The first time Bonnibel heard the song playing over the radio, she stopped. The logical side of her brain got her to switch the bunsen burner off and leave the beaker of chemicals back in its container.

She stood there, unmoving as she listened to the lyrics. To her voice. It had been years but Bonnibel could recognize it. Always had.

She didn't have to wait till the DJ announced who the singer was at the end. It was Marceline.

"Oh dear. Oh my," she mumbled to herself.

It had been ages since she had heard her voice. The scientist had staggered out of her lab, passing by one of her assistants and vaguely telling them that she was going out for the day. At least she recalled saying something like that as she stripped off her lab coat and returned her pass to security.

It was against her protocol to just leave like that but somehow she found herself sitting in her car with her head leaning against the steering wheel.

"Oh Marceline…"she murmured to herself.

oOoOo

It was the fifth talkshow Marceline had gotten herself booked with that week. The hosts kept asking her the same questions all over again and she answered them routinely. The tall lean woman looked down at her favourite bass guitar propped next to her chair, fingers splayed around its neck.

The axe bass was her most distinctive instrument and anyone or everyone who had ever visited her music studio had seen it hanging on its stand in her office.

"And now you're going to play us a song for the audience, right?" asked the host.

"Huh, wha? Oh yes," answered Marceline.

She briefly smiled at the host before unclipping the microphone at her collar and handing it to one of the floor assistants as she made her way to the mini stage. Marceline plugged in her bass and looked back at the talkshow's live band, giving them a thumbs up. They had rehearsed her latest single during sound check before the show. It was going to sound awesome.

Marceline adjusted the microphone in front of her and beamed at the camera that was focusing on her face.

"Princess, please call me," she said.

And then launched into her song.