Chapter Seven- FWUMP

"More coco, sweetie?" Mary asked, bringing up another hot pot.

"Thank you, ma'am." Smiled Calhoun as she took a sip "There's nothin' like it. Nothin' like spendin' time with loved ones on such a beautiful evening like this."

"COME BACK HERE, BUTT-HASH!"

"NO, YOU BOOGER!"

Mary had to agree, a bright smile on her face "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Inside, Niceland was warm and cozy, smelling of fresh cut pine and straight-from-the-oven gingerbread.

Outside?

Outside there was a war going on.

And Calhoun and Mary had front row seats to the entire thing, everyone running for their lives as snowballs flew everywhere.

"So, do you think they'll ever stop?" asked Mary.

"I wanna see who drops first." Snickered Calhou as she took a bite out of a piece of pie "These kids would make EXCELLENT recruits."

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH! DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PUT SNOW IN MY UNDERWEAR AGAIN, GLOYD!"

"NYEW-HA! Jubi's wet her pants!"

"YOU DID THAT!"

"Just keep digging! JUST KEEP DIGGING!" Nel cackled as she shoved more snow onto the sides of the building "That will show them all!"

Taffyta had never seen such darkness contained in a tiny person, the girl standing still and silent with the shovel clutched in her hands.

"Um, maybe I should have just went with my first plan of rolling creamed corn in snow…."

"They want to fight?!" the Nicelander laughed "Then I'll show 'em a FIGHT!"

"Ms. Nel, what is goin' on?!" Taffyta finally said, throwing the shovel to the side "You bring me up here an hour ago talking about revenge yet here we are, my hands numb and six feet of snow piled up on the side of the building! What are you doing?!"

Nel said nothing, slowly putting the shovel to the ground.

"Child, I want to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"You and I? We're not too different believe it or not."

Taffyta was a little confused by the comment but her ears were held "And how so?"

"Back in the day, way before you were even programmed….I TOO was the victim of countless snowball attacks from the AS-buttheads I have been confined to live with for the past thirty plus years."

Nel turned around, a serious look on her face as she gazed up into the grey skies, snow and wind blowing around her.

"Year after year after year AFTER YEAR I had to take this mess from everyone! And WHY?! Because I'm the smallest?! IS THAT IT?! IS THAT ALWAYS THE REASON?!"

"Whoa, Ms. Nel…." Taffyta winced, putting her hands on the woman's shoulders "Calm down. I know I was upset before but seeing how things are turning, maybe we should back it up a b-!"

"There's no turning back now!" Nel laughed, pushing the girl aside "We have already started the chain! There is nothing more for us to do but FINISH IT! And there is only ONE MORE TOOL that we need!"

"Ms. Nel, I get that you're upset!" Taffyta begged "But this is no way to go about it! Even though…even though I still don't know what the end results of all of this will be, I still have a bad feeling about it!"

"Little Miss Strawberry, there is nothing to worry about…." Nel said, rubbing her hands together "As I have said, there is only one thing we need to complete our plan."

"PRUNELLA!"

The two characters turned, seeing Norwood panting in exhaustion as he stood at the door, panic written all over his face.

"Great PROGRAMMERS! What are ya doin'?!"

Meg shook her gift, hearing the tiny things shuffle in the box. She couldn't help but feel like a child, anxious to tear away the paper to see what was inside but she knew better. She had to wait.

She had to wait for Don.

"Oh, I hope he'll be back soon…." The woman said as she rode the elevator down to the atrium "Last time Don ran out in a straight-fit like this, he didn't come back for two days and his shirt was missing."

*BING!*

The doors opened but before Meg took one step….

"OOF!"

"OH!"

Bump and bump.

Don.

The two Nicelanders looked at each other. They blinked, they froze.

The blushed.

"Donald…."

"M-M-Megan!"

What to say, what to say?

Nothing.

They could say nothing.

After a few moments, Don realized that he was standing right between the doors, the buzzer going off.

"Oh! Right…."

Meg rubbed her arms, forcing herself in the back of the car "Um….I-I was just looking for you."

"You WERE?" Don said in surprise but he choked on his words a bit, coughing hard "I-I mean-! I was doing the same for you! I mean, I was LOOKING for you that is, m-my dear!"

The blush only grew brighter on Meg's face "R-Right."

Things have never been so awkward.

The two were now in the car, but neither moved. The doors remained open, allowing for both Nicelanders to watch the ongoing fight outside.

"Ya wanna see how Gene feels?! BE MY GUEST!"

"RALPH! PUT ME DOWN!"

"No! Don't throw Felix!"

"Ah! Th-th buttons!" Meg forced a laugh, hitting the button for the penthouse "H-How silly of me!"

Don let out a weak chuckle, running his fingers through his hair.

"E-Everyone makes mistakes!"

Things were fine on the outside….

"URGH! Where did Felix say he put my hat?!"

"Listen, Donnie…." Meg said, her voice sad "I-I don't know if you got the news but…."

"What is it?"

There was a sense of shame in Meg's voice as she looked over at Don, both presents hidden behind her back.

"I know why you ran."

"Y-You do?" Don attempted, and failed, to play clueless "G-Goodness, Meggy. Where have you heard-"

"Don, listen. I never wanted you to freak out over my stupid feelings okay? It's just that…."

"Stupid?"

"It's just that…well, work? An-and trying to stay in character for everyone. I g-guess it doesn't mix well does it?"

Meg had to try harder at this. She knew what she wanted to say but as she looked at Don, the more nervous she began to feel. She was starting to feel anxious, her nerves frying and the urge to just hide away coming back to her.

But she remembered all the trouble she had caused, all the ruckus that had been seen all because of her.

And then she remembered how EVERYONE in Niceland, EVERYONE in the arcade seemed to have changed over the past few months.

And she wanted to be with them.

She couldn't run away anymore.

Meg took a deep breath and…

"Don, I'm sorry I've been so Mousey to you."

"Th-there's no need to apologize for THAT, dear. I-!"

"No, no I have to. Because I've dragged EVERYONE into a mess they didn't deserve to be roped into." The woman said "I….You. We? Me?"

How to say it? HOW TO SAY IT?

The tiny woman hesitated for a moment but she looked down in her hands. Her gift was still there and if there was any better time to hand it over.

"I know it's not big. I know it's simple but I just want you to know…."

Don's eyes widened as the gift was handed to him.

"Don, I really care for you. I really do."

The sailor, his hands shaking, took the gift but then looked back up at Meg. Bless her sweet little pixel heart. After all this time, after all that worry she had finally managed to say it.

And in thirty years, Don finally saw just how much the woman cared for him.

"W-wow, Megan…." Don said in a sheepish tone "I don't know what to-!"

*SCRRRRRRRUNK!*

A TERRIBLE grinding sound stopped Don mid-words as the car shook, the lights flickering as both Nicelanders tumbled to the ground.

"What was THAT?!" shivered Meg as she looked up.

"No!" Don gasped, pressing ever button on the panel "Don't tell me it happened again! NOT NOW! NOT NOW!"

"Oh GOBS!" cried Meg "IS THE CAR STUCK AGAIN?!"

Don banged his hands on the door but it seemed that no one could hear the two screaming.

"Anyone! ANYONE!" shouted Meg "We're down here! GET FELIX!"

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

"Oh, owl feathers!" Meg growled, kicking the door "Felix has fixed this thing nearly one hundred times! Why does it still go out!?"

Only two floors up, someone stood at the elevator panel, placing the metal frame back on the wall.

"You'll thank me for this later….." the small figure said, placing a screwdriver back in her purse.

"Lucy? Lucy where are-?"

"Oh, over here Tony. I just wanted ta check on somethin'!"

"Lucy?" said Don, looking up "Did that sound like Lucy?"

Meg shrugged her shoulders "Um, it might have be-!"

*BAM BAM BAM!*

"LUCILE! I SWEAR TO EVER GOD DESIGNED WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-!"

"Dear, just come sit down…."

Speaking to Don was no longer an opition, given how angry and red he was "HoooooRUUUUUGNE!"

"DONALD! There are children who can still hear you here!"

"Fa la la la! LA LA LA LAAAAAAAAA!" sand Candlehead as she messily stirred cookie batter, gobs of color going here and there "Oh, I just LOVE bakin' cookies!"

"Careful, careful!" Gene said, trying his best to clean up after the girl. He knew that the racer meant well but even with the promise he had made to her, he wasn't going to have his kitchen destroyed.

It would be just another thing Mary would be upset at him for.

"Mmm-MMM! Ya GOTTA try this Mr. Mayor Nicelander Gene!" the racer beamed, shoving a tree-shaped brownie in Gene's mouth.

"MURPH!"

"Aren't they great?"

Gene managed to chew and swallow the massive chunk of pastry down but he had to admit, it WAS tasty. He smiled, joining Candlehead in her cooking though his methods were of course much more clean.

"Gracious girl, I have to say. Have you ever considered starting up your own company?"

"I bake on tha side!" Candlehead chirped "But ya know I hafta be there for tha gamers! Can't let 'em down!"

"Well, let me tell you this. Of everyone in Sugar Rush, you seem to have the magic touch when it comes to culinary arts."

Candlehead smiled brighter than the Christmas tree in the apartment, she had never been given such a compliment.

"Thank you sir!"

Gene placed another rack of cookies in the oven, moving onto the next item on the list.

"Ah, that's done. Now to go onto the pin-wheel cookies!"

"Um, Mr. Mayor Nicelander Gene…." The little racer said, her voice a little hushed "Wh-when I took tha first batch a'cookies….Did-?"

Gene looked back, a little confused by the racer's sudden shyness "Yes?"

"When I took tha cookies, did ya get into THAT much trouble with Mrs. Mayor Nicelander Gene Nicelander Mary?"

Gene rubbed his temples "DEAR. First, there is no problem with you just calling her Miss Mary and two?"

The man chuckled smugly, shaking his head.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing."

"Huh?"

"The missus and I always mess with each other. I know she sounded upset but we don't stay angry at each for long!"

Candlehead was relieved. She felt bad enough for STEALING food from Niceland but if it were true that Mary was VERY angry at Gene as the blame had fallen on him, she would have felt even worse had it lead to BIGGER troubles.

"Again, I'm sorry…." The racer said, holding her head down "I just wanted ta do a good thing."

"And it was. I mean, wanting to hand out treats. The stealing? Not so much."

"But if I had known that Mrs. Mayor- I mean, MISS MARY would get angry at ya, I wouldn't have done such a stupid thing."

Gene began to put frosting on a few Christmas tree cupcakes, making sure the sprinkles were on perfectly.

"When you fall in love, you'll understand."

"Understand WHAT?"

"Gene and I?" Mary smiled "I know it took us THIS long to get together but I've had feelings for that blueberry since we were plugged in."

Calhoun took a large tray of pies towards the elevator but after a few button pushes, nothing happened.

"Huh. Is it out?"

"We can take the back one." Mary said "We usually use it for BIG THINGS but it still goes to the same place."

"Great! But what was this about you an' Mayor Blueberry?"

"What is there really to say?" Mary continued as she lead Calhoun further down the hall "It reminds me so much of you and Felix!"

"CAN ANYONE HEAR US?!"

"LET US OUT!"

"I know I sounded angry earlier when the pies disappeared but I can't stay mad at him. Even if I tried I couldn't."

"But ya sounded so sure that he had done it." Calhoun smiled "Has something happened like this before?"

"Oh-ho-ho! I have SO many stories!"

"As much as I hate to admit it…." Gene said, working on another piece for the party "I can't blame Mary for thinking I was the one who took the pies at first. I mean, its not like I can stop myself when she makes something."

"I know how ya feel!" Candlehead laughed "There was this one time that Crumbellina made these AWESOME caramel an' vanilla hot buns but I couldn't wait for them ta cool down an' before I knew it, I ate tha entire plate but then I pinned it on Gloyd an-!"

"No, No. I don't mean it like that!" Gene interrupted "Well, sort of. Its not like I haven't blamed NORWOOD for a few missing pies but what I mean is…at the end of the day, with all this heckling and stuff coming from so many people. When I come home to Mary, I just feel so good."

Candlehead looked over at Gene, seeing the man drift a bit in his words. He was so happy and content thinking about Mary.

"The pies are only a part of it. Her pies ARE the best that I have ever eaten and if I had to be buried, I would want nothing more than for my coffin to be filled with her pie so I could eat my way out….."

"I think of tha same thing….but with raw sugar cookie dough…." Candlehead said in a dreamy voice.

"But when it all comes down to it, it's HER. It's MARY that makes me feel happy. Mary that makes me feel so content."

"Awww!" cooed Candlehead "That's so SWEET! Ya love Ms. Mary SOOO much! I bet it was easy tellin' her that!"

"Easy?" Gene said "HA! Dear, if it were EASY I wouldn't have waited until THIS YEAR to get married to her!"

"Calhoun, can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it ma'am?"

"There have been times when I've envied you."

Calhoun was SHOCKED at the confession, nearly dropping the large array of pies she had in her hands "Excuse me, WHAT?! How could ya be envious of ME!? I've never even considered ya bein' envious of ANYONE!"

The small woman smiled at the marine "It's just how you and Felix were able to confess your love so quickly. You didn't wait, you didn't let the fact you're from two completely different games get in the way. Gene and I have been in the same games for years and during that time I couldn't muster up the courage to tell him how I felt the FIRST year I knew him. All I did was just tease him over and over again."

"Aw, c'mon! Not everyone falls in love the same way! Give yourself some credit!"

"I'm serious!" Mary said "I've waited so long. And in that time, so many things have happened to us that nearly caused us to lose EVERYTHING. The out-of-order, the viruses, that unfortunate run-in with the power-ups? All of those things could have ended it all for us….but I guess because of that…."

"Yeah?"

"I count myself lucky that I have someone like Mary to love…." Gene sighed "There are times when I wish I could do more for her though."

"More?" Candlehead said in-between bites of hour-dervus "How much more can ya do for her? She's so HAPPY with ya!"

"Oh, there is MORE." Gene sighed, the other half of his mind occupied with making sure the snacks were arranged on the tray just right "She puts up with me day after day after day but on top of that, she puts up with all the other things that come BECAUSE of me."

"Mmm, bacon wrapped asparagus with more bacon…." Candlehead whispered to herself, licking her lips. She then remembered there was someone else next to her "Hmmm? Ya don't pick fights do ya?"

"Of course not!" Gene said "But after things got out about how Ralph was treated…..I don't think I have to tell you twice what that brought here."

"Oooooh…." Candlehead said "That doesn't sound good at all."

"I know he seems so stuffy at times but Gene is trying the best he can." Mary sighed "I'm scared that e worries about US more than he worries about his own well being."

"Well, remember that time we bet him he couldn't stay calm for a week?" Calhoun said, whistling afterwards "I think that pretty much proved that theory CORRECT an' then some!"

"If I could have ONE thing for Christmas this year, it would be the assurance that nothing else would happen to him. I mean, I can't stand seeing him so angry and upset all the time!"

"Hey, hey! Makin' yourself upset so HE won't be upset won't help anythin'!" said Calhoun.

"Ya keep tellin' me that you're so worried 'bout keepin' Ms. Mary happy but from what I've seen since I really got ta know ya, she's ALWAYS happy around ya!" Candlehead grinned.

Gene nearly dropped the chocolate kisses to the floor, his cheeks burning a bit "Y-You really think so?"

"A'COURSE I think so!" the racer laughed as she tossed a snack in her mouth "Nmm, you-! You've always been there for Ms. Mary, always!"

"Ya've always been there for him, ma'am." Said Calhoun "If that isn't dedication, I don't know WHAT is!"

Mary blushed a bit "I-I can't hide that I care for people. I-I mean, at least I think I do. After everything that happened here, I-!"

"Okay, Mary. Let me be FRANK here." Calhoun said as the two walked out of the elevator "While I'm not on board with how Ralph was shut out before I came along, I would have ta be lying ta say that ya guys aren't treatin' him like your name-sake so yes. Yes, you DO care!"

"Plus, ya always keep your promises!" said Candlehead.

"I-I try to be a man of my word….." Gene said, lowering his head a bit.

"An' ya've been keepin' up with that!" said Candlehead "I mean look at this! Ya promised ta help ME make cookies for everyone in tha arcade, ya promised RALPH that ya would welcome him with tha other Nicelanders an' ya stuck with that! An' most of all, ya promised Ms. Mary ya would always love her right?"

"C-Candlehead, I-I think we might have talked about this enough!"

"I guess if I should say anythin' Mary, it's that I kinda look up ta YA."

Mary blushed deeply "W-What?"

"There are so many nut-cases in this arcade an' for a while I will admit, I began to wonder if we had been taken inta crazy-town when we were plugged in. But after getting' ta know ya guys, without all this insanity from other characters goin' in an' out, I saw that ya two were just two love-birds who had tha same thing as Felix an' I!"

"An' doesn't it feel good knowin' she's happy?" asked Candlehead, taking a large box of cookies into her hands as she followed Gene towards the door "Plus, she makes such awesome FOOD! You're one of the luckiest guys in tha arcade Mr. Mayor Nicelander Gene!"

"You're one of tha luckiest ladies in tha arcade, Ms. Mary!"

"But all I do is tease Gene….."

"But all I do is grump…"

"An' ya love her!" said Candlehead.

"An' ya love him!" said Calhoun.

"Y-Yes…." Smiled Mary "I do love him."

"Y-Yes!" "smiled Gene "I do love her!"

"I LOVE Gene!"

"I LOVE Mary!"

Had they not stopped, two Nicelanders would have crashed right into each other.

But there they were, the mayor and his wife, looking at each other as they stopped in front of the penthouse doors.

"Gene?"

"Mary?"

Timing had never been so better.

Gene blushed horribly, trying to balance the load of snacks in his hand "I-! I-I didn't find the snacks b-but I did manage to make more! E-everything is all-!"

"Oh, honey!" Mary said, looking at Gene with love-struck eyes "All of this? You shouldn't have!"

"But I had to! I made a promise and-!"

Before Gene could continue, Mary kissed the man on the cheek, pinching it afterwards "I think it might be best if we both relaxed for a bit, blueberry. It IS Christmas after all."

The chubby little mayor was lost in his dream, pixel heart floating over his head.

"Ah herf. ME?"

"Whoa, hot cookies 'bout ta drop!" Candlehead said as she quickly caught the snacks Gene had almost spilled on the floor "See, guess things turned out better after all!"

"But where is everyone?" asked Mary as she looked into the penthouse "Its time for the party to begin and yet I haven't seen a soul out-!"

"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIURG!"

"Aw man!" said Candlehead "There's only ONE person I know who screams like that!"

"Put me down, Garbage Man!" shouted Gloyd, shaking his hands angrily in the air "Its all out warfare! Anything goes!"

"But yellow snow?! REALLY!?" Ralph cried in disgust "I knew some of ya would pull a few tricks but REALLY?!"

It seemed that even with the passage of time, things had not slowed down during the epic snow battle of Niceland. If anything, things had only gotten worse as now EVERYONE was fighting against each other. There were no teams, no partnership, just character-eat-character and what was more?

No one could remember HOW it had gotten this far.

"Oh, goodness!" shouted Mary as she stepped out of the apartment with the others "KIDS! Don't you think you're going a bit too far with this?!"

"Its not far enough!" shouted Minty, lobbing snowballs like grenades "NOT TIL YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHO THE QUEEN OF THIS BATTLE IS!"

"Um, EXCUSE ME?!" said an offended Nougetsia "Who's the one who is the MISTRESS of snow?! You might think you're minty-cool, but I know a thing or two more about ICE than you!"

"Oh yeah?! Bring it on, pinkie!"

The rain of snow only got wilder and as Calhoun looked forward….

"FELIX!"

"YA! YA!" the little repairman shouted, nailing Sticky right inbetween the eyes "Didn't think I was that slick, huh?!"

"Fix-it-Felix Jr., what in tha ARCADE are ya doin'?!"

"GAH! TAMMY!"

Felix looked over, his wife marching right through the waist-deep pile of snow "I can understand ya havin' fun but all of ya are takin' it too far this time!"

"But Tammy-!"

"Don't but me, mister! I'm surprised ya haven't taken one of those Turbo Pies of yours into this fight!"

"HE DID! HE CHEATED SO BAD!" shouted Citrusella from afar.

"Tattle-tell!"

"FELIX!"

Suddenly, Vanellope came running through, screaming at the top of her lungs as she held a massive lump of snow over her head.

"IT'S NO GAME OVER TIL I SAY IT IS!" she panted madly "IT'S NOT OVER! IT NEVER WILL BE!"

"OW! The kid BIT me!" Ralph cried out, dropping Gloyd to the ground.

As Felix looked on, he began to see the madness that was happening around him, a madness that he had help strength by participating in the battle. He remembered when he wanted things to be calm, he remembered when he wanted things to be fair.

He remembered when he just wanted everyone to stop making fun of Calhoun's cooking.

And it had all lead into THIS.

"Oh mah LAND…." The man said to himself, the crushing blow of war coming down on him "Holy-! Kids, stop! STOP!"

The mass of children continued to shriek and shout around him, a few ganging up on Ralph and pinning him to the ground.

"Let's bury him and see how long it takes to thaw him out!"

"Someone! HELP!"

Felix knew he had to bring order back to his game and he had to do it now.

"Okay, that's-! *FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!*"

A long shrill whistle echoed throughout the entire game, everyone stopping in their tracks as all eyes went to Felix. The repairman looked EXHAUSTED but he wasn't going to stop now.

"Good, I got your attention!" the man said "Now…can we all just go in an' have some fun?"

"Fun?! FUN!?" growled Vanellope "But THIS IS FUN! We shall not stop till we have a victor or-!"

"Nelly, look at yourself!" Felix said "I've NEVER seen ya act so…so…."

Felix looked the racer up and over, trying to find the right words.

"If I could put it in a nice ya, you're makin' the guys from CONTRA look well-kempt!"

Vanellope looked around, realizing that she was surrounded not by a winter wonderland of fun, but of a massive, ugly field of destruction. She started to come to, seeing her friends around her looking battered and bruised and Ralph, still face down in the snow.

"W-wait…." The girl said, dropping the snowball in her hand "W-why are we doing this? Why are we fightin'?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Felix sighed, glad to see that everyone was starting to come out of their snow-lust daze "Look kids, I know ya wanted ta have fun an' all but I kinda let things get carried away."

Ralph looked up, Torvald rolling off his back with a yell "You? How is this any of your fault?"

"I shouldn't have gotten so miffed at ya when ya were talkin' 'bout Tammy's cookin'…." The small man said, biting his lip "I mean, when it all comes down, this IS my fault. I was tha one who egged everyone on ta go further an' further. I was tha one who changed tha codin' ta make it snow THIS much….an' I was tha one who got mad over nothin'."

Ralph and Vanellope looked at each other, saddened to see Felix beating himself up in such a manner.

"Look, Felix…."

"No, no. I'm doin' what a good-guy does!" the repairman said in a stern voice, his chest puffed out "I'm takin' responsibilities for all of this!"

"Ya, but ya wouldn't have to if we didn't keep our mouths shut…." Said Ralph.

"Uh, I think ya mean YOUR mouth shut." Correct Vanellope.

"KID."

"Either way, I could have done ANYTHIN' ta stop all of this. ANYTHING!" said Felix "But I only made things worse an' kept ya kids from havin' fun like you were SUPPOSED ta."

Calhoun was just taken away by Felix's words, the woman holding a hand to her heart.

"Right now, ya guys head upstairs ta tha party. I'll fix any damage that has been done."

"Ya big-nose dork."

Felix turned around, Calhoun laughing uproariously at the door "T-Tammy?"

The marine couldn't help it. Any time Felix went into 'hero-mode' she couldn't fight the urge to not only laugh…

"C'mere!"

"WHOA!"

But to hug him as well.

Calhoun held Felix tight in her arms, smooching him on his reddened cheeks "How do ya do it? HOW DO YA DO IT? Every time somethin' happens, ya manage ta fix it in tha end?"

Why fight a hug from the one you love?

Felix felt as if he were melting in his wife's hold, embracing her.

"Um, good codin'?"

"Ah, now that we have that out of the way…." Mary smiled "Why don't all you kids come in and dry off? It's so cold out here that I'm surprised that your lil fingers and toes haven't gone all frostbitten."

"Don't worry Mrs. Mayor!" Vanellope laughed powerfully "We've all been through tougher things than this!"

Gene felt snow falling on his nose, but there was something off.

"Uh, dear?"

"Yeah!" said Ralph, picking Vanellope up and placing her on his shoulder "Though it would be nice ta get some coco or-!"

What happened next?

Well in Litwak's they say.

One ton of snow fell from the Niceland roof that day.

*FWUMP!*

A wave of screams hit everyone as a massive wave of snow PLUMMETED from the air and landed atop the so-called snow warriors, burying them in what had to be a ten foot wall of snow.

And only inches away, four people stood unscathed, looking at the pile with hats, hands and legs poking out.

"Um…what just happened?" asked Candlehead.

"NEL! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Norwood screamed.

"The same thing that happened to me back in eight-nine!" the woman panted in anger as she marched up to the red-head "Don't tell me YOU'VE forgotten that moment! Your brain can' be THAT empty!"

Taffyta looked down at the edge of the apartments, still in utter shock at what she and Nel had participated in.

"Wow….it's like everyone's been packed into the middle of an ice-cream sandwich…."

"Nel, that was NUTS! Ya can not tell me you've been waitin' THIS long ta take revenege out on us!"

"Why not?!" the woman blustered, standing on her tip-toes towards the nervous Nicelander "After all! I know it was Gene who did it!"

"Um, Ms. Nel?"

"WHAT?!"

"I don't think Gene got hit…."

"Are you KIDDING ME?!" Nel blustered "I MISSED?! AFTER ALL THAT WORK, I MISSED!"

"Nel!"

"Quick young lady, there is still time!" said Nel as she shoved the shovel back into Taffyta's hand "I know there might not be as much snow left but if we work fast enough, then we can-!"

"Nel! Don't ya DARE do this again!" Norwood said, an angered look on his face.

"An' why not, RED?"

"Because-!"

"Yeeees?"

"B-Because-!"

Nel narrowed her eyes, that gaze of her just BURNING right into Norwood.

"Because…BECAUSE I WAS THA ONE WHO PULLED THAT TRICK!" Norwood confessed, falling to his knees "I was savin' it for Nolan an' tha other guys but I had no idea that YOU would come out first! I-it was an ACCIDENT an' its been eatin' me up ever since."

"So you admit it was your fault?"

"Yes, YES!" blubbered the red-head "If I could go back in time an' kick my own ass, I would!"

"So you were a freckle-butt moron for pullin' such a stunt?"

"Yes, I'm a freckle-butted moron!"

"And you realize I knew all this time but I just wanted to see you confess?"

"Yes, I knew ya had-!"

Norwood stopped, his eyes shot open. He looked up at Nel, the woman standing over him with a devilish grin on her face.

"GOTCHA!"

"W-wait a second….all of this?! IT WAS A TRICK?!"

"Call it your SECOND Secret Santa gift, buck-o!" laughed Nel "I just wanted to hear it straight from your mouth that YOU were the one who pulled the stunt!"

"Um, Ms. Nel?"

"But-! BUT-!"

"Yeah, I know I have a great butt." Tittered Nel "What to it?"

"All of this?! Ta get revenge on ME?!" Norwood said "Babe, I'M SORRY! I never intended ta hurt ya back then!"

"Nory, look. I know ya didn't WANT ta hurt me when ya pushed over eight feet of snow over tha buildin' but…."

"Y-Yeah?"

Nel pulled Norwood closer, her lips brushing against his cheek.

"Just call this pay back for all the OTHER things you've done to me over the years!"

"WHAT?"

"NORWOOD! WHAT HAVE YA DONE?!" Nel said as she threw her shovel in Norwood's hands, taking Taffyta towards the door.

"Norwood?!" Gene shouted from the entrance of the apartment "What the heck are you doing up there?!"

"ME?!" the Nicelander sputtered "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHIN'!"

"I CAN SEE THE SHOVEL IN YOUR HAND!"

"I don't have a-!"

Norwood looked to his left hand, the smoking gun, or SHOVEL still clutched in his grasp.

"NEL THREW IT TO ME!"

"Don't go blaming other people for this, we know it was you!" shouted Mary.

"But-!"

"There's no point in lying Norwood!"

"So he's sayin' WHAT in Swedish?!" Snowanna said with shocked eyes as she gazed at Crumbellina.

"While I do not wish to fully translate the things that Captain Don is saying, I can assure you that is he quite….UPSET at what has happened."

"Oh, I'll let 'em out soon enough!" said Lucy "Just until he and Meg get the proper alone time they need!"

"Lucy? REALLY?" said Nolan "You trapped them in the ELEVATOR. I'm sure that's FAR from the romantic setting they wanted or NEEDED!"

"But it's so-!"

A horribly cough broke the mood as everyone turned, seeing Deanna dragging herself from the apartment, her comforter clutched around her body.

"L-Lucy, let 'em out….."

"Dee-Dee, ya shouldn't be up!"

"And YOU shouldn't *snrk!* shouldn't be lockin' people in elevators, AGAIN!" the burgundy Nicelander grumped, blowing her nose in a tissue "Don't you think you've tortured him enough all year? Its CHRISTMAS!"

"Don't gang up on me like this!" Lucy whined "Th-they'll be FINE together!"

"Sis, I think Don might be foamin' at the mouth at this point…" Tony said as he pointed towards the elevator, Don's angered pounding heard clearly.

"MAMMAKNULLARE!"

"What did he say THEN?" asked Adorabeezle

"DON'T ANSWER THAT YOUNG LADY."

Deanna swayed a bit on her feet but she had to do what she could to bring the peace among the others.

After all, if not her then WHO?

"Lucy, ya wanna do a big favor for me?"

The younger Nicelander backed away a bit, "Eeh, yeah?"

"It's Christmas. I feel achy, my entire face feels like it's going to EXPLODE and the last thing I need is Don trying to punch through metal one floor below me all because you still have to be a butt to him."

Deanna then grabbed Lucy by her arms but the look on the woman's face wasn't that of anger. If anything, Deanna looked as if she were nearing the end, her energy tapped out.

"Can-you-PLEASE-give-us-a-BREAK?!" the sick Nicelander sobbed "Its Christmas an' all I want is ta go back on the couch and eat spicy chicken soup so I can breathe again!"

Lucy peered around at the others. Why did they all have to look at her like that? WHY?

"Dee-Dee?"

Deanna could only answer with a cough "Urgh, I think I'll just sleep on the floor."

"FINE." Lucy groaned, rolling her eyes as she fiddled with the panel "But if anything happens to me when he gets out, ITS ON YOU!"

"Aw, don't talk like Don is some sort of animal, Lucy." Said Nolan "I'm sure once you explain to him what happened, he'll-!"

*DING!*

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

The doors were only open for a moment as Don rushed out, grabbed Lucy around her waist and tore off down the hall, the girl screaming at the top of her lungs.

"NO DON! DON'T SHOVE HER IN THE CLOSET!" begged Meg "IT'S CHRISTMAS!"