"Girls!" Rita shushed her overzealous daughters after their jubilant cry, holding up a finger to her lips to quiet them. "Lincoln's sleeping!"
The girls immediately brought their hands over their lips, going statue stiff when they registered their mother's words and saw the truth of them.
Lincoln sat in his carseat, his head lolled over against its cushiony side, partially obscuring his face behind his snowy locks. Against his chest, Bun-Bun was squeezed tight, with Lincoln's peacefully sleeping face pressing against the spot between his ears.
"Aww…" The girls cooed, thankfully keeping their voices low.
"Make sure you're careful when you come in," Rita whispered. "We don't wanna wake him up."
"Yes, mom," The girls quietly replied.
Carefully, the girls crept into Vanzilla, with Leni having the easiest time thanks to being in the front. As for Luan and Lynn, they had to cautiously clamber over the seats to get to the back, trying to fall onto the back seats in as muffled a way as possible.
"Augh!" Luan let out a restrained yelp, "Lynn, watch your feet!"
"You watch my feet!" Lynn retorted with a huff, pulling her feet back. "I'm just trying to get in my seat."
"By diving on top of me?" Luan hissed. "You telling me you can aim a ball perfectly center into a goal, but you can't hit your seat?"
"I'm trying to be quiet!" Lynn shot back, her voice beginning to rise.
"And you're both doing a very poor job at it." Lori turned in her own seat to glare at her two youngest sisters, "Now pipe down!"
Lynn and Luan shrank back, "Sorry…"
"Are we all ready to go?" Rita asked from up front.
"Yes, mama," Luna replied, putting her seat belt on just as Lori pulled the door closed. She glanced over at Lincoln, making sure he was still sound asleep. She smiled to herself when she saw he was just as at peace as before, his little breaths making little wispy noises with each passing. Aww, you really are the cutest thing ever, aren't you, little one?
"Isn't he cute?!" Leni gushed out loud, her eyes gazing at Lincoln in the rearview mirror.
"Yeah, he literally is," Lori whispered, her body turning so she could move a little closer to the car seat's side. "How was your day with him, mom?"
"Oh, just wonderful!" Rita replied, "He was just the most perfect little angel! As well behaved as can be! And so sweet to boot!"
"That's no surprise," Luan chirped. "He's such a quiet little guy, I can't imagine him making trouble for anyone."
"Yeah…" Lori murmured. She frowned when she saw a spot of color peeking out from behind Lincoln's bangs. "You really can't…" She reached out and gently laid a hand on his bruise, tenderly brushing his bangs over it, over the spot where she had kissed him on his very first night with them.
"Mmm!" A little grunt came from Lincoln and he pressed his bruise against Lori's palm, a little frown creasing his features.
"Linc?" Lori's eyes widened and she unconsciously caressed his forehead.
"What's wrong with Linky?"
"Is he okay?"
"He's making a little sad face!"
"Lori, is Lincoln alright?"
Lori didn't respond, she just kept her attention on Lincoln, on his increasingly souring expression and his tightening little fists. "Lincoln? Are you okay?" She whispered.
Over on the other side of the carseat, Luna's face paled. She knew what that behavior meant.
Lincoln was having a nightmare!
…
"Stupid brat! Can't you stay quiet! Don't you know how to even do that!?"
The monstrous voice reverberated through the dark enclosures of the area around Lincoln, chasing him just as persistently as the actual monster's smoke covered form.
"I'm sorry!" Lincoln shrieked, his left leg screaming at him to stop running, to just take a moment to tend to the new red welt inflicted on it by the cold bite of the metal belt buckle that was currently slinging through the air. "I just came out to get something to drink! I was thirsty!"
"Would you stand still?! The less you move, the faster we can finish this!" Lincoln knew better than to trust the monster. He knew if he stopped, the pain would only come sooner, just as excruciating as if he prolonged the horrible event that was transpiring.
"Damn it!" The resounding snap of the belt buckle hitting the spot he had just leapt away from made his heartrate triple in his chest, actually inflicting physical pain through him. "Stand still! TURN AROUND!"
The rage, absolutely world shaking in its ferocity, actually forced Lincoln to stumble and turn his head in response.
SNAP! Lincoln screeched when cold, harsh metal slammed against the skin of his forehead. Beneath the force of it, he was sent spinning around, falling flat on his face on the hard, linoleum floor.
The pain was pure, unyielding agony, and blood began to ebb down his face, into Lincoln's eye and forcing it shut with stinging discomfort.
"Got ya, stupid brat!" And before Lincoln could even gather some semblance of his senses, he was wrenched up by his arm, forcefully twisting him to face the monster.
The bitter scent of the liquid dripping from the monster burned his nostrils and he flinched from the roar of the beast going directly in his face.
"No…Please…" Lincoln's voice was low, utterly defeated and hopeless in the wake of the monster. Weakly, he raised a hand to try and block the raising claw of the monster. "I…I don't want to…I'm sorry…"
And the monster's claw swung down, ready to batter the defenseless boy in its grasp.
SHING!
Then, something happened. Instead of bearing the brunt of the monster's assault, a flash of light blue light blinded Lincoln, and he fell to the ground again, much softer than before.
"Lincoln?" Then, a voice rang through the now black void he sat in, and Lincoln forced himself to look up at the floating orb of colored light hovering over him, only being able to do so with one eye thanks to the blood covering one of them.
"Linc?" The light bobbed forward, going against Lincoln's forehead. A cascading warmth came over the wound, making the blood seemingly vanish from the right part of Lincoln's forehead, enabling him to see the ball with both eyes.
"Lincoln, open your eyes. C'mon, we're right here." And the voice went on, the orb glowing brighter in conjunction with it, "C'mon, open your eyes. It's okay."
And with that final little bit of encouragement, Lincoln closed his eyes, and opened them once more.
…
That's when Lincoln saw her. Sitting next to him, with a hand laying along his forehead, right where the belt had struck him and right where the little blue ball had been floating, was Lori.
"Hey, Linc," Lori said, lifting her hand from his head, a caring, but concerned smile coming over her face. "Welcome back. What, was the idea of seeing us actually so boring that you preferred taking a nap?"
She tried to ease the mood, to calm Lincoln down from the obvious nightmare he had been suffering through.
It didn't work.
"Lori?" Lincoln regarded Lori blankly for a moment, his pupils quivering fearfully. Then, in a single, heartbreaking moment that everyone in Vanzilla would sadly remember for years to come, Lincoln's eyes filled with tears and his face contorted in fearful anguish.
"Oh, Lori!" Lincoln grabbed Lori's hand, bringing her arm against his side and burying his face in it. "Lori! Don't let the monster hurt me! Please! I don't wanna hurt anymore!"
Lori felt a rush of concentrated big-sister protectiveness run through her, prompting her to move closer and bring her other hand to Lincoln's head. "Monster? What monster?" She asked, her heartbeat hammering away inside her.
"The monster who hurt me before I got here!" Lincoln wailed.
Lori lost a breath, and she gently ruffled Lincoln's hair, trying to direct as much comfort to his bruise as she could.
"Monster? There's no monster here."
"Linky, it's just us! Mama and your sisters!"
"It's okay, Little one! You're safe!"
"Lincoln, please don't cry! If you want, we could play marbles again when we get home."
"Yeah, Lincoln! Do you want me to get out Goldy blue and Teethy-Rex?"
Lincoln's breath hitched in a painful gasp. "Wait…" He lifted his face from Lori's arm, looking around Vanzilla to see his other sisters. "You're all here, too?"
"That's right, sweetheart." The voice of Rita jolted Lincoln into looking forward. Rita offered him a comforting little smile. "We picked them up a little while ago while you were sleeping. They were so happy when they saw you, right, girls?"
"Uh huh!"
"Most definitely!"
"We've been looking forward to seeing you again so much, Linky!"
That should have been reassuring news, something to act as an emotional salve to his wounded heart. But seeing all the gentle gazes of his beloved sisters, and the memories of the wonderful day he had with his mother, just filled him to the brim with bitter, molten guilt.
"Oh no…" Lincoln bit his lip and released Lori's arm, bringing his good arm to cover his face, now awash with a new onslaught of tears. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"What for, Little one?" Luna cooed, reaching out to lay a hand on Lincoln's head, more in the middle in relation to Lori's hand.
"I ruined our good day!" Lincoln cried, shaking in his carseat. "We were having such a good day and I ruined it!"
"Oh, sweetheart, no you didn't," Rita countered. "We still had a wonderful day, and we're still going to have a wonderful rest of the day."
"Yeah, Linky," Leni said, turning in her seat, "Remember the breakfast we had? And the ride to school? Remember the flowers and birdies? That all still happened."
"And you still had a really good day at work with me," Rita went on. "Remember how brave you were? Don't you want to tell your sisters about it?"
Lincoln sniffled, trembling more in his seat and hiccupping with each little struggled breath that he took.
"Yeah, go ahead and tell us, Linc," Lori urged.
Lincoln let out a single high-pitched little sob, cracking the hearts of all those in the car even further. "I…" Thankfully, he still tried to do as the others asked of him, taking several wheezy breaths to try and get his frazzled mind straight. "I. Got. In. The. Doctor's. Chair." He gasped and lowered his arm, "And. Missus Mommy. Taught. Me. How. To. Brush. My. Teeth."
At first, the girls didn't say anything, unsure if Lincoln was finished or not. Then, with a subtle cough from Rita, they jolted and flew into a slew of quick responses.
"Wow!" Luan exclaimed, poking her head over the back seat.
"Really, Lincoln? You got in the doctor's chair!?" Lori set her hands on the side of the carseat, "That's so cool!"
"Yeah, that was totes brave of you, Linky!" Leni gushed.
"Tell me about it," Lynn said bombastically. "I hate getting in that chair!"
Lincoln's mind settled a little bit, a modicum of calm coming over his thoughts in response to the praise of his big sisters. "I…" He sniffled and wiped his forearm under his nose, "We also counted things. And we ate outside."
"Ooh, lucky!" Lynn said. "I wish we could eat outside!"
"And you counted things?" Leni said. "Wow, Linky, you're really smart, aren't you?"
Lincoln hiccupped, "That's what Missus Mommy said."
"Well she's very right," Luna agreed, smiling at Lincoln. "And it sounds like you indeed did have a really good day, Little one."
Lincoln took a quick breath, dispelling more of the residual fear that still clung to him. "But—But I still ruined it," He whimpered, closing his eyes, "I made all of you sad."
Nobody in the car could really deny that. Seeing Lincoln suffer through an undoubtedly terrifying nightmare and then deal with the awful fallout of it was incredibly saddening to them. Who would want to see that?
So what was to be done? Tell a little white lie? Or be honest?
"Lincoln…" Fortunately, Rita seemed to know what to do, "Yes, it makes us sad to see you like this, but we're not holding it against you, not one bit. We understand how you feel and just want to help you feel better, alright?" She smiled at Lincoln in the rearview mirror, "And make no mistake, we did have a good day, absolutely wonderful!"
Lincoln gulped and looked down, squeezing Bun-Bun tight against him. "But I…I just wish…"
Lori frowned and looked down at Bun-Bun, held in Lincoln's trembling arm. Seeing that, she remembered how Lincoln had held her arm, like she was a life preserver in a stormy ocean. He had squeezed her arm so tight; she couldn't help but wonder something.
"Lincoln?" Lori pulled his gaze to her with a soft call. When he looked over at her with his watery aquamarine eyes, Lori felt further bolstered to ask her question.
"Lincoln," She went on. She held up her arms, extending them out towards the distraught little one next to her. "Do you—Do you want a hug?"
That was a bombshell no one was expecting, least of all Lincoln.
He wanted that hug, he really, truthfully wanted that hug. That feeling of safety, security, and undeniable proof of love was something he had wanted for who knows how long. He just knew it had intensified when he saw the group sister hug Lynn had received the previous night. The thought of getting a hug then and there sounded wonderful.
But he couldn't say yes to Lori's question. Unfortunately for him, the memory of the monster's iron like grasp on his arm was still fresh in his mind, and the fear of being trapped overwrote the desire to be held and loved.
So, with a few more tears surfacing, Lincoln clenched his eyes shut and shook his head with gritted teeth. "N-No, thank you," He said, like the words were threatening to choke him.
Everyone in the car felt a little more saddened by that. They all knew how badly Lincoln needed that hug.
"Well," But Lori didn't seem discouraged, "do you mind if I hold your hand? I want to try and make you feel better, and I know you like to hold hands."
Lincoln kept his eyes closed, but extended his casted arm out to Lori. He tensed up a little when Lori took his hand into hers, but gradually relaxed when she rubbed her thumb over the top of it.
"Atta boy," Lori cooed. "See, everything's okay. We're here for you."
"Lincoln…" Luna spoke up next, "Can I hold your other hand?"
Lincoln again didn't respond, but he stuck out his good arm towards Luna, letting her take his good hand in hers.
"I'm sorry you're having such a hard time, Little one," Luna whispered, mimicking Lori's little ministrations. "But you're okay. I promise."
Lincoln didn't know why, but he suddenly saw a little purple ball of light appear in his mind's eye.
"Is there anything you wanna do when we get home, Lincoln?" Lynn asked from her space in the back row. "We'll do it, anything you want."
Lincoln hiccupped again and squeezed Lori and Luna's hands. "Can we watch another movie?" He asked tremulously.
"Absolutely!" Leni said exuberantly, "We'd love to watch another movie with you, right, guys?"
"Uh huh!" The rest of the girls agreed.
"And we'll let you pick it again!" Lori said.
"Yeah!" Lynn chirped.
And the girls all piled on the reassurance, even Luan, who had been looking forward to telling Lincoln a story, was more focused on easing their brother's suffering.
Besides, after seeing what he was going through up close and personal, she knew she would need more time to really polish the story to send the message Lincoln really needed to hear.
…
The rest of the afternoon passed by relatively peacefully in comparison to Lincoln's Vanzilla episode. As promised, when they got home, the girls went with Lincoln into the house, stopping to say hi to their father first alongside their mother.
"Um, Lynn, can I speak with you?" Rita had said to Lynn Sr. not long after he greeted them. "I…" She looked to Lincoln and the girls, already by the T.V and going through the DVD collection in the drawer below it. "I wanna talk to you about how our day went," She finished in a whisper.
"Of course," Lynn Sr. said, pulling Rita towards the kitchen by her hand. "We'll be right back, kids! I'll bring you something to snack on in a little bit. Just sit tight, okay?"
"Okay!" The girls replied.
Lynn Sr. and Rita made their way to the kitchen, stopping by the sink.
"Is everything alright?" Lynn Sr. asked. "Did Lincoln handle everything okay?"
"He was wonderful, Lynn," Rita said, a melancholic smile coming over her face. "Just perfect. An absolute angel! He was a little shy with me, but by the time we left to pick up the girls, he was actually pretty happy." Her smile faded, shifting completely into a face of sadness. "Then he fell asleep on the way to the school…"
Lynn Sr. frowned and shook his head, "He had a nightmare?"
"A horrible one, Lynn," Rita said, bringing a hand to her lips. "He just started squirming, and when he woke up, he just burst into tears and grabbed Lori's arm, screaming over and over about a monster that hurt him before he got to us." Her hand curled into a fist and Lynn Sr. saw a flare of rage spark in her eyes, "He was talking about that woman, his so-called mother, I just know it."
"Most likely," Lynn Sr. solemnly agreed, bringing a hand up to wipe one of his own glimmery eyes. "She—She really left some scars on the poor little thing, both inside and out."
"You don't know the half of it," Rita whispered, shaking her head. "After he calmed down a little bit, Lori asked him if he wanted a hug. Lynn, I've never seen a child want something more than Lincoln obviously wanted that hug, but he still said no; even though it looked almost physically painful for him to do so."
Lynn Sr. gulped, "That sounds awful, Rita." He sucked in a harsh breath and brought a fist to his own chest, a watery sniffle going through his nose, "I wish we could just pick him up and hug him; hug all his troubles away until he sees that he's safe and has a family that'll love him forever and ever. But…"
"But we have to respect where he's at right now," Rita finished. She sighed and moved in to set her cheek on her husband's shoulder, wrapping her arms around him as he did the same to her. "I'm just glad we all have each other to help him along the way."
"So am I," Lynn Sr. agreed. "And not just us, the girls too. You said Lincoln latched on to Lori, didn't you?"
"He sure did," Rita said, smiling morosely. "And even though he didn't take the hug, he still let Lori and Luna hold his hands, and all the girls sort of talked him down, promising they would spend time with him when we got home."
Lynn Sr. chuckled and the two parents parted, "That explains why they're scouring over the movie collection. He really has grown attached to the girls pretty quickly, hasn't he?"
"Like you wouldn't believe," Rita said.
"Think I have a chance of getting him to like spending time with me?" Lynn Sr. asked with a laugh.
"I'm sure he'll love you, just as much as he clearly loves me," Rita replied, laughing in return. She reached out and poked Lynn in the chest, "Just don't show him any of your cowbell music just yet, okay?"
"Hey, I'm sure it'd grow on him!" Lynn Sr. playfully rebuked. "And besides, everyone knows I'm the fun parent, Rita."
Rita scoffed good-naturedly, "Yeah, yeah, just try not to have too much fun, okay? You still do have work to do at the office, remember?"
Lynn Sr. glowed a little and set his hands on his hips, "Well, luckily for me, I got the okay to leave work early tomorrow, thanks to me going in early today." He brought his hands together and shook them somewhat giddily, "Oh, we are going to have so much fun tomorrow, I just know it!"
Rita smirked, "I'm glad. Just remember though, Lynn; he's sensitive, so try and take it slow, okay?"
Lynn Sr. calmed himself and stood straight, "Right, of course, Rita." He took a breath and turned to the fridge, "Now, I better get the kids that snack I promised them. You know how the girls get if they get too hungry after school."
Rita clicked her tongue, still smiling to herself with the last vestiges of her tears drying off of her, "Don't I know it."
…
Lincoln quite enjoyed the movie. The Aristocats was both funny and endearing. He especially loved the wacky antics of the two dogs, and the strange dish the girls called "ants on a log" that was brought to them by their father was really tasty!
Following that, Rita told the girls it was time to do their homework, and Lincoln, not wanting to be left out, followed them to the table and worked on his coloring books alongside them.
"Anyone know what 144 divided by 6 is?" Leni asked, scratching her cheek with her eraser.
"Now, Leni, you can figure this out," Rita said, scooting her chair towards Leni's. "First start with 14 divided by six. That's 2 with a remainder of 2, right? Now work from there."
Lincoln reached for his cup of water, his little green crayon coloring in four of the six pears on the page, his eyes tracing over the plus sign between the group of four and the group of two. So, four plus two equals six? That seemed easy enough to wrap his head around.
He brought his cup to his lips. No water came.
Oh! He thought, lowering his cup and looking into it, It's empty. He looked up to ask one of his family members at the table if he could have a refill, but was stopped when he saw them. They were all pretty focused on their work, Leni especially, considering the way her tongue poked out the corner of her lips.
Should he really interrupt them? Was it right to bother them just because he was thirsty? He looked down at the bottom of his empty cup again, his lips quirking into a nervous frown.
Wasn't him being thirsty the cause of that ordeal with the monster?
I'll—I'll get it myself, He decided. Slowly and carefully, Lincoln eked his chair back and slid out of his booster seat, thankfully not rousing the attention of his mother or sisters. Once he was on the floor, he snuck through the dining room, making his way past the threshold of the kitchen and into the room proper.
Instantly, his nose perked up with the intense smell of stewing herbs and tomato sauce, and Lincoln's stomach growled incessantly at it.
"Oh, hey there, Lincoln!" Lynn Sr. jubilantly greeted Lincoln and turned around to face him, adjusting his apron with a sweep of his hand.
Lincoln jolted and looked up at his father, shrinking slightly when he walked over to him. "H-Hi," He said meekly.
"What brings you over here?" Lynn Sr. asked, kneeling down towards the boy now trying to hide behind his cup.
"Um…" Lincoln focused on the bottom of his empty cup.
"Oh, your cup's empty," Lynn Sr. observed. "Do you want more water?"
Lincoln's socked feet wriggled nervously and he glanced over at the high water nozzle in the fridge. Too high for him to reach for, unfortunately. "Y-Yes, please," He murmured, raising his cup towards his father.
"Alrighty then!" Lynn Sr. said, gently taking Lincoln's cup. "I'll get that for you lickety split, squirt!"
"Thank you," Lincoln mumbled, curling his now empty hand against his chest.
Lynn Sr. turned to the fridge, bringing Lincoln's cup to the water nozzle only to suddenly stop when a thought came to him. "Actually…" He said, stepping back from the fridge to grab the handle. "How about I make you a quick treat? You'll like it, I swear."
"O-Okay," Lincoln said, clearly too shy to say no even if he wanted to.
Lynn Sr. noticed the boy's meekness and made a mental note to prove to Lincoln that his trust was well spent. He deftly opened the fridge and plucked out a carton of milk, bringing it to the adjacent counter and reaching out to open the cabinet above it. From there, he pulled out a small yellow and blue carton. Once that was popped open, he poured the milk into the cup, followed by two scoops of dark brown powder.
Lincoln watched Lynn Sr. mix the powder into the milk, turning the milk a pale color mimicking the chocolate that had just been infused to it.
And now, to top it off, Lynn Sr. reached for the little jar of salt he always kept nearby, Just the tiniest pinch of salt!
"Aaaaand, ready!" Lynn Sr. announced, turning around with a dance-y little flourish. "A Loud house special! Super sweet chocolate milk!"
"Chocolate milk?" Lincoln parroted quizzically. He took the cup from Lynn Sr., peering down into the subtly sweet liquid still spinning lazily in the cup. "I've never had chocolate milk before."
"I kinda had a feeling that was the case," Lynn Sr. replied, a solemn little smile coming across his face, "Luckily for you, mine tastes pretty good. Go on, give it a try."
Lincoln had no reason to think otherwise. Everything he had tried by Lynn Sr. had tasted amazing; why would he worry this would taste bad?
So, he tipped the cup and took his first sip.
Then another, and another. His eyes widened when the enhanced sweetness came over him and before he knew it, he had drank half the cup before he had to stop for a breather.
Lynn Sr. laughed, "You like it?"
"It's super tasty!" Lincoln exclaimed, his chocolate milk moustache bearing smile absolutely melting Lynn Sr.'s heart into a puddle of goo. "I really like this!" He cried.
Lynn Sr. grinned and stood up, "Good to hear, squirt! I'm happy you like it."
Lincoln nodded and took another big swig from the cup. "I like everything you make!" He declared when he brought the drink away again.
Lynn Sr.'s eyes glittered appreciatively, "Wow, that's a confidence booster. Thank you, Lincoln!"
Lincoln looked past his father, eyeing the two pots of simmering food behind him. "Are you making food right now?" He asked.
"Yup! I was just working on dinner when you came in," Lynn Sr. said, turning around with Lincoln. "Spaghetti and meatballs. You ever have that?"
"Uh uh," Lincoln replied, shaking his head.
Lynn Sr. chuckled, "Wow, I get to introduce you to a ton of foods, don't I?" Kind of a bittersweet pill to swallow when you think about it, He mentally added. Why was Lincoln so new to the concept of good food? He brushed the thought away and looked down at Lincoln, "Do you wanna help me? I could always use a little taste tester."
Lincoln's eyes widened, "Can I?"
"Sure!" Lynn Sr. replied. "I'd love to have you help me."
Lincoln blushed, "Okay."
Lincoln followed Lynn Sr. towards the stove and allowed him to lift him onto the counter a few feet away from it, flinching as he was lifted, but calming down once he was placed securely on the counter. From there, the smell of the tomato sauce was even stronger, and Lincoln suddenly felt like he was wrapped in a warm blanket.
Lynn Sr. included Lincoln as much as he was able to during the cooking process. From salting the water for the pasta, to stirring the cooked meatballs into the tomato sauce, to what was undoubtedly Lincoln's favorite part, tasting the sauce.
"Alright," Lynn Sr. said, blowing on the small dollop of sauce on the wooden spoon they had stirred the pot with. "Open wide, Lincoln!"
Lincoln opened his mouth and took the sauce between his lips. The piping hot taste of simmered tomatoes and herbs hit him head on, warming him from the inside out as it slid down his throat, making him feel like he could just curl up and sleep a thousand peaceful slumbers right then and there.
"Mmmm!" Lincoln hummed, his hand going to his cheek and his little legs swinging out appreciatively.
"Am I right in assuming you don't think it needs anything?" Lynn Sr. asked with a smirk.
"Uh huh!" Lincoln answered with gusto. "You make the best food, Mister Daddy!"
It was like someone had poured something a thousand times warmer than the tomato sauce straight into Lynn Sr.'s heart, expanding it several times over with absolute affection for the boy that was now his son.
Lincoln, however, froze when the new moniker slipped past his lips and immediately brought his hand over his mouth. "Sorry…" He said in a low murmur. "I didn't mean to—"
"No, it's alright, Lincoln," Lynn Sr. immediately said. He reached out to ruffle Lincoln's hair, bringing a cringe out of the boy that thankfully didn't last long. "You can call me that. I am your new daddy after all. I don't mind."
Lincoln peered up at Lynn Sr. "So…Mister Daddy is okay?"
"It's great," Lynn Sr. affectionately replied. The new father and son regarded each other for a moment, unknowingly, but certainly forming a fledgling bond at that moment. With a new burgeoning warmth in his heart, Lynn Sr. took his hand off Lincoln's head. "Well," He said, bending down to pull a colander from a lower cabinet, wiping a glimmer of water from his eye. "Why don't we drain the pasta? Once that's through, we can take the food to the table and start dinner. That sound good to you?"
Lincoln nodded, blushing into his nearly empty cup, the memory of his nightmare all but fading completely into the back of his mind, "Yes, Mister Daddy."
…
"Alright, let's start this meeting, let's go, let's go!" Lori pounded her flip-flop atop her podium, ushering her sisters onto the floor in front of her.
"Ooh, just give us a second, Lori," Leni huffed, taking her usual spot to the right of the podium. "Daddy's spaghetti was totes good! We all had a lot of it."
"Yeah!" Several of the other girls agreed.
"Why are we even having this meeting anyway?" Lynn asked. "Don't we usually have these on Saturdays? And shouldn't we wait until Mommy's done giving Lincoln his bath?"
"Normally you'd be right on both counts," Lori agreed. "But Luan asked me specifically to have this meeting today before we go to bed." She tapped the flip-flop and gestured towards Luan, "Luan?"
Luan stood up and made her way to the podium, turning around to face her sisters with her hands clasped in front of her. "Hey, guys," She said, squeezing her hands together. "I'm sure you guys remember that Lincoln asked me to tell him a story with the puppets I gave him earlier today. I was ready to do that, but then…y'know…"
"Linky had his nightmare," Leni said morosely.
"Yeah," Luan confirmed, nodding. "So, it made sense that I couldn't tell my story today. But I think we might be able to make that work for us."
"How so?" Luna asked.
"I was thinking…" Luan went on, "That, maybe you guys could help me tell Linky the story? Help me make it more of a show?"
"Ooh, that sounds fun!" Leni replied, surprising Luan with her zeal. "Yeah, we could totes do that!"
"You will?" Luan said.
"We'd literally do anything for Linc after seeing what we saw today," Lori informed.
"You can count me in," Luna affirmed.
"Yeah, me too!" Lynn said.
"So, we're in agreement then?" Lori asked the rest of the girls. "We're going to help Luan with her puppet show?
"Yeah!" The girls cried.
"Then it's settled!" Lori said, clapping her flip-flop over the podium again, "We're helping Luan." She looked to Luan, "Just tell us what you want us to do, Luan. Anything you need, we'll do."
Luan's face lit up with her smile and her hands shook excitedly. "Aw, guys!" She gleefully exclaimed, "You're the best!"
"Just tell us what we need to do, Luan," Lori said, rolling her eyes mirthfully.
"Okay," Luan said with another nod. "I wanna have this ready by the time we get home from school tomorrow, so we don't have too much time."
And as Luan chattered away what had to be done, her sisters hung on her every word, just as determined to help their little brother as she was.
…
"There we go!" Rita said, completing Lincoln's pajamas by buttoning the last button at the top. "All clean and all ready for bed! Isn't that nice?"
It was nice. Though Lincoln had felt a little nervous about taking a bath, what with his cast and all, it had been a pleasant enough experience that proved he had no potential harm to worry about, just a ton of bubbles and bath toys. Now that he was out and dressed, he quite enjoyed the fresh feeling that now clung to him, like a new little lease on life. Just like the past two days spent in the Loud house had felt as a whole.
"Alright, now let's just get you onto your bed, okay?" Rita said, crouching down and extending her arms towards Lincoln.
"Okay," Lincoln said, lifting his arms up. Without so much as a grunt of discomfort, Lincoln allowed himself to be lifted onto the bed, and when he was placed on the soft blankets, he smiled up at Rita. "Thank you, Missus Mommy," He said.
"You're very welcome, sweetheart," Rita cooed. "You ready for bed?"
"Um…" Lincoln twiddled his fingers together nervously, "Is…Mister Daddy gonna tell me a story?"
"Of course he is!" Lynn Sr. bombastically interjected, practically leaping into the room with a giggling Lynn in his arms. "You didn't think I'd skip out on the next part of the story I told you last night, did you?"
Lynn laughed as she was set next to Lincoln on his bed, "Not a chance! I wouldn't let him, Lincoln."
"Or that we'd skip on telling you good night?" From behind Lynn Sr., the rest of the girls appeared, squeezing into Lincoln's tiny room to take a spot by his bed.
"Goodnight, Linky!" Leni cried, reaching out to pat Lincoln on the head.
"Sleep well, Little one," Luna hummed, taking Lincoln's good hand to give it a squeeze.
"Don't catch too many Z's!" Luan giggled, "We don't have the space for a zoo of them. Get it, a zoo of Z's?"
Lincoln did not get it, but he still gave Luan a polite little giggle in response.
Lori stepped up right in front of Lincoln. "Goodnight, Linc," She said, ruffling Lincoln's hair. "If you need us, we're just a few doors down, 'kay? Anything at all you might need, don't be afraid to come to us, alright?"
Everyone knew what Lori was talking about, Lincoln included, and though he wished his family didn't know about his nightmares, he was glad Lori was offering her support.
"Okay," Lincoln mumbled, looking up at Lori past his bangs, "Thank you, Lori."
"And now my goodnight!" Lynn said, spreading her arms expectantly.
The girls wasted zero time in grabbing Lynn in a group hug from all angles.
"Goodnight, Lynnie!" They cried, laying several kisses on their youngest sister's face.
Lynn giggled adorably and laid several kisses in return on her sister's faces. "Goodnight, you guys, see you tomorrow!"
And again, Lincoln was left staring at the group hug, secretly wishing he was a part of it; part of that affectionate little huddle of warmth.
"Alright, all of you, off to bed," Rita ordered with a clap.
"Yes, mom!" The girls said, releasing Lynn and funneling themselves out of the room, bumping and shoving each other a few times as they did so.
"And I'll take care of a few things I need to get to myself," Rita said. She gave Lynn a kiss on the cheek and gave Lincoln an affectionate little pat on the head, "Goodnight, you two."
"Goodnight, Mommy."
"Goodnight, Missus Mommy."
When Rita left, Lynn Sr. stood before the two children sitting before him. "Alright then," He said with a smile, "Who's ready for the next part of the story?"
"Just a second, daddy." Lynn surprised both her father and Lincoln by crawling over to the top of Lincoln's bed. When she got there, she pulled the blankets back, exposing the white sheets below. "Okay, Linc," She said, turning back to Lincoln, "time for me to tuck you in."
Lincoln jolted, unaware that Lynn had intended to make his bedtime part of her own routine. "O-Okay," He said, crawling to the head of the bed. When his head was against his pillow, Lynn did the same as the night before, bringing his blanket up to cover him, shielding him from any chill the outside world may have wished on him.
"Comfy cozy?" Lynn asked, taking a spot on top of the blanket.
"Mmhmm," Lincoln mumbled, his cheeks tingeing pink.
"Good," Lynn said with a gentle smile spreading across her own cheeks. She looked up at Lynn Sr., leaning against the back wall with her arms crossed, "Okay, Daddy, now we're ready."
Lynn Sr. chuckled, endeared by his name-inheritor being such a doting big sister, "Alright, sweetpea, you're the boss."
He took a seat on the edge of the bed, and began with, "Following the boy's adventures on the dragon island, the winds of the mighty ocean led him south, to an island inhabited by a gigantic magical forest…"
…
"And so, thanks to the boy's efforts, the forest spirit's children were returned to him, and in return, the boy was rewarded with his second pearl, this one a bright glimmering green. And the forest spirit and his children performed a grand concert for the boy, seeing him off on his next adventure, making their music heard even beyond the rush of the waves…"
As Lynn Sr.'s voice faded into a gentle hush, he regarded the two children he had just regaled his tale to.
Lincoln slumbered, a picture of peace beneath his blanket, Bun-Bun's ears poking out against his cheek from the top hem. The blanket rose and fell with each breath he took, putting a gentle whisper of air into the room like a single note of a recurring tune.
As for Lynn, she was asleep as well, but unlike the night before where she had slowly curled up beneath the blankets with Lincoln, she still remained against the wall. She still had her arms crossed and her legs were tied in a pretzel position. She looked like a stalwart little soldier, keeping watch over her little brother.
But Lynn Sr. knew even the toughest little soldiers still needed their rest, and his little girl needed to be put to bed, no doubt about it.
"Alright, come on, LJ," He whispered, reaching under her arms and hoisting her against his chest. "Time to get you nice and comfy back in your room."
"No…" Lynn grumbled her objection immediately, her eyes half opening as she tried pulling away from her father. "I have to stay."
"Aw, Junior, I understand why you feel that way," Lynn Sr. said, "But you have your own bed to stay in, same as Lincoln."
"But I need to be here," Lynn argued, shaking her head drowsily. "I need to protect him from his bad dreams…" Lynn Sr. saw her eyes glisten, and a frown came over her, "Daddy, he was so sad when he got them last time. Please let me stay."
Lynn Sr. understood his daughter's desire, understood the fierce protective instinct that she held so strongly. But the fact of the matter was that Lincoln was still getting used to them; who knows how he would react if he woke up and saw Lynn looming over him. Well intentioned as she may be, he still had only been with them for about two days.
"LJ, sweetie," Lynn Sr. said, rubbing her back tenderly. "I get that you want to be here for your brother, but the fact of the matter is that Lincoln is still getting used to us. We don't know how he'd react if he woke up and saw you."
Lynn shoulder's tensed and her head drooped when she saw the logic of her father's words. "You think I might scare him," She deduced sadly.
"It's nothing personal, Junior," Lynn Sr. assured. "Lincoln's just gone through a lot. There's not a doubt in my mind that he cares for you just as much as you do him."
Lynn nodded, still somewhat forlornly, "Okay…" She looked up at her father, her big green eyes imploring him to consider her next request. "Can you put me down on Lincoln's bed really quick though? There's something I wanna give him. To help stop any bad dreams before they happen."
Lynn Sr. couldn't say no to her when she was being that adorable. "Alright," He said, lowering her onto the bed. "Just be real careful, okay?"
Lynn nodded affirmatively and placed her hands on the blanket. Carefully, she crawled to the head of the bed, stopping when she was at the same level as Lincoln.
Then, Lynn did something that her father would remember for the rest of his life.
"Good night, Lincoln," Lynn whispered, leaning forward. She brushed a kiss against Lincoln's right cheek, pulling back as quickly as she placed it. "I love you," She sweetly declared. "Please don't have any bad dreams, okay? And if you need me, please come find me. I'll chase them away for you. That's what big sisters are for." She looked up to her father, not noticing his awestruck face or the watery gleam in his eyes thanks to the dim lighting of the room, "Right, Daddy?"
"That's right, LJ," Lynn Sr. mumbled, bringing a finger up to wipe his eye, "And you're proving to be a wonderful one already."
Lynn was glad to hear that, but she was too tired to respond. Slumberland really was expecting her. "Okay, I'm ready to go, Daddy," She murmured, lifting her arms towards him.
Lynn Sr. took Lynn into his arms again, settling her head against his shoulder and patting her on the back. "Good night, Lincoln," He said as he turned around. "See you tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to our day together."
And with that, he left the room, letting Lynn get a final look at her brother as they departed before her eyes closed completely.
Little did she know, in Lincoln's dreamscape, a little red orb of light had appeared to accompany him in the darkness, nuzzling his right cheek and bringing a sense of calm to his mind.