Chapter 6

As evening rolled around, Marceline was still searching for the boys. They proved somewhat easy to track.

Cresting the mouth of the valley where she had very nearly died, Marceline continued following Finn and Jakes tracks. Still there was no sign of them otherwise. She continued on.

Just outside the gates of the candy kingdom, Finn and Jake were silently walking in the ankle deep snow.

Carrying the sunhat with them in quiet pain, the adventurers entered the candy kingdom, dreading the news they would have to deliver to the Princess.

Princess Bubblegum was in her room, preparing for bed though she knew she would not sleep much if at all. Looking out her balcony doors, she saw them, the boys.

The Princess burst out of her room running down corridors and stairways until she was barefoot, standing on the frozen steps of the main entrance of the castle.

Finn stood before her, distantly staring into her eyes. Jake looked down solemnly.

Before Bubblegum could ask, Finn fell to his knees with a shaky, outstretched arm.

In Finn's hand was the tattered sunhat.

Bubblegum gasped in horror.

Fear is a pervasive thing, it eats at the psyche, perverting the worst fears into something to be believed despite all logical reasoning.

It had naturally then, never occurred to Bubblegum that the sunhat now before her was in fact the one Marceline had lost before she had even left to search for the boys.

Still, Bubblegum believed the worst had happened. A terrible fate had befallen dear Marceline.

The Princess took the sunhat. No one spoke.

The three despairing friends entered the castle.

Bubblegum was grief stricken yet she worried for Finn and Jake as well. She sent Peppermint Butler to fetch hot chocolate for the boys.

They sat down in the atrium.

Peppermint Butler arrived shortly thereafter with a cart carrying hot cocoa for Finn and Jake.

Both the boys took a mug but neither drank of them, they simply stared into them.

Princess Bubblegum wept softly.

Had everything been her fault? She thought to herself. Had her selfish desire for love gotten her lover killed?

Worse still, had her 2 closest friends suffered from the result of her dangerous attraction?

For what seemed an eternity the group sat dwelling on their loss.

Suddenly with a gust of icy wind, the great arched doorway of the castle swung open.

"Oh you found em' already," Marceline said nonchalantly as she walked in from the cold winters eve.

The depressed adventurers and the Princess all stood up from their respective seats in shock.

"What are you all lookin at?" Marceline queried.

Jake passed out, falling flat on his face.

"Dear glob almighty," the Princess said breathlessly.

"Marceline you're ok!" Finn yelled.

Fear had been defeated by reality, Bubblegum pieced it all together quickly enough.

Finn continued shouting: "She's ok man, she's ok!"

Jake came too, still in a daze.

All three of them closed in on their friend, wrapping their arms around her.

Jake spoke: We thought you was done for Marceline!

"Easy on the hugging guys, I'm fine. I must have missed sumthin though," Marceline said with surprise.

Once Finn and Jake had stepped back a bit, the Princess spoke: I can explain the misunderstanding I think.

Marceline replied: Aww who cares, Im here now ain't I? With that, Marceline took Bubblegum in close and kissed her full on the mouth.

Jake's jaw dropped as he watched, he passed out a second time.

Finn stared in confusion and arousal.

The Princess blushed intensely. "Marceline, the boys don't know about US yet."

Leaving go Bubblegum, Marceline plopped down in an armchair.

"Now Finn, let me explain what you just saw."

Finn still stared into the distance.

"Perhaps we shall let things sink in for a while. It has been a long night."

Peppermint Butler helped Jake up as he had came into the room to check on the commotion.

"Shall I prepare fresh hot cocoa in celebration then Princess," Peppermint Butler asked.

The Princess nodded happily.

As fate would have it, all was well.

While Finn would be confused for a time, Bubblegum would eventually explain to him the idea of how relationships knew no boundaries, should they be fated to occur.

Jake had knew full well the fact of the matters concerning Bubblegum and Marceline's relations, he had simply never seen it firsthand before.

That night, Bubblegum and Marceline readied themselves for bed.

"Marceline, you should wear this to bed, it'd be much more comfortable for you to sleep in I think." Bubblegum held up a pair of soft and downy pajamas.

"I don't know Bonnie, they look like they'd be kinda itchy," Marceline replied hesitantly.

"Nonsense Marcy, try them at least," Bubblegum insisted.

"Fine I guess."

As Marceline stripped of her jeans and flannel shirt, Bubblegum watched bashfully.

Marceline noticed and spoke: You just wanted an excuse to see me nude again didn't ya Bonnie?

"N..No that's absolutely preposterous Marceline," Bubblegum replied nervously.

Marceline replied: Uhh huh. Sure Bonnie whatever you say.

"You're so difficult sometimes Marceline."

"But you love it Bonnie."

Bubblegum looked away, blushing a little.

"No, I love you Marceline."

Marceline had finished donning the scarlet colored pajamas.

"I love you too Bonnibel," Marceline whispered softly as she embraced Bubblegum firmly.

The two kissed, never parting as they shuffled for the quilt covered bed.

At last, falling onto the bed, Marceline propped herself up from Bubblegum's sweet pink lips long enough to stare into her eyes.

Bubblegum looked up into the deep red saucers, seeing the healing that now softened Marceline's once hardened gaze.

Bliss ensued, and they lied there together, enjoying the soft contact of the other's body upon their own.

In this joining of opposing forces, balance had been achieved.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I look forward to writing some one-shots using this story as backstory. (Marceline X Bubblegum)

If that sounds good to you guys, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Cheers my friends.