Reviews :

Burgie : Thank you! It's definitely set up that way for foreshadowing reasons :) You'd think the swathe of baby fever, throughout the palace, would be a good thing! But I'm actually beginning to bare my soul here, in the notion that it's something that really bugged me, as a child/teenager. I'm desperate to get to Gideon's story, this is just me preparing for it haha.


Song Listened To :

Swim (Reprise) by Valley


*Chapter 24*

"Alright, listen to me," Zed's deep voice eased like honey, the handful of individuals he was with scuffed their bare feet to the glistening white tiles of Arcadia Station's gorgeous sprawl of an opening, just outside of Sugar Rush's outlet.

Tessa's nervous eyes scanned the bright, massive, beautiful station out before her before she cast her eyes deep into Sugar Rush's dim, quieter outlet. Although her eyes swooped in a gentle collection of landing first on her two adorable children, she finally fixated her gaze on her husband. Zed's deep, lovely blue eyes hooked to hers in solid knowing, the world blurred about him, he cutely smiled into her eyes, narrowed his gaze and shook his head in a gentle sting of knowing, in her direction. As his masculine hands eased to the tops of her littler shoulders, he heaved a raspy sigh and did what he could not to crinkle the tidy, professional outfit Tessa was wearing. In the toss of his vivid eyes out to Arcadia's glowing station, his pupils sharply tightened before gaping in dilation upon the warm, dimmer return to Tessa's face, intelligence and stoic softness beyond comparison that had Tessa's nerves wiggling to a standstill.

"I'm so nervous," Tessa whispered in gentle interjection, Zed lulled his eyes closed and just barely shook his head, as if to shoo her words away.

"You're going to soar through this," Zed assured with warmth, he bobbed a nod, and as the topic of Tessa's first day as a professor began to now melt into a trembling reality, Zed was well aware getting Tessa to actually step out into the station, and in the direction of the foreign Academy down the stretch, was going to be chore. He smiled, politely looked Tessa over and allowed his gentle hands to sink into hers. Although Ace and Berri were cutely snug to the two and had a full show to the potential public displays of affection headed their way, via their parents, Zed knew reserving said show of love, to their mother, wasn't necessary; he knew he'd do anything to make clear to his children that their mother was adored. In the notion of impending affection, Ace and Berri politely kept their eyes tight to their parents as Zed began to just barely inch his fingers to the small of Tessa's waist, about the adorable, tidy, dark grey pantsuit she wore, "You're gunna go in there, meet some fantastic new students, they're gunna ask you all sorts of questions and really pick your brain for all the knowledge you have in you... You're going to make so many new friends, you're truly going to come home, tonight, telling us that you were worried for no reason."

"Happens to me, every time," Berri mumbled cutely, knowing the two were likely about to have a moment, though interjecting into said hover of a moment was allowed due to their proximity; Tessa's shy, hazel eyes glossed to her beautiful second born and then up into Ace's handsome eyes.

"I know nothing about concert stages, or Academy, but I know you're going to be just fine, mom," Ace's deep, lovely voice assured, though Zed blurt a quiet chuckle and gripped Tessa's waist with a rush of cute fervor.

"You saved Sugar Rush, nearly single handedly," Zed hissed as he scrunched his shoulders, narrowed his gaze, and ushered her the warmest amount of assurance he could give. She hooked her scared eyes tight to his, as if he was a life line. The gap was filled with knowing silence, as if Berri wanted to chime in to said notion, though Zed finally blurt a small laugh and shook his head as he kept his eyes dug into Tessa's, "Let's... Forget Berri stole the show, for a second."

"I wasn't going to say anything," Berri muttered as she sagged her hands into her pockets, blurt a giggle and shyly looked down; she wobbled as Ace nudged her shoulder.

"Thanks, guys," Tessa eased with shaky delight, she broadened her gaze to her children as Zed stood a bit straighter and also glanced to Ace and Berri. Tessa finally smiled, her voice wavered, and though she looked as if nothing could bring her out of her nervousness, she eased a small giggle and glanced to all three of her family members, "Got all my blue beauties, here, to make sure I walk away with a smile."

"Dad's the prettiest," Ace mumbled, to which Berri erupted with a choke of a giggle fit; Zed wrinkled his nose and grinned into Ace's cheeky eye contact.

"Damn straight," Zed nodded, all three beings beamed cute smiles in Tessa's direction as she easily stifled a laugh and grinned down to her bare feet. Zed tilted his head, leaned down a bit, to gain her eye contact, once more, and gripped her hands a bit harder, "I promise, you're going to be just fine... And if not, you know where home is. You have all of our numbers. We're here for you, I know you know that."

"I do, thanks for walking me out, you guys," Tessa mumbled sweetly, to which Berri tsked a cute noise, shook her head with a small smile and tucked her choppy, shoulder-length hair behind her cute ears.

"Mom, this is the least we could do," Berri cooed warmly, she finally stepped into her parent's bubble and looped her arms about Tessa's neck and shoulders. Tessa gripped her arms tight about Berri's upper back, buried her face into Berri's shoulder and squeezed her eyes shut in hot nervousness. With Zed being able to see the intense grip of a hug Tessa had on Berri, he frowned, warmly rubbed up and down Tessa's back and was thrilled to feel Ace step in to join in on said little group huddle. Ace smiled and sweetly pet the back of Tessa's head, finished with a tender rub on her shoulder, Berri's voice gingerly carried on as Zed tidied the longer strands of hair that draped down Tessa's back, "Don't be scared, this is going to be no different than caring for the kingdom... This batch of new students need you, and you're going to do an awesome job of supplying them with everything they need."

"I know, I just... I'm so worried about fumbling on my words, or... Or making a student upset, or something," Tessa mumbled into Berri's shoulder, though as Berri pulled away, the three kept tight to Tessa's proximity, all equally and aimlessly tidying either her hair or her outfit. Tessa rubbed her eyes a little, as if to warn the group that the onset of tears was a threat, "I-I... I also wish my mom and dad were here to see me off."

"I can try messaging them, surely they're awake and are due to leaving their hotel room any time, now," Zed assured with a nod, to which Ace grit his teeth.

"There's three hours until quarter alerts, dad," Ace cautioned as tenderly as he could, to which Zed heaved a hot sigh through his nose and shook his head.

"I'm sure we could figure something out," Zed pressed to Tessa, as if to make clear that if she were that adamant, then Ralph and Vanellope would be sourced; she lulled her eyes closed and flagged her hand.

"No, no, Ace is right," Tessa mumbled as she looked off, "I'll see them afterwards, they just... Always saw me off to Academy, so it just feels weird that they're not here, but I'll live. I have you guys."

"We love you, mom," Berri whispered with a cute, toothy smile, one that easily mocked Zed's adorable grin, "Text me, okay? I'll attend Academy soon enough... Would be SO awesome to have your class, one day."

"It would be," Tessa hissed with a giggle and a nod, "It's a shame you two boys can't join... I think I'm going to start introducing the idea of including usermade gamers into Academy life."

"The mark of a good leader," Zed's deep voice assured to all three beings before him, "All-inclusivity, forward thinking, bringing new ideas to the table... Babe, you have NOTHING to worry about."

"You're gunna do great, mom," Ace assured, to which Zed finally scooped Tessa into a huge hug, one that forced a cute giggle out of her stiff rib cage.

"Keep in contact through the day, you know we'll be home waiting for you," Zed eased into her ear, he finally leaned back and gave her cheek a few smooches before he hovered right before her face. He quietly eased a whispery notion onto the bridge of her nose and kept her comfortably cradled in his powerful embrace, "I love you."

"I love you too," Tessa mumbled cutely before Zed caught her into a few warm kisses to her lips, she giggled on his smiling mouth before he finally broke their little bout of romance, held his hands tight to her hips and began to direct her away.

"Alright, git, Academy needs you," Zed assured with a nod as Tessa began to cutely step away, and though she looked nervous, she held a bit more confidence. She backstepped a few times, kept her eyes tight to her family and waved with her fingers in dainty cuteness, though as her eyes burned the image of her family into her retinas, Zed's powerful stance of his hands on his hips, the cute drape of Ace's much larger hand and arm loosely about Berri's little shoulders, the tiny family until she had meticulously crafted for herself peered on with the greatest sense of pride, the very fire that kept her going. Zed tilted his head up and called out to her with smiling warmth, "We'll want to hear all about it when you get home!"

"Have fun, mom," Berri called with a wave, to which Tessa finally began to turn heel in a small wave.

"I will," Tessa returned, though as she finally turned away from the adorable sight plopped in Sugar Rush's entrance, she felt as if she had wings.

Arcadia sung with sunlight, gamers of all sorts meandered and made their way to either Academy, the train station, or other game outlets, the dome of glass high above her head glistened with every single last byte of warmth the Arcade could afford. She sagged her shoulders and tried not to be too disappointed that she wouldn't see Ralph and Vanellope before game day, though she pressed on with confidence, her eyes trained to Academy's gorgeous entrance, tucked nearby the equally as gorgeous, brand new train station Arcadia had to offer. With a final, easy, though shaky exhale, she set her sights tight to her destination and powered on with the rush of love she was sent away with, though her spine shot a tingle of shivers to her brain the second a familiar voice called her way, across the stretch.

"You're not REALLY going to your first day without us sending you off, are you?" Vanellope loudly and cutely called, though as Tessa fell out of her warpath, sagged her eyes over her shoulders and halted production, she inhaled a caught breath in the back of her throat and furrowed her eyebrows in a sharp, bittersweet sting of hot delight.

Vanellope and Ralph had come sauntering out of Turbotime's outlet, across the way, and now made a proper straightaway for Tessa's figure, smack-dab in the middle of Arcadia's sunny station. Tessa inhaled a shaky breath through her mouth and felt her heart stab with the racing, fluttering rush of a quiet wish come true, she sharply furrowed her brows and did absolutely everything she could not to grimace into a full-on break down of tears. She daintily covered her mouth, crossed her arms, stood still and allowed her mother and father to fill the large gap, for her. She was frozen to the grid, almost as if she was a lost child awaiting her parents to come scoop her into the safety of their embrace, and just like that, Vanellope finally caught with Tessa's gravity and grabbed her into the biggest hug she could afford. In the safety of Vanellope's shoulder, Tessa finally crumpled into tears. After a moment, the envelope of Ralph's much more massive, swallowing embrace came about both girls, and with the encompass of sunlight that kissed all three beings, Tessa quietly unloaded into Vanellope's shoulder.

"Ohh, my babe," Vanellope cooed in a blurt of a sweet giggle and firmly pet the back of Tessa's head, to which Ralph squeezed the two a bit tighter to his body and tucked his face into the top of Tessa's head. Vanellope grinned and was thrilled Ralph kept all three glued to each other, due to Tessa's unload, Vanellope knew she needed this, "You're gunna be just fine! No need for tears, why are you so upset?"

"I-I didn't want to go to this new job of mine without you two to see me off," Tessa cried quietly as Vanellope cautiously began to ease out of the grippy hug Ralph kept the two in. Getting the cue, Ralph gently unravelled his huge embrace on both girls, though he kept his large right hand to Tessa's dainty left shoulder. Vanellope fervently wiped away Tessa's tears and frowned as Tessa continued on, "I-I just... Have been so extremely worried about you guys, lately, this just felt like a void I couldn't fill."

"Don't be worried about us, any longer," Vanellope's motherly, stern yet loving voice pressed with great adamancy, she shook her head and smiled into Tessa's wet eyes, "Your father and I are just fine, we sorted our differences."

"...Is THAT what the kids are calling it nowadays?" Ralph mumbled as he cocked an eyebrow and gave Vanellope a confused, cheeky little look; she shot him a dull stare of annoyance and swat at his chest as he stifled a laugh and tried to dodge said swat.

"We fell into a funk, we won't let something that dire or massive happen ever again, okay?" Vanellope assured with a nod, she cutely tidied Tessa's hair as Ralph kept his larger hand to Tessa's shoulder, "You're gunna go in there and knock the crap out of the day. You're gunna know that your family is whole and happy, and we'll all be eagerly awaiting your return."

"Surely you'll have lots of stories we'll want to hear," Ralph nodded, he squeezed her little shoulder and just barely jostled a cute, nasally giggle out of her figure, "You're a natural... Go get 'em, kid."

"Thanks guys, I... I REALLY needed this," Tessa whimpered as she continued to dry her eyes, she tossed her gaze to Sugar Rush's outlet and was sweetly delighted to see Zed, Ace and Berri eagerly looking on with wide smiles, across the gap, "I-I had those three to send me off, but this definitely seals it."

"Who?" Ralph stood a bit straighter and peered to Sugar Rush's outlet, though he sagged with a great deal of warmth and returned his gaze to their precious first born, "Y'got a lot of people, here, that adore you. Don't forget that, okay?"

"I won't," Tessa whimpered with a nod, to which Vanellope gripped Tessa into another big hug and smooched the side of her head.

"Go on, y'got this," Vanellope whispered, and as Ralph and Vanellope eased off of her, Ralph and Tessa held hands for a moment before she began to finally step away, this time with a greater amount of ease and readiness. Once Ralph's and Tessa's hands slipped from the gentle extension, Tessa turned heel and began to confidently press to her destination, once more, and as he put his hands on his hips and shared in a hefty, satisfied sigh with Vanellope, the two glanced to each other as Vanellope cheekily pressed on, "Told you we'd catch her."

"Sorry," Ralph mumbled cutely as the two looked off to watch Tessa gain more and more distance. He smiled in a great deal of warmth and bobbed a nod, "We've made some pretty cool kids, huh."

"They're alright," Vanellope shrugged, she pretended to show mild disdain, though she choked a happy laugh as Ralph's heavy hand firmly nudged her shoulder; she wobbled and grinned up to him, "Oh, come on, they're the best things ever, I adore each one of them."

"C'mon, Ace looks like he's about to have an aneurysm," Ralph grumbled with a cute chuckle; Ace's highly anticipatory look of cuteness nearly lit the station on fire, "We have three hours left until quarter alerts... I think I want to go take a nap."

"You're well aware Ace and Zed won't allow you, they're literally in their workout gear," Vanellope issued as the two began to mosey to Sugar Rush's outlet, so to reunite with Ace, Berri and Zed.

"I'll try and put my foot down," Ralph grumbled, Vanellope lazily tossed him a dull look. Ralph shrugged and gestured to himself, "WHAT! It's been a tiring weekend, I want more sleep."

"It was tiring cause you couldn't go one meal without a code swap involved," Vanellope muttered cutely, desperate to seem perturbed by said notion, to which Ralph cutely nudged the side of her rear.

"Stop acting like you're disappointed about it," Ralph's deep voice cutely grumbled down to her.