Hi there, folks! I want to apologize for taking so long to update. I was caught up in the hassle of finishing the semester, and some family matters. Expect updates to be more frequent and regular from this point on.

Ralph hadn't been sorry to see any of the soldiers leave. He even lifted up a hand and waved at their retreating backs, just to convey a 'good riddance' on his personal behalf. Vanellope followed his example by crossing her arms smugly across her chest and sticking her tongue out. Now that the peace and quiet of Niceland had been restored, they could all rest easy until Sarge (or whomever) decided to explain things a little better. For the time being, though, he figured that they could…

And that was when he noticed Felix.

The poor guy looked awful - like he'd just given up. Ralph glanced at Vanellope on his shoulder and then tilted his head in the fixer's direction. He didn't say anything, but his message was clear: 'He needs his friends.'

With that in mind, he walked over to where Felix sat and stood nearby. He honestly wished he was better at these kind of things, but three decades of social awkwardness left him exponentially inexperienced when it came to cheering someone up. Nevertheless, he felt that he could have least tried to help his coworker out, just because seeing a sad Felix was the most depressing thing in the world.

"None of this is your fault, you know." He said, hoping that what he was saying would provide some kind of comfort. "I know you feel responsible since you're the title character, but c'mon, Felix. This is out of all of our hands." He was blanking fast, so he tried another topic. "And Sarge'll come around eventually, so you shouldn't be too beat up about that either."

At Ralph's words, a muffled laugh came through Felix's hands and he let them drop to rest across his knees, slouching forward slightly.

"You know you're just as much a part of this game as I am," he told his friend, though kept his gaze fixed forward. He heaved a heavy sigh. "I just don't know what to do anymore, Ralph. We still don't know what's going on, and by the looks of things, everyone's just getting worse." He glanced up towards the wrecker, worry clearly evident on his face. "I don't mean to be a naysayer, but what if something bad happens?" He didn't even want to think about it.

Ralph felt a wave of apprehension was over him. This was a topic he didn't wish to discuss in front of Vanellope - just because he didn't want to worry the kid - but there wasn't much he could do now that she'd heard Felix ask the question.

"Then… then I guess we'll have to deal with it," he replied, reaching up to scratch into his hair. "We've faced bigger problems before, so we can face this, too." He lowered his arm and then heaved a heavy sigh of his own. "We're not that bad yet. So long as we can still think clearly we'll be able to get through this."

Felix seemed to be considering Ralph's words. He sat up a little straighter and nodded in silence for a moment. "I suppose you're right." He finally agreed, repositioning his cap and allowing a small grin to come to his face. "Thanks, brother."

Maybe he had been worrying too much. He'd been guilty of doing that before when things seemed to get out of control; and once again, he found himself more than grateful to have friends like Ralph and Vanellope to help get him back into the swing of things. Things would get better. But he still couldn't shake the anxiety that came with having no clue what to do. That, and Tamora's last sentence to him kept replaying in his mind.

'… you're practically a professional at keeping things to yourself…'

"Darn right, he's right!" Vanellope punctuated, "You guys have toughed out worse stuff and came out without a scratch! What's a measly little virus got against you?" She crossed her arms and put on a cheeky grin of her own. "You'll see. All we gotta do now is wait for Sarge to get back… unless you've got another plan cookin' in that empty noggin' of yours." The racer taunted Ralph, if only to get rid of some the residual tension.

Ralph was pleased to see that Felix was perking up. Maybe all he had needed was a pep-talk. Unfortunately, the wrecker's satisfaction with cheering up his friend didn't last very long, because Princess Pain-in-the-Butt was giving him sass. He turned his head and looked at the whippersnapper, having fallen into her teasing trap.

"Ooh. You're lucky I'm not feeling my best, kid. Otherwise I'd send you packing on the tram," he told her, even though he wasn't actually serious. He just needed to say something in rebuttal.

But Vanellope was right. All they could really do was wait around for Sarge to get back and relay any news. But geez, who knew how long that would take? The soldiers seemed set on checking in on every single game in the arcade. Even if they were speedy about it, it would probably be a few hours until she came back.

They needed something to do.

"It's not much, but you guys can come over to my place," he offered, gesturing to the mountain of bricks that rested about a hundred or so feet away. His shack may not have been an apartment building, but he'd built it himself. The home was plenty big enough for him, which meant that it would be more than big enough to accommodate Vanellope and Felix.

"Hah! Yes!" The little president proclaimed, leaning forward on Ralph's shoulder in excitement. Not only did she like the idea of going into Ralph's house (she hadn't been there since the previous night, after all), but she liked the idea of doing something normal while all this unpleasant business was going on.

Sarge was taking care of it, and if she knew anything about the Sarge, it was that she was completely and utterly thorough. Especially when it came to protecting people. It was her duty, after all.

The young girl resisted the urge to snicker.

"I'd offer to race you two there, if I didn't already know you'd both lose." Vanellope couldn't help but throw in another taunt, before suddenly kicking both her feet against Ralph's large shoulder and pointed eagerly in the direction of his house. "Onward, steed!"

"Hey, hey. Easy on the merchandise," Ralph remarked, annoyance lacing his voice as he started forward.

At this Felix couldn't hold back a laugh as he got back to his feet.

"I'm right behind you," he said with a smile.