The Loud House was unusually peaceful that night. Sixteen-year-old Lincoln Loud, the oldest sibling in the house, lay stretched out on the bed in his bedroom, a bag of chips beside him and the latest volume of Ace Savvy in his hands. Life had changed a lot since he was eleven. His sisters were growing up, as was he, and the Loud House was never as chaotic as it once was—though "calm" was still a relative term in the Loud family.

Lori had graduated from college and moved to Great Lakes City with Bobby, Leni was at college, Luna was touring the country with her band, 'the Moon Goats', Luan and Benny moved to California to continue college and pursue an acting career, and Lynn got drafted to the WNBA straight out of school; the house felt far quieter than usual. Most of the younger Loud siblings were in their rooms, watching TV or otherwise occupied.

Just as Lincoln flipped the page to a particularly exciting battle sequence, a small figure appeared in the doorway. It was Lily, now five years old, her curly blonde hair slightly mussed. She clutched her favorite stuffed rabbit, Bun-Bun, tightly against her chest.

"Lincoln?" she called softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lincoln sat up, setting the comic down on the bed. "Hey, Lily. What's up? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Lily shuffled forward, her eyes downcast. "I… I can't sleep."

"Bad dream?" Lincoln guessed, patting the spot on the bed and beckoning Lily to sit beside him.

Lily slowly climbed onto the bed, settling beside her big brother (Lincoln grew out of his 'reading in his underwear phase' ). She still looked hesitant, like there was something more on her mind.

"Want to tell me about it?" Lincoln asked, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"It wasn't a dream," Lily said softly, her voice trembling. "It's… it's real."

Lincoln blinked, his curiosity piqued. "What's real?"

Lily hesitated, biting her lip. Finally, she looked up at him, her big blue eyes filled with worry. "It's Bun-Bun. I think he's broken."

Lincoln tilted his head, confused. "Broken? What do you mean?"

Lily held up her beloved stuffed rabbit, her fingers nervously twisting its floppy ears. "He doesn't talk to me anymore."

Lincoln stared at Bun-Bun for a moment, unsure how to respond. He'd always known Lily had a vivid imagination—she often talked about her toys as if they were real—but this felt different. She seemed genuinely upset, and he wasn't about to hide her feelings.

"Okay," Lincoln said carefully, taking Bun-Bun from her hands and examining him. "Let's figure this out. What do you mean he doesn't talk to you anymore?"

Lily squirmed in her seat, her little legs swinging off the edge of the bed. "Sometimes, when I tell him my secrets, I hear him talk back. But now… now he's quiet. No matter how much I talk to him."

Lincoln's heart ached at the sincerity in her voice. She wasn't just upset—she was heartbroken. He remembered when he was her age when his action figures and stuffed animals felt like his best friends. He knew how much Bun-Bun meant to her and wasn't about to dismiss her concerns.

"Hm," Lincoln said, holding Bun-Bun up to the light like a detective examining evidence. "Maybe he's just tired. You've had him for a long time, right?"

Lily nodded, clutching her knees to her chest. "Since I was a baby."

"Well, that's a lot of work for a stuffed bunny," Lincoln said with a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "Maybe he just needs a little help to get his voice back."

Lily's eyes lit up with a spark of hope. "You can fix him?"

"I'll do my best," Lincoln promised. "But first, I need you to tell me: when was the last time you heard him talk?"

Lily frowned, her tiny eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "Um… it was a few nights ago. I told him about how I was scared of the dark, and he told me not to worry because he'd protect me."

Lincoln nodded, taking mental notes. "And since then, nothing?"

"Nothing," Lily said, her lip quivering.

"Okay," Lincoln said, setting Bun-Bun down on the table. "I think this calls for a full investigation. Lucky for you, you've got the best detective in Royal Woods on the case."

Lily tilted her head. "Ace Savvy?"

Lincoln chuckled. "Close. Detective Lincoln Loud, at your service."

Lincoln grabbed a notebook and pen from the nearby shelf and flipped it open. "Alright, Lily, let's start with the basics. When you talk to Bun-Bun, do you hear him in your head, or does it sound like he's really talking?"

Lily thought for a moment. "In my head, I think."

"Got it," Lincoln said, jotting it down. "And does he sound like anyone we know?"

"Nope," Lily said. "He just sounds like Bun-Bun."

Lincoln nodded, tapping the pen against his chin. "Interesting. Now, when he talked to you before, did it happen all the time, or just sometimes?"

"Just sometimes," Lily said. "Only when I needed him."

Lincoln also wrote that down, then leaned back, considering the evidence. He wasn't sure where to go from here, but he knew he couldn't let Lily down. Her belief in Bun-Bun's voice was so pure, so unshakable, that he didn't have the heart to tell her it might just be her imagination.

"Alright," Lincoln said, standing up. "I think we need to run some tests."

Lily's eyes widened. "Tests?"

"Yup," Lincoln said, grabbing a flashlight and a magnifying glass from a nearby drawer. "If we want to get to the bottom of this, we need to check Bun-Bun for any clues. Ready to be my assistant, Detective Lily?"

Lily nodded eagerly, sliding off the bed. "Ready!"

The two of them set up a makeshift "lab" on the living room floor, complete with a blanket spread out as a work surface. Lincoln placed Bun-Bun in the center and handed Lily the flashlight.

"Alright, Assistant Detective Lily, shine the light right here," Lincoln said, pointing to Bun-Bun's chest.

Lily clicked on the flashlight and aimed it at the stuffed rabbit. Lincoln used the magnifying glass to inspect every inch of Bun-Bun, checking for loose threads, missing stuffing, or anything else that might explain why Lily thought he'd stopped talking.

After a few minutes, Lincoln sat back and sighed. "Well, he looks fine on the outside. No tears, no missing pieces."

"So he's not broken?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Not physically, no," Lincoln said. "But I think we might be dealing with a different kind of problem."

"What kind of problem?" Lily asked, her voice small.

Lincoln leaned forward, lowering his voice like a detective delivering a big reveal. "I think Bun-Bun might be… sad."

"Sad?" Lily repeated, her eyes wide. "Why would Bun-Bun be sad?"

"Well," Lincoln said, scratching his head, "think about it. He's been your best friend since you were a baby, right? Maybe he feels like you don't need him as much anymore."

Lily frowned, hugging herself. "But I do need him."

"I know you do," Lincoln said gently. "But sometimes, even stuffed animals need a reminder. Maybe Bun-Bun just needs to feel loved again."

Lily looked down at Bun-Bun, her fingers brushing against his soft fur. "How do we do that?"

Lincoln smiled. "That's the easy part. We show him how much he means to you."

"Like how?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well," Lincoln said, "we could write him a letter. Or draw him a picture. Or even just spend some time with him, telling him how much you care. What do you think?"

Lily thought for a moment, then nodded. "I want to draw him a picture."

"Great idea," Lincoln said. He stood up and grabbed some paper and crayons from the art supply bin in the corner. "Here you go. Draw him something that shows how much you love him."

Lily sat down at the coffee table and got to work, her little tongue poking out in concentration as she colored. Lincoln watched her, his heart swelling with pride. For all the chaos and noise of the Loud House, moments like this reminded him of how much he loved being a big brother.

When Lily finished her drawing, she held it up for Lincoln to see. It was a colorful picture of her and Bun-Bun standing under a rainbow, both of them smiling.

"Wow," Lincoln said, genuinely impressed. "That's awesome, Lily. Bun-Bun's going to love it."

"You think so?" Lily asked, her eyes shining with hope.

"I know so," Lincoln said. "Now, let's give it to him."

Lily carefully folded the drawing and tucked it into Bun-Bun's arms. Then she leaned down and whispered, "I love you, Bun-Bun. You're my best friend."

Lincoln watched, a lump forming in his throat. For a moment, he almost believed Bun-Bun might actually whisper back. But, of course, there was only silence.

Lily looked up at Lincoln, her expression uncertain. "Do you think it worked?"

"I think it might take some time," Lincoln said. "But you did everything you could, and that's what matters."

Lily nodded, looking a little more at peace. "Thanks, Lincoln."

"Anytime, Lily," Lincoln said, pulling her into a hug. "That's what big brothers are for."

Later that night, as Lincoln lay in bed, he thought about the day's events. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something special about Lily's connection to Bun-Bun. Maybe it was just her imagination, or maybe it was something more.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he heard a faint sound—a tiny voice, soft and whispery, like a breeze through the trees.

"Thank you."

Lincoln sat up, his heart racing. He looked around the room, but there was no one there. The only thing out of place was Bun-Bun, sitting on the corner of his desk, where Lily must have left him.

Lincoln stared at the stuffed rabbit, a shiver running down his spine. "No way," he whispered.

But deep down, he couldn't help but smile. Maybe, just maybe, there was a little magic left in the world.

I hope you all enjoyed it! If you have any ideas for any potential interactions between Lincoln and his younger sisters, please feel free to leave a review and state what you'd like to see!