Bobby, Ronnie-Anne and Sam had been unsure about where to go. Certainly not home, and not to any family who would ask about what had happened. Hearing what they did had still been unbelievable to them even as they had started to process it all beyond their visceral emotions. Bobby and Ronnie-Anne had immediately reached out to each other realizing their spouses had come clean at about the same time.

Then Ronnie-Anne realized that if Lincoln really had been admitting to the whole truth that she ought to reach out to Sam. Sure enough she explained having heard everything about what had been going on from Luna.

Realizing the three of them were in the same boat they settled on booking a nearby hotel room to plan out their next step. For a moment they had settled with one another in silence, despite the betrayal they couldn't quite find themselves to speak the sins of their beloveds aloud.

"I'm sorry this happened to both of you. Neither of you should have had to go through this," Bobby said.

"Bobby, this happened to you too. I know it's terrible for you too," Ronnie-Anne said, reassuring her brother he was in just as rough of a place to be in.

"I wonder how long exactly it was going on for?" Sam wondered to the two siblings.

"They didn't tell you?" Ronnie-Anne said.

Sam and Bobby didn't look particularly perturbed, they had left before it ever crossed their minds to bother asking.

"I didn't really want to," Sam said, staying quiet to not admit she hadn't even stayed that long after.

"Be in the same room after that, no I get it," Ronnie-Anne said.

"How long was it for?" Bobby said.

"Sixteen years, it started with Lincoln and the older sisters," Ronnie-Anne said.

"Wait, sixteen. That's," Sam said, counting back the years now and feeling all the more betrayed because of it with Bobby feeling much the same.

"So what are we going to do now? I don't know if the kids are going to be alright after this," Bobby said.

"Oh gosh, the kids," Sam said, covering her eyes as she felt tears coming back to her eyes.
Whoever it was the kids had come from the three of them still loved them as part of their own family. Whether as their own or as their nieces and nephews.

"How do we explain any of this to them?" Bobby said.

"They have to know sooner or later, just so that they learn to live with the truth," Ronnie-Anne said.

"Yeah, that's easy for you to say. At least both of your kids are yours and his," Sam said.

"Sam!" Bobby said, reprimanding the woman for what she had said about his sister.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, calming down as she got a hold of her own lashing out.

Ronnie-Anne gave a brief nod, acknowledging and accepting the apology before moving on with what was on her mind at that moment.

"If you guys are feeling the same way I am, of course there should be a divorce but I don't think it's a good idea to fight them. What they did was, disgusting and I feel like I can't trust any of them again, but they still care about the kids," Ronnie-Anne said.

Part of her also believed the Louds were good at heart, but she wasn't sure if Bobby and Sam could consider it with the state they were in.

"Why shouldn't we fight them? They're in the wrong, they cheated on us," Sam said.

"Do you really think it's gonna be a fair fight? Do you really think it's going to be one on one?" Ronnie-Anne said.

Sam opened her mouth trying to bring up a counterpoint on the spot only to fully realize what Ronnie-Anne meant.

"Fuck," Sam said.

"Three on ten isn't going to work either," Bobby said.

"Exactly, come on, Sam. They're the Louds. How do you think it is your kids and the rest of them turned out, physically fine?" Ronnie-Anne said.

Sam looked annoyed even as she nodded and looked between the Santiagos, raising a hand in obvious realization as they all answered at the same time.

"Lisa."

"Exactly, do you really think any investigation is going to turn out with an accurate paternal test?" Ronnie-Anne said.

"Damn it, we really can't win this can we? I mean, Luna is the lead of our band. The real reason people go to see us perform, and buy our music," Sam said.

"Yeah, like it or not we count on them and what they managed to accomplish. Bobby, you know Lori makes most of the money and is more well connected than you in your own place of work. Sam, you just said it, Luna is the star of your guy's band. Even Lincoln, I know his shit ton of fans who like what he draws and writes would be on his side if the divorce gets too public. Even Carlota counts on Leni to have her job. There's no House of Loud without one," Ronnie-Anne said.

"So, we just have to make peace with them, is that it?" Bobby said.

"That's it," Ronnie-Anne said, crossing her arms.

The three of them settled in feeling like they were in a bind. Being with then marrying such a force of personality had felt like a blessing at the time. Having a significant other who seemed like they could take on the whole world for them who had become power houses in the field they chose to pursue. Now it made them feel rather stuck with them. Knowing taking on their own spouse in a legal proceeding would be challenging enough, but they would have their siblings backing them up to contend with as well.

All in all making for an insurmountable confrontation with the Louds having more resources and connections to count on despite the three of them being rather accomplished in their own right. The money and resources alone being difficult to confront. Lisa's skills in science and Lucy's abilities to do honest to goodness magic made them not even want to consider what trying to take them on would result in.

Having to nonetheless anticipate that to make it easier on themselves to remain amicable with their soon to be exes, Ronnie-Anne, Bobby and Sam had to settle in and sleep on it. Bobby taking the room's couch insisting that Sam and his sister take each of the beds clearing their heads before getting ready for tomorrow.


Hearing the door open and close, Lincoln put down the stylus. Snapped out of the trance he had settled into. Working to distract himself about worrying when Ronnie-Anne would come back and what she would say once she did. Bolting up out of his seat he rushed over to see that she was back.

"Mamá!" Reina and Luis rushed over to hug their mother.

"Mija! Mijo, did you both have fun with your Aunt Lucy?" Ronnie-Anne said holding them close to hug them back.

"Yeah! Lupa had a lot of weird dolls, but they were still really fun," Reina said.

"Yeah, it was pretty fun," Luis said, still nervous even just remembering spending time at his Aunt Lucy's house but steadily he was getting more used to it.

"Is everyone okay at the hospital?" Reina said.

"Si, mija. Everything is fine, I was just covering for someone who really needed it," Ronnie-Anne said, glad that Lincoln had covered for her absence with saying she was called in to work late at the hospital.

"Now both of you go have fun and play," Ronnie-Anne said, sending them off.

Seeing Lincoln waiting for her just a few steps away, Ronnie-Anne walked up looking up at him. From where he stood Lincoln still looked downcast, remorseful over all that had happened.

"We'll talk in the bedroom," Ronnie-Anne said after looking over to make sure that Reina and Luis weren't able to hear.

Closing the door behind him, Lincoln waited for a moment only to be met with silence.

"Ronnie-Anne, I really am sorry," he said.

"Lincoln," she said, holding up a hand to get him to stop as he started speaking.
Moving over to the bed she sat down then beckoned him over to move closer.

"Do you still want to be in Reina and Luis' life?" she said.

"Of course I do, even if it's just for weekends and I'll always take care of them. If you want I can do alimony if I can still be there for them," he said.

"Lincoln, I agree that they need you in their life. They need their father. I know you love me, but that's not enough. Not when you managed to cheat right under my nose for years. I won't ask for anything, I can take care of myself and I know you'll take care of our kids. You just can't stay here, not with me. You make enough to have a home of your own, and I know out of all your sisters seven of them only have you in their life and are more than willing to. Have you," Ronnie-Anne said, looking a bit put off as she realized how it sounded when she phrased it in such a way.

"What do we tell the kids? I'm willing to admit what I did, but I don't think they're old enough to know," Lincoln said.

"No, they're not. We'll wait, they do need to know who their siblings are eventually," Ronnie-Anne said.

Ronnie-Anne stopped to think about it, she didn't want the twins to have a bad impression of their father and she didn't want things left on more of a bad note then it all was already.

"We'll just keep it simple for now. Like when my mom got divorced from dad, and just wait till they're older. You'll have to tell them the details," Ronnie-Anne said.

"Ronnie-Anne, we could still. Make it work," Lincoln said, reaching out he held Ronnie-Anne's hand seeing she still had her wedding ring on.

Ronnie-Anne lingered for just a moment, wanting to still have her hand in his before she pulled away.

"I can't, Lincoln. Not when I know you still want to be with Lori, Leni, and," Ronnie-Anne said.

"Christ, the image of you guys. The idea, I still can't get it out of my head sometimes," she said, making her disgust clear.

Lincoln took a step back, knowing there was no changing her mind at this point.

"I'll keep them for the week to let you figure out where you'll stay. What you're going to do," Ronnie-Anne said.

From there, matters were settled and Lincoln packed up his things moving out to his children's confusion who only understood in the abstract the reasons their parents were separating. Being told they didn't love each other, that matter being much more complicated than what was said.

By the time Lincoln was ready to go, Ronnie-Anne had gone down to see him off. He looked into her eyes trying to find some hope that she had changed her mind, but saw she was still set on a divorce. Even as she stepped forward to hug him.

In retrospect, she wasn't too surprised by the end. He had been willing to sacrifice his own life long ago for his family. For his sisters especially. It was what stirred such conflict within her, the part of her that still loved him. It was what made her hold onto her ring.


Even before the divorce, years had passed for Loan to grow and consider the same suspicions that her peers had. The ones that even Laura had.

As they had grown older Mia and she had gathered their own friend groups, their own social circles. Mia gossiped and generally made mean remarks about any of her classmates who weren't in her personal in group. The girl essentially made herself a casual annoyance trying to get under her classmate's skin. So when Loan was relaxing just outside the school walls for recess playing on her latest Razor Mark and overheard Mia and her friends gossiping just around the corner she rolled her eyes and paid it no mind even as the conversation came around to her sister and her. At least, she ignored it for awhile.

"I'm glad that Laura is up a grade in the middle school now, she makes such a big deal over us just having a bit of fun," Hanna said.

"The Louds just ruin the fun. Laura is a brute, Loan is like a blank wall, and Liena just uses being popular to get the kids in her grade on her side," Mia said.

"There's like five of them isn't there?" Ivy said.

"I thought it was six?" Hanna said.

"No no. Laura and Loan are sisters, but Laura is a Santiago and Loan is a Loud," Mia said.

"Oh!" the girls responded together.

"I kind of forgot about that, I'm so used to thinking of them all as The Louds," Valeria said.

"Do you think the different family names is because of, you know?" Ivy said while gesturing to her face then running a hand along her arm.

"I think so, you know how most of the Loud moms are on their own. Only two of them are married, I think Laura and Loan's mom joined them and then Loan happened," Mia said.

"You're definitely right. All of my family came from way down south with my great grandparents. Most of them from Mexico but some of them from Columbia and a few from Peru. A few married really white, none of the kids ended up as white as Loan is," Valeria said.

As the group moved on to talking about other peers whose parents may have not committed to their faithfulness Loan tried to forget about her doubts and focus on playing her game. Hearing her parentage be the subject of gossip reminded her when Laura and she would speculate on it between themselves. At one point they had gone as far as to ask their Aunt Lisa about how they could look so different coming from the same parents. Though they had gotten an in depth explanation about how unpredictable genetics could be sometimes, and were known to deviate from usual expectations of how they developed together there was a bit of the sense that she was hiding something. Lisa had never been the best liar.

Loan had sometimes worried that one day she would end up finding out that Laura and her didn't share a father. Something that unfortunately did come to pass.

By the time Loan and Bobby had figured out a way to separate amicably a day had passed since her mother had taken Laura and her to stay with their Aunt Leni. It had already been suspicious how Lori claimed she and Bobby would have some extra work to finish out of the blue, and once she saw her mother packing up and moving out she worried about what it entailed.

"Mom?! What's going on? Why are you leaving us?" Laura said.

Lori looked over at her daughters, at their age, Laura just finishing up her first school year in middle school and Loan soon to graduate to that same level Lori thought they ought to know. Laura a bit less so but it was certainly about time Loan knew who her father was.

"Girls, I did something that your father is right to be upset with me about," Lori said having somewhere from where to start.

"Loan, I'd like to talk to you for a moment. Come with me to your room," Lori said.

Loan and Laura looked at one another just as worried about what their mother had to say. Loan started heading for her room, slouching already assuming what her mother was going to say.

Lori sat down on the edge of Loan's bed giving her some distance from her daughter who sat down around the middle of the side Lori had settled on.

"Loan, the truth is. I haven't been, a good wife to your father," Lori said, pausing as she knew the day was going to come that she'd have to tell Loan the truth and even then she couldn't help but continue putting it off.

"I'm not dad's, am I?" Loan said.

Lori was petrified for a moment before looking over at her daughter. Realizing that waiting had only caused suspicion to develop overtime. Loan herself considered Bobby her father in the way that mattered, having been the parent by her mother raising her alongside Laura. Though, having had The Talk from her parents just a few months ago was an awkward experience she tried to bury down even as the memory resurfaced.

"No, Loan. I'm sorry," Lori said.

"Do you know who he is, at least?" Loan said.

"Your uncle, Lincoln," Lori said.

Loan looked at her mom in horror, she had expected it to be bad, but she wasn't expecting that.

"My uncle?! Your brother?" Loan said.

"Wait! Hold on! Is that why I'm so messed up? Why I couldn't even talk to my friends for the longest time without feeling terrified? Why I'm always so anxious?" Loan said.

"I, sometimes I think it's part of it, but Lisa did her best to make sure you'd be alright," Lori said.

"Great! I'm one of Aunt Lisa's experiments too, and her buggy prototype model on top of that," Loan said, crossing her arms. Thinking about all manner of curses.

"Loan, sweetie. I'm sorry you've had to deal with this your whole life, and I'm sorry for hiding this from you for so long. I was trying to figure out the right time," Lori said.
Loan started shaking trying to hold it in as she was on the verge of tears.

"My cousins, are they? More?" Loan said.

"Your brothers and sisters, yes," Lori said.

Loan covered her eyes, starting to cry knowing that it was not only her but the rest of her siblings who were cursed with such a state regardless of what their aunt had done to save them from usual consequences.

Lori moved closer to hug Loan, pulling her daughter in for comfort.

Part of Loan was screaming at her to pull away from her mother. Yet, she wondered if she would have anyone else for comfort outside her family. If Laura would still look at her the same way again. Bobby, the father she had known for her whole life at that point though he seemed to still regard her with love. Having just reassured her everything would be alright despite what was happening a moment ago she questioned it. Wondering if it really was true and if she wasn't secretly being regarded with disgust.

In that moment she thought only her family would show her the kind of love she'd want from then on. Her siblings, her mother, her aunts, and the man she now knew to be her father.


When figuring out the change to her living situation, Leni had agreed to let Lori stay at her home for as long as she liked. Leni was happy to have her best friend and closest lover in her home.

Lori and Bobby had made an arrangement during their separation. Alternating having the kids each week. Laura and Lori had stayed with their father for the first week soon following the separation. Once Lori had gone to pick up her daughters she could already feel them looking at her differently during the drive over to Leni's home. Something she was hoping time would change, or at least soften.

Despite her plans to try to hide what she had recently learned, Loan was reminded that Liena could read her older sister like a book.

"Loan, what's wrong?" Liena said.

"Th- There's nothing wrong. Don't wo-worry," Loan said.

'Would you sign it?' Liena hoped that not saying it out loud would help Loan explain.

After a moment to consider it, Loan decided to share the truth with her sister. Wishing she had been told earlier the truth about who her biological father was.

'My dad, is not the dad that mom had me with. It's,' Loan stopped, finding her hands frozen in mid air.

Liena held Loan's hands, pulling her in close and making her sister look her in the eye so that she could make it clear everything was okay.

'Uncle Lincoln,' Loan finished.

Liena looked confused, trying to come to terms with the fact that she had understood Loan correctly. That her aunt and her uncle had Loan together.

'Mom said he's your dad too, and Lyle's. Lyra, Lemy, Liby, Lacy, Lupa, Lieo, Lizy, and Leia too,' Loan continued explaining.

Being torn and confused, knowing that their family had done that but part of Liena was also happy to know that she had a father the whole time who was in her life as often as possible she looked back at her older sister knowing she was still struggling through the emotions. Liena pulled in Loan for a hug to help her, and to have someone to hold as she took it all in for the first time.

Later that day, Liena waited for a moment she could talk with her mother alone. Doing her best to help her with cooking and Lyle to better guarantee her time.

"Thanks for helping me so much today," Leni said.

"Mom, can I ask you a question?" Liena said.

"Of course, but remember it can take me time if I need to figure out the answer," Leni said.

"Is uncle Lincoln my dad?" Liena said.

Leni only had a moment's hesitation being faced with having to answer the question. It hadn't been completely unexpected as Lori admitted she had already told the truth to her daughters who'd be quite likely to tell Liena.

"Yes, he's your dad," Leni said.

"Were you going to tell me before Loan told me the truth?" Liena said.

"Liena, I promise you I was going to tell you. Your aunts, Lincoln and I couldn't really agree on when you all should know. I was going to tell you in a few months when you'd be Loan's age," Leni said.

Liena had never known her mother to lie, even keeping secrets was difficult for her which in her opinion spoke to the magnitude of the secret of the relationship in question. Making her glad to know that at least she would have been told eventually.

"When are you going to tell Lyle?" Liena said.

"In a year, your Aunt Lori was talking about how now that your older siblings are going to know the truth we'll tell your younger siblings a little earlier. We know you would want your siblings to know sooner," Leni said.

Liena nodded, and hopped that her younger siblings could better adjust if knowing the truth was just part of their normal longer.

"Are you okay, Liena?" Leni said.

"A little bit, but not all okay," Liena said before hugging her mother.


When Luna had started moving and packing up boxes, Lyra and her siblings had thought that they were getting ready to move out into a new home. It had been the reason Lyra thought her mom, Sam was sitting sadly at the dining room table.

"Mom, are we moving?" Lyra said.

"No, dear. Only your mother is moving out. She and I are going through a separation," Sam said.

"Huh?! Why are you separating? What happened?" Lina said.

Sam closed her eyes, regretting the fact her children had to inevitably get caught up in the divorce no matter how cleanly they were trying to keep things.

"Your mother deserves to answer for herself. It'd be unfair to say what I think about what she did," Sam said.

Though Lyra and Lina were confused they went ahead with going outside where Luna was placing boxes into her van.

"Mother,"

"Mom,"

Luna looked over at her daughters as they rushed over to ask her what was going on.

"Why are you and mom separating?" Lyra said.

Luna stopped what she was doing to sit down on the edge of the back of her van.

"Sit down," Luna said patting the spot next to her.

Once Lyra and Lina had taken up the spot Luna placed her palms together.

"I messed up bad. I did something that made your mom very upset. I, hurt her heart," Luna said.

Lyra and Lina looked at their mother wondering what she had done. In what way she had gone and hurt her wife.

"Are you going to ask God for forgiveness? Was it a sin?" Lyra said.

"I hope your mom can forgive me one day. What I did, yes it's what would be called a sin in the bible," Luna said.

"Mother," Lyra said in shock.

"You'll know, I'll tell you everything when you're a little older," Luna said to both her daughters.

All the while Lemy had been just as confused, watching his mother pack up being asked by his older sisters what had happened.
Luna would make sure to see her son off too before she left. Letting him know she'd be going to see Aunt Luan for some time and would be back to see him the next week.


Lucy had spotted her daughter doodling at her desk when she had walked over to Lupa's room knocking on her open door to let her know she was there. It was a sight that amused Lucy and warmed her heart. Seeing Lupa already take after her father.

"Yes, Mom?" Lupa said looking over to see Lucy standing in her doorway.

"Lupa, get ready. Your uncle Lincoln is going to be staying with us for awhile," Lucy said.

"Okay," Lupa said, putting down her color pencil. The news was rather something nonchalant for her. She was used to her relatives making temporary stays and she was quite used to spending time around Lincoln, to the point of considering him a father figure.

"There's something else you should know too, Lupa. Your cousins, Reina and Luis will be coming over to stay next week too," Lucy said.

"Are Aunt Ronnie-Anne and Uncle Lincoln going away for a little bit?" Lupa said.

"Well, actually this is a special occasion. Let me explain. Your Uncle Lincoln, is actually your father. Your Aunt Ronnie-Anne found out and considered it disagreeable," Lucy said.

"Uncle Lincoln, is my dad? Wait, isn't he your brother?" Lupa said.

"That's right," Lucy said.

"You can do that?" Lupa said, scratching her head in confusion wondering how it all happened.

"Yes, but it's quite frowned upon. That's why your father is coming to stay with us for awhile. Many of your cousins, are actually your siblings," Lucy said.

"That's, all really weird, mom," Lupa said, the full ramifications not fully settled with her at her age despite being aware her family for what they had done would not be a welcome bunch in most circumstances.

Nonetheless Lupa had gone ahead with getting ready to welcome her father, soon accepting the new reality of the situation. For once, when Lincoln had been welcomed in by Lucy, Lupa rushed over to hug him.

"Hi Dad," she said.

Lincoln glanced over at Lucy, surprised she had gone ahead and told their daughter about the whole truth of the situation. Then again, if anyone was going to be shameless about the love that they shared it would certainly be her.

Placing his hand on the top of Lupa's head, Lincoln realized there was a weight off his shoulders as his heart swelled after hearing his daughter call him what he really was to her.

"Hey, my little Honeybee," he said.


As the family reconciled their new state of being, those that had divorced their spouses had settled into the homes and arms of those they had always considered their bond closest to. Lori with Leni, Luna with Luan. As for Lincoln, both Lynn and Lucy very much occupied that spot for him in his heart.

It was only Lucy's luck with a coin flip that it had been settled on for him to stay at her home with Lynn paying a visit. Happy to see her little brother and sister.

"I'm sorry I set everything up to go this way, Stinkin. If I hadn't kissed you right after that game we'd all probably just be normal," Lynn said.

"Lynn, it wasn't your fault. I. We all made our decisions, and now we move on. Keep doing our best," Lincoln said.

"Would it all have been worth it? Being normal while our secret feelings went left unsaid our whole lives," Lucy said.

"I don't think so, we all wanted to love each other. Be with each other. Maybe if we had just been with each other and not gotten Bobby, Sam, and Ronnie-Anne involved," Lincoln said.

"Would it be worth it now? To have missed out on Laura, Lina, Reina and Luis being in our lives too?" Lynn said.

Lincoln closed his eyes, letting himself relax into Lucy and Lynn's arms as he held them too. He wouldn't give up any of his kids for the world, and yet it wasn't fair the circumstances some of them had been placed in.

"Well, what's done is done and we should be the best family that we can be to them," Lincoln said.

"Let time heal these wounds, Beloved. There is still love in Bobby, Sam and Ronnie-Anne's hearts. They will always be part of our family for their children, and there may come a day when they can forgive you all," Lucy said.

"Let's hope that it's true. I wouldn't want these relationships damaged forever," Lincoln said.

"They'll see you guys are good at heart, and they can get used to it. See this isn't as weird or wrong as they think it is," Lynn said.

"At least we'll always have each other. The Louds," Lincoln said.

Lucy turned Lincoln's head to move her lips in for a passionate kiss. Their lips joined together straight on, Lucy yielding parting her lips for him as they had more than enough practice tangled together. Lynn, not one to be outdone immediately kissed along Lincoln's neck and trapped his lips as soon as he had turned to give his attention to her. Lucy and Lynn then moved closer together to share a kiss equally as intense with each other.

The three of them finding their comfort together with one another as their passionate entanglement would lead to a pair of new children among the Loud Family.