Okay, I'll admit it. Marshall and I slept, side by side, in Marceline's bed after washing our hands. And then the next morning, Marshall's arms were around my waist again. I struggled to move, and he said something like, "No, Fi." I stared at him. Wait a second, was he...?

"Marshall, are you awake?" I hissed. "No Fi, don't go there." He said in response. Okay then... "Stay here with me." He continued. He might as well be awake. "Come on, Marshall. You've got to wake up." I said.

I started shaking his shoulder as best I could from my position. He grumbled something like, 'go away Marceline, I'm sleeping!' So it must be working. I don't know why that didn't work before. "Marshall Lee Abadeer, you wake up right now!" I hissed.

"No, Fi. Let's just stay in bed a little longer. What's your hurry?" He asked. So he was awake.

"Marshall, let me up."

One eye opened. "Fi, let's sleep in today."

"Marshall!" I groaned, flopping back down next to him. Both of his eyes opened.

"What's your hurry, Fi? You said it yourself, we need to rest."

"I'll make strawberry shakes." I promised.

Marshall thought about it for a minute. "No. You can make those later. What's your hurry? The people of Ooo aren't expecting you to run to their rescue."

"I'll make you two strawberry shakes. You don't even have to get out of bed. Just let me up."

"Fi, you don't have to cater to me hand and foot. And while I like the idea of staying in bed, you have to stay too. You're warm and huggable."

I sighed. He was never going to let me up, was he?

"Marshall, please just let me up. Please."

He sighed. "Fine, Fi. You can get up." He pulled his arms back-- bringing me with them. "Later." He finished, grinning.

He was close enough to kiss. "M-Marshall, let me up!"

My heart was thudding, and I could feel the blush rising. I could only hope he didn't notice... and when you're this close to someone, you're kind of going to notice that stuff- with or without vampire supersenses.

But Marshall must not have, because the kiss thought must have occurred to him too. His lips were suddenly crashing down on mine. Remember that jolt I felt before? It was magnified by ten this time. And I kissed him back. When we both pulled away, he grinned at me. "Now you can get up."

"Now I don't want to."

"Hmm? No, Fi. You really should get up now, before I do something we both regret."

"But you still haven't taken away your arms from around my waist."

"Yeah. I don't want you to get up either. But you have to, otherwise,  I'll do something we both regret, like I said I would."

A few minutes later, I was in the kitchen, fully dressed, making Marshall his shake like I promised. He could have done something, but I'm the only one who likes his strawberry shakes, so it's really just better that I handle this.

I handed him his shake and drank my own, sitting next to him on Marceline's couch, which was just as bad as his. "What is up with these couches?" I asked.

"They're cheap." Marshall replied.

Yeah... I can see how that would happen.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

So... we're just going to forget all about that thing earlier? Okay... "So, you want to... go get that blood we're supposed to...?" I asked, kind of awkwardly.

"Yeah... Fi, did this morning happen?" Marshall asked. Oh good, you're thinking about that too.

"I want it to have." I said honestly.

"Yeah... me too. But if it did, then it put a really weird hole in our friendship." Marshall said.

So... we both dreamed the same dream...? No, we either say we don't ever talk about it again, and then just go back to me really liking you and not knowing how you feel about me (but I think that was fairly concrete evidence) or we get a new relationship out of it. You either say it doesn't happen and we stay friends, or... yeah.

"Marshall, are we just going to stay friends...? Are you saying we should just forget this morning happened completely? Or are we just going to be forever caught in, 'did this happen or not'?"

Marshall looked at me and opened his mouth to say something, when we heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." We both said. "No, you."

"Okay, Fi, you go get it. They're expecting a girl anyway."

Wow. Sexist much?

But when I opened the door, it was Olivia. "Oh good. I found you. Your fanged friend with you?" Without waiting for an answer, she pushed past me, slammed Marshall's sungear on him, put my backpack on me, and towed us both out the door, closing it behind her. "Are we being kidnapped, or just dragged to wherever she's taking us?" I asked Marshall.

"Um... kidnapped. I think. We don't know what she wants with us yet." He answered.

Olivia looked over her shoulder at me. "Can you sing?"

"Um, I guess..." I said, surprised.

"Good." Olivia said, apparently satisified.

"I can sing too, thanks for asking." Marshall muttered.

"I didn't need to know if you could sing. In fact, I'd prefer if you sounded slightly better than a dying walrus." Olivia said.

Marshall and I looked at each other.

"Why...?" We asked in unison.

"Because Laurence and I both sound like dying walruses, and to progress to the next level of our video game, we must sing karaoke. The machine also has a... personality, and chooses the songs for you." Olivia said.

"And we are kidnapped to sing for you?" I asked, feeling like a caged bird.

"Not for us, for the machine. And like I said, I don't care if he can sing. It's girls against boys, and while I fixed my brother and don't hate him anymore, I was always competitive, even as a child. Of course, I was also almost excommunicated, and got Laurence excommunicated instead, so maybe competitiveness wasn't just my strong point."

Okay. She's crazy. Question is- is she dangerous-crazy or just plain kooky? Finally, we arrived in yet another cave-ish thing... "I know, it looks like something out of the Flintstones, but just think how many people are happy Laurence never became an interior designer." Olivia said, before yelling, "Laurence, wake up! I was only gone fifteen minutes!" Seriously?

A boy who loked a lot like her moved in an armchair. "Go away, Olivia. I don't care if I never get my junk TV back." He said sleepily.

"Laurence, get up! I freakin' kidnapped people to win this!"

"You did what?! Olivia!" The boy said, brown eyes shooting open.

"What? I didn't kidnap them. The Lich did."

"I'm the Lich!" Laurence said angrily.

"So you kidnapped them, and so you have to play." Olivia said matter of factly.

Laurence groaned and handed Olivia a controller. The TV blinked to life immediately, with words appearing. 'So, you two are back. Have you brought any actual singers?' Olivia motioned towards us. The TV suddenly scanned us, and more words appeared. "The girl can go first."

More words: 'Superman, by Taylor Swift'.

"Why?" Olivia asked.

'Because I don't just scan physical appearance, I also scan memories!' The TV replied.

"And?" Olivia pressed.

"And you need to pay attention more. By the way, you saved them both from an awkward conversation, so you didn't kidnap them, but you did prolong the conversation.' The TV replied.

I don't think she needed to know that...

A microphone shot into my hand from a hole in the TV. 'Ready, kid?'

"I guess...?" I said, kind of confused about all this in the first place.

'Good. And all of you remember- there is a reason I chose this song for her.'

Then the music started up.

"Tall, dark and Superman,

he puts papers in his briefcase and drives away-

to save the world, or go to work, it's the same thing to me." 

This is a manipulative TV...

"He's got his mother's eyes, his father's ambition

wonder if he knows how much that I'll miss him?

I hang on every word you say- yay."

"And you'll smile and say 'how are you?'

And I'll say, 'just fine'.

I always forget to tell you I love you, I love you, forever!

And I watch Superman fly away-"

Don't look at Marshall, don't look at Marshall, don't look at Marshall!

"You've got a busy day today!

Go save the world, I'll be around.

And I watch Superman fly away,

come back, I'll be with you someday,

I'll be right here, on the ground, when you come back down."

"Tall, dark and beautiful,

he's complicated, he's irrational,

But I hope someday you'll take me away

and save the day, yeah."

Taylor Swift looked into the future and read my mind. That's the only explanation for the first part of this stanza.

"Something in his deep brown eyes has me sayin',

he's not all bad, like his reputation.

And I can't hear one single word they say, no.

And you'll leave, got places to be, and I'll be okay.

I always forget to tell you I love you

I loved you from the very first day!"  

Don't think about that day when he kidnapped Cake, when we went to LSP's party. Especially not the song we sang together. Don't!

"I watch Superman fly away,

you've got a busy day today!

Go save the world, I'll be around.

And I watch Superman fly away-

come back, I'll be with you someday!

I'll be right here, on the ground,

when you come back down!" 

"And I watch you fly around the world,

and I hope you don't take some other girl.

I hope you don't forget about me.

I'm far away, but I never let you go,

I'm lovestruck, and looking out the window!

Don't forget, don't forget where I'll be."

"But I'm wishing the flowers were from you,

wishing the card was from you,

wishing the call was from you,

'Cause I loved you from the very first day!"

"And I watch Superman fly away!

You've got a busy day today-

go save the world, I'll be around,

forever and ever!

I watch Superman fly away,

I swear, I'll be with you someday,

I'll be right here, on the ground,

when you come back down!"

Then there was a series of 'la'-s and then, "When you come back down."

Olivia beamed at Laurence. "You might as well hand over defeat. I doubt Taylor Swift herself could have sang that better."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just see how he does." Laurence grumbled.

I looked at Marshall, who was watching me.

'I believe I just spared them an awkward conversation.' The script scrawled across the TV. Can TVs be smug?

"Yep. Okay Peter Pan, it's your turn!" Olivia said brightly.

"Peter Pan wasn't a vampire!" Laurence argued.

"It makes sense! Peter Pan never grew up, he could fly, Neverland seemed to have a lot of shadows that he was lurking in, and he was always sneaking into the nursery at night! Yeah- it makes sense, Laurence! And he was sneaking into a girl's room at night- probably to pull a Count Dracula!"

"Olivia- he was sneaking in for the stories, and you know it! And Neverland made everyone stay young, and he used fairy dust...! Yeah... he was a vampire, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. One that was bad at lying, but the kids believed him. And then he kidnapped them."

"He didn't-! Yeah... he was a kidnapper... but Olivia, they wanted to go."

"And I want to win this. Persephone, please give the microphone to Hades."

"What...?" Laurence asked, looking from me to Marshall to Olivia and back again.

"Laurence, even the bloody video game is less oblivious than you- okay?"

I handed the microphone to Marshall, who smiled at me, exposing his fangs. "Thanks, Fi."

"You're welcome."

More words appeared on the TV. 'Are you two just going to stand there all day?'

Then it played a clip of two men and a woman. One of the men and the woman kept saying 'good day' until the other man just finally went, 'Good-bye!' and dragged his friend away.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I think the people in Brigadoon just forgot how to talk that day. Anyway, play the music!"

A slower melody than mine started up.

"A lovestruck Romeo, sings the street a serenade,

laying everybody low, with a lovesong that he made.

Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade, says something like, 'you and me babe, how about it?'"

"Juliet says 'hey it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack.'

He's underneath the window, she's singin', 'hey la, my boyfriend's back!'

You shouldn't come around here, singing up at people like that!

Anyway, whatcha going to do about it?"

"Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start,

And I bet, and you exploded into my heart!

And I forget, I forget, the movie song.

When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong? Juliet..."

Well, it made me feel a little better.

"Come up on different streets, they're both streets of shame.

Both dirty, both mean, yes and the dream was just the same.

And I dreamed your dream for you, and now your dream is real.

How can you look at me like I'm just another one of your deals?"

"Well you can fall for chains of silver, you can fall for chains of gold,

you can fall for pretty strangers, and the promises they hold,

You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin,

Now you just say, 'oh Romeo, yeah, I used to have a scene with him!'"

And now I feel even worse.

"Juliet! When we made love, you used to cry,

You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die,

There's a place for us- you know the movie song.

when you gonna relaize it was just that the time was wrong? Juliet..."

"I can't do the talk like they talk on the TV,

but I can do a love song, the way's it's meant to be.

I can't do everything, but I'd do anything for you,

I can't do anything except be in love with you."

"And all I do is miss you- and the way we used to be." Uh-oh.

"All I do is keep the beat, the bad company.

All I do is kiss you- through the bars of Orion,

Julie I'd do the satrs with you, anytime."

"Juliet! When we made love, you used to cry,

You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die,

There's a place for us- you know the movie song.

when you gonna relaize it was just that the time was wrong? Juliet..."

"A lovestruck Romeo, sings the street a serenade,

laying everybody low, with a lovesong that he made.

Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade, says something like, 'you and me babe, how about it?'"

'But they obviously aren't going to break up anytime soon- they might not even be dating yet. However, if I had to choose another song... 'One Thing' by One Direction.' The TV said.

Olivia glared at it. "Not you too!"

'It's not my fault they're a good band, and don't you start about me being a fangirl!' With that, the TV switched to a video game.

"I didn't know it was a girl." Laurence muttered.

Since Olivia and Laurence were trying to control nearly identical characters onscreen, we let ourselves out. "So... finish that conversation later?" Marshall asked.

"Oh, Glob, yes please!" I said, super-relieved.

"Yeah. So, whose next?" Marshall asked me.

"Um... either Abraham Lincoln or Billy." I said.

"Billy." Marshall and I agreed at the same time.

"Who knows where he is though?" Marshall wondered.

"Finn and Jake are in Aaa, so they're not going to help, if Bubblegum gets out as much as Gumball she's useless... Laurence."

"Laurence." Marshall repeated, like I'd just lost my mind.

"Remember Olivia and Billie? It takes a true hero(ine) to get rid of a Lich- and Laurence was just as afflicted, if not more, than Olivia." I said.

"So... he would have done the same thing as her?"

"Probably."

"Well, that's convenient... I think. What happened to Billie, exactly?"

"I don't really know... let's hope Laurence didn't do anything as confusing."

We headed back into the cave. Olivia looked up and saw us and said, "How long have we been playing? Better question- how long have you been standing there?"

"A few minutes, and we just came back." Marshall replied.

"Oh. Why?" Laurence asked, shooting Olivia's character... for some reason...

"Laurence, you bloody idiot! You weren't supposed to shoot me, I saved you several times!"

"You were going to shoot me later!" Laurence replied accusingly.

"Well...yeah... but I was going to shoot you, then toss your body in a volcano so you couldn't do this." She reappeared and bashed Laurence's character on the head with a hammer. He fell over, with stars around his head, then he popped back up in chains, and started following her around. Yeesh.

"So, what did you two popstars want with us?" Laurence asked.

"Um... where's Billy the Hero?" Laurence's dude freed himself, but followed Olivia to another door, blasting a skeleton. "Good question. What part?"

Ew. "Um... we need some of his blood?" I asked.

"Oh. How much?"

"Uh... a vial?" Marshall said, probably wondering what was up with Laurence's game- why not just pause?

"Mm. He should give you that much."

Wait, what? "Give?" I repeated.

"Yeah. He's probably freed himself by now."

"Freed? What exactly did you do to him?" Marshall wondered.

"I tied him up and gagged him so Finn and Jake would give me the Enchiridion's portal with all the jewels, so I could get a wish. Prismo said it couldn't come true, so I wished for the destruction of everything instead. Finn wished I had never existed, and then that idiot Jennings would have taken over the building of the 'mushroom bomb' and it never would have detonated because the flight system wasn't installed." Laurence explained.

"Wow. What was your first wish?" Olivia asked.

"It was something really stupid."

"You wished for your dog back?"

"No, I wished for you back. Stupidest thing I ever did."

"Well, that explains why Prismo wouldn't grant my wish or yours. We were both around. I just wished for my cat back, and what do I get? Whiskers freakin' hates me and runs off." Olivia said.

"Okay... so where is Billy?" I asked.

"Probably still in his cave." Laurence said, shooting a dragon with his virtual bow and arrows.

"Which is where...?" Marshall prompted.

Olivia started humming a song. Laurence glared at her and said, "You're completely tone-deaf. Don't hum, especially 'Over the Rainbow'. I freakin' hate Judy Garland songs!"

"Fine- but then you can't hum Rogers and Hammerstein!"

"Guys! Can you please tell us where Billy is?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Keep heading that way until you get to Finn and Jake's treehouse, then turn right and keep going until you're there." Laurence said. At least it was better than nothing... and let's not think about how Laurence knws where Finn and Jake live.

So we headed out to Billy's cave. Finally, he called out, "Who are you?"

"Fionna the Human and Marshall Lee the Vampire King." We called back.

"Oh no. No no no no. I'm done rescuing. Go find that kid- Finn."

"Rescuing? We just need some of your blood." I said, not liking where this was going. Billy poked his head out.

"You are a girl. Girls need rescuing."

Marshall looked like he was trying not to laugh.

I nudged him and crossed my arms. "Look, I don't know where you got that idea, but we really need some of your blood so that it can stop raining blood in Aaa."

"Oh, you're from Aaa." Billy said.

"And?" Marshall asked.

"Everything's messed up there. Girls kidnap boys, girls rescue boys... no wonder you two are so confused."

"Confused." I repeated, like I hadn't heard him right.

"Yes, confused. Girls are rescued by boys. You two have probably met up with that crazy heroine Billie." Billy said, sticking his head back in.

"She beat you didn't she?" I said, unimpressed. Billy's head appeared again.

"No!"

"Yeah, she did, didn't she? I bet that's why you're so sexist." I said, somewhat smugly.

Billy glared at me. "Little girl, she beat me because I went easy on her."

My sword was in my hand faster than you could say 'have mercy'.

"Fionna. Remember Gumball?" Marshall asked.

I sighed and lowered my sword. He had a point. "Fine. Mr. Billy, we'll leave you -with our 'weird ways', but we need that vial of your blood. And I'm going to get it, one way or another." Marshall stared at me.

"Why is it raining blood anyway?" Billy asked.

"Good point." Marshall said.

"Because of Prince Gumball's stupid experiments. Look, can we just have the blood?" I sighed.

Finally, he filled up the vial and we bandaged up his arm. "Thanks." I said.

"Yeah. Now take your friend and leave." Billy said. Oh good, we can. Like we weren't going to do that anyway. 

Walking away, I could hardly see straight. That kind of thing makes me so mad. So mad in fact that one minute I was walking along, muttering angrily, and the next, I was flat on my face with a cut on my leg.

"Well, those were certainly interesting scenarios you and Marshall got in today." Lee said, helping me up.

"Thanks. And what part?" I muttered, examining my leg.

He laughed. Of course. "Good point, Fionna."

"Yeah... hey, I have a question: why are you always the one who brushes my hair out my eyes and stuff like that?"

"As opposed to...?"

"As opposed to Marshall, genius." I said, digging a bandage out of my backpack.

"Because he's the rough-and-tough vampire king. And I am him. Just evil. Apparently, this means I'm the more sophisticated one, but hey. I like scaring the girl I like sugarless. I am psychologically messed up like that."

"What...?" I asked, looking up sharply.

"Yeah, well, I'm Marshall. And even without this morning, you two are... well, it just makes me hate Marshall more." Lee said, blowing a lock of Marshall's hair out of his eyes.

"You threatened to kill me several times, once you were about to bite me, and one other time you said you were going to get Marshall to kill me." I pointed out.

"Yeah. Because you see, while I do really like you, I like the idea of complete control of Marshall's body better. So I'm going to have to kill you. No hard feelings."

"Yeah. But you're not going to kill me today." I said, wrapping the bandage around my leg. Unfortunately, it must have been deeper than I thought because it just bled through. Great. Just great.

"And why is that?" Lee asked curiously.

"Because I have just gone through a painful and awkward day, and to kill me would just be... merciful because I would be forced to suffer through the awkwardness with Marshall, Olivia, Laurence, you and Billy."

Lee smiled, baring Marshall's fangs. "But then I'd just want to put you out of your misery, Fi."

"Fair enough. But if you like me, then wouldn't you be psychologically scarred too?"

"I've... been denying it. I've been trying to make it easier for myself." He took my hands again. "Fi, I just can't deny it any longer. Not even a few more minutes. I can make you so happy. I don't know what you see in... him. But one day, I'll have control. Please, Fi."

He sounded so heartbroken to me, even though my mind was telling me, 'Danger!' 'It's not Marshall! It's the guy who's trying to kill you!' 'What the flipping heck are you doing?!' 'I think he's bipolar.' 

 I sighed. "Lee... I'm sorry. But..."

His grip on my hands tightened. "You love him."

"Lee-"

"No. You love him. But you don't even know why. Fi, please. He's toyed with dozens of girls over the years, and I didn't bat an eye. But you- you're special. Fi, I love you almost as much as you love him."

"Lee... I'm so sorry, but..." And, hello, what just happened to, 'I like the iea of controlling this body more than I like you?'

"You don't believe me, Fi? Think about it- a thousand years can get pretty lonely, and I have access to his thoughts. I'm the one who really loves you. Please. Just give him up."

Wait a minute. "If he doesn't 'love' me, then why did you want to kill me?" I asked.

"Fi... Vampires are good at denial. As I've demonstrated. Either Marshall is in the biggest case of denial I've ever seen him in, and believe me, Marshall has been in some pretty big denial, or he's finally accepted that he doesn't love you. He's been wondering. I'm sure Marceline has informed you of the rules of vampires."

"You sure know how to charm a girl." I muttered.

"Fi." Lee sighed.

"Don't call me that." I wrapped more bandages around my leg.

"Fionna, please. I'm so much better for you than him."

"But you aren't him." I said, trying to get all the bitterness that I could feel bubbling up out of my voice. And this guy, who just said he's 'better for me' was about to kill me.

Lee looked at me for a minute, then said, "Your leg stopped bleeding."

A minute later, Marshall was gripping my shoulders and asking me what Lee just did.

"Nothing!"

"Fi, he's trying to kill you!"

"Then why didn't he?! My leg was bleeding, I was literally on my knees! And he helped me up- he didn't try to hurt me at all!"

"Fi, I just don't want him to hurt you." I didn't look at him. What if Lee was right?

"Marshall... let's just go get the blood." I said, finally looking at him.

He grabbed my hands, just like Lee had. "Fi, I am so sorry about anything he did."

"He didn't do anything." I muttered.

"Then why aren't you looking at me? Please, Fi." He sounded as heartbroken as Lee had.

"Because Lee said you were just toying with me." I murmured quietly.

"Fi, look at me." Slowly, I raised my head. "Fi, don't listen to a word he says, okay?" He kissed me softly, making my heart beat like a hummingbird. "C'mon, Fi, let's go."

------

Yay! The first real kisses in this story. And no, the other one wasn't with Lee. He was Marshall when they sort-of, kind-of kissed in the first chapter. Hence the jolt.

And as Nostalgia Critic said, 'Now, a lot of people think it's a lot more threatening when an evil person loves you as opposed to hates you. And to be honest, I can see how that would be pretty scary too.' That's all I'm going to say about Lee and Fionna at the end of this scene.

As for Billy? Believe it or not, I haven't seen his episode. Okay, you believe it. But in a land where girls are constantly rescued, and have been for a long time, it's kind of logical that someone is sexist.