The camera turned on to show Carol and Catherine staring at it, while the audience applauded. "Thanks for waiting, everyone! Tough Love's act is ready and we're prepared to continue with the grand prix!"

"I like cereal!" Carol suddenly chirped.

"Um, interesting, if rather pointless, little factoid, Carol," Catherine remarked as the audience chuckled. "Anyway, begin the second presentation!"

Everything went dark and, like before, a screen popped up, revealing Ronnie and Lincoln smiling at the camera... While also lifting their inder and middle fingers on the back of the other's head.

"The only son of a big family, and a bully who's heart grew three times bigger ever since she met him! Will they manage to cause a comedic uproar with more than just their baffling relationship?! Give a round of applause to Team 2: Tough Love!"

It cut to the shadowed stage, with Ronnie and Lincoln in there as well. And once the trumphets blared, the lights turned on and revealed the duo waving hello. "Greetings, everyone!"

"I'm Lincoln!"

"And I'm Ronnie Anne!"

"And we're Tough Love!" the duo pulled a pair of peace signs. "Glad to have you here today!"

"So, let's try to do our best, alright?" Lincoln spoke.

"Yeah, let's do our best!" Ronnie raised her fist in excitement.

Lincoln frowned. "Although-"

Ronnie frowned as well. "What's wrong?"

"Well, you saw how good the twins' act was, and after us comes Luna and Luan's act-"

"They'll be a piece of cake!" Ronnie waved her hand, then pulled a thumbs up. "A chocolate cake, even!"

"I know, but after them come Lynn and Lucy, then Clyde and Lisa, and finally Lori and Leni," Lincoln folded his arms and forced a nervous smile. "With so many different acts with so much variety, I just can't help but feel like it'll be very hard, if not impossible, for us to win this thing-"

"Lincoln, we both know it's mostly about having fun, so don't worry about winning, okay?"

"But what will the twins think about seeing us lose?"

"I'm sure Lana and Lola won't mind-"

"Lana and Lola? I was talking about our twins."

Ronnie jumped back and shouted, "Where did that come from?!" as the audience laughed and applauded. "W-What twins are you talking about?"

Lincoln matter-of-factly stated, "The ones you'll give birth to in ten or so years?"

Ronnie promptly slapped him. "As if!" she shouted, as the audience laughed some more. "Assuming we do start a family, what makes you think we'd get twins?!"

"What, you'd rather have triplets?"

*WHACK!*

"Don't increase the number! Look, just focus on what's happening right now: Our comedy routine!"

Lincoln got up and dusted himself. "Well, I didn't just bring up the family bit just for fun, you know? You see, I've been thinking about something."

"About what?"

"You know how people have a habit of shipping me with every girl in the world, from you, to my sisters, to older women, right?"

Ronnie fell speechless, which caused the audience to laugh out loud. "L-Let's assume that's supposed to be a normal question, in which case my answer would be yes."

"Well, the more I saw stuff about that, the more I thought: How am I supposed to support my children-?"

"People ship you with nearly every girl regardless of age, and you're mostly thinking of how to support the children?!" as the audience chuckled, Lincoln just nodded in a blunt manner. "W-Well, that's nice of you to think about, Lincoln, but-"

"-Anyway, as a result of that question, I've been wondering what job I'll get when I grow up."

"Huh, you know, sometimes I wonder that myself," Ronnie folded her arms. "But even so, shouldn't you focus on what you want to be when you grow up?"

"Oh, I already know that," Lincoln clasped his hands. "I'll be the proud father of-"

Ronnie smiled. "Two kids?"

Then, with a photograph showing Lincoln and Ronnie with twenty other kids, Lincoln bluntly answered, "No, twenty!"

"Too many!" Ronnie smacked Lincoln again. "You increased the number of kids way too much!" I mean, how are you supposed to support twenty kids?!"

"Well, anyhow, I'm planning to have a family eventually, so I'm going to need to get a job that will earn me a good deal of money,"

"Oh? What do you have?"

Lincoln promptly took out a Little piece of paper, then unrolled it, causing it to reach the duo's feet. Ronnie could only squeak, "Oh boy" with worry.

"Well, the first job I put on the was a surgeon."

"Oh yeah, those get paid quite a lot, seeing as they're responsable for treating people and that. I should know, mom's one of them-"

"I took it out a while ago. I figured I could come across many unpleasant cases, and I can be squeamish, so I took it out just to be sure."

"Oh..." the audience chuckled. "Well, I can understand, I guess-"

"The next job I put on the list was pediatrician."

"Oh, those doctors that treat children? You'd definitely make a good pe-"

"I took that out a moment ago. I thought about it some more, and then I wondered, what if I end up having to treat Chandler's kid, or Tetherby's grandkid, or the child to a person I don't like very much? So I took it out."

"Um..." the audience chuckled once more. "O-Okay, I don't see how that's such a problem you need to take it out, but I guess I ca-"

"The next job on the list is psychiatrist."

"That sounds like you and your entire family need right now."

"I took it out too-"

"Is there any job you kept in the dang list?!" Ronnie snapped, while the audience laughed and clapped. "Listen, just skip straight to the-you know what?"

"What?"

"Maybe we're looking at this in the wrong way? I mean, you can always work a lot in one specific job and save up for the future, right?"

"Huh, I forgot to take that into account."

"Yeah, let's do that. So, what would you legitimately want to work as?"

"Hmm... A news reporter sounds nice."

"A news reporter? Well, you have a reputation for being very informed, so, I guess that could work."

"Yeah, but would I be a good reporter?"

"Let's find out! Get a mic and start reporting, darling!"

Lincoln flashed a smug smile. "Did you just call me darling?"

"Get on with it!"

Everything went dark...

Lincoln's skit, take 1...

Once the lights turned back on, it was revealed that the stage had chanced to look like a tv studio set, with Ronnie sitting on a table and holding a couple papers. "Greetings, Royal Woods, this is Ronalda Santiago on Royal Wood Daily!" the girl greeted. "To start today, we got Lincoln Loud on the morning news. Off to you, Lincoln!"

The screen was zoomed in to show Lincoln, holding a microphone close to his face and in his pajamas, yawning as he woke up and said "Thanks, Ronnie!" then he turned around to see the sun rising on the horizon. "Well,as you can see, the sun is still rising here in Royal Woods. And now, Lincoln with the scottish news."

"Wait, what?" Ronnie asked.

The screen cut to show Lincoln, wearing a scottish uniform, standing right next to a group of children. "Thanks, Lincoln me laddie!"

"Wait, what the heck?!"

"What a dreich day to be a child hater, for these laddies right here are being put up for adoption, and I don't mean to cause a stooshie, but these lads and laddies certainly have their faces tripping them!" Lincoln cheerfully exclaimed, pulling off a painfully unconvincing Scottish accent. "And now, Lincoln with da reporter gene!"

"H-Hold on!" Ronnie exclaimed.

It immediately cut to Lincoln, now wearing a lab coat and a pair of nerdy glasses, and apparently working on some chemicals in the middle of a laboratory. "Thanksh, Lincoln!"

"Hold it! Do you even know what you're talking about?!"

Lincoln adjusted his glasses, "Later thish evening, well dishcover what are the shide-effects of putting a reporter gene on thish chemical I've baptized ash "Ronneliush Annasantiagolobeluxia"

"Wait, you named that thing after me?!"

"And now, Lincoln with the general news!"

It soon cut to Lincoln sitting next to Ronnie Anne, but before he could say anything, she shouted "Hey!" and slapped him hard enough to leave a handprint. "Stop ignoring me, Lincoln!"

"What's wrong, Ronnie Anne?!" Lincoln whined as the studio set turned back to the stage. "You do know we're in the middle of a program, right?"

"Why did you switch between being someone who just woke up, a scotsman, and a freaking scientist?!"

"I can't be any of them?"

"No! You have to be an actual reporter!"

"But if I become a reporter, and only a reporter, how will my wage be enough to support the quintuplets-?"

"You upped the kid number again!" Ronnie smacked Lincoln again as the audience laughed. "Listen, is there any other job you'd like to do? Preferrably just one."

"Newspaper delivery man?"

"You mean a mailman? I guess that could work, but you need to know where every house and residence is, and Royal Woods is a pretty big place."

"No problem, I know the whole city layout like the palm of my hand!"

Ronnie promptly scoffed. "Oh, just like how your face knows the palm of my hand?"

The audience laughed as Lincoln proudly answered, "Yeah, very much."

That caused the audience to laugh even harder. "Oh really? Prove it!"

"Alright then, here I go!"

Lincoln's skit, take 2...

In the peaceful streets of Royal Woods, Ronnie Anne-looking like she just woke up, with pajamas and everything-went outside and yawned as she stretched. It wasn't long before she noticed a shadowy figure approaching her house, which she recognized as Lincoln, acting as the mailman.

"Oh, here comes the mailman!" Ronnie flailed her arms up and down. "Hey, mailman! Over here!"

As the mailman approached her, however, he stood up, leaped off his bike, and then the scenery turned into a basketball field, with Lincoln approaching the hoop.

"And Lincoln "the mailman" Loud leaps off his bike and-"

Suddenly, Ronnie yelled, "Waaaaait!"

The stage turned back to normal, with the audience laughing out loud as Ronnie shot a glare at Lincoln, who sheepishly smiled and chuckled. "What was that all about?!"

"I was being a mailman!

"No you weren't, that was definitely not a mailman!"

"Yes it was!"

"You were being a basketball player!"

"...There's a difference?"

The audience laughed even more as Ronnie failed to find the correct words to retort with. "O-Of course there's a difference! I mean, what are you, Karl Mallone?!"

Lincoln remained a couple seconds silent, then asked "Who?"

"Exactly!" Ronnie snapped as the audience laughed even more and clapped. "You know what? I think I already got the point, how about we change topics?"

"Yeah, let's talk about this exact same topic, but applied to you!"

Ronnie was surprised, to say the least. "A-Applied to me?"

"Well duh, I mean, even if we don't marry each other, won't you try to work too in order to support your family?"

"Hmm, I guess you have a point there."

"I mean, how do you expect to support septuplets otherwise-?"

"Don't just assume the number of kids I'm gonna have, you jerk!" Ronnie slapped Lincoln once more, while the audience laughed and clapped. "But besides that, you do have a point: I need to work in order to have enough money for my family. Specially if my husband ends up being like my dad."

"Or me," Lincoln shrugged.

Then with a trollish smile, Ronnie answered "Specially if he ends up like you."

"Hey!" Lincoln shouted, then waited a moment before he slapped Ronnie and chirped, "Stay focused!"

"Right, right, focused!" Ronnie rubbed her head and scratched her chin as she thought about it. "Well, if I'm going to work... Well, do you wanna guess?"

"I can guess?"

"Yeah, I'll give you a couple hints of what I would pick as a job, and you have one chance to get it right, got it?"

"Yup! Let's do this!"

Ronnie took a deep breath before she started, "Okay, so, I'd practice in the middle of a building, with some sandbags, my students, and what-not."

"Uh huh?"

"I'd teach my students how to take defeat with pride, first and foremost."

"Uh huh?"

"And I'd be teaching a style of martial arts."

"Uh huh!"

"You figured it out?"

"A heavyweight jobber!"

"It's not related to wrestling!" Ronnie snapped, while the audience roared in laughter and applauded wildly. "And even if it was, do you really think I'd pick a job that's all about losing?!"

"Maybe if they gave you a big pay for it?"

"No! I'd be a teacher of karate!"

"Oh, like the movie?"

"Yeah, like the movie, but with a lot less obviously fake special effects."

"Yeah, those were the worst, but anyway, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Ronnie immediately got on the defensive. "What do you mean?"

Lincoln shrugged and shook his head. "Ronnie, you have to admit that with your reputation as the toughest girl in Royal Woods, who knows if you'll get that many students who can take your strict teaching methods?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Lincoln, it'll be totally fine."

"Oh really? Then show me!"

"Show you?"

"Show me!"

"Alright then, here we go!"

Ronnie's skit, take 1...

Lincoln, looking a little younger and wearing an average dojo training outfit, walked into Ronnie Anne's dojo and exclaimed, "Sensei! I'm ready to-"

Ronnie, however, wasn't in the right state to get visits.

Why? She was in the middle of putting on her clothes.

So she covered herself and shouted, "Gah! I'm still getting dressed!"

The tomboy promptly kicked Lincoln right in the family jewels. "Pervert!"

The stage turned back to normal as the audience laughed. Oddly enough, however, he wasn't curled up on the ground in a fetal position, but rather, he just stood and shivered.

"Sorry, I had to hit you out of instinct-"

Suddenly, Lincoln quickly got up and growled, "What the heck is wrong with you?!"

Ronnie remained silent as the audience laughed once more, then asked, with a legitimately dumbfounded tone, "What do you mean?"

"Who gets dressed in the middle of a public dojo after it opens?!"

The tomboy pointed at herself, then put on a sheepish smile and stuck out her tongue. "No, you're not supposed to do that! Do you really think people are going to join a dojo known for it's master dressing in the middle of the main room, right where everybody can see her?!"

Ronnie thought about it. "Maybe if I got a couple more curves-"

Lincoln slapped the back of Ronnie's head, causing the audience to laugh. "Even with many curves, you shouldn't do that, it'll give your dojo a bad reputation. Let's try it again."

"Try it again, okay."

Take 2...

Everything continued as normal, up until Lincoln entered the dojo. This time, Ronnie was nowhere to be seen. "Sensei, are you here?!" the boy called.

"Yep! Just give me a moment, I'm getting dressed!" Ronnie shouted from deeper inside the dojo.

A couple moments later, Ronnie came out wearing a black version of the standard dojo outfit, with a black belt tied around her waist.

"Alright, little grasshopper-"

However, she got a surprise when she saw Lincoln was in the middle of changing when she entered. "Gah! I'm getting dressed!"

Then he kicked her right in the babymaker. "Pervert!"

The stage turned back to normal as Lincoln stood up victoriously, while Ronnie laid curled up on the ground, clearly hurt by the strike. Not that the audience didn't find it funny, if their laughter was any indication.

Lincoln chuckled and said, "Sweet, sweet revenge."

"Why did it hurt me more than it hurt you?!" Ronnie wondered out loud as she slowly got up with help from Lincoln. "You're the one with the weird things on your crotch!"

"Elementary, my dear Ronnie, I'm wearing a jockstrap!"

"...A jokestrap?"

"No, a jockstrap."

"What did I say?"

"Jokestrap!"

"Isn't that it's name?"

"No, it's a jockstrap!"

"And why do you call your jockstrap a jokestrap?"

"I didn't! You were the one who called my jokestrap a jockstrap!"

"Wait, what did I call it?"

"A jockstrap!"

"And what is it called?"

"A jokestrap! I mean, jockstrap!"

"Well, is it a jokestrap or a jockstrap? Decide already!"

Lincoln hit Ronnie as he yelled "jockstrap!" at the top of his lungs, all while the audience roared with laughter and applauded. Shortly afterwards, Ronnie dusted herself and took a deep breath before asking, "So, were you saying?"

The White-haired boy's left eye twitched before he answered, "I'm wearing a jockstrap, which greatly limits the damage you can do to my family jewels. And really, if this is how you're going to act, then you leave me no choice!"

"W-Wait, Lincoln, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm leaving you Ronnie, right here, right now!"

"Leaving me?!"

"Yep, and I'm taking the kids with me!"

"You're taking them with you?!"

"Half of them!"

"Half of them?!"

Then, with over ten kids all over Lincoln, the boy shouted, "Yeah, I'm taking ten out of twenty!"

Ronnie popped out, also with ten kids all over her, and growled, "Wait, you upped the number back to twenty?!"

Then, suddenly cheerful again, the duo said:

"Thanks for watching everyone!"

The audience cheered and applauded as everything went black, symbolized by a "family moving" truck driving across the screen.

.

.

.

The lights turned back on to reveal Lincoln and Ronnie Anne-still buried under the twenty kids-standing alongside the reporters.

"Well, that was quite the family-friendly act, wouldn't you say?" Catherine said, before noticing the duo. "Oh man, looks like those kids grew a liking to you two."

"I don't wanna think about how their clan is going to be like," Carol nonchalantly blurted, catching the duo's attention as the kids left them alone. "Instead, let's see what the judges think!"

"JUDGING!"

Like before, dramatic music played for a moment until it suddenly turned into silence, then everybody waited until the scores were revealed. These were the scores:

Polly: Lincoln

Haiku: Lincoln

Giggles: Ronnie Anne

Tabby: Ronnie Anne

Maggie: Jockstrap.

"Two votes for Lincoln, two votes for Ronnie Anne, and one vote for... A jockstrap?" Catherine recapped, and of course she asked, "Maggie, what's this about?"

"It's a pity jockstrap, for Ronnie Anne," Maggie folded her arms and shook her head. "I mean, the poor girl first gives birth to over twenty creatures, and then her impregnator kicks her there? Better be protected, just in case."

"I see," Catherine turned to the Sadie Hawkins' dates. "And what about you four? Why did you vote for a tie?"

"We ship it!" the four girls exclaimed in unison.

"Of course you do..."

"Well, anyhow, as it's explicitly stated in the rulebook, the member that gets the most votes will go on to the next round," Carol remarked, as she took out a cooking book.

"T-That's not the rulebook, Caro-"

Then Carol threw the book away. "But, seeing as Lincoln and Ronnie have the same number of votes, they both get to go to the next round!"

Lincoln and Ronnie cheered and shared a hug, though they quickly separated and left once they realized what they were doing.

"Next team is Rock N' Rofl, who'll be coming after a couple minutes of practice," Catherine explained. "Until then, be sure to stay tuned for, "The Royal Woods Comedy Grand Prix!"