AN: And here is Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's date night. This chapter was inspired by a little comic with the two, where they were singing "Shut Up and Dance".

To answer your question, Gamelover41592, I just couldn't think of any chapters to write for Lucy and Rocky at the time, and also wanted to try something else. However, I did want to leave the possibility of them getting back together again open in case my idea doesn't pan out or I manage to think of a few stories to tell with them.

"Shut up and Dance" by Ben Berger and Ryan McMahon. I didn't use the entire original song, but credit where credit is due.


Shut up and dance

"...Girls, I appreciate the help…" A slightly harried Lincoln said as he was trying to button up his good orange dress shirt while surrounded by Lori, Leni, Luna, Lola, Lana and Lynn. All of which were fussing over him: combing his hair, putting a bowtie on him, spritzing him with cologne, and chattering so much that he couldn't actually hear what advice they were trying to impart upon him. "...but I'm pretty sure I can handle this."

"But it's such an important evening," Leni responded as she brushed the pet hair off his robe coat.

"She's right, bro," The rocker teen agreed. "Yer first real dance with Ronnie Anne." She did have a certain point; it was their first actual dance, since they had skipped the Sadie Hawkins dance.

"It's just an end of year Elementary school dance," The one son protested, needing to wrench his arm away from his athletic sister to avoid her giving him another spray of deodorant. "That's more than enough, Lynn..."

"Maybe so, Lincoln, but at your and Ronnie Anne's age, that's practically senior prom," Lori commented as she tried in vain to tame his turkey tail. "...how do you put up with this, Linc?"

"I just let it do what it wants," he replied. "It's gonna do it anyway, so why fight it?"

"Do you remember all those ballroom dancing lessons I gave you, Linky?" The pageant princess asked as she closely inspected his shoes to see if they were shined. After a few seconds, she gave a satisfied smile.

"Yes, Lola, though I doubt-"

"Ballroom dancing? That stuff went out with shoes with buckles," Lynn said with a scoff. "If they dance like that, they'll be laughed right out of the school."

"Hate to admit it, Lo, but Lynn's gotta point," Luna concurred.

"What? No. It's romantic, and romance is always in style," Lola countered angrily.

"I'm with you, Lola, but ballroom dancing isn't necessarily the best for a school dance," The oldest sister interjected.

"Wouldn't it be so sweet, though?" Leni commented with a dream like expression on her face. "Lincoln slow dancing with Ronnie Anne." The other meddling siblings all nodded and muttered their agreement to that.

"Sweet or not, don't think it would do for Ronnie Anne to have to deck someone for making fun of her and Linc," Lynn countered. "And you know they will if they start ballroom dancing in front of everyone...and you know she will."

"They'd just be jealous…" The prissy twin said in a snooty manner. The conversation started to degenerate into bickering, the sisters forgetting that Lincoln was right there between them. The white haired boy sighed and carefully wiggled his way out of his room, leaving them to their argument.


"Carlota!" Ronnie Anne snapped, her cheeks a very bright red. She was standing in front of a mirror in her cousin's room, wearing a scarlet dress with pink trim on the sleeves, neck and hem, and she didn't look happy at all.

"What? You look great, Ronnie Anne?" Her teenaged cousin said with a big smile as she looked her over. "Lincoln is just gonna swoon when he sees you."

"Number one: This isn't my style," The tough latina said, holding up one finger. "Number two: this is just a school dance, not a meet and greet with the queen. And number three, if I show up wearing...this...my rep will be shot."

"Ah, they'd just be jealous of your style and beauty," Carlota said, waving her hand dismissively. "Wear that to the dance, you'll be the belle of the ball."

"I wear this to the dance, people will think I'm a nutcase." RA threw open the door and was about to step out into the hall when she heard the click of a camera. "...if I see that on social media…"

"Oh, cool it, cuz. That one's just for the family," Her fashionable cousin replied with a giggle. The young skater sighed in annoyance before she strode into her room. Laying on her bed, looking pretty casual, was a girl with long brown hair, wearing a blue long sleeve shirt, black shorts and black and white shoes. She glanced over as the door opened and blinked.

"Whoa...Ronnie Anne...Looking good!" She said, smiling and giving her the thumbs up.

"What'd I tell you, Ronnie Anne?" Carlota called out.

"Don't encourage her…" Ronnie Anne groaned as she shut the door behind her.

"You mean your cousin, or me?"

"...Yes." She motioned for her friend to turn around, which she did, giving her the opening she needed to get out of that dress and switch into something more comfortable for her. In this case, a white button up blouse covered by her trademark purple hoodie. She took a moment to try and figure out what else to wear for her dance date with Lincoln, and eventually settled on an ankle length yellow and black skirt. "Alright, now give me your opinion, Sid." Sid turned back around and looked her friend over from head to toe.

"Hmmmm. I think the other looked better on you, but you're still looking good."

"Thanks," Ronnie Anne said with a small smile. Just then, she got a text on her phone. She looked down at it and smiled more as she typed a response. "Heads up. Lincoln's on his way."

"Great! I've been raring to meet him," Sid said, sitting up and hopping off the bed. "So, how long until he gets-" She started to ask, but she was interrupted by a sudden flash of light, which nearly made the asian girl jump right to the roof. She turned quickly to see Lincoln standing right in the middle of Ronnie Anne's room, wearing his robe coat, his orange dress shirt, and his black dress pants.

"Hey Ronnie Anne," He said in greeting.

"Hi Linc," She responded, the two of them getting a good look at one another.

"You look great," THey said together, before they both blushed and rubbed the backs of their heads. "Hehe. Thanks."

"Oh! Lincoln, allow me to introduce you to my best friend, Sid Chang. Sid, my boyfriend, Lincoln Loud," Ronnie Anne said, turning to look at her friend. To her surprise, she was looking at the white haired boy with narrowed eyes, as if she were trying to look into his very soul.

"Pleased to meet you, Sid," The middle Loud said in greeting as he held a hand out to her. She didn't shake his hand as she approached him, looking him in the eyes for a moment. Lincoln held his arm out awkward as she started to closely inspect him from head to toe, circling around him as she did so. He looked at Ronnie Anne, hoping she would have an explanation for this, but she looked as lost as he did. Once she finished her inspection, she strode over to Ronnie Anne, looking like a soldier reporting in. She then grinned broadly and gave her the double thumbs up.

"He's cute. I approve," She chirped cheerfully. Lincoln just blinked while Ronnie Anne just chuckled.

"Well, I'm sooo glad we have your approval to date," She joked, causing both the girls to laugh.

"Seriously, though, nice to meet you too," Sid said, shaking Lincoln's hand finally. Feeling this shook Lincoln out of his confusion.

"Come on, Lincoln. We better hurry if we're going to make it to the dance before it gets utterly boring," Ronnie Anne said, taking the Loud warlock by the hand and starting to leave the room.

"Have fun, you two!" Sid called out to them before she climbed out onto the fire escape to return to her apartment. Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne was escorting the white haired boy through her family's apartment. However, the moment they entered the living room, they found their way blocked by her mother, brother, both her grandparents, and her Aunt Frida. Each of them had a camera in their hands, except for Bobby, who had his phone out.

"Saw that coming," Lincoln said under his breath.

"Shoulda seen that coming," Ronnie Anne muttered.

"Say cheese!" Maria said cheerfully, holding the camera to her eye. Lincoln smiled a bit as he put an arm around the tough city girl, pulling her closer to him. This brought a blush to her face, but she still smiled as she wrapped an arm around him as well.

"Adorable," Frida said while giggling and snapping several pictures. "Just adorable. Hold it, please."

"Oh, Bobby," Lincoln said as a thought occurred to him. "Lori didn't get a chance to get any pictures, so…"

"One step ahead of you, Linc," Bobby replied, having already taken a few pictures and sending some to his girlfriend in Royal Woods. After a few snapshots, most of RA's family seemed satisfied. However, Frida kept on moving around them and taking pictures, trying to get the perfect angle.

"Frida," Maria said, getting the attention of her sister in law. "As much as we all want great pictures of the two, if the two of them don't get going, they'll miss their dance."

"...just one more," Frida responded, shifting her feet as she aimed the picture taking device at the two, determined to get the perfect picture. While the two waited, Ronnie Anne glanced at the Loud warlock and smirked a little. Right when her aunt was about to take the picture, she leaned in and kissed Lincoln on the cheek. His eyes widened into a look of surprise the very moment the picture was taken; not so much because she kissed him, but right in front of her family and for a picture besides. The young lady and her family all started giggling and chuckling as the one son blushed lightly, smiling at the latina in his arm. "That is a definite keeper."

"It certainly is," Ronnie Anne and Bobby's mother said before she confiscated her camera, because she looked ready to take more pictures. "But that's enough of that. Off you go, kids. Have fun."

"Thanks Mom. See you all later," The tough girl said, taking Lincoln toward the door.

"Wait! Are you sure you don't want something to eat before you go?" Her abuela asked right when her fingers touched the doorknob.

"We're fine, thank you," Ronnie Anne responded, opening the door and hastily taking him out of the apartment and down through the building, grabbing her skateboard on the way out. She tossed the board onto the sidewalk once they got outside and donned her helmet, but before they could both get on, they heard an ominous growling and hissing behind them. They turned around to see a mass of feral, aggressive looking cats leering at them. "Oh, you would show up…" She grumbled in annoyance.

"...you know, I sometimes wonder what they're really saying…" The one son said, placing a hand over one of his ears. "Illator meletath mammallia."

"Scratch!" Hissed one of the wild felines.

"Maim!"

"Destroy!"

"Feed me!" And that was all the cats would say on an almost robotic loop.

"...I don't know why I expected anything else," Lincoln deadpanned before Ronnie Anne grabbed him, pulled him onto her board, plopped a helmet onto his head and went off like a shot down the sidewalk. The cat gang chased after them for a few blocks, but she was a little too quick for them, so they ended up getting bored and chased after a tourist with a hot dog instead.

"Whew...those darn cats…" RA sighed. However, she wasn't about to let this ruin their evening. "You ok back there, Lincoln?" She inquired, the young man holding her around her middle to stay on the board.

"Yeah, I'm alright," He responded with a slightly shaky voice, a little shaken from their near cat experience.

"Right. Well, hold on, querido. We'll be there shortly." The one son nodded as he embraced her a little tighter, which delighted the skater girl.


As she had said, it didn't take them long to reach her school. However, when they did arrive, they kind of wished they took their time getting there. The decorations around the gym were fine (made to look like a fancy ball held by royalty), and the refreshments looked great, but that was about all they could say about it. The music sounded pretty dull, not a single person was dancing, and even the chaperones looked bored. On one side of the gym was all the boys and on the other were all the girls, all split into their own friend groups and cliques talking among themselves. "Yikes…" Lincoln muttered as he surveyed the scene before them. "The Young Mortician meetings have more life than this…"

"Yeah...but, we're here now, so let's at least try to have a little fun," Ronnie Anne said with a light smile. She took his hand in hers, walking with him over to the table of food and drink. They had just both got a cup of punch when her friend Casey strolled over with a smile. He was wearing a nice red dress shirt and khaki pants, but he still had his trademark black and white checkered hat on his head.

"Hey you guys," He said in greeting. "Didn't expect to see you two here."

"Hey Casey," RA responded. "Are Sameer and Nicki here too?"

"Nah. They wanted no part of this mess," He answered, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder at the scene behind him. "I decided to give it a shot though."

"Why's that?" Lincoln inquired, taking a sip of punch.

"Two reasons: one, I heard what they were serving, and that was a plus." He gestured with his hand toward the buffet table beside them. "And two, there are some pretty cute girls here, and without dates too." He glanced over at the other side of the gym, where all the girls in their grade were with a slight smirk.

"Doesn't do you any good when they're all over there, does it?" His fellow city dweller commented, which made him chuckle and shrug.

"Yeah, but you never know. I might get lucky, I might not. But either way, at least the food is good." He turned his attention back to the couple. "So what convinced you to come, RA? Romantic evening with Lincoln here?" Ronnie Anne blushed brightly as she rubbed her arm a bit.

"Hehe...yeah. I mean, the last time Lincoln and I went to a dance, we didn't really dance...well, at least until we got to the arcade, but that's not the same thing," She explained. "I was hoping it would be a chance for us to have our first real dance."

"I getcha, though I don't think anyone will be cutting a rug if they keep playing this rubbish…" Casey commented, cringing as the DJ turned on yet another soulless pop tune that was almost indistinguishable from the previous one.

"Yikes. If Luna were here, this stuff would probably bring her to tears…" The one son said, shaking his head in pity.

"Let's go see what's up with the music. Maybe we can get them to change their tune a bit," The latina suggested, pointing toward the DJ booth.

"After you," Lincoln said before the two of them walked over to where the DJs, brother and sister twins, were looking less enthused than the students they were performing for. Not that they weren't trying to make it interesting, but with what material they had to work with, there wasn't much they could do. "Hey. Can we have a word about the music?"

"Yeah yeah...we know…" The brother said with a sigh. "The music stinks…"

"Yeah," Ronnie Anne agreed with a firm nod. "I mean, it'd be great as a lullaby…"

"Tell me about it," The sister DJ replied, pulling a piece of paper from under the table. "But our hands are tied. We have to follow this approved song list compiled by the teachers and principal, or we don't get to play the dance."

"In that case, my condolences…" The white haired boy said, looking quite sorry for them.

"Meh...it's a job, at least. Not great, but at this stage, we'll take what we can get," The brother said with a resigned shrug.

"Sorry, Lincoln," RA whispered as they stepped away from the music table, looking kinda blue. "I was hoping this could be a special evening for us…"

"Don't worry about it, Ronnie Anne," The white haired boy said, putting an arm around her, which brought a small smile to her face. "Just being with you makes it special."

"Heh. That was super corny," She told him with a slight grin.

"You love it. You know you do," He retorted with a grin of his own.

"Yeah. I really do." Bobby's sister blushed a little when she said this, which made Lincoln chuckle. The two of them were considering just leaving the dance when a new song was played. A more upbeat, energetic and familiar song to the both of them

"Hey...I know this song," The white haired warlock said with a smile.

"Me too," She informed him, and it was a song she liked too. She looked him in the eyes with half lidded eyes of her own as she held a hand out to him. "May I have this dance, Lincoln?" The one son blushed quite a lot as he tugged at his shirt collar nervously.

"Hehehe...absolutely, Ronnie Anne," He responded before suddenly looked kind of apprehensive. "Though I'm not much of a dancer...unless it's ballroom dancing...thank Lola for that one…" He muttered that last bit more to himself than his date.

"Oh, don't think about that," Ronnie Anne said, in time with the music as she took one of his hands in hers. "Just keep your eyes on me."

"Won't I just hold you back?" Lincoln inquired, oddly matching the tune as well as his human girlfriend put his hand on her waist.

"Shut up and dance with me," She sang with a smirk as she started to move her feet to the tempo. "Just move in step with me. Oh oh oh oooh oh. Shut up and dance with me." The encouraging look in her face and eyes and a moment of observing how her feet and body moved, and the one son started to dance right along with her.

Ronnie Anne

"When you get close to me and hold on tight
You go and set my heart alight
Because being by your side just feels so right
I know that we will be together
Now and forever."

"Just take my hand.
Let go of all your worries.
Just watch me all the way."

"Don't you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me.
Don't you go holding back.
Just shut up and dance with me!
You're doing fine, just follow me.
Oh oh oh oooh oh!
Shut up and dance with me!"

The longer the white haired boy danced along with Ronnie Anne, the more his confidence built. The more his confidence grew, the more energy he put into his dancing. The two of them were having a ball dancing together on the dance floor, even though they were the only ones, at least at first. Seeing the two cutting a rug to the rare good song on the list did get their attention and, after a short time, a few students even joined them. Not that the couple noticed; they were in their own little world together, paying no mind to everyone around them.

Lincoln

"My dear, you know just what to do
To make it feel like a dream come true,
Just being on the floor with you.
I know we'll be together,
Now and forever!"

"I took your hand.
Now I have no more worries
I'll watch you all the way!

Ronnie Anne

"Don't you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me."

Lincoln

"I won't go holding back."

Both

"Shut up and dance with me!
You and I, we were meant to be!
Oh oh oh oooh oh!
Shut up and dance with me!"

With the two of them lost in their dance, they didn't notice as they had left the dance floor and were dancing their way to the gym door. "Hey...where are they going?" A girl with messy red hair that covered her eyes asked Casey (who had been trying to chat her up) as the two of them departed.

"I dunno," He admitted with a shrug. "But they're probably going to have more fun than we are here."

Back with Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, they had somehow grooved their way down the hall and onto her skateboard. Out the front door they went, skating down the sidewalk. It was a very strange sight for most people walking through the city to see: two kids on a skateboard singing and dancing through the evening.

Both

"I looked in your eyes.
I know just how it happened.
You touched my heart.
You made me smile."

"You took my hand
Now there's no more worries
Together all the way!"

"Don't you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me.
Don't you go holding back.
Just shut up and dance with me!
We know that it's meant to be!
Oh oh oh ooh oh!
Shut up and dance with me!"

As their dance came to an end, the two kids embraced one another, staring into each other's eyes as the skateboard started to slow down. "Shut up and dance with me~" Ronnie Anne said softly as she smiled at Lincoln.

"Shut up and dance with me~" Lincoln responded, his face edging closer to hers.

"Shut up and dance with me." They vocalized together just as they came to a complete stop. Before they could kiss, however, they heard a strange sound. It sounded like electric boops, beeps and laser sounds. They turned their heads and there it was...a video arcade.

"...how'd we get here?" The white haired boy asked as he and Ronnie Anne separated and stepped off the skateboard.

"Guess it's kind of like a homing instinct," RA commented with a chuckle. "Well, as long as we're here…" She looked to her boyfriend with a big grin, only to notice he was already headed for the door.

"Race you in!" He called out.

"Hey! No fair getting a head start!" The tough city girl yelled back, laughing as she tried to outrun him to the door.


After about an hour of gameplay, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were seated at a table within the arcade, laughing to one another as they waited for their food. Beside them were plastic bags that came from the prize counter. "That was more fun than that dumb dance!" She said with a big smile.

"Yeah. Though we did still get one good dance in there," The one son replied happily before glancing around. "Man, I think that arcade is better than Gus', at least in terms of game variety."

"Yeah. Pity their prize selection is kinda lame…" The raven haired latina said as she looked down at the scarf with the arcade logo on it.

"Oh, I don't know," The middle Loud responded with a grin, pulling out a small, mask like toy from his own bag. He placed it over his mouth. When he next spoke, his voice sounded deeper and lower. "Ronnie Anne. I am your boyfriend." Hearing that made her giggle hysterically, then take the voice modulator from him.

"Lincoln, come to the dork side," She said through it, trying to hold back her laughter as she did. "Oh wait. You're already there." The young couple both burst out laughing now, with Lincoln slapping his knee. Not long after they calmed down from their moment of mirth, their pizza had arrived, along with an order of breadsticks. This was something that kind of disappointed the one son, being so accustomed to Gus' marvelous garlic knots, but it wasn't a deal breaker for him. He immediately took one slice of the pepperoni pizza and bit into it.

"Mmm. Pizza isn't half bad," He commented once he swallowed his bite.

"Yeah, I thought it was just ok myself," Ronnie Anne admitted. "But, you know, most come here more for the games than the pizza."

"Probably true," The white haired boy agreed before he reached for one of the breadsticks. At the same moment, his human love reached for the same one. Their hands touched and then their eyes met. The two of them blushed and chuckled about it, before the both of them glanced around. None of the other patrons were looking at them. They locked eyes once more as a smile spread across their faces.

"Mum's the word?" She asked quietly as they lifted the breadstick between them. He nodded in reply. After all, he knew if he did tell his sisters what they were about to do, they would just squeal so loud, he'd probably go deaf. They leaned in and started to eat at either end of the stick. It wasn't bad, Lincoln thought, but still no match for Gus' knots. Not that it mattered. He was focused on his date's lips approaching his. Their lips met in the exact center of the bread stick, holding the kiss for a few seconds before they separated. "I don't…" She started to say before she swallowed. "Sorry. What I was trying to say was I don't get what's supposed to be romantic about kissing with a mouth full of food."

"Heh. The movies always make things look better than they actually are," Lincoln responded, still smiling. "Not that it was bad at all."

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't feel romantic," The tough latina said with a shrug.

"Lori would disagree with you on that point."

"Lori would think it's romantic if she sneezes and Bobby says bless you," She responded, making the both of them laugh again.

"You got me there," The one son admitted once he had stopped laughing.


About a half hour later, full of pizza, soda and breadsticks, the young couple were ready to head for home. It wasn't that far, so they decided to walk there, Ronnie Anne carrying her skateboard under her arm. However, after a few steps, a fire truck zoomed past them, sirens flaring, heading in the direction they were heading.

"Whoa! What was that?" The Loud Warlock asked in surprise.

"Looks like it's headed toward the apartment building!" Ronnie Anne said in alarm. She tossed her board onto the ground, took Lincoln by the hand, as zipped off down the way after the fire engine. Fortunately, it was not headed for her home. Unfortunately, it was headed for a serious fire a couple blocks down. A large, old building was ablaze, with a horde of people around it at a safe distance. The firefighters were trying to control the flames, but the flames were too strong. To make matters worse, there were a pair of little kids screaming for help from several stories up. The fire escape ladder for their floor had fallen, leaving them stranded, and the truck's ladder couldn't reach them in the alley they were in.

Ronnie Anne and Lincoln looked on in horror. The Loud Warlock's mind raced as his eyes surveyed the area. There had to be something he could do. His eyes fell upon a shopping cart in the alley, and an idea struck him. "Ronnie Anne. Let me borrow that scarf." He requested, pulling up his robe jacket like it were a hood, covering his hair.

"Why?" She asked, even though she still handed it over. He took the cloth, put the voice changing mask on, then wrapped his face with the scarf.

"I'll be right back," He said before he ran toward the scene.

"...be careful, Lincoln…"

Up ahead, the firefighters who weren't engaging the blaze were trying to ascertain how to get the children down, while trying to calm their frantic parents. While they were considering getting a helicopter and ladder in there, when someone yelled, "Hey! Kid! Get back here! It's dangerous over there!" They all turned their heads to see a young man with a coat over his head and a scarf over his face running toward the alley. The firemen tried to call out to Lincoln, but he didn't listen, only stopping when he was close to the alley. He looked toward the shopping cart and pointed right at it. As he lifted his hand, the cart followed, levitating into the air. The debating firemen and the looky-loos all stared in shock as the Loud Warlock sent the cart up to where the two trapped children were. The little ones looked hesitant to get into the cart for a moment, but then carefully climbed inside.

"Please, keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times until it has come to a complete stop," The one son said through the modulator as he set the cart down on the ground. Once the children were safe on the ground, the firefighters ran forward to collect them and bring them back to their grateful parents. Pleased with his work, Lincoln was about to vacate the area when he heard a meowing from above. He looked up to see a young kitten standing on a windowsill, meowing frantically. "Aerosa Elonti!" He chanted, a torrent of wind from his hand propelling him up to where the kitten was. The onlookers were absolutely stunned and amazed at what they were seeing.

"Help! Help! I can't get down!" The little cat mewed fearfully.

"It's ok," Lincoln said calmly. "I got you." He held a hand out to pick up the kitten.

"Who are you!? Don't touch me!" The kitten hissed, arching its back and extending its claws.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to help," He explained. The little cat was far from convinced, taking a swipe at him when his hand got too close. Just then, a burst of hot air and flames shot out of the window, nearly singing the scared little kitty. It yelped in fear and jumped onto his shoulder, scared out of it's wits. "That's it. Now we'll just-"

"HELP! HELP!" The Loud Warlock blinked and turned his head to the source of the screaming. One floor down to his right, a large woman was screaming for help from the fire escape.

'Oh dear…' Lincoln thought to himself in worry. While she wasn't morbidly obese, she did look heavy enough that he couldn't help her down physically, and levitation wasn't an option either. As he was deciding how he could help her, the railing to the fire escape broke off, sending the woman careening toward the ground. The one son gasped in fright as he dispelled the torrent of wind keeping him up, causing gravity to affect him as well. With both hands, he gestured toward the ground under her. "Aerosa mitoric tallavor!" A powerful wind kicked up on the dirty cement street of the alley, creating a small, but powerful cyclone. When the falling woman landed on the twirling winds, it barely kept her from hitting the solid ground, then bounced her back up so that she landed on her feet. Then, the Loud Warlock threw another torrent of wind to the ground to break his own fall just as paramedics were bringing the startled but unharmed lady away from the building.

"Is that everyone?" Lincoln inquired, breathing kind of heavily into the voice changing toy as the kitten leapt off his shoulder.

"I think so…" The firefighter who had yelled at him earlier replied as he looked up at the building. "This place was definitely not built to code...we're going to have a long talk with the landlord about that...but anyway, thanks for-" He looked back down to give his thanks to the young man, only to discover he was gone. "Huh? Where'd he go?'


Far behind the gawking crowd, Ronnie Anne was waiting anxiously for her boyfriend's return. She was barely able to see what was going on from there, and seeing Lincoln start to fall left her beside herself with worry. Fortunately, she didn't need to wait much longer, as she felt a tap on her shoulder. She jumped and turned, ready to sock whoever did that out of reflex. "Whoa! It's me!" Lincoln said, holding his hands up in defense.

"Lincoln?" She asked as she lowered her fist. "Sorry about that. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," He said as he returned the scarf she loaned him. "Two kids, one lady, and one kitten, all safe, and they think everyone else got out of the building."

"Good," The tough latina said with a sigh of relief. "I was kinda worried there when I saw you falling. I'm glad everything turned out alright, all things considered," She added as she gave him a big hug. Then, a thought occurred to her. "...why did you need to hide your face? It's not like a lot of folks here would recognize you."

"In case there were any news reporters around," He answered quietly. "I don't think my parents or my sisters would approve of me getting into potentially dangerous heroics."

"...yeah, I could see that," The raven haired city girl nodded in understanding. "I mean, if you had run into that burning building, I would have probably had your head when you got back, fire immune spell or not."

"Hehe. Good thing I handled that a bit more intelligently then," The middle Loud said with a soft laugh.

"A very good thing," RA agreed with a smirk. "Well, I think that's more than enough excitement for one day. Let's head home." The white haired boy nodded before he took her hand once more and the two started for the Casagrande's apartment building once more.


At the Loud House, the Loud children were all gathered in the living room, watching the news on tv (as it was Lisa's turn with the remote). All except for Lori, who was checking her watch every so often. She thought Lincoln was out awfully late and was getting worried. 'I can understand Lincoln wanting to spend a lot of time with Ronnie Anne,' She thought to herself as she tried to turn her attention to the show. 'They don't get to see each other too much, even with the teleportation orb. But why hasn't he at least called or texted?' She was about to call her little brother when she noticed that the orb on the table was filling with green smoke. Seconds after, Lincoln reappeared in the living room, carrying the prize bag.

"Welcome back, Romeo," Lynn commented with a grin from the easy chair.

"Hey girls. Sorry I'm late," The white haired boy said, not even reacting to Lynn's comment besides that.

"What happened, bro? Had trouble tearing yourself away?" Luan asked with a sly smirk of her own.

"Heh. Yeah," He answered, which was half true. When he was saying goodbye to her in her room, they ended up hugging and saying farewell, before starting a new conversation and repeating the process until twenty minutes had passed. This made Lori giggle. She had been there many times before. However, the other reason for his lateness was his act of magical heroism, which he wasn't planning on telling them.

"Say...what are you doing with that bag?" Lola asked when she spotted the plastic sack, frowning at Lincoln. "Did you seriously go to the arcade during your date!?"

"WE went to the arcade during our date, yes," Lincoln corrected her, a little annoyed at the accusatory tone his sister was taking with him. This turned her expression from displeased to surprised. "Let me explain...when we got to the dance, basically all the guys were on one side of the gym, and all the girls were on the other."

"Aw, dude…" Luna groaned, shaking her head. "That's lame...but it does happen sometimes."

"It gets worse. The DJ there could only play 'School approved songs'," The one son continued, using his fingers for air quotes. This made all of his sisters express their disgust at once. Even Lily blew a loud raspberry at the idea.

"Ok...I'll forgive the transgression this time, given the circumstances…" Lola said in a snooty manner.

"I'm so glad…" The middle Loud muttered under his breath sarcastically.

"What was that…?"

"Anyway!" Lincoln suddenly exclaimed in an attempt to avoid invoking Lola's wrath. "We were planning to leave...but then a good song actually started playing. It got us to start dancing on the empty dance floor and singing along." He elaborated upon, which seemed to perk his sisters right back up. That's what they wanted to hear. "I'm not really sure what happened, since we were focused on dancing with each other, but right as I think the song ended, we found ourselves on her skateboard outside the video arcade."

"Oh please...you expect us to believe that?" Lynn asked with her arms crossed.

"Hey, it's possible," Lori spoke up, much to the athlete's surprise. "Bobby and I have sometimes ended up wandering to our favorite places whenever we get lost in our conversation."

"Intriguing. Human homing instincts," Lisa commented as she took down a few notes.

"We kinda lost track of time at the arcade and had to rush back so I wouldn't be too late...but saying goodbye took a bit too," He admitted with a blush.

"I'll bet it did," The oldest sister said with a slight chortle. "I'm glad you two had a good time anyway."

"Thanks," The one son responded. He was just about to head upstairs when the news anchor started on the next story.

"This just in, from Great Lakes City." This got the attention of the entire family, all eyes turning to the tv screen. Lincoln started to sweat, trying to sneak over to the stairs while they were distracted as the anchorperson described the fire that had happened at the old apartment building. "...in the end, the building was lost to the fire. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of a masked young man, none of the few residents of the building trapped inside were hurt." Lincoln froze with his foot on the first step just as a video clip of him running up to the alley played on the tv, followed by his levitating the cart up to the trapped kids as the camera closed in on him. He was about to bolt up the stairs, but-

"Stay right there," Lori said firmly in a raised voice, making him stop before he could even move a single inch. She didn't sound angry (or at least he didn't think she did), but it was a clear order. They all watched as the masked boy used a whirlwind to fly up to save a kitten, then another one to save the falling woman. When the story had concluded, all of his sisters turned their gaze right at him.

"Wow. Isn't that something?" He asked with a nervous smile on his face.

"Lincoln, was that you?" Lori asked him, her tone still neutral.

"What makes you think it was me?" He inquired, trying his best to look innocent (and failing).

"Well, for starters, you were there when the fire happened," Lynn pointed out, her chin resting on her arms on the back of the chair.

"Coincidence," The Loud warlock answered dismissively.

"Second, the individual on the tv seems to have an affinity for magic," Lisa reasoned calmly in her monotone. "Particularly with wind magic, which has become something of a signature spell for you, elder brother." Lincoln was starting to really sweat now.

"How do you know it was ma-" He tried to retort, but the genius toddler cut him off.

"You've allowed me to study magic, Lincoln. And I've seen you cast that particular wind spell, Aerosa Elonti if memory serves, for the same exact purpose at Grimwood's school when the martians came." That made him shut up for a moment.

"Hehe...ok, I can see where you got that idea...but I was with Ronnie Anne the whole time. There was no way that could be me there," The one son countered, hoping that would satisfy them.

"Well, if it wasn't you, they were wearing your coat," Leni pointed out. The white haired lad's face went pale when she said that.

"Are you sure about that, Leni?" The musically inclined sister asked the sweet blonde. She nodded in reply.

"I saw the initials I stitched onto the chest," The family fashionista responded, pointing to the stitching over her brother's heart. He slowly looked at the LL on his chest, then back up at his sisters. He had completely forgotten about that when he had used the coat to cover his hair. The only thing he could think of to say in response, he did;

"...dang it."