What Was She Like?
By The Firebending Frog
Disclaimer:
I do not own Adventure Time, this is a fanwork and has no canonical relation to the original content.
A weak wind rustled the leaves of the tree house creating a melodious noise that pierced the silence. It helped a little. Finn the human boy was lying in his bed just staring at the ceiling while letting the noise distract his unusually empty mind, thoughts seemed to escape his grasp in every way, shape, and form. This day always bothered him but he at least usually felt something. Something at least. He was so blank in mind he didn't even care as Jake walked in and stood next to his bed.
"Finn, we agreed not to mope on this day! We agreed after the first anniversary, you know what moping does to you!" Jake shouted looking worried, Finn just continued to stare at the ceiling, "Come on man, Mom and Dad wouldn't approve of this and you know that!"
"What was she like?" Finn asked while staring directly at the ceiling.
"Who? Are you talking about Princess Bubblegum again? You know that's over right?" Jake asked while Finn sat up and stared at the wall.
"No, my mom." Finn sighed looking very lost.
"Pssh she hunted monsters man, you remember that... Please tell me you remember that." Jake continued.
"No Jake, my real mom, the one that liked... Martin..." Finn hissed his father's name coming off his tongue like acid. His eyes narrowed as if the word was a curse and the only word to describe a vile object.
"Well he wasn't much help remember, he's a loser and everything he says is probably a lie." jake stated as Finn stood up and walked off his bed climbing down the ladder while Jake followed watching him with worry, "No one knows that story man, not even Bubblegum, and she's old too."
Finn stopped and sighed looking deep in thought, way too deep in thought, his happy bounciness was missing and was instead replaced with a very sorry attitude. He sat down at the table looking upset with a massive frown. A vile radiance from him told Jake his mood really quickly.
"Can I do anything-" jake started.
"No." Finn interrupted opting for the complete silence that he seemed to want to encase himself in. Jake just stared while BMO approached and stared with him. The two just stared at him blinking occasionally while looking like they'd jump off a bridge if Finn told them to.
"What's wrong with Finn?" BMO asked breaking the silence.
"He's all upset for some reason because he doesn't know who his mom is and why she abandoned him in the woods, it may not even be a good reason either." jake explained while BMO blinked and stared at Finn, "Martin wasn't exactly a ideal parent if you remember."
"I can hear you." Finn commented from the other side of the room.
"OOOH! OOOH! Why don't we make up a story!" BMO shouted jumping up and down in excitement, Jake frowned and shot BMO a nasty look.
"That's not nice BMO, Imagine if I made up stories about Mo." Jake growled crossing his arms.
"But then we can have something to pretend is real! Would you rather have Finn sad or laughing at how bad we are at stories?" BMO asked.
"I don't know..." Jake trailed looking at Finn who was blinking every sew seconds and staring at the two overhearing every single word they said.
"I don't mind that." Finn commented.
"Oh... Okay then..." Jake trailed, "Here goes... The story of how your mother abandoned you!"
Jake's Story
Maria Mertins walked back into the camp and narrowed her eyes upon laying sight on the baby of camp... Martin...
Why is my mom named Maria?
Zip it Finn!
One look at the guy and she wanted nothing more than to hit him with a stick. When they'd met he'd been such a charmer but almost as soon as she'd realized she was with child he had become a lazy man who ordered everyone around. Everyone had to do their part except him because he was "Making Rations." Which basically meant he did nothing but stuff his face and sleep and make sure everyone was malnourished.
Martin was basically their leader, he would choose when they packed up camp and choose when they stayed somewhere. He was the last to realize food was scarce in an area so they usually went a week or two starving before Martin decided it was time to move. All ten of them. Well soon to be eleven. Maria found it hard to believe the baby in her stomach was also his, she just prayed to glob that the baby didn't turn out to be anything like him. If the fat oaf had noticed the lack of food when it had run out maybe they wouldn't be starving and maybe they'd be in a new location by the time the baby arrived but Maria's swollen stomach was about ready to pop. Everyone had told her to stop collecting firewood ages ago but someone had to pick up the slack. unfortunately everyone started to imitate Martin when they were hungry.
To prove a point Maria walked straight up to Martin and stood in the light blocking his face with a decent sized pile of wood clutched in her hands.
"H-hey Maria!" Martin greeted with a laugh, "Now if you don't mind keep standing there, the light's been bothering me for hours dear. I still feel sick from that chicken last week."
"That was over a MONTH AGO!" Maria yelled dumping the wood all over him and making him squirm and complain, "You're the one bothering me!"
"Now that's just the baby making you talk again." Martin interrupted completely changing the subject and making her the villain again, "You know your child is due any day now, you should be resting, let someone else pick up the slack."
"Our child." Maria corrected quite angrily, Martin had a nasty habit of basically acting like he wasn't the father when it was really painfully clear he was. Either he wanted nothing to do with it or he was dealing with it in a strange way. Maria really hoped it was the second one. Martin stood for what seemed like the first time all day judging by how wrinkled his clothing was. That would be a pain to get rid of, and guess who was in charge of washing clothes?
"Yes, yes, Our Child." Martin nodded saying the word Our almost sarcastically and taking her hand, he gently helped her down next to old man Jenkins who looked like he might die where he sat and no one would notice the difference. Maria couldn't help but notice that the fire hadn't had any wood added since she left camp that morning. Either people were that hungry or they were that lazy. What would they do without her.
Martin began to rub her shoulders releasing tension, he always used to do this sort of thing before she told him she was pregnant. It seemed the moment the treatment ended she became aware of just how much work he made her do hiding it behind the gentle care he used to give her. of course it was all a ruse meant to captivate her and make her not want to call him out on his flaws, he hated that so much.
"I just want you to be ready to be a father Martin Mertins." Maria explained making sure to emphasis his name so he knew who she was talking about, "I don't want you sitting around camp and providing a negative example."
"No not at all, I just need to shake this food poisoning and I'll be back on my feet and going back to finding us a perfect settlement that will be safe from demonic bears. Speaking of which..." martin trailed reaching behind his back and pulling out a strange looking piece of headwear. It was basically the skinned head of the demonic bear they'd run into a while back, Maria remembered killing, skinning, and cooking it for everyone. She had been the one to cut out the face and wear it like a hat to make Martin laugh. It hadn't occurred to her that he'd saved it. Maybe he wasn't so bad afterall.
he simple gesture seemed to pacify Maria and she smiled before standing up and walking into one of the tents so she could lie down.
"I thought you got rid of that there hat Martin." One of the men around the fire stated.
"Meh." martin shrugged, "It keeps her happy to know I keep some stuff, Now Maria is out of commission which one of you is cooking dinner?"
A collective groan was his only response.
Leaves rustled on the trees as everyone slept peacefully, not a single sound pierced the night beyond the leaves. Moonlight flittered down through the open doors of the tents and shone on random body parts illuminating them. This was not to last though.
"OOOH!" Maria shouted sitting up and pausing, the pain had vanished just as quickly as it had arrived. peggy Sue cracked an eye open and stared at her almost suspiciously from the other side of the tent, "... Sorry I thought the baby was- ... ARRRGH! THE BABY'S COMING!"
"THE BABY'S COMING?!" Peggy sue yelped jolting up and dashing out of the tent as quickly as humanly possible leaving maria alone and in pain, her water just newly broken and her... Er... area throbbing.
Jake!
Quit interrupting Finn! This is just getting good!
Time seemed to whiz by between contractions but eventually Peggy Sue returned with old Winova.
How come they all have names all of a sudden?
"Settle down dearie." Winova warned, "You must remain calm."
"I'M CALM!" Maria shouted looking wild and crazy.
"Good dear, see how much that helps?" The senile woman asked with a coy smile.
"I'll go get Martin." Peggy stated rushing away to go wake Martin despite the hour. He could be grumpy all he wanted but all Maria wanted to do right now was rip him a new one.
Peggy didn't return that night and Martin never showed his face, not even once. For once Maria felt like she needed him. The beautiful dawn she could see outside the tent didn't help much, and neither did the fact Winova kept falling asleep only to be woken by Maria screaming again in pain. Time rushed by and everyone stopped by in random intervals but not Martin and neither Peggy Sue. Maria would have worried but all she could picture was the two kissing somewhere in her crazy state of pain. But almost as soon as noon settled the baby finally arrived and the pain stopped. Maria just sighed in relief as Winova handed her the squishy blonde baby wrapped in a stitched up blanket made from cowhide.
It was a few days before Maria could even work up the energy to get up. People brought her food and water for the first few days but eventually the supplies stopped coming. After two days of no signs from anyone Maria stood up and wrapped the baby up as best she could in the blanket and covered his ears up with the dead demon bear hat. it was way too big but it kept his face warm. She stepped out into the light and looked around but to her disbelief everyone was gone, even Martin. Her tent fluttered in a cold fall wind and a fire that hadn't been touched in days left not even a hint of warmth.
"She searched for weeks for a safe place to hide from the monsters that plagued the night and eventually she had no choice but to abandon the baby on a leaf in the forest..." Jake concluded before growing a wry smile, "... Then he went boom boom on a leaf and was found by a pair of dogs."
"JAKE!" Finn shouted his face turning scarlet.
"BOO!" BMO shouted, "BMO wanted a happy ending!"
"Well, we all know it wasn't a happy ending." jake retorted before turning to Finn, "There, it was all your dad's fault."
"... BOO!" Finn shouted and BMO joined in before the two started to laugh.
"Like you could do any better." Jake grumbled crossing his arms.
"OOH! BMO will try!" BMO shouted jumping up and down, "Once upon a time in a land far, far away..."
Thanks for reading.