Chapter 42: Shape-Shifter

"The underlying principles of our body chemistry are heretofore incomparable to that of beings unlike ourselves. It is our very existence that differs so entirely from that of other living beings, and, indeed, from beings that reproduce in a semi-organic fashion. While it is true Candy Biomass has principles of its own, it is unknown as to whether or not they could be altered so drastically as to support something along the lines of organic growth in-utero.

"According to all my findings thus far, in the regard of general mapping of a candy humanoid's body, it seems as though all the necessary elements are there to maintain such a life. Which, of course, begs the question: can we? And, if we can, why do we reproduce in such a scientifically improbably way? Did we simply evolve to imitate the body make up of a superior species? Can a candy person grow a life within them? Can the insides of a candy person function the same way as, say, an animal? With me today I have Finn the Human-"

"Hi recording device!"

"Finn please don't shout into the recorder. It bunks up my data."

She turned the recorder off. They had been married for six months, and the only thing she could think about was-

"So! Babies, huh, Peebs? How's that work? Because...as far as I know, you gotta have like...a dude and a chick. And you guys are definitely both chicks. Well...I mean...right?"

Bubblegum sighed, the weight of the task sitting heavily on her shoulders. But Cosmic Owl above and Death below, do I want children. Her children. She turned to the boy-the young man, now, she supposed. "Anatomically speaking, we share similar characteristics with those of the female sex, yes."

Finn chuckled. "...sex."

Bubblegum rolled her eyes. Even out of his teens and well into his life, Finn still remained as childish as ever. But...I do suppose he will grow out of it. And be wise in his years. "That poses a different problem altogether. The option of cloning or chemically rendering life is, naturally, there. However, my attempts at creating viable life has so far been...well...mildly unsuccessful. While I did succeed in my ventures, they have all been, by and large, unsound; in some way, at the very least. Hence, the natural option seems to be most...safe."

Finn nodded. He looked surprisingly comfortable for being strapped to a wooden plank in her underground science dungeon filled with skeletons and books that smelled of moth wings and the dampness of unknown thoughts. And in only his underwear, no less. Bubblegum turned back to her recorder, which sat on the desk next to the various surgical implements she intended to use.

"With me today, I have Finn the Human, who has graciously allowed my using of his body chemistry in order to further advance my cause. Hopefully, through the comparison of the two opposing forces- that of the candy people and of homo sapiens- I can further delve into the differences in fertility. If the distinction is simple enough, altering body chemistry should be no problem."

The recording device clicked. Getting up, she quickly went about the room beginning to prepare for the task ahead. The x-ray camera was capturing at all times, giving off an odd glow in the dark basement. Finn whistled absentmindedly as she went about setting up the thermal reader, making sure it captured every inch of his body and was both functioning, and recording the data. The surgical camera pointed at a sharp angle down.

When that was all done, Bubblegum went to the sink to wash her hands. No need to risk infection. Pulling on her gloves, and a fresh surgical mask, she picked up the simplest item-the needle. Walking up to him with sure steps, she inserted it into his neck, drawing the blood before taping it over with a wad of gauze.

Finn chuckled, breathy. She could hear the nerves creep their way into his voice. "So like...this isn't going to...I don't know...permanently incapacitate me for life or anything like that, right?"

"Of course not." She responded easily. Probably. She set the vial of blood into the mini-cooler she had stationed next to her work desk, before picking up a scalpel, which hadn't looked quite so menacing before all the x-ray lights and the thermo dynamic radar and the weird evil-scientist vibe started to be a thing.

Suddenly, a voice echoed down the long stairway, "Bonni?"

She put down the scalpel. Finn exhaled a sigh of relief. "Bonni? Are you down here? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages and-what in the name of Ooo is going on down here?"

Bubblegum shuffled her feet and pulled the mask off of her face. "I'm...conducting a scientific investigation."

She watched Marceline eye the scalpel and the other surgical instruments, as well as the young man strapped to what looked like a blood-stained torture rack, before looking back at her. Marceline quirked an eyebrow. "A scientific investigation."

Bubblegum cleared her throat, all of a sudden her...moral ambiguity seemed a little...misplaced. "Yes...well...really I guess I can get what I need from the blood draw but honestly, Marceline, some more parts really would be good. It could be great for real conducive proof and comparison. I mean, it isn't like he was going to-"

"Bubblegum, why don't we let Finn go."

The pink Queen nodded, and unfastened him from the plank. He boogied into his clothes and scampered off, promising Marceline a jam session sometime when she wasn't busy running two kingdoms and dealing with wife duties.

Marceline turned her eye toward Bubblegum. Oh Glob...she thinks I'm crazy. She thinks I'm nuts. She thinks I've gone sour. She scampered about, putting things away that were away to begin with, and fussing around with the books on her desk.

"A scientific experiment?" Marceline asked, eyes twinkling with mirth, floating nearer the candy girl. Bubblegum sighed as long thin arms wrapped themselves around her waist, nothing quite bringing clarity like the feel of her vampire.

"I...do you know how candy people have children?" She broke away to begin pacing, her arms emphasizing each point dramatically. "It's this bizarre thing involving biomass and genetic mutation and it's all very complicated stuff. It doesn't work like other things. And I know you can have 'children' of your own variation but that is certainly not going to work in this instance so I was just trying to find a way for us have children, the two of us-you and I- and have them be ours- yours and mine- on a scientific level. A biological level."

She sat at her desk, flipping through a book so old that she was still surprised it existed at all, the pages feathering away at her fingertips. "Bonni-"

"It seems the ancient tomes on reproduction hint to some sort of DNA manipulation which allowed, or would have allowed, two people of the biologically female persuasion to share a child but all the works I have found have been rudimentary at best and the human's understanding of the biological realm was far from perfect, and far from my own understanding."

She rose from her chair, passion igniting her movements, desire flowing through every inch of her. I want this. I want this for us. I want this for me. I want...I want. I want. And she was very used to getting what she wanted. "Bon-"

"So the question arises: can the two of us share a child? Biologically speaking? Can candy people support that form of life? And...I mean I didn't mean to make assumptions but I just...I wanted to carry the...the potential progeny...so the question arose. And then there's the other issue which I'd have to work out because your DNA works differently as well and it's one thing for two human females to want to make this happen because the bases of their entire beings are the same but us? Radically different!"

She was pacing again. The sound of her voice echoing through the rocky expanse of her lab, volume increasing as her mind reeled along uninterrupted. "Bon, I-"

"So I just figured if I had a viable sample of human DNA and...some other stuff...then I'd be able to pull apart the pattern, dissect it, and alter the reality of the situation with a new understanding. Of course, it would take much time and many tests before such an alteration was prepared to be used in order to produce the desired effect, but-"

"Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum!" Marceline yelled, grabbing her wife by the shoulders spinning her around to look her in the eye. "Calm down! Take a breath, sugar cube! Geez! I'm gasping just looking at you!" And she was looking. Looking with such adoration and love and...Embarrassment?

Bubblegum pulled apart Marceline's look. Her cheeks were tinged with red, eyes full of love, but...her feet shuffled mindlessly in the air; she'd be dancing on them if she were on the floor. Her pupils were slightly dilated, perhaps due to the dim lighting, but not likely given her vampiric status. Her pointed teeth worked her lips. She swallowed. Nervous. Turned on. Embarrassed. In love. Conclusion: perfection.

"I'm...sorry I've been absent, Marceline. I just...love you. And...I...I want..."

"You want to have my babies." The vampire joked, laughing heartily as Bubblegum flushed to a pretty amaranth.

"Marceline don't be so crass!" She chided lightly, crossing her arms across her chest, the rubber of her lab coat squeaking against the gloves she never took off.

The vampire floated away, arms crossed behind her head as she circled around her Queen in a lounging position. "Well...that's what you're thinking of, isn't it?"

Bubblegum gulped. Marceline's babies. In me. Growing in me. From her. That's...shaking her head, she replied, "Well...yes, technically. Though when you say it that way it sounds..."

The sneaky devil had shifted right behind her the feel of her skin not-quite-touching shadowing over Bubblegum's back, causing her eyelids to flutter closed. "It sounds sexual, doesn't it?" The vampire purred, snaking a tongue ever-so-lightly over the crest of a pink ear.

"Y-Yes...but...but it...it can't be because...because you're...and I'm...female!" Bubblegum squeaked out. The ghost touches along her neck, her sides, her chest, unbuttoning her lab coat and slipping on to the floor. Lazy fingertips distracting her and she wished- oh she wished- that Marceline would just get on with touching her already!

"But...Bubblegum...don't you understand? I'm a shape-shifter...my body can be." A kiss to the shoulder. "Anything." To the neck. "It needs to be." And the vampire pulled Bubblegum flush against her front.

"M-Marceline...wh-what...?" She began. And then she felt it and- Oh. Oh. The realization hit her suddenly. "Marci...is...is that...?"

There was a wicked chuckle into her neck and a hum of confirmation. "And it works, too."

Bubblegum's eyes opened wide. "Does...does that mean..."

Marceline's hands found a stronger purpose against her hips, grinding into her and moaning, just ever so slightly. "If you can get your parts to work, I have my end of the bargain covered." And she thrust just-so into Bubblegum again, who, for her part, released the smallest noise.

The pink girl gasped. "My parts!" she cried, before pulling away.

Marceline stood still, confused at the loss of her lover in her arms.

Bubblegum turned around. "My parts! Don't you see how easy that will be! I've been manipulating Candy Person DNA for years! And if you can do that, then...! Oh Marceline it's just wonderful! I have to get started right away!"

She ran back over to her desk, pulling out various notebooks and the like and began pouring over them. "I thought we were getting started." Marceline said, gesturing down her body to her addition.

Bubblegum laughed, "Well you start, so you go finish."

Marceline groaned low in her throat. "Are you serious?"

Bubblegum nodded, before leveling a smoky look at her wife. "But don't worry. We'll...discuss this...new information...later tonight." Before sending the vampire off with a sly wink.

A/N

Hello again.