The repetitive resonance of laughter filled the air of the town known as Elmore, in perfect harmony with the chirping of its resident birds and the gentle wail of oncoming traffic. A beaming sun hovered over the pleasant scene as it took full advantage of the absence of dense clouds, allowing its rays to pelt the world freely and without restraint. It was a rather warm day, and this was entirely due to the start of summer. The routine shift in seasons was also responsible for all the joy; children all around could be seen rejoicing at the end of another school year, putting to good use the few months they had to be free.

At the home of the Watterson family a particular pair was doing just that; in the backyard their relaxed demeanors inhabited the small space of a blow-up pool, filled to the brim with water. With their bodies submerged and their arms tucked behind their heads they sighed their contentment, letting all of their concerns float away while they continued to lounge.

"This is great," Darwin finally spoke, breaking the short silence that had arose. "It's a shame summer has to come for only three months."

"Yeah, I know," Gumball agreed. Neither of them opened their eyes, though the cat soon felt his smile falter. "But still, why should our vacation have to last that long? Shouldn't we go to school for six months and get to stay home for the same amount of time?" His brother was quiet, silently pondering the question.

"Maybe six months isn't enough time to teach us everything," he suggested as his eyes flicked open to look at his friend, who returned the gesture.

"Well maybe if they didn't waste time giving everyone detention they'd get things done a lot quicker," Gumball argued, his gaze shifting to the sky afterwards.

"You're still mad that you got detention on the last day of school?" Darwin questioned curiously.

"It wasn't my fault," Gumball quickly defended, glaring towards him. "Tobias just happened to be in the way as I threw my sandwich at the trash."

"And when you hit him with your apple?"

"Another honest mistake." He closed his eyes once again, somewhat regaining his mellow image. "He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh," Darwin uttered, though he wasn't entirely convinced. Still, he merely dropped the subject and mimicked his adoptive brother as they proceeded to enjoy their summer.

Inside, their father was celebrating the season by taking part in one of his favorite activities, sleeping in front of the television. It rattled on about nothing in particular while Richard's loud snores dominated the room. His face twitched lightly at the fantasies being generated by his subconscious, effectively keeping his mind occupied while he slumbered for what was expected to be most of the day, as usual.

Unfortunately for him, a sudden knock at the door was enough to break his peace and give him a small tug back to reality. Richard could hear the incessant pounding between each noisy exhalation, causing him to stir for several seconds before uttering, "No, Princess Hamburger, don't take my ice cream..." His features contorted, eyes tightening before they shot open as he quickly regained his awareness, identifying the disturbing sound. With a tired yawn he worked his way to his feet, drowsily heading towards the door and the constant knocking.

"Alright, I'm coming!" he announced with slight agitation, gripping the knob and incautiously swinging the door open. He was surprised by who he saw.

She was a blue cat resembling Nicole and Gumball in many ways. She was slightly taller than Nicole and wore a vermilion colored vest with the stylish word 'winner' on the back; it was unzipped to reveal a slightly faded black t-shirt. She also wore a short jean skirt and had bangs that covered her eyes slightly, but the most notable thing about her was how attractive she was. From head to toe she was absolutely gorgeous, her ocean blue eyes were almost hypnotic. Her gaze alone was nearly enough to make men tremble and fill women with envy.

Richard's mouth hung agape and he moments later uttered, "Grace?" He couldn't believe it was her.

"Hi, Richard," she greeted with a wave and a kind, excited smile. "How've you been?" At first all he did was stand there, too stunned to muster another word, but once he got over his shock he immediately grew a wide and somehow childish grin.

"Gracie!" He rushed forward, throwing his arms tightly around the woman to embrace her. She was pushed back a bit, though she laughed as she slid her arms around the massive form of the large rabbit.

"Hey," she said between giggles, her hold tightening. "How's my little man?"

"I'm great!" he replied, barely able to contain his newfound excitement. Grace could only chuckle at him.

"That's wonderful, Rich-!" Before she knew it she was lifted off the ground as he began spinning in circles with her still in his arms, causing her to laugh happily. "Richard!" the feline protested with playfulness in her tone, her legs swinging around as she twirled rapidly. Richard continued what he was doing, that is until he lost his footing and they went tumbling into the house.

With a loud thud they were on the floor, Grace beneath him as he slowly pushed himself up to get a look at her. They watched each other silently for a moment, and then both burst into a fit of laughter that lasted for many seconds. "Oh Richard, I missed you," Grace managed to say as she held him close, her fur-covered cheek pushing lightly against his.

"I missed you too, Grace," he said while he pressed into her, relishing the softness of her fur as well as the faint aroma of the perfume she wore; it smelled like flowers to him. However, after only a few seconds of cuddling a loud gasp claimed their attention; they looked to the top of the stairs to see Anais, her eyes wide with disbelief. She watched the two, particularly Grace, astonished by her presence.

After only a few seconds the young rabbit was able to utter the words, "Granny Grace?" Her shock was clear in her tone. Eyeing the small child, Grace was soon sporting a large grin as she gently pushed her way from under Richard and stood to face the girl.

"There she is," she commented warmly. "Hi, sweetie. What's up? How's my favorite little smarty doing?" Anais's expression didn't change, her gaze never leaving the woman before her. Then, much like her father's reaction to seeing her, her face lit up with excitement and she hurried towards the cat. Grace, who had been expecting that, was quick to scoop the young genius into her arms, securing her in a tight hug as she spun around a few times.

"I can't believe you're here!" Anais said, causing her to laugh softly.

"I can't believe how big you've gotten!" was her response as she swayed the rabbit back and forth. By then Richard had gotten to his feet, now watching the scene in glee as his own excitement seemed to subside.

"I missed you, Granny Grace," informed Anais, tucking her head into the crevice of Grace's neck while her ears flattened.

"I missed you too, sweetheart." As a result she tightened the embrace and moved to lay her head against her granddaughter's. Grace was indeed the mother of Nicole Watterson, though many people found that hard to believe. She appeared to only be slightly older, which often led others to think that they were sisters. Though Grace really had several years on her daughter, the reason for her remarkably young appearance was that she lived an excessively healthy life. She dieted, exercised, and did everything she could to maintain her youth; her strong will and near inability to give in were two things Nicole had picked up from her.

After a moment of just holding her granddaughter Grace pushed her back enough to then bombard her with a slew of kisses. Anais could only laugh as she felt the feline's warm lips make repeated contact with her face. She concluded with a lengthy kiss on the cheek, moving back to examine the bunny's blissful smile. Now satisfied, Grace held Anais close once again before turning towards her father.

"Where's Nikki?" she asked, curious and hopeful.

"She's at work," Richard answered. Unfortunately summer didn't excuse adults from their jobs.

"Oh." Grace let a bit of disappointment seep into her tone, though her smile remained as she unconsciously stroked Anais's back. "What about the boys?" As if to answer her question the back door swung open and the two boys entered the house, now dry but still in their swimwear.

"Dude, we have to do that sometime this summer," Gumball told his best friend. "It's the one time we can mess with her without getting in trouble at school." Darwin stared oddly at him as they walked into the living room, then they both looked up to see a blue face that made them gasp in unison. Grace stared curiously at them, but quickly grew a smile at their surprised expressions.

"Hey, boys," she greeted as Anais looked over to them as well.

"Granny Grace?" they both harmonized, their jaws dropped slightly.

"The one and only," she confirmed. The boys could only stare at her for a while until they overcame their shock and began to beam at her.

"You're visiting?" Gumball asked, clearly thrilled.

"That's right." The two nearly gasped a second time at her answer, utter joy consuming them. Darwin was the first to react, exclaiming a loud 'yay' as he threw his fins up and rushed towards Grace. She carefully placed Anais down before kneeling to Darwin's height, allowing him to fling his arms around her as she returned the favor. With a small chuckle she stated, "Hi, Darwin," giving him a light squeeze. "It's so good to see you. How's my special little boy?"

At that Darwin moved back, staring at her with confusion and seconds later hurt. "What? ...But I thought I was your special little boy." Grace's smile briefly vanished, but then she began to laugh at his misunderstanding.

"I was talking about you, silly," she informed him, giving his nose, or rather where his nose would be, a quick poke.

"Oh." Darwin blinked a couple of times, and then his happiness returned. "In that case, he's great." Grace chuckled quietly, finding his behavior rather cute for his age. As she eyed him she didn't hesitate to take his head between her hands and plant a big kiss in the center of his cheek, which seemed to surprise him. Once she pulled back all he could do was smile gratefully at her, truly feeling special.

Grace's affectionate gaze remained on him for another few seconds before it shifted to the one grandchild she hadn't kissed yet. "And what about you?" she questioned. "How's my Gummy Bear doing?"

"Granny Grace..." Gumball tried to whine as he approached her, though it was difficult to hide that he actually liked when she called him that.

She giggled at him. "Hi, Gumball," she said while Darwin stepped aside, but once Gumball was in arm's reach she released a small gasp as she got a better look at him. Silence filled the room; she studied his features closely with astonished eyes before soon extending her paws to lightly touch his face, all the while Gumball was just giving her an awkward stare.

"Uh, Granny Grace?" he called as her fingers slid across his cheeks.

"Gumball," she managed, slightly taken aback. Her hands slowly fell from his visage. "You... You look just like your grandfather." All she could do was smile at that realization, though a hint of sadness showed in her eyes. Her spouse wasn't with them anymore, he'd died a while back when Gumball was still a toddler. It was a horrible day for them and the memory would always resurface when she looked at her oldest grandson, though with the pain there also came nostalgia.

Gumball couldn't help but smile slightly at her; he was aware of how difficult it was to lose her husband and felt really bad, but she had always told them that he was in a better place. He was fortunate, so there was no reason to cry. Still, as Gumball observed his grandmother he could faintly see the tears she was successfully holding back, but it wasn't just that. There was something else he saw, it was as though Grace had changed slightly since her last visit. Something was different.

As Gumball tried to figure out exactly what it was about Grace that had altered the others soon took notice of the quiet scene and grew tired of it. Eyes darting around, they pondered what they could say to brighten the mood, though unexpectedly it was Richard who first came up with something decent. Out of the blue he spoke up and suggested with uncertainty, "Party in Gumball and Darwin's blow-up pool?" More silence followed, though they all seemed to be considering it. After a short session of thought everyone shrugged and expressed their favor of the idea, with the exception of Richard who only beamed at their approval. "Then let's party!" he announced, rushing upstairs to change into his swimwear. Anais followed excitedly to do the same while Grace only laughed to herself as she stood.

"I've got a swimsuit in my car; I'll be right back," she told her grandsons on her way to the door. Once she was out of the house Gumball and Darwin turned to head back to their pool, smiling with anticipation.

"Dude, this is gonna be awesome!" Darwin declared as he shoved his fins in the air.

"I know," Gumball said, just before chuckling. "And Mom said we'd never have fun in such a small thing."

"Size is irrelevant to me, just look at how small my fishbowl is," the goldfish pointed out.

"Yeah, exactly," his brother agreed as they stepped outside, heading into the yard. They made their way to the small rubber pool and prepared to get back in, though Gumball came to a sudden halt when he remembered something strange. "...Hey, Darwin?" he called, confusion clear on his face. The fish had already stepped into the water, he turned around to meet the gaze of his friend.

"Yeah?" he asked curiously.

"When we were inside... did you notice something weird about Granny Grace?" Gumball asked.

"No," Darwin answered honestly. "Why?"

"It's just... Well..." He struggled to find the right words, this was entirely new to him. "...Didn't she look... really good?" His former pet fish could only blink, unsure of what he meant by that. However, before he could give any sort of answer the door swung open to reveal Richard in a large pair of green trunks. He was carrying a stereo over his shoulder that was blaring what could best be described as hip-hop.

"Let's get this party started!" he declared, heading outside with Anais close behind; she had on a baby blue one-piece with matching flip-flops. Richard placed the sound machine down by the pool, then began doing a series unnamable dance moves while his two sons only watched him. Anais was quick to kick off her flip-flops and hop into the water; it was shallow enough so that she didn't need anything to keep her afloat.

Looking between the rabbits, Gumball suddenly became curious about the whereabouts of his grandmother. "Where's Granny Grace?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

"I'm right here," said a familiar voice that claimed their attention and made them look. Gumball felt his jaw drop and his heart skip a beat when he caught sight of Grace. She stood at the doorway, wearing only a maroon-colored bikini while a paw rested on her hip, her strong gaze fixated on them. She was remarkably fit, her body developed to perfection despite the ever-increasing age factor.

Gumball found himself staring intently at her, unable to control his eyes as they studied every inch of bare fur. He felt his breathing quicken slightly while his heart raced and his cheeks became flushed, though the worst thing about it was that he had no idea why. He visibly tensed when Grace stepped into the yard, approaching them with her usual smile.

Fortunately for Gumball she only gave him a friendly gaze, then stepped into the small pool with her two other grandchildren. She sat on her knees and stroked the top of Darwin's head before sliding an arm around his fish form and pulling him close to her, which seemed to make him happy. She then secured Anais in her other arm, causing the bunny girl to close her eyes in delight as she let herself lean into her.

"This is a pretty nice pool," Grace commented. "Perfect for summer." She then noticed that Gumball was simply standing, looking in their direction. "What are you waiting for, Gummy Bear?" she asked him. "Don't you wanna get in the water with us?"

Gumball's heart sped up again at the thought of being near Grace. He didn't understand it but he somehow wanted to be close to her; it wasn't like the days when he missed her, this was more physical. "Uh, yeah," he answered, his eyes darting around nervously. "It's just that... Uh..." He desperately tried to think of an excuse, though quickly drew a blank. "...Are you sure there's room?"

Grace chuckled in response, finding his question silly. "Gumball, there's plenty of room," she told him. She then removed her arms from Darwin and Anais to spread them in the cat's direction. "Now come on, come to Grandma," she urged. He was skeptical, and honestly afraid of what would happen if he complied. His eyes still roamed her figure, occasionally returning to her face before continuing to explore her body. Without anymore excuses Gumball was forced to hesitantly approach the older woman, he turned his head to the side in an attempt to avoid looking at her.

She waited patiently while her grandson walked over, eyeing him the entire time. However, once he placed his paws against the edge of the pool and lifted a foot to get inside she unexpectedly pounced on him. They fell hard on the grass, Gumball on his back while Grace held him down by his shoulders. "Got'cha," she declared, a playfully mischievous look dominating her features.

Under normal circumstances that would've made Gumball smile, though this time he could only stare up at her in shock and embarrassment. He nearly trembled at her soft touch, but still managed to force a grin and an awkward laugh he hoped was convincing. "Yeah, you got me," he verified, which made Grace beam with satisfaction. She giggled and placed an abrupt kiss on the feline's nose, which resulted in a deep blush forming on his whiskered cheeks.

Meanwhile, in a yard just across from theirs, the rigid form of Mr. Gaylord Robinson could be seen tending to a rather well-kempt patch of roses. He cut off a stray petal with his gardening shears, watching it fall with defiance onto his neat and perfect lawn. He loved taking care of his yard, it was one of the only things he really enjoyed in his life, though this time was different. A certain party at the Watterson residence was proving to be a major annoyance. His face contorted in anger at the music they were playing, which from his perspective was nothing more than senseless noise. He was fed up, that much was obvious, and in time he found himself abandoning the option of ignoring it. He dropped his shears to the ground and made his way to the fence to look over at the family he despised so much.

His eyes briefly landed on Richard, dancing ridiculously, and then he gave them all his attention and yelled, "Would you turn that nonsensical racket down? Show a little respect for your neighbors!" The family ceased what they were doing, all turning to meet the furious gaze of their next-door neighbor. None of them spoke, partially due to how sudden his complaint was, though it was also the fact that he was slightly intimidating when he was mad. Despite that, Richard, being the man of the house, was eventually able to acquire the nerve to say something.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? I should alert the authorities for disturbing the peace you bunch of hooligans!" Gaylord threatened.

"We're just listening to music," Darwin tried to reason.

"You call that ludicrous noise music? My wife's singing sounds better!" He then went on to add as he averted his eyes, "Which is really saying something." The Wattersons were quiet at that.

"We're sorry, sir," stated a soft voice that brought Mr. Robinson's attention back to the group. His first sight was the unfamiliar face of Grace as she stood from her position on Gumball. He looked slightly confused until his expression turned to shock when she headed in his direction. "We'll turn it down right away, okay?"

At first her words didn't register to the living puppet; his gaze rapidly shifting downward, he soon found that a tiny blush had worked its way to his cheeks. He instinctively looked away, both to be gentlemanly and for the sake of his marriage. "Oh, well, uh... Alright," he muttered to her while a tense hand found its way to the back of his neck.

"Richard," Grace called as her head snapped towards him. On cue, he bent over and brought the volume down on the stereo, quieting the scene. "Is that better?" Grace asked Mr. Robinson, soon facing him again with a sincere, caring smile.

"Uh, yes... It is," he answered, still refraining from looking at her. "Thank you." Gaylord stood uncomfortably for a few seconds longer before he urged himself to leave and return to his roses. Grace felt satisfied with her actions, though the Wattersons were only stunned by how quickly the altercation had been resolved; Mr. Robinson was never so merciful in the past.

Gumball had noticed how he reacted to seeing Grace and now, honestly, he felt a little better. He wasn't the only one experiencing strange emotions around his grandmother which meant there wasn't just something wrong with him. He was relieved, yet still very confused.

"Alright. Well, now that that's taken care of, what do you say we get back to our party?" Grace then proposed.

"Yeah!" Darwin and Anais agreed while Richard also expressed his approval. In seconds they were all in the pool, with the exception of Gumball, dancing their hearts away to the soft hip-hop that was playing. The teenage cat watched them with mixed feelings, almost immediately singling out his grandma and marveling at her grace. She truly was beautiful, possibly the most stunning person he'd ever seen and he hadn't realized it until that very moment.

Then, much to his surprise, he felt his lips curl upward to form the tiniest of smiles. It was odd, but while he didn't quite understand what he was going through he couldn't deny that whatever it was actually felt sort of good. He liked looking at his grandmother, he enjoyed the sensation that shot through him whenever he would ogle her, and as long as it wasn't hurting anyone he didn't see anything wrong with it.

That realization was enough to extinguish most of Gumball's worries and allow him to make his way over to his family. He happily stepped into the pool, which could barely fit all of them in it, and then shot a grin in Grace's direction before he as well began to dance. He didn't feel nervous or awkward anymore, his feral emotions had seemingly been resolved. Now, finally, he could focus on enjoying his grandmother's visit, like he normally did.

Hours had passed since Grace's unexpected arrival; the sun had disappeared under the horizon and left the city in darkness once again. As a result the Wattersons were now inside, dressed and situated on the couch in the living room while they stared gleefully at the rambling television. It was pretty late, though Grace's daughter still hadn't made it back from her job; fortunately she had been able to whip up something nice for dinner while they awaited Nicole's return.

Contentment was all they felt, particularly Gumball; he was wielding a large grin as he huddled against his grandmother with his arms curled tightly around her. She held him in response, welcoming his affection and occasionally showing her own by nuzzling against his head and ears. It felt wonderful to him, he could hardly contain himself when her lips made contact with his fur and for a moment the awkwardness he'd encountered earlier would return, but this time it was different. Now that he wasn't ashamed of it he actually loved it.

However, there was something strange he'd noticed about the feeling. Whenever it occurred something unusual would happen to him, something he'd never experienced before; it really confused him. He found that every time he made physical contact with Grace or stared at her for long enough he would feel a sort of hardening between his legs. He had no idea what it meant, but like his fixation on his grandmother it wasn't harming anyone so he tried his best to ignore it.

In the middle of the episode of Daisy the Donkey they were watching they abruptly heard the front door open to reveal the exhausted form of Nicole. "Sorry I'm so late," she said with a sigh. "Business was high today." She shut the door behind her. They had all turned to look at her, though Grace was the first to smile at the sight of her daughter and, much to Gumball's disappointment, stand to greet her.

"Nikki!" she called. It was then that Nicole took notice of her mother's presence, which resulted in shock spreading across her features.

"Mom?" was all she could utter. Moments later Grace hurried forward to wrap her in a firm hug, her daughter's expression never changing.

"Hi, honey. Oh I missed you so much. It's really been a while, hasn't it?" At first Nicole didn't know what to say, she was in disbelief that her mother was really there, though once reality sank in she instantly took on a joyful expression and gratefully returned Grace's embrace.

"It sure has. Hi." The glee in her tone was unmistakable. "How've you been? I wasn't expecting you today, but then again I never am." Nicole pulled back to get another look at her mom, beaming brightly.

"I've been just fine, dear," Grace responded with a slight chuckle. "And I can say the same for your family." She cast a glance in their direction; they all looked content with the exception of Gumball.

"That's great, Mom," Nicole praised, reclaiming the older woman's attention. A soft smile was all she offered her daughter until seconds later when she began to lean towards her.

"Come here," she prompted, just before planting three kisses on the side of her head, which Nicole gladly accepted with an exuberant laugh.

"Mom," she playfully whined, meeting Grace's gaze for only a moment before a more serious matter came to mind. "Oh, have you all had dinner yet?" Her attention switched to the others.

"Yep!" Richard informed her.

"Granny Grace took care of it," Anais added. Nicole released a quick and relieved sigh.

"Good," she stated, and then took on a much more authoritative posture. "Because it's about time for you kids to start getting ready for bed." She was bombarded with exaggerated groans from her children, none of them wanting such a pleasant day to come to an end.

"But Mom," Anais tried.

"No buts. You need your rest and you'll have all day tomorrow to spend time with your grandmother," she reasoned. "Now upstairs." Her decision was final, it typically was, so the trio didn't have much of a choice other than to hop down from the couch and march towards the stairs. They were a tiny bit depressed that they'd have to go a whole night without their grandmother's presence, despite having spent the entire day with her. Gumball was certain that he felt the worst, after coming to terms with his newfound feelings towards Grace he found that nearly every moment he spent away from her would generate a strong sense of desire and longing. That was the drawback to his situation, while he was in total bliss around her he felt practically miserable when she was gone, but he'd have to try to get over that for the night.

Following an intermittent routine, the Watterson kids had taken turns showering, or bathing in Anais's case, before they were off to bed. The youngest of them was of course granted the privilege of going first, then it was Darwin, and last was Gumball. A refreshing shower proved to be just what he needed to relax, he was soothed by the warm water rushing continuously against his back. He'd almost completely forgotten the day's events, until out of nowhere an image of Grace popped up in his mind. He smiled to himself, feeling no shame anymore as he let himself enjoy his thoughts. He was even given an opportunity to further explore the strange hardening he'd felt earlier in the day. Gumball still didn't know what it meant but his more careless side encouraged him to shrug it off and get on with his life, it didn't seem to be anything bad.

After a slightly lengthy shower that would've been longer if not for Nicole, Gumball exited the bathroom now in his nightwear. He was sporting what had become his trademark smile over the years, a clear indication of his optimism and overall positive attitude towards life. His journey down the hall and towards his room was short and uneventful, though once he twisted the doorknob and pushed his way inside after a brief glance around he was fairly surprised to see a particular person.

"Granny Grace?" The much older woman was sitting on the bottom bunk of the massive bed; she looked over to her grandson once he stepped through the doorway.

"Hi, honey," she greeted with a wave and happiness in her tone. Meanwhile Darwin was already asleep in his fishbowl, having turned in after he finished his shower.

"What are you doing here?" Gumball questioned, lifting an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Oh, nothing much." Now it was Grace's turn to feel just a bit awkward, though not for the same reason Gumball had for most of the day. She placed a paw behind her head but managed to keep her smile. "It's just..." There was a brief moment of silence between the two. "...Would you like me to tuck you in?" Gumball hadn't been expecting that, and it showed clearly in his expression. The last time his grandmother had done that to him was when he was little, he assumed a long time ago that he'd outgrown it.

But still, as unusual as it was, he found that he was actually in favor of the idea. He liked it, he wanted Grace to put him to bed like she had in the past, with her kisses and kind words that never ceased to make him smile. He felt the edges of his lips curl upward, then moments later responded to her with a soft, "Sure, Granny Grace. I'd really like that."

She seemed quite delighted with his answer, then stood from the bed to allow him to step forward and climb onto it with gleeful anticipation. Once he was lying on his back she got to work, covering him up and tucking him in just as she had many years ago. As part of the procedure she concluded with two soft kisses to his cheek and forehead, pulling back only a couple of inches to stare lovingly into his eyes. "Good night, Gumball," she said to him quietly.

"Good night, Granny Grace." Gumball could hardly contain himself, he was almost lost in the emotions erupting within him, mesmerized by his grandmother's actions as well as her alluring eyes and general beauty. He didn't want her to leave him, not even for just a few hours, or minutes, or ever. Then a possibility came to him, causing him to blush slightly at what he was thinking. He averted his eyes from the woman standing over him, and before even giving it much thought he uttered to her, "Granny Grace?"

"Hm? What is it, sweetheart?"

It took a while for Gumball to get his words out, he was feeling nervous again like he had much earlier, but he didn't believe Grace would judge him for what he was about to propose. He was her little Gummy Bear, how could she? "Can you uh..." He struggled to meet her curious gaze, a difficult task, but after some mental reassuring he was finally able to manage it. "Can you sleep with me?" Quietness followed his question with the exception of the very light snoring of Darwin in his fishbowl.

Grace's eyes had widened a little at his request, she'd never expected him to want such a thing, not now that he'd grown so much. She loved to slumber with her grandchildren and had honestly been disappointed the day that Gumball stopped asking her to do that with him, but now a morsel of hope was beginning to awaken within her. Maybe he hadn't grown out of all the childish habits she'd come to adore in him.

Now Grace was smiling, she didn't say a word as she proceeded to remove her treasured vest and toss it onto the upper bunk. Then with a gentle hand she gripped the covers and moved them aside, allowing her to position herself on the bed next to Gumball, who scooted away to make some space for her. In no time they were both covered up, and after a second of getting comfortable their eyes met once again. Grace stared mutely at her grandson, letting it show in her deep blue orbs just how happy she was to be there with him. This happiness was contagious, Gumball was moments later smiling brightly at his feline grandparent, his blush disappearing as he was quickly put at ease.

Grace loved to see her grandkids smile; simultaneously they both slid their arms around each other for one more tight embrace. "I love you, Gummy Bear," she whispered in his ear, holding him close while she let her head rest tenderly against his.

"I love you too, Granny Grace." His eyes shut as he snuggled into her, her bosom acting as a sort of pillow for the preteen. He felt as though he was in heaven, free from the stress and torment of his everyday life; none of it mattered to him anymore. Grace was there, and as long as she was with him everything would be alright. She would never wrong him, never break his ego or bring him pain, and she would never give him up. He was hers, and that's just the way he liked it.