Chapter Forty

"Peachhhyyy! Just call him! My stars, you are acting like a chillllld..." Daisy groaned dramatically through the phone.

"But... I don't know what to say. It's not like I have a reason to call," Peach answered, playing with the fingers of her lace gloves.

"It doesn't matter! Make up something. Bowser is coming to 'kidnap' you, right? Just tell him a time you are the most available. Make a plan!" her cousin reasoned.

"That would ruin the point of him 'kidnapping' me. Besides, I have already cleared all of my Sundays so I can sit for a few hours on the balcony. I'm hoping that he will come sooner if I make it easier for him," Peach explained.

"You're willing to go through all of that trouble but not call him? You're ridiculous," Daisy snorted.

"I just want to make sure he is interested, Daze. He avoided me for months..." Peach pouted and leaned back with her head against the wall.

"... I was thinking about that. Wonder if..." Daisy trailed off and Peach held the phone closer to her ear.

"Wonder if what?" Peach asked eagerly.

"Well... wonder if he doesn't remember what you told him?" her cousin asked. Peach stopped pulling apart her (completely ruined) lace gloves.

"I guess it is possible. I was hoping Kamek could fill Bowser in on most of the things that happened if he didn't remember on his own. Then again, Kamek wasn't there when I told Bowser how I felt. No one was," Peach said thoughtfully.

"Then there you go! He doesn't remember! Now that we have the figured out, call him, tell him to come get you, and then SMASH FACES," Daisy giggled through the phone.

Peach rolled her eyes, "And wonder if that's not the case and he does remember?"

"Bowser asked you on a date, didn't he? Luigi was the same way. It took him YEARS before he finally got up the nuts to ask me out. My poor Weegee was so scared that I would reject him that he froze midsentence," Daisy said in a babying voice (a groan came from Luigi in the background). "You know what I did to calm his worries?"

"Alright Daze, I'm hanging up now..." Peach laughed.

"I grabbed him by the nose and snogged him. Thoroughly," Daisy said rapturously. "And then I pulled him to my room and..."

"Bye Daisy! Love you!" Peach said quickly and then hung up the phone. Almost immediately, her phone lit up with texts.

*Vppp*

"I'm sending you a box of my favorite... 'candies'... if you know what I mean. ;) ;) ;)

*Vppp*

"Safety first! Babies hurt!"

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A few weeks after the Peace Conference, Bowser hadn't heard a word from Peach. His sources told him that she called Daisy three times a week, but he never got so much as a text from her. Then again, he had been avoiding her for months until recently. He probably shouldn't expect her to contact him, right? If anything, it was a good sign that she didn't call to cancel the whole 'kidnapping' thing. Or maybe she forgot about it?

Regardless, he kept his phone within reach at all times.

By now, summer was starting to change over to fall. The trees were just beginning to change color and the breeze seemed to be cooling down a couple degrees every day. Bowser shook his head as he looked out the airship porthole. Should he even kidnap her today? What if it was inconvenient for her? Peach used Sunday to visit her father's headstone in the morning and sit on her balcony alone to relax the rest of the day.

In the past, Bowser would have thought today was the perfect opportunity... but what if Peach saw this as disrespectful to her father's memory and began hating him again? Even worse, what if he had heard her wrong and she really didn't agree to the kidnapping at all?

"Okay, kid! You're up," Willard said over the intercom as the ship flew over the Mushroom Castle and slowly hovered down to Peach's balcony.

"I've got this. I'm a professional! I've done this for years! YEARS! I'm an experienced, well-seasoned kidnapping BEAST!" Bowser told himself.

He rolled his shoulders and pushed the button to open the back of the ship and extend the ramp.

"GWA HA HA HA!" Bowser laughed and grinned evilly. "I hope you're ready, Princ..."

Peach only glanced at him from her tea table, got up from her chair, and walked into her bedroom.

Bowser's proudly puffed up chest deflated as he watched Peach's balcony door close behind her.

"Damnit," Bowser thought, hanging his head.

*click*

Peach opened her bedroom door came back out to the balcony with a large pink suitcase.

"And here I and thought you had forgotten about me!" Peach yelled over the sound of the airship's rotors with a teasing smile. Bowser only stared at her with wide eyes as she walked up the ramp and stopped in front of him, studying him with laughing blue eyes. "It is very rude for a King to gawk," she stated with a giggle, handing her pink bag to him while walking past him into the cabin.

"You're surrendering? Already? I didn't even get to throw your castle into a whirlwind of panic," Bowser asked, completely bemused and... mildly disappointed...

"Oh, I told them you would be coming," Peach said flippantly as she sat down on a red luxurious chair in the cabin of the airship.

"You knew I was coming today? Did Kamek tell you?" Bowser questioned further.

"Nope. I guess I was just… hoping you would come," she explained, looking away from him as her face colored a little. Bowser was dumbfounded. Peach's smile faltered at the look of disbelief on his face. "Sorry, Bowser… Maybe I took this whole thing the wrong way," she muttered, getting up from her seat with an embarrassed frown.

"What?!" Bowser snapped out of his daze. "No! Stay!... I mean… Would you stay, with me? Well, you don't have to stay with me, that might not be very enticing for you but…" Bowser stammered. He trailed off as he looked at her. She was wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers with her hair in a ponytail. Her makeup was still simple, but he could see that her eyeliner was darker with wings on the end.

"Bowser? Do you not like my outfit? I have a dress or two in my bag that I can change into," Peach said, looking at her ungloved hands sheepishly.

"I (cough) like it. It fits you very well," Bowser sputtered as he pressed the button to close the entrance to the airship. The longer the door was open, the more likely he was to throw himself out of it. This had to be another one of his crazy dreams... Hesitantly, Bowser sat down on the sofa sitting opposite of hers, leaning back and laying his arms lazily across the back of the chair. He watched her for a moment and Peach awkwardly doodled circles on her jeans, fully aware of his stare. A long quiet moment passed until Peach gave out a small sigh and got up from her chair.

"I'll press the button to let Willard know we are ready to go," she said politely. Bowser nodded with a grunt and continued to stare as she walked across the floor and pressed the button. It flashed green as Peach made her way back to the seating area.

"Mind if I sit by you, Bowser?" Peach asked sweetly. Once again, Bowser was at a loss for words, but he scooted over so she would have the whole other half of the chair and laid his right arm on the armrest while leaving his left on the back of the chair. The princess waited for him to get comfortable and then sat down right under his arm.

"What's it like having claws?" Peach asked curiously, choosing to ignore the surprise on his face. She reached up, grabbed his left hand and pulled it off the back of the sofa so that she could examine it closer.

"I-I never really thought about it," Bowser stuttered as his arm rested around her.

"Have you ever poked yourself in the eye?" she continued.

"Once or twice when I was younger," Bowser chuckled.

"Do you cut them like human nails?" Peach started to trace her finger along the palm of his hand. His anxiety wained as she drew her fingertips along his hand. Something about her touch was relaxing.

"Depends on what species I plan to gore that week, but usually I file them," he smiled, a hint of pride coming back to his voice.

"Do you plan on goring any humans this week?" Peach quipped, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"There is one on my list this week. The description says she is a hot, blonde, blue-eyed babe wearing a pink dress and a crown," Bowser eyed her impishly.

"Alas, it can't be me for I am not wearing a pink dress," she answered with mock disappointment, holding his gaze.

"You fit the rest of the description to a 'T', though," he said in a deep voice and Peach blushed. He coughed to himself to clear his throat. That was far too flirtatious. Wayyy too much. What was he trying to do? Scare her off?

*cough* "It is really nice to see you, Peach," Bowser said politely.

"It is nice to see you too, Bowser," Peach answered, looking up at him with a smile. Bowser's lungs heating up twenty degrees.

"How are you feeling? Have you recovered well?" Bowser asked with some worry.

"Oh yes! I am fully recovered! It took a long time and my therapist had me do a lot of exercises. I should be ready for just about anything now," she said, smiling confidently.

"Well, the Koopalings will be glad to hear that. They weren't allowed to see you before. I didn't want them roughhousing or accidentally fracturing another one of your ribs. We aren't exactly the most gentle family out there," Bowser chuckled and sat back into his chair, relaxing the tension in his shoulders.

"About that, before we go to your castle can we make a stop somewhere first?" Peach asked hopefully.

"Anywhere," Bowser answered with a grin.

"I have a summer home in the Chai Kingdom within Sarasaland. It used to be my mother's favorite place to go. I wouldn't have asked initially, but summer only just ended and I may not get another chance to go until next year," Peach explained.

"Did you hear that, old fart?" Bowser shouted towards the front of the ship where the cockpit was.

"Yeah, yeah… Loud and clear, Asswipe," Willard grumbled back through the intercom.

"Thank you, Willard!" Peach exclaimed.

"Anything for you, darlin'!" Willard answered in a much kinder voice. Bowser folded his arms and grunted.

"Anything for you, darrrrlin'," Bowser mocked quietly. "…Stupid old man always jabbering…"

"Oh stop it, Bowser. Willard is just particular about who he likes. He is really sweet when you get to know him better," Peach chided him.

"Sweet… He sure doesn't respect the ruler of his own kingdom! Wrinkled old traitor," Bowser grumbled. Peach only giggled and looked out the window with a smile.

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They reached the summer home in the evening just an hour before the sun began to sink into the horizon. The building was a massive log mansion three stories tall with a green tin roof. There was a sparkling lake just behind the house and the only other signs of civilization could be seen on the other side of the lake, which was about a mile away.

"Peach, it's beautiful. Almost better than the one I have in the Dark Lands," Bowser said with a grin.

"I would hope so! This place is worth millions. My parents bought this whole side of the lake so we would never be bothered unless it was urgent. We would leave behind all of our servants for an entire week just so the three of us could spend time together," Peach said, feeling a bittersweet sense of nostalgia come over her as she walked down the ramp of the airship and made her way towards the mansion.

"Sounds like a special place," Bowser said, watching the wonder on her face. "So this is what she was telling me about. A summer home where she can spend time with her future family," he mused silently.

Peach walked up to the front door, took out a silver key and unlocked the door. The living room was the first thing that caught their eyes. The ceilings went up all three floors and the back wall looked like it was purely made out of windows allowing the sun to illuminate every inch of the massive room. On the left there was a beautiful kitchen on the first floor, the second floor had an entertainment area, and the third floor was one enormous master bedroom. To the right, the first floor was a swimming pool area with a hot tub in the back while the second and third floors were extra bedrooms and bathrooms, each bigger than the last.

"How many bedrooms are in this place?" Bowser asked as Peach gave him a tour of the entire house.

"I am pretty sure there are twenty-four," Peach said thoughtfully.

"My summer home is bigger, but there are only nine bedrooms and the rest is all filled with luxury, games, and thrill rides. You could probably call it an amusement park," Bowser stated.

"So it is a smaller version of your castle," Peach commented.

"Well… yeah! No better place in the world than Bower's Castle!" Bowser exclaimed with pride. Peach smiled and opened the back door in the living room. She took a deep breath of fresh air as she walked out onto a large veranda. There was a roof that was meant to shelter them from the weather, but Peach reached up and pulled a lever by the door. The roof above their heads flattened to the side of the house to allow a full view of the sky. The sun was just starting to hide behind the mountains in the distance, making the landscape burn gold as a few stray clouds were stained almost every color of the rainbow.

Bowser had to admit that the sight was magnificent, but the look on Peach's face put everything else to shame. There was no sign of discontentment on her face. She was just purely happy to be there in that moment. The picture he was taking in his mind couldn't get any better until she looked up at him.

"We should go check on Willard. I got so excited about the house that I forgot all about the ship," Peach laughed lightly.

"Fine. We'll check on him," Bowser grunted. Of course, the old man would ruin the picture. As Bowser sulked, Peach grabbed his claw with both hands and pulled him back to the front of the house. Once they got to the front of the building, Bowser opened the front door and Peach dropped his claw with a gasp.

"The ship is gone," she said with a shocked look on her face. As she stepped out farther, a white paper caught her eye. It was stuck to the floorboards next to the stairs. Opening it up she read:

Alrighty, youngsters!

I'm gonna fill this bird up with gas and hit the Chai Casinos! Don't get too rowdy while I'm gone.

Willard

"He left," Bowser stated. "He really just left us here and didn't even tell us when he would be back."

"Yep," Peach agreed.

Both were painfully aware of how alone they were now. The nearest people were miles across the lake and their transportation may not be back for 24 hours or more.

"Sorry, Peach. I should have made him come with us. It just never crossed my mind that he would just leave," Bowser apologized earnestly.

"No. It is my fault. I should have at least invited him in with us instead of running off like that," Peach said with regret. Both of them stood on the front porch silently for a moment until Peach folded up the paper and turned to Bowser. "Do you want to see my favorite thing about this place?"

"Sure," Bowser answered with a smile. Instead of going back inside, Peach walked down the porch steps and walked around the front of the house. Once she got to the back corner of the house there was a ladder covered in ivy that reached all the way to the roof.

"Peach, are you sure it's safe?" Bowser asked warily as he watched her take hold of the ladder and climb. He wanted to go with her but the sky was getting darker and he was much heavier than she was.

"Don't worry, Bowser. It can definitely hold you," Peach answered with a smile. She secretly crossed her toes in her shoes.

"Okay…" Bowser said uncertainly as he began to climb up behind her. Sparks escaped from his mouth when he looked up. It was the perfect view even though she was wearing jeans instead of a skirt. As if reading his mind, Peach looked down at him and frowned.

"Bowser, keep your eyes to yourself or I'll kick you off the ladder," Peach stated with a serious look on her face. He immediately looked at the ladder in front of him and focused on his claws.

In a few minutes, they had both safely made it to the roof, which was slanted but flat enough for them to stand on without fear of falling. The only light they had was the moon and the stars, both of which were surprisingly bright that night. Peach walked to the middle of the roof where a metal chimney stuck out and sat down putting her back against it. She patted the spot beside her to invite Bowser to sit.

"What a view! Did you and your family come up here every night?" Bowser asked, sitting his back against the chimney, looking at the sky that was littered with stars.

"No. I used to come here when my parents were asleep," Peach said with a small guilty smile.

"Wait. You snuck out? Princess Peach, the angel the stars sculpted by hand, snuck out?" Bowser laughed deeply. "Interesting."

"What is interesting about that? I never did anything bad if that is what you are implying," Peach stated incredulously.

"That is what they all say, Princess," Bowser teased. "A secret spot on the roof where you spent your alonnnne time… Sounds kinky."

"I'm not as depraved as you, Bowser," Peach said with an exasperated sigh as she looked up at the sky.

"Or maybe you're worse and you just choose to hide it," Bowser smirked and turned his head to look at her. Peach gave him a glare and then went back to picking out the stars, sitting in silence while enjoying an uninterrupted moment.