Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or Wreck-It Ralph.
Author's Note: It was one of those days where I played a song I hadn't heard - in this case Let's Go Fly A Kite from the Mary Poppins soundtrack - and this story just formed in my mind.
I don't know how or why but I wanted to write it and I've finally got it done.
The image for little Felix came from Limey404's fanart picture over on Tumblr. She does come incredible artwork for Hero's Cuties so go check her out!
Enjoy the story.
Reeves3.
1987
The school bell rang shrilly throughout the entire building eliciting cheers from the children. The class of five year olds in Miss Shepherd's room lined up by the door being very well behaved as she called a student forward as soon as she spotted their appropriate guardian. In the middle of the queue a small boy wearing dark denim dungarees over a pale blue shirt with well worn brown shoes over his feet was absent-mindedly sticking a pin that he had found on the floor back into the corkboard when he heard his name being called.
"Felix, your father is here," the teachers warm kind voice informed him. Felix adjusted the school bag that rested on his back and headed to the door. He walked round the corner out into the afternoon sunlight and spotted his father in an instant. A wide grin spread across Felix's face revealing the gap in his teeth where the front two were missing. Running up to his father he was quickly swooped up into the arms of bigger man.
"Hey-ho junior," chuckled Felix Sr. He hugged his son before putting him back on the ground. He took the school bag off his son offering to carry it for him. Felix grabbed hold of his father's hand and the two started to walk home.
"What did you do at school today?" Felix Sr asked, like he did every time after collecting his son from school.
Felix gasped before beginning his very animated speech. He blabbered on, barely stopping to breathe, about finding a caterpillar on the playground, running around with his friends on the field, learning numbers in Maths, new words in English Class and how he had sat on the big comfortable seat when the class watched a movie. As Felix chatted the two took a shortcut through the park. The cobbled pathway moved with the small grassy hills shaded by the tall trees above. Leaves scattered down and rustled around them from the warm breeze. A lot of children were here already with their families, running around screaming with joy as they chased one another, but most of them were over by a kiosk where a man was selling kites.
Felix's voice trailed off when he spotted the colourful diamonds flying high in the sky. A look of utter delight etched over his face.
"Look!" He exclaimed before letting go of his father's hand to go running off down the hill to the man. Felix Sr quickly rushed after his son.
"Hold your horses junior," he said laughing, while managing to pinch the back of his son's clothes to slow him down. Together they walked over to the salesman where he was finishing off with a transaction with a girl a few years older than Felix. The man pocketed his money then turned his attention to Felix Sr and Felix Jr.
"Afternoon," he greeted them with a nod. "So, what colour kite will it be gents? We've got red ones, yellow, orange, green, pink, black, purple and blue, for only seven dollars."
In the midst of getting out his wallet Felix Sr did a double take. "I'm sorry how much?"
"Seven dollars," repeated the salesman.
Felix Sr bit his lip as he got out his wallet from his back trouser pocket and opened it to reveal two dollars, some loose change, a family photo and a shopping list. He looked down at his son and saw him staring with pleading eyes which slowly dawned to consideration and realisation when he saw his father putting his wallet away.
"I'm sorry junior," he sighed. He couldn't help but like a failure that he couldn't afford to buy his son toys.
"That's okay, papa."
For such a young age Felix certainly knew when to put others before him. He had sat down Felix not too long ago and explained that every bit of their spare change needed to be saved for mommy's treatment. Felix Sr was very thankful that his son realised the importance of forgoing certain luxuries even if he didn't fully understand what was fully going on at home. Any other child could cause a fuss or a tantrum but not his little boy. He had a pure heart of gold.
Instead of leaving the park right away Felix Sr let his son watch the kites flying over the trees for a few minutes. Felix pointed out the ones that suddenly swooped down then back up as fast as a rocket or did continuous circles in the air. Eventually though Felix had to say goodbye to the kites as his father picked him up, sat him on his shoulders and strolled away from the park. He kept his head turned towards the kites in a continuous gaze and didn't look away until the sight vanished from his view completely.
Just over a quarter of an hour later they arrived home. It was a cosy two storey house built by Felix Senior's own hands. It was on the outskirts of the town placed in the middle of a wheat field. A porch ran around the edge and this was where Felix Jr took off his shoes before stepping inside. Felix Sr followed him in placing his son's school bag on the peg sticking out from the wall in the hallway.
"Is that my boys?" A voice called from upstairs. Felix Jr grinned at the sound of his mother's voice and he started to make his way up the flight of steps.
"It's us Molly," Felix Sr confirmed to his wife. He followed Felix up the stairs, across the landing with the creaky floorboards and entered the bedroom to check upon his wife. Felix was already in the arms of his mother.
With his face pressed against her, he mumbled. "Are you better today?"
Felix Sr caught his wife's eyes. They hadn't had the heart to tell their son it was cancer. All they could tell him was it was a very bad illness and the medicine was doing its best. But with each passing day Molly was steadily getting worse.
With her frail arms Molly squeezed her son a little tighter. "I'm feeling better now that you're here, sweetheart."
Bending down Felix Sr placed a kiss on his wife's temple. "I'm in the garage working. Junior, come and get me if you or mommy needs something."
After seeing Felix nodding his head the man of the house made his way downstairs and entered the garage where he worked. Over on his workbench drawn up plans of the apartment buildings he had designed for Niceland were scattered around the place. He had a meeting next week to present them to the City Council. If all went well they would make his ideas a reality. But for now the papers were placed gently on the floor as he cleared his workspace. He had seen in his son's ocean blue eyes how much he wanted a kite and Felix Sr couldn't get the image out of his head. He couldn't fix the cancer that was killing his wife but he could fix the fact that his son didn't have a kite.
It didn't take him long, about half an hour or so, and as soon as he was done Felix Sr was making his way upstairs towards the bedroom. He could hear a small voice talking about his day at school to his mother when he approached the doorway. He kept his surprise hidden behind his back. Molly was sitting up slightly, her back resting against mountains of pillows, while Felix lay next to her.
Felix Sr coughed to let his presence be known before asking. "Why don't you tell mommy what you saw at the park today?"
A gasp came from Felix Jr and he sat up quickly turning to face his mother. He started to gibber on about the kites he had seen, describing the erratic spirals some did with the wind and how they appeared to be touching the clouds. While he talked Felix Sr took out his surprise from behind his back. Molly noticed it straight away. She put a hand to her heart and smiled at her husband.
"-they were all so colourful mama," finished Felix Jr.
Molly brushed back the chestnut brown bangs hanging over the front of Felix's forehead. "Did they look like the one papa has in his hands?" She questioned, weakly.
Felix frowned, not quite understanding what his mother meant until he turned around. In an instant his mouth dropped into an astonished gape.
"Is that for me?" He squeaks out. Did he really have a kite of his own?
Felix Sr let out a chuckle. "Of course it's for you junior, now come on and let's get this in the air."
In his rush to get outside Felix Jr nearly tripped over the bedspread but luckily he regained his balance and sped past his dad. Felix Sr started to walk over to Molly to help get her up come outside to watch but she waved a hand to tell him to go on without her.
"I'm fine here," she reassured.
"Are you sure?"
Her pointed stare was his answer. Blowing her a kiss from across the room Felix Sr hastily followed Felix Jr out the front door, father just as excited as son, and they stopped in the middle of the wheat trampled driveway. Giving the handle to his son Felix Sr backed up in the direction the wind was blowing.
"Are you ready? Hold on tight now," he instructed. In the short distance he saw Felix nodding his head. His knuckles turned white as his grip on the handle tightened. Nervousness filled him like a hoard of butterflies being released out of their cage in his stomach. What if the kite didn't fly for him?
A strong gust of wind blew his worries away. His father threw the kite into the air as it passed him and the wind caught it. Up and up it went until the string strung tight in Felix's hands. He stuck out a foot to keep him grounded as the kite started to lightly pull him forwards.
He let out a laugh. "Papa, I'm doing it!"
Felix Sr ran up to his son letting out a cheer. "That's it! You've got it junior!"
Inside the house Molly had managed to get up and sit herself down on the chair by the window. Watching her husband and son flying the kite together she felt a smile form on her lips. Every ounce of energy drained her body the moment she left her bed but to see the sight below her was worth it. Seeing the two of them together gave her a sense of comfort and certainty that they would be alright own their own.
2027
There was barely an inch of space left to move in cemetery chapel. It was filled by family and friends of Felix Sr Fix-It. All the seats in the pews had been taken so people had to stand around the edges of the stone built building and in the alcove where a choir would usually stand to sing. A son sat in the front row overwhelmed by the amount of people who had shown up to say goodbye to his father.
Felix Jr, no longer a child but a grown man of forty, kept his gaze on the coffin in front of them all. His left hand, where a gold wedding band rested on is ring finger, was delivered a light squeeze. He turned his eyes away for them to directly lock onto his wife. Tamora gave him a small encouraging smile. If anyone was going to get him through this day it would be her. He squeezed her hand in return. His other hand let go of the eulogy, letting the piece of paper balance on his lap, and rubbed a gentle circle over the five month baby bump sticking out from under her black dress.
The double oak doors at the back of the room closed with a dull thud and a woman with long black hair squeezed through the crowd until she was at the front and sat down next to her brother, Ralph. She leaned forward round her brother's bulking body to look at Felix.
"Everyone's in," she informed.
"Thanks Vanellope," he replied, sadly. Lifting his head up Felix gave the minister a nod to show they were ready to start the proceedings.
The service was simple. The minister said some things to help ease the mourner's grief and they sang two hymns separating his sermon into three parts. Towards the end Felix started to grow increasingly agitated. The past two weeks he had felt sick to his stomach thinking about the part which was coming next. The friends of his father might be ready to say goodbye but he sure wasn't.
He shared another look with the minister.
"And now Felix's son will say a few words."
Felix swallowed down the bile that was building up in the back of his throat. Ralph gave him a gentle pat on the back for encouragement as he stood up. Walking up to stand next to the coffin Felix turned and faced everyone. It was here did he see just how many people had turned up. Heads turned towards him in every direction. All of these people had meant something to his father in some point in their life and now they were here for him and his son to show their support. Felix felt tears prickle at his eyes.
"My father was more than just a parent to me; he was my friend and my hero. He taught me everything I know from tying my shoelaces to how to be a good person. He didn't have a bad thing to say about anyone and nobody had a bad thing to say about him. He was always there to lend a hand or an ear whether he knew you or not. He started out with nothing living in Georgia, Stone Mountain, with his parents learning how to use tools off his father before moving to Niceland in his early twenties. He did titbits here and there for everyone who needed something fixing. One of those jobs was a house call to repair a broken window and that was when he met Molly Henderson, his future wife and my mother. It was love at first sight."
Felix paused. The faces in front of him smiled.
"He built us our home and he built a lot of your homes too. Many of you knew him because he worked as the maintenance superintendent in the Niceland apartment complex. What some of you may not know is that he helped build and designed those buildings. It was a tough time for him during the construction and he put a lot of heart into his work...most likely to make up for the hole that had been left when his wife passed away. It hit both of us hard losing her but we were there for each other."
His voice started to break as tear slipped off his cheek and landed on the piece of paper he held. A shaky breath escaped past his lips.
"I-I wouldn't be the man I am today if it wasn't for him He was there for me every day. He was there for all of us. Now Molly will be there for him. Thank you."
He moved away and nearly collapsed back down in his seat. Tamora wrapped an arm over his shoulders; her hand tilted his head towards her where she placed a kiss on his temple. He wanted to break down right then and there but there was still a bit to go yet.
The minister came forth once more said a final farewell before Fields of Gold by Sting started to play from the CD player in the corner of the room. Ralph and Felix stood up and four coffin bearers from the back of the room came forth and working as one they lifted the coffin up onto their shoulders. Following the minister outside everyone got up and walked slowly behind the coffin being carried to the burial plot. The wind blew strong causing Felix's hair to flap and fling around with the breeze as the blinding sunlight did it's best to keep them warm on this icy cold day.
Reaching the open grave the crowd gathered around it as the coffin was gently lowered. People came up to Felix then telling him to stay strong and that things will get better. Felix kindly thanked them and slowly the crowd started to disperse until Felix was left standing alone. Knowing he couldn't stay for too long because he and Tamora were serving tea and a light lunch after the funeral, Felix crouched down and pulled a white rose out from one of the bouquets that were placed around his father's grave.
With a gentle throw the rose landed on top of the coffin. "I buried you next to mom like you wanted and on her right side because that was your side of the bed."
Felix stood back up and wiped away a couple of tears. He stared at the gravestones sitting side by side with his parents names etched on them. "I love you both."
He gradually walked away and looked up to see Tamora waiting for him by the small rise on the hill that led to the car park.
"Where's-," Felix started.
"He's had a lift with Vanellope and Ralph," said Tamora, cutting off Felix's question.
Felix made an 'ah' sound before he inched forward slightly bringing them close enough to envelope each other in a hug. They held each other and Felix let his tears fall more freely now it was just the two of them. He was tired and emotionally exhausted, he hadn't had a good night's sleep since his father had passed away, and now all of it was catching up to him in his moment. He wasn't sure how much time passed during their embrace but it was enough to keep Felix going for the rest of the day. They pulled away from each other slightly but kept their arms wrapped around one another.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Felix told her honestly.
Tamora leaned in and kissed the salty tears off his cheeks. "Right back at you, Fix-It."
Together they walked up the muddy hill to their car. Tamora drove while Felix sat in the passenger seat watching the world go by. It didn't take long to get out of the town and head towards the outer reaches. Thirty five years had gone by and the house Felix Sr built was still standing strong in its wheat field. They decided to have the lunch here because the penthouse they lived in at the moment was too small to host everyone. Cars parked along the side of the road outside of the house. Felix and Tamora got out their car and made their way towards the house passing a 'For Sale' sign as they walked down the driveway.
Half of the people who had shown up for the funeral made it back to the house. When Felix and Tamora entered most had a drink and were helping themselves to finger food off the plates on the table. Felix spotted some eager hands reaching up for the plate of chocolate mini muffins before disappearing under the table with them. He heard his voice being called so pretending he hadn't seen anything he went over to Mary.
It took an hour and a half for the guests to leave after they had finished eating, drinking, conversing and giving their deep sympathies to Felix. During this time Felix ate a couple of carrot sticks and one glass of water. He didn't really feel like eating much or talking actually but he was too polite to avoid chatting with the people who had been there to say goodbye to his father. Eventually though when Gene left and the door closed too with a soft click Felix leaned back against the wooden frame.
From across the room Ralph noticed his best friend fall into a slump. Putting down the dirty plates he was clearing away he walked over to Felix.
Hearing the bigger man's heavy footfalls Felix glanced up as Ralph neared.
"Felix, go lie down, your exhausted," said Ralph.
"No it's fine," Felix dismissed with a shake of his head. "Besides you guys need help clearing up."
"We'll do the cleaning. Go have a sleep because you certainly haven't been getting any lately."
The two stared at each other for a moment. Ralph gave him a challenging look as though daring Felix to argue his point. Fortunately there were no disagreements between the two friends as Felix quickly backed down from their stare off and ended up agreeing.
"Just let Tammy know where I am, brother."
Ralph nodded his head and went back to his task as Felix tread up the stairs. He avoided looking into his parent's room, stepped across the creaky floorboard and entered his childhood bedroom. It had been emptied of his stuff years ago but a bed, wardrobe and chest of draws still occupied the space. He sat down on the corner of the bed, loosened his tie from its knot around his neck and fell back onto the covers with a heavy sigh.
He closed his eyes but sleep didn't come. Instead he thought about his parents and the earliest memories he could remember with them. A part of him deeply wished he could still talk to them, to hear his mother's laughter and his father's whistling as he worked, to wrap his arms around them both and give them a hug that kept them their forever so he wouldn't have to feel the strong heartache of missing them.
There was a creak out on the landing.
Felix eyes snapped open as he listened to someone wondering around upstairs in all the rooms until a head poked around the corner of his bedroom entryway.
"Dad?" asked a small voice.
Sitting up Felix saw his five year old son waiting by the door with his hands behind his back. His sandy blond hair was neatly combed in place and his eyes were a piercing blue contrasting against the black shirt and trousers he wore. There were also traces of chocolate around his mouth.
"Davyd, where have you been? I've barely seen you all afternoon."
Shuffling forward Davyd approached his father. "I was hiding under the table."
"Hmmm I thought I saw someone take the muffins under there," said Felix, arching a brow. He reached up a hand, gave his thumb a lick and wiped off the chocolate from Davyd's face.
"I saved you one." Davyd brought his hands forward where a small muffin rested in his palms. Felix stomach rumbled in gratitude as he accepted the muffin. Bringing Davyd forward Felix picked him up and sat him down on his lap as he ate the chocolate treat.
"So why were you hiding under the table?" Felix asked, curious. Davyd stuck out his bottom lip slightly as he leaned back against his father.
"A lady kept pinching my cheeks and it hurt."
Felix nodded and finished off the muffin with a swallow. "That's Deanna, you get used to it after a few years."
They remained quiet listening to the cutlery being washed up, dried and put away downstairs along with the low sounds from Ralph, Vanellope and Tamora talking.
"Sorry I was hiding," Davyd murmured.
Felix gave him a small hug from behind. "That's okay. To be honest kiddo I wish I was hiding under the table with you. It hasn't been one of those days when you want to face the world."
Davyd frowned. "But you tell me you've got to face those days with a smile. I haven't seen you smile."
Felix sighed. "I guess it's not a day for smilin' either."
Davyd let out a hum and changed the subject.
"I looked for you in grandpa's room and I found something," he said, excitedly. He slid off his father's knees and scurried out the room before Felix could question him. He soon returned a moment later carrying an old homemade kite. Felix's eyes widened.
"Where did you get this from?" He asked, barely believing his eyes as he gingerly took the kite off Davyd.
"It was under granddad's bed. What is it?"
"It's a kite. This end flies up in the air with the wind and you hold onto this end. Your granddad made this for me when I was about your age."
The memory burned clear in his mind but he could only recall flying it that one time. The days following hadn't been windy enough to get it into the air and then the idea of flying his beloved kite sailed far out of his mind when his mother took a turn for the worse. When she had gone he never thought about the kite again. By some miracle it was still intact.
"Let's go fly it!"
Felix's eyes glanced up away from the kite to stare at Davyd. Anxiety washed over him like a tidal wave. The kite didn't exactly bring back happy memories for him. However Davyd looked just as eager Felix had felt flying the kite with his father. And like Felix Sr all those years ago: he couldn't bear to disappoint his son.
"Come on then."
He followed Davyd out the room and down the steps carrying the kite with him as he went. Felix was pretty sure he heard someone call him name as he left the house but he let it fall on deaf ears as Davyd was bouncing up and down at his side reaching for the handle. Felix passed it to him and walked backwards with the kite in his hands until there was enough space separating them. The bitter wind chilled his body but the glee on Davyd's face was enough to keep him warm.
"Are you ready?" he called. Davyd nodded.
With a surge of energy Felix hurled the kite upwards where the wind immediately snatched it up. Davyd ran with it, giggling all the way up to where his father stood, and held on with a firm grip. His eyes were full of delight. It was a complete and utter look of being carefree.
Felix couldn't help but grin.
So, what did you think?
The image of Davyd I got from Pogo's remix 'Davyd' of the film A.I. Go to Youtube and watch that remix and the film. They are both awesome!
That's all for now. Don't forget to leave a review. :)
Reeves3.