After a few momets of awkward silence, Vanellope was able to get away from Ralph and float on her own beside the group.
"Turbo, we're willing to forgive you, if you'll come with us," she said, but Turbo shook his head at the word "forgive."
"Look, Vanellope, forgiveness for me is impossible. The things that I've done...it...it wasn't me, by the way. Back when the cybug attacked you, Ralph. It wasn't me. I had no control."
Ralph looked uneasy, but remained silent.
"I knew it!" Peppermark shouted, and he looked to Vanellope with a smug grin. "That was really the most evil thing he did, and it wasn't even him!"
"Yeah, but he did try to kill me on the racetrack," Vanellope said, and Ralph nodded. "He may have spared me in the Fungeon, but if I hadn't learned to control my glitch, I would have been gone forever."
"So what do we do with him?" Sour Gum asked, and again the group was silent.
Ralph spoke first, loudly, "I'll tell you what, first, he's going to reset everything he's messed with in here, and then, he's going to leave the game."
"And go where?" Turbo asked.
"Shut up, we'll find a place." Ralph responded.
"We have those homes for the gameless in our game, remember?" Felix said, but Ralph looked to him as if he was insane. He said, "And let that little creep into our code? No thank you."
"Well we cant just put him off on another game, he'd be stuck game jumping again, " Vanellope said, adding, "and it'd be harder, with the surge protector and all."
"Good, maybe he'll get caught, and then the citizens of the arcade can deal with him." Calhoun said.
"Or you could just...kill me and get it over with?" Tubo said, but Calhoun responded with, "Pipe down, code jack, or I'll consider it."
The group went in arguing about where Turbo was to go, but each option ended with him staying in one of three games, Ralph's, Vanellope's, or Sour Gum's. And none of them were too happy about that.
"He could go Turbo at any time again and attack our game," Ralph said, and Sour Gum put plainly, "He could in our game, too."
Peppermark pulled Vanellope away from the group, and she was grateful, the arguing hurting her head. "Vanellope, look," he said, and she turned to see that Turbo had layed down on his code box, now void of any wires, and had seemingly fallen asleep.
She glitched over to him, Peppermark following, and said, "Turbo?"
"What?" He responded unkindly.
"Are you...sleeping?" She asked, looking to Peppermark, who shrugged.
"Nah, kid. Just waiting out the argument. They wont be able to find somewhere for me to go, so they'll finally kill me."
"Well you didn't exactly make yourself someone people want in thier games," Peppermark said, and Turbo blew out a laugh, "I know, kid."
Vanellope thought to herself for a moment, then glitched back to the others. "Turbo will come back with me to Sugar Rush."
The others looked to her, and Ralph laughed, "No way, Vanellope."
"No, listen. We have volunteer racing now, so we could put a few of those who dont race in front to guard the code. Besides, I have the donut guards to protect me."
"Those guys are half baked, if you ask me,"Turbo said from behind them.
Ralph looked to her, asking, "Do you really think that's a good idea? What if he finds a way in, wipes your memories again?"
"He wont, Ralph." She grinned. "I really think those days are behind him."
"Well, I'll come everyday to make sure of that, then," Ralph said, straightening himself.
Peppermark asked, "Could I go with you?" And Ralph gave him an incredulous look. He blushed, continuing with, "just...you know, for her safety..."
"You sure you'll be okay with...that villian in your game?" Felix asked.
Vanellope smiled, "Yep!" And then glitched back to Turbo. "C'mon, Turbutt, you're coming with me."
He opened an eye to look at her, "don't call me that."
"Yeah, and don't try anything either. We beat you once, and we'll do it again," Ralph added.
"Wait...you're serious?" Turbo said, both eyes opening. "No way."
"Yes way, get up, ya bum, the arcade opens, in like, five minutes." Vanellope grabbed at his arm and he sat up.
"You guys really aren't gonna kill me?" Turbo asked.
"Not unless you get a move on, I gotta be there when the quarters are inserted," Calhoun said.
Turbo didn't say anything, so Vanellope grabbed him by the elbow and glitched away. The others followed, Sour Gum calling out, "What about reseting my game?"
"Already did it! Before I even disconnected myself!" Turbo shouted between glitches.
Soon they were outside and Vanellope let go, each character going to thier own games as the voice announced, "Arcade opens in two minutes."
Calhoun rushed into hers, and Felix to his, but Ralph walked Vanellope and Turbo to her game until other racers came up to her. After a quick fistbump, he left and went to his game.
"You," she told Turbo, "go to the castle and wait for me there. And dont try anything."
In response, he took out a worn piece of paper with strange arrows and letters on it. He ripped it up and let the pieces float to the ground. "Don't worry."
She rushed off, leaving him standing on the pink road.
She arrived at the race track, just as the arcade opened. Games were picked, quarters inserted, and sure enough someone was playing her game.
"Swizzle!" She called out. Swizzle Melarky looked to her, and she asked, "Could I race in your place today?"
Swizzle laughed, answering, "of course, Vanellope!"
The switch was made just as the first quarter was inserted, so that she appeared on the screen of players to choose.
She was picked, happily, and she gripped he steering wheel tight. After a long, hard night, a day of racing was just what she needed. The light turned green, and all the past events from the previous night were forgotten as the wind tossed her hair around and the smell of sugar smoke filled her nose.
This is where she belonged. She felt a pang of pity, just for a moment, for those who had lost thier games and would never feel the way she did right now ever again.
Then the race was really on.
__________________________________________
Dont forget TootsieRollYumYum!!!
Next chapter is the last. Hope you enjoyed the fanfic!
