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

Mud and Love

By Lola Presents

Chapter 1

Lana Loud was an unusual child. Unlike her sisters, who spent a great deal of time on their appearance, she couldn't care less. For her, life was about getting out there and doing things. Taking the time to sit still and enjoy nature and the little things makes life worthwhile.

Whether that meant laying in the grass, watching ants file in and out of their hill, or rolling in the mud naked, it didn't matter. The point was to get out there and experience the world, not coup oneself up in a musty house, avoiding it. Who cared if one got a little dirty?

Only...

For all Lana's radiant wonder, she wasn't entirely happy. There was one element in her life that made her question her beliefs. While she managed to maintain a few friendships, Lana was missing something important, companionship, something even her critters couldn't give her.

Most of her older sisters were dating someone. Even Lynn, who remained goal-oriented, occasionally spent time with Francisco, and Lucy, who was darker than midnight, had Rocky. And while Lola could have anyone she wanted, she had her mind on her pageant career.

The funny thing was that Lana didn't have anyone, in particular, in mind. Not enough boys gave her the time of day for Lana to single any of them out as potential mates. Unlike the frogs she currently played with, humans were more discerning about who they selected.

It was with melancholy that Lana released the handful of Spring Peepers back into the grass and headed back into the house. The little frogs would mature eventually, select their mates, and produce more Spring Peepers, ready to grace their lawn again next year.

"Hey, Lana," chirped Lincoln, who enjoyed a peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwich. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," muttered the forlorn girl as she passed through the kitchen.

"Well," sighed Lincoln, setting his sandwich down. "That was odd."

"She'd odd," spat Lynn as she attacked her lunch. "What do you expect?"

Frowning, Lincoln knew something was wrong with his sister. Typically, Lana was full of life and optimistic about everything. Even when faced with difficulties, Lana faced them head-on with the determination of a bull. As usual, it fell to him to find out why.

Silently, Lincoln finished his meal, then stood and left the kitchen, searching for Lana.

When Lincoln located his sister, she was kneeling before Hops' terrarium, staring at her beloved pet as she dropped dried flies under the lid. Silently, he leaned against the door frame and watched, hoping to gain some insight into her mood.

"Hey, buddy," Lana called her frog. "I have some flies for you."

When Hops failed to approach them, Lana closed the lid and let her arms drop idly by her side. Sinking onto her heels, the little girl sat there watching her frog, wondering why he wasn't feeding. It seemed that even her pet knew something was wrong and mirrored her.

"What's wrong, Hops?" Lana called. "Aren't you hungry or just lonely, like me?"

Lana lightly tapped the glass, encouraging Hops to do something, then sat back on her haunches again, sighing heavily. Lana had always kept pets, and though Lincoln never once questioned why, he figured it out. Nobody ever spent quality time with her.

Sure, she and Lola had Bluebell Scouts together, but as soon as their meetings and activities were over, they went their separate ways. Even Lincoln didn't associate with her that much, as he was always busy with his other sisters. Lana was independent, and he never considered it.

Until now...

Quietly, Lincoln padded his way over to his sister and knelt beside her.

"Hey, Lana," he said merrily, hoping to bring her out of her funk. "Spending time with Hops?"

Lana turned her head and greeted Lincoln with a big smile. Nobody had ever shown any interest in her hobbies or pets before, and the little girl became overwhelmed with joy, especially since it was Lincoln who joined her. For once, she felt special enough for him to notice her.

"Yeah!" she chirped. Then, her mood soured again. "But I'm worried. Hops won't eat. I think something's wrong."

"You know..." introduced Lincoln. "Frogs are social creatures. They live in small groups called armies. Perhaps what he needs is a friend. Why don't we go look for one?"

Lana's mouth hung open, and her eyes grew as large as dinner plates. And after a moment's silence, she regained her composure.

"Okay," she sputtered. "First, how did you know that? And second, I'd love to!" she shrieked before jumping to a stand.

Lincoln rose and followed his eager sister out of the house and into the backyard. He realized they might get dirty while out hunting for another frog, but he didn't care. The look on Lana's face when he made the suggestion was worth everything.

Enthusiastically, Lana led her brother through the gate in their fence into the woods beyond, where they continued until they reached the creek. Already, their clothes attracted thorns and other prickly things, but Lincoln never complained, intending to see this through.

Finally, Lana knelt in some brush by the creek. "Over here, Lincoln," she called. "Get down, so you don't frighten them away."

Lincoln did as instructed and peered through the reeds with his sister. Nestled amongst the overgrowth was a small group of frogs. Then, Lincoln's gaze moved from the amphibians to his sister. The look of wonder on her face was priceless, and he smiled.

"You don't think they'll miss one, do you?" asked Lana emotionally.

"I don't think so," whispered her brother. "There's five of them. Besides, I think Hops needs a friend more than they do."

Lana nodded in agreement. "Okay," she said before she reached through the tall grass and picked one up. "Look at him, Lincoln! Isn't he cute?"

While Lincoln never thought of a frog as anything but slimy, he had to admit that seeing his sister caress the frog did add a certain charm.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Lincoln asked, thinking Hops might need a mate more than a friend.

Deftly, Lana turned the frog over, then righted it. "It's a girl," she said.

"How do you know?" inquired Lincoln, genuinely interested.

"I just do," chirped Lana. "Wanna hold her?" she asked, extending her hand and offering the frog to him.

Lincoln swallowed and braced himself as he reached for the amphibian. But as he did, the frog lept from Lana's hand, and Lincoln accidentally dove headfirst into the creek, attempting to reclaim it.

"Lincoln!" shouted Lana in concern, trying to find her brother in the water. "Are you alright?"

Much to Lana's delight, Lincoln emerged from the water, holding the frog.

"Got her!" he chirped, unusually proud of himself.

Then again, there was no way he would let it get away. His sister's happiness, and that of her pet, was on the line. Cupping it between his hands, he trudged his way from the creek, soaking wet from head to toe.

"Lincoln!" gasped Lana, staring at her brother. "I can't believe you did that!"

"Come one, Lana," Lincoln suggested, smiling at his sister's awe-struck expression. "Let's get this little girl home to Hops. What do you say?"

"Yes, please!" Lana giggled as she strolled along the path beside her brother. "Thank you so much, Lincoln!" she squealed. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Oh, I can guess," he said as mud and leaves began accumulating on his shoes and pant legs.

Lana burst through the back door a few minutes later, taking her mother by surprise and nearly making her drop dinner on the floor. Steadying herself and the dish she carried, Rita looked around for the source of her daughter's exuberance.

"Mom! Mom!" Lana screeched excitedly. "Look what Lincoln did!"

Lincoln strolled through the back door as if on cue, leaving a thick trail of muddy footprints on the kitchen floor. Rita's immediate reaction was to narrow her lids and frown, but Lincoln had his hands closed around something, and she grew hesitant instead.

"Look, Mom," Lincoln chirped, opening his hands a little to allow his mother a peek. "I caught a frog!" he said proudly.

"You caught a frog?" his mother dead-panned. "Why?"

"Uh!" exclaimed Lana in disgust. "Hops needed a friend!" she declared. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand."

"Fine," sighed their mother, "but before you go anywhere else, take your shoes off and throw your jeans into the wash. I don't want you tracking mud everywhere."

"Here, Lana," Lincoln said, handing the frog to his sister now that they were inside, and it couldn't get away, even if she lost her hold on it. "Go ahead and introduce them. I'll be along in a minute."

Gleefully, Lana accepted the frog from her brother and ran upstairs. Afterward, Lincoln sat in one of the kitchen chairs and removed his soiled clothing, leaving him in nothing but his shirt and underwear. He then took his things to the cellar and placed them in the bin.

"That was a nice thing you did for Lana," his mother admitted once he'd returned to the kitchen. "Though, I don't understand why she needed you to catch a frog."

Lincoln shrugged. "I don't know," he sighed. "Lana seemed rather down, and I thought doing something with her might help."

"You're sweet," his mother said, smiling broadly at him. "Now, mop up your mess," she added sternly.

After Lincoln cleaned up the kitchen floor, he left his mother to finish cooking dinner and headed upstairs. Peeking into the twin's room, he saw Lana happily chatting away with her frog. As Lola was still not present, Lincoln padded in and sat cross-legged beside Lana.

"How are they getting along?" he asked his little sister.

"Great!" Lana replied, unable to stop smiling. "See? They're eating together!' she announced as she dropped a few more flies into the terrarium.

"Cool," nodded Lincoln. "Have you given her a name yet?"

"Not yet," replied Lana, closing the lid. Then facing Lincoln, she dropped to her haunches. "I wanted to wait for you to help."

"Hmm..." thought Lincoln, rubbing his chin. "I don't know..."

"Oh, come on!" encouraged Lana. "You always think of something!"

"I'm sorry," Lincoln apologized. "I'm not used to naming pets. Did you have any ideas?"

"Well..." sighed Lana hesitantly. "I thought of naming her after you since you caught her. But she's a girl, and I couldn't make anything out of Lincoln."

"Wait! That's it!" declared Lincoln.

"You want me to name her Lincoln?" Lana gaped.

"No..." chuckled her brother. "My middle name is Albert. Right?"

"So?" Lana inquired. "That's another boy's name."

"Yes, but Alberta isn't," he informed her.

Suddenly, Lana sprang forward and wrapped her arms around Lincoln's neck, nearly knocking him over.

"I love it! Thank you so much," she cried. "For everything!"

Lincoln gently patted Lana, enduring her lasting embrace. Though he enjoyed appreciation, he could only stand getting hugged for so long, especially when he was still in his underwear. However, he needed a less embarrassing excuse to part.

"Okay. Lana..." he choked out. "I can't breathe."

"Oh, right," hummed Lana as she released her brother. "Sorry."

Gazing at the two frogs as they hopped around their enclosure, Lincoln reflected on their evening. He'd not only made his sister happy but her pet too. Pride and satisfaction filled his heart, but something remained undone.

"They look happy together, don't they," he calmly observed.

"Yeah..." sighed Lana, turning her attention to her pets.

Despite her smile, her tone had lowered again, and Lincoln felt terrible for her. He knew she was lonely, and while he'd hoped the new frog might change things for her, it hadn't.

"Lana..." he whispered. "Are you alright? You've seemed distracted, and I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine..." Lana tried to assure her brother. "I just..."

"What?" prodded Lincoln. "You know you can talk to me."

"No. Not about this," Lana informed her brother before reflecting. "I don't know. Maybe later."

Lincoln pursed his lips but relented. There was little reason to provoke someone who wasn't ready to talk. In the meantime, he'd keep an eye out for her and pay her some much-needed attention. Maybe she'd open up to him soon.

"Lincoln!" screeched a familiar gravely voice. "You know I don't like it when you lay about in your underwear, especially in my room!"

"Okay, okay..." sighed Lincoln as he rose. "I was just leaving anyway, your highness."

"Of all the nerve..." Lola complained as she added a new tiara to her growing collection.

"Lola!" spat Lana as she rose. "You know I love you, but sometimes you can be a real butt!" she declared. "We were having a moment!"

"A moment?" Lola repeats in disbelief before chuckling. "Since when do you have moments?"

"What?" questioned Lola's twin. "Don't you think I have feelings?"

"I'm... sorry?" apologized Lola as her twin stormed from the room.

"...and then Lincoln fell into the creek trying to catch her!" Lana boasted while retelling her evening. "It was amazing! And then..."

Lincoln remained quiet as Lana recounted every little detail of their adventure together. There was something heartwarming about hearing her recount the tale. As he listened, something inside him began to change. He saw Lana as a person rather than a sister for the first time.

Lana wasn't just a dirt magnet who liked to tinker with cars and go gallivanting around the forest in search of wildlife. She had feelings and hopes and dreams of her own. Lana was also kindhearted and intelligent, something his siblings often overlooked.

Lincoln realized during dinner that, more than any of his siblings, Lana needed and deserved his attention the most. Helping Lynn with her homework and playing butler with Lola would have to take a back seat. They could handle things on their own, after all.

"It sounds like you two had fun!" declared Rita.

"Oh, we did!" chirped Lana, looking at her brother. "Didn't we, Lincoln?"

"Huh?" Lincoln stammered, looking up from his nearly empty plate. "Oh, yeah. We had a lot of fun!" he agreed, Lana's words taking a moment to force their way through his thoughts.

"Anyway..." Lana said, continuing her story.

Later that night, as Lincoln stood in the shower, he found it challenging to get Lana's smile out of his mind. He'd never seen her smile as brightly as he had tonight. It surpassed everything, including when she met her idol, Bobby Fletcher.

Lincoln had always felt an insatiable need to help his sisters, though never any given one in particular. But now, that had changed. Without thought, he had jumped into the creek for her when they could've just caught another frog.

For whatever reason, he felt overwhelmingly compelled to make Lana happy, even at his expense. Suddenly, Lincoln felt sorry that he'd ended Lana's display of gratitude earlier, lying about not being able to breathe to get her to do so.

The fact was, he rather enjoyed her embrace. Lana's skin felt warm and welcome against his, and he could almost feel her thanks as much as feel it. Then suddenly, Lincoln stopped running his fingers through his shampoo-laden hair as he stood under the running water.

His heart was beating fast, and he felt flushed. Something didn't feel right. Then gazing downward, a stark realization hit him. Panic coursed through him as he shook his head free of distractions, denying what his body told him. Quickly, he finished washing up and left for his room.

Lana lay in her bed, unable to sleep. Idly, she stared at the ceiling, thinking about her brother. He'd spent time with her in the past, though more out of necessity or a sense of obligation. But today felt different. Lincoln had been invested in what they were doing and in her.

Though Lana had exaggerated the importance of Lincoln catching the frog at dinner, the truth was that she was more impressed by his attentiveness. She would've been satisfied if they had returned without a frog.

The more she pictured her brother smiling at her and asking her questions, the more she couldn't see anything else. It was as if he had invaded her mind. Yawning deeply, Lana gazed over at her sister, who lay in bed with her blindfold, snoring like a logger.

Nope. That didn't help. Lana's thought returned to her brother.

Sighing heavily, the little girl closed her eyes and tried feverishly to sleep. However, her heart had other plans. Once Lana had closed her eyes, her hearing sharpened, and her heartbeat was all she heard, thumping quickly against her chest as images of her brother floated before her.

Suddenly, her breath hitched as she realized what was happening to her. Unlike her sisters, she had no experience in the matter and hadn't even considered it, but she had finally fallen in love. However, Lincoln was her brother, and even she knew that was something one didn't do.

Still, giddiness filled her being and made it even more challenging to sleep. She had to do something to shake these feelings. Slowly, she pulled her covers away and rose in the dark. Quietly, she padded from her room and into Lincoln's, where she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Then, before she left, Lana turned and gazed at her brother's sleeping form again. She'd never realized it before, but Lincoln was adorable, and her heart nearly lept from her chest as she stared. Despite common sense, Lana had chosen her mate and would do anything to win his heart.

And as she quietly crept for the room and closed Lincoln's door, the boy cracked one eye and sighed deeply.