A Love Labor Lost with the Gal Pals – Part Two

(Story Summary: PART TWO OF WINTER ARC FINALE! While talking with Luna, Lincoln learns that she's still in pain from her falling out with Sam last year. At one point during their conversation, Luna shows him the poem Sam tore from her song journal earlier that day. Upon reading it, Lincoln gets an idea on how to help his sister out.

Will his plan prove successful, will the two rockers rekindle their passion again...and will Lincoln be able to think up his own Valentine's gesture/gift for the Gals in time?)

Once he entered the room, Lincoln found Luna sitting in front of Luan's makeshift "comedy stage" on the right side (which was actually a poster of a night club stage background;) sadly strumming away at her guitar. For several minutes, neither Lincoln nor Luna had spoken a word; which made the former feel rather anxious. "So, uh...Luna, you feel like talking yet" Lincoln muttered uneasily, "if you're not, I could leave you alone."

With this in mind, he slowly turned himself around; preparing to make his way towards the door. But Lincoln was suddenly held back by Luna, who reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder. "No, dude; wait" she called out desperately, "please...stay for a little bit, I...I could really use the company right now."

Not needing to be told twice, Lincoln made his way over to his sister's side. But not before making certain that the door was locked first. For a situation like this, the last thing either of them wanted was for their family to barge in unwanted.

After that, Lincoln made his way back to Luna's side; where he found her staring at a crumpled up piece of paper in her hands. He noticed that her backpack was unzipped, which meant that it must've been something of hers (supposedly.) "What'cha got there, Luna" Lincoln asked casually, "is that your homework...or a Valentine from someone?"

While this inquiry wasn't spoken out of malice; it still caused Luna to tense up slightly with displeasure, nonetheless. Afterwards, she crumpled up the piece of paper and chucked it at the wall; just barely missing the garbage can. The instant he saw this, Lincoln let out a soft "eep" and began bowing his head vigorously; all while rapidly saying "I'm sorry" to Luna."

"No...No, dude; it's alright" Luna murmured, "I'm sorry for buggin', it's just...any further talk about Valentine's Day just makes me cringe." Upon letting his sister's words sink in, a sudden wave of realization washed over Lincoln; which also caused a heavy frown to form on his face. "I'm guessing that...things between you and Sam are still 'on the fence'" he asked with a murmured tone, "if so...I'm sorry."

Before Luna had the chance to speak up, Lincoln stopped her and claimed she'd still have a girl; if it wasn't for him. "Bro...we've talked about this before" she sighed heavily, "even if you didn't talk to your Gal Pals about what's been going on at home, someone would still find out about it later; one way or another." Following this; Luna added that her bitter attitude at the time would've been more than a cause for her and Sam to be on a..."brief separation," as the latter chose to call it.

"Seriously, dude; you're lucky you left the house when you did way back when" Luna confessed, "during the time you were away, things were...pretty bogus already for the rest of the fam; including me."

(Flashback to Last March, during the time of the Sister Fight Protocol)

While Lincoln chose to take a...temporary leave of absence from his home, things weren't going very well for the rest of the family. From sunrise to sunset, the Loud Sisters' quarreling and continued bitterness was like something out of one of the Great Wars of history; it was that severe. But as bad as things were at home, they didn't fare any better for the sisters at school either.

Lisa grew incredibly anti-social in her Kindergarten class, which was something Ms. Shrinivas and the rest of the students all found rather scary; especially Darcy. Up at the Middle School; whenever students saw Lynn pass by, they immediately ran for cover wherever possible (mostly inside their lockers.) Even some of her teachers were put off by this behavior from her, comparing Lynn's apprehensive and "mildly" vicious demeanor to that of a hungry predator that was ready to pounce.

Of course, Lynn's anger had managed to...slightly dampen; the moment she'd set foot into the school. "School may be lame...but at least I'll be away from my even lamer sisters for a few hours" she thought venomously, "that's an a-plus in my book." As grim as this sounded, the young jock spoke the truth; of all her sisters, she was the only one among them who was in Middle School.

This meant that she could go about her lessons free from any distractions...at least, that's what she hoped for. But instead; for the next few weeks, every class felt the same to her...drawn out and boring. Lynn tried to focus on her lessons, of course...but all she could think of instead, was her sisters' incessant yelling and screaming; specifically Lori's.

As a result, whenever she was taking notes or working on a test in class; every paper she had showed the same thing...sketches of herself assaulting one or more of her sisters and "emerging victorious." Of course, this behavior did not fly well with any of her teachers; even Coach Keck felt that she was behaving a little...too aggressively in P.E., as the days went by. But as bad as things were for Lynn, it was even worse for the four Sisters who went to High School together.

(Line Break)

Up at Royal Woods High; Lori, Leni, Luna and Luan all showed the same signs of hostility the rest of their sisters had whenever they happened to see each other. As a result, it made them look quite frightening (for lack of better words) in the eyes of their peers. The ones who took notice of this the most were Luna's band-mates, Sam most of all.

On the second day of the Loud Sisters' big quarrel, just before news about their brother's situation would spread throughout town; school had been let out Luna decided to hang back in the gym for a jam session with everybody. It didn't take long for Sam, Ruth or even George to notice how aggressively Luna was playing away at her guitar...but they all felt too nervous to tell her about it.

"Somebody's gotta say something, guys" Sam murmured, "if Luna isn't careful, she could..." Before the blonde rocker could finish her sentence, the sound of a guitar string snapping suddenly echoed through the air like an arrow being fired. Now, this sound alone was always bad for any rocker; especially for Luna (who has dealt with this annoyance on many occasions.)

But this time around, after it happened; her bandmates soon heard the unmistakeable sound of deep, angry nasal breathing. After each of them took in a nervous gulp, they glanced over their shoulders and saw Luna glaring venomously at the broken string. "Uh...L-L-Looks like you'll need to repair that string, Lunes" stammered Ruth, "if you need the money to pay for it, I can..."

Just before she was about to finish her offer, Ruth and her band-mates watched in horror; as Luna swiftly went into full-on "Rage Mode." With her guitar clenched tight in her hand, her face glowing scarlet with rage and her teeth grinding loudly; the young rocker bellowed out a vicious yell and smashed the instrument down on the floor. The whole gym, in that instant suddenly echoed with the sounds of distorted guitar notes and the shattering/splintering of wood.

Pieces of said wood scattered about the floor like dry leaves, which made the band feel even more thankful that all the students had been let out. That being said; the instant Luna broke her guitar, the door to the gym teacher's office suddenly burst open; revealing the startled instructor. "WHAT'S GOIN' ON OUT HERE" the man shouted, "what's with all the..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he quickly noticed the mess that was scattered about his floor. When he saw Luna what remained of her broken guitar, this made the gym teacher even angrier. At the same time; the instant she saw the angry look on his face, Luna's rage suddenly dissipated and she waved at him with a nervous grin.

"Uh...hey, Coach" Sam chuckled shyly, "we're sorry about the noise...and the mess but we'll clean it up; we promise." Normally, a teacher would take this kind of response as a sign of good will. But unfortunately, the group remembered how much their gym teacher didn't quite enjoy having band students' play in "his" gym (mostly because he didn't like the noise.)

Because of this, he not only "accepted" Sam's offer to clean up the mess on the floor. But at the same time, he sentenced the rest of the band to do the same. "What, all of us...but that's not fair" George exclaimed, "this mess isn't even our fault, it's Luna's!"

To say that the young rocker in question was upset by her friend "ratting her out" would be a gross understatement. Truthfully, Luna was livid and she loudly declared George as an even worse tattle-tale than her little sister (namely Lola.) "Well, Lunes; sorry" the teen murmured, "but it's not my fault that your silly family drama is affecting our musical mojo."

Without a moment's pause, Ruth and Sam quickly sounded off in agreement; even though the latter's words didn't quite carry the same tone of disapproval. "I must agree with Sullivan here, Loud...for once" the gym teacher interjected suddenly, "your attitude, as of late has put a dampen on your work ethic here at the school and it's high time it's stops before you do something stupid." Now, under normal circumstances; Luna would immediately comply with the authority of her school teachers and fall back in line.

But in her current frazzled state of mind, any logic and reason she had was pushed aside; allowing her anger and frustration to take full control of Luna's actions. "Listen 'ere, you bloody chavs" she roared in her cockney accent, "what's goin' on in me private affairs is no bloody business of yours...so, you may as well just shag off!" As the room echoed loudly from Luna's rant, each one of the room's other occupants harbored a different reaction to it all.

George had a look of utter disgust upon his face, as if he'd just heard Luna shout every swear word ever known in one shot. Ruth not only had her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to block out the rant from her brain. But it shocked her so deeply, her bangs split apart; briefly revealing the startled look in her eyes.

Then, when she looked in Sam's direction; Luna could see tears welling up in her eyes. It was as if her words had hurt her, somehow; even if it was only emotionally. As for the coach...well, he was silent as well but mostly because he wasn't as "fluent" in British slang as Luna was.

Yet, at the same time; something about her calling them "chavs" and her telling them to "shag off" still didn't quite sit well with him. In the end, he went with his gut and quickly called for the foursome's attention. "I don't care which one of you kids started the whole thing" he grumbled firmly, "what matters is I'm gonna finish it!"

Before anyone had the chance to ask him, the coach sentenced the band to not only cleaning up the guitar bits but the rest of the floor as well. "After that, you can march yourselves straight to the Principal's office" he said while crossing his arms, "any backtalk and I'll have ya give the floor a polishing too...am I clear?" Not wishing to get on the teacher's bad side any further, the band answered him in the most silent yet respectable way possible; by saluting him.

(Cut back to reality)

Back in Luna's room at the present, Lincoln could be seen staring up at his sister with a look of pure shock on his face. It seemed as though things for his family were already turning sour, while he was away; long before all the news reports, police action and investigations from Child Services even happened. Yet even with all this in mind, Lincoln still felt compelled to apologize to Luna for it all.

"I know what you're gonna say, Sis; that what happened wasn't my fault" he muttered, "that may be true...but what happened later, when Simon spoke with Sam; that part feels like it was my fault." After this, Lincoln claimed that if he'd stay at home and dealt with the family drama "like a man" (as Lynn put it;) Luna and Sam would still be together. But Luna further insisted that the both of them had a part to play in it, with herself being the one to truly put the final nail in the coffin.

"George was right...I did let the drama get in the way of everything else in my life" she murmured shamefully, "and now...a-and now...I've probably lost the love and friendship of the best girl in the world!" The instant she said this; Luna fell to the floor, curled herself up into a little ball...and sobbed. While this transpired, Lincoln found himself at a total loss for words.

"Wow, I've never seen Luna this upset before" he thought, "she must really care a lot about Sam." As Luna continued to cry, the best thing Lincoln could think of to do was try and soothe her. Thus; he scooted over as close as he could, placed a hand upon her back and began to rub it tenderly.

While this gesture wouldn't be a permanent fix, Lincoln felt it was just what Luna needed in a time like this. Surprisingly, it seemed to be working; as Luna suddenly eased her head towards him and placed it upon his lap. After that, she let out a soft yet contented sigh; as if it was her way of telling her brother thanks.

"I'm so sorry for all that's happened to you, Luna" Lincoln whispered sadly, "I wish there was something I could do to help you...but I just feel so useless, just like that piece of paper you were looking at earlier!" With this thought in mind; he immediately spotted the aforementioned wad by the trashcan, stomped over to it (after gingerly moving Luna's head off of him first,) snatched it up and was prepared to rip it to shreds. But then, through one of the creases; Lincoln could faintly see some words written on it.

For a few brief seconds, he felt conflicted on what to do next. On one hand, Lincoln didn't feel comfortable in looking at something that belonged to one of his sisters. But on the other hand; Luna wasn't quite in the right mind, at the moment to grant him her consent.

With no other alternative available, Lincoln took in a nervous gulp and began to gently straighten out the crumpled piece of paper. At first, he expected it to be some sort of doodle or a piece of homework Luna messed up on. But upon inspecting it, Lincoln's jaw dropped slightly and his eyes began skimming through every word written on the page.

Meanwhile, Luna had finally cried out all the tears she had...for now and slowly pushed herself up off the floor. After taking a moment to wipe her tears away with a tissue, Luna's vision became clear enough to notice Lincoln; who was reading something on a small piece of paper. At first, she didn't' really think much on it; due to her mind's current state.

But when Luna noticed how crinkled the paper looked; she jumped to her feet, rushed over and snatched it out of her brother's hands. "Don't touch that" she said sharply, "don't even look at it, for that matter!" Not wishing to see his sister any more upset than she was, Lincoln quickly apologized for looking into her belongings.

"Uh...yeah, about that" Luna began shyly, "the paper's not really mine, technically; it's actually Sam's." From here, she told her brother of what happened earlier that day in the High School gym. At first, Luna expected him to laugh over how awkward she behaved during the whole period.

But instead, Lincoln simply urged her to keep going; appearing quite engrossed in the story. "Well...to get to the point; while I was listening in, I saw Sam rip a piece of paper from her song journal" Luna explained, "then, after she and the others left; I...took it and stuffed it in my bag." At first, she expected Lincoln to lecture her on taking things that didn't belong to her; like their parents would.

But while he did briefly put the idea into consideration, Lincoln's overall curiosity far outweighed that notion and he suggested taking a peek at the paper. "You've read my mind, Lil' Bro" Luna chuckled while ruffling his hair, "let's just hope this isn't some sort we'll later regret we saw." With that thought in mind and after taking in a deep breath to calm their nerves, the two Loud Siblings took a glance at the paper and began to read it.

(Line Break)

Almost a half an hour passed by since Lincoln and Luna decided to read Sam's "mystery paper" and after doing so three times over, they found...absolutely nothing sinister or alarming about it. That being said; after reading it the third time, both of them had the same wide-eyed expressions. In addition to this, their cheeks also flared red with a blush.

"Wow, just...wow" Lincoln murmured softly, "you always told us Sam was passionate with her music...but it really shows in these lyrics." Luna, who was also at a loss for words over what she read, couldn't help but agree. At the same time, she found herself wondering what or where Sam got the inspiration for it.

"Okay, Lunes; this is just me spit-balling here" Lincoln said with a light grin, "but what if it's not so much what inspired this song...but who?" It didn't take long for Luna to catch the meaning behind her brother's words. As a result, the still visible blush on her face swiftly turned into a deeper shade of red.

"That...Th-That's a nice wish, dude" Luna muttered shyly, "but we both know Sam still hates my guts." Just as Lincoln was about to contradict his sister, Luna quickly referenced everything she heard Sam said earlier that day; just before she snagged the ripped page. "I heard it all straight from her mouth for myself, dude" she grumbled, "Sam's still upset that I let family drama blind me from what's important...namely my school work, my friends, my passion for rock...and the only bro I have in my life."

For a brief moment, Lincoln felt touched by his sister's words and felt tempted to hug her. But then, he realized that he needed to focus and quickly got back to the story at hand. "I mean...I've tried so many times to talk with Sam, to try and clear the air between us" Luna said with a heavy sigh, "but I just...choke up before I can even get the first word out!"

Upon hearing this, Lincoln suggested using the advice she and Lola suggested to Lori when before her one golf game; the 4-7-8 Rule and the Mantra. "That's for bein' up on stage or playin' games, Bro" Luna retorted, "this is me tryin' to get the nerve to tell my dream girl that I...that I love her and I miss her." The instant these simple words escaped her lips; tears began to well up in Luna's eyes, once more.

Not wishing to see his sister have another tearful relapse, Lincoln desperately tried to think of another idea to help her. Unfortunately, after almost half a minute of straining his brain, nothing came into his mind. Then, just as he was about to lose all hope...Lincoln glanced slightly at the song page Sam wrote and read over the lyrics one more time.

Once he stopped at the last word, a toothy grin slowly appeared on his face; one that made Luna feel just a little worried. "Um...dude, what's with the creepy smile" she murmured uneasily, "it's almost as weird as Lynn's from earlier." The instant he snapped out of his joyful state, Lincoln proclaimed he had just the idea to help Luna out.

"I just have one question for you, Lunes" he said suddenly, "do you still have enough of a spark in you to play music again?" After taking a moment to let this inquiry sink in, Luna found herself eyeing her selection of instruments sadly. Then, her gaze fell upon the handle of the guitar she broke in the gym.

"I...I dunno, Bro; I haven't felt inspired to pick up an axe in a long time" Luna murmured, "but what does that have to do with anything?" After taking his sister's hands into his own, Lincoln gave her a smile and said "I think I've got just the idea to help you out."

(Time Change: Saturday Morning – Noontime)

Time passed by quickly and soon, the big day finally arrived; Valentine's Day. All over town, couples could be seen showering each other with love; while friends shared V-Day cards with those closest to them to help make their day. Meanwhile, down at the Loud House; Lynn Sr. was leading his beloved wife into the dining room of the house.

"Oooh! Honey, I'm so excited" Rita said giddily, "can I take off the blindfold yet?" With a coy laugh in his throat, Lynn told her to remain patient while he "set up the proper lighting." Then, seconds later; he gave her the signal and Rita swiftly pulled the blindfold off her head.

The next thing she saw was so beautiful, she almost fainted on the spot from surprise. All over the table, there were several dishes of rich smelling foods; each one looking more tantalizing than the last. "Lynn...this looks so...I...I can't believe it" Rita stammered, "did you make all these yourself?"

With a bashful blush on his face, the family patriarch revealed that he had quite a bit of help in preparing everything. Half of the credit went to Kotaro while the other half went to the kids, who all helped him make the dishes the previous day. "So, that explains the extra cooking you did while I was at work" Rita said slyly, "honey...you shouldn't have gone through all this trouble."

Before she could say another word, Lynn silenced her with a quick kiss on the lips. "Nothing's too good for you, my Queen" he said lovingly, "I even picked up your favorite flowers for the centerpiece." With this statement, Lynn gestured towards the center of the table and revealed a beautiful bouquet of violets.

"Oh...and there's one last surprise" he said giddily, "guess who's popping by for a visit today?" Almost immediately, the first guess Rita went with was Pop-Pop...but she remembered that he and Myrtle made plans for the day at the spa. "I'll give you a hint, hon" Lynn said while trying to suppress his excitement, "it's not your dad...but it's someone just as special."

Just as Rita was about to make a guess, they suddenly heard a loud car horn honk outside the house; which shocked them a little. Upon recovering; the Loud Parents walked to the front door, opened it and found the source of the noise. Parked in their driveway was a large yellow van.

On its side was a red logo that bore the words "Casagrandes Mercado" painted in white letters. This alone gave Rita just the idea on who was in the van. "Okay, guys; we know it's you" she chuckled slyly, "you can come out now."

At first, the parents expected their "surprise guests" to come bursting out of the front seats to greet them. But much to both Rita and Lynn's surprise, nothing seemed to happen. "Maybe they just parked here and went off to explore the town" Lynn murmured sadly, "but...I thought they'd want to see us first."

No sooner had he said this, both parents suddenly got a text on their phones; which read "open the rack doors." Naturally, they looked at each other with confused stares; wondering what "rack doors" were. Then, two more text messages followed; the first one read "dang it, my thumb slipped" and the second read "I meant 'check the back doors.'"

"Oh, I think I know what this means" Rita gasped in realization, "we need to check the back doors of the van." While this conclusion did make sense, Lynn wondered what could be in the back of the Casagrande Family's van that could possibly be of interest to them. Before he had the chance to think up any kind of ideas, Rita made an immediate beeline for the van and wasted no time in grabbing the handles.

Upon pulling the doors back, she was suddenly assaulted by a barrage of pink confetti and streamers; which were followed by the hearty cry of "SURPRISE!" Once Rita snapped out of her initial shock and Lynn cleaned her off, they were met with a pair of very familiar faces; Lori and her "precious boo-boo bear," Bobby. "Hey, guys; Happy Valentine's Day" the Santiago teen greeted happily, "sorry if we spooked you a little...the surprise was Mr. Loud's idea."

At first, Rita thought her husband's "idea" was to leave her scared out of her wits. But then; Lori explained that since Valentine's Day fell on a Saturday, she could pop in for a visit. "But honey, you've visited the house every weekend since you got into Fairway" Rita informed, "what makes this weekend so important?"

After giving her mother a playful eye roll, Lori said that while she did make the aforementioned promise; she wanted to make this weekend special by giving a little something for the whole family. "For you guys, Boo-Boo Bear and I picked out some things from the Campus Store" she explained, "for Mom, a Fairway U jacket and for you, Daddy; a cookbook filled with loads of literally all kinds of golf themed foods." Lynn gave a joyful gasp at this reveal and wasted no time flipping through the book; instantly becoming inspired by the few recipes he saw.

"Thank you so much, honey and you too, Bobby" Rita said sweetly while hugging the teens close, "you really shouldn't have gone through all this trouble." Bobby chuckled softly and insisted it was no trouble at all. "But what about the Bodega" Lynn interjected, "won't your grandparents want someone to be at the store, in case there are some last-minute shoppers?"

As if expecting this sort of concern, Bobby assured the elder Louds that his Abuela and Abuelo took care of it. "To get to the point, he decided to close the Mercado today so that the men in our family can be with the ladies they love" he stated in a suave voice, "even my Dad decided to perform a 'friendly Valentine's gesture' for my mom and offered to look after CJ, Carl and Carlitos while she and Ronnie Anne have the day to themselves." To say that Lynn and Rita were amazed by the thoroughness of Bobby's plan would be the understatement of the year.

In the end, the moment she managed to find her voice again; Rita playfully winked at Lori and whispered the words "yup...this one's definitely a keeper" to her. After this, the two teens then asked to see the other siblings; feeling eager to share some of the other gifts they had in store. "Oh, hon...we're so sorry" Rita murmured, "but a lot of your sisters went off to do some of their own Valentine's plans, even Lynn Jr."

Naturally, this reveal came as a surprise to Lori and she immediately asked who it was that Lynn went off to see. "Believe it or not, it was Francisco" Lynn Sr. chuckled, "seems he wants to give your sister a second chance...just like Bobby did for you." Lori's heart swelled with joy, while her mind desperately tried to keep her from going back to her old habits.

"You've already made that mistake twice before with Lincoln and Lucy, Missy" she thought to herself, "don't risk getting a third strike by playing Cupid for another one of your siblings again." The instant this idea came into mind, Lori suddenly realized a small yet still glaring flaw in her parents' story. But before she mention anything about it, a small yet joyful squeal sounded off from across the room.

There, Lori spotted a sight that made her eyes sparkle; little Lily dressed in a Valentine's themed shirt. It was pink in color and at the center was a little heart, one that bore the message of "I Wuv U" in bubble letters. With a happy giggle, Lily walked speedily over to his big sister with her arms open wide.

"Well, well; Boo-Boo Bear" Lori said with a giggle, "look who came to greet us." Without a moment's pause, she and Bobby greeted Lily in the typical manner; with a flurry of Valentine's kisses and tummy tickles. "So, we all know where the girls are" said the Latino teen, "but where's Linc hiding; I've got a cool gift to give him and I want to see his reaction."

Upon hearing her boyfriend's words, Lori also became interested in her brother's whereabouts and asked her parents if he was sleeping in. "Surprisingly, honey...no, he's not" Rita stated, "he and Luna left sometime after breakfast, he said he wanted to help her with something." Now, after living with her siblings all her life; Lori always felt suspicious whenever they were plotting something...especially Lincoln."

"Do you know where they could've gone, guys" Lori asked her parents, "we may want to...uh...you know..." Before she had a chance to finish, Rita placed a reassuring hand upon Lori's shoulder; thus silencing her. "We understand, honey; you're just worried" she said with a kind smile, "in which case, I think they said they were going to the center of town...over by the fountain."

The instant Luna's destination was revealed, Lori's eyes sparkled so brightly with joy that they could illuminate the whole room . "Guys...I think I know what Luna is doing in town" she said giddily, "I just hope she literally knows what she's doing down there...whatever her plan is."

(Line Break)

As our story takes us to the center of Royal Woods, we find Luna and Lincoln down by the fountain; where they appear to be chatting with George and Ruth about Sam's Valentine's Day surprise. "Thanks again for agreeing to help my sister out on this, guys" Lincoln said gratefully, "this really means a lot." After giving him a smile and offering a friendly fist bump, George said he was happy to help.

"I really appreciate this too, guys" Luna murmured happily, "and...I'm sorry for being such a pain this week...and for all the drama that happened last year." Without a second thought, Ruth embraced her friend and band-mate in a loving hug; assuring her that all was forgiven. "The only thing I'm concerned about is...will this idea actually work" she asked curiously, "are we even sure Sam's gonna come?"

Just as Luna was about to answer, all eyes gazed towards the end of the road; where they spotted a lone cyclist heading their way. As the rider drew closer, Luna soon noticed that it was none other than Sam; whose long blonde locks were flowing softly in the breeze while she rode. "She's almost here, gang" she whispered softly, "Lincoln, get me my guitar; everyone else, get into position."

Without a moment's hesitation, the trio immediately carried out Luna's instructions. Lincoln carefully handed over Luna her acoustic guitar while George and Ruth made their way towards a nearby public bench. Meanwhile, Luna took a position on the other side of the fountain; making sure that Sam would only see her silhouette from behind the water.

Speaking of whom; when the "guest of honor" arrived, she parked her bike somewhere safe and made her way towards the fountain. "This is the place where the text told me to go" she muttered to herself, "but...I don't see anyone else here." With this thought in mind, she took out her phone and re-read the text again.

Sam

Please, come down and meet me at the fountain at the center of town. I have something to talk with you about, as well as something to show you.

Signed,

A friend

During her ride over, a small part of her thought this might be part of some sort of a prank. Of course, Sam not only had three possible suspects in mind about that; she also had ideas on why they'd want to prank her. First, she considered George or Ruth (or possibly both;) believing they wanted to have Sam watch them get even with Luna for having all of them stay after school earlier in the week.

But then, she quickly dismissed the idea; believing that neither of her band-mates had it in them to be vengeful. For Sam's second suspect, she considered that her brother, Simon might be plotting something; remembering many past instances where he played tricks on her. But she quickly dismissed that idea as well, reminding herself that her brother neither had it in him to be a vengeful prankster or had a legit reason to humiliate her.

This left Luan as the only possible suspect remaining, one whom she believed had all the more reason to get back at her. But all too quickly; Sam remembered from Luna's stories that after the trial ended, Luan was now forbidden by law to engage in anymore of her old insane prank sprees. That being said, she presumed that Luan might've secretly set up a hidden prank of some kind; to get even with Sam for breaking her sister's heart.

The more these ideas started swirling about her head, the more it made her feel both confused and anxious. Because of this, Sam was mere moments away from turning around and leaving. "Guys, I think she's turning tail" Lincoln called out from inside of a bush, "better get this ball rolling now!"

With that signal, Luna took her guitar in hand and began to play the first few notes of the song she intended to play. Within seconds, the sound of the music soon reached Sam's ears; just as she was about to unclip her bike. With her curiosities now piqued and her ears twitching slightly, she turned around towards the square; hoping to find the source of the music.

"Sounds like someone's playing behind the fountain" she murmured softly, "but...I didn't think there'd be any street performers out today." As she drew in closer, Sam could see someone's form being silhouetted behind the flowing water of the fountain...but she couldn't tell who they were. Just as she was about to call out to them, the figure stood up from their seat and said, "Hey, Sam...I'm g-glad you decided to come here."

Once she made her presence known, Luna walked around the fountain and revealed herself to Sam. Upon doing so, the blonde rocker didn't know whether to feel happy or bothered by this surprise. Regardless, Sam didn't wish to appear rude and greeted her with the most casual hand wave she could muster.

"So, I'm guessing that you were the one who sent me the text" she asked in a monotone voice, "if that's the case...why did you ask me to come here?" For a moment or two, Luna didn't know how to respond due to how nervous she was. But then, she immediately practiced Lola's 4-7-8 Rule and chanted an entirely new mantra in her head; "don't hurl, be strong for your girl."

After doing this for half a minute, Luna finally became calm enough to speak with Sam again. "Say, Sam...do you remember this place" she murmured shyly, "you know, from...from way back when?" It didn't take long for Sam to guess where Luna was going and thus, she answered with a slight nod of the head.

"This was where we had our 'first date' together" she muttered monotonously, "during the Royal Woods Astonishing Quest." Luna smiled softly at this reply, feeling rather pleased by how things were progressing. "That was...quite an adventurous day we had, wasn't it...heh-heh" she muttered inquisitively, "with the sailing, the chickens, the dancing and..."

Before Luna could continue any further, Sam held her hand up to her face; immediately halting her train of thought. "You see it as pleasant memories, Luna" she murmured dryly, "all I remember it as is just how incompatible we were." Whether it was the words Sam used or how she chose to say them; to Luna, each one felt like a punch to the gut.

"If you brought me out here just to talk about our past, Ms. Loud; I'm in no mood for it" she said bitterly, "I've got my own Valentine's Day plans at home...even if it's just with me and my family." With that, Sam gave Luna one final look of contempt before turning on her heals and heading off for home. Not wishing to lose this opportunity, Luna raced up and grabbed Sam by the wrist; stopping her.

This, unfortunately seemed like a bad course of action; as this sudden invasion of her personal space suddenly caused Sam to freak out. "WHAT IS YOUR DEAL, LUNA" she shrieked with tears in her eyes, "you...y-you've already broken me once, what more do you want to do to me?!" Feeling both hurt by the girl's choice of words and saddened by her distress state, Luna was left momentarily paralyzed with fear; unsure of what to say next.

That was when she used Lola's breathing technique again, which did just the trick to help calm Luna's frazzled state. "Sam, I know you're upset and I'm sorry for acting so weird" she murmured nervously, "but...I don't want to make you feel bad or fight with you, I...I just wanna talk." For a few seconds, both teens stood in bitter silence; all while looking intently into each other's eyes.

Then, Luna suddenly felt Sam tense up slightly in her grip; which signaled that she would make another possible attempt to retreat. "Look...before anything else, I just wanna say...I'm sorry" she sighed, "you were right, I did keep a lot of stuff secret from you during all that craziness that happened last year and all that was keeping me from focusing on what was most important to me...like you." After saying this, Luna slowly let go of Sam's wrist; mentally praying she wouldn't run.

After taking a few moments to let these words sink in, Sam found herself feeling slightly touched by her on-again/off-again girl's words. However, as Luna attempted to try and get in closer to her; it only made Sam back away in alarm. "Samurai...please, just listen to me" Luna begged, "I've been working really hard to make amends for what I've done; I've patched things up with Lincoln, I've paid my debt to society...I'm even taking classes every other weekend to ensure that I won't relapse back to that kind of behavior again."

Once again, Sam felt moved by Luna's words; which made her feel even more certain that she might've truly changed. But deep down, Sam still had a nagging feeling that told her that Luna might still end up failing her again. "I want to believe you, Lunes...more than anything, I want to believe you've bettered yourself" Sam murmured, "but...I just...I don't know."

At first, Luna almost felt heartbroken by her choice of words and felt that her chances of redeeming herself in her eyes would be a bust. But then, as she looked at Sam more closely; Luna could see that she was clenching her eyes tightly. This was a sign that the poor girl was trying to fight back whatever tears were attempting to pour out.

It also showed Luna just how conflicted Sam was feeling right now. It was in that moment that she quickly tossed aside all thoughts of restraint and logic, just to perform one quick gesture to help ease Sam's troubled mind. After taking in a deep breath; she placed her guitar beside the fountain, silently approached Sam, looked her straight in her tear-filled eyes...and hugged her tightly.

Naturally, this caused the young lady to tense up slightly; which made all those who were watching believe she would try to run away. But instead, Sam remained ensnared in Luna's embrace; feeling both conflicted...yet pleased at the same time. After holding her in silence for several moments, Luna took a moment to help dry away Sam's tears.

"Look, Sammy; before either of us says or does anything else...let me just say one thing" the pixie cut rocker stated, "before coming here; my bro told me a piece of advice our sister, Lori once gave him...that actions speak louder than words." Sam made no verbal reply at this, she only gave a soft sniffle and a blank stare that seemed to say "what's your point?" "Okay...long story short, despite however weird her romance advice can be, this one time...she's actually right" Luna said with a light chuckle, "so...rather than just struggle to talk to you like a daft fool, I have a better way to share my feelings for you."

With that said, she looked over her shoulder and gave a shrill whistle; which caused Ruth, George, and Lincoln to come out of their hiding spots. "Sam, you already know the gang here" Luna stated, "but...the little guy with us is my Lil' Bro, Lincoln." The instant his name was mentioned, Sam immediately identified him as "the guy who Simon talks about."

"I saw you in one of the pictures someone took at the Ace Savvy Convention, last Spring" she said with a smile, "thanks for signing my little bro's book and taking a photo op with him...it meant a whole lot to him." With a light blush on his cheeks, Lincoln bashfully said that he was happy to help a fellow Ace in the Hole; as some Ace Savvy fans often liked to call themselves. "So...what brings you here with your sister" Sam inquired, "are you part of...whatever plan these guys have?"

In response, Lincoln offered up a "so-so" gesture and said that he was only there to offer some background music. "Granted, I'm not as great as Luna here" he stated, "but for a moment like this...I promised to do whatever I could to help her." With that said; George prepped his bass, Ruth tuned up her violin and Lincoln readied his own instrument...the ukulele.

All that remained was for Luna to start things up. For a moment or two, she just stared at Sam in silence; as if hoping she wouldn't run away before they began. As if sensing her thoughts, Sam placed her backpack beside the fountain and she took a seat on the rim; silently gesturing for everyone to start playing. "Okay...like I said before, I can't quite tell you what I want you to hear" Luna stated, "so...I figured I'd let the music do the talkin' for me and I've got the perfect song to do it." With that, she took in a deep breath for luck and mentally repeated her mantra; "don't fret...just play your set." Then, Luna began playing the opening notes before swiftly going into the next verse.

I love you too much
To live without you loving me back
I love you too much
Heaven's my witness and this is a fact
I know I belong
When I sing this song
There's love above love and it's ours
'Cause I love you too much

(Lincoln, George and Ruth start playing their instruments as well; while Luna continues to sing/play)

I live for your touch
I whisper your name night after night
I love you too much
There's only one feeling and I know it's right
I know I belong
When I sing this song
There's love above love and it's ours
'Cause I love you too much

Heaven knows your name I've been
Praying to have you
Come here by my side
Without you a part of me's missing
Just to make you my own I will fight

Within seconds, the song went into a brief instrumental and each member of the group began to play at their respective cues. Needless to say, it all sounded so heavenly to Sam...but not as much as Luna's singing did.

I know I belong
When I sing this song
There's love above love and it's ours
'Cause I love you too much

I love you too much!

I love you too much
Heaven's my witness and this is a fact
You live in my soul
Your heart is my goal

(While Luna sings; Ruth plays a gorgeous tune on her violin while the boys provide guitar music for Luna's final verse of the song)

There's love above love and it's mine
'Cause I love you
There's love above love and it's yours
'Cause I love you
There's love above love and it's ours
If you love me...
As much

After that, the whole area was dead silent for what felt like ages; save for the sound of the fountain's water flowing. During that time; Luna and Co. were doing what they could to catch their breath, while Sam simply stared at them in silence. Finally, after taking a moment to clear her throat; Lincoln decided to help break the ice and asked Sam what she thought about the song.

"It was...It was great, you guys all sound pretty awesome together" murmured the blonde rocker shyly, "but...something about your song sounds familiar." Remembering that Luna was the one who orchestrated this little show, Sam looked in her direction and asked where she came up with the song. "Well...actually, Samurai; I can't...I can't really take credit for someone else's work" Luna murmured shyly, "namely yours."

Sam was, quite understandably dumbfounded by her friend's words and was prepared to question her on them. But then, she saw something sitting inside of Luna's guitar case; a crumpled up piece of paper. Before anyone had the chance to stop her; Sam walked over, picked it up and began to read the paper in silence.

The whole time she was reading, Luna found herself sweating profusely with anxiety; which Lincoln couldn't help but find ironic. "Here I thought I was the only anxious one in social situations" he thought to himself, "of course, for a moment like this, I can't say I blame her." Finally, after what felt like ages; Sam stopped reading, silently approached Luna and looked her straight in the eyes.

"This was...This was the song I tore from my journal earlier this week" she murmured, "how did you get a hold of it?" With a shy blush upon her face, Luna confessed everything; she told Sam about when she listened in on her at the gym, about her meltdown the other day and of course, the moment she took the paper after Sam threw it away. "My bro and I read it the other day, back at my house" she explained, "it was so moving...why'd you want to throw it away?"

At first, Sam said nothing; which led Luna to believe she might be angry. But then, Lincoln took hold of her hand and looked the blonde rocker in the eye with a pleading gaze. "I know you and my sister are going through...a rough spell right now, Sam" he stated, "but this feels like as good a time as any to try and talk things out...doesn't it?"

For a brief moment, Sam considered telling Lincoln not to "meddle in hers or Luna's business;" thinking he wouldn't understand. But in the end, she realized that he was right and that everything needed to be laid out on the table right then and there. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, lil' dude" Sam said to Lincoln kindly, "which is a good match for the love you have for Luna here."

Not only did this compliment cause Lincoln to blush a little, it also brought smiles to both Ruth and George's faces. "Okay...looks like we're off to a good start here" George murmured, "so, who wants to talk first?" For a moment or two, all was quiet and the trio feared it would be another silent stare-down between Sam and Luna like what happened earlier on.

But instead, Luna decided to speak up first...after she did what she could to steady her nerves, of course. "Sam...I miss you, I miss us" the purple-clad rocker stated, "since we split up, I've been so alone; which is ironic, considering my living situation." After sharing a brief chuckle at her little joke, Luna saw the impatient look in Sam's eyes; which was all she needed to tell her she was getting off-track.

"Right...anyway; since we split up, I've felt so alone" she murmured sadly, "I couldn't think straight, I had trouble sleeping and worse of all, I lost all the passion I had to rock out; going solo may work for most musicians...but not me." Despite all the sincerity Luna was putting into her case, she didn't seem to be getting through to Sam at all. This alone was enough to make her heart wrench slightly, which later led to Luna's eyes welling up with tears of sorrow.

"Look...I messed up, alright; is that what you wanna hear" she wailed, "because of my dumb decision to follow my dumb sisters' dumb fight protocol, I lost...the only girl...who means more to me than anything else in the whole world!" From here, Luna professed how much she wished she could take everything back...but knew that she couldn't. Then, much to Sam's surprise; Luna took hold of her hands and held onto them for dear life.

"Sam...Sammy, I love you so...so much" she murmured while trying to hold back her tears, "it's like the song said; without you in my life, I feel like part of me is missing and I'd do anything to reconnect that part again." As Sam took each word Luna said to heart, she soon became even more conflicted with her feelings than before. On one hand, part of her wanted nothing more than to just take the girl into her arms and never let her go again.

But then, another part of her still doubted Luna's words and believed she needed further proof that her feelings were genuine. "Look...for what it's worth, our separation wasn't the only reason I threw the paper away" Sam murmured, "I got rid of it because...because...singing it on my own wouldn't really make it shine, ya know what I mean?" This statement left everyone with more questions than answers and Lincoln was prepared to ask Sam if she could explain herself a bit more.

But then, Luna quickly held him back before he could say anything. "Hold on, Bro...I think I know what she means" Luna said with a hopeful smile, "the question is, Sam...will you be my partner for the encore?" Now, some onlookers would take this inquiry completely out of context and assume the girl was asking for something else entirely.

But to the group in question, on the other hand; they knew full well what Luna wanted. With her own smile upon her lips, Sam asked to borrow George's bass guitar; which he happily granted. After that, the two girls tuned up their instruments and began to play.

Now; in itself, Luna's solo performance of I Love You Too Much was beautiful. But when combined with Sam's voice; the two harmonized so heavenly together, it almost brought everyone to joyful tears. When the song neared its final verse, everyone could see the two rockers staring at one another while they sang; which gave them a glimmer of hope.

(Luna)

I love you too much!

I love you too much
Heaven's my witness and this is a fact

(Sam)

You live in my soul
Your heart is my goal

(Luna)

There's love above love and it's mine
'Cause I love you

(Sam)

There's love above love and it's yours
'Cause I love you

(Both)

There's love above love and it's ours
If you love me...
As much

Mere seconds after the song came to an end; Lincoln, George and Ruth cheered loudly with joy. But much to their surprise, neither Luna nor Sam seemed to care. The instant they stopped singing, the both of them suddenly found themselves gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

Finally, a faint blush appeared on Luna's cheeks; as she brushed her hand shyly over her left ear. "Wow...I've really missed this" she muttered, "hearing our voices together, the sounds of our instruments playing as one...and the way your eyes sparkle whenever you really get into a song, Sammy." The instant she heard the compliment; Sam lightly shoved Luna's shoulder, albeit in a playful manner, and guffawed loudly.

"Be serious here, Lunes" she said giddily, "this is no time for any cheesy one-liners." Rather than be put off by this, Luna took this as an opportunity to make her next move. With lightning fast reflexes, she reached over and held Sam tightly in her arms. "There she is" Luna said with a hearty chuckle, "there's my Silly Samurai...I've really missed ya, I did."

In that moment, the blonde rocker thought that her "assailant" was being unfair; coming at her with both a silly nickname and her adorable cockney British accent. "C'mon, Lunes; the others are looking at us" Sam muttered shyly, "I don't even know why I..." Before she had the chance to finish her sentence, Sam suddenly felt Luna's lips push atop her own; stopping her with a sudden kiss.

At first, the gesture was soft and gentle; like the sort of kiss a couple makes on their first date. At the same time, everyone (including Luna herself) feared that Sam might pull away; be it either out of shock, anger...or possibly both. But fifteen seconds after it happened, neither of the girls dared to separate themselves from the kiss.

Then, ever so slowly, Sam wrapped her arms around Luna and pulled her in tighter; thus causing the kiss to become even more intense. Not only did this make George and Ruth blush heavily, they also decided to "protect" Lincoln by shielding his eyes; believing he was "too young" to see such passionate intimacy. Of course, this didn't stop him from taking a quick picture of the couple with his phone.

Finally, after almost a minute and a half of passion, the couple broke away and took in deep lungfuls of air. "Wow! That was...amazing" Luna gasped breathlessly, "Sammy, where on earth did you learn how to kiss like that?" After she was able to catch her breath, Sam looked over her shoulder and gave Luna a coy wink.

"A girl's gotta have some secrets, Lunes" she chuckled, "but...I think I could share it with you...maybe over some cappuccinos at the Burnt Bean this weekend?" This simple request came as such a surprise to Luna, her heart suddenly felt as though it was beating ten-thousand miles per minute." "Hold on...back up there, luv; are you...asking me out on a date" she asked dumbfounded, "and if you are, does this mean we're cool again?"

Rather than answer her outright, Sam suddenly leapt into Luna's arms and gave her the biggest/tightest hug possible. "Does that answer your question, Looney Tunes" she asked jokingly, "Happy Valentine's Day, love." With tears of joy trickling down her cheeks and a star-bright smile spread across her face, Luna returned Sam's embrace and lovingly echoed her holiday greeting into her ear in a hushed whisper; "Happy Valentine's Day, love."

After that, the two stood together for what felt like ages; holding one another in blissful silence. Truthfully, the scene was so touching; it made Lincoln burst into tears. "Oh, jeez...quit it, lil' dude" George muttered uneasily, "you're...y-you're gonna make me cry too."

As the young rocker began dabbing his eyes with a tissue, Ruth felt thankful her bangs had kept her eyes covered; otherwise, everyone would see her crying as well. "Now, this is a Valentine's moment worth remembering" she said with a light sniffle, "I'm happy you two patched things up, ladies." Upon hearing their friend and band-mate's voice, the couple momentarily broke apart and urged her to come join the hugfest.

"That goes for you two as well, boys" Luna exclaimed, "there's plenty of lovin' to go around!" With a hearty chuckle in his throat, George rushed over and hugged both Luna and Sam happily; feeling relieved to see everything back to normal again. Meanwhile, Lincoln appeared to be hanging back slightly; as if unsure if he wanted to join in on the hug. Then, he took a look at his phone and saw that it was almost two.

This meant that they'd all been working on this predicament for two hours. "This is not good" Lincoln muttered worriedly, "the day's almost over and I don't have any Valentine's of my own to give!" The instant this thought came into mind, the poor boy started pacing about worriedly; all while pulling at his hair in distress.

Upon seeing this; though they didn't quite like breaking up their little moment so soon, the band of rockers immediately went to Lincoln's side and asked what was wrong. "No...It's alright, guys; I'm fine" Lincoln murmured, "don't let my hang-ups ruin your beautiful reunion." While she did appreciate her brother for putting her feelings over his own, Luna had no intention of backing off and neither did the others.

"With all due respect, Lil' man; our business is settled" Sam stated firmly, "which means that we're now 'sane' enough on other important things...like family." Almost immediately, Lincoln knew that she only said this statement for Luna's sake. But at the same time, he still very much appreciated it.

"Besides, dude; how could we possibly stand by and enjoy our love, when other people around us are suffering" questioned Luna, "it just don't feel right." The instant he heard these words from his sister, Lincoln suddenly felt himself experiencing a sense of déjà vu. "Funny...I was saying the same thing to my friends, earlier this week" he muttered sarcastically, "back when I had time to try and think up my own Valentine's plans."

After hearing her little brother say this simple phrase, Luna immediately knew he was having his own "romance problems" as well. But rather than become like Lori and try to be some kind of matchmaker, she asked for him to explain everything that's happening. "Um...Pardon me, if I could just interject for a moment" Sam said suddenly, "could we talk about this on the way back home, we've been out here for a while and my parents might get worried about me."

Both Loud Siblings smiled warmly at her, nodded in agreement and began packing up their music gear. "Chunk's got his van parked nearby" Luna informed, "while he's drivin', my bro can tell us what's goin' on...if he's up to it." Without hesitation, Lincoln responded to this with a smile and a nod; which made Luna feel all the happier.

After everyone had stored their gear in the back of Chunk's van, later on; they climbed aboard and began their drive back to the neighborhood. "Okay...so, little dude; spill it" Sam said with a mildly eager tone, "what sort of V-Day issues have you been having?" For a moment, Lincoln couldn't quite think up the right words to say.

Thus, the only response he could offer was "it...it's a long story." "Well, mate; we've got quite bit of a drive ahead" Chunk said from the driver's seat, "so, may as well start from the beginnin'." After that, the van's other occupants sat comfortably in their seats; while Lincoln spent the whole ride home regaling them with his tale of Valentine's troubles.

(First AN: Well...Good news is Luna's Valentine's Day has taken a turn for the better. The bad news, the day's half over and Lincoln doesn't have anything to show the Gal Pals. Will things turn out well in the end for both Loud Siblings or will Fate make sure that there's heartbreak for this year's Valentine's Day?

Find out next time in the heartwarming conclusion of Love Labor Lost with the Gal Pals)

(Second AN: The flashback scene at the beginning of this installment is my answer to a request given unto me by one or two of my reviewers from long ago. Said request involved showing what life was like for the Loud Family while Lincoln was away. Sure, said flashback only featured Luna...but I hope it's satisfactory enough for you)

(Third AN: The song Luna sings to Sam is known as I Love You Too Much by Diego Luna. It's one of the songs featured in the 2014 Fox Animation film, The Book of Life. I hold no ownership of said song, it's the sole property of the aforementioned musician and film; so...please, don't sue me.

More to the point, I've listened to the song several times over and felt it would be perfect for Luna and Sam to sing; especially as a duet)

(Fourth AN: In the flashback scene, the High School gym teacher/coach refers to George's character as Sullivan. This is my way of adhering to the show's canon, albeit in a small way. When I first learned of Sully's real name, I always believed Sully was a nickname version of his last name; kind of like how it was for James P. Sullivan from Monsters Inc.

Long story short; for my fanfiction's universe, the character will be addressed by both names. But it will mostly be a once in a blue moon thing, as they call it)

(Fifth AN: The piece of advice Lincoln used for Luna is a reference to what Lori once "shared" with him back in the episode "Save the Date." Only this time, it was used the right way)

(Last AN: I hope I depicted Luna and Sam's make up scene in a believable way. Of all the oneshots of done for this anthology, this Valentine's one has been one of my most passionate pieces; next to Schooling and Rascally Rennies. More to the point; because of their falling out in the OG Gal Pals story, I wanted Luna to truly earn back Sam's love.

I just hope I made the whole thing believable for some of you)