*Chapter 29*

Vanellope quietly creaked open the large, stained glass doors to her castle. She peeked her head in and looked around, hoping Taffyta wouldn't be around. Once she noticed that the coast was clear, she quickly closed the large door and darted towards her spiral staircase.

She flung around the corner, gripping the railing of her stairs before nearly jumping clear out of her skin.

"Good morning Ms. Vanellope Von Sneaks-Out," Taffyta barked with a small laugh; she was sat on the first few steps of Vanellope's staircase. Vanellope clutched her chest and looked around, trying to act innocent.

"I-I…sneak out? No," Vanellope scoffed as she desperately searched for an excuse, "I was just-"

"Oh stop, I know you stayed with Ralph," Taffyta laughed with a smile. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Did you sleep at ALL?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Vanellope laughed as she tucked her dark hair behind her ears. She sighed and smiled at the thought of cuddling into Ralph's warm body.

"What, he just invited you in and you two said your 'goodnight's' and fell asleep? I see the looks he gives you, I'm positive this wasn't just some girly slumber party you two shared," Taffyta laughed in an unbelieving tone. Vanellope pushed past her on the staircase and headed towards her bedroom, Taffyta eagerly followed.

"Good morning Ms. Taffyta Mutton-Can't Keep Her Nose Out Of Other People's Business," Vanellope mocked with a laugh as both girls quickly entered Vanellope's room, she pondered before finishing her sentence, "… Fudge."

"Oh come on, spill," Taffyta beamed eagerly as she quickly sat on Vanellope's bed, her legs crisscrossed.

"There's nothing to spill!" Vanellope laughed, "He literally let me in, we slept together, and that was it."

"Y-You, 'slept together'?" Taffyta hollered before wailing in a girly laughing fit.

"Taffyta!" Vanellope whined as she threw her racing vest down.

"You mean you, like…?" Taffyta urged as she waved her hands around, practically begging for Vanellope to finish the sentence. Vanellope's eyes widened.

"Oh, User no!" Vanellope hollered, "No interior coding was involved, Taffyta, good grief!"

"I guess that remains to be seen," Taffyta laughed as she rubbed her chin in thought, "If you two DID do anything, it'd be written all over your face; and it's not."

"Trust me," Vanellope widened her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears as she moved towards her bathroom, her face was practically flushed, "You'd know."

"Maybe Spring Break will be kind to you two," Taffyta urged as she followed Vanellope into her bathroom.

"What do you mean?" Vanellope asked casually as she began to fix her hair. Taffyta touched up her look in Vanellope's mirror as well.

"You know exactly what I mean," Taffyta chuckled as she rolled her eyes, "You're going to be wearing nothing but a bikini. I know Ralph is a gentleman, but I also know that every guy has their limits."

"Limits," Vanellope breathed before shooting Taffyta a look through the mirror, "I don't know, the idea of taking our relationship to THAT level kind of makes me nervous."

"In a good way?" Taffyta prodded.

"Yeah," Vanellope said nonchalantly as she shrugged, "But also in a lot of other ways. I'm worried he'd render me useless for days afterwards. I'd probably have to say goodbye to walking normally."

"You can't say I didn't warn you beforehand," Taffyta bursted into a laughing fit. Vanellope shoved her face into her hands.

"I don't think I'm ready for that anyways," Vanellope heaved a long sigh as Taffyta put her hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not so certain either of you are," Taffyta chuckled and shook her head, "It's best not to rush that kind of thing anyways."

"Thanks, Taff," Vanellope smiled as she straightened out her shirt.

"Did you at least sleep last night?" Taffyta asked as Vanellope put on her racing vest.

"I did," Vanellope smiled, "I haven't slept that well in weeks, quite frankly."

"Well, good," Taffyta said surely as she eyed her sister curiously. She sighed shortly, "Game on."

"I doubt we'll get anymore quarter alerts," Candlehead called to

Vanellope, who was sitting relaxed on the back of her race car; the game day was long and exciting.

"I think you're right," Vanellope heaved a long sigh as she rubbed her forehead free of sweat.

"The arcade closes in a few minutes, right?" Taffyta asked after turning her growling race car off. She hopped out of her cart and moseyed over to Vanellope and Candlehead. The rest of the racers calmly leisured into the shade of the audience stands.

"Yep," Vanellope smiled, Taffyta hunched over Vanellope's car and groaned, holding her stomach.

"I hate it when I'm picked to be the main racer," Taffyta mumbled, "I always get nauseous."

"Only once in a blue moon will you ever get picked by a human who knows how to keep the game cabinet wheel steady," Candlehead chuckled.

"Or knows how to win," Taffyta barked as she rubbed her stomach.

"The arcade is now closed," stated the game cabinet.

"Phew," Taffyta scoffed, her face nearly green. Vanellope wrinkled her nose.

"Geez, barf face, you going to be okay?" Vanellope laughed, giving her a disgusted look.

"She doesn't look so good," Candlehead laughed as she let her hair out of its usual pigtails.

"Vurping hardcore, Taffyta," Vanellope and Candlehead laughed.

"Vanellope!" Ralph's voice suddenly called from across the start line.

"Ralph!" Vanellope beamed as she perked up, she noticed his look of excited worry, "Is everything okay?"

"Come quick," Ralph panted as he began to hurriedly slink away, waving his hands, "Calhoun is having her baby!"

"What!" Vanellope beamed as she quickly got off of her race car. Candlehead and Taffyta quickly perked up.

"So soon?" Taffyta asked with a small cough as she tried to quell her nausea.

"Wasn't she supposed to have the baby towards the end of the week?" Vanellope asked as the three girls caught up to Ralph. Ralph shrugged with both his arms and hands.

"I thought so too," Ralph breathed as the four friends quickly headed for Sugar Rush's exit, "A couple of the guys from Hero's Duty came over to tell Felix and I that it was time. I rushed over here to get you guys."

"Good call," Vanellope beamed, "I don't want to miss this!"