Author's Note: Hey-ho! Guess what? It's my birthday today! Yay! Congratulations to me for being born, I guess!

So, seeing as how it's a special day, I thought, instead of the other way around, why don't I give you guys a present? It's the best gift anyone could ask for – depression! Have fun with it!

As for that important question I wanted to ask, well, the poll is now up, and will remain up for a week after this chapter is posted, so cast your votes while you can!

I'm Captain Dodge – thank you, and have a nice day!

(…)

Lynn abandoned Lisa to her own selfish devices, and returned to Lori and Leni's room, where the twins were still arguing. Lynn took Lola's side, trying to convince the others to change their minds and fight to stay, but it was no use. Lori had retreated back into herself, and was unresponsive; Lola's attitude had destroyed her credibility; and the others had already made up their minds – for them, the matter was settled. No matter how loudly and desperately Lynn begged, ranted, and raved, the others were not swayed. In the end, Lynn was left sitting on the floor, panting, her throat dry and sore, completely exhausted. By then, it had gotten quite late. Satisfied that Lynn had gotten everything she had wanted to say out, Luna declared the meeting adjourned, and called it a night.

Lori, Leni, Lucy, and Lily remained in the room, while the others retired to their rooms. Lana went to bunk with Luna and Luan, while Lynn and Lola went to their rooms alone. And one by one, the lights in the Loud house went out.

For hours, Lynn lay alone in the darkness, unable to sleep. She tossed and she turned, but her brain just wouldn't shut off. She tried to push the intrusive thoughts out, out of some remaining sense of decency, though she suspected that it was no use. She tried to deny that the thoughts were true, that the thoughts even existed – but she knew that they were, and that they did.

And that was what kept her wide awake.

Lynn got up. Her intuition was correct – it was no use. She opened the door and sat in the doorway, staring at Lincoln's room.

She wanted him. She hated herself for it, but she wanted him so badly.

A few minutes passed. Then, Lynn heard a clack, and the groaning of a door slowly being opened behind her. She turned her head to look, and saw a shape materialize out of the darkness, moving towards her. Seeing how well the shape blended in with the shadows gave Lynn a good guess as to who it was.

She turned back to Lincoln's room. "…Hey," she whispered.

Lucy sat down in the hallway perpendicular to her, her back to the wall. "…Hey," she whispered back.

"…Can't sleep?"

"…No."

"…Me either."

"…Thinking about him?"

Lynn sighed. "…Yeah."

"…Me too."

Lynn gave a little sob, resting her chin on her knees. "I… I just… I still can't believe it…"

Lucy nodded. "It is pretty unbelievable…"

"I mean… we never treated him that way… like, we love loved him…"

"Well, it's like Lisa said – it's a subconscious thing. It makes sense. Like when he was dating Ronnie Anne?"

"Yeah, we weren't jealous, or anything…"

"No, but we were happy to know that a girl liked Lincoln. It made us happy to see him happy." Lucy shrugged. "A subconscious thing."

Lynn sighed. "I don't know…"

Lucy thought carefully, looking for other instances of their unconscious desire for their brother. "Hmm… Lynn, what did you like about Francisco that made you attracted to him?"

"Huh? Francisco? Well, I mean, that's obvious, isn't it? He loved sports and competing just as much as I do."

Lucy nodded. "Fair enough. What else?"

"What else? Um… Oh! I thought that chip in his tooth was really… cute…" Lynn trailed off at the end.

Lucy looked hard at her. "Remind you of anyone?"

Lynn rested her chin back on her knees again. "Oh, no…"

"Yeah." Lucy stared off into the blackness, thinking about Rocky Spokes. His freckles, his buck teeth… He wasn't really Lucy's type, but he was just so…

So much like Lincoln.

The two were silent for a while after that, contemplating their feelings and everything that had happened that day. Then, Lucy spoke up again. "Hey, Lynn…?"

Lynn perked up. "Yeah?"

"…I'm sorry."

Lynn shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… lashed out like that. Luna was right, I lost control. We all lost control. I mean, without Lincoln around, we're just…"

Lucy hung her head. "…Yeah."

Lynn uttered a quiet, breathy chuckle. "So, you figured it out first, did you…?"

"What?"

"That we were in love with him…?"

"I've read all the romance novels, Lynn. And I've had crushes on boys before. I know what it feels like… to be in love." Lucy hung her head solemnly.

Lynn chuckled at that, before her laughs degenerated into sobs and she buried her face in her lap. Lucy patted her on the back consolingly.

"It's just not fair, Luce…" Lynn said. "It was bad enough that everyone hated us for what we did, but now, just when we've found out how we really feel about Lincoln, we have to leave him?" She sniffled. "It's just not fair…!"

"I know it isn't, Lynn. But people… A person can be smart, understanding, and kind. But people… people are dumb, judgmental, and mean. You like to think you can act as an individual in a crowd, but… no. And… aren't you ashamed?"

"Of course I am! But…" Lynn looked longingly at Lincoln's room, and sighed in despair. "But what can I do?"

"Sigh. What a mess…"

"You can say that again…"

Another period of silence followed. At last, Lynn spoke up. "So, you feel the same way, too?"

Lucy nodded. "Mm-hmm. We all do – except for Lily, probably."

Lynn sneered. "Even Lola? Man, I still can't believe she blames him for all this! Little brat…"

"Lynn, she's six. Can you imagine having to go through everything we have, at only six years old? Lori couldn't handle it, and she is, or was, the most mature out of all of us – how do you think Lola could handle it?" Lucy shook her head. "She's in pain, just like the rest of us, and that's how she's chosen to cope with it. She'll get over it. You'll see."

Lynn looked at her goth sister, surprised. "Wow. I… I never thought of it like that. I guess no-one knows pain and suffering like you do, eh, Luce?"

Lucy, unable to help herself, chuckled. Then, after a while, she spoke up again. "…Lynn?"

"Yeah?"

"…Can I move back into our room? I mean, I think it'd be better if we at least suffered together…"

Lynn nodded. "…Sure."

"Thanks. I'll get my stuff."

As Lucy stood up and went back to Lori and Leni's room to fetch her pillow and blanket, Lynn turned her gaze back to Lincoln's room. Her last remaining shreds of decency were beginning to fade away, and slowly but surely, she began to come to terms with her feelings. She shook her head and sighed as she recalled Lucy's poem, now ringing true.

She wanted him. She wanted him so badly.

Lucy returned with her stuff. "You coming in?" she asked.

Lynn waved her away. "You go ahead. I'll… I'll be right there."

Lucy followed her gaze, and nodded understandingly. "…Okay."

Lucy headed inside, to her own bed, and left Lynn to stare yearningly at Lincoln's door…

(…)

Lincoln, his back firmly pressed against the door, scanned the room again, paying careful attention to the shadows, trying to find something hiding in them. He had to be vigilant. His sisters' attempted assault on him that afternoon made him realize that he had become complacent in his misery. He couldn't take any more chances like that. He needed to stay alert at all times.

And so, he sat on the floor of his room, keeping a careful vigil. Who knows, his sisters could try to slip inside at any moment. Perhaps they had already slipped inside, and Lincoln simply hadn't noticed! No, that wasn't possible, he'd surely have found them. But still, the possibility always remained, and so, Lincoln had to stay alert.

It wasn't easy, though. Lincoln's eyelids felt heavy, and his mind wandered. The siren song of sleep was calling to him, and it was hard for him to resist. But he had to. To fall asleep would be to leave himself vulnerable, and to leave himself vulnerable would be to invite his sisters to make a move. But would they make a move? Or would they do nothing at first, waiting and biding their time until Lincoln let his guard down again before striking?

Lincoln's head swam. He just didn't know anymore. He couldn't tell what his sisters were up to – one minute, they were friendly, and the next, violent. His tiny room protected him from them, but it was also suffocating him. Lincoln saw dangers in the dark, but they turned out to either be his imagination or his possessions. The entire ordeal felt like a nightmare, and it very well could be one, and Lincoln wanted to believe that it was one, but a quiet but nagging voice in the back of his head told him that it was all really happening, and he knew it. But he couldn't even believe that, considering how drowsy and disoriented he was.

Lincoln didn't know what to believe, anymore – in fact, he was beginning to question what was real.

Lincoln took another look around his room, and shuddered. Once again, he became acutely aware of how close and cramped it was. He began hyperventilating, desperate for air all of a sudden. Clyde's hyperventilation bags weren't far, but they were far enough to be out of reach, and Lincoln wasn't going to risk leaving the door unguarded. Lincoln pressed himself against the door harder, sweating all over. He had to get out of there – but his sisters were outside! Did they really want to hurt him? And if they did, and they caught him, who would save him? His father? Maybe, but he couldn't be around all the time. So, it wasn't safe out there. It was safe in the room, but only as long as Lincoln remained vigilant – and even then, not offering much shelter from nine aggressive sisters. And besides, he hated it in there.

So, where could he go? What could he do? Who could he rely on?

It was all so confusing, so maddening…

Lincoln felt dizzy. He reached out for something to hold on to, and felt a familiar soft sensation. Closing his hand around the object, he pulled it close, and recognized it as his beloved stuffed rabbit, Bun-Bun. Shaking and sobbing, Lincoln pulled Bun-Bun close to his chest, and immediately felt comforted. Steadily, his breathing slowed, and his heart stopped hammering in his chest. He looked down at Bun-Bun, feeling his fur, his stuffing, the cloth of his shirt. And he knew it was real.

Lincoln sighed in relief, happy to have found something constant. As he continued to hold Bun-Bun close, his eyelids fluttered.

"Oh, Bun-Bun," he whispered, "you're the only one I can still trust…"

Lincoln closed his eyes…

…and just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard a voice say:

"Thanks, Lincoln."

Lincoln snapped awake, looking around the room frantically. Who said that? Where did the voice come from? It… thanked him? For what? Was it something he said? Lincoln thought back to what he had said, and realized that if it was something he said, then the voice could only have come from one source.

Lincoln looked back down at his stuffed rabbit. "Did… Did you just talk?"

What Bun-Bun said surprised Lincoln more than the fact that he talked at all. "No, Lincoln. This is all in your head."

Lincoln stared at Bun-Bun, baffled, before his brain managed to process what he had just said, and he hung his head and sighed. "I knew it…" he moaned. It had finally happened. He had been getting worn down for days, weeks, a month-and-a-half – and now he had finally cracked. Almost involuntarily, he let out a little snicker.

"What's so funny?" Bun-Bun asked.

Lincoln shook his head. "I… Well, I was just wondering why I didn't start doing this sooner…"

"It's been stressful these past few days, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess. And now…" Lincoln stopped, as he realized just what he was doing. "…And now I'm talking to a stuffed animal." He set Bun-Bun down, and turned away. As soon as he did, though, he began to feel that same mortal dread creep back up on him. Feeling anxious, and remembering the comfort and sense of ease that Bun-Bun brought, Lincoln quickly picked him back up again. He turned the stuffed rabbit over and over in his hands, and thought about the last time he had ever talked – truly talked – to someone. Bun-Bun had two large ears, ready for listening, and Lincoln knew that he was real, and could be trusted…

He shook his head and sighed, caving in. "Well… it's still nice to have somebody to talk to, I guess…"

"We all need somebody to talk to, Lincoln – even if they're only imaginary."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"So, what's going on? With you, I mean."

Lincoln sighed again. "Well… my sisters are moving away…"

"And how does that make you feel?"

Lincoln rested his head in one hand, thinking. "I… I thought… I thought I would be happy…"

"And you're not?"

"No, I am. But, at the same time…" Lincoln sagged. "At the same time… I'm not."

"You're torn."

"Yeah, exactly!" Lincoln shook his head. "I don't get it…"

"Hmmm… Lincoln, you know WHY your sisters fell in love with you, don't you?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, it was a pheromone…"

"And you know that the pheromone is gone, now?"

"I…" Lincoln got a pained look on his face. "I don't know…"

"Lincoln, you know why your sisters did what they did to you. You know that they would never do something like that of their own free will. So, if the pheromone is gone, then you have nothing to fear, don't you?"

"B-B-But… B-But what about all that, earlier?! When Lola, an-and all the others tried to burst in here?"

"Lincoln, you don't know what your sisters were thinking – how they were feeling. You don't understand why they did that. And you'll never find out sitting in here, all alone."

"B-B-But –"

"Lincoln, your sisters love you – as a brother. And deep down, even though you might not think so, you still love them, too. That's why you're sad to see them go, isn't it?"

Lincoln didn't respond.

"They miss you, Lincoln, and you miss them. You need to go and see them before they go."

Lincoln trembled at the thought of that. "But…"

"Lincoln, it'll be okay. They won't hurt you. They love you."

Lincoln closed his eyes. Bun-Bun's encouraging words were starting to give him hope. He didn't think he could before, but now, he wondered if, perhaps, he could. Maybe Bun-Bun was right. Maybe all he had to do was talk to the girls.

And yet, he couldn't help but hesitate, knowing the risks…

"Heheheheheh."

A deep, throaty chuckle emanated from elsewhere in the room. Looking around, Lincoln found that it was coming from his ScissoRobo Z action figure. Picking it up off the dresser, it began to talk to him as well.

"Oh, please. Lincoln, you're a smart kid. Think about it – your sisters raped you. They grabbed you, tugged you, scratched you, shoved you, bit you; you nearly drowned in that fountain several times, remember? And now they're back, and they know how much pain you're in, and they're still tormenting you!" ScissoRobo Z laughed again. "Does that sound like something people who love you would do?"

Lincoln bit his lip. "Um…"

"Quiet, you!" Bun-Bun said. "This is NOT what he needs to hear right now!"

"What he needs to hear right now is the truth – not the lies you've been spoon-feeding him! Lincoln, what do you know?"

"W-What…?"

"What do you know? About the pheromone, about your sisters, about the world outside your room? About anything?"

"Don't listen to him, Lincoln!"

"Hey, why don't you let him think for himself, hmm? Go on, Lincoln."

"U-Uh… Um…"

"Exactly. It's all so unclear, isn't it? You don't know how the pheromone works; you don't know what your sisters want; you don't know what's going on out there! And you can't find out, can you? That's scary, isn't it? Not knowing anything, trapped in here. You scared, Lincoln?"

"Stop it! Leave him alone! L-Lincoln, soon you won't HAVE anything to be scared about, won't you?"

"Um… D-Dad said that m-my sisters are going away tomorrow…"

"And you believed him? Lincoln, you believed your sisters when they said they were sorry, and look how that turned out. For all you know, they might just wait until your father tells you that they're gone, and when you come out, WHAM! They getcha! How can you believe anyone else, then? Your father? He abandoned you with Mr. Grouse, remember? Clyde? The girls might have sent him in here to spy on you, did you ever think of that? That detective? He locked you in a cell in the same room as your sisters! Remember?! They're out to get you, Lincoln – you can't trust any of them!"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! Lincoln, don't listen to him – th-this isn't real!"

"That's part of the problem! Lincoln, the simple fact that we're here, speaking to you, means that you can't even trust your own MIND, anymore!"

"S-So what do you want me to do?!"

"The one thing you have complete agency over! Lincoln, set us down."

Lincoln looked from ScissoRobo Z to Bun-Bun.

"…Don't. Don't do it. Don't listen to him. Don't."

But Lincoln was curious to see where this was going. He set Bun-Bun back on the bed, and ScissoRobo Z back on the dresser.

"Good. Now, stand up."

Slowly, Lincoln rose, keeping his back pressed to the door.

"Now, go open the upper-right hand drawer."

Lincoln hesitated.

"It's okay, we're watching the door. Aren't we, bunny rabbit?"

"Lincoln, don't…!"

Lincoln didn't listen – his curiosity had won out. Mustering up his courage, he separated from the door, and took a large step towards the drawer. He quickly opened it – and his eyes widened as they were laid upon the object within, reflecting the pale moonlight.

"Pick it up, Lincoln."

"Lincoln –"

"Pick. It. Up."

Hands shaking, Lincoln reached in, and took out the mirror shard. The sharp edges bit into his hand.

"You remember that, don't you, Lincoln? You tucked it into your waistband behind your back while your dad was calling the hospital, then you took it to your room afterwards to continue what you started – except you didn't need to, because you saw yourself in the mirror, and you were already far away from 'cute', weren't you? What do you see now, Lincoln?"

Lincoln looked at his reflection in the shard – his matted white hair, his pale skin, his sunken eyes, and his gaunt face with three stitched cuts running across it. He was not a pretty sight.

"It… It's me…"

"And what are you, Lincoln?"

Lincoln looked at ScissoRobo Z, confused. "Wha…?"

"I'll tell you – a sad, pathetic, miserable, ugly wretch!"

"STOP IT!"

"And you don't have to stay that way, Lincoln! ...That thing's pretty sharp, isn't it? Cuts through flesh like a hot knife through butter. Lincoln… it's okay. All you have to do… is run that thing across your neck… and this will all be over."

"Lincoln, NO!"

"Lincoln, yes!"

"Lincoln! Lincoln, listen to me – this is not real. NOT REAL, do you understand?!"

"Sure, sure, this is all just a dream – and when you die, you'll wake up! Go ahead, try it!"

"WHY WON'T YOU JUST SHUT UP?!"

As Bun-Bun and ScissoRobo Z argued, Lincoln stared in awe at the shard of glass in his hands. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about it. Here, in his hand… was a miracle. An end to his pain.

A way out of an impossible situation.

Bun-Bun saw that Lincoln was seriously considering it. "Lincoln… no…"

"Do it, Lincoln."

"I…" Lincoln began sobbing happily. "I… I don't know why I never thought about it before…"

"Because you're strong! You're STRONG, Lincoln! Strong enough to go through something like… THAT, and keep going afterwards! Strong enough to not take the easy way out! Strong enough to try to move on! You were strong for your family before, and you can still be strong for them now!"

That gave Lincoln pause. In his haste for relief, he had forgotten that it wasn't all about him – there was his father, and Lily, and the pets…

How would they react, go on, if he left them behind?

"Oh, sure, you're strong… AND LOOK WHERE THAT STRENGTH HAS GOTTEN YOU! Raped again! Shut up inside this tiny room, scared sleepless, paranoid, wearing a diaper, talking to your toys! Look around you, Lincoln! Do you want this to be your world for the rest of your life?!"

"And what world would YOU give him?!"

"Hey, if he hasn't earned a place in Heaven after everything he's been through, then there is no God!"

"Lincoln, listen to me – it is NOT over! You CAN fight this, and you can WIN!"

"Give me a break! Lincoln, wake up – it's hopeless!"

"Don't listen to him, Lincoln – he's a liar!"

"And how are you any more trustworthy?"

"I –! I… Lincoln, I…"

"Heheheheh… What's the matter, Lincoln? Can't even trust your own mind, anymore?"

"STOP TORMENTING HIM!"

"'Tormenting him'?! I'm trying to help him! I'm offering him freedom – freedom from fear, and pain; all you have to offer him is misery and uncertainty! I am so sick of you! I'm not going to let you force him to suffer!"

"And I'm not going to let you KILL HIM!"

Overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, Lincoln dropped the mirror shard and sank to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "STOP IT! Stop it, stop it, just stop it, already…"

Bun-Bun and ScissoRobo Z fell silent as Lincoln held his head in his hands and cried. After twenty minutes, he cried himself out, and the voices returned, both of them now solemn.

"Lincoln… we only want what we think is best for you."

"Because you've been through so much…"

"And we want to help you."

"…Everything that's happened before? It wasn't your choice."

"The incident at home."

"The incident at the park."

"Staying at the police station."

"Your father leaving you alone."

"Ronnie Anne coming over."

"Your sisters coming home."

"You never had a choice in any of those situations. But now… you do have a choice. And it's all yours to make. Freedom…"

"…or strength."

"What's it gonna be, Lincoln?"

Lincoln breathed heavily, slowly picking up the mirror shard and cradling it in his hands. He stared at it in the moonlight… and the boy inside stared back at him…

(…)

"Girls, come on! Breakfast time!"

Morning came. The Loud sisters were all awoken by their mother's calls – all except for Lynn, who hadn't managed a wink of sleep. Mrs. Loud came upstairs to personally see her daughters to the dining room, and saw them all shuffle out of their rooms and down the stairs – and noticed that a few were missing.

First, she went to Lisa's room. As usual, the door was locked. Mrs. Loud knocked on the door. "Lisa? Lisa, breakfast!"

"…Be right there!" a weary voice called from inside.

"Come on, Lisa, I want to see you out of your room, and at the table!"

"I will! In a moment!"

"Now, young lady!"

"Pleashe, Mother, I am putting the finishing touchesh on my work – I will join you momentarily!"

Mrs. Loud sighed in exasperation and shook her head – Lisa was just impossible, now. All she wanted to do was have one last meal with (nearly) the whole family – but it seemed that even that was out of the question. Lacking the patience to deal with Lisa, Mrs. Loud simply left her, and moved on.

Lynn and Lucy's room was next, and Mrs. Loud found Lynn sitting on the edge of her bed, tired and morose.

Mrs. Loud understood how she felt. She crossed over to Lynn and helped her up. "Come on, sweetie," she said gently, "let's go."

Lynn plodded out the door and down the stairs without Mrs. Loud's help. Finally, there was Lori. Mrs. Loud entered her and Leni's room, and found her eldest daughter lying in her bed, staring off into space.

"Lori, come on, honey," she said.

Lori didn't even acknowledge her mother's presence.

"Look, Lori, I know it's hard, but believe me, it's going to be alright. Now, come on."

Lori didn't move.

Mrs. Loud folded her arms and glared sternly at Lori. "Lori. Up. Now."

Lori kept on staring at nothing.

Growling with frustration, Mrs. Loud tossed the sheets off of Lori and pulled her out of bed. Lori didn't resist, but once she was out of bed, she stood where she was, unmoving.

Mrs. Loud sighed. "Lori, please don't make this any harder than it has to be…"

Lori didn't even look at her mother, but finally responded to her. With stiff, almost robotic movements, she began to walk towards the door. Mrs. Loud figured that this was better than nothing, so she picked up Lily and brought her downstairs to await Lori's arrival.

At last, the entire Loud family (minus Lincoln and Lisa) was gathered around the dining room table. Nobody except for Lily had a smile on their face; Lola was particularly upset. Mr. Loud laid a richly-stacked plate of food in front of each girl (except for Lily, who got a pudding packet).

"All right, well," Mr. Loud said, "since it's… the last time we'll be eating together for a while, I've pulled out all the stops today. Dig in, girls!"

Lily and Mr. and Mrs. Loud all started eating, but the other girls didn't touch their plates, instead staring at them dismally. Lori didn't even have the energy to pick up her fork and knife.

Noticing this, Mrs. Loud swallowed her mouthful and said, "Girls, come on! What are you waiting for?"

Still no-one started eating. After a while, Lynn put down her utensils. "I'm not hungry," she said.

The other girls put down their forks and knives as well. Mrs. Loud looked at the girls incredulously, before shifting to anger. "Girls, your father puts all this effort into making you a hearty, delicious breakfast, and suddenly you're just 'not hungry'?! Can't you show a little appreciation for the things we do for you?!"

"We do appreciate it, Mom," Lynn said. "We're just not hungry."

Mrs. Loud was about to reprimand them again, when she felt Mr. Loud's hand on her shoulder. "Honey," Mr. Loud said, "it's okay. They're not hungry."

Mrs. Loud looked at her husband, chastened, and by his silent request, sat down. "All right then, girls," Mr. Loud continued, "take your dishes to the kitchen, then."

The girls all stood up and did so, while their parents and Lily continued eating. As the girls came back out, Mrs. Loud said, "Well, girls, your Great-Aunt Ruth should be here in about an hour, so… be ready by then, okay?"

The girls all mumbled something in the affirmative, then headed upstairs to get dressed. As they began to get ready, they all became aware of the time, and started dreading every passing minute. This was it. This was the day. It was happening.

They were leaving.

Lynn passed by Lana and Lola's room on her way to see Lincoln one last time, and found Lola lying on her bed sobbing inconsolably. Lynn looked at her, seeing how distraught she was, and remembered what Lucy said the night before. Feeling sorry for Lola, she decided to leave her be.

She then came to Lincoln's room. Lynn listened in, worried that she would hear more conversing with a non-existent individual, but found eerie silence instead.

Lynn hung her head and choked quietly, devastated. Lincoln was falling apart, and there was nothing she could do about it.

No-one did anything significant as the minutes passed by. Finally, right on time, Great-Aunt Ruth arrived at the Loud house and honked her horn.

"Oh, that's her…" Mrs. Loud came to the foot of the stairs. "Girls! Great-Aunt Ruth's here. Come on."

Slow as molasses, the girls came down the stairs with their luggage in tow. Lola came down last, still crying. She hugged Mrs. Loud's leg.

"Please, Mommy," she said, "please don't make me go! I'll be the best little girl in the world, I promise! I-I'll never fight, o-or do anything mean to my sisters again, just…" She buried her face in her mother's pant leg. "Just… please… don't make me leave…"

Mrs. Loud patted Lola's head. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie, but… this has to be done. You'll adjust, I promise." She knelt to Lola's level. "We'll be okay, princess." Then she pulled her in for a hug.

Lola returned the hug, but her mood did not improve. "But… But Mom…"

"No, honey. I'm sorry." Mrs. Loud kissed Lola on the cheek, and released her. Defeated, Lola slinked over to join the rest of the group. Looking at Lola now, Lynn truly did feel sorry for her.

A despondent Mr. Loud came into the living carrying Lily. It was time to say goodbye. The girls and Mrs. Loud looked at him, and he shrank under their gazes. He knew that this would be the hardest part, but he never knew it would be this hard.

He took a deep breath. "Um… girls…"

Mr. Loud was interrupted by Great-Aunt Ruth honking her horn again. Mrs. Loud sighed, and said, "Honey, why don't you go tell Ruth to give us a few minutes? We'll say goodbye to Lily."

Mr. Loud dried his eyes, and nodded. "Okay."

He handed Lily to Mrs. Loud, and went out the front door. "Okay, girls," Mrs. Loud said, "say goodbye to Lily."

The sisters crowded around their baby sister, tearfully hugging and kissing her, saying "Goodbye, Lily", "We'll miss you", and "We love you, Lily…"

Lily giggled happily, thrilled to be receiving so much attention.

The girls backed away, and then it was Mrs. Loud's turn. Cradling her youngest child, the mother of eleven began to sob. "Oh Lily… I'm sorry… I'm sorry I can't be around to watch you grow up…" She cuddled her baby. "Mommy loves you, Lily… Mommy loves you so much…"

Earlier, surrounded by her sisters, Lily was too busy welcoming her sisters' attention to pay them themselves much mind. Now, however, she sensed how upset her mother was – and it made her upset, too. She reached up, and lightly stroked her mother's face.

"Mama…?"

Mrs. Loud's eyes widened, and her heart skipped several beats. Losing control, she hugged Lily tightly, crying openly. Lily closed her arms around her mother's neck, trying to make her feel better.

"I don't want to let go…" Mrs. Loud said.

Just then, Mr. Loud came back in. Seeing him, Mrs. Loud gathered up all her strength, and pushed Lily into his arms.

Lily reached out to her mother, unhappy to be separated from her. "Mama! Mama!"

"I'm sorry, Lily," said Mr. Loud, "but Mama has to go away for a while."

Lily didn't understand. Why did her mommy have to go? Where was she going? When was she coming back? Were her sisters going, too? Why? Distraught, she buried her face in her father's shirt.

Next, it was Mr. Loud's turn. Seeing as their mother had not yet recovered, the girls went first. Father and daughters stared at each other for the longest time. Then, the girls surrounded Mr. Loud, hugging him all at once.

"Goodbye, Daddy…" they all said – even the older ones.

Taking short, shuddering breaths, Mr. Loud hugged as many of the girls back as he could. "Oh, girls… I-I wish there was more I could do for you…"

The girls hugged him tighter, sobbing. They forgave him – if it only meant that they didn't have to go, they would have forgiven everything.

Mr. Loud closed his eyes. "I love you, girls…"

"We love you too, Daddy."

Reluctantly, the girls separated from Mr. Loud. Mrs. Loud, now having recomposed herself, walked up to her husband.

"Well… this is it…" she said.

Mr. Loud placed a hand on her shoulder. "I promise, I'll call, or do video chat, or whatever I can, whenever I can. Every day, hopefully."

Mrs. Loud nodded gratefully, and kissed him. "As long as we hear from you…"

Mr. Loud embraced her tightly. "No matter how long we're apart, I will always love you, Rita."

Mrs. Loud squeezed him back. "And I'll always love you, Lynn."

The two of them maintained the hug for a minute longer, then pulled apart.

Finally, it was the pets' turn. Mr. Loud called Charles, Cliff, Walt, and Geo into the living room, and tempted with the promise of treats and attention, the pets put on one last show of their tricks for the girls. The girls cheered, petted the pets, and cooed lovingly, but nothing could distract them from the fact that they would be leaving their only remaining friends behind.

"I…" Lana sniffled. "I'm really gonna miss you guys…"

The other girls, sharing the same sentiments, said their sad goodbyes to the pets. Charles whined, Cliff mewled, and even Walt seemed to drop his angry expression.

The atmosphere was so thick with sorrow, even the pets could read it.

And with that, it was over. There was nothing left for the Loud girls to do but leave. There was a moment of hesitation among them – and that moment of hesitation, allowing her to see the misery in her sisters' eyes and faces, was all Lynn needed to make a decision. She couldn't take this sitting down.

She had to make a stand.

"Well…" Mrs. Loud said, "all right, girls… let's go –"

"NO!"

The other sisters and their parents all jumped. Lynn stepped forward, away from the crowd. "We can't leave! Not now!"

Mrs. Loud sighed. "Lynn, how many times do we have to go over this –?"

"Mom, please! Just… hear me out, alright?!"

Mrs. Loud stared hard at Lynn, then shook her head in exasperation. "Fine. But you're not changing our minds."

Lynn fidgeted, trying to formulate her argument. "O-Okay, Mom...? Um, t-this might sound bad, but… I was up late last night, and… I heard Lincoln… talking to himself."

Mrs. Loud gaped. "What?!"

Mr. Loud shook his head sadly. "We need to get him some help, soon…"

"E-Exactly! Mom, we can help! We can help him!"

"Oh, no, honey!" Mrs. Loud said. "You and your sisters are the last people Lincoln wants to see right now!"

Lynn flinched – she knew that, but it stung even harder now than it ever did before. "B-But Mom, we can help! He needs us! And… and we need him, too!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Mom, look at us! We're at each other's throats! Lincoln always helped us understand each other, and-and make up, and… and-and-and that's what we need him to do now!"

"Lynn, Lincoln is in no state to help you, or anybody!"

"But how are we supposed to make up?!"

"I guess you'll just have to change your attitudes!" Mrs. Loud huffed. "Okay, Lynn, you've made your argument, and I'm not convinced. Come on; we're going."

"But Mom –!"

"No 'but's!"

"I can't!"

"You can, and you will!"

"I don't want to!"

"I know, but that's too bad!"

"We need him!"

"No, you don't!"

"Mom, you don't understand!"

"Lynn Jr. –!"

"Mom, I LOVE HIM!"

"I –" Mrs. Loud paused, taken aback by Lynn's last comment, but shook her head and continued. "I know you do, sweetie, I do too. But –"

"No, Mom!" Lynn shouted. "You don't understand!"

Luna realized what Lynn was going to say. "Lynn, don't –!"

"SHUT UP! You SHUT UP! She needs to know!" Lynn panted, tears welling in her eyes.

"Know… what?" Mrs. Loud asked.

Lynn turned back to her mother. "Mom, I…" She gulped. "I love him. As… As more than just a brother. I… I love him."

Mr. and Mrs. Loud stared at Lynn, mouth agape. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. One of their daughters… had just confessed to being in love with her brother.

For a full minute, no-one said a word. Then, almost in a daze, Mrs. Loud managed to say, "…What…?"

Hearing his wife speak up allowed Mr. Loud to speak up as well. "Lynn, you…" He gulped, trying to get the words out. "I… I just can't believe I'm hearing this… You… You love Lincoln? You're… You're in love with him?"

Lynn nodded sadly. "And… And it's not just me… All of us…"

Mr. and Mrs. Loud didn't think anything could shock them more than what they had just heard, but they were wrong. Horrified, they looked at the rest of their daughters, whose ashamed, guilty looks told them everything they needed to know.

"My God…" Mr. Loud said, "the pheromone! I-It's still in the house! Oh, God, I should have known, Lincoln's been all over the house this past –"

Lynn quickly shook her head. "No, no, it's not the pheromone! Trust us, we've checked!"

The parents looked back at the girls, who all nodded in confirmation.

"These feelings we have for him… They're real. And, and we knew they were wrong, so that's why we pushed them down. But, but with everything that's happened… We just can't deny them anymore. That's why…" Lynn took a deep breath. "That's why we can't leave. I-I don't know what we'll do without him… Mom… we need Lincoln. We…" She sank to her knees. "We need him."

Mrs. Loud was completely dumbstruck. Her mind was drawing a complete blank. Without a clue of what to do in this situation, she turned helplessly to her husband. Unfortunately, there was hardly any help he could give.

"I… I can't…" Mr. Loud shook his head slowly, at a complete loss. "I… I just can't keep doing this…"

Mrs. Loud walked over to her husband. "Kids," she said weakly, "your father and I will be right back…"

The two of them headed into the kitchen, where the girls heard them talking in hushed, panicked tones. Luna stormed over to Lynn and pinned her to the wall.

"You IDIOT!" Luna hissed. "Do you have any idea what you just DID?!"

"I had to do SOMETHING!" Lynn responded.

"Not only have you not helped your case, you've just made things worse for ALL of us!" Luna gritted her teeth. "I can't even imagine what's going to happen now…"

A quarter of an hour passed. At last, Mr. and Mrs. Loud came back, looking serious. Mrs. Loud turned to Lynn.

"So… this is how you really feel?" she asked.

Lynn nodded. "Yes, Mom. I… I love Lincoln. And I'm not leaving him."

Mrs. Loud sighed. She walked over to Lynn and kneeled down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking her square in the eyes.

"…That's exactly why you have to leave him, honey."

"Mom, please –!"

"Lynn, listen to me!" Mrs. Loud grabbed Lynn and started shaking her, almost in hysterics. "This is not right, you hear me?! It is not right to feel this way about your brother! That's why you are going. You will leave with the rest of us, and you will get over these feelings, far away from here! Do you understand?"

"But Mom –"

"I said, 'do you understand'?!"

"No!"

Mrs. Loud's face contorted into a frightening snarl. "Lynn. Loud. Jr. I have never struck any of my children in my entire life. But if you do not do as I say in this matter, then SO HELP ME…!"

Mrs. Loud prepared to raise a hand to her rebellious daughter, who cringed in fear, but Luna grabbed her wrist.

"O-Okay, Mom, okay!" Luna said quickly. "You've made your point. She gets it." She glared at Lynn. "Don't you?"

Lynn panted, seriously afraid for the first time in a long time. "Uh… Uh-huh…"

Mrs. Loud pulled her wrist out of Luna's grip, and she stood up, still scowling. Then, she closed her eyes, hung her head, and let out a long, shuddering sigh. She wearily pointed at the front door.

"Outside. Now."

The girls all grabbed their luggage and obeyed. As Lynn was about to join her other sisters, she noticed that someone was missing.

"Hey… where's Lisa?" she asked.

"Huh?" Mrs. Loud scanned the crowd, and realized that Lisa was indeed not there. "Oh…!" She marched to the foot of the stairs. "Lisa! Come on, we're leaving!"

There was no response.

"Lisa! Did you hear me?! Get down here right now!"

Still no response. Just then, Lynn got one last-ditch idea.

"Um… hang on, Mom. I'll go get her," she said, then ran up the stairs.

Luna knew exactly what she was up to. "Oh, no… Mom, stay here, we'll get her. Come on, dudes."

Luna led her sisters upstairs, where they found Lynn in her room.

"Lynn, don't you know when to – WHOA?!"

All of the sisters yelped and jumped back when they saw Lynn brandish her baseball bat. "Don't come any closer," she said shakily.

"L-L-Lynn," Leni said, "you're scaring us…"

Lynn just stood there, holding her bat above her head, breathing heavily. She was on her last legs, and Luna knew it. She stepped forward.

"Stop…!"

"Lynn…" Luna said, "…do you really want to hurt me?"

Lynn gasped. The tears started escaping from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She started shaking even harder.

Luna held out her hand, asking for the bat. After a moment of hesitation, Lynn gave in and handed it to her, crushed. Luna put a hand on her shoulder.

"Lynn... it's over."

Lynn cupped her face in her hands and cried. She had lost. Nothing she could do could ever change her or the others' situation, least of all for the better.

Luna was right. It was over.

"Oh… God…" Lynn sobbed.

To everyone's surprise, a nasally, confident chuckle arose from the hallway. The crowd parted, to reveal Lisa standing there. Still chuckling, she waltzed into the room.

"'God'? 'God'? The only 'god' I believe in… ish the one out of the machine."

The girls all stared at her, confused. "Huh…?"

Lisa turned to face them, a smile on her face.

"Shiblingsh – I have the sholution."