16. Rebuilding

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope it was a great one. It's your lucky day since I got a 10k word chapter for you guys making QT Quarrel have over 100k words. Enough about that.

Thank you to those who voted. The winner of the first round of the poll is GIRL JORDAN!

It was neck and neck between her and Haiku. I would've written a lemon for both if the tie didn't break. I didn't expect Karate QT to get third place. She must be more popular than I thought.

I'll remove Girl Jordan from the poll. Also, Margo, because that was an error on my part. Sorry, Margo fans, you'll have to wait another time.

Now for the reviews.

NiteOwl18: His aura will change but not yet. Also, what nicknames would you give him?

Zarc4d: Soon, my good reader, soon.

TLHfanficReader21: Hopefully, this length is better. Don't worry; I have plans for Lincoln hanging out with those girls.

Dogspirit1: Yes, that's your imagination running wild, but that's the fun of it. The Loud House universe can have a better economy than ours

Mr. Haziq: We would've done a similar thing. Perhaps.

RisingSolstice: The anime-ish stuff is for dramatic effect. It helps make the scenes pop.

Guest: A chancla is a slipper. Stella is a tall girl making her an easy target. Bullying is a severe issue in Asia. It's worse than the US. I'll have Ronnie and Stella meet face to face in a future chapter.

DaleJr.88: I was planning to age up the characters from the start. It makes things more comfortable. That's what writing does to you. You'll research random topics to be accurate in the setting.

It's like talking to a brick wall sometimes. More like a three-way competition if you count Lynn Sr. Ronnie Anne moving away was tough for them both since they were best friends. Also, yes, Lincoln will see himself in a different light. We don't know anything about Stella's past, so that anything can go. Hey, they're still kids and girls at the end of the day. Kids are kinder than adults most of the time.

The most common reaction would be 'What the hell & Why?'. He would still have to talk and be around them since they're his classmates, but I see him limiting his interactions between them. Ronnie Anne wasn't introduced yet, but this was after 'Heavy Meddle,' so they're on okay terms.

I believe that Lincoln would consider Ronnie Anne a positive neutral at that point of the story.

Guest(2): Both yes and no. It'll be in the same universe but an alternate plotline.

"What a bunch of nutter butters," Cookie scoffed as the group of girls went down the hallway. Mind games, really?! "Were those custard for brains being serious."

"I know right," Mollie agreed. Her eyes rested on Stella. "Where did they get the idea of 'blowing you out of the water'"

"You didn't watch Dreamboat last night," Girl Jordan asked. Mollie shook her head. "By the way, Kelly picked-" Mollie roughly shushed while covering her ears.

"I didn't watch that episode last night," Mollie replied swiftly. "So shut up," She demanded of her friend. "Don't worry about them, Stella."

"Yeah, you can hang out with us" Jenny smiled at the tall girl.

"No mind games with us, okay," Mollie replied before Girl Jordan smacked upside her head. "Ow! I was joking, okay." She yelled, rubbing the back of her head. Stella offered a small smile but didn't say anything.

"Minds games, am I right?" A twisted voice replied in her mind. Stella ignored it, not giving her the satisfaction. "Don't try to deny it" The voice manifested as a shadow image of herself, with the only difference being the empty black voids she calls eyes. This 'Shadow' Stella walked beside her, only visible to the original. "You loved the attention, didn't you?" She mocked with a cruel smile. Stella tightly gripped her bag straps. "Four boys were fighting over you. That must be a record." She feigned a thinking pose. "All except Lincoln Loud obviously" She struck a nerve as Stella's face tightened. "I bet he's like the other boys at your old school" She stepped in front of Stella, who walked straight through her along with the other girls. That's one benefit of being a figment of someone's imagination."I mean, why would he?" She whispered into her ears, enjoying Stella's torment. "A giant freak like you who ruined his friendships."

"Stella, wait up," Lincoln yelled, running towards her. He stopped in front of the girls. "Hey, I'm sorry for what happened " He started his apology. Stella raised a brow in bewilderment. Why was he apologizing? He didn't do anything.

"No, I should've been more clearer with my intentions" Stella shook her head as she responded. "I didn't expect all of these to happen," She said with a hint of guilt.

"I should at least apologize for what my friends did this morning," Lincoln replied as they resumed their walk. "This was weird even for them," Stella gave him a quick yet tight hug. Lincoln's eyes widened with his arms slack at his sides. He didn't plan for this.

"Thank you, Lincoln," Stella replied with gratitude wrapping arms around him. "You really are an awesome guy" Her comment and smile made his cheeks a lovely shade of pink.

"Save the hugs and kisses for later, will ya" Mollie taunted, causing them to separate. "So Loud, what's your secret" Lincoln tilted his head. Secret?

"Why didn't your brain turn into Greek yogurt when you were around Stella?" Cookie clarified.

"Because the last time I thought a girl liked me without sufficient evidence," Lincoln remarked, pointing to his eye. "I got a black eye," Stella gasped. A black eye? That must be before she moved here.

"She sounds rude," Stella commented. Why would she do that to a guy like him?

"In her defense, that was on me" Lincoln continued walking past Norm, who tipped his hat towards the students. "Ronnie and I are best friends now" He shrugged at their previous interactions. Stella mentally winced at her last statement. "It wasn't ideal, but it worked"

"Especially after that huge kiss you gave each other at Jean-Juan's," Mollie revealed out loud. Lincoln facepalmed with a blush. Man, how many has he done that today?

"So, is she like your girlfriend or something?" Stella probed, ignoring her intrusive thoughts; however, it would explain why he might not be interested in her romantically. Getting a black eye would cause some issues.

"No," Lincoln firmly stated. He got that enough from his sisters, especially from Lori. Well, she has been reconsidering the double Loud-Santiago romance focusing on her and Bobby. "According to Sixteen and a half magazine. Me and Ronnie Anne are upper level best friends" Oh god, it's one of those super weird magazines that have little basis in reality.

"Elaborate, please," Girl Jordan asked. They don't read those magazines. Too contradictory.

"Okay, we're standard level friends," Lincoln gestured to the girls. "Platonic" His gaze landed on Jenny and Cookie for a moment longer. "The guys and I were best friends but most likely bumped down to acquaintances for what they did today." Stella rubbed her arms for that previous engagement. Lincoln held his hand up to calm her nerves. There are no hard feelings. "Since Ronnie Anne is a girl. It's more complicated with a new set of rules."

"We can see that" Cookie rolled her eyes. "You kissed her twice, Lincoln. And one of them was on the mouth, in public. At a fancy restaurant," Lincoln's face heated up. He coughed into his hand.

"That may be true, but it was for our mutual benefit," Lincoln stuttered a bit, looking off to the side. Some posters with past events such as the Sadie Hawkins dance and yearbook photos. They should get rid of those.

"What was the benefit of you two kissing again?" Jenny asked. It seemed like a massive jump

"Lori," Lincoln bluntly answered. "Also to get some people off my case."

"Ahhhhhhhhhh," The girls expect, Stella replied. That would explain a lot.

"Furthermore, it wasn't a kiss. It was a um" Lincoln scratched his brain. What was it called again? "A fake out-make out."

"A fake out-make out," Cookie repeated. Seriously Lincoln? It had make-out in the name.

"That's what the magazine said," Lincoln defended himself. "Back to my point. Due to our previous interactions. We're around upper level best friends. The next level was friends with benefits."

"What's that?" Stella queried. It was a strange agreement. What were the benefits?

"My older sisters said that they would fully explain it when I'm in high school," Lincoln replied. "Or when puberty fully kicks in. Whatever comes first," It's one of those 'I'll tell you when you're older' conversations. "Luna told me a PG version where you do couple like things with someone without officially being a couple, but it must be a mutual agreement."

"That's weird," Stella remarked. Wouldn't it be simpler to be a couple? Well, yes, but actually no.

"That's why it's friends with benefits," Lincoln responded. "Okay, so hypothetically" He lightly glared at Mollie, who whistled. "I could've done what I did with Ronnie Anne with one of you girls, and it wouldn't be a huge deal" Mollie slammed her hand into a wall blocking Lincoln's path. He squeaked in shock. She leaned in closer to him with half-lidded eyes and a flirty smirk. His eyes widened to dinner plates.

"Oh really, now," Mollie purred using her height advantage. Lincoln deeply gulped with his face, blazing pink. Lincoln didn't plan for this. He always thought that he had a plan for most situations, but this wasn't one of them. Seriously, how do you prepare for when one of your female friends decides to flirt with you aggressively? She used her opposite leg to block his escape route. "How about you put your money where your mouth is?" Mollie taunted while applying her cherry lip balm and smacked her lips when finished. God, he's so adorable like this. She's having so much fun with this despite her rapidly thumping heart. Maybe some parts of her dream can come true.

"I um well I uh," Lincoln stammered, staring at her lips as sweat dripped from his neck, feeling her breath on his face. He definitely didn't plan for this. Lincoln felt strange. It wasn't a bad feeling, yet something entirely new. Was the thing that Bobby said he would know when he's older? The girls were startled by Mollie's boldness as she had him against the wall. She's a top and the big spoon. The sound of shattering glass diverted their attention. Something crashed through a window and jetted through the air impacting Lincoln's cheek as it sent him to the tile floor.

"OW!" He groaned, rubbing his sore face. What the hell just hit him? Lincoln surveyed his surroundings for the attacker. A chancla? His face turned pale. Oh no, it's a chancla! The lethal weapon levitated with a haunting aura. It glared at the white-haired child before delivering a relentless flurry of smacks to his face. Lincoln tried to defend himself, but it was too swift for him to catch as it continued its assault. The girls didn't know what to do. How would you react seeing your friend being battered by a shoe? And the shoe was winning! The chancla completed its mission and flew through another window, leaving shards of broken glass on the floor.

"What the fructose corn syrup was that?!" Cookie shouted. What did they just witness? Lincoln slowly got up, groaning in pain with slipper prints all over his face. Norm came with a broken glass warning sign and a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess.

"Lincoln, are you okay?" Stella asked, helping him get up.

"Stella. I got beat up by a slipper!" Lincoln replied while dusting himself off. "A slipper! I swear to god if Luan hears about this and makes a joke on how I was caught slipping or that I slipped up," He glared while they exited the building walking down the steps. "I'm breaking her foot again" He hopes that the shoe was moderately clean.

"You broke your sister's foot," Girl Jordan accused. She didn't know that he would be that brutal. Living in a huge family can be rough, but damn, bro, why do you have to do your sister like that. Not in that way.

"She kept stealing my food that I was saving for later," Lincoln countered. Okay, that's semi-understandable.

"Could've you just asked her not to do it?" Stella naively asked. Lincoln and the girls blankly stared at her. Her eyes bounced between them, feeling their stares. "What?" It was a simple suggestion.

"It's ten to one," Lincoln answered. He's outnumbered on any decision. Lincoln had to play dirty to defend one of the few things he had access to. "My sisters are stubborn. She had to learn in some way."

"Still, you broke her foot through," Girl Jordan brought up, getting close to the library. "That's still a bit much" She shot a look at Cookie, who looked away. That's a lovely tree over there. Nice and sturdy. Don't act all innocent now. You're guilty of that too, Cookie.

"She's been pulling pranks on us for years," Lincoln added as they marched up the stairs. "Besides, Luan made one crucial mistake." He opened the door, allowing them to enter first.

"Which is," Mollie probed with her lips glistening under the overhead lights as they walked past other occupants. They formed a line to sign into the library.

"She underestimated me."

Lisa was casually strolling through the bookshelves looking for any pieces of literature that would catch her eye. Also, she's avoiding the librarian for her severely overdue library books. Her hands glided on the edges of the shelves. She made a faint sound of disgust. Lisa's fingers were coated with a layer of dust and human hair particles. They should sanitize this section more often.

"Maybe I can find some material in the 'Free to take and free to leave' section," Lisa whispered to herself. Hey, it's free. She can find something either cool or bizarre. Probably both. It took her some time to find it. The free section was in a relatively isolated part of the building near the back. Several people were coming in and out with miscellaneous items in hand. She believes it was for privacy reasons. Some people would leave explicit material, needed to get rid of something quickly without judgment, or wanted to find something with personal meaning to them. There were multiple labeled sections for video games, DVDs, CDs, and books. Lisa browsed through the book section. Outdated textbooks. Nah. Magazines. Ew, that's gross. Comics. That's more Lincoln's style. Her foot bumped into a fallen book. She picked it up and dusted it off. "Do people have no respect for these great sources of knowledge" Lisa scoffed. She examined it, judging by the book's structure. It was a Japanese styled comic or, in other words, Manga. Lisa looked over it. Doctor Stone? The manga looked interesting enough besides it was in reasonably good condition despite her shoe dented some of the pages."It should be a good read to pass the time" She opened the book and filled through the pages. It was good. It was excellent. She started to sweat. Why was this so good? They were using real science. Lisa wanted more. She stepped back to gain a better viewpoint. There were more on the shelf above, but she can't reach them. Curse her short stature. She required assistance.

"This is good, Stella" She heard Lincoln's voice. Lisa searched for a brief moment. He was with Stella looking over a diagram sitting at a table near a window.

"Yeah, it should be 20% more effective, but" Stella paused for a moment. "We need to change it because of what happened" He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder with his signature grin. Lisa made a step forward, yet she hesitated. She should let him be allowing him to be alone with Stella. She and their sister's meddling had caused adverse results in his faith in them. Lisa backed away, deciding to get someone else to get them for her. She hit her foot on the edge of a bookcase, dropping the manga. "What was that" Lincoln went and checked it out. He found Lisa hopping on one foot while holding the other. "Oh, hey, Lisa."

"Greeting my older male sibling," Lisa replied, still on a single foot. She looked up. "And you must be Stella."

"Yes, and you're Lisa. Lincoln told me about you," Stella introduced.

"Pray tell what has he told you about me," Lisa replied, putting both feet on the ground. Lincoln picked up the manga.

"He said that you were an absolute genius," Stella recalled their earlier conversation at Burping Burger.

"His assumptions are correct," Lisa said with a hint of pride. "Also, I require your assistance."

"With this" Lincoln asked as he held up the Doctor Stone.

"Affirmative," Lisa responded. She grabbed Lincoln's hand and escorted him to her desired location. Stella followed them. "Due to my short stature. I'm unable to reach them."

"Wait, you want to read manga" Lincoln's eyes sparkled with joy. Is it happening?

"Yes, please," Lisa replied with a blush. Lincoln picked her up and gave her a massive hug. Stella had to keep her voice down to avoid squealing at this adorable scene.

"Welcome to the dark side Lisa," Lincoln said, continuing to hug his younger sister. Lisa didn't say anything as she was enjoying his warm embrace.

"Hey, that's my thing," Lucy dully whispered from out of nowhere, startling the three. Stella jumped onto Lincoln's back. He struggled to keep his balance on the unexpected weight. The head librarian harshly shushed them. They each whispered an apology. Lucy appeared from the shadows. "As I was saying. Embracing the dark side is my gimmick."

"I'm not wearing all black," Lisa ordered with her arms around Lincoln's neck with Stella having her hands on his shoulders. He's using his hands to keep hold of her legs.

"Well, you could," Lucy smiled. Lincoln went goth once. One more can be added to the list.

"Well, I won't," Lisa demanded. "Can one of you get them for me please" Stella grabbed a handful of those books and passed them to Lucy. "Thank you for your assistance Stella" A subtle buzzing appeared. Stella reached into her skirt pocket and checked her phone still on Lincoln's back. It was a text message from her grandmother.

"My grandma is outside," Stella replied, finally getting off his back.

"We should go too," Lincoln said with Lisa on his shoulders, who had a tiny smile on her face while Lucy had a pout. "Lori probably isn't too far either" They retrieved and packed their school bags exiting the building. Lisa had her pile of manga in her arms, ready to take the plunge into this world. The children waited outside for a while when a car pulled up and honked its horn. Stella's grandmother placed her head out the window.

"Stells, stop flirting and get in here," Elder Zhau shouted from the vehicle. Lincoln and Stella's face heated up.

"I'll see you tomorrow Lincoln" Stella told before walking off to her grandmother.

"See you later, Stella," Lincoln replied, watching the vehicle drive off. "Let's head back to school before Lori rips our ears off" Lisa and Lucy each grabbed one of Lincoln's hands as they walked down the street.

"I want to piggyback ride too, by the way," Lucy brought up. Of course, you would like one too.

"Yuan for your thoughts," The elder asked, observing her granddaughter's somber mood."Did something happen at school today?" Stella nodded, making a left turn. "Alright, so spill it," Stella recanted today's events while they waited in traffic. "Ah, so you got boy troubles."

"Yeah," Stella whispered as they resumed driving."I just…" She paused for a brief moment. "Don't know."

"Well, don't hurt your head about it," Elder Zhau comforted. "Boys fighting over girls is literally as old as dirt, which is older than me" That got a laugh out of Stella. She shot a teasing glance at Stella. "You know this wasn't too different from how your grandfather and I met" There weren't a lot of females back in your old hometown, making it a first-come, first-serve situation. The other boys tried to fight and sabotage each other while her husband approached her like a human being. He was a nervous wreck, but she gave him points for trying.

"GRANDMA!" Stella shouted as she blushed furiously. Her grandmother let out a hardy laugh.

"I'm just pulling your leg mostly," She said slyly. "Hey, let's get something before we head home."

"Aren't we still on that health kick?" Stella replied cautiously.

"Those are your mother's rules. Not my rules," Elder Zhau pulled up through the drive-thru. "Also, your dad wants to sneak him a burger too," She whispered.

"With a toy," Stella asked.

"With a toy," Elder Zhau answered. "Plus, there's an extra-large order of curly fries with your name on it."

"Deal," Stella complied, sealing it with a fist bump.

"You called us Cookie," Caroline spoke up. "You said that it was urgent" They all sat at a round table.

"Yeah, it's about Stella," Cookie replied with Jenny by her side. "She's been here only a few days and already leagues ahead of us."

"Well, we can always get rid of her," Evelynn smiled unsettlingly, holding a roll of duct tape.

"Why do you have that again?" Serena brought up. They already went through this with Cristina.

"My dad's a handyman," Evelynn answered, putting the tape down.

"And you have this now because," Jenny probed.

"I have this because of reasons," Evelynn countered as her eyes bounced around. "You'll never know when you might need it."

"Okay, moving on from that," Cookie said. "Jenny and I were talking about what happened in the gym today."

"You mean how Lincoln's friends fought over Stella?" Alexandria asked. The two girls nodded.

"And that Lincoln showed that he's an alpha," Serena continued. "When he's ready, of course."

"So we decided on a proposition," Cookie weighed in. "That we should" She paused for a moment.

"That we should disband the QTs," Jenny finished in her stead. The other girls gasped at this suggestion.

"Disband?" Alexandria commented.

"Does this mean we'll stop being friends?" Caroline asked with watery eyes.

"Of course, we're still friends," Cookie comforted. "We just won't be this" They fell silent a few moments. "I like you guys, and I see why Lincoln likes being around Stella."

"What is she? Best girl of a show or something?" Serena answered. Cookie and Jenny shrugged.

"Plus, I don't want us to fight each other over a guy that'll either pick one us or none" Cookie mentioned that reality. "We don't want to be the group of girls in 95% of teenage dramas." She's right; they're in elementary school. They shouldn't worry about relationships yet. "In this way, we can purse Lincoln on our own accord or someone else because someone had their turn."

"I took my shot, and he said yes" Jenny shrugged with a blush. She cleared her throat. "All in favor," She and Cookie raised their hands.

"At least we'll still be friends after this" Caroline raised hers. The rest soon followed.

"Yeah, I don't want to fight you, girls," Alexandria smiled. "You girls are pretty cool" They shared a group hug. The girls chatted for a bit until they left one by one as their rides arrived. "Hey Serena," She called, stopping Panda QT. "I just got my yellow belt over the weekend" Alexandria grinned. "And I want to test it out. You up for it?"

"Oh, you are so on" Serena smiled as she moved her arms in a smooth motion.

Lincoln was watching some t.v with Lisa leaning comfortably into his side, getting invested in the world of anime and manga. Leni entered the living room with a vanilla milkshake in hand with her phone in the other. She took a seat on the other side of Lincoln, playing with his hair as she scrolled through her phone. Leni took a sip from her milkshake. "You can't look up and stick out your tongue at the same time?" She rested her drink down the table and attempted to see if she could do it. "Linky, am I doing it right" Lincoln turned his head, and his heart stopped for a brief moment. There are many things a person isn't supposed to know or see. A younger brother cannot see his older sister making what is known to be an ahegao face. It doesn't help that Leni is the 'pretty' sister, and the milkshake residue coating her tongue makes it even worse. She looked up at him with her innocent eyes. "Linky"

"I suggest you don't do that second eldest sibling," Lisa answered in his stead as she continued to read. "Your face will freeze like that and that you're drooling on the couch" Leni covered her mouth, noticing a few spots on the cushion, and ran to get some tissues. Lisa pressed a few buttons on her watch. A sizable white cartoonish emerged, giving Lincoln a sharp slap.

"Thanks, Lisa" Lincoln rubbed his cheek. Lisa gave him a thumbs up. Perhaps she can do some DIY experiments. It should test her scientific mind. If Senku can do it, then she can do it too. Plus, it should get the parental units of her case about dangerous experiments. Lincoln's neck hairs stood up slightly, feeling a dark presence. "Oh, hey, Lucy."

"Hello, dear brother," Lucy replied, holding up a deck of tarot cards. "I want to check your fortune" Lincoln scratched his head. He remembers how well that went the last time. "Sigh, it's time to use my secret weapon" Lucy slightly parted her hair, revealing one eye. "Please onii-san" Good god. It's the infamous puppy dog eye look.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'll do it," Lincoln surrendered to the immense cuteness.

Lucy smirked. "Works every time" She gestured to him towards the dining room table and the opposite side of her. Lucy put on her oracle hat, then shuffled the deck and laid ten cards face in the shape of a cross on the table. "Today, my dear brother will see what the universe and spirits have in store for you" She flipped over the first card. "The present is the five of wands. It means conflict, disagreements, competition, and tension." Lincoln looked down at the table. Lucy laid a comforting hand on top of his hand. "Did something happened today?"

"Yes," Lincoln answered somberly. "The guys fought each other to see who could 'blow Stella out of the water'" Lucy didn't press any further. That must have deeply affected him. A band of brothers divided over romantic pursuits. She turned over another card.

"The challenge is the seven of cups. Opportunities, choices, wishful thinking, and illusion," Lucy explained. "You struggle on what to do about this situation."

"Of course," Lincoln nodded. "I didn't plan for this" Another card was revealed.

"The Two of cups is the past. What occurred allowed for this to happen," Lucy probed carefully. "It symbolizes unified love, partnership, and mutual attraction."

"It was the new girl thing I was talking about," Lincoln began. Lucy leaned forward with a smile. He knew that look. "No. Stella and I are just friends. I won't deny her attractiveness."

"Okay, whatever you say, big brother," Lucy kept her smile. He groaned a moment.

"Stella wanted to hang out with us, but they thought she was taking them on dates," Lincoln resumed. "It got bad at dodgeball today" He frowned. "I had to put a stop to it, but it didn't work," He finished with a tinge of remorse. Lincoln was never a violent person preferring negotiation and diplomacy. It pained him to use violence. Lucy didn't say a word as she continued. A stylized skeleton carrying a scythe riding a pale horse revealed itself to him. Lincoln's eyes expanded as his skin matched the horse.

"No, you're not going to die, Lincoln. Relax," Lucy spoke, calming his nerves. She tapped on the card. "Death means endings, change, transformation, and transition," Lucy explained. "You're going to change in the next few weeks or months whether you want to or not."

"Changes are already happening," Lincoln replied. "I don't like it."

"It's all a part of life, big brother," Lucy responded. "Think about it as character development" Huh, he never thought of it like that. "Your next card is the Sun symbolizing positivity, fun, warmth, success, and vitality. This is what your consciously working towards to meet your goal."

"I want everyone to be friends again," Lincoln answered truthfully. "I know it won't be like how we used to be" He paused as Lucy had a sympathetic look in her eyes. "But I still have to try."

"The Emperor. Authority, establishment, structure, and a father figure. Also, respect and strategic planning." Lucy remarked. Lincoln tilted his head. That's a strange card for him to receive. Leni got the paper towels and cleaned up the mess on the couch. "Your moniker is the 'Man with the plan' and that you're the leader of your respective group."

"The father figure thing is a bit weird, though," Lincoln acknowledged. He's eleven and quite sure that he doesn't have any kids. 'Micheal' unleashed a heavy sneeze in an undisclosed location.

"The below is for subconscious and unlying feelings" Lucy gestured towards the card. "Plus, you had a heavy hand in raising some of us" She revealed the seventh card. "The advice you seek is from the King of Pentacles. Wealth, business, leadership, security, discipline, and abundance" Luna and Luan returned from their after school activities. "Also a wise and practical figure" Wise and practical. Maybe Lincoln should ask Pop-Pop for advice.

"Wait a minute, I don't have a business," Lincoln added. The girl guru didn't work as well as he thought. Good thing he had all of those extra pies.

"Your adaptation of Ace Savvy is gaining recognition," Lucy said, providing an insight. "You'll be rewarded handsomely for your efforts" She frowned for the next card. A gallant knight charging into battle on a pegasus. "External influences is the Knight of Swords in the reverse position."

"That's not good, is it?" Lincoln commented. Lucy shook her head.

"No, it's not," She remarked. "Restless, unfocused, impulsive, and burn-out. Also malice and a cruel person. A bully, coward, criminal, someone with an inferiority complex " Lucy clasped her hands together. "These things are completely out of your control. The seeds have been planted" Lincoln let out a deep sigh. "Diplomacy isn't an option. You must resolve it with physical violence" He placed a hand on top of his head, holding himself up with his elbow. Does it have to come to fists? "I'm sorry, brother."

"It's not your fault Lucy" Lincoln responded. "What's the next one."

"Hopes and fears are the most difficult to interpret," Lucy continued. "I must draw another card for clarity" Two cards are now in front of him. "Your fear is the Tower symbolizing sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, and awakening. Your hope is the Star for hope, faith, purpose, renewal, and spirituality" She gave him a bright smile. "You'll go through many trials and challenges, but it'll be worth it" Lucy soon regained her composure."For your final card is the World," Lincoln checked his watch to make sure time is still flowing. " Completion, integration, accomplishment, and travel." Lucy spread her arms out. "You'll do a bit of traveling, either soul searching or actual traveling, but you'll feel complete after that. Ready to face whatever the world has in store for you." She gave him a light smile. "Thank you for letting me do this."

"Anytime, Lucy," Lincoln smiled back as they hugged each other. He rechecked his watch. Ronnie Anne should be online soon. "I'm going to my room for a while" The siblings went their separate ways—Lucy watched some tv, and Lincoln to his room.

Ronnie Anne was too relaxing in her room. Her senses tingled, and she opened her window, allowing the chancla to fly through and landed on the ground safely. A knock was here on her door. Rosa allowed her head to enter. "Ronalda, have you seen my-oh there it is" She picked up her slipper. "Also, Nikki is downstairs for you. You better hurry up. Her parents are arguing again," Rosa groaned. "You would think they would put a muzzle on that woman."

Ronnie Anne winced. "Thanks, Abuela" She walked downstairs as the arguing grew louder as she got closer and opened the doors. Nikki was standing beside her father. A bright blond man with a slim build and a small beard in a pale blue shirt and jeans wearing brown heavy-duty boots. On the other side of him was another woman. Ronnie Anne had to admit that the woman was gorgeous. She was in her late thirties to her early forties with her fiery red hair arranged in a tight and proper bun. The woman had to be a manager or someone important because that dark blue business outfit fits her curves just right. The three were glaring and frowning at Nikki's mother. She was not a pleasant person to be around with what she heard from Nikki. Nikki called her a screaming banshee mixed with a beached whale as she's making the most noise right now. Other residents are peaking outside their windows to see the commotion.

"Excuse me but you folks can either buy something or leave," Hector asked as he exited the Bodega. Nikki's mother turned her nose at him, went to the truck, and sat in the backseat like a stubborn child.

"Thank you, Mr. Casagrande," Nikki smiled, glad that it was over, at least for now.

"Don't worry about it, Nikki" Hector waved it off. "How you two get something so you can get away from her for a bit," He whispered to her father and his female companion. They agreed to it.

"Come on, Nikki, let's get started on our project," Ronnie Anne spoke, leading Nikki to the apartment. "What got your mom's undies in a knotted twist this time?" She opened her room door. Nikki blew a tuft of hair.

"She wanted me to do the project all by myself because 'you' people can't be trusted," Nikki air quoted with a groan. Ronnie Anne patted Nikki's arm in support when Ronnie's phone rang. It's a video call from Lincoln. She quickly straightened her hair and cleared her throat before accepting the call.

"Sup Lame-o," Ronnie Anne smiled.

"Hey, Ronnie Anne, sorry for the video call," Lincoln replied. "My finger slipped. Oh, hey Nikki" He took note of the other occupant.

"Yo," Nikki greeted.

"Can you call me back in an hour or two? Nikki and I have a project," Ronnie Anne commented.

"Alright, Ronnie Anne. I'll call you later," Lincoln responded.

"Smell you later, Lame-o," Ronnie said in an alluring tone as she ended the call. Nikki had a huge smirk on her face. "What" Ronnie Anne narrowed her eyes at her.

"Smell you later, Lame-o," Nikki repeated. "I heard that tone in your voice. You like cottontop, don't ya Santiago," She smirked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ronnie Annie stuttered. Oh yeah, right. Nikki swiftly snatched Ronnie's phone from her hand. "Give that back!"

"Awwww, you have a little emojis under Lame-o," Nikki teased as she's chased around the room. Ronnie Anne is a few steps from turning her into tonight's dinner.

"UGGGGHHHHHH THAT MATCH WAS BOGUS!" Polly growled. They completed a preliminary soccer match against the Beaverton Bees. It ended in a tie. "I want to get my hands on the jerk that keeps messing up our shots and kicks."

"Yeah, they've been doing it to us for the whole game," Margo complained. Seriously it was the entire match. Lynn remained quiet on the bench in the locker room with her head now. She was the main target for the saboteur, yet Lynn remained a threat despite the setbacks. They didn't win, but they didn't lose either.

"Hey, guys, we'll win next time," Paula spoke up, attempting to boost morale. "So we had a little bad lu-"

SLAM!

Everyone went silent. Lynn slammed the side of her fist into a locker, leaving a dent. "Paula. Finish that sentence. I'll do worse than break your other leg," Lynn threatened with intent as her hair covered her eyes. Paula sweated as her right leg, began to shutter and tightly gripped her crutches. Lynn took a deep breath to calm herself down. "We simply had a bad game. Nothing more." She sighed. "I'll talk to the coach later to update our strategies" She grabbed her sports bag. "I'm heading home. I'll see you, girls, later" Polly and Margo quickly grabbed their bags and went with her.

"Hey, what was that all about with 'bad luck," Polly asked when they caught up with her. Lynn stopped. Margo placed a hand on Lynn's shoulder with a somber expression as cars drove past them on the sidewalk. What's going on?

"Let's go somewhere private," Lynn muttered to them. The girls walked in silence for a few minutes until they arrived at the park. Lynn took them to an isolated area with many trees and bushes to give them a better privacy level. This was most likely one of the places where couples want a quiet place to get intimate without getting caught. Polly wondered what's so bad about this bad luck thing that Lynn had to find a secluded spot for them to talk. She knew Lynn had rituals before a game, but she didn't do them for some time now. "Polly," Lynn called to her. "I'm only telling you this because I consider you a close friend, but you'll hate me after this"

"Oh wow, thank you," Polly replied, feeling honored about that comment. "Spill it. It can't be that bad," She said. Lynn slumped her shoulders as Margo stood to the sidelines. It was that bad as Lynn gave her a summarized version of the 'No such luck' event. Polly gave Lynn a solid right hook in her face on the grass. "WHAT THE FUCK LYNN?!" That was expected. She grabbed Lynn by her shirt collar and hoisted her up. "A softball game?! A softball game?! Are you shiting me right now" Polly gritted her teeth and intensely glared at Lynn, who had a blank expression. Who does that? Who in the right mind would think that was okay? Forcing your only brother to go to your game then blaming him for when you lost! Making him wear a suffocating squirrel suit on some of the hottest days of the year. Yeah, him making the rest of your family think that he was bad luck was a stupid idea. But selling his stuff and shunning him.

"Polly, I know this is bad" Margo placed a hand on her hostile teammate. Polly smacked her hand away.

"No shit, sherlock," Polly growled with her veins flaring on her neck. "This is messed up" Polly's eyes scanned Lynn as fury turned into confusion, trying to make sense of it all. Just why?

"I know," Lynn whispered.

"Huh?" Polly frowned.

"I said that I know!" Lynn yelled. Polly let her go. Lynn sat herself up."I messed up" She bit her lip.

"Well," Polly folded her arms. "What are you going to do about it?" They must have apologized big time if everything is back normal.

"I don't know," Lynn admitted softly.

"What do you mean that you don't know" Polly narrowed her eyes at her. "Apologize or something?!" Margo stood to the sidelines wearing the pair's argument.

Lynn stood up abruptly. "What do I say?!" She barked before faking a smile and finger guns. "Hey, Linc, sorry for threatening to beat brains in" Lynn's voice started to crack. Margo and Polly's face softened at the sight of Lynn. "Sorry for making you feel like a freak in our house because I didn't know how to take a loss" Tears of remorse flowed down her face as snot leaked out her nose. "Sorry for" She sniffed. "Sorry for making sleep outside, selling your stuff, and blocking off your room so your 'bad luck' doesn't infect the whole house" Lynn still kept her pained smile. "But no hard feelings, right? We got all your stuff back, and Lisa let you stay in her bunker for those nights. So we got cool, right" Lynn slumped her shoulders and frowned as she wiped her face. "Is that what you want me to say?" She took a deep breath and sniffed.

"No, but" Polly replied and took a pause. "You should still do something about it."

"I tried to think of something for months," Lynn marched forward. "I was the cause of this mess" The rest of the Loud family apologized by giving him more privileges and making amends in their ways. "There's nothing I can do to make Lincoln forgive me." She choked. "We can never go back to the way we were, but the worst thing is that," Lynn stammered, unable to finish the sentence. "That..." Polly widened her eyes. There's more?!

"Lincoln blames himself," Margo interrupted. Polly snapped her head in Margo's direction. He...what.

"What do you mean by that?" Polly questioned. Making everyone think that he's bad luck was his fault, but everything wasn't his.

"We all have a gimmick or role in our family," Lynn replied. "I'm the athlete. Lucy's the goth. Lisa's the smart one and so on," She explained. "Lincoln's the peacekeeper."

"He's the only boy, so he has to do something" Polly shrugged.

"Then we have that stupid sister fight protocol," Lynn said with bloodshot eyes.

"I think I know where this goes" Polly rubbed her forehead. "You don't need to tell me," A family filled with girls is bound to have some problems.

"That and the bad luck incident," Lynn continued. "We made him feel useless, like he didn't belong."

"Did you guys talk to him about it?" Polly asked, feeling this conversation was getting more and more intense.

"After what we did to him," Lynn scoffed. "He won't tell us a damn thing and that he's used to working alone" The cold shoulders, empty looks, and fake smiles. She can't imagine how Lincoln is feeling right now. He can't trust anyone in the house besides Lily and maybe Lisa, not even asking for girl advice when he lives with ten sisters. Oh, crap, now Lynn imagines Lincoln crying himself to sleep, wondering why his family doesn't love him. "Fuck, man," Lynn brought a hand to her face. "What am I going to do."

"I may have an idea," Margo chimed in. Lynn's listening right now. It's not like she has a ton of options, to begin with. "Find some time where you two can be alone" Okay, so far, good. "See if you can have a little heart to heart with him," Not a bad idea. That can make him more comfortable. "Hug him and tell him that you love him" Simple enough. "Maybe add a little kiss for good measure" Margo brought two of her fingers close together.

"On the mouth?" Lynn replied, trying to clarify the course of action.

"Yes-wait what?! No," Margo facepalmed. "On the cheek! On the cheek! You freaking brother complex," She clearly emphasized. Now that Margo thinks about a quick second. It does sound like a love confession.

"Ooohhhhh, that makes more sense," Lynn responded. Margo wondered what she was going to do with Lynn. The sun slowly began to set. "We better go before Lori yells about where I was" The other girls winced. They didn't want that either.

"I'll just call my parents about where I'm heading," Polly commented. Margo nodded, planning on doing the same. The trio walked back to the Loud house when a dazzling flash occurred. "OH, COME ON AGAIN?!" The girls rubbed their stinging eyes. Yates, what is your dental plan?! "Lynn, I'm this close to knocking their teeth out if they blind me again," Polly growled.

"Join the club," Margo squinted, trying to regain focus. She glanced at the Yates. "Oh damn, now I see why people find them creepy. Do they ever stop smiling or open their eyes."

"Yes," Lynn responded. "Yes, they do," She recalled when the Yates' spent time having fun with them. "They're nice folks except for Bumper," Lynn grumbled.

"Who the hell names their kid Bumper?" Polly exclaimed. The absurdity of what people name their kids.

"He's a Junior," Lynn explained.

"I said what I said" Polly folded her arms. Come on out of all the names in the world. "So what's your beef against him" She gestured towards the other family.

"Remember when I participated in the State bowl," Lynn said as the other two nodded. "He trash-talked, saying that a meathead like me isn't going to break his streak" She stopped at the door. "That when they handed me the first place trophy."

"You think he was the one that messed up us," Margo questioned. Lynn thought about it a bit. That would make a lot of sense but to blame Bumper Jr. outright is a stupid idea.

"He had to have gotten help from somewhere," Polly contributed. You can't hide a smile like that. "Lynn, you're a star athlete on several teams. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone with a bone to pick with you, especially since you're on a winning streak right now," She added in. Not that hard? Crap, Polly is right. Lynn thought to herself. The options can range from her teammates, other school's teams, random people from her middle school, or Royal woods in general. Also, dudes with skin as thick as wet cheap single-ply toilet paper who couldn't handle that she was a better athlete than them or even. Her throat tightened at the next possible idea. Lincoln could've helped him. Lynn's heart slowly shattered at her brother shaking Bumper Jr's hand, united in their goal of bringing her down a peg. "Plus," Polly said, snapping her out of fantasy. "He seems like the type of guy to get someone to do all of the dirty work for him. Then toss them under the bus when things get dicey" The girls narrowed their eyes at Bumper Jr, who kept his family's iconic smile. Beatrix opened her eyes and waved at Lynn, who waved back as she and her friends went inside the Loud House.

"You coming inside, Bumper," Beatrix asked her brother, who was staring at their neighbor's house.

"Oh uh yeah," Bumper Jr. continued to smile as they walked inside their home.

"You were thinking about Luan, aren't you, Bumper" Beatrix whispered, causing his face to turn red as Belle nervously chuckled at that comment.

"I'm heading to my room," Bumper Jr replied, marching up the stairs.

"Don't stay too long. We're ordering a pizza soon," Jancey yelled from the couch as Beau was reading an Ace Savvy comic.

"Okay, mom," Bumper Jr. responded, entering his room and locking the door. He let out a frustrated sigh at today's event. "That fat idiot had only one job" Bumper paced around his room. "Make sure that Lynn Jr loses the soccer match, but nooooooooo" He kicked his silver second-place trophy that he's been using as a reminder of when he lost his honor. Come on; Dude, get over it already. "It ended in a tie," Bumper Jr. continued to growl. He sat down on his bed, taking heavy breaths. "That bitch is going to fucking pay."

"Hey, Bumper, we're ordering right now. His mother's voice yelled from downstairs. "What toppings do you want."

Bumper Jr. took a deep breath and smiled to regain this composure. "Do they have extra pepperoni?" He exited and closed his door.

"Soon..." His trophy glowed for a brief moment.

"I'm back," Lynn shouted to the household with Margo and Polly behind her. Lincoln was on the couch, reading one of his comics, along with Lisa reading her manga.

"Hey Lynn," Lincoln replied with his eyes glancing at them, observing their dour mood. "Woah, what happened to you girls" He lowered his comic.

"Some jerk messed with our game making it end in a tie," Polly answered as Lynn sat down next to him and sighing. "It was supposed to be an easy sweep" She folded her arms.

"You okay there, Lynn," Lincoln comforted her, knowing that she doesn't like to lose. She nodded in silence. "Don't worry. You'll get that guy and beat them as you always do" He smiled, wrapping an arm around her. Lincoln stood up. "I'm getting something to drink. You girls want anything" Polly and Margo shrugged. They might as well.

"Lincoln, why are you in your underwear?" Margo pointed out. His body froze for a quick moment as he looked down at himself. Lincoln was in his Ace Savvy briefs and white socks. Margo had to admit that the gym was doing great on him. Lincoln looked great. Real good. His shoulders were broader while his arms and legs were getting toned. Her eyes scanned his midsection. He still had some baby fat to him but give it some time, and he'll have an outline of a six-pack. Polly smirked at what she saw.

"Here's a better question: why aren't you?" Lincoln spat out, covering himself as the brush spread to his ears. His words caught his brain after a delay. "Wait a minute."

"Alright, dude," Polly smiled as she started to take off her red shirt. Lincoln squeaked. Is she going to do it?! Rusty sensed a disturbance in the force. Margo stopped her hands when leaving only Polly's toned stomach to be shown.

"No," Margo ordered. She's not in the mood to deal with Polly's crap right now.

"Oh, come on, you're no fun," Polly pouted while Lynn glared at her over Lincoln's shoulder. "Pass me a Gatorade" He gave her a thumbs-up as he went into the kitchen. Her teammates continued to glare at her. "What? He already saw his other sisters in their undies before" She shrugged, continuing to smirk. "I know he saw you, Lynn, and we have similar body types. It should be no different."

"OH, CAN WE NOT!" Lincoln yelled from the kitchen as Polly cackled, rolling on the ground. Lisa continued to read, not wanting to engage in this conversation. Margo and Polly sat and watched t.v until their parents picked them up. Nightfall arrived. Lincoln was getting ready for bed in his orange pajamas when someone knocked on his door. He opened it and found Lynn in an oversized shirt and socks looking down and rubbing her arm.

"Hey, Linc can I come in for a quick second" Lynn whispered. He let her inside his room and closed the door behind him. The two siblings sat on Lincoln's bed in silence. Lynn rested her head on his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist. He placed a hand on top of her head. "Man, Lincoln cares about me despite what I've done to him," She thought to herself as they sat together in silence. Hug him and tell him that you love him. Lynn recalled Margo's words from earlier. She laid back up, still keeping one arm on him. Her heartbeat increased as she prepared. She was never the most affectionate person. That's more Leni's thing, but there's a first time for everything. "Lincoln" Lynn didn't give him a second to reply as she swiftly and tightly embraced him. The sudden gesture placed on his back, leaving Lynn on top of him. Lincoln didn't plan for this feeling of her weight on his body. Lynn slightly loosened her grip to seat herself up to gaze at his face. He is so confused right now. Lynn, his rough, tough tomboy of an older sister, is sitting on his waist and a bit of his stomach while tenderly caressing his face in his darkroom. The confusion skyrocketed when she gently kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Lincoln" She laid back down, resting her head on his shoulder, and went to sleep. Lincoln stared into the darkness. What just happened? Is it that time of the month again? He tried to move, but she had a tight grip on him. He sighed and decided to get some sleep.

"Crap, I gotta take a whizz," Lincoln whispered in fear.

"Hey Lincoln, are you alright?" Stella asked in concern as they exited their class. The bags under his eyes are heavier.

"Yeah, I'm," Lincoln yawned. He covered his mouth. "Okay," Cookie felt his forehead for a quick moment.

"You don't have a fever," Cookie stated. "Did you get enough sleep last night" She placed her hands on her hips.

"Not really," Lincoln admitted. "My sister…" He yawned again. "Was acting weird."

"Lynn, I believe," Haiku interjected, surprising his classmates. "Lucy told me."

"Please stop doing that," Mollie demanded, clutching her thumping chest. Haiku smiled.

"Haiku, I'm going to be real with you" Lincoln placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, but I didn't hear you just said," Cookie pulled him aside to avoid walking into a row of lockers. "Thank you" They entered the cafeteria. "What did you say again."

"I said Lynn was the cause of your sleep troubles," Haiku repeated as they found a table.

"Oh, right. Yes," Lincoln rubbed his eyes. "She was acting weird after someone sabotaged her soccer game yesterday, making it end in a tie."

"Why would anyone do that to her," Stella asked. Haiku remained silent as she glanced at Lincoln. Would he sabotage his sister's game? No. No, he won't. Although. The goth frowned. There's a lot she doesn't know about Lincoln. Perhaps there is a vindictive spark within him.

"She's a star player on multiple teams and has a winning streak" Cookie listed the possible reasons. "It could be someone from the opposing teams," She continued. "Also, she's not the most humble and can be a jerk sometimes," Cookie shrugged. "Or someone with a grudge against her," Lincoln thought a bit. She's right. There's no storage of people who want to take Lynn down a peg or two. Whoever messed up her game was targeting Lynn Jr. specifically. The next questions were who and why now. Cookie listed off the reasons, but it's been like that for years. The saboteur must be new and had help. He needed more evidence. Lincoln shot a look at Haiku after feeling her gaze. She quickly turned away to avoid suspicion.

"Okay, so a lot of people," Mollie acknowledged. "What was the 'weird' part this time."

"She came to my room," Lincoln started. "And hugged me."

"How is that weird?" Girl Jordan replied. His sister was showing him affection. Nothing weird about that.

"It was weird for her," Lincoln emphasized. "Then she kissed me on my cheek," He explained, noticing the looks on their faces. "Told me that she loves me and fell asleep while hugging me."

"Awwww," They said together at the thought of the image.

"It sucked because I had to use the bathroom," Lincoln added. They winced at that situation.

"But aren't you going to the gym?" Girl Jordan remarked. "You could've broken free."

"Couple months compared to a couple of years," Lincoln retorted. "So yeah, she's still stronger than me."

"She didn't do anything else, did she?" Haiku probed.

"No, thank god," Lincoln replied. "All I had was her snoring in my ear and her drooling on my shoulder."

"Ew," Jenny cringed. Snoring, drooling, and had to use the bathroom. That's rough, buddy.

"Exactly," Lincoln said, grabbing his lunch as the rest did the same.

"What's in the thermos?" Stella pointed at the container while chewing on her sandwich.

"My dad's homemade tomato soup," Lincoln remarked. She rummaged through her bag.

"I'll trade you my fruit salad for it" Stella held up a small plastic container with a red top

"Deal. Plus, I'm running on pure caffeine right now," Lincoln replied. "I think I have biscuits that can with it" He paused before reaching into his lunch bag. His face and eyes sharpened. What's with the sudden change in demeanor? They gazed at what's behind him and frowned. Oh. It's his friends. Joy whistled. A squad of girls appeared, forming a barrier between them and Stella. They took a step back at the sight as one started to crack their knuckles.

"No," Lincoln ordered. The girls stared at him. "Let them through" He turned and leaned forward to face them. Joy nodded. The impromptu Stella protection squad dispersed, going back to their tables. The boys retook their lost step as the girls at the table continued to frown at them. "Can I help you guys?"

Lincoln was the mob boss deciding if their meager pleas are even worth the air they breathe. They chose to let Clyde speak for them. He cleared his throat. "Lincoln. We spoke about our ungentlemanly matter regarding Stella the other day."

"Gee, you don't say," Mollie mocked, folding her arms.

"Thus we enacted a 'Guy' pact," Clyde continued handing Lincoln a contract. Confused looks were exchanged among the girls. What the hell is a guy pact? "This is an apology written and signed by each of us towards you and Stella" Lincoln passed the paper to Stella after he finished reading it. They were right. It was an apology signed by them formally recognizing their misdeeds and how they vowed never to let a simple misinterpretation from a girl ruin their friendship. There's also a paragraph about how they'll stop any romantic pursuits regarding Stella for the time being unless there's sufficient and clearly stated interest on her part. A small blank space was for her to sign. Stella glanced at Lincoln, who shrugged. It was Stella's decision to make, not his. Stella took out a pen and signed it. The boys sighed in relief.

"Hey, uh, how about swapping them there rice cakes for some hush puppies?" Liam asked.

"Please do," Stella whispered. She already had tons of rice in her diet to feed a country. The group continued to talk at their lunch table. Lincoln caught a sliver of silver out of the corner of his eye. He rubbed his eyes. Lincoln searched for it again, but it was gone. He searched for a few moments before brushing it away. He probably needed more sleep.

The end of the school day didn't come quickly enough. They were discussing the new Scorpion formation around an outside table. "It still needs some work," Stella remarked, analyzing the blueprint. Girl Jordan was still able to blindside them, delivering a headshot at Rusty.

"Sorry, not sorry" Girl Jordan shrugged off Rusty's glare.

"The whistle blew," Rusty grumbled, rubbing his sore cheek. She shrugged again.

"YO, STELLA!" Elder Zhau yelled from afar in her red tracksuit with her mom, and day not too far behind. "And I see you have Chang'e little helper with you too," Stella blushed. Her classmates got a good look at Stella's grandmother and parents. Elder Zhau was short, with her black hair slowly turning grey. Wrinkles adorned her face, yet her eyes and body retained their vigor. Mrs. Zhau is the 'Sister. Mother or maybe an older cousin's situation. The difference is that the mother wears round glasses. At least they know that they're related. She's in her trusty sky sweater, black pants, and red and white sneakers. Her father was a medium build of Chinese descent with warm brown eyes. His hair was neatly combed, and his navy collared shirt was tucked into his charcoal slacks.

"Hey Elder Zhau, Mr & Mrs. Zhau," Lincoln greeted as they walked toward them.

"Good afternoon Linc-" replied before a thunderous burp frightening birds in nearby trees. They stared at her in silent bewilderment as she continued for a few more seconds. She immediately covered her mouth when the deed was done, shocked at what happened.

"And I thought my family was loud," Lincoln commented. The mighty belch lasted for eight seconds. He sniffed the air lightly. "You went to Burping Burger within the last hour and ordered the Volcano rumble with extra jalapenos and an order of chili cheese curly fries" Another sniff. "And a strawberry milkshake." He finished. Their stares were focused on him now. Lincoln, what the hell man? "Also, you're welcome for the coupon."

"Ummmmm, yes?"Mrs. Zhau didn't know how to respond to that. Lincoln predicted what she ate by just smelling the air. "And thank you."

"Kid, that's cool and creepy," Elder Zhau acknowledged. "Can you guess what I ate" Lincoln placed a hand under his chin.

"Unfortunately, no," Lincoln admitted. "But given that it was fairly hot today and you're wearing a tracksuit. I believe it was fruit, most likely oranges or peaches."

"Bingo, kid," Elder Zhau smirked, snapping her fingers at him. "What gave it away."

"You have a small stain on your collar, and your neck is a bit shiny" Lincoln pointed to his neck. She raised a brow and checked his analysis. There's a small yellow-orange stain on the white tips of her collar then felt around her neck. He's right as it was slightly sticky.

"Huh," Elder Zhau said. Mr. Zhau cleared his throat to gain Lincoln's attention.

"Lincoln, you remember our little agreement," Mr. Zhau asked. Little agreement? What is he talking about?

"I sent it this morning," Lincoln replied, folding arms. "I believe that you'll find it to your liking" Mr. Zhau reached into his pockets and turned on his Nintendo Pokemon X edition 3DS with Ultra Sun in the slot. He checked his GTS request. It's accepted as his eyes widened.

"Is this a…" Mr. Zhau whispered. Lincoln nodded with a smile. It was a SHINY CHESPIN! He placed it in his PC and checked it's stats. "Adamant. 6 IVs. 252 EVs in Attack and Defense. Iron head. Drain Punch. Spikes. Seed Bomb" His eyes sparkled.

"I told you that I'd meet your demands" Lincoln checked his nails.

"Stella," Mr. Zhau spoke.

"Yes," Stella replied, worried about the events.

"I approve of this boy. He'll make a wonderful addition to the family," Mr. Zhau said with a thumbs up.

"WHAT?!" Some of them shouted with a spit take. Stella and Lincoln glanced at each other before shyly looking away. Their kids would look rather lovely.

"Okay, maybe," Lincoln responded with a red face. "But Stella stated that she just wanted to be friends."

"I got time" Elder Zhau checked her watch. "But we got to go," Stella got her bags and said her goodbyes.

"And now you met her parents," Rusty nagged. "Like seriously, man."

"First of all, it was her idea," Lincoln defended himself.

"Settle down there, Rusty," Liam advised. "You remember what happened yesterday" They still have chills from what happened.

"Plus, you signed the contract, dude," Zach added. It's not legally binding, but the thought still counts.

"Furthermore, you can't break a 'Guy Pact,'" Clyde continued. "It's unforgivable."

"Yeah, whatever," Rusty replied with his fingers crossed behind his back.

Fun Fact: Zhau or Zhao is one of the most ancient surnames in China. We're talking about the 9th century BC.

That took a while to do, but hey, it's finished. More fun stuff is going to happen, so sit tight until then.

Thanks for reading the chapter. Follow and Favorite if you like the story. Leave a review for any questions, concerns, queries, or theories.