A/N: I want to let you guys know, that this chapter is extraordinarily special to me... (at least the very end, anyways) I'll try to keep this brief, cause I don't want to bore you guys. When I was 5 years old, my father divorced my mother. I was raised by a FIERCELY devoted woman, my mother was a champion at raising me and my two older sisters. I had the best childhood any tomboy could ask for. All the while, we sort of resented my dad for leaving. (he had his reasons, and no marriage is perfect - the details are, lets just say, sticky...)
Just recently, after many months of nervous text messages, curious wonderings and much much MUCH explaining, on my dad's part, my dad reached out to me and my sisters, and has asked to somehow, humbly, be involved in our lives once more. After many hours of long talks, crying sessions into the night, and getting back to know each other, I am proud to say that I have a father again.
The end of this chapter was very... very... VERY hard for me to write, and, the whole way through it, I just sobbed. My whole childhood was perfect, though if there is anything I would change, it'd be the countless nights little seven year old me, wept myself to sleep, wishing I could call myself 'daddy's girl'. Through much tribulation, tears, regrets, apologies, and much needed camaraderie, I am so ecstatic to finally build that bond with my dad... I've come to learn that I am likely the most like him.
We both love cars, NASCAR, computers, Tron, dinosaurs, as well as our sense of humor. We bond over many many things, and though the years have been greatly lost, and he missed a huge portion of my childhood/teen years, I know it is never too late to forgive. And though there has been much hurt, I am super thrilled to tell you guys that I can finally be a daddy's girl. Even though I am turning 24 this year, it's renewing to have him back in my life, and I'm so super proud of the man he's grown to be... A decade ago, I would be singing a VERY different song. But alas, time heals all wounds.
I have been holding off writing this chapter, and it just so happened to really fall in the right place, mysteriously... Funnily enough, the end scene of this chapter was actually meant for a flash-forward in Wrecking Limits, but I was too anxious, sad and scared to write it... I was too scared to WRITE... I write all the damn time! I've been sort of dreaming of this scene for a long time now, and it's one of which I even have had fanart for, from almost 2 years now. (on my deviantART titled 'Slow Down') The night after I revisited with my father, for the first time in 6 years, I came home and finally wrote this chapter. I can't tell you how huge of a weight it took off my chest.
I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do... It was painful to write, though I'm glad I was able to sort of 'grieve' - and I'm thankful I can finally close the door to the past that sort of had been haunting me for quite some time. This chapter is dedicated to my dad; although bumbling, geeky and curiously, adorably awkward, he is a powerhouse of knowledge, love and inspiration. (He codes as a profession! I finally know where I get all my computer savvy nerdy-ness from!)
I love you, dad.
(My favorite part was when I kept it brief. xD Sorry guys...)
*Chapter 68*
As Penny slowly moseyed through the crowd of Academy's front lobby, she finally spot Oliver. She let a wider smile grace her cheeks as she pressed closer to him. She furrowed her eyebrows in light confusion, however, as she neared him. He looked slightly distressed, as if he was potentially lost. Penny lightly gave Oliver a wave from across the lobby, though once she reached him, Oliver gestured his hand out in mild annoyance.
"What's wrong?" Penny gently wondered, Oliver lightly glanced around.
"I can't find Tessa anywhere," Oliver eased as he furrowed his thick, black eyebrows towards Penny, "She said she'd meet us right here. Her class is literally right down the hall, I could have sworn she'd beat me here."
"Yeah, that's a good point," Penny nodded lightly and got a good look around, all the students that moseyed about and filed out of the school for the day, "Maybe she's out in the station with Zed and Lickity?"
"Maybe," Oliver lightly nodded, the two only briefly looked about for a moment before they began to painfully peel from the lobby and towards the massive, double doors that lead out of the comfort of their school.
"I wonder why she didn't wait for us," Penny said aloud as she lightly glanced at her younger, though larger, cousin.
"Maybe she couldn't wait to see Zed?" Oliver beamed a teasing smile and wrinkled his nose, he opened his mouth to continue on, though the loud chatter and excitement of a few upperclassmen popped their little bubble. Oliver harshly furrowed his eyebrows and flinched, "User, what's that about?"
"Oh I don't know," Penny heaved a hard sigh and had to wonder just why some of the upperclassmen acted so ditzy, "I'm sure they're just excited for prom, or something."
"Prom?" Oliver shot his attention to Penny in a confused manner as they pushed out of Academy and into the warm sunlight of Game Central Station.
"Prom," Penny repeated in a curious tone as she eyed her cousin, "You know... Y'dance, y'eat, y'get dolled up... Prom!"
"I-I know what it entails," Oliver chuckled and shook his head as they moseyed down Academy's golden stoop, "I just didn't know Academy had a prom every year."
"Yeah," Penny lightly shrugged as the two shot their attention down the station's length of the hall, in the direction where Zed and Lickity usually awaited his friends to meet up with him. Penny carried on through a wistful sigh, "Much like Homecoming, The Academy Ball... Winter formal. Only difference is, Prom isn't held in Academy."
"Where is it held?" Oliver wondered lightly as the two pressed on.
"Oh, I don't know," Penny said with genuine charm, "It's different every year. I guess we'll find out the location, of this year's Prom, next week sometime."
"Does Tessa know?" Oliver wondered, though Penny exhaled a noise of anguish.
"User, Tessa isn't with Zed," Penny heaved a hard sigh and slumped her shoulders, "Where could she have gone...?"
"Maybe she's held up in her last hour class?" Oliver prod softly as the two caught lines of sight with Zed.
"Hey," Zed chimed from a dozen feet away, Lickity grumbled an excited hello as well, though Zed lightly furrowed his eyebrows and glanced about the two cousins, "Where's... Tessa?"
"We were hoping you knew," Penny grumbled as she slumped her arms and hands to her sides in a fit of defeat.
"No, I haven't seen her," Zed worried softly as he averted his gaze between Penny and Oliver, "Is she maybe in Academy? Maybe she's talking to her last hour teacher, or something?"
"Well," Penny scoffed a wide, teasing smile and looked down to the golden tiles of Game Central Station, "Her last hour IS Program Ed."
"Pens," Oliver said in a dull tone, as if he wanted so badly to join in on her teasing antics, though his protective heart began to feel for Tessa's fragile feelings, on the bubbling subject matter. He lightly glanced at Zed and felt his heart dip with nervousness as the two caught stares, "... We should probably take it easy, on the code-swap teasing."
"You guys may think I didn't hear any of the stuff you said this morning," Zed muttered in an annoyed tone as he side eyed Penny, though he held true to a forgiving smile, "...Buhht-I did."
"Did she complain to you or something?" Penny wondered to Oliver through a furrowed expression; he largely rolled his eyes and exhaled a hard chuckle.
"Penny, she was practically near tears in our first hour class," Oliver grumbled as he gestured his larger hands towards her, "I-It's... It's a sensitive topic, for her," Oliver's eyes nervously slid to Zed's.
"Yeah, I can feel the tension," Zed said in a solid tone, though it held a twinge of sadness, yet playful eagerness. He lightly eyed Sugar Rush's outlet and inhaled a readied, nervous breath, "I'll be willing to bet money she's at home, in Sugar Rush."
"Really? Why?" Penny furrowed her expression and gave him a tender, confused smile.
"Where else do you go to be alone, safe to think and brood?" Zed said softly and genuinely, his eyes held to Penny's in kind inquisition, "... Sure, this topic is touchy and, awkward... And sensitive. We'll approach it eventually. I think she'll be happy to know that user-made gamers and faux-codes CAN swap codes. There's a trick to it, without the negative side-effects."
"What, you have to stand on your head and do the hokey-pokey backwards?" Oliver blurted out; Penny crippled gently in hard laughter, which caused Zed to erupt in laughter as well.
"Yes, exactly it, Olly," Zed stated in a dull tone with a wide smile.
"Well," Oliver chuckled as he gestured towards Zed, "I-If you know exactly how to make it work, why don't you tell her?"
"Well... I really don't think we're ready for that step, to be honest. It's huge. She only just found her footing in Academy, and she has a whole kingdom to look forward to running, someday," Zed said fluidly as he softly shrugged his shoulders, "I-I mean, hopefully one day, we will get to the point in our relationship where we can-"
"Oh shut up, you know you're suffering just as much," Penny snapped with a sly smirk.
"Yeah, it's killing me," Zed heaved through an annoyed breath as he slumped his shoulders and sunk his strong hands into his baggy cargo-short's pockets. He shook his head lightly and held a genuine look of concern to the two, "I mean, it IS still a touchy situation. Probably more so for her, than for me."
"It's because you have answers," Oliver said gently, though he held his sharp gaze to Zed, as if to dare him to keep making Tessa wonder where they stood, "She's so worried and anxious over it because, well... I guess, it's because..."
"...Because, she loves you," Penny chimed slowly with a girly shrug and a bashful smile that spoke eons of truth.
"What?" Zed breathed in light question, though he squinted his eyes and smiled an intrigued smile, "... She does? Did she say that, or something?"
"No," Penny giggled as she shook her head and looked down, though she lightly slid her bashful, kind eyes back to Zed, "It's just obvious."
"Painfully," Oliver grumbled, though he gave Zed a kind smile as well, "She's worried this impending topic will push you away... What with, your programming not lining up with hers."
"She can't get rid of me that easily," Zed chuckled as he looked down to the golden tiles underneath the four.
"C'mon," Oliver gestured his head towards Sugar Rush's awaiting, golden entrance, "Let's go see if we can save the princess."
"What if she's in another castle?" Penny wondered in a dull tone as the four began to mosey towards Sugar Rush.
"Well then, we'll send Zed after her," Oliver lightly motioned his hand towards Zed, though he wobbled once Zed gave him a brotherly nudge.
Sat safely away in the security of her solid kingdom, Tessa remained locked away in Sugar Rush's Loft. It was dark and secretive, though it's single, large round window let in a good amount of afternoon light, in which splayed itself all over the gumdrop hills, Starkrem, and Pepperfrost peak, far in the distance. Clumsily and lonely sat at her mother's powered off work station, she sunk into the comfort of the cushiony rolly chair. She aimlessly peered at the purple orb at the center of the room; the very coding that she was programmed with, the same circuits underneath her very skin, that begged to be shared, though only with one soul. She furrowed her eyebrows as the orb seemingly stared her down, as if it practically was shivering, like it knew Tessa was suffering with emotional turmoil. It hummed a quiet, electric drum of a noise, to signify it was at the ready, poised and eager to help in any way that it could; Tessa braved a hint of a smile at it's kind notion.
After a few minutes of contemplation, she tucked her legs onto the chair and hugged her strong arms around her knees and the fronts of her legs. She heaved a hard, distressed sigh and pushed her face into her knees, as if curling into a ball and hiding from the world would do the trick. She shut her eyes tight and let her mind paint pictures for her. She wondered just what she could do to see about getting into that advanced placement class; she knew it was years beyond her stature, at Academy, though somehow she knew she'd get into said class with no issues. Her mind cautiously dipped to Zed; she felt her heart jump. She wasn't positive what caused this itch, though she figured this is how love unfolds. She knew the butterflies thing well, the smile she couldn't help but push to her very existence whenever he was around. The way her mind gripped to every word that fell from his mouth, and even on their off days of messy hair and grumbling attitudes, there was no one that she wanted to be with more; not one soul she wanted to share life with, more than Zed.
Her heart dipped at the mere realization of their opposing programming. She furrowed her eyebrows harder and almost felt as if she had traipsed into a forbidden love, without knowing it; she knew she would have eventually found out Zane was Zed. She felt her heart lightly smile at the sheer fact that, even though their coding causes a bit of problems when it comes to a normally unfolding relationship, he still pursued her, and still wanted to win her heart. She tried her hardest to set each and every single one of her thoughts straight, though somehow they all came pouring to the forefront of her mind, like rushing water out a broken dam. She slumped her shoulders and let a few tears trickle down her cheeks. She wondered just how she could see through this fog, if talking to Zed about this was even a wise idea. She wondered just what her parents would have done in this situation; would they have run? Or pursued what they believed in? She opened her eyes lightly and peered across the room, to the patiently waiting orb. It hummed a little bit more attentively, as if it were aware of her gaze. She slumped her shoulders and let her mind get lost; she furrowed her eyebrows and aimlessly gazed away as a small memory came back to her, like an old friend visiting from a far away place.
Ralph opened his eyes in a sudden whir of realization. He fixed his gaze on his beautiful bride, whom of which laid comfortably asleep next to him. Her black hair was down and draped her cheeks and shoulders lightly. Ralph raised his eyebrows and wondered, if the little voice he had heard, was perhaps from a dream. He tried to quell his racing heart, with a few deep breaths, though he was suddenly startled yet again, by the same little voice. Down the hall, Tessa's small, though urgent voice, pierced the darkness of the night. Ralph raised his eyebrows in dewy surprise and sat up slowly; he knew Tessa wasn't one to cry out in the middle of the night. As carefully as he could, he slipped out of bed and out of the bedroom, without waking Vanellope.
Ralph's thudding footsteps slowly, and sleepily traipsed down the hallway, which led to Tessa's room, on the left, and Oliver's room at the end of their hall. Their cozy, upstairs nook, next to their parent's bedroom, was a perfect spot for them, just in case midnight visits were needed. Ralph sleepily rubbed his eye, though his heart sunk in a dip of sorrow as Tessa's little voice cried out for her father, panic hiccups and all. Ralph wondered just what was going on, though he slowly opened her bedroom door and peered in with curious, sleepy eyes. He opened his mouth to maybe warn her that no midnight snacks were happening, though her little self, curled on her bed, made him freeze. He furrowed his eyebrows and stopped his train of thought.
Seven month old Tessa, which equated to seven years in real-world time, sat at the head of her bed; her legs were tucked to her body and her little arms and hands hugged her knees tight. She wailed a scared cry into her knees and continued to beg for her father. Ralph slumped his shoulders and quickly moved into her dimly lit room. The pretty nightlight on her nightstand cascaded gorgeous splays of dim, large, warm orange and yellow stars across her curtains and all the beloved toys and belongings in her room. Ralph rubbed his eye, yet again, and tenderly approached her bed.
"Tessy," Ralph eased as gently as he could, so not to startle her.
She quickly looked up and, through the largest puppy dog eyes, she outreached her little arms to him and inhaled a deep breath, as if her SOS had been answered. She wailed nervously as numerous tears soaked her cheeks. Ralph exhaled a small chuckle and bent down to her level, on one knee. So not to lean on her little bed, and risk snapping it in half, he tenderly scooped Tessa into his large hand and slowly brought her to his strong chest. As if all of her prayers had been answered, she tucked into his chest and continued to cry; her little hands gripped the chest of his shirt and clung onto him like a lifeline. Ralph exhaled a gentle grumble and stood, in which he pulled Tessa with him. She rested in his hand, against his chest, her little figure was as light as a feather.
"Shhh," Ralph eased quietly as he swayed her back and forth, just barely. He lightly peered across her room as he hugged her close. He rubbed the back of her head with his large thumb and was successful in calming her down. He warmly pushed a few kisses to the side of her little head, her crazy, auburn hair was shoulder length, and bent in all sorts of crazy, sleepy directions. After a few moments, Ralph lightly squeezed her and spoke, as quietly as he could, "Bad dream?"
"M'yeah," Tessa muttered in a squeak of nervousness as she burrowed farther into her dad.
"What'd I tell you about wreckin'?" Ralph whispered with a smile and closed eyes. Tessa inhaled a hard sniffle and mumbled a small noise of inquisition before Ralph carried on, "You'll wreck 'em. Any negative thoughts or bad dreams."
"Can't you do it?" Tessa whimpered softly as she finally peeked a sleepy, though teary, eye from her father's chest. She peered across her room in dismay.
"Oh, I can," Ralph chuckled softly, "Though, it's up to you to fight your own battles. What was your dream about?"
"I don't remember," Tessa hiccuped lightly, her little body shivered in Ralph's arms, "There was a box."
"A box," Ralph inquired gently with a confused smile.
"Yeah," Tessa frowned as she pulled away, though she remained tightly tucked to Ralph's body. She lightly glanced at her father's eyes through the innocence of hers, "A falling box, a-and... And, littler, yellow boxes everywhere."
"Little yellow boxes," Ralph smiled wider, though the twinkle in his eye suddenly flickered away at just what she was painting before him. He furrowed his eyebrows in hard confusion, though he tried to keep his surprise to himself.
"Yeah... It was a huge mess," Tessa's cute, little voice continued on, her gentle hand gestures were un-timed and clumsy, "It was all over the ground."
"L-Like... Like pixels?" Ralph prod softly, though to his dismay, Tessa's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, yellow pixels," Tessa's innocent voice chimed, though it was harshly nasally from all the crying she had been doing.
Ralph peered down at his daughter in utter confusion, the shock under his skin tried it's hardest to stay secretive. After a moment, he finally exhaled a hard, nervous breath and lightly sat down to Tessa's floor. He gently leaned against her wall and lugged her farther into his arms. She sat criss-cross on his center and chest, her little hands laid flat on his broad shoulders. Ralph gently peered down at her, in pure inquisition, and lightly side eyed her. The fact that she even had memories, of the fateful day in Hero's Duty, was beyond him. The day Rancis sacrificed himself for her very, sweet soul; the mess of the orange and yellow pixels everywhere. As tenderly as he could, he tucked some of Tessa's hair behind her ear.
"I wouldn't worry," Ralph said softly; he knew it was a thing of the past, and she would eventually be clued in. He knew her mind was too young to handle the whole matter of it, for the time being. Ralph lulled his head and rolled his eyes lightly, "They're just silly boxes. A Princess doesn't need to worry about little things like that."
"I'm president," Tessa corrected with a cheeky smile that finally surfaced, "President Tessa!"
"Oh, call it what you will," Ralph grumbled with a small smirk, "What are you going to say when you, one day, find a Prince?"
"A Prince?" Tessa inquired innocently, her big hazel eyes latched to her father's in girly confusion.
"Yes," Ralph hissed, "Surely you can't both be president."
"Who will the Prince be?" Tessa wondered with a widening smile and bashfully scrunched shoulders; her gap-tooth expression had a larger spacing.
"Who knows," Ralph gently shrugged, "But, you'll find'im. Someday."
"Will he be a wrecker too?" Tessa's smile of wonder broadened; Ralph stifled a laugh, and knew revealing the mysteries of code swapping, to Tessa, was still a long ways away.
"No, he won't be," Ralph said softly, for the sake of her innocent little heart, "But much like me, he will protect you one day... From all your bad dreams."
"How?" Tessa's mind raced a mile a minute.
"Well," Ralph shrugged lightly, though he scooped Tessa tighter into his chest, "With big hugs. A-and, lots of kisses."
"Eww," Tessa wrinkled her nose and, for the sake of her mild disgust, she pushed on her father's chest as he tried his hardest to smooch her warm, beckoning cheeks, "Daddy, boys aren't meant for that."
"Oh, you'd be surprised, Tessy," Ralph hissed through a laugh, "... Just know, no matter what, no one will ever love you just as much as I do."
"I love you, daddy," Tessa eased as she plopped her head on Ralph's shoulder.
He softly scooped her farther into his chest and furrowed his eyebrows in grief stricken delight. He squeezed his only daughter and felt a strange tug on his heart; he knew, one day, he'd have to let this rare bird of his spread her wings and fly off into the sunset with another. He inhaled a readied breath and shook his nervous, impending thoughts; he knew he'd never lose his family. Not entirely.
"I love you too, Tessa," Ralph uttered to her small shoulder as he squeezed her tighter.