Gumball was set up on top of Carrie's car, it wasn't the comfiest bed, but it kept him off the cold ground. The pitter patter of the rain could still be heard inside his shed, it seemed to never end, and he couldn't get to sleep as he wrestled with his thoughts. It was instinct that told him that neither of them were ready for a steamy experience, and he could only pray he made the right call. But part of him wanted her, he wanted her so badly. It was funny to him how much he denied it to Darwin, maybe part of him had always wanted to wrap Carrie in his embrace and just hold her close. His thoughts were jumbled between wanted he wanted and what was best for both of him and Carrie. It made sleeping incredibly difficult. He examined the dark garage, the tarp that he covered Lucy in was torn and shredded, it was cold and dark, his only consolation being; Carrie was comfortable.

"Why do I care much about her…" He said to himself.

"I've been asking myself that since you pressured me to take you to the grocery store," Carrie said from the doorframe.

"Hey…" He said still unsure of how she felt about him.

"You were right, I was… Caught up in the moment, and I'm sorry for being angry with you, you were just looking out for me, like you always do for some reason," She rubbed her arm uncomfortably. "Why am I so special?"

"I don't know," He laughed to himself. "I just… I love it when you smile, it looks really good on you and you don't do it enough. Nobody should only know pain and misery; that sucks, so you give me purpose too, I like you in case you couldn't tell, a lot."

"But why me? Why not someone who… Who is fun, or optimistic or anything like yourself?"

"Because…" Gumball didn't know the answer himself, which made giving Carrie an answer all the harder. "That's not someone I'd want to be with…" He said, which confused himself as much as it confused Carrie. "I guess I don't want to be with someone like me, then I'd just love them for my qualities, I like you because of who you are, how smart you are, how stubborn you are, how… Alive you are for someone who's dead." Gumball finished, looking to Carrie for her response.

"I… What the hell do I say to that?" She laughed a little. "What do I say?"

"Nothing, just know that it's how I feel, but I don't want to pressure into something that you don't want or aren't ready for, I'm the only guy you've really interacted with since freshman year, outside of your psychopathic money friend and if you need time to… Explore other options, I'm willing to wait."

"Huh…" Carrie sighed smiling. "You're too nice for your own good, who else would peek my interest? Tobias? Joe? I don't know if you remember but they weren't the best of friends with me, stop trying to be noble, and start doing what you want,"

"What I want doesn't matter, it never really has, ever since I almost died I just want to make others happy, and what if—"

"Stop with the what ifs," She floated up on top of the car and sat next to him. "I'm not saying we marry each other tomorrow, I'm just asking you to dinner."

"…Really?" He asked,

"Yeah, it'll be fun, you know, when the rain stops,"

"I'd like that," He said with a content smile and she quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"Would you like to join me on the couch?" she asked and hopped down as her tail became legs once again.

"Aw, but the cold, hard, metal is just so damned comfy."

"Come on, there's a movie playing on some channel," She beckoned him and he quickly followed. He joined her on the couch and she laid her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Wait… Carrie, I can feel you, I felt your lips earlier, I even felt your tongue…"

"Yeah…?" She said looking up at him from his chest.

"So, can ghosts do that?"

"I… I don't know? Are you complaining?"

"God forbid, I… I'll show you what I'm getting at tomorrow morning before school."

"Oh, when Darwin called he said they already called off school for tomorrow,"

"Then I'll show you when we wake up." He said happily and snuggled into the couch, still holding Carrie tightly. She nestled back into him and they watched the screen until they both fell asleep. Neither fell asleep, but neither wanted to. It was too warm, there embraced in the other, blissfully lying together to the rhythm of Gumball's breath and the atmospheric sound of the falling rain.

Carrie grumbled as she felt herself reach for Gumball, but her hand only fell against the couch. "Gumball…" She said from the couch, still half asleep.

"Good morning Carrie," His voice came from somewhere in the shed.

"I smell bacon… Are you making bacon just to make me miss eating?" She said hastily.

"I believe that life may be returning to you," Gumball said as he continued moving the pan so that the bacon sizzled. "But it's just a theory until you try a bite."

"What makes you think I'm coming to life?"

"Well… You're not as intangible as you used to be, you can get wet, you have legs occasionally and… I… uh…" Gumball struggled for words. "Well, my heart wasn't the only one I could feel last night."

"Are you serious?" Carrie stood up from the couch with possibly the biggest grin Gumball could've imagined on her. "

"Well I'd think we'd need a doctor to be for certain, but… Hey, wanna try some bacon?" He shook his pan a little to make it sizzle again. "Unfortunately it's the only breakfast food I keep here, but hopefully it taste good." Carrie timidly walked towards the bacon, it was all speculation, but she'd never been more excited to try and eat anything. She picked it off the pan but immediately dropped it and recoiled her hand.

"Ow!" She screamed. "That… hurt?" She said confused. "I think?"

"Yeah it's a hot pan, it's hot, you felt it?"

"Yeah… It fucking hurt…" She said staring at her ghostly hand. "This is… cool," She said and looked to him with a warm smile.

"Well, it's not how most people describe a burn, but I think we're making progress, here, have some bacon." He removed a piece from the pan and offered it to her. She took it in her hands and stared at it in awe for a moment before taking a bite. Her head withdrew in shock for a moment and she began chewing. "Good?"

"It's wonderful…" She said calmly and wrapped herself around Gumball.

"Well… I guess we can't call you ghost anymore…" He said and Carrie turned her legs back into a tail with smirk. "I revoke my previous statement."

"I think I reclaimed some life… But not enough to be alive," She said taking another bite of her bacon. "I don't remember food tasting so good…"

"That's because last time you ate food was through me, and you ate a flip flop…"

"You're never going to forget that are?"

"Not while I can blackmail you with it." He cheekily grinned. "Well, I'm going to see if that piano is still there… Wanna come?"

"Yeah…" She said nodding, "Let's do that." Her little smile refusing to leave her face.

The rest of the day went by quickly, as did the next few weeks. Everything finally started to fall into place for Carrie, she was alive; more or less, she was loved and so far Charon had done very poorly at making good on his word of vengeance. The first days were odd, not many people understood their relationship, and fewer still liked it. Initially, Carrie was horrified that Gumball would leave simply because his friends disapproved, but he never did. The cruelest by far was Penny, but Gumball still managed to brush her off, it was hard for Carrie to imagine a better guy than the funny blue cat. In terms of work, Carrie could play better than she remembered, she started by teaching Anais, and Mrs. Watterson recommended her to a friend, now she had regulars and children she visited every week. Perhaps the worst of her luck went to her house. A lot of it was broken down in the flood and she didn't really have the money to fix it, but Gumball was the first to offer the Watterson house for temporary staying purposes. The transition was seamless, and to Carrie's great pleasure, she was still a virgin. Her life grew every day, according to doctors she was now considered a Nehalem, though angels had nothing to do with her birth, there was a lack of terms to describe a half dead, half alive person.

Carrie sat on the Watterson porch by herself, watching as Mr. Robinson tried to explain his car's injuries to Gumball and why he should not have to pay, not very well she might add. The sun was setting in the distance and the sky was beginning to fill with the brilliant colors of dusk.

"No, see, it wasn't my fault, in fact it was probably your fault!" Mr. Robinson barked.

"Uh… Well, whosever fault it was, I spent four hours yesterday trying to fix your haul and don't even get me started on whatever you did to your radiator, the fact is I fix your car and would like to be paid." Gumball argued back. They'd been doing so for some time and Carrie found it mildly amusing when Anais came and sat next to her.

"Hey, did you master Revolutionary Etude yet?" She asked the pink bunny.

"Not yet, I can't think with Gumball being an idiot… How do you stand him?" Anais asked and Carrie shrugged.

"I don't think you would understand," Carrie tried.

"Try me, I'm kinda a genius," Anais said proudly putting her hands on her hips which made Carrie chuckle a little.

"Alright, he… Accepts me as I am, he never asked me to change and I'd rather die all over again than ask him to change, because… He makes me happy,"

"That's it?" Anais innocently asked. "What about… Your future? Gumball isn't smart really, you'll probably have to provide for the family, and he sucks with kids, and taking care of kids, and…"

"Anais!" Carrie interrupted. "We're not getting married, we're in high school."

"What's you point, you will though right?"

"I… Well," Carrie fumbled with her words and Anais grew a mischievous grin. "I mean, I do but…"

"You said you do! You want to marry Gumball!" She practically announced to the world.

"Alright, shush, just don't say anything, okay?"

"Fine! Here Watterson, I hope you choke on it!" Mr. Robinson shouted and angrily drove off. Gumball stared after him for a moment or two before walking back to their porch and tiredly sitting next to Anais and Carrie.

"What I miss?" He asked leaning his head against Carrie's shoulder. "I hate that guy…" He added.

"Carrie wants to marry you," Anais blurted out, Carrie tensed up and looked down to Gumball but he didn't seem to move.

"Well, I guess that means I'm doing a good job as your boyfriend," He said with a laugh.

"The best," She said and kissed his cheek and looked to Anais. "I'll remember this," She said with a similar evil smile. "Shall we go?" She asked Gumball and he raised up off her shoulder.

"I kinda stink," He said smelling himself.

"Alright, go shower, I'll wait here,"

"Wait where are you two going?" Anais asked looking up from the stairs.

"I have no idea… He won't tell me, but he promised it would be awesome," She said with a confused grin.

"Knowing Gumball it's probably going to be something ridiculous… Like bumper cars or something… I don't know…"

"Anais, are you jealous?"

"What! Ha, like I'd miss my brother who used to play with me…" She said lowly. "Yes he spends a lot of time with you,"

"I'll bring him back soon, and he and I will talk if he doesn't show you how to be dumb one more time,"

"He told you about that?"

"He tells me everything, except where we're eating tonight, it's a… Love thing," She said uneasily but it seemed to be enough for Anais and she walked back inside just as Gumball returned.

"That was fast," Carrie said impressed.

"Yeah… You're grandma tripped me again… I think it's becoming a game for her," He said still a little wet. "So, you're car or mine?"

"You mean that death trap you ride around on?" She said with a grin.

"I thought you like Lucy?" He asked with confusion.

"I do, I just promised Anais I'd bring you back alive, so I'm not going to take any chances."

"Fair enough… But I'm driving,"

"I'd hope you were, I don't know where we're going," She said smirking and Gumball rolled his eyes as he got behind the wheel. They drove for a time, Carrie suspecting he had no idea where they were going either, but eventually, they arrived at a small restaurant. It was designed to look as if it was made from sand and it was lit up with purple lights. The sign on the door read Ciudad de los Muertos and Carrie instantly lit up. "You didn't," She said in awe.

"Yup," He said pleased with her reaction. "Supposedly the best Mexican food ever, and it's only thirty minutes outside town,"

"How the hell did you get us a table?"

"Darwin has a friend, who… Has a friend, who has a brother… Regardless!" He said pulling into a parking spot. "The important thing is I'm here with my favorite person,"

"Favorite Nehalem," She corrected.

"You'll always be my angel," He said they had a quick kiss before heading for the door.