But It's MORE than Just Pie

by CandleHeadButt

A continuation of But It's Only Pie, Ralph and Vanellope find themselves baking pies alongside the Nicelanders of Niceland and discover that there is indeed more to the little NPCs than just pie. What will our wrecking hero and racer learn about these guys that no one else seems to know? Maybe this punishment isn't so bad.

8. Key Lime

Chapter Seven- Key Lime

"Mmph, this is really good!" Sorcerous said as she took another bite of pie "Which one made this again?"

"Lucy." Ralph smiled "Told ya those lil guys could make one heckuva pie!"

"No codes? No automatic turn-around?" said the Cyborg "This is all done by hand?"

"Yup!" Ralph chuckled, leaning back in his chair, looking rather proud of himself "Mmmmm, an' might I add that I HAVE been takin' a few lessons here an' there with tha Butterball-Crew? So maybe…."

There was a bit if silence in the room, the Bad Anons exchanging looks. Bowser was the first to move, clearing his throat as he poured himself another cup of tea.

"Heh, what is it Big Guy?"

Ralph cracked his fingers, a catty grin still on his face "C'mon guys. Say it."

"Say….WHAT?"

"I MADE some of that pie!" Ralph grinned, pointing to himself "Can this Bad Guy cook or what? Give me some credit too!"

The others looked down at their plates; so that would explain the large assortment of pies that had been brought over for the meeting. Apparently Ralph had done more assisting to the Nicelanders to ensure every bad guy would have a bite.

But then some snickering rang through the halls.

"Pfft!"

"What?" Ralph blinked "What's the matter guys?"

"Meh." Sorcerous shrugged, rolling her eyes "So-So."

"SO-SO?!" the big man roared though by the expression he was clearly acting out like a child "What do ya mean 'SO-SO'?!"

"The crust on yours is a lil underdone…." Said the frog girl, poking the aforementioned crust.

"Plus, it's not as sweet as the other ones." Said Clyde.

"UUURGH!" groaned Cyril "Think found! EGG SHELL!"

"Aw, REALLY!?" Ralph moaned, throwing his head up into the air "After all that! After all your whinin'! "Ralph bring me pie! Ralph, pie pie pie!' That's what ya tell me! THAT'S-!"

"Ralph…." Bowser smiled "Ya know they're messin' with ya right?"

Blushing a bit, Ralph looked over at the other anons and just like clocked-work they all erupted into a wave of laughter. The wrecker frowned and puffed out his cheeks, crossing his huge arms.

"NO MORE. NO MORE PIE FOR ANY OF YOU."

"Aw c'mon!" grinned Sorcerous "Can't ya take a widdle joke?"

"I can…." Ralph turned and huffed "But not when it feels like even YOU guys don't appreciate mah down-home cookin'!"

"Ralph, your pie is good." Clyde said "It just shows that you've been making great progress with your neighbors."

The frown on Ralph's face began to fade, replaced with a warm smile "Yeah….yeah, it is. Heh, I just can't believe this is happenin' though. I mean, look back guys. Just look back. I used to think those lil guys were just….well….."

"Just NPCs?" said Bowser, drinking his tea daintily. He then nudged Ralph in the side "See, see. What did I say?"

"Muurgh…" Ralph moaned playfully "That even NPCs have more to 'em."

Bowswer threw his head back and laughed powerfully "MAN. I LOVE bein' right!"

"Don't rub it in, Scale-Bait." Chuckled Bison "It's not like you're the only one who thinks that."

"But he's right." Said Ralph "I mean, everyone bein' so nice to me after King Candy? It was all good an' all but I never thought about the bigger picture in all of it. I never thought about HOME. I mean, Vanellope? Tha kid has shown me so much great things in her game but even in tha thirty years I've been at home, I've never felt AT HOME. An' cookin' with tha Nicelanders have actually made me enjoy it."

Ralph looked down at the floor, shaking his head.

"I mean…pie. There is so much more to it than I would have EVER thought. I mean, I thought it was just…FOOD. Just a treat. I thought that those guys gave pie to Felix because he was just 'the good guy' but after everything they've told me? Everything they've SHOWN me, I get it now. I got it. It WAS about being GOOD. Not PROGRAMMED…."

"Yes?" asked Clyde.

"It…it just reminds me so much of Vanellope. When I look at how happy she is….just by being me? I feel so wonderful." Ralph continued "But the Nicelanders? All their happiness? Their happiness came from Felix remindin' 'em that they MEANT somethin'. That they were not useless an' what they did in tha game mattered. If Felix believed in 'em, how bad could they be? I just never thought. I just never thought that they ever once felt so bad or hated their jobs so much. But I'm startin' ta see that. I'm statin' ta see that we DID….we DO have so much in common. I'm just regret that so many things got in our way to really see it."

There was a small hush over the anons as they looked at Ralph. He had really started to move forward in a way that the group have never thought would happen. Sure, Ralph had gained so much love after becoming a hero to the arcade but it was almost as if the greatest parts of his happiness was coming from spending time with the people who had once feared him.

The Nicelanders.

Ralph was actually enjoying himself with them. He actually loved baking pies, he loved seeing how much fun Vanellope was having but most of all, he loved the fact that the Nicelanders really did want him around.

Not because they NEEDED him for the game, but rather because they WANTED him as a FRIEND.

And the more Ralph thought, he realized he liked them as his friends as well.

"I really can't say anymore." The big man smiled "I like this. I like helping out with pie! To see 'em work so hard on 'em. They DON'T have to bake like this but they DO. They are dedicated to their work, much like how I'm dedicated to wreckin'."

"Hmmm, nice speech there Brick-Boy." Cackled the Cyborg "Anythin' else ya wanna say?"

"Ah-ha, well-!" Ralph chortled a bit but he smirked, a brow arching "How 'bout this? Rather than blubberin' ta me about pie, come ta Niceland an' bake it yourselves. Are ya guys even AWARE of how many boxes I had to cart over tonight?"

"You have big hands, you can handle it!"

"Oh, just bring your lazy butts over! Tha Nicelanders won't swarm on ya!"

"Sounds like a good idea!" said Sorcerous "I would like to take a break sometime this week!"

"Oh, but will they be okay with that?" said the frog girl, hopping up on her chair next to the floating magician "I mean, from the way you put it Ralph they sound nice but I wouldn't want to…."

"Ah, we'll think of somethin'." Said Ralph "Don't worry about it, guys. You'll get a chance to visit!"

"We look forward to that." Nodded Clyde "But right now, WE have to go."

"Whoa, why was this meetin' so short?"

Clyde hovered around a chair, trying his best to clean up. He rolled his eyes "Because PINKY promised to have her book club tonight and she said she would, and I quote-"

The orange ghost then posed like his female partner, making his eyes as bright as possible.

"I will drag your butt to the FILTHIEST toilet I can find in the arcade and shove you so far down the pipes, even MARIO won't be able to get ya out, CLYYYYYDE!"

"MAN, that girl is HARSH!" Ralph winced.

"What can I say? She knows how to get her way…."

Once the meeting dismissed Ralph began his walk back to Niceland. He hummed a tune, thinking about what new pie would be on the list, his mouth already watering but his mind and body ready to take on the duty of preparing the tasty treat.

"Coconut crème?" he said to himself "Mmm, it's okay. Oh, what about-! Cheesecake? Wait, does CHEESECAKE count as a pie? It's called CAKE but pour it more like pie an-!"

He stopped. He was right in front of the trolley but someone was missing.

Or better yet, SOMEONE was missing.

"Wait, what am I doin'?" the man blinked "How in tha arcade did I get THIS FAR without VANELLOPE?"

---

"Vanellope left HOURS ago." Said Jubileena, Ralph looking down at her "I'm surprise ya didn't see her in the station."

Now Ralph was confused. Where could have the racer gone? She had promised to meet him in front of the trolley and he had gotten there on time, even EARLIER in fact considering Pinky had caused the meeting to adjourn so soon.

What had happened?

"Are ya sure she didn't come back here?" the man asked "It seems odd that she would miss an appointment."

Jubileena shook her head, pigtails bobbing as she did so "Nope, nope, nope! She hasn't come back or called!"

The wrecker felt a little worry forming in the pit of his stomach. After giving his good-byes to the cherry-racer her bounded out of Sugar Rush, looking this way and that for the racer.

"Aw c'mon! Where could she have-!"

"WOW! Great serve!"

"Heh, thanks!"

Ralph instantly recognized the voice from afar, turning his head towards one of the various tennis games in the arcade.

"Vanellope?"

Ralph walked over, the sounds of a match going on inside audible from the outside. He frowned a bit, a pout coming on his lips.

"I TOLD her to meet me by the trolley." the big man grumbled "What in tha ARCADE could have taken her attention so-!"

"HA-HA!"

As Ralph broke through the crowd, he got an eyeful of just WHAT was going on.

In the middle of the little game there indeed was a match going on but it wasn't the usually players. ONE of them was playing but the other?

He looked a LITTLE familiar.

"My serve!"

The ball was thrown by the out-of-game player, his little hands tossing the ball up but hitting it against the racquet with surprising strength.

"HA!"

The ball bounced from one side to another, the in-game player returning the serve but the other character was quick! He saw the move and dived in, hitting it just in time to send it over the net.

"Heh, nice move." Ralph smiled, making his way further into the crowd.

He looked over to the side, seeing Vanellope looking on with a bright look on her face. She was trying her best to remain still but even Ralph could see she was almost ready to bust with a cheer.

"So THIS is where she's been?"

The wrecker turned back towards the game, the other player giving a strong swing-!

"HA!"

And the in-game player MISSED, the buzzer going off as the crowd went WILD!

"Game, set, MATCH!" shouted the little birdie goal keeper "Point goes to Nolan!"

NOLAN.

Ralph's eyes widened as he saw that it was indeed NICELANDER NOLAN who had given the winning swing.

"WOOOW!" said Vanellope as she walked from the court with Nolan "That was AWESOME Mr. Nolan! I didn't know Nicelanders could move that fast on the court!"

The man wiped his brow, snickering "Well, not ALL of us are fast. I can say that I pride myself being quicker than the average-!"

"Vanellope?"

The racer let out a squeak as she and Nolan stopped, looking up at Ralph who seemed just as surprised as they were. The girl quickly recovered, smiling and waving.

"Ah, see ya got too late! Ya missed a great game, big guy!"

---

"Oh, so I was supposed to bake pies today?" Nolan said, sounding a little embarrassed as he lead the two to the apartments "Sorry about that guys. I guess I let it slip!"

"I don't mind!" Vanellope said "I got a chance ta see a great game so it's all good ta me!"

"Yeah, I've been a regular in that place since it was plugged in." Nolan smiled "I know it's kinda old by today's standards but, heh. It works just fine for me!"

"I never really would have thought that Nicelanders were so….SPORTY." Vanellope said "I mean, no offense but ya guys aren't really….well."

"BUILT for sports?" Nolan finished, pulling down his glasses a bit. Vanellope twiddled her thumbs, hoping that she hadn't said the wrong thing.

"I-I guess."

Nolan adjusted the red frames on his face but he continued to smile "Aaah, don't worry about it kid. It's not like what you said was the WORST 'compliment' thrown towards us. Trust me, I've heard PLENTY over the years."

Vanellope knew it would be best to bite her tongue for this. Maybe Nolan hadn't heard the ENTIRE story.

"Yeah, I know it's weird but besides from all that pie, someone was thoughtful enough to put some tennis in my code."

"An' then some!" Ralph laughed powerfully "Ya know Nolan, have ya ever talked ta Bowser? I know tha big fella is ALWAYS up for a game of-"

"Oh, Nory. Get off it!"

The trio stopped in their tracks, a familiar voice around.

"Was that Ms. Nel?" asked Vanellope.

"Nel?" Nolan echoed, a brow arching.

"C'mon baby! It was just a joke!"

Another familiar voice!

Before the group even knew what was going on, who should come out from the front of the atrium than Nel and Norwood, Nel trying her best to keep a pace above Norwood.

"Look, ya know I wasn't bein' serious back there!" the man pleaded "I would never do somethin' lilke that ta ya!"

"Ya know…." Nel pouted, putting a finger below Norwood's chin "I WOULD belive ya, RED."

"Really?"

"YEAH, I WOULD. If ya havne't been pullin' this crap on me for the past THIRTY YEARS!"

The red-head let out a defeated moan but he quickly stood back up, reaching out for his neighbor "Nel, I said I was sorry!"

"Whoa, somethin' must be goin' on." Vanellope whispered up to Ralph, ducking a bit "Think we should go in tha back way?"

"I don't think we hafta worry THAT much." Said Ralph "I mean, it's just-"

"NEL." Nolan said, his voice sounding hard and cold. Ralph and Vanellope gazed at the Nicelander. Only seconds ago he looked so warm and welcoming but now?

NOW he looked rather….PEEVED.

"Mr. Nolan?" Vanellope asked "Er, is somethin' wrong?"

The man dropped his bag of equipment and marched right up to the two, his hands held gracefully behind his back.

"Nelly, just LISTEN!"

"No, YOU listen Norwood!"

"I was just-!"

"You ALWAYS-!"

"AH-HEM."

The two Nicelanders stopped their bickering, looking shocked to find Nolan before her.

"Nolan!" Nel gasped, looking this way and that "A-Ah, I thought you were-!"

Even from afar, both Ralph and Vanellope could see Norwood's face turning sour.

Something bad was about to happen.

"Hello, Nelly." Nolan smiled "Is everything alright, cousin?"

"Of course it is." Nel huffed, looking away from the man in embarrassment "Ya don't have ta talk ta me like I'm twelve for cryin' out loud."

Nolan's eyes narrowed; there was no way Nel was going to try to get out of the discussion THIS time.

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't being put through any unnecessary STRESS." The man said, his tone calm "I mean, you DON'T seem to be too comfortable in our present company…."

"NOLAN, this is nothing for you to get your hair in a bunch." Nel groaned, shaking her head.

"'COURSE IT ISN'T." Norwood growled, his voice sounding deeper than normal "Specially when ya don't have that much to worry 'bout ANYWAY."

Nolan's eyes shot over to the freckled Nicelander, his pink cheeks going red with fury "HEY! HEY HEY HEY! I don't have time to deal with your crap today, NORWOOD!"

"I didn't do anythin'!" Norwood roared, marching closer to Nolan's face "Don't start that blame stuff on me!"

"Guys!" Nel cried out, trying to pull the two men away "Look, okay! Nory WAS bein' a butt to me!"

"NEL!"

Nel turned towards the bespectacled Nicelander, putting her hands on his shoulders "But it is NOTHING for you to get worried about! I can take care of myself, Nolan!"

The man growled, adjusting his glasses as he glared at Norwood.

It was a stare down.

"Man, all we need is the tumbleweed and someone to count to ten!" Vanellope said, Ralph reaching down and taking her by her hood "Whoa! What's up?"

"Hey, fellas."

The Nicelanders turned as Ralph approached them, the man hoping he could break up whatever trouble was starting to brew before him but the looks that both men were giving him….

TERRIFYING.

"Eurgh! If looks could KILL!" Ralph thought to himself "Erm, n-nothin' too bad Is happin' here, right? I mean, I wouldn't want anythin' bad ta happen ta ruin such a WONDERFUL night!"

"Why don't ya ask the great red Wookie over here?" Nolan thumbed over towards Norwood.

"Oh, things were goin' fine here!" Norwood responded with a TERRIBLE smile on his face "Till I was struck in the face by the reflective surface of your giant head!"

"I DON'T HAVE A BALD SPOT, YA FRECKLE-FACED CAT GEEK!" Nolan roared.

"I'M NOT A CAT-GEEK YA TENNIS LOVIN' FOUR-EYES!"

"Okay, ENOUGH!"

"HOWARG!"

"GWARGH!"

Combo move! Nel had grabbed BOTH men by their ears!

"You two…." The woman sighed "Actin' in such a manner in front of our guest! What is wrong with you?"

"Ow, ow! Ask your 'GUARDIAN'!" writhed Norwood "He'll tell ya!"

"Don't pin this on me, Tomato!" growled Nolan.

Nel let the two men go, patting them both on the head "Aaaaw, Nolan. You're just a sweetheart lookin' after your baby cousin!"

Nolan blushed a bit as Nel continued to pet him, feeling some shame over jumping the gun with his anger.

"I-It's what family would do, you know that Nel."

"I do, I do. But as I said I can take care of myself against Butt-Monster here."

Tears of shame were starting to fall down Norwood's cheeks, the man thoroughly embarrassed in front of everyone.

"Nel, if you're still mad I'm sorry! I didn't mean ta prank ya like that!"

"PRANKS?!" Nolan said, snapping from his shell "What did you pull on her THIS time?!"

Nel slapped her forehead "Gah, NOLAN."

"So who do ya think is gonna win?" asked Vanellope.

"My money is on….."

"GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!"

The entire game shook, Nel's powerful voice able to send the ducks flying from the pond in fear. Ralph smiled, an approving look on his face.

"Nel. My money is on Nel."

"From what I understand…" the woman smiled, her fist held tightly "YOU'RE supposed to be taking these two for a pie lesson. Is that not RIGHT?"

Nolan said nothing, only nodding.

"AND YOU." Nel frowned, spinning on her heels towards Norwood "I'M gonna PERSONALLY teach ya a lesson about messin' with people! Ya hear?!"

Norwood turned bright red as he backed away "B-B-B-But Nel!"

"B-B-B-B-B-Back is up mister!" the woman said, grabbing Norwood by his tie "An' march your freckled-booty back up those stairs!"

"A-alright, alright!" Norwood pleaded, running into the atrium as fast as he could.

"AND YOU!"

Nolan gasped, his glasses falling off his face "W-What is it Nel?"

Nel smiled sneakily. She then ran up and hugged the man tightly.

"Just have some fun and stop worrying so much!" the woman said as she ran back into the apartments, a sudden SLAP sound heard a second later.

"WOO! NEL!"

"I said get upstairs! Don't dawdle!"

Nolan rubbed his brow, shaking his head at his behavior in front of his guest.

"Pardon my reaction. Dealing with things such as…..THAT tend to bring out the worst in me."

Ralph and Vanellope exchanged looked. They were used to squabbling happening around the arcade but it was still a little surprising to see such tiny people as the Nicelanders fight so fiery. One had to wonder just what was causing a tiff between Nicelander and Nicelander.

Those question would have to wait for another day as Nolan lead the crew to his apartment. It was just as busy and as full as the others, trophies of all sorts and various tennis equipment filling his room.

"Man. I love seein' what's in these rooms." Vanellope chuckled to herself, looking at her reflection in a shiny golden trophy "They aren't racin' cups but boy, ya sure do have a lot of 'em!"

Nolan didn't respond, the girl turning to see him leaning out of his door.

"Mr. Nolan?"

"What are you two up to?" the Nicelander whispered to himself, his eyes scanning down the hall.

"Er, sir? Everythin's okay ri-?"

Nolan held up a hand towards Vanellope's mouth, ducking back just a tad as footsteps echoed through the hall.

"I said back off."

"But Nel!"

"Is this because of Norwood?" asked Ralph. The wrecker could see the Nicelander's frown deepen at the mere mention of the red-head's name.

"Norwood?" he laughed, the sound obviously forced "I have NO idea WHOOOOO you're talkin' about Ralph!"

"Ya know…Dr. Norwood." Vanellope said, leaning closer towards Nolan "Kinda chubby, carrot cake-top head, freckles, lottsa cats?"

The three poked their heads out of the door slightly, Nel trying her best to open the door but she was clearly agitated with Norwood standing behind her.

"I promise not ta do it again…." Said the red-head.

"You've been sayin' that for YEARS, Nory." Said Nel.

Nolan's eyes narrowed.

"I…Look, I will admit I had no right ta try ta lift ya like that." Norwood said in a weak voice, a hand behind his head.

Nolan gripped harder upon the door frame; had Norwood put his hands on his cousin again?

"You KNOW I can't stand heights…." Nel growled, finally pushing her door in roughly "And what do you do? You leave me up there! YOU LEFT ME UP THERE!"

"Nel, I don't know how many times I can repeat it but I am SORRY!" Norwood wailed, nearly begging at this point "I just wanted ya ta smile!"

"By puttin' me through one of my biggest fears?" Nel huffed, knocking on Norwood's head rather roughly "Yeah, GOOD idea on your part Norwood! You're just SO smart! Maybe you should have called those other guys to join you!"

Norwood stood up, glaring down at Nel as he began to push her back into her apartment "Nel…."

YUP. Nolan knew it was time to intervene!

"'S much as I love ya, don't you even DARE try ta say I'm on THAT level! I'm nowhere NEAR that ba-!"

"WELL, HELLO AGAIN YOU TWO!"

Norwood and Nel stopped in their tracks only to find Nolan standing behind them once more but even with the smile he was forcing on his face, Nel could tell that her cousin was less than pleased.

"I knew we were makin' too much of a fuss!" the woman said, pinching Norwood hard on his side.

"What was all of this about again?" Nolan asked "Somethin' 'bout puttin' Nel UP somewhere?"

"Nolan, it was a JOKE!" Nel protested "A joke that does not require your actions! I can handle this!"

"I'm not so sure about that…." The bespectacled Nicelander growled, his eyes glaring coldly at Norwood "With as many years as HE'S been messin' with you, I think we're long overdue for setting some GROUND RULES on how to behave!"

"What should we do?" Vanellope meeped "We can't leave 'em out there like this! They might eat each other alive!"

Ralph sighed; as much as he hated coming between a fight he knew he had to do something to stop it.

And what better way to stop it than the reason both he and Vanellope had come to the apartments in the first place?

"Wait up, fellas…." Ralph said as he walked before the Nicelanders "Sounds to me like everyone's had a rough night."

Nel crossed her arms and looked away "You can say somethin' like that….."

Norwood ran a hand through his hair "M-Maybe…."

"I know it's not right for me to brag…." The wrecker smirked "But with all the dealin's I've been doin' with PIE lately, maybe THAT is exactly what we need to relax a bit!"

"Er, yeah…." Nolan said sheepishly "I DID promise I would show you how to make key lime this time…."

"So why don't we all do it?" asked Ralph.

"All?" blinked Nel "What do you mean?"

Ralph smiled warmly "We're all pals here right? So why not just drop all the grump and make a pie together!"

The trio of Nicelanders looked at each other for a second before turning back to Ralph. Of the three, Nel seemed the most skeptical, as if the thought of baking with both her cousin and her apparent beau seemed more like an open invitation for TROUBLE than something that was to be enjoyed.

"You're sure about this, Ralph?"

"I would LOVE ta do that!" Vanellope piped in, rushing over to Nel and taking her hands "'Sides, the more the merrier right Mr. Nolan?"

"Right…." Nolan said, just as unsure as the others "…Right."

A few moments later, everyone had made their way back down to the community kitchen, Vanellope helping Nolan carry his ingredients and other items needed for the lesson.

"So you an' Ms. Nel are COUSINS?" asked Vanellope "Captain Don said he was cousins with Mr. Roy an' I know Lucy is Mr. Tony's lil sis….I didn't think there were so many families here in Niceland!"

"What? Did you think we were all just….I don't know, just HERE?" Nolan snickered a bit towards the girl.

"I'm kinda embarrassed ta admit it, but yeah. I used ta think that…." Vanellope sighed. She perked up a bit once she remembered the pies "But ya know somethin'? I've actually been havin' fun hangin' out 'round here! Ya guys do so much stuff, I'm surprised that I haven't run into someone who's a racin' fan yet!"

Nolan let out a loud laugh "Oh-HO! You'll find out soon enough!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Hey, we don't wanna waste time!" Nolan said as he side-stepped the racer "I said we were going to make key lime so prepare yourselves!"

"For WHAT?" snorted Norwood, leaning on the counter "To call out Felix to fix these two once they try it? Sure, I'll be ready for THAT!"

"Norwood." Nel growled, pulling the man's cheek "Not now. We have guest and I don't feel like dealin' with your mess!"

"No, no, no! It's perfectly fine Nelly!" Nolan chuckled as he prepared the limes "As much of a BRAT he is, Norwood knows when to call it enough."

The man turned, eyeing Norwood angrily.

"RIGHT?"

The red-headed snorted again; he should have brought his pipe down considering how much Nolan was driving him to smoke more.

"RIGHT."

"Do you want me to cut the limes?" Vanellope grinned, rolling some of the round fruit on the counter.

"Eh-eh, Don't give her anythin' sharp!" Ralph said, taking the limes from Nolan "You'll regret every moment of it."

"Oh, then she can start on the base!" said Nolan as he gave Vanellope a measuring cup filled with a sweet smelling liquid.

"What is this stuff?"

"Coconut milk." Smiled Nolan "It brings out the flavor a lot more than just regular cow's milk!"

"Okay, I'll mix…." The racer said, pouting a bit "But BOO! I'm old enough to handle sharp objects! I DRIVE for cryin' out loud!"

"Yes, I heard about that." Nolan smiled "Seems like racers are getting' younger and younger these days! Are some of the Mario kart kids just babies?"

"Yeah…" Vanellope frowned "I heard about that but there is NO way I'm gonna have my title taken away by some big-noses kids who are still in diapers! They're might have some kids rushin' over to 'em but Vanellope Von Schweetz still reigns here!"

"Wow, talk any more like that an' you're be gunnin' for Turbo's position." Ralph said as he gave Vanellope a thump on the head.

"Hey, I was just kiddin' around." Vanellope said, rubbing her head "But after Baby Daisy launched eggs at our karts, I think someone SHOULD have a talk wit dem 'kids'."

"They launched EGGS at you?" asked Nolan.

"AAAAAN' Daisy wrote 'Kiss my diapers!' on Rancis' cart! KISS MY DIAPERS! What is UP with those guys?!"

Ralph laughed loudly "Oooh, competition! Those Nintendo guys are ROUGH, kid."

Vanellope snuck a large spoonful of cream in her mouth. It was so tasty and sweet; if no one else were looking, she would have run off with the entire bowl but she was surrounded. Not even her glitch would save her from being spied upon with so many people around.

"Mmph, so you like racin' games Mr. Nolan?" asked Vanellope.

"Of course! I love all sports games to tell you the truth!" said Nolan as he handed Ralph a stack of graham crackers.

"Wait, what do you want me to do with these?" Ralph asked as he took the crackers in his large hands.

"Well, what else?" Nolan said "Do what you do best, Ralph."

"You mean…WRECK 'em?"

"Yup!" the man nodded "Just leave 'em a bit rough okay? They have to be crumbly but pound 'em too hard, then it'll just be powder!"

"Alright!" Ralph said with a smile as he cracked his knuckles "I'll have 'em ready in a second, Nolan!"

*BAM!*

*BAM!*

*BAM! BAM! BAM!*

Now Ralph was REALLY having fun; if there was something to baking with the Nicelanders it was that each of them found some way to utilizes his skills in the kitchen to help them and if there was one thing Ralph loved, it was finding that those massive fist of his could be used for other things.

"Wow, go Ralph!" Vanellope cheered, some cracker bits flying in her face.

"An' DONE!" the man said as he looked down at the perfectly wrecked pile of graham cracker crumbs "Not too shabby for a bad guy, eh?"

"They came out perfect." Nolan said, scooping up the bowl and handing it to Nel "You know what to do with these."

"Of course." The woman smiled as she walked back over to the counter, no one noticing the look both she and Norwood exchanged.

"Dun look at me like that…."

"OooOOOoooh, like what?"

"What were we talking about? Sports games?" the Nicelander said as he continued mixing "Yup! Love 'em! I always make sure to be there-!"

"-Whenever a new sports game is plugged in, no matter the hour." Laughed Nel "Remember that midnight opener back in ninety-three?"

"How could we forget?" chuckled Norwood from afar "It like….midnight or somethin' Litwak got that thing in an' we had to go after his butt to make sure he didn't get into any trouble!"

"Hey, don't YOU go telling that story!" Nolan scoffed "You say it, it comes out so ridiculous that it's no wonder people me take me as some sort of sports-dork."

"That's because you ARE a DORK." Nel tittered "But anyway, this tennis game, Birdie Match…."

"God, what a STUPID name." Norwood snorted.

"Birdie Match came in, Nolan just goes NUTS and for the next few weeks, he spends most of this off-time playing there!"

"Was it fun?" asked Vanellope "I mean, ya didn't have any trouble with tha people there, did ya?"

"No, just ask them yourself!" Nolan smirked "They're still here, and I still visit them!"

"They're one of the good games…." Nel said, reaching over Nolan for a jar of honey "Granted, their characters look as doofy as WE do so yeah. I guess it wasn't like we didn't have SOMETHING in common."

Ralph and Vanellope could tell that the two Nicelanders were suggestion the only reason Nolan could act so freely in the game was because the main characters weren't as hostile towards outside NPCs as others.

"An' tha other sports games?" Vanellope asked "They were about the same?"

"Some were better than others, I suppose I can say that…" the man said sheepishly, finishing off the last lime "Some were welcoming. Some weren't. That's just the way it is."

"Well, I want ya ta know!" Vanellope smiled from ear to ear "If ya ever wanna see a good race, ya can always come down ta Sugar Rush! Plus, we got other things goin' on as well!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! Ya like tennis! Well, we got us a tennis court you would love!"

"That's made out of candy?" Nolan joked.

"Well, yeah. EVERYTHING is made outta candy."

"I guess I'll have to go and check that out. Been a while since I saw a REALLY good race anyway."

"Trust me, Nolan." Ralph said "Those kids have some skills. Ya won't believe what they can do!"

"Sorry I missed it for so long then…." Nolan said, handing the bowl of cut limes to Vanellope "Here ya go."

"What do ya want me ta do with these?" asked the racer.

"Just squeeze them into the bowl. I'll finish the rest."

Vanellope nodded as she did what she said, pressing the fresh lime juice into the bowl. She could smell the sweet and zesty scent hitting her nose. It was so tropical and so fresh.

And if it SMELLED so good, it was only a matter of time before she could TASTE it.

"Tha races looked fun back then, I admit…." Vanellope said "But….but I don't know if it would have been all that welcoming."

"What do you mean?" asked Nolan.

"Now that I look back, Sugar Rush really wasn't as OPEN as it was when King Candy was in charge. Ya know how EVERYONE seems ta come to watch us now? Even in other games, you'll get spectators from near an' far tryin' ta watch a race or two…."

Vanellope stopped, realizing something rather BIG in her long lonely years in hiding.

"I don't remember seein' ANYONE outside of Sugar Rush enjoyin' anythin'….."

"Ya don't?" asked Ralph. Vanellope shook her head.

"Uh-uh, not even once."

"Why do you think that was?" asked Nel as she looked over.

"I can only guess because Turbo didn't want people to get nosey….." the girl said, looking a bit thoughtful as she rubbed her chin "OOOOR, he didn't want what happened between me an' Ralph ta spring up in his face. I mean, it would have only been a matter of time."

"Wow…." Ralph said, wringing his fingers, feeling a bit nervous "What one guy will do to hold onto somethin'…."

Nolan felt a chill running up his spine.

"Makes me wonder….ya think he did anyone else in?"

"What do ya mean, Big Guy?" asked Norwood.

"What I mean is, with all tha games that have been unplugged an' the people who have gone missin'? Ya think that if they went TOO far into Sugar Rush durin' his rule, he could have-?"

"I don't even wanna think about it, Ralph!" Vanellope interrupted "There's still a lot I gotta clean up! I don't wanna think of tha stuff I might find hidden in places."

"Y-Yeah, it would be best to leave some things from the past ALONE." Nolan retorted, his voice sounding rough "After all, Turbo is gone. We should all try to move on."

"Yeah…." Vanellope said, feeling a bit guilty for bringing up the matter "I don't know what I was thinkin'. But ya guys are ALWAYS welcome in Sugar Rush! Always!"

"Thanks. It feels so good to know people want us around….."

"Oh Nolan, don't start." Nel said "Try to be a bit more cheerful around the kid, will you?"

"I'm not being THAT gloomy!" the Nicelander said "I'm just stating a fact! It's nice to know that people want us around and by that I mean NOT as something they can punt around."

"Ya wanna talk about PUNTIN'?" Norwood laughed "I think I've had more run-ins with some arcade jerk than YOU, Noly!"

"Norwood, you do realize that counting ME as someone who kicked your butt doesn't count." Nolan mumbled, Norwood turning red in the face with anger.

"Like ya have tha power, baldy."

Nel slid over to the man "NORY."

"SAY, why key lime?" Ralph said, trying to break the tension that was brewing "Nel makes blackberry! Norwood makes pumpkin! What do you like about KEY LIME?"

"Er, I really DON'T like it." Nolan said in a surprisingly calm voice.

Ralph and Vanellope nearly dropped their ingredients on the floor.

"Wait, WHAT?" Vanellope gasped "YOU don't like the pie ya make?!"

Nolan looked at the two in confusion, as if he believed the answer he gave them was normal.

"Yeah? What's the big deal about that?"

"Mr. Nolan, SIR." Ralph said "Okay, I can get DON havin' a hard time with pie because he can't cook but from tha way you've been mixin' ya know EXACTLY what you're doin'!"

"Thank you!" Nolan smiled proudly.

"So why hate what ya make?" Vanellope asked, looking rather upset "That….that's like me HATIN' ta race but doin' it anyway because I DON'T KNOW!"

The three Nicelanders looked at each other. Nolan looked weakly at the counter, Nel putting a hand on her cousin's shoulder.

"Nolan…."

The man removed his glasses, his eyes becoming clearer to both Wrecker and racer.

"Eeeh, someone was gonna blab anyway-"

"DON." Norwood said sharply.

"Give him some credit, Nory." Nolan responded "Yeah. I make Key Lime pie but I HATE the pie. It's just BLAARGH! And UURGH in my mouth!"

Nolan shuddered, rubbing his arms "Like….like getting a mouthful of greasy lime-flavored mashed potatoes in your mouth. It's just WRONG!"

Vanellope turned a bit blue in the face "If ya keep talkin' like THAT, ya might turn me away from tha stuff, SIR."

"Sorry kid but I HATE cream pies! Never have liked 'em, never will."

"Being this stubborn since the beginnin'…." Nel said, poking her cousin in the cheek.

"I ya wanna know the reason WHY." Asked the racer "WHY I make these pies when ya don't even like 'em?"

Nolan tapped his red glasses, the lenses shining in the light "See these?"

"Your glasses?"

Nolan nodded "Thank these babies for the pie."

"Glasses are the reason you make a pie you don't like?" Ralph asked "This I have to hear!"

Norwood let out a huge moan, getting up and walking towards the door "Ah GOD. If anyone needs me, I'm goin' out for a SMOKE."

"Norwood, come back here!" Nel said as she chased the red-head outside "Don't be such a rude b-!"

With the two others gone, Nolan felt a bit more comfortable around his guest. He knew that there were certain things he would be unable to say in front of his neighbors but with only a Wrecker and a racer around?

"It seems so stupid once I look back at it…."

The truth could really come out.

The filling complete Nolan began scooping out large spoonfuls into the sweet crust , his nose wrinkling up as he did so.

"Like….zombie blood…." He murmured. He turned to Vanellope "Hey, I'm sure you'd love to do this."

"Er, sure I would!"

"Good, because it's all yours!" Nolan said, putting the bowl and spoon in front of Vanellope "Just don't dump it in. Spoonful and spoonful. Add a lil bit then smooth it out, add a little more then smooth it again. It makes sure everything stays nice and creamy and prevents air from getting in."

"Wow, for someone who apparently HATES this pie you sure know a lot about it!"

"Well, I've been making them for thirty so-odd years." The Nicelander said, rather proudly "Even if I don't LIKE the pie, I've made certain that when it does come out it comes out to PERFECTION!"

"And your glasses?" asked Ralph.

"Ah yes, the story." Nolan began "Of glasses and pie….of glasses and….THIS."

Nolan pushed the bowl away, leaning on the counter.

"Ya know what you said about King What's-his-face? Turbo's lil power fantasy thing?"

Vanellope nodded "Mm-hmm?"

"Once upon a time, before Turbo made himself look like an even BIGGER idiot, he used to think he was top stuff here." Nolan began "And also once upon a time, there was a Nicelander with BLUE glasses who couldn't wait to go to every sports game around."

"You." Ralph pointed.

"Me." Nolan said as he took out his wallet, showing the two a very old picture "See that there? This was taken about a day or so after we were plugged in. Tell me kid; which of those things is not like the other?"

"I see blue glasses instead of red, like ya said." smiled Vanellope.

"Yuppers. And do you want to know HOOOOOOW I came to be of these particular hue of frames?"

Ralph leaned heavily on the counter, his mood darkening "What did Turbo do to YOU?"

"Oh, it wasn't anything THAT special…." Nolan whistled "Just thought it would be funny to charge up his engine while I was around to scare me."

"I know that prank." Vanellope said "Gloyd does it all tha time…."

"But does this Gloyd also take your glasses and roll them over with his tires?"

Vanellope shivered "Snowy is tha only one who needs glasses an' if Gloyd had done that to her?"

The racer scratched her head; she KNEW the outcome wouldn't have been pretty.

"Let's just say tha question of 'Where was Gloyd buried?' would be a common thing."

"So he just took your glasses an' broke 'em?" asked Ralph "Just like that? No reason?"

"Other than because he thought it was funny, I guess." Nolan said "I THINK it might have been because I beat him in a tennis match the day before…."

"HA! Really?!" Vanellope laughed "Man, any person who beats Turbo in ANYTHIN' is a friend'a mine!"

"I guess he didn't expect me to be so skilled in it." The Nicelander smiled "After all, do we really look like we're sportin' in anything?"

Vanellope laughed nervously "I never would have thought so but after what we've been through….."

"I'll admit it. Tennis is my thing, some of the others have their things but yeah. At the end of the day, we're not the strongest people here. I'm thankful that I can count 'can play tennis' as a sort of super power!"

"Either, people don't have tha right to mess with ya like they did." Ralph said "I mean, c'mon. Doin' that over a game a'tennis? Are ya kiddin' me?"

"Either way…..we didn't have to be scared of you." Said Nolan.

"Sir, I've gotten so many apologies over that." Ralph sighed, wiping his face "I get it now. I get EVERYTHING now. I'm startin' to get more upset over the fact that Turbo was screwin' with ALL of us over the years that I don't want to see you guys act all sad-sackish-"

"Sad-sackish?"

"Over this!" Ralph continued "Besides, I'd rather do this, make pies I mean, than have an 'apology hour' any day. At least we're havin' fun with THIS!"

"Nice to know big guy." Nolan said pouring the contents of the bowl into the pie crust "It feels so good to know we got us a Wrecker on our side."

Ralph smiled proudly; there was just something to knowing that the Nicelanders were starting to view him as a hero and protector.

Someone like Felix.

"So what happened to your glasses?" asked Vanellope "Did ya ask Felix to fix 'em?"

"That's the funny thing." Nolan said as he put the pie in the oven "He OFFERED me the chance but when he looked at the bits in the baggie…."

"Ya had ta put 'em in a BAGGIE?" said Ralph "Man! That's HARSH!"

"Yeah, they were THAT busted up!" Nolan laughed "But anyway, Felix was nice enough to offer to fix them but then I thought for a second. If I did that, Turbo would just keep comin' back and breakin' 'em. Or someone else would. It didn't matter if it were Turbo or NOT, some jerk would yank 'em off my face and break them."

Vanellope looked over "Sooooo…."

"So when I said NO, Felix thought I was upset because I didn't like the glasses THEMSELVES" Nolan said as he shook his frames "He really did think the bigger issue was what the FRAMES looked like! Honestly, I was going to invest in some contacts because if you guys could have my sight for three seconds. All you would say is…..'DANG.'"

"That bad?" asked Ralph, Nolan nodding a yes.

"So anyway, I'm about to go to this little place over in Double Dragon that can hook me up with some contact when out of the blue, Felix stops me!"

"What did he say?" Vanellope asked, curious to what Felix was doing.

"'Hay neighbor!" Nolan said, trying his best to impersonate Felix "Heard what happened last night! Sorry 'bout your glasses an' all!"

"That was terrible." Ralph laughed.

"Can you do better?" Nolan smiled.

Ralph stopped, noticing the looks he was receiving.

"AAAAAAH-"

"C'mon, Ralph" giggled Vanellope.

"Ha-ha-haaaaw-DEE?"

"That's TEXAN." Said Nolan "Felix is from the SOUTH."

"I tried, that's all that matters." The Wrecker said, huffing arrogantly.

"I try to tell Felix that he doesn't need to go and fix my glasses since I didn't even want them anymore but I guess from the way I SAID it, he thought I didn't like them because they were BLUE."

Vanellope had to giggle "W-wait a second. He thought you were upset over the COLOR?!"

"Yup!" said Nolan "So he takes me to the glasses store and offers to PAY for any pair that I want!"

"Really?" said Ralph.

"NO WAY!" said Vanellope "That's awesome!"

"And that's how I ended up with these….." Nolan said as he moved the glasses from his face "I mean…WOW. Felix is always so happy-go-lucky and chipper but to have the guy pay for some glasses out of his own pocket? After that, I KNEW I had to make it up for him!"

"And with that pie plan that Gene came up with?"

"Yeah, it was the perfect timing ."

Nolan looked down at the pie, "Speaking of which, this needs to go in the freezer!"

"Will it take long?" asked Vanellope.

"Not with this freak of nature we got here!" smiled the Nicelander as he popped the pie into the freezer "I don't know WHAT setting this thing is on but it'll chill something PERFECTLY in no time. Just gotta time it though. Wouldn't want it to turn into a block of ice."

The man looked at his watch, humming to himself.

"Give it…..about ten minutes. Tops."

"Great!" said Ralph "I can't wait to try it!"

"But I don't get it…."

Nolan looked over, noticing the look Vanellope was giving him "What don't you get, miss?"

"If you don't like your pie…." Said Vanellope "Why make it for Felix?"

"Simple. I found out that was one of his favorite types of pie, so why not?" Nolan said, checking "You know how he's lactose intolerant? I overhear him talking to Gene one day about how he wishes he could eat pies like this without getting sick. So I look up a recipe, find a key lime pie that doesn't contain milk and since that day, that's all I've been making for him!"

Ralph was a little stunned at the exchange that had gone on. Again, Felix had gone out of his way to help the Nicelanders when they had been getting pushed around and in return, a Nicelander was going out of their way to find something to please Felix. Nolan was doing something he despised, preparing a dish he didn't even want to be around all for the sake of thanking Felix for looking out for him.

He didn't have to do it. NEITHER men had to do it but they did.

"So if you don't like key lime pie then what pie DO you like?" asked Vanellope.

"I…aw screw it, I don't like pie at all."

Both Wrecker and racer were floored at the confession.

"WHAT!?"

"Mr. Nolan!"

"What? It's not like it's the only sweet in the world." The Nicelander chuckled "I just don't care for pie even if it's what I have to hand out for the game."

"Then what DO you like?"

"I prefer donuts as my favorite sweet." Nolan smiled "Specially the yeast kind, fresh and hot with the perfect sugar glaze on them."

The smile on Nolan's face began to grow.

"I'm all about eatin' well to keep in shape but….but I can't help it! Especially with a nice tall glass of cold milk? It's the best!"

"Heh, I know what I'm bringin' here when I visit…" Vanellope laughed to herself.

"But hey, I don't think our programmers thought those were 'COOOOOOOL' or homey enough like PIE so I can't hand out doughnut to Felix. It would be going against the code even more so than we are now."

"You guys are something else." Ralph chuckled "You don't like pie but you can bake it with ease."

"My momma would have kicked my butt if I didn't know how to make a pie." The Nicelander smiled "THAT'S why I know."

A sense of warmth came of Ralph as he looked at Nolan's glasses once more. No wonder the man was always so careful with them. They were a GIFT to him and he didn't want to upset Felix by making the repairman fix them time after time should they get broken.

"Wow, I think I understand why you get so upset when Norwood bumps your glasses off."

"OH. HIM." Nolan said in a dark voice "Nory and I…..we. We have an UNDERSTANDING."

"You don't hate him do you?" Vanellope asked, sounding a little worried.

"HATE? HATE is such a strong word…." Nolan quipped "Let's just say, I would feel much better knowing he didn't mess with Nel as much as he does."

"Ya seem very protective of her." Ralph said "That's a good thing but to tell ya tha truth, Nel is so- So-!"

"NELLISH?"

"Yeah, let's put it like that." Ralph said as he pointed towards the Nicelander "Ms. Nel is just HERSELF that even I feel a bit scared around her."

"She had to be that way. People messed with her a lot more back in the day, back when she was a bit 'softer'."

"Ms. Nel? Soft?" Vanellope said, her mouth dropping "I-I think I'm too used to her bein' so kick-butt that-!"

"Trust me, Nel was a lot more….FLIGHTY. I guess you can say THAT'S why I'm so protective over her. She's FAMILY and a good man always makes certain that family is taken care of."

Vanellope hung on the back of a chair, her legs dangling in the air "So Ms. Nel an' Dr. Norwood are….?"

"It's a CRUSH." Nolan scowled "He's always been chasin' after Nel like some rabid cat goes after a rabbit."

Nolan was getting frustrated now, the man throwing the dishrag hard into the sink.

"I'm fine with it. ABSOLUTELY fine with it. There's nothing wrong with Nel hanging out with some guy who CONSTANTLY badgers us or pulls pranks on her because he's so starved for attention he forgets to act like a decent human being!"

"Ah-huh-WHOA!" Vanellope said "Don't mean ta barge too far inta this but I think Nel has him under control! I mean, ya DID say she could carry herself on her own now, right?"

"I guess so…." Nolan frowned "I just don't want anything else to happen to her. To all of us really."

Ralph could tell that Nolan wanted the best, that he tried to make for the best but as per the story with each Nicelander things got much more twisted than they wanted. It seemed from the way the man was acting that he really did want everyone to remain safe amongst the other larger more powerful characters in the arcade but along the way, he had lost track.

He could remember it, the subtle changes the Nicelanders had gone through year after year. He might have been far from them but he could remember it and it was starting to make sense.

When the game was first plugged in, Ralph DID remember Nolan's blue glasses and the little change in his stance after he suddenly came home with ones that were RED. It was like some of the fun had been taken from him and he become a bit more COARSE when it came to discussions about 'bad guys' and rough characters in general. He also remembered Nel WAS less, for the lack of better terms, biting then he was used to seeing her now. Nolan was also so close to her, always pulling her into the apartments when it was time to clean up or when it felt like something big was about to befall upon the Nicelanders.

There was more to the story than Nolan was letting on, more to what had happened in the past that had causes such a rift between everyone in the game. But whatever had happened in the past…

"Ah, it's done!"

The pie made way for the future.

"Have as much as you want." Nolan said as he placed the pie upon the "I really don't care about it anyway."

"It would be a shame just to eat it by ourselves." Ralph said.

"I DON'T MIND!" squealed Vanellope, knife and fork ready "LEMME AT IT!"

"Where are Nel an' Norwood?" the big man asked as he looked around "Those two just up and disappeared while we were makin' this. Ya think they would like some?"

"I'm sure Nel would." Nolan said as he took the pie and headed outside "She loves this stuff better than I do."

As the three walked down the path, Vanellope felt as if she had to say something.

"Ya know Mr. Nolan, I can understand ya bein' all protective of Ms. Nel an' all but c'mon! She could probably kick EVERYONE'S butt in her sleep!"

"I understand the sentiment young lady, I do but I still-!"

"An' I know she'll still love ya even if ya took a break or two."

Nolan sighed heavily "Y-Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that."

"When's tha last time ya HAVEN'T worried 'bout Nel?" asked Vanellope.

"The LAST time?" Nolan laughed "Ah, I don't think I can recall!"

"I think ya need ta start spendin' less time bein' so worried an' more time enjoyin' yourself! Ya seem ta enjoy yourself when you're out on tha court!"

"I guess it is the only time I actually have time to relax."

"Then ya should do it more often!" smiled Vanellope "Look, I said my game is open to everyone so ya can come on down any time ya want to play a match! I betcha Crumbellina would LOVE to play against you! None of us can catch up with hre! Not even ME, even with my glitch!"

Nolan smiled at the offer, glad to see that Vanellope was being so welcoming to him. He hadn't really expected such treatment from a girl who had shown to be, just like him, very protective over the person she held so dear. She just smiled at him, his heart melting at the sight.

He was worried, he was worried what would happen had she found out about the past. That once upon a time, Turbo wasn't the only person Nolan felt anger towards.

Anger?

Anger was the right word.

He hadn't confessed it outright but ANGER was what he felt during those years towards Ralph. He had seen what other bad guys would do to NPCs and after what had happened to Nel…..

He couldn't imagine it. He didn't want to imagine it.

He didn't want ANYONE hurting his baby cousin.

He felt so guilty, guilty knowing he had thought so angrily towards Ralph for nothing back then. He had been at the bad end of others before and even he had been sucked into thinking that all bad guys were the same. It seemed to be something shared around the arcade towards various characters and it wasn't as if Nolan hadn't gotten his earful of comments thrown towards him. Others thought he was just like every other NPC so it was alright for them to shove them, or Nel, around. Nolan might not have been as vocal about it as Gene was, he he hated what he had seen, hated how he had been treated.

And in the back of his mind, he feared it. Feared that if he were to look away for one moment, that if he were to just take his attention elsewhere.

Just like his glasses….

Of course, he couldn't hold those opinions any longer.

How things had changed. Nolan had spent the evening baking with a BAD GUY. If he could go back in time and ask himself if he would do such a thing, he would have said no. That there was no way.

There were some early bad guys in Litwak's who enjoyed being bad, enjoyed treating others bad, so they were all the same right?

RIGHT?

No, Ralph wasn't a BAD guy. Ralph was a good ones, a good guy who Nolan know felt he could trust, one who had shown that he would never let anything happen to the game.

Someone who made it clear that he didn't look down on Nolan because he was an background character.

Maybe pie could bring about change.

"So, are ya gonna take my offer?" asked Vanellope "Ya could also TEACH us lessons too, if ya wanted!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! It's been YEARS since that tennis court has had an good use to it! King Candy mostly hogged it to himself! We all wanna pay but save for Crumbles….we're….REALLY BAD."

"I might take you up on that offer, young lady." Nolan smiled, feeling excited with the opportunity he had been given "Yes! It's a swell idea! I'll do it!"

"YES!" Vanellope cheered "You'll have a GREAT time! Plus….if ya bring anymore of that pie, maybe…."

"Mmmm, the pie? I don't know if I can make it all the time! I mean, I make so much for Felix already!"

"Pleeeease!" Vanellope begged "Make some more, I'll give you full access to the castle gym! I mean, I don't even know what's in there so-!"

"Wait, are ya sendin' him off somewhere even YA don't know about?" asked Ralph "Kid, people are gonna wind up DEAD thanks to you!"

"C'mon! Nolan can take care of himself! Plus, what tha heck could be dangerous in tha castle?"

"I dunno. The fungeon."

"Ralph, it's CANDY. Ya can EAT your way outta there. I can't believe people haven't figure out that loop-hole yet."

"Okay, DEVIL DOGS might attack him!"

"Ya can eat those too…."

"Comes the pit-falls of living in a place made of food…." Said Nolan "Better not invite Gene over kid. The place will be GONE."

"Wait, why does everyone keep sayin' that?" Vanellope said, rightfully confused "What is this about guys? What is it with Genie an' food?"

"AHEM!" Ralph coughed "I hope Nel an' Norwood are out here!"

"YES!" Nolan said loudly "We should keep looking for them!"

"Maybe they're by the back." Said Vanellope "I think I heard-!"

"MMPH! Stupid freckle-faced chub-monster!"

FREEZE.

"Mmmph! Fro-tastic Sassy-Pants!"

WHAT PERFECT TIMING.

Kiss, kiss. Hands on hips, hands on back, more kisses.

NEL AND NORWOOD.

And in an instant, Ralph pulled Vanellope's hood over her head.

"MMPH! RALPH!"

So THAT'S where the two had been.

"Did you REALLY just call me after your stupid CAT?!" Nel said.

"You're the original Sass-Master, short stuff!" Norwood responded as he pulled Nel closer to him but then he looked up.

And noticed the group before him.

"OH! OH MY PROGRAMMERS!"

"Gah, Nolan!" Nel cried out, quickly turning around and turning even redder than the ginger man next to her "I-!"

"WE WERE-!"

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"

"I WASN'T HURTIN' HER, I PROMISE!"

Nolan said nothing, the pie still in his hands, his eyes looking forward.

Ralph tiptoed back, pulling the racer with him "Vanellope?"

"RaLFFFF! I can'f breef!"

"We need to leave. NOW."

The pie slid from Nolan's hands, landing on the ground with a sick sounding SPLAT. Norwood looked at the pie, realizing it wouldn't be long before he would be in a similar shape on the ground.

"Aw CRAP."

The entire game went dark as Nolan's eyes went as red as his glasses, fire burning behind him.

"GAME. OVER!"