The Waterson family had made their way home. Richard got out of the driver seat while Nicole opened the door, holding a leash. Darwin and Anais both got out from opposite sides while Gumball, who could not stop glaring at Darwin, jumped out of the middle seat and landed on all fours. While Richard picked up Anais from the back driver side of the vehicle, Darwin remained standing next to the car. He did not feel like wanting to walk any closer to Gumball, who was sitting obediently on the sidewalk next to Nicole. As Richard made his way around with his daughter, Nicole just stared down at her son, who was now busy licking his arm (or shirt for that matter).
"This feels so wrong," said Nicole with sorrow to match her feelings. "This is my son after all, not a pet." She just frowned in disappointment as she stared down at him. Richard could see that she was upset. Richard felt the exact same as she did, but he refused to express it. For as vacuous as he was, he always found a way to be optimistic about everything. He figured it was better to be blissful than cynical, and he hoped he could inspire his wife to feel the same.
"I'm sure he won't be like this forever honey," he said with a smile and a tone of optimism. "The doctors there said that all we need to do is reintroduce Gumball to society. Which does remind me, can we have ribs for dinner?" Nicole questioned him.
"Richard, how does that relate with recivilizing Gumball?"
"Well he's probably not going to get the handle of silverware yet, so I figured finger food would be a good start. Ribs are just what I'm in the mood for." Despite the logic he actually had in his reasoning, it just made her upset with him.
"How can you even think about food when our son can't even walk on his own two feet?" Before Richard could speak, Anais budged in.
"Well Dad does have the right idea. If Gumball's ever going to become better, we can't just expect him to get everything; we'll have to do this in baby steps." Darwin decided to walk in closer to everyone, looking frightful as before.
"I don't know if I can help you guys," he said. "You saw what he tried to do at the hospital; he think I'm food, look." He extended his fin out closer to Gumball, who looked up from his licking and snarled at Darwin.
"hhheee" he exhaled quietly, shooting his cat eyes straight into the depth of Darwin's soul. He snapped his arm back real quick and raised a leg with his body twisted.
"See? He doesn't even remember me." Darwin started to feel a heaviness in his heart. Gumball cared more about him than anyone else he knew, and now that he was gone, he felt more alone than ever. Despite that his adoptive family was around him, he couldn't help but feel like he was secluded now. The thought started to make him produce tears as he sniffled. Nicole, thinking he was upset with Gumball's behavior instead of his actual loneliness, got down on one knee and rested her spare paw in head.
"I know you're worried that Gumball doesn't trust you, Darwin," she said as sympathetically as she could. "But I'm sure that he'll eventually come back around. We just need to-"
"RA-a-HANN" shouted Gumball, who jumped right over his Mom's head and pounced Darwin from above. Before the orange goldfish could even react, he was shot straight to the ground. He let out a scream of fear that instantly transitioned to pain. Despite that he had his claws removed, Gumball still had his teeth, and sank them once more into Darwin's side. He was only on Darwin for a second when Nicole grabbed Gumball's tail and, thinking in the moment, raised him up and held him upside-down. The pink bunnies took a step back against the car while Darwin was starting to cry.
"GUMBALL!" Nicole shouted with anger as she looked at her son's head, which was with eye level of her rainbow button. "You need to learn to control yourself this instant!" The young cat looked at her with shock. He couldn't understand why she was shouting at him. "Why would you hurt your own brother? That's not ok!" The more her voice elevated, the more the outside of his face sank with shame. Anais pulled herself out of her father's grasp and walked to Darwin, looking up at her mom as she spoke.
"He probably thought you were in danger, Mom." She put her left paw over Darwin's new bite wound and rubbed it, hoping the comfort would stop his cries. "Or he could have also have gotten jealous." She directed her attention back on him and tried hugging him. It was difficult with him lying on the sidewalk, so she decided to just throw her arms over his side, doing the best she could to just give him her sympathy. Nicole glanced back Gumball and twisted him right side up.
"Well then, I think the first thing he needs to learn," she said, narrowing her eyes in despise of his attitude, "is to know how to treat his family." She put him back down on the ground, to which he just kept his focus on her. She turned towards the others with Gumball left to face her back. "Richard, go get the first aid pack out of the kitchen, as well as a pot and wooden spoon." He held up a hand in solute.
"Right away Nicole," with courage in his heart and a willingness to feel helpful. He ran into the house and through the front door. Darwin no longer whined, but he was still crying with tears coming out. Anais got up off of his side and looked up at her mom.
"What are you gonna do?" she inquired with an eyebrow raided. Nicole looked sternly at her, but directed her attention back on Gumball below, sitting there with his butt to the ground and in wolf stature.
"A little tough love, Anais. That's what's going to happen." Richard came out of the house behind them, smiling and happy to help.
"Here you are: first aid and a pot with a spoon." Nicole exchanged the leash with Richard without even warning him, taking the first aid pack from one hand. Richard looked nervous to be handling the leash to Gumball. He was scared he would attack him too. While Nicole marched away towards Darwin on the ground, Richard turned to face Gumball below. To his surprise, Gumball wasn't doing anything. He did shoot him a dirty look of contempt, worrying Richard greatly (but still smiling with his exposed teeth to look passive), but he just sat there looking up at him. Richard tried figuring out why he wasn't trying to attack him, knowing he could be food to Gumball as well. He suddenly thought he figured it out.
"Oh, I get it," he said with a smirk and a prideful voice, "You know I'm your father and so you aren't attacking me like your mother. I knew you were coming around ol' son of mine." Gumball said nothing as he just stared at him. The reality of it was that Richard was so fat, it made him look bigger in comparison, and the smaller, more feeble blue cat knew better than to fight a creature multiple times his own size. To feral Gumball, he wanted to attack his father, but felt he couldn't stand a chance, especially without his talons. Nicole came up from behind Richard.
"Ok Richard, give me the leash back." Richard turned to face his wife and handed off to her. She then gave him back the first aid pack. He remained in place at the front of the house, with Anais running up in front of him. The two pink bunnies stood at the beginning of their cement walkway, only a few feet from the house. Darwin, however, was on the opposite end, only a couple steps away from the sidewalk and the car next to the curb. Nicole and Gumball stood between them, with Nicole staring at Darwin alongside her son.
"What are you doing Mrs. Mom?" Darwin shouted with fear engulfing him. He had a white piece of bandage wrap along his cheek where Gumball put a new bite mark into him. It went perfectly well with the white head wrap from the hospital, which was slightly red, but not as bright as the new one.
"Darwin, I need you to trust me," Nicole shouted back. "I know you're scared, but Gumball needs to learn how to treat others. If he can look past you, then surly he can do the same for everyone else." Darwin looked confused.
"Why would he need to look past me?"
"Well, ya know. It's because yourrrr… I mean…" Nicole couldn't bring herself to say it. She knew that fish were, to cats in normal circumstances, food, but she just couldn't tell him. "Surely you know right?"
"Know what?" Darwin was at an absolute loss. He was too sweet and positive to look at the obvious, something he had in common with Mr. Dad. [This was one of the qualities Richard (subconsciously) liked about Darwin: the fact that he was always positive to everybody no matter who he was around or given the situation. It was one of those qualities about him that made him love him like his own son. Nicole couldn't find much to be positive about as often as the rest of her family could on the other hand. This might be why she had a harder time coming to grasp with Darwin as her own. After all, is it really who Darwin is to Gumball anatomically that he's being put in danger and not Anais? Aren't bunnies considered to be prey to cat as well?]
"Never mind," she grumbled out loudly to him. "Look, I'm going to walk to you with Gumball still on the leash. I want you to try and pet him. If he tries to attack you or hurt you, I'll try to hold him back."
"WHAT?" Darwin shouted. "That's crazy! He might try to bite off my fin!" He wrapped his arms together and dreaded having to hold them out.
"I need you to try Darwin. Maybe if you act sweet to him, he'll remember who you are." Darwin looked up from his fins and stared at his family from across the way. "Please Darwin? You want him back to his old self, right?" Darwin focused his attention on Gumball, who continued to stare at him with his cat eyes so full of displeasure. Darwin did not feel comfortable, but he didn't want to disappoint the others neither. He took a deep breath and let the shivers go out. He gave his answer as happily as he could, but looked worried given his long, flat grin.
"Okay Mrs. Mom. I'll try."
"Alright Darwin," she spoke, "I'm walking over to you with Gumball." She took a step forward. Then another, and after the third, Gumball followed her. He couldn't stop looking at Darwin the entire time they crept. The closer the two cats got, the more scared the fish became. He actually thought this was how he'd die: by the mouth of his own brother and the pent-up tension of his Mom. Richard and Anais did nothing, just watching the two approach him. They couldn't see him with the two blocking the view. Richard bent down to pick Anais up once more, holding her next to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her softly as they watched in suspense. Anais followed with her tiny ones holding around one of his chins/neck. The two were only about five feet away from Darwin now, with Nicole in front of Gumball and Darwin having moved himself up against the side of the car. She looked over her shoulder at her blue cat son and yanked his neck with the leash.
"Come on now" she said, trying to be happy and hopeful. She didn't yank hard, but it was enough for Gumball to be dragged forward a few inches. He looked up at her with his eyes slightly widened from how he viewed Darwin. He could see her smiling, completely unaware that she was faking it under all that shame towards him. He turned his head down back at Darwin and continued his usual stare. Darwin opened his mouth slightly, clenching his teeth together and his fins wide out at angles. Gumball started walking towards him on his four feet, with the leash raising higher and higher from behind. With every step, Darwin couldn't shake the feeling he was going to be attacked. He just knew it was gonna happen somehow. Gumball was now only a couple feet up at Darwin, close enough to smell him. To Gumball, he smelled delicious, and he smiled devilishly into Darwin's eyes.
"M-ma-ma-Mrs. M-Mom," Darwin stuttered as Gumball approached him. He inhaled sharply. "…I-a-ha-hi-I don't th-tha-think…this will work." Gumball got up close to Darwin and faced him only inches apart. Gumball leaned his head in closer and Darwin couldn't push his back anymore. Between the cold metal of the yellow wagon and his brother's moist, hot breath coming out of his nostrils, Darwin felt hopeless. He just closed his eyes and widened his teeth-clenching frown. Please Mrs. Mom, he thought to himself Don't let him kill me. There were a few seconds of silence that felt like an eternity to Darwin. He couldn't open his eyes to save his own life, not even to the sound of Gumball sniffing him. Wait a second…sniffing? Darwin couldn't understand why he was hearing it, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He slowly opened his eyes and found Gumball, still only a couple inches from his face, sniffing all around Darwin's head. He had his chin raised slightly, and was sniffing him. What the…? Darwin thought to himself. Is he checking to see if I'm good enough to eat or something? He remained absolutely still and quiet the entire time, but he eventually had to say something.
"Gumball?" he whimpered quietly. Gumball stopped his sniffing and looked the fish straight in the eyes. They were only a few inches apart. Darwin could see fear and anger in his, while Gumball could see fearful and young. "Do…do you remember me?" he continued on quietly. Gumball's smile had since long disappeared while Darwin's eyes were closed, and he now faced him with sad looking cheeks that made his ears stay down. "It's me, Darwin. I…I'm your brother." Darwin smiled at him as he peered into his narrow cat eyes. Gumball tilted his head slightly to the side in confusion of the situation. He wanted to eat him, but the scent was more familiar than just fish. Inside, something was clicking in Gumball, but he couldn't understand what. Darwin knew he wasn't getting around to him just talking. He looked down at his right fin and figured it was worth a shot. He raised his fin up and positioned it a few inches from Gumball's left side of his face. Gumball saw it coming and pulled his head back and away, giving Darwin some space to push himself off the car. Gumball's head was bent to his right, not wanting the fin to get any closer. Darwin transitioned his smile to a frown, but refused to give up.
"Gumball, please," he begged him,"let me help you." Gumball turned his attention away from the fin and back at Darwin's head. Something about his big, watery eyes got to him inside, and he knew right away that the creature was not prey, but something else. Something more meaningful. But what? He couldn't fit the pieces together, but he pulled his head back into place. He tilted his head down and showed Darwin the top of his head. Darwin was hesitant, fearing that Gumball would just try and hurt him. He almost didn't want to after seeing Gumball submit just now. He couldn't think it was a bluff though. He knew he needed to trust him. He took another deep breath and, ever so slowly with care, he twisted his fin and held it over his brother's top. He slowly decreased the elevation until…there it was. The blur fur that Darwin knew he had felt before from handshakes, hugs, and just love in general. It wasn't until Gumball started to purr that Darwin started smiling. He had never heard him purr in all the years he has lived with him. It was unusual, but pleasant to hear. Next thing he knew, Gumball raised his head up and guided Darwin's fin along the back half of his neck. From there, Darwin didn't need Gumball's help. He moved his wrist forward and back, stroking the sides and back portion of Gumball's fur. What came after, however, really surprised Darwin. Before he had a chance to see it coming, Gumball turned his neck and licked his fin.
Darwin almost didn't know what to make of it. Did he taste him? Was he thanking him? Was it a Kiss? It made Darwin suddenly feel awkward, but Gumball was smiling at him, with his cat-shaped eyes opened wider than he had ever seen them since the hospital. Before he knew it, Gumball pushed his two front legs (because he is on all four after all, so they have to be called that) up and pressed them up on Darwin. He panicked at first, fearing the worst again, but Gumball started licking him all over his face. It started to make Darwin laugh.
"Da-a-ha ha," he started to say smiling him and pushing him off. "Gum-Ball, Sssto-hop it!" He couldn't help but laugh and smile. He's never seen Gumball act like this before, but he was just happy he wasn't biting him anymore. Suddenly, a shadow appeared over the two boys and, almost instantly, Darwin managed to recap back into the outside world. He looked up and saw Nicole overhead of them. She dropped the pan and spoon onto the sidewalk, creating a loud bang that scared Gumball. He instantly pushed himself off of Darwin, forcing him against the car yet again, and made Gumball nearly panic and run. Before he could do anything, she extended her arms down and picked up Gumball from around his sides. She still had the leash in one hand, but held him up and put him back over her shoulders. She started to stroke his neck like back at the infirmary, leveling him out instantly. He decided to repay her kindness by rubbing his head along the side of hers and her cheek. Darwin suddenly felt a little brought down by the sight of affection. He wasn't sure which was worse: That he felt used by his mom or that he was jealous of Gumball suddenly moving his attention back on her. He didn't frown, he just looked at them with his lip(s?) puckered slightly out like normal.
"See Darwin?" she said facing him with a smile and happiness to her voice. "I told you it would be okay." Darwin didn't say anything. He just felt a little depressed about the sudden event, and she could see it in him. She rolled her eyes playfully and said "Oh, come on Darwin", and she held out her left arm with a smile. Darwin's face instantly lit up with one also and he readily jumped into her arm. She brought him up to her shoulder and held both the boys around her, just like Richard had back at the junkyard that one time. They both hugged her on each side of her shoulder. From behind her head, Darwin and feral Gumball looked at each other from across. He held out his right fin from Mrs. Mom's left shoulder and placed it out in the open behind her neck. He was trying to get Gumball to connect his paw with his fin so that they could hug her together, but Gumball refused. He looked at the side of mom's back head, then at Darwin, lowering his eyes at him like before. It made Darwin confused, until he saw Gumball wrap his free left arm around her neck and the paw attached to it on the left side of her neck. Darwin knew then Gumball didn't want to share the love with him, special or not. To Gumball, this was his equal by birth; something he thought the fish didn't deserve since it was not a cat. Gumball's eyes narrowed even further down as a warning to him. Darwin thought he knew what it meant: Stay away from Mrs. Mom, and we won't have problems. Darwin's smiled disappeared back into a puckered lip with lowered eyebrows.
"Now," Nicole said pleasantly while lowering the two, "Why don't we all go inside and I'll try whipping us up some lunch. I think that's a good place to start next." She unhugged her kids and started walking back to the house, where Richard followed her in through the door. Anais turned her head towards her brothers and wanted to stay with them, but she couldn't move a muscle wrapped around her fat dad. Darwin, who picked up the pot and spoon before following, and Gumball, who was back on all fours, went in as well. Unknown to everyone else however, Gumball did two more things to Darwin before reentering. On the white patio of the front, he looked at Darwin just as the fish reached for the handle. With both facing each other, Gumball brushed himself against Darwin's side, then suddenly hissed at him. Darwin opened the door slightly to let Gumball in, but he found the behavior baffling. He figured it must have had to do with Mrs. Mom. Maybe it's his way of saying: I won't hurt you, but beware. Darwin sighed with great depression. He was happy Gumball no longer wanted to hurt him, but he felt more alone than scared at the moment. The loneliness and possible contempt hurt him more than his own wounds.