Responding to guest reviewer "JC": As chaotic as The Loud House can be, things like Lincoln being treated poorly by their parents can go virtually unnoticed by all but the most observant of the sisters, i.e. Lucy and Lisa. Plus, if you take into consideration the shenanigans Lincoln always seems to get himself into, their parents might just see their treatment of Lincoln to be a fitting punishment for him. I'll have the sisters wrestle a proper explanation out of Lynn Sr. and Rita before too long.

Chapter 6

Lincoln woke up to the sounds and smells of somebody cooking. Whatever it was, it smelled delicious, reminding him that he hadn't eaten yet. He shifted positions and realized with a blush that he was lying on the couch with his head in Blanca's lap. He scrambled into a sitting position.

"Whoa! Wha-what happened?" he exclaimed.

"You fainted upon learning that my boyfriend is Ken Tennyson and that I am the daughter of Magister Rook of the Plumbers," Blanca explained. "Right now, Ken and Gil are cooking chili fries for our evening meal. Would you like some?"

"Sure, I'm starving! Wait, who's Gil?" Lincoln asked.

"Our roommate, Gilgamesh Levin." Lincoln almost fainted again, but managed to keep it together this time. At Blanca's prompting, he explained his situation to Ken and Gil while they ate, and both young men displayed righteous fury towards Lincoln's "parents."

"Hey, you guys have access to super-advanced alien technology, right?" he asked out of the blue.

"Of course we do. Why do you ask?" Ken replied.

"I, uh, I'd like to know who my real parents are, and if they're still alive. There must be some kind of DNA test that's more accurate than anything we have on Earth, including the one Lisa invented."

"I will discuss this matter with my father and his associates in due time," Blanca said, laying a hand on Lincoln's shoulder. "For now, your priority is to get some rest. You have had quite the...emotional rollercoaster, I believe is the term. Tomorrow, I will seek out your adoptive sisters and see that your possessions are returned." The bizarre mix of people spent the rest of the evening watching The High-Stakes Adventures of Ace Savvy at Lincoln's request, then got ready for bed.

Ken's pajamas consisted of a black T-shirt and black shorts, exposing his skeletal cybernetic limbs. Gil was shirtless and wearing jumbo-sized black lounge pants. Tattooed in black on the left side of Gil's chest was the stylized silhouette of a Panuncian, the natural predator of the Splixxon, which Gil had defeated in gladiatorial combat as part of the Tetramands' coming-of-age ritual. Blanca had changed into a white spaghetti-strap top and black short-shorts, revealing that her limbs and back had dark blue leopard-like spots and that she had white fur on her chest and stomach. Lincoln, still wearing Ken's bathrobe, would be sleeping in Blanca's room at Blanca's insistence.

...

Gil was doing some light exercises before going to sleep when he noticed Ken sitting up on his bed, deep in thought and stroking his chin.

"Something wrong, buddy?" he asked, and Ken sighed.

"Now that I've gotten to know Lincoln a little, I can't help but feel as if we've met before," he replied. "Those eyes of his...I know those eyes..." In trying to figure out where he had seen Lincoln's stormy gray eyes before, Ken looked over at his friend and jolted. "Hang on...his eyes are the same color as yours, Gil!" Gil came to the same realization.

"Hmm, I wonder..." both boys said in unison.

...

Lincoln was impressed with just how nice Blanca's room was. A canopy bed with at least six pillows, a futon, one of those holographic alien TVs...she was living the dream! Blanca got under the covers of the bed. Lincoln grabbed one of the pillows and had just turned toward the futon when Blanca cleared her throat loudly, making him cringe. She was scowling when he turned back toward her, and she shook her head. Lincoln felt a spark of fear, thinking he'd somehow done something to get in trouble (again), but that spark vanished when Blanca crooked her finger at him and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

See, Blanca was really good at reading body language. Lincoln's "parents" had been somewhat lacking lately in the affection department, and it showed in the way Lincoln carried himself. He had been craving that affection ever since parting from his earlier hug with Blanca.

Lincoln crawled under the covers, and Blanca turned off her bedside lamp. Lincoln tried to make himself comfortable, but he just couldn't get to sleep. He didn't want to toss and turn for fear of disturbing Blanca, but he didn't know what else would help. He sighed, causing Blanca, who was still awake, to open one eye.

"Is everything alright, Lincoln?" she asked softly. Once again, Lincoln was torn on how to answer. He didn't want to seem like a needy toddler, but at the same time, he would be looking forward to a sleepless night unless his need was fulfilled.

"Can...can I have another hug?" he asked uncertainly. Blanca didn't reply verbally; instead, Lincoln felt her arms slither around him and pull him closer to her. She purred deep in her chest, and the gentle vibrations soon lulled Lincoln into a deep, dreamless sleep.

...

When Lincoln woke up, his head was lying on the softest pillow he had ever used. As he gradually became more alert, he noticed that his "pillow"...

...had a heartbeat.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out, lurching to the side in terror. This woke up Blanca, who he had been lying on top of. Lincoln was hyperventilating; to him, he had been sleeping in a strange bed in a strange room with a strange person, and Blanca was quick to take note of his panic.

"Please calm down, Lincoln. It is only me, Blanca. I mean you no harm," she said softly, stroking the top of his head. Lincoln's breathing evened out as the memories of the previous day returned to him. "There. Do you feel better?" Blanca asked. He nodded with a slight gulp, noting with embarrassment that they had shifted positions in their sleep, causing him to sleep with his head on her chest. "If you are embarrassed about our sleeping positions, do not fear. I do not take offense, and neither will Ken." That brought Lincoln some relief.

The two of them walked downstairs and ate the breakfast provided by Gil, who appeared to Lincoln to be the main cook between his three hosts. Everyone got dressed after eating, then Ken and Blanca left for school, leaving Lincoln and Gil sitting in awkward silence in the living room. Gil cleared his throat, and Lincoln twiddled his thumbs, neither one knowing how to start a conversation.

"So...do you like video games?" Gil asked, breaking the silence at long last. Lincoln jolted, and his face split into a broad grin.

"Do I?!" he shouted.

...

With Ken and Blanca, Blanca left Ken in charge of finding their shared homeroom while she went in pursuit of at least one of Lincoln's older sisters. Before long, she came across a human girl about the same age as herself and Ken. The girl was Caucasian with shoulder-length blond hair, a blue sleeveless top, and khaki shorts. She was constantly wiping her eyes and nose while another girl with mostly purple clothes and blond hair that was much longer hugged her from the side. Taking a confident guess as to the first girl's identity, Blanca approached the pair.

"Pardon me, but would your name happen to be Lori Loud?" she asked them.

"Yeah. What do you want?" the girl in blue replied gruffly, her eyes red and puffy.

"I apologize if I have offended you. My name is Rook Blanca, and I wish to relay a message from your brother, Lincoln," Blanca explained. The moment she finished speaking, Blanca found herself pinned against the wall with Lori glaring into her eyes. Which was quite the surprise, considering Blanca's cat-like reflexes allowed her to counter most surprise attacks.

"Lincoln?! Where is he? How is he? I swear, if you harm a single hair on his head..." the teen blurted out in a jumble.

"Please, calm yourself and allow me to explain," Blanca said gently, laying her hands on Lori's shoulders. Lori hesitated before letting go. "There. As I was saying, Lincoln is rather shaken as a result of recent events, but otherwise is perfectly safe back at my place of dwelling. He wanted me to ask you to return his belongings to him as soon as possible. He does not wish to return to your place of dwelling, yet he is still suspended from school."

"Yeah, okay. I can do that," said Lori, wiping a tear of relief from her eye. Blanca smiled and started to walk away, but Lori grabbed her shoulder. "Wait! We should probably exchange contact information."

"Oh, of course! How silly of me to forget!" said Blanca, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. She and Lori exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet after school.

"Thank you so much for giving Lincoln a place to stay," Lori finally said. "You have no idea how much it means to me to know that he's somewhere safe."

"It is my pleasure, Lori. Lincoln's company has been simply delightful so far," Blanca replied before walking away.