Haven't updated in ages, I know, but here's our next chapter! This time, we watch Vanellope grow up! And of course, she has to do so to a song.

I'm gonna make it bend and break

(It sent you to me without wings)

Say a prayer but let the good times roll

In case God doesn't show

Vanellope ought to thank the other racers. If they hadn't pushed her as they had, tried to force her to bend to their will, tried to break her, she wouldn't be as determined as she is now. She may have never retreated to the forest. She would have never met Reese, and she definitely wouldn't be training in secret, preparing for her big day, when she would roll out in a freshly baked, beautiful kart and show them all.

But just because she ought to thank them… The twelve year old smiled, a slightly manic edge to it.

Doesn't mean she would. Doesn't mean she can't get her revenge.

And I want these words to make things right

But it's the wrongs that make the words come to life

"Who does he think he is?"

If that's the worst you got

Better put your fingers back to the keys

A year later, she ran into them, having a picnic at the lemonade lake together. They all looked so happy… Vanellope inched closer, sighing. Why couldn't she be part of that happiness?

The realisation clicked in when suddenly, Swizzle pointed at her. "Hey! Glitch girl is spying on us!" He shouted angrily. They all turned on her, and rose to their feet. Vanellope backed away slowly. "Whoa, whoa, I don't want any trouble- AAHHH!" She screamed as she tripped back, landing on her backside in a puddle of chocolate. The others laughed cruelly, then Rancis said "Oh don't worry glitch girl, we're not going to trouble you."

"Yeah." Said Minty, smirking at her. "But… you were getting a little close to the track for our liking."

"And you know what happens when you get to close to the track – or the main town." Chimed in Crumbelina.

"And you wouldn't want that, would you now Vanellope?" Said Adorabeezle, using her name mockingly, bending over so she was level with the other girl.

"N-no!" Cried Vanellope, crawling backwards. "Pfft. Scaredy cat glitch girl." Mocked Gloyd harshly.

"Ya know Vanellope…" Said Candlehead, advancing on her menacingly. "We're just looking out for you. I mean, if we let ya get near to the main town, ya might get spotted by the citizens. And they don't really like ya either…" She let the sentence hang in the air, swinging an arm round Vanellope's shoulders, who flinched.

"Don't touch her Candles! That virus of hers might be contagious!" Said Snowanna. Candlehead drew away quickly, sending a look of disgust towards Vanellope before wiping off her sleeve.

"It's- it's not a virus! It's pixlexia!" Vanellope stammered, her speech suddenly interrupted by a glitching fit. Now, of all times?

"Whatever, glitch girl!" Snowanna shouted at her. "You're just a stupid glitch who ruined our picnic? Who do you think you are?" She spat, before turning and walking away, the others following suite.

Something snapped inside Vanellope. Something big. All the resentment and fear she had harboured over the years came rushing out of her, rushing out in hot white anger.

"Who do you think you are? Is that the best you can do, Snow?" She said mockingly. "I hope for your ears' sakes those songs you write are better than your insults!" She laughed.

Snowanna turned slowly. She was fuming – there was practically smoke coming from her ears. "What did you just say to me, GLITCH?"

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "Pathetic. You want to hear real insults? How bought you search through that bush on your head? And the colouring – rainbows are sooo tacky. I mean, what are you even trying to pull off, 'Fro?" She snarled. "And don't even get me started on your feet, big foot!"

Snowanna let out a savage yell and jumped at the girl. The two started grappling in the mud, until Vanellope felt arms wrap round her waist and pull her away, holding her so her feet couldn't touched the floor. She caught a glimpse of blue jeans, a faint smell of unicorn pops. Swizzle. She struggled uselessly against him, but the boy kept a tight hold on her. She watched Snowanna get up, and was pleased with what she'd achieved – the other girl was rubbing her bruising cheek, her bust lip bleeding.

"You're going to pay for that, glitch."

When Vanellope returned that afternoon holding her side and wincing with every step, Reese knew better than to ask questions. Still, he was going to have words with his niece and her friends when he finally meets them.

One night and one more time

Thanks for the memories

Even though they weren't so great

"He tastes like you only sweeter,"

One night, yeah, and one more time

Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories

"See, he tastes like you only sweeter."

Two years later, Vanellope and Reese were training again. She zoomed off down the path, but lost control of the kart at the turn, as always. As she watched him shouted and throw his hands down in impatience and aggravation, she thought about how he was similar to Taffyta.

Neither of them were great. Taffyta was arrogant and mean, and Reese was bigoted and overly indifferent towards everything. But though Reese had all the ingredients for Taffyta's personality, the way a cake is mixed can change the whole sponge.

Reese had the flavour of Taffyta, but sweeter.

"Alright, you're not dead yet, so let's go again. Move it or lose it, squirt!" He said, pulling her to her feet and righting the practice kart.

Yeah, he was a real sugar plum. At least he did have a caring side…

He loved his petunias.

Been looking forward to the future

But my eyesight is going bad

And this crystal ball

Is always cloudy except for

When you look into the past

One night stand (one night stand off)

Four years after they had met, with Vanellope at sixteen years of age, they were sitting in Reese's living room as a storm raged outside. The storm had been far too wild for anyone to race, that should have been obvious to any sane person, but Reese had to drag Vanellope inside and shut the door firmly before she agreed that there would be no driving.

So instead, she sat in front of the TV, staring at the screen intensely. Reese had been reading, until he glanced over and his curiously peaked. "What're you watching, squirt?"

Vanellope ignored the question, but pause whatever it was, and said "Look at this. Now, watch how Jubileena turns in this next bit." Reese directed his attention to the screen, where footage being played of the racers zooming up the cake mountain. As he watched, she drifted to the side. He grunted. Quite a classic style, really, but a bit risky. "I know the style, her mum used to drive like that. Why?" Vanellope seemed confused for a moment, as if she'd forgotten how old Reese was. Then, she replied "Well, if I was racing against her, I could drive close to the inside and then cut her off in the tunnel."

Reese frowned. "But you'd have to use more precision for driving carefully next to the inside, and you're not the best at precision squirt – it would slow you down, giving a chance for others to catch up." Then he had a thought. "Hey, tell me, why exactly would you want to go about it that way?"

Vanellope scowled. "It would teach her for all those times her pigtails sliced through the air and hit me in the face. And all those times she pushed me out of the way."

Reese scowled also, making his scarred face look even more distorted. "Listen, Vanellope, you really shouldn't focus on revenge like this. Your focus is to win, so you can become a real racer. Don't get caught in the past – you have to keep going, look to the future." He reprimanded. She jumped to her feet.

"Says you!" She spat at him. "Sitting around in your house all day, caring for your stupid petunias! Well I'm going to win this race as I want, and you can't stop me, old man!"

Reese snarled, and stood up as well. "Listen up kiddie, you may think your all grown up, but you have no idea! You have no idea of the pain I've felt! So don't you dare insult me in my own home!"

"Fine! I won't!" She shouted, storming outside into the snow. Reese couldn't care less at the moment. He fell back onto the sofa, and grabbed his book, but he was too angry to read.

Why did she have to bring up the petunias?

One night and one more time

Thanks for the memories

Even though they weren't so great

"He tastes like you only sweeter."

One night, yeah, and one more time

Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories

"See, he tastes like you only sweeter."

A year or so later, the incident had long faded from their minds. Vanellope was just beginning to wake up, lying in her bed when she suddenly felt a heavy weight and on her stomach. "Oof!" She clutched her middle, sitting straight up to see Reese walk into the room. He rolled his eyes in that on motion she had come to know so well over the last five years. "You're going to have to deal with worse blows than that on the track. Happy birthday, squirt."

Vanellope's eyes widened as she remembered. It was her birthday today… She looked down at what Reese had thrown at her. A present?

She ripped open the wrapping paper excitedly. She had never had a gift before! Reese chuckled as she found the second layer of paper. But the time she had taken off the third, fourth, fifth and sixth he was roaring with laughter. She looked at him reproachfully. "This is a joke present, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "Nope. You're nearly there."

She frowned, but turned back to the present and unwrapped the last layer. Out tumbled a beautiful pair of gloves, made from soft brown chocolate but tough as taffy. She tried them on, squealing in excitement when she found they fitted… well, like a glove. She ran around the room just like she did all those years ago, shouting "I love them! Thank you thank you thank you!"

She stopped suddenly and grinned at him. "Thanks Mr. Muttonfudge."

He pretended to tip his hat. "Always a pleasure, Miss Von Schweetz."

As much as he hated to admit it, this kid was growing on him. Sure, it had taken her a while to break through all his barriers – five years in fact – but actually, she reminded him of someone he once knew. Someone who lived only in his memories now.

But she was … sweeter?

They say I only think in the form of crunching numbers

In hotel rooms collecting page six lovers

Get me out of my mind and get you out of those clothes

I'm a liner away from getting you into the mood, whoa

Three years later, most of the racers were around twenty. One day, the boys were hanging around at the lemonade lake, unaware that they were being watched.

But this time, it wasn't Vanellope.

"Shhh!" Crumbelina whispered to Snowanna. "I'm sure Rancis's going to say something important in a sec. Just wait."

Snowanna rolled her eyes. She'd been trying to convince her friend to leave for the past hour or so. But Gloyd's next sentence caught her attention.

"Hey, remember when Snowanna tried to beat the chip out of the glitch girl here?" He asked his friends, grinning in amusement. "She was really mad that day. But then again, can't blame her. I mean, that glitch has no right to insult her. She's just a little mess of code. I wonder why she even exists."

Swizzle frowned from where he was lying on the sand. "Man, can't you go easy on her for a second or two?"

Rancis, who was lying next to him, elbowed him in the side. "Got a thing for that glitch, Swizz?"

Swizzle laughed. "Her? I'd rather go out with sour Bill. Nah, my next target is Sticky." Gloyd frowned. "Minty's sister? The one who never says anything?"

Swizzle smirked. "I bet I could get her say some things."

Rancis punched him in the arm. "You're such a creep sometimes Swizzle." The unicorn pop boy laughed. "Please Rancis. It's called being a ladies' man." Both other boys snorted at this. "What about you, Rancis? Got a little crush on someone?" Said the unicorn pop boy said, leaning over and pinching his friend's cheek. "Oh fudge off Swizz."

Swizzle laughed again. "What? Don't want to tell us? Maybe you've got a crush on the glitch girl…" He said, in a teasing voice. "Pfft. Yeah right. She is kina hot though."

Gloyd raised an eyebrow, but Swizzle just laughed. "Yeah, sure, I guess. If she's not got that crazy scared look in her eyes."

Back in the trees, Crumbelina was seething. "I'll give her that crazy scared look. And I'll give it to her right now!"

"Stupid glitch! Can you even count? Oh wait, I bet you count in binary! You probably think in binary!" Shouted Crumbelina, backing her up against a tree.

"1111100100110100111000!" She mocked. "1111-GLITCH-10010-MESS OF CODE-0110100-USELESS-111000-GLITCH!"

Vanellope only caught bits and pieces of the teasing as Crumbelina pushed her, making the other girl fall on her side. She curled up in a ball and put her hands over her head and face, just wanting it to end as she felt a kick to her stomach. When it did, there was one final whisper before her tormentors walked away.

"Stay away from Rancis, glitch girl." Said the hushed, gentle voice of Crumbelina next to her ear – but it dripped with venom. "Or I'll give you something real to cry about."

When had she ever gone near Rancis? All the racers seemed to think she was a worthless glitch who lives in the forest and tries to be as seductive as possible, to the amusement of the boys and the anger of the girls. If they'd just looked properly for a second, they might have seen the true fear in her eyes.

One night and one more time

Thanks for the memories

Even though they weren't so great

"He tastes like you only sweeter."

One night, yeah, and one more time

Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories

"See, he tastes like you only sweeter."

"So, what's her kart like?"

Vanellope sighed. This evening, all Reese had done was stare at an old photo book then quiz Vanellope on Taffyta. It was getting tiring… well, the truth, actually, is that she was feeling something she only ever felt when she looked at the others' karts and homes and friendship. Jealousy.

Every time Reese mentioned Taffyta, his eyes would get this strange light in the. At first, Vanellope thought it might be anger, at her being the 'current Muttonfudge', but then she began to realise. It was hunger. Hunger for information, hunger for any mention of his niece. And when she realised that, she also realised how much Reese must love her, even though he's barely even met her.

"Well, it's pink. And shiny. And it's called pink lightning."

Reese began to ponder again, his eyes sinking back down to the photo book in his lap. Vanellope got very curious. She stood, and grabbed her gloves, mumbling something about going to enjoy the night's sky. Reese gave no motion that he had heard her, so she crept closely softly. His armchair faced away from the door, but when she got to it she could look back and see over his shoulder.

On one page was a picture of a baby, sleeping soundly in a woman's arms. The girl was unmistakably Taffyta, with the platinum blonde hair and the lollipop pacifier in her mouth, but the woman Vanellope didn't recognise. She was pretty, definitely, with strawberry blonde hair and sparkling green eyes, dressed in a plain green jumper and faded blue jeans as she flashed a radiant smile towards the camera. Vanellope would have inched further, but suddenly Reese moved his hand to stroke the picture – almost tenderly, which was unusual for him. She hurried out of the door and into the warm summer's air.

Who was it who was haunting Reese's memories?

One night and one more time (One more night, one more time)

Thanks for the memories

Even though they weren't so great

"He tastes like you only sweeter."

One night, yeah, and one more time (One more night, one more time)

Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories (Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories)

"See, he tastes like you only sweeter." (Oh)

Vanellope couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't stand having to watch Reese stare at those pictures of Taffyta again, and imagine her as the sweet baby he once knew. She was determined to prove her real nature to him.

So she went out. She went into the main town, creeping silently, praying she wouldn't be caught. She reached Taffyta's house and hovered like a ghost below her window, listening intensely to her conversation.

"I just don't know if I'll be able to stand it, Mintz. They'll be there, and I don't know if I can face them at the moment. Even Rancis has turned away from me, now he's dating Crumbelina." Taffyta's voice sailed out of the open window.

"Oh come on Taff, you can't let me and Citri down now! And I've even managed to get Adora to come, don't ruin the party!"

Vanellope's ears pricked at that word. A party... The perfect opportunity.

"Well ... I won't actually have to talk to them or anything, will I?"

"No, course not." Here Minty's voice dropped. "And if you happen to let your tongue - or Mod forbid, your fists loose, you can always blame it on being drunk!"

Taffyta laughed. "Alright, I'll come then. When and where?"

Vanellope strained to catch the words of the next sentence.

"Seven, at the usual place."

Taffyta tutted. "I don't know about that Mintz - that place has bad karma. I mean, that's where that glitch girl came along, and all of that..."

"Aw Taff, you can't let one measly glitch ruin our special place! Come on! We racers are a family, and that's our home away from the track. Besides, since when do you believe in karma? And that's not even how it works."

Vanellope's heart stung. A family. That's how Minty considers the racers. A family whose home is on the track. A perfectly programmed family without a single flaw, or a glitch.

She wiped her eyes, and slipped back into the forest.

Those racers would pay.

She crashed through the forest, running wildly, a manic grin on her face at the success of her mission. A few well-placed buckets of taffy, a few angry racers … perfect.

She arrived at a place she knew, only a short distance from the house, hearing the other racers shouting profanities at her as they followed. She pulled to a stop outside of the house, just in front of the window. Then, she turned to face the people who should have been her family.

"I'll make you pay for that, glitch girl!" Shouted Taffyta, running into the clearing, taffy globs sticking her hair together. All the races pulled to a stop behind her, and Vanellope winced. Just like old times … they fanned out, creating a semi-circle around her. Taffyta looked at the house and smirked cruelly. "Who lives in this dump, glitch? You glitch family?"

"N-no…" Vanellope began, hating the quaver in her voice. "This is where your uncle lives." She said, a little more confident now, jutting out her chin. She heard sniggers from the group as they looked to Taffyta. The girl's cold smirk was still on her face as she said "I hear rumours about my 'uncle' all the time, glitch girl. So if I have an 'uncle'," she advanced on her menacingly. "Why don't I know about him?"

"B-because your family doesn't like him!" Protested Vanellope weakly. She had only just realise, she probably wouldn't know the answers to any of Taffyta's questions – Reese had never been one for sitting and talking.

"Pfft. So pathetic." Mocked Minty, pushing Vanellope from behind as the circle closed in around her. The vanilla girl lost her footing and fell to the floor, yet again at the mercy of the racers. "Playing off old rumours to save your sorry hind."

"Wait a minute Minty," said Taffyta, holding her hand up to the green girl. "I mean, I'd love to hear more about my uncle. So tell me glitch girl, why hasn't my 'uncle' tried to contact me?"

"I-I don't know." Admitted Vanellope. "B-but -"

"And why haven't I ever heard of him?"

"M-maybe your family -"

"And why do you know so much about him, glitch girl?"

"Be-because…" She trailed off. She couldn't let the racers know. "Th-that's none of your business." She said defiantly.

"Face it glitch," said Gloyd, crossing his arms and glaring down at her. "You'd do anything for attention."

"Not true!" Protested the girl, but before she could continue, she glitched violently.

"An attention-seeking, lying, scheming, glitch." Sneered Crumbelina. "You know, I don't know why we waste so much of our life on her." She said, surging forwards and pushing the girl again, who tumbled onto her side.

They took that as the cue to get their revenge, so Vanellope just curled into a ball, and winced as they landed blows over her body. Then came the jeering – "Glitch girl!" "1110001!" "Freak!" "Bug!" "Error!" "GLITCH!"

As they laughed, Taffyta leaned down next to the girl, and said in her ear: "One last thing, glitch girl – what's my 'uncle' like?"

Vanellope felt the pain from her black and blue body, the tiny cuts making trench warfare along her skin. She wondered dimly whether Reese was watching, before turning to Taffyta, the bruised, bleeding face meeting the perfect blue eyes, which shimmered with menace.

"He tastes like you – but sweeter!" She shouted, spitting at the other girl, enjoying the expression of horror on her face. Taffyta slapped her to the ground, then they all got up and left, with some final profanities thrown her way.

Vanellope pulled herself to her feet, wiping blood off her face. She trudged inside, wincing all the way. As she opened the door, she started "Look, I'm sorry you had to see that, but…" Her voice died.

The house was empty. The lights were off, there wasn't the faintest sound. Vanellope's face fell. He wasn't there. He hadn't been there at all. She had taken a beating for nothing.

Later, when Reese returned, he was shocked at the state of her.

"Mod, squirt! Look, I know I don't usually intrude, but what happened to you?"

Vanellope considered telling him the truth, letting it out – a very new thing for her. But she simply smiled faintly at him, and said "I … fell down a ditch when I was on a walk."

Reese seemed unconvinced, as he stared at her with those piercing blue eyes, the blue so bright and so similar to Taffyta's Vanellope could barely look at them. "Are you sure that's what happened?"

Vanellope forced a grin. "Sure as sugar!"

She never tried to show Reese Taffyta's true nature again. It just wasn't worth the pain – for either of them. After all, ignorance is bliss.

Ignorance just tastes so much sweeter than the truth.

Wow, this took me a while to write! Hope you liked it! And hope you liked how I used the song! Retro mania's idea to have a song sequence, but my idea for this song – do you know which one it is? Tell me in the reviews, and I'll tell you next chapter if you got it right!

Btw, I probably won't be updating this one until I have finished Sugar Rush Circus, as I want to enter it into a contest – but it has to be finished. So I will try to get back as soon as possible!

This is Sticky (a.k.a Miss Wipplesnit) signing off for the night! Goodnight!