Without Sin: All Star Edition

by Catspeaker

Lincoln Loud struggles to make ends meet as a comic book artist. His sisters have all gone on to better things, all except Lisa, just released from Prison. An experiment designed to get her back into the limelight sends him to a dimension where he has children with his sisters. These unthinkable circumstances are his new reality. Inspired by Red Herald's story.

16. Chapter 16

Cat's Corner: Hey everyone! New Chapter! Originally, Red and I were writing a chapter together, but we decided it'd be best to separate them. So this one is all me, and there's some major revelations in it! I hope you enjoy the ride!

I'm moving into my new home in August and I'm also working on "The Lewdest House" Visual Novel, but this story remains important to me!

As I always say, reviews, comments, criticisms are always welcome!

17 years ago

Lincoln laid back on the large sofa located in his family living room, an issue of Secret Agent: David Steele, clutched between his hands. School was out, his homework was done, and he had a few carefree hours to indulge his comic book reading hobby before dinner would be ready.

Lincoln was an avid fan of comic books of all stripes, typical Superhero fare being what he regularly digested…however lately, David Steele comics were quickly becoming one of his favorites. To a point he almost felt guilty he was betraying his long time superhero fave, Ace Savvy. He still loved Savvy, still got every issue of Ace and Jack, the solo titles, the new Full Deck comic… He still loved the superhero world and all it's over the top action and soap opera storylines…

But lately there was just something about the gritty secret Agent he enjoyed reading.

Steele's stories were more…mature.

Yes, that was the word.

And not just because there was more bloodshed, swearing and titillation. The plots were also more complicated, with double crosses, politics, questions on human rights and government overreach, war crimes, hardmen making hard decisions, on top of cool gadgets and visceral combat that was more brutal than what was in Savvy.

He hadn't really understood the appeal when he was younger. There were issues of David Steele where the action didn't even happen until the last page or so. When he was younger, he didn't understand how a tense game of poker ending with only one person getting shot on the last page was awesome. But now, he could understand consequences more, he could understand payoff more. He could get building tension, the idea of something in the background building up more and more overtime until it all shatters at once!

He'd recently turned 12 and with that, a budding sense of being able to understand things like subtext had emerged. He understood the stakes in the poker game Steele played, and the shot coming at the end was deafening in its implications! Quite frankly, Lincoln felt a little more 'sophisticated' as a comic book fan, being able to enjoy David Steele.

Plus, it connected him to his Dad and Grandpa Leonard. Steele was an old character one even older than his Grandpa Leonard, and both men before him had grown up being fans of the secret agent, passing it down from three generations of father and son. His Dad would even ask him about current storylines, villains and side characters. They would have fun speculating together or talking about which 'femme fatale' was the best partner for Agent Steele. He'd even picked up a couple of older collected editions his Dad had recommended.

Being a fan of David Steele represented a marked change in Lincoln Loud's life.

One of only many as of late.

More than just turning 12, starting middle school and broadening his comic book tastes, there had been changes at home that began to affect him.

Starting with some of his sisters leaving home.

Big sister Lori had gone off to college. Where once she was just down the hall, now she was hours away. Where once she had driven him around town, now he only saw her on the occasional weekend. Lincoln hadn't realized just how much he was going to miss her until she was gone…and he'd even found himself tearing up as he recalled her comforting and wise presence no longer being around whenever he needed.

Lori had been the first of them, she was the eldest and she had the most experience. Lori had already tread the paths before them, and she was always there to tell her younger siblings what to expect or how to handle a situation… but now that knowledge was far away. The big sister who always remained calm in a crisis was no longer around. Leni had done an admirable job of stepping up, but it was strange knowing he would live in this house for years to come, but Lori likely never would again.

Then there was changes with his best friend Ronnie Anne… She'd started middle school as well, and he'd noticed a marked change in her as well. Something that seemed different from the typical friend who loved videogames like him, and skateboarding.

His feelings for Ronnie had become, complicated as of late. He was keenly aware she was a girl, more than ever, and it threw his questions about her into realms that made his heart beat so very fast.

Even when he reflected on the brief time they were 'boyfriend and girlfriend' in 5th grade… it seemed so innocent. Something he was only playing at with her. Now though when he thought of kissing her, holding her hand, and dating her…a whole host of other feelings came over him. Now, he wanted to know what it would be like to REALLY kiss her.

It was hard to believe she'd been gone for over a year now. But lately It felt like there was an important decision regarding her soon he had to make…and Ronnie, for her part, seemed as if she was waiting for him to make that decision. It was an unspoken undercurrent every time they talked. A tension and energy between them. He had a feeling his decision regarding her would affect his entire life moving forward…

Which is why he was putting it off.

Even if he also knew Ronnie wouldn't wait forever for him.

Lincoln knew his childhood was starting to vanish in the rearview mirror…his teen years were coming up, far faster than he thought they would.

He'd even begun feeling… different… when it came to his sisters too. It was hard to explain, but he was more aware of them being girls as well. The need for his own room had become apparent when he'd started jacking it… something he had done when he was 11, but rarely… Only for it to morph into something he did basically every day.

The last thing he wanted was for them to know he was doing *THAT* of all things.

More than though even, whereas his sisters were once just… his sisters, who he loved with all his heart… Now he was also aware they were girls, with soft hair, beautiful smelling skin, girl parts, and girl emotions. Even the most tomboyish of his sisters, Lana, Lynn and Lisa… were still so feminine in ways he hadn't really noticed until now. To say nothing of his older sisters who had developed boobs and butts that he was all too aware of more than ever.

Which meant he couldn't cuddle with them like he did before…He couldn't hug them, or rough house or play with them in ways he had in the past. Whereas before he could do so completely innocently, without his body betraying him, one session where Leni had pulled him into a crushing hug, with his face buried between her tits had caused him to get erect no matter how many times he'd yelled 'Don't you dare!' in his head.

And it was more than just being hugged by them…

Luna walking around in her panties in the morning, watching her make out with Sam… Luan coming out of the shower in just a towel…Lynn after a sweaty work out where her clothes were clinging to her skin curves and softness, he was all too aware of… Even in Lynn's case when she forced him to still wrestle with her.

Sex and Girls were more on his mind than ever before…He looked at girls at school in a different light. Girl Jordan and Stella had been in his fantasies… and the fact his own home was basically hot girl heaven didn't help at all…

Even if all those 'hot girls' that were his sisters were going to end up leaving the home, one by one…

That was a really depressing thought.

It was bad enough when Lisa left, but Lori was even further away. Leni would be the next one to go, followed by Luan and Lynn until he would leave… not only cutting himself away from his elder sisters, but his younger ones too…

They'd all leave and get lives of their owns… and the happy times he had being so connected to them, spending so much time with them, and being so close would be over. He wouldn't matter anymore, he wouldn't be special as their only brother. They'd get other guys in their life, friends and lovers that would mean he wouldn't be anywhere near as important to them.

Lincoln hadn't even noticed tears had begun to run down his cheeks and his chest was hurting something awful now. He'd read the same word bubble in his comic over and over without it making sense he was so distracted.

Well, he was aware of what he was doing now. He cleared his throat, choked those feelings down and wiped at his eyes.

He didn't want anyone in the house to catch him crying. That'd be a silly and awkward conversation, to have, 'Yeah I'm sad because I'm realizing we're all growing up.' He was supposed to be getting older, he didn't want his family seeing him as some little baby that couldn't handle changes.

As he tried to focus on the comic and put these thoughts out of his head the front door of the house suddenly flew open causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

He turned in his seat towards the sound of the commotion only to see Luan coming in. The girl kicked her shoes off wordlessly, her head downcast as she said nothing.

He was about to call out to her when her appearance caught him completely off guard.

Her hair was disheveled, out of its usual ponytail, hanging limply in long almost curly strands around her cheeks. Cheeks that were covered in ruined, smeared make up, running down to her chin. An obvious sign she had been crying. Her gaze was staring forward at nothing, and she was ever so slightly shaking. Her clothes had stains of dirt and leaves on them, as if she'd fallen down. One of her knees was skinned and bleeding.

To say she looked terrible was an understatement.

Lincoln's voice came in a soft, shocked tone, "Luan…what happened?"

Luan turned and looked at him, and in a moment that broke his heart and made him love her more than he ever had…. She smiled.

He knew it was just for him. She was trying not to make him worry. She didn't want her little brother to worry, and he could tell it was hurting her so much just to do so.

"Oh, nothing much Lincoln!" She croaked through a dry voice, before adding "I promised him I wouldn't be celery!"

Lincoln just stared back at his sister, confusion on his face…

"I swore I wouldn't stalk him! Get it?" Then she gave a forced laugh, one that became more and more bitter…before tears were running down her cheeks, and she managed to squeak out another "Get it?!," before she started sobbing again.

And then Luan ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and Lincoln heard the door to the room she and Luna shared slamming shut.

Something bad had happened, and you didn't need to be a genius to figure out what it probably was. Luna was out in the garage, Lincoln was the first one to see his sister like this, it fell to him to be the first one to check on her.

Without hesitation Lincoln got up, and made his way up the stairs quickly, taking them two at a time as well, before he arrived at the upstairs hall that contained the rooms of all the Loud children. Standing outside of Luna and Luan's bedroom he put his ear to the door and listened close.

The room was silent, all except for the soft sound of quiet sniffling and crying, muffled by what was most likely a pillow.

It was time to comfort his sister. That was the sibling protocol he and his sisters had laid out for one another. If any of them came home crying, it was up to the first sibling who noticed to find out what was wrong, offer comfort, and then alert the others.

Lincoln pulled back and then gently wrapped his knuckles on the door, "Luan? Luan, I'm here. What happened?"

There was a pause in the crying, complete silence for but a moment, before Luan's voice responded in a gentle whine, "Go away!"

Lincoln sighed. He knew he wasn't going to leave her alone in this moment. None of his sisters would do that for him, or one another. Not right now like this.

"Luan, I'm worried, I just want to talk to you."

Her voice came again, but he could tell there wasn't really any fight in it, "I don't care! I want to be alone…" This followed by the sounds of her sniffling and crying again.

Lincoln waited just a moment longer before his hand went down to the doorknob, and he spoke while turning it, "Luan, I'm coming in."

The door was unlocked, a sign Luan most likely did not want to be left completely alone. The young man opened it, and stepped in, before closing the door behind him.

His sister was on the bunk bed she shared with Luna, the bottom bunk, laying tummy down, her face buried in her pillow and shrouded by her long golden brown hair. Her leg warmers were askew, and her plaid yellow skirt was pushed up around her thighs from fidgeting.

She didn't look at him, he could tell she was probably feeling embarrassed on top of her obvious sorrow. But now was the time to make her know she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Lincoln crossed over to the bed and sat down beside her.

A moment later, his hand came down to her upper back, and he began to gently caress her in a reassuring manner. When he spoke again, his voice was full of concern.

"Luan, whatever it is, I'm right here, and I love you."

His sister's shoulders hitched, as powerful sobs wracked her body.

She went like that for a small amount of time, sobbing gently as her brother rubbed her back.

Lincoln didn't say a word, he let Luan continue until her sobs finally settled down, and she spoke in soft reply, "I… I know that…I'm sorry I'm being such a baby right now."

Lincoln sighed and continued with the slow steady circles he made between her shoulder blades, "Luan, you're not a baby. Come on, tell me what happened." Lincoln already had a good idea, but he figured he should let Luan confirm it.

She was quiet for a long while, still crying, still sniffling, like it was taking all of her courage to build up to what she was going to say next. Finally, after a period of silence, her voice, still so soft, finally sounded.

"He dumped me."

Lincoln closed his eyes and nodded his head as what he suspected was confirmed.

Benny Stein, Luan's boyfriend, the one she made last year, had broken things off with her.

The tumult of emotions that came over Lincoln after taking in this knowledge was unexpected. On one level, he had seen it coming, and he felt guilty as his own inner voice had said, 'surprised he lasted this long.' Luan was full of love, but her love was expressed in a manner that was considered difficult by some.

He was more surprised by what he didn't feel. He thought he should have felt some kind of anger. Anger at the boy who had broken his sister's heart, but there was barely any there. Instead, he felt nothing but a deep sadness, a sadness and worry over what his sister was going through, a measure of guilt, and a small, small bit of shame…

The shame came from his sudden realization his sister would be around more, and they'd get to spend more time together. Without Benny in the way, he'd get to monopolize her attention a little more. That feeling caused a tiny bit of red-faced shame…He shouldn't want any of his sisters to himself over their own love lives…

But more troubling was the guilt.

Guilt because he knew dating would always be hard for Luan, and he honestly wondered if she'd find a willing partner in Royal Woods again, with her reputation.

Because if any of his sisters were in a running for being future supervillains, it wasn't the obvious choice, like Lisa… It was Luan.

Luan was a dang genius and evil mastermind when it came to playing pranks and jokes on others. She was unbeatable in that realm. If she wanted to prank you, you just had to accept it was going to happen…and if she loved you? God help you. She thought laughter was the greatest gift of all, and believed pranking those she loved was the deepest expression of her affection she could give.

His sister didn't know the meaning of the word 'restraint', and she was a bigger menace to her own family than even Lisa, with her runaway experiments.

Lincoln didn't think any less of Luan for this. Quite the opposite, he loved Luan dearly and was so happy for the excitement she brought into his life. Even if it was sometimes annoying, sometimes inconvenient, it was always fun with her. Luan could brighten his mood on the cloudiest day. But he knew finding a partner for her, one that would be willing and would even find enjoyment in her mischievous nature like he himself did, would be more than difficult.

"He's a fool, you're the most fun and entertaining person I know, on top of being beautiful," Lincoln replied, simply enough.

Luan turned and looked at him, her long gorgeous hair framing her cherubic, adorable and mischievous features. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks a mess, but she looked so radiant right now. Her eyes were like amber as they gazed up at him in surprise and awe.

She was trying to downplay what her brother had said though, beat herself up for what she saw as her own failure.

"No, he's smart Lincoln. He got away from the abusive girlfriend." Luan spoke in such a morose tone, she looked downcast as she went on, "There's something wrong with me, really wrong with me. I know, I'm not normal, I'm a freak."

Lincoln frowned, he was emotionally wise enough to know anyone would beat themselves up and question themselves after getting dumped, but the way Luan spoke about it, it sounded…deeper than that. She was questioning her own value as a person. He had to step in.

"All you did was find out he didn't deserve you Luan. If he couldn't appreciate your unique and wonderful personality, then he doesn't get to have your beauty either. You could get any guy you wanted with how fun and pretty you are."

Luan sniffled slightly, a small slight smile on her lips. She turned away from him, towards something on the floor. There was one of her props from her comedy shows there, a bowl filled with plastic fruit. She reached over and tipped the bowl on it's end.

Lincoln watched curiously as his sister, still with tears in her eyes, reached down and feigned trying to pick the fruit up. Yet every time her hand would almost grab one of the pieces, she'd end up knocking it away.

Eventually, she turned and looked at Lincoln and spoke, "But Lincoln! How am I supposed to get a new boyfriend when I'm so bad at pick up Limes?!"

Lincoln couldn't help himself, his sister was still broken hearted, still upset, but in this moment she couldn't help but make a joke at her own situation. Lincoln laughed, he laughed hard. He loved his sister, she was wonderful.

Luan watched with teary eyes, and smiled at him with such devotion. As if he'd passed some kind of test with her.

Lincoln spoke up, "You are one of the most loving, sweet, and selfless people I know. My life wouldn't be complete without you in it Luan. There's nothing wrong with you, and I never want you to change. You're worth it, no matter what anyone says."

Luan looked back up at him, as Lincoln praised her. She looked to him, with teary eyes, staring right back into his own, a deep blush forming on her cheeks. She broke into another sob, before she threw her arms around him in a sudden hug.

She clung to him fiercely, burying her face in his shoulder, crying her eyes out as she called out, "Lincoln! I love you!"

Lincoln smiled, and gently rubbed her back again as he held her close, whispering softly, "I love you too."

His sister's heart was still in tatters, but he could tell he'd made a real impact on her starting the road to recovery. He was pointing her in the right direction, and his love was just what she needed right now.

Then, something began to come over him, a sensation and desire he couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was because Luan was such a performer herself, and had starred in many of her school's plays and musicals, but Lincoln felt the need to sing…

And without missing a beat, he began to sing as he held his broken hearted sister close…

Sister, I hear you laugh
My heart fills full of love
Keep me please
Sister, when you cry
I feel your tears
running down my face
Sister, Sister, keep me

It was a song he'd heard once before, a song by the Dave Mathews Band, simply called 'Sister'. Lincoln had listened to that particular song more times than he could remember. At least once for each of the Loud girls in his life. But right now, it felt the most appropriate for Luan.

I would never make it through
I hope you always know what's true
you can make the sun grow dark
just by walking away

As he sang, Luan's sniffles grew softer, and his sister roped both of her arms around his neck. She leaned her head gently against his shoulder and rocked in his arms. He felt a new set of tears coming down her cheeks, making his shirt damp, but he knew they had nothing to do with Benny anymore. They had everything to do with the special relationship he shared with the funny girl in his arms.

Lincoln went through the entire song, feeling his heart growing warmer, softer, and larger for the girl who held him so close and nestled to him for dear life. When the song ended, they both remained quiet, simply holding one another so very close…

In the silence, Lincoln turned and brought his eyes down to Luan's own…She was staring back up at him with such admiration, such joy…such love…

She was so pretty, prettier than he'd ever realized before. She was his older sister, the funny one, she loved him so very much, and she was so vulnerable right now… So vulnerable and needing comfort so very much, a crazy thought entered his head.

He could kiss her right now, he was sure of it, certain of it.

More, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her and show her she was desired, that even her own brother thought she was a girl, a young woman, worthy of worship. A fae, trickster being so enticing even he was caught in her spell.

Time seemed to stretch forever as he saw her begin to lean up towards him, and her eyes began to close, and that feeling of wanting to kiss her began to almost overwhelm him….

The Sinverse, now.

He could kiss her right now, he was sure of it, certain of it.

It was an almost overwhelming feeling… but could you really blame him?

Standing next to him was the first girl who wasn't family he'd ever kissed. The first girl he'd ever taken on a date. The girl that had taken his virginity and been his first for everything.

Okay, technically it wasn't HER, her, but it was HER, in a sense, right?

Lincoln didn't know, and he was driving himself crazy trying to justify it…

What he did know, was Ronnie Anne was with him, on what was an obvious date (her words no less), at Gus's Games and Grub. A place they had frequented together often in their childhood before she had to move.

Setting up the date had been far easier than he thought it would be. After hemming and hawing over it for a few days, he just fired off a text asking if she wanted to 'hang out' sometime. Gus's Games and Grub seemed like an obvious choice.

Ronnie Anne had texted back 'It's a date!' and they'd made the arrangements. Her enthusiasm and the ease of which she'd accepted the invitation made all his worry leading up to it almost seem silly. Dealing with Ronnie Anne had been easy.

Making an excuse as to why he wouldn't be home until later that evening to his family (not his family, not his family, not his family, he reminded himself) had been the hard part.

Lying to the kids had been the worst.

He'd said he'd be home late tonight. Something about needing to stay over and cover for the evening manager, and to finish up some paperwork for corporate.

The kids had been disappointed. Most of them loved it when he was home, and he could fill his entire afternoon with different activities involving them.

There were still some hold outs of course. Liby, Leia, Liena, Lyra and Lizy were still on the fence, about him. They weren't outright rude, but they didn't go out of their way to get his attention like the others.

But, Lemy, Lyle, Loan, Lacy (of course), Lupa and Lulu practically tackled him the moment he stepped foot through the door. Lemy and Loan wanting to play videogames, Lyle wanting to read with him and watch things, Lacy wanting to play anything with him, Lupa wanting to talk art, and Lulu just wanting to be carried around everywhere by her Daddy like the little princess she was.

It wasn't unlike his childhood when he was the glue that held his sisters together. He had seen the role the other Lincoln played in his children's lives and how important he was to them. It was a role he was stepping into that felt like a comfortable pair of shoes. Like he was made for the role, and it had always been waiting for him.

Sometimes, he really could imagine he was the other Lincoln's twin brother. One who'd been away from home for a while, or lost at sea, working on the other side of the world…or maybe off at war… He had been gone from his loving family for so long… but now he was home.

Back to the family he was always meant for. A family that still loved him, still needed him.

Beloved Uncle Lincoln, the artist. Finally, back to help out with his twin brother's kids. To teach right from wrong and be the adult they needed in their lives.

Those thoughts would come to him, and it would be so nice, so comfortable sometimes. That's when he knew he'd have to pull himself back again.

It was a DANGEROUS fantasy.

One he didn't want to get away from him. It could be too enticing to want to stay here, in this world, a world he felt more valued than he had in years… He had to tell himself, as much as he loved these kids, they weren't his.

Just as these sisters… weren't really his sisters.

He'd really hated that he'd begun to like some of them. They really did feel like his sisters at times. His relationships with them began to feel… natural and real. He'd even begun to admire some of them to a small degree.

Outside of the carnal relationship they shared with one another and their brother, they loved one another and were a constant in each other's lives. They picked one another up when they were down, and one problem was the whole family's problem. They were….exactly as he had remembered his own sisters growing up.

The fact they were almost all compassionate towards him didn't help either.

He had resented that at first, thinking they pitied him… but slowly he realized that wasn't the case. He was 'Lincoln Loud' to them…even if not theirs… and their hearts were so big, they didn't like the idea of their brother from ANY universe suffering.

When he wasn't being a selfish bastard, he could appreciate how despite being responsible for removing their husband and the father of their children, they treated him like family, and worried about his own health and wellbeing. They'd even made him healthier despite his best efforts otherwise. He'd lost weight, his drinking was down, as was his smoking. Not near to the point they would like, but better than he'd been on his own.

God forbid, he'd even forgiven Lana for her misstep weeks earlier. She was finally showing her face again, having visited a couple days ago with Lola of course. He'd hugged her and told her to not worry about anything. The look she gave him in return was full of such gratitude and relief it almost melted his own heart.

But that was the danger. He was getting a little TOO comfortable with the situation.

This was NOT HIS WORLD.

NOT HIS WORLD.

NOT HIS WORLD.

He repeated that like a mantra in his head when he felt too comfortable, too at home here.

Which is why ironically meeting up with Ronnie Anne had seemed even more important. He wouldn't dare just slip completely into the shoes of their Lincoln, never, ever… and he needed to remind himself of that. He needed feminine contact that wasn't those… those… SUCCUBI back at home.

Even if it meant fibbing to the kids a little.

Time with another girl, another woman he was very attracted to and had feelings for would due him some good.

Thankfully Luan had believed his lie easy enough.

It was her turn this week, she'd switched out with Luna with no issues. She had made a few jokes of course, but nothing out of line. Hell, he'd been so busy with setting up things with Ronnie Anne he'd barely noticed she was around.

It helped she was more focused on the kids anyway. He'd picked up that Liby was in the stage she thought her mom was embarrassing, and Luan wanted to work extra hard to bridge that gap between them. Her focus wouldn't be on him.

He also knew thanks to Lyle that he was involved in some kind of caper with Liby and Leia. Given Leia and Liby hadn't fully let him in just yet, he trusted Lyle to keep them out of trouble, or call him if they got in over their heads.

He still felt a strange sense of guilt being out with Ronnie Anne though. A combination of knowing he would have to abandon her when he went back to his world, while at the same time like it was….

Like somehow betraying the women he was living with…

That was weird…

Get that out of your head now Lincoln. They don't own your love life…Even if Lily's words had made so much sense…

Betraying Lily when she was the most innocent one here still hurt though.

Sorry Lily, I could only keep my promise to you for a week, he sighed internally.

But it was hard to feel that guilt for long as he got swept up in the happy feelings of being with the beautiful Latina.

Side by side with her, playing the light gun game 'CrimeStoppers'.

Ronnie Anne had come dressed in a tight soft violet t-shirt that hugged her body and almost seemed to emphasize her tits more than anything. A low collar showed off plenty of that coca cleavage. Her hair was wild and unbound, long and dark falling all over her shoulders to the middle of her back…And a pair of hip hugging jeans emphasized her round booty, a large black belt with big gold buckle keeping it clasped about her waist. The jeans flared out at the bottom, over the purple and white sneakers she was wearing.

Lincoln had snuck one of his nicer orange dress shirts out of the house, along with a pair of tan trousers and brown leather boat shoes so he looked a little more dignified than normal. He'd even put gel in his hair to slick it back.

She was hot, and she knew it, but the way she looked at him, Lincoln was beginning to think he must be pretty hot too.

Side by side they stood, just like in the old days, firing away at polygonal badguys that popped out of cover. They were showing off to one another, showing off neither had missed a step in their gaming career. Another boss went down before their onslaught, another hostage saved. The ending credits beginning to roll in front of them.

As their final scores were tallied up, Ronnie brought her pink lightgun up and blew fake smoke from it while smirking at him, "Nice shootin there Lame-o."

Lincoln smirked back as he holstered his blue light gun into the cabinet, "Not so bad yourself there Tex."

Ronnie giggled softly as she bumped her hip up against his own, "Come on, let's get some garlic knots before we hit up the next game, I'm starving."

Lincoln nodded his agreement, "Yeah, me too. Glad Gus's son took over the business here, almost nothing's changed."

The two made their way to the table they had reserved earlier, slipping into the booth seats and staring back at one another.

Her big brown eyes were so pretty, so enticing, he could stare into them for hours.

Ronnie Anne smiled, "Tell me about it. We have some great arcades in Great Lakes, but Gus's was always my favorite back here. Makes me feel like I'm 11 again."

Lincoln laughed as he nodded, "Yeah, can't believe I'm staring down the big three oh soon. Where did the time go?"

Ronnie Anne smiled as she replied, "Life, Lame-o, life happened. That's kind of what I want to talk to you about though."

Lincoln began to feel himself getting a little nervous. This was always going to be the most difficult part of being on a date with Ronnie. How much of 'his' life could he really tell her? There was so much that wasn't his own but was the other Lincoln's. For that matter, would she really want to hang out with a guy that was nothing more than a burger joint manager no less. She was a damn Doctor, at least in the other world he could claim to be an artist. But here? What did he say?

Ronnie Anne was staring at him as if expecting an answer, he fumbled a moment then spoke up, "Well, what can I say? It's a little complicated. As you can see, I didn't get far from Royal Woods."

Ronnie Anne nodded and seemed to notice his embarrassment from the question. Before he knew it, her hand had reached across the table and taken hold of his own.

She looked right up into his eyes as she replied, "Hey, I know what you do for a living okay? You don't have to feel awkward about it. From what I've heard you're pretty damn respected around here."

Lincoln's eyes went wide, as he tried to reply, "Wh-what?! How, how do you-"

But Ronnie Anne cut him off with a smile, "Oh come on Lame-O. It was all over viewtube!" She reached her free hand into her pocket, coming up with her phone and showing it to him. On the screen was a video, 'Burpin Burger Manager has enough of bullies!'.

Lincoln groaned and put his hand to his forehead, "Okay, I knew it was on the platform, and I knew it went semi-viral, but I didn't think-"

Ronnie Anne cut him off again, "Didn't think your childhood crush would look into it after you showed up in her ER looking like you'd gone 13 rounds with Rip Hardcore?"

Lincoln blushed as he looked away, "Yeah, something like that. It's just, I didn't really go far in the world. Not compared to you, a Doctor and all!"

Ronnie Anne released his hand, only for her to bring it up to his chin and gently direct his gaze back to her, "Hey, Lame-o, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You think I'd be out here on a date with you if I was bothered by what you did for a living?"

Lincoln looked back and smiled softly, "No, I don't think you would Ronnie Anne. You've never been superficial like that." He took a breath before he added, "Even if I'm a little surprised we're already on a date."

Ronnie smirked again, "Don't be. I don't want us missing another opportunity."

Lincoln blinked as he looked back at her, he had a feeling he knew what she meant, but didn't want to put it into words just yet.

Ronnie did it for him.

"We were right there Lame-o, right there on the edge of jumping into something I could feel in my heart was special."

She looked frustrated before she added, "Then your sister broke up with my brother and it kind of put a break on what was…I don't know how to describe it. What almost felt like was supposed to be."

Lincoln felt himself swallow as he nodded his head.

Oh Ronnie, if only you knew, he thought to himself. Of course, he'd screwed things up in his own world, but more and more it was starting to seem like maybe he had a second chance here.

"Ronnie I…I think maybe you're right…"

But even as he said those words, the reality of his current situation began to gnaw at the back of his head. He was fully aware of just how much Ronnie Anne had loved him. He was mature enough to see how he had ruined the relationship with a woman who had adored him. He kicked himself internally again and again for screwing it up.

And now there was a Ronnie Anne, who he HADN'T screwed things up with, who still remembered their friendship from childhood, and carried those feelings with her fully into her adulthood. Here she was being open with her feelings. Wanting an honest shot with him…

It was practically everything he could have ever asked for.

And yet, fate was cruel enough he knew it was destined to fail. This wasn't his world, and even if it was, Lincoln Loud already had several children and was involved in a relationship.

A fucked up, surreal, incestuous polyamorous relationship, but one he was fully dedicated to. Every instinct of his body was telling him, all he was doing was prolonging the hurt and pain that was going to come if he went down this road….

But go down it he did…

He slipped his hand over Ronnie Anne's own in turn, "No, I know you're right. You always were the most amazing and awesome girl I ever knew. You had me from the first day you put gum in my hair. I just didn't know it at the time."

Ronnie Anne was looking back at him, a small shy smile on her lips, as Lincoln continued.

"I really want to get to know you more. I can see that awesome girl I had a crush on is still there, but I want to know the woman she's become."

Ronnie Anne's cheeks flushed in reply and her hand turned upward to hold his own in return. Her voice was soft and vulnerable as she spoke, "You were always the most….the most… thoughtful, sweet, and funny boy I ever knew. I compared every other guy I was with to you. I always wondered, wanted to know, what we could have been."

Lincoln's heart tore itself into knots as he held Ronnie Anne's hand. This was a Ronnie Anne that wasn't tainted by his selfishness, one that had never seen just how self-interested and neglectful he could be. It was a bitter, bitter, irony. He had fucked things up with her in his own world, and yet in this one, she looked at him with such hope. Yet, if he was the Lincoln of this world, she would be even more horrified by him.

Was his relationship with Ronnie Anne doomed in every universe?

His voice was soft as he responded with a partial truth, "Well, I can't say that I ran across any girls that have impressed me as much as you. Not that I want to make things weird here or anything."

Ronnie Anne blushed again, she drew her hand back and tucked her long dark beautiful hair behind her ear, "Yeah, not weird at all…Giving my childhood crush my number and hoping he was single."

Lincoln laughed in response, smiling and blushing back, "Oh, because I wasn't also hoping the same thing?" He sighed softly as he said what his heart wanted to say, "God, you've only gotten prettier since I last saw you…"

That dark blush was slowly going over all of Ronnie's form as she looked back so bashfully and giggled, "Yeah well, last time you saw me, my boobs and butt weren't this big. Don't think I haven't noticed you looking."

Lincoln was starkly reminded of the gap in memories between this Ronnie and his own once more, he tried to play it off, "You going to take the compliment or not?"

Ronnie grinned…

The garlic knots arrived and were placed on their table. After a quick thank you from both to the waitress, Ronnie Picked one up and bit into it before responding.

"Oh, I'll take it Linc." She chewed her food before she responded, "I always worried about measuring up to your sisters though."

Lincoln, who had been munching on his own garlic knot looked surprised, "What, really?" He felt an uncomfortable shiver run up his spine as the reality of his double's relationship with his sisters went through his mind, "Why would you worry about measuring up to them?"

Ronnie Anne only looked back with a blank expression, "Your sisters who all doted on you, loved you, and involved you in every part of their lives? Not to mention how beautiful all of them are. I always compared myself to them. I kept saying you'd never like me, not really, if I couldn't at least equal them. I got scared… I think that's what might of messed things up."

Lincoln looked curious again, his brow furrowing, he never really thought about what she was saying. Did every girl who knew about his sisters feel that way? Did they all worry about measuring up to the Loud sisters? "Could you…tell me how you think it messed things up?"

Ronnie looked down at the Garlic Knots as she opened up more, "Well, before I moved, you know I was calling you my boyfriend, right? You remember that?"

Lincoln flushed, nodded his head and laughed, "Oh I remember alright. You'd kiss me one moment, then turn around and give me a wedgie so my friends would think you were still picking on me and wouldn't tease me for having a girlfriend."

Ronnie laughed and nodded in return, "Yeah, I thought I was so smart doing that! I was really worried about you! We were just getting out of that age where we thought the opposite sex had cooties! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't watch out for my man's rep with his boys?"

Lincoln and Ronnie both broke into peals of laughter, before breathing out softly and staring at one another again.

Ronnie sighed and began to look awkward. She put her hand up behind her head and looked away, "God this is so silly and really cringey, I know… I'm sorry, talking about an old childhood crush we shared like it was some golden time…"

Lincoln shook his head, staring back at her encouragingly, "No, Ronnie, it's not. It's not silly at all…" He continued to smile at her, squeezing her hand, "If I'm being honest… I've thought a lot about you too all these years. You never really left my mind. Running into you again like this, it's really great. Please don't stop sharing your feelings with me…"

Lincoln looked down at the table for a moment as he made a quiet admittance to her, "I've been…going through something rough lately…This is…just what I needed."

Ronnie Anne looked so vulnerable as she exposed her heart. It was clear this was a tough subject, and gushing in the way she had been about their earlier friendship and even relationship made her feel embarrassed. But now, looking at Lincoln as he reassured her, she made her own admittance…

"It's all my fault Lame-o. All my fault. I'm the reason we never got together like we probably should have."

Lincoln looked surprised his mouth falling open, but Ronnie Anne shook her head, not letting him speak yet.

She frowned as she looked back to him with no small amount of guilt and went on, "After I moved away…I got scared. I worried about how we would be able to maintain a relationship long distance like that. Three hours away by car, might as well have been the other side of the world given neither of us could drive. I got scared, so I started to back away a little from you."

Ronnie Anne continued to look guilt ridden. She looked away, unable to face her boy crush as she confessed, "I enforced that whole…just friends thing after the move, right after we'd been kissing and holding hands back in Royal Woods. I know that must have confused you."

Lincoln recalled all of it. He recalled how Ronnie had gone from flaming hot, to, not exactly cold, but a much milder temperature. It had thrown him for a real loop, but at the same time, he'd been just as scared. Scared he wouldn't be able to keep her interest either. It hadn't been until he was 13 that he'd asked her out this time around instead of waiting for her to ask him out again.

He nodded his head, "It did a little…but I was scared too. It's not all you Ronnie. I just wanted to do the right thing by you, not push you into anything. I was happy you were my friend, that was enough."

The 29 year old Ronnie Anne in front of him didn't look fully convinced, she reached forward and took both his hands.

"Linc, because of that, I pushed you away… I pumped the brakes when I should of hit the gas! I'd been the one to start everything with us, and then I went and put a stop to it. Even though I never stopped feeling the way I did about you! I just buried it down in my heart…"

The girl groaned softly as she continued to spill her guts, "God lame-o, I was so completely head over heels for you. I never even when I was scared…but because of that… because of that.. When Lori broke up with Bobby…"

Ronnie Anne looked like she was ready to cry, Lincoln felt his heart continuing to twist and churn. For want of a fucking nail. The entire reason this Ronnie Anne was broken hearted over her first real love, was because the boy she loved was too busy fucking his sisters. He hated the other Lincoln so much right now.

It wasn't like he could claim the higher moral road when he had broken his own Ronnie's Heart though, could he? He'd done a great job of taking her for granted. Seeing Ronnie like this, he realized the stupidest thing he ever did was take her for granted.

Ronnie didn't care he was a burger flipper here. His Ronnie wouldn't have cared if he was never rich or famous. As long as he was the same boy he used to be. The same boy who used to take care of others.

Two universes, two broken hearted Ronnie Annes because Lincoln Loud was stupid.

Again, he wondered, was every Ronnie and Lincoln doomed?

No, he didn't want to think that…and right now, more than anything, he just wanted to make this Ronnie happy…and make himself happy. It had been so long since he'd felt something like this, and even if it was doomed, maybe for one night…or more…He could pretend all of this would work out.

Lincoln stood up, and pulled Ronnie Anne with him, it was the same boldness he'd displayed when he kissed her for the first time back when he was 11. Ronnie Anne practically squeaked as he took her by the waist and looked right into her eyes, "Ronnie, let's not worry about the past. I never stopped feeling the same. Let's worry about right now. Come on, we got games to play together. Let's see where the rest of the evening takes us."

Ronnie Anne practically melted in his arms as she smiled back up at him. "Alright Lame-o" She giggled so girlishly at him, "I think it's time we settle our old Muscle Fish rivalry, don't you?"

Lincoln stared back at her, eyes half-lidded and grinned, "That rivalry will never be settled Ronnie…"

Ronnie suddenly leaned up and kissed his lips.

Lincoln's eyes closed on reflex, and he leaned in without thinking. Ronnie's lips were soft, inviting, familiar….

It lasted only a few seconds, but his heart was pounding harder than it ever had. She pulled back and grinned, "Good, I like the idea of a lifetime rivalry…"

She took his hand and pulled him towards the Arcade Cabinets.

Neither were aware of the set of eyes that had been watching them closely the last 20 minutes.

Sinverse Gus's Games and Grub, 20 minutes ago.

Lupa, Lemy, and their mutual friend Charlie Spokes had decided to hit up Gus's games and grub after school. It had been Lemy's idea, since they knew most of their other siblings were going to be busy and their Dad wasn't going to be home until later on in the evening.

Not that they needed to see their Dad right after work every day, but they did enjoy checking in with 'the old man' and harassing him for fun. Knowing he'd be out late tonight seemed like a great excuse to hang out and get some gaming done.

They'd invited Loan along, but the shut-in wasn't feeling up to it, and she mumbled something about wanting Lupa to not feel crowded when Charlie asked her out.

Lemy had become aware of the new status between Lupa and Charlie pretty quickly. Most of the siblings had found out, after Liena had pried the info out of her, and it made the rounds within the sibling network. Charlie had the approval of everyone, so it was just a matter of waiting.

Charlie was going to ask Lupa out, most likely she was going to say yes. They were all just waiting for him to do so now. In the meantime, however, Lupa was suddenly more nervous around the boy and was afraid to ask him to come hang out with her. It was kind of fun watching his typically fearless sister get so nervous and bashful around a boy she used to boss around so easily.

So Lemy took it upon himself to help. Already being friends with Charlie, he had no issue asking him to come hang out so Lupa didn't have to.

In some ways Lemy felt a strange sort of bittersweet jealousy towards the two. He never felt like a third wheel, Lupa, Charlie, and himself went back together years. Charlie was just as much his friend as he was Lupa's.

But he found himself wondering now, if Charlie had been a girl, would he be in Lupa's shoes instead? He was happy for his sister, but slightly jealous all the same, because he wouldn't ever get to know what it was like to be with someone outside of the family. To experience a close friendship slowly blossoming into something more.

No, Lemy was resigned to his fate.

It was his fault after all.

Lily never let him forget he was the one who initiated things between them. He was the one who had 'started' their relationship.

He had been the one who told his Aunt Lily about his crush on her in the first place. A year ago, when she seemed like the most beautiful, sweet, and fun girl he ever met. The way she would stay up to play videogames with him, listen to music with him, and indulge him on whatever he wanted to talk about. The way she didn't treat him as just like some kid.

He'd been the one that told her of those feelings, and that he knew the family rules. He knew they weren't supposed to do anything….but then…things happened.

She told him they had to keep it a secret, and that was okay. Even if his father and mother had told him they should never have secrets from each other, and that no adult should ever touch him like that…

Well, isn't that how he was born in the first place?

So, wasn't it kind of hypocritical of Mom and Dad to say he shouldn't be doing something like that, especially with older family, when they had all done the same?

That had been Lily's reasoning.

And Lily was….nice most of the time. Sweet. She held him, and stroked his hair. She sang to him, and kissed him, and whispered how much she loved him into his ear.

Even if he felt a strange sort of shame when they made love. A shame he was doing something he wasn't supposed to, something he wasn't ready for, with someone he shouldn't be.

But Lily loved him, and she was pregnant… He could fight against it all he wanted, but he would have to become like his Dad now.

Not like Lupa and Charlie…

They could have a happier life, a more normal life…

Assuming Charlie survived…

A grim, dark, and morbid thought crawled its way into Lemy's head. It settled down inside of his soul and nested there.

Of course Charlie was going to die.

Just like he wasn't allowed to be happy, Lupa wasn't either.

This is what they deserved…for the sins their parents committed… Him stuck repeating the cycle, and Lupa doomed to a love that would die far before she did. Loan would never leave her room, Lacy was too dumb to attract anyone who wouldn't just take advantage of her. Even his elder sister, her religious beliefs would keep her single and strange all her life.

None of his siblings would get to have a normal life or normal relationship. They were cursed by their parents.

Lemy didn't like going down this dark path, but it was there. He tried to wrestle away from this horrible vision, but it wouldn't leave him.

Thankfully his dark thoughts were interrupted by Charlie speaking up.

"Hey guys, isn't that your Uncle Lincoln?"

Charlie and Lupa had been competing against one another in a sit down racing cabinet game. Lupa had won, probably because she cheated, but then Charlie seemed to like it when Lupa beat up on him. He was twice her size, but Lupa loomed large over everyone, despite being so short.

Charlie's statement had broken Lupa out of her playful flirting and his own dark thoughts, as both suddenly found their heads turning in the direction Charlie was now pointing at.

Sure enough, Lemy's eyes blinked several times to confirm it, but their otherworldly father was here….

With a woman no less.

Lupa's eyes were wide, and a look of shock was on her lips, "What?! What's he doing here?! He told us he was working late!" She either hadn't acknowledged the woman's presence or was ignoring it for the moment.

Charlie wouldn't let her though with his next statement, "Hanging out with a total babe apparently."

Lupa suddenly wrenched her eyes away from her dad and at Charlie, giving him a withering and jealous gaze. For the moment, it seemed she'd forgotten the surprise of her father being there.

Charlie for his part panicked and realized he'd said the wrong thing. His hands went up, "I mean, not that you aren't hot too Lupa! You are way hotter than her!"

Lupa blanched in Charlie's direction, looking at him as if he'd gained a second head.

Charlie panicked further, "I mean, in a totally respectful way! I'm not trying to objectify you, but you are super cute and we've been friends for so long, and I really would like it if-"

Lupa cut him off, "Charlie shut up." She sighed, "My answer is yes by the way, I like you too."

Charlie's already ginger complexion began to turn even more red as he began to grin, Lupa went on though "But that's not important right now. We'll figure out this dumb boyfriend and girlfriend stuff later. Right now, I wanna figure out what the hell my Dad is doing here, WITH a woman none of us know about!"

Charlie continued to turn a deep crimson, matching his red hair. The boy with almond eyes seemed flabbergasted as his mind tried to catch up with the way Lupa had just completely redefined their relationship so quickly.

Lemy, luckily for him, was there to pick up the slack, "I think…I think he's on a date."

Lupa was slowly growing furious, "Why is he on a Date?! Why wouldn't he tell us?! Who is she?! How would he even meet a girl to go on a date with?!" Lupa frowned heavily as she narrowed her eyes and focused…

Charlie did the same, and a sudden look of realization came over him, "Wait a minute, I recognize her!"

The siblings looked back at him for an explanation, "She's one of the Doctors at Beauregard Hospital! She works in the ER, she pulled the glass shards out of my hand… um…Doctor….Doctor Santiago!"

Lemy suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. He knew what that name could mean. He turned and looked back at Charlie for clarification, "Wait a minute… Santiago?! Ronnie Anne Santiago?!"

Charlie gave a shrug, "I don't know her first name dawg. I saw her in the halls a couple times while I was admitted."

Lemy turned and looked back, suddenly aware of what this could mean. His new father had gone on at lengths about how much he loved the girl Ronnie Anne. He never imagined this Lincoln meeting their Ronnie Anne though. Lemy was both a genius and an idiot, but right now it was his genius side that was letting him know this could go very badly for the family. "Lupa…this is serious."

Lupa huffed and threw her arms up, "Of course it's serious! Dad is dating and not telling us! You think he met someone on one of those dating apps? I mean, he's our Dad but he is kinda handsome, he could probably get some dumb girl to go out with him there!"

Lemy shook his head, "Lupa! Have you been listening to anything Charlie and I have been saying?! That's the one!"

Lupa was still looking angry but not following, "No, I haven't! What do you mean she's the one Lemy?!"

Lemy groaned but went on, "That's Ronnie Anne Santiago! The girl from our Dad's childhood, and the one HE dated until he was 19! The girl he loved more than any other…where he's originally from…"

Charlie looked between the two siblings, eyebrow raised, "What are you two going on about?! So, your Uncle slash Dad is on a date! With an old friend too? Shouldn't you be happy for him?!"

Both siblings looked back at Charlie without saying a word. Of course, it was because they couldn't really tell him what was going on in their own home.

Lupa had gone completely cold. Her hot annoyance had become a glacier of pure icy malice. She slowly shook her head.

"No. No. Not her. It can't be her. She's not allowed to have him."

Lupa spoke with pure, frosty resolution, her eyes fixed on the couple only 15 yards away.

Lemy shook his head, "Lupa, don't do anything rash now." Lemy tried to warn his sister, but she wasn't listening.

Lupa was now completely quiet, as was Lemy, and Charlie who was still unsure of everything going on.

The three young teens turned and watched the interactions between Lincoln and Ronnie.

Lemy watching with sheer curiosity. This was a light he'd never seen his Dad in before. This was his father not intertwined with any of his sisters romantically and sexually. This was his Dad with a woman the way society says you were supposed to be.

Normal.

Free of the family taint.

Lupa by contrast watched with a sinking feeling in her gut. Like her world was being dragged out from under her. She felt, she felt so betrayed in this instance, and she couldn't figure out why. She…She loved this man, her mind realized it. She loved this Lincoln and so desperately wanted him to be her Father. She realized in this instant she had been wanting him to stay, wanting him to be her dad and to be with her mother. But Ronnie Anne, she would ruin everything. She would take him away and he wouldn't even think twice about her.

He was betraying her and betraying her mother.

Her hands balled up into fists.

The three continued to watch the date silently, but when Lupa saw her father kiss a woman who wasn't her mother or aunts, she'd had enough.

….

Side by side, Lincoln and Ronnie stood at an arcade cabinet that must have been over 20 years old. They were playing classic Muscle Fish Tournament Fighter 2, the one from their childhood. Both were familiar with the more current iterations, but there was something special about playing the first game they bonded over together.

Both were far rustier than they'd ever like to let on. Both were far better still than most people who played.

They laughed, they giggled, they went back and forth round by round. They swore, they taunted each other, they bumped hips. It was their dance of flirtation with each other.

It was a dance Lincoln remembered fondly. Ronnie loved to rile him up, she loved to tease him and challenge him. He would always get pulled in, tease her and rile her up right back. It was a back and forth Lincoln had done for years with Ronnie. Before he had screwed everything up.

This Ronnie hadn't done the little dance since she was a kid. She found her feet in it quickly though.

In Lincoln Loud's mind, she was perfect.

Their fourth round had just ended, the score being 3 victories for her, 1 victory for him. But every match had been nail bitingly close. Lincoln didn't feel jealousy over Ronnie being slightly better than him, there was nothing but pure admiration.

Ronnie let out a long slow breath as she turned, looked at him, and smiled, "You're really making me sweat here Lame-o. You're not taking it easy on me are you?"

Lincoln grinned right back at her, "I'd never insult you like that Ronnie. Just remember, we still have Dance Dance Resolution to play, and I plan on leaving you in the dust."

Ronnie laughed again before she brushed up against his shoulder, her breasts coming into contact with his arm. They were so soft, so inviting…He knew she was doing it on purpose, "Maybe I'll find a way to keep you distracted…" Ronnie whispered.

Lincoln only flushed a little as he smirked back at her, "Oh that is so not fair Ronnie."

Ronnie's infectious grin never left her soft full lips, "You used to love it when I distracted you with kissing when we were 11 Lame-o, don't pretend you're not enjoying this."

Lincoln knew she was right. In his universe, the few months they had dated before Ronnie moved had been full of kisses, hand holding, and hugs when they were away from others. She'd bully him in front of his friends, only to shower him with affection whenever they were alone. Lincoln had found lots of excuses to be 'alone' with Ronnie in that period.

Lincoln did something very bold then. He reached over, slipped his hand over Ronnie's denim clad ass and gave it a squeeze. Her butt was large, soft, and round. Blood shot to his dick in moments, and all he could imagine was what that cake would feel like without her denim in the way.

Ronnie's eyes went wide, her cheeks flushed, and yet she couldn't stop smiling at him, even as he whispered back in a more confident tone, "I don't think there's been a single minute I haven't enjoyed with you Ronnie Anne."

Ronnie gently swatted his hand away, but was still smiling, "Down boy. Down. Much as I've got butterflies right now, don't expect to go home with me tonight."

Lincoln put his hands up apologetically as he grinned back, "Wouldn't dream of it Ronnie Anne. I just, had to seize the moment there…" He was so hard, his heart was fluttering and he felt so good. He didn't expect Ronnie to put out, hell he didn't want her to. He wanted so much more from her than just a quick lay. But that didn't mean they couldn't tease each other.

Ronnie's eyes glanced down, and she took notice of the tent in his trousers, she smirked as she looked back to the screen and selected a new character, "Yeah, well, I'm not going to be seizing your joystick there lame-o…much as I want to. Maybe we should try to cool it down a little."

Lincoln sighed as he selected his character and nodded his head, "Yeah, maybe we should. I don't wanna screw things up here. It's obvious I think you're pretty, more than that, I think you're hot. But, I don't want to rush into anything. You deserve more than that."

Ronnie Anne suddenly got a very shy and bashful look. Her eyes went down to the cabinet controls, and she smiled in the sweetest way that melted his heart on the spot.

When she looked back up at him, her eyes practically sparkled with admiration, "I'd really like that Lincoln…" she said his given name, dropping the lame-o for the moment as she spoke seriously. "I'd…love to see where things go between us."

Lincoln swallowed, his heart beating a million miles a minute. He was falling in love all over again, even as a small part of his brain screamed at him for being an asshole, leading this girl on when he knew he couldn't stay in this world.

Just as he was about to speak in return, something small and plastic slammed into the back of his head, bouncing off and landing on the floor. It was more annoying than painful, but made him call out, all the same, "Ow! Hey, what the heck?!"

Before a familiar voice spoke from behind them, "Gee, DAD, I thought you had to work late tonight. What gives?"

Lincoln felt his blood run cold. He knew that voice, it was like a cold, cold bucket of water being thrown on him. A shiver ran down his spine.

Ronnie Anne looked at him, raising her eyebrow, mouthing 'Dad' at him in question, just as both of them turned around to face where the voice came from.

There was Lupa Loud. Her hands buried in her black hoodie, she'd thrown one of the ballpit balls at him. Her blue eyes stared at him accusingly.

Ronnie Anne took one look at the girl's hair, then back to Lincoln.

Lupa seemed to seize on this. She knew exactly what was going through Ronnie Anne's head with that look.

Grinning large with predatory teeth she continued to speak up, "Yeah, DAD. He's my Father, my Papa, my old man, my Sire. My Daddy." She finally finished.

Ronnie Anne continued to look surprised, "Lincoln…You didn't mention any kids, are you…cheating on your wife right now?"

Lincoln felt panic rise up in his heart, panic, fear, anger…all of it swelling up inside of him at once. Lupa, she just had to come over here and say that. The girl was pure evil, she was over here ruining things for him, and potentially exposing them all for… for.. for what?! Why?! Why was she doing this?!

He reached forward, taking Ronnie's hand desperately, "Ronnie Anne, no, no that's not what it is at all… I, I can explain. It's not really what it looks like."

Ronnie Anne continued to look back at him, now looking frustrated as she pulled her hand away and fired back, "Oh yeah Linc? Because to me, this looks like your daughter, and she's claiming you at the moment. The white hair kinda gives it away. I need to know, are you already involved with someone?"

Lincoln looked exasperated as he tried to explain, shaking his head "No, no I'm not. It's not like that Ronnie Anne! It really isn't…it's…it's.."

Lupa stood in front of him and smugly looked at the woman, she folded her arms and stared "Don't listen to him, he's lying. He's involved alright! He fucked his sisters. All of them. My mom is Lucy. He fucked her and they had me. They're my mom and dad, and he's trying to cheat on her right now with you."

Ronnie Anne's mouth fell open and she looked positively horrified.

The Latina took a step back, her hands coming up to her lips as she looked from Lincoln to Lupa and back again.

Lincoln was beginning to lose it, he kept trying to explain, "She's lying Ronnie Anne! She's lying, I swear!"

But Lupa went on, "He's fucked all of his sisters! All of them! He's got a kid with them all! You never measured up to any of them, that's why he stopped talking to you! That's why he stopped being your friend! He didn't want you! He didn't need you! He had the best girls ever waiting at home for him! How could you ever match up to 10 girls that would fuck him anytime he wanted?! How could you ever!?"

By the end of her tirade, Lupa was practically frothing, her face was red, and she stared at Ronnie Anne with pure hate in her eyes. An interloper threatening to take away her happiness.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but Lincoln's hand collided with her cheek, shutting her up on the spot.

The white haired girl looked up at him in disbelief. Pure shock really. Her father had never slapped her like that.

It wasn't even painful, not really. But she looked up at the face of her father and saw….

Disgust.

Shame.

And before she knew it….tears were running down her pale freckled cheeks.

Ronnie Anne watched it all, confused, sickened, hurt. She also didn't seem like she had an inkling of what to believe, she looked like she was going to throw up.

Lincoln stepped in front of Lupa as he spoke as confidently as he could, "Ronnie Anne, I swear this isn't what it looks like. I promise you I AM NOT nor have I EVER been this child's father. I can explain everything."

Those words struck Lupa far harder than the slap to her face had. Even if the slap in its dismissal of her had fractured her heart… the words coming from Lincoln completely shattered it. The tears came even more unbidden, and she fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands and began to sob.

Ronnie Anne looked on, only more horrified, more confused. She had been living a pleasant and wonderful dream only to see it all become a nightmare before her eyes.

"I….I… I don't know what to believe." She said, the surreal nightmare taking it's toll on her. "I have to go…" She finished. Without another word, the beautiful Latina turned and made her way out of the Arcade…

Lincoln stood like a deer in the headlights, watching her storm off, not even sure what he should do. He just knew he was angry, frustrated and hated everything and everyone in this moment.

He clenched his fists, he grit his teeth, Lupa's sobs falling silent on his ears. He turned to whirl on the girl and now noticing Lemy and Charlie for the first time.

Lincoln's anger refused to leave him, a small quiet voice inside of him told him he needed to calm down, but he ignored it. He couldn't think straight. All he could think of, was how this girl, this, this selfish child, had taken away the one wonderful thing he had found in this world.

That's a lie. Look at this little artist! The one who wants to be like you more than anything else in the world!

The small rational and kind voice in his head pleaded.

But he was too damaged to heed his better angel. Swallowed up in his pain, he unleashed it on the child.

"Lupa! You, you, little monster! You're nothing but a selfish brat! I don't want to see you right now! You're grounded you hear me! Grounded until I say otherwise!"

Lupa flinched at the assault of words being thrown her way, but her heart was slowly beginning to harden. Her sobs turned down to a slow trickle of sniffs. Slowly, she stood up tall, and stared back at the white haired man with hate in her eyes.

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father! Remember?"

Without a word, she turned around and stormed over towards Charlie, reaching out and taking his hand in hers, "Come on Chuck! We're getting out of here!"

Charlie looked overwhelmed at everything he'd just witnessed. The boy clearly had no idea what to say, he only gave an apologetic look at Lincoln and let his now girlfriend lead him away.

Lemy watched everything with a deep sad sigh and related it all back to what he was increasingly beginning to believe was true. Their family was cursed. So cursed they were even ruining the happiness of their one father who didn't suffer from any of their sins.

The young metal head walked up to Lincoln, hands in his pockets, and gave him his own apologetic look. "Hey, Uncle Linc?" the boy asked tentatively.

Lincoln felt all the anger draining out of him, only for it to be replaced by a deep sorrow that was all too familiar. A sorrow that filled his bones, replacing the happy feelings he'd had just earlier. He suddenly had regret over everything he'd said. A bitter, depressing irony filled him.

She looked just like her mother when he ripped her heart out too.

He suddenly wished he could handle the situation better. He wished he wasn't such a fuck up. He wished he wasn't the real monster.

He resigned himself to his fate and nodded, "Yeah Lem, I know… we'll get out of here."

Lemy and Lincoln made their way out of the Arcade.

….

Lemy had decided to ride home with Lincoln, mainly out of concern. He could have walked home easy enough, but the forlorn look on his adoptive father's face was beginning to scare him. The man looked broken, much like he had when he first arrived.

The first thing Lincoln did when he got in Vanzilla with the boy was reach into the glove compartment and get out a pack of cigarettes.

He fished one out, stuck it between his lips, and lit up, all before looking across at Lemy as he breathed out.

"Lem, my man…If I have any advice to impart to you, it's this….Don't be like me."

Lemy looked back at Lincoln quietly, slightly uncertain, a little afraid, but also concerned. The boy gave a slight shrug in return, "You're not so bad Uncle Linc. You're really not."

Lincoln fired Vanzilla up and began to pull out as he shook his head and took another drag, "No Lemy. I'm the worst. Everything I touch turns to absolute shit in the end, and I've got no one to blame but myself."

As they drove together, Lemy picked up Lincoln was taking the 'long way' home. Or rather, he wasn't heading in the direction of home at all. Lemy decided not to bring this up.

"You've been doing great with us Uncle Lincoln. Really. Lupa was out of line. She's just as much to blame."

Lincoln sighed, his head falling for a moment as he clutched the steering wheel, "She was out of line, but that's the thing Lem, I'm the adult. I'm supposed to be the one who keeps his head clear when it comes to dealing with an unruly child."

Lincoln shook his head, "God, I'm so glad I don't really have children. I'd be such a terrible father."

Lincoln's words caused Lemy's own heart to begin to twist up. He hated hearing this, because despite some small false starts here and there, Lemy thought this particular Lincoln was a great father. One he found easier to bond with than his original.

Lincoln went on as they drove together, "I'm the reason my family fell apart."

Lincoln clutched the steering wheel tighter and shook as he continued, "I drove us all apart. Its me, me me. I'm the fuck up. Lemy, listen to me. Listen to me good now. Your sisters and your brother, don't ever let them get away from you."

Lemy didn't know what to think right now. He was getting more worried by the moment. His 'Uncle Lincoln' seemed on the verge of tears as he confessed…. What? He wasn't sure. He just couldn't believe the man who'd been taking care of him and his siblings could also be responsible for driving his family apart.

He shook his head, "I don't believe that. I don't."

Lincoln finished his cigarette, tossed it out the window, "It's true… Lemy, it's true. There's just, so much I should have done differently. My sisters, they're the most wonderful girls in the world, they really are, and I….I drove the best parts of them underneath the surface. I pushed everyone away, and I…."

He shook his head, "Your Dad, he kept the family together. He did what I couldn't, he kept you all together."

Lemy sighed and slumped his shoulders, "Dad also ignored problems that threatened our 'family'. He didn't know how to handle conflict and never wanted to ask the real hard questions about all of us."

Lincoln looked curious for a moment, eyebrow raising, something about what the boy said seemed important, despite his own pain right now, "What are you getting at Lem?"

Lemy looked back up at Lincoln…for a moment he thought about it, confessing everything… Telling Lincoln about what he and Lily were doing, how he was the father of her child. He thought if anyone would be his ally, and protect him, it would be this Lincoln….but right now, with everything that just happened? He couldn't shove that on top of the man. He just couldn't.

Lemy looked away, out the window, choking his pain back, swallowing and putting on a brave face, "Just, you're a great father okay? We love you, we…."

He realized the truth, the truth of why Lupa's heart was so broken with seeing Lincoln with Ronnie Anne, he pivoted to that, to draw attention away from himself, "Lupa cried because she doesn't want anyone to take you away. She cried because you reminded her, you're only going to be around temporarily. We don't want you to go. Lyle, Loan, Lacy, and Lulu, we don't want you to leave."

Lincoln stared forward, eyes on the road almost unblinking. Lemy couldn't tell what the man was thinking about, but it was clear the boy's words had a profound effect on him.

Lemy looked down at his lap before he spoke again, "But I know you have to go back. Because, you have to make up with your family."

Lincoln slowly nodded his head, "I don't know if they'd even want to reconnect with me again Lemy. I really don't." The man sighed heavily as he leaned back in his seat, "But I know I can't stay here. You guys need your real father back." He shook his head, "Anyway, doesn't matter. I'll be surprised if Lupa ever wants to talk to me again…and who knows what Lucy will do when she finds out how much I hurt our….I mean her, daughter."

Lemy decided not to press Lincoln anymore on the issue of family and fatherhood. He could tell his dimensionally displaced father was going through it, but he also knew they had to address the other elephant in the room. What Lincoln was doing with that woman.

After a small period of silence, he gave a slight smile and spoke up.

"So that was the famous Ronnie Anne?"

Lincoln was slightly caught off guard by the topic change, but gave a bittersweet smile, and slowly nodded, "Yeah, what did you think?"

Lemy chuckled softly, "You weren't lying about how pretty she is. You two looked like you were having a lot of fun before, everything went crazy."

Lincoln nodded again, "Yeah, I wish it went on a little bit longer though."

Lemy's curiosity continued, deciding to push the envelope a little further with his adoptive Dad, "Were you…hoping to go back to her place? You know, get a little action? I figure you must be going crazy. You know my siblings and I can tell Dad's cranky because he hasn't gotten any in a couple days. Maybe that's the same with you?"

Lincoln was knocked for a loop at that revelation. He couldn't help himself, he suddenly started laughing out loud, turning to look at his other dimensional son and smirking, "Wow, Lemy, really? We're going there?"

Lemy gave a slight shrug even as he grinned bashfully.

Lincoln smirked and shook his head, "You kids know way too much about sex."

Lemy looked back to Lincoln with a frank expression, "Oh cause you didn't know about it growing up with how many sisters? Grandpa and Grandma must have been like the rabbits you love so much."

Lincoln suddenly flushed horribly as he rubbed the back of his neck and coughed. The boy was spot on, all the Loud children knew what sex was and had a healthy understanding of it from an earlier age than most. It was just the reality of the situation, Mom and Dad were very much in love.

Lincoln responded, "You're not wrong… but it wasn't like I talked to my old man about getting it on with our Mom. It was more something we accepted and talked about with one another when we needed Mom or Dad and couldn't find them. That was typically because they were alone in the bedroom together."

Then Lincoln looked back to the boy, "Your Dad really that much of a horndog?"

Lemy nodded, "Yeah, not just Dad though. Our Moms too. They're all really physical with one another. But, they're not like, inappropriate in front of us. Weird as it is, Dad is really uncomfortable talking about it openly with us…"

Lemy then got a slight smile, "So don't think of us as Father and son right now, think of us as…just two guys, talking about girls…"

Lincoln looked over at the young metal head and laughed, "Lemy, you don't need to worry about anything like that right now. Focus on your studies, your family, and your fun. Give it a few more years before you worry about sex with girls."

Lemy felt a pang of regret and a twinge of guilt flow through him. He bit his lip, and just nodded his head, lying to the man he respected and looked up to.

Lincoln went on, "But to answer your question, no, I didn't want to."

Lemy looked almost shocked as he heard that, turning to look back at Lincoln questioningly.

Lincoln went on, deciding to answer the boy, "I didn't want to rush things. Lemy, when you're older, your hormones are gonna be crazy and you're going to want to get laid… heck you probably dream about it now. But the thing is, sometimes sex to soon…It can really muddle things, make them more confusing and mess them up."

Lemy looked even more confused, as if he was hearing the opposite of what he'd heard all of his life, Lincoln noticed the confusion and went on.

"Sex…its powerful, intimate, deep… Sometimes when you have sex with someone, it's reducing them down to an object…or worse, it's a way you might try to control them."

Lemy felt his stomach churn slightly, as he heard those words. He looked down at his lap as images of Lily filled his head. Was she just trying to control him? She said she loved him, he knew she did…He knew he loved her…but, what Lincoln was saying right now made so much sense to him.

Lincoln continued, "I didn't want that with Ronnie Anne. Don't get me wrong, she's superhot, but that's not why I fell in love with Ronnie Anne. I fell in love with her because of who she is…the fact she got superhot as she grew up was just the bonus."

Lemy turned to look back at Lincoln, "What are you going to do with her now? What did you want to do? Did you want to stay with her here?"

Lincoln looked guilty as he clenched the steering wheel tighter, and his own stomach twisted in knots, "I don't know Lem. I don't. I was being dumb, being selfish. You know, Lily warned me about this too. She told me I couldn't be with Ronnie Anne here, not if I wanted to return home. That I'd also only end up hurting Ronnie too. But I didn't listen. I swear, Lily is the only one of my sister's here that has any kind of sense to her."

More of that cold naked guilt coiled in Lemy's heart. He wanted to tell Lincoln everything that was going on with him and Lily still. It kept wanting to come up, but at the same time he knew it would just make everything at home worse. It would, potentially destroy their family, and right now, more than anything, they needed to keep the family together. He just needed to man up and accept his responsibilities, his roll in how everything came to be.

Lincoln continued, "I'll call her in a day or so….make up some kind of excuse, I don't know. But I was chasing something I never deserved anyway. You need to be better than your Father Lemy, both of us."

The two fell into a sad silence before they reached home.

….

Lincoln was well into fourth beer when the front door of the house opened and Luan came out onto the porch. He'd been sitting outside for just over an hour now, doing nothing more than smoking and drinking in that time.

Sitting in the darkness, the spring night air was cool, but pleasantly so, the hotter Michigan summer right around the corner.

Luan was dressed in a sleeveless yellow button up, and a pair of white jeans, an inverse of her favorite outfit growing up. Her hair was down, the naturally curly golden brown locks framing her impish features. Lincoln was struck by how much more beautiful Luan was when she let her hair down. He wondered why she kept it up so much in her younger years.

His funny sister walked over to the porch chair next to his and took a seat.

The two of them hadn't interacted much since she arrived. It'd only been a few days, but right now, Lincoln felt almost a little…guilty for trying to avoid her.

He looked over to the two cans left in his six pack, and then grabbed one from the plastic ring and offered it up and over to her, "Beer?"

To his surprise, Luan took the can from his hand, then opened it up. She held it forward in a salute while saying, "Cheer up Linc! Don't worry, BEER Happy!" laughing softly afterwards.

Lincoln gave a small smile at the bad pun, before he took another sip from his own can and stared forward at the front lawn.

Luan followed his gaze and took a sip from her own can before she was speaking again, "So, Lupa is spending the night at Charlie's…"

Lincoln turned, frowning slightly, "She is, is she?"

Luan nodded, still smiling gently, "Yup, and according to her, you're perfectly okay with it. Of course, I doubted that, but Lemy filled me in on what really happened."

Lincoln leaned forward, his head bowed as he brought his hand up and placed it on his forehead, "I messed up Luan. I really, really messed up."

Luan remained silent, taking a sip from the offered can of beer as she seemed to be deciding on what to say, "Oh, you could have handled it better probably…But I don't think it's the end of the world. Lupa's a sensitive girl, just like her mother. Unlike Lucy though, she lets it all out rather than bury it inside. Just give her some space and apologize to her."

Lincoln looked up and frowned. He didn't seem to believe what Luan was saying at the moment. He turned to address his clown sister, "Lupa hates me. She's going to hate me forever…These kids are going to realize what a terrible person I am and all hate me."

Luan took on a very serious expression, the jokester dropped any pretenses as she spoke, addressing her brother's doppleganger "Lincoln, when you came here originally you wanted nothing to do with us. But that's seemed to change. You're really involved in the kid's lives, so let's lay it all on the table right now. Do you want Lupa to love you? Do you want them all to love you?"

Lincoln leaned forward against the porch railing as he sighed, looking up at the moon and thinking long and hard about the white haired girl…Not just her, but all of them. All of the kids he'd come to know…His heart ached when he thought of them, their smiling faces, their hurt feelings, their joy, their pain. He had become fully enmeshed with their lives. He didn't know how it happened or why it happened… He knew the real truth.

They were his kids.

Not really, but they were. He saw himself in all of them, the parts that he would have contributed if he'd done the same with his own sisters. Maybe it was genetic instinct, but it was there. He was here, and he felt the need to do right by them, and in this moment, the possibility of them hating him hurt him more than anything else.

But he needed to face facts when it came to his behavior.

"I don't deserve their love." He stated simply.

Luan stood up from her chair and walked over, gently placing her hands on his shoulders, "Lincoln, I'm not here to beat you up. I'm not here to make you feel worse. I know you don't agree with how our children were made, but they're here and every one of us that's spent time with you has noticed how good you are with them. You're just as good as he is. Different then how he does it, but just as good."

Lincoln listened as Luan comforted him. He knew normally he didn't like it when any of the sisters touched him, but in this moment he felt like he needed Luan's comfort more than anything else. Maybe it was because he was slightly drunk, and his emotions felt exaggerated. He didn't know what to think, he wasn't sure he should be pouring his heart out to anyone, let alone Luan, but here she was…

His time in this dimension had really upended his expectations, beliefs, and values. He was questioning who he was, and who he wanted to be. He was questioning how he could know what this version of his family had done was wrong, but at the same time think they were good people in other ways.

It just started to pour out of him.

"I don't know anything Luan! I don't! I'm just, so confused about everything now! I hate my life back home, I hate it! I hate who I am, and I hate that I feel like I wasted my time and pushed away everyone I love!"

Lincoln took a deep breath "I don't belong here, I don't belong back home. I don't belong anywhere! I don't like who I was, but I'm afraid of who I'm becoming!"

Luan listened intently, giving her brother's shoulders a squeeze, and just letting him pour it all out.

Lincoln didn't hate her in this moment. Lincoln knew she wasn't trying to seduce him, or change who he was. He somehow knew in his heart, Luan was treating him as if he really were her brother, and wanted to comfort him.

Maybe that's why he confessed his deepest secret, "I bought a gun a week before my Lisa got out of Prison."

The silence between the two after that statement, was deafening. It took Luan a full moment to process what Lincoln had just said, and what he meant.

A look of complete horror came over her features. Her mouth open in shock, before she finally found her voice, "Lincoln…why?!"

Lincoln gave a soft bitter laugh, as he wiped at his cheeks, "Because, I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take how lonely I was…how much I was messing up my best friend's life. How I barely talked to any of my sisters. I couldn't take it. I'm a disappointment to my family, I pushed them away, and I told my Dad I hated him just for trying to help me."

Lincoln felt his tears coming up, and he hated himself for it. He hated being this weak, he hated being vulnerable. He hated crying in front of someone who so very much looked like, and sounded like his sister, who was his sister in every respect but wasn't. Who was showing him more love and concern then his own sister had in years.

He broke down and started to cry, dropping his can of beer as he did, his hands covering his face as he managed to get out, "But I don't want to die anymore, I don't want to! I want to fix things, and I want to be good to these kids, and I want to be better than I have been, but I keep fucking it all up!"

He lost himself in his pain, feeling ashamed at himself, at breaking down like this. Feeling ashamed that he could ever be so selfish as to think to kill himself. But before he knew it, his sister's arms had slipped around him, and pulled him into her embrace.

Lincoln clung to her like a drowning man clinging to floatsam. He grabbed her shirt and cried into her shoulder while she held him gently…and inbetween his sobs, he realized Luan had begun to sing to him…Gently, but beautifully…

Now I know that you're just my little brother
And I don't expect you to get everything just right
But I think you ought to use a little more sense than what you're using
And maybe then things would be all right,
Yes, and maybe then thing would be all right.

Now I know that I sit and I worry too much
Especially when you come home such a sight
But I guess what you've got to do, boy, you go ahead and do it
And I sure hope thing will be all right,
Yes, I sure hope things will be all right.

Now you come back here, you scruffy little brother

Come on back here and let me kiss you goodnight

'Cause I know if you were gone I'd miss the sound of laughter

And that's gonna make everything all right,

Yes, that's gonna make everything all right.

All of the Loud family had musical talent, but it was typically Luna and himself who leaned into it the most. But here, Luan was showing she possessed the gift, just as all of them did…And in this moment it was everything Lincoln needed.

He knew the song. All of his older sisters did, and they loved it. They had all listened to it when it came to their feelings involving him. 'Brother Mine', by Suzanne Vega… But right now, the way Luan sung it to him, it seemed perfect, the best rendition he'd ever heard.

It took him to a time years ago. A happier time when his family was together, and they all loved one another. Before they separated. It soothed his heart and made his tears fade as he hugged and held onto Luan while she did the same to him.

More though, it took him to that time….When Benny had broken his sister's heart, and he had sung to her. It was almost poetic really, after he'd probably forever ruined things with the Ronnie Anne of any dimension, to have his sister sing to him like this.

Lincoln gave another sniffle as Luan's song came to an end, and he leaned back to smile at her. He leaned forward and did something he didn't even expect to do. He kissed Luan's forehead, as if she were really his Luan.

Luan looked back to her little brother, positively stunned by the action, but seemingly happy for it all the same. Lincoln slowly stood up, now looking slightly embarrassed as he picked up the spilt can of beer and put it aside.

He gazed away from her as he breathed out, "Thank you. Thank you, Luan, really."

Luan stood back up, before taking her seat and smirking back at him, "Remember, when times are tough, your older sister is your HUG dealer!"

Lincoln laughed softly at the terrible pun, shaking his head as he decided to speak up about the old memory, "You know….I remember when my Luan was going through something tough like this…We were so much younger, but it was after Benny had broken up with her."

He turned to look at Luan, "Did you date Benny in this universe?"

Luan was looking right at him, but her expression had changed. It was, curious, very curious, as if she wanted to know everything Lincoln was saying, "I did, but don't let me stop you. Tell me everything."

Lincoln nodded in reply as he recalled the memory, "She was devastated, just, really hurt. The worse I'd ever seen her. We all kind of thought Benny was the one for Luan. But that boy just ripped her heart right out. I kind of hated him for it at the time."

Lincoln looked back to Luan, who was sitting in complete silence, listening intently. It seemed a little strange to Lincoln, but he went on, "Anyway, just like you sung to me…I sung to her in that moment…What you did right now, it was beautiful because it…"

And then Luan interrupted him, "Was just like you did for me, when Benny broke my heart." She looked right at Lincoln, directly into his eyes, "That's why I sung to you. Because when I saw you like this Lincoln, when I heard everything that happened…It just reminded me so much of that day."

Lincoln looked back and was beginning to look more and more perturbed. He frowned, looked away, "Okay, was it Sister, by Dave Mathews?"

Luan nodded her head, but more she was beginning to blush. She looked away, her hands folding in her lap, "I…that day, that moment…It was one of the most important of my life…"

Lincoln began to look slightly unnerved, "But, why is it the exact same thing that happened in my universe? Hold on, Hold on… Alright, did your family take a trip to Scotland?"

Luan nodded, "Yes, and there was the House Keeper, Morag and the Dragon.."

Lincoln frowned and nodded, "So did my family. Okay, what about the summer vacation…what happened to you there?"

Luan fired right back, "I lost Mr. Coconuts, but we ended up finding his creator who said I could keep him!"

Lincoln put his hand to his head and began to pace around on the porch, "Everything, everything is the same. Everything is the same up to a certain point?! Why?!"

Luan looked just as concerned, just as confused as Lincoln was. She wasn't as big a sci-fi nerd as her brother was, but she knew enough growing up with him to realize a few things were starting to become strange when it came to this brotherly 'visitor' from another dimension.

"I… I don't know Lincoln. But you're right, we've talked about it… My sisters and I…How many memories we seem to share with you. But we didn't really think about it much. But what you just described, that day is so important for me Lincoln. For all of us."

Lincoln looked towards Luan and thought back to that moment, thought back to those feelings he had at the time. He didn't wasn't to press the issue and ask more. No, he needed answers, he needed to talk to the expert.

"I'm going to talk to Lisa."

…..

Lincoln and Luan stood in front of Lisa in her basement room and Laboratory. The genius was listening intently to Lincoln's words, all while she held a sleeping Lulu in her arms, rocking the baby gently.

Lincoln and Lisa had quite the conversation, going over several key memories he had with his sisters, with her and with Luan, and Lisa took it all in. She looked at a graph and chart in front of her. Dimensional theory, advanced equations, all of it was laid out.

But more importantly, she looked down at the baby in her arms, the one who had known the answer from the moment this 'other' Lincoln had arrived.

After a long moment of Silence, Lisa turned towards Lincoln and addressed him.

"Everything that didn't make sense to me before, now does. It means I have to completely change how I was going about the issue of dimensional travel, but it finally makes everything about us, and you, much clearer."

Lincoln wasn't sure he liked where this was going, but he listened all the same, even as a small part of him was now yelling to shut up. To not ask any questions, to not let Lisa continue and go on. A part of him did not want to know what the answer was.

Lisa didn't give him a choice.

"Lulu doesn't love you because you have the same genetics as her father. She loves you because you are her father."

Lincoln was taken aback. He literally stepped back upon one foot. His stomach beginning to sink.

"W-w-what?"

Lisa continued to stare directly at him, she was forcing a truth out she knew he wouldn't want to accept, but one she was absolutely certain of.

"Lincoln, you didn't cross universes. You crossed timelines. You aren't from another dimension, you're from a timeline split, like we are."

Lisa looked at the horrified expression coming across Lincoln's features, but didn't stop, "Lincoln. We ARE your sisters."

Lincoln slowly shook his head, his stomach sicker than ever, his world beginning to spiral out of control. He didn't even realize he was about to quote one of his favorite movies...

"No…No…that's not true…That's Impossible!"

Lisa in return, rolled her eyes, knowing this was going to be a huge adjustment for Lincoln to take in. Not only him, but the rest of the family too. But she just decided to complete the quotation for her brother's sake.

"Search your feelings, you know it to be true."

Lincoln fell to his knees, and his hands went up into his hair, "How…Noo, how… we would never.. My sisters and I, we wouldn't… we couldn't… I couldn't… I wouldn't…"

Lisa turned away and looked at her equations, "You would, and you did…Just not in your timeline. We were once one single universe, but an event happened that caused our timelines to split…causing two split timelines to branch off of a main one…"

And then Lisa took a deep breath, her shoulders sagged and she spoke in a guilty tone, "And I'm the one that caused it to happen…"

17 Years Ago

Time seemed to stretch forever as he saw her begin to lean up towards him, and her eyes began to close, and that feeling of wanting to kiss her began to almost overwhelm him….

And something inside of him began to nag at the back of his head. Something that told him this was a dangerous road, a dangerous moment. What he needed to do now more than anything, was get away…get away before those feelings overwhelmed him.

He saw his sister Luan, he saw her in this desperate moment of need, but also this look of longing in her eyes… This look of wanting to be loved, and how he seemed to be the one who could do it. He wanted to kiss her so bad but…

He was afraid, afraid of his own feelings…

He put his hands on Luan's shoulders and stepped up and off the bed. Slowly he pulled away from her.

Luan looked up at him, her puffy eyes so confused. Her lower lip quivering, wondering why her wonderful little brother was walking away.

Lincoln went to the door of the bedroom, took hold of it, and looked over his shoulder at her, "I'll always love you Luan. I'll always be here for you. But I think you need some time alone now."

Before she could say anything else, Lincoln walked out the door, closing it behind him.

…..

Time seemed to stretch forever as he saw her begin to lean up towards him, and her eyes began to close, and that feeling of wanting to kiss her began to almost overwhelm him….

And something inside of him began to nag at the back of his head. Something that told him this was a dangerous road, a dangerous moment. What he needed to do now more than anything, was get away…get away before those feelings overwhelmed him.

He saw his sister Luan, he saw her in this desperate moment of need, but also this look of longing in her eyes… This look of wanting to be loved, and how he seemed to be the one who could do it. He wanted to kiss her so bad but…

He was afraid, afraid of his own feelings…

He put his hands on Luan's shoulders, and leaned forward… ignoring the voice of fear inside of him.

Why should he be afraid? He was with Luan, he was with his sister, and she loved him, and he loved her…and she needed him…

Before he knew it, his lips had met her own….He didn't know what he had intended, was it meant to be just an innocent kiss?

Because it wasn't… His lips were against Luan's and it felt so right, it felt so warm and beautiful. The little voice inside told him this was wrong, this was a road they shouldn't go down…but he purposefully ignored it.

Even as he felt Luan's hand slip up into his hair and begin to caress his scalp. Even as she tilted her head, to deepen the kiss with her little brother.

Luan needed love right now, more than anything else in the world, and Lincoln was a good brother…The best brother, he would provide it, give her everything she wanted, needed, and then some…

He felt her tongue at the entrance of his lips, and the boy opened his mouth, and shared his first, real, deep kiss with his sister. It was soft, and warm, and oh so good. It made his young prick stand at attention…

And then Luan was pushing him back onto her bed. He allowed her to guide him, as she slid over his form and kissed him more, and his own hands wrapped around her waist as she straddled him and the two made out in her bed…changing their lives forever.