AN: Sorry for the long wait everyone. I re-read the story and had few people read after receiving a review. Turns out that it received a thumbs up, so I am back. Sorry to leave ya'll hanging for so long. I just want to make sure the story makes sense and is good. This is not an A to B story, because people, circumstances, impulse, and life get in the way. It shows how we all grow, change and learn. Friendship, heartbreak, love, discovery, and betrayal are all parts to our everyday existence.

Marshall floated to Fionna's side to comfort her by rubbing her back. Prince Gumball thought of some comforting words to tell her.

"Please don't be sad Fionna. I am more than willing to offer my assistance in uncovering information in your journals. If it is something you'll be comfortable with sharing with me. I understand if it's too personal, but I am willing to help any way I can."

Fionna sniffled and looked up tears being kept at bay in her eyes. "R- really?"

"I would never offer if I didn't mean it." He said softly making Marshall glare at him.

Marshall was not mad that he offered help. He was mad because he offered more so for his personal benefit than hers. You don't have to be a scientific genius to figure out he probably connected her books to his own from his parents. Gumball saw his glare and looked away knowing that the vampire knew the truth.

"Thanks dude. Just let me think about it, okay?" Fionna replied looking at the floor.

"Of course. Take all the time you need." Prince Gumball replied in his princely charm making Marshall give an unheard scoff under his breath.

Fionna picked up on the tension from the two that was steadily growing. She rose to her feet and walked over to the bed and flopped down onto it. The guys watched her.

"I think that's enough truth or dare tonight if that's okay with you guys." She said looking over at them and they both shook their heads. "How about a story? A real true story… we can take turns."

Marshall floated over to her and picked her up placing her onto the bed properly. Prince Gumball walked over to the bed and sat on it with his back to the head board. He made sure to not crowd her by keeping two feet between them. Marshall laid along the other side of the bed next to Fionna on his side propping his head on his hand. He wasn't worried about space since their norm was cuddling.

"What kind of story, bunny? Sad..scary..funny..?"

Fionna pushed his face back. "Don't call me bunny!" she giggled.

Marshall chuckled. "What about how we met?" He asked.

"No. I mean one that I don't know. One that will let me know something about you." She said in an almost whining tone. Marshall huffed to himself as she pulled out the big sad puppy eyes.

"Fiiiiine." He huffs out playfully.

Prince Gumball didn't say anything. He was too lost in his own thoughts. He had a tidal wave of thoughts and emotions racking him. 'What if her books are conjoined with mine? We could be…. Related? No. No no no no. It's common practice for one to keep journal records. I refuse to believe such a thing until I have substantial undeniable proof. Jumping to such conclusions is not beneficial.' He started to push through his thoughts and focus on the vampire's story.

"A long time ago, give or take a little over five hundred years, I escaped from the Nightosphere to come back to the land of Aaa." Marshall started.

"You mean you lived here before you escaped?" Fionna questioned surprised. "You didn't always live in the Nightosphere? Like, I thought you escaped only once…" Marshall chuckled at her impatience to wait and listen without interrupting.

"That's another story for another time, bunny. Let me tell you this story first. I am sure it'll be fascinating for you." He said in a sly voice a smirk coming to his face. Fionna blushed and nodded making him smirk.

"Anyways, I escaped from the chaotic Nightosphere and started to explore the area. It didn't take long for me to find a cave a build myself a house."

"I thought you lived in my tree house." The human girl interrupted again.

"That was before my mother found me and forced me into the Nightosphere. Are you going to keep interrupting?"

Fionna shook her head. "Sorry."

"Okay, so I built myself a house and spent my nights out exploring, doing my own thing. Ya know.. chilin'… playin' my bass, scaring the stuff outta people. One night on my way home I heard what sounded like a cry on the wind. At first I was going to ignore it, but I noticed that the rain clouds were rolling in." Marshall looked out of the corner of his eye.

Bubba was looking over at him with his mouth slightly parted and a blush coming to his cheeks. His eyes were slightly wide. Fionna was looking at him attentive waiting for him to continue.

"So using my vampire ears I was easily able to follow the sound. I found a young teenage boy in a red candy apple tree with tears. Inside of his home I could hear his parents argue. Usually I would have left, but some unholy reason I decided to stay." Marshall paused to lay back.

"Me not really being good with things it took me a few minutes to come up with what to say, because I was sure that once he saw me he would run away."

Prince Gumball smiled as he laid his head back onto the head board looking forwards. "You said "Hey kid, what's up? You okay?"

Fionna flinched when Gumball spoke. She looked back and forth between the two. She then laid down onto her back and closed her eyes to picture the story.

"I startled him and he almost fell out of the tree. I caught the boy and steadied him before he could fall. He asked "How long have you been there? Who are you? How are you floating?" Lightning light up the sky and a blast of thunder sounded. The boy jumped and tried to hide."

"You responded back with "the names Marshall Lee, the vampire king. I have been here long enough to see you cry and that you're scared of thunderstorms." Then you floated to the branch above.

"The boy shook his head adamantly to deny it, but that didn't work when another crack of lightning and thunder clashed through the sky." Marshal said making Prince Gumball's face turned red.

*Flashing to the scene being told*

"What's your name kid?" Marshall asked.

"Prince Gumball." He answered straightening up proper.

Marshall smirked at his properness.

"So prince, what are you doing in this tree?"

"This is my favorite tree." He answered crossing his arms.

"Boy! You better come back to me right now. A prince does not disobey his father, the king! We are not finished with your lesson today!" A man yelled out into the garden.

He had red hair slicked back with a crown on his head. His skin was pink, and eyes looked to be a darker pink. You could tell by his clothes and how he carried himself he thought he was Glob's gift to the world. Through his many layers of clothes you could tell he was in shape. His voice was deep and demanding with his face twisted into an obvious distaste of disgust.

"I will see to it your lesson is twice as hard tomorrow. You will not join us for dinner tonight." The king growled turning on his heel he left.

Marshall looked to Gumball to see him turn his head away. He noticed the back of the boy's neck was discolored in the shape of a hand. It was a bruise! Marshall felt anger rise. A parent shouldn't lay a hand like that on their child, and he had a suspicion that was what was going on.

"I take it that was daddy. What lesson are you supposed to be in right now?"

Gumball swallowed and then let out a sigh. "The lesson of being tough and holding your pride when injured. It's unbecoming to show pain." His voice was low as if he was being careful to not be too loud.

Marshall scowled in the direction that the king had been in.

They stayed in the tree and talked for a few hours getting to know each other. Marshall learned that the candy prince was not allowed the company of friends. His days were spent studying and being alone. His father did not want him to grow soft. Rarely did he have the company of his parents. Usually his father was away, and his mother preferred to occupy herself with her many hobbies.

The only times the prince had company was when Peppermint Maid spoke to him, and the occasional ball. Marshall felt a sense a connection with him, because he too knew the pain of being alone. After a while of talking Gumball told the vampire to call him by his first name Bubba. He also learned that Bubba had just become a teenager of thirteen years old a few days ago.

The tree provided a decent cover from the rain, but they had been in the tree long enough to be soaked from the little bit that got on them. Marshall was unfazed, but Bubba was shaking from the cold.

"Want me to take you inside? I can sneak you to your room. You won't have to pass anyone." Marshall said in a confident voice.

"Are you sure we would go unnoticed?" Bubba asked shakily from the cold.

"Yeah. If anyone even comes close to seeing me I'll just turn invisible."

"O- Okay." He pointed at the second window in the middle of the castle. The pink curtains blowing in the wind. "That's my r-room."

Marshall picked him up and carried him to the balcony. Lightning struck and the prince ran inside. The vampire king stood on the balcony unsure if he should go inside.

"You can come in. You're soaked as well. Aren't you cold?" Bubba asked wrapping his arms around himself.

"Nah, I can't really feel it too much. If it were winter I would be chilly…. Snow and ice then I'd be cold. I'm accustomed to hot climate." He replied walking inside.

The prince grabbed some clothes and handed a shirt to Marshall. Bubba went to the bathroom and changed. When he came out he got into bed and covered himself up.

Marshall still held the shirt in his hand unchanged. He was unsure if he should leave or change and stay. Water dripped of him onto the floor.

"Is the shirt too small?" Bubba asked.

Marshall didn't know what to do. Kindness was not something he was accustomed to.

"No." he simply stated.

"Then why are you not changing?" Bubba's voice sounding curious.

"When I leave I'll just get wet again, so it seems kinda pointless."

"You can stay here until it stops raining if you want." His voice genuine.

The candy prince scooted over on his bed as if offering him the side of the bed. Marshall too touched by the simple offer of kindness complied. He peeled off his wet shirt and put the dry one on. Pushing his wet sneakers off beside the shirt, and then pushing his jeans off he floated to the bed and got in.

"I've told you a lot about me. Why haven't you said more about yourself?"

Marshall looked over at the prince. Bubba's violet eyes were filled with curiosity.

"I don't think you really want to know, Bubba. It might give you nightmares." He answered fully aware that it was the truth. He was after all the thing that goes bump in the night. What most people feared and ran away from.

Bubba looked over at him surprised. A huge blast of lightning hit something outside breaking the brief silence. Thunder roared as if it would form into a physical form and kill every one with fierce vengeance.

Gumball jumped and basically tried to hide behind Marshall under the sheets. The vampire king chuckled at this adolescent fear of lightning and thunder. But he had to admit he was not expecting it as well.

Bubba shook under the covers, and Marshall tried to think of a way to reassure the prince that there was nothing to fear. He did the only thing he could think of and reached for the prince. Wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a comforting hug. At first the prince tensed, but he heard Marshall speak in a low smooth reassuring tone that somehow made him relax.

"Don't worry, the storm will soon pass just like it always does. Storms will always come and go. In the morning it'll be better. A new day filled with the freshness from the rain."

Marshall felt somewhat strange being comforting like this, but something about the prince made him want to do it. Like, the prince was fragile and needed it.

They laid in silence. Marshall stayed awake thinking about the events of the past few hours, and the prince falling asleep. The storm finally stopped in the early morning. Marshall changed back into his clothes. Before he left the young candy prince woke up.

"Hey."

Marshall turned around to look at him.

"Do you want to come back tonight? We could do something fun." He said with hope in his voice.

Marshall stood unsure of himself. Would it be a bad idea to allow himself an actual friend? He's been hurt before. What if this candy prince leaves him just like everyone else? Still though… he longed for companionship of some kind… He replied on impulse.

"Sure. I'll come back when it gets dark." He couldn't believe it was his voice speaking.

He flew out the window before anything else could be said.

**End of Flashback Scene**