How to Fix a Broken Heart

It had been a whirlwind romance that left his heart going pitter-patter. By golly they had even kissed on the lips already! It was more than Felix could ever have dreamed of. She was so beautiful, so wonderful. He wanted to spend every second of every hour of every day by her side. She made him the happiest man in the world. He already knew in his heart that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but to have such a short courtship just wouldn't do. No, by gosh he was going to romance her right and take her out on dates!

They went out to Tapper's a few times, but Felix wasn't really much for drinking. That and the boisterous atmosphere intimidated him. There tended to be a large number of 'bad guys' and even though he knew that overall they weren't really bad guys, when it was 'villain night' at Tapper's the smaller man just felt extremely out of place.

Tamora Calhoun on the other hand, didn't give a shit what anyone thought of her or who was in the damn place. She could really throw them back with all the guys, or even more than some of them actually. It was her hard and gritty program, she was so intense, with her own brand of feminine grace, and Felix found it refreshing and more intoxicating than any alcohol.

After getting to know each other a bit better, he decided to ask her to come over to his place for coffee for their next date, having remembered that Niceland certainly did live up to its name and that he had access to a penthouse.

*

Felix was pacing the foyer of Niceland that evening, Tamora was going to be here any minute and he was more than a bit nervous.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and he jumped a mile high, then scrambled to answer it. He gave himself a quick once-over, dusting imaginary lint from his shirt and pants, took a deep breath and finally opened the door.

Tamora was standing there in a white sundress with spaghetti straps. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she was wearing a shy smile. She looked so amazing, so sweet and so vulnerable, a side of her, Felix realized with a swell in his chest, that he was the only one who got to see.

He finally found his voice, "You look, you look...amazing...." he felt his face begin to warm, "Come in, come in!"

She ducked her head to fit inside Niceland, being a bit taller than it's usual inhabitants. A slight flush was dusted across her cheeks and she nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Oh Thank the Mod, here I thought I looked like some backwater hick going to a square dance. I haven't worn a dress since I was a little girl."

Felix blushed again and grinned, leading her to the elevator, "Right this way, ma'am..." he shyly guided her with a gloved hand on her elbow.

*

The ride up to the penthouse was filled with an awkward silence as the two kept stealing glances at one another. Felix fidgeted, not sure what to do with his hands. He felt his face begin to grow hot yet again as he remembered the kiss that he and Tamora shared after the epic battle in Sugar Rush a few months before. She had been the one who initiated it, afterall.

DING!

The elevator smoothed open, "Welcome to my humble abode," he joked, rubbing the back of his head and nearly knocking his hat off,"Well, I'm actually house-sitting right now, since Gene is out for the night visiting a friend in another game. The superintendent doesn't get a whole penthouse to himself, not even in his own game." Felix chuckled.

"It's very nice..." Tamora murmured with an appreciative look around the spacious apartment, "Much classier than the barracks in my game."

Felix led her toward the kitchen to set up some coffee to brew, stepping over the wide, dark floor between the living room and kitchen.

Tamora jumped, the floor beneath her having suddenly lit up, sendindg every warning bell in her head ringing at once and her hand went straight to her thigh where habit and instinct had trained her to keep a gun always at the ready. She made a circle, gun held out steadily, "WHO'S THERE, SHOW YOURSELVES COWARDS!" The more she moved the more the floor lit-up below her and Felix had to laugh.

"It's just a dancefloor, sweetness," he said gently and demonstrated by hopping across a few more of the squares, lighting each one up, "Gene must've accidentally left it on from the last party we had here." Felix grinned at the flabbergasted look on her face.

Tamora's face instantly changed and she put her gun back in it's holster, breathing a sigh of relief, "I almost had a heart-attack Felix, think you can fix THAT?" she smirked to show she was only joking and then took a halting step forward, lighting up the next square pink.

Felix grinned and then hopped closer to her, encouraging her. He clapped his hands twice over his head and disco music started blaring from the wall-mounted speakers.

Tamora got increasingly better at dancing as the songs continued their upbeat parade. She and Felix were laughing and trying to catch their breath as the last fast song ended and the glittering disco ball that had been hidden until now lowered itself down and rotated slowly as a compliment to the new slow song.

Felix blushed, he'd never slow danced with a girl before! There was also their height difference to take into account. He held a hand to his chin then snapped as a lightbulb appeared over his head. He held up a finger to the Sergeant, asking her silently to wait a moment. Felix ran over to kitchen closet and got a stool to stand on that evened out their heights.

Tamora grinned at his ingenuity and gladly took the hand he offered her.

Felix immediately pulled her close and they swayed to the beat. He sighed happily thinking to himself for the millionth time that she was SUCH a dynamite gal.

Tamora closed her eyes as they danced, thinking to herself about how incredibly sweet Felix was, unlike most guys she had encountered. She felt her face heat up and a warmth started spreading through her chest. She couldn't remember feeling this way since...since...

Her eyes popped open and widened and she began to think frantically, what if, what if she was making a mistake? Was she taking things too fast? Could she really be in love again? She sighed, but it wasn't a sigh of happiness like Felix's had been.

"What's wrong, love?" Felix asked, placing a warm hand on her face gently. She looked sad, but he thought that they were having such a good time...?

Tamora reached up and placed her hand over his, leaning into his touch, "Felix..." she whispered, locking her eyes to his. If she couldn't tell him what was in her heart, how would they be able to be together? So she mustered up her courage and confessed, "I'm...afraid..."

He was surprised to hear such a confession from the tough-as-nails sergeant, but he was determined to do whatever he could to relieve her fears.

"Tell me," he whispered back, "I can fix it..."

Tamora sighed and pulled him closer, "Do you know what it's like to lose someone close to you Fix-it? It's the worst feeling in the world because once they're gone, nothing can bring them back. Ever." her voice became huskier as she pulled back to look him in the eyes, "When I think about losing you...it's more than I can bear..." she whipped her head the other way so he wouldn't see how moist her eyes had become, filled with unbidden tears. Unfitting, she thought, for a soldier who'd seen the darkest side of war over the months her game had first plugged in, with more than enough sorrow programmed there as well.

Felix gently turned her to face him again, "Oh Tamora...I won't let that happen, no matter what, I promise. In fact...I want to spend the rest of my life proving it to you, making you happy...I never want to be without you by my side." his heart was thrumming so loudly it was pounding in his ears and he feared it was visible beating up out of his work shirt. He hopped down off the stool and knelt before her on one knee. He'd been wanting to do this ever since she kissed him after they had beaten Turbo once and for all, and now the moment he'd been dreaming of was about to finally happen...

Her eyes widened, there was a scene similar to this somewhere in her programming, she never thought it would happen in again, not in real life, not outside the game. She thought she was going to be alone forever, doing the same thing day after day, it was her duty, a hero's duty and she was bound to it but now, with this prospect of happiness dangled before her...

Felix looked up at her with his huge puppy eyes and a warm smile on his face, "Tamora Jean Calhoun, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He pulled out a small velvet box with a single diamond on a thin gold band.

There was what seemed like an endless pause, just the two of them looking at each other, and Tamora wondered whether she should slap or pinch herself, was this a dream or was it reality? She finally decided it was real and launched herself at him, kneeling down to his height and grabbing him in a bear hug, "Why you little...Dammit, Yes, yes and yes again, Fix-it!" she punctuated each 'yes' with a kiss, and with each one he became more and more flustered.

"Jiminy Jaminy Miss Calhoun, you've got me all twitterpated..." Felix sported a dumb grin but then quickly regained his senses and slipped the ring onto her left hand, "A perfect fit."


Tamora grinned, "I'm gonna hold you to that promise, Fix-It..." she said hungrily as she grabbed him again and kissed him senseless.

* * *

COMING SOON: Meet the Fix-Its, Felix's father, Fix-It Felix Sr. from the game Fix-It Felix and his sister, the damsel in distress Fix-it Felicia, come to town for Felix and Calhoun's wedding! Don't miss it!