Bohemian Serenade Chapter 9, a loud house fanfic

Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino

simm36: Sam wanted to leave because she was lonely, and being around Luna, whom she fought with, constantly reminded her of their lost love. Once Lincoln fixed that, she had every reason to stay.

marz-senpai: Maybe. Maybe not. You'll have to wait and see how things play out.

Bohemian Serenade

By Lola Presents

Chapter 9

Bill Casey, the band's manager, frenetically ran from place to place, fielding call after call upon hearing the news that Sully had terminated his contract early. Of course, the young man had to pay certain fines for the early termination of his contract, but the extra money in Bill's coffers didn't solve the immediate problem.

The band needed a new keyboardist, and finding one who knew the material was proving difficult. Part of the problem was that Luna and the Moon Goats were relatively new on the scene. People were only beginning to know their music, much less learning how to play their songs.

For the time being, Bill had no choice but to cancel several upcoming shows. It was either that or put an incomplete band on stage, risking alienation by the fans. Either solution had its pros and cons, but canceling a few dates wasn't the end of the world, only a loss of revenue.

With nothing else to do for a month, Lincoln and Luna returned home to spend some time with their family and escape the turmoil of the road. Naturally, Sam and Mazzy followed their lead and, with the Loud family's generosity, made use of some of their empty rooms.

While they could have returned to their childhood homes, neither wanted to be away from Lincoln or Luna. Their press release made it well known that Lincoln and Sam were a couple, and it would've seemed weird for them to return to separate homes, and Mazzy didn't want to feel left out.

Their first few days at home were a little awkward, with Luna and Mazzy giving Lincoln nearly as much attention as Sam. Likewise, it seemed odd to Lincoln's younger siblings and parents that he spent so much time in his room with Luna or Mazzy, with Sam nowhere in sight.

When questioned, Lincoln explained it as songwriting sessions or private discussions about the band's future, banking on the idea that they were much like a family. While he may not have been a formal band member, being the lead singer's brother ushered him into their inner circle.

As Sam was the only one who slept in Lincoln's room at night, everyone dropped the issue, their suspicions sated. Taking advantage of the reprieve, Luna, Sam, and Mazzy began teaching Lincoln how to play the keyboards, as Bill still hadn't found a compatible replacement.

However, the respite didn't last. During their third week home, something altered the balance of things.

Luna woke that morning knowing something was wrong. Her stomach complained and gurgled with ferocity. Not wasting time, she dropped to the floor from her top bunk with a resounding thud, then bolted to the restroom, emptying nothing but putrid bile into the bowl.

Sweat formed upon her head, and her body shook as Luna wretched repeatedly, giving her little time to recover. Finally, the sensation ebbed, and Luna sat on her haunches after flushing the toilet, clutching her belly. Though her gut was now empty, Luna still felt as if something was wrong.

Fearing the worst, she retreated to her room and opened her travel bag, pulling out one of the tests she'd bought upon their arrival home. Then, returning to the bathroom, she opened the box and took the test. Once the allotted time expired, she looked at the result.

The test was positive.

The budding celebrity scooted back against the wall and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly as she wept. How would she explain her condition, and what would it mean for her future? Her mind screamed at her, berating her carelessness, but her heart was overjoyed.

Finally, after acknowledging the growing line outside the restroom, Luna wiped her eyes, stuffed the test into her nightgown pocket, and headed for Lincoln's room. While Luna wanted to hold off on the news until she was entirely sure, Lincoln deserved to know.

"Lincoln..." urged Luna in a low voice after entering and locking his door, waking her brother and Sam in the process. "We have to talk."

"Huh..." groaned Lincoln, sitting up as Sam rolled toward the wall. And after checking the clock, Lincoln peered through cracked lids at his sister. "About what?" he muttered.

"About this," spat Luna, pulling the positive test from her pocket and handing it to him nervously.

Luna withdrew her hand as her brother accepted the item and inspected it. She then watched as Lincoln's eyes widened and a look of astonishment formed. Typically able to read her brother, Luna drew a blank. However, she was as conflicted as he seemed, harboring both fear and hope.

"Luna..." Lincoln finally gasped as the reality of the test sank in, one hand covering his mouth shortly after. "You're pregnant?"

"Say what?" barked Sam, immediately rousing at full attention. Sitting beside Lincoln, she peered around Lincoln's shoulder as she gawked at the little pink plus symbol. "Oh, my, God! Luna!" she squealed, not thinking about where she was. "You're going to have a baby!"

Lana, Lola, Lisa, Lily, and Mazzy all spun on their heels and stared in disbelief toward Lincoln's room. And all at once, they rushed to his door, knocking and demanding to get let in.

"Luna!" called Mazzy, jiggling the knob. "It's me. Let me in!"

"Yeah!" chirped Lana, excited about the possibility of a new baby in the family. "Let us in! We want to see!"

Relenting to her siblings, Luna unlocked the door. There was little point in discouraging them at this point. Sam had unwittingly revealed the news, and there was no escaping it. The only thing Luna could do now was to avert disaster until Lincoln got his license changed to her address in Ohio.

"Lemme see!" declared Lily, grabbing the test from Lincoln's hand and holding it close. "Oh, my, gosh!" she exclaimed with eyes wide. "You really are going to have a baby!" she exclaimed before realizing something was missing. "So, who's the daddy?"

"Well, I..." yammered Luna before offering her only reasonable excuse, "...I don't know," she lied. "You know how it is on the road."

"Seriously?" gasped Lola, not believing Luna's explanation. "We all know that you favor girls, so come on. How many men have you been with?"

"That's none of your business!" declared Luna, swiping her test back. "Now, unless you have something nice to say, I suggest you leave."

"No. I'm sorry," pleaded Lola, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Please? I didn't mean that."

"Well, okay," sighed Luna, smiling again as everyone began chatting about how nice it will be to have a little one around.

Things remained nominally excited until Lily asked how Luna would carry on with her tour. Despite being taken off guard, Luna explained that she had nine months to consider her future. And, with only three left in their tour, things should work in her favor.

"You do realize that I could extract a genetic profile and determine the father with complete accuracy," Lisa interjected, harkening back to the question of the child's parentage.

"No," Luna quickly responded. "That's alright, but thank you."

"Suit yourself," sighed the young scientist. "But be advised, raising a child alone may prove difficult, especially when you're on the road."

"I'm not alone!" belted Luna, annoyed at her sibling's negativity. "I have you guys and my friends. Besides, I could do this all by myself if I wanted. I don't need anyone but myself for that."

Eventually, the children's desire for inclusion got satisfied, and their need to use the facilities returned. And as Lucy finished her morning routine and left the bathroom, she noticed her sibling's goofy expressions.

"What's with you guys?" she moaned, adjusting the towel around her torso. "You look horridly gleeful."

"You'll never guess!" chirped Lola, clasping her hands as Lana bolted into the restroom, hoping to clog the toilet finally.

"Luna's pregnant!" interjected Lily prematurely, ruining Lola's surprise.

"What," Lucy sighed flatly.

"I said..." began Lily as Lola punched her in the arm. "Ow!"

"I heard what you said," Lucy moaned. "Only I find it hard to believe. As far as I knew, Luna wasn't dating anyone, much less a guy. The closest she's ever come were those rumors about her dating Lincoln."

"Oh, come on!" cried Lily, practically swooning over the unborn child. "Who cares? She doesn't know who the daddy is. Can't you be happy for her?"

"Well," moaned Lucy, thinking for a moment, putting her suspicions on hold. "I don't usually do this, but in this case..." she sighed before balling her fists under her chin and doing a little dance while emitting an under-practiced "EEP!"

Luna's emotions became entirely conflicted. On the one hand, she and Lincoln would be parents soon, caring for and raising their precious little one. On the other hand, she dreaded telling her parents, especially after the recent media faux-pa.

Of course, she had yet to have Lincoln change the address on his license. Doing so would at least validate her's and Lincoln's relationship from a legal standpoint. But her family lived in Michigan, where incest was illegal, and Luna couldn't predict how her parents might react.

Both were pretty liberal, though they had no formal affiliations with any political party or ideology. However, they were also rather strict. At least, their mother was. Changing the law through activism was one thing. Ignoring established law was another.

"I have to admit," whimpered Sam as she stared at the test again. "I'm a little jealous. I want a baby, too."

"Well, not me," chirped Mazzy, folding her arms. "I just like the company and, of course, all the sex."

While Lincoln had accepted Mazzy into their sordid affair, neither had professed any romantic feelings for one another. And, as far as Lincoln was concerned, he wanted to keep it that way. His life was already complicated enough, and he didn't want to worsen things.

"Lincoln?" prodded Luna, ignoring the others, still gripped with anxiety.

Tiredly and quite overwhelmed, Lincoln rose and stood before his sister, wrapping his arms around her. Until that moment, Lincoln had led his life aimlessly, doing whatever felt right at the time but never taking things very seriously or planning for the future.

However, things had changed. Suddenly, Lincoln felt an overwhelming urge to provide for his lover and their child. Recalling what it was like in his childhood home made him want to duplicate that for them both. Resting his head on her shoulder, he expressed his feelings.

"Luna," he sincerely whispered. "This is the best news I've ever gotten," he told her, holding her tightly. "I love you and our baby, whoever they turn out to be, and I promise to do whatever I can to give them the life they deserve."

Luna was overjoyed at his response and hugged him tightly. At the same time, she remained apprehensive about how things would play out once everyone knew the truth. She not only had her family to worry over but her career, and Luna felt caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Thank you, Lincoln," cried Luna in return, tears filling her eyes. "I love you, too. Only, I'm concerned about how the media might react, especially since I can't name you as the father."

Pulling away slightly, Lincoln stared into his one true love's eyes.

"Why can't we?" he inquired. "Once I update my license, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Legally, sure," Luna whimpered. "But that doesn't mean everyone will accept us, especially our family."

"You don't know that," assured Lincoln affectionately. "Besides, they'll have little choice. We're adults and don't need their approval."

"I guess..." sighed Luna, resting her head against her brother's. "But, I don't want them mad at us either."

"I understand," conceded Lincoln quietly. "I don't want that either. But sometimes, we must accept what happens. Look," he said, pausing to kiss Luna's forehead. "We'll keep it on the low for now. But when the time is right, we must come clean to everyone. Keeping secrets tends to tear people apart faster than the truth."

Luna nodded, knowing Lincoln spoke the truth. However, she wasn't happy about it.

Before anyone could head downstairs for breakfast, Luna gathered her siblings and pleaded with them to keep her pregnancy a secret, especially from their parents. Not only did she want to keep the news from leaking to the media, but she wanted to tell their parents herself on her terms.

They all agreed for the sake of the family and Luna's career, but it was difficult for them to contain their excitement. After all, their older sisters had yet to produce a child, and it had been long since they had a baby around to spoil. Lily was incredibly excited about the announcement.

Promising to tell her parents before the day was out, the children kept their mouths shut. Even after lunch, they refrained from commenting when Luna ate like a pig. Though Lucy, being the most secretive among them, noticed the little telling glances Luna shared with Lincoln.

Lucy could only guess how the rest of her family would react when they learned the truth, but as for her, the nature of their relationship made it even more deliciously taboo, cementing her approval. However, she did make a promise, and even she kept those.

After lunch, Luna drove Lincoln into town to visit the D.M.V., where he had his license updated. Anticipating the freedom it would give him was excruciating, and the long line didn't help. But eventually, it was their turn, and after he and Luna stepped up to the counter, the lifeless woman behind the counter took his information and a new photo.

Afterward, Lincoln stared at his new license, proving that he lived in Ohio, and a sense of relief washed over him. Even though they needed to wait to reveal their relationship, it no longer maintained a foreboding presence over him. Luna eventually had to pull him away from the counter.

"Let me see," requested Luna, trying to look at his photo. "Mine is always crappy. How'd yours turn out?"

"What?" gasped Lincoln before focusing. "Oh, I don't care about the picture. Here," he said, handing it to his lover. "All I cared about was the address."

Luna chuckled as she examined the image on the card, wondering if there were some unwritten universal law of physics that declared that, regardless of how well presented one is, the resulting D.M.V. photo would permanently distort things.

"Not great," sighed Luna. "But not as ugly as mine."

"Oh, really?" chirped Lincoln as they walked toward the family van. "Let me see!" he demanded, playfully reaching for her pockets.

"No way!" giggled Luna, Lincoln's fingers tickling her sides. "It's too embarrassing!" she squealed with delight.

Then suddenly, something blinded them. Taking a moment to recover, Lincoln noticed several people with large cameras standing not far away, just behind Luna, snapping numerous photos of them.

"Fucking great..." mumbled Luna as he grabbed her hand, pulling her quickly to the van and shoving her inside.

"Wait! Mister Loud!" called one of the men, lunging a microphone bearing a large filter at him. "Tell us, what are you and Luna doing at the division of motor vehicles? And, why isn't Sam with you?"

Ignoring the deluge of questions, Lincoln started the van and pulled out, forcing several paparazzi to dodge or get run over. Quickly, Lincoln entered traffic, losing the annoying photographers in the process.

"Looks like the hounds found us," sighed Luna with frustration. "I guess that's the price I have to pay for fame."

"Hey, Luna..." sighed Lincoln, deep in thought and furrowing his brow.

"Yes?" replied Luna, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Have you thought about how all this might affect our child?" he asked softly. "I mean, look at how fame treated other celebrities' kids. Take Blanket, for instance, or Lisa Marie Presley."

"I guess I hadn't thought about that," sighed his sister, laying her hands idly in her lap. "What do you think?" she asked, unable to form an opinion yet.

"I don't know," conceded Luna's brother. "It only now occurred to me that it might not be the best environment for them. That's all."

While they were now free to pursue their relationship as they saw fit, Lincoln had introduced another issue to consider. While the paparazzi were annoying, they were ultimately dismissible. However, raising a child in the spotlight gave Luna pause.

All these years, Luna's only passion was making music and sharing it with the world. But now, she had something else to consider; their child. And for the first time, Luna seriously pondered leaving the music business, though she didn't dare tell Lincoln or the others just yet.

Lincoln had promised to provide, and though Luna was pleased with him, his salary as a roadie wasn't going to pay the bills. If she left the band, someone would have to take over that role, and she had few other skills. Lincoln, however, had plenty of artistic talent and could quickly get a job.

Perhaps, it would be best if she took what money she'd saved and paid Lincoln's way through college, assuming he was willing. Then again, what if Lincoln stayed home and raised their child while she continued to perform? Would the fans accept her if they knew she was in a forbidden relationship? And what would become of Sam and Mazzy?

For the time being, Luna pushed her aberrant thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing on telling her parents about her pregnancy. While she didn't know what to expect, it would be easier than when she revealed Lincoln was the father. However, that wouldn't be for some time.

Relaxing with her siblings, Luna watched television and inquired about their lives while she was away. To say she got an earful would be an understatement. Lana had broken her leg after falling out of a tree, Lola won first place in the regionals, and Lily had taken up painting. While Lucy remained pretty much the same, Lisa had begun to show an interest in things other than science, namely boys.

As the evening wore on, their father eventually announced that dinner was ready and everyone headed to the dining room, taking their seat. Luckily, there were enough empty ones to accommodate Sam and Mazzy.

Naturally, Sam sat next to Lincoln, while Mazzy stole Luna's spot on his other side, forcing the latter to sit across from them. However, she couldn't complain as she'd already spent most of the day with him.

"So?" chirped their father as he sat beside his wife. "Any word on when you'll be getting back to your tour?"