Marceline grumbled.

She was having the loveliest nap. Dreamless.

But now, she was rudely being pried from slumber. Her whole body was shaking now, a bit harder than about five seconds ago. Wait, shaking?

"Hey, sleepy. It's time to go," A sweet voice softly sang somewhere in the clouds beyond her eyelids.

"Is she alright? I took far too much time perusing, my apologies, Marceline." Paul's voice came floating about somewhere further away.

With sheer force of will, she forced her eyes open. Her boss and the two scientists were peering down at her.

Oops. She was definitely not at home.

A weak sleep thick whimper involuntarily slipped past Marceline's lips. "Is time to go?" she slurred, twisting against the cafe lounge chair in an attempt to get herself up.

Paul's brows were furrowed in concern and perhaps guilt. "Please allow me to take you to your home so you can rest. I can have your car transported to your residence or send a driver to pick you up and take you to the office in the morning."

"Oh, um. That's okay, Paul. I think…" Marceline paused, sat up at the edge of the chair bracing herself to stand. Her head still felt heavy but as far as the pounding- she shook her head just to make sure- yup, no more pounding. Wow. Amazing. "I feel a lot better. Not sure if it was the sleep or the coffee, but either way, thanks, Bonnibel, if it was the latter."

"M'yup," Bonnibel responded absently, staring out the window beside Marceline.

The worry and guilt fell from Paul's face and he smiled," Glad to hear that you're feeling better."

The drive back to the mansion didn't feel nearly as long and painful as the drive to the gallery had been. Prospects for the day had suddenly, unexpectedly, brightened immensely. Paul had dismissed her for the rest of the day with sincere hopes that she'll come back the next day in better shape. Maybe she would go check on Keila today after work. Correction, after having done no work.

The thought made her instantly aware of how light her back pocket felt. First things first. Must, find, phone.

When she got back to her office, the wall clock above the entrance told her it was now almost two in the afternoon. Her stomach groaned in displeasure. She would have to work out lunch before anything else, before her gut decides that she's much too neglectful and simply consumes itself.

Starting with the fridge, Marceline hoped to find some lunch type things available locally. Eggs, bread, cheese, half a jar of artichoke hearts, and a bottle of… she couldn't remember. She took out the unlabeled plastic bottle, opening it.

She sniffed it.

Then took a sip.

It.

Tasted like nothing.

Shrugging, she ditched it back in the fridge and spun on her heels.

Knock knock knock.

Marceline, already heading towards the door, patted her front pockets for keys. Yup, nothing was stopping her from sustenance now. She pulled open the door and was surprised to see who was on the other side since she had mostly been expecting Paul.

"Hey." It was Bonnibel.

"Oh, uh, hey," Marceline stumbled lamely.

Bonnibel raised an amused eyebrow at her.

She cleared her throat and tried again. "So, yeah, what brings you by?"

The corners of Bonnibel's lips curled up. "Well," She started slowly. "I was eager to get back to the lab and get some work done but nearly everything we were working on before the contamination is far from salvageable. So I'm taking a break." Her tone sounded a mix of a well tamed mass of bitter exasperation, and cheery at the same time.

Marceline blinked. "Oh, sorry to hear that." She shuffled her feet anxiously. "I, uh, was just about to find lunch. W-would you like to come with? I owe you for possibly fixing me."

"Sure." Bonnibel chortled. "Where to, twitchy?"

"Hey." Marceline protested. "I'm not twitchy. I want noodles. Let's go." She had to try to get a hold of herself.

Bonnibel rolled her eyes at her, a funny lilt still playing the ends of her lips.

...

"And where are you going?"

Marceline frowned slightly in confusion. "...To my car?"

"We're going in mine."

She wanted to ask why but decided that it wasn't a big deal. So she followed Bonnibel, and within a few more steps, found herself stopped behind her next to the biggest SUV that in her knowledge existed.

Marceline couldn't help but to take a moment to gawk at it as she looked up. "Woah." She breathed. Although it was no way telling through the heavily tinted windows, Marceline was pretty sure that this goliath had nine or eleven seats. It's wheels were rib height and it was altogether tall enough for someone at most 5'7" to stand in without slouching.

"Geez, are you planning on constructing the monster that drives this thing?"

Bonnibel laughed. "No. Maybe. It's very useful. Get in."

Marceline went the mile trip around and climbed up into the passenger seat. She couldn't help twisting in the seat after she was strapped in to take in the vehicle's interior. There was only one seat in the back, a big fancy looking swivel reclining chair attached to the interior floor set center towards the back, which seemed really far away from where she sat. It had to be some kind of custom build. It was really clean too, with a few big duffle bags piled just behind where she currently sat.

After having had her fill of the scenery, she turned back and did a double take. Bonnibel was staring at her, a funny look that Marceline didn't have time to register before it was replaced with indifference. Which was quickly replaced with that amused expression she seemed to wear quite a bit.

"So, these noodles that you speak of. Which way are they?" Bonnibel lifted an eyebrow and god, it made her feel so small and dumb when she kept doing that.

Marceline decided to settle her gaze safely out the window. "I was thinking Saucer's. Have you been there before?" She heard the click of the joystick being shifted and felt the car reverse before she had even finished her question.

"Isn't that a pizza palace?"

"Yeah, but if you have friends in the right places, you get to see their secret fusion menu."

Bonnibel snorted. "Cute." Marceline frowned but kept her eyes averted from the woman. "And yeah, I find myself there sometimes. Oftentimes dragged there by others."

This made Marceline finally turn to allow Bonnibel into her line of vision with a sideways glance. "We don't have to go there."

"No, no. My curiosity was prodded at the mention of these elusive secret pizza palace noodles." Marceline really wanted to blot out that odd smirk off of Bonnibel's face. What was wrong with this woman? It was really hard to tell whether she was being condescending or if she was just… like that. Like she was talking to small children when really she was talking to perfectly adult people. Ugh.

Marceline looked away again. Just get this over with. She felt it only right to show her gratitude for being given her day back but it was a shame that it had to involve being made to feel so... abased.