It was a dark and thunderous night as the Wattersons slept.
Well, most of them at least.
Gumball was lying awake in his bed, trying to get back to sleep for what already felt like 20 minutes now, but it was of no use. The thunderstorm outside was way too loud for him to relax enough to return to the land of dreams.
Most of which were filled with Penny, in his case.
The only sounds he could make out in-between the loud thunderclaps were the silent snores of his siblings. He envied them right now, for somehow being able to sleep through this noise.
Although it would be nice to have someone to talk to right now, instead of being bored waiting for this storm to finally calm down, he guessed he should be happy that at least they were able to have a peaceful night right now.
Anais especially. She hated thunderstorms. The way he knew her, she would be trembling in fear right now if she was awake and he would have to comfort her. For all her intelligence and maturity, she was still just a 4 year-old, who was afraid of some things that little kids would obviously be afraid of.
Looking at the rain outside the window made Gumball realize he was getting thirsty, just lying there awake and doing nothing.
If I can't go to sleep right now anyway, might as well just get myself a glass of water, he thought.
He stood up from his bed and moved towards the door, opening it silently and stepping outside before closing it again. He was awake long enough at this point, that his eyes have become well enough adjusted to the darkness for him not to have to turn on the light.
The fact that, as a cat, he naturally had night vision of course helped there as well.
As he was stepping down the stairs, the blue cat became surprised upon seeing a light illuminating the living room. As he stepped further down the stairs, he noticed that it came from the TV.
Has Dad slept in on the couch while watching TV again? Typical,Gumball thought.
Richard had a tendency of staying up the longest during the week out of everyone, due to not having to go to somewhere in the morning like the rest of the family, be it school or work.
Of course, he would also wake up early enough to participate at breakfast, (No way he would miss anything including food) but he still had more than enough time to sleep during the day, while everyone was out of the house and still do his chores before Nicole got home, so he didn't exactly feel the need to have a sleep schedule.
The exceptions would be when Nicole had a particularly stressful day at work and needed someone to comfort her in bed. On those days he would go to sleep with her together, while holding her until she felt better and fell asleep. For all of his flaws, Richard was a devoted husband and father, who loved his family over everything.
Gumball went over to the TV to turn it off, expecting to see his father sprawled over the couch.
As he reached it however, he was surprised to see not his dad, but his mom sitting there. Awake and watching TV. They noticed each other in about the same moment.
"Mom?", Gumball wondered.
"Gumball?" Nicole shot back, just as surprised to see him. "Why are you still awake?"
"I couldn't sleep because of the storm and wanted to get a glass of water", he explained. "Besides, I should be asking YOU that question! Watching TV so late at night? Do you know what time it is? You should be in bed!", he said, while crossing his arms.
"Hey, I couldn't sleep either. So, I thought, might as well just do something to pass the time until the storm…", she explained, before suddenly stopping and shooting her son a look, that was both amused and incredulous. "Wait a second. Are you scolding ME right now?"
Gumball noticed what he just did and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "I meant… uh… you've got work tomorrow and I don't want you to be all tired, so um…", he stumbled over his words.
"Hahaha. Oh, this is great.", Nicole wiped a tear off her eye, clearly amused. "Well, I'm glad you care so much. Anyway, wanna join me?", she offered.
"What? Seriously? It's what, 2:00 AM? And you're offering me to watch TV with you? During a school night!?", he asked in disbelief.
"Yes.", Nicole shrugged, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "You said it yourself. You can't go back to sleep anyway as long as the storm is this loud. So might as well just use the opportunity to waste some time, until it passes."
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my mom?", Gumball asked with a smirk.
"Don't push it, sweetie.", Nicole shot back.
"I'm just getting myself the glass of water I was coming down for in the first place. Then I'll join you.", Gumball responded, before running into the kitchen.
After some debating on what they're going to watch, they settled on some old martial arts movie that was running right now. Nicole, having actual experience in fighting, took the initiative to mockingly comment on every cool-looking, but completely ineffective move the characters pulled off and explain in detail how useless it is, to the amusement of Gumball, who normally only engaged in trash-talking commentary like that with Darwin, when it came to bad movies.
Suddenly Gumball felt something weird in his stomach, although he couldn't quite explain it.
"Is everything alright, honey?", Nicole worriedly asked, noticing his change in expression.
"Yeah, I think. I just felt weird for a second. Do you know that when you can sense that something is wrong, but don't know what it is?", Gumball asked.
"Oh yes, that would be my mother senses. They can smell when you guys are in dangeror causing ita mile away.", Nicole explained.
"I don't know. It's as if something is telling me to go back up and check on Darwin and Anais. What do you think?", he wondered.
"Well, my mother senses are not tingling, so everything should be fine. I bet you're just imagining things, since you don't like your siblings being alone without you at night. Which shows what a great big brother you are.", she said, while petting her son's head. "But trust me, everything is fine."
"Yeah, you're probably right.", Gumball agreed, convinced by her reassurance.
...
But as it turned out, everything was in fact NOT fine.
A while after Gumball left his and his sibling's bedroom to go down the stairs, Anais woke up from the noise of the storm as well. And just like her brother and mother, she wasn't able to sleep back in.
But in her case, it wasn't just because of how loud it was, but also due to the fact that she was way too frightened of what was going on outside to be calm enough to try and sleep.
Anais never liked thunderstorms. She has been afraid of them since she was a baby. The loud thunder and that you never knew when it was coming or how loud it was going to be, combined with the flashing lights that came just as unannounced made it feel like jumpscares out of a horror movie for her.
Anais hated thunderstorms and she also hated the fact, that she was scared of them in the first place. She always felt like a fear this silly was beneath her. She was supposed to be the mature one, the responsible one, but in these moments, she didn't feel like it at all.
She tried to hold her Daisy the Donkey doll as close to herself for comfort as possible, but it wasn't enough. After another roar of thunder made her shake again, Anais decided that she couldn't take it anymore.
She laid Daisy aside and picked up a flashlight she always had beneath her blanket in case she had to go to the bedroom or anywhere else at night and turned it on. While the minor illumination in the room helped her to see better, it did little to ease her nerves.
Nevertheless, it made her able to see the steps of the ladder of the bunk bed, she intended to walk down to join Gumball in his bed.
Whenever there was a night like today, or she had a really bad dream, she would usually join her eldest brother, who would hold her close, comfort her and make her feel safe again, no matter what was going on outside or in her mind.
While he would undoubtedly tease her about it the next day, when she was in a better mood again, Gumball would never make her feel embarrassed about it during the moments, where she actually felt scared. And he would never tell anyone else about it. Nobody aside from him knew that she was scared of thunderstorms to begin with.
Well, him and Darwin. He was usually the one Anais would go to for comfort if Gumball wasn't available and since they're all sharing the same room, (Anais had a spare one just for herself, but barely used it in favor of being with her brothers) hiding any secrets from each other would be very difficult. Not that they minded too much. They knew they could tell each other everything.
As Anais made her way down and stepped away from the ladder, she pointed the flashlight at Gumball's bed, but didn't see him lying in there.
What? Where is he!?,she thought, worried now.
Maybe he just went to the bathroom real quick. Yes, that has to be it!,the bunny convinced herself.
She wondered for a moment if she should just wake up Darwin instead and ask him to sleep with her, but quickly threw that thought out of the window.
While she felt just as safe with him as with Gumball, she also knew how much Darwin disliked sleeping outside of his fish bowl. She would be able to wait just a moment longer for Gumball to come back and then go to bed with him instead.
But as she was waiting for him, something made her wonder.He's already gone for quite a while. I haven't heard him standing up and walking outside, while I was lying awake.
A peek in the direction of the door and she knew something was up. She could see no light coming through under the door. Usually when Gumball went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he would always turn on the light.
While he had the night vision to also see in the dark, he would usually be too sleepy to rely just on that and turn on the light for help, to make sure nothing would happen.
The fact that there was no light in the hallways and he was already gone for a while must mean, that he didn't just went to the bathroom, but did something else.
Oh no! Has he snuck outside!?,Anais thought. She didn't know why he would do that, but she knew he did it before and had no other explanation for his disappearance.
The thought of him being outside all by himself during this storm worried her even more.What if something happens to him?,the little bunny thought, while tears were forming in her eyes.
But she couldn't go after him. She had no idea where he went and even if she did, she would be even more vulnerable than him outside alone, especially with how scared of the storm she already was from inside the house.
I have to wake Mom and Dad and tell them!,she thought. Gumball would definitely be in trouble and get grounded by Mom once he was back, but that was better than him being who knows where by himself during this weather and Mom would know what to do to find him.
Determined, Anais walked out of her room, while still holding her flashlight, but the moment she closed the door behind her, she heard sounds from downstairs.
Walking partly down the stairs, she noticed the light of the TV illuminating the room and could hear her mother and eldest brother talking, while sitting on the couch.
So he hasn't run away?,Anais realized, before sighing with a smile. Her relief was only short-lived though, as the sound of another clap of thunder made the bunny jump in fear and remember why she got out of bed in the first place.
She further went down the stairs and walked around the couch before stopping, as Nicole and Gumball turned their heads to the side and noticed Anais standing there, looking frightened as she turned off her flashlight.
"Anais, what's going on?", her mother asked in a concerned tone.
Anais answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I c-can't sleep. I'm scared of the thunder. Can I…can I stay here with you guys?"
Nicole's heart melted at her daughter's vulnerability.Anais scared of thunderstorms?That was something she didn't expect. It was so unlike what she was used to from her daughter, despite her age. But obviously, she wouldn't turn her down at a time like this.
"Of course, sweetie.", Nicole said in a soft tone, before she was about to step forward to comfort her daughter.
However, before she could, Anais ran towards Gumball. In an instant, they were locked in a loving embrace, her tiny frame nestled against her older brother's chest.
Gumball held Anais securely, his arms wrapping around her like a shield. He whispered soothing words into her ear, telling her it would be okay, that he would keep her safe. Anais's trembling gradually subsided as she felt her brother's warmth and reassurance. Slowly but surely, she began to relax.
Nicole watched this touching scene unfold with a mixture of pride and something unexpected.
A twinge of jealousy.
She marveled at the deep bond between her children, the way Gumball comforted his younger sister like he already did this dozens of times before. And from the looks of it, he probably did.
But a thought nagged at her – why hadn't Anais come to her first? She knew that Gumball and Anais loved each other and that he would do anything to protect his little sister, but she was always the strongest one in the family. Both physically and metaphorically.
Nicole felt like it would make the most sense for any of her children to come to her first if anything scared them. While she was glad that Gumball did his part as the older brother, she was their mother. It was mainly her job to take care of the family, protect them and make them feel safe if something happened.
Combined with that, there was also the fact that Anais never told her mom that she was scared of thunderstorms. Obviously, that wasn't a fear which just appeared this night. She must have had that for a while now. Maybe even since she was born.
Yet Gumball didn't seem very surprised at this revelation. Like he already knew and comforted her about this before.Didn't… didn't Anais trust her as much as her brother?
That thought saddened Nicole. In that moment, she remembered something else as well. How Gumball said earlier that he felt as if something was wrong upstairs with his siblings, while she didn't.Was it this, did he sense Anais's fear while I didn't?
As Gumball continued to hold Anais, the storm finally became quieter and seemed to slowly decrease. That made Anais finally calm down enough, that she started to drift off to sleep with a soft smile in her brother's arms, feeling much more relaxed than before.
Satisfied, Gumball noticed how his little sister has fallen asleep on him and turned his focus away from her for the first time since she entered his arms.
Gumball's gaze landed on Nicole and he immediately noticed the sadness in her eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong?", he gently asked.
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing, sweetie. Just a little tired, that's all.", Nicole tried to brush it off, not wanting to bother her son with it.
"Come on, Mom. I can tell when something's bothering you. You can tell me.", he answered, careful to keep his voice low enough to not wake Anais, while Nicole did the same.
"It's just… I'm worried Anais thinks she can't rely on me as much, as she relies on you.", Nicole admitted sadly.
This surprised Gumball. "What!? Why would you think that?", he asked.
"Well… I'm her mother. I should be the one she turns to in times like these, right? But instead, she went to you without a second thought. She never even told me she was scared of thunderstorms before, while it doesn't seem like she tried to hide it from you. Have I done something that makes her think she can't trust me with these things?", Nicole wondered aloud while looking down, a tear forming in her eye.
"What? Mom, that's nonsense. She just usually comes to me or Darwin when she's scared as we're around her for most of the day. We go to school together, we hang out after school and we sleep in the same room together, while you're at work most of the time, so she's just used to come to us first, if something is bothering her. But that doesn't mean she thinks any less of you, Mom. Anais loves and trusts you just as much as she does us.", Gumball explained.
Nicole took his words in for a moment, before responding. "Thanks, Gumball. I guess you're right. But why did she never tell me that she was scared of thunderstorms?"
"That I don't know. Maybe she doesn't want you to think any less of her. Anais doesn't usually like talking about her fears and such, since she feels like she always needs to be the mature one.", Gumball told her.
"But Anais is just a 4-year-old. I mean, yes, I expect her to be mature and responsible, because that's what she is, but that doesn't mean she has to act like that all the time, especially if something is scaring her.", Nicole concluded, before lowering her ears before asking her next question.
"Am I maybe putting too much pressure on her?"
That question made Gumball want to tell her something.
Something Anais told him in confidence during one of their study sessions they had a few times every week, where Anais would help Gumball with his school work. And while he promised his sister not to tell anyone, especially their mother, he felt obliged to do so, as this seemed like it could be the opportunity to change things for the better.
"Actually Mom, there is something I need to tell you. You know these study sessions Anais and me often have during the week?", he began.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Your grades have really improved since you started studying with your sister. What about it?", Nicole asked, curious about the change of topic.
"Well, aside from studying, Anais and me often talk about any problems we might have during that time and try to help and offer advice to each other. And… well, one time she told me about how she is sometimes really fed up with people always expecting her to be the smart one, who never does anything silly or crazy, when she just wants to have some fun. But she's also scared to openly rebel against that image of hers, since she thinks you would never approve of that and maybe be disappointed in her.", Gumball finished.
This revelation hit Nicole like a shock, as she gasped, her hand before her mouth. "Anais s-said that? Oh, no! I could never be disappointed in her! If she disliked being seen like that so much, she could have told me. I would've understood. Did I really make her feel like I wouldn't accept her the way she wants to be?", Nicole wondered with tears in her eyes.
"Hey Mom, it's alright. You didn't mean any harm. You just didn't know that she was feeling this way. But you can fix this.", Gumball reassured her, while putting his hand on her knee.
"What do you mean?", Nicole asked.
"Talk to her about it. Just you and Anais. Make sure she knows that she doesn't have to project a false image of herself for you to be proud of her. Let her know that you will always support her, even if she isn't acting like the smart one all the time.", Gumball advised her.
Nicole thought about it for a moment and then made her decision. "You know what? You're right. I will talk with her first thing after she's home from school tomorrow!", she declared determined. "Thank you, Gumball. You can be really wise when you want to be.", Nicole noticed, impressed.
"Well, I already have experience convincing someone else to be her true self, no matter what anyone else might think of her.", Gumball replied with a smirk, clearly referring to his girlfriend.
"Oh yeah, right.", Nicole realized, before noticing that the storm was almost gone now. "Seems like the weather has finally decided to quiet down. We should go back to bed, so we're not completely tired in the morning."
"Good idea. I don't need Miss Simian to give me another detention for sleeping in during class. I get Anais back to bed.", he said, while standing up from the couch, his little sister still in his arms, before walking towards the stairs.
"Good night, Mom. Oh and if you're talking to Anais about it, could you maybe bring up the topic in a way, where she doesn't find out that I told you? I would rather not have her know that I kinda told you one of her secrets."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't find out. Good night, sweetie", she said, while watching him going up the stairs, before standing up from the couch as well a few seconds later and making her own way upstairs, determined to make things right with Anais tomorrow.