Only the plot is mine, and any coincidence with future or current shows is unintentional. Okay. Finally, after an incredibly long hiatus, I am back. I already tweaked Chapter 11 and I probably will end up tweaking chaps 8 and up too. I am sorry for my long absence. If you've checked my profile, you may know that I've spent the last year basically homeless. I'm trying. And here is the new chapter. Gumball is possessed and Carrie and Penny have no idea what to do. Has Anais found a clue that might help them or is Carrie doomed to suffer an awful fate?

Gumball woke up with a start. Fear was raw in his mind as he looked around, getting his bearings. The double king bed he shared with Carrie and Penny spread out around him, the two women snuggled up to either side of him. Carrie was gazing at him concernedly.

"What is it, Baby?" she murmured sleepily.

"Nothing. Just a bad dream." Gumball whispered as he used one hand to tuck her bangs behind her left ear. The action soothed him somewhat. It seemed familiar…

"Aww", Carrie cooed, grabbing her pillow and nuzzling into it as she looked up at him. "What about?"

Gumball opened his mouth to answer and found he couldn't. Try as he might, he could not recall even a scrap of the dream that had seemed so vivid to him only moments ago. Something about that seemed wrong, but he couldn't figure out what. Despite a growing sense of unease, he smiled ruefully down at the ghostly woman sharing his bed and looking so expectantly up at him. "I don't even know now." Gumball shrugged. "Whatever it was, it's gone now."

Carrie gaze turned sympathetic and she stroked his arm comfortingly. "Sleep now, babe. I will guard your dreams with a little spell." Carrie waved her hand and muttered some words. The room seemed to flicker and for an instant Gumball could remember the dream in its entirety or rather the reality. Terror strangled him anew as everything winked out except the ghost woman in front of him. That isn't Carrie.

The thought roared in his mind. Before he could react, everything was back the way it should be. He was still gripped with terror but he didn't know why. The dream was gone and all he could remember was that he had remembered and suddenly forgotten the dream. Carrie didn't seem to notice as she finished her spell and Gumball's unease melted away.

"Now, now", the spiritborn crooned at he as he relaxed and snuggled down sleepily between the women he loved. "You get some sleep. Everything will be better in the morning." The last thing Gumball saw and thought before he drifted off was the strange green glow in his partner's eyes and the fleeting thought that Carrie's eyes were grey…

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Anais woke Carrie and Penny early the next morning. She had been up the rest of the night poring over the decrepit tome she had received from the ghost – spiritborn she corrected herself. After an evening of study, she thought she had some answers but still more questions had surfaced and she needed a sounding board. True, older girls weren't nearly as intelligent as Anais herself, but they were both still highly intelligent and their input had already proven useful.

After the two had groggily dragged themselves out of bed and covered their morning essentials, the three girls sat down in Anais's study.

"I really wish we still had your father here, Carrie. I have several questions that are begging for answers and I think his expertise would be welcome." The diminutive girl sighed heavily, "Still, I have come up with a couple of discrepancies. First is that what your mother is supposed to have done shouldn't even be possible to begin with. Spiritborn cannot feed on free spirits or ghosts. The have a tie to the spirit realm that supplies them with ectoplasmic energy. This very tie means that they cannot run out of energy like a body bound spirit would. They would simply restore their lost energy and any energy removed from them would revert to pure ectoplasm." Anais paused, relieved to see for once that her audience didn't seem the least bit confused.

"However, this brings up another discrepancy." Anais took a breath before rushing on. "This means that when the spirit of the sorcerer in your father's story was casting spells he can't have simply used himself up. His own tie to the spirit realm would have prevented that."

Here, Penny broke in. "Then what happened to him? How could he have just vanished?"

Smiling at her perceptive visitor, Anais tapped the side of her nose. "I have a theory, but I can't be certain, you know? And so I have a little experiment I want to try. Carrie?" The pale girl sat up straighter when called on.

"Yes?" she asked simply.

"Is there any chance you have a ghost friend you can bring here? Maybe two?" Anais leaned forward eagerly.

"I do have a spook or two who owes me a favor… why?" Carrie tilted her head slightly in confusion.

Anais rubbed her hands sinisterly while giggling for all the world like an innocent little girl the effect was…disturbing. "I would like to try and recreate the circumstances in your father's story. I believe that your mother was possessed by the old mage's ghost."

Carrie was obviously floored. "How could that even be possible? Ghost can't even phase through one another. We can't get inside one another."

"I think it has to do with the fact that she was already inside your father", Anais said, "but even then, I don't think it was immediate. I think it was kind of like your own experience together. The book", Anais patted the tome she referenced, "listed a few dos and don'ts. One of the biggest is never attempt to possess someone who is already possessed. It doesn't specify exactly what happens but does reference that it could lead to madness and abomination. When you tried to link with Penny she almost absorbed your consciousness, correct?"

Carrie nodded slowly, her face brightening as she picked up the younger girl's thought track. "So you think the magician was absorbed into my mom?" Carrie's face darkened. "But how could you even begin to safely test that? That could put one of my friends in danger." Carrie was angry now. Anais hurried to reassure her.

"Actually, you yourself would need to be the one to take that risk." Anais said calmly. "Due to your link with Penny and the G-energy you possess; I believe you have a measure of protection against it happening completely. But it would still try and you would still know whether it happened."

Carrie swallowed audibly. "You mean… me? But what if I get absorbed?"

The little pink bunny sighed. "Look I didn't say this was without danger. But it is a dual purpose experiment. I also think that your unique situation will allow you to expel the present occupant of a body."

Now she had the girls' full attention. Penny's voice quavered slightly as she asked the question plain in both their eyes, "You are talking about a way to save Gumball?"

Anais nodded curtly, her own anger at this situation barely held in check. "But first I need to know. And you might need practice. So call in your favors, Carrie. And I really hope they are game for it."

Determination was etched into every line of Carrie's face. "I know just the guys."

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Carrie opened her eyes. She was lying on her back, the fluorescent lights of Anais's lab hitting deep in her head and causing an explosion of pain. She immediately closed her eyes and rolled over to clutch her legs into the fetal position, groaning.

"I am telling you, I almost couldn't pull her back that time!" Penny furiously shouted at Anais. Over the last few hours, they had confirmed Anais's theory. No sooner did she try to take possession of the little girl than she was yanked toward the consciousness of the ghost already there. She had been unprepared for it the first time and had nearly lost herself.

In the several tries since then, they had done little except struggle to keep her from sinking forever into the mind of the thrill-seeking parachutist she'd dug up to help them out. She chuckled at her own joke, but immediately regretted it as the vibration shot splinters of pain through her head again.

The light she was trying to shut out dimmed somewhat. She didn't have to crack her eye to know it was Penny standing over her, the concern flowing through their link clearly etched on her face. She also knew the other girl was winding up to tell her that they should stop.

When Penny opened up her mouth she couldn't even take a breath to speak before Carrie's hand was up, halting what she wished to say. Carrie didn't bother to speak. That would have hurt anyway. I will rest for five minutes and we try again.

But, came the thought reply and Carrie squashed it. I will not give up while I still think I can try again. Her vehemence stung the other girl and Carrie flinched inwardly but refused to back down. This may be the only way to save him. Please. One more time. She mentally pleaded with her friend.

Penny's eyes tightened, but she finally nodded, walking off to tell Anais while Carrie relaxed for a few minutes. That last failure had almost taken her. She lay with her eyes closed, going over it again.

She started the possession. There was an instant where she encountered resistance before she slipped inside. But this wasn't like being inside a person normally would be. She was inside the other ghost. Then, just as with Penny, she was dragged with incredible speed into his consciousness. Penny would feel her terror and she would yank on their link. Pressure would build on her until she finally would pop free. It had been that way every time.

Lifting her arm at the elbow she slammed her fist on the floor, frustrated. THINK! She shouted at herself. If only there were a way enter the body without entering the other ghost. But that wasn't possible. When a ghost possessed a person they filled most of that person. The resident soul sort of got squished to the side, and the occupying spirit gained control of the body.

Well how is it that the other soul and the ghost don't meld like me and Penny? She wondered. Sitting up she called out to Anais.

"I need to try possessing you a couple of times without him." Carrie said slowly. "I need to figure out how this is different from possessing a person regularly." Anais nodded and the other ghost got out.

Carrie took a deep breath and slid into the girl paying very careful attention to Anais's soul as it moved to accommodate her. The wall or membrane around Anais's spirit was flexible but strong and Carrie was surprised to note that the entire soul scrunched up into the brain. If she pressed into that membrane, she knew she could easily get through it but then she was risking being swallowed by Anais's mind.

An idea slowly took shape here. Maybe she could make her own membrane stronger? She could obviously control her membrane with respect to the physical world. Why not this mental landscape?

Concentrating, she focused on being tangible mentally, as weird as that idea was. But it seemed to be doing – well something. Something felt different. Signaling Penny to be ready, she breached Anais's mind/soul, bracing herself for the dragging, pulling sensation she knew was coming…

Nothing. Carrie floated in Anais's mind and could feel the girl's approval. In her exhilaration, her concentration slipped momentarily and Anais's mind clamped down on her like a vise. She could feel Penny pulling, feel that pressure, but this time she didn't budge. She started to panic but something stopped her.

She was suddenly very angry. Angry at her parents for creating this situation, angry at herself for her own weakness. She was not about to let herself become a blimp in some little girl's head. Focusing the intensity of her emotion, she reestablished her border and thrust back against the force crushing her down. The result was a shock to everyone.

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Penny tugged again at the bonk connecting her to Carrie. She could feel the other girls fright and she was frantic when her efforts failed. Carrie's feelings stopped for a moment and the shapeshifter feared the worst. Suddenly, three things happened almost simultaneously. Anger singed across the link, Anais's soul rocketed out of her body like a shot and Carrie's voice erupted out of the bunny girl's body in a violent scream.

"NO!" The blast of noise went beyond what a person should be able to do and Penny was literally knocked off her feet.

Everyone was picking themselves up to stare at Carrie/Anais. Anais had struck the far wall and given that her spirit was only loosely held together ectoplasm, the splatter she had become was slowly separating itself from the wall.

Carrie as Anais was simply staring at her hands with a triumphant look on her face. One that hardened to fierce determination. She got up and walked over to Anais's spirit, grabbed her hand and somehow pulled her back into her own body. After a moment, Carrie slipped out of the other girl's body, a grim look of satisfaction on her face.

"One more time with the full thing', she said simply. And for once, the parachute guy didn't look thrilled at all.

Penny could feel the confidence rolling off her friend and was ready but didn't think she'd be needed. Sure enough, as the form of her friend slid into the possessed body of Anais, she felt the calm as her friend was immersed in the other spirit's consciousness. Penny felt herself tugged into the other girl's mindscape and she momentarily panicked.

Carrie soothed her, her calm thoughts washing away the fear. I need you to know how to do this. She thought at Penny continuing before Penny could even ask why. Whichever one of us gets the chance should do it- no hesitation.

Penny swallowed and nodded, listening and practicing what Carrie showed her. She quickly learned how to maintain her own border, and it wasn't long before she joined Carrie physically. The two of them floated calmly in the other ghost's psyche.

Confident that she could handle this, Penny linked back together with Carrie for the push lesson. It's kind of like flicking something with your finger. Carrie's thought came into her mind. You push with your mind but hold it back at the same time building up the power until you let it go all at once.

Suiting action to words, Carrie thrust hard and Penny and the parachutist were shoved out of Anais. Carrie reappeared moments later as the other two were picking themselves up.

After a few more run-throughs, Anais announced they were ready. But it was nearly dusk and Penny was pretty sure her dad was going to blow a fuse if she didn't check in soon. It was agreed that the safest place for Carrie was with Anais.

One phone call later, Penny had managed to clear another night at "Carrie's house". Hanging up the phone, she turned to find Anais regarding her with a blank expression.

"Thanks for calling my dad last night." Penny offered nervously. "I didn't even think about it and you really saved my hide."

The young rabbit regarded her levelly. "You are still a mystery to me." She heaved a sigh. "How on Elmore did you even come into the idea to share him?"

The girls gaze boring into her, Penny could only fidget. Finally, she found the words. Geez, this kid makes me so nervous. "It was Sarah. Her crush on Gumball and Darwin at the same time intrigued me and Gumball put the name to it." Penny scuffed her shoe at the floor. "It was so completely alien at first I immediately dismissed it. But the things I had experienced in Carrie's head and afterwards when we became linked."

"What about that rage that had your throwing most of the contents of your room halfway across town?" the young rabbit asked her stare intent on Penny.

Now Penny flushed, embarrassed. "Even more so because of that. I tasted her pain for a few hours and look what it reduced me to. If anyone deserves to be with the one she loves, that girl should." Penny sighed. "I hope I can be as gracious as her in the future."

Anais shook her head. "I don't think she is quite the saint you make her out to be. Nor do I believe that she is any more deserving of fulfilment than you are. I think that were she truly unselfish she wouldn't even have been around for you to compare yourself to."

Penny turned thoughtful. Anais had a point. Carrie was just a girl like her. Just a girl hoping that she could be with the man she loved. And why not? Surely men could accommodate multiple women. It was more likely that women simply could not accommodate one another. Which meant that the only real obstacles to a life together would be her and Carrie.

"I thank you for your input, Anais. And while it is enlightening, don't think it changes how I feel. Nor does it mean I would abandon my goal." Penny squared her shoulders proudly. "Even if she isn't a saint, she's no different than I am. Just a woman wishing for a life together with the man she loves. Why should I deny her when we could both achieve what we want?" Penny finished defiantly.

Anais nodded, seeming satisfied. "I just thought you seemed to be ducking your head to her a bit too much." The girls grin was slow and smug. "If you truly want to be equals in love you must be equals period. Now go get that girl and get yourselves to sleep. Tomorrow…" Anais trailed off ominously.

Ok, roughed it out and thought I would throw it up as a taste while I clean it up. But not tonight it past midnight and I've been typing like a madman for three hours to put this out. Let me know how you like it!