The next day Stephanie didn't leave the sight of the airship she didn't want to go through that again. Her arm had developed a bruise where the man had grabbed her and the burn on her leg wasn't as bad as originally thought. Sportacus knew she was scared and also knew if she had a little time she would be back to running all over town.
She and Ziggy were playing catch under the ship as they finished her room. It would take a day or two more but he was proud of how it was turning out. It was smaller then he would have liked but with the ship he had now this was the best he could do.
Later in the afternoon they were taking a break watching Ziggy and Stephanie play tag.
"That one's quite attached to our girl." Nine said
"Always has been. She's his best friend and he hers. He was the first friend she made here in Lazytown and confessed to me once she thinks of the boy as a little brother. He in return has confessed she's like the older sister he doesn't have." Sportacus smiled as Ziggy lunged and tagged Stephanie.
"Your it!"
"You know this isn't fair with just us two." She laughed
"I can't help it the others want to play video games!" Ziggy piped
"I know." Suddenly she grinned to Ziggy and motioned for him to be quiet.
Sportacus could hear her sneak up behind him and turned and tickled her to the ground.
"Nice try." He said
She squealed with laughter as she tried to tickle him back.
"No use daughter I'm a bit quicker." He grinned.
Unfortunately for him his sister and brother tackled him and held him down.
"We got him Steph!" She said
"Not fair!" Sportacus said
"Get him Niece!" Devon said
"OK that's really not fair three on one!"
"Pabbi's right let him loose it's more fun if he fights back!" Stephanie said
As they released her father she attacked his ribs and he hers until both rolled over to catch thier breath.
"I swear you act like your all younglings again. I think she's the more mature of the bunch." Nine said
"Leave them be." Lilies said
Ziggy smiled at the scene. He was glad Stephanie had her father and that she was happy. He could tell her anything and had told her she was like family to him.
"Your turn!" She said getting Ziggy.
"No, Uncle!" He shouted thier safe word and she released him
Robbie who was asleep under a nearby tree woke up when the tickling began and glared at the family.
"It's impossible to get any sleep with you and pixie isn't it!" He mumbled
"Pixie?" Isabelle questioned
"My nick name. I am also called Barbie, cheerleader and pink tornado by him." She said smiling.
"Just like he calls her dad names." Ziggy said but shut up at the glaring of Robbie
"Oh Uncle Milford sent some cookies and there are way to many for me want some Robbie?" She asked
"What kind?" He asked flatly hoping it wasn't healthy.
"Chocolate chip! Want some Ziggy?" She asked
"Do I?!" Ziggy chirped.
"Sure pixie."
Stephanie went and fetched them from her backpack and let the two take as many as they liked.
Robbie nodded as he stuck one in his mouth and headed home. Stephanie giggled at the site of a cookie hanging from his mouth as he stalked away.
"I like him. He's funny." She giggled
"Sure is different. Usually he's trying to get rid of your dad." Ziggy said having finished his cookie and reached for another.
"People change Ziggy." She said
"Yo Pinkie! You seen Stingy he stole my baseball bat again!" Trixie said jogging thier way.
"Nope I've been pretty much staying around the ship today." She said
"What for?"
No one in town had been told about yesterday and Ziggy refused to answer thier questions about where Sportacus had gone. They all wondered of course but figured Robbie had done something wrong and tried to leave town and they had gone after the villain.
"Just feel like it." She said
"Oh what was all that yelling a minute ago Thought someone was dieing."
"Sort of Pabbi and I got into a tickle match. I think he won."
"Well I'm going to find Stingy. Maybe he's at Pixel's." She said shaking her head.
"I should go to. I still got to clean my room." Ziggy said
"OK see you later!" Stephanie called after him.
She put the container of cookies in her backpack and thought about what else she could do.
"You look bored little one." Nine said
"Not really just figuring out what else to do. I got my homework done so that s out of the way." She said
"Pabbi can I go see Robbie? I want to ask him something about science and Pixel is more a computer guy. It's not for homework just some things don t quite add up."
"If he'll see you. Don't be to late though." Sportacus nodded.
She grabbed her pack and took off toward the purple tube. She knocked on it and waited.
"What! Oh it's you." Robbie said throwing it open.
"Sorry if I was interrupting. I have some questions about science class and was wondering if I could ask you about it."
"Why not Poodle?"
"Because I want to ask you."
"Fine get in. Don't touch anything."
Once inside she looked around he had all sorts of machines around and they all looked interesting.
"What s your question?"
"Questions. First of all how much do you know about Einstein?"
"A lot he was a favorite subject of my studies as a boy."
"Goodie so you can probably help me with the biography part. Next do you know anything about cryptology?"
"Depends on which subject in it."
"I don't even know what it is!"
So Robbie and the little girl bonded over science. Neither were aware it was dark until a hard knock came on the tube. Robbie opened it to find her father looking slightly panicked.
"She's down here." He said
"Good. My crystal hadn't gone off and when she didn't come home I just..." He trailed off.
"Pixie your elf is here!"
"Sorry Pabbi!" Stephanie called from below.
"It's ok come on dinner time."
"OK. Thanks again Robbie."
"Anytime Barbie. Your not so bad when your sitting still."
Father and daughter smiled as they went home.
"Why the sudden interest in Robbie?"
"I don t know I like him. I wasn't lying I think he's interesting and I think he's lonely. I had fun talking to him he even smiled. Wonder if I could get him to eat something healthy?"
"I've tried that for years."
"Have you tried baking it in a cake?"
"No."
"See."
"You can bake sports candy in a cake?"
"Pabbi what do you think carrot cake is made of chocolate?"
"Uh I never really thought about it."
"I'll have to make you some banana bread. I can substitute the sugar with honey."
He raised his eyebrows at this but said nothing. He had banana bread before and it was quite good as long as there wasn't sugar in it. He had forgotten the little girl liked to bake.
"Wait can you have honey?"
"I have a bottle of it in the ship do I not?"
"You also have a box of Pop Tarts for me so I don't know."
"Yes I can have honey."
"Good!"
The next day she borrowed her Uncle's kitchen and went about making banana bread. One loaf for her and her dad and another for Robbie. Robbie's she made a hunny butter glaze for to hide that it was healthy she had even baked some coconut into his. She skipped off to Robbie's with her prize.
"Are your visit's going to be daily?"
"I don t know. I made a cake like thingy and Pabbi can't have any so I thought you might like some." She said shrugging
"What kind?"
"I don t know the box was smashed. I think it's tropical."
"Never tried it."
"Well you can now!" She smiled wide.
"Come on in." He said
So after they both had a slice he turned to her.
"You made this? Not bad Pixie." he said
"Here you can keep it. I have others to try and Pabbi can't eat em so they would just go to waist." She said
She was smiling like a cat who had eaten a fat bird when she returned home.
"How did it go?"
"He liked it! Here I made one without sugar for the family." She said
She was sad the next day to see her family go but they promised to visit again and her father said they might even go visit them this summer. She loved her room everything was perfect. She had been pretty much living out of boxes they stored behind her dad's bed once everything was unpacked it truly felt like home. On her bedside table sat a photo of her mom and Howard. She missed her mom sometimes and would talk to the picture almost like talking to her mother.
One night a few months after her room was finished he woke to her soft cries.
"Stephanie?" He knocked
She didn't respond. He cracked it open to see she was still asleep but obviously having a nightmare. He sat by her bedside and gently shook her out of it, she sat up and clung to him.
"It's ok your safe in the ship."
"I know it was just so real." She said
"You want to talk about it?"
"It's the same one I always have I get chased by a dinosaur only this time he ate me." She said
A few days later was raining so she dragged out her crayons and coloring book.
"I'm not bored ok!" She sighed
"I didn't say a word."
"Not out loud. If I were bored I'd flop on my side and say I was bored." She chuckled
"You merely looked bored."
"And you look tired."
"I am tired."
"You went to bed early though."
"I did not get to stay asleep. Trixie kept needing assistance."
"That s odd."
"Not really she was doing on purpose. It appears I'm her Science project." He sighed.
"Were supposed to study an animal not people. Like cats and birds."
"I finally convinced her I'm not a good subject around midnight."
"Did she decide what to do?"
"Yes she is studding that cat I keep rescuing."
"Darn. That was mine. Hmm I know I'll just come up with a different one." She said gathering her coloring and disappearing in to her room before retrieving a very large book.
Sportacus raised his eyebrows at this as she sat cross legged on the floor.
"Book of animals." She stated seeing his look.
Sportacus left her to her work and went about doing pushups and such.
"Pabbi if you could be an animal what would you be?" She asked finally
"I don't know I never really thought about it."
"Just curious." She said before going back to her research.
"A fox I think." he said several minutes later.
"Huh?"
"Your question. I think I'd be a fox." He said
"I wonder what Robbie would be?"
"You really like him don't you?"
"I think his trying to get rid of you was his way of not being alone anymore. Kind of like sometimes a boy will pick on a girl he likes."
Sportacus continued his workout also thinking about the town villain. he had always felt a strong likening for the tall man but it wasn't until recently he discovered it was love. Now that he had Stephanie though could he follow his heart and talk to Robbie?
"I think I would be a fox to. Not only are they cool looking but think about I tricked Robbie in to eating healthy and they are tricksters right?"
"So they are. I still can't believe you got him to enjoy sports candy."
"Well I want to try homemade lemonade next. If I use either hunny or sugar substitute then you both can have some." She said
If she was this tricky now what on earth would she be like as a teenager? He pushed that thought aside he could cross that bridge when it came time.
Stephanie stretched as she stood and took her book back to her room. She brought out her little boom box and put some music on before joining her father in workout.
A few days later he returned to the ship after helping Ziggy out of the tree again to find his daughter reading a very old worn out book. Since none of her's were this way that he knew of it would be safe to assume it was one of his.
"Which book have you go there?" he asked
She jumped at his voice nearly falling from his bed where she was stretched out.
"Ahh! you scared me. It's a photo album of mother's." She said
So it was one of his daughters books. He sat beside her and she flipped to the beginning and explained the pictures to him. Most were of her as a baby.
"This was mom's favorite." She chirped showing him a picture of a baby Stephanie sitting in an old fashioned wash tub playing with a washcloth on her head.
"Stephanie we need to talk." He said
"Is something wrong Pabbi?"
"Maybe I won't know that until we talk. You know I've been trying to get Robbie to be more friendly right? Well sometime ago I realized that it's not just friendship I've been looking for from him....Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He asked
"You love him. Pabbi it's obvious the way you look at him. If you trying to see how I feel about it don't worry if you end up together that's great!" She said smiling one of those smiles where her eyes would close.
"Then no my child nothing is wrong. Will you be ok up here a bit. I should go talk to him before all my courage dies."
"Of course. I'm going to read some and make something to eat." She said
Sportacus jumped down from the ship and headed off toward Robbie s. This could go two ways Robbie returned his feeling or he would hate him more and plot that much harder to get rid of him. Even though it appeared Robbie at least liked Stephanie. He reached the purple tube and knocked.
"She's not here." Robbie said opening the tube to see Sportacus.
"I actually came to talk to you."
"Oh. Come in I guess but don't touch anything."
"Robbie I...."
"Out with it I don't have all night for what ever it is your trying to say. I have devices to work on."
"Plotting my doom?"
"No. I do have other hobbies you know."
"Look....I....Robbie I love you." He finally sputtered out.
"Excuse me?"
Great so Robbie was going to hate him. He turned to leave when Robbie spun him around.
"You're not leaving after that elf."
"Look just don't take it out on Stephanie when you see her. She likes you Robbie. Just because you now hate me worse then you did.....just don't turn from her." He said looking down.
"Did I say anything about hating you? I'm just glad one of us was brave enough to take the first step." He said blushing.
"What?"
"Look I love you to elf. I never really hated you I mostly tried to get rid of you because I was afraid about my own feelings. Then when Pixie started getting to me I kind of gave that idea up."
"At least were finally being honest with each other and ourselves." Sportacus said
"So what s Stephanie going to think?"
"She's all for it. I talked to her before coming here. I could care less who else accepts us but her acceptance for some reason....I had to have."
"Understandably she's your daughter and you live with her everyday." Robbie said
"I should get back...would you like to come have dinner with us?"
"What are you having because I don't do healthy."
"Stephanie is cooking so I don't know." He shrugged.
"Why not." Robbie said
They entered the ship to find Stephanie staring at her room.
"Stephanie what's wrong?" Sportacus asked
"Is it possible for a ship to be haunted?"
"Your grandfather's maybe but not this one why?"
"Someone was in my room. They are gone now but I swear I saw someone. They weren t very big." She said
Before them sure enough a short man appeared. Sportacus pulled Stephanie to him and Robbie not knowing this man at all.
"What you looking at?" The man said
"Your in thier home." Robbie pointed out.
"Who's they?"
"Me and my dad!" Stephanie squeaked.
"Yeah and who might yer dad be...name if ya don't mind."
Stephanie looked at her dad.
"I'm number ten." He said simply.
"No shit so Nine had kids after all."
"Who are you?" Sportacus asked
"Name's Alexi old friend of yer dad's. I see now he aint the one protecting this town."
"Alexi Svensson?" Sportacus questioned
"So ya have heard of me."
"My father is back in Iceland."
"Damn I could use his help."
"If you are who you say you are then you would know where to find my father." Sportacus said.
All the stories he'd heard of this man were not good ones. He was in no way a friend of his father's. Right now he was being careful because of Stephanie.
"And if I forgot?"
"Then I'm sorry."
"Fine. I'll hang around maybe someone else will remember the guy." He said before disappearing.
Sportacus immediately sent a letter off to his parents.
"Robbie can Stephanie stay with you? It's safer then right here at the moment. My father was not friends with him the opposite is true." Sportacus said
"Pixie get your stuff. You coming to?"
"I do not know there are some things I need to do before I am satisfied for her safety."
"Pabbi how long should I pack for?"
"A few days at least. I can always bring you more."
"What about school?"
"I will walk you there each day and pick you up."
Stephanie rushed to her room and hurriedly packed making sure to grab her mother's photo album and the picture by her bed.
"Thank you Robbie." She heard returning.
"Knowing what he did last time you think I'm going to let him get our Pixie?!"
Stephanie hugged Robbie before they all left the air-ship. Once at Robbie's Sportacus remained outside a few extra minutes before joining the two of them inside.
"I have placed barrier spells. He cannot enter a fifty foot radius of this place. So Stephanie if you see him and I'm not around you run as fast as you can here." Sportacus said
"What happened last time?" She asked
"I'll not go in to detail but he killed one of us. Isabelle and Devon are not my only siblings." He said sadly.
Stephanie hugged her father. This was not a good last few months first she lost her mother and Howard, then got kidnapped and now she was in danger again.
"Stephanie it is not your fault." Sportacus said hearing her thoughts.
"So since dinner was interrupted let's go make something shall we?" Robbie asked the girl.
"You have food here and not just cake?" She said faking fainting.
"Very funny."
He did have some pasta and meat which shocked both Stephanie and Sportacus but they didn't tell him it was healthy he figured it had some fat in it so it was fine. Stephanie ended up making spaghetti. When it was time for bed Robbie led her to a room where she was shocked to find a bed.
"To big for me but I can't have you on the floor." he said
Sportacus however had left shortly after dinner to see if his father had replied. He was not happy to find Alexi looking for something.
"Out!" Sportacus hissed.
"Where the little one?"
"Not here obviously."
"Shame thought we'd play a game. You send for that father of yours yet?"
"What concern is it of yours?"
"You want the girl to end up like Jory?"
"Go near her I will kill you."
"I'd have to find her first. You tell her you were to slow to save yer baby brother?" He teased before disappearing.
Sportacus returned to Robbie s after that not wanting to be any farther from his daughter then needed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Robbie asked opening the hatch for him seeing him pale.
"I returned to find Alexi in the ship. I've gathered a few thing do you mind if I stay here as well?"
"What kind of lover would I be if I told you no? Get your ass in here." Robbie smirked.
"Pixie's got the bed."
"I can sleep on the floor it's not a problem."
"What the little bastard say?"
"He brought up Jory."
"Jory?"
"My little brother."
"The one he..."
Sportacus nodded.
"He comes near her I'll kill him myself."