A/N: WOW I'm SO glad all you guys were flipping out over the proposal, even if poor Zeddy-boy popped it in a location he wasn't planning xD There will be more 'growth' on their engagement, and the tribulations/plot thickening to follow. Thanks so much for reviewing and such, guys! Reviews mean a WHOLE ton to me - it reassures me that you guys are still keeping up and enjoying this with me. I love hearing from you all, so getting so many reviews with the last chapter was a nice pick me up, and I'm glad it knocked your socks off! The surprises CERTAINLY don't stop there, so stay tuned! ;D

Song Listened To : Cant Take It In by Imogen Heap

Sinking Friendships - Jonsi

*Chapter 139*

Tessa flinched in a soft wisp of overflowing surprise. She narrowed her eyes through the welcoming, blinding noon light. The game had never looked more clean, more energetic and fresh. She furrowed her eyebrows in continuously growing confusion as she realized just where she stood. Off the back gates of the castle, which led to Orion's tower on the lot, was the usual, sloping green hill in which he trekked up and down everyday, though the large valley that hung below housed a massive city. Flourished with futuristic buildings, flying racers and all sorts of gorgeous, candy-ridden jungle foliage, Sugar Rush seemingly boasted it's proudest city yet. She continued to ogle the glorious sight in enchanted fear, a slow sweep of wondering just where and why the map had added something so fresh and new, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Isn't it beautiful," Rancis warmly stated, his voice hissed with incredulous wonder. Tessa finally realized he'd been standing by her side this whole time, "Like a blank canvas, it was just ready for whatever display of creation you had for it."

"I-I can't believe this is..." Tessa trailed off, as if suddenly unsure of just where she was. She softly averted her attention to her uncle.

"Sugar Rush?" Rancis eased a chuckle, he nearly glowed. The calm twinkle in his eye proved to Tessa that he was somehow congratulating her. The air about him was that of pride, "It's so pretty... There's so much opportunity, for Sugar Rush. To right all the wrongs that happened."

"There was so much wrong with Sugar Rush, wasn't there," Tessa heaved a soft sigh. The air was crisp and cool, and it looked as if the grounds outside the castle was littered with light snow, "I don't ever want the game to revert back to what it was... You don't think it'll ever go back, do you?"

"Of course not," Rancis's deep voice encouraged, the two stepped out the glorious balcony that overlooked the large, budding new city, "It's not like you had to do it all... We're not going to sit back and watch you rebuild, all by yourself, y'know. It will all come back together. Like a phoenix from the ashes."

"Sit back and watch," Tessa hissed as the two shared a chuckle. Rancis slumped his hands into his lazy pants pockets and, as if a blessing from the core of the game, the cool wind whipped their hair about lightly, "This is my kingdom. I'm going to do everything it takes to keep normality... All the mistakes I've made certainly didn't help."

"Mistakes are easy to reverse," Rancis eased tenderly, he shot Tessa a kind smile on his peripheral.

Tessa caught eyes with him briefly before she began to feel her heart surge in a strange mixture of sorrow and joy. As if the two feelings had melted and become one, nostalgia quickly flood her circuits alongside everything that was happening. The need to cry brimmed at the back of her throat, though she held her composure. She could tell everything was right in the world. The game nearly made it obvious just by the way the majestic candy clouds drifted in the sky. The soft sound of life, that slowly began to inhabit said city, could be heard from afar, over the cold, delicious wind.

"You didn't need to apologize, by the way," Rancis's tender voice quipped, which ultimately cut the crisp air in half.

"Apologize," Tessa hissed; the urge to cry continued to rise though she continued to stubbornly shove it away. She could feel her larger fists sink farther into the soft, thick fleece of her hoodie sleeves, as if to be ready to wipe her wet eyes with said sleeves, "I-I did so many things wrong... I felt I had no choice but to apologize. Grovel, even!" Tessa exhaled a chuckle that began to become nasally; Rancis hooked his gaze to hers as if he had caught on.

"A handful of us had our hand in corrupting Sugar Rush, Tess, it wasn't just you," Rancis assured, as if this was news to her.

"It was mostly my fault, though," Tessa urged, she began to feel desperate to get through to her uncle, "What I did could've destroyed the entirety of you guys."

"C'mon, it's all said and done with... You had good intentions," Rancis's irresistible, welcoming smile looked refreshed and kind. He shook his head at her and opened his mouth to continue on, though he was interrupted.

"And we've crowned a bad guy," Tessa scoffed with an annoyed smile, though her eyes welled with tears, "Not to mention the next generation will follow in that tradition, too!"

"Zed wouldn't do anything to harm Sugar Rush, neither would Ace," Rancis rolled his eyes and gave her a smile as if suggest Zed has always been harmless, "After all the trails and tribulations we've gone through, and all the good that came from it, I think Ralph and Vanellope wouldn't have the events pan out any other way... Aren't you glad they left you in charge for that one fateful night? I know they're so proud of you."

"This must be a dream," Tessa gently inquired, as if her subconscious now realized said notion, though her heart held onto every single last fiber of hope her fantasies could give her. She shook her head and finally let the tears escape her eyes; the very feeling of Sugar Rush on her skin made her heart so incredibly home sick.

"I'd say with how many times you guys have tried to kill me off, I'm glad it's NOT a dream," Rancis laughed, which cued Tessa to give him an elated smile in return, "You act as if you're still stuck in a nightmare... I wish you'd open your eyes and realize that you're about to wake up to a dream."

Tessa scoffed a small laugh and, as if reality had slowly nudged into the center of her mind, she flinched and gave her uncle a desperate frown, though the ironic look of sheer joy continued to hold on the edge of her demeanor. She shook her head in pure confusion, as if she knew somehow this was merely an illusion of the night, something her brain so desperately wished for, a mere tease, only to wake up to the grey Californian sky and be reminded that everything was, indeed, in turmoil. As if creeping upon her skin, she could feel her thoughts begin to attempt to remind her that she was only dreaming, though she viciously shoved it away, like a child to a parental figure; just five more minutes.

Just as Tessa was about to protest and somehow beg for this dream to remain, she flinched yet again as Rancis softly filled their gap and welcomed her into a warm embrace. She wondered just how much visible pain she had to have looked like she was in, for her uncle to sweep her into a tight hug out of the blue. She breathed an annoyed laugh on Rancis's shoulder and snuggled into his strong, fatherly warmth. How good he smelled, how familiar it all was, how much she wanted to claw her fingers into the back of his warm hoodie and never let go of her subconscious. She squinted her eyes shut tight and held her breath, anything to keep this moment frozen. She clutched her uncle with every last ounce of her dreamy energy. Tears spilled her cheeks, though her mind seemingly settled to a pause. All she wanted was this feeling, somehow the sense of accomplishment coat her skin. Her ears pricked at just how close Rancis's warm voice was.

"What are you going to name the city?" Rancis wondered quietly, as if he could sense the turmoil Tessa was drowning in, like a kind friend that made a slow death pleasant to endure.

Tessa furrowed her eyebrows and suddenly felt a huge sweep of loss breeze through her circuits. Her heart jolted in needy sorrow as a large, nauseating feeling of dread filled her stomach. She grit her teeth and tried so desperately to keep from audibly sobbing; she composed herself and lightly shook her head, as if to convey she didn't even want to begin to think about it, though her uncle had a valid point; the city did need a name. She finally caught her breath, opened her eyes, and let the name come to the forefront of her mind. With one wrong blink, her subconscious practically threw a tantrum with the reality she had brought upon her mind. She quickly slipped from the dream, as if she was on a burning tight rope the entire time. She coughed a small noise, sat up, and inhaled for air she forgot she was limiting herself. Her scared eyes scanned the room she had forgotten all about. As if somehow set years in the past, she angrily peered about hers and Zed's cooly lit hotel room; the grey morning clouds hung in a mist of humid, ocean air morning. She felt goosebumps hit her skin as she finally was able to get the proper word out.

"Orion," Tessa's voice rasped, though she largely furrowed her eyebrows and realized just exactly where she was. She largely flinched as Zed barked a small chuckle, just to her right.

"Yeah? You fantasizing about oversized reptiles, now?" Zed teased as he remained relaxed against the headboard of their messy bed. He was in nothing but his black underwear.

"I-I..." Tessa clumsily shoved her hand to her forehead and let her eyes get lost in the messy sheets of their bed. She furrowed her eyebrows in even more growing confusion and felt as if she had stumbled upon a hard fact, "I'm pregnant."

Zed raised his eyebrows in a dull stupor, though he couldn't help but let his face grow a shade of hot, bashful red. He scoffed another small chuckle and, with a simple lean over to the nightstand, he swiped at something he had previously bought for Tessa; an iced coffee he had obtained on a mini morning outing while Tessa continued to sleep.

"Here, this'll make you feel alllll better," Zed laughed as he nudged the frosty, deliciously creamy iced coffee into Tessa's chest. She wore Zed's grey shirt and a pair of her own underwear. Her wavy bed head looked as if she had a very good night's sleep. Zed curiously eyed her and almost nervously let his eyes travel to her lower stomach, "You uh... You okay, there? Y'wake up with a breath of Orion's name and then claim you're with child. What kind of dream did you even have, dare I ask?"

"God, it had nothing to do with Orion, or babies, or anything," Tessa furrowed her eyebrows in hard confusion, "I have no clue where any of that came from."

Tessa finally grappled for the cold cup of iced coffee. She eyed the green straw, as if she was grateful Zed had presented her with coffee, though she finally realized just what she had blurted to Zed. She largely lifted her shirt in a worried swipe of dire curiosity and, with one single glance of Tessa's bare lower stomach, the two largely heaved sighs of relief and shared a small laugh. Tessa finally relaxed into the headboard, with Zed, and gave him a curious look.

"Do humans get loading bars, or something similar?" Tessa wondered, he voice croaked in a high pitched bout of sleepiness. She rubbed one eye with her free hand.

"I think it's like... Two lines appear?" Zed wondered as he wrinkled his nose and side-eyed her, as if to express he didn't totally know the right answer to her question.

Tessa gave the coolly lit interior a confused, idle stare as she sunk into the fluffy pillows of hers and Zed's temporary bed. She felt her heart sink at the raw fact that, even though her dream was deliciously sweet, planet Earth begged the two to complete their unfinished business. Tessa's skin grew cold with a creeping, sinking feeling that coated her stomach and began to make her nauseous. She lightly let her eyes lull closed, as if to buy herself some more sleep time, though Zed's warm voice had her eyes pop open yet again.

"I-I mean... I don't think three times will get you pregnant, here," Zed's voice still held onto it's twinge of naive bashfulness, as if any form of sexual activity couldn't ever hinder either of their harbored innocence.

"Four," Tessa choked as a wide, closed mouth grin made it's way across her cheeky, sleepy demeanor. She lightly tilted her head and gave Zed a coy look of girly charm, "You're really gunna forget the lamp you broke...?"

"Right," Zed huffed as he reached down and rummaged his hand through a shallow cardboard box near his lower right leg. He pulled out a delicious looking pink frosting donut, "They'll put it on my tab and then realize I don't exist. I had awesome sex and they get to redesign to room. It's a win win, really," he shrugged; his attitude easily began to show a more confident, cheeky side as he sunk his teeth into the doughy pastry.

"You know what we forgot?" Tessa croaked as she softly sat up, so to scoot closer to Zed. She eased into his warmth as he let his eyes pierce into hers with growing concern. Tessa sighed an annoyed noise and finally brought the straw to her lips as she continued "To master the act of uh... Finishing together."

"Crap," Zed grumbled as his look of dismay coated the far end of the room. He softly slowed his chewing and, even though he had no regrets, he still gave Tessa a sorrowful, apologetic look.

"It's okay," Tessa said through a small giggle as she took a sip of her drink, though she gave a wide look of incredulous delight down at the cup of deliciousness she harbored, "Holy God this is so good... What did you get me?... And where did you go?"

"Uh, it's an iced coffee," Zed chuckled as he idly scratched his bare chest with one hand and finished off his donut with the help of his other hand, "I went to this one popular coffee place. I forget the name. It had huge green umbrellas outside of it."

"...Starbucks?" Tessa wondered as she ogled the side of her cup, with the green logo. Zed softly pointed.

"Yeah, that's it. I went about an hour ago, while you were sleeping. I figured we'd need some energy for uh... Well..."

"Breaking and entering? Into our own home, nonetheless?" Tessa muttered in a dull, annoyed way as she side-eyed Zed, though her snarky eye contact quickly shot to the box of donuts Zed was harboring, "Can I have a donut?"

"... YOU want a donut?" Zed wondered in a delightful stupor, "You... But you don't like sweets."

"Look, today I am living up to my full potential as Queen of Sugar Rush, just please give me a donut and don't question it," Tessa rushed with a girly giggle, "I'm quite possibly the worst Sugar Rush dweller ever, I get it."

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Zed chuckled as he reached into the box and pulled out yet another pink frosting donut, though he furrowed his eyebrows and gazed at it with a confused smile.

"I'm fine," Tessa muttered, though she glanced between Zed and the donut, "Are you sure YOU'RE okay?"

"Wouldn't it be funny if this donut was the way back to Tron?" Zed's warm, boyish voice was laced with the most carefree tone in the entire world.

"Are you just saying that because it's shaped like your light disc?" Tessa giggled, though she looked to her left and scanned the area for Zed's gorgeous light disc. Once she spot it, on her night stand, she eagerly leaned over and snatched it. She sunk back into Zed's warmth and was thrilled to feel him worm his arm around her back and waist. His strong hand softly met with her bare thigh as she got comfortable next to him, yet again.

"Can you imagine pointing this thing back at the portal?" Zed and Tessa began to softly laugh as Tessa barely held up his actual light disc and waved it around.

"And the sprinkles started to glow," Tessa giggled as she finally eyed Zed's light disc.

Zed choked a small chuckle and finally softened, though he tuned into Tessa's softening demeanor. He held onto her donut and carefully assessed the situation next to him. She looked suddenly and wholly lost in thought. As if he had to hold his breath to calm the whole room down, he froze and narrowed his eyes, as if he could potentially attempt to read her mind, if the conditions were still enough. He felt it strange how positively radiant she looked, a certain glow he was unaware of the night prior. He wondered if said loss of innocence had something to do with it, though he felt his heart begin to drum a bit harder in his chest as he glanced down at her lower stomach, yet again, as if there would be any signs of her harboring extra life. He let a small smile sprawl his face, in growing curiosity. He figured since asking for her hand in marriage, and ultimately and unofficially swapping codes, he stuffed his insecurities and let his confidence show through a little harder than what he would have twenty four hours ago.

"Do... Do you want a family, one day?" Zed tenderly wondered; he knew he had daintily stunned her, the way her idle gaze turned strict and landed straight into his with girly surprise.

"A family?" Tessa quietly repeated, though the corner of her mouth just barely curled into a smile.

"Yeah," Zed softly prod, "Y'know... Maybe with a blue haired jerk and... And there'd be a code room and... A warm blanket and embrace."

Tessa raised her eyebrows and gave Zed a look of baited, playful wait, as if she was desperate for him to continue on being vulnerable. Zed choked a small laugh at her notion and shook his head just barely.

"Okay, maybe there'd be some pain and some uh... Dirty looks?" Zed wondered, as if to hope he had satisfied her hidden thoughts.

"So two blue haired jerks, is that what you're saying?" The joy in Tessa's voice finally flood the room with the ultimate amount of warmth.

Zed looked down to the donut he continued to hold, for Tessa, though he slumped his shoulders and beamed an excited, calm smile to himself, as if adding more family to his already small brood was something he had been dreaming of for quite some time. Tessa let her eyes gloss over his figure, his strong, masculine chest lined with thick, dark blue hairs; his chest softly rose and fell with his even breathing, though the very idea of having children with him made her heart soar. She finally beamed a small smile and nudged his ribs, only lightly.

"I think we could work something out," Tessa eased to his quivering soul; his eyes hooked into hers, as if to express that his prayers had been answered, "All those new brothers of yours need a niece or nephew, anyhow, right?"

"Not to mention, Penny and Oliver would have a hay-day," Zed grumbled as the two grew closer, slowly.

"Now all we have to do is get our coding to cooperate," Tessa said through a long, hard sigh.

"Well, first thing's first," Zed muttered as the two finally gave their dreadful gaze to the grey clouds outside their opened curtains, "We should probably save the world before bringing a baby into it."