Emptiness. That's all Gumball could feel at that moment. Did that really happen? Was this real?...Truly?
'Gumball...I can't...'
That phrase echoed in his mind over and over. It didn't seem to stop.
Everything...everything that he seemed to have built with her in their relationship...came crashing down. His heart then felt it. It was like it was shattering into a million pieces of sharp glass; and it was ripping his chest as it fell down inside his body.
He recognized that feeling. He felt it the day he got rejected by Penny at the mall. It was Heartbreak. The only difference he felt now compared to back then...was it was worse. SO much worse...
His gaze dropped to the ground as he slowly lowered the ring. The weight of his situation taking its effect. He needed to get away. To get away from her...from here...from it all.
With that, he quietly stood up and with his hand still rattling from it all, placed his ring into his pocket. He then spun and faced away from Nicole and looked over the hill towards the woods. He felt drawn to its presence. Maybe within it, could he find a sense of security and peace of mind. It was a place somewhere he could go. To run. To run far away...
He took a step forward before taking another, and another, and another; each one a bit faster then before. Soon he was full on sprinting down the hill. His pupils growing larger to acclimate to the lesser light as he left the hilltop with the fire, and Nicole, behind.
———
Nicole wept while looking towards the grass. Her vision was totally clouded by her watery tears. This all was too much for her to handle. This went on for several minutes until she heard Gumball move. Glancing up, through her murky vision, she saw him wordlessly stand back up and, shakily, place his ring back in his pocket before turning to face away from her. He then did something that frightened her. He started walking, then running. Away from her. Down towards the woods. Quickly coming to her senses, she wiped her eyes and reached out an arm in a feeble attempt to draw him back.
"Gumball!" She cried out, horrified that he had left her and was running away alone.
Despite every part of her screaming for her legs to stand themselves up and go after him...Nicole couldn't. She just couldn't. Her whole body was like it was locked in place. She couldn't move her body. She felt...so defeated.
Her rejection of Gumball's proposal had completely wrecked her. She knew why she couldn't go through with it...but she couldn't bring herself to stop feeling terrible about it. This was one of the saddest moments of her life...and she knew, just by how he looked, was one of the hardest, if not THE hardest for Gumball too. And the fact that he ran away...
Nicole's eyes widened.
He ran away...
'No...nononononoNO. NO!'
"NO!" Nicole screamed out loud.
One of her her biggest fears had just came true. Gumball...ran away from her. She didn't know where he was now...she was...alone now.
Alone...
"No...no..." She repeated weakly, hitting the grass below her with her clenched fist.
'I can't be alone...not again...not again.'
Nicole then slowly raised her head and looked in the direction in which Gumball ran.
"I can't be alone again..."
Clenching her fist tightly, she growled and with all her might, started to move her legs. She then slowly rose to her feet. It was taking every fiber of her being to do so, but she was doing it. Her chains of sorrow and shock were broken and replaced by determination.
"I...WON'T be alone again..." Nicole spoke through clenched teeth as she finally steadied her shaking legs, having finally stood up back onto her feet fully.
Closing her eyes and taking a breath to stop her shaking, she finally opened her eyes and gazed outwards toward the woods.
"I'm coming Gummypuss..." she whispered, before taking a step, one after another before running down the hill in the same manner that Gumball had did not long ago.
She had to find him...she just had to. Nicole needed to settle this. He needed her. As much as she needed him. And now...he needed her more than ever...
———
Gumball ran full speed in the woods, quickly dodging trees as he darted by. Tears were now coming down his face. He knew his suit and pants were torn by his running but he didn't care. It didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore...
He saw his path that he was running down become darker. As he looked up, he saw the outline of dark clouds approaching. He also was now hearing distant thunder. He was running into a rainstorm.
'Maybe if I keep running, I can pass through it...'
What damage could a storm do to him now? He was already shattered. Not even the rain could wash away his inner pain...
As he kept running, he felt the droplets start to fall on his body and start to soak his clothing. He was starting to get cold...
As he started to slow down a bit from being tired and cold...his mind started to echo Nicole's words louder in his head...
'Gumball...I can't...'
"AHHHH!!!" He screamed, covering his ears in a futile attempt to quell the phrase inside. This seemed to turn his sorrow...into anger.
This fury then seemed to boost his energy as he suddenly picked up speed and breathed heavily. The rain now coming down much more intensely as it beat down on his face and completely drenched his clothes. But Gumball didn't stop. He couldn't. Not now...He had to get far away...as far as his body could allow him.
With another mighty scream, he ran faster and faster into the thick woods, neglecting his now burning and aching legs. He felt maniacal doing so, but deep down...he just didn't care.
———
Nicole bolted through the woods as fast as she could. Just near the edge of the woods, Nicole had stopped and decided to rip part of her dress to allow her to run faster and more effectively. She didn't care at this point. She could simply have it repaired at home. Now...she had to focus on Gumball, and ONLY on Gumball. He was all she had; and she had lost him...now she had to get him back.
As she continued going around trees, she saw the looming clouds above her start to come closer. She could smell rain now too.
'This isn't good. I must hurry...' She thought, picking up the pace.
As the time went by, the rain was now coming down in heavy sheets upon her, chilling her form.
"Oh Gumball...where are you?" Nicole spoke to herself.
Just then, she heard a distant scream come from up ahead. This made her eyes widen and instinctually drop onto all fours and run full speed. She didn't care about the mud. She didn't care her body was tired. She didn't care about being cold. Right now, she cared about Gumball; and his wail was all she needed to know that he needed her...and fast. Her lover...her...son, needed her. And she would be there for him. She wasn't giving up. She would succeed; or die trying...
———
Gumball neared a small clearing with a tall tree near the center. Gumball was about to pass it when he didn't see a root sticking out of the ground. He then proceeded to trip and fly a few feet in the air before falling face first into the muddy floor. Gumball groaned in pain before slowly raising himself up onto his knees. He then slowly, and painfully, crawled on all fours to the tall tree and then clung to its base with his hands.
He wept. The rain flowed down his face, mixing his tears with wet mud. He felt defeated. Pitiful...Useless. He felt like the mud covering him; Dirty...
He was a failure. He shouldn't have proposed. Look what the result was. He should have kept his mouth shut. Just kept his thoughts at bay. He had taken it too far. The move he thought was right...was wrong. He had caused nothing but pain in Nicole. Something he truly dreaded. Now he was alone.
Alone...
Gumball closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the tree's bark. He pulled his head back before hitting it against it. Then again. And again. And again...each time more harder and aggressive then the last. Finally he stopped after he felt blood ooze out and looked up toward the sky.
"Why?...why?...WHYYYYYYY!!!" He screamed loudly, feeling the rain patter on his soaked face.
———
Nicole heard his scream again and ran in the direction it came from. She knew it was close. He must have stopped somewhere just up ahead. She wasn't stopping, not now.
"GUMBALL!" She screamed back, hoping or a reply.
She didn't hear one. He either didn't hear her, or was just not responding. Both possibilities were bringing only more fear to her.
Eventually, she entered a muddy part of the woods and saw Gumball's tracks; the rain having filled them in already.
'Yes! Now I can follow him directly.' She thought as she ran alongside them.
The muddy tracks led her into a clearing with a big tree in the midst of it. She noticed the footsteps stopped near one of its roots, followed by a deep skid mark in the mud.
Making her way closer, she saw something move in her outer vision. As she glanced up, right at the base of tree, clenching to it with dear life; was her beloved Gumball.
"Gumball!" She shouted, trenching though the thick mud towards him.
Gumball turned his head slowly to face her. He then raised the palm of his hand towards her.
"Stop. STOP! Just...stop..."
Nicole stopped.
"Gumball. It's okay. I'm here for you. Let me help you..."
"No...No, just...leave me be. I need...I need some space."
"Gumball, you need help..." she spoke lovingly, taking a step closer. "Please sweetie..."
"NO! I want to be alone for a while...I just...I need be away from you."
"Gummypuss, please! I know what happened was rough for both of us...but we can't be out in the rain like this..."
"Why would you care?..." Gumball said, turning his head away from her. "You don't love me...you told me that."
"Gumball...I-"
"YOU TOLD ME!" He shouted, cutting Nicole off.
Clenching his teeth, he lowered his head.
"I hate you..."
Nicole simply stood there, frozen by what he said, and unclear what to do next.
Gumball closed his eyes for a moment before opening his mouth to shout more frustration at her. Before he could however, he felt the hairs on his head...start to rise. Despite the rain and mud, they were rising on his body. As he glanced at his arm, he saw all the hairs rising on it too. Using his hand, he felt the hairs and was met with static.
Static...
Gumball then looked worriedly towards Nicole with wide eyes as time seemed to slow around him.
She met his gaze.
"Mom..."
Suddenly, a huge streak of lightning fell from the sky and hit the tree that Gumball clung to. The blast sent Nicole flying back several feet before she smashed into a smaller tree and landed back into mud. The noise was deafening. Her ears were ringing immensely and she couldn't see straight.
Closing her eyes, she grounded herself before feeling the ringing in her ears stop. Opening her eyes again, she grew aware of her surroundings. Looking ahead, she saw sparks fall down into the mud below, along with burnt tree branches.
Then...she saw him.
With wide eyes of absolute horror, Nicole screamed.
"GUMBALL!!!"
Not caring about her body's condition, she crawled through the mud over to Gumball.
He was laying on his back several feet from the tree, appearing to have been blasted back as well.
As Nicole reached him, she cradled him in her arms.
"Gumball. Gumball! Sweetie...please. Talk to me..."
She shook him but received no response. Reaching for his neck, she felt for a pulse.
Her blood went ice cold. She didn't feel a pulse.
"No...no...NOOOOOOOOO!!!" She wept, holding him tightly in her arms.
"Gummypuss...Gummypuss..."
She was broken. She had failed him. She had swore she would protect him. She had promised that nothing like this would happen again...and she failed. Tears streamed down her muddy face as she gently rested her forehead against his.
"Don't leave me..."
———
He was...falling. Why didn't he feel the impact? It felt like several minutes had past...yet, he hasn't met ground yet. What was happening?
Gumball slowly opened his eyes, and observed his body. He was...clean. Too clean. He remembered he was caked with mud when he felt himself being flung back...somehow. But how was that possible?
Then...he looked around him.
"What?...no...no no wait! NO!" He screamed, flailing around.
He was floating in a seemingly endless black void.
"I'm...dead? No...no I can't be here...I got to get back to...to..."
He trailed off. As he did...he remembered some of the final words he said to her...
"I hate you..."
Gumball's eyes started to well up with tears. How could he have been so stupid to say such a thing to her like that? After everything she's done for him...
"What have I done?..." He wept, pulling his body into a fetal position.
Nicole was alone now. All because of his stupid actions. He shouldn't have proposed. He should have just gone on a normal date with her instead. He wouldn't have ran away from her in sorrow. This all could have been avoided.
"Stupid...stupid...STUPID STUPID...STUPIIIID!" He cried out, hitting his head repeatedly with the side of his clenched fist.
Eventually he stopped, and wiped his tears away from his eyes. This was pointless. He couldn't do anything about it now. All he could do now was accept it.
As he let out a breath to regroup himself somewhat, he felt his body being tugged towards something. As he turned around to see what was causing it, his body went cold.
There, far off into the distance, appeared to be a large amount of liquid. It appeared to be clear...and endless.
'No! It's...it's that liquid stuff again! I can't go back into it!'
Gumball squirmed and tried to refuse it's gravitational grip on him, but it was proving futile.
"Shit. Come on brain, you got out of plenty of messes...surely you can get out of this one...right?"
Gumball felt the pull on him grow stronger as he approached it.
Gumball tried to come up with something but his mind felt destroyed...especially after all he's been through recently.
Gumball opened his eyes and felt more tears return. He had lost. It was all over. He was going back to that sea of loneliness. He might never return to Nicole again now...
Nicole...
"Nicole...if you can hear me...I'm sorry..."
Gumball shut his eyes again.
"I wish I could tell you that..."
Suddenly...Gumball felt something. He was...slowing down. Despite him growing ever closer to the liquid...he was actually slowing down. This made him feel something inside. Something...powerful. It was a feeling like he had never felt before.
Nicole...
Her name echoed around his head, over and over. Her words...her touch. Everything. Everything he remembered about her was now seeping into his current state of mind.
'Come back to me...'
Gumball smiled. He remembered her saying that to him before they went into the grass for their date. That phrase...the way she said that to him...
"I said I wanted to tell her I'm sorry..."
Gumball balled both his fists tightly.
"And I'm going to!"
Gumball roared with all his might into the empty void, hearing it echo endlessly.
Just then...he stopped. He stopped completely.
He glanced down towards the sea one final time before looking away.
"Not today..."
Gumball may not have fully understood what the sea was...but something deep inside him whispered it was where he would go to die...
But today he wouldn't. Not here. Not now. Not for her...not for Nicole.
Nicole...
"Take me back you son of a BITCH!" He yelled out, looking in the direction in which he came.
Just like that, he felt himself being dragged again; only this time, it was away from the liquid. He was going back.
"Yes...heh...YES!"
He was going back to her. His determination and unwillingness to die was guiding him now. He could feel it. He would go through Hell to feel her love again...and this was no exception.
"I'm coming for you Nicole...I'm going to LIVE!"
A small white opening was now up ahead. As Gumball approached it going a very fast speed, he braced himself by shielding his face with his arms. He then was blinded by bright light everywhere before it all went dark again.
———
"Don't leave me..."
Nicole continued to cry, having lost her most important thing in this world to her...again. It was too much for her to handle.
Just then...she felt something.
Perking her ears up a bit, she felt that same spot on his neck.
She felt it again. Was it what she thought it was? Did she feel...a heartbeat?
'Nicole...stop. Let it go...You're just hallucinating. You're in shock. He's gone. Gumball is go-'
She felt it a third time. This time she was certain she felt movement within. Neglecting her thoughts, she leaned in and put her ear against his chest.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Nicole's eyes widened. His heart...it was now beating. He had a pulse.
Quickly, she started wiping mud off his face and held her hand close to his mouth. He was breathing faintly too!
"Gumball! Gummypuss can you hear me?" She cried, shaking him ever so slightly.
Gumball then turned his neck slowly and stiffly to the side. He then wearily opened his eyes. Hearing frantic and muffled shouting, he turned his head back towards its direction and looked up. His eyes then widened.
Looming over him, he could make out a darkened shape; but no details. That was until a streak of lightning made its presence in the sky, illuminating the world around him for a split second. But in that split second...he could see the darkened shape become Nicole with rain falling behind her, making a mini rainbow above her head. It was like she looked heavenly. A true angel...in the midst of a raging storm...
"Gumball. Gumball, can you hear me? GUMBALL!"
Gumball slowly and weakly reached out and touched the side of her face.
"N-Nicole?"
She went silent. A faint smile then formed on her face and in return, she gently held his hand before stroking the side of his cheeks.
Nicole then pulled him into a tight embrace.
Gumball, half in shock still, hugged back.
It suddenly all came back to him. His previous emotions, his injury and pain...his wish to live...to live for her.
Gumball broke down. Tears fell in rapid succession and he tightened his grip on her.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry Nicole. I'm sorry I ran away from you. I'm sorry I caused all this...I'm sorry I said I hated you. I never meant it...I'd NEVER mean that..."
Gumball kept blurting out apology after apology; He couldn't help it. He felt Nicole needed to hear every single one of his apologies. He felt empty and sorrowful. He couldn't hold all them in anymore.
"Shhh, it's alright...it's okay." Nicole hushed him gently, swaying them both side to side.
Nicole and Gumball both shed tears in each others embrace for several long moments. They didn't care. Not about the weather, their mud ruined clothes, or even the coldness of it all. They only cared for each other at that moment. A moment...that they both thought they would never share again.
Nicole pulled back a bit and smiled warmly at Gumball as she wiped a few tears from his eyes gently. She then leaned in and kissed him softly. He was in heaven again from this. His sorrow and self hatred melted away and was replaced with a warm feeling flowing through his mind and body.
He was back. Back with her...
Finally.
Gumball pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.
He then smiled.
"Well...I guess I for once didn't wake up in a bathtub, huh?"
Nicole giggled before pulling him closer.
"Even in moments like this can you make humor that makes me laugh..."
Gumball nuzzled her weakly.
"You're welcome...I love you...Gummybear..."
With that, Gumball finally passed out. The combination of exhaustion, the relief of finally apologizing and feeling her warm embrace again, despite the cold and the rain, had finally taken its toll; but set him at peace. He knew he was resting this time however, for if he was in the void again...he would put up quite a fight to get back.
——
Gumball awoke feeling slightly fuzzy in his brain. As he opened his eyes, he was met with a seemingly familiar overhead light shining down on him. Turning his head to the side to avoid its glare, he was met with...a white tub wall.
Gumball smiled.
'I should have known...'
Turning his head back, now having adjusted his eyes somewhat, he tried sitting up. As he slowly did, he noticed a few things...different.
Why am I only in my underwear? How did I get here? I'm...clean? When did this happen? How long was I out?'
Gumball heard something. As he turned his head, he saw Nicole brushing her hair in the mirror. As Gumball observed her closer, having his vision return to normal, he could see she was only wearing panties and a bra.
'Not too bad of a view to wake up to...' He thought to himself before clearing his throat, alerting Nicole.
"Gumball! I'm glad to see your awake again." She happily said, setting down her brush and walking over to him.
"So...I see that I DID in fact end up here in the tub. Not to mention became a lot cleaner and...less clothed then before..."
Nicole giggled.
"Yes. Heh, yes you did. In regards to the...well, cleaning situation, I thought it was best we both got cleaned up as soon as possible. I'm sure you could understand."
"I do...but...how did I get here?"
"I carried you, of course."
"The...whole way? We were so far out, and I-"
"Shhh, don't worry about it. All that matters is that I got us back here safely. It was...a bit challenging, but I made it."
Gumball nodded before lowering his ears a bit.
"I'm...I'm sorry for that. Really..."
Nicole smiled before sitting down on the floor near the tub, resting her chin and arms on the top of the tub's side.
"I know. It's okay."
Gumball faintly smiled before deciding to change the subject a bit.
"So...uh, about our clothes..."
"Oh, right. Sorry. The thing was...when we got back, as you know, we were both covered head to toe in mud, so I carefully brought us up here before removing all our clothes, except your underwear of course, and cleaned you off before cleaning myself."
"Wait a minute, do you mean that you..."
" That you what?" She asked back.
"Well...you said you removed all our clothes except my underwear...did you mean that you...ya know..." Gumball said, trailing off before averting her gaze.
Nicole awkwardly shifted before answering.
"Yes. I...I did. But it wasn't like you were awake or anything. And I needed to get all the mud off me. Dresses aren't really the most resistant when it comes to blocking out mud in certain areas..."
Gumball felt his cheeks grow warm very fast. The very thought of showering with Nicole...especially like that...was sending his head spinning.
Nicole could VERY clearly see his embarrassed face grow redder by the second after saying that to him. Nicole thought it would be best to digress from that.
Standing up, Nicole walked over to the counter. Gumball watched her pick up something off it before walk back over to him.
"Gumball, I have something I wanted to show you..."
"What is it?" He asked, eager to see what it was she was holding.
"I...I think I know what might have saved your life...and brought you back to me."
Gumball felt his heart pounding. What could it have been?
As Nicole pulled up the object and showed him, his eyes widened.
"Is...is that the..."
"Yes, Gummypuss. It is...it's the ring."
"I don't understand..." he said puzzled.
"Gumball, see how it has a pattern here?" Nicole spoke, pointing at the part of it on the outer piece.
Gumball leaned in closer to see it better...and was amazed. The miniature zig-zags along it were prominently displayed, having a small sense of depth to it as well. Something clearly that wasn't there before.
"I think when you were struck by the lightning, the current flowed through you, but missed your heart and flowed out towards the ring instead, since it's conductive. I was very close to losing you..."
Gumball couldn't believe it. The ring...had saved his life? But what about the void...the strange liquid he was being drawn to...was it all a dream? Or was it real?
Gumball leaned back against the tub.
"I know sweetie, it's a lot to take in...but it saved you. I know your heart seemed to stop but perhaps I was wrong, because I eventually felt it again. Maybe it just slowed down heavily
or something..."
Gumball then connected the dots. Maybe he DID have that actually happen to him, but he fought back and fell into consciousness again and started back up his heart. It was wacky, but he was pretty sure that is what happened.
Gumball shook his head before leaning back towards her. As he looked at the ring again...he felt dread start to settle within him. Who could blame him? With everything that ring seemed to have caused him up to that lightning moment...was agony. For both him and Nicole.
Nicole...
Gumball lowered his head for a second before looking deep into Nicole's eyes.
"Nicole..." he started, bringing his hands gently over to hers.
"Why?..."
Nicole knew what he was asking. This caused her to turn her head for a moment and close her fist with the ring.
"Gumball...I..."
She let out a deep sigh before building up enough courage to look him in the face once more.
"I thought of Richard at that moment...and...the pain of everything that his ring reminded me of...I just..."
Nicole wiped a tear from her eye.
"I was scared. I was scared Gumball. After removing Richard's ring...I felt...free. Free for the first time in my life. I could move on...and I did."
Gumball squeezed her hand in assurance as she continued.
"When you...proposed...I, I felt like I was in the same position. All over again. The fear and the hateful memories came back to me...I feared I'd meet the same fate again..."
Gumball lowered his ears slightly.
"Nicole...I would nev-"
Nicole hushed him.
"Please...let me finish."
Gumball obeyed and nodded.
She took another breath.
"It was a moment of weakness for me. But...when I came to my senses again, I realized you are completely different from him. You genuinely cared for me, you were there for me talking about Richard, you helped me find a part of me that I never knew was there..."
Nicole glanced at her clenched fist.
"You truly do love me...don't you?"
Gumball leaned in closer to her and looked into her eyes deeply.
"I do..."
Nicole nodded before closing her eyes.
Gumball took her hand.
"I'm sorry Nicole. I know you are probably sick of me saying that for the millionth time today, but I mean it. I didn't mean to cause this...I just thought it was right. For both of us...I love you with all my heart. You know that..."
Nicole looked away and stood up, walking over to the counter and lowering her head.
"Nicole...I...I understand if you don't want to get married. It was probably stupid of me to ask. *sigh* I just...I just wanted to show how much I loved you...
"...Do you really mean that? All of it?"
Gumball faced her back.
"Yes. I do..."
Nicole released a sigh of her own and raised her head before spinning around and walked back over to Gumball.
"We can give each other space for a while if you want...I just wanted what was best for the both of us..."
Nicole sat down to be eye level with Gumball.
"I can clean the house, and you can take some time off, or I...could go scavenge the other houses and let you have the whole house to yourse-"
"Ask me again."
"W-what?" Gumball asked, obviously confused.
"I said...ask me again."
Nicole opened her palm and showed Gumball the ring. His eyes went wide and looked deeply into her eyes.
"You...you mean it?" He coarsely chocked out, totally caught off guard by this.
"I do..." She replied.
Gumball felt tears well up in his eyes before he quickly wiping them away. Taking the ring gently from her hand, he raised it up to her as steadily as his nervous body could muster, and gazed deeply into her eyes once again.
"Nicole Watterson...Will you marry me?"
Nicole smiled.
"Yes."
Gumball felt like he was going to faint. But before he could fall back however, Nicole grabbed him to make sure that didn't happen. After a moment of regaining himself, Gumball glanced back at her, carefully grabbing her right hand and placing the ring on her finger.
He did it...he had actually did it.
"Wow..." Gumball said out loud, still in shock. "I can't believe it..."
"Maybe this will help you believe it..." Nicole said with a slightly sultry tone as she drew him into a VERY passionate kiss.
Gumball pulled back and felt his head spin.
'Man...This is all too much. I really do feel like I'm gonna pass out again...'
And he did.
Gumball passed out again, but luckily for him, Nicole caught him before he could smash his head on the side of the tub. This made her giggle to herself to no end. She was so glad she had decided to go through with this. She had pondered this all on her way back home, carrying her little (or in her case, large and heavy) bundle of joy. She knew he meant the world to her, and knew deep down she meant the world to him. Mistakes were made...and in the end, it seemed all had been fixed; well mostly. Now, she was a fiancée. A bride to be. Soon to be married to someone who she would have never expected in their old world.
Regardless, she felt happy. She felt the happiest she had been in a while. Playing with Gumball's hair as he breathed softly, she found a sense of content with it all. Gumball was such a perfect person for her. He was funny, charming...mildly smart...and handy with new ideas...well, sorta.
Resting her head now against his, she let out a gentle sigh before closing her eyes peacefully.
'Hmmm...I wonder what we could do for our wedding reception?'
———
As the morning sun started to rise on the dew covered grass, it shined light onto the garden...a garden now filled with produce that was ready to be harvested...
