Cotton eased his safety goggles up over his face and ran his fingers through his short, cotton-candy beard. It was his go-to fidgeting habit when thinking.
He looked down at the two test tubes in front of him, then turned to jot down some notes on a small pad beside him.
"Fascinating," he murmured, then turned around. "Bonni, come take a look at this!"
From the other side of the small, makeshift lab, Bubblegum looked up from the microscope she had been peering into and moved quickly to her father's side.
"What's up Dad?" she asked him.
"Look," Cotton held up the two test tubes in front of his daughter's face.
Bubblegum peered inside and gasped.
The two bean-like foetuses (one growing inside each tube) had tripled in size since...well, since just yesterday!
"That's incredible!" Bubblegum gushed. "So your formula worked?"
"Better than even I thought it would," Cotton smiled proudly down at the two test tubes. "Just think of it Bonni, our citizens will only have to wait five months to have a child of their own instead of nine. This is absolutely remarkable."
"Truly amazing," Bubblegum shook her head in awe. "I'm so proud of you Dad."
Cotton beamed at his daughter.
"Well, I couldn't have done it without you Bonni," he said kindly. "After all, who figured out those equations for me when I was getting frustrated and couldn't even add two plus two?"
Bubblegum smiled modestly.
"It was nothing."
Cotton chuckled at his daughter's humility and placed the test tubes carefully back on the table.
"Nobody will ever have to be childless in the Candy Kingdom Bonni," he said. "All they have to do is give us a sample of their DNA, a sample of their partner's DNA and we can have a newborn for them in just a matter of months!"
"Astounding," Bubblegum said, still staring at the test tubes.
Then she suddenly remembered something and looked at her watch.
"Oh spit! Is that the time? I have to go get ready for when Marceline gets here!"
Cotton smiled in amusement as his daughter tore off her safety goggles and lab coat.
"Still helping Marceline out with her band?" he asked whilst checking the pH balance of the test tubes.
"Yup, I'm supposed to go hear them play at a bar near Lake Szelezon tonight!"
"Sounds like fun," Cotton said. "How do they sound? Honestly?"
Bubblegum paused, thought about it, smiled.
"Pretty good actually," she told her father. "They have a really energetic sound, very lively, very vigorous. There's a good atmosphere when they play, it's exciting."
Cotton nodded, enjoying listening to his daughter while he worked.
"And then," Bubblegum went on, her tone changing slightly. "They have some songs that are so...poignant, y'know? They just mean something and they strike me so powerfully. The lyrics, the melody, the ambience, everything. It just gets to you."
"Good music will do that to you," Cotton said. "And it sounds like they make good music. Tell you what, if they put on a good show tonight, you should invite them to play at the Candy Kingdom fundraiser next weekend."
Bubblegum's eyes widened.
"R-really? You think that'd be appropriate?"
Cotton chuckled.
"Sure, why not? It's a public fundraiser, not a royal event. And it'll give the teenagers something to be excited about."
Bubblegum nodded.
"OK, I'll say it to them. Thanks Dad!"
"No problem sweetie. Now go get ready, I don't want you to be late!"
"OK," Bubblegum leaned in to give her father a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Dad, don't wait up."
"Goodnight Bonnibel, have fun."
As Bubblegum left the laboratory, Cotton smiled to himself. He loved that his daughter had a new friend that she seemed to be able to connect with and trust so completely. And, he quietly admitted to himself in the silence of his workspace, it was nice to know his immortal daughter wouldn't be alone when death eventually caught up to him and reunited him with his wife.
Marceline was sitting on the handrail of Bubblegum's small balcony on the second floor of the "royal residence," waiting for her. It was hardly a castle but the two-storey house provided everything the Bubblegum family needed to run their settlement.
The vampire tapped her foot rhythmically against the ground, humming an old song by a 1990's pop punk band.
She wondered if music would ever reach such a plateau of variety and quality again, like it had done before the apocalypse.
She wondered if Marceline & The Scream Queens could be a part of restoring that glory.
Suddenly, the balcony doors slid open and Bubblegum walked out.
"Hey Bon," Marceline smiled and winked at her friend.
"Hey Marceline," the princess replied. "I thought I heard you out here...Why'd you come up this way?"
Marceline shrugged.
"It's easier to take off when you're already at a high point."
"Right but...we're walking to the bar?"
The vampire showed her fangs in a mischievous grin.
"Who said that?" she asked.
"Eh...gravity? I can't fly you butt."
"No but I can."
Bubblegum let out a small nervous laugh.
"What? You gonna carry me?"
"It'll be faster that way," Marceline said. "Bongo is kind of worried about the drumming in the verses of the new song so I said we'd arrive a little early and work out the kinks."
Bubblegum nodded, unsure of what to say.
Marceline grinned again.
"You scared?" she asked.
"What? B- No!" Bubblegum spluttered. "I'm just-just, well I guess I'm just-just-"
"Just, just, just," Marceline mimicked in jest and laughed at the look on the princess' face. "Come on Bonni, trust me, I swear I won't drop you."
"Well..."
Bubblegum looked at the vampire's playful grin, and behind the impish smile, the roguish body language, she could see...that there was no reason not to trust her.
They'd known each for about five months now and while she could be a mischievous butt and a layabout sometimes, Marceline had never given Bubblegum any reason to outright doubt her.
She knew she could trust the vampire. Marceline would never hurt her.
"Oh Glob, why not? Turn around and let me climb aboard," Bubblegum sighed.
"Haha, that's the spirit!" Marceline turned around, leaned her arms on the handrail and let Bubblegum hitch herself up onto the taller girl's back.
She wrapped her legs securely around the vampire's waist and gripped her shoulders.
"Ready?" Marceline asked, in that same playful tone.
"Ready," Bubblegum answered, pushing all the nervousness she felt out of her voice.
"OK, here we goooooooooooooooo!"
Marceline shot into the air, rose higher and higher and then swooped back down, flying swiftly through the small settlement of the candy people before firing up towards the moon again.
"Stop showing off and get us to the gig!" Bubblegum shouted over the sound of the rushing wind, but her voice was not without amusement.
"You got it princess!" Marceline yelled back and lunged again, heading straight towards the small rough and ready bar near Lake Szelezon.
Bubblegum stood near the back, unable to keep the smile off her face as she watched Marceline onstage with her band.
The passion that girl had! Marceline twanged her bass fiercely, surrounded by her band mates, as they fervently ploughed through each song on their setlist.
The princess looked around and was thrilled to see that the packed bar loved them, those who weren't up by the stage in the mosh pit were either standing further back nodding their heads to the rhythm, or further back again grinning up at the stage and enjoying the music.
It was a great atmosphere.
As usual.
During one of their slower, more affecting songs where Marceline sang a melancholy tune accompanied by the sounds of Keila's softly plucked acoustic guitar, Bubblegum found herself lost in thought.
Guy and Bongo were both standing at the edge of the stage, arms crossed and watching their band mates with pleased expressions. They were both obviously happy with how the night was going but Bubblegum found herself looking closer at Guy.
The long-ish brown hair, the small goatee, the friendly grin, he was a good-looking guy. And Keila had pulled her to the side the other day to tell her that Guy had taken a liking to her.
And she had reacted...well? She was incredibly flattered, she liked Guy, she thought he was nice and funny and interesting and she...well...maybe she had the capacity to feel the same way about him.
Guy grinned even broader as Marceline and Keila launched back into the heart-rending chorus.
Maybe.
Bubblegum looked at Marceline as she sang, strummed the bass, got really, truly lost in the music. She smiled.
Yeah, Guy was cool. But right now she wanted to focus on this friendship and not complicate it by dating her new friend's friends.
Right now she wanted to concentrate on building up things for Marceline, helping her out and promoting her band.
She looked over to the right and saw the bar's owner watching the show from behind the bar, looking like he was enjoying it.
Bubblegum made up her mind, rose from her seat and went over to talk to him.
Finally, after the band's dynamic closing number, the bar erupted into cheering, and the bar owner walked onstage.
"Give it up for Marceline & The Scream Queens!" he demanded into the microphone and the whole place exploded into fresh appreciation and applause.
"If you enjoyed tonight's performance, you can catch these guys at the Candy Kingdom's fundraiser next Saturday night! Help raise gold for the kingdom to expand itself and provide for its citizens, all our welcome!"
The bar owner smiled at Bubblegum who nodded. He had said it exactly right.
Meanwhile, the band members were looking at each other confusedly.
Marceline peered out into the audience and caught Bubblegum's eye, motioning in a "what-does-he-mean?" kind of way.
Bubblegum only smiled in response.
Up onstage, Keila grabbed Marceline's shoulders and gasped.
"Dude, Bonni must have booked us in to play at the fundraiser!"
"Oh man, that's awesome, there's going to be tonnes of people there!" Bongo cried excitedly.
Guy laughed in a shrill, animated tone.
"That's epic! What a girl!"
As her band mates cheered and high-fived each other, Marceline just smiled gratefully down at the princess, who beamed back at her.
And right then, the vampire felt a huge rush of love for her new friend, the type of love that held itself on the very fine line between platonic and something else.
After celebratory drinks and everyone in the band praising Bubblegum, Marceline flew her back to her room in the settlement.
"You're right, you know," Bubblegum said, sliding off her back. "Flying is a lot quicker."
"Yeah, yeah, just don't get used to me lugging you around everywhere though," Marceline joked and Bubblegum swatted playfully at her.
The two girls laughed and grinned at each other.
"Thanks again Bonni," Marceline said. "Playing at the fundraiser will be great exposure for us. Loads of people admire what you guys have accomplished so far so there'll be a lot of people here to support your kingdom next Saturday night."
"I hope so," Bubblegum replied. "And you'll give them all something to look forward to."
Marceline looked off into space and grinned, obviously excited by the idea.
"That's awesome," she muttered dreamily, and looked back at Bubblegum. "You're a really good friend Bonnibel."
Bubblegum smiled, visibly touched.
"So are you Marcy," she countered. "And you don't have to keep thanking me – the Scream Queens earned this you know!"
Before the last few words were even out of her mouth, Marceline had pulled her into a tight, personal hug.
Bubblegum, slightly shocked to find herself in the embrace of someone she had viewed as being so completely unaffectionate, froze for a moment before hugging her back warmly.
"Still though, thanks again," Marceline said as they pulled apart.
"Hey man, don't mention it," Bubblegum smiled. "And remember – sound check no later than seven o' clock next Saturday!"
"Gotcha, see you then PB!"
"See ya Marceline!"
Bubblegum watched as Marceline soared off through the sky and found herself wondering if her pushing Guy was just about concentrating on her and Marceline's friendship.
As could be expected, Marceline & The Scream Queens' set at the fundraiser the following Saturday was a roaring success.
The merch stand completely sold out of EP's, T-shirts, sweatbands and posters and the band left the stage sweaty, pumped full of adrenaline and totally overjoyed.
Afterwards, they sat by the bar at the far end of the settlement's square, talking and joking, and signing to occasional autograph for a new fan.
Although contently sitting between Keila and a couple of her Candy Kingdom friends for most of the night, Bubblegum eventually found herself next to Marceline.
The lead singer tapped the princess' arm.
"Hey, I have something for you," she said in a mischievous voice and Bubblegum raised her eyebrows curiously.
Marceline stood up, motioned for her to follow and the two moved down behind the bar area, looping around the post office and greengrocer's and down towards the back of the stage.
"What's up Marcy?" Bubblegum asked.
"Check it, there was one left over in the boxes," Marceline said as she triumphantly held up one of The Scream Queens' promotional T-shirts.
"Oh sweet!" Bubblegum cried. "You should auction it off! With the way you guys played, you'll make a lot for it!"
But Marceline was already shaking her head.
"Nah," she said simply. "I want you to have it. As a thank you for tonight. As a thank you for everything you've done for the band. Who knows? Without you, we might still be lounging around my living room, doing nothing."
Bubblegum took the shirt off of Marceline and held it up to look at it.
It was a strange, edgy design Bongo had drawn, a snake wound around two candy pieces that looked like they'd seen happier days.
"I mean, I know it's not really your style but-"
But Marceline was interrupted (and a little dazed) by Bubblegum leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek.
"Thanks Marceline, that's really sweet of you."
The vampire blushed slightly, her eyes widening.
"Uh...yeah. N-no problem Bonni," she laughed nervously. "You deserve it, OK?"
Bubblegum smiled broader in reply.
Suddenly they heard footsteps behind them and Guy appeared.
"Hey!" he laughed. "What are you guys doing back here? Come on, we're having a shots competition!"
Bubblegum and Marceline both laughed at his gleeful (ever-so-drunk) face and hurried to join in with the fun.
That night, Marceline wrote a melancholy song called "Falling For A Friend" while Bubblegum slept safe and happy in her new rock shirt.