The weekend came and it was a big day for Stella, as the Zhau girl would be moving into The Loud House. It was gonna mean a lot of changes for her, but with Lincoln's love and support, she would adjust.
Early that Saturday morning, Lynn Sr. drove his entire house to Stella's place. The girl was inside packing, bringing as much as she could. Including small drawers, her mattress and some personal items.
"Alright family, you know what to do, let's help welcome this sweet, adorable girl into our home," Lynn Sr. said.
"You got it pops," Luna said.
"Let's get to it," Lynn Jr. got herself pumped up.
"Follow me girls," Lincoln said, leading the sisters into his girlfriend's soon to be former home. The door had been unlocked by Judy since she was expecting the family anyway.
"Oh good, you're all here," Judy greeted. "Stella's still packing in her room."
"We'll help her with that, with any luck we should be done in maybe an hour," Lincoln said.
"An hour? There's nine of us helping Stella, we'll be done in five minutes!" Lynn Jr. boasted.
"Take whatever time you need, I mean honestly speaking, Stella isn't in that much of a rush to leave," Judy said.
"Huh? Doesn't she want to live with us?" Lola asked.
"I think it's more that she doesn't want to say good-bye to her home," Lincoln said. "I mean, Stella's not gonna be living here or with her mom. It's a lot for someone to go through."
"Oh yeah, she must have spent her whole life in this house," Lynn Jr. said.
"We've only lived in Royal Woods for five years actually," Judy reminded.
"Oh right, forgot that Stella was once 'The New Girl'," Lynn Jr. said.
"Still it's not just the house, she's gonna miss her parents and her grandmother," Lincoln said. "This is a huge change for Stella, and right after getting pregnant too. So let's make sure she handles this at her own pace."
"Got it," the sisters said.
"I appreciate you being so understanding of my daughter Lincoln," Judy said. "It's easy to see why she loves talking about you. You make her so happy."
"I do my best, by the way, has your husband found out about Stella's...condition?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes, right now Ken in his room 'working on something'," Judy used quotation fingers for emphasis. "Truthfully he's very upset about all this, and he did try talking Stella out of moving. But she's adamant on wanting to be with you during this, and as har as it is for me to say good-bye to my daughter, I have to consider what's best for her and her baby, and being in a house with a caring boyfriend and his sisters has more benefits than her staying here with you, mainly since my husband is pretty much furious with you."
"Rightfully so, I got his daughter pregnant," Lincoln admitted. "I'm lucky you don't hate me."
"I...almost did," Judy reluctantly admitted. "But after your promise to me, well I can't hate a boy who genuinely loves my daughter and wants to make things right. Your parents raised you well Lincoln, I hope you and Stella can instill that into your own child."
"Don't worry, I have a list of things to instill onto my child," Lincoln said.
Lynn Jr. chuckled a bit. "Let me guess, Ace Savvy, Starship Groupers, Muscle Fish, Smooch..."
"Real funny Lynn," Lincoln said, getting annoyed at his sister. "I have more than that to teach my kid. Thankfully unlike Lily, I don't have to worry about you taking over."
"Hey don't start with me on that Linc, I had just as much of a right as you to introduce Lily to sports like you tried with video games," Lynn Jr. said.
"We all did with our hobbies," Lola said.
"Lot of good that did, Lily ended up preferring most of Lincoln's hobbies," Lisa said. "So much for my science partner."
"Score one for Linc!" Lincoln boasted, holding his fist to Lily. "Give me some sis."
As Lily fist bumped Lincoln, Lynn Jr. grumbled in annoyance, "I'll give you a fist if you don't can it."
The other sisters seemed to agree with the sentiment, Lincoln playfully backing off. "Alright, no more of that then. Now let's go help Stella."
The Loud siblings made their way to Stella's room. Lincoln knocked on the door, which Stella had quickly answered. "You made it."
Stella greeted her boyfriend with a kiss, one he more than happily returned, "Of course, Lincoln Loud does not disappoint, I will help you move your belongings to The Loud House."
"Ahem..." the sisters said.
"And I brought my sisters of course," Lincoln said.
"So, what you got for us Stells?" Lynn Jr. asked.
"Well, I still need to pack up my valuables, and I need help moving my mattress," Stella said.
"Leave the heavy stuff to me and Lana," Lynn Jr. said.
"I can help you pack your clothes, truth be told I've always been curious about your wardrobe," Lola said.
"I don't have that many differences, I still prefer my star shirt over all," Stella said.
"That much is obvious, but now that you'll be living with us, I can help you update your wardrobe," Lola said. "It'll be even better once Leni comes home, we'll make you look fashionable."
"Uh, thanks, I think," Stella said. "My clothes are mostly in my drawers, then there's my closet. I already packed all my underwear and stuff."
"What about these do-hickeys?" Luan asked, gesturing to some tech.
"Take those too, I'm not done testing them out," Stella said. "One day I hope to be able to build something from scratch but I need to test myself a bit more."
"I may be able to supply you the needs for that," Lisa said.
"I got your music box," Luna said, going for the device.
"Please be extra careful with that," Stella requested.
"Of course, I know how much this means to you," Luna said as she grabbed it. "Far be it from me to mishandle anything music related."
"Don't you smash guitars?" Lola asked. "And harps? Or just about anything?"
"...Well I'm not gonna smash something that belongs to Stella anyway little dudette," Luna said.
"I'll grab your video games," Lincoln said.
"I really appreciate you all coming to help, I still can't believe I'm moving into your house," Stella said, placing a few extra belongings in a suit case.
"We can't believe it either," Lana said.
"But we're happy you are," Luan said. "We're gonna make you feel right at home, we promise."
"We'll treat you like a true Loud sister," Lynn said.
"I always told Lincoln he had the sweetest sisters a boy could have," Stella said. "Times like these I love seeing it reaffirmed."
"Just keep in mind that being treated like a 'Loud Sister' will have it's disadvantages," Lincoln reminded. "It's a blessing and a curse."
"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence bro," Luna sarcastically remarked, the other sisters murmuring in agreement.
"Hey I just want Stella to know what she's getting into," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln, I know your sisters aren't perfect," Stella said. "Uh, no offense girls."
"None taken," Luan said, the other sisters agreeing.
"But I do still look forward to having sisters, you have so many that I always wished I could have some of yours, and now I have the chance to share them with you," Stella said. "It's the only thing that's really keeping me optimistic about this move, aside from spending more time with you at least."
"You don't have any second thoughts?" Lucy asked.
"I mean, I am gonna miss my parents and my grandmother, but at least I can take refuge in the fact that I'm not moving that far away, it's not like I'm moving to another state, just a few minutes away by car," Stella said.
"Way to look on the bright side Stells," Lynn said. "You're not gone from your family, you're just staying with another one for now."
"Might not be 'for now'," Stella said. "I mean, once I have my baby, the only other option is one day having a home of my own with Lincoln."
"Right, forgot to consider what would happen after your baby is born," Luan said.
"She and Lincoln would still be living with us," Luna said. "They still gotta finish High School."
"Oh right, funny, none of the other kids know about Stella being pregnant, only Clyde knows," Lynn said.
"I have to tell them eventually, I just hope it's not too embarrassing for me," Stella said.
"Speaking of which, Luna, did you ever tell Sam?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh yeah I did, she said she might come by later to check on Stella," Luna said.
"I told Benny, he wants to come as well, he sounded really worried," Luan said.
"Benny's a sweetheart, and I do like Sam, I'd be happy to see them both," Stella said. "Now, let's get this stuff to Vanzilla.
As per expected by Lincoln, the packing didn't take very long, the sisters were very cooperative, aside from occasional bickering either from Lana who thought Lola was taking too long, Lynn for thinking Luna and Luan moved too slow, trying to get Stella's pet bunnies to behave and Lincoln constantly reminding the sisters to stop arguing, mostly to have it thrown back in his face.
Before long the move was finished, all of Stella's belongings, at least the ones she was taking were packed into Vanzilla, some packed on top. Some stuff was packed in her mom's car, who would drive her daughter to the Loud House.
"Almost done...by the end of this, Stella will be living with us," Lincoln said, getting into the car.
"Nervous son?" Lynn Sr. asked.
"A little," Lincoln said. "But happy too."
"That's great to hear Lincoln," Rita said. "Stella's gonna be happy too, we'll make sure of it."
The family drove back to their home with the Zhau car right behind them. Within a few minutes, both cars had arrived at the Loud House, the sisters immediately helping in unpacking.
"Let's get this stuff to our room Luan," Luna said.
"On it," Luan complied, following her year older sister to their shared room.
"Lana, give me a hand with this mattress," Lynn Jr. requested.
"Sure..." Lana said, still not feeling too thrilled.
Everyone moved like clockwork, getting everything into the house. Before long, there was important remaining piece of this move, that being Stella herself.
The young girl took a good look at her new home, the same home in which she became pregnant, the moment that changed her life forever. She felt nervous of course, saying good-bye to her old life, about to embark on a new one, it was all so surreal for her.
"Stella?" Lincoln said, taking her by her hand.
"I'm fine...just letting it set in," Stella said. "My new home...I always wondered what it'd be like to live here, didn't think it'd actually happen."
"Me neither...but like my sisters, I will make you feel at home," Lincoln reassured. "That, I promise."
"Thanks, you're the best Lincoln," Stella said, bringing her boyfriend in for a kiss as the two entered the Loud House together. It was quite a moment for Stella, to be in what is currently her new home. Somehow being in this house felt different, because now she was going to live here.
Once inside, Luna called from upstairs, "Your stuffs packed Stella, wanna come check it out?"
"Sounds good to me," Stella said, making her way upstairs with Lincoln following after her.
The two made their way inside the room Stella would be sharing with Luna and Luan. Stella's bed was placed opposite of the duo's bunk bed, with her dresser right at the edge, along with many of her belongings.
"We put as much as we could up here," Luan said. "Everything else is in the basement, you can check later and well sort it out."
"That's fine, I really appreciate you letting me stay in your room," Stella said.
"It's all good brah," Luna said. "We're happy to have you."
"Now remember Stella, you're gonna be around Luna and Luan a lot, so you're gonna have to get used to a few things," Lincoln said.
"Little bro's right, since I'm in a band I gotta practice a lot, I try to do it in the garage since I don't want to inconvenience Luan much but occasionally I will be rocking out in this room," Luna said.
"I practice my stand up in here too, I hope you can stand my rehearsal," Luan joked.
"It's fine, I mean you're letting me stay in here, so I won't get nitpicky about the things you do," Stella said. "Luna, you're a great musician, and Luan, you're really funny, I can't see a downside to being around such talented girls."
"You get used to it, soon it stops being all that impressive," Lincoln said, getting a glare from his sisters. "Hey I'm just giving her fair warning."
"Don't worry Lincoln, I know Luna and Luan aren't totally perfect but they're great enough for me," Stella said.
"So are you Stella," Luna said. "Also, I hear music is good for a baby in a womb, I'd be down to play something for my niece or nephew."
"I can even entertain your womb with a few jokes, I ain't 'kid in you'," Luan chuckled to herself. "Get it?"
"I'd love that," Stella said.
"I think it sounds nice too, but please nothing heavy Luna, I don't want you playing electric guitar or drums next to Stella's womb," Lincolns said.
"I can go acoustic bro," Luna reassured.
"And Luan...well I guess you're good, as long as those jokes aren't pranks," Lincoln said.
"How am I gonna prank a baby in a womb?" Luan asked.
"If anyone can figure that out, it's you, but please do me a favor, and don't figure it out," Lincoln said.
"Come on Lincoln, you know I only go all out on April Fool's," Luan said.
"That reminds me," Lincoln began. "I know you don't like making exceptions on April Fool's Day, but I'm gonna need you to do so for Stella."
"Hey I can find something tame for her," Luan said.
"NO!" Lincoln demanded, starling his girlfriend and sisters. "Luan, do NOT do anything that's going to risk the safety of Stella or my baby!"
"He sounds serious Luan," Luna said. "Maybe you should back off a bit this year."
"Well that's boring, what's April Fool's without a few pranks?" Luan asked.
"What's more important, your pranks, or my pregnant girlfriend who is also your best friend?" Lincoln asked.
"Way to put it heavy," Luan said. "Alright I'll back off of Stella, but you're all still fair game!"
"I can live with that," Lincoln said. "If anything Stella can go back to her old house for the day."
"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Luna said. "Anyway Stella, you're all packed and ready to live a life that's Loud. Hope you're as excited as we are."
"Of course, now before I make this place my home, there's one thing left I have to do," Stella said, making her way downstairs.
Waiting on the first floor of the Loud House was the mother of the newest resident. Mrs. Zhau faced her daughter, the woman feeling very emotionally overwhelmed. "Are you really alright with this?"
"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, but, I do know I want to be with Lincoln, and I would feel better being with his sisters too," Stella said.
"If you're ever lonely, or you ever miss home, you are more than welcome to come back home," Mrs. Zhau said.
"Of course, this won't be the last time you see me," Stella said.
"I will be back any chance I get to check on you, please keep me in the loop, don't hesitate to call me if you need me for anything," Judy said.
"I will mom," Stella said. "I promise."
"Please mind Mr. and Mrs. Loud, treat them with the same respect you treat me and your father," Judy said.
"Of course, I have nothing but respect for Lincoln's parents," Stella said.
Judy brought her daughter in for a hug, "I'm really gonna miss you honey."
"I'll miss you too mom," Stella said, returning the hug to her mother.
Lynn Sr. and Rita had observed from right nearby, the two feeling a bit emotional themselves. They both remember what it was like saying good-bye to Lori and Leni when the two went off for college. Lynn Sr. was the most emotionally overwhelmed, even going as far as to try and prevent his kids from leaving.
Judy broke away from the hug, turning to the pair of parents, "Please watch over her, and refer to the list I gave you for any instructions."
"We'll treat her like one of our own," Lynn Sr. reassured.
"You're more than welcome to come by any time you want to Judy," Rita reassured.
"Thank you Rita," Judy said, making her way toward the door. "Be good Stella."
Stella waved as her mom walked out the door, the poor girl still feeling a bit emotional. Even if she chose to come here, it wasn't an easy choice to make.
"You alright dear?" Rita asked.
"I'll be fine...just..." Stella wiped her eyes. "Just a bit of getting used to..." Stella started sobbing a little. "Nothing I can't handle..."
"You poor dear," Rita said, bringing Stella in for a hug, the young girl quickly returning, "I know just how you feel, it wasn't easy when I first moved away from my parents. Sometimes change is hard, but it can lead to great new things."
"Yeah, from this day forward, you're one of us, a member of the Loud family," Lynn Sr. said. "And since it's your first day living with us, you can pick the dinner."
"Well actually Lynn, I don't think we'll be cooking tonight at all, our guests might be bringing food," Rita said.
"Guests?" Stella asked. "Oh, is it Sam and Benny? Luna and Luan said they were coming."
"No, I mean, they might come, but that's not who I meant," Rita said. "Remember how Lori and Bobby wanted to come down here to check on you?"
"Yeah, I remember," Stella said.
"Well Bobby had told his family, and then his grandmother called and told me she wanted to stop by and check on you, she sounded really worried when she asked how you were," Rita said.
"Bobby's grandmother was worried about me?" Stella asked. "I was under the impression the Casagrande family didn't exactly like me."
"What makes you say that?" Rita asked.
"Is it about you getting together with Lincoln instead of Ronnie Anne?" Lynn Sr. asked. "I mean, yeah they got their hopes up and maybe they shouldn't have been that expecting, and honestly it's a bit weird that they basically want to play matchmaker with my son, but they're still really nice people and well Rosa just felt bad for you. She's a nice woman who's always thinking of others."
"She has told me that even if she wished it were Ronnie Anne, that Lincoln's lucky to have such a pretty girlfriend," Rita said. "Plus she knows Ronnie Anne and that she can move on to someone else."
"I'm happy to know that, Ronnie Anne is one of my best friends, it makes me feel better knowing her family doesn't hate me," Stella said.
"I can't imagine anyone hating you honestly, out of all of Lincoln's friends, you were always my favorite," Lynn Sr. said.
"Lynn! Don't say things like that! Clyde and those other boys are really nice!" Rita scolded.
"Sorry, guess that was a bit out of line," Lynn Sr. admitted. "I guess I tried too hard to boost her confidence."
"You're treating her like a daughter already, how nice," Rita said.
"I appreciate that Mr. Loud," Stella said.
"Come on, remember, don't be so formal," Lynn Sr. said.
"Oh right...sorry it's gonna take some getting used to," Stella said.
"It's alright dear, go at your own pace," Rita said. Moments later there was a knock on the door. "Is that Mrs. Casagrande?"
Rita opened up, but instead of seeing the grandmother of six, she instead saw two other significant others to her kids, that being Sam Sharp and Benny Stein.
"Hi Mrs. Loud, we came to see if Stella was here," Sam greeted.
"Oh hi Sam, hi Benny. Stella's right here," Rita said, gesturing to the girl.
"Stella!" Sam rushed over to pull the girl in for a hug. "I'm so sorry, I meant to see you sooner but I got swamped with band stuff."
"That's fine Sam, I know how busy you get," Stella said, then felt a hug from Benny.
"I wanted to come sooner too, play rehearsal's been exhausting," Benny said. "Not just the acting but getting all the prop-set up too."
"Luan has been busy herself, so it makes sense," Stella said.
"I really can't believe what Luna told me, are you really pregnant?" Sam asked.
Stella nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, I'm having Lincoln's baby."
"I'm surprised, Lincoln is usually a very careful kid, I thought you'd be...you know, protected," Benny said.
"Well, we thought we were, it's a bit complicated to explain," Stella said.
"Well let's head upstairs so you can give us some details," Sam said.
"Oh, Sam, Benny, just so you know, Lori's coming over today with Bobby and his family, so the house might get a bit packed soon," Rita warned.
"That's cool, I'd love to see Lori and Bobby again," Sam said.
"Some of our best memories were the quadruple dates," Benny said. "Maybe we can do one again for old time's sake."
"That'd be nice," Stella said. "Maybe tonight or tomorrow."
"We'll make plans, let's hurry on up," Sam said, going upstairs with Stella and Benny.
"Gotta say hon, our kids do pick good boyfriends and girlfriends," Lynn Sr. said.
"Of course, they're great judges of character, Sam really is a sweet girl to Luna, and Benny's so mindful of Luan, plus you got Bobby who's such a hard worker and love supporting Lori, now we got Stella staying with us," Rita said.
"It's nice having more kids in the house, I'm actually excited to be a grandpa, I can do all the things I did with my grandpa," Lynn Sr. said.
"I still find it so strange that my little boy's going to be a father, I wonder if this is how my dad felt when I was first having Lori," Rita said.
"All parents go through this, we're going through this with Lincoln, soon it might be Lori, she and Bobby are getting pretty serious, honestly each time she called me I half expected that she got engaged or something," Lynn Sr. said.
"It may happen, soon two of our kids will be entering that commitment," Rita said. "Four if Luna and Luan get closer to Sam and Benny."
"We'll worry about that later," Lynn Sr. said. "Well I should cook something, I know Rosa might be bringing food but I can't let her show me up too much."
"Lynn it's been about five years, when are you gonna put your competitive nature aside?" Rita asked.
"When she admits that I'm the better cook," Lynn Sr. said, making his way into the kitchen, leaving Rita somewhat ashamed.
Upstairs Benny and Sam had greeted Luan and Luna, the two couples sharing a quick kiss and sitting together, with Stella and Lincoln sitting together on the girl's bed, Luna sitting against the drawer with Sam and Luan sitting against the bed with Benny.
"So, Lincoln, gonna be a dad huh?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, I still can't believe it," Lincoln said.
"I can't believe it either, how are you taking this?" Benny asked.
"Fine, just fine," Lincoln insisted. Luna and Luan could tell he wasn't as fine as he made himself out to be though.
"Remember little bro, Sam and Benny are like family, you can tell them what's on your mind," Luna said.
"Maybe they can help ease your worries," Luan said.
"You don't need to hold back just because I'm here too," Stella said. "Honestly, I'm pretty worried about being a mom, it's a huge responsibility."
"Yeah, it is," Lincoln admitted. "I'm pretty nervous myself, but I also want to be the best father I can be to my child."
"I think you got that under control," Sam said. "You're a smart boy Lincoln, and you're very thoughtful, I think you can definitely pull this off."
"It's gonna be tough, I mean I can't speak from experience but all parents have the hardest jobs," Benny said. "What are your plans for the future?"
"Well I promised my mom that I'd still go to college and I also plan to work so I can support Stella," Lincoln said. "I'm already working part time at my dad's restaurant, if anything I can find another job."
"You can work with me again with my Funny Business gig, I can even give you a promotion, by this point you would have earned it," Luan said.
"Maybe you can even join us on Tour, be our manager again," Luna said.
"You're going on Tour?" Stella asked.
"You didn't tell her?" Sam asked her girlfriend.
"Well I've been kind of busy dealing with the fact that my bro's gonna be a dad," Luna pointed out.
"Luna? What's happening?" Stella asked.
"Over the summer, me, Sam, Sully and Mazzy are gonna go on tour," Luna said. "Not the small town to town stuff, but it might be across the tri state area."
"Wow, that's pretty big," Stella said. "A grand tour like that! You might be famous soon!"
"Opening for those bands a couple years back really helped us out," Luna said. "If it weren't for college we'd be touring a lot sooner."
"Is that why you wanted to drop out?" Lincoln asked.
"Kind of, I mean if I'm gonna have my chance to be a Rockstar then what do I need college for?" Luna pointed out. "I'm gonna live my dream."
"It doesn't hurt to have an academic back-up plan," Benny said.
"Dude, I eat, drink and breath rock n' roll, no way am I doing anything else for a living," Luna said.
"But what if it fails?" Benny asked.
"It won't, I worked too hard for that to happen, I ain't going down without a fight," Luna said.
"Well I definitely respect your passion," Luan said. "I still wonder what it would be like if I went to that Clown College instead of staying here."
"Hey it's not too late," Sam said. "You should totally follow your dream Luan."
"Well the thing is, there aren't a lot of local Clown Colleges, at least ones that are any good," Luan said. "If I do go, I'd have to probably leave Royal Woods, and I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"I wasn't ready to leave either for that acting school, too nervous," Benny said.
"Gotta plan your futures, lately I've actually thought about getting a place of my own soon," Luna said.
"Wait, you're gonna do what!?" Luan asked. "You've never mentioned this before!"
"Well I'm mentioning it now, see Lincoln expecting a baby made me realize something, we're not kids, we're all growing up, and part of that means branching out on your own, making your own adventures, starting your own families," Luna explained. "I'd like to start a family with Sam one day, so the first step is us getting our own place. I mean no offense Linc, but I'd rather not be a parent while still living at home."
"You think it'd be hard to adopt while you're still living here? Or do you just want your kid to have a fresh start?" Lincoln asked.
"Adopt?" Sam then whispered to Luna. "That reminds me, did you ask Lincoln about 'donating'?"
"I can't do that, it'd be too weird," Luna whispered back.
"It can't be that weird," Sam whispered. "It'd be really nice after all."
"Yeah but..." Luna looked really uncomfortable.
"Hey, is everything alright there?" Lincoln asked.
"Oh, everything's fine, it's just that..." Sam tried beginning, but wasn't sure where to lead this.
"See...Sam wants to have a baby from scratch..." Luna began, feeling a bit embarrassed. "But I can't actually give her a baby since...you know, biology."
"Right, that I fully get," Lincoln said.
"So we wanted a 'seed' to be planted, we're just having trouble finding the right...flouriest," Luna said.
"I see, instead of going to the Farmer's Market, you wanna grow your own crops huh?" Luan said in her typical joking tone. "But you're having trouble finding a deal on seeds, ones with the best quality."
"That's a unique way to put it," Luna said.
"Question is, are you still shopping for one? Or did you find one but aren't sure if you can afford it?" Luan asked.
"Well, we did find something of quality, but the problem is, it technically belongs to someone else, so we were hoping to 'borrow' a few seeds," Sam explained.
"Interesting...wonder what brand it is then?" Luan asked, almost having an idea.
Benny looked a bit confused, "Uh...just so I know, we are still talking about Sam and Luna wanting a donor, and the seed thing is metaphorical right?"
"Yes Benny," Luan said, almost deadpanned.
"Alright, just making sure," Benny still felt a bit lost but he didn't want to comment further.
"Who did you girls have in mind?" Stella asked. Of course neither girl really wanted to answer in front of Stella.
"Just...someone..." Sam said. "I mean, it's no rush or anything, we still have time to decide before having a kid. Still need that place first."
"Have you started looking?" Luan asked, somewhat nervously.
"Well I keep my eye out for any vacancies for apartments or any house that has a 'For Sale' sign," Luna said. "A house might be harder though, even if me and Sam put in the money."
"Honestly an apartment is tough too since there aren't many places and some might be beyond the payment we get for our gigs," Sam said.
"Oh good..." Luan muttered, then worried that they might have heard that regardless. "I mean...good that you're being smart about buying a place and knowing your budget."
"Have you considered your own place Luan?" Sam asked.
"Not really, I mean I'm only nineteen, I don't know if I'd be ready to go out on my own," Luan said. "Luna, you might not be ready either, you're just a year older than I am."
"Hey Lori handled it just fine when she went to Fairway," Luna said
"She didn't move and she came by a lot," Luan said. "She didn't officially move until her final year."
"Still, having an early start on my own life sounds pretty ideal, especially living by my own rules," Luna said.
"Hey Lincoln, Stella, since you're about to be parents, have you thought about getting a home yourself?" Benny asked.
"That won't be a for a few years, we still need to finish High School," Lincoln said. "Though given that my expenses would likely have to cover baby clothes, baby food, and a bunch of other stuff, a house may be out of my reach."
"For now at least, but I just moved into this house so I'm not in any hurry to move anywhere else," Stella said.
"We'll worry about that in the future," Lincoln said. "For now we're just happy here, and I want my baby to be happy here too."
"We'll make sure of that," Luan said. "After all, Stella came here because we wanted to help her, that's one big reason I'm not in any hurry to move."
"I mean, don't let me stop you if you do find a place Luan," Stella said.
"Yeah, my mistake shouldn't burden any of you," Lincoln said. "Actually, mistake might be too harsh of a word, I don't want my child thinking that's how I see him or her. But you know what I mean."
"But I want to help, I want to be there for you and Stella, and to be there for my niece or nephew," Luan said. "You both mean the world to me after all, so I'll stay as long as you need me."
"That's so sweet," Sam said. "Luna, maybe we should try to hold off on moving thoughts, I want to focus on helping Lincoln and Stella here."
"True, don't want to leave my little bro hanging," Luna said. "We'll stick with you for as long as we can Lincoln."
"Thanks Luna, I can always count on you and our sisters," Lincoln said.
"Have you picked out any names?" Benny asked.
"Well, we don't know the gender but I thought of names like Darna if it's a girl," Stella said.
"Really, I was thinking more Lina if it's a girl," Lincoln said.
"Oh I like that name Lincoln," Sam said.
"Right, if it's gonna be a Loud baby, I guess the name should start with an 'L'," Stella said.
"I mean, it doesn't need to, if you like your name that's fine," Lincoln said.
"What about a boy?" Benny asked. "Leon sounds like a good name."
"Eh...maybe," Lincoln said, somehow remembering an old nightmare. Of course he does think Leon is a neat name. "What do you think Stella?"
"I like Leon for a boy," Stella said.
"For a girl, how about the name Lyra?" Luan asked. "That sounds pretty."
"It does!" Stella said. "We'll add that to the pile."
"Another good boy name would be Louis," Luan said. "Or Larry."
"I'd rather not use Larry," Lincoln said.
"Because of Chandler right?" Stella asked. "I swear he only says that to bug you."
"That boy isn't still giving you trouble is he?" Luan asked.
"Not as much, he's kind of backed off in recent years, mainly since he's pretty much outnumbered by me and my friends," Lincoln said.
"Let me know if he keeps giving you trouble bro, we'll be more than happy to make him hurt," Luna said.
"Luna, last time you tried helping, he attempted to trash your gig," Lincoln said. "I don't want you risking anything for me."
"It's good bro, we got him back good," Luna said.
"Yeah, no one messes with my girlfriend's little brother," Sam said.
"We're here for you Lincoln," Luan said. "If he wants to take on our family, we'll show him what we're capable of."
"I appreciate that," Lincoln said. "Now let's try brainstorming a few more names."
A little later on, the door to the Loud House received yet another knock, to which Rita answered, and it was a very pleasant surprise for the mother of eleven. "Lori!"
"Hi mom!" Lori said, hugging her mother. "Bobby's here too."
"Hi Mrs. Loud," Bobby greeted. "I hope you don't mind that I brought some guests."
"Your grandmother filled me in on certain things, but who exactly came?" Rita said. "Sounds like it wasn't just her."
"Yeah..." Bobby gestured to the group waiting outside. "My whole family came."
True to his word, the entirety of the Casagrande family was waiting outside. The Grandparents Rosa and Hector, their daughter Maria, their son Carlos, their daughter-in-law Frieda and the grandkids of Carl, CJ, Carlitos, Carlota and Ronnie Anne.
"Wow...this is a really pleasant surprise," Rita said. "You all came to see Stella?"
"Of course, this must be big for you dear," Rosa said, making her way over to Rita. "You're about to be a grandmother, the greatest gift a person can receive, aside from being a parent."
"How is she doing?" Maria asked. "Is she feeling any different? Some symptoms of pregnancy can start early after all."
"She's fine so far, physically at least," Rita said. "Her mom has mentioned some anxiety though."
"Ay I've been there, I know how she feels," Rosa said. "Of course you would too dear, I mean you've been there ten times."
"Actually it's t-oh wait you actually said 'ten'," Rita said. "Most people say 'eleven' by mistake...including me on occasion."
"Well you do have eleven kids, easy mistake to make dear," Rosa said. "Maria, you have your nurse equipment, sí?"
"Yes mom, I have it with me," Maria said, pulling her bag out.
"I have a nice book on tips relating to dealing with pregnancy," Carlos brought out.
"Ay Carlos, that barely worked for me, what makes you think it's gonna work for this girl?" Frieda said. "You can read all the tips you want, doesn't make it any better when you're carrying around a bundle of love in your belly."
"I'd love to hear more but maybe we should continue this inside where you can all make yourself comfortable," Rita suggested.
"Good idea, then we can see the young girl and little Lincoln," Rosa said. "Vamos familia."
Rosa led the large family inside, the house already feeling twice as big. On the way in, Ronnie Anne had made her way over to Rita.
"By the way, I invited my friend Sid since she wanted to see Lincoln and Stella, I hope that's alright," Ronnie Anne said, gesturing to Sid, who wasn't alone. "And she had to bring her sister because she threw a tantrum about wanting to see Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lilly."
"That's fine, Stella could use all the emotional support she can get," Rita said. "I really do appreciate you wanting to help."
"Anything for my friends," Ronnie Anne said, putting on a somewhat awkward smile.
"Hurry up Adelaide!" Sid said, trying to get her sister to follow.
"I'm going as fast as I can," Adelaide said, trying to tie her shoes. "My laces keep coming undone."
"I told you to get rid of those crummy shoes!" Sid said. "You need better ones."
"Both of you hurry up, Lincoln and Stella are waiting," Ronnie Anne said.
"I'm more here for my friends, especially Lana, I'd tell you why but she told me to keep it a secret," Adelaide said, making her way inside.
"Huh? What was that about?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Think she'd tell me?" Sid said. "Let's just go see our friends."
"Yeah sure," Ronnie Anne said, making her way inside with Sid and Rita.
Lori called up the stairs, "Stella! Are you up there!?"
From in Luna's room, Stella along with all the others could hear her name being called. "That's Lori!"
Lincoln started to stand, "She's finally here. Let's go Stel-" Just then, Stella had rushed right outside. "Wow that was fast."
"Lori!" Stella said as she came outside the room. She rushed downstairs and immediately embraced the older girl. "Oh I've missed you!"
"Missed you too Stella," Lori said, returning the hug. "How are you feeling right now?"
"A bit overwhelmed," Stella said, then quickly noticed the Casagrande family. "Wow, all of you came to see me?"
"Of course mija, I know how hard this might be for you," Rosa said.
"Mind if I check on you quickly?" Maria asked, bringing out her nursing equipment.
"Sure, that'd be nice Mrs. Santiago," Stella said.
"Have a seat please," Maria said, Stella doing as told. "You haven't experienced any symptoms so far correct?"
"None, am I suppose to?" Stella asked.
"Not exactly, but you may experience some soon," Maria said, grabbing a thermometer and placing it under Stella's tongue. "The biggest one being vomiting of course."
"Yeah that'll happen a lot," Rita said. "By this point I'm almost used to the taste of it."
"I don't look forward to that," Stella said.
"It happens, but what helps is managing what you eat," Maria said. "Your baby will reject certain foods, so stick with foods your baby is comfortable with, but make sure you don't just eat junk or anything."
"When Maria was pregnant with Bobby and Ronnie Anne, I made her an old family recipe that kept her food where it belonged, I can make some for you and give your baby an early taste," Rosa said.
"Oh, I think I know what you are talking about, you made some for me and my kids too," Frieda said.
Carl approached Stella, casually observing the girl, "So you're really carrying a baby in you? Can you feel anything?"
"Sort of, I mean I can't feel the baby but...I can sense that it's in there," Stella said.
"Your first sign of maternal instinct, that's good," Maria said. "You'll be feeling that baby soon, it will start kicking, be ready for that."
"Is it hard?" Stella asked.
"It depends, Bobby wasn't too bad but Ronnie Anne was quite vicious," Maria said.
"Ha, boo-yah," Ronnie Anne boasted.
"Carl and Carlitos were a bit rough too, though the more kids you have, the more enduring you become," Frieda said.
"I...don't really want to think of having any more kids right now," Stella said.
"Oh of course, you're still young after all," Maria said, looking over the thermometer. "At least you're fully healthy, you don't want to catch a cold while you're pregnant. Make sure you stay as healthy as you can."
"Will do," Stella said. "Anything else I should be concerned with?"
"Well...as the months pass, soon you'll be carrying milk," Maria explained.
"Uh, milk?" Stella asked.
"When a mother has a child, one of the mother's duties is breastfeeding, so you will feel a bit enlarged soon," Maria said.
"Oh...right, I forgot about that," Stella said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Lincoln's gonna be one lucky guy, right boys?" Carl joked. Of course Bobby and CJ weren't too comfortable laughing and Carlitos didn't understand the joke.
"Carl, please don't say stuff like that, it isn't appropriate," Maria scolded.
"Uh, how big are they gonna get exactly?" Stella asked, subconsciously hugging her breasts.
"Don't worry too much about that, remember that it's totally natural and happens to a lot of girls when they're pregnant," Maria reassured.
Sid sinisterly chuckled, "Heh, that should be a nice sight in a few months, eh Ronnie Anne?"
"Don't talk," Ronnie Anne said.
Maria had taken out some medicine for Stella, "These are good for when you get stomach pain, just be careful how much you take."
"Thanks, I'll make use of them," Stella said, grabbing the medicine. "Anything else I should know?"
"Yes, you might get weird cravings and occasional mood swings, that's something I should warn Lincoln about," Maria said.
"Warn me about what?" Lincoln said as he came downstairs. "Hi, sorry I wasn't down sooner, seemed like you were all checking on Stella and-"
Suddenly Lori had pulled Lincoln into a hug, "Sorry to cut you off but, I really needed this. I missed you a lot Lincoln."
"Same here," Lincoln said, returning the hug. "Really could use your guidance."
"That's what I'm here for," Lori said. "Really need to talk to you later."
Bobby made his way over to Lincoln, holding his fist out, "There's the dad to be." Lincoln obliged the fist bump. "How's it been the last few days?"
"Well aside from the fact that I got my girlfriend pregnant, just fine," Lincoln said.
"Lincoln, when you're ready, I'll make a list of things you might need to do for Stella," Maria said.
"And some books to read, about how to help your significant other while she's pregnant," Carlos said.
"Carlos, those books don't work in practical situations," Frieda said.
"They have to provide some knowledge, I mean they got published didn't they?" Carlos said.
"Ay pish-posh, it's all about instinct," Frieda said. "Lincoln's a smart boy, he'll figure it out."
"Just watch out for the cravings," Hector joked. "They get wild."
"I wasn't that bad," Rosa said. "Let's not worry Lincoln more than he needs to be."
"Yeah, I mean Stella's a very reasonable girl, and mom wasn't too bad when she was pregnant, granted most of my memories of that were with Lisa and Lily," Lincoln said. "I mean, I was too young to remember Lucy and I barely remember the twins, but mom handled it well with Lisa and Lily."
"Lucky you, mom was a bit of a wreck with Ronnie Anne," Bobby said.
"Most of that was because your father overreacted to such little things," Maria said. "I was a bit moody but he made it seem like I was this walking nightmare."
"Guys tend to do that," Rosa said. "Lincoln, be smarter than Hector, Carlos and Arturo...especially Arturo."
"Ooh, the burn on my old man," Ronnie Anne said.
"Well I really do appreciate all of you coming to help," Lincoln said. "I'm really lucky to know such a kind family."
"You're like family to us now Lincoln," Maria said. "Your sister and my son are practically married at this point."
"Feels like it just needs to be made official sooner than later," Lincoln said.
Lori and Bobby quickly glanced at each other, as if the two knew something. Of course now was not the time for either one to say anything.
Lincoln felt someone tugging at his shirt, he turned to see Adelaide, "Hi Lincoln, congratulations on almost being a dad."
"Oh, thanks Adelaide," Lincoln said. "Little surprised to see you here."
"Sid bought me so I can play with Lana and Lola," Adelaide said.
"Sid?" Lincoln looked around to see Ronnie Anne and Sid standing near the corner, both girls waving.
"Took you long enough to notice us," Ronnie Anne teased.
"Sorry, guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed," Lincoln said.
"That goes for you too Stella," Sid joked. "I was kind of hoping for a hug."
"Yes, of course," Stella said, making her way over to her city friend and embracing her in a hug. "I'm so glad you came."
"Of course, you're my bud Stella," Sid said, happily returning the hug. Ronnie Anne quickly took note of Sid's hands, making sure her friend didn't do anything inappropriate. Thankfully Sid kept the hug friendly with no sign of perverted behavior.
"I still can't believe you're pregnant," Sid commented as Stella pulled away. "You're gonna have a baby!"
"Yeah, in nine short months," Stella said.
"I still can't believe that happened," Ronnie Anne said, then turned her attention to Lincoln. "I thought you were better prepared than that."
"Long story, I'll tell you upstairs," Lincoln said, gesturing his friends to the second floor.
"Yeah, I gotta hear this," Ronnie Anne said, going upstairs with her friends, Adelaide following.
"Luna! Luan! We got more guests!" Lincoln called as he entered the room.
"Sweet, Party rock in the house tonight!" Luna said.
Down below, the other adults resumed their conversation, Lori being the first to speak up, "So...what happens now with Stella?"
"Well she just moved in with us," Lynn Sr. explained. "Shortly before you came, the family helped bring her belongings here, she's bunking with Luna and Luan."
"So Stella's gonna live here? How'd her mom take it?" Bobby asked.
"Eh, it took quite a while for her to process the fact that her daughter was pregnant, and she was pretty upset at first," Lynn Sr. said.
"Natural reaction, if Ronnie Anne told me at her age that she was pregnant, I'd be pretty upset too," Maria said. "Now for her daughter to live here, that would be a lot for a woman."
"She's always welcome to come by, and Stella can always go over to visit," Rita said.
"How'd her dad take it though?" Carlota asked.
"I'd rather not let Lincoln get to close to him, that's all I'll say," Lynn Sr. said.
"A man is protective of his daughter," Hector said. "I felt the same way when it came to Maria and Arturo, especially when the punk left my daughter raising two kids."
"Come on dad, Arturo and I had a mutual divorce, plus it's in the past, let it go already," Maria said.
"Yeah, at least pops still kept in touch with me and Ronnie Anne, even when he was away in Peru," Bobby said. "But I do agree, if Stella's dad is mad then maybe it's better if little bro keeps his distance."
"Hopefully we can get something resolved, it would be a shame if there was any friction between Lincoln and Mr. Zhau," Lori said.
"Well maybe we can stop by and-" Bobby's suggestion was cut short by a knock. "Who could that be?"
Rita opened the door to yet another surprise, one even she wasn't aware of, "Leni!?"
"Leni?" Lori turned to see that the oldest of her younger sisters was indeed at the door.
"Hi, I'm back!" Leni greeted.
"Leni, we didn't expect to see you here!" Rita said in disbelief. "I thought you weren't coming until Spring Week?"
"Originally I wasn't gonna come until then, but I really wanted to check on Linky and Stella, I couldn't wait two more weeks," Leni said, looking inside. "Lori! You're here too!?"
"That's right, so is the entire Casagrande family," Lori said, gesturing to the large group.
"Leni! How's it going girl!?" Carlota greeted.
"Hi Carlota! Wow, everyone came to check on Linky and Stella," Leni said, making her way into the house. "They're both so lucky, where are they anyway?"
"They went upstairs with Sid and Ronnie Anne," Lori said. "Apparently Stella's gonna live here now."
"Stella's staying here with our family!?" Leni asked. "Wow, she's gonna be like our newest sister!"
"In a way, yes," Lori said. "So when you come back, there's going to be ten other siblings, just like the old days, except instead of me, it's gonna be Stella, and you'll still be the oldest."
"Right, I'll still be in charge," Leni said. "So that means helping to take care of Stella."
"That's why we're all here," Carlota said. "I mean we can't all stay, it might just be me, Bobby and Lori."
"Wait, you!?" Carl asked.
"Yeah...oh right, Lori did you tell anyone your plan?" Carlota asked.
"Oh not yet," Lori cleared her throat. "Attention, Mom, Dad, everyone. Me and Bobby were talking, and while nothing is finalized, we were considering moving back here to Royal Woods."
"What!?" the entire first floor sans Carlota and Bobby said.
"Yeah, Lori and I talked it over, we thought about buying a house down here," Bobby said.
"But Bobby, you wanted to take over the Family Bodega, I really thought you were gonna be my sucessor," Hector said.
"That was my plan, but given Stella's sudden pregnancy and the fact that Lincoln's gonna be a dad, Lori felt a lot better living here where she can keep an eye on them," Bobby said.
"Lori that's very thoughtful of you but you don't need to change anything, we're all more than capable enough to keep an eye on Lincoln and Stella," Rita said.
"I know but, I'll feel better if I'm here, I don't want to be the only one not taking care of Lincoln and Stella," Lori said. "All the other sisters are staying here, I should be here too."
"Lori, you don't need to make that type of rash decision," Lynn Sr. said. "You need to worry about your own life. Neither Lincoln or Stella would want you to make that big of a sacrifice."
"I just...want to be here with them," Lori said. "I mean, Lincoln's my little brother, what kind of sister would I be if I didn't take care of him the way he should be? And Stella is like a little sister, she looks up to me, I have to be here for her."
"But what about Bobby's plans," Rita said, then turned to the boy. "I mean, are you alright with this?"
"I really don't mind, Lincoln's important to me too, he's like a little brother, and Stella's such a nice girl, she's my fellow Loud Mate," Bobby said.
"Loud Mate?" Carl asked.
"It's a nickname for anyone who's dating one of the Loud kids," Carlota explained. "So like Bobby, Stella, the boy dating Luan and the girl dating Luna."
"Exactly, we Loud Mates look out for each other, and I want to look out for Stella," Bobby said.
"We wouldn't be moving in right away, we're just here for the weekend," Lori said. "I just thought I'd use this time to keep a look out for any houses."
"Or you could just move back in with us," Lynn Sr. suggested.
"Lynn..." Rita scolded, yet again.
"Hey come on, I miss my little girl," Lynn Sr. said.
"Well Lori, Bobby, I won't stop you if you decide you want to love down here, but really think about it alright?" Rita said.
"And if you can't, don't feel like you're not the only one here," Leni said. "You can still help in your own way."
"And you're only a few hours away," Lynn Sr. said. "Please consider your own future honey. Even if I want you to come back, I also want you to be sure of your decision."
"I'll think about it dad," Lori said, then turned to her sister. "And Leni, until I make that decision, you'll still be the oldest and in charge. Meaning you have to take good care of Stella."
"Of course, I would definitely care for Stella, just like I would for all our sisters, and our little brother," Leni said.
"Stella's a good kid too, so she shouldn't be too hard to watch over," Bobby said.
"Remember, she's pregnant, so she might act a lot differently and be prone to hormonal outbursts," Lori said. "Well behaved as she is, Stella is still a pretty emotional girl."
"Right, so that means giving her lots of hugs right?" Leni asked.
"Well...that can help," Lori said. "Alright, while we're here let's try to make some plans on how we can support Lincoln and Stella."
While the adults talked, Carl gestured to his two brothers, "Come on, let's go upstairs and see if any of the girls can be entertaining."
"Can I play with Lily?" Carlitos asked.
"I want to see Luan, she might tell more jokes," CJ said.
"Do what you want, I'm gonna go see if I can find anything fun to do," Carl said, the trio heading upstairs.
Up in the shared room of Luna and Luan, Sid had her ear pressed against Stella's stomach, trying to listen for anything. "Yeah that baby is not moving much."
"Stella's only been pregnant for like a week or something," Ronnie Anne said.
"A little more than a week actually," Stella explained.
"Basically you're not gonna hear anything yet Sid," Benny said.
"Shame...wait can it hear me?" Sid cupped her mouth to Stella's belly button and spoke in a loud whisper. "Hello?"
Stella giggled a bit, "That tickles Sid."
"Still might be too early," Sam said. "Though the moment that baby starts moving, let us know."
"And listening, we can play it some sweet jams," Luna said. "Heard that's good for a baby."
"It also helps to talk, good way to develop some good cognitive functions," Benny said.
"We'll leave no womb for error here," Luan chuckled a bit. "Get it? A little comedy could help the baby birth with laughter."
"Have any name ideas?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I know you don't know the gender but it helps to be prepared."
"We were discussing that before you came," Benny said. "Nothing decided yet though."
"I know a good name, you should name the baby 'Sid'," as suggested by the girl with the same name.
"Sid? You want them to name the baby after you?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Yeah, it's perfect, it can work as a boy or girl's name," Sid said. "My name is unique like that."
"Not that unique, my name can double as a boy's name," Ronnie Anne said. "Well, the 'Ronnie' part. You suggesting they could name the baby 'Ronnie'?"
"Or Sam," came Luna's girlfriend. "I would honestly be flattered if you named my future niece or nephew after me."
"You talk like you're already married to Luna," Sid said. "Wait, are you?"
"Not yet, can't even afford a ring," Luna said.
"You don't need a ring Luna, you can propose with a guitar pick and I'd accept it," Sam said. "Or I can propose...wait which one of us is suppose to propose?"
"Any one partner in a couple can propose," Benny said. "Which ever one of you works up the courage first."
"Yeah, not like the boy has to do all the work, sometimes a girl can ask a boy to stuff," Luan said.
"Like those dances where the girls ask the boys," Sam said.
"Didn't Lincoln do something like that?" Benny asked.
"Oh yeah, you ended up with four girls because your sisters set you up," Ronnie Anne said.
"I just wanted to go to the arcade that night too," Lincoln said. "Thankfully I got to go with Ronnie Anne."
"Which would have happened in the first place if you stopped avoiding me," Ronnie Anne said. "I mean, were you that nervous about going to a dance with me?"
"It's not that...I just thought you liked me that way and I didn't return your feelings," Lincoln said. "Keep in mind if I said 'no', I probably would have gotten beaten up."
"I would not have beat you up if you said 'no' dude," Ronnie Anne said.
"Little bro probably means us," Luna said. "Or Lori. Remember there was a time we thought you and Lincoln were perfect for each other."
"Well mostly because we thought you were the only girl who showed Lincoln any interest, which is why I set him up with Giggles, and you set him up with Tabby."
"And Lucy with Haiku, and Lynn with Polly Pain," Lincoln said. "Goes to show what a lack of communication can result it."
"Yeah, you're right, maybe next time you should have told us from the start you weren't interested," Luna said.
"Let's say I did, what would you have done?" Lincoln asked.
"I...would have totally understood," Luna insisted. "Can't say the same for the other sisters."
"Baloney! You would have been upset the moment Lori got upset," Luan said.
"What's Lori got to do with it? You saying I can't think for myself!?" Luna asked. "That can go double for you Luan!"
"Oh what I'm more prone to hive mind than you are!? Is that what you're saying!?" Luan asked.
"Girls, please no fighting," Stella said.
"Yeah, let's just agree to disagree," Benny said. "You all had Lincoln's best interest in mind that night and things just got a little chaotic."
"Lincoln should have been more honest but he knows that by now and he's gotten better," Sam said.
"Yeah, you're right," Luan said. "Sorry Luna, you too Stella."
"Same, sorry about almost losing my cool," Luna said.
"In hindsight, I suppose you girls only got me dates because you thought I was miserable, so I do appreciate you considering my feelings," Lincoln said.
"Of course, honestly if you hadn't told us you tricked us, I probably would have thrashed Ronnie Anne for avoiding you," Luna said.
"I'm...right here you know," Ronnie Anne said.
"Well it's true, I don't take too kindly to girls who turn down my brother," Luna said.
"I mean, to be fair, I turned Lincoln down once, so you probably would have hated me too," Stella said.
"Huh...good point, glad that never happened," Luna said.
"Still, Lincoln," Ronnie Anne said. "Did you really not like me back then? I mean you going through all that trouble to avoid me isn't very comforting."
"It's not that I didn't like you, I just didn't like you that way, and last time I hurt your feelings, you cried to Bobby," Lincoln said.
"Hey I told you that was an exaggeration!" Ronnie Anne snapped. "The only ones who overreacted that day were Bobby and Lori."
"Well, to be fair, you did nearly start crying when I insulted you at the restaurant," Lincoln said.
"That was allergies! Not like you hurt my feelings, and it's not like you needed to kiss me to make me feel better," Ronnie Anne said.
"I'm just glad you didn't punch me that time," Lincoln said. "Well you slapped me in school the next day but that was to get some loser kids off my back."
"So I'm kind of confused," Benny said. "Why did you kiss Ronnie Anne if you didn't like her that way?"
"Yeah, the way Luna described you two once I really did think you dated," Sam said.
"It was...complicated," Lincoln said. "See I thought I liked Ronnie Anne, but she felt less like a potential girlfriend and more like a sister."
"Sister!?" Ronnie Anne asked. "You see me as a sister!?"
"Only because you reminded me of Lynn with your aggressive attitude," Lincoln said. "Dating you would have felt like dating Lynn."
Ronnie Anne's eyes widened in shock, "I've...never heard you compare me to Lynn."
"Yeah, that's kind of harsh, I mean it's Lynn..." Sid said. "Uh, no offense sisters."
"None taken, she can be a pain," Luna said.
"And a bit obnoxious," Luan said.
"But she's very dependable," Stella said. "And since we became friends she's been very loyal to me."
"Lynn does have a soft spot for you," Lincoln said. "It's honestly gotten to a point where she rags of me if she thinks I'm anything less than a perfect boyfriend to you."
"What would Lynn know? She's still single," Luan said.
"She's just relishing her victory, remember she fought like hell to make sure you and Stella ended up together," Luna said.
"Come on, there's more to it than that," Sam said.
"You know, speaking of Lynn, I wonder where she is?" Lincoln asked. "I haven't seen her since she left the bed in here."
"Last I saw she went to the bathroom," Luan said. "Though I didn't hear any running water."
"Maybe she's using the toilet, I mean, she had a pretty hefty breakfast this morning," Lincoln said.
"Ooh, that reminds me," Luna said. "If you're gonna live here Stella, watch out for Lynn's bathroom days."
"I kind of expect that," Stella said, little grossed out however.
"Seems like there's gonna be a lot for you to get used to Stella," Benny said. "Are you excited at all? Or really nervous?"
"Eh, bit of both," Stella said.
"If you need me to come by more, I'd be happy to," Sam said. "Loud Mates stick together."
"Yeah, Loud Mates stick together," Benny said.
"You two make for such good-" Suddenly Stella heard some rusting in the vents. "What's happening?"
"Did Lana's pets escape again?" Lincoln asked
"Lana's...pets?" Stella freaked out. "Oh dear God, I honestly forgot about them. I better not wake up with a snake near me."
"Hope it ain't your bunnies," Luna said. "They're tame now right?"
"Yeah, thanks to Lana," Stella said.
"Hey, what are you doing up here kid!?" came Lynn's voice.
"Just looking for my cousin," came Carl's voice.
"You are not welcome up here, begone before I send my spirts to condemn your soul!" came Lucy's voice.
"Just try it, my abuela has anti-spirit techniques!" Carl boasted. "I'm invincible."
"Do you really want to test that you puny mortal!?" Lucy asked.
"Uh, why is it getting cold and windy?" Lynn asked. "Luce, are you actually summoning spirits!?"
"Can she do that!?" Stella nervously asked.
"Don't be silly, spirits don't exist," Benny said.
"That's what you think," Lincoln said.
"Please don't talk about such spooky stuff Lincoln," Stella said.
"Hey if you're gonna live here, you might hear it a lot from Lucy," Lincoln said. "Speaking of which, we should-"
"Dude, seriously, get the hell out of the vents!" Lynn shouted.
"You're not the boss of me!" Carl said.
"I will mess your ass up if you don't take a hike!" Lynn warned.
"You don't have the guts!" Carl boasted. Big mistake as a tussle began in the vents.
"Hey watch where you're fighting!" Lucy shouted.
"Hey this is right above our room!" Luna said. "We gotta stop them before-"
Suddenly Carl, Lynn and Lucy fell through the hole toward Stella's bed. Using his quick reflexes, Lincoln pulled Stella to safety just before the trio landed, the force breaking the bed's frame.
"Stella, are you hurt!?" Lincoln asked, checking over his girlfriend. "How's the baby?"
"We're fine Lincoln," Stella insisted. "Thank you though."
"Of course," Lincoln said, hugging his pregnant girlfriend.
Lynn groaned in pain and annoyance, "Dammit kid, way to blow my-"
"Lynn!" Luna shouted.
"Oh, Luna..." Lynn nervously said, almost fearing the rocker girl's glare. "How's it going?"
"Don't give me that! You just broke though the roof of my room, like what the fuck were you thinking with that!?" Luna shouted.
"Luna!" Lincoln said, almost offended to hear his sister say such a word, especially in front of his not-yet-born baby.
"Hey don't blame me, Carl's the one who tried picking a fight with me!" Lynn said.
"You started it by being bossy," Carl said.
"What the hell are you even doing here Carl!?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"I was looking for you prima," Carl said.
"In the vents? Like what kind of bullshit nonsense is that!?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"Ronnie Anne!" Lincoln said, also somewhat offended.
"Gone are the days of our TV-Y7 rated house," Luan joked. "But seriously, you three just broke Stella's bed. Not even her first full day and you're already messing up her personal property."
"More than that!" Lincoln said. "Lynn, Lucy, Carl, you almost hurt Stella! Suppose you fell on her!"
"Hey he's right! You numbskulls could have hurt Stella!" Luna said.
"Hey I had nothing to do with that," Lucy said.
"You're the one summoning spirits to attack me!" Carl said.
"I thought your abuela made you invincible," Lynn joked. "Is there a word in Spanish for overconfident dumbass?"
"That's two words! But I can think of a good Spanish word to describe you!" Carl said.
"Try it, I'll one up you in Japanese, my brother's a weeb so I know a few phrases!" Lynn said
"First off, I'm not a weeb, I just know a few Japanese words, it's perfectly normal," Lincoln said, getting an eye roll from Stella and Luan. "Second, you two still wrecked Stella's bed, where is she gonna sleep!?"
"She could have my bed, I can sleep somewhere else," Luna said.
"No let her have mine," Luan said. "I can find another place to-"
"Luna! Luan!" Came Lynn Sr's voice. "Are you alright in there!? Are Lincoln and Stella in that room!?"
"Dad! Come in please!" Luan said.
Lynn Sr. opened the door and saw the destruction, "What the darn heck happened in here!?"
"Lynn," Luna and Luan said.
"You rats!" Lynn snapped.
"Lynn Junior! Explain!" Lynn Sr. demanded.
The younger Lynn pointed to Carl, "It was his fault."
"Hey!" Carl said.
"Alright everyone out please, and someone get Lana, we're gonna need this fixed," Lynn Sr. said. As the kids left, he focused his attention to the newcomer, "I'm sorry about your bed Stella, not off to a good start living here."
"It's fine, accidents happen," Stella said. "I just gotta find a place to sleep now."
"I offered her my bed," Luan said.
"Same," Luna said.
"That's nice of you girls, but maybe Junior should be helping," Lynn Sr. said.
"Right, of course," Lynn Jr. said. "Stella, you can sleep in my bed, I'll sleep somewhere else. Maybe in Leni's room."
"Oh, I get a sleepover on my first night back?" Leni asked, getting the attention of the others.
"Leni!?" Lincoln said in surprise.
"You're back!" Stella rushed in to hug the older girl.
"I came back for the weekend, I wanted to check on you," Leni said, rubbing Stella's head. She then welcomed a hug from Lincoln, and soon Luna and Luan.
"Aw, I love when my kids hug each other, shows the love in this house," Lynn Sr. said, wiping a tear. He turned back to the damage, feeling annoyed again. "Well, time to get this fixed up."
Lori had come upstairs, getting her brother's attention. "Lincoln, come meet me in the garage."
"Oh, um, sure," Lincoln said, following after Lori.
"Hey Stella, mind coming into my room with me?" Leni asked.
"Sure, alright," Stella said, going with Leni.
In the garage, Lincoln and Lori sat together on a pair of chairs the older girl set up. Lincoln felt a bit confused in the moment. "Uh, so what's up?"
"Lincoln...explain," Lori began. "Explain how you got Stella pregnant."
"Uh...I mean, you know the story about the birds and the bees right?" Lincoln asked.
"Don't get smart with me!" Lori warned, surprising the boy. "Lincoln, I told you that when the day came that you and Stella wanted to be sexually intimate with each other, to make sure you're properly protected!"
"We were or we thought we were," Lincoln said. "Stella thought she took pills."
"What about on your end Lincoln!?" Lori asked. "Where was your protection!?"
"Clyde took them by accident, I swear," Lincoln said. "Look, I get that I messed up here but-"
"You got Stella pregnant, 'messed up' is way too much of an understatement!" Lori shouted, starting to lose her cool. "I just...of all our siblings, you were the last one I thought would be a father prematurely. I mean Luan had better chances, fortunately she has a boyfriend who's very responsible. I actually would have expected this from Luna! Luna, Lincoln! She has a girlfriend! And I still expected her before you! You've always played it safe, Stella is a very responsible girl, I just..." Lori took a moment to calm herself. "I'm sorry for getting heated I'm just so confused and so worried! I really expected better from you Lincoln!"
"I know you did, and I'm really sorry Lori," Lincoln said, feeling very apologetic. "I didn't mean for this to happen. It was just a bad call on my end, I shouldn't have relied on those pills."
"Clearly not," Lori said, still feeling very bitter. "I'm just really unhappy about this, I don't know if mom or dad gave you an earful."
"Mom, sort of, dad just told me he has faith in me," Lincoln said.
"Just tell me, what are your plans now?" Lori asked. "Have you thought any further about how you're going to support Stella?"
"Well, I have work covered thanks to dad's restaurant, but if I need more working hours, I can probably get a job at Flip's," Lincoln said.
"There's no freaking way you're working at a place like that," Lori said. "Besides didn't you try that once?"
"I mean I might not have much of a choice," Lincoln said. "Where else can I work?"
"There's gotta be a place..." Lori sighed. "If only you and Stella lived in Great Lakes, you could work at the Bodega that Bobby's family owns."
"Lori, I'll figure something out, I am the man with a plan after all," Lincoln said.
"You...are way too confident sometimes," Lori said. "But that is something I've always loved about you. Lincoln, just promise me that you'll figure something out, I don't want this to ruin your life!"
"I'm about to have a baby with the girl I love Lori," Lincoln said. "I honestly can't see this as much of a negative. I mean, yeah my life's gonna change, but at the same time, it might get better. Dad always talks about how we're the best things that's happened to him, maybe this baby will be the best thing that's happened to me."
Lori gently rubbed Lincoln's hair, "Well, I can already tell you're gonna be a good father. Lincoln, I just..." Lori pulled him into a hug. "I'm so worried and afraid for you. I know you feel confident but the fact that my little brother's gonna have such a big responsibility...I want to be there for you, I want to be less afraid. I'm just...I'm sorry if I'm worrying you but-"
"It's alright," Lincoln returned the hug. "You're just being a good big sister, and I'll always love you for that Lori. But you gotta believe in me, I know I can pull this off. Please, don't be afraid for me, because I'm way too determined to let this get the better of me."
"Lincoln..." Lori pulled back and kissed him on the head. "I can't argue with your logic I guess, if anyone can pull this off, it's you."
"Man with a plan," Lincoln again boasted.
"...Do you think you'll need me though?" Lori asked. "I mean, what if I were to move back here."
"I would love that, but what about Bobby? He was suppose to take over the Bodega," Lincoln said.
"I'll talk this over with him some more, I just want to be close to you again," Lori said.
"That would be nice, I mean, nothing against Lynn, Luna, Luan or Leni, but when it comes to older sisters, you are very dependable for me," Lincoln said. "After all, I always looked up to you the most."
"Oh Linky, you'll always be my favorite brother," Lori said.
"I'm your only brother," Lincoln pointed out.
"You're still my favorite," Lori said, hugging Lincoln once more. "You'll always by my baby brother Lincoln."
Lincoln pretty much enjoyed the hug he got from Lori, she had such a tender vibe to him, and he usually felt safe when he was with her.
Meanwhile in Leni's room, the second oldest Loud sister, was seen fixing up Stella's hair a bit. "I just love your hair, it's really long and pretty."
"Thanks, that's really nice of you to say," Stella said.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Leni asked.
"Well, I am a bit worried about being pregnant but, everyone's been so nice to me and Lincoln's been fully supportive of me, so I think I can manage being pregnant," Stella said.
"That's good...so you don't regret anything?" Leni asked.
"...Hard to say, I mean, I'm already pregnant, I can't say I regret it, if my child sense something like that, it might feel unloved," Stella rubbed her stomach. "I already love this child, I don't want to think about regrets."
"I'm so happy, but my talk of regret wasn't about the baby, it's about the sex you two had," Leni said.
"Huh? Oh, you thought we'd regret it?" Stella asked. "I can't speak for Lincoln but I certainly did not regret it, I enjoyed it a lot, he's so good, he really knows what I want." The girl began to blush a bit. "It feels weird saying this to you since he's your brother but..."
"No it's fine, I'm happy you and Linky enjoyed it, probably because you both love each other, that's a bit more than I had," Leni said.
"You had?" Stella asked. "You mean you..."
"Yeah...I never told anyone though, not even Lori," Leni said. "But...I lost my virginity, to a mutual friend of me and Lori. I thought I wanted it but I realized that it may have been too soon. He felt the same way so he never told anyone either. Unfortunately we haven't talked much since, we're both too embarrassed to do so. I mean, I don't hate him, and I'm not mad but, it's just awkward now."
"I can understand, uh who is this friend if I might ask," Stella said.
"His name's Joey, maybe you've seen him around," Leni said. "Nice boy, likes Ace Savvy like Lincoln. It just happened one night, during Lori's graduation party. The two of us started talking, then...well we got some alone time and we started doing it."
Stella couldn't believe what she heard, she didn't think Leni would do something like that as a spur of the moment decision. She's had a few boys she's admired over the years too, to think it ended up being a friend on a random occasion. "So, you regret it?"
"Mostly, it would have been better with a boy I loved, I'm just lucky I didn't get pregnant," Leni said. "That's why I think Linky is so lucky, same with Luna, Luan and Lori. They've all been with people they love. I know you're pregnant but at least the boy who got you pregnant loves you enough to take care of you."
"When you put it that way...it makes me being pregnant a lot easier, because Lincoln will be right by my side," Stella said.
"Of course, we all will," Leni said, bringing Stella in for a hug. "Because we all love you."
"I love you too Leni," Stella said, returning the hug. "I can't wait for you to come back long term."
"I can't wait to be back long term," Leni said.
Outside the room, Sid had overheard pretty much everything from Leni. The girl having been intimate with her friend, and regretting it. It did make Sid really wonder about her relationship with Ronnie Anne, the risk she would be taking if they did get together. Of course Sid knows the solution is to make sure Ronnie Anne falls in love with her completely, and for Sid to know for sure she herself truly loves Ronnie Anne.
The door opened, Stella looking surprised to see her friend waiting, "Oh Sid, did you need something from Leni?"
"Oh no, I was looking for you," Sid explained. "Mr. Loud made some food for us, I figured we could eat and catch up a bit more before we had to go back to the hotel."
"Oh, yummy," Stella said, rubbing her stomach. "I really hope my baby likes the food that his or her grandfather makes."
"Mr. Loud's a great cook, even Mrs. Casagrande thinks so, and she's a great cook herself," Sid said. "Well I'll see you downstairs."
"Sure, and thanks again for coming, you're a great friend Sid," Stella said.
"Aw..." Sid embraced her friend quickly. "Thanks Stella."
"Anytime," Stella said, quickly returning the hug before the two split off.
"Well, let's head downstairs," Sid said.
"Sure," Stella turned inside. "Coming Leni?"
"Yeah, just texting Fiona, Miguel, Jackie and Mandee," Leni said, checking her phone. "Hey Stella, how secret do you want this pregnancy?"
"It's fine if you tell your friends which reminds me, I still need to tell mine," Stella said.
"You haven't told them yet?" Leni asked in disbelief. "But they're your friends, you have to let them know soon."
"Yeah, maybe tomorrow we can let them know," Stella said.
"Speaking of friends, where's Clyde?" Sid asked.
"He's visiting his grandma," Stella explained, then felt her stomach grumble. "Well I'm hungry, and my guess is that my baby is too, so let's get to it."
The girls made their way down the hall, just as Adelaide stepped out the twins' room. "Sounds like it's time for food."
"Something to get my mind off this," Lana said.
"Hey, Stella's here to stay, better get used to it," Lola said. "She is going to be the mother of your niece, or nephew."
"Or both," Adelaide said. "You two are twins, maybe Stella will have twins too."
"Oh, didn't think of that," Lola said. "If she has one of each, that would be even better!"
"That just sounds like more of a pain," Lana said.
"I'm here for you," Adelaide said, patting Lana on the back. "We're best friends after all."
"We sure are, really glad you're here Adelaide," Lana said, hugging her friend.
Adelaide happily returned the hug, something Lola rolled her eyes at. Of course she appreciates someone being kind to her sister, and she herself liked Adelaide as well. "Come on, dinner won't last forever in this house."
"Let's get some food then," Adelaide said as she and Lana broke away from their hug.
The three girls rushed down to join the Louds, Casagrandes and the others in a nice big multi-family dinner.
Later on Lori, Sid and The Casagrande Family had said good-bye for the night, everyone making their way to a hotel room that they had rented, or rather rooms since there were too many to fit in one room.
Maria, Frieda, Carlos, Hector and Rosa had one room together, Ronnie Anne, Sid, Carl, CJ, Adelaide and Carlitos had a second room together, then there was the room that Lori, Bobby and Carlota rented.
Ronnie Anne waited in the hall, enjoying some alone time as she listened to some music, still trying to take in the fact that Stella is indeed pregnant, through Lincoln no less.
"Yo, Ronnie Anne," Sid said, trying to get her attention.
"What is it?" Ronnie Anne asked, barely minding the girl.
Sid grew a bit annoyed, things between the two have been a bit off since the night she and Ronnie Anne were stripped down to underwear. It was one of Sid's poorer ideas as it did somewhat strain their friendship for the moment, and Sid wants to mend that, but it's hard to do when Ronnie Anne was already in a funk due to Stella being pregnant. Plus with Ronnie Anne knowing that Sid had a massive crush on her, it just made things even more awkward between the two.
"Ronnie Anne, I know things are changing and maybe it's a lot to get used to, but try not to shut anyone out, it's not a good way to handle this," Sid said.
"Sid, I really don't want to talk about this, especially to you," Ronnie Anne said. "Now go, I don't want to be bothered."
Sid turned away a moment, feeling a bit dejected, "Ronnie Anne, are you still upset about the other day? I mean, I think I get why you're worried. Getting into a relationship is risky, and I've seen that it can have consequences if it doesn't go well. If you want we can try some smaller stuff, like I can take you out on a date and see where it goes from there. We've hung out a bunch of times, so dating shouldn't be too hard."
"Sid, I'm really not interested in discussing this again," Ronnie Anne said. "I'm not interested in a romantic relationship, honestly I'm questioning our regular relationship."
"But...Ronnie Anne..." Sid grew very concerned over this revelation.
"Sid, just go," Ronnie Anne ordered. "I don't want to talk now."
"...Fine, have it your way," Sid said, resisting the urge to cry. She stormed off, opposite of the room into the bathroom, not wanting to go inside looking upset.
"Damn girl..." Ronnie Anne commented, trying to focus on her music. Unbeknownst to the two, Carl had partially listened in on their conversation.
"Something's up with those two, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this," the boy said. "No more being left out of this drama, time for Carl to shine."
Night game, Stella had gone to the shared room of Lincoln, Lucy and Lynn, the latter sleeping in the Linen closest for the night due to helping in breaking Stella's bed, by accident of course. Stella had a long day and fell asleep as soon as she got in bed.
Of course, during the night, she would get company from her boyfriend, Lincoln cuddling next to her, kissing her cheek before drifting off.
"Goodnight Stella, hope you enjoy your first night," Lincoln fell asleep right by his girlfriend's side, eager for the new adventure they will embark on.