Author's Note:

Here is chapter two of three to be posted today

Song of the Chapter: Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz

Chapter 12: Basket Case

"Well Jake I'm waiting? You have something to say to the two of us?" Marceline's eyes narrowed as she glared at the yellow dog. "Finn was saying something about you before mine and the princesses little "discussion" happened. "Care to share why we shouldn't drop you where you stand?" She hissed and for once, Finn could not tell if she was kidding with the poor dog.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! Let me finish this! He pulled on my heart guts, he got me to forget the pain. Forget just how much I hated Finn, now what could he possibly say that could make me feel any better!" Flame Princess roared, some life returning to her flames as her anger found more fuel.

."L-Ladies please! No need to get upset with my bro here."

"It's not Finn whose the problem here Jake!" Marceline yelled her eyes flashing red as she grew her fangs twice their normal length.

"It's not all my fault!" Jake pleaded with the two angry women, assessing his options as they both approaching him slowly backing him into a corner. A corner he slowly shrunk into trying to distance himself away from the two hot heads. "He never talked about his lady biz with FP, how was I supposed to know they broke up? I've said it before I'm not a mind reader! You can't blame me for trying to make my bro happy!"

Finn felt a growing guilt for pushing Jake into a situation like this. Both girls ripping him apart with their livid glares alone. Even if he knew his carelessness brought this down on the two, he had good intentions. Finn knew Jake wanted to do what was best for him, even if he had poo brains sometimes. He didn't have any warmth left to hold onto, he wasn't sure with what had just happened if he would feel it again anytime soon. But, he knew he would never feel anything but pain if he allowed his brother to take this fall all by himself.

Without much thought he placed himself between his brother and the two women. Before they could react he had taken a cool hand within his and looked deep into her eyes. The connection between them in a deadlocked struggle to understand the emotions behind each other's peering glances. The confusion and anger of the vampire queen could not mask the hurt that laid beneath. He could only hope that his returned the regret, remorse, and love that he felt deep inside.

Please Marcie, don't get lost in the sorrow, don't doubt yourself like I did.

It was faint, but even though eye spoke nothing but anger and misery, her heart betrayed her as it gave in to his warm touch. The warmth was still there, working its way in and cauterizing the pain. A relief that the fire elemental could not share.

"YOU KNOW WHAT! Forget it!, I'm tired of pain, I'm tired of being toyed around with, and I'm tired of you Finn! Consider us OVER!" Growing close to half the size of the tree house, she blazed past the healing couple, leaving nothing but scorched earth in her exit. "You'll pay for toying with the emotions of a fire elemental!"

She was gone. So was Jake, during the princess's outburst he had taken off. He was a brave adventurer, but facing two women's scorn was not something that fighting demons, witches, and monsters prepares you for. Finn couldn't blame him. If he didn't have the moral responsibilities of a hero, he may have done the same.

"M-Marcie..." His attention had reverted back to the shaken girl, whose u body shivered not from the coldness that comes with being undead, but the sheer amount of emotional stress forced upon her.

"I don't want to hear it Finn! I trusted you and let myself open myself up. I let you get inside and junk up my heart. This is NOT okay Finn. Your fault or not, how do you let it slip that you still technically have a girlfriend?"

"Marceline, I told you exactly how she said it to me. She said she hated me and never wanted to see me again! Yeah she never said those exact words, but I was sure that never seeing me again implied we were...you know." He let his head hang while he said those words. They had a bitter taste in his mouth and only served to remind him just how horrible he was with women. His only accomplishment worthwhile with them was standing before him, broken and in pain due to his not so righteous actions. Actions he could never take back, actions that had probably happened more than once for the vampire girl he had fallen in love with. He had forced her to relive perhaps every failed relationship of her thousand year lifetime. His only silver lining the fact that she was still talking to him, rather than running off or worse yet, putting her defensive walls back up. To lose her love and the warmth that came with it, that is what scared him most. He wanted to laugh at how much in two days she had managed to save him from the edge, where in his ocean of fear he drowned in doubt.

"I just don't know Finn, maybe this is to fast? When I heard her claim you I-I just lost it. Just a little while ago I was trying to help you make someone else jealous, yet here I am the one who blew up at another girl. I should be angry at you though. You said you were mine Finn, but you were still hers when you said that. You lied to me Finn." She found herself pulling on his hat, which somehow had managed to survive its time on her head, over her eyes trying to hide the tears she felt swelling. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I came because I wanted to see you but now I think I just need some time to think. Decide what I'm going to do with all this." She sighed wiping the tears that refused to go away with her free hand.

Finn had never for a moment let go of her hand, but could not find the courage or nerve to pull her any closer to him. He didn't feel like he had a right to after being a burden to her within a day of being together. He just held her hand, hoping that the warmth was enough of a comfort to get her through it all.

"You know I would never lie to you Marcie. Honest to Glob, if I thought we were together I would have ended it for you. You know me Marcie..." he mustered and gently cupped his hand on her cheek reassuringly.

"That's just it Finn. I know you, your awesome, kind, and a big weenie." Her voiced lowered as she smiled at his touch but slowly pulled away. "You're not the kind of guy to play with a girls heart. So why did you let yourself play with mine? Why didn't you try harder to make sure everything was ready before I took down all my walls for you."

Finn had no answer. He knew she was right, and he was beginning to feel anger at himself grow within. If he had only taken the time to talk to Jake and understand where he was with FP, tonight would have never happened.

"You can't blame yourself for everything hero." She lifted his chin and gently kissed his forehead as if able to read what was going through his mind. "You didn't invite her over tonight, and I am glad even when she did you didn't seem happy or made any moves with her. That alone saved you from something far worse than just me questioning your commitment to me. You still left us in a position for this to happen. I have to think and decide if I am willing to leave myself open in your arms Finn. I get enough emotional problems from dealing with my dad. I don't need any more from you. Maybe you're just not old enough for this yet? I don't know right now. Look, I'm not saying I don't care anymore you weenie, but I'm going to go now. I'm going to go talk to someone and clear my head. Take care hero." She ended with a soft press of her lips against his, scraping her fangs against him breathing in his scent. She wanted to take in as much as him as she could before they parted.

"O-Okay Marcie." The boy blushed from the unexpected contact, unable to help but smile at the touch. "Who you going to go see?"

The vampire queen had already began to float and had turned to leave. Looking over her shoulder a fanged grin spread across her lips.

"A certain brain lord know-it-all. Figured if anything, she's good at flapping her mouth. I could use that about now. Sides, it's been a while I had a good laugh at her expense." She chuckled as she flew off into the night, the candy kingdom left blissfully unaware of the soon to be visitor.