Each step Gumball took, the more pain he felt from his body. Tina really did lay a hand on him, making sure he got what he deserved. And now, he was running like a cowered he always was. The sound of large feet echoed behind Gumball. And he knew exactly who it was. His house was only a block away. He had to try to make it home before any more damage was done to his weak body. But yet, he was too far, and his body was beginning to give up on him. Gumball slipped, falling on the side of his body as he stood up fast enough and kept running.

     "You can't run forever, Gumball." Tina yelled, pushing over a small trash can and even making a few car alarms go off. Her feet slammed down on the ground like an angry toddler running away.

     Just a few blocks up ahead is his family's house. His heart racing and mind swarming with thoughts that he couldn't get out. Now, all he had to do was trick Tina on which direction he was going. But being a stupid teenager he was, he turned his head to find Tina just towering over him. She was so close, so close to catching him. And his plan is now down in the drain as her small arms reach down, almost grabbing him. Without any warning, she fell, pushing Gumball forward.

     His head hit the ground hard, making him gasp out in pain as he lies on the floor, trying to regain strength to get up. His house was right in next to him as he looked up with a blurry vision. He moved his arms slowly on the ground to push himself up, only to fall back down. His legs were stuck under something. And that something was someone. Gumball began to freak out and pushed himself forward with all his strength.

     But to no avail. He was stuck and in pain, his breathing rough and vision slowly going out on him. Then, movement under his leg. He was free, free to move. As soon as his leg was free, he pushed himself off the ground and limped towards safety with a smile. He hopped up those steps towards his own family, who watched from inside while he kept his balance once he swung the door open.

     His body felt as if he was hit by a car. Leg was sprained, cuts were on his body, but mostly his face and the palm of his hands, and a deep cut on the side of his lower back. He slid down against the door after shutting and locking it. Tears and sweat were mixed together, confusing the family as they tried to figure out if he was emotional or just dripping with sweat.

     "You okay!" His mother asked, closing the curtains to keep anyone from looking inside. "I saw what happened, but we'll deal with her later. Right now, we need to get those wounds and cuts all fixed up."

     Gumball was confused. The look on his face even gave it away to his family. "What's wrong, Gumball?" His mother looked down at him as she set her son on the couch.

     "Your...why are you...*sigh* Are you still mad at me? I mean, I almost died out there, and with all of the mistakes I made..." Gumball couldn't hold it in any longer and gave up as he slammed his head into his hands, crying out. "I messed up so bad." He cried out loud.

     "We all make mistakes, Gumball. It's part of life." She lifted her son's head up towards hers. "Look, what you did wasn't right. But you can fix it if you apologize to him. You're not perfect. You were born to make mistakes like us. And me, I made mistakes in the past. Like marrying your father." Richard huffed, slightly yelling in a hurt tone to her with the words, 'hey' out loud."Just learn from your mistakes and don't make them again. And trust me, we'll find him."

     Nicole looked down at her son as he whipped away his tears. "Mom, it just feels weird with him not here. I want to see him, I want to hang out with him again. But how?"

     "We'll have to wait and find out. Everyone in Elmore is looking for him. And the police have had no luck yet. We'll have to sit back and wait a while. If not, we may have to search on our own soon."

     "What if they never find him?" Richard broke between the conversation.

     "If he's in Elmore hiding, they will probably find him somewhere where he likes to go. And if he left Elmore, then he must be anywhere." Nicole lowered her head.

     "Wait, mom." Anais ran downstairs into the living room. Her hands in front of her with a small notebook with the name 'Darwin' written in the middle. She opened the page where she left her pointer finger and showed the text.

     "He's running away just to find his real family. He's been planning it since two months ago." She flipped the page and turned it towards her mother. "And he knows he came from a van, a red van." Everyone turned and looked at Richard.

     "How does he know?" Nicole asked, pushing the book back at Anais. Richard was now in the state of being ripped to shreds or yelled at. "Answer me, please." She tried to stay calm to bot steer up anymore damage that Gumball and Darwin had left.

     "I...I....I hid the papers from you. They were under our bed. He must have peeked inside our room to find out the truth." Richard confessed. "I didn't want him to know, too." It was quiet. The steam coming from Nicole's ears was a bad indication that she was about to explode.

     "I also told him." Gumball confessed. Standing up on his bad leg. "I told him a small portion, but not all of it. I even told him the documents were in your room under the bed." The three starred at him in shock. But Nicole was steaming with rage.

     "YOU WHAT!" She yelled. "You have to idea what you have done. I have no idea how much trouble you are gonna be in. And him, out there all alone with no food, water, or shelter and is looking for his real family. He's in trouble. It's a dangerous world out there." She took a step forward, making Gumball take a step backward. "When I'm done with you, I'm going right straight to the police and making a report to fine that van."

     Gumball is bow against the wall, shivering down to his toes. His mother was no longer herself. And the family seemed to be falling into peace's. Just as his mother walked away just to stop and turn around with her hand high up in the air before colliding against his cheek, making Gumball push his body against the wall from a loud and rough blow to his face. His family, including his mother, looked at him with shock.

     Nicole had that expression on her face as her hands covered her mouth. She was shocked at what she had done to her son. And her anger had finally taken over her, which she didn't want.

     Gumball looked at his family before running up the stairs towards his room. Nicole and Richard, including Anais, who hid behind her father, heard the door shut loud enough for the Robinson's to hear from next door. Richard held a hand out to protect Anais from his wife. And Nicole, who looked down at her hands as she turned towards her family with tears.

     "I-i...I didn't me-mean to." She gasped out the words.

     "I don't wanna hear it." Richard said, stepping back with Anais behind him. "There's already too much damage done to this family by those two, and now you join in by hitting our son?" He didn't want to say it, but he had to. "What kind of mother lashes out on their kid like that?" Nicole turned around to hide her face.

     "Richard ple-" he had enough and quickly turned to pick up Anias, but now she was missing.

     "Where's Anias?" He began to freak out but stopped to hear her talking upstairs with Gumball. A sigh of relief to both parents as they had thought she ran away like their second oldest son.