( Lucy )
She knew that her brother wanted her to have contact with other people, and wanted what was best for her. While she didn't agree, it meant a lot to her big brother. Lincoln showed her that he loved her daily, by doing all those menial jobs just to make sure she ate, was clothed, clean, and warm. Her brother really spoiled her. Of course, she knew that others had a lot more than she and her brother had, though he still did everything he could for her. Honestly, as much as she liked to read, and think about toiling and torture. She regretted what her brother had to do for her. She wanted to help out, but no one would hire her to do any jobs. She had offered to help Lincoln with some of his jobs, but he didn't want her clothes to get ruined.
Whatever she had expected of these girls, this was a lot worse. Pep wasn't one of her strong suits, and these sisters had pep in abundance. It had taken all of her advanced vocabulary to convince them that she didn't want pink clothes, didn't want anything other than her dark colors. That no, she did not need her hair cut, she liked her hair just the way Lincoln cut it for her. They had a lot of different ideas for what they should get for her.
The only thing she really wanted was notebooks, pens, and books. That's what she did in her free time. Lana, her twin sister Lola, Lisa, and another sister who was called Luna, all had different ideas of what she should do. Granted, they tried their best. Luna was the closest to come to what Lucy liked. But even then it started to revolve around music, and music instruments. Which was interesting, but it wasn't completely her thing. Though, she might like to write lyrics.
At least the day was almost over. They were almost to the junkyard, then she'd be able to sit with Lincoln and read. Admittedly, she had liked talking with other people, and sleeping over at their house was a lot more peaceful than she imagined it would be. Granted, it was loud and hectic during dinner, then when it was time to watch some dating show thing, she didn't quite understand. Then in the scramble to get ready for bed. Though, after everyone had the chance to use the bathroom, and vanished to their own rooms, except her Lana, and Lola, which she was going to sleep in their room.
"'Ey this the right road, innit?" Luna asked her rough voice, "Oi that's Lincoln, what's he doing with all that stuff on the curb?"
Lucy looked out the front window of the van, and she saw Lincoln sitting on the curb with a bunch of boxes, and bags. She wasn't sure what he was doing. It wasn't like Lincoln to sit out in the open with things. He wouldn't want to attract attention to them living in the junk yard.
"I don't know," Lucy put her things down in the seat next to her, as Luna pulled up next to Lincoln. She opened the side door to the van and walked around to where her brother was.
"Hey, Luce." Lincoln sighed, then stood.
"Sigh. What are you doing out here, Lincoln?" She looked to her brother, and he seemed upset.
"Luce. I... well. Um," Lincoln stammered, as Luna stepped out of the van. She watched Lincoln as he stared at the female that he hadn't met. "I had to... Move everything out of the bus."
"Sigh, I see this. But why did you have to, Lincoln?" She didn't like this, something was wrong. He was trying to make up a lie. Which meant that there was something that he didn't want her to know. Which meant that it was something horrible, and not the good kind.
"They found out, Luce. I don't know how, but we have to find somewhere else to go." He looked over to her, his eyes were glistening, he was on the verge of tears. "Lucy, I'm sorry. I'll find somewhere else, I swear."
"Lincoln, it's not your fault," She sat next to him, putting her one arm around him, and the other on his knee. She wanted to comfort him, but comfort wasn't really her area, usually it was him that comforted, so she was just mimicking what he had done. This was like Lincoln, he felt bad for something that he could not control. "We'll find something. Tonight, we can go to that park. Remember the park? We stayed there before the bus."
"It's too cold for that, Luce." Lincoln looked over to Luna, "You're one of the Loud sisters? Right?"
"Yeah," The gravely, British accent spoke for the first time since they had stopped, though she sounded sad. Maybe Lincoln wasn't sure because of the outfit, or the British accent. Even she had been confused at first. Though, it didn't take long before this sister, proved she was a Loud. Maybe it was the situation that she was a part of. "I'm Luna."
"Please, Miss Luna. Can Lucy stay with you a few more nights, until I find something. I know it's an inconvenience. But Please." She watched a tear slip down her brother's cheek. She could tell that Lincoln was trying to hold in the tears, and his sadness. She'd known her brother for so long As much as she loved torment, seeing her brother go through this was devastating, and not in a good way.
"Of course, little dude. You both can stay with us... I mean, we all know about you guys. And I'm sure no one will object, dude. C'mon, let me help put you guy's stuff in Vanzilla."
"I have to go to the restaurant, after. I have to start working today." Lincoln said, as the three of them moved the boxes and bags into the van.
Her heart ached looking at her brother. He had his hopes lifted. Everything was going in a good direction for them. She knew that he felt like he had finally been making headway with their situation. Lucy was sure that he didn't know she had heard him some nights crying, how he wanted better for her. She wasn't dumb, she knew that he had went without eating, so she could eat. She had always dealt with gloomier things, and she thought that it would be easier for her to handle. Though, it broke her heart to see him like this. Once everything was in the van, she turned to look at Lincoln. His shoulder slumped, his eyes downcast. She walked over to him and put her hugged him.
"Thanks, Luce. I love you, you know that. We'll make it." Lincoln said before backing up.
"I love you too, Lincoln." She said looking up to her brother. She wasn't worried. Her brother would fix this. Lincoln has always found a way for them. Even since they ran away from the orphanage.
"I have to go to the restaurant." He sighed.
"Hop in, little dude. We can totally drop you off, Linc." Luna said, with an enthusiastic voice. It was obvious from what she had witnessed with the other sisters, they were different, but they all saw the brighter side of things.
"I'll walk. I need to think. Thank you, Luna."
( Lincoln )
He didn't know what they were going to do yet. They couldn't, wouldn't, survive in the park, not at this time of year. He was sure that no place in the junk yard was safe for them now. They couldn't go into allies like other homeless people. He wasn't strong enough to defend Lucy if he needed to, Shelters were not an option, since they would contact child services. He couldn't ask the Loud family to take them in forever, that wouldn't be fair to them. Plus, while they were nice people, there had to be a limit to their niceness. So, he couldn't ask them.
If this had happened a few weeks from now, he'd be able to afford a motel room. Though, with his age, it would have to be a seedy motel, without an adult with them. He couldn't get an apartment, not until he was eighteen anyways.
There was no point in going around in circles in his mind. There had to be something that he hadn't thought of yet. Maybe while he was working something would come to him.
By the time that he had made it to the restaurant, he still didn't have an answer as he looked up to the building. He watched people go in and out of the doubles doors for a while. He wasn't actually sure how long he had stood there watching these people go about their daily lives. Though, it seemed to have been long enough for someone to have mentioned something to the staff, about someone just standing in front of the restaurant, because Luan came out looking around, before her eyes landed on him.
"Oh, Lincoln, it's you. We didn't really expect you, since... y'know... Well. Never mind." Luan walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, leading him inside. "It doesn't matter, lets get you in here. Have you eaten yet?"
"I'm not too hungry, not to sound ungracious, my stomach... I'd rather get to work, if that's okay?" Lincoln looked down. He hated admitting that this was effecting him so much that even his stomach was doing flips.
…
Working at the restaurant was horrible. He kept messing up things. Things that he had done millions of times were giving him issues, and he just couldn't get his mind to focus. Nothing seemed to be going his way today, and he was sure that Mr. Loud wouldn't want him to continue working at the restaurant, not when they had to keep fixing his mistakes. Of course, no one ever said anything about his mistakes, but he knew. No one wanted someone they had to constantly clean up after. Which meant that he would have to find another place for Lucy and himself, and would have to find more odd jobs. Which, with winter approaching, there were not many jobs that he could do.
Now that he was back at the home of the Louds, sitting on the couch waiting for dinner. Lucy had went with the Loud sisters upstairs, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. Normally, when he had down time, it was spent with Lucy. Things were changing, he wasn't sure if they were good changes or not. Only time would tell.
"Oh, hey, Linky." He looked up to the taller blond, teal dress, and white sunglasses perched on her head, if he remembered correctly, the second eldest sister. Leni sat down next to him on the couch. "I know there are some icky things happening right now. And you can't go play in the junk yard any more. Which is dangerous anyways, but I can see how it makes you sad."
"Thanks, Leni. But... well, it's okay. We'll find somewhere else to... play." Lincoln didn't want to burst Leni's bubble, she was trying. It would be wrong to correct her.
"But, we are happy to have you guys here." She tilted her head a little in confusion. "I don't know why you have to stay here because of the junk yard. But we are totes happy to have you here. I can take more measurments, and see if I can make you some clothes! Lucy too. Maybe something different than black."
"That's not a good idea. Lucy loves black. I tried back when she was two, but she wasn't having it. She bit three other kids until she got black clothes again." Lincoln chuckled at the memory. Lucy was truly unique.
( Lucy )
Lucy wasn't entirely sure how she ended up in a room with the house's athlete. It was the only room that didn't have two occupants. She was sure it had to be the smell of sweat in the room that was strong. Lucy wondered how much incense would be needed to combat the odor. Then again, by the time the smell was covered it would be time to go. Lincoln would have figured out something. Though from the sounds from the other rooms, this one didn't seem too bad. Lana, and Lola seemed to argue a lot in their room. The battle of jokes and music coming from Luna and Luan's room didn't seem desirable to her. Whatever was going on in the room that held the youngest two, she wasn't sure, but it sounded dangerous. That left the eldest Loud sisters. Leni, since Lori lived with her fiance. Leni was sweet, but fashion was not her thing.
She liked to be alone, and Lynn was always practicing for a sport, or training. So, despite the odor, this room would be perfect for her seclusion. She wondered about where Lincoln would sleep though. It would be difficult for her to not have him to talk to before sleep. She wondered what Lincoln thought about being separated from her. They had had each other before bed all their lives. Well, all of her life, Lincoln was two years older after all. She had to admit that the bed that they had pulled down from the attic was nice. It was dark walnut, almost a black colored wooden frame. Black canopy over it. It was definitely to her liking.
"Luce, time to get out of bread, and get some grub." She looked up to the doorway, " Get it, Bread? It was a Bun. Get it?"
Yeah, she was glad that she didn't have to sleep with the jokester.
…
Since there wasn't any room left at the dining room table, they were to sit with the youngest Louds, which didn't bother them so much. Lana and Lisa were known to them, and had helped them in many ways. It didn't matter, she would get to spend time with her brother this way.
'He looks sad,' She thought as she went to sit next to her brother. 'Must be a lot on his mind.'
"Lucy!" He wrapped his arms around her. She wasn't big on physical displays of affection, but she could guess how he felt. He had missed her as much as she was missing him. "I was thinking about where we could go."
"Oh, Lincoln. Sigh, you don't have to decide right now." She patted his shoulder, like he'd do to her from time to time. "We have some time, it'll be nice to not worry for a while."
She looked to Lincoln who looked hurt, and realized what she had down. She had criticized him by mistake,
"Sorry Lincoln, I didn't mean that. I never worried, you always have a plan, Linc." She smiled, well as much as she ever smiled, and Lincoln seemed to have cheered up a little. "I meant, you don't have to worry about this right now. We will find something. I have faith in you."
"That's so sweet!" Lola said looking at her and Lincoln, "Lincoln is so Lucky to have a sister like you."
"Wish we had a brother like, Linc." Lana said.
"I have to admit, having a male thibling unit, would be dethirable. Lincoln would make a wonderful lab rat... I mean addition to the family" Lisa smiled as if she had been caught taking something.
"Poo poo!" Lily had called. Lucy couldn't tell if the girl agreed, if she had a full diaper, or if she even understood. But she agreed, Lincoln was the best brother anyone could ask for.
"You know, Lincoln. When you do find a thomewhere to go, I can put power there too." Lisa said while digging into her plate of Shepards Pie.
"Thank you, Lisa." Lincoln said, and he seemed a bit happier. "That would be appreciated."
…
Lucy laid in bed listening to Lynn snoring, loudly. That was something that she was not used to, Lincoln didn't snore so loud. Then again, this was the Loud family. So, being loud was part of their life. She tossed the blankets off of herself, getting out of bed. She walked across the room to the door, opening it before going out into the quiet hallway. The muffled sounds of snoring could be heard from the majority of the rooms.
She made her way across the hall and down the stairs that were across from Lynn's room. She slowly went down the stairs, holding onto the railing. She hadn't asked where Lincoln was sleeping, but she was sure that the only other place was the couch in the living room. So, she was sure that she would find her brother there.
Coming down the stairs she was able to see that her brother was indeed on the couch, curled up under a blanket from the bus. She knew that he had liked the bus. She didn't know if it was the first real safe place they had found after the orphanage. Or if it was all the hard work they had put into it. She hopped off the bottom step and made her way to the couch. She tapped her brother on the shoulder as he slumbered. It didn't take long for him to sit up looking aorund.
"Oh, it's you Luce! You scared me," Lincoln said, in a tired voice.
"Sorry Big Brother, but, sigh, Lynn snores very loud." She said hopping up on the couch, next to him, now that he was sitting.
"Wanna sleep out here with me?" Lincoln pulled the blanket around both of them, and she leaned against her brother. It wasn't something she normally did, but it made him happy. Not that she didn't feel comfort from being close to her brother.
"Yawn, if you don't mind." She smiled to herself, her hidden eye lids heavy. She was tired, and now without the snoring, and the comfort of her brother. She could peacefully sleep.