"Simon took care of me as long as the crown let him, but by the time he left, it was more like me taking care of him. He realized that, I guess, and he left in the middle of the night. Left me a note telling me how sorry he was and how he was going to find a way to get his memory back. By the end it was all gibberish. He signed it as 'Ice King', and I guess that was when I knew I'd really lost him."

"I was just fifteen, and all alone. I nearly starved to death. I set up traps like Simon did, but even when I caught things I could rarely kill them. They were just trying to make it too, you know?"

Finn nodded.

"Then I met these ghosts. You remember Wendy, Booboo, and Georgy? They took me in and helped me find food. We lived in this old hotel that somehow made it through all the bombings. It wasn't perfect, but it kept me dry and safe. They would throw these parties that lasted all night, and at first I'd hide up in my room, but eventually I started to join them. After a few months, I started waking up every morning with some stranger next to me, and the first thing I'd do is roll over and pour myself a drink. I couldn't go longer than a few hours without being drunk…" Marceline trailed off and glanced at Finn.

"You sure you want to hear this, hero?" She asked. "It gets a little, uhm, distasteful, to quote Princess Bubblegum."

"It's okay, Marcy. Go ahead."

"Tell me to stop if I upset you," she ordered. Finn nodded, and she continued. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I was pretty out of control. One night, I don't remember it, but Wendy told me about it later, I was up on the coffee table dancing topless. Apparently, one of Dad's underlings was there and he reported back to the boss all about what his daughter was doing.

"The next day, he sends two Demons to give me a message. They told me that he wanted to meet me later that evening at a little diner across town. I should have known something was up, but I went anyway. When I got there, Dad hadn't showed up yet, so I ordered some fries. I went outside to smoke, came back and there he was, sitting at the table, eating them like they were the last fries on earth. I can remember being hurt, just because of the blatant disrespect. I like to remember that as the reason I was mad at him. It's easier to think about that, rather than think about what happened next."

Marceline stopped talking, and Finn looked over at her. She was crying silently. Finn scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest, and the tears began to come in earnest. She was shaking all over, and Finn wondered what her father could have possibly done to cause her this much pain. He gently rubbed Marceline's back and rested his lips on the top of her head. After a few moments, her sobbing lessened and she pulled away from Finn.

"I sat down to talk with him," she said, wiping her eyes. "And he told me that my behavior was 'crass' and 'embarrassing'. He said that I was going to learn responsibility one way or another, and that he was going to have me turned into a Vampire so that I could take my place as the Vampire Queen. I told him I didn't want to and he snapped his fingers and these men stood up from tables all around us. They were all Vampires that he had hired in case I said no." Marceline winced at a particularly painful kick from the baby. "They grabbed me, and one of them put his hand over my mouth while the others tied my hands and feet together. The guy who owned the diner just stood there, his head down, scrubbing the counter like we weren't even there. I kept crying for somebody to help me, but nobody did.

"They took me to an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the city. I think they drugged me, because everything I remember is hazy. They...They hurt me, Finn."

"What'd they do?" Finn asked innocently.

"They raped me," Marceline whispered. "All of them. Then their leader bit my neck." Her fingers touched the scars from her long-healed wound and she shuddered. "They brought this lamb in, and it was bleating and trying to get away, but I was so hungry…I tore it to pieces. When I woke up the next morning, I was naked, covered in blood, and alone in this huge bed in the Vampire Castle. I was the Queen, and I had no idea how to run a country. That was fine with Daddy, though, I was out of the way and not embarrassing him."

Marceline paused, and looked over at Finn, judging his reaction. He was staring at her, fascinated by the story she had kept hidden for so long.

"What happened next?" He asked. "I mean, if you want to tell me."

"For a long time, not a damn thing happened. I was pissed, of course, but mostly I was scared. I went from not caring if I woke up the next morning to having a whole kingdom full of people relying on me, and I had no one to talk to. Everyone treated me like I was untouchable or something. I thought it was because they were scared of my dad, but I guess they were scared of me too. The only Vampire that didn't shy away from me was my maid, Amelia. I think I have a picture here somewhere…"

Marceline lifted herself to her knees and dug around in the back of the closet until she found an old, tattered box. She opened it and rummaged around inside for a moment before finding the picture she was looking for. It showed her as a young teen, sitting next to an older vampire woman dressed in a black and white maid's outfit. They had been caught mid-laugh, their fangs gleaming. Finn smiled and handed the picture back to Marceline.

"I got really stressed out from everything, and I was drinking more than ever. For a long time, Amelia would just sneak the empty bottles out of my room so no one else would see. When it got to the point that it was obvious to everyone, she started pouring everything I brought into the castle out. I tried to hide it, but Amelia could find my booze no matter what."

Marceline chuckled.

"Anyway, she could tell that ruling the kingdom was taking a toll on me, and she came to me in the middle of the night with a bag of clothes and the little bit of money she could sneak out of the royal vault without it being noticed. She told me to leave and not look back. She said…she said that the kingdom was wearing me down, and that if I didn't get out now, I never would. So I left. I took the clothes and money Amelia packed for me, a picture of me and Simon, and my axe base. I didn't know where I was going, just that I wanted to go far away. Turns out, I didn't make it any further than the Candy Kingdom."

"Is that when you and Princess Bubblegum became friends?" Finn interrupted.

"Well, yeah," Marceline replied. "But we were more than friends. Didn't you know that?"

"You mean you and PB were…together?" He asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You really didn't know?"

Finn shook his head.

"I thought everyone knew…I mean, especially after I sang that song to her when the Door Lord stole our stuff. Anyway, I got to the Candy Kingdom around two in the morning, and I was hungry. My body needed blood, but all I could think about was finding some mac and cheese or some spaghetti or something I ate before everything fell apart. I climbed over the castle walls and was going through the garden when Bonnibel stopped me.

"She had puzzling through some problem or another. At first, she acted all haughty and, well, like a princess should when she finds a strange Vampire in her garden in the middle of the night, but then I told her that I was tired and hungry. She snuck me in past all the guards, and into her room. She let me shower and change clothes, and when I got out, she had tomato soup waiting for me. She was the first one who bothered to explain to me that I didn't have to kill to get food, that I could just drink the shades of red and not hurt anyone or anything. Apparently, it's a sign of weakness to other Vampires, but it was a way for me to eat without feeling like a monster, so I greatly welcomed it.

"Bonnibel let me stay with her that night, and the next morning, she introduced me to her father, the Candy King. He seemed like a kind, older man and was more than willing to allow a friend of her daughters to live in the castle, especially since his daughter rarely ever made friends. Although I never told him that I was the famous Vampire Queen who abandoned her kingdom, but I think he knew just the same. The whole time I was in the castle, I was worried that the King would call my father to tell him where I was, but he never did. I think it was because he was glad that Bonnibel had a friend.

"We had so much fun together. Once," Marceline said, laughing, "I asked her where the seediest place in the kingdom was, and she pointed me to the Candy Tavern. I wanted her to sneak out there with me, but she said that everyone would recognize her. So I found this black wig, dressed her up in my clothes, pretty much gave her a complete makeover. We snuck out to the tavern and stayed all night. We danced, and listened to the music, and Bonnibel told me later that she'd never had more fun. It was so late by the time we left that we had to race to get home before the sun went up. When we got back to her room, she gave me back all my clothes, except for my t-shirt. That's the one the Door Lord stole."

Marceline smiled, lost in the memory of the princess: the smell of her hair, her voice, the way her eyes lit up when she was excited.

"Our friendship didn't turn into something else overnight. It think it took Bonnie a while to realize it was possible to have feeling for another girl. Every now and then she would ask me to hold her hand in public and, although it looked like two friends to everyone on the outside, we could feel that little spark when our fingers touched. This went on for quite a while, and although I knew that I had feelings for her too, I didn't want to rush things. So I waited and waited and waited, and finally, one day when we were sitting on the roof watching the sun go down, she kissed me."

Marceline studied Finn's reaction and suppressed a giggle when his eyes widened. She had forgot just how much she loved his naivety; it was a trait she had found incredibly endearing even the first night they had met, when she had discovered him and Jake living in her former treehouse. The queen held out her hand, and Finn took it.

"You don't mind hearing about me and Bonnibel, do you?" She asked.

"Nah," he replied. "I like it. Hearing about your past and stuff, I mean."

Marceline tried not to laugh again at the blush creeping along Finn's cheeks. She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. After she collected her thoughts, she continued.

"We started dating in secret. Everyone in the castle thought we were just best friends, but, truthfully, I was sneaking into her room every night. I felt like I was worth something for the first time since Simon left." Marceline's eyes filled with tears again, but this time she was determined not to cry. "I loved her, Finn. I still do."

Finn looked at Marceline with an unmistakable look of hurt etched on his face. Marceline realized what she'd said, and winced.

"Oh, Finn. I didn't mean it like that…It's complicated, okay? I mean, she was my best friend, and I guess she was my…my first love."

"It's okay, Marcy," Finn said, squeezing her hand. "Really. Go on."

"You sure?"

Finn nodded. Marceline shrugged and put her head back on his shoulder.

"The Candy King caught us one night. He came in to give Bonnibel a goodnight kiss. He pulled me out of her bed so hard that he dislocated my shoulder, and he marched me through the castle, naked and crying. He threw me out and told me that I was banished from his kingdom. Bonnie convinced one of her servants to bring me my clothes, and I ended up sleeping in a tree just outside the castle walls. I watched the king yell at Bonnie, and berate her until she cried. He told her that she had responsibilities, and that he wasn't going to be alive forever. Nobody else knew then, but the Candy King was dying.

"Bonnie and I bided our time until we could see each other. The Gumball Guardians had orders to kill me if I set foot in the castle's walls, so we had to be careful. Bonnibel had the idea to give one of her newest creations, Cinnamon Bun, notes to pass along to me. One night, Bonnibel asked me to transform into a bat and meet her in the garden. I asked her if it was safe, and she said that no one would be paying attention to her, so I agreed.

"When I met her, she said that her father was very sick, and that he was in the process of giving the kingdom over to her. She was crying, and I tried to hold her, but she pushed me away. She said that we couldn't be together anymore, because she had responsibilities. I told her that responsibilities weren't as important as love. She said," Marceline's breath hitched, and a tear slipped down her pale cheek. "She said that she hated me and that she never wanted to see me, or any of my people, again. I humiliated myself, begging her to run away with me, and she just walked away. I left the Candy Kingdom later that night.

"I started flying south, even though I was crying too hard to see where I was going. I stopped when I couldn't push myself any further. I found an abandoned house that was still in pretty good shape, so I moved in. Even though I tried to be careful, I ran through my money pretty fast, and I had to look for a job. I tried waitressing, but I kept getting fired for being rude to customers, so then I tried to get gigs in the clubs and bars. I got some, but they were too few and far in between to really help me. I was playing out on the street one day when I met this nice older man who told me about a little place that would really appreciate my talent. I should have known better, but I was hungry and I wouldn't steal or hurt anyone, so I went. Turns out, it was a strip club. I told him no at first, but I came back a week later, desperate. He let me start that night."

Marceline fell silent, remembering how much she had hated standing in front of all those men, dancing for them, taking off her clothes as bad, repetitive music pounded in her ears.

"They nicknamed me 'The Mistress', and I guess my act got really popular, because they started using me as the headliner. After a while I started to…I don't know, enjoy it. I mean, men wanted me to treat them like shit, stuff like whipping them and calling them names right in front of everyone. After what I'd been through, I was more than willing to do that. And the money? It was great. I never had to worry about going hungry again.

"The only downside was the club owners. They all expected me to sleep with them, and they told me that if I didn't, they would fire me. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I was too afraid to tell them no. There was one guy, Leo, he was as scummy as the rest of them, but different in some way. He came over to my place one night and after he fucked me he went to take a shower, and I started working on some stuff on my bass. I guess he heard it and thought I was good, because he booked me to play in his bar. That gig got me a few more, and I never had to strip for money ever again. It was just me and my music.

"I even started touring around Ooo. It was nice, getting to see all these places I'd never been. One day, I get this letter from the owner of the Candy Tavern. He wanted me to play. At first I said no, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go back. Two weeks later, I was back in the Candy Kingdom."

Marceline picked up the flyer from the concert she had given at the tavern and studied it. She could almost smell the cigarette smoke and stale beer that had permeated the Candy Kingdom's only bar, and she smiled wistfully. A part of her missed stepping out on stage to a crowd of screaming, often drunken, fans. She briefly wondered if she would be as happy with her life as a mother as she was when she was so used to living only for herself, but the soft movement of her child dispelled her worry.

"My one night only show turned into two nights, and the owner asked me if I could do it again the next weekend. I don't know why I said yes, but I did. As I was leaving, I met Ash for the first time, and he just seemed so sweet and charming, so I went home with him. I expected him to kick me out in the morning like most of the guys I'd been with, but he didn't. He said he really liked me."

Marceline tried to meet Finn's gaze, but she couldn't. Instead, she studied her sharp fingernails and closed her eyes for a moment. Despite her love for Finn, and everything Ash had put her through, a small, secret part of her missed him more than anything. She brought her knees up to her chest and hid her face while struggling not to cry again. Finn felt a lump rise in his throat, and he placed his hand on Marceline's back. She stiffened at first, and Finn was afraid that she would push him away, but she leaned back into his touch. They stayed like that for a long moment before Marceline spoke again, her voice muffled.

"He wasn't always mean, Finn. He loved me at first…I think."

Finn froze for a brief second, his hand hovering in the air as he reached up to stroke Marceline's hair. He took a deep breath and tried not to be too upset by what his fiancé had said. Jake had warned him, after he learned that his brother had started a relationship with Marceline, that she would have a lot of issues to work through after being with someone who was so abusive for so long. Despite the warning, however, Finn had never imagined that it would be so painful for them both.

After a long while, Marceline's sobs became quieter and eventually stopped. She wiped her eyes on her gloves and hugged Finn close to her. She was silent for a long time, and Finn nearly jumped when she spoke again.

"Nothing much interesting happened after that," she said, her voice still thick with emotion. "We lived in Ash's house for a while, but it was a bit cramped, so I used a pretty big chunk of the money I'd saved to build the treehouse. We moved in there, and it was great for a long time. Then, Simon found out that I was living there and he kept visiting me. Ash got really pissed off, and he tried to fight him, but I was scared that he would hurt him. I insisted that we just move somewhere else, so we found the cave and built another house. We were only together about a year after that, and he got worse and worse. Nothing compared to how he treated me the last time he moved in, but I still spent every day stoned out of my mind so it wouldn't hurt so much when he screamed.

"One night, we were arguing about money, and he said he needed me to do something for him. He told me to sleep with one of his friends, some wizard I can't even remember now. I said no, but he started beating me, and he said he'd stop if I agreed. I didn't have a choice, so I did, and I saw him paying Ash afterwards. I realized that I was right back where I was before, and that scared me. I should have kicked him out right then, but he came to the bedroom and held me, and he told me that he was sorry and that he only made me do that for my own good. I guess I believed him, because I fell asleep in his arms that night. The next day, he sold Hambo and I guess I just snapped.

"I was on my own again, and I hated it. I flew to Bonnibel's castle, just because I wanted to be close to someone who cared about me. She saw me and came out on the balcony to talk. She tried to kiss me, but I was scared and I flew away. She found out where I lived, and she kept sending me messages and gifts, that was when she gave me Schwabl, but I guess I was afraid to let anyone get close to me again. I guess I couldn't handle it anymore, so I took off again. I played when I needed to eat, but most of the time I just tried to live for myself. I did a bit of everything while I was gone, but only if it made me happy. I was sick of always being someone's bitch."

Marceline smiled at Finn and ruffled his hair. He giggled and playfully pushed her hand away.

"Then I came back and found you two dorks living in my house. You know what happened after that, I guess."

Finn nodded.

"Thanks for telling me all that, Marcy," he said.

"Are you sure you still want to be with me after…all that I've done?" Marceline asked, looking at Finn with eyes full of hope.

He gently guided Marceline face to his, and he kissed her deeply.

"I'll always want to be with you," he said firmly.

"You're sure you don't mind me being, I don't know, damaged goods?"

"Don't say that, Marcy. I didn't offer to marry you because I had to, you know. I want you to be my wife no matter what happens, or has happened. I love you."

Marceline threw her arms around Finn's neck and hugged him. While she was holding him, he glanced behind his back and saw the clock.

"Oh dang, Marcy it's getting late. We should probably head to the castle."

"Okay," Marceline agreed. "I just need to run up to my room and get some clothes."

Finn and Marceline walked hand in hand up the stairs and to her bedroom. They stepped inside, and the Vampire froze, staring at down at the carpet near her bed. Finn's stomach clenched when he saw the large, red stain on the floor, and the bloody knife lying next to it. He watched for Marceline's reaction, expecting another round of tears, but she calmly walked to her closet and pulled out her few pairs of yoga pants and a few of her more stretched out t-shirts. She laid them on the bed and turned to her nightstand. She stopped and inhaled sharply at the framed photograph staring back at her. It featured her and Ash, standing together on the day they moved into the tree house, staring at each other with love; It was the twin to the one Ash had been carrying with him the day he had tried to kill her.

Without warning, Marceline grabbed the photo and hurled it at the wall, sending glass flying around the room. It was soon followed by her alarm clock, a box of tissues, and the book she had been reading the night that she had told Ash that she was pregnant. Once the nightstand was clear, she moved around the room, knocking things down and throwing everything she could lift. Finn watched in horror, and a slight fascination, until Marceline lifted her most prized procession, her axe base, above her head and started to bring it down against the hard wood floor.

"No!" Finn yelled.

He wrestled the bass from Marceline's hands and tossed it safely on the bed. Marceline fell to her knees, sobbing, and Finn sunk down beside her. He rocked her back and forth, and prayed that there would soon be a time when the Marceline he remembered was back for good.

A/N:Thanks for reading! Did Marceline do the right thing telling Finn about her past? I appreciate all reviews!