Red: Hey guys and girls, Red here. I'm doing the A-notes this time around. Just a heads up, cause aside from two other things, this is gonna be the last chapter we post for the rest of December due to burnout. But we'll be back in January.

Anyway, last chapter had Lana delivering some heavy news to Lisa about Luan, and so this chapter has the two sisters reuniting after so long apart.

Heads up, shit gonna be depressing and hit HARD in this chapter, with a somewhat bittersweet ending. And with that, enjoy.

*3 Years ago*

Lisa and Darcy were seen leaving a courthouse with a baby Rudy in Darcy's arms.

"...I can't believe we won." Darcy sighed with a tired smile as she strapped Rudy into his carseat

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Darcy heard as she gasped and saw Luan storm up and punch Lisa to the ground as Maggie was trying to hold her back.

"LUAN CALM DOWN!"
"NO! LET ME GO, MAGGIE! LET ME GO NOW! THIS SOCIOPATH KILLED MY BROTHER! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE TO TAKE HIS KID!" She screamed, her face red with anger and tears as Lisa shakily picked herself up, ears violently ringing as Maggie struggled to pull Luan away while the baby Rudy started crying.

Darcy rushed over and helped Lisa up as the genius held her bleeding nose and mouth as she could faintly make out the outlines of the rest of her family, all staring at them from the courthouse entrance as Darcy practically forced Lisa into the passenger seat before turning on her heel and slamming her fist straight into Luan's eye, sending both her and Maggie falling back to the ground into the steps up to the courthouse, the former clutching her swollen stomach in a protective manner.

"...If Lincoln were here…he'd hate how you all turned out." Darcy spoke in a cold tone as she walked back to her car as Luan growled and forced herself to stand as Lisa saw her left eye was now slowly filling with blood.

"IF I EVER SEE YOU AGAIN YOU'RE DEAD! DO YOU HEAR ME, LISA, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" She yelled in rage as she stumbled up to the door and slammed her fist on the window angrily, her tear stained face filled with hate as Lisa leaned away from the window, her own eyes filling with tears as Darcy took the moment to slam the drivers door shut, flip Luan off and drive away. "It'll be alright, Lisa." Darcy said as she saw her hyperventilating in her seat, blood still dripping from her nose, making Darcy's hands clench the steering wheel tightly.

"That bitch will never hurt you again."

Lisa gave a sigh as she rubbed the spot on her face and flinched as she remembered the time Luan punched her. "...You gonna be okay?" Darcy asked as she drove down the highway as she, Lisa and Rudy were making their way to Luan's place of residence. "I…I'll be fine."

"I can come in if yo-"

"Darcy, I'll be ok…besides, you being there…might make it worse…remember how you intervened back then?" Lisa questioned as Darcy refused to look ashamed. "She attacked you, I just struck back for you." Darcy said as she looked through the rearview mirror and saw Rudy playing with his Malamute puppy Coco.

"That dog is gonna get huge…"

"Yes, but it makes him happy." Lisa muttered with a small smile as they pulled up to a rather lavish looking house.

"Wow so…this is where she stays?" Lisa muttered as she stepped out of the car.

"I mean…didn't you say she went into law?" Darcy asked, still unsure of the situation.

"Yeah….guess her comedy business never worked out for her in the end." Lisa said as she unclicked Rudy from the backseat.

"Rudy, hold momma's hand so you don't get lost." Darcy said, holding out her hand as Rudy nodded and held onto his puppy with his other hand and he took her hand as Darcy suddenly held onto Lisa's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll be fine, Darcy. Just keep an eye on Rudy." She said, gently kissing her hand as they walked up to the front door.

Lisa reached out and rang the doorbell and after about three minutes, the door opened. Looking down, they saw a twelve year old boy with pale skin and long black hair, wearing a black T shirt and blue jeans.

"...You must be Aunt Lisa." He spoke in a dreary tone looking at Lisa. "..I'm Max… Come on inside." He said, stepping aside and letting them come in.

However Rudy had other plans as he let go of Darcy's hand and ran forward to Max.

"Hewwo! I'm Wudy and dis is Coco!" he smiled as Max gave a tiny smile and rubbed his head. "Nice to meet you"

"Max? Did you let them in?" A voice spoke from the second story as Lisa saw a tall woman with chalky skin peppered with freckles walking down with a small limp, wearing tight black leggings with high heels and a knee-length skirt, along with a zipped up grey hoodie that looked a tad too small, her black hair tied back into a sleek ponytail as a pair of red glasses rested on her face.

"Yeah Mom I did" Max said as Rudy smiled and walked up to her.

"Hewwo! I'm wudy!" He smiled as Maggie gave a smile in return. "It's nice to meet you, Rudy…I'm your aunt Maggie." She said as he gave a gasp. "Auntie!" He said in an awed tone as Lisa and Darcy looked at each other with confusion. "Auntie?" The latter whispered as Lisa shrugged.

"…Max take your cousin upstairs…." Maggie said as Max could sense the tension between the three adults.

"Okay…C'mon Rudy let's head to my Room" Max said gently, grabbing Rudy's hand and guiding him upstairs.

"…So…I take it Lana told you I made a decision to come?" Lisa said uneasily.

"Yes…she didn't say anything about…her though…" Maggie replied slowly, her face faintly bearing a look of anger directed at Darcy that was almost unnoticed.

"I have no regrets about MY actions." Darcy said as Maggie scowled at her attitude and turned to Lisa. "I was planning on coming alone…Darcy insisted she and Rudy come along." Lisa admitted, her shoulders deflating a bit as Darcy glared at Maggie.

"...Look…I know what Luan did and said was…beyond wrong…but there is a reason I wanted you here." Maggie said, rubbing her shoulder as a frown started to grow on her face.

"...I know…Lana told us…Maggie, why?...what made her want to…you know?" Lisa said, uncomfortably holding a hand to her throat as Maggie looked at the ground, hiding her expression. "Why don't you ask the journalist…" She muttered bitterly as Darcy flinched.

"Look….I know me punching Luan was…..wrong but what was I supposed to do? Let her hurt my wife? And she made Rudy cry!"

"You think I'm talking about the damn punch?!" Maggie snapped, slamming her fist against the wall with a loud bang. "You know damn well what I'm talking about, Helmandollar!"

"...Darcy? What is she talking about?" Lisa asked as Darcy had a rather nervous look on her face. "Your wife doesn't show you her stories? Huh, I wonder why…" Maggie said with a growl. "She's upstairs, door at the end of the hall. SHE stays here where I can see her." She added, her eyes still locked on Darcy, who reached for Lisa's hand and tried to hold it. "Darcy, what did you do?" Lisa repeated, starting to sound uneasy.

"...I ruined her life…" Darcy spoke, refusing to look at Lisa in her eyes. "W…What?" Lisa said in disbelief.

"She's upstairs waiting, Lisa. She might not be in a…talkative mood…she hasn't for a few years." Maggie repeated, her gaze still focused on Darcy.

"Lana told me it was only a week…" Lisa muttered in confusion as she slowly walked upstairs.

"Wowie Zowie!" Rudy exclaimed as he marveled at Max's room, which filled with anime poster's, a dark green carpet, a massive old school box tv with a built in VCR sitting on a double door entertainment center with two doors on either side, and inside were heaps of video games the left side containing N64, Sega Dreamcast and PS2 Games the right side containing Xbox, Nintendo Gamecube and PS1 Games.

"Your woom is so cool!" Rudy said in awe, placing Coco on the floor as the puppy immediately started rolling on the carpet before stopping and sniffing the air and slowly walking around the room which Rudy noticed.

"Coco?" He said as he waddled after his puppy, all while Max was busy setting up his PS2. "Hey Rudy…I think I have a game you'll like, it's called 'Ratchet & Clank'." He said as he turned and saw he was gone.

"...Rudy?" He said as he poked his head out his room.

"Rudy?" He said again as he started to search for him, all while Rudy followed Coco down the hall and into a room with a cracked door.

"Coco!" He smiled as he picked her up as Coco gave a few happy barks as Rudy noticed a woman wearing grey sweatpants and a hoodie sitting on the edge of a bed, staring out a window so still she could've been mistaken for a statue if not for the sound of her shallow breathing.

"Hewwo!" Rudy smiled happily, but frowned as she gave no reaction. Rudy then walked around the bed to try and get her attention better, and upon reaching the end of the bed, he could see long locks of disheveled, dull brown hair covering the right half of her face, deathly pale skin and a piece of black cloth covering the top left half.

"Hewwo?" Rudy said again as she gasped and flinched a bit violently as she saw his curious, yet happy face. "Hi! I'm wudy and dis is Coco!" Rudy said as Coco gave a happy yip and wagged her tail excitedly as she got out of his hands and started to stand on her leg, wanting to climb on her.

The woman gave a small, barely noticeable smile as she slowly bent down and picked up the puppy with a thin shaky hand.

"...I….it's nice to meet you, Rudy….I….I'm your aunt." She said in a raspy hesitant tone, wondering if he was told negative things about her, but was surprised when Rudy gasped and lit up excitedly.

"Anoder auntie!?" He said happily as he hugged her leg, the feeling of which…sent a warm calming feeling throughout her body.

"...wat's wong?...why awe you cwying?" Rudy asked, seeing her cry as she wiped her tears. "I….I'm sorry…you just remind me of someone I knew…he….he died a long time ago…" She said as she picked him up and sat him on her lap while Coco jumped on the bed and started rolling around.

"Wuz he nice?" Rudy asked.

"...yeah…the nicest person in the world."

"Momma Dawcy is nice, too!" Rudy smiled as Luan froze from hearing that name. If Rudy was here, then Lisa AND Darcy were here as well.

"Auntie?" Rudy said, snapping her out of her trance. "oh…I…I'm sorry." She said quietly, her scratchy voice making her rub her throat. "I was just…thinking is all…" She muttered as Rudy turned to the door and lit up excitedly. "Mommy!" He said excitedly, making her tense up. 'Please…please don't be her…' She thought with an internal whimper, only to quietly sigh as she slowly turned to the door and saw Lisa, staring at her and Rudy.

"...Hello….Luan." Lisa said nervously as she uncomfortable entered the room, a lump forming in her throat as she slowly approached the bed, her eyes briefly catching sight of a dusty old stack of newspapers, with Luan's face plastered on the front page of the top issue, her left eye glassy and looking severely damaged and bloodshot as the headline read 'PSYCHO LAWYER ATTACKS OWN FAMILY', with Darcy's name directly beneath it.

"..My lord." Lisa whispered in shock, horrified at Darcy's journalistic assault and the current state of her older sister before being snapped out of it by Coco nipping at her fingers.

"Huh?" She muttered as she saw it was Rudy's puppy getting her attention.

"Mommy? Why iz auntie sad?" Rudy asked as Lisa sighed. "...Momma Darcy did….something bad sweetie… really bad…" She said, trying not to look at the newspapers again when they heard frantic footsteps and Max came into the room and saw Rudy in Luan's lap. "There you are! I thought I was gonna have to go into Saoirse's room and tick her off for ruining her 'after school nap'."

He chuckled as he was then punched square in the middle of his head. "Too late, squirt." A grouchy voice said, sending shivers down Lisa's spine as it sounded exactly like Luan did as a teenager, although without the braces she saw a rather tall teenage girl who looked almost like the spitting image of her mother, save for a more pointed chin, a lack of large incisors, with a light tan and long bushy brown hair and wearing a purple t shirt and a blue checkered skirt with long tube socks.

"Hewwo dere! I'm wudy!" Rudy said, hopping out Luan's lap and running up the older girl who raised an eyebrow.

"...Wudy?"

"No! Wudy!" Rudy huffed as she gave a chuckle. "Sowwy, I don't speak Elmuh Fudd." She playfully teased as she tousled his hair as Rudy gave an adorably angry pout as she finally took notice of Lisa and glared angrily at her. "Oh, you're ALL here…" She said with a low, bitter growl as Rudy was confused.

"...Look, why don't we all just take this down a bit?" Lisa suggested. "Max…please watch over Rudy for me…and don't let go of his hand."

"O…K…come on, Rudy." He said, taking the toddler's hand as he gently led him away from the two adults, with the teen glaring at Lisa for a few more seconds before following the two boys, leaving both Lisa and Luan in the bedroom, with Coco still rolling around on the bed.

"So…Saoirse had a growth spurt…" Lisa said a bit awkwardly.

"…Yeah…and Rudy talks like Lincoln did at that age…" Luan added, equally as awkward.

"...Lisa?...do…..do you wish….it were me instead of Lincoln?" She asked nervously, making Lisa do a double take. "W-What?!" She exclaimed in disbelief as Luan turned back to the window.

"...during that day….Lisa….the day of the trial after our…altercation…" She clarified.

"No….Luan, I would never want that…our family was… IS broken enough as it is already."

"…That didn't stop your wife…" Lisa heard her bitterly mutter.

"Luan…I didn't know about that newspaper…I…I didn't even know she did anything other than that punch until 5 minutes ago…"

"...it doesn't matter….the world hates me…everyone hates me…" Luan said as Lisa covered her mouth and hugged her sister. "…She took everything from me…no one will work with me or even be associated with me…I lost nearly all of my friends, everyone in our old town treats me like a pariah! Fuck, outside of Lana and sometimes Leni, even the rest of our family avoid me like the plague."

"...Luan." Lisa said horrified.

"She…She even got my daughter taken from me…I had to spend two years going through trials and psych evaluations just to get her back. They even made me end my…" Luan gave a grimace as a few more tears rolled down her face as Lisa suddenly understood why her niece looked at her with so much hate.

"...But…I guess I deserve this…for what I did to you." She added, her hand unconsciously rubbing the outside of her eyepatch.

"Luan…Darcy, she…she-"

"I know…..at first I was mad at her….but now?...I don't even blame her for what she did…I threatened to kill you and wanted to take Rudy away….all because we….I blamed you for Lincoln's death…I still saw you as that sociopathic kid who experimented on her siblings…we all did and all Darcy did was protect her family…..…something we failed at years ago… time and time again…"

At this point, she started to shudder with each sob as Lisa held her shoulders. "I have nothing left but my daughter, Max and Maggie…even then they'd probably be better off without me…"

"Luan…I am so sorry…you shouldn't have had to go through that…and you certainly shouldn't have had to…abort…"

"I didn't even get a choice! 'Too mentally unstable', they said!" She cried out, a full trail of tears now freely falling from her right eye and started crying into her palms as Lisa wrapped her arms around her sister, who tightly held her hand and kept sobbing. "I…I want them back, Lisa…my family, my little brother…my baby…"

"…So do I…" Lisa whispered, now realizing that she too was crying as she sat next to Luan and hugged her, gently patting her back as she sobbed. "…I'm sorry, Luan…what happened back then, I wish it had been avoided…but…I don't truly hate you for it." Lisa admitted. "…I was scared, don't get me wrong, that you and our family would force Rudy away from my care…but…I truthfully never stopped loving you, and I especially never hoped for any of you to go through such a horrid experience." She said as Luan sniffed and faced her.

With a sad smile, Lisa brushed her sister's hair out of her face, revealing the chocolate colored eye on the right half of her face and fully showing the large black eyepatch on the left part of her face. "I love you, Luan…I wish what we went through never happened. But now, I can only hope that…we can be able to try and…repair our relationship." Lisa said a bit hesitantly as a small smile slowly tried to form on Luan's face. "I…I'd like that…" She said, making Lisa smile as she looked at the eyepatch. "You know…I could always try and repair your eye." She said, making Luan flinch a bit. "It would take time, maybe a year or so given the picture in that newspaper over there, but-"

"It's…a bit too late for that, Lisa." Luan interrupted and, with shaky hands, pulled the eyepatch up a bit, making Lisa freeze at the sight. The area had several scars around the socket and even one through her eyebrow, but what caught her attention the most was the black glass orb where Luan's left eye should've been. "You…You had it surgically removed."

"Yeah…that happens when someone punches you right in the eye socket and shoves their knuckle in it…" Luan trailed off. "Lisa…I'm sorry…I was just…so upset and angry…but that doesn't justify what I said to you… or what the others said to you…" She told her, lowering the eyepatch back down.

"Luan…" Lisa trailed off as she hugged her older sister again.

"I'm sorry. What you did and said to me crossed a line…but that didn't warrant what you and Saoirse went through. After that…I'd say you both have every right to hate me." Lisa admitted.

"…I forgive you, Lisa. For not being able to save Lincoln…can…can you forgive me?"

"Luan…you've suffered well more than you deserved to…I believe forgiveness is a path I very much wish to take with you."

"…But, can we even…do it? Try and fix things?"

"…I don't know, Luan…but I'm willing to try if you are." She said, gently resting her hand on Luan's hand. "…I haven't heard any screaming or shattering downstairs…so hopefully Maggie hasn't killed Darcy."

"…S…She's here?" Luan asked hesitantly.

"She…insisted that she and Rudy come along…Maggie looked ready to break her neck." Lisa admitted, nervously rubbing her neck.

"…I…I can try and be…civil…around her…but, what she did…there's no forgiving her, Lisa…not after what she put us through." Luan said grimly as Lisa wiped her tears. "You don't have to…I sure as hell wouldn't." She said, muttering the last part. After today, she didn't think she could ever look at Darcy the same way again. "…Why don't we go see how the kids are doing? Rudy probably hasn't realized his puppy is still here." Lisa suggested, seeing Coco had now curled up on a pillow at the head of the bed and started whimpering when Lisa reached over and picked her up. "Can you stand?" Lisa asked as Luan looked at the floor and slowly started to push herself up, stumbling a bit as Lisa realized how thin her sister truly was now, she was a few pounds away from being a walking skeleton. "Grab my shoulder, and take it easy." Lisa said with a sigh as she wrapped her free arm around Luan and slowly walked with her out of the bedroom.

As they walked to the door where they could hear the sound of video games being played, Lisa looked downstairs and saw Darcy, now sitting in a chair but still being stared down by Maggie, who hadn't moved since they arrived. By chance, Darcy looked up and saw Lisa helping Luan walk, as well as the look of unease as she made eye contact with her wife, sending a flood of emotions through her as she now knew what she had done. Seeing her change in expression, Maggie turned around and looked up to see both sisters slowly walking into her sons room. "YOU stay there." She growled sternly at Darcy, who quivered under her hateful gaze as she went upstairs.

Lisa gently opened the door and saw Max and Rudy sitting on the floor playing games on the TV while Saoirse took over Max's bed, reading a magazine when she looked up and saw both of them. "Mom!" She exclaimed in shock at seeing her mother finally out of her room for the first time in who knows how long as Max paused the game and turned to them with a look of surprise as Rudy gasped. "Coco!" He exclaimed, reaching out as Lisa gently handed him the puppy which started licking him the moment he held her, making him giggle. "You actually came out…" Max said, setting his controller down and jumping up to hug Luan tightly. "…I'm sorry for making you worry…" Luan whispered, softly hugging the boy back as her daughter resumed glaring at Lisa, which made her flinch now that she knew why she hated her. "I'm sorry, Saorise…I didn't know she…"

"…Sorry won't give me back those two years in foster care. But…you did get my mom to come out and start talking again…I guess that's sort of a start." She muttered, not looking Lisa in the eye as Maggie came up behind them and wrapped her arms around Luan from behind. "Are…Are you doing ok?" She asked as Lisa let go of her sister and crouched next to Rudy, gently running a hand through his hair when she caught sight of the matching silver rings on Maggie and Luan's hands. 'I thought Lana said they were just friends?' She thought, seeing Maggie kiss her sisters cheek. "When did…this happen?"

"Oh, um…my last year in high school…" Luan said softly with a blush. "Ben and I never really worked out…and she was there for me when he moved away…one thing led to another and…yeah…" She then gave Maggie's hand a gentle squeeze. Lisa felt a smile grow on her face when she felt her phone vibrate. Pulling it out, she frowned at the text from Darcy.

I'm sorry.

"…Could you stay up here with your aunties and cousins? I need to do something." Lisa asked Rudy who nodded while still being licked by Coco as Lisa slid past the two women and went downstairs to the front door, where Darcy was still sitting down, her head pointed at her feet and her phone in her hand.

"Lisa, I-"

"Don't." Lisa cut her off coldly, making her flinch. "Your actions almost caused me to lose another sibling, and cost me another niece or nephew." She watched as Darcy's shoulders deflated and she tried to not look up at her. "Jesus, Darcy. What the hell were you thinking!?"

"…I…I wasn't…I was just so angry. She tried taking Rudy from us…then she hit you…I thought I was defending you…"

"Defending?" They suddenly heard Maggie say as she stared down at them while closing the door. "You think defending means making my wife lose her job AND her baby? Where does 'defending' mean forcing someone to try and kill herself?!" She growled as Darcy shrank in her seat. "…I…I'm sorry…I didn't-"

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it, Helmandollar. Forgiving her is one thing cause she didn't know what you did, but you? For all I care you can dr-" Maggie ranted, her fists gripping the stair railing tightly when she felt a pull on her skirt, and looking down she saw Rudy.

"Pwease don be mad at momma Dawcy anymowe, she said sowwy." Rudy said innocently as Maggie stared at him for a few moments before she gave a deep sigh filled with irritation and pity. 'The kid only wants us to get along…but he's too young to get WHY we can't just do that.' She thought with a frown.

"I know you just want to see us all as one big happy family getting along…" She started slowly, carefully choosing her words. "But your momma hurt your auntie and cousin badly, and apologizing can't make their hurt any better. Sometimes you can't fix things between people, and the best I can do is tolerate her." She said gently, seeing Rudy frown. "I'm sorry, kid. I really am. I can't ever forgive her for hurting them…but I will try to be…nicer towards her. But only for you." She said as he looked back up at her. "Pwomise?"

"…I promise, Rudy." She said, albeit reluctantly while taking a deep breath. "Lisa, would and…Darcy…like to join us for dinner tonight?" She asked, struggling to get her name out.

A look of uncertainty grew on Lisa's face as she considered the offer. "You don't have to make an offer if you don't wish to."

"…If it means Luan starts getting better…I'll stomach it…Rudy, why don't we go back in and see Max? He's probably gonna unpause his game if you don't return."

"*Gasp* No!" He exclaimed childishly before quickly waddling back into the bedroom.

"…Lisa…I didn't mean-"

"Darcy…I still love you…" Lisa cut off, looking down at the ground. "But what you did crossed dozens of lines, and you didn't even have it in you to tell me what you did…"

"…I know…"

"I love you…but I can't let this go unpunished. I want you to make a public apology to her and admit to your slander." She could see Darcy stiffen to her side, and from the look on her face, about a thousand different thoughts were racing through her head. Lisa was certain doing this would cost Darcy her career and drastically affect her chances of getting work, but was reminded that she caused her sister to go through the same thing.

"I…I…alright…" Darcy muttered, her face filled with shame.

"Secondly…I want us to attend couples therapy." She added, surprising Darcy with the demand. "I can't look at you the same way I used to, but I still want to stay by your side…and the only way I can see things staying that way is seeing a therapist together…"

"…I understand…"

Maggie watched the two talk from above, discussing where things in their relationship would go before turning back to her son's room and seeing Rudy sitting in Luan's lap watching Max play his games while Saoirse had taken it upon herself to fix her mothers messy hair. Maggie felt a smile grow on her face as a spark of hope filled her heart for the first time in a long time. Hope that things would finally get better for them.

The dinner came and went rather tensely, but soon Lisa and her family had to return home. "I'll be back soon, I promise…just me." Lisa said softly, hugging her sister who hugged back just as tightly. "Rudy, do you want to say goodbye?"

"Ok!" He said. "Bye awnties." He said as both women gave smiles.

"Bye Max." Said boy gave a small wave as the toddler then turned to his other cousin.

"Bye Szechuan!" He said, making their jaws drop at him calling their daughter that, as well as saying it perfectly as Max snorted hysterically, prompting her to punch the back of his head as Lisa set Rudy in his car seat and took the keys from Darcy, still laughing under her breath.

Red: Like I said, depressing. But look on the bright side, Luan and Lisa have…started…to repair their relationship, but at the cost of damaging her relationship with Darcy, not permanently but badly.

Rudy also got to meet more of his family and got an important lesson that sometimes saying sorry can't fix everything and make things better.

Anyway, next chapter will include a large timeskip. Once again, aside from two other chapters, this is the last thing we will be posting and writing in December. Geo's taking the rest of the month off from writing, but don't fret, because we will be picking things up back in January next year. Keep an eye out for stories like Loud House '23, Master Quest, One Helluva Loud House and Gotham's Finest.

With that, Love, Luck & Lemons, and I sure as hell hope 2025 is better than 2024.