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

Where Love Leads

By Lola Presents

Chapter 2

Lola pulled her used Dodge Grand Caravan into the driveway around two o'clock, wanting to get home before Nova, the back seats stuffed with bags and packages. Coming to a stop, she took the key from the ignition, after which the engine sputtered for a few moments before emitting a long wheezing sigh.

"You know," Lana offered, "you should let me take a look under the hood. I'm sure I can get this baby purring in no time."

"That's an idea," Lola replied. "But maybe later. We need to get these things inside and make some calls. We'll need Leni's help with the pageant outfits and Lynn's help getting you trained."

Lana groaned at the thought of Lynn training her. The latter was sure to take things too far, leaving Lana more stressed than fit. Still, it was nice to know Lola had her back, and she looked forward to the pageant.

"Say, Lols," asked Lana, opening the van door and grabbing several bags. "Like, are we going to be a team, or what?"

"Oh, no, honey," Lola informed her sister, picking up a small stack of boxes. "There's no such thing in the pageant business. It's every girl for herself. We only have to ensure that Leni gives us equal treatment, though. Besides, I have an idea to make it easier for us."

"Yeah?" pondered Lana, heading toward the house.

"Well," Lola said, following Lana and unlocking the door. "I thought maybe she'd make us the same basic outfits but use different colors and accents. You know, something that highlights our individuality while still making a statement about being twins."

"That's brilliant!" Lana cheered as she placed her bags on the table and headed out for another load.

Soon, the girls had everything unloaded. Now, it was time to unpack! Materials went in one stack, threads and accessories into another, and things for the meeting spread across the table.

"I wonder where everyone is?" observed Lana, noticing the unusual quiet.

Lola stopped wrinkling the paper, listened, and agreed. It was entirely too silent. She peered into the backyard to find the light in Lincoln's shed was also off.

"Hm," she mumbled. "That's odd."

"You don't think he and Lori, you know, got together already? Do you?" Lana suggested. "I mean, from the sound of that call earlier..."

"There's only one way to find out," Lola said with a smirk. "Sh..."

Quietly, Lola padded down the hall to the master bedroom and peered in, with Lana trying vainly to see over her head.

Lincoln lay sound asleep in the middle of the bed. Lori was lying to his left, completely naked, and snuggled up against him. Lorianne was in the same condition, only to his right. The girls had one arm and one leg draped over him, and the sheet was pulled up, barely covering their legs.

Lola looked back at Lana with glee, holding her finger to her mouth to indicate silence. Opening the door as silently as possible, Lola made her way to the bedside, where she leaned over and nudged Lorianne.

The little girl stirred, stretching one arm slightly, and raised her head from Lincoln's chest. She blinked her eyes a few times to get focus, then peered up at her aunt.

"Lola?" Ree whispered sleepily.

"What happened, honey?" asked Lola with sugar, knowing what had gone down.

Ree took stock of where she was, recalling their fun earlier. They had retired to Lincoln's bed for a nap, but snuggling soon gave way to more intense activities. After Lincoln pleased her mother, Ree insisted on another go-round, then, finally, they slept.

Ree smiled euphorically and blushed heavily at her aunt.

"We. Made. Love!" Ree whispered excitedly.

"Way to go, girl!" Lola whispered back, holding one hand in front of her, offering her palm, which Lorianne slapped gently.

Lana stood back, amused but confused.

The noise roused Lincoln and Lori, the former of which struggled to move under the two girls' weight. Lori rose first, swinging her legs off the bed and coming to a seated position.

"Oh, crap," Lori said, looking at the clock. "We fell asleep. Nova isn't home yet, is she?"

"No, but she'll be home soon enough," Lana said. "You guys might want to clean up. And open a window, if you know what I mean."

Lori stood and went to the restroom, but not without her daughter.

"Come on, Ree," Lori instructed. "We'll save time together."

Once they left the bed, Lincoln stood and kissed Lola and Lana, then headed for the master shower with Lola's assistance. While Lola had virtually permitted him to be with Lori, they'd never discussed Ree, and it struck him as off that she hadn't complained. Then again, Lori and Ree were a package deal.

Using his shower chair, Lincoln sat in the warm water as it rinsed away the day's pleasures. What had he been thinking? Sleeping with Lori was one thing, but Ree? He honestly wanted to wait until she was older, only after discussing it with Lola first. But Lori's arguments and Ree's advances had gotten the better of him.

Lola and Lana returned to the kitchen and continued unpacking things. There was a lot to do and little time to do it. But with some help, they may be able to pull it off. Once everything had been sorted and the unneeded things stored away, they retired to the living room until Nova arrived.

"Hey, Lola?" inquired Lana. "What was with that high five earlier? Are you alright with Lincoln and Ree? I mean, I know you knew about Lori, but..."

"Girl," Lola laughed knowingly. "They've been pining after each other for five years. I'm fine with it as long as they're happy and Lincoln respects her. Besides, I was Ree's age when I fell for Lincoln."

Lana blushed, giggling a bit. "Yeah, same here."

Finally, Lori and Lorianne emerged from the restroom, freshly dressed and glowing. Lori wore a copy of her usual outfit, and Lorianne a similar one, only orange instead of blue. Strolling into the living room, they found seats and asked about the things on the table.

"Glad you asked!" Lola announced. "When Nova gets home, I'm going to need some help. We must cut out several banners and decorate them for tonight's meeting. We also need to make a box or two of lapel pins with the school mascot on them. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Oh! Yes!" exclaimed Ree, dying to do something creative.

"Of course, I'll help," responded Lori. "We'll get it done in no time!"

Eventually, Lincoln wheeled in as well. "Hey, guys…" he asked. "I've been thinking. Maybe we should explain what's happening to Nova after she gets home. I'm sure she has a lot of questions. Besides, there are certain things we can't let get out, if you know what I mean."

All nodded in unison.

"I think that's smart," Lori said as the door opened.

Nova came waltzing in and casually tossed her book bag on the ground. Her hair and clothes were a mess.

"What happened, Sunshine?" asked Lola.

"Wallace happened, Mom," Nova spat, plopping onto the nearest open seat. "He's such an asshole!"

"Language..." chastised Lola as her daughter squirmed in her chair.

"Tell us about..." was all Lincoln got out before his phone buzzed.

"Hello?" Lincoln said, answering the call. "Oh! Hi, Clyde. What's up?"

The girls looked on as Lincoln remained silent, listening to his friend.

"I see," he said. "Well, you did the right thing. I'll talk with Nova, alright? Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"Nova..." Lincoln said somberly.

"Great..." Nova muttered. "Here it comes..."

"I'm proud of you for standing up for Calliope," he said. "But fighting isn't the answer. It'll only get you in trouble. You're getting off with a warning, as it was your first offense. Next time, you won't be so lucky. Do you understand?"

Nova nodded. "Yes, Daddy," she murmured. "I do, and I'm sorry. It's just that I care so much about Calliope. She's so fragile."

Lincoln nodded. "I understand, trust me. Just be careful next time. Go to a teacher or something. Mr. McBride is my best friend; he'll look out for you if you give him a chance."

After a moment of silence, Lola reiterated her wishes for help, and everyone moved into the kitchen, where Lola and Lana set up workstations on the countertops and table.

Lori handled the cutting, Lana applied the glue, writing out the school motto, Ree sprinkled glitter on certain parts, and Nova filled the writing with sequins. Lola sat at the table, drawing shapes to become the pins later.

With less to do, Lola finished cutting out the pins, ready to send down the assembly line once they'd completed the banners. It took about two hours, but eventually, they finished the work.

Stepping back, they admired the banners that hung from the overhead cabinets to dry and the pins that sat upon the countertops. Everyone nodded, approving of their work.

"Thanks, guys," Lola said appreciatively. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Ehem," Lincoln coughed. "I need everyone's attention, especially yours, Nova."

Nova looked at him quizzically. "What's up?"

"Sunshine," he said, "I know things have changed a lot around here the last few days, and I needed to explain something."

"Dad," Nova said, interrupting her father, holding her hand up. "Please, if you're going to tell me that you're sleeping with Lana, Lori, and Ree, don't. I'm not dumb. I've seen how you look at each other, and I'm okay with it. Besides, I'm sure there'll come a day when I need your understanding. As long as you are all happy and nobody fights, I'm satisfied."

"Alright..." Lincoln said, cocking an eyebrow. "But you do understand that..."

"Yeah, yeah," Nova replied lazily. "Nobody can know about Ree."

"Well, then..." mumbled Lincoln, slightly deflated at not being able to explain yet pleased at his daughter's intelligence. "Lola and Lana, you should get cleaned up and ready to go. I'll get dinner ready. Who wants to help?"

"Oh! Oh! Me!" both Nova and Ree said, rushing to Lincoln's side.

The twins made their way to the showers, Lana lagging a bit behind, looking down. Lola claimed the one in the master bath while Lana stepped into the guest shower. Lori watched as they disappeared, sensing something was up, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Was Lana checking out Lola as they walked the hall?

Shaking her head, she turned her focus to Lincoln and the girls. Lincoln was busy giving them instructions and putting together dinner. From its looks, subs were on the menu tonight, along with various chips and dips.

Lori smiled, thinking how lucky she and Ree were to have Lincoln in their lives as she began setting the table. As she completed her task, everyone began arriving for dinner, summoned by the scent of freshly sliced deli meats and cheeses, not to mention oven-baked bread.

The girls laughed and giggled throughout the meal, telling childhood stories and trying to out-embarrass each other. There was no clear winner. However, Lincoln's tale of Lori farting in the van won Nova's vote. That had to be the most humiliating thing she'd ever heard.

"Well," announced Lola as dinner wrapped up. "We'd better get ready, Lana. We have to leave shortly."

"Alright," replied the twin. "I'll help you get things into the van, and then we can get changed."

Lori and Lincoln cleared the table and washed up as the twins headed off.

"Sunshine?" Lincoln prodded. "You should go do your homework, then get ready for bed."

Nova headed to her room, followed by Lorianne, who closed the door after them.

"Nova?" Ree asked.

"Hm," Nova replied, sitting at her desk and pulling out her work.

"Do. You. Need. Any. Help?" Ree asked politely, wanting something to do.

"No thanks, Ree," Nova answered flatly. "I can do this on my own."

"You wanna play afterward?" Ree tried again to gain Nova's attention.

"No, Ree," Nova muttered. "Just... go help Dad or something."

Lorianne frowned and furrowed her brows, sensing a lot of frustration from her cousin.

"Fine. I'll. Go," Lorianne stated sadly, turning to leave.

When Nova called out to her, Ree had only placed her hand on the knob. "Wait, Ree?" Nova said, rushing over to her cousin and hugging her around the waist. "Please don't go. I'm sorry. I've just been frustrated."

Ree turned and peered at Nova, concerned.

"At. Me?" asked Ree tenderly, tapping her pointer fingers together like the girls in animes.

"No," Nova sighed, walking over to her bed and climbing onto it. There, she patted her covers. "Come here, and I"ll tell you about it."

As close as they were, Nova had never asked Ree to huddle before. Whatever it was that Nova was about to share was undoubtedly significant, and Ree felt honored to listen.

"Yes?" Ree prompted as she sat next to Nova.

"Ree, I have to admit," Nova revealed timidly, "I am jealous of you. Not just you, though; mom, Lana, and Lori."

Lorianne's eyes flashed with sudden realization.

"Are. You. In. Love. With. Your. Dad?" gasped Lorianne, fearful that she may have stepped on Nova's toes.

Nova harumphed. "No, Ree," she announced. "I'm jealous of what you have. You all love each other so much and have each other forever while I'm sitting here like a potato. An underdeveloped potato, no less."

Ree scanned her cousin, unsure of how to reply. At least, at first.

"Nova. You. Are. Pretty. And. Smart," she told her cousin. "You'll. Find. Someone."

Nova glanced at Ree. "I already have Ree. But that's the problem. I'm afraid to tell her."

Lorianne's eyes grew wide. Nova had just told her two critical pieces of information. One, that Nova had a crush on someone and that someone was a girl. Considering how her cousin tried to push her away a moment ago, Lorianne became flustered.

"Her? Who?" inquired Lorianne nervously, beginning to blush.

"It's my friend, Calliope," admitted Nova, planting her face in her hands, beginning to cry.

"Well. Why. Can't. You. Tell. Her?" inquired Ree, much relieved and pulling her cousin into a warm embrace.

"I'm too embarrassed," admitted Nova. "Girls aren't supposed to like girls."

Lorianne lifted Nova's face to her own. "That. Is. Stupid," she said plainly. "What. Would. Aunt. Luna. Say. To. That?"

"Maybe you're right," Nova blubbered. "But whenever I try to talk to her about it, I get all weird inside."

"Tell. Me. About. Her," prodded Ree, genuinely wanting to help.

"Calliope is like, well... in the showers, before and after gym class, when we change, I can't keep my eyes off her. I try to hide it, but it's hard. She's got this beautiful curly red hair, creamy-smooth skin, lightly covered with freckles that lead down her back to her butt, and I just wanna..." Nova said, spilling her secrets to Ree, reaching out for a non-existent butt, making a sucking sound with her teeth, and licking her lips.

"Eat. Her. Ass?" suggested Lorianne.

"Yes!" squealed Nova, flopping back onto her pillow. "I know it sounds gross, but that's how I feel."

"Maybe. You. Should. Talk. To. Luna," Ree advised. "I'm. Not. Sure. I. Can. Help. Much. Here."

Lorianne pulled out her phone and located her aunt's entry before clicking the call button, then waited until Luna picked up.

"Hi," said Ree. "This. Is. Lorianne. Nova. Needs. To. Talk. To. You. I'm. Switching. To. Video. Now," she informed Luna, then handed Nova the phone.