A Love Labor Lost with the Gal Pals – Part One

(Story Summary: WINTER ARC FINALE! Valentine's Day is fast approaching, once again and everyone in Royal Woods is busily preparing for the big day; including Lincoln, who's having...a bit of trouble trying to decide his own plans for the holiday. Meanwhile; his sister, Luna feels there is nothing to celebrate on the so called "day of love" for her. Will these crises be remedied in time or will there be a great deal of heartbreak in Royal Woods this year?)

It was the middle of February down in Royal Woods, winter was still in affect and the entire town was lightly coated in freshly fallen snow. But in spite of these conditions, the townspeople had just the thing to keep them warm...love! The date was February 9th and everyone, young and old was making plans for a very special day; Valentines Day.

Now, there were those (like Lisa) who often attempted to "educate" those around them on what the holiday was really about; which often involved the legends a priest named Saint Valentine who was said to have healed the sick during the time of Ancient Rome. Others in town claimed that the "holiday" was nothing more than a money making scheme made by card companies and shopping outlets. But as for the rest of Royal Woods and beyond, Valentine's Day was a day of love and romance.

All across town, couples and families of all kinds shared their love with one another in many ways. Some, like Lynn Loud Sr. used their skills to craft something sentimental for their special someone. Others meanwhile choose to purchase something for their special someone; like flowers, candy or other items.

Yup; all around, you could find couples of all kinds falling under the spell of Valentine's Day...except for two small places, which is where our story will soon be taking us.

(Line Break)

As the scene cuts over to Royal Woods Middle School, we find that the students and staff were already making plans for the big day. "Here's the thing" Clyde said to his friends in the cafeteria, "I was thinking of either taking Chloe down to Jean Juan's for a special Valentine's dinner...or making something for her myself, what do you all think?" All around the table, the other members of the Guy Squad began sharing their opinions on their bestie's idea.

Speaking of which, the squad itself had grown in numbers somewhat; since January. Sometime (as in approximately a week or so) after the events of what some students liked to call the "Identity Crisis," a good chunk of other male students felt inspired by what happened to be more true to themselves. Furthermore, some of them thought it was "pretty rad" of Lincoln to remain true to who he was; in spite of the remarks people like Mordecai or Biff sent his way (among other things.)

Emboldened by this surprising turn of events, Lincoln would later ask these same boys if they'd like to hang with his crew...and they accepted; much to the Guy Squad's overall surprise. At first, things felt a little awkward between all of them; due to Lincoln and Co. believing the other boys were only pretending to enjoy being around them. But after a while, they soon realized that they all had quite a bit in common.

Lincoln and Kaito shared many a conversation about gaming, Clyde offered some baking tips with Elliot and Byron; Zach and Theo found a common love for science fiction and so on. In the end, the OG Guy Squad members thought it was nice to be finding their place among the other male students; especially Lincoln. But the one thing they all shared the most common ground on was a strong dedication to the special ladies in their lives.

As such, they would offer to share advice with one another on dating ideas or learning whether or not someone in class "like-liked" one of them. On this particular situation; some of these boys, like Omar and Liam, thought that Clyde's D.I.Y. Valentine gift idea was a good option to go with. But others, like Rusty and Elliot thought that dinner together at a popular place like Jean Juan's would be a bit more romantic.

Meanwhile, Zach proclaimed that while both ideas sounded cool; he didn't have much of an opinion on the overall discussion. "Oh c'mon, dude; are you telling me you're still getting cold feet about asking Giggle...I mean, Cori out" questioned Rusty, "we've told you before, she totally digs you!" Without a moment's pause, Omar quickly seconded his words; adding that all Cori seemed to talk about was how fun Zach was to hang with.

"I know and...and I think she's fun to hang with too" he murmured, "but I still can't help but think she and I would just feel awkward around each other." Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Zach suddenly went on a tangent about how funny Coriander was and how much more interesting she was compared to him. "I mean...She's an aspiring comic, she's got a strong extroverted personality and is unafraid to be herself" he mumbled dejectedly, "I'm just Zach Gurdle, the boy who thinks aliens beam signals into your head whenever the fluorescent lights flicker!"

The instant his rant ended, Zach sat in his seat panting heavily; completely oblivious to all the other students (sans his friend group) who were staring at him. After a moment or two of silence, Omar approached Zach and lightly patted him on the shoulder with his big hand; hoping the gesture would calm him down. "Look, my man; you say all that stuff is somethin' Cori will hate you for" he asked knowingly, "well...if ya ask me, it's those very things she finds so appealing about you."

Soon after this, the other boys sounded off in agreement; adding that it was Zach's quirks that Cori found so amusing. "Also...you didn't hear it from me, dude" Theo whispered, "but...I think Cori's taken up an interest in a couple of musicians/music groups you've been a fan of for years." When asked by the others who it was that she'd been listening to, the young man answered with only two names; Max Modem and Zanzibar.

"Dude...you're just messing with me" Zach retorted in disbelief, "she actually listened to the Zanzibar single I recommended...and liked it?" Rather than answer his BFF outright, Rusty smiled and gestured for him to turn around. Upon doing so, Zach spotted Cori walking by with her tray in hands.

The instant she passed the Guy Squad's table, everyone could hear her rhythmically muttering the word "doo, doo, doo" under her breath; which the boys immediately recognized as the song "What Do It Do" by Zanzibar. When she happened to spot Zach from the corner of her eye; Cori briefly stopped singing, gave him a wink and continued walking over to her table. "Eh, eh; what did we tell you, dude" Kaito said while slyly nudging Zach's arm, "Giggles totally digs you, which means it's the perfect opportunity to ask her to be your Valentine."

After taking a moment to let everything sink in, a light blush suddenly appeared on Zach's face. After that; he smiled shyly, hid his face away in his hands and murmured "I...I'll think about it." Seeing this as a win, the rest of the boys let out a hearty cheer in victory while also wishing Zach luck on his eventual Valentine proposal.

Then, all eyes slowly turned towards the one remaining boy at the table...Lincoln. During the majority of their discussion, the sole Loud Boy sat at his spot at the table; absentmindedly poking his fork into his plate of "Mystery Spaghetti." It didn't take long for the OG Guy Squad members to realize that their buddy was feeling down and thus, they tried to break the ice with him.

"What about you, dude" questioned Clyde, "what kind of plans do you and your family have in mind for the big day?" For a moment or two, Lincoln didn't answer; he simply stared blankly at his friends with a sullen look on his face. Then, much to their surprise; Lincoln proclaimed that he didn't really have much of anything planned for Valentine's Day...aside from chilling at home, of course.

"I mean...sure, some of my sisters have their own thing" he confessed, "but as for me, I just...I don't really feel that much in the mood for it." To say that this statement shocked the other boys would be putting it too mildly. To them, it felt like Lincoln had put a bullet through their hearts with each word he said.

"Okay, dude...real talk here" Elliot murmured, "I gotta tell ya this, since we're buds now...what you just said sounds like the biggest load of bologna I've ever heard and I don't even like bologna!" No sooner had he said this, the rest of the boys were also quick to call "shenanigans" to Lincoln's Anti-Valentine mojo...save for one; Clyde. "Hold on a second, guys" he interjected suddenly, "Linc wouldn't be saying all this if he didn't have a reason."

After taking these words to heart; Liam found himself agreeing with his pal's words and suggested that maybe, Lincoln was probably feeling left out on the "romantic fun" by being the only single guy among them. "Okay; first of all, I'm single too" Omar said suddenly, "second of all, most single folks can still have fun on their own or find people to show love to on Valentine's Day." The moment this was brought up, Lincoln rose from his seat and proclaimed that being single wasn't the reason he felt so low.

Of course, as a result of this minor outburst; a few students could be seen snickering at him softly...but Lincoln didn't seem to care. "I say again, me being single isn't why I'm so glum about Valentine's Day" he said in a hushed tone, "in fact, the vast majority of my family has been going nuts in preparing for it."

(The camera flashes and shows a series of scenes involving other couples all over town. The first one shows Lynn Sr. heading off to the grocery store, collecting bundles of food items for a special meal he has planned for his wife; Rita. He also pops by the flower shop to pick up a bouquet of her favorite flowers, violets)

(Another scene shows Bobby and Lori in the student lounge at Fairway, making food art of each other's faces with several of the cafeteria's food items)

(The next one shows Lucy writing two poems in one of her "private spots" at home, one for each of her two crushes; Rocky and Silas)

(The final scene shows lil' Lily making a cute drawing for her "crush," which is actually her favorite toy teddy bear)

"And all those examples...that was just the tip of the iceberg" Lincoln exclaimed, "for the past few days, nearly every member of my family has been under Valentine's Day's spell." To elaborate, Lincoln began to tell the boys about a few other love-themed scenarios surrounding his family. One such example involved Chaz, who decided to pop in and visit Leni at work with a box of chocolates.

But when she opened up the box, she was surprised to see that a small number of the candies had been eaten up. When she was about ask for an explanation from Chaz, she noticed that there were faint traces of chocolate lingering on his lips. "'Uh...Sorry about that, hon'" Lincoln chuckled nervously in Chaz's voice, "'I got a little hungry on the way here and...I snuck a few; please, don't be mad.'"

Now, Lincoln and the boys knew full well that in any normal situation; some ladies would take offense with their lover eating half of their box of chocolates...especially if it was a gift. But as we've come to learn about Leni, she was far from being a "normal" teenaged girl. Thus, Lincoln said that instead of being upset with Chaz for eating some of the chocolates; Leni still warmly accepted his gift and thanked him in the typical manner (with a strong hug and a loving kiss upon his lips.)

"'I just knew you'd get me chocolates and I was actually planning on sharing some of these with you anyway'" Lincoln explained while mimicking Leni's voice, "'plus...you picked out all the coconut and peanut ones, I do not like coconut!'" After taking a moment to let the Squad applaud him for his impression skills, Lincoln then explained how relieved Chaz felt in that moment and how thankful he felt for Leni's accepting heart. After that was settled; Chaz returned Leni's hug and wished her a happy Valentine's Day, before leaving Reininger's.

"Truth be told, as much Leni loved the chocolates; she was more happy about being back on more loving terms with her beau again" Lincoln stated, "same thing could be said with a few of my other sisters as well." Feeling curious, the boys asked who else among his sisters had reconciled with their special somebody. "Oh, man; where do I even begin" Lincoln said with a chuckle, "well...to start with; the other day, Luan was down at Benny's house; sharing some cocoa with him and snuggling together beneath a warm blanket."

Before continuing, he stressed to his friends that what he would say next was 100% true; no matter how crazy it sounded. After everyone decided to give him the benefit of the doubt; Lincoln went on to explain how at the same time...the couple's puppets, Mr. Coconuts and Mrs. Appleblossom, were also "sitting together" at the foot of the sofa and appeared to be holding each other's hands. After hearing all this; the boys, in spite of themselves, couldn't help but find the story rather touching.

"Seems like both Cupid and Fate have been pretty good to your family, this year" Byron chuckled, "but what about you, don't you have anyone special to share Valentine's with?" Almost immediately; the rest of the boys came to one unanimous answer to this inquiry, the Gal Pals. "Seriously, dude; you don't know how lucky you are to have ladies from two different age groups who love you to death" Rusty exclaimed, "to be honest...it makes guys like me feel jealous."

In spite of the Spokes boy's poor choice of words on the second half of his statement, Clyde found himself agreeing with him. "Look, guys...I'm not trying to seem rude here in saying this" Lincoln sighed, "but the reason I feel bummed about Valentine's Day is...both silly and complicated at the same time and I don't know if you'd understand." Without missing a beat, the boys immediately swore that they would be able to understand, however "complicated" the issue might be.

"Well...it's like I said before, my family has been working non-stop on their V-Day plans/preparations" Lincoln stated, "all...except for one or two of them, that is." Despite the overall vagueness in Lincoln's words, some of the boys were thinking up ideas on just who among his sisters were having relationship issues. After a while, the likes of Kaito and Elliot were able to come up with one idea; someone who was well acquainted with both of their respective girlfriends; Lynn Jr.

Upon reaching this conclusion, they didn't find the idea all that surprising. There was only one boy whom they knew Lynn (supposedly) had feelings for, a fellow sports playing teen named Francisco. Despite the two of them often playing on opposite sides in several sports, including Baseball; he and Lynn seemed to have hit it off rather quickly.

But then, one day; she just suddenly stopped wanting to see him altogether. Of course, many believed that Francisco chose to distance himself due to the family drama Lynn got herself caught up in. But then, the Guy Squad recalled how often Lynn insisted that she was never that into Francisco and that she was "just dehydrated" on the day they first met.

Despite these claims, however; there were small moments where Lynn would find herself looking on longingly, whenever she spotted Francisco at certain places. Yet even now, after choosing to chill out on her old behavior; she barely spoke that much to Francisco...if at all. Many, like Kaito chose to believe in her old claims; that romance just wasn't really "her thing."

Others, meanwhile presumed that there might've been something "wrong" with her (mentally speaking,) claiming she felt never felt any romantic attraction for Francisco at all. Then, there a small number simply chose to believe that Lynn lacked the proper emotional maturity to ever allow herself to actually find love; let alone desire it.

In any case, Lincoln believed that the day would come where Lynn might come around about her feelings...eventually. With that settled, it was now time to focus on the other elephant in the room; which Lincoln said earlier was the "complicated issue." But when the Guy Squad tried to question him about the other sister in question, he hesitated.

"I...I really want to tell you, guys...but I can't" Lincoln murmured uneasily, "it's my sister's personal business and I know from experience that she wouldn't like me sharing it to my peers without her say-so." Almost immediately, Rusty once more called "shenanigans" to Lincoln's refusal to speak up; adding that he'd technically "broken the promise" already by speaking about Lynn's issues. "I know I did and I'm sorry that I even said anything" Lincoln groaned sadly, "but I'm not gonna make the same mistake twice and I mean it!"

Realizing that there was little chance in getting their bestie to keep talking, the other boys decided to respect his wishes for privacy and promised not pry any further. However, they still felt anxious to learn of the other (non-family related) reason why Lincoln felt hesitant about celebrating Valentine's Day and decided to question him about that. "Okay, here it is; the other reason I'm stressing is...I can't decide on what I should do" the young Loud boy groaned, "no matter what ideas I think up, it just doesn't feel good enough for any of the Gals!"

Soon after he said all this, everything became clear to the boys. With one or two of his sisters feeling so down about Valentine's Day, he just couldn't get himself into the spirit either; let alone think up a gift for those he loves. "Well, in any case; I hope things will work out for you all in the end" Kaito said reassuringly, "now, if you'll excuse me...I have my own work to do before lunch period ends."

With that said, he swiftly finished up the remainder of his meal and went about making a special card for his own special lady; Maddie. Not long after that, the rest of the boys went to work on theirs as well. But while they worked, Omar watched Lincoln with a look of concern in his eyes.

After a while, he decided to ease himself down at an open area of the seat; one that was close enough for him to speak with Lincoln at. "Hey, man; you know you can always tell me what's what, if anything's wrong...since we're god-brothers and all" he whispered softly, "who else in the fam is bummin' about Valentine's Day?" After making certain that none of their other friends could hear them, Lincoln leaned in closely and whispered one word into Omar's ear; "Luna."

"I'll tell you about it later" he stated, "once we're out in the halls and the others have gone off to class." Omar gave a soft nod in acceptance, followed it up with a "a-okay" gesture and went back to finishing up what remained of his lunch. When Lunch Period eventually, came to an end; Lincoln said his farewells to the rest of the "Guy Squad" and walked off to his next class.

At that point, he and Omar met up again and they decided to resume their earlier conversation. "Okay, I think the close is clear now...so to speak" Omar whispered while taking notice of a few small numbers of students passing by, "now, can you tell me what's goin' on with Luna?" Before answering, Lincoln found himself at a sort of mental crossroads; wondering if he should be doing this at all.

"Just remember, Linc; Luna's just as much my family as she is yours" Omar said matter-of-factly, "so...if anything's wrong, I think I should know." Lincoln couldn't help but smile softly at his friend, admiring how dedicated he was to helping anyone he considered his family. "Okay, I'll tell you" he sighed heavily, "but if any of my sisters ask how you know about this...please, for both our sakes...keep quiet."

Not only did Omar seal this promise by performing a zip and lock gesture over his lips. But he added that if any of the Loud Sisters would attempt to gang up on him for having knowledge of this secret, his mothers would know...and they might not take kindly to such things. "Very true, dude; very true" Lincoln chuckled softly, "let's just hope things don't come to that." With that matter settled, he began to share the reason behind his sister's sadness towards Valentine's Day.

"Long story short; back when all the bad stuff was going down between me and the family, loads of my sisters' crushes/loved ones weren't very pleased with everything they've heard about it" Lincoln explained, "the ones who seemed to be the most upset by it all were my older sisters' boyfriends...and girlfriend." Before Omar had the chance to speak up, Lincoln stopped him and said that the "girlfriend" in question was someone close to Luna. "Yeah, man; I think I know who y'all are talkin' about" Omar gasped, "it's Miss Sam Sharp, right...one of Luna's fellow rockers?"

Without missing a beat, Lincoln immediately responded this with an "on the nose" gesture; signalling that his friend was correct. "Yeah...I think I remember hearin' what happened between them, long ago" Omar sighed, "but I thought things would be cool again between those two, after Luna did her time with the rest of her family." Lincoln hung his head low, sighed and expressed his own confusion on the situation.

"From what Luan told me; Luna and Sam did decide to start over, when the new school year started" he stated, "but at the moment, the latter preferred that they'd stay friends." To say that this reveal felt heartbreaking to Omar would be a gross understatement. Though he himself had yet to experience such a situation, he knew full well that both sides of most couples dreaded the "friends' card."

"That does sound pretty bad, doesn't it" Omar said matter-of-factly, "but at least, the two of them are still tight...right?" Lincoln nodded slightly and revealed that the two of them still hung out together, whether it was at school or during band practice. But at the same time, it all just felt incredibly awkward for both Luna and Sam.

"Both sides have tried talking things out, in the past" Lincoln stated, "but every time they did, they'd...they'd either choke or stammer like nervous goobers!" After finishing his story, the poor boy felt he was on the verge of a panic attack. Thus, he took a moment to breathe calmly to settle his nerves.

Once his mind was calm again, Lincoln concluded his statement by proclaiming that until his two sisters were happy again; it just wouldn't feel right for him to try and do anything for Valentine's Day...even if it meant possibly upsetting or disappointing the Gals. "Wow, just...wow; that's some heavy stuff, my man" Omar gasped softly with shock, "what about Sam, is she feelin' the same stress Luna's been under?" Unfortunately, Lincoln didn't know how to answer; considering the fact that he never actually interacted that much with Sam before.

"I have however, been keeping tabs on her through her little brother, Simon" Lincoln stated, "even though we don't go to the same school, we chat together online on the Ace Savvy Fan Forum website." Feeling curious, Omar asked where this Simon kid went to school at; to which Lincoln replied with "Royal Woods Elementary." "He's currently in 5th Grade now" he explained, "but I first met him down at the Convention Center last Spring...When I learned just who he was, I was dumbfounded."

Moving right along; Lincoln said that since their separation, Sam (according to Simon) was like a shadow of who she used to be. "I'd say more...but I gotta get to class soon" Lincoln said suddenly, "just remember, not a word of this to any of my sisters." Once more, Omar did a lip-sealing gesture; ending it with a "toss of the key" and went off on his way.

Meanwhile, as Lincoln went off for his next class; his heart ached over what he had just said. "I really hope Luna's okay right now" he thought to himself, "nobody deserves to be sad on a day like today...or alone."

(Line Break)

As our story now takes us to Royal Woods High (specifically, the Gym;) we find Luna, sitting with the rest of her class for Free Period and sadly strumming away at her guitar. Meanwhile, everyone else around her was either using the free time to get ahead on their work...or to discuss plans for Valentine's Day weekend. Any time she heard her peers softly giggling or making "lovey-dovey" looks at one another, Luna found herself glowering at them slightly in indignation.

For the final layer of icing on the cake, she looked towards the east side of the Gym and spotted Sam; who was chatting idly with her fellow bandmates, George and Ruth. "Why here...why now, of all times" Luna whispered to herself miserably, "can't Karma give me just a little bit of a break for a change?" Despite however upsetting Sam's presence made her feel, at the moment; Luna's overall curiosity about her conversation with the others felt much stronger by comparison.

Unfortunately; due to how far away she was sitting from the trio, Luna couldn't tell what exactly they were discussing about. This prompted her into doing something rather foolish, she sought out to get in closer. At the same time; Luna didn't want to rouse too much suspicion and thus, chose to try and be as discrete as possible.

As she moved in closer; Luna took shelter behind stacks of gym mats, hid behind groups of students and ducked behind a dodgeball rack. Now, you might think that such behavior would cause the other students to feel confused or worried. But much to Luna's surprise (and relief,) no one seemed to care that much about what she was doing to notice.

When she finally got close enough to where Sam was; Luna took a seat in a chair and turned her head slightly in their direction, hoping to clearly hear their conversation. "So, Sammy; you and the family got any plans for Valentine's this weekend" asked Ruth, "personally, I'm just gonna chill at home and watch some of my favorite Rom-Coms while snacking on some white chocolate my Mom got me." While the idea was a good one, George felt surprised that his bestie didn't have a special someone to join her.

"Who said I'd be watching alone" Ruth giggled naughtily, "I'll be ringing up my BF on Social Media so we can have a video date." Upon hearing this part of the idea, George proclaimed that it was a good one to go on. "Just make sure you two have a good connection...your phones, I mean" he stated, "there's nothing worse than having your phone or computer lag while watching something together."

As the two rockers shared a soft laugh together; unbeknownst to them, Sam appeared to be slouching heavily. This demeanor however, did not go unnoticed by Luna; who couldn't help but wonder why she was so down. When the duo finally caught sight of Sam, George and Ruth immediately asked if she was okay.

"Yes...no...I don't really know, to be honest" murmured the young blonde, "all this talk of love and...couple plans, it just...it's just..." The more Sam tried to think up something to say, the harder it got for her to think of the right words. At one point, during this struggle; tears slowly started to well up in Sam's eyes.

Without hesitation, Ruth plucked a tissue out of her jacket pocket and used it to help dry her tears. "Jeez, Sammy...we're so sorry" she murmured apologetically, "we can talk about something else, if ya want." Upon sensing that her behavior was causing her friends strife, Sam blew her nose and apologized deeply to them.

"I've just been having a hard time thinking straight lately" she groaned softly, "all this talk of Valentine's and romance is just making me think of...you know who." The moment this was said, Luna gasped softly in surprise; which almost led to her falling out of her chair as a result. When she managed to steady herself, a split-second later; Luna tried to listen in on the conversation again.

"We can...kinda understand what you're goin' through, Sammy" George murmured, "but it's been a year now, why haven't you two talked things out yet?" For a moment or so, Sam didn't know how to respond. Truth be told, she had been asking herself the same question since Summer Break ended.

"I...I really don't know, guys" she murmured shamefully, "I mean, I know Luna and her family paid their debt to society...I just can't shake off the fact that she kept such heavy stuff secret from me." From here; Sam explained that it wasn't so much the fact that Luna got into another fight with her sisters that bugged her. Rather, it was the behavior she exhibited towards the only brother she had that rubbed her the wrong way.

"But Lunes and her lil' bro are cool again, now" Ruth said reassuringly, "so, don't you think she deserves a second chance?" At first, Sam felt that her friend and fellow band-mate had a point and that she should try and give Luna another chance. But then, she revealed that this wasn't the first time they had a...kinda-sorta falling out before.

"Are you talking about that whole 'Astonishing Quest' thing...girl, I thought we moved past that too" George groaned while facepalming himself, "so what if you guys aren't perfect for each other, you're good enough...isn't that worth something?!" Once again, Sam's friends managed to get her to understand the obvious. In spite of everything that went wrong during their "date" at the Quest; in the end, she and Luna still loved each other and were more than willing to discover new things they could enjoy together.

But in spite of this realization, Sam discovered yet another thing that set them apart; their sibling relationships. "I mean...sure; from what Lunes has told me, her bro's made some mistakes" she murmured to her bandmates, "but so has my little brother and yet; I never would've done things like blast them out of their room with guitar jams, force him to sleep in a doghouse over some dumb superstition or emotionally manipulate him into going to some stupid dance!" To say that Luna was feeling smaller by the minute from Sam's words would be putting things mildly, to say the least.

With each con Sam presented against her, Luna felt a pang of guilt tug heavily at her heartstrings. It was as if she was stabbing her in the chest with each word her girl spoke and the others were prepared to let her know this. "We get it, Samurai...Luna screwed up" Ruth sighed, "but we all do that at some point in our lives...the best thing you can do is try and clear the air."

With a frustrated groan, Sam threw her arms up high and shouted "don't you think I've been TRYING, GUYS!?" Unfortunately for her, this small (albeit loud) outburst echoed all throughout the gym; which caused many students to turn towards her in both confusion and frustration. After taking a moment to calm down again; Sam once more, stressed on how much she'd tried to talk things out with Luna...only to choke at the last minute.

"Well, you better do something soon" George said while shaking his head in defeat, "because this whole schpiel has put a serious wrinkle in your work; both for school and for our band." Upon mentioning the latter circumstance, Ruth decided to help lighten the mood by asking Sam about a new song he heard she'd been working on. The moment this was mentioned, Luna let out a soft gasp of surprise; wondering what sort of song her crush attempted to make.

Meanwhile, without a word of reply; Sam unzipped her backpack, reached inside and pulled out what looked like a journal. She skimmed through a few pages until she stopped somewhere in the middle. For what felt like ages, Sam simply stood in place; staring down at the page in her journal in silence.

Then, in a matter of seconds; Luna watched as a startling scene began to unfold. With her journal clenched tightly between her fingers and a fierce scowl upon her face, Sam growled angrily and tore out the page she was reading from. Afterwards, she crumpled it up into a ball and threw it off to the side of the gym.

The whole time this was going on, Luna sat by and watched in stunned silence; feeling unsure of what to do next. Meanwhile, Sam told her friends that she needed to desperately needed to go somewhere to clear her head. "We totally understand, Sammy" George said while patting her back soothingly, "c'mon, we'll see if we can get you to the nurse's office for a bit."

With that, the trio proceeded on their way to speak with the coach; leaving Luna behind in her chair, alone. Once she made certain that the coast was clear, Luna used this opportunity to hurry over and pick up the paper Sam threw away. Afterwards, she stuffed it into her backpack; all while making sure not to damage it in any way.

(Line Break)

Time passed and everyone returned home, eager to have some downtime after a long day of school. Upon entering the house, the Loud Kids could smell a rich aroma in the air; which meant that their dad was hard at work in the kitchen. When they looked inside the kitchen; they found scores of pots, pans and used utensils piled up in the sink.

"Whoa! What happened here" Lana gasped in surprise, "did the dishwasher break again...I can take a look at it, if that's the case." Upon hearing his daughter's voice, Lynn Sr. turned towards her and waved his hands in dismissal; assuring everyone that nothing was broken. "I was just finishing up with making a few special Valentine's themed dishes for the restaurant" he stated, "of course, I made some samples for you and your mother to try...think of it as an early Valentine's gift from me."

After letting all these words sink in, Luna suddenly felt an icy chill of disgust run through her. On one hand, she always loved taste testing her dad's latest food creations. But in this case; since it was supposedly Valentine's themed, she felt the urge to make an exception.

Meanwhile, Lynn Sr. presented sample plates at the dining room table; instructing them to take a bite and share their opinions. From Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Five Cheese Marinara pasta, Cajun Butter Steak (a recipe he learned from Officer Simmons) to some classic dessert options (like chocolate covered strawberries; it all looked so good. "OM GOSH, Daddy; this all looks so good" Leni gushed excitedly, "did you really do all of this yourself?"

Upon being asked this question, Lynn's face suddenly flushed red and he confessed that he may have had "a little help;" courtesy of the Lynn's Table cooking staff. "Well; it all looks very nice, honey" Rita said sweetly while kissing her husband on the cheek, "so much so, I feel guilty about eating any of it." No sooner had she said this, the kids all said the same thing (with the exception of Luna.)

"I know it looks good, gang...but I really wanna hear your opinions on how it all tastes" Lynn urged softly, "so, please...could you sample a little of the food?" Not needing to be told twice, Lincoln volunteered to be the first taste tester and went over to the slab of chicken parm that was among the sample plates. With utensils in hand, Lincoln cut off a small piece of the chicken breast and popped it into his mouth.

The instant he did, his cowlick suddenly popped off his head and his eyes sparkled like fireworks. Upon recovering, seconds later; Lincoln wasted no time in savoring every second of flavor while chewing. When he finally decided to swallow his chicken slice, the Loud Sisters swore they heard a pleasured moan escape his lips.

"I'm guessing that you must've enjoyed it, dear brother" Lisa said monotonously, "why else would you make such a bizarre sound?" Upon realizing what he'd done; Lincoln quickly snapped out of his euphoric, dusted himself off and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, it...i-it's just...it tasted so good" he murmured blissfully, "it was as if a flavor bomb exploded in my mouth!"

This response not only seemed to please Lynn Sr. but the rest of the family as well. "Let me have the next taste, then" Lana insisted, "dibs on the fish food!" With that said, she rushed to the table and immediately sampled a bit of her dad's Lemon Garlic Shrimp.

The instant the citrus-y flavor of the lemon juices touched Lana's tongue, smoke shot out of her ears in the shape of hearts. Mere seconds after that, a blush appeared on her cheeks and a squiggly-line grin cut across her face. After finally swallowing the piece of shrimp, Lana turned towards her father and murmured three simple words; "that...was...amazing."

After hearing yet another positive review from his kids, Lynn's eyes slowly welled up with tears of joy. One by one, each of the remaining sisters sampled a little of their father's plates...save for one; Luna. Though the Beef Wellington in front of her looked to die for, something about it just seemed to fill the poor girl with discomfort.

Eventually, Lynn and Rita took notice of her behavior and asked if she was okay. "Oh...I'm sorry, dudes; I don't mean to be buggin'" Luna murmured sadly, "I just...I...well, it's complicated." Soon after she said this; she was mere moments away from explaining the reason behind her behavior when suddenly, the front door flew open.

Naturally, this caused everyone to either yelp in alarm or stumble slightly in surprise; making sure not to bump into the table. With an annoyed growl, everyone looked into the next room and spotted Lynn Jr. at the door; who had a broad smile plastered on her face. Normally, such an expression on anyone would be a rather pleasant sight.

But for some reason; on Lynn Jr., it looked like one of those grins a crazy person would have (just before they attacked someone.) "Uh...Hey, Lynn; didn't see you come home on the bus with me earlier" Lincoln said nervously, "did...did something happen today?" Due to her current state of euphoria, the young jock offered up no verbal reply; save for a joyfully shrill squeal.

Pushing their overall concern to the side a little, Rita offered for Lynn Jr. to try one of the dishes on the dining room table. With the odd grin still present on her face, Lynn nodded slightly and made her way over to the steak plate. Things got even stranger when she cut off a small piece and started blindly tapping it against her teeth mindlessly.

"Okay...this is too weird, even for Lynn" Lola murmured, "she looks like how I did after I won my very first beauty pageant." Upon mentioning the memory, a sudden realization washed the family. "If what you're saying is true, honey; that must mean Lynn's happy about something" Lynn Sr. deduced, "wonder what it could be?"

As if expecting this, Lisa chimed in and suggested that the family simply ask her for themselves. "Just...try not to come on too strongly about it" she muttered, "we don't want history repeating itself again, correct?" This statement not only caused the other Loud Sisters to blush shyly but Lincoln as well.

Over the years, each one of them had tendencies of getting wrapped up into their siblings' business; intentionally or not. Lincoln himself vividly remembered such moments whenever Ronnie Anne was in the picture. Thankfully, everybody chose to put a lid on such behavior; which left Rita and Lynn Sr. as the only meddlers left.

More to the point, the family breathed softly in unison and approached Lynn Jr. as casually as they could. "Uh...Hey, Sis; how was school today" Luan inquired uneasily, "judging from that grin, it feels like something big happened...care to talk about it?" Surprisingly, Lynn offered no comment to her request; only the same "joyful" squeal she made earlier.

Next, the parents tried to snap her out of this state by either repeatedly calling her name or snapping their fingers...but got nothing. "In situations like this, I recall reading that a good shock is just the thing to snap someone out of a daze" Lisa murmured, "but...seeing as how my machines were confiscated, I'm down to simply using a static jolt." With that said, she took a stand on the shag carpet just a few inches away from Lynn and began shuffling her feet.

"C'mon, brainiac; this is taking too long" Lana groaned, "I've got a quicker way to snap Lynn back to her senses." With that said, she pulled up her hat to reveal Hopps; her faithful pet frog (and one of the few animals Lana was allowed to keep.) "Time to go to work, buddy" she whispered playfully, "give my sister the ol' ear cleaner."

Upon hearing her say this, the entire family (save for Lynn Jr.) suddenly shuddered with disgust; as if knowing what was to come. Meanwhile, after he gave Lana a quick salute; Hopps hopped over onto Lynn's shoulder, opened up his mouth...and shot his tongue directly into her ear.

The instant she felt the slimy appendage go into her the canal, Lynn's smile contorted into a grimace and her pupils shrank with shock. Then, mere seconds after feeling the touch of the tongue's slimy saliva; Lynn suddenly let out a startled shriek and fell out of the chair. "OUCH! Hey, what's the big idea here" she grumbled while rubbing her sore arm, "why'd you sick your frog on me, Lana?"

Straightaway, the young grease monkey apologized for what had happened and helped Lynn up off the floor. "We totes didn't mean for that to happen to you, Lynn...the fall, that is" Leni murmured apologetically, "but you just had this...super weird look on your face and you weren't answering us, when we tried to talk to you." After taking a moment to let all this info sink in, Lynn suddenly understood what was going on and also apologized for her behavior.

"It's okay, Junior; no harm done" Lynn Sr. assured, "now, care to tell us the reason you were so 'happy' before?" With this simple question, Lynn suddenly felt something she rarely ever felt; anxiety. Mind you, this wasn't the typical "I'm gonna screw this up" type of anxiety she felt during a game or a closing play.

From the blush on her face that suddenly formed to her shy body language, this looked like the sort of nervousness she felt during her first year of Junior High. For a moment or two, Lynn didn't offer up any reply to her dad's question; which made everyone feel both curious and worried. "It's okay, Lynn...you can talk to us" Lincoln said while resting a hand on her shoulder, "whatever it is...we won't judge you."

Despite the sympathetic tone behind her brother's words; Lynn feared that if she said what she was thinking, her family would judge her. But when she saw the kind looks in their eyes, Lynn's heart swelled slightly; which gave her just the push she needed. "Okay, guys; I'll talk" Lynn stated, "just...promise me none of you will laugh?"

Not only did everyone answer this plea with a resounding "I promise," they also performed the iconic "cross my heart and hope to die gesture." "Okay...here it goes" Lynn began with a deep sigh, "before I left for home, Francisco called me over for a chat." The instant they heard her mention the boy's name, a few of the Loud Sisters were mere seconds away from entering "Squee Mode."

But their father quickly stopped them, the moment he heard the girls take in an inhale; firmly reminding them about their promise to Lynn. "Okay...so, Francisco called you over for a chat" Lincoln surmised, "what happened next?" Before she continued, everyone could see Lynn's blush becoming an even brighter shade of red; which meant that this issue was serious.

"Well...Francisco asked me if I'd want to hang with him at the Burpin' Burger on V-Day" the young jock murmured shyly, "and...and I said yes." That did it; despite the promise the girls made, this reveal was a living example of a "mic drop moment." After giving a quick apology to both Lynn and their parents, eight of the nine Loud Sisters took in a deep breath and squealed with joy; especially Lily.

This lasted for almost twenty seconds, until Rita gave a shrill whistle; which caused them to immediately shut up. "Now, then...if what you're saying is true, Lynn; we are so proud of you" she said with a proud smile, "and here we thought you gave up on Francisco." After letting a soft chuckle escape her lips, Lynn muttered that all that was her "old self."

"I mean...it's like what Lori once told me" she stated, "'what good are is all the sports and glory, if you don't have someone to share it with?'" After taking a moment to let all of this sink in, the girls wasted no time in expressing their joy on the situation. But Lynn quickly told everyone not to get too ahead of themselves just yet.

"This is my first time with Cisco since our falling out" she stated, "I want to see if we can make that connection again." With her story now done, the parents walked over to Lynn and hugged her tenderly between them; assuring her that everything would turn out okay. Not long after that, the rest of the Sisters joined in and began sharing either praises or their own best wishes with Lynn...all but one.

During both the confession and the family's lil' love fest towards Lynn, Luna hung back in the kitchen; looking at them with utter contempt in her eyes. In that moment, she couldn't decide which bothered her most; the fact that Lynn was able to win back her crush (so to speak) or the fact that everyone was getting so swept up in the moment. But in spite of it all, Luna tried her best to appear happy for her sister's good fortune.

Unfortunately, the smile she had on her face looked even stranger than the one Lynn had earlier. "Yeah, Lynn...that's awesome" Luna murmured through clenched teeth, "I hope...you and Francisco have fuuun together!" Now, Rita was the first to sense that there was something amiss with her daughter and was prepared to ask what was wrong.

But then; at that moment, Leni suddenly went on a blissful tangent about how wonderful things would be if/when things went well between Lynn and Francisco. While this went on, Luna suddenly felt the anguish and stress swirling about inside her like a whirlwind. The more she listened to Leni go on about all the possible "date nights" the two of them could have together with the boys, the more frustrated she became.

Then, after what felt like ages of "lovey-dovey talk;" Leni said something that finally pushed Luna over the edge. "You know...at first, I had my doubts that you two wouldn't get back together again" she sighed blissfully, "but I'm happy Francisco was nice enough to give you a second chance, Lynn." Touched by her elder sister's words, Lynn swiped away a tear from her eye and held her in the tightest hug possible.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt moved by this scene; as the Loud Family would soon find out. Seeing her two sisters hugging coupled with Leni's earlier words filled Luna with such unbridled rage, she finally lost it. "OH...IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU THINK, YA BLOODY TWAT" Luna bellowed angrily in her cockney accent, "WELL, UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE REST OF YOU BUGGERS, LOVE AIN'T THAT EASY FOR THE REST OF US!"

As expected, this sudden and rather vicious verbal outburst from the usual mellow rocker in the family left everyone feeling utterly shocked. But before anyone could question her on this, Luna suddenly wailed loudly with sorrow and rushed upstairs to her room; slamming the door hard behind her. For what felt like ages, the family stood silent in the dining room; unsure of what to think or do.

"Boy...I feel like a real heel, right now" Lynn muttered shamefully, "here I am fussing about my issues while Luna seems to be the only one dealing with real genuine Valentine's drama. At first, Lincoln felt like contradicting his sister's claim, wanting to add his own issues to the situation. But just like Lynn did, he too realized that Luna's dilemma far outweighed was going on with him.

That was when Rita and Lynn Sr. suggested for someone to go up and speak with her in private. Now, in the past; the Loud Siblings would decide who would do the task by performing the "dibs not it" nose touch. Whoever was the last to do this would be the one given the responsibility.

Furthermore; in the past, it was often Lincoln who'd be the "loser" of this "game" and he would be the one to shoulder the burden. But after seeing his sister in such a miserable state mere moments ago; Lincoln proclaimed that there was no need for it, this time and immediately volunteered. "Normally, Brother; I would question your motivations for choosing to serve as our volunteer" Lisa said bluntly, "but in this case, the situation is far too dire for debate."

With that said; she, the rest of the sisters and their parents all wished Lincoln luck in talking with Luna. Then, Lincoln slowly made his way up the stairs; mentally planning on what to say next. "It looks like things with Luna are even more dire than I originally thought" he whispered softly, "makes me feel...a guilty, to be honest."

After a while, Lincoln finally reached the hallway and made his way over to Luna and Luan's bedroom door. He had only rapped his knuckles once upon it, when he suddenly heard a sour guitar not sound off inside. "Go away, you guys" Luna's voice called out bitterly, "I told you, I'm in no mood for anymore love talk."

Without a second thought, Lincoln cleared his throat and told her that he came in peace. "I'm not here to lecture or annoy you with romance stuff, Luna" he murmured softly, "I just want to talk to you is all." After saying all this, all was quiet for several moments...which made Lincoln feel a little antsy.

During the silence, he hoped that Luna would show a little restraint with him; despite the mood she was in. After a while, the door finally opened up a crack; allowing Luna to peek outside slightly. "No offense meant, Bro...but why would you want to come cheer me up" she muttered sadly, "I figured you'd be on board with the others and start going nuts with romance, love...and other V-Day nonsense."

Much to even his surprise, Lincoln scoffed softly and proclaimed that he had been having some Valentine's troubles himself. "I mean...mine aren't quite as big as yours but still" he assured, "so, you wanna...I dunno, talk about it together?" There was a near bone-chilling silence, after Lincoln finished speaking; one that even the rest of the family could feel downstairs.

Finally, the door open wide to reveal Luna; who looked even more downtrodden than she did only minutes ago. "Okay, dude...I guess I could use some company" she muttered sadly, "come on in." Not needing to be told twice, Lincoln took Luna by the hand and followed her inside.

(First AN: And thus ends Part One of the Valentine's oneshot/Winter Arc Finale. What sort of secrets will Luna and Lincoln share together while in the room, will they manage to think of anything to solve either of their problems or will this Valentine's Day truly feel bittersweet for the both of them? Find out next time in Part Two of A Love Labor Lost)

(Second AN: The title of this particular oneshot is a light reference to the Shakespeare comedy, Love Labour's Lost. When creating this one, I thought making a parody version of the title seemed fitting; considering the overall synopsis)

(Third AN: Speaking of references, this oneshot has quite a few of them. For starters, the band called Zanzibar and the musician known as Max Modem that Zach is into are both artists from the Phineas & Ferb series. The song "What Do It Do" is one of my personal favorites and I couldn't help but think that it seemed like something Zach would be into.

Other references in this oneshot are those found in past episodes of the Loud House. Clyde being with Chloe for Valentine's is a reference to the ending of Brave the Last Dance, while Lynn claiming that her having a crush was "only because she was dehydrated" is a reference to Singled Out. As for George mentioning the "Astonishing Quest," that was a reference to Racing Hearts)

(Fourth AN: Technically speaking, by being named the Loud Family's official court appointed caretakers at the near end of the OG Gal Pals story; this makes Officers Higgins, Simmons and Campos the kids' official godmothers. This in turn makes the officers children *like Omar* their God-Siblings. I just thought I'd point that out, in case anyone of you might get confused by Omar's words in the cafeteria scene; thank you)

(Fifth AN: As of now; the "Guy Squad" no longer consists of just Lincoln, Clyde and their buddies. Now, it has grown slightly in numbers; after the events of the Gender Bender oneshot. For those curious; Byron was originally scene in episodes like Middle Men and Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow. Meanwhile; boys like Elliot, Theo and Kaito were first introduced in the episode Singled Out.

Rest assured, this oneshot will not be the last time you'll see these boys)

(Sixth AN: According to some fan theories, it's suggested that Lynn Jr. may possibly be "Asexual" or "Aromantic." The first term is meant to describe someone who lacks any sexual attraction towards someone. Whereas Aromantic, the latter term, describes having neither sexual or romantic feelings for others.

Rest assured, I'm not slamming people from either of the groups; I just can't fully side with the fan speculation, especially when the show itself gave us a lousy explanation for Lynn and Francisco's falling out. The way I see it, she may simply lack the overall emotional maturity to open herself up to others that way. But we'll leave that for the showrunners to decide, if at all)

(Seventh AN: While I'm aware that the show has officially dubbed Luna's fellow band-mates Mazzy and Sullivan; in the Gal Pals continuity, they will be known as Ruth and George. This is out of inspiration from a story made by one of my favorite SaLuna shippers, LunaLoudFan23. Just thought I'd clear that up is all)

(Final AN: The method Lana used to snap Lynn out of her blissful state, namely having Hopps shoot his tongue into her ear, is a reference to Disney's Tangled. It just felt like the perfect way to get her back to her senses)