Alright, readers, this is the fifth and final chapter for this story!

Now for this chapter, there will be some closure between Lincoln and Lori regarding this whole mess, along with how Lori talks with her brother, plans will be recommended, and some other stuff will be taking place. How will this go for both of them? Find out now everyone!

THE FOLLOWING MORNING – AT THE LOUD HOUSE:

The following morning has arrived at the Loud House, and the siblings went about with their scheduled tasks that were planned last night. It true that most of them were relieved and thankful that everything that took placed yesterday has been resolved (kinda), and it was all done and over with, but they also had to make sure the house gets cleaned up. Their parents won't be back until tomorrow, so that did give them some time. But it was better to do it sooner than later when they would likely forget to do it.

The areas that the sisters were cleaning up included parts of the kitchen sink, along with scrubbing down the living room floor and sofa, and also handling the trash detail, among other things. These tasks were being done to ensure nothing has happened at all and to make it look like no one touched the liquor. After the accident that had taken place last night, they had to make sure that there were no traces of alcohol left behind anywhere. Essentially, they were doing everything they could to make sure nothing was noticeable.

Lori, in particular, was downstairs in the basement doing the laundry. She had her barf-stained shirt already in the washer and had thrown in some of her dirty laundries in there with it. In addition to that, she also threw in some of Lincoln's dirty clothes, including the shirt and pants that he wore last night. She made sure to add plenty of laundry detergent and used some stain removal spray on the barf stain of her shirt so it could be guaranteed that it could be washed off. As of this moment, the washer was running, and Lori was leaning to the side of the washer, waiting patiently for it to finish.

As she promised, she allowed her other sisters to wash their clothes individually, and they can do so when she's done with her and Lincoln's clothes. The sole exception to this is Lana, who still didn't understand what's so great about washing her filthy clothes, and enjoys wearing dirty clothes. At some point, Lori would have to get them washed without her knowing. But that was for another time. Right now, she had to focus on the laundry she was doing now.

While she was waiting for it to be done, she was doing some serious thinking about what happened last night, and how it occurred in the first place. When it came to her telling her siblings that she'd be moving out and heading for college after the school year is over, she knew that all of her siblings would be upset about her departure. This likely had something to do with all of the times she was around to make sure everything was in check. When she was old enough to be put in charge of all of her younger siblings by her parents, the amount of pressure from it combined with her reaching puberty caused her to become a stricter as a result. This is justified though because everything was out of whack and nothing went right. Granted, she toned it down a notch in later years, but she still makes sure that the house remains in balance for what it's worth.

Then there's the fact that the others can't properly function without her, for some crazy reason. A good example of this was the time she moved into her dad's garage just so she could have some quiet, along with some privacy. As it turns out, her siblings had no idea how to resolve situations, and have zero knowledge on how to compromise amongst one another. Not only that but she eventually felt that she needed her siblings as much as they need her, maybe more. She learned this the hard way when she realized that without her siblings around to be with her, her life got pretty dull and boring without anything to do, or anyone to talk with.

And of course, it works the other way around too, where her siblings care about her and her well-being. Heck, she could recall the time that her siblings (along with Clyde) thought that Bobby was cheating on her when it turned out not to be the case. Even though it was all a misunderstanding and she had every right to be annoyed by their interference, she was still thankful that her siblings were there for her when she needed them.

However, Lori never thought in her whole life that out of all the siblings that she'll be leaving behind for college, Lincoln was the one who took the news the hardest. He just never let it be shown to her or any of his sisters; at least not in a subtle manner. Lori thought that Leni would be one to be the most devastated by this, due to being her roommate and such. While it was true that Leni wasn't any happier about her moving out than the others, it was Lincoln that succumbed to depression, and she felt bad because she didn't take notice of it, which wasn't helped at all by how he was keeping it to himself.

True, there were several times where Lori and Lincoln weren't on the best terms with each other, and while Lincoln may have had some part in triggering it, Lori didn't do herself any favors either. But deep down, Lori truly did care about her brother, and she didn't realize how much she had mistreated him until her cell phone fell into the toilet. Since then, Lori has worked harder on becoming a better sister to Lincoln and also to become a better role model to him and the rest of her sisters as well.

And this made her not noticing her brother's expanding depression even more despairing than it already was. Just thinking about all of this made her feel guilty deep down.

Gosh. And to think that this whole time, I literally thought that Leni was going to miss me the most. But as it turns out, it's Lincoln who's going to miss me the most. Lori thought shamefully. I feel foolish for not being attentive and sensible with my brother. I should have noticed his depression sooner, and I'm going to apologize to him the next chance I get.

With that, Lori kept that fresh in her mind as she continued to wait for the washer to be done so she could put the stuff in the dryer…

After a few moments have passed, the door that leads out of the basement opened up. Said person responsible for opening it was Lincoln, as this got Lori's attention. But what sold it was the fact that Lincoln calling out to her.

"Lori," he called out reluctantly. "Hey, Lori…?!"

"I'm down here Lincoln," Lori hollered back as she saw him at the top. "What's up?"

"Oh, uh...my sisters told me that you would be down here doing laundry," Lincoln exclaimed as he felt a wince in his head.

As Lincoln went down the steps slowly, Lori let out a light chuckle at what he just said.

"Oh yeah, that's right," she said sheepishly. "I was just washing a load your laundry with my laundry in the washer after what happened last night."

"Oh, I see..." Lincoln said shyly as he came down into the basement and approached his eldest sister.

"How about you," Lori queried. "How are you feeling?"

"Well…I do have a slight headache that's killing me," he put his hand on his forehead.

Upon hearing that did Lori sigh softly as she decided to explain. "That Lincoln happens to be a hangover. It's typical and natural after what you did yesterday. But think of it this way Linc, it could have been much worse if we haven't found you in that state and done all that stuff to you just to sober up."

"Yeah…I made a huge fool out of myself…" Lincoln groaned. "All because I couldn't find a can of soda to drink…"

"Try not to stress yourself over it, little bro," Lori advised him. "It'll only make the headache worse."

"Right…" Lincoln took her advice for heart despite the awkward tone in his voice.

He then tried to climb up on top of the dryer, but when he was struggling to do so, Lori decided to give him a boost and help him onto the dryer. From there, Lincoln decided to sit down on the edge of the dryer, and nervously looked at his sister.

Silence plagued the two of them for a couple of minutes, as Lori took notice of the tension that was surrounding both of them.

Alright, this is literally getting awkward… Lori thought. I think it's time I get to the reason as to why Lincoln came down here to see me…

With that, Lori decided to break the silence by asking him the all-important question.

"So anyway, Lincy, what can I do for you?" There was no hesitance with the way she asked it.

Lincoln took a deep breath and got straight to the point. "Uh, listen, Lori. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I behaved last night… As I had said, I made a fool out of myself by refusing to do what you said, and calling you 'mom'…"

"Lincoln, it's okay," Lori then took her turn to apologize. "If anything, I should be the one to apologize to you."

"Apologize for what," Lincoln queried, looking confused by this.

"For not being here for you when you needed me the most," Lori answered.

This got Lincoln even more confused, and it wasn't the hangover either. "What do you mean by that?"

"I literally should have been more attentive to you," Lori explained. "And I should have been paying attention to you when you were starting to feel depressed after the news that I revealed to you guys."

Lincoln's face dropped slightly, as he now understood what she was referring to.

"Oh," he simply replied as he then looked down towards the floor in an awkward manner, half expecting Lori to start scolding him right on the spot.

However, that turned out to not be the case. Instead, Lori headed over to the dryer, climbed up onto it, and then sat down and scooted over next to her brother as she placed her right hand on his shoulder.

"Lincoln, I had no idea that I meant something to you, and that you are literally going to miss me," Lori admitted.

"Of course I'm gonna miss you," Lincoln cried out, getting her startled. "You're my sister Lori. I would be sad if any of my sisters were going to move out like this. We're family, and as I've always said, I wouldn't trade you or anyone of my sisters for the world."

Lori started to get what he was going on about and decided to get to the bottom of it.

"Lincy, why didn't you tell anyone about this," she queried sincerely.

"Well…it would be embarrassing to talk to anyone about this," Lincoln said shamefully. "And there is no resolution to any of this."

"Lincoln, why didn't you talk to me about this," Lori questioned, sounding worried.

Lincoln let out a heavy sigh at that. "You wouldn't understand Lori…"

"Huh? What do you mean I wouldn't understand," Lori told him, sounding hurt and startled. "I'm your sister, aren't I? You can talk to me about anything! I'm always here to talk to you whenever something's bothering you, depression, or not."

Lincoln knew that the next part would be difficult to tell her, but he had to get it out in the open.

"There's also the fact that you've been so busy with getting ready for college, as well as making sure you get into the right dorm room in the college your planning to head to, that I haven't even been able to talk to you about it. Heck, you've been out of the house so much lately, that I barely get to say 'hello' to you these days," Lincoln with a combination of semi-bitterness and betrayal in his voice.

This gets Lori horrified as she felt a slight sting in her heart. It was true. Her focus on preparing for college life and getting into a nice dorm room has put a damper on her life at home; at least regarding her relationship with her brother.

Dang it, I literally messed up with my only brother. She thought. Maybe I should suggest to him about seeing Dr. Lopez for therapy to help him; not only for how he drank liquor but for his depression as well.

Lori was silent for a few moments before she finally got the chance to speak. "I…I had no idea you felt that way."

"Look, I get it," Lincoln sighed. "We all have to move out sometime. It's only natural. It's just that…it still hurts…"

Now Lori had to get another answer from him. "Lincoln, why? Why are you going to miss me very much when I move out?"

"It's because when it comes to being my sister, you've been a good role model," Lincoln revealed. "Yes, there have been times where you made me frustrated, where you got on my nerves, and there are even times where we were at odds when we were together. But when it comes down to it, you are my eldest sister, and we have gotten along Lori."

"I see…" Lori tapped her chin as Lincoln continued.

"Then there's the fact that when I was younger, you always acted like a second mother-figure of mine when our mom was busy all the time," Lincoln admitted, sounding slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, all of that is literally true," Lori had to admit.

"My point is after you're gone, nothing in the Loud House will be the same anymore," Lincoln muttered. "Our home will feel empty when you leave us, Lori. I guess that I'm close to you when you're being a good sister."

At that point, Lincoln had said everything he needed to at the moment and put his hands on his forehead, which was throbbing again.

Lori started to get a good grip on this whole scenario, and she felt that right now, she had to resolve this with him. Taking action, Lori placed both of her hands on Lincoln's sides as she turned him to look her directly in the eyes. With a sincere look in her gaze, she decided to get him through this.

"Look, little bro, I know what you are going through. All of that stuff may be true when I move out. This may be a tough time you're going through now Lincy, but I promise you, things will get better," Lori assured him. "I also want you to remember that even though I won't be here anymore, I'll always be your oldest sister, and nothing will ever change that."

Lincoln looked at her thoughtfully as she continued.

"Even when I'm in college, I'll manage to support my family no matter what, and that includes you Lincoln," Lori said.

"Yeah…you're right…" He had a small smile on his face.

"Besides, you know I have a cell phone. You know how to reach me, little bro," Lori smirked. "And how about this: when I'm on break, you can video chat with me anytime you want."

"Yeah," Lincoln seemed eager as Lori playfully ruffled his hair. "That does sound promising."

"And hey, if it's possible, I could get Bobby to speak to you too," Lori stated. "After all, he's always referring to you as the little brother he always wanted."

"Yeah, that does seem cool," Lincoln smiled. "He is like the big brother I always wanted too."

"Exactly," Lori chuckled at his innocent tone. "And also, during the holiday season, both Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'll be coming to visit just to see you guys again."

"Wow, I do look forward to that," Lincoln seemed thrilled when thinking about it.

"Me too," Lori then got to the point. "But you see, my point is that even though I'll be moving out to college, I'll always find a way to reach out to my family, and you are no exception, Lincoln."

Now Lincoln was feeling a bit better about this. It seems that there may be hope for helping him through this depression after all. His only hope is that it will get better for him.

"Thank you, Lori," he thanked her. "Thank you for helping me feel better about all of this."

"Hey, that's what big sisters are for," Lori exclaimed to him. "Oh, by the way, could you do me one last favor?"

"Uh, sure," Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

She placed an arm gently onto his shoulder. "Never doubt me again, little bro. No matter what, I'll always come through for you."

"Oh…Okay," he nodded.

"Oh and also, don't ever drink alcohol again after what happened last night," Lori told him. "I don't want our parents to flip out if they do see you drunk, or suffering from a hangover."

Suddenly, this got Lincoln to remember something. "Your…Your not going to tell them that I was drinking, are you?"

"No Lincoln. No, I'm not going to tell them," Lori shook her head. "It'd be bad enough that I'd get in trouble for being irresponsible. I don't want to lose you over something like that. So that's why I'm not going to tell them about this. This is our secret. Besides, our parents won't be back until tomorrow, so this should be all cleared up by then."

"Oh, good," Lincoln sighed in relief. "And you don't have to worry about me touching that stuff again, especially after what happened last night. That alcohol didn't taste good anyway. If you ask me, it tasted a little like Charles' dog pee."

"In that case, we better keep the stuff away from Lana at all times," Lori joked. "She'd be all over it if we told her about that."

"Yeah," Lincoln agreed.

The two of them shared a brief laugh, showing that there is nothing for Lincoln to worry about at all. As soon as they were settled down, Lori felt that there was one more thing that she had to talk with Lincoln about.

"And one more thing, Lincoln," she started. "I've been thinking, and since the others agree, I'm thinking that maybe it'd be best if you see a therapist for a while. Perhaps a visit with Dr. Lopez would be a good idea."

"Huh, what for," Lincoln was confused by this suggestion. "Does this have to do with how I drank that stuff last night?"

"No, no, it's more than that," Lori insisted. "It's also to help you with coping through your depression. I know Lynn already told you that middle school is going to be rough without any of your older sisters here for you. But I also don't want you to struggle with that stuff on top of what you've been going through these past few weeks. So I think it's a good idea for you."

"Well…" Lincoln thought about this for a moment and realized that maybe it was for the best. "I think it'd be the best thing for me to do to help with my problems."

"That's the spirit Lincoln," Lori was thrilled. "And maybe I should start seeing a therapist at some point too."

"Wait, what? You're planning on seeing a therapist too," Lincoln had to ask, all puzzled by what she revealed as she nodded. "But why would you need to see a therapist?"

"Well, it's because…well, I'm going to miss you too. That's a start," Lori explained. "But then there's the fact that it's going to be hard adjusting to college life for a while. Even though I'll have Bobby here for me, I'd like some extra guidance to help me get through this. So I think it's also wise that I see Dr. Lopez at some point too."

"Really," Lincoln was wide-eyed about this. "That's why you should see one?"

"Well, that and the fact that I've been motherly to you and how I acted like your mom last night when you were…well, you know…" Lori admitted.

"Y-Yeah," Lincoln blushed in embarrassment. "I guess that's a good point too. You have been like a mom to me."

"Oh Lincy," she requested. "Come over here and give me a hug before you literally make me cry."

Lincoln did not hesitate with that, so he gave her an embrace, one that she returned full force. It was a heartwarming and touching moment between the two of them, and they were glad that they got things all worked out.

"Lori, I'm glad that you're still my big sister," he told her gratefully.

"Me too," she returned the gesture. "And I'm glad that you're still my little brother."

The hug lasted for several minutes on end, with no interruptions in plain sight. Everything was back to the way it should be, and they were glad that they got everything settled and squared away with each other.

Afterwards, they broke out of the hug and got down from the top of the dryer. Lori jumped down first before helping her little brother off of it. As soon as she placed him onto the ground, Lincoln dusted himself off and was wondering what they should do next.

"So anyway, what should we do now?" Lincoln inquired quite curiously.

Lori then noticed that the washer had stopped running. This meant that the washer was all set and the stuff in the washer could go into the dryer.

"Oh, would you look at that," Lori commented. "The washer is literally done. Now I could put this stuff into the dryer."

With that, Lori put in a couple of dryer sheets into the dryer. She then opened up the washer lid, and took out all the wet clothes from the washer, and started to throw them into the dryer.

"Oh Lori, should I do anything to help out," Lincoln wondered.

"Nah little bro, I got this taken care of," Lori insisted. "You have nothing to worry about today, so you can just kick back and relax while I do this. You still have a slight headache, and I don't want you to put yourself through all that trouble when you are still dealing with a hangover. So yeah, just literally take it easy, and don't stress yourself."

"Well, if you insist," Lincoln seemed thoughtful about her generous offer. "Okay, I'll relax. As Luna would always say, I'm gonna take a chill pill and lay low."

"Alright Lincy my little bro, I'll literally be done in a minute," Lori told him. "We can chat some more after I'm done putting this stuff into the dryer, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded. "That…that sounds good..."

"Good," she smiled before continuing to put the clothes into the dryer as Lincoln went and sat down over to the side.

And so, this went on for a few more moments until Lori was done and could chat with Lincoln some more. As of now, all the doubts that Lincoln had with her before were long gone, as was the guilt that Lori had for not paying attention to him when he was struggling. Lori was going to be moving out for college, and Lincoln knew this, but he also knew that there would always be a solution to it. And the best part was that they came up with the perfect resolution for when she does leave them and that nothing would ever change the fact that they are siblings. There was no longer any reason for Lincoln to be depressed, and he would spend as much time as possible with Lori until she does move out. It seems that everything was alright between Lincoln and Lori again, and there were no longer any strains between them. They were family, and that's all that matters to them…

THE END!

Yup, that's the end, everyone. Lori talked with Lincoln about his depression and came up with several resolutions to the problem. Therefore, everything was resolved. I do hope you all enjoyed the story even with it only being 5 chapters long.

Yeah, I knew from the start that the controversial element would cause some problems, so that's why I did everything I could to deconstruct the controversial element and end it fairly. I do hope that I did a good job with it.

Also, I know that I don't always write stories for the Loud House, but I do enjoy it when I am motivated and come up with an idea that'll work for the series. The sisters are dynamic and simple to write out their characterizations, so that's why I have a simple time writing stories for this series. That being said, I don't know if I'll write another story for this series, but if I do, I will write it out. Whatever story that I might come up with next, you'll have to wait until next time.

With that out of the way, leave a review and tell me what you thought of the story overall. It can be constructive criticism, or it can be a positive review telling me what you liked the most about this story.

Aside from that, that's all that I have to say. So on that note, until I write another story, take care of yourselves everyone, and thanks again for reading guys!