AN: Chapter 12 is here! Sorry about the wait, I've been too busy with work to write. Anyway, just a warning, there's a very light lemon about halfway into this chapter. Not as hardcore as last chapter but it's still descriptive. Read on at own risk.

Much More Than Maternal

Chapter 12

The Surprise Visit

Nestled in a questionable neighborhood, where no-one of sound mind and judgment would go, a nondescript apartment block sat on a lonely corner, its facade had long since lost its vibrant paintwork. The colorless building seemed to sag from its own weight, the few windows that dotted its dull walls were heavily stained. A rather empty, non-important building you would think, if you ever had the displeasure of seeing it with your own eyes. But inside one of the rooms that honeycombed its interior, a certain blue cat was just waking from her slumber. There was nothing overtly special about her, she wasn't someone who you would call significant. She was just an ordinary cat, but those who are ordinary are always the ones who harbor extraordinary secrets. As this cat sat up on her bed one could easily see she was, without a doubt, the happiest she'd ever been in a long time.

Shaking her head to and fro, Nicole yawned widely, her jaw cracking when her yawn reached its peak. The air-conditioner's somewhat annoying droning joined Nicole in her morning yawn, it seemed to want to sing along with her in the joy of a new day. Nicole scratched her chin and turned her eyes to the sleeping bundle of fur beside her, her alarm clock had failed to get a reaction out of him. Her son grinned in his sleep, his incoherent mumbling was interspersed with short bursts of soft laughter and Nicole found comfort in watching her son sleep.

She thought of the moment they had shared in the very bed she was sitting in and Nicole felt compelled to hold her son as he slept. Nothing would please her more than to watch him sleep, she wanted to be the first thing her son saw when he opened those eyes of his. Unfortunately for Nicole, being an adult has its cons and with a healthy dose of reluctance, she left her sleeping son to get ready for work, but not before giving him a kiss on the nose. Picking her shirt up off the floor, Nicole slipped into her warm shirt, leaving it unbuttoned as she went to the bathroom to relieve her aching bladder. After she had appeased her body's wants, Nicole trudged slowly into the kitchen in search of food, her stomach growled in anticipation as she opened the fridge. The cold air dodged past her open shirt and brushed a cold hand across her bare chest, making her draw her shirt around her. With a shiver, she retrieved the half-empty bottle of milk from the door.

Letting the fridge door swing shut behind her, Nicole got to work on her morning ritual of preparing herself a cup of strong coffee. As Nicole waited for her coffee to brew, she plugged the toaster in and flicked the switch. She opened the fridge then promptly closed it when she remembered there was not a scrap of bread left. She shrugged as she unplugged the toaster, making a mental note to buy a loaf after work in the process. A thud echoed from her room but she did not hear it, she was too absorbed in her coffee. Nicole sighed solemnly, she wasn't looking forward to work today, she had other more important things to do. After what happened between her and Gumball last night, the only thing she wanted to do was cuddle up with him in bed. It had been everything she had hoped for and then some. Their relationship finally felt complete, there was no more worries, no more doubts.

But despite the love and guidance Gumball showed, her lingering fears still floated over her shoulder, whispering foul words to her whenever Nicole was at her weakest. She was scared of losing the only person who made her feel wanted and loved. That was a scenario she never wanted to see come to fruition, the very thought of never seeing Gumball again frightened her to no end. The brewing pot of coffee beeped and she broke away from her darkening thoughts to find herself a clean cup to use. It took some searching but she was able to locate a rather sneaky cup hiding behind a stack of plates.

The scent of fresh coffee was strong enough to get a gurgle from Nicole's stomach and she eagerly poured herself a generous amount. As Nicole blew over the coffee to cool it, her bedroom door opened with a small squeak. Still clad in his underwear, Gumball walked out and immediately spotted his mother. His chest swelled with love at seeing her and he went to her without a word. Entering the kitchen, he noticed she had nothing on but a shirt and panties, the sight of her dressed like that made his lower body tingle with electricity. His mother's tail would swish through the air every second or so, as if it was waving at him. Nicole was raising the steaming cup to her lips when someone hugged her around the waist from behind and despite the hug coming from nowhere, it failed to give her a scare. She knew who it was and she purred, leaning back into the hug.

After taking a hearty swig from her cup, Nicole set it down on the counter and turned to hug her son properly. She crouched in front of him, holding her arms out for him and Gumball was between them before she could blink. They shared a kiss before stepping apart and Nicole watched her son as he opened the fridge to make his breakfast.

"Sleep well, Gummypuss?," she drained her cup and turned to refill it.

He nodded brightly. "I always sleep well when I'm with you, Mom."

"Same here, honey. You're a calming person to be around," she paused, thought about what she had just said then chuckled quietly. "Did I really just say that?"

He laughed, shutting the fridge before turning his eyes to her. "Where's the cereal, Mom?"

"It's in the bottom cupboard," she said, pointing with the hand that held her coffee.

He followed her finger, retrieved the box and sidled up beside his mother. She opened a cupboard by her head and handed the only bowl to Gumball, who had taken a spoon from the sink. Nicole watched him silently, giggling internally when she saw Gumball sneak a look at her. She especially liked the way he would try to snatch a glimpse of her chest whenever he thought she wasn't looking. She finished her coffee with a long drawn out sigh and rinsed the empty cup out. Leaving the cup on the sink, Nicole sauntered to the living room to watch some TV, she hoped to catch something before she had to leave, not that she really wanted to go when her son was with her. Gumball joined her on the couch, his bowl laden with a copious amount of cereal. She raised an eyebrow at him, he saw it and chuckled.

"What? I'm starving!," he shoveled some food into his mouth, milk dribbled down his chin as he chewed.

"I can see that," she replied, wiping his chin before the milk could go any further.

He swallowed, smiled and jammed another spoonful into his mouth. Nicole picked the remote up and pressed the power button, her jaw dropped in surprise when the TV inexplicably turned on with no fuss.

"Whoa, Mom, how'd you get the TV going on the first try?"

She blinked dumbly as she stared at the remote in her hand. "I have no idea, honey. Maybe it's a sign today will be a good day?"

"I really hope so, Mom," he finished his cereal in record time and went to wash the bowl out, whistling as he went.

He returned quickly and jumped up beside his mother, she regarded him thoughtfully.

"Want to cuddle, Mom?"

She shook her head and Gumball's smile receded a little. "I have a better idea."

"What could be better than cuddling with you, Mom?"

Nicole gave Gumball a playful grin. "How's a kiss sound?"

Before Gumball could react, Nicole put her arm around his neck and brought him forward into a kiss. He was shocked at first, but it did not take him long to gather himself. He complied eagerly with her wanton act of love and Nicole felt him slip a hand into her open shirt. She moved closer to make it easier for him, a little bit of action didn't seem too bad. Gumball broke the kiss to concentrate on her chest and Nicole peeked over her shoulder at the clock. Quarter to seven, she was nearly due for work and this realization made her groan inwardly. Gumball's grasping hand finally made contact with her breast and she moaned in his ear. She wanted a repeat of last night, her body basically screamed for him to touch her. But losing her job would only cause problems and problems were something Nicole didn't want. She backed away from her son, who frowned at her.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She pointed at the clock wordlessly and he sighed. "Yeah, I know you have work. I just hoped we could spend some time together before you have to leave."

She silenced him with a kiss. "I understand. What happened last night was beautiful and you want to have sex again, but I'm afraid we just don't have the time. I'm sorry, Gummypuss."

"Don't apologize, Mom. I know your job is important to you," he wrapped his mother into a hug.

"Yes, but my job is not as important as you though. Never forget that, honey," she rubbed his right arm and he jerked away from her touch, making his mother frown.

"What's wrong, Gumball?"

Gumball's hand went to his arm instinctively, his smile vanishing at her question. "Uhh, it's nothing."

Nicole easily saw through his transparent lie and her brow furrowed in concern. "Gumball, are you hurt? I didn't scratch you last night, did I? I tend to do that."

"What? No, it's just...," his sentence trailed off as he looked out the window.

She leaned across his lap and put a soft hand over his. "Show me, honey."

Gumball let his hand drop with a sigh and his mother's breath came out in a hiss when she saw the two scratches, neatly hidden by some fur.

"They look maybe a day or so old. That couldn't have been me, what happened?" she turned his arm to the light, examining the thin cuts with narrow eyes.

She turned her eyes to her son, he was still avoiding her gaze. "Gumball, who did this to you? Was it Tina?"

"No," he whispered, he sounded upset and Nicole didn't like that.

"Then who did it?"

"Nobody," his voice was getting quieter, he still hadn't made eye contact with her.

"Look at me and tell me who did this, Gumball," she frowned deeply when he ignored her request.

"Mom, I don't want to ruin our morning together."

"Who hurt you, Gumball?"

"Mom, please-."

"It was Tina, wasn't it? That bitch is bullying you again, isn't she?," Nicole was beyond angry at this and she reached for her phone.

"No! It wasn't Tina, I already said so!," he finally looked his mother in the eyes.

Nicole lowered her phone slightly. "Then who was it?"

He looked away again, shame tinged his voice. "It was me."

"You? That can't be right," Nicole placed her phone down and sat beside her son.

"I'm not making it up, Mom," he had tears in his eyes and Nicole hugged him to her chest.

"But, Gumball, why would you do that?," her own eyes were brimming with tears as she hugged Gumball tightly, she was afraid to release him.

"I told you, I hated myself for getting you kicked out. I wanted the pain to stop and I thought-."

"No, stop talking. Gumball, let me make this very clear, it was never your fault that I was told to leave. I thought we talked about this after what happened with Anais, honey," Nicole attempted to fight back her tears, she failed and she began to cry.

"Mom, I thought I'd never see you again. There was no point in living without you," he began to cry into her chest and Nicole refused to let him go.

"Sweetheart, I'll never leave you. I'll always be there for you, even if it looks like I'm not," she set her chin on his head, her tears were not stopping.

"You don't deserve the blame you point at yourself, Gumball, nobody does. My departure was a mistake but we can convince your father to let me come back. He is not a bad man."

"What if Dad calls the police? Mom, I don't want to lose you again. The pain is just too much."

Her crying had still not slowed and when Nicole spoke, her voice wavered with emotion. "You'll never lose me, Gumball. You mean the world to me, I can't abandon you."

Her words seemed to ease his doubts, his crying had slowed by a considerable margin. Nicole kept her arms around Gumball and she patiently waited for him to calm down, it took less time than she thought. She tapped him on the shoulder and he raised his wet eyes to her.

"I'm going to take the day off," she managed to smile at her son.

"No, you need to go to work."

"I'm not going anywhere when you're in such a fragile state of mind. You need me. Do you remember way back before you even knew about my feelings? I promised you I would always be there for you and I never break my promises," her words were able to put a small smile on his face and Nicole felt glad to see it.

"You're not mad?," he seemed reluctant to ask.

"No, why would I be? I'm worried about you but I'm not mad."

"I have you back now, Mom. I won't hurt myself again, you have my word," the smile on his face shrunk, but did not vanish.

"I believe you, honey but if you ever have those thoughts again, give me a call. It doesn't matter what time or day, you call and I'll come running."

His smile grew this time and she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Mom."

Nicole pushed Gumball gently from behind. "Go have a shower, you'll feel better. I'll make the call while you're gone."

He eyed Nicole briefly. "Will you join me like before?"

Nicole mulled it over then nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't mind sharing another shower."

He took a step and stopped. "I can wait for you."

"No, it's okay. I'll be in shortly," Nicole said, she pressed her phone to her ear after dialing the string of numbers she knew by heart.

Gumball had stopped a few paces away, his eyes trained on his mother. Nicole's ears perked up for a split second, then was quickly followed by an exasperated grunt. She saw Gumball looking at her and she put her hand over the receiver.

"I got the machine, honey. I'll join you in a minute, go on."

He did as he was told and made for the bathroom door, but not before shooting Nicole a glance before he entered. Nicole re-dialed the number and again she got the answering machine. It was strange, her boss would've picked up right after the second ring but it just kept on going until the machine came on. Thoughtfully, Nicole hung up and checked on the calendar to see what day it was. The word Sunday glared up at her and she turned her phone off. It was her day off and she slapped her forehead in disbelief. Nicole laughed at herself, she'd never mixed her days up before. Then again, having Gumball with her like this was quite the distraction.

She heard the shower run and Gumball crossed her mind. Nicole could barely contain herself at the thought that they had the entire morning to themselves. With a smile that burned with latent desire, Nicole threw her unnecessary shirt onto the cushion beside her and got to her feet. She played with the silken lining of her panties as she walked and for some profound reason, they felt much more constricting. Nicole entered the bathroom on tip-toe and she gasped. The heat was the first thing to hit her, the steam drifting around the room smothered Nicole's breath like a thick blanket.

She could make out the amorphous shape of her son from behind the fogged glass, he hadn't seen her enter. She had the element of surprise this time and she slipped from her panties, her mind was filled with ways to give her son a good fright. Nicole dropped them into an empty laundry basket with a sigh of relief, they were getting too damp for her liking anyway. Even though she had stepped right up to the glass, Gumball had still not realized she was there.

He seemed oblivious to his surroundings and Nicole took advantage of his lull in attention to slip into the shower unseen. He was indeed far away, the silver shower-head had gained his full attention as Gumball's mind whirred on whatever he was thinking about. She wanted to pounce on him, give him a little fright but there was nowhere near enough room for that. Instead, Nicole placed her hands over his shoulders and planted a kiss on his neck. As she had expected, Gumball almost entered orbit with how hard he had jumped, his squeak of surprise made her smirk. He froze as Nicole let her hands slide down to his chest, the tips of her fingers stopped just above his bellybutton.

"Mom, you, um, scared me," he remained frozen in her grasp, his tail was the only thing moving.

She leaned down so she was resting her chin on his shoulder, her whisper of a voice made Gumball shiver, despite the heated water running over the both of them.

"It's a Sunday," she whispered, her fingers slid down half an inch.

"What's so special about Sunday?," his voice cracked, and Nicole noticed him try to look at her from his peripheral vision.

"I don't work Sundays, remember?," again, Nicole allowed her teasing fingers to slip down, stopping a little past his waist.

He audibly swallowed and Nicole kissed the back of his neck. "So that means-."

"We have all morning to enjoy each other," her fingers reached her prize but she did not take him in her hands.

He turned to face her, his eyes traveled over her body before reaching her face. She had seen the blatant want in his eyes and it took every bit of strength Nicole had to keep herself from pouncing.

"Are we going to do it here?," Gumball gazed around the shower as he spoke.

"No, the bed is a better place. Come on, we can shower later afterwards," she reached over her son and cut the water flow.

Gumball was out first and he had a towel around his waist in no time. He watched Nicole closely as she dried herself off before speaking to her.

"Mom, can we do it slowly again?," he asked and Nicole nodded as she wound her towel around herself.

"Of course, I prefer slow sex anyway. It's more passionate and loving," she waved some errant steam from her face.

"I know, it just feels right when I'm with you, Mom."

"I feel the same way, Gummypuss. Come on, I want this as much as you do. If you get anxious, let me know."

Nicole followed her eager son into her room and she gave the running TV a look as she shut the door. She could tell that today was going to be a good day.


"How far until we get to Mom?," Anais said, she wiped a patch of sweat from her brow.

A few steps ahead of her was Darwin, who stopped and turned to her. He thought her question over, his face creased with concentration as he tried to remember the address Nicole had given him.

"We can't be too far now. Mrs. Mom said she's in the old apartment blocks downtown," he set off again, his shoes slapping loudly on the pavement with every step.

"Well, we're in downtown right now, there's the gas station where Mom got arrested because of that fingerprint guy," Anais pointed across the road at the empty gas station, Larry could be seen at the counter.

The sun's unrelenting rays continued to beat down on the two children as they trudged along, their shadows followed them like puppies. Anais groaned, sweat stung at her eyes and she ran her hand over her face, it was much too hot to be doing this.

"Darwin, why did we agree to do this again?," she called to the orange fish.

He threw his sister a casual glance. "Because it's high time you and Mrs. Mom got to see each other. And we also promised Mr. Dad we would bring Gumball home from his 'sleepover'."

"I don't really feel like seeing Mom right now. The wounds are still kind of raw," Anais stopped walking to catch her breath and Darwin paused to wait.

"Anais, you need to reconcile with Mrs. Mom," Darwin went back to his sister so he could talk to her without shouting.

"That's the thing, I went behind their backs and got Mom kicked out. I wouldn't be surprised if she hates me," Anais sighed solemnly and Darwin patted her arm reassuringly.

"I highly doubt that, Anais. We all know what kind of woman she is, she'd never hold a grudge against you."

Her eyes were round with uncertainty. "Darwin, you can't possibly know what Mom thinks of me. For all we know, she hates Dad and I for what happened."

"Look, when I found Mrs. Mom at the mall, she told me she misses you."

Anais blinked dumbly at her brother, she was too shocked for words.

"And I am telling the truth. She misses everyone, including you. She still loves you despite the way you treated her relationship with Gumball. Give Mrs. Mom and Gumball a chance, they deserve that much."

Anais nodded silently, it was surprising to find out Nicole still cared for her. This was almost too good to be true, crossing Nicole was usually a death sentence. The boiling sun was now forgotten as Anais levied a look of determination at her brother.

"Let's find Mom, I think I'm ready to see her."

"That's the spirit!," Darwin smiled ans he started to walk with his sister.

The walk did not take them very long, though they had gotten lost briefly amidst the alleyways that wormed their way through the city. But as always, Darwin was able to pull through and as the pair left a dirty and smelly alley behind, a rather sad building caught Darwin's eye. He pointed, shouted a word that Anais didn't hear and was off before she could react. In spite of the rampant lethargy in her legs, Anais matched her brother's pace until he stopped so suddenly, she catapulted straight into him and sent him sprawling across the ground. After a hasty apology, Anais helped the bruised fish back to his feet and they gazed up at the sagging building before them.

"Mom can't be in there," Anais said, her tone high with utter disbelief.

"Well, this is the place, believe it or not," her brother replied from beside her, he rubbed his knee gingerly from when he had fallen.

Darwin noticed how anxious his sister was and he moved closer to her. Anais saw his movement and she gave him a look that made his heart weep.

"Nervous?"

Anais sighed dismally. "That's an understatement."

"It'll be okay, Mrs. Mom will be happy to see you," Darwin raised his eyes to search the windows.

"I hope you're right, Darwin, because I shudder to think what will happen if she's angry with me."

Darwin strode confidently to the door and opened it, gesturing to his sister to enter. "There's no way Mrs. Mom is angry, she has Gumball with her."


Nicole bit her lip, keeping in her scream was beginning to wear on her. The pleasure was hitting her in waves now, they were ceaseless and Nicole clenched her teeth. Her tail wrapped around her son's thigh as if to hold him closer and Gumball let out a soft groan.

"Mom, I'm close."

She whimpered in reply, his admission had increased her pleasure tenfold and she gripped his shoulders tightly with hooked fingers. Nicole tried to speak to her son, to edge him closer to the climax she knew was so close but instead all that came out of her was a series of whimpers and moans. The pleasure was even greater now, she felt like a passenger in her own body as every move she made was done without her thinking it. The pressure inside her was close to breaking point, she desperately needed release and she needed it now. Her son must have sensed her desire and he stiffened against her, groaning as he finally reached his climax. Nicole's vision went dark briefly as she joined her son in an explosion of pleasure that she was sure could be heard from outside. As the crackling electricity in her nerves spread throughout her body, Nicole would purr whenever her son moved. Gumball's breath escaped his lungs in long whoops and she leaned forward to kiss him, he looked into her eyes as she pulled away.

"Mom, I think that was better than last night," he choked out between breaths.

"Our first time will always be special but yes, I agree. That did feel really nice."

"I'm just that good, huh?," she laughed at his silly expression.

"You're quite the natural, but a little practice never hurt anybody."

Gumball sighed contentedly. "To be honest, during our first time together, I didn't expect I'd be able to bring you to an orgasm."

"I've always been sensitive to the touch of my lover. It doesn't take much to make me come when I get in the mood."

Gumball rolled off Nicole and settled in beside her where he joined his purring mother. She snuggled closer to her son, Nicole was more than happy to hold him. Cuddling was always her favorite thing to do after sex and Gumball's eagerness to snuggle with her always made Nicole glad. He didn't just roll off of her and fall asleep without a good-night, he took the time to hold her and bask in the warmth of their love-making.

Nicole felt content to remain in bed with her son and fall asleep entwined in his arms, it was all she really wanted to do at this stage. There was a sudden knocking sound but it sounded dull and far away, it sounded miles away to the happy mother. Nicole's dreamy mood quickly subsided when Gumball gave her shoulder a brisk push.

"Someone's at the door, Mom," there was fear in his voice.

Nicole sat bolt up-right, her ears straining to listen for any small sound. Someone rapped on the door twice fast and the sound drove away her pleasurable thoughts, replacing them all with her darkest fears. Her mind flew with every possible outcome to this situation, she wished desperately that it wasn't her husband waiting outside the door.

Nicole exchanged a worried glance with her son. "Quick, sweetheart, we need to get dressed."

They were off the bed in a flash, the two cats paused as another knock came from the door. Gumball slipped his belt on and opened the bedroom door so he could eye the front door, another knock made his heart skip a beat.

"Is it your father?," Nicole felt weak from the fear.

"Mom, it can't be Dad, I never told him where I was going."

Nicole strode past her son, she stopped at the doorway and turned to her frightened son. "Stay in here until I say it's safe, now close the door."

The door closed behind her with a click as Nicole edged her way to the front door. The closer she got to the front door, the deeper and more ominous her fear became. She stopped to look through the peephole and clicked her tongue when she failed to see anyone. Another knock startled her and she recoiled from the door, she wasn't sure she wanted to open it. Her shaking hand alighted on the brass doorknob and before Nicole could question herself any longer, she turned it quickly. As she wrenched the door open, the hinges squealed in protest at their harsh treatment and Nicole's frazzled brain took a second to recognize the rather happy fish standing in front of her.

Nicole blinked twice, her mind finally connected the dots and she wrapped her adopted son into a bear hug. With an unbreakable smile, Darwin hugged Nicole as tightly as he could. Gumball, who had been peeking through the bedroom door, shouted his brother's name. Darwin answered with a happy shout of his own, he ducked under his mother to hug Gumball. The two boys barreled into each other with such crazy force, they both ended up on the floor in a tangled mess and Nicole's heart swelled with love.

While the two boys untangled themselves, Nicole felt a small scared hand pull on her skirt and she wheeled to see who the hand belonged to. Recognizing her daughter, Nicole dropped to her knees and pulled the anxious bunny into a warm hug that elicited a short sob from the young girl. Not just five minutes earlier, Anais had ordered herself not to cry but upon seeing her mother, her emotions bubbled to the surface and she dissolved into a watery mess in Nicole's arms. The boys came up from behind, their faces fraught with concern over their sister.

"Is Anais okay?," Gumball asked and Darwin's jaw dropped, Gumball asking about Anais' well-being was surprising.

"It's okay, boys. I think seeing me was just a little too much for her," Nicole said, she shushed her daughter soothingly, who had flattened herself against Nicole's chest.

The boys left them in peace, Nicole could hear their excited banter from the living room. Forgetting about the boys for a second, Nicole turned her full attention to her upset daughter. Anais was still crying, any words she had planned to say were now gone, swept away by the flood of tears that wracked the small bunny. With one hand around her daughter, Nicole shut the front door, the slamming door made Anais jump.

"Sorry, honey," Nicole whispered, she patted Anais on the back.

Nicole sat in the small hallway with Anais in her lap, they remained there for a minute and Anais continued to cry in her mother's arms. Nicole waited for a lull in her daughter's sobs and when the opportunity presented itself, Nicole began to talk.

"I've missed you," Nicole whispered and Anais' sobs lost their strength.

"So have I," Anais said softly, she gripped her mother's shirt tightly.

"Before you say anything, I want to let you know that your apology isn't necessary."

"Mom, I have to say sorry for what I did," Anais said, she curled up into a ball in Nicole's arms.

"No you don't, you're not to blame."

Anais swallowed audibly, her throat felt lined with cotton. "That's wrong, Mom. I have-."

"Shush, I've had this talk with Gumball and I'll tell you the same thing I told him. Nobody is at fault here. Not Gumball and not you. You were confused and so was your father. I'm not angry at you or him."

"Mom, I don't know what to say."

Nicole smiled at her daughter, there was nothing fake about her expression. "Then just hug me, sweetheart."

With tears of happiness in her eyes, that is just what Anais did and Nicole felt at peace with her daughter. Without a word, Nicole got to her feet with Anais in her arms and went to join the two boys. Sitting between them, Nicole put her arms around their shoulders and hugged them along with Anais. Gumball and Darwin had been watching some cartoon but their attention was now fixated on their mother, Anais remained still in Nicole's lap.

"Did you and Anais talk things out?," Darwin asked and Nicole smiled knowingly.

"There's nothing to talk about. In spite of everything that's happened I still love her," Nicole paused to look at Gumball who grinned at her. "And I love you both as well."

Anais' small voice piped up from Nicole's lap. "I expected you to be furious with me."

"In all honesty, I was angry. But after I had some time to think, I realized I couldn't stay mad. You and your father were confused and hurt. It was to be expected one of you would do something rash," Nicole said, she was still smiling.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Mom," Anais said, she sat up in Nicole's lap and managed a smile.

"It's really okay, honey. I never stopped caring about you," Nicole kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Mom, I just want you to be happy and I don't care if that means you're with Gumball, I just want you back at home with us."

"Do you really mean that, Anais?," Gumball piped up, his sister looked at him silently then nodded.

"I do. You've only spent one night with Mom and now look at you, you're so happy. It's a huge improvement from the past few days."

Gumball's shoulders sagged. "Yeah, I still have that nagging feeling that everything is my fault."

"And if it ever becomes too much for you and you need a shoulder to lean on, call me. I'm here when you need me," Nicole leaned over and kissed Gumball.

Unlike the last kiss Anais had seen them share, this one did not fill her with revulsion. Instead she only felt happiness and as he looked back and forth between the two cats, Anais could easily see the love between them. They were truly happy and knowing she could've ended that nearly brought Anais to tears.

"Mrs. Mom, I'm pretty sure you and Gumball spoke about this last night but I just want to ask. Will you come home with us?," Nicole gave Darwin a somber look.

"Nothing would give me the greatest pleasure than to come home with you three," she paused to think. "But I don't feel ready to face your father, it's too dangerous with him so upset."

"Dad doesn't talk much about you but I know he thinks about you," Anais said, Nicole gave the bunny a wide-eyed look.

"Oh? How do you know that?"

"I saw him going through your wedding photos. Come home with us so you and Dad can talk."

Nicole didn't know what to make of this. It was a refreshing change to know Richard missed her but that was the problem, Nicole didn't have a shred of love left for her husband.

"Honey, my feelings have changed. If I go back, I'm going to have to tell him my feelings have changed and we both know that will crush him."

"Neither of us want to hurt Dad any more than what's already been done. We just want you back, Mom. Dad deserves a chance to know the full story," Anais said, both of her brothers nodded in agreement.

"It's not the same without you, Mom. We all miss you, especially me," Gumball chimed in, he hugged his mother and sister.

"Please Mrs. Mom, come home. We'll be with you every step of the way," Darwin said, he too hugged his family.

Lost for words, Nicole could only manage to choke out a strained sob as a reply. She held her kids close, she felt overwhelmed by their love for her and Nicole was grateful. She was scared of her husband's reaction if he saw her but knowing that all three of her children would stand by her made her fears seem like tiny insects. She crushed her fears underfoot as a rolling wave of courage enveloped Nicole in its warmth. She regarded the three kids with a smile, they seemed to know what was on her mind and they too smiled.

"Okay, I'm nervous and scared but the only way for our family to get back together is for me and Richard to talk," Nicole said, all three kids smiles grew wider.

"Mom, are you being serious?," Gumball said, he was shaking with emotion.

"I am, I believe it's time your father and I had a talk. I owe him that much."

"We'll stand by you, Mom," Anais said, she jumped from Nicole's lap and landed on the floor with a thud.

"As will I," Darwin piped up, he joined his sister.

"Mom, are you sure about this? This could end badly," Gumball pressed against her and she pulled her son into a hug.

"Yes, after what we shared last night, I don't want to wake up alone anymore. I want you beside me," Gumball blushed then kissed Nicole.

"Then let's go home," he said, smiling.

The three waited for Nicole to gather her things, it didn't take much time as she hadn't left with much. With her handbag over shoulder and her car keys in one hand, Nicole joined her kids in the hallway with the peeling wallpaper. After locking the door behind her, Nicole lead the trio to the dirty lobby downstairs where they loitered so Nicole could hand in her key. Afterwards, they exited the building and entered a side alley that lead to the tenant parking bay. Her car was there, wedged between a dumpster and another car. It took some fighting but they were able to squeeze inside and reverse out, all the while Nicole's nerves were steadily overwhelming her courage. The drive was quiet until Nicole stopped at an intersection about a block away from their old neighborhood. It was Gumball who comforted the stricken mother.

"Mom, how are you holding up?," Gumball asked from behind her, his hands came around Nicole's chair and rested on her shoulders.

She breathed in a great shudder of a breath. "Do you want an honest answer?"

"You're scared, I am too. But I'm here and so is Darwin and Anais. We'll stand by you. We won't let you down, Mom," his words were soothing but still Nicole's fear lingered.

Nicole's heartbeat sped up when they turned into the street she knew so well, from where they were she could see the house she used to call home. Seeing the blue house was reassuring and daunting, all at the same time. Pulling up at the house, Nicole was overcome with an urge to turn around and leave the building behind but when she saw her son's smiling face in the rear-view mirror, the urge melted away into nothingness.

The four family members got out of the green car and Gumball grabbed his mother's hand. Their eyes met, Nicole was afraid but having Gumballl with her strengthened her resolve and she started the daunting walk to the front door. Flanked by Anais and Darwin, the two cats stepped up to the front stairs and again, Nicole threw her son a worried glance. He smiled and kissed her hand, he did not speak but his gesture was filled with love and reassurance. They stopped at the door, Nicole went to knock but found her hand was shaking too much. Gumball gave her fingers a soft squeeze as he raised his closed hand to the door.

"Mom, everything is going to all right," he comforted, he knocked as he spoke.

The door was open in a matter of seconds and Nicole's heart leapt into her throat when she made eye contact with her husband. Richard stared at her with his mouth agape, both parents were beyond surprised to see each other. Richard was the first to break from his frozen stature and he crossed his arms as his brow creased with anger.

"What are you doing here?," his tone bubbled with barely hidden contempt.

Nicole felt Gumball squeeze her hand again and she opened her mouth. "We need to talk."

"No, we don't. I made it clear I wanted you gone," he pointed at the three kids. "Inside, all three of you."

"We won't come in without Mom," Gumball said, he stepped between his father and mother.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that."

"Then we're not coming in," Anais said, she mirrored her father and crossed her arms.

"What sob story did you spin them, Nicole? They should all be against your love for Gumball," Richard's anger was growing, his voice raised a decibel.

"I didn't spin them anything. They miss me and the only way to fix this family is for me to come back," Nicole found her courage as she spoke, no longer was she scared of what could happen.

"I find that very hard to believe," Richard said, he made to close the door but he stopped when Darwin stepped forward.

"Mr Dad, it's true. Do you remember how sad Gumball was after you kicked Mrs. Mom out? We all miss her," Darwin's eyes twinkled wetly with tears.

"And it's come to my attention that you also miss having me around," Richard's guise broke at this as a tear slipped down his great cheek.

"You're my wife and you fell in love with our son. I didn't know you were so unhappy with our marriage," he began to cry loudly.

"Not here, Richard. Let's talk inside so can you please let me in?"

Richard grappled with the thought of letting Nicole in and after a bit of internal deliberation, he nodded and stepped aside. Gumball went in first with his mother, Anais and Darwin brought up the rear. The front door shut behind them and the house remained silent, but inside was a much different story.

The family sat at the dinner table silently. Gumball was on Nicole's left and Anais was on her right. Darwin was seated with his father on the other side. The silence that circulated the room was intense, nobody had the slightest idea on how to start. As Richard eyed his wife with his teary eyes, Nicole felt her son place his hand over hers and despite the fear that whispered in her ear, she looked her husband in the eye. It was now or never.

"Okay, let's talk."

AN: Just a small goodbye from me, guys. I am exhausted. I'll see you when the next chapter drops. Have a good one!