*Chapter 84*

The large group of friends and family hung around EZ Living until it was nearly sunrise. Everyone's constant chatters, story tellings, laughs and smiles were majorly abundant all throughout the calm, beachside night. It wasn't long before a select few racers would say their goodbyes to the group, especially Ralph and Vanellope, and part ways. As soon as the group dwindled down to just Ralph, Vanellope, Taffyta and Rancis, they packed up their things and shortly followed the rest of their group. The beach, and most of EZ Living, was quiet and still, though the ocean continued to roar as crashing waves were constant. The sky was beginning to turn a very faint light purple as the sun began to rise just over the mountains past EZ Living's exotic jungles.

Before long, the group of four finally moseyed into Sugar Rush's cold, winter air; the shock of the sudden climate changes made Vanellope push farther into Ralph as they made their way towards the castle. Taffyta said her small goodbyes to Rancis before joining Ralph and Vanellope to the long trek back home. Snow continued to lightly fall, it graced the land silently as Sugar Rush's sun began to rise in the East as well. Before Ralph could complain about the cold, the three quietly stepped into the castle, each of their eyes were sullen and sleepy. Ralph inhaled a slow, tired breath and gazed down at Vanellope in a sleepy way; she had the same air about herself.

"When do we have to be up?" Ralph asked her softly, she shrugged and sleepily looked to Taffyta, who was slowly yet eagerly making her way towards her wing of the castle downstairs.

"Probably sometime before late morning," Taffyta groaned as she rubbed her eye, though she smiled at Ralph with a loving smile, "That bon fire was a lot of fun. It's a shame we sort of lost track of time, but I guess it was worth it."

"I appreciate the warm welcome," Ralph said sleepily with a smile, "It's nice to know that I'm accepted, even though I'm not even a part of this game."

"Yet," Vanellope finished his sentence for him with a groggy smile and sunken eyes. She long blinked slowly a few times, each blink was harder than the last to get her eyes to open back up.

Ralph smiled softly down to her and wrapped a warm arm around her middle. They said their goodnights to Taffyta before they slowly moseyed their way into Vanellope's large, upstairs bedroom. The two were silent with knowing and sleepiness as they began to get ready for a reset. After a few moments, Ralph moseyed out of the bathroom in comfortable clothes and was slightly stunned to see Vanellope already curled under her large, fluffy blankets. She was on her side, facing Ralph's side of the bed. Ralph heaved a soft sigh with a smile and made his way over to the other side of her bed. He turned her bedside table light off and crawled into their love nest, his arms were eager to hold her. Vanellope, on the other hand, was almost out cold.

Ralph laughed silently and settled next to her as his large, warm arms came around her. He pulled her to his chest, his broad, strong shoulders acted as a pillow as she eagerly, and sleepily, scoot into his warm body. She smiled a warm smile and kept her eyes shut as her hot face nuzzled Ralph's broad chest. Her gentle hands slid up his warm body as she inhaled his intoxicating scent, she mapped out every single pixel of his being; her hands very gently tucked between both of their chests as she nuzzled into him, the heat exuding from him was more than lulling. She finally exhaled a long, reviving breath and let her eyes flutter closed, his close presence was all she ever wanted. She felt chills slowly roll up her spine and arms as he placed tender, warm kisses on her shoulder. His hot breath eased onto her vanilla cream skin, her heart practically fluttered with the sensations. With closed eyes, Vanellope gently tilted her head up to place a few warm kisses along his neck to return the sweet favor.

"Don't think I've forgotten about your conversation with Calhoun, earlier," Ralph croaked, his voice sounded tired, though he smiled. Vanellope scrunched her shoulders for a second before slumping hard into Ralph's body. He laughed silently and supported her against him.

"I don't suppose you know more about the subject matter than I do, as usual?" Vanellope sneered sarcastically as she kept her eyes shut and nuzzled her face into Ralph's neck.

"I probably do, but it's no one's fault," Ralph breathed as he squeezed her tighter, "You know you can always come to me…for anything."

"I thought to ask Calhoun because she has experience with that sort of stuff," Vanellope said gently, though she could feel her face get hot.

"Well," Ralph breathed with a wide smile, "I do too, you know."

"You, what?" Vanellope wrinkled her nose curiously and pulled her head away from Ralph's neck; she peered into his eyes inquisitively.

"Not myself, personally, obviously," Ralph chuckled as his tired eyes met hers, "I had to help a girl, a bad guy, give birth once. Her boyfriend ditched her and she went into labor while on the way back to her game. Since she was a bad guy, no one stayed around to help and I was the only one around."

"So what did you do?" Vanellope laughed with a wide, curious smile; she suddenly felt her brain become just a little bit more awake.

"I led her back to her code room and helped her," Ralph wrinkled his nose and squeezed Vanellope closer to her, "I wasn't about to leave her. She was grateful I stayed and made sure she was alright, and after the baby was born, I left shortly after. After that, she seemed to have it under control."

"Wow," Vanellope breathed, "It's sad her boyfriend just ditched her. What game was she from?"

"I don't remember anymore," Ralph breathed with a smile, "It was within the first few years of being in this arcade. Her game got unplugged a long time ago."

"So, do you think it's really painful like Calhoun suggested?" Vanellope said, she peered up at Ralph through worried eyes.

"Well," Ralph looked at Vanellope apologetically, "The girl I helped definitely didn't look as if it was a walk in the park. Lots of painful yells and noises…I hardly knew what to do with myself, to be honest," Ralph finished with a sheepish laugh, though Vanellope began to look worried.

"Th-this whole, defying the system and achieving a higher level of emotions may just be the end of me," Vanellope worried as she looked down at Ralph's chest; her room was just barely lit from the early morning sun. Her large, white and fluffy blankets draped over the two easily.

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts," Ralph worried as he titled his head to gain eye contact with her, she peered up at him curiously with a frown, "It doesn't last but maybe a minute or two. The baby is just a grid of binary lines for the first few seconds of it's life until it's fully detached from you, and once the baby is in your arms, I'm positive all the pain will vanish."

"I guess that makes sense," Vanellope frowned as she plopped her head against Ralph's upper arm. Ralph very tenderly slid his hand down her upper back and wrapped it around the small of her waist and her hip.

"I-If you don't want to have children anymore, I understand," Ralph said with a broken smile and a positive tone, though Vanellope could tell he was secretly becoming more and more devastated. Vanellope heaved a tired sigh but smiled up at her fiancé.

"Of course I still want kids, Ralph," Vanellope assured as she rubbed his large chest with her hand idly, "I have a pretty high threshold for pain, I-I'm sure I'll be fine…as long as you're with me."

"You know I'd never leave your side," Ralph said lovingly as he leaned forward to grace her forehead with his warm kisses. He tenderly rubbed her side and lower stomach with his hand and thumb, he caressed her in a caring way and kept her close, "Whatever miracle we create together, I know will be worth the struggle."

"You're the greatest," Vanellope said through a small giggle as she slid her arms gently around his neck. She squeezed him softly and nuzzled her face into the hot, soft, bare skin on his neck and exposed upper shoulder. His large arms squeezed her firmly, though she could tell he was unwillingly holding back his unforgiving strength; his need to cling to her was prominent. The two finally untensed as their eye contact held in a loving strand of wonder and enchantment. She finally inhaled a small breath to prolong the topic, "Have…have you thought of any baby names at all?"

"Would it weird you out if I said yes?" Ralph asked with a bashful smile, Vanellope immediately felt her face get hot as her eyes held a knowing twinkle.

"Of course not!" Vanellope said softly but excitedly, "I wanna hear what names you like."

"Well," Ralph breathed as he looked away bashfully, "Th-there's only really one name that I've clung to for a long time now."

"What's that?" Vanellope whispered curiously.

"It's a girl's name," Ralph started as he gazed down at her earnestly, "Tessa."

Vanellope widened her eyes and felt her breath catch in her throat. She peered up at Ralph in shock, though she tried to hide the massive urge of a giddy, excited fit in her heart. She stammered a few words around and felt her eyes dart all over Ralph's chest and shoulders; she didn't totally know what to say or how to feel. Images of their beautiful daughter came shooting to her mind, memories of Tessa's beautiful dark brown hair and charming hazel eyes burned onto her heart. She wondered how much it all made sense now. She knew Ralph was the one to name their future daughter, what made her head spin even farther was the fact that Ralph was clueless to her knowledge of such things.

"You hate it," Ralph frowned down at her; Vanellope choked a small, surprised noise with a wide smile.

"N-no not at all!" Vanellope said lovingly and excitedly, "I absolutely love it! Wh-where…how did you come up with it?"

"Good," Ralph said with a sigh of relief and a goofy smile, "Well, a long time ago, a young girl was playing our game. Her name was Tessa. Her friends kept calling her name and kept telling her to avoid our 'old dumb game' and check out all the new games. She must've been glued to our game for a solid half an hour, and whenever any of her friends would come over, she would tell them how much she loved 'the wrecking guy'. Before that, no one ever seemed to care about me. Her name just sort of stuck with me, not to mention I think it's really pretty."

"Awe," Vanellope cooed softly as she rubbed Ralph's shoulder with a bashful smile, "That's really sweet, Ralph. Well, it IS a beautiful name. I'd say it's on the table."

"Thank you," Ralph said sincerely as he gazed down at her through loving, surprised eyes.

After a handful of hours of resetting, Taffyta slowly made her way out of the castle by herself. She was bundled in her racing jeans and wore her dark pink hoodie over her racing jacket. Her hands were covered in pearly white mittens as they were firmly tucked away in the front pocket of her hoodie. She slowly moseyed down the castle's path and was eager to get to Rancis's house. Sugar Rush's delicate skies were coated in blueish grey clouds, faint snowfall fell from the heavens; it left a very thin layer of late spring coating all over Sugar Rush. Taffyta gently stepped down the large hill that led from the side of the castle's walkway to the other racer's large neighborhood. She immediately caught eyes with Adorabeezle, Nougestia, Gloyd and Snowanna; each of them were dressed properly for the snowy season. Adorabeezle waved at Taffyta eagerly with a smile as the other three quickly averted their gaze from their conversation and waved as well. Taffyta knew she was in a hurry to pick up Rancis so they could head to EZ Living for the motocross registration, but she smiled and quickly stepped over to her four friends.

"Hey guys," Taffyta chimed as she put up her hood, she began to shiver harder than before.

"Not taking too kindly to the cold, eh?" Adorabeezle chuckled as she tapped the small, soft strings of the fuzzy hat she was wearing.

"Yeahhh," Taffyta said through a long sigh, causing the air before her to fog, "I'm more of a spring time gal anyway."

"I prefer fall," Gloyd chuckled as he put his hands on his hips.

"I think it's safe to say these three prefer winter," Taffyta laughed as she motioned to Adorabeezle, Nougestia and Snowanna. They beamed and laughed gentle laughter to each other in a knowing way.

"So what are you doing in our neck of the woods?" Gloyd asked with a curious smile as he shoved his cold hands into the front pocket of his dark orange hoodie.

"I'm here to get Rancis," Taffyta said, trying to play it cool, "He, Vanellope and I are racing in EZ Living's motocross tournament."

"Wow," Nougestia said as she furrowed her eyebrows, "That's a big deal."

"Well, they have the bikes for it, remember?" Adorabeezle chuckled.

"You three were the only ones who seemed interested in that form of racing," Snowanna said as she cocked an eyebrow.

"You guys are missing out," Taffyta teased with a charming voice as she gently skipped away from the four and head towards Rancis's house.

"Twenty cherry pops she stays in Rancis's house for a whole lot longer than she intended," Gloyd laughed as he put his hands on his hips, each girl shot him a curious look before turning to look back at Taffyta with wide, knowing smiles.

"Rancis?" Taffyta called as she gently invited herself into his warm home. She shut his front door behind her as she heard Rancis gently come around the corner of his foyer.

"Taff," Rancis smiled enthusiastically, "I was kind of worried you wouldn't show up."

"Why wouldn't I show up?" Taffyta laughed softly as he gently approached her for a welcoming hug.

"I-I'm not too sure," Rancis chuckled as the two embraced for a few long moments, "I've been hoping, this whole time, that Ralph wouldn't suddenly decide I'm not allowed to race in the tournament."

"Ralph wouldn't do that to you," Taffyta chuckled as the two pulled away, though they stayed in close parameters, "You're racing in an entirely different game that he's not even part of, let alone king of."

"I guess I didn't think about it that way," Rancis chuckled as he gently reached up to wipe some snow off of Taffyta's eyelashes. He gazed at her lovingly for a moment before he daringly leaned in and placed a warm kiss on her lips. He pulled away just barely and smiled a sheepish smile; she gaped.

"Hey, knock it off, lover boy," Taffyta barked as she playfully nudged Rancis's chest, she gently pushed past him with a wide smile and a hot red blush across her face. He chuckled with a wide, dazed smile and slowly followed her to his living room.

"Even when we're all alone, when no one is around but us, it is STILL a struggle to get you to show me at least some affection," Rancis laughed with a teasing smile as he gently poked Taffyta's side a few times, which caused her to jump and squeal from the sensation. She beamed and grabbed Rancis's arm.

"I didn't come here to code swap, and we shouldn't linger," Taffyta giggled as Rancis playfully pushed closer to her, "Rancis, I'm serious! Are you ready to leave or not?" Taffyta squealed with a soft, girly giggle.

"What's a few harmless moments of ooey, gooey mush?" Rancis teased as he very gently wrapped an arm around Taffyta's waist, she scoffed and rolled her eyes as her hands met his lower shoulders.

"It's not harmless if moments turn into minutes, which turn into 'we're late for motocross registration'," Taffyta laughed as she tilted her head and gave Rancis a pleading, girly look. He slumped his shoulders and rolled his eyes, though he kept his arm around her waist delicately, his other hand gently held her upper back.

"Come on, if I win the tournament, I'm going to get zero amounts of affection from you for probably weeks after, now can I please just have my fill before I'm deprived?" Rancis chuckled as he tilted his head curiously and playfully; Taffyta gaped.

"I-If, you w- I'm sorry… If YOU win?" Taffyta stammered incredulously, Rancis laughed playfully with a wide smile and kept his arms around her tight.

"I won last time," Rancis shrugged, his egotistical air was obviously playful. Taffyta rolled her eyes and gripped his shoulders.

"Well, now Vanellope and I are a part of the equation. So if I were you, I'd be nervous," Taffyta spat playfully.

"Well," Rancis sighed with a loving smile, "I'll still win either way. If I win, then hey, I win. If you win, then you'll shower my pathetic self with love. If Vanellope wins, we can cry over our losses together. There. I beat the system."

"Very clever," Taffyta said sarcastically as she shot him a look, "We should probably head out. Are you ready?"

"No," Rancis chimed in a dull voice, his smile remained almost annoyed.

"Rancis," Taffyta whined as she shoved on his shoulders a little before sliding her hands down to his chest, he was wearing his comfortable, dark brown hoodie. The strings were the typical peanut butter gold.

"Taffyta," Rancis's deep voice mocked as he hugged his arms tighter around her.

She heaved a long, raspy sigh and felt her cheeks burn up with code as she gazed into his loving eyes. She slumped her shoulders as her tough front slowly came down; he smiled a small, victorious smile and gently leaned into her. He warmly pressed his lips to hers and softly tightened his grip around her curvy figure. She smiled a sheepish smile on his mouth and softly cupped the back of his head in her hands, her fingers relished in the feeling of his soft, golden hair. She hummed a small, silent giggle of annoyance and protest as he clung onto her, though her grip on the back of his head suggested otherwise. His hands tenderly slid to her wide hips as he dared to keep her closer for longer than she had planned. The two tilted their heads oppositely as their kiss intensified, though Rancis knew he was pushing his luck. Just as he barely pulled apart from her, he was stunned to feel her place a few more eager pecks on his warm lips. After the third or fourth longing peck, she blinked in a flustered way a few times and pulled her head away sheepishly, as if she'd been caught committing a crime.

"Can hardly resist me, huh," Rancis breathed on her face, she rolled her eyes and re-glued her hands to his shoulders in a defensive way. She beamed a giddy smile as her whole face turned hot red.

"Can we go now?" Taffyta barked softly with a wide, bashful smile. Rancis hugged her tight for a few moments before gently releasing her from his grip, though he was yet again surprised to see her linger in his close presence.

"Yes," Rancis breathed as he gently put his hood up over his head and turned to find his shoes and gloves, "I don't suppose my bike is still at the castle?"

"Yep," Taffyta said calmly as the girly blush of hers lingered, "Ralph and Vanellope are there as well. I just hope Vanellope is awake…"