Hey!~ How are we all this week? Well that's good then. I went to the movies the other day. Catching Fire was pretty good. Got concert tickets for next weekend... yeah... Anyway!

I think it's a good idea for me to say that - with the exception of PB's parents who are clearly not even close to canon and that nice chap in this installment called Daniel - all of the characters in the story are based off ones from the show. You get props and digital cookies for guessing who's who... although it's really not that hard. And yes, that includes random coffee shop Pete from the first chapter. As a general rule, if I didn't give them a name or too much detail, they probably aren't from the show (although that's just a guideline, of course some of them break the mould just for the lols of it).

So yeah. This is me posting early again. How bout that? Have a good one guys. Don't mind how randomly this chapter ends. Kay thanks bye.

It was rather late, almost 10am, when Bonnibel woke up. Marceline was no longer beside her, she was in her chair, feet propped up on the desk, reading. Or not reading anymore. Her brown eyes were staring over the top of her book (which looked to have been forgotten for a while), just gazing at Bonnie. It was a funny expression written in her eyes; partly that slow, dark look she often got, and part… dazed bewilderment, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly in a smile, sending a tingle along Bonnie's spine.

"Good morning," Bonnibel whispered as Marceline stood. "Did you sleep?"

Marceline sat herself on the edge of the bed, still seeming a little bit lost in her own mind. "Um… yes I think I did for a while." She felt her breathing snag and her heart beat just a little bit faster under the intense brown stare. "I called my dad," Marceline muttered, fiddling with Bonnie's hair in absent fingers. "We can go and see him in a few days."

"About…?" Bonnie asked around a lump in her throat.

"About you and Simon. He has all the facilities you'll need and it's not someplace too many questions will be asked. Actually, I doubt anyone will wonder at all."

"Why? Won't it be weird?"

Marceline shook her head infinitesimally. "All the people who work with… for, my dad are thralls. They won't find it anything out of the ordinary. You will be the curiosity, not the sciencey stuff you'll be doing. Mortals aren't common there."

"Oh," she sighed. "Will it be… alright though? No one will be put out by me being there?"

Marceline's face split in a grin. "You're going to be in a building with a large number of immortals and semi-immortals – some of them of questionable sanity – and you're worried about them?" She chuckled and kissed Bonnie on the forehead. "You are the weirdest human I've ever known, Bonnibel."

"Mmm," she replied. "I should probably get ready for my mother's thing today." She slid her legs out of the bed, brushing past Marceline.

"Bon, there's still hours," Marceline whined. "It's not even lunch yet. We've got ages." She paused, standing. "Wait… you said 'you'… am I not coming now?"

Bonnibel glanced over her shoulder and gasped. Marceline was… floating. Mouth agape, Bonnie gestured to the anomaly and Marceline smirked.

"Told you I could fly, Bon," she chuckled. "Am I coming with today or what?"

"Of course you're coming with me," Bonnie said, ducking into her room. Her stomach was rather unhappy with her, but she decided it was too late in the morning to be eating breakfast. She'd have lunch in an hour. "And it's quite a drive, nearly two hours. They live way out of town."

Marceline snorted. "Rich people."

"I heard that, you big hypocrite."

Marceline did her best to calm Bonnie down, but she was doing her darnedest to come as close to a mental breakdown now so it didn't happen later. Of course, with Marceline constantly floating after her, unable to escape short of leaving the apartment, a breakdown just wouldn't come. Bonnibel came close on one occasion, but Marceline materialised beside her the moment her breathing grew too close to hyperventilation, wrapped her arms around her and kissed her. That was all, but it was plenty enough to make Bonnie's mind go blank. With Marceline's lips on her neck, thought seemed like such a difficult concept.

"You need to take a chill pill, babe," Marceline breathed into her ear.

Bonnie's fingers tightened reflexively in Marceline's top, holding her close. Then what she said finally clicked. "Marcy… did you just call me… 'babe'?"

Marceline pressed her lips to the skin just below Bonnie's ear, trailing whispering kisses along her jaw, making her shiver. "I did. Got a problem with that?"

Bonnibel's other hand joined the first in Marceline's shirt (she was still in her pyjamas at midday). "Uh-uh," she exhaled. "Nope."

"You relaxed yet?" Marceline snickered.

"I think I'm pretty good." She turned Marceline's face to meet her lips properly, then made herself let go. "We should get ready now." Surprising her, Marceline actually did get changed. She did look nice when she dressed up. That didn't stop her from grouching about it though. Bonnibel herself put on a simple yellow sundress, nothing fancy, it was just her parents after all.

As Bonnie slid into the driver's seat, she tried not to think about the party. It was stupid to be nervous, stupid to be so worried about everything. Her parents would either like Marceline, or they wouldn't. The question she kept putting to herself though was would it matter to her if her parents really did disapprove?

She thought about it for a long minute, staring at her white knuckles clenched around the wheel. No, she eventually decided, it wouldn't matter, not really. Easy enough to think, but only time would tell if it was true.

Marceline put on her most obnoxious and confident smile, patted her knee and slipped a disc into the CD player. "It'll be fine, Bon," she said, as reassuringly as she could manage. "People have disliked me before. I can handle it."

"I'm not sure I can," Bonnie murmured, starting the engine.

"Are you really such a goody-two-shoes that you've never done anything they've condemned before? Not one thing?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. I hate disappointing them."

"Wow." She sounded immeasurably surprised by that. Then her cocky smile slanted across her mouth, Bonnie's heart fluttered as always. "There's a first for everything, Bonnie. Besides, you're a full grown human bean; you can do what you like."

"Human bean?" she asked quizzically, glad for something other than her parents to think on.

Marceline shrugged. "Just something I say."

It was a two hour drive to her parents' place, way outside of town. Way outside. They lived in an almost rural area where every house was built on acreage and was situated at the end of a ridiculously long drive. Houses were spaced well apart, one long out of sight before the next came into view and all. Some had paddocks with animals; reminisce of a farm, most had a pool of some description and quite a number had other eccentric things that only rich people would even think they needed.

Her parents' house was a sprawling two-story affair made of grey stone, red brick and plasterboard. A pair of chimneys (rarely used in Australia, they were more for decoration) jutted from peaked roofs of a dark tile. Big bay windows filled the front walls, curtains drawn at present and the double doors, made of rich mahogany, stood beneath an arched patio, welcome mat placed precisely at the top of three white stairs.

The driveway was paved; her parents were just that narcissistic that they had to pave the whole length of it – nearly a kilometre. Trees surrounded the house and the oval parking space in front. A larger parking space was situated behind the house; an enclosed pathway connecting two separate halves of the house formed a bridge over the driveway to the garage. Several cars were already pulled up in front of the house, but most people would be in the back yard, which, as with everything else her parents owned, was somewhat on the large side.

"Holy spongecake," Marceline said lowly as they pulled up beside a little purple hatchback that could only belong to Lucy. "Your folks really know how to make an impression. I mean, I've seen a lot of houses in my time, but still. Wow." She glanced over at Bonnibel who was fidgeting, nerves back with force. "You okay, Bon? We don't have to go in you know."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Once we get around there it won't be too bad. It's just my mum I'm really worried about."

Marceline smiled. "She the more judgemental of the two, eh?"

"You might say that."

"Hey." Marceline took her hand and leaned over, kissing her cheek. "It'll be fine, Bonnie. They're your parents. And they can hardly react to me worse than Marshall. Ten buck says he doesn't even wear something nice."

Bonnie just pulled a face and stared through the windscreen. Marceline sighed, getting out and moving to her side of the car, opening the door and bending down. "Look at me, Bonnibel," she said. She did. "This is a party, alright? They are your friends and family. It's going to be just fine." Marceline grabbed her hand again and pulled her from the car. "Let's go. I'm on my best behaviour, remember? That doesn't happen a great deal."

When Marceline turned her impish half-smile in Bonnie's direction, everything seemed alright and with a resigned sigh, she locked the car. "You better make an excellent first impression, Abadeer," she growled.

Marceline positively beamed. "I won you over, didn't I?" That was certainly true. Maybe it wouldn't be a complete ruin after all. Maybe.

"Bonnibel! Hey, you're here!" Candy shot to her feet as they walked under the arch and into the backyard. It was mostly grass and stretched up to a hill before sloping down into a great big field. To the left was the garage and a tennis court, to the right, past the deck, was a labyrinth made out of a hedge that her mother told her was supposed to represent life. Her parents were so weird.

Candy bounced over to them, eyes alternating between excited when she looked at Bonnie and curious when she saw Marceline. "How have you been? Lucy and Cherry said they saw you the other day but I was busy. Come on, come on, you have to tell me absolutely everything."

"Your friends are very enthusiastic," Marceline whispered to her as they followed Candy back over to the wicker and glass table. Several were positioned around the yard (it was really more of a paddock, if she was honest) but most had been dragged together. Not something her mother would do, but it was infinitely more useful.

Bonnie shrugged. "I think it's in the water." Marceline smirked. "Hey Candy, how about you tell me how you've been first. Did you ever move in with Cherry?"

She shook her head. "No, things got a little complicated there."

"Oh?" Bonnie pressed, raising one eyebrow. Lucy was just trotting down the stairs of the deck with a young man on her arm. One Bonnie didn't recognise. What a surprise. "And where is everyone? I thought they'd all be out here already."

Candy waved a hand vaguely. "Norman went… over there with Cherry earlier. They're dating now, that's why I didn't move in with her. And… oh, Lucy you're back. That was fast."

Lucy sank into a chair beside Candy, her new fellow right next to her as though he thought she'd vanish in a puff of smoke. She might too; Lucy went through guys faster than Marceline went through food. Her eyes glittered knowingly in a way pretty much everyone had come to fear over the years, but she seemed totally at a loss regarding Marceline.

"Just a quick walk," she said casually. "I saw Elle's car coming up the drive and figured we should get back over here. Who's this?" Dangerous waters had just been entered. Sadly, Marceline was completely oblivious. Or she was just being rash.

She stuck out one pale hand and the sunlight made her look nearly transparent. "I'm Marceline," she said, grinning blindingly. "Bonnie's roommate."

"Cool," Candy said, taking the hand. "I'm Candice, but… everyone calls me Candy." She beamed. "So good Elle finally found someone to share that apartment with. We all worry."

"Yes," Lucy replied slowly, her turn now to take the hand. "I'm Lucy; it's a pleasure to meet you." Her blue eyes turned on Bonnie. "Where is that lovely young fellow you met the other day? Michael, wasn't it?"

Bonnie inhaled deeply. She'd thought long and hard about her excuse for this question. Something simple and easy to remember. She hoped it was good enough. "He works in the same office as me," she explained. "The one I do research for. He's the paper boy. We're just friends." Bonnie sucked at lying and she sent a silent prayer to the heavens that this one would be believed.

Lucy's brow furrowed. "He didn't look like 'just friends' to me," she replied too sweetly. "Not at all. Quite the opposite in fact."

"You should have your eyes checked then," Bonnie said flatly, trying to keep her tone even.

"So still no guys then, Elle?" Candy put forth, thankfully saving her from the interrogation.

"I don't date guys, Candy," she said. "You know that. I've been telling you for years that I want nothing to do with them." She paused, glancing at Lucy's man. "Speaking of guys though, who's this, Lucy?"

"The name's Daniel," he told her in a smoky voice. Oh yes, just Lucy's type. He flashed a row of perfect white teeth and offered her his hand.

She took it hesitantly. There was always a story to go with Lucy's beaus. She wondered what this one was. It probably wasn't polite to ask in front of him though. Instead, she queried, "So what happened to Brad?"

As Lucy was opening her mouth a horn blared out the front of the house. Then a door slammed and a blue-clad streak burst into the yard. It was followed somewhat more sedately by the aforementioned Brad.

"Oh," Bonnie said surprised. "He's dating Melissa now. Did not see that coming."

Marceline shook her head, amused. "You lot have more drama than a rom-com that takes itself too seriously. Geez. This is like an episode of…" she snapped her fingers. "What was that rubbish show called? The Bold and the Beautiful. Honestly."

Lucy glared at her, Bonnie elbowed her sharply in the ribs, Daniel gave her an understanding look and Candy just kept smiling. Melissa and Brad didn't deign to even greet them; instead they headed off towards the hill. How polite of them. Bonnie tched.

"Sorry to hear about that, Lucy," Bonnibel consoled her friend. "That must've been awful. You don't talk to Melissa anymore do you?"

Her friend looked away, Daniel resting his hand on one of hers. "A little," she finally admitted. "But not as much as we used to." Then she may have called Melissa a name that Bonnie didn't want to know about.

Candy – finding herself in her usual role of mediator – opened her mouth to change the subject to something less awkward. However, just as Lucy had been interrupted before, she was interrupted now. A low roar filled the air and Marceline perked up, clearly it was a sound she knew.

"Oh man," she whispered, standing. A motorbike powered underneath the arch and shuddered to a stop. Garbed in black leather, a young man pulled off an equally black helmet and gloves, swinging his leg over the side of the bike. He flipped his blonde hair off his face and grinned arrogantly at them. But Marceline wasn't looking at him. She was too busy ogling his bike.

Bonnie had no idea what the bike was: black, that was all she could tell, but Marceline was very impressed. She wandered over to the guy and his vehicle, eyes glued to the machine. Pretty soon she was having an animated conversation with the fellow.

"Oh my," Lucy breathed. "Drama bomb. Do you recognise him, Elle? I didn't even know he was back in the country."

"It's Charlie," Candy added in an equally soft voice. Her head was on one side. "Wow, flashback. How you doing over there, Elle?"

They were teasing her and that rankled. So she'd had a schoolgirl crush on the guy years ago. He'd left the whole country before they even finished their senior year and they'd never dated. What Charlie King was doing here though, she'd never understand. Her parents didn't hate a single person in the whole world more than they loathed every last inch of him. That was mostly due to rumours spread by Lucy, but still.

Candy poked her in the ribs. "Looks like your roommate's really hitting it off with him," she sang. "Jealous?"

She snorted. "Why would I be jealous? Didn't I just say not five minutes ago that I'm not interested in dating?" Guys, she amended in her head. Not interested in dating guys.

"Psh, so? You totally had a thing for him," Candy pressured.

"That was nearly seven years ago, Candice," she replied flatly. "Lucy, did you invite him?" She wouldn't put it past her meddling friend to have done just that.

"I'm appalled by the very suggestion," she said, mouth agape, a vision of scandalised. "I take what you say very seriously, Bonnibel."

"Sure. Whatever you say."

Marceline came practically dancing back over to them with Charlie not far behind. "Oh man," she repeated. "I have always wanted a bike. Seriously, that'd be so freaking cool." She fell back into her chair right beside Bonnie. The look she shot Charlie as he'd tried to take it was pure venom.

"Why don't you get one then?" Daniel questioned.

"Uh… huh," she groaned sheepishly. "Yeah… no. Bad idea." It took Bonnie a minute to work out why it was a bad idea and why she couldn't just tell them. Of course, vampires don't have reflections, so it'd look really odd to anyone in their rear-view mirror to see a motorbike ridden by no one. And no way to explain that to Bonnie's friends. "I'm a bit of a klutz," she said instead. "My dad's always telling me I shouldn't operate heavy machinery. You should have seen the look on his face when I said I wanted a drivers' licence. Gold."

And that was enough for them. Marceline could lie through her teeth and no one ever suspected a thing. Bonnie made a mental note to ask for lessons later.

"So when's Hubba Bubba getting here?" Candy asked in her sing-song voice. "I haven't seen him in forever."

"Should be soon I would think," Bonnie mused. "Be interesting to see if his… um… what did he call it?" she asked Marceline.

"Fashion catastrophe," she supplied.

"Right. It'll be interesting to see if his fashion catastrophe has lasted."

"What does that mean?" Lucy asked with a sly glance. "Bubba's always had impeccable fashion sense."

Marceline burst out laughing. "Oh yes. He has excellent taste in women's clothes."

"Marceline!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"What?"

They all laughed. Ok, so maybe Rob wore pink too much. That was still no cause for such a comment. She glowered at her unrepentant roommate.

And as if his name was a summons, Robert strolled through the arch dragging a very unhappy Marshall by the sleeve. Lucy and Candy both straightened the same way they had when Charlie had taken off his helmet. Eyes fixed on her brother and his antagonised friend in a way she didn't at all like. It was much the same look that Marceline was ignoring from Charlie.

"Who is that?" Candy asked breathily.

"My brother," Marceline replied simply. Lucy and Candy just stared at her for a moment.

"He's cute," Candy muttered.

"Don't tell him that," Marceline guffawed. "It'll go to his head."

Happily, Robert was dressed in his usual attire: red and white checked collared shirt and… wait… red pants? No, that was unusual. Skinny jeans in a dark shade of carmine. How peculiar. Marshall was dressed as always too, white shirt, black pants. He'd made one concession: a black vest… oh and the shirt had a collar. But otherwise about normal.

"What d'ya reckon, Bon?" Marceline asked. "Is that ten bucks mine?"

"I dunno, Marcy," she replied in a deliberately annoying voice. "He is wearing a collared shirt. This is very unusual for him. And that vest looks alright."

Marceline sighed. "A'ight, benefit of the doubt then. I'll buy you something on the way home. How's that?"

"You mean you're going to buy me food on the way home," Bonnie grumbled. "Make it ice-cream and you have yourself a deal."

"Excellent."

Lucy shot them a baffled look – questions would be asked later. Then she went back to staring at the guys. Questions would probably be asked about that too. But (as appeared to be a theme this afternoon) she was interrupted before the words were even formed.

"Bonnibel, Robert."

They both looked up at the sound of their mother's voice from the back deck. She stared at them for a long minute, her face a conflicted blend of disapproving glare and pleased smile. Her dress over the top as usual and a bright crimson colour, her long blonde hair drawn neatly into a pile of braids atop her head. Bonnie's heart sank.

"Bring your new friends inside for a moment."

She and Marceline exchanged glances and Bonnie was given the exact half-smile she needed, part blinding, part reassuring, all arrogance. They stood and fell in beside their brothers as they went inside. What could she say? Marceline had better have taken her acting pills with breakfast, or Bonnibel might just have a heart attack yet.