(A/N: Welp, here's the last chapter for this story- and as promised, it has a nightmare scene in it lol This has been a fun short story to write (it turned way more heavyhearted than I meant for it to lol oh well ;)) and I feel this chapter will wrap everything up well.

Hopefully this will be the last stroke of random one-shotish ideas for me for a while; I've got other unfinished stories I've gone to work on instead- and ideas like this that BEG me to write it distracts me majorly ;D

Chapter 3: Your Future's Ready to Shine

In utter shock, Ralph gulped back the knot instantly forming in his throat. He wasn't sure what he expected to see when he looked down at Vanellope- but her sawing logs sure wasn't it.

After getting over his initial surprise, though, the wrecker quickly found himself beginning to fondly smiling- and completely unable to pull his his eyes off the sleeping child in his arms.

Vanellope looked so adorable right then, tucked up as close as she could possibly get to his chest. In the glowing light of the fireflies, he saw that her round face was mostly blank- although a peaceful smile seemed to tug at her slightly ajar mouth. The wrecker's own smile only growing, he smirked as the girl recoiled her small legs even closer for more warmth.

Suddenly she inhaled through her nose- and slowly snuggled that much closer to her best friend. After a few moments of wiggling and picking slightly at her bunched-up clothes, she finally found a comfortable position to settle in- causing her to nuzzle her check against Ralph's frayed overalls. The most content she'd been all night -perhaps her whole life- the child finally exhaled in her sleep, clearly in the deepest rest she'd ever been in as a permanent, soft smile danced across her face.

His heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his ears, Ralph spontaneously bit his lip and instantly became frozen for some odd reason. It was if he was afraid the slightest twitch of a muscle could stir the deeply-sleeping girl, the weakest thought of his own could abruptly awaken her.

Unsure of what to do, the wrecker nervously resorted to stiffly pulling Vanellope closer to him- his contrasting large hands dwarfing her little body. His huge fingers gently wrapping around her tiny form like a oversized blanket, Ralph snuggled the child closer to his chest- nearly swallowing her small form from view...

And slowly laid his head back on top of hers. A peaceful, toothy smile surfaced on his face as he gradually closed his eyes- loving the fuzzy feelings of safety and tranquility swallowing him whole again.

For a few rare moments of pure, unhidden peace, Ralph found that his breathing matched up with the tiny girl in his arms- intentional or not, the wrecker didn't know or care. As he slowly opened his eyes again -this time completely unafraid of what he'd find when he'd open them again- Ralph blinked down at the kid in his arms...and sighed in a fondness completely unknown to him.

Forcing his now blurry eyes away from the small girl's form, Ralph silently watched for a moment as the fireflies still danced around outside. Most of the little bugs fluttered off in a safe distance, but others came as close to the window as they could get without completely coming inside the home. A few were actually brave enough to float inside and dangerously close to Vanellope's face, setting her small face aglow with their flashing lights- although such a light disruption had little effect on the deeply-sleeping child.

Lifting his head to peered down at her, Ralph snorted when Vanellope just glitched slightly in her sleep, her black eyebrows jumping around for a split second. She was clearly off in a dream land now...one that the wrecker could only hope was peaceful.

Closing his eyes once more, Ralph smiled as the sound of Vanellope's faint snores drifted up to his ears. He deeply sighed, his mind and heart in complete peace as one thought bounced around happily in his mind for a moment in time.

Life just can't get better than this.

Abruptly rubbing her closed eyes in her sleep, Vanellope stretched out her small limbs- unintentionally pulling Ralph from his stupor. She accidently kicked up against his large hand, making him withdraw it a little so she'd have more space to stretch out.

Realizing that she needed more space to sleep more comfortably, the wrecker dispondedly eyed the couch behind him- and bit his lip again. A weirdly selfish, protective feeling came over him as he mulled over his options.

Ralph wouldn't ever admit it outloud, but there was something so comforting about having this little girl cuddled up in his arms. Vanellope trusting him so much that she knew she was safe with him meant the world to the giant...and something that warmed him to his code.

And although he wanted her to be more comfortable, Ralph also wanted to keep Vanellope as close to him as possible all night- not wanting the warm feeling she solely gave him to fade away.

His eyes dancing back and forth between the child and the couch behind him, the wrecker finally made up his divided mind.

Vanellope will still be here when we wake up in the morning...

Gently scooping up the child in a tenderness that even surprised himself, Ralph cradled Vanellope close to his chest as he silently made his way over to the couch. He carefully tip-toed around his small coffee table, cautiously making sure he didn't step on a stray toothbrush- and finally laid the child down softly on the couch, slowly pulling his huge hands away as to not disturb her.

As Vanellope wiggled and stretched all the more, the wrecker quietly turned on the small lamp on his end table so he could see a little bit better in the dark room. After grabbing a super fluffy pillow and a throw blanket from his recliner, the wrecker gently lifted the small girl's head and placed the soft pillow underneath. Once she satisfyingly snuggled her cheek to the cushion, Ralph gently tucked the soft blanket snugly around the small child's frame.

Her face abruptly squishing up, the sleeping girl suddenly reached up to subconsciously tug her red licorice tie out from around her hair. Her beautiful raven hair instantly falling around her face, she half-heartedly tossed the tie over the edge of the sofa- and snuggled that much deeper into her bed for the night.

A fond chuckle escaping his lips again, Ralph gently tucked a few stray pieces of black hair behind the girl's round ear. After he'd patted her back one last time, the wrecker finally got up and quietly went to shoo the fireflies back outside so he could shut the window. Pulling down the blinds, the wrecker smirked tiredly to himself. He knew the fireflies would do the trick for Vanellope's insomnia (and once hidden fears)...

And now finally, finally, the exhausted wrecker could get his much-deserved nap.

As he went over to lean up against the back of his couch, Ralph reached down to adjust Vanellope's long locks of hair one last time as she sighed in sleepy contentment. Finally convinced that his friend was as comfortable as she could possibly be for the night, the giant twisted the light switch on his lamp- and was immediately startled at the assault of pure darkness swallowing him...

And at the instant whimper coming somewhere on his couch.

Quickly turning back on his lamp, Ralph worriedly saw that Vanellope was still sound asleep- but her face was molded into that of a look of pain. She harshly whined again and grabbed the pillow underneath her tightly, her eyebrows squished into a frightening look of fear...

And although her reaction soften a bit at the light being turned back on, it was still as if she was afraid of something in her dream... now an undeniable nightmare...

"R-Ralph!" the small child suddenly squeaked out in pain, her face constricting even more, "I n-need to...s-save-"

"H-hey, it's ok, kid," Ralph immediately cut off her last words- his gut stabbing him as he quickly reached down and softly stroked Vanellope's cheek with an over-sized thumb. "I'm right here. You're safe, ok? No one is going to hurt you ever again...but especially not Turbo..."

His heart in his throat, the tearing up wrecker silently begged that his voice and touch was enough to chase away his best friend's fears, her painful memories... her nightmare...

And he was shocked that instantly the child's face eased in it's worried look, every ouce of fear she had vanishing. Turning on her side towards the sound of her best friend's comforting, calming voice, Vanellope subconsciously reached up and held onto Ralph's thumb...

And perhaps most amazing of all of her reactions, the small child half-smiled in peace and gripped his thumb a little tighter- confirming to Ralph that her nightmare had thankfully past.

Feeling like a gooey pile of mushy emotions, Ralph gulped back the now warm knot in his throat. He'd never chased away someone's nightmare before, never had his voice be a comforting aid to someone before...never had someone -let alone a kid- who never wanted to let him go, not even for an instant...

Never had someone so afraid that he would be gone when they woke up...

Seriously debating if he could just stand by the couch with his lamp on all night so Vanellope wouldn't have to let go of him, Ralph finally sighed in annoyance when he realized that none of that was real option for him. There was no way the girl could get adequate sleep with a bright lamp light shining in her face all night. Plus, the wrecker's stiff back was already starting to ache from being awkwardly bent over- and he kinda needed to get a good night's rest to be able to wreck the Nicelander's building during gameplay tomorrow...And to live up to that promise of taking Vanellope game exploring afterwards.

Looking around his small living for a moment, the wrecker bit his lip, desperate for anything -literally anything- that could take his place for Vanellope just for the night...

Anything that could provide a little bit of light, too- something soft enough to not disturb her... but bright enough to make it not so dark in his dingy living room...

And as if being hit by a brick truck, Ralph smirked at his new, brilliant solution.

Slowly withdrawing his thumb away from the child -who instantly started to wiggle unhappily again- Ralph dashed over to his kitchen. He quickly dug through his cabinets, looking for a clear cup, or a small canister, or-

"A jar! With a lid!" He exclaimed happily as the perfect-sized pitcher came into view. "Perfect!"

In complete wonderment how he of all people ended up with a glass container - let alone how it wasn't completely shattered by now- the wrecker extremely carefully pulled the jar down from the cabinet. Fishing in his kitchen drawers for a suitable knife, he instead found -yet again- another toothbrush, no doubt hastily tossed in the drawer to get it out of the way or out of view.

For once actually elated to see a toothbrush, Ralph quickly yet quietly stabbed five small holes in the metal lid of the jar with the rounded end of the brush- a beyond easy feat for his powerful strength. Amazed at his ingenious brilliance, he smirked and dash back over to the window.

Quickly opening the window and the jar yet again, Ralph waited for a few moments for the fireflies to dance near by again- and once a suitable number of them were close enough, he swiftly caught several of them safely in his jar. Gently twisting the lid on tight, the wrecker smiled at the glowing bugs now confined in his homemade nightlight, each still twinkling happily as if glad they could have a part in his plan.

Then pushing his coffee table up against his couch, Ralph softly set the jar of fireflies down right by Vanellope's head- and decided to test his idea out.

Twisting off the light of the lamp yet again, the wrecker held his breath and winced as he knelted down silently. He watched with worried, piercing eyes as Vanellope instantly whined again at the lack of light- clearly hating that there was nothing to comfort her...

But when she abruptly turned over...and the glow of something soft and green and beautiful filtered past her shut eyelids...

Her anxious face softened again, her painful whining dissipating. Her sleek eyebrows raised in surprise instead of arching in fear- and once the moment subconscious clarity hit her as just what the glow was made by...

Vanellope's eyes fluttered sleepily opened half-way- and instantly her face lit up at the fireflies just before her eyes. Unable to pull half-lidded her eyes away from their trance-inducing power, she stared groggily at the bugs for a split moment, a small face surfacing on her face...

Which only grew when she saw a familiar worried face just beside of the jar, peeking at her with so much affection in his gentle brown eyes.

Blinking sleepily at her protective best friend...still right there...still so real...the girl smiled warmly one last time-

And peacefully fell fast asleep yet again as her eyes fluttered shut.

Finally letting the breath he was holding go, Ralph sighed like a deflated balloon. Relief washed over him when he saw Vanellope snuggled deeper into her pillow and as she sighed herself- each now in a calming, lulling serenity unknown to them.

Amorously smiling at her one last time, the wrecker finally stood back up- and for extra measure, pushed the bug-filled nightlight closer to his kid's now expressionless face. He paused to stare at her in pure amazement- how simply beautiful and angelic she looked with the glow of the fireflies reflecting off her sweet face again...how safe and secure and peaceful she seemed to be now...

And it all was enough to make Ralph wipe his misty eyes all over again.

Shaking his head clear of the warm fuzz filling it, Ralph finally made his way down his hallway and into his room. Out of habit, he began to shut his room door- before abruptly pausing right before it latched shut.

What if Vanellope has a nightmare and needs me? his mind suddenly warned him in the dark, what if she starts crying and I don't hear her...

Quickly opening it a little more, the wrecker settled on keeping the door a few good inches ajar. Just in case...

Another wave of absolute exhaustion suddenly overtaking him, Ralph somehow stumbled through his dark room without tripping on anything. Once he reached the oversized bed beckoning him closer, he practically collapsed into it- not even bothering to pull his blankets up around himself he was so sapped.

Allowing the now comforting pitch black darkness around to swallow him whole, Ralph sighed tiredly one last time- and within a few mere seconds was peacefully and deeply out in the best nap he'd ever had.

Her gut doing backflips and cartwheels in the pit of her stomach, Vanellope glitched as hard as she physically could. As she forced her fragile code not to fail her now, she winced slightly. For whatever reason, her glitching was starting to hurt her now...

Or maybe it was that pounding thing in her chest, feeling like it could split open in fear...

Whatever the source of her pain, the desperate child ignored it all and just silently begged that she wasn't too late. She couldn't be too late...

Suddenly speeding to a stop, she panted in place for a split moment- her mind already plauging her that even that amount of time was too long. She frantically looked around for a kart -any kart- she could use to drive in, not seeing even one that wasn't half-destoryed...

Before her eyes landed on a brown and cream colored go-kart, protectively tucked underneath a candy fan stand...and more important, safely out of the damage path of the sheer chaos happening in the doomed game of Sugar Rush.

Glitching over to the only undestoryed kart, the small, terrifying girl climbed inside- and allowed what was inside her code to take over.

With no hestaintation, Vanellope slammed a desperate foot on the 'go pedal' and sped off towards Diet Cola Mountion- practically pleading with herself to make it there in time.

Driving faster than she ever think was possible, she ignored every virus-like creature called Cy-bugs flying dauntingly around her. She blocked out the fact that her very game was slowly being destoryed...

In those few agonizing moments of driving in a blink of an eye, Vanellope practically forgot all about everything in her life.

Her real chance of winning a race- that meant nothing to her now. Her real shot to prove what was in her code- who cared about that anymore?...

Her real opportunity to get everything she wanted...the cakes and the pies and the icesculptures and the fireworks...

All that she thought she wanted, all that she dreamed about having all these years of being a confided, hated glitch...

It all was just a distance, important memory now, just a distance, unimportant dream...

No, one and only one thought was screaming in her mind, forcing her to press the 'go pedal' harder and harder...

Forcing Vanellope closer and closer to that secret opening in the mountain just a few dozen feet away now...that opening that was desperately glitching, glowing on and off now for some odd reason...

Pulling her and Crumbelina's kart closer and closer to the worst nightmare ever unfolding before her eyes...

"I've... g-got to get there in time," Vanellope whispered out as she panted, that pounding thing in her chest expanding with agony. "Oh please...p-please...let me get there in time to save-"

A earth-shattering eruption broke up her spoken words suddenly, causing the mortified child to slammed a startled foot on the 'stopper' and to look up...

Only to see that she was all too late.

The top of Diet Cola Mountain was already exploding. The hot springs were already mixing with the mentos to create this burning...deadly combination of a beekon- already shooting up into the air...

Her fears were already becoming all to real...

"No..." she heard herself breathe out...

"Vanellope!" A furiously serious voice yelled out beside the child suddenly- a pair of stern yet gentle hands aburptly pulling her numb form out of the kart. "What in blue blazes do you think you were doing?! You almost got killed by a Cy-Bug there, soilder!"...

Killed...

Killed...

"At least we found her, Tammy," another voice -more gentle and southern than the other voice- shrieked out somewhere close by. "Thank goodness we did, too! Now to find where the boo Ralph landed..."

Ralph...

Ralph...

"There's no time to find that medal-stealen dirt bag, Short-Shack," the serious voice hissed in response. "I'm sure he raced up to the exit of Sugar Rush while we were out looking for this crazy kid, anyway."

Already racing off towards the finish line with Vanellope in her arms, the sergeant woman restrivetively held the girl in her arms.

"We've got to get this chica... to the finish line... game... reset ...Now!"...

Although she was there in her arms, Vanellope could only hear bits and pieces the crazy woman carrying her had said. Her head was pounding too hard to hear properly, her ears too numb to allow another sound in.

No...

No...

"NO!" The child suddenly screamed, glitching uncontrolling in the woman's arms- desperately trying to get over her shoulder to crawl back towards the mountain. "Ralph!!"

"We'll find him later, kid," the woman holding her hissed as she tightened her restrictive grip on the child...Carrying Vanellope further and further away from the mountain...

"R-Ralph!" The child cried again, her voice bearly heard as stinging tears poured from her eyes. She wiggled fuitley in the woman's hands, her desperation and despair only growing. "I n-need to s-save him!"

"You're too late, glitch!!!" A horribly familiar voice declared all too happily, sending a code-chilling ripple up Vanellope's spine.

Terrified beyond belief, she looked back up towards the exploding Diet Cola Mountain- and there at the top of the eruption, she saw the mutated King Candy himself in his hideous Cy-Bug form.Wickedly smirking (and uneffected by the draw of the beakon), the monster flew down to hover not too far away from where the now equally terrified trio stood frozen still.

All at once, an alarming rumble overtook Sugar Rush as the virus-riddled menace crash mightily on the candy ground- creating yet another barrier between Vanellope and Diet Cola Mountain.

"That warthog you called a friend is dead!" The creature screamed at it's soon-to-be next victims, laughing evilly as it crawled closer...

Causing the sergeant and the blue cladded man to find their feet and race off towards the exit, the woman still clutching onto Vanellope as the ran for their lives...

"And I'm now... keep you... from escaping, glitch," King Candy growled as he raced after them- Vanellope unable to hear him completely. "Letting you... killed by...my minion Cy-Bugs..."

The child couldn't think, feel, even glitch in response to his broken-up threat her way...unfazing her in the slightest.

All that she cared about -all that she really wanted more than anything else in her life now- was to save her best friend. Protect him like she always had done with her.

In utter hopelessness, Vanellope blurrily looked past the huge monster crawling after her and stared desperately at Diet Cola Mountain. She even reached out her arms towards the exploding peak- begging it's real eruption to stop.

Pleading for it to stop killing everything with its real beekon...Begging it to allow her only real friend to come back to life...

Phyically fighting, physically glitching, Vanellope screamed in agony as she refused to accept defeat...refused to accept that King Candy was about to kill her as well...

Refusing to accept that Ralph was really gone...that her only real friend was gone...

"AHHH!" Vanellope suddenly screamed as she sat up, blinking her eyes repeatedly in shock and horror.

In moment of trying to figure out where she was, what had happened, the scared child panted hard for a few moment. She quickly realized that she was practically dripping in sweat, her long black hair sticking to her tear-strained face and now overwhemlingly suffocating sweatshirt.

Grabbing her aching head, the tearful child frantically looked around- begging for some sort of calming sight...

And once her blurry eyes landed on a familiar jar filled with beautiful fireflies, she quickly began to slowed down in her panting.

She immeditately realized she'd just been asleep. That it was all just a dream...

Just a nightmare...

Her eyes widening again, Vanellope felt her lip quiver in a renewed fear...that thing in her chest racing unbelievingly hard.

I fell asleep, she realized in mounting horror, I closed my eyes...

Pulling her eyes off the jar and looking around in the otherwise dark room, the child gulped down a hard knot forming in her throat.

Where is he? Where is...R-Ralph?!

Suddenly glitching off her makeshift bed on a couch, the girl found herself scarily, vulnerablely all alone- with one thought plauging her straight to her code.

...He was real...wasn't he?...

All at once, her ears filled with a loud, startling snore coming from another area in the house she apparently was in- instantly making her heart stop racing and her mind stop pounding in her paralyzing thought.

Quickly grabbing her jar of fireflies, the girl allowed them to light her way as she followed the sounds of the snores- leading her down a long hallway. After dancing around a trail of yet more abandon but now comforting toothbrushes (seriously, just how many Nicelanders were there?), she came to the end of the hall. There she found a door, agape enough to the loud snore to escape through easily.

Pushing the door open enough to slip inside, the girl tiptoed over the where the snoring came from...a large bed with an even larger person sleeping on it...

Holding her breath, Vanellope held her nightlight up a little higher up to see said person better...

And instantly burst into silent tears when she saw that it was her still real best friend, just sleeping on his back and snoring loudly away.

Unable to hold herself back, the child glitched onto of the bed, careful not to wake her sleeping friend. Noiselessly scooting over to the top edge of his bed, she set her nightlight on Ralph's bedside table...

And quickly climbed onto Ralph's round stomach, instantly calmed as it rose and fell softly with each breath he took. She laid still for a few mintues, crying softly into Ralph's frayed overalls- this time more out of relief than in fear.

She thought she'd gone by unnoticed- and was honestly still so exhausted she had almost fallen back to sleep- when Ralph seemed to feel the suddenly weight of her on his stomach.

All at once he inhaled deeply and stretched, allowing one large hand to settle on his stomach- and when he felt a small new lump there that wasn't there previously, he slowly blinked open his eyes.

The small lump resting on his stomach felt hot yet it was shaking as if cold...soft yet moist as if by sweat...and when he began to subconsciously feel his overall and shirt being wet, Ralph realized in horror just what -or who- was resting on his stomach.

"Vanellope?" He asked in the dark all at once, dread in his voice. "Is- is that you, kid?"

He was only met by silence for a moment...before a tiny, ashamed voice finally can from upon of his belly.

"Y-yeah...it's me. Sorry I woke you up, Stink Brain, heh..."

"No, it's ok, kid," Ralph could only respond- never taking his hand from off her shaking form. "Um...you ok?"

Biting her lip, the child in question just silently gripped her best friend's shirt, seriously considering telling him the truth.

In fact, she was about to tell Ralph all about the horrible nightmare she just had, how much it scared her, how much it hurt her...

How that chronic fear of nightmares plauging her every night might truly be happening...

When she decided against.

She'd woken up- and reminded herself that the nightmare was over, after all. Reminded that it was just a bad dream...now, at least...

And now that she was snuggled on the safest, most secure place in her world, Vanellope could remind herself that nothing -absolutely nothing- would go back to how horrible her life was before she met Ralph...back when her very reality was a nightmare.

The child knew her life was finally, finally a dream- the best dream she could ever have. One she'd never have to wake up from. One that would never end...

And best of all, nothing -past or present, real or imagined- would ever cause her to lose the best friend that she...well...

Greatly admired? Ridiculous sounding...

Beyond favored over anyone else? Somehow even more ridiculous...

Immensely liked...mightily adored-

No, it was time to take a chance, stop fighting and lying to herself- to stop being so afraid. It was time to allow her strong walls to come tumbling down...

She could truly trust Ralph, after all. He always protected her, made her feel safe. He was willing to go on adventures with her, go explore games with her...just like best real friends do...like real best friends do...

And best of all, no matter how many times she fell asleep or closed her eyes -no matter how many times she had a nightmare or worried otherwise- the best friend that Vanellope loved would always, always still be there when she woke up or opened her eyes.

That's all one could do when they have a nightmare, after all.

"Vanellope?" Ralph slowly voiced out once more, making Vanellope's closing eyes open again. "Did you have a...a nightmare?"Surely she hadn't, though, right? His mind thought worriedly, deneiably- guilt already stabbing him. She would've cried and I would've heard her...unless I was too deep in sleep that I didn't even hear her?...

"Yeah, I did," the child curled up on his stomach dreadedly replied- her voice startlingly calm. "But it'll all over now..."

At her words, Ralph drew the child closer- and sighed heavy-hearted. He hated himself that he wasn't there for her then, when she really needed him- but at least he could be now.

Feeling mushy all over again, he briefly thought about asking her to share the details of her nightmares, especially the one that was once her reality...telling her to trust him and that he'd never let anyone ever hurt her again...

Before he deciding against it.

That all was in the past, after all, left there for good now that they'd found each; there was no point in rehashing it all.

In a still silence around them, the two best friends were equally quiet for a moment- Ralph silently stroking Vanellope's back as they both stared sleepily at the jar of fireflies. The glowing bugs lulled them into trace of peace, tranquility, and calmness, pulling them closer and closer into sleep.

"C'mon, kid," the wrecker finally sighed again, ruffling Vanellope's hair. "Let's try to get some good rest before work tomorrow..."

"Can we go game exploring afterwards?!" Vanellope squealed happily in the dark- all traces of fear gone in her tone...along with any hope of extra sleep. "I still have my long list of games to see, ya know...including Hero's Doodie, heh..."

Feeling his chest rise a bit, the girl smiled as Ralph chuckled in the night.

The wrecker knew he might've well get used to sleepless night now; he wasn't getting much sleep with Vanellope already. Between his worry and his protection and...his love over her...there was no chance of him getting any real, lasting, well-needed naps.

And he was surprisingly ok with that.

"Well, we're still not going into Hero's Doodie," Ralph smirked when he heard Vanellope giggle, "but we can explore any other games you wanna see tomorrow, kid... Well, after attending Felix' and Calhoun's wedding tomorrow we can go exploring, that is," he mentioned as an afterthought.

"Ugh, I forgot about that. Yuck!" The puckish child instantly gagged at his words, causing Ralph to chuckle again- and to mentally imagine the disgusted look she must've bore in the dark then. "That's just gross. Don't get me wrong- I'm happy for Sergeant Crazy and Hammer Time...But I don't really care to see those two making out for all to see."

At her pointed words, Ralph finally laughed outloud- subconsciously running his fingers through Vanellope's long, raven hair as he did. He was relieved to find her hair wasn't soaking wet, but was just it's usual softeness again...and that his own feelings about the marriage ceremony were shared.

"Heh, same here," he agreed with her words, gently tugging her tresses of hair. "Those two really droll on each other, don't they? Heh...At least we'll have each other at their wedding."

"Yeah. I've honestly never been to a wedding before...," the girl suddenly mused out loud, a strange mixture of shame, amazement, and excitment her tone. "Yet the first one I go to I'm the flower girl, heh..."

"I haven't ever been to a wedding, either..." Ralph felt moved to admit as he placed his unoccupied hand behind his head. "But I'm the best man at Felix' and Calhoun's tomorrow. Funny how weird life can be, huh, kid?"

"Yeah, weird...yet simply perefct," the small girl nodded to herself, tiredly snuggling a bit closer to Ralph's broken overall. A smirk settled on her face as she subtly scooted up to lay on his chest. "I bet you'll up crying like a diaper baby when they lock lips, heh."

Rolling his eyes, Ralph shook his head- although he did directly worry about sheading some tears at the occasion. He'd become quite an overly-mushy man here lately.

"Will not!"

"Will to!"

"Whatever, kid. I'm not even going for that part of it, anyways," Ralph continued to deny, mocking annoyance in his tone. He smiled as he shut his eyes. "I'm really just going 'cause there will be loads of Mary's cakes...and pies and-"

"And ice-sculptures and fireworks?" The unseen child now laying on Ralph's chest yawned out- undeniably loving the sound of that pounding, lullaby of a heartbeat once again.

At her words so soft and so familiar, Ralph smirked. He realized how stupid he was to think that's what he really wanted all these years...

Especially in comparison to the adorable kid now snuggled his chest.

"Yeah, kid," Ralph just responded softly, beginning to tiredly rub Vanellope's back with his large thumb. "That's exactly why..."

Staring out into the still night, the two best friends went silent again- enjoying the quiet for a moment. Each reflected on the wonderful, never-ending dream of a life they share...and how it was somehow getting better each moment.

Ralph and Vanellope were undeniably close- and even closer than they were just a few hours ago. They truly trusted each other- far more than they did not even a short time ago. They now well knew each other inside and out...and they were excited to see that there was so much more that they had to learn about each other.

Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz honestly loved one another. More than anyone else, actually...

And it now shocked them even more that they'd only known each other for a day and a half.

The lulling silence finally finding success, the two best friends slipped into a restful, deep, nightmare-free sleep. Sleep that was filled with thoughts of the adventures they'd encountered once they woke up. Sleep that was filled with meeting various creatures and games of all shapes and sizes- seeing the walls of the station again, seeing the real sun again. Sleep that was filled new experiences, new realizations, new dreams to be had together...

And that nap never felt so good for either Ralph or Vanellope.

In fact, they'd both -dare they say- completely and utterly loved it.