Ever since the older siblings left their home to go out to the world and make their dreams come true, the home of the Loud Family had grown significantly quieter. There was still the occasional brawl for the remote or the last slice of pizza but not at the same level as it had once been.

But although things may change, some stay exactly the same: Lucy is still dark and dreadful, Lana still isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty and Lola was still the little princess with lots of ambitions and Lily was, of course, still adorable.

When the Cerberus-1 went missing, none of the inhabitants got informed until a very preoccupied Lori showed up at their door one day. Safe to say, they were all distressed about the whereabouts of the only son of the family. They got even more preoccupied when Lisa, the genius prodigy who had worked on the project, got into a fight with who seemed to be an answering machine and closed herself in her room.

The parents of the house quickly took control before anything out of the ordinary could happen. They made everyone go back to their rooms until more information about Cerberus-1 was unveiled. They told Lori that she was welcome on her old room but that she had to go back to the city soon if she didn't want to lose her job.

The next morning, a somber mood stretched itself through the house. The siblings tried their best to act as if nothing was wrong.

"So…" Lynn Sr. said while reading his paper "Nice weather we're having today, huh"

The silence that followed that statement was so void of sound that the dark and cold void of space seemed like a heavy metal concert in comparison. The breakfast continued in silence, none of the members of the family wanting to begin a thread of discussion.

As today was a weekend each of the individual members of the family had their own things to do and the one in charge of getting them all to their destinations was Lucy Loud. Unlike her older sibling, Lucy really didn't mind being the designated driver for five people and it usually made asking for a ride a lot easier for her younger sisters.

As Lori, Bobby, Lisa and Lily didn't have anywhere to go today; they stayed at the house with the older ones taking care of the 8 year old.

When everyone was out or in their rooms (Lisa), the rest decided to sit down on the family room. Bobby decided to watch TV, Lori called her boss and tried not to get fired and Lily began drawing on a notebook.

"No, no Mr. Brigadier …Yes Mr. Brigadier…I'll be there by tomorrow morning"

"Something wrong?"

Lori sat down next to her husband and gave a long sigh of exhaustion.

"No No, I won't get fired but I'll have to do yesterdays and tomorrows work "

"That's great, babe!"

"Yeah, but we won't be able to do anything for three whole days!"

"Don't worry babe, any day with you is a perfect day"

"Awww, Boo Boo Bear"

Lori decided to recline in her husband's arms and for a brief moments her anxiety disappeared, but there was one thing that kept nagging on her mind.

"Babe? You ok?"

"Yeah…Why do you ask?"

"I know too well to know when something is bothering you. Want to tell me what it is?"

"It's nothing, just some stupid things"

"It can't be that stupid if you are so angsty about it"

Lori shifted a little.

"It's just…"

"Just what?"

"I thought I would come back to a house in ruins, you know?"

She sat down and looked him in the eye

"That everyone would be so preoccupied about this and that they'd need me, but everyone just seems…fine. They are not wracked with sadness or preoccupied and honestly I don't know what to think"

"Babe…"
"And it honestly makes me feel like I wasn't really needed here and that I'm the only one who is preoccupied about"

Tears were on the edge of her eyes and her breath was beginning to fasten.

"Babe….I…"

"I know it's stupid but…"

"It isn't stupid!"

"Huh?"
"Being preoccupied for your family is one of the most natural things in the world, believe me I know. You wanting to be here just show how much of a good person you really are!"

"Bobby…"

"And I'm sure your family is preoccupied too! They are just trying to keep calm and not preoccupying you."

"But I should be the one…"

"Getting ready to go back to the city. Your family can handle themselves just fine"

"But they need me…"

"Babe, I need you…"

And with that mushy response the married couple embraced and stayed like that for a long time. Neither of them noticed the 8 year old sitting on the table but neither did the 8 year old noticed the couple embracing.

The couple began cuddling in the couch like a couple of teenagers with no sense of decency. Showing affection and pure love towards each other…

Disgusting.

While the pair of young adults was having a feelings jam on the couch, the youngest member of the family was drawing something.

The 8 year old girl was often seen painting or drawing something. People said it was talent but for her it was just fun. When people asked her how she managed to imagine such vivid and colorful scenes she just said that it came to her in her dreams.

As it is with every great artist when they came up with and idea nothing, not even the mushy lovey dopey cuddling session happening on the couch could stop her. She was a girl with an idea with a bunch of crayons and nothing could stop her.

As the hours passed and the couple felt asleep on the couch, she could feel a slight void making itself bigger on her stomach, but it would not stop her from her mission. At least, it wouldn't have if her family didn't choose that moment to enter the room.

She looked up to the clock to see it was almost 5. She mentally congratulated herself, last time it took her one whole day to finish a crayon drawing.

The matriarch of the house looked around and gave everyone in the living room a stern look. You couldn't raise 11 kids without learning a little something in how to make an authoritative voice.

"Lori and Bobby wake up, you have a long trip back to the city"

They quickly woke up and began fixing themselves for the trip. Once they had everything they need for the trip they went outside. Bobby went to start the car while Lori said her goodbyes to her family.

"Are you sure you are okay?"
"Honey, it's true we're all a little…shaken by the news but we all have our lives and I really doubt traveling 3 hours everyday just to check on us everyday."

"But it's my responsibility to…"

"Make your own life. We'll be fine here so don't worry"

Lynn Sr. said with a paternal tone on his voice as his rough hand messed with Lori's hair, and while she gave him a mean look she didn't stop him. She turned to her siblings and gave her goodbyes as well, but stopped for a second when she got to Lily.

"Goodbye, Lily. Try not to get too distracted with your drawings"

The little girl gave her a smile and a hug which Lori returned. Before she went to the car, the little girl gave her the drawing she had been working on all day.

"For me? Thank you!"

And as she boarded the car and looked at her family as they drove away, Lori felt a little weight lift off from her shoulders. Bobby looked away from the street and smiled as he saw how relaxed his wife was. He noticed the drawing in her hands.

"Did Lily give you that?"

"Huh? Uh…yeah. I think she wanted to give me a farewell gift"

"Well, it's a pretty good farewell …what is it?"

"I…don't actually know. I think she just draws what she sees in her sleep"

"Well…it's still pretty cool."

She looked at the picture. While Lily was by all means an art genius, some of her drawings didn't make a lot of sense. Not that art made much sense either but you get the point.

In the drawing, a humanoid figure stood up with a sword in hand. It had red and green arms and a blue and yellow leg, its body was completely black and had a helmet that looked like a lion's head. On its back a pair of blue wings sprouted from its back.

"You think it means something, babe?"

"Hmmmm…"

It's true that Lily was an strangely smart gir, but…

"Nah, it's probably just some dream she got after eating too much of dad's food"

And so they went to continue on with their lives and although Lincoln was still missing, his family continued on with hope that they would see him again.

Although that reunion would not happen for a long time.

Author: Explain delays with the chapter.

Hooooooooooooooooo boy.

What can I tell you? Whenever I tried to write the chapter something came up and I had to leave for the day after. I only wrote 100 words a day and then I had to rewrite the whole chapter after I lost my hardrive.

All in all it has been a shitty 2 and a half weeks.

I'll try and keep a better schedule.

And, one last thing, Lily's drawing is exactly what you think it is.

.