Disclaimer: I own nothing and probably never will.
Authors Notes:
"This is talking."
'This is thinking.'
'This is a spirit.'
"This is singing."
Review:
Lucy listened to a story, then had a talk with an ancestor.
Now let us draw the curtains on the next act of the story.
Chapter 6: Morning Excitement
Luan woke up the next morning, and looked at the clock on the wall. "Six o'clock? Well at least there wont be a line for the shower yet." Luan mused as she got out of bed. She noticed Luna wasn't in bed, in fact it looked like her bed hadn't been slept in at all. "Three guesses where she is, and the first two don't count." Luan snickered grabbing a change of clothes and heading out to get a shower.
"Salutations fourth eldest sibling," Lisa said tiredly from her and Lily's doorway, soft crying could be heard inside the room. "I require your assistance in waking our third eldest sibling and our male sibling." Lisa sighed while wiping her glasses with a microfiber rag.
"What's wrong Lis? Why is Lily crying?" Luan asked.
"Our youngest sibling awoke from a frightening nocturnal subconscious hallucination and is currently inconsolable without the aid of her adoptive parental units." Lisa replied.
"Come again?" Luna asked.
"Lily had a bad dream and is refusing to stop crying without 'Daddy Wincoln and Mommy Wuna'." Lisa explained repeating what Lily said. Luan cracked a smile then frowned.
"Sorry Lisa but Luna never came to bed last night." Luan replied.
"Then it is possible that the answer to both of our conundrums resides at the end of the hall." Lisa said motioning towards Lincolns room.
"You think Luna is in there with Lincoln?" Luan asked.
"No, I'm positive that our third oldest sibling resides in the room with our male sibling due to their mutual attraction and recent separation." Lisa explained.
"Yeah, I'm gonna ignore what you just said and go wake Lincoln so he can help Lily." Luan replied knowing all to well how right Lisa was. Luan walked down the hall and knocked on Lincolns door. "Linc you up? Lily had a nightmare and..." The door banged open and an orange and white blur sped past Luan almost knocking her down. A feminine arm reached out to steady Luan.
"You okay sis?" Luna asked. Her short pixie cut hair standing up at odd angles all over the place.
"Yeah," Luan said taking a breath. "What's up with Linc rushing past me like that, and have you been in here with him all night?"
"Linc has been awake for about an hour from his own nightmare. He was getting dressed to start the day when you knocked on the door dude. As soon as you said Lily had a nightmare his face drained of color and he bolted. Good thing I was woken up when he got out of bed or you might of fallen luv." Luna explained. "And yeah, I was. We talked about the dream he had while in a coma. Though its not something to speak of in the hallway luv."
"Oh." Luan replied dumbfounded. "Can we talk in our room?"
"Of course, dude. As soon as I check on Linc and Lily." Luna replied tiredly trudging towards Lisa and Lily's room. Lily's soft crying settling down to a whimper as she approached.
Lisa stepped aside quickly as an orange and white blur approached her and Lily's room. "Male subject shows increased speed and dexterity unusual for someone recovering from a long term coma. Hypothesis: anxiety of adopted child and or younger sibling in mental distress caused excessive amounts of adrenaline and testosterone to pump through the body moving it faster then it should be capable. Possibly need to check subject to ensure no muscle tissue has been damaged due to being pushed beyond it's limits." Lisa said speaking into a recording device.
Inside the room the now stationary Lincoln wept softly in empathy for the turmoil little Lily was going through. He approached slowly lowering himself to his knees. "It's alright baby, daddy's here." Lincoln said softly reaching out to gently touch her shoulder. Lily turned and jumped into his arms crying harder.
"Don't weave me." Lily sobbed. Lincoln pulled her into a hug.
"Why would I leave you? You are my sweet baby girl, I'd never leave you." Lincoln said rubbing circles on Lily's back.
"BUT I'M NOT!" Lily wailed loudly, before sobbing harder. Luna rushed into the room quickly and fell to her knees wrapping her arms around Lincoln and Lily. "I'm not Wiby, I'm Wily and I'm scawed that you wiwl weave me. I wove you Wincoln, I don't want you to weave again." Lily sobbed fat tears soaking his orange shirt.
"Lily..." Lincoln began. "I love you, for you. I may look at you and see Liberty, but no matter what happens you will always be my baby girl." Lincoln said pulling her into a tight hug. "Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a large kingdom with a King, a Queen, a Prince, and 10 beautiful princesses. The Prince fell in love with one of the Princesses and they had a baby. The King was angered and exiled the Princess. The Prince chased after his love and they formed their own kingdom. The King rallied his army and stormed the Prince's kingdom. The Prince and the Princess won but at the cost of their baby." Lincoln narrated. The whole family listening to the story at the door as they had all rushed to see what was wrong when Lily had shouted. Luna seeing what he was doing smiled and continued the narration for him.
"The Princesses fought the King and overthrew him, sending him to the darkest dungeon. The Prince now a King in his own right, married his Princess and made her a Queen. Saddened by the loss of their baby, they adopted the youngest Princess from their former homeland. She was a beautiful bubbly little girl with a head full of curly sun kissed blond hair. Her eyes sparkled like two sapphires, and her smile would light up what ever room she entered. Eventually the King and Queen had another baby, whom they named Liberty." Luna narrated.
Lincoln took the narration back. "Her name was a symbol of freedom from the tyrannical King that had exiled them from their homeland. And do you know what happened to the littlest princess?"
"She was fogotten?" Lily sobbed.
"No, the littlest Princess became the best Big Sister ever, always protecting and loving baby Liberty. She was loved by the king and Queen as if she was really their own child. The Kingdom grew as all the other Princesses came to love and dote on baby Liberty. But they never once forgot the littlest Princess, whom they gifted with a crown of white Lilies, for that was the flower she was named for." Lincoln said ending the story.
"HEY!" Lola yelled from the doorway causing Lincoln, Luna, and Lily to look over at her before noticing everyone else. Most of the family wore confused faces, only Lisa, and Lucy having emotionless faces. "How does the story end? And what were the other Princesses names?" Lola asked.
Lincoln smiled. "Why like all these stories do, of course. They lived happily ever after." Lincoln explained with a smile, before clearing his throat. "I never learned the other princesses names, only that they were a 'Loud' family. Get it?" Lincoln laughed. This caused everyone even Luan to groan.
'Was I ever that bad?' Luan thought to herself.
"That was bad dude." Luna chuckled.
"No worse then some of the ones Luan would come up with." Lincoln defended, getting to his feet while still holding Lily. Luna gave him a look. "Whatever, I'm gonna go start breakfast and get something in this little tykes tummy to calm her down. Why don't you go take a shower? Your hair is kind of all over the place." Lincoln laughed, causing Luna to lightly slug him in the shoulder, which only made him laugh harder as he walked out of the room with Lily.
Rita smiled at the scene. Not only was her baby boy back, he was bonding with his sisters like he was never gone. She was so happy, and yet the story he told to calm Lily down was so tragic and inspiring she couldn't help but cry for the Prince and Princess. Out of context it just sounded like any normal story, but something niggled at the back of her mind that this story was all to true and had something to do with how Lincoln had been acting since he came home. 'Wait, who's that singing?'
Lynn Sr. was conflicted. He was proud of Lincoln stepping up as a big brother and handling Lily so soon after getting out of the hospital, but he was a little upset by the looks Lincoln had been giving him recently. Every time he would meet Lincoln's gaze, Lincoln's face would quickly morph. From the happy bucktoothed grin he was used to seeing, into pure loathing and undisguised anger for a second or two before switching again to a forced smile. Not to mention that when ever Lincoln addressed him recently it wasn't to call him dad or something affectionate, he called him father in the blandest tone imaginable. Almost as if he was some kind of... 'That story made the King out to be a bad father. Does he see me as the King?' Lynn Sr. thought to himself. 'Is someone singing?'
'What a beautiful and sad story.' Leni thought. 'Lincy's shirts are getting to small for him though, I should make him a new one.' Then she smiled and headed back to her room to get ready for the day. 'Singing?'
Luna got up off the floor, dusted her self off, and looked at the rest of her family before her eyes landed on Luan who was still holding her towel. She smiled before heading to their room to get her stuff for the line that was sure to form to get a morning shower stopping at the door. 'Is...is that Linc? Singing?'
Luan's brain short circuited for a moment as she took in the story and Lincoln's behavior. 'Holy banana cream pies, where did that come from?' She thought as her brain rebooted. 'That story... was that about him and Luna? Liberty is their daughter together? Dad kicked them out, and hurt their baby? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUDGE?!' Luan screamed in her mind, as she put 2 and 2 together and got even more bananas. She then ran off to follow Luna to their room, her shower completely forgotten only to come to an abrupt stop. 'Who's singing?'
Lynn Jr. was confused. She was never into all that princess stuff so she paid more attention to Lincoln, Luna, and Lily. 'Almost looked like how mom and dad would comfort Lucy or me when we had nightmares, but that's just silly.' She thought turning to head towards her and Lucy's room. 'Right?' She asked her self as she stopped in the doorway to her room, before shrugging it off and getting ready for a shower. 'Is someone singing?'
Lucy was slightly more depressed then usual. 'It's not any easier hearing a romanticized version of his dream.' She thought as she went to go about getting ready for the day. 'I understand why they were run off in his dream I just hope it doesn't come to that in reality. This darkness is going to swallow my soul unless I do something soon. Wait is... he singing?'
Lana and Lola looked at each other before heading to their room. "What did you think of the story sis?" Lana asked.
"I don't think Lincy was telling the truth on how it ended." Lola replied.
"Why do you say that?" Lana asked.
"The cadence on the story changed," Lola explained. "It went from certain of what was being told to unsure of how to proceed."
"So you mean the whole, 'they lived happily ever after.' thing at the end was just added to make us feel better?" Lana queried grabbing a towel and a change of clothes, and Lola did the same.
"Yeah," Lola replied. "I wonder where he heard that story? Maybe if we can find out the source we can get the full story."
"That's a good idea." Lana agreed high fiving her twin before they both looked around confused. "Singing?" they asked each other in unison.
Lisa walked into her and Lily's room now that it had been evacuated by her siblings. 'An allegory for his subconscious hallucinations brought on by depression and physical trauma.' Lisa mused. 'Interesting. He seems so certain that our parental units would oppose the thought of him and Luna being with each other physically and emotionally. As a scientist I am concerned about the possible health problems their F1 could develop, however I am unconcerned about the social taboo of such a union. As soon as I have obtained a sample from my male sibling I should be able to prevent that. This will make quite the research study into the mating habits of adolescent males. Is that harmonic vibrations of vocal chords?'
Down in the kitchen Lincoln was bustling about getting breakfast ready. Pancake batter was in a large bowl on the counter, while he rolled and mashed sausage patties. "Want me to sing you one of Liberty's favorite songs while I cook Lily?" He asked his baby sister.
"Yes pwease." Lily smiled from where she sat at the kids table with a juice box.
"Sometimes I lay
Under the moon
And thank God I'm breathing
Then I pray
Don't take me soon
'Cause I am here for a reason
Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around because...
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
One day [6x]
It's not about
Win or lose
'Cause we all lose
When they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood-drenched pavement
Keep on moving though the waters stay raging
In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you, no way (no way)
Sometimes in my tears I drown (I drown)
But I never let it get me down (get me down)
So when negativity surrounds (surrounds)
I know some day it'll all turn around because...
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
One day [6x]
One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence
Down with the hate
One day we'll all be free
And proud to be
Under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like
One day [4x]
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
There will be no more wars
And our children will play
One day [6x]" (1)
Lincoln sang, as he danced around frying bacon, sausage, and flipping pancakes. He got so into the song and what he was doing that he paid no attention to the fact that his family had been attracted by his singing. The song was inspirational and emotionally moving, everyone could feel the emotions Lincoln poured into the song. They were all surprised at this hidden talent, some more so then others. As the song ended and Lincoln turned to give Lily a plate of breakfast he caught sight of everyone standing there looking at him in awe and surprise.
"What?" He asked, causing them all to scatter about as they went back to getting ready for the day. "Huh, wonder what that was about? Well here you go Lily. Did you like the song?"
"It was gweat Wincoln. I woved it." Lily said before digging into her pancakes with a smile.
"I'm glad, I liked singing it to you and Liberty when ever you were sad." Lincoln said getting himself a plate.
"Are you gonna try to make Wiberty again?" Lily asked between mouthfuls.
"That's not up to me Lils. Liby's mommy has to want to make her too." Lincoln said almost choking on his food.
"Oh," Lily replied. "I just hoped I could be a big sister."
"You will be, one day, maybe not soon. But you will always be the little baby girl that I helped raise and the lovable preteen that helped me when the worst happened." Lincoln said giving Lily a kiss on the cheek.
After everyone had showered and eaten the delicious breakfast Lincoln had cooked they all went about their daily activities as usual. Leni going to the mall to get fabric for the clothes she wanted to make for Lincoln. Rita and Lynn Sr. heading off to work. Lynn Jr. heading out to go cut firewood and practice sports. The twins heading outside to have a private conversation in the backyard. Lincoln to start his daily physical therapy session. Lily sat nearby watching Lincoln, while Lucy kept and eye on her and Lincoln just in case something happened. Lisa was preoccupied with setting up her experiment, that required a sample from Lincoln, that she would ask for latter. Luan pulled Luna into their shared room and locked the door to have a talk.
1. One Day by Matisyahu