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Snake557 : thank you friend, I appreciate that. Been a challenging summer so far, but it's starting to look up. I'm trying to get back on track. I just hope you guys are enjoying it so far :)


*Chapter 196*

"User, I'm so nervous," Kepa barely whispered, her ears sagged in the pure show of her anxiety, and as her and Gideon slowly pressed off of the teleport pad nearest Ralph's and Vanellope's home, she scuffed to a tender stop, upon seeing their front door across the stretch of grass, and clutched her sternum in building terror, "G-Gideon, am I overdressed? Should I go back and put on something more casual?"

"Love," Gideon started, though in the time it took him to take in a readied breath, so to soothe her worries, Kepa rushed on with the bulge of her eyes into Gideon's, her little hands grappled Gideon's lower arms with a jostle.

"No, shit, the majority of my clothes aren't moved over from Turbotime," Kepa hissed as her pupils tightened to cross-hairs, Gideon grunted a chuckle and glossed his polite eye contact down her body.

"Babe, you look great, stop," Gideon's voice sung in the easiest, warmest love he could possibly muster. Kepa wore a pair of nicer, faded grey jeans and a lovely cream colored, button down blouse with adorable little trimmings on the sleeves. Gideon donned a lovestruck little smile, reached up and cautiously adjusted the gape of her collar, which exposed the glorious, fresh cream-colored fur on her sternum, fur that dribbled to the faintest pink skin. Gideon swallowed a gulp and tried to collect his mind as he finally slid his hands down into hers and jostled her tiny arm and hands in return, "You already know my mom, I promise my dad won't scrutinize what you're wearing. No one will, you look great, and no, you're not overdressed."

"If you say so," Kepa whispered as the two began to cross the sunny patch of grass, littered with a loose cobble stone path aptly colored a faded pink. Kepa hugged Gideon's arm as the two walked, he secured her littler hand in the bend of his inner arm, he rested his bigger hand tucked to his chest, he smiled down into her eyes as she nervously continued, "So, uh... Anything I should know about your dad before I meet him? Things to not say, things TO say? Anything particular?"

"No, he's the most easy-going person I know, truly... Be yourself," Gideon assured with a nod, "He's like a million feet tall and like three times my size, so uh... Don't be scared or anything."

"He is not," Kepa guffawed, Gideon bugged his eyes, looked forward and choked a cute chuckle as they pressed up Ralph's and Vanellope's front porch.

"Don't say I didn't warn yah," Gideon whispered as he leaned forward, gave Kepa a snarky little smirk and thud his bigger knuckles to Ralph's and Vanellope's front door; upon a patient wait of a few moments, the huge, hefty front door unlocked with a clack, to which Ralph swung it wide with a curious little smile.

"Gideon," Ralph's voice mused, though he raised his eyebrows and firmly drew to the adorable creature tucked tight into his arm.

"I, uh... I specifically remember you telling me, once upon a time, that I'd show up, one day, having moved out and experienced life on my own, that I'd come knocking on your guys door and introduce you to my girlfriend," Gideon stated in cute knowing, though he furrowed his brow and looked off in pondering confusion, "Though, I think I also said something about how I maybe gave her snacks and now she won't leave me alone..."

"Kepa!" Vanellope chimed in full excitement as she arrived next to Ralph, in the gape of the door, in which Ralph was frozen in adorable shock; Vanellope sucked in a gasp, covered her mouth and took in Kepa's new molt, this being the very first time Vanellope had seen Kepa with her brand new fur. Vanellope looked brightened in full delight as she lovingly stepped out to Kepa and reached a hand for her, "Oh my User, Kepa, you look... So beautiful, the patterns on your arms are so pretty!"

"Thank you," Kepa stated in a shy giggle as she unfurled from Gideon's figure a little and happily took Vanellope's outstretched hand, though as both women sweetly peered up to Ralph, he grunted as he got down to one knee, so to not be hovering over Kepa, and lovingly reached his massive hand for her to rest her hand in.

"I'm so glad I'm finally meeting you," Ralph's voice sweetly shook, and as Kepa rested her mildly trembling little hand in Ralph's massive one, the sheer size difference was on par with Ralph's and Vanellope's; her little hand was nearly the size of one of his finger nails alone. Kepa peered up into Ralph's face in awestruck wonder and breathed a shy giggle as Ralph cautiously gripped his hand about her tiny one and gave a gentle wobble of a handshake, so not to throw Kepa around, "I'm Ralph."

"Kepa," She eased, her voice shook, it was obvious she was hyping up this moment and doing absolutely everything she could to make a good impression, to which Gideon sweetly held his hand to the middle of her back and lightly rubbed.

"She's nervous," Gideon cooed cutely as him and Ralph caught eyes.

"Well yeah, Ralph's like ten thousand feet tall," Vanellope blurt, to which Kepa nervously grinned and watched as Ralph delicately released Kepa's hand and crawled to a stand, hovering over everyone as always.

"Nine! Nine feet," Ralph grinned, Kepa perked her ears and was astounded that this huge creature was Gideon's father, it was such a mind trip, Kepa blurt a giggle and shyly did what she could to not be so nervous.

"I-I didn't think anyone could get much bigger than Gideon or Oliver," Kepa sweetly stated as Ralph took a few steps back, opened the door a bit more and gestured for them to come inside.

"Wait 'till you meet Orion, then," Ralph stated through a happy laugh as everyone filed in and the door behind them was closed; it was here did Gideon hold his breath and firmly understand just how huge of a moment this was, the idea that Kepa was actually stepping into his childhood home.

"Ohh, the dragons?" Kepa mused, Ralph nodded as the four slowly pressed out of the front door foyer, down the gape of it and into their sunny kitchen, "I only know Novus... I've yet to meet any of the other guys I've heard about."

"Wait, seriously?" Ralph suddenly furrowed his brow and scuffed to a halt, to which Kepa scrunched her shoulders and gave him a shy little grin, they hovered loosely about the kitchen island with Ralph and Kepa stood adjacent from each other, Vanellope stood to Ralph's left, which was directly across from Gideon. Ralph glanced to Vanellope and scrunched into a further show of confusion, "Those dragons are ALWAYS running around, coming and going..."

"I mean, she HAS only been there for about twenty four hours, now," Gideon added, Vanellope shrugged and gave Ralph an apologetic smile.

"Also... Those flyers now suddenly have three brand new beings living IN their enclosure... Granted, Kepa is just barely outside of it," Vanellope shrugged, though she scoffed a noise of disbelief, rounded Ralph's figure and firmly made herself present on Kepa's opposite side, to which Vanellope now loosely stood between Kepa and Gideon. She lovingly gripped Kepa's right arm and narrowed her gaze in full, adoring disbelief, "Kepa, seriously, you look insanely beautiful. You already were a head-turner, but holy sugar. These markings are very pretty."

"Thank you, it's... Gideon's handiwork," Kepa concluded with great warmth, she flattened her ears in a swoop of humble eye contact lofted Gideon's way, though as said words came out of Kepa's mouth, Gideon raised his eyebrows in delighted stun, his face turned red, his mother and father quickly peered to him in smiling, teasing curiosity.

"... Now, what's that supposed to mean, lover-boy?" Vanellope loudly teased with a giggle, her youthful smile laid tight into Gideon's in full, girly sass.

"I met Kepa before I knew she was a living being, she was turned to stone and I painted on her statue," Gideon rushed as he gestured his hand out with a shy chuckle, Ralph blurt a hard laugh and cutely assessed Kepa's arms, alongside Vanellope, something Kepa sweetly stood still for, "I had zero idea doing that would make permanent marks on her, I didn't realize it'd be apart of her molt."

"So, he just came up to you and started spray-painting away and you just sat there and took it?" Vanellope gawked as she swung away from Gideon and peered her happy, teasing gaze tight to Kepa's.

"I-I uh..." Kepa sagged her ears with a cheeky, incredulous little grin and shrugged her shoulders to her head as she meeped Vanellope an adorable conclusion, "... Sort of fell in love with him before he had a chance to start spraying me, anyways."

"So you just committed, right there," Vanellope erupted into full giggling, contagious laughter that easily wrangled Kepa in as well.

"That's one way," Ralph bobbed a nod and shrugged.

"You hadn't said one word to the guy?" Vanellope continued to playfully prod.

"I said a MILLION to her, though, she knew me REAL well," Gideon happily laughed and rubbed his face in a shy, only playfully disgruntled show.

"Love makes you do stupid things," Both Kepa and Ralph stated, at the same time, in the same cadence; everyone fell silent as Ralph and Kepa sharply peered to each other with the snap of their jaws shut, though after a few seconds, the whole group collapsed into a swell of laughter that made their sunny home sing.

"So while dad and Kepa are the ones doing stupid things, mom and I are asking all the right questions," Gideon murmured into his bigger hand as he peeked from his fingers in begrudged smiling.

"Y-Yes, I just... Commit, right there," Kepa stated with a sighing little giggle, she shyly looked down to her hands and shrugged, "That's why Gideon leaving was so difficult... He had no clue I felt the way I felt."

"But NOW?" Vanellope soothed as she lovingly held Kepa's hand and waggled it around, "Methinks you two are on the same page, once and for all, hmm?"

"Better late than never," Both Kepa and Ralph stated, at the same time, in the same cadence, yet again.

"Are you guys GOOD?" Gideon stabbed with a wide grin as everyone erupted into louder laughter, to which Vanellope clutched her stomach and took a step away due to it.

"Okay, Gideon, you're gunna KEEP this one, okay?" Ralph loudly whispered as he lovingly held his much larger hand to Kepa's upper back, he leaned over the island a little, in Gideon's direction, for emphasis and continued on, "You're gunna keep the pretty lady tiger statue creature and you're not gunna run off, any longer, okay? This getting through? You hear me?"

"I hear you! I hear you, I promise," Gideon loudly laughed as he flagged his hands and arms in full annoyance, to which Ralph pointed at Gideon for further emphasis.

"We're all team Kepa," Vanellope huffed cutely as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and loosely came back to the island, "Gunna make meeting Sezeke real interesting, huh."

"I've already met him," Gideon mumbled nervously, and though Kepa looked stunned, Vanellope shook her head and shrugged.

"No, not like when you were going to Academy, I mean currently," Vanellope corrected, Gideon bugged his eyes and nodded for emphasis.

"Yeah," Gideon huffed in dry dread, to which Kepa sagged her ears in equal wariness.

"Y-You met my dad?" Kepa rushed nervously, "When? HOW?"

"Last night, after I left getting you situated in the lighthouse, he, uh... Saw us outside the lighthouse front door," Gideon grumbled as he grit his teeth, to which Kepa sucked in a sharp, gasping, silent little inhale and peered her now-tightening pupils hard into Gideon's.

"Uhh... What HAPPENED at said lighthouse front door?" Vanellope bugged her eyes and shook her head in confusion, though she sagged and waggled her finger in Gideon's direction, "Uh-oh... Papa Favor caught you two making out, huh."

"No," Kepa whispered sharply as she held her hands to the side of her head in a full show of frozen terror, to which Gideon softened, bobbed a nod of dread and grunted a small chuckle down to the counter.

"Yeahhh," Gideon droned, Ralph blurt a hard laugh and took a step away to try and collect himself.

"Gideon," Kepa started in full terror, though Gideon brightened and gestured his hands towards her, as if to assure her that she could rest easy.

"It's okay, it's okay... He handed me my ass, but... I'm just glad your mother was present," Gideon muttered cutely, Vanellope fervently nodded.

"Oh, Elkuorra adores you, I went over to their house yesterday, with Tessa, to make sure they were settled and to give them the lowdown on all the moves made," Vanellope rushed, she blurt a nervous giggle and eyed Gideon, "I'm glad you made it out alive... Sezeke's a wonderful, kind man, but..."

"I warned yah," Ralph blurt, Kepa peered up to Ralph with a curious smile, "Nothing more rage-inducing than someone breaking your daughter's heart... I still sometimes want to take Zed by the hair and just-"

"For User's sake, Ralph, that was SO long ago. In that time not only has Zed given you two beautiful grandchildren, but he's also King of this whole game," Vanellope rushed in a firm swipe of checkmate, to which Ralph rolled his eyes and looked off.

"I like holding grudges," Ralph murmured.

"Yeah, you and Sezeke both," Gideon's deep, raspy voice grunted as he wildly flagged his hands.

"Did you two eventually make nice?" Kepa worried, she looked to be taking this hard, to which Gideon softened and gave her a loving smile.

"Yes, we did, I can tell you all about it later," Gideon soothed, "I promise, everything's fine. I deserve the throw-around..."

"Yeah, you do," Vanellope muttered, Gideon sharply furrowed his brow and shot his mother a playfully offended smirk and side-eye.

"Are you sure it's fine?" Kepa continued to worry as she tucked her hands and arms into her chest, she shook her head and sucked in a trembling breath, "H-He doesn't, like, hate you, does he?"

"Aw," Ralph slumped his shoulders and sweetly peered to Gideon in a downswing of warm regret, Gideon gently got to a stand from his sit, at the island, and pressed closer to Kepa.

"I don't think so, it's a slow process, but he'll warm up to me, I'd like to think," Gideon assured with a loving smile, he cutely pulled Kepa into a firm hug about her head and shoulders and gave her a good squeeze, "I promise, I'll fill you in later."

"Okay," Kepa mumbled in soft defeat as she lulled her eyes closed and rested in Gideon's big embrace, to which Ralph and Vanellope shuffled a bit and pressed deeper into the kitchen area.

"For now, we got a Fluggerbutter to wrangle," Vanellope mumbled in warm dread, she crossed her arms and stood in a scuff of her shoes to the kitchen tiling below, "I'm assuming you two are ready? I think Tessa will be joining us, she's gunna meet us there."

"I-I hope Rancis doesn't hate that I'm coming, too," Kepa worried as she and Gideon unraveled from their hug and peered their concerned gazes to Ralph and Vanellope.

"No? Wait, why?" Vanellope prod, Ralph raised his eyebrows and scoffed a small chuckle down to Vanellope's figure.

"It's half the reason we stan Kepa," Ralph grumbled, he sweetly peered to Kepa in a side-eye of playful snark as he quietly revealed a sneaky secret, "I shouldn't be thrilled about it, but... She did to Callum what I think we all wish we could've done... For what Callum did to Gideon."

"Oh, I forgot about this, what the hell happened?" Gideon brightened as he peered hard into Kepa's eyes, though just as she was about to nervously muster the courage to explain it all, Ralph lovingly gripped Kepa's tiny hand and caught her sweet, dewy attention.

"She tore his throat out, reminded him just who he's dealing with lest he mess with you," Ralph sweetly relayed as him and Kepa held in a cute grip of understanding, "I used to be angry about all of this... I used to wish I could get my hands on Callum, like what Kepa did. I don't condone violence in loo of civil conversation, nor to I wish Rancis's child to literally be murdered, but... I just want to thank you. You stood up for Gideon when nearly everyone dropped the ball."

"I love him," Kepa assured quietly with a nod, honest words that rolled out of her, and as she shyly glanced to Gideon, Vanellope and then landed her eyes back into Ralph's did she heave a shaky sigh and stand with a bit more confidence, "Always have... Always will."

"Don't make me cry in front of everyone, seriously, you walk right into our lives and are due to reducing everyone to tears," Ralph muttered in groggy, playful annoyance, such a playful tone that had Kepa brightening to her full extent in the form of broad laughter out to the room, a wide, fang-filled smile Gideon was patiently waiting to bloom, he grinned in successful delight and couldn't take his eyes off of her as his father warmly continued on, "We're honored you're finally here. You obviously fit right in."

"Told you," Vanellope cutely whispered.