- "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE STUCK AND COULDN'T GO AND FIGHT HIM?!" -Luna yelled at Lincoln through the phone.
- "Exactly that. I was stuck with Lucy, Jordan, and her parents and couldn't go and fight that guy." -Lincoln explained her as calmly as he could.
- "Lincoln! You promised!" -Luna claimed, still angry, but trying to compose herself.
- "I know." -Lincoln sighed.
- "YOU PROMISED!" -
- "I KNOW!" -
Their talk was heating up but Lincoln took a deep breath and calmed down. - "Did you see all the damage he caused? All the destruction? All the… the deaths?" -He asked her, sniffing at the last question.
- "Of course, I did! It's all over the news and social media! Fifty deaths and counting, millions of dollars in damage on buildings, on the streets, cars smashed, buses torn apart. The guy turned a couple of streets in a war zone in a few hours and no one could stop him, no one could even see him! He was just too fast. Whatever he has to fly, it's too damn fast. People realized he was there when the bombs he dropped exploded and not before! Lincoln, he is way out of your league." -Luna tried to convince him.
- "How do you know that? We haven't fought. What if I am the only one who can see him, fight him and stop him? Maybe we're on the same league. Maybe he's a worthy opponent, my nemesis, you know. Maybe I am the only one capable to stop him. But I won't know if I don't try it." -Lincoln tried to be as logical as possible, but…
- "Lincoln, don't even dare. I know all your negotiation techniques. You won't convince me this time. Let the police handle this." -Luna stated firmly.
'Dang it!', thought Lincoln and Luna continued. - "You're used to handle muggers and random criminals. This guy is something serious. He won't doubt in killing anyone on his way to get what he wants." -Luna said worried.
- "That's why he has to be stopped as soon as possible." -Lincoln stated and Luna fell silent, so Lincoln thought he could keep going. - "The police couldn't stop him this time. What makes you think they'll be capable to do it the next time, or the next one? I know you're worried for me. I know you're afraid I get hurt or worse, but everyone in this city has the same fear for their loved ones. I may have a chance to stop him and…" -Luna interrupted him.
- "What if you fail? What if you die? Have you thought about that? What if… after defeating you he undercovers your ID and shows it to the world? What will happen to us then?! Have you thought about it? What if that guy kills you and our family will have to handle your death and the media stalking us, asking if we knew, if one of us is like you? And the criminals looking for revenge, even if you're dead already, they'd may try something to hurt us even more. What would mom and dad do then? What would your friends do then? Huh! Have you thought about anything like that?! HAVE YOU?!" -Lincoln could hear her crying freely while telling him all that. He gulped and sighed, and gulped again. He didn't know what to say at that moment, those thoughts crossed his mind from time to time, along with another one right after them, which gave him his answer for her.
- "That's why I don't fail." -He said calmly, with a broad smile on his lips. Luna kept crying, but said nothing. - "That's why, every single time I fall, I get up again, and again, and again. It doesn't matter how hard I fall, I ALWAYS! Get up again." -His voice and tone were so tender and secure, that his self-esteem improved and Luna stopped crying. - "Don't worry sis, I'll be fine and…" -He again was interrupted.
- "If you fight him, I'll tell mom and dad right away." -She threatened.
- "WHAT?!" -Lincoln was astonished.
- "As you heard me, Lincoln! If you go and fight that monster, even if you defeat him, I'll turn you up on mom and dad." -She threatened again.
Lincoln was astonished, he couldn't believe her words. After a few moments of awkward silence, he sighed again. - "How could you do that to me Luna?" -He asked her with a dry voice. - "How could you do that?!" -
- "I'm trying to protect you!" -Luna cried again.
- "And I'm trying to protect Royal Woods! No one knows what's going on! The only thing that matters is to stop that guy! Someone has to do it! And…" -He was interrupted again.
- "And why does it have to be you?!" -She asked him. That question took him by surprise, but he managed to give another good answer.
- "Because maybe I'm the only one who can do it." -He said seriously, too seriously.
Luna didn't know what else to say to convince him to don't go after that guy, his tone took her off guard, she realized that no matter what she does, he'll try to stop that guy.
- "You promised it! Remember that. YOU. PROMISED. IT!" -She reminded him again and sniffed. - "Good luck little bro. Bye." -She said and hung up before Lincoln could say anything else.
- "By… e… Luna." -Lincoln tried to say good bye to her anyway. He turned to the viewer with a sad look. - "She must be crying even more now. I hope Sam is there to comfort her." -He said and sighed again. - "You understand, don't you?" -He asked the viewer. - "This is something I have to do, right?" -He expected some sort of answer coming from the viewer. - "I mean… you'd do the same if you were on my place, don't you?" -He again waited for an answer. After a couple of seconds, he smiled. - "I knew I could count on you." -He said.
He went downstairs to meet his family again, all of them were in front of the T.V., watching the special news broadcast about the attack. He sat between Lucy and Lana and watched how a reporter was standing a few yards in front of a burning building while the firemen were trying to turn the fire off, beside him, recorded images about what happened were shown too.
Lincoln could see how the guy flew at top speed through the buildings, laughing and dropping bombs behind him, which exploded a few seconds later. He kept laughing while people ran away from him and the explosions, a few police officers shot him and most of them missed, and those who hit him, didn't hurt him, 'it seems he wears some sort of armor', Lincoln noted.
Then the guy picked up a police man with just one hand and slammed him against a wall, which broke behind the officer, 'He's quite strong and wears a mask to cover his face', Lincoln noted in those few seconds the guy was torturing the officer.
The masked guy pulled a big blade from under his sleeve and stabbed the police in the stomach, after that, the masked guy laughed again and went up with his glider, holding the police against the wall all the time, when they got to the top he pulled the police over his shoulder, with one hand and threw him to the floor. The police's head smashed against the pavement and he didn't move anymore. 'He knows how to fight, has a variety of weapons, maybe the glider has weapons or guns too, and feels no remorse for his actions'. Lincoln noted everything he could notice about this guy, everything he could use as info, and maybe, give him some advantage. Unfortunately, that was the only video from him where could be seen his armor and movements, all the others were about the explosions, the chaos, the screams, the fires, the blood and the… the deaths, so Lincoln had very little to work with. He took a glimpse around and saw how his mom cried and covered Lilly's face most of the time. His father was shaking, with a very serious look on his face, every one of his sisters were crying silently too.
Then, the broadcast changed its main line. Still showing the images about the attack over and over again, the main line changed from 'WHAT HAPPENED IN ROYAL WOODS AND WHO WAS THAT GUY?' to 'WHERE WAS SPIDER-MAN WHEN WE NEEDED HIM?' Now, the second most important news were about the missing Spider-man, who didn't come to help Royal Woods, people feeling betrayed, outraged and disappointed. Lincoln felt like puking watching this, some interviews to people that were there, waiting for Spider-man, expecting him, but he didn't come. There was a video about one and a half minute where a guy was filming the attack and repeated over and over again, 'Spider-man is coming, you'll see, everyone will see, at any moment, Spider-man will come and kick that guy's ass, you'll see…' The video finished after a nearby explosion and the guy ran away, with his phone in hand. He yelled 'WHERE ARE YOU?!' before cutting the video.
- "I… don't understand! Where the heck was him?" -Lynn Senior asked to no one, loud enough for all his family to hear.
- "M… Maybe he was somewhere else, helping someone else and… and couldn't make it on time." -Lola suggested and Lana agreed with her.
- "That's not possible. Even if he was busy somewhere else, he could have come at some point, maybe even after that guy left, but it didn't happen, he didn't come late, he just didn't come at all." -Luan said with a shaking voice. She was holding her tears.
- "Th… There's no point in wondering what happened to Spider-man or why didn't he go to stop that guy anymore. There's nothing anyone can do about it. We have to be thankful that all of us are safe, and try to do something to help people around the city, and the city itself." -Rita said while cradling a sleepy Lilly. The whole family nodded.
After the broadcast finished, they all decided to go to sleep, but Lincoln stayed awake, on his bed, feeling bad for not being there to help. He was just lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling in the dark, thinking about what could have happened if he was there to fight. Maybe he could have saved a few people and buildings, maybe he could have taken the fight somewhere else where nobody could get hurt, maybe… maybe… knock, knock, knock, someone knocked at his door.
- "Come in." -He said quietly.
As quietly as she could, Lisa got into the room. - "What's wrong Lisa? Can't sleep? Would you like to stay with me tonight?" -Lincoln asked her with a tender voice, a warm smile and open arms.
- "Th… That would be nice." -Lisa answered and got into the bed to be embraced by Lincoln, who didn't waste time and kissed her on the forehead, making her giggle. They hugged each other covered by the blanket.
- "How did you know it was me?" -Lisa asked him.
- "I saw you." -He answered kindly.
- "How? It's pretty dark." -
- "Well, I could see your silhouette, each one of you have a well-defined body shape and hairstyle that can be recognized, even in the dark." - Lincoln said, but the truth is, he has night-vision, another power he developed. So, he could see her as well as in the day.
- "You know, there are plenty of animals which can see in the dark, as good or even better as in the day, some of them are spiders." -She inquired, taking Lincoln hands in hers.
- "Really! That's interesting Lisa. But I think is too late in the night to talk about something like that." -Lincoln tried to avoid the subject.
- "Sigh… You weren't scared or terrified about what happened today at the city, you were angry, sad and disappointed." -Lisa explained.
- "Yeah! Because…" -Lincoln started but she interrupted him.
- "Because you couldn't do anything, right Spider-man?!" -She asked him and Lincoln opened his eyes as wide as he could and noticed that she was looking straight at his eyes, tears starting to form in hers.
- "Lisa I… I don't know what are you talking about…" -He tried to cover up but she interrupted him again.
- "You weren't watching the broadcast; you were studying the enemy! You took note of his moves and weaponry, don't you? DON'T YOU?!" -Lisa almost yelled.
- "Lisa! Please calm down. You'll awake the others." -
- "Then tell me the truth! Tell me the truth now or I'll make such a tantrum that everyone will come running and I'll turn you up to them!" -Lisa was dead serious.
Lincoln turned to the viewer. - "Really?! Twice in the same chapter?!" -He asked annoyed.
Author talking to him: - "This fanfic is named PLOT TWIST for a reason, my friend."-Lincoln rolled his eyes and turned back to Lisa, who had tears falling already. - "Sigh… ok Lisa, you win, damn your intelligence." -He took a moment to get up and turn on the light, then he went to the secret spot on the wall and opened it to take his suit and showed it to her. - "I am Spider-man." -
Lisa stood there, sitting on Lincoln's bed, looking at him and the suit in his hands, then she noticed all the bruises and scars on his upper body. More tears came and fell freely from her eyes.
- "I… sniff… I really hoped to…sniff… to be wrong this… gulp… this time…waahh!" -Lisa stuttered and cried freely. Lincoln didn't waste time and hugged her tightly.
- "Shhh… It's ok sis. Everything's ok. Everything will be ok." -he tried to calm her down, but she kept crying.
- "How?! How is everything going to be ok? You… You are planning to fight that… that monster and… and you… sniff… you don't know if you can defeat him or… or have a plan to do it. Do you?" -Lisa said, she was really worried for him.
Lincoln didn't know what to say, because she was right. He didn't know how to defeat him, neither had a plan to do so.
- "I knew it! You have no idea what to do!" -Lisa cried even more and Lincoln just could tighten his grip on her, kissing her forehead.
- "Don't worry sis. I'll think of something." -He took a moment to sooth her. - "Or rather, we'll think of something." -He looked straight at her eyes with a warm look and smile.
- "R… really?" -she wiped her tears and smiled back at him.
- "Yeah! Now that you know it, you can help me and we can figure out something to defeat that guy." -Lincoln kept smiling at her.
- "But… What would we do if you get badly hurt or… or?"-Lisa couldn't finish her sentence.
Lincoln kissed her forehead again and seated her on his lap.
- "That ain't happening. I'll defeat him, no matter what. And with your help, it will be easier to do so." -He assured her and started to cradle her. It seemed to work, because Lisa calmed down little by little. After a while she calmed down resting her head on his chest. She looked at him in the eyes.
- "I'll do my best to help you out. But you have to promise me something." -
- "I'm not going to get hurt or die. I promise." -Lincoln said annoyed, but Lisa just stared at him. - "What?" -
- "Who else knows?" -She asked him crossing her arms.
Lincoln opened his eyes widely. - "W… What?" -He tried to play dumb, but Lisa's stare overtook him. - "Sigh… Luna. Luna knows." -Lincoln said defeated.
Lisa seemed surprised at first, but took a deep breath and asked him. - "Did you tell her?" -
- "Not at all, she discovered it by herself due to a carelessness of mine." -Lincoln explained.
- "How come?" -
- "I left my suit under the bed instead of putting it into 'the save box' and got to take a shower, I forgot to lock my room's door and the bathroom's door and she got into the bathroom and saw some bruises on me, then she checked in my room and found the suit under my bed. She told me before leaving to New York and promised to keep the secret." -Lincoln explained her.
Lisa sighed in relief. - "Uff! For a moment I thought Luna outsmarted me, but she was just lucky." -
- "That's what worries you? To be outsmarted?" -Lincoln asked her lifting an eyebrow.
Lisa blushed and giggled. He smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead again. - "So, what do you want me to promise?" -He asked her.
- "You have to promise me to not let anyone else to discover your secret ID and to let me do you some tests to find out what caused you this." -
- "Hmm… I say yes to the first one, but I have a request for the second one." -
- "What is it?" -
- "YOU WON'T! By any circumstances, try, to do this to yourself, or anyone else, human, animal, plant, mushroom, bacteria, garbage, willing or unwillingly, living or dead being, in this house, city, state, country, continent, world, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe or multiverse, EVER!" -Lincoln finished looking straight at her eyes with a serious stare.
- "That's… very specific." -She stuttered.
- "I won't take any risk with you on this matter sis. I want to protect you and everyone else. And this isn't a negotiation. Take it or leave it sis. If you don't agree with this, I'm not letting you do any test of any kind." -He kept his stare on her and she understood he was serious. She didn't like it but she didn't want to miss the chance to make some tests on him.
- "Fine, I agree." -She extended her hand to him and he took it, they sealed their deal with a handshake.
- "So, do you still want to stay here for the night?" -He asked her nicely.
She took a moment to think about it and nodded. - "I have to admit that being by your side is quite comfortable." -She smiled.
- "Then make some space sis, we're a lot bigger than when I was eleven and you were four years old." -He said while getting into bed beside her. He hugged her and kept her comfortable. He stayed awake until she fell asleep with a warm smile on her lips, he kissed her on the forehead again and tried to sleep a little, but he kept thinking about what to do with that guy.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- "LINCOLN! WAKE UP! IT'S ALMOST 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!" -Lincoln jumped on his bed at hearing his mom's voice yelling at him. He tried to get up but he felt something, or rather, someone clung at his left arm. He looked at his little sister Lisa, sleeping peacefully on his bed, using his arm as pillow. He smiled at her and very carefully made her release his arm and put her on his pillow, covered with the bedsheets and left her sleep. He put on his shirt, pants and shoes and went out of his room, closing the door slowly and carefully, to not wake her up.
He rubbed his left arm to get over the numbness he had, and suddenly, he thought about something that made him blush hard. He was like a red tomato. He pictured himself in the same situation, but with Jordan instead of Lucy. 'How would it be to wake up by her side? How would it be, to wake up on a Saturday morning and one of the first things I see, is her face, sleeping, using my arm as a pillow?' He thought about it and the simple idea made him feel happy, pleased and excited, excited in many ways. 'Maybe the night before we… we may have… no! no! no! no!' He waved his head, trying to avoid those thoughts, something proper of a teen, so he failed, he remembered those times when they were at the director's office, and at her house, when she seemed to want it, to be with him. 'Well… she wanted it' he thought and that excited him even more. His body was reacting and his boner was getting in the way. His pants couldn´t help him to hide it, so, instead of going downstairs he went to the bathroom, he was lucky enough to find it available and locked the door behind him. He took deep breaths and went to the sink to splash his face with cold water, he went to pee hoping for it to help him to get rid of it, he tried to think about something he didn't like to get distracted, but nothing helped, his thoughts went back to Jordan, he imagined her wearing swimsuits and lingerie, and the dress she bought that day in the mall, when they met. Then he imagined her naked, wanting him, asking him to do whatever he wants to her. He was getting to his limit, breathing hard, he even took off his pants and splashed his crotch with cold water but it didn't work either. He was about to lose it. 'I guess I'll have to do it the traditional way'. He thought, surrendering to his hormones, he took some toilet paper and left himself go, thinking about Jordan, he started to pleasure himself. After a few minutes he was getting to it, imagining her naked then and there, telling him to keep going, he asking her to keep it quiet or his family would find them, she telling him that makes it even better, the risk to be found in the act.
Lincoln was really getting to it, enjoying his time when someone knocked at the door. 'DANG IT!' he screamed internally. - "Y… Yes?!" -He managed to answer.
- "Sorry Linc, but I'm in a hurry. I have a tennis match today and I need to get ready." -Lynn said at the other side, and suddenly, Lynn's face replaced Jordan's face in Lincoln's mind. He had to suppress a yell at that moment. The shock made him lose all the excitement and enthusiasm. He wasn't in the mood anymore, his tomboyish sister ruined it and he was frustrated at first, but then he thought again and decided that it was for the best, his instincts and heat recoiled and he calmed down. He sighed in frustration. Dropped the toilet paper into the trash bin, put on his pants again, washed his hands and splashed his face again, just to be sure, dried of his hands and face and opened the door. - "All yours sis." -He said to his sister with a forced smile.
She noticed it and as usually, she used the chance to bother him. - "What's the matter stinkin?! Were you jacking off in there?" -
Lincoln blushed again, this time in embarrassment, but shrugged it off fast and countered. - "Maybe." -He said carelessly, smiling and leaning on her.
Now it was Lynn who blushed in embarrassment and pushed him away. - "Pervert!" -She said and got into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
He smirked and thought 'Pfff… As if she didn't jill off from time to time. Well, that would make her back off for a while.' He went downstairs to greet his family. - "Hey guys." -
His parents and Lana greeted back but didn't look at him. The rest of his sister greeted him and looked at him while he took a seat to take breakfast. - "So, what's the plan for today?" -He asked while serving himself a plate of scrambled eggs with some bacon, orange juice, milk and a bread bun with butter.
- "Not much. We're going to the restaurant to make food and then, take it to the disaster zone and give it to people working there, and to the hospital to do the same." -Luan said. - "You coming?" -She asked him and finished her breakfast.
- "Yeah! Sure!" -He started to eat and looked at Lilly, who seemed sad. - "What's wrong Lilly?" -He asked her.
- "Everyone is sad and angy. No one wants to play with me. And Lisa wasn't there when I woke up." -The little girl answered.
- "Well, yeah. Everyone is stressed after what happened yesterday, Lilly, and are trying to figure out what to do to help. And about Lisa, she was scared last night and went to my room to ask me if she could stay with me. She's still sleeping on my bed." -He said smiling at her and she smiled back.
- "Oh! Ok then, I thought she was angy at me again." -She was again a cheerful four years old girl.
Lincoln kept eating and looking at his parents, who were troubled. - "What's wrong?"- he asked them. They looked at him and sighed. - "Sorry son, we're still wondering what happened at the city." -His dad said and he nodded.
- "Yeah! It was awful. But things will get better. That guy will be stopped, that's for sure." -
- "Why are you so sure?" -His mom asked him.
- "Because he has to be stopped. Someone will do it." -
- "THE ONE WE EXPECTED TO STOP HIM DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP! HE WAS SCARED! BWAA!" -Lana yelled out of nowhere and started to cry her eyes out. She was really disappointed and angry.
Lincoln didn't waste time and went to comfort her, along with their parents, in a group hug.
- "Easy Lana, easy. We all are disappointed of Spiderman." -Lynn senior said. Lana sniffed and Lincoln grunted. - "But that's what happens when we become so dependable on others. The moment we need them, they aren't there." -
- "And we became extremely dependable on Spider-man. We don't know why he didn't show up. But he didn't; and that's a fact. Now we have to figure it out what to do to help people, and get over it." -Rita said and kissed her on the forehead. The girl just kept crying and sobbing.
- "That's right! No one knows why he didn't show up. Maybe he had some trouble or was stuck somewhere else, or had to help someone far away from there and couldn't come in time. Or… or…" -Lincoln started, but he stopped when he saw the way they were looking at him.
They were mad and disappointed, and didn't expect him to cheer for Spiderman either. - "What?" -He asked confused.
- "Do you still trust in him? After all that has happened?" -Lana asked him.
- "Y… You can't blame him for not being there. I… I mean… He wasn't there and…" -Lana interrupted him.
- "AND HE SHOULD HAVE! HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE! HE SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT HIM! HE SHOULD… should… but... but… BUT HE DIDN'T! HE WAS AFRAID! HE'S A COWARD! I… I shouldn't have idolized him that much. I should have known. I should… I should…" -Lana cried even more.
Lincoln felt really bad, not just for Lana's disappointing on Spiderman, but for Spiderman too, for himself. Now people will think he's a coward and that he didn't fight that guy because he was afraid of him. Now, Royal Woods trust in Spiderman has sunk to the bottom. 'It doesn't matter how many times I'd be there for them; they'll judge me for the time I'm not there.' Lincoln thought sadly. 'I have to make it up to them. I have to stop that guy.' He thought next.
- "I firmly think that Spiderman couldn't come in time because something stopped him." -They all heard Lisa's voice and turned to look at her standing at the doorframe. She just woke up, wearing her pajama and messy hair. She took a seat beside Lily and took her breakfast.
- "Do you really think so?" -Lana asked her, wiping her eyes.
- "I'm sure of it. Next time. Spiderman will stop that guy before he causes too much damage." -She smiled at her and Lana smiled back.
Everyone got back to their activities and Lincoln glimpsed at Lisa and she winked at him with a smile, he smiled back.
- "Why did you wink at Lincoln?" -Lilly asked her and both kids gasped. Especially Lisa. She didn't expect her little sister to see her.
- "Ahm… Well… I… I winked at him as a thanks for letting me sleep on his bed last night. I was extremely comfortable and all the fear I had, vanished really fast when he hugged me and l fell asleep almost immediately." -Lisa explained and Lilly agreed to her. Both kids sighed in relief.
- "I wan to sleep with Lincoln tonite!" -Lisa said cheerfully and everyone tried to hold their laughter. After a few seconds Rita calmed enough to talk to Lilly.
- "Lilly, sweetie, you still pee on your bed at night. You can't stay with anyone yet, not until you learn to control yourself at night." -She explained.
- "But I wan to sleep with Lincoln!" -she whined and pouted. Rita sighed and tried to explain it to Lilly again, but Lincoln interrupted.
- "I have no problem with that. She's my little sister, I used to have naps with my big sisters all the time. It's only fair that I have naps with my little sisters too." -He said smiling and turned to Lilly. - "And just like Lori told me once. 'As long as you go to the bathroom before going to bed and wear your training underwear, you can stay with me.'" -
- "Yay!" -Lilly celebrated and Rita sighed in agreement.
- "Are you sure about it?" -Rita asked Lincoln and he nodded. - "Fair enough." -
After that, Lynn and Rita went to get ready for the day, while the kids finished their breakfasts. Lincoln was taking his sister's dishes and his own to the sink when they heard Lynn screaming. - "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S CANCELLED?! But… Then when… yeah… ok… thank you for calling… yeah… See you… Bye." -She said while going downstairs. All her siblings looking at her. Then she blushed. - "My match was cancelled." -She said with sadness. She was already dressed for it, with a light blue shirt and a white knee long skirt, she had white shorts below the skirt, her hair in her usual braid, light blue socks that reached below her knees and white sneakers.
- "I'm sorry Lynn, wan a hug?" -Lilly offered, going to her big sister with open arms, Lynn kneeled and picked her up, taking the hug and kissing her on the cheek, the girl giggled. - "You feel betta?" -Lilly asked her.
- "A little bit." -Lynn said smiling at her, but she was still disappointed, and Lilly noticed it.
- "Uh! I know! You can come and sleep with me and Lincoln on his bed tonight!" -Lilly said in ALL her childish innocence.
- "W… What?!" -Lynn asked her, blushing hard in embarrassment. Lincoln was as red as her.
- "Yeah! Lisa slept with him last night because she was scared and she's fine now! Maybe sleep with Lincoln will make you feel betta!" -Lilly insisted.
- "I… I don't think that's necessary Lilly. Besides, my room is the smallest one. There's barely enough room for two people, and that'd be you and me tonight." -Lincoln explained her, standing beside Lynn, who was still holding the toddler in her arms.
- "ouh!" -Lilly pouted and Lynn and Lincoln sighed in relief, while Lana, Lisa and Luan were trying to hold their laughter. - "Then you go tonite and I do it tomoro." -Lilly suggested again, making her big brother and sister explode in embarrassment and the other three girls burst in laughter. - "What? What is so funny?" -Lilly asked dumbfounded.
- "Come with me Lilly, I'll explain it to you." -Luan said, taking Lilly from Lynn and leaving them there. Lisa went to the bathroom, still laughing. And Lana stayed there, looking at them, seeing their embarrassment, avoiding eye contact and keeping from each other, when they noticed she was looking at them. - "WHAT?!" -They asked her at the same time.
Lana giggled. - "You know, for a brief moment, when you were carrying Lilly, you three looked like a cute family." -She said and left hurriedly, before they could yell at her.
Then, Lynn and Lincoln looked at each other and looked away immediately. - "I… I gotta help dad." - Lincoln said.
- "Yeah! You go. I gotta change clothes again." -Lynn said and went back to her room.
'I have to admit she looks good in her tennis outfit' Lincoln thought, then he waved his head from side to side and looked angrily at the viewer.
Author talking. - "I'm not doing anything beyond this, but I gotta fill certain fan service quota." -Lincoln rolled his eyes again and went to talk to his dad.
- "Hey dad, need a hand?" -He asked him getting into the kitchen
- "Uh… Yeah. Help me get those potato sacks into vanzilla, please." -He pointed at the bunch of sacks, Lincoln looked at them and sighed. He picked one with each hand and was about to take them out.
- "What are you doing?!" -His dad stopped him.
- "What?" -He asked dumbfounded.
- "Lincoln. Each one of those are about 50 pounds each one. Just carry one at a time. You could get hurt or get a hernia." -Lynn senior warned him, he was really worried for him.
- "B… But…" -Lincoln tried to protest.
- "Listen son. I know you've become bigger and stronger. You're in a good shape at 15. But you're still a kid. You have to try and acknowledge your limits. There will be moments when you think you can do almost anything without consequences, but that's not true. Do not let the hormones and teen arrogance take the best of you. I know it's hard because you can't control them, but before you do something stupid, try to take a deep breath and think twice about what you want to do, and what's the best to do. Do you get it?" -He asked him and Lincoln nodded. - "And I'm not telling you this just for your own sake, but for the people's sake around you too." -The man put a hand over Lincoln's shoulder and smiled at him. They looked at each other and Lincoln nodded. - "Very well then, help me with the sacks, but take just one at a time, ok?" -
- "Ok dad." -Lincoln answered and picked one of the sacks over his shoulder and took it to the van. - "Sigh… I actually can carry all the sacks at the same time, but that could blow my whole cover in an instant, right?" -He asked to the viewer, smiling cockily. - "I knew it." -He said, considering that the viewer nodded at him.
Lincoln kept carrying the sacks one by one, and when he was carrying the fifth one. - "Just two more to go." -He left the sack in the van and went back for another. When he got to the doorframe he met with Lynn, who changed back to her usual outfit and was carrying another sack. When their eyes met, they gulped, blushed and looked away. Lincoln moved aside and let her pass. He picked up the last sack and carried it to vanzilla, while he heard his dad picking a phone call. He was getting there and saw how Lynn put the sack inside the van and went straight into the house by the main door, without even looking at him. He decided to shrug it off and let it go. He left the last sack in the van and went back to the kitchen. - "Hey dad! Do you need anything else?" -He asked getting into the kitchen. He found all his relatives there. - "What's going on?" -He asked them, feeling a little nervous.
- "Oh! Nothing dear. It's just that we didn't plan this so well and now we can't go to the restaurant together." -His mom explained, not very convincing, with tears on her eyes, and Lincoln noticed it.
- "Oh! Well. We can always make extra trips, that's not an issue." -He smiled at her and she forced a smile back. Then, all of them laughed uncomfortably. - "No, seriously, what's going on?" -He asked again, getting serious, and everyone got serious too.
- "Sigh…" -His dad took a deep breath. - "Your grandpa is missing." -He said looking straight at Lincoln.
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A/N: Guess what! I got a cover for the fic! TvT. It's from SamFlair deviantart page. She allowed me to borrow her pic and use it as a cover.
Unfortunately, before I uploaded this chapter, SamFlair account was disabled, but I still have to thank her for such a good pic from Lincoln.
Also. Merry Christmas and Happy new year for everyone.