A quick fix

"Hey Lori, can I ask you a question?" Lana seemed a tad bit perturbed.

"Lana, if it has something to do with mud, keep it outside."

"No! Not that. That's for later. I'm talking about dad!"

"Hmm? What about dad?" Too busy to look up from her magazine, Lana took her hand and dragged her to her feet.

"Come on, this is really serious. This is the part where you do your big sister thing and help me out here."

Lori uttered a sigh, pulling the small tyke behind her.

"You're lucky i'm having a good day, or else I literally would have had to ask you to leave my room." They traversed the stairs past the booming tv to see a bored Mr. Loud in the kitchen, staring out the window while stirring his (possibly warm) coffee.

"Lana, I'm not seeing the picture here. He just looks bored. Doesn't really seem like a hug issue."

"That isn't just it. It's the window that's bothering him." She was met with a rather unconvinced glance. "Listen, the thing he's doing with the window right now he also did with the loose floorboard in the attic. And the sink. And don't even get me STARTED on some of the loose pipes in the basement..."

"Wait, you didn't have anything to do with those things, did you?"

"Of course I did. I fixed them!"

A small look of worry flashed in Lori's eyes before she pushed Lana aside to make sure he didn't hear it.

"Listen. Do you remember how everyone has their own chore, and when no one does it things fall apart?" There was a tiny nod to show confirmation. "Well, maybe none of us would love it if someone did our chores, but that doesn't exactly work the same for dad. Some of the little things he does around the house somehow makes him happy. Like when Lynn was eight, she collided with my door and knocked it off its hinges. I was steaming mad, but dad took the time on his free weekend, got some music going, and reattatched it with a smile on his face. That was also the last time I heard so much cowbell in one sitting."

"B-but it's not like he had nothing to do at all! He still mowed the lawn outside with no problems."

Lori gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Lana, no one likes mowing the lawn. Especially on a hot summer day. Trust me."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Fixing things is my passion. I always have some kind of tool on hand to fix and mess. And I couldn't take the constant dripping from that pipe anymore. It drove me crazy!"

"Relax. All you need to do is give him a small task to do. Leave the top on the toothpaste off? He'll screw it back on. A lone rake on the ground outside? He'll pick it up and put it back where it belongs. Do you see what I mean."

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off. "I know EXACTLY what to do."

"Great. If you need me, i'll be in my room taking patients after my thirty minute break."

Meanwhile, Lana was going to work. If there was one thing she learned from her repairs, it was how to disassemble something along with putting it back together. She headed down to the basement and loosened some nuts and bolts here and there. She proceeded up the stairs only to notice the entrance to the attic was closed, with but a lone string attatched. With quick thinking, she got her measuring tape, getting the tapered end stuck on it. She set the auto-retract and ducked for cover.

Making her way into the attic, she found the once loose floorboard, gave it a few taps, and then the magic tap to loosen it again. "Gee, I hope no one smacks into this. But what are the odds of that?" She giggled, and upon getting out of there looked straight behind her.

"There it is." She entered the bathroom and looked at the porcelain throne. "Not this time old friend. You've had enough personal calls with Ol' Bertha." She took the toothpaste and began to fill the sink's pipe full of it. Proud of her (un)handywork, the little Loud sauntered off to await a happy father.

Lynn Sr. makes her way into the kitchen to see a husband deep in thought. She touches the family mug to notice it had gone cold. "Honey, is there anything on your mind. Hopefully your brain hasn't gone as cold as your drink here."

"Very funny Rita. But you know this is how I get whenever there's nothing to do. Can you guess the reason why?"

She turned her attention to whatever his was on, and gave a sly smirk. "Something tells me it may have something to do with the window you stared a hole into. Maybe that'll give you something to do. And if it's handywork, it has something to do with fixing, Lana's name is written all over it."

"Think about it Honey. Luna has that musical talent that I... well, it lays dormant. Luan's full of laughs. Lisa's a genius. Lincoln's my boy, but he's a sly and crafty one. All of our kids are wonderful, and I feel like Lana gained that magical spark for fixing things. Being the Papa bear for eleven kids, it's natural to be able to work a wrench and create magic. But it won't always be like that forever." His eyes began to water. "Lori's almost out of here. She's going to take college by storm with that attitude of hers. And that Bobby kid isn't all to bad if he can keep her in check. I still remember fixing her door like it was yesterday. From bikes to car doors, i've done everything in between. And Lana's will take that piece of me that loves to be of use to everyone, especially his kids. All of them will." His words began to falter, as he brought the Mrs. into a tender embrace. "Have I ever told you how much I love you."

"Since the first time we met."

Mr. Loud could do nothing but chuckle. "Wasn't exactly my finest moment, but i'd do it all over again for a loving family like this. Thanks dear. I gotta go use the john." He turned away to make his way to the bathroom, using the excuse to wipe away at his eyelids. He made his way to the sink and mirror and took notice of his eyes. They'd gotten noticeably red. He turned the faucet and wiped away at his face, feeling rejuvinated with the cool sensation reaching his face. A look of inspired glee and determination replaced the prior reflecting facade he wore. He looked down to notice the water wasn't going down.

"Huh. I guess something stopped up the sink. I wonder if Leni was just in here. No matter! I'll just get my tools from the basement." While walking about the second floor, he look up to notice he could look into the attic. "I could have sworn that wasn't like that earlier."

Upon reaching the basement door, the sound of something flowing could be heard. "That can't be good." He peers inside to see geo floating around in about 6 inches of water, with Cliff manning his litter box as if it was his own vessel. He scoops Geo up and Cliff climbs up his arm. Wading in the water, Mr. Loud inspects to see some pipes leaking water, with the nuts and screws keeping them shut loosened to a severe enough degree to cause this kind of chaos. And suddenly, the three events clicked together. After getting out of the basement, he put on his dad voice and only had to say one thing.

"Lori Loud!" Everything stopped dead in the house. You could here a pin drop if not for the rushing water in the basement. Lori slowly peetered out of her room and looked over the banister. A stern dad sent chills up her spine. Upon reaching the bottom step, she looks down to notice his sopping, wet feet. "Would you happen to know anything about someone messing with the pipes downstairs?" He pointed up stairs. "Or the plank of wood up to the attic being completely loose? Or someone potentially stopping up the sink?"

She nervously rubbed her arm, heart beating out of her chest. Lori took a single gulp, and began to spill the beans. "I-it wasn't her fault, it was mine! You see, I gave her the idea to-"

"Hold your horses Lori, i'll take it from here." It was lana with some of the "weapons" she used to do the deed. She laid them by her feet, and took her hat into her hands. "This is all my fault dad. I was the one that tampered with everything. Lori told me about how much you like to do things around here, and I didn't want to see you all sad like that. So I undid everything I fixed just so you could be happy again. I didn't mean to make you mad. I took your job from you by accident. I'm sorry." You she looked down, and closed her eyes in sorrow; awaiting the punishment that was surely to come.

But instead, Mr. Loud's stern mood quickly turned into laughter. He fell to the ground, with a confused Lana and Lori staring at his madness. "You didn't happen to mess with the window in the kitchen while I wasn't looking, did you?" The chortling continued.

"N-no?"

"Good. We already have one teleporter in the family. I can't be too mad after you came clean like that. Girls, let me explain something. You all have a special talent that I can't help but be proud of. I feel like myself and your mother raised you right trying to nurture your gifts. Lana, you can fix anything to your hearts content. Sure, I was supposed to deal with those things, but seeing what all you could do just made me all the happier, if just a litte bit bored. You all will always be my little babies." He gave a warm smile as they smiled back.

"Say, I need to go downstairs and stop the downpour going on. Amongst other things. I could always use an experienced repairman to help me out." Lana's eyes lit up, as she made her way to the basement with no hesitation. "And as for you, "little miss". You can't run away just like that. I'm getting to be an old man. I could always use the help from the first in line."

Lori gave a fake sigh and gave him a pat on the back. "Sure thing daddy." Mr. Loud waited until she reached the basement door and was well down there.

He shed a single tear. "She hasn't called me that years. I really do feel old."