36. Momma I'm Comin' Home

A/N: Fear doesn't always last forever. Sometimes one may lose interest in the object that they feel is dangerous, or they may grow to overpower their fear by turning it into hatred. Lincoln currently walks on a rope between anger and fear as he lets the reasons behind the protocol and his beating fester in his mind. Even now, he's likely surprising everyone by his decision to return home so suddenly. Will he be the brave boy he dreams of, or will this be a huge mistake he'll learn to regret? And can his sisters do anything to stem the tide and allow the family to become whole once more?

Nothing is certain.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.

The first time Lincoln told Clyde he was ready to move back to his own house, the nerdy kid didn't believe it; he still had his reservations, even as Lincoln told his dads about his prepardness to leave, who then notified the Louds. Initially, the parents were shocked by Lincoln's willingness to return, but this was overridden by the joy of having their son coming home they could be a full family again; as best they could, that is. Rita and Lynn Sr. were still worried for Lincoln's well-being: he hadn't shown any signs that he was truly ready to come home, and feared it was more or less a kneejerk reaction their son hadn't thought on thoroughly. Interaction with his sisters was still scarce, with the most recent being the counseling session Lincoln had with Lynn. The last thing anyone wanted as for Lincoln to return and come to believe he made the wrong choice, forcing him to leave for another uncertain amount of time. And like their parents, the girls openly shared their sentiments.

"I can't believe Linky is finally coming home!" Leni cheered. "I totes gotta make my best smoothie for him!" Her enthusiasm started to wan upon noticing all of her sisters staring at her with indifferent or surprised expressions. "Um...isn't this a good thing? I mean, we wanted him to come back for soooo long."

"In normal circumstances, it would be a call for celebration." Lisa started, glancing back at her father, who was still on the phone talking to Lincoln. "But I believe it goes without saying that most of it is, troubling, for lack of a better word."

"Like, what could be so bad about it?" Before anyone could answer, Leni quickly added, "Besides Linky being scared of us?"

"That's just it Leni: we don't know what he's thinking of right now." Lori clarified.

"Last time I talked to him, he looked like me after I simmered down from a loss. I doubt anyone wants to be here if he's only coming back just to yell at us." Lynn added.

"Did any of you ask Clyde about what he thought of all this?" Luna chimed in. "Maybe bro is gettin' way over his head coming back."

"Nope." Luan replied as she scrolled through her phone. "Didn't even get a text from him."

"I don't think it'll be that bad." Lana started as she petted Hops, who was nestled in the front pocket of her overalls. "Maybe Lincoln's just coming around to know we aren't gonna hurt him."

Lisa sighed. "Lana...you know that's subjective at best, given how little interaction we've had with him prior to current events."

Lana gave a blank stare. "I don't even know what that means..."

Lola rolled her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't..."

The young mechanic threw a glare at her twin. "I bet you don't even know it either!"

The former pageant goer matched Lana with a heated look of her own. "It means staying focused, genius!"

Lisa gave a dull stare at the reader. "I'm not in the mood to tell them right now..." She muttered to herself.

As the twins started bickering over a simple definition, Lucy pursed her lips as she could only guess what Lincoln must be thinking. Coming to a place he deemed 'extremely dangerous' just wasn't in her brother's character; just ask Lincoln how many times he's been to the haunted house over the years. Being as moody as she was, one would think Lucy would have a better understanding of Lincoln's overall state. However, Lucy would be quick to say that, not only did it sound offensive, she honestly couldn't compare herself to Lincoln; getting left behind for a trip meant little in lieu of a physical beatdown.

"...Lincoln knows he can't avoid us forever." Lucy began, drawing the attention of the others. "Much like how death comes for us eventually, our brother must feel that he has little choice but to accept his fate; whatever that might be to him."

"So you're saying he's just giving up?" Lynn asked, an unsurprised gaze quite evident as she folded her arms. "He thinks hiding from us is pointless and should just take his lumps?"

Lucy bit her cheek as she shrugged. "Sounds likely..." She squinted her eyes in thought. "But even if it is, we can prove him wrong. Still, what should we do when he does come back? He can't hide in his room all day." Lucy glanced over at their father, who appeared to be wrapping up the call. "We have dinner as a family; and besides Mom and Dad, we live on the same floor."

"Obviously, we'll totes make him feel at home again." Leni spoke as if it was quite simple.

"Well duh!" Lola replied. "But Lincoln only approached us once; no, wait...twice. He's probably gonna board up his room every night cause he thinks we'll smother him with a pillow while he sleeps, then get rid of the evidence by burying the body!"

The girls collectively blinked at the six year old. "That's...oddly specific..." Lucy inquired.

"Lola, you're gonna have to stop watching those old crime movies..." Lori advised, though it sounded more like an order.

"Never!" Lola proclaimed whilst raising a fist into the air.

Before anyone else could voice their opinion, Lynn Sr. walked in. "Well girls, it's official: your brother has finally decided it's time to come home." He spoke with some enthusiasm before his frown became more apparent. "However, given his..." The patriarch twiddled his fingers a little, "Condition, do you girls have an idea on how to make him feel more comfortable?"

"Aside from literally becoming invisible?" Lori spoke dryly.

"That actually sounds fun!" Lana added happily.

"I concur. That would be a wise tactic to avoid giving him anxiety problems." Lisa replied. "We still don't know his true emotional state; but at the possibility of an imbalance, I suggest it would be best to vacate the house at the time Lincoln is due to arrive."

"So, what? We go to the mall or whatevs?" Luna asked.

The others gave murmurs of agreement. Normally, they'd spend Sunday doing whatever activity they saw fit; which of course, was out of the question due to lacking the spirit. The 9 girls turned to their father.

"Dad," Lori began, "If it's alright, could we...go to the mall tomorrow?"

"Well, sure." Lynn Sr. shrugged. "I don't see a problem with it. Just make sure you watch yourselves and Lily."

"Actually, I think it would be best if she stays behind." Lisa interjected, gazing up at the ceiling where she knew her shared room was. "It goes without question that Lily is the only sibling Lincoln currently trusts; not to mention that she misses him the most after witnessing the numerous times she cried out for him whenever she was upset." The child genius bowed her head a little, the light reflecting off her glasses in a way that obscured her eyes. "She might even be able to act as a consultant that can help Lincoln regain the bond we've broken."

Lynn gave a half-lidded stare. "Lincoln, taking advice from a baby?..."

"Have you been sleeping well?" Lola asked, giving the 4 year old a quizzical look.

Lisa gave a curt frown as she glared at them both. "I'm sorry, but I don't see you coming up with a plan to actually help our estranged brother besides avoiding him all day."

Lynn raised her hands in defense. "Okay, geez. Calm down. I'm only saying that Lincoln can't even understand Lily half the time. How do you even know she won't just make him hate us even more?" The brunette folded her arms. "You know she's barely talked to us for the past two months, would throw a fit when any of us tried to hold her if she wasn't hungry or to change her diaper, and she threw things at me more than once."

"I think you're forgetting that Lily requested to be moved into our parents domain during the time our brother was admitted into the hospital." Lisa added.

Lynn rolled her eyes. "That still doesn't explain why she had it out for me the most."

"Maybe because he had to live with a broken arm for a few more weeks." Lori chimed in, her head resting on a hand that was propped up by her arm.

"Either way dudes," Luna cut in, hoping to put off any further arguments. "Bro is off the table until he opens up on his own. So Lis is likely onto something."

"What time does Linky get back?" Leni asked.

"Didn't say, but I'm assuming some time before 11." The patriarch stated as he eyed the clock. "Speaking of which, time for this guy," He pointed his thumbs at his chest, "To get started on tonight's din-din!"

As their father disappeared back into the dining room, and with the sound of pots and pans being clattered together echoing from the kitchen, Lori sat up straight with her hands in her lap. "Ok, so we need to be gone by 9:30 or 10. We literally can't have Lincoln see us leaving or he'll probably freak out and want to go back to the McBrides."

"But what are we gonna do to make him feel more..." Leni paused, narrowing her eyes a little. "What's the word?...Oh! Homesick!"

Luan shook her head. "You only feel homesick if you've been away from home long enough, Leni."

"Ooooh..." The fashionista gave a glum reply. However, she perked up again as another idea came to mind. "We could get him a ton of gifts while we're at the mall!"

Lucy gave her trademark sigh. "I guess that's a start. But that's not gonna be enough to earn his trust as siblings."

Leni gave an irate frown before getting up from her seat. "Well, I'm not giving up!" She brushed past the rest of her sisters. "Linky's getting a homecoming, and he's gonna enjoy it!"

"And just where are you going?" Lori asked, a tad irked at Leni's tone.

"To make sure his room is clean, duh!" Came her roommate's reply as she disappeared up the stairs.

The other girls fidgeted a little at the mention of their brother's room. None of them had been in there since the day Lincoln was taken to the hospital; just looking at his closed door brought on a sense of anguish and grief that would last for a couple hours at best. There were a few times when one of the girls would spot Lily trying to make her way inside the room, patting and clawing at the door while giving these long, drawn out whines that would make a cold person's heart melt. And every single time one of them had to pry her away from his room, the baby cried out Lincoln's name as best she could with her limited speech until she finally tired herself out. The room itself was probably still in the same state Lincoln left it in that fateful day. However, given that his parents delivered a decent amount of his belongings to him, there was a chance they took the time to clean it themselves.

Leni's determination was starting to rub off on the girls as (one by one) they made their way up the stairs to help her. Naturally, all of them couldn't fit in their brother's small space without having limited movement; but those that couldn't aid in the cleaning and/or organizing poked their heads in to check on the progress. Lincoln's actions may have been throwing them off their game, but Leni had a point: they could still convince him that he has siblings that care for him, especially when one remembers how isolated he must feel being the only other male in the house.

Lincoln lightly jabbed a fork into his roast, tearing a piece off before tossing it into his mouth. There was a dull look in his eye as he chewed slowly, his mind currently wrapped in a hot debate regarding the phone call he made only an hour ago. The 11 year old fidgeted every few moments as the anxiety in his stomach threatened to rise to his chest. Lincoln breathed in deep in order to keep it down, but he felt it swirl with the food he ate, threatening to spoil his appetite.

At the McBride residence, dinner was usually silent with some occasional talk here and there about the activities accomplished during the day. However, even if there was anything to be said, the Loud wasn't paying attention as he focused on his own struggles.

"Lincoln?" Harold asked, breaking Lincoln's train of thought. Looking up from his plate, the Loud noticed that the other McBrides were staring at him with their own looks of worry. "Are you alright?" The African American brought a hand to his cheek as his tone became fearful. "I didn't put too much seasoning in it, did I?"

Lincoln shook his head. "N-No, the roast is pretty good. It's just..." He gulped down another piece before cutting off another slice with his fork. "Something that's been on my mind."

"Is it about the move back to your house?" Howard asked next.

Lincoln could only give a nod, biting his lip when he felt his stomach squirm a little.

"Aw, don't worry." The Caucasian male spoke with a smile. "I know a change of scenery will be difficult. But, sometimes it could actually be a good thing. Why, if I never decided to move out of the city, I would've never met my sweet, sweet Harold." He finished by sending a kind smile to his husband.

"Awwww Howie." Harold cooed.

"That's...kinda the problem..." Lincoln muttered.

"How come?" Harold started. "I thought you'd be happy to be with your family again."

"Well, maybe with my parents and Lily, but..." The Loud bit his lip before letting a sigh pass through his nose. "I still have to deal with my nine other sisters..."

"Oh, right. The fear..." Howard answered. "You still don't trust them yet?"

"No..."

"Lincoln, you're not having second thoughts are you?" Clyde chimed in.

"Um...maybe?" Lincoln raised a brow as he looked towards his best friend. "I mean, I know I need to go back, but I still can't help feeling like..." He paused as he tried to find the right word.

"Like?" Clyde repeated.

"Like something bad is gonna happen when I get home. Well, I don't know what will happen, but I just get so uncomfortable not knowing anything about my sisters at this point." Lincoln stuck the fork into what remained of the roast as he leaned back on his chair. "Lynn might be right when she said they went too far and didn't stop until it was too late, but they were still mad at me for making them fight in the first place. How am I supposed to know they aren't still holding that over my head?" His lips curled into a deeper frown. "My sisters can learn to regret some things, but they can also hold grudges if I remember the past few things Lola or Lori did to each other or anyone else; and it was only over the little things like Lori's phone or some of Lola's makeup stuff."

The Loud's fingers curled in a bit. "But when I think about the protocol..." He let out a groan. "I get reminded of the times they always outnumbered me when it came to making decisions for our weekend trips, or I always had to be the one to help them since I was available." The boy folded his arms. "Sometimes I actually wanted to help, but other times I just wanted to 'chill' like Luna might say." Lincoln furrowed his brows a bit. "Lori sometimes used me as a footstool and Lynn would make me her sparring partner even though I'm not even interested in sports, and then Lana is always making me help her feed all of the 'pets' she keeps bringing in the house; on top of breaking stuff we need, just so Dad can help her fix it. I probably should've known that at some point they'd go and make something stupid like that protocol." He threw his hands up in the air as he said, "But they didn't even ask me about it!"

Clyde frowned, a few beads of sweat forming on the back of his head. "Lincoln, deep breaths..."

Lincoln had his mouth open as he was about to say something else, only to close it before muttering, "Sorry..." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I just feel like my mind is all over the place..." The boy placed his hands on his head as he leaned over the table. "Sometimes I feel mad, but when I think about being back home tomorrow..." Lincoln let out a low groan as he felt his stomach swirl a bit. "The only thing separating me from my other sisters is my own door; and they always barge into my room whenever they feel like it. I can't even ignore them because that'll just make them mad; trust me, I've tried..." His eye twitched as a knot formed in his gut, or at least, what he hoped was one. "Lana sometimes snuck into my room whenever she had a nightmare...and my room is big enough for all nine of them to fit in it..." He felt his stomach beginning to throb a bit, making him feel a little nauseous. Lincoln gave a hard gulp when he felt something enter the lower end of his throat, which appeared to sate him for the moment. "What if...what if one night, they break into my room and...and..."

Lincoln lurched upward as his stomach made a loud, gurgling sound; a sudden weight made itself known in his chest as he felt his dinner coming up. His cheeks puffed out before he clamped a hand over his mouth, and the Loud immediately jumped from his seat before bolting to the bathroom.

The two fathers simultaneously gasped, with Clyde wincing a bit as gagging noises echoed from the bathroom.

"Oh dear..." Howard started as he turned to his family. "This is exactly like the time we discovered Clyde had a fear of heights..."

"Should I get the soup and relaxing music ready?" Harold asked his husband.

"Actually Dads," Clyde cut in, "I'll go help him." The boy eased his chair back and stood up. "I've been down this road many times." Was his reply as he strolled past the adults.

As Clyde got closer to the bathroom, he stuck his tongue out in disgust as another retched sound came from the bathroom. It was then followed by something splashing into water. Poking his head into the oval office, the African American was greeted to what he expected: Lincoln being face deep into the bowl as he spewed out another torrent of puke. The Loud groaned as he lifted his head, small traces of partially digested food covering the edges of his lips.

Clyde patted Lincoln on his back. "You alright buddy?"

The Loud burped for a second before thrusting his head back into the bowl, gagging as more stomach bile spewed from his mouth. "Ugh..." He coughed a few times before sitting up. "What just happened?..."

Clyde tore off a few slips of toilet paper before handing them to Lincoln. "You just had what my dads call, a panic-throw up."

Lincoln lightly grabbed the paper and wiped his mouth. "A what?"

"It's when you puke while going into a panic." The nerdy kid explained as Lincoln shakily stood up and tossed the paper into the trash. "I had a few of those growing up, usually while I'm eating something." Lincoln made a small hum of understanding before turning on the faucet, ducking his head under the opening and letting his tongue become drenched in the clean water. "This your first time getting one?"

Lincoln swished some water in his mouth before spitting it out. "I guess...haven't had the need to throw up before..." He cringed a little as he could still taste small traces of bile on his teeth. "This isn't gonna be a constant thing is it?..."

Clyde shook his head. "Nah. It usually only happens once. Besides, I'm pretty sure your sisters won't try to kill you in your sleep."

"How would you know that? You've only been to my house a few times." Lincoln folded his arms as he leaned on the sink. "You haven't had to live with them..."

"True, but I know because-" Clyde stopped himself midsentence as he almost let loose some crucial information. "Um..."

Lincoln raised a brow. "Clyde?"

Thinking over Bobby's words, Clyde felt his uneasiness grow. He didn't want to lie to Lincoln, especially considering how sensitive he was now that the Loud was entirely focused on his sisters. Plus, now that he thought about it, what would happen when Lincoln goes back tomorrow? Bobby did say it could be worse if Lincoln found out on his own, therefore possibly renouncing his friendship with Clyde because the Mcbride was lying to him the whole time. And who was to say one of his sisters wouldn't tell him? Granted, Lincoln may not believe them, but it could make him question whether his friends were really trying to keep him safe.

God forbid that Lincoln automatically assume his sisters had secretly tricked his friends into spying on him so they could snatch him up later, or-

"Clyde." Lincoln spoke again, snapping his fingers in front of the boy's glasses.

Clyde shook his head as he focused on Lincoln. "Huh?"

"You were spacing out. Soooo what were you saying?"

The McBride frowned, directing his gaze to the floor as guilt pooled in his chest. As his best friend, Lincoln deserved to know the truth; better him than anyone else, like Bobby said. "Lincoln, I have a confession to make..."

"About what?"

Clyde clasped his hands behind him. "...You know that strategy we use to keep you from seeing your sisters at school?"

Lincoln was growing more confused. "Yeah? What about it? It's worked out great so far."

"That's the thing: it wouldn't have worked so well if we...myself and our friends..." Clyde gulped as sweat started to form on his forehead. Taking a deep breath, "Itwouldn'thaveworkedifweweren'tintouchwithyoursisters!" Clyde finally let out on that one breath. He breathed in deep before biting his lips together, staring with small pupils at Lincoln as he awaited his response.

"Um..." Lincoln began, scratching his head. "Can you repeat that? I got lost after the first few words."

Clyde let out an exhausted sigh, his body slouching a little before he regained his composure. "In order to keep you from being scared, we had to figure out where your sisters go every day during school; and the only way we could do that, was to exchange phone numbers..."

Lincoln gave Clyde a neutral stare, with the latter waiting for the former to blow up at him. Instead, a tense silence filled the void, which was cut off occasionally by the sound of pots, pans and running water from the kitchen.

Becoming more unnerved by the lack of action, Clyde continued. "Now, before you get mad, it was Lynn and Ronnie Anne's idea. We hoped that, with everyone's location being known, your sisters could then avoid you while we made sure you didn't go to certain parts of the school."

"Ooooh." Lincoln replied, giving a sheepish smile that took Clyde by surprise. "I already figured that out. Heh heh..."

Clyde's eyes became as big as his lenses. "B-But...how?!"

The Loud lifted a finger as he turned to rinse his mouth out again. Lincoln gave a sigh as he turned the faucet off, feeling a bit more satisfied after cleaning his teeth a bit. "Sorry, I still had some of that stuff in my mouth." He cleared his throat. "After I woke up from my nap earlier, I had to use the bathroom for a sec. Then..."

Shaking his hands dry, Lincoln stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a bit refreshed from his nap as his head felt clearer. Down the hall towards the living room, the Loud heard Clyde's voice, as well as an older, masculine tone that he couldn't quite make out. Lifting a brow, Lincoln decided to sate his curiosity and investigate. At that exact moment though, he also heard a loud buzzing echoing from his friend's bedroom. Walking up to the doorway, the Loud saw a phone shaking on top of a nightstand; apparently its vibration setting was strong enough to make it shuffle along the wooden surface.

Lincoln looked back down the hall, then glanced at the phone, which vibrated once more. Giving a shrug, "I'll just hand him his phone."

Walking 10 steps, the 11 year old reached for the phone, only to stop just inches above the device once he caught the name of the person who sent the most recent message shown on the screen.

"What the...Lynn?..." Lincoln spoke in a whispered tone.

Looking back at the hall, he could still hear Clyde talking, and it didn't seem like his voice was drawing closer. Focusing on the phone once more, the white-haired Loud picked it up and opened the message app. To his surprise, the text originated from a group chat that had names he was very much familiar with. Thumbing to the top of the message group that had the current date listed, Lincoln slowly thumbed down, his eyes scanning each message as a sinking feeling developed in his chest.

So how'd the meeting go? - Liam

Well, Lincoln's pissed, so there's that... - Lynn

What happened? - Rusty

Spilled the beans on the protocol. At least he was willing to listen this time. - Lynn

Well, it was a dumb idea anyway. - R.A.

Lincoln bit his lip after he read that message. First, he didn't expect his best friend to be talking with his sisters (or working with them, he didn't know), but Ronnie Anne? The girl who quote-on-quote 'beat Lynn into the floor'? How long were they keeping this a secret?

Don't push it... - Lola

"Just how many of my sisters are in here?..." Lincoln muttered as he kept reading.

So, what's next? - Zach

Dunno. Guess we keep doing what we normally do and keep Lincoln from seeing us. - Lynn

"Seeing us?..." The Loud repeated. "Does that mean me?...Or them?..." He squinted his eyes a little as he kept reading.

Oh, and I also managed to get him to try and talk to Luan - Lynn

Still not looking forward to it :(... - Luan

Luan, we're going to have to face his wrath eventually. At least you have a chance to get it out the way first. - Lucy

And that's supposed to make me feel better? - Luan

...Maybe? - Lucy

Why are we texting each other when all of us are in the house? - Lana

Because it's rude not to, so there. - Lola

Lincoln shook his head. "That makes as much sense as Lori texting Bobby every few minutes..."

So does this mean he's losing his fear of y'all now? - Liam

Doubt it. He's coming to us one at a time, which is good, but we don't know how he'll act around more than one sister (minus Lily cause, you know) - Lynn

How long is this gonna keep up? It's been nearly a few months now. - Rusty

Dude, it's only been like, 3 weeks. - Zach

We can't just force Lincoln to feel better you know. If he's starting to talk to his sisters again, at least that's getting SOMEWHERE. I'd much rather see him as his old, dorky self than a guy whose afraid of being alone... - R.A.

Lincoln gave a sad look at the screen, recalling how often his friends had to spend more time with him than usual at school because of his fearful state. He lost interest in the current conversation, scrolling up to find out when the group chat first started. The top of the screen showed all the contacts listed in the group chat; in regards to his sisters, Lincoln was surprised that it only contained the ones that went to his school.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't expect Luna, Leni, or Lori to be there. And Lisa teaches at a college..."

He continued to scroll up, idly looking at the conversations from the past week. Finally, Lincoln reached the top of the page, seeing that the start date was only a couple days after he started school again. The Loud even found an argument that took place the same day he bumped into Luan after that school assembly.

"So this was going on for a while..." Lincoln spoke absentmindedly, only to jerk his head towards the hallway when he heard laughter. When the noise died down, and thankfully not hearing any footsteps, he turned his attention back to the phone.

Taking the time to read through several messages, Lincoln became more disheartened at how worried his friends were for his mental health, as well as his sisters asking about his wellbeing. "I guess Lynn was telling the truth..." He spoke solemnly, reflecting on the statements the sporty girl made before their session ended.

After a few more minutes of browsing through texts, Lincoln exited out of the message app and set the phone back on the nightstand. Honestly, he never expected to stumble upon a secret as big as this. Part of him felt betrayed that his friends would hide this from him, or at least going with the assumption that Lincoln would be ok with it. How long did they plan on keeping this a secret? Were they even going to tell him at all? Judging by the dates on Clyde's phone, Lincoln assumed the answer was never.

He could've probably expected Rusty or Zach to come up with something like this, but Clyde and Ronnie Anne were definitely the least likely people to work with his sisters; especially the latter. He found a conversation between Clyde and Ronnie Anne where she was going to get answers from his sisters, as well as implying she'd resort to her fists if they didn't give her what she wanted. Definitely sounded like something she'd do, and the former bully still had a missing tooth from that fight in the lunchroom.

Although...

Lincoln furrowed his brows as he remembered the date in which the group chat started; it was the same day Ronnie Anne told Clyde she was going after his sisters, albeit late at night. Something must've happened that made Ronnie Anne change her tune, and the Loud felt a little fidgety as he thought of the worst possible scenario. Did she try to confront his sisters, and they just beat her into the dirt? Was all of this being done because his sisters forced his friends to do their bidding?

Lincoln shook his head. No...that couldn't have been the case. Ronnie Anne looked just fine that morning, aside from a band-aid on her forehead. Picking the phone back up, Lincoln opened the group chat again and scrolled to the very top. The Loud hummed in thought as he saw his friends had the same assumption about Ronnie Anne being strong-armed into helping his sisters; he did snort a little at Ronnie Anne's threat to Rusty and Zach. What stood out to him though, was a short few lines that expressed their concern about losing Lincoln's trust should he discover the secret operation they were running.

However, Lincoln didn't have much time to dwell on that as a swift scroll up would reveal a picture that Lucy had posted. Lincoln raised a brow as he scanned it; it didn't look half bad, but it paled in comparison to the stuff he drew lately. He was still able to make it out though: his gothic sister drew a picture of her and himself, with her arms wrapped around his legs as if she was pleading to him about something. Unfortunately, the Lincoln in this picture looked apathetic, judging by the blank stare Lucy drew of him. It could've just been his sister's way of drawing, but it felt like...there was more to it than what he could see. In particular, he also noticed that the paper she drew on looked like it got a few water drops on it.

Lincoln's chest puffed out as he drew a deep breath, exhaling through his nose as he set Clyde's phone down the same way he found it. Looking back into the hall, it was still clear and the noise of whoever Clyde was talking to had died down a little. Lincoln walked back into his room, his mind abuzz with the info he found. He didn't try to sit down as he felt too much energy coursing through him, so he paced around with his hands behind his back. Part of him felt a little miffed about the fact his friends had kept this from him for so long, but he couldn't be angry at them for it. Everyone was aware of the risk they ran when forming this strategy, and it was apparent that Lincoln's social circle was hesitant to have anything to do with his sisters.

Lincoln bit his cheek. All of them were brave enough to put aside their differences just to keep Lincoln's fears at bay, and all Lincoln had to show for it was a constant worry that might not have been there. Well, not entirely; outside of Ronnie Anne, none of his friends were fighters. Even so, if they could work to find common ground for his sake, what was there to stop Lincoln from doing the same? After all the bodyguarding they've done for him, the Loud was starting to feel like he'd been more of a burden than anything; a perfect example was Ronnie Anne's comment about Lincoln being too scared to be by himself.

But...maybe he could change that. Lincoln furrowed his brows as he stopped pacing. After that last session with Lynn, he could comfortably say that he didn't fear his sisters as much as he used to; being angry at their stupidity helped. There was still a grave amount of mistrust though. As long as Lincoln knew the 10-headed beast, counting on the word of his sisters was very iffy. They usually wouldn't do anything unless they got something out of it; worst case being that they'd lie about helping.

That time they got banned from the store certainly came to mind...

Sometimes they didn't follow their own advice, which was questionable at best; just ask Lincoln about the time he first told them he had a bully that just so happened to be a girl. Sure, they were right about Ronnie Anne, but that didn't mean their advice was sound. Not to mention the numerous times they supposedly learned a lesson, but would later show that they forgot about it. Guess they forgot about the fact Lincoln would occasionally dress up as his favorite comic book hero.

"Wait..." Lincoln shook his head as be stopped his internal ranting. "Was getting carried away for a sec. Although..." He glanced at the ceiling. "I don't think Lily would do something like that on her own, and she has a habit of copying all of us. But, she is just a baby; plus she's the only one who didn't beat me up..." The middle child of the Louds stopped as one, unnerving situation came to mind. "And because she copies everyone..." His eyes widened. "What if they managed to brainwash Lily into thinking everything was my fault?!"

He curled his hands into fists as a glare took shape. "Well two can play at that game!" Lincoln pointed a finger in the air. "I can easily show Lily just how much of a good brother I really am." His finger curled down as a frown replaced his growing anger. "But I'd have to be at home...with everyone else..." Lincoln shivered slightly, "To do that..."

Putting a hand to his head, "I think I need to sit down for a sec..."

"And then I wound up thinking about my dream as I was deciding whether I should go back home or not." Lincoln smiled a bit. "Turns out drawing is a good way to help me think things through. With my dream being sketched out, and thinking over everything I read on your phone, I decided I should go back home right as you opened the door."

"So, you're not mad about us working with your sisters?" Clyde asked.

"Nah." Lincoln waved his hand dismissively. "I mean, I get it. You guys wanted to make sure I did ok while in school, and if you had a better option, then you would've taken it." Clyde started to smile, "Though..." He dropped it as he awaited the bad news. "I was upset that you guys hid this from me for so long. But then-"

"I figured..." Clyde interrupted, avoiding the chance to look Lincoln in the eye. "But we thought you might think we were setting you up to get caught by your sisters and that you'd never trust us again."

"That's what I was getting at Clyde. You guys risked our friendship just to keep me safe..." Lincoln gestured to himself before sulking his shoulders. "And all I did was act as a human-sized bag everyone had to drag around..."

Clyde raised a brow. "Lincoln, no one said you were-"

"I know, but I read the group chat you guys had recently." The Loud folded his arms. "You can't tell me you aren't at least tired of seeing me hiding and being scared..."

"..." Clyde didn't want to deny what Lincoln said, as he lied to him enough already; but he didn't want to admit the truth either as it might come off as an insult.

"That's why I need to go back home." The Loud placed a hand on Clyde's shoulder. "I can't thank you guys enough for what you did, and I can't have you guys fixing my problems all the time." He turned to the mirror, staring deep into his reflection. "I don't know what's gonna happen when I go back, and I still don't trust most of my sisters, even if Lynn was telling the truth..." He furrowed his brows a little. "But I want to face my fears with dignity." Lincoln glanced to the side. "Even though I might need a nightlight for a while..."

Clyde snorted a little. "I don't think you'll need one if you keep up that attitude." He frowned slightly. "Sorry about keeping all of this a secret..."

"Clyde, it's fine. I'm sorry for going through your phone without asking."

The nerdy kid raised a brow. "Guess we can call it even then?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I will if you do." Extending an open palm with a smile, "Still bros?"

Clyde returned the smile and clasped his hand with Lincoln's. "Still bros."

The two then hugged for a few seconds before letting go. "Besides, if I did get angry at you guys, I'd end up losing the only friends I have. And that's something I definitely don't want to happen." Lincoln stated as they started walking into the hallway.

"Aw come on." Clyde laughed a little as he lightly jabbed the Loud's arm. "You know we'd still have your back no matter what, right?"

"Mmmmmm..." Lincoln hummed wistfully.

Clyde started to frown. "Lincoln..."

"Heh heh, just pulling your leg." The white-haired boy spoke through chuckles.

"Hah. So, you wanna finish dinner or-" Clyde stopped upon hearing Lincoln's stomach gurgling. "Are you gonna puke again?"

"Actually, I feel really hungry right now." Lincoln patted his stomach before glancing at Clyde. "Think there's still some roast left?"

"I'm pretty sure there's plenty."

"Perfect!" Lincoln cheered before bolting to the kitchen.

"Wait!" Clyde yelled after him. "Make sure you leave room for dessert! My dads make sundaes tonight!"

Lincoln gave a slight yawn as he watched houses speed by the window of his seat in the McBride van, the last 10 hours being a blur to him. The Loud forgot the exact time he went to bed (he could only assume it was around 10:30), and even as he lied his head on the cold pillow that night, sleep didn't claim him for the next hour or so. It could've been the extra energy he got from eating that sundae so late; Mom and Dad usually cut off sweets before 9. Or, the fact settled in his brain that the middle child was just hours from facing his sisters in person.

Lincoln rubbed one of his eyes as he shook his head. Regardless of what it was, he was hating the fact it lowered the amount of hours he'd normally spend sleeping on a Sunday.

"So, are you excited to be heading home Lincoln?" Harold asked, taking a moment to look at the Loud through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I'm thrilled..." Came Lincoln's sarcastic remark.

"Ah, it shouldn't be that bad. If you're still worried about your sisters, I'm sure your parents already took extra precautions." The older man replied.

"Probably."

If Mr. McBride said anything after that, Lincoln didn't pay much attention. In spite of the bouts of courage he could muster, doubt was there to keep a lid on it. He sort of wished Clyde was here; unfortunately, Neppurrtiti somehow got into the vents (again), forcing the 11 year old and Howard to search the whole dang system and get her out.

As the van turned a corner, Lincoln caught sight of the street names, one of which said Franklin Ave. His breathing hitched a little, but otherwise remained even.

"Just keep it together Lincoln. Don't freak out, don't think about them..." The boy mentally coached himself, though he carefully took note of the address numbers for each house they passed.

"1208...getting close..." Lincoln noted, a shaky breath exiting through his nose.

Only a few seconds later, as the van started to slow, Lincoln caught site of Mr. Grouse's abode, with the proprietor attending to his garden like usual. The 11 year old noticed there were a few plants he hadn't seen before; or was he just assuming? It's been two months, so it was a toss up to him.

One slight glance to the left though, and Lincoln spotted his real home in all its glory. He shook a little as his eyes darted to each of the windows, hoping none of his siblings were peeking through the curtains. Looking up towards the circular window that symbolized his room, Lincoln was a little satisfied once it appeared no one was hiding in there. Once he took his focus off the windows, did Lincoln finally notice the changes to the outside. For one, Vanzilla wasn't in the driveway, and that didn't sit well with him since there were multiple drivers in the family. Did one of his parents take it? Or both? Or did Lori take their sisters some place?

On that note, as Lincoln scanned the yard, he noticed the toys that usually littered the area (as well as the roof and whatever happened to get stuck in the tree) were missing. "Looks like someone finally cleaned it all up." He muttered to himself.

"Welp, here we are." Harold stated as he parked the van by the curb.

"Thanks Mr. McBride. Really..." Lincoln replied as he opened the door. He hefted his backpack on before pulling out a medium sized suitcase that contained all of the things his parents brought to him over the weeks.

Harold was about to respond back when his phone started to ring. He picked it up and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Um, dad?" Clyde answered on the line. "Can you come home real quick? Dad is stuck in the vents and Nepurrtiti is being feisty..." A manly scream rang through the phone's speaker, followed by a loud cat hiss.

"Oh dear!" Harold brought a hand to his cheek in fear. "I'll be there in a jiffy!" Setting the phone down on the center console, "Sorry Lincoln, but I gotta go."

Lincoln closed the door before stepping back a few feet. The tires of the van squealed before Lincoln watched Harold make a quick U-turn in the middle of the street. "Hope things go well at home!" The African American called out before the van disappeared around the corner.

The Loud redirected his attention back to the old house, not budging an inch as he stared at the windows again. Lincoln bit his lip as he felt his legs locking up, gripping a strap on his backpack firmly as he looked around the yard.

"Hey Loud!" Lincoln flinched before looking towards Mr. Grouse. "Ya gonna stand there all day or are you gonna head inside?!"

Lincoln's left eye twitched as a rush of heat erupted from his chest. He didn't know why he felt angry; perhaps it was because he wanted to be as quiet as possible, but having Mr. McBride take off and now Mr. Grouse yelling was giving away the fact he was right at the front door.

Before he could stop himself, "Can you just mind your own business?!"

The old man gave a shrug before returning to his petunias. Lincoln looked at the house again, drawing in a deep breath. "Ok, just gotta walk up to the front door and..." He bit his cheek. "I just hope Mom and Dad are still home..."

The 11 year old picked up his suitcase, "Ok...let's do this..." Taking a deep breath, Lincoln marched with determination towards the house.

However, the boy felt his anxiety creeping up again as he drew closer to the front porch. This became very apparent as Lincoln shivered a little upon climbing the front steps. Looking towards the windows, the curtains had remained still. Taking another step towards the front door, Lincoln curled his fingers and raised his hand towards the door. At that moment though, he finally took notice of the door bell. Looking between the frame and the small device (and with his cover possibly being blown anyways), Lincoln figured using the door bell couldn't make anything worse. Although, there was this unsettled feeling that he was forgetting something as Lincoln pressed the button.

The realization came as a shock, literally. Lincoln yelped as an electric current ran through his finger and his body, forcing him to quickly remove it from the button and stick his finger in his mouth as the bell chimed throughout the house. No sooner did the bell sound that Lincoln heard the sound of barking coming from somewhere to the door's right. The middle child then heard heavy footsteps approaching the door, making his blood chill a bit as he didn't know who it was.

"Is that Mom? Or Dad?...Or one of my older sisters? I know my younger ones don't make heavy sounds like that..." Lincoln thought to himself as the steps drew closer. "I'm really starting to not like who's who..." Was his final thought as the steps stopped on the other side of the door. The boy tried to steel his nerves, but he was unprepared as it swung open before he was fully ready.

"Hey sport!" Lynn Sr. greeted with a smile, leaning down to hug his son.

Lincoln felt the chill in his blood warm as his father embraced him, which he returned after a few seconds. "H-Hey dad."

The barking became louder as the source approached the two, and right as Lynn Sr. let go of his son, Lincoln felt something attempting to climb his pants leg. Looking down, a smile overtook the boys face as he saw Charles barking happily while hopping around on the spot, the pup wagging his tail excessively to show his excitement.

"Heeey buddy." Lincoln spoke as he knelt down and petted the little Pitbull Terrier. The pup barked happily as he leaned into Lincoln's hands, then jumped onto his knees and started haphazardly licking his face. "Aww I missed you too!" Lincoln laughed as he continued stroking the dog's fur.

The patriarch couldn't help but smile at the scene, only to eye the suitcase sitting in between the doorway. Feeling that Lincoln would take a moment to get reacquainted with the house, Lynn Sr. ruffled his son's hair for a moment before grabbing the medium sized bag and started walking up the stairs with it. Lincoln could always unpack his stuff later.

A high-pitched, infantile noise cut through the air to Lincoln's left, making him lift Charles away from his face to get a better look. Just behind the couch, the middle child saw his littlest sister waddle out from behind the furniture, a toy airplane in hand as she made cute little sounds as she pretended it was flying. Naturally, Lily was still dressed in her diaper; surprisingly, she had a small purple shirt on with a yellow flower on the center.

"Lily?" Lincoln called out, grabbing the 1 year old's attention.

As soon as Lily focused on her brother, she dropped the toy while letting out a happy squeal. "Lincoln!" She cried out, bolting towards her brother as best she could. "Lincoln! Lincoln! Lincoln!"

The middle child was completely taken by surprise that Lily spoke his name so clearly, even more so when she didn't trip over herself as she ran with her arms stretched out towards him. Seconds later, Lincoln found himself being knocked off balance when the infant pushed against his stomach. Falling onto his back, Lincoln felt some weight on his stomach before his vision was filled by Lily's cheerful smile and Charles' happy, panting face. The 11 year old smiled in return, his anxiety and fears being pushed into the furthest reaches of his mind. Seeing how happy his littlest sister was, and how much he had been missed, Lincoln felt that he could worry about his other sisters later.

"Guess coming back wasn't such a bad idea." Lincoln spoke, more so to himself, as Lily wrapped her arms around his neck in a soft hug. He returned the affection by lightly kissing the top of her head.

A/N: He's finally done it. Lincoln has crossed one major stop-gap in his problems and finally returned back to where he truly belongs. But, that doesn't mean his troubles are over; his other sisters' whereabouts are still unknown, and they could return at any moment without warning. At the same time, the girls may be hesitant to return home knowing whose waiting for them. It'll be up to the parents to make sure this transition goes smoothly, but even they may not be certain as to how to start.