Chapter Seven- Peach and Rhubarb
Taffyta had to know.
She had to know what was going on.
"It's nearing two weeks…" the girl said to herself, following Vanellope in the shadows "Two weeks of this and no full explanation!"
It had been driving Taffyta mad, seeing Vanellope going to and from the Niceland apartments with Ralph but bringing back so little information, with the exception of more and more Nicelanders visiting Sugar Rush every day or so. While Taffyta was not above having more people come and view the races, she just wanted to know what was going on between the vanilla racer and the group of people.
Only weeks before, Vanellope had declared to her friends that she hated the Nicelanders, that she didn't want anything to do with them but all of a sudden the girl was bringing them in for visits, having them tour the game, having them stay and bake and other things.
It was if Vanellope now WANTED to know the Nicelanders, as if she WANTED to have fun with them!
What had caused such a drastic change of opinion.
And it was on this night that one Taffyta Muttonfudge was determined to find out just what the hoo-haw was going on.
"Hoo-haw, indeed…."
As the arcade closed up, Taffyta began her mission. She saw Vanellope leave the track, Ralph waiting for her as usual. The girl followed, but made certain not to follow too close, as not wanting to arouse attention from anyone else.
Ralph and Vanellope hopped on the trolley? Taffyta did so as well, but she made sure to stay in the back, folded down between the seats and not a single person sensing her.
"I'm just a lil piece of taffy…." The girl whispered to herself "No need to notice meeeee…."
They got off? The little white-haired racer was quick to follow but she was even quicker to hide herself.
It was like some sort of pink and white mongoose; her feet were springing her this way and that.
Everyone was talking about Vanellope's glitch but they were not aware of what the OTHER racers could do.
With her mind set on one thing Taffyta continued to follow, her heart racing to see what was coming at the end. She was getting closer, Vanellope and Ralph nearing the entrance of the game but they stopped.
Taffyta flipped herself behind a nearby bench; had she been spotted? That would be rather awkward.
"Ohh, what am I gonna tell 'em?" she thought "'Nice evening, GUYS. I have a complete explanation for why I was hiding behind a bench but first-!'"
"Taffyta?"
"GAH!"
The little racer felt as if she had leapt ten feet in the air as she heard the voice call out to her. She turned and looked up, Calhoun giving her a puzzled look.
"O-Oh, MA'AM!" the girl gasped, turning pale on sight.
Great, with Calhoun there she wouldn't hear the end of it. It was bad enough that a large chunk of the arcade had turned against the racers but she knew Calhoun wouldn't waste a second to lay it on her.
"May I ask what you're doin' here?" the woman said, putting her hands on her hips.
Tell a lie or the truth? Tell a lie or the truth?
"Er, well ya see!" Taffyta grinned, trying her best to play coy "I was just going out for the evening. Didn't want to bore myself."
"Weren't ya on tha roster?" Calhoun asked. Taffyta turned bright red.
Well, the truth was out now. Taffyta HAD won her place on the roster for the next game but skipped out as her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she instead went to investigate what was going on with Vanellope and Ralph.
But how did Calhoun know?
Had she been watching her?
Had she been watching the races?
"Got a few hours off…." Said the marine, rubbing her nose arrogantly "I hafta say, ya handle your ride like one of guys during the drivin' portion of my game!"
Was that….a COMPLIMENT? From CALHOUN of all people?
Taffyta gave the woman a puzzled look, in shock that the woman had anything nice to say to her.
After all she had done to Vanellope.
"C'mon, ya can't tell me ya would miss a race ta sneak around like this?" the woman smiled, picking the girl up with ease. Taffyta yelped, having never been lifted off the ground so easily by someone but there was something to Calhoun's smile that made her rethink her earlier worries.
Maybe she wasn't in trouble.
"What's tha story, Strawberry?" the marine smiled "Spill it…"
"Ten dollars." said Vanellope "TEN DOLLARS that she's not here."
"I can't feel my soul leavin' my body so I already know that Dee-Dee ain't there." Ralph huffed "She's like a ghost in one of those horror movies! Ya don't see her but then all of a sudden, ya see her figure in your TV or mirror an'BOOM! DEAD."
"Makes me wonder if there's more ta her than ya guys know." Vanellope shivered "Ya sure she's not like the REAL boss or somethin'? Like she pops up at the end of the game and vows to capture your souls?"
Ralph scratched his cheek in worry "Considerin' how many times I've gotten her name wrong over the years, maybe she WANTS to collect my soul in a jar! Place it on the mantel right next ta Centipede's, possibly Mario's or someone else…."
"Oh, Carl! Get off it!" called a voice from down the hall. Wrecker and racer peeked around the corner, seeing two Nicelanders arguing, a few of the others surrounding them.
"Pearly, I can tell you THIS!" the male of the two said, a smirk on his face.
"That….is Carlos." Ralph said to Vanellope, the girl looking on.
"There is NO way, no way in the code void that you can out do me in THAT!"
"And that…." Ralph said, pointing to the female "Is Pearl."
Carlos and Pearl? Vanellope had never noticed the two but right now, they were making sure everyone in the apartment heard them. Gene rubbed his temples, clearly not in the mood to deal with the two.
"Guys, come on." The mayor moaned "I have a headache."
"Take some booze then, Genie!" smiled the one called Pearl, patting Gene atop his head.
The look on Gene's face got worse, the man just wanted to punt a few heads "PEARL."
Pearl marched right up to Carlos, poking him in the chest "I swear on my mother's grave, CAAAAR-LOS! I can take you on, any time! ANY PLACE!"
Carlos grinned devilishly, standing on his tip-toes "Oooh, such FEISTY words, my dear. So much ferocity….but not a threat to it!"
The woman growled, getting even closer to the still smiling man "Imma rip that 'stache off your face-!"
"GUYS! STOP!" Gene shouted, pushing himself between the two and shoving them aside "You ALWAYS do this! EVERYTHING has to be some sort of competition between you two!"
"But Geeeeene!" Pearl sang "What's so bad about a little competition between two friends?"
"It's bad because it always ends up in you two creating a mess and Felix having to clean it up!" Gene huffed, trying his best to intimidate the woman.
"As if YOU'VE never caused a mess with YOUR silliness, Gene!" the female Nicelander chortled cutely, much too tickled by how Gene was pouting towards her "Need I remind you of the time you, Don, and NORWOOD tried to-?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Gene shouted, his voice getting deeper in that moment, vibrating off the walls. Vanellope moved out of the way just as a picture fell of the wall dangerously close to her head.
"The heck-?! How can he do THAT!?"
"Well, FIRST." Ralph began "He has to summon up the powers of SATAN, then-"
The Nicelanders stood back from their leader, looking as if he were about to explode. Taking a breath or two, Gene adjusted his hair and tie.
"Look, I am FINE with you two having your 'cute' little competitions here. But we've had a HORRIBLE month, so if you please is there ANYWAY you can clear this up without causing the entire apartments to crumble?!"
"Yeah, that's MY job anyway!" laughed Ralph, his own laughter bouncing off the walls. The group of Nicelanders looked, Ralph standing tall and strong before the lot.
"No, keep goin'!" the man said "I wanna know what this is all about."
Pearl gave Carlos a light shove "If you must know, CARLY-!"
"CARLOS." The man interrupted.
"CARRIE." Pearl smiled.
"CARLOS."
"DEVIL-STACHE here thinks I there is no way I can beat his pie making record!"
"Yeah, we all know Mary has ya two losers beat ANYWAY…." Norwood sniffed, walking past the two with his pipe in his mouth, enjoying the dark looks they gave him.
"Pie record?" asked Vanellope curiously "So ya guys have pie makin' contest too?"
"Every year!" Pearl said proudly.
"Which Mary always wins…." Coughed Lucy.
"ANYWAY, between us Pearl thinks she can out bake me with her silly peach pie!" scoffed Carlos, looking at his nails "Pah! PEACH pie beating out my Rhubarb? You must be joking!"
"RHUBARB?! RHUBARB?!" Pearl growled, pulling Carlos' mustache "YOU'RE the one who is joking!"
"Hmmm, this is getting interestin'!" Vanellope said, looking at the two "I knew ya guys took pie seriously but I never knew just HOW serious!"
"Oh, they take it well and beyond, kid…." Nel groaned "These two are ALWAYS competing with each other over something stupid."
Pearl posed daintily, flicking her wrist in the air "And of course, I NATURALLY come out on top!"
"Ah, excuse me? What was that?" Carlos said, a hand to his ear "I couldn't hear you Pearl over all the LIES around you!"
Pearl pointed towards the man "I was the top of my class!"
"I WAS EVEN HIGHER!"
"I won gold medals in every sport I was in!"
"So did I!"
It was like watching a tennis match between the two, neither one giving up anytime soon. Ralph and Vanellope moved their heads towards each Nicelander at every new accomplishment came out, feeling a tad scared as it went on.
"Uh, should we stop them?"
"Oh, don't worry…." Meg smiled "They're actually good friends. They just like…they just like doing this."
Perhaps an intervention were in order before something truly went off. The others could feel a whirlwind forming between the two and if things were not stopped, as Gene said the entire apartments would be destroyed!
"Peach is better!" said Pearl.
"Peaches are TERRIBLE!" said Carlos "Oooh! Look'it me! I'm sweet, sweet PERFECT PEARL! I like peaches because they're shaped like BUTTS which I AM!'
"RHUBARB isn't even a FRUIT!" roared Pearl "How can THAT be categorized a fruit pie?! And they're TOXIC anyway so-!"
"NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! STOP!" bellowed Gene, finally having enough of the two "Do you TWO want to spend the entire night washing up duck mess from today's game, AGAIN? I can get the scrappers and buckets if you keep on like this. "
"But Gene-!"
"Hold on!"
All turned, Vanellope stepping forward with a smile on her face.
"You two SAY you're the best of pie?" the girl smiled "Then prove it! I've seen a lotta Nicelanders with their craft but if the competition is THIS rough, I wanna see just how down an' dirty ya guys get with pie!"
"Kid! NO!" begged Roy "Please, for the love of GOD don't encourage them!"
The two Nicelanders' eyes went all a glow with excitement, moving forwards and causing Gene to fall on his face.
"You want ME to show you how fast I can bake a pie?!" beamed Pearl
"You mean, you want ME to show you how fast I can bake a pie!" said Carlos.
Suddenly, it felt like the two were TOWERING over the girl, Vanellope feeling a chill come about her.
Maybe this was a bad idea….
"Oh LORD." Gene moaned, slapping his forehead "Please give me strength…."
Mary moved in closer to the Mayor, a hand on his shoulder "Dear, do you need anything?"
"Yeah, a stiff drink…"
In a flash, Pearl GRABBED Vanellope, holding the girl above her head with surprising strength.
"I HAVE THE KID!"
"WAIT! DON'T BAKE ME!" Vanellope wailed "An-an' how can ya lift me?! I thought Nicelanders weren't that str-!"
Carlos jumped up and grabbed Ralph's hand, "I HAVE RALPH!"
Ralph blanched, looking around "FOR WHAT?!"
"Hey, what's goin' on?" asked a familiar repairman, returning with Calhoun in tow but also….
"Bwh-TAFFYTA?!" Vanellope gasped, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.
Taffyta smiled nervously, shrugging her shoulders "Er, I was told there would be PIE here soooo-?"
"Ah-HA! A crowd has formed!" laughed Pearl "This is getting better by the second!"
"Guys, what in tha arcade is goin' on?" asked Calhoun, looking at the Nicelanders in confusion. By now, Ralph was crying, so horribly confused as to the situation he had so unfortunately fallen into.
"Don't ask me!" the man wailed "They forced me to!"
Moments later, the group had moved themselves to the lower parts of the apartment, chairs and tables set up in front of the community kitchen. Pearl had already jumped ahead, decking Vanellope out in cooking gear and getting her trademark fruit ready.
"You think you know everything about baking the Nicelander way, huh kid?" the woman laughed "Heh, I'mma teach you just how intense it can get!"
"This all started because we bet Deanna wasn't here…." Vanellope mumbled to herself, rubbing her arms "I didn't want it to turn into this. I don't like where this going!"
"Pearl thinks she can humiliate me in front of the others?" Carlos smiled, cracking his knuckles "Heh, prepared to TASTE your defeat, Peary-Woo!"
Ralph was leaning on the wall, his head banging against it "I'm gonna DIE aren't I? I think I am."
"Okay, let me get this out of the way first…." Gene said, walking up and glaring at the two teams "PLAY. FAIR. I don't have time to deal with any of your crap so unless you want me to LOCK you out of your places tonight, don't you DARE start a fight!"
"He's done that before?" Calhoun whispered to Felix "I know about tha RALPH thing, but really?"
"There was this time back in ninety-one…." Felix whispered back "Somethin' ta do with Norwood replacin' all Gene's family photos with pictures of butts."
"Oh, Genie!" Pearl laughed "Have some faith in us! It's not as if we're going to bust out and THROW you into the woods, now ARE WE?"
"You're givin' me an EXCEDRIN headache, Pearly." Gene gestured towards the woman, hands out the measure the amount of pain he was in "Like…this big. THHHHHIIIIS BIG."
"Gene, sit down." The pink Nicelander said, yanking Gene back onto the couch and forcefully holding him back in her arms "Everything will be here, I promise."
"Murph…."
Mary flicked Gene on his nose as if he were a puppy, the man grumbling again "No pouting."
Taffyta sat on the couch next to Calhoun and Felix, just as confused as everyone else "So….is this what these two have been doing all this time?"
"If so, I've been missin' a lot." smiled Calhoun "I'm puttin' my money on Pearl!"
"Tammy!" Felix smiled "What a thing ta say, especially in front of tha child! We're ADULTS! We should be settin' an example for her, not pittin' friends against FRIENDS!"
Taffyta looked over at the repairman, flipping her bangs and giving him a look.
THE LOOK.
"Sir? REALLY?"
Felix turned, both the racer and his fiancée looking at him. He crossed his arms, echoing the same grumpy look that Gene had on his face.
"Ya don't know Carlos! He has some skills with those rhubarbs!"
Calhoun couldn't help but burst into laughter, giving the little repairman a playful shove "I KNEW it! I KNEW IT!"
"Okay…." Gene moaned, leaning on the arm of the couch "Three, two, one. I don't give a crap, let's get this over with."
With the signal given, the two teams began!
Or better yet, Pearl and Carlos began. Ralph and Vanellope were stull caught up in the moment, feeling like deer in headlights as the crowd cheered and the Nicelanders were well on their way to preparing their pastries.
"Wait, what do I do?!" asked Vanellope "THIS ISN'T LIKE MINUET-TO-WIN-IT! SHOULD I EVEN BE HANDLIN' KNIVES LIKE THIS?!"
"Here, just hand me the peaches! I'll take care of them!" Pearl shouted, a very sharp knife pointed RIGHT at Vanellope's nose "Trust me!"
TRUST?
"UH."
Pearl moved the knife UP, Vanellope feeling the coolness of it brush slightly against her skin.
That wasn't a good feeling.
"NOW!"
Vanellope screamed as she tossed the peaches in the air, Pearl leaping into the air like some short, chubby hyper-action hero before giving the lot a SLICE-SLICE-SLICE!
"HAHA!" Pearl cheered "And yet, not a drop of juice shall be lost!"
Even ducking, Vanellope felt as strong gust of wind and a flash of light but it was over in a second, the peaches falling back onto the placemat.
But they were still whole.
"W-What was that ab-?"
Slowly….slowly….slowly…..
Vanellope could hear something. It was soft, like the sound of something wet rubbing against another surface. Her eyes then focused back on the peaches. They slowly began to slide, revealing that they had been cut PERFECTLY, so much so that Pearl had managed to miss the pit and leave it clean and whole as the juicy bits of peach lay before it.
"Ha! Told you I knew what I was doing!"
Vanellope was thanking every programmer she had moved out of the way.
"I-I think I wanna stand in the corner for tha rest of this…." Vanellope mumbled, inching away.
"Ralph, I need your fingers!" ordered Carlos.
"Uh, yes sir?" Ralph asked nervously.
Carlos then stuck many stalks of rhubarb between Ralph's fingers and once the wrecker remembered what Pearl had done….
"SIR! DON'T CUT OFF MY FING-!"
Too little too late.
Ralph saw the knives, he saw the glint in Carlos' eyes and before he knew what had happened-
"Stand still my friend!"
He felt the wind rushing past him, the sound of the shining blades whooshing past his ears.
*SHING!*
"Whoa!" gasped Taffyta, getting to her feet "Where are they going?!"
*SHING SHING SHING!*
"GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"
"He's not hurt, is he?!" said Taffyta, covering her mouth. Calhoun moved closer, as if she wanted to see just how far the Nicelanders would go to make pie.
"I can't feel them!" Ralph cried out "I CAN'T FEEL MY FINGERS!"
"Ralph?"
The man turned, noticing the looks that Felix and the others were giving him. He peered down….
His fingers were fine. All ten of them were there, safe and cut free. The rhubarb on the other hand? The rhubarb had been slice and diced PERFECTLY, the tiny chunks collected in a bowl and being washed in the sink.
"Thanks!" Carlos said, taking one more look at the cut pieces of vegetable "It always helps to have another pair of hands!"
Ralph said nothing, still looking at his hands…..
*KA-BOOM*
And down he went.
"GAH! Someone get the smellin' salts!" cried Felix, Gene just looking on with an unimpressed look on his face.
"Give him thirty-seconds, he'll be up."
"Ha-ha! An advantage!" cried Pearl "Quick kid, do another distraction! You shove Carlos' head in the fridge and I'll pour the rhubarb into the garbage dis-!"
"PEARL! NO CHEATING!"
"W-wait, I'm up…." Ralph moaned, struggling to get back to his feet "D-Did I miss anything?"
"Just a few seconds, but we're glad to have you back." Said Carlos, busy away with the filling "Hand me the brown sugar!"
"E-er, right!"
"Wow, I had no idea that Nicelanders were…..quick?" Calhoun said, trying to find the most polite words she could think of, looking the group up and down.
How could Calhoun NOT be surprised how the Nicelanders moved. They were just so ROUND, so CHUBBY, tiny little feet below short little legs. They resembled EGG-SHAPED children than anything else.
As Calhoun was bearing witness, the little people were proving to be a lot swifter than she thought, able to duck and dart as they prepared their beloved dish. With the others cheering the two on, Calhoun had to take a look at Mary, trying her best to get Gene to smile.
"C'mon, it's funny…" Mary cooed, her fingers purposely squishing Gene's cheeks "Smile!"
The little man tried to free himself from the woman's hold, squealing like mouse.
"Umph! Meh-WEE!"
Mary was considered the best, the most proficient in pasties and other sweets. If Pearl and Carlos could do this, just how powerful was Mary in her own environment?
Maybe it would be SAFER to keep an eye on Mary. Who knew what SHE could do if an eye were turned away!
"Better watch out with sharp utensils 'round these guys…." The marine laughed to herself but she then got back into the game "C'mon, Pearl! Show 'em how it's done!"
Taffyta was still confused. She had thought that there were other things going on that had Vanellope so busy but had she known, maybe she would have snuck out sooner.
"This place is so weird…." The girl said, shaking her head.
"I don't get it, Ms. Pearl!" Vanellope gasped, glitching this way and that to keep up with the woman "W-why are ya so hyped up about this pie?! I-I'm sure Felix would still love it without you an' Mr. Carlos duking it out like this!"
"Oh-ho-ho, it's more than just that, sweetie." The woman smiled, finishing the inner filling for the pie "I always get such a rush, such a wonderful feeling when I bake pies like this!"
"I-I kinda got that from you all…." Panted the racer, finding herself getting dizzy. She looked over at Ralph and Carlos. The wrecker was also having some trouble keeping up with the smaller man and as Vanellope studied him, Ralph was being EXTRA precautious to make sure his fingers didn't come an INCH near any more blades.
"Ralph, can I use your hand again?" asked Carlos.
"Only if you promise I'll have it once you're done!"
What was supposed to be a simple baking session had spiraled into complete madness, Ralph and Vanellope now pitted against each other. They were thanking every programmer that their previous pie lessons were helping them in some form during the 'contest' but they still could not keep up with the Nicelander.
Pearl and Carlos were SKILLED in pie, their code was COATED in it and they were both determined to come out on top.
"Yeah, this is what I like to see…." Felix smiled. Calhoun and Taffyta looked over, noticing just how much calmer Felix was compared to everyone else.
"What do you mean, sir?" asked the strawberry racer "This is how you like to see people, how?"
The repairman looked over at the two "I just like ta see tha guys happy doin' what they love! I've been so worried that tha past few day would kinda break it out of 'em, but hey! They still have it!"
"Uh, yeah…I need ta talk ta ya, FELIX." Calhoun said, picking the man up by the collar of his shirt.
"EEP!"
Taffyta could only watch as the two left the room, the lone racer sitting in the middle of a pie-making frenzy. She leaned forward, shaking her head.
"Well…at least I'm not bored."
Once out of sight, Calhoun placed Felix back on the ground.
"C'mon, Felix…." The marine said, hands on her sides "Spill it."
Felix peered up, feeling a tad nervous by the way the taller woman was looking down at him "What?"
"You're still hidin' stuff from me…" the marine frowned, crossing her arms against her chest "Don't try ta hide it. I can see it in your eyes."
The repairman looked away, removing his hat as he ran a hand through his hair "Er, well…t all depends on WHAT ya think I'm hidin' from ya!"
"Felix! URGH!" Calhoun growled "What is WITH this place, this ARCADE! First I run inta Strawberry Short-Stuff back there actin' weird an' now you too! Somethin's a-miss and I just wanna help, that's all!"
"What can I say, Tammy?" Felix said "There's not really much ya can do to help now. I mean, you've done enough gettin' these two ta help tha Nicelanders an' all but-!"
"I mean, aside from that Felix!" the marine said, leaning on the wall "I know I just walked into this whole scuffle here in Niceland but after hearin' what happened back in tha station a few days ago, I feel like I can do a lot more to help prevent stuff like this from happenin'!"
"Ya….ya wanna help?" Felix said, a little surprised.
"YES, I want to help!" replied Calhoun "I COULD help if I were just clued in to what actually happened!"
"Look, if it seems I'm bein' to mousey for ya with it, ya already know why!" Felix said "I didn't want ya ta get angry at ANYONE! I didn't want ya ta get angry at RALPH for jumpin' ship an' I didn't want ya getting' angry at tha Nicelanders for what they did! I'm just tired of everyone fightin'!"
Felix let out a heavy sigh, hitting the wall softly with a hand.
"I'm tired of everyone fightin'…but I couldn't even help RALPH."
Calhoun looked down at the man, noticing the worry coming over his face "Aw, c'mon now…."
"Tammy, I really don't know what ya see in me." The man began "I mean, what do I really hafta offer? I'm a 'hero' but so what? I mean, after all this time I didn't help Ralph an' if anythin', I might have PROTECTED tha Nicelander but I never really helped them break out of their fear. Had I done that, MAYBE they wouldn't have gotten so angry at Ralph an' MAYBE Ralph wouldn't have been so miserable. I was just so caught up in tryin' ta make sure EVERYONE was happy, that EVERYONE wasn't hittin' on each other or-!"
The man stopped, shaking his head in frustration.
"See? If anythin', I made all of this worse!"
Calhoun could see how upset the man was getting, reaching down towards him "Felix…"
"I could have stood up for Ralph, I could have stood up for the Nicelanders! I could have stood up for ALL of them! I could have but I just COULDN'T! An' what happens in tha end? The Nicelanders STILL get picked on an' Ralph still ended up in the dump."
"But ya kept goin….."
Felix looked up "What now?"
"Ya kept goin'….." Calhoun said, leaning down to the man "Ya always want ta make people happy, I can tell that. An' maybe your heart was in tha right place but your mind was so preoccupied…."
The marine could see some sadness coming upon her love's face, the man looking down shamefully.
"But if ya didn't care, if ya didn't care about anyone, why did ya help them?"
"Help who?"
"Ralph…." The marine said "When he game-jumped, who was tha only one who came ta find him?"
"I-I did…." Felix said "B-but I had to!"
"An' why did ya do it?"
"I did it because he was part of the game…"
"And?"
"An'….." Felix put his hand on his chest "An' because I was worried about him….I didn't want him ta leave. I didn't want him ta do anythin' ta hurt himself, I didn't want him ta-!"
Felix stopped himself.
HE had almost said it; the dreaded word.
Not 'Go Turbo'.
Something worse, something much more horrible.
He didn't want Ralph to DIE.
It made Felix's stomach ache at the very thought, the thought of Ralph making the wrong turn, being overwhelmed, being over-powered and that was it. He was gone, it was over.
And people wouldn't have gotten mad at Ralph.
They would have gotten mad at FELIX for not being the hero he was SUPPOSED to be.
"I don't know what I would do if ANYONE here, Ralph, tha Nicelanders, all of ya guys-! I don't know WHAT I would do if anythin' happened ta ya!"
The repairman took Calhoun's hands, squeezing them warmly.
"The Nicelanders feels useless? RALPH feels useless? After everythin' that happened, I felt useless. I couldn't help Ralph, I couldn't help them. AM I really a hero?"
Calhoun could tell by the tone in the man's voice that after so much action and drama, HE was the one in need of a break. The pie making frenzy was still going on in the other room but it seemed to fade second by second. The woman took Felix into her arms, holding him tight.
"You know what makes a hero?"
"W-What?"
"Someone who lays their life down for others. You did that. Someone who always goes out of their way to see that someone has a smile on their face. You did that, too."
"I-It just wasn't enough." Felix said, pushing Calhoun away slightly "It never was enough…"
Soft lips brushed against blushed cheeks, the marine clutching Felix closer. She didn't want to let go, thinking about how he had saved her, how he had treated her, how he saw her.
Felix didn't see Calhoun for her hard shell or her tragic backstory. He saw her for more.
He was the first person who had seen it, the first person who looked past all of that.
She loved it.
And she loved him.
"Honey, I can't believe I'M sayin' this but ya need ta have more fun." Said Calhoun, placing Felix back onto the ground "Now, let's go back out there and see which one of those Nicelanders goes on a rampage first!"
"Oh HEAVENS!" Felix gasped, hands going on his cheeks "I totally forgot about those two! They can REALLY turn it upside down it ya let 'em!"
Calhoun smirked, wanting things to go even further than before "Hmm, maybe I should up the ante!"
"Tammy, don't ya dare!" scolded Felix.
Back in the crowd, the two were surprised that MORE characters had entered the apartment, several small East Nicelanders joining in.
But the biggest surprise?
"GO VANELLOPE! GO!" shouted Taffyta "SHOW 'EM WHO CAN MAKE A PIE! YEAAAAH!"
Taffyta was up and jumping, screaming at the top of her lungs as if she were trying to cheer on her favorite team.
"All she needs is some face paint and a foam finger and she would be complete!" laughed Calhoun.
Back with Ralph and Vanellope though, they found themselves wound so tight that at any moment, either one would snap.
"D-d-did I lay tha peaches in tha pie correctly?!" Vanellope panicked.
"D-id I slice the rhubarbs right so the stems aren't on?! THOSE THINGS ARE POISONOUS!" Ralph stammered.
"OooOOOoooh, what have we here?" cackled Pearl "I think someone is about to falter, CARL."
"HA! You wish, lil lady!" the mustachioed Nicelander grinned "If anything, I BET that PEACHY pie of yours is turning to mush at this very moment!"
"IT IS?!" gasped Vanellope "BUT WE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT!"
"Don't worry, dear!" Pearl said, a powerful smile on her face "It's just a bluff! Carl knows his pie is nowhere near as good as OURS!"
"But I nearly lost my HAND for it!" swayed Ralph "That thing BETTER be good!"
"So, Gene…." Calhoun leaned over, noticing the Mayor as the only one NOT enjoying what was going on "Is this a….common thing that happens here?"
Gene snorted "Most of the time, these two just carry on in their apartments. If I were in my right mind, I would have never allowed it to get this carried away!"
"Oh, ya big blueberry!" Mary twittered, leaning hard on Gene, the Mayor blushing deeply "You're enjoying this! Don't lie!"
Gene shut his eyes tight, trying to lightly swat the woman away "Nnnn, stop buggin' me, Mary."
A kiss was planted on the Mayor's forehead, Mary then turning her attention up at the marine "Don't worry about a thing, sweetie. I know Pearl and Carlos look as if they want to kill each other…."
"WOMAAAAAAN, e-NOUGH!" shouted Carlos from afar, getting into a dramatic pose "If you think you are THAT unstoppable, let us end this now!"
"Mwahahaha!" laughed Pearl "Not only shall you taste how SUPERIOR peach pie is, you shall also taste your DEFEAT!"
Mary laughed warmly again, ignoring Gene who had escaped from her hold by rolling onto the floor "They're inseparable."
"Really now?" the marine said, looking a little shocked at that fact.
"Oh yeah!" nodded Felix "Those two are pals through thick an' thin. They just like playin' off each other. Have since, well, since we were plugged in."
"So in the end, all of this will mean nothing?"
"Well, it means they can have another contest, that's for certain." Smiled the repairman "Either that, or those two knew Dee-Dee wasn't gonna be here an' they planned ta jump Ralph an' Vanellope from tha START!"
Calhoun looked down at Felix in disbelief "They did not! Ya mean ta tell me that argument we walked in on! That fight! IT WAS FAKE?!"
"They do it all tha time ta get outta doin' stuff when Gene orders them to, eh Genie?" Felix said with a wink, nudging Gene as he sat up from the floor.
"I always go too soft on them….."
*DING!*
The timer went off!
Ralph and Vanellope collapsed onto the floor!
"VANELLOPE!" gasped Taffyta, running up to her friend "Oh, GOBS! Breathe!"
"Urgh, I pass out an' no one cares?!" growled Ralph, rolling onto his stomach "Holy cow, what just happened?!"
"You two made a wonderful pie." Carlos smiled, taking his pie out of the oven.
"Y-Ya mean, we did it?" panted Vanellope, Taffyta fanning her face.
"Mm-HMM!" Pearl nodded, taking the peach pie over to the counter "See, it wasn't that bad was it?"
"I can't feel my legs…."
"Wow, they look GREAT!" beamed Felix "Heh, ya two really know how ta spice things up when it comes ta pie!"
"Thank you!" both Nicelanders said, looking rather proud of themselves.
"Hmmm, those pies do look tasty." Calhoun smiled "Mind if I try a slice?"
"Sure, go ahead!" smiled Pearl.
"Help yourselves!" followed Carlos.
"W-Wait!" whined Ralph, the poor man stuck on his stomach "My muscles are achin' from whatever ya two did ta us! Throw some pie on the floor! I'll eat it here!"
With the help of Taffyta, Vanellope managed to stand back on her feet but a minute later she fell back, Taffyta catching her on her back.
"Taffy?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you're gonna hafta ROLL me back ta Sugar Rush."
"Alright." The strawberry racer said "But not before I try some pie!"
Slices were being cut for the guest, Pearl putting some on a plate for Ralph.
"Gene, take this to Ralph." The woman said "I really do think he's bushed!"
Gene took one look at Ralph, the man laying face down on the floor, moaning terribly.
"I could do that…." Gene said, eating a slice of his own pie "But I don't wanna."
"GENE."
