Episode 1: A Day in the Life…

It was just a normal day in the life of Lincoln Loud.

Lincoln wasn't quite sure what he expected from today but this was certainly low on the list. Ok, sure, his life was generally chaotic. Some would even say to a ridiculous degree.

Cartoonish even.

Well, yeah, but he had long ago made his peace with it and had learned time and again, he actually wouldn't change it for the world. Yeah, alright, there is something to be said about the Devil you know, but more than that he loved his family and his place in it. And that's important to remember as he tries not to freak out.

'Focus, Loud.'

So Lisa had been unusually quiet during breakfast. Not participating in the customary…sibling banter. That had been happening more and more lately, ever since she turned down that invitation to that research institute. Admittedly, Lisa had been more engaged with the family than she was before. Much freer in expressing her affection for the household but at least once a day she would just…stop. Full stop. Just…checked out entirely. He had assumed she was just reflecting on what could've been but it didn't seem like that now. Probably just hindsight bias.

'Anyway, we were splitting up when Lisa stopped me.'

"Lincoln, if I may speak to you for a moment." The boy flinched. He couldn't help it, he knew that tone. She was looking for participants. As that ethics course the college forced her to take wouldn't let her call them subjects anymore.

'Progress…'

"No way, Lincoln is already helping me today." Lynn grabs him by the shoulders turning him towards the back door. "And we're wasting daylight."

Lisa removes her glasses to clean them. "Oh please, he has been helping you all week. And this will only take a moment of his time." She was right; Lynn had been monopolizing his time lately to help her train for the Iron Kids triathlon. Today was biking through the woods. All the way to Hazeltucky...

Before Lynn could respond, "It's okay, Lynn. I'll be quick." He smiled at her placating.

She huffed, Lincoln was loathed to admit it but Lynn's pouting face always amused him for some reason. "Fine but I'm coming too. Make sure she doesn't remove your kidney or something." Lisa glowered at the comment but composes herself, "Very well, to my bunker, please."

There it was. That familiar feeling of apprehension creeps through his body. He flexes his fingers. It was like being last in line for the shower during winter. Lisa rarely did any kind of work in her bunker. As they step it to the heat of the sun, he considers just hopping on his bike and fleeing with Lynn. Again, the Devil you know. As they descended in to Lisa's sanctuary, Lincoln gave one last look to the blue sky before the hatch reengaged.

'The things I do for my sisters.'

He looks around the room trying to notice any changes from the only time they were allowed in there. Although Lincoln didn't take it personally, he got it; after all he didn't like people handling Bun-Bun.

'And considering Lisa's nightmares…'

The kid genius walks over to the far wall. It's surprisingly bare considering the economy of space utilized everywhere else. Then the girl removed a piece of concrete from the wall. Figures. She then typed in to the exposed keypad, which revealed a palm scanner...then a retinal scanner...and then a voice activated lock. Lynn made a noise akin to a growl as the wall finally opened. "This way, sibling units."

She leads them down a tunnel in to a room with a large machine connected to a larger oval structure. Now, Lincoln was enough of a geek to know a portal when he saw one. For a instant, an image of Lynn's hair fluttering in the wind as they soar down the twisting trails of the Royal Wood filled his vision. Then the computer hummed to life bringing him back.

And that was the moment things changed.

"I had suddenly remembered that dream you mentioned; of travelling to a world where you were one of eleven male offspring. It was an intriguing prospect. So I decided to combine it with my current research in to Time Travel." She turns to face her siblings, the iridescent glow from the gate giving the illusion of shadows in the light, "Why limit myself to one world? One galaxy? One universe?" She caresses the panel. "With this baby, time and space will be laid before me." She swings around. "Not just in this world but in every world!" Her voice reaching manic levels as the portal sparked to life.

"And how would you get back, genius?" Lincoln and Lisa were thrown by the question. Lynn continued to dig in her ear, indifferent to the machine's hums and snarls. "This thing is basically a door right? Don't you need to be able to open both sides of a door for it to be useful?"

Lincoln comes back to himself, "She's right, Lis. In the dream, the watch allowed me to return after a few hours but if I missed it, that was it. Wouldn't a machine like this require a set up on both sides to be stable?"

Lisa visibly ruffled but once more composed herself, "This is just a preliminary test. The ultimate goal is to make contact with alternate versions of myself so that I may disseminate my design throughout the multiverse thus creating a stable network for travel. And more importantly…collaboration." She clears her thought, "Starting the device now will merely open a temporary Einstein–Rosen bridge so that I may collect samples to study."

"Ok but why did you need me?" Lisa turned giving him a prideful grin.

"I merely thought as the inspiration for this device it is only appropriate that you be present for its activation." Lisa then begins to busy herself with the machine. Lynn, bored, began stretching, getting limber. Lincoln knew he should be doing it too or he would regret it later. But he still couldn't shake his worry and just continued to watch. After a few minutes both sisters finished, turning back to Lincoln.

"Are you done yet?" Lynn whined as she leaned on Lincoln who couldn't help but giving a small grin. Lisa ignores her typing unintelligible garbles of text.

"And done. Now if you'll look at the top that number corresponds to time relative to our own. The number below corresponds to worlds away." Lincoln noticed both are set at zero. "Now I will keep the World Counter at zero as we have yet to catalogue any but as for the time…" She begins typing again, "Oh 20 years in the future should do. Provided the world hasn't been saturated with nuclear fallout by then." A Geiger counter suddenly in her had. Lynn and Lincoln share a look.

Lisa backs up to her siblings, her eyes never leaving the device. "And here we go. To history!" She hits the button.

The gate's rumbles begin growing in intensity as does its light. Sparks flying from different connectors as the space between them begins to bend and seemingly melt. Almost like an eye opening.

"It's working! It's working!" Lisa squeals in excitement.

Lincoln looks to Lynn and even she is mesmerized by the machine. Lincoln returns his gaze to the gate as variegated light overtakes the room. The Eye's roars reverberate through his entire body.

Then the lightning starts.

Lynn pulls them to the ground as it shoots across the room. "What the hell, Lisa?!"

Lisa fiddles with the device in her hand. "Just some minor power fluctuations." A second bolt fires striking near the door. Lincoln eyes the machine's control panel. The screen's text is becoming even more enigmatic. However he does notice one thing. The counters are glitching. "Uh, Lisa."

"I got it!" She yells, her teeth bared, as she tinkers with the device. Another arc of lightning shoots to the roof above them, Lynn drags them further back. Fortunately, however, the roof holds.

"For fuck sakes, Lisa, turn the damn thing off!" Lynn yells. Lisa looks like her heart is breaking but she nods. She presses the kill switch. The gate responds by launching a volley in multiple directions like a shotgun.

Lisa's eyes go wide. She keeps hitting the button. "Damn it!" She breaks in to a run for the power cord. Lincoln and Lynn follow, helping her grip the immense cord as the glow remains ever changing and expanding.

With all their might they pull the cord from the machine as sparks rain from the control panel. But the Eye endures. Bellowing and snapping its coruscation in defiance.

"This is impossible! I don't have excess to this amount of power!" Lisa looks truly scared now.

"The hell does that mean?!" Lynn screams.

"It means it siphoning power from the other side. There is no way to stop it." The bolts come faster now. "Take cover!" Lynn tackles them down again, pinning them in place.

"NO! LYNN!" Lincoln tries to push her off as the lightning soars above them.

"Shut up and stay down!" It's too bright, he can't see her. He can't feel her with thunder racking his body.

And then the world cracks.

They are hurled tumbling across the floor. And for a moment there is nothing. No sight, no sound, no feeling. After a year or a minute, the world returns. Shimmering smoke wafts through the room as the Eye's howls die out. He looks to Lynn who is staring at him in fear. It's sobering.

They look to Lisa trying to gain her bearings. Lynn helps them to sit. They turn back to the portal.

As the smoke clears they see two figures stagger from the gate before falling. Lisa has her Geiger out as they slowly approached the prone figures.

...

Lincoln shakes his head and tries to slow his breathing.

'And that catches us up to now.'

He turns to Lynn. She is still. He has never seen Lynn this still, like a statue, it unsettles him. She just keeps staring at the girl. And why shouldn't she? It's almost like looking in to a mirror. Almost. The girl's hair is lighter and more…just more. Like Lynn, her hair was tied back but it was longer and wilder. Oh and she looks taller too. Not by much but still.

Lincoln returns his attention back to the boy.

The kid looked vaguely familiar. Like, he should know him. In any other situation he'd feel guilty for blanking on him. The kid was tan with dark hair almost black. He was about Lincoln's height though not as lanky. That could just be the hoodie, which also seemed significant. It was well worn, the purple taking on dusty grey tones. He alternates between the kids face and the hoodie.

Then it hits him as the girl begins to stir.

"T-take it easy. You had a bad fall." Lynn says in a soothing voice. Lincoln steps closer just as Lisa reenters the main room. "Mom? I had the weirdest dream. There was this light and swirls…I-I-I was falling I couldn't…LJ. Where is LJ?" Lynn gently pushes the girl back down, readjusting the cloth on her brow. "Shh it's okay, Lacy. LJ is fine. Just go back to sleep." The girl settles.

For a few moments no one says anything. Then Lisa clears her throat. "How did you know her name?" Lincoln swallows the lump in his.

"Because," Lynn pets the girl's hair, "that is what I plan to name my daughter." The room goes quiet.

'What the fuck do you say to that?'

He slowly turns back to the boy and sees it.

Ronnie Anne's nose and chin.

'LJ. She called him LJ!'

"They're from the future?!" Lynn shushes him.

"They might be." Lisa says massaging her forehead.

Suddenly Lynn had crossed the room getting in to her sister's face, "What do you mean, might be?" Lincoln rushes over worried by Lynn's intensity. As hotheaded as his sister is, Lincoln had only seen Lynn truly mad on two occasions. He knows he wouldn't be able to handle a third on his own.

Lisa sighs, "When the computer malfunctioned it was cycling through both time and dimensions. It will take some time to repair the system then go through the data to determine where or when they are from."

"So we're stuck here?" They jump whirling around. The boy, LJ, is sitting on the cot staring at them. He runs his hand through his hair. The kid has expressive eyes.

Really familiar eyes.

"H-hey um my names Lincoln Loud, and these are my sisters, Lynn and Lisa." LJ just gives him a look.

'Yeah, he's definitely related to Ronnie Anne.'

Lacy starts waking again. LJ stumbles to her. "Lace. Take it easy." He helps ease her up.

"LJ? Where is Mom, she was just here?" She rubs her head dropping the rag.

"Well…uh…you see," He scratches the back of his head searching the room. It fails him.

'LJ. His name is LJ.' Lincoln thinks again watching him. Yeah, he sees it now.

"Now don't freak out but uh…" He just turns so she could see the Louds. For several moments the children just observe at each other. "They're not sure if its time travel or a parallel universe thing."

Lacy slowly looks them all up and down. "H-how old are you now, M-mom?"

Lynn moves her mouth silently a few times before finally squeaking out. "T-thirteen."

Lacy nods her head before suddenly leaping from the bed knocking LJ over, "This is so shway!" She runs over enveloping Lynn in a hug before pulling Lincoln in too. "I'm taller than you!"

"Hey!" They both yell. She just laughs backing up, "Now whose short-stop?" Lisa and LJ have yet to move. "Oh sorry Aunt Lis, didn't see you there. Are we in central dogma? Is anyone else here?" The girl turns her earnest expression full strength at the little Einstein.

"N-no." Lisa regained her voice, "Only the five of us."

"I'm here." They all scream but Lacy. "Sigh. I was right behi-yiih!" Lacy picks her up swinging her around, "Aunt Luce, you're so short!" She drops her sending the goth stumbling. By now LJ had gotten to his feet, tentatively joining the family reunion, until Lacy grabs him in a headlock dragging him the rest of the way. "Will you hurry up already? How often does a chance like this come?"

Lacy releases the struggling boy. His put off expression meeting her enthused one before relenting. "Fine. Hey kid, who may or may not be my future dad." He turns his head away before mumbling, "Shock this is weird." She puts her arm around his shoulder shaking him slightly before turning her full exuberance back on the Louds.

At the risk of adding more justified but unbearable silence, Lincoln says the first thing that comes to his mind, "So I take it your uh Ron-"

"Spoilers." Lacy cuts him off with a mischievous grin, her eyes taking a taunting glare.

'Definitely Lynn's kid.'

"Come on Chain-Linc, you don't really want to skip to the end do you?" No one really seems to share her sentiments. She just rolls her eyes. "So are we going to stay down here all day or what? Because I don't know about gloomy here, but I can't wait to see the look on Gramp's and Gam Gam's faces."

Lincoln winces. "I'm not sure that is such a good idea." He says trying to rein in the hyper girl.

Her eyes get wide, "Why not?"

'Dang it. Definitely Lynn's kid.'

Lincoln looks away scratching his head,"I'm not sure how to explain it. Heck, I don't even understand it and I was there."

Lacy snorts, tapping her foot. "What's there not to get? Aunt Lis' temporal boom tube overloaded because she was trying to do too much at once with inadequate equipment and kablam! Instant grandkids." She shakes LJ again. His face a long suffering look also really familiar.

"I…" Lisa starts but quickly concedes. "No, your assessment is fair and accurate to the occurrence. I can only assume that scientific endeavor is much more respected where you come from." Lacy winks.

Lincoln steps forward, "I think it's more of a problem of...spoilers. No offence but this situation is kinda," He reaches for a kinder term and fails, "Freaking me out." He bows his head not wanting to see their hurt faces. "And if the others see you then there is no way they are not going to want to know everything." He tentatively looks up, Lacy has a thoughtful expression and LJ is just watching Lynn.

Before Lincoln can turn to check on his sister Lacy starts laughing. She releases the boy nearly doubling over before righting herself and dramatically wiping an eye, "Well, yeah, that's what makes it fun."

Lynn begins laughing just as animatedly. Her siblings and LJ unconsciously step back. She stops, regarding the girl again. Taking in the red and white varsity style jacket and matching but stained sneakers. "You really are my Lacy."

The other girl gives a grin best described as bemused. "I'd like to think so." Lynn takes her daughter in to her arms. Her first motherly embrace.

Lincoln couldn't help but smile, he was sure everyone else was too. In fact, he thought he heard Lucy sniffle but he wasn't sure. Because he couldn't bring himself to look away.

Lynn pulls away, beaming. "So, Short-Stop, ever play Mayan Basketball?"

"Have you?" She challenges and they both take off in a run.

"Wait I-" Lincoln deflates. "Definitely Lynn's kid." He turns to his own son. "So uh," He struggles to say something, anything, to this kid. His kid.

"So how is Lincoln as a father?" Oh yeah, Lucy is here.

LJ looks uncomfortable. "My dad is great. So is my mom. I'd like to get back to them." He levels his glare at Lisa.

"Well," She starts. "I will begin work on the machine at once however I am concerned about a repeat of the incident. I don't suppose you have any experience in transdimensional physics?" His face says it all.

Lincoln doesn't like that look, "How about video games? Any experience with that?" LJ looks at him wearily, Lincoln just smiles.

"I do ok." LJ says.

As father and son begin the bonding process, Lisa heads back in to the testing chamber.

This was terrible.

Without a doubt this was the worst thing she has ever done.

She reaches the machine, laying her hands on the console, her head low. Only then does she allow tears to fall. She could have killed them. No. The entire town with the power the gate was giving off. And now she had dragged her siblings' children from their home. The theoretical implications alone are staggering. She grabs the portable controller.

She has a lot of work to do.

...

Now neither one of them knew the rules to any Mesoamerican ballgame but when has something as trivial as ignorance ever stopped Lynn-sanity?

So the game consisted of an amalgam of soccer and volleyball but with a basketball. All things Lynn was great at. And Short-Stop wasn't too bad either. If anything, it was the first time Lynn had seemingly met her match. Because Tanya doesn't count, fuck her. She'd bet it was the same for Lacy.

Beat for beat, strike for strike. It evolved in to something akin to tennis at that point, the hoop no longer the target but each other. Although, Lynn noticed something peculiar about the girl's technique. She would often block with her forearm before she would strike, also she flat out punched the ball a few times. Those techniques were familiar somehow. Lynn knocks the ball purposely to towards the window to see what she does.

Lacy runs heading it off, she jumps kicking off the side of the house, twisting in to a falling wheelkick. The ball bounces off the driveway. Lynn jumps for it but it soars over her head striking Mr. Grouse's garbage cans sending them flying. "LOUDS!" Lacy winces. The red faced old man comes to the edge of the fence holding their ball. His tirade dying on his lips at the girls' mirrored pose and speech, "Sorry about that Mr. Grouse." The ball falls from his hands, over the fence, rolling to Lynn's feet. He just blinks a few times before turning. "Just be more careful! I need to lie down." Lynn kicks the ball up, turning to her daughter. They begin laughing.

Mr. Grouse shuffles away just a little faster.

...

Upstairs Lincoln digs through his games as his son takes stock of the room. His eyes locking on to the white rabbit perched at the head of the bed. He smiles reaching for the toy.

"Ah!" Lincoln exclaims turning around. LJ puts his hands back in his pockets. "Fight Fighters 4!"

LJ shrugs, "I'm more of a Steely Knuckle fan." He bends down and picks up an older game. "Is this the original Beasts and Barbarians?"

Lincoln looks over the game, "Oh yeah. It was one of Lori's old games. It has co-op if you want to give it a try." LJ grins.

...

Lisa removes her glasses, rubbing her eyes in search of relief. The multidimensional navigator was completely corrupted. Of course she had a backup of the program; still, it would still be few more hours trying to figure out the existent of the corruption let alone the problematic code that caused the debacle to begin with. Luckily, the first phase was an automated process but like that song Luna was singing yesterday, the waiting is, indeed, the hardest part.

She looks to the clock. The rest of the family will be home soon. Best case scenario they will be so flummoxed by the appearance of Lynn and Lincoln's scions they will not think to impose limits on her research.

'Perhaps they should.'

She leans back tracing the scorch marks on her roof. On her wall. And the floor leading to the gate itself. She picks up the portable controller as she heads to the surface. Might as well get it over with.

...

"He's behind the rock!" LJ's character jumps scaling the giant, hammering down on him as Lincoln's wizard fires his magic missiles.

Last timed he played this Clyde carried the spell book. Although, LJ is much better than either of them had been; they were ready to rage quit by this point.

As if sensing the coming question, "Mi prima taught me. Now cast blizzard as it staggers!"

...

Vanzilla finally comes to rest at Casa Loud.

The venerable beast creaking and shifting as it settles in respite from its daily labor until needed again. Lynn Sr. turns the engine off, absent minded he runs his hand on the dash before joining his family at the hatch. While the Loud patriarch had long ago given in to his children's demand for a more diversified menu, it had been a surprisingly rough day at work, so falling back to the old standard goulash seemed fitting. Besides, Lori would probably appreciate it, they don't have too many of these left. He catches sight of his reflection in the window. While nowhere near ready to call himself old, he has come to accept the passage of time as inevitable. His baby girl will be leaving at the end of the summer. And the next year it would happen again. And the next year. And the next. He lifts the bags, a little heavier than last week and follows his family to the door.

As the door opens the various animals run past, weaving around their feet as they dive under Vanzilla. Their wide eyes peering from the darkness.

"Well that was weird." Lola says before sashaying in to the door. The others regard the sight for a moment longer but figured the food took precedence. \

However Lola hasn't moved. Frozen mid-step.

"Uh, sweetie, do you want to move so we can get in?" Her mother asks but she remains still.

Her twin just pushes passed her, "Move your butt!" She takes two steps before stopping.

"Ok this is, literally, getting stupid. Leni!" She takes her sister's bags as the younger girl lifts the twins under each arm. The family shuffle in behind her, heading straight in to the dining room. "Hi Lynn! Hi Lynn!" After a beat, she drops the twins. The family turns as one towards the noise.

"Oh, hey." The girls say doing their best to be nonchalant with Lynn flipping through channels and Lacy spinning the basketball on her finger.

The Louds shuffle back and forth between the two. Their first thought was that it was the stunt double from April's Fools. But why bother?

The girl's change up, tossing the object in their hands to the other.

"Woah, did Lis finally build a cloning machine?" Luna asks recovering from her stupor.

Both girls laugh in unison, creeping out everyone including the resident twins.

"It's a little more complicated than that." They notice Lincoln standing next to a dour boy about his height at the top of the stairs.

"Oh good, you're all here." The family turn again as Lisa adjusts her glasses.

...

One explanation later, the Louds are strewed about the living room in what is best described as the crash position whilst the five at the center of the story sit on the couch.

Lynn, Sr. and Rita gape at the two kids. Their kids' kids, allegedly. The girl just keeps smiling at them. The boy looks nervous but trying not to show it. Looks reflected by their alleged parents sitting next to them. Well if they are their grandparents they should probably say something. They're starting to look bad.

"So…Lacy…" Rita clears her throat, "How old are you, sweetie?"

"I'm 14 and LJ is 12." Lacy declares and the boy nods his affirmation.

"So uh LJ," Lynn, Sr. starts but quickly derails, "yeah, I got nothing."

The family facepalms while Lacy lets out a melodic laughs and LJ gives a small grin. "That's probably for the best. You know how these things go in the movies. Future knowledge always causes problems."

"If we even are from the future, I still think we could be from an alternate universe." Lacy looks annoyed but gives an acknowledging shrug.

"Oh come on!" Lori shoots up, "Is there, literally, nothing you can tell us?" She implores them. Lacy once more takes on a thoughtful expression.

LJ sighs then points to each Loud Sibling in descending order. "Three, two, two, two, one, one, one." He skips Lynn, Lincoln, Lisa and Lily.

"Like, two what?" Leni asks.

LJ just shrugs while Lacy nudges him, "Ha, nice one, Lefty."

Lincoln and Lisa raise their eyebrow as the rest of the family was trying to decipher the boy's statement.

Suddenly a yelp erupts from the porch. Lisa stands. "I took the liberty of ordering pizza." She opens the door as the delivery driver speeds off. Lynn, Sr. and Rita join her to gather the boxes. The rest of the family pull themselves together.

As they walk to the dining room Leni suddenly screams taking the kids up in her arms and swinging them back and forth, "I just realized I'm an Aunt! We are totes going to have so much fun you guys." LJ sighs.

...

Although the Louds had gotten a bigger table some time ago, with two more queued up, they decide to break out the old kiddie table. With the younger Louds separated, the dining room was uncharacteristically quiet. While, Lacy kept up conversation with her mother and Leni who, naturally, took this situation in stride. LJ, on the other hand, was quiet, uncomfortable with all the stares. Especially Lori's, who had undoubtedly figured out who his mother was as she looked like she wanted to squeal, her phone grasped in her hand. It was surprisingly resilient. He looks to his not-father playing with his food deep in thought. LJ sighs louder than he means to.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Rita asks.

"No its just…" He sighs again sinking slightly.

Rita frowns, "Sweetie, I know this is a lot to take in. I honestly couldn't imagine being in your place but whether you're from the future or not, your still family."

"That's right LJ. You're a Loud and we stick together no matter what." Lynn, Sr. declares.

LJ looks around the table and the reassuring smiles on the siblings' faces. He stops on Lacy, smug and blithe. He gives them a small smile in return.

"So I know you can't give us too much future knowledge but what kind of tunes do you listen to, brah?"

"Rastabilly skank." Eight pairs of eyes blink at him in unison.

Then Luan starts laughing, LJ smirks. "I've seen that show! Do you like comedy?"

"LJ is always watching weird old foreign films and documentaries." Lacy says her mouth half full.

And like that the tension broke. With safe topics set they were finally able to interact more freely.

...

Lisa is sifting through the data between bites. This was a mess. The time machine worked before but the added complexity of multidimensional travel as well as the drop in available resources. The table shakes as the twins begin fighting. She leans back, looking in on the family. They seem to be getting over their trepidation.

Lisa can't help but wonder how their family is handling their absence. There is something to be said of maturity; once again Lisa had been so caught up in if she could do something she didn't question if she should. For as smart as she is, she is still a child. The table shakes again.

It was such an intriguing idea. A multitude of herself all working together. Truly it would be the greatest assembly of minds in human history. The very foundations of the universe would be laid before the might of their collective mind. What could their Lisa be like? If they are from the future it is entirely possible the situation will be remedied soon enough. If they are from a parallel earth however it may be more difficult.

Lana pins Lola to the table but with the grip she has on her pigtails she'll be free soon enough. Lisa can scarcely imagine what they will be like in the future. Of course she never really gave much thought to anyone's future but her own and even that only in the most nebulous of aspects.

Lynn desiring to be a mother was indeed shocking. Although considering how closely the two resemble each other it would stand to reason she would assume the girl to be her progeny. It is rather uncanny. Naturally, the Loud siblings do share traits with their parents as well as each other, with certain outliers like Lincoln and Lucy's hair, which are occurring traits in their genetic line. And yet, Lisa is hard pressed to find any traits that aren't pure Loud. It was obvious who the mother of Lincoln's son is as he has traits in line with the Santiago family.

'Nevertheless, with the exception of her height, her hair color, her teeth and eyes. Lacy is a near clo-'

Lisa blinks. Her teeth are very different. Lynn has naturally straight teeth but Lacy's teeth looked more like Lincoln's. Her eyes are also different enough to be noticeable. In fact, they are very much like LJ's.

Lola pins Lana to the table, her arm twisted behind her back as Lisa gets up from the table. Lucy watches her go, confused by the blank look on her face.

...

After dessert the family moves on to the living room for the newest episode of Dream Boat. The extraordinary situation being all but forgotten as the Louds came together for their weekly bonding. Except Lisa who had sequestered herself away in her room. Eventually it was time to call it a night. As the Louds begin ascending the stairs, the next generation and their parents stay seated.

"Uh, where are we going to sleep?" LJ asks halting everyone.

"What do you mean? With us obviously." Lynn scoffs getting up.

"Actually," Lisa reappears, "I think it is best if our guests stay in the bunker for the time being."

Lynn glares, "Why?" She nearly growls. Everyone feels the room shift.

Lisa holds her composure. "It is merely a precaution. To be sure there are no unobserved side effects from travel through the gate." Lori, Leni and Luna shift closer to the young genius.

"What the hell does that mean?" Lynn takes a step towards Lisa as her daughter and Lincoln step towards her.

"I DON'T KNOW, LYNN!" Lisa shrieks and everyone stops. Red faced and trembling she continues, "This whole situation is unprecedented! Science fiction made reality! None of this was meant to happen!" She lowers her head, "This was only supposed to be a test. See if it was even possible. I never meant…" She goes quiet.

She seems so small now.

Lynn is at a loss, everyone is, she feels a hand on her shoulder. It's the boy. "She's right. Better safe than sorry." For a moment she feels her rage spike but his expression calms her.

'Definitely Lincoln's kid.' She looks to her daughter, "What do you say, Short-Stop?"

She smiles, "Seems like the best plan."

...

The future Louds settle on to the cots as the bunker's hatch seals. Lisa didn't have much to say nor did they expect it. Just the panic button to page her then she left. They give a look around their new dwelling. And find exactly what they're looking for.

'Unobserved consequences …clever Aunt Lis...'

Lacy catches LJ's eye, signaling for cued speech.

~Are you okay little brother?~

He breaths out shakily, his front finally falling completely, ~As good as I can. You good?~

Lacy hesitates looking around the bunker again. ~I'm...scared.~ Chuckling humorlessly, seemingly ashamed. ~What if this is like that old movie where the kid meets his parents then starts disappearing. What if this is the past and we do something that stops one of us from being born?~

That question was all LJ could think about all day. It was why he clung to the multiverse theory so doggedly. There was so much to lose. ~I don't know. My mom doesn't even live in this town right now. That didn't happen until the…~ He freezes his eyes widening.

No one moves for a moment, ~Junior, we can't.~ He begins to signal but she hisses, ~No. All...that...needs to happen or none of us will exist.~

He frowns slumping against the wall. ~So what then? We just sit in this hole and do what?~

Lacy contemplates his question, ~Maybe…maybe we can help them.~ LJ raises his brow but Lacy looks beyond him, ~My first priority is getting us back. But…if we can…we have to be sure the...family...exists. All of them. Now go to sleep little brother. We are going to have a long day tomorrow.~

He nods then smirks. ~Hey. Look at it this way. At least it was us that got sent back and not Leman and Lupe.~

Lacy's groans face palming. That would suck. Honestly, out everyone that could have gone back. She was glad it was them. ~Yeah, good point.~

...

They settle in to sleep as Lisa removes her glasses, rubbing her eyes. She turns from the feed to the diagnostic running on the other screen. 67%. She goes back to the camera feed re-watching the coded communication.

They were able to deduce the angles of the hidden cameras. That is very telling. Of course then the question becomes, why have such an elaborate form of communicating so readily available?

She rewinds the footage again.

They're paranoid.

She rewinds the footage.

And it's not just a matter of future knowledge causing problems in the present, isn't it?

She rewinds the footage.

'It's simply that they don't trust us. Whatever this secret is they're hiding they truly believe it is too disastrous to ever be mentioned. But it's still there just under the surface.'

She sighs leaning back in her chair, again massaging her eyes. She should let it go. Concentrate on sending them back.

She's caused enough trouble.

She puts her glasses back on, the screen reflecting off the lenses.

Diagnostic at 69%.

She rewinds the footage.

A/N: And so it begins. Reckon I've lurked around here long, should have my hand at it.

This all came about because I began to wonder how the Louds would react to meeting Lacy. Especially not knowing or having any real inkling to her origins. The image of them falling out of that portal popped in to my head and wouldn't leave. Then a few more disjointed segments that I'm trying my best to stitch in to something cohesive. Basically I am saying I don't quite know where this is going but I have a tendency to over plan things so I'm trying to just go with it.

Frankly, this chapter was a bitch and a half. I had initially wanted to drag out the family meeting Lacy a bit. Do the whole twin switching trope until they realize there was two of them but the unsubtlety of just sitting on the couch like it is perfectly normal was more in-line with my interpretation of Lynn.

It should be noted that Patanu's drawing of Lacy is how I picture the character when I write her. As it was that image that made me want to know more about the character.

Beyond that I probably referenced what you thought I did. It seems likely.

Also, yes, I want to call bullshit every time I read Lynn, Sr. declaration too.

So what music does LJ listen to? Probably JJ Grey & Mofro. That sounds about right.

A/N Revised:Guess I wasn't done rewriting this thing. I fixed the formatting and a few other issues just trying to make the rhythm a little more pronounced.

Also I have a more clear picture of where this is going and of LJ and Lacy as characters so it really needed it.