"What were you thinking, Finn!" Marceline cried out at the blond boy as she, Finn, Jake, and Bubblegum all hurtled down a rocky cliff-side at top speed.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Finn shouted back before he tripped over an especially large rock, and would have gone flying face first onto the ground beneath him, if Jake hadn't reached out an elongated leg to wrap around his waist, and pull him back up. Jake then plopped Finn down firmly onto his broadened back, and continued loping down the cliff-side as quickly as possible.

"Well, I told you not to touch the damn thing!" Marceline continued shouting, before she reached over to her side and pulled a huffing and puffing Bonnibel into her arms.

Bubblegum looked up into Marceline's face and gave her a grateful smile, before her eyes widened to the size of small saucers, when her gaze flicked over Marceline's shoulder.

"Look out!" Bubblegum cried out as a large, green fist tried to smash down on their heads and crush them into the ground. Jake managed to dodge the attack with mere inches to spare; jostling Finn on his back who continued to hang on for dear life.

Marceline took a flying leap which propelled her into the air, and continued clutching Bubblegum tightly against her chest, as they both splashed down into a small lake at the base of the cliff.

A loud, powerful roar of fury shook the air around them. Marceline and Bubblegum looked up in time to see Jake's super-elongated form untangle itself from the giant, monster frog's legs. The mighty beast began a slow fall down the rest of the cliff...on a direct path towards Marceline and Bubblegum.

Marceline let out a low curse as she reached down to grab the soaking-wet Princess, and quickly carry her off in her arms once again. They both got out of the way of the toppling monster just in time to avoid getting crushed a second time. The force of the monster's landing punched a hole straight through the center of the lake, sending the great beast plummeting down into the newly-formed deep, dark hole. What water that was left in the lake fell straight down after the disappearing, screeching monster.

The four friends lay huffing and puffing on the ground near what was left of the lake, as they tried to catch their breaths and settle their frayed nerves. Marceline flopped down onto her back, then turned her head to give Finn a baleful glare.

"Seriously Finn, next time when I tell you to not touch the small, deceptively-cute baby frog because it will not like it, listen to me!"

Finn let a small pout come to his lips, as he mumbled softly under his breath, "how was I supposed to know it would morph into a GIANT killer frog when I touched it? It just looked so cute!"

"Ugh," Marceline groaned, as she flung an arm across her face and covered her eyes. "Next time Bonni, we are so going to leave Finn at home," Marceline mumbled under her breath.

"What! Aww come on, Marcy. I said I was sorry. Pleeaassee, don't leave me behind next time," Finn begged, as Jake just chuckled softly beside him, and a mildly-amused Bubblegum lay quietly beside her vampire lover, soaking up her very presence. A slight shiver then made its way through Bubblegum's body, which Marceline immediately caught.

"Alright you slouches, it's time for us to set up camp. It's starting to get chilly, and night will be falling soon. As luck would have it, that idiot frog monster punched a hole right through the spot we need to go down through. Down below should be a series of caves, and somewhere down there should be the fountain of youth. It's been a few hundred years since I've been to this area, but according to my book of mythical lore, the fountain should be at the center of a giant labyrinth, centered somewhere deep underground. First thing in the morning we'll continue our search," Marceline gave out her orders, before reaching down to gently pull Bubblegum back up to her feet.

Bubblegum gave Marceline a soft smile, which caused the Vampire Queen to blush a slightly-darker shade of gray, as she returned the smile.

"So, ahhh...have you guys decided yet if I can drink from the fountain too?" Finn asked in a small voice.

Marceline and Bubblegum glanced briefly at each other. Marceline then gave Bubblegum a small, barely perceptible nod before she turned to Jake, and waved her hand at him in a 'come here' motion. Jake understood what Marceline wanted, and began walking with her towards their backpacks, which had been tossed down the cliff when they'd been running from the frog monster.

Both he and Marceline would begin setting up camp, giving Bubblegum a chance to talk to Finn in private.

Bubblegum walked up to Finn and gave him a small smile, before placing her arms around his thin shoulders in a sisterly hug.

"Come over here with me Finn, let's talk for a few minutes," Bubblegum said in a soft, kind voice that only made Finn swallow in worry. Usually when people said things like "let's talk" to him, it meant he wasn't going to get what it was he really wanted. But he had to have this...he just had to...there was just no way PB and Marcy could leave him behind...forever...

Bubblegum led Finn over to a half-cracked tree, that had been damaged from the frog monster's fall down the cliff-side. They both sat down at the base of the damaged tree, and Finn began tugging at a bit of loose thread from his shirt, as he waited for Bubblegum to speak.

Bubblegum let out a deep sigh before looking over at the bright-eyed young man, she'd always thought of as a younger brother.

"Finn...why do you want to drink from the fountain of youth? I'm sure you must realize what that would mean for you. You'd outlive Jake...outlive Flame Princess..." Bubblegum trailed off, as she waited for Finn's response.

Finn let out a deep sigh before looking into Bubblegum's eyes, with the most serious expression she'd ever seen on his face.

"PB...I can't let you and Marcy live on forever without me. I just...can't. I know I'd leave Jake behind and...I also know that I could never ask him to do this with me. This is one adventure I'd have to do on my own. He has Lady and his pups to think about after all. Heh...maybe one day I could become best friends with one of his pups, when they're all grown up," Finn said with a soft laugh, that cracked halfway through. He cleared his throat and continued.

"And as for Flame Princess...in reality I haven't really known her that long. I've known you and Marcy a very long time now...and I can't...I can't continue to grow old, and know that you guys would live on forever without me. You guys are my family. I'm the only Human left...I almost have a responsibility to carry on the human line for as long as is possible. And I just can't...I can't leave you guys, or have you leave me..." Finn trailed of with a tearful sniffle, which he tried to hide by dashing his arm across his face.

Bubblegum sat for a few minutes, and allowed her mind to fully absorb Finn's reasons for wanting to live forever like she herself was choosing to. And really...how could she deny him what he so desperately wanted, when she herself wanted to do the same thing just as badly...stay with the ones she loved for all eternity.

"Alright Finn...you can drink the water from the fountain of youth," Bubblegum said with a small, understanding smile. Finn's brilliant-blue eyes widened and lit up with joy. He then flung himself forward, and enveloped Bubblegum in an exuberant hug.

"But!" Bubblegum quickly interjected, which caused Finn to pause in his exclamations of thrilled excitement.

"But...you can not drink the water until you've turned 18. No Finn listen to me, I'm serious," Bubblegum quickly interrupted Finn, who had tried to voice his protestations to this new plan.

"Finn...Marceline and I both want you to live out the rest of your teenage years fully. And think about it, by the time you turn 18 you'll be a fully grown young man, and will forever have the power and agility that comes with being a young man in your prime. Also, you may sometime between now and then decide that you no longer want to drink the fountain's water. No, no hear me out Finn. I promise...I swear to you that I will not go back on my word to let you drink the water when the time comes. I just...want you to enjoy your childhood a bit longer. You only get to live it once," Bubblegum said with a soft smile.

Finn returned the smile as he nodded his head in agreement, as the plan made sense to him when he thought about it. He then leaned forward to give the Princess another tight hug.

Bubblegum hugged him back and while doing so looked over his shoulder, so that her eyes connected with Marceline's glowing red eyes. The Vampire Queen gave her Princess a quick grin, then indicated with her head that their tents were set up, and waiting for them to enter.

Bubblegum nodded back slightly, and then gently moved back from Finn's hug, to tell him that it was time for them to go back to their friends. Finn sounded his agreement, and both he and Bubblegum rose to their feet, and began walking back to Marceline and Jake.

Later that night, in the quiet stillness of their private tent, Marceline wrapped her arms snugly around Bubblegum's waist, and nuzzled her face against the sweet softness of her princess's neck. She then leaned forward to nibble on a soft, pink ear before softly whispering into it.

"So, you told the kid "yes", huh?" Marceline asked with a softly-amused chuckle, which caused Bubblegum to grin sheepishly back at her lover, in the twilight darkness of their temporary tent home.

"At least I got him to agree to wait until he's 18," Bubblegum answered back as she buried her face against the soft, slightly-cool skin of Marceline's neck and breathed in that unique, addictive scent that was all her vampire lover.

"That you did, my Bonnibel...that you did," Marceline replied with a smirk, as she placed a finger under Bubblegum's chin, and gently tipped her princess's face upward.

"You did good, baby," Marceline murmured softly, as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against pinks ones begging to be kissed. A soft moan of pleasure escaped Bubblegum's lips, as she pressed her body as close as possibly against Marceline's.

"I love you, Marcy," Bubblegum whispered softly into the kiss, as her mind and body filled with the delicious feelings that only Marceline could evoke within her.

"I know," Marceline answered back with a cheeky grin, then let out a soft laugh when she felt Bubblegum lightly pinch her sides, and mutter "brat" against her lips.

Marceline smiled back into the kiss, and then raised a hand to tenderly cup the soft warmth of her lover's face.

"I love you too, Bonnibel. And after tomorrow...I'll truly be able to love you...forevermore."


Hope you all enjoyed! Please review~ They help keep my imagination flowing, and my muse happily working~ =3

~Yuri~