Over the Waterson house, night had come to rest the weary family. Nicole and Richard had since gotten into bed with the children doing the same. Anais was sound asleep in the top bunk while the two boys below had great difficulty. Darwin looked like he was asleep, but Gumball knew he wasn't. He snores when he's not awake, and Gumball could tell because he too was up. His back lay down on the mattress; he stared at the bottom of the top bunk. He couldn't sleep for many reasons that came to mind. What happened while I was gone? Will I see Zach again in my dreams? How guilty should I feel? The thoughts rushed through his head at great pace. He turned his head slightly to his right to look at Darwin in his fish bowl. His eyes closed, but with a big grin on his face, Gumball decided to just ask.

"Hey Darwin, you awake?" Darwin opened his eyes and yawned slightly. He too was tired, but knew he wasn't going anywhere. His voice was tired and worn out, unlike Gumball's normal, almost not-exhausted-at-all tone.

"Yeah, I am. Why?" Gumball lifted his blanket up from under him and sat up facing Darwin.

"I can't get to sleep right now."

"How come?" Gumball felt like wanting to tell Darwin about Zach, but he didn't want Darwin to worry for him. Gumball knew it was his problem, and to make his brother get involved might only make things worse.

He sighed and replied "Never mind. Let's just say I'm kind of bummed out from what happened." Darwin's lips puckered out, raising his right brow and lowering the left one. Darwin thought to himself he's upset and won't tell me? He's the one who started the talk. Before the fish could speak, Gumball went on. "I noticed you weren't asleep either. Wanna tell me why that is?" Darwin looked away from Gumball, unable to stare at him.

"I don't think you want to know why. It's personal." Gumball's curiosity got the best of him and refused to let it be dropped. Darwin was always more insecure about his personal problems than he was. When Darwin felt bad, it made Gumball feel sorry for him. As the eldest brother, he knew it was his responsibility to make his siblings feel better. He was just grateful that Darwin always tried to keep him happy too.

"Come on, Darwin. I don't want to see you bummed out like this. My problem can't be fixed; just trust me on that. But I bet yours can." He did his best to pull his aching muscles up and smile at his younger brother. Darwin tried his best to resist spilling his guts out, but he couldn't stop himself. Gumball's care was too overwhelming for him to hold back. He decided to try his best and smile, but only held it on the first part of his speech.

"Oh alright." He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. "I'm happy that you're back and everything. It really feels great to know you can speak and walk and all. It's just that… well… I'm upset because you… you…"

"I what? What have I done to possible upset you?" Darwin began to feel upset inside. He felt like the longer he'd go on, the worse he would get. He didn't want to say it, but knew Gumball wouldn't drop it. He had already crossed a point of no return.

"I'm disappointed that you care more about Penny than you do me, alright." Gumball's eyes shot straight up and dilated back. He nearly gasped if it weren't for some resentment. He changed his tone from sincere to annoyingly serious.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're still jealous that I spend SOME time with her?" Darwin got extremely defensive, almost tearing up.

"It's not that, okay. *Sniffle* Look, I understand that you want to spend time with her, and I feel like I've moved on from that. I just never thought you would love her more than me is all." Gumball began to feel a little ashamed of his sudden change, and dialed it back some.

"Hey, that's not true at all. I treasure you both equally. Different, sure, but I don't care about anyone more." Still standing up in his fishbowl, Darwin twisted his body around, unable to look at his face.

"I would have believed you before, but if what Anais said was true, then you're lying to me."

"Wait, what? What are you talking about? I don't understand." Darwin was a little upset with Gumball, but he couldn't express his anger. It wasn't in his nature to get or stay mad at others, and the last person he'd ever want to be that way with was Gumball. He kept it bottled down, trying his best to stay sad instead.

"What is there to not? It's simple." He quickly wiped away the tears rolling down one of his eyes. He didn't want to face his brother looking like a running faucet. "If what Anais said was correct, which let's face it, we all know she's right, it was the thought and memories of Penny that made you you again. Despite being around us, less than ten minutes with Penny was all it took for her to make you yourself again." Darwin began to sniffle some, closing his eyes as tears were starting to come on. He didn't want Gumball to see him cry, but felt it was pointless to try and hide it. "You think more highly of her than you do me, and if you didn't, then she wouldn't have saved you." As Darwin kept sniffling and whining about the betrayal, Gumball felt speechless. He wanted to say that Darwin wasn't right, but it did make sense to him. He couldn't help but think to himself as Darwin continued to sob. What if that's true? Do I really think more about her than him? He started to feel horrible for making Darwin feel bad, and could only come up with one excuse.

"But, it wasn't just her; it was a… well a uh… kiss." Darwin opened his eyes, but couldn't find words to speak up. Gumball depressingly pressed on. "I mean, when she kissed me, I'm sure it just… overwhelmed my body and brain, so it wasn't just her, but that too." Darwin stopped his sniffling, but couldn't halt his tears.

"How do you know that," he asked his brother. "I thought you said you didn't remember anything." Gumball couldn't think of an excuse, but Darwin wasn't finished yet. "Look, I know that it's just something I have to accept is all. You're getting older and are more interested in being with her than you are me. I just wish it didn't mean we had to grow apart is all." Gumball could tell he needed some comfort and reached his paw out behind Darwin's back.

"We're not growing apart, you-and-I. You probably just think that because you feel alone without me is all. I gotta say, it really makes me feel important, but I don't want you to think you aren't." Darwin didn't want his sympathy though. He jumped out of his fishbowl and walked to the center of the room, facing his window outside.

"You might not see it the way I do though. Think about it: You have a girlfriend; I don't. Everyone at school wants to talk with you; I feel barely acknowledged when by myself. What's perhaps worst of all though… you got to be born into this family. I was just… bought." Darwin held his head down in shame, feeling like he just wanted to drop face first to the floor. Gumball continued to watch Darwin from his bedside, feeling awful for the poor guy. "You and I aren't all that alike Gumball, not even blood, but how can you think I wouldn't feel upset? I just have to deal with the facts: Soon enough, you probably won't even think of me as your brother anymore." Gumball almost couldn't believe he just heard Darwin say such a thing. He wasn't sure how to feel: mortified that Darwin thinks twice about him, or upset that he might be onto something. Gumball immediately went on standby about the ordeal, trying to stay silent as to not wake Anais.

"Don't say that!" He got off from his bed and around to Darwin, hugging him from the side. "Of course you're my brother, and you always will be. The thought of losing you would tear me apart inside. I don't want us to grow apart anymore than you do, I swear!" Darwin appreciated his honesty, but still couldn't smile or be happy with him.

"I wish I could trust what you're saying Gumball, but I can't. We're not even from the same family." Darwin crossed his arms, refusing to look at Gumball, who unwrapped himself from the fish. He just stared at his backside feeling ashamed of himself for Darwin. That is true, he thought to himself. He wasn't born a Waterson, but I was. Gumball collapsed his head, facing the floor below him. He wasn't too sure what to say or do. Given everything that happened, Darwin was right about Penny, but he wanted to stand up for the family-issue. He just didn't quite know what to say about it. Then, suddenly, a light bulb went on in Gumball's head. He pulled himself up with a smile on his face, knowing exactly what he wanted to say.

"Actually, you and I have more in common than you realize, buddy." Darwin didn't say anything, but still facing away from Gumball, he looked his pupils in the direction of his feline companion. "You want to know something I learned while I was gone, Darwin?"

"What," Darwin said bitterly, still refusing to face Gumball.

"If I tell you, you have to swear that you won't explain this to anybody. No one can help me, but it might make you feel better to know the truth. Promise me you won't tell?" Darwin was beginning to get skeptical. The sudden change in his behavior caught the young fish's attention. He rolled his eyeballs, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally turned to face him once more.

"I guess so, if you think it will reeeally make me feel better." Gumball remained silent for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best place to start.

"You remember how I said I didn't know what happened while I was gone; like I just… vanished?" Darwin nodded his head. "Well, I lied. Even though I have no clue what went down with you and the others, I was actually somewhere else for the time being." One of Darwin's brows shot up. He was already lost.

"Huh? Where?" Gumball took a deep breath to compose himself.

"As weird as this will sound to you, I was… in my brain." Darwin blinked, widening his eyes, doing nothing. "And while I was there, I met Zach."

"What," Darwin whispered loudly. Gumball tried to shush him, whispering to stay quiet for the sake of their sister. Too bad it was already too late. Unknown to the two, the youngest bunny from up above was awake. Darwin made her turn over in their direction, but she said nothing. She just watched from up her bunk, eavesdropping on them from the distance. She hugged her Daisy the Donkey doll tighter in her arms, giving it a near deadly hug as she gripped it with all her might.

"Yes, okay! It's true. I met Zach, alright?" Anais went from being sleepy to wide awake at the sudden news. She opened her mouth in some shock, but said not a word. Last thing she wanted was for Gumball to stop.

"But I thought you got rid of him. You changed your name legally after all." Gumball relaxed his face muscles, pulling one of the longest frowns Darwin had ever seen.

"That's just it though. I changed my name, but when I was born, it was Zach. You know as well as I do that we are two completely different people, and while I was there, he shared something with me that really… bummed me out." Darwin no longer felt sad or angry with him anymore, replacing it with genuine concern.

He asked nicely "What was it?" Yeah, Anais thought from above, what indeed?

"Zach and I are so different, that to be born as Zach and still act like me, Gumball, never really clicked inside. He made me realize that… before you or Anais ever came along, he was the one who was born. Then later down the road, I came along and took over. I literally stole the life he was born with, which means… I was never actually born myself, and all I am is another personality." Darwin and Anais's eyes looked wider than ever before. Her jaw dropped as far as could be with Darwin's opened about half way between. Both were totally speechless. To them, it was like hearing Gumball say he wasn't their brother, and for Anais on top of that, she felt a little upset with herself that she never put the two together. Gumball continued to face the direction of Darwin, but couldn't look at him any longer. He was too brought down by the shame and guilt to even stand straight.

"Wow," Darwin exhaled finally. "So that means that… you… you-"

"I'm, technically speaking, not our mom and dad's real child. I just inhabit this body. The Zach they had and knew… is buried away. I can never get rid of him, because he is a part of me, like I-am-him." Gumball knew that last sentence was a lie. Being the more powerful specimen in the mind, he could have extinguished Zach as a memory, but he didn't want to tell Darwin that. He figured it was best to not even bring up the possibility of having the chance the finish him off, knowing Darwin would just argue that he should have to be safe.

"But if Mrs. Mom and Mr. Dad never actually bore you, then does that make you a… a…" Gumball exhaled loudly with his eyes closed.

"Adopted," he confessed. "But by force I guess, and not like you or others for that matter." Gumball opened his eyes, but still looked away from his adopted brother. "What's even worse is that, despite that he was a jerk wad and all, what right did I have to take his life away from him? At least your life is your own." Darwin was almost unsure what to say. The news made him see Gumball in a whole new manner. As sorry as he was for Gumball, there was also a part of him that was happy. As selfish as it was for him to know this, it also made him more sincere to Gumball.

"That's incredible. But why did you not say anything? Why do you not want anyone else to know this but me?" Gumball finally looked at Darwin, but still couldn't fix himself up, remaining slouched over to the ground.

"Because there's nothing that can be done to make him go away. He'll always be with me, so there's no point in anyone knowing or even remembering about him." Saying that no one should remember him really made Gumball feel guilty. He felt more like Zach than ever saying something so wretched about the guy. I wonder how he's holding up in there? "I figured you might want to know if it could bring you some consolation was all." Gumball managed to smile at the fish. "You and I actually have more in common than you think." Darwin was overwhelmed with all kinds of happy emotions. Joy, gratitude, admiration, and even contentment all lifted Darwin's spirit inside. The thought that Gumball was a foster child like Darwin was almost too good to be true, and he showed it by grabbing Gumball and forcing him into the tightest hug he could possibly give him. It was so strong that Gumball actually thought he was going to be crushed in his arms.

"Thank you, Gumball," Darwin said, beginning to tear up with happiness from behind the blue cat. Gumball felt so constrained, he could only speak in a raspy manner.

"For what?" Darwin released him the hug, letting him gasp and inhale for air as Darwin went on.

"For telling me the truth. I can't even begin to express how happy you've made me feel." Gumball put his right paw over his chest, still gasping for air.

"I think *gasp* you already have *gasp*" He was in some pain from the hug, but he did feel happy to know that Darwin was feeling better. From overhead behind them, Anais was smiling and felt happy for them. She knew it meant a lot to Darwin to know that kind of information. They shared not only common interests, but even family ties. If what Gumball said is true, then he is just like Darwin. It makes complete sense that Zach would be born and not Gumball after all. She wanted to watch them come back and fall asleep, but she didn't want to risk them catching her awake, and so she closed her eyes, pulling Daisy the Donkey's head up in front of her smile. She couldn't get rid of it and had to hide it from them in case they looked up. After a couple more minutes of talk, Gumball and Darwin finally felt happy and comfortable enough to go to sleep. The two brothers said their goodnights and drifted off to the realm of dreams. Anais followed them, but not right away. Deep down, she was proud of her older brother. The thought of him and Darwin being friends forever made her happy for them, especially for Darwin. She knew that Darwin, being a fish, always felt different from her and Gumball, but knowing that Gumball and Darwin shared something like this was over the top for her. She felt that any worries Darwin had about Gumball abandoning him were probably long gone now. Gumball and her both hoped there would be no more fear from Darwin, but only time would give that answer. For now, all was right again, and everyone felt happy. Everyone, except a small part of Gumball. The only real question left for him to ask himself was this: Was that small part Gumball's consciousness of guilt from Zach, or Zach himself?