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More Than a Sister	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 6299 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Leni sighed as she washed her hands in the bathroom sink. Her conversation with Lori was long since over… she'd argued her point. She'd said all she needed to say, and if those words had done anything to sway Lori's opinion she certainly didn't show it.
Leni just wanted to go home. She wanted to see Lincoln again. She missed his touch, his voice, his love… all that she had grown accustomed to over the past several months. Without him she felt empty, as though a piece of herself had gone missing. But she wouldn't give in to Lori's ultimatum; to do so would be to betray her own heart.
Leni switched off the bathroom light before returning to the hallway. She considered returning to the living room but the last thing she wanted right now was more of Lori's lecturing… even the uncomfortable floor of the closet would be better than that. But as she passed by Lori's bedroom, she froze in place. The door was wide open… not that that was anything new, but Leni had never really stopped to consider the possibilities.
She peeked over her shoulder to make sure that Lori was still watching TV, then crept her way inside. The room was fairly sparse, perhaps due to them having only recently moved in, and the bed seemed to be old and out of shape. However, to Leni it looked like the most comfortable thing in the world right now, and it took every ounce of restraint in her not to just flop down onto it and go to sleep. Instead, she made her way over to the window overlooking the city streets. She peered out and found, to her delight, that there was a fire escape leading down the side of the building.
She'd found her way out.

"Bobby, I swear if you're making this up…"
"I-I'm not! I promise!" Bobby stammered, crossing his heart. Ronnie's hands balled up into fists. She wasn't sure which of the two revelations shocked her more; that Lincoln was dating his own sister or that Lori was keeping the girl locked up like some sort of prisoner.
"And you're just letting this happen?!" Ronnie shouted.
"Look, I'm not crazy about it either!" Bobby countered. "B-but what else am I supposed to do? She's dating Lincoln-"
"And how is that any of your business?!"
"That's what I told Lori!" The frightened young man explained. "But she wouldn't listen! A-and, I mean… come on, Ronnie, they're brother and sister! That's… weird, you know?!" Well, he wasn't wrong about that. Not that it changed much… as far as Ronnie was concerned, Lori and Bobby had for all intents and purposes kidnapped Leni.
"You'd better call Lori right now and put a stop to this," Ronnie hissed. "It doesn't matter what she and Lincoln are doing… you've got no right keeping her locked up like this." Bobby frowned and averted his eyes. He knew his sister was right… hell, he'd known from the beginning that this was a bad idea. Either way, the jig was up. With a sigh, he fished his phone out of his pocket. Ronnie, meanwhile, was already calling Lincoln back; he needed to know about this right away.
Of course, she had a few questions for him as well.

Lori leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She had given up any pretense of watching TV at this point… she could only dwell on what her sister had said.
Throughout all of this, she'd been thinking about things from the outside… from the perspective of a concerned sister. If anything, she'd deliberately avoided putting herself in Leni's shoes. Hell, she wasn't even sure she could if she tried. The thought of being in love with one's own brother, not to mention a thirteen-year-old, was something she couldn't even begin to consider. And even if she were in such a situation, surely she would have the common sense to push aside those thoughts for both their sakes.
But what if it were Bobby?
Lori groaned and buried her face in her palms. Why was she even entertaining the notion? Bobby wasn't her brother, nor was he a child, nor was anyone telling them they couldn't be together. Sure she'd be upset if that were the case, but who wouldn't? Nobody wants their love life to be dictated by others.
So what the hell are you doing?
Lori pinched the bridge of her nose. What was she doing? She'd been keeping her sister in a closet, for crying out loud. But before she could dwell on the matter further, her phone began to ring; Lori let out a sigh and picked it up. She couldn't help but smile a bit upon seeing that it was Bobby; perhaps her boo-boo-bear would be able to lift her spirits somewhat.
"Bob-"
'Babe, it's over,' Her boyfriend said. 'You've gotta let Leni go.' Lori blinked.
"I-I'm sorry…?"
'Ronnie knows,' Bobby explained. 'She's on the phone with Lincoln right now.'
"You told Ronnie?!" Lori gasped.
'I had to, Babe! She was gonna beat me up!' Bobby whined.
"You're a grown… ugh, never mind…" Lori groaned with a roll of her eyes. As always, Bobby was too much of a pushover for his own good… then again, she supposed that gentle disposition was one of the things that made him so endearing. "How much does she know…?"
'Pretty much everything.' Bobby said. 'She knows, y'know… WHY we've been keeping Leni here, I mean.'
"Damn it, Bobby…" Lori muttered as she dragged her hand down her face. Great, she thought. Just great. It wasn't so much that she was mad… well, no, she was mad, but not as mad as she'd have expected. In fact, she couldn't help but feel a small measure of relief. Sure, nothing had actually been resolved, and she'd be lucky if Leni or Lincoln ever talked to her again… but at least now the matter would be out of her hands.
'Babe, I'm sorry, but this has gotta stop. Ronnie's right, it isn't any of our business-'
"No… no, it's alright." Lori sighed. "You're right. This is… I don't know. It's a mess, and it has to end. Hey, Leni! Come here, will you?" She called out.
No response.
"Leni!" Again, no response. Lori grumbled under her breath and got to her feet, wincing as her bones creaked and popped in protest. Clearly, she'd been sitting there for longer than she thought. She made her way down the hallway to the closet. "Len-" She began as she peeked inside, only to find it was empty.
Maybe she was in the bathroom?
"Leni…?" A knock on the bathroom door also yielded no response, and a peek inside revealed that it too was empty. Lori cocked an eyebrow. "Huh…"
'Babe?'
"H-hang on, Bobby…" Lori muttered. She hurried to the kitchen: no Leni. She checked the front door; maybe she'd been too caught up in her thoughts to notice Leni slip past? But, no, that was still locked. This only left the bedroom, but once again, no Leni. She wasn't in the room, she wasn't in the closet, and Lori even checked under the bed to no avail. Then, she saw it: the window.
It was open.

"A closet?! Are you serious?!"
'Would I joke about something like this?'
"Well, no, but…" Lincoln groaned in frustration, flopping back onto his bed. He didn't know if he was more relieved that Leni was okay or angry at Lori for doing something so crazy; she'd always been prone to self-righteous behavior, but this was on a whole other level. "Lori's letting her go, then?"
'Bobby's on the phone with her right now,' Ronnie said. 'But that's not the only problem here… I mean, your SISTER? REALLY, Lincoln?!'
"Ronnie, look…" Lincoln scratched the back of his head. "I don't expect you to understand-"
'Yeah, no shit I don't understand,' Ronnie huffed. 'I mean, if it wasn't bad enough she's your sister-'
"Ronnie-"
'-She's EIGHTEEN, Lincoln!' The girl continued. 'You're only thirteen! Do you have any idea-"
"I know, okay?!" Lincoln snapped. "I know! We… we both do. It's not like we just jumped into this without thinking." For a few moments, Lincoln couldn't hear anything aside from the faint voice of Bobby in the background. "Ronnie… please don't tell anyone about this." He muttered. There was another pause, and then the girl let out a long sigh.
'…I wasn't planning to,' She admitted. 'I don't like it, but whatever you do is your business. I just hope you know what you're… huh?' Ronnie trailed off, her voice growing quieter as she leaned away from the phone. 'What? What do you mean she's GONE?'
"R-Ronnie…?" Lincoln stammered. "What's… what's going on?" She didn't answer immediately, and he could vaguely make out that Bobby was saying something to her; when she did return, however, there was an unmistakable note of anxiousness to her voice.
'Um… w-we've got a problem,' She said.
"A problem? What kind of problem?"
'I-it's Leni… she's missing.'
"What do you mean missing?" Lincoln asked.
'I mean, she's… ugh, alright. Hang on…' Lincoln heard some shuffling on the other end of the phone, and Ronnie's voice was suddenly replaced by that of a male.
'Bro?'
"…Bobby." Lincoln grunted. Part of him wanted to go off on the man for addressing him so casually given the circumstances, but there were more pressing matters at the moment. "What the heck is going on?!"
'R-right, well. Leni kinda… escaped.' At first, Lincoln had no idea why that was an issue… but then it dawned on him. Leni was out on the unfamiliar streets of Great Lakes City, completely alone and without any means to contact them.
"Wha… when?!"
'Today. Hard to say when.' Bobby replied. 'Look, she can't have gone too far. We'll find her, I promise… so, just sit tight, okay?'
"I…" Sit tight? How was he supposed to sit tight at a time like this? Then again, what else could he do…? "I… yeah. Yeah, okay…" He said quietly.
'We'll find her,' Bobby said again. 'And, look, Linc… I-I'm sor-'
"Not now, Bobby." Lincoln huffed. "Just… let me know if there's any news."
'…Right. I'll, uh… I'll get back to ya soon.' With that, Bobby hung up. Lincoln sat on the edge of his bed and took a deep breath, running a hand through his platinum-blonde hair. Despite his 'bro's' assurance that they would find her, there was a terrible sinking feeling in his gut. He hated inaction, but it wasn't like he could go to anyone else for help… that would raise far too many questions that he couldn't afford to answer.
It's okay, he told himself. Leni's okay. Why wouldn't she be? Sure, the city could be a bit rough in certain areas, but it wasn't like she was in the middle of nowhere. Besides, she wasn't stupid… surely she would find a way to contact someone. It was a metropolitan city, after all, there were bound to be phone booths around. Or she could find a police station, or something. Everything would be fine… this is what Lincoln told himself as he lay down, taking another deep breath to calm himself. He was sure he'd get a call soon enough, either from the others or from Leni herself.
And so, with little more than the muffled sound of Luna's guitar breaking the silence, Lincoln waited.
And waited.
…And waited.
Five minutes turned to ten, which turned to thirty, which turned to an hour. Lincoln checked his phone again; still nothing. Obviously… it wasn't like he'd heard anything, and lord knew he was keeping an ear out. He stared at the screen with a furrowed brow, his leg bouncing anxiously. He sent Ronnie a text asking if there was any news, and fifteen minutes later received a response in the negative. He gripped the phone tightly, considering firing off texts at Bobby and Lori too, but he knew it would be no use.
Lincoln got to his feet and began pacing as he weighed his options. He couldn't just leave this alone. He had to do something, but what? He couldn't go to his parents. He severely doubted that Lucy or Lisa would be able to do much to help in this situation, and quite frankly he was in no rush to let anyone else know about his and Leni's unusual relationship. They'd be disgusted… horrified even, and he had little doubt they'd spill the beans to his parents, or worse, the police.
Think, Lincoln, he told himself. Think. He shut his eyes, beating his fist against his forehead as he tried to tune out Luna's guitar. There had to be something, someone he could go to for help. Someone who would understand, someone who didn't judge-
…Wait.

"Damn thing's still off…" Luna grumbled as she fiddled with the tuning knobs on her guitar. She tightened them, tested the string, loosened it a bit, then tested again before tightening just a bit more and giving one last test strum. A satisfied smirk crossed her face and she gave a small nod. "Bloody brilliant," she said, settling into her beanbag chair. She was eager to try out her new composition; a song inspired by Sam. Without further ado, she readied her pick.
"LUNA!"
Luna's hand slipped as the door burst open, snapping the E string and sending a loud, electric whine through her amp. She cringed and lowered the instrument to her lap. Shoulda known better than to expect privacy in THIS family, she thought.
"Dude, can't you at least kno-"
"No time for that!" Lincoln cut in. "I-I need your help!" Luna's look of irritation quickly faded as she took note of her brother's frantic demeanor, and she set her guitar aside.
"Hey, calm down… what's goin' on, Linc?" She asked. "Y'look like you're about to have a come-apart." Lincoln tried to speak only to catch himself, letting out a faint croak. How was he supposed to go about this? Luna was an open-minded girl, to be sure… but that open-minded? Luna frowned, leaning forward with concern in her eyes. "Dude… Lincoln, talk to me. What's wrong?" Lincoln averted his eyes, his face scrunching up in thought as he considered his options. Finally, he closed and locked the door behind him.
"L-look, um…" He muttered, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "...There's… something going on. A-and I need you to promise it stays between us." Luna cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Uh… sure, dude." Luna said, putting on the most comforting smile she could. "You know my lips are sealed. Lincoln hesitated again,before finally letting out a deep sigh and sitting down opposite her.
"Alright… alright. Look. Just… don't freak out at what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

"This is all my fault."
"What was that, babe?"
"This is all my fault," Lori repeated.
"Yeah, no kidding," Ronnie huffed from the back seat of Lori's car. "I knew you could be a bitch, but this is a new low." Her brother sighed and shook his head.
"Ronnie, please-"
"No, she's right," Lori muttered. "I have no idea what the hell I was thinking. I should have just… let them be." Bobby frowned and glanced over at his girlfriend.
"Look… there'll be time for apologies later," The young man said. "Right now, let's just focus on finding Leni. She can't have gotten too far, right?"
"I don't know… who knows how long she'd been missing before I'd noticed." Lori groaned and laid her head back against the headrest. "That's what I get for taking my eyes off her… hell, that's what I get for putting her through all this in the first place, not to mention dragging you into this mess. I'm literally the biggest idiot on the planet."
"Hey, it's not like you put a gun to my head," Bobby said. "I could have put my foot down, but I just rolled over and let it happen. So you're not the only one at fault, babe."
"Yeah, and don't think I've forgotten about that, either." Ronnie grumbled. "I swear, when this is all over I'm giving you the worst purple nurple of your life." Bobby swallowed, briefly glancing in the rearview mirror and finding his little sister glaring back at him angrily. He barely suppressed a shudder as he turned his focus back to the road.
"A-anyway, we'd better keep an eye out," Bobby muttered. Ronnie scoffed and crossed her arms, falling silent as they drove down the run-down streets. There were few people around these parts in general… this part of the city had been on a steady decline over the years, and while their own home was just at the cusp of the district, it only grew more dilapidated as one neared the center.
Not to mention more dangerous.
They drove slowly, ignoring the irritated honks of the occasional driver behind them as they scanned their surroundings for a flash of color amongst the gray, faded old neighborhood. They passed by closed storefronts, long since boarded up and forgotten by time. Broken light posts and newspaper dispensers. An old phone booth that looked as though it hadn't been touched in several decades, coated in rust and so badly scratched-up and clouded with age that one couldn't even see through the glass. Thinking nothing of it they drove on, continuing their search…
...Turning the corner just as the rusted door folded open and a dejected Leni Loud stepped out.
The young woman groaned before slumping forward in defeat. She'd hoped that she had found her ticket home, but it was not to be. The pay phone had been completely smashed by vandals and, even if it hadn't, the receiver was missing entirely. Leni hugged her chest and glanced around her surroundings. She didn't like it here, not one bit… wherever 'here' was. She idly wondered if someone could be lost if they had no idea where they were going in the first place, but she quickly shook the thought aside lest she start to dwell on it. Even she knew that now wasn't the time for distractions. Leni walked on down the barren sidewalk, attempting to get help from the occasional pedestrian along the way, but none wanted anything to do with her… between her disheveled appearance and bare feet, they assumed she was just some junkie looking for a fix. Leni may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but she had enough reasoning ability to know that if people were too wary to even talk to her, this was probably not a place she should stay in for long. Besides, the hard and jagged gravel hurt her feet.
"'Ey there, sweet thing." A gravelly voice cut through the air… the first person to speak to her, rather than the other way around. She looked to her left to see four men standing at the street corner; how she hadn't seen them, she had no idea. They looked young… the man that had spoken couldn't have been more than twenty-five, and yet there was a scuzziness to them that made Leni's initial joy quickly fade away. The man in question was the tallest of the bunch, wearing a ratty grey hoodie and a baseball cap that didn't quite fit him, and he shot Leni a sneering grin that made her skin crawl.
"Um… h-hello there." Leni said with a forced smile. The man chuckled and took a long drag from his cigarette that would put even aunt Ruth to shame. The ensuing plume of smoke was large enough to make her cough, and as she tried to wave it away she heard the man's cohorts chuckling under their breaths.
"Ain't seen you 'round here before," He said. "You lost?" Leni swallowed, her words leaving her for a moment as she shook her head.
"N-no, of course not…" The girl lied.
"Really, now." The stranger said plainly. "'Cause ya sure look lost." Leni could feel the men's gaze upon her, as though they were trying to undress her with their eyes. Needless to say, it made her very uncomfortable.
"Well, I'm not." Leni said, taking a small step back. "A-and I'm in a hurry, so-"
"Ah c'mon, what's the rush?" One of the other men asked, a shorter fellow wearing a black skullcap pulled all the way down past his eyebrows. "Stick around a while... we're real nice, ain't we?" The other men snickered and voiced their agreements, but Leni wasn't about to fall for their nonsense.
"Sorry, but no," She said, letting a slight edge creep into her voice. "...I have somewhere to be. Have a nice day." With that she strode past the men, ignoring their cat-calls as she continued on with a noticeable haste to her step. She kept her gaze trained forward, being sure not to slow her pace… at least not until she felt safe.
The tall man scoffed, chewing the end of his cigarette before taking one last drag and flicking it onto the ground. With a jerk of his head he motioned for his friends to follow him, and they set off after Leni.

"Can't this thing go any faster?!" Lincoln shouted as vanzilla sped down the highway.
"Do you want us to get pulled over?!" Luna shot back. "I'm already going ten miles over the speed limit." She glanced over as Lincoln took a sharp breath through his nose, his grip tightening anxiously around his knee. "Look, I'm as worried as you are. We'll get there, I promise."
"...I know." Lincoln said softly. In truth, she couldn't afford to go any faster than she was, lest she become distracted by her own racing thoughts.
"So…" Luna said. "...You and Leni, huh…?" Lincoln gave a vague grunt of confirmation, and the young rocker cleared her throat. "That's, uh… that's somethin', all right." Quite frankly, she was still struggling to process it. "How long has this been going on?"
"About a month," The boy muttered. "Or… since the prom, maybe. I don't know. It's… complicated."
"Who else knows?"
"Lisa, Lucy… Lori, obviously." He replied. Luna frowned and gave a small nod. "Clyde-"
"Wait, hold up. You told Clyde?!" She looked at her brother with a baffled expression, but the teen simply shrugged in response.
"I needed advice, and I didn't know who else to trust." Lincoln said. Luna had to admit, she couldn't really argue with that… had she been in his shoes, she had no idea who she could have turned to. "He thinks it's weird, obviously. But he accepts it." There was an awkward pause, the tension practically thick enough to cut with a knife; finally, Lincoln sighed and shook his head. "...It is weird. I get that. I'm sure you think so too."
"...Well, I… okay, yeah. Yeah, I do," The girl admitted. "But I know what it's like to live by my own rules too, so I can't really judge you too hard for it. Besides, you're a smart bloke. I doubt you'd get yourself into something like this without understanding the risks." Lincoln didn't respond, his gaze firmly focused on the passing scenery, though Luna doubted he was really taking any of it in. "Look, Linc… I may not get it, but it's your choice and I'll support it no matter what. And even if I didn't, what Lori did is completely inexcusable."
"Yeah…" Lincoln grumbled. "I just can't believe she'd go that far. I know she's just looking out for us, but-"
"Doesn't matter why she did it. It was wrong, and honestly that girl's gonna be lucky if I don't kick her right in the cooch." Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle at that; he doubted that Luna would actually go through with it, but it was a funny mental image if nothing else. "Anyway… try not to worry too much," Luna assured her brother, offering him a small smile. "She may be, y'know… Leni, but she's a big girl. I'm sure she's alright."
"Yeah, I know." Lincoln sighed, settling back into his seat. Never had a drive to the city felt so long.

Leni stopped at a crosswalk, anxiously fidgeting in place as she waited for the light to change. The girl felt a growing sense of unease that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Granted, she was already uneasy about her situation, but something felt… wrong, somehow. Or perhaps it was just her nerves getting to her.
She hoped so, at least.
Leni was no stranger to being lost… she'd always had a poor sense of direction, and she couldn't count how many times she'd absentmindedly wandered off into unfamiliar territory. That said, she had never forgotten what her parents had taught her to do in such situations: head for a landmark. Simple enough, or at least it would be if there were any landmarks to be found. Instead, Leni saw nothing but derelict buildings in all directions, and upon closer inspection she was almost certain she'd been down that street at least once already. Leni groaned and buried her face in her palm. Maybe she should have talked to those men after all; sure, they were a bit scary, but they'd at least been willing to speak to her.
However, as she took a glance around her surroundings, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye: there were what appeared to be several figures approaching from a distance behind her. Something in Leni's gut told her that this was bad news, and she swallowed and resisted the urge to turn around for a better look; instead, she simply glanced both ways and continued on, crossing light be damned. It wasn't as though there were anyone around to scold her for it, anyway. She walked at a brisk pace, taking periodic discrete glances behind herself to see if she was still being followed… and, sure enough, she was. They were still keeping their distance, perhaps so as not to arouse suspicion, and quite frankly being aware of that fact didn't make Leni feel any safer. She soldiered on, doing her best to resist running from her pursuers lest they give chase.
At the end of the block she turned a corner, and another at the end of that block, but she could neither lose them nor find anyone to help; in fact, the further she fled the more run-down and desolate the surrounding streets became… she wasn't even sure when she'd last seen a building that even looked somewhat habitable. Not only that, but the uneven and neglected sidewalk was absolute hell on her bare feet. So, after turning one more corner, she finally gave in and sprinted down the block, once again ignoring a crossing light and nearly getting hit in the process. Unfortunately, after a string of foul insults the driver sped off before she could even get a word in edgewise.
"Please…" The girl pleaded helplessly between gasps of air. This couldn't go on… she was simply too tired and out of breath to keep running. Glancing over her shoulder, she found that her pursuers had yet to catch up with her. Perhaps they'd given up the chase? Either way, she wasn't about to stay and find out. She looked around herself for some means to hide, spotting an alleyway between two derelict buildings. It was dark, and dingy, and more than a little creepy, but she vastly preferred that over whatever those men may or may not have planned for her. She darted down the alley, finding it desolate as expected. There was an old, heavily-rusted dumpster nearby that Leni thought might make for a good hiding spot, but a quick peek inside dashed those hopes; it was completely filled with seemingly years-old garbage, abandoned and left to rot just like everything else.
Leni headed further down the alley before stopping and leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She hated this. She'd never been more scared in her life… she'd rather kiss a spider right on the mandible than spend even another second in that run-down neighborhood. Now that she had a moment to think, however, she began to consider her options. Wandering around aimlessly in hopes of finding help was clearly doing her no good… she needed to get out of that neighborhood, and fast. So, she reached a conclusion: she wouldn't wander at all. She'd pick a direction and just keep walking until she'd reached safety. It was so simple that even Leni mentally kicked herself for not thinking of it earlier. In any case, there was still the immediate issue of the men following her. She'd just wait until she felt the coast was clear, and-
"There y'are." Leni froze as a gravelly voice broke the silence. She looked up to find the gang of hoodlums shuffling down the alleyway, approaching her with unpleasant sneers adorning their faces. The apparent leader of the group looked almost amused, as though the chase had been little more than a game to him. "Shouldn't be runnin' around like that, y'know… not 'round these parts. It's a pretty dangerous neighborhood, 'specially for a girl like you."
"S-stay away." The men did not heed Leni's request, continuing their approach with an air of menace. "Stay away!" She snapped, again to no avail. She took a step back, and then another, and then finally turned and sprinted off down the alley as fast as she could manage. She could hear them calling out behind her, though she couldn't make out what they were saying; quite frankly, she didn't care. Right now, all she knew was that she had to get away, and fast. She darted around corners, nearly tripping over junk littering the path, until one final turn brought her to a screeching halt. Blocking the alleyway was a chain link fence, the door sealed shut by a heavily rusted padlock. She turned to head back and try a different direction, but it was too late: the men had her cornered. "I-I'll scream," She threatened in a feeble voice.
"Ain't nobody 'round to hear," One of the men said, sharing a cold chuckle with the rest of the party. Leni's eyes frantically around in search of an escape, but found none. She was trapped. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and it took everything she had in her not to start openly sobbing. She couldn't, not now. They didn't have her yet.
In one last-ditch effort, she sprinted towards the men, intent on slipping past them before they could grab her. Unfortunately, it was a futile effort: the man nearest her reached out and snatched her by the wrist, yanking her towards the group with a yelp of pain. The leader of the group grabbed her from behind, clasping his hand over her mouth before she could scream. Now, she began to cry; her muffled sobs were easily drowned out by the laughter and jeers of the creeps surrounding her. This was it… there was no one to hear her. No one to help her. And as the men advanced upon her, all she could think about was Lincoln.
"Hey." A loud, gruff voice cut through the commotion. At first, Leni simply thought it was one of her attackers, but to her surprise the men's jeers trailed off and they glanced towards the source of the voice. Leni followed their gaze to a pile of rubbish against the graffiti-laden wall; or at least, she'd thought that it was. Slowly, with an audible grunt of annoyance, the pile began to move and rise up: it had been a worn and haggard-looking man, covered up by old clothes as a sort of makeshift blanket. He stretched his neck, making a pop so loud that Leni could hear it even from a distance. "Th' hell's all this?"
"None'a your business. Go back to sleep, old man," The leader snapped, but the homeless man seemed nonplussed by his tone. He briefly locked eyes with the silently pleading Leni, before turning his focus back to her assailant.
"Hard t'do that when yer makin' suck a ruckus," The older man grumbled, sounding more annoyed with the disturbance than anything else. "An' anything that happens in my alley is my business. So howsabout y'let go of the girl an' fuck off?" The gang exchanged a glance before bursting into peals of laughter.
"Funny. You're a funny guy." The leader snickered, before the smirk faded from his face. He glanced over his shoulder at one of his cohorts, a bald and heavily-tattooed man that, quite frankly, looked big enough to bench press a truck. "Shut 'im up, Diesel." The muscular man grinned and cracked his knuckles, advancing upon the bum… but, again, he seemed unmoved. He simply sighed and scratched the back of his neck.
"Fuck's sake. This is why I hate young people…" He huffed. With that he reached into his tattered coat, withdrawing a pistol. At the sight of it Diesel stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in fear.
"Oh, shit… shit!"
"Go! GO!" Leni found herself roughly pushed to the ground as the men scattered, scrambling back down the alley like the cowards they were. Her savior simply scoffed and shook his head.
"Fuckin' kids…" The man grumbled, before turning his focus to the terrified girl lying upon the ground. "Y'okay?" He asked, with little actual concern in his tone. Leni, however, didn't respond… she was breathing heavily, her heart still racing with adrenaline. He noticed her glancing fearfully at the gun in his hand. "Relax," He assured her, "It ain't loaded. Doubt th' damn thing works anyway…" He put the pistol away and approached the girl, who scooted back slightly in fear. "'Ey. Calm down, will ya? Those punks ain't comin' back, an' I ain't gonna hurt ya none. Now, y'alright?" Leni locked eyes with the man, seeing no malice in his gaze… or much of anything really, beyond apparent irritation at the intrusion. She swallowed the lump in her throat and gave a small nod.
"I-I think so…" The girl muttered, staggering to her feet. "Um… thank you. You, like, totes saved my life."
"Eh. Right place, right time." The man grunted, waving her off. Now that she was in the clear, Leni could get a better look at him… his age was hard to determine through his shaggy red beard; he looked like he could be anywhere from his late 30s to well into his 40s. He was wearing a military jacket and sported a pair of dog tags hung from his neck. "So what's a girl like you doin' in a dump like this?"
"I… well, I guess I'm lost." She replied. Her savior cocked an eyebrow.
"Y'guess, huh."
"Yeah…" Leni sighed, hanging her head. "I was trying to find a way out of this scary neighborhood, but then those meanies started following me and-"
"Yeah, yeah, I get the picture." He said. He looked her over, from her unwashed and unkempt hair to her bare, dirt-stained feet. "...Reckon' that's how they found ya." He said, pointing down at the girl's foot; Leni looked down, gasping as she noticed a trail of small blood spatters leading down the alleyway right to her foot.
"Oh! Whoopsies, I hadn't even noticed…" She said, letting out a bashful giggle at her own expense. The man simply grumbled something under his breath and shuffled over to his belongings, fishing out some gauze from a duffel bag before striding back over to Leni.
"Here," He said, offering her the gauze. "I'd do it for ya, but I figger y'got more'n enough dirt in there as is."
"Ooh… thankies!" Leni said cheerfully as she graciously took the gauze. As she sat on the ground to wrap up her cut foot, the man reached into his jacket and retrieved a pack of cigarettes and lighter, placing one in his mouth and lighting it before pocketing the box again. "I really owe you one, Mr…"
"Drew," The man huffed, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Well, it's nice to meet you! You have no idea how happy I am to see a friendly face…" Leni said with a sigh of relief. Drew cocked an eyebrow; quite frankly, he would consider his face to be far from friendly. "My name's Leni."
"Didn't ask, but alright." He muttered, eyeing the girl with a curious gaze. She was humming to herself as she wrapped up her foot, surprisingly chipper given the situation… perhaps she was just happy to be rescued, or perhaps she was just simple-minded. Likely both, he figured. "Well, none o' my business what yer doin' out here lookin' like that, and t'be honest I don't really care… but y'said yer lost? Where y'tryin' to get to?"
"Home!" Leni replied, earning her a roll of the eyes from Drew.
"...Yep... simple, alright…" Drew mumbled under his breath. "And where'd that be, exactly?"
"Oh. Like, you should have asked that from the beginning!" She said in a slightly chiding tone. "I live in Royal Woods." Drew raised his eyebrows slightly.
"...Y'don't say." He withdrew the cigarette from his lips and tapped it out onto the ground. "Well, yer a long way from there."
"Y-yeah…" Leni unsteadily got back on her feet. "I'm not supposed to be here right now, I, um…" She trailed off, averting her eyes and biting her lip anxiously. As upset as she was with Lori, she didn't want to sell her out so easily… even to a complete stranger. "...Things… happened." Thankfully, Drew seemed satisfied enough with that, simply shrugging his shoulders in acceptance.
"Like I said, ain't my business," He grunted. He took one last drag of his cigarette and spat it onto the ground, stomping it out with his foot. "Well, let's go then." Leni frowned, tilting her head in confusion.
"Go…?" She asked. "Go where?"
"Somewhere else," He said simply. "Y'wanna get home, right? Then c'mon." With that, the man headed off down the alleyway, leaving a confused Leni in his wake; then, she gasped in realization and hurried after him.
"Th-thank you so much, Drew!" She said excitedly as she caught up and joined him at his side. "You're a very nice person~!"
"Nah," The gruff man scoffed. "Just figger I might as well give ya a hand, seein' as how y'already woke me up an' all. God knows I ain't got nothin' better t'do."
"Hehe, you're silly." Leni giggled. Drew simply rolled his eyes and walked on in silence, his companion blathering on all the while.

The sun was already setting by the time Luna and Lincoln made it to the city, and by the time they reached central park plaza the sky had turned a deep reddish-purple. Lincoln didn't even wait for his sister to park; once it was in view, he bolted from the car as soon as they stopped at a red light. Quite frankly, Luna just didn't have it in her to stop him… though she was far from happy when he nearly got hit by a car bolting across the street. But Lincoln couldn't care less. Right now, all he cared about was Leni. And before long, he saw her: right where she said she'd be, at the same fountain where he'd once hung out with Ronnie and her friends.
Leni looked up, and their eyes met. For a moment, neither moved; it almost felt like a dream, as though it were too good to be true. But their hesitation only lasted a few seconds, and Leni got to her feet as Lincoln ran to her as fast as he could. They practically dove into each others' arms, clinging to one another as tightly as they could. For what felt like minutes they remained locked in their embrace, neither saying a word.
"Linky…" Leni whimpered, breaking the silence at last. "I-I was so scared…"
"I know," Lincoln muttered. "Thank God you're okay." The lovers broke their embrace and grasped each others' hands; as the two looked into each others' eyes, it took everything they had in them not to burst into tears.
"S-sorries…" Leni gave a small, awkward laugh, sniffling and wiping the corner of her eyes. "...I'm… totes a mess right now…" Her brother simply chuckled and shook his head.
"No… you're beautiful." Lincoln assured her, reaching up to cup the older girl's cheek. She shut her eyes and smiled peacefully as he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. Again, a silence fell over the pair… Leni opened her eyes, looking down at the boy with a loving gaze that he returned in earnest, only for the two to be snapped out of their moment by someone clearing their throat. Lincoln glanced over to the source of the noise, the smile fading from his face as he laid eyes upon Lori, Bobby and Ronnie. The trio looked understandably uncomfortable with the display, and the lovers took a step apart.
"Um…" Lori muttered, averting her eyes and rubbing her arm awkwardly. "...Hey, Lincoln…"
"...Lori." Lincoln said coldly. The three had arrived well before he and Luna had, of course… he'd called them to tell them the news as soon as he'd gotten off the phone with Leni. While he was grateful for their assistance, he was still furious with Lori for doing what she did, and Bobby as well. Not that she could blame him. The guilt-stricken young woman sighed and scratched the back of her head.
"Look, I… um…" She mumbled. "...I'm sorry. I could say that a million times, and it still wouldn't be enough. I screwed up. Bad."
"We both did," Bobby chimed in. He looked just as ashamed of himself as his girlfriend, with none of his usual carefree demeanor. "I should have put a stop to this right at the beginning. But we were just trying to- OW!" The young man yelped in pain as Ronnie stomped on his foot, giving him a harsh glare. "Okay, okay! I wussed out, simple as that… I don't have an excuse for it, bro. I'm sor-."
"No excuse?!" A furious, scratchy voice rang out as Luna stormed over, positively fuming with rage. "Damn right you don't have an excuse! What the hell were you thinking?!"
"Luna, come on…" Lincoln said with a sigh. "Don't-"
"And you," Luna hissed, pointing at her little brother angrily. "Don't run off like that. You got that?!" Lincoln swallowed, giving a timid nod, and the rocker turned her focus back to Lori and Bobby. "Lori, you've done a lot of selfish, stupid things over the years, but this? This takes the cake."
"Luna-" Leni tried to cut in, but her younger sister pressed on.
"Kidnapping your sister, locking her in a closet… and you just allowed this to happen?!" She snarled, shooting Bobby a glare that made him take a step back in fear. "I have half a mind to beat the shit out of you two right here and-"
"Luna." The rocker felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and glanced behind her to find Leni looking back at her with a serious gaze. "Please. What's done is done… even if she was wrong, Lori was just doing what she thought was best for me, right?" She looked over at her older sister, who gave an apologetic nod. Luna shot the girl a fierce glare again before pulling away with a frustrated click of her tongue.
"Fine. Forgive her if you want, but I'm not. Not yet," She grumbled. "...Just say what you're gonna say and let's go home, before I deck this bitch in the face." With that, the furious teen stormed over to the fountain and took a seat.
"...I… look, I still don't approve of this. At all." Lori said. "But it's your lives, and I should never have tried to force you to be someone that you're not. I just… hope you two know what you're doing."
"We do," Lincoln said, taking Leni's hand as he joined her. "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't." Lori looked between the pair, searching their eyes before giving a small nod.
"I'll… stay out out of it, then." She promised. "...Even if I don't think I should." Leni smiled and, to her sister's surprise, wrapped her in a warm hug. Lori hesitated for a moment before a small smile crept along her face as well, and she returned the girl's embrace. For her part, Ronnie simply sighed and shrugged.
"...That's Leni for you, I guess…" She muttered, striding over to Lincoln. Her expression was hard to read… irritated perhaps, or even a bit judgemental. Nonetheless, she forced a smirk. "Been a while, Lame-O."
"Yeah…" Lincoln said with a chuckle. "Thanks, Ronnie. I owe you for this, big time."
"Eh, don't worry about it. What're friends for?" She said, giving another shrug. "For the record though, I ain't crazy about all this either… but it's none of my business, and I'm not gonna make it my business. You do you." The two exchanged a grin, bumping their fists together in agreement just as the two sisters broke their hug.
"Anyway…" Lori said, clearing her throat. "...I'm sure you guys want to get back, so… I guess we'll talk to you later…?" It was almost a ridiculously casual thing to say, given the situation… but Lincoln couldn't help but agree. He still didn't forgive Lori, not yet at least… it would take some time, something she knew as well. The boy nodded, taking Leni's hand once more.
"...Yeah. See you later, Lori." They exchanged their goodbyes, awkward and uncomfortable though they may have been, and with that the trio departed with Ronnie berating her brother all the while. Lincoln and Leni snickered and looked at one another with a smile before walking over to the disgruntled Luna.
"Finally…" She grumbled. "You two ready, then?"
"Yeppers, we… oh!" Leni gasped, her eyes widening slightly. "W-wait, I almost forgot…!"
"Forgot wha-" Lincoln yelped in surprise as Leni scurried away, dragging him along by the hand to a filthy, unkempt man smoking beneath a nearby tree… right beside a 'no smoking' sign, no less.
"Linky, this is Drew," Leni said cheerfully. "He's the one who helped me!" Lincoln looked up at the strange man, who started back down at him in disinterest. Quite frankly, he hardly looked the heroic type… then again, Lincoln knew fully well that looks could be deceiving.
"Well, I guess I owe you my thanks, then." Lincoln said with a grin; he began to extend his hand, only to lower it as he took note of the man's unwashed state. Instead, he let out an awkward laugh and waved. "Nice to mee-"
"Yeah, yeah," The man grunted. "Jus' luck on her part, nothin' more'n that."
"Still, we owe you one, dude." Luna said as she strode over. "Here," She muttered, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing her wallet. She fished out several $20 bills and offered them to the man. "Ain't much, but it's all I-"
"Eh, I don't need no charity," Drew scoffed, waving the girl off.
"...Just fuckin' take it, dude." She said in a serious tone. Drew looked from the girl's stony gaze down to the money in her hand; finally, he accepted it with a sigh of resignation.
"...Well… thanks, I guess," He grumbled. He flicked through the bills… $80 all together. More than enough for several days worth of food.
...Or a train ticket.
"Hey," Drew grunted as he pocketed the cash. "...How's Royal Woods these days?"
"Oh, it's great!" Leni said in her usual bubbly demeanor. "Why?" The man didn't immediately respond, and seemed lost in thought as he took a deep drag from his cigarette. Finally, he blew it out in a thick cloud that drifted over to the trio, making them cough and wave it away. Not that he seemed to care.
"Old man offered me his scrapyard a while back. Told th' bastard t'go fuck himself." He said gruffly, scratching the back of his neck. "...Might be time t' reconsider." With that, he dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. "Well, I won't keep ya. See y-" Before he could finish, Leni wrapped him in a big hug.
"Thank you for everything, Drew~!" She squealed; the man grimaced, leaning as far away as possible before carefully pushing the girl away.
"Right, enough o' that, thanks…" He growled, not that it seemed to disrupt Leni's cheerful mood in the slightest. She beamed at the man, who looked away and stifled a cough. "R-right then… see you." With that, he turned and walked away.
"Thanks again, Drew~! You're totes the best!" Leni called after him, standing on her toes as she waved.
"Thank you!" Lincoln called out as well. The man simply grunted, raising his hand in a half-hearted wave as he walked. The trio watched him go with a smile, before Luna let out a yawn.
"Well, I dunno about you two lovebirds, but I've had more than enough of all this… and I didn't pay the parking meter, so y'know." She huffed. "C'mon, dudes, let's blow this popsicle stand before I get a ticket." Luna walked off, leaving the young couple in her wake. Leni giggled and looked down at her brother with a smile, which he returned in kind. She'd been through quite the ordeal, but something in her heart told her it was all going to be alright now.
"Well, better not keep her waiting, I guess." Lincoln said; Leni's smile deepened and she slid her hand into his, locking their fingers together.
"Yeah… let's go home."
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More Than a Sister