14. Not As Dumb As She Appears
A/N: Welp, here's where we will take a look into the eyes of possibly the nicest Loud of all. While she may be dense, I believe Leni has more going on in that head of hers than she lets on. I mean, it's not like she's just blissfully unaware of everything that goes on around her, no matter how forgetful she is. But before that, I need to do a spot check.
Also to note, as of this time of writing, this fic is docked at 96,861 views. Considering this fic started out of a dream I had one night after watching Brawl in the Family, I never thought it'd get that far. I predict after I put this up it'll reach probably 103k. So honestly, thanks for the continued support.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
Inside the Loud House, all was eerily quiet. Not a sound could be made, the crickets were either absent or dead, and worst of all, night time made it so dark that you could only see anything with the occasional flash of lightning from the storm raging outside. The only audible sound was the tapping of rain hitting the roof. However, that didn't mean nothing wasn't stirring in the abode. If one were to pay attention closely, they could hear panicked breathing coming from the inside of one of the kitchen cabinets.
Lincoln was clutching Bun-Bun tightly, his whole body shaking not only out of fear, but because he was completely soaked. He had done it again. He made his sisters angry at him with his selfish desires, and this time, they made it very clear they weren't going to forgive him. Tired of feeling overshadowed by his sisters, all he wanted was to put some kind of award in the trophy case to show that he, like his siblings, could get some kind of recognition in the world. It was no surprising that Lynn had sports trophies, Luna had awards in the music business, Lisa's Nobel Prize, Lola's pageant wins, Lori actually had a few awards she had gotten from past Spelling Bees, and even Leni got a certificate at one point for designing such an amazing piece of fabric that it baffled the judges. All of his sisters had gotten an award in some forn, even Lily did a few times (at which Lincoln was still wondering how a baby could earn an award), but for him? He had nothing to show for it.
As such, he sought to earn one by any means, which resulted in a few embarrassing moments. However, once news of a video contest came up at his school, the middle child saw this as his ticket to stardom. Unfortunately for Lincoln, people found a Hamster-Cam of all things more interesting than his cool daredevil stunt, which lead to him going for comedy instead thanks to Luan. Sadly, she didn't mention that he shouldn't post embarrassing moments of his siblings without their consent. Just about all of his school-bound sisters became outcasts as a result, and the worst part? Lincoln still didn't win anything. Lily was the only one spared from this turmoil as she was just an infant. The argument from earlier was clear as day in his head.
"I literally can't believe you Lincoln! Is THIS what you wanted?!" Lori yelled, showing him the kinds of remarks he got on his video.
The boy quickly shook his head. "N-N-No, I didn't mean-"
"Didn't mean what? To win? To bring us down to your level?! That is such a lie!" Luna shouted.
"I bet he was going to say 'I didn't mean to humiliate you. I just wanted to win a stupid trophy and flaunt it!' Yeah right!" Lynn said in a snarky tone.
"B-But Luan said if I tried comedy, then I might've had a chance..."
"Oh, so you think posting our most embarrassing moments is FUNNY?! Even I wouldn't stoop that low!" The comedian barked.
"Look girls, I'm really sorry! Just give me a chance to-" Lincoln started.
"No Lincoln. You have NO chances now. Nothing you say will convince us otherwise that what you did wasn't an act of covetousness." Lisa stated.
"I like, have no brother anymore..." Leni said, turning aloof.
"But, But-" Lincoln's voice was barely above a whisper now.
"Don't you get it you philistine?! We. HATE. YOU!" Lola shouted, making the ashen-haired boy cringe. "And you're going to pay..."
"P-Pay?..." Was all he could get out.
At that point, the lights went out due to the storm intensifying. When Lincoln could finally see a few feet in front of him, his 9 sisters had ominously disappeared. He didn't know what they meant when Lola said he was going to pay, but it didn't take a genius to know it didn't mean anything good. Cautiously and quietly running up the stairs, Lincoln thought it'd be best to hide out in his room. He successfully managed to reach it before slamming the door shut. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and thankfully none of his sisters were there. Lincoln sat on his bed, thinking about what he just got himself into. Looking over, Bun-Bun lay peacefully on the pillow. The boy picked it up, staring at it in sadness.
"I've really messed up this time huh?...The girls won't even let me make up for my mistakes..." He gripped the plush in anger for a moment, tears creeping out of his eyes. He then slammed a fist on his bed. "Dang it! Why do I have to be so stupid?!"
Before Lincoln could berate himself any further, his bed began to make a ticking sound. Wondering what it was, he peered under the furniture piece and found his answer: a combination of chemicals linked to a timer. "Why is this under my bed? Could it be a..." The boy's eyes went wide as the answer came to him in a few seconds, and he also had a few seconds before the countdown ended. With Bun-Bun still in his hands, he opened the door before slamming it shut. Said door was soon blown off its hinges in the resulting explosion, throwing Lincoln to the floor. The middle child groaned in pain as he looked at what remained of his room; nothing but ashes and a few flames dancing on what used to be his dresser.
Lincoln blinked twice. "That...that could've..."
"Killed you?" A voice stated.
Looking forward, in the dim light the fires in his room provided, Lincoln could see the fanatic leers of his sisters. And each of them had this look that said they were going to have a fun time for whatever was to come next.
"If that's what you were going to say, then you are correct former male sibling. Sadly, it seems your cunning has once again saved your hide." Lisa pointed out, an evil glare etched on her face.
"When I said you were going to pay, I meant-" Lola started before being interrupted by Lynn.
"WITH YOUR BLOOD!" The athlete was now riding on her dirt bike, with a mace in her hands.
Lincoln's pupils shrank as his sister came at him. He stuffed Bun-Bun in his pocket before leaping over his 13-year old sibling, making her crash into a wall. Lisa threw another combination of chemicals that were extremely volatile, detonating behind the poor boy and making his shirt catch fire momentarily. Lola then threw one of her stuffed animals at him. The little bear suddenly came to life mid-flight and latched onto his face, pounding on it mercilessly. Lincoln screamed out, even though the hits didn't hurt as much due to it being a plush toy. Grabbing the bear, he saw Luna had one of her speakers set up, and she was about to play a chord. Thinking quick, Lincoln grabbed the bear and threw it at her. This caused the toy to start hitting the musician now, distracting her long enough the boy to slip past. The 15 year old finally did strum her guitar on accident, and Lincoln gulped as he saw the sound wave produce a sizable hole in the wall.
Lincoln saw he was close to the stairs now. If he could get to the lower levels of the house, he could find a decent spot to hide in. Sadly, he never got that chance as he spotted Lucy's bats perched on the ceiling. All Lucy had to do was utter a few words to get them to give chase. Being forced to continue down the hall, bats nipping at his head, he almost got smashed into the floor by Lori and Leni, using one of their beds to do so. The ashen-haired boy slowed down for a moment to catch his breath, but even then he didn't get a moment of peace as Luan suddenly appeared out of her and Luna's room with a pie full of spikes in her hands. Lincoln ducked instantly as it impacted the wall, the comedian laughing even though she failed to get her prize. The boy quickly ran into the bathroom and locked the door shut.
He panted as he forced air back into his lungs. "All...this...over a video contest?...Hah...hah..." The boy jumped, dodged, pushed, and shoved past just about all of his sisters to avoid being turned into a mutilated corpse, but he figured he should be safe in the bathroom. One flash of lightning from outside proved him otherwise.
"You may have gotten this far Lincoln," Lana said, her hands on a large wrench that was connecting to the sink's pipe, "But you can't dodge this!" She pulled, loosening a nut that held the pipe together. Water started flowing out of the pipe like a busted fire hydrant, literally blowing a screaming Lincoln through the bathroom door and back out into the warzone of a hallway. However, the pressure was so great that it blew him past his sisters and down the stairs. The boy landed in a heap at the bottom, coughing out any water he accidentally breathed in.
"Oh Lincoln~! Where are you~?!" He heard his sisters asked in unison. The 11 year old got to his feet in an instant and ran into the kitchen, opening up the first cabinet closest to him and stepping inside.
"I knew they might be mad...but I didn't think they'd try to murder me over it..." A stream of tears went down Lincoln's cheeks. "I don't want to die...I don't want to die..." A crashing sound in the kitchen made him hush his voice. Opening the door ever so slightly, he could see a few of his sisters searching around, tossing things every which way in the hunt for their prey. When one of them turned their heads in the direction he was hiding, he quickly closed the door. Lincoln held his breath, hoping none of them heard him or saw the door move. He heard a pair of feet walk up to his cabinet before stopping. Sweat fell profusely from the boy's forehead as he thought he'd been found. Fortunately, he heard the cabinet door above him open before slamming shut. It wasn't long before Lincoln heard his sisters walk out of the kitchen, grumbling something he couldn't quite make out.
The middle child finally released his breath after a minute, believing the worst to be over. Yet, fate liked to toy with him in this instance. Not a second later, an axe splintered through his door before ripping it off its hinges. Lana shook the debris off her toy before raising it again. "Found ya!" She shouted gleefully.
Lincoln screamed like a little girl before moving his head out of the way, the axe cutting off the part of his hair that stood upright. Having little choice, he kicked Lana out of the way before sprinting into another run. The other sisters noticed this and hastily threw a variety of objects at him. Lincoln quickly opened the basement door and slammed it shut, weapons, kitchen utensils, and even a chair pummeling against the frame. Now, just like that time he accidentally caused a blackout in the house due to a tripped circuit breaker, he was still afraid of going in alone. The boy didn't have Luan's camera to help him this time either, but it was either hide in the dark creepy basement, or face annihilation at the hands of his sisters.
Slowly making his way down, Lincoln's foot caught something circular before losing his footing. The boy grunted in pain as he tumbled down the steps before coming to a stop. Feeling around for a moment, he found what he stepped on was a flashlight; by some miracle, it still worked. Twisting and turning, Lincoln looked to make sure he was alone. All he saw was some dirty laundry, the washer and dryer, Cliff's scratching post and litterbox, and the boiler. Giving a small sigh, Lincoln sat down in the small light the device gave him.
He looked to Bun-Bun, his only companion at this point. "At least you'll never turn on me...but then again, your just a plushy..."
Giggling could be heard to his right after he said this. Picking up the light, Lincoln was shocked to see his nine sisters. "H-How...How'd you...?"
"You didn't think we'd find a way in eventually did you?" Lori smirked.
"Gotta admit, you got some sick moves bro, but that isn't the last trick we got." Luna added.
"W-What do you mean?" Lincoln said, slowly backing away from his siblings.
"Look in your hand." Lisa ordered.
Looking down, Lincoln saw his beloved stuffed animal. Suddenly, it shook violently before jumping out of his hands. The boy's mouth went agape at what happened next. Mechanical parts began to sprout from the plush toy as it grew in size. Hands turned into claws, feet turned into metal paws, and Bun-Bun's mouth became a mix of stuffing and metal, the most prominent being the several rows of teeth. Some extra appendages sprouted from its back as the now humongous plush/robot reached the ceiling. A pair of red eyes soon activated before setting their sites on Lincoln.
"N-No...not you Bun-Bun...please, n-not you!..." Lincoln's voice trembled, a mix of sadness and fear plastered on his face.
"It would've been easier if you let us finish you off Lincoln, but since you just had to make it hard for us, I decided to add a contingency plan if we couldn't catch you. I knew your infatuation with that toy would lead you to carry it along. And now, it'll be your downfall." Lisa explained, causing the other girls to laugh evilly.
The mutated plush let out an unholy animalistic scream that was mixed with grinding metal before lunging towards Lincoln. The 11 year old screamed in pure terror as he tried to make a run for it. Sadly, he was within the robot's grasp in seconds. Gripping him tightly, Lincoln could do nothing as Bun-Bun gazed emptily at him before opening it's massive mouth. Lincoln shook his head, tearing running freely as he didn't want to see what was about to happen. There was nothing he could do to prevent this outcome, and the fact his sisters were laughing at his misery made it worse. After positioning his body in its maw, Lincoln screamed in pure terror as the several rows of teeth swung down on him...
A loud shriek resounded throughout a certain room in Royal Woods General. It was so loud that you could hear it in the halls and in a few adjacent rooms. Lincoln looked around frantically with his tear-stained face to find that he was back in the hospital. Breathing heavily and drenched in a cold sweat, he found the TV was still on after having fallen asleep the other night, and there was a little bit of sunlight streaming through the closed blinds. The boy checked his body and was thankfully glad to not find any puncture holes, just his arm cast. He started to calm down, until he saw Bun-Bun resting at his side. Letting out another terrified scream, the boy threw the plushy across the room, where it made a barely audible poof sound.
Lincoln was used to the fact he's having nightmares about his siblings almost every time he falls asleep, but that had to be his worst night terror yet. Since the doctors knew what he was dealing with, they gave him some sleeping pills that would leave his mind blank whenever he fell asleep. However, at times they didn't seem to work, instead only making his dreams worse as he found himself unable to wake up until he was about ready to cry to the heavens. In fact, he had taken such pills just before going to sleep yesterday. A foul smell reached Lincoln's nose, at which he finally took notice of a wet spot on the bed. Lifting the covers up, the 11 year old realized he cried so much that he actually peed himself. Sniffling a little, he grabbed some wet wipes to clean his area before discarding them. Lincoln then curled up on the bed, clearly haunted by the recurring nightmares his phobia was causing.
Minutes later, Lynn Sr. walked in to see a very disturbed little boy. "Not again..." He muttered, pulling up a chair. The father placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder to give him some level of comfort. "Had another nightmare son?" Lincoln nodded.
The patriarch then noted Lincoln's favorite plushy several feet away. "Was it that bad?" The boy nodded again. Lynn Sr. was having a hard time trying to find anything positive out of this. His only son was dealing with frequent nightmares and he had no idea how to end them. Maybe Lily could spend more time with him, but the father wasn't sure if it'd completely quell the middle child's fear. And even with the girls' good intentions, Lincoln couldn't let them be within his sight without freaking out. His best hope at this point, was that Ms. Lopez could get through to Lincoln.
"Well...on the bright side, you won't be in the hospital for much longer. Doctor said you could be released in about a week."
"...I don't want to go home..." Lincoln finally spoke, his voice a whisper.
"Hmm?"
"...I don't want to go home dad...I just can't...I just...can't..." His voice was breaking again. "Every time I fall asleep...it...it gets w-worse..." Lincoln started to cry again.
Lynn wiped away his son's tears. "I know son...that's why you're not going home with me and your mother." This caused the boy to look at his father, clearly confused. "Given that you're still afraid of...you know...we felt it'd be best if you stayed with the McBrides for a while, at least until this whole thing is cleared up...trust me son, we don't like not having around for much longer than anticipated, but we're afraid you might hurt yourself if you were around the house so soon after getting out of the clinic...also, we're getting you some help for your nightmares. It'll be a while, but we think she can help."
Lynn then ruffled his son's hair as the boy digested this information. He wasn't going straight home after the hospital released him...that was good. He was also apparently going to get some help for his nightmares...also good, as long as it didn't mean taking anymore sleeping pills. But, what did his father mean when he said he might hurt himself? Lincoln knew his nightmares were giving him hell, but he didn't think he'd do anything crazy, or even worse...right?...
While Lynn Sr. was visiting his son, Rita was driving the rest of her kids to see Dr. Lopez. Since it was said that Leni would be the first one up today, the blonde couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Aside from going shopping, Leni wasn't well accustomed to being by herself when going into new places. Sure, 2 of her other sisters went before her, but Lori and Lisa each held of look of deep thought upon returning. It didn't help that they wouldn't discuss what they talked about until Dr. Lopez spoke with all of them. It wasn't long before the second oldest Loud found herself walking down the hall to Miranda's office. Slowly opening the door, she poked her head in to find the psychologist sitting in her chair.
"You must be Leni Loud I'm guessing?"
"Like, how'd you know my name?"
"Well, you are the second oldest child, right?"
"Yeah I think so..." Leni was still standing in the doorway.
"Well, come on in Leni. I know you're probably shy about this, but we're just here to talk. Be sure to close the door behind you."
Leni nodded before gently shutting the door. She took a seat opposite of her therapist, fiddling with her shades a little.
"Now Leni, from what I've learned, it can be hard for you to understand or pay attention at times, so I'm going to explain this to you very carefully, ok?" Miranda stated.
"Ok." Leni replied, before a thought came to her. "Wait, hang on. I gotta take something first." She then took a small bottle of water out of her hair along with a small case. Miranda got a little confused as Leni opened the case to reveal a few pills. She popped one in her mouth, grimacing at the taste, before taking a drink to make it go down easier. Both sat in silence for a few moments before Leni finally spoke. "Ok, I can totes focus clearer now."
"Uh, what was it that you took?"
"Oh. Those were just some pills my parents keep putting in my smoothies. They think I don't notice them doing it, but I totes do. As far as I know, these pills help me stay focused for a few hours..."
"So Leni is more aware of her condition that previously thought. Unknown if she knows exactly the type of disability she has..." The psychologist thought as she jotted this down. "Ok then...to not waste any time, what we're about to discuss is just the thoughts you have over this whole situation your family is in. Now, you can make use of this information on your own, but if you wish to keep it secret then I won't relay it to anyone else. Ok?"
Leni nodded.
"So Leni, how do you feel?"
"Well, it's a little drafty in here, but I do like your office. Also, I like totally love your scraf, it looks so cute on you! But now I'm not sure if I have the right wardrobe to fit this setting..." Leni finished as she looked at her own dress.
"No no, I mean, how do you feel about the current situation your family is in?"
"Oh...that...well, it's like, the worst thing I've ever seen. First it started with me and Lori fighting over a dress. So what if I just happened to buy the same one as her?! I wasn't gonna just take it back! So, me and her like, stopped talking with each other for a while, then Linky tried to help and..." Leni paused, shifting uneasily, "...he ended up making things worse for us..."
"How so?"
"Well...I know he just wanted to help. I would totally help him in a lot of situations, but on that day...well, I would've taken his advice if he didn't mention that Lori said I looked washed out in blue, and the part where she made fun of me behind my back due to the fact my skin can't tan..." The blonde frowned.
Miranda flipped back a few pages in her book. "I see...your other sister had mentioned this before. Anything else?"
"After that...our fighting got worse, then our other sisters started fighting after me and Lori told them our sides of the story. Then like, at some point we got to Erupting Volcano and everyone was fighting...by the time it was over, we all made up...once Linky was gone for the night..." Leni started to sniffle a bit. "I'm sorry, but...I like, just can't talk about what happened next...I can't even believe what happened after that..." The poor girl was on the verge of breaking down.
"Don't worry Leni. This is all on you. If you don't wish to talk about certain instances, we won't." Miranda then handed her a box of tissues.
Leni took them with thanks before wiping her face clean. "I just can't believe I got so angry at poor Linky...I hardly get mad at my brother...I mean, I have a few times, but not all the time...and I'm usually nice to all of my sisters...though me and Lori do get into arguments a lot..."
"Is your relationship with Lori somewhat...odd?"
"Odd as in?"
"Well, how often do you both fight?"
"Well, quite a lot...but don't get me wrong, we're still close. We even share the same room after all, though sometimes she can be a bit too bossy and selfish, like the time she had us doing her chores so she'd take us for rides...that's why my younger sisters and brother helped train me for my next driving test, though I really think I should've taken my pills then...and I think she takes advantage of my dumb moments at times. But that's only because I'm not my medication all the time."
"Interesting..." Miranda noted. "Now, you've mentioned your pills quite frequently now, and it seems you take them at an irregular basis. Why is that?"
"Well...I don't like the taste for one, plus it gives me like, a super headache when it stops working...along with the fact I usually forget to take them regularly. My parents put them in my smoothies, but I don't actually swallow them all the time, so they end up being thrown out...I know my sisters can get mad at me for not being that smart, but there's more in my head than just air! I swear! Even Lisa said I have a brain in there!" Leni folded her arms. "I may not show it much...but it hurts you know?...It hurts when most of your family treats you like a baby or gets mad at you for not following simple instructions...I don't know what's making me forget stuff constantly, I really don't...I've had shoes missing, clothes missing, and as such I like, keep forgetting where I put my pill case."
The blonde gave a small sigh. "I can still remember some of my idiot moments, like the time I thought Lily's crib was a prison, the fact I thought I was blind when my eyes were closed, or the time I thought there was a solar eclipse because my shades were down, or the time I thought our kitchen was in the mall (and I was like, so mad at Luan for that prank...) and that's just a few examples. I could go all day about my dumb moments...by some miracle I found my pills in my dresser last night. If I didn't, we likely wouldn't be having this conversation..."
"Sad to see a nice girl like her have to suffer so much..." The doctor noted. "If there was one thing you could change, what would it be?"
Leni shuffled a little in her seat. "...I want my family to stop treating me like I'm an older Lily...I know they make stuff sim...sim...simpler for my sake, but I'm 16! I'm not a child anymore! Sure...I can be tricked quite easily at times...but it hurts when they use that against me! Even when I'm being a bit dumb, I'm still smart in certain things."
"Such as?"
"Well, I'm totally into fashion and design, and I could make almost any piece of fabric into clothing. Like, a couple times I turned Christmas decorations into a nice dress, though mom doesn't like it when I do that...but the reason I do it is because it's the only thing I have the best understanding of and helps me keep a wider focus on things when I'm not taking my pills. I once actually made a bed frame for Lori when she told me to make her bed."
"Wait, so you actually designed a newer frame when all she wanted was for you to organize her sheets?"
Leni nodded. "I can also pick locks and make the best smoothies."
Miranda wrote this down. "Well, if what you say is true, then you might have a decent career in creative design Leni."
"Really?!" The blonde smiled.
The doctor nodded. "Now, given what we've discussed, you have insecurities about being viewed as the idiot in your family, harsh as that sounds. The easiest way to change this is by remembering to take your medication. Normally I would keep this closed but since you are aware of what your parents are doing, you'll have to tell them that you know they've been slipping meds into your drinks. However, in order to be not be viewed as 'the dumb one', I would suggest taking your medication more often. If you start to forget, remind yourself to leave a note out that will convince you take it again in the future. Also, you mentioned they only last for a few hours. Mind if I see your case?"
Leni pulled her small case out and handed it to the doctor. Miranda took one of the pills out and examined it carefully. Little did most know, the Hispanic woman has a minor in medicine as well, just incase her psychology job didn't work out. "Hmm...these are decent, but for you I think a stronger stimulant would be more beneficial."
"A stim...what?"
"Basically something that will increase a certain part of your brain to help you focus better. A preferably one that gives you less side effects..."
"Oh, Oh." Leni took her case back. "But...what can I do to help Lincoln? He's completely afraid of me and my sisters now...and I didn't even mean to hurt him..."
"That...is something that's yet to be determined. I'm sorry Leni, but until I can speak with your brother myself, I don't know how you can help him..."
"Ok..." Leni replied sadly. "...But what do I do now?"
"Don't worry dear. When the time comes, we'll have everyone in the room so you guys can tell each other your deepest thoughts. You are free to leave, but..." Miranda paused to look over her notes. "Could you please ask Luan to come in? I have two instances where she's done some rather...outlandish pranks, and I'd like to discuss them with her."
A/N: Sorry that Lincoln's nightmare had taken up half of Leni's chapter, but some wanted to see how he's been doing since chapter 9. As you can see, he's still going through some hell right now. But, at least he now knows he won't go to his own house once he leaves the hospital. Also, for anyone who may have picked it up, the part where Lincoln is dodging around in the hallway is a direct homage to the show's intro, albeit more sinister and nightmarish. And yes, I had to add Bun-Bun in on the nightmare because it shows just how bad his fears are getting. As for the rabbit's nightmare appearance, just imagine something like one of the animatronics from Five Nights At Freddy's 4. Never played the game because I don't like the franchise in general, but I've seen the pictures...
As for Leni, I thought it'd be interesting for her to know that her parents are giving her meds. But she doesn't take them all the time, which results in her dim moments in the show. Her session was somewhat hard due to the fact she's so likable, but I think I made it work. As for Luan...we'll cover why she constantly goes overboard with her pranks. I also have an idea for Luna as well.