Sportacus sat on the wall adjacent to the play ground, deep in thought. He hadn't seen Robbie around all day, and lately, that was unusual. Robbie and Sportacus finally had relatively become friends, and Robbie actually came outside everyday to socialize. But today was different. Robbie didn't come out at all. Sportacus knew Robbie wasn't sick. The crystal would have gone off, or so he figured and hoped. So that left the possibility of Robbie not wanting to see anyone today. Sportacus's heart sank at the idea of Robbie not wanting to see him, let alone the pain of keeping his secret from him. What Robbie needed to do was start letting people know stuff, in which Robbie wouldn't do because he's so secretive. Sportacus pouted at the thought. Not even a phone call or note.

It was an odd occurrence for the elf, sitting in thought for so long. Usually, he at least moved and did exercises, but lately his feelings for Robbie kept him from moving as much as Sportacus used to. Which brought up another thing in Sportacus's mind; his feelings for Robbie. Sportacus was never sure what he felt. Love, maybe? Crush? Both? He remembered asking Stephanie about the whole love business, but he didn't get much out of her. Well, nothing that would help an adult. The conclusion Sportacus had made was that he indeed was in love with Robbie. Sportacus didn't have much trouble admitting it to himself, but the idea of admitting it to anyone else was a hard one to swallow.

What would the kids think? What would the Mayor think? But most importantly, what would Robbie think? Sportacus was lucky to get Robbie as a friend, let along a lover or soul mate. After all that time of being the town villain and trying to make Sportacus leave, Robbie finally came around. Why can't I be grateful for that? I am…but why do I have to want more from the poor guy? Sportacus felt a tad guilty. Robbie indeed made a lot of progress and now was one of the better people on that side of LazyTown. That's all Sportacus had wanted before, so why was he wanting Robbie to change or tweak himself now to be forever Sportacus's?

Sportacus sighed and shook the ideas from his head. He'd deal with those thoughts and problems a different time. Sportacus found it easy to hide his feelings from the world, so that's what he was going to do…for now, anyways. Sportacus hopped down from the wall and sprinted to the billboard. Curiosity of Robbie's whereabouts was plaguing his mind at this point, and it wasn't going to go away until Sportacus found out.

Robbie hummed happily as he dusted off his machinery. It was an exciting day. His old professor was coming for a visit, and Robbie needed to make this place just perfect for him. All of his machinery was a mess, hadn't been dusted off in years.

Robbie had always been close to his professor. He had been the only one to see Robbie for his potential and talents back in the day. To Robbie, Professor Fuuten was his father figure. Robbie couldn't remember his father, meaning he wasn't that great or important, but the Professor took care of all that. Professor Fuuten was a medical and science genius. Everything Robbie knew about chemistry, biology, medicine…everything…came from the professor. Sometimes, Professor Fuuten was referred to as Dr. Fuuten for his amazing medical always smiled when he thought back to the days he had with Dr. Fuuten. Lab mess ups, bad tests, everything. It was all embedded into a cloud of laughs and lessons. Ah, those were the days.

"Am I seeing this right?"

Robbie sighed, slightly scowling. He turned around to see the blue elf standing just outside the pipe, hands on his hips and an eye brow cocked.

"Robbie? Cleaning? I think sugar just turned healthy."

"Why don't you go eat some and find out then?"

Sportacus grinned, "Oh no. That's just fine."

Robbie snorted, returning to his dusting, "Pity."

Sportacus looked around the lair. Everything was nearly sparkling with cleanliness. It was an odd feeling to tack on the word 'cleanliness' to Robbie's lair. A lair was a lair. It was supposed to be dirty and drafty. Sportacus walked around examining the tables and machinery.

"Huh. I never would have guessed you were such a good cleaner, Robbie."

Robbie continued to dust, "You would never guess a lot of things. Shows how much you people know."

"Half of this stuff has turned a different color since you've cleaned it. You probably haven't cleaned in years, have you?"

Robbie huffed, "Why?"

Sportacus aimlessly meandered, "Well, too much dust could cause bad cough…and mold! If you had mold around here, you'd get-"

"I make sure there's no mold all the time, SportaClean."

Sportacus made his way to Robbie's orange fuzzy chair. The absence of the dust made Robbie's lair less dark and gloomy looking. It even smelled clean in this place. Usually it smelt like grease, oil, and sweets. Now it smelt like citrus, woods and pine. He flopped into the chair, reclining.

"Must be some special occasion for you to make it this clean in here."

"Indeed it is."

Sportacus's eyes went wide and he peered over the top of Robbie's chair, "Huh?"

"Someone is coming over today, and I don't need you to get this place in a shamble!"

Sportacus peeked over the top of the chair. Someone coming over, eh? That's odd. Robbie NEVER invites people to his lair.

"Who?"

"You don't know the person."

Sportacus sat back down in thought. Someone I don't know, eh? Family? Not that I know of…He gasped mentally and his heart sank as he held his breath. Relationship kind of person?

"An old professor of mine."

Sportacus let go of his breath.

Robbie peeked over the chair, "You okay?"

Sportacus weakly smiled, "No problem."

Robbie snorted in light amusement, "Anyways, this guy taught me all I know. If it weren't for him, I bet I'd be out drug dealing in the big city."

Sportacus cringed. Robbie? Drug dealing? He didn't want to even imagine it. It was bad enough that he could be caught by police, but the idea of Robbie taking drugs? It hurt. And if Robbie just dealt drugs? He could get beaten or even killed, then robbed of the 'goods.' Sportacus cringed again. No, not his Robbie…

"I don't know. Drugs are disgusting anyways."

Sportacus sighed in relief.

"Dr. Fuuten saved me from being homeless and in poverty. Grand man, he is. He even offered me a position at his own university."

Sportacus looked thoughtfully at Robbie, "Did you take it?"

"No."

"Huh? Why?"

Robbie was silent. To tell the truth, he wasn't quite sure why he had declined the offer. It was a high paying job, easy, familiar surroundings…it would have been perfect. Well, it was also in the midst of a big city and cities were noisy. Robbie sighed.

"I don't know. I didn't like the big city anyways."

"Ah, I see."

Robbie walked to his bookcase and straightened some pictures, "After I turned the offer down, I felt like I had let down the Doctor. He didn't show it, but somehow, I knew," Robbie got quieter, "he was disappointed."

Sportacus's ears tweaked, "I'm sure he understood…"

"I gotta go to the store."

"Sportacus…you're embarrassing me…"

Sportacus was zipping from table to table, practically drooling over the fruits and vegetables. Harvest season was here and all the stores had the freshest produce available. Sportacus was a woman in her favorite clothing store. The freshness was killing him. Robbie hid his face as people stared at Sportacus's odd behavior. It was bad enough that Sportacus insisted he came with, but to act like this in public? Inexcusable. Sportacus made a mad dash for the cherries.

"Chheerrriiieesss!"

Robbie held his hand out and grabbed Sportacus's shirt as he quickly dove for the cherries. Sportacus's legs flung up and he fell down in with a grunt. It left him unfazed. Sportacus stretched his arms out as long as possible, trying to reach the delectable, red drops of fruity goodness. When he found no progress, Sportacus whined and gave Robbie his little puppy dog eyes.

"Roooobbbiieeee…." His bottom lip protruded.

"What?"

"Pwweeaassee?"

Robbie snorted, pulling him up, "No."

Robbie, after a lot of work, picked Sportacus up and strapped him into the cart. Sportacus whined some more, pouting and protesting to no end. There were giggles heard among the people as they went back to everyday shopping.

"Robbie, this is dumb!"

"You're less embarrassing this way than before."

"Nuh-UH!"

"Yes-uh. You wait here now."

Robbie wheeled the cart out into the middle of no where so Sportacus couldn't grab anything. Once secure, Robbie started glancing over the produce himself. Dr. Fuuten liked his fruits and vegetables, so it was appropriate to have some waiting for the good Doctor. Sportacus crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. It wasn't fair. He wasn't a little kid. And this was the man Sportacus wanted to be with forever. Che. He better not do this ever again…

A woman with a little girl wheeled her cart near Sportacus, leaving momentarily to retrieve her own fruits. The girl looked at Sportacus curiously. Her head tilted and a finger was up to her lips. Sportacus looked away, a faint blush on his face. How embarrassing…

"Hey, mister?"

"Yes?"

"Were you being bad?"

"No…why?"

The girl smiled, "Cuz' that's what my momma does! Puts me in the cart when I'm bad!" She laughed and pointed at Sportacus, "You must have been really bad!"

Sportacus glared, "I was not!"

"Was too!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

Sportacus stuck his out at her, "Was not!"

Robbie walked back to the cart holding peaches, pears, carrots and cauliflower. The smell was almost unbearable, but he could stand it for now. Robbie's eyes went to Sportacus and the little girl, both tongues still erect. Robbie sighed. He just couldn't take Sportacus to the store anymore. He placed the items in the cart and walked back to the front.

Robbie grabbed Sportacus's tongue, "Can't you behave?"

Sportacus squeaked, "Shbee sparted it."

"Did not!"

Robbie let go of Sportacus's tongue, "I mean, really. Picking fights with little kids?" He began to roll the cart away. "That is pathetic, elf! And you're supposed to be a role model for these kids!"

Sportacus protested, "But she-But she started it!"

"Yeah? Well I'm ending it!"

"I think you're lying."

"I am not!"

"You are."

"AM NOT!"

Robbie walked out of the store, arms full of bags filled with merchandise. Sportacus trudged behind. His arms had a few bags, but no where near Robbie's load.

"That red blush on your face told me everything."

"I did not BLUSH!"

Robbie smirked and continued walking, "I don't care what you say. I still think that you, like many other people, find the vision of Patricia Laurie covered in chocolate and a strawberry laid out on a white, linen bed is hot."

Sportacus huffed, "All lies!"
"Please…I've seen you drool."

Sportacus sighed. Robbie teased like this all the time, especially when he catches the blue elf staring into space. The magazine cover Sportacus was staring at was a modeling magazine with a model in a position exactly as Robbie described…Only instead of the actress, Sportacus envisioned Robbie himself. The vision was tasty, even if it did involve the sugary masses of chocolate. But then again, Sportacus had many visions and day dreams of Robbie bathing in a fruit bowl. Let Robbie win. He jogged to catch up with Robbie, sighing in fake defeat.

"All right. You win."

"Damn straight."

"Well, bless my soul. Robert?"

Both Robbie and Sportacus stopped. Robbie knew that voice. There was only one person in the entire world that would call him by 'Robert.' Robbie turned. A gray haired old man stood with a brief case. His light brown trench coat hug at his knees and his thin rimmed glasses shimmered in the sun. Robbie's face was lit with a smile. Sportacus cocked his head to the side.

"Well, I can't believe it. It is you, Robert!"

Robbie put his bags down, "Dr. Fuuten!"

Sportacus cocked an eye brow, "Robert?"

Robbie walked over and hugged the Doctor, both of them laughing. Pulling back, Dr. Fuuten gave Robbie a firm handshake. As if directed to, they both immediately began to chat. Sportacus knew none of what they were talking about, nor was he really listening either. Sportacus was deep in thought again. He wanted to hug Robbie like that, no…more than just hug Robbie. But that was for other times. Sportacus smiled slightly. The life in Robbie's eyes just seemed to beam brighter than any time before. And it was all because of this one man that used to be his mentor.

Robbie laughed, looking back momentarily. Sportacus caught his eye, and Robbie cursed mentally about forgetting him. Robbie quickly walked back and grabbed Sportacus by the arm, pulling him to the Doctor. Sportacus blushed slightly, feeling nervous and shy suddenly.

"Dr. Fuuten, this is my friend, Sportacus."

"Well," Dr. Fuuten held his hand out, "Nice to meet you, young man."

Sportacus grabbed his hand, "Yes, you too."

Robbie beamed. He felt full of pride. Why, he wasn't sure. Just was. Dr. Fuuten laughed. Maybe it was because Robbie was finally able to show his old mentor he hadn't failed at life. He couldn't wait to show the Doctor his inventions and his studies. It was a wonderful world.

"Dr. Fuuten, I'm sure you're tired from your long trip. Let's go back to my home."

Dr. Fuuten nodded, "Why yes. Splendid idea!" He turned to Sportacus, "Are you coming with, my boy?"

Sportacus waved his hands, "Oh no, no, no. I don't want to intrude on your reunion."

Robbie picked his bags up again, "Oh don't be dumb, elf! You're coming with us!"

"But…I don't know…"

Dr. Fuuten grabbed Sportacus's arm, "Come now, come!"

"Er…okay…"

The three of them walked down the street to Robbie's billboard. Sportacus couldn't wear off the feeling, but something was strange about this man. A strange feeling was lofting around him, sucking people in as it was touched. Sportacus had to force himself to push it aside. Probably because he's new. But Sportacus never had problems with new people before. It was odd.

But Sportacus knew he could stand it. He had to. This was important to Robbie…and what was important to Robbie was important to him.