Author's Note: Hey-ho! Well, the Axeman came and went with surprisingly little fanfare (get it?). Ah, but who cares? We're back!

Well, shoot. All this time spent brainstorming and nothing to show for it. I've got the overall story figured out, it's the little details that trip me up – you know, getting from point A to point B. Oh well, guess I'll just fill in the blanks as I go along, like I've been doing this whole time…

Fun Fact of the Day: In chapter 13, when I talked about the "unseen eyes", I was actually referring to you guys. Don't worry, I still love ya!

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

(…)

Lincoln Loud took a deep breath. It was good to be alive.

That's what the doctors told him to tell himself. Think positive, they said; life is a precious gift that should not be squandered. Focus on the good things in life. He had a loving family, was in a healthy relationship, and was seen as an equal at school – no longer something deserving pity, but someone deserving the same level of respect as anyone else. He had a family, he had friends, he had a future, and he had his life.

Lincoln sighed contentedly. It was good to be alive.

Lincoln stretched out on his bed, enjoying the silence. Silence had been one thing he never had when his… when he was a kid, and so it felt unfamiliar and frightening to him after… at first. Now, however, he welcomed it, as it offered him freedom from all the mem… stresses and frustrations of everyday life. That was not to say that Lincoln hated noise – in fact, his happy place was full of noise. He simply enjoyed the silence more now than he ever did before.

Lincoln sat up. The room was starting to feel stuffy. He stood up, walked over to the window, and opened it. He shivered momentarily as the cold air blew past him, but then breathed it in, finding it bracing. He stuck his head out the window, taking in the dazzling whiteness all around him. The holidays were approaching, and that meant spending time with friends and family in a spirit of brotherhood and charity – and best of all, presents! Lincoln was especially looking forward to this year's Christmas – he had a feeling that it would be a very special one.

A boy about Lincoln's age with black hair, a white T-shirt, and faded blue jeans came into the room. "Hey, Lincoln…" He felt the air in the room and shivered. "Brrr… cold…"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Terry," Lincoln said. "Guess I've aired out the room enough…" He closed the window and sat back down on the bed. "So, what's up?"

"Could you come downstairs? Your dad has something important he wants to ask you."

Lincoln cocked his eyebrow. "'Important'?"

"Yeah."

Lincoln stood up. "Okay…"

As Lincoln walked downstairs with Terry, his mind began churning curiously. What was going on? What did his father want to talk to him about?

The two of them came into the dining room, where Mr. Loud sat at the far end of the table, with Lily seated to his left. Lincoln took a dismal look at his father. Due to a combination of tragic circumstances and poor decisions, Lynn Loud, Sr. had not aged well – he was now completely bald, with skin wrinkled like broken glass. He had a noticeable gut. His eyes were dull, tired – they had lost the warmth and drive they had in Lincoln's youth. He looked much better than he used to, but Lincoln could tell that he was still on the long road to recovery.

Meanwhile Lily, rocking excitedly in her seat, was the very picture of youth. Her platinum blonde hair, done up with a hairclip shaped like a cherry, bounced along with her, and her skin glowed with health. Her slender body fit neatly into her lavender dress, and her eyes shimmered with the same energy and optimism that Lincoln had remembered them having even when she was just a baby. For all of Mr. Loud's mistakes, he had taken care to raise Lily right, and for that, Lincoln could forgive him anything.

Mr. Loud closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Terry sat down to his right. "Lincoln," he said solemnly, "sit down."

Feeling apprehensive, Lincoln did so at the near end of the table.

Mr. Loud looked at Terry, who nodded in encouragement. Taking another deep breath, Mr. Loud began, "Now, Lincoln, it's been six years, now, and you've made a lot of progress. Heck, I'd go so far as to say that you're almost back to your old self. Actually, we've all made a lot of progress over these past few years, and now… well, we feel like a real family now, you know? So, Terry and I –"

"Come on, Linky!" Lily interjected. "Just do it! Pleeeeeease?"

Lincoln, Terry, and Mr. Loud all shared a chuckle, cutting the tension in the air. "Lily," Terry said, "why don't you let your daddy finish what he has to say before adding anything, okay?"

"Ooooh, but I just can't wait! I'm so excited!" Lily bounced in her seat enthusiastically.

The men of the house chuckled again, then Lincoln asked, "Okay, so what's this about, Dad?"

Mr. Loud cleared his throat. "Well, son, Terry and I have been talking, and we think you're ready. However, it's still up to you to decide if you are, too."

"Ready for what?"

Mr. Loud shared a look with Terry, then leaned forward.

"Son… we want to bring your mother and your sisters home."

Lily cheered, but time seemed to freeze for Lincoln. His… His… His… Them? Come home? Come here? With him? For just a moment, all the therapy sessions seemed to fly out the window. Lincoln's chest tightened, and he could feel himself hyperventilating. He closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and tried to go to his happy place. As he envisioned it, he felt that gentle, familiar warmth spread inside him, and his heart stopped racing. When he felt calm again, he opened his eyes and saw his family staring at him, concerned.

Mr. Loud sighed. "Maybe I should have phrased that a little differently. You see, Lincoln, I'm not suggesting your mother and sisters come home to stay. I'm just saying that they should visit Royal Woods for a few days – spend Christmas with the whole family. If you're ready to handle them again, great. If you're not, well, then you're not. We want to know what you think."

Lincoln looked down at the table. "So… it's up to me…?"

Terry nodded. "Yes, Lincoln. It's up to you."

Lily stood on her chair. "Oh, please, Linky, PLEASE say yes! Oh, I've heard so much about them – I love them already, and I've never even met them! Please, Linky, I want to meet them so bad!"

Lincoln, Terry, and Mr. Loud all looked at Lily sternly. This was a serious matter – she needed to understand that. "Lily," Mr. Loud said, quietly but firmly, "you don't understand how difficult this decision is for Lincoln. So please sit down and let him decide for himself."

Lily looked at Mr. Loud, surprised at how serious he was. Chastened, she sat down. Terry and Mr. Loud's eyes returned to Lincoln.

Lincoln drummed his fingers on the table softly. "U-Um… I… I…"

Mr. Loud held his hand up. "We understand that you don't have an answer right now, so we're not going to ask for one, either. Take some time, think it over, and when you're ready, tell us. But just know that we need an answer within the week."

Lincoln sat where he was, looking lost. Mr. Loud cleared his throat.

"…You can go now, Lincoln."

(…)

When Lily checked in on Lincoln later, she found him sitting in his beanbag chair, playing a video game.

"Linky?" Lily said.

Lincoln didn't look away from the screen. "What?"

"Can I talk to you?"

Lincoln patted his lap, inviting Lily to sit down. Lily entered the room and sat on Lincoln's lap, resting her head against her shoulder.

"What's up, Lily?" Lincoln asked.

Lily fidgeted. "Um… h-have you, um… decided yet?"

"Decided what?"

"You know – about our sisters…"

"Oh – I'm still thinking about it."

Lily looked up at him. "You don't look like you're thinking about it."

"I…" Lincoln paused. He wasn't thinking about it. "Well, it's a figure of speech, Lily."

"Well, are you thinking about it or not?"

Lincoln didn't answer, instead opting to look back at the TV screen and resume playing his game.

"…Guess that's a 'not', then." Lily sighed, then pounded her fists in her lap. "Linky, why is it so hard? To decide, you know? They're our sisters, Linky!"

Lincoln sighed, shaking his head. "…You wouldn't understand, Lily."

Lily pouted. "Everyone keeps telling me that! Why wouldn't I understand?!"

"You're too young."

"I am not!"

"You are so! Lily, you're smart. You might know about it a little, but you don't know everything about it – and you shouldn't until you're older."

Lily shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "But what is 'it'?! I don't get it! Why won't anyone explain it to me?!"

"Because you're too young."

Lily bit her lower lip, quavering. Then, she gritted her teeth, pounded on Lincoln's chest, and yelled, "FINE!"

Lily jumped off of Lincoln's chest and made for the door. Lincoln sighed again, pausing the game and getting up. "Lily, wait!"

Lily stopped, although she continued to face away from Lincoln, trembling. "I… I…"

Lincoln stepped closer. "Lily…"

Lily turned to face her brother, tears streaming down her face.

"I just want to see them, Linky…"

Lincoln knelt and embraced Lily, who cried on his shoulder. "Shhh… Shhh…" Lincoln crooned. "There, there, Lily, don't cry. Don't cry." He pulled back and looked at her. "I'll think about it, okay? And I'll think about what you want, too."

Lily sniffled, drying her tears. "…You promise?"

"I promise."

Lily smiled, then threw her arms around Lincoln's neck. "…Thanks, Linky."

Lincoln wrapped his arms around Lily's narrow waist. "Sure."

The two siblings remained in that embrace for a short while longer, then Lily released Lincoln and prepared to go. Before she left, however, she turned around while standing in the doorway. "Um, Linky?" she said. "Could you please not tell Dad about this? I know what he said earlier, and I don't want him to think I, like, pressured you, or anything…"

Lincoln nodded. "I won't tell."

"Thanks, big brother." Lily closed the door.

Lincoln stood watching the door for a few moments, then snapped back to reality. Realizing that the game was only a distraction, he saved it and switched the system off. So, it wasn't all about him. There were Lily's desires to consider. Could he really deny her a chance to finally meet her… the rest of her family? It would be unfair, but still… them. Coming here. Could he handle that? Terry and his father certainly thought so, or else they never would have suggested it to him, but what about him? What did he want? As he paced the floor, thinking about it, he found himself grateful for the size of his room. He had initially hated having to leave his old room – the one that had returned to being used as a linen closet – but it was getting too small for him, and the only rooms available to him were the ones that used to belong to… not him.

Lincoln shook his head. What was he saying? They used to belong to his sisters. Sis. Ters. It wasn't that hard to say. Lily was his sister, and he was perfectly comfortable with calling her that. What about the others? Once, he had thought the same about them as he did about Lily now, but… what about now?

His pacing brought him to the closet. Just as he was about to turn around, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The closet door was open just a crack. Lincoln tentatively grabbed it and slowly opened it all the way.

There, sitting on the top shelf, were Bun-Bun and ScissoRobo Z.

Lincoln remembered the two of them – all the discussions they had. What did his doctors call them? "Manifestations of his psyche"? That basically meant that they were his thoughts talking back to him. Well, Lincoln certainly could use some of that now, he thought, seeing as how he didn't even know the nature of his own feelings. But then he thought about how the doctors had told him that it was an unhealthy substitute for actual human interaction and all the things the two of them had tried to pressure him into doing.

Lincoln closed his eyes and slowly shook his head at his former toys. "…No. I'm done talking to you two."

Lincoln closed the door to his closet and resumed pacing. This was something he had to decide himself. But the day wore on, and he continued to deliberate and dither. Eventually, all the thinking started to stress him out. He sat down in his beanbag chair with his head hung low, mentally chanting Happy place, happy place…

Lincoln stopped. Slowly, he raised his head to stare ahead at the blank screen of the TV.

"…Happy place…"

(…)

The next morning was a weekend, so Lincoln slept in. When he woke up, it was past noon. He got out of bed and got dressed. Hearing him walking about upstairs, Terry came up and knocked on the door, and Lincoln allowed him inside.

"Well, it's about time you got up!" Terry said.

Lincoln shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? I did a lot of thinking last night."

"Oh yeah?" Terry leaned against the doorway. "Think of anything?"

"Actually, I did." Lincoln put his hands on his hips, took a deep breath, and looked at Terry. "I thought I was past the incident. I'm not – I've just been running from it. Not anymore. I have to face this." He sighed. "…I have to put this to rest, once and for all. Tell Dad that I want my… my sisters to come home."

Terry beamed proudly at Lincoln. He stepped aside. "Well, I think you can tell him that yourself, can't you?"

Lincoln grinned at Terry, then walked out of the room and down the stairs holding his hand. Lily and Mr. Loud were in the living room, watching Operation Dessert Storm.

"Guys?" Lincoln said.

Mr. Loud paused the DVR. "Yes, Lincoln?"

"I've decided. Dad, you can call Mom and the others. Tell them to start packing."

Lily gasped, then jumped up and wrapped her limbs around Lincoln, causing him to stumble backwards into the armchair. "Oh, Linky," she said ecstatically, "thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Terry laughed, putting a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Hey, take it easy, Lily, you'll squeeze the life out of him!"

As Lily nuzzled Lincoln's collarbone, Lincoln saw Mr. Loud brighten up, as if some vitality had been restored to his weary body. "Son…" Mr. Loud said, "…you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I… I'm proud of you, son."

Lincoln gently pried Lily off of him, then stood up and nodded at Mr. Loud.

Mr. Loud clapped his hands together. "Well! I do believe this is cause for celebration!"

Lincoln slammed his hand on the coffee table, startling everyone. "NO! Absolutely not!" he said.

Lily, Terry, and Mr. Loud all looked at Lincoln, surprised at his outburst. "S-Son," Mr. Loud said, "I was just going to say that we should go out to Giovanni Chang's for dinner…"

Lincoln's eyes widened with realization, and he shrank into himself sheepishly. "O-Oh, uh… heh… sorry, everyone, I-I just thought, uh, y-you know, when Dad said he wanted to 'celebrate'…"

Mr. Loud realized what Lincoln was talking about and shook his head, waving his hand through the air. "Son, don't you worry – I'm over that, I swear. You don't ever have to worry about me slipping up while you're around."

Lincoln felt relieved by that, although the way his father said it made him worry a little. What would happen when Lincoln moved out of the house?

"All right, I'll call your mother and tell her the good news. After that, I'll place the reservation at Giovanni Chang's. Who's looking forward to some linguini dim sum?"

"I know I am!"

"Me too!"

"Yeah…"

(…)

Lincoln was somewhat relieved to hear that his mother and sisters were not coming soon, as plans had to be made. It was decided that, since the girls lived close enough, Mr. Loud would take a road trip to pick them up and drive them to Royal Woods in two weeks. Lincoln wondered where the girls had been living all this time, but he decided to wait until they arrived to ask them. He didn't think he was ready to actually talk to them, anyways, even over the phone. Just as well, his father elected not to force him to talk to them, deciding that it would be better for them to reunite in person.

And so, time passed. The days went by. Winter break was announced, and Lincoln had two weeks to be spent at home relaxing. But there was no relaxing to be had for him this year. Lincoln spent most of the passing weeks inside, mentally preparing himself for the arrival of his sisters, with the patient support of Terry and Mr. Loud. Together, they reviewed the facts of the incident from both sides of the story, and Lincoln gained an understanding of what his sisters thought, felt, and went through. He felt sympathy for them as he learned of their guilt and troubles, and shame for not thinking about them sooner. That said, he couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease he had. This, however, only strengthened his resolve to settle the matter once and for all.

Mr. Loud left on December 18th, and called ahead to announce that he and the girls were a day away on the 21st. Lincoln could hardly sleep that night. The moment was almost at hand, but was he really ready for it?

December 22nd. Lily sat by the window, desperately squirming as she looked for the family van. When she saw the white van coming down the road, she squealed with joy and ran up to Terry, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Terry!" Lily said, hopping up and down. "They're here! They're here, they're here, they're here!" Suddenly, she doubled over, clutching her stomach and groaning.

"What's the matter?" Terry asked.

Lily wore a pained look. "Ohhh… I really wanna see them, but I also really hafta go to the bathroom…"

"You can see them after you go to the bathroom, silly Lily!" Terry said, laughing.

Lily sighed with relief, as if she had not thought of that. "Thanks, Terry!" she said as she ran upstairs.

"Don't forget to wash your hands!" She didn't seem to hear him. Terry shook his head, chuckling. He got up and looked out the window, seeing Mr. Loud start to unload the luggage as his daughters climbed out of the car and stretched. He stepped back, turning his gaze to the staircase.

It was time.

Terry headed upstairs to Lincoln's room and knocked gently on the door. "Lincoln?"

"…Come in."

Terry opened the door, and saw Lincoln sitting on his bed, leaning forward with his hands clasped together. Downstairs, the front door opened, and Terry heard the girls coming in, chattering excitedly about being home again. Lincoln hung his head lower.

Terry approached Lincoln slowly. "Lincoln…?"

Lincoln kept his head bowed, taking a deep breath. "Happy place… Happy place…"

Terry placed a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "Hey… it's okay. You can do this, Lincoln. I believe in you. You hear me?" He cupped Lincoln's cheek, making him look at him. "I believe in you."

Lincoln touched Terry's hand, smiling.

Mr. Loud called for Lincoln downstairs, and the chattering stopped. Terry looked at Lincoln.

"You ready?" he asked.

Lincoln sighed. "I'd better be – I've had all this time to prepare, haven't I?"

Terry chuckled, taking Lincoln's hand. "Come on, let's go."

"Lincoln!" Mr. Loud called.

"He's coming!" Terry called back.

Terry led Lincoln out of his room, into the hallway, and to the head of the stairs.

And then he saw them.

The entire house went quiet. No-one moved. The girls stared at Lincoln almost as though they couldn't believe he was real, making him fidget. Terry tugged his hand, slightly but insistently. Lincoln took a deep breath, and began walking down the stairs.

Lincoln's parents and sisters stayed perfectly still, as if they were afraid that a single wrong move would send him running away. But Lincoln was stronger than that now. Terry led him to the bottom of the stairs, face-to-face with his sisters.

Mr. Loud cleared his throat. "Um, Lincoln," he said, "you remember your sisters, don't you?"

Lincoln scanned the crowd. There were fewer than he remembered. He let go of Terry's hand and approached the closest one, whose breath hitched in her throat as he came closer. Lincoln looked the short, freckled, brown-haired girl up and down.

"Um, let me guess…" Lincoln pointed at her. "You're… Lynn, right?"

Lynn looked up at Lincoln, her eyes shining and her lips quivering. She took a shuddering breath, then seized the moment before it proved too good to be true, wrapping her arms around Lincoln. Although surprised, Lincoln stayed strong, and didn't run.

"L-Lynn?"

Lynn started crying as she pressed her head against Lincoln's chest. "I thought I'd never see you again…" she whispered.

Lincoln awkwardly patted her on the back. "Uh… heh… doesn't look like you've grown much, Lynn…"

He quickly shut his mouth, expecting her to be mad at that statement, but she only hugged him tighter. Lincoln gasped – she was still as strong as he remembered.

Someone behind Lynn laughed, and Lincoln recognized the laugh immediately. "Hey, Lynn," a girl with buck teeth and brown hair in a ponytail said, "squeeze a little tighter – I think I heard a rib snap!"

Lynn reluctantly released Lincoln, who rubbed his sore ribs. "Ah… Hey, Luan," Lincoln said.

Luan raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. "Oh, wow, I'm surprised you recognize me without my braces!" She laughed. "Ah… Hey there, 'little' brother."

"Heh, heh… 'little'. Right." Lincoln offered Luan a hug, to which she shrugged and accepted it.

Next, Lincoln approached a blonde woman who barely scraped past his chin. She looked familiar, but there was something different about her – like there was some sort of new wisdom about her. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as they looked at him. "Oh, Linky…" she said, "you've gotten so big…"

The kindness in her voice was unmistakable. Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, uh, about 6'1'', now. Um, hey, Leni."

Leni took one step towards him, putting a hand on his cheek. Lincoln could see now that her eyes were glistening with tears.

"Oh…!"

Overcome with joy, Leni wrapped her arms around Lincoln's neck and threw her head over his shoulder, popping one foot into the air. Lincoln laughed nervously as he patted her on the back.

The hug went on for longer than Lincoln expected, and soon it began to become uncomfortable – not just for him, but for everyone watching. "Uh… Leni?" Lynn said.

Leni opened her eyes to look at her. "Hm?"

"Think you might be… dragging it out, a little?"

"Dragging what out?"

"The hug."

"The hug?" Leni blinked as the realization hit her. "Oh!" She broke the hug. "I'm sorry, Linky, it's just… oh, it's just so good to see you again!"

Lincoln couldn't help but smile. The years may have made Leni wiser, but not smarter. "Eheh… Well, it's… kinda good to see you too, Leni."

Leni squealed and bounced her fists together upon hearing that. Chuckling, Lincoln turned to the last sister, a girl with long blonde hair that looked to almost be a teenager. There were only two possible candidates as to who she could have been.

Lincoln scratched his head. "Um… Uh… Let's see…" He looked at her, completely uncertain. "…Lola?"

The girl looked askance at him, confused and a little offended. "Uh… Lana, actually."

Lincoln retreated a step, taken aback. "Oh, uh… sorry. I-It's just, uh, I, uh… you know… didn't recognize you without the hat."

Lana laughed. "That's how you know it's been a long time. I outgrew that thing – literally and figuratively. It was falling apart, anyways…"

"Ah. Well, uh…" Lincoln hesitantly patted her head. "It's good to see that you're growing up, anyways…"

"Aw…" Lana hugged him. "It's good to see you, big brother."

Lincoln hugged her back, then turned his attention to his mother. Mrs. Loud looked aged, wrinkled in several new places and graying at the roots. It didn't appear to be natural aging – it seemed as if years of despair and exhaustion had drained her body. She covered her mouth and fought back tears as she looked at him.

"Lincoln…" Mrs. Loud said. "My beautiful baby boy… You've grown up so fast… and I wasn't here to see it…"

Lincoln nodded sadly. He remembered that night at the police station – how his mother had lost control and tried to attack him just like his sisters had. But she didn't attack him, and it wasn't her fault besides. Lincoln felt guilty now for not wanting to see her or thinking about her back then, cursing his weakness.

"Yeah… uh, hi, Mom." He tenderly offered a hug, which she gratefully accepted. She held Lincoln by the shoulders after they parted.

"Oh, Lincoln…" she said, her eyes full of regret. The way she said it made Lincoln cast his eyes downward. "…We've all missed you so much. Haven't we, girls?"

The girls all cheered in agreement, piling around Lincoln for a group hug. Lincoln's heart skipped a beat, but he fought to retain control. He felt the heat from everyone's bodies envelop him, and calmed down.

Terry watched the heartwarming scene from the stairs. He looked at Mr. Loud. "Well?" he said. "Aren't you going to join in?"

Mrs. Loud heard his voice and looked up at him. "Oh! Um, hello…"

The other girls broke the hug, also looking at Terry. "Oh, my!" Terry said. "Excuse me, but we haven't been properly introduced. I just wanted you to enjoy the moment. Guess I spoiled it, though…" He cleared his throat.

"My name's Terrance Powell. Call me Terry. I'm… Lincoln's boyfriend."

The Loud girls all stared at Terry, completely and utterly shocked. For several moments, no-one said a word. Then, weakly, Lynn said, "Lincoln's… boyfriend?"

"That's right." He came to the bottom of the stairs, extending his hand. One by one, the Loud sisters and their mother shook it. "It's nice to meet you all. Mr. Loud's told me a lot about you."

"Terry," Mr. Loud said, "I told you, you can just call me 'Lynn'."

"And I told you, Mr. Loud, that I respect you too much to do that. Besides…" He gestured to Lynn. "…there's a 'Lynn' here already, too."

As the others chuckled at that, Lily crept down the stairs, speaking up when the laughter died down. "U-Um…"

Everyone turned to look at her. Lily looked at the Loud girls, clutching her skirt. "A-Are you… my sisters…?"

Leni gasped. "Lily?! Is that you?!"

Lily's sisters and their mother rushed up the stairs, sweeping her off her feet. Lily squealed as the girls brought her to the bottom of the stairs, gushing over how cute she was and how much she had grown since they last saw her as a baby.

"Oh…!" Lily shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm so happy I finally got to meet you all!"

"Oh, Lily…!" the girls said.

Lily took Lynn's and Leni's hands in her own. "We're gonna spend the whole day together, catching up! It's gonna be so much fun!"

"You bet!" Mr. Loud said. "Why don't we start right now? Everyone take a seat in the living room!"

The Loud girls removed their coats, hats, boots, and scarves and put them on the coat rack, and everyone moved to the living room – Lincoln sitting in the armchair, Terry sitting in the chair in the far corner of the room, and the girls and their mother on the couch.

"Daddy, can I sit with my sisters?" Lily asked.

"Of course!"

"Yay!" Lily hopped onto the couch in between Lana and Leni and snuggled in.

Lincoln sat in silence for a while before he realized that everyone expected him to begin the conversation. "O-Oh! Uh, so, uh, um, uh… H-How have you been?"

Luan shrugged. "Been better."

"Luan!" Mrs. Loud said. "Lincoln, we're fine. Just fine – even better now that we've seen you!"

"Yeah, and we mean actually seeing you – not holed up in your room, scared to death of us!" Lynn added.

Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, yeah… M-My doctors say that I've made a lot of progress…"

"We can tell," Mrs. Loud said proudly.

"So, does this mean that you're, you know, past the incident?" Lana asked.

Lincoln nodded. "Yes, I can go about my life without constantly thinking about it, or, uh, about any threats to myself. I'd… I'd still rather not think about it, though…"

Mrs. Loud nodded. "Oh, of course, of course."

"Heh, yeah. Uh… Oh!" Lincoln remembered an important question he wanted to ask them. "So, uh, where, uh, where have you been this whole time?"

"What, Dad didn't tell you?" Lynn said. "After we moved out to Great-Aunt Ruth's, Mom managed to find us a house in Toronto. We've lived there ever since – well, Mom and Lana do, the rest of us have moved into dorms at the university."

"Oh? Are any of you, uh, roommates?"

"Leni and Luna are."

"I see." Lincoln exhaled – this conversation was starting to wear him out a little. "So, uh, Toronto, huh? What's that like?"

Leni held her hands over her heart. "Oh, it's such a beautiful city! The air is so clean, the people are so nice…"

"And the best part is, it's huge, so we can just blend in!" Lynn added.

Lincoln nodded. That made sense – the last thing the girls and their mother would have wanted after the incident was attention.

"You should come and visit sometime, Lincoln!" Mrs. Loud said. "I just know you'll love it!"

"Heh… maybe someday. So, uh, anyway, speaking of Luna, you know, earlier, where is everybody?"

"Oh, Luna decided not to come, sweetie," Mrs. Loud said. "She said that coming here would bring back too many painful memories."

Lincoln nodded. "Okay, okay, I-I understand. So, uh, what about the others?"

The girls looked confused. "'Others'?" Luan said.

"Yeah, you know – Lori, Lucy, Lola, and Lisa."

The Loud girls all looked at each other, appalled. Mrs. Loud looked at her husband. "Honey… you didn't tell him?"

Lincoln looked at Mr. Loud, who looked intensely guilty.

"Tell me… what?" Lincoln said.

Mrs. Loud looked at each of her daughters, unsure of what to do.

"Mom…" Lynn said, "…we have to tell him."

Lincoln had a feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

Mrs. Loud took a deep breath. "Okay, girls…" She turned to Lincoln. "Well, Lincoln, you see… Lori, Lucy, and Lisa…" She shook her head sadly, sighing.

"…They're dead. All of them."

Lincoln felt as though he had been kicked in the stomach. Lori, Lucy, and Lisa… all dead? "W-What?" he said breathlessly.

The Loud girls all slowly nodded in confirmation.

"How?!"

Mrs. Loud sighed again – a slow, shuddering sigh. "They… killed themselves."

Lincoln sank into his chair. Three of his sisters… dead by their own hand. Somehow, he couldn't help but feel responsible…

Deciding that he didn't need to know the details right now, Lincoln sat quietly. "W-Wait… what about Lola?" he asked after a while.

The girls all looked despondent, Lana especially so. Mrs. Loud gulped, trying not to cry. "W-Well… she kept getting into fights with… with the other girls…" She sniffled. "…And one day, she was gone. She had packed her belongings… and just left. She left a note, saying that she was 'going home'. We figured that meant Royal Woods. We called the police, and they searched around, but they didn't find her… We called your father, b-but she wasn't there… W-W-We thought we'd hear from border patrol if she tried to cross the border, but… but…!"

Mrs. Loud broke down crying. As Leni consoled her, Lynn finished the story. "…We still don't know what happened to her."

Lincoln stared blankly ahead into space. Four sisters… gone. And with them, his chance to reconcile with them.

Lincoln thought back to the day his sisters left – how they had begged them to speak on their behalf. He sank even deeper into his chair.

He could have stopped this. He was responsible.

Lily, who had been quietly listening to her mother all this time, now couldn't restrain her tears. "Y-You mean… I-I'll never get to meet them?" she said.

Leni shook her head. "No, Lily. I'm sorry."

Lily started bawling, and she got up off the sofa. Terry stood up as well, and she ran into his arms, crying into his shirt. Lincoln watched her, then let his gaze drift to his father… and upon seeing his guilty face, remembered what Mrs. Loud had said, and his dismay was suddenly replaced with indignation.

Lincoln stood up abruptly. "Dad," he said in a barely restrained voice, "can I talk to you in the kitchen?"

Mr. Loud knew exactly what Lincoln wanted to talk to him about, and he didn't relish it. Sighing, he nodded and said, "…Yes, son."

Lincoln stormed off to the kitchen, and Mr. Loud said, "Excuse us," before following him. When he reached the kitchen, he found Lincoln pacing back and forth, incensed.

"N-Now, Lincoln," Mr. Loud said, "I know you're upset –"

Lincoln stopped and stared hard at his father. "You knew about this?"

Mr. Loud hung his head. "…Yes, I did."

"AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!"

"S-Son, you were still recovering! I-I didn't want to make you more distressed than you were, I didn't know what would happen – what you would do!"

"I still had a right to know, Dad! They're my family!"

"W-Well, to be fair, son, you didn't seem to think much about them at the time…"

"I –!" Lincoln paused. He didn't have a good counterargument to that. He fell silent, brooding.

Mr. Loud sighed. "Look, son…" He tried to put a hand on Lincoln's shoulder, but Lincoln shrugged it off. "Son, I hated finding out about it, myself – and I hated having to keep it from you, believe me! But… just try to understand, I was only acting in what I believed to be your best interests…"

Lincoln thought about it for a while. Then, he hung his head, sighing. "…Fine. I don't like it, but I understand why you did it."

Mr. Loud looked relieved. "Oh, son, I'm so glad you under –"

Lincoln pointed at his father angrily. "But I still don't like it, Dad!"

Mr. Loud shrank back. "O… Okay, son. All right."

Lincoln continued to stare at Mr. Loud for a little while longer, then shook his head and headed out of the kitchen, back to the living room. Mr. Loud lingered in the kitchen, then sighed and followed him, aware that he had just lost a great deal of his son's respect.

The argument, though brief, was loud enough to be heard in the living room. Everyone regarded Lincoln warily.

Lincoln didn't look at anyone. "…So."

Mrs. Loud rocked side-to-side in her seat. "So…"

"So." Lincoln shook his head. "…I'm sorry."

"No, if anyone should be sorry, it's us," Lana said. "We relied on you and Lori so much to resolve our problems that we were helpless without you two. So, we kept fighting and fighting until…" She sighed.

"But we learned, and we adapted," Lynn said. "Leni took over for you, and Luna took over for Lori, and now…" She and her mother and sisters joined hands, except for Luan. "…It's okay, Lincoln. We… We came together in the end."

"Well, almost…" Lana said, glaring at Luan. Luan merely shrugged in response.

"Mm-hmm. And now that we're all here together…" Mrs. Loud said, "…we can be a normal family again."

Lincoln thought about that, and wondered if it was really possible. For as much as he would have liked to forget it, he still remembered his sisters' last words to him before they left all those years ago.

"Yeah… Yeah!" Lily hopped off the couch again, fired up. "We can do it! We can be a family! Right, Dad!"

Mr. Loud nodded. "Right, Lily!"

"Right, Terry?"

Terry nodded. "Right!"

"Right, Linky?"

Lincoln wasn't sure. He didn't want to let Lily down, though, so he said, "R-Right!"

Lily turned to her mother and sisters. "Come on, everybody! We'll make this the best Christmas ever!"

The girls cheered, without full conviction, and Mrs. Loud stood up and clapped her hands together. "All right, girls, we're back! Let's all go unpack our things!"

The girls all stood up and grabbed their luggage from where they left it near the door, but as Terry and Mr. Loud politely offered to help the girls with their bags, Lincoln stayed sitting in his chair. He heard his sisters stomp up the stairs and walk around on the upper level, listlessly allowing the wave of conflicting emotions wash over him. His sisters, who had defiled him and took his innocence against their own will; his sisters, who had suffered for their crime just as much as he had; his sisters, of whom nine departed and only four returned; his sisters, who had claimed to be in love with him when they left, and whose feelings were unknown now…

His sisters were back in his life.