What happened last:

Finn had an intense conversation with Flame Princess which ended with her acting more mysterious than usual. Later on, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum came back from the Nightosphere and LSP had a few words to say to the girls about Finn…

Marceline was just watching and waiting for Lumpy Space Princess to tell her and Bubblegum what she was going to say about Finn.

Marceline was feeling the uncomfortable pressure in her chest that she knew all too well and she started to become angry before even hearing anything. It felt natural to her to react like this.

LSP: "So like… I totally heard that Finn was going to the Fire Kingdom. He's actually there right now."

PB+M: "What?!" The girls yelled in disbelief in unison.

LSP: "Oh yeah. He totally wants her back. I mean, it's super obvious." She was sounding smug. She loves knowing the kind of gossip that makes people feel shocked.

PB: "LSP, who did you hear this from?"

LSP: "What? Girl, you know you can't ask that. It's like… the first rule of gossip or something."

It's actually the second rule.

"Never like… gossip about a gossiper."

~Rule #2 of the rules of gossiping.

Many would think that LSP would have all of the rules memorized by now, but she doesn't exactly play by the rules. She only goes by the rules when it's convenient for her.

PB: "I know. So… what else did you hear?"

LSP: "Oh! He also said that he totally wanted to like, kiss her. I heard him say it. He was like, "Oh Lumpy Space Princess, you're soo lumpy but I want to kiss Flame Princess." She tried to mimic Finn's voice but failed horribly. It sounded like any other voice she tries to make.

M: "He didn't say that! That doesn't even remotely sound like something he would say." She finally spoke up and was appalled by what she was hearing.

Marceline didn't know if she didn't believe it because she honestly didn't or if it was because she didn't wasn't to. She knew other people in her past that were almost too good to be true but they ended up betraying her; friends, family and relationships alike.

LSP: "Oh really…?" The lumpy princess began to sound a bit dark and glared at Marceline.

LSP: "Then why did he wait to go the Fire Kingdom until after you left? Why didn't he tell you he was going to go before you went to the Nightosphere? You know what? I bet he's on his way back already. He probably didn't think you would get back soo quickly. And he even dated that fire princess chick so I think it totally sounds like something he would say."

If LSP was good at anything, it was that if someone questioned the validity of her gossip, she could justify it with more lies or gossip. She mastered the art of telling juicy stories and spreading believable rumors.

She cries wolf and everyone always believes her.

Marceline didn't know what to say. Lumpy Space Princess had believable logic and her words seemed to ring true. Why wouldn't Finn do something like this? He did date Flame Princess after all.

M: "Whatever." She said as she started to float out of the room and was stopped by someone she didn't expect to see. Finn.

He just got back from the Fire Kingdom and the blue flame shield spell was wearing off as he walked in the doorway.

She was instantly heartbroken. It felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart with a knife. Everything that LSP just said came true and was reality in Marceline's mind.

Finn the Human is just as bad as any of her other boyfriends. But was he worse than Ash? Maybe... At least Marceline knew that Ash was a jerk because he made it obvious. He didn't hide anything. But with Finn, he hid it. He didn't tell her that he was doing any of this he was just lying to her face and being unfaithful behind her back.

All of these terrible things were going through her mind all at once. All of these untrue ideas were flooding her thoughts and she couldn't see that none of it was real.

F: "Hey Marcy!" Finn said, sounding happy to see her.

Marceline just stormed past Finn and bumped into him as she passed by. She made it clear that she was upset by something. Once she was out of the room she flew away. Finn would have no idea where she was going so it was mostly pointless for him to chase after her.

F: "Marceline? What's wrong? Where are you going?" He was completely confused. He had no idea what was going on.

LSP: "I told you he was about to get back." She crossed her arms in content. She honestly didn't know that he was on his way back nor did she know really anything for that matter. Everything just happened soo perfectly out of coincidence.

PB: "LSP… I think we should just have our manicure day some other time." She knew that it was time for LSP to leave. Bubblegum had to worry about damage control.

LSP: "What? Why? I thought we were gonna like, gossip some more?" She sounded upset that her ritualistic gossip and manicure day would be cut short.

PB: "Please, LSP. We'll need to talk about this some other time too."

LSP: "Ugh, lame. Whatever. I'll see you later girl!"

The lumpy princess then floated out of a window and left to go do something else. She left with much less reluctance than usual.

F: "PB, what just happened? What's wrong with Marceline?"

PB: "Finn… it's about Flame Princess…" The princess said in a low voice. She didn't always believe Lumpy Space Princess when she gossiped but it seemed mostly believable this time.

F: "W-what about Flame Princess?"

PB: "We know that you went to go see her."

F: "Yeah. FP said that it was really important but it turned out to be nothing. What's wrong with that?" He was being honest but the situation was sounding worse and worse by the second.

PB: "Well, it doesn't seem like it was nothing…" She was already beginning to raise her voice.

F: "What are you…? Wait. Do you think I went to go see Flame Princess because I still love her or something?" Finn was trying to reason with the princess but he had the wrong choice of words.

PB: "You still love her?" She was picking apart everything that the human boy was saying.

F: "No. PB… I… That's not what I meant to say…" He was tripping over his words and the princess was metaphorically kicking him while he's down.

PB: "Then what did you mean to say?"

F: "Princess, It's not what it seems like…

PB: "It's not? Then you better start explaining, Finn." She was sounding extremely serious.

F: "Ok… Flame Princess told me that she needed something from me. Naturally, I thought she needed help with something like you do, but she didn't."

PB: "Then what did she want?"

F: "She… wanted me to be her king. But I told her I couldn't because I'm with Marceline."

PB: "You couldn't or wouldn't?"

F: "PB, I didn't want to because… I…"

PB: "What Finn? You're still not sounding very believable." She wasn't believing a word he was saying.

Finn then had a moment of sudden realization of his true feelings. They've been suppressed for longer than they should have been. In such a short time Finn and Marceline have both changed each other's lives and destinies forever. It's as if they were meant to be together and neither of them were able to see it until life happened. Finn has had this same epiphany-like situation before but he finally found the word to explain it.

Finn the Human was finally sure that he loves Marceline. He wanted to tell the princess but she didn't seem to be believing anything that he's been saying. That and he also wanted to look into Marceline's eyes when he told her that he loved her so that he knew that it was true and not just something that his mind was telling him to get Bubblegum to believe him. He had to be sure.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Finn's heart felt much lighter just knowing his own true feelings. It's an odd feeling for him but it was a liberating one.

F: "Because I don't want Flame Princess back or anything. I like being with Marceline. She… understands me. You have to believe me PB…" He didn't know what else to say to get Bubblegum to believe him. He was almost to the point of begging and pleading.

PB: "It's ok, Finn. I do believe you." Her tone changed from serious back to normal.

F: "PB I… wait. What?" He was blindsided by her quick change in attitude.

PB: "Emotional lateralization."

F: "Uh…?" He felt as if his brain malfunctioned when she said that.

PB: "Don't worry about it. Just know that I believe you Finn. But obviously Marcy doesn't know what's really going on. You need to go talk to her."

F: "Y-yeah. Of course. But… she left and I have no idea where she went."

PB: "She's probably at Iceberg Lake. She always goes there when she needs to think. She just sits on the beach and doesn't move for hours."

F: "How do you know-?"

PB: "Don't ask. Just go, Finn."

Iceberg Lake was actually the first place that Marceline and Princess Bubblegum went when they were both together years ago. It had always been one of Marceline's favorite places in all of Ooo so it was always special to her, even before Bonnibel came along.

F: "Ok. Thank you PB." He said and was about to leave but Bubblegum spoke up. It seemed as if she's been meaning to tell him something.

PB: "I still love you too, Finn..."

He could have never thought in his wildest dreams that she would say what she just said. A shock went throughout his body. It was something that he always wanted to hear the princess say to him but she never did.

She always turned him down in the past but she led him on like she wanted him. It was painfully confusing and he's been torn apart because of it multiple times but finally hearing Bubblegum actually say that made Finn feel as if his pain and struggles weren't in vain.

F: "…Princess?" He was speechless. He turned and looked her straight in her eyes. They were more beautiful in this moment that he's ever remembered. He could see the storm of emotions in her eyes.

PB: "I heard what you said in my room the other night. I wasn't asleep." She appeared to be acting shy. She was fidgeting her hands and looking away.

F: "…"

PB: "I'm a pretty light sleeper so I woke up when you said it." Her confidence quickly came back although he voice was still cracking.

F: "Oh…" He still didn't know what to say.

PB: "I know this is probably a bad time to tell you all of this and you need to find Marceline, but I know that you're going to fix everything with her. I know you can. You two are perfect for each other and that's why it makes me soo sad." She was starting to tear up.

PB: "Oh glob, I hate for you to see me like this but I feel like I need to get this off my chest." She said as she tried to wipe the tears away, but they were falling too fast.

F: "It's ok Princess. I'm listening." He was going to listen to Bubblegum and be her shoulder to cry on if she needed it.

PB: "Oh Finn. Don't call me "Princess" it's too formal." She was trying to make the situation sound less serious and sad.

F: "Ok, Bonnibel." It almost sounded weird to him to call her by that name but it's such a beautiful and fitting name for her.

Princess Bubblegum looked Finn in the eyes and smiled but a few seconds later she turned her head away and began to cry. It's was obvious that she was trying to hold back the tears but she just couldn't this time.

F: "Prin- Bubblegum. What's wrong?" It still wasn't clear to Finn why Bonnie was crying this much.

PB: "It's just… I'm happy that you two found each other and you get along soo well and…"

F: "…And what PB?" He was trying his best to actively listen to the candy princess and help her calm down.

Princess Bubblegum was prepared to do what she did most often with intense emotions like this. She was going to hide them. Hiding emotions is a disease that plagues many of the inhabitants in Ooo and the main problem with that is the fact that everyone thinks that it's okay. Many of them never feel the need to speak up or show any sort of sign as a cry for help. They just let it eat away at them until it has done considerable damage.

..

She wants to tell him that she wants him.

She wants him to know that she's jealous of him and Marceline.

She wants to tell him how much she hurts inside.

She wants to pour out her heart and soul to him.

But Responsibility Demands Sacrifice.

..

PB: "N-nothing Finn. Maybe I'll tell you some other time." She said as she forced a smile and wiped away her tears.

F: "O-ok PB." He said to her with his eyes wide. He knows her well enough to know that it's not just "nothing" but for now, he's going to leave well enough alone and go find Marceline.

PB: "You just need to go get Marceline. I'll be here when you two get back. I have to talk to Jake about something." She turned away so as to prevent herself from crying. Finn's face was enough to remind her how lonely she is; how badly she messed up years ago by turning him down.

F: "Ok Bonnie." Finn said in a smooth voice and he walked up to hug the forlorn princess.

She smelled sweet like bubblegum as she always did. Her skin was always silky smooth and everything about her just felt right.

She returned his embrace willfully and it only lasted a few moments. It was the only thing in the world that could have calmed the princess's heavy heart.

F: "I'll be back soon PB. And… we should have that sleepover you were talking about later on." He said, trying to cheer up Bubblegum.

And for once, it worked.

With that, Finn left the Candy Kingdom and headed towards Iceberg Lake.

How did you guys like Chapter 38? You should leave a review and let me know. :p