June 14th, 2026 - Night

The house was quiet this time. Lily and the four clones were locked in their room, being given the debrief by Lupa. "It was so horrible to see it... Even for me, it was too much."

Lily was distraught on how Lupa explained what it meant to the others. Sure, she saw them cry, fully within the embers of their long-since suffering, but she didn't understand how big this was, for she had nothing to hold onto. Nothing except the maintaining of a well-being family. Her dream was that; all of them, together again. The real Loud family.

She didn't believe that it was an impossible dream, since she met up with Lincoln, guided by her visions. Most of them were back alongside each other. Despite the fights amongst themselves and the battles they fought together, she never thought they could fall apart. She didn't think there was anything to worry about, until now.

Liby and Lacy comforted Linka while Lupa kept explaining the suffering the family endured yet again. "There were some people some of us have never met, and by the sound of things, we might never meet again. Leni was there, mom and dad... I can't believe this," Lupa whimpered. "I don't think I'm having a smoke for this, actually."

She hadn't shared the fact Linka was there, and what Lincoln did. She knew she couldn't, even if she wanted to. Linka didn't need to be completely traumatized.

"When I took control, I didn't have that much access, but I was able to... I made them see what they lost. I inserted the lost and dead, but the walking toaster delayed them temporarily. No telling when they'd come, but I didn't want to wait. I'm sorry I risked myself..."

"Don't- You saved them, Lupa. You freed them, and that's worth celebrating... Or something."

"I actually didn't want to hurt them like that, if I'm to be honest," her voice leveled down. Indeed, as necessary as it was for her to make such a power move by trying to push them to remember through the traumatic pain, she didn't find it was an easy move to make. Liby and Lacy saw the glint of guilt in her eyes. Linka pulled her into their comfort group. Lily joined in, and the five locked into a group hug.

Luna was laid on the couch, trying her hardest not to think about the fake Sam she thought was real inside the simulation. The many gigs she had supposedly done were all false implants. There was no violin, no fandom she had established in years' worth of time, and most of all, no Samantha Rush to spend a full life with. It all kept stabbing her in her lonely heart non-stop.

Her eyes were closed, but that didn't stop the waterworks from flowing through the round dams. They left her alone to finally mourn to get strong, just as they all planned to with each other.

In the two other rooms, Lori, Luan, and the twins had one occupied. They were all drained of life, still picturing the very things they didn't think they still wanted. Lynn was there, until silence done spooked her away.

Lincoln took a room for himself, and was alone to brood up until Lynn showed up. "Hey, bro," she greeted. He only eyed her without a clear expression. He was resting in one of the beds, in his boxers only. She locked them both in, not wanting to be disturbed.

"So, I know that you might think I'm probably a loser or something for, you know-"

"So, it's true?"

"Yeah, I-"

Lincoln's laugh surprised her. She didn't know it he laughed at her or with her.

"Don't fret it, Lynn. It's fine," he addressed.

That came as more of a surprise to her. There was no scolding tone in his voice, nor did it raise. "Oh, well, I'm glad I-"

He lifted a finger, telling her to get closer. And so she did, feeling a bit hotter than when she came in. "Yes?" She asked it so unsuspecting, it could have been true or she was a great actress.

Lincoln pulled her onto him, actually smiling. "You know," he recalled, "Luan and I had sex the day you and Luna found us."

Lori lifted her head upon hearing this, getting pulled out from her own hell. She focused on the two muffled voices behind her.

"You two- You had-"

"Yeah. I admit, it wasn't my finest hour, but Luan wasn't herself when I found her. She wanted something to feel, so..."

"...Jeez, that sounds dark," Lynn shrugged.

"Sis, you have no idea. Anyways, yeah, that happened."

Lynn was starstruck at the sight of Lincoln's ripped body. Perfect abs, perfect six pack, and very attractive to her. "Wow, you're hot."

"Well, I've never been around enough girls to know whether I was or not," he stated. "So, Lynn, what now? What next?"

The clock of her heart was ticking faster now. The second he pulled her close to him made her even more nervous. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she wanted to do something with him. "I-" Lynn began. She was drawn closer to him, wondering if she was being egged on.

She was dripping sweat behind her neck so intensely, that he could be able to smell it at the proximity. "Linc-"

There was a hint of deja vu in the moment he laid a kiss onto her tiny lips. Maybe something was missed back in the fake reality, but he didn't really care about it. Maybe it was nothing, and yet...

The third strike of the quickmatch baseball game against the unexpected, and Lynn lost. Her eyes only widened for about five or so seconds. Her lips moved as his did, getting wet with a bit of slober from the tongue. Afterwards, she followed along, blushing completely.

She toppled on top of her secret crush, locking herself in a deep kissing session with him.

Lori cupped a hand over her mouth, feeling a little appalled and humored at this. If this was back then, she would have pulled them away. This may have been unholy and not natural in regular families, but rules and complexes had no longer applied to them anymore.

It was something like a free-for-all, and they were more free this time. Only, it didn't really feel that way at most times. They were just accepting why; they were all still stuck, tied by their own pasts.

The time to unravel was just beginning for each of them. Lana still remembered holding Big Bertha in both hands, and playing with her beloved frog. Each of them didn't want to, but had to say goodbye to an old beautiful life.

It had to be, so that a new one could be written.

They drifted off awhile after, staying in the rooms they were in. Lynn snuggled closely up to Lincoln, lying naked, with a hand on his chest. He pulled the covers over her, wishing her a goodnight as he dozed off.

Lily and Linka shared Lacy's bed, while Lacy bunked with Liby in her own. Lupa waved a finger, turning the lights off after the recap had ended.

Luan and the twins took upon two, with the twins moving about, covers going back and forth much to Lori's irritation. "Can you not?"

They ceased the shifting at her expense. Maybe strict Lori needed a comeback today. She was finally allowed to rest, sinking back into her thoughts.

The life she thought she had with Bobby was still spinning around in her mind. The two kids were nkt real, and there wasn't a marriage. In disbelief, she sighed, before skimming over to something she didn't see before; Lincoln and Ronnie Anne drifted, which made Lori think now. She was positive this would've been his dream. Now that she thought about it; Nobody knew what his was.

"Guys? Do you remember what Lincoln said he was doing in his dream life?"

There was a pause while they were recalling for an answer.

"Um, I don't fondly remember," Luan responded for the three.

"We all seemed to have it all, but Lincoln didn't. I thought there would be a fake life with Ronnie Anne. I wonder what it was now... I wonder what it was he wanted so much."

She didn't push it further, and neither they.

June 15th, 2026

His brain reactivated him back to life. Lynn was still holding onto him dearly. He kissed her forehead, noticing a faint smile forming that almost signified love. Or, maybe it was love.

Live. Breath. Dig in. Go get it.

Everything was peaceful again. No threats, no fights, no need to go and hurt something.

Crave it. More than anything. Need it. More than anything.

His mind went back inside the virtual reality. There they all were. All of his sisters, safe and sound. No one hurt, no one dead.

Pay the price. Break the covenant. Think about it. Better than any lie.

They were all safe and sound, away from all the chaos and cruelty they've seen and been thrown in forcefully. And that was it; that was his dream life, the true wish he subconsciously wanted for all of them.

Worth more than a memory. Let it hurt you. Let it kill you. Like everything you'll never have.

The dark thoughts followed while he was there. There was no Clyde, no Ronnie Anne. No happy life for him.

Do what is must. Endure it. Go through it. Again.

Because he knew who and what he was. The others were able to be saved. In his mind, he believed he couldn't be. He had to do it. He had to be the one to be able to go through any length to keep them up. Lori was the closest to understanding this. But did she, really? He didn't know- nor did he care anymore.

Don't flinch. No faltering. Burn it it. The fire of truth.

It wasn't haunting, but it was something that served as some sort of weakness. It was distracting as well, and all he could do, all he had to do, was push past it. Like he had always done. But, now it eas flowing out of him. He couldn't deny it any longer.

It's just a dream. The kind you hang onto tight. Wake up. Save it somewhere.

He broke. For everything that had happened, he was letting it out. The titanium walls around himself were being destroyed from the inside. Lincoln was calling out, crying so hard that he had to

Live for it. Live for the truth. Because you'll never live it again.

He wrapped his hands around the end of the sheets, squeezing tightly. All he could do was accept it now. And nothing more.

The two returned back to Carol's vacant house. The ex-senior had been sulking since the android had retreated. Through the whole run, she laughed as Lupa's modded additions were hurting and scaring the Louds.

But it ended slowly, and the amusement had died. "I thought you idiot tin cans had this!"

"Slight miscalculations I did not account for. I admit to failure, however."

Their leader, who had been working on things behind the scenes elsewhere, happened to be eavesdropping. "So, you both fucked up, did you?"

Carol stopped in her tracks, switching from enraged at the loss of personal vegenace, to full fledged fear of her superior. "We-It was a setback. He did all the work, it was-"

"No, this is good..." The shadow stepped out of the dark spot from the empty bedroom. Out came the young blonde woman who was working her way up to befriending a certain Loud. "Now is the time to infiltrate and strike them. All four of us!" She began to cackle maniacally.

AN: So, alright, maybe I've not gone into full detail or dwelve deep into everyone's minds snd thoughts, but I tried. Anyways, this is the closest thing to the original TLH vibes. And about that second Lynncoln scene- Did I confirm it or...? ;)

I hope you enjoyed this arc.

Also, the blue portals are teleporting portals, which will then (obviously) become the source of time travel, if there was any confusion regarding that. Yay sci-fi.