Doctor Princess stood outside of the lab-turned-hospital, speaking in hushed tones with the worried Princess Bubblegum.

"Based on a quick examination of the patient, you did an excellent job of keeping her stable," the doctor said. "As a Vampire, it's impossible to kill her without the use of a ceremonial stake, but whoever did this sure came close. Did you catch the aggressor?"

"No," Princess Bubblegum replied. "We think it was her boyfriend, Ash. He was always cruel to her, but she loved him, or at least she tried to convince herself that she did. I begged her to leave him and come to the castle, but she refused. I assumed that he discovered her pregnancy and tried to kill her or the child. Maybe both."

"I would say your right," Doctor Princess said sadly.

"If it's not too much trouble, would you consider staying the night?" Princess Bubblegum asked. "In case there are complications?"

"Sure, Princess," the doctor replied.

"Wonderful! I put Finn and Jake up in my room for the night. They're the ones who brought Marceline in. I'm going to stay with Marceline, and I'll have Peppermint Butler fix up the guest room for you. Have you seen him?" Princess Bubblegum looked around for her servant.

"No," Doctor Princess answered. "After he dropped me off here, he left."

"Oh, no matter," the candy princess said, puzzled. "Come with me, I'll get you settled in."

Princess Bubblegum showed Doctor Princess to the guest room and gave her a pair of pajamas. After she was sure that her guest was comfortable, she went back to her lab. She dragged a recliner from its spot near her bookshelf to Marceline's cot, and settled in for the night. The princess gently took the vampire queen's cold hand and held it against her warm, pink face.

"Oh Marceline," Princess Bubblegum whispered as a single tear slipped from her eye.

She was reminded of her adolescence, and the time she had spent with Marceline as they both struggled to find an identity in the shadows of their fathers' influence. Before long, Princess Bubblegum's thoughts had turned to the many hot summer nights Marceline had spent in her bed: their bodies pressed together, her hand wrapped in the Vampire's hair, and an almost palpable sense of content in the air. They had found happiness in each other, until that is, the Candy King had found out about the relationship.

He had banished Marceline from the kingdom and forbade Princess Bubblegum from seeing her again. Marceline had begged the princess to disobey her father so that they could run away together, but she refused. Her father's health was failing, and he had begun the process of handing the kingdom over to his daughter. Marceline had still refused to accept that the relationship was over and, in a moment of anger that she had regretted for years, Princess Bubblegum had told her former lover that the Candy Kingdom was the only thing that mattered to her, and that she never wanted to see her, or any Vampires, again.

Marceline had run away and not returned to the Candy Kingdom for many years. Upon her return, Princess Bubblegum was heartbroken to find that she was still bitter about the fight, and in no mood to rebuild the friendship they had lost. Over time, Marceline's anger had waned, and the two women formed an uneasy bond. It was a poor replacement for what they had shared during their youth, but it was better than the uncomfortable silence they had shared before.

Marceline had even come to Princess Bubblegum one night, her eyes tired and her hands shaking, for advice about the precarious relations between her kingdom and the Flame people. Rather than advising her, the princess had led her to the bed and undressed her, slowly, savoring the moment because she knew in her heart that it wouldn't last, couldn't last. She was tracing her lips along Marceline's stomach when she felt a hand gently push her away.

"No," Marceline had whispered, choking back tears. "That time's over. We can't go back. I-I have to go."

That had been the last time Marceline had visited the castle. Shortly thereafter, Ash had moved in with her and rumors had begun to spread about the queen who often gave slurred speeches from behind dark sunglasses and long sleeves in an attempt to hide the bruises that dotted her pale skin. Princess Bubblegum had sent a few of her best spies to Marceline's home, where they had taken pictures that showed the queen's alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the near torture that Ash put her through every day. Princess Bubblegum had offered to help Marceline, but she was still as stubborn and prideful as ever. She had sent the princess away, a bottle of vodka in her hand, and a sad smirk on her face.

Princess Bubblegum forced herself to stop reliving the past. She reluctantly let go of Marceline's hand and wiped the tears from her face. She closed her eyes, settled back into the recliner, and was sound asleep within seconds.

Outside of her castle, hidden behind a tall hedge, Ash lay in wait. He was studying the banana guards and trying to find a way to get into the castle. He had nearly settled on using a spell to immobilize the guards and then walking right into the castle through the front door, but he couldn't make himself take the first steps. The courage he had felt just a few minutes ago in the tavern was now gone, along with much of the rage he had felt towards Marceline. He was, in fact, starting to regret what he had done to her. Deep down, Ash loved Marceline, but his love was overshadowed by his need for power. The promise of becoming the Vampire King was too great to ignore.

Ash planned on finding Marceline and taking her to the small, dingy apartment that he and Peppermint Butler used as a base of operations. Once she was there, he assumed that his co-conspirator would know what to do. Either way, Ash was confident that Marceline would once again forgive him, even for his latest transgression. After she had time to forget about what had happened, he would ask for her hand in marriage. It was at this point that Ash and Peppermint Butler disagreed: Peppermint Butler wanted to kill Marceline, and Ash wanted to simply strip her of her powers. Ash liked the idea of keeping a powerless Marceline around; he enjoyed the sex and, occasionally, the companionship that she offered. Maybe, after the crown was firmly in his, and Peppermint Butler's, control, he would even allow her to carry his child. It might be nice to have a son.

Ash rose to his feet and pulled his wand from his pocket. Pointing it at the banana guards, he whispered "Guardicus stunicus!" Every banana guard in the kingdom fell to the ground, alive but immobile. Ash slipped his wand into the waistband of his pants, and walked to the heavy, candy-studded doors. He turned the knob, and silently pushed the door open. Slowly, trying not to make much noise, he began searching the castle for his girlfriend. Before long, he nearly ran into a stout cinnamon roll who was carrying tea from the royal kitchen to his room.

"Listen, buddy," Ash said as he pinned the Cinnamon Bun to the wall, "I need you to stay quiet and tell me where Marceline is."

"Who's that?" Cinnamon Bun asked.

"Ugh…She's….Look, just tell me if there's an infirmary? Somewhere that they would keep a sick person?"

"Oh," Cinnamon Bun said, "uhh, Princess Bubblegum's lab! It's down the hall and to the right."

"Thanks. Now be good and go back to bed. Don't tell anyone you saw me, okay?"

"Okay," Cinnamon Bun replied. He turned and continued his way, oblivious to the damage he had just done.

Ash started to put his wand away, but decided that he may need it. He walked carefully to Princess Bubblegum's lab, his heart pounding. He stood in front of the lab's door for a moment, collecting his nerves. When he gathered the courage, he opened the door stepped into the darkened room. After his eyes adjusted, Ash looked around, his eyes settling on Marceline. He hadn't expected to see her hooked to any machines, and for a fleeting moment he wished again that he had never hurt her. His regret quickly turned to panic when he realized that getting Marceline away from the castle would be a much more difficult task then he had originally thought.

Ash went over to the bed, tiptoeing past the sleeping princess. He lifted Marceline's arm and began to pull out the first IV. He was so focused on removing the tubes from his girlfriend's arms that he didn't hear Princess Bubblegum jolt awake behind him.

"Guards!" She yelled. "Finn! Jake! Intruder!"

Ash was startled by the sudden screaming, and he ripped the second IV from Marceline's arm roughly. He was reaching for the breathing tube when Princess Bubblegum roared and jumped on his back. She pounded her small fist into his head, but she was ineffective against the wizard. He threw her off his back and, with a flick of his wand, pinned her against the wall with an invisible barrier. He turned back to Marceline, but was once again interrupted when Finn and Jake burst through the door.

Finn charged at Ash, his sword in front of him.

"I'll kill you!" he yelled.

Ash dodged Finn's sword and pointed his wand at the hero. Finn swung his sword towards Ash's outstretched arm, knocking the wand away and sending the spell intended for him ricocheting across the room and towards Jake. The second that the wave of magic hit Jake's chest, he fell on the floor, paralyzed. Finn looked at his friend, then at Ash's wand, then back at Jake.

Finn and Ash dove for the wand at the same time, but Finn grabbed it first, and snapped the thin piece of wood in half. Ash growled and pinned Finn to the ground by his neck with both hands, strangling the young hero. Finn's vision was getting fuzzy when Ash was thrown off of him by a pink blur. It was Princess Bubblegum; when the wand had broken, the invisible barrier pinning her to the wall disappeared.

Ash was physically stronger than the princess, but she was determined to save her friends. She managed to pin Ash to the floor, but knew that she couldn't hold him down for long. She looked wildly around the room, her eyes finally settling on the hypodermic needle resting on the table next to Marceline's cot. She had laid it out earlier in the night in case Marceline had went into shock, and had forgot to put it away once her condition was stabilized.

Princess Bubblegum reached for the needle while concentrating on keeping Ash subdued. There was a brief and terrifying moment when the princess thought that it was out of her reach, but she stretched a little further and was able to pick it up. She raised it high above her head and tried to plunge it into Ash's neck, but he pushed her away, ran to the open window, and was out of sight in seconds.

Princess Bubblegum dropped her makeshift weapon in disgust, and looked down at the now tattered nightgown she was wearing. She looked around the room, slowly taking in the destruction Ash had caused. Fluid from Marceline's IV was leaking on the floor, mingling with the blood from her arm. Finn was rubbing his bruised throat and kneeling over his Jake. And Jake was lying on the floor, his eyes half open, smiling weakly at Finn.

"It'll be okay, buddy," the dog said, closing his eyes.

The scene in front of her was too much for Princess Bubblegum to take in. She ran into the hallway screaming for someone, anyone, to help her.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I am very interested in hearing your reviews, constructive criticism, and thoughts on the direction the story should take.