Welcome back! I hope my story has proved entertaining so far. I'll do my best to keep this updating up, and hopefully my brain doesn't burn out from all the constant writing I'm doing X3 As always, please let me know what you think of my story. Your input really helps me out as a writer, and I greatly appreciate you guys reading my story.

That being said, enjoy the chapter.

000

Say Hi to Daddy

When Finn had seen his father last, their conversation hadn't been pleasant. Far from it, actually. It went something like "If you ever come back to Ooo, don't expect me to come see you. In fact, don't even come see me. Now run, it's all you're ever good for."

Now that he thought about it, Finn had left his old home feeling the exact opposite of pleasant, perhaps even worse than unpleasant. He and Joshua hadn't spoken since then, and even though for some reason Joshua wanted him back he had to use Bubblegum to tell him. Still, he wanted Finn back nevertheless, and he had to wonder why.

Upon entering the hospital, Finn was immediately recognized. The nurse, a tall tentacle man covered in tar, was manning the counter. His arms started out normal from the shoulder, but ended in a single tentacle for hands. The nurse's face was featureless, save for a pair of eyes and two holes beneath them for nostrils. Hopefully, he only worked the counter. Finn couldn't see a scary looking man like him having very good bedside manners.

The nurse saw him and quickly waved him over. "Your father's in the ICU. Follow me." He quickly turned a corner and disappeared down the hall. Finn blinked at the nurse's swiftness. It made worry grow heavy in his gut; his father must be in a bad way if the staff was in such a rush to get him in there so late after visiting hours.

When they reached the door to the ICU, the nurse immediately began to punch in the door code. Before he opened the door, he turned to Finn, concern showing in his oddly spaced, discolored eyes, "I should warn you, what you see could really…upset you." He paused, glancing down at the floor, "He really should be dead by now. No one's really sure what's keeping him alive, but he's certainly not the dog you used to know." The nurse placed what was to be a soothing tentacle on his shoulder, "I, uh, just thought you should know before you head in."

The nurse left Finn at the door. He peeked into the room and saw a bed with a bunch of tubes and wires attached to a patient. He couldn't see who it was beneath the stark white blanket, but he knew just who it could be. His heart heavy, Finn entered the room.

An odd pump looking thing was hissing as it pushed up and down, sounding much like labored breathing. Finn slowly made his way toward the bed, trying hard not to make any noise as he moved. "What're you doin' boy?" The fast-talking, oldies voice of his father rang through his ears, startling him. Finn froze, feet rooted to the floor. "Come on over here and see your pappy while you still can."

He didn't want to. Finn was scared of what his father would look like, and even the twelve hour trip plus the short drive here wasn't enough time to prepare for whatever he would see. He approached his father's bedside and pulled some of the covers back. Joshua was skin and bones. His fur had fallen out until there were only a few incredibly thin patches left, and his ribs and hips were visible beneath his pale skin. Joshua wheezed, breathing into a plastic mask that was hooked into the oxygen pump.

"Ah…" Joshua breathed, his sickly red eyes turning up to look at Finn, "There you are, boy. It's been a while. You've grown!" He chuckled, sounding like he had fluid in his lungs.

Finn gave an uneasy smile, "Uh, hi Dad. How're you doing?"

"Never better!" Joshua let out what must have been a mix between a wet wheeze and a laugh, "Your pappy's still goin' strong, considering his condition. Where'e you been, sonny?"

"Cosmic City," His voice was slightly strained. Finn tapped the tips of his fingers together. "Look, Dad…I'm sorry I left. I was just…"

"Don't explain yourself to me," Joshua interjected, "I know things been hard for you. It has been for everyone since you left." He hacked, causing Finn to wince, "But it's good that you're here now."

"Why did you call me back?" Joshua and Finn had never been close. Finn was only the adopted child, one that had been his mother's idea in the first place. Joshua hadn't let him forget that while he was growing up. While Finn was sure that he wasn't trying to be mean-spirited, it didn't stop the cuts from running too deep. When he had told his father that he was leaving, Joshua had been furious about it. He had yelled, screamed even, at Finn for his selfish behavior in such times of grief, and straight out turned his back on Finn. Now, though…

There was a pregnant pause, broken only by the hisses of the breathing machine. Joshua placed a paw on Finn's shaking fingers, "I simply wanted you around again, son. I'm not long for this world, but as long as I'm still here I want to spend every moment possible with you."

"What about Jermaine?" Jake's eldest brother, a scruffy wash about with very little to his name, had strangely enough always been kind to Finn in the short time he had known him. Jermaine was old enough to be on his own by the time Finn arrived, and had left soon after, with Joshua never mentioning a word of him ever again.

His question went unanswered. The grip on Finn's fingers tightened as a particularly heavy wheeze shuddered through Joshua's weakened lungs. Finn cringed and squeezed his father's paw. "Finn…" he hacked, "Would you mind staying with your pappy for tonight?

Surprised gripped Finn then. It was an odd request to come from someone like Joshua, but considering he was so sick…Finn supposed such a request wasn't so unbelievable. "Uh, yeah, sure. Lemme just…go tell Bubblegum. I'll be right back." Please don't die while I'm gone… Finn tacked on the last bit in his head, feeling as if a darkening cloud was forming over his head, ready to drench him when given the chance.

A weak, balding paw waved at him dismissively, "Sure, sure…just hurry back, lad."

Finn quickly left the hospital room. He made outside in no time at all, and saw the car idling just in front of the building. Bubblegum was leaning against the car, this time alongside the red-eyed woman, who also leaned with just a tad more nonchalance than the other. When he came out they both turned to look at him. Bubblegum was the first to speak up, "Is he-?"

"He's fine, and he wants me to stay here with him tonight. So, you guys can go home, I'll just stay here." His words came out in a barely understandable rush, sounding more like 'hesfinehewantsewrnfewfvn". In other words, gibberish. The two woman seemed to understand him though, and both nodded.

"Whaddoya say, Bonnibel?" The red-eyed woman (how had Finn not gotten her name, yet?) turned toward Bubblegum with a tired smile, "Let's call it a night? I'm bushed." She leaned heavily against Bubblegum's side, who seemed unfazed by the woman's added weight.

"I suppose so," Bubblegum agreed, "Are you sure you don't want us to stay, in case they, y'know, kick you out?"

"Nah. It's chill. They won't kick me out."

Bubblegum seemed skeptical, but the red-eyed woman beside her simply nudged her elbow with her knuckle, and that was all it took to convince her. "All right. Be careful Finn, Ooo's been…different since you left. A lot more people, dangerous people, have taken to living here since you've been gone." She pulled him into another hug, "Be safe,"

The two women climbed into the car and they drove off. Finn watched, surprised at the news she had just given him. Dangerous people? He looked around; it was quiet tonight, and besides a few hospital staff roaming around, there wasn't anyone awake for miles. He shrugged her warning off and went back inside.

When Finn returned to Joshua's room, the elderly dog was fast asleep. His breaths were steady, if a little ragged, and he actually appeared peaceful, less sickly. The tentacle-nurse-dude was standing just above them, checking his vitals and making notes. It looked awkward, writing with a single tentacle for a hand, but the nurse seemed to manage it just fine. After feeling Joshua's pulse and marking one more thing down, the nurse looked up, "There you are. I was wondering where you went."

"I just went outside for a bit," Finn explained, "I'm here to stay for tonight. Dad's orders."

"Of course," said the nurse. The hospital staff were alarmingly lenient, Finn noticed. Far more than they ever were before. Finn had been put in the hospital too many times to count before he had left, and due to privacy and recovery reasons, his friends and even his family were barely allowed to see him. Especially when he was in the ICU. "There's a seat by the door, you can pull it up. I'll go get you some blankets."

At least they were nice. Finn got the chair and pulled it up to the bed. His chin in his palms, Finn watched his father as he slept. It was weird to see him like this, so weak and actually in need of help. Besides Jake, Joshua was the strongest person he had ever known. What would Mom say, to see him like this now?

Minutes passed as if they were hours. Though Finn had grown tired he refused to sleep, worried that if he did he would wake up looking at another dead family member. Even if it didn't happen that way, he was still shook up about his earlier dream on the train. He rubbed his eyes, realizing that he couldn't keep awake by himself much longer. He noticed a TV hung up just above the bed; it was already on, but muted. It was turned onto a news channel, and a middle-aged owl was onscreen.

Subtitles appeared on the screen as the owl spoke.

"…unknown suspect fled the scene earlier today. She is described as female, less than five feet tall, and with a broad pair of wings. Her species is currently unknown, but the police speculate that she is a member of the Feather Flock tribe. Even so, keep a lookout for any suspicious activity from any of your winged companions. Not myself included of course, hoo hoo…

"In related news, the recent immigration of escaped convicts in Ooo have left its cities in turmoil. While the more common fugitives have taken to petty theft and acts of violence, the more infamous, such as the currently untraceable Alice Condor of the aforementioned Feather Flock tribe, have gone into hiding, presumably pulling at the strings of the larger, more visible crime groups. Until this epidemic is under control, we urge you to stay off the streets at night and if you must leave your home, be safe."

The TV went off abruptly. Finn jerked into an upright position, nearly lifting himself off of his seat, "Wha-what happened to the TV? I was watching that!"

"Shush!"

Finn spun around—it was the tentacle nurse. He held the TV remote curled in one of his tentacles, and a blanket and pillow wrapped in the other.

"It's time for sleep. Hospital policy now is lights out at twelve. Sorry, but it's for the safety of the patients." He handed Finn the pillow and blanket, "It's for the best that you get some rest now. The doctors are willing to let you stay here, but only if you go to sleep right away. Good night, sir." The nurse turned and left, leaving an odd trail of slime in his wake.

The lights shut off just a moment later, leaving Finn in the dark. The oxygen pump continued to hiss, his father's lungs still wheezing lightly as he slept. Finn pulled the blanket up to his chin, slouching to get comfortable. The blanket made him feel itchy, but the chair was surprisingly a step up from the bed he owned in Cosmic City.

Being home was already feeling different and weird; Finn and Jake had done a great job of keeping crime off the streets in all corners of Ooo, and Finn leaves for just five years and suddenly all that hard work just goes away? Perhaps he'd been grieving for too long…

His eyelids began to droop. Finn focused his attention back onto his father, watching the dog's chest rise and fall at a relatively steady pace. He smiled. Home had certainly changed since he had been away, but it was really good to be back.

Bubblegum woke feeling rather drained. The thought of any activity that didn't involve her bed, sleeping, or any combination of the two was unappealing, but in the back of her sleepy mind she knew that there were things to do today. She turned over, vowing to attempt to get out of bed in the next five or ten minutes. Her hand stretched out to feel across the other side of the large mattress and grasped a handful of cool bed sheet.

Confused, Bubblegum lifted her head. Through bleary eyes, she saw that the space beside her was empty, and by the feel of the sheets, had been for a while. Oh good, she thought to herself, now I have to get up.

With a tired sigh, Bubblegum managed to drag herself out of bed. Cool air kissed her skin; winter was finally settling in, she really had to start wearing warmer clothes than a tank top and shorts to bed. She wandered out of the bedroom and stumbled into the dining area. As she had expected, it was empty, as the rest of the apartment probably would be.

Great…now she was probably going to have to work through today all by herself. It wouldn't be too bad, but dealing with every little thing by herself felt too much like a chore and she would prefer not to do it alone. Oh well, she thought. This appeared to be the hand she was dealt today, and she was going to have to deal with it whether she liked it or not. As it would turn out, she not only disliked it, but she loathed it with a passion.

As she dressed, Bubblegum flipped on the television. It had already been tuned onto a show about ghost hunting. The people who hosted it were as follows—a twat-ish lizard man in a douchey baseball cap, some kind of purple mist that for some reason didn't qualify himself as a ghost, and some kind of creature who looked like he was birthed out of a giant nose. They all went about trying to convince everyone of an already globally known truth—ghosts exist!

Bubblegum wanted to strangle all of them—or just the lizard one, and maybe introduce the misty one to a fan or some kind of vacuuming device. She wouldn't so much as touch the blobby snot man. Maybe that would be insult enough. She really didn't understand why Marceline liked these shows.

Midway through dressing, the phone rang. Bubblegum pulled on a red shirt and went to answer it.

"Bonnibel!" A high, shriek voice yelled into her ear the moment she picked up the phone. Bubblegum held the phone away for a second, pulling a pained face as her ear rang. "Bonnibel, where've you been?"

Hesitant to answer, Bubblegum held the phone to her chest. The voice continued to needlessly shriek out questions quicker than she would have been able to answer them. After composing herself, she brought the phone back up to her ear; the woman was still shrieking. "Mom, please calm down. What are you trying to say to me?"

"Where have you been, young lady!"

Bubblegum rolled her eyes. They had spoken only three days ago, and her mother got antsy whenever she hadn't heard from her for a few hours. It was annoying, but Bubblegum usually didn't mind calling her more than once every day. However, her new job has kept her busy and unable to make or take calls.

Her mother continued her rant without allowing Bubblegum enough time to answer. "You haven't answered any of my calls, I've been so worried! Have you even seen the news? It's not safe in Ooo anymore, missy."

"I know, Mom. I've been careful—"

"What have you been doing this whole time?" her mother demanded.

"I've been staying with Marceline, I'm fine."

A frightened gasp came from the other end of the phone, "Lord Abadeer's daughter!?"

"Yes, Mom, you've known this for three years. It's fine. You're obviously hysterical right now, could you put Dad on?"

There was an indignant scoff, and her mother began another tangent, "I am not hysterical! I am sixty-three years old and I've been running this business by myself for forty! Your father is a fat, lazy excuse of a man, so how could you even think that he would be…"

Bubblegum carefully set the phone down on the counter. That should keep her mother going for at least a half hour. She went back to getting ready.

Someone began knocking on the door as she was putting her makeup on. Irritated at the constant interruptions, Bubblegum set her brush down and went to answer it. She passed the phone on her way—her mother's high-pitched voice was still chattering about her father; that would probably last another twenty minutes. When she opened the door, her irritation grew when she saw that no one was there.

She glanced down and saw a small envelop resting at the welcome mat ('GO F**K YOURSELF' it said. Oh, Marceline.) A purple wax seal had been pressed onto the front; the initials H.A. were visible in the center of the seal. She picked up the envelope and went back inside.

After checking to see if her mother was still going on about her father (she was, quite brutally too), Bubblegum decided it was time to check the mail. She knew it was from Marceline's father—he was the only one besides the billing companies that ever sent Marceline anything, and the seal was proof enough anyway. She popped open the envelope and pulled the letter out.

Dearest Marceline and Girlfriend,

It's come to Daddy's attention that you and the Bubblegum thing have been caught on the wrong side of the tracks again. Such an unfortunate circumstance, but not to worry. Daddy's taken care of things for you. But I must warn you; even my power has its limits, and I can't protect you forever. You two simply must be more careful; the Feather Flock is already watching you. I can't imagine what would happen if the side still loyal to him were to find out what you two are up to.

Speaking of, I have a pleasant surprise for the both of you. You'll be moving again, in the next two weeks! I've already got a new place ready for you, and it's a spitting image of the place you already reside in. The only issue is it's in the next town over, and I don't believe you'll be able to bring all of your possessions with you this time. It's for the best, I assure you.

I've placed more cash in your account in case you should need it. Take care, the both of you.

Your loving father and future father-in-law, Hudson Abadeer.

The last bit caused Bubblegum's cheeks to heat up just a bit. He was oddly presumptuous about the future their relationship. Secondly, he was forcing them to move again? To another town, no less! She could understand his concern, but she thought they were doing fine with their work. She sighed and picked up the phone again. Just in time too—her mother had just finished ranting. She replied with her usual, well-rehearsed response, "Well Mom, I'm sorry to hear that, but I've been too busy to really help."

"I know you have been, dearie. It's not your fault. I really wish your father would see it that way," there was a long, deep sigh, "Unfortunately, he's had his hopes on you taking over since you were born."

She knew that; taking over the family business had been literally the reason why she had been conceived in the first place. "Y-yeah…Uh, Mom," Bubblegum rubbed the back of her neck nervously, wondering how she should say it, "I have some news."