Chapter Fourteen – Humble

"He's on his fifth bowl…." Vanellope said in awe as she looked forward "FIVE. BOWLS. Five bowls that would be the size of FIVE NORMAL BOWLS!"

"Told ya he was a walking blackhole." Ralph chuckled, only part-way through his second bowl of steaming ramen "But if ya wanna see somethin', ya should see him when he's REALLY hungry!"

"Wait, this ISN'T 'really hungry'?!"

As the Wrecker had promised, he had taken the trio out for a much needed break away from Niceland, traveling the arcade to one of the comfy ramen eateries in Street Fighter. Vanellope was having a blast, the girl having never experiences such an establishment before in her life but from the way both Ralph and Gene had made their way through the place, it was obvious that both men had been to the place before.

Maybe not together but the group of fighters were there to give the two a friendly greeting and give them the best seats in the house.

Aside from that, there were TABS to keep up with.

"So." Smirked Chun-Li as she approached the eating area "Another one for you all?"

Vanellope looked down at the soup; it was MUCH too big for her to even DREAM of completing by herself in one sitting and she could tell that even Ralph was slowing down a bit after his second helping.

"I don't think so." Said the girl "But it was great! Best soup I've ever tasted!"

"I'm glad ya like it kiddo." Smiled the fighter "An' Ralph, what about you cutie-pie?"

"This is enough."

"Aw, really? Only two bowls? You disappointment me!"

And Gene?

He was right next to Ralph, three phonebooks planted under his behind as he sat on his chair, dining away in some sort of zen-like manner, his hands clasped gracefully onto his chopsticks even if his hands were greatly undersized for them.

Chun-Li turned her head, trying desperately not to break out into laughter at what she was witnessing. Perhaps HONDA had a better chance of matching wits with the Nicelander.

"S-so, do YOU need a *pfft!* another one, sir?"

Gene finished off the remains of the bowl before placing it on the stacks with the others.

Would he ask?

"Is there any pork-bone type left, ma'am?" he asked softly "I would like some of that, please."

The fighter tried to keep a straight face, her cheeks puffing from the suppressed laugh that wanted to escape as she turned and marched off.

"R-right away sir! I'll see what we can get for you!"

One had to wonder if Gene was even savoring what he was consuming for all that both Ralph and Vanellope knew, he was just inhaling ANYTHING to bring about a sense of satisfaction. He huffed, trying to keep his manners about him as he would never allow others to see him stuff his face in such a way had he been in his right mind.

But hey, free food. There was no way that Gene was going to turn this down.

"So the drinkin'?" Vanellope said towards Ralph "That's not tha only thing he takes a lot of?"

"Tell me, what sounds much funnier an' more inappropriate for kids ta remember? That he EATS a lot or DRINKS a lot?"

"Don't act like I'm not here."

"Oh, how could we NOT notice ya?" the Wrecker chuckled "All tha empty plates an' tha crew back there laughin' is a sure sign of your presence."

The Nicelander let out a whining moan but he was too beat to muster up an angry look "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALPH. I'm TIREEEEED!"

"Okay, it was just a joke, Genie. Just a joke. But ya do feel better, don't ya?"

Gene wiped his mouth politely, folding his hands on the table "Yes. Yes I do."

"Then that point goes ta Ralph!" Vanellope cheered "I guess getting' out of those apartments WAS a good idea, eh?"

"Yeah, it seems like it." The Nicelander said, feeling both a twinge of shame given the way the other two were looking at him but he also felt a sense of calmness about him. He couldn't deny that both Ralph and Vanellope were ATTEMPTING to cheer him up and after what he had done. After what he had said about them….

"Thanks."

"For what?" Ralph asked.

"Just…for this, young man." Said the Mayor "Aaaaah, the one time. The ONE time I get myself excited about making a pie and I have to go and ruin it because of some tussle in the station."

"Ya were bein' serious." Said Vanellope, her voice softening "Ya were bein' serious about wantin' ta bake with us?"

"Oh, yes I was." The Mayor nodded "After hearing all the stories that the others had said of you, I couldn't help but feel a tad envious about it."

"Envious?" blinked Ralph "Really?"

Gene nodded again "You already know, my boy. We don't…"

The man paused, looking around in caution to make sure no one else was listening in on the conversation.

"The allies that we do have were are very few. We are thankful for the friends that we do have but what you've done for everyone, it's just…."

The man looked down, chuckling to himself.

Wow, was this how things had become? Never in his life would Gene have thought he would be complimenting Ralph in such a manner. The man looked up, trying once more to play posh before the two.

"It's just nice to see everyone having fun with each other, I suppose." Gene said "The others enjoyed your company very much and for some?"

"Ah-huh?" said Ralph.

Gene tapped his fingers on the tabletop, a lump forming in his throat.

"Its been so long, you guys. So long since I've really felt like the guys were TRULY happy, that they felt at easy and weren't worried about anyone busting in to bother them."

"I'm just sorry I never knew about all this stuff." Said Vanellope.

"Why? What would you have done if you DID know?" Gene blinked.

"I would have shown those bullies a ONE-TWO Vanellope PUNCH, that's what!" the girl laughed "Like I told Ms. Meggy, NO ONE is gonna mess with any pals'a mine!"

Pals?

Did Vanellope actually say that?

Gene wasn't too sure he had heard the girl correctly but either way, it was something to see her acting so enthusiastically towards him. He couldn't hide it from himself that he was worried; he was worried that just like everyone else in the arcade, Vanellope would try some excuse as to why she could mess with the Nicelanders twenty-four seven but to see her just being herself, dropping all titles and formalities.

The kid was a bit too high-strung for his nerves but there was no denying that she was a good kid.

"I still wanna know what happened, Genie."

The Mayor turned his attention towards Ralph, the man finishing off the egg in his ramen.

"Excuse me?"

"What did those guys say to you in the station." Said the Wrecker "I wanna know because I'm gonna see that this stuff ends."

"Ralph, it doesn't concern you."

"Oh yes it does." The man said "People are threatenin' MY neighbors so it IS my business. I would do somethin' if someone did tha same ta FELIX, so I'm doin' it for all of ya!"

Was this bizarro world or something? Gene HAD to be dreaming, he HAD to be!

"Ralph, I don't want to place you into a situation that does not concern you!" the Mayor said, trying his best to convience Ralph "That…..PERSON said some terrible things and I jumped the gun about it! I don't want it to escalate any further then it had to go!"

"Ya said he said somethin' 'bout Mary though." The Wrecker growled "NO ONE talks bad about Ms. Mary!"

Gene blushed horribly, his stomach filled with soup AND butterflies. He inhaled deeply, hoping that his cheeks would return to their normal color and fast but more than that, he wanted to prevent both Ralph AND Vanellope from landing themselves into trouble.

"I don't know how Mary does it."

"How she does WHAT, Genie?" said Vanellope.

"How she was able to take everything all these years." The Mayor said "She's done it better than most of us, better than ME. Year after year after YEAR, she's being able to hold her head up and smile but I just don't get it. I just don't understand where her strength has come from."

The mayor shifted in his seat, placing his cheek in his hand as he leaned forward.

"At first, I thought it was code. I was so hard-wired into thinking everything was just code but when I met her for the first time, something went off. Something told me she was a lot braver than what our description of a Nicelander usually is."

"Heh, maybe its that smile'a hers." Ralph chucked "Ya know ya can't say no or stay angry when ya look at her!"

"Her smile…."

Racer and Wrecker looked forward, Gene's smile growing bigger and bigger, his cheeks growing warmer and warmer. He was becoming lost in his thoughts, in his dreams about his beloved.

"Her smile. Her voice, her touch." The Mayor droned on "Everything about her. Everything she does, it has helped us so much. She has helped us in ways you would never know, Ralph."

"Tell me." The man said "I'm here to listen."

"Even back then, even when things were starting to turn sour for us, she was always there to help the others. No matter what the situation was, no matter who was in trouble, Mary was there. In some cases, she would get there before either Felix and I did!"

"Seriously" said Vanellope, nibbling at the end of her chopsticks.

"All those terrible nights, we would find her talking with the others. Both of us would watch. She tried to reassure Meg that there was nothing wrong, that there was nothing to fear. She told Don that it didn't matter if his backstory was a joke to poke fun at his bad cooking. Heck, I could even say that one of the reasons Nel and Nory are always flirting with each other was because SHE told him to buck up and help her when she got her dress torn."

The Mayor sniffed softly, feeling a might silly at the moment.

"Felix would always say such nice things to her and she would go out of her way to ensure that he was taken care of. That everything was perfect for him, that he was ready to face another game day. She even made me feel like I didn't have to take the whole Mayor thing seriously for a while."

Now Ralph was feeling the urge to smile because as he thought back, he began to realize just how true Gene's statements were, most of all about the little chubby man himself.

From afar, even throughout all those years, Ralph had observed the way Gene behaved whenever Mary was around him. Even when the man had hit the ceiling, when he was raging more than a rabid angry mongoose….

As soon as Mary stepped in.

As soon as she took ahold of his hands.

He stopped.

He softened.

He calmed.

Of course, EVERYONE knew it was more than that. It wasn't just Mary's ability to bring a sense of safety to everyone she talked to.

Ralph KNEW Gene cared for the little woman. No, CARE was too light of a word.

Gene LOVED Mary.

It was no wonder the Mayor had launched into such a fury whenever he felt that she was threatened. For all the times that SHE had made HIM feel better, the man didn't want a single hair to be harmed on her but the steps he would take, the things he would put himself in.

Was the Mayor even THINKING?

Maybe that played into the isolation as well. After all, Mary had been hit by Turbo, Turbo had told Gene and the other Nicelanders the things he had supposedly heard from Ralph and then when they had that fight and….

And….

…

Fear is a powerful thing.

"I just can't stand it."

"Ya can't stand what, Big Guy?"

"Seeing Mary hurt." The Mayor said "I just breaks my heart, guys. This woman has gone out of her way to try to not only make up for what she did to Ralph but help everyone! She's helped so many people for YEARS, walking around the entire arcade until her feet hurt and her hands have turned red from baking and cleaning all day. She's done ALL of this for people and yet there have been so many who have walked these hallowed halls who believe she DOESN'T deserve to be treated like a character and why? Because she belongs in the BACKGROUND, that's why!"

The Mayor was starting to get worked up again, his fingers trilling on the table top.

"That hooligan said he was going to show her a lesson. A lesson for WHAT? I doubt Mary even KNOWS who that scoundrel. I can't even recall a moment where we've been in the same room together for long but he felt he had the RIGHT to drag her into his fight, just like Turbo felt like he had the right to HIT her when she dare stood up to him!"

"What did Mary say?" Vanellope scowled, the chopsticks held tight in her teeth "I wanna know."

"Why?"

"Because I wanna hear just what that coward felt threatened by." Said the racer "I wanna know what got him so scared that he felt tha only way ta show how 'cool' he was was to hit someone who had never once before done the same ta him!"

"If you must know…." Said the Mayor "It was after HE shoved ME out of the way. We were trying to get seats to see one of his races but when he saw that we were not sitting in the designated 'background section' with the rest of the people whom he didn't want to sully his image, he went off. He had already lost so many races that day so to see us there? For us to be there when he had lost AGAIN, and this time by his own control?"

WHY ARE YOU HERE?!

We just wanted to see a race that's all!

"It must have been HUMILIATING."

I didn't invite ya lil butter-chunks here!

I thought everyone was welcome!

"I TRIED to protect her."

Sir, there is no need for you to behave in such a manner before the lady! All she wanted to do was come here and watch you perform!

"But you can imagine how THAT went down."

"Is this any way to behave?! All she did was try to enjoy one of your races!" yelled a Mayor.

"Well, I prefer that tha 'help' keep themselves AWAY from the front row, lil man. That's reserved for people who actually matter in their games!" retorted a racer.

"What!? I see no signs indicating that!"

"If ya smart enough, ya wouldn't NEED signs to ta ya that your jellyrolls need ta park your rears OUT of my immediate sight!"

"TURBO! You're going too far with this! BACK OFF!"

"Don't tell me what ta do in my own game, short-stuff! I've already gotten enough outta ya an' your gang of munchkins! Don't make me show ya how ta act in public!"

A little chubby woman in pink stepped forward, pushing her companion in blue back.

"Young man, stop! Don't act as if I HAVEN'T noticed the way you've acted towards us before! Keep this up and-!"

"An' you'll what, PINKIE! Tattle on me? Tell that joke of a repairman that I was bein' mean? Bwaaaah! Nicelader tears! Ya can't do ANYTHIN' so ya need your diaper changer to do it for ya!"

The man in blue jumped up, grasping onto the woman's hand.

"THAT is IT! I was being lenient before but now-!"

SHOVE.

"SIT DOWN, SQUIRT!"

Down the little man went. Rolling, rolling, BAM.

His head hit the wall.

"GENE!"

"See what happens when ya mess with tha big boys? I was thinkin' ya would have gotten tha message long ago but I guess-!

*SLAAAAAAP*

"GYAAAAGH!"

And all went silent.

All went silent as everyone looked down, a small woman in pink standing before the crowd and a race in white, hunched over in pain, a hand on his stinging red cheek.

"How…DARE you?!"

Turbo said nothing.

"You have NO right treating us like this!"

Turbo was silent.

"I have given you enough passes young man but that is it! There was no reason for you to PUSH Gene like that! NO REASON AT ALL!"

"M-Mary, don't engage him!"

"Gene, let me talk! EVERYONE has talked over us since we got here but no more! I've been NICE long enough but THIS has gone too far!"

A little woman marched up to a big man, fire blazing in her eyes.

"I cannot BELIEVE that you treat people in such a manner and EXPECT them to call you a 'GOOD GUY'! And it's not just US! Don't think I haven't seen you pushing other NPCs around, sir! And for what reason?! TELL ME THE REASON!"

"Mary!"

"You sir, are no good guy! You're no hero!"

"Mary, let me take care of this!"

"You, Turbo, are a BULLY. Just a horrible, HORRIBLE BULLY!"

Eyes flashed in disbelief, fingers twitched.

But then….

"Ya lil runt!"

A man struggled to get off the floor, his hand reaching for the one he cared for most.

"MARY!"

She hung in the racer's grasp, her feet dangling, her little hand gripping his to get free.

"A-AAH!"

"I knew ya lil freaks were gettin' too comfty here! Actin' all big an' tough, like ya really matter!"

"Turbo, put her down NOW! NOW, GOD DAMN IT!"

"Oh, m'bad Mayor! I'LL DO JUST THAT!"

And then….

Contact.

The racer's hand flew down with great speed and strength, contact upon the body causing great pain upon the target.

AAAAAAGH!

MAAAAAAAAAAARY!

He saw her fall from his hands, land right at her feet. She huddle tight, shaking and clutching her arm, the once soft pink skin turning a sickly blend of purple and blue.

He had done it on purpose.

He had done it not only to hurt her.

He had done it to hurt him.

A man in blue looked up, seeing the grey figure towering over him, eyes glowing and teeth bared.

"Maybe I should have aimed higher?" came a cackle "Can't believe I missed her fat face."

Gene could not move.

"C'mon, ya had so much ta say before."

Gene could not breathe.

"Still feelin' brave?"

Why had he done this? Why did he want to hurt her? Why did he want to hurt any of them?

"S'what I thought." Said Turbo "Ya lil bloats talk a good game but inside? Beneath all that fat and blubber? You're USELESS."

"I-! I-!"

"Heh, try it again Short-round. None of this would have happened if ya had been smart an' stayed in your place!"

Mary opened her eyes. She could see Gene frozen in his place and she could feel Turbo's presence over her.

He had become so monstrous, so evil.

And she had once thought that made some kindness would open him up.

How could she have been so wrong?

"Guys!" cried a voice from afar, footsteps rushing through the thick of the crowd "Guys, what happened?!"

"Let this be a lesson ta ya Nicelanders…."

A golden hammer twinkled brightly as the owner picked up speed "Gene?! MARY?! ARE YA OKAY?!"

"It doesn't matter how big ya act or what ya do in this arcade, YOU have a place!"

A figure broke through the crowd, trying to see what was going on "W-what happened?! Did someone get hurt?!"

"Remember NICELANDERS!"

"Is Mary hurt?!"

"You're just background characters. An' that's ALL you'll EVER be!"

"Gene?!" called the voice "Mary?! What happened?! What's goin' on?!"

Gene clutched onto his chopsticks, the memory so fresh in his mind.

"You know when you want to start something new? When you want to get a continue?"

"Yes?" said Ralph "I know all about that."

"I wanted that for us." Said the man "It's just telling when it's been made obvious that people would rather give TURBO another chance than US. I mean, it hurts me to my heart. Turbo, the man who has done so much. He mocked people, heroes, bad guys, damsels, it didn't matter. I mean, he reprogrammed a GAME for his own gain for crying out loud….and people are still behaving like him, continuing the mindset that he started. And Mary's crime? Her only crime was that she actually part-way followed my lead when I insinuated that you were just a bad guy Ralph. That's their ONLY crime yet people act like what they did was ten times as worse as what Turbo has done."

Vanellope began to scope the measurements of the crime and realized that Gene was right. Even more so, she could not imagine people letting Turbo, the man who had made her a glitch, the man who had taken over her game and rewired her team, off so easily as if he had done nothing, as if what he had done was justified.

NONE of his actions were justified and yet the ones who seemed to be paying for their crimes on-top of his were….

"I wish there was more I could do." Said the little racer "I always thought that when I came back, things would be so much easier for me, that things would be so much better in tha arcade but we still have a long way to go, don't we?"

"Very long." Said the Nicelander "I just wish in the long run I COULD do something more. That I COULD defend myself so we wouldn't have to rely on Felix so much."

"Ya know, ya shouldn't feel bad about lettin' Felix help. That's his JOB."

"I know its his job and I know it means the world to him when he sees people happy but come on Ralph. It has been too much. But then when we try to break from our habits, someone rushes in and knocks us back down. And people WONDER why we go to Felix. They give us a darn good reason to!"

The Mayor let out a snort, slurping up a bit of his noodles.

"Ya know, maybe if I had a bit'a height on me?"

Ralph peered over "Hmm?"

"I've always thought, maybe if I weren't such a shrimp, they WOULD back off." Grumbled Gene "People seem to steer clear of you when they figure they can't land a punch on ya."

"Whoa, hold it right there BIG. GENE." Ralph said with an arched brow "Size isn't everythin', ya can take it from me!"

"Then you can take it from me that being underfoot of EVERYONE isn't a picnic either."

"Hey now." Said Ralph "I already went off against Candy-Bug. I don't need nightmares about Gene-zilla!'"

"RALPH."

"Aww, ya don't hafta be family size ta do somethin' good, Genie!" laughed Vanellope "From what Mary told me-!"

Gene perked up a bit; what had Mary told the child.

"I can tell ya brighten her day every time she gets a chance ta mess with ya!"

Gene was blushing even more "W-w-w-well! I-! *Ahem!* I only want the best for her. Sh-she's such a sweet heart."

"An' ya care for her."

The Nicelander winced in embarrassment, a pained look twisting on his face.

DARN IT!

"We all want a new start." Said Ralph "An' I think ya guys deserve one."

The Mayor turned "That's….that's so kind of you Ralph, it is. But will it mean any-?"

"YES. Yes it does mean somethin'!" the Wrecker said "Even if people continue ta fuss at ya, I just want ya ta know that I don't think ya guys are useless an' I know beyond the shadow of tha arcade that Felix doesn't either!"

To hear this, to hear this from the man he had once loathed all these years?

This WAS better than some medal.

Gene could feel a smile starting to form on his lips, the ends of his mustache curling as it always did when the feeling came so attempts were made to hide it but he couldn't push back the sense of happiness forming within him. Even if he were still having a hard time admitting that RALPH of all people had told him such things, he just couldn't believe how good it felt to hear someone, ANYONE, tell him that he wasn't a thing, that he wasn't useless.

That, yes, his job in the game was not worthless.

Okay, maybe it was alright to smile but knowing Gene….

"Heh." He smirked, eyeing the two rather smugly "Maybe the child is right, Ralph?"

"I was right about what?"

"You ARE nothing more than a walking marshmallow with the mushiness you're projecting!"

"Don't start with me, FLUFF-BOY. If anyone here resembles a marshmallow here, it's YOU!"

Ralph smiled.

"No, wait. Fine. I'm a marshmallow but at least I don't look like one who's been NUKED in a microwave!"

Gene eyed Ralph coldly "Hey now."

"Like a blue peep, that's what ya are!" Ralph chuckled "Maybe if we heat ya up good enough, ya won't hafta worry 'bout bein' so small anymore!"

"CAN WE TRY IT?!"

"If it works, the first things I'm going to do is eat BOTH of you. I swear to programmers I will."

"So after that, force the arm back an' WHAM!"

"OOOOOOH!" cried the crowd as they heard the loud THUD of the woman's fist colliding with the mannequin.

"Man, I betcha your PROGRAMMER could feel that if you were on the wrong end of THAT punch!" chirped a Flicky.

Back at the NPC meeting, Calhoun had made certain that things would remain lively but given that she was in charge, she decided that perhaps a new topic were at hand.

A topic that included self-defense.

"Any questions?"

"Uh, yeah. I don't think I have the size nor weight to DO that!"

"Then lemme show ya the LIGHT version of it!"

"Ah, wow sweeti-pie…." Grimaced Felix "Are ya sure that's meant for PROTECTION of for KILLIN' someone?"

The marine RIPPED the head off the throwing dummy she had provided for the demonstration. She looked down, pondering if she had perhaps gone a bit too far.

"Meh, just don't apply AS much pressure an' they should be fine!"

"Oh lord."

"Hey, they're back!"

Felix turned around to see a trio of characters entering through the tunnels, waving them a greeting as they approached.

"Hey guys! I was wonderin' where ya had run off to!"

"We went ta our FAVORITE stop, that's where." Smiled Ralph "Ya know. Tha place we're gonna hafta ta pay with our SOULS thanks to the tab we keep pilin' up."

"Tapper's? Burger Time?" blinked Felix.

"No, the OTHER place."

"How much was it THIS time?"

"Ms. Calhoun." Gene said in surprise "I had no idea that you decided to stay for the meeting."

"Mary invited me!" the woman grinned in pride "I find it a bit of an honor that a lady such as her let me speak! It's been kinda fun!"

"So you don't think it's an intrusion on your time?"

"HA! Not at all, Big Guy!" the woman said as she rubbed Gene's head like one would do to a child. She knew it annoyed him but that was part of the fun of it "Wish ya invited me more often! All these free goodies? Ya guys make a spread for EVERYTHIN'!"

"I'm just glad everyone is alright." Said Felix.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Gene question, noticing the look appearing on the handyman's face "From the sound of it…."

"Ms. Mary was so busy when I got back." The repairman said "I wanted ta give her a hand with tha cleanin' but ya know her. 'No, no dear! I have it! Just relax and have fun.'!"

Ralph and Vanellope heard Gene JUMP at the very mention of the woman.

"You mean she-!?"

"She WHAT?" Felix asked, looking so confused "What is it Ge-!"

Faster than a speeding hedgehog, away Gene went!

"WHOA!" said Calhoun, watching the man rush towards the apartments "Those lil guys are a lot faster than I thought!"

Once inside, Gene THREW himself into the elevator and slammed the buttons to his floor.

"Sweet Ghost of Miyamoto! SWEET GHOST OF MIYAMOTO!"

*DING!*

Top floor.

The man nearly tripped as he ran to his door and as soon as he opened it-!

"MARY!"

"OH!"

There she was.

Standing right before him.

She looked a bit tired, out of her normal work attire and dressed in something a little bit more fitting for cleaning. Her hands were once again red, a sign that she had worked past her limits but refused to stop.

But the apartment?

The apartment was IMMACULATE.

Seeing Gene looking so dumbfounded before her even stopped Mary in her tracks. She looked to the left, then the right, feeling a little mousy before him.

"S-Sweetie?"

She had done all of this, all of this for him. But….but how did she KNOW? How did she KNOW the apartment was messed up? Unless she had heard him from down the halls then she had-!

No.

IMPOSSIBLE.

Had she been there?

"You-!"

Mary shrank back, clutching a dishrag in her hand "Dear please don't be upset!"

"Upset?" the man said, walking slowly towards her "I'm-! I'm not upset!"

"Y-You're not?"

Gene took another step, then another. He couldn't stop looking at her. He couldn't stop…

"Oh MARY!"

The Mayor FLUNG himself into the woman, scooping her up into such a tight hug that Mary felt her feet leaving the ground.

"OH!"

"Oh honey!" the man sobbed but this were not sob of anguish or regret.

If anything, Gene sounded HAPPY in his tears.

"We're going to make things better!" he shook, pulling her closer "I will make things better! For you! For everyone! I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore!"

Mary's face was as red as a rose as Gene clutched her but she slowly embraced him as well.

Closer.

Closer.

Tighter.

Tighter.

Comfort….

"You big baby…." The woman teased as she gave Gene a peck on his chubby cheeks "Chuuuu, if you're not grumping you're running around like some excited hamster."

Gene pulled away but rather than a pout, he gave the woman a smile.

"I….I don't grump and you know it."

Eyes met again before the two embraced once more, loving the warmth and comfort they got from each other.

"You smell like ramen."

Gene's eyes opened "Er, well you see."

"How many bowls, mister?" smirked the woman "How many?"

"Not that many!"

"Five? Six?" twittered the woman as she reached down and pinched Gene's sides "I think I can feel some of those bowls in here!"

"Nyyagh! MARY!"

"It's too fluffy…." Vanellope said as she stuck out her tongue, peering around the corner at the scene that was unfolding before her "This place is turnin' into a soap opera!"

"Yeah, but it's an opera I think I'm startin' ta enjoy…." Smiled Ralph.

"So, do ya feel better 'bout things now?" Calhoun asked her love, taking his smaller hands into her own "I do."

"Tammy, ya know I can't stop worryin'." The repairman said "I mean, it's my job ta help an' protect people so I'm always a lil worried about what people are gonna do ta my friends!"

The little man looked down the hall, Mary shutting the door to the apartment.

"But ya know somethin'?" the repairman smiled as he tipped up his hat "I feel that there are better things in store for EVERYONE on tha horizon! EVERYONE!"