"So, what do you think?"

"It`s nice..." Lucy told Ryan shyly as they both lightly rocked up and down on the comfy living room sofa.

"It`s so big..." the goth noted with subtle awe before slowly smiling "...and quiet."

The former observation wasn't quite what Lucy believed it to be. It was no mansion as much as a standard middle-class home, but for someone with Lucy`s background, it was downright surreal to see a home completely empty and placid without a horde of kids running amock everywhere.

It made her imagination run wild, thinking about all the things she could do here from start to finish without disruption from her sisters.

"Are your parents ever at home?" Lynn asked dryly while doing stretching exercise in the living room.

"They are. Just not very often. Extra hours, business trips, etcetera, etcetera..." Ryan answered nonchalantly.

"Your parents are rarely here?" Lucy was surprised. It sounded like a horrible thing for a kid to be dealing with, but Ryan seemed very relaxed, if not happy about the situation.

"I know, it's a real privilege for me and my sister." the boy laughed. "Means lots of freedom, and it also helps to teach you how to be self-reliant."

"You have a sister?"

"Unfortunately..." Ryan sighed "...but don`t expect to be won over by her. Reene`s a real bore. A dour, cranky buzzkill and stikler for the rules. Imagine a 14-year-old trying way too hard to act like she`s 40 years old." he quipped.

"And she's not known for her hospitality either." Lynn snorted while doing a split and stretching her arm to touch the sole of her sneaker.

"I understand your predicament." Lucy turned to Ryan. "Big sisters are the absolute worst."

Lynn`s face scrunched up. "Lousy, little cockroach..." she muttered under her breath.

"You`re talking about Blondy?" Ryan replied with understanding. "Yeah, can't argue with you there. But Renee can actually be scary when she snaps."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about a single sister." Lucy smiled.

Rolling her eyes, Lynn stood up and cleared her throat to gain Ryan`s attention. She gave him an impatient glare before spreading her fingers out.

"I`m going outside, and you have exactly five minutes to find something for Miss. Gloomy Gloom to do." she told him sternly. "Otherwise I`m never talking to you again, got it!"

Lucy frowned but Ryan smiled snidely and saluted, "Jawohl, ma`am!"

Lynn nodded. "Five minutes!" she warned him before spin jumping through the open window.

"Why do you let her boss you around?" Lucy asked Ryan straightforwardly.

Ryan chuckled. "Boss moi around?" he placed his hand on his chest.

"Don't worry, Spooky. Nobody orders Ryan Taylor around, I just let her have her whim to make her happy. It's what best friends do."

"Aside from the times when I don't feel like doing it, of course." he shrugged.

"Does she get mad when you do that?" Lucy asked.

"Sure she does..." Ryan confirmed "...but it eventually taught her that things can't always go her way."

"I find that hard to believe." Lucy thought sarcastically.

"So, what would you like to do while I help your sis get her daily adrenaline overdose? And don't rush your decision. Lynn can handle me being fashionably late."

Lucy thought for a second. "Do you have an attic?"

Ryan nodded in affirmation. Lucy smiled and pulled a purple fortuneteller-esque hat with a blue diamond on the front from her backpack and placed it on her head.

"That`s great." she stated calmly. "This will be my chance to hold a seance to finally get in touch with my friends from the other side. Back home I can very rarely find the necessary piece and quiet to meditate and channel my energy accordingly in order to view the other plain of existence."

"You wanna talk to ghosts?" Ryan tried to keep a straight face. Lucy nodded.

"Eh, let the kid talk to her imaginary friends." Ryan shrugged mentally. "But then again..." he considered "...I did just travel back in time, and that baby in the turtleneck apparently owns a real laboratory, a bunker, and a hypno gun? Spirits wouldn't seem so far fetched now?"

"Yes, it's very hard to master the dark arts to communicate with the spirit world, it takes years of practice and studying from spell books. Even if Lynn wasn't hogging you, there's no way you could come in touch with the sole of a deceased person on your first try, or even your twelfth."

"Pitty." Ryan humored her. "But I`m sure you'll help me home in those..."mystical skills" someday. So, do you need direction to the attic?"

"No, I can manage on my own. I just have one question?"

"Shoot."

"Why do you spend time with Lynn?"

Ryan blinked. "Cuz we`re friends." he answered plainly.

Lucy frowned. "Why? You seem like a nice and sane person..."

Ryan repressed a snicker at the remark. It was still unbelievable how good of an impression he made on both Lucy and Luan to have them think stuff like that.

"...and she`s callous, rowdy, inconsiderate, brash, impulsive, abrasive, rude and obnoxious. I know that better than anyone."

Ryan snickered inwardly. He couldn't deny most of those accusations, but he himself was no angle. He chortled.

"Well, that`s...mostly true. But it's kinda what I like about her. She's fun and spunky, and exciting to hang out with."

Lucy paused. "So it's true that you like her?"

"Of course I like her, I wouldn't spend so much time with her otherwise. She's an exciting person to have for a friend." Ryan freely admitted.

"That`s not what I meant. Is it true what my older sisters have been gossiping? That you and she are...in love?"

Ryan felt the whole world come to a screeching halt. His eyes twitched and he involuntarily gripped the fabric of the sofa. Lucy patiently waited for an answer.

"That's...that`s a very wild suggestion." he replied while sweating nervously and getting goosebumps. "It's not smart to believe rumors."

"But is it true?" the little girl asked simply.

Ryan swallowed a huge lump, his heart skipping beats. "Well...it`s...it`s kinda." he stuttered while sweating bullets.

Suddenly he felt something rubbing against his leg. Feeling relieved, Ryan hastily snatched Marceline and placed her between him and Lucy.

"Oh look at this! Someone came to greet you!" he said rapidly. "This is my cat, Marceline!"

Lucy at first didn't know how to react. She slowly reached out to pet the large, spotted cat, and she purred affectionately. Lucy smiled.

"Marceline? That's a wicked name." she commented.

"Yeah, I didn't want to go with something blasé like Mittens or Whiskers." Ryan joked nervously. "Don't know where I picked it up, but she...eh looked like a Marceline to me."

"I think it's a cool name." the goth stated.

Ryan chuckled, happy that Lucy was getting distracted. "And you wouldn't mind if Marcy kept you company." he hastily suggested, aiming to throw her mind off topic.

"Can she?" Lucy asked curiously, carefully minding to ask for permission first.

"Sure...I mean, I know she has no "mystical training" either-"

"That`s not necessary for her." Lucy affirmed. "Cats have a sixth sense that allows them to see apparitions manifest themselves, it's common knowledge."

Ryan was relieved and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Well...eh...lucky her."


Returning to his yard, Ryan found Lynn doing pull-ups on a tree branch.

He was hesitant to approach her, still shaken by Lucy`s abrupt question. He sighed with resignation, he knew how he felt for Lynn, and it wasn't easy keeping his cool on the exterior while dealing with those feeling but he usually could handle it.

Except when people were breathing down his neck while having a not very subtle hunch about his crush, under those circumstances he would start crumbling like any other preteen boy who met the first girl to catch his fancy.

Ryan couldn't help but have a bitter laugh at the irony. He had few reservations about disgustingly flirting with pretty girls he didn't give a crap about, but when it came to his first real crush it was the exact opposite.

The reasons were obvious, with the former there was never any hope, or an emotional connection for that matter, ergo no fear of a crushing rejection. Ryan recalled and was still amazed that two days ago he had mustered the nerve to try and ask Lynn out for a sort-of-date which he would never have explicitly called a date, before Lyle and One Eye promptly crashed his proposal.

The following lunacy with Lynn`s family quickly sidelined that mission. Luan coming on to him and him weirdly enjoying it also really screwed up his thought processes.

Ryan wondered for a moment if now was the right time to pick up where he left. No one else was there, they`re alone in his backyard...

"You're...hugh...late!" the girl grunted disapprovingly while she continued her workout.

"No! No, there's no rush. The summer`s young! You got an ample amount of time!" he hastily reasoned with himself to delay it further and walked up to Lynn.

"Working out again, eh?" he looked up.

"More like making up for wasting my time...hugh..." the sweaty Lynn replied as her head rose above the branch and back down.

"I`ve wasted hours sitting and standing around...hugh...and now I feel like my whole body...hugh...grew stiff and cramped up...hugh...damn this feels good!"

"Do you ever slow down and just enjoy the scenery?" Ryan asked rhetorically before putting his hands up. "Wait! Don't tell me-"

"No!" she replied flatly. "Any moment...hugh...where I don't work out...hugh...I might as well not be living...hugh!"

"That`s a pretty extreme philosophy." Ryan noted jokingly.

"Good...hugh...cuz I live life by the extreme!"

Ryan made a small chuckle. "And who taught you that? Daddy? Cuz whoever did obviously didn't get the memo that the nineties passed a long time ago."

Lynn stopped and looked down at him with a smirk. "Says the kid who still wears his cap backward."

Ryan touched his head. "Ouch. You`re ruthless." he commented sarcastically.

Then he smirked. "But at least I don't style my hair after a horse`s behind."

Lynn`s face dropped with a look of anger.

"Hey, don't glare at me." Ryan pointed his index finger up. "It`s called a ponytail after all. And where's the anchor point of a pony`s tail again?"

Unsurprisingly, an enraged Lynn dropped down on him. Laughing merrily, Ryan let himself be tackled and pinned belly down to the ground as Lynn sat ontop of him.

"Lynn, you're so easy to trigger!" he giggled as she grabbed his right arm and started twisting it. "How do you deal with hecklers on the field anyway-AGH!" he stopped as the pain set in.

"I kick their ass! Red card or not!" Lynn stated, relishing the feeling of dominance. "Now apologize!"

Ryan sniggered. "I meant it as a compliment!" he joked in a strained voice as Lynn kept putting on more pressure. "It means you look good with your hair down..."

Lynn promptly felt flustered and unknowingly let his arm go. Ryan hissed and rubbed it while Lynn shook her head before glowering down at him.

"You`re such a slimeball." she sneered.

"What can I say. Pissing people off is my one true gift." he replied smarmily.

Lynn huffed. "Well, I don't know about urine, but cutting the cheese is my one true gift." she stated ominously.

Ryan blinked with dread seconds before Lynn made good on her threat. The boy pinched his nose while groaning exasperatedly.

"Very ladylike..." he snarked in a nasally voice.

"Don`t be so ungrateful. The smell of flatulence is sure to improve your own bodily odor." Lynn replied snidely before snatching Ryan`s cap and placing it on her head.

"And by the way, this is how you're supposed to wear it in this day and age." Lynn clarified while maneuvering the bill above her eyes. Ryan leaned his head in his palm and tapped his fingers against the ground.

"So, how do I look?" Lynn asked. "Red is my trademark color after all." she added in a haughty tone.

"Hmm...I dunno. Do you want an honest answer or do you want a compliment?"

Lynn frowned and fumed. "Ughhh! Why does he have to be so insufferable! Why can't I ever get the chance to own him and make him crack! Just once! He always riles me up!"

"It sure is insufferable how he gets you all riled up in more ways than one." Lynn cringed and grew frustrated as her mind once again wandered off into uncomfortable territory.

Ryan meanwhile planted his hands into the ground and threw her off him. He kneeled up as she landed on her back and rubbed her head.

Instead of getting up, Ryan simply stretched himself before snagging his hat and lying next to her.

"So you`ve decided to lie down and watch the clouds after all." he said casually while dusting his cap. He expected Lynn to go nuts and tackle him again, but that didn't happen.

Looking back at him, Lynn grew tense again and quickly sat up and looked up at the sky as Ryan turned to face her.

"No attacks?" he asked semi-bemused. "Don't tell me you actually took my little suggestion to heart?"

Knowing that a delayed response would tip him off, Lynn blurted, "No!...I..mean yes! I`m pooped."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. Lynn exhausted? Something seemed fishy.

He too sat up and leaned against the tree. "You tired? After this minor scuffle?" he asked in an obviously unconvinced tone.

Lynn swallowed and slowly composed herself. "I meant, I`m...eh tired of your dumb mind games." she said randomly.

Ryan obviously didn't buy it. "Since when did any game tire you out?" he asked nonchalantly.

Lynn didn't reply.

"Lynn, call me a worrywart if you will, but I`ve noticed how lately you`ve been having some...mood swings."

Lynn gulped. Crap, he noticed it! "What are you talking about?" she asked with faux nonchalance.

"Cut the crap, Lynn." Ryan tilted his head. "You think I didn't notice you daydreaming or randomly getting angry? I mean, I know there's the "knowing the bad future" thing, but that didn't seem to affect you in any way until yesterday."

"So what?" a surly Lynn retorted and folded her arms. On the inside, however, she was panicking and trying to scramble together an excuse.

Ryan paused, appearing tentative about his next response. "Well, if something`s bothering...you can tell me about it. I mean..." he rubbed his neck awkwardly. Lynn studied him.

"You know how Lincoln talked at nauseam about how we need to stay focused on the mission and all that jazz. So if something`s bugging you, you should tell me...I mean us about it right away so we won't have to worry about distractions."

Lynn didn't say anything. Ryan had taken notice of her odd behavior and was concerned about her, she`d recognize that anywhere. She was after all one of the few people that could evoke an actual emotion from him, but Ryan being Ryan had to underplay having actual human feelings as much as possible, not that it would fool Lynn under any circumstances.

It was both sweet but also aggravating. Most of the time Ryan would do a hell of a job drawing out her aggressively competitive spirit because he was the kind of person that had some kind of dare or challenge hidden in every other sentence he said, but then he would show surprising loyalty to her as well as surprising compassion when the chips were down despite his usual aloof attitude.

It fueled her desire to beat him when they were sparring but he would bring out her caring side when things got serious.

And Lynn didn't like looking soft, but Ryan knew exactly when to dial back being a wiseass around her and remind her why they were best friends. Usually, she didn't mind opening up around him when they were alone but right now, with these new, weird feelings galvanizing her from the inside when she was around him, it was a lot more frustrating and unnerving.

"It`s nothing serious..." she answered in a calmer tone. "Alright, I know I have been kind of cranky lately..." she admitted while thinking of a cover story.

"But I guess this mission is just getting to me." she lied.

"You`re cracking under pressure?" Ryan didn't seem convinced.

"I got tangled into a lot of shit lately, okay!" Lynn countered. "First I wake up in the past knowing mom and dad will split up, then Lyle showed up, then One Eye, not to mention dealing with a horde of crazy sisters and fighting over a fake treasure map. And I wasted almost half a day digging through the entire attic until I found it. That's a lot to take in in a matter of days."

Though initially skeptical, Ryan was starting to believe her. "Huh, I didn't think of that." he admitted. "But I thought you enjoyed a good thrill."

"I do. But there are right kinds of thrills and wrong kinds of thrills. And I don't know about you, but the stuff I mentioned aren't the right thrills for me. Or they are just boring or obnoxious, like the stuff Lucy and you did. " Lynn countered.

She wasn't entirely lying, though she was impressed with herself that she was actually succeeding in fooling her shrewd friend.

Ryan relaxed again. "Well, I really enjoyed doing the stuff me and Lucy did." he shrugged.

"Well, I didn't." Lynn grew annoyed.

"I didn't fail to notice that." Ryan nodded jokingly.

"But no friendship is "take all, give nothing", even a lone wolf like me knows that. I took part in a ton of your matches because you insisted on it. It's about time you sacrificed a little of your spare time for me."

Lynn grunted. "You liked playing those games. I didn't like being dragged off to Lucy`s freakish "happy places"."

"I sorta did." Ryan shrugged. "But I would rather have played with you alone than hang out with a bunch of kids who wanted nothing to do with me. But with Lucy, I felt like I made another real friend. I know you're used to having me all to yourself but that's changing now..."

Lynn couldn't argue there. She shouldn't be angry at him for making more friends, he needed that. Lucy, Lana, even Luan (if the latter would just get the memo not to think of Ryan as anything more than that).

"Alright, I get it. Stop trying to make me feel like the bad guy." she replied exasperatedly and folded her arms again.

Ryan tilted his head. "Lynn, you're not jealous about it, are ya?" he inquired teasingly.

"Fat chance." she grunted. "I`m just...cranky about those other things."

Ryan leaned back in a relaxed manner. "Oh, yes. That." he laughed.

"Well, I know the perfect treatment for stress. It's called relaxing. We have the whole evening and tomorrow for it. Just laze around and relax, those things do miracles."

"You want me to lounge around?" Lynn snorted. "You know I can't do that, and it wouldn't help me relax anyway."

"You know what I told you: don't knock it until you try it." Ryan shrugged.

"Pfftt...I tried it plenty before, it always bored me to death or drove me crazy." Lynn replied with more levity. "You know what my idea of a good time is, and it ain't like you're stressed out or anything, so..."

Ryan got her gist. "Very well. If it helps you loosen up then it's all the same to me."

Sparring with Lynn was never unenjoyable to him either way, quite the opposite.

Lynn perked up. "Now you're talking!"

"And you wanted to try something new, something more daring and experimental, right?" Ryan recalled.

"Not really." Lynn shrugged her shoulders. "More like some old favorites of mine I haven`t done in a while."

"Didn`t have a sparring partner who was up for the task." she added with a cheeky grin.

"I`m flattered." Ryan replied dryly. "So what did you have in mind?"

"Something that requires true grit, boundless agility and stamina, and raw physical prowess!" Lynn grinned. "Wrestling-"

"Wrestling?" Ryan snorted. "Eh, I think we`ve done plenty of that already."

"I ain't talking about our boring, American variety." Lynn clarified. "I mean lucha libre, Mexican wrestling! I already brought the costumes and I just need a few poles and a lot of rope to fix up an arena in no time!"

Ryan blinked before part of his lip curled up as he snickered. "You`re joking, right? You want to fight while dressed up as Hispanic harlequins?"

"Eh, Lynn. I thought we both agreed that cladding yourself in neon spandex is ridiculous after seeing how "Ace Savvy" nearly got pummeled by Lyle for his exuberant cosplaying." Ryan replied smarmily.

Lynn grew irritated. "Excuse me?" she asked indignantly.

"I`m not talking about clowns, and this is nothing like some nerdy comic con cosplaying! I`m talking about luchadores and there's nothing goofy about their costumes! They symbolize their status as larger than life heroes and warriors!" Lynn exclaimed bombastically.

"Holy smokes, she`s being serious." Ryan thought in disbelief and sniggered. "Sorry, Lynn, but that sounds just a tad too...eh what's the word...muy estúpido for my liking."

"Oh really." Lynn folded her arms snidely."And need I remind you that I`m not the one who has several ninja suits in their closet for special excursions."

"That`s a different story, that getup is classy." Ryan gestured at himself smugly. "I look sharp in black."

"Oh, I see." Lynn laughed mockingly. "You know you're gonna lose to a girl in a real wrestling match. Your feeble masculine ego couldn't handle that, so you wanna weasel your way out of it."

Ryan smirked. "No, but I have a reputation as a soon-to-be junior high student to uphold. Plus, I don't wish to hurt you."

"Typical poser excuses." Lynn huffed before starting to cluck and mimic a chicken.

"You think that old trick is gonna work?" Ryan laughed. Lynn just kept doing it.

The boy slowly started to crack. "Not gonna work." he huffed. Lynn continued doing it.

Ryan at last clenched his teeth in annoyance. "Alright! I`ll do it..." he raised his finger "...tomorrow."

"Fine by me." Lynn laughed tauntingly. "You get your beauty rest before you get your ass whooped in the ring."

"I know you will, and I promise I won't mock you for it. Wrestling is a man`s sport after all." Ryan taunted her.

Lynn fumed. "Oh it's on now!" she pointed at him.

Ryan yawned and stretched. "Glad I got you stoked. Now, how about you try that relaxing thing I mentioned, hmm?"

"No way! You ain't trash talking to me and getting away with it!" Lynn stood up. "Find a basketball now! Three out of five rounds wins!"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Here we go again..."


Lincoln was lying on the couch trying to enjoy a comic.

Even now when there was no obvious crisis at hand he found it hard to relax, he had a lot on his mind. He wasn't sure where his dad was right now, but he had little doubt that he had sparked his old man`s curiosity to read that first draft of his mother`s novel. Lincoln was banking on that this would successfully scare him, and more importantly, give him some strong insight that his marriage was failing and that he would need to make some drastic actions to change the situation in their household.

Lincoln would be very glad to give him advice, given his very literal foresight on the would-be outcome. But first, he needed to let his dad read the thing first.

Waiting for it proved to be pretty hard, as Lincoln was anxious to move on to the next phase as fast as possible. None of his favorite pastimes could help him get his mind off it, not even Ace Savvy comics. Of course, Lola pestering him probably didn't help.

Lincoln sighed, still not taking his eyes off the comic. "For the last time, Lola, I ain't gonna play butler for you." he repeated in an exasperated, but still firm tone.

"And why not!" the princess whined angrily, having already thrown a tantrum that worked on her brother about as well as it did on Ryan.

"Because I don't feel like it." Lincoln said simply. "And I have more important things to do."

"You mean sitting on your lazy butt all day reading comics!" Lola huffed condescendingly, being confident she had Lincoln.

"I was helping dad clean the garage. Better than trying out dresses all day long." he replied flatly.

Lola boiled. "Hah! As if you would understand how important it is for a pageant queen to stay fabulous at all time!"

"Aha..." Lincoln muttered absentmindedly. Lola was instantly livid.

"Are you even listening to me!?"

"Not really, this story is getting good." Lincoln stated, paying more attention to the panels.

Lola was growling and balling her fists. Being ignored and brushed off like this drove her crazy, but she had already exhausted her one and only response to it without any success.

"What's wrong with you! You've been acting like a huge jerk lately!"

"Well...I am your brother. Must be genetic." Lincoln couldn't help but say it. Lola growled.

"Lola, this act of yours will get you nowhere..." he sighed tiredly as he finally pulled the comic down and gave her a disapproving glare "...you can cry and moan and stretch my shirt out all you want, it won`t accomplish anything. At most, I`ll just lock myself in my room and grab some earmuffs and wait until you tire yourself out."

"You`re so mean!" Lola whined.

"Better get used to it, cuz Lincoln the Doormat isn't coming back." he replied simply, not taking much joy in it, just saying it as it was.

Growling and stomping her foot in frustration Lola swung her arm to hit him but Lincoln simply blocked it with his own arm. Lola`s slap didn't have much force behind it, mildly stinging his skin at best.

Lola lost what little confidence she had seeing her brother`s unfazed reaction.

"Are you done?" he asked in a bored manner.

"Ugh! Who needs you, you...you... stupid peasant!" Lola screeched and stormed away while shedding a small tear.

Lincoln watched her and sighed while rubbing his temples. Lola could be beyond insufferable, but he reminded himself that she was still just a little kid and didn't know any better. At least she wasn't the eldest of the siblings or a supergenius.

Quite a few of his sisters were no doubt very abrasive and difficult to get along on their own merits, even when disregarding their involvement in their family's general domestic lunacy.

It made it hard to remember sometimes that even the worst of the lot were good people unearth their obnoxious exterior.

Unfortunately, trying to reach out to that good inside wasn`t easy when dealing with people who needed an outright disaster that tore their (mostly) ideal lives apart to finally gain perspective.

"Hey, Linky!" Leni suddenly leaned over him, jolting him out of his thoughts. "Why didn't you go to visit Pop-Pop?" she asked cheerfully.

The surprised Lincoln saw that she wasn't wearing her sunglasses and her hair was a bit messy, which meant that she probably didn't look into a mirror after getting out of bed, otherwise she would have undoubtedly lost consciousness again.

Lincoln`s focus quickly drifted to the nasty bump on the teenager`s forehead. Being the cause of it still racked Lincoln with a guilty conscience.

The boy sat up and met her gaze uncomfortably. She didn't appear to be angry at him as near as he could tell. Despite the ugly bump on her head, she wore her usual sunny smile.

"Leni..." his voice wandered quickly and he shifted. Leni`s smile slowly dropped.

"You okay, Linky! You look sad?"

Even Leni noticed his downbeat demeanor? "Crap. I need to put on a better act."

"I`m fine, Leni." he responded quickly. "It`s just..." he contemplated and slapped his comic.

"This comic was really lousy, but..eh...who cares. The next issue will probably be great." he shrugged and tossed it aside.

"Oh, okay then!" Leni instantly bought it and smiled brightly.

If only the rest of his family were this easy to fool thought Lincoln. He still couldn't tear his gaze away from that bump.

"Leni, why aren't you in bed?" he began awkwardly. "You're...eh" he pointed at his own forehead.

Leni looked ashamed. "I`m sorry, Linky, I didn't mean to. But laying in bed all day was like totes boring. Lori`s not here and I had no one to talk to." she apologized innocently like a kid who had been caught misbehaving by their parents, despite her being a fifteen and talking to her kid brother.

Lincoln sighed. None of his other sisters were as full of this kind of innocent sincerity. Granted, he couldn't deny that Leni wasn't...quick on the update as they would say, but despite her ditzy nature she was undoubtedly the nicest, most upbeat and most honest of his sisters, without a malicious bone in her body, and unlike someone like Luan she had no hidden turmoil and problems that she was trying to hide with a jovial exterior.

"Leni, it's okay. I was just wondering...do you still feel dizzy?" Lincoln asked gently. Leni paused and thought about it for a moment.

"Could you walk down here without feeling like you were gonna lose balance or did you see the world spinning?" Lincoln elaborated.

"Oh? No, not that I remember." she answered.

Lincoln felt relieved, at least she recovered.

"So, why didn't you go with mom? I thought you loved seeing Pop-Pop?" Leni repeated her initial question as she sat next to him.

"I...I stayed behind to help dad clean the garage. I thought he needed the extra help."

"Aww that`s so thoughtful of you!" Leni beamed approvingly. "But why didn't you guys ask me for help? I love helping people."

"Leni, you had a concussion." came Lincoln`s flat response.

"Oh, right! I keep forgetting." Leni laughed.

She definitely wasn't bright, but she was compassionate. It reminded Lincoln how her absence had left a hole in his life, his father`s and the sisters` that stayed with them. In a family full of kids with extreme and often clashing personalities it was always appreciated to have someone to talk to who would never laugh and belittle you for your problems and offer a sense of security.

And it just ramped up his guilt. He had to get it off his chest.

He braced himself and rubbed his neck. "Leni? I`m sorry about your head injury..."

"Awwww don't be, Linky. Accidents just happen sometimes." Leni replied and pulled him into a hug. "But thanks anyway. You're such a good brother!"

Pressed against her chest, Lincoln looked down dejectedly. "But it was my fault that you hit your head."

"Don`t be silly, Lincoln. How is it your fault that those creepy crawly spiders jumped on me?" she replied warmly, as if under the impression that her little brother was blaming himself over something that wasn't his fault.

Lincoln blinked. "Don't you remember how you hit your head?"

Leni pondered for a bit. "Eh...not really. My memory is kinda fuzzy."

Lincoln didn't know if she honestly forgot or if the blow gave her amnesia?

Either way, she didn't seem to remember and held no ill-will towards him. She might never believe him no matter how much he insisted otherwise.

Lincoln sighed. Perhaps he should just forgive himself and forget. He already had several sisters mad at him as it was, why pile on the hostility? If getting Leni to act hostile was even possible?

"Nevermind..." he muttered and hug her back. It felt good feeling her loving embrace again in months, especially since he knew that there was no guarantee that him and her would stay together as a family much longer."I`m...just glad you`re better."

"I`m great..." Leni said absentmindedly before something suddenly hit her.

She let Lincoln go and gave him a concerned look. "But do you and Lynn still have the flue? If so I`ll gladly-"

"Leni! That was just a joke." Lincoln explained. "We were never sick."

"Oh? That's a relief." Leni exhaled and pressed her hand against her chest. "Uh! But since you're here would you like to try out some clothes I tailored?"

Lincoln paused with unease. As much as he wanted to spend time with his sister again, being her model for women`s clothing was not an acceptable circumstance for him any longer.

There was making sacrifices for those you loved, and then there was tossing your dignity away.

Surprisingly, Leni realized what he was thinking.

"I`m talking about boy clothes of course! I made them for you!"

Lincoln blinked. "For me?"

"Of course, you seemed kinda glum and upset after that sibling meeting, so I thought this might cheer you up and I bought the material for it at the mall."

Lincoln slowly smiled with appreciation. "Thanks, Leni...eh I`ll try it." he agreed humbly.


"One more shot and I`ll win by a landslide!" Lynn gloated while dribbling the basketball on the small court. Ryan stood between her and the hoop, blocking it with his arms.

"There`s no way you'll catch up now! Why don't you just take a dive!" she taunted him, but to her frustration, Ryan kept a look of nonchalance.

"Eh, I don't care if you win. Seeing you gloat is worth it." he countered mockingly. Lynn scowled, knowing what he would say.

"Shut up!"

Ryan smirked. "You know your victory cry is hilariously stupid! There ain't no way to make "chicken dinner" sound cool. The twerking doesn't help."

Lynn trembled with irritation, trying hard not to lose focus. Ryan was obviously nowhere close to her in terms of skill and experience when it came to sports, but he quickly found a way to level the playing fields by doing what he knew best.

"Stay focused! Don't give into his heckling!"

Luckily, she managed to keep a cool head long enough to see and dodge his attempt to steal the ball.

Lynn smiled with confidence. "Ha! You wanna trick me, you amateur! Two can play that game!" she boasted while dribbling the ball from one hand to the other and between her legs as she zigzagged across the court and ran circles around Ryan who couldn't keep the ball in sight.

"Can`t focus on the ball! Too fast for ya, huh! Can't trash talk me now, huh!"

Ryan knew he was beaten now as his gaze darted after Lynn. Eventually, he exhaled tiredly as he deflated and clutched his knees.

"Show off!" he snarked. Lynn ignored it and zapped past him, jumped high up, grabbed the hoop with her free hand and shot the ball through it.

"YEAH! LYNN LOUD FOR THE WIN!" she shouted triumphantly while still dangling from the hoop.

Ryan rolled his eyes as he caught the ball as it bounced towards him.

"Huh! In your sorry, loser face!" Lynn pointed down at him while still holding on to the hoop with her other arm.

"Lynn will you let go! You'll break the damn thing!" the boy warned her, but Lynn was too wrapped up in her victory to listen.

She held an ear out. "Oh, what was that? I couldn't hear you under all that crying and-" a sudden cracking sound cut her off and she fell down, landing unceremoniously on her butt before the hoop and its net landed on her head.

Ryan winced but then snickered as he walked up to her.

"Ow!" she blurted while rubbing her rear.

"Talk about a sore loser." Ryan quipped. "And I thought you athletes stayed on a strict diet."

Lynn glared up at him through the net before staggering to her feet. "Zip it, or I`ll...ugh!" she ranted while pulling the net down, but the hoop was still stuck around her neck.

"Well, you know the rules, Lynn, you break it you pay for its repairs with your allowance." Ryan smirked.

The girl`s face dropped as she removed the hoop. "No way! It was an accident!" she argued.

"Accident or not, you broke it." Ryan pointed out smugly. "Don't force me to be a snitch about it." he waggled his finger in her face, making her fume.

Suddenly Ryan felt the ball being taken away from him. He turned and saw Renee standing in front of them with her usually steely gaze, holding the ball under her arm.

"Ryan." she addressed him simply before briefly shifting her gaze towards Lynn holding the busted hoop. "And you're back here..." she acknowledged her with apathy.

Not saying a word, Lynn studied the teenager suspiciously. Renee quickly turned her attention back to her brother.

Ryan sneered at her. "Why Renee?" he started in a mock-friendly tone. "I was wondering where you went to? It's not like you to leave the house for this long."

Reene ignored his remark. "Yes..." she replied in a dry manner "...I thought now was the time to immerse myself more in our new neighborhood."

"You wanna find friends, well good for you." Ryan pretended to be happy before his face and tone dropped in disinterest. "And why'd ya think I would care about that?"

"And would you mind giving us our ball back, we were in the middle of something." Lynn cut in, dropping any pretense of being civil. If Renee didn't care about it why should she? Renee was being less than subtle about hating every moment of being in their vicinity.

"I don't see any reason that you two would need it anymore, considering you just broke the hoop." Renee replied to Lynn, who scowled in response.

"It was an accident, alright!"

"If by "accident" you mean that you honestly believed that thing could support your weight then sure..." Renee said sarcastically. Lynn clenched her fists.

Ryan rolled his eyes at his sister. "Alright, drop the small talk, what do you want?"

"I`m trying to make a good first impression on like-minded scholars from the high school I`ll be attending. And tonight I was appointed to host a social gathering here."

"You mean a nerd party?" Ryan chimed in.

Renee frowned further but kept her aloof demeanor. "It's not a party, it's a quiet, civil get-together. An opportunity for me to start building my social status. And since we both know that making a good first impression is nigh-impossible as long as you're here I would very much appreciate it if you were anywhere but here right now."

Lynn`s mouth hung open and she scowled, but Ryan hardly seemed surprised and smirked.

"As tempting as that offer is, I just happen to be hosting my own get together tonight." he replied sarcastically as he wrapped his arm around his friend and pulled her closer. "Lynn`s staying over again. And she brought her little sister over too."

Reene`s eyes widened slightly. This was worse than she thought. Ryan smiled at her subtle distress.

"I`m sorry, does that throw a wrench in your plans?" Ryan couped his face melodramatically.

"That`s not acceptable." Renee stated with tranquil irritation. "You can't be here, and I`m willing to bargain, but we'll have to talk about the deal later because my guests will be arriving in less than an hour-"

"Excuse me?" Lynn spoke up curtly. "You're asking him to get lost just because you want to host some stupid party?"

"Yes." Renee said flatly as she scowled. "And stay out of this, kid. This isn't your concern."

Lynn was absolutely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe the nerve this girl had.

Lori made it no secret that she didn't want any sibling younger than Luna around her friends when she was hosting a party and didn't hide the fact that she thought they would thoroughly embarrass her in front of her peers, but at least she had enough tact to demand, or threaten them to simply stay out of the party room.

Renee was casually asking her brother to disappear and immediately jumped into bargaining for it like it was some minor business deal.

"We`ll talk about the deal after I have done my part?" an unconvinced Ryan snorted. "You usually give me a bit more credit than that, sis."

"I`m not a liar, I can assure you I will keep any promise I made if you just cooperate."

"And what about those other times where you did lie?" Ryan crossed his arms, slowly gaining a more critical and annoyed demeanor.

He could tell from her half-assed offer that in spite of her superficial stoicism his sister was reeking of desperation, not having counted on him having friends over for a second time.

Renee was hesitant to respond before Lynn spoke up.

"Hey, hey, I have a suggestion. How about you mind your own business!" the jock stepped up to her.

"We were playing in the yard until you barged in, I doubt you and you'll nerd squad planned to "socialize" out here so why don't you stop bugging us and go plan your dumb party!"

"She`s got a point." Ryan agreed. "Why would I care to crash some boring high school dork fest when I have my own friends to keep me company."

Renee was unfazed and simply narrowed her eyes at Lynn. She was hoping to avoid this, but alas they were forcing her hand.

"You don't get it, kid. It`s not just about Ryan, you and your sister being here is another problem."

"What?" Lynn blurted angrily. "What do I have to do with this?"

"I heard about your family. The Louds. Ten kids who live up to their family name and are a walking statistic anomaly of being made up of nine girls and just one boy..." Renee almost sounded amused by that fact "...and according to the neighbors and several of the teenagers I`ve spoken to your family is quite the local nuisance, some went even as far as to call you freaks and whackjobs who have a lot of weird customs, act like loose cannons and cause damage wherever they go."

"What?" Lynn looked insulted. In hindsight, she shouldn't have been that surprised to hear that. She knew was far from the only person to have a low opinion of them, but being called a freak and whackjob upfront naturally roused her anger.

Renee nodded simply. "I`ll admit that I usually don't care much about idle gossip but given your abrasive attitude, the fact that you fraternize with my brother, not to mention what you did to that basketball hoop I`m inclined to believe that there's some truth to those stories. So having someone with your reputation in my house would no doubt cast me in a bad light."

Seeing his friend tense up, Ryan grasped her right arm and gave her a look signaling her to stay calm.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, insulting me and my family!" Lynn anger grew as she was ready to snap at Renee.

"I`m simply basing my opinion on the most reliable sources. If so many people say the same thing then there must be some grain of truth to it." Renee stated indifferently.

"Ryan, can you lend me a shovel?" they heard Lucy`s voice and Reene jolted slightly.

She turned around and saw the goth standing behind her, wearing her fortuneteller hat and holding a shoebox in one arm, with Marceline by her side.

"You must be Ryan`s sister." Lucy greeted the teen with her usual stoic demeanor.

Reene cocked an eyebrow at her. It was a surprise to see another kid as pale as her own brother and she didn't know why this little girl had her hair covering her eyes completely, or why she talked in a monotonous, emotionally detached tone.

Not that she really cared to learn anything about this girl any more than she did about Lynn or her snowy-haired brother.

Lucy offered her hand to shake. "You may call me Madame Lucy, I`m a liaison between the realm of the living and the dead."

Renee had no intention to accept the gesture, even more after spotting a faint red smear on Lucy`s hand. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you asking for a shovel?" was her blunt response to the goth.

Lynn looked at the box scrutinizingly. Lucy needed a shovel?

"Oh no. Oh hell no!" the jock realized to her horror and frustration what was going on. But before she could say a word Ryan beat her to the punch.

"Lucy, we have a bit of a situation." he told her calmly. "I think you should sit this-"

"I won't bother you, I just need to perform a burial." Lucy explained as she opened the box. The older kids all jolted and Lynn was ready to hurl upon seeing the dead rat.

Lucy continued, entirely oblivious to their horror. "He appeared in the attic while we were holding our seance and Marceline killed him, now I want to pay my respect to him and assure his spirit ascends to the afterlife."

Renee stared at her, unable to process what she just heard and witnessed.

Ryan`s shock quickly wore off and he gawked at the goth with a stupefied expression. Seeing a dead animal didn't scare him, but he would never have gone as far as trying to bury it.

"Lucy..." Lynn growled through clenched teeth with barely contained rage. She was at a loss for words. Of all the moronically morbid things her sister could have done in front of a stranger, she chose to do a funeral for a rat!

"What?" the goth asked her obliviously.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Renee asked her with a mixture of disgust and confusion.

"Actually, he`ll most likely go to heaven. Animals are naturally pure of sin." Lucy explained.

Renee abruptly grabbed the bottom of the box and tore it away from Lucy. Lucy flinched while Renee held the box and used it to fling the rat over the fence, which was followed by the horrified scream of a random passing woman.

Renee sent the little girl a vicious and disgusted glare. Marceline ran away while Lucy shrank back, frightened and confused.

"I don't know what your problem is, but you need therapy, immediately." Renee hissed in a cold and hateful, yet surprisingly reserved tone. Before anyone else could get a word in, she turned sharply towards her brother.

"I don't know why you brought this little psychopath here, but I want her out of my house! Her sister too!"

"You can't make us do that!" Lynn snapped at her.

"They`re my guests, Renee. That's not your decision to make." Ryan told her curtly. Lucy ran past Renee and hugged Ryan. He patted her back.

Renee`s patience was wearing thin. "Yes, it is! I`m in charge of this house when mom and dad are away, and I`m not letting these nutcases take another step in."

Lynn glowered angrily at her while Lucy cowered. Ryan, however, let out a curt, yet amused laugh.

"Don't start that crap again." he said in a wry manner.

"You know as well as I do that without mom and dad this place is a jungle, you can't control me no matter what you do and I`ll gladly remind you of that again if I have to." he stated in a challenging tone while punching his palm.

Lynn looked at him in concern. Was he actually planning to outright fight his sister? His tone conveyed that this was business as usual for them.

Renee grimaced at him and balled her fists. She felt tempted to do it but her gaze moved to the clock. She was running out of time and the look in Ryan`s eyes told her that he knew what he was doing.

"Of course..." he continued with his ploy "...what will your guests think if you greet them all bruised and battered, or if they see that you`ve attacked your little brother, or that you yelled at a 7-year-old?"

"You revolting little shit stain..." Renee seemed ready to attack.

Growing worried, Lynn stepped in front of Ryan. "You won't hurt him! If you have a problem with him you got a problem with me!"

Ryan pulled her back and reassured her, "Easy, Lynn. My sister isn't stupid."

Calming herself and thinking things through, Renee breathed out in resignation. This was her final offer. "You'll stay upstairs! If I see one of you down in the living room I`ll personally evict your friends, and you'll be in for a world of hurt!"

"Fine by me!" Lynn said sharply, glaring at her. "I wouldn't want such ugly company anyway!"

"Alright, deal." Ryan replied and looked down at Lucy and tried to smile. "Sorry about the hostile reception, Spooky. You won't have to worry about Ms. Sourpuss anymore."

He then turned to Lynn with an apologetic look. "Let`s go." Lynn nodded and the kids promptly went upstairs.

Left alone, Renee groaned in frustration and ran her hand through her ebony hair.

Her brother has always been a major pain in the ass but now he was getting back up. She dreaded the thought of what that could entail, but right now she didn't have the time to worry about it. She had work to do.


"And you're surprised that people steer clear you, or that I feel embarrassed by you?" an annoyed Lynn lamented to her sister.

They were sitting on Ryan`s bed, impatiently awaiting his return, as neither enjoyed the others` company.

"I was just being myself." was Lucy`s passive response.

Lynn wanted to facepalm. "And that's the problem! Did it ever occur in that puny brain of yours that showing off a dead animal was a very stupid idea? And in front of a stranger at that!"

"Ryan said that I shouldn't be ashamed to be myself."

Lynn rolled her eyes. "He wasn't counting on you playing undertaker for a rat, as any sane person wouldn't have!"

"And congrats by the way!" she added sarcastically. "I didn't think it was possible, but you shocked Ryan by being even more screwed up than even he could have expected!"

Lucy paused. "I said I was sorry..." she muttered "...you don't have to rub it in."

"Oh, you're sorry?" Lynn snorted. "Well, maybe you should have thought about that before you got us banished up here."

Lucy suddenly turned towards her. "Don't act like you're blameless." the goth countered and crossed her arms. "You broke that basketball hoop, and you were talking back to Renee and threatened to fight her in her own home."

"Don`t you even dare put this on me!" Lynn angrily pointed at her.

"The first one was an accident! And secondly, that stuck up cunt was insulting me and our family, and there was no way I was gonna take that! When you deal with lowlives like her you stand up for yourself! You don't cower like a spineless worm!"

"That`s very sound advice, Lynn." Lucy retorted with dry sarcasm. "It's not like insulting or hurting people in their own home would have any consequences."

Lynn glowered at her but was hesitant to respond. Before she could open her mouth Ryan came in, rolling in a tv set.

"Girls, it's not anyone`s fault. Renee`s just being Renee." he cut in while wiping his forehead. "It`s better to resolve things peacefully instead of triggering her wrath. Once her little "get together" is over she`ll be off our backs."

Lynn raised her eyebrow. "Ryan? Were you actually going to fight her back there?"

The boy shrugged. "Of course I was. What siblings don't fight?"

"I know that, but...something about her just creeped me out when she got angry."

"You got good instinct, Lynn." Ryan confirmed. "Don't let her dorky exterior fool you. Renee`s a lot tougher than she looks and when me and her have disagreements...well things can get pretty ugly."

"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked with concern.

Ryan sighed and shrugged. "We trade blows. The end results ain't pretty."

Both sisters were shocked.

"What?" Lynn was at a loss for words. "H...how often does that happen?"

"Not often actually, usually we can both mind our own business, other times we try to make some kind of deal, but sometimes we can only talk trough an old fashion brawl."

Lynn`s face evened out. "Well, I`m sorry..." she said intuitively.

"Lynn, I told you it's-"

"Not that." she interjected. "I`m sorry I ever told ya that you should patch things up with your sister." Lynn spat bitterly. "I`d stay away from that cow as well."

"I don't like her either." Lucy chimed in. "She has ice coursing trough her veins."

"I know she sucks..." Ryan quipped as he took the remote "...but don`t let her sour your mood because I brought us some ol`fashion entertainment!" he gestured at the tv.

"Three hundred channels at our disposal, the hard part is just finding something both of you can enjoy. I`m trying to be a fair host after all."

"That`s easy! We`ll watch a game!" Lynn suggested.

"Sounds boring..." Lucy remarked snidely. Lynn glared at her.

"She`s right, Lynn. It's more fun to play sports than watch others do it." Ryan agreed.

"Oh, and I suppose you have a better suggestion?" Lynn folded her arms.

"I have a suggestion." Lucy spoke up. "Tonight's the season two premier special for my favorite show: The Vampires of Melancholia, in just one hour!"

Lynn glared at her incredulously. "In your dreams, Lucy! There ain't no way we`re gonna watch that schlock!"

"Now hold on there, Lynn. She`s got my curiosity peeked." Ryan disagreed and turned to Lucy. "What's it about?"

"I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a horror-fantasy epic starring...well a vampire, obviously."

Lucy dug into her backpack and pulled out her head sculpture of Edwin. "His name`s Edwin, and he`s my idol."

"Pffft...if by "epic" you mean a sappy melodrama." Lynn snorted. Lucy grew aggravated at the remark.

"Did you ever watch the show, Lynn?" Ryan asked her.

"No, but I have gleaned snippets of it here and there, which was more than I cared to know. It looks boring as hell. "

"Okay then, we`ll watch Lucy`s show." Ryan gave his final conclusion, much to Lucy`s delight and Lynn`s ire.

"You can't be serious!" the jock blurted.

"Lynn, Lynn, Lynn..." Ryan chuckled "...I told you before: don't knock it until you try it. A show about vampires surely can't be boring. Not to mention that I agreed to your wrestling match even after you broke my basketball hoop. You owe me."

Lynn pouted while Ryan scruffed up Lucy`s hair. "Let the kid have her fun, we can watch something more to your liking afterward. Sound fair?"

Lynn grumbled and crossed her arms while looking away.

An hour later, the kids were all seated on the bed awaiting the show, with Marceline resting in Lucy`s lap.

Lucy had brought along vampire fangs as part of her ritual when watching the show. Ryan gladly put on one these himself while the still surly Lynn slouched next to him with her arms folded while Lucy`s was holding on to Edwin in eager anticipation.

"You sure you don't want one of these?" Ryan offered Lynn a set of fangs.

"No thank you, Count Dorkula. I have dignity." she denied the offer in a grumpy tone.

"Don`t be a grouch, Lynn. You might like it." Ryan shrugged.

"I`ll like falling into a nice long slumber because of this." she snarked in response.

Lynn tried to remain awake for the ensuing hour, but it quickly proved to be a losing battle to keep her eyelids up.

And unfortunately for Ryan, it turned out that the show was much more in line with Lynn`s description than Lucy`s and he too was stuck in a limbo of mind-numbing boredom, but seeing Lucy so happy watching this made it impossible for him to put an end to it.

By the time the premier had ended Lucy finally noticed the light snoring and turned to see Ryan and Lynn sleeping, the latter resting her head on his shoulder.

Lucy frowned slightly. "Sigh. I guess he didn't like the show after all." she was somewhat disappointed but still very appreciative that he let her watch what she had wanted in spite of Lynn`s objection.

Then something else hit Lucy. She now had full control of the remote, free to watch whatever she pleased. A privilege she rarely got at home.

"Well, Marceline. Looks like the tv is ours for the rest of the evening." she whispered to the cat while petting her back, eager to explore this rare chance at complete television freedom.