A/N: Hey, it's good to be back! I am very pleased to add another story to the Special Sister Bond series. Whether or not you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, I thank you for at least giving some of your time to read it. This one is full of sibling fluff, but before we start chewing our way through this wad of cotton candy, here's some important background info.

'Forever and Always' is the 8th story to my growing series of fanfics that narrate and focus on Luna and Luan's sisterhood, or just simply follow the timeline. With a current total of 8 stories, and a 9th on the way starring Luna with Lincoln, I finally decided to give this series a name so I don't have to keep calling it 'my series of stories'. It will now be known as Special Sister Bond, and as always, the complete updated list of the stories can be found on my profile. I recommend that you read at least 'Mission Accomplished' and 'Warm Hearts' if you have not done so already before diving into this one. Context plays an important role here.

I took a short break to write 'Violin's Song' for Valentines' Day. That was fun. I've also made some small changes: I've updated a couple of my stories so they now feature a new profile illustration rather than those same pop-art coloured flashes I made a few years back. You can check out which ones got a new picture. And from this point onwards, all the stories of Special Sister Bond will now be numbered in their description boxes in order, hence the little (8) you see just up there. If a story doesn't have a number, it's not in the series.

I promised back in 'The Next Level' that my next fanfiction for TLH would be based off of Deep Cuts and that story is this one. This ultimately doesn't really have much to do with Deep Cuts; it's mostly used as an excuse to get Luna and Luan together in one spot and then continue the story from where they left off in the episode.

Your Saving Grace is Here – Thank you for your question regarding dates. As many of you notice, I stamp my fanfics with a time range just after the title (excluding my very early stories). This marks the day from when I first started writing to when I finished the final editing process prior to posting. It's just a little thing for myself that I like to do to track my progress and record long it takes me to write my stories. Some take very short intervals ('Twinning Isn't Everything' was written in a day), while others take a little longer ('A Couple of Weirdos' took about 2 months). 'Miracles' was a bit of a special case, for I started it in January of 2019, abandoned it when I decided to write 'Warm Hearts', then resumed writing around December, effectively releasing it in a span of about a year, since I had been brainstorming throughout the months prior.

I speak to all my readers when I say: feel free to ask me anything and I'll decide how to best answer them, whether by PM or A/N.

As mentioned before, there will be a 9th story of Special Sister Bond, focusing on Lincoln and Luna…eventually.

Forever and Always

March 1, 2020 – March 16, 2020

Part 1 – Yesterdayville

With stacks of cash safely secured away and a dreadful draught blowing through the giant acorn-sized hole in the school, Luna, her sisters, and their respective club members began taking down and packing up their fundraising equipment. For the quartet of teen rockers, satisfied smiles of relief and jubilation highlighted their exhausted, yet cheery faces as they loaded their stuff into Sam's dad's truck, which they had commissioned to shuttle most of the goods to the high school courtyard. Around halfway through the clean-up, it was Mazzy who suggested that the band head off somewhere to relax and celebrate their sweet victory of the day. No one even hesitated to pounce upon this idea.

Luna was just wheeling away their last amplifier on a dolly cart when she looked over to the corner where the theatre club had been stationed for the fundraiser. Despite having over twice as many people than the music club, Luan and her performance colleagues still had a long way to go. They had constructed an entire stage after all, and by the looks of it, they were only halfway done in taking it down. Luna watched the hard-working actors and actresses from her current distance for a moment, then continued shunting the heavy amp away to the parking lot. When that was out of her hands, she made her way back to the school and across the lawn towards the partially-standing stage.

She found Luan trying to move a heavy stage board that had once supported Flip as he had delivered the astounding role of Romeo for all the school to hear. Luna still found it unbelievable that the man hadn't forced any lines of his own invention into his performance to advertise Flippies and corndogs. Guess everyone has their 'off' days. But in the end, she had to agree with Luan; Benny truly made the perfect Romeo.

Luan groaned loudly as she heaved the large plank with both arms, her fingers aching from having already lifted at least nine other boards of similar size in the last hour since the event finished. Up until now, there had been another of her fellow-club members to assist with the other end, but as luck would have it, the others had walked back into the school at the same time with their own armloads of theatre cargo. She should have probably waited for someone to come back out and assist her, but Luan's possessed a distinct streak of pride; she liked to prove her independence whenever opportunities came her way. Growing up as a daughter in a family of thirteen had always done that to her, especially since she had a grand total of ten siblings to show off her abilities to, seven of whom she often felt obligated to lead by example. Over the past year or so, she had been practicing in putting her role as a big sister to practical use under the close guidance of Luna and Lori, which as a downside, was beginning to shape up a subtle desire to prove her self-worth. A sense of showing how independent she could be now that her levels of maturity were starting to improve despite their late start and how she was capable of taking charge of the situation just as much as her older sisters.

And to top it off, perhaps Benny would walk out this very moment and see her effortlessly marching past in the opposite direction with a very heavy looking board mounted on her shoulder like all the people wearing construction helmets in those 'how-to' videos that plagued the internet.

Why, oh why did it have to be just as heavy as it looked?

She could already feel the long mass of wood beginning to slip down from her grasp…only for it to suddenly rise up from the opposite end, taking a great amount of the weight up with it. Luan looked back and locked eyes with a familiar face.

"Need a hand there, dude?"

Luan smiled gratefully at Luna. "Two would be great," she quipped as she happily readjusted the weight in her arms, and together, they carried the board between them towards the school doors.

The young comedienne directed the long item and her sister at the other end to the school's large storage unit just behind the auditorium, where all the other members of the theatre club were busily sorting and shoving various items used throughout the fundraiser into their proper places. Luna didn't often associate herself with the other clubs until today, yet that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the hard work Luan and her peers put into their craft, hiding away from nothing to show off their talents on the stage, much like herself and the music club.

Once the board had been deposited, leaving their hands and arms free of the heavy load, Luan turned to Luna. "Thanks, sis."

"No worries, dude. Anything else I can do before I shove off?"

Luan glanced at her friends, who were heading back outside to collect more items for storage. "Well, there's more stuff to put away…we could use your help."

"Sure, dude. Lead away."

As the pair headed back outside, Luna felt the vibrations of her phone, stashed in her skirt pocket. Blasted thing was so old, it was a miracle that it had the decency to vibrate whenever it was called to action. Luna could barely count on it to wake her up in the mornings anymore. Its dying performance was something to complain about another time; at least it had chosen to work at this moment, given that Luna needed to send an important message out just as she was receiving one. It was from Sam. Luna slowed her footsteps as she read the little screen, allowing Luan to unknowingly trail ahead.

Lunes, where r u? We're w8ing in the truck.

Luna glanced up at the back of Luan's ponytail, which was slowly gathering distance from her as they trekked the lonely hallway towards the courtyard. With her commitments now switched around, she quickly sent a reply.

You dudes go ahead and enjoy yurselves. Something came up, I gotta stay behind. I'll hang with you guys next time.

U sure? Everything okay?

Ya, all good.

Ok. C ya on Mon x

Later babe x

It took another half hour or so before all the theatre equipment was safely in the storage room. Luna stood off to the side while Luan and the others organized the last of the boxes and containers into their appropriate spots. Since she was only there to provide extra muscle, she figured that she should step aside at this point and let the professionals determine where everything was supposed to go. Liberated now from any tasks, Luna by complete chance spotted Benny also standing off to the side. This gave her an idea.

"Yo, Benny, dude," she said merrily as she strutted over to him. "What's shakin'?"

The boy looked up at her. The initial confusion in his eye was replaced by a flash of recognition, quickly followed by a return smile.

"Oh, hey there! Aren't you one of Luan's sisters?"

"I sure am! Care to guess which one?"

Benny looked at her for only a moment before snapping his fingers. "You're Luna, aren't you?"

"Gold star, dude. What gave it away? Paperclips or the skull?"

Benny leaned against the wall comfortably. "Well, a little of everything mixed together, to be honest. She's told me a lot about you. You're very distinct, she says."

Luna couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

While this exchange was going on between the pair, Luan was tucking a large storage container of stage props neatly away next to several others. Though her hands and feet were busy, her eyes, trained so well to detect the distinct shade of purple that her older sister wore every day and even more so the familiar brown of Benny's hair, slowly rose from their current position down upon the box labelled 'Wigs and Plastic Ears' to fall upon the opposite wall of the storage room. She observed Luna as the latter was talking to her boyfriend. They were laughing and smiling like they had known each other all their lives. Luan felt herself smile inside.

This feeling didn't last long though, for the sight of her immediate older sister and soulmate was sparking a memory in her mind; a reminder that she had something very important on her mental agenda. Any of her other sisters would not have raised such a red flag in her mind like this…but it was fate's decision for her to witness Luna chatting to Benny. Seeing these two people, out of all the teenagers and adolescents who roamed the high school, in the same setting was ringing up a nagging bell in Luan's head, warning her that time was running out. She only had a certain amount left to complete this task before it was too late. It wasn't one she was eager to execute, mostly because she hadn't formulated a plan on how best to do it, but she knew that she would have to face the music sometime. But it would have to be soon.

"Luan? Earth to Luan! Are you, like, still there?"

The impatient voice of Ruby broke the jokester out of her trance. "Huh? Wha…oh yeah, I'm here. What'd I miss?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I, like, asked you if you could totally take this costume rack over to Shannon while I try to get this lid closed." She was currently throwing all her weight upon an overstuffed crate labelled 'Oversized Hats'.

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing."

Just as the metal rack on squeaking wheels was loaded with so many colourful costumes and garments, Luan's mind was loaded to the brim.

Leaving Shannon to sort the costumes, Luan decided to take a break and head over to see what Luna and Benny were up to. She found them smiling and chuckling like old friends. It was all just a reminder to her how laughter was the greatest tool to bring anyone, friends or strangers, together.

"Heeeey, guys," she said as she swooped in, adding a dramatic flare to her entrance, though it was nowhere near as exuberant as Lola would have made had she'd been there. "Hope you're not having too much fun without me!"

Luna smiled good-naturedly. "Nah dude, we're just chillin'. Sharin' secrets, the usual biz."

Luan's smile dropped and her cheeks flushed within a millisecond. "Secrets? What kind of secrets?" she demanded, alarm present in her youthful voice.

The cavalry was rushed in as Benny swiftly put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Luan, nothing you have to worry about. Luna was just telling me what a great sister you are, that's all."

The red in her face dissipated slowly. "Oh," she said, feeling a little foolish. She wasn't very convinced, though. She glanced up at Luna, who simply beamed innocently. Something was definitely up.

Without warning, Benny's smile suddenly faded with her blush. "Hey, listen, Luan. I know we planned to hang out after the fundraiser, but my mom just called and she wants me back home ASAP. Something about going out to buy a new camping tent or something. I'm afraid we'll have to postpone our date."

Luan tried not to let her disappointment show without much success. "Awww. Well, I guess the tent is pretty important if she wants you home right away, huh?"

"Yeah," said the boy apologetically. "I'm real sorry about this."

Luna tried her best to blend in with the wall as she watched her little sister and the boy exchange their goodbyes for the weekend, which involved Luan practically yanking him into a bone-crushing hug, as if he was heading off to serve in the military and she was therefore gripping him with the prospect that this may very well be the last few moments when she would ever see him. When Benny had gone, Luan visibly wilted on the spot with despondency. A talented young addition to the drama industry she truly was…both on the stage following a script and off the stage when those moods were real.

Thankfully, Luna knew her sister all too well to not know how to raise her spirits whenever she was sinking in a pool of misery. She wrapped her arm around Luan's shoulders prompting her to look up.

"Don't feel blue, little sis. I'll tell you what: I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day, so how's about you and I hang together for a while at Yesterdayville? I'll get you that milkshake you like so much."

Like Atticus Finch and his never-failing accuracy with aiming a shotgun, Luna's ability in making her little sister smile again was right on point. Luan couldn't help but feel herself slowly brighten up. After all of today's stress, a raspberry-vanilla milkshake sounded like paradise.

"Okay. You know I can't shake off that offer."

She laughed, and this time Luna chuckled along. Sometimes her sister's jokes fit the bill. But only just.

True to its name, Yesterdayville was Royal Woods' own little old-timer diner with a taste for the modern 50's to match. Decked with everything you would expect to find in such an establishment – shiny tiles, neon lights, squashy-cushion booths, and a working jukebox – it held the characteristic retro-type atmosphere within its decorated walls of hanging records and framed posters that was nothing short of reminiscent to stepping back to a time period when a hot cup of coffee only cost you a dime . The prices on their menu, of course, weren't so reflective of such an era; Luan's milkshake ended up being a little pricier than Luna remembered, though granted it had been a long time since they had last visited this hidden gem of their hometown. With lively showtunes and cheery smiles from the waitresses, she often wondered why they didn't hang here more often. This had been her and Luan's favourtie place to visit when they were younger.

But at the same time, she knew very well why. The times when she would laugh and play care-free with her little sister had been long ago…before she and Luan had drifted apart from each other. Physically, they saw each other every day; first to see in the morning and last to bid goodnight to. But emotionally, they had been so many miles away. Life had naturally chosen to interfere, and for some reason, neither of the young teens artists had given any thought to bringing the other along with her for the ride. Because of this overlooked and subtle detail, for many years after that, she and Luan had remained very distant from each other, and although neither of them knew it, their hearts had begun their never-ending descent to the point where they had started to grow cold towards each other as a result. Luna had downright despised Luan for all the pranks the comedienne relentlessly pulled on her on a daily basis, while Luan had glared daggers at the musician for blasting her music far too long into the night. Life became grey between them, and any time they did choose to interact with each other more or less ended with them fighting and squabbling over trivial matters that were forgotten by the next day around.

But despite their depreciating attention for one another, neither Luna nor Luan had truly left the other's side. Deep down in the depths of their heart, buried beneath the many other growing passions that often shielded their eyes and mind from the other sister, there had been one last glimmer of light; a single drop of shimmering flame left from the close bond that they had both shared. It had never gone out, even when the two had grown apart. A tiny little burning ember that represented their sister bond had remained deep down in their guts, but for too long they had neither noticed how small the fire had become nor that it was gradually fading away…

Things had looked dour for the pair…until the faithful summer, when Luna had left the Loud House for a two-week vacation with her high school band on a retreat in the neighbouring state did things begin to change. Now no longer seeing her older sister so regularly as she had been for years, Luan had entered a state of deep depression and loneliness, as it finally hit her, after so many years of oblivious neglect, how truly she loved and missed her sister. Equally, Luna had met this same revelation while out at the campsite, not to mention slowly coming to terms of all the time she had lost with Luan.

It had turned out that the break-up in their constant exposure to each other had done them more good than ever imagined, for when Luna had returned, not just home but to Luan, the girls renewed their close friendship with each other and successfully rekindled the flame of their sisterhood, restoring it to its shining glory once more. And now, closing in to nearly two years since Luna's departure, the teen artists were only growing closer. Luan was always glad for the chance to hang out with Luna; it felt like making up for lost time ever since their quiet fall-out. Luna had vowed to herself that she would never allow anything to ever come between her and her little sister ever again, and although she and Luan still argued and got on each other's nerves from time to time, no longer were they suffering from a strained, bitter relationship. She and Luan had become almost inseparable.

And here they were now, kicking back and unwinding from the week's worth of protests at a place from their combined childhood. The late-spring weather was warm enough for them to lounge out at one of the patio tables in the sunshine. They shared the news. They talked about girl junk. They gossiped about Lori. They laughed about Lincoln. They had a splendid time. Luan soon got over her brief disappointment that Benny had to hurry away so quickly, and instead enjoyed hanging out with Luna.

Even so, it never left her line of thinking, as she playfully blew bubbles into her milkshake through the red and white striped straw and listened to her older sister comment on the style of music that their ancestors enjoyed back in the day, that sooner or later, she was going to have to tell Luna about her very important matter. She just had to find a way to send the delivery properly.

But time was running out.

A/N: I decided to move my thoughts on Deep Cuts down to the bottom. It was pretty good. I absolutely love that they gave lots of screen-time to Luna, Luan, and Lori's direct interactions with each other, not to mention the strangely rare focus on their high school, which until this point, has never really been seen or used in the show. It was awesome to see all of Luna's band members put to use on-screen too. The principal and her helper whom I already forgot the names of were incredibly stupid and a huge waste of potential. There's a difference between 'stupid-funny' and just plain stupid. Their scenes weren't all that impressive and just dragged. In terms of the plot, the whole thing was quite repetitive and certain aspects felt rushed and unnecessary. But overall, it was a solid episode. The main reason it stands out to me though, is described in the next paragraph.

Regarding Luna and Luan, much of their interactions in this one were negative bickering and arguing, much like the episodes in every season before it. However, Deep Cuts contains a difference that justifies all of that. There were enough positive interactions between Luna and Luan to balance it all out. This is what makes Deep Cuts stand out among all the rest of the episodes that involve the girls fighting: with enough chances to redeem themselves for their misdoings, we see visible forgiveness stemming between them that very clearly reminds us that they do in fact care for one another and thus balances all the negativity that they shared throughout the eps, something we have never seen once before. In all episodes before this when Luna and Luan fight, we get no visible apologies, making up, or the like. Even in scenes that involve them as a casual background gag just spring up vibes of hostility and annoyance; not a single hint of sibling love to be seen. This just gives the overall impression that they really do not care for each other all that much, and at most tolerate the other, which is the exact opposite of what I'm trying to push forward. I'm still hoping for a real Luna and Luan duo eps in the future that focuses on their bond. But for now, this can fill the void.

How funny it is that all people want to talk about is Lincoln-abuse. If you want to rant on such a minor role that cost less than 20 seconds of the episode, go write your own fanfic.

But if you want my nitpick, I am getting very sick of Mr. Coconuts by this point. Doesn't she ever put him down?