Chapter 4

The Cola Contest

-THE NUKA WORLD ARC BEGINS-

A couple of months had passed since that historic evening and it was now a lovely Michigan April. It was quite warm and the flowers in Rita's garden began to bloom. Over the course of this time, Lincoln began to slowly but steadily inform his other sisters of his ongoing relationship with Lucy. Lori and Leni already knew, so Luna was next on the list. She was always chill and encouraged those she cared about to follow their hearts, or as she stated, 'Always follow your own rainbow, dude!'. Good old Luna! Luan followed a few weeks later. Initially she seemed to think it was some kind of joke, but Luna joined in on the talk. She was surprisingly skeptical but some good convincing points from both Lincoln and Luna eventually tipped her in their favor. Luan could be a bit unpredictable, so Lincoln was relieved to have this one out of the way.

But next was Lynn Jr...

Lincoln thought this one would be the easiest. Lynn was the other sibling next to him in the birth order and aside from Lucy, Lynn spent the most time with him growing up. They played together a lot, especially before Lucy was born, they took baths together, and even shared a room for awhile. Granted, the two weren't as close as they used to be, especially after certain incidents, but he thought that what made them close would prevail over what had pushed them apart. But during the whole talk, Lynn seemed kinda...distant. Somewhat cold. It was very ominous. What was going on with her? Did she not approve of what they were doing? Or maybe she was just being protective of Lucy? The two were roommates after all. Or maybe Lynn also...no that'd be crazy. It was a long, anxiety-filled talk, but a couple of hours (and a few protein bars) later she agreed to give her support. She still sounded rather reluctant, and Lincoln would keep an eye on this, but for now he was just happy to have her on board. He'd wait a little longer to talk to the younger sisters, he knew it wouldn't be easy to convince Lola, and he wasn't even sure how to approach the subject for Lisa.

In the mean time, Lucy was expressing her joy for winning Lincoln's heart, and the strong relationship that blossomed from it. Even now, every moment with her beloved would make her heart flutter. The two would hold hands under the dinner table or blanket on the couch, always greet each other with a warm hug, would always accompany each other on errands... and even if it was more risky now, Lucy frequently sneaked her way into Lincoln's room to snuggle with him at night, sleeping or watching fun videos. Plus there were plenty of secret makeout sessions! They were doing everything they could to spend time together and show their love for each other without their parents finding out. A few times they were nearly caught, but with all of the older sisters on board they were able to cover for the two lovers on a moment's notice.

Alongside this Lucy expressed this elation in the way she does best: on the pages of her notebook! Several surprisingly optimistic love poems decorated the pages, and several somewhat crude but still adorable drawings accompanied them. Loads of hearts, roses, and imagery of her and her dear brother spending time together. But the one she was most proud of was an image that spanned two pages of the notebook, a wedding ceremony for her and Lincoln. It was set inside a beautiful cathedral (as best as she could draw it) decorated well in black roses and white ribbons and lights. Lincoln and Lucy stood at the alter, holding hands as Edwin (serving as priest) placed rings on their fingers: an orange diamond for Lucy and a black diamond for Lincoln. Their favorite colors swapped. The groomsman made up of several of Lincoln's friends, dressed in snazzy suits, with Clyde as best man. No surprises there! The bridesmaids were all made up of the Loud sisters, all in black dressed with fuzzy shawls. Haiku served as maid of honor, of course! She was shown walking down the isle with Lynn Sr., followed by Rita and Rusty. She even threw Clyde a bone, letting him walk down the isle with Lori! On top in big letters it read "Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and Lucy Loud". Lucy pondered over those words, making her heart flutter with joy. Even if they had to keep things more secretive now, Lucy knew there would be a grand ceremony like this in their future, she would make sure of it!

It was a rainy day in early April and Lincoln was pondering a few things over some ARGGH reruns playing on the TV. Lucy was visiting Haiku for the day and Clyde was busy until that afternoon, so Lincoln was by himself for now. What was the next step for their relationship? For now, they were happy with their secret antics, but both of them yearned for something more. Where they could express themselves freely without judgement or fear. 'Maybe a trip to another town?" He thought 'But neither of us can drive, and Lori would be to busy. And It sure as hell wouldn't work out in Great Lakes City'. Right after the breakup the last thing he needed was for Ronnie Anne to catch the two of them kissing. 'Scratch that...maybe a trip to the beach or Dairyland...No no, Lucy and I don't have nearly enough money Which sucks, she really did look cute in that hula outfit...and that flower in her hair...~' His mind drifted off to memories of the "In Tents Debate" fiasco, and how adorable Lucy looked when she brought him hot chocolate in her tropical getup. 'And even if we convinced Dad, he'd want to make it into a family vacation, and that'd defeat the entire purpose... And can I really ask Angus for money without the whole thing being awkward?' Lincoln continued to think to himself, with a rather exaggerated pensive expression.

"Hey, Linc! Something on your mind?" Said Lana, who had just entered the room. She tossed her rather muddy shoes off and plopped onto the couch next to her brother. "Bro?"

"Oh, h-hey, Lana! S-Sorry about that!" he said, scratching the back of his head. "I guess you could say that..."

"What is it? Is it something cool?!" said Lana, with excitement in her tone with those last few words.

Lincoln wasn't ready to tell Lana what he was really thinking about. So he had to come up with a quick excuse, something Lana wouldn't suspect but would still be believable. Then it hit him, he was always good at quick thinking if the situation was manageable.

"I-It's about Lori..." he fibbed. "You see, she hasn't been able to see Bobby much since he moved, and she had to miss that concert with him due to last minute planning..." He was REALLY fibbing now! He, Lori, and Lucy had agreed to keep the concert situation secret, as the damage that information getting to their parents could do would be near, irreparable.

"That is bogus..." She said, gently looking down. "But she's on her phone with him all the time!"

"I know, but it's just not the same as in-person time... But we wanna..."

Lincoln was promptly interrupted by a rather loud commercial coming from the TV. The two siblings became fixated as an amusement park jingle began to play. There was something so...old timey about it despite it being a modern park.

What if there was a place with all the "Zip!" of Nuka Cola?
Wouldn't that be the Cheer-Cheer-Cheeriest place in all the world?

Where the river's made of Quantum

and the mountain tops are fizz!

With fun and games and rides for all the moms and pops and kids!

Well it turns out there's a place with all the "Zip!" of Nuka Cola!

Come on down to Nuka World and see it for yourself!

"Hey, this is pretty catchy!" Lana said, swaying in her seat to the tune of the jingle.

"Nuka World?" Lincoln said to himself. "That sounds familiar, I think Rusty went there with his family once."

An anthropomorphic bottle cap walked onscreen to the fanfare of lights and confetti, waving at the camera.

"Hey there, our dear American families! My name's Cappy! In just a couple of weeks Nuka World's 2022 season will begin! With it, we proudly announce the grand opening of Bradburton Towers, Nuka World's very first in-park hotel!"

Cappy proceeded to pop open a bottle of blue, glowing cola much like one would pop a bottle of champagne. Lana watched in pure amazement. Lincoln, meanwhile, was slightly disturbed, as it resembled one of Lisa's experiments.

"To celebrate, we will be inviting ten groups of four lucky winners to a three-night stay in the hotel, complete with an all-access pass to all six of our parks!"

Lincoln was truly fixated now. A contest to win a trip? This was exactly what he needed, and even if the odds were stacked against him he HAD to try!

"To try and win, find a golden Cappy hidden underneath special bottle caps of Nuka Cola Classic and Cherry, available at most grocery stores! Don't delay! The friendly folks of Nuka Town USA look forward to your stay!"

With that, the ad ended, as Lincoln jumped onto the couch and began to cheer.

"YESSSSS! This is PERFECT!" He shouted with jubilee. "We can win this trip for Lori and Bobby!"

"Yeah! But who else will they bring?" Lana inquired.

"We'll let them pick!" Lincoln said. "But that's not important right now, we've got some soda to gulp! Are you in?"

Lana stood up proudly and smiled. "Bro, I'm ALWAYS in! After that Burpin' Burger promotion I can handle anything!" She chuckled and looked down at her overalls. Hops popped up from inside them and happily croaked in agreement. She then proceeded to burp, making them both laugh.

"Alrighty then!" Lincoln said proudly. "Just a few preparations to make first! First stop: Flip's Food and Fuel!"

The two high-fived and Lincoln promptly ran up the stairs.

While Lincoln was partially rusing for obvious reasons, he did genuinely want Lori and Bobby to go on the trip, they deserved the extra two slots! He knew the two still didn't get much time together even with the concert, and he was always willing to do whatever made his sisters smile. Plus he really wanted to do this as a big thank you for Lori's early acceptance and support of his and Lucy's relationship, and all that she had done for it. They couldn't have made it as far as they did without her! Still, his big goal was for it to be a trip for him and Lucy to be together, and be a couple in public without judgement. It's not like anyone there would know them, and they looked different enough, they'd assume they were just a normal couple! Plus the thought of sharing a hotel room with Lucy made him feel flustered. This mission could not fail, and they had to make that beacon shine brighter than ever before!

Lincoln slipped on his shoes and shot Lori a quick text, asking her to pick up some Nuka Cola on the way home, telling her he'd explain later. He excitedly slid down the staircase intro-style and met Lana at the doorway, holding an umbrella. It was time to get ready for the make or break mission.

"You ready to go, Lana?" Lincoln said cheerfully, giving her a thumbs up.

Lana promptly returned the thumbs up and cheered. "Let's do this, bro!"

The two high-fived once again and made their way out the front door. Even with the rain, they didn't mind. Especially Lana, she LOVED rainy days. On the way there Lincoln had to pull Lana away from an attempted mud puddle dive a non-zero number of times.

"Awwww, come on! That one has some cool leaves in it, too!" Lana whined as her older brother picked her up.

"Like I keep saying, we can't get distracted..." Lincoln said. "Besides, Flips' gonna flip out if we get mud on his 'nice' tile floors."

"Get it~?" Lana said, taking the opportunity to imitate Luan. After a couple of seconds Lincoln picked up on the unintentional pun and the two laughed together, right to the entrance of the rather grody convenience store.

Flip was not at the front register, so Lincoln and Lana made their way to the back fridges themselves. A few disorganized cases of both common Nuka variants could be seen on the racks. The two looked at the cases with bewilderment. The bottles were fine, but the caps...looked like they were sloppily crimped back into place with a pair of pliers. Was still par for the course for Flip, though.

"What the..." Lincoln said as he observed Flip's poor resealing attempt as a voice came from the back room.

"Dangit, only one case left and not a SINGLE ONE!" Said the voice. The two siblings went to the entrance to Flip's surveillance back room and sure enough it was the man himself. Unsealing all of the bottles, checking the caps, , then crimping them back into place. He got a recent shipment and seemed to have gone through the whole thing already.

"Flip? What are you doing?" Lincoln asked.

Flip simply turned to them and looked, clearly not in a good mood. "What do you THINK I'm doing?! Didn't you see that fancy TV ad? There's a contest for this dang soda and I'm gonna find a winning cap! Then scalp the sucker for a big profit!"

Lana groaned, remembering when Flip tried to do the same thing at the Burpin' Burger promotion.

"Do you have any unopened ones? We're dying of thirst right now..." Lincoln said, wary of revealing his intentions of winning the contest too.

"Nope, went through my whole dang shipment, these are the last ones!" Flip said, holding the final six-pack of frosted glass bottles close in a 'keep away' stance. "But you're welcome to the ones in the fridge! HAH!" Still, this was a blessing in disguise, as Flip had already "thinned the herd" a bit so to speak. That and Lana was in no mood to give him any money after remembering the snowed in incident. Seeing that there were clearly no winners in this grease trap, the two shrugged and headed home.

"That was a bummer, we could've gotten a head start and everything." Lana said with a tone if disappointment.

"Yeah... still, Lori will probably pick some up on the way home. And if not, we can have her drive us to the store! I just hope she didn't think my message was weird..." Lincoln reassured his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The two soon made their way to the front porch of their home. Lincoln slipped off his rain jacket and entered the front door, folding his umbrella. Lana was still outside, happily sloshing around in a big mud puddle that the rain had formed on the front lawn. The earthworms were a bonus perk! Lincoln headed towards the stairs and was about to step up when he heard a voice call from the living room.

"HEYA STINKIN!" Boomed an excitable and unforgettable voice. Lincoln turned his head to see Lynn Jr. on the couch, playing with a hacky sack. Lola sat next to her, watching reruns of Prison Pageant on TV.

"Where have you been? You look beat...and a bit muddy..." Lynn said as Lincoln stepped into the living room. He was always happy to talk to his sisters, and was relieved to hear that Lynn was in a good mood, at least for a moment. But for right now he just wanted to shower and wait for Lori to come home.

"Oh, Lana and I just ran by Flip's to grab some soda..." Lincoln said.

"But we have plenty of soda here, why would you need..." Lynn inquired, her brother promptly inturrupting her.

"It's nothing, really!" He sheepishly said, Lola giving him a look of suspician.

"Sounds like a secret to me! Come on, tell us!" Lola whined. Lincoln simply shook his head in repsonse.

"You'll find out, just...give it some time!" Lincoln said. Both sisters looked at each other and shrugged,

"Oh come on! I want to know now! ...fine..." Lola crossed her arms and pouted as the sound of Vanzilla entering the driveway could be heard. Lynn's mood suddenly dropped as she stepped off the couch and made her way up the staircase. "...I'll be in my room..." She said. Lincoln was clearly worried but decided not to press it for now.

"Suit yourself, you don't know what you're missing!" Lola said with a pout, as she sat back to continue her show.

Lincoln ran to the kitchen as he heard the back door open. In came Lori, and behind her, his dear sister Lucy.

"Lincoln~!" Lucy said excitedly as she ran to her lover, giving him a warm, tender hug. The two looked both ways before giving each other a quick peck on the lips. Lori giggled as she watched the adorable display of affection.

"Heya, Luce, it's been too long~" Lincoln said sweetly, still holding her in his embrace.

"B-But dear, it's only been a few hours~!" Lucy said coyly as she nuzzled his cheek.

"Any length of time is too long, my cute little vampire~" Lincoln said lovingly as the two continued their embrace.

"Now now, let's break it up you two~ You don't want to get caught!" Lori giggled as she patted her siblings' shoulders. The two blushed and looked up at her, chuckling alongside her. "Now, Lincoln, about the sodas... I love the rocket-shaped bottles! But what are these for? Mom and dad didn't mention that they were hosting a party or anything." Lori inquired.

"Is anyone around to hear? I-I want to keep it secret for now." Lincoln rubbed his shoulder nervously. Lori was about to speak up when Charles darted through the dining room next door and around the table, and heading back towards the stairs, all with a beaker of a purple substance in his mouth. Lisa was in hot pursuit of the family dog!

"Charles, get back here with that dichromium compound! That is a crucial sampllleeeeeeeeeee!" Lisa yelled, chasing the family dog as the trio in the kitchen were unable to hold back their laughter. Classic Loud House antics right there! Once that had passed, the three of them huddled up as Lincoln began to explain his intentions.

"You see, I saw this contest on TV and.." Lincoln said, as Lori interjected.

"This was for a contest, Lincoln, this isn't realistic." Lori trusted her brother but she was still skeptical from time to time.

"Lori, hear me out. Ten lucky winners get to bring along a group of four for a three-night stay at Nuka World park. It's a promotion for their new hotel!" Lincoln said. Lucy had already clued in to where he was going and looked absolutely flustered. "I wanted to win this trip for us. Not just so Lucy and I could have a trip together." He gave Lucy another warm hug. "...but so that I could thank you for the support you've given us throughout this relationship. We couldn't have kept it a secret for so long without you! We can bring a group of four, so along with you and Lucy, I was gonna invite Bobby along so that you two can spend more in-person time together!" Lincoln said, being immediately smothered in a warm hug from Lori.

"Oh Lincy! You're the best!" She squeezed tight, prompting Lincoln to squirm a bit.

"L-Lori, not so loud!" Lincoln said, taking a deep breath.

"S-Sorry, Linc!" She sheepishly put Lincoln down and continued listening. "But still, this really means a lot to me! Even if we don't win, I won't forget this~"

"It's the least I could do! This is the perfect opportunity to get a private trip, no doubt Dad would turn it into a whole family outing if we asked him to fund it..." Lincoln said, the two girls nodding in agreement.

"But what about Clyde?" Lucy asked. Normally he and Lincoln were inseparable.

"I already talked to him about it, he's cool with it!" Lincoln said with a slight chuckle. Clyde was obviously not pleased with how this helped bring Bobby and Lori closer again, but aside from that he had nothing against the friendly guy, and supporting Lincoln was more important to him than competition for his crush. "I promised him we'd do our own bro trip later in the summer to make up for it!"

"You're such a good friend, sweetie~" Lucy giggled and gently kissed Lincoln's cheek, leaving him flustered.

"H-Hey, I try my best~" Lincoln said, feeling flattered.

"And you succeed spectacularly!" Lori said with a smile, patting her brother on the head. "Now, how about we get started on those sodas?"

Lincoln and Lucy raised their fists in agreement, the three high-fiving as they collectively said "NUKE WORLD, HERE WE COME!"

"CAN YOU THREE KEEP IT DOWN?! This is the best part!" Lola barked from the other room.

"Sorry about that, Lola!" Lincoln said, then turning back to Lori and Lucy. "I'll meet you two in your room, Lori!"

"Gotcha!" Lori said. "Alright Lucy, let's go get those sodas from the car!" Lori said excitedly, with Lucy nodding and smiling in return.

"Right behind you~" Lucy said, giving Lincoln a peck on the cheek before following her sister out the back door.

Lincoln ran to the front and opened the door, calling out to Lana who was still playing in the mud.

"Hey, Lana! Are you ready? It's time to tackle those sodas!" he shouted.

Lana looked up at him and saluted, Hops quickly following suit.

"I was born ready, Linc! I'll meet you upstairs!" Lana said proudly.

Lincoln flashed a thumbs up before running up towards Lori and Leni's room, all with a big smile on his face. This could be a big moment!

"Oh, hi Lincy! What brings you here?" Leni said in her usual cheerful and kindhearted tone. She was on the other side of the room working on a dress at her sewing machine.

Lincoln smiled and gave his sister a warm hug. "We bought a bunch of sodas. We're trying to win a contest! Lori and Lucy should be bringing them up any moment now!"

"A contest?!" Leni said in her usual cheerful tone. "That sounds TOTES FUN!" She clapped cheerfully with a bright smile.

"If you want you can help us!" Lincoln said happily. "We'll just have to wait for...oh here they are!" The two turned to a few of Lori pulling a wagon containing loads of cases of Nuka Cola Cherry, with Lucy carrying a few in her arms. The two of the placed their cargo in the center of the room. Lana happened to reach the room around the same time, her eyes glowing at the sight of the cases.

"Woah, sweet! Now THIS is an impressive haul!" She patted the pile of cases and took a few of them.

"Oh my gosh, those rocket-shaped bottles are SO trendy!" Leni said in amazement, gently picking up a case for herself. Lucy was passing around bottle openers for everyone. Leni though politely declined. "Don't worry, sis, I can use my sandal for this!" She said, holding up a large sandal that had a bottle opener slot on the bottom.

Lucy giggled and smiled, in reaction, before making her way back to her beloved. "Suit yourself, Leni, heheh~" She said, trying to process the purpose of a shoe-bottom bottle opener, considering what it'd be exposed to.

"Alright, looks like we're all ready! Let's get chugging!" Lincoln said, holding up a bottle. The five of them collectively shouted "CHEERS!" and clinked their bottles together, as the cap popping was underway.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Lily was sitting on the dining room table with some puzzle pieces. It was her little brain exercise for the day and she was already doing superb. She gently giggled to herself as she heard her mother walk in the back door. Lynn Sr. was in the kitchen getting ready for a night at his restaurant. The two hugged as Lily took notice of the rocket-shaped bottle in Rita's hand.

"Heya, honey! How was the office today? You look exhausted! Busy day, huh?" Lynn Sr. said, seeing his normally cheerful wife feeling very drained.

"It was a mess, the receptionist screwed up the schedule today and it was chaos getting everything organized..." Rita sighed. "And on my day off too. Well, at least Dr. Feinstein gave me Monday off to make up for it."

"And you certainly deserve it dear!" Lynn said, giving his wife a kiss. "You mentioned wanting to do gardening today but the rain washed that out, so best that you got Monday instead anyway!"

"Very true, dear~ How about the restaurant? Busy evening tonight?" Rita said, popping the cap off and placing it aside. It ended up rolling onto the floor and towards the dining room, but Rita was currently too tired to notice.

"Cappy...?" Lily said, climbing down from the table and crawling over to the bottle cap, picking it up gently.

"Oh it's gonna be hectic, dear!" Lynn said, prepared for one of his busiest nights yet. "We've got several birthdays, which means loads of guests and big plates! But I've got all hands on deck tonight, we've got this in the bag."

"I'm sure you do, you're my amazing husband after all~" Rita said lovingly, giving her husband another kiss. "Speaking of which, it's 5:00, you should get going!"

"Dang it, you're right!" Lynn said, rushing over to grab Vanzilla's keys and his raincoat. "There's a fresh tray of Lynn-sagna and garlic bread in the warming drawer if you and the kids get hungry!" With that, he closed the door, only to open it up and peer back in again. "And don't leave the tray out for too long, Cliff got into it last time and now he's become addicted!"

"Don't worry, dear, it'll be fine~! Good luck tonight!" Rita gently waved, prompting a thumbs up from Lynn Sr. He made his way to Vanzilla and headed down to the restaurant for the evening.

Lily continued to roll the bottle cap around and chased it into the living room. She then headed up the stairs (albeit slowly) and towards her room. "Cappy! Hehehe!"

Rita took a swig of her soda and set it down on the counter, making her way to her and her husband's newly renovated private bathroom. With the extra revenue, along with some generosity from Angus, they were finally able to get their bathroom repaired and fully functional. She flipped on the hot water and relaxed, getting ready for her bath.

Upstairs the search continued as the five siblings checked bottle after bottle, taking periodic breaks to drink their sodas. Leni had to take a break after accidentally shaking a bottle and spilling cherry cola all over her dress. Lana and Hops chugged soda after soda, and lots and LOTS of burping ensued. Lincoln and Lucy chuckled while Lori looked at her with concern. Too much soda gas would undoubtedly make both of them sick. Speaking of the two lovebirds, Lincoln and Lucy placed two straws in one of the bottles and sipped together. Lori caught the cute moment on camera and saved it in a secret folder to make sure only those in the know could see it. Laughs were had, jokes were made, and everyone had an absolute blast! Leni even put on some energetic pop music that only motivated them further!

Soon though, the air in the room had taken a 180. They were down to the last bottle and things were looking grim. Piles of caps on the floor (and of course they had to make sure to double check all of the ones Leni had gotten), and several bottles in varying levels of full littered the floor. Lana and Hops had gone back to their room to lay down, waiting for their stomachs to calm down. Looking down at the last bottle's fancy label, Lincoln took a deep breath.

"H-Here it goes... the last one, here goes nothing..." Lincoln said, swallowing as the bottle opener made contact with the cap. he slowly pulled it off and cupped it in his hand. Would it come through for them? Or was this really all just a pipe dream? Slowly he opened up his hand and checked the inside of the cap...

Nothing. Just a blank silver back. Lincoln's heart sank as Lori placed a hand on his shoulder. Lucy began to tear up a bit and hugged Lincoln tightly.

"Siiiiiiiigggghhhhhhhh..." Lucy said, burying her face into Lincoln's chest. Leni gave both of them a warm hug.

"Don't worry Lincoln, we tried our best." Lori said, trying to reassure him. "But still, it wasn't likely that we'd win at all. Only ten winning caps, spread all throughout the country. We had to keep our expectations in check."

Lincoln looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I know... but why? Th-This was our only chance, I wanted to do something good..." He then turned to his lover, who was still clinging to him. "Luce, I-I'm sorry, I wanted this to be our next big step..."

"It's okay, sweetheart, y-you tried as hard as you could. I still love you all the same~" Lucy said, gently smiling through the tears. Lincoln was flustered and held her in a tight hug.

"You two are so adorbs~" Leni said in her kind tone, which always helped lighten the mood. Lori smiled and hugged both of them.

"There will be another chance, I promise~" Lori said reassuringly, smiling down at her siblings.

Lily had been in the hallway playing with her bottlecap when she heard her siblings in the room nearby, sounding upset. "L-Lincoln?" She said, gently poking her head through Lori's door. The young infant crawled into the room and looked up at the group hug that had formed. "Cappy?" She exclaimed.

Lincoln looked down at her, an expression of gloom looming across his face. "Not now, Lily, don't remind me..."

"Cappy!" Lily only crawled closer, holding on to her bottle cap.

"Lily..." Lincoln said, breaking the hug to gently pick her up. "I appreciate you trying to help, but we need to be alone right now. I promise to play with you later..."

"Cappy! Cappy!" Lily's resolve only grew. She gently waved her arms while holding the cap. Lori's eys widened after she caught a gimps of the inside.

"Wait, Lily! May Lori see cappy?" Lori said, feeling a rush of realization. Lily happily obliged and handed her the cap. Lori saw just what she had suspected. "Lincoln, wait, take a look at this!" She said, quickly handing Lincoln the cap.

"Wait, this is..." Lincoln said, looking at the back of the cap. There it was, in full view. A golden image of the mascot Cappy with "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE A WINNER!" in a big cartoony speech bubble. His energy shot sky high in that moment, a miracle from heaven had graced him and his family. "THE GOLDEN CAPPY!"

Lincoln began to cheer and proceeded to give Lily a big warm hug. "Lily, you did it! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You don't know how much this means to us all!"

"Wheeeeee~! Cappy Cappy~!" Lily made cheerful sounds and clapped, happy that her brother was now joyful and smiling.

Everyone came together for a group hug, Lincoln and Lucy in the center. They turned to each other and smiled.

"Lincoln, dear, we are so blessed~" Lucy said, looking into his eyes.

Lincoln nodded in reply. "We are, Luce! And I'm even more blessed to have you~"

"I love you so much~" Lucy cooed, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. Lori and Leni couldn't help but squee as their siblings showed the love and happiness they shared. Lori looked down at them and gently ruffled their hair. "I'll redeem this tomorrow~ Pack your bags you two, looks like we've got quite an adventure ahead of us!"

Later that evening after a delicious Lynn-sagna meal, along with a traditional Loud House scuffle over the remaining Mac and Cheese bite (which Lynn Jr. had instigated), Lincoln hopped onto his bed for a quick call with Clyde while Lucy was brushing her teeth.

"Clyde, come in Clyde!" Lincoln happily said into his trusty walkie-talkie. After some static a familiar voice could be heard on the other end.

"Lincoln! Good to see you! How was the contest? Did you win big?" Clyde asked excitedly.

"Oh we won all right! Nothing short of a miracle, but we WON!" Lincoln told him in a tone of equal excitement. "None of the bottles we bought had any winners, but then Lily comes in with a winning cap to save the day!"

"YESSSS!" Clyde threw his hands up into the air. When his best buddy was excited, he was excited too. "I knew you could do it! Just like Ace Savvy, you made a big gamble and won the jackpot!"

Suddenly Clyde's bedroom door opened, a rather concerned Harold McBride appearing.

"Son, please keep it down just a little. I know you're having fun, but Howie's in a video call with Dr. Lopez and he's feeling particularly shaken today. So he needs as little disturbance as possible." Harold said.

"Sorry about that, Dad, I'll keep it quiet!" Clyde said, prompting his father to smile and gently close the door again. Clyde turned his attention back towards the walkie talkie. "Pardon the interruption! Do you and Lucy have any big plans while you're there?"

"Not really, but we'll figure that out over the next couple of weeks! The free stay includes two hotel rooms, so Lucy and I will sleep in one room while Bobby and Lori sleep in the other." Lincoln said, prompting a moment from silence from Clyde as he visualized Lori and Bobby possibly sleeping in the same bed.

"Clyde...?" Lincoln said with a puzzled expression.

"Oh, sorry about that! Though how are you gonna tell that to your folks?" Clyde asked.

"It's not a problem, I always have a plan! Lori's in on it, so we'll just tell mom and dad that the room configuration is different, Lori and Lucy in one room with me and Bobby in the other. They'll never know that Lucy and I shared a room!"

"Smooooth~! But I'd expect nothing less from the man with the plan!" Clyde said proudly.

"You got that right!" Lincoln said as the two laughed together. Though he could now hear Lucy coming down the hall, so he knew it was time to wrap things up. "Anyway, I have to hang up now, we'll talk more tomorrow! And I promise we'll do that bro trip during the summer!"

"You got it! Seeya tomorrow buddy!" Clyde said as the call ended. Lucy promptly entered the room and gave Lincoln a soft, warm hug full of lots of tender love. They both anticipated their exciting trip in a couple of weeks, and the two felt more happiness than they had ever felt before. The two settled into bed and Lincoln pulled out his computer, snuggling up and playing more funny videos.

My longest chapter yet! To note, despite Nuka World being a Fallout-based setting this won't be a crossover fic. I've just been playing through the Nuka World expansion recently and thought it'd be a fun setting to take our young couple! So I'm simply transplanting the Nuka Cola brand and it's amusement park to the world of The Loud House as a regular thing, without Fallout-specific stuff like the Military connections, park's safety problems, Project Cobalt, etc. Either way, this chapter has a lot of exposition, but it is the setup for the arc ahead so I wanted to make sure I explained everything clearly! Looking forward to writing more of this arc, along with many happy memories at the park!