The Road Less Taken

by ButtercupSaiyan

The girls are starting to grow up, and encounter some unexpected challenges

The Road Less Taken
by ButtercupSaiyan (buttercupsaiyajin@hotmail.com)

----

Blossom looked down discontentedly through the swirling bath waters. She knew what she would see: herself. Whatever that definition of "self" was. She would never know the trials of birth or death or what laid beyond it; she had simply appeared in this world, knowledgeable, and would fade or implode into oblivion when the end of her time came.

All that she saw when she looked at her reflection was some kind of freak. She wasn't even human. She lacked a nose, ears, shoulders, navel, fingers, toes, among other things. Her eyes were too large, and her body was oversimplified to fit some twisted concept of aestheticism. She was the perfect little girl.

She would never know the experiences of being a mother, growing old, and passing on. These humans were confused about the existence of Heaven, but she wasn't. She knew it was there, but she would never reach it. Or even hell. She wasn't God's creation, just some imperfect mimicry of life.

Some people would have argued that aging and death weren't something to look forward to, but she would have gladly embraced her life as such, even old and decrepit. Being locked into a child's body had taught her what everyone else took for granted.

Her thoughts rolled endlessly along the same vein. Blossom had been becoming increasingly depressed as the years moved on. The Professor had aged, but she and her sisters had not. Even fighting super villains was losing the spark it once had.

Bubbles looked over and noticed the woebegone expression on the other girl's face. She reached over and rubbed her back gently with a hand -- "appendage" corrected a nasty little voice in Blossom's mind.

"Is something wrong?" Bubbles asked quietly. She seemed to know instantly when something was amiss with anybody. Blossom looked over at her, marveling at how in six years, Bubbles had hardly changed. Her childish optimism and unconditional empathy seemed eternal, even in the face of knowing the evils of the world.

"No ... nothing's wrong," Blossom said, smiling with false cheer. "Just been working my brain too much."

"Well, stop working it," Bubbles said, with the hint of a smirk. Blossom couldn't help but laugh.

She got out of the tub, and dried herself thoroughly off with a towel. Blossom knew it was almost time for school, but she had enough time. She floated into the living room.

The Professor was laid back in an ancient recliner, shielding himself behind the morning newspaper. He was staring at the pages, but she didn't think that he was actually reading the words.

"Professor?" she said nervously. He looked over at her. "I think we need to talk."

"Shouldn't we talk about this later, honey?" he suggested amenably.

"No," she stated flatly. He frowned with concern. Blossom took a deep breath. "Look, I ... my sisters ... we're unnatural!"

He hung his head downward, and for a moment, she feared that he was going to hide behind his newspaper again, and ignore her. When he looked up again, she saw tears in his eyes and knew that was not the case.

"How can you say that?" he whispered softly.

She stammered, at a loss. Her nerve had shriveled like a grape in the sun. "I ... I ... I just want to be able to have children, if I wanted to. Be old. Die. Be equal to everyone else."

"My little angel ... you're equal and more than everyone el -- "

"No!" she said angrily, cutting him off. He looked startled. So many years of rejection and cruel laughter and odd looks toward her had nestled a hard, cold core inside of her and it was breaking free. "I don't need your platitudes! I just want you to fix the problem."

"Of course," he said sadly. There was a long, uncomfortable pause. He looked into her eyes, and realized what she had stolen from her before her creation. She understood the fallibilities of growing older and of mortality -- and craved them desperately. "I know ... I took risks, and I guess I made a mistake ... you aren't who you want to be ... but what I've wanted you to be."

"No ... it's not like that ..."

"I'll be in the lab. I trust you girls know the way to the school well enough now not to have to always have me driving you around. When you get home, everything will be ready." He stood up slowly, and she noticed the gingerliness which he had been moving around with of late.

"Dad?" she questioned again before he left the room completely. He froze, his back facing her still. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it wasn't visible to her.

"I didn't mean all that."

He turned around, and rushed forward to hug her. "It's ok. Everything will be better soon. I promise."

"Okay," she said, her face breaking out into a weak, if genuine, smile. She could never doubt his word. The tender moment was interrupted by Buttercup clearing her throat from the hallway. Both of them blinked.

"I don't know what that was all about," Buttercup said slowly, "But dontcha think we should be getting to school now?"

"Yeah," Blossom agreed, and pulled away from the Professor. The two girls disappeared in double blurs around the house, gathering their things and Bubbles. They were out the door in only a few moments. A few papers fluttered off of the coffee table at the speed of their departure.

Buttercup gave Blossom a quizzical expression, and elbowed her sister's side. "Hey! What was that about?"

"Oh ... you'll see," she replied enigmatically.

* * *

The Powerpuff Girls arrived back from school. Blossom tossed her backpack on the bedroom floor, and flopped down on the bed listlessly. She would do her homework later. Buttercup grabbed her baseball mitt, and zipped out of the room, presumably heading toward the park. She always played in the little leagues after middle school was done.

Bubbles was shrugging out of her school uniform, and changing into the typical dress they wore whenever they expected to be "on call" for superheroine duty. "Wait, Bubbles," Blossom said. Her sister blinked, and turned to look at her in curiosity.

She glanced quickly at Bubbles' form ... as expected, she was identical in development ... or the lack of it. Still the same adorable kid as ever ... forever. "You don't have anything either."

"Um?" Bubbles asked, looking confused.

"You know," Blossom said dully. Bubbles' expression cleared into recognition, and she looked faintly sad. "We aren't like other kids."

"I know," she said. "But ... it's just the way things are." Bubbles shook her head, and continued dressing. Blossom looked away. That won't be the way things are forever! The Professor will fix it, she thought angrily to herself.

"Do you ever wish that you were like a normal kid? I mean, got older?" Blossom interrupted again.

Bubbles regarded her with a silent stare and nodded. Her disquiet faded and she finished dressing, and left the room quickly. Blossom laid down on the bed, gazing at the ceiling for a long time.

"Girls! I've got something to show you! Come downstairs!"

Blossom perked up, and was downstairs in a pink flash. Bubbles was a few seconds behind her. "Yes, Professor?"

"Now, girls ... " he began, almost in a lecturing tone, "I've been working in my lab all morning and I think I found a solution."

"Solution to what?" Bubbles asked. Professor Utonium continued blithely on.

"I found a way to alter the chemical X make-up of your bodies, hopefully without sacrificing your superpowers. But girls ... I don't know what kind of effect it will have. You'll be taking a risk if you try it."

"Try WHAT!?" Bubbles snapped impatiently. He blinked at her. "Blossom wanted you all to be more like normal children." The blonde retreated back.

Blossom was looking at her steadily, waiting for a response. "No, Professor, I didn't tell her anything about it. She didn't know. I'll be the only one taking the risk."

"No."

The Professor glanced at Bubbles again, and threw up his hands in exasperation. "You girls can figure it out amongst yourselves. Come down and see me in the lab when you're ready." Both girls followed him down into the laboratory. An faint green glow bathed everything.

He turned around to look at them. "Oh, you're here. Alright, well, what I did was I added a few compounds to Chemical X, and crushed down some of the ingre - "

"Professor! We don't need to know how it works," Blossom said, "Just as long as it works."

He sighed softly, looking defeated. He gestured for them to sit down on two stools by a long table decorated with bubbling beakers and jars and knick-knacks. They took their seats, and he pulled out a needle filled a strange pinkish liquid with particles floating it. He held Blossom, and injected her in the arm. Bubbles recieved the same treatment, and winced as the shot penetrated the skin.

The Professor got a beaker full of what was instantly recognizable as Chemical X, but it looked more blue than it did before. He splashed a drop onto Blossom's head. She jerked slightly, looking up at him, and shivered. The drop had disappeared into her skin. He did the same to Bubbles. She was cringing as if expecting to explode at any moment.

Her eyes popped open after nothing happened. "That's it?"

"It takes a few days for everything to completely settle in." He hesitated, uncertainty clear on his face. "Girls, I really don't know what will happen. I tested it on samples of skin cells I had from all of you, and it reacted differently each time. But I do know that it should do what you're hoping for, Blossom."

"Thank you, Professor," she said whole-heartedly, and floated up to her room.

***

The routine continued as usual. Pale twilight trickled in through the large side window to illuminate the kitchen. Crime appeared to be in a slump; they had not gotten any calls later in the afternoon or during the evening. Dinner was the perfunctory event it always was; conversation was dead.

"So ... ah ... how was school today, girls?" The Professor asked cheerily. He got three unreadable expressions. It was 'fine,' 'good,' and 'great.'

Just like it is everyday, Professor ... we had a great time! Except showering after P.E. and the teasing of our schoolmates. But you won't hear about that today. Or ever, Blossom thought dryly.

"Well, I'm done!" Blossom exclaimed, taking her empty dish to the sink and dropped it in with a clatter. She flew up to their room.

"Me too!" Buttercup said, simply leaving her plate on top of the table.

"Me three!"

The Professor was left in the solitude that often accompanied him throughout the day. Sometimes, he wondered if he actually had three daughters, or just three daughters that were only around when necessary.

The occasional thump and yelling came from upstairs, but nothing demanded his immediate attention. Kids would be kids. He settled into his favorite chair, and turned the television on. He fell asleep after an hour or so of watching documentaries, and the evening melted into night.

***

A scream broke through the calm of the Utonium house. The nearby glass trembled in fear of its own demise. Blossom and Buttercup bolted awake out of the bed. Blossom tried to open the bathroom door, but the lock snapped shut on the knob before she could try. Buttercup was looking at the door with a steady, suspicious expression.

Blossom rapped on the door. "Bubbles? Is everything okay?"

"No. You come in. Not Buttercup."

"What are you two hiding from me?" Buttercup interjected.

"I'll tell you later," Blossom hissed. The doorknob unlocked, and Blossom pushed it open. She shut it quickly, and saw Buttercup's startled expression as it closed in her face. Blossom would probably regret it later. She turned the lock again, and faced Bubbles.

Bubbles was wrapped from head to toe self-consciously in a towel, despite being dressed in her nightgown already. Her blue eyes were misting over.

"What is it?" Blossom asked. Bubbles shook her head mutely.

"Look at yourself, Blossom."

She didn't answer. Blossom glanced toward the door. "Buttercup, go away!"

There was grumbling from the other side. She cracked the door open a minute later to see if her sister was gone. The hallway was empty in both directions. She shut it and locked it again.

"You changed?" she asked quietly. The other girl gave a short nod of her head. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. Do you know what the changes are for, and why the other girls look like you do now?"

"I'm not a baby," Bubbles responded defensively. "I know what for. It's just so weird! I got up to go to the bathroom and ... "

"I'm sorry if I pushed you into anything because I wanted this," Blossom said apologetically, looking away. Bubbles looked up.

"No, you didn't. I think this is what I wanted for a long time ... have a normal life. Blossom, it bothered me as much as it did you. I bet Buttercup feels the same way."

Blossom rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably. She hadn't given much thought to her sisters being similarly dissatisfied. "Yeah ... well ... I'll tell her about it later. Do you want to know anything?"

Bubbles slumped lower, seeming to try to pull into herself with embarassment, and shook her head curtly. Blossom just nodded respectfully, and floated out of the bathroom. Bubbles drifted out and followed behind her, pale, looking like a spirit that might be blown away by the slightest breeze. Buttercup glared at them from the end of the hallway, already in her school uniform. Bubbles hid behind her sister.

"Don't worry about her," Blossom mumbled, hovering near Bubbles protectively. She guided her back to the bedroom. They couldn't forget they had school today, and a rehearsal in music class. Blossom was dreading it; she aced her other classes, but had difficulty mastering the violin. Bubbles loved the class herself.

They dressed quickly into their uniforms, and shoved everything into their backpacks at the last minute. As if on cue, the Professor's voice rang out: "Girls! Are you ready?"

"Yes, Professor!" they chimed together and flew downstairs. Buttercup flew behind them, her arms crossed, and her face a mask of irritation. They took to the skies, heading toward Pokey Oaks elementary school. The town spread out grandly below them, but the sight had lost its charm long ago.

Buttercup cleared her throat. Blossom and Bubbles looked back at her.

"Any of ya wanna tell me the big secret?"

Blossom coughed. "Well, you see ... I brought it up with the Professor yesterday that we should be able to age and try to live decently ... the way is was just wasn't cutting it ... so he fixed it."

"He fixed it?" she echoed quietly.

"Yeah ... you could try the same."

Buttercup looked angry. "Why didn't you just tell me earlier? Well, I'm gonna get fixed! I hate the way this is right now!" She zoomed back toward the house.

"Wait, Buttercup, you're gonna be late for school!" Blossom protested.

"I don't care!" she cried back, and disappeared into the Utonium household far behind them.

***

Buttercup had come into class late and got a tardy slip and an invitation to detention after school. Blossom and Bubbles went home alone. They hopped up the stairs, eager to get to the sanctuary of their room. Blossom pulled her folder out of her backpack, preparing to start on her homework already. A tiny metallic click made her look up. Bubbles floated away from the door.

"Um ... Blossom?" she asked nervously.

"Yes?" she replied kindly, but her thoughts skittered.

Bubbles looked flustered, and she wrung her hands. "Well, you see, this morning ... I was just kinda curious ... that's normal, right?"

"Of course," Blossom answered supportively, and inwardly steeled herself.

"And I was just ... kinda .. looking and figuring out myself ... and, well, I don't know ... what ... something is?"

Blossom looked at her. Bubbles looked back, flushing slightly, as if hoping her sister were psychic. "I don't know what you're talking about. Can you be more specific?"

"It's ... ah ... it just feels like warm electricity if I touch it ..." Bubbles said softly.

"No! You shouldn't do that!" Blossom exclaimed.

"Do what?" Bubbles asked, confused.

"Touch it! That's ... just bad," she finished lamely.

Bubbles looked mortified. "B - but how else am I supposed to know what's what? Why is it bad? It feels good, and I ain't hurting anybody."

"You aren't. You aren't hurting anyone," Blossom corrected. "And ... well ... I guess ... well, just don't tell anyone else about it, ok? Just, please, don't go talking about it, especially not to the Professor. Or he'll change us back or something."

"Okay ..." Bubbles agreed quietly. Tension was almost palpable in the air between them. "Well, I'm going to go out and take care of my flower garden."

Blossom nodded imperceptibly. "And I'll take care of my homework."

And everything was fine then.

***

Buttercup came home from school in the late afternoon. The Professor didn't lecture her; he had already scolded her that morning for coming back to the house. It was make-your-own-meal from leftovers night. Blossom was getting out a container of cold chicken noodle soup from the refridgerator when the hotline buzzed. Both of her sisters were at her shoulders in a split second, eavesdropped. Any break from the litany of their days was welcomed.

"Yes, Mayor? What's the problem? The ... Townsville septic tanks ... are overflowing ... ? NO. Call Citysville and hire some people." Blossom hung up the phone irritably.

"Shouldn't we help?" Bubbles asked.

Blossom explained what "septic tanks" were.

They dispersed again. The Professor was eating a TV dinner in front of the television, and Bubbles and Buttercup were watching some mind-rotting sitcom with him. Blossom shuddered, and retired upstairs to settle down with a long novel she had been reading on and off for several weeks.

A few hours later, Buttercup and Bubbles came up the stairs and into the bedroom. They changed into their night clothes, and crawled into bed. Blossom looked at the clock: it was already 9 P.M. Rats. Her book had just got to the part where the hero had found the villain, and ready to slay him.

She closed it, and set it on top of the dresser. She changed into her pink nightgown with a rustle of fabric. She stopped briefly to look outside at the large full moon hanging outside the window, pouring in pale light and casting ghostly shadows. Blossom shook her head, creeped into bed, and soon drifted off to sleep peacefully.

***

She was later awakened by soft, ragged breaths. Blossom opened her eyes groggily, and looked for the source of the noise. She found it, and closed them again tightly, imagining pleasant sandy beaches and roaring oceans like her Yoga class had taught her. It wasn't working. The gasps continued.

"Bubbles!" she snapped, and then looked over at Buttercup fearfully, afraid that her voice had awoken her sister. Buttercup mumbled in her sleep, and turned over pulling the blankets over her. Blossom relaxed, but gave her sister a stern look. She lowered her voice. "It's wrong! Stop it! And go to sleep."

"Why is it wrong?" Bubbles inquired softly, coming closer to her. Blossom gave her a flat look. Why couldn't her sister understand simple things? It was just wrong. "It feels good, it ain't hurting anybody, why is it wrong?"

"It ... it just is," Blossom reasserted.

Bubbles had a strange expression pass over her face, as if she had thought of something. "Come on, I bet it isn't as all bad as you say." She reached down toward Blossom and brushed her. Blossom jerked away, her eyes wide with shock. Her head hit the dashboard of the bed, and she swore under her breath.

"What the HELL are you doing!?" she demanded.

"I was just trying to show you, is all ... "

Blossom searched for a response, but fury and other emotions stole her ability to be coherent.

Buttercup tossed and turned in her sleep, then kicked the blanket off angrily. She gave both her sisters a glare. "What's all the noise about, huh? Why did you wake me up?" She noticed how close together they were. Too close for comfort. Her eyes darted back and forth between them, and then narrowed with distrust.

Bubbles hesitated. "I was just hugging Blossom goodnight." To prove her point, she hugged her sister. Blossom stiffened involuntarily, and just barely kept from scowling. She forced a smile and hugged Bubbles back. And released her perhaps a bit too soon.

Buttercup only frowned at them for a long time, and then hopped out of bed, muttering under her breath. "I'm gonna sleep in the living room tonight ... you two creep me out ..."

The door opened and shut softly. Blossom glared at the other girl angrily. "Don't you know that what you did is very, very wrong!?" she hissed. "People ... girls ... don't ... do that!"

"Why?" Bubbles countered.

"We already talked about it."

"No, we didn't," Bubbles replied slowly. "You never did answer my question."

"It's wrong .. because ... because ... " Blossom sighed. "It just is, okay! Don't ever do it again!"

Bubbles' eyes started shimmer with unshed tears. "But ... but ... but don't you love me? I thought people who loved each other were supposed to make each other feel good and make each other happy. That's what the Professor said when I asked him. He said it was an act of love."

"N-no, Bubbles. Family love each other in a different way. They don't show their love that way. It wouldn't be right," Blossom said, softer.

"Who are you to decide what's right?" she replied. "I don't see why it's wrong. You still haven't given me a reason why."

Blossom looked flustered. Her face was flushed, perhaps not solely from anger. "Bubbles! Can't you understand? It'll hurt you and me in the end if you insist on doing such immoral acts."

She looked despaired, and a tear escaped her. "Only your morals. How will it hurt? How?" There was no answer, only silence. "There? See. You never listened to me at all."

Blossom tried again weakly, "It's ... not ... right ..." It sounded feeble even to her own ears.

"Who says it's not right?"

"Everyone!"

"Who?"

"I - I don't know who ... but people would say it ... " Blossom said, covering her face with her hands. Bubbles was more ruthless than any enemy she had ever fought. Blossom wished that her sister understood, and didn't cling to her convictions of innocence.

"Should you care what everyone else thinks?" Bubbles asked, looking at her steadily.

"I ... yes! I mean, no! I ... I don't know anymore."

"Please just give me a chance, Blossom," Bubbles continued through the occasional tear, "I swear ... I won't hurt you ... and I love you, and I trust you and you can trust me more than anyone in the world. Who determines what is right and wrong anyway? Do you care? Should you?"

Blossom was silent again, not knowing how to respond. How was she to know that Bubbles was so un-childlike, and at the same time, having the niavete of one? She was also irritated that her sister seemed to be right. "I ... I ... I just don't know ..."

"Please?" Bubbles looked at her with those large, soulful blue eyes and Blossom's heart shriveled. "I want to learn this with you. No one else. I wouldn't trust a stranger. That wouldn't be right, someone not trusted, not truly loved. How can a love be purer than how we trust each other?"

Bubbles encirled her arms around her red-haired sister and hugged her. Blossom tensed up again.

"Please. Relax." Bubbles said quietly. Eventually, Blossom relaxed. Bubbles' words echoed in her head, almost with a tone of comfort ... it was so easy ... to think it true ... she felt safe, like nothing could harm her ...

NO! a voice inside cried. This is wrong, wrong! Leave! Now!

Blossom began to get up, but Bubbles hugged her tighter. She settled down on the pillow again, and the voice faded. Bubbles gently rubbed her cheek against Blossom's with affection. She looked like a small kitten, eager for attention.

Bubbles got up suddenly, and Blossom blinked. Her sister drifted around the room slowly. There was the soft click of the lock on the door, whumps of the windows being closed, and then darkness closed in as the two lamps on either side of the bed were turned off.

"Where are you?" Bubbles asked from the darkness.

Blossom heard a soft thump. Bubbles mumbled, "Wall ..."

"Here," Blossom whispered. Her eyes hadn't adjusted yet either. She blinked again, owlishly, and Bubbles settled onto the bed again, feather-light. Her sister snuggled close against her. Blossom didn't resist this time.

Bubbles gently touched her leg. Blossom lifted her head, looking at the other girl with an expression bordering on fear. She stopped, sensing the other's anxiety. "Um .. it's ok, I promise it won't be bad. It feels good. I'll show you."

"Bubbles ..."

"Please? I love you. Only love. Will not hurt you. I'll make sure no one ever hurts you," Bubbles said quietly, and Blossom was halfway convinced. She lifted up her sister's nightgown, pulling down her underwear slowly.

The redhead shut her eyes, feeling embarrassingly naked and vulnerable to the air. She wished she could see better, but she only could see Bubble's sillhouette and the occasional glint of her eyes. She knew she was being looked at, though.

Bubbles murmured, "Like me ..." She softly ran her hand over Blossom. She shivered.

"C -- careful?"

Bubbles nodded, and felt around gently until she found the elusive spot she was searching for, that she remembered. Blossom sank back into the pillow, gasping. Bubbles was right. How could something this good be wrong? She ... she never imagined ...

Blossom was pulled upright, and Bubbles had an arm around her shoulders, hugging her tight and holding her up. Bubbles moved her hand faster. Her sister shuddered with each movement that sent waves of pleasure through her.

The blonde girl's grip tightened on her, almost stiflingly. Blossom didn't care though; perhaps Bubbles was afraid that she would bolt or hurt herself. Her doubts melted away. Bubbles hesitated with indecisiveness, and then moved her hand away from the apex. Blossom met her gaze. Bubbles looked up at her, not daring to do anything.

"You won't hurt when ... ?"

"I won't," Bubbles promised, "I know how it is."

Blossom shut her eyes, waiting. Bubbles only touched her gently though at first with small motions, gathering her nerve. She softly nudged further, stopping just short. Blossom moaned, and put the pillow over her face to stifle herself. Bubbles stopped and peeked over the pillow at her, grinning impishly. Blossom smiled weakly back.

Bubbles looked a little smug. "I told you so. It's not bad. And I love you." She hugged Blossom. Blossom gave her a squeeze back. She was still catching her breath.

"I'm not finished," she whispered. "But maybe I am ... are you ready?"

Blossom nodded slowly. Bubbles kisses her lips lightly, barely touching her. Blossom put her arms around her sister, and kissed her deeply. At this point, it would be a little silly for her to hold back now.

Bubbles left an arm around her, and traced her hand down Blossom's body slowly, giving her plenty of time to change her. She still wasn't sure what to do ... Bubbles had only touched herself this way once ... she hoped that she could do it right on someone else.

She just cupped Blossom for a while, waiting, then went onward. Blossom cried out, and covered her mouth. She arched her back. Bubbles stopped for several seconds, gazing at her sister's face for warning, and then continued, taking it slower.

Blossom suddenly winced. "Ah .. there is ... please be careful!"

"Oh?" Bubbles asked.

" ... maybe you shouldn't try that anymore," she said softly. Bubbles agreed silently, and pulled her hand back. She tried a different motion. Blossom quivered, breaking out into a cold sweat.

"Oh ... "

Bubbles remembered something hat had felt so good to her ... perhaps it was the same with her sister?

It seemed to be, when she picked up momentum. Blossom was beyond words, and only panted and gasped for breath. Shudders wracked her body almost rhythmically, and her mind was miles away from rational thought. Blossom whispered raggedly, "Bubbles ... !"

Bubbles stopped, concerned that she had hurt her. "What?"

"I don't think I can take much more ..." Blossom said breathlessly. Bubbles assented, and redressed her.

She patted her sister's stomach, and then pressed close to her. Blossom embraced Bubbles and held her close for a long time. They fell asleep in each other's arms, hair mussed carelessly, and into a deep slumber.

***

"Geez," Buttercup griped, "Dontcha know that you're supposed to let go when you hug somebody? Come on, get up, ya weirdos. It's eleven o' clock in the morning already."

A pillow was the only thing the brunette got for her trouble. She growled, and grabbed hold on the blanket on the bed, giving it a hard tug. Bubbles and Blossom went tumbling to the floor unceremoniously. Bubbles came awake with a startled cry.

Buttercup crossed her arms, and floated back out into the living room. Blossom's brain worked slowly. She suddenly got a chill up her spine remembering the events of last night. How was she going to live this down?

Bubbles clung to her, holding her hand. She floated out after Buttercup, and smelled something very delicious cooking. Of course! It was Saturday morning. They always did something special at the end of the week; the one highlight to it. Blossom looked back at her sister.

Bubbles smiled back, looking very pleased. Blossom shut her eyes. The honesty of what had occurred was almost too much for her to bear. She was supposed to protect Bubbles ... not take advantage of her ...

"Come on, Blossom! Breakfast!" Bubbles said cheerily, heading toward the dining room as if nothing had happened. She looked back, concerned. "Blossom?"

"Um? Sorry."

"Don't worry, Blossom! Just be your normal self. Now let's go eat. I'm sooo hungry!"

"Okay," she said, giving in with a slight smile. There was no way that Bubbles' sweet coaxing would ever fail to move her. She was hungry, anyway.

The Professor was cooking pancakes, with a containers of syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries waiting for use on the kitchen counter. He spoiled them rotten sometimes. Blossom sat down at the table in eager anticipation.

The meal was finished shortly, and he presented his creations proudly. The girls fought over the last pancake. Bubbles ... somehow ... won it from her sisters, and then looked thoughtful. She offered it to the Professor. He shrugged, smiling wrly, and accepted it.

The breakfast was devoured in a short time. Buttercup gave a small burp of satisfaction. Blossom made a face; her sister had no manners sometimes.

Buttercup protested at the look. "It's a compliment!"

Blossom proceeded to gather up all the dishes, and put them in the sink. The Professor shook his head, and picked her up, setting her aside. "I'll do it today, honey. You girls just relax. I know you must have had a rough few days."

"Yeah," Blossom echoed hollowly. Bubbles only smiled, and Buttercup didn't look like she cared one way or another just as long as she didn't have to clean the dishes.

He finished in no time at all, and pulled a chair up to the table. "So where would you girls like to go today?"

"An opera!"

"A baseball game!"

"The zoo!"

Professor Utonium chuckled wryly, and shook his head. "Well, I'm afraid we'll have to find something all three of you agree on."

They exchanged looks. Blossom said, "Well, I guess the zoo would be alright. There is always something new to learn there."

Buttercup knew when she was outvoted. She grinned. "Yeah, and I get to go over and watch all the cool beasts 'n stuff! And watch the caretakers feed them!" She bared her teeth at Bubbles, growling like a lion. Bubbles shielded herself with her arms.

The Professor clapped his hands together with a sound of finality. "Well, it's decided."

***

They had stopped first by the 'Wild Kingdom' on Buttercup's request (demand) since it was closest. She was running up and down the exhibits, looking into them with eager attention, and taunting the animals. The Professor ran after, chiding her.

Blossom tried to manage a healthy interest in the animals, but she had too much on her mind and had been here before several times. The novelty of watching animals fidget and sleep wore off fast. Bubbles just followed her, paying little attention to anything else.

"Blossom?" Bubbles asked tentatively.

"What, Bubbles?" she replied softly.

"Are you gonna be okay with this? You don't look happy."

Blossom hung her head. "I'll be fine ..."

"You're not fine," she said sadly. "Can't I make you happy?"

"Of course you make me happy, Bubbles. That's the problem," Blossom replied.

This kept her sister quiet with thought for some time, trying to digest the logic. The redhead noticed that they were passing a bird exhibit. Bubbles grinned and ran inside. Buttercup crossed her arms, leaning back against a tree, and muttered something about "dumb birds." The Professor just sat on a bench wearily to smoke his pipe.

Blossom sighed, and settled back against another tree. She didn't really have any interest at all now. Buttercup glanced over at her, faintly worried. She leaned over and punched Blossom in the shoulder. "Buck up, sis! It ain't all that bad. Yeah, I know, these other animals are boring but we'll come to a section you like soon."

"Yeah. Right," she replied dully. Buttercup settled back heavily, looking at her. Blossom wasn't meeting her gaze. Two hands settled on the sides of her shoulders, grasping her firmly, and she looked up to a pair of emerald eyes that sparkled with raw anger and concern. Her voice was low enough not to be heard by the Professor.

"Dammit, Blossom, why can't you tell me what is so wrong with you? You've been so weird these last few days and quiet! Man, I know it's a little strange and everythin' ... but you had to know what was coming ... I know you! So what else is wrong, huh?"

"Back off, Buttercup," she said in a low voice. Her sister took a step back, but didn't give up so easily.

"Just tell me. I can take it," she insisted. Blossom only smiled to herself at the thought, and Buttercup turned away from her angrily. Her voice was full of heat. "Fine! I won't help you then."

"Trust me, I won't," Blossom deadpanned. She got up and strided quickly into the aviary. Anything to get away from her prying sister. Except her more cheerful sister hugged her tight the instant that she was in reach. Blossom flinched. Bubbles looked up at her.

Blossom tried to smile, and Bubbles just looked away. Blossom wished that she could stop offending her sisters, but she couldn't help it. Everything was such a mess.

"You needed a hug."

"Huh?"

"You looked like you needed a hug, so I gave you one but you aren't brightening," Bubbles said.

"Brightening?" Blossom grinned widely at her, and pointed at her face. "Happy? See? Happy. Bright and happy."

Bubbles didn't look amused. She rolled her eyes, and grabbed her sister's hand, tugging her along to an exhibit of a brightly-colored bird. She was determined to make Blossom smile. "And this is makes the funniest noise, 'cazza cazza,' and its called a ... a ... ketsacookel ... quetzeroatle ..."

"Quetzacoatl?" Blossom offered.

"Yeah! What you said. And this one over here is a reeeaaally pretty peacock. Isn't it pretty?"

"It's lovely ..." Blossom agreed nodding. They moved on down the line until Blossom was rejoicing inside at seeing the last bird exhibit.

"And this is a macaw parrot!" Bubbles said proudly. "Yup, I know what it is. It'll talk to you. Hello, Polly!"

"Hello," the bird squawked back.

"See?" Bubbles beamed at her as if getting a response from the bird was the greatest thing in the world. Blossom smiled back, and edged out of the aviary behind the Professor and Buttercup who were impatiently waiting on them ahead.

Eventually, they made their way to the ride section. Blossom cheered up a bit. It might be the same old animals and the same old rides, but at least the rides were fun. Buttercup was trying to convince the Professor to let them go on the roller coaster and Bubbles was protesting it.

"I'll hold your hand so you don't get too scared," Blossom said.

"Okay!" Bubbles said, smiling, and skipped after her. Buttercup frowned at her for ruining her fun by dragging Bubbles along. They didn't have to wait in line too long, but there was some trouble over the matter of height. The Professor started arguing loudly with the attendant, and the girls snuck past while they were busy.

They were already ready to get on at the entrance. Bubbles looked at the track doubtfully.

"I don't know ... "

"Come on, ya baby!" Buttercup catcalled at her from the front of the coaster. "Are ya chicken?"

"No!" Bubbles replied, and zipped over in a blue flash to buckle herself in the last seat. Buttercup looked back her with a teasing grin at the other girl's reluctance. Bubbles stuck her tongue out at her.

Blossom walked to the back calmly, and got in beside her sister. Other people flowed in and rapidly filled up the remaining seats.

The rollar coaster started with a bump and then took off suddenly like a bat out of hell across the rickety track and up the slope. Bubbles screamed, and Buttercup's gleeful shouts drifted back to them over the collective sounds of the other riders. Blossom reached out to hold Bubbles' hand as it dipped over the rise. People screamed again.

Blossom could have sworn that the back car lifted off the tracks for a few seconds down each hill.

They were heading towards a incredibly high slope, and the coaster's wheels ticked rhythmically against the track. The noise sent a shiver of fear up her spine. Blossom almost cried out when it climbed to the top slowly. The view was expansive; especially the view downwards. The coaster moved forward.

Bubbles screamed suddenly, and pawed at her buckle in panic. Blossom looked over at her, wondering why she was acting so, and tried to hold her hand. It was slapped away.

There was a screech of metal on metal, and the cars tipped dangerously to the side. The shrieks this time were very real fright, not just thrilled cries. Blossom tried to undo her seat buckle, but it was locked in. The back car slid down and off the track entirely. Bubbles' voice reached an entirely new octave, and she was frozen with panic. Blossom ripped off the buckle in anger, and floated upward.

She looked at the connection between the cars. It was loosening because of the drag. Buttercup yelled something at her, already hovering, and dove for the rest of the coaster. The brunette grabbed hold of the last car, and was trying to stop it. The wooden track groaned and creaked dangerously under the stress. Blossom tried to cry out a warning, already diving down.

The last car broke off, and Buttercup was left with it. The rest of coaster threatened to tip off the tracks as they pulled apart abruptly. Blossom dived for it, and took hold of the new end car. It slowed to a halt. Buttercup set down the car she was left with on the ground, and flew up to take hold of other end of the coaster.

They both set the roller coaster gently onto the ground. Several riders were crying or hyperventilating or simply frozen with shock. A crowd of onlookers and the ride's caretaker surrounded them. Blossom looked up to see the Professor rushing toward them.

The caretaker was shoved aside by an extremely angry manager who tried to explain everything to the crowd. Something about the caretaker being distracted and not noticing a warning light, but being unemployed as of NOW.

The Professor gathered the girls up, and headed out toward the exit. Bubbles was bawling into Blossom's shoulder from stress. Blossom patted her back until she calmed down. Buttercup was trying to convince the Professor how totally cool that was, and if could they do it again.

"I think that's enough excitement for one day, Buttercup," the Professor replied wryly. "Let's all go home and relax."

Strangely enough, Blossom was the cheeriest that she had been all day on the way back. She felt alive.

***

Blossom was sitting up on the roof watching the horizon pink as evening approached. The rest of the day had gone by uneventfully. Downstairs, she heard Buttercup and Bubbles laughing at a movie they were watching. Some lame comedy film about a man and his dog.

She took a deep breath, trying to pinpoint where she had went wrong. Last night's events were so clear in her mind, but melted together at the same time. She wondered if there were any way that things would get back to normal. It was a lot harder to get rid of your family, after all.

Therein lay the problem. She loved her sister to death. She wouldn't leave Bubbles for the world, and she would never be able to break the tie of blood. There wasn't a chance of escape or simply ending it. She would either have to live with it and hide it forever, or bring it out into the open and hope for the best. Jail, maybe. A shattered reputation and exile at worst.

"Blossom?" a soft voice called to her. Blossom shuddered. She was to the point where that voice evoked both love and fear in her.

"I'm over here," she said.

"Oh." Bubbles sat down next to her. "Blossom, why won't you spend any time with us? You're just pushing everybody away."

There wasn't an immediate reply. Blossom trembled, and slumped like a broken toy. "I can't live like this ..."

"Like what?" Bubbles paused then saddened. "Oh. Gee, Blossom, I'm really sorry. I ... I guess it was the wrong thing after all."

"No!" she said fiercely. "Look, what happened, happened. There isn't really a right or wrong except to other people. You taught me that. I just don't have how to face the others."

Bubbles inhaled and leaned closer, "You just don't, Blossom. They don't know." The blonde patted her hand. "Just forget about it and live. You live life for life, not for trying to be perfect in it. I know you want to be ... but it's not going to happen."

If that came from anyone else, Blossom would have been insulted. As it was, she simply accepted it as truth from her sister. "You're right, Bubbles."

She pulled her sister close, and held her as the sun went down. The sky deepened from a pink into a warm yellow and purple until it melted into a uniform twilight blue. A chill crept through the air, and the neighborhood was caught in the moment between day and night. They were blanketed by the shadows.

"If I'm not perfect ..." Blossom began. Bubbles looked up at her with eyes half-shut from contentedness and lethargy.

"Bubbles?"

"Yes, Blossom?"

"Can you just come closer?"

The other girl moved closer without hesitation until snug against Blossom. Blossom put her arm around Bubbles and squeezed gently. Bubbles smiled at her.

Blossom looked out over the quiet town, its skyline glittering with the lights of its many citizens. The surrounding houses showed no activity. She got up and moved down to the lower ledge of the garage roof, where it was sheltered by the boughs of an old oak tree. Bubbles followed her.

Blossom mumbled, "Sorry I pushed you away earlier ... "

"Forgiven," Bubbles said quickly.

Blossom settled back against the cool mortar. She looked over at her sister, with her knees drawn up to her chest, looking back at her pensively. She said softly, "You know, I think I can live this way ... you're such a good person, Bubbles, like the world has never touched you with anything bad. I'm flawed; it touched me too much."

"It's been hard for me, too, Blossom," Bubbles replied.

"I know," she said simply. Blossom stared out at the sky. She pulled her sister against her. "Let's just forget about those flaws."

"Okay," Bubbles agreed easily.

Blossom struggled with her shyness and gently touched the other girl. Bubbles just looked up at her sister with an expression full of love and acceptance. Her eyes fluttered closed slowly, and she held fast to her sister. Blossom closed her eyes as well; the night air was so sweet!

The redhead gently moved her body with her sister's. Barely a sound escaped them. Only the rustle of leaves and symphony of crickets filled the void. Bubbles' lips met hers and she kissed her back, full of desire and the thrill of the forbidden. They clutched at each other tightly.

Bubbles stopped suddenly, and pushed away, her head darting about.

"I heard something," she said in a small voice.

Blossom looked up, and then lowered her head back down slowly. She shut her eyes tightly. Buttercup was hovering in the air nearby, paralyzed. She slowly drifted farther away, her horror growing. Blossom had never seen her sister so disquieted.

"I suspected something but not ... " Buttercup choked out, disgusted, "THIS!"

Buttercup dropped down out of sight. Blossom and Bubbles looked at each other fearfully. They jumped off the roof after their green-eyed sister.

"Buttercup ... don't!" Blossom cried, her voice hitting a high note from panic. Buttercup pushed open the door. The Professor's voice carried from the living room.

"Did you find your sisters, Buttercup?"

"Did I!" she exclaimed, and edged away from Blossom, "I found them going at each other like cats in heat!"

The Professor was struck mute with shock, and then looked angry. "Buttercup! I don't want to hear such things out of your mouth! Now, girls, tell me what's going on."

Bubbles had floated down beside Blossom, clutching her hands to her mouth. They didn't reply. Buttercup filled in for them. "I told you what they were doing! They're lesbos or somethin'!"

"BUTTERCUP! What an awful thing to say about your sisters! Go to your room!"

She fumed. "But -- !"

"Now, young lady!" the Professor said, pointing sternly up the stairs. Buttercup gave her sisters a black expression, and stomped up the stairs. He turned to Blossom and Bubbles, with a soft apologetic look for her behavior.

"I'm sorry, girls. Buttercup can go too far sometimes. Next time, when you two step outside for a while, be sure to tell me, okay?

"Okay," they said together, perhaps too relieved. He nodded at them. "I'm going to have a talk with Buttercup now."

"No!" Blossom said, holding out her hand toward him. The Professor stopped and looked at her, confused. "I mean ... she looked pretty chastined ... and everyone's been under a lot of stress ... can you give her a break, this once?"

He looked at both of them, and then sighed and sunk down into his recliner wearily. "Whatever will make you girls happy. If she does it again, though, I'm not going to be so easy on her. That sort of attitude and disrespect for people will be the ruin of her ... "

Blossom shuffled her feet guiltily, looking at the floor, and went into the dining room to fix herself a snack. Bubbles peeked in from the doorway, and stood back from her. She still hadn't breathed a word. She looked back over her shoulder. The Professor was engrossed in the television, as was the nightly routine. She slumped and fall back against a wall, giving her fiery-haired sister a glance that said volumes.

Blossom put a hand to her forehead, and breathed deeply for a count of ten seconds. She felt bad about letting Buttercup take the rap, but what else was she supposed to do? Tell the truth, and shatter the family, with god-knew what other consequences? Doubt crept into her heart again.

She tried to shake it off, and took out a carton of ice cream from the freezer. She scooped out some into two bowls, and handed one to her sister, who took it politely. They both ate slowly.

"Blossom?" Bubbles said, interrupting her train of thought. "My ice cream is melting. Can you use your ice breath and make it cold again?"

"Sure," Blossom replied, and inhaled deeply. She blew out again. Nothing happened.

***

Blossom and Bubbles looked at each other uncertainly. Blossom tried to use her ice breath again. The ice cream was still a half-melted mess in the bowl.

" ... Blossom?"

"It's not working," she said softly, her voice quavering.

"Try something else!" Bubbles exclaimed, floating up from her chair. Blossom turned away, and tried to use her laser vision. She squinted with effort and the air crackled for a moment with a red tinge. The warmth faded. She bit her lip.

"Wha - What is this? What's happening to you?" Bubbles asked.

"I don't know," Blossom answered, subdued. She went back to eating her ice cream. Her blonde sister did the same in silence.

She didn't bother to collect the bowls off the table when they finish, but simply went out into the backyard. Blossom sat down on a swing and kicked off softly. Bubbles did the same.

The playset quietly creaked with the sound of aged metal. Blossom kicked her legs back and forth softly, hanging her head. The grass became a green blur. She was full of resignation and confusion ... so many things were going wrong lately!

Bubbles darted glances at her, full of curiousity and concern. The swing set shuddered with their every movement as they swung opposite to each other, to and fro.

The inevitable argument rose up from inside of the house.

"Professor! I'm tellin' you the truth!"

"I don't want to hear any more of it, Buttercup! Go back to the room until it's dinnertime. Of course, if you just admit that you were lying, and drop it right now, I'll let you come down sooner."

"What ... ! No! I'm not going to 'fess up when I ain't lyin'! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Buttercup," and his voice was stern, "Enough. You're only going to get yourself into more trouble."

"Where are they? Where the hell are they!? I bet they're doing something right now! If I just had them here, I'd make them tell, I'd show you I was right."

Blossom ducked down and tensed up, ready to fly away on a moment's notice. Bubbles shook her head slowly, and she forced herself to relax.

"Watch your language ... why won't you drop this, Buttercup? Do you want to be punished more? Is there something that's bothering you?"

"Yes! For the last time, I ain't makin' this up!"

"You had better not be, Buttercup Utonium ... "

There were soft footsteps from inside. The Professor stopped at the patio door, gazing out at them. They looked as if they were playing innocently enough, but neither of them had their usual happy demeanor. He realized that they had both been very withdrawn the past few days, and looked at the Buttercup. She only looked back at him confidently, her arms crossed.

He slid the door open. "Girls? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Blossom put her legs down and came to an abrupt halt. Bubbles sat on the swing until it reached its highest point, and floated off of it to the ground. It came back down empty. They exchanged glances, and Bubbles gave an encouraging nod.

"What do you want, Professor?" Blossom replied.

He swallowed and shifted around uncomfortably. "I ... I'm sorry to have to ask you this, Girls, but is what Buttercup said true?"

He need not have asked. They already had expectations of guilt and shame written all over them, in the slump of a shoulder, or eyes that barely met his. Blossom straightened and faced him.

"Yes, Professor."

His eyes went wide. Buttercup strode forward with a grim, smug smile. "I told you so!"

"Buttercup ... I think it's time for you to leave. Go find something to do ... we'll talk again later." She lifted her eyes to his angrily and left. He looked back and pointed away until the brunette disappeared into the gut of the house. He put his hands against Blossom and Bubbles and led them away.

Professor Utonium sat down on the grass. They did likewise, still darting anticipant looks at him. He met both of their gazes. "I'm not mad at you girls. I just think that there are a few things that need clarified. How did it happen?"

Blossom gave a small shrug. Bubbles opened her mouth, and struggled for words. "But, Professor ... you said that it was an act of love. And I love Blossom."

His face fell. The Professor looked at Bubbles, taken aback. "That wasn't what I meant, Bubbles ... I meant that two people that love each other ..."

Blossom broke in, "But I love her too! And it's true. There's no one else in the world that I'd trust more."

"No, girls," he said firmly, "You have the wrong idea. The love between you girls is different. It's not a bond that you'll share with someone else. But it doesn't cover that act ... because you see, in time, it can cause complications."

"How?" Bubbles asked.

"Well ... I'm sorry, girls, I should have talked with you more to keep this confusion from happening. Right now, you're still young and exploring your sexuality. Blossom, I know that one of the reasons you convinced me was that you wanted to be a mother one day. Right?"

She looked down at the ground, and nodded.

"Well, this ... way ... with your sister would interfere with that. So it has to stop now that you understand the difference between some kinds of love. Certain people don't do things with each other because it complicates a natural process," he explained.

Bubbles shook her head fervently. "No! It doesn't complicate ... she can be a mom and still be with me."

"As your sister, Bubbles," he said slowly, "A person can't be in love with two people. It just doesn't work that way."

"It doesn't?" she asked sadly.

"No, Bubbles. Someone has to leave and get hurt so that the other can be fully loved, and I know that you wouldn't want to put that on Blossom. So, please girls, just listen to me; I know what you're doing feels good and you see nothing wrong now, but it will cause trouble. I think it might be best to stop and we'll all just forget about it and move on."

Blossom looked relieved, and Bubbles was ready to cry. The Professor continued. "And, girls, if you have any questions or confusion, PLEASE ask me this time! I know that I've neglected it, and I'm sorry that this happened, but I will talk with you this time."

"Yes, Professor," they said dutifully at the correct moment, voices quiet with resignation.

They both floated off up the ground and away. "Wait ... Blossom, stay here for a moment. Bubbles, you can go." She looked at her sister sadly, as if leaving her to the gallows, and flew off back inside the house.

Blossom held her breath, and turned back toward him. His black eyes were deep with sorrow.

"I think it might be best if I seperate you two for a while."

"No!" she cried in alarm, tears gathering in her eyes. "You can't do that to us!"

He only nodded solemnly, unmoving. She sunk back down onto the ground. Suddenly, she crumpled under a second load.

"There's something else, Professor ... I can't use my ice breath or laser vision. I was wondering if you could fix it." When she lifted her head again, he looked even more grave.

"Use them now, Blossom." She tried, but nothing happened before her. He sighed. "I was afraid of this ... you see, Blossom, in order to make you mortal, I had to take away some of the original potency of Chemical X."

"What does that mean?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"They will simply fade more and more as you age ... "

***

They were down in the laboratory. They had been there all night after an uneasy meal with everyone. The Professor was running test after test, trying to determine if there was some way to stop the side effect. Finally, he threw up his hands and sat down by his desk, covered with scribbled calculations. He couldn't even slow the process down.

"There's nothing I can do, Blossom, without upsetting the balance enough to make you unstable. You'll slowly become what you might have been if the Chemical X hadn't been added. If I try to reassert it after you're already created, it will cause a chain reaction."

"And end in spontaneous combustion," she completed. It was what she had been fearing ever since a few hours ago; an end like the miscreated Rowdyruff Boys or Bunny. Blossom desired death, in a way, but only after she had run her course. Such abruptness scared her.

"I'm going to go make arrangements with Ms. Keane, Blossom. You'll be staying there tonight. Don't make a big fuss about it, and upset your sisters."

The Professor ascended up the steps. Blossom didn't bother to reply, but only sat in contemplation in the gloomy darkness of the laboratory. Eventually, she left the room and out into the hallway. Bubbles was brooding by the staircase. She immediately came back to life when Blossom came into sight. The redhead was tackled and exuberantly hugged.

"Is everything okay? Did the Professor fix your powers?" she inquired breathlessly.

"No, Bubbles." Her sunken hopes were obvious. "I have worse news; more of them will fade away with time, and the same will happen to you and Buttercup."

"No ... " she said softly. "Who will take care of Townsville?"

"Someone else," she answered indefinitely, and went up to her room to pack.

Buttercup watched her from a wary distance. Blossom gave her a disgusted look, and flew over to her dresser, taking out several similar outfits, her school uniform, her nightgown, and underwear.

She collected up what few important personal items she had. Buttercup left the room. Blossom stopped at a crayon drawing that had been left on her vanity.

It was a simple rendition of herself holding Bubbles' hand, and leading her through a cloud. Little red hearts surrounded both of them. A message in pink crayon was written in a corner: To Blossom. I'll love you forever.

Blossom carefully folded it, and put it in her bag.

She went back down the stairs to tell the Professor that she was ready. He was on phone, and she couldn't help but overhear the conversation a room away.

"Yes, Ms. Keane, it would mean a lot to me if you could take her in for a while. You see, the girls have been fighting recently and it's been putting a strain on everyone. We decided that it would be best if we seperated them for a while until it all cools down. Oh, you can? That's great. Thank you so much. I'll be sure to reimburse you for it. No, I insist. Ok, how soon can you be here? Ten minutes? Wonderful. Thank you again, Ms. Keane. Yes. You too. Bye."

Blossom made as if to walk back up the stairs when he entered the room, but he didn't look irritated that she had eavesdropped. She fell in beside him as he sat down on the couch.

"Fighting?" she asked rhetorically, giving him a dry look.

"What else could I have said? I couldn't tell the truth ... speaking of which -- GIRLS! Come down here for a minute!" Blue and green streaks of light zipped into the living room.

"Alright, now, everyone ... this little matter stays in the family. Never tell another soul. Got it, Buttercup?" He shifted his gaze to settle on the green-eyed Powerpuff girl.

She shuffled around, and said grudgingly, "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Lips zipped."

There was the rumble of a car engine from outside. Everyone gathered out in the driveway, her sisters out of simple curiousity. An older car model, with a red paint job and a blocky shape parked. Ms. Keane stopped out, and shared a brief hug with the Professor and coddled and complimented the girls. She had been a friend of the family for years now, and always stopped for dinner to check up on "her" girls.

Blossom noticed that her kindergarten teacher's figure had become more heavyset with age, and her hair was thinning. Her face was still kindly, and accentuated by smile lines. Her blue eyes glittered, and she looked them over as if they were all still five years old.

"Hello, Blossom," she said quietly, crouching down.

"Hi, Ms. Keane," Blossom said mechanically. She always felt half her age when her teacher was visiting.

"Have you girls been getting into trouble?" she questioned. Bubbles started, and looked doubtfully at the Professor. He shook his head.

Blossom jumped in. "Uh ... yeah. Things have been a real mess around here; no one knows how to act reasonably anymore. So I'll be staying at your house for a while."

"I heard," Miss Keane said. She hugged Bubbles, who smiled brightly, and Buttercup, who frowned. "We'd better be going now, Blossom ... I've still got dinner in the oven. Say goodbye to your sisters."

"Okay," she agreed.

She bade a teary farewell to Bubbles. She stepped toward Buttercup, but the other girl's eyes went wide, and she stepped back, holding her arms up protectively. Blossom only stared at her. She hugged the Professor, and then got into the car. It started driving away. Buttercup turned her head down toward the ground.

Bubbles blew her a kiss, and threw her arm back and forth in the air and trotted along after the vehicle for a short distance. The Professor and Buttercup resigned themselves to waving politely. She waved back, and turned away before she started to break down. Her house receded in the distance.

A cool touch on her hand distracted her. Miss Keane smiled at her sadly, trying to offer some small measure of comfort, and then went back to looking at the road. Blossom sighed softly and settled back into the cushioned car seat listlessly.

***

There was a soft pinging against the window. Blossom's eyes fluttered open. She glided over to the window. Bubbles was on the ground, with a handful of rocks in her hand. There was another ping. She grinned when she saw her sister and waved her arms about enthusiastically enough that she would have caught the attention of a blind person.

Her heart beat faster. The Professor had brought her sisters over to visit on the weekends, and she saw them at school but it wasn't the same. She was either watched constantly by the Professor, or by fellow students.

Blossom knew that Miss Keane would be dead to the world this late at night, but still opened the window quietly.

She hovered uncertainly then drifted down and took her sister's hands, flying them both back up. She set Bubbles down gently on the floor, and took a seat on the bed. For Bubbles, one of the first things to go was flight.

It had only been two weeks, but her sister had grown, as had Blossom. Her long red hair almost touched the floor by now, and she didn't have to fly just to pick something up off the counter. She missed her family terribly, and Ms. Keane was very nice, but it wasn't the same at all.

"Hi!" Blossom said to her sister, smiling.

"Hi!" Bubbles chirped back. They smiled at each other then embraced tightly.

Blossom pulled back and sat on the edge of the bed, kicking her legs. Bubbles looked around appraisingly. The guest room had been spontaneously converted from storage to its original use, and it showed. A few crates were used as both chairs and desks. She picked up her drawing off of one, looked at it, and set it back down.

There was an awkward silence. Bubbles pulled up a crate and sat down, facing her.

"How has everything been?" she prompted.

"Not so good," Bubbles replied truthfully. "The hotline buzzes at least three times a day 'n it's almost always Mojo. He's figured out that our powers are going, and the Professor been makin' stuff left and right to help us ... it's always a new armor suit or a weapon or somethign to test out ... we've even used the Dynamo again a few times."

"Oh," Blossom said quietly. She would have to remember to contact the phone company about routing hotline calls to Ms. Keane's home, and making it three-way calling. She felt very left out, and guilty about placing such a burden on her sisters. She knew that there was still a lot being unsaid.

"How about you?"

"Me ... um ... nothing much. Not much excitement unless I see a crime in progress," she admitted. "Just ... school. And Ms. Keane takes me places sometimes." Bubbles nodded.

"Buttercup doesn't bother you, does she?" Blossom said, slightly worried. Bubbles shrugged.

"She says stuff when the Professor isn't around ... calls me names, mostly. She won't take a bath with me, eat dinner at the table, or sleep in the same room without the Professor making her," the blonde admitted. "I think ... no ... nevermind."

"Yeah." Blossom laid back against a pillow. Bubbles wandered around the room aimlessly, and eventually joined her on the bed. They kept distance from each other by a self-imposed boundaries, and mutual reluctance.

Blossom shut her eyes, pensive. Bubbles wrung the edge of her blanket in her hands.

"Oh, well ... the Professor has been selling a lot of inventions lately. We get a lot of people calling for them. He's even started redecorating the house, and fixed up roof. You remember that one night when the roof gave over the garage and there was water all over the floor and we decided to try ice skating again and we froze the car?"

"Yeah," she said, grinning, "Boy, was he ever mad."

The minutes passed by slowly. Eventually, the blue-eyed girl drew closer. Blossom held her close.

"Will things ever be the same?" Bubbles asked softly, begging for reassurance. She wished that she could give it.

"No, I don't think so, Bubbles," Blossom said sadly.

Her sister hugged her, and sat up, stretching. Blossom felt strangely empty inside, as if everything that ever mattered to her was gone. Bubbles was different now ... grounded to reality. She had lost some part of herself.

Maybe something inside Blossom had died too.

"Hahh ... I'd better go now 'fore Buttercup decides to check on me, and I get in big trouble," Bubbles whispered.

"Yes," Blossom said. "I don't want any more trouble."

They looked at each other. Blossom gave her a gentle squeeze, and held her hand. She lowered Bubbles to the ground safely. The night air was very cold tonight. Thin nightgowns offered little protection.

Bubbles lingered still, and Blossom planted a kiss on her forehead. "Take care."

"You too," Bubbles said back after a moment, and headed back in the direction of the Utonium household. Blossom knew that it would be a long walk home for her.

Finit.

----

Disclaimer: The Powerpuff Girls and all related trademarks are copyright to Cartoon Network. No monetary donations or any sort of financial gratuity were derived from this work, and it is for entertainment purposes only as an adult parody. This story may be distributed freely, unaltered, in the form that you found it in. If you wish to alter it (such as for an MST), please e-mail me at buttercupsaiyajin@hotmail.com.

Author's note: This story was originally removed because it carried a different rating. A reader assured me that the story had solid aspects to it since the emphasis was on interpersonal relationships and morality issues, so I've toned it down and resubmitted. I also altered a few typos and awkward sentences and removed parts that seemed extraneous to the mood of the story.

Several people have been unhappy or confused about the ending; that is indeed the end of the story. Blossom and Bubbles came to a turning point in their lives and passed it. It'll be a long walk home, still learning how to live. Some aspects of the fic were based on my own life, and I wrote the story as an emotional carthasis. That was the conclusion I reached, and if I changed it, I would be cheating myself out of why I wrote the story. I hope you found something worth reading here.