Author's Note: This is my first Wreck-It Ralph fanfiction, so I hope you like it! I published this story previously with Vanellope as a twelve-year-old, but then I realised that for a romance between Ralph and Vanellope to work in the way I wanted it to, she would have to be older. So now she is in her twenties, and I am republishing the story. (I've made Vanellope twenty-four, Ralph twenty-seven, Felix twenty-six and Calhoun twenty-nine). Vanellope's still a little rude and excitable, but that's because of her personality here, not her age.

Just to warn everyone, this is rated T for a reason. There will be romance, some swearing (maybe), and depending on how it develops, someone is going to die. Now that's out of the way, enjoy this (short) first chapter! Reviews would be much appreciated.

Chapter One: Good Guys Start, Bad Guys Stop

At the end of the day, while all the other Sugar Rush racers were parking their karts and talking about the day's races, Vanellope Von Schweetz was looking for her boyfriend. He always came for her once the arcade closed, but the timing varied. Sometimes he came straight away. At other times he was late. Once, Vanellope was in bed when he finally turned up, with a box of chocolates and a sad-puppy look on his face.

Today, Vanellope was lucky. She had just slipped her Candy Kart into the castle garage when she saw him coming. As usual, he was wearing an orange t-shirt and red dungarees. As usual, his hair was gelled into spikes. As usual, his hands were freakishly big.

As usual, he was gorgeous.

Vanellope, too happy to run, glitched into his outstretched arms. Wreck-It Ralph held her close to his chest. "Did you miss me?" he asked.

Vanellope rolled her eyes as she pulled away. "Of course! Gadoi!"

Ralph chuckled, sitting on a jawbreaker. "You know we saw each other yesterday, right?"

"Yesterday?" Vanellope gasped, plonking herself next to him. "That was such a long time ago! I wish I could be with you all the time."

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Where? You can't abandon Sugar Rush – you're the President. And we all know what happened when I left my game."

Vanellope chose to ignore his last comment and said, "I might not be President for much longer, not if Taffyta gets elected."

"Ah, Taffyta. Are you still friends?"

"So far, yes. She got mad earlier, because Rancis said he crossed the finish line first, but the game said she'd won. She said that the game must be right, but Rancis insisted that he'd won, and I agreed with him 'cause I'd seen him win. Taffyta didn't like that. But then I heard her say sorry to Rancis – and she even gave him a lollipop." Vanellope's arms, which had been flying around to emphasise parts of her story, now flopped to her sides. "That was nice of her, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Ralph nodded. "You can't go wrong with an apology."

"Mm-hmm."

They were silent for a moment. Vanellope looked around her land. She noticed that a large tree in the Candy Cane Forest was bent over, close to falling down. She made a mental note to warn Torvald Batterbutter, who had just been elected Sugar Rush's official Tree Surgeon. "How's Felix?" Vanellope asked suddenly.

Ralph jumped at the sound of her voice, obviously not expecting it. "Oh, you know . . . I wreck stuff, he fixes it . . ." He shrugged. "What else is there to say?"

A lot, Vanellope thought. She frowned. That was the one thing that annoyed her about Ralph; he just wasn't talkative. When she had a story to tell, he listened eagerly. But when she asked him about his game, Fix-It Felix Jr., he would talk vaguely about the daily routine and then not say anything. At first she was just happy that she could hear his voice, but by now that wasn't enough. She was sick of the short conversations.

"If you're not gonna tell me anything about your life," she said, "I'd better come over and see it for myself."

"I don't think so," Ralph said immediately.

"Why not?"

Ralph sighed. "It just wouldn't . . . look good."

"Why not?" Vanellope asked again, peering at his face. She had asked this question many times, and he had always failed to give a good answer.

Today was different. "Look, I'm a Bad Guy – technically. That makes people suspicious. They wonder why we're dating." He looked away. "They think I might . . . you know . . . do something bad to you."

"Like what?"

"Uh . . ." Ralph shifted his feet.

Vanellope understood. She shuddered, and so did Ralph.

"Anyway," he continued, "it's okay if I come here. It's a big, bright place with lots of people, so you could escape and hide and then someone else would be there to help. But my game is smaller and darker, and the Nicelanders don't usually hang around."

Vanellope tilted her head in confusion. "But I know you," she said. "I know you're not that kind of guy. Who cares what anyone else thinks? You shouldn't let them bother you."

"I don't" said Ralph immediately.

"Then let me come over tomorrow night."

Ralph turned away. "No."

"Come on! Just this once. I never have to go there again, as long as I go there once." Vanellope stretched out a hand. "Let's shake on it, huh?"

Ralph didn't respond.

"Hello? Ralph? Are you with me?"

Ralph still didn't move. Vanellope's arm was aching now. She had to hold it up with her other arm to stop it collapsing. "Look, do we have a deal? 'Cause I'm not letting you go until we do."

Ralph growled. "All right." He turned and offered his hand. "Just this once, okay?"

"Sure," Vanellope said, knowing she didn't mean it.

She shook his hand – although, given his hand's size, she was really shaking his finger. She smiled, and not just because his finger was squidgy.

"This is great," she said. A ball of glee rose in her chest. "This is great!" she said again, louder this time. "I'm actually meeting Ralph in his own game! I'm so happy I could-" She gasped and clutched her mouth. "I am so close to vurping it's scary!"

"I'm outta here," Ralph cried, scrambling to his feet and running off.

Vanellope was left alone, her brain running in circles with excitement. Frantic thoughts kept crashing into her mind. What's it gonna be like? Will Felix be there? Are the Nicelanders really nice? Will they think my hair is weird?

She stopped suddenly. Sweet mother of Monkey Milk, I need a new outfit!