Sins in Twisters

Chapter 12: Not A Promise, But A Plan


Log Entry Date: November 10th, 2025

"I Found Him"


The start of the new day was signaled by the unholy sound of an alarm clock as Bobby Santiago roused himself out of his bed, trying to command his body to begin its daily functions. But his body protested. It knew today was Monday, which meant working on its default setting until something in the week would put it in gear.

Yet years had given him the needed power to order everything awake and up. Throwing his blanket off, he swung his legs over the edge as he raised his arms up to crack some points. With a sigh and yawn, he glanced over at the forbidden device to see if he made sure that his alarm was set correctly.

It was only 4:45 a.m.

In less than an hour from now, he knew full well that he'd be opening the Mercado once more to begin the week. With the weekends being the days he either has off or makes sure to overstock the place to have a jumpstart on the week, he'd only need to do his usual morning rounds to make sure it was ready to go.

With a grunt, he pulled himself away from his warm bed and shuffled over towards the door. Stepping out into the hallway, only the kitchen and a pair of plug-in wall lights provided the apartment with any light to see where he was going. This early in November, the sun wouldn't be showing itself for another two to three hours easy. Step outside right now, and it would be just like stepping out at 11 p.m. And with his little angel and Ronnie, having a little extra light helped in the long run.

Crossing the threshold, he went to make his way to the bathroom after he made a quick stop at the room right next to what had once been Hector and Rosa''s old room, now his, and as careful and quietly as he could, pushed the door open to peer inside.

The light from the hallway and street lights outside the window gave some view of the room. Painting in a soft white that appeared more like cream, a crib sat pressed into the corner across from him with a mobile of several colorful birds hanging from the ceiling. A gift from his mother that was one of the many he was grateful for. The nursery itself didn't contain much in the ways that would be deemed overcrowded. A changing stand sat by the wall that bordered Ronnie's old room, a rocking chair by the corner behind. A small bookshelf with a stack of brand new story books at the ready for when they were needed and a toy chest full of a handful of items that were tucked away.

Stepping slowly inside, he thanked many, many people and deities that he had the hardwood floor long since replaced with fresh boards and was so heavily carpeted it was practically impossible to hear the wood underneath. Coming up to the side of the crib, without even hearing his own heartbeat, he gazed down at the sleeping mound in a dark purple onesie. Unbothered by the world outside these walls and still with so much life ahead, it honestly made Bobby frown at the thoughts that constantly.

If he had any way to describe the last year, stressful and beautiful would be the two words he'd use to describe it.

This time last year, this apartment became more alive than it ever had when his whole family was living here, along with the Changs, Flores, and Nakamuras, had joined together in upon the announcement he was going to be a father. Family from across the country called in or physically came here themselves to congratulate them, and it was only the time he ever got drunk three times back to back. His mother threw his beloved a baby shower that dwarfed anything the family had experienced to date, and come Christmas, they had finally settled on a name.

Before Gracia came to this world, he really didn't know what to do. He asked everyone for advice and methods on being a first-time father. Trying to get a broad scope of what was needed and expected to be done when the day came…

He knew there would be pain. Waiting for the moment, fate had deemed it time. Crying for it to end and the day to shine anew as the two of them welcomed their angel to the world. When they walked through those doors, he had dreamed of them walking (or her rolling in a wheelchair for a time) with their treasured heart in hand. He didn't expect to walk out alone with the very thing they had worked hard and prepared so much of their future for, only to realize he would have to travel alone into that future until it was his time to one day join here.

He vowed that very day he would fight the world if anything tried standing in the way of his daughter. He would be there no matter what.

But through blurring vision, he noticed a wet spot forming off to the side of the crib's mat. Where it was coming from, he didn't know until he brought a hand to try and wipe the blur out from his eyes. Did he discover it was his tears.

Crap… he was overthinking it again.

Using his arm to wipe away the tears and resist making any sound, he used his other hand to take two fingers and planted a kiss on them. Reaching down as gently as he ever could, he placed them against her soft cheek as a way to avoid waking her up. How much he wanted to reach down and pick her up to do it properly, but he didn't want to disturb her peace. As he pulled away, despite the darkness he could have sworn on his very heart, he saw her smile just that tiny bit in her slumber that threatened to send him over another cliff.

Feeling he was already on the verge of a mental wreck, Bobby slowly tip-toed back into the hallway, closing the door just enough that it rested outside the frame. Turning around, he looked towards the door that had once belonged to their mother when she was still living here. Here, he wasn't as cautious when opening the door, and the hinge squeaked a little. He knew his sister could sleep through a hurricane with the train next door rolling past and not wake up unless nature or her alarm said otherwise.

The room wasn't that far different from her old one before she moved out three years ago. Any of the larger furniture, like the wardrobe or queen-sized bed, was still the same as from when their mother moved out, but all around, it was a mix of small bits of childhood and teenage memories with pieces of the past few years.

When she announced she would be moving out to be with Lincoln down in Oklahoma, Bobby felt it was a bit dangerous. Sure, the argument of when he let Lori briefly move in with her existed until money became tight to the point they had to join back with their families, is the main concern with how she sleeps and where it was in the middle of that the risk was more extreme than what he felt she could handle.

But she proved him wrong. And in those two years, she was down there whenever she came back up to visit or check in with the family while showing off the crazy things she did out west. When he first actually got to see the thing Lincoln had built and how much she loved taking it out for a spin, how she interacted with the team and Lincoln like a second family. She was in her element, and he had wished her the best of prayers.

When she was told that she would be an aunt was a day he didn't think he had ever seen her so happy before. She was there to help him stay on his feet when news came out of what happened and offered to sit out the season to stay up here with him.

But he knew he couldn't ask her of that. She was building a life before his very eyes when she didn't realize it. When he went down to visit them last Fall, and Lincoln took him on a drive 'between men' and explained what he had planned, Bobby was ready to see his little Nini take a monumental step truly.

Then came the news back in June…

He had to get a new phone after that call had ended. Too shocked to think when he let it drop and shattered on the floor. He thought he was ready for the day when she came back from of visit to get away from recent things. He didn't think this would be the time when they would be living under the same roof again after six years. He wasn't prepared to deal with her disability when raising a newborn, nor the emotional baggage that he seemed to have missed being carried in a dump truck instead of the pickup Clyde brought her back in.

In the five months since that day she returned, she proved there was still a fighter inside her trying to get its bearings back. Even without half her sight, she didn't show signs of the world stopping her anytime soon. It helped him sleep a bit more peacefully at night, knowing she was still, or mostly, the same as he remembered. Day to day, she was just like he remembered, but every time it rained or thundered, it was like a loose wire would briefly reconnect, and she would either become closed off or on guard for something.

He shut the door behind him as he went towards the bathroom. He knew that she wouldn't be up for another four hours and if the baby monitors sprinkled around the place for either of them to keep an eye on Gracia. It did irk him a bit how Ronnie seemed to push herself to tend to his daughter purposefully. Ronnie explained to him that it was in her making sure she did her part around the place while he made sure to keep the lights on and the fridge stocked.

A quick shower, trimming, and freshening up was done within less than ten minutes as Bobby slipped back into his room to get a fresh pair of clothes. Today's weather was abnormally warm for November, so he opted for a simple pair of jeans and a gray work shirt. The store really didn't have a uniform policy, minus making sure to keep yourself clean and presentable and to have an apron on hand, at least in case something does get messy. He headed out with a last-minute look-over to ensure he was prepared with everything he needed.

Weaving through the living room, where numerous toys lay scattered across the carpet as he exited the front door, the lights of the hallway briefly burned his eyes as he had to wait a moment to get used to the sudden change from darkness. With the wall as his guide, he headed down to the foyer. Not bothering to check his mail in that it would be here for hours, he made little effort to pull the door open to be created by the humid air that hung over the city.

And the appearance of a giant gray and chrome colored tank with a tow dolly connected behind it with what seemed like a decked-out Toyota Forerunner parked across the street from the apartment complex and with a man leaning against the side with the driver door wide open dressed in a black sweatshirt only zipped up halfway and a green Wolverines hat on. If it weren't for the orange shirt and stark white hair sticking out, he would have thought it was some hobo or stalker waiting for him. But the sight of the tank behind them erased any thought of those ideas being true.

Stepping down the stairs like his legs were tied to bricks, Bobby was dumbfounded to see someone he considered a 'brother' to be here of all places.

"Lincoln?" he called out, unsure if he was either too tired or seeing things.

The man let out a soft but sad smile and nodded. Bobby rushed across without a second thought (though making sure to check the street for traffic).

"Bro! What are you doing here?!" He asked as he wrapped his arms around the Loud in a tight embrace. Uncertain if to be surprised by his sudden visit or shocked that he was even here at all.

It wasn't that he hadn't come back up around here before; Illinois had been getting a lot of storms in the past few years, and he remembered people going crazy when a few tornadoes touched down near Chicago, and his sis called him to give updates on the storms. This year, they had nothing like that around these parts except further south. Even then, when he came up for a visit with Ronnie when Gracia was born, they had taken a plane in. Here he was with a 9-ton monster towing his own personal car around.

'All the way from freaking Oklahoma.'

As Bobby pulled away, he heard Lincoln suck in a deep breath like he was about to deliver earth-shattering news. He glanced up to meet Bobby right in the eye, then up to the second floor of the apartment like he had spotted something. But words failed to materialize as the breath returned as a haggard sigh.

"It's… a bit complicated." He said with a voice that Bobby felt had no right being used by him. The Lincoln he knew for years, even when down in the dumps, had that energy in it that would make anyone who knew him sit down and listen. That energy wasn't there. And if he didn't know him, he would have to admit that he would have thought of him as some old man driving a stolen piece of military hardware.

Lincoln didn't elaborate further; instead, he grabbed the handrail and pulled himself into the cab. "Hope in." he gestured to the opposite side. Pulling his door shut behind him with another grip to keep it from closing all the way and locking.

Without missing a beat, the Sanitago darted across the front of the truck and around to the passenger side. Pulling on the latch, he was a bit taken aback by how much heavier the door weighed compared to the last time he rode in it. Not bothering to close it, Lincoln slowly rolled the tank forward down the empty street once he got settled into his seat. Making a left turn down the street before making another left. Bobby wondered what exactly he was doing until Lincoln made a much tighter turn to drive them under the elevated tracks that form the main alley. Slowly rolling the tank to be roughly a car's length away from the sidewalk and killing the lights, he tried his best to practically hide them.

Putting the shift into park, Lincoln let out a tired huff as he had just performed a physically taking event. Leaning back, he ripped his hat off and tossed it into the nock of the dashboard and windshield. It was when he occupied himself rubbing his eyes that Bobby was able to get a better picture. Between the unkept beard and hair that was on the verge of going down his shoulders, that iconic silver shine he always remembered seeing in their youth had become dull, almost more gray than white. He couldn't tell if it was from the light inside the cab, the street, or if it really had become gray; he couldn't tell. When he removed his hand and opened his eyes, not even looking right at him, he could see just how pale and thin he looked.

He looked deplorable! Like he barely had eaten or slept for days, given how dark the bags under his eyes looked. Had this been any other time, he would have helped the Loud up to his apartment and let him crash on the couch to get some sleep in if it meant he didn't look like this any further. But this didn't feel like one of those times. Since that call in September, he knew something else was up. Three months of silence, and here he was, only driving the idea that something was wrong.

But Lincoln's eyes told a new story. They didn't have that kind of spark he remembered back at the beginning of the year but burned with a different kind of fire he had only seen once.

"So, how's life been?" Lincoln asked casually, like they were old buddies meeting at a bar.

Flabbergasted, Bobby stuttered, trying to devise a way to ask why he was here like this for a social visit.

"A-eh-hows life? Bro, what happened to you?"

Lincoln cracked a small grin but it faded to the wayside, "Life, that pretty much sums it all up. I've been… busy with things here and there…"

Even with the sound of the engine and city, the silence suddenly coming into the vehicle was almost as choking as the humidity. Bobby felt his nerves tingling, unsure if Lincoln was going to continue or wait for him to speak.

He opted to try to go with the 'casual' idea, "I see you got the tank fixed.. "

Lincoln huffed again, almost like he really did want to laugh. "Yeah…" he brought his hands back up to the wheel. He rolled them over the grip texture of the cover like he was feeling up a brand-new car.

"It… it took a good bit. But she's now stronger than ever. Had… had a lot done to get her ready for… for next time…" he spoke like he was almost out of breath, "She's… kinda like one of us Louds in a way… can't keep her down for long till she rises back up." he chuckled.

Bobby chuckled at the thought, but it wasn't entirely in the mentality of being light-hearted. He had seen their family get practically thrown off a cliff many times and somehow climb back and keep going. Their visit back in July only solidified that legacy. But he knew that there was an outside source that helped bolster them each time one of them did go down. The show only made it more apparent to everyone in the country who it was.

He never did finish watching the whole show. Only 14 out of the 15 until the very last episode. He knew what happened; Ronnie explained what happened and didn't want to see what happened for himself. To this day, until he dies, he refuses to watch it. But looking at the truck itself, he could see what he meant by it. A lot of stuff still looked like it had been there for a while, but he didn't remember everything on the outside being on the show. It was like a clash of rust and polish that made him question a bit of why he added so much.

'And why was there a red switch that had a nuclear bomb symbol on the dashboard?'

He was yanked out of his thoughts again when Lincoln continued, "So, how's Great Lake been? The store looks almost brand new."

"It's... been nice. One of our best years so far." He answered with pride but cringed. He wanted to slap himself for saying that. He didn't see any change with Lincoln, minus the man nodding a little.

" … and how's the little nugget doing?"

Bobby couldn't stop himself from beaming at the memory that was brought up. In a time in his life when the spectrum was flying everywhere, what first-time father wouldn't love talking about the joy their child was? Their time together was only for a week after she was born, but Lincoln had acted so much like Gracia was his own daughter that Bobby felt like he was trying to compete. But it was all in good nature to let him have a moment of peace after tragedy to gain a clear mind of what was at hand.

When Lincoln and Ronnie came to the hospital that day, he let his little sis hold her new niece for the first time. Swap the hair with a bit more silver, and you could say it really did look like their baby. He explained that she had become his treasure in life, and Lincoln said that she was like a little gold nugget. And that every day she grew, her place in his life and heart would too.

He didn't know if this was from Lincoln growing up practically raising his younger sisters or if he was somehow a natural at this, but it was a boost he badly needed.

"She's been wonderful. Not too needy, surprisingly. She is already starting to learn how to crawl!" he exclaimed with joy swelling in every word. "Just the other day when I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, Ronnie had her in the living room, and she said, 'Bro, stay right there and watch this!' The next thing I knew, I saw my little girl coming around the corner with a big smile, and I nearly dropped dinner when I went down and picked her up. I… I just never dreamed I would one day wake up one morning and see it happen…"

He felt tears on the verge of letting loose again. Not of sadness but of the pure joy he remembered that day. He was lucky Ronnie had the idea to record it so that he could see there was so much more when he was down. He probably would have cried had he not felt Lincoln reach across and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You are and will be a great father, Bobby. I have full faith in you." With what felt like years of experience laced in his voice, he said, "You're a good man with a heart of gold. She'll need you there every step until she can make that big step of her own. Just be careful when she starts walking. If they're really determined, you'll be chasing them everywhere."

The two shared a heartfelt laugh. One that was filled with such positivity Bobby could have sworn he saw Lincoln suddenly have his old self back.

Yet as their laughter ceased, part of his mind began to try to think of what to do next.

"Wanna come in for some coffee or a bite?" He offered, "Was about to open the store up for the day. Think I can wait a bit longer and whip you up something really quick."

Lincoln let out a little laugh at what he was doing, but his smile slowly began to fade back into the grim, solemn look he had become accustomed to always wearing.

"Heck, I'm sure little Gracia would love to see her godfather again after a few months."

"..."

"... She's been getting better. It took her a bit, but she's taking it like she's just always wearing half a blindfold all-."

"She's not why I'm here." Lincoln cut him off sharply.

"Then why are you here?" Bobby demanded. Wanting to get to the point of why he was even here.

Lincoln was a bit surprised by how Bobby seemed to have mentally switched. He admits it was his fault for trying to keep the atmosphere positive, but he was here on business and agreed with Santiago that it was enough dancing around the topic.

"... To try and tie up some loose ends." He reached down between them and opened the glove box.

For a moment, Bobby was alarmed by the number of pill bottles stuffed in the compartment before Lincoln pulled out a small stack of envelopes. Pulling one out as he dumped the rest back in, slamming it closed.

"And give you this." he handed him the chosen envelope.

Holding it in his hand like he was given a piece of china that would shatter if he closed it, Bobby slipped open the unsealed flap and found two pieces of interest. One was of a car title from Oklahoma for a Toyota Forerunner; the other was a check for some twenty thousand dollars.

Bobby nearly felt his breath get caught in his throat when both hands held onto the check. Sure, he helped run a business, but never on the scale like he was now with more money than what they made in half a year.

"The paper is the title for the car. The paperwork has already been notarized and needs your signature to be added and taken down somewhere to get your title and new plates. Inspection is still good until February, and full coverage insurance has been paid off till January. The dolly needs to be dropped off wherever the closest U-haul is." Lincoln explained.

"Linc-"

"That check…" he paused. Looking at the paper in his friend's hand to make sure it was what it was, "...is to help her get back to a normal life… I don't know what kind of surgery would be needed, but I hope that will help take a chunk out of whatever the bill could be."

Bobby felt his brain failing him again. "Bro…"

"I know the car is a bit of an odd one. I originally thought about selling it or outright trading it in, but then I thought, 'Is there someone I know who could use it directly?' and here I am. I figured with your daughter, having your own personal vehicle would be much safer than risking it on public transportation. And Ronnie liked to go mudding in it."

He wasn't wrong. Chicago, in recent years, hadn't been the greatest of places, and they were fortunate to be so far out from the metroplex it didn't affect their lives that much. But in today's world, you never know what could happen. He was ready to defend his family and home to his last breath if it came down to it.

"Plus," Lincoln chuckled as he continued, "it's practically anti-theft proof. Tires are 50-mile run flats; windows are all reinforced polycarbonate. Even has a special key." He emphasized this by holding a separate keychain that had a normal key remote and an abomination of a car key.

"But…" he tried asking as Lincoln dropped the key in his hands like a father giving his son keys to the family car, "Why were you trying to sell it?"

Once more, his smile faded. And as he let out a sigh as he sunk in his seat, it took a moment for it to click.

"...how much is it now?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Linc-"

"4.6. It's down to 4.6 after adding whatever the show paid us. Between the bills and repairs, we're looking at getting it down to maybe 4.1 by the end of the year."

"Dios bueno…"

"We've been… going through things. Seeing what can be cut, shelved, and needs focus…" He said with a voice edging on defeat, "We're planning to go out big next year. Try to knock everything out or down as much as possible."

"Then why keep doing it?" Bobby asked like he had just heard the solution to the problem, "Why not return home? God knows how much your family would help with it. And how much it would help them."

"Bobby. The money they have now is 40 to 50 percent of what I've sent to them. It would basically become a feedback loop. Even right now, the next check is probably in the mail somewhere on the way to them right now. Most of them still have lives to start or are too young to have something that massive on their shoulders suddenly. It's my actions, my problems, and my responsibility to fix it. God knows what would happen if they all suddenly came down to Oklahoma saying they want to help fix it…"

Bobby shook his head, "...chaos would be the understatement of the century…"

Had he not been looking out his window, Lincoln would have seen the look on Bobby's face shift from stern to nervous. As far as he could tell, no one had spoken a word to him about Clyde running into Lynn or his family coming here in person looking for answers. He knew Ronnie wasn't in the right state of mind at the time and wouldn't speak of his whereabouts. And he couldn't deny what he said about it being chaos with all eleven of them down there trying to find ways to fix this was true. The Loud Sisters all had their own form of crazy that you eventually discover their true selves once you've known them long enough.

Lincoln trying to chase down twisters while his family followed him? Even from how much space was in this tank, he doubted having a quarter of them present would do him any good. From how the show depicted it, they wouldn't last a week, in his opinion.

"Come on," He looked back to see Lincoln shoving his door open, "Let's go unhitch your new car."

Before he could protest, Lincoln stepped and headed around the back. By the time Bobby got out after nearly missing his footing when using the outrigger to step down from the cab, Lincoln had already begun disconnecting the trailer from the tank. Droppin the support so that it could lift off the hitch enough for him to push the part away. With it resting on its own strength, he went around the back side to drop the ramp.

"Didn't have time to disconnect the transmission, so I said screw it and got a full-size trailer to carry it." He said as he went along the passenger side to work on the strapped to the rear wheel.

Feeling it might have been best to let him stay busy, Bobby stood by the side, looking down at the keys in his hands. "So how come you're here so early? If you were in town, you could have called and stopped over yesterday after I closed up the store."

"Because at that time yesterday, I was still in Oklahoma." He answered as he pulled away the straps and went to work on the front. Too focused on his work, Bobby started to toss the keys up in the air, trying to think of how that timeline matched up.

"Wait." He nearly missed catching the keys, "You drove here overnight?"

"Left around five, only stopped three times for gas and a quick piss break."

"When was the last time you even slept!?" Bobby exclaimed. He was dumbfounded by why his friend had changed so much. Lincoln paused at his task to actually think of the answer, and it only made Bobby's eyes almost pop out of their sockets that he had to think to remember when he last did.

"... about… two days ago?" He shrugged, not knowing if to believe his own answer, as he stepped around to the other side.

"Bro-Lincoln," He followed closely behind as the Loud went to the next strap. "What are you doing?"

"I told you I'm-" Lincoln looked up away from his work to answer directly to his face. But he felt his words die when he looked into Bobby's eyes and saw something else was looking back at him.

Before he could speak, he felt himself pulled onto his feet and into the older man's arms. Had anyone been around to see it, it would have been a bizarre sight to see a store clerk hugging someone who looked homeless under a railroad bridge at night. He could feel Bobby hold onto him with a tight grip like he was afraid he would turn to dust any moment. He understood him to know Bobby, just like his own father, was someone with a strong emotional connection to people. Ten years ago, they only really knew each other because of Lori; six years ago, they became good friends after that. It's why he trusted Bobby with keeping tabs on events back home with several others.

He hated doing this. He hated being the cause of this. It went against his nature and sometimes did make him sit there and ask himself, was this really worth it anymore? But he had to remind himself many times why he chased danger. A reason why was standing right in front of him as part of the long list he had built up with so many others.

"Lincoln…"

"*sigh* I can't say exactly why…" he said against the man's shoulder as he patted his back and pulled away, "But part of it is the reason why I brought Storm Shrieker here instead of just using one of our trucks…"

He figured there were about ten reasons why, but another came to mind when he remembered the past when the only time Lincoln ever took his creation anywhere for personal use like this was for one thing.

"You're chasing?" Lincoln nodded once, "Does Clyde even know where you are?"

"... maybe?" He said, looking off to the side like a child trying to hide something that only added more fuel to the fire.

"Oh my god…" Bobby stepped away, holding his head and feeling like he was on the verge of getting a headache strong enough to split California in half. Then a new thought came to him; just like if you saw a bald man from the Weather Channel anywhere near the Gulf Coast or Florida, you better be running cause a storm was coming. If something like this tank was in the area…

Lincoln had seen Bobby catch onto what some of his plan was when he looked back at him with a new fear presenting itself. He still remembered 2023 being the year his family felt a curse had been placed upon them when, two months after Ronnie joined the crew, Illinois became the tornado hotspot for days. He didn't know where the rest of the family had gone, but with his daughter, he could only imagine what Bobby would do.

"Don't panic just yet." he said as he went to the final wheel, "The humidity might trigger some rain, but anything severe will be further south in Kentucky or Tennessee."

Bobby sighed in relief. "Well, that's nice to know… Hopefully, Ronnie won't be so on edge like the world is about to end every time she hears thunder."

"Hm. She still has it in her mind after months of being away…"

"It's great she's prepared and knows what to do, but it gets a bit unnerving at times."

"Understandable." He said as he grabbed the last strap and headed back to the cab. Pulling his seat forward to toss the spaghetti of straps on the backseat unceremoniously. Climbing up, he stuck his hand over the roof, gesturing for Bobby to get back in.

Walking along the side, he looked to Lincoln shaking his head at the offer. With a shrug, Lincoln shifted out, slowly rolled Shrieker out from under the bridge, and eased it back onto the street. The rear wheels clipping the sidewalk's edge jolted the vehicle as he made a gentle stop in front of the market.

Coming up the sidewalk, Bobby watched Lincoln reach back and pull his door shut with a heavy thunk. "Where are you going from here?"

"Royal Woods," Lincoln said, which nearly made Bobby take a wrong step and trip.

"Wha…"

"Like I said…" Lincoln smiled softly, "I'm trying to tie up loose ends."

"And like I said before," Bobby reached in with his free hand. "Please… promise me you'll stay safe." He pleaded as Lincoln locked his hand in a firm grip. But Bobby took it one step further, stepping up a bit to get more leverage as he briefly disconnected his grip and locked it around Lincoln's wrist in an arm lock.

"I'm in an 18,000-pound tank, Bobby." Lincoln joked as they broke away. "I'm as safe as I could be."

While Lincoln laughed a little, Bobby didn't feel it in his heart to do the same except smile at Lincoln, having some of that old enthusiasm he had a while ago. He knew that out of everyone in either this city of Royal Woods, Lincoln was the best when it came to handling the weather. But he couldn't for the life of him tell his little bro that something felt different and not in a good way. What he planned to do in Royal Woods, he had no clue what 'tying up loose ends' could mean. Was he going to visit his sisters, or was there something else?

He didn't know and had no absolute right to ask.

Once he stepped back down onto the sidewalk, giving the white-haired Loud a little wave goodbye, Lincoln returned the gesture with a simple nod and a two-finger salute as he switched the lights back on. Bobby would have asked if he wanted the door closed, but Lincoln had already pulled away from the curb and into the intersection. Traveling down in street light and darkness, the gray paint quickly added in, hiding the true shape of the vehicle as at the first light, it made a left turn and disappeared behind the buildings.

His arm fell limply to his side as Bobby tried to filter and refine everything that had just happened. Fishing out his phone, he felt another nerve being fried when he saw that his time out here barely made a dent in his schedule for the store. Looking back to the car and down to the keys, part of his younger self really did want to check out his new ride, but that was for another time. He held up the check to the street light, still trying to find some falsehood that this wasn't a dream.

But who was he really fooling?

With a deep sigh, he pocketed the keys. Slipping the check back into the envelope to make sure he knew exactly where it was till he could break the news to Ronnie. Heading towards the front door of the market, before he pulled his keys out to unlock it, he glanced back where Lincoln had disappeared.

He said he had a plan; since he first met him as a kid, he's always called himself The Man With a Plan. Before, they were sketchy but, at times, held out faithful to the end. They matured as he did. He proved himself smart enough to be careful when playing chicken with danger, but events proved that no matter your plan, fate will do as it pleases.

In truth, it made him scared that Lincoln wasn't letting himself take the time to relax and look around. The fact he was trying to chase a thousand miles away from his team without them knowing where he was and trying to avoid his family while driving that thing through their hometown, he really couldn't be at fault for saying whatever his plan wasn't a sound one.

He had to tell the others. Lincoln said he told his team, but he didn't buy it. If he had called the others in advance saying he was coming up, he didn't know. Everyone would be waking up by the time he got to Royal Woods. He'd give it about an hour before he called so that he could notify everyone.

'Everyone… What about them?'

The moment they caught wind their brother was in the state and heading in their direction; they'd probably rip apart the whole town to try and find him. He had no idea what Lincoln was going to do and only hoped for the best. With a turn of the key, he stepped inside to attempt to get his day started. Yet, had Bobby looked up the second-floor windows, he would have seen a tired but alert figure with her blanket wrapped around her body as a cloak with a tear falling down her cheeks.


Sitting here on the swings of the playground in Ketcham Park, Lynn honestly felt like she had a bad case of deja vu right now. She remembered how she got here and what she was doing just before, but what was she doing after she sat down on the old swing set?

"Lacy, huh? Bit of… bit of a unique name."

'Lacy…' Didn't she know someone with that name? She remembered thinking about it as a shortened version of Legacy for a possible future daughter, but that was just a pipe dream. Sure, you get a few people that use that as a last name, and she didn't know anyone even remotely famous or familiar with that as a first name. She really couldn't put much into any idea of where she's heard that name from. But didn't she already know this? Why did it feel like she was repeating the same thing as she said a dozen times before?"

The girl snorted, "Yeah… It's a little bit out there, given not even two percent of people have it as a first name. But my mom picked it out when she started thinking about having kids a couple of years ago. Either that or be a name from what her parents had."

'Relatable…' Lynn remembered how her name came to be after a misunderstanding at birth. She doesn't hate her dad at all for thinking that lucky number five would have been the first boy of the family, only for her to surprise them all. Most didn't have 'junior' in their name for the reasons she did, but she knew fully well that her dad hoped one day that 'Lynn the Third' would come into the world and continue the lineage.

'Sorry, Dad. But maybe one day by someone else.'

"But it's not that bad at all," The girl said with a bright smile, "My mom suggested to my dad when she brought up the idea, though it's kinda odd how they never talked about how it came to be. And from what everyone says, I take a lot from my father and mother, in looks and spirit. Though some say it's a bit odd with how I don't really embrace the latter."

"How come?"

'How come?' Why does it feel like that is a question she knew the answer to already?

She did the best shrug while swinging, "It's not that I don't like things like what she does. Many say they see her in me whenever I pick up a ball. Like, they say they could see her in me when she was younger. But I don't want to live in that kind of shadow…" her smile slowly faded into a glum look.

"I just want to live like… me. Like what my dad did when he was younger." Her eyes filled with optimism, and Lynn honestly felt like she had seen someone very familiar in those eyes when she said those words.

Leaning back the best she could without falling out, she tried to picture exactly what the girl saw. What her mother does must have been pretty high up there, and the girl could have been born with a natural talent. What it was, she had no clue. It must have been pretty big if a lot of people were comparing her daughter to be on par or greater at her age. It was the kind of thinking she sometimes heard from a couple of people that she met in the sports world in her 'youth' that really helped drive home her determination to make her name in the history books.

It did make Lynn wonder if it was someone she knew. The chance was there, but it felt more like it was someone from ot of state. By the time she was in middle school, the girl could have yet to have been conceived, and she had been either in college or cooped up at home for a while now. The chances of new families moving in were always present.

"And he's really been a big inspiration for me. Caring for all 16 of us can be a hassle that most say would drive him crazy. But he's always making time for everyone whenever we need help. Always willing to sacrifice a bit of his personal time just a little."

Hearing that, it didn't take Lynn a fraction of a second to think of something relatable that brought on both good and bad memories.

"He and my brother would probably be great friends. He was always the one in our family who was there to help us stand back up no matter what disaster came our way. With the ten of us and one of him, it-wait… 16?"

Looking at Lynn's shocked face, Lacy laughed, expecting that kind of reaction, "Yeah… brothers and sisters. It's a bit of a one-and-two split between us. They thought about an even 20 to complete the set but thought that was already stretching it."

"Geez, I understand when the love is strong between two people, but sometimes there's gotta be a limit."

"Haha! Yeah… you and my dad seem like you'd both get along, too. He's always wanting to help someone whenever he can, no matter what. Even when my mom had some hard times, he was there for her no matter what stood in his way. A lot of the time, I could see why she loved him so much."

"Hmph… a lot like Lincoln..." she muttered to herself. Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees to rest her head in her hands. A fond smile adored her, but the reality of what they had found this year and what he does for them had been pounding in her mind like a heavy freight train on a broken track that was ready to snap but held on from sheer force alone.

"What's he like?" Lacy asked, slowing her swings as she looked up to Lynn curiously, "Your brother?"

Lynn didn't even have to wait to think of everything her brother was like. It just took a minute to sort them all out.

"He's the kind of brother willing to do anything for his family and friends." Her smile began to grow, "He's always been there for us. No matter how crazy we drove him or how far away we were, he was always watching over us. Making sure we're all okay. Trying to help us live our… dream lives…"

Her smile began to fade. Feeling a wave of negative and dark thoughts present themselves for the pickings that her mind told her were what she thought about him. But like the sun breaking through the dark, a flood of countless memories swarmed to the front.

"We practically abandoned him… Left him behind when all of us were charging full steam ahead when we just… took what we wanted, and at most, he'd protest his frustration, but in the end, he still supported us. He gave us so much that he practically built his life around us. And what did we give him in return?" she looked at Lacy like she was holding the answer.

"Nothing?"

And Lynn slowly nodded. "Nothing…" She looked out past the park, past the trees and buildings, to the sky that was as gray as herself.

She always prided herself on being the one in the family to push the limits of life. Ever since she touched a ball, it was part of her very existence that branched out further. Her goals were huge but realistic, even when she was just 13. When Lincoln was 11, he still spouted about his dreams of being a magician, a ghostbuster, or an astronaut. Sure, 'recent' events put two of these into question; they were just so out there compared to what she and all of her sisters had lined up. But even when they made fun of him, denied him, or left him out, he was still there for them.

Even after that day ten years ago, she honestly believed it was the day she lost her brother. But he came back. It gave them the chance to make up for their wrongs despite how thin the ice was.

But did they really earn it back, or had it just faded to the wayside as the years went by?

So often was he gone from the house he had become less and less seen than Lori was when she first went to college. Then he was gone for good, and then three hours worth of TV showed them all what he does to ensure they can keep going even if it practically goes on the line of killing himself.

Lynn didn't know if it was from rain or something else, but she could have sworn she felt something wet falling down her cheek before quickly wiping it away.

"I failed as a big sister… I failed him. I'm the one next in line to make sure her little siblings are loved and protected, but every time I try, thinking of all the times I tried… It's just that. Tried. And he does it without even realizing it for so many…" She tried stopping the waterworks, but even with that, she failed.

"What I would do to take back all I've done to him… Let him know back when it really mattered how important he was to all of us. That he didn't have to risk so much and be so far away… To come home and be with us…"

'To be with me…'

She closed her eyes tight. Trying to keep herself from imagining the deplorable state she had to look like, bawling out her eyes to some random kid in the middle of the park. If she had any mental strength, she would have apologized for breaking down like some loony and raced back to her house.

But her body refused to move. No matter how much she demanded her legs to move, it was like she was paralyzed again.

Then she felt the swings moving again.

Opening her now puffy red eyes, Lynn watched as Lacy started swinging again. Not going too high up, the speed she was moving felt off to Lynn. Looking for any signs, she looked like she was in some kind of deep thought but still had a smile.

"You're right in that they would get along. My dad has always been the kind of person who would go through a world war if it meant ensuring our family was safe and sound for the future. Though mom and everyone else has to help him dial it back and make sure he's not alone." She looked up to the horizon, the clouds parting just a bit to start letting sunlight reach the world.

"He always said that there's a light after every storm. No matter how bad or how long it is, there is hope that you can stand back up and keep going once it's all said and done." She began to slow down her speed. Letting her momentum fade till she was barely moving back and forth."

"Sometimes it's too late to fix the past, and we have to accept it for what it is and move on as it has made us into now." She looked over to Lynn, and for a moment, she could have sworn she saw something go straight to her soul. "But my dad always believed in us making use of what the present gives us to make a better future. Sometimes, it takes just one little thing, and sometimes years. But once you're clear of the storm, you can finally see all the stars shine together."

"Bit of a poet, ain't he?" Lynn tried joking to lighten the mood.

"He... Yeah. He said he got it from my aunt, but even she said it was a natural part of him." Rising from the swing, she dusted herself off, "Anyways, I think I better go. I don't want my family to think I'm too far away. They'll get all worried and think I've been kidnapped or something."

Lynn snorted, "Yeah, my siblings are just the same way. Now and before after a lot of things. Some of us weren't really close, but this year, I think it really made us realize we're stronger together."

"Heh, kinda like my family. It took some time, but we were able to make everything work out." Lacy said as she started walking away towards the park gate.

"Hehe, yeah… Say, what were your parents' names? Maybe I know them. I kinda want to see how well me and your mother would get along.."

Lacy turned around, walking backward with a big smile, "Oh, you know her very well. A lot."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" She waited for an answer but got silence in return.

"Lacy!" She heard a male voice that was a hauntingly familiar call out. Lynn thought that maybe it was the father having come to collect his daughter, but she saw no one close to them.

But when she saw no one, she went back to where Lacy had been standing only to leap from her seat finally when she wasn't there either.

She looked around all around the park. Looking for any sign of that red jacket or gray hair, even dashing away or the sound of shoes on wet ground or sidewalk. But just like when she first arrived, no one was in sight. At most, the distant car was driving beyond the fence, but as far as she could see, she was alone.

"What the… where did… how did-" She sputtered, trying to make sense of a disappearing act that would make Lucy proud. But each time she snapped her head in one direction, she felt she was starting to inch herself closer to giving herself whiplash.

It was like every one of her senses was suddenly becoming clogged up. There was no sound from cars on the streets; couldn't feel the rain or her tears or see anyone around. It was like everything had just stopped. But the more she looked around, the more her vision became blurred like heavy fog was consuming everything she tried to see, just getting closer and closer…

Before realizing what was happening, Lynn felt herself falling… and then her face suddenly hurt like hell as it was introduced to the bedroom carpet. The sharp sting from her nose acted like a stick of dynamite shattering a concrete block as Lynn leaped to her feet.

"Ow…" She groaned, sitting up against her bed trying to ease the pain in her nose.

With sleep practically vaporized, Lynn looked around the room with hazed eyes, trying to adjust to reality. A glance at her clock said the time was almost 8 a.m. She had missed breakfast, but the level of darkness still present made her wonder if she was still dreaming or if her clock was broken. There was barely any sunlight coming through the window, with a gray sky making it harder to see when it blended in with everything.

Grabbing onto the edge of her bed and lifting herself up, she did notice that the black void of Lucy's bed was missing its host, to where she'd figure out later, only a bit happy she didn't witness her minor freakout and falling out of bed. Combing her fingers through her untied hair, Lynn could feel a dampness all over herself, and just touching the bedsheets told her just how much she had sweat-like after an extreme workout. After a dream like that, you could call it a mental workout.

'Was it…?'

That thought asked her like a giant's voice had made her sit down. It felt too much like a dream; people don't just disappear out of nowhere like that without even being noticed. But she remembered that entire day to each detail. From taking up to going to the park, the wet swing seat, and the run back home not talking to anyone except to answer the common question. But this didn't feel like how that played out. Every time for the last month, she tried thinking back to how that entire time went from her point of view; it felt less and less like she just passed out on those swings.

And what about Lacy? She was just…just…

'Stop it, Lynn. It's too early for this.' her inner voice called out, trying to wake itself up. She had to agree. She wasn't in the right mind yet and needed to get going before trying to have another mental breakdown. But really, she felt like she just wanted to get back in bed. It did feel like she barely slept at all since that show came out…

Lynn still couldn't wrap her mind together about how much she wanted to thank and protect Lincoln.

She still remembered clearly the day that night they watched the first episode. It started with them at the farm, introducing everyone on the team and their vehicles before cutting to the actual chasing. It wasn't exactly the level of action she expected to see, like them weaving between cars falling out of the sky. But what that episode lacked everyone after it proved otherwise.

They had only watched the first two episodes that night. Everyone agreed that it was already a rollercoaster trying to understand this was what Lincoln goes through for them—driving up to death while filming and laughing for what in minutes would take someone a month at best with a well-paying job. Some of their hearts felt like they were ready to jump out of their chest and scream.

For her older sisters and parents, they had always told Lincoln to stay safe. Yet here they were, watching him racing towards things that were erasing whole towns to get close or inside it dozens of times this year alone. The kind of heart attacks they got from finding stuff from him in the air by ash clouds or ten feet from rivers of lava to standing in the middle of a hurricane, it hadn't clicked for them how much he enjoyed the thrill.

And then they watched episodes nine and ten…

They all saw something change in Lincoln. It was impossible to miss when the eighth ended with him getting a call from someone up here to how the ninth started out with the team going chasing without Lincoln. Sure, his segment was a bit boring, but it's the fact they saw the gamble he was taking. They got to hear his voice physically read their letters, even if it was parts of it when it wasn't finished, but the heart he put into it made them cry more than what Dream Boat could even try to cause. They thought that maybe after that, things wouldn't be so different.

Then "No Moore Sunshine'' proved so many things wrong and right. It proved to them just how unpredictable, how chaotic, and deadly this stuff was. That nature could create something everyone would say was Hollywood fantasy until you see real people running for their lives as three twisters tear apart their city. Lincoln wasn't even really attempting to chase it; he had his team doing everything they could to stay ahead of it, calling in locations and using sirens on their trucks to warn everyone in the path.

They remembered seeing a part with a weatherman sweating like he was in the desert, outright saying, "If you hear or see this vehicle, it means it's coming straight at you."

People couldn't run. They could try, but the highways were clogged, and the river stopped many from crossing. Try to go south; there was another tornado. Try to go east; you escape one but end up in the path of the next. Half of that whole episode wasn't about storm chasing; it was about just how bad what people out there dreamed was the ultimate nightmare happening before the eyes of millions.

It ended with helicopters showering the aftermath. Three giant scars across the city, a reported 130 dead, almost 30,000 injured, and countless missing. Yet for four straight days, even when there were other storms he could have chased that day or after, Lincoln, Clyde, and Ronnie were just three out of the hundreds to thousands of people trying to rescue anyone hurt or trapped. He didn't stop until everyone was accounted for.

To every person he saved, he was a hero. In one day, he had a massive impact on so many lives they couldn't compare. The closest out of all of them could be Lisa, and that was because of her mind of science. She meant no ill will to any of her family, but even they had to ask if their actions could have made the same kind of impact. He would go down in history as just one cog of the bigger machine that worked on overdrive that day. One was awful in its own right; 130 was painful to imagine, but had he not been there telling people to run, how many more could have been lost?

They always heard him be asked why he chases. And even after hell had just come through, he would gesture to the people or hold the photo of them out and say this is why. It took them weeks to get back together to watch the rest of the series. They passed the halfway point and still wanted to know.

And to this day, Lynn regretted watching that final episode. They all did. The network might have toned down what was shown, but what they heard was enough to fuel some nightmares for all of them…

But recently, it felt a lot different around here. There was a feeling of anticipation again, like something big was coming. Leni's birthday was just two days away, and while there was always that feeling for all of their birthdays, this week felt different. Even when she looked out her window to see fog so thick she couldn't see most of the backyard. It was like the curtains before they were pulled away for the show to begin.

It made her nerves tingle, just like in any situation where you can feel this day isn't going to be close to the meaning of ordinary, but you don't know where to start thinking.

And all this thinking was starting to make her hungry. She wasn't built to think this much; that was Lisa's department.

'And there better be some coffee left…' she thought as she stripped her bed. Feeling the dampness like it had sat out in the rain did make her feel a bit embarrassed, but it wasn't that uncommon in her youth to go to bed with a bit of a stink after a long, active day of workout or sport. It made that morning shower feel so much better.

Dunking the bundle into her hamper for later, Lynn whipped open the door just in time to see the disheveled sight of Lisa coming up the stairs holding a newspaper and cup of coffee.

"Morning..." Lisa replied like she hadn't slept at all.

"Morning," Lynn said, stepping out.

Lynn wasn't that too taken aback by this, but a week ago, Lisa seemed almost to find it impossible not to be smiling about something. Now it was like every day since then, it was going from her happiness like a promising experiment was about to be completed to falling apart.

Before entering her room, Lynn said, "Hey, you okay?"

The scientist looked up to her sister through some loose strains of her hair, "I am perfectly fine, my older sister. I'm just a bit exhausted from some recent research. Though right now, my focus has turned to what the future weather conditions could be for us today."

She looked out Lynn's window to the fogbank that surrounded the house, not moving a muscle like at any moment some creature lurking within could suddenly appear and notice them.

"Common understanding says that with such fog as dense as we see now, the temperature and dew point are approaching or are matched together with humidity at 100 percent. Often, this means that as the day progresses, it should clear up, with temperatures expected to rise to the low 70s by 2pm because of an approaching warm front. Often, there are signs of fair weather, especially for us this time of year. Yet the forecast models say that there could possibly be storm activity in the area. I've contacted the nearest office for the Detroit/Pontiac area, and they said they were uncertain about what will truly develop aside from more significant weather happening further south."

The 13-year-old took a drink from her coffee to wetten her lips as she hadn't once blinked when explaining to Lynn.

The athlete blinked first. Feeling like she had zoned out only to be asked if they got all that. "... You lost me at the common understanding part."

"Understandable. I myself am having difficulties trying to understand these conditions. It's like the weather wants to be something it's trying not to be. Which is why I shall be retiring to my bedroom early to focus on this endeavor." With a spin on her heel, she turned around to continue her trek.

Though if Lynn wasn't feeling the effects of only being awake for ten minutes, she could have sworn Lisa's voice changed when she said the last part of her weather rant.

Rubbing her temple to stop any headache from starting this early, Lynn asked, "Where're the others?"

On instinct of that question being asked so often, Lisa quickly responded, "After dropping our younger siblings off at school, Lori has gone to work, our second to fourth oldest had decided to take a trip into town for business for our father. Mother is currently downstairs with Lucy working on some of their ideas, and there is me and you currently discussing their whereabouts."

'Yep. There it is.'

She could feel that slight throbbing in the back of her mind as she gave her sister the thumbs up and turned back to the bathroom. Lisa disappeared into her bedroom with only the sound of the door locking as her farewell.

"She needs to lay off that coffee…" Lynn muttered as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

Flicking the light on, she was greeted with the sight of the bathroom being a semi-disaster zone with toothpaste all over the sink, the hamper overloaded with towels and dirty clothes, and an overall wet feeling in the room. The window itself was still steamed up. But with six adults sharing a single bathroom, it had slowly become second nature not to devastate the room. Opening the closet, yanking out a large towel, and tossing it on the side of the sink, Lynn grabbed the end of her nightshirt and yanked it off. Adding it to the mountain of clothes in the corner, she stripped off her shorts and kicked them over to join its companion.

When she went to pull the shower curtain to the side, her eye caught herself in the mirror. A lot of times, she checked herself out; it was to see how well she was after a long period of training to see how her muscles were developing. Sometimes (often) she gives herself a little show with some flexing to see them from all angles. Though most of the time, she was still wearing gym shorts and a sports bra. Standing in the middle of the bathroom stark naked in the morning was a sight she had long gotten used to. Yet recently, it felt different.

Why was she so concerned about how she looked? She wasn't exactly the screaming definition of beauty like Lori or Leni. Years ago, she didn't care if someone confused her with a guy; it felt like a compliment that they recognized right away she was a force to be reckoned with. Sure, over time, you'd begin to be more self-conscious about how you looked out in public or with friends, but not her. Everyone knew she was like sandpaper to other's tissue paper. Yet, since coming home, it felt like something new clicked.

She pulled her band out, a few locks of her brown hair draped over her shoulders. In some practicality, it was reaching the point where she'd need a haircut soon, but the way it flowed over her and had that slight bronze color along the edge made by the overhead light. It was always odd when they all looked for a moment, how each of them glowed under the same light but with a different shine. To some degree, they were the same but unique in many ways.

And it was that feeling that she brought her hands up on impulse and squeezed her breasts together. Feeling them stick a bit from the drying sweat, she looked down at them and then back at the mirror. Turning just to the side, she gave her rear a similar look over. She wasn't flat, far from it. She still had some time to grow more. Most of her form was in her pure muscle that filled her form more in. Had she been without it, she'd probably have looked like what Luna had a few years ago. She could still turn heads and get someone talking, but compared to her four oldest sisters, hell, Lola was a step ahead of her now; she was among the average of the family.

Hell, Lincoln had outpaced her in that department, and it was clear he barely worked out at all. Just natural muscle and running around so much did wonders for him.

However, it did bring up some rather embarrassing moments that she would take to her grave if anyone ever found out. Growing up with her first roommate being her brother things tended to drift down the paths curious kids like them would go. Nowadays, she was pretty sure they would be thrown into a mental ward if that happened again.

She let go of her bust the moment some of those memories started coming back in detail. Slapping her brain for bringing up those times was something she really didn't need right now.

With a groan, she reached to the facet and switched on the shower. Hot water at this time of day would have been unheard of years ago after 12 people, even if she was an hour off. She would have preferred a shower of ice with how much she was sweating earlier. But on a morning like this, sweaty or not, standing under a nice warm shower for a little bit would help melt away any bad memories of the night before and step out feeling anew.

Dialing in some cold water so she wouldn't boil like a lobster, she stepped into the tub and immediately felt her body tingle from the warm water, impacting her cool skin. Tilting her head back and leaning forward, she felt the same warmth wash over her face, hair, and backside.

She could stay like this forever...

Then, in a voice Lynn had never heard be so powerful in meaning and volume that she nearly fell out of the shower trying to rip the curtains open in her haste to exit the tub, the sound of Lisa's door smashing open and something shattering downstairs, the house went to alarm and confusion as Lucy screamed.

"HE'S HERE!"


(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)

So this chapter isn't exactly as far as I originally wanted it to go, but yet the more I wanted to expand on this I was mentally stuck between just how far did I want to take it. Originally, this chapter alone was gonna be as large as Chapter 10 for what was coming. But given I wanted to avoid dragging myself into making such massive chapters and that the rate I was able to make this one, felt better.

The start of this chapter could really have been either/or in if it started with Lynn or Bobby's morning. Part of what is planned is to have it parallel the paths basically and have a few moments for other TLH characters to have some time to have a voice and appearance in here and build more of the situation that is going on in the background. In an odd twist, as mentioned sometime ago, I didn't intend to include Bobby or Ronnie until much later, but then started building an idea that this shows the tip of.

Next chapter is expected to be a lot bigger and fill out what will basically be Part 2 out of 4 of 'The Unfortunate Days' that is kinda acting like the ending to the first arch of this story (if you can really call what the first 15 out of god knows how many chapters an actual arch.)

(Note: These AN notes are written before, during, and after hand to convey my thinking. Not based on what's changed, reviews, etc., and is borderline me ranting out loud my way of thinking.)