A couple of hours passed and Lincoln slowly started to wake up, though when he did the first thing he heard was Luna's voice, the girl had come home just a few minutes ago, having gotten Luan's text about what Stella had found in regards to her and Lincoln.
"I still can't believe you're pregnant Stella, I mean maybe I can since I knew you didn't take any pills but I still thought the chances were low!"
"I feel so silly, I can't believe I let this happen," Came Stella's voice.
"Well, accidents happen," Lynn said trying to be cool about all of this.
"Lynn, this is BEYOND an accident! She's carrying a baby!" Luna reminded, unintentionally upsetting Stella even more, much to her regret. "Wait, what I mean is-"
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Stella insisted. Of course from her voice's tone, it was easy to tell she wasn't as fine as she claimed to be.
"Stella? Luna? Lynn?" Lincoln slowly got up, getting the attention of the aforementioned girls, along with Luan and Lucy who were also in the room.
"Oh good, you're finally awake," Lynn said. "Do you remember anything?"
"Well let's just say I know this isn't a dream, and that Stella is pregnant...with a child I put in her," Lincoln said, dreading this reality. "Boy did I screw up on a major scale, this goes beyond any of my other goof-ups."
"Yeah it is pretty bad right now," Lynn said, getting a glare from Lincoln and the other girls. "Right, not the time for that."
"What are we suppose to do now!?" Stella frantically asked. "I'm pregnant with a child! I'm not even ready for this! I'm still a kid myself! I can't be a mother! I haven't even finished High School!"
"First of all, you gotta stay calm," Luna said. "I know it's tough, but if you let yourself get wigged out, things are just gonna be worse for you."
"Well I guess it's gonna get worse because I'm wigging out!" Stella said. "I mean this is really going to affect my school like, no beyond that, now I don't even know what's my personal life gonna be like? I'm gonna spend the next nine months in agony too! Carrying around a baby that's really going to mess up my figure!"
"Hey it won't get bad til like the last few months," Lynn said. "And my mom handles it just fine."
"Your mother's been pregnant eleven times! She's obviously going to be a pro at it! This is my first time!" Stella shouted.
"Technically she's been pregnant ten times since Lola and Lana-" Luan was promptly quieted by Stella's intense glare. "Or maybe not the time for pointless corrections."
Stella started to worry about one other thing, "How ARE our parents going to take it though!? If my mom finds out I got pregnant, she'll freak out!"
"Shit you're right," Lynn said. "When mom and dad find out Lincoln got Stella pregnant, boy will there be a hurricane of emotions."
"Lynn, that's not helping!" Lucy shouted.
"Hey I'm worried about them too but they gotta know what to expect from this," Lynn said. "We can't sugarcoat a situation like this, you gotta tell then straight what to expect."
"So, we should avoid telling mom and dad?" Lincoln asked.
"Uh, they're gonna find out eventually," Lynn said. "Especially when Stella's belly starts to grow."
"You could just say she's getting fat," Luan pointed out.
"HEY!" Stella shouted, somewhat offended.
"I'm just pointing out the possibility!" Luan insisted.
"Well what's gonna happen when she suddenly loses that weight? And what are we gonna say when people start asking where the baby came from!" Luna pointed out.
"Well, we could say she got some pretty awesome exercise courtesy of Lynn," Luan suggested. "As for the baby...kind of got me there."
"I do run a pretty rigorous exercise course," Lynn boasted.
"Alright, no schemes, none of that nonsense," Luna said. "There's no hiding this, the best thing you can do is tell mom and dad what happened."
"Uh, Luna, did you not hear what Lynn said about the hurricane of emotions!?" Lincoln asked. "If we tell them they're going to freak out! I'm talking Lola without her make-up level! I'm talking Lori without her phone level! I'm talking-"
"Lincoln!" Luna interrupted, trying to calm her brother. "I know this is freaking you out too, but as crazy as it might sound to you, it's the right thing to do right now."
"Luna, this isn't me getting a bad grade on a test, this isn't me forgetting to take out the garbage, breaking a vase or leaving Lily behind in the arcade!" Lincoln began. "I, got, a girl, PREGNANT!"
"Yes, you did, and you need to accept that reality," Luna said. "They're gonna find out, might as well get it over with."
"But...I really don't know about this Luna," Lincoln said, still looking to be in a panic. "I really messed up here! I don't even think I can talk my way out of this one!"
Luna affectionally rubbed her brother on the head, "Don't worry, we're here for you baby bro, whatever happens, we'll be right by your side."
"Yeah, we'll help you out Linc," Lynn reassured.
"Same with Stella, you know we'd do anything for her, especially me. I'll help get you though this as well," Luan offered.
"We promise," Lucy said.
Lincoln felt a little more reassured, of course he was still feeling stressed and a bit anxious over this ordeal. It was still setting into his mind that he was gonna be a father. His life was gonna change forever, as was Stella's. He never should have went through with the sex they had without protection. Of course, he thought he had protection, but that didn't change the fact that he wasn't prepared on his end.
Stella was handling this a bit worse, her parents were gonna completely lose it, especially her mom. She's always been a nervous woman who was very uptight about her daughter was raised. Plus now all the changes she was going to endure, including the weight gain, the swollen heels, throwing up a lot, plus the fact that she's going to have to go through child birth, one of the most painful experiences for a woman.
"Hey Stella, you alright there?" Lynn asked.
"Not exactly," Stella said, sliding back against a wall. "Feels like my life's gone on a wild ride that lost control of itself."
"Look, it's a shock, we get that" Luna said. "But you're not alone on this. We're here for you."
"That's really kind of you, and I really do appreciate that," Stella said, placing her fingers on her temple, trying to calm herself. "But, it's still...I don't know, it's just a lot for me to handle. I'm honestly really afraid right now."
"Stella," Lincoln knelt down beside his now pregnant girlfriend. "We'll get through this," He took his hand in hers. "Together. I won't leave your side, you have my promise."
Stella started to feel a bit more at ease, just Lincoln's reassurance did a lot to help her, "Thanks Linky."
"Think we should call Stella's parents?" Lynn asked. "If we're gonna do this, we should tell both sets of parents at once, makes it easier."
"While we're at it, we should tell the rest of our sisters," Luna said.
"What about Lori and Leni?" Lincoln asked. "Lori lives in the city with Bobby and Leni's still finishing up her final year in college."
"We can get them on video chat," Luan said. "But this is something that everyone needs to find out at once."
"What about Clyde and the others? Should we tell them?" Stella asked.
"You can tell them another time, this is a family thing," Lynn said.
"Well Clyde's like family, he's Lincoln's best friend and he's close to Stella too," Luan said. "I think it'd be good if he were told."
"I guess you have a point, plus it is partially his fault this happened," Lynn absent-mindedly stated.
"Excuse me?" Lincoln said. "How is this remotely Clyde's fault?"
"I mean, you said you didn't have protection because you switched it with his asthma pump," Lynn brought up.
"That's not Clyde's fault, I should have paid more attention," Lincoln said. "Regardless I'm with Luan, I want Clyde there too, honestly I kind of want Bobby and Ronnie Anne in on this as well."
"Alright, we'll talk with the 'rents and get everyone on board," Luna said. "We'll call Lori, ask her to get Bobby and his sister on a video chat, then later we'll call Leni too."
"We can call Clyde over, though I take it that it's just Clyde for now?" Lynn asked.
"I'll tell the other guys later, but something this big needs my family and my two best friends," Lincoln said.
"Three, don't forget Sid," Stella said. "She's just as much our best friend as Clyde and Ronnie Anne."
"Man, at this point might as well invite everyone you've come in contact with," Lynn said, somewhat joking but also finding this a bit excessive.
"Come on Lynn, it's not like we're calling over Margo to tell her," Luna said. "That reminds me, how secret do you want this bro?"
"I'd rather it not spread out too much, I'm worried about how the kids at school are gonna react," Lincoln said. "Though Luna, if you wanna tell Sam, Sully or Mazzy that's fine, I trust them, especially Sam. Luan, same with Benny, I trust him not to go around blabbing. Maybe Margo is fine too, I mean she seems really nice, though I can't really comment too much on Lucy's friends since I barely know them."
"I won't tell them right now, they'll keep quiet but I really don't think it's that important for them to know right away," Lucy said.
"Margo would keep a secret, probably the only one of my friends who won't go blabbing," Lynn said.
"Sounds good," Lincoln said, still feeling a hint of worry. "Well, I guess we should start rounding everyone up. We'll tell them tonight, around 7:00." Lincoln started to groan in frustration, "This is gonna be so awkward, I hope no one starts crying."
"Pops probably will, you know how emotional he gets," Luna said.
"My mom's definitely gonna out do him," Stella lamented.
Lincoln placed his arm on her shoulder, "We'll get through this."
"I know...I'm just..." Stella seemed very distraught.
"Hey, girls, can I have a moment with Stella?" Lincoln asked.
"Sure thing, come on girls, let's give the two some space while we get everything set up," Luna said, the girls following the rocker sister out of the room.
"So...anything you want to tell me?" Lincoln asked. Suddenly Stella latched onto him hard, hugging her boyfriend tight.
"I'm so scared right now, I don't know how to handle this!" Stella tearfully exclaimed. "Lincoln, I'm going to have a baby! I'm only sixteen, how did this even happen!?"
"Hey it'll be alright Stella, I mean what's the worse that can happen? In the end we just have to take care of a baby, honestly for me it shouldn't be that much different than taking care of my sisters, I mean we even baby-sat for Lily on occasion."
"Lincoln, baby-sitting your sister is a lot different than having our own baby!" Stella said, hugging tighter. "We're the ones who will have to actually take care of it full time!"
"I know but...I'm still not that worried about it," Lincoln said, gently rubbing his girlfriend's back. "I mean yeah, I'm gonna be a father before I even finish being a kid but that doesn't mean this is going to be a terrible thing, I mean you're going to be the mother of my baby, that was something I hoped I could one day say. I expected it to be after college but sometimes the best things in life are the ones you didn't plan for. This baby could be the best thing that's happened to us, and honestly I'm excited to have a child of my own to love. I want to take care of you and our baby, I love you, and I love our baby."
Stella still seemed to be in tears, but this was more tears of joy for the girl. "At least I'm carrying the baby of such a kind boy." She pulled back a little to reward Lincoln with a kiss, one Lincoln graciously accepted. "I love you." She resumed the kiss once again, getting lost in the bliss.
Later on, Lincoln and Stella went to assist the sisters, hoping to have everyone requested in the Loud Living Room by the time Lincoln set, or at least be available through video. By seven that evening, the living room was filling up. Luan had gotten Lily, Lisa and the twins into the room, the four youngest taking a seat on the sofa.
"So what's going on?" Lola asked. "Why'd you gather all of us here?"
"Yeah, I was working on some pipes, wanna get back to it before there's a burst," Lana said.
"Or there's going to be a burst in of something coming soon," Luan giggled a bit. "I'd ask if you get it but you won't understand just yet."
"I understood and it was such a bad joke," Luna said, making her way into the room with her parents right beside her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to 'screw' up," Luan said, giggling more.
"Will you shut the hell up already?" Lynn Jr said.
"Lynn don't say words like that in front of your younger sisters," Rita scolded.
"It's just 'hell', not like I said 'fuck' or anything," Lynn Jr replied, getting a look of annoyance from her mother.
"Mommy, daddy, do you know what's going on?" Lily asked, thankfully not minding Lynn's colorful language.
"Not a clue, but Luna made it sound really important, I hope everything's alright," Lynn Sr said, feeling a bit concerned.
"Eh, somewhat," Luna said. "Nobody got hurt but something serious did happen."
"Is it gonna result in a massive bill?" Rita asked in a very deadpanned tone.
"No, I don't think so at least," Luna said.
"I got the computer equipment" Lucy said, making her way into the room while holding a laptop and tablet. The two started setting up, "I'll contact Lori, Leni and Ronnie Anne right away."
"Now this is really getting curious," Lynn Sr said. "Maybe it's a big surprise announcement?"
"Maybe Bobby and Lori are getting married!" Lily theorized.
Lynn Sr looked like his heart stopped beating for a second, before putting on a forced laugh, "Don't be silly, if that were to happen, they'd tell us in person." The father of eleven nervously gulped, "Wouldn't they?"
"Maybe Lori got pregnant," Lana joked.
"Young lady, that is very inappropriate to say," Rita scolded. "Lori knows better than to allow something like that, all you kids do."
Lynn, Lucy, Luna and Luan felt a nervous chill going down their spines. They were more worried than ever after hearing that, they hoped they could make things go smoothly. Within seconds, Lori and Bobby were featured on video chat, Leni second, then Ronnie Anne and Sid soon after.
"So, what's going on?" Lori asked. "The text I got seemed pretty urgent."
"Yeah, I almost never get texts from Lynn," Ronnie Anne said, checking her phone.
"We'll explain in just a minute," Lynn said. "We just gotta wait for the final people to arrive."
"Well come on, who else could be coming?" Lynn Sr wondered. "I mean, aside from Lincoln, wonder where that boy is?"
"Here I am dad," Lincoln said, being joined by Stella, her mother Judy and Clyde. "Alright, that's everyone."
"Stella, where's your dad?" Luan asked.
"He couldn't make it, he had to work late," Stella explained. "I'll just have to tell him later."
"Hey what's going on son?" Lynn Sr asked. "Why'd you round us all up?"
"Now, before I tell you, I want to preface this by saying that I am a hundred percent ready to take on any responsibility that's to come," Lincoln began.
"Lincoln..." Rita began, getting into mother mode. "What happened?"
"Please tell me whatever's been done can at least be fixed," Lynn Sr said. "Hopefully without it putting a huge dent in my wallet."
"It doesn't really affect you that much, more that it affects myself and Stella," Lincoln said. "Just promise that whatever happens, you won't totally hate us for it."
"Hey come on kiddo, you know we would never hate you," Lynn Sr said. "Look, whatever's bothering you, just tell us. Even if we get mad we're still gonna help you."
"Yes honey, you know you can trust us with whatever's bothering you," Rita said, putting on a more nurturing side.
Lincoln turned to Stella's mother, "Can I say the same about you Mrs. Zhau?"
"Well I would never hate my daughter," Judy said. "But that's all I can promise."
Lincoln did worry that meant she would be mad at him once they find out what he has to tell them, but that's a chance he'll have to take. Stella took her boyfriend by the hand as she nodded to him, giving the approval that she was ready for what's to come.
"Mom, dad, Mrs. Zhau, everyone..." Lincoln gulped before just blurting it out and getting it over with. "Stella and I...we got close...and..."
"I got pregnant!" Stella blurted out.
Needless to say, everyone was speechless, even the ones who knew. It took a few moments for that piece of information to settle in with everyone present. The silence was very awkward, like a calm before a massive storm, Lincoln just wanted someone to say anything, even if it was someone getting mad, he would take that over this looming silence.
"I'm sorry, did you just say...you're pregnant Stella?" Lori asked through her computer screen.
Stella nodded her head, "Yeah, I am."
Lori's eyes had widened in shock, as had Bobby's. Leni had covered her mouth with her hands, trying to process this moment. Lola, Lana and Lily sat on the couch with their mouths gaping open, Lisa didn't seem as surprised but she was rather curious by this ordeal.
Clyde was very surprised however, it took him readjusting his falling glasses to snap back into reality. Ronnie Anne was totally speechless at the moment, not sure how to process this information. Sid was just as shocked, and wanted to know where this was going, and how it happened.
Lincoln's parents were both doing their best to process this, a was Mrs. Zhau, and it was pretty tough, especially for the latter who was feeling like the world was crashing down around her.
"Lincoln..." Lynn Sr began. "I don't even know what to say. You mean to tell me you got your girlfriend pregnant?"
"Yes, I did," Lincoln admitted.
The father of eleven did his best not to freak out, of course that was easier said than done for him. His only son was about to be a father, he was gonna be a grandfather. Truthfully, if he was told to expect a grandchild, he would have almost certainly expected Lori to be the child's mother, not Lincoln as the child's father.
"Now son..." Lynn Sr tried thinking this over, wanting to word this the best he could. "I trust you're aware of what's to happen."
"Yes, I have to take care of Stella and take on the responsibility of being a father," Lincoln said.
"That is correct," Lynn Sr said, relieved at his son's mature answer. "And this means a lot of changes, that means getting a job."
"I've already planned for that," Lincoln said, bringing out some index cards. "My plan is to get an after school job and work as many shifts as I can until I graduate, then go for a full time job and support Stella and our child through-"
"Hold on, what about college?" Rita chimed in.
"Oh that...I mean is it really necessary?" Lincoln asked. "I mean as long as I have a High School education then-"
"Lincoln!" Rita interrupted. "You can't skip college, that's not going to help your future. How are you gonna be successful?"
"I mean to be fair honey, you don't need to go to college to be-" Lynn Sr was silenced by his wife's glare. "I mean...you should go to college son."
"Alright fine, I can still hold a job while going through college I think," Lincoln believed.
"That would be a better plan," Lynn Sr. said. "Though...honestly Rita is it worth it, it's going to be a big deal for Lincoln."
"I don't want him missing out on college Lynn," Rita said. "We'll make it work somehow."
"I know but..." Lynn Sr. turned to Lincoln. "Son, do you think you can handle this responsibility?"
"What choice do I have?" Lincoln said. "I did something reckless and now I gotta pay the price. It's a man's job to right his mistakes."
Lynn Sr actually felt even proud of his son, Lincoln was willing to accept his consequences, and wasn't trying to weasel his way out of this. Of course he knows his son well enough to not be too surprised. "Well Lincoln, I'm happy to hear you say that. It does take quite a bit of courage for you to admit to us what you did and to fully accept the responsibility. A man always learns from his mistakes after all and you're learning quite well."
"Well I'm not happy!" Rita said. "Lincoln, you promised us that you would..." Rita had to word this properly since her youngest daughters were here. "Take precaution."
"That was my fault Mrs. Loud," Stella said, glancing briefly at the kids. "I'll explain later."
"So Stella's gonna be a mommy?" Lily asked. "And Linky's gonna be a daddy?"
"Yes, that seems to be the scenario here," Lisa said.
"But, they're not married, how can she be a mommy?" Lily asked.
"You don't need to be married," Lisa said. "For a man and a woman to have a child they must-"
"LISA!" The family shouted.
"Oh right, she's 'too young' to know," Lisa said. "I mean I've known since I was able to walk but to each their own."
"I'll explain Lily," Clyde said, winking at the parents. They trusted him to know he won't say anything she's not ready to hear. "Lincoln and Stella love each other so much, it's like they're already married, and that baby is a symbol of the love the two share."
"Oh...so we exist because mommy and daddy love each other?" Lily asked.
"That's right, love creates families, and soon Lincoln and Stella are gonna have a family of their own," Clyde said.
"That's a nice way to think about it," Stella said, hugging Lincoln from the side. "Our own little family, a symbol of our love."
"Yeah, that's how I'll see it," Lincoln said, holding Stella close. "I vow to care for this girl that I love, and the baby she will gift the world with."
Lynn Sr. turned to Rita, "You gotta admit hon, that was really sweet of them to say."
"Yeah, it is kind of sweet," Rita said. Seeing her son holding Stella close did make her proud, regardless of what happened, her son always treated his girlfriend with the utmost love and affection.
"It's like totes adorable!" Leni said. "I bet their baby's gonna be totes adorable too! Ooh! This means I'm gonna be an Aunt! I'll be Auntie Leni! That baby's gonna look so fabulous!"
"And I'll be Auntie Lola, I'll help the baby look cute enough for pageants," Lola said.
"Hey easy now, the baby might be a boy," Lincoln said.
"Pfft, who says a boy can't be fabulous looking?" Lola said. "Girls love a guy who can work it with the looks."
"...My baby's not even born yet and you want to set up dates!?" Lincoln asked.
"Oooh, if it's a girl, then we can do that Girl Talk thing our older sisters do!" Lily said.
"Glad you're all already enjoying the idea of being aunts," Lincoln dead-pan stated.
"At least they're taking it well," Stella said. "Or I hope so."
"Stella," Lori said, getting the girl's attention. "Tell me, how are you feeling right now?"
"Uh...very much overwhelmed," Stella said. "This is a big shock to me after all."
"Makes sense," Lori said. "I wish I could be there in person right now. But don't worry, I'll come by ASAP."
"Oh I don't want to inconvenience you," Stella said. "You don't need to drive all the way down here for me."
"Stella you know you're important to me, and Lincoln needs his big sister right now, well oldest sister better said," Lori explained. "Plus I want to check up on you personally, you're like a little sister to me as well, plus I was gonna go down there anyway for something else."
"Yeah, I want to as well," Bobby said. "This is probably overwhelming for you and you need as much support as you can get."
"That sounds great, maybe your whole family can come," Lincoln said.
"Hehe, yeah, that'll certainly put a shock to them," Bobby nervously said.
"Uh, it's been like five years, aren't they cool with Stella yet?" Clyde asked.
"I mean they like her and my abuela thinks she's cute, but she still thinks it was a missed opportunity," Bobby explained. "Guess she hoped that Lincoln and Ronnie Anne would still end up together."
"Speaking of..." Lynn Jr. said. "Yo, Ronnie Anne, you've been kind of quiet, got a comment."
Ronnie Anne snapped out of it, "Huh? Oh right um..." She cleared her throat to speak. "Well, sounds like you two got yourselves into quite a situation here."
"That's an understatement," Lincoln said.
"Well, if Bobby's gonna go down there, I want to as well," Ronnie Anne said. "I wanna be there for my buds."
"Thanks Ronnie Anne, I really could use your comfort," Stella said.
"I don't suppose I can come as well, can I?" Sid asked.
"If your parents don't mind," Stella said. "I'd love to have you here Sid, you always find ways to cheer everyone up when they're worried about something."
"Aw, anything for you Stella," Sid said. "We'll take care of you and help you adjust to all this."
"Yeah, it'll be a team effort," Lori said.
"And I'll make the plans," Lincoln said. "We'll get through this pregnancy with no troubles."
"You seem pretty confident bro," Lynn Jr said. "But I'm with ya on this too. I'll make it my goal to help you and Stella out however I can."
"I really appreciate that Lynn, I appreciate that from all of you," Lincoln said.
The family began agreeing, all happy and willing to do what they can for the only son of the Loud Family, and his well liked girlfriend.
"I'm so grateful for all of you," Stella said, seeing all the willing and helpful faces. But then she noticed her mom, and a look of concern on the older woman's face. "Uh...mom? Is everything alright?"
Lincoln also turned her attention to the mother of his girlfriend, "Uh, Mrs. Zhau?"
"Huh?" Judy looked like she snapped out of something. "Please forgive me, I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Hey, is everything alright there Judy?" Lynn Sr asked. "I mean, I know this is a heck of a surprise and all but it's not the end of the world. I mean yeah, you're going to be a grandmother, the missus and I are going to be grandparents, there's gonna be a little Loud-Zhau baby running around...actually the idea of being a grandpa does sound kind of nice, I can do all the fun things with my grandchild that my grandparents did with me!"
"Lynn, getting off trail," Rita said.
"Right, point is that this is a shock but with a little team work and family bonding, we can get through this," Lynn Sr said.
"We'd be happy to help, your daughter is very dear to us, she's already like one of the family, it'd be our pleasure to help her through this," Rita said. "As mothers ourselves, who better to help her through a pregnancy?"
"R-right, indeed," Judy said. "Stella, maybe we should get going now."
"Um, alright?" Stella said, then turned to Lincoln. "Well, I guess I should go home."
"That's fine, I'll see you tomorrow, we need to make a lot of plans after all," Lincoln said. "Starting with me finding a job."
"Uh, doesn't Lincoln work at the family restaurant?" Bobby asked.
"Only part time on the weekends," Lincoln said.
"I can give you more hours son, you can work after school if you'd like," Lynn Sr said.
"Wow really? That'd be great!" Lincoln said. "I'll be able to provide for my girlfriend and my child!"
"Just don't neglect your school work, you still want to get into a good college and get a better job," Rita said.
"What's wrong with working at a restaurant for a living?" Lynn Sr asked, getting a glare from his wife. Relenting he decided to agree. "Keep up your education son."
"I will," Lincoln said, then turned to Stella. "I'll see you tomorrow, we can make more plans then."
"Sounds good, bye Linky," Stella said, kissing her boyfriend before departing with her mother. She still felt a bit nervous about all this, the fact that she's going to be a mother in about nine months. But she wanted to have faith that The Loud Family would help her through this.
As she left, Lincoln's calm and confident demeanor started to wade. He began to realize that he might be in a little over his head with this incoming child situation.
"Mom, dad, you really think Stella and I can pull this off?" Lincoln asked.
"Huh? Of course son, we're right there with you," Lynn Sr said.
"We're not too happy this happened but we'll make the best of it," Rita said. "If you're willing to put in the work that is."
"Now we'll be honest, this won't be easy," Lynn Sr said. "Being a father is a big responsibility, and taking care of a pregnant woman isn't the easiest task."
"You seemed to handle it just fine when mommy was pregnant with Lily," Lola said.
"By that point I was an expert," Lynn Sr said. "This is Lincoln's first kid, so it won't be as easy."
"Any tips?" Lincoln asked.
"For starters, watch out for mood swings, learned that the hard way with your mother," Lynn Sr said.
"Lynn!" Rita shouted in annoyance.
"I'm used to mood swings, especially during certain parts of the month," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln!" most of the sisters shouted in annoyance.
"Seems like you have some important stuff to discuss," Bobby said. "I should check out, babe you can stay on if you want."
"Sure thing, I'll catch you up later," Lori said.
"We should check out ourselves," Sid said. "You good Ronnie Anne?"
"Yeah, I am," Ronnie Anne said, the girl still in shock over what she just heard. She wishes she could say more, but there was only so much she could really say right now.
"We'll see you soon Lincoln, and when we come...I want some deats," Sid said, smirking deviously.
"Deats on what?" Lincoln asked.
"You'll find out," Sid teased as she logged off. Lincoln seemd a bit worried, Sid has always been a bit strange, and she's gotten even stranger as she got older.
"I should probably get going myself buddy, you and your family gotta figure this out, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow to check up on you," Clyde said.
"Appreciate that buddy," Lincoln said, fist bumping his friend as he made his way out the house.
"That just leaves us now," Lynn Jr said, placing her arm around her brother's neck. "We got a baby to help you prepare for, and all your sisters are gonna pitch in to help one way or another."
"I really appreciate that, but what can you do to help us?" Lincoln asked.
"You leave that to me little bro," Lynn Jr said.
"You mean us," Luna said. "We're all helping you Lincoln."
"I appreciate that, I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience," Lincoln said.
"Of course not, family helps family," Luan said.
"We care about you and Stella, we want you both to be happy," Lucy said.
"And if it were us, we know you'd do the same," Luna said.
That concerned Lynn Sr, "Uh, question, you girls have been safe when you're with your significant other correct?"
"Of course dad, me and Benny haven't done anything risky," Luan said. "He's very responsible."
"And you Luna?" Lynn Sr asked.
"Pops, Sam's a girl, a girl can't get another pregnant," Luna said.
"For now," Lisa said. "But if one of my experiments go well, then it could be possible."
"Excuse me?" Luna asked. "What are you getting at Lease?"
"I once overheard you and your companion discussing your future, and what it would be like to have kids," Lisa said. "You mentioned adoption, Sam considered the possibility of a 'seed donor'."
Luna blushed a bit, not just from the memory of the conversation, but the one person Sam suggested as the donor. She glanced inconspicuously at her brother, while understanding that Sam wanted someone with similar genes to her, just the idea of her brother and girlfriend doing such a task felt weird to her.
"We'll discuss that later," Rita said. "It's too early for Luna to consider having children of her own."
"Mother, considering Lincoln is about to be a father despite being four years younger, is Luna really too young?" Lisa asked.
"That's enough young lady, the topic of discussion is over," Rita said. "Let's just get ready for dinner, we'll discuss this more tomorrow."
Lincoln felt some relief in getting this out into the open, he believed his family would help, because when it came down to it, they always have his back, for better or for worse. All he had to do was follow through on his promise to get a job and good education, he did want to provide for his child and keep his girlfriend happy, and that's exactly what he was gonna do.
Unfortunately she wasn't too happy at the moment, she felt awkward on the car ride home. Stella glanced to her mother on occasion, but the woman didn't seem interested in any interaction.
"So...I'm pregnant...carrying a baby..." Stella nervously brought up. "How are you feeling about-"
"Stella..." Judy interrupted. "I'd really rather not discuss this right now."
"Oh, alright," Stella said, feeling a bit dejected. Mrs. Zhau felt a little bad for how harsh she might have sounded but she just felt so disappointed in knowing that her daughter did something this irresponsible, she had to figure out how to make this work for the sake of her family.
Right now though, she felt complete ire toward Lincoln, knowing that boy is the reason she's going to be a grandmother before she expected to be. She doesn't know his plans but for his sake he better follow up on them and do his part in making up for the grief he caused.
Back at Great Lakes, Ronnie Anne is still processing this information in her room, hearing that Lincoln and Stella were gonna be parents at their age, before they even finish High School. Being their age as well, trying to imagine being pregnant really came down hard on her. She felt so bad for Stella, but somehow that wasn't all that bothered her, hearing that Lincoln got a girl pregnant was a lot for her to handle as well.
Years ago Ronnie Anne had a crush on Lincoln, she would never admit it though, for various reasons. Her lack of confidence in being a girlfriend was one. Two her family was so overbearing she feared it could drive Lincoln away, granted if she still lived in Royal Woods she wouldn't have to worry about that too much but since moving to Great Lakes, that would be a great source of concern for her. Living in Great Lakes is another reason she didn't want a relationship, she didn't think she could handle long distance, Bobby barely could.
Then came the biggest reasons, if her relationship failed, not only would she lose the friendship of her best friend, the only kid in Royal Woods who tolerated her, it could ruin her brother's relationship with Lori. She has confided this however to her cousin Carlota and her best friend Sid at least. In fact setting Stella up with Lincoln was suppose to be a sign of relief for her, knowing that she can't consider the possibility because now Lincoln has a girlfriend, even more that she's friends with Lincoln's girlfriend so she has more of a reason to feel relieved and even be happy for her friends.
Still, hearing that they're going to have a baby together, thus solidifying their relationship made Ronnie Anne realize something, she's definitely never going to have a chance to date Lincoln. Now that it's even more transparent, suddenly things are clicking a lot differently with her.
"Wow, Lincoln and Stella as parents," Sid said, snapping Ronnie Anne out of her shock. "Who would have guessed that outcome?"
"Yeah..." Ronnie Anne nervously said. "Who would have...?"
"You alright there Ronnie Anne?" Sid asked, checking on her friend. "Pretty weird right? Lincoln getting Stella pregnant."
"Weird is an understatement," Ronnie Anne said. "How did that even happen?"
"Uh...didn't your parents give you that talk?" Sid asked. "You know, how when a boy and a girl-"
"Alright, fine, it was a stupid question to ask," Ronnie Anne said, getting a bit annoyed. "I'm just surprised it even happened."
"Well they were dating for like five years, hormones are gonna play a factor sooner or later," Sid said. "But hey, we can ask them more about it when we go to Royal Woods. Really want to know what Stella's opinion of Lincoln was, I bet he was great in bed."
"Still got the hots for him?" Ronnie Anne joked.
"Hey Lincoln's pretty damn sexy, I would totally let him do me if he got curious enough," Sid said.
Ronnie Anne rolled her eyes, "You're such a pervert."
"It's human nature," Sid insisted. "But seriously, I'm happy for them, and I want to be there to help them, and I know you do too."
"Yeah I guess so...still, knowing they're gonna be parents, it's so bizarre," Ronnie Anne said. "I mean, what will this mean for all of us? What does this mean for our Friendship?"
"Come on, how much could actually change?" Sid asked. "In the end, it's still Lincoln and Stella, two of our best friends. They're just gonna have a kid, that's all."
"You make it sound so simple," Ronnie Anne said. "Kid means big responsibility, and that comes with change. Lincoln's going to change Sid, and it's not gonna be fun."
"Hey we won't know until we see it for ourselves," Sid said, making her way to the fire escape. "I'm gonna head upstairs, we'll talk more about this later. Hopefully it can spark up some other potential conversations too, like more romance in the air?"
"Sid, you were just talking about doing it with Lincoln," Ronnie Anne said. "Knowing you I bet you'd want a chance at Stella too."
"Well maybe, but I'm being seriously when it comes to you," Sid said. "I know I mess around and joke about wanting sex with Lincoln and/or Stella, but I really do like you Ronnie Anne, if we got together, I swear you'll be all I think about doing it with. Not that I just want you for that, I like you for who you are."
"That's really sweet of you to say, but I can't take that chance right now," Ronnie Anne said. "I like our friendship how it is, I don't want it to get messed up. You understand don't you?"
"Of course, I don't want to ruin it either," Sid said. "I want to always be friends but...sometimes I want more. I want to take that risk. I know that probably sounds selfish to say but...I only say it because I'm confident that the risk will be worth it. Don't you think we could be something special?"
Ronnie Anne turned away, not really wanting to give a straight answer. "I...well..."
"It's fine, you don't have to answer me now. I'll wait as long as possible for the answer I'm hoping for," Sid said. "Well see ya."
"Bye Sid," Ronnie Anne waved her friend off, sighing in uncertainty. She likes Sid, but not that way, and she'd rather she not mess that up. Of course now she's not even sure what love and romance even mean nowadays.
Elsewhere Lori was looking at her calendar, figuring out a good day to start heading out to Royal Woods and check on her little brother. As she worked in her room, Bobby had come in, looking for his pajamas.
"Man, I still can't believe Stella's pregnant, and little bro's gonna be a dad," Bobby turned to Lori. "How are you taking this babe?"
"Honestly, I'm very nervous for them, Lincoln probably thinks he had this under control, but this is a bit beyond his capabilities," Lori said. "I'm a bit disappointed this even happened, I mean Lincoln should know better than to have unsafe sex."
"I mean it sounds like it was an accident though," Bobby said.
"That doesn't change the fact that he got his girlfriend pregnant!" Lori sternly said. "But it's fine, I'm going to make sure they'll both get through this."
"I know you'll do a great job with that," Bobby said. "And like I said, I'll be right there with you. I mean I care about Lincoln and Stella too after all."
"I know, and I'm really happy," Lori said.
"Still...kind of puts a damper on our own plans, I mean we had an announcement of our own for your family," Bobby said.
"I know, but this is a bit more important, you understand that though, don't you?" Lori asked.
"Of course I do," Bobby said. "Family's important, if it were Ronnie Anne I know you would be there for her."
"Absolutely," Lori said. "Now while we're on the subject, you know how we wanted to buy a house?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Bobby asked.
"How would you feel about moving to back to Royal Woods?" Lori asked.
This was quite the question for Bobby, he knew why she was asking, and it was a big deal. He really needed to think about this, he wanted to stay close to his family, but he wouldn't Lori that same desire. Much to consider for this boy.
Later that night at Royal Woods, Lincoln had laid in bed, thinking over the events of the day. He was going to be a father, before finishing High School. It made him nervous, he didn't think he was ready for such a responsibility, but he had no choice.
What did frustrate him was that he genuinely believed he was protected during his intimacy with Stella, even if he didn't have anything protecting him he thought she had her precautions, then it turned out she just ate candy.
"Hey Lincoln," Lucy called from the other side. "How are you feeling?"
"Yeah, kind of want to know myself," Lynn said, peeking from above on her top bunk. "Being a dad, that's gotta be wild huh?"
"That's an understatement," Lincoln said. "Honestly, I'm really nervous about this, I don't know if I can pull it off."
"You'll be fine," Lynn said. "I know you Lincoln, you always make the best of a bad situation."
"But Lynn, this time it's different, I'm gonna be a parent, that's a little different than say not getting the Sweet Spot in Vanzilla," Lincoln said.
"But you have us to help you make this better," Lynn said, getting down off the top bunk. "I know it's not much but," Lynn slid onto bed with Lincoln, laying on his left side. "We're here for you."
"Yeah," Lucy said, getting in bed, laying on the right side. "We'll help you through this."
"Thanks, you two are the best," Lincoln placing a kiss on Lucy's cheek, then Lynn's. "I love you both."
"We love you too dork," Lynn said, kissing Lincoln's cheek, Lucy doing the same. "Goodnight."
Lincoln took some relief in knowing that he had both of his sisters by his side, and that they would help get him through such a rough scenario. He had to have faith in his family and in himself to make sure he and Stella adjust to this change.