Hey guys! This is my first AU and multi chapter story xD I'll update as often as I can. I'll start off by saying that this fic could very well end up quite dark. Also, it's rated M for future chapters. I also want to ask you guys what color you think Marceline's eyes are. I've heard people say red, green, blue, etc. I'd like your opinion so I can incorporate it into the story ^_^ Thanks! Also, most chapters will be longer than this one o.o I promise!

Bonnibel Bubblegum looked out the window of her classroom. School had ended an hour ago and she was still there. She was still there because, as the Student Council and Chemistry Club president, she had far more responsibilities than necessary. People told her that she was a natural born leader and practically a genius. Her grades far exceeded the average, even for this elite private school; she was number one in her class. Bubblegum was practically the school idol, but, unfortunately for them, she had no interest in romance. It was one of those irrational emotions; they made no sense and logic failed to soothe them.

The sun was setting and the horizon was died a rich shade of orange tainted with red. The buildings outside cast their tall shadows and time looked as if it had stopped. Bubblegum sighed and picked up her bags from her desk. She would be getting home late tonight; hopefully her caretaker would have her evening meal ready in time. The pink girl glanced once more out the window before walking out the door and continuing down the hall. The hallways were tiled and each locker was large enough to fit a standing person. Bubblegum glanced toward the ground and smiled.

Hah, I suppose that's what you'd expect from a private school…

She had been to other schools before, for competitions and the like, but none compared to her school. She was even here on a scholarship, though it did help that her parents left her a significant amount of money in their will. She was, for lack of a better word, wealthy. She didn't remember her parents; they passed long before she was capable of coding coherent memories.

She finally made it outside, admiring the sunset once again. The prospective this time around was different; Bonnibel felt as if she was being bathed in that saturated gold light. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breathe, exhaled, then continued home with a bit more energy. If she walked at a comfortable pace, she'd be home in thirty minutes, give or take.

The walk home was pretty straight forward – with one exception. In an effort to cut time, she occasionally turned down an alley that shaved about 8 minutes off her walking time. The alley wasn't exceptionally creepy, there was a dumpster at the entrance and numerous tin trash cans lined the buildings' walls. Walking this path during the day didn't even faze the pink haired girl; but it had a different atmosphere now that the sun had set. The autumn winds were blowing and the temperature had dropped with the setting sun. The sky was mixture of violet and red, and, while absolutely stunning, didn't provide the light necessary to properly illuminate the alley. The alley felt quite dark, the buildings kept practically every sliver of light from entering. Bubblegum weighed her options, assessing the pros and cons of taking this route; after all, she was a scientist.

Well…I've never had problems here before and it's unlikely that I'll have trouble now just because I left school an hour later.

With her mind set, she proceeded through the alley. While Bubblegum kept her thoughts quite calm, her body had other ideas. Despite her best efforts, she felt her heart beating much faster than she'd have liked and adrenaline was rushing through her body. She strained her senses in the darkness, attempting to hear or see anything. Her mind kept telling her that it was not feasible to imagine somebody there, but, for some reason, she kept frantically searching.

Perhaps this is some sort of innate survival instinct…

Bubblegum stopped and entertained this idea when her eyes caught the figure of somebody leaning against the wall only a few feet down from the dumpster. She could tell the mysterious figure was a human, but she could discern nothing else. Her heart thundered in her chest and she stopped walking. Bubblegum attempted to control her breathing; she didn't want whoever was down there to hear her. Despite all this, she felt compelled to walk forward. As if her mind knew whatever was down there was no danger.

Hah geez, I guess an hour does make a big difference.

One foot at a time, she cautiously moved in the direction to the exit of the alley – and the other figure. By this point she could make out more features in the darkness. She could tell the other party was female, taller than she was, and quite slender. She could see that the girl was wearing black skinny jeans, a dark gray hoodie, and black combat boots. Perhaps her most distinguishing feature, however, was her hair. It was black as night and long – the tips of graced the ground.

How does she even move with that much hair…?

Bubblegum continued along, carefully watching each step and being as silent as possible. Finally, she was at the dumpster. Not much longer and she'd be past the mysterious girl and home free. She felt hurried, as if there was some sort of invisible force pushing her along. She walked more briskly, and, although she was aware the stranger could probably hear her and could most definitely see her, she looked in the girl's direction. She was looking toward the ground and long bangs framed either side of her face. Just as Bubblegum finished her attempt at seeing the other girl's face, a voice called from back at the entrance of the alley.

"Marceline, where the hell are you?! I know you're back here!" The voice was definitely male and he sounded very aggravated.

The black haired female looked up in the direction of the voice and immediately took off. Her response was instantaneous and Bonnibel couldn't quite comprehend what just happened. By the time she thought to run, the other girl was gone.

Marceline, huh?

Bubblegum ran until she was out of the alley and very completely winded. Her chest burned and her legs were numb. Her head was throbbing dully and when she finally got to her house, she went straight toward her room.

"Was…home always…that far…?" Bonnibel gasped out her sentence and sighed when she heard a knock on her door.

"Ms. Bubblegum, I've prepared dinner for you. Would you like me to set it out or will you be coming out later?" There was a hint of anxiety in the voice and Bubblegum smiled a bit.

"Thank you Peppermint. I'll be down in a second." Bubblegum changed out of her school uniform and into some pink sweat pants and a tank top. She cleaned the sweat off her face in the bathroom and tied her hair back.

Well now, food sounds quite nice right about now. I wonder what Peppermint has prepared…

Well, when she got down to the dining room, she was quite pleased with what she saw. He had made pasta – chicken Alfredo to be exact. She saw that he had dessert prepared as well: a chocolate soufflé drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with a strawberry.

What would I ever do without you?

"Thank you very much Peppermint, it all looks delicious!" Bubblegum exclaimed.

"The pleasure is mine Ms. Bubblegum." Peppermint bowed to her before proceeding to sit across from her. "So how was your day?"

Peppermint Butler had asked this very same question at dinner since the day she started attending school. It was very important to him that she be happy; she didn't have a lot of time for friends and, to be honest, he loved learning about her day. When she recalled all her accomplishments throughout the day, her face lit up like that of a four year old receiving a new toy.

Bubblegum went on and on and was about to tell him about her little predicament earlier when she felt something warning her against it.

But why?

Whatever the reason, she kept that little escapade to herself. As she moved on to dessert, Peppermint grabbed her dinner plate and went off to wash it. Bubblegum found herself thinking back to earlier. More specifically, to the girl.

She was so fast, her hair was so long, and I wonder who that man was…it's pretty obvious he was looking for her…I wonder if she's in trouble…

Bubblegum couldn't explain why she was so caught up in thoughts about somebody she didn't even know. It was a strange feeling; she desperately wanted to see the girl again.

I want to know what she looks like.

Her thoughts continued, numerous scenarios flying through her mind. She felt as if she was setting up an experiment. She measured the efficiency of the scenarios and finally decided on the one that had the highest chance of success.

I'll just walk through the alley at the same time as today…

Bubblegum sighed, brought her dessert dish to Peppermint, and headed toward her room. She fell down onto her bed, relishing the comfortableness of her mattress. She buried her face into her pillow and closed her eyes. She continued to think of the other girl until sleep overcame her.