Ch.3

Ralph watched the two kids, never losing sight of the two. His eyes burning with anger every time Rancis did something cute. Like brushing his fingers against her cheek, or lacing his fingers with hers. It sickened Ralph, to say the least. But it was nothing compared to his boiling anger.

"Ralph, give it a rest," Felix pleaded, throwing his hands up in the air with exasperation. "The boy's innocent."

Ralph looked at the handyman incredulously with his eyebrows all scrunched up like caterpillars. "That boy," he growled, pointing to the two. "Is not innocent. If anything, he's a little trouble maker who's ready to get pounded on." He looked back at the duo, intently staring at them as they spoke in a language Ralph couldn't quite understand. Felix just shook his head.

"I don't know what's worse: you spying on Vanellope and her date, or the fact that you don't trust her," Felix wondered, sighing deeply. "If Vanellope were to find out about this, Ralph, she wouldn't be happy."

"Felix, you don't understand. That good-for-nothing little sneak is kissing up to Vanellope, and she's letting him. King Candy may have said that have to give the kid a chance, but there is absolutely no way I'm letting that skunk worm his way in." he snarled, cracking his knuckles. Calhoun just shook her head at Ralph.

"Imagine what would happen if Vanellope was to ever find out that you're sabotaging her relationship with someone she cares about," Calhoun replied.

Ralph turned and glared at Calhoun, telling her to shut up. "I want to know the truth," Ralph affirmed, his eyes flickering between Felix and Calhoun. "And if that little scum is up to something, I'm going to stop him." Ralph got up and followed the two kids out to the exit, with Calhoun and Felix in tow.

"Something tells me this is a bad idea, Tammi," Felix said, looking at his wife uneasily.

"Knowing Ralph, he's going to do a whole lot of damage," Calhoun added, following the wrecker.

Ralph tiptoed through the Candy Cane Forest, spying on Vanellope and Rancis. Behind him was Felix and Calhoun, who were at the time, cuddling. Earlier, Ralph peered at them from the corner of his eyes and saw them sucking on each other's faces. It paralyzed Ralph mentally, but then again, he's been through worse, right? Ralph poked his head out from behind a candy cane tree and slightly growled at the sight he was looking at. Rancis and Vanellope were dancing through the forest, their rhythm were in sync. He could not lie, the kid had some skills. He watched Rancis as she dipped Vanellope, staring deep in her eyes.

"Look at him, acting all innocent," Ralph sneered. "When I get my hands on him, I'm going to destroy him!"

"Ralph, let's not jump to conclusions. They may be just friends," Felix suggested.

Ralph raised an eyebrow and watched as Rancis kissed her cheek, anger bubbling inside of him. "Do friends do that?" he inquired. "In Europe, they do!" Felix protested. When the coast was clear, Ralph jumped out into the clearing growling menancingly."Pretty boy wants to act cute, huh?" he growled, charging after them. "Well, he's going to understand what happens when he acts cute with Vanellope!"

"Ralph, wait!" Felix shouted after him. "You're heading straight for a-"

Before Felix could finish his sentence, Ralph lost his footing and tripped in a green sticky substance, sinking deep into it.

"Taffy swamp." Felix deadpanned, smiling at his wife amusingly.

While Ralph was dealing with his own issues, Vanellope was walking alongside Rancis, clutching on to his hand. She was still struggling on the whole issue with Ralph, and every day it grew more stressful and it irritated her. Rancis looked at her and asked in a concern voice, "Are you okay?" She looked at him and shook her head, sighing.

"It's just that I have to tell Ralph soon enough, but it gets really stressful," she confessed, looking at him sadly. "How am I going to tell him now?"

Rancis smiled at her, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Vanellope, it's going to be okay. I'm going to be right there with you." He consoled her. Wrapping his arms around the young girl, he pulled her close and tilted her head upwards so he could look into her hazel eyes more clearly. "I'm not going to leave your side while you and Ralph talk it out." He smirked and caressed her cheek. "Besides, he'll come around some day." Vanellope smiled at this, looking down at her boots. She knew he was right. Ralph would understand, right? She had nothing to worry about. She looked up and beamed at Rancis, her eyes twinkling like sparkling diamonds.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Vanellope smiled and looked down at her hands. "I guess you have a point. If you're there, then what can go wrong?" she asked, giggling. Rancis smirked, stroking her hair. "You know, we're finally alone." He said, his nose barely touching hers. Vanellope blushed as Rancis wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She put her hand on his shoulders and tried to push him away, but he was stronger than her.

"Stop it, Rancis," she giggled.

"Make me," he teasingly growled, cupping her cheeks, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips press against hers, savoring the chocolate flavor his lips held. She swathed her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, slowly responding to the kiss. It was going all swell and cheerful for the two, until they felt a tremor under their feet. They pulled apart and looked up, their eyes widening when they saw a taffy-like monster covered in candy charging at them. Vanellope and Rancis immediately dashed for their lives, trying to the monster, but the creature was too fast for them. It grabbed the two of them in its sticky hands and charged downhill, letting out what sounded like a growl to them. Unfortunately, it lost its footing and tripped over a small gumdrop. The three of them screamed, as they tumbled down.

"How on earth did this happen?" Vanellope yelled at Rancis angrily.

"I don't know-OHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rancis' voice broke into a scream as they bumped into another gumdrop, flying in air. They all screamed as they flailed their arms to help balance. The monster bashed onto the ground, its clammy skin breaking off, with Vanellope and Rancis on top, groaning. Felix and Calhoun ran up to them, panting.

"Are… are you alright?" Felix asked, gasping in between. "Ralph, be careful next time."

The monster that was chasing the two was actually Ralph, who wasn't in the mood right now. He grumbles as he got up. "I was in a rush, okay?" he argued, brushing any debris off his overalls. "Warn me in advance, okay?" He looked down at the ground and saw Vanellope and Rancis lying on the ground, toppled over each other, groaning. "But first, I have some business to do." He snatched Rancis up from the ground and glared at him angrily. "I hope you said your prayers," he growled threateningly, preparing his fists. "Because you're getting a wrecking of your life!"

"No, please," he pleaded, trying to escape his fatal beat down. "I didn't do anything."

"Likely story, smart guy. I saw you flirting with the kid at Tapper's, and dancing with her at the Candy Cane forest. Want to explain yourself, and while you're at it, probably explain why you were kissing her as well?" He asked, getting ready to hit Rancis

"Ralph, stop it! Are you crazy?" Vanellope yelled, getting up. "Put him down!"

"Not until I get an explanation, kid! Why are you two spending so much time together all the sudden?" Ralph demanded.

Vanellope glared at Ralph, her face as red a Jubileena's hat. "Put…him…down...NOW!" she hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously. At this point, the tension between the two created a crowd, who began to watch the spectacle. "Explain to me why this kid made out with you, and I'll let blondie here go!" Ralph yelled.

"I have a name, you know. It's Rancis," Rancis piped in.

"Shut it, blondie, or I'll throw you in the mud!"

That did it. "Stop! Don't you dare threaten my boyfriend like that!" Vanellope snapped. The crowd gasped once they heard this outburst. Felix, Calhoun and Ralph stared at Vanellope in disbelief.

"WHAT? BOYFRIEND?! " they shouted in unison.

Ralph dropped Rancis to the ground, leaving Rancis to hit the ground pretty hard, and gazed at Vanellope in shock and anger. "What do you mean, 'boyfriend?'" Ralph asked, narrowing his eyes at Rancis. "How long has this been going on?" Vanellope helped Rancis to his feet and glanced at the ground, mumbling something inaudible under her breath.

"Vanellope, look at me. How long has his been going on?" Ralph interrogated, his voice getting louder.

"Two weeks, okay?! After Turbo was gone and everything was back to normal, Rancis and I have been talking and hanging out. Then, I guess it turned out better than we thought, because we started… dating." She explained. "I tried to tell you but-"

"But what? You thought you could keep this little relationship going without even telling me? Huh? Is that is?" Ralph shouted at the top of his lungs.

Vanellope started to cry a bit. She wasn't used to being yelled at like this. "Ralph, please. I'm sorry I didn't tell you! Stop yelling at me!" she begged.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! DATING?! YOU THINK YOU'RE CAPABLE OF DATING?! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG FOR A BOYFRIEND- NO KISSING, NO HUGGING, NO TOUCHING, NO LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, NO DATING!"

Vanellope looked at Ralph for a while, then glared viciously at him. "Why are you against this anyways? As my friend, should you be happy for me?!" she inquired. "I actually found someone I truly care about, and all you can do is yell at me?!"

"I'm yelling because I'm angry! Not only did you kept this from me, but seeing someone I don't approve of? Really?"

"You don't even talk to Rancis! How would you know what he's like?! You never gave any one here a chance after the game was reset!"

"I'm trying to help you, kid!"

"Oh really? Because it seems like you're helping yourself!"

"And just what is going on here?"

The two stopped arguing and looked up, watching as King Candy emerge from the crowd. "Vanellope, Ralph, care to explain as to why I can hear shouting from the end of the track?" he asked. It was then he noticed that Vanellope began to cry. "Why are you crying, cupcake?" Vanellope looked at her father and pointed at Ralph, tears streaming down her face.

"Ralph is being insensitive. He won't accept the fact that I love Rancis, and Ralph here is being such an idiot!" she screamed, burying her face in her hands.

"What happened was that, to make it plain and simple, Ralph found out about me and Vanellope," Rancis explained, pulling Vanellope in a hug. King Candy nodded in understanding and looked at Ralph. "Ralph, didn't we talk about this? Why are you so against these two anyways?" he asked.

"Yeah, why are you against them?" Candlehead added.

"Isn't it fair to let people be in love with whoever they fall in love with?" Jubileena questioned, holding on to Gloyd's hand.

"With all due and respect, your candiness, wouldn't you be upset to know that your daughter is seeing someone behind your back?" Ralph asked. "Yes, I would. But I would never make my daughter cry, Ralph," King Candy pointed out. "Besides, I already knew about their relationship."

"Wait." Ralph looked at Vanellope dead in the eye. "So you told your dad, but not me, your best friend? I suppose you told the entire game, huh?" he snapped.

"At least my dad was cool about it, Ralph, unlike some people who can't be happy for other people's happiness." She retorted. "What more do you want from me?!"

"This is the same guy who picked on you for fifteen years," Ralph pointed out.

"I would never make fun of Vanellope!" Rancis interrupted. "I'll admit, I made a mistake, we all did, but it was because of Turbo. Turbo's gone, and I know now that I love Vanellope more than anything!" Rancis looked at Vanellope and kissed her forehead, stroking her hair. Vanellope was still crying, but it was enough to reduce her bawling. Vanellope looked at the ground for a while, sniffing, and not saying anything. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke in a soft. "You really want this, do you, Ralph? You don't me to be happy?" she asked. She looked up, tears pouring down her face rapidly. "Aren't you a bit happy that I found someone that cares about me just as much as everyone else here?! Apparantly not, because you only care about youself, you backstabbing, funky-smelling, overgrown rat!" she screamed, pulling away from Rancis' embrace and ran off, tears flowing from her eyes and streaming behind her.

"Vanellope, wait! Let's talk about this!" Rancis called after her, chasing after her, giving Ralph one last look of dismay.

Calhoun walked up to Ralph and slapped the back of his head hard. "Hope you're happy, Wreck- it. You got what you wanted," she snapped, then trotted off, Felix in tow.

"You went too far, Ralph," King Candy said disappointedly.

Ralph sighed and sat on top of a gumdrop, watching the crowd disperse. Some of the racers were even glaring at him in anger for hurting Vanellope's heart. He knew he did that right thing in his case. So why does he feel guilty for some reason?