"Well, this is certainly a peculiar situation." Ryan chatted casually from his armchair.

"That`s an understatement." Lynn snarked from across the living room couch. Lincoln was slouching in his hands next to her with a bitter look on his face.

"So...lemme get this straight? Someone turned back the clock and the three of us are the only ones aware of it, is that right?"

"As far as me and Linc know, yes." Lynn confirmed. "The rest of our family doesn't, neither do any of my friends. Did you talk to Clyde or any of your buds, bro?" she turned to Lincoln.

He sighed and straightened himself. "No, I`ve talked with them over my walky-talky, they remember nothing."

"Interesting. Looks like we have a mystery on our hands?" Ryan mused with interest.

Lincoln scowled. "That's not why we came here, Taylor." he retorted sternly.

"Whoever... or...whatever did this obviously didn't care to tell us why we remember the future, and no one else does."

"Ah yes, another unexplained phenomenon." Ryan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Like Bigfoot, or the Bermuda Triangle...or why you like reading comics in your birthday suit?" he smirked right at the younger boy.

Lincoln clenched his fists and turned red with anger. His glare turned towards Lynn, essentially saying "You just had to let that one slip."

The jock exhaled. "Cut the comedy, Ryan. We didn't come here to solve this mystery. We need your help for-"

"Ryan!" they suddenly heard someone shouting.

A 14-year old girl with shoulder-length ebony hair came into the living room, holding Charles by the scruff of his neck.

She glared at her brother. "Care to explain what this flea-bitten mutt was doing in the kitchen?" she asked sternly and dropped the bull terrier to the floor. Frightened, Charles promptly scampered towards his owners.

She took immediate notice of the two visitors. "And who are they?"

Ryan smirked at his sister. "Why Renee? I invited some guests and they brought Marceline a new playmate." he shrugged.

"Hey, I`m Lynn-" the jock extended her hand but Renee pushed it aside.

"I don't care who you are." she addressed her apathetically before facing Ryan.

"So what`s going on here?" she inquired while folding her arms.

"Why so jumpy?" Ryan snickered mockingly. "I just made some new friends and invited them over for a sleepover."

Renee sneered in disbelief. "You made friends?"

"I know, right? That's what happens to people who aren't stick-in-the-mud bores like you." he replied coolly.

"I can see they're close." a deadpan Lincoln whispered into Lynn`s ear.

"You know mom and dad are away on business, and I'm sure you didn't ask them for permission to do this." Renee deduced dryly.

"And your point is?" Ryan replied in a bored tone.

"My point is that I'm in charge when they`re gone, and you didn't tell me about this!"

Ryan snickered sardonically. "So you're still telling yourself that to feel special, huh?" he countered. Renee narrowed her eyes.

"Look, Renee." Lynn interjected. "This wasn't his idea, me and my brother invited ourselves here."

The teen girl glowered at them. "Am I supposed to believe that?" she replied condescendingly.

Lynn grew annoyed by her demeanor but tried to stay civil.

"It`s true, I`m sorry if we busted in uninvited, but we just wanted to welcome Ryan into his new neighborhood and we already packed our stuff and got permission from our dad to stay."

Renee narrowed her eyes skeptically. "You already arranged to stay here?"

"Yes, and I promise we won't cause any trouble. We always behave respectfully in other peoples` homes."

"Fine. Whatever." Reen groaned in annoyance before glaring at Ryan. "I`ll be watching you, and them." she warned him. With that, she left upstairs without another word.

"She seems friendly." Lynn commented sarcastically.

"I know, and you met her in a good mood." Ryan quipped.

"Yeesh, are all older sisters permanently stuck in cranky mode?" Lynn asked him. Lincoln was about to speak up but got interrupted.

"But she has a point, why`d you bring Rover there with you?" Ryan asked casually about the dog who was sitting next to Lynn`s leg.

"His name`s Charles, and we didn't, he followed us. He`s been doing it quite a bit for the last few days."

Lynn smiled and patted his head. "Maybe he remembers too and is happy to see us again?" she suggested half-seriously.

"Charles?" Ryan laughed. "What kind of a name is that for a dog? Charles? It sounds like the name of some old, stuffy British dude."

"You`re one to talk?" Lynn smirked. "You named your cat Marceline. Where did you even hear that name? It sounds like some emo vampire from that dumb soap opera Lucy watches."

"Touche." Ryan admitted.

"Hey! Can you talk about pet names some other time?" Lincoln asked impatiently only to feel something brushing against his leg. He saw a large, leopard-like house cat looking at him and meowing.

"Well speak of the devil." Lynn noticed the cat too and instinctively held her dog by the scruff of his neck.

Marceline purred until she spotted Charles and immediately jumped into her owner's lap.

"What`s the matter? Don't like the company?" Ryan asked her jokingly while stroking her back to calm her.

Lynn had seen Marceline before but she never noticed how big that cat was until she saw her next to Charles. She was as tall as him.

"Say, what kind of a cat is Marcy again? How'd she get so tall?" she asked out of curiosity while holding Charles down, who seemed eager to approach the cat.

"She`s a savannah cat." Ryan gladly explained. "They're a rare breed, half-house cat, and half-serval."

"What`s a ser..vell?" the jock looked confused.

"Oh, that`s a type of wildcat from Africa. Think mini-cheetah with bat ears. I saw plenty of those in my old backyard. " Ryan recollected.

"Charming story." Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Is it even legal to own one of those here?"

"Dunno. I didn't care to check the state laws." Ryan replied with casual sarcasm while stroking his cat.

"Ugh...forget it." Lincoln muttered, realizing he was just wasting time.

"Let's get back on topic, guys." Ryan suggested. "This time businesses? I thought about it a lot." he confirmed before smiling.

"And you know, at first I was confused, naturally, but then I realized that this was just plain awesome!"

"Awesome?" Lynn raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Who cares how this happened?" Ryan stated happily.

"We just got double summer this year! In fact, you know what we should do, Lynn? We should go and rent some beach house at the Great Lakes or maybe visit the beaches of California to surf. Or-I know! Go to Miami! I always wanted to see a gator on a golf course!"

Lynn sighed."Ryan, that sounds cool and all, but you're forgetting one little detail..."

"Our parents will divorce!" Lincoln said bluntly.

Ryan froze and looked at them sheepishly. "Oh yeah...that happened...eh is gonna happen..."

"It`s not gonna happen." Lynn stated determinedly. "Me and Linc are going to make sure of that!"

"Ah, I see. The "knows the bad future and is now gonna stop it from happening" thing?" Ryan understood immediately. "You're doing that. Clever, clever."

Lynn`s face softened and she smiled. "Yes we are, but we need help. Will you please help us?"

Lincoln added, "We have to keep our parents from breaking up, and find a way to keep our sisters in line."

Ryan tapped his chin, seemingly in deep thought. He yawned and looked aside. "What do I look like? A family counselor?" he answered dismissively.

A look of shock and hurt crossed Lynn`s face while Lincoln felt boiling mad. He jumped to his feet. "Some friend you are! You-"

"Relax, pipsqueak!" Ryan laughed and held a hand up. "I was kidding, kay? Just kidding. Of course I'll help you! If Lynn needs my humble assistance then she`ll get it." he smiled at the girl.

Lynn shook her head, feeling a mixture of annoyance and relief. "Thanks, Ryan." she ultimately said.

Lincoln relaxed and sat back down. "What a shmuck." he huffed inwardly.

"Course, I wouldn't mind being filled in on what exactly is gonna happen leading up to the divorce?" Ryan added before Charles suddenly appeared at his side and started licking Marceline`s face.

"Charles!" Lynn exclaimed, realizing that she let go of him at some point.

Much to everyone`s surprise, the cat didn't attack him. She just jerked her head back trying to avoid his slobbery tongue, with a visibly annoyed expression.

Ryan chuckled. "Well, looks like these two are getting along."


As night fell, the three kids were in Ryan`s room, talking about their next step. Charles was there too, as was Marceline who was lying under the bed, trying to ignore the dog and his attempts to goad her into a play fight.

While the pets were distracted Ryan was filled in on the situations.

"It's due in ten days?" Ryan exclaimed while walking around. The siblings were sitting on his bed.

"Not counting today, yes." Lincoln responded affirmatively.

"That`s when "the incident" happened." Lynn added sullenly.

"Yeah, quick question!" Ryan raised one hand high up. "What exactly was that incident?"

The siblings turned eerily silent. Ryan got the feeling that poked on a sensitive topic. The siblings looked at each other as if having a telepathic conversion.

"Sorry, Taylor. But we swore never to talk about it again." Lincoln told him grimly.

Lynn sighed, feeling a wave of guilt and regret. "All you need to know is that it ended with our house collapsing, and me and the rest of the girls all played a part in it."

Just saying that much felt like it was tearing her soul apart. The tremendous guilt she felt about it still haunted her. She tried hard not to cry in front of the boys.

The simple idea that they somehow made that huge house collapse was on its own quite something. But seeing his friend`s pain-ridden expression, Ryan knew better than to press further.

"I see." he responded plainly.

"That's everything." Lincoln finished bitterly. "Three days have passed and we`ve accomplished nothing in trying to prevent it."

"We did try to get our sisters to help us relieve our parents from some of their housework, but they wouldn't listen." Lynn added dejectedly.

She felt some level of disdain towards her sisters for selfishly ignoring their warnings, no matter if it was out of willful ignorance or out of genuine ignorance. She was certain that at least some of them were the former.

"That's hardly a surprise, to be honest." Ryan admitted knowingly. "If things are as you claim they are, then your sisters must be real...what`s the word?"

"Oh yeah, spoiled brats." he said bluntly. Lincoln looked like he was ready to argue on that, but Lynn gave him a look that said not to.

They had talked about it before, their sisters were spoiled. They knew that Luan and Lucy had far more problems than they let on, but most of the others have been pampered rotten. Lynn used to be like that, perhaps the worst of the lot, and she had the guts to own up to her past behavior.

"Harsh but true." she admitted firmly. She had already talked with Ryan about her regrets. He knew the full meaning of her response.

"And your point?" Lincoln asked curtly but calmly.

"If you lead a nice, pretty life you lose perspective. Take everything for granted. You never even dream about losing any of it." Ryan explained, almost poignantly.

Lincoln knew that he couldn't deny that.

While the rest of his sisters, much like him or Lynn, definitely appreciated the concept of privacy and personal space much more than the average person, the concept of losing any of the things that made them happy in life was inconceivable to them.

His three oldest sisters were definitely popular at high school, Lori and Leni for being considered attractive and Luna for being a talented rock musician.

Lana and Lola were, if nothing else, respected among their peers. Lisa was a toddler genius who had graduated into college, a bizarre but nonetheless admirable accomplishment.

Only Luan and Lucy knew most of the harsh life problems a minor would face all too well, and they coped with it in wildly different ways. But, unfortunately, Luan`s way was only making tensions worse at home.

"So you're saying that it would take something as extreme as losing our home and our parents divorcing to knock some sense into them." the white-haired boy concluded begrudgingly.

"Bingo. Only life and hard experience can teach you something. Warnings and empty words of wisdom do jackshit." Ryan replied.

Lincoln had to admit it, that was surprisingly insightful. Not that he would vocally admit it to Ryan.

"So they won't be of any use if we ask them for help." Lynn voiced what she already knew.

Lincoln turned to her. "In that case, you and me will have to work extra hard to make things easier for our parents."

They heard Ryan chuckle. A soft, sarcastic, almost pitying kind of chuckle. "Oh you really are in the dark, pipsqueak." he addressed the younger boy.

"What`s that supposed to mean?" Lincoln asked with a challenging glare.

Ryan crossed his arms. "Think for a moment. You said it yourself. Their marriage was ruined over the years by your sisters' antics, they took hit after hit for over ten years. The little accident where you demolished your own house may have been what broke the camel`s back, but the way I see it Mr. and Ms.L were already on their way to file for a divorce sooner or later. "The incident" as you call it merely jump-started a decision they would have made anyways."

He shook his head. "Stopping that incident and a week of charity work prior won't heal those old wounds. Wounds only heal so much over time, and they leave behind some ugly scars."

The siblings became distraught as Ryan`s words sank in. Lynn stood up to look him in the eye.

"Wait, so you're saying even if we prevent "the incident" from happening mom and dad might still divorce?" she carried an almost pleading tone.

"I`d say it's a strong possibility, I mean if your folks remain stressed and your sisters continue acting as usual who's to say that another, even worse incident won't occur?" Ryan said honestly.

Bad choice of words, as he could see Lynn`s hopes getting crushed, as did Lincoln`s. He started glaring at Ryan, fighting tears.

Lynn didn't notice it, as she stood there, sniffing and trembling before collapsing into Ryan`s arms. He heard her sobbing softly in his embrace. Ryan instantly felt regret for hurting her like that.

"Wow there, cut the waterworks, guys. I didn't say it was hopeless!" he said loudly while hugging Lynn.

"You did." Lincoln hissed while hot tears dripped down his face.

"I didn't! Will you let me finish!" Ryan snapped at him impatiently before pulling Lynn away and looking her in the eye.

He placed his arms on her shoulders. "There's still something we can do about it, but it's not guaranteed to give results."

Feeling a glimmer of hope again, Lynn tried to stop crying. "Whatever it is, we`ll do it!" she scowled with determination again.

Ryan sighed and told her to sit back down.

"So what do you propose?" Lincoln asked with a downright hateful tone.

"Baby steps, guys. This isn't something we`ll fix overnight with a pixie wand. For the moment we can only stall." Ryan explained, getting unusually serious.

"Stall? You mean try to keep mom and dad together for as long as possible." Lynn asked.

"And try to help them rekindle as a couple? Set them up on dates? Convince them to go on a second honeymoon? Go on vacation alone?" Lincoln suggested rapidly.

"They`re your parents, that's for you two to plot. But that could certainly work, pipsqueak."

"And try to get our sisters to stop being nuisances. Even if we have to slowly get to them, one at a time." Lynn suggested determinedly.

"That could help, sure."

"I get it. It's like going for a championship in soccer. We have to fight one small battle after another, no matter how many, before we finally win!" Lynn elaborated.

Ryan smirked. "That`s one way to put it, Lynn." he complimented her. "And you know what our first big challenge is?"

"The incident"!" the siblings said simultaneously.

"If we stop that we`ll buy ourselves a lot of time." Lincoln stated.

"And how do you boys propose we do that?"

"Easy." Ryan smiled confidentially. "We just have to make sure that all your sisters are far away from home on that day."

"Ah, but how will we get them all to take a hike on the same day?" Lynn mused.

Suddenly, they heard Marceline hissing followed by Charles yelping in pain. He ran around the bed and between Lynn`s and Lincoln`s legs.

The kids kneeled down and quickly noticed the bleeding claw marks on his nose.

Ryan saw his savannah glowering at them from underneath the bed, with glowing, green eyes and raised hair.

Shaking his head, he looked at the bull terrier. "You mess with the tiger, Charlie, you get the claws."


Later that night, the kids changed into their pajamas and Lincoln was escorted to the guest room. With Charles resting close to him, Lynn tucked him in.

"Now try to get some rest, Linc. We had a busy day." Lynn said gently and kissed him on the forehead.

"I...will..." he muttered.

As she closed the door, Lincoln lied on his side, still awake and petting Charles for comfort.

Ryan`s words about how all their effort could be in vain were still boggling his mind. He had to make sure that they wouldn't be...


Lynn would be sharing her room with Ryan. She didn't mind it, but it still kind of bugged her how Lincoln claimed that her snoring was unbearable.

After brushing her teeth and untying her hair, she ran into Ryan, who came to brush his.

"So did you find a mattress for me?"

Ryan shrugged. "I did, though it's kinda lumpy."

"Huh, no problem. I like a lumpy mattress and a hard pillow."

"Good to know. Crazy day, huh?"

"You think?" Lynn shook her head. "I just hope I`ll survive this summer with my family intact."

"I wouldn't worry too much, how hard can it be to trick some girls to leave a house for 24 hours." he reassured her. She didn't answer.

"You really want this to succeed?" he asked.

"I do, it's not just about giving mom and dad the happy ending they deserve. I also want to make up for my mess up. Remember, I was partially involved in making "the incident" happen." she admitted sadly.

"Then I guess the universe decided to give you a round two." Ryan replied chipperly.

"I suppose." Lynn replied with a small smile. "And, Ryan. Thanks for everything."

"No need to. A friend`s gotta do what a friend`s gotta do."

"Still, I appreciate this a lot. You're a real friend." she said warmly.

Then, without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Ryan froze stiff like a statue and Lynn blushed, not knowing what just came over her.

She laughed nervously. "Well it's been a long day, goodnight." she excused herself and left.

Ryan didn't know when he came to or if he even remembered to brush his teeth. All he could really recall was the reflection of himself grinning like an idiot.


The next morning, Ryan and Lynn were playing a round of basketball in his yard.

As Ryan tried to grab the ball Lynn threw it, it flew between Ryan`s arms and it bounced off the hoop. At that moment, some kid holding a small bag walked through Ryan`s gate and the ball clonked him in the head, and he dropped to the ground.

The two preteens winced. "Uhhhh that's gonna leave a mark." Ryan quipped.

"I think we should check if he's okay." Lynn suggested as the two moved to check on the knocked down kid.

He was a scrawny African-American wearing a fake, curly mustache, a weird blue and white suit with red hearts and gloves, and an eye-patch over...his glasses?

"Oh my head..." he moaned while rubbing his forehead.

Lynn recognized him instantly. "Oh...hello Clyde." she rolled her eyes apathetically.

As the still dizzy Clyde came to and he jolted upon seeing Ryan`s scary face and crooked grin looming over him.

Ryan gave a hardy chuckle. "My apologies, shrimp, but I think you got lost on your way to play Dunces and Dorks!"

"Clyde!" they heard Lincoln shouting as he rushed to his friend's side. "What happened?"

"He took a basketball to the noggin. My bad." Lynn shrugged sheepishly.

"You guys know that dweeb?" Ryan asked her.

Making sure Lincoln was focused on Clyde, she whispered to him. "Yeah, that's Clyde McBride, Lincoln`s dorky friend."

"McBride? I heard that name somewhere before. Isn't he that kid who has two faggot dads?" he asked snidely.

Lynn snickered. "Yup. That's the one."

She stopped upon noticing Lincoln glowering at her. Evidently, she hadn't been quiet enough.

He turned back to help his friend sit up. "Are you okay, Clyde. What are you doing here?"

Clyde shook his head before looking at Lincoln incredulously. "Lincoln? What am I doing here? Have you forgotten?"

"Huh?" Lincoln didn't follow.

"Dude, today`s the big Ace Savvy comic book convention at the mall in less than an hour! We`ve been waiting for it for months!"

The memory suddenly came back to Lincoln. He remembered being super excited about it. But now that event seemed almost insignificant to him.

He rubbed his neck after helping Clyde stand up. "Oh, right? Sorry, that you had to look for me. Me and Lynn went to a sleepover here and it kind of slipped my mind."

Clyde was absolutely dumbfounded. How could something like this "slip" Lincoln`s mind? At that point, Lynn and Ryan approached them.

"I don't think I`ve introduced myself." Ryan said sarcastically and shook Clyde`s hand, making him cringe in pain after nearly crushing it.

"Ryan Taylor. New kid on the block. Host of this humble home." he said with a sleazy grin.

"Eh...nice to meet you." Clyde replied meekly while clutching his aching hand. The sight of Ryan still terrified him.

He grabbed his fallen bag. "I brought you your costume, Linc. If we hurry we can still make it in time."

Lincoln looked uncertain. "Oh...eh about that-MPHMHH!" he was cut off by Ryan clamping a hand over his mouth and pulling him closer.

"Could you please excuse us for a moment? Thanks!" Ryan told the confused Clyde and led Lincoln and Lynn behind a tree.

"What are you doing?!" Lincoln protested as he pulled himself free.

"Keep your voice down, twinkle toes." Ryan whispered. "I think you shouldn't leave your pirate buddy hanging, let's not raise suspicion."

"I can't go! I have to help mom and-"

Lynn hushed him. "We`ve talked about how doing some chores won't mean much. We have to focus on stopping you-know-what from happening." she clarified.

"Exactly, so go enjoy yourself, pipsqueak. Take a load off and play with your geek friends." Ryan added smarmily. Lincoln glared at him.

"He`s got a point." Lynn interjected. Lincoln looked at her. "You should go and relax a bit, clear your head. We all should, so we can focus better when the time comes."

Lincoln sighed. "Alright, I`ll go."

The three returned to Clyde. Lincoln smiled and took the bag.

"Is everything okay, Lincoln?"

"Sure it is. Me and Lynn just...eh talked about some chores we have to do later. I`ll go change. You go on, I`ll catch up with you in no time."

"Alright!" Clyde brightened up. "I`ll meet you at the mall."


"So, do you have any plans for today?" Ryan asked Lynn while leaning against the wall in the hall.

"Not really." she replied, before getting an idea. "You know I could introduce you to Margo and the others again. You could make a better first impression this time!"

"Eh, let's put a pin on that." Ryan dismissed the idea. "I got a better idea. How about you grab your swimwear and come with me to this cool place I found at the outskirts of town?"

"You mean that little gorge where the river flows, with the abandoned fishing cabin?"

"So you know? Well, what do you say?" Ryan asked her. "I know last time we went bathing things went a little of course, but this is different. I`ve seen kids and families go there all the time, it's safe."

Lynn smiled. "Well, I suppose that doesn't sound like a bad idea." They heard Charles barking towards them.

"Alright, Charlie. You can go too." Ryan told him casually. The dog wagged his tail.

At that moment, Lincoln came out of the guest room wearing his Ace Savvy costume and carrying a stack of cards.

Upon seeing him, Ryan snorted before bursting into uncontrollable laughter and clutching his sides.

"Who are you supposed to be, the Masked Dealer?" Ryan asked between laughs. Lincoln fumed silently.

"Knock it off, Ryan." Lynn rolled her eyes. Though she couldn't deny that her brother did look pretty goofy in that suit.

"Lemme guess? You defeat criminal scum by cheating them out of their ill-gotten loot at poker?"

Lynn couldn't help but snicker at that idea. Infuriated, Lincoln stormed towards Ryan and got right into his face.

"No, I`m Ace Savvy! The world's savviest crime fighter and sleuth. He`s a man of few words, and fewer emotions, that fights only for justice!"

Giggling, Ryan looked aside. "Must. Resist. Urge. To give. Wedgie."

Hearing his sister still snickering. Lincoln gritted his teeth. "Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Too Cool For Comics! My "geeky-ness" won't pester you any longer!"

With that, he stormed off angrily. Lynn felt bad for laughing. "Wait, Linc! I`m sorry! We were just joking!" she called after him.

Lincoln ignored her, only for Ryan to appear behind him, grab his briefs and pull them over his head. Lincoln squeaked with discomfort as he felt his superhero tights almost slicing through his nether regions.

Lynn gasped before glaring furiously at Ryan, who promptly looked at her and grinned guiltily.

"I couldn't resist! He was taunting me, Lynn!"


Damage done for over a decade can't be fixed in less than a fortnight. Right now they can only focus on the big picture for the month. If they prevent the one crucial event that sealed the deal then they might be able to direct their family towards taking the first big step on a new, brighter path.

And because I know someone will probably take this the wrong way, no, Lynn`s and Ryan`s joke about Clyde`s "faggot dads" isn't me being homophobic, it's just kids being kids and using "edgy words" and not caring much about being politically correct. I`m trying to be realistic and realistically any kid protagonist would be far from a prime model of human virtue.