For a long moment, Mary only stared at the massive figure in the doorway of her apartment. The wrecker stood with his hands clasped as he gazed down at her, rocking slightly on his feet and biting the inside of his cheek as he awaited her response.

"You want... to help? Help me?"

"Well uh... yeah." Ralph rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "I uh... look. The night before last, the cake and all, I... I'm really sorry. That shouldn't... well, y'know. You worked really hard and all, and it really was a great cake, and Felix says you guys are trying the party again in a few days..."

"Ah... well, yes, we are."

"Yeah!" He gave her an awkward smile, nodding. "So, uh..."

Mary blinked, at a loss as Ralph trailed off. Certainly all of them - even Gene - had promised to try to include Ralph under Felix's peculiarly stern insistence. And Felix had told them all about the incident in Sugar Rush; Mary wasn't completely clear on details, but it all seemed to indicate a little cake decorating was the least Ralph deserved. And certainly Ralph hadn't actually done anything aside from the unfortunate business with the cake. At least not recently; surely there was a reason he'd been left out of their doings for so long. A reason aside from his occasional clumsiness and the odd flash of temper that, if one were to be completely honest, Gene had clearly provoked - at least that time.

Surely there was.

Right now, though, she looked up at his expression, somewhere between apprehension and hope, and mainly remembered how pleased he'd been at the simple act of Felix inviting him in, how genuinely delighted he'd seemed with the cake aside from a few unfortunate details.

If one were to be completely honest, the Ralph figure was a little mean, and if she'd thought to ask she would have known he didn't like chocolate.

She wasn't quite certain where Felix had gotten that new assertive streak, but he was right. Mary took a deep breath and smiled, opening the door wider and then stepping back a bit.

"Of... of course, Ralph. Won't you come in?"

He was surprisingly careful when he concentrated.

No - not surprising. She could recall him lightly patting Gene at the party, how carefully he'd moved after those first clumsy stumbles. And it was hardly the first time he'd made his way up the building without wrecking it, either.

None of them had ever allowed themselves to see it, that was all.

She didn't know how to approach that, so instead she looked at his work on the small cakes they were using for practice.

"Why Ralph! You're... you're very good at that!"

"Yeah?" He stepped back to examine the cake. "I dunno, it's all crooked."

The statement couldn't hide his pleasure, and Mary found herself smiling.

"Well, you aren't used to it, that's all! I've seen people who have been doing it longer do much worse."

"You think so?" Ralph grinned, shrugging. "Well - it is my second try, after Vanellope's kart."

"After what?"

"Oh, well." He went back to his work, still grinning. "I ended up in Sugar Rush last night - you know, the candy go-kart game?"

"Oh yes. Felix told us."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Anyway, uh, the little girl - the kids make their karts. Or I guess players make alternates that way? I dunno, anyway I helped Vanellope make her kart." He chuckled, shrugging. "It's a wreck, for a minute I thought the whole baking thing was a disaster. But she loves it. Um, all done... how's this?"

"I'm sure she does," Mary said quietly as she peered at the cake. "It looks wonderful, Ralph... you know, I think being above the cake like that helps keep the top even, even without you being used to it."

"Yeah?" He grinned again. "Well... it is kinda how I'm used to looking at things."

She was smiling again as she looked at him, then the cake.

"Well, ah... Ralph, do you like lemon cake?"

"Huh?" He looked at the cake as well. "Well, uh... I like lemon flavors okay. Never had lemon cake."

"Take it, then. No time like the present to find out." She patted his hand lightly. "The strawberry too."

"Um... well, if you're sure. I'll share 'em with the kid." He picked them both up, smiling. "Thanks, Mary."

Mary smiled back, hands clasping lightly.

"You're welcome."

He came back every day, just after the arcade closed, to help - not only with decorating, but learning to mix and measure, exaggeratedly careful with Mary's comparatively tiny kitchen implements. He usually stayed only an hour or so before leaving to watch Sugar Rush's roster race, time spent between carefully listening to Mary's instruction and a bit of talk himself.

She learned that he did indeed like lemon cake, and carrot cake, and vanilla, but didn't care for red velvet or strawberry anymore than he did chocolate (but that was all right, he told her, straight-faced as he claimed Vanellope could eat whatever he didn't in a single bite).

She heard a lot about Vanellope, and learned more about Ralph from the way he shifted between amusement and annoyance - but always held more than a touch of fondness - as he related her antics.

"She certainly sounds like something, Ralph." Mary giggled as she passed the wrecker a fragrant green cake. "Creme de menthe today - I left off the chocolate, give it a try... when can I meet her?"

"Heh... 'something' is one way to put it." He took a careful bite of the cake. "Hm, s'good. Vanellope might like it with the chocolate... anyway, she'll probably be at the party, and I can bring her over sometime too."

"I'd like that." Mary paused a moment. "You know, I do enjoy your visits, Ralph."

"You do?" He gave her a startled look, brows raising. "Well, I..."

A pause, and he smiled.

"I... thanks. Me too."

The second anniversary party - held on the roof to accomodate larger guests, and a larger number of guests - was definitely a bigger success than the first attempt. Felix, who had been disappearing immediately after all-clear on most evenings, turned up hand in hand with a tall blonde - the Sergeant Calhoun they'd all heard about and were more than a little stunned to actually meet.

And Ralph, of course, brought Vanellope.

"So you're the cake lady, huh?"

The little girl - slightly smaller than the Nicelanders themselves - screwed up her face as she studied Mary a long moment.

Then she grinned, offering a thumbs-up.

"You make good stuff."

"Well." Mary smiled a little, nodding. "Ralph helped, this week."

"Yeah." Vanellope nodded. "I think he likes this stuff. Kind of a surprise huh? But he liked making the kart. Even if he wouldn't admit it."

"Oh, I know he did. But I think he likes baking with you best."

"Well, doi, he's my best friend." The girl nodded again, as if this was evident. Then she tilted her head, looking at Mary a moment. "But he likes you too."

Mary blinked, glancing over at Ralph as he made awkward conversation with Gene.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. He doesn't talk about the others much. But he says you've been really nice and all, and you were the closest to being nice before! Like Candlehead over in my game, I think sometimes she forgot I was supposed to be a sinister evil glitch." Vanellope formed her hands into claws and growled at Mary, purposefully glitching, before breaking off into giggles. Mary couldn't help laughing with her, nodding.

"Well, that's... I'm glad to hear that," she said quietly.

"Good!" Vanellope nodded briskly. "Anyway, you should come visit some time. I'll show you our bakery! I'm gonna go bug Ralph - bye!"

She darted off before Mary could reply, glitching her way onto Ralph's shoulder to tug at his hair. Ralph casually plucked her off, dangling her upside down as she shrieked and laughed; Gene trailed off - unsure what to make of it - and Mary found herself laughing along as she went to join them.

Ralph did not turn up after all-clear the next day. Mary found the break in their new routine more offputting than she would have guessed.

It wasn't Ralph's fault, of course; he had to have known she'd felt apprehensive about this whole thing, and the Nicelanders hadn't really been making him feel welcome the past thirty years - now that he'd fulfilled his wish to help her replace the destroyed cake did he have a real reason to think otherwise?

Still, she did feel rather lonely as she looked over her kitchen. Only one thing to do, then; she gathered up pans and ingredients and went to work.

Baking alone felt odd now that she was used to a companion, but it was still enjoyable; before long she stepped back, surveying her cake with satisfaction a moment before picking up up to go find Ralph.

He was standing there when she opened the door. Mary jumped with a little squeak of surprise, and Ralph reached to steady her with a stammered apology.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean... uh... you okay? I just... sorry I'm late, the kids were doing something today, I was... and then, uh, Vanellope thought you might want to visit stuff in her game, and..."

"I... I'm fine, Ralph." She cleared her throat and smiled, offering the cake. "Ah... it's orange bundt. I thought you might like it since you liked the lemon..."

"Yeah?" He smiled, gingerly taking it, and nodded. "Thanks... it uh... looks great." His smile widened as he studied the cake, and he looked back at Mary. "This really... I mean, it's... thanks."

"You're welcome. That is... thank you, Ralph. For helping out I mean."

"It was fun." He paused. "So, maybe sometimes..."

"Of course." She was quiet a moment. "So, ah... the... kart bakery? That does sound interesting."

"Come on then." He grinned, waving her along as he headed out. "I'll show you."

She nodded and followed him, and they headed out of Niceland together.