Lynn, age 9, was sat down in her mother and father's room after the tantrum she had thrown when her father and mother had told her that she and her brother would no longer be sharing a room. Her eyes were still stinging with angry tears. She didn't understand why the only person in the house who would play with her long term was being torn from her. When her mother and father explained that neither she nor Lincoln had done anything wrong, she went ballistic. They were now trying to explain separately that after a certain point it wouldn't be appropriate for boys and girls to share rooms. As she was a girl, it was her mother who eventually entered the room.

Rita opened the door calmly, her knew baby sister in her arm "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"No!" was the immediate response, "I don't want to share a room with Lucy... I want to stay with Lincoln! She'd like the closet better anyway..."

"Sweetheart... you have to understand... Lincoln is a boy-"

"So what?! I play sports with all the boys in school! What difference does it make?!"

Rita rolled her eyes and put her free hand on her hip, "You don't sleep in the same room with all the boys in school."

"What does that matter?!"

Rita sighed and sat down next to her, "Lynn, boys and girls... grow up differently. It's getting for Lincoln to start growing up, and he'll need his privacy for... reasons."

"That's so stupid! What's he going to do that he can't do in front of me?!" she demanded which made her mother freeze.

"H-he just... will."

"See?! That's just the excuse you grownups give us when you don't have a good reason!" she complained, "He doesn't want to move either!"

Rita sighed, realizing that explaining this would be impossible without explaining sex, which she wasn't sure her daughter was ready for, so she fell back on the parent card, "Lynn... Lincoln will be moving out starting tomorrow and Lucy will be moving in... you'll understand why one day."

"This is so unfair!" Lynn screamed and ran out the door.

Her mother called after her but she ignored her and ran to her and her brother's room. She slammed the door behind her and stared at Lincoln who was sitting on his bed, returning her gaze. Tears began welling in her eyes again.

"M-Mom said we can't stay in the room together..."

Lincoln's eyes were similarly misty, "D-dad said the same..."

"What are we going to do?! I don't want to room with spooky!"

"I don't know," Lincoln admitted.

"We could block the door!" Lynn smiled, than ran to begin pushing the dresser, "Help me with this, Linc!"

"How would we get food, or go to the bathroom?"

Lynn froze, realizing the flaws in her plan and slid down the side of the dresser, she turned her back to it and hugged her legs, "T-then what are we going to do?" tears began falling down her face, "It's not fair! We didn't do anything bad! Why are they separating us?!"

Lincoln jumped off the bed and hugged his older sister, tears falling down his cheeks as well, "It's okay Lynn, I'll be right down the hall. We'll still play together every day. We'll be fine."

Her sobs eventually subsided and she looked at her brother, "Can we sleep in the same bed tonight?"

Lincoln rubbed his eyes, smiled, and nodded. They left their room, apologized to their parents, ate dinner, brushed their teeth, and returned to their shared room for the last night. They snuggled up under the blanket together in a death grip, both hoping that this would somehow keep them from having to separate. Lynn pressed her lips to his cheek and snuggled as close to him as she could.

"I love you, little bro..."

"I love you too, Lynn..."

This wouldn't be the last time the two shared a room, even briefly, but it was undeniable proof of one thing. Lynn was as close to Lincoln as Lucy had ever been. At one point they were inseparable, even in to their early teens Lynn demanded Lincoln's attention almost on par with the amount Lucy did, and when she had it she refused to relinquish it. But Lynn, although crass and abrasive, was far more innocent than her morose roommate, unaware of what that warmth in her body as she held her brother in her arms, or in a head lock, truly meant... until that domino too fell.

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Loan had been at the house for only one day before she was being glared at by most of her younger sisters and two of her younger brothers sitting on the couch. Liby and Lyra stood off to the side averting their gaze, Liena observed the actions taking place in front of her with interest, finger to her chin contemplatively, and Bed was an impartial observer... and the Jury. Finally their was Bobby junior, standing stalwart in protection of his oldest sister, acting as her lawyer. Familial mock trials were not uncommon in the Loud House many years ago, but in the Loud Compound they were even more commonplace. The prosecutors this time were Lupa... and Lacy. Lacy wasn't as mad as Lupa about the situation, but she was still seething. She was almost a spitting image of her mother though her hair was slightly lighter.

She always seemed to wear shorts, even when it was winter, something that drove her father crazy with worry. She had a jersey on, since it was warm, bearing her mother's old number, 2. Her mother called her, 'Sunshine,' because of her usual optimistic outlook on life. There was only one time that her sun set, when she felt her family was in danger. Particularly one of her younger siblings... or her father. She wasn't the first who found out about her father, but she was the first to be openly excited when she did, with Liena being as happy as she always was and everyone else being relatively horrified or indifferent. But as they watched Lacy smother their father they warmed to the idea and eventually fully accepted it. Then it just became top priority to protect their family, knowing what the repercussions of the truth getting out were.

And here was Loan. The girl who had shouted at her mother about knowing that she was her uncles daughter, throwing caution to whoever could have heard her. What if their cousins, her half siblings, had heard? What if their uncle Bobby did?!

"You are being tried for your reckless behavior," Lupa growled, "How do you plea?!"

Loan tried to stiffen herself, "I-I'm the o-oldest here an-"

"HOW DO YOU PLEA?!" she repeated, causing Loan to shrink almost into her sweatshirt.

"Not Guilty!" Bobby spoke for her, standing up to Lupa for one of the few times in his life.

"Silence, traitor!" Lupa demanded, "You know the danger if our secret gets out, yet you protect the woman who put us, who put your father, at risk!"

"Yeah!" Lacy agreed, and pointed at her, "You shouted at your mom that dad was your dad!"

"... Thank you Lacy," Lupa sighed, facepalming, "Summarizes the situation nicely if nothing else."

"I-I"

"So what?!" Bobby interjected, "She didn't mean any harm by it! Besides, it's all in the past now! So what's the use of doing all this?!"

"She put us all at great risk, Robert," Lupa growled, "It's the one rule of the Loud kids, never discuss our relation outside of this house!"

"She didn't know!"

"No excuse! If anything happens to our father I-I... I'll," She froze, quaking, "You'll never know a waking moment of piece, Loan Loud..."

"Overruled," a voice behind her said, sternly, causing her blood to run cold as something lifted her up by her hood, "1000 times overruled."

"D-Dad?!" Lupa gasped as she lashed around, "L-Let me go! W-We were just-"

"Putting your older sister on trial for having an argument with her mom?" Lincoln growled as he scooped up Lacy as well, The other sisters, Lyle, and Lemy all stepped back, lest they two become collateral, "Didn't you have an argument with your mom just yesterday?"

"T-That's different! She-"

"Confronted her mom with the fact she's your sister... in an empty house... and you were trying to seek retribution."

"S-She has to pay for her crimes!" Lupa demanded as she began thrashing, "She could've-"

"Doesn't matter," he stated bluntly and coldly, "What have I told you about law and order when I'm home? This isn't a democratic justice system. This is a dictatorship, and I say court is adjourned," she held up Lupa and Lacy, "Except for you two."

Loan looked up at her father and smiled sheepishly, he smiled back warmly, and Bobby took her by the hand and led her out of the room. He saw Reina rush from the otherside of the hall to follow them. Liby and Lyra tried to sneak out.

"And you two," they froze, "Don't think I've forgotten about our conversation. Your on my, 'to deal with,' list."

They both gulped and sprinted out of the room. Lincoln set Lupa and Lacy down in front of him. Lupa averted her eyes from him, pouting, and Lacy smiled innocently.

"You two... are the worst combination of trouble," he sighed, before adding under his breath, "even more so than your mothers."

Lupa turned towards him, "She-"

"No," he calmly chided, "She's your eldest sister, ganging up on her isn't allowed."

"But-"

"No buts Lupa... she's... not as strong as you'd think. She doesn't need any more problems than she has already."

"So you're just going to take her side then?!" Lupa growled, "You know what could have happened?! Do you even care?!"

Lincoln's expression softened as he gently caressed her cheek, causing her to blush and her eyes to flutter slightly and her to bite her lip, he ignored his daughter's reaction, "I'm happy you want to protect me, honey bee... but I'll be okay."

"But... daddy..."

"It's fine, now go on somewhere," she sighed and walked away, leaving Lacy with him, he turned his head to Lupa's would be twin, "and you, little sunshine."

"I'm sworn to secrecy!" she stated, holding up her hand.

"So Lupa convinced you that Loan was a danger to me, right"

"I would agree with you, if I weren't sworn to secrecy!" she nodded, still holding her hand up.

He smiled and rubbed his temples, "Thank God for you, otherwise that girl might actually be as dangerous as her mother."

"Are you saying I bring out the best in Lupa?!" she giddily jumped.

Lincoln ruffled her hair and sat on the couch that the other girls had been sitting on, "You bring out the best in everyone."

"That's our sunshine," Lynn stated from the doorway, causing Lincoln to lean back in the sofa to see her, as she strut towards him "so proud of her."

"Yeah... so am I," Lincoln agreed as she took his jaw in her hand, "but now she needs to run along. Right sunshine?"

Lacy looked back and forth between her mother and father, not really grasping what was happening before her, "Okay mom!"

They watched as their daughter walked away, "So innocent."

"Remind you of someone," Lincoln teased.

"I'll show you innocent," she growled and leaped over the couch to mount him.

He took a good look at her. She was in a T-shirt and athletic shorts but her shirt was very obviously the only thing covering her chest judging by the two lumps exposing themselves to him now. She kissed his lips and neck, but before they could do anything someone clearing their throat broke their moment.

"Lincoln," Lori said from the door way, "I hate to interrupt you and Lynn's, 'bonding,' experience. But didn't you promise to take me shopping since we're downtown?"

"Oh yeah..." he nodded, leaning his head over the couch again, "You want to do that right now?"

"Oh no! Lucy interrupted us yesterday, the sneaky shit!" She wrapped her arms around Lincoln possessively, "I'm not letting you-"

Lori glared at Lynn causing her to freeze, "Not letting me what, Lynn Loud Junior?"

"I-I..."

Lincoln had decided what predator described Lori the best over the morning. It was obvious to him, although she wouldn't like the comparison if he were ever to say it out loud. Lori was an orca, probably the most dangerous predator on the world. She was dangerous, beautiful, and ruled every ecosystem she ever entered with an iron fist. Alligators, like Lynn, were ferocious, but against an orca they weren't even a nuisance.

"You what?"

"N-nothing."

Lori smiled, satisfied, "That's what I thought. Come on Lincoln, Leni is coming too."

"Ouch," he groaned as he walked towards her, "My wallet."

"Oh, quit being a baby," she joked as she pinched his butt as he went by, "Or else."

A voice from around the corner let out a cheerful giggle, "Shopping with Lori and Lincy! It feels like it's been... like... twenty years or something!"

"It has been twenty years, Leni," Lori sighed.

"Wow! That's almost half my life!"

Lynn was left alone again, and once she thawed from the icy stare she brought a pillow to her freckled face and screamed into it. She wasn't going to lose, not again. Not to anyone but him.

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Lucy sat in the airduct adjacent to Lincoln's room, eavesdropping on Lisa and Lori with her jaw hanging slack.

"H-H-How did you know?!" her eldest sister gasped.

"It's not like you two were particularly quiet," her younger genius of a sister noted in her normal lisp, "Besides, I have cameras in every room."

"Cameras?! That's literally an invasion of privacy! You have to st-"

"I'm not entirely sure that you're in a position to make demands, Lori," Lisa noted

Lori was silent for a moment, "I-I don't know what to do..."

"Do you think your... activities bore fruit?" there was no response, so Lucy could only assume she had nodded, "Very well... are you thinking of... keeping it?"

Lori audibly gasped, "Lisa Loud! If you ever suggest something like that again I'll-"

"Easy sister, I was just asking," Lisa assured, "I have... something that may help. I haven't tested it on humans, but it's worked on every type of livestock and dog I've tried!"

Lucy heard some bottles clinking, "W-What is this?"

"It's to remove genetic impurities, a negative effect of... inbreeding."

"Thank you..." Lori sighed and Lucy could here chugging noises, "but aren't you worrying why?"

There was a brief silence, "Psychology isn't really my area of expertise. I will say, I'm worried about what you're going to do now..."

"I..." she paused for a long moment, "I think I need to avoid Lincoln. It's not fair to Bobby and I... I'm afraid I'm going to hurt him..."

"Who? Bobby or Lincoln?"

"...Both."

Lucy regained her composure and leaned her head against the airduct and relaxed. Her biggest problem was now out of the picture, even if in a fashion she hadn't expected. She felt an intense wave of jealousy realizing that one night might have been all it took for Lori and Lincoln's actions to bare fruit where as she was being careful to avoid that scenario out of fear of losing him. But there was a very fine silver lining. If Lori, of all people, had the same type of affection for their dearest brother that she had, what of the others? She had always suspected at least one of her sisters, but she needed time to prepare. During this time a different scene played out in the Loud house. Lincoln was desperately attempting to approach Lori for the entirety of the day, but she had managed to avoid him at every turn.

Did she hate him now? Should he have stopped her? He knew she smelled like alcohol, but at first he thought it was Lucy, then he opened his eyes. Why had she done it? Was she so drunk she didn't know who he was? But she called him Linc... he had heard it. Was it his fault? While he was deep in his thoughts he was unaware that someone had been pursuing him like he had Lori, and she was finally ready to strike. She had been training for an entire week, and she was certain she could take her dorky brother easy now.

She rushed down the hall at him while he was deep in thought, "Think fast, Stinkin!"

She attempted to spear him, it would have been a perfect, if not beautiful, execution of a classic move... if not for Lincoln putting his hand out to grab her head, stopping her short of him, "Not now, Lynn... I'm... having a problem."

"Oh no," Lynn gripped as she began relentlessly swiping at him, "You don't get to just run away from this one!"

She grabbed his arm and attempted to utilize her body for an arm triangle, but he just held her there and sighed before tapping on her leg to signal surrender, "Happy now?"

"No!" She growled and tried to bite his hand that he tapped with, he utilize her head movement to turn her around and put her into a gentle half nelson, "What the hell is going on?!"

"Lynn, I promise we'll practice later but I need to... figure something out."

Lynn struggled attempting to break his hold, "Get off me!"

"Are you going to attack me afterwards?"

"YES! Now get off me!"

"Lynn," Lincoln sighed as he walked with her lashing to her room, "I can't put this off, so I need to take a rain check," he opened the door while still holding her and chucked her inside.

Before she could tackle him the door was closed causing her to smack into it, dazing her. She screamed in frustration. Had the entire last week been a waste? Was what Lori said true? Had she been so hard on him when he was younger that now, that he was a teen, he had finally surpassed her. She couldn't accept it. If he was out of her weight class that would mean-

"That would mean we won't be able to play anymore..." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, she hadn't felt this bad since they were separated when she was 10, "What am I supposed to do."

"Lynn," a monotone voice behind her called causing her to jump back into the door, this time perching on the doorknob.

"Lucy! Dang it!" She gasped, "I-I didn't know you were in here! I-I'm not crying! Y-You're crying!"

Lucy looked up and down her sister and wiped a tear from her cheek, she looked at it and smiled, preparations were no longer necessary, "Dear sister... I think we need to talk."

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Lynn had thought she'd get him at night since Ronnie would be home, but Lori was far more bold than she was prepared for. When she had turned the corner she had seen her eldest sister pry Bobby from Loan's hands and hand him to Reina.

"Loan, you can't sleep in the same bed as Robert."

"W-Why not?! Lyra and Lemy do it!" Loan growled.

Lori rubbed her temple, "Reina, protect your twin for me."

"Don't have to tell me twice! Come on Bobby!"

"But aunt Lori," Bobby protested, planting his feet as Reina attempted to drag him, "I just want to hang out with Loan tonight!"

Lori smiled and put her hand to her nephew's cheek, "Sweet Bobby, you get your trusting nature from your father... sometimes I think you might even be more Naive than he was," she turned her head to Loan who was fidgeting with her hands and grinned nervously at her mother, "Which is why I know you need to be protected from her."

"But Loan's cool!"

"No she isn't!" Reina protested.

Lori glanced at Reina, realized another similarity between them and her brother and sportier sister, and sighed, "Oh well... I guess lesser of two evils."

Reina stopped, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"I'll tell you when your older," Lori assured with a smile and ruffled her nieces hair, "now get out of here you two."

"Okay," they both said in unison and disappeared into the stairwell, Lynn barely dodging them.

Lori glared and Loan, "Really?"

"What?!" Loan asked annoyed, "You're the one who ruined my evening! We just wanted to play videogames together!"

"Right... alone... in the dark."

"What's weird about that?!"

Lori sighed then smiled, "He's a cute boy, isn't he Loan?"

"W-well of course he is. H-he's my little brother!"

"Mhm, like I said, so innocent too."

"Y-Yeah," Loan said averting her eyes.

"Makes you want to protect him from other women, doesn't it?"

Loan pouted, "Yeah."

"Makes you want to keep him for yourself?"

Loan relaxed and smiled, "Y-yeah..."

"Teach him all kinds of... things. For his own good, of course."

Loan grinned a goofy grin and her eyes glossed over a little, "Oh God... yes."

"Hence why he needs to be protected from you," Lori finally stated crossing her arms.

"Yeah," Loan agreed still dreamily gazing, before shaking her head, "Hey!"

"At least you admit it."

"T-that... You tricked me! You couldn't possibly think that I-"

"I'm your mother, Loan. I know exactly what you're capable of. I've seen your search history," she stated, snidely, holding up her daughter's phone, causing her daughter to first turn pale then bright red.

"T-That's private!" she exclaimed as she swiped at the phone.

Lori parried her and opened the home screen, "Then you probably shouldn't leave it laying around. A lot of questionable comics in this."

"They're manga mom! Besides, all of that is fiction!"

"But your reactions earlier weren't"

Loan sucked air through her teeth, stomped her foot, and crossed her arm, "So what... you and dad did it..."

Her mother didn't even bother arguing, "I know... I just want life to be easier for you than it was for us. Than it is for them," she touched her daughter's cheek, "I don't want you to regret anything that you do to that innocent boy. Understand?"

Loan said nothing, just nodded, and retreated back into her room after her mother handed her her phone and gave her a hug. Lynn waited for Lori to pass by her, but she never came. She peered back around the corner to see Lori looking at the stairs, tapping her foot.

"I'm such a hypocrite..." she admitted as she began climbing the stairs.

"S-she wouldn't," Lynn gasped, "Not while Ronnie Anne is sleeping just a few floors down!"

She quietly followed her up the stairs to the top floor and watched as she disappeared into their brothers room. Lynn stood there for a moment, contemplating her next move, before punching the wall in defeat and walking away. She hated this. She hadn't had time with Lincoln in a little over two weeks. Lacy had baseball regionals and Lynn wanted to make sure she was in top shape for them, so she forewent spending time with her beloved little brother to prepare their daughter. She made the right choice, and she knew it given the resulting victory, but her body was detoxing from lack of Lincoln, a dangerous disorder for any of the sisters, but most so for Lynn. She ached for just a little attention from him. She was so delirious she hadn't realized that she was outside of a basement room with ornate double doors, all black. She sighed and opened the doors.

Lucy was laying in her bed, flat on her back, in a black nightgown reading a book, with only dim black candles for light, and spoke without looking away from her page, "Dear sister, what troubles you enough to visit?"

"I... I miss Lincoln."

"He's on the top floor," Lucy informed her as she turned the page.

"So is Lori..."

This caused Lucy to stir slightly, "Even with Ronnie here?" Lynn nodded and Lucy leaned towards her, closing her book, "I never expected our eldest sister to be so... bold."

Lynn nodded in agreement, "I contemplated telling Ronnie to go check on Lincoln," Lucy stared at Lynn as if frozen in time, "I only contemplated it! I know how... volatile Ronnie can be."

"Almost as volatile as you, dear sister?"

Lynn grabbed her own arm, "Y-yeah."

"Thankfully you can mostly keep it in check," Lucy nodded, "I don't... I don't know how Ronnie would react knowing that Lori is cheating on her brother... she's still not the biggest fan of our current arrangements."

"I know," Lynn agreed, "Even with all the stuff we've done and all the lies we've told... it somehow seems worse..."

Lucy smiled, "That's just jealousy, dear sister"

"DAMN RIGHT IT IS!" she screamed as she punched the wall, "She treats him like dirt for the past 20 years, shows up on the doorstep with her daughter, FINALLY admitting that Loan is who we all knew she is, and he just accepts her with open arms?! If that was me-"

"He would have readily accepted you too, with arms just as open," she stated, Lynn's shoulders stooped and she frowned, "That's just the type of man our dearest brother is. We wouldn't love him past what nature intended where he not."

Lynn sighed before finally coming clean, "I-I just need my Lincoln fix..."

Lucy sat at the edge of her bed and smiled mischievously, "Now was that so hard?"

"Don't mess with me, spooky."

"Wouldn't dream of it, dear sister. But we won't be able to pry him from our oldest sister's arms tonight. I'll work something out in the morning."

Lynn perked up at this, "Y-you'll help me?"

"Of course," Lucy nodded, "You are my greatest ally after all."