Chapter Two:

Sisters

BZZT! BZZT! BZZT!

The peaceful sleep the little one had found himself in ended abruptly with a harsh buzzing sound.

What's that!? He thought with a jerk.

His movement elicited a groan from Rita. "Ooh, not a fan of that alarm either, are you, sweetheart?" She mumbled, rising from her pillows whilst rubbing her eyes. She brought her hand to her stomach and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, slipping her feet into her slippers. "Well, that makes two of us," She said, standing up, being sure to mind the sudden shift in weight. She then reached out and bopped the alarm, silencing its screeching.

"Luckily it's easy enough to take care of," She said with a yawn. She then looked down at her little bump, running her palm along the fabric of her pajama top. "See, nothing to be afraid of," She hummed lovingly.

The combination of her words and touch did just the trick, calming the little one into stillness.

Thank you, Mommy, He thought.

With her little one now relaxed, Rita turned her attention to her vanity, taking a seat to observe herself in the mirror.

The second trimester of her pregnancy had been rather kind to Rita. The phrase so commonly attributed to pregnant woman "You're glowing" fit her to a tee in that moment. Her hair was thick, voluminous, and shimmered like fine spun gold, framing her face, radiant with a fine brush of flushed skin.

Rita couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps her husband was right in his near constant praise of her beauty. Pregnancy really seemed to agree with her.

"I think I may have to thank you, sweetheart," She said, turning her attention to her belly again. "Looks like you've went and made your mommy quite pretty."

Pretty? Another new word to the little one. Though when he mulled over what it meant and how the tone of his mother sounded when she called herself that, he surmised it was a good thing, and that made him agree, because if it was a good thing, he just knew his mother had that quality.

I bet you are pretty, Mommy, He thought, his fists curling in front of his lips, ever so slightly turned upward.

Rita looked back at the mirror. She sighed, her smile softening. "Well, baby," She said, reaching out for her brush, "Time to get ready for the day. Lots of teeth to clean, y'know."

The little one tilted his head. What's a "teeth"?

Rita sighed pleasantly when the cool fabric of her scrub top fell over her. This job may have a few annoyances, but I've gotta admit, the uniforms are good, She thought, grabbing the hem and adjusting it over her stomach. Nice and comfy, for the both of us.

She then grabbed her purse, slinging it over her shoulder and making her way for her bedroom door.

"Ma! Ba!" Only for a little red foam ball to come sailing right for her the exact millisecond the door came open.

"Augh!" Fortunately for Rita and the little one, a flash of gold and light blue intercepted the ball before it could've made what would've been relatively harmless contact with her belly, landing in front of her with a cross expression on her face.

"Lynn Loud Junior!" The little one cringed when the bite of the stern tone just outside the darkness reached his tiny ears.

Who is that? He mentally quailed, his hands going over his face in an attempt to protect himself.

Meanwhile, Rita watched her supposed savior march towards the assailant.

"What have we said about throwing stuff at people?" Lori Loud, Rita's eldest at age six held the ball towards the one she was lecturing, her bright green eyes narrowed with disapproval.

The assailant though seemed unbothered; her own similar green eyes more curious as she appraised Lori inquisitively with her thumb in her mouth.

That was Lynn Loud Jr., Rita's youngest daughter at a year and eight months old. She simply blinked up at Lori as she was educated on the inherent rudeness in throwing things at people, silent, clearly somewhat off in her own world.

"Well, whaddya have to say, Lynnie?" Lori asked once she was done.

Lynn Jr.'s response was to throw her free hand up in the air.

"Rababalala!" She babbled, matching Lori's tone in a comedic over the top growl, her thumb making her words lisp. "Balara! Larada Ba!"

Lori sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Why do I even bother? Even if you respond, I can't understand a word you're saying."

The little one lowered his hands, an eyebrow rising quizzically. She couldn't understand her? He understood her perfectly.

"I was trying to play with Mommy!" She had said. "You said you didn't want to play with me! So I waited for Mommy to come out!"

Hearing the word "Mommy" brought a special bit of attention to the little one's mind. So there were others who knew Mommy? That probably meant they were nice too then!

"Regardless, Lynnie—" The little one frowned, at least, he hoped that was the case. That other voice sounded scary. "You need to be more careful when you play. You could've hurt Mommy's baby."

Baby? Hadn't the little one heard that word before?

Wait, didn't Mommy and Daddy call me that? The little one's nose wriggled as it put two and two together. Am I Mommy's baby?

"What baby?" Lynn Jr.'s translated words conveyed. "I don't see a baby!"

Lori groaned and brought her hands through her blonde tresses; frustration rattling through her breath like an agitated rattlesnake.

Rita though, just laughed and walked over to her daughters. "Now, Lori," She soothed, placing a hand atop her head. "Don't be so hard on Junior. She just wanted to play."

"Rala!" "I did!" Lynn Jr. affirmed.

Lori pouted, turning to her mother with big, glimmery eyes. "But she could've hurt the baby…" She mumbled despondently.

"Oh sweetie…" Rita smiled sympathetically and brought a hand to her shoulder. Ever since she and Lynn Sr. had announced their sixth pregnancy three months prior, Lori, who at her age was much more active and involved than her younger sisters, made it her mission to make sure both her mother and her future babyest sibling were well taken care of and protected. Whether it was getting her a pillow for her back, or running to tell her father that she had heard her stomach growl, Lori made sure she was at the front lines for whatever mother and baby needed.

It warmed Rita's heart, but it also made her sad. Because a part of her knew there was a reason besides love that her eldest did these things.

She's probably so afraid of one of us getting sick like last time, She thought, pulling Lori in for a hug.

"The baby's fine," She crooned, running one hand through her hair while gently holding her to her stomach with the other. "In fact, I bet they're quite grateful to you for protecting them."

Lori tilted her cheek, trying to get her ear against the still relatively tiny tummy that housed her baby sibling. "You think so?" She asked.

With her being so close, the little one heard Lori's voice much more clearly than before. As she spoke, he noticed how much softer her words were, a complete opposite to the hard-edged disapproval he had first heard her convey.

"Hi, baby," Lori murmured.

The little one curled up timidly, H-Hi…

"I hope you're having a good morning so far," Lori cooed, nuzzling her mother's belly.

Warmth, a sensation of blissful affection much like he experienced the night before when hearing his mother and father's voices for the first time seeped through the little one; this time in response to his future eldest sister.

Thank you… He thought, jostling. Thank you for protecting me.

He heard Lori gasp, "I felt them move!"

"Sounds like they're saying thank you!" Rita gushed.

"Awww!" The little one felt Lori nuzzle the darkness around them again, "Anytime, baby! You can always count on me, I promise!"

And the little one believed her, just like they believed their father's vow to protect them.

Wait… The little one perked up, Where's Daddy?

"BREAKFAST IS READY!" Just as he thought that, his father's voice came from a distance away.

"BREVA!" The moment of tender love in which Lynn Jr. had been watching quite perplexedly (Seriously, who were her sister and mother talking to?) lost her attention when she heard her father, and like a bullet, she sped away, actually ducking under the table, bouncing back up once she was past it, and lunging for the dining area.

Rita laughed and gently pulled Lori away from her stomach. "Sounds like we better hurry, sweetie," She said, turning her around and ushering her forward. "We don't wanna be stuck with leftovers, do we?"

"No way!" Lori agreed, jumping into a run and speeding off towards the dining area herself.

Rita stayed back for a moment though, watching Lori disappear around the corner with a smirk.

"That was one of your big sisters, sweetheart," The little one heard her say. "She sure is excited about you." Her palm brushed over the darkness. "And I think you'll be in real good hands with her looking after you."

Big sisters… The little one couldn't explain why, but something about those words made him feel safe, much like how their mother and father made him feel.

"Now," Rita said, standing up a bit straighter with her hands to her back, "I don't know about you, but I am feeling very hungry. Let's go get some grub, sweetheart."

The little one's brow raised. What does "hungry" mean, Mommy?

The little one got his answer not soon after. The moment Rita made her way into the dining room, the entrancing scent of fried eggs, sizzling bacon and roasted potatoes coming from the adjacent kitchen not only made her stomach growl in a dull roar, but filled the little one with a sudden empty feeling and an almost primal awakening that made them realize just what that oh so ancient feeling was.

Hungry… He thought with a frown. He shook his head and brought his tiny fists to his lips. I don't like being hungry. Mommy please make it stop!

"MOMMY!" His request, silent as it was to begin with, was doomed even more by the jubilant cries of several others outside the darkness.

As for Rita, she ignored her own ravenous need for sustenance, going over to the two girls that came running up to her.

"Aww, good morning girls!" She greeted, reaching out and pulling them in for a hug.

Leni Loud, her second eldest at five years old grinned brightly as she nestled into her mother's side.

"Good morning, Mommy!" She cried. Her smile brightened when she noticed her hand resting on Rita's belly. "And good morning, baby!"

The little one's frown lessened, still remaining somewhat, but feeling a mite calmer thanks to the sheer cheeriness in that new voice. Hello… He replied. Can you make this hungry feeling go away?

"Good morning, Mommy." Over on the other side of her embrace, Luna Loud, age four, stood on her tiptoes, demurely seeking her own affection by lightly shaking her little brown curls.

Rita replied to her classic request by bending down and kissing the top of her head. "Good morning, Luna," She cooed, tilting her head to nuzzle her. "Did you sleep well?"

Luna nodded, an expression of contentment coming over her. "Mmhmm," She hummed. Her eyes fell on the bump, "Did you and the baby sleep good?"

Rita chuckled and returned her hands to her back, "We slept very well, thank you." She smirked and laid her palm across her stomach, "Though I think the sound of my alarm might've spooked them when we woke up this morning."

Luna bit her lip, offering a sympathetic pout to her mother's tummy. "Aww, I'm sorry baby," She said, standing on her toes again to gently rest her forehead on the bump. "It's okay, there's nothing to be scared of."

Whatever ire the little one was feeling for being hungry was quashed completely by the soft silkiness of Luna's words. They were almost melodic, brimming with compassion for the earlier fear he had felt from that scary alarm that had jolted him so roughly into facing his first morning of sentience.

Thank you, He thought, his shoulders relaxing. You sound nice too.

"MAMA! G'MORNING!" And just like that, the tension returned, this time thanks to a boisterous voice that, though far from malicious, was just so loud that the little one couldn't help but curl up into a frightened ball again.

Thankfully, his mother was quick to sooth him with a gentle pat, going over to where the voice had come from.

"Good morning, Luan," She cheerily greeted, bending down to give her three-year old daughter a kiss on the cheek. "You're in good spirits today, aren't you?"

Luan giggled. "Uh-huh!" She replied with a vigorous nod. "I saw a butterfly outside my window when I woke up. And then after that, I made up some stories with my puppets! And then—"

Luan chattered away for a good bit of time after that, something to which Rita obliged lovingly, but the little one within her found grating thanks to the volume at which she spoke. It got even worse when the other two girls joined in, creating a spiraling cacophony of high-pitched happy squeals.

Too loud! He thought with a grimace and a wiggle of displeasure. Why were there so many loud sounds? Was that to be a common occurrence around here? Even worse, he was still so hungry!

Mommy! It got to be too much for him, and in his frustration, a tiny foot went out and tapped the darkness.

"Oh!" Rita gasped, jolting slightly in response.

"Mommy?" Luna queried, a tinge of concern coating her voice. "Are you okay?"

Rita gave the girls a calming smile, "I'm fine, don't worry." She rubbed her belly with a bemused smirk, "I think your little sibling is just getting impatient for breakfast."

Luan gasped, "The baby is hungry!?" She slid out of her booster seat, running for the kitchen entrance, her light brown pigtails swishing left and right. "Daddy, the baby is hungry! Bring food quick!"

The little one's frustration ebbed. She's helping me…

Luan's answered plea for sustenance for the little one came in the form of Lori stepping out of the kitchen, holding Lynn Jr. in her arms like a teddy bear against her. "Dad's literally putting the final touches on the food right now," She informed, running a hand through Lynn Jr.'s hair to comb out a few errant potato scraps that had gotten in it through some unforeseen incident.

"More like 'Dad's put the final touches on the food', sweetpea," Lynn Sr. popped into the room. In his hands were several perfectly balanced bowls filled with eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes, and buttered toast. "Who's hungry?"

Daddy! The little one's heart swelled with celebratory joy. His father was here! Now both his Mommy and Daddy were with him. I am! I'm hungry! Please make the hungry feeling go away!

Rita clicked her tongue mirthfully, "Like you even have to ask? My mouth is practically watering over here, Lynn."

Lynn smiled and waltzed over the table, "Well then, I can't very well have my queen go hungry now, can I?" He bowed down, laying all the bowls over the table. Once they were all set out, he kneeled down and placed his hands on both sides of Rita's belly.

"And I can't have my precious little bundle of joy go hungry either!" He cooed, leaning over to give the bump a little nose kiss.

Daddy is gonna make the hungry feeling go away! The little one felt tempted to throw his hands up. Thank you, Daddy!

"Um, and what about us?" Lori asked with a smirk much like Rita's.

Lynn Sr. turned from Rita, snatching all his daughter's up in a great bear hug, "Well of course! I'd never let any of my five favorite princesses ever be hungry either! No way, no how!"

The little one forgot its own hunger when it heard that. So his father knew them as well? Just like his mother?

Were these others like the one he'd met earlier? What had his mother called them?

Big Sisters? His mind conjured up the word, only heard once before, but so comforting all the same. He had no earthly idea what it could mean, but for some reason, his little heart just loved it!

Sure, these others he had come to know that morning certainly were loud, maybe even a little scary sounding, but there was something that just made him feel connected to them.

And thus, he found himself wanting, wanting to get to know these sisters better.

Grrgggle.

A grimace crossed his tiny face. Right after that pesky hungry feeling was dealt with, of course.

Ahhh… The little one curled up, smiling contentedly. No more hungry feeling.

Rita was feeling just as happy. She could always count on her husband's cooking to spirit away any aching appetites that plagued her, especially during her pregnancy, be it her current one or any of the previous.

"I'm guessing you approve?" Lynn Sr. asked in a teasing whisper.

Rita scooped the last bit of her scrambled eggs onto her toast. "When have I not?" She hummed, popping the final piece between her lips.

"Hey Mommy?" Leni tugged at Rita's sleeve. "When we get back from daycare and school, can you and I practice on the sewing machine? I wanna keep working on those baby socks I've been trying to make."

"Ooh, and can we have a puppet show, Daddy?" Luan asked. "I have lots of story ideas for the baby!"

Lynn Sr. and Rita exchanged troubled looks, wordlessly conveying something they'd been dreading to tell their children.

"Actually, girls…" Lynn Sr. reached up to awkwardly scratch at the back of his head, tousling his dark brown hair. "We're actually gonna be coming home later than we usually do today."

"Whaddya mean, Daddy?" Luna asked.

Lynn Sr. bit his cheek, "Well, y'see…"

"Your father and I have an appointment with the baby doctor today," Rita interjected. "That means we won't be able to pick you up from daycare, or Lori and Leni from school today."

"Then who's picking us up?" Luna asked.

Lynn Sr. gulped, "That'll be…Your Aunt Ruth."

"WHAT?!"

"NO! NOT AUNT RUTH!"

"HER HOUSE IS THE WORST!"

"NO RU!"

In the darkness, the little one winced. His sisters sounded so angry! And they sounded scary when they were angry.

"Do you have to go to the baby doctor!?"

"Yeah, can't the baby go another day!"

"Please, anything but Aunt Ruth's house!"

Guilt clawed at the little one's heart. He was the one making them so unhappy? Oh no… He thought, his lower lip beginning to tremble. I'm sorry, Big sisters. Whatever I did, I'm sorry!

"HEY!" A stern call, one that was familiar to the little one cut through the complaints, garnering a moment of complete silence from the rest of the table.

"How about the rest of you lay off!" Lori lectured her sisters. She stood up on her chair and placed her fists on her hips. "Mom and Dad need to go to the baby doctor to make sure the baby is healthy. Don't you want to make sure the baby is healthy and growing okay?"

Her words left no room for argument, and the other girls (Sans Lynn Jr. who was really staying silent because Lori raised her voice in the first place) looked down to their laps guiltily.

"Good, I'm glad we've come to an agreement," Lori said. She hopped off her chair and made her way to the head of the table.

"It's okay, baby," She cooed, placing her hands on the bump and nuzzling her cheek against it. "We'll wait as long as we need to if it means we get to know you're okay, alright?"

Thanks to Lori's declaration, those barbed claws of guilt that had ensnared the little one's heart receded, replaced instead with pleasing warmth.

"Thank you, Lori," Rita said, reaching out to mussel her eldest's golden locks. Her bright green eyes glimmered mistily. "I'm sure the baby really appreciates that."

I do… The little one agreed, moving his head to meet his big sister's cheek in the darkness. Thank you, Lori…

"Alright, all aboard the lunchbag express!" Lynn Sr. stood by the front door, his hands gripping the tops of several paper bags. "Come get your tasty lunches! Perfect for those rumbly tummies that'll come around in the afternoon time."

He handed each bag to whoever passed through the door. "One turkey and swiss for Lori with orange juice and chocolate chip cookies, one ham and cheddar for Leni with grape juice and peanut butter cookies, one peanut butter and jelly with yogurt pretzels and apple juice for Luna, one egg salad with banana chips and strawberry milk for Luan, one ham and turkey with no cheese and strawberry rice puffs with chocolate milk for junior, and—"

He presented the final paper bag to his wife, "One special BLT, with extra bacon, extra crispy, exactly three tomatoes and two slices of lettuce with a side salad, chips and mineral water for my blushing bride."

Rita rolled her eyes bemusedly and took the bag. "You're too much," She said, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I honestly don't know where you find the time to make all these lunches."

Lynn Sr. raised a finger up with a surreptitious smile, "I have my ways."

"I'm sure you do," Rita smarmed, knowing full well that his so-called big secret was just waking up early. She looked down at the bag with a bashful grin. "Sorry about having such a specific lunch. Pregnancy pickiness, y'know."

Lynn Sr. responded by wrapping his arms around Rita, pulling her close so they were nose to nose. "It's no problem, babe," He whispered. "I've handled stranger requests. You remember that time I had to get tacos from that one place off the freeway for your dad?"

Rita laughed, "You know he was just testing you, right?"

"Did I pass?"

"You got to marry me, didn't you?"

Lynn Sr. beamed at his wife and tilted his forehead against hers, "Oh yeah, I definitely passed then."

Then, their lips met in a soft kiss, seemingly slowing down time for the both of them. Even after over half a decade of marriage, it was still like lightning arced through the entirety of their bodies each time they did so.

A symptom of the enduring love they both held for each other.

"EWWW!" As tender and sweet as the moment was however, there were still five children standing nearby who all burst into giggly cries when they saw the moment of loving affection between their parents.

"Mom, Dad, we're all standing right here!" Lori called out.

The parents parted with a chuckle, still gazing deep into each other's eyes in a lovey daze despite the "disapproval" of their daughters.

"Guess we should head off, huh?" Lynn Sr. asked in a murmur.

"'Fraid so," Rita agreed in a hush.

"I'll meet you at the obstetrician's office right after work, okay?" Lynn Sr. promised.

"Yeah, see you there," Rita affirmed.

Lynn Sr. pressed his head to hers again, "Goodbye, Rita." He smiled and reached out to place his palm over her stomach, "And goodbye to you too, baby. Daddy will see you and Mommy later, big promise!"

Daddy… Despite the size of his promise, the little one still didn't want to see him go.

"And then we'll get to see if you're a boy!" Lynn Sr. added excitedly.

That made the little one jump. He'd completely forgot about his vow to be a boy for his parents. How could he let it slip his mind?

He immediately clenched his already closed eyes tighter and curled his tiny hands into fists. Be a boy, be a boy, be a boy.

"Oh wow, that got a reaction out of them," Rita said, laying her hand over Lynn Sr.'s.

"It's the father-son bond, I'm telling you!" Lynn Sr. exclaimed in a hush.

Rita chuckled, "If you say so." She gently removed his hand and began her trip down the patio stairs, "See you later, honey."

"See you later, babe," Lynn Sr. wistfully replied.

He watched them load up into Vanzilla, their ancient jalopy of a van, waving them off and replying to his daughter's echoing cry of "BYE-BYE DADDY!" with an equally bombastic, "GOODBYE GIRLS!"

He remained on the patio a little while longer before going back inside to prepare for his own departure for work, his mind remaining firm on the wonderful family he had been blessed with, most of all on his newest little one within the womb of his beloved.

I meant what I said, baby, He thought, biting his lip as his eyes glimmered, I'll love you no matter what you are, but if you can, for me and your mother, please be a boy. I would really love to have a son.

His wish was a shared one, both with his wife and the little one himself. For even with the strange vibrations of vanzilla and the chatterings of his sisters surrounding him, he kept his thoughts firmly on said wish.

Be a boy, be a boy, be a boy…

AN: And second chapter done! I do hope you enjoyed reading it, dear readers. I know I enjoyed writing it. The interactions and characterizations are so different then from what I'm used to in FIWRL, but I do find them interesting to explore, especially that of Lynn Sr. (You cannot convince me he was not that mushy during any of Rita's pregnancies considering how much he wears his heart on his sleeve in canon). Also, I really like writing Lynn Sr.'s and Rita's dynamic as a couple. They always struck me as the sort've gushy, lovey-dovey type. In regards to the sisters, I do hope no one thinks less of them for their reaction to staying at their Aunt Ruth's, they are still pretty little here. XD

So it seems that Lincoln has met his sisters, and though he found himself a little afraid of them at first, he finds himself wanting to get to know them better. How will that work out? Well, you're just gonna have to stay tuned to the story. In the meantime, look forward to the next chapter of Sixth Time Expecting, First Time Living!

And as always, reviews and feedback are always greatly appreciated. They are the lifeblood of a writer after all.

Manegie, out!