A Dark Angel

Chapter 3: Unwanted Company

Once outside and in the carriage, she felt heaviness in the air. It wasn't like before, but it didn't feel like it was going to rain. It was like a pair of eyes were watching Bonnibel. It was a discomfort she wished she didn't know. In the pit of her stomach, she knew it had something to do with that that boy said only fifteen minutes prior. But they soon were on the road, back to her castle, where Kitty was running things with a huge help from her butler.

'I'm beginning to dread going home now...' Her depressed mind took over as she drifted off to sleep.

~;~

It was the late afternoon, maybe early evening, when Bonnibel Bubblegum arrived home. She did not really remember much of it since she was asleep. Her mind was just exhausted from all the work with her corporation and of course, Marceline. From the moment she opened her eyes, she remembered everything that had transpired and could feel herself get physically ill from grief. She hated this feeling and it would often happen when Bonnie was under extreme stress like she was as of late.

She didn't even remember getting out of the carriage or creeping into the house. Her servants could have been speaking to her but she was so oblivious to her surroundings that she didn't acknowledge them. It wasn't until Kitty said her name a thousand times did she become conscious.

"Ms. Bubblegum?"

"Uh, yeah?" Her response wasn't the normal one you'd hear from a princess.

A little shocked, Kitty said, "Um, well I was keeping busy with all your clients today and some of them called asking for you. I wrote down their names, orders, and their number so you'd contact them tomorrow. I also took the liberty of cleaning your desk by organizing files." She gestured her hand to point to her desk and handed Bonnibel the paper with all her client's info.

She had been so out of it that she didn't even realize they were in the doorway of her office. Bonnibel was silent for a minute or two before responding. When she glanced over at her assistant, she could tell she was shaking in her boots.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Don't be anxious, you didn't do anything wrong. I appreciate this; thank you Kitty." She took the paper from her hand and looked over it. "Ugh, the Peppermen's always call me about the same order every time and I still don't know why." Kitty laughed, "Yeah, when they called, the man sounded so angry when I said you weren't in. He gave me an ear full about how a business should be ran. I just reassured him you'd call him tomorrow." Bonnie started giggling, like she hadn't genuinely done in years. "Oh my gosh, yes! He's always like that with everyone on the phone except me and whenever I would mention his rudeness he'd lie to me and say he wasn't. I just think he's scared or something." Kitty just smiled.

The eighteen year old started to walk into her office as she gestured her hand to allow Kitty to enter.

Her assistant was very surprised at her leader's attitude today. She knew she wasn't herself, but she didn't know if it was a bad thing or not. 'We haven't had conversation like this since we were kids. I guess we're technically still kids, but not really.' The blonde woman broke her thoughts, "So has everything aside from Mr. Peppermen, been going smoothly today in my absence?"

"Yes ma'am," stated firmly.

Bonnibel's eyes wondered over to the documents on her desk. She saw the ones she'd been trying to ignore for a week now. Her smile quickly dissipated and she just sat at her desk staring at the papers. Kitty noticed this immediately. She too had been avoiding the matter since she knew how much it unsettled her boss.

"I don't want to speak for things that are none of my business, but we have to submit those papers this week Ms. Bubblegum, "she was in fear of being put in her place.

Shockingly, Bonnibel responded softly, "I just don't want to Kitty. I know it's in our Kingdom's best interest, but I just don't want that treaty to involve sacrificing the one thing I still have for my own." Her friend didn't really understand what she entirely meant, but she did know what her leader would have to do. The contents of those documents would change the whole game of her parent's and Bonnie's corporation. Kitty said nothing.

"But this isn't about what I want; it's about the corporation my parents left for me. My family for generations has wanted to collaborate with Cocoa-Delights. If I can do that, then would my life have been worthy?" She rambled.

Kitty became very worried over her boss, "Bonnibel, your whole life has more purpose than just for this company. If this isn't something you truly believe in, then don't do it. You do have a say in this. Your parents can't control what you do anymore." She spoke so very out of line. But Bonnie just smiled.

"You remind me of someone," she laughed softly, "you're right. However, you can't think of yourself in business. Feelings will get hurt and promises will be broken if it is for the sake of the business. Thank you though, I'm glad you see things that way."

"Um, well, you're welcome I guess," she laughed nervously.

Bonnibel picked up the documents and reread every word.

Dear Miss Bonnibel Bubblegum,

This is a handwritten document to demonstrate the extreme importance of this matter. I appreciate everything that you do for your corporation and I would ravish in the idea of partnering with you. I, now the leader of Cocoa-Delights, would adore your company with my company. Combining our companies would be beneficial for not just you, but both of us plus all of our smaller branches. We can create a new world of sweets!

By doing this however, requires the ultimate commitment in anyone's lifetime. However, in doing so, we'll forever contract the two industries into one. We would be able to make more people happy and combine opposite ends of the kingdom could finally unite, but of course, that is only the beginning.

I hope to hear from you soon my sweet,

Mr. Gumball.

The other documents are printed and are the legalities of this arrangement. Bonnibel truly hated this, and it wasn't because he was a horrible man, it was because her heart had already been taken from someone else. She dreaded the thought of being in a loveless marriage with a kindhearted man. But alas, the future was near.

"You may be dismissed now Ms. Gummybear. I'll ring you if I need anything else," She ordered.

Kitty bowed and then wearily exited the room without another word.

~;~

Hours had passed since Bonnibel arrived home. She ate dinner and was about to wash up before bed. After a long and stressful day, she needed a relaxing hot shower to help unwind. But relaxation was far away from her wake as her mind was dark. She stared directly into her mirror and observed her naked body. She could see all her naturally human insecurities. Practically being a royal figure in a kingdom of superficial adults, it was hard not to be self-conscious. Her mirror had a beautifully golden incrusted border. Her whole castle was this elegant, and sometimes placed next to it, she felt less valuable. She placed her small hands over her breasts and wished they were more womanly. She gently placed her nipples between her pointer and index finger while wondering why she was cursed with a small frame. She looked nothing like her ravishing mother. She then gradually placed her hands over her stomach and hip areas. She lacked an hourglass body, and she hated it.

"I'll never be a beautiful queen-image like my mother," she spoke softly to herself. On days like these where Bonnibel was already having a terrible day, she self-loathed.

She decided to stop looking at herself, walked away from her mirror, and stepped into the bathtub. She turned the showerhead and faced the hot water. She let tears stream down, as she wanted to forget her constant stress and frustration. "I'm pathetic," she spat. She really wanted to scream but she feared her staff would hear and come rushing in. Bonnibel didn't want that.

Suddenly she felt a breeze. She froze from fear; her bathroom window must have opened. From the angle where the bath was placed, she could not see the window. That was the price to pay for having an oversized bathroom. The eighteen year old thought of every possible scenario that could happen and while she should fear them, she guiltily wanted everything to end. If she was killed or kidnapped, it'd be a blessing in disguise. She stood there, wide-eyed, awaiting her fate, but what she heard was far more worse than death.

"Bonnie?" The woman's voice pierced her eardrums.

No, please no, don't be real.

"I really hope that's you in there and not some other woman," She teased with a laugh in her voice.

She started crying again and wished she'd vanish. Bonnibel knew for a fact that as soon as she saw her face, she'd jump back into her arms like a lost puppy dog. I'm going to try and resist. The emotionally distraught woman began to become weak kneed and prompted to get into a fetal position in the shower. She froze once more when she heard the shower curtain shift.

"Bonnie?" Her voice painted in concern.

It was returned with silence. All you could hear was the sound of the shower running.

The distressed eighteen year old gradually started to move her head in the direction the voice was coming from. Marceline, she thought, feeling defeated.

Marceline's big red eyes stared at her with so much concern. It took Bonnibel way back to when they were kids. The raven-haired girl came back to visit every weekend after their first encounter. But that all stopped when Bonnie turned 10. She just stopped showing up. She would just stand there on the balcony, waiting, for hours; every single weekend until the day her parents died.

"Don't look at me like that," she sneered angrily, "you disgusting creature. How dare you show up after so many years to then just leave again?" Bonnie stood up in the shower and just glared at her old friend. Marceline took a few steps back.

"Bonnie…" She shook her head disheartened.

"Do you have any idea how much that hurt me? I waited every day for you until my parents died. I've been so lonely after that, and you didn't even come see me after they died. I knew you knew too, because it made national news. But y'know what they didn't say though? They didn't just die, they were murdered. Detectives still have no idea who did it. And you know what? You weren't there for me. I bottled it all up for years, and now you've completely broken me after you showed up last week after years of abandoning me…" Bonnie poured her emotions out so quickly she wasn't even aware of what she was all spewing out.

Marceline started to get teary eyed; she was dreadfully guilty.

"Say something!" She screamed, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.

But silence just continued. Bonnibel stepped out of the tub without even cleansing herself, wrapping herself up with a towel, and walking passed Marceline.

"If you're not going to speak to me then please exit my dwelling. I can't be pained to look to look at you any further." She spoke coldly.

"I can't give you the answers you want Bonnie…" she choked.

Without turning back around to look at her, "then why are you here?"

"I am truly sorry," she started to whimper.

The soaked girl grew infuriated from those words. She turned back around to face the guilty, but when she did, she could see a silently sobbing Marceline. Snot ran down from both her nostrils as she carelessly cried. Bonnibel's face became less coldhearted and melted into genuine concern.

"Marcy…" She took a few steps closer to her. She placed the back of her hand onto her old friend's cheek. By her surprise, her friend didn't smack her hand away like all those times before as kids.

Marceline opened her eyes from sobbing and passionately looked at Bonnie like she had done all those years ago. She quickly grabbed her blonde friend into a tight hug while continuing to sob into her friend's shoulder. Bonnibel gradually placed her arms and hands on her back.

Before the blonde-haired woman could say anything, Marcy choked out, "don't apologize."

It's like she knew I was going to say it… Bonnibel thought as she rubbed her old friend's back in comfort. This isn't exactly how I thought things would go.

"I-I've mi-ssed you s-so muc-hh m-more than y-you could-d e-ever kno-w," Marceline strengthened her grip around Bonnie.

She was surprised to hear this because after all these years she just thought Marceline didn't want to be with her anymore. That's what always stung the most. Bonnibel always blamed herself for what happened, and she still does but—She still wants to be a part of my life. But why this time around?

A/N's: Hello readers, I know it's been a VERY long time, but I'm back and prepared to stay! I promise you that. I already have the next chapter outlined.

So what did you think of this chapter? I'm not sure if you guys noticed but I edited the previous chapters and added some small things. Anywho, tell me your thoughts c: