Chapter 7: Home


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It still felt so weird, after many years away, Lincoln found himself back in Royal Woods, the town that had been his childhood home. As he walked through the familiar streets, he couldn't help but be struck by the changes that had taken place. The once-small town had grown and evolved, transforming into a bustling community with new buildings, stores, and modern amenities, most likely thanks to Lisa.

As he continued walking down the streets, the once white-haired boy took a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of the neighborhood wash over him, and he was taking in the sights and sounds of the town he once knew so well.

The local park, where he had spent countless afternoons with his sisters, had seen some changes. The playground equipment had been updated, and a small gazebo had been added for community events. Yet, the trees he used to climb and the benches he used to relax on were still there, as if frozen in time.

Lincoln continued his journey, passing by the school he had attended as a kid. The building looked bigger than he remembered, with more classrooms and a modern facade. He chuckled as he recalled the misadventures he and his friends had gotten into during their time there.

He then thought about Rusty, Zach, and Liam, he should try and visit them again, try and tell them he was here and alive. Hell, he was sure they might think he was a ghost.

As he continued walking down the sidewalk he noticed a lot of familiar faces that never moved apparently, like he saw Girl Jordan and Mollie, walking their dogs, he also saw Margo training her girls at the baseball field, he saw a few of Lori's old friends sitting with their families, Becky was running the comics shop with who he could guess was her husband. He even passed by Maggie, who appeared to almost look the same as she did years ago. He even saw a shop that Lucy would have loved, as it sold tarot cards and the like, he was sure the girl that was at the counter was Haiku, who appeared to not have changed much.

As he thought about the people he met as a kid, he wondered what they did to get to where they are now, what they had to go through, and what kind of people they had become.

Time had a way of altering not only places but people as well.

He was happy to see that Royal Woods had grown and that it had changed, but at the same time, he felt out of place.

New shops had opened up, streets had been repaved, and the town had an overall modern vibe that he hadn't expected. Yet, amidst all the change, there were still some constants.

Flips food and fuel were still around of course, but so was Royal Woods Hospital, R.I. Pete's Coffins & Urns, He thought Lucy would work there when she got older. Royal Woods Library was still up, and so were Gus' Games and Grub, and Burpin' Burger, though they had remodeled and looked brand new.

These old places made him feel like he wasn't so out of place, but he was still in awe at their new looks.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the town, Lincoln couldn't help but smile. Royal Woods had evolved, and time had left its mark, but the essence of the place, the memories he had made before ran from home, they were still present and could never be taken away. However, a small part of him had wished that he had stayed longer, stayed to make more memories with his friends and family, to see the town change with his own eyes.

Royal Woods was his home, and he wanted it to always be his home.

Lincoln continued walking around the town despite how late it was getting, but no matter what, he felt safe in the town, and after walking and taking in the sights still, he found himself on a familiar street. the street led right to Flips and he smiled as he walked toward the small store.

He didn't know why but when he was in front of the store, he felt slightly nervous but he simply took a deep breath and then pushed open the door and stepped inside. The bell above the door jingled, and he saw Sid looking up from the cash register, her face lighting up as she recognized Lincoln.

"Hey, Lincoln! How's it going?"

"Hey, Sid," Lincoln greeted with a grin. "Just grabbing a few things. How's your day been?"

Sid shrugged playfully. "Busy, but it's good," She told him, "Keeps me on my toes, ya know? Can I help you find anything?"

Lincoln shook his head, "No, I'm ok," he told her.

Lincoln then walked over to her and Sid saw him and gave him a smile.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?" He asked.

Sid chuckled, "Well, the nights get kind of quiet, so I set up my phone and watch shows while waiting for some customers to show up," She said. "Speaking of which, what have you been doing since you got back, do anything fun yet?" She asked.

Lincoln chuckled, "Nothing much," He said. "Hey Sid, can I ask you something?" He asked

Sid raised an eyebrow, curious. "Shoot," She told him.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me sometime?" Lincoln asked, "Nothing fancy just a casual date?"

Sid blinked, a surprised but delighted smile forming on her face. "I'd love to," She told him

"Really?" He asked.

Sid nodded, "Yeah, I mean, we've known each other for a few days but, hey, your quite the looker, Mr. Walker," Sid teased.

Lincoln smiled back at her, "Thank you, but you're not bad looking yourself, Ms. Chang," Lincoln said.

"Oh I know it," Sid told him, "I can do this Sunday?" She asked.

Lincoln nodded, "I can do Sunday," He said, "Any Idea's on what we could do or where we could go?"

Sid smiled, "Ever heard of Lazer Maze?" She asked.

Lincoln looked at her with a raised brow, "You kidding? I used to go there when I was a kid," Lincoln replied with a smile.

Sid chuckled, "Well then how about we go there, and Winner as to buy the other dinner, nothing fancy of course," Sid told him.

Lincoln's smile widened, "You're on," He told her.

Sid grinned, "Awesome!" She cried, "Just give me a call or text if anything comes up and I'll do the same, but I'm hoping nothing comes up," She told him.

Lincoln nodded in agreement, "Same here, Sid," Lincoln told her, "I'll see you Sunday," He told her.

"See you Sunday, Lincoln," Sid replied with a grin.

As Lincoln left the store, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. The air seemed lighter, and he practically floated as he walked.


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The next day, Lincoln stood in front of a house that was close to his old elementary school, he took a deep breath before heading over to the front door. He was nervous for many reasons, yet he felt like he needed to do this, it was one of the many things he needed to do for everything to at least work. He knocked on the door and waited for a little bit.

Finally, the door opened, and there standing was Maria Santiago, her age had become more apparent, due to a few grey hairs, however, that was actually the last thing he noticed, as behind her was a boy about the age of 6, who had black hair and wore a familiar purple hoodie, he was sitting on the couch watching something on TV.

"Can I help you?" Maria asked him with a raised brow.

"Um... Hi, I don't know if you remember me but My name is Lincoln Walk- Hmm, I mean, Loud, My name is Lincoln Loud... I was friends with your daughter Ronnie Anne" Lincoln told her

Her eyes scanned the boy and then her eyes widened as she finally did realize it was the Loud son, "Dios mío! Lincoln it is you!" Maria cried.

She then brought in Lincoln for a side hug since she still had the toddler in her arms and Lincoln returned it before they broke it.

Maria looked back at the young man. "Where have you been all this time!? Are you ok!? And Oh my gosh, you're hair! Did you dye it!?"

Lincoln couldn't help but feel touched by Maria's concern, "I'm Fine, Ms. Santiago," Lincoln told her.

Maria smiled, "It's so good to see you again, Lincoln, please come in," Maria told him.

Lincoln then followed her into the house and closed the door behind him, and inside, the questions of how the Santiago family was doing since he had disappeared, would be answered.