One morning in Great Lakes City, Carlos and Frida were getting dressed up in a suit and tie. Once they were dressed, they came outside of their apartment, and they ran into Rosa and Maria.

"Mi hijo, you look wonderful," Rosa smiled.

"Gracias, Mom," Carlos smiled.

Ronnie Anne came out of her abuela's apartment, and she saw her aunt and uncle. "Tio Carlos? Tia Frida?" she asked. "What are you two doing?"

"Carlos and I have a doble cita with the Louds," Frida said to Ronnie Anne, "So mi amor and I need to be as well-dressed as possible."

"A double date?" asked Ronnie Anne, and she immediately went back inside her apartment. "Ugh, lame."

"And by the way, Lincoln is coming to visit," Carlos added.

Immediately, Ronnie Anne ran back outside the apartment in excitement. "Lincoln's coming?" she gasped. "Awesome!"

"Hold on," Maria said to her brother, "your tie is a little loose. Let me fix that for you." But she only tightened it further, causing Carlos to start choking! Even though they were grown adults with children of their own, they often acted childish with each other.

Carlos frantically loosened his tie, and he gasped breathlessly.

At that moment, Carlota came out of the apartment with a glass of water. "Here, Dad," she said to Carlos, "have a drink."

Carlos took a sip of the water, and he felt much better. "Thank you, mija," he smiled. He gave the glass back to Carlota, and she went back inside the apartment.

Once he could breathe again, Carlos glared at his sister. "That wasn't funny!" he scowled.

"Sorry," Maria said sarcastically as she turned away, "but I just find it a little funny."

"Oh, really?" Carlos asked deviously. "Well, how about this?" He grabbed the back of Maria's sweater and stretched it over her head!

Now, Maria was angry. "That wasn't funny!" she argued.

"Look who's talking," added Carlos. "You almost choked me!" And the two began slapping at each other, but Rosa held her chancla threateningly in their faces, making them both cower. Even Ronnie Anne was taken by surprise.

"Do we have to do this the hard way?" Rosa warned her children, and they both stopped fighting.

At that moment, there was a horn honking from outside the building, and Ronnie Anne got even more excited. "They're here!" she gasped, and she ran down the stairs as fast as she could.

Ronnie Anne reached the front door of the apartment complex and opened it in excitement. However, instead of Vanzilla, all she saw was a green truck that she hadn't seen before. However, Lincoln climbed out of the back seat.

When Lincoln saw Ronnie Anne, he smiled. "Hey, Ronnie Anne," he called to her.

"Lincoln!" Ronnie Anne smiled, then she ran over and hugged him. "How great to see you!"

"Yeah, you too, buddy," agreed Lincoln.

As Carlos and Frida came out of the apartment complex, they saw the truck as well, and they were surprised. But as the front two doors opened, Lynn Sr. and Rita came out, also dressed nicely.

"Lynn? Rita?" asked Carlos. "Is that you?"

"Hello, Carlos. Hello, Frida," Rita smiled, "it is so good to see you again."

"Did you buy a new truck?" Frida asked.

"Not exactly," answered Lynn Sr. "My brother and his family were watching the kids today, but Vanzilla broke down. So, he let us borrow his truck while Lana fixes it up."

"Ah, I see," said Carlos. "Quite frankly, this actually does save you more fuel, as a family van does consume more fuel—" But before he could finish, Frida covered his mouth and interrupted him.

"Wonderful, mi amor," she replied, "but we should really get going before our reservations get reassigned."

Rita and Lynn Sr. agreed as they didn't want to be stuck with another one of Carlos's lectures. The four of them immediately went into the truck and drove away.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne stood with Lincoln.

"So, Lincoln," she asked him, "that truck is your uncle's?"

"Yeah," Lincoln explained. "My Uncle Lance owns a gym, so he and his family have more physique than mine."

"Really?" asked Ronnie Anne, doubtfully. "Nah, I don't believe you."

Lincoln showed Ronnie Anne a picture of Uncle Lance and his family on his phone, then he showed her a video of them engaged in a powerlifting competition. And surprisingly, the winner was Lance's youngest child, Shiloh.

"Whoa, I stand corrected," Ronnie Anne replied. "How come you've never introduced me to them?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story," Lincoln answered. "They don't live in Royal Woods, and for the past five years, my dad and his brother didn't want to see each other anymore. But we managed to get them to spend last Christmas together, and now they're trying to get along better."

Ronnie Anne was intrigued by the story, and then she smiled. "You know something, Lincoln?" she asked.

"What?"

"You just gave me an idea." She took Lincoln by the hand and hurried inside. "Come on, Linc," she said. Lincoln was puzzled, but he followed Ronnie Anne.

Soon, the two made their way back up to Apartment 2A, and Ronnie Anne opened the door. She saw her mom, who was preparing to go to work at the hospital. But as she did, she glared at a picture of Rosa and Carlos on the table and muttered something under her breath.

"Hey, Mom?" Ronnie Anne asked. "Are you okay?"

Maria was surprised, but she quickly brushed it off. "I'm fine, mija," she assured her daughter. "But I should probably get going." As she prepared to leave the apartment, she hugged Ronnie Anne. "You two have fun, but be careful after dark," she told them.

"We will, Mrs. Santiago," Lincoln assured her.

Maria knelt beside Lincoln. "Lincoln, please," she told him, "call me 'Maria'."

"Sorry," Lincoln said shyly, "force of habit."

Maria chuckled and hugged Lincoln too, then she left the apartment. But as she did, she began muttering under her breath about Carlos again.

"So, what exactly is your idea?" Lincoln asked Ronnie Anne.

"Grab Bobby and my cousins, and meet me downstairs," Ronnie Anne explained, and she hurried out of the room.

Later, Ronnie Anne stood with her brother and cousins in the secret room, plus Lincoln as well. As they did, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln stood by a whiteboard.

"Okay, guys," Ronnie Anne explained, "so as we know, my mom and Tio Carlos are always having childish arguments and getting into fights. Who else here is tired of it?"

Everyone else spoke out in agreement.

"That's why I have a plan," said Ronnie Anne, and she showed her family the whiteboard. She had drawn a whole plan all over it. "Lincoln's dad and uncle have been through their fair share of squabbles over the past few years, but they eventually worked things out. So, what we need to do is get Mom and Tio Carlos on a double-double date with Lincoln's dad and uncle."

"But Mom would never go out with Tio Carlos," Bobby explained. "And besides, isn't Lincoln's dad married to his mom?"

"No, Bobby," Carlota sighed, "we get Mom and Dad to go out with Lincoln's parents and his aunt and uncle."

"But who would be Tia Maria's date?" asked CJ.

"I'll convince my dad to take my mom out as a friend," Ronnie Anne explained, "and we just don't tell them about the other pair. Then we get them all together in the same place, and then they'll be forced to work things out."

"Uh, Ronnie Anne," Lincoln pointed out, "I like that idea, but how are we going to make sure they all go to the same places?"

Carl just smiled confidently. "Relax, man," he smiled, "I got a way with this." He grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number on it. "Hey there," he said confidently, "lemme get a reservation for eight for tomorrow afternoon." But he was startled at the response, so he reached into his pocket and took out a wallet. He reached into it and grabbed a five-dollar bill. "How about I sweeten the deal and add in a fiver?" The responder said something else, and then Carl grabbed a twenty. "How about I add in a twenty?" But with the following response, Carl got a one-hundred-dollar bill. "Okay, add in a hundred: Take it or leave it." The responder said one more thing, and then Carl smiled. "Okay, good," he smiled. "The name's Casagrande. See you tomorrow, mi amigo."

Carl hung up the phone and smiled. "Alright, tell the guys to meet at Goddess Greens at noon tomorrow."

"Isn't that Dad's wallet?" asked CJ.

Carl looked surprised, but he just shushed his brother and hid it inside his pocket.

Later that evening, Lincoln's parents came back with Frida and Carlos. As Frida and Carlos came out of the truck, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne glanced at each other and nodded.

"Hope this plan works," Lincoln whispered.

"Thank you for paying, Lynn," said Carlos. "I could've sworn I had my wallet with me."

"Oh, it's no problem," Lynn Sr. smiled.

Carlota came right up to her parents and began speaking energetically to them. "Mom, Dad," she spoke, "how about you guys go out to lunch with Lincoln's parents again tomorrow? Say, noon at Goddess Greens?"

"Carlota, that place is very hard to get a reservation for," said Frida. "I don't think we could get one overnight."

"Oh, we already got you one," smiled CJ, "and they'd love to have you."

"I'm not sure, son," Carlos hesitated. "I can't seem to find my wallet."

Carl held up his father's wallet to him. "You left it at home," Carl said, "and I found it. By the way, if you agree to take Lincoln's parents to lunch again, I won't ask for any allowance for a whole month," added Carl, and he gave his parents the puppy dog eyes. Carlota, CJ, and Carlitos joined in as well.

"Oh, okay," sighed Carlos, and he took his wallet back gratefully. Then he looked at Lynn and Rita. "How about we take you guys out to lunch again tomorrow? This time, it's on us."

"That sounds wonderful, Carlos," Rita agreed. "I guess we'll see you again tomorrow, then."

"Come on, Lincoln," said Lynn Sr., "we'd better get home if we're gonna be back here tomorrow."

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne hugged, and then Lincoln climbed back into his uncle's truck. As they drove back toward Royal Woods, Ronnie Anne watched them hopefully. She was anxious to make sure her plan would work, and she was prepared to do whatever she could…

The next morning, Ronnie Anne was sitting outside the apartment as she waited for her aunt and uncle to finish getting ready for their second lunch date. She was also waiting for Lincoln to return with his parents so they could put the plan in motion.

Bobby came out of the building and saw his sister looking anxious. "Sis," he asked her, "are you sure this is a good idea?"

"If it'll get Mom and Tio Carlos to stop fighting all the time," Ronnie Anne explained, "it should be a good idea."

Suddenly, they saw the green truck arrive from down the block. It parked just outside the mercado, and Ronnie Anne got excited.

The doors of the truck opened, but the occupants who stepped out weren't Lincoln and his parents. It was the same five people from the picture she had been shown yesterday: Lincoln's Uncle Lance, Aunt Sharon, and their three kids.

"Lincoln's Uncle Lance!" she smiled. "You're here!"

Lance was confused. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

"Not right now," said Ronnie Anne, "but you will soon. I'm Ronnie Anne: Ronnie Anne Santiago."

The next one to speak was Sharon. "Uh, hello, Ronnie Anne," she said in confusion. "Has someone been expecting us?"

"No," Ronnie Anne denied. "But what brings you to Great Lakes City?"

"Well, my nephew suggested that my wife and I bring the kids here today," explained Lance, "and the kids were so anxious to see it."

"Great," Ronnie Anne said in excitement, then she took Lance and Sharon's hands and brought them up toward the complex door. "Come on inside and make yourselves at home in Apartment 2A."

"But shouldn't we park our car somewhere else?" asked Sharon.

"No, no," Ronnie Anne insisted, "it'll be just fine." She and Bobby began to lead them and their kids up the foyer to the second floor.

When they reached Apartment 2A, Ronnie Anne knocked on the door, and Rosa opened it. When she saw Lance and Sharon, she was confused.

"Hello?" she asked. "I wasn't expecting anyone to come by today."

"Abuela, these are Lincoln's Uncle Lance and Aunt Sharon," Bobby smiled.

Rosa was surprised. "You are also Louds?" she asked.

"Yes," answered Sharon.

"Why, come in," Rosa said welcomingly, "make yourselves at home."

"Uh, that's okay," Lance began, "we don't really need to be given so much courtesy."

As Rosa and the Louds began talking, Ronnie Anne heard the doorknob on Apartment 2B rattling, and she knew she had to act fast. So, she shoved Lance and Sharon inside the room.

"Actually, you two would love to meet my familia," Ronnie Anne replied, and she immediately closed the door. Then, she glanced at the other three. "Act natural," she whispered.

Just then, the door to Apartment 2B opened, and out came Carlos and Frida. They were still dressed in their normal clothes.

"Bobby? Ronnie Anne?" asked Carlos. "Who were you talking to?"

"Uh…nobody," Ronnie Anne smiled sheepishly.

"It was the Louds—" Bobby began, but Ronnie Anne stopped him.

"Lynn and Rita? They're already here?" asked Frida.

"Uh, yeah," Ronnie Anne insisted.

Frida and Carlos noticed Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh standing next to the stairs. "Who are these fine guests?" asked Carlos.

Shiloh opened his mouth and began to speak. "We're the Lou—" he began, but Shelby covered his mouth and stopped him from revealing their last name.

"Lowell," Shelby said quickly. "My brother meant to say, we're the Lowells."

Carlos and Frida were puzzled, but the kids just smiled nervously.

"Well, how nice to meet you, Lowells," Frida smiled.

"How about you come meet our family?" Carlos offered generously, and he began to walk toward the door to Apartment 2A, making Ronnie Anne nervous.

But at that moment, Carlota and Carl hustled out. "Hold on, Dad," Carlota suggested, "why don't you two go on ahead and get a table at Goddess Greens while Lincoln's parents finish getting ready?"

"Why would they be getting ready in Mom's apartment?" asked Carlos.

"They're having pre-lunch tea," Carl answered, "and they don't like being interrupted."

Carlos and Frida were still confused, but they did as their kids insisted and went down to their car. After they had gone downstairs, Ronnie Anne sighed in relief.

"Phew," she said to Bobby. "Now we just have to get Mom and Dad to go with Lance and Sharon."

A few minutes later, Ronnie Anne had brought Lincoln's cousins into her apartment. Rosa had cooked them some of her famous appetizers, while their parents were sitting on the couch.

"So, why exactly did you kids want us to come here?" asked Sharon.

"Because…we never get to travel anywhere anymore," Shelby insisted.

"It's no good always being stuck at home," added Shane in singsong.

"Well, I guess that's true," agreed Lance. "Maybe it would be good for the old bod to get out more often."

The kids smiled.

Just then, Maria came out of her room, dressed in her casual wear. When she saw Lance and his family, she was surprised. "Oh, hello," she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we had company."

"It's okay, Mom," Ronnie Anne said innocently. "What are you up to?"

"Well, your father called me this morning and asked if I wanted to hang with him, just as friends," said Maria. "It sounded a little strange, but I figured there wasn't much harm in it."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Rosa opened it, and there was Arturo. He and Maria felt strange seeing each other again, but they smiled.

"Hola, Maria," Arturo smiled.

"Hi, Arturo," Maria responded. "So, shall we get going?"

"Si," Arturo began, but then he was stopped by Ronnie Anne dragging Lance and Sharon up.

"Hey, I have a great idea," she said. "Why don't you two show Lance and Sharon here some of the city? That way, they have a chance to see more of it."

"Are you sure, Ronalda?" asked Arturo in confusion. "I don't know if they'd be interested—"

"Of course they are!" Shiloh replied. "Our parents are always ready to explore new places!"

"Great," Ronnie Anne said as she guided everyone out of the apartment. "You guys go have fun. I'll stay with your kids and make sure they keep out of trouble!" Before any of the adults could say anything, Ronnie Anne closed the door and sighed.

"Phew," she said, "that was a close one."

"Uh, what exactly is going on?" asked Shelby.

"How about we discuss this in my room," Ronnie Anne suggested.

Inside her room, Ronnie Anne told Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh all about her plan. She showed them her whiteboard as she explained.

"So that's why I've been trying to keep your parents away from my aunt and uncle, and instead with my mom and dad," Ronnie Anne answered. "I wanted to stop my mom and uncle from fighting all the time, so that's why I enlisted Lincoln's help in getting your dad and his dad together as well."

"Wow," said Shiloh, "you're pretty clever, just like Lincoln."

"Thanks," Ronnie Anne smiled. "He and I go back."

"Are you his girlfriend or something?" asked Shelby.

Ronnie Anne gasped. "No, no!" she denied in embarrassment. "We're just friends." But at that moment, she got a text message on her phone. She read it, and she was suddenly horrified. "Uh-oh," she said. "That was Lincoln. His parents took a wrong turn, and they aren't at the restaurant yet."

"What are we gonna do?" asked Shane.

"There's only one thing to do," Ronnie Anne said. As she did, she sounded determined.

Later, Carlota was driving the mercado van around Great Lakes City. With her were Ronnie Anne, CJ, Carl, Carlitos, Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh. As Carlota drove around Great Lakes City, they looked everywhere for Vanzilla, but it was nowhere to be seen. Finally, she came to a stop down the block from Goddess Greens.

"Dang it," Ronnie Anne groaned. "We're never gonna find them at this rate."

"We might have bigger problems than that," said Carlota. "Look!"

Ronnie Anne looked ahead, and she saw her parents with Lance and Sharon. They were about to walk right by Carlos and Frida outside the restaurant!

"No worries," said Carl, "I got this." He revealed a walkie-talkie, and he spoke into it. "Okay, unleash the dive bomb."

Just before Arturo, Maria, Lance, and Sharon approached the restaurant, a small puddle of pigeon poop fell from the sky! They looked up, and there was Sergio and Sancho!

"Hey, look!" Sergio squawked. "It's a big statuesque model. Perfect for us to do business, eh, Sancho?"

Sancho cooed in agreement, and the two birds flew down toward Lance and Sharon. As they did, they pooped in Lance's hair!

"Hey!" Lance said angrily. "Watch it!"

"Now, hon," Sharon began, "it's only a little bird poop. It should be easy to clean—" But she was interrupted by another round of poop falling into her hair!

"Two for two!" Sergio declared. "Ready for another round?"

But Lance and Sharon stared angrily up at the two birds. "Come back here!" they yelled, and they ran after Sergio and Sancho, who led them away from the restaurant.

"Lance! Sharon!" Maria called. "Wait!" She hurried after them, and Arturo followed her.

From inside the van, Ronnie Anne smiled. "Great thinking, Carl," she said. "That should buy us some time."

"Actually," said Carlota, "look!" She pointed straight down the road, and there was Vanzilla! It came to a stop just down the block from Goddess Greens, and Rita and Lynn Sr. climbed out.

"Phew," said Lynn Sr., "we made it."

"There are Carlos and Frida," Rita added. "We probably kept them waiting." She and Lynn Sr. hurried over to them.

Once Carlos and Frida saw Lynn Sr. and Rita, they smiled. "Here you are," said Carlos, "and right on time."

"Sorry we're late," said Rita. "We didn't keep you waiting long, did we?"

"No, not at all," Frida insisted. "Come, let's go inside!" The four adults all headed inside the restaurant.

Lincoln came over to the mercado van as Ronnie Anne and his cousins climbed out. "Hey guys," he said, "it's great to see you."

"You too, cuz," agreed Shane.

"So, what's the plan from here?" asked Lincoln.

"Now we just have to get Mom and Dad to bring Lance and Sharon back here," said Ronnie Anne.

Carl spoke into his walkie-talkie again. "Okay," he said, "bring them back to the nest."

"Okay," said Ronnie Anne, "now for phase two."

Inside Goddess Greens, the four adults were sitting down at a table. Their waiter had given them their menus and appetizer salads. From just behind some plants, Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, and their cousins hid and watched.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Shelby whispered.

"Sergio should've brought them back by now," Carl whispered.

Just then, Sergio and Sancho hurried inside and hid behind the plants with the kids. As they did, Sergio was panting heavily.

"Sergio, what's wrong?" asked CJ.

"That big muscles guy runs pretty fast," Sergio panted. "And his pretty lady friend is just as good."

At that moment, the door opened, and Lance and Sharon came rushing in. They glanced around, but they couldn't see the birds anywhere. Maria and Arturo came in alongside them, and they helped them calm down.

"Don't worry, you two," Maria assured them, "Sergio doesn't mean any harm."

"Here," said Arturo, "let me get that for you." Being a doctor, he had some rubber gloves and paper towels on hand, so he cleaned the bird poop out of their hair.

Lance and Sharon calmed themselves down, but before they could do anything else, they heard a voice:

"Lance? Sharon?"

Lance and Sharon looked ahead, and they saw Lynn Sr. and Rita with Carlos and Frida.

"Lynnie?" asked Lance. "What are you doing here?"

"We're on a lunch date with our friends," said Rita. "What are you doing here?"

"The kids brought us here," began Sharon, "then our friends' daughter started treating us with hospitality and insisted we see the city."

But when Carlos and Maria saw each other, they both growled in jealousy and walked up to each other.

"You're the friend?" they asked together as they stood toe to toe. "That's ridiculous! You aren't cut out for this!"

"Now, now," Sharon insisted as she stepped between them, "there's no need for arguing. Why don't we all just sit down and talk this out like adults?"

"Si," agreed Frida. "Why don't we all just have lunch together?"

As the eight of them sat down at the same table, they all began to calm down.

From behind the bushes, Ronnie Anne smiled. "Yes!" she whispered. "My plan worked!"

"Great job, Ronnie Anne," Shelby began, "you really—" But then, she suddenly sneezed.

"What's wrong?" Lincoln whispered.

"These bushes are…irritating my…allergies," Shelby whispered. She tried to hold in a sneeze, but she couldn't! She sneezed so hard that the bush blew open, and leaves blew all over the eight parents!

When the leaves cleared, the parents gasped.

"Shane?! Shelbs?! Shiloh?!" gasped Lance. "What are you doing here?"

"You know the Lowells?" asked Carlos.

"Lowells?" asked Sharon. "No, their last name is 'Loud', just like us!"

"They're our kids!" added Lance.

"Ronnie Anne?!" gasped Frida. "Carlota? CJ? Carl?"

"What is going on here?!" Rita demanded angrily.

Ronnie Anne frowned. "Dang it," she muttered.

In a moment, all the kids stood shamefully in front of their parents in the middle of the restaurant. The eight adults were all very disappointed as they stood there with their kids.

"I can't believe you kids did something like this again!" Carlos scolded his and Frida's kids. "This is so typical of you!"

Carlota, CJ, Carl, and Carlitos looked ashamed. "We're so sorry, Dad," Carlota began, "but—"

"Don't be mad at them," Ronnie Anne spoke up. "Or at Lincoln, Shane, Shelby, or Shiloh. This wasn't any of their faults. It was mine."

"What is this all about, Ronnie Anne?" Maria demanded.

"We all were tired of you and Tio Carlos arguing all the time," said Ronnie Anne, "so when Lincoln told me about how his dad and uncle managed to make amends, I thought I could do the same for you. But this was the wrong way to approach it."

"It was both of us," Lincoln said, stepping up. "We both came up with this plan, and we're really sorry."

After the adults heard this, they all stared at each other, then back at their kids.

"Well," said Lynn Sr., "I have to admit, I was getting tired of always having arguments with you, Lance."

"Yeah," agreed Lance, "I can say the same about you, Lynnie."

Then Maria and Carlos looked at each other. "I guess we do act very immature ourselves," agreed Carlos.

"Of course, you do, Carlos," Maria began, but Sharon nudged her. "I-I mean, just as I do," she added.

"If you kids really went to all of this trouble just to get all of us together," said Rita, "I guess there's no harm done after all."

"So does that mean you'll all try to get along better?" asked Lincoln and Ronnie Anne hopefully.

"Yes," the adults all said, and then their kids all hugged them.

"Aww," all the other customers said in response, but there was suddenly a loud voice:

"New friendship cannonball!" called Shiloh, and he leaped into the air and landed on his dad.

Lance and Sharon were angry at first, but then everyone laughed at Shiloh's energy, so they couldn't be mad anymore.

"Well," said Lynn Sr., "there's no point in us standing around doing nothing. We all came here for lunch, so why don't we get back to it?"

"You said it, Lynnie," agreed Lance.

"This doesn't seem so bad after all, Carlos," replied Maria.

"I agree," replied Carlos.

As the kids all left the restaurant, Ronnie Anne smiled. "Well," she said, "it looks like our plan worked. I guess Mom and Tio Carlos are going to try to stop fighting so much now."

"Yeah," agreed CJ. "Thanks, Ronnie Anne."

The kids all hugged again, but then there was an angry voice from Carlos:

"What do you mean, I owe you a hundred-dollar tip? I was never told about that!"

The kids all stared at Carl, and he just smiled. "We heard nothing of it," he said to the others, and they all quietly crept away.