Save the Day
Writer's note: Continuation of the prompt "After It Was Over" from my "Things You Said" series. I thought it would be fun to explore what would happen if the core four left the arcade!
"How much further are we going? My feet are about to fall off!"
"C'mere, Miss I-Only-Have-Energy-When-I-Want-To. You can take another ride."
The core four had traveled nearly the entire day according to the watch Felix wore on his left wrist under his glove. They'd passed many familiar faces along the way as characters from every game in the arcade began the migration from the only home they'd ever known.
The only light was the pausing of the electrical currents that flowed through the tunnels, giving off a florescent blue glow. Their eyes ached not used to the dark surroundings and pausing light. Though they were on their moving constantly most of the day working, their feet were sore from the consistent walking they'd done for hours with only a few short breaks.
Each of the three adults had taken turns carrying their littlest member. Vanellope may have had enough energy to power all four of them on a normal day, but the traveling drained her quickly. Ralph did most of the hauling with her on his shoulder, but Tamora had carried her on her hip a few times and she'd rode on Felix's back at least twice while one of the others carried his backpack.
"Maybe we should stop soon?" Felix suggested, shifting his backpack to a more comfortable spot on his shoulders, which by now was ineffective since his whole back was sore. "Camp out for the night."
"I was thinking the same thing, Fix-It," Tamora agreed. "The next shoot off tunnel we come across, we'll camp out there."
Almost another hour had passed before a shoot off tunnel appeared. They had no idea if they were still in the electrical system of Litwak's or had entered another building all together.
Anywhere on the endless passageway was a good enough spot to stop for the night. Tamora slipped the duffle from her shoulder, making it their official rest stop. The rubber surface was hard but pliable, and made an acceptable pallet with their packs as pillows.
"How're you holdin' up, honeybadger?" Felix asked as Tamora sat down. She propped arms on her knees, and leaned against the curved wall of the tunnel, inhaling deeply.
"Anxious to see what we'll find when we actually get somewhere."
He grasped her hand, raising it to his lips to kiss the back of her palm. "Wherever we may end up, at least we're together."
Tamora bend her head, bangs hiding her smile. Felix was the optimist of their pairing – sometimes blindly optimistic - but a little of his positivity always rubbed off on her. "You're such a sap, Fix-It. C'mere." She grabbed his collar, yanking him into a fierce kiss, breaking after a good, long beat.
"Jiminy…"
"Hadn't had one of those all day," Tamora smirked, enjoying his flustered response.
Tamora peered around Felix to see Vanellope approaching. Felix caught her distracted expression and straightened up quickly, adjusting his hat.
"T.J.?" Vanellope's voice was so tiny and innocent that it was hardly recognizable. She fiddled with the drawstring of her hoodie, awaiting Tamora's acknowledgement.
"Yes, cadet?"
"I was wondering-" Vanellope glanced over at Felix, who immediately noticed something in the girl's eyes that told him she wanted to have a private moment.
"I'll be over by Ralph. Give you two gals some time," he said politely, resting a hand on Tamora's shoulder for a second before walking over to the wrecker.
Tamora turned all her attention to the little racer, patiently waiting for her to continue. Vanellope jammed small hands in the pockets of her hoodie. For someone who wasn't shy in the least, she was taking her dear time in spitting it out. In all the years Tamora had known the girl, she'd gained an understanding that she was more than just a ball full of energy and loudness.
"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Vanellope finally asked, her big eyes consuming the sergeant.
Tamora was slightly taken aback by the request. The girl and Wreck-It had this crazy, unbreakable bond; they were nearly inseparable. But at times, Vanellope would gravitate to Tamora, especially if she was feeling insecure. Taking in the uncertainty they faced, though, it made sense that Vanellope was feeling that way.
Tamora flicked a finger at her, and a smile cracked the shyness from Vanellope's face as she settled down against Tamora's side. "It won't be very comfortable sleeping next to me," she warned. Until they were someplace whether permanently or temporarily permanent, Tamora was stuck in her armor.
Vanellope shrugged. "That's okay. I can use my backpack as a pillow." She situated her backpack to rest against Tamora's side, meticulously fixing it just the way she wanted. She finally laid her head down, and Tamora felt a tiny hand stretch over her stomach.
"What made you come over here instead of having a comfy bed on Wreck-It?" Tamora asked, wrapping an arm around Vanellope's small frame.
"Besides Stinkbrain's stench," Vanellope remarked, snickering before the shy little voice came back, "It's gonna sound silly."
Tamora gave her a squeeze. "Promise I won't laugh, princess."
"I kinda wanted a mom tonight." Tamora's breath caught. In the secret of her mind, she'd grown to look at Vanellope as her kid, but she never knew exactly how the little racer felt about her. Vanellope looked up to her, slightly idolized her at times and in a roundabout way, searched for the approval of the older female. But whether she saw Tamora as more than just a friend was unknown to her.
"I know it's silly since I have no clue what it feels like to have a mom," Vanellope went on. "I'm really lucky compared to the other kids from Sugar Rush. They don't have a family like I do. I mean, I have like the coolest kick-butt mom figure a kid could ever ask for, who teaches me how to shoot guns. A dad figure that bakes me pies and heals my scrapped knees with his magic hammer. And an uncle that I can hang out with all the time and call a stinkbrain and he doesn't care."
Vanellope looked up at her, smiling. "I love our little family, T.J."
Tamora couldn't help but smile back at her, a warmth pouring over her that she'd grown to cherish over the years. She glanced over at Felix and Ralph chatting then back down at the candy-covered head nestled against her. "I do too, kid."
"How's my two best gals over here?" Felix asked as he strolled back over.
"Me and Sarge are having a sleepover tonight!" Vanellope informed, which Tamora agreed with a nod. "You can endure Ralph's stench instead."
"I heard that!"
All was quiet save for the crackling of the electricity pausing above them. The four settled down, hoping to catch sleep and wondering where the next day would lead them.