Time moved in slow motion.

Lola saw a small girl plunge screaming to the ground below.

On instinct she jumped off the tubes she was on and caught the girl in mid air.

The necklace around the girls neck started to glow brightly.

Down at the crowd level, the necklace Sally was carrying started glowing as well.

The woman and the child seemed to hover in the air for a few seconds.

and then they both plummeted like a rock.

........................................................

Lola opened her eyes to find herself wrapped in a pair of long slender arms. At first she thought her mother was holding her, but then she heard a groan and realized she was back in her own body.

Tatiana was holding onto her.

Lola felt her young body with her hands and and jumped with excitement. "It worked! I'm me again! Finally!"

Then she noticed the necklace around her neck and yanked it off and stomped on it furiously.

Another groan was heard and she then realized that Tatianas body had taken the most of the fall. She was lying on her back with her arms sprawled wide.

"Tanya! Tanya! are you okay?!"

Tatiana coughed and gave her a cold look. "Yes, I'm perfectly alright you idiot. I merely landed on my spine."

"It is you!" and Lola hugged Tatiana before she could stop herself.

Tatiana had a lot of thoughts and feelings running through her mind but at the moment, she decided to just let herself be hugged. she could sort out the complications afterward.

.............................................................

Thank god Sally was such a cunning little liar and spindoctor.

The official story was that Tatiana and Sally had found out that Lola had gotten a priceless historical artifact for her birthday and had tracked her down to try and acquire it. Instead of going through the parents Tatiana had made the mistake of approaching Lola directly which frightened her and caused her to call for help.

Then Lola spotted some friends and they played together in a tube when things got out of control and she fell out. Fortunately, Tatiana had escaped from custody and found her at just the right moment.

Apologies were issued all around. The fact that Kylie, Genny and Roxie were here without there parents consent was brushed under the rug. (in fact the three girls hid until Sally came to get them)

Tatiana was picked up by the first aid attendants and taken to their tent. Hailed as a hero. Sally apologized to the louds for their terribly inappropriate first impression. Lana hugged Lola tightly and kept her mouth shut. Lola hugged her right back.

"I missed you sis." Said Lana

"Oh, I missed you too. it feels like forever." Lola sniffed

"Sorry about your face."

"You beat me up?"

"Yeah."

"I wondered why I'm sore all over. Is it bad?"

"You look like a big rotten plumb."

"It'll heal." Lola hugged her twin even tighter.

....................................................

Tatiana's back wasn't broken. She had landed on her side and rolled over, so her arm was going to be in a cast and her neck couldn't move just right. They moved her to the security office to wait for the paramedics.

Sally took the two necklaces and sealed them in a box. She'd have to deal with the museum next.

................................................

It took some pleading, but eventually They let Lola come into the office to see Tatiana.

"Hey Tanya."

"Hello Lola. Did you have fun today?"

"Oh no. Worst-day-ever. I will not be leaving a good review on their website." Lola smiled

"Good. You sound like the kid I first talked to on the phone."

"And you sound like the scary woman who reemed me because of her flowers."

The two women looked at each other. Neither one sure how to sum up the last few months. Tatiana went first.

"I suppose the first order of business is an apology. I'm sorry for trying to steal your life from you. Granted my mind had diminished to the point of derangement and I was not myself but regardless I feel guilty."

"It's okay. I made a lot of mistakes myself."

"But your still a child. As the adult in this situation I take responsibility."

"Thanks but you weren't the adult in this situation until just now. so lets call it even."

"Fine."

Lola sat down in a chair. "Are you okay?"

"Miraculously my back is fine. Sally says we floated magically towards the ground for about five seconds. It seems the necklaces broke our fall. Though my right arm is definitely broken."

"Told you it was magical."

"And you can have that. Magic is one of those things that children can afford to have faith in and adults have to see for themselves. But Magic does in fact exist. Regardless of how you come to find it. I've learned that now."

"I hope your company isn't too damaged because of all this." Lola said

"Corporations have no soul Lola. They rise, they fall, then they rise again as something new. Always present. Seemingly omnipotent. and completely devoid of humanity. Too many people see a company as the blood veins of America. If the company is ruined then America and all those who are employed by it suffer. But its not true. Human beings can survive without a corporation. If they use enough intelligence and forthought. That's something else I learned through all of this. I can live without my company. If I get fired I'll just start a new company elsewhere and continue to thrive. It's the people who leach off of the corporation who can't live without it. Their the ones who die when the company goes bankrupt."

Lola nodded her head. "yeah, thats all too grown up for me now, but I'm glad you learned something important."

Tatiana chuckled. "And what did Lola Loud learn from all of this?"

"Me? I learned how much I love my family. And that they mean more than just a silly birthday. I met your step mom by the way."

"Please. I only call her Madre because she insists upon it. She's more of a sponsor than anything. That woman isn't capable of love."

"But you are."

Tatiana looked at Lola with a raised eyebrow. "Am I now?"

"Of course you are. You care about Sally. You cared about Genny and Roxie. Lana and me. Kylie. You actually care about people quite a bit. Though you try to pretend that you hate everybody."

Tatiana nodded her head without saying anything.

"You know what you should do?" Lola said excitedly

"What?"

"You should marry that guy! ..whats his name....oh no I can't remember it now...."

"The one you set me up with?"

"Yeah!"

"I don't think so. Not now anyway. After all you spent more time with him than me. I barely know him."

"Well GET to know him! Seriously your not getting any younger!"

"I will handle my OWN love life thank you very much." Tatiana said cooly.

Lola sat down and pouted. The edge of Tatianas mouth curved upward. Her version of a warm smile. "You have a lovely family out there. They can be quite irritating at times but I....enjoyed the time I spent with them."

Lola looked at her family out the door. "yeah...they're the best."

"And what do you plan to do with your life after this Lola Loud?"

"Well thats obvious! Modeling and acting of course! I already have an agent. You saw my headshots right?"

"I have. but you do realize models have to lose their looks at some point. And to be an actress you have to study very hard and remain constantly at the top of peoples watch list."

"What are you saying? That I'm not good enough?"

"Your good enough to do anything you put your mind too Lola. I merely suggest that you consider getting a business degree while you study acting. That way you'll have a second career to fall back on when the film and television industry is slow."

"I don't know about that. Business isn't really my-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. Your an ambitious, driven, hardworking young girl with satisfactory intelligence, wild imagination, professional organization skills and above average cunning. You have all the tools you need for the business world you simply need a product that you can create and sell. A clothing line maybe. Or possibly cosmetics. The choice is yours of course but you have tremendous potential for my line of work."

Lola positively beamed with pride at this and hugged Tatiana again. "Sally was right about you. Your the greatest woman in the whole world Tanya Tiche."

Tatiana...despite her reluctance for physical contact.... put her hands around Lola. "And you are truly something special, Lola loud."

..........................................................................

On the plane ride home Tatiana looked out over the roaring clouds down below.

Sally sat across form her with the box in her lap.

"So I finished calling the museum."

"And?"

"They're not happy."

"If they were they'd be lunatics. What's the decision?"

"Robbery? what robbery? There was no robbery. We are all very excited to see you come back with both of the legendary Australian necklaces."

"Good. Write the museum a donation of a hundred thousand dollars. That should keep things in the realm of this-never-happened."

Sally made a note of it and looked at her boss.

"Yes Sally?"

"This has been the most batshit job I've ever done for you."

"What do you think this has been for me?"

"I want a raise."

"Done."

"So after we bring this to the museum whats next?"

Tatiana sighed. "I don't know Sally. I really don't know. for the first time in my life my priorities and goals have been rendered into chaos. I don't know what to do with myself right now."

"Maybe you should go on vacation?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps with a special gentleman?"

Tatiana looked over at her assistant. "Actually Sally, I don't know how keen I am on marriage. But I was thinking of....perhaps finding a protege."

Sally's eyes bulged at that one. "Holy shamoley . The kid really DID do a number on you. Your biological clock just exploded."

"She was right confound her! I'm getting older. I'm a billionaire. I have a lot of money and power and there are people who are relying on that influence. and it might be nice to have a daughter. Or even a son. It needs careful handling though."

"shall I pull up a list of orphanages or just send out some golden tickets?" Sally laughed

"We're in no rush. Lets just....play it by ear.

...........................................................

Lola never saw Tatiana Tiche again.

Which made sense. The two lived in completely different states and had their own lives to live.

Lola went back to the Loud house and had her friends Genny, Roxie and Kylie over to play on a regular basis. Her relationship with her family was mended and for years to come they'd talk about the strange phase Lola went through were she seemed like a completely different person.

only Lola and Lana knew the truth about the birthday wish.

Lola remained the same happy, loving, and extremely over the top person she always was.

Although she did suddenly take up an interest in flowers. she planted a whole bed of tulips over the course of the summer.....

THE END

........................................................................

Authors notes

I would like to that everyone for reading and supporting this story over the last two years.

When I came up with this idea I never imagined it would take this long or get this much praise.

The length of time Is partially due to my work schedule but I was also locked out of Wattpad twice due to password issues.

Now for a big plot reveal.

The character of Tatiana Tiche is loosely based on a detective named Nero Wolfe. He was created by Rex Stout in the 1930's and his series of books are fantastic.

Of course there are major differences. Wolf is over three hundred pounds. and although he enjoys beer he's not an alcoholic.

Sally Cohen is based off of Wolfes sidekick Archie Goodwin. Her name is also a reference to two other characters in the series. Saul Panzer and Lon Cohen.

I did my best to try and capture the witty and unique dialogue that Rex Stout used for his characters in this. To my surprise, it fits the cartoony nature of the loud house quite well. I highly recommend to all my readers that they find and read the Nero Wolf mysteries series. They are great books and have my seal of approval.

If I have one minor regret with this series its that I originally wanted to turn it into a murder mystery that Lola and Tatiana would have to solve together. But it just didn't head in that direction. I couldn't figure out how to work it in there coherently. On the plus side, it does make sense that the transformation itself would cause Tatiana to become the antagonist at the end. I rather prefer that.

Thats really all I have left to say.

Thank you again. I will now be working on my other unfinished story Love is a joke.

After that, we'll see if I decide to write another. For the moment. A well earned break. Take care.