Reversal of Fortune: Chapter 21: Insecure Footage

(Scene Change: Sweetwater Manor)

Everyone in Brian's office had their jaws dropped in stunned silence.

Lincoln started, "WHAT?!"

Ronnie Anne added, "THE?!"

Lindsay finished, "FRUIT?!"

Lincoln grumbled, "Never knew red considered me a life-ruiner just because spooky wanted to hang out with me more than her. But what do I know? She spent more time in that room than she ever spent with me. Also, red considers me the reason for spooky's depression. You learn something new every day."

Remembering that scene, Paige immediately yelled, "BULLSHIT!"

Becky joined in, "BULLSHIT!"

Melissa added, "ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT!"

Brian then asked, "Lincoln... is Lucy depressed?"

Lincoln sighed, "No. She just likes acting that way, all dark & stuff, because she thinks it's cool."

Linda then scowled, "So Lynn Sr. and Rita grounded Lynn Jr. for threatening to get rid of you last summer, Lincoln. Wonder where that was when you were, according to your so-called family, bad luck."

The rest of the room murmured angrily in agreement before Brian told Melissa, "Next tape, please."

Melissa replied, "On it!"

Melissa removed the "L.I.S.A." USB key from Brian's computer and put it aside with the other watched USB flash drives before digging through the bag for her next key. When Melissa found a USB key labelled, "The Old and the Restless," she put it in Brian's computer. As usual, Melissa searched for the eponymous video file before double-clicking on it to make it play. She then took her seat beside Brian as the screen came to life, showing a comic book title card with the title of the USB key and a picture of Lincoln as an old man.

(Time Skip: 10:15 PM)

After Luan dried her hands off, she said into the bathroom's hidden camera, "Locking Lincoln out of the house over being bad luck? Comedy. Gold," before laughing into the camera. She then said, "I don't get why he ran away over that. I mean, just look at him! He looks adorable in that squirrel suit! He needs to learn to lighten up & laugh about it. Oh, he's so cute in that squirrel suit!", right before the screen faded to black.

Everyone in the room stared at the screen, jaws agape, trembling in rage. Ronnie Anne growled, "Comedy gold? Seriously? Comedy? Gold?"

Lincoln deadpanned, "That's Luan for ya."

Becky then scoffed, "So Lisa calculated that you had negative 36% karma, in a 'secret family meeting' no less, just to get you thrown out of the house?"

Paige added, "And she said the only way you had positive karma is if you wore that squirrel suit?"

Lincoln nodded grimly, causing everyone but Lincoln to scream, "BULLSHIT!"

Lindsay, Paige, and Becky immediately surrounded Lincoln and gave him a tight group hug for the umpteenth time that night. Ronnie Anne trembled in rage with gritted teeth while sliding her index figure across their throat. Melissa not only mimed Ronnie Anne's throat-slitting gestures, but also tilted her neck while doing so.

(Time Skip: 10:30 PM)

On the screen, as Lincoln was chased away by Liam's animals while lathered in honey, Luan laughed madly into the camera, "Boy, Lincoln, you really give a whole new meaning to the term, 'animal magnetism,' ha-ha-ha-ha! Get it?", before the screen cut to black on Luan's April Fools' Highlight Reel.

Everyone in the room except for Lincoln stared at the screen in shock, disgust, and horror.

"Oh my god… that's April Fools' Day for you?", Paige asked.

Lincoln deadpanned, "Yup."

As the rest of the Sweetwaters groaned in disgust and disapproval, Becky proclaimed, "There's pranking, and then, there's… whatever that was we just saw! Seriously, how are you alive right now, White Russian?!"

Linda and Brian worriedly glanced at Lincoln before Linda asked him, "Sweetie, you want to show them? You know, what we saw at the hospital?"

Lincoln stammered, "What? I don't…"

However, Paige ran to Lincoln's side and hugged him while pleading, "Lincoln, it's OK. We won't judge you, promise!"

Ronnie Anne muttered under her breath, "Tramp."

Lincoln stuttered, "O-OK", before taking off his shirt and pants. Upon seeing the scars and bruises all over Lincoln's body, the Sweetwater sisters, Melissa, and Ronnie Anne immediately screamed.

Lindsay shrieked, "AAAAAH!"

Paige screeched, "Oh my god!"

Becky screamed, "What the hell?"

Ronnie Anne gasped and exclaimed, "¡Dios mío!"

Melissa asked, "Lincoln… if the Louds did all this to you, how come your scars are duller than they should be?"

Lincoln explained, "I get injured in family fights a lot, especially by Lynn Jr. However, whenever one of us gets injured, Lisa usually heals us up quickly."

Becky mused, "So that's why Lynn Jr. is just better the next day after all her major sports injuries."

Lincoln nodded, "Yup." He then explained, "It also helps that Lisa keeps records of not just my injuries, but all our injuries, and I quote, 'for scientific and medical examination purposes'. Really, however, part of the reason she does it is to experiment on our pain responses."

While Ronnie Anne and the Sweetwaters winced in disgust, Melissa pondered, "Interesting. I'll have to find and look into those files if I get a chance. If Lisa doesn't have them on these USB keys, I could always hack into the Loud family cloud."

Lincoln then asked, "Can I please put my clothes back on now?"

Brian, who had just been texting Dr. Chase to send over Lincoln's medical files from his hospital visit, responded, "Y-yes, Lincoln. Go ahead."

After Lincoln put on his clothes, everyone leaned back into their chairs before Brian asked Melissa, "Do we have any more footage to watch?"

Melissa nodded, "Yup," before walking over to the bag and pulling out another USB key labelled, "PAYBACK." She then showed the USB key to Brian and told him, "We got this one."

Linda urged Melissa, "Well, what are you waiting for, sweetie? Put it in."

Melissa obliged. After Brian's computer detected the USB key, Melissa searched the flash drive for any video files she could find. When she found an eponymously-named video file, she double-clicked on it.

When the screen came to life, it revealed Lori somberly starting, "Hey, gang. If you're literally watching this video, that means that as a family, we have literally decided to reveal the truth about Lincoln."

Everyone watching the video groaned before the screen showed Lori continuing, "You may know Lincoln Loud as the adorable sole son of our family of 13. But after watching this footage, I encourage you to literally come to your own conclusions about him. And if you're anything like me, by the time you're finished watching this footage, you will literally understand what to think about Lincoln, and why we as a family act the way we do. I know some of you may think we may be a little rowdy. But I want you to literally think: if Lincoln can act like this, why can't we?"

Leni quickly jumped into the picture and cheered, "Oh, because Mommy & Daddy will get us in trouble!"

Everyone watching the video couldn't help but snicker at that. However, the snickering stopped when Lori exasperatedly said, "Leni, this video is for exposing Lincoln."

Leni gasped, "But Lincoln's only 11! Isn't that like… totes…," before wincing, "EWWW!"

Lori groaned, "Leni, not like that," before sighing, "Leni, just get in the back. I'll handle this."

Leni chirped, "Oh, OK!", before returning to the back of the room.

Once Leni backed away from the camera, Lori said, "Thank you. Anyway, all backing music by Luna, all footage attributed to Luan Out Loud, LLC and Lisa Loud Enterprises. Enjoy!"

(Time Skip: 10:50 PM)

Becky muttered, "You seriously thought you were going to get famous over showing off your family life?"

Lincoln deadpanned, "Hey, the shows my sisters watch have random people get famous for showing off their home lives all the time. So I thought, might as well."

Everyone in the room groaned before Lindsay defended Lincoln, "Hey, don't hate the player, hate the game."

The rest of the room stared at Lindsay awkwardly before Melissa stuttered, "L-let's just move on."

(Time Skip: 10:40 PM)

Lincoln said as Lynn Jr. lunged towards him in a clip, "Pause right there. This is where Lynn Jr. likes to show her expertise on 'throat hugs'."

Lindsay squeaked, "W-what's a throat hug?"

Lincoln groaned, "Junior shows her love with loving, very tight hugs of one's throat until you're half-passed out. You know what, just press play and you'll understand what I mean."

As Melissa pressed play, everyone in Brian's office saw a compilation of Lynn Jr. giving throat hugs to Lincoln, causing them to gasp before glaring at the screen once more.

Ronnie Anne grumbled, "Oh, next time I see Lynn, I've got a throat hug for her, alright."

(Time Skip: 10:45 PM)

As a compilation of Lynn Jr. giving purple nurples, wedgies, melvins, swirlies, and wet willies ended, Lindsay scoffed, "Lynn Jr. is absolutely uncouth."

Lincoln deadpanned, "Yeah, we know."

Brian stated, "It's just that… compared to some of the other stuff that we've seen, this is honestly nothing."

Paige, Becky, Linda, Melissa, and Ronnie Anne grumbled angrily in agreement.

Ronnie Anne then walked over to Lincoln, hugged him, and said, "Lincoln… I am so sorry for all the pranks I pulled on you. Watching your family do that to you, I can see what a jerk I was."

Lincoln, while still not completely pleased with Ronnie Anne, assured her, "Hey, at least you're admitting it. And admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it."

The Sweetwaters and Melissa smiled proudly as Lincoln and Ronnie Anne hugged each other.

(Time Skip: 11:00 PM)

As the screen faded to black on the final security footage video, Lincoln, Melissa, Ronnie Anne, and the Sweetwater family sat in their chairs with their mouths agape, frozen in a combination of shock, horror, contempt, betrayal, and fury.

The room remained silent for a full two minutes before Brian mouthed, "Wow."

The rest of the audience remained speechless for another few seconds while Becky, who was already tightly holding Lincoln alongside Ronnie Anne, Paige, and Lindsay, gently stroked Lincoln's hair. As Becky comforted Lincoln, she tenderly told him, "Linky… Linky… whatever you want… whatever… just… just tell me, OK?"

Lincoln said, "Becky…"

Becky sniffled, "I'll… I'll take you to the mall and buy you as many comics and video games as you want. I'll take you wherever you want to go. Just… just tell me."

The Sweetwater siblings sensed Lincoln getting ready to speak again and immediately tightened their hug on Lincoln.

As Brian and Linda watched their kids hold Lincoln, Brian started, "S-…", before Linda quickly interrupted him, "Honey, let them be. Lincoln needs this."

Brian sighed, "You're right, sweetie." They then walked over to Melissa, with Brian asking, "So, after seeing all the footage, what do you think?"

The room was silent for a few seconds before Melissa stuttered, "I-I-I m-mean, what else is there to say? Like, I'm speechless. I need some time to process this. And I think you guys do, too."

Brian, Linda, and Melissa stared at each other in silence as they attempted to process their emotions after seeing the videos. After a few seconds of that, Brian began, "I mean, I knew the kids were pretty wild from the stories Lynn Sr. and Lincoln told me. I even saw the Loud sisters acting crazy on 'Take Your Daughter to Work Day'. But seeing this on screen is just appalling. To say I'm disappointed in Lynn Sr. would be a huge understatement. I worked with that man for years. He'd always brag about how great his kids were, how they may have been chaotic, but at the end of the day, they loved each other. But after watching this… I seriously don't know."

Linda added, "And Rita. I admired the stories she used to give us on her mommy columns. How she balanced her dental assistant job, freelancing with us, and taking care of 11 kids. Watching all this… now… dear god. I mean, I get that those kids can be chaotic, but how spineless & immature can you be? It seems as if Lincoln's the only adult in that household… which is sad because he's 11, and he shouldn't have to be in that role. He should be peacefully reading comics in his undies… while his room door is locked, of course, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and worrying about homework. Because Lincoln steps up to care for his family so often, I guess they kind of started expecting him to act like an adult… a role he's clearly not suited for. And the Loud parents can be so childish. I mean, I get wanting to relate to your kids, but this is just ridiculous. You need to be your kids' parent, not their friend, at the end of the day."

Melissa concurred, "From what I've seen, I agree with you. While all the Loud siblings, and even the Loud parents themselves, seem to do their fair share of bullying Lincoln, it's clear that Lori, Lynn Jr., and Lola stand out. Speaking of Lori, she needs to stop using her status as the eldest sibling, and de facto leader of the Loud siblings, to boss them around and bully her way into whatever they want."

Brian elaborated, "Not only does Lori do that, she also seems to be the ringleader whenever the Loud sisters and parents gang up on Lincoln, or anyone else in the family, for that matter. The Loud family seems to follow her word and her example, which again, is sad because the Loud parents are supposed to set that example. And what example does Lori set? She threatens to, and in some cases, does, turn her siblings into human pretzels if they interrupt her phone time, especially with her ex-boyfriend. She leads the siblings, and sometimes even the parents, in ganging up on other ones, particularly Lincoln. She uses her 'eldest sibling' status to try to get special privileges in the family. She can be just as bratty as Lola, if not more so. The Loud parents clearly can't set the proper example for their kids, given how they regularly join in the chaos, and in some cases, even instigate it."

Linda, remembering the hotel incident, scoffed in disgust, "Don't remind me," before Brian continued, "When your leaders act like that, how do you expect the followers to behave? I would say that the blame for Lincoln's situation mainly falls on her and the Loud parents. Now that I think about it, it's a miracle Lincoln turned out as good as he did."

Melissa said, "Exactly. The only person that seems to be able to discipline those kids is Lori. And we've seen her in action. She's not the best role model by a long shot. And sometimes, even she needs to be kept in line by Lincoln of all people. It seems as if these girls needed Lincoln to function, and it remains to be seen whether they would collapse without Lincoln or find a 'new Lincoln' to torture just like him."

Brian and Linda gasped in horror before Melissa continued, "But we need to cut Lori some slack."

Brian questioned, "Cut her some slack? What do you mean, cut her some slack?"

Melissa sighed, "First of all, Lori's 17. Think about it. This girl has had to take on the role of a 'backup parent' because the real Loud parents, who were supposed to be parents, were either too busy with their own lives or joining on the chaos themselves. Imagine having to look after 10 younger siblings... every single day for 16 years. Sometimes, Lori's grumbled to me about missing concerts and weekends out to look after her younger siblings, and about just wanting to cut loose and be a normal kid with an... erm... normal-sized family."

The rest of the room gasped before Ronnie Anne seethed, "Normal? Is anything about that family normal to you? Is that why Bobby spent hours & hours on the phone with Lori?"

Melissa answered, "Yeah, that's part of it. And besides that, there are times when the Loud parents have tried to discipline their kids, and where Lori has tried to discipline her siblings. But their efforts have failed neither because the Loud parents tend to want to win popularity contests more than they want to be actual parents, nor because Lori tends to put herself above the rest of her siblings. Even if the Loud parents wanted to fully raise normal, healthy children, and even if Lori was fully committed to her role as an oldest sister, I would argue that the Loud siblings are too dangerous to be kept in line by normal parenting methods."

Linda asked, "What do you mean?", as Brian added, "Yeah, certainly, if Senior and Rita had curtailed their kids' behaviors years ago instead of unconditionally supporting their interests, the situation wouldn't have gotten to this point."

Melissa admitted, "Maybe so, with most of the siblings. I would even argue that Lynn Jr. and Lola could have been kept in line if Lori and the Loud parents stepped up and fully committed to their roles as leaders in that house. But off the top of my head, there's 2 siblings in particular that are too dangerous to be disciplined normally."

Linda prodded, "2? Who might those be?"

Melissa began, "The first one would be Lisa. Remember how Lisa injected her entire family with brain chips?"

Brian and Linda nodded in horror before Linda said, "When we watched that, you said that Lisa is the most dangerous of the Louds. Not that we don't agree with you, but I want you to explain that."

Melissa explained, "Lisa set up a tracking chip system that can track anyone she desires, anywhere in the world. And she can hook you into said system without you even knowing. Because of her, half of this town might have to get tested for implanted tracking chips by L-Day."

Brian and Linda shuddered before Melissa continued, "Additionally, she regularly experiments with dangerous, lethal chemicals, and uses them on her siblings for her own sick kicks. She seems to have connections with the governments of several countries, which she taps into so she can spy on every bit of the Louds' activities. And whenever one of her experiments goes wrong, she shrugs it off as 'science.' I get that the girl's 4, but this is a girl that shows absolutely no moral compass. And she doesn't care about any rules. With her level of intelligence and scientific know-how, combined with her mentality, she could be dangerous to the whole world if allowed to operate unrestricted. Now ask yourself, do Lori, Lynn Jr., and Lola have those capabilities on their own?"

Brian and Linda glanced at each other before admitting, "No."

Melissa concluded, "Exactly. That's why to me, she's the most dangerous Loud sibling of them all. And from my observations, there's another sibling that stands out as being extremely dangerous."

Linda asked, "Who do you think that is?"

Melissa said, "Luan."

Brian and Linda traded glances before Linda asked, "Luan? Why Luan?"

Melissa seethed, "Three words. April. Fools'. Day."

Brian, Linda, and Lincoln shivered as Ronnie Anne and the Sweetwater siblings tightened their hold on Lincoln. Meanwhile, Melissa explained, "Going back to Lisa… I mean, if Lisa has to hide in a bunker just to get away from Luan's April Fools' Day pranks, then that alone cinches Luan as one of the most dangerous Louds, if not the most dangerous Loud. Never mind the pranks that she springs on her family, and really everyone around her, at all times. April Fools' Day alone gives her special mention. Her improvisational and stealth abilities are terrifying to behold. Sometimes, I wonder whether she might even be here… watching us right now. And like with Lisa, I want to ask you… do any of the other Louds besides those two give you those levels of creeps?"

Lindsay spoke up, "Well, Lola might. I mean, the way that girl's able to collect dirt on others… I feel like I have to watch my back at all times just to see whether or not she's around."

Melissa replied, "True," before pointing out, "Now, Lindsay, answer me this. Does Lola have the capability to manufacture chemicals that would instantly make you lose your beauty without you noticing it? Or to implant a tracking chip in your brain? Or to shove your entire family in a gelatin mold without you even noticing it?"

As Lindsay reflected on what Melissa told her and how it stacked up against what she had seen in the security footage, she conceded, "No, not even close."

Melissa said, "Exactly. And with the abilities that those two siblings alone possess, normal disciplinary methods would not be enough to keep the Loud siblings in line. Not by a long shot."

Lindsay then asked Melissa, "What about the rest of the sisters? Who among them do you think is most dangerous?"

Melissa explained, "I'm going to have to rewatch this footage and create individual profiles on each of the sisters to determine the answers to that. I'll probably have them ready by this time next week, but I'm making no guarantees."

Lindsay asked, "A week from now?", before pointing out, "Dang… we'll be right upon L-Day at this point. It'd be wasted effort."

Melissa reminded Lindsay, "You sure you want L-Day to happen that soon? It's obvious that we need to get rid of the Louds to ensure not just Lincoln's safety, but our own as well. At the same time, rushing things could cause the Louds to become wise to it, so we should pace ourselves. As a matter of fact, we're very lucky that Lori and her sisters aren't coming after us right now for the stunt Carol pulled, let alone the deaths of the pets."

Lindsay acquiesced, "OK, then, go for it," before vowing, "But just so you girls know… I've got Lola next."

Melissa exasperatedly shook her head before warning Lindsay, "Very well, then. But remember what I said. Pace yourself. Wait for the right moment to strike."

Lindsay started to argue, "B-but t-the p-pageant tomorrow," before the rest of the room stared at her, causing her to slump in her seat and say, "Fine."

Melissa told Lindsay, "Good," before addressing the rest of the room, "Any other questions?"

Paige attempted to defend the Loud siblings, "But even with everything they've done, when it comes down to it, they do seem to genuinely care for Lincoln even when they didn't get anything out of it. I mean, they showed up for Lincoln's school project when they accidentally broke it. They tend to replace the things that they stole and/or broke, whether by accident or on purpose. And they seem to want Lincoln to be socially successful and popular in school."

Ronnie Anne snapped, "Are you KIDDING me?! Did you see nothing they did to Lincoln?! NOTHING?! Ooh, I like you, Paige, but sometimes, you just make me so angry I just wanna scream!"

Paige quickly jumped out of her chair and threatened Ronnie Anne, "I make you angry?! Uh… you pulled pranks on Lincoln just because you lo-o-o-o-ved him? Now, after seeing the footage, can you really sit here and tell me that what you did to him is love?!"

Ronnie Anne growled, "You better watch it, you cow. You don't know him like I do!"

Melissa quickly interrupted them, "That's it! You two, stop it! Focus! This is about Lincoln here, not some hissy little fit you two want to have with each other!"

Paige and Ronnie Anne, at that, slumped into different chairs and grumbled, "Fine."

Melissa thanked Paige and Ronnie Anne for standing down before telling Ronnie Anne, "Now, I was going to continue talking about the sisters, but you, Ronnie Anne, you've forced me to tell you something I didn't want to tell you until a little later."

Ronnie Anne scoffed, "Shoot. Whatever you've got for me, I can handle anything."

Melissa started, "It seems as if your 'darker desires' to torture the Louds may extend to a possible romantic interest in Lincoln."

Ronnie Anne blushed, "A romantic interest in Lincoln? What? No way! Eww! I don't like Lame-O that way!"

Melissa deadpanned, "I said possible." She then suggested to Ronnie Anne, "Having a reputation to keep as the 'toughest girl in school', you felt like you couldn't express your love to Lincoln, if you had it, by simply asking him out, so you decided to start pranking him. You also seemed to be hurt enough by Lincoln calling you 'rude, gross, and totally annoying' that one day in school that according to Bobby, you cried."

Ronnie Anne maintained, "OK, anything you saw about that date was only because Lori and Bobby forced us on a stupid double date! Only!"

The Sweetwater sisters smugly teased Ronnie Anne, "Uh-huh."

Ronnie Anne blushed deeper, "S-s-shut up!"

Melissa sighed before explaining, "While your devotion to Lincoln is admirable, given your temperament and behavioral patterns, it would also be concerning if the two of you ever got into a relationship with each other. Your inability to accept your own feelings combined with Lincoln's nature as a pushover suggest that if your romantic feelings for each other were to intensify and turn into an actual relationship, the relationship would eventually turn abusive."

Paige immediately jumped out of her chair and yelled in triumph, "I KNEW IT!" Catching everybody's bewildered glances at her, Paige simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "What? I just don't want anybody hurting Lincoln!"

Becky and Lindsay giggled under their breaths while Linda and Melissa stifled giggles themselves.

Melissa fanned herself as she stammered, "A-as I was saying, you two would do things to either physically or emotionally hurt each other. This cycle of violence could potentially escalate to the point where it ends in one, or both, of your deaths."

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln gulped before glancing at each other apologetically.

Melissa then turned to Paige and said, "And as for your question, Paige, it appears as if while Lily and the animals have some awareness of what's going on, they may be too innocent to be involved in the plot. While it may be too late for the animals, if the situation inside the Loud House can be made less volatile, it's possible that Lily can be rescued and re-raised to have proper levels of respect and affection for Lincoln. She is, after all, merely 20 months old."

Brian worried, "What? We just had all of their pets killed! Now we're going to take their baby, too? That's practically suicide!"

The rest of the room grumbled in agreement that Brian was right before Paige asked, "But what about the rest of them? Do you think that at some point, even one of them might come to their senses and admit that the whole 'luck' thing was a bunch of nonsense? I mean, right up until the luck incident, it seemed as if this was a family that loved each other."

Melissa theorized, "Given the Loud sisters' and parents' tendency to gang up on Lincoln and stubbornly stick to their worldviews, that seems highly unlikely. However, I do believe it's possible, though fleeting, that one or two of them might feel remorse and regret for what they've done."

Linda yelled, "No! I want to believe that, I really do! But what these monsters have done to Lincoln is so… so h-horrible! I don't know if we could accept their apology even if they gave one! I mean, how many times have they given lackluster apologies to Lincoln? They gave him a 'Most Improved Brother' trophy! A FUCKING MOST IMPROVED BROTHER TROPHY! As if HE was the one that needed to improve! That right there… shows that they conditionally love him. If they love him at all."

Brian defended Linda, "Linda's right. The Loud family seems to operate with absolutely no remorse towards Lincoln whenever they judge him as standing in the way of what they want. Because of that, we can't count on any of them developing remorse or regret for what they did."

Ronnie Anne grumbled, "As it is, they're probably blaming Lincoln's 'bad luck' for the loss of the pets right now."

Paige asked, "OK, well, if any of the Loud girls, or even Lincoln's parents, came to us saying that they're sorry, would you listen?"

The rest of the room traded glances before Lincoln scoffed, "Hard. Pass. Do you know how many times my ex-housemates have tried to apologize to me just to get something out of me, or to continue treating me horribly and bullying me as if I'm just supposed to forgive and forget? No. I won't forgive. I won't forget. They've just done… too much at this point. They don't mean any of their apologies, as they usually go right back to ganging up on me, never learn their lessons, bullying me, messing up my schoolwork, and treating me like a waste of time that ruins their lives. Ugh… why are we even discussing this? They never listen to me whenever I try to make up for my mistakes. So why should we listen to them?"

The rest of the room grumbled in agreement before Melissa mused, "Fair enough." She then yawned and told the rest of the room, "It's getting kind of late, and really, we've been missing school for the last 2 days watching Lincoln's life at the Loud House. I'm going back home, and I'm going to be going back to school tomorrow morning. And I suggest you guys do the same."

Brian asked Melissa, "You sure you're going to be OK driving home?"

Melissa assured everyone else in the room, "I'll be fine. Just gotta make sure I can keep my eyes open for about 5-10 minutes and not doze off, and I'll be OK. As an added bonus, I'll get working on mixing this footage together for the rest of our allies, and eventually, all of Royal Woods to see. That way, they can truly get to know the monsters that lie in our midst."

Linda sighed, "Well, looks like we can't stop you," before she and Brian hugged Melissa and thanked her for everything. As the rest of the Sweetwaters, Lincoln, and Ronnie Anne joined the group hug, Melissa smirked, "Don't mention it," with the rest of the room chirping, "We won't!"

Melissa then asked Ronnie Anne, "Hey, you want a ride home? I bet you need to calm down… you know… after all this."

Ronnie Anne insisted, "No! I want to watch the rest of the security footage that I missed!"

Melissa pointed out, "Ronnie Anne, we spent a whole day watching that footage. I don't want you missing any days of school, and I don't want your parents to get worried about you. And besides, from the stories Bobby, Lori, and Lincoln told you, I bet you probably know enough."

Ronnie Anne admitted, "Yeah, you're right."

Melissa then offered Ronnie Anne, "How about this? While I drive you home, I'll fill you in on everything, and then you'll tell me your side of the story."

Ronnie Anne put her finger to her chin in mock thought, saying, "You drive a hard bargain…", before smiling at Melissa, shaking her hand, and yelling, "Deal!"

Melissa giggled, "Well, alright then!"

Ronnie Anne then hugged the Sweetwaters goodbye, reserving her most tender hug for Paige. When Ronnie Anne finally made it to Lincoln, she softly punched him in the arm and said, "Lame-O, it's been real. If those mean sisters ever try to hurt you again, just give me a call."

Lincoln laughed before assuring Ronnie Anne with a playful punch to her arm, "I will! But don't go too crazy, punk!"

Ronnie Anne jested, "Not making any guarantees!", before hugging Lincoln and assuring him, "I've got your back, Lame-O. I've got your back."

When Ronnie Anne and Lincoln broke their embrace, Ronnie Anne walked with Melissa to her white four-door sedan in the driveway. They exchanged friendly goodbye waves with the Sweetwaters and Lincoln before ultimately driving home.

The Sweetwaters looked out the window to see if Melissa and Ronnie Anne had made it out of their driveway safely. As they did, Paige begged her family, "Guys, I know Lincoln's not wrong, but I just hope at least one of those monsters comes around. One of them."

Brian and Linda gasped before Linda consoled Paige, "Sweetie… I hope so, too. We all do. But we can't force these things. If they do love Lincoln, we have to let it sprout and grow naturally. Forcing things is what led to this situation."

Paige sighed, "You're right," as Melissa and Ronnie Anne drove off. Brian then told his family, "Alright, gang. Time for everybody to get to bed. We've all got to go back to the daily grind tomorrow."

Lincoln and the Sweetwaters then wished goodnight to each other before retreating to their respective bedrooms to start their nighttime routines. As they did, Brian offered, "Hey, Lincoln, mind if I help you get settled in to your new room?"

Lincoln smiled, "Yup!"

As Lincoln and Brian walked upstairs, they made small talk about Ace Savvy and the chaos of the Loud House, and cherished finding out that both Ronnie Anne and Melissa had made it home safe and without any major incidents. Brian also got Lincoln to explain how the family had so much of their lives filmed in the first place.

Lincoln began, "It all started last year, around the time Lily was born. We were watching old homemade videos, so I suggested that we start doing that again. And everybody thought that was a great idea. As a result, that's when Lisa and Luan put the hidden cameras up."

Brian asked, "But if Lisa and Luan knew that there were hidden cameras up, why did they join in on how the others treated you? Why didn't they try to stop it?"

Lincoln speculated, "For whatever reason, looking at it now, it seems as if me getting mistreated or having bad things happen to me seemed to have gotten the most laughs out of them. Plus, you saw the meeting that they had on how to deal with their 'problem son.'"

Brian scoffed, "Don't remind me. Lynn Sr., Rita, Lori, Lola, and Lucy threatening to post the videos on that USB key all over social media as a vlog… wow. I mean, who does that? Did they really think they were going to get famous off that?"

Lincoln groaned, "Apparently, yes. My ex-housemates, especially Lori, will do anything for Internet fame."

Brian sneered, "Typical."

Lincoln continued, "But as bad as my ex-housemates are, they're not the only problem. They're just the biggest problem."

Brian gasped, "Biggest problem? What do you mean?"

Lincoln pointed out, "You saw the footage. You saw how Royal Woods as a whole tends to treat me. The school, Flip… everybody."

Brian said, "Hey, this town does that to people. I was bullied growing up, myself."

Lincoln gasped, "You were?"

Brian joked, "You know, I wasn't always the confident, big, strong, handsome man you see today. I was once a gangly, awkward nerd who got laughed at because I was smart, computer-obsessed, and kinda sucked at sports."

Lincoln gasped, "But how? You nearly went pro in basketball."

Brian explained, "I hit my growth spurt early. When I was your age, I was around 5'6". 6'4" by the end of middle school. But didn't get the coordination to go with it until a couple of years later. Until then, I was literally all limbs. Anyway, the other kids used to always call me 'Beanpole Shitwater.' Girls would run away screaming from me when I tried to ask them out. Of course, that was probably because I towered over them and leered over them, but still. I would always hit my head and hands on stuff. Kids would purposely put wooden planks at my neck and chest level just so I'd walk into them. And then they'd laugh at me. Kids can be cruel."

Lincoln stuttered, "W-wow. H-how did you get through it?"

Brian smirked, "Well, first of all, they didn't have smartphones or social media back then, so once I left this town for college, I didn't have to worry about any of that stuff following me around."

Brian and Lincoln laughed before Brian continued, "Second, after a while, I realized, this town, and the world in general, is full of jerks, or as you kids would call them, 'haters'. And they can really get to you, especially at your age. But, as long as you try not to hurt others, and are doing what you love with your life, that's all that matters in the end. And if you're worried about us being haters, you have our support to the end. I can promise you that."

Lincoln smiled, "Thanks," before Brian went on, "I mean, what's happening to you is next-level compared to what happened to me, but my point remains the same. This town's a dog-eat-dog world. You know how they say, 'survival of the fittest?'"

Lincoln nodded at that before Brian sneered, "Here, it might as well be, 'survival of the meanest.' And it's a shame it has to be like this, really."

Lincoln bitterly laughed before asking, "If you have so many bad memories of this town, why do you keep choosing to live here?"

Brian joked, "First of all, housing prices are cheap relative to the rest of Metro Detroit, and America for that matter, so there's that." When Brian saw Lincoln stare blankly at him, he chuckled, "You'll get it when you're older." Brian then sighed, "But personally, I came back here because I know this town. I see that a lot of people here have so much potential to be so much better. I mean, just look at some of your ex-housemates' better moments, for instance."

Lincoln agreed, "Yeah," before grumbling, "But they don't. I mean, do you know what Principal Huggins did after that fight? He threw a horrendous anti-bullying assembly that ended with Rusty twerking on stage to Jamaican music and pooping his pants."

Brian said, "I heard. Paige told me all about it. Even showed me the video. Honestly, I just think Rusty was being an idiot, but you know kids. Plus, with everything going on… you know."

Lincoln scoffed, "I know. All too well. Still, I don't know about Principal Huggins. I feel like he's going to be a thorn in our side."

Brian asked, "You sure you still don't want to take me up on that homeschooling offer?"

Lincoln said, "No. That'll just make my ex-housemates look 10 times harder for me. Like Lindsay said, we've got to make things look as normal as possible until the time is right for us to strike. Besides, with Clyde and all of you on my side… I think I should be OK for not getting bullied for at least the next couple of weeks."

Brian chuckled, "Fair enough." He then suggested to Lincoln, "You know what… why don't you just go take a shower and brush your teeth, and I'll handle the rest?"

Lincoln smiled and said, "OK!", and ran to the bathroom to do just that.

As Lincoln walked out of the bathroom in his pajamas, Brian put Lincoln's phone on charge, putting the final touch on his room, before asking Lincoln, "There. Now, how do you like that, champ?"

Lincoln asked, "Like? I love it!" He immediately pulled Brian into a hug and thanked him, causing Brian to chuckle, "You're welcome. Now, get to bed, you crazy kid!"

Lincoln chuckled back, "OK, I will!"

Lincoln proceeded to practically jump onto the bed and begin to tuck himself in. However, when Brian saw this, he wagged his finger at Lincoln and told him, "Uh-uh-uh!" He commanded Lincoln to get up, and when Lincoln did, he raised the blanket for him. Touched, Lincoln smiled as Brian tucked him in before kissing him goodnight. As he did, he wished Lincoln, "Goodnight, son. Sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

As Brian walked away from Lincoln to turn out the lights and go to sleep himself, Lincoln reflected on everything that had happened over the previous week. While Lincoln was undoubtedly and deeply grateful to the Sweetwaters for helping him in his darkest moments, he worried that Linday's toxic side would be on full display once their revenge on the Louds was complete. Lincoln remembered when Lindsay stated that she only helped Lincoln with Lola's secrets because she was "tired of coming in second place to her." Knowing that Lindsay could be just as toxic as Lola, a part of Lincoln planned to escape the town once the Louds were irrevocably dealt with, and Lincoln inwardly debated whether to inform the Sweetwaters once he made his move. While the Sweetwaters did seem to care about him, Lincoln couldn't help but notice the links that they, and the rest of his allies by extension, had to his life being so hard, accidental or not. Lincoln wanted to trust and love the Sweetwaters with open arms, but after everything that he had been through, he was unsure as to whether he could trust anybody on that level again. Then, Lincoln reflected on Brian's repeated offers to homeschool Lincoln and their seeming total commitment to avenge the bullying committed against Lincoln. As Lincoln drifted off to sleep, the last thoughts on his mind were, maybe I don't need to be the man with the plan this time. I'll just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may.

Closing A/N: And with that, the viewing of the security footage is complete! I know: ugh, more sister demonization. But in order to get back at the Louds, the Sweetwaters need to thoroughly analyze & study them.

A/N 2: Shoutout to Saccharine Melody for the quote where Luan refers to NSL as "Comedy Gold". Not canon to NSL, but figured it's a "bonus scene" that fits Luan's character. Also, for the idea of the vlog depicting the worst of Lincoln's life at home coming from the DaddyOFive scandal.

A/N 3: Shoutout to DJ Sprouts for the negative 36% karma and "positive karma only in the squirrel suit" quotes. They aren't canon to NSL, but I figured that it would be a nice "bonus scene" that shows why the Loud family threw Lincoln out so suddenly.

A/N 4: The April Fools' Day "animal magnetism" prank comes from Alexpv22's Gal Pals. Figured I'd reincorporate it here. The Sweetwaters are watching a highlight reel of all of Luan's April Fools' Day pranks over the years.

A/N 5: The "bullshit" lines come from Reacting to the Loud House's NSL episode.

A/N 6: Becky's promise to Lincoln comes from "Requiem for a Loud."

What's in store for Lincoln next? Will he stay or will he go? Stay tuned to find out!