that we should wait." Lincoln looked up into her brown eyes, touching her cheek, "You were afraid of me losing interest in you with us living so far apart. But I told you I loved you, even that young, and that you didn't have to do things like that to keep my interest." Lincoln smiled conspiratorially, "Though we did share our first tongue kiss then."

Ronnie gave a soft sigh as she laid down against his chest, "Yup, and we kissed like that every chance we got. You and I were the make out king and queen." She gave a soft giggle once more, then narrowed her eyes seductively at him, "Of course you touched my boobs then too. Not that I had a whole lot, but it was enough to excite you. I didn't think they were big enough for you, but horny boy you were you told me how much you loved them. It wasn't until I was 15 that you really had something to play with."

Lincoln chuckled again as he smiled and nodded, "Yeah, and the first time I fingered you was when you were 14. I remember you gave me my first blowjob after that." Lincoln smiled awkwardly, "We went pretty fast, I'm surprised we held off on things until we were 16."

Ronnie looked slightly bashful as she sat up on him again, "Maybe you were trying your best to block other things from your mind. Other urges you might have had."

Lincoln looked confused, he shook his head, "What do you mean by that Ronnie?"

Ronnie gave a soft sigh and a small smile, "Look at me Lincoln. You saw me recently, and you tell yourself I'm the only one you wanted. But are you sure about that? Really sure?"

Lincoln frowned as his hands slipped over Ronnie's hips, squeezing them and nodding his head, "Of course it is, it's what I've always wanted. I'd give up all the other sexual experiences I've had if it meant we were still together."

Ronnie Anne chuckled softly, then leaned down and kissed his forehead, the sensation of her breasts against his chest was so nice, so relaxing.

"I believe you. To some extent. You're still lying to yourself about a few other things. But I do know you really did love me back then. But it wasn't just love Lincoln. I know you wanted to be with me, but you also needed me to fill a hole in your life."

Lincoln frowned once more, he looked back to Ronnie, staring into her big brown eyes, "What do you mean? What kind of hole are you talking about?"

Ronnie gave another soft, sad sigh. Her hand came up and gently caressed his cheek, "A hole you created Lincoln. A hole you made because you were afraid. Afraid of so many things. Afraid of failure most of all. So afraid of failure for you, and for everyone you cared about. It's why you just kept pushing them. Pushing everyone further and further out of your life, one by one. You kept, telling them they needed to succeed. They needed to follow their dreams no matter what. You thought in their success you'd find reflected success. But you never told them how much you missed them when they were gone."

Lincoln slid his hands up over Ronnie's back, caressing her skin as he squeezed his eyes shut, "We grow up and we get our own lives. Lisa left us so young and did so well for herself, if one of the youngest of us could do it, then I knew we all had to do it."

Ronnie Anne sat back up once more as she gazed down into his eyes. He could feel it, even with his eyes closed. Eventually he had to open his own to meet her eyes. Her gaze seemed to look right through him, one that seemed to stare right into his very soul. "Do you remember when I asked you, do you love me more than any other girl in the world?"

Lincoln sighed and looked away, the memories coming back. It must have been when they were 17. He gently nodded his head, "Yes…"

Ronnie Anne slipped her hand to his cheek and smiled gently at him, turning his gaze back towards her "And you lied, didn't you?"

Lincoln felt guilt coiling around his heart again. He wanted to deny it all the same, even to this figment of Ronnie Anne in his dream. He shook his head, "No, I didn't. I didn't! I said you were the most important woman in my life! I meant that."

Ronnie Anne continued to smile sympathetically. She slowly shook her head in return, "You lied. You lied directly to me. You can't run from your own subconscious Lincoln. You lied that day. But it doesn't matter. Because you're old enough and mature enough now you know I would have been just as happy with the truth."

Lincoln still felt horribly guilty, his hands coming up to his face, "And what truth is that, Ronnie Anne?! Who did I love more than you?!"

Ronnie sighed and leaned down to kiss his lips once more. Her heavy breasts pushing into his chest again as she slipped both of her hands over his cheeks. "Oh Lincoln, you didn't love any woman more than me. That was just it. That's the truth I would have accepted."

She paused as Lincoln frowned and burnt with shame. Her voice continued, "You loved me as much as you loved your sisters. The most important women in your life. You put me in the same category as them, and for someone like you Lincoln, that's the greatest compliment you can give."

Lincoln looked back at her, tears filling his eyes as the shame and confusion continued to fill him. Ronnie Anne only looked sadder as she went on, "I was never going to become more important than your family, and that's okay, because family is everything to you Lincoln, it always has been, and you made me as important as them. But you got scared and you let your obsession and fear consume you, driving them and me away."

Ronnie Anne slowly stood up from the bed. He watched her almost nude form slide upwards, before she walked to her bedroom door. Slowly everything around them began to be consumed by darkness.

The only thing left was the two of them and the bed like a small raft cast afloat in a dark ocean.

Ronnie Anne turned to him, "You've lied to yourself about many things Lincoln. Even now you're still lying. Maybe if you were more honest, if you had been willing to face some of those truths, we would still be together, and you'd still be close with your sisters."

She turned and began to slowly make her way off into the darkness.

Lincoln cried out, "Ronnie Anne! Wait!"

He got out of the bed and fell to the floor as her form got smaller and smaller. Quickly he got back to his feet and started running after her, but her form vanished completely by then, enveloped by the shadows all around them.

He continued to run still, in the last direction her saw her, breathing hard, trying desperately to find her to no avail. Losing himself in those shadows and darkness until in the distance he saw another light. Another light in the ocean of dark with a figure underneath.

With no other choice before him, Lincoln made his way towards the light, only to come to a stop in shock as he caught sight of the figure illuminated within.

It was his sister Lynn.

Only a version of her he hadn't seen in years.

She was 7 years old, her auburn hair was in pigtails, and she was wearing a red dress with white tights underneath. She was sitting on the floor of her bedroom.

No…their bedroom. With it's two beds, his in the place where Lucy's would eventually be.

The bedroom he shared with Lynn, before he moved into the closet.

She smiled up at him, "Hey little bro."

It was surreal talking to his older sister in such a childlike form while he was in his…wait no, he was 6 now. Now wearing a pair of orange shorts and a white t-shirt. She was taller, just barely, than he was.

"Lynn?! What's this all about?"

Lynn smiled at him again as she got up to her feet. She walked over towards him with a large happy grin, and before he knew it, she'd thrown her arms around him in a sudden crushing but affectionate hug.

As she hugged him, she nuzzled her head against his own, the way she always had when they were younger. She liked hugging him like he was her personal teddy bear when they were so little. He remembered how much he loved her hugs when they were children. How he would hug her back with equal enthusiasm.

A dark and sad thought suddenly came to him.

When was the last time the real Lynn had hugged him? When was the last time he had hugged her?

"Stinkin, come on now, don't you remember this? I mean, okay maybe that's vague. We made a lot of great memories in here together. But don't you remember how close we used to be? We played together all the time!"

Lincoln, confused, returned Lynn's hug, giving her a squeeze, again and nuzzling her back with his smaller, younger form. It felt so nice. Even as strange as this dream was, it felt so nice to hug her again.

"Of course we did Lynn, you're only a year and change ahead of me in age. We were always going to be close because of that…" Lincoln sighed softly as he added, "It's not anything special. All our sisters are like us."

Lynn pulled back and then punched his arm gently with a frown, "You don't really believe that Stinkin! You always thought it was special! All the wrestling and play fighting we did together. All the games we played. You loved it."

Lincoln frowned, rolled his eyes, tried to pull back, his emotional defenses coming up once more, "Every little boy likes wrestling and play fighting."

Lynn was undeterred, "Yeah they do. But which of your sisters was always eager to do it with you? Which of your sisters always smiled and doted on you and wanted to spend all their time with you? Who rode bikes with you, climbed trees, taught you how to swim? Come on Linc, all the times we slept together, cuddled up in the same bed when it was cold, or rainy, or you were scared. Do you remember me saying how I'd never let anything hurt you?"

Lincoln swallowed, feeling warm suddenly as he nodded his head, "Y-yes, I remember."

Lynn didn't let him pull away, she kept a tight and fierce hold on him, "I meant it. You know that. You remember it. You know it's true, I would never let anything hurt you, ever. You were the person I wanted to protect most."

Lincoln found himself falling back into the embrace of his sister again. Hugging the memory of Lynn even tighter, more feelings of guilt coming over him. She was right. She was always the constant in his life, she never wanted him hurt. She saw it as her duty to be his guardian.

Then Lynn slowly pulled back, her hands sliding to his own as she took them gently, a slow smile crossing her lips, "Do you remember this moment? When we played Doctor?"

A sudden flood of embarrassment began to fill Lincoln, memories long held back filling him. Hazy memories of childhood and…experimentation…experimentation of wanting to learn the real difference between boys and girls. With the sister he trusted most.

Lynn's voice spoke up, a soft quiet tone, as if she was making sure she wasn't too loud. He remembered, they knew they weren't 'supposed' to play this game, they didn't want to get caught.

"Lincy….it tickles when you touch me there…"

More shame, more embarrassment, he looked away. But she continued.

"Do it again Lincy…. I like it."

Lincoln flushed as those memories filled him, more not only the memories, but the feelings. The feelings of being happy and giddy. The feeling of getting away with something mischievous, and the innocent love he felt for his older sister at the time.

"Lincy, let me see yours…"

Lynn whispered the last words into his ear, and he remembered when he obliged her. He remembered letting her touch and explore him, just as he had done with her. Lincoln felt so embarrassed, filled with so much shame despite how much it made his heartbeat faster.

Lynn gave another soft smirk while wagging her eyebrows up and down, "We played it more than a couple of times Stinkin."

Lincoln pulled back, shaking his head, his reason asserting itself. He squashed down the memories, pushed them back as he replied, "No. Lots of brothers and sisters close in age grow up doing something like that…it's…it's nothing to be ashamed of. We didn't even really understand what we were doing at the time. It's something you grow out of and just don't ever talk about again."

When he looked back to Lynn, she was different. He was too.

Now she was in a pair of very small, very tight red athletic shorts, and a sports bra over her small bust. Her muscles were exquisite, a full six pack and defined biceps. Her hair was buzzed on one side, and short on the other. She was like a roman statue brought to life.

He was in the best shape of his life too, not as chiseled as her, but more toned and muscular than he'd ever been. All because he was her coach and training partner. He was now in a pair of orange athletic trunks and nothing else. She was 19, he was 17 almost 18.

"What about now Lame-o?" Lynn countered.

Lincoln folded his arms, looked away again He already knew where this memory was going but didn't want to say it.

Lynn continued.

"You remember this time. Senior year for you, Freshman year of college for me. I'd come home and asked you for a spar."

Lincoln nodded again, looking down, "Yeah, well, that was…that was…"

Lynn grinned, "That was when things got a little heated when you took me down. The way our bodies felt sliding over one another. You remember it. You remember how no matter how tough I was, I was soft in all those places you liked. You were the one who got hard, because of those soft places. You were the one that pressed that hardness right into my softest places…"

More shame filled Lincoln as he remembered wrestling with Lynn, locking up with her, tossing her to the mat. She was back on him in moments. Gripping him, changing position as they struggled for dominance back and forth, her athletic form pressed against his. His arousal building up. It had been playful, it had been fun. It had been months since they'd been able to lock up. He'd lost himself in the dance with her. They were smiling, giggling, laughing the whole time with each other.

Lynn's voice from that moment came again, it was soft, seductive almost, teasing, he remembered what was happening at the time. He had her arm behind her back, his groin was pressed right up against her tight and firm, yet pleasantly soft rear, he hadn't even noticed how hard he was, and how Lynn had playfully pushed back up against him.

"Dang bro, is that what Ronnie Anne gets to play with? I'm kinda jealous."

He heard her soft laughter from the memory. He remembered she'd pressed herself against his bulge again, slowly, teasingly, clenching her inviting sporty rear around his length. She wasn't laughing at him, she was amused. He remembered what she said next, "Stinkin, don't be embarrassed. I'm flattered, I worked hard to look this good. If even my not so little brother likes it I must be doing something right."

He remembered he stood up off of her, he remembered he turned away, completely red faced and apologized while she assured him it was alright, assured him nothing was wrong.

He looked back at Lynn, she was smiling at him again, she was 13 this time, dressed in a red and white #1 sports shirt and red shorts.

"You ever noticed I'm the only one who ever gave you a nickname? I'm the only one who had a pet name for you? I know you noticed when I started calling you Lame-o. Only two women in your life have ever called you that, and I did it only after I heard Ronnie Anne say it."

Lincoln felt more shame, more confusion filling him, he was trying to think of what he should say, what his rationalization for it was. It didn't mean he wanted to fuck Lynn, did it?! No, some random uncomfortable moments and talking about how close they once were didn't mean he was in love with her, or she was in love with him!

Lynn spoke up, "We never wrestled again after that spar. You made an excuse the first couple times, and you didn't come to most of my matches after that. I just stopped asking you eventually."

When Lincoln looked up again, things had changed dramatically. Suddenly they were in the master bedroom of the family home. His bedroom after he'd taken over the house.

Lynn was laying in the center of his bed, there was an IV in her arm hooked to a bag full of nutrients, medicine, and anesthesia hanging from a pole nearby. She looked exhausted, her hair was a mess, but she was smiling.

There was a single chair next to the bed, his chair.

Lincoln went over and took a seat. Instinctively, Lynn reached her tired hand out to him, and Lincoln took it between his own. He gave a firm gentle squeeze and nodded at his sister with a soft smile. Warmth filled him as he remembered this moment.

Lynn continued to smile at him, as tired as she was, "15 hours, and you never left my side."

Lincoln gave a slightly soft chuckle, "You didn't give me much of a choice if you remember."

Lynn laughed softly as she nodded her head again, "You believe I remember every moment of it. You're probably right. This is all in your head anyway Linc. You're trying to see your real memories again, vs what you tell yourself happened."

Lincoln frowned as he held his sister's hand, "Then why am I remembering this? I don't dislike this memory."

Lynn gave a soft laugh as grinned back at him, "Oh you could of fooled me. You whined and moaned the whole time. It didn't start here Linc, it ended here. You remember what happened first?"

Lincoln sheepishly nodded his head as he used his free hand to rub the back of his neck, "Yeah, I was…I was kind of a dick at first, I'm sorry about that."

Lynn gave a little shrug, "I saw past it. I even teased you about your complaining." Lynn gave a slightly apologetic smile, "I also kind of sprang it on you out of nowhere. Coming 'home' for the last few months of Pregnancy, making you take me to Lamaze class. Showing up at your door when it was time for the labor."

Lincoln frowned, "I kept asking why your Husband wasn't there. Why John wasn't the one doing all of this with you."

Lynn replied, "And I kept saying he was busy touring and promoting his next fight, training for it. He didn't have time. You also secretly wondered if I wanted you there more than him anyway."

Lincoln's cheeks flushed as he looked away, "You also made sure the classes weren't in Royal Woods. We drove almost an hour out to Ann Oaks for each class both ways!"

Lynn gave another soft laugh, "I didn't want to be recognized, come on Linc, I was a minor celebrity. Everyone in Royal Woods knows who Lynn Loud is, only some of the people in Ann Oaks had heard of the UFC fighter Lynn Loud, and none of them thought it was the long haired pregnant girl."

Lincoln continued to be embarrassed as he looked away, "Yeah but…but that meant…"

Lynn seemed to be smirking, even as exhausted as she looked from the labor she'd been through, "It meant what Stinkin?"

Lincoln sighed and groaned throwing his free hand up in frustration, "Everyone thought we were married! Lynn and Lincoln Loud! They didn't put it together we were siblings! They kept calling me Dad and you Mom, and you, you played right along with it! You reveled in it, teased me about it all!"

Lynn only seemed to continue laughing at her blushing brother as she bat her eyelashes at him, "I don't remember you correcting any of them either Linc."

Lincoln only nodded his head, "I didn't, I figured it was just easier to not go through any lengthy weird embarrassing explanations."

Lynn smirked once more, "Yeah, far easier to pretend to be your sister's husband and that you're having a baby with her."

Lincoln groaned once more as he replied, "Is this where I start singing sweet home Alabama?"

Lynn gave him a soft, comforting smile and spoke in a gentle tone, "No Lincoln, it's not." She took a deep breath, "Linc, you know why you liked Ronnie Anne so much, right? I mean you do, that's why I'm asking you, I'm making you face it."

Lincoln slowly nodded his head.

Lynn smiled softly and continued, "You fell in love with Ronnie Anne because she reminded you of your first best friend. I'm the girl that was closest to you growing up. I'm the first girl you touched. I'm the first girl you saw naked. Ronnie Anne had a few other traits from our sisters, but she reminded you of me the most. You've always had a thing for tomboys, and I'm the reason why."

Lincoln slipped his hands away and folded them together. He leaned forward over Lynn as he nodded his head speaking quietly, "I know that. I won't deny it. It's what every boy does. We look for someone who reminds us of the prominent women in our lives. I just, sort of have a LOT of prominent women in my life."

Lynn reached up with her hand, she brushed some of his messy hair back from his forehead, "And I'm the one who influenced you the most."

When Lincoln looked down again, suddenly he was holding a baby in his hands. Not just any, but his niece, Jennifer, swaddled in a fresh blanket and less than an hour old. The little girl was looking up at him with her mother's big brown eyes.

Lincoln looked back to Lynn, his vision was hazy, she looked even more exhausted, and he realized this was the exact memory now. Lynn had just passed the baby to him. He had been the very first person to hold her after Lynn.

She whispered to him, in an exhausted voice, "Our baby Lincy…"

Before her eyes closed and she drifted off.

He remembered how that made him feel, the warmth inside of him, the feelings of love he had been missing for so long. He remembered being confused, he remembered wondering why she had said it, wondering if she misspoke, or if she'd just been so exhausted, she'd just said something, and he was overthinking it.

He remembered he held Jennifer for the next hour while Lynn rested, before his father and mother and Lily all got their turns next. But it had been him that had stayed by her bedside for the next day while Lynn recovered, and breast-fed Jennifer for the first time.

He was there up until John finally showed up the next day in his tour bus, ready to take his wife and new daughter on the road with him.

He remembered it all, and he remembered how he had cried alone in his room after everyone had left, and how he couldn't figure out why.

Lincoln looked up from his seat.

They weren't in that bedroom or any of their bedrooms anymore.

Lynn was looking at him again, only now she seemed sad. Her lips had turned down into a frown, and now he was seeing the modern her. Thirty-one years old. Her hair cut short, wearing a pair of jeans and a red sleeved white shirt.

"I made you Jennifer's Godfather, but we barely interact when we're around each other on the holidays. You never call me. We've stopped touching one another completely."

A different kind of guilt and shame flowed through Lincoln as he realized she was right. And when she looked at him with hurt in her eyes and said the next part, his self-loathing intensified.

"I went from being the sister you touched most, to the sister you touch least."

Lincoln winced. He looked down at his feet.

When he looked up again, Lynn was walking away into the void, "Goodbye Lame-o."

It was the exact same tone as Ronnie Anne's when she broke up with him. Lincoln tried calling out to her, but she was even further away than before. He ran after her, even as she vanished completely, but it was no use, he couldn't find her.

He felt horrible. Lynn had been his first best friend, even before Clyde. She had been such an integral part of his childhood, she had been his partner in crime so much early on in life, and now she was a stranger. Her Pregnancy had been a brief return to their old friendship, but he let that wither on the vine as well.

As he sat in the darkness feeling sorry for himself, another light appeared off in the distance.

With little recourse and nothing else to do, he stood up and made his way towards it.

As he came to the next lighted area, he saw his sister Lola, sitting on the family washing machine in the Loud family basement. She was 16, he already knew this, and she looked amazing. But then, Lola almost always looked amazing. She had been the embodiment of adorable beauty in her younger years and was now slowly becoming a teen sex goddess that could have topped the charts as a popstar had her inclinations been towards singing.

She was wearing a ruffled pink skirt that was far too short for modesty, revealing her long smooth supple legs. The skirt ended 3 inches above her knees. She had one leg folded over the other, a pair of sparkly glittery pink high heel open toe pumps on her feet. Her small delicate toes even looking cute, hot pink polish matching her nails. Her white Cardigan was only fastened at the middle button, revealing her smooth tummy, and pink bra holding back her shapely bust. She chewed gum idly and smiled at her brother as he arrived.

"Hey Lincy!" She shot him an enticing grin, pink lips shining with gloss, that adorable gap in her front teeth almost seeming naughty, "Do you remember this?" She chuckled before adding, "What am I saying, of course you remember it!"

She swiveled on her rear, kicking her legs up, and in the process, he caught sight of the pink thong that was snug between her legs, flashing a generous amount of cameltoe just as he remembered. She slid off the washing machine, before striking a pose.

"You had these images burned into your memory the moment you saw the pictures."

She leaned forward in the pose to show off her ample cleavage. The sound of the camera clicking went off, and then she was standing up, her hands above her head thrusting her hips out, followed by another flash and click. These were the poses in the series of pictures she sent him. Lincoln remembered, he was 21 at the time, single, and lonely.

He spoke bluntly, annoyed, Lincoln did not want to talk about these pictures. "It was the set Mom and Dad forbid you to post on your pictogram."

Lola continued to pose seductively, pouting at him, "And that I sent to you after they said No." She turned towards the washing machine, placing her hands atop it, bending over, and stuck her butt out. The skirt rode up her hips, the bottom of her plump rear visible, more of that pink thong hugging her mound and being swallowed up by her rear end. "I asked if you thought it was too much, if it was inappropriate for how old I was…"

Lincoln looked away, as he turned red, as shame filled him again, he shook his head back and forth, his hands coming up to his head, "I didn't reply to you right away."

Lola giggled as she put one finger up between her lips coquettishly as another flash and snap happened, "No, you did something else first, didn't you Lincoln?"

Lincoln frowned, still seeming annoyed, very annoyed. "Lola, I don't want to talk about this."

Lola turned around and stared at him in an innocent manner, her head tilted to the side, "Why Lincy? Why don't you want to talk about it?"

Lincoln grumbled a reply back, "It's not important."

But Lola only replied in a sing song matter of fact tone, "Oh I think it's very important Lincy."

Lincoln looked around, he was quickly losing his temper, he tried to walk away from Lola, but it didn't work, he stepped into the void, only to find he made no progress with every step he took.

Lola's voice called out to him, "Come on Lincoln, you know it doesn't work like that. You can't leave yet."

Lincoln shook his head, he held his hands over his face, "I don't want to talk about this Lola! I don't want to be in this dream anymore!"

Lola gave a soft sigh as she slipped up onto the washing machine. This time she spread her legs fully, letting the skirt completely reveal the thin pink thong now sliding between the bare puffy mound of her labia.

Lincoln knew that pose. One of his favorite JAV Gravure and cosplay models was famous for doing it. Lola had reproduced it exactly, among other several more risqué poses he was familiar with. Like she had purposefully raided the secret fap folder he had on his laptop at one point and committed the models to memory.

Lola's voice came in her typical annoying, knowing she was right tone, "You were pretty sure I did some of these poses on purpose, just for you."

Lincoln went quiet, he didn't want to look at Lola now. He turned away, he sat down, folded his arms, put his head down.

Lola only spoke softly, "What did you do Lincy?"

Lincoln shook his head, squeezed his eyes even tighter, grit his teeth, "Please don't make me say it."

Lola sighed softly, but her patience was slowly beginning to wane, "Lincoln, you have to say what you did."

Lincoln shook his head, "No, no I don't. I don't and I won't."

But Lola only countered, "You know you have to."

Lincoln got more and more frustrated as he knew what she was eluding to. As the memories came back, but he was almost crying as he begged, "I won't, I won't, I won't say it. Don't make me say it Lola!"

Lola slipped off the washing machine once more, she marched right up to him and leaned over whispering accusatorily in his ear, "What did you do Lincoln? What did you do?"

Lincoln continued to try and block her out, "I'd just caught my new girlfriend cheating on me, I didn't have any money, and I was too proud to call home! I was miserable! I was in a bad spot, it's not fair to bring that up!"

Lola continued with her commanding, bossy tone, "Say it Lincoln! Tell me what you did with those pictures!"

Lincoln stood up, tried to pull away, but he couldn't, his feet refused to listen to him, he turned back towards Lola, a desperate tone in his voice, "It was just that one time! One time, I hated myself afterwards Lola! It was a mistake!"

Then in a surprising move, one that took Lincoln by completely surprise, Lola's voice came softer, almost comfortingly, "Confession is good for the soul Lincy. Tell me what you did, it's okay."

Lincoln fell to his knees as tears ran down his cheeks, "I jerked off okay! I jerked off to the pictures you sent me! I looked at all of them and got off to them! I looked at my little sister's dirty pictures and jerked off!" Lincoln's whole body shook as he sobbed with shame, rubbing his hands over his face."I didn't pretend you were someone different either, I did it thinking of you! Thinking of how I would make love to you, dreaming it was you dressing up that way for me! I jerked off and fantasized of you as my girlfriend!"

Lola's hand went into his hair, gently caressing and comforting him, "And why did you do that Lincy? You could of just looked at my body, you could of just gotten off like I was an object to slake your lust, but you didn't. You imagined me, specifically in that moment, as if I were yours."

Lincoln's hands came down, he sniffed once, rubbing at his eyes, "Be-Be-cause…Because I know you loved me, and I just wanted to be loved more than anything in that moment. I knew my little sister loved me, and maybe she would treat me better than any other girlfriend I had."

Lola sighed as she knelt down in front of Lincoln, she'd changed, now she was 6, wearing her long pink gown and sash, "Oh Lincy, it wasn't just Lynn you had a special relationship with. You were there for all of us. All of us in your own way, each of us you made a special bond with. You were the one that taught me how to read, you were the one who helped me with all my Pageants and contests. You knew how much I loved you. We all loved you. But you told me to stop sending you pictures after that."

Lincoln looked up from between his fingers, "I had to Lola! I had to! Do you know how much I hated myself after I did that!? I felt like I had to cut my dick off! Like I had to make sure I never did it again. I pushed and encouraged you to keep going for your modeling dreams, but I couldn't get involved, I couldn't expose you to my own twisted nature. If you ever found out, you'd be disgusted. You'd hate me if you knew what a pervert your brother was."

Lola only looked sad, shaking her head, "Lincy that's a lie and you know it. You know everyone in the family better than they know themselves. Why do you keep lying to yourself when you know your sisters' hearts? You know I wouldn't be upset if I found out. I'd probably have the same reaction Lynn did, I'd be flattered only I'd tease you more."

There was a hesitant silence, before Lola spoke again, "It's more than that. You didn't tell me because you know what would have really happened."

And then Lola's voice dropped lower, a softer, slightly more intimate tone, "I would have sent you a new photoset every month if you told me what you did…I would have made them extra special for you. I would have told you that you could come and take the pictures yourself if you wanted. Anything my hero wanted."

Lincoln shook his head, still trying to block out what he knew was true, "No you wouldn't Lola. I can't believe that…"

Lola idly kicked one leg before she smiled down at her brother again, her voice still in that soft and intimate tone, "Why wouldn't I want to reward my hero? Why wouldn't I want to show my dashing knight my favor?"

Lincoln looked back up to his younger sister as he thought back to what Lola was referring to. Another memory he didn't like to regularly think about, a memory where he perceived himself as a failure, despite Lola having told him multiple times he was anything but.

Lola's big blue eyes homed in on her brother's, and they took on a look of soft, complete gratitude and adoration, "You saved me Lincy. When I was 14, you saved me from the worst fate that can befall a girl of any age."

Lincoln looked down, as he brought his hands up around himself. The darkness surrounding them shifted and changed, took another form, a party in L.A. Specifically the after-party of a model shoot, with wide tables full of drinks, and shadowy forms representing the beautiful, glamorous and powerful people who were there. Lola was 14 now, and dazzling, looking like she was 18, in a dress that was loose, sequined and pink that hung off her form.

Lincoln wore dress shirt and black slacks with an orange tie. He was in better shape again. He sighed, "I got distracted, I know it was only for a moment, but I got distracted, and then you were gone."

Lola smiled at her brother reassuringly, reaching up, touching his shoulder gently, "It's okay Lincy. These places, these people, they've been doing this type of horrible thing for years. They're experts at it. It's why Mom and Dad wouldn't even let me go to the shoot without you."

Lola rubbed her brother's arm as she spoke in that soft, comforting tone, "Lincy they had one of the most beautiful and intelligent women in the world approach you and start flirting with you. The whole time you were thinking of me and Ronnie Anne, but she flattered you. You're human, your guard slipped for a moment, but tell me what happened next."

Lincoln brought his hands up to his face, covering himself as the forms shifted and faded in and out around him, "I kept looking over, to make sure you were okay. You were talking with producers, and some other models…but the girl who was the distraction, she started talking to me about David Steele, and when I looked up, you were gone. I hadn't even noticed 20 minutes had passed. She tried to distract me, but I pulled away and started calling your name."

Lola nodded, folding her arms, "And she offered to take you back somewhere and have sex with you, didn't she?" Lola gave a slight chuckle before looking at her nails with a smirk, "Well, she said it much more coyly than that, but that's what it amounted to Lincy. One of the world's most beautiful and seductive women was going to offer her body to you, but you turned her down without a second thought because you were worried about me."

Lincoln nodded, frowning as he looked back to Lola again, "What kind of man would I be if I ran off to have sex with a starlet while my little sister was missing. All I could think of was how I fucked up and had to find you!"

Lola chuckled again, "And when you did find the room in the halls of the venue, the one with the big scary man that told you to back off, you didn't. No you broke his arm in three places and choked him out, then kicked the door down. When you saw the producer trying to rape me, you punched him in the face so hard you shattered his nose. Then stomped on his balls so hard he threw up, before you carried my crying drugged form out."

Lincoln was quiet as Lola looked at him once more with her eyes of soft gratitude and love.

"When you took me to the doctor and they did the rape kit, who did I want with me the whole time? They told you girls don't usually want to be around men after such an event, but I cried that I wanted my Lincy, I wanted my big brother more than anything. You never left my side. You let me sleep with you in the hotel, on the airplane, and the first night I was home. You held me to make sure I felt safe. I called you my Knight in shining armor."

Lincoln slowly mumbled back, "I was just doing what any of our siblings would have done to protect you Lols…"

Lola shook her head, "But it was you who did it, and you were the one I wanted with me. Lincy, you know why I married a gay man. You know I haven't let any man except for you and Dad touch me since then. It was why I went fully independent. You know all of this, and you know it's why I yell at you and get angry at you every time I see you. Because you cut me out and didn't let me process everything that happened with us."

Lola looked down, and Lincoln looked up. He saw the sadness, the pain on her lips as she spoke softly, now in the form he was used to, her adult form. She always dressed down when not 'on' with family, like she was trying to hide her body and looks. Heavy sweatpants and shirts, concealing coats. Now she wore a pair of baggy pink sweatpants and sweatshirt.

Her voice was soft, "You never let me fully get through the crush I developed on you, because you never acknowledged it. You kept pulling away, and I kept doing more desperate things to get your attention. And I gave up." She looked back at him, an even sadder expression on her lips, "You know I think you hate me now. That's the worst part, I think you hate me, and you let me think that because you're too much of a coward to talk to me about us."

Lincoln felt heavier than he'd ever felt before, he was on his knees, and he felt like he just wanted to cry. These were things, incidents, happenings that he hadn't wanted to think about. Things he had buried in his subconscious, memories and realizations he refused to face. All were being laid bare before him.

He looked back up from his position on his knees, up at his younger sister, only able to whisper the softest apology, "I'm sorry Lola. I'm so sorry. I wasn't there for you. I haven't been there for you in such a long time."

Lola gave him a soft smile, "I'm happy to hear that Lincoln, but it's not enough to apologize to me in your mind. You'll have to do it in the real world too."

She turned and made her way back into the darkness. He watched her go, wishing more than anything he could grab his little sister, hug her tightly and beg her forgiveness.

Moments later…

Lincoln woke up.

Laying in his bed, after one of the most surreal nights of his life, Lincoln took stock of his current situation. Cuddled up in his arms, sucking away on her pacifier while dozing right alongside of him was Lulu.

He took a few breaths, noting the morning sunlight streaming in through his window blinds.

He still remembered every moment of the dream.

Glancing down at Lulu again, he couldn't resist leaning over and kissing the top of her little brunette head. This only seemed to make the baby girl nuzzle into her father a little closer.

He laid back down, thumping his arm up above his head.

That was, one of the weirder and more vivid dreams he'd ever had before. Coming right off the heels of Lana masturbating in front of him no less. It stood out among the dreams he'd had in this crazy world so far. The last dream he'd remembered that vividly had been the one when Ronnie Anne broke up with him.

What was with that?

That was only one part of the Mountain of weirdness surrounding him.

Then there was the fact he didn't have symptoms for having been off his meds for a while now. He was going to be coming up on a month in this messed up universe soon. A whole month almost with these kids and his sisters and everything else and he was coasting right along without any withdrawal symptoms from his lack of medication.

He reflected on the dream again. It made him uncomfortable but he needed to think about it.

God, he'd been terrible to Lola. He did just slowly shut her out when she was dealing with some of the most confusing emotions of her life. He didn't need to fuck her like that other twisted Lincoln, but he could of at least acknowledged why she felt that way about him. They could have talked, help her work through it.

And Lynn…

He was so ashamed, so afraid of things, he didn't even touch her anymore. He didn't have Ronnie Anne as an excuse either. They hadn't been together for a decade, but he still rarely touched or hugged Lynn, like touching her was too awkward for him.

They used to be so close.

This was all getting so weird for him. He needed to talk to somebody about it, about the dreams and the lack of detox symptoms, someone who'd likely have an insight and some answers. Someone he'd been putting off talking to about all of this.

He sighed.

It was time to talk to Lisa.

Moments Later, precious bundle snuggled up against his shoulder, Lincoln stepped out into the Hallway, only to be met by the presence of the daughter he would have made with Lori, Loan.

The teenage girl looked tired, her thick blonde hair ultra frizzy (well, more frizzy than normal), body partially slumped forward as she stumbled towards the stairs like a zombie in a horror movie, wearing a pair of comfy looking light blue shorts, mismatched with a grey t-shirt with some videogame logo on it. She looked up with her big blue eyes, eyes that seemed a refinement of his own and Lori's only multiplied, and she gave a shy smile and wave.

Loan was still nervous around him, but from what Lincoln understood, Loan was a nervous person in general. She suffered from severe anxiety disorder requiring medication and had regular sessions with an online therapist.

Still, she had ever so slightly warmed up to him compared to some of the other kids. Loan didn't seem to have any inherent prejudices towards him, and he realized she didn't dislike him, she just missed her father a whole lot. Over the last couple weeks, Lincoln had engaged her in small talk related to video games, comic books, and anime. Something that Lemy usually started up, and lately Lyle and Lupa joined as well.

Lincoln was getting more and more of the distinct idea of which of his 'kids' (not his kids, not his kids, not his kids) were real dorks like him, (Loan, Liby, Lemy, Lyle, and no matter how much she said otherwise, Lupa) and which of his kids were less interested in those pursuits and topics (Liena, Lyra, Leia. As for Lizy and Lulu, they were too young to be so neatly categorized just yet).

As they reached the stairs together, Lincoln decided to chat the girl up.

It still amazed him how much she looked and sounded like her mother, even with the little extra weight and the squeaky nervousness in her voice.

"Hey Loan, you're up early. Getting some breakfast?" Lincoln asked curiously.

Loan suddenly took on a rather strange and nervous grin. It reminded him of Lisa's when she was caught in an uncomfortable question.

"I uh…I… well, I sort of haven't gone to bed yet…"

A nervous laugh came from her while she looked back at him.

Lincoln sighed as he gently rocked Lulu in his arms, shaking his head, "Loan, come on now, I remember pulling all nighters like that at your age, but they're not good for you. No matter how cool the game is. You need your sleep."

Loan brought her hands up in front of her, and rubbed them together, fingers running over her palms in a self-soothing manner as she hunched her shoulders and fidgeted, "I know, I know, it's just…difficult for me to sleep sometimes. I keep thinking I'm going to go to bed and wake up and things will be normal, but they aren't." Loan frowned, "I really, I really miss my Dad."

Lincoln gave a sympathetic look to the teenager as he held Lulu gently in his arms. He smiled softly at her and nodded his head, "I understand that. I do. I'm sorry that he's not here with you and you're kind of stuck with, off brand grumpy dad like substitute."

Lincoln felt a little strange after saying that because he realized he meant it. He did feel as if he'd hurt the girl in some way by taking her father away from her. In that instance he had forgotten all the other Lincoln's sins and only focused on how much the other man's children seemed to love him.

But the teen with Lori's voice only gave her own bright smile at him, as if to reassure him in return.

"Y-y-you're not so bad Mr. Loud. It's not l-l-like I dislike your or anything. I kind of have a lot of ffun talking to you! I like you!"

Lincoln's heart suddenly swelled with distant but familiar emotions. The feeling of joy at family accepting him, more, this girl accepting him. He didn't realize how important it was to him for her to do so until now. Here he was with his double's eldest and youngest together in front of him and he felt…warmth towards both.

It was easy to do that with Lulu, she was a baby after all and she treated him as if he really was her father. But for some reason, the eldest child in the family telling him she liked talking to him, that she liked him, it filled him with familial affection he wasn't ready for.

He smiled back, and without being able to restrain himself, he reached forward with his free hand and gave an affectionate squeeze to Loan's shoulder, "I like talking to you too Loan. I think you're really cool and someone worth having as a friend. I do. It makes me happy to hear you like talking to me."

Loan looked up at him with her blue eyes again, a slightly surprised expression on her lips, she reached up to take her not father's hand between both of her own. The look she gave him was one that seemed so happy to have his approval. As happy at getting his as he was in getting hers.

"Y-y-you really do like me? Like, really? Even if I'm literally the creation of incest and a total freak and have all kinds of problems, you like me?" She asked in such a meek and hopeful expression.

Lincoln felt his cheeks flushing slightly before he felt the need to reassure the girl, "Whoa, whoa, whoa Loan. Okay, first off, you're not a total freak alright? Even if you were it'd be fine, better to be a freak and unique rather than just like everyone else… and yes, I do like you. You're smart, you care about your family and you have great taste. I have a lot of fun talking to you. I'm kind of jealous of your Dad."

Lincoln took a deep breath before the next words came from him. Words he meant truly in his heart, "I think if I had a daughter of my own, I'd be really happy if she was like you Loan."

Loan suddenly gave off a soft sound of joy and happiness unlike anything Lincoln had heard come from the girl before she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, "Oh thank you Uncle Lincoln! Thank you so much! Thank you!" She gave a soft little nervous laugh. "I know I have so many problems, but I'm so glad to hear you don't think I'm a freak, or weird, or don't like me! Even with you being as cool as you are you don't think I'm lame or not worth talking to or anything like that!"

Lincoln blinked, looking a little surprise as the girl continued to run at the mouth, before he responded, "Wait, did you just say you think I'm cool?"

Loan looked surprised at his question, as if she was asking him if the sky was blue. She nodded, "Well yeah, you literally draw Ace Savvy and the Crimson Chin! You work for Timely comics! My dad in another world works for my favorite comic universe! Also, you're really good at videogames, and you're tough!"

Lincoln looked flabbergasted at the teen girl, before he shook his head and sighed, "Loan, I'm just as much of a dork as you or your dad are."

Loan looked unconvinced, "Well yeah, my Dad is nicer but you're like… cool dork. Not like me, sad pathetic dork…"

Lincoln was beside himself, before he knew it, he was hugging the teen girl back, with Lulu in his arms. He didn't know why, but he felt it was important to reassure her.

"Loan you are not a sad and pathetic dork. Alright? You're cool too."

Loan seemed surprised by the sudden gesture, the blonde girl's eyes wide with shock, but soon enough she had wrapped her arms back around him again, and soon Lulu, Loan and Lincoln were all hugging each other.

Loan spoke up.

"You're strong. I know it. I see it, you're like me. I know you're like me, but you don't let it stop you or prevent you from doing things. I'm so afraid I'm just going to live forever in my room and let my Dad take care of me until he dies. That I'll be some kind of burden because I can't overcome my sickness like you."

Lincoln frowned to himself. He knew what she was talking about, but he was also surprised by the girl's insight and perception. Loan had recognized the mental illness and depression he was suffering from. Similar to her own, but here she was treating him like a role model. He felt she didn't have the full story, he shook his head.

"This is recent Loan. Before I came here, I was worse, way worse than you. I was barely living, it's only really because I had to earn my keep around here I started getting up and getting active. You're so much stronger than you think kiddo, you're doing all of this without a desperate worry or need you'll be kicked out if you don't play along."

Lulu was now fully awake and seemed aware of her older sister and father's distress. The baby girl popped her pacifier from her lips, speaking up softly, "Woan good! Woan good! Dada Good! No Sad! No sad Woan, No sad Dada!"

Lincoln laughed even as he found himself overcome with emotion in this moment. Loan laughed too. It seemed the little girl has said the perfect thing at the right time.

He was hugging his daughters, eldest and youngest together, and in this moment, he loved both of them more than anything else in the world. He didn't worry about their parentage. He didn't worry about the circumstances of their birth. Right now, with both girls in his arms, he felt truly what it was like to be a father.

There was a sudden realization that flashed across him he became strangely comfortable with.

He really liked these kids.

He liked them enough, he might even die for them if he had to.

All of them.

It was bizarre how easily the realization came to him. How it felt right. Even as much as he tried to deny it, he felt a responsibility directed at all of them. He couldn't even summon up any of his cynicism or jadedness to second guess himself. They were good kids, and they deserved him doing everything he could to take care of them.

The happiness that came from Lulu and Loan at his affection was unmistakable. It was a feeling he had sensed in Lemy, in Lyle, and in Lupa among the other kids. They wanted his approval…No it was more than that…

They wanted his love.

Even the ones who weren't sure about him, who seemed to actively dislike him, he realized they needed him to tell them he accepted them. To show them he didn't think they were monsters or abominations.

Words wouldn't be enough. They needed to know he loved them with his actions and deeds. They were kids and they were innocent, and they needed to know, no matter what dimension he was from, their father loved them.

It was a tall order, and it wouldn't be done easily, or overnight. Some of them still didn't like him, or were even afraid of him. But he had to try for their sake.

These kids had nothing to do with their parent's sins, and he wouldn't hold them to that standard.

After several long moments of hugging both girls, he regained his composure.

Lincoln gave a soft chuckle, really it was to try and choke his emotions back down. Between the dreams and this interaction, and his recent realization, it was difficult not to tell this girl he cared about her, really cared. Maybe even loved her like his own.

That was heavy, very heavy to think about.

He was pretty certain he had an affection for all of them in some strange paternalistic fashion.

But even if he looked like their father, and he knew on some level they wanted his love, he couldn't just come out and say it. Not when he wasn't even sure if he was capable of doing it, as broken as he was. That's not how any of this worked. They weren't his children, not really. No matter how much he found himself enjoying the role he was filling to a small degree.

It felt strange, and weird, and it made him question himself, but he realized his favorite elements in this world had been interacting with the kids.

But he wasn't their father. Not their real father. He had to reinforce that fact to himself over and over again.

He pat Loan gently on the back as he spoke up, "I don't have kids of my own, and I'm not saying I want to do everything your Dad did…But I like you, all of you. I know that. I want to be here for you, in all the ways I can, before Lisa can get your real Dad back for you."

Loan gently released her grip on Lincoln before she looked back up at him and nodded gently, "We've all been so worried that that you hate us. That you think we're disgusting. I know it's different where you're from. Maybe it's even literally unfair for us to want it from you. But we want you to like us. I can see it and tell in all my siblings. They want it…and I think… I think… you don't hate us, do you Mr. Loud? You even like us."

Lincoln felt a little embarrassed again as he nodded.

Lulu seemed to respond to her elder sister's words by wrapping her little arms gently around her Daddy's neck in a hug as if to agree with the assessment.

Lincoln continued, "I do. It's sort of making me think I need to be more involved in the lives of my nieces and nephews back home. If there's any good that's come from this…it's meeting you guys. The kids I might have had."

Lincoln shook his head, and gave a playful fistbump to Loan's arm, "Anyway, before I get too sappy here, I'd like to hang out with you a little more, if you'd let me. I hear you're a streamer, and pretty popular, I'd like to really learn more about that."

Loan's face turned a deep red, she blushed so heavily as her hands ran over one another once more, twisting and turning as her big eyes filled with glee. It was evident how much she loved getting the approval of the man who looked like their father. It was a child's natural instinct. Even if he wasn't their 'real' Dad, he was still their Dad. His acceptance meant so much to each of them.

Loan nodded quickly as she smiled back at him, " I'd really like that! H-h-h-how about we hang out later, when I wake up after my nap?"

Lincoln smirked and nodded as the two made their way downstairs together, "You let me know Loan. I'll be right there. I wanna see how my daughter became a gaming goddess."

Loan gave a soft embarrassed giggle, her cheeks flushing still as she began to rub the back of her neck, "Daaad… I'm not a gaming Goddess…"

Lincoln laughed in return before Loan's statement finally hit him.

It seemed Loan realized what she had just said as well, as her eyes went wide before she suddenly looked worried and put her hands up apologetically, "S-s-sorry! Sorry! I'm so sorry Mr. Loud, I didn't mean to, I know you're not my father, I know—"

Lincoln had the realization the girl was overly worried about upsetting him and pushing him away. More worried he would reject and take back the love and affection he was just beginning to show her.

That hurt him more than any mislabeling.

Lincoln reached forward with his free hand, and took hold of Loan's right hand with his own. He focused his gaze on hers, and pulled up the old Lincoln Loud charm. The one that belonged to the middle child who was capable of making anyone, but especially his family members, feel better.

"Loan, it's okay. I'm, I'm flattered, alright? Don't worry about it."

Loan breathed a sigh of relief, and the panic attack it looked like she was about to have, fled the teen girl's shoulders. She squeezed her not father's hand again as she began to babble in an excited relieved manner.

"It's just, we all know this is hard for you, and it's hard for us, and you seem nice, really nice underneath all the depression you have, and and it's been so nice talking to you here and I don't wanna ruin your mood after the mistake Aunt Lana made last night and—

Lincoln blinked several times in surprise as Lana's name came up, "Wait, what?! How do you know what happened with Lana?!"

Loan winced as she suddenly realized she'd just revealed something she probably shouldn't have. Now put on the spot, the nervous blonde girl gave an even more nervous grin, "We-w-we don't know all the details, but but but Lyra and I were told by Aunt Lola there was a big mistake with Lana and you, and and that Aunt Lily would be here early in the morning so that Lana could go and not create any kind of awkward situation between you both."

Lincoln frowned to himself, as Lulu reached over and began to pat the head of her eldest sister in an affectionate and comforting manner. It was cute in a lot of ways. The little girl could tell her sister was upset, but Lincoln had no idea just how much the little girl could understand or not.

In either case, Loan seemed to smile at the gesture, and leaned up to give Lulu a kiss on the cheek, "T-t-thank you Lu, I'm okay."

Lincoln sighed, "So how many people know?"

Loan winced again as she gave a little shrug, "I think all of us do? Aunt Lana took Lizy and Leia out with her to spend some time together since she's leaving early. Lizy doesn't really know what happened, we didn't want to tell her, but the rest of us have it kind of figured out…Aunt Lana…she…she tried to, do stuff with you, right?"

Lincoln sighed and told himself Loan was almost 18 so she should be able to handle this kind of stuff.

"Yeah, yeah she did."

Lincoln looked off and frowned.

"Thing is, I don't think she was being entirely selfish. I think she really believed she was trying to do something nice for me."

Loan nodded her head as she seemed to understand him, "It's hard for them too. N-n-n-not just us. It's hard for my Mom and my Aunts. They all really love you…the other you."

Lincoln took on another very thoughtful look as he took in a deep breath and decided to NOT think about the messed up sisters who all took their turn riding their brother's joystick and instead questioned Loan.

"What is he like? Your Dad, is he good to you? Really good to you?"

Loan's blue eyes rolled up as if she was in deep thought for a moment, before she looked back towards Lincoln and smiled broadly, nodding her head.

"He's the best Dad in the world. He loves us all so much. He's sacrificed so much for us. Somehow, he takes care of all of us and makes sure we can get his attention almost anytime we want it or need it. We all have different moms, and we all love our moms and aunts, but it's our Dad that really makes us a family."

Lincoln nodded his head as he looked down at his feet, brow furrowing in thought.

But Loan's voice continued.

"You're like him, a lot. N-n-not just in appearance, but like, literally every other way just you seem sadder than him. That's why it's difficult for our Moms too. They all love him, and you do so many things that are like him. You seem like him, but if Dad was sad. And and I think they just want to find out why you're so sad and make it go away."

Lincoln furrowed his brow as he listened. He didn't like the idea of his depression being so obvious. What hit him even harder was the idea it was these other Louds… these SinLouds that noticed there was something wrong with him, far more than his own family ever did.

It bothered him, deeply.

He took a deep breath and sighed, "Getting drunk with Lana probably wasn't the greatest idea."

Loan gave a little shrug of her shoulders, "Dad doesn't drink, he never had an interest, some of our moms do, some don't. Aunt Lana likes to drink beer, she probably liked getting to drink with you. N-n-not that it excuses whatever she tried to do."

Lincoln grunted in an annoyed manner, "let's just say she wanted to show off one of her cosplay outfits to me."

Loan looked back at Lincoln and her cheeks turned a bright scarlet before she gave a soft girlish giggle. She sounded just like Lori.

"Oh, oh, I can sort of imagine what happened then. I guess it's a good thing my Mom and Aunt Lola over-rode it being Luan's turn this week and put Lily up."

Lincoln rose his eyebrow curiously, "They can do that?"

Loan slowly nodded her head, "Every 10th week our moms have a contest to determine in what order they get to spend time at the house. We call it the 'Loud family Mom games'. The contest is randomly determined by their own suggestions. The winners get to decide what week they want at the house during the nine-week block."

Lincoln blinked several times as he took in all of the information. It surprised him how much that sounded like his family, a silly contest.

He knew it's what his sisters and he would do in the same situation. Try and put some order on the chaos of wanting to be around their incestuous family.

"I imagine the Mom games are held with fanfare and lots of ceremony?"

Loan giggled again and nodded, "It's a whole lot of fun, it's like our own Loud family holiday. We all get together and cheer on our Moms and Aunts, and judge the games. We have a big family meal together, it's kind of a party. Last time they had a contest to make the best Snowman, and then a snowball fight."

Loan grinned softly as she seemed to get caught up in the memory temporarily before she went on, "Aunt Lola, my Mom, and you are the ones that have veto power and can come together to over-ride and re-arrange the order if it's determined to be best for the family. Like if one of our moms gets sick she stays at her home that week rather than coming here and getting all of us sick."

Lincoln nodded his head once more, "That makes a lot of sense. Wow, you guys really do have this all figured out, don't you? So, wait, Lori and Lola and me hold the most authority in the family? Why was Lily chosen to be the sister this week over Luan?"

Loan began to look a little uncomfortable, fidgeting on the spot before she looked back at her 'father', "Come on Uncle Linc. I I may not not be as sneaky as Aunt Lola and Leia, but I'm still my mother's daughter. Lily hasn't been physical with my Dad for almost a year now…and and you know that. She's the aunt least likely to upset you or make you feel weird."

Lincoln closed his eyes as he wrapped his other arm back around Lulu again, who was now playing with her older sister's hair.

"Lori thought it was best for my sake, Lola thought it was best for all of your sakes. Even here those two…" Lincoln shook his head, before he opened his eyes and looked back to Loan. He gave the teen another smile.

"Well, thanks for clueing me in on all this Loan, I appreciate it. For now, I need to talk to your Aunt Lisa about something, but I meant what I said, I want to hang out with you later."

Loan took on another large smile. Even with all her nervous energy and fidgeting, Lincoln could tell it was genuine. He knew the girl was looking forward to spending time with him, "Oh you got it Uncle Linc!"

…

When Lincoln entered the basement with Lulu in hand, he noticed that Lisa was already busy with one of the children.

Sitting up on the same 'exam' table he had woken up on almost a month ago was the second eldest Loud child, Liena.

The curvy platinum blonde daughter of Leni sat in her jumper, legs idly hanging off the exam table as her Aunt peered directly into her ear with a magnification tool. The pleasant young woman had an idle smile on her face, one reminiscent of her mother's own, as her second youngest Aunt fussed over her.

Lisa pulled back with her lighted tool in hand and gave a satisfied smile followed by a nod of her head, "Well dear sweet niece of mine, the new ear implants should function even better than the previous ones you had and be even less noticeable than before."

The blonde girl hopped up off the exam table before she wrapped her arms around her brown haired Aunt, and picked her up in a bare like hug. Her voice, slightly squeaky like her mother's, but softer with a gentle slurred quality resounded happily.

"Thank you sso much Aunt Lisa! I really appreciate thiss!"

Lincoln stopped as he watched the interaction with a smirk. He knew Lisa had enhanced herself to have near superhuman attributes of her own, but he saw Liena took after her mother when it came to having freakish strength that belied her form.

Lisa coughed out softly, trying her best to return the hug while she continued to get crushed ever so slightly, "Of course Liena, I'm always happy to help my dear. But as much as I enjoy your affection, I still need to breathe."

Liena suddenly looked apologetic, her cheeks turning red as she placed Lisa down, releasing her grasp, "eeep! I'm ssso ssorry Aunt Lisa! I forget my own strength ssometimess! I promise I'm always extra gentle with Lulu!"

Lisa only seemed amused by her niece's worry. Now it was her turn to give a hug and the brunette scientist wrapped both her arms around the younger girl as she pulled her close. She even stroked Liena's hair in a soothing manner, "Now, now, there's no reason for you to get upset. Lulu is far tougher than I am anyway." Lisa gave a chuckle before she released the girl.

"But, you can make it up to me by cooking strawberry crepes perhaps?" Lisa rose her eyebrow, adjusting her glasses with a grin.

Liena gave a soft smirk as she folded her arms across her bosom, "Aunt Lisa, was all of this just a big scheme to get strawberry crepes for Lunch?"

Lisa gave another chuckle as she shook her head, "Mmm, I'm quite devious when I need to be, but no, that fits more your Aunt Lola's modus operandi. I'm just in the mood for something sweet. I have to thank you for testing out the new implants though. When I can sell the patent off the money will help the family. The Crepes are just a bonus."

Liena smiled before she brought her hands up and squeezed them into excited fists, much like her mother did when she felt the same, the gesture was not lost on Lincoln and for some reason his heart melted at how adorable it struck him, "I don't need an excuse to make yummy crepess anyway Aunt Lissa! I'll make sure everyone getss enough today!"

It was at this point both women noticed the presence of Lincoln and Lulu who were still standing halfway down the stairs.

Liena gave a bright smile at both, waving in particular at her baby sister, only to be mirrored by Lisa who smiled at the presence of her daughter.

Liena spoke first, "Hello Uncle Linc, Hi Lulu! My sweet little cutie patootie baby sis!"

Lisa spoke shortly after, "Good morning elder brother, and my adorable young female offspring!"

Lulu looked excited to see both, and as Lincoln made his way down the rest of the stairs, the baby girl popped her pacifier from her lips and began to reach excitedly towards both women, "Mama! Wiena!"

Lincoln decided to not hold this reunion back any longer and closed the distance between them, offering Lulu to both girls.

The little brunette baby girl's arms and hands were outstretched for hugs already, and Liena, followed by Lisa took her both in turn, giving hugs and kisses, before Lisa settled the little girl on her hip.

Lisa looked towards her brother, "What brings you to my lab today Lincoln? I just finished an exam with Liena, I take it this isn't just a social visit?"

Liena seemed curious as well, and the teen girl folded her arms behind her back, swaying on her feet idly. She was clearly less ditzy than her mother, but she seemed to have so many of the traits and mannerisms that made Leni so easy to like.

Lincoln looked at the three girls facing him before he placed one hand up behind his head, looking slightly embarrassed, "Uh no…sorry about that. I'm here because I have some questions and I kind of need your help Lisa."

Liena put her hands forward again as she looked concerned at her father, speaking in a determined manner, "What is it Uncle Linc? Anything I can help with?" Liena had become warmer towards Lincoln ever since he bonded closer to Lyle. Not that Liena was ever cold to him in the first place, but it seemed both her mother and baby brother accepting him had made Liena want to dive head long into embracing him as well.

Lincoln put his hands up, "Uh no, no I know you mean well Liena, I do, but it's kind of…private. Medically, private."

Liena stepped forward and placed her hands on Lincoln's forearm, stepping up on her toes so she could get even closer. She really was her mother's daughter with the sheer maternal concern she was showcasing, "Oh no! Medical!? Uncle Linc are you sick?! I can make you some yummy chicken soup, I totes promise! It'll make you feel better again like magic!"

Lisa for her part gently rocked Lulu and watched the interaction with clear amusement on her face. Lincoln only continued to look more and more embarrassed, looking away and coughing, cheeks flushing, "No, No, no it's nothing like that Liena! Nothing like that!" He had no idea how to explain his dreams to the girl in front of him, nor did he want to… so he decided to just…fib a little to get the privacy he wanted.

"It uh, it sort of has to do with your Aunt Lana…and what happened between her and I last night."

Suddenly a dawning look of realization came over Liena's features. She turned bright red and stepped back as she nodded.

"Oooh…Oooh…" The thick blonde girl gave a slight wince, and hunched her shoulders up as she turned away and started to head to the stairs.

"Okay, I sssoo get why you probably want to sspeak to Aunt Lisssa alone. I'm gonna go make some crepees for everyone."

Lisa chuckled as she nodded at her niece, "Probably for the best dear…"

Liena started up the stairs before Lisa looked as if she had forgotten something and yelled back, "Liena don't make an entire batch for yourself! Your sweet tooth is getting out of control young lady!"

But Liena only called back as she entered the kitchen, "What? Oh, sssory Aunt Lisa! Deaf girl moment, I can't hear you!"

Lisa narrowed her eyes and sighed as she looked towards the stairs, "That girl is going to end up with type 2 diabetes if we don't get her sweet addiction under control. I didn't expect her to sass me like that either."

Lisa then turned her attention to Lincoln, "Well then my cross-dimensional sibling, what seems to be the issue?"

Lincoln took one last look around as if he was really making sure there wasn't anyone else lurking in the basement, before he gave his full attention to Lisa again.

"I need to talk about some of my…medical issues."

Lisa nodded, before she turned and placed Lulu down on the bench next to her, "Say no more. Just have a seat on my examination table."

The table that Liena had just been sitting on rotated, and turned into more of a seat configuration before Lincoln's eyes. He looked a little warily at it, before he went over to it and sat down.

In the meantime, Lisa reached into the pocket of her lab coat and produced what looked like an oversized D20, with different colors over each of the facets and handed it to Lulu, "Here little one, I've created a new toy for you. I call it the Loud Icosahedron of Chaos. See if you can make the patterns match."

Lulu took her new toy happily in her hands, and began to get to work turning and matching the facets. Her little brow furrowing in concentration as she began to suck on her pacifier like an object meant to help her focus.

Lincoln watched after he was seated comfortably and rose his eyebrow at Lisa, "Did you just make a more complicated Rubik's cube?"

Lisa scoffed, "Oh please Lincoln, the Loud Icosahedron of Chaos is far more advanced than the simple Rubik's cube. My daughter needs something more complicated to stimulate her mind and advance her intelligence!"

Lincoln only narrowed his eyes again, "It's not gonna summon demons when she solves it, is it?"

Lisa rolled her eyes, "No Lincoln, no leather clad chain wielding infernal beings are going to emerge. It's not like I had Lucy help me create it." Lisa finished with a chuckle.

Lincoln gave a slight smile as well, before Lisa fixed him with a more discerning gaze. That of a medical professional.

"Alright, now, what seems to be the problem Lincoln?"

Lincoln frowned, closed his eyes, and put his hand to his head, "Back home…back where I come from, I have my own issues. I guess in some ways that makes me similar to your Lincoln, in that both of us suffer from mental illness, only mine doesn't make me a complete and total pervert."

Lisa rolled her eyes, but seemed to let the dig at her brother-husband pass.

Lincoln saw Lisa was taking the higher ground and felt a little guilty. He looked away and folded his arms, before he continued, "Anyway…I was diagnosed with—

Lisa picked right up, "Severe depressive disorder and you've been prescribed a particular series of anti-depressants to help manage it. You're wondering why you haven't been experiencing any real withdrawal side effects."

Lincoln looked back towards Lisa in surprise, blinking several times, "How did you—"

And once again, Lisa cut him off.

"Oh please Lincoln, if the thorough examination I gave you when you arrived here wasn't enough, you slept in your old room where I still have all of my former monitoring equipment and sensors installed. I know your health better than you do."

Lincoln found himself flummoxed. Looking with mute anger and annoyance at the woman who reminded him so much of his sister back home. He went to open his mouth again, but this time she didn't even let him speak.

"I micro dosed you with an anti-depressant for the first week before Lulu's natural abilities took over and started regulating your body's neurotransmitter reuptake and production."

Lincoln blinked in stunned silence for several moments as he took in what Lisa just said. Slowly he gazed over at the little girl who looked as if she'd solved half of the Chaos Icosahedron and seemed completely unconcerned by the conversation taking place between her mother and father.

Lincoln looked back at Lisa again, wide eyed.

"She can do that?!"

Lisa beamed proudly as she turned towards her daughter, watching her go to work.

"There's so much more she can do Lincoln, so much more. When I said she was my greatest creation I meant that both from a maternal standpoint as well as a scientific one. I gave her every advantage I could think of. She doesn't just have our genetics, she has the ancestral genetic memory of all of the entire Loud Clan. This combined with her DNA adaptions gives her more than just the ability to be evolve, survive and inflict harm, but also…"

Lisa then turned looking back at her brother, adjusting her glasses as she did, "To potentially heal as well."

Lincoln was quiet as he stared from Lisa, to Lulu and back again.

Lisa continued, "We have a new saying in the family. The best medicine is little Lulu napping with you."

Both adults looked towards Lulu who had almost solved her new toy while Lisa continued with her lecture. The little girl was now floating upside down in the lotus meditation position as she worked at the puzzle.

"She hasn't reached the ability to cure more permanent issues or disabilities just yet, but she encourages and speeds up the body's natural healing. Colds and fevers pass quickly with Lulu's affection. 'Boo Boos' too. Broken bones heal in a week instead of a month, you can thank Lemy for helping us find that one out."

Lisa chuckled slightly, before she brought her attention back to Lincoln, "Mental issues are a little trickier, but Loan's medication has been cut down dramatically since Lulu arrived. She requires far less, and has even been shown to have a calming influence when Loan has a full-blown panic attack."

Lincoln sat dumbfounded again, as he listened before he looked back towards Lisa once more, the implications were enormous. His little baby daughter in this world was helping his body take care of itself?

He took a deep breath before he divulged more, "I've been having these dreams that are very very personal lately"

"All dreams are personal Lincoln" Lisa cut in.

Lincoln sighed before he frowned and went on, "I mean they're about real things, real memories and occurrences that have happened to me and they're…so vivid that…" he trailed off, unable but also unwilling to fully explain them.

Lisa nodded again, "I believe Lulu's ability to improve the body's rate of healing functions on a cognitive level too. In essence, you may be facing down circumstances which have been troubling you for years, and Lincoln…"

Here Lisa took off her glasses and fixed him with a very concerned expression, "I've seen the self-harm marks. I know you were a cutter at one time. What ever the issues you have with us, you have your own as well."

Lincoln felt very uncomfortable at the words being directed at him. Nobody in his own family was aware he cut himself. It was why he almost always wore long sleeves. He didn't like Lisa throwing something so personal and shameful at him. He wanted to so much snap back at her, call her a perverted sex fiend that was part of a horrible cult that had no business talking to him about his own problems…but he just couldn't summon up the bile right now…that and Lulu was present.

So instead, he just laid back and sighed, "Yeah well, eventually I found something better than cutting."

Lisa frowned again, looking even more worried. Her voice came with such soft and earnest concern, "Alcohol abuse and cigarettes aren't the best thing to self-medicate with Lincoln. You need help-

Lincoln cut her off this time, his eyebrows narrowing as he frowned at her.

"The last thing I need is someone whose part of what you've done, who thinks what her elder brother did to her was beautiful, telling me what my issues are. I can handle myself."

Lisa only looked back to him and seemed…sad more than anything else.

She turned away and focused her attention on Lulu, who was now holding up the solved puzzle triumphantly and had righted herself in the air.

Lisa forced a smile for the girl as Lincoln stood up and cracked his neck. He looked back towards the stairs.

"Look, I appreciate you telling me what was going on here Lisa, but don't think it makes us friends. I like the children here, they're great, but the rest of you? You don't get a pass for what you've done. Anyway, I got some things to do. You know where to find me."

Lincoln turned and made his way up the stairs.

Lisa only nodded mutely as she picked her daughter up and held the baby girl close.

"As you wish, elder brother."

…
Lisa's Personal Log, Dimension incursion supplemental C.3

Recent developments in the study of the other dimensional Lincoln Loud and the interactions with my daughter have only now confirmed something I had only begun to theorize last week. Something that has implications I don't even know how to begin to unpack.

Lulu is aware, and has been since the beginning, that Lincoln is different from her other Father. However, she has been insistent upon treating him as if he was her father and more her natural healing abilities should not work on him given he's from a different dimension, and yet they do.

My daughter knows something, or understands some aspect of this Lincoln that I do yet not, and given her limited ability to express these ideas as a baby, has no way of communicating this knowledge to me.

I'm going to have to learn more, I must learn more. It may reveal important information on how to bring my true husband back home.