Chapter Five

Marceline's P.O.V.

After my talk with Fionna, and her speech about Gumball accepting, I had something I hadn't had for a long time swelling up inside me.

Hope.

I stuck around with the two of them for a while before they nudged me in Gumball's direction. He was in the middle of baking a cake, and they shoved me through the door and shut it quickly behind me.

"Huh? Fionna, is that you?" Gumball asked, rooting around on the top shelf of a cupboard, balanced precariously on the top of a box on a stool on a chair.

"Uh, no. It's Marceline."I said in a 'duh' tone. I rubbed my neck with one hand, cupping my elbow in my hand, worrying that he was gonna fall.

"Wha- Marceline, what are you doing – ack!" He yelped as he lost his balance swinging around to see me, and the pile he was on tipped over, and he dropped the flour he'd just retrieved, creating a huge dustcloud.

I dived forward and caught him, scooping him out of the way just before the rest of the stuff crashed down where he'd landed. Had he been lying there, he probably would have been crushed, and made of gum or not, there is only a certain extent to which somethingcan be squished before it dies.

"Are you okay?" I asked breathlessly.

He nodded, shaking slightly. "Just had the plop scared outta me. I'm fine."

"Oh, good."

We lay on the ground for a few moments longer, blinking and staring at each other like total dopes.

"Uh… we should probably clean this up…" Gumball gestured at the tangle of things he'd been standing on.

"Y-yeah. We should." I stammered.

I floated around, putting stuff back on shelves as Gumball righted the chairs and put the box back in the corner. I grabbed another thing of flour and bought it down. "Uh… you want this?" I offered it to him.

"Nah. My muffins are kinda dead." He waved a hand airily at the counter. "If you leave Moon Rock Muffin mix out for too long, it goes all hard."

"Oh, sorry." I looked at my feet.

"No, it's not your fault." He said, surprised. "Why in the world would you think I'd blame you?"

"I… I'm so used to my dad ignoring me, and Simon not remembering me, and Marshall blaming me for everything…" I felt a tear roll off of the end of my nose. "I'm not really used to people taking care of me, and being nice to me. I mean, Finn and Jake are nice, but they're just kids. Bonnibel is more upper-class. BMO's a video game. LSP's a diva. I just never had anyone really being nice to me, and helping me with stuff before." I, with no warning, started bawling like a baby.

Gumball looked taken aback, and I figured for a minute that my emotional outburst had been enough, that he was gonna turn tail and run from my problems like so many other people.

But he didn't. He blinked for a moment, then walked up to me and touched my shoulder, and the next thing I knew, he holding me against his chest, me sobbing into his purple collar-thingy, leaving dark splotches on it. His hand stroked my hair, and he was murmering comforting words in my ear. I started shaking a little, partly from shock, partly from emotion, and partly because I was freezing cold.

"It's okay. I'll take care of you, Marcy. I promise, okay? I promise." He said softly, kissing the top of my head. He started softly singing a song.

I jerked my head back to look at him. "Where'd you learn that song?!" I asked my eyes wide.

"Uh… I think I might've heard Ice King singing it or something. Or was it Ice Queen? Well, whatever. It was one of them."

I licked my dry lips and began singing.

'Marceline, is it just you and me

In the wreckage of the world?

That must be so confusing

For a little girl.

And I know you're going to

Need me here with you,

But I'm losing myself and I'm afraid

You're going to lose me, too…'

Gumball joined in with me.

'This magic keeps me alive

But it's making me crazy.

And I need to save you but

Who's going to save me?

Please forgive me for

Whatever I do,

When I don't

Remember you.'

I broke off. "How… how did you know it, though?" I asked.

"I get kidnapped enough by the Ice Queen that when she has the Ice King over, I know that he always sings it to himself while he's wandering around. I just sorta picked it up. When I asked him about it, he just said, 'Ask the vampire.' So I did, I asked Marshall, and that was actually the first time I ever heard about you." Gumball explained softly.

I buried my face in his chest again. "Thanks, Bubba." I whispered. "For everything."