Loud Visions 2

by Rack44

After revealing his Future Visions to his sisters, Lincoln's life takes a different turn. His sisters vow to be better for him, but now they have other things to worry about in the present. Future Lincoln has to fight enemies from the future to protect his past. Will Lincoln keep his family together, or does fate have something else to say about that?

20. Chapter 20

I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.

Chapter 20

As Luna and Luan suggested, Lincoln hid the rest of his video games in his room and only had one in the living room. The first game he played was War of the Monsters – a 1950s-era monster fighting game. You select different monsters, each with their own fighting style and unique abilities, to fight other monsters. Lincoln's favorite was Agamo, a Tiki stone monster, and Clyde was Congar, a King Kong gorilla monster. Lincoln and his friends had a blast fighting in battle royales against each other – Lincoln was kicking ass with his monster and in story mode. Of course, Lincoln's male friends, being boys, all commented on how awesome the game was with excited glee.

While playing, Luan was in the kitchen tenderizing the meat while Luna put them through the grinder. While Lincoln let his friends have their turns, he went to the kitchen to help Luan and Luna. They talked more about band practice and what spices would go best with the meat patties. Luan showed Lincoln how to tenderize the meat and explained the different spices and peppers that would go well with them for good favor.

Lori and Leni came home with the rest of the Loud sisters as Lincoln's friends left for home. Lincoln kissed his girlfriend Stella goodbye, and he didn't care if his sisters were watching and ga-ga.

They left just in time because Rita returned home with Lynn.

Lincoln kindly greeted her, "Hey Lynn, welcome—"

Lynn stormed upstairs and slammed the bedroom door behind her.

"—home?" Lincoln said, confused.

"What's her deal, dudes?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.

With a heavy sigh, Rita slumped down on the couch, "Lynn lost her temper at the ball game and got into trouble."

Rita explained the whole story, and the kids were stunned – even more so when they saw the viral video. Lori and the other older sisters felt uneasy the moment they heard the word, which set Lynn off. Lori put her arm around Lincoln's shoulder, and her other hand tightened her grip on his arm. They were also bummed out that Lynn was out of sports and had to take summer school.

The positive energy in the air was almost gone, especially when they saw Rita remove Lynn's sports gear and balls. However, the homemade burgers with crinkle-cut French fries sprinkled with seasoned salt definitely lifted everyone's spirits despite Lynn not coming down. The burgers were delicious. Lincoln went upstairs to give Lynn her dinner. Lori, Leni, and Luna went up with him.

Lincoln knocked, "Hey Lynn, I brought you dinner. It's homemade burgers. Luan and I made them."

After half a minute, Lynn unlocked the bedroom door and let Lincoln in. Lincoln saw that her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks had wet streaks with hair down. Lincoln placed her plate on the nightstand before giving her a hug. Lynn sniffed before hugging him back – the older sisters had sad faces as they hugged her as well. They sat on the bed, Lincoln held her close while Lynn rested her head on her brother's shoulder, and Lori gently stroked her head.

"Lynn, what happened today wasn't your fault. Scoots was the jerk who provoked you," Lori said.

"Jerk? She was an over-the-top, in-your-face craphead!" Luna stated loudly.

"Luna!" Leni exclaimed.

"What? She was."

"Still, though."

They talked, but what made everyone shut up was what Lynn said.

"Maybe I should just quit sports altogether," Lynn said.

Everyone looked at her wide-eyed and softly gasped.

"Quit? Lynn! You can't quit. You love sports!" Lincoln stated.

"Well, I can't play any sports anymore. Forever," Lynn replied.

"No, not forever. You're off until your grades get back up. Once they're back up, you can play sports again," Lori corrected.

"Also," Leni pulled out her phone, "I know everyone says don't read the comments, but it looks like mostly everyone is on your side. Or at least all the mean comments are directed towards Scoots."

Luna looked over Leni's shoulder at her phone, "Yep, people really don't like her. Yeah, there are some stupid people calling you a sore loser, but ignore them. Other people are saying that they'd do worse to Scoots. Wow. They're even thanking Lynn for tearing up the mascot costume."

Lynn faintly looked up, "Huh? Really?"

"Yeah, most of them are saying how stupid and ugly the costume is. Now, I never liked to agree with mean comments, but that costume was never fashionable or cute. Plus, after seeing Lincoln's visions, I think the school should consider having a new mascot animal," Leni explained.

This didn't exactly cheer Lynn up, but it did make her feel a little better. Lincoln handed her the plate, and Lynn slowly ate her dinner. Lincoln and the other sisters talked about how to help Lynn get her grades back up. They agreed that Lisa and any of the older sisters available could help, too – Lincoln even agreed to help, too.

When Lynn finished her dinner, she spoke, "Why doesn't anyone trust me?"

"Lynn, we trust you. Why would you say that?" Lincoln asked.

"It feels like no one believes me when I say I don't believe in luck. I'm never going to let those events happen," Lynn stated.

"We know Lynn. We believe you. It was our mistake not to trust you. That's our fault," Lori said.

"Lynn, you know we're here for you. We're gonna help you," Leni said.

Lynn hesitantly nodded, "Guys, I hear you, but can I just be alone right now?"

"Okay, let us know if you need anything," Lincoln said.

Lori called for a secret meeting about Lynn in her bedroom after they waited for Lynn to fall asleep.

"Okay, everyone. We need to talk about Lynn. It's no secret that we really let her down," Lori said.

"It's more than that. I think she's depressed," Lucy said.

"She's just really bummed out that she can't play sports and has to take summer school," Luan said.

"No, it's more than that. All of us are getting better with the nightmares. We're still getting them, but they're not as bad as when they first came after Lincoln revealed his powers. We've gotten better, but Lynn hasn't. I've seen her wake up at night, scared and sad," Lucy explained.

Everyone gave concerned looks.

"Do you think she still feels guilty about what could have happened?" Lana asked.

"I think it's more than that. I think there's something she's not telling us," Lucy said.

"Well, if she's hiding something, I wanna know what it is," Lori stated, crossing her arms.

"We can't just demand that she tell us. We have to let her come to us on her own terms, which she feels okay and safe on," Lincoln said.

Luna scoffed with a sad face, "You mean you, bro. She doesn't trust us after what we did to her. If you said she hates us, I'd believe you."

Lisa rubbed her chin, "Well when you think about it, it is true that Lynn has a strong emotional attachment to Lincoln. If there's anyone that she'll open up to, it's him."

Lincoln stood up, "Yeah, but if you want to make it up to you, then you should win her trust so that she'll feel safe opening up to you guys – not just me. Lisa, is that dream reader machine ready?"

"Not yet. Being grounded set me back. Also, when it's ready, I have to test it to make sure it will actually function correctly as intended," Lisa replied.

"How long will that take?" Lola questioned.

"Unclear, I'm afraid."

There was sullen silence after she answered that with honesty.

"I'm not blaming you, Lincoln, but you didn't see Lynn losing it at her ball game?" Luan asked.

Lincoln stared at her before he explained, "Three things, Luan. One: Lynn told me not to look into her future. No spoilers, remember? Two: the visions of you guys being in danger are what come to me. What happened today, as messed up as it was, her life was not in danger. So, it didn't come to me. And three: I can't look into the future to see every single possible outcome there is. One person's life is a river longer than the Mississippi River. If I were to look into the future to see every possible outcome of you and the rest of our family's future, I'd be spending the rest of my life looking."

Luan held her head down, feeling dumb, "Oh."

"Look, none of that matters now. What's in the past is done. The real question is, what are we going to do?" Lori asked.

"I think the best thing is to support Lynn. Let her know that she's not alone. Be there for her when she needs us but also give her space when she needs that too. Then, talk to her and ask questions. Not demand answers," Lincoln proposed.

"Will she need therapy?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, what's the name of that therapist that your best friend Clyde sees, Lincoln?" Lola asked.

"Dr. Lopez, although I don't know how Lynn can talk to her about her problems without revealing me," Lincoln answered.

"Could Clyde count as a substitute? I know he's not a licensed therapist, but he is smart and he has spent a ton of time with Dr. Lopez and he knows about Lincoln's powers too. So, wouldn't Lynn be more okay talking about what's bothering her if involves feeling guilty about the bad luck incident?" Lana asked.

Everyone's eyes widened at that. It's true that Clyde isn't a licensed therapist, but after spending time with Dr. Lopez, he knows what kind of questions therapists ask and how to talk about your feelings, your life, what's bothering you, etc. Also, Clyde is more intelligent than most kids his age.

"That is an option and with his kind heart, I don't see any reason for him to say no," Lincoln said.

"Talk to him. In the meantime, let's think of ways to spend time with Lynn. Maybe take her to a soccer game or just watch it on TV—just something. So, brainstorm everyone," Lori said.

"We still have that Hawaii trip. We can walk on the beach with her and talk," Leni offered.

"Yeah, it could. Anyone, let's all go to bed," Lori said.

"Right," everyone said.

Before they left, Lincoln spoke, "Just a heads up, everyone, I talked to Mom, and she wants us to visit Dad this Friday at the hospital – all of us."

Everyone groaned a sigh. It's not that they don't love their father, but even after all that's happened, they still held negative feelings for him. They did promise to give him a chance, but that was easier said than done.

"You girls don't have to say anything. I know. When the time comes, just be on your best behavior. He loves you," Lincoln said.

The sisters rolled their eyes before nodding. With that, they headed for bed. It was Luna and Luan's turn to have Lincoln. It had become so routine that everyone, including Lincoln, was used to it. Lincoln even got used to his sisters' snoring and breathing. However, Lincoln felt that Lynn would have bad nightmares, especially what happened today.

So, without a word, he got out of bed and entered Lynn and Lucy's room. He used his telekinesis to float Lynn and Lucy out of their beds. They woke up and saw Lincoln giving them the shush sign. He went to Lori and Leni's bedroom, pressed the button on the wall to make their beds come together, and put Lucy in between Lori and Leni. The two blondes quickly caught on to what Lincoln was doing, and they simply made room for their dark sister and tucked her in with them as they got comfortable.

Lincoln returned to Luna and Luan's bedroom and got in bed. Luna was lying on her side with her arm around Luan, hugging her from behind. Lincoln got in bed and got in Luan's arms as she hugged him from behind. He placed Lynn in front of him so that he was hugging from behind. Lynn was caught by surprise by this but relished the feeling of Lincoln holding her close, and with that, they drifted into sleep without any nightmares.

Lynn's dream

Lynn woke up with Lincoln shaking her. She found herself in the passenger seat of a car with Lincoln in the driver's seat. Like the other dreams, it was winter with cold snow outside, and both she and her brother were in their winter clothing. She noticed it was nighttime, and they were outside a movie theater next to a shopping district.

"Where are we?" Lynn asked.

"The new movie dine-in movie theater that opened a few months ago. It's basically a luxury theater and restaurant. Instead of just eating popcorn and soda, we can have a meal while on leather reclining seats," Lincoln answered.

"Whoa, fancy."

When they got out of the car, even though it wasn't that far away, they were covered with snowflakes. It was really coming down. Lynn stuck to Lincoln like glue as they walked to the movie theater. Once inside, Lynn's eyes widened with surprise as she gazed at the interior of the place. There was red carpeting and walls, fancy décor, a bar near the snack and popcorn section, and a classic noir/jazz club feel to it.

Lincoln got the tickets and reserved seats. Their chosen movie was a sports flick. The leather reclining chairs were very comfortable. After looking at the menu, a waiter came by to take their order. They both ordered gourmet burgers with seasoned French fries – it was absolutely delicious, and they savored every bite.

Although Lynn had mixed feelings about the movie, it was like 'Million Dollar Baby,' but different. It was about a girl who came from nowhere and failed miserably at trying to find herself as she dropped out of college. After a week of being homeless and almost resorting to prostitution, an old MMA coach takes pity on her and shelters her. He trains her, and she climbs up in the MMA tournaments. Eventually, after some drama, close encounters, and motivating speeches, she later wins the championship, but her big victory is short-lived. During her last few fights, her leg was acting up, causing pain. It gets worse after she wins the championship. When her coach takes her to the doctor, it's revealed she has bone cancer. Her fighting career is over because they have to amputate her leg from the hip down. She passes away a few short months after that. Her coach goes through the five stages of grief before going back to coaching. The movie ends with him walking into his gym.

Lincoln and Lynn walked around the shopping center, enjoying the Christmas lights and decorations with Christmas music playing. There were so many all over the buildings and the tees. Many were golden yellow, while others were in different colors. Most of the lights outlined the buildings, but there were also hanging lights and ones shaped like snowflakes, Santa Claus hats, Christmas trees, presents, snowmen, stars, bells, candy canes, reindeer, Christmas reefs, candles, and ornaments.

The falling snow died down, but it was still coming. Lynn stayed close to Lincoln as she hugged his arm. Lincoln held up his forearm to hold Lynn's hand as they clasped together. There was nowhere in the whole world or even the universe that Lynn would rather be. She felt completely safe and, most of all, happy. It was the kind of feeling like you could walk on air or that nothing could touch you. Lynn wanted to cry as she clung to her brother, but no tears escaped her eyes. There were so many questions Lynn wanted to ask in regard to her future, but she was terrified that if she did, this would all disappear. She wanted to believe that this was her future and not the nightmares of her being homeless. So she focused on the good things happening and nothing else, treating each precious moment like it was her last.

End of Lynn's dream

Lynn woke up with Lincoln still lying close to her from behind with his arm around her. She carefully rolled over to look at him. She watched him sleep and listened to his soft and peaceful snoring and breathing. She gently caressed her fingers on his face. Lincoln slowly woke up to see Lynn looking at him. He held her hand, and the two rubbed their thumbs together. Then Lincoln tickled Lynn's nose with a strand of her own hair, and that made her smile.

The rest of the week was about as you expect. Lynn, being off sports, was hitting the books and had to stay for extra credit. Lincoln and her sisters helped whenever they had the time. Lynn wasn't exactly Sammy Sunshine happy, but it did help, and she was glad, especially when her grades started to improve a little.

Rita, however, was strict with Lynn. She made sure that she was up and ready for school and wouldn't allow her to waste time. One morning, Lynn dragged her feet about it because she was so tired, and Rita made her finish breakfast in the van. Lincoln commented for her to ease up, but Rita made it clear that she wasn't messing around. School was mixed. Some of the kids praised Lynn for knocking Scoots' block off, while others were saying crap like 'sore loser' or 'thin-skinned.' Lynn kept herself under control despite the anger boiling inside. She stayed focused on her schoolwork.

Then came Friday, the day to visit their father. The Loud kids were all quiet as Rita drove them to the hospital. Leni held the bouquet of flowers. The family all looked at each other before entering their father's hospital room. He was still wearing casts on his arm and leg, but the bruises mainly had faded away. His ribs were still broken, but the ones that had cracked were mostly healed. Lynn Sr. gave a gentle smile as his family entered.

"Hey, gang! I haven't seen you in a long while," Lynn Sr. greeted.

Some of the sisters muttered a hello while the others, including Lincoln, silently waved. Rita gave her husband a gentle hug, and Lori placed Lily close to him on the bed. From then on, Lynn Sr. talked mainly about his studies online to be a paramedic and fortunately, he was doing good as far as online tests and exams. It was going to be a while before he would get any hands-on training. A few fellow students came by to visit him, and Lynn Sr. even made a new friend – Kevin. He was a new student like Lynn. He was much younger than Lynn, mid-20s, with light blonde hair, blue eyes, and a little on the skinny side, but he had a smile that was as friendly as his personality. Kevin had gotten back from his honeymoon, and his wife wants three kids – she knows what she wants, and she ain't wasting time to get it.

However, as Lynn Sr. talked, the kids didn't say much, especially Lincoln and Lana. The others engaged in the conversation a little, but it was mostly just questions about Lynn Sr.'s online course, how life is for him in the hospital, when he'll be released, etc. Lana sat close to Lincoln and Lola. Everyone in that room, except for Lynn Sr., knew of Lincoln's future vision powers and the terrible fates that could have happened. It was hard to see their father as the kind and loving man he was when they knew what he was capable of. Those words that he would have said still rattled in their heads:

"Step away from the house."

However, it twisted their guilt, for they knew what they were all capable of despite the fact that those futures would never happen.

Rita looked at her husband and slightly jolted her head, shifting her eyes toward Lincoln and Lana.

Lynn Sr. glanced at them and asked, "So . . . Lincoln, I saw how you picked new chefs for the restaurant. That was a good way to get the word out and get customers. Good job, sport."

Lincoln hesitantly replied, "Thanks."

"How is the place, anyway? Are you checking up on it to make sure it's doing okay?"

"Yeah, it's really thriving. It's almost always booked, and people have to schedule ahead of time to get a table."

"That's good. Heh-heh-ha. That uh . . . that never happened when I ran the place."

There was a long moment of silence.

"Also, congrats on getting a medal from the governor. That's pretty amazing," Lynn Sr. complimented.

"It's more than pretty amazing," Lynn Jr. said, "It's outstanding."

"Dang right," Luna agreed.

"Yeah, you're right. It is outstanding," Lynn Sr. said.

Lincoln nodded a thank you. Lana barely glanced at him. She held onto Lincoln's arm and had Lola's hand while burying her face in Lincoln's chest. Lincoln took Lana's hat off to give her head scratches while Lynn Sr. caught on and decided to address the elephant in the room.

He breathed a heavy sigh and spoke, "Look, everyone . . . I know I've been a disappointment to you all. I know that . . . well, that I failed you. As a father, I'm supposed to love and protect you. I have no excuse for my past actions, and my attempts to win you over have only made matters worse. I'm sorry."

Lana looked up and made eye contact, "You really done me dirty, Dad. I never thought something like that would happen."

"I'm sorry, Lana. I really let you down. I should have been braver for my little girl."

Lana said sadly, "I hope you'll be brave enough to save the next person in danger when you become a paramedic."

A single tear escaped and rolled down Lana's cheek. Lola planted a long kiss on her twin's head.

"Well, that's the plan, and I'll do my best to be brave from now on," Lynn Sr. stated and then turned to Lincoln, "But I've also let you down, Lincoln. I spent too much time supporting and praising my daughters that I didn't make any time for you. I didn't even think how that would affect you. I thought since you were a boy, you would be tougher and less sensitive than your sisters. But that's no excuse to neglect you. You needed a father . . . and I wasn't there to be one for you. (sniffs with tears building up in his eyes) and that's why you feel like you barely know me."

Lynn Sr. took a moment to compose himself and stop himself from breaking down into tears. The sisters and Rita's hearts ached to see him like this.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln. I'm so sorry," Lynn Sr. said.

Lincoln stared at him for a short while. Then he got up and walked to the window. He glanced at his father before looking at the curtains and held them close.

"I've always hated this color. Light blue. It wasn't my favorite color growing up, but now I hate it for two reasons. Do you know what those reasons are?" Lincoln asked.

His father shook his head.

"It's the same color as the dress that Lori and Leni fought over, thus triggering the Sister Fight Protocol . . . and—" Lincoln looked back at him and his family, "—Well, we all know how that turned out, don't we?"

The whole family looked away in shame and disgust. Lori and Leni especially felt terrible for starting that whole thing in the first place, and it wasn't fair for Lincoln at all. However, what made them cringe and feel bad most of all were the visions Lincoln showed them of what could have happened. The sisters couldn't tell which was worse, them beating Lincoln to a pulp or him savagely beating them. Either way, Lincoln running away from home to avoid such terrible fates gave them sight relief despite getting hit by a car. Rita's eye twitched out of anger both at her daughters and herself.

"What's the second reason?" Lucy asked.

There was a long pause before Lincoln answered, "It's the same color as my convincing suit."

Lincoln scoffed a chuckle while shaking his head and that got everyone's attention.

"I've always hated that suit. Not that I had a problem with suits and ties. I think they look snazzy. What I hated about that suit was what it was meant for – to convince you and Mom to let me have something or go somewhere," Lincoln turned to face them, "I could never ask you and Mom for something like a normal kid could. I had to go the extra mile and put on a suit and tie with a PowerPoint presentation to convince you two of something. To let me have my best friend over for a sleepover, or to go see a horror movie, or to buy a video game, or simply to let me stay at home while my sisters do their activities. Now some of those things I get why you said no. Like sleepovers, it wasn't me. It was because of the girls. Whenever they had sleepovers at our house, it ended in disaster, like Leni's sleepover causing a blackout in the neighborhood or Lynn breaking vases and windows or Luna having a concert in our living room."

Lincoln listing all those things made his sisters look away and sigh with guilt. It was true. They were definitely a recipe for disaster, and some of that blame fell on Lincoln. He's either been punished or had to clear his name and fix everything.

"So, naturally, you thought mine would be, too. You didn't trust me to be any different than them. However, you would still say no to other things that weren't that much to ask. So, I would either have to push really hard to convince you or find a way to sneak around to get it to happen. That's what I could never understand."

The family looked back at him.

"Why was it so hard for you to let me have good things in life?" Lincoln asked.

Lynn Sr. hesitantly answered, "Lincoln . . . it's not like we were intentionally saying no to you. We didn't want you to be miserable or anything. Of course, your mother and I want good things for you – for all of you. But life is complicated, and some of those things cost money and time. We're a big family. We don't have a whole lot of either."

Lincoln crossed his arms and asked, "How much would it cost for you to spend time with me? To go fishing or camping or play catch or play music together? How much would it cost for you to be my father?"

Those words hit Lynn Sr. like a shot from a canon. Of course, Lynn Sr. wanted to spend time with his one and only son. He just spent too much time with his daughters and learning how to cook and run a restaurant. You could say he lost sight of what was important or got too distracted.

"What I hated most about that suit was I had to prove that you could trust me with something. That I was qualified for this or why it was okay for that . . . and I guess that's what really hurt the most. That I had to prove something to you two. I guess that's why when my hobbies and talents like art and magic didn't really impress you, I tried all those other things to get you to praise me like how you praised my sisters. I thought I'd be more part of the family if I had a cabinet full of trophies like them, and you'd be proud of me. But then I realized something. Why should I have to prove anything to you two? Why should I have to do these things to make you trust me? Or to make you proud of me? I'm your son. I shouldn't have to prove anything to you," Lincoln explained.

The parents looked away in shame. Their hearts ached with pain as the truth was sinking in like a crushing weight. The worst was that they caused this pain, this frustration, this feeling of neglect that Lincoln was expressing.

"I don't like talking like this and making you feel like this . . . but this is about what you did to me and what you didn't do. Do you remember all those times when I went with Clyde to help him with his grandmother in Toronto?" Lincoln asked.

The parents nodded.

"I lied."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"It's true that I did see her and helped a few times. She's a wonderful lady, but most of those times, Clyde and his dads invited me to go with them on their vacations. I went with them to places like Vancouver, Boston, and San Francisco. I even went to the Bahamas with them . . . and I had so much fun with them. But what really stuck out to me, aside from the beautiful sights, was . . . I was able to have my own space. I was able to have the quiet. No noise. No chaos. No drama. No toxic and mean behavior like that time I stood up for Lucy and took the blame when she clogged the toilet with her Princess Pony book," Lincoln explained.

That made all the sisters cringe with guilt. If there was ever a time that their behavior was at its most toxic and disgraceful, it was then.

"Yeah, you all remember that. It was hard to be around you guys at that time. You didn't let up, and it was even worse when Mom and Dad let it happen. Staying over at Clyde's to get away from you really took the weight off of me, and those vacations with him were even better. I could breathe, which was one of the most liberating feelings I've ever felt. Now, before you say anything, I get it. I should be there for my sisters when they need me and root for them in their pursuits and passions. But I also need my time too, to do my thing just like they need theirs," Lincoln explained.

The parents and sisters were stunned by this. Their eyes were wide with a hint of sorrow. Lincoln stared out into the window, watching the birds fly free. How ironic. Every bird has to leave its nest. Away from home. Away from family. Is that why Lincoln felt more happy away from his?

"Why-why did you lie? Why didn't you tell us?" Rita asked in a slightly broken voice and watery eyes.

"I thought if I had told you the truth, you would have said no like you usually do. I thought you would say it's not fair to my sisters that I get to go to all these places and they couldn't and blah blah blah. So, I lied. I lied so I could enjoy life a little, have some me time, and have some good things happen to me, even if they were short and small . . . because, for a while, I truly believed I wasn't going to get that from you," Lincoln explained.

There was a long moment of silence that cut through them like a blade. The family looked away, letting the truth sink in. It was no secret that they knew they'd neglected Lincoln's needs in the past, but it still pained them to learn how bad it was. They have gotten much better lately, but still. Lincoln broke the silence with another confession.

"Of all the times that I tried to convince you and Mom of something, there was one thing I debated on whether or not to convince you of. I debated whether or not to try and convince you two to have me move in with Uncle Lance and Aunt Sharon," Lincoln stated.

Everyone turned to him wide-eyed.

"I couldn't tell if you two would have said yes or no to that. I thought maybe you would have if that meant I would have gotten my own room and you would have one less mouth to feed. Uncle Lance and Aunt Sharon would have been there for me—"

"You can bet your butt that we would have said no!" Lynn Sr. snapped.

Everyone turned to Lynn Sr. as he continued.

"Lincoln, I know your mother and I aren't winning the Parents of the Year award, but we will never give you up! Ever! I get that you don't think very highly of me. I know you're angry, and we're a disappointment to you, but I'm still your father, and I would fight for you and your sisters because I love all of you!" Lynn Sr. stated firmly.

The sisters' eyes widened slightly at that, and they smiled somewhat. Leni, Luan, and Lola couldn't help but hug their father – Lincoln didn't even blink. Rita approached her son as she held his shoulders.

"Lincoln, you could have told us the truth. We would have let you go on those vacations with Clyde. We would have said yes," Rita stated. Lincoln looked up at her as she said, "We do care about you, and we do want good things for you in life."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to twist the knife with all this. I just wanted to be honest with you. I just . . . wanted to let it out," Lincoln said.

Rita pulled her son in for a hug. She held him close while planting a long kiss on his head and brushing her cheek against his snow-white hair. Lincoln hugged her back, relishing the embrace from his mother.

"Where's that convincing suit now?" Rita asked.

"At home. Why?"

"When we get home, we're gonna burn it because I never want to see you wearing it ever again. From now on, when you want to ask us something, you can just ask. That doesn't mean we're gonna say yes to everything, but we will more often."

They hung around for a while until it was time to go. Lincoln didn't exactly hug his father, but they shook forearms. They left the hospital and got in the van, and Lincoln spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you all feel bad," Lincoln said.

Rita shook her head, "Don't be sorry, Lincoln. It's good to let it out. I'd rather you be honest and say mean truths than lie and keep it all bottled up."

Rita and the others put their seat belts on, and she was about to press the button to start the engine but stopped to pause.

"Kids . . . am I a bad mother?" Rita asked.

"What? No! Mom, of course not!" Leni answered.

"You're not a bad mom," Lola added.

The others all said basically the same thing, except Lori, Lucy, and Lincoln were more honest.

"Right now, you are. You changed for the better," Lucy said.

"I don't know if 'bad' is the word I'd use. You love your kids and never meant to hurt us, but . . . you could have done better. That future never happened and never will. So, I'd use the word 'lousy' rather than bad. You're better and continuing to be better. That's good," Lori assured.

Rita looked in the mirror, "Lincoln?"

Lincoln unbuckled his seat belt and made his way to kiss Rita's cheek.

"What Lori said. The you now is better and good. Before, your parenting could have been done better," Lincoln said.

"And does your father get better? His parenting?" Rita asked.

Lincoln summoned a light orb, and everyone looked at it.

"Yeah, we bond, and he confesses to some things between him and his father. He becomes less afraid of things. So, Lucy, you can look forward to him no longer screaming that he hates Halloween when it comes around. Plus, Luan not pranking anymore really does improve things in the house. There's not something terrifying coming every year," Lincoln explained.

Luan crossed her arms and looked away with a sad face. Luna tapped his arm and jolted her head toward their comedian sister.

"Sorry," Lincoln said.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just got so carried away with the pranking for a laugh," Luan said.

Lincoln rubbed her shoulder, "I love you. I love all of you. Always remember that."

Luan held his hand, and the others nodded.

With that, they headed home. True to their word, they burned Lincoln's convincing suit in the backyard. That night, everyone was tired, so Rita decided to mix it up for dinner. She ordered Chinese. Lo mein, king prawn fried rice, General Tso chicken, egg rolls, spring rolls, and beef with broccoli. It was quiet at first, but Luna was able to make conversation by talking about Lincoln joining her band. That got everyone talking. From there, everyone spoke about how to spend time with Lincoln. Leni wanted to make a few new outfits but needed both help and a model. Lori proposed Lincoln try yoga with him, and Lincoln agreed that she would play video games with him and Lana. Lana wanted to teach Lincoln MIG, STICK, and TIG welding. Lucy wanted to write some dark fantasies and wanted Lincoln's help – like Rita, she was using Lincoln in her stories. He had some ideas for her stories. Lola had an idea she wanted to try and wondered if it would work.

"Lincoln, I have an idea of what to do with all our old stuff before we get rid of it. Since I know how to capture a good photo, I figured I'd put it to good use. You know those 'I Spy' books?" Lola asked.

Lincoln and the others nodded.

"What if I did that? What if I set up photos for 'I Spy' using our old stuff?"

Lincoln's eyes widened, as did the others.

"That is a great idea, Lola. I like it," Lincoln said.

"It could work?" Lola asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, especially if your photos are creative."

"But don't make it too hard not to spot the selected items," Luan said.

They talked more while eating. The Chinese food was delicious.

Later

The day to go to Hawaii and the three-day weekend had finally arrived. Everyone was excited to go as they got their beach stuff and bathing suits – their bathing suits matched their favorite colors. They couldn't bring their phones or purchase anything with debit or credit cards because it would leave a digital trace that they were there and raise suspicion. Leni was bummed out about this since she wanted to take lots of pictures to create memories, but Lincoln came prepared with a digital camera – Luan was bringing hers as well to make videos. Due to Lincoln's popularity, he had to keep his white hair hidden under a hat and wear sunglasses most of the time so no one would recognize him. However, someone wasn't going.

"What? What do you mean she can't come with us?" Lori questioned.

"I'm sorry, but Lynn is still grounded, and she has homework and assignments due next week," Rita answered.

"But this whole vacation idea was meant for all of us. To get rid of our stress," Lincoln said.

"Lynn is still in trouble. I know Scoots provoked her, but she still broke her nose. She's lucky she wasn't arrested. Her grades are still in the toilet. She still has to take summer school, and if she doesn't improve her grades, she'll be held back another year, and I'm not having that. Not on my watch," Rita explained.

Luan started, "But Mom—"

"This isn't up for discussion!"

Lynn Jr. sighed, "Guys, just go. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, little sis?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Have fun."

Lincoln glanced at the others, and they unconditionally nodded as Lynn opened her textbook and began her weekend homework assignments. Lincoln then teleported them to a remote and unseen area in Hawaii – the biggest island. It was 3:30 pm in Royal Woods, Michigan, so when they got to Hawaii, it was 10:30 am. The sight was breathtaking. Big sandy beach, blue seas with blue skies, and all the wonderful sunshine.

The Loud family found a good spot on the beach to set up chairs and towels. Lincoln helped put on sunscreen for his sisters Lori, Leni, and Lucy – the others helped each other. Lincoln relished Leni's gentle hands as she applied sunscreen to his Lincoln's back and shoulders. She could tell with his smile and relaxed face as she massaged him – Lincoln returned the kind favor as he massaged her neck and shoulders. Leni smiled and moaned in delight.

The younger sisters played in the water and sand while the older ones sunbathed. Luan brought up Mr. Coconuts and made several jokes about the beach, ocean, and coconuts. A few got a chuckle out of the others. Luna played music with a ukulele and sang peacefully. Lincoln occasionally went in the water to cool off and play with his younger sisters. Together, they all made a huge sand castle. Lincoln got creative with shells and seaweed to add to the castle. Leni took several pictures of the sandcastle and of themselves – her favorites were the selfies of her, Lincoln, and Lori with the ocean behind them. With his older sisters, they tossed beach balls and threw frisbees.

Lincoln swam out into the small waves with Lori and Luna. They held each other close as they went up against the waves. It was fun as the waves rose the siblings up and down. Sometimes, they get a good splash and make them laugh. As Lori held Lincoln while in the water, she planted a long kiss on his head. They both could feel each other's hearts beating. Leni and Luan swam out to join them. They took turns holding Lincoln close; he felt all their hearts, and they felt his. It was a moment of excitement and profound happiness.

After they had lunch with Hawaiian burgers, Lincoln took a walk with his mother. Lincoln didn't feel all that embarrassed with her holding his hand. They had a bucket to collect beautiful seashells. Many of them were pretty and colorful – Rita was going to make necklaces for her and her daughters. They stopped to look at the sunset. It was gorgeous. The could formations were perfect to show all the golden yellows fading into orange. Rita placed the bucket down and had her arm around her son's shoulder.

"Wow. They're right. Hawaiian sunsets are more beautiful," Rita stated.

"Yeah, they are," Lincoln agreed.

After a while of silence, Rita turned to Lincoln and hugged him close.

"Lincoln, I know I haven't said this enough in the past, but you're going to hear it more often. I love you, honey. I really do," Rita said sincerely.

Lincoln hugged her back, "I love you too, Mom."

"Lincoln, your father and I never meant for you to feel left out. We should have made time for you. Lincoln . . . do you remember that art canvas you drew during the trials?"

Lincoln nodded, "Yeah, I remember."

"I (sniffs) I can't tell how much it hurt that night. Not that we weren't in the canvas, but why we weren't. It broke my heart that I messed up so bad that my one and only son would be so ashamed of me," Rita said in a sorrowful tone.

"Mom, that was before you knew about my powers. Before you changed. I didn't mean to hurt you or Dad," Lincoln said.

"I know you didn't. It was how you felt at the time. I was more ashamed of myself. I wasn't the mother that I was supposed to be, and because of that (sobs) I almost lost you forever."

Lincoln stroked her back and softly shushed her. Rita let a few tears escape and roll down her cheeks. Looking back, Lincoln did feel a little bad about not having his parents on the art canvas. He didn't leave them out to hurt them, but because he couldn't bring himself to add them as part of the people that mattered to him. He was still upset at them. His mother has changed, but his father isn't there yet.

"You know, Lincoln, I'm proud of you, not because of your powers. But because of this," Rita said, putting her hand over Lincoln's heart, "Those powers don't make you special. This right here does. You have this spark in you, and it's amazing. Your art blows my mind out of the park. Your courage. Your strength. Your will to do what's right and go the distance to protect your family despite what you've seen. That's what makes you great, honey. You have something better than greatness – goodness. And that's what I love about you so much," Rita explained.

Lincoln looked up to see her eyes sparkle with pride as she smiled. He felt one of his heartstrings tug. They hugged each other for the longest time. It was on the tip of Lincoln's tongue to ask about Lynn, but he didn't want to ruin the moment.

Instead, he asked, "Wanna go for a swim?"

"Sure," Rita answered.

Like the sisters, Lincoln and Rita swam out in the water to go up against the waves. They held onto each other as the waves splashed against them, making them yelp playfully. Rita felt overwhelming joy as she had her son in her arms. Everything was amazing: the beach, the water sparkling with golden sunlight, and the sky with its orange clouds fading to pink. Rita planted a tender kiss on Lincoln's head and didn't care about the salt water. Then they returned to the others and teleported home.

Back home, Lynn Jr. had finished her assignments for the day, but some of the questions were difficult, and it took her a long time to find the answers. At this point, Lynn hated mirrors because every time she looked at her reflection, she'd either see her homeless self or a part of her scar she got the night Lincoln ran away from home. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling with her hair out. Lincoln, Leni, and Lucy came into her bedroom to see that she was still awake in her bed.

"Hey, Lynn. Are you doing okay?" Lincoln asked gently.

Lynn said nothing and only moaned.

"We're sorry that you couldn't come with us. We brought you a souvenir," Leni said.

"We know it's not much, but we want you to know that you were in our thoughts while we were there," Lucy said.

It was a Tiki bobblehead with a ukulele in its hands. Lynn mumbled a thank you, but her tired, miserable, deadpan face didn't change. Lucy looked at Lincoln and shook her head. Lisa walked in with Lynn's homework papers.

"I took the liberty of checking your homework for you. Most of the answers are correct, with a few minor spelling errors, but I have already corrected them for you. There were a few answers that were close but still incorrect. I changed them. I figured the many grueling hours you spent working took its toll on you, and you deserve a break," Lisa stated while adjusting her glasses.

"Thanks . . . and you're right about the break. I at least deserve a break from Mom. She doesn't have to be so strict," Lynn groaned.

Seeing Lynn like this ached their hearts. Lincoln felt he had to do something. So, he quickly used his future vision powers to see. The girls in the room all gave concerned looks when they saw Lincoln's glowing green and blue eyes.

"Okay, that's it. I'm tired of this," Lincoln said.

He teleported all his sisters into Lori and Leni's room. Everyone was taken by surprise as their eyes widened.

"Lincoln! What are you doing?" Lori questioned.

"Sibling meeting. I'll cut to the chase. Tomorrow, I want to take Lynn to Hawaii," Lincoln stated.

Lynn sighed, "Come on, Link. Get real."

"Yeah, Mom won't let that happen," Lola said.

"Who says Mom has to know?" Lincoln asked.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?" Lana asked.

"Hawaii is not one place. It has more than one island – more than one beach. When we go back to Hawaii, I'll teleport back here and take Lynn to Maui. There, we can take turns having fun with her. Lynn can surf, play volleyball, we can play chicken fights, eat Hawaiian burgers, sandcastles, the whole shebang," Lincoln explained while showing a light orb.

Everyone saw the visions in the light orb. Their eyes widened when they saw Lynn looking happy and having fun.

"I don't know dudes. I want Lynn to have fun with us, but I don't want to get her in more trouble if we get caught," Luna said.

"Plus, what if it holds her back on her assignments?" Luan asked.

"Who cares?" Lori asked, "Lynn deserves a break. We're her family. We're supposed to help each other, even if it means breaking the rules for one another."

"Didn't we already break rules for each other?" Leni questioned.

"Leni, Lori and I murdered six men to save Lynn. We blew up a bridge to save Mom and all those people. We cheated on winning a lottery ticket to buy a new house and new vehicles to save Lori. So, breaking the rules so Lynn can go on a vacation and have fun with us seems pretty harmless," Lincoln explained.

"That's true."

"Compared to the previous tasks that we've done in the past, I don't see anyone getting hurt in this one," Lisa added.

"So come on, Lynn. Say yes to this. You've been miserable lately," Lucy said.

"Yeah, a trip to the beach might lift your spirits. Also, we can replace the bad memories of the bad future that never happened with good memories. So, every time you see and think of the ocean, you won't think of what could have happened with Lincoln," Luan proposed.

Lynn raised her eyebrows with a slow nod, "Good points, and yes, I would very much like to replace the bad memories with good ones."

"So, is that a yes? You'll come with us to the beach tomorrow?" Lana asked with hopeful eyes.

Lynn gave a gentle smile and nodded. The sisters cheered, and everyone hugged her. Lincoln explained his plan. They'd go back tomorrow to the island of Oahu; Lynn would change into her bathing suit, and Lincoln would teleport her to the Island of Maui. There, they'd take turns having fun with her while keeping Mom busy and not suspecting anything. Lincoln explained the plan while using light orbs. They agreed and knew what to do.

The Next Day

Lincoln and Lisa helped Lynn finish her assignments early without Rita knowing. Everyone got ready, and Lincoln winked at Lynn before teleporting to Oahu, and she slightly nodded back. She quickly changed into her bathing suit, a white and red water shirt, and her red mini swim trunks. After a good ten minutes, Lincoln teleported back to the house and teleported Lynn to a remote and unseen area by a beach in Maui. Like her sisters, she was in awe of its stunning beauty. Lincoln helped apply sunscreen on Lynn and did the same thing to Lincoln. While she went looking for a surfboard to rent, Lincoln teleported back to his other sisters and helped put sunscreen on them before Rita noticed. Lincoln enjoyed Lori massaging his shoulders, back, and neck as she put sunscreen on him. Of course, he did the same to her, too, and Lori was very grateful.

Thankfully, Rita was reading and sunbathing, so it wasn't that hard to sneak past her. Lynn found a red surfboard with black tribal markings and went out surfing, but she had trouble staying on. After a few fails, Lincoln swam out and got on the board with her.

Lynn turned to him, surprised, "Lincoln? What are you—?"

"Just trust me, Lynn," Lincoln assured.

The next wave came, and they stood up. Lincoln held her by her waist to keep her balance and prevent her from falling off. After a while, they were surfing! Lynn looked around to see that they were inside the wave – in the tube. It was amazing as the water went up and over them. The top of the tube glistened with sunlight, and as Lynn's hand caressed the incoming water, it sprinkled on her face and hair. The whole thing left her breathless, and she couldn't help but laugh. After doing this five or six times, Lynn got the hang of it on her own – it didn't take her long to do some sweet tricks and moves. Lincoln teleported Lori, Leni, and Luna to the beach, and they cheered as they watched her. She looked at her brother as his whole outline glowed with the sun behind him. She smiled and hugged him closely.

From there, they had all sorts of fun. They played beach volleyball and made sandcastles. Lincoln teleported the younger sisters when it was their turn, and they played chicken fights as Lincoln and Lynn had the twins on their shoulders.

However, when Lincoln and Lynn went to get lunch, they saw their elder sisters looking annoyed as three boys talked to them. Two of the boys were blondes, and the third one was a brunette. The brunette's nose was big and round, the front of his hair was sticking up, slug eyebrows, and he had trophy ears. Lori had Leni behind her in a protective manner. Leni had her hands on Lori's shoulders while Lori had her arms crossed. Luna stood in front of Luan with her hands on her hips.

The brunette asked with a cocky smile, "What's a beautiful place like you doing in four girls like this?"

Lori rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh, I haven't heard that before."

The brunette pointed at himself with his thumb and smiled confidently, "Jack Sully. Star quarterback in high school football. Future NFA all-star. And my bros, Gus and Blake."

Luna looked at him like he was a sleazy tool, "Ooooo. Goodie, a jock. Did you practice that in your underwear in front of the mirror?"

"You'd like to see that, wouldn't you?" Gus smirked.

"Eww!" Leni groaned.

"You're looking at the greatest players in football! We're the pride of the Pacific," Blake added.

Luan raised an eyebrow, "Pride or punchline? Or should I say kickline?"

Jack and the two morons continued to brag about their greatness while the Loud sisters looked annoyed. Lincoln approached them from behind at a nearby staircase, with Lynn following close behind. When she saw those guys, Lynn growled and grinded her teeth as she clenched her fists, ready to snap them like twigs. Lincoln stopped her and winked.

"What do you say, you ladies, come on down to the field, and we'll show you how we dominate the field with our strength, Jack Sully style?" Jack asked with a cocky smile.

"We're already taken, Tom Brady," Lori stated.

"Yeah, we have boyfriends back home on the mainland," Leni added.

"Dump the zeroes, get with the heroes!" Gus said.

"No way, dudes. We're out of here," Luna declared.

However, Blake grabbed her forearm, "Whoa, whoa, hold up, babe. We haven't gotten to know each other."

Luna jerked her arm out of his grip, but he still kept his smirk. Before they could say anything more, two lightning bolts zapped the two blondes. Jack's cocky smile vanished, and as he turned around, he was zapped with lightning as well. Thanks to the wind and the bright sun, both the noise and the flash of the lightning bolts didn't draw any attention from their remote area. The jocks barely had any time to make cries of pain as they fell.

Lynn couldn't tell what made her more angry, the jerks trying to hit on her sisters or the fact that Jack reminded her of herself. His arrogance, his confidence, and his attitude . . . Lynn was like that, especially after her victories. She remembered how she felt like she ruled the world after each win, how she felt better than everyone. Looking back at it now, she felt so stupid.

Lori smiled, "Thank you, Lincoln."

"Yeah, thanks Linky. Just to be clear, you didn't kill them, right?" Leni asked.

"Correct. They're just unconscious, but they will be in pain when they wake up and have some memory loss," Lincoln answered as he used his telekinesis to put them on lounge chairs as if nothing happened.

"So, they won't remember any of this?" Luan asked.

Lincoln nodded.

"Good," Lynn said and then turned to the jocks and dumped a trash can of garbage all over them, "Chumps. No one messes with this family."

"Amen," Lincoln agreed, "Now, who's hungry?"

They chowed down on some burgers and fries. Then, as the day was ending, they walked on the beach together with the waves gently splashing against their ankles and shins. Lynn held Lincoln's hand as they walked while looking at the magnificent ocean. Lincoln brought everyone's earbuds and handed them to everyone so they could listen to their iTouch. With his future visions, he knew exactly what songs they'd all like – songs they'd never heard before.

The first song was "Stay With Me Tonight" by Houston Calls. It was a good love song and quickly became Lori and Leni's favorite. Luna really liked "If Only For Now" by Pop Evil, and Luan liked "When You Know" by Neck Deep. The song that got to Lynn was "Time Machine" by State Champs. Something about the lyrics struck a chord with her and made her squeeze Lincoln's hand a little tighter. Lincoln caught wind of that quickly. So, the next song made her feel better, and it was probably the best – "Heavenly" (reimagined acoustic) by Broadside.

Lincoln pulled Lynn into his arms, and she looked at him wide-eyed, as did the other sisters. Their brother began dancing and lip-singing the lyrics of the song. His movements and facial expressions matched the rhythm of the music. The sisters smiled and danced with him.

At that moment, Lynn felt she had an epiphany as her eyes widened with realization as the lyric 'Remedy' echoed in her head. She stared at Lincoln as his whole outline glowed with golden sunshine with the sparkling ocean behind him.

"Remedy. Remedy. Lincoln. That's it! Lincoln is my remedy!" Lynn thought, "I shouldn't have to fear the bad future of me becoming homeless . . . because it will never happen! Lincoln sees the future. Anything bad coming, he'll change it. He already has. He murdered men to save me. We blew up a bridge to save Mom and all those people. Lincoln saved our sisters. If he's willing to do all that, there's no way he'll let me end up in the streets!"

Lynn got goosebumps with that sudden realization. It was as if the answer to her problems was staring at her in the face. She ran over and hugged Lincoln. Her brother wrapped his arms around and held her as he spun her around, swinging her lower half in the air. Both of them were laughing with joy. The other sisters laughed together while messing around. When Lincoln was done swinging Lynn, she jumped up to wrap her legs around Lincoln as he carried her – Lynn planted a long kiss on Lincoln's cheek, and he returned the same. Lynn felt happiness and relief for the first time in a long while. She felt that even if things didn't work out for her, she'd always have her family, especially her brother, to count on.

Leni took several photos, including a few of all of them together. Her favorite was a close-up photo of her and Lincoln with her face right next to his. Then Lincoln teleported Lynn back home so she could shower before the rest of the group got home. Lynn showered to get the sunscreen, sand, and ocean water off. She lay in bed thinking about her day.

"I'll be okay because Lincoln will be there for me, no matter what," Lynn whispered to herself.