Hey, I'm back! I hope you guys are enjoying my return so far. Keep in mind, after the next chapter, there's gonna be another hiatus so I can work on my other stories. If you're not familiar with my work yet, please give my other stories a read if you're interested.

Enjoy the chapter!

I do not own 'Adventure Time'.

Chapter 33

The Finn Cave (you do better)

"I don't wanna do this."

"Come on, Pep-but, I'm almost done."

"There are over a hundred other Candy People you have asked to do this."

"Yeah, but you were the closest." Bubblegum took one of the pins out of her mouth. "Now tell me if it starts to feel too tight."

Peppermint Butler, standing on a stool and wearing a gorgeous red dress, looked like he was ready to murder something pink. "I am a master of the dark arts and a top-level necromancer and dark magician. And yet, by the command of my princess, here I am in a custom-fit dress."

"Oh, you and that dark magician nonsense," said PB.

"I'm being serious, I can cast spells and everything," said Pep-but. "I possessed Cinnamon Bun with a demon that one time."

"Lift your arms for me, would you?"

Peppermint Butler sighed and raised his arms. "I don't think this would bother me as much if you at least gave me a paycheck at the end of every week."

"Hey, I pay you."

"Oh, yeah. A bag of sugar cubes is definitely what one considers a decent wage." Pep-but replied, voice thick with sarcasm. "But, what can you expect from a government salary?"

There was a knock on Bubblegum's bedroom door.

"Come in," PB called out.

The door opened and Marceline entered the room. She had changed back into jeans and her black and red shirt. Her hair had even been brushed, as if she was making an attempt to look nice. "Hey, Bonnie."

"Marceline?" Bubblegum asked in surprise.

Marcy blinked at the sight of Peppermint Butler in a dress. "Uh…am I interrupting something?"

"Nah, I was just doing a little knitting and sewing," said Bubblegum. "I…wanted to do something that wasn't science, for once."

"Go back to the lab." Peppermint Butler demanded.

"Hey, Peppermint Butler." Marcy greeted. "My dad says hi."

"Next time you see him, tell him I am not agreeing to that deal," Pep-but replied. "He'll know what it means."

"You look nice," said Marcy.

"Oh, the hell with this." Pep-but jumped straight out of his dress and walked out of the room. "Take all the time you need, you two. I'll be in the dungeon."

"Pep-but, wait!" Bubblegum shouted. "I still need to finish the cuffs!"

The door slammed shut.

"Dangit, it was almost done." Bubblegum complained. "I knew I should've asked Chocoberry instead."

Marcy looked down at the sewing kit on the coffee table. "How long have you been sewing?"

"For a while, actually." PB stood up and smoothed out her dress. "You've just never seen me do it."

"Oh," replied Marcy. "Um…yeah, I guess I never did."

"So, whatcha need?" Bubblegum asked. "Shouldn't you be with Finn right now? I'd imagine the poor guy could use a shoulder to cry on."

"Finn will be fine, he's a tough dude." Marceline rubbed the back of her neck. "Also I…might have dumped him."

"What?" PB asked in surprise. "You dumped him?"

Marcy nodded.

"He got his arm chopped off by the aunt he had to put down, and you dumped him?" PB asked incredulously.

"If you want to call me a monster, then go ahead," Marceline said without any amount of malice or rancor. "This time, I think I might deserve it."

Bubblegum seemed taken back. Her face softened as she stared at Marcy. "Well…why'd you dump him? You two seemed to be having fun together."

"We were. But it wasn't healthy for Finn." Marcy confessed. "Fact is…you were right. As usual."

PB blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm no good for Finn." Marceline groaned and, for the first time in forever, sank to the ground. She sat on the floor in a glum manner, no longer floating. "Finn is a great guy, and…I suck. No vampire pun intended. The reason we even clicked was because we were both messed up and had serious daddy issues. Not a great thing to bond over. Me taking him out on dangerous dates knowing full well he wouldn't back down or say 'no' was just me and him getting everything out of our system. I mean, for Glob's sake, the fact that I didn't break him is nothing short of a miracle."

Marceline sighed. "...He can do better than some undead half-demon who pretty much used him as a chew-toy. He deserves better. It can be argued whether or not I do, though."

Bubblegum looked off to the side anxiously. She took a moment before sitting down on the ground, mimicking Marceline. PB brought her hands together and twiddled her thumbs. She stared at the floor, looking sad and guilty, much to Marcy's confusion.

"You're not a bad person, Marceline." Princess Bubblegum finally said. "...But I am."

"What? No you're not," said Marcy. "I mean, sure, you can be…aggressive, sometimes, but-"

"Marceline, I locked up a baby." PB snapped, although her anger appeared to be directed at herself. "I turned my first 'family' into the first generation of dopy Candy People, I have a tracker on all of the Candy People and I used to have spy cameras all over Ooo before that Princess Parley with Flame Princess made me take them all down. For years, I've treated everybody else like I'm the only living, breathing person who isn't an idiot. I'm a condescending jerk who doesn't trust anybody because of my own insecurity. I used Ice King and almost got him killed by Flame Princess. For the love of Glob, I completely blew Finn off when he asked me to help him contact his mom, even after he saved my entire Kingdom!"

"Bonnie-"

"The truth is, Gross was right." Bubblegum brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. "I am just like her."

"Woah, hold up!" Marcy shouted. In her outrage, she levitated a few inches off the floor. "You are nothing like that psychopath. I mean, come on. That chick was flippin' nuts!"

"She was a cold and calculating scientist who didn't care who got hurt so long as she got what she wanted," PB said. "Just like me. For years, I did whatever I had to for the sake of all that I had built. I didn't care about anything else, or anyone else. You were the first person outside of my handiwork I ever truly cared about. You and, I guess, Shoko. But she betrayed me and you broke up with me."

"Bonnie. You are not evil." Marcy stated.

"For the sake of my Kingdom, I would do anything. Just like how Dr. Gross was willing to do anything for her island." PB said. "I had Ice King cool down the Fire Kingdom, endangering lives and even ending a few. Then I went into the Fire Kingdom, pretending to be a friend wanting to help, and destroyed all but one of the Fire Kingdom's front-line defenders."

"Look, you let fear and worry get the best of you," Marceline said. "That's not necessarily evil. I mean, it was stupid, and wrong, and below-the-belt low, but I wouldn't say it was evil."

"How exactly am I any different from Dr. Gross?" Bubblegum asked.

"What, are you serious?" Marceline asked. "Dr. Gross was a sociopath who wanted to kill literally everyone, and she tried to brainwash Finn before she sliced off his arm and tried to use him as a meatshield. Bonnie, you're a sweet and nice person, I've known that since the day we started dating. You're not perfect, but you're not bad. Yeah, you have your pride and yeah, you let your emotions get the best of you. Honestly, I'm hardly any better."

Marcy flew up and grabbed PB by her shoulders. "You are a good person, Bonnie. You care about your peeps and you care about your friends. You're responsible and you're hard-working. Two things I've never actually been. The difference between you and Dr. Gross is that there are lines you won't cross. You have honor, and you're no snake. Gross was willing to kill everyone in Ooo just to make room for the other humans and look like a big shot. The line was wherever she wanted it to be. She didn't care if the world died screaming. You would never do anything so Glob-damned messed up. I know you, Bonnie. And I know, without a single doubt, that you are a good person."

Bubblegum stared at Marceline for a long time. Then she smiled at her oldest friend. "Thank you, Marcy. I…I know I should believe you, but…I'm not sure I do yet." PB sighed. "How does Finn make being a good person look so easy?"

Marceline laughed and let go of Bubblegum's shoulders. She floated back a little to give them some space before coughing awkwardly into her fist. "Uh…hey, do you…wanna…I don't know, do something later?"

Bubblegum blinked and widened her eyes.

"Okay, okay, I know what this looks like," Marcy said, waving her arms in front of her, cheeks developing a slight red tint. "Me breaking up with my boyfriend, the heart-to-heart we just had, but I swear. This is not me asking you to come back to me like some desperate idiot. I'm not asking you out, I just wanna hang out. Let's…try to be friends again."

"You…want to be friends?" Bubblegum asked. "After everything that's happened?"

"Yeah, I do," Marcy replied. "I'm sick of us hating each other over a bunch of stupid stuff that went down hundreds of years ago. We both handled the breakup pretty poorly, and I want us to finally bury the flippin' hatchet. Let's just hang out sometime. We could…go bowling, or go fishing, or…go throw eggs at an old guy's house–I don't know. Let's just go and do something that gets us to be friends again."

Bubblegum stared at the floor thoughtfully for a minute. She smiled and looked back up at Marceline.

"I'd like that," she said. "Princess Day is this weekend, you wanna tag along as my plus one?"

"Sure, I'd love to!" said Marcy. 'Man it's gonna suck hanging out with all those stuck-up Princesses. I hope LSP will be there at least.'

"Great!" Bubblegum stood up off the floor. "I'll…see you next weekend, then. I should go check if Finn is okay. I kinda skedaddled after Ice King began his fanfiction."

"Oh, yeah, about that. I'm pretty sure Finn left, like, an hour ago." Marcy said.

"Wait, what?!" Bubblegum shouted. "He's still on bed rest!"

There was a knock on the door and Peppermint Butler peaked his head into the room. "Yeah, hi, uh, Dr. Gross's body is gone. And, I think Master Campbell is the one who has taken it."

"What?!" Bubblegum cried. "Why would he take her body out of the morgue?!"

Here lies Dr. Casandra Gross

R.I.P.

Finn, Jake, Susan, BMO, and Neptr all stood before the grave of the late doctor, hands clasped together and heads bowed respectfully. Except for Neptr, though. He didn't have hands or a head.

"Susan bored. Susan will go play with water ladies." Susan then stomped over to the pond.

"Can we go now too?" BMO asked. "We have no idea who this person is."

"Yeah, fine," said Finn. "Take Neptr inside."

"Come on, Neptr, I'll show you the society that lives in the walls," BMO said, heading inside the treehouse.

"Creator, I must say that I am truly in admiration of your new robot appendage," Neptr said before following BMO inside.

Finn sighed as he stared at Gross's grave. It was nothing impressive, just a small slab of stone he had found and chiseled words on. After carrying Gross's corpse back to the treehouse, Finn buried her in the backyard. For reasons Finn didn't bother asking about, Marceline had left a cheap, wooden coffin in the garage. After nailing the coffin shut with the dead doctor inside, Finn buried Gross without ceremony.

"Finn, you're like a brother to me and I totes respect you and the fact that this mad woman was, I guess, close to you," Jake said. "But I gotta tell ya, I'm using a lot of willpower to keep myself from whizzing on the grave of the person who kidnapped my son and tried to kill all of us."

"Please don't do that," Finn asked. "Just…let her rest."

Jake's phone buzzed and he took it out of the fold in his body he called a pocket. "Up. Bubblegum just texted me. Yeah, she's not happy you just took your aunt's body out of the morgue. I guess it's kind of illegal."

"She wasn't my aunt," Finn replied.

"I'll just text her back that it's all good." Jake tapped away at his phone's screen. "By the way, is Marceline coming over soon? Cuz I'll scram if you need some time with your lady."

"Oh, actually, Marcy dumped me."

"Oh thank Glob," said Jake. "Uh, I mean, dang, sorry to hear that, man. Yeah, Breakfast Princess is totally still single."

Finn rolled his eyes and continued to stare at Gross's grave.

"So…how close were you two, exactly?" Jake asked.

"I guess she cared about me. And, in a way, I always cared about her. She was my teacher and my doctor. My mom trusted her with me." Finn shrugged. "I didn't, though. I always thought she was a little cold, as if she took after the machines she built. But still, I never thought she would ever try to do what she did."

"Do you think your mom is going to send any more Susans or Grosses to Ooo?" Jake asked.

Finn took a deep breath. "Dude, I…really don't want to talk about my mom right now."

"Oh. Okay, man, sure." Jake bounced on his heels and patted his legs. "...You…wanna go do something? Take your mind off of all this?"

"Actually, I was thinking about turning Billy's cave into a cool hangout spot," Finn said. "You wanna help me out with that?"

"Aw, heck ya, man! That sounds cool!" Jake exclaimed. "I've been meaning to find a place where I can hide from Lady and the kids from time to time."

"What about the treehouse? You're here all the time."

"Yeah, exactly. Lady and the kids know about this spot." Jake said. "I need a place they don't know about."

"Um…okay, I guess," said Finn. "Let's go."

"Try not to put too much weight on your leg." Helper Grover said as he finished applying the cast. "And, perhaps you should watch your step."

"I just wanted to see if slipping on a banana peel was an actual thing." the patient said.

"In hindsight, performing your experiment near a flight of stairs wasn't a very bright idea, eh?" Grover asked. "Go on, get out of here. And be more careful in the future."

The patient grabbed a pair of crutches and limped out of the office. Helper Grover put away his equipment and shook his head. "I swear, some of the injuries I have to take care of are just ridiculous."

"Helper Grover?"

The old man turned around and saw Minerva standing at the door. Grover knew it was his old student and not just a carbon copy Minerva-bot.

"Minerva?" Grover asked. "What are you doing here?"

Minerva sighed and hung her head. "...I've lost contact with Dr. Gross. I don't know what's happened, but I can't get a hold of her."

Helper Grover's eyes widened. "Oh. Oh, dear. First Kara, and now Casandra. Contacting Finn is proving to be quite difficult."

Minerva walked up to Dr. Gross and looked into his eyes desperately. "Grover…I just want to see my son again. I need to know he's okay."

"I know, Minerva. I know." Grover gently placed a hand on the Island Leader's shoulder. "You're worried. And with Kara and Gross losing contact with us, you may be right to worry."

"What am I supposed to do now?" Minerva asked. "I know, I'll send every Seeker we have to the Homeland. I'll arm them all to the teeth and order them to destroy anything that gets between them and Finn."

"Uh, before you go nuts and send a hostile army into unknown territory, just hear me out of a second." Grover put his hands together in a calming manner. "You heard Finn's transmission, he's doing just fine in Ooo or whatever it was called. Dr. Gross is…an unstable compound. The fact that you've lost contact with her could mean a number of things. And besides, Seeker Kara is with Finn, and he's…working for princesses, I guess? Whatever the case, he sounds like he's doing just fine and he enjoys being in Ooo."

"Grover, he's my son," Minerva stated. "I can't just forget about him."

"Nor should you," said Grover. "But, Minerva, he's eighteen and he's living his own life. I know you want to protect him more than anything, especially after that mess when he was a baby and the outbreak of the virus. But for crying out loud, he's an adult now."

"Does it really count if he's eighteen?" Minerva asked.

"It means he's old enough and mature enough to make his own decisions," Grover said. "According to his transmission he sent you, he's made friends, he has a job, who knows, perhaps Finn has made a lady-friend?"

"Oh, for the love of the Founders, please tell me she's not some wild, goth, punk rocker girl," Minerva begged. "If Finn has a girlfriend, please tell me she's the smart and brainy type. Someone sweet and colorful. Maybe it's one of those princesses Finn mentioned."

Grover chuckled. "Perhaps she's a fiery redhead with a hot temper. Or maybe she's an environmentalist loner who kills and skins her own food."

Minerva let out a miserable groan and rubbed her temples. "How is it possible for a robot to feel this much anxiety?"

"Minerva, you need to calm yourself," Grover said.

"All I want is to see for myself that Finn is okay," Minerva stressed. "A video link or a phone call would do. What kind of ungrateful son doesn't call his own mother?!"

"He sent a message."

"Not good enough!"

"Minerva," Grover said softly. "Whatever Finn is doing in Ooo, I'm sure he's well and fine, enjoying himself with his friends."

"Okay! This place is looking pretty sweet!" Jake exclaimed. "What do you think, Finn?"

The ceiling of the cave was now streamed with Christmas lights, featuring every color of the rainbow. Two couches and a La-Z Boy surrounded a large coffee table on one side of the cave, with a fairly big, box TV set upon a wooden stand pressed against the cave wall. On the other side of the cave, there was a pool table, a foosball table, a ping pong table, and a dart board hanging on the wall. In the back of the cave, there was a large fridge, a big cooking grill set underneath a grated smoke vent, and a couple of cabinets and cupboards on the walls. The rest of the treasure that remained unspent sat in a big pile in the corner, next to Finn's bike, formerly Billy's bike.

"Yeah, this place is pretty math," Finn said, a smile on his face.

"And we both remember the rules?" Jake asked.

"We don't tell Ice King about this place, and we don't tell Lady about this place," Finn replied.

"Or the kids."

"Right, or the kids."

Jake stretched his way onto the La-Z Boy and slumped back into the cushions. "Ahhhhhhhhhh…that's comfy. So, hey, Finn? Is there, like, a key you can give me for when I want to come here myself?"

"Sorry, man, the only way in this cave is with Nothung." Finn patted the sword on his back. "There isn't really a copy I can give you."

"Aw, what?" Jake complained. "How come you get the key to this place?"

"Well, because it's technically mine?" Finn offered, trying his best not to sound mean about it. "The cave, the treasure, the bike, the blade. It was all left to me by Billy himself."

"We bought all this stuff together!" Jake complained.

"Yeah, using the treasure Billy left to me," said Finn.

"Oh, fine," Jake whined. "Probably for the best, anyway. Once you get a new girl, this place is gonna be a big 'nope' zone for Jake the Dog."

"Wait, what?" Finn asked, developing a blush. "Come on, man, I just got dumped. Don't you think it's gonna take a bit for me to get back in the dating game?"

"Uh, no. No I don't." Jake said. "Cuz once word gets out that you're single again, the princesses are gonna be puttin' a bounty on your stuff."

"Yes!" Shoko cheered, appearing by Finn's side.

Finn's face continued to redden. "...Welp, looks like I'm gonna be hiding in the cave for a while."

"Aw, what?" Shoko and Jake both complained. Shoko seemed far more disappointed, though.

"Look, man, I'm not ready for another relationship just yet." Finn held up his robot arm and tapped his metal palm. "A lot has happened, alright? I think…I think a little time to myself is what I need right now."

Jake's face softened. He stretched his way to Finn's side and placed a hand up on his arm. "Alright, bro, I get it. But still, you really shouldn't isolate yourself."

"I'm not isolating myself," Finn said. "I'm just…taking a little vacation."

"Well, I guess if anyone deserves a vacation, you do," said Jake. "Alright, take all the time you need in this mathing awesome man cave."

"No! Don't listen to the dog!" Shoko cried. "You go out there, and you let those princesses rip you apart!"

"Oh, stuff a sock in it," Finn said.

"What, I'm on your side," Jake said.

"Oh, sorry, Jake. I was taking to Shoko."

Jake shuddered. "You still talk to your dead past self. That's almost creepier than actually being haunted by a ghost."

"Well, she might be…obsessive…about…certain things." Finn coughed into his fist. "But she's cool. Show him, Shoko."

Shoko pulled Nothung out of Finn's sheath and swung it in front of Jake. "You can't see me, but I can see you. En garde, pooch."

"Yipe!" Jake jumped back. "What the stuff and stuff?!"

"Right?" Finn asked. "Since me and Shoko are the same person, Shoko is able to wield Nothung."

"But isn't she, like, in your head or some biz?" Jake asked, backing away from the swinging blade. He couldn't see Shoko, so all he saw was a sword swinging in the air on its own.

"Nothung is magic," said Finn. "The sword is connected to me. And as my past incarnation, so is Shoko. She's an extension of my mind, so she can use Nothung all she wants since Nothung sees Shoko as an extension of my will."

"I didn't catch all of that, but please tell Shoko to cut it out," Jake begged.

"I will if you'd only hold still," Shoko said. "Tell Finn to stay in this cave when the princesses are ready for a feeding frenzy, will you? You shall pay!"

"Shoko, give me back Nothung."

"Glob, you are like, no fun sometimes," Shoko said, handing the sword back to Finn. "I wasn't actually gonna do it. He reminds me too much of Joice."

Jake let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples. "Finn, everything that happened…well, it was a lot for you. I know it was. And, I feel like its messing with you more than you're letting on."

Finn sheathed his sword. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, you say that, but," Jake shrugged. "If I had to take out the person who was like an aunt to me, I'd be pretty donked up. Finn, you're the toughest dude I know. But, you're not invincible. And you don't need to pretend to be."

Finn took a deep breath. "Jake…I just need time, alright?"

Jake held his hands up in surrender. "Alright. You don't wanna talk about it, then that's cool. But if you ever wanna, just remember that dogs are well-known for being great listening companions."

Finn smiled and knelt down to hug his best friend, which was returned. "Thanks, man."

Finn's phone rang and he stood back up to see who was calling. "Oh, Glob, it's Lumpy Space Princess."

"Here, let me." Jake took Finn's phone and swallowed it.

"Thanks, Jake," said Finn.

"Anytime, Finn," Jake replied. "Anytime."

Okay, not a very eventful chapter, I know. But bear with me, Finn's just trying to recover after everything that happened. Don't worry, things get a little spicier next chapter.