Ok, here's the next chapter! We now return to the Watterson Household.
Chapter 04: Home
What sucked about the Rainbow Factory was that there are some people who don't stay long, such as the executives, and the lower-class ones, stay for longer hours, and receive very little pay. Nicole was the latter, and not everyone could figure out how she can manage it. Perhaps she sees it as a way to stay away from her family for most of the day. Not that she doesn't love her family, no, she loves them very much. But they can be chaotic, and with Summer here, it's gonna get even more chaotic. And by even more chaotic, it means the even more chaotic that would make Discord and Eris, the Gods of Chaos, look like guinea pigs.
After getting out of the car as she pulled up. She went up the door. In her mind, she was expecting the house to be in shambels again, most likel because her family are running crazy to try and give her the best birthday gift ever. Opening the door, she saw that everything was intact. Nothing ruined, and nothing destroyed. This would surprise her if the chaotic antics happened everyday as usual, but ever since Gumball's fallen into depression, the chaos has died down to a minimum or to nothing at all, which is what every mother would want. But Nicole, she missed it so much. Perhaps she gotten so used to her family's crazy antics, that the chaos at home is what makes her sane.
She gave a sigh as she dropped her work bag and closed the door. But she knew there was something off though. And it wasn't the absense of the chaos, it was something else. As if someone's waiting to surprise-
"SURPRISE!" Anais and Richard shouted.
"AAHH!" Nicole shouted as she jumped up. Seeing that it was her husband and daughter.
"Oh... thanks." Nicole said nervously. But then, she noticed something else was off. With a couple of sniffs from her nose, she noticed two scents in the house were missing. With her being a cat, she had the ability to sniff out people, including trouble. And she was right. The boys weren't home.
"Where are the boys?" Nicole asked.
"Well, I got you a birthday present, but I forgot to pick it up, so I sent them down to the Adult store to pick up your present." Richard said with a smile.
"WHAT?!" Nicole asked in an anger tone, making Richard realize what he just said, and Anais face-palming her head.
"Ooh..." Richard said. "Is it the birthday or sending two kids in the middle of the night to an Adult store?"
"Sending two kids to an Adult Store!" Nicole said. "Richard, Gumball's only fourteen and Darwin's only twelve... wait, he's probably ten... You know what I mean!"
"Aww c'mon honey, how much trouble can they get into?" Richard asked. Nicole was about to lose it again, but then...
-DING DONG-
The ringing of the doorbell pulled Nicole from unleashing her anger. She gave a sigh of relief. That was probably the boys coming back. She walked up to the door and opened it. She saw her boys, holding an unconcious girl.
"Hi Mom." Gumball said.
"Happy Birthday!" Darwin said with a smile. Nicole only stood there, looking at the boys and the girl they had in their arms.
"Boys, why do you two have an girl who looks like she's sleeping?" She asked. Her tone was calm, but one could tell that anger was about to show.
"Oh, this girl was robbed but we saved her and decided to bring her here." Gumball said.
"Why?" Nicole asked as her eye began to twitch.
"Cuz she's all alone." Gumball said. "Is it alright if she stays here? Please don't kick our butts." Nicole looked at her son, then at the girl, who was still out cold. She just let out a heavy sigh.
"Alright, bring her in and lay her on the couch." She said. The boys gave a happy smile and came into the door. They placed the girl onto the couch, carefully laying her head on the arm of the couch.
"Ooo, you guys brought your mom a hooker?" Richard asked. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Dad, she's a girl!... probably fourteen or fifteen, but she's not a... what you just called her." Gumball said. "That's a horrible thing to say."
"Sorry." Richard said. Darwin began to examine the girl, who was still unconcious.
"Wow... she must've been pretty tired." Darwin said.
"Dude, she was knocked out cold." Gumball said. "What did you expect." Richard looked at the girl once more and then began thinking. The rabbit also noticed the strange bump on the girl's belly.
"What's up with the girl's tummy?" He asked asked. "She looks like she ate a soccer ball."
"Well, actually dad, she's... um..." Gumball said.
"She's what, Gumball?" Nicole asked. The blue cat was trying to get it out, but he couldn't just say it out loud.
"Here..." He said, taking the older cat's hand and placing it onto the girl's belly. It only took a few short seconds for her to notice the mass.
-GASP-
Nicole yanked her hand away as she felt movement inside the girl.
"Oh my god..." She said. "I felt something move in there." Feeling movement in there meant only one thing. This young girl is pregnant! But how?
"What does that mean?" Darwin asked. The mama cat tried to think of what to say.
"Um... well, Darwin, remember when I told you where babies come from?" Nicole asked.
"Yeah, you said that they come from women when a man and woman love each other." Darwin said, but then his eyes widened with realization.
"Oh my gosh!" He said. "She's gonna be a mommy!" Anais only face palmed her head. How much more stupid could Darwin be?
"Where did you find her?" Nicole asked.
"Well, that's a funny story." Gumball said. "I actually met her this morning when I left school. She got mugged by some jerk who stole her money and-"
"Wait, this morning?" Nicole asked, giving a stern and surprised look. "Wait, what do you mean you left school this morning, did you sneak out of sch-"
"Hey!" Gumball spoke, raising his hand up. "I'm not done yet. You said never to interrupt someone when they're talking, so don't you interrupt me too, alright?" Surprised by this, the mama cat gave a sigh, knowing the part where he left school in the moring would have to wait.
"Sorry." Nicole said. "Go on."
"So anyway." Gumball continued. "I met her this morning after she got mugged. I gave her my lunch so she would have something to eat. Then me and Darwin ran into her again while we went to that adult store to get your present from dad. Speaking of which, here you go." Before he continued, her pulled out a rolled up picture from under Darwin's hat and gave it to his mom. Upon opening it, Nicole looked at it with surprise, astonishment, and confusion. The gift Richard has given her was a picture of herself, in a nice sexy latex warrior outfit, with chains and a whip, on top of Richard, who was dressed as a motorcycler.
"Uh... wow..." Nicole said as the redness in her cheeks got more red. "Richard this is... um... thoughtful."
"Yep." Richard said. "It's a picture to remind you that I love you everyday." Anais took a quick look at the photo.
"Ok, that is probably the creepiest thing I've ever seen." She said, only for Richard to shield her eyes.
"Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa... whoa!" Richard said as he covered Anais' eyes. "You shouldn't be looking at this stuff."
"Dad..." Anais said with a groan.
"He's right though, sweetie." Nicole said as she rolled up the picture. "A girl like you shouldn't see this." This was only met with another groan from the little bunny.
"May I continue with my story?" Gumball asked.
"Yes, continue, please." Nicole said.
"Thank you." Gumball said. "Anyway, when we left the adult store, I saw this strange light and it led us to the alleyway, then we found this girl about to be assaulted by a couple of thugs. Me and Darwin stopped them, scared them away, and we decided to bring her home so she would be safe. Now, I'm finished." Nicole looked at her son with a bit of surprise, but also feeling a bit proud. It was actually quite amazing that Gumball was able to save this girl from being sexually assaulted by some thugs. Though it was surprising that they actually brought her home instead of the hospital.
"Well, I'm very proud that you went out of your ways to help her, boys." Nicole said. "But that doesn't answer why you left school in the morning."
"Oh, about that." Gumball answered. "Turns out I got a good score on the exams, so I don't have to go back there. It was a critical error or some tampering with the school grades or something. And not only that, Miss Simian, Principle Brown, and every other teacher there got charged with neglection, robbery, forgery, and all that other bad stuff they did. So they're gonna be in the slammer for a long, long, long time." Nicole raised an eyebrow in surprise. The teachers got arrested?
"Wow..." Nicole said. "Well it's about time that happened."
"Yeah, Miss Simian was always terrible." Richard said. "Now the old hag's finally getting what she deserved."
"Spending the rest of her miserable life in jail?" Darwin asked.
"Exactly." Richard said.
"Mmmph..." A sound came from the girl as she slightly moved her head a bit.
"Shhh, she's waking up." Gumball said, as he and the family leaned in closer. The girl squinted her eyes and she slowly opened them. The blurry vision soon became crystal clear, as she saw the blue cat boy in her face, staring right at her.
"Better?" He asked. Her eyes widened open.
"AAHHHH!" She screamed.
"AHHHHH!" Gumball shouted as he tumbled backwards onto his butt.
"AHHHHH!" The rest of the family shouted, until Richard let out a loud burp.
"Excuse me." Richard said nervously. The girl then glanced over at Nicole and the others, then backed away quickly to the end of the couch and grabbed one of the pillows to defend herself. The Wattersons were a bit startled by her and Gumball's sudden scream, though they were surprised that she was just as confused as they were.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Gumball said as he got up onto his feet. The girl looked at him, then at his family, and then everywhere, seeing that she was inside a house.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"My house." Gumball said. "You were attacked and I brought you here. It's alright, we won't hurt you." The girl still glanced at him and his family, trying to process what happened. Oh, that's right. She was chased by those thugs, and they were going to assault her. But the blue cat was there, and he saved her. As she tried to process all of this, Nicole only stepped forward and gently pushed Gumball aside.
"Let me do the talking..." Nicole whispered to everyone. She cleared her throat and walked up to the girl.
"Hi there." Nicole said with a wave. "Welcome to our home. I'm Nicole Watterson. This is my husband Richard, and this is my son Gumball, my daughter Anais, and our adopted son Darwin." Richard, Gumball and Darwin gave a nervous wave, but kept their faces smiling. Anais, however, wasn't smiling. She only stood there, looking at the girl suspiciously, and blew a bubble from the gum she was chewing.
"What's your name?" Nicole asked. The girl looked confusingly at the mama cat, then back at the others.
"Um... I'm... Aelita..." She silently spoke.
"What's that?" Nicole asked.
"I'm... my name is Aelita..." She spoke a little bit louder, but not loud enough.
"Didn't quite hear that." Nicole said as she leaned in a bit, her hand next to her ear to hear better. The poor girl however only back away a bit, turning away in a shy manner.
"This is like the first episode of Pretty Pretty Ponies, where Twinkle Glitter meets Flittershy for the first time..." Richard whispered to the kids, all of them giving a nod. Giving a sigh, Gumball stepped forward.
"Hey, it's ok." Gumball said. "We're not gonna hurt you. It'll be alright." He extended his hand out, and the girl glanced at it. Looking back at the blue cat, who was giving a friendly smile, she somewhat found a bit of comfort. He saved her from those pervs trying to defile her, and he brought her to his house. Giving a uneasy nod, she took a hold of his hand. Suddenly, she pulled him and gave him a hug, much to his surprise.
"Thank you for saving me..." She spoke as she held onto him. Touched by those words, the blue cat wrapped his arms around her, completing the hug. Seeing her at ease allowed Nicole to sigh in a bit of relief, while Richard and Darwin began to smile.
"Awwww... I think Gumball's got a new girlfriend..." Richard whispered to the fish with legs and both of them began to chuckle silently. Anais, on the other hand, watched the girl cautiously, especially with how she's hugging her brother.
"I... I better make dinner." Nicole said, getting up and going into the kitchen.
In a little while, Nicole had made supper and everyone, including Aelita, was at the dining table. Only one word could describe this moment. Quiet. Actually, two words. Awkward and Quiet. No one said anything as they silently ate dinner. The only person who wasn't eating was Aelita, who looked down at the food on her plate.
"Are you gonna eat that?" Richard asked, only for Nicole to shake her head at him, telling him not do ask. The rabbit only sighed in disappointment.
"I feel awkward." Darwin said with a smile, with Anais only giving a sigh. Gumball was the only one looking at Aelita. He couldn't keep his eyes off her though. This young girl who has been on the streets, having barely anything to eat, and carrying a child in her tummy. Yet, she looked innocent and beautiful.
As her eyes set upon him, he realized that he was staring at her for a while. Giving a blush, he turned away.
"Sorry..." He said, giving a blush. Yep, that was pretty stupid on his part. But he noticed that she wasn't eating from her plate. He knew she has to eat something. Looking over to his plate, he saw the half piece of grilled cheese mixed with a four blend cheese, with swiss and string cheese. He picked it up and offered it to Aelita.
"Here, you want my piece of grilled cheese?" Gumball asked. The girl looked down at his slice, then at him.
"It's ok, you can trust me." He said. The girl looked at him, then back at the slice. Lowering her head, she opened her mouth, and he extended his arm out so she can take a bite of the bread piece. Taking a good chunk, she chewed a while and swallowed. The taste of the different kinds of cheese mixed together was actually pretty good.
"It's good." She said, giving a weak smile.
"Thanks." Gumball said with a smile of his own. "I made it myself, though Mom is a better cook than me." The two smiling at each other caught the attention of everyone. Darwin was giving his usual smile, while Nicole gave a weak smile, but it was mostly at Gumball's smile. She hasn't seen a smile like that in a long time.
"I think they're making a connection." Richard whispered to Nicole, while the mama cat rolled her eyes. However, one person wasn't smiling, and it was Anais. She looked at the two with a cautious glare. What was her brother doing, giving his food to some stranger he just met?
"So... um..." Nicole began, breaking the silence one more. "Miss Aelita, where are you from, exactly?" The girl lowered her head.
"I'm from... nowhere." She said.
"Nowhere?" Nicole asked. "Well, you gotta come from somewhere." Nicole said. "Aren't your parents worried about you?" Gumball shook his head, and waved his hand across his neck, telling him mom not to ask that, though Nicole didn't understand what that meant.
"My parents... are dead." She said, with Gumball giving a sigh.
"Oh... well, that is pretty much nowhere then..." Nicole said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Maybe she came from a brothel..." Anais spoke under her mouth, which was surprisingly met with a glare from Nicole.
"What did you say?" She asked.
"Nothing..." Anais said quickly.
"Well... I've been on the streets for... a little while." Aelita said.
"Wow..." Richard said. "What's it like, living on the streets?" The girl tilted her head, a little confused why he asked the question.
"It's... well... it has it's ups and downs, I guess." She said. "I mean, I've been working odd jobs to get money for food, mostly cleaning."
"Cleaning men's junk probably..." Anais thought to herself.
"What kind of cleaning?" Nicole asked.
"Pipes, floors, and walls." Aelita said. "I've recently cleaned the pipes at the construction site this morning, though some thumb print creep stole the money I earned."
"You mean Sal Thumb Print?" Richard asked. "Oh man, I hate that guy. One time I sent Gumball and Darwin to the gas store to buy Nicole a birthday gift, and Sal tried to rob the store with a spoon. A Spoon!" Nicole only gave a nervous smile as the girl looked with a bit of confusion.
"Elmore's a pretty strange town." Gumball said. "It has a lot of... unique characters."
"Well, that explains the giant T-Rex." Aelita said.
"Say Miss?" Anais asked. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes?" Aelita asked.
"Well, you said that you've done some odd jobs." Anais began. "Have you resorted to... you know... riding someone's crotch?" That was met with gasps from Gumball and Nicole.
"Anais, watch your mouth!" Nicole whispered. "She's just a fourteen year-old girl."
"What?" Anais asked. "It was just a question. Nothing personal..." She ate the piece of green beans off her plate, as Nicole only sighed and shook her head, unaware of her daughter crossing her fingers behind her back.
"So, you've been living on the streets for a while?" Darwin asked. "How long a while?"
"Um... months..." Aelita said. "I lost count."
"Well, do you have any other relatives or something?" Richard asked.
"No, I don't." Aelita said. "I don't have anywhere else to go." The blue cat next to her couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She has nowhere else to go except back out onto the streets. And if she was nearly nearly assaulted by a group of thugs, who knows what else could happen to her. He didn't want his new friend to suffer the wrath of whatever mother nature throws at her.
But then, an idea came to his head. There was only one way to keep her from suffering the grim dangers of the streets.
"Hey, if you want, you can stay with us for a little while." Gumball said. This was met with Nicole almost choking on her food.
"Oh My Gosh!" Richard called out. "Heimlich Maneuver!" He then pulled Nicole in and started to push his hands into Nicole's abdomen, trying to apply strong pressure to dislodge the food from her windpipe, though it looked like she was humping her aggressively, making Darwin giggle a teeny bit. Pretty soon, the piece of food was pushed out of Nicole's throat and out of her mouth, landing in Anais's food.
"Ew..." She said as she pushed her plate away. The mama cat took in deep breaths until she could finally breathe normally.
"Thank you, honey..." Nicole said as she pecked Richard on the cheek. "Gumball, a word please?" As she said that, her smile looked forced and the squint in her eyes made Gumball sigh.
"Oh man..." He said. "Excuse me for a second." He then excluded himself from the table and followed Nicole into the living room. The two came to a stop and the mama cat turned to face her son.
"Honey, do you honestly expect me to let her stay here with us?" Nicole asked.
"Aww, come on mom." Gumball said. "She has nowhere else to go. Can't we just let her stay with us for a while."
"Gumball, we can't just take a complete stranger off the streets into our house." Nicole said.
"But helping those who can't help themselves is the right thing to do." Gumball said.
"Yes, but we can't help everybody." Nicole said. "I'm sorry, but we can't let her stay with us."
"So, you're just gonna kick her out back onto the streets, where she'll suffer for the rest of her life?" Gumball asked. The mama cat raised an eyebrow. Her son made a good point on tha-
Oh, no, she thought. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to guilt-trip her. She could tell in his eyes. She formed a smile of her own.
"Honey, I know what you're doing." Nicole said. "There's no use into guilt-tripping me. No one can guilt-trip like a mother, and you know it." The blue cat was about to speak, but then a grin came onto his face.
"Well, then I guess if you let her back on the streets, some guys like the ones who jumped her will likely assaut her again, and she, and most likely her unborn baby, will likely get killed... on your watch." Gumball said.
"And?" Nicole asked.
"That means everybody in town will hate you when they find out." Gumball said.
"And?" Nicole asked.
"They'll see you as a horrible person, and a horrible mother." Gumball said.
"And?" Nicole asked.
"And you'll lose your job, no one will hire you, we'll lose our house, we'll be taken away into children's services, and you'll resort turning into a stripper for cash for the rest of your life." Gumball said. The mama cat was about to speak, but then her eyes widened with realization. He actually had a big point. Letting the girl back on the streets after one day would result to her getting mugged again, or worse. And if people found out about that, she would really be hated across town. She would lose her job, the house, no one would hire her, and the kids could be taken away from her, and she'll resort to... what Gumball has told her. She looked back at her son, and smiled.
"Wow, you actually managed to guilt-trip me..." Nicole said.
"I have learned from the best." Gumball said, making the mama cat smile and roll her eyes even more.
"Alright... she can stay, but only until Friday." Nicole said after a sigh. Gumball then started to think. Today was Tuesday, so that means she let Aelita stay for three days... or two days since today was already almost up. Neverless he gave a nod.
"Ok then, it's a deal." Gumball said. "But who knows, you might change your mind."
"We'll see about that." Nicole said as she rustled her son's head playfully. With that the two made their way back to the table.
"Ok, I suppose you can stay with us for a couple days." Nicole said to Aelita. "But only until this Friday." Hearing that surprised Aelita a bit. They were gonna let her stay for a while.
"Oh, you don't have to do that." Aelita said. "I don't want to be trouble."
"No, no, it's alright." Nicole said. "You can stay until Friday." Hearing that made the girl a bit more surprised. She didn't want to burden them, but they were willing to let her stay... for a little while at least.
"Thank you, Mrs. Watterson." Aelita said. "I suppose I can crash on the couch until then, if that's alright."
"Of course, sweetie." Nicole said, who then glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 9:00PM, time for everyone to get to bed. "Speaking of which, we should probably get to bed."
"Ok!" Darwin said as he picked up his empty plate and placed them in the dish washer, while Richard took his own plate and made his way to the washing machine.
"Richard, what are you doing?" Nicole asked.
"Putting my dish in the dish washer." The rabbit said.
"That's the washing machine." Nicole said.
"I know." Richard said.
"We use it to wash our clothes, not our plates." Nicole said.
"Oh." Richard said. "Well, I didn't know that." Gumball, Darwin, and Aelita couldn't help but chuckle silently at this. Richard always gets things confused, but his kids love him for that. The only one who wasn't joining the chuckling was Anais, who was staring a bit at Aelita in suspicion. She didn't like having a complete stranger in the house, especially someone on the streets. Regardless, she would have to cope with it for a couple days, so might as well be friendly with her... for now.
It was somewhere around 11:07PM, and the stars outside were still sparkling in the sky. Everyone was in their beds, fast asleep, except for one.
Aelita was laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She was covered in a nice blanket that Nicole gave her. Despite being on a much comfier spot, she couldn't sleep. She was going over the entire day in her head. For she spent the whole morning trying to clean the pipes to earn some cash, only for it to be stolen from her by some thief. Then this nice young boy comes along and gives her food from the kindness of his heart. Then she spent the whole day trying to find another job, but to no prevail. Then she gets chased by a giant T-Rex and almost became some sick creeps' plaything. But then she gets saved by the boy who gave her food and his fish brother. He brings her to his home and lets her stay for a little while.
With all the time she's spent on the streets, this was probably the most fortunate event that has happened to her. But yet, it felt weird, being in the comfort of someone's home. It felt so strange. Perhaps it's because she has grown used to being on the streets, and suffering through whatever she would encounter.
She tried to get those thoughts out of her head so she could go to sleep. She closed her eyes, trying to think of peaceful moments. That always helps. But it was kinda hard for her to do so, especially with her having a baby in her stomach.
"Hello there."
The sudden voice made Aelita open her eyes. As she did, she saw a yellow glowing orb floating on the other side of the couch. Aelita slowly sat herself up to see. Seeing the glowing orb made her eyes widen up. That orb. It's the same orb she saw when she was being chased by that T-Rex. The same orb that helped her get away.
"Oh, It's you!" Aelita said, though she spoke quietly so she wouldn't wake anyone up.
"Nice to see you too." The orb said as it floated to her closely.
"Who... are you?" Aelita asked. "Are you a spirit?"
"Yes, actually." The orb said. The orb began to glow brightly, then it transformed in a much more humanoid appearance. Her form consisted of arms and legs with no hands, and she had a body was glowing yellow with a gradient of orange. She had two antlers over her head, a pair of bright yellow wings on her back, and a halo over her head.
"Hi." The fairy spoke.
"Um... hi." Aelita said. "What are you?"
"A fairy." The fairy said. "Well, I'm also an angel so to speak."
"An angel?" Aelita asked.
"Yeah, I passed away almost a year ago in a terrible accident." She said. "It was tragic. Very tragic."
"Oh." Aelita said. "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok." The fairy said as she sat next to the girl. "I sometimes come from the heavens to see how things are going. It's sad that no one else can see me."
"I see." Aelita said as she looked down at the ground. "Oh, thank you for saving me from that T-Rex."
"It was nothing." The fairy said. "You'll have to forgive Tina. She's a bit sensitive, and she tries to be more feminine at times."
"Tina?" Aelita asked.
"That's her name." The fairy said.
"Ahh." Aelita said with a nod, and then looked at the stairway leading to the upper floor of the house, with today's events still lingering on her mind, much to the fairy's notice.
"You seem a little distressed." She said.
"I'm a little more distressed." Aelita said. "I've been through a lot this past year. I've been on the streets for months now, and I've been trying to get my life back on track. But apparently it hasn't been going much anywhere. It was really nice of this family to let me stay here, even though it's just temporary."
"Well, maybe they'll let you stay for real." The fairy said.
"I doubt that will ever happen." Aelita said. "Plus, I don't want to be a burden."
"Don't give up hope just yet." The fairy said. "The Wattersons are nice people, and so is their son, Gumball. I think he'd like you to stay for real." Hearing those hopeful words brought a smile to Aelita's face.
"Thank you." Aelita said.
"You're welcome, but I'm not the one you should probably thank though." The fairy said.
"Huh?" Aelita asked.
"Pssst... hey...!" Hearing the whisper got her attention. Turning her head to the stairway, she saw Gumball. He was wearing his sleep clothes, consisting of a short-sleeved yellow shirt with a white color and sleeve cuffs, and grey shorts.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine." Aelita said. She then turned her head, seeing the fairy gone. She probably had to go.
"Who were you talking to?" Gumball asked.
"Oh, just myself." Aelita said, thinking he won't believe her if she said she was talking to a fairy. "Sorry..."
"It's alright." Gumball said as he came down the steps. Wait, what was he doing down here, she thought.
"What are you doing down here?" Aelita asked. "Can't sleep?"
"Sort of..." Gumball said. "I'd figured you might want some company. You?"
"Same here." Aelita said. "It kinda feels different, sleeping on a couch instead of the ground."
"Well, at least it's comfy." Gumball said as he hopped onto the couch, sitting next to her. The girl nodded at his comment. The two just sat there, trying to think of what to say. The girl looked at the blue cat, realizing what the fairy was telling her. He's the one she should thank. After all, he did save her.
"Thanks for saving me." Aelita said. "That was really brave of you."
"No problem." Gumball said. "I just didn't expect to see you there, and see something like that happen to you." Another pregnant pause came. Speaking of pregnant, the blue cat glanced at the girl, and then his eyes were set on to the bump on her belly. So many thoughts and questions were going on in his mind. He really did feel something move in her stomach, and so did his mom. So it had to be a baby. But, how did she end up pregnant? Was it possible that someone forced themselves upon her before she came here? That belly looked rather big for it to just happen in a day. She seems to be eight months along. Well, he had to ask her.
"Um... can I ask you a question?" Gumball asked.
"Does it have anything to do with why my stomach looks big?" Aelita asked.
"Uh... yes?" Gumball said with a nervous smile. The girl sighed.
"Go ahead." She said.
"Um... are you... expecting?" Gumball asked. "You know, I mean, are you pregnant?" The girl gave a weak nod. Yes, she was pregnant.
"Oh, I see." The blue cat continued. "So... how did it happen? Did someone... force themselves on you? Were you... abused?" The girl turned her head, feeling reluctant to answer.
"Something like that." She said.
"Oh..." Gumball said as he looked away. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"It's ok." Aelita said. Looking back at the girl, he moved a bit closer. No, he was not going to make a move with her, no. There was one thing he wanted to ask her.
"Um... may I... feel it?" Gumball asked. "I mean, your tummy?" The girl tilted her head. He wants to feel her tummy, to feel the baby that is inside her?
"Of course." She said as she shifted her body to face toward him. She lifted her dress up a bit, revealing the surface of her stomach. Gumball noticed that she wasn't wearing panties, but pink leggings. Thank god, he thought. He wasn't ready to see panties yet. Anyway, he slowly placed his paw on the surface of her stomach, feeling the roundness in her gut. The girl felt a bit relieved as she felt his warm paw slowly moving across her bump.
"Wow..." He said. "That's amazing. What does it feel like, having a baby inside you?"
"It's... interesting..." Aelita said. "I've been carrying her for months now."
"Her?" Gumball asked.
"I don't really know the gender, actually." Aelita said. "But she isn't as active, so I figured it's probably a girl."
"Makes sense." Gumball said. "So, have you been feeling all those pregnancy symptoms, you know like nausea and back pain?"
"Unfortunately yes." Aelita said. "I've vomited a couple times last week, even yesterday."
"Ahhh." Gumball said, and his eyes were set on her stomach. She must've been through a lot to get up to being pregnant.
"Has it been... rough?" Gumball asked.
"Yes." Aelita said, her hand upon her stomach as well. "It's been pretty rough. I never did ask for this. And, I don't know what I'm going to do." The blue cat looked at the girl, seeing her saddened. And he knew why. She was lost, alone, no family to go to. She never asked to be a mother. She was too young. Not wanting her to feel sad, he placed his paw on her shoulder.
"It'll be ok." Gumball said. "Things may look bad right now, but it'll get better. Somehow." The girl looked at the blue cat, who gave her an assuring smile. She smiled back, feeling a keen feeling of hope as she stared at his face.
"Thanks, Gumball." Aelita said, giving the blue cat a stroke on the head. Her hand rubbing his head made him purr and move a bit, like a cat would when they would get petted once and a while.
"Well... I better let you rest." The blue cat, ready to get up. But then, his hand was grabbed her another hand. Her hand. He turned back to look at her.
"You can sleep with me, if you want." She said. The blue cat blushed as he heard that. She wanted him to be next to her? He couldn't tell what was happening. But something in his heart was telling him to stay. He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay next to her. Giving a smile, he leaned onto the count, adjusted himself, giving a little pur as he slipped next to Aelita, his head just a little bit above her stomach.
"Thanks..." He said. "Good night, Aelita."
"Good night, Gumball." She said. "And thank you..." To his surprise, she pecked him on the forehead with a kiss. Despite the blush, he gave a smile. Whatever he was feeling right now, it felt good, being next to her. He nuzzled under her chin, and the two went off to sleep, completely unaware of Nicole watching from the stairway, giving a warm smile.
And that's the end of this chapter!
I won't lie, the whole grilled cheese thing is what I do most of the time. Whenever I make Grilled Cheese, I would sometimes put different slices of cheeses, american, swiss, colby, monterey jack, and whatever cheese I can get my hands on. With the right combination, the whole sandwich tastes sooo good!
Now, for Anais's behavior acting a little hostile toward Aelita. She's a little suspicious having some homeless person on the streets staying with them. But hey, she'll probably warm up... eventually.
And the fairy... I'm sure you already know who it is.
