Family Is Where Love Rings The Loudest (The Loud House AU)

Hours had passed since Lincoln and Lori had first descended the staircase. In that time, they had journey together up the daunting Death Mountain within A Link to the Past, making their way towards the Tower of Hera where through trial, error, and more than a few lost and luckily reclaimed hearts, Lori defeated the fuzzy and erratic Moldorm, earning herself both a Pendant of Wisdom and an adorable cheer of congratulations from Lincoln. Following that, Lori decided that would be a good place to stop. So, after saving her progress, she turned the game off and put on some cartoons (Thankfully the good ones were now airing)

In those hours, the two simply sat upon the couch, enjoying each other's company and laughing at the wacky antics of the cartoon characters.

"Oh, good morning, Lori!" And it was around Eleven O' clock that another Loud sister finally came down the stairs. Leni's beaming grin lit up the gray atmosphere. Her light golden hair, already carefully brushed somehow still glowed despite the low lighting, and her blue eyes glittered with exuberance. She was dressed in a pale green pajama top with a pair of bright pink pajama pants.

"Mornin' Leni," Lori replied with a yawn. "Sleep good?"

"The best!" Leni replied, hopping off the last step of the stairs and walking towards the couch, her hands held aloft in front of her chest as she did so, a gait the rest of the family affectionately referred to as her "raptor walk". "I totally dreamt that I was in this really pretty forest, and all around me there were these really pretty butterflie—Oh! Good morning Lincoln!"

She finally saw Lincoln once she rounded the couch, previously hiding Lincoln from her line of sight thanks to his tiny stature.

Lincoln shrank away from Leni slightly, clutching his rabbit against his side as a faint blush colored his cheeks. "G-Good morning," He mumbled.

Leni gasped when she saw what Lincoln was holding. "You've got the toy I made you!" She exclaimed, bouncing with the surge of happiness that went through her.

Lincoln jolted when she said that, remembering what Lori had told him. Leni was responsible for the creation of the toy that had saved him from his fears the previous night. In a way, she had been the one who wiped his tears when he nuzzled the rabbit. She was the one who gave him something to cling to for comfort.

Lincoln had to show his gratitude. He brought the rabbit between his cast arm and his side, pinning it against him. Then, he hauled his arm over the arm of the couch and pulled himself onto his feet, wobbling somewhat on the top of the couch cushion. "Leni," He said once he was steady and looking up at her. He presented the rabbit towards her, "Thank you very much for making this for me." He brought the toy back against his chest, setting his chin on top of its head as he hugged it close. "I really, really like it."

One could practically see the hearts of adoration appear above Leni's head. "Aww! I'm totes happy you like it, Lincoln!" She exclaimed, her hands clasping by her cheek. "I spent a ton of time making it!"

"It's really nice," Lincoln said, tilting his cheek against one of the rabbit's ears. "You're really nice."

Leni's smile widened and she moved towards Lincoln. "Aww, come here!" She said, her arms opening.

"Leni, no!" Before Leni could envelop Lincoln in a hug, Lori jumped forward, stopping her with a hand to her shoulder. When Leni looked at Lori bewilderedly, Lori subtly gestured to Lincoln with a tilt of her head.

Leni looked over to Lincoln. He had stepped away from her, his back firmly pressed against the couch, his eyes closed in a flinch, and his rabbit shaking slightly in his arms.

Leni's eyes widened. Lincoln's fear of physical contact had completely slipped her mind. "Oh…" She stepped back from the both of them, guilt and shame running through her like a hot knife. "I…I'm sorry," She whispered. "I didn't mean to—I just…" Her lips quivered and she brought a hand up to them.

Lori sat back, holding her hands up to both her siblings, "Hey, no harm done. We're all just getting used to each other." She looked back at Lincoln, "It's okay, Lincoln. Leni just wanted to give you a hug. She meant no harm, don't worry."

Lincoln stopped shaking, and slowly opened his eyes to regard the two of them. "I—" He looked down shamefully, "Sorry…"

"You got nothing to be sorry for, Lincoln," Leni found a speck of courage, helping her speak up, "I just forgot." She offered a smile, much more subdued than the one she had walked down the stairs with, hopefully calming the boy down.

Thankfully, she seemed to be successful. Lincoln stepped away from the couch cushion he had pressed himself against and moved back to where he had been originally.

"Still…" Lincoln brought the rabbit up again, "Thank you for my new toy. I really like it."

Leni's eyes lit back up a smidge at that, and she nodded in reply. "You're very welcome, Lincoln," She said. She twiddled her thumbs together, "Do you mind if I sit with you two?"

Lori rolled her eyes and scooted to the other end of the couch, "Like you have to ask, Leni."

Lincoln nodded in return, another blush coloring his cheeks, "Uh huh."

Leni beamed and hopped on the middlemost part of the couch, keeping herself a safe distance from Lincoln so as to avoid another personal space snafu. "So what's on?" She asked.

"Fairly Oddparents," Lori replied, leaning her cheek on her fist.

A little while later, Luan descended the stairs next. Her pigtails had been undone, letting her hair drape around the top of her neck. "Good morning," She called, rubbing her eye. She was dressed in a button-up yellow pajama shirt with a pair of green cotton pants. She made her way to her sisters, "Are there anymo—Oh, hey Lincoln!"

"Hello," Lincoln said, leaning over the arm of the couch to wave at Luan.

"Did you sleep good?" Luan asked.

"Um…" Lincoln bit his lip. "Uh huh," He said, peering down at his lap.

Luan, unfortunately, did not believe him. Still, instead of inquiring any further, she trotted over to the front window. "Wow, it's really raining cats and dogs out there," She observed, pressing her face to the glass. She turned back to the rest of her siblings, "Better stock up on the tuna and milkbones, huh?" She giggled to herself, "Get it?"

Lori, again, rolled her eyes. Leni and Lincoln simply tilted their heads to side in bewilderment.

Luan clicked her tongue bemusedly and went to take a spot in front of the coffee table.

A little while later, the sound of rapid footsteps caught the ears of everyone in the living room, and before anyone could ask themselves what it was, the question was answered by a despairing cry.

"NOOOOOOO!" Lynn sprinted past the couch, paying no mind to her siblings as she gunned towards the window. She stood on her tiptoes to look out the window, regarding each raindrop with an increasing pout. "Nooooo…" She moaned, falling into a slouch. "Why did it have to rain? I wanted to try and play with Lincoln today…"

"Um, Lynn?"

Lynn picked herself up and turned back to her sisters, gloom written all over her features.

And saw most of her siblings, Lincoln included.

"Oh…" Lynn immediately turned beet red and grabbed her arm bashfully, "I—Um, I just wanted to—"

Lori decided to intervene once more on behalf of yet another of her sibling's latest faux pas and gently tapped Lincoln's hand to get his attention. "Lynn likes to get to know people by playing with them. She tends to be kinda one track minded that way."

"Hey!" Lynn objected, stepping up to the couch. "I just—" She turned away, ruffling the sleeve of her little red and silver pajama jersey as she did so, "We didn't get a lot of time to talk yesterday."

Lincoln blinked, taking in Lynn's words. Then, fighting the small bundle of nerves that were trying to keep him from saying so, he spoke up. "Um, I wouldn't mind playing with you."

Lynn jolted and stood a little straighter. "Really!?" She said, an exuberant grin coming over her. "I—Great! Whaddya wanna play?!"

"I…" Lincoln couldn't help but look at his bulky arm, burdened with a cast that was covered by the comforting fabric of his vermillion sweater. "I dunno. I'm not sure what I can do…"

Lynn's smile fell, shifting into a thoughtful expression as she searched for what to say next, "Well…That's okay!" She said, cheer slipping back into her tone. She stepped up to the couch, "I'll think of something we can do! It's raining anyway, so I'll have to think of something that isn't too crazy."

"Please do," Lori said, shaking when she recalled getting some unwanted face to face time with an errantly kicked soccer ball Lynn had decided to kick through the hallway on another rainy day just like the one they were all currently experiencing.

Lynn set a hand on her hip and extended a thumbs up towards Lincoln, "So don't worry, Lincoln. I'll figure something out, 'kay?"

A smidge of a smile, careful and reserved, but still noteworthy, came over Lincoln's face again, and suddenly, his arm was thrust to the back of his mind. "O-Okay."

Aww, Lynny! Leni had to resist reaching out and pinching Lynn's cheek, You really are taking to this big sister thing like a fishy to water!

Good work, Lynn, Lori thought with a nod of approval.

Lynn glowed a little brighter from Lincoln's response. However, before she could start brainstorming, she was interrupted by a grumble of hunger from her stomach. "Huh, guess I'm hungry," She chuckled, rubbing her stomach. She turned to Lori, "Do we have any more frozen waffles?"

"Sorry," Lori said, shaking her head, "Linc and I had the last ones."

"Darn…" Lynn said, looking down at her stomach with a little pout.

"'Linc'?" Luan tilted her head back towards the rest of her siblings, "You gave him a nickname?"

"Well, sure," Lori replied, giving Lincoln a fond look, "It fits with our whole naming convention. You know, four letter names that start with 'L'?"

"How cute!" Leni exclaimed. Her lips quirked in a sudden surge of thought and she leaned down just the tiniest bit to look Lincoln in the eyes, "But…I think we can go cuter; something to match your adorable little face." Her own eyes widened and she snapped her fingers, "I got it! Linky!"

"Linky?" The other three sisters parroted questionably.

"Yeah! It's totes cute!" Leni said. "A perfect fit for such a cutie like Lincoln here!" She placed her hands on the couch, crouching down further to Lincoln. It warmed Leni's heart to see him not recoil that time around. "So whaddya say?" She said quietly. "Can I call you Linky?"

Lincoln blushed and twiddled his thumbs, "Uh huh."

"Yay!" Leni clapped her hands in lieu of hugging Lincoln. "Alright, I'll call you Linky then!"

"I wanna call him that too!" Luan cried.

Lynn leaned against the arm of the couch, "Do you mind if I call you Linc? Like Lori?"

"Sure," Lincoln replied, turning his attention to Lynn.

Lynn smiled and put a hand on Lori's knee, jostling it excitedly.

As for Lori, she chuckled and laid an arm over the top of the couch, reclining against the cushions, "Well, looks like you got yourself a nickname, Linc. Congrats."

Lincoln regarded the girls, his eyes glittering with appreciation. "Thank you," He said, nodding to all of them. "All of you."

CLICK! Suddenly, the sound of a door opening caught the attention of the children in front of the TV, prompting them to turn around just as their parents came out.

"Oh, morning, kids!" Lynn Sr. greeted. "Up bright and early, I see?"

"Morning, Dad," The girls called in return.

Rita moved beside Lynn Sr., encircling an arm around him. "Luna and Lincoln aren't awake yet?"

"Lincoln's right here," Lori informed, gesturing the boy next to her with a tilt of her neck.

Both parents moved towards the couch.

"Ah, there he is!" Lynn Sr. said jovially. "Morning, Squirt."

"G'Morning," Lincoln replied, growing bashful again in the face of his new parents.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Rita asked, leaning over the top of the couch on her arms.

"Mmhmm," Lincoln mumbled with a nod. "My bed was really comfy."

Rita laughed, "That's very good to hear. Your father and I were very determined to get you something nice and cozy to sleep in. When did you wake up?"

"Um…" Lincoln licked the inside of his cheek, trying to figure out how to phrase the answer. Unfortunately for him, telling time was not a skill of his yet.

Lori giggled, "We woke up around seven. Then we came down here to watch cartoons." She exchanged a warm look with Lincoln, "Turns out we've got similar tastes, don't we, Linc?"

"Seven?" Lynn Sr. looked towards the digital clock on an end table not too far away from them. "Goodness, that was quite a while ago. You all must be hungry."

"YES!" Lynn cried in agreement, little fists shooting up into the air.

Lori bit her cheek, bringing a hand to her stomach. It had been a few hours since she and Lincoln ate, and the waffles were relatively small. "I could eat," She said, turning to Lincoln, "How 'bout you, Linc?"

"That sounds nice," Lincoln replied, mimicking Lori and putting a hand on his stomach as well.

"Alright then," Lynn Sr. said, clapping his hands. "Bacon and eggs sound good?"

"UH HUH!" Lynn agreed, growing more excited with the mention of bacon. She scampered up to her father. "Can I help?" She asked, standing on her tiptoes.

"Absolutely," Lynn Sr. chuckled, bending down and taking Lynn into his arms. He looked over the rest of his children, "Anyone else wanna lend a hand?"

"Ooh, I'll go!" Leni said, leaping off the couch, "I wanna make toast with jam!"

"I wanna crack the eggs!" Luan exclaimed, jumping onto her feet. "Should we make rainy side up because it's raining?" She scanned her family for a reaction, "Get it?"

Rita chuckled and ruffled Luan's hair, "Very clever, sweetie. Lori, do you and Lincoln wanna come?"

Lori brought a hand up to scratch her cheek, "Hmm, I think I'm gonna stick around with Linc. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen and all that. You cool with that, Linc?"

Lincoln nodded, his cheeks tingeing pink, "Mmhmm."

"Okay then," Lynn Sr. said, bouncing Lynn in his arms. "We'll call you when the food's ready then."

With that, the parents and three daughters walked off towards the kitchen, leaving Lincoln and Lori alone on the couch once more.

"Looks like it's shaping up to be a pretty solid day, isn't it, Linc?" Lori said, facing Lincoln with a smirk.

"Y-Yeah," Lincoln replied, placing a hand on his still pink cheek.

Lori's grin broadened and she sat up on her knees in front of Lincoln. "Two nicknames in the span of a few hours, talk about making a good impression." She bent down to be eye level with Lincoln, "And as cheesy and derivative Leni's name for you is, I do have to admit one thing." She took a chance and reached out to very gently lay a palm on Lincoln's head. He flinched a bit, but thankfully relaxed a moment later as Lori's expression softened.

"You really are a cutie," She whispered.

Lincoln's hardened shoulders sunk, and in a moment of anxious calm, he leaned into Lori's palm.

"Thank you…" He mumbled in return.

…

The sound of falling rain tapping incessantly against the roof was the first thing Luna registered upon returning from the world of slumber. With a still tired groan, Luna shuffled beneath her dark purple blankets, tilting her head to and fro on her pillow while her eyes creaked open.

The world came in blurry, a smear of grays, purples, and blues. Blearily, she brought her arm up to wipe at her eyes, wiping away the dried-up remnants of water she had fallen into such a fitful sleep with the night before.

Oh no, Lincoln… Instantly, the memory of what had happened the previous night assaulted her mind, bringing with it a veritable tidal wave of guilt alongside it. How could I—What kind of monster am I?

The thought came unbidden, but she couldn't hold it back. In her mind, she just couldn't come to an understanding of what she had done. Who else but a monster could leave a crying child all alone, facing his fears in the dark of the night with only a stuffed animal to fend against them?

I'm a horrible sister… She thought, wiping away the new onslaught of tears creeping into her eyes. The absolute worst. How could I ever show my face to him again after that?

She shook as the tears descended down her cheeks, ebbing past her forearm and soaking her chin as they converged.

Suddenly, the sound of her bedroom door opening caught in her ears, forcing her breath to catch in her throat in an attempt to stifle her sobs.

"Luna?" Leni's sweet voice chimed through the air, dispelling the smallest fraction of the gloom within the bedroom. "We made breakfast, you hungry?"

Luna sniffled into her arm, bringing her blanket up to wipe her eyes before Leni could see them. "I—Sure. What's to eat?" She asked.

Leni noticed the slight gurgle in Luna's voice. "Bacon and eggs," She replied, walking further into the room. "With little pieces of toast cut into triangles with jam."

"What kind of jam?" Luna asked, trying to clear her throat with several watery coughs.

"Blueberry," Leni replied, "I know how much you prefer blueberry."

Luna chuckled, taking a quick breath to clear out the rest of her throat. "Heh, that was nice of you." A lot nicer than I am… She added as an afterthought.

Leni moved up to Luna's bed. The red puffiness in her eyes was harshly apparent, giving her eyes a glistening sheen that alerted her to the emotional turmoil she was feeling in an instant. "Luna…" She tilted her head, appraising her younger sister with concern, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luna said instantly. "Just a little drowsy still, nothing more." She pulled her blankets off of herself and swung her legs over the bed, jumping onto the carpet next to Leni. "C'mon, let's eat. I'm starving."

"Okay…" Leni said, uncertainty clinging to her voice.

Not much else was said after that; the two sisters simply just made their way down the hallway and down the stairs.

"Good morning, Luna." Rita smiled at Luna when she stepped into the dining room.

"Morning, Mom," Luna replied, lifting her nose to appreciate the scent.

Across the table, a large bowl of scrambled eggs sprinkled with cheese and some sort of green garnish, a platter of crispy red bacon, and a pile of toast covered with gobs of blueberry jam sat before the family. Everyone was already seated, with Lynn Sr. serving the youngest members (Lynn and Lincoln) their servings while everyone else served themselves.

As luck would have it, only one seat remained after Leni took her usual spot, the one next to Lincoln.

"Hope you're hungry, sweetheart," Lynn Sr. proclaimed jubilantly. He set Lincoln's plate in front of him. A smaller mound of scrambled eggs with two pieces of bacon and a single slice of toast; an appropriate serving size considering Lori and him had eaten earlier that morning.

"It all smells really good," Luna said, glancing at Lincoln and her seat nervously. The fledgling feeling of guilt was coming back, wriggling in her stomach like an irate jellyfish. She gulped and hopped onto her chair, sitting on the hem of the oversized concert tee she used as a pajama top.

"Good morning, Luna." To make matters worse, Lincoln greeted her as she settled in.

Luna jolted, the anxiety in her stomach suddenly growing sharper. "G-G-Good morning, Lincoln," She said, giving Lincoln the briefest of glances.

Had she not been feeling so crummy, she would have laughed at the little spots of jam on Lincoln's cheeks.

"Luna, you look tired," Rita informed, sliding the toast platter towards her. "Are you feeling alright?"

Luna took a single slice of toast, "I'm fine, Mom. I just—I just had a little bit of a hard time getting to sleep last night. Couldn't get comfy."

"You're always such a night owl," Lori said, taking a big chomp out of her bacon. "It's a wonder you haven't zonked out during a test at school or something like that."

Luna shrugged noncommittedly, "It's quiet at night. Kind of a rarity around here, y'know?"

"I can certainly agree to that," Rita said with a smirk. She took a sip from her glass before speaking again, "So, what's everyone's plans for the day?"

Lynn immediately sat up a little higher, a piece of bacon still poking out of the corner of her mouth. "Ooh, Lincoln and I are gonna play today!" She bombastically announced.

One of Rita's eyebrows rose, "Is that right? What are you gonna play? I'm sure you know you can't play outside today."

Lynn didn't appear discouraged, she just put her fists to her hips and tilted her chin up, confidence practically shining off every bit of her. "Ha! Some silly ol' rain isn't gonna stop me. I'll figure something out."

"Okay," Rita agreed, her heart warming by her daughter's tell-tale bravado. "Just be sure it's nothing too crazy, alright? No painted soccer balls or soaking wet basketballs, got it?"

"Got it!" Lynn replied with an energetic little nod.

"Hey, wait a second!" Luan suddenly spoke up. "We still haven't given Linky his presents. Can't we do that first?"

Lincoln jolted at that and looked to the rest of the family, his egg laden fork hovering halfway to his mouth. "Presents? For me?" He asked. "W-What for?"

"To welcome you of course!" Luan went on. "Did you think that rabbit was all you were getting?"

Lincoln glanced at his rabbit, leaning against his side in the spot between his waist and his booster seat. Truth be told, he was so grateful for it, that he would have been grateful with just that. "Um…"

"Children should have toys, Lincoln," Rita said, offering the boy a smile, "All the girls here have quite a few, you deserve the same."

Lincoln blushed and he brought the rabbit against his side. "I…I…" He looked down at his lap, warmth moving up and down his body in a cycle of gratitude, "Thank you. You're all really nice."

Luna frowned and moved her gaze down to her own lap, Most of us are, Lincoln. Most of us are…

"So eat quick, Lincoln," Lynn Sr. said with a chuckle. "You got presents to get."

"Ooh, lucky you, Linc," Lori said, leaning towards Lincoln with a teasing grin, "Presents and good food? Someone's having a good day."

Lincoln smiled sheepishly and brought his hands to his cheeks. "It's also really nice being with all of you…" He mumbled bashfully.

"AWWW!" And just like that, the whole family was somehow even more endeared to their newest member.

…

Following breakfast, the family gathered back in the living room. While there, Lynn Sr. journeyed up the stairs and came down not much later with the little toy chest clasped in his arms, catching Lincoln's wide eyes with the little golden colored clasps that fastened the chest shut.

"Aaaaaand here it is!" He cried, slouching down and setting the chest down in front of Lincoln, prompting the boy to jump slightly when it was set in front of him with a slight thump. Lynn Sr. offered an apologetic grin in response, "Sorry 'bout that,"

Lincoln took a quick breath and sat up on his knees, "It's okay."

"Okay, who's first?" Rita asked, taking a spot beside her husband behind the toy chest.

"Me! Me! Me!" Lynn leapt up from her spot, practically vaulting over some of her siblings before landing in front of the chest. "Lemme give him mine first!" She exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes with her hands laid over the top of the chest, her big eyes imploringly asking her parents to let her do as she asked.

The parents smiled in return and looked to the rest of the girls. "Any objections?" They asked.

"When she's this excited? How are we gonna say no?" Lori replied.

"I already gave him my present, so I'm fine," Leni said.

"It works for me," Luna despondently responded.

"I can follow up no problem," Luan giggled.

The parents looked down at Lynn, still sprawled over the top of the toy chest. "Looks like you're good to go, sweetie," Rita informed.

Lynn leapt off the toy chest, arms flying towards the ceiling. "YAY!" She joyfully cried. Immediately, she went for the clasp, flipping the golden bar from below and tossed the lid open. Then, she jumped over the edge and lowered herself into the chest, her stomach resting on the edge with her legs wriggling over the floor as she dug around the contents within.

"Be gentle with our stuff, Lynn," Lori advised.

"I am!" Lynn responded; her voice muffled by the toy chest. A few grunts and squeaks came from her next, and just as one of the other family members were about to offer some assistance, she sprung out.

"Got it!" Lynn cried, wobbling back several steps, the item in her hand extended skyward. She steadied herself with a stamp of her foot, then spun around on her heel and presented her present to Lincoln. "Lincoln…" She said, kneeling down. "This is for you. My favorite bouncy ball."

Lincoln eyed the little blue and green sphere, separated in color down the middle, with a gradient of the two colors where they met. "Wow…" He whispered, leaning forward.

Lynn smiled and brought the ball closer to Lincoln. "I was really, really excited when I found out you were coming here," She said, setting the ball in front of Lincoln. "I really liked the idea of having a little brother. And even though I've only known you for a day, I'm—" She blushed and stood up straighter, clasping her hands timidly in front of her. "I'm really glad you're mine."

Lincoln's eyes widened. He had seen Lynn's zeal for getting to know him, given her apparent drive to get him to play with her, but he hadn't expected such a declaration of affection from her. She just seemed like she wanted someone to play with.

But what she said was said with such conviction, and in the face of it, Lincoln found himself grateful as well; both from the present, and for another sister who so clearly cared about him.

"Lynn…" Lincoln reached out with his good hand and took the ball into his palm. "Thank you…I really like this gift. And I'm glad you're one of my new big sisters, too."

Lynn's eyes glittered happily. Had she not known about Lincoln's aversion to physical contact, she would've hugged him then, no doubt about it. Given that detail, however, she was content with a happy nod and a somewhat choked up, "You're welcome, Lincoln."

Then, with a final little smile, she backed away from Lincoln and sat with her parents, bringing her face into her mother's blouse to wipe away the tears of happiness that were pooling in her eyes.

Rita brought an arm around Lynn, squeezing her against her side. In her heart, she felt close to bursting with pride. Seeing her youngest bond with their new family member so warmly brought a faint mistiness into her eyes as well.

Lynn Sr. regarded the two of them for a moment before turning back to the others. "Good start," He said, nodding in approval. "Who's next?"

"I'll go," Luan said, clambering to her feet and moving towards the toy chest. She lugged herself onto the toybox, hanging from the edge like Lynn for a moment before springing back out.

"Here we go!" She said. She kept her back turned to Lincoln, fumbling with her gift before twirling back around.

"Lincoln," She grinned, excitement bouncing off her every syllable. "I'd like you to meet my friends!" She hopped down on her knees, presenting her puppet covered hands closer to the boy, causing him to flinch in the process. Despite that, she kept her cheery demeanor and held out the T-Rex first. "This is Teethy-Rex." She pulled the T-Rex back and brought the dragon forward next, "And this is Goldy-Blue!"

Lincoln eyed the hand-puppets, tilting his head forward warily to inspect them further.

Encouraged, Luan waved the puppets around a little, "They're best friends who love to go on adventures together!" She giggled, "Well, more accurately, Teethy likes to drag Goldy on his adventures. Goldy goes along because he doesn't want Teethy to get in trouble."

Lincoln continued to regard the hand puppets silently, looking between the two of them, taking in each little detail of their forms. From Teethy's comically large felt teeth, to Goldy's vibrant blue mane, his eyes traced over them.

Luan smiled and used her thumb to extend Teethy's claw. "Hey there, Lincoln!" She spoke through the puppet, changing her voice to match that of a British chimney sweep she had seen in an old movie once. "I'm Teethy! It's great to meet you!"

Lincoln jumped a little, but extended two of his fingers to take Teethy's claw in an adorable handshake. "H-Hi, Teethy," He quailed, shaking the claw up and down.

Luan's smile broadened and she brought Goldy forward next. "Hello, Lincoln," She said, her voice shifting into a smoother timbre, calming and soothing to Lincoln's ears. "I'm Goldy. Luan has told us so much about you. We're so happy you're here; just like she is."

Lincoln blushed and scooched forward a little closer, "Hello, Goldy. I'm happy to be here, too."

Luan bobbled Teethy and switched back to their voice, "We've gone on loads of adventurers with Luan. And we can't wait to go on more with you!"

Lincoln bit his lip and looked down, "I-I can't think of any adventures to go on with you though…"

"Well, fortunately for you, Luan is more than happy to assist you with such matters," Goldy soothed, tilting itself down to Lincoln's level, catching his eyesight with its own kind gaze. "She's quite the gifted storyteller.

Around the two of them, the rest of the family looked at one another.

"'Assist'? 'Such matters'?" Lori thought, "Is Luan really talking fancy through a dragon puppet?"

"That's right!" Teethy added, his voice effortlessly brought back by Luan, "If you wanna go on one of our adventures with us, just find Luan! She'll tell you all about one, night or day. She says she'll do anything to see you smile!"

Luan giggled and backed up slightly. "Teethy! I told you that in confidence!" She teased, turning Teethy towards her so she could playfully glare at him.

"Oh, like you wouldn't say it yourself!" Teethy rebutted.

"Regardless," Goldy added, moving towards Lincoln, "Luan is entrusting you to us so you could have a little additional company. We're aware you're rather fond of that rabbit, but we hope you'll enjoy our presence as well."

Lincoln stared, utterly transfixed into Goldy's periwinkle eyes. "I-I will…" He said. "I'll be glad to have you two."

Luan lit up, and she gently brought her hands forward. "I think that's a yes, guys," She said, gently sliding them off her arms and into Lincoln's lap. "Goldy, Teethy, take care of him, 'kay?" She brought her arm over her lips and changed her voice as Lincoln looked down at the puppets.

"You got it, Luan!" Teethy said.

"Most assuredly, Luan," Goldy added.

Lincoln brought his good arm around the two puppets, carefully picking them up along with his rabbit. Then, he brought all three of them against his chest. After a heartwarming moment of him squeezing them, he looked up at Luan.

"Thank you, Luan," He said, squeezing them again, "I'll take good care of them, I promise."

Luan beamed at Lincoln, "I'm glad to hear that, Lincoln. Just remember, if you want a story, I'm here, 'kay?"

"Okay," Lincoln replied, nodding.

Luan nodded in return and stood back up, going to take a spot at her father's side. "Okay, who wants to go next?" She asked, a hint of smarm hidden in her tone.

To Luna's horror, a gentle elbow nudge went into her side, jolting her attention to her side.

"I'll go after you, sis," Lori said.

Luna's shoulders bunched up, "Um…I—You sure?"

One of Lori's eyebrows rose, "Fairly sure. Seriously, I'm literally giving you the go ahead."

A small ball of ice took form in Luna's stomach. "Yeah, but I don't—"

"Luna?"

Before Luna could protest any further, the call of her father pulled her attention back forwards. In front of her, her parents, younger sisters, and Lincoln were all looking at her curiously.

"Would you like to go next?" Lynn Sr. asked.

Luna gulped, and seeing that she now no longer had any other choice in the matter, she stood up. Tremulously, she sauntered up to the toy box, keeping her sights downward as to avoid making eye contact with Lincoln. She stopped at the toy box, staring down into its contents. Amongst the colorful array of action figures and other stuffed animals, she saw a glimmer of pristine prismaticness.

Okay Luna, She told herself. She reached into the chest, weaving her hands through the other toys to grab her present. Just be casual about this. Last night was last night; no need to think about it anymore. She took a quick breath and plucked the gift out, turning around with a swift heel turn and kneeling down to Lincoln.

"Lincoln…" She mumbled, her sight tilting somewhat away from the boy in front of her, instead finding her socks easier to look at. She placed the little rainbow xylophone in front of him, laying the tiny golden mallet along its keys. "This was one of my favorite toys when I was your age," She explained. Tentatively, she grabbed the mallet and tapped it on a purple key in the middle.

TING! A single clear note rang through the air, startling Lincoln, but just as quickly intriguing him into a closer look.

Luna couldn't help but smile near imperceptibly to herself and continued tapping the keys. "It makes music," She said, her hands deftly melding the notes together into a crystal clear rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. "A long time ago, when I was little like you and was scared or worried about something, I'd just play on this, making up songs to forget about whatever was worrying me."

She forced herself to look up, much like Lincoln had done with her and her sisters the day before. Aquamarine eyes met with her own calming brown, and Luna felt the ball of ice in her stomach defrost slightly.

"I hope it can do the same for you," She found herself saying, her hand extending the mallet out for Lincoln to take.

Lincoln took the mallet from Luna, his fingers coming rather close to Luna's hand. Then, he brought the mallet just above one of the keys…and tapped.

Ting… Another note, much softer than any of Luna's chimed between the two of them, and Lincoln, to Luna's amazement, smiled a small smile.

"Thank you, Luna," He said, looking up at her, unknowingly melting the ice ball in her stomach completely, "I really like this. Thank you for giving this to me."

Luna suddenly sympathized with Lynn for having to bury herself in her mother's side following her gift giving. Her eyes immediately moistened and she brought her hand to swiftly wipe them. "You're welcome, Lincoln," She whispered, joining her mother and father and younger sisters. "I'm really glad you're here."

It would be too much for Luna to say the guilt she felt was completely gone; she still held some very hard feelings towards herself for her self-perceived cowardice the night before, and it would take a while yet for her to actually feel up to par with being a good sister in general again.

But then and there, after that moment of pure, undeniable gratitude from her new little brother, Luna felt a little bit less like she was a lost cause in that pursuit.

…

"Pretty cool, isn't it, Linc?"

"Yeah!"

Lincoln and Lori sat by each other, with Lincoln staring wondrously into the sphere of swirling colors spinning fantastically atop the scepter Lori had just bestowed upon him. A rainbow of bright light span in various shifting shades within the star imprinted glass, reflecting the color into Lincoln's wide eyes.

Lori grinned and leaned in closer to the scepter. "Yeah, and it's a useful little thing. When I was your age and was scared of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I used this handy little thing to light the way." She moved in front of Lincoln, "If you're ever scared, you can use that to get through the hallway to get to my room, 'kay?"

Lincoln blushed, the pinkness in his cheeks a little overshadowed by the array of colors lighting up his face. "I…Thank you, Lori."

Lori beamed at Lincoln and stood up, "No worries, Linc. Welcome to the family."

With that, she went to join her parents and sisters, Leni following after.

"Now it's our turn, sweetie," Rita said, turning to Lynn Sr.

"That it is," Lynn Sr. replied. He and Rita put their hands on the back of the toy box, and tilted it forward.

"Lincoln," Rita said. "We've looked forward to your arrival for so long now. And now that you're here, we are indescribably happy to have you be a part of our family."

"We heard that you didn't have much," Lynn Sr. continued, "So, in order to rectify that, your mother and I made it our personal mission to get you everything you needed."

"Clothes, beddings, and likely most importantly to you, toys," Rita said with a chuckle. With that, she and Lynn Sr. tilted it further and Lincoln gasped at what he saw.

A generous array of toys; pastel-colored stuffed animals, action figures with more pronounced colors in heroic poses, and even a few little toy cars squeeze between the others, perfect for any child to roll along any surface while making little "vroom" sounds.

"These are all mine?" Lincoln asked. He brought his arm around all the toys his sisters had given to him and stood up, wobbling somewhat with the effort it took to hold them all at once. "All of them?" He asked, stepping forward cautiously.

"Yup," Lynn Sr. replied. "All for you."

"Why?" The following question was low, timid and somewhat afraid of the answer. "I…What did I do to deserve this?"

"Lincoln, you didn't need to do anything to deserve this," Rita said, shaking her head and biting her lip. "It's like we said earlier; children deserve toys, and you are a child, just like all the girls here."

Lincoln squeezed the toys the girls had given him tighter, "But I…" But I'm not worth anything… The words floated into his mind without any volition, and he cringed when they came. It's just like what they said…What M—

And just like that, his stance buckled, bringing him to his knees with a sob.

"Lincoln!"

"Linc!"

"Linky!"

The family leapt forward, with only the quick warning of Lynn Sr. keeping them from overcrowding Lincoln and scaring him.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry…" Lincoln hid his face from his family, trying to turn his tear-soaked cheeks away from the people trying to comfort him.

"No, it's okay, sweetheart," Rita whispered, kneeling front and center with the girls and her husband. "We understand this is a lot to take in."

"Just breathe, Lincoln," Lynn Sr. added. "Take your time, and just breathe."

"Yeah, just let it out," Lori said.

"We're here for you," Leni said.

"Don't worry," Luna said.

"Yeah, you'll be smiling again in no time," Luan assured.

"Because your big sisters are here," Lynn interjected.

And the whole family stayed, comforting the boy with their presence and simply letting Lincoln cry his pain and confusion away whilst he clutched the gifts his siblings had given him.