"Hello, Felix!" Fix-It Felix Sr. embraced his son, while the young man kindly returned the affection.
"Felix!"
"Felicia!" Felix proceeded to hug his twin sister, Fix-It Felicia. The two had come from their own game miles south to see their fellow kin. Ralph, the Felix-es, and Felicia met in Game Central Station to welcome the family.
"Ralph!" Felicia and Felix Sr. hugged the taller man, who embraced them in return.
"What's your wife like, Felix?" Felicia asked in her young high-pitched voice.
Felix twisted on an awkward, fake grin. "Well, she's...her..." he finished, causing Ralph to laugh.
Ralph was actually moderately surprised to find that Felix didn't tell them about Sergeant Calhoun's...ways, if you could call them that. But, judging by the father's next sentence, he couldn't blame the young fixer.
"Oh, Felicia. I'm sure she's sweet, innocent, and just full of sugar!" Ralph laughed some more, trying to respond to the nervous and grovelling look to stop Felix Jr. was sending him.
"What's so amusing?" Felix Sr. asked, his hands making their ways to his hips in his confused expression.
"No-nothing, sir. Nothing at all." Ralph grinned, ignoring Felix's cross glare.
"So,why isn't the little lady with you?" Felix Sr. asked. Ralph suppressed another laugh. Oh, if Tamora had EVER known someone referred to her as a little lady...
"She's...caught up with work at the moment." Felix awkwardly smiled again, afraid of his next question.
"Oh really? What does she do." Ralph's smirk had all but taken hold of his poor face. Weren't the Fix-It's in for a rude awakening?
"Well...she...ummm..."
"TAKE THAT YOU NASTY CYBUG!" Tamora flew on her hover board out of her game, blasting the escaped cybug with a small pistol. "THE KTTEN WHISPERS AND TICKLE FIGHTS STOP NOW!"
"Get down!" Felix Sr. called to his daughter. Ralph shielded all of them from the impact of the bullets.
The cybug stopped in front of them, sharp teeth ready for the kill. Ralph stood to fight, while Felix stood guarding his family.
Bang! The bug was down. A tall woman wearing armor stepped off of the hover board. "The sweet oozing of green cybug blood. Always my favorite part of the day. Nothing like a war to get the adrenaline pumping."
"Well I never!" Felix Sr. stated angrily. He stormed up to a shocked and confused Tamora. "What is with the ruckus?! You nearly killed my family!"
"First thing first, civilian." Tamora growled. "I saved you. If it wasn't for me you would have been eaten by now."
"But did it come from your game?"
"Yes. We caught it. You're fine." she barked, the harsh glare never leaving her face. Felix Jr. placed himself between the two.
"Come on, guys. Let's not get too hasty. She did save our lives after all, dad."
"DAD?!" Tamora yelped in surprise.
"Yes, dad." Felix Jr. looked back at her angrily. "You know," he said through gritted teeth. "The family I told you was coming down?!"
"Well, it seems to me that you have rather interesting characters in your arcade. I'm sure you don't associate with any of her kind." Felix Sr. spat. While Felix Jr. was cross at the statement, he had to protect his father from an increasingly homicidal Tamora.
"Excuse me, sir. This gun your son gave me just saved your life!" She yelled. Felix stayed between the two, attempting to calm them down. They were getting stares from the rest of the inhabitants.
"My son would never give anyone a gun!"
"Well, you don't know him well, because he did!"
"Hmph. Now son," Felix Sr. turned to his son. "I would love to meet this fine young lady of yours. Where does she work?" Felix awkwardly and nervously smiled again.
"Dad, Felicia," He said. He stepped out of the way, raising his hand towards a VERY angry Tamora. "Meet Tamora Calhoun, Sergeant of Hero's Duty."
Silence.
"You know what brother?" Ralph began. "I, um, need to meet with Vanellope." he darted away, leaving the drama to be dealt with alone.
"What? Her?" Felix Sr. asked incredulously.
"Yes. Me." She muttered, her harsh glare never leaving her face. Felicia stepped in.
"I'm sure she's really nice dad. She did stop the big bug after all!" Felicia smiled at Felix Jr. He returned a mouthed 'thank you.'
"Can I have a word with my lady for a moment?" Felix asked his father. The father nodded. Felix quickly stole her away.
"Look, Tammy. I love you and all, but please, until my family leaves, try not to act so...military-like." He finished awkwardly, wincing at her angry face. Oddly enough, he thought he saw some hurt in her cold eyes.
"Fix-It, if you can't accept me for who I am, marriage's off."
"NO! I do, but my dad always imagined me with someone..." how does he put this without risking his physical safety? "...girlier."
"In other words, a sweet barbie doll rather than a cold warrior."
"Well, if you put it like that..." He nervously brought his hand to the back of his neck.
"So I don't meet his expectations. What's the big whoop?"
"Tammy, he always imagined me with someone like my mother."
"And what was your mother like?"
"I don't know." Silence. He looked at the ground, and Tamora looked away. "I never met her." He looked back up at her again. "But according to his stories she was sweet and kind and considerate."
He heard her lightly gag.
"Fix-It, I don't do sweet."
"Just for a few days, Tammy?!" She glanced down to see him. Her face remained unchanged. "I'm not above the puppy dog face."
"Do your worst."
His eyes grew wide and sorrowful. He pouted his lips ever so slightly. He tilted his head slowly to the side. She sighed in defeat. "...fine!"
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
"Nice dinner, Fix-It." Tamora complimented her husband.
"Why, thank you." He smiled in resonse.
"So...what's Hero's Duty like?" Felix Sr. coldly asked his daughter-in-law. She resisted the urge to violently punch him. It was very hard not to.
The four ate dinner at the penthouse. She ditched her armor for a black T-shirt and dark jeans. She noticed her father-in-law's disapproving look, but she didn't care. She had too much to worry about, and the last thing on her list was members of the family she would see once a year. Maybe. And after this experience, maybe not even that often.
"I shoot cybugs and I try to get the first-person shooter to the top of the tower to win a medal."
"Is it violent?"
"You kidding?! You should see the blood and guts spilled all over the ground." She felt a small kick to her leg- gentle enough not to do any harm, but just enough to get her attention. She knew what it was about. She was being too warlike. Couldn't embarrass her fiancee. Nope.
Felicia pushed her plate aside. "I think I lost my appetite."
Felix Jr. smiled awkwardly at his father. "So dad, how's work?" He asked quickly.
"Very good." His father said proudly. "We have been in business for 60 years now!"
"Congratulations!" His son replied proudly.
"Hey, Sergeant Calhoun, do you think you could teach me how to shoot?" Tamora smiled.
"What?!" Felix Sr. asked incredulously.
"Why of course, little missy."
"Tammy is really good at teaching people how to shoot. She taught me a while back. I have shot three cybugs in a row!" Felix Jr. stated proudly. "That is..." once he caught his father's disapproving glare. "Not something I do all the time. No. Just once."
Tamora sighed. "Pushover." she muttered.
"Well, anyway. How is your game, son? I see you have really made a name for yourself, here." Felix Sr. asked proudly. His son sighed in relief, and returned the grin.
"Why yes. The Nicelanders are dolls, and Ralph is just and absolute sweetie. I would love to take you to my friend Vanellope's race, sometime. She lives in Sugar Rush, and is President. She adores racing."
"What's she like?" Felix Sr. asked.
"Well, she strong, tough, brave and very funny."
"I think we would get along quite well." Felicia cheerily chimed in.
"I think you would, too." Felix Jr. replied.
"Yeah, maybe we can go shopping. The three of us. Me, Vanellope, and Sergeant Calhoun. We can all shop for pretty dresses and perfume and stuff."
Tamora nearly choked. "Shopping?" she began to incredulously. "I don't so shopping." she ignored Felix Jr.'s pleading look. "Especially for girly crap. Vanellope doesn't, either. She hates all that crud." Silence fell over the table as Felicia drew back, disappointed. She smiled at Felicia. "Now girl, we need to get you some good-old-fashioned armor! It'd look good on you."
"That's quite enough!" Felix Sr. shouted, startling everyone. "Come, Felicia. You shall retire to bed." the girl shyly nodded, and excused herself. "May I have a word with you?" Felix Jr. glumly nodded and left with his father.
Tamora rolled her eyes again. "I can see that I am clearly not welcome." she muttered. She exited the room to head for her own game, hiding her pained look in her hair.
"Hey Tamora!" her "brother-in-law" called, running up to see her.
"Hey Ralph." She sighed, still covering her face with her hair.
"Everything okay?" he asked, concern taking over him.
"Hm." she chuckled. "Ask my father-in-law. Doesn't think I'm right for Fit-It."
"WHAT?! But you two are perfect together!" He said, unable to believe his ears.
She wryly smiled. "Well, neither my husband nor father-in-law seem to think so."
"What do you mean?"
"Felix wants me to act...ugh..girly around his family. Sorry, but I'm not taking it." She swiftly exited.
Meanwhile...
"She comes here in improper attire, she kills for a living, she's cold as ice; Felix I though you were better than that!" A cross father scowled at his nervous and hurt son.
"Well, dad. She's not really that bad. Sure, she's rough around the edges, but she's got a great heart." His face and voice swelled with pride. "She's at the top rank of her game, you know. The true hero. Selflessly putting others before herself."
"You don't need a hero, you need a wife!" Felix Sr. paced. "You need a woman to stand behind you as you accomplish your goals, not go off rampaging into war. You need someone you can relate to, someone you can talk to, someone to hold you. Someone to love you-"
"She is all of those things." Felix defended, beginning to get cross himself.
"You need someone who can bear you children without putting the family's lives in danger." His father finished.
"This is about mom, isn't it?" Felix Sr. sighed sadly. "You want me to marry like you did. You think that because I didn't live up to who you think I need, there's something wrong with me. And you, dad, have had a pretty narrow view of women. Not every girl nowadays needs a man to take care of her. The very fact that she is who she is is what makes me love her. It isn't her beautiful face, her charming smile, or her figure. It's all of her. And if you can't accept that, then we have a problem." Felix finished, leaving his father. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see to my wife."
He stormed into the kitchen, surprised to see that she wasn't around. He checked his bedroom before leaving the penthouse to see where she went.
"Ralph!" Felix called.
"What?" he angrily replied, though Felix took no notice.
"Have you seen Tamora?"
"She left for her own game. She seemed really upset with you and your family. Felix, I can't believe you would do that to her! Taking your father's side rather than hers?!"
"Ugh! I don't have time for this, Ralph!" Felix stormed back into his house.
"Where is she?" His father asked, much to Felix's discontent. "Nice wife. And why does she call you Fix-It rather than your name?" Felix Sr. turned on his heels, and walked towards one of the guest bedrooms. Felix angrily stomped towards his room, tossed his hat in the door way, and threw himself into bed, not caring that his work clothes were still on.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Tamora walked towards the entrance of her game after the arcade closed. She saw a cross Felix, but she didn't care.
"Tammy, we need to talk." He said.
"If it's something else about how I'm too different from your father's expectations, save it!"
"No, it's about how you left us last night."
"I am clearly unwelcome according to your dad"
"I defended you-"
"Could've fooled me!"
"-The fact that you left, though, just gave him more to yell at me for! And it gave him more of a reason not to like you. I'm trying to keep my family together, here!"
"I'm not changing to satisfy your father, Fit-It!"
"IT'S FELIX! MY NAME IS FELIX!" He snapped. "MY LAND, WOMAN, CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
Tamora's glared down at her love, unable to peel her eyes away from the man who just drove a screwdriver into the heart he fixed with his hammer. Felix seemed surprised with his own outburst, but his glare held stern. "Yeah, I guess I am. Leaving you!" His face melted into a sad and frightened look. "Find me when you have your act together. Till then, get out of my sight." she growled, pointing him towards the door.
"Fine!" He angrily barked. He stalked towards the door, not letting her see the unceasing pain in his eyes.
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
Felix Sr. found his son at Tapper's, wearing a frown and swigging down root beer with Ralph. Ralph and him were angrily talking, and Felix Sr. hung back and listened to their conversation.
"...Ralph, I'm just upset because I can't seem to make anyone happy."
"You married Tamora as she is, not as how your family wants her to be. You're already in big trouble with her, man. You're dad is the outdated one with the wrong expectations. All he should want is that she makes you happy. And she does. That's all that should matter."
"Ralph, you don't get it. I love Tamora. I love her more than anything. But I need to keep him happy. It was so hard for us growing up because he had no one. He just doesn't want me to feel that way."
"Could be worse. Could be Tamora's father." They both shuddered, recalling Malcolm and his abusive ways. (A/N See: I'm (Not) Okay) "Your father just needs to accept her, and how can he do that when you can't?"
"But I do!"
"The you need to start acting like it, or your gonna lose her." Felix's hard frown melted into a depressed look. "I don't know if you noticed, but that girl, if she tried, could get nearly any man in the arcade. You're the one that got her. I truly believe you two belong together, but if you don't knock it off, she'll find someone else."
"But how do I convince my father that she's the one?"
"Don't act ashamed of her. Don't plead with her to change. Be proud of her. The rest will fall into place." Ralph finished with his wise words. "Oh, and never ask anyone if they can do anything right, that is-"
"I know it's horrible. Guilt washed over me the second the words left my mouth. After this whole thing is over, I'm gonna find some way to apologize to her. I've been a real jerk."
Ralph smiled at his friend's realization. "Can you fix it, Felix?"
Felix smiled back. "I can fix it."
"Felix, can I have a word with you?" His father called. Ralph winked and left. Felix Sr. climbed on top of the previously occupied stool. "Felix, I owe you and your lady an apology." The young fixed looked at him, confused. "I..lied about your mother. She wasn't really all that sweet and docile. It's what I wish she was. Maybe then, she wouldn't have died." He finished softly.
"How did she really die, then?" Felix asked his father, with the softness and curiosity of a young child.
"She, much like your wife, was a cold blooded warrior. She was in an old shooting game, herself. I see so much of her in your wife that it shook me a little. The two would have been good friends. A few weeks after you and your sister were born, I stayed home to protect you while your mother tried to stop an invasion of viruses in another's game. She..." the old man teared. "was killed."
Felix Jr. shed a tear for his departed mother. "So, you just didn't want the same thing to happen to me?"
"Yes."
The two smiled and held each other, each shedding a few tears. "I'm so sorry, son."
"It's Tammy who deserves both of our apologies."
FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT
"I am horribly sorry for the way I treated you, Tamora." Tamora smiled at her father-in-law.
"No harm done. Hopefully next time, things will be be better."
The Fix-It's smiled as they boarded their train home. The two waved to the departed family as the train left.
"Uh, Tammy..." Felix began, seeing his beloved frown at him. "I just wanted to say that I am really sorry for what I said and how I treated you. I got so caught up in making sure my dad was happy that I threw you under the bus. It won't happen again. And to make up for it, we can do ANYTHING you wish! We can race, shoot cybugs or-" he gulped, "ducks, or really, anything." he rambled, twiddling his thumbs and praying she would accept his apology.
She smiled and bent down to meet his ear. "There's something I have in mind..." She slid her hand over Felix's shirt buttons, causing him to blush and tense. Then, she picked herself up and walked towards the pent house. He fell out of his shock.
"WAIT FOR ME, BABY!" He called after her.