(5:39 AM)

Lori woke to the sound of crying…

It was faint, almost to the point where she thought she was imagining it… But after sitting up and taking a quick look around her shared room, she made the decision to get up and check it out. If one of her sisters were crying and probably scared, she would be damned if she didn't at least check on them…

She let out a tired sigh as she threw off her blankets, turning to set her feet on the carpeted floor. After taking a second to look at the time, she stood. It was almost five thirty in the morning… It wouldn't leave much time for her or whoever was crying, to sleep… Though, they could just sleep on the way to the hospital…

Then again, It had already been hard enough for Lori to get to sleep to begin with, what with worrying about Lincoln and having had to talk to Bobby and Ronnie Anne till late into the night… Lori shook her head, grabbing her phone and pulling up the flashlight before starting for the doorway. She had to push all other thoughts from her mind or she would never find out who was crying or why…

As she exited her room, the crying grew slightly louder, though, not by much, telling her that it was coming from the far end of the hall. When she turned so her back was facing the bathroom, she noticed that the twins' door was ever so slightly ajar and that a dim light was shining through the gap, telling her that one of the twins had probably had a nightmare…

Lori let out a yawn as she started towards Lola and Lana's room. She hoped they hadn't been awake for too long. They often had bad dreams and while she often would calm her little sisters, Lincoln was usually the one that would comfort them and get them back to sleep… Without Lincoln, Lori wasn't sure what to do…

Lori suddenly halted about ten feet from the twins' room. The crying had stopped, only to be replaced with an exhausted, yet gentle voice. Standing out in the hall, Lori couldn't pick up any words that were being said, nor by who, but she could tell that whatever they were saying, was helping…

Lori crept closer, not wanting to disturb the twins, nor the speaker. The last thing they needed was to get startled because Lori stepped on a loose floor board…

As Lori reached the door, she started to pick up what was being said and when she realized who it was, she couldn't help but to feel a sense of pride… It was Lynn...

"Shhh… It's alright. It was just a dream. I know it's scary, but it's over and it wasn't real. I promise, in the morning when you wake, you will feel much better…"

It was… Strange to hear Lynn speaking in such a manor. She had a softness about her voice that Lori hadn't heard before… It was both comforting, yet at the same time it was full of sadness… She could only wonder as to what the bad dream could have possibly have had been about…

"But… What if it comes true?"

Lori perked slightly, listening as Lola asked her question. The poor kid sounded both exhausted and scared. Lynn had her work cut out for her. Lori was tempted to step in and help, but Lynn's next words made her freeze in her tracks…

"I know you two are scared… Believe me, I am too… But Lincoln isn't going to die… You'll see tomorrow, everything will be fine. I know it's hard to sleep, I know it's scary and we are all nervous… But just remember that Lincoln is going to wake up. He'll have new legs, but he will still be our favorite, white haired nerd. I know a lot of things are changing for everyone, including you both… But some things will stay the same. He will still love you and we will all still love him. We will be there for him, just like he has always been here for us."

Lori felt tears fill the corners of her eyes… While what Lynn had said was a bit of similar promise as to what Lori had said to Leni, there was something about the way she said it that made it seem far more… Believable… As if there was no other option… No… It was like Lynn wouldn't accept the possibility that Lincoln could die… It was truly touching… It was like all of her love for Lincoln was in her words…

Though… Lori couldn't help but to think about what would happen to Lynn or for that matter any of them if Lincoln were to die… Lori didn't know what she would do if that were to happen… She couldn't bear the thought… It was too painful… They just needed to make it though the next few hours till Lincoln's surgery, then get through that… And then finally, they could have him back… They could hug the damn twerp all they wanted and Lori would literally never let him go…

Lori was so deep in thought that she didn't notice that the gentle words had grown silent, nor did she see that the bedroom light had been shut off and when the door quietly opened, she didn't even notice Lynn until they were literally face to face, startling Lori out of her daze…

"Lori? What are you doing here?"

Lori looked at Lynn for a moment, feeling a frown spread down her face once she saw how simply exhausted Lynn really was. She had dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, her hair was a mess and she looked a little bit pale…

"Lynn… Why aren't you asleep?"

Lori mentally face palmed as Lynn raised a hand, pointing over her shoulder towards the twin's room. "Nightmares. They both dreamt that Lincoln died… But from the face you are making, I can guess that you heard us talking about it… Oh… Dang it Lori, I don't know what to do anymore… I know Lincoln is going to be just fine… Or at least as fine as he can get, but I'm so stressed out right now… I thought that these last couple of days would be the easiest… But they're just so damn stressful… Everyone is having bad dreams… First Lucy, then Lisa, then the twins… I don't get it… Why can't we just get a couple of days to relax?"

Lori looked at Lynn, surprised by how quickly she went from looking and acting so together, to practically falling apart in seconds… "Wait, how long have you been awake? You said that Lucy and Lisa also had bad dreams? Why didn't you wake me? I could have helped. I wouldn't have even been upset or anything…"

Lynn sighed, bringing her hands to her face, attempting to rub away the exhaustion. "I don't even know anymore… I think I got up at twoish… Maybe an hour…?"

Lori frowned as she looked at her sleep deprived little sister… She had been awake for hours… "Lynn… It's almost six… You've been awake for almost four hours. You need to sleep."

Lynn turned her head towards the floor, frowning as she crossed her arms over her chest… Lori could tell something was off… "Did you have a bad dream too?"

Even in the dim light, Lori could easily see the blush as it formed on Lynn's face, making her frown… Lynn may have come very far in the last week, but she still had her own insecurities and worries…

"It wasn't that bad… At least not as bad as the twin's… I just… I just don't want to sleep till I'm positive that Lincoln is going to be fine… Not to mention that I went to bed really early last night, so I'm sure I'll be fine…"

Lori's eyes widened in realization as Lynn spoke… It seemed pretty obvious now that she thought about it… "It's because of Ruth… Isn't it? Because of what she said last night? That's why you are all having nightmares?"

Lynn slowly nodded and Lori felt her chest tighten as a single tear fell from Lynn's face…

"Sniffle… Yeah… I know it's stupid… And I know I shouldn't be so upset… But it really hurts… I don't even know why… She was mean to Lincoln, not me… And he doesn't even know about it… I just… I'll just… I'll just feel so much better once Lincoln is awake and even more so once he's home… I miss him so much that it hurts, but I'm also so excited and nervous about seeing him tomorrow… I don't even know what to think about the surgery… I'm hoping that Lisa isn't going to be too tired tomorrow because of her nightmare… I just… I…"

Lynn trailed off as she closed the few steps to Lori, and much to Lori's surprise, Lynn wrapped her arms around her, burying her face into Lori's chest. Within a few seconds, tears were soaking through her night shirt…

Lori let out a sigh as she wrapped her arms around Lynn. She hadn't realized how much stress Lynn had been under… She hadn't gotten enough sleep and with what Ruth had said…

"Lynn, listen… The reason why what Ruth said hurts so much, is because of how much Lincoln means to you… To all of us… As for Lisa… Well, I know that we can get her up and energized. We'll make a big breakfast later in the morning. We'll make sure she's relaxed and ready to go. We'll go to the hospital, spend a little time with Lincoln before the surgery, then wish him luck and send him off. Lisa will do the surgery and just like you've been saying, it will go perfectly. He'll wake up, we'll be there for him and then we can tell him how much we love him…"

Lynn took a long, deep breath before letting it out in an equally long, slow sigh. She pulled her face away from Lori's chest and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before replying.

"You make it sound so easy… Which I guess it is… I just hate waiting… I wish it could happen right now… I want to… No… I need to tell him how much he means to me… I need to tell him how much I love him… And I need to give him a massive hug… Heck, I'll even give him a kiss on the cheek… I just miss him so much…"

Lori nodded, bringing her hand up to brush the worst of Lynn's tangled hair out of her face. "I get it, I really do. And… It's not easy… I also can't wait to see Lincoln again… And I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see us again. I'll probably kick his butt for scaring us so bad, but I'm sure we can show him how much we love and appreciate him…"

Lynn gave her a small nod. "Yeah… You know… It's funny… In a really sickening sort of way… It took Lincoln getting hit by a car for me to realize how much he really means to me… I have another chance to make things right between us… And I'd rather burn then let this opportunity pass me by…

Lori nodded, brushing her hand over Lynn's head one final time, flattening her hair the best she could. "I know what you mean… I really do… Come on, if you aren't going to go back to bed, let's at least go downstairs. I don't want to wake anyone up… At least someone has to sleep tonight…"

Lynn let out a sigh, not arguing as Lori placed her hand on her shoulder and started leading her towards the stairs.

"It's a little chilly. How about I make us some hot cacao or some hot tea? You just go sit on the couch and then we can talk about whatever you want or we can play a quiet game or anything else you want. What do you say?"

Lynn looked up at Lori, giving her a small nod. "Can I think about it…? Oh, and hot cocoa sounds nice… Can you put in those mini marshmallows that Lincoln puts in it?"

Lori gave her a small smile as they started down the stairs. "Of course you can think about it and I'll make sure to put in the marshmallows. Just make yourself comfortable."

Lynn nodded, a small smile touching her lips, making Lori chuckle lightly as they descended the stairs. It amazed her how even the simplest of things can help lighten the mood and if mini marshmallows helped Lynn feel better, then mini marshmallows Lynn would get…

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Lori gave a small shiver and as Lynn's bare feet hit the cold, wooden floor, she let out a small chirp of shock.

"Eep… Good God is that cold…"

Lori couldn't help grinning as Lynn stretched her legs across the floor, taking as few steps as possible to the arm chair. As soon as she was seated, she had the blanket that Luan had used the day prier, wrapped tightly around her. Lynn may have been tough and thick skinned, but she had surprisingly sensitive feet…

Lori shook her head as she headed for the kitchen. She could start the fire in a few moments… Right now, she was going to make some hot cocoa. Then she would spend a little time with Lynn before everyone else woke... and then they would have to go to the hospital… And then things would start going back to some form of normal…

(6:00 AM)

Lynn sighed as she swallowed her cocoa, savoring the pleasant taste and feel as the hot beverage warmed her stomach… "Mmm…"

"Hmm… I'll take that as good?"

Lynn looked up at the amused looking Lori, giving her a nod. "Yes… Thank you."

Lori gave her a smile, setting down her own cocoa on the floor next to the TV stand, before turning for the fire place. "No problem. So… Did you think of what you wanted to do? A board game or cards or something else?"

Lynn nodded, watching as Lori walked up to the fire place, starting to gather up wood to get it going. "Yeah… I was wondering if maybe we could just… You know… Talk?"

Lori paused midway through lifting a chunk of wood and turned to give Lynn a mildly surprised look. "Talk? Just talk…? Err… Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Lynn sighed, picking the first thing that came to mind, as she wasn't really sure how to start the conversation…

"Well, not much… I just thought it would be a nice way to … You know, to pass the time? So… How did everyone's conversations go last night? I did fall asleep before we got a chance to discuss everything because… You know… Though… I guess I have Luan to thank for that… I wasn't exactly feeling that great after talking to Ruth…"

Lori nodded, going back to setting up the fire. "Oh, I understand… And I was very happy that Luan helped you and Lucy to relax after that… Anyway, speaking of Luan, she told us that the call with Pop -Pop went very well. He was thrilled that Lincoln is going to be having surgery tomorrow and that he should be coming home by the end of the week… Though, the call did have to be cut short because Pop-Pop was crying so much… I'm very grateful that he has Gran-Gran to help him through this… I'm not sure how he would have handled everything without her… We really owe her a lot…"

Lynn nodded… She had to admit that she was a bit… Well, she couldn't really say that she was surprised that Pop-Pop had cried, as everyone knew how much he loved Lincoln… His whole family for that matter… But it was still a bit strange to hear about… she couldn't recall a single time that she had even so much as heard about him crying… He was just always so… Happy…

Lynn let out a small sigh… There was a small amount of satisfaction in that thought. She could only image his reaction when he got to see Lincoln again… It was something that she hoped she could witness…

"Anyway, after the meeting about Ruth, Luna and Sam called the McBrides and let them know… I'm sure you can imagine how that went. From what Luna said, they sounded like they were so happy that they weren't really sure how to process it. Almost like they were in some kind of 'happy shock'… Especially Clyde. I guess he mostly just wanted to know when he could visit Lincoln in the hospital. Luna told him that we would let them know as soon as we knew. Seems fair… I can already image the look on both his face and Lincoln's when they see each other… I don't know if Lincoln is even aware of how much time has passed, but I know how much that goof of a friend of his means to him…"

Lynn couldn't help but to give a small smile. Clyde could be a bit… Well, Clyde was Clyde and he was definitely one of a kind… "Yeah… They love each other like brothers. I don't think they would be the same people they are today if they didn't meet… Sometimes I don't think we give him enough credit… He's one of the few people that I think we can all call a friend… After all, he seems to be able to deal with us pretty well… Well, other than you…"

Lori rolled her eyes, though from the glimmer in her eyes, Lynn was certain that she didn't mean anything by it. She knew Clyde could annoy her with his silly crush, but she also knew that Lori found it a lot more flattering than she would admit…

"So, what about Ronnie? I'm sure she was ecstatic about Lincoln waking."

Lori hesitated as she struck a match, using it to light paper and small kindling, making Lynn raise a brow in confusion. "What's with the face? Lincoln's her best friend, right?"

Lori sighed, hesitating for a moment longer to make sure that the fire was going before she turned towards Lynn, giving her a serious look. "Yes, Lincoln is her best friend… Well, other than Sid, but that's beside the point… Sigh… When I called Bobby last night, it was a lot harder to get a hold of him than I thought it would have been... And by time I got a hold of him… Well, there had been a pretty good reason as to why it took so long…"

Lori paused for a moment and Lynn figured she was just trying to organize her thoughts, making her wonder what could have happened…

"Well, long story short, Ronnie Anne tried to run away. Apparently she has been taking Lincoln's accident very hard. Bobby told me that she hadn't been eating for the last few days to the point where she's lost a bit of weight, though apparently nothing too worry some… she would barely talk to anyone and would only really leave her room to use the bathroom."

Lori continued, not giving Lynn any time to speak, not that she could have. She was, to say the very least, shocked…

"I can tell you it all in more detail later, but in the end, that is after everyone searching for the entire day, it was Sid that found her. She found Ronnie about ten miles away from their apartment building, waiting at a bus station. Sid immediately called everyone to let them know before going to talk with her. Ms. Santiago tried to tell Sid to just stay out of sight in case Ronnie tried to run, but Sid refused, saying that if a bus came, it might be too late. I have to say, I agree with Sid on that…"

"Anyway, I guess Sid went to talk with Ronnie… Though, no one actually knows what she said to her, as they both refused to talk about it, but whatever it was must have convinced Ronnie to stay, as when Bobby and the others got to her, she and Sid were just sitting on the bench waiting for them. Ronnie was bawling her eyes out, while Sid just held her in a hug, whispering to her."

"When they got home was about the time that I got a hold of Bobby. I asked to speak with him and Ronnie, it was at this time Bobby told me what had happened and that it might not be the best time to talk, as Ronnie was getting ready to for bed. I guess she and Sid were having a sleep over in Ronnie's room… Though, I suspect that was mainly to keep Ronnie from trying to run again… Anyway, I quickly explained to Bobby that what I wanted to tell them was about Lincoln and before I even finished speaking, Ronnie was on the phone."

"She sounded very nervous, though I guess I can't blame her for that, as she probably thought it was more bad news. I started off by telling her that Lincoln is doing well and that he would be just fine, as tomorrow… Err… I guess that would be today now… Anyway, he would be having his surgery, would be getting the legs that Lisa made attached to him and that we would be waking him. I told her that I would call or message them as soon as Lincoln was awake and, that is if he's up for it, I would even let her talk to him on my phone."

"Well, as I expected, Ronnie was thrilled. She immediately ran off to tell everyone else the news and a few moments later they had all gathered to express their feeling of joy and excitement over the news. Especially Ronnie. After everyone left to let me talk to Bobby for a little while, he told me that he had begun to worry that Ronnie would never smile again. He said that this whole thing terrified him, not only because his little bro was badly hurt but because he could see how much it was hurting Ronnie's heart and mind. I have to say I literally can't blame him, as I felt the same way with Luan the day before yesterday and with all of the rest of you... Anyway, he thanked me for the good news and we said goodbye. I told him I would keep them informed and that was that."

Lynn blinked at Lori a couple of times while she let her words sink in. It was, in fact, a lot to take in… On one hand, Lynn thought that Ronnie Anne may have over reacted a bit… but then again, on the other hand, she completely understood why Ronnie would have done that…

"Well… I can say one thing that is for sure... I don't blame Ronnie for trying to run away."

Lori looked at Lynn with slight confusion, raising a brow at her. "What do you mean?"

Lynn sighed, sitting up to set her now empty cocoa mug onto the floor. "Well, think about it for a second. You, me, our sisters and our parents, Lincoln's other friends, Jim, heck most of the town knew about everything that has happened… Not really sure how Ronnie didn't hear anything or the news about Lincoln's surgery on social media or the news in general… Then again, as depressed as she sounds, I guess I can understand how… Anyway, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing if I was in her shoes. She knew little to nothing about what was going on with Lincoln and she was terrified as to what might be happening with him. For all she knew he was either already dead or dying. I know that sounds excessive, but think about it. She was really worried about him to the point where she stopped eating, stopped talking with her friends and family. I bet she hasn't slept right since finding out about Lincoln getting hit by a car, I know I haven't slept right since. In her tired, confused state, she probably thought that last night could have been her last chance to see him… we of all people should know how that feels…"

"You know… I feel a bit more respect for her now. She cares so much about Lincoln that she was willing to run away to see him… It's actually really sweat if you think about it… Though… It does make me wonder what that Sid kid said to get her to go home…"

Lori looked at Lynn for several moments, making Lynn think that she may have said something stupid, but she quickly shook it off as Lori snapped out of it, starting towards Lynn. "Dang Lynn… That was… Sigh… I get what you mean… I suppose if I was in her shoes I would have done the same thing as well… Look Lynn, I don't know what Sid said to Ronnie… I don't even know if it matters… What I do know however, is that it helped her, which in turn helped her family. It makes me think about what's happened and what's going to happen. It makes me think about who we are as people and a family… Heck, it makes me think about who we will be once Lincoln is home…"

"None of us know for certain if Lincoln is actually going to wake up. We don't know if the surgery will be successful. We don't know how Lincoln will feel about everything. Really, we know nothing about what today holds for us, not what tomorrow holds and so forth… What I'm trying to say, Lynn, is that no matter what happens, no matter what the future holds. No matter what, we all need to be here for each other. For our sisters. For Lincoln. For mom and dad. For our friends. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Lynn looked at Lori, slowly nodding. "Yeah… I think so… It just seems so…"

"Creak…"

Lynn's heart jumped into her throat and her head snapped around to look at the stairs in surprise. She let out a small sigh as she saw Luna, Sam and Luan sitting on the bottom steps. From the sheepish looks they were giving her and Lori, Lynn could guess that they had been sitting there for a while, more than likely having heard a large part of their conversation.

Rather than being annoyed with their eavesdropping, Lynn instead couldn't help but to feel bad. "I'm sorry guys, did we wake you? We tried to stay quiet…"

Luna let out a large yawn while shaking her head and standing, being soon followed by the others. "No, don't worry about it Lynn… We were awake before you guys even came down stairs. I actually heard crying and got up to see what was wrong, but when I saw both of you standing outside of Lola's and Lana's room, I figured that you two had it under control. I went to go back to bed, but I tripped on something and…"

Luna was cut off as Sam wrapped an arm around her, laying her tired head against Luna's. "And she landed in the middle of my lap, waking me up. I would have said it was a rude awakening, but who could be mad at this cutie? … Not to mention the adorable little squeal she made as she fell."

Luan let out a snort or as close to a snort as she could get with how stuffed up she sounded… "Easy for you to say, as loud as she was, I'm surprised it didn't wake the kids or mom and dad… Though, I was already awake because Sam snores almost as loud as Lynn."

Lynn looked at Luan with slight offence. "Wait, what? I don't snore! I don't know why you're trying to pull me into this just because…"

"Pft…"

Lynn turned to Lori giving her a frown. "What?"

Lori rolled her eyes, looking over Lynn at Luna and Luan. "Come on Lynn, we all know you snore like a bear. Heck, I can remember when Mr. Grouse came over one morning to complain about someone using a chainsaw all night. We all knew it was you."

Lynn crossed her arms over her chest, unconvinced. It sounded completely ridiculous and unrealistic. "Bull. If that happened, why don't I remember it? How would he even hear it?"

"It did happen. He heard it because it was a very hot summer night and all of our windows were open, as were his. Apparently he didn't sleep at all that night and was in a very bad mood. The reason you didn't hear anything about it was because of Lincoln."

Everyone looked towards the Loud parent's room, surprised to find their mother standing in the doorway, looking, much to Lynn's surprise, to be in a really bad mood. "We didn't wake you did we? And what do you mean, because of Lincoln?"

Her mother gave Lynn a look that confused her… It almost seemed… Angry…

"No. You didn't wake me, I would've had to be asleep for that to happen… As for what I mean, Grouse came over all angry because he had to go to some kind of meeting later in the afternoon. He wanted whoever it was to help him with some chores so he could take a nap. Before anyone else could even so much as hit that it was you, Lincoln came forward saying that it was him. Before anyone could argue, he was gone."

Lynn frowned to herself. "Why would he do that?"

Her mother let out a snort, making Lynn's frown deepen… Did she do something to anger her mother?

"If I had to make a guess I would say it was because of the way you were treating him the night before. You lost one of your stupid games and as usual, you were taking it out on him. He probably just wanted to keep you from getting angrier…"

"Oh for the love of…. Rita, that's enough! Just because you are upset that Lincoln's hurt doesn't mean you need to take out your frustrations on Jr. or any of the other girls. I'm sure she feels bad enough as it is. Why don't you just come back to bed and try to get some sleep?"

Mrs. Loud let out a sigh as she turned to head back into the room, but paused at the last minute to look at Lynn, giving her a frown. "I'm sorry Lynn, I don't mean to be snappy or anything… I'm just over tired and still angry at Ruth for what she said to you and Lucy. I'm sure Lincoln was only trying to help you to calm down and to relax… I love you girls so much…" With that, she headed back into her room, silently closing the door behind her.

As soon as the sound of bed springs were heard, signifying that their mother was back in bed, Lynn's sisters, and Sam, rushed to stand around her, giving the immensely confused Lynn, concerned looks. Lynn just looked up at them, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Did… Did I do something wrong? I mean… She sounded so angry… I… I didn't know that happened… I didn't mean to upset Lincoln or anything… I just…"

"Wow now… Lynn, calm down."

Lynn looked at Luan as she placed her hand on Lynn's shoulder. "Do… Do you think Lincoln hates me?"

The room grew still for a moment and Lynn turned her head down to look at the floor, tears forming in her eyes, while bringing her legs up to her chest. She despised the feeling that was beginning to grow within her heart… "You do… don't you? I don't think I would blame him if he did… Maybe I shouldn't go to the hospital… I'm a terrible si…"

"NO!"

Lynn flinched as Sam yelled at her before quickly grabbing her by her shoulders, forcing Lynn to look her in the eyes. "No. Don't you dare say it. You are not a terrible sister. Can you be a bit rough? From what I've seen and heard, that is a given, but there is nothing wrong with that…"

Lynn opened her mouth to respond, but Sam gave her a look that made her shut it before she could even utter the slightest of sounds.

"Let me finish. You are not a terrible sister. You may be a bit rough, that is just who you are… But from what I have seen and heard over these last few days, I can say without a doubt that you are a great sister. Sure you can be a bit hot headed and proud, as can we all, but now, when it matters the most, you have shown who you really are. You are a sensitive, loving sister that wants nothing more than to have her little brother home so that she can not only make up for her mistakes and learn from them, but to protect him and show him how much he means to you. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, all that matters is what you plan to do now. So, are you going to just sit here and mope because your mother made you think that you were bad? Or are you hold your head high, get ready for today and get your butt into that hospital and root for Lincoln? Then, you hug that little dude, give him a kiss on the cheek and then tell him how much he means to you. Think you can do that? … Or are you a coward?"

"Gasp…!"

Lynn's eyes narrowed as Sam gave her a challenging grin. She knew exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to play into Lynn's competitive side. Trying to get Lynn to accept what was going on… And it was working… For the first time in a little over a week, Lynn felt a small spark in her. Lynn grinned back at Sam, leaning in towards her face.

"I'm not a coward. To be honest, I'm terrified, but I'm no coward. I'm going to be there for Lincoln when he wakes, weather he wants me to be or not. I might not be his favorite sister, I doubt he even has a favorite and that's alright, because I love him and he loves me… And that's good enough for me…"

(8:18 AM)

"What do you mean he's sick?"

Luna looked up at Sam. She was talking on her phone, looking both worried and annoyed at the same time. She wasn't sure what was going on, but from the look on Sam's face, Luna was sure it wasn't very good…

"FOOD POISONING? He's going to be okay, right?"

Luna's eyes widened in surprise as Sam sprang from the couch next to her. She started across the living room, ducking to avoid the hanging sheets. Luna moved to stand, wanting to figure out what was going on, but before she could, Sam had mumbled something into her phone and hung up.

She quickly turned towards Luna, giving her a frown. Her eyes were filled with the look of decision and Luna had a feeling that she already knew what she was going to say. "You have to leave… Don't you?"

Sam nodded, starting for Luna. "Yes, I do. I'm so sorry. My moron of a brother got food poisoning from eating week old pizza and my mom has to work. The doctor said he would be fine, but I can't leave him home alone… I'm so, so, so sorry Luna. I know I said I would be here for you and your family until Lincoln was home, but I have to go… Gah… I would kick his stupid ass if I wasn't so worried… I'm so sorry Luna…"

Luna crossed the room, meeting Sam as she started to tear up and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, it's alright. I completely understand and I don't mind that you have to go. He's sick and you've already helped us so much and couldn't ask for a better girlfriend, nor a better best friend. I promise that I will keep you up to date the entire time. As soon as I know anything about Lincoln, I will message you and let you know."

Sam sighed, hugging Luna back. "Thanks… Again, I'm really sorry I have to go… I'll try to be back in the next day or two to check on you and Lincoln, and the rest of your family. Oh, and if anything happens or if you need me for any reason at all and I mean anything, I'll come straight over, I don't care if I have to bring Simon with a garbage can taped to his face to puke in."

Luna couldn't help but to smile at Sam, earning a smile in return. It was nice to know that she had someone like Sam that she could always count on…

"So… When do you have to leave?"

Sam let out another sigh as they pulled out of their hug. "Now… Mom is already late for work… Umm… Is it okay if I leave my things here? I don't want to leave them waiting any longer. If it's okay, I can pick them up when I visit in a couple days… Man, I didn't think leaving would be this hard… I guess your sisters and parents really are like a second family to me…"

Luna gave Sam a nod, understanding and watched as she headed towards the door to grab her coat and shoes. "Yeah, of course you can leave it here. I'll pack up your things and put them next to my drums so nothing gets stepped on, okay? And Sam… We all feel like you are family too and… I'm sure Lincoln will be happy to get to know you better. I know he'll love you."

Sam paused as she slid on her second shoe, giving Luna a smile. "I sure hope so. I've only gotten to meet him a couple of times. It would suck if it turned out he hated me… Oh, before I forget, you should send me a list of your bro's favorite Smooch songs. That way, while I'm taking care of Simon, I can practice them. Then when I visit, we can play them for him. Maybe that will earn me a few brownie points with the little dude."

Luna couldn't help but to roll her eyes as Sam winked at the last part. Sam was… Sam… "I'm sure you won't need any extra points or whatever, but I'm sure he'll love it."

Sam gave her a smile as she slipped on her winter coat and pulled her keys out of her pocket. "Well… I guess this is it… At least for a couple of days… I love you Luna…"

Luna sighed, walking over to Sam and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "I love you too… And really, thanks for all that you've done for us and well… Me… I don't think I could have lasted this long without you."

Sam leaned in, planting a kiss on Luna's lips before pulling away with a smile. "Yes you would have. You have an amazing family that all love you so much… Besides, you have Lincoln to help. What on earth would he do without his rocking sister?"

Luna sighed as Sam gave her a last peck on the cheek before stepping back and moving for the door. "Oh, and I'm holding you to the promise of keeping me informed. I don't want to miss anything… Good bye Lunes…."

And with that, Sam opened the door and walked out, giving Luna a reassuring smile as she closed the door…

Luna could only sigh as the door clicked shut… and she had to fight back her tears when she realized how much she was already missing her…

"Come on Bobby, I already told you, the surgery is at eleven. It's eight thirty now, so that's two and a half hours. We leave in an hour and a half, so Lisa can get ready and so that we can take a couple of minutes to see Lincoln before… And yes Ronnie Anne, I promise that as soon as Lincoln is awake, I will call or text you guys. You guys will be some of the first to know, between you guys, Clyde and his dads and Pop-Pop and Gran-Gran... Wait… Hold on a second, okay?"

Luna watched as Lori pulled her phone from her ear, raising a brow at her. "Hey Luna, are you okay? You're looking kind of down… Are you nervous about the surgery?"

Luna sighed, shaking her head. "No… Well, actually yes, but no… Err… Wait… Sigh… Sam left. Her brother has food poisoning and she had to leave to take care of him while their mother is working. She didn't want to leave, as in at all, but she loves Simon and had no choice. While I fully understand why she had to go and I am completely okay with it, I still can't help but to feel sad. Not only because I miss her already, but because she really wanted to be there, not only for me, but for Lincoln. I told her I would keep her informed about everything, but it's not quite the same… Though, she is going to be coming back in a couple of days to pick up her things and to see me and Lincoln, and everyone else."

Lori looked at her for a few moments before putting the phone back to her ear. "Hey guys, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I promise I'll call as soon as we get to the hospital… No, everything is fine, I just need to talk to one of my sisters… Yeah, I'll talk to you in a little while… Love you too… Bye Bobby, bye Ronnie."

Lori hung up her phone as she started towards Luna, giving her a comforting smile. "Awe man… I'm sorry to hear that. I really like her and it was really nice to have her around. I know the others like her… Especially Lynn. It was pretty nice to see a small spark from Lynn again… Anyway, do you want to talk about it? I can make us some tea, I think we still have… Was it earl grey that you like? I can make you cup of that and we talk about it."

Luna sighed, shaking her head. While she appreciated her sister's words and the fact that was wanted to help her feel better, Luna wasn't really sure that it would make much of a difference… "No, thanks… There really isn't much to talk about… I just miss her and I feel bad that she wanted to come with us. I also feel bad that her brother is sick because she was pretty worried about him last night before we called the McBrides. It just sucks that he got sick… Oh, I don't know what to do Lori… I guess maybe some tea wouldn't be a bad idea… You know… For relaxing… Unless you are busy that is…"

Lori shook her head, moving to Luna and wrapping her arms around her, giving her back a gentle rub. "Don't worry about it. Why don't we go to the kitchen and get you some tea? I bet Dad, Lynn, Lucy and Luan are just about done with making breakfast."

Luna raised a brow, sniffing the air in surprise as Lori lightly took her by the wrist, starting to guide her to the kitchen. She didn't realize that anyone was cooking, which surprised her even more when she smelled how delicious it was… How the heck did she manage to miss that?

"What are they cooking? It smells great!"

Lori looked over her shoulder, smiling at her. "I know, right? I actually have no idea. I was a little worried since we have so little food, but Lynn found a bunch of leftovers that were still good… Geez… Now that I think about it, we need to buy groceries desperately…"

Luna nodded, feeling a touch of worry enter her mind when she thought about it. If they didn't go shopping soon, they might not have enough food for when Lincoln got home… That greatly worried her, as Lincoln would need to stay as strong and as healthy as he could possibly get in order to heal… Luna slowed her pace a little without really noticing, that is until Lori stopped to give her a concerned look.

"Hey, you okay Luna?"

Luna looked up at Lori, letting out a sigh. "Yeah…. I guess I'm just worried about whether we will have enough money for food… I mean, I just want to make sure that Lincoln can get enough to eat… Maybe I should get a job to help pay for food… And… I don't really mind if I skip a meal or two… I mean, Lincoln and the little dudes need it more than I do…"

Lori gave Luna a look that went from saying no, to a look of uncertainty, making Luna frown. Lori opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off as a voice spoke from the kitchen.

"Absolutely not! I don't care if I have to work triple shifts and get a second job, there is no way in hell I'm letting any of you kids go hungry. I can assure you that as long as I live, no one will ever go hungry in this house, now get your butts in here and enjoy Jr's breakfast."

Luna and Lori looked at the kitchen in surprise as their father spoke, just barely seeing him before he slipped back into the kitchen. They turned their heads to look at each other before giving the other a shrug before going into the kitchen. Luna still worried that there wouldn't be enough food… But she wasn't going to say it out loud… At least not within ear shot of her father…

As they entered into the kitchen, Luna found herself slightly surprised by how much energy there was. Lynn was standing at the stove, cooking some kind of sandwiches, while Luan was cutting a loaf of bread, only to take said slices and putting them in what Luna could only imagine to be beaten eggs. While they were doing that, Lucy was setting the table, putting out plates, silverware and glasses of juice, which surprised Luna more, as she thought that they were out of juice… And from the looks, it was Orange… Which made her pretty happy…

Last of all, was their father. He seemed to be in a pretty decent mood despite how exhausted he looked, though, Luna couldn't blame him for that, as none of them got much sleep the prier night. He was mostly just standing there, again, not that Luna could blame him. To her, it looked as if he was watching over everything and stepping in when someone needed help, such as when Lucy nearly tripped over Charles or when Lynn had moved over to plate a couple of sandwiches. Their father just flipped the sandwich in the frying pan, keeping it from burning.

As soon as Luna and Lori stepped into the kitchen, everyone looked up to give them some form of greeting, which they returned with a couple of waves. As Luna moved for an empty seat, she paused to look at the food that was getting prepared. Now she was even more confused… She was certain that they didn't have a lot of it the day before…

"Wait… Where did all of this come from? Did someone go shopping without me noticing? How is that even possible? I was sitting on the couch with Sam all morning, I'm sure we would have seen you bringing in food…"

Again Luna shared a look with Lori as she took a seat next to her. In response, their father sat at his spot at the table, giving them his tired attention. "Well, no… Nobody went shopping, or at least not us. This morning, while you girls were getting ready for the day and taking your showers, Jim stopped over with a couple loafs of bread and some eggs. He tried to claim that they were a couple of days old and needed to get used right up or they would be thrown away… But I've baked enough bread to know when it's fresh out of the oven. It was still warm and buttery. Not long after he left, Mr. Grouse came over with a couple of gallons of Orange Juice. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised by that one. Anyway, on his way out, the Yates stopped by with some veggies and meat. We'll still need to go shopping, but at least we can wait another day or two while we get things settled with Lincoln."

Luna couldn't help but to feel happy at hearing that… Though, also a touch sad. On one hand, she really appreciated how nice and supportive their neighbors were being… Then again on the other, she didn't want them to think that they were unable to support themselves… But she really couldn't complain, after all, they were just being kind and they really did need it… Not to mention that it would give her parents a small, yet much needed break from their stress…

Luna looked up at her father, giving him a small smile. "Well, that was kind of them. A bit surprising, but it's nice to know that our neighbors at least like us a little bit."

He nodded, letting out a tired sigh. "Yeah… I'm not a fan of having to depend on the kindness of our neighbors, but I'm not going to complain. It's free and to be honest, we desperately needed it…"

"Your father is right. We do need it. Sometime, that is after we are settled in with Lincoln, we should all write a nice note to each of them, thanking them for their kindness, it is, after all, the least we can do."

Luna turned her head towards the living room, raising a brow in mild surprise when she saw her mother standing in the door way, holding Lily. Her hair was wet; more than likely from having had just gotten out of the shower and even more surprising to Luna was the fact that her mother looked a lot less tired then her father.

After how her mother had reacted last night towards Lynn, she would have had thought that she would have still been a mess, but it looked as if her shower had woke her up… Or it could be the fact that in just a couple of hours, they would be seeing Lincoln for the first time in days… And in only a couple of hours more, they would be waking him… then again, both could be affecting her mother…

"I agree with mom. We should write thank you letters to our neighbors. Especially Jim and Mr. Grouse…"

Luna looked at Lori, giving her a nod of agreement as their mother moved to sit next to their father. "Yeah. It's funny how much Mr. Grouse has changed over the years… I almost miss hearing him yell at use when we accidently lose something over his fence… Then again, it's nice to actually be able to get along with him. Heck, I know Lynn loves hanging out with him. I don't think she would know what to do with herself during the sport seasons. Who would she watch baseball or hockey with if he wasn't around?"

"Clank!"

Luna raised a brow at Lynn as she set a plate with a rather delicious looking sandwich down in front of her. "Watch what you say or I'll keep the sandwich. Mr. Grouse is actually really fun to hang out with."

Luna raised her hands defensively at Lynn before looking down at her sandwich. "Dude, I'm not saying any think bad about him, I just think it's nice that you have someone other than Lincoln to do things with… What kind of sandwich is this? It looks delicious."

Lynn sighed as she set another sandwich in front of Lori. "It was supposed to be a Monty Cristo, but because Lisa and well, quite frankly all of us need something to help us wake up, it has the addition of fried eggs, veggies, mushrooms, potatoes and a couple of different meats… Wait a second… Where are Lisa and the other's?"

"Right here. Sorry we took so long."

Luna turned her head back to the kitchen doorway, watching as Leni walked in with Lisa and the twins. They all looked a lot better than the rest of the family. They looked a more rested then everyone else and really, Luna guessed that had a lot to do with Lynn or at least for the little ones. Luna wasn't really sure how Leni managed to get so much sleep last night…

"Hey, where is Sam?"

Luna frowned as all eyes were suddenly focused on her. She just moved her eyes down to look at her sandwich. "She had to leave… Her brother has food poisoning and she needs to watch him. She didn't want to leave, but her mother had to work, so she didn't have a choice. She said that she will try to be back in a day or two to check up on us and Lincoln."

Luna looked up as a hand landed on each of her shoulders. Lori and Lynn just smiled down at her, making her sigh. "I know it's not fair for me to want her to be here, I just can't help it. I was just getting used to her being here and now… Am I a bad girlfriend for not wanting her to leave?"

"Of course not silly. You care for each other. It's always hard to say goodbye to people, especially the ones you love. You just have to remember that she's not really gone. She just left for a little while to help her little brother. She'll be back before you know it. Just imagine how happy you will both be when you see each other again… And this time Lincy will be here too… Mmm… This sandwich is like, totes amazing…"

Luna raised a brow in surprise towards Leni, watching as she took a bite of one of Lynn's sandwiches… She had to admit, while her older sister was often… well, Leni, she did occasionally have a moment or two where she would say or do something that just made sense or, on a very rare occasion, would say something that was actually pretty damn smart…

Luna couldn't help but to smile at Leni. She really didn't give her enough credit… "Thanks Leni, that actually makes me feel a little better…"

Leni just smiled back at Luna, swallowing her bite. "You're welcome… For what?"

Luna sighed as Leni went back to eating… Yeah… Leni was Leni… But she wouldn't want to change her for the world…

(11:15 AM)

Lisa was, to put quite bluntly, a nervous wreck. It was a curious feeling. One that she couldn't quite remember if she had ever felt before. It sort of felt like her heart was trying to burst from her chest while her brain was going into over drive.

She was sweating something fierce and her mouth was drier than the Sahara…

"Hey kiddo, you alright?"

Lisa looked up at her father from where she sat in the arm chair. She wasn't really sure how to respond… She really had never felt this way before… She just felt so… Unsure of herself…

"I… I'm fine. I'm just collecting my thoughts, that is all."

Her father gave her an uncertain look before moving to kneel next to her, wrapping his arm around her. "You know, I know I don't say this enough… But I'm proud of you."

Lisa raised a brow at her father, giving him a questioning look.

"Really, we all are. You have done a great many amazing things in your short life… things from curing common ailments, to building Lincoln a new pair of legs… But those aren't the reasons I am proud of you. Sure you did something that I at least would consider to be impossible… But that dulls in comparison to what you have actually done…"

Her father pause for a moment, more than likely mulling over is next words.

"I know that you are a genius and all… but you are still just a child. You have seen things and done things that most could only dream to be able to accomplish… But your greatest accomplishment is that you gave me, your mother and your sisters all hope… Hope that Lincoln would survive… Hope that he would wake… And now… Or in about ten or fifteen minutes, we will be going to the hospital so that you can do Lincoln's surgery…"

"But what if I fail?"

Her father looked down at her, making her look down at her lap… Her eyes were starting to fill with tears… "What if I fail and I can't fix him? Or what if he doesn't wake after the surgery is over? Or… Or what if he dies because of my machines?"

"Okay, what if he does?"

Lisa looked up at her father, thoroughly confused. "Then I would have failed. Not only him, but you and mom and my sisters and all of our friends and family… It would be entirely my fault…"

"Failed? Your fault? Come on Lisa, you are too smart for that. You weren't the one that hit Lincoln with a car, nor were you the one to put him in a coma… You are however, the one that is trying to save him."

Lisa turned her head in surprise as her mother stepped up beside the chair, giving her a small, sad smile. "But… But It'll be my fault if I fa…"

"Lisa, don't even say it. We all know you are capable of succeeding at whatever you set your mind to. It's just who you are. But what if you fail? Will we blame you for it? Of course not you silly nerd."

Lisa looked over her shoulder as Lynn leaned over the chair, giving her a serious look. Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but once more she was cut off before she could get out even utter a word.

"Look Lisa, will we be sad if you fail? Of course, but don't think for a second that we will blame you for it. The only thing we can ask of you is to continue to try your best. Really, we couldn't ask for anything more."

Lisa sighed as Luna came around to stand in front of her. "But I don't want to lose Lincoln… I would give up all of my achievements and intelligence as long as I knew it would make it so that Lincoln would wake up and be fine…"

"Lisa… We all feel that way and we have all had those thoughts. We would all give everything just to have Lincoln home and it's alright to be afraid. We are all scared. We have all lost sleep because of bad dreams or because of worry. And it's alright. It is normal. It's okay to be scared or worried because you might not succeed, but do not under any circumstance think that you failed us, nor Lincoln…"

Lisa turned her head to look at Luan, who had come to stand up next to Lynn. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted as Lucy popped up between them.

"Because as long as you tried your best and as long as you love Lincoln, then we couldn't ask for more. We love you, Lincoln loves you and as long as we are here for each other, then we can get through all of this. Together."

Lisa sighed as the rest of her sisters moved to stand around the chair. They didn't say anything… But they didn't have to… She already knew what they wanted to tell her… "I… I'm not going to pretend like I'm not scared anymore… And even if none of you can come into the operating room with me… I guess I feel better knowing that you are all here for me now and that you will be in the hospital with me… I… I don't think I could do this alone… I mean, this is the obvious fact that I will have a team helping me, as I am not legally allowed to do this alone… But still… Sigh… I am unsure how to say what I wish to say in a way that you would understand…"

"You mean, like in spirit? And besides, you can't be alone. Lincy will be in there with you."

Lisa raised a brow at Leni, not fully sure what to think of what she had just said… But then a small smile crept onto her face… "Hmm… Yeah, I guess you are right… Lincoln will be there… I mean, that is pretty obvious… But it does help to know that it is Lincoln… He makes me feel…"

"Safe?"

"Comfortable?"

"Warm?"

"Loved?"

Lisa nodded as her sisters named off a few emotions. "Yeah… All of those… Thank you for assisting me in my state of worry… It is… Pleasing to know that you all believe in my abilities and that you all trust me with this task… No… I don't think task is the right word… But regardless, thank you for the emotional support… I… I'm glad to know that you all care so deeply for me and I promise to try my best…"

Lisa let out a sigh as her family moved to hug her, but she made no attempt to complain. She just felt that as long as she had her family by her side, even if it was in a metaphorical way, that is for the surgery, then she would be fine…

She didn't know how it would go. She did not know if she would succeed. She did not know what the future held… But what she did know, is that as long as she tried her best, she wouldn't be failing her family, nor her friends, nor herself… And most of all, she wouldn't be failing Lincoln…

(11:30)

Things had started out pretty rough, especially when the Louds first went in to see Lincoln before the surgery started. He had been hooked up to various machines and had all kinds of tubs and wires going into him or attaching to him… The scariest being the tubes going down his throat, but after a quick explanation from Lisa, they learned that they were just feeding and air tubes, which would be removed after the surgery and that by tomorrow, Lincoln would be able to eat normal food again. Though, she doubted he would be eating anything too hearty, as it had been a few days since he had gotten a decent meal…

After the initial shock was over and everyone had calmed down, the Louds spent a good fifteen to twenty minutes with Lincoln before he and Lisa went off to the O.R. While they were all thrilled to have been able to have seen him for the first time in days, none of them were happy about having to leave his side…

After watching Lincoln getting taken away with Lisa and the legs, a nurse came in to lead the Louds to a waiting room. One that had been specially set aside for the day, specifically for the Louds.

Much to everyone's surprise, the room had been set up with a small table, with an assortment of snacks and drinks. There were small snacks, like chips and some bars of chocolate, which was quickly devoured… But there were also things like cookies and some fruit. As for drinks, there was the usual things that you would find in a hospital, such as apple and orange juice, but there was also a couple of cases of soda. And not the gross, sugar free kind either.

Apparently some of the nurses and doctors that had been taking care of Lincoln had gotten together and decided to get a few things to help the Loud family relax and to stay comfortable during Lincoln's surgery. It truly touched their hearts.

(1:00 PM)

After the couple of hours, a nurse came in, asking them if they needed anything. In response, the Louds claimed that they were all set and they truly were. The only thing that they asked for was to know how the surgery was going and how Lisa was doing. The nurse told them that he would go and check.

About fifteen minutes passed before the man came back holding an arm load of board games and a couple of puzzles. He set them on a table coffee table next to the couch that most of the Louds were sat at before informing them that the surgery was going well, Lisa was doing well and that it was just going to take a while. He told them that they should play a game or do a puzzle to help pass the time and left.

(4:00 PM)

After another couple of hours of doing nothing but the occasional snacking and talking, along with the sounds of texting from Lori and Luna, things had started to drag on and it felt as if time had slowed to a crawl…

Much to the surprise of none, it was Lynn who cracked first. It started with her simply tapping her foot for twenty minutes, until she got too restless to sit anymore and started to pace the floor…

It actually amused Luan immensely. She hadn't seen Lynn move this much in over a week… it was actually nice to see a little bit of the old Lynn again... She always would pace like this when she was deep in thought… it was actually kind of funny…

"Lynn, why not take a break before you wear a hole in the ground?"

Lynn pause just long enough to give Luan a look, then immediately started to pace again. "Sorry… I… I can't…"

Luan raised a brow in confusion. "What do you mean you can't? You've been sitting and relaxing all week. I don't think sitting still for another couple of hours is going to kill you."

Lynn just shook her head and Luan's brow raised when she noticed a small blush appearing on her face…

"I… you wouldn't understand…"

Luan frowned as Lynn continued to pace and she noticed that some of her other sisters had turned their heads to look at Lynn, obviously just as confused as herself… Luan sighed as she pulled herself to her feet and started for Lynn.

She stepped in front of her just as she turned to start another lap of pacing, making her stop. "Lynn, what's going on? I haven't seen you pace this much since the Detroit Pistons lost last year's game…"

Lynn crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a sigh. "I just… It's… It's stupid…"

Luan stepped closer to Lynn, giving her a curious look. "Hey, it's okay. You can tell me, I won't judge you…"

Lynn frowned, looking down at the floor. "It's just… It's for good luck, okay? I hate just sitting here while Lincoln is in surgery. I can't to a damn thing to help him and… I don't know, I guess that I feel like that as long as I pace, it's helping… I know it's stupid, but it helps me relax…"

Luan sighed before putting on a gentle smile and leaning in to hug her younger sister. "It's not stupid. It's actually really sweet that you want to help. I know it's not much, but I'll tell you what, if I pace with you for a little while, what would you say about playing a game with me? Maybe we can even get one or two of our other sisters or mom or dad to going us…"

Luan pulled away from Lynn just enough to give her a questioning look, waiting for an answer. Slowly, Lynn started to nod… "Yeah… Sure, that sounds good… I.. I'll try not to beat you guys too hard…"

Luan couldn't help but to smile at that. While Lynn sounded genuine about trying to not win every game, Luan could hear a slight challenging tone to her voice. It was so slight that she wasn't sure if Lynn even noticed it…

"Great, now let's get going. I bet I can get from this side of the room to the other in less steps than you…"

Lynn grinned at her, a slight fire sparking in her eyes at the challenge. "Oh? You're on…"

Luan grinned back as Lynn started across the room, stretching her legs to take the most distance with the least amount of steps as she could. It was rather amusing when she thought about it. Lynn may be faster that she was… But Luan had longer legs…

(5:47 PM)

Lori sighed as she lost the fourth game of "Sorry" in a row. After a rather amusing competition to see who could cross the floor with the fewest steps possible between Lynn and Luan, which Lynn had lost… Twice… Lori had agreed to join in on a board game.

Between her, Lynn and Luan, they had needed a fourth player. Since Lily was too young, the twins and Leni had fallen asleep and their parents had flat out refused to play, it was left to Luna, who only needed slight convincing to join the game…

Now, again after losing, it was onto Lynn and Luan to play against each other, as Luna had been the first to lose that round. Not wanting to get in the way of the rather serious, yet light hearted game, Lori slid away from the game board to check on Luna, who looked rather lost in thought.

Sliding next to her, Lori gave Luna a curious look. She hadn't even noticed yet… "Hey Luna, how's it goin?"

Luna jumped a little as Lori spoke, making Lori raise a brow. "What's going on? Missing Sam?"

Luna gave a small nod before moving her eyes to meet Lori's. "Yeah… I mean, I've been texting with her all evening… But I really would love it if she was here… I guess I'm just nervous about how the surgery is going. I mean, I know everything is going to be just fine… I just hate waiting. Lynn was right, just sitting around sucks…"

"Lori sighed, giving her a nod. "Yeah… It really does…"

"Yeah… So… How's Ronnie Anne and Bobby taking this whole thing? They can't be any worse than Clyde and his dads. They've texted me over a dozen times in the last hour alone."

Lori could help but to chuckle slightly, making Luna sigh. "No, they really can't be that bad… But I guess it's expected with all things considered. They really do like Lincoln… But no, Ronnie and Bobby only message me a couple of time every hour each. Though, they have gotten a bit restless, but again, with all things considered…"

Luna nodded, turning her head to give Lynn and Luan a quick look. "Yeah… All things considered…"

"Ehem… Excuse me, is this the Loud family?"

The room went silent, Luna trailed off and Lori's head snapped around as they heard their last name getting called… standing in the doorway, was an unfamiliar looking, female Doctor. As soon as they all saw her, those that were awake, jumped to their feet, waking the others, save for Lily. As soon as they saw that something was happening, they all scrambled up to their feet as well…

Lori immediately started towards the woman with Luna close on her heals and Lynn was not far behind, with Luan and the others following. Before they even got to the woman, Lori knew what she was going to say…

"Hello, My name is Doctor Cain. I'm sure you recognize my name, as my husband has been your son's primary doctor since his arrival. I am sure you are all curious as to how things are going… Well, I am here to reassure you that after a near five and a half hour surgery, our team is proud to inform you that Mr. Lincoln Loud is doing just fine. About ten minutes ago, Professor Loud's procedure went off without a hitch. The new legs are fully attached and are completely incorporated into his bone structure and nervous system…"

Lynn had to force her legs to follow the same speed as the rest of her family as they followed the doctor down a series of halls… And she could tell from the stiff legged movements of her sisters, they were all doing the same thing… the doctor was walking too damn slow…

She couldn't believe it… She really couldn't believe it… It was happening… It was finally happening…

Lynn grinned. She couldn't help it. She was just too damn happy… She didn't even care that she was starting to cry… She was just… She just couldn't… It was so…

"Dude… Sniffle… Lynn, if you smile any wider, you're going to tear your face…"

Lynn turned her head to look at Luna, keeping her smile when she saw that Luna was grinning just as much. "I don't care. We have been waiting for this for so long and… And it's finally happening. I mean, it's really happening…"

Luna let out a chuckle, moving her hand to pat Lynn's back. "I know… this is the greatest day of my life… I honestly didn't think this was going to come for a while… But now…"

Lynn nodded, continuing to smile as she looked down at Lucy, who was walking with a slight bounce to her step. Even she was smiling.

"Yeah… I think this day is the happiest for many… Have you told Sam yet? Or the McBrides?"

Lynn could have sworn that Luna's smile got bigger as soon as the question was out of her mouth…

"Yeah dude. I texted them both and well to keep things short, they were all thrilled… Sam demanded pictures all of us hugging him and the McBrides want a group photo."

Lynn let out a happy sigh. "It's nice to know that we have such great friends. I be Clyde is going crazy right now… Oh… Hey Lori, have you told Ronnie and Bobby yet?"

Lynn and Luna turned their heads towards Lori, who was busy texting. For a moment Lynn wasn't sure if she had heard her, but she soon put her phone down, giving Lynn a massive grin. "Oh, you bet. Bobby just texted me saying that Ronnie has been begging him to drive her here since I told him."

Lynn let out a small chuckle at that. "Cute. Funny to think that she went from shoving sandwiches down his pants to being his second best friend. Heck, she even tried running away just to see him."

Lori nodded before looking back down at her phone. "Yeah, it is. Lincoln really means a lot to her, after all, he was the first friend she ever had…"

"Ehem… Sorry to interrupt your little discussion, but we are here."

Lynn, Luna, Lori and all the others grew still as Dr. Cain stopped in front of a closed door. They all grew completely silent as the doctor put her hand to the door… They held their breath as she turned the knob… and then the door swung open…

The room was quiet save for the steady beep of a heart monitor… From where she stood, Lynn noticed a few things… The first, was the completely exhausted Lisa sleeping in one of the chairs in the room. She was still dressed in the hospital scrubs, which quite frankly, was freaking adorable concidering that they were quite large on her…

The second thing Lynn noticed was the white haired figure laying in the bed hooked to the heart monitor…

The third thing she noticed was the two, very noticeable lumps under the blankets where there had been none hours prior…

The fourth and last thing, Lynn didn't notice until she placed a single foot into the room… And when she saw it, she knew it would be something that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life… and it made her burst into tears of joy… Lincoln's eyes slowly blinked open… and it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and she knew that nothing would ever compare… Lincoln, was awake…

A/N

Well, I managed to get the next chapter out in less than a month. Barely, but I did. This chapter is by far the longest and took the most amount of work to produce.

I know some people are going to question how quickly I had Lincoln wake, but believe me, as someone that has had numerous surgeries and procedures, I can say with great confidence, that it is not too overly exaggerated. As for the rest of the chapter, please let me know what you think and if you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you for reading and as always, have a good one. ^_^