Ave Maria trilled throughout Marceline's living room, the noise coming a little black rectangle sitting beside her on the couch. It took a moment for her to move, simply staring with wide eyes at the musical box. A cellphone. Her cellphone. And that particular ringtone...

Princess Bubblegum.

The smooth female voice filled her room some more as she sang out in a language Marceline didn't know. She could never bring herself to explain her choice of song for Bubblegum's ringtone, but the second she heard her father listening to it once, she'd forever associated the sweet melody with the princess. But why was it ringing now? Why was her room being filled with this angelic tune?

Nervous fingers reached out to pick her cellphone up, fiddling with it quickly before she managed to answer the call and press it to her ear, brow furrowed with confusion.

"Bonnibel?" She hesitated, listening to the faint sigh on the other line. A single noise that seemed to ease her muscles. She used Bubblegum's first name as a joke, more times than not. Something the princess had grown to accept with grace. Why she didn't enjoy hearing the name, was beyond Marceline's comprehension.

"Hey, Marceline. Sorry to bother you so late." Bubblegum's voice was a balm, gentle and kind in her ear. It almost made her smile. But her confusion, downright suspicion, had her mind elsewhere.

"Uh, yeah..." She didn't need to look out the window to know it was late. Not that she'd be able to see the sky where she was. But she could feel in her body's clock that the sun had recently gone down. There was just something about daytime air that grated against her nerves. The night air was much more soothing. "Why exactly are you bothering me? N-Not, that I mind it's just... Well, you of all people don't often call me." Marceline stumbled awkwardly over her words, resisting the urge to slap her forehead. Real smooth, Marce. "Actually, I thought you got rid of my number a long time ago..." She added with a frown, remembering a past argument that had resulted as such. Bubblegum went quiet, probably remembering the same.

"Well I did. But I still had it memorized," She explained, "So when I got over the initial upset, I put you back into my contact list." It sounded almost as if she had shrugged. Marceline rubbed at the spot between her eyebrows, leaning back against her couch with a sigh.

"Oh," She murmured quietly. Of course she did.

"What about you?"

"What?" Marceline stiffened.

"When I called, you knew it was me." Bubblegum's tone was soft, but curious. Able to read Marceline like a book even through a phone. "You had mine memorized too?" She almost sounded like she was smiling now. Marceline was tense, sitting up a little straighter.

"Uh...yeah. Yeah, something like that." She murmured, chewing at her bottom lip. In all honesty, Marceline hadn't removed Bubblegum's number from her phone after that fight. Sure, she'd been angry. Pouted and stomped around her room and sang songs to vent her frustrations. But the second she had her phone ready to delete the contact from her list, she hesitated. And though it was incredibly embarrassing to thing about now, she could never delete Bubblegum from her life. Phone. From her phone, she mused with a frown, not enjoying the depth her thoughts had gone. Her right fang pierced her lip, and while she felt the sting, she didn't register it as a bad thing. Just a nervous tick.

"You shouldn't bite your lip like that, Marceline. Remember what happened last time?" Bubblegum's voice was suddenly loud in her ear, startling her into releasing her lip with a pop.

"You can tell that from over the phone?" Marceline felt warmth creeping up her neck. When Bubblegum's laughter rang out, it sounded strange. Close.

"Nah, I'm just outside." She said a little louder, startling Marceline and prompting her to look up at the window beside her front door. Sure enough, Bubblegum's face was framed in the small window, a soft smile on her lips, as if amused that she'd gotten the jump on Marceline.

"Oh!" The vampire just sat there, stunned. When Bubblegum snapped her pretty little pink phone closed, she spoke loud enough to be heard from the other side of the window.

"Can I come in?"

"Oh... Oh! Right! Hang on..." Marceline hopped up, quickly rushing to the door and unlocking it. As the wood creaked open, Bubblegum stepped inside, bringing the overpowering scent of candy and bubblegum to mix with the smell of new wood. Marceline watched as Bubblegum took the time to glance at the door curiously before examining the rest of the room.

"New door?" She asked idly, turning in a slow circle as she re-familiarized herself with Marceline's living room. It had been years...

"Ah, yeah. Finn came by to put it together." Marceline replied awkwardly, running a few fingers through her hair as Bubblegum smiled warmly. Though she didn't know it, her expression was that of a mother proudly listening to the good deeds of her son. And it seemed only Marceline could tell how Bubblegum felt about Finn, the poor boy.

"Ice King's doing?" She asked next, finally turning to face Marceline. She tensed slightly, tightening her jaw and giving a firm nod. Of course Finn told the princess what had happened to the door. And of course Bubblegum knew the reasoning behind it. She knew of the Simon's madness just as much as Marceline did. But not even her science could help him. They both knew that. So Bubblegum knew the Ice King and Marceline had another incident. Was that why she came?

Understanding now, Marceline heaved a sigh and let her door swing shut, moving back to the couch and dropping onto it heavily. Waiting for Bubblegum to take a seat as well, discreetly choosing a nearby chair instead of sharing the couch. For reasons they were both aware of, even as they pretended nothing was wrong. So she waited some more. For the inevitable discussion...

"Have you thought about my offer? From last time..." Bubblegum began, trailing off when she noticed Marceline tensing. She grit her teeth, refusing to look her way. Of course she thought about it. And every time she did she came up with the same conclusion. Bubblegum was nuts.

"Yeah... I don't think so, Bonnie. It's not my decision to make." Marceline tried not to sound angry, instead frowning off towards the nearby wall.

"On the contrary, when it comes to making life or death decisions for someone terminal, kin are allowed to-"

"But I'm not kin. And you're not a doctor! And..." She sighed, digging her fingers into her hair again. Another nervous tick. "And he's not terminal. He's just..." She trailed off with another frustrated sigh. Crazy. He's just a crazy old man. But that didn't mean he had to die. Years ago, Bubblegum had assured her that it was possible to kill someone who was immortal, told her that it would be for the best, but Marceline hadn't agreed. It was a sick idea, and she'd never consider it again.

"I understand..." Bubblegum whispered, tucking her head down for another lengthy bout of silence. No. She didn't understand. But she once tried to. When they were still friends. In those younger years, Marceline and Bubblegum had been inseparable. And Marceline had steadily grown dependent on Bubblegum's presence, using her purity, her innocence, as a beacon of hope for herself. The years passed. Her father's influence ate away at her. Marceline changed. But Bubblegum had always been there for her. Giving her a place to run to when she wanted to get away from her father. But no matter how many times Marceline slept over the princess' house, she always went back. Deeper into that corruption until finally...

"Yo, Bonnie, check me out!" Marceline's eager voice called out as she soared through the air and landed gently on one foot before the young princess. Though they were both young looking, only Princess Bubblegum was a real teenager. Marceline's bloodline made her body grow slowly, but she was decades older than the princess. Still, it was fun to pretend.

"Marcie! Why are you flying?!" Bubblegum gasped out of her stunned silence, quickly standing up from the picnic table where she'd been setting up her tea set and waiting for her friend's arrival to their daily nighttime-picnic. Marceline had come. But she looked...different. Her long hair was a mess, and her skin was paler than usual. And her neck... Were those bite marks? "What happened to your neck?" Bubblegum whispered, horrified. Blood was still seeping from them in tiny rivers down into her shirt. Marceline glanced down, but didn't seem concerned. In fact, she smiled. Obtaining another gasp from princess when she exposed noticeable fangs that hadn't been as prominent the other day.

"That? That's nothing. But hey get this: I'm a vampire!" Marceline chirped happily, practically bouncing with excitement. Bubblegum gasped yet again, taking a step away from her friend.

"A what?!"

"A vampire! Isn't it awesome? I'm a true immortal now!" Her excitement bubbled over, but when she reached out to take her friend in her arms, the princess jerked back with a startled jump. Marceline's smile finally faded, and she let her hands drop.

"I-I thought you were already immortal." Her brows drew together in confusion. Marceline blinked, then shrugged, rubbing at the back of her neck. She only now realized Bubblegum seemed almost terrified. But why?

"Ah, not exactly. My dad said that because of my mother, I'm only half demon. I'd only live for maybe a few millenia. That's why he set up this deal with the Vampire King to turn me into a vampire. So now..." Her smile came back, but every time she exposed her fangs, Bubblegum seemed to shrink away from her even more. "Are you...not happy?"

"Of course not! Your father just gave you to the Vampire King!" Bubblegum yelled, her pretty little pink face contorted in disgust. Marceline frowned, confusion written plainly over her expression.

"Uh duuuh, so he could turn me!" She chuckled, shaking her head. But Bubblegum was serious.

"And what do you suppose the Vampire King is getting in return?" She insisted, looking sick. Marceline shrugged, not having thought about it.

"I donno. Like, money or something?" Her brows drew together, not liking the way Bubblegum shook her head, as if disappointed in her.

"No, Marcie. It's more likely that your father gave you to the Vampire King. As a bride. In exchange for your immortality." The more Bubblegum spoke, the more Marceline felt the joy seep from her body. She blinked, shaking her head blindly as she stood a little straighter. No way. Her dad wouldn't! Sure, he was a jerk sometimes, but...

"I don't believe you. Why would he do something like that?" She chuckled again, but it was strained this time. Forced. Bubblegum swallowed, resting a trembling hand on the picnic table, their tea going forgotten.

"Marcie... Why wouldn't your father do something sick like that? He just took away your freedom, for eternity." She stated, expression severe. Of course he did. He was chaotic evil, controlling and sadistic. And he warped Marceline's mind from childhood into believing that everything he did was for her own good. But soon she'd see that he just damned her to a life she definitely wouldn't want. As the seconds passed, Marceline's expression changed occasionally as she lost herself in thought. From confusion to horror, anger, disgust, and if Bubblegum wasn't mistaken, fear. She'd fallen into another one of her father's traps, and she hadn't even realized it. Bringing a hand to her neck, she brought it away to stare down at it, covered in blood. Her blood. She was a vampire now, yes. Which granted her the immortality that her father wished for her. But at what cost? Being married to a gross Vampire King who was as old as her father? Forever?

"No..." Marceline whispered, shaking her head slowly. She was finally understanding. This wasn't a gift. Her father hadn't changed.

"Marcie..." Bubblegum eased forward, a hand extended in worry.

"No! I don't want this!" Marceline snapped, lashing out as Bubblegum jumped out of swinging range. Her clawed hand slashed through the side of the picnic table, shattering the pink tea set and sending chunks of porcelain and wood flying into the grass. Bubblegum cried out in surprise to the destruction, but when Marceline hunched in on herself, clutching the hand that was now covered in splinters and tea-pot shards, Bubblegum's concerned outweighed her obvious fears.

"Marcie, please calm down." She sounded worried, but Marceline could barely hear her. Still violently shaking her head as she gazed down at her bloodied hand. She couldn't feel it. Her mind registered that the body had been injured, but it didn't hurt. In fact, as she continued to stare her body began healing itself, pushing splinters and porcelain out of her flesh and mending back together. She'd been a fast healer before, but this was instant. It felt wrong. Before today, Marceline could still feel pain. It made her feel normal, like Princess Bubblegum. But now... What was she?

"Marceline?" Bubblegum's voice was soft, concerned.

"I don't like this." Marceline sobbed, only now realizing that she had been crying. She sniffed noisily, reaching her free hand up and wiping at her eyes. "I can't feel the pain. It feels wrong. I don't like it, Bonnie!" She cried out, lifting her head to stare at the princess, who had tears in her own pretty candy-coloured eyes. It took only a second before they launched themselves at each other, arms bound around tightly as they both cried silently. And though Marceline could feel Bubblegum's comforting strokes through her hair, her emotions were still in tatters. Why was this happening?

"I don't want this, Bonnie. Can...Can you make it go away? With your science or something?" She sounded like a little lost child, despite being ages older than the princess. Bubblegum took a shaky breath, refusing to let go of her friend.

"I-I don't think... I-I'm not..." She couldn't find the right words. Yes, Bubblegum was a budding scientist. But manipulating DNA on such a level... She wasn't sure it was possible for her. Or anyone. Marceline must've understood, because her tense body had gone limp in Bubblegum's arms, sniffling quietly. The two of them knew that after today their lives would never be the same again. The only question now was, what was Marceline going to do about it? The only answer was more silence, Marceline's tears steadily drying up as she resigned herself to her own fate. And after a few minutes more, the newly borne vampire queen began to pull her arms from around her friend, lifting her head slowly. Bubblegum could see the lack of a fight in Marceline's limp shoulders, and when their eyes met, she immediately noticed a look of grim determination. Terrifyingly empty and devoid of the usual playful emotion she always held.

"I've ah... I've gotta go, Bonnie." Marceline pushed herself upright, arms limp at her sides. Avoiding Bubblegum's look of worry, she inhaled once, filling her lungs with air she technically no longer needed. Not letting their gaze meet again, she turned and began to leave her friend's side.

"Wait! Marceline, what are you...going to do?" Bubblegum tried to reach for her, but Marceline had already begun to float upwards into the night sky.

"I'm going to talk to him." Was all she got as a reply. Before Bubblegum could ask who she meant, Marceline was gone. Flying high up into the sky and darting off into the darkness.

"Marcie?"

Jerking her head up, Marceline realized that Princess Bubblegum had been watching her rather curiously for some time now, brow furrowed.

"Huh? Oh.. What?" She shook her head, embarrassment creeping up her neck.

"Are you okay? You looked like you were in pretty deep thought."

"Er..yeah. Just...thinking about some things." Marceline shrugged it off, letting her body lounge back into her chair. Hambo was on her lap but she didn't remember grabbing it, too deep in her memories. Marceline had ended up winning her freedom after that night. But at the cost she drifted even farther from her old friend's embrace. And they were reduced to this. Awkwardly sitting around one another, not knowing how to stir up a conversation.

"What...exactly are you doing here, Bonnie? I don't think you answered the first time." Marceline scowled over at her, the pretty pink princess looking sheepish.

"Well, if I'm completely honest I just wanted to see if you were okay. I heard part of it from Finn, but I knew there was more to it." She fiddled with the purse on her lap, delicately fussing with the tassels that hung off of it. Marceline watched the gesture before sitting upright and rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Oh, right. Hey, it was nothing really. I'm used to it by now. He just needed a place to crash." She shrugged, avoiding the princess' gaze.

"Right..." Bubblegum's voice trailed off, filling the room with more silence. Rather than letting it get to her, Marceline quickly shoved up to her feet and began to make her way to the kitchen.

"Yeah! So, no biggie. Hey, you want something to drink? I've...probably got some tea around here somewhere. If you don't mind it being a few centuries old." she chuckled, stopping when she heard the princess standing and brushing off her dress.

"Oh, no that's okay. You don't need to fuss on my behalf. I was just checking in on you. Now that my curiosity is sated, I really should be getting back to work." As Bubblegum made for the door, Marceline leaned against the opening to her kitchen, arms crossed.

"Alright then, no prob. Thanks. For coming by and all that." Marceline shrugged again, watching as Bubblegum nodded and offered a faint smile.

"No thanks necessary. Take care of yourself, Marceline." Nodding once more, Bubblegum turned and left the cottage quietly, leaving Marceline staring at the door in a painfully loud silence. Any energy that had been in the room prior was now dead, nothing but the stench of solitude and the emptiness that Marceline had grown rather accustomed to in her years. Exhaling heavily, she kicked off from the wall and wandered into her kitchen to drown herself in snacks. A visit from the princess always left her feeling oddly frazzled. But she would be a big fat liar if she said she didn't already miss her soothing presence. A lingering gaze dropped to her phone, where she hesitated for a mere second before plucking it up and cycling through the music. When Ave Maria began to trill softly through the tiny black rectangle, Marceline's shoulders relaxed as she set the phone on the counter and dug into her fridge for something to eat.