Before I begin the chapter I'd like give a couple of shout outs. First to FrancisVamp0822 and the second goes to TormentedRaven2000 for their regular support. For those that haven't read it, I highly recommend checking out TormentedRaven2000's story Lincoln Addiction. It's a very heart wrenching story that even tugs at my heart strings. It's well worth reading.

I know there are a few others who deserve a little praise, but trust me when I say I appreciate all the support you good people have given.

Also I decided to go with the family all at one table like we see in Fed Up instead of adding the kiddie table. I did this cause I felt like that the things that Reese is going through should make them all involved. This chapter and the next will do just that.

I'm also going to include Luna's running gag from the series where she references song titles. If you look at my pen name it's obvious that I'm a rock fan. I felt that I just have to include this gag. Song titles will be in italics and referenced in the chapter closer.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House or any of it's contents.

After showering, Reese went down to the basement where Rita had set up a bed and stand for him. Sure it wasn't exactly luxurious and the sound of the washer and dryer were a little loud. But the noise and lack of comfort wasn't really new to him. He'd spent many nights sleeping in trucks and even the barracks around dozens of other men who would frequently disturb him when he tried to sleep. Getting a good night's sleep was next to impossible during his time serving. In fact most of the time, is was nicer to sleep in the cab of the truck than tempt fate in the barracks.

But here he was now lying on the small bed that Rita had set up with no worries. The mattress itself wasn't too bad either. Sure it was a little old and was hardly springy, but at least it felt nice to lie on and felt a little comfortable at the very least. It was already a step up for him.

He was trying to nap a little, but the excitement in the air made it hard to do so. He could hear the kids talking upstairs and going back and forth with their activities as they usually did. He could even hear loud music playing from the upper floor indicating that Luna was playing her guitar right now. Reese smiled to himself and even wanted to go up and jam to her music. But his limbs demanded rest and here he was trying to let them recover.

The basement door creaked open and Reese could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. He turned over in the bed and he could see Lori walking down the stairs carrying a laundry basket. She set the basket down and looked over at Reese.

"Oh sorry Uncle Reese. I didn't wake you did I?" she asked.

Reese shook his head and said, "No not at all kiddo. Tell you the truth I wasn't even really asleep. I can feel a lot of excitement in the air."

Lori smiled and crossed her arms as she leaned against the washer. She still had a couple of minutes before the timer went off so why not chat for a little bit.

"Yeah that's true. Everyone upstairs is literally talking about you. Is it true though? Are you really here to stay?" she asked with excitement rising in her voice.

Reese nodded and said, "True as apple pie. Though don't get used to me living here. I'm only staying here until I can on my feet."

Lori's smiled dropped and she said, "Oh. I see."

Reese could hear the disappointment in her voice and he let out a laugh and said, "Don't worry though. I'll still be living nearby. Think I would really up and move too far away from you guys after spending so much time away as it is."

That seemed to brighten Lori up a bit. She smiled once again, came over to the bed and took a seat right next to Reese. Despite the nine year age gap between the two of them, Lori actually did appear to be an inch or two taller than him. Reese stood at a medium height, a quality that kept him out of combat and kept him doing menial labor. Like with Leni, whenever Lori and Reese hung out they were often mistaken for cousins or siblings. Didn't help that Lori and Reese shared a number of qualities with Rita. The blonde hair and face shape were just the primary aspects.

"So did you get your birthday present? I know it wasn't much bu-," Reese began before Lori interupted him.

"Oh you mean the Army jacket? Yeah I was a bit mystified at it at first. I mean why would you send me that?" she stated.

Reese shrugged and said, "I remember you saying you needed a jacket, so I sent you my old one. I figured you could have gotten some use out of it."

Lori smiled and gave a nearly evil look in her eyes.

"Oh it has. The moment that I first put it on, I felt a little more powerful. Almost like I could take on literally anything."

"Such as?" asked Reese.

"Whenever mom and dad go out, they always leave me in a charge of the household. Know how hard it is to keep a house full of noisy siblings in line? It's next to impossible."

The look never left Lori's eyes.

"And? Go on," Reese inquired.

"The moment I put the jacket on I felt like I could finally tackle anything. I stepped in one night and put my foot down. Even used some of that fancy Army dialect that you taught me. All I needed was a whistle and next thing you know, BAM, everyone keeps in line. Sucks I have to do that to them, but at the very least it keeps the house standing. Better they be bored than the house collapse leaving us with nothing."

Reese chuckled at Lori's story and pulled her in for a hug which she gratefully returned.

"That's my girl. Sacrificing fun for necessity. You'd do well in the Army," he told her as he patted her shoulder.

They pulled away from the hug and her eyes beamed.

"Y-you really think so?" she asked.

Reese nodded and said, "Yeah. But that's not in your plans is it?"

Lori shook her head and said, "Nope. Going to try to go for a CEO position someday."

Reese nodded in approval. It was here that the timer went off and Lori jumped up from the bed.

"That's the washer. Gotta get back to work," she said and went back to her task.

Reese understood and decided to lie back down and try to rest a little bit more. Lori finished up her task as she picked up the basket of the newly dried laundry after transferring the loads. She started up the stairs, but turned back to Reese part of the way up.

"By the way. Mom says that dinner will be at seven. She's making one of your favorites," she called back to him.

She walked out, but Reese hadn't heard her. He had finally managed to fall asleep and was comfortably snoozing on his bed.

Reese found himself stepping out into the hot dry air with the sun beating down on him. Just a few seconds in this stifling heat was enough to make one start sweating and feel thirst. He had a simple assignment of driving a supply of medical supplies to a hospital that was a twelve hour drive away. Because of the length and urgency of the delivery it was going to be a straight shot with limited breaks. So he was going to need a partner for this drive.

His previous partner had been sent home recently and so he had been assigned a new one. Reese hadn't liked the previous guy very much, so he didn't have any high hopes for the new guy. He approached the truck he was assigned and could see someone leaning against it with his arms crossed.

The man stood taller than Reese by several inches and looked intimidating behind his sunglasses. He was African-American and had a more muscular build than Reese. But once he smiled and addressed Reese upon shaking his hand, all the tension left Reese.

"Morning there. Master Sergeant Bobby Senger at your service," the man said as he shook Reese's hand.

Reese approached him and said, "Corporal Reese Kreeg. Nice to make your acquaintance Sarge."

Bobby laughed and said, "Just call me Bobby. It's less formal."

Reese chuckled and prepared to climb into the cab.

Before he could though, Bobby turned to him and said, "Hey Reese you want me to take the first shift? Hey Reese... Reese... Reese..."

"Reese? Reese you need to wake up," came Rita Loud's voice as she tried to shake her brother awake.

Reese grumbled a bit and went back to sleep. She tried to shake him awake one more time, but yielded the same result. Without any other alternative, Rita quickly went back upstairs and reappeared a second later with one of her daughters, Luna with her as well as one of Luna's speakers and her guitar. After setting it up really quickly, her mother gave her an approving nod telling her to do it.

"Remember, just loud enough to wake him up. Don't blow up his ear drums," Rita advised.

Luna nodded and then let out a quick chord that resonated from her speakers letting out a loud screech from the guitar. The sudden noise made Reese jump and roll out of his bed with a shriek. He began to sit back up and shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears right now. Both Rita and Luna began to laugh as Reese began to realize what had happened.

"Oh ha ha. Very funny," Reese said while frowning and glaring at the both of them.

Rita's laughter began to die out and she said, "Sorry bud, but I tried to wake you the easy way. So this had to do."

Luna continued to laugh and said, "Oh come on, cheer up Unc. I'm just trying to Light up the Night."

Reese laughed weakly and began to pull himself back up to his feet.

"That you did Moonshine. That you did," he said he stretched his back with a pop.

Luna groaned and said, "You know I hate it when you call me that."

Reese shrugged and said, "I thought you liked it."

"Yeah when I was seven or nine. I've outgrown it," she argued back.

Moonshine had been a nickname that Reese had given Luna when she was little because her name reminded him of the glare of the moon. Truth be told, Luna thought it had been awesome when she was little. But now that she was older, all that the name did was make her think of was people living in the hills who made illegal alcoholic beverages. So she really wanted to distance herself from the name as much as possible.

"So what are you now. Twelve? Thirteen?" he asked mockingly.

Luna knew he was just teasing but still felt that she needed to fire back.

"Fifteen. Remember? You actually skyped us during my birthday," she stated.

Reese smirked and said, "Of course I remember Luna. I just like to tease you."

That's what made Luna brighten up a little. She unplugged her speakers and guitar and prepared to head upstairs.

"Thanks for your help Luna," Rita said.

Luna nodded and said, "My pleasure."

As Luna left, Rita turned to her brother and said, "Dinner's ready. Lynn decided to splurge a little tonight and made one of your favorites."

Reese smiled and said, "You mean-?"

"Yep. Chicken and dumplings tonight," she answered for him.

That brought life back into Reese's eyes as he silently thanked Lynn. Rita went back upstairs as Reese followed closely behind.

"But seriously though, was that wake up call necessary?" he asked.

"I wouldn't have to do it if you had woken up the first time," she answered smugly.

Reese grumbled as he made his way upstairs. By the time he got up to the kitchen, Lynn Sr. had just finished up with dinner and he was carrying it towards the dining room. Reese could smell the soup that Lynn had made and his mouth was already watering. He knew that Lynn was a good cook and he had passed that on to a couple of his kids, especially Lincoln and Leni. He couldn't wait to taste the hot and hearty broth.

Lynn spotted him and said, "Well you coming or what? Dinner's ready."

Reese nodded and followed him into the dining room. The entire family was already seated at the table, chatting among themselves with Lincoln having moved next to Lisa. He figured it would be best to let his uncle sit at that end of the table as he was their guest. Reese took his seat there and turned to the family.

"Hey, how's everyone tonight?" Reese asked enthusiastically.

Everyone stopped their conversations and gave out their own answers. Ranging from saying they were just good, to really excited. Or in Lisa's case where she simply said she was adequate and Lucy just answering with a sigh. Reese couldn't help but chuckle at their answers and Lynn set the pot of soup on the table.

"Alright kids I decided to make something special for us tonight," Lynn addressed the family.

"Hey I'm a grown man. Why am I one of the kids?" Reese asked as a joke.

Lynn rolled his eyes and continued on. "Alright so I made chicken and dumplings tonight, one of your uncles favorites."

The kids let out some small cheers as Lynn began to fill up their bowls one by one, giving Reese the first bowl. As soon as they had gotten their bowls the kids couldn't help but dig in. As could be expect, their father's cooking was good and they were glad they weren't getting one of his monotonous meals. Everyone was enjoying the soup. The sight of his kids enjoying the meal, made Lynn Sr. happy. But then he and his wife noticed something peculiar.

Reese wasn't eating his soup and was actually spooning it instead. As they watched, they noticed that he seemed to be staring at it rather blankly. Like he had no idea what he was looking at or where he even was.

"Reese?" Lynn Sr. called to him from across the table.

When Reese didn't answer, Rita walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Reese jumped a little at her touch and broke out of his trance.

"Reese? Are you okay? You aren't eating," she asked with concern in her voice.

Reese looked at the rest of the family and noticed that some of them were looking at the two of them. Lori, Lincoln, both Lynns, and even Luna were looking in his direction. Lori and Lynn Sr. both had looks of concern on them.

Reese cleared his head and said, "Yeah. Just thinking about civilian life is all. Don't worry, I'm fine."

Rita sighed in relief and returned to her seat. She was even happy to see that Reese was beginning to eat his dinner. But as Reese had started to eat, a couple of the kids were getting a little restless.

Lola had finished her soup and tried to get her father's attention for seconds. But her father was too focused on his own food as well as conversing with his wife to take notice. Lola began to fume, but then looked to Lana's bowl right next to her. Lana still had half of her soup left and was busy feeding some small pieces of chicken to their dog, Charles, under the table. So Lola smiled one of her evil smiles and grabbed Lana's bowl and tried to stealthily swap it for hers. But in the process, Lana sat back up and caught Lola in the middle of the act.

Lana growled and shouted, "HEY! THAT'S MINE!"

Lana grabbed the bowl and the next thing they and everyone else knew, the girls were struggling over the bowl.

"Nuh-uh. You weren't even eating it," Lola fought back as she pulled on the bowl.

"It's mine," Lana said as she pulled back.

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"MINE!" they both screamed at the same time.

Lynn Sr. stood up from his seat said, "Okay girls, that is enough!"

But his intervention didn't help as the girls still fought and the next thing they knew, Lana lost her grip and it's contents went spilling out. Lola was able to duck before the soup hit her, but it did spill onto the head of the person sitting next to her. That person happened to be Uncle Reese. The soup spilled onto his head and began running down the side of his face.

Both Lola and Lana cringed as they quickly realized what they had just done. They looked around and noticed half the family at the table was glaring daggers at the two of them and the other half were looking at Reese. Reese himself just seemed to stare at nothing, probably out of surprise.

Lana scratched the back of her head said, "Sorry Uncle Reese."

"We didn't mean for that to happen," Lola said apologetically.

Reese however didn't hear them. Nor did he hear as Lori and Leni both got up from their seats. Instead, what he heard was something far more tense.

Pain shot through Reese's left leg as tried to kick out the busted windshield of his truck with his right. A sharp pain ran through his head as he could feel something wet and warm ran down his face. He knew that he had to get out before it was too late. He could smell fuel and could hear the crackling of flames from nearby.

He finally managed to kick the glass out and started trying to drag himself out of the truck, scrapping glass along the way. But he was stopped when pain shot through his leg again and he looked to see that it was pinned under some heavy weight, but couldn't tell what it was that had him caught.

He couldn't move and he couldn't breath as the realization hit that he was trapped.

"Reese! Snap out of it," as Rita shook him hard once again.

Lori and Leni were both wiping the spilled soup off of Reese as he had just been sitting there staring for the past minute making no noise but heavy breathing. Out of nowhere he began to breathe more heavily and almost seemed to be choking.

"Reese come on," Rita said and then patted him on the back.

That's when Reese snapped out of his little episode. He looked back around the table and saw that everyone was staring in his direction with concerned looks. Reese could see them, but that's not what was on his mind. He was taking deep breaths, but still felt like he couldn't breathe. Without saying a word, he jumped from the table and rushed for the front door and out onto the porch.

Rita turned to the twins who both looked remorseful for their behavior.

"We'll talk about this later you two. I need to go check on your uncle," she said and went to the front door.

Everyone else looked back at Lola and Lana and shook their heads at them.

Lincoln turned his attention to the viewers and said, "Well none of us saw that coming. Uncle Reese has had some problems in the past, but he's never done that before. I hope he's okay."

Reese stood by a post on the porch and found himself breathing much more easily and was beating himself up after what had just happened. He had probably just given the kids a good fright after his little episode.

"Not again. Please don't let this continue, not here," Reese said quietly to himself and beat his head against his hand.

He heard the door open and turned to see Rita there. He couldn't see it but she had just had a couple of tears running down from her eyes, but she had wiped them away before hand. Last thing she wanted was for her little brother to see her cry.

"Reese? What just happened?" Rita asked sadly.

Reese shook his head and said, "I just needed to get some air. The girls didn't mean for that to happen and I didn't want to explode at them. Guess I could have handled it better."

Rita bought his explanation as she had been informed previously by his superiors that he had had some agitation issues prior to his discharge and that she should keep an eye on him. It was one of the reasons why she and Lynn had insisted on him staying with them until he could get himself back on his feet.

Reese looked back to her and said, "I need a few minutes alone. Tell the kids I'm sorry for what just happened and that I'll talk to them about it later."

Rita nodded and went back inside. Reese sighed as he stared out at the street, fearful of what the kids must think of him now.

Well that was not expected now was it? Poor Reese has some bad memories which is to be expected from his line of work.

The song referenced in this chapter is called Light Up the Night by The Protomen. The song and group are lesser known, but both are very good and deserve to be checked out. Go ahead and look them up.

The next chapter is going to focus more on the Loud kids as we look into their thoughts on this evenings events.