The sun started to rise and the rain started to clear. The remains of their once lovely home was now a big charred pile of wood and debris. Nicole was still by her son. She hadn't moved from her spot since Gumball had passed away. She couldn't. She was still in utter shock at what she had witnessed before her very eyes. Her brain couldn't seem to accept it. She couldn't seem to understand how she went from having a lovely meal with her son, to a fire, to a now dead son still in her very arms...

Nicole had felt the wounds on her body start to heal. Just as rapidly as when they both had arrived here. At this...place. This GODDAMN place!

Nicole slammed her fist into the pavement over and over in anger. Why were they sent here? Why did they have to live like this? Why did she have to lose her son?! She felt like crying more, but couldn't. She seemed to have no tears left in her. Her anger now was growing. She felt her eyes start to turn red again. She was truly angry now. When she finds out who or what sent her and Gumball here...she was going to make them or it PAY!

Eventually, she felt her anger subside and become replaced with utter exhaustion. She leaned her head one final time against Gumball's body before laying down next to him on the pavement. She closed her eyes, and let the sleep overcome here...

————————————————————————

Nicole woke up after a few hours with a heavy groan. She still ached basically everywhere. She checked her arm that was broken. As almost expected, it was completely healed. She could move it again, albeit with some pain. She checked her body and saw her other wounds and burns were now non existent.

"Hopefully this pain will stop as well..." she thought.

The pain. The pain would probably never stop. Not after losing Gumball. Nicole sighed, and looked over to Gumball. Her eyes then went wide. Where was he? He was right next to her! She looked around her, but didn't see him. This didn't make sense. She had watched him die right before her very eyes! He couldn't have moved. Unless...

She stood up and started started shouting.

"Gumball! Gummypuss, where are you?" She called out.

She ran towards the houses down the street, calling out for Gumball, but not hearing a response. She kept yelling, calling out to the silence. She wasn't giving up. Not for Gumball. She decided to check all the homes for him.

Hours pass as she had checked every room of every house on their street, but no Gumball. She was losing hope now. If he was alive, why hadn't he simply stayed with her? She felt like she was being toyed with...

She walked back to their burnt home and looked at the damage up close. As the wind blew ash around her, it started to stick to her still wet and matted blue fur causing it to give it a ghostly gray and white look to it. She saw still smoking wood pieces and lots of debris that looked unsalvageable; that is, if she was even looking to salvage anything. It felt like that house meant nothing to her if it didn't include Gumball. Gumball...

She clenched her fist and took a deep breath. She was already angry enough for today. She needed to keep searching for Gumball. She decided to head towards the part of town where they had found the Police station. Maybe he would be there...hopefully.

————————Two days later————————

Nicole had searched the entire area around the police station from top to bottom. From the gas station, to the multistory buildings to the small homes nearby. She had found no trace of Gumball. She had now seemed to have lost all hope of finding him.

'Gumball...' she thought, over and over again.

Nicole decided to return back to her neighborhood. She would remain close to her home in case Gumball would come back. That is...if he's out there, somewhere.

To say Nicole was tired was an understatement. She had not rested at all in those two days she searched for Gumball. Dark bags had made their mark under her eyes and her steps down the pavement were almost zombie-like. As the sun set and cast deep red and orange light over her, she felt as though the fading sunlight had added weight on her shoulders. All she wanted to do now was sleep. At this point, she thought sleeping forever would solve her problems. At least then, she wouldn't have to deal with this immense pain in her heart...

Nicole made it to her neighborhood street. It was still pristine; just like how it was when she left. Even after so many days being here, she had realized the grass still hasn't grown taller. It was the exact same. As it always has been. Just like the all the houses. Nicole wasn't looking towards living in another home. But maybe it was for the best. She would try to clean up the charred mess in the morning.

'I hope this new home has a good bed like our old one...' Nicole thought as she approached the neighboring house.

'I just wished I could have saved something from the hou-'

Nicole stopped dead in her tracks. As she looked over at where the charred remains of their house should have been...and saw their home fully intact! Nicole was almost ready to pass out. She had barely even LOOKED up from her feet the whole way back; let alone glance up several feet away. Seeing her home, the one she had lost, sent shivers down her spine. If the home is back, maybe so is Gumball! She felt a new surge of energy in her body as she rushed towards their home and opened the door. She bolted inside and looked frantically around for any signs of her son. After finding no trace, she went upstairs. She busted through his room. Inside, it looked empty. The bed was neatly kept and all the drawers and the closet was closed. No sign of Gumball was found.

Nicole felt her heart start to break again. She slowly made her way over to his bed. She was about to sit on it, when her foot touched something. She looked down, and saw something dark gray. She leaned closer and noticed it was Gumball's pants. She pulled them out from under the bed, and slowly picked them up. They were slightly torn and still had dirt marks on them. It must have been his original pants that he came her with Nicole in. She smelled it. It smelled like dirt, grass...and Gumball. She held it close to her. At least she had something to remember him;something to keep her sanity. She felt the pockets and felt a bump in his right pocket. She felt inside and pulled out a few coins and a wallet. She sighed. She knew what was in it. As she clenched it with a tighter grip, she was ready to open it.

Inside was the picture, front and center. It was the picture that had made him cry. Now it was making her cry. Again. Nicole brought the photo of her family up to her lips and kissed it. She would always cherish this. She put it back in the wallet and closed it. She then folded the pants neatly and placed them back under the bed. She wasn't sure how the home had replaced their items, or had even replaced itself, but she was glad to have the house back.

With another sigh, Nicole made her way to the bathroom. She needed a shower. As she turned on the water and felt the familiar heat and warmth spread around her now naked body, she finally felt more calm. Her frantic mind seemed to slow down, and focus on herself for a moment. Nicole closed her eyes and tried to embrace herself with her arms. She knew she was broken. She knew what lies ahead of her. She knew...that she was truly alone.

Nicole thought of all the good times she had with her family. From the simple things, to the hysterical times in which she laughed to the point of tears. This made her smile just thinking of that. But then...she thought of the times she regretted things in life. From the time she lost her temper at her husband and children, to the time she had made Gumball cry. This made her small smile fade. She dropped her arms to her side, and turned the hot water to cold. Ice cold. She didn't want to feel more of this pain. Not after what she had endured already. She just wanted it to stop. All of it.

Nicole turned off the shower and stepped out. She wrapped herself in a towel and headed downstairs towards the kitchen for something to eat before bed. She pulled out an orange from the fridge and grabbed a knife from one of the drawers. As she was cutting and eating slices of it, she glanced down to cut another, but stopped. She looked at the knife. Something seemed to make her keep looking at it. As she continued her gaze, she felt something stir in her like never before. It felt vile. It felt sickening. Nicole didn't know what it was...but it really was starting to play with her emotions. She felt her hand holding the knife start to tremble. It then occurred to her what this...feeling was.

"Oh my god..." Nicole said out loud, dropping the knife.

She just thought of killing herself. No matter how brief a moment it seemed to be, she had did it. Never in her life had she EVER thought of doing such a thing. She couldn't. Not with her family needing her. Her family... Nicole breathed out, and set the knife and orange aside. She was tired. She just...needed to rest. Her mind was not in the right place now.

She got up from her chair and walked back upstairs. She entered Gumball's room before pulling back his sheets and sliding in. She felt the heavy blankets embrace her exhausted and broken body. She laid her head on the pillow and felt the sleep start to take hold. It was beautiful. The way it warped her mind. The way it flooded her racing mind with nothingness. She closed her eyes. She wished Gumball could experience this with her. She would do anything to get him back. She clenched a fistful of sheets and felt a single tear fall from her eye and onto her cheek as sleep finally overtook her completely.