Part three:
Sportacus's crystal beeped and flashed he looked down at it, for now he needed to put his sadness aside. "Somebody is in trouble." He flipped off to try to find the person who needed his help.
Soon he heard Stephanie cry out for his help. "Help Sportacus! Help!" Sportacus went in the direction of her voice.
What he found made him see red, Stephanie was tied to the tree and Robbie still in half the costume of the professor was sitting on the ground laughing at her. Stephanie saw Sporticus and smiled. "Sportacus you came."
"Of cause I could never let some one be left in trouble." He flipped across to Stephanie; mean while Robbie scrambled to his feat and as he did he dropped the mask and made a hasty retreat. Sportacus was to busy helping Stephanie to notice the mask being dropped but Stephanie who could see past him did notice the mask fall and once she was free went over to were the mask lay.
Here was her chance Stephanie knew that she could take the mask and Sportacus would never have to know that it was she who sent him the Valentine, but that would make her no better then Robbie and she didn't want to be anything like him.
Carefully she lifted the mask, hid it behind her back and went over to were Sportacus was sitting on the floor looking dejected. "What is wrong Sportacus?" She asked him gently sitting next to him making sure he didn't spot the mask as she did so.
"Robbie got away and he still had the mask."
Stephanie smiled at him kindly. "Robbie doesn't have the mask Sportacus."
Sportacus looked at Stephanie confused and with another gentle smile, Stephanie brought the mask out from behind her back. At the sight of the mask Sportacus's face lit up with a huge grin of his own and the sight of his smile made Stephanie's heart fill with gladness, she was pleased to see Sportacus so happy. "But how did you get it Stephanie?"
"As Robbie was fleeing he dropped it and I picked it up, so here, it's yours after all." Gently Sportacus took the mask from Stephanie's out stretched hands.
He went to ask her to try it on when the other kids came bouncing up to them. "Hey you found the mask!" Ziggy said excitedly.
"Yep we sure did." Stephanie stood up and so did Sportacus.
Miss Busybody came bustling round the corner looked at the children and that look came across her face that meant she was going to stick her nose into what they were up too. "What is going on here?" She asked.
"Sportacus found a mask and it belongs to a lady and now he is trying to find that lady." Said Ziggy excitedly and all in one breathe.
"Really." Breathed Miss Busybody intrigued. "Any luck so far Sportacus?"
"No Miss Busybody, would you care to try the mask on for me?"
"Well anything to be of assistance."
Sportacus offered Miss Busybody the mask she tried it on but quickly took it off again. "No it's much to small for me."
Carefully she handed the mask back to Sportacus, who took it quietly, with both Trixie and Miss Busybody ruled out that only left one person. Sportacus looked at Stephanie who looked away from him and blushed profusely, this time Sportacus knew she wasn't blushing because of blind mans bluff, Stephanie had to be blushing because the mask was hers.
Stephanie quickly walked off, Sportacus looked at the others. "Excuse me."
He quickly went after Stephanie and it was not long before he had caught up to her. Sportacus reach out and grasped her arm, Stephanie spun round to face him, as their eyes met she blushed again and looked down at the floor.
Slowly Sportacus knelt down so that he could look up into Stephanie's face, she was very flushed and she was looking rather sheepish. "Will you try on the mask for me please Stephanie?" Sportacus asked her softly offering the bashful Stephanie the white mask.
"Please Sportacus don't ask me to do that because I will want to try it on for you and then when I do I'm sure that you will hate me."
Sportacus reached up and gently caressed one of her flame red cheeks. "Stephanie I could never hate you, so please try on the mask."
With trembling hands Stephanie reach out and took the mask from Sportacus, very carefully she placed it on, for a few moments she stood with her hands hiding her face and then with a deep breath moved them aside to reveal her face to Sportacus and waited nervously for his verdict.
Sportacus stared at her open mouthed, the mask fitted perfectly, this couldn't be happening his wildest dreams couldn't be coming true all at once. When Sportacus said nothing and only stared at Stephanie slack jawed she suspected the worst and moved away from Sportacus. "See I told you that you would hate me once I tried it on."
As Stephanie went to move away Sportacus snapped into action, he stood up, grasped Stephanie round the waist and drew her into a giant hug. "Hate you, I don't hate you, thank you, thank you for my Valentines Day gift, it is one I truly wanted the only one I have ever wanted. The only one I have ever had in point of a fact."
"Oh your welcome it was no trouble. . . Wait you liked it?" Stephanie questioned shocked.
Sporticus gazed down into the brown eyes he knew so well full of shock, this young woman who was just only fourteen filled his heart and that was a wonderful thing. Taking her hand he lead her to a bench and sat her down, quietly he sat down next to her. "I loved my Valentine after all it was from you. I have to admit ever since you crept onto my ship and this whole adventure started I have wanted my Valentine to be you Stephanie."
"Really, why is that Sportacus?"
Sportacus looked at her rather shyly and then said softly. "Because I love you, I've been in love with you for a long time but I thought all you felt for me was friendship and respect. Plus I was sure that I was much to old for me to have been any kind of interest to you in a romantic way."
"Oh Sportacus, I love you too, I did the first day I met you how could I not? After all you were the one who came to help me, who helped me make friends here in lazy town I most certainly never thought of you as old, you just have too much energy for any one to think you are old, and you are just so handsome. Combining all those factors there was no way that I couldn't fall in love with you."
Sportacus flushed. "I felt it too that first day we met, I wanted to protect you, I wanted to be near you always, you were the real reason I decided to stay here in Lazy town all those years ago and you are the reason I am still here today. So what would you like from me for Valentines Day?"
Stephanie took off the mask she hugged Sportacus. "Well I have you which is more then I was expecting but there is one other thing I would like."
"Oh what is that?"
"A kiss, unless of cause you don't want to give me one."
Sportacus smiled at Stephanie. "Oh I think I can manage that." Slowly Sportacus leant down their lips met in a soft kiss.
They were so absorbed in kissing they didn't notice they had an audience, there came a polite cough and they jumped apart and both looked over at were the offending sound had come from. Standing there was Mayor Meanswell his arms crossed and his foot tapping. They looked at each other guiltily, then back at the mayor who suddenly broke out into a grin. "All I'm going to say, is it's about time and if the two of you had taken much longer I would have screamed."
Stephanie looked at her uncle shocked. "Thanks uncle . . .Wait you knew."
"I can't say I knew but I guessed how you both felt, yes." He turned his gaze on Sportacus and said rather seriously. "Just you make sure you never hurt my nice you hear me or I will come after you."
Sportacus smiled widely at the mayor. "I will Mr Mayor."
"Well then go back to kissing her idiot." Said Mayor Meanswell wandering off shaking his head.
Sportacus smiled, Stephanie looked up at him she reaches up and gently stroked his cheek, and Sportacus in return caressed the side of her face, slowly their lips met again and this time there were no interruptions.
The end.