Chapter Seven- Cat's Paw

Why were they upset in the first place?

It had only been hours since Gene and Mary left and while everyone else was enjoying themselves two residence of the apartments kept themselves behind their locked doors, both angry, both still.

Both upset.

Ralph and Vanellope were enjoying the view from Gene's TV in the penthouse, Felix and Calhoun by their side to assure that no mess was made, the other Nicelanders were going about enjoying the precious hours they had off before turning in and for Norwood and Nel?

"Stupid cat butt."

"Afro-tastic bunny brat."

They were not happy.

It was silliness, that's all it was. Both Nicelanders kept themselves closed off from the others, neither one of them ready to confront the trouble they had both started but perhaps there was a better reasons as to why they were not ready to talk to each other yet.

For one thing, neither one could remember WHY they were fighting in the first place.

Norwood sighed, the man putting down the dish he had been washing for the past half hour. He needed something to distract him from the confrontation that had happened earlier but his usual methods were just not working and the same went for Nel, the tiny woman also at her sink, scrubbing the lone mug until her fingers were wrinkled.

She looked at her mug.

He looked at his dish.

His had rabbits on it.

Hers had a cat.

They just could not escape from each other.

"URGH, this is drivin' me up tha wall!" Norwood moaned loudly as he stomped over to his couch, flopping down on the cushions. He looked up at the ceiling, hoping to drift off but no matter how much he thought back, no matter he tried to focus….

Yup, he was still in the apartment.

"Nnn, m'head hurts now…." He moaned, his eyes shutting "What was that yoga jumbo Mary kept goin' on about? Take deep breaths in, out? Whatever?"

Whatever it may have been, Norwood tired it anyway.

In….

Out.

In…..

Oooooout.

"Where did ya get that dress? Was it programmed here?"

"Pfft, really? Is that what you're gonna say? I made this, Cat-Boy!"

"You…you made this? Nel…Nel, I- Well, I KNEW ya could sew but not like this! I mean-!"

Things were starting to come back.

"Who gave ya permission ta put your hands on her?!"

"I don't know if ya got the memo, RED. But there are certain RULES that NPCs hafta follow. Be best if ya got ta know 'em before ya got HURT!"

Yup, that night.

"Nolan, I didn't rouse Turbo up on purpose! I was just trying to get her out of the way!"

"And look what happened while she with you! If it hadn't be for you, she wouldn't be in SHREDS like that!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"Yes it was, Norwood! It's YOUR fault because you can't keep away from trouble! You ALWAYS bring trouble-!"

NEL!

Meorw.

"WOO!"

Maybe the breathing exercises HAD worked as Norwood had drifted away to a place he never wanted to revisit. He sat up, seeing Sassy at this feet.

"Oh, c'mere girl…." The man groaned, patting the cat behind the ears. The big calico nuzzled her nose against her owner's hand, the man finding some comfort for the moment. He looked about, seeing a few of the other adoptees sleeping about and while part of him was happy knowing he had managed to help many hurt and abandoned animals over the years, seeing the living quarters with felines only brought back Nolan's comment among the comments of many.

Little Cat Loving FREAK.

He didn't know why of all times it was bothering him now, considering that he had much worse things slung at him over the years. But it was just something else…something recent that made the comments hurt so much worse.

He thought back, remembering just how much the arcade was starting to change around him over the years. The ups and downs that came with it, the new friends and new enemies. Even if people around them never thought that the Nicelanders were effected, many characters in the arcade still thinking their existence and purpose meant so little in the world around them, they were not aware of even the smallest ripple of activity was not taking great tolls on anyone who was caught within it.

Norwood continued to stroke Sassy's head, struggling to find the inner peace and calm he longed for.

Why was he upset?

Why couldn't he say it?

He looked at the pictures on the wall, noticing their changes over the years. The people who had long since gone, the people who had just arrived.

There was something about them.

The way Felix held Calhoun's hand in one photo.

The way Mary and Gene did the same in the others.

Wait….

Was that it?

Envy? Jealously?

Nervousness.

The others would joke about it, they would poke and prod both Nel and Norwood for their affection but in all those years, in all those thirty years…

He had never said it.

He had never said the words like he wanted to.

And it was because of that, none of it felt right.

He was getting restless, he was getting nervous because he knew that unlike the others around him he could not change. He felt that no matter what he did he wouldn't be able to make those same achievements as the game's hero, the game's Mayor, the game's BAD GUY.

Even RALPH had accomplished more in his life than he had and it was no easy task in what the Wrecker had been dealt.

But Norwood?

He couldn't even say the simplest words to her.

He couldn't say the very thing that would finally end it all but why? Was it his fear of rejection, was it his fear that he would only bring more chaos to her? He had always tried to break through, to act tough….

But at the very end of the day….

She always got him.

"Merooow…."

Norwood looked down, Sassy rolling on her back as she settled into the crook of the Nicelander's arm. There was something about her purring that spoke to him. The way her eyes looked at him seemed to ask him 'What are you still doing here?'

"What AM I still doin' here?"

"You know she likes you, Norwood."

"Likes? That's bein' too kind. I think she tolerates me more than anythin'."

"Then how do explain all the things she's done for you?"

"That's in her nature?"

"She's come to your defense so many times."

"I-I guess…."

"You guess? Is that all you have to say?"

"C'mon, don't do this ta me! I feel bad enough as it is!"

"Tell her the truth, Norwood."

"I can't!"

"You know you want to."

"But what will tha others say?! What will Nolan say?!"

"Why does it matter what THEY say?"

"B-Because-!"

"You used to be braver than this, Norwood. You used to take a lot more chances than the others. What happened to that?"

"I guess….I guess I lost my way."

"I don't think so."

"How can ya say that?"

"It's okay to be scared. It's alright to be nervous. But you can't dwell in that."

Norwood said nothing, but there was truth in the words around him.

"Norwood."

The man shut his eyes, sighing deeply.

"Talk to her. Tell her how you really feel."

Could the man do such a thing though? Would he be able to confront Nel and express himself so easily?

"She misses you. I can feel it. She wants to be with you."

Once more Norwood found himself walking up, Sassy still in his arms and still purring softly. He wasn't sure if what he had experiences was just a dream brought on by worry….

Or something he indeed needed to follow.

The man got on his feet and walked out the door, heading up to the top floor where Nel's apartment was. The moment he stepped through the door he could hear the noise coming from the penthouse, the man only wondering if Nel was enjoying herself with the others.

"Even so….it wouldn't hurt to try."

Norwood approached the door of the penthouse, his hands reaching for the handle and as soon as his fingers laid upon the golden handles.

Kreeeek.

He turned to his left, surprised to see the very person he was looking for exiting her own apartment.

"NORY?"

"N-Nel?!"

The two paused, their eyes looked upon on another for what felt like an eternity but once Norwood knew that his freckled cheeks were turning red.

"Ah-! W-What are ya doin' here?!"

"What do ya think?" Nel said in an annoyed tone, pressing herself against the wall and holding her arm nervously "This is my floor. Don't I have the right to go around it?"

"No was implyin' ya can't loop around like ya always do." the red-head replied in a saucy manner even though he didn't want to "So why bite my head off about it?"

"You're one ta talk!" retorted Nel, turning away as she crossed her arms against her chest "I wasn't even mad at ya but then ya start snappin' again!"

"I am NOT snap-!"

Yes, he was.

Norwood moaned as he placed a hand on his face; he was ready to talk to Nel but it was clear that she wasn't ready to do the same. The way she was pouting; he knew it was best not to cross her at this point!

"What are ya doin' here anyway?"

"Huh?"

Nel's posture was hunched a bit, showing more embarrassment than anger to the man's surprised.

"I-I asked what ya were doin' here?"

Norwood knew he couldn't tell the woman the truth now so what other reason could he give for his appearance at the penthouse.

"I um….I needed Felix for somethin'."

"Um…same here." Nel said, cursing to herself as she had replied too quickly.

"Just somethin' small…" said Norwood.

"Not a big deal." Said Nel.

"An' it's in Gene's apartment!"

Luck either FAVORED the two or DESPISED them as it seemed once more they could not escape each other as even their EXCUSES were the same.

"What could YOU possibly need from Double-Stuff's apartment?" Nel said "An' why couldn't ya have asked him before he left?!"

"I could ask ya tha same question, MISSY." Norwood snorted, flicking the boy atop Nel's head "What, ya tryin' ta get back some of that food he always steals from ya?"

"NORWOOD!" Nel growled as she stamped her feet on the ground "Maybe if I get Felix, then ya get whatever ya want an' be outta my hair faster, OKAY?!"

"No, WAIT-!"

"Wait for WHAT?" the purple Nicelander said, her hands clutching the door handles.

If Nel were to bring out Felix, the situation would only get weirder as Norwood HAD nothing to retrieve. His mind was in a scramble to come up with a new excuse and just when he felt he was too close to the edge.

"Y-Ya wanna ta get somethin' from Genie's apartment?" the man said, taking Nel's wrist rather roughly.

"Ah, Nory!"

"Then come on!" the red-head said as he pushed the door to Nel's apartment open only to go to her balcony.

"Augh! Norwood, what in tha arcade are ya doin'?!" Nel gasped, making the mistake of looking over the edge.

If fate had not been anymore cruel; the little Nicelander was TERRIFIED of heights and yet the top-floor apartment had been programmed for HER.

She quickly turned around, her hands gripping tightly onto the doors of the outside patio balcony.

"NORWOOD."

"Ya live close enough ta 'im…." The man grumped as he easily crossed the balconies with the grace of a cat, Nel still shivering with fear on her side of the building "Well, what are ya waitin' for?!"

"What am I waitin' for?!" the woman said, fear clear in her voice "Do ya EXPECT me to walk-!?"

"YES!" Norwood shouted, not catching himself as his voice began to raise "This is WAY easier than draggin' Felix outta tha penthouse ta-!"

"Look, it's nice n' cool that you've been gifted with cat-like reflexes!" Nel shivered "But SOME of us would rather not risk falling several stories to the ground!"

"COME ON!"

Norwood's voice sounded closer to Nel and for good reason. The moment she opened her eyes, the red-head had effortlessly crossed between the balconies again and was heading right for her.

"N-Nory! DON'T-KIAAAAA!"

The man wrapped his arms around her and, despite her fighting, he clumsily lurched to the patio with Nel in his arms.

"There, all that whinin' for nothin'." The man said, cleaning his hands off.

Nel said nothing as even if she were safe on the other side she was certain that if she were to move in ANY direction she would go rolling down to the pavement below.

Darn it, Norwood!

"An' just tussle tha locks like this…" Norwood said as he pressed the bolt inward "An' HA! In we go."

"Wait…how did ya do THAT?!" Nel said, astonished that the man could enter into the other apartment so easily.

"Plenty'a practice…." Norwood huffed as he walked around the apartment nervously, suddenly realizing the trouble he had just put himself in "N-Now where is this thing ya needed?"

Both Nicelanders looked around and even though they were unaware of it, they were thinking the exact same thing.

What trouble had they gotten themselves INTO.

They were NOT supposed to be in the Mayor suite, at least without Felix but there they were, standing in the middle of the EMACULATE apartment where Gene and Mary's belong lay before them.

If they even BREATHED wrong they knew something would fall over.

"Why did I let you do this?"

"Why did you follow me?"

"I didn't follow you!" said Nel as she looked back up at Norwood angrily "Ya grabbed me! Ya swung me over like some fat, freckle-faced Tarzan but HAIRER, an' now ya have tha NERVE ta blame me for this!"

Norwood felt something moving on the shelf with each step he took, wondering which object would fall first.

"L-Look, ya can kick my big freckled hairy butt after we got outta here! Not get your stuff an' leave!"

"What about YOUR stuff?" Nel said, trying her best to cover.

"Uh. I just realized! I don't need it anymore!"

"Oh! What a co-ink-a-dink! I don't need MY….THING either so let's go!"

"Okay, then this way." Norwood said as he turned back toward the window.

"Whoa, whoa WHAT?! No way!"

"Ya expect a go out tha front door?"

"Well, DUH? I mean, it's right there in fronta us."

"We're gonna get CAUGHT if we go that way!" Norwood said as he rushed towards Nel again, the woman taking a few BIG steps back.

"I'd rather get caught than sail to my DEATH ya know."

"Nel, please stop actin' like I'm WILLIN' puttin' ya in danger." Norwood moaned "It's almost as if ya THINK I would drop ya or somethin'!"

"No, I don't! Ya KNOW I hate heights so why would ya risk it again!"

"I ain't riskin' ANYTHIN'!"

"AS IF THIS ISN'T A RISK?!"

"YOU'RE THA ONE WHO NEEDED SOMETHIN' HERE!"

"YA DID TOO!"

And then the fight began.

Before either Nicelander knew what was happening, the battle had begun. Nel reached down and gave Norwood two GOOD and PAINFUL pinches on his side, the man crying out from the assault.

"Stupid freckle-face butt monster!" Nel shouted but Norwood pushed her hands away and took a grab for her, picking her up with ease "AAAAH! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Not till we're outta here, BABE!" Norwood growled but Nel continued to fight, taking a good handful of his hair into her tiny hands "OW! Nel, stop it!"

"Put me down first!"

"Pfft! Pffft! Maybe if ya let me balance myself!" Norwood coughed, Nel's hands now slapping him atop the head like some sort of conga drum. The woman then slipped from his grasp and landed UPSIDE DOWN on his back, Norwood being the one to scream this time.

"I swear if ya land on me-!"

"AAAUGH! AAUUURGH! Nel!"

It was cat vs rabbit as the two fell onto the floor and continued to wrestle with each other, suddenly forgetting they were doing so in the apartment of what had to be the arcade's most notorious perfectionist.

And it wasn't as if no one was hearing them.

Back in the penthouse, Felix felt his ears starting to burn.

"Somethin' wrong, babe?" Calhoun asked as her husband got to her feet, looking around.

"My….my fix-it-senses are tinglin'….." the man said "An' that is NOT a good sign!"

The calamity continued inside the Mayor's apartment, Nel and Norwood taking pillows off the couch and hurling them at each other!

"It's all been buildin' up ta this!" Nel said, her fingers digging into the cushion she held, her hair puffed out all over the place "All these years of takin' your trash an' I can FINALLY wail it out on ya!"

"As if I don't have reasons to hold back either…." Norwood growled, eyes going right into the pillow-armed woman "Been gettin' real tired of ya treatin' me like your personal play thing…."

Two Nicelanders enter!

ONE SHALL LEAVE!

The two gave battle cries as they readied themselves to deliver the final attack, the last hit, the killing blow and even though the moves started out graceful enough…

Something was bound to happen.

Closer.

Closer!

CLOSER!

AURK!

GUARGH!

Two Nicelanders enter.

TWO collide.

The two were ready to defeat one another that the thought of either CRASHING into each other had never occurred but that was exactly what had happened. The two SLAMMED into each other only to fall with a heavy thud onto the floor, their pillows plopping on their faces.

But things weren't over yet.

They hear a slight whining sound around them, something like glass or china.

The two turned as they watched an item, its shape and purpose unknown but the only thing the two knew was they could not allow it to fall!

"NO!"

"ACK!"

Both their hands scrambled for the item and for a moment it looked as if they had saved it from its inevitable journey to the floor but the two were still fighting to handle it, their hands battling with each other as they juggled the item higher, higher, HIGHER until-!

KA-KRIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!

It had only taken a second.

But it had finally happened.

They could feel the slick surface of the item touch the very tips of their fingers before flying through the air and CRASHING onto the floor right in front of them mockingly.

The two Nicelanders looked in HORROR at the sight before them, a pile of broken up glass and china all over the floor. The color drained from them, leaving them as white as the pure driven snow and their bodies refused to move.

They had actually broken something.

"Ah."

"Oh."

Was that all they could say.

The images of the crash kept replaying over and over in their heads, take after take of the shattering object getting worse and worse the more they thought about it until-

"AH!"

Nel gasped, coming back to her sense as she looked over towards her neighbor, the man still petrified in fright.

"Wake up, Dummy!" Nel said as she gave the good man a HARD slap.

"AURGH!"

"Look-! LOOK AT WHAT YA DID?!"

Norwood took another look at the broken china then to Nel's face.

"W-Wait! I didn't do that, YOU DID!"

"ME?!"

"Yes you!" Norwood said as he jumped to his feet "Who-?! Who else could it have been!?"

"I wasn't the one who was throwin' pillows around!"

"Then please explain what ya had only thirty seconds ago?!"

The two were becoming more and more panicked, knowing that if Gene were to find something of his BORKEN they would never hear the end of it but what could they possibly do?

"We HAVE to take this to Felix!" Nel said as she quickly dropped to the floor, trying her best to clean up the mess all the while not cutting her fingers up in the process.

"No, we can't!" said Norwood as he did the same, making the mess worse in the process.

"Why not?!"

"If we do, he's gonna ask why an' how we even got in here in tha first place!"

The realization of that scenario caused Nel to drop the pieces that she had already collected, breaking tem further.

"Then-! Maybe-! If we tell-! AUUUURGH!"

"Oh, cripes! OH CRIPES!" the red-headed Nicelander stammered the worst going through his head "O-kay, okay! Maybe we explain everythin' ta, Gene! Tell him we didn't wanna disturbe anyone or mess up his vacation! I-I'm sure he'll believe us…."

"BELIEVE US?!" Nel gasped, grabbing Norwood by his collar and putting him down "Look at this place! Do ya know what Double-Stuff's gonna do ta us if he sees things like this AN' finds this thing broken?!"

Norwood paled again, knowing full well that the outcome was nowhere near good.

"If Gene finds out…." Nel panicked, pixelated sweat-drops shooting from her "First! He's gonna kill YOU!"

"M-Me?" gulped Norwood.

"Then he's gonna kill ME!" Nel continued "Then-! Then he's gonna tie us up in licorice! Cover us in blueberry jelly! Wrap us in a giant pizza, deep fry us, AN' EAT US!"

Even if no one would have believed the two….

It was still possible.

"Clean up, clean up, CLEAN UP!" Norwood said as he started to rush around the front room, putting things back into their place "No clues, no need ta go on a feedin' frenzy!"

"But what about this thing?" squealed Nel, pointing down to the mess. Norwood rushed over to the kitchen and grabbed the first paper bag that he found, scooping the shards inside.

"Look, we can figure this out later! But right now-!"

"Guys?"

For a moment both Nicelanders thought that Gene had returned, the door to the apartment opening but rather than seeing the Mayor….

"Guys, what's goin' on?"

Speak of the fixer.

Once more silence struck the two Nicelanders as Felix and the other three stood behind him, looking curious as to what two people were doing in the absence of Gene and Mary. From their point of view, the only thing that was ruffled about were NEL and NORWOOD, the two having cleaned everything up in their mass panic and the remains of the mystery object tucked into the paper bag that was now out of view.

"Um, did somethin' happen?" asked Felix as he approached the two, noticing just how roughed up they looked "Ya aren't hurt are ya?"

"No! NO!" shouted Nel, nearly rolling away from the game's Hero.

"We're fine!" Norwood shouted, backing away from Felix's hand like a nervous cat.

"Then how in tha world did ya get in here?" the Hero asked, looking around "I thought I had tha only key an'-!"

"NNNNGH! It's not my fault!" Nel shouted.

"It's not MY fault either!" Norwood retorted as he turned towards the purple Nicelander, not looking at all happy as it felt she was starting to blame him already "I told ya were makin' too much noise, Nel!"

"ME?! How in tha world was I makin' too much noise?! You're tha one who dragged me over here!"

Felix got to his feet and backed away, feeling that things were only going to get more heated.

"Um, guys?"

"After all of this?! Nolan is RIGHT, Norwood!"

"How so?!"

"Every time somethin' happens! Every time! You're right in tha middle of it an' ya always drag me with ya!"

"Ya cudda said NO!" Norwood roared at the little woman "You're tha one who INSISTED on comin' in here an' when I open tha door for ya, when I make it POSSIBLE for ya what do ya do?! 'HOW HORRIBLE OF YA NORWOOD! YOU'RE SUCH AN AWFUL PERSON!'"

"Okay, I think tha two of ya need ta cool off." Calhoun said as she walked into the apartment, trying to pull the two apart but they fought against her much to her surprise.

"If ya hand't been such a duff-headed cat monster-!"

"If ya hadn't zipped around here like tha hyper-active bunny-butt ya are-!"

"AURGH! Guys, PLEASE!" Calhoun shouted as she stood up, holding the two Nicelanders off the ground as they continued to kick and swing at each other "Take it down a notch!"

"Honestly, ya two!" Felix scolded, Ralph and Vanellope making sure they were a good distance away from the blast zone "Carryin' on like this at such an hour! An' don't tell me ya don't know tha reason for this fight either."

Finally the two started to calm down, Calhoun setting them back upon the floor as Felix looked down at them, his arms crossed and foot tapping against the floor.

"Well?"

Nel looked at Norwood.

Norwood looked at Nel.

They couldn't say anything to each other.

They just couldn't.

Norwood knew he had messed up big time and was only proving the words of so many CORRECT. He had gone off the handled and as a result he had not only broken something of Gene's he had gotten Nel more than a little upset. Even in his hardest attempts to do something right he was still messing up and not because the situation at hand was misinterpreted.

He was ALWAYS doing this.

These were HIS choices.

The man knew it was best to leave but he left in anger, pushing past Ralph and Vanellope as he stormed back to his own floor.

And Nel?

She pretty much did the same, her tiny feet taking her back to her apartment, the door slamming loudly behind her.

"Uh…..I feel like something is amiss…." Ralph said, scratching his head as he peered around.

Felix looked worried, removing his hat "Oh boy."

Vanellope rocked on her feet, knowing it best to keep the jokes aside for this situation "Ya…ya think they're gonna be okay?"

Of all the people that were still around, Felix was the most familiar about what was going on but like the two Nicelanders who had left the apartment, he said nothing.

And maybe that was for the best.

Norwood flung open the door of his apartment, a few of his cats ducking down at how FURIOUS their master looked. Even they could tell it was best not to get on the bad side of the man, their ears low and their faces protected behind whatever objects they could scamper towards. The Nicelander looked around the place, seeing nothing but red but when he saw the looks on the cats' faces….

He began to come down.

What a fool he had made himself out to be.

He shut the door, slogging to his room and throwing himself onto the bed; what a night it had been.

A few of the others cats started to slowly walk towards the room, their curiosity peaked to what their master was suffering from but before they could even get within a yard of the room.

"MEROW."

SASSY.

The big cat plodded before the rest and sat at attention at the door. The others, even if their numbers far gave them the advantage, dared not to move another inch towards Norwood, the fear at the elder cat seen in all. Her eyes narrowed as her ears went back, a great feeling of power looming behind her. The others returned to their places with Sassy turning her attention back to the man inside the room. He flopped over once, flopped over twice-

"HOWAURGH-!"

He fell out of the bed onto the floor.

"Ow…"

A low meow rumbled through Sassy's chest and she readied herself to check on the man again.

"Meeeee-REEEEE!"

What was that?

"Meeeeee-REEEEEEE!"

Sassy's ears perked up at the mysterious sound, her hearing unable to trace the exact location of it. She sniffed the air, finding nothing to smell and as her eyes scanned the room….

Nothing.

She knew something was there though, she could feel it in her whiskers all the way down to the tip of her little bob tail.

But she just couldn't see it.

But it could see her.

It saw everything.

And it was growing in curiosity.