44. Answers Wanted

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.

"Ok, I have the appointment set for Friday; even though I didn't pick a time...gonna have to do that soon, but first..." The middle child of the Loud family mulled to himself as he pedaled down the street. "I need to have Lola agree to come..." Lincoln's fingers tapped the handle bar as he briefly went over the traits specific to his spoiled sister. "She'll probably want something in return for bringing her, like she usually does. But...then again, so does Lynn (usually by making me play some sport with her). And she didn't ask for anything the last time I asked her for advice." Lincoln momentarily glanced up at the clouds. "Though, Lola seems a little more closer to Lori in attitude than Lynn; at least outside of competition."

The Loud realized he was riding past his house just as he was passing the tree on the front lawn, making an abrupt U-turn before going to the garage. Vanzilla was still absent, but after seeing a few of his sisters get on the bus as he left the school, he deduced that his parents were using the aged automobile.

"And even then, none of my sisters seem the same as they used to be; well, Leni is still nice and friendly. But I had a weird feeling she was smarter than she let on. It just didn't make sense how she tries to 'free' cooked chickens and lobsters, but knows how to pick a key lock...or build a whole new bed from scratch. Actually, she could make fashionable clothes out of anything if she wanted to." Lincoln stopped in front of the garage, hopping off the bike before wheeling it inside. He frowned a little remembering what the fashionista explained to him. "Well...I thought it'd be better if she was playing dumb instead of needing medicine...

Lincoln unstrapped his helmet before sitting it on the handle bars. "And that makes me wonder, how did Lola end up being so...so mean? She wasn't always like this. At least, I don't think she was..."

As the Loud made his way to the house, he dug further into his memories, pushing past the moments were Lola used intimidation or blackmail to get what she wanted. When the twins were born, Lincoln could recall himself tending to them in the same fashion he does with Lily. Surprisingly, he did remember at least one moment where Lucy was actually playing with the young babies; much different from her current standoffish demeanor. When they were just infants, the twins didn't have vastly different personalities like they do today; well, Lana usually made a bigger mess than Lola did whenever she was being fed, which Lincoln might say was a habit she kept since then. But the two girls were very young, could barely talk outside of a few words, and when it came to crying...oh so many nights were lost.

At one point, Lincoln believed the two might've been doing it on purpose. And it wasn't a competition between them.

"It's funny how someone can change in just a few years. As babies, Lola and Lana got along pretty well; probably because they literally spent all day with each other and would get fussy when separated." Lincoln frowned slightly. "And then, when they hit their 'Terrible Twos', it's like they didn't want anything to do with each other. They started fighting a lot, which didn't change even today, and..." The boy scratched his head. "Was that the time they started to literally stand out from each other? Lana for some reason started trying to eat bugs when we played around; and I had to get her to stop more than once." He hummed to himself as he entered the house. "But I don't think Lola started doing pageants at that age..."

Lincoln paused in his thoughts when he heard a small dog barking from the living room. The sound of paws rapidly hitting the floor made its way to him as Charles came into the kitchen. "Hey boy." Lincoln greeted the small pup as he climbed on his pants leg. The Loud bent down and stroked the mutt in the head a few times before standing up and opening the fridge. Charles went over to his doggy bowl and began drinking what water remained.

Lincoln pulled out a can of soda, quickly cracking it open and taking a sip. As he did so, his chest began to fill with nervousness. He had many questions about the young girl that he wanted answered, but it seemed like the only way to get them was to ask the source directly. The Loud bit his cheek. "That was the whole point of trying to get an appointment..." He told himself.

One may think of Lincoln of having less masculinity for being afraid of a girl 5 years his junior; they'd be fools for underestimating the power of Lola Loud. Her temper was one not to forget when first experienced, and even if you weren't intimidated by her fierce demeanor, she had ways of figuring out your deepest secrets.

That was the scariest part about her: she knew how to get inside your head.

And it was quite the transformation over the years; how did a girl go from being sweet and caring to being what Lincoln might describe as something similar to one of those classic Disney villains?

"I know it has something to do with the pageants Lola does, which is weird cause they seem pretty harmless." Lincoln frowned in disgust. "Still wish I didn't take part in one...I guess winning all the time went to her head like it does with Lynn; I mean, a go-kart, money prizes, and a trophy? I'm almost surprised my other sisters wouldn't jump at the chance to win something like that." He recalled the time Lana took Lola's place so they could win Dairy Land tickets. "Ooor, maybe not." He began heading towards his room. "It was only a one time thing with Lana, and Lynn would be too grossed out doing it." Lincoln shuddered a little. "And I can't imagine Lucy being a part of that." He hummed to himself as he reached the top step. "Maybe Leni or Lori did something like that when they were little...actually...Lola sort of reminds me of how Lori usually acts..."

As he entertained this new theory, Lincoln took a chance to peek inside the twins' room. There was little change from when he first looked in there the first day he came back home, but it still surprised him how more open the room felt without all the stuffed animals and living animals taking up space. Lola still slept in a princess-esque bed; if only because Lincoln assumed that would be more difficult to replace than regular gowns. In fact, he hadn't seen her jeep/go-kart anywhere either.

"Guess Mom and Dad got rid of that too." Lincoln muttered before backing out of the room.

As he entered his own room, the first thing he noticed were the papers lying on his desk, neatly stacked to look presentable. Lincoln raised a brow, unsure of the state he left them in this morning before picking one up. "Oh, right..." His memory fulfilled as he studied the pictures. Part of him felt unsure whether he should even continue with his mini comic; it was all just based on "crime fighting" dreams he had.

If by crime, you mean a bigger scope of dealing with his family drama.

"Although, my head does feel a little clearer whenever I get one of these scenes out." The middle child thought to himself. He sat in his chair as he studied the drawings, trying to remember where he left off. As his creative side began to take over, Lincoln sat his bag down and gently pushed his door closed, not wanting to be disturbed as while he worked. He had something of an idea on what to do regarding his sisters in this fictional world; not anything harmful like say, him taking revenge against them for their actions (he had grown tired fighting, and it wouldn't make sense now if there was some outside force influencing things as he already established); but hopefully, he could employ something that involved more teamwork.

Or something that could match the level of relief and calm when he ironed things out with Lynn; sort of. He still didn't completely trust her.

As Lincoln opened his backpack and started searching for his pencil, he heard the front door opening downstairs.

"Man, I hate math..." Came the voice of a certain animal-loving child.

"It's not that hard. 1 + 1 is two, 2 + 2 is four, and so on." A more feminine voice added.

"Not that; I can ace adding and stuff all day. It's the stupid multiplying..."

"It's sort of the same thing as adding. Dividing is a little harder though." An older, more monotonous voice added.

Lincoln could hear the voices growing louder as he heard footsteps pounding on the stairs.

"Well I'm starting to hate it like you hate English."

"To be fair, English is one of the more difficult languages of the world. Different variations of one word can have different meanings, and you have to learn what they're meant for." Lucy stated. "I still have issues when it comes to poems for that reason..."

Lola could be heard muttering something, but there were two that caught Lincoln's interest: "hate reading..."

This made the middle child raise a brow. For one, he thought Lola could read well enough; just ask how many times she dove into her siblings' personal diaries/journals for the aforementioned blackmail he was debating about earlier. "Either she's complaining about her assignment and she DOES like to read, or maybe...maybe it depends on WHAT she's reading." The Loud mulled to himself. "It would be hard to read something you don't like. Heck, there's certain comic series I wouldn't even think of touching." Lincoln stared at the door. If all of his sisters took the bus today, then Luan and younger ones except for Lisa and Lily should be home. However, he only heard three of his younger sisters. "They're probably busy with something today." He glanced at his drawing for a second before looking at the door again. Sighing to himself, "Guess now's a better time than never..."

Pushing his chair back, Lincoln stood up and quietly opened his door. The hallway was empty, with the door to the twins' room slightly ajar. It was pulled open seconds later as Lana came out, scratching the backseat of her overalls as she went to the bathroom. If she bothered looking to her left when she exited, she would've been startled to see her brother standing there. Not that Lincoln wasn't intimidated by Lana; he believed she might be the second best sister to reconnect with after Leni; but like Luna, she can still be fierce in her own right.

Did you know that she took part in a gator wrestling competition once?

Pushing that thought aside, Lincoln peeked into the twins' room. Lola was... "Wait, is that Lola?" The boy did a double take as he studied his sister.

The young girl sitting at the small table in the middle of the room, her back to him with her head propped up by a hand. What caught Lincoln's attention was the fact she was wearing a set of overalls that were much like Lana's, and her normally long, flowing hair looked considerably shorter; just about reaching her upper back if he were to be precise. To get further confirmation on which twin he was dealing with, he spotted a tuft of hair that was angled to her left side sticking out on her head. The former pageant winner must've had some sort of sixth sense kick in, as she glanced over her shoulder and visibly flinched upon seeing her brother.

Knowing he was caught in the act, Lincoln came out of his hiding spot. "Heeey..." The awkwardness in his voice was just as readily conveyed by his posture.

"Hi, Lincoln." Lola greeted in a similar manner, but it was more so due to confusion. "Do you...need anything?" She asked whilst turning around in her chair, seeing the hesitant look in his eyes.

"Yeaaah." Lincoln nodded his head. "But..." He folded his arms behind his back. "H-How have you been doing?"

Lola lightly grazed her lower lip with her teeth as she felt a little exasperated at her brother's reluctance. "This is no picnic for me either Lincoln...we haven't talked to each other in MONTHS..." She brought a hand to her cheek. "Actually, I thought I'd be the last girl he'd talk to if he thinks about our...bond, if I can call it that..." The blonde began to see the anxiousness growing in her brother's demeanor. Not wanting to let the moment slip, "I've been, ok-ish..." She glanced at the book behind her. "I have to read this dumb story though..."

Lincoln tilted his head to look past his sister's frame. "Is it bad?"

"Well, not exactly...I mean, it's something related to the Three Little Pigs..." Lola patted her fingers together.

Lincoln squinted an eye. His curiosity began to outweigh the nervousness he felt as he stepped further into the room. "...Sounds pretty easy. I mean, you've read stuff that's more complex than that."

"Yeah b-but..." Lola stuttered slightly. "How do I say this..." She glanced back at Lincoln, then the door. "Can...can you shut the door for a sec?" It was a tall order, knowing how her brother might respond. But she didn't want what she was about to say to spread around the house.

Likewise, Lincoln felt his anxiety begin to resurface; but the sad and embarrassed look on his sister's face had tugged at 8 years of elder brother instinct. It might be a facade to hide her true intentions, but so far Lincoln couldn't see any hints of intended malice. Keeping his interactions with Lynn in mind, he lightly pushed the door back with his foot until it closed; but not completely, as he left it open just a crack out of caution.

Lola appeared satisfied before she reluctantly said, "I...don't actually know how to read..."

Lincoln bit his cheek as an unimpressed gaze stared at the six year old. "Um, I find that hard to believe since-"

"Sorry." Lola interrupted, knowing the statement lacked any weight on the surface. "I mean, I can read; but only if it's stuff I'm familiar with." She rubbed her arm. "I know I read you guys' diaries and stuff for secrets before, but I got so used to your handwriting that it was easy for me." The younger of the twins glanced at the printed text. "But when it comes to other books, I get a little lost in the words and lose track of where I started..."

Lincoln made a quizzical look, unsure whether he should trust that information or assume she was lying.

A small bead of sweat formed on the side of the girl's head. "Ok, I get lost a lot..." Lola admitted, pulling on her cheeks in frustration. "My grade is a C right now since I just copy off Lana; which isn't the best idea knowing her." She muttered before resting her head in her hands. "But if it gets any lower, Mom and Dad are gonna ground me...again..."

Lincoln made a curt nod. "...Did you ask any of our sisters to help you? Lucy or Lisa could've definitely been your best bet since poetry is everything to Lucy, and Lisa is...well, Lisa."

Lola shook her head. "I didn't want anyone else finding out for..." She glowered a little. "Certain reasons..."

Lincoln frowned as he had a hunch about her 'reason'. "You didn't want anyone to use that as blackmail against you?"

The former pageant winner winced as if the words stung, and didn't respond for a moment. "...I walked right into that one..."

Lincoln blinked in surprise upon realizing what he said. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Lincoln, you don't have to be sorry about it." Lola turned to him. "It's no secret I've used that card many times to make you guys do what I wanted..." A guilt-ridden look adorned her face. "And half the time, it was against you...so if anything, I'm the one who should be saying sorry." She sulked in her chair. "Though I doubt it'll change anything..."

Lincoln shifted slightly on his feet. "Well, that's why I wanted to ask..." Lola looked up at him as he seemed to hesitate on something. "A-Are you doing anything on Friday?"

"No?" Lola raised a brow. "I know school is closed for us, but I don't have any extra curric...activities and stuff or whatever."

"Sooo," Lincoln began swaying on the balls of his feet. "I wanted to schedule an appointment for us to see Dr. Lopez. I thought it would help to..." He shrugged. "Clear the air I guess."

Lola raised a brow at the mention of their therapist. "Why would he want to do that? I mean, I could just tell him why I-" She bit her tongue as she soon realized the point of the meeting. "He wants to know why I scare him so much...and he won't ask me now cause..." Lola wiped at her face, making it look like she was getting rid of an itch, but her eyes felt wet. "He doesn't trust me...I mean, I guess I wouldn't trust me either knowing my attitude..." The blonde gave a small nod. "Ok. Did you pick a time yet?" Her voice was just above a whisper.

Whether Lincoln noticed it or not, he didn't show. "Not yet. But I'll call her later." He started to notice Lola's face begin to contort into a small glare as she stared at the floor. The boy instinctively started to back away, but he stopped when he heard a sniffle.

"It's not fair...why do I need to see a therapist with him when Lynn of all people got an easy pass?! Sure, he called her for a session that one time; but she had broken his arm of all things! And that one session was just to understand that dumb protocol, but then Lincoln talked to her a lot more after that! And even Leni got it easy!" The six year old thought bitterly. She glanced at her fingers, more specifically, the faintly visible scratch marks that had long since healed. Lola pursed her lips as her hands clumped together. "But they didn't ruin Linky's perfect smile..."

Her mind briefly flashed back to the day Lincoln had been taken to the hospital, specifically at least an hour after the fact. As Lola began to realize the weight of what occurred, she felt a stinging sensation on her fingers. Checking her hands, the six year old discovered that the fingered parts of her pink gloves had been torn at a few spots. Each of her fingers aside from the thumbs had abrasions on the skin above the proximal and middle phalanx (the base and middle parts of the finger), and the cuts were deep enough to draw blood. At first, Lola wasn't certain where the scratches came from, but as she made a thorough inspection of her wounds, she found they looked to have been teeth marks based on the size and grooves of the blood-filled lines. It was then Lola realized that during the brawl, when she struck at Lincoln's face, she must've rammed her fists into his mouth more than once; she wasn't really aiming for a specific spot during that frenzy, so it could have been viewed as accidental.

Still, it did little to ease her guilt upon her assumptions being proven true once Lincoln's injuries were fully diagnosed; she even holed herself up in her room for much of the day upon hearing Rita mention she had a few of Lincoln's teeth pulled during a long awaited dental checkup.

"Lola." Lincoln called out gently, breaking the girl's thoughts. She turned her head to the side, being a little shocked that the 11 year old was standing next to her. "Would it be ok if I helped you read?" He asked with a gentle, if not somewhat funny smile.

Lola blinked away a stray tear before lowering her head. "...Yes." She replied.

The young girl couldn't tell whether Lincoln was doing this because he wanted to, or out of fear of what she might do to him from her frustration. Either way, she felt warmer inside just being within her brother's presence without the tension to ruin things. Looking towards him, seeing him within arm's distance, she was tempted to hug him; her arm moved a little ways towards him as if responding to her instincts. Sadly, she pulled back, being hesitant to how he might react.

"So," Lincoln directed his attention towards the open book. "Where should we start?"

Lola held her hand in the air for a moment as she scanned the text, trying to figure out where she left off. To Lincoln, the story just looked like several neatly etched paragraphs with pictures that looked to accompany certain scenes; but to Lola, it was...confusing to say the least. Aside from the pictures standing out, the words seemed to get all bunched together in her eyes, making for an unintelligible mess.

She breathed in before exhaling through her nose. "Let's take it from the top." Lola replied whilst turning the page back to the beginning.

"So kids, how was everyone's day?" Rita asked, hoping to spur some talk amongst the table.

Dinner had been pretty uneventful for the last few days; at least, without making a scene about some notable changes. Lincoln took his usual spot in between Lily and Lynn, which hardly went unnoticed by the parents. They hadn't exactly deduced the reasoning, other than it was likely due to Lincoln wanting to be near people he trusted. And unlike yesterday, he seemed more relaxed as their son looked less tense and ate his food at a smooth pace; previously, the boy would've eaten at a quickened pace with his body looking rigid, as if he were prepared to leave at the first sign of trouble. The parents still hadn't known the reason why their son had appeared angry yesterday, but they had traced his gaze towards Lori more than once.

It was definitely something one of them would have to ask about later.

In the mean time, it seems their kids were doing better than they had been in weeks. Murmurs began to spread around the table as the kids answered their parents' question.

"Fine."

"Ok I guess."

"Boring."

"Same as always."

"It was samey, but I hung out with a friend afterwards."

The last statement had the siblings glance at Leni out of curiosity. "With who?" Came Lori's question.

"It's this guy named Chaz." Leni giggled slightly at the name. "We were at the mall for a while; well, actually, we were at his job cause he works at Forever 21. But it was nice to hang out while I was looking at some clothes."

Luna squinted an eye in confusion as she didn't know who Chaz was amongst her sisters' social groups.

Lori tapped her chin. "Isn't Chaz that sort of short and fat guy with the orange curly hair?"

Leni nodded, stabbing at her food for a moment to snag a piece of meat. "I think he's kinda cute..."

Lola stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Not my cup of tea."

The fashionista rolled her eyes, not bothering so say anything as she knew it wouldn't be nice.

"Well, I think he sounds like an upright chap, wouldn't ya say?" Lynn Sr. offered, speaking in a faux British accent.

"He sounds nice." Rita agreed. "Though we never met him in person."

"He's an alright guy I guess. He's usually quiet and keeps to himself." Lori replied, picking off what remained of her vegetables. "Though some people make jokes about his weight sometimes."

Leni's smile turned into a distasteful frown. "That's just mean..."

"Lots of people are like that sis." Luna stated, pausing to chew. "Speakin' of, you got in kinda late."

Leni raised a brow. "Uh...I just said why."

"Sorry luv. Was talkin' to Lori." Luna clarified whilst pointing her fork at her oldest sibling.

Seeing the look in the musician's eyes, Lori knew exactly what she was getting on about. However, unlike before where she could gloat about her relationship, the stuff between her and Bobby wasn't something she wished to elaborate on. "Had to deal with a group project for history. It's gonna be like that for most of the month."

Luna bit her cheek. She looked as if she wanted to press her for more information, but ultimately decided against it. The sounds of utensils scraping on plates filled the void for a brief moment. During that time, Lana stole a glance at her twin, then to Lincoln. A small, dog-like whine quietly passed through her throat as she sulked in her seat, her eyebrows slanting down slightly. Coming from the bathroom, she saw Lincoln was helping Lola learn to read from the doorway. As touching as the scene was, especially since her sister really needed the help, the aspiring mechanic couldn't help but feel a burning sensation in her chest.

"I know Link was helping her out but...how'd he get so chill around her THAT quick? It's not like I made him dress up as a stupid butler for some dumb tea party every week...or threaten to use his secrets against him..." Lana pursed her lips. "Or tattle on him for everything, even when it wasn't his fault..."

Lana didn't want to feel envious of her sister, as they both lost a lot from their mistake. She had little to no pets left aside from two of her closest companions, while Lola had to give up all of her dresses, trophies, and most of her stuffed animals...

"Actually, she could've gotten those back when we went to the storage place. I'm still surprised she decided to have Dad drop that stuff off at the donation box, since she still sleeps with those things; and her dresses were given to the pageant whoever." The oldest of the twins subconsciously picked at her nose. "And the go-kart is still back in storage." Her eyes watered a bit as the memory of her deceased snake came to mind. "But she got lucky...Lola could've gotten her stuff back, while most of my friends a-are gone..." Lana rubbed her nose before breathing in slightly, making sure not to make a sniffle.

She didn't want any curious eyes to be drawn towards her.

Once dinner was finished, the parents decided to let the kids head up for bed while they handled the dishes.

"Well, that went smoother than expected..." Lynn stated with very little optimism reflecting from his voice. He scrubbed the bottom of a pan with some vigor in order to get the dried up food stains off the surface.

"The kids are probably still adjusting to Lincoln being around more often." Rita replied, wiping down a plate before setting in the dish rack. "He's only been back for less than a week after all; but he's been pretty brave." She glanced at her husband. "I initially thought we'd have to bring meals up to him..."

"Yeah." The patriarch chuckled nervously. "Glad we dodged that bullet." A depressing frown returned as the father of 11 considered the state of his children. "But he's still uneasy around the girls." Glancing at his wife, "Did you notice the way he was looking at Lori yesterday?"

Rita nodded. "...If I had to guess, he figured out why she and Leni ended up fighting..." She still wasn't happy about her daughters going overboard with a petty argument, but what's done is done, and as much as she still wished they had intervened back then, there wasn't anything that could change it. "It looks like he calmed down at least."

"Do you think it's a little odd that he's been sitting next to Junior for the last few days?"

The dental assistant paused as she contemplated everything. From her son's nightmares to his general avoidance of his siblings, especially when it came to rides to school, there were certainly small victories here and there; even though the tension remained so thick that it made it look as if no progress had been made at all. "...All things considered, it feels lucky that he's willing to sit around with his siblings at all..."

"Sure," Lynn stuck his tongue out as he scrubbed a little harder. "Come on you darn grease...ugh, there we go." He signed in relief before running some hot water into the pan. "But given how he doesn't seem to mind being around Junior, Sport could be making a comeback."

Rita gave a hum of thought. "Well, he certainly hasn't had any nightmares lately." Another frown formed as she dried her hands. "But the real challenge is seeing whether or not he can manage to be in the car with all of us."

"He could always just sit up front." Lynn offered as he handed the pot to her.

Rita made a light huff at the idea. "After the time the van had been demolished, I don't think he would prefer to sit there." She stuffed the pan in the dishwasher. "Although, we did fix all of the seats when it was rebuilt."

"By fix, you mean get new ones?"

The matriarch nodded. "And speaking of which, don't you think it's time we start thinking about getting a new van?" She shut the washer. "Even when Vanzilla was rebuilt, the engine wasn't replaced."

"I know..." Lynn replied with a sad tone. "But...I've had the van since my dad gave it to me..." He eyed the old clunker from outside the window. "And it was my grandfather's van." He stared at the sink. "They're both long gone now, but Vanzilla always reminds me of them..."

Rita looked at her hubby with a sentiment of understanding. Lynn's father passed on just months before Lori was born, now only having one grandparent in the form of her father; her mother passed away some time before she met Lynn. But while she could understand cherished memories (typically small objects that would be much easier to maintain), that didn't excuse the idea of keeping a 40 year old van. Sure, it would've been a good financial option since the car note was paid off years ago; but at the same time, it required as much maintenance as an old BMW.

And yes, Lana helped keeping the repairs in order; even going as far to break parts so she could learn to fix them. But getting said parts steadily cost more and more money; it would've been much easier to just get a car made within the last decade and pay the monthly bill in addition to regular maintenance, then they could worry about additional maintenance when a problem arose. L

However, seeing her husband's distant look, Rita didn't feel the courage to press further. "They'll always be around." She smiled, putting a hand on his chest. "In here."

Lynn smiled before placing a hand at his wife's hip.

Upstairs, Lori was doing some late night research for her project on her phone before turning in for the night. She was currently alone in the room, as Leni was taking a shower. And knowing her roommate, she could be in there for ages. The eldest sibling looked up from her phone when she heard a knock at the door, spotting Luna in the door way.

"Hey, you got a sec?"

The eldest sibling made an annoyed frown. "If it's about this morning, I already told you guys everything..."

"Not that." Luna answered as she entered, closing the door slightly with her foot. "About earlier with Bobby, how'd it go?"

Lori raised a brow, having not expected that kind of question. Reflexively, she was about to tell Luna that it was none of her business; her own standing with her former boyfriend was still something she didn't fully assess yet. However, the other side of her mind couldn't help the curiosity with her sister's question. Heck, Luna hardly paid attention before when Lori used to boast about whatever date she and Bobby had or any gift the kindhearted boy had gotten for her.

"All of us literally lost our social lives months ago...did Luna like anyone back then? She never mentioned having a boyfriend." Lori mulled to herself before replying. "It didn't go the way I thought it would; namely him yelling at me for being a horrible sister, or a bad person in general. I told him everything that happened, and while he was upset about it, he understood my reasons." She put her phone down. "And it's left me wondering why I had broken up with him in the first place..."

"Wasn't it cause he'd probably dump you months ago?" Luna pointed out.

"Yes..." Lori said in a dejected and mildly annoyed tone. "But even Carol said I probably jumped the gun on that; and she was partially right..." She folded her legs as she sat up. "I left Bobby not only because I thought we'd be finished, but because I don't see myself being good enough for him. Like, he's sooo sweet, generous, hardworking..." Lori stated in a longing tone.

Luna made a frown that looked to be out of envy. "Well, at least you have some roadies to talk to..." Her gaze fell towards the floor as she scuffed a spot of carpet with her foot.

"Why'd you ask?"

"...Just wanted to know how you did it..." The musician answered.

Lori pursed her lips. "If we're gonna be real here, I didn't do anything. In fact, I'd still be on my own if Carol hadn't decided to talk to me on day." Luna stared a little quizzically at her. "Look, I think we both know I was jealous of Carol because she's just a WAY better person; it's hard to not be friends with someone like her." The blonde stared Luna in the eyes. "So, what's the real reason you asked? Was there an old friend that caught your eye?"

Luna averted her gaze from Lori's, a slight glare on her face at her sister's choice of words. The older sister watched as the young brunette rubbed her arm as her cheeks became a little warm. Lori opened her eyes a little more as a coy smile formed on her lips. "So you were checking them out."

Luna gave a subtle nod along with what Lori assumed to be a hum of agreement.

Lori resisted the urge to squeal in delight, as the girls usually do when they find someone in their family is smitten. Lori patted the seat next to her, with Luna begrudgingly obliging.

"Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut..." The brunette sighed internally.

Upon sitting down, Luna was bombarded with questions. "So who is it? Is it someone in your band? I mean, it's gotta be cause you all seemed really close." Lori fired out in quick succession, only pausing to think. "Is it the tall and slim guy in your band?"

Luna's face seemed to get a little redder as she sat there with her hands in her lap. To Lori's surprise, the brunette shook her head.

Lori tapped her chin. "Is it...Chunk?" She cringed a little out of disgust from the thought. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

Luna made a growl of frustration. "It's not a guy!" She yelled out, glaring at her sister. "And Chunk is only 21..."

Lori raised a brow as her eyes opened up. "Really?! I thought he was like, almost 30." She backtracked on Luna's statement. "Wait, what do you mean it's not a guy?"

Luna felt her chest throb as she tucked her legs close to her torso. She kept this little known fact to herself for, well, she couldn't remember. But she dreaded what others might think given all the stereotypes and what not about having...certain feelings. Heck, Lori would usually be the last person she'd tell this to out of fear she'd post it on social media; Leni being second because keeping secrets is next to impossible with her forgetfulness.

But at the same time, Lori was literally the only person in the house that made some progress in talking with someone on the "former love interest" category and had a relatively smooth outcome.

Drawing a breath, "It's not a bloke, cause...I-I'm...I'm not a 'straight as an arrow', if you catch my drift..."

Lori blinked as the phrasing confused her. "Not as straight...and if it's not a guy..." Her eyes widened in surprise. "You're a lesbian?"

Luna just gave her a cold glare. "No." She spoke curtly. "I mean, I still like guys, but...I'm just into girls too..." She partially buried her head against her knees.

"Oooooh. So you're bi." Lori replied, intertwining her fingers. "When did this happen?"

"...Can't exactly remember when; think it was around fresh man year of high school. Or maybe last year of middle school...either way, you know some of the things I notice about guys? Well, I also started to notice some of the things about girls too, you know?" Luna explained with some hesitation. "I don't know why but, it just feels natural to me. Might be cause I keep an open mind."

"You always were the chilled sister, ignoring the 'never having a mute button installed' part." Was Lori's reply as she smiled. "But, it does mean your options are much more diverse compared to others." She rested her chin in one hand as the other dropped to her lap. "So, whose the lucky girl?"

Luna squinted an eye. "Sooo, you aren't weirded out about me lookin' both ways?"

Lori raised a brow. "No? I mean, should I?"

"N-No." Luna said quickly. "It's just...well..." The brunette tapped her fingers together. "Some people don't really have good vibes about it...you're the first person I've ever told this to, but still..." She shifted her position slightly. "I didn't know how you guys would think of it..."

Lori made a frown of disgust. She was all too familiar with the teasing, belittling, and outright bullying of people who opened up in public. Mind you, it was never seen in school as they have a strict policy against that sort of thing; but that said little to the disgusting posts she'd seen online. She could only imagine what kind of hell Luna would've gone through if this was known immediately after losing her bandmates.

"I get everyone else, but why us?" Lori asked in a hurt tone. "You know you could've told us anything."

Luna sighed. "...I-I was afraid you guys might shun me or kick me out. I've seen stories about it happening to other kids...if you guys teased me about it, I wouldn't be too upset." A hardened gaze formed as she stared at the carpet. "But I'd grow tired of Luan's gay jokes after one day..."

Lori nodded in understanding. "I get that, but let's be honest Luna: this family isn't religious; I'm pretty sure Lisa is atheist at that. And as for the second part," She folded her arms. "I guess we accidentally made it a standard...seeing as we teased Lincoln about him liking Princess Pony for an entire week. And even then, it turned out we did it for no reason..." Turning to Luna, "But that doesn't mean we wouldn't love you if you told us. Bi, gay, pan I guess; it wouldn't matter to us, cause you're still our sister." She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, to which Luna raised her hand and gently grabbed with a smile. "And speaking of which, you never said who this girl is that your aiming for."

Luna let out a chuckle. "W-Well, you ever seen this blonde girl about my height in our band? With a teal streak in her hair?"

Friday came soon enough, and Lola would be the first to admit she didn't sleep much previous night. Oh, she slept just fine into Thursday morning, a feeling that had surged thanks to Lincoln helping her figure out how to read the text of your average book. Come Thursday night however, the butterflies in her stomach felt hotter than before. She wanted to believe she didn't have much of a reason to be nervous around her brother; he approached her after all. At the same time, Lola was aware that whatever they would discuss in Mrs. Lopez's office should be pretty deep and secretive.

The six year old twisted the hem of her shirt; she definitely had a lot to answer for with regards to the treatment of her brother.

Lola made a tired yawn before snuggling further into her seat on the first row; Dad was driving with Lincoln in the front passenger seat.

Lynn could feel the tension in the air as he took a second to glance at his son and 4th youngest daughter. "Soooo..." His fingers tapped on the steering wheel. "You kids ready for this?" The children looked at their dad. "I mean, if you aren't, we can go another time."

Lincoln glanced at Lola from the edge of his vision. She appeared to be a little timid based on her movement, and Lincoln himself was feeling a little uncertain about what he might uncover from their talk. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what occurred throughout his sister's life that turned her into...Lola, a girl whose name sent fear to other beauty pageant contestants, and her peers alike; including himself. Looking at her now, it was almost as if she had been replaced with another Lola from a parallel universe.

"She might not be ready, but I have to...well, WE need to do this. Between what I know with two of my other sisters...actually, three...there's just so much I need to figure out..." The boy mulled to himself. "I still want to go." Lincoln replied, turning his head a little more so he could focus better on his sister. "If she does."

Lola lifted her head a little at being put on the spot. She looked between her brother and father before responding with, "I-I'm ok with going." She looked out the window, not focusing on anything of importance.

Lynn didn't feel too convinced by her answer, but obliged regardless. "Alright gang, if you say so."

The family soon arrived at the shared office building, with the parking lot being a little less crowded than usual. Upon parking, the trio made their way into the building, operating on memory to reach the suite that held a few practitioners of the psychology department. While Lynn went to sign his children in, Lincoln and Lola sat in two of the empty chairs in the lobby. The two hadn't said anything to each other, not out of nervousness, but because they didn't know where to begin. Lincoln had several questions he wanted to ask, but waited for the right time to fire them.

Lola on the other hand, "Ok, this is it. Don't mess this up and answer what it is that Lincoln wants." She stole a quick glance at him. "And for Pete's sake, DON'T make him flip out! Then you'll never hear the end of it from your sisters, AND you might go crazy from the insults!" The six year old silently hoped Lincoln didn't let his anger boil over; not because she was afraid of getting yelled at by him, but because she feared she might screw up and attack him, just like a certain older sister did...

"Lincoln? Lola?" A feminine voice called from the entryway towards the offices. Both kids looked to see Dr. Lopez smiling at the two of them. "Are you guys ready?"

The two kids nodded as they got out of their seats. "Welp, the meeting of the hour I suppose." Lynn chuckled. "Hope you kids don't mind, but Vanzilla needs some gas. You two gonna be ok?"

"I guess so." Lincoln replied, an inflection of uncertainty in his tone.

"Well, depending on what we discuss, I'm pretty sure things will turn out fine." Miranda offered some hopefulness to their situation. She held the door open for the kids as they walked past her, shutting hallway door behind her a moment later.

Lynn gave a sigh as he walked out of the lobby. "Hope they can work something out. Lola sure changed from being the sweet little girl she was when she had diapers."

Mrs. Lopez let the children into her office, shutting the door behind her as the Louds took their seats. Unlike previously with Lincoln and Lynn Jr., both kids sat on the same sofa; albeit on the edge seats. This didn't go unnoticed by the good doctor as she mentally catalogued it.

"He's gotten less hesitant around his sisters." She glanced at Lola for only a second before focusing on her desk to find her notebook. "A big achievement considering he had great concerns about Lola." The doctor finally found her book before taking a seat in her own chair across from the two. "So, what brings you both here today?"

"Well..." Lincoln started, fighting off a bout of nervousness. "I-I wanted to talk about where me and Lola are in our relationship, and I had some questions that I felt weren't right to ask at home."

Lola made a light shrug. "Pretty much what he said."

"Hmmm." Miranda tapped her index fingers together. "Ok. And speaking of which, how have things been at home? I imagine it hasn't been easy given what I already know."

Both kids looked at one another, unsure of who should go first. Lola seemed content on letting her brother talk, but he gave a hesitant look that spoke of his intention to let her speak.

Breathing in, "It's been...weird at home. I mean, we've been without Lincoln for over a month, and..." Lola took pause to think things over. "I was surprised to hear he wanted to come back on a random part of the week. I was happy, but also nervous..."

"Mmhmm. I was also surprised to hear that." Miranda stated. "Which also makes me ask, what sort of interactions have you had with each other since then?"

Lola could only frown at the question. "I hardly see Lincoln at all...he doesn't want to ride in the van with us (which I get), and even when he's home, we don't see him until dinner..." She folded her arms. "I think the only time we've talked to each other was two days ago, but I don't blame him..."

Lincoln sat there in surprise at Lola's words. He really shouldn't have been shocked, having been well aware that his sisters knew of his fear towards them; maybe it was the fact Lola showed a level of understanding and maturity that he hadn't noticed before? At least, when it wasn't without an underlying motive.

Miranda pursed her lips. "It seems everyone is still on edge due to the the new arrangements. Then again, it has only been a week. Chances are, everyone will become more accustomed to each other without needing to walk on eggshells. " She looked at Lincoln. "And speaking of which, what's your routine been like Lincoln?"

"Well..." Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "I get up early in the morning before everyone else wakes up; which also has the benefit of avoiding a line for the bathroom." He sat his hand on the couch. "But the main downfall is that I'm really tired in the morning...wish I didn't have to wake up at fivelike my parents do, but...I'm just not comfortable being around everyone, or even riding in the van...that's why I use my bike."

"And you've been doing this every day since returning home?" The doctor asked.

Lincoln gave a curt nod.

Miranda tapped her pen against her chin. "Given the circumstances, I would say it's the optimal course of action until you feel comfortable being around your siblings. But at the same time, I'd advise relying on your current routine as a long term strategy." Mrs. Lopez replied. "Most adults wake up that early as they have a job that would require them to do so. But for you Lincoln, you are still a growing boy, and it would be beneficial to get as much sleep as you can."

Lincoln averted his gaze as he pondered the advice. In the meantime, Miranda focused her attention on Lola. "So, Lola. What thoughts do you have about your brother being at home again?"

"...The first thing on my mind was trying not to make him scared of me, or my sisters. Though, I guess that fixed itself since I hardly see him outside of dinner..."

"Have you two ever talked at school?"

Lola shook her head.

"...I don't see any of my sisters that much in school; separate classes and all." Lincoln added.

"Didn't stop you from finding Lynn..." The six year old muttered.

The middle child detected a hint of envy in his sister's voice. Before he could answer, the good doctor spoke. "Mmmm, ok. So to be clear, there's been little to no interaction between you two at all until today?"

"Well, Lincoln helped me with some homework on Wednesday." Lola answered.

Lincoln nodded. "I wanted to ask if she wanted to come here today, and...well, seeing her struggling, I couldn't help but try to help her out."

Miranda slapped her forehead. " Oh, right. Slipped my mind." She chuckled. "Though, do you feel these minute moments are helping you overcome your fears?"

The snow-haired child twiddled his thumbs as hesitation was visible for all to see. "Not exactly...I guess you could say I learned to trust Lynn a little more than I did before; but I wouldn't let her in my room or anything like that." He pondered in thought for a moment. "I guess I trust Leni the most aside from Lily; but it's just hard being mad at her for anything...well, besides this one time." His brows furrowed a little. "I doubt I'll ever speak to Lori anytime soon though..."

"Are you less trusting of her now or is it somewhere in the middle?"

"Look, I get that she had a rough time in school." Lincoln folded his arms. "Which does make me feel sorry for her; but still, she didn't need to act like we weren't even her siblings..."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "What about the other sisters you hadn't mentioned? How do you feel towards them?"

Lincoln glanced at Lola, who was looking a little expectant of him to answer. He didn't want to lie and say he trusted her, only to go back on his word soon after; that would most likely make her upset. Then again, the truth of the matter was that anything he said would likely end up in the same result. And if she did lash out, well...that's why he wanted to have this talk with their therapist.

"For some of them...I guess it's more of not really trusting them than being afraid; at least, that's what I can say about Luna and Lana." Lincoln stated. "For the others," The boy hesitated before giving his answer. "I-I'm still afraid of them...for different reasons..."

"Different reasons?" Miranda repeated.

"I just find it hard to be around them due to past moments I've had with them that weren't so good..." Lola pursed her lips as she sulked a little out of guilt. "Luan's pranking is so over the top, and she does it without warning that it's hard to trust her with anything, and it's like she can't go a full minute without making a joke, even when her punchline is lame..." Lincoln rested his head on a hand. "Actually, there was this one time where all of us tried to see who could go the longest without doing our annoying habits, and Luan looked like her head might explode from not being able to tell a single joke!"

Lola squinted an eye. "But, she hasn't told a joke ever since we were grounded. Well, technically she can now because Dad removed some of our punishments. But Luan's basically given up comedy, so it's unlikely she'll pull a prank."

Lincoln gave a quizzical look. "That doesn't explain why she goes ape on April Fools Day..." His frown turn into a glare as he looked away. "I had to get tested for rabies after that raccoon attack..."

"She said it's because," Lola stopped upon realizing she was about to spill a secret. "Um...actually...it's better if she tells you.

Lincoln didn't respond, though he noted that bit of information. "With Lucy and Lisa...they're creepy in their own ways..."

"I'll agree it is odd for someone Lucy's age to hold such negative emotions like she does. And Lisa is a rather special case." Miranda stated.

Lincoln deadpanned. "Is it because she thinks she's the next Einstein? Or the fact she thinks her own family are just guinea pigs for her to use?..."

Miranda bit her cheek. "It's not exactly my place to say, but she is only 4; so let's say her morals and ethics have yet to fully mature."

"Still, she could launch an experiment at any moment and none of us would know about it until after we were mutated i-into some monster!" Lincoln replied with a mix of anger and fear. "I mean, one day she could blow up the whole house; and not just roof! Or worse! At least Lucy just scares everyone by popping out of nowhere..." The boy shuddered slightly. "A-And needs a body for a funeral practice all the time...I-I think she might've tried burying me alive at the beach once..."

"But what about-?" Lola started, but Lincoln wasn't finished yet.

"Lana isn't too bad...but sometimes I can't help but think about the kinds of animals she keeps bringing into the house; dangerous ones too..." The white-haired child stated. "And for some reason, she keeps asking me to help her handle them. Sometimes I don't mind, but at the same time, I don't want to get poisoned by a snake, or whatever reptiles she finds..."

Lola pursed her lips. "But what about me Lincoln?!" She shouted, making the boy flinch. After silently swearing to herself for the outburst, "What about me?...What do you think about when it comes to me?"

Lincoln stared at Lola's eyes. She was searching his own, begging for him to give some sort of answer. "...Lola..." He began, shifting his body to face her. "I don't like saying this...but, sometimes...you sort of act like a meaner version of Lori..."

Lola went wide-eyed as she felt her heart quiver as his words resonated in her. She came back into focus as she repeated, "Sort of?..."

"W-Well...s-sometimes you act really bossy and mean to get others to do what you want, or resort to blackmail..." Lincoln rubbed his arm nervously. "B-But I still remember the times you were in diapers." He sat his hands in his lap. "You were the sweetest baby sister between you and Lana, and you were less fussy than even Lily; you probably put Leni to shame by being so cooperative and never really crying about anything unless you were hungry or just wanted someone to play with you. I mean, I guess the only thing that hadn't changed much were your fits with Lana. " The boy made a depressed frown. "Then, you started getting into those beauty pageants and...i-it's like a whole different you came out of nowhere!"

Lola sucked in her lips as a guilt-filled stare was visible through her eyes.

"Soooo..." Lincoln continued. "I-I wanted us to talk about it here since I didn't feel it was good to ask at home. But what I want to know is," He looked Lola in the eye, seeing the color of her eyes fade a little as she prepared for the worst. "What happened to you?...What happened to the sister I watched over when she was in diapers?..." Lincoln averted his gaze as he felt his heart quivering under her gaze. "N-No offense...but I didn't think you'd start acting like...well, Lori, until you were maybe Lynn's age..."

That statement tore into Lola more than it should have. She herself was quite hostile towards Lori since she dared to intimidate their brother despite not being in his original state of mind. Heck, she knew better than to scare Lincoln like that; especially since her own presence would send chills down his spine. It was definitely something she knew Lori did to almost everyone since she got a social circle.

And to make it worse, Lola had to come to terms to the extent her influence caused to those around her before this never-ending nightmare started. During the times before the SFP was first used, she knew the kind of look Lincoln gave her whenever she spoke to him directly; he may have greeted her with annoyance or some agitation if he was in the middle of a task, but she could see the fear behind that annoyed look he used at the front. And to the horror of her present-day self, she took pride in knowing she could get him to bend to her will whenever she pleased.

Blackmail and physical attacks were more of a last resort, as she felt a lady like herself shouldn't resort to dirty tricks. But time and again, she would find herself pulling that card more and more frequently.

Her stomach felt queasy as a sinking feeling took hold. Thinking about the way she treated her brother in the past, not paying attention to how much she could've damaged the bond they have (or had), and using him to her advantage no matter if it inconvenienced him...she hated it, and she hated how she must've made Lincoln feel by the sudden shift in attitude when they were younger.

"Was Lincoln even at that pageant?..." The six year old thought to herself. "But if he asked, then he DOESN'T know...well, I was almost five, so Lincoln must've been...eight? Nine?" She shook her head. "Makes sense. Boys don't go for that kind of stuff." Her eyes squinted a little. "But then...why did he offer to help me? I mean, not counting the times I forced him...but...did I really end up copying Lori? I need to ask Mom or Dad..."

Her mind refocused onto the question Lincoln asked, especially when she caught him and Dr. Lopez staring at her. She didn't know how long she got lost in her thoughts, but it had to have been a few minutes at best.

Lola sat up straight. "I don't know if you were there, but the girl you knew me as..." She bit her cheek for a second. "I mean, I want to believe I'm still nice and sweet...but I started to change after having one bad pageant..."

A/N: Apologies for the long wait, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I would've stopped it a little earlier, but I didn't want it to appear as if it had been nothing but filler. I also gave a slight nod to a certain episode, as it could explain no one in the family was surprised at Luna's relationship with Sam; at least, from what the viewer can see since we never did see how they got together other than the hint left after L is for Love. Anyways, the next chapter will include Lola's explanation of her past, and how Lincoln will react to this new knowledge.