Earlier, I talked about how Chandler McCann deserted from the meeting out of pure disinterest in getting Lincoln back. It would make sense considering their history as of Season 5's launch. I also have ideas that pay tribute to the movies directed by Martin Scorsese. Goodfellas, Casino, and The Irishman, which I have yet to finish. I plan to restart from the beginning.

Let's get back to the story. Lincoln and I have returned to Visalia, and later on, we take a stroll through downtown during the night, only for the both of us to have a run-in with, of all people, Chandler McCann.

Me: Hey. I know of you.

Lincoln: Chandler?!

Chandler: The one and only.

Me: Other people besides you are named "Chandler". Yet you ARE the one and only Chandler McCann.

Chandler: Well duh!

Secretly, someone is watching everything in secret.

Lincoln: What are you even doing here? I've done NOTHING to you.

Chandler: I have my reasons for not liking you. And getting rid of you.

Lincoln: Getting rid of me-

Chandler: I got a new job. I basically hit people now.

Lincoln: Hit people? Are you gonna beat me up for money? *disturbed*

Me: Please tell me that you mean hit in the literal sense. Also, anybody but Lincoln.

Chandler: I don't mean hit in the literal sense, but I might save that for other people. *reaches into his pocket* Although for you, Lincoln, I'm afraid there won't be any mercy for you. And probably not your friend there.

He pulls out a gun, a live-action one, and slowly points it towards us, putting us in shock and fear.

Me: What the-?!

Someone: !

Chandler: I joined a mafia. Told them everything about you, Lincoln. They seek an interest in your death, and I'm all too happy to refuse.

Lincoln: !

Me: You're making a grave mistake, Chandler.

Chandler ignores and gets ready to shoot us. However, just before he can, the person watching rushes in and apprehends Chandler, revealing themself to be Kat.

Kat: Go! Run!

Lincoln and I run off, with Kat catching up with us. Chandler has lost us. We get somewhere and find a bus that could take us back to the closest bus stop to my address. On the bus ride, Kat decides to start a conversation with Lincoln.

Kat: Lincoln, right?

Lincoln: Yeah?

Kat: My name is Kat.

Lincoln: *looking at her physical appearances and recalling bad and neutral memories of his regarding her* Oh. I've seen and heard of you multiple times. And unintentionally caused you problems.

Kat: I know. Those days happened a long time ago. And you let all of us get our revenge on you. So I guess we could be cool.

Lincoln: *scoffs* Yeah, right.

Me: Maybe there's a chance to start over.

Lincoln: ?

Me: You guys could talk things out and maybe become real friends.

Kat: :) I like what you're thinking, Kaden.

Lincoln: ! Wait. You know him?

Me: A secret that it's probably time I told you. If the two of us could trust each other with it.

Lincoln: ?! *stares at me like Phillip J. Fry* Kaden... what have you not been telling me?

Me: Now you seem to me like a nosy Lola Loud. And I can be nosy sometimes. *pulls out a phone and pulls up my social media* But I will tell you the secret anyway. *finds the photo of Lincoln's message and shows it to him* Do you know what this is, Lincoln?

Lincoln: ?! Is that... But how?!

Me: That is a message you wrote. In all honesty, I've never even BEEN to Michigan. I need to get someone else involved in our conversation. Someone who also knows of your message. *makes a phone call to Milo Cotuk* The first person to read your message.

Lincoln looks at Kat.

Kat: I'm not the first, either.

Milo: *on the other line* Hello?

Me: Hey. I need you for this conversation. I'm gonna put you on speaker. *does so* Okay. You're on.

Milo: Okay. Why do you need me anyway? Who are you even conversing with?

Me: Lincoln and Kat.

Lincoln: And who are you?

Milo: Lincoln Loud?

Lincoln: Yep. That's me.

Milo: Okay. Lincoln, my name is Milo Cotuk. I live in Royal Woods. I've met people who know you and told me about you.

Lincoln: You have?

Me: He and the others, including your friends and family, told me about issues they dealt with in a meeting regarding the rancid decisions you made when you wrote that message.

Milo: The letter landed on my face at a restaurant I was eating at. I was eating with people you know as Huggins, Ramirez, and someone your older sisters know as Rivers. We gained contact with your sisters and family and planned to get you back.

Lincoln: Wow. You guys all... missed me? Even after all those terrible things I did?

Kat: We have. Maybe not me, but I have my sympathies with your friends, including Zach.

Lincoln: Zach?

Kat: We were able to iron things out, though the two of us aren't dating.

Lincoln: Wait. My message. I could've sworn I left it in my bedroom.

Me: It must've been the wind getting in the room and blowing the paper out the window without you noticing. I've been in opposition to that message ever since I saw Milo's post, Lincoln. I have a philosophy in which by making such a decision that the message describes, you're making the biggest mistake of your life.

Lincoln: And you never told me this. *looks at Kaden with a suspicious look* Why?

Me: I have my reasons. You have every right to trust me no longer, but you should still hear me out.

Lincoln: *thinks about it and sighs* Okay. I'm listening.

Me: Okay. When you gained those horrid thoughts as described in the message, it proves your loss of all trust in yourself with your loved ones. I didn't want you to lost trust in me, or trust in yourself with me, for being a secret affiliate of them. I've been guiding you on a path of self-discovery by introducing you to not only what Visalia has to offer, but several other intense cultures your sisters and friends may or may not have been likely to do, as well as activities they never got the idea to do, like that Nerf battle with the Corridor Guys. In each activity, you and I were able to notice your friends/family. On that snowy mountain, I saw Rusty, Zach, and Lynn approaching before I got those snowboarders we saved to stall them and buy me some time so that they wouldn't get to you. They were likely trying to look for you.

Kat is listening in on every detail.

Me: Joy was likely doing the same thing in Lake Kaweah. But could she have come alone?

Kat: She didn't. She and some others could catch you up on that.

Milo: They told me about what happened, and everyone else learned about it.

Me: Luan and Benny were trying to approach us while we were at Shatner's ranch. You already know the names of the four girls that were barging in on the fun in the Los Angeles desert. And finally, while we were in Hawai'i and San Francisco, I've seen misty silhouettes of your family/friends moving. Like something out of Stephen King's The Mist, but without any Lovecraftian-style entities. In addition, I did save you from freaking out by keeping you away from them, since I'd rather not risk you reuniting with people you could no longer trust yourself with, b-

Lincoln: *talking to no one in particular* I tried to save them from myself... but they all want me back in their lives... *tears start forming in his eyes* What have I done...?

Me: *gets worried* Lincoln?

He breaks into a sorry state, with me and Kat placed in shock, surprise, and worry. After half a minute or less, I'm about to comfort him, only for Kat to stop me and then hug him, shocking him.

Lincoln: Kat? What are you-

Kat: Shhh. It's gonna be okay, Lincoln...

Lincoln: *sniffles* How do you...?

Kat: Look, you're regretting your decision now. You might think that it can't be undone, but things are gonna I just know it. Well, all iron things out in the long run.

Lincoln: You sure?

Kat: I am. And let me tell you something. I actually got to know your sisters, and they, though sometimes crazy, and other times mean and nasty, are actually good people in many retrospects.

Me: So have friends of hers and friends of yours.

Lincoln: *smiles and hugging Kat back* It's nice to know that someone has a good view of my sisters.

Me: They just needed to get to know them better and with enough time.

Lincoln: Yeah. That. I wish I had known that sooner.

Kat: And some bravery as well.

Me: And interest.

Lincoln: Right.

Milo hangs up as the bus stops near my cul-de-sac.

Me: Okay, Lincoln. You and I are getting off here. Kat, use this bus to rejoin the others. Tell them everything that has happened.

Kat: Okay...

Only Lincoln and I get off and walk back to our house.

Me: I need to tell you something, Lincoln.

Lincoln: ?

Me: There will likely be a reunion between you and your loved ones. Unfortunately, that reunion will have to wait.

Lincoln: What for?

Me: Did you not see what just happened back there? We almost died. YOU almost died. And I'm choosing to protect you at all costs.

Lincoln: From Chandler?

Me: And the people he said he was working for. They likely do business by killing people. And I'm not taking the risk of them committing murder by slaughtering you.

Lincoln: They actually KILL PEOPLE?!

Me: Likely. But they aren't the first. There have been others before them, but I'll tell you another time. Let's just go inside, relax, and figure out a plan for when we have to deal with them. For now, I'll have to keep you distanced from your friends and family as long as it's a proper means of keeping a low profile, rendering the mafia less likely to find us.

Lincoln: Okay. I hope I get to see my family again.

Me: You will, Lincoln. You will.

The two of us go inside, where I put up my Netflix and get Lincoln to sit down with me and see Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.

Okay. Now, THIS is where things take a somewhat odd direction. I guess you could say that things are going off the rails. I still need a way to make this work the way it is but better. I still have lots of ideas and hope to accomplish that in the long run.