I haven't abandoned you! I know it's been quite a while, and normally I would launch into a long string of apologies and excuses, except… I'm probably going to do it again. Yes, I know I'm horrible. Updates might become steadier over the summer, but no promises. I never know quite what's going to happen during summer break.

Stephanie couldn't sit still. She paced back and forth across Robbie's lair. It seemed like time was passing at a snail's crawl. This had to be the longest day of her life. She didn't feel comfortable sitting on the floor -she had spent quite enough time there, thank you very much- but when she stood she felt awkward, so she paced.

Over to one side, over to the other, back again.

She hardly even realized she was doing it. It just seemed so much more natural than sitting still.

Over to one side, over to the other, back again.

"Would you just sit still for two seconds?" yelled Robbie from his armchair.

Stephanie immediately stopped. Robbie turned away from her and settled back into his armchair. Stephanie stood there awkwardly. After a moment Robbie realized she was still standing in there.

"Well, are you just going to stand there? Sit down!" he gestured to the ground beside him.

Stephanie hesitated. She didn't have to, and she didn't like doing what he said. Besides that she had no great urge to sit on the ground next to him. But still, there was a point in trying to keep some sort of peace, and likely her defiance wouldn't get her anywhere, unless back into a cage. She gave in and sat on the floor next to his armchair, but not too close.

Robbie didn't even seem to notice. He had shut his eyelids, and he was slouched down in his fuzzy armchair in the laziest of manner. His eyebrows twitched from time to time, but otherwise he remained immobile. Was he just going to fall asleep?

It seemed he was. Stephanie waited for what she assumed was about fifteen minutes, then quietly got up and snuck off to snoop around.

Stephanie poked around for an hour or two, but she didn't find anything much of interest. Extra disguises stuffed into chests in one room, various candy and sweets in another, a room full of miscellaneous gadget parts and tools at the end of the hall, but nothing of use to her. She briefly contemplated hitting Robbie over the head with a wrench of some sort, but decided against it, seeing as he was practically knocked out already, and she had no idea how to escape anyway. Eventually she meandered back to the front room.

Stephanie waited in the main room for about fifteen minutes before Robbie woke up with a start.

"Sporta-snort!" Robbie spluttered. He looked around crazily for a moment until he remembered where he was.

Stephanie scowled at him, and he gave a strange little, 'I meant to do that' grin in return. He settled back down into his chair again and looked around himself as if trying to decide what to do next. Apparently making up his mind, he jumped up and walked down the hall. A few moments later he came back dragging a gaudy orange mattress. Honestly, it was hardly recognizable as a mattress. It was oddly shaped, and covered in thick fuzzy hair in a blinding shade of highlighter. Stephanie eyed it suspiciously.

"What's that for?" she asked.

Robbie rolled his eyes at her for what felt like the hundredth time that day, but was really only the third or fourth.

"Do you want to sleep on the floor again?"

She scowled at him. Robbie did his best not to look sheepish. The truth was, he hadn't meant to make Stephanie sleep on the floor. He wasn't really THAT mean. The truth was that he'd sort of forgotten. He'd recorded the message for Sportacus, watched some television, then gone to sleep. Come to think of it, he felt kind of bad about it... No! Wait! He was being evil! Evil and scary! It was all part of his plan. That'd been what he was telling himself. Yeah. Part of the plan.

Coming back to the present he said, "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"But-" Stephanie started.

Stephanie was going to say something along the lines of, "But isn't Sportacus going to release me?" but she stopped. She internally shook her head. Of course not. Sportacus had to stay. She knew that. Of course he was staying. He had to. If he left because of her she would never forgive herself. And yet it hadn't quite clicked in her mind that if Sportacus stayed, she would stay. She knew it, but managed to keep forgetting it, or the significance of it. By willing Sportacus to stay, she was willing herself to stay. Forever. She was going to stay here forever.

Stephanie hadn't noticed that Robbie had been studying her face as she thought.

"But what?" he asked.

Stephanie looked up as he spoke, then looked away.

"Nothing."

"But Sportacus, right?"

Stephanie's head jerked up in surprise. Yet again he'd hit the nail on the head. Robbie nodded, satisfied. He knew he was right.

"I forgot to tell you that he sent me a response."

He instantly had Stephanie's attention.

"He said that he was sorry to leave you here, but he had to stay in Lazytown. Something about not being able to endanger the security of a whole town for one little girl."

Stephanie stared at him, searching for any signs of lying, any hint that it might be some sick joke. Robbie normally would have turned away, worried that he'd be caught in his deception, but he was currently hyped up on his own evil villianness and met her gaze confidently. She would never see through his lies, he assured himself. He was so awesome.

Stephanie eventually looked down. Of course. She shouldn't be surprised. This was for the better, wasn't it? It couldn't have ended any other way. Sportacus should never be forced to leave Lazytown. He belonged there, and the kids needed him. A smaller, more truthful voice from within her objected. I need him. Stephanie pushed it away. No time for self pity, she told herself.

Of course, her previous train of thought had been little better. She had worked herself into a proper little pity party over her supposed abandonment. The words she was thinking were nice enough, but she thought them bitterly. Of course Sportacus had to stay. Of course Lazytown needed him. Of course he wouldn't abandon them for her. What was that Robbie had said? Something about not risking the security of a whole town for one little girl. Just a little girl. That's all.

Stephanie knew she was about to cry, so she calmed herself. She couldn't cry here. She took a few deep breaths and looked up at Robbie. He wasn't watching her. That was good. She went over and sat on the mattress, grateful to be off the hard floor.

Stephanie was usually a very happy and sweet tempered girl. Her emotional breakdowns and general miserable thoughts would have surprised anyone who knew her, but given the circumstances they were quite justified. Anyone who has been kidnapped by a pointy chinned man in stripy pants and forced to sleep on the ground will know from experience that it is challenging to maintain a sunny disposition. It becomes increasingly challenging when the person you love calls you a little girl and abandons you in this predicament. Of course, this had not actually happened, but Stephanie did not know. In a better state she might have realized that it was a trick, but she was currently very tired and very hungry.

This specific thought sent Stephanie panicking again. What was she going to eat? Was she going to have to eat candy for the rest of her life? What about clothes? Was she going to wear these same clothes forever? What would she do when she outgrew them? Would she have to wear clothes like Robbie's? She stopped a moment to imagine herself wearing Robbie Rotten's strange attire. It might have been amusing had she not been freaking out. Eventually she calmed herself down. These were certainly problems, but they were problems that could be solved later. It fact, if she tried to solve them now she'd probably make absolutely no progress. What she needed was sleep. She'd look around for some food later. Robbie must have something other than candy. Setting that thought aside for now, she settled down for a rest.

Yeah, and so what do you get for your long wait? A short uninspired chapter in which Stephanie walks around boredly and has a pity party. Exciting, ne? Comments are appreciated. Tell me what you think!