"I'll have to admit," Tamora said as she took a cautious step out of the tram. "You've got me intrigued."

Fix-it bounded in front of her, hopping from foot to foot, a wicker picnic basket nearly as big as he was in both hands. "Oh, you'll just be happier than a bug in a rug when you see this place," he said as he walked.

Something was up with him, and had been for a couple weeks now, but she couldn't quite work out what. The most obvious answer, Tamora thought, was that he wanted to break things off with her. That would explain the nervousness, the abrupt distancing, et cetera. Then again, she'd always been the suspicious type, so that might not be it at all. But she wasn't taking it off the table yet.

Instead of confronting him about it, Tamora decided she'd let things pan out on their own. See where this went. After…after Brad, she didn't let herself get too serious with her romantic relationships straight off, so her feelings were still well-guarded behind the mental wall she'd constructed within herself. She nearly hadn't given Felix the time of day at all, as a matter of fact, when he'd asked her on their first date. But he was so harmless that she couldn't find valid reason to say no to a free meal.

The two of them had traveled to the Soul Calibur III cabinet. This was yet another place she hadn't had a chance to visit yet. She'd only been plugged in about a week when the whole Ralph fiasco began, and after that, she'd really bumped up security in her own game. When she had even a tiny window of free time, she and Felix had tried to squeeze in a date or two. That didn't leave her with a lot of time for leisurely strolls through Game Central Station.

"You sure we don't need to check in with the head honcho around here before we go traipsing around?" Tamora asked.

"Already have," he said brightly. "I came this morning—they know we'll be here."

"All right," Tamora said carefully. Still, she had her hand hovered over the grip of her laser pistol. She wasn't so sure about this place just yet.

It looked safe enough, but experience told her that that didn't mean a whole lot. It appeared as if they were in a large castle, an old-style job made of thick gray stone. It was well-lit, with an abundance of torches hanging in their holders along the wall, but it was still suspiciously quiet around the place. Surely they should've come across another character by now…

Tamora voiced her concern. "This place is a little on the empty side, isn't it?"

Felix shifted the picnic basket in his arms. It was obvious it was cumbersome for him, but Tamora thought it would hurt his pride if she offered to carry it.

"I think everyone's outside," Felix said. "This is more of an…outdoorsy type of place." He smiled back at her. "Which is why I thought a picnic would be just peachy-perfect."

Felix stopped at a set of double-doors at the end of the hall. Tamora had her arm outstretched to open one of them, but Felix sat the picnic basket down and opted to do it for her. But when he reached up to grab the handle, it was up too high. Even on tiptoe, he couldn't reach. He could reach it with a little hop, but he couldn't manage to twist the rather large handle and still maintain his grip. With a little sigh, he dropped himself to the floor, a hangdog look on his face.

Tamora smirked. Well, he tried.

"Um, I don't suppose you could…?"

She nodded. "Affirmative."

With a slight flick of her wrist and a nudge from her forefinger, the door eased its way open. Luckily, she was trained in keeping a neutral facial expression, else she would have had to grin at Felix's crestfallen frown. But he quickly erased the look from his face and replaced it with one of determination, grabbing up the picnic basket and opening the door the rest of the way with his foot.

"After you, ma'am." He couldn't gesture with his hands, so he pointed the way with his head.

Tamora stepped through the doorway and let out a tiny gasp, much to her chagrin. But she couldn't help it.

Immediately after leaving the castle, one's feet stepped out onto a bleached stone pathway. The path led up to a small bridge, crystal-clear water trickling idly by beneath it. Just past the bridge was a field of jade-green grass and cherry blossom trees. A perfect place, she thought, for a picnic.

I see where you're going with this, Short-Stack. She smirked.

Felix bounded along the path, across the bridge. It didn't matter how fast he was walking; her stride was so big, she had no trouble whatever keeping up with him. They were headed to the place she'd scoped out from the entrance.

The ground was hilly, but not too terrible. Felix picked a good, flat spot underneath one of the cherry blossom trees. He plopped the picnic basket down and fished out a red- and white-checkered vinyl blanket. He shook out the folds, sending a spray of cherry blossom petals flying through the air. Two of said petals stuck to Tamora's lips. She pff-pffed them off.

Felix covered his mouth with his hand. "I…I'm really sorry."

She smiled down at him, a fist on her hip.

"I think I'll live."

The little guy was really prone to blushing, wasn't he?

Tamora sprawled out on the picnic blanket while Felix pulled this and that out of the basket, arranging it in front of her. Plates and forks and glasses, a jug of apple juice (really? How old were they, seven? But she didn't say this aloud, and surely didn't let her face show that she was thinking it), and…a pie so golden and flaky her mouth was actually salivating.

He barely had time to sit the pie down before she had a serving spatula stabbed into the center. It emitted a beautiful, crisp crunch as the metal pierced its crust.

"Let's dig into this bad boy," she said as she began to slice.

Tamora cut the pie while Felix poured their glasses. She grabbed up a fork and stuffed a bite into her mouth. She'd assumed since the stuff inside was red, it would be cherry, but she was wrong. She chewed her mouthful thoughtfully.

"What," she said, swallowing. "kind of pie is this?" She pointed to it with her fork.

"Strawberry rhubarb," he said. "I was a little tired of the usual." He took up his own plate, but he didn't make a move to eat any.

"Well, whatever the hell a rhubarb is, it's tasty." She helped herself to another forkful.

Felix sat his plate down. He sighed.

"Oh, fiddle. The truth is, Tamora, I didn't bring you out here for pie."

She quirked an eyebrow. Here we go.

"That so?" she said. She took a swig of apple juice, staring at him from behind her glass.

"Uh…"

She took another bite of pie.

And another.

And another.

"Spit it out, soldier." She'd meant for it to come out a little gruffer than it did. But it was hard to be mean to someone so obviously worried and distressed, even for her.

He jumped a little at her words. "Okay. All right." He took a breath. "Tamora, I suppose there's no need in me dragging this out, but I wish I had a better way to put this…"

The only exposed portion of her skin was her face, but she suddenly wished she were in something a little more breathable. A warm breeze was floating through, swirling around the cherry blossom petals. She had a temperature regulation mod within her armor, but it wasn't the same as actual weather. The wind felt nice. She looked down, and was a little surprised to find that her pie was half-gone already. She took another bite, trying to separate the strawberry flavor from the foreign rhubarb.

"Tamora," Felix began again, "don't you think…don't you think it might be better if we…"

Ah, yes. Here comes the why can't we be friends bit. She took a swig of apple juice.

"I promise I had all this planned out beforehand," Felix said, hand on the back of his neck. "What to say, and all. I really did, I just seem to have…forgotten it all." A strangled sound squeaked out of his throat. He looked (and sounded) truly pitiful.

Tamora thought about putting him out of his misery by helping him along with his words, but the thought was fleeting. Very fleeting. The scene unfolding before her was just too good. Almost like dinner theatre.

He sucked in another breath. "Tamora, we've been on quite a few dates now. And they have been…more than delightful." He steepled his fingertips together. "But I was thinking that it might—be better if—we just—went together—as—friends?"

Right on the money, Tamora thought. She had mentally prepared herself for this, ever since she had the notion that this date was not like the rest of them they'd been on. Still, it stung. She was fond of the little shrimp squirming and sweating in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind he would be a good boyfriend to her, if it ever would've come to that. And not only that, but he wasn't bad-looking, either. Extremely short, yeah, but a cute guy.

A question arose in her mind.

"Why so sudden?" she said. "Just last week we rendezvoused at Tapper's. You seemed fine there. Something happen?"

He grimaced. "Ah—well—no, not…exactly."

"Elaborate," she said softly. She knew from interrogation training that a low voice could be more penetrating than a yell, if well-executed. She hit a bull's-eye with that one; she could see it in Fix-it's glassy blue eyes.

But apparently Felix had found a well of courage somewhere deep inside himself to tap into, because he squared his shoulders and locked eyes with her.

"Tamora," he said, the nervousness in his voice all but gone. "I told myself that if this came up in conversation, I would be honest enough to tell you the truth. So I will."

"The truth would be good," she said dryly. She finished the last bite of her pie, sitting the plate down beside her.

So Felix began to explain things to her. He added a lot of extraneous details into his sentences, which nervous people are wont to do, but she got the gist of it. And the more she heard, the more and more wild it got. Almost unbelievable. In fact, she probably wouldn't have believed it, if it weren't obvious on Felix's face that he was telling speaking the gospel.

When he'd finally finished his near ten-minute explanation, Tamora said, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Felix blanched. "What do you mean?"

"Your old boyfriend was Turbo."

"…Yes."

"I'm sure there weren't a whole lot of characters to choose from when you were first plugged in, but Turbo? Really?"

"He's a nice fella," Felix said. Was that a hint of defensiveness in his voice? He was getting defensive over that gray idiot? She must've been wearing a blue dress and Mary-Janes, because she was definitely falling down a rabbit hole.

"Did you just call Turbo a 'nice fella'?"

"If you get to know him," he added quickly.

"I think I know him well enough," she said. "How he's pulled the wool over your eyes so tight, I really don't know."

Felix was silent. He was working his lips together, like he was contemplating on chewing at one.

Tamora went on. "Look, Fix-it. He might've been a 'nice fella' back in the 80s. Hell, I didn't know the guy. But trust me. He ain't nice anymore."

She threw the last drop of her apple juice down her throat. Despite the troubled look on his face, Felix was quick to refill it for her.

"Well," he said, "I know…exactly what you're thinking. And…I don't expect people to understand it right away." He swallowed. "Or ever."

Tamora narrowed her eyes in thought. "What is it that you see in him that can make you look past the terrible things he's done?"

Felix stuck little fork-holes through the top of his pie crust. He was mutilating a perfectly fine piece of dessert in his worry.

Finally, he spoke.

"I don't know. I can't help it, I guess." He sighed, slumping his shoulders. He looked tired.

"But I can't imagine…Turbo…loving anybody but himself." She shifted into a more comfortable position on the picnic blanket. "Are you sure he's not up to something? Seems shady."

At the sight of Tamora settling into a more comfortable spot, Felix allowed himself to slump over on his side, propping himself up with an elbow. "I've spent many a sleepless night thinking about that. But I'm convinced he doesn't have any…bad intent." He allowed himself a ginger sip of juice. "You'd just have to talk to him yourself, then you'd understand."

A sly smile crossed Tamora's face.

"You know? I think I will."

His eyes widened. He sat up robotically, staring at her with eyes round as gumballs.

"You're not really going to…go to the Sugar Rush dungeon and talk to him, are you?" He laughed nervously.

"Sugar Rush dungeon, is it?" She nodded. "I think I'll wander on over, next time I get a chance. As a matter of fact…" She grinned wickedly as the horror grew more and more intense on Fix-it's face. "Why don't we go right now?"

"Right—right now?" he squeaked. "Now, now? Right now."

Tamora stood up. "Yep."

That's what you get for breaking up with me for somebody like Turbo, she thought. She'd make him sweat this one out. Former love with current. What could be more gloriously awkward? It didn't bother her, she'd been through a hell of a lot worse. But it would give Felix a lesson in love he wouldn't soon forget.

He stumbled to his feet, hands visibly shaking as he loaded the contents back into the picnic basket. As she waited, she held out her hand, catching a fluttering cherry blossom petal in her armored palm. She gripped her hand into a fist and crushed it.

As they walked back to the game entrance, Felix with his metaphorical tail between his legs, she said,

"That was some really good pie, by the way."

Author's Note: Okay, let me tell you a thing. This chapter took me longer to write because I was halfway through it and decided to do a rewrite (I do that a lot). But I had it written where the two of them went to the Chao Garden for their date. Yes. As in, the Sonic the Hedgehog Chao Garden. I was rereading it and it sounded like my bad Sonic fanfictions from fifth grade. All it was missing was Shadow the Hedgehog doing something angsty and it would've been a perfect recreation. I hit the backspace button so fast I broke the sound barrier. There is a Sonic the Hedgehog cabinet in Litwak's Arcade, but no Soul Calibur. I just made that up. Soul Calibur is one of my favorite games to play at an arcade (when I actually get to go to one, which is next to never), so I threw it in there. Plus, it's got a whole roster of great characters to use if need be (probably not, though). Also, I hope I haven't written myself into a hole, here. The next chapter might take awhile to write, too...maybe not. Enough rambling, thanks for reading! I appreciate it so much. When I look at the traffic graph for this story it gives me the honey glows. I guess the 80s boyfriends ship isn't sunk just yet (nyuck nyuck nyuck).