Update: I redid the cover in Photoshop so it's not as crappy.

Post-movie. No relation to Game Over, I just got this idea because I kinda imagined Taffyta and King Candy being friends before. Just to be clear, this is NOT a romantic ship. That's just wrong. Anyway, I hope I'm getting better at one-shots; this character-driven stuff is hard. Please review with any constructive criticism you might have.

Disclaimer: Disney owns all the characters!

I Still Care

By ERiN OPPEL

For three days, Taffyta couldn't go anywhere near the castle. Well, she was physically able to, but she just wouldn't. Not when he was there.

No one knew how Turbo had survived or why he remained in his original form. Vanellope first discovered his unconscious, badly damaged body near the volcano after the incident and had her servants, Wynnchel and Duncan, carry him back to her palace. Out of the goodness of her heart, she had decided not to erase his code, and instead revived him so that he could have another chance at life.

Taffyta didn't know what to think of the President's decision. First of all, she was outraged; how could Vanellope allow that monster to live, and right within her own home? She had seen what he tried to do. When his true form was revealed out on the track, she could not believe her eyes. The king who had been so kind to her and to who she showed utmost loyalty, was a fraud. And that was before she learned all about Turbo's infamous history.

She had caught a glimpse of the fearsome racer as he was brought in—a pale hand dangling limply, the gleam of his white helmet—and couldn't believe that he had been the one hiding behind a saccharine facade. She remembered how every time their leader had won a race, she and the other racers would shout, "All hail King Candy!" No one had said it louder or meant it more than Taffyta. He was her idol; she looked up to him and admired his prowess at racing. She had even felt safe knowing he was always watching over the kingdom.

But not anymore.

She had heard from the other racers that once Turbo had awakened, he was bitter and angry at Vanellope for showing him pity and forcing him to stay in her castle to recuperate. He was being kept under heavy surveillance in case he tried to corrupt Sugar Rush's code again. According to the president, Turbo was being rather difficult and he wouldn't speak to anyone.

That gave Taffyta doubt that he would even want to see her. She had been desperate to know if everything about his King Candy persona was an act. Despite every vile thing he had done, she found herself still fond of the man she had once called her friend. She even harboured a glimmer of hope that he had actually meant it when he said she was his favourite racer. Had the friendship between them been real? Or was it all part of his plan?

The shocking revelation had hit her harder than she thought it would. But she just could not face him. It was too painful.

So during the past few days, Taffyta kept herself busy by participating in the game and practicing her racing skills. It really didn't help when Vanellope invited all the racers for a sleepover party at her castle that night, since it was the night her friends from Fix-It Felix Jr. and Hero's Duty were coming to visit. Taffyta was unable to say no to the President, so she reluctantly accepted. However, her heart wasn't in the non-competitive races that she and the other racers took part in that night. She didn't talk to Vanellope's out-of-game friends, only made polite responses when Felix asked her casual questions (then again, Felix talked to everyone). No one had mentioned Turbo, and he hadn't appeared at all. Taffyta guessed he was in his room the whole time. Did he know she was out there? Even if he didn't, he certainly made no attempt to find out. At dinner, she excused herself early, feigning fatigue, and spent the rest of the evening alone in her guest room.

She turned on her side and stubbornly wrapped the blanket tighter around herself. She was having trouble falling asleep. It was especially difficult, knowing the person she wanted answers from was in the same building somewhere down the hall. Taffyta shifted restlessly, trying to stop thinking about him, before she finally rolled on her back and groaned.

It was no use.

She would never be able to sleep if she didn't get some answers. It was then she made the decision to confront Turbo right away.

She quietly opened the gingerbread door and crept down the hall. The curtains had been pulled over the windows to hide the perpetual sunlight during the night hours, but a few rays shone through the spaces and gave her enough light to see where she was going. When she had found Turbo's room, she reached her fist out to knock, but wavered.

What if the answers she got were the ones she dreaded to hear? What if he really did want nothing to do with her? Her heart pounded against her ribcage and she paced back and forth, breathing deeply in order to calm down. Maybe this wasn't a good idea...

"What do you want, Glitch?"

Taffyta jumped at the harsh voice inside the room. It was definitely Turbo's, and it sounded like he was expecting Vanellope. The nature of his real voice sent chills down her spine; it was so unlike King Candy's soothing tone. But she had been noticed. There was no way to back out now. She held her breath, slowly opened the door and stepped in the doorway.

Turbo was lying on his back in his bed, glaring at the ceiling. "Honestly, do you even know what time it is?" When he turned his head to face her and saw who she was, his eyes instantly widened in surprise. "Taffyta?" he whispered, sitting up quickly.

A vision of King Candy glitching into Turbo as he attacked Vanellope flashed in Taffyta's mind before she nervously blinked it away. She stared at his ghostly visage, partially lit by the unnatural glow of his intense yellow eyes.

This couldn't have been her beloved king.

A lump caught in Taffyta's throat. She wanted to speak, but her brain couldn't find the right words. All the fear she was feeling before was now rushing back to her like an ice cream avalanche. Taffyta's eyes welled up and she choked, "I c-can't. I'm sorry, I can't!" She slammed the door shut as she hurried out. With her hands over her face, she ran back to her room, sobbing.

She buried her face in her pillow and cried for what felt like a long time. It must have only been a few minutes because soon there was a knock on her door, and she stiffened.

"Hey, Taffyta? It's me. Can I come in?"

To Taffyta's relief, it was Vanellope. Still, she didn't want her friend to see her in a mess, vulnerable and broken. "No," she said firmly, but she was muffled by the pillow. She heard a brief crackle beside her bed and figured Vanellope must've teleported herself into the room. Taffyta lifted her head up and looked at the worried President with watery eyes.

Vanellope started quietly, "I saw you leave Turbo's room." After a pause, she asked, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," Taffyta snapped, then blinked in surprise at her sudden harshness. She may not have been hurt physically, but Turbo's lies took an emotional toll on her. "S-sorry. But no, I'm fine."

"…You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about," insisted Taffyta as she sunk her head back down.

"No, tell me." Vanellope hopped onto the side of the bed and swung her legs over the edge. Her large, hazel eyes were full of concern and a bit of curiosity. "You haven't been yourself lately; I just wanna know why."

Knowing she wouldn't take "No" for an answer, Taffyta sat up and drew in a ragged breath. She began by asking, "You know that special friendship you have with Ralph?"

Vanellope nodded.

"Yeah. Well back then, that was me and King Candy. He would do all sorts of things with me after hours, like teach me racing tricks or show me all the secret paths on the track. We often went for drives together, and he would let me play inside the castle when I wasn't with my friends. If I ever lost a race, he would always try to make me feel better by complimenting my efforts. He never gave any of the other racers that kind of attention. Just me. I was his favourite… and he… he was my best friend..." Her face crumpled into another fit of sobs.

"I had no idea," she heard Vanellope say sombrely after handing her a tissue.

Taffyta blew her nose loudly and was grateful that Vanellope didn't mock her about it. She blotted her eyes with the rest of the tissue before continuing, "I just can't believe it was all a lie. And the weirdest thing is he was evil this whole time, but I still..." She trailed off, not wanting to disrespect the president with her true feelings.

"You still care about him," Vanellope finished for her, not seeming the least bit offended.

The black-haired girl was right of course, but it felt wrong to admit it. Taffyta looked away and hugged her knees. "I guess so," she mumbled.

"Did you tell him that?"

"No... I don't know, I just couldn't do it." She felt a hand on her back.

"It hurts when friends betray us," Vanellope spoke softly, sorrow clouding in her own eyes. "But sometimes they don't know how we feel." She stopped to give Taffyta a chance to respond, but when she didn't, Vanellope looked down at her feet and asked, "Do you know why I forgave Turbo?"

Taffyta shook her head; she had been secretly wondering that herself, but she never dared to question the president.

Vanellope answered, "Same reason I forgave you and the other racers. Even though you made my life miserable—and I mean really miserable, like, totally depressing and awful—"

"I get it."

"—I knew that you didn't realize what you were doing, and that there was good in you. I know there's good in Turbo, too. I've been trying to bring it out in him but," she chuckled at herself, "no such luck. He still hates my guts." Vanellope gazed thoughtfully at the troubled racer. "But if your friendship with him was as strong as you said, maybe he still cares about you."

Taffyta scoffed. "I doubt it." Perhaps it was because of her throbbing headache, but she wasn't convinced by her friend's consolation. "I'll bet our friendship wasn't even real."

"Well, you'll never know if you don't ask him. Give him another chance; it's only fair." With a final pat on the back, Vanellope jumped off the bed and started to walk towards the door. "Good night, Taffyta," she murmured.

Taffyta laid back down in exhaustion, then spoke up, "Um, Vanellope?"

The President turned around. "Yeah?"

"Can I...not race tomorrow?"

Vanellope nodded in understanding. And in a flash of cerulean pixels and binary, she was gone.

Taffyta curled up, wishing her own code would just dissolve away into nothing. Her mind was already made up about Turbo: he didn't need her anymore. She cursed herself for being so cowardly. For believing a lie. And most of all, for still wishing it were true.

The artificial sun shone brightly, as it always had, on the young racers as they sped down the track far away. From where she stood on the balcony of the castle, Taffyta could see the colourful flashes of their karts, and heard the faint roar of engines and the announcer narrating important events.

Because she was the rightful ruler of Sugar Rush, Vanellope had abolished the Random Roster Race in favour for an actual randomizing method that allowed every racer a fair chance at being on the roster. Since Taffyta had been chosen in the previous night's random selection, Vanellope was able to fill it in with a replacement and explained to everyone that Taffyta was not feeling well. She had not gone into detail why, much to Taffyta's appreciation.

The blonde racer had her elbows propped up on the railing with her chin resting in her hands. She closed her tired blue eyes and let out a long sigh. Taffyta had been expecting to feel better, but the knot in her stomach was tighter than before. What was she thinking? She should be out there racing, doing what she loved instead of moping around with her thoughts plaguing her. At least that would've taken her mind off of her worries.

"It's not the same just watching, is it?"

Startled, Taffyta spun around and gasped.

Turbo stood in the doorway of the balcony. His gaze was focused on the racers in the distance, but after a second it fixed upon her. He was trying to look calm, but by the way his hands were fiddling in front of him, it was easy to tell he felt a bit awkward.

However, Taffyta stared at him in fright. It wasn't really the fact that he had skin white as chalk or yellow eyes and teeth; he was just no longer the sweet old man she used to know. She backed up against the railing and balled her hands into fists. "Go away," she tried to order firmly, but it came out whinier than she had wanted.

The smile he tried to put on faded, but he didn't move. "Don't be scared, Taffyta, I just want to talk."

"Well I don't!" It was clear Turbo wasn't beyond hurting children; what would stop him from throwing Taffyta over the edge of the balcony, or worse, messing with her code? She couldn't trust him anymore. "Please, leave me alone!" she begged, eyes watering. "I...I don't know you..."

"Yes you do," said Turbo compassionately, walking towards her slowly. "It's still me…"

"No it's not!" shouted Taffyta. "The King Candy I knew wouldn't crash games, brainwash kids, and try to kill a little girl!" She narrowed her eyes. "But he never was real, was he? It was all just an act, and I fell for it."

The pale racer stopped in front of her, his eyelids drooping in sadness. "I'm sorry I lied about who I was," he spoke earnestly. "I really didn't mean to hurt you."

Taffyta sneered, "Like fun you didn't."

"Taffyta, listen—"

"No, you listen!" she snapped, and almost felt bad about his hurt reaction. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but add bitterly, "You've been lying ever since you got here; how can I trust anything you say now? All you thought about was yourself, you never considered how I felt. Well, thanks for making me think you were always there for me..." Tears started to roll down her hot cheeks, betraying her tough show. "But you don't have to pretend anymore."

Turbo frowned and he responded in a hushed voice, almost as if to himself, "Oh Taffyta… Did you really think our friendship meant nothing to me?"

Taffyta's voice cracked as she gazed at him tearfully. "If you really cared, how come you didn't try to talk to me before?"

Turbo faltered, and Taffyta thought she had finally cornered him. But then he glanced at the floor and replied, "Everyone avoided me because they hated me for what I did. I thought…you must have hated me too."

Guilt tugged at Taffyta's heart and she glanced away. No, she didn't hate him. She didn't think she could ever hate him. But she was disillusioned by his betrayal; it would be hard to forgive him.

"I didn't know you were in pain," Turbo continued, looking grieved himself. "I'm sorry, I should have come to see you sooner… But I'm here now. And I promise I'll never lie to you again."

She turned her back to him and crossed her arms. "I don't think I can believe you..." A hand was gently placed on her shoulder and she flinched at first. But the touch felt familiar and, for a second, she imagined it really was King Candy trying to comfort her the same way he had done many times before.

"Taffyta... If I had lied, would I be trying to convince you that I still care about you?" When the only response he got was a sniffle, he went on, "It's true, I've done things I'm not proud of. I was cruel…and deceitful. But I swear, if there's one thing I wouldn't ever change, it's being your friend."

Taffyta's breath hitched. The sincerity in his voice sounded so genuine. She slowly glanced over her shoulder at him hopefully. "You really mean that?"

"Of course, my dear. You'll always be my favourite racer. And that's coming from the real me, not some fake monarch."

The small girl turned to face Turbo and wiped her eyes, not caring if her mascara was smeared. "Well," she started with a sniff, "I guess that's kinda sweet. Thanks."

Turbo made a warm smile and opened his arms invitingly. Taffyta hesitated slightly before leaning into the hug. She clutched the fabric of his jumpsuit, and even buried her face into the white racer's chest (Turbo didn't seem to mind her wet makeup getting on his uniform). The embrace felt the same as it always had, as if the person she admired and loved as a father hadn't been completely destroyed.

When the two of them pulled out of the hug, Turbo tilted Taffyta's chin up and told her, "It's going to take some getting used to things around here for the both of us. Never feel like you're alone in this, okay?"

Taffyta nodded, her confidence returning.

After patting her soothingly on the head, Turbo started to walk back inside the castle.

Taffyta watched him go and thought about what he said. They were both trying to adjust to a new life; she supposed they had might as well suffer together. Besides, like Vanellope had told her, It wouldn't be fair if she didn't give him another chance. "Oh, uh, Turbo?"

He turned around, seemingly pleased by hearing her address him by his real name. "Yes, Taffyta?"

She glanced down at her shuffling feet and rubbed her arm as she said shyly, "I was wondering... I have my kart outside in front of the castle..." Her sapphire eyes looked up at him. "Do you...want to go for a drive?"

Turbo beamed at her and in that instant, Taffyta no longer saw him as a stranger.

She recognized him as her friend.