Meanwhile, Present Lincoln asked for someone to hose him off to get all the alligator blood and mud removed. The ride home was ungodly quiet and uncomfortable. Lincoln kept an arm around Lana's shoulder to hold her close. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, while Lincoln looked exhausted – wiped out like he ran a marathon. Lincoln stared out into the window, watching everything pass by him. What was supposed to be a fun evening turned into something else entirely.
When they got home, it was similar to when Lincoln saved Leni's life from the runaway truck. All the sisters dashed over to squeeze Lincoln and Lana bear hugs and smothered their faces with kisses. Lola was balling like a baby with waterfall tears as she held her twin sister, while Leni, Luna, and Luan couldn't hold back their tears as they held Lincoln. None of them cared that he was shirtless. Lincoln took some comfort in being in the arms of his sisters. Sometimes he wished the world would just stop and let him be in this forever.
"Are you two okay? Tell me you're okay!" Leni exclaimed.
"We're fine," Lana answered.
"We're okay," Lincoln said.
"You were amazing, Lincoln! You saved Lana!" Lynn praised.
"I know, Lynn. I was there," Lincoln replied while rubbing his eyes.
"You look terrible, though. Lori, is it possible to have Lincoln take a day off from school? I got a feeling these two need some long rest," Lynn suggested.
"I don't see why not, especially after today," Lori answered.
However, as soon as the father entered the house, all the sisters turned to him, and they had confused looks as he looked sad and guilty. They turned to Lana and saw her giving him a death glare. Lincoln still had his eyes closed, relishing the warm feeling his sisters were holding him.
"Wait, what's going on? Lana, why are you looking at Dad like that?" Lori asked.
Lincoln cleared his throat before speaking, "When that bull gator broke, and Lana tried to get away . . . she called out to Dad for help, and he . . . he—"
"He did what?" Luna asked.
"He did nothing!" Lana screamed.
Everyone turned to her wide-eyed.
"I was screaming for help. I saw him see me . . . he didn't do anything to help me! He just sat cowering on top of a truck while I almost got eaten by a big bull gator! Lincoln saved my life because he actually did something . . . and Dad did nothing!" Lana said with tears in her eyes as she hung onto Lincoln.
The rest of the Loud sisters were shocked and mortified as they turned to their father. The younger sisters' eyes were wide, their mouths uttering as they looked at Lynn Sr. like he was a murderer. The older sisters slowly grew death glares as they clenched their fists and grinded their teeth. Lynn Sr. had a fearful expression on his face as he sweated pinballs.
He started, "Girls, wait. Just let me explain—"
"You monster!" Lori yelled, throwing a lamp at him.
Lynn Sr. ducked while covering himself. The lamp shattered on his shoulder. Rita came rushing in from the kitchen.
"Lori L. Loud! What are you doing?" Rita exclaimed.
"Dad almost let Lana get eaten by an alligator!" Lori shouted.
"Lincoln and Lana told us everything! Lana was screaming for help, and Dad just sat on top of a truck and did nothing!" Luna jabbed angrily.
Lynn Sr. whimpered with his eyes watering. Rita got in between her husband and her children with her arms out to protect him.
"Whoa! Kids! Calm down. That's no way to treat your father!" Rita stated.
"You're seriously defending him?! Did you literally not hear a word we said?!" Lori demanded.
She was so angry you could feel the fire in her breath.
"Instead of doing his job as a parent to protect, he just sat on top of a truck like a little crybaby thumb sucker! How are you okay with that?!" Lynn shouted.
"Kids, I'm asking you to be reasonable about this. When something happens, and everyone panics, that causes you to panic, and when you panic, your mind doesn't focus very well. Your father is not good in hot situations," Rita started.
"What are you saying?" Leni asked.
"I'm saying that while Lana was screaming for help, how could he have known it was Lana? How many people were screaming for help? Don't you think more than one person was screaming? And more than one parent brought their daughters. Don't you think they were screaming for help as well?"
Everyone was baffled at what Rita was saying.
"Are you excusing Dad's behavior? Are you saying that he didn't do anything wrong?" Luan asked.
"I'm saying your father didn't know what he saw or heard. Adrenaline was pumping in his body like crazy. Everyone was screaming. He couldn't tell if it was you screaming or someone else. He wasn't the only one that brought his daughter, and you weren't the only one calling for help, Lana," Rita explained.
The sisters all glanced at each other in awe of what their mother was saying.
"But I saw him! I saw him see me!" Lana objected.
"Maybe your father was looking in your direction, but his vision didn't focus on you per se. The point is, kids, you can't blame or judge him too harshly."
Lori scoffed a chuckle as she rolled her eyes, "I don't believe this."
"You're excusing him, Mom. Your rationalization doesn't change that Lana almost got killed, and Dad didn't do anything about it," Lisa stated.
"I'm saying it wasn't his fault that he got scared," Rita replied.
Lincoln rubbed his eyes while shaking his head and letting out a heavy sigh.
"Lincoln, honey, come now. You can't be too harsh on your father, either," Rita said.
Lincoln turned to her, and he spoke in a tired tone, "I . . . I really don't like who you two are right now."
His parents' eyes widened, and the sisters turned to him.
"I think . . . I think I can't stay here. I'm going to ask if I can crash at Clyde's for a while," Lincoln said, getting up.
His sisters crowded around him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Lincoln, Lincoln, stop. Please, you can't go," Lori said, holding him by his shoulders.
Leni and Luna held him from behind.
"Why not?" Lincoln asked.
"Because we need you here. Lana needs you," Lori answered.
Lincoln's eyes widened slightly. He turned to look at her and saw her eyes so huge that no one with a heart could resist. Lincoln nodded in agreement before hugging his older sisters.
"Okay?" Lori asked.
Lincoln nodded again.
"Good, now go shower. Oof."
"Yeah, bro. You smell like Lana after a mud bath," Luna added.
"Lana, do you want to shower first, or can I go?" Lincoln asked.
"All yours, bro," Lana said.
As Lincoln went upstairs, Rita called, "Lincoln!"
Lincoln stopped and slowly looked over his shoulder.
"We know you're upset with your father and me, which is why you're saying these things to us, but please try to understand. We're still your parents, and we love you all, " Rita glanced at all the daughters before turning back to her son, "You know that, right?"
At that moment, Lincoln saw it all. He saw the bad luck incident. He saw his parents completely disregard his safety and well-being for their own good fortune. He saw his room reduced to nearly nothing. He saw his family forcing him to wear that stupid squirrel costume for good luck. He saw the alternate path where he warns them of this by showing his powers, only for them to use him to get rich and make their lives better and not his. He remembered all the horrible things they all did and said to him.
A cold chill ran through his body, and a deep feeling of dread filled the hole in his chest with utter hopelessness. The worst feeling, though, was the unloved feeling. If they truly loved him, why would they do these horrible things to him in the future? Why are they capable of doing these things to him? Lincoln's eyes began to water.
Before the tears escaped his eyes, he muttered, "Yeah, sure."
As he walked up the stairs and down the hall, the tears broke through and escaped his eyes as they streamed down his face. He could hear his older sisters continue to argue with their parents. Lincoln locked himself in the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror. He remembered how he used to be a happy kid – always had his smile on. Now he looks like he worked for the Peace Core and saw thousands upon thousands of dead people in a war zone.
The hot water hid his tears as he cleaned himself up. When he was finished, he made a beeline to his bedroom and lay in his bed – he didn't notice that the arguing was finally over. Lincoln lay in bed with the door closed. He summoned a light orb to show him the possibility of the future changed – it did slightly. Now it's both Leni and Lana defending Lincoln from the rest of the family.
'Now Lana's on my side too, but only because I saved her life? Meaning she and Leni wouldn't have been if I didn't save their lives. So . . . I still have to prove myself to them. Why is me being their brother and son not good enough for them?' Lincoln thought.
Lincoln rolled on his side.
'I had to kill two alligators to win Lana's love? What do I have to do for the rest of them? Why is everything like this? Why does this future have to happen to me? Why can't they just love me the way I am?' Lincoln thought.
He closed his eyes and began to sob softly. Then his door knocked, and in came his sisters. However, he couldn't stop crying.
Lynn started, "Well, we talked to Mom and Dad and their behavior and—Lincoln?"
Lincoln's tears streamed down his face. He tried not to make too much noise, but they heard him anyway. Lynn pulled the blanket off to see her little brother. As soon as they saw their brother's tears, their hearts sank.
"Oh, Lincoln," Lynn breathed.
Lynn lay in bed and wrapped her arms around him from behind, holding him close – resting her chin on his head. Leni lay in bed as well, hugging him from the front as she kissed and gently nuzzled his head. Lynn rubbed Lincoln's arm and shoulder.
"Lincoln, it'll be okay," Lynn promised.
She nuzzled his head with kisses.
Lori sat at the foot of the bed with a sad look, "It's over, Lincoln. This terrible day is over. You don't have to worry. Lana's safe and sound."
Even though they weren't getting it and didn't know the real reason why Lincoln was sobbing, he took comfort in being in their arms. He wished this moment would last forever. After a long while, Lincoln drifted asleep. The loud sisters stayed and whispered softly to each other.
"This was supposed to be a good day, a day for Lincoln and Lana to bond together. Instead, all this happened. It seems like every time we try to reach out to our own brother, the world pushes him away," Lori whispered sorrowfully.
"We can't give up, not on our Lincoln," Lynn said softly while gently stroking her fingers through her brother's hair.
"We're not. It's just every attempt to be close to him; we're failing. We're taking steps back instead of forward," Luan stated.
"And what's the deal with our folks? First, they wanted to make him into a mascot, and now this. Not only are we not getting closer to Lincoln, but our parents are also failing," Luna added.
"I conquer. Although, based on what goes on in this house, it does raise the question. Is it only in recent events that they're failing us, or were they always like this?" Lisa asked.
Everyone raised their eyebrows at that.
"I don't want to think about that now. I just want to focus on helping Lincoln," Lori stated.
"Same here, but I'm scared that anything we try to do with him out there may end in disaster. Can we spend time with him here, or will that not be enough?" Lola asked.
"Yeah, of course, we can. As long as we're with Lincoln and trying to connect with him, that's what counts," Luan said.
"Alright, alright. For now, let's call it a night and let Lincoln sleep. Lana and Lincoln should take tomorrow off," Lori stated.
"What about school?" Lana asked.
"I think everyone would understand that you both need some time after what happened," Luna said.
"Okay, can I stay here and sleep with Lincoln? I don't want to be alone," Lana requested.
"Of course, honey. Get some sleep," Lori said.
Everyone except Lana left to go to sleep.
Lucy looked back over her shoulder at her brother.
"I haven't forgotten your promise, Lincoln. You'll tell me what's going on," Lucy whispered to herself.
Lola couldn't sleep, so she snuck into Lincoln's room and lay on the other side of the bed. Surprisingly, Lincoln had no visions of the future that night in his dream. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Lana mumbled in her sleep due to an unfriendly dream. Lincoln kissed her head as he squeezed her hand, which put her at ease.
Lincoln woke up with both twins in his arms. Lola explained that their parents called the school and told them that he and Lola needed a few days after what happened yesterday. While she and the others got ready for school, Lincoln and Lana slept in – Lana, half asleep, curled up with Lincoln in his arms.
When they were ready to get out of bed, Lana had a limp on her bad leg. Lincoln picked her up and carried her to the shower. While she was cleaning up, he made them breakfast, and they ate on the couch watching TV.
"How are you doing, Lana?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm fine . . . I guess," Lana answered.
"I'm sorry, Lana."
"Sorry? What have you got to be sorry about? You didn't do anything wrong."
Lincoln rolled his eyes, thinking, 'You got that right.'
"Mom and Dad, on the other hand, they've got a lot to be sorry about," Lana stated.
Lincoln wasn't entirely sure if he should ask this question. He didn't know what conversation would follow afterward but asked anyway.
"Lana . . . do you like Mom and Dad?" Lincoln asked.
There was a long pause before Lana answered, "They're still my parents. I'm angry at them right now, but I still love them."
"I didn't ask if you love them. I asked do you like them."
Lana turned to him, confused, "What do you mean?"
"You can love someone but not like them. This is very common among family members. You love them because they're family, but you don't like them because of who they are and what they do, which is why you don't want to be around them or have anything to do with them," Lincoln explained.
"Like Aunt Ruth?"
"Exactly, like Aunt Ruth. We may love her because she's family, but there's never a time when we like to be around her. She's unbearably boring, a disgusting pig, and she makes one of us massage her gross feet."
"So, that was what you meant by your question earlier?" Lana asked.
Lincoln nodded.
"Well . . . in that case, not really. I mean, Mom and Dad have been doing things that are not okay, especially when it comes to you. So, no, I don't like them. Not right now, anyway."
Lincoln nodded, "I see."
They were flipping back and forth between cartoons. There weren't many good things that were on at the moment.
Lana turned to face her brother, "What about you, Lincoln? Do you like Mom and Dad?"
"Right now, no," Lincoln answered.
"Do you love them?"
There was a long pause before Lincoln answered flatly, "Sometimes."
This threw Lana off, "Sometimes? What does that mean?"
"It means sometimes I do . . . and sometimes I don't. Right now, I don't . . . and I don't know if I will again," Lincoln replied.
Lana stared at her brother as those cold words sank in. She rubbed her arm, wanting to ask a follow-up question but was afraid of the answer. Lincoln knew how his words sounded but felt he could be honest with Lana, especially if she was going to defend him from his family in the future.
"Do you like your sisters? Including me?" Lana asked.
Lincoln nodded, "Yeah."
"Do you love us?"
Lincoln turned to her, "Yes."
Lana smiled and hugged her brother.
'It was on the tip of my tongue to say sometimes,' Lincoln thought. He looked down at his little sister, 'But I said the right answer.
Lincoln grabbed a brush and took the ties out of Lana's hair. Lana opened her eyes at what was happening.
"Lincoln, what are you doing?" Lana asked.
"I'm going to brush your hair. It's easier to do that without any hair bands tying your hair," Lincoln answered.
Lana, at first, was surprised by this but later relished the sensation of the brush combing and straightening her hair.