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

The absolutely entrancing scent of her father's cooking served as a calming salve to Luna's frayed nerves, pulling her down the stairs like a gentle hand pressed against her back.

Following her little heart to heart with Leni, the two girls journeyed to Leni's room where Luna lent Leni a hand with her homework whenever it was needed and also simply relaxed on her bed, her music softly playing in her ears as her folded hands rose and fell upon her stomach with each breath.

Getting herself into a better mindset took a while, but with Leni providing such welcome company, she felt significantly more put together when their father called for them.

"Ooh, dinner smells great tonight!" Leni skipped the last two steps, vaulting herself off the ground shortly after to break into a short burst ahead of Luna.

Luna couldn't disagree. Under the influence of the oncoming meal, Luna actually sped up a bit, jogging after Leni and rounding the corner into the dining room not a millisecond after she did.

"Ah, there you two are!" Lynn Sr. chuckled when they trotted in, setting his main dish at the center of the table.

A roast beef, soaked in an absolutely decadent smelling au jus sat in the center of the table. Sprinkled over the roast beef was a generous crust of herbs, giving the dish a subtle bit of color that melded a faint, fresh scent with that of the jus. At the sides of the platter the roast beef was on, a bowl of mashed potatoes and a bowl of green beans sat alongside it, wafting little puffs of steam that gave the entire meal a shimmery aura.

Lynn Sr. had delivered again. Dinner looked positively, undeniably, jaw-droppingly delicious.

"Wow, this looks great, Papa," Luna whispered, stepping up to the edge of the table with wide eyes.

Lynn Sr. beamed at Luna in response, "I'm glad you think so. Take a seat and you'll be able to do more than just look at it."

Luna would've definitely obliged. But there was a problem.

Lynn was sitting in her seat, the seat she had spent the last two meals sitting next to Lincoln in; and Lori was in her usual seat at Lincoln's other side.

Luna had told herself she would start interacting more with Lincoln at dinner. Without a seat close to him, that suddenly became the tiniest bit more difficult. Unfortunately, to an anxious mind, even the tiniest inconvenience felt like a boulder falling in front of you.

"Luna?" Fortunately, before the anxiety could squiggle any further in her stomach, Leni managed to pluck it out by getting Luna's attention. When Luna turned to face her, Leni tapped her usual seat, coincidentally right across from Lincoln and currently unoccupied. "You can have my seat if you want?" She said with a wink.

Luna nodded, wordlessly conveying her thanks and sat in Leni's seat while she took the one next over.

And Luna sat across from her brother, a perfect spot to try to interact with him.

Lincoln and Lynn were talking to each other; well, more accurately, Lynn was telling Lincoln to check out a trick. The trick in question was her ability to get her spoon to stick to her nose. Once it was situated, she then stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes.

Lincoln giggled at that; actually giggled. His laugh was a little on the hushed side, but the chiming ring it gave off lifted the spirits of all those at the table, pulling a chorus of "Awws" out of the girls.

"What a cute little laugh!" Leni exclaimed. She turned to Luna, "Isn't it, Luna?"

Luna's fist curled against her stomach, and she smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, it is…"

"Be that as it may," Rita chuckled, reaching out to pluck the spoon off Lynn's nose. "We're at the table, sweetie."

Lynn giggled herself, a laugh more vibrant and lively than Lincoln's, but no less adorable. "Sorry, Mommy," She said.

"You're in quite the good mood today, aren't you, Junior?" Lynn Sr. set Lynn and Lincoln's plates in front of them, both laden with generous, age-appropriate servings of the dishes laid before them.

"Uh hum!" Lynn exclaimed. She regarded Lincoln adoringly, "Me and Lincoln played together for a long time!" She snickered and grabbed a fork, gesturing towards Lincoln with it. "He got pretty good the last few games."

Lincoln blushed and grabbed his own fork. "It was a lot of fun," He said, fumbling with his fork, his eyes tracing over his food. He gulped as the smell assailed him, jostling his stomach into a deep rumble.

"Aww, you hungry, Linc?" Lori asked, taking her own serving from her father.

Lincoln simply nodded.

Luan laughed cheerily from her own spot next to Leni, "Then eat up, silly. Lynn isn't waiting."

Lincoln looked next to him. Sure enough, Lynn was already scarfing down her food, shoveling roast beef and mashed potatoes down her gullet at a pronounced pace. Upon hearing Luan's remark, she froze. "Huh?" She queried, a glob of mashed potatoes falling from her fork.

Lynn Sr. rolled his eyes bemusedly, taking his seat after serving the last plate. "Slow down, Junior," He gently chided. He took a napkin and wiped away a small smudge of potato staining Lynn's face. "We don't want you getting another stomachache."

"Yeah, need I remind you what happened last time you over ate?" Lori added.

Lynn bit her cheek, "How was I supposed to know you could only drink so much milk before throwing up?"

"Nonetheless," Rita interjected, stopping the conversation before any more detail could be gone into regarding the infamous "Milkshake fiasco" of 2008. "You're free to eat pretty much the second the plate gets in front of you, Lincoln. No rumbly tummies in this house."

And Lincoln listened. He took his fork, skewered a piece of the roast beef, already cut for him by Lynn Sr., and took a small bite.

Just like the previous two times he had eaten with his new family, the food was delicious, and Lincoln was assailed by a rush of warmth and delight as the taste wrapped him in the comforting embrace that only food cooked with love and passion could provide.

"Looks like Lincoln approves yet again." Lori smiled and set to her own food, eating at her own pace, but keeping an eye on Lincoln as he rocked back and forth in his booster seat, humming in approval of the decadent delicacy.

Lynn Sr. glowed in response, "I had a feeling he would. You'll be happy to hear that you can look forward to lots of tasty meals in the future, Lincoln."

"Mmhmm!" Lincoln hummed again, spearing a green bean and stashing it between his lips.

He looks so happy, Luna observed, her heart doing a little leap. I'm glad, it makes me happy to see you smile, Little one.

"So, Luna—" Luna was snapped out of her mental reverie by the voice of her mother. "We missed you today," She said, giving her a small smile when Luna met her gaze, "What were you up to?"

"Oh!" Luna perked up a little, then sunk back into her chair timidly. "I wanted to get my homework outta the way early. After that, I helped Leni with hers."

"Helped Leni?" Luan looked over to Leni, "Leni, you're a grade above Luna. Shouldn't you be helping her?"

Leni shrugged nonchalantly, "She just helps me with the writing stuff. She's good with grammar and whatnot."

"Well, thank you for helping her, Luna," Rita said, sending a grateful nod in Luna's direction.

"You're welcome," Luna replied. She stirred some jus into her mashed potatoes, peering up at the rest of her family as the flavor soaked into them. "So, what did you guys do today?" She asked quietly.

"Just hung out," Lori replied. "A little while after you left, Leni suggested we show Linc our movie collection; see if anything caught his eye." An amused little glimmer sprung up in her eyes and she smirked at Lincoln. "He chose Robin Hood. Turns out Linc has a bit of an affinity for heroes in green, don't ya, Linc?"

Lincoln blinked. "I—I guess I do…" He said, his mind making the connection as he responded.

"Oh, I love Robin Hood." A smile came over Luna's face and she and Lincoln caught each other's gazes. "Especially the music. It's so cheery and bouncy."

Lincoln pinkened and he looked down at his lap, "I do, too."

A figurative lightbulb sprung to life above Leni, "Hey, Luna? Can't you whistle the opening song for Robin Hood? I remember the first time you saw it, you whistled it for weeks."

Luna's cheeks darkened significantly at that, "I—Um, I can, it's just—Does anyone really wanna hear it though?"

"Yeah!" Leni replied instantly.

"I wouldn't mind," Luan added.

"Yeah, go ahead, Lunes," Lori said.

"Whi-stle! Whi-stle! Whi-stle!" Lynn cheered.

Luna seized up a little, embarrassment coloring her face further and her pale little hands coming up to cover her cheeks. "I—Are you sure?" She tried to avert her family's gaze. However, in doing so, she caught Lincoln's eyes again.

The two stared at one another, silently sizing each other up.

"I wouldn't mind hearing you." And then Lincoln spoke up, quietly and timidly voicing his desire to hear the tune from her, his eyes imploring her to fill the dining room with song.

And just like that, Luna was wrapped around Lincoln's little finger.

"Go ahead, sweetpea," Lynn Sr. said. "We all love it when you make music for us."

Luna's face remained red, but she relaxed a bit in the encouragement of her family. So, with a quick breath, and a flutter of her eyes, she clasped her hands to her chest, and began to whistle.

The melody was a little shaky at first, but after she straightened her posture and the tune carried further, it steadied. Soon, a crystal-clear rendition of the opening song from Robin Hood floated around the dining room, silencing all other members of the Loud family in the wake of it.

And Lincoln; Lincoln was positively, completely, and utterly entranced by the song. His eyes were wide, completely set upon Luna, taking in every note as it came.

Luna's nerves all but faded at that sight, instead replaced by an emboldening warmth that ran throughout her entire being, making the melody even stronger than before.

She could've gone on forever with such an adoring little listener, but dinner was waiting, and cold mashed potatoes were super gross. So, upon hitting that final jaunty little ending, she faded the song out, coming to an end with significantly less breath than before, but proud to her very core.

Silence purveyed for only a second. Then, the dining room exploded with applause and a swarm of praise came Luna's way.

"Great job!"

"Way to go, Lunes!"

"Oh, sweetpea, that was wonderful!"

Luna's shoulders bunched up timidly, and a proud little smile crossed her face. "I—It was nothing…" She whispered, her fingers pressing against one another.

"I really liked that." And again, Lincoln pulled her attention onto him.

Luna looked up. Lincoln was regarding her with wonder written across every inch of his expression, his eyes positively shining with admiration for her. "That was really nice." He smiled and looked down at his lap again, mimicking Luna's twiddling fingers with his own. "You make really pretty music, Luna."

Luna's heart all but burst at that. Her eyes glimmered like sunbathed crystals and like her sisters before her, practically had little hearts of adoration materialize around her in response to the boy's declaration of her talents. "T-Thank you, Little one."

"Little one?" Luan's eyebrow rose.

Luna jolted again, "Oh! I guess—I guess…" She brought her finger up to scratch her cheek. "I guess I've been calling him that in my head." She looked at Lincoln, "Sorry about that."

Lincoln shook his head, "It's okay." He looked down at himself, "I am littler than all of you. I don't mind."

"Wow, three nicknames." Lori brought a hand on top of Lincoln's head, very gently ruffling his shaggy white locks. "You're quite the bit of inspiration, ain't ya, Linc?"

Lincoln bowed beneath Lori's hand, giggling in response. "I don't know, what's insp-inspi-inspira—" His tongue flubbed each attempt at the word, eliciting a sweet chorus of chuckles from the rest of the family.

"We'll fill you in on that later," Rita said. "For now, let's just eat."

"Yeah!" Lynn agreed, "That way, we can play some more!"

…

After dinner was finished, the Loud children returned to the living room, stomachs full and intending to enjoy what little of their Sunday was left over. Outside, the cloudy day had darkened, making the sprinkling rain all but imperceptible in the approaching blackness. Every now and again, the faint flash of lightning illuminated the outlines of the faraway clouds. Fortunately for the children, they went by unnoticed.

"Okay, Park Avenue is owned by me and Lincoln," Lori said. "That means you owe us for landing on it, Leni."

"Aww…" Leni shuffled her little handful of colorful play-money, taking out the necessary amount to hand to Lori.

Lori smirked and placed the money between her and Lincoln on their side of the board, "Looks like we're in a pretty decent lead, Linc."

"Don't get too cocky, Lori," Luan chirped, "Lynn and I own almost all the purple spaces. We have a decent chance of winning this yet."

"Wait, you have almost all the purple spaces?" Leni gasped. "Noooo, those would've matched great with my little green and little blue spaces!"

Luna chuckled to herself, Oh Leni, for someone who can be so smart, you sure can be silly, too.

"Kids!" The game, just before reaching a fever pitch of unfettered capitalism, was interrupted by the parents of the home walking into the living room. "It's eight-thirty, time to start winding down the day."

The girls groaned. That time of day had finally arrived. The time of day where it was time to prepare for bed.

"Do we have to start now?" Luan asked. She gestured to their clothes, "We're all already in our PJ's!"

"Yeah!" Most of the girls agreed.

"Be that as it may, we still want you to start settling down," Lynn Sr. said. "And besides, not all of you are in pajamas."

"Whaddya mea—Oh, yeah." Luan's retort fell short when she noticed Lincoln, still clad in the sweater and pants he had arrived in the day before. "Whoops, sorry Linky, I forgot about you."

"It's okay," Lincoln said amicably.

"And besides," Rita stepped up to Lincoln and Lori, "I'm sure Lincoln's probably getting tired as well, aren't you, Lincoln?"

Lincoln looked down at the carpet. He had started getting sleepy once his belly was full, but he had already been steadily fighting the oncoming fatigue, going as far to suppress even a single yawn from escaping. "I—I'm not tired," He fibbed, shaking his head lethargically.

Unfortunately for him, everyone could clearly see the heaviness that was pulling on his eyelids, as well as the way he was starting to slump over.

Lori bit her cheek and leaned towards Lincoln, "Even if you're not tired, don't you wanna wear comfy PJ's like us, Linc? I know we got you some really nice ones."

Lincoln blinked sleepily and looked over his outfit. Truth be told, his clothes had been getting a little uncomfortable after wearing them for so long. Something new to wear did sound kind of nice. "I—Do I have—Can I…" His words were starting to catch in his throat, slurring as his thoughts became muddled in his mind.

Rita smiled warmly and kneeled down to Lincoln, "Lincoln, you don't have to change if you really don't want to. But doesn't something comfy to wear sound nice?"

It did sound nice. But putting on pajamas meant getting one step closer to bed, and going to bed meant going to sleep, and going to sleep meant…He didn't even want to think about it.

"How about this, Lincoln," Lynn Sr. stepped up next, taking a spot by his wife. "If you let us get you ready for bed, I'll read you a story."

"Ooh, a story!" Lynn leapt up onto her feet, "Can I join you?"

"Sure, squirt!" Lynn Sr. replied with a laugh. He turned back to Lincoln. "You hear that. Junior will be joining us! Doesn't that sound nice? A bedtime story with your big sister?"

"I…" Lincoln swayed a little, catching himself from falling by quickly putting his hands out. "I'm…" Why did he have to sleep? Why couldn't he just stay awake?

"Come on, Linky," Leni cooed, "Daddy tells the bestest stories! You'll love it, I promise."

Well, none of the girls had led him astray so far. Because of them, he had discovered the Legend of Zelda, Robin Hood, and marbles. Why would they lie to him now? Besides, try as he might, he knew he would eventually fall asleep anyway.

"I…Okay." Lincoln pushed himself up by his hands, staggering to his feet in a clumsy straggle.

The rest of the family exchanged a myriad of looks, all bearing notes of concern and worry.

"Atta boy," Rita said lightly. She stood up and extended her hands out to Lincoln, "Here, I'll take you. You want me to carry you?"

Lincoln cringed and backed away a step, "No, I can do it,"

Rita frowned a little, but stood at full height. "Alright," She said, maintaining her cheery tone, "Just lemme follow you, okay?"

"Okay," Lincoln mumbled.

"See ya in a bit, Lincoln!" Lynn called.

"We'll meet you in a jiff," Lynn Sr. added, going to pick Lynn up into his arms. He looked to the rest of the girls. "As for the rest of you, start getting ready, okay? Teeth brushed and faces washed."

"Okay!" The other four girls replied.

…

It took a fair amount of time for Rita and Lincoln to reach Lincoln's room. Thanks to Lincoln's adamant desire to avoid being carried at all costs, Rita had stood by as Lincoln ascended each step one by one, shaking and trembling the whole way through.

"There we go," Rita congratulated once Lincoln finally made it past the top step. "Great job, Lincoln!"

"T-Thank you," Lincoln wheezed, his palm against his heart. He looked up at Rita, biting his lip timidly, "I'm sorry I took so long…"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Rita assured, walking ahead to lead him to his room. She chuckled, "You should see your daddy after a really big meal. Now, he's a slowpoke."

Lincoln didn't respond, he just looked down at the floor as he followed Rita. Daddy? He thought, folding his good hand against his chest, I…I've never had a daddy before. He looked up at Rita, And this is my new m—

A powerful cringe stopped him before he could finish the thought, and his fist gripped his sweater, bunching it between his fingers in a painful vice grip. Just thinking a partial part of that word summoned that shadowy monster onto the forefront of his mind, freezing the very blood in his veins and petrifying each muscle as if it were stone.

"Lincoln?" Fortunately, Rita calling out to him restored his senses and his body unwound itself, allowing him to look up at her.

Rita regarded him concernedly. At the sight of her long golden locks and her bright green eyes, the monster in Lincoln's mind disappeared. "Are you alright?" She asked, kneeling down to him.

Lincoln gulped and forced himself to stand straight again. "Mmhmm," He mumbled unsurely.

Rita wasn't so sure she could believe him, but rather than pry, she stood back up and brought her hand to Lincoln's bedroom door, "Well, come along then," She said, pushing the door open.

Lincoln followed after Rita, going into his room. The light was flicked on, filling the room in a comforting light that allowed Lincoln to see it like he hadn't before.

That morning, it had still been rather dark, and truth be told, he was more focused on Lori. Here and now, he could actually see it.

It was rather small, that was a given, but for what it lacked in space, it made up in pure coziness. Even with rumpled blankets, his bed looked so incredibly inviting, and the way his toychest gleamed in the light almost put a jolt of playful energy back into him.

It was so much better than that dark, dingy, empty, freezing cold room he had had before.

"This is nice," He said, turning on his feet to gaze at every part of the room.

Rita smiled and opened a drawer, "I'm glad you approve. We wanted to make sure you had a nice place to call your own." She pulled something from the drawer and turned back to Lincoln. "Here we are. Lincoln, these are your pajamas," She said, kneeling down to his height again.

Rita held out the cozy looking clothes to Lincoln; a button up orange pajama shirt and an orange pair of cotton pajama pants. Decorating the outfit was a smattering of vibrant blue shooting stars, each one bearing a little shimmer on themselves.

They practically screamed bedtime, well, every good part of bedtime, that was.

"Do you like them?" Rita laughed, already knowing the answer because of Lincoln's widened eyes.

"Uh huh," Lincoln whispered, his hand reaching out to feel one of the stars. It felt smooth and somewhat cool to the touch.

Rita beamed at Lincoln, a surge of happiness running through her. It filled her with an incomprehensible amount of joy that Lincoln was pleased with what their family was doing for him, that he actually felt welcome amongst them. It was what he deserved, what every child deserved. And she was so glad she and her family could give that to him.

But that happiness was in danger. In danger of being squelched by what she knew had to come next.

"Alright then," She said, trying hard to maintain her smile. She unfolded the clothes, "Let's get these on you."

Lincoln immediately tensed. That meant he would have to take off his clothes, that she would have to see what was on him. "I…" His throat seemed to close up.

"Don't worry, Lincoln," Rita soothed, "I promise it'll be quick, then you'll be all nice and comfy and ready for bed."

"I—But…" Lincoln couldn't seem to form the words.

"Don't worry, Lincoln," Rita's voice coaxed the anxiousness out of Lincoln, preventing him from freezing up again, "I mean you no harm, I just want to make you comfortable for bed." She leaned a little closer, "Please? Let me help you?"

Lincoln couldn't not see the earnestness of his new mother's request. The genuine need to help him don the comforting garb she presented to him. He wished more than anything he could just put it on himself, but thanks to his accursed cast, that was just an impossibility.

So, unless he desired to sleep in the same outfit he arrived in, the outfit that was starting to grow progressively more and more itchy thanks to overwearing, he had to accept Rita's request.

"O-Okay," He stammered, closing his eyes and lifting his arms.

Rita's smile faded a little, taking clear note of how frightened and vulnerable Lincoln felt. This trust was given out of necessity, but it was no less precious to her. "Thank you, Lincoln," She said, placing the clothes down and reaching out to help him.

Lincoln kept his eyes closed as the fabric of his sweater and undershirt was pulled up, waiting for the inevitable gasp of shock to come up, just as it always did.

It didn't come. When the sweater was pulled away, only silence and the slight chill of the air on his skin followed.

Lincoln's eyes sprang open in surprise, looking up at Rita.

She wasn't staring, wide eyed and pale at his torso like everyone before him had done. She was simply putting the sweater and shirt to the side and grabbing the pajama shirt, like she was dressing anyone else.

Had the marks disappeared? Lincoln looked down at himself. They had not.

Practically every inch of his skin was marred by something. From the faint pink scars around his belly, to the hideous splotches of purple, blue, red, and yellow that gathered around his ribs and collarbones, Lincoln looked like he had just come back from war. True, with time many of the wounds had faded or shrunken, and the bruise around his ribs now didn't bear the faint mark of a footprint, but a good portion of them still remained harshly apparent on his skin.

How had Rita not reacted? She didn't freeze, nor have to look away, she didn't even look that bothered. He didn't make her sad? His hideous self didn't make her want to turn away? Revile against what he was? Just a useless boy who got those marks because he couldn't do anything? His eyes watered as he remembered it, how he had made everyone who saw him sad.

"Lincoln?" Rita captured his attention again, pulling his watery gaze up to her. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Lincoln sniffled and brought his good arm to wipe his nose, his arm covered in fingerprint bruises. "I don't make you sad?" He whimpered, "I don't make you want to look away? Like everyone else who's seen me like this?"

Of course it made her sad, but Rita knew that Lincoln had seen more than enough sadness, so she instead chose to smile and lean forward. "The only thing seeing you makes me think is that you need a bath, little man," She teased. "Maybe tomorrow, huh?"

Lincoln sniffled again and the water in his eyes receded, "That's it?"

"Well, we can't have you going around all messy, can we?" Rita chuckled. She held the pajama top up to him, "But it can wait, one day won't hurt. Now, arms out, kay? Lemme get this on you."

Lincoln was left dumbstruck, but he did as she asked, putting his arms out and offering little resistance when she tenderly brought them into the sleeves. He flinched with the touch, but she was so gentle with him, that when she buttoned up the final few buttons, he was only looking down at her hands as she brought the cottony fabric together.

The same followed with the rest of the outfit. When Rita saw the bruises and scars that marred Lincoln's legs, she remained calm, focusing on helping Lincoln into the pajamas with nothing more than a hushed little word of caution when he stumbled somewhat.

"There we go!" Rita said when the outfit was complete. She sat back, her hands on her hips, "Aren't you a handsome little man!"

Lincoln looked down at himself. Garbed in the pajamas, he felt a thousand times lighter. The cool fabric felt a little chilly on him, but thanks to the relative warmth of the house, it was quickly dissipating. With each little movement he made, the stars shimmered upon the cloth.

"Still like it?" Rita teased, already knowing the answer.

Lincoln looked up at Rita, his heart growing warm in her gentle, green gaze. "Mmhmm," He replied, nodding earnestly.

Rita glowed, "Good to hear."

Lincoln gulped and took a step forward. His cheeks pinkened and his gaze fell as he brought his hands together. This woman had not reacted in shock or awe upon seeing his damaged self, she simply smiled and helped him into the comfortable outfit he now wore, really only making a joke that he needed a bath. This woman wasn't like the monster; the one who had tarnished the word that he couldn't even utter in his mind.

Maybe it was time to overcome that hurdle, at least a little.

"Um…" Lincoln gulped and stepped closer to Rita, "Thank you for helping me…M—" His throat tightened and his eyes clenched shut, "Thank you for helping me M-M-M—"

He had to do something to force it out, anything at all. What could he do? Could changing something about it help? Maybe, putting something else in front of it?

"M-M—" He took a breath and put his hands out, resting them on Rita's knees to support himself. "Thank you for helping me, Missus Mommy!" He gasped; his eyes closed.

He was afraid of what would come next, what rebuttal or dismissal awaited him. Instead, what followed was a gentle hand coming to rest on top of his head, spiriting away the fear like leaves on the wind.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Rita said, her voice just a little bit tighter with emotion, "I'm glad to help you; anything you need, just ask and I'll do my best to get it to you, alright?"

Lincoln opened his eyes, but kept his gaze down. "Mmhmm," He replied, nodding. He jolted somewhat and he looked around. "Um, can you get me my rabbit? The one Leni made for me?"

Rita chuckled, "Sure."

…

"You really like that little rabbit, don't you?"

The stuffed rabbit froze mid-dance, Lincoln's other hand ceasing the impromptu tune on the xylophone as well. "Uh huh," He replied, looking over at the rabbit.

Rita laughed and leaned a little closer to Lincoln from her place by his side, "Does he have a name?"

Lincoln blinked, "A name?"

"Yeah," Rita went on. She reached out and poked one of the rabbit's ears, "A cute little bunny like this needs a name, don't you think?"

Lincoln tilted the bunny in his hand, turning its eyes onto him, "Um, I guess?" He placed the mallet back on the xylophone keys and brought the rabbit closer to his face. "Hmm…" He hummed, rather cutely in Rita's opinion. He seemed to mull it over for a good while, tapping his finger against his cheek in deep thought. "Um…" He bit his cheek and nodded, "Bun-Bun."

Rita smiled, "Bun-Bun?"

"Bun-Bun," Lincoln affirmed. He looked over at Rita, "Do you think that's a good name?"

"I think that's a wonderful name," Rita replied with gusto. "It fits him to a tee!"

Lincoln nodded and looked back at the rabbit, "I think so, too."

The faint tap of knuckles against the door roused Lincoln and Rita's attention.

"We're here!" Lynn Sr. announced, stepping into the room with Lynn in his arms. Behind him, the rest of the girls followed.

"Oh, look! Linky's wearing the pajamas we got him!" Leni exclaimed, hands flying to her cheeks, "Linky, you look totes adorable!"

"Wow, we really ran with the orange motif, didn't we?" Lori observed.

"Well, orange you glad he looks so good in it?" Luan joked. She surveyed the rest of her family, "Get it?"

Luna offered a polite little smile, "Yes, very clever, Luan."

Lynn Sr. set Lynn on Lincoln's bed, "The older girls wanted to wish you goodnight, Lincoln."

Lincoln blinked and stood up, "They did?"

"Of course!" Lori said, walking up to Lincoln, "What, did you think after spending the day with you, we wouldn't want to wish you a good night?"

Lincoln blushed and pulled Bun-Bun against himself, "I hadn't thought about it."

Lori chuckled and bent down, "Well, we do. Now, arms up."

Lincoln did as she asked, lifting his arms up. Then, to the surprise of everyone, Lori quickly hoisted him off his feet and onto the bed, all with barely more than a half-second flinch.

"There ya go!" Lori said. She stood back and turned to the other three girls standing behind her, all looking a little dumbstruck, "Alright, girls, get your goodnights in."

The girls jolted, then filed in next to Lori.

"Goodnight, Linky!" Leni said, her bright smile illuminating the room, "I hope you have the sweetest dreams!"

Lincoln smiled a small smile in return, "Thank you, Leni. I hope you have good dreams, too."

Leni giggled and stepped away, letting Luan move up.

"G'night, Linc!" Luan chirped, "If you want any more stories after Daddy's, just grab Teethy-Rex and Goldy Blue and come find me, kay?"

"Okay," Lincoln replied, nodding in happy agreement.

After Luan, Luna followed next.

"Good night, Little one," Luna said. She folded her hands together, guiding her eyes downward. "Sleep well, okay? If you need anything, we're all just a door or two down."

Lincoln nodded, "Okay. Thank you, Luna."

"Make sure you take that to heart, Linc." Lori stepped up last, placing a hand on Lincoln's head. "If you need anything at all, just come get one of us, we'll make it better, kay?"

"I-I will," Lincoln assured, nodding with a darker blush taking hold of him.

Lori smiled, "Goodnight, Linc."

"Goodnight, Lori," Lincoln said, leaning against her palm.

Lynn Sr. chuckled, "Alright you four, off to bed with you. We all got things to do bright and early tomorrow."

"Okay!" The four girls replied, ambling their way towards the door.

Lynn puffed up slightly where she sat. "Hey!" She called out, startling her sisters into turning around. When they faced her, she glared at them with a pout, "Don't I get a goodnight?"

The girls stood still for a moment, a little shocked by the question. Then, they burst out laughing and leapt forward.

"Goodnight, Lynn!" They all cried, wrapping her in an avalanche of hugs and kisses.

Lynn giggled and wrapped as much of her arms around the girls as she could, really not amounting to that much of an embrace, but still exuding all the love and affection she could muster, "Goodnight!"

Lincoln watched the exchange, the proof of physical affection between the siblings. Seeing the hug, a sort of secondhand warmth flooded through him and a fledgling thought took root in his mind.

I—I want one of those, He thought, unconsciously squeezing Bun-Bun tighter against himself. He didn't voice that thought though, he just watched the hug end, and then the four older girls left, leaving only their parents and Lynn behind.

"Alright then!" Lynn Sr. said, clapping his hands together, "You ready for your story?"

"Yeah!" Lynn cried. She scrambled over to the head of the bed, pulling back the covers and settling on a spot against the wall. "Come on, Lincoln!" She said, patting the spot next to her.

Lincoln jolted, but quickly obliged. He shuffled to the head of the bed, taking a spot a few inches away from Lynn, and tucked his feet beneath the blankets.

"Here, I got you." Lynn pulled the blankets up, covering Lincoln up to his chin, just like her parents did with her. "Comfy?"

Lincoln nodded, "Mmhmm."

"Good," Lynn said in self-satisfaction.

Both parents exchanged a touched expression and sat on the bed with the two of them. "Okay," Lynn Sr. said, recapturing their attention with another clap of his hands. "Any requests? You know a few of these stories yourself, Junior. Any idea where we should start?"

Lynn's eyes glittered and she began bouncing, "Oh, I know one! Tell us the one about the boy who had a bunch of adventures across the ocean!"

Lynn Sr. lit up and he sat up taller, "Ooh, that is a good one! Great choice, Junior!" He looked to Lincoln, who was regarding him curiously, awaiting the tale. "Alright, listen up; once upon a time, on a little island on the furthest edges of a giant ocean, there was a boy who had never seen anything beyond it…"

As Lynn Sr. spoke, Lincoln and Lynn immediately became enraptured by the story. Together, their big eyes widened as their father detailed the tale to them, taking them far beyond the tiny confines of the former closet turned bedroom, and into the salty, sea-infused air of a far-off ocean, and the lands it bordered.

…

"And so, with the pearl in hand, the boy put an end to the dragon's pain, dispelling the storm and saving the island. Afterward, the boy returned to his ship and sailed away for a new adventure; wherever it may be…" Lynn Sr. trailed his voice off in a whisper, and he beheld the results of his story with a warm gaze.

Both Lynn and Lincoln had long since nodded off, giving in to the need for slumber thanks largely in part to the lulling nature of their father's story. Over the course of the story, Lynn had rolled under the blanket with Lincoln, scooching closer to him until both their heads rested on the same pillow, still apart from one another, but adorably close in the eyes of both parents.

"Oh, how precious!" Rita whispered.

"I know!" Lynn Sr. agreed in a hush. "Do you have your phone? We should get a picture!"

"Way ahead of you!" Rita said, pulling her phone from her pocket. The click of the photos being taken blipped through the quiet environment, and Rita's smile widened when the image of her youngest daughter and her new son slumbering alongside each other was immortalized on her phone. "There we go. Lynn, look at this!"

Lynn Sr. moved over to look upon the pictures taken. His heart swelled again when he saw the soon to be cherished memory. The sight of Lynn and Lincoln curled up close to one another, sleeping peacefully, was the ultimate assurance that bringing the boy into their family was the right choice, bar none. Seeing the boy, who had been a walking bundle of nerves and fright now so calm and tranquil after just a single day with their family made it abundantly clear that Lincoln belonged with them, that Lincoln, simply put, had to be a Loud.

"I suppose we should take Junior to bed now, shouldn't we?" Rita asked, breaking Lynn Sr.'s train of thought.

Lynn Sr. nodded, "Yeah, I suppose we should." Carefully, he leaned over Lincoln's bed, reaching out his arms to peel the blanket down just enough so his hands could scoop Lynn out from her place next to her brother.

"Urrrrmmm…" Immediately, Lynn let out a low whine and squirmed within her father's grasp.

"Oh! Shhh…It's okay, sweetie," Lynn Sr. whispered a soft hush to his daughter, bringing her to rest against his shoulder where he secured her against him comfortably, "Daddy's just taking you to bed, nothing more."

Lynn rubbed her face against her father's shoulder. "W-Where's Lincoln?" She asked in a muffle, bringing her arms to encircle Lynn Sr.'s neck.

Lynn Sr. chortled and turned around, "He's right here, sweetie. He's just catching some Z's for himself, same as you were."

Lynn's eyes fluttered open half an inch. Dazedly, she beheld Lincoln, now alone in his bed, but still appearing completely at peace in his slumber. "Oh…Yeah," She mumbled. She raised a sleep-heavy hand and forced out a wave, "Good night, Lincoln, I…" She was overtaken by a yawn and her head sunk back against the warm shoulder that was presented to her, "I can't wait to see you tomorrow morning."

Lynn Sr. and Rita regarded one another, their expressions aglow with heartwarming endearment.

"I'll take Junior to her room," Lynn Sr. whispered to Rita, his grin absolutely stretching from ear to ear.

"I'll finish setting things up here," Rita replied. She reached out and rubbed Lynn's back, "Sleep tight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Mommy," Lynn mumbled.

Lynn Sr. put his hand on Lynn's back for support and stepped out of the room into the darkened hallway. When they were a few steps away from Lynn's room, the girl spoke again.

"Daddy?"

"What is it, Junior?"

Lynn squeezed her father's neck a little tighter. "I'm so glad Lincoln's my little brother," She mumbled. She yawned and pressed her face harder into his shoulder. "I think I'm really gonna love him."

Lynn Sr. smiled and pushed Lynn's bedroom door with his knee, "It makes me happy to hear you say that, Junior. I'm really glad Lincoln is here, too." He made his way towards Lynn's bed and began bringing her down. "And I'm sure he's gonna love you a ton as well."

"You think so?" Lynn asked, turning over on her side, curling up like she had been before.

"I know so," Lynn replied, bringing the blanket over her. "Now head on off to dreamland. The sun'll be up before you know it."

"Goodnight, Daddy," Lynn said in a near snore.

"Goodnight, Junior, sweet dreams." And with that, Lynn Sr. left his daughter to sleep and left the room in a quiet tiptoe back into the hallway. Outside, he met back up with Rita. "Everything go alright on your end?" He asked.

"Yup, he's as snug as a bug in a rug," Rita replied with a smile. In her hand, her phone shined in the darkness, still bearing the image of their two youngest dozing together. "Could this day have gone any better?"

"Not by much, I'd bet," Lynn Sr. chuckled. "But I suppose we should have expected it, with how great our girls are."

"They really are," Rita gushed, darkening her phone screen and tucking it back into her pocket. "Think we'll be able to keep this going?"

Lynn Sr. smirked and put an arm around Rita, "Well, whatever may come, good or bad, I know we'll be able to tackle it with no problem. Because—"

Rita snickered and leaned against her husband, "Because we're the Louds."

"Because we're the Louds." Lynn Sr. affirmed.

…

Luna really needed to get her midnight thirst habit under control. She knew that one day, her parents would catch her out of bed, and if that happened, especially on a school night such as this one, it would be an awkward explanation to say the very least.

Still, a quenched thirst was more than worth it, and as she lowered her empty cup into the sink and wiped water off her lips with her arm, she knew that a peaceful night of sleep was only a set of stairs away.

Deftly, her feet carried her up the carpeted stairs, expertly flitting through the dark with practiced ease. Upon reaching the top step, she got on her tiptoes and began eking her way through the hallway.

If she was worried about her parents finding her, Lori was much more of a threat. Waking her up in the middle of the night was like poking a bear, in the eye, with a stick coated in lemon juice.

Alright, Luna, She told herself, Almost there, just a few more steps and you're home free. You're already past Lori's room, you just gotta…

She was nearly there, at the dark threshold of her door when her eyes caught something else, a faint, blue light. What's tha—Oh, right, Lincoln's night light. Luna turned towards the light coming from the door at the end of the hall. I should really get used to that, She told herself. She stared at the light, peering past the slightly ajar door. She bit her lip, her mind immediately going to the boy she knew slept within. I…I hope he's not having any nightmares. She thought of the night before, what she did. Though the guilt was naught more than an irritating prick in her conscience at that point, it was still noticeable.

And as much as she wished she could ignore it; it was telling her that there was something she had to do before she could sleep.

Just a quick check, She told herself. She crept towards the door at the end of the hall, avoiding each creaky spot like she had done many times before. Soon, her hand was cloaked in the blue glow of the nightlight, and the further she pushed the door, the more the light swept over her. When she was completely immersed in it, she stepped into Lincoln's room and beheld her brother.

Lincoln still looked just as at peace as he did before. On his side at the edge of the bed, his casted arm lounged over the open air along with a single leg and a few hanging locks of his hair.

Okay, he's perfectly fine, Luna thought, sighing in relief. She turned around, I guess I can get to bed then.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of Lincoln shuffling behind her, and her mind immediately clicked on a crucial detail she had neglected to notice.

Lincoln was at the edge of the bed!

Lincoln! She whirled around and leapt towards the bed; arms outstretched towards the boy who needed her.

She was just in time. With a soft gasp from Luna, Lincoln fell into her arms, safely and undisturbedly against Luna, who staggered back in surprise when his cheek settled against her chest.

W-Whoa! Luna wobbled back and forth for a moment, only keeping herself from falling over by quickly stamping her feet to regain her balance. When she was steady, she looked down at the boy, eyes wide with surprise. He's—He's so light! She thought in shock.

It was true. Lincoln was feather light in her arms, hardly noticeable as he snoozed against her. Holding him, she also became painfully aware of how thin he was. There, at that moment, she felt like she was holding a literal example of the phrase, "skinny as a broom".

No wonder he ate so much at dinner, Luna thought, a frown quirking its way across her expression. Poor thing must be really making up for lost time. She regarded Lincoln, his soft breaths the only sound in the quiet room. At least he seems to be sleeping well now.

Then, at the moment that thought concluded, Lincoln's face scrunched up and he began trembling as a plaintive little whimper escaped his lips. "N-No…" He muttered, shaking his head, "P-Please, I'm sorry…" The words were slurred and jumbled together, but Luna still caught them, and the more they tumbled out, the more agitated the boy soon became, going from simply shaking his head to jostling his limbs within Luna's grasp.

Luna blanched, and her heartbeat began to accelerate. Lincoln was having a nightmare right there in her arms! And she had no earthly idea what to do about it. Should she wake him up? Didn't she hear something about that being a bad idea? Should she take him down to her parents? No, he was light and carrying him wasn't really a problem for Luna, but she still didn't want to risk going down the stairs with him. Maybe Lori? No, once again, an encounter with an angry, lemon-irritated bear seemed preferable.

What do I do? She thought, looking down at Lincoln again, panic beginning to quicken her breaths as well. Frantically, her mind went through a thousand options. Leni? No, Leni needed time for her mind to jumpstart itself after waking up. Luan? Not unless she wanted to walk into a booby trap by knocking on her door. What to do, what to do? Options were running out!

Then, something else snapped into her mind. Nightmares plagued her and the other girls from time to time, and what had their parents done for them on those occasions?

Luna gulped and looked at Lincoln, now fully squirming and mumbling a constant stream of apologies and pleas to be left alone. At the corners of his tightly clenched eyes, Luna could see the fledgling glimmer of oncoming tears begin to appear.

She had to try, nothing else mattered but Lincoln at that moment.

So, she turned around, sat herself on the bed, pulled Lincoln close so she could rest her head on top of his…

And began to hum.

At first, it was interspersed with soft, hushing sounds, but as Luna hummed an impromptu melody to calm him, those gentle whispers fell away in favor of the tune. Slowly, the melody coaxed Lincoln into growing still, and with him no longer trembling, Luna felt it safe to carry her comfort further. With her voice growing stronger, she began to rock the boy in her arms, mimicking the motions her mother had done with her many times before.

"It's okay, Little One," She deigned to whisper in between verses, "I'm here. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe." Those words seemed to have an effect, as Lincoln's contorted expression fell away, returning to a peaceful look of calm slumber.

Luna kept on humming after that, rocking Lincoln back and forth until every bit of tension left his body, leaving him completely relaxed against her.

"Atta boy," Luna whispered, rubbing Lincoln's back, "No more bad dreams tonight, okay? Only good dreams for you."

Lincoln didn't reply. He just turned his cheek further against Luna, pressing his ear against her chest, right where her heart was beating.

Luna smiled wanly and rocked him a little more for good measure. "I wish I could stay with you," She whispered. "But I got school tomorrow, Little One." So, with a little bit of a frown, she turned around and brought Lincoln back to his bed, tenderly and carefully resting his head on his pillow and pulling the blanket back over him. "And no more rolling out of bed," She quietly teased. "Take it from me, that is a rotten way to wake up."

She sat back when she deemed Lincoln sufficiently tucked in. She had placed him fairly far near the wall the bed bordered, so she felt safe in assuming that another midnight tumble was out of the cards.

Still, she felt something was missing.

She jolted when she found out. Of course, she had forgotten one crucial step in assuaging nightmares; the final little ritual her mother and father always performed to make sure no more nightmares would dare encroach upon their children.

Luna blushed a little, but still, she leaned forward.

"Sleep well, Little one," She said, placing a kiss against Lincoln's forehead, obscured by his shaggy white bangs. "No more nightmares for you."

Her little charm placed, Luna carefully moved off the bed and returned to the hallway. Before she returned the door to its previous position, however, she gave Lincoln one final glance.

Her little brother, sleeping in a state of tranquil peace; soothed by her actions. The fact of that warmed Luna to her very core and she couldn't resist the smile that came to her.

"I'm glad to be your big sister, Lincoln," She whispered, silently hoping that her words reached him in whatever dreamland he was traversing, "And even though I had kind of a rocky start with it, I promise I'll take care of you." She began pulling the door back, only offering one more thing to say before the house fell into complete silence for the remainder of the night.

"Because I love you…Little brother."