Cold Heart Chapter 3: The one thing I can't Fix

I really can't be more shocked at the positive turnout for this story. In your guys' review, please let me know if these kinds of stories are my forte. Do I really capture the emotions of anger and sadness?

BTW: The 'Death Machine' is a chain gun, like the one used in Terminator 2. It was used in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Another BTW: What do you guys think of the new cover? I at first wanted a picture of her when she flew the shuttle toward the Sugar Rush castle with her face all angry and her teeth bearing. However, I found THIS one and thought it worked more because of the impending anger explosion that followed it.

Also, I changed the title of the last chapter because it was brought to my attention that the title was used as another story and I don't want people to think I am a thief.

(In Hero's Duty)

Fix-It Felix Jr. trudged along the the path towards the main bunker of his wife's game. A frown and heavy eyes plastered his face as he shook his head. He couldn't believe that his family was so torn apart, and in only a matter of a few hours. Sighing sadly, the carpenter turned towards the firing range that his wife was currently destroying with her chain gun. Bullets flew behind the Sarge, several flying near Felix's head. The loud clanks of the bullets on the ground only strengthened the rage welling up within Calhoun. The blue hatted man knew to wait until the chain gun was empty, less he feel the wrath of his wife, which had only happened once before. The loud explosions of the gun were beginning to resonate within his ears, forcing his gloved hands to cover his ear.

Felix knew that his wife could have a hot, if not the hottest, temper in the entire arcade. His brown work boot scraped against the floor, waiting to be able to speak. Finally, the click, click, click of the trigger on the empty magazine filled the air. "AAAARGGHH!" Calhoun screamed as she threw the Death Machine onto the table in front of her. She spun around on her heel, ready to grab another chain of bullets when her stern gaze met Felix's sad gaze. "Tammy," came the little man's sad statement.

"I don't want to talk right now Fix-It," she sneered and produced her pistol from its holster. She cocked the hammer and began to empty the Tac .45 at a target.

"Tammy, you don't have to," Felix replied as the clip was emptied rather quickly. The empty click clattered to the ground while Calhoun produced a fresh one. The seven foot Sarge grabbed another pistol from under the firing range table and tossed it to the carpenter.

"Shoot the damned gun or get outta my site Fix-It," Calhoun exclaimed and fired her gun again. Felix's mouth opened and closed several times, but he couldn't form any words. Giving up, Felix decided to try and fire a .45 pistol. The first shot hit the top right corner of the Cy-Bug target. It also scared the bejesus out of the tiny carpenter almost to the point that the gun nearly flew out of his hands. Sucking in a all of his breath, Felix closed his left eye and aimed the gun down the sights. He emptied the clip as quickly as he could, hitting the Cy-Bug target in the middle. "Nice shootin' short stack," Calhoun dryly complimented.

"Tammy, can we please talk, this is extremely important," Felix pleaded as his wife handed him a fresh clip. The Sarge froze before sighing and firing three times at a new target.

"Fine, talk, but Mod help you if it's about yelling at the little twerp," Calhoun threatened. Felix's blue eyes squinted at Calhoun's rage towards the pint sized president.

"Tamora, she's just a little girl, please be a little nicer," Tammy's husband begged. Smoke began to fill the air from the constant firing of bullets, forcing Felix to cough and wave the smoke out of the way so he could see his wife. However, he wished he had left the smoke alone as he saw the death glare from her face.

"A little girl that annoys the hell out of people, that never shuts up," Calhoun 'corrected' Felix.

"Why would you explode at such an innocent child Tamora?" Felix demanded and threw the gun on the table. Calhoun's eyebrow raised up at the sudden action of her husband, but was quite unfazed. In the few months that she had known Felix, this was maddest he had ever gotten.

"Ha, innocent?" Calhoun darkly chuckled, "a girl who is completely immature, laughs at toilet humor, makes dirty jokes that a nine-year old should not know, oh and don't get me started on that voice," her teeth clenched themselves as she again fired another clip empty.

"That's how she was programmed dear," Felix reminded. "Kind of like how you were programmed to be mean," he said under his breath. Big Mistake. Calhuon ceased firing after just starting yet another clip. Her head turned slowly and demonically towards her husband.

"What was that, Fix-It?" She demanded. A gulp went down Felix's throat, signaling that he knew what he said was a mistake. "Say it, or else I'll twist your arm until it breaks in half," she threatened.

"I said it's just in her programming, just like how your programming makes you mean to people!" Felix raised his voice.

"I am not mean Felix!" Calhoun yelled at him, "I am just stern and strict, I'm only 'mean' to people who need to be rehabilitated, like Markowski over there!" She pointed over to the soldier who was curled up with a teddy bear in the fetal position. The gloved hands went up to block his face.

"Okay, maybe mean was the wrong phrase," Felix began, "I really should have said 'Cold Hearted,' Tammy," Felix actually glared.

"You do know I'm holding a gun Fix-It, and you're not in your own game," she sneered down at the short man. Before Felix could reply, the other soldiers froze and gasped at what had just said.

"Sarge, did, did you just threaten to shoot your own husband?" Kohut questioned and crossed his arms. He shook his head back and forth, "that's too far Sarge, too far," he shunned her and left. The other soldiers followed suit, even Markowski. The Sarge looked from her glaring husband down to her own pistol that had the hammer cocked down and was pointed right at Felix.

"Oh, my, Mod," her body started to shake. She threw the gun onto the ground and rubbed her temples, trying to calm down. The gun clanked loudly onto the floor, making Calhoun flinch. Ignoring that she was having a breakthrough, Felix had no choice but to speed up the process.

"Tammy, you hurt the feelings of an innocent, sweet little child who looked up to you as a role model," Felix scolded her.

"I-I can't apologize to her Fix-It," Calhoun stuttered as she braced herself against the wooden table. Now she really felt like throwing up.

"Tamora Jean Calhoun," Felix scolded her by her full name, "you give me one gosh darn reason why you cannot apologize to that little girl," he demanded and hopped up onto the table to glare into her face.

"Because I'm not programmed to show weakness," Calhoun shut her eyes tight and breathed heavily, as if she was about ready to throw up her dinner. Felix's face softened up and he kneeled down to be more eye level with his wife.

"Tammy," he whispered, "apologizing is not showing weakness," he explained, "apologizing to someone prove that you're a loving, caring human being, in a way," Felix added since they were game avatars. "If you can show mercy like that, it can make you stronger and more respected than ever before. Look at the nicelanders," he gave an example, "they apologized to Ralph for how they treated him for 30 years, and now they trust Ralph with their lives because it made them stronger."

"Fix-It," The Sarge said rather sternly, "I just can't do it, not after what I said, maybe if you-" She began.

"No," Felix cut off his wife, "Tammy, this is one thing I cannot fix, you made this mess and you have to fix it," he explained before jumping off the table. "If you need me, I'll be home, waiting for the wife I love to come back," he said before hopping away. The Sarge glared at being told what to do, especially by a man, but she turned her gaze around and in the side of a bunker, she saw her reflection on the metallic finish. The face she saw, actually scared her.

"What have I become?" Calhoun asked herself. "What kind of role model am I?"

End Chapter 3

So, Calhoun has a breakthrough, what did you guys think? And to the people who think Ralph and Vanellope's relationship is more bro/sis or best friends, I agree wholeheartedly. I just think Father/Daughter is a little more special. PLEASE Review.