Author Notes - A little late, but it's only a real fanfiction if at least one of the chapters is terribly late. And it's all okay, cos this is the final chapter of this crossover that, I repeat, no one asked for. With flash forward to the future included!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - WE NEED A DOORKNOB

It took a while. A long while. It could not be denied that the lack of gifts made the process so much longer than it would've been with them.

Lori needed help to carry the bricks, which Liam's family was happy to give. Leni had to plant flowers the old-fashioned way, which Mr Grouse had plenty of experience with. Luan had to use her own limbs that she had sorely missed. Lynn couldn't finish the whole thing in ten seconds flat. Lana couldn't get her animal friends to help. Lisa's machines were not built quickly enough, but David and Darcy kept her spirits up.

But they did it.

Everyone, standing underneath the setting sun, stepped back and admired their hard work.

'So, this is home.' Lincoln said. 'I like the new foundation.'

'Well, it isn't perfect,' Rita said. 'But neither are we.'

'Other than me, obviously.' Lola said, grinning.

Lana rolled her eyes. 'Lola…'

'Okay, okay. Neither am I.'

It didn't look quite like their previous house. The gorgeous building built of several blocks with a big open plaza in the middle of it all was simply too difficult to manage, especially when the house had to have so many rooms. Now, it looked more like a typical suburban house, with two storeys, white walls, and blue shingles on the roof.

And - wait for it - two bathrooms! Now Lynn's spicy diet wouldn't make everyone's day miserable.

'I can't believe it…' Lori said. 'We actually did it.'

The eldest sister held onto Bobby's hand, and they held each other tight. It said something about their relationship when the worst thing that happened was Bobby declaring 'LET'S GET MARRIED!' by day two, while Lori wanted to wait another month or two first.

'Yay!' Leni yelled. 'I knew we could do it!'

'Yep!' Lynn said. 'There's nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it.'

'Is it wrong that I still kinda miss my gift?' Lola asked. 'I was a goddess before Ruidosa collapsed!'

'I do too, Lols.' Lana said with a sigh. 'It feels odd to go this long without talking to Hops.'

'I, too, find myself mourning the loss of my gift.' Lisa said. 'I only had it for a couple of days, but I had never created so many machines so quickly before.'

Lincoln could practically feel the mood dropping. Out of all his sisters, Lily - who didn't even get the chance to receive a gift - was the only one still smiling. Of course, he never had a gift to lose in the first place, so he couldn't quite comprehend the vast emptiness that his sisters were feeling.

'Come on, guys!' Luan said, putting on a grin. 'Let's not think about that. Let's just focus on the new house already!'

'I'm with Luan on this one.' Luna said. 'For once. The house is built. I think it's time for a rockin' party!'

'Not yet!' Lynn Sr said. 'There's one more thing we gotta do before the celebration.'

Lincoln cocked an eyebrow. 'Uh, we've already done pretty much everything else. What else is there left to do?'

Lucy walked up the new steps and pointed at the door. Only then did Lincoln notice that it was missing a little something.

'We need a doorknob.' She said.

'We didn't have one?' Lincoln remarked. 'Seems like a strange thing to miss.'

'There's a reason for that, dear brother.' Lisa said, as she pulled a golden doorknob from behind her back. 'We made this one for you.'

Lincoln took the doorknob from her hand and got a closer look. Its golden sheen made it the cleanest thing in the whole house (which wasn't saying much with Lana around), and it had a fancy little 'L' carved into it. Since that could stand for anyone in the house other than their mother, the 'L' had a little arrow pointing out of the top. It looked a lot like the arrow associated with the 'male' symbol. And, in case you managed to think it represented their father, it had tiny ace-of-spades symbols dotted around in a circle.

'The card things were my idea!' Leni said. 'Cos I know you totes love Ace Savvy.'

'Beautifully carved by yours truly.' Lola said. 'Only a delicate pair of hands could manage work like that.'

'Come on, Sti-... I mean, Lincoln!' Lynn said, pushing him forward with a lot of force. 'Go up there and put it in!'

His eyes began to sting from the happy tears gathering in them. Taking this in stride, he marched up the steps while his family watched him in honour. Lisa marched with him, holding onto his free hand and guiding him forwards to where Lucy awaited them. The goth was smiling.

'You're the real gift, Lincoln.' She said. 'Let us in.'

'Look at the doorknob again, Lincoln.' Rita said. 'What do you see?'

Lincoln glanced down at the doorknob in his hand. It was so clean and shiny that he could see his reflection in it.

'Me.' He said, smiling. 'I see Lincoln Loud.'

'Yincoln Youd is best bruther!' Lily yelled, waving her little arms around.

'The best dang brother all around!' Luna added.

Lincoln took a deep breath, and popped the doorknob into place. Then, it began to sparkle. His eyes widened in awe when the entire door began to sparkle and glow too, much like his own door did before it vanished. He, alongside the rest of the family, took a step back. Lucy, meanwhile, kept smiling.

'I knew it.' She murmured.

'Wait, hold on.' Lynn Sr said. 'What is happening?'

The glow vanished, revealing a massive and glowing carving on the new set of doors. It depicted Lincoln in the middle of his whole family, from Lori all the way to Lily. Everyone, even Lucy, looked as happy as could be.

'There's no way.' Lisa said. 'It's as if the magic…'

A nearby window shutter moved, all on its own. It was waving at them.

Lincoln waved back to it. 'Leia? Is that you?'

The floorboard he stood on waved back and forth like a calm ocean, throwing him off his balance.

'Ruidosa is back!' Lisa declared.

'And I think she wants to take me somewhere!' Lincoln said.

Just as he thought, the floorboards pushed him through the front doors. His jaw fell when he saw that, against all odds, the big glorious plaza had returned. Everything else looked like it did before the magic had seemingly returned, with one other exception: it seemed like everyone had their own doors again, that were glowing and ready to be opened.

'Wow…' He murmured. 'Talk about fixing up a broken home.'

His awed staring came to an end when a strong gust of wind almost swept him off his feet. A pink blur swooped past him and soared through the air with the might of an eagle.

'OH YEAHHHHHH!' Lola shouted, coming to a stop high in the sky. There was a triple rainbow above her head, and little embers emitting from her fingertips. 'I AM A GODDESS ONCE AGAIN!'

Lana ran past him, not on her feet but instead on the back of Wendy the wolf, with a whole bunch of little reptiles following behind her as closely as they could. They charged up the stairs, getting as high as the house allowed before they both belted out an impressive howl. Hops jumped into the pocket in Lana's overalls and let out a happy croak.

'HOPS!' Lana cried with a joyous gasp. 'You're talking to me again!'

The rest of the family followed them through the door, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them. Luna held her hand up to her ear, and her smile grew bit by bit.

'I can hear the distant rivers again, dudes!' She said. 'Sounds like Liam's goat just had twins. Good for her.'

'WAIT!' Lynn yelled, putting her hands up. 'Then that must mean…'

She zipped out the door in a red-and-white blur, returning only a few seconds later with a bottle of Canadian maple syrup in her hand.

'We have our gifts back!' She yelled.

Lori, upon hearing this, stared at a heavy couch that rested under the second storey - apparently, the formation of the plaza had left a few things behind. She had seen more than enough proof that the gifts had returned, but did hers? It had disappeared long before the house did, after all. She took a deep breath, and got a good grip on the couch with both arms. Using all the strength she could gather, she raised it up.

'WOAH!'

She lifted that couch up so high and fast that she almost fell over! There it stood, above her head, feeling as light as a feather. Lori could barely even tell that it was there at all.

'I did it…' She said. 'I DID IT! I'm super strong again!' She gasped. 'Oh god, there's so stuff I gotta get done now. I still haven't re-routed that river, Coach Niblick's cart could still be in that pond, and-'

She was interrupted by a vine grabbing onto her wrist and yanking away, making her drop the couch. Next thing she knew, she was lying in a hammock in the shade, one made of a giant and soft leaf that was attached to two small trees sprouting out of the ground. Leni was smiling down at her, creating a lovely little blue rose and handing it to her.

'You totes need a rest.' She said. 'So I thought I should, like, give you one!'

Lori wanted, oh so bad, to get mad at her for interrupting her work. But then she looked into those big friendly eyes - and remembered her entire discussion with Lincoln - and so she got comfy in the leafy hammock instead.

'You know what?' She said. 'This is literally so much better than working.'

She jumped a little when she saw another version of herself looking at her.

'I'm Lori!' This other her said, giggling. 'And I am literally so strong and… oh no. I CAN'T LIFT AN APPLE ANYMORE!'

Lori rolled her eyes. 'Luan, I get it.'

Luan returned to her regular form, giggling even harder than before. 'Sorry, but jokes are my terri-Lori! Get it?' She sighed. 'But seriously, I don't wanna forget my own appearance again. So you won't be seeing that so much.'

'And thank goodness for that!' Lynn said.

Lincoln did not expect to see his sisters with their gifts back, and he certainly wasn't expecting to feel so happy about it. He watched them all with awe and pride, for indulging in their gifts in a way that made them happy.

'Wow.' Lynn Sr said. 'That's gotta hurt, kiddo. I mean, I'm glad I get to help people with my food again! But finally, you and your mom weren't the only 'ordinary' Louds anymore.'

'Nah, it's okay.' Lincoln said. 'I'm special, with or without a gift. I think I've proven that enough.'

Rita chuckled. 'You couldn't be more right. While your sisters get used to their gifts again, I think you should head back to your room. It's been a long few months for you, and you deserve it.'

Lincoln could not agree more, and Ruidosa - I mean, Leia - moved the stairs closer to him just to get him up there a little quicker.

While he was on his way up, Rita sighed. 'Lynn, we have to tell the girls about Leia soon. It isn't fair if Lincoln is the only one to know.'

'Let's wait to tell them.' Lynn Sr said. 'So they can enjoy their gifts!'

As Lincoln was making his way to his new room, a tall robot on wheels zoomed past him. A certain five-year-old girl was riding in a little basket out in front.

'Look at this, dear brother!' Lisa exclaimed, squealing loudly. 'My gift has returned as well, and I just built a fully-functional robot with his own basic artificial intelligence. Personality and all! I call him Todd.'

Of all the sisters to get their gifts back, Lisa was no doubt the most important of them all. She didn't deserve to only have that for a few days.

Lincoln leaned up against the railing and watched all his sisters as they congregated into the middle of the plaza. Their happy cries and cheers could be heard for miles, and the townspeople on the outside seemed cheerful to hear it.

'But wait!' Lynn said. 'We've got our gifts back, but will Lily get one?'

'Wi-wy get giff?' Lily said, sounding unsure.

Then, as if answering her question, a five-year-old girl suddenly appeared among them with a bright blue flash. Once the blinding light dissipated, it revealed a girl who looked oddly like Lisa, except she had freckles, a pink skirt, and neat grey hair. The sisters all stepped back and even Lincoln stared at the scene in shock.

'Where am I?' The girl asked, before she looked at the sisters in wonder. 'Oh my gosh… EEEEEEE! I have the gift of time travel! HI MOM!'

And those were her final words before she disappeared into the same bright blue flash, leaving just about everyone confused.

'Wait… mom?' Leni said. 'None of us are parents yet. … Are we?'

'No!' Lola said. 'She said she had the gift of time travel, so she must've come from the future!'

'But which of us was her mom?' Lana asked. 'That doesn't really narrow it down.'

'Judging by her great resemblance to me,' Lisa said. 'I can only deduce that she is my future daughter. Which… I must say, leaves me surprised. Considering my nuclear experiments, I did not consider myself capable of having children. Clearly, I find a way. And seeing as she also resembled David… I believe I have found out who my future husband is.'

'Well,' Luna said. 'If Lisa's future daughter got a gift, then it's safe to say that Lily's gonna get one too.'

Lily, who was just as confused as everyone else was, clapped and cooed in joy. She was all but certain that no matter what, her gift was sure to be the best. Though, Lola's would be pretty hard to beat.

Just a few days ago, Lincoln may have been disappointed knowing that even Lisa's future daughter would get a gift (and pretty dang good one too) while he'd be stuck with nothing. Today, however, he could only feel proud for whatever wonderful gift Lily was sure to get. While the sisters started talking about their own future families and what gift Lily could get, Lincoln turned around and headed back to his room.

When he opened the door, he did not find the old nursery.

'Woah…'

Instead, he saw a room no bigger or smaller than his old one, but it wasn't a generic all-purpose room anymore. The walls had been painted much like a city from a comic book, with the floor resembling a network of roads. A spotlight for 'dramatic entrances' hung from the ceiling, and all the furniture was themed like a playing card deck. The best part of it all? The ceiling above his bed had been painted to depict the Full Deck gang - all of the wonderful heroines that Lincoln created with his own imagination and the likeness of his sisters. Right in front was Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack, but not how they looked in the comic book: they were Lincoln and Clyde themselves.

'So this was that secret project they were working on…'

When he went to close the door, he noticed a little note taped against it. Here's a little something for being the best dang brother from all around! It may not be magical, but we think it's the room of your dreams. And the best part was that they were right.

'My family's pretty cool, aren't they, Leia?'

Leia responded by moving him across the floor nice and gently, until she pushed him all the way to his bed. He took the invitation immediately, and rested his head upon the spade-studded pillow. If he wasn't so excited from everything that had happened that day, he may have gone off to sleep. But his mind was too busy racing to even think about sleeping.

I am just as special as the rest of this family. And, for the first time, he meant it.

It didn't take too long until Lynn ran up to his door and forced it open. Leia clattered her floorboards in irritation, only to be stopped by a sudden frost freezing her boards in place. Lola slid into Lincoln's room on a little slide made of ice, presumably just to show off everything that she could do.

'Get out of your room, Lincoln!' She demanded.

'We're about to take a family photo,' Lynn said. 'And we're not excluding you this time!'

'Alright, alright.' Lincoln said, hopping to his feet. 'I'll be right there!'

'TOO SLOW!'

Lynn picked Lincoln up and zoomed him all the way down to the ground floor faster than he could blink, and next thing he knew he was among all his sisters with his parents behind a camera. Lola flew back down and stood next to Lana, determined to show off her 'god-like' powers as much as she possibly could. She was so happy and made so many rainbows above her head that she didn't even care that she was surrounded by hairy smelly animals. Well, not as much as she usually would, at least.

It was quite different from every other time the family got together for a photo. For one, they'd usually be doing something that demonstrated their gift, like Lori holding up a big rock or Leni making flowers. Now, they were more being themselves. Luan looked just like Luan and no-one else, while Lori used her strength only for hugs. Leni had some flowers in her hair, but that was about it. Other than Lola's rainbows and Lana's animals, of course. Oh, and Todd was in the photo too.

The biggest difference, however, was that Lucy was a part of it. She stood right next to Lincoln, not even trying to hide within the shadows. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the thought of being in a family photo got her smiling.

'Welcome back to the family, Lucy!' Luna said. 'No more hiding in the walls for you, dude.'

'I… didn't mind living in the walls.' Lucy said. 'They were dark and cramped; the way I liked it. But… it isn't so nice without you guys.'

'AWWW!' Leni said, bringing her into a hug. 'That's so sweet! A little sad. But mostly sweet!'

'Groan… okay, you can keep hugging me, but only until the photo is taken.'

'I can do that!'

For the first time in a while, Lincoln could truly believe that - gift or no gift - he was a Loud.

'Alright everyone!' Rita said. 'It's time to take the photo.'

'Are you ready?!' Lynn Sr said, barely able to contain his excitement. 'COS I AM! Say… Loud Family!'

'LOUD FAMIL-'

Leia apparently decided that she wanted to be in this photo too, for she pushed everyone together with her tiles just as the camera went off. The result was all the sisters being flung into each other in a colourful blur, where only Lincoln could be made out easily. Lana was being carried away by Wendy, Lola had embers emerging from her fingertips, and Lisa was falling off her little platform on Todd. Lori had been thrown against Leni in a flowery mess, and Luan and Luna were barely visible.

*SNAP*

What a perfect photo.

Lincoln smiled as he looked into it. For more than twenty years, it seemed, he had been staring at this one photo. It was far from the only photo of the whole family, but none of them had quite the same impact as this one.

'Looking at that old photo again, Lame-O?' Ronnie Anne asked, peering over his shoulder.

Lincoln chuckled. 'It's a nice photo, alright?'

'Yeah, I know that. Just messing with ya.'

He put the photo back down on his bedside table. 'Ready for Lila's ceremony?'

There was no point in asking. His wife was already done up in a lovely purple dress, one she would be changing out of as soon as possible. He too was done up, in a spiffy tuxedo with an orange bowtie.

'You ready too, Lyle?' He asked, turning to his son.

The white-haired boy was sitting on the bed, shoulders slumped and arms crossed. Despite his attitude regarding the situation, he was already dressed and ready to go.

'Yeah…' He said. 'I'm ready.'

Lincoln frowned. 'Son? You alright?'

Lyle lifted his head up. 'Oh, I'm fine. It's just… it can be a little difficult going to these ceremonies on account of the whole, you know…'

The Loud father sat down next to his son on the bed, wrapping his arm around his shoulders and trying to give him a smile. Ronnie Anne took this as her cue to leave, and Leia pushing at her heels certainly didn't help.

'I mean, look at all my cousins!' Lyle said. 'Lacy can multiply herself as much as she wants, Luis can turn invisible and phase through things, Lexi can read minds, and L-Three is straight-up invincible against everything! … Well, other than a few dozen allergens.'

'Lyle,' Lincoln said. 'You know there's nothing wrong with being a giftless Loud. It means you're the only reason why your generation hasn't gone crazy. If anything, you should be flattered.'

Lyle managed a small laugh. 'Yeah, I know. I'm thankful you went through all of this crud before me. But I know that Lila's gonna touch that doorknob and get the gift of time travel - as she helpfully told us a year before she was born - and I'm gonna have to watch it.'

'Well, she'll need your support. I had to support her mother when it was time, so I wouldn't be surprised if her daughter needed help from my son. History has a habit of repeating itself like that.'

'Does it ever.' He sighed. 'Alright, I'll do it. For Lila!'

'For Lila!'

And history did indeed repeat itself.

Lincoln stood by the glowing apparition, holding a new magical candlestick in his hands. Rita was still alive, yes - in fact, she and her teary husband were watching from the side - but Leia has made it clear that it was now Lincoln's turn to handle the responsibilities of the candle, as she had decided the day she gave him his 'gift'.

His sisters, all grown up, stood on the top floor with him. Most of them hadn't changed much. Lucy wore her hair in a ponytail, showing off her (frankly mundane) eyes to the world. Lana had willingly put on some eyeshadow, while Lola wore her hair out like she usually did nowadays. Lisa found a way to grow her hair out again, and her right arm had been replaced by a mechanical one following an… accident in the lab. There were a lot more doors now, and somehow Leia had managed to support every single one of them. Magic was kinda impressive like that.

The crowd was filled not by people from town, but the rest of the Loud family; their partners and children. Lori and Bobby's kids - Bobby Jr, Lori Jr, Asombros, Pepito, Amaya, Ramon, Florina, Marcela, Javi, Romualdo, and Rosa - crowded around their father until he was impossible to see. Leni and Chaz's daughter Lexi was wearing her normal casual wear, while her little brother Lary and little sister Leia the Second wore spectacular dresses. Lynn the Third was breathing so hard that she needed to get an inhaler, which her father Clyde - yes, really - was happy to provide.

Luan's daughters weren't faring so well; Lena was too busying trying not to kill her annoying little sister Lula. Lucy's daughter Lacy - dressed up in the gaudiest and most colourful dress you can imagine - ran around in excitement so much that her father Rocky could barely keep up with her and her clones. Lana's twin girls were struggling to watch it, since Lyra was getting a headache thanks to Lara being unable to shut up. Lola's twin boys, on the other hand, were faring much better. Luca just had to hold onto his shy brother Luis to keep him calm.

Lily stood at the top, excited for all the wonderful dreams she could get to explore that night. And there were the guests of honour - Lila was being guided up the stairs by Lyle, just like the generation before them.

'Remember when I would say that I was immune to human emotions?' Lisa asked, holding her husband David close. 'Well, I was wrong. V-Very wrong.' She proceeded to cry tears of joy about as hard as Lynn Sr, to which her husband had no idea how to handle.

'Yep…' Luna said, prompting her wife Sam to laugh. 'She's Lynn the First's daughter alright.'

Lila reached the top of the stairs, and Lyle let go of her hand. He looked up to his father with a big smile on his face, and Lincoln gave him a quick 'thank you' before he stepped forward and met with the five-year-old.

'Hi, Uncle Linky!' Lila said, giggling. 'Is it time for me to get my gift yet?'

Lincoln laughed. 'Someone's excited. Lucky for you, it is time for you to get your gift. Granted, your future self has already spoiled it for all of us, but we're still excited.'

'COME ON!' Lacy yelled, making Rocky jump. 'WE NEED TO SEE WHAT THE GIFT IS!'

'Yeah!' Lyra cried, much to Lara's annoyance. 'We gotta see you use it and everything!'

Luis trembled from behind Luca. 'D-Do you have to be so l-loud about it?'

'Well, we are called the 'Loud' family.' Lary said, crossing his arms. 'Why are you surprised?'

'UGH!' Lynn the Third groaned. 'Just touch the doorknob already.'

Lincoln shook his head. 'We can't do that. First, we have to-'

Lila did not care to wait for him, and grabbed onto the doorknob like her life depended on it.

After seeing this, all Lincoln could do was shrug. 'That works too.'

Sure, they all knew for a good two decades now that Lisa's daughter Lila was going to get the gift of time travel, but it was still grand to see Lila vanishing into thin air and popping back a mere second later.

'MOMMY!' She yelled, rushing up to her crying mother. 'I JUST WENT BACK IN TIME AND SAW YOU AT MY AGE!'

'We have a new gift!' Lincoln declared.

Everyone in the Loud family had just one thing in mind after this not-so-surprising revelation: Lila was going to be brought up to know that she could love her gift without it being the only thing that gave her a purpose. Just like they had resolved to do for everyone else.

Author Notes - I admit, I mostly just wanted an excuse to use the 'Loud Grandchildren' that I have created over the last few months in a story. And they may not be finalised yet! If I choose to add more kids, of course. I'll definitely use them in something else soon-ish enough... as soon as I can figure out what the actual plot is. In case it wasn't obvious, Lily's gift ended up being dream-walking.

And, with that, this crossover fic is complete! Gracias for joining me on this journey and, until the next Loud House fanfic from me, adios!