I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.

Chapter 17

News of the failed shootout quickly spread throughout Michigan, even to the Loud House. Everyone was shocked but also relieved that such a terrible event did not come to surface. Lynn had a puzzled look.

'It didn't happen, but it almost did. Would it have happened if Lincoln had been there? Luna could have died if the shooters got there. He saved Leni and Lana. Did he save Luna too? Was he the anonymous caller? How would he know what to tell them?' Lynn thought.

Lynn looked over at all her sisters as they greeted Luna warmly and knew to keep her mouth shut for now.

"Oh man, that concert was lit! Sam and I had so much fun," Luna said as she entered inside.

The sisters all hugged her.

"Thank goodness you're okay," Lori breathed.

"What's going on, dudes? Did something happen?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, the police caught guys that were planning on shooting the Mick Swagger concert," Luan pointed.

Luna's eyes widened as she approached the TV and listened to the newscaster explain everything. Luna shivered and had goosebumps crawl all over her body.

"Holy cow. Those guys had that many guns? They were really going to kill everyone there," Luna spoke.

"Yeah, it's unbelievable. These past weeks are really getting to me," Lori said.

"They don't know who the caller is?" Leni asked.

"Negative. The caller wished to remain anonymous," Lisa answered.

Luna scratched her head while thinking.

"Why do I get a feeling it might be Lincoln?" Luna asked.

Everyone turned to her wide-eyed.

"Lincoln? How and why would Lincoln be the caller, Luna?" Lori questioned.

"And how would our brotherly sibling unit give the police the information needed to reprehend the culprits?" Lisa added.

"Yeah, it totes doesn't make any sense," Leni said.

Luna turned to the others, "I don't know, dudes. It's just a feeling. Lincoln saved Leni and Lana. So, if it was Lincoln, somehow . . . I don't know. If Lincoln knew somehow, he would call the police to save everyone and me. He wouldn't do nothing."

"That still doesn't explain how he would know," Lynn said.

"Look, I don't know, dudes. All I'm telling you is what my gut is telling me. I'm not saying it's true. I'm just being straight with you guys," Luna explained.

"Normally, I'd say you're nuts, but if Lincoln did know, that sounds like something he would do," Lana said.

"Yeah, he would, but that mean doesn't the caller is him. Speaking of Lincoln, where is he?" Lola asked.

Lori's phone binged. She checked it to see it was a text from Lucy.

"Lucy texted me. She and Lincoln are on their way here. They're almost home," Lori stated.
Meanwhile
Lincoln and Lucy got off the bus and walked the remaining distance home.

"This must be very stressful for you, Lincoln. Knowing what's going to happen," Lucy spoke.

Lincoln scoffed, "You have no idea."

There was a long pause before Lucy spoke again.

"I suppose there's some relief waiting for you. After the bad luck incident is over, when you call the police, that'll be the end of it . . . and the end of our family," Lucy said while looking down.

Lincoln put his arm around her shoulder, "I can change the future if possible, but I can't change who they are."

Lucy put her arm around his hip, "We'll still be together, right?"

Lincoln let a sigh, "I'll talk to whoever is in charge and see how we can stay in touch. Maybe we can get adopted by the same people, but it's a wait-and-see for now."

"Sigh . . . okay, Lincoln. Just promise me you'll try and that during this bad luck fiasco, you won't get too hurt," Lucy requested.

Lincoln looked at her and then finally answered, "Okay . . . I promise I'll try."

Their house was coming into view as they came from around the corner. Lincoln stopped and stood there staring at the house. Lucy caught her brother's gaze and held his hand. Lincoln looked at her, and they both nodded.

Lincoln felt a little safer with his goth sister being there for him. Lincoln wondered what life would be like for them when they were older. It wasn't certain that the nice couple would also adopt Lucy. Even if they would, it was unlikely that the foster care system or child care system or whatever system that was in charge of orphans would approve.

Still, he imagined what life would be like after college. He didn't have a chance to use his future vision powers nor have any dreams showing him, but he thought about how life would be with her. He fantasized about the two of them staying in touch, supporting each other through work and everyday life. Lincoln fantasized about being there for her when she got married and her being there for his wedding. He wondered if his future visions would show Lucy and her children if she would have any. Lincoln hoped he would dream of that future tonight.

They walked up the front steps and through the front door, where the rest of the sisters were waiting.

"Lincoln, Lucy, you're both late," Lori stated.

"Sorry, Lori, we just paid my friends a quick visit," Lincoln explained.

"It's not just that. Lincoln's low on his meds. He passed out," Lucy added.

All the sisters' eyes widened as they turned to Lincoln and Lucy.

They all exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

Lincoln turned to his younger sister, "Lucy!"

"What? It's true. Your nose was bleeding, you passed out, and you're almost out of meds. I was worried if I had to call 911," Lucy stated.

Lynn dashed up right in front of Lincoln, "You passed out?! Did you fall?!"

"No," Lincoln said.

"You didn't fall and hit your head?" Lynn questioned while inspecting his head.

"No."

"Do you feel lightheaded?"

"No."

"Any blood rushing?"

"No."

"Is the room spinning?"

Lincoln groaned a sigh while rolling his eyes, "Lynn, I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine! You passed out. That's not okay," Lynn asserted firmly.

"Were you planning on not telling us this?" Lori demanded.

Lincoln rubbed his head, "I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Luna marched over to him, "Well, guess what? It is a big deal, little bro. We need to know these things!"

Lincoln backed up and flinched as she raised her voice. Luna soon realized that and eased up.

"Sorry, dudes. Sam and I had fun at the Mick Swagger concert, and I just got home to find out we were almost in a shootout," Luna explained.

"Yeah, we heard about that," Lucy said.

"So, I'm a little freakout right now."

"Okay, look, guys. We're sorry that we came home late. It's been a stressful couple of weeks. It's late. How about we call it a night and hit the hay? Okay?" Lincoln requested before heading upstairs.

"Wait! Lincoln!" Leni called out.

Lincoln stopped.

"You're right. It has been stressful for all of us – you especially. We've noticed you being really down lately, and we're worried. The truth is we feel we're more distant from you. We've been trying to figure out how to spend more time with you," Leni explained.

"Well, I appreciate that," Lincoln responded.

"She's right. We don't want to smother you, but we've been trying to lift your spirits. However, we don't know what's bothering you," Luan said.

Lincoln looked down and then at Lucy. Even with her bangs blocking her eyes, he knew what look she was giving him as she ever so slightly shook her head.

"The truth is I don't know either. I'm just so tired . . . with everything that's happened and my blood condition . . . it's all taken its toll on me," Lincoln lied.

While he sounded convincing, the sisters all felt that he wasn't telling them the truth – Lori especially felt this as she glanced at Lucy, who looked away.

"Anyway, I'm tired. So, I'm gonna head for bed," Lincoln said.

However, Luna and Luan hugged him from behind just as he went upstairs.

"Dude! Wait. We were going to watch a movie together. Stay with us," Luna begged.

Lincoln sighed heavily, "Guys, I'm tired."

"Please, Lincoln. We don't see you enough," Luan pleaded.

"Come on, Lincoln. We'll let you pick the movie and . . . and you can lay on our laps, and we'll give you head scratches," Lori offered.

"Oh! Head scratches, and you used to love those," Leni smiled.

'Used to? I still do. I've always wondered why you stopped giving me those,' Lincoln thought.

He glanced at Lucy, and she gave the slightest nod.

"Okay, sounds good to me," Lincoln said.

This made the rest of the Loud sisters happy. Lincoln lay on the couch with his legs over one of the armrests. His lower torso was on Lori's lap, his back on Luna's lap, and his head on Leni's lap. Lincoln looked up at Leni with a smile, and she smiled back as she gently stroked her fingers through his snow white. Luna gently glided her nails along Lincoln's torse every now and then.

Lincoln scrolled through the TV and found a movie worth watching, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. After the opening action scene, Lincoln drifted in and out of sleep. However, one part of the movie caught his attention. It was the part where the ship was close to the equator, and they had no wind, making them stuck in calm waters with dreadful heat. It's also the part where some of the crew blame Mr. Hollom for bringing bad luck to the ship and call him 'Jonah.' It gets worse after one of the crew members is whipped, and their superstitions lead them to believe that he calls the ship, the Acheron, to them and that it will send them down to Hell – the 'hot place.' It gets so bad for Mr. Hollom that he commits suicide by jumping overboard while holding a cannonball.

Lincoln couldn't help but notice the irony in the foreshadowing of this. Lincoln found it insulting that it rained with wind after Mr. Hollom killed himself. It was as though the movie believed it was true that he was bad luck even though he wasn't. If waited one more day, the rain and wind would have come. Instead, the crew's superstitions drove him to kill himself, and they only felt bad after he died. So, only the dead get remorse? What about the living? The dead can't feel anything. What about the people who are still alive and feel everything? Where's their sympathy?

He slowly glanced at Lucy, and she glanced at him. They both gave a sideways glare at Lynn. Lincoln felt more dread, and Lucy felt more anger. Would Lynn feel remorse and regret only after Lincoln's gone? Does it take getting in trouble to realize the consequences of one's actions? Is that what it'll take for Lincoln's family to understand what they've done to their brother/son? To each other? The questions filled the void in Lincoln's heart with dread and despair.

Near the end of the movie, Lincoln drifted off into sleep. His older sisters, Lori, Leni, and Luna, carried him upstairs and tucked him in bed, each giving a gentle kiss goodnight. Lucy entered last to give her brother a long and sweet kiss on the face. She stroked her fingers through his head.

"I love you so much, Lincoln. Always remember that," Lucy whispered.

As she entered her bedroom, she slowly turned to Lynn, who was already sleeping. She sat in her bed, glaring at her through her dark bangs. Her mind was flooded with the future visions Lincoln showed her. Everything from Lynn threatening Lincoln with a bat, losing her game, blaming Lincoln, and poisoning the rest of the family against him even when he tells the truth. The other visions of them treating him like a crystal ball for only their own benefit, and whenever bad things happened or something didn't go their way, they'd blame Lincoln and treat him like a jerk. Lucy thought about how all this was putting an unbearable amount of stress on her brother . . . and about how her sisters were capable of such cruelty targeted towards Lincoln.

She pulled out her notebook and wrote a poem about what she was feeling.

"My sister, if I can call her that, lays in bed, filling my heart with hate,

Though my realization of the truth feels late,

As I gaze, a twinkle grows in my buckshot eyes,

The darkness deep it lies,

Part of my heart cries,

While the rest hopes to rise,

My brother, whom I love and want to protect,

So she'll not leave him wrecked,

To her, his pleas for mercy she'll reject,

Her pride in winning matters more,

Wrenched and rotten to her core,

What she'll do to him, I can't ignore,

My sister Lynn whom I hate,

My brother Lincoln whom I love,

Love and hate,

Twisted it may be, make no mistake,"

When she closed her notebook and was about to sleep, she reached past some boxes under her bed and pulled out a shoebox. Inside, it was primarily items for dark rituals, but a leather pouch was hidden. Inside that leather pouch was a very sharp folding knife. Lucy found it in the attic when their parents made them clean it – the clip-point blade was polished stainless steel, and the handle was smooth wood. She slowly and quietly pulled out the blade and examined it in the moonlight. Then she looked over her shoulder back at Lynn.

'How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know. How long does it take for a sore loser to bleed out? Will I know?' Lucy thought.

Lucy glared at Lynn a bit longer before putting the knife away and hiding it under her bed. She went to bed in her coffin but lay awake with questions.

'Maybe a knife is too direct. Would poison work better? What poisons are available, I wonder?' Lucy thought.

While Lucy was deep in her dark thoughts, Lincoln had another visionless night. This carried on for several days making Lincoln feel more at ease. However, nothing would prepare him for the horrible upcoming visions showing him a darker event coming from the horizon. When one's back is against the wall, wild instincts can entirely bring out a different side of a person.