SIN VERSE

Lisa Loud looked over the unconscious form of the man lying on her examination table with her best unbiased, scientific gaze. But it was so very difficult considering who the man resembled, and who all her tests and procedures pointed to him being. It was hard to keep her emotions from bleeding through at least a little, even as she did her best to remain impartial.

Because every test she ran, every procedure she went through, every examination all pointed to one undeniable fact. This was Lincoln Loud. This was her older brother, the man who she loved more than any other and the father of her daughter.

Only it also wasn't her Lincoln Loud either. What had initially flummoxed her and stymied her investigation was now becoming more and more clear from the moment. The little inconsistencies that were wrong that initially made her question her own sanity briefly were now explained to her.

The scientific side of her, the one that craved exploration of the unknown, examination of the world was ecstatic at what this Lincoln pointed to. It was confirmation of a theory she was quite certain was true, even if she didn't have time to prove it herself. But right here, laying in front of her was the proof. Multiverse theory was true. This Lincoln Loud was from another dimension, another universe entirely. A neighboring one.

But the side of her that was a wife and mother felt nothing but worry, anxiety and fear over where her Husband must actually be at the moment. She had her theory, and she just hoped this Lincoln's Lisa would be just as concerned about getting her brother back as she was getting hers.

Of course, she was ready to accept this knowledge, but she didn't know how well her other sisters would.

Lisa pulled her glasses off with a long sigh and brought her lab coat up, using the bottom flap to wipe off the lenses. She didn't need her glasses anymore, she hadn't needed them in years, but she enjoyed wearing them, seeing it as part of her identity. Even if now the frames were ordinary glass rather than corrective lenses.

She'd start with the sister who had come down the stairs 20 minutes ago and had been waiting impatiently ever since. Lynn had at least put on some clothes since the incident a couple hours ago, throwing on an oversized Royal Woods Middle School Kangaroos jersey and a pair of red shorts.

After spending some time with the children, reassuring them all and sending them back to bed she had fetched Luna's daughter Lyra, to take the youngest daughter, Lulu upstairs with her and keep her away from Lisa and Lincoln. Lulu could be very possessive and concerned when it came to her father, but all the circumstances being what they were Lisa didn't know how this particular Lincoln might react to that if he were to awaken and see her.

A moment after Lisa had concluded her internal thoughts, she took another look at the data before her to confirm it, and decided it was time to tell Lynn what she knew.

Lynn had been pacing back and forth, looking at Lincoln on the table, then back to Lisa, then pacing again. Lisa knew her sister was doing her best to remain patient, but her ability to do so was wearing more and more thin with every moment that went on.

Lisa spoke up.

"Lynn, I'm afraid our situation is much more extreme than we initially feared."

Lynn clearly did not like that response. Her mouth fell open, and she was at Lisa in moments, hands on her younger sister's shoulders. Gripping them tightly, she spoke in a worried tone, "Please tell me he isn't dying! Is it a tumor, did something happen to him?! Lisa, what's wrong with our brother?!"

Lisa placed her hands up over Lynn's own, fixing her elder sister with a determined but reassuring gaze, there had been tension between the two ever since Lisa had moved back in four months ago, but their connection as sisters, as family, and the current crisis before them over-rode their own interpersonal issues.

"Lynn, please, listen to me. I shall enlighten you to all of the relevant information as soon as you release me."

Lynn looked down at where her hands had curled up in Lisa's lab coat and shirt, and realized what she was doing. She let go and took a step back, nodding her head.

"Sorry, Lisa just… is he okay?! What's wrong?!"

Lisa mentally prepared herself, took a deep breath, adjusted her glasses again, and turned towards Lincoln on the table. He was still only clad in the underwear he'd put on earlier, and seemed dead to the world, eyes closed, mouth hanging open. Various electrodes and blood pressure monitors had been attached to his chest, temple and forearms.

"This Lincoln is presently healthy outside of needing to get some more exercise, changing his diet, and beating his addiction to nicotine."

Lynn stared back at her younger sister with a look of pure confusion. She looked towards Lincoln, and then back to Lisa again, shaking her head, "Wait, wait, wait, exercise? Lacy and the other kids make sure he gets plenty of exercise, and nicotine?! Stinkin isn't a smoker!"

Lisa nodded her head, "Correct my athletic sibling, our Lincoln is not a smoker. This is not our Lincoln."

Lynn looked towards the man who was unconscious on the examination table, everything inside of her told her this was the love of her life, this was the father of her daughter, and yet, she couldn't help but notice there was just something…off about him.

Not wrong, nothing about him felt wrong, just, different. Like she was looking at her brother after he'd been missing for a few months and had been through something harrowing.

It only confused her more as she looked towards Lisa again. Uncertainty, fear in her voice.

"Lisa, what are you saying? This is Stinkin, I'd recognize this dork anywhere. How is he not our Lincoln?"

Lisa turned back towards Lincoln's unconscious form, reaching out and putting her left hand into the distinctive white hair her older brother was known for. She gently took hold of a few strands between her fingers, "Have you noticed his hair? It's approximately 4 centimeters longer than it should be."

Lynn frowned, her brown eyes taking in the sight of her brother's hair. It looked about the same as always, mostly…just, she had to admit, it looked a little shaggier. Like he was going to need a haircut soon.

Lynn gave a shrug, "So his hair's a little longer, maybe we just haven't noticed he'd started to grow it out."

Lisa looked back to her sister and shook her head, removing her hand from Lincoln's hair, before sliding down to her brother's stomach. She slipped her fingers down around his belly, and pinched a small roll of fat from his side, "It's more than that Lynn. This Lincoln is also 2.7 Kilos or about 6 pounds heavier than he should be. My dental examination brought up 3 new cavities, and the X-ray I took of him showed minor tar build up in his lungs. Lynn this is our brother, but it's not our brother. This is a Lincoln from another Universe."

Lynn looked towards the man on the table. Everything in her body screamed this was her Lincoln, this was the boy she had crushed on from the moment she could remember, who she had loved all of her life, and yet she could see the minor differences. The little things that made him not that man either. Her heart lurched in her chest, she looked back towards Lisa, bringing one arm around her own waist, her other hand coming up over her mouth in shock.

"Lisa, you can't be saying that he's, he's from some other universe like one of Stinkin's sci-fi or superhero movies."

Lisa turned to look back towards her sister and nodded her head, "That is exactly what I'm saying Lynn. This is Lincoln Loud, but he's not our Lincoln Loud. I had my suspicions but my last test confirmed it. I measured his quantum signature, a unique reading everyone and everything in our universe has. The frequency emanating from his signature is different from the background of the rest of our universe. It proves he is not native to this dimension. Lynn, I believe our Lincoln has somehow switched places with this Lincoln."

Lynn wasn't the brightest of her family, but she wasn't stupid, and she'd been with her brother long enough to pick up some of the dorky science fiction and other stories he liked. She could grasp what Lisa was saying. But her first instinct was to get her brother back. She responded immediately.

"Well then switch them back!"

Lisa frowned, looked back towards her sister with an aggravated stare and responded impatiently, "If it were that easy, I would have done so already!"

Lynn only yelled back, just as annoyed, "Well then get working on getting our brother back!"

Lisa sighed in frustration, "It's more complicated than that Lynn! Even you must understand the gravity of this situation! I don't even know how this particular version of our brother arrived here in the first place! There's still so much we don't know, and I won't know until I've talked to him! I want our brother back just as much as you do!"

Lynn sighed, then growled, and slowly brought her hands down to her hips looking frustrated, "So what does it mean Lisa? When can we get our brother back?"

Lisa frowned sadly, turning and looking towards the unconscious form of her not brother in front of her, "I don't know Lynn. I wish I could tell you, but right now, I don't know."

Lynn looked back towards her sister once more, her brow furrowing eyebrows going up in thought, "He mentioned you Lis. He said your name. His sisters probably want him back just as badly as we want ours back. There's no way they'd let their own Lincoln stay stuck in another universe, away from them!"

Lisa gave a weak smile as she looked towards Lynn, "Perhaps. That's a possibility I myself have already considered, and if we are fortuitous, then his Lisa is much like myself and considering the same possibilities. But there is also another factor we must consider, Lynn."

Lynn rose her eyebrow, "What's that?"

Lisa looked at Lincoln's unconscious form once more as she frowned in return, "That he does not enjoy the same relationship with his sisters that ours enjoys with us. We may be the only sisters he has for that matter. There's so many unknown variables Lynn, we can't assume his life or circumstances are anything like ours."

Lynn looked unconvinced, folding her arms defensively, "No, I don't believe that. There isn't a world where I'm not in love with this dork. His Lynn has to be going just as crazy as I am. Even if she's not doing her job keeping him in shape."

Lisa rolled her eyes, even as she gave the briefest smile, "Ever the romantic." Before she spoke plainly once more, "Lynn, do you believe you'd ever let our brother take up a habit as unhealthy as smoking?"

Lynn shook her head, "No I'd kick his ass if he ever—"

Lynn looked horrified as she glanced back at the unconscious doppelganger of her brother, "But he knew who I was Lisa! He has me as a sister wherever he's from!"

Lisa looked towards her sister once more, attempting to give a comforting smile, "Lynn, you know our family situation is…unique within our own world, let alone taking other worlds into account. This particular Lincoln, he may not be as intimate with his family as our Lincoln is with us. The only thing we're certain of, is at least you and I are related to him wherever he's from, and that he's living a lifestyle that could benefit from some minor changes."

Lynn looked horrified, as if Lisa described a fate worse than death to her. She looked towards the Lincoln on the table as a sympathetic look came over her lips. Standing next to him, she reached out and placed her hand gently on his forearm, "He was terrified Lisa. Terrified of his own children. The way he looked at me after I kissed him…" Lynn trailed off, her face turning up into grief as her eyes teared up, "I never want Lincoln to look at me like that."

Lynn pulled her hand away from Lincoln's forearm and looked back towards her sister, her voice full of so much worry "What are we going to do?"

Lisa, even as scientifically minded and logical as she was, gave a sympathetic expression to her older sister, knowing she had to prepare the family for the worst.

"There is a very small chance, a tiny one, that whatever caused this will reverse itself in short time, and he will be sent to his home while our Lincoln is returned to us. However, the more time that passes, the less likely that becomes. We also can only assume his Lisa would have already brought him home by now if she could. Assuming…"

And here Lisa paused a moment, looking directly at Lynn before she continued, "she cares for her brother in any manner that we care for ours. Which means either she is unable to right now, or she does not want to. In either case we may be keeping him as a guest while I work on a solution."

Lynn looked more and more worried, both of her hands coming up to her mouth again. The short brunette began pacing back and forth, "But his Job, the kids, there's so much going on, so much we need Lincoln for."

Lisa nodded her head, "I'm aware dear sister, but it just so happens we have Lincoln right now. A Lincoln at the least. One who could conceivably fill in while we work on returning our own. However, this means what I need you to do right now Lynn, is call our other sisters over. They're going to need to have this explained to them, and we're going to have to have a long conversation with this visiting Lincoln."

Lynn still looked very unhappy, very upset, but slowly nodded in return as she listened, glancing back towards the Lincoln from another world now and then. After Lisa had finished, she looked up with a slightly worried expression as she spoke.

"What if he doesn't want to help us?"

Lisa took on a hardened gaze as she looked at the form of the man whose body she knew so well, whose eyes she found so beautiful, and whose smile warmed her heart. She looked at the body of this man who had the body of the man she loved so deeply and she hardened her heart.

"He doesn't have a choice in the matter elder sister. Our children and the family come first before anything else. My hope is he will be reasonable and not need other forms of persuasion."

Lynn nodded her head in return, a solemn look of agreement coming over her lips. "You're right, but I don't think he'll be unwilling to help us Lis. It's Lincoln, he's always been there for us. Lincoln is Lincoln, no matter what the universe is. His heart is always kind."

Lynn seemed completely confident as she spoke, as if she couldn't imagine any universe where Lincoln rejected his sisters.

Lisa tried to smile in return, even through her fears and misgivings, "I hope you are correct Lynn. In the meantime, it is best I awaken him myself and gather some more data. When we're ready I'll bring him up to meet the rest of our sisters and our children."

Lynn gave a long-tired sigh, stretched and turned away from the examination table and towards the stairs out of the basement, "Guess I'm going to go make some phone calls and put some coffee on."

Section Break

Lincoln slowly awoke with a groggy sensation, and a slight pinching feeling coming from his neck. He felt like his head was full of cotton and it was a little difficult to figure out exactly where he was, or what was going on.

As more and more awareness came back to him, he began to realize he was laying down on a nice flat surface and someone had placed a blanket over him. His eyelids slowly fluttered open and he turned to his right seeing the familiar form of his sister Lisa sitting on a stool near him. She was holding a tablet and stylus in hand.

"Good morning Lincoln." She said with a pleasant tone.

Lincoln looked back to her, recalling the horrible dream he'd had last night. Of waking up in bed with Lynn, naked, and a gaggle of children that claimed they were all his. He groaned, rubbed his neck idly and then gave a soft laugh.

"Dang it Lisa, you wouldn't believe the weird fucking dream I had! Freud would have a field day with it. I think I need to ask Clyde if Dr. Lopez still practices cause I must have some real deep seated issues." He laughed again, sounding a little embarrassed even, his cheeks flushing before he went on.

"Anyway, did the experiment work?"

Lisa looked back at him from beneath her glasses, her expression an unreadable mask of calm as she regarded her brother.

"Before we get to all of that Lincoln, I have a series of questions I must ask you to clarify some data."

Lincoln frowned, raised his eyebrow and folded his arms as he settled back again, "What is this Lis? One of those things to make sure my head is working right after everything? Alright, fine, fine…ask away."

Lisa didn't betray any other emotion, but simply tapped her stylus to the tablet and spoke, "Please tell me your full name, age and occupation."

Lincoln stared off looking bored as he replied.

"Lincoln Albert Loud, 29 years old. I draw comic books and do illustrations. Mostly for Timely comics."

Lisa nodded her head, tapping the Stylus to the tablet.

"What is your current marital status?"

Lincoln looked back towards her, frowning.

"Come on Lis, really? Have you seen me bring one girl home since you moved in 4 months ago? I can't remember the last time I had a real date. Can't afford one anyway."

Lisa only nodded her head again as she made more notes.

"Do you have any children Lincoln?"

Lincoln blinked a few times at that question, then laughed and shook his head.

"Fuck no, at least none that I know about. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if Stella showed up at my door telling me about a long lost kid and demanding years of back child support knowing my luck. We done yet?"

Lisa seemed to ignore his last question and continued.

"Lincoln, please tell me the names of your siblings in order from Eldest to youngest, their occupations and family status."

Lincoln groaned as he looked back at Lisa again, an annoyed expression on his lips, "Come on Lisa, do we really need to keep doing this? Really? I feel fine! I wanna know if I teleported or not already!"

Lisa's eyebrow quirked up at that, her formerly unmoving expression looking ever so slightly surprised, before it returned to a position of neutrality

"Trust me Lincoln, this is of the utmost importance. We're almost finished."

Lincoln gave a long drawn out groan of frustration as he dropped both arms to his sides and looked up at the ceiling.

"Ace Savy's Magnificent Balls! Alright Lis, Alright…"

Lincoln huffed and began to rattle off like he was reading items from a grocery list.

"Lori, Pro Golfer, Widow, 1 son.

Leni, Fashion mogul, married, 1 daughter.

Luna, Rock Star, married, twin sons.

Luan, Comedian and Actress, not married, no kids.

Lynn, UFC star, married 1 daughter.

Lucy, Author, not married, no kids.

Lana, Nascar driver, not married, no kids.

Lola, fashion model, married, no kids.

You, ex-con, not married, no kids.

And finally, Lily, college student, not married, no children."

After listing off his family he looked at Lisa again, his eyes carrying that annoyed expression once more. Lisa had seen that annoyed expression on her own brother's face multiple times, but it seemed almost a default expression for this particular Lincoln.

He kept staring at her, arms folded as if waiting, all while Lisa continued to write down her notes on the tablet before finally looking back up at him.

"One last question Lincoln and then we shall be finished for the moment. What is the last thing you remember before your dream?"

Lincoln sighed in relief as if he were happy this inquisition was finally over, looking away, his eyes glancing around the lab. He noted it seemed…different. But he shoved those misgivings away as he responded.

"Dream? More like a nightmare really. But anyway, I remember you telling me the portal was stable and I should pop out across the street, right in the Yates family yard. Then I ran inside. I had that nightmare and woke up here. Where's the portal at by the way?"

Lincoln began to look around the Lab again, and this time he really started noticing a few things that seemed more and more off. Things that didn't seem right for the ramshackle mad scientist junk pile that was his sister's lab.

For one he couldn't recall Lisa ever having this much medical equipment. He knew she had some, but there was a lot of it now, enough to almost operate a practice of her own. On top of that everything was cleaner and neater than he last remembered too. While there was certainly a look of reclaimed, and refurbished equipment, it all came off as far more orderly, less desperate looking than what he remembered. It was close to the standards of her old lab.

For that matter, Lisa herself looked…different.

Her hair was much neater, pulled back into a small ponytail no less. Her glasses were simple black frames, and the labcoat…When did she get a labcoat? She even looked less, well curvy? No that wasn't the right word. Lisa wasn't fat by any stretch, but she did have a little more weight than other girls, especially around her hips and breasts. She was what some guys might call 'thicc' when talking about her. Not that Lincoln particularly took note of it.

But while It was difficult to fully see her form under her labcoat, he couldn't help notice those differences. She seemed thinner, more fit than he remembered. He swore she was an inch taller even. Her breasts even seemed to sit up…higher? They weren't as big, but they seemed far more perky. Her stomach flatter.

If Lisa noticed Lincoln staring, she didn't say anything. She simply placed her hands on the top of her tablet as she fixed Lincoln with a very calm and understanding expression.

"Lincoln, what I'm about to tell you is going to seem unreal or fantastic but you have to understand all of it is true, and it is your current reality."

Lincoln swallowed. He really didn't like what Lisa had just told him. Icy tendrils of anxiety began crawling up his spine.

"Lis, what happened to your glasses? D-d-did you get a haircut? H-h-how long was I out?"

Lisa went on, heedless of Lincoln's questions.

"What you experienced was not a dream or a nightmare. You did wake up in bed with your elder sister Lynn Loud. You did accidently strike a 12 year old girl, and I shot you in the neck with a tranquillizer dart when you started to become hysterical. This is not your original Home Lincoln. Whatever you and your Lisa were experimenting with has sent you to a different universe. One where you are involved in a polyamorous marriage with your sisters, which has resulted in multiple children."

Lincoln stared back at Lisa for several long moments of silence, before his face began to break into a small smile. It was a smile of desperation, one that read he wanted what she just said to be a joke more than anything in the world.

He laughed.

It was forced.

"Come on Lisa, that's a terrible joke. Where's Clyde at, he put you up to this?"

Lisa looked a little surprised hearing the name Clyde, her brow furrowing, "Clyde? What would Cybil's father have anything to do with it? Oh, you two are still close in your reality I take it? No Lincoln, I'm afraid Clyde has nothing to do with this, it is exactly as I stated the matter."

Lincoln shook his head, his smile starting to falter ever so slightly, "Okay Lisa, this isn't funny. It's time to stop the joke now."

Lisa gave him another sympathetic expression, "There is no joke here Lincoln. For whatever reason, you are in this universe, and I can only hope my Lincoln is safe in yours. My sisters, our children, and I would like him back."

Lincoln's eyes went wide, his skin turned pale. He began to sweat. It looked as if his entire world was coming down around his ears. As if his reality had rudely been yanked out from underneath him. Lisa couldn't help but feel pity for him. In a manner of speaking that was exactly what happened.

Lincoln threw off the blanket he had been under, clad again only in the underwear he had put on earlier. He was up on his feet, his hands to his forehead, pacing back and forth in front of Lisa.

"No, this can't be real. This isn't real, this isn't fucking real. I'm in a coma, I'm asleep, or or or some drug induced haze… I have to be, I have to be. This can't be real. This can't be fucking real! It just can't be!"

Lisa watched it all, calmly, she knew processing this level of shock took a moment. Lincoln was in denial. She would wait patiently for him to accept his circumstances.

He looked up at the ceiling, placed his hand in his hair, laughed bitterly, shook his head, folded his arms across his chest. He kept walking, pacing back and forth muttering to himself more and more denials, even as his eyes swept the lab and looked back to her. Now and then he'd look up at the staircase, fear on his lips.

"This, this is my fault. It's my fucking fault. My fault for trying to better my life. Gotta have reality remind me I'm not allowed to do that! Can't have anything good happen for me. Not a god damn thing. Not a single fucking thing! Am I just a punching bag to you God?! Is this how you get your rocks off?! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!"

Lincoln practically screamed the last part as he gripped his head in seeming frustration. He lashed out, kicking a nearby work bench, slamming his foot into it, before he yowled in pain, taking hold of his foot and falling over, rocking back and forth, "FUCK! FUCK! DANG IT!"

Lisa winced as she watched her not brother roll on the ground after hurting himself. She slowly stood up and watched as he rolled upwards into a sitting position, still holding his foot. She noticed he put his face into his hands, seeming to have fallen into complete despair.

"Just…just send me home. Please just send me home. I don't want to be here. I don't belong here."

Lisa approached Lincoln and knelt down next to him. She hesitated a moment as all of her internal emotions struggled against one another in a confusing morass. He looked like her brother, he sounded like her brother, the way he walked was just like her Lincoln. So many parts of her wanted to comfort him so much. But she was also aware he wasn't her Lincoln, he was someone else, effectively a stranger.

No, that wasn't true. She had run his DNA test herself. He was her brother, and as much as her logical mind wanted to be rational about it, her DNA recognized its own. He was family, even if distant family.

But that was the thing about family, only they could hurt you more than anyone else. She still needed to be careful. Lisa and her siblings understood that greater than most did. She wasn't entirely sure how this Lincoln would react, but she understood the carrot was the better option to start with, over the stick.

Slowly she reached her hand out and placed it on his shoulder.

"Lincoln, I know you are afraid, lost, and alone right now. But I can only hope my double would do the same for my Lincoln what I offer to you. I'll do everything in my power to return you home safely and as swiftly as I'm able. In the meantime, this place is your home, and my sisters and our children welcome you."

Lisa hadn't known what to expect from Lincoln as a reaction, but seeing him suddenly flinch away from her touch, stand up and back away still hurt.

Lincoln's hands continued to rest over his face as he seemed to take a deep breath, draw them down, and for the first real time, fix her with a gaze that seemed to accept the situation and reality he was in.

"Just… give me a moment here, give me a moment."

Lisa watched patiently, nodding her head as she stood up in return, "Take your time Lincoln."

Lincoln looked at her, seemed to really look at her, then around the basement, then towards the stairs. By this time there was noise coming from above, the sound of feet walking on the floor above them, and muted voices occasionally coming from the kitchen.

He looked back to her.

"They're all up there, aren't they?"

Lisa adjusted her glasses, still trying her best to keep the calm and welcoming demeanor she had been displaying. Lincoln seemed as if he had calmed down, but she was still on her guard all the same.

"If by 'all' you mean our sisters and your children, then yes they're all up there." Lisa winced before she shook her head and put her hand up apologetically, "Forgive me Lincoln, I mean, my brother's sisters and children, though for all intents and purposes you are our brother and their father as well…genetically speaking."

Lincoln looked back to the stairs, then back to Lisa one last time. He focused on her, his eyes went over her form, from top to bottom. A moment later, he started to look a little green, and then suddenly he was putting his hand over his mouth, and he ran to the wastebasket in the corner, and proceeded to vomit up what was in his stomach.

Lisa ran over to him with a concerned expression, hesitating again, wondering if she should offer comfort or medicine of any kind. She hoped his reaction was just being overwhelmed by everything, and not one of complete disgust for their families' situation.

As she reached towards him, Lincoln suddenly slapped her hand back, "Don't touch me!"

It was still unnerving to see this kind of behavior, this attitude coming from the man who looked so much like her brother. She didn't have time to formulate any kind of a response as he continued.

"You, you… all of you?! Fucking all of you!? What's wrong with all of you?! Those kids! Those kids?! All of them?! With all of you!? That doesn't even make any sense! The older ones, I would have, have have had to have been…"

Lisa cut him off, "You were 12 years old when you became a father in this universe. Loan is the eldest of your children, Lori is her mother."

Lincoln's hands went up into his hair as he yelled in response, "Fucking Lori!? Lori molested me and and… Jesus Christ, why didn't any of you stop her?! How the fuck did did—"

Lisa cut him off again, "Lori wasn't your first Lincoln. She was the first you impregnated, with Leni following shortly afterwards, but neither of them were the first of your sisters you made love to. I know our family situation is unusual, but I assure you everything was done with love and consent–

Lincoln cut her off.

"Unusual?! You think it's just unusual?! It's a god dang crime Lisa! A fucking 12 year old can't consent to having sex! Let alone with his own sisters and have kids with them! What the hell is wrong with all of you?! Jesus Christ, who was my first then? Oh god, I bet it was Lynn, it was fucking Lynn, wasn't it?"

Lisa looked back at Lincoln with a slightly curious expression, "No it wasn't Lynn… but why do you think it was her? What are things like back in your own universe?"

Lincoln flinched, looked slightly uncomfortable, and didn't address the question, simply continuing on with his ranting, "Why didn't anybody stop it?! Fucking A, even Lucy, Lola and Lana?! Even you and Lily?! What kind of a fucking monster am I in this universe?!"

Lisa frowned, hearing her brother speak in this manner was…frustrating to say the least, and it hurt more given it came from someone who looked just like him, and sounded just like him, even spoke in the same way he did when he was upset…with some added profanity. But she had to remind herself, this Lincoln was from different circumstances than her own.

"Lily and Lincoln never had a child-

Lincoln interrupted her again.

"Oh thank fucking god for small favors! At least he didn't molest the baby of the family, he only knocked up the second youngest! Dang it Lisa, you're supposed to be a genius, how the hell did you let your brother do something so sick and twisted like that?!"

Lisa didn't know where to even begin, whether to point out Lily and Lincoln still had enjoyed a romantic and sexual connection until recently, or that she had cloned Lulu from her and Lincoln's DNA because she was infertile. No, the first thing she needed to do was defend her brother's honor. She found her patience becoming thinner and thinner the more this Lincoln disparaged her family.

"Lincoln, I assure you, everything done between myself and my brother was consensual. He is the most loving and sweet man I've met in my life. I was overjoyed to give him my virginity on my 14th birthday. Our family is quite happy with our circumstances."

Lincoln looked back at Lisa incredulously, he shook his head, before he continued to ramble, "Lisa! Listen to yourself! Overjoyed to give your virginity to him?! The older sisters messed me up, and then I messed all of you up! How did you all let this happen?! All of those kids too, how could you all be so, so, irresponsible?!"

Lincoln almost looked angry as he stared at Lisa. She was quickly becoming more and more aware this Lincoln's attitude was not going to be as pleasant and accepting as her sisters and she hoped. Then she noticed a look of horror cross his face as he pointed at her.

"Those kids! Are you fucks molesting those kids too?! Fuck it, you know what?It doesn't matter if I get back or not, those kids don't deserve to be dragged into this perverse weird fucked up sex cult you all have going on! I'm going to have to go to the poli-gahhk!"

Before Lincoln could finish, Lisa had removed her glasses and moved far more swiftly than he ever thought was possible. Suddenly the short woman had crossed the distance and grabbed him by the neck with her right hand. She lifted him off of his feet like he weighed nothing and shoved him up against a support beam.

Lisa spoke in a much harsher tone, as she narrowed her brown eyes up at him, "Lincoln, I understand you are upset given your circumstances, however, I will not allow you to continue and disparage our family, nor will I allow you to go to the police. Our children do not participate in our lifestyle, we would never think of hurting any of them like that, do I make myself clear?!"

Lincoln's hands had come up to her wrists, grabbing at it, his feet dangling above the ground, a look of fear in his eyes.

It was that look of fear that made Lisa regret her actions. She had never seen her brother look at her in such a way, and even knowing this was her brother from a different universe, it was still a look she didn't want to ever see again. She quickly placed him back on his feet and turned away from him, frowning to herself.

"Forgive me Lincoln, I lost my temper. It wasn't my intention to hurt you, but I ask that you understand, as much as you may disapprove of my brother and my sisters' lifestyle, we love our children and would never let any harm come to them."

Lincoln stood with his back against the support beam, rubbing his neck as he looked at the back of his other universal sister. He nodded his head, even if she couldn't see it at the moment, coughing once before he responded.

"Okay, okay I believe you. I won't go to the police, I'll play nice, even if, even if you all make my skin crawl. H-how, how did you do that?!"

Lisa ignored his comment about skin crawling before she turned back towards her brother to fix him with her gaze once more, "I altered my own biology years ago, I can surmise your own Lisa has not done similarly given your reaction. Unfortunately altering my own DNA in such a manner rendered me infertile."

Lincoln, nodding and still rubbing his throat, spoke up curiously, "Wait, if you're infertile, how do you have a kid with me, I mean him?"

Lisa gave a slightly soft smile, "Lulu is the product of advanced science of course. A clone created with my own and your DNA. I also provided her with several enhancements even greater than mine since I was able to implement them from her proverbial birth."

Despite himself, Lincoln actually looked impressed, "You created a super baby?! That's actually kind of cool…" Before he caught himself and shook his head, "I mean wait, is she safe? You know I've read more than enough comic books where this sort of thing comes with all kinds of problems and trouble!"

Lisa smiled gently once more as she put her hand up reassuringly, "Lulu is safe Lincoln, she's no danger to the family. She's genetically programmed to not harm anyone possessing Loud DNA, which brings me to my next warning."

Lincoln looked back at Lisa again.

Lisa continued.

"Given her young age, and the way her senses work, Lulu is not going to be able to distinguish you from her father. Lulu Is very fond of her father and will likely seek attention and affection from you. I know it's asking a lot of you Lincoln, but I ask that you don't spurn her. She has nothing to do with any of this, and I'm afraid of an inconsistent father affecting her emotional development."

Lincoln blinked several times in surprise. He looked a little shocked at the request, but standing there in his underwear still, he looked down and rubbed the back of his head, brow furrowing.

"I, I don't know how good I would be at that, I know she's not to blame for anything, but I don't know if I'm any good with kids…"

Lisa, for some reason, looked directly at Lincoln as if she was certain he was lying, to himself if no one else.

"Lincoln, if you are anything, anything at all like our own Lincoln, then I know that to be a complete and utter falsehood. Given the concern you showed for our children above even the possibility of returning to your own reality, I'm quite certain you probably have a knack for it, just as our Lincoln does."

Lincoln frowned to himself again, folding his arms as he looked down. It was true, he was good with kids, his nieces and nephews loved him. His younger sisters once adored him too, before they grew up and didn't need him anymore.

"I just don't know how I feel about impersonating her father, causing her any kind of confusion."

Lisa responded in the gentle and understanding tone she had been exercising to try and keep him calm once more, "She's barely a toddler Lincoln, she'll just want you to hug her, carry her around and play with her. She loves her siblings and aunts too, so she won't be with you all the time. If it really bothers you, you can tell her you're her uncle, although I'm not sure she'll understand."

Lincoln slowly nodded, his shoulders beginning to slump as he brought his hand up to his face again. More and more of the reality of the situation settling in for him.

"I'm really stuck here, aren't I? I mean, I'm really going to have to stay here. Christ. I have 10 pages due in a week."

Lisa gave him a weak smile in return, "I'm sure your Lisa is probably hard at work trying to figure out how to get you back, with any luck this will only be a temporary situation."

Lincoln scoffed, shrugging his shoulders, "Not likely." But offered no further explanation than that. "Alright, alright, I'll do my best to not be a rude house guest no matter how… messed up your family situation is right now, but please, can I have some clothes? This is the longest I've stood in my underwear in front of any of my sisters in years."

Lisa gave a playful smirk, "And here I thought you'd be a closet nudist just like our Lincoln is. He loved lounging around in his underwear when he was younger."

Lincoln rolled his eyes, and his body took something of a slight red flush. Lisa seemed to notice, she chuckled as she stepped over to a counter picking up a pair of blue jeans and an orange polo, tossing them at him.

"You two might be far more similar than you think Lincoln."

Lincoln frowned as he began to pull on the jeans, narrowing his eyes at Lisa, "Accept I've never fucked any of my sisters. Also, I stopped wearing ball hugging undies like these years ago."

Lisa had to bite her tongue from saying that was a shame and tell him how good he looked in them, but she didn't want to antagonize this Lincoln anymore than necessary. He was barely beginning to accept things now and she didn't need to give him any reason to be hostile again.

She watched as he pulled his polo over his form, again struck by the surreal nature of the events. The man in front of her was her brother, just one who had taken a very different path in life. It made her all the more curious about how things were in his universe, but this wasn't the time to ask.

"Are you ready to meet everyone else? They've been waiting patiently, some of the children might have a harder time accepting things, but our sisters are here for you."

Lincoln finished buttoning his pants up and slipping socks on. After a moment he looked off again, took a deep breath and then nodded.

"As ready as I'm going to be. Oh, by the way, do they…all live here? Is it just Lynn? What's the whole sleeping situation?"

Lisa made her way to the foot of the stairs, looking over her shoulder at Lincoln, "Our sisters each take turns spending a week sleeping over with Lincoln and being with the children. Of course, just because it's not their week doesn't mean the other sisters don't visit often. But there's always one of us besides me that's living here and sleeping with Lincoln. Oh, of course Lana and Lola often spend the week over together and both slee-

Lincoln put his hands up, "Okay, okay I get the picture. I don't need the explicit details Lis. We'll have to figure out some sort of other sleeping arrangement."

Lisa turned back fully, "That won't be necessary Lincoln, our sisters would be more than willing to share the master bedroom with you."

Lincoln actively hunched up his shoulders and grimaced when Lisa brought up sleeping with his sisters, firing off back at her, "I'm not having sex with any of you!"

Lisa rose her eyebrow curiously and adjusted her glasses, "I didn't mean sexually Lincoln, you have shared a bed with your own sisters before have you not?"

Lincoln groaned, "Yes I have, but it's been more than a few years. Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to assume, you have to understand this is all pretty freakin crazy to me!"

Lisa nodded in reply, "I know there will be some adjustments for all of us. But no, you're not expected to have physical relations with any of us. Although, I do believe more than a few of my sisters would be willing to engage in coitus with you, if you showed interest."

Lincoln's face turned ashen and he put his hands up, rapidly shaking them back and forth, "Not gonna happen Lis, and besides, wouldn't that be cheating on your Lincoln?!"

Lisa gave a slightly amused expression as she fixed Lincoln with her gaze, "Did you assume we were sexually bound to one another? That Lincoln gets to have 10 women to himself while we only have one male to share? We are romantically exclusive with one another Lincoln, but not sexually so. We are free to have sex with whoever we wish too."

Lincoln looked a little shocked hearing that before he just shook his head, "Of course you are, of course… Can I maybe just have my old room, would that work?"

Lisa folded her arms, "Lincoln, we're not going to stick you back in the linen closet, my sisters can sleep on the couch—

Lincoln interrupted again, "I'm not putting anyone out on the couch on my account! Just, if it's there, I'll take it. I'll sleep on the floor if I have to."

Lisa sighed, somewhat in frustration and nodded her head, "Alright, I'll discuss the matter with the others. Now, I think we've kept everyone waiting long enough."

Lincoln, seeming satisfied for now, nodded his head, and followed Lisa up the stairs and further into the looking glass.

...

The sheer number of people in the living room was a little overwhelming to Lincoln, and yet strangely familiar at the same time. He'd grown up in a house full of people, and the rare times all of his family were together there were nearly as many as the ones now currently in front of him. It made him feel slightly nostalgic, despite the number of strangely familiar and unfamiliar faces in front of him.

Each of his 'sisters' seemed to be roughly sitting with, or nearby their own children sprawled out across the couch, the lazyboy, the floor and even the stairs. Lots of small conversations were carrying on between all of them. Lincoln could now see why it was probably rare all of his sisters visited at once, as big as the house was, there just wasn't enough room for everyone.

When Lincoln entered the room, everyone went quiet.

All eyes fell upon Lincoln and Lisa, but most came to rest on him. Lincoln's gaze passed over each of his sister's and their children in turn. The family resemblance between them all was unmistakable. Each and every one of them was a Loud, and as much as it twisted his stomach, he could see his own features in every one of the children present.

As for his sisters, for the most part, they looked nearly identical to the ones in his own universe, outside of a different haircut or slight style alteration here and there.

Lori was just as tall, statuesque and professional looking as ever with her thick short blonde hair perfectly coiffed and deep blue eyes. She wore a white button up shirt, and black slacks. She flashed him a small welcoming smile as she sat on the stairs with Loan, one hand gently on the nervous girl's shoulder. Loan looked fitfully at Lincoln, before back at her mother, whispering something to her.

Platinum blonde Leni wore an ever present smile and a seafoam green flower print dress. Her hair fell to her shoulders, her green eyes sparkled, and she was as beautiful as her counterpart in his dimension. Her children were on either side of her as she kept her arms around both. Lyle glared suspicious daggers at him, while Liena gave a smile as welcoming as her mother's.

Luna had shaved one side of her head and let her brown hair grow longer on the other, she wore a Mick Swagger shirt that ended above her belly button, showing off a piercing, and torn black jeans. She had a slightly rougher look compared to his own Luna, like she'd been through hard times. She was skinnier than his. She was on the floor with Lyra and Lemy. Luna fixed him with a friendly smile, Lemy looked at him curiously, while Lyra gave a polite nod of greeting.

Luan probably looked the least different compared to his own universe's, it was a little unnerving. She wore a pair of pastel yellow khakis and a sleeveless white button up. Her long Auburn hair kept down. She wore an amused expression on her lips, one exactly like his own Luan's. If Liby wasn't standing next to her, Lincoln would have sworn it was his sister. As it was, the two leaned against the couch, with the teenager's eyes on him with a worried expression.

Lynn was on the stairs with her daughter Lacy. Her brown hair up in a ponytail. Lincoln noted how strange it was to see her with long hair compared to his own Lynn. She wore a Royal Woods Kangaroos shirt and a pair of red shorts. When she noticed him, she flushed slightly and gave a nervous smile. Lacy, who had a bandage over her nose, smiled brightly and waved.

This Lucy's coal black hair was even longer than his own Lucy's. While her bangs remained as neat and eye concealing as ever, the rest ran to the middle of her back. She wore a modest black dress that went from her neck to her ankles with a white collar. Next to her on the couch was her daughter Lupa. Lucy's expression was unreadable like always, but Lupa grinned at him like he was fresh prey.

Lola and Lana were probably the most strikingly different to his own sisters.

Lola's blonde hair was long and straight over her shoulders. She wore a pair of black yoga pants that hugged her body like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination, a cozy pink sweater that seemed to accentuate her chest finished the look. It was like she was dressing to show off her figure far more than his own Lola ever did. In fact, he had a sneaking suspicion his Lola would refer to the look as…kind of slutty looking. It didn't help when she grinned at him, then bit her bottom lip and raised her eyebrows coquettishly.

Lana had a red cap on her head, covering her long blonde hair which was held back in a french braid. She wore a pair of overalls, one shoulder left unbuttoned, with a wife beater underneath. The most noticeable difference between his Lana and her was in the muscle definition she possessed. This Lana had muscles in her arms that looked like corded steel. More than that, she was actually kinda buff. The worst part was how Lana caught him looking, then proceeded to place her arm around her softer twin, and join Lola in the same lip bite and eyebrow wagging gesture.

The effect from both of them was unnerving, and far different from the look their children gave him. The two young girls sat in front of their mothers, Leia with her arms wrapped protectively around Lizy. Leia's eyes were narrowed as if judging the man claiming to be her father, Lizy looked like she was ready to cry.

Lily looked far different from the one he was used to. She looked more like the 12 year old version of herself than the 19 year old he was used to. Right down to the lavender jumper she was wearing and black tights on her legs. Her hair was long, and combed neatly, complete with a lilac hairband in it. The small visible baby-bump she carried was the part that made it seem like some sort of twisted dream. Her smile was warm and friendly at least.

While the kids seemed to run the gamut of expressions from curiosity and wariness between all of them none of his 'sisters' seemed like they were being hostile towards him. No, they all seemed like they were trying to be welcoming in their own way.

Lisa was the one who stepped forward in front of Lincoln, cleared her throat and addressed the room.

"Everyone, I assume Lynn has informed you already, but allow me to reiterate and clarify things with you all just to be sure. The man behind me is Lincoln Loud, he is just not our Lincoln Loud. He is from another universe entirely. He has switched places with our Lincoln, but I promise you I'm already working on how to try and send him back home to his sisters, and return our own Lincoln back to us. In the meantime, I hope we can all treat him well while he resides with us."

It was Loan, who was the first of all the children to speak up. Looking from her position near her mother Lori, a slightly curious expression, "So, so his kids are probably missing him too then? W-w-what am I like in your universe?"

Lincoln gave a soft slight wince at that question, as Lisa herself seemed also unsure of how to answer it and vaguely uncomfortable, before Lincoln replied.

"You… well, you see… in my universe you don't exist. I'm not in a relationship with any of my sisters where I'm from."

A small gasp came from some of the children and sisters present hearing that.

Loan looked a little crestfallen as she looked down towards the ground, and hugged her mother more tightly, "Oh…. okay…"

Little Lizy was the next to speak up, the young girl looking positively despaired, "So…so you're not my Daddy? You won't play Dinosaur farm with me?"

Lincoln looked as if the child's words physically hurt him. He smiled painfully as he looked at the young girl, "I'm not your Daddy, I'm sorry. Just, um, just think of me like… your Daddy's twin… Like Lola and Lana are twins, think of me like I'm your Daddy's twin brother."

The young girl furrowed her brow as she hugged her older sister Leia more tightly, "But I have two Mommys because of that. Lola is my Mommy too. So, you should be my Daddy too, since you're his twin, right?"

Lincoln winced again, looking more uncomfortable as if he didn't know how to address that question just yet. Lana reached down and pulled her daughter into her lap, hugging her close, but it was Lola who spoke up, looking directly at Lincoln with a smirk on her lips, "That's exactly what it's like Lizy. He can be your second daddy while your first is away. I'm sure he'll be happy to play with you."

Lincoln looked a little unsure at that statement, as if he wanted to argue with Lola, but he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to say. He just stood there, frowning to himself, before he brought his hand up, ready to add something.

Then Leni suddenly stood up and made a bee line right for him. Before Lincoln knew it, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pinning his arms at his sides.

"O M Gosh Lincy! I like, don't understand everything, but we're totes here for you! Even if you're not the Lincy we know, you're still Lincy!"

Lincoln stood stock still, trying to find the right thing to say, the right way to protest, and get this to end, but then suddenly Lynn was up and moving, and he felt her throw her arms around him, and hug him close as well!

"Oh Stinkin! I'm so sorry for freaking you out earlier! I really am, I didn't know what was going on and you look so much like my Lincoln! But I'm going to take care of you little bro, I promise!"

Luna was the next one who had jumped up out of her seat, and threw her arms around him, adding to the group hug, before he could get a word in edgewise.

"Don't you worry bout a thing dude! Louds stick together, no matter what universe it is! Our Casa, you Casa!"

Lincoln couldn't remember the last time he had been hugged like this by his sisters. It had been years. It reminded him of the way things used to be, when he was younger.

He liked the way it felt.

That's why he hated it so much.

It reminded him of his weaker self, his weaker past, when he was just that insipid little boy hanging on his sister's every request, so very desperate for their love, affection, and approval.

Finally, he got control of himself, and reacted. He flexed his arms and physically broke free of their grasp. A moment later he shoved them away by stepping back from the three of them, just as he saw some of his other sisters looking like they were ready to try and join the group hug.

"Don't Touch me! Don't fucking touch me!" He practically yelled.

He regretted it the moment the words left his lips, looking at the effect it had on some of the children present.

Lizy, Libby, and Loan gasped as if the words of satan themselves had poured forth from his lips. Lupa laughed hysterically, Lyle glared at him, Lyra made the sign of the cross, Liena looked worried, and Leia joined Lyle in the glaring while trying to comfort Lizy who was beginning to tear up. Only Lemy seemed more curious than anything else.

Lincoln winced as he watched the three sisters who had hugged him pull away and begin to look shocked. Luna frowned, Lynn looked hurt, and Leni scrunched up her face and looked like she was ready to cry.

"But why Lincy?" The Platinum blonde asked, her green eyes looking at him as if he'd just slapped her.

Lincoln was unmoved.

"Look, I'm just not, I'm not a huggy person. I don't like to be touched, I don't hug my own sisters, I'm not about to let you guys put your hands on me. Especially when I know where they've been."

Lola seemed to take some kind of offense at that statement, as her lips turned up into a grimace and she responded, "Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean Lincoln?!"

It bothered him how this Lola reminded him so much of his own Lola in tone and anger, but he fired right back, "It means exactly what you think it means. You're all a bunch of depraved degenerates and I want nothing to do with any of you."

Silence filled the room as the family surrounding Lincoln didn't even seem as if they knew what to say. Lincoln looked at all of them, saw the way they looked at him. It was a mixture of shock, anger…and pity.

Some of them were looking at him with Pity.

He hated that.

Who the fuck did these bitches think they were to look at him with pity? He didn't even let his own sisters look at him that way, no matter how much more successful they were than he was. He didn't need his own sisters' pity, and he certainly didn't need the pity of a bunch of molesters and rapists.

But there were children present, and as much as Lincoln wanted to lash out and lay into them, these…imposters who wore his sisters' faces, he managed to barely keep control.

"I don't like you, I really don't. Maybe you're used to your Lincoln being this weak, servile, and submissive loser who will do anything and everything you all want, but I grew out of that stage years ago. I long quit being my sister's personal servant, I'm my own man. It's only because I think your children are innocent and don't deserve the blame for all of this that I'm not going to the police. But don't think for a moment I'm going to be anything like your own Lincoln, that weirdo pervert you all brainwashed into taking care of you."

More silence and shocked faces greeted him. Lincoln could tell he'd effectively given all of these women an emotional gut punch with his reaction. Good, they fucking needed a wakeup call. They needed someone to tell them what kind of monsters they all were, with these poor kids the result of their perverse lust.

Leia narrowed her eyes from where she was sitting in front of her mother, "I don't like him Mommy. He's nothing like our real Daddy. He's a jerk."

Lincoln didn't blame the kid for being misguided, he felt bad for these children over all, having to grow up in this environment.

White haired Lupa grinned as she spoke up, "Oh I don't know Leia, I think he's hilarious. I think we can have lots of fun with him."

For some reason, the way the white haired girl was grinning at him began to unnerve Lincoln. Lucy was the one to respond to her daughter with a corrective tone, "Lupa…."

Lupa shook her head and continued to grin, "Oh come on Mom, I'm not gonna hurt him…that much."

Lynn looked at Lincoln with an expression of hurt, and anger, stepping directly in front of him, staring up with her brown eyes, "Stinkin, I get it, the kiss threw you off, but we're welcoming you into our home, we just want you to be comfortable here. Why are you being like this?"

Lincoln jerked back slightly, his eyes narrowing, "Don't call me that, I don't let my Lynn call me that anymore, I'm not about to let some weird sex pervert like you call me it either!"

Lincoln felt himself getting heated, the level of familiarity these women tried to imply with him pissed him off. The fact children were present was becoming less and less important to him.

Lynn grit her teeth as she looked more and more hurt by the words coming from Lincoln's mouth. Her eyes even tearing up, "We just want to make you feel welcome and you, you react like a fucking asshole!"

It was at this point Lizy began to cry and hug her mother more tightly, sniffling softly, "I want Daddy back, I don't want this Daddy."

Lily winced and smiled, walking forward her hands up, trying to play peacemaker, "Okay, okay things are starting to get heated, maybe we should all–

But Lincoln wasn't listening, he yelled right back at Lynn, "Better a fucking Asshole than a God Damn Rapist! You were supposed to protect me Lynn, not fucking rape me!"

A resounding slap echoed around the room, shutting everyone up, and bringing with it an uncomfortable silence.

Lynn stood there, teeth grit again, eyes wet with tears, breathing heavily. Her hand up, having just brought it across Lincoln's face.

Lincoln stood in mute shock, his hand on his cheek, a large red print left where Lynn had struck him.

Lynn only glared, speaking through her clenched teeth, "You're not Lincoln. You're a fucking imposter. Someone wearing a skin suit that looks like him."

Lincoln turned up his face, narrowed his eyes and replied, "And you're not Lynn Loud, she's a god damn celebrity married to a Navy Seal, not some loser fucking her own brother."

Lynn looked as if she was ready to attack Lincoln, and for his part, Lincoln looked just as ready to meet her attack. Lincoln had long ago sworn he would never let any of his sisters push him around again, regardless of his ability to fight them or not. He had far too much pride to let anyone, family or not, bully him anymore.

But just as more tears could be heard coming from some of the kids, more looks of worry, hushed whispers of despair and Lynn looking like she was going to try and tackle him, a familiar voice that carried such instinctual authority to it, that even Lincoln, as proud as he was, felt compelled to obey, cut through everything else.

"That's enough! All of you stop it right now! Lynn, Lincoln, if both of you don't back down this instant I will literally turn you both into human PRETZELS!"

Lori had stood up and stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists, visible anger and indignity on her face. Lincoln hadn't seen Lori give that particular look in years, not since he had been a teenager. The strange familiarity of it only messed with his emotions further, but there was one thing he knew with certainty.

You did not mess with Lori Loud when she was this angry.

Even Lynn seemed to shirk back in slight fear from seeing Lori lose her cool and assert herself as Alpha of the family. The tall blonde seemed to start naturally exuding the aura of eldest sibling that cowed the rest of the family around her. Lynn looked as if she was about to try and make some sort of weak argument or plea but Lori cut her off.

"No Lynn, you will not say another word! You are not going to hurt Lincoln while he's with us, none of you are!"

That seemed to make Lincoln feel a little more relieved, his shoulders relaxed slightly until Lori turned her imperious and furious gaze upon him.

"And you Lincoln, I get you don't like things here, but you are not going to talk that way to my family or our children! Like it or not, while you're here you are not the head of this family, I am! You are our guest, but I will literally not stand here and listen to you trash talk your sisters like this!"

Lincoln hated how cowed he felt. It reminded him of when he was young, when Lori would babysit. But he couldn't bring himself to stand against her for some reason. It was some reflex ingrained in him by his own Lori, and right now he couldn't see any difference between his Lori and this one.

He tried to offer a weak excuse, "But they're not my sisters…"

This only seemed to anger Lori even further, "Yes they are Lincoln! Your name is Lincoln Loud, you have 10 sisters, it doesn't matter what universe you're from, you are part of this family until we return you back to your own! You can sulk about it all you want, but you need us to get back to where you're from, and that means being civil at the very least! I don't know what things are like for you back home, but if you're anything like our Lincoln, I know he would be ashamed at acting like this in front of children!"

Lincoln winced, and felt like he'd just been struck again. It was true. As much as he was angry at these women, at these so-called sisters, as much as he was repulsed by what they had done, he had to continually remind himself the children were innocent.

And he'd just acted like the biggest asshole in the world in front of them. Disparaging their mothers while wearing their father's face, right in front of them.

He deflated like a balloon, slumped over, his hands coming up to his own face again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…" He sighed and just stopped.

"You're right. I don't like any of this, but you're right."

A silence fell over the room again, until Luan suddenly piped up, "Well, this meeting has gone spectacular so far! I knew we should of started off talking about Global Warming! I hear it's a real ice breaker!"

A collective groan came over the room, seeming to defuse some of the tension. Liby hid her face in her hands, shaking her head, "Mom, please…"

Luan only seemed satisfied with herself.

Lincoln sighed, "I need a beer."

Luna shook her head, "No can do bro, this is a dry house, no alcohol here!"

Lincoln groaned and rolled his eyes, "Of course it is."

Section Break

Lincoln stared at the old linen closet that made up the room he'd known for such a long period of his younger life. The bed he'd slept on from the time he was around 10 until he'd left the house just after graduation from High School was still there. A dust cover having been left on it. The old dresser was against the far wall where he'd kept his old laptop and some of his toys over the years. Some of his old posters were even present.

The surrealness of it all was that back in his own universe this room didn't exist anymore. His family had deconverted it back into a Linen closet about a year after moving out. He remembered how strangely hollowing it felt when he came back for the holidays that year and found his bed and old things were gone.

His parents said he could just sleep on the couch when he visited home now, or take one of his old sister's rooms if they were gone.

It had been the first time in his life he had ever felt unwelcome in what was supposed to be his own home. It seemed to communicate a message to him, 'we don't want you here anymore.' More with the conversion of his old room it almost seemed to wipe the very evidence he had ever lived there from it. Even after having been effectively given the home and moving back in, it still never really felt like 'his home' anymore.

Maybe that was why he had such an easy time renting out the other rooms and removing traces his family had ever lived in that old home. It was just a large empty husk that gave him a roof over his head, and a revenue stream. It wasn't what a home was supposed to be. It wasn't a place full of warm memories to recall with the people he loved.

His mother and father had moved into a smaller house, one that didn't have enough room for all of them to stay over when everyone visited. Leading to a need for hotels and motels if the family wanted to all get together at once and see each other for more than one day.

Not that it ever happened anymore. He couldn't remember the last time all of his siblings had been together in one place with Mom and Dad.

Yet here, in this twisted fun house mirror of a world, here where his family had participated in the most perverse act they ever could… The House felt like a home. Everywhere there were reminders of not only the Loud siblings growing up together, but the added edition of the children in their lives too.

Lincoln had taken notice, he had looked at the mantle place in the living room, the old trophy case, the walls. There were pictures, accolades and evidence of a family that loved and treasured one another everywhere. Pictures going back to when he and his siblings had all lived together, that short two year period after Lily's birth, before Lori moved out and each of his other sisters and then themselves, one by one.

Only here it seemed the sisters didn't move out…or they delayed moving out, or they never did. He couldn't tell, he didn't know the story. But there were pictures of them, pictures of his sisters with their children, with each other's children, and with him. There were pictures of the kids, there were drawings by them, school assignments with high grades up on the walls.

Everywhere was evidence of a home that had never lost the love that had once existed in his own.

With the weirdest and most surreal thing being his old bedroom still being intact.

Lincoln hated the wave of nostalgia it conjured up within him. He hated that it made his heart hurt for reasons he couldn't put his finger on. He hated that he wanted to cry for some reason. He didn't know why he wanted to cry, but his body, his mind, his emotions, they just felt so overwhelmed by everything. He wanted to grab the pillow on that bed, bury his face into it, and let the tears flow.

Fucking pathetic.

He was almost a 30 year old man and he wanted to cry like a little bitch over some wistful memories of childhood, and because he felt alone among a family of predators? What the hell was wrong with him? He needed to get his shit together, he needed to keep his head in the game and try to survive this.

Fuck, he didn't have his medication.

Unknown to everyone he knew except his Mother Rita and best friend Clyde, Lincoln had been diagnosed with major Depressive Disorder a couple years back. He'd been taking an antidepressant medication every day for two years now. He was supposed to also go to therapy, but fuck that noise. He didn't have time for that, and as much as Clyde pushed him to go, he didn't want to.

He didn't see himself as broken, or in need of fixing. Plus, the only reason he could even afford his pills was thanks to qualifying for the Affordable Health Care act. The pills were enough, they kept him from wallowing in his bed all day and doing nothing, or even worse things…but he didn't need the therapy, no matter how much Clyde and his Mom tried to gently nudge him towards it.

But now he didn't have his pills at all.

Fuck, Serotonin withdrawal was a real fucking bitch.

He was going to have to find another way to medicate. Beer and cigarettes had always been the best medicine he could find outside of getting laid. He'd just have to pop down to Flip's later and pick some up for himself.

Then there was the matter of his Double's job. Fucking store manager of the local Burpin Burger. He was a Burpin Burger employee. Was that all his self had ever aspired to be in this god damn universe?! He just hoped Lisa would get him home soon. All of this just kept adding up and making a worse and worse picture for him.

He didn't like dealing with his own sisters, he didn't want to deal with perverted sex cult versions of them instead. The way they smiled at him, the way they tried to welcome him and make him feel more 'at home' made his skin crawl.

Then there was the matter of the kids. He didn't want to interact with the kids, not really. It just felt…weird whenever he looked at them. It felt really, really fucking weird staring at the faces of children you know belong to you, while also understanding they don't REALLY belong to you on top of it all. Didn't help one bit knowing who their mothers were either.

Lincoln slumped down on the bed and buried his face into his hands.

And he might lose his job back home when all of this is over. All the hard work, all the effort, all the hustling and busting his ass to get where he was in the comic industry, and it was about to be pissed down the drain.

His new reality settling in, Lincoln told himself he wasn't going to cry. Told himself he wasn't a bitch and didn't need to shed any tears… but they came anyway as the horror and despair of his situation sunk in further and further.

Just then, he heard a soft voice speak up next to him on the bed.

"Dada!"

Lincoln took his hands away from his face, his cheeks wet with tears and beheld a rather strange and unnerving site. Sitting on the bed next to him was a toddler, a baby that looked to be no older than two, wearing a blue onesie with green trim, with a strange looking sleek white and blue technological collar around her neck.

Lincoln knew who the little girl with brown hair and big blue eyes had to be right away. This had to be Lulu, the only kid he hadn't formally met downstairs.

He had no idea how she'd even gotten in the room, but there she was, looking up at him, her pacifier in her hand, an expression of concern in her eyes.

"Dada!"

She said again, and the little baby girl crawled over to him, reached him, and put her arms against his torso in the closest approximation of a hug she could.

Lincoln's heart practically melted, and for reasons he couldn't even explain himself, he slipped his arms around the baby girl and lifted her up, holding her against his shoulder. It reminded him of when he did the same to Lily when she was a baby.

Lincoln sniffed as he forced a smile on his face, "H-h-hey kiddo. I'm not your Dada, but I'll do my best for you, okay? Promise you that."

He didn't know why, but right now this little girl seemed like a life preserver thrown to him in a vast ocean. Holding Lulu close, he clung to her and would eventually pass out, dreaming of better days. Days of when he would do the same thing holding Lily, and all his family was together.