Hey everybod-aaay! Can't describe how much I've missed this, though I guess to put it simple: it feel's great! To anyone who cares to know, first semester of college was very interesting; had it's ups and downs, but overall fun (and hard)! I've been getting in some writing in between everything at school, but winter break gave me the time I needed very much with my story. Enjoy!


Concurrent with the ringing of the bell, other students in the cafeteria were dismissed from lunch. While most went off to the playground to go enjoy some sun and games, Gumball and Penny stepped out into the hall. Everyone they knew wouldn't stop asking questions about Darwin, and they wanted to get far away from the drama. Both the cat and fairy had no idea where they were going, but anywhere was better than there. As they walked, Gumball couldn't stop talking. "Again, I'm sorry about what happened back there." Penny turned her head down at Gumball as they went on walking through the halls.

"And again, you don't need to apologize to me. It's Darwin that should." They both stopped a set of lockers Gumball threw his back against one.

"But it IS my fault. You heard what he said back there; the plan was a bust!" He hit the back of his head hard against one of the red metal lockers. It did hurt feeling that sing on his forehead ; he never was all too strong, but he could take it better than most, and the last thing he wanted was to have Penny see him cry.

"Maybe, but it was probably the best one possible. He just took it the wrong way was all." She took a step closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He glanced at it with his head hung down. "You did what you had to to help him, and Carrie told me she was more than willing to help." He reached his paw up to her wrist and mad it drop back down to her side.

"But what about you? I got you involved in all this when it wasn't your concern. He was right; I did use you." His eyes grew big as a large grin came forward. The power of guilt was coming over him, and Penny didn't want to see it.

"You had no idea he would react that way; none of us did. That's just what he thinks. You and I both know you'd never take advantage of someone like me or Carrie." Gumball thought it was sweet of her to care about him, but he wasn't quite finished. In fact, he was beginning to swell up some with tears, and his voice grew more whine by the second.

"Well I sure did take advantage of Darwin." He pulled head away from facing the lockers and looked up at her. "I used a weakness of his to try and get him to talk, and look what happened: I only made things worse. *sniffle*" He started to whimper, and being the drama queen he could be, only one thing cried it's way out, struggling to fight back his tears. "I'm a use-rrrrrrrrrrr!" He slapped his paws at his eyes, trying to hold himself back. Penny reacted fast and grabbed his shoulders.

"Stop it right now! It was thoughtful of you to help him. He's just being stubborn, and you had to be creative." She bent down to hug him and hoped he would smile. "You're not a user for wanting to make him happy. I know that, Carrie knows that, and I'm sure anyone else would think the same." As she held him around her arms, he could feel her embrace and care practically radiating off onto him. He couldn't resist the tenderness that grew inside. He smiled weakly, touched by her sincerity. He closed his eyes and hugged her back.

Thanks, Penny. *sniffle* You always know what to say to make me feel better." She was more than happy to relieve him. They stayed in arms grasp for a few seconds more, when Penny pulled herself out.

"Don't give up on him. Figure out what's wrong, okay?" They stared into each other's eyes deeply and felt the presence of empathy itself around them. Penny could see Gumball's optimism rising within, while Gumball could see her care and sympathy. There wasn't anyone in the world outside his family he felt cared for him as much as her. She was pure gold, and he wasn't going to let her down.

"I won't rest until I do," Gumball said confidently, slamming a fist over his chest and heart. It made Penny chuckle a little seeing him act so bold.

"Alright, my little warrior, I'm serious. Darwin needs you, now more than ever maybe, so no matter what, try your hardest to make him well again."

"As soon as Carrie comes back, I promise to make him right. I care about Darwin greatly; so much that I hate seeing him this way. I'd give anything for him to be happy."

"Of course you do, and I know you'll work it out." She bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He took it as a way of showing she had faith in him, making him smile even more to the point where his ears stood straight up. "You can tell me what's wrong tomorrow alright?" Gumball rubbed the spot where penny kissed him, too lost to really care.

"Yeaaaaaaah. I understand." Penny spun herself around and began walking the opposite direction away from Gumball.

"Okay then. Good luck," she called out merrily.

"Thanks" Gumball shouted back at her. Penny disappeared around a corner and out of sight. Gumball felt pretty lucky to have her in his life. She was caring, helpful, understanding, and despite everything he ever did to make a fool of himself, she never blinked twice at who he was. To Gumball, she was an angel, and he'd do anything for her. Gumball couldn't help but think it over. I'd do anything for her… just like Darwin would do anything for me. He put his hand up and under his chin. But he'd be the angel then, wouldn't he? Suddenly, a flash sound from down the hall adjacent to the one Penny walked down. He knew the sound the second it happened. "Carrie!" He started running towards the noise. He had the entire hallway to run around thanks to everyone being in class, outside, or the library. His heart was beating fast over wanting to try and catch her. "She might have talked to Darwin. She might know what's wrong!" Gumball tried running as hard as he could through the halls when he zipped around a corner, literally going right through her. Carrie jumped a tiny bit when he dashed straight out of nowhere. She was hoping to avoid running into him. He was the last person she wanted to speak to now.

"Woah, Gumball, what-"

"Carrie," he exasperated at her, trying as hard as he could to catch his breath between pauses. "Di… did you… you talk… to Darwin." He kept panting, trying to recover his breath. Carrie was unsure what to say.

She knew what she promised Darwin back at the lap pool, but now in front of Gumball, she started having mixed feelings about the situation. "I… I did," she nervously said. Gumball's panting lowered enough to talk more steadily.

"Really?... That's great… did he tell you anything, you know, important?" His heavy breathing finally stopped and he pulled himself back straight to face her. Carrie stared at Gumball, so conflicted with all kinds of new feelings and thoughts for him. She couldn't think of much to say, trying to hold back as best she could.

"He told me a lot." An unsettling silence came between them. Gumball was expecting more than just one sentence.

"Liiiike?..."

"That's… all I can say. I can't tell you anymore." The answer left Gumball completely flabbergasted, becoming hysterical.

"What?! Seriously? But, the whole point of having you come to lunch was so you could help him."

"And I have; just in a more… unorthodox manner." Gumball couldn't believe what he was hearing from her; this was his own family. He knew she was holding something from him.

Darwin must have told her to not tell me. Heh, like I'm going to stand for that. He suddenly found anger in him, trying to act tough and serious towards her."Tell me what's wrong with Darwin so I can help him, Carrie. "

That voice. That attitude. She didn't know if he was getting angry because of Darwin or her, but the tone was not setting well with her. She thought she was beginning to see what Darwin said. Is this how he treats Darwin when no one is looking? That thought made her think something about Gumball she never felt before: appalling, and the last thing she wanted was to let him get away with such an attitude. "Maybe he's not the one at fault; did you ever think of that?"

Hang on a sec, Gumball was thinking to himself. That's sounds similar to what Darwin said to me this morning! Oh no! He believed whatever Darwin had against him, Carrie must now think the same. His plan not only failed; it backfired, and now he felt screwed. His frustration tapped into his instincts, and he let the ghost girl have at it. "Carrie, I don't know what Darwin told you, but whatever it is, it can't be true. He needs help from me, not you." Carrie was stunned, practically amazed he would insult her like that.

Is he saying I'm not good enough to help him?! She let her anger slip as well, giving it to Gumball. "Oh, is that right? The kind of help that he always did for you?" Before Gumball could speak up, Carrie continued on without taking a breath. "The kind where you just pushed him around? Made him do as you say? Never letting him have HIS way 'cause it interferes with yours? Huh?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I'm TALKING about how you've made Darwin feel like a doormat because of you! That's right, YOU! You're the reason he's like this." Gumball's temper was fading the more she continued. It was being replaced with fear, and the, guilt. "What? You thought you could just make him feel like your-" She stopped herself before she could say it, but she really wanted to more than ever, just to see how bad he'd feel. Only Darwin's promise kept her at bay. "-your plus one his whole life?!"

"I-I don't do that, and how is this my fault? What did I ever do to make him this upset with me?" Carrie was astounded by his naivety. Darwin told her countless times, and it was like he cared not remember. She didn't see it before, but now she understood. She could see him for who he truly was, and it made her blood [if she can blush, then she has it] boil. Gumball watched her only getting more angry with him, and it made him scared like the underworld that she was.

"What have you DONE to him?" She repeated bitterly. She floated menacingly close to him, making him step back one foot at a time the closer she came. "Darwin told me things. Thing I never thought possible. You've wronged him so many times over, put him through so much, and make him feel so below you, and you have the actual nerve to say you don't even KNOW?!" Out of nowhere, the lockers flew open, domino-ing down each side of the corridor. The lights also began to flickering, and out of nowhere, an ominous wind picking up in the hall that made the lockers slap around. Gumball no longer about Darwin, but truly terrified for himself. He looked around the scene as she continued to approach him, looking like she was going to mess him up badly.

"Carrie, please-"

"NO! I don't want to hear it from you!" She raised her right arm up and thwarted it to her left. Out of nowhere, a stapler hit Gumball right across the cheek, leaving a purple gash along the left side of his head. He cried out in pain at the sudden hit, but Carrie wasn't finished. "Darwin might be too nice to tell you how he feels, but guess what? I'm not." The lights began flickering faster, some even bursting and frightening the blue cat. Gumball held his arms up over his head to try and stop anything else from hitting him. Behind Carrie, various school supplies from other kid's locker flew out and scattered all over the floor. With every locker she passed, stuff went flying out of them behind her. She came picking up speed, practically on the verge of making Gumball jog backwards. "All he's ever done is make you a better, more caring person-" Though Caiir did not move her limbs, a book comes out of nowhere like the stapler before and hit's Gumball across his other cheek. Some scratching was visible, but not deep in the least.

"Oww," he cried out.

"-and how have you repaid him?" Her voice became every bit more hysterical as she went. "With pain?" Another book came and hit Gumball across the side, leaving more bruises and cries of agony.

"Owwww," he yelled even louder and more frail than before. He was beginning to tear up from the beating. He couldn't pay attention to her with having to shield himself from her wrath.

"With despair?!" The next item was a backpack. It hit hard on his arms, but Gumball was able to bounce it off from his head.

"Egh, Carrie!"

"With in-e-QUALITY?!" Suddenly, every locker door in front of her and around Gumball blew off their hinges. Gumball was caught in a hailstorm of school supplies and metal doors. What little touched Carrie flew right through her. She watched him get clobbered by everything in sight, witnessing him suffer for his actions.

In the storm of miscellaneous items, Gumball cried out with all his might "CARRIE! Please stop! I don't want you to hurt meeeee!" He refused to move back anymore in hopes she'd come back to reason. As she looked down upon his merciful self, she could see what she was doing to him. She shocked herself by how caught up she became. She started to die down and descended to Gumball's level.

"But you hurt Darwin." Items in the air began to die down, collapsing bit by bit. The wind becoming less and less fierce. The lights were flickering less as Carrie's anger began to be replaced with melancholy. "and I can't stand that." Carrie grew tired from exhausting her abilities. Her powers came to a stop and everything returned to normal. The wind gone and what lights still intact went back to a solid glow. The hallway was destroyed, but Carrie was back to her normal self. Gumball was relieved that she finally calmed down. He suffered some pretty hard hits from everything she threw at him. His face half-swollen and a complete mess. When he finally found the nerve to open his eyes, he saw the angry Carrie gone, collapsed right to the floor. Her spirit fell forward, fainting, exhausted, and deprived of all her maleficent, spiritual energy. Even with her hands and *aura on the floor facing it, he was still scared she'd try something, and more than happy that it was over. He was hesitant to speak, afraid of what she'd do, and he felt so awkward just staring at her collapsed self on the floor. Still, even after everything, he knew he'd just feel worse if he didn't at least ask. He extended his paw out to her like he was going to put it on her shoulder.

"Are… you alright Carr-"

"Don't!" He retracted it back when her own hand went up. She pulled her head high to look him in his face. She didn't care that he looked sympathetic, no matter how real it seemed. "Don't you dare touch me." She pulled herself back up, nearly falling backwards in the process. "Just do me a favor and stay away from Darwin. You've hurt him enough as it is." She tried to float herself down the hallway and leave him behind. She didn't have the strength to teleport out. Gumball reacted fast to stop her.

"Carrie, wait!" She remained in place midair. Gumball tried to be careful with what he said. "I do care about him. That's why I asked for your help." She said and did nothing, prompting him to continue on. "I AM worried for him. I'm scared of what is happening. If this is about me; if this is my fault, then how do I fix this?" She stayed silent for the time being. She was quiet so long, Gumball almost thought she wouldn't say anything.

"You can't," she said as though she was cursing the bane of his existence. "This isn't just one thing; it's a multitude of actions you caused. He's been pushed over the edge, and now…" In the smallest cornering of her dark, pitch eyes, a single little tear came forward, rolling down her round head. "you've destroyed everything he ever knew and loved." She could feel her heart constrain over the grief he experienced. She could feel the tear rolling down her head. She couldn't believe it herself; she was so sad for Darwin, feeling like he lost his only family, it made her actually cry. She never felt such an intense, aching pain in all her living state. In a way, it felt beautiful to her. Is this… true sadness? Carrie reached up and pulled the tear off with one finger. She looked at it while Gumball countered.

"I would never want to hurt Darwin. I love him, Carrie. I've told him so several times." She still would not look at him. He wasn't sure whether to be nervous or not. He saw her as a loose cannon after what happened with his face.

"If that were true… then he wouldn't feel this way." She flicked her hand holding the tear out in front of her. Gumball didn't see it when she tilted her head around at his now pulverized face. "What good is telling someone they matter, when you just take advantage of them?" She twisted her whole body around and floated forward a few inches. Gumball's heart raced the closer she got, terrified if she would hurt him again. "You're a disgraceful excuse to your family, Gumball Watterson, and the truth is…" She leaned in close to his face, practically capable of seeing straight down to the very core of his soul. "Darwin would be better off if you were just… dead." Her last word reeled out in a near whispering sound, with such emphasis and disgrace for the blue cat. He suddenly found his eyes tear up. He couldn't believe she would say such a thing. She pulled herself out, flicked her head up to pull her hair back in place, and awaited for his response. Carrie knew in the instant she said it, his hope was broken, and she took gratitude in that; It wasn't for her sake that she did so. Gumball's voice was weaker than ever before. He felt empty inside; like someone had taken away his very will to live. He couldn't even talk proper enough with wave after wave of misery washing over him.

"He… he said… those words? A-Aba-abo-'bout m-ma-ma-me-e-me?" He was beginning to tremble and shake uncontrollably as his tears came falling down upon his face. He became so weak that he fell to the floor, knees up to his chest and butt flat on the tiles. Under normal circumstances, Carrie would do anything to keep someone from crying. She didn't like seeing others miserable like she saw herself. But she took some pride in seeing him wallow like a baby. She decided to torture him a little more; payback for what Darwin told her.

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't." She presented before him a smug, screw-you kind of smile. If he wasn't in so much pain, he would have tried anything to wipe it off her oversized face. It didn't last when her next words came forward however. "Mark my words, Gumball: there's a price for everything. For every action, an equal or greater reaction. What you've done to Darwin; the unspoken acts and unseen ways you just… took advantage of him. Those… actions, are finally coming back, and it's gonna hit you with an even greater force than you can even imagine." She lowered herself again to his level, only lower now that he was on the floor in puddles. "Darwin has finally had enough of you bullying him his whole life, 'cause that's how I see you after everything he told me. You actually enjoy feeling superior to him, don't you ya disgraceful pile of GARBAGE?!" Her shouts made him flinch away, hiding his face from her. All she could see was his big blue head and fallen cat ears. "I hope it was worth it to you, because I promise the next time you see him, he's not going to be the same, and when you see who he is, remember it was you that made this happen. You, Gumball Watterson, and nobody else." She picked herself up and turned away, leaving him to be by himself, a broken and completely destroyed mess. She started on her way down the hall. With the air as clean as it felt, and her strength returning to her, she teleported out and away. Gumball truly was alone. No Darwin to help him up. No Penny to stop Carrie from hurting him. Not even so much as a single classmate around to witness what happened. He stayed there on the floor a blubbering mess, weeping, hollow, and scared. No one was around to hear him cry in solitude. He figured it was only a matter of time before Principal Brown came and saw the destruction, probably suspend him for a good long while.

But in all his weeping, he heard a hum come from nowhere. A humming that lasted only a second. He didn't think it was possible. He figured he was just hearing things. There was nothing left for him to do other than weep till the principal showed up after all; It seemed like the only thing left he could do. Still, the noise didn't leave. "Need a hand," said the person. The voice was female, with a raucous, but fruity melody to it. Gumball knew who it was the instant her voice penetrated through. As much as Gumball wished the person would leave, he wanted anything more than to distract himself from his grief. He slowly pulled his head up in another round of agony that awaited him. It was only enough to peer his pupils out into the opening, but he saw perfectly who it was.

Great, Gumball thought to himself in pure dread with the tears still rolling. Now what?


*I couldn't find ANYTHING about what the "swirling lower body" is called except this, so that's what I went with. Seemed better than tail if you ask me.