A/N: Hey everyone! I decided to post this up a little early, just because you're all so great~ Thanks so much for your reviews. I love reading them :)

And thanks so much for your reviews. I love reading them :)

The cart-ride through the tunnel wasn't as speedy as the bullet-train leading into Hero's Duty, but Tamora didn't mind. She wasn't in a rush, and the ride was quiet, peaceful, and gave the married couple a moment to speak.

"It's nice to see Wreck-It mingling with the others," the sergeant stated, glancing down at her husband. "I didn't know much about him before Sugar Rush, but he seems to be fitting in now."

"Oh, yes, he's been fitting in fine." Felix nodded, and leaned back slightly to look at her. "Much better now. Though him and Gene sometimes have a disagreement every once in a while." He thought back with a smirk. It was never about anything too serious. He figured their personalities just clashed a little. "I think Vanellope's really helping him though. He seems much happier now."

"I'm sure that's more on Gene's end," she commented, thinking of the huffy little Nicelander that always had a complaint tucked somewhere up his sleeve. But that wasn't the issue at hand, nor was it really worth talking about. "Seems to me like he needed Schweetz all along. Or at least someone who was more like him than he realized."

Somehow, Tamora felt that the friendship between Ralph and Vanellope wouldn't have been the same if the two didn't share similar problems, such as being regarded negatively and being left out. She knew that neither would admit it, but in their shared ostracism they had managed to find something they both could cling to.

It was pretty poetic and sappy - two things that made Tamora want to shoot her gun. Not that she did. It was just in her programming.

And Felix knew that Ralph was a great guy. He'd always been, and the fixer had often felt guilty of the way he had been treated over the last 30 years. He'd berated himself many times over not noticing that Ralph hadn't been being included in the many events that the Nicelanders would throw, or that on the occasions that he had tried to interact with them, he had been treated with less-than open arms. It wasn't fair at all, and he'd tried to make it up to him on numerous occasions. Though Ralph didn't seem all too concerned about that. He was simply content to move on and be happy that things were different now. And now that he had gotten to know the wrecker relatively well, he could honestly say that he was one of the most genuine people he knew.

Eventually, the tram pulled into Niceland and came to a stop. Felix wasted no time in hopping out of his seat, and extending his hand out for Tamora to take; which she did – simply because she appreciated his gentlemanly mannerisms. She stood up with a smile, the top of her head nearly touching the florescent lights that lit up the platform, but she was used to it. Someone like her wasn't meant to exist in a game like Fix-It Felix Jr. Not that that stopped her from visiting.

The evening air was as pleasant as always with unseen crickets chirping from the square bushes and trees. It was definitely a change from the barren wasteland in Hero's Duty. It was also a lot safer. The most dangerous thing in Niceland was maybe a stray brick falling on your heard from Ralph's earlier demolition, and even that was rare due to Felix's fixing.

The two made their way over the 8-bit field of grass and towards the tiny village that had been built beside the apartment (Felix had insisted that they have their own home, simply for the sake of privacy); and when they reached the entrance, Felix unlocked the door and pushed it open. He held it for Tamora to enter in, and laughed a little as another thought crossed his mind. "You know, I really don't think we need to have a lock on this door." He told her with a little amusement. It did seem strange to be paranoid in a place called "Niceland", though he couldn't exactly blame her.

"Can't be too careful, Fix-It," Tamora replied, stepping into their shared place. She highly doubted anyone would take over Niceland or cause trouble for those who inhabited the game, but the same mentality had once been applied to Sugar Rush, and they all knew how that candy-coated nightmare turned out. Thus, it was best to always be cautious.

Plus, it was pretty much written into her code to be overly cautious, and the fixer wasn't about to argue with that. Saying nothing more about it, he closed the door after them, quite content to just unwind further after a long day.

Now that she and Felix were away from everyone and in the comfort of their own home, she finally felt as though she could relax without having to keep up appearances. So the tall soldier set her bag down on a chair and stretched out her arms and shoulders. With hopes to get comfortable, she sat down on the floor and went about removing her boots. Loosening the laces took a minute by itself, since they were tightly fastened with no intentions on coming undone.

Felix couldn't help but watch her with a grin. She was always so concentrated in everything she did. Even when it came to simply untying her boots. It was a trait he found quite endearing, though that was just one of many. As she was untying them however, he couldn't help but notice the redness on her hand caused by her and Zangief's arm-wrestling match, and his brows knit together in concern. Though before he could voice anything on the matter, she had stood up, set the boots aside and had begun making her way into the other room to get a drink.

"Um, Tammy?" He called, listening to her in the other room. He could hear her rummaging through the kitchen; and while he knew she probably cared next to nothing about her arm, it still hadn't looked very comfortable.

All at once though, his mind seemed to go blank. It was like time had screeched to a halt, and the surroundings had froze. He couldn't hear Tamora in the other room, or the faint chirping of the crickets outside the house, or even get himself to move. And a quick surge of panic shot through him at the sensation, before it suddenly ended as quick as it had come, and everything resumed again.

That was strange…

It couldn't have lasted more than a moment, but in all his years, he couldn't recall ever feeling something like that before; and he would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't unnerved by it. Though he stood up a little straighter and cleared his throat in an attempt to collect himself and remember exactly what it was he was talking about.

"Uh, your arm!" His voice rose a little more than he'd intended it too, "Do you need me to take a look at your arm?" He called into the other room.

Having poured some lemonade into a glass, Tamora sipped thirstily and only stopped when she heard Felix call out her name. There was a delay where nothing was said, but then he eventually continued asking if she needed him to look at her arm. So, he'd seen. Tamora glanced down at her reddened hand and then flexed it a bit. It was sore, sure, but she'd experienced much worse - as in having the entire limb bitten off by a Cy-Bug, but that was the fault of an inexperienced rookie she'd been forced to protect once upon a time.

Well, she'd taken rougher hits and been left with bigger scars. She'd be fine.

"Negatory," she called back. "I'll be fine." A second or two passed and a smirk gradually made its way onto her coral lips. "But I wouldn't mind your company." And that, in 'Tamora talk', roughly translated into: 'Get your sweet self in here before I come get you myself.'

Asking for help was not one of Tamora's strong suits, but that was just who she was; and while he didn't particularily like the thought of her being in discomfort, he was well aware of the fact that she could handle it. Perhaps maybe even preferred to handle it, as opposed to taking the 'easy way out', if he were to heal her all the time.

At her next comment however, a smile once again came to his face. Now that was a request he could definitely fulfill. "I can do that." He said with a laugh, closing the space between himself and the kitchen. He tried to push back any negative thoughts he might have had about that strange occurrence from a moment before, and quickly entered the kitchen to see Tamora holding a glass of lemonade. With a grin, he came to a stop in front of her and held his hands behind his back. "In all honesty, I think I'm more worried for that other guy anyways." He joked, thinking back to how Tamora had managed to slam Zangief's arm down onto that table.

And there he was. Her little man. Tamora smiled as Felix made his presence known in the kitchen. He was no taller than her thigh (and even that was pushing it), but she would have literally done everything and anything for the little fixer. Her heart belonged to him - every jagged, broken, and sandpapered piece of it.

"I'll give him credit," she stated, setting her glass of lemonade down and folding her arms across her chest. "He's got a good arm. If only he'd tone down on the ego, he might have had what it takes to beat me."

But that was saying a lot.

Though they had a couch, some chairs, and a bed, she chose to lower herself onto the kitchen floor. She sat with her back pressed against the counter and one knee bent near her chest. "But enough about that," she continued, gesturing Felix over with a tilt of her head; the gesture caused an array of golden bangs to mask one of her blue eyes, creating an almost sultry look. "I'm more interested in what I have right here in front of me."

Felix was almost transfixed at the sight. He still had trouble believing that little old 8-bit him had managed to land a girl as great as her.

"Well I can help with that too." He said somewhat bashfully, as he walked forward and closed the distance between them. He came to sit next to her, though left little space between them as he brought an arm around behind her back and just leaned against her. He sat there and simply relaxed, before a strange 'buzzing' sensation filled his head. Though it only lasted for a brief instance, before he shook his head to rid himself of the sensation and leaned against her again.

Spending time with Felix was definitely Tamora's preferred method of unwinding. He was sweet, considerate, and sympathetic; it softened her up and made her realize just how stupid in love she was with him. She may have been tough as nails on the battlefield, as was expected, but in their quaint little home in quaint little Niceland…she couldn't help but surrender to happiness in the form of softer affections.

This included wrapping her arm around him in return and leaning over to press a kiss on top of his head. Well, through his hat but it was the same principle. A kiss was a kiss was a kiss.

She sat with him for a few minutes of contemplative silence, simply savoring his company before she firmly decided that he wasn't close enough. Well, she knew how to fix that (and she wasn't even a fixer). A coy smirk was the only indicator of her oncoming action before she reached over and literally scooped Felix into her arms, causing him to yelp in shock. She settled him on her lap, with his back to her chest, and wrapped both of her arms around his middle, as though he were something that a child cuddled when going to sleep.

Tiny, feathering kisses were laid on the back of his neck, and after he'd gotten over his initial shock, he broke out into a series of pleasured giggles at the sensation and tilted the brim up his cap up slightly with his thumb to get a better look at her – and she received a better look at him.

Every single high definition pixel adorning her face (and the rest of her) was positively perfect. She looked so out of place amongst the comparatively blocky interior of the rest of the house and game, he sometimes couldn't believe she chose to stick around.

And him. His eyes were so incredibly blue and bright with life that she couldn't help but feel a sense of rejuvenation simply by gazing into them. She adored his boyish face, his round nose, his brilliant smile.

It had taken her two tries to find the love of her life, and she couldn't have been happier with the results.

The tiny fixer suddenly twisted in his position to wrap his own arms around her neck, and pulled her head down towards his to meet in the middle for a kiss – a kiss that she gladly returned. It was a somewhat bold-ish move, though when they were alone, he tended to drop a couple of his reservations –she deserved it.

Her own arms repositioned themselves around his little body, holding him as their mouths met in perfect unison. She didn't believe in fate or fairytales or even soul-mates, but she did believe in whatever she and Felix had managed to create together.

A few seconds passed before she pulled away, though not after planting two more kisses against each of his honeyglows. Her expression was warm as she looked at him. "You and your googoo eyes," she teased, tugging the brim of his cap down, like she always did, to conceal his gaze.

He laughed again and reached up to reposition his cap, his face melting into an adoring smile as he looked up at her again.

"Can't compare to yours, sweetpea." He answered back wrapping his arm back around her neck and pulling himself up to snuggle against her. He loved her playful side, and he did not for one second take for granted the fact that he was one of the rare few that got to see it.

Sweetpea.

It was such a simple term of endearment - one that should have had Tamora scrunching up her freckled nose in distaste, but it instead had the complete opposite effect. She'd never outwardly admit to it, but Felix gave her butterflies. It was embarrassing as all get out, and it often made her feel atrociously vulnerable, but she supposed it was the only 'bug' she'd accept.

She returned his embrace and cradled him against her, hugging him securely, protectively.

Though it was at that moment that the buzzing sensation from before invaded Felix's mind, making him tense up in her arms and squeeze her just a little bit tighter. But the foreign feeling lasted only a moment, before it left him blinking back in confusion and relaxing back into Tamora's hold.

Tamora had felt it, and her grip loosened before she pulled back a little to glance down at him. Maybe she squeezed him a bit too tightly? He didn't seem uncomfortable, so she assumed it was nothing more than a shift in position. Thus, she resumed holding him, the sound of muffled voices from outside their home breaking her from her thoughts.

It seemed as though the Nicelanders had returned from their evening out; she knew their animated chatter anywhere. Amongst the group she could also hear Ralph, and even Vanellope, as they made their way back from the tram.

"Looks like the party's over," she observed, referring to the get-together at Tapper's.

Having fully recovered from the minor 'episode', he craned his neck around to meet her line of vision. "Guess so," he replied through his grin, turning himself around in her arms so that he was now face-to-face with her again. "Ya know… Maybe you should try arm-wrestling Ralph next." He joked.

Tamora shifted her arms when Felix moved within her embrace again; the long limbs wrapped around him from underneath, supporting the little hero as he looked at her and spoke. From their current proximity it was incredibly easy to kiss him again, and she just might have, but his comment that had the soldier planning yet another course of attack.

He really needed to watch what he said around her, just because she wasn't a typical female.

"I'm not too sure Wreck-It's hand would fit in mine," she said, stating a true fact. Ralph's hands were utterly massive. He could have literally wrapped his entire hand around her waist. "Besides, I already have my eye on my next opponent." Her playful smirk returned, along with a mischievous gleam to her eye. Something was about to happen. Felix was no longer safe.

As soon as she got that look in her eye, he knew he was in trouble. Felix's eyes widened in momentary apprehension, as she seemed to close in on him like a lioness stalking its prey.

"What do you say, Fix-It?" she asked in a low voice, moving in closer. "You wanna wrestle?" Nevermind the "arm" part.

He raised his hands out towards her in a preemptive gesture of surrender. He wouldn't have even come close to being able to beat Zangief, let alone her! He was just about to tell her how utterly pointless it would have been, when, in one quick movement, she had grabbed him in a hold and laid down on her side so that he was trapped against her. But that wasn't all. Oh no. Holding onto him like this was far too easy a punishment. Therefore, her long, lithe fingers positioned themselves against his sides - his incredibly ticklish sides - before they scattered about like manic spiders, tickling him mercilessly.

"Oh, no!" He shouted with laughter, trying desperately to twist out of her hold. It was no use though. Her determined fingers trailed up and down his sides with no signs of stopping. "Tammy, stop!" He laughed and kicked, and could have sworn that the others would have been able to hear it. But she didn't listen, leaving him to desperately attempt to wriggle out of her grasp. "W-we can talk this out!" He pleaded with her through his laughter, trying now to cling onto her arms to stop the tickling. Or slow it down, at least.

Tickling him shouldn't have brought on a sadistic feeling of pleasure over her. She assumed she only felt that way because of how strongly he reacted to it. Her husband was the most ticklish person she knew, aside from Vanellope - but at least the racer had the advantage of glitching away when she'd had enough. Felix wasn't so lucky. Sometimes, the mere thought of being tickled was enough to award him a case of the giggles. Tamora found it endearing, as well as an opportunity she just couldn't pass up.

He was laughing, begging, and squirming like a worm….but she didn't stop. Not yet. Her fingertips were like tap-dancing crabs upon his sides, skittering beneath his ribs and in between his muscles. "There's nothing to talk about," she said, speaking in the breaks of his squeaky laughter. "Negotiation is pointless when you've got your target cornered."

… Once she had her target cornered? Oh, he was definitely in trouble.

He pushed his hands out towards her in a last-ditch attempt to try and get her to cease in her assault; but it nearly impossible to get her to budge! That girl was strong! Plus being tickled was one of his greatest weaknesses, next to Mary's homemade pies, and Tamora had been quick to discover that fact and close in on it.

Finally, after she felt as though he'd suffered enough, she ceased and relieved him of the tickle torture. Of course, that didn't necessarily free him from her hold, which still had him pinned against the kitchen floor. Much to his utter relief. The ability to breathe normally once more was definitely a welcome one. When it was obvious the attack was over, Felix sighed in relief and allowed himself to rest completely against the ground for a moment, staring up at her again and allowing his giggles to gradually subside as he was given some time to compose himself.

But suddenly, both of her hands had trapped either side of his face, holding it in place as she pressed a firm, dominating kiss against his lips – and instantly his laughter faded to pleasure once again, and his own hands came up to frame hers. Though much more gently.

It was then that a somewhat familiar sensation returned, though this one was far quicker and more concentrated than the last few had been. It was a sudden twang of pain in his head that left just as quickly as it had come, but left him with a strange static in his ear. It wasn't particularly intense, though the suddenness of it was enough to startle him out of the kiss and elicit a sudden "Ow!" from him as he reached back to rub the side of his head.

At the sound of the small noise, Tamora's eyes opened and she looked down at him, studying his face and actions. Something was wrong. He was hurt.

Instantly, the focused soldier pulled back and sat up. Her hands helped him into a sitting position, while her eyes continued to search every inch of him. She feared that he'd somehow injured himself during their horseplay, but he didn't seem to have any visible markings or bruises. If anything, the source of his pain was coming from his head, or so his body language indicated.

"Everything alright?" she asked, staring at the spot that he was rubbing. He wasn't bleeding or anything - at least not that she could see - but his general discomfort was enough of a reason to rouse her concern.

As soon as he'd said something, he'd instantly regretted it. Not only did the little outburst interrupt their moment, but now he'd gotten Tamora all concerned; and as soon as she made the move to sit back up, he looked up to her apologetically and clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Yes, I'm fine!" He nodded, reaching out and putting a hand over hers in an attempt to reassure her. "Sorry about that. I'm not hurt or anything. I just got kinda startled." He laughed a little. "Oh, but not by you." He clarified. It did sound kind of silly, now that he was saying it out loud. Though he was still debating with himself whether or not it was wise to let Tamora know about that strange feeling. It's not like it was particularly bothersome, and he figured whatever it was, it would probably just go away on its own in due time anyways.

… But, it probably was a better idea to let her know. She tended not to like being left in the dark about things. Especially when it came to the safety of others. That, and Tamora was exceptionally good at being able to detect falsehood in someone's gaze, since it had been programmed into her. So as Felix reassured her that everything was okay, and that he'd merely been startled, she wasn't buying any of it. Not a single word. He was far too antsy and set on pushing her mind away from whatever it was that had happened to him, which automatically let her know that he was leaving something out.

And her assumption was soon confirmed.

"Actually… to be honest," he began, bringing his hands back together and twiddling his thumbs nervously in front of him. "I've been feeling a little under the weather since we got back from the party." He said, looking up to her with a little apprehension.

He didn't want to get her worried over nothing, but she'd wished he'd told him that sooner. That was her husband for you: He ignored his own condition most of the time if it meant keeping himself out of the spotlight. She knew that he didn't like to worry anyone, but his selflessness came with a drawback.

It just made her worry even more.

"What exactly have you been feeling?" she asked, her tone adopting a more serious approach. The previous warmth and affection in her expression had been replaced with something stern and determined. One of her hands reached out and removed his cap, so that her fingers could gently stroke the side of his head, where he'd been rubbing a minute or so prior. "Don't leave any details out either. I want you to be straight with me, soldier."

A feeling of guilt hit him as soon as he saw her expression change. It shifted from the playful and affectionate Tamora who had been so carefree not a moment before, to a stern and serious one that was now concerned for his safety. He didn't want her to be worried, and he looked up to her once again with a concerned frown as she removed his cap.

"Aww, sugarpie. Please don't worry about it too much." He said, patting her hand and attempting a reassuring smile. "It's only happened a couple times, and it's never lasted long," He started, though frowned when he realized that his attempts to reassure her may only have been making it worse. He cleared his throat and kept his hold on her hand, "But basically, every so often, I'll feel… fuzzy." He described uncertainly, unsure of really how to really explain it. "But again, it never lasts long, and I'm sure it'll fix itself in no time!"

Fuzzy. He felt…fuzzy.

Well, that wasn't much of an explanation at all. It failed to give Tamora the distinct details she'd asked for and only served to rouse further uncertainty. Nevertheless, she took it upon herself to check him out anyway. The next few minutes consisted of her performing basic medical procedures she'd been taught in boot camp, as well as in various other areas of her military career. She was no medic, but she knew how to check someone's vitals.

And while Felix thought that the whole procedure was unnecessary (it wasn't THAT big a deal, after all, he felt fine) he knew it was more than understandable for Tamora to be so paranoid. He didn't know all the details concerning Tamora's past, but he did know enough to refrain from saying anything and simply allow her to check him over. If only for her own peace of mind. He knew that her past was probably fuelling some of her paranoia; and he knew that all that business concerning her ex-fiancé was still a prominent factor in many of her decisions. It always would be too. It was programmed into her, after all, which was another reason he hated to see her worried.

The last of the examination process consisted of a very simple task: She reached out and laid her hand across the expanse of his forehead, feeling for any increase in temperature. He felt fine and normal beneath the skin of her palm. Maybe he was just feeling…"fuzzy".

Whatever that meant.

"It doesn't look like anything is wrong, but I'm gonna keep an eye on you," she told him, sitting back on her knees. He smiled up at her

That's how it could be for some serious problems; they would start out as nothing - a mere discomfort - and then gradually ascend into a catastrophic calamity that jeopardized a soldier's life.

"If you start feeling any worse, you let me know. That's an order." She WOULD NOT lose Felix. That was out of the question. She'd protect him at all costs.

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a joking salute and laughed a little, taking that moment to hop up from his position on the floor and close the space between them once again. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could in a hug, another attempt to reassure her.

She returned the gesture, squeezing him tightly and burying her face into his small shoulder. She wouldn't deny that she was relieved no greater issue was found. He was all that she had, aside from her career, and she knew that, were anything to happen to him, she wouldn't be able to tough it out. Her first loss was bad enough; she didn't want to consider a second one. It would have ripped a hole straight through her, tearing her code apart.

Her actions made a pang of guilt spread in his chest, and his glove hand moved to soothingly rub her back. He was sure, that in any other context, the notion of him scaring her would be absurd; but in this instance, it was true, and he didn't like it. It was no big deal, after all.

The blonde had repositioned in their embrace, so that she was now sitting. Her legs were spread and stationed on either side of Felix, her ankles curled behind his shoes. She held onto him for a second more before she forced herself to stop being so clingy and sappy. There was, however, a smile on her face when she pulled away.

"I'm thinking we could use a rest," she proposed, feeling as if a nap would do them some good. They had plenty of time before the arcade opened, so spending an hour or two sleeping wouldn't put too much of a dent in their shared company. Also, it would hopefully result with Felix waking up and feeling no traces of his former odd sensation.

"I'm with you." He nodded in agreement. "Lead the way, my lady." He smiled and gestured to the door leading out of the room. A little bit of sleep would do the both of them some good.