Sighing, Stephanie finished her math quiz and glanced out the window to watch a certain Elvin superhero cartwheel by, coming from the direction of Robbie's billboard.

She smiled, putting her pencil down carefully.

She needed to go shopping after school, and she wanted to take Sportacus with her.

He had never been to a store before, and she thought it would be really fun to see his reaction to it all.

She would need to tell Robbie; maybe he would go with them.

Robbie Rotten himself was having similar thoughts.

He had just sent a sullen Sportacus out of his lair for the fifth time that day, and was sorting through his cupboards.

He thought he needed to go shopping, and maybe Stephanie would come with him.

And maybe bring Sportacus.

Robbie grinned as he thought about that.

The poor elf was pretty lonely at the moment, with no one to play with, and that was why he kept pestering Robbie to come out and play.

Robbie felt bad at the way he had sent the hero running the last time, and thought maybe he could make it up to him by taking him to the store.

Sportacus had always begged to go with Robbie, as he had never been there before, but had always been left behind.

Maybe now was the time to treat him to a trip to the store.

Robbie smiled and began making a list.

After school, Sportacus was waiting for Stephanie, as he always did.

Stephanie high-fived him as she told him about her day.

She headed to Robbie's lair without Sportacus even noticing until they got to the billboard, then he stopped and looked at her in confusion.

" Why are we going to Robbie's now?" he asked.

Usually, they visited Robbie after Sportacus walked Stephanie home.

Stephanie turned to him, giggling.

" You'll see." She said with a great big smile.

Sportacus's look of confusion deepened, and he shook his head, laughing.

" Okay." He said with a grin.

Just then, Robbie himself came out of his pipe, startling all of them.

Robbie yelled and slammed the door, reopening it a moment later sheepishly.

" Hi, Robbie!" Sportacus greeted his friend enthusiastically, hauling him out of his pipe.

"Hello to you too, Sportakook, again." Robbie grumbled good-naturedly.

" Hi Robbie!" Stephanie chirped.

" Hi Pinky. What's up?" Robbie looked suspiciously at her.

" Wondered if you needed to go to the store for anything, Robbie. You know, Sportacus has never been in a store before, maybe we should take him along too?" She gave Robbie a pointed look as she said this.

Robbie caught on right away, as he had been thinking the same, glancing sideways at the short athlete who was currently doing a one-hand handstand on his door.

" Sure, Pinky. We could do that." Robbie clapped his hands loudly, startling Sportacus and causing him to land in a tumbled heap at Robbie's feet, upside down looking up at Robbie, his legs on either side of his head.

" Very funny pose, you flipping blue elf." Robbie told him, grinning.

Blushing, Sportacus scrambled to his feet, dusting his suit off self-consciously.

" Wanna come to the store, Sportaflop?" Robbie asked him, his hands on his hips.

" The store? I have never been there." Sportacus replied, his eyes getting big. " Could I?" he pleaded, looking from Stephanie to Robbie hopefully.

" If you behave you, hyper thing." Robbie said, slapping Sportacus on the back so hard the superhero choked on his own spit.

" Of course I will Robbie. In what universe would I not behave?" Sportacus asked after catching his breath, turning to the grinning Robbie.

" This one, of course, silly elf." Robbie said, starting off rather quickly, his long legs eating up more ground the Sportacus's short ones, making the elf jog to keep up.

Stephanie laughed as Sportacus fumbled for a response while simultaneously scooping her onto his back so she would not be left behind.

All three were best friends, Robbie just liked to tease the muscular elf to no end, testing his nearly endless patience, just like Sportacus would tease him back endlessly about his diet and life style.

The main difference was Robbie lost patience more quickly the Sportacus did.

They reached the store in record time, as Robbie moved at a fast enough pace to keep Sportacus just out of a walk, instead of his leisurely stroll Robbie normally did, which made Sportacus run circles around him sometimes.

Robbie stopped and glanced at Sportacus before going in.

The superhero put Stephanie down, his eyes glued to the window.

Robbie grimaced.

It was a picture of apples and oranges, and the way Sportacus's eyes lit up was not promising an easy time in the store.

" Come, come." Robbie said, giving Stephanie a look that she returned.

She skipped to Sportacus's side and held his hand as they went in.

Sportacus squeezed it and looked around in wonder at all the lights and people and carts and- sportscandy.

With a delighted squeal, he dashed towards the produce section, dragging Stephanie behind him.

" Sporta-! Garahhh." Robbie groaned as Sportacus dashed from exhibit to exhibit, delightedly telling Stephanie about each one as he did so.

She tugged at his vest, and he let go of her hand, exploding into flips and twists as he rocketed around the produce section, too excited to remain still for an instant.

As Robbie caught up, he was red with embarrassment as everybody stared at the blue clad figure, who was now running around grabbing fruit and vegetables, chortling delightedly, and squealing as he found something new.

Robbie left the cart and took off after him, grabbing his the back of his vest and dragging him away from a stand of kiwis.

Sportacus was actually drooling as Robbie dragged him away.

" But Roobbieee!" Sportacus whined as Robbie stopped next to the cart and sternly told him not to run around like that.

" Look at all of it! Stephanie, have you ever seen this much sportscandy in your life? Ohh, look! Mangoes!" Sportacus took off again, heading for a stand of the green and red fruits.

Robbie growled and tripped Sportacus, making him fall flat on his face.

Unfazed, Sportacus leapt up and made another dash for the fruit, but Robbie was dragging him backwards again.

" Sportacus!" he hissed in his ear. " Cut it out! Everybody is staring at you! You are sooo embarrassing!"

" Sorry Robbie, but, LOOK! LOOK AT ALL THE APPLES!" Sportacus yelled as he caught sight of the rather large selection of apples, his favorite.

Tearing himself from Robbie, he dashed for the apples.

Robbie huffed, and bolted after him, catching him as he snatched the apples franticly.

Robbie slapped his hands, causing him to drop them back in the stand, and drug him back to the cart, which Stephanie was explaining to an older lady what was going on.

She gave a tight-lipped smile at Robbie, who kept a steely grip on Sportacus's wrist.

Robbie slapped Sportacus's hand on the cart and told him to keep it there, then changed his mind and had him push the cart.

Robbie felt like screaming as Sportacus simply took the cart with him when he spotted a display of bananas mere seconds later, flipping up and doing a handstand on the basket on his way over, riding the cart easily.

" Sportadud!" Robbie hissed at him. " If you don't stop acting like a little kid, I'm strapping you in this seat, whether you are too big for it or not. Are you even listening?!" Robbie nearly yelled in frustration as Sportacus flipped over the cart after kicking it forward to a selection of carrots and beets.

Robbie scurried after him, and grabbed Sportacus's shirt collar and nearly lifted him off the ground.

" Be-have." Robbie hissed. " I mean it, you are in the cart of you don't stop acting like a kid!"

Sportacus sent a longing look at some cucumbers, but he managed to push the cart for about 5 steps.

" Ohh." He suddenly breathed. " Acorn squash, look at how much!" and promptly jumped up on the cart, riding it with ease to the squash stand.

He hopped down and grabbed up squashes like they were gold.

Robbie ran after him again, and wrapped him arms around the shorted man's waist, lifting him up and into the seat, forcing his muscle-bound legs in the holes made for children's legs after widening them.

" Puleeeaassee!" Sportacus whined, reaching for a strand of tomatoes as Robbie strapped him it securely.

" No." Robbie said, panting with exhaustion.

Sportacus pouted and kicked his legs defiantly, knocking the cart over as Robbie lifted his own weight off the end.

" OWW!" Sportacus yelped as he crashed face first on the floor for the second time that day.

Robbie groaned and between him and Stephanie, they got the cart back upright.

Sportacus unbuckled the straps and attempted to flip out of the cart, but Robbie stopped him, re-buckling the straps and adding locks to them this time.

" Robbie, this is so not fair!" Sportacus said sulkily, as he watched Stephanie merrily pick out fruits and vegetables and put them into the cart.

Robbie grinned at him, enjoying the sight of Sportacus strapped in the cart, pouting.

" Well, if you had behaved like I said, you would not be in the cart, now would you?" he said in a smug tone.

Sportacus huffed and said nothing.

Robbie grinned again and turned to help Stephanie, not noticing Sportacus pulling the cart along to a bunch of eggplant he had spotted.

Robbie noticed when an unamused store employee came up to him and told him to catch his cart.

Rushing over, he slapped Sportacus's hands again, ignoring the whimpered protests and hauled the cart out where the over stimulated athlete could not grab at anything.

" But Rooobbiieee!" Sportacus whined as Robbie stalked off to re-join Stephanie.

" He is never coming to the store again!" he hissed in her ear.

She nodded as she bagged up some mangoes, keeping a careful eye on the pouting Sportacus, who looked hilarious strapped in the cart, glaring at nothing in particular, kicking his heels into the cart as his boundless energy made had for him to be still for long.

After a bit, they returned to the cart, and glanced down Stephanie's list.

" More clothes?" Robbie groaned. " Didn't you get enough the last time we came here?"

" Look at those apples!" Sportacus interrupted, his eyes glued to some bagged apples, which looked especially tasty.

" I grew." Stephanie retorted. " And we only got me new headbands, not dresses, last time."

" I want those apples!" Sportacus whined.

" Well, we can't spend an hour on clothes you know. I have shopping to do too!" Robbie protested, ignoring Sportacus.

" Aapplleess." Sportacus whined again.

" We can split up?" Stephanie suggested.

" I WWAAANNT THOSE AAPPLLESS!" Sportacus yelled extremely loudly.

" ALL RIGHT!" Robbie yelled with equal force and stormed over and grabbed a bag full, throwing it into the cart, knowing the elf magic Sportacus hastily threw on them would stop them from bruising.

" Robbie, let me see your list." Stephanie said, now that Sportacus was quiet.

Huffing, Robbie dug out his list and handed it over to the pink clad girl.

She read it, then looked up at him.

" We can get your stuff, then mine. Okay?" She said.

Robbie nodded, and then pushed the cart with a squirming Sportacus after her.

" This is very uncomfortable, Robbie. Can you please let me out?" Sportacus asked, looking at Robbie with pleading eyes.

Robbie considered it, then noticed the way Sportacus kept peering over Robbie's shoulder at the fruit.

" No." Robbie said shortly.

" Pleeaasee?" Sportacus begged.

" No." Robbie said resolutely.

" Pretty please?" Sportacus folded his hands desperately.

" I said no!" Robbie snapped, glaring at Sportacus, noticing the glimmer in his bright blue eyes.

Sportacus sniffled. " I'll be good. Please, please, please?"

" NO!" Robbie shouted, giving Sportacus a stern look that melted the elf into tears.

Robbie sighed and rolled his eyes. Never, ever again. He thought to himself. This is a disaster.

" I guess even sports elves can be over stimulated and act up." Stephanie said, having observed the whole exchange.

" Obviously." Robbie huffed.

Sportacus sent a pleading look at Stephanie, who just smiled sympathetically and kept walking.

Sportacus hung his head, wishing the whole ordeal was over so he could move again.

" Aww, Sportaboy, cheer up." Robbie said, stroking Sportacus's neck softly. " You can get out when we are done. You just lost control over yourself, and we don't want you acting like a little kid again, now do we?" he turned Sportacus's face up and kissed his nose, making the elf blush.

Robbie whistled a merry tune and turned into aisle after aisle, having to hold Sportacus's hands down to keep him from unloading all the sugary stuff Robbie had Stephanie load into the cart, and Stephanie had to calm him down many times when they went into the dessert section, because he struggled madly when they were surrounded in cakes and doughnuts and candy.

" Let me go." He whimpered.

" It's okay." Stephanie would tell him, stretching to stroke his neck. " Nothing is going to jump out and get you or anything like that."

Sportacus finally calmed completely when they left that section, prompting some teasing on Robbie's part of his fear of sweets, which insulted the young elf to no end.

Then Robbie spotted the tool section, and promptly handed the cart to Stephanie, and headed over to it.

" And I get in trouble for losing it over Sportscandy." Sportacus grumbled under his breath, watching a delighted Robbie scoop up armfuls of tools and dump them in the cart.

When he finished, both Robbie and Stephanie had to push the cart, as between the tools and the heavy elf, it was too heavy for Robbie to push alone.

Sportacus told them it would be much easier if the let him out and he pushed it, but Robbie told him " not a chance, Sportababy." making Sportacus squeal in anger and try to slap Robbie across the face, prompting Robbie to tickle him soundly before he did so, making Sportacus blow in his face, which made Robbie reach under his hat and tickle the special spot right behind his ear, making Sportacus gasp and moan, then Robbie tickled him again.

Stephanie rolled her eyes at the two of them fighting like that, but she was used to it.

They did it all the time; only Robbie always started, and ended it.

It was odd to see the normally calm Sports Elf trying to fight back at Robbie, but he never really hurt Robbie, just puffed up and tried to come back with quick responses and tickled Robbie or pinned him down and sat on him.

They kept it up until they reached the clothing aisle, having calmed down to just calling each other nasty names, or at least, nasty in Robbie's case, as Sportacus had a hard time coming up with mean things to say.

Then Robbie left Sportacus in the cart alone while he helped Stephanie pick out dresses, complaining loudly as he did so.

Sportacus swung his arms back and forth and kicked his legs, sighing loudly.

He was bored and his muscles ached from inactivity.

Suddenly, he saw a group of mice running under a shelf.

They were talking about him, and making fun of him.

He growled a warning at them, but they just laughed, and told him 'he was just a good little pet, sitting strapped in a cart like that, you are just a sports elf, you won't hurt us'.

Sportacus shook with anger and growled at them, the floor vibrating under them.

Several people looked around, trying to find out what caused the vibrations in the floor.

Then Sportacus stuck his tongue out at the frightened mice, not having seen Robbie come up behind him, having guessed who caused the floor problems.

Grabbing Sportacus's tongue, he asked him what kind of role model sticks his tongue out at the floor like that.

" Is 'ice!" Sportacus tried to speak with Robbie grasping his tongue. " 'Et 'O!"

" What?" Robbie pretended not to understand, tugging at the young elf's tongue slightly.

" GAHHH!" Sportacus hollered at Robbie, who rolled his eyes and gave a sharp tug before letting go.

Sportacus rubbed his throat, glaring at Robbie while looking guiltily around at the people gawking at him.

" It was those mice." He croaked, looking at Robbie.

" Mice, ice, spice. You know better then to stick your tongue out! What ever has gotten into you? You never act up like this!" Robbie scolded him.

Sportacus hung his head. " They called me a pet." He whispered.

Robbie snorted. " There now, that's not worth getting all worked up about, now is it?" he demanded, rubbing under Sportacus's jaw soothingly.

" It is when you're an elf." Sportacus whispered so softly, Robbie had to strain to listen.

" Okay, whatever." Robbie said with a frown at the people who were still staring.

They returned to their own business in a hurry.

Stephanie returned a moment later, to see Sportacus and Robbie both waiting quietly for her.

" Ready to go?" she asked brightly, noticing the tears that had returned in the elf's blue eyes.

" After we show Sportacus the kittens." Robbie announced, which brightened up the superhero at once.

" Kitties?" he squealed, clapping his hands.

" Yes, kittens. And we ARE NOT taking one home. Just putting that out there." Robbie said, giving the two youngsters a stern look.

Sportacus may have been 22, but he acted a lot like a nine or ten year old most of the time, Robbie decided.

And Stephanie was 10 herself, so he was pretty much in charge, no matter how mature Sportacus acted on occasion.

When they reached the pet section, Sportacus stiffened in alarm.

" Dogs." He whispered to Robbie, his eyes darting around looking for an escape.

" So?" Robbie said.

" They can smell my elfishness, and will alert everybody!" Sportacus began struggling in the cart again.

"No, no." Robbie said quickly. " They always bark and howl, no one will even notice."

Sportacus calmed down, but still shivered slightly as they passed the over exuberant dogs.

" I don't know why you ever compare me with those animals." Sportacus complained to Robbie, when he pointed out to him that was how he acted many times. " I don't act like them at all!"

Robbie and Stephanie just looked at each other, and tried not to burst out laughing.

" What is so funny?" Sportacus demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

" N-n-nothing." Robbie gasped as he fell into helpless laughter.

Sportacus drew himself up as high as he could. " It is not nothing." He said, glaring down at the two who were laughing so hard they had to stop walking.

Sportacus glanced at the dogs with their soft, shimmering eyes and furiously wagging tails as they jumped up and down at the door, wanting out, and ran around in circles barking at him.

" I act nothing like them." He murmured to himself, kicking his legs again, nearly hitting Robbie.

Sportacus got an idea, and stuck his legs between Robbie's legs, and straightened them, lifting Robbie up off the floor straddling Sportacus's legs.

" Ahh, Sportatrick, put me down!" Robbie gasped as he clung to the cart, his face an inch away from the grinning elf's.

" Okay." Sportacus complied with an ear to ear smile. " If you tell me I am not a puppy."

" Not a puppy." Robbie quickly said, and Sportacus let him down.

They then continued to the cats, where an employee gave him one to hold.

Sportacus cuddled the kitten as it purred and rubbed on him.

Robbie shook his head as he heard not just the cat purring, but his young elf sounded very close to the same as he cooed and murmured to the fluffy kitten.

" Aright, time to go. Give the fur ball back now." Robbie commanded a suddenly sad eyed Sportacus.

" Don't give me that look." Robbie warned the athlete, who just sat there with his arms hanging limply by his sides, his head tilted slightly, giving him a complete sad puppy look.

Robbie urgently pushed the cart with Stephanie's help away before he gave in to the hero's pleading gaze.

At the checkout. Sportacus helped unload, bending over backwards till he was upside down and tossed stuff out, nearly " losing " all the sugary stuff.

Robbie glared at him and unloaded that part himself, slapping Sportacus's eager hands away as he did so.

When they got to the entrance of the store, Robbie finally unlocked the buckles on the straps, and Sportacus nearly flew out of the cart seat, and flipped around madly till Robbie gave a shrill whistle and pointed to all the stuff in the cart.

Sportacus happily scooped it all up and pranced out of the store, chattering cheerfully about next time.

Robbie and Stephanie looked at each other and groaned.

" You tell him." Robbie said, nudging Stephanie.

" No way, I don't want to make him upset, you tell him."

" You think I want to make him cry? You do it."

" Nuh uh, you."

" YOU."

And so it continued all the way down the street, until Sportacus interrupted them and asked what they were arguing about, to which they both replied,

" Nothing!"