93,000 Miles

Summary: Insecurities AU – Trekking across the desert on foot for two weeks was not exactly something that Buttercup had envisioned herself doing – however, she was on a mission to find herself – and someone had tipped her off that a piece of her was located somewhere in the hot, dry dunes of the Sahara. The road to correcting past mistakes was never an easy one. Two-shot. GREENS

Authors note: Dealing with insecurities can be difficult.

Going a little bit off the beaten path with my own Head-cannon for the Green's, I wanted to try something a little different, and play with some insecurities that the girls (Buttercup) might experience in her adult years. And what might happen if other choices had been made…

This story may or may not have been inspired from Kill Bill.

The Powerpuff Girls do not belong to me and as always, they have human appendages.

They are roughly 25-26 years old.

Part I

Trekking across the desert on foot for two weeks was not something that Buttercup had envisioned herself doing.

And why would she? She could fly after all, so what was she doing walking?

If she was honest with herself, then she could admit that she was prolonging the time it would take her to reach her current destination. She was taking her time, but slowly and surely, she was coming closer and closer to where she needed to go.

Her boots sunk into the warm desert sand and she paused on the top of a dune to take a few gulps of water from her canteen. She was silent as she reflected back on why she had even come out to the Sahara in the first place.

She was on a mission. A mission to find herself. Not just herself, but a specific part of her – a part that she didn't realize that she needed.

She was looking for someone. A very certain someone in fact – and she had been tipped off that the person she was searching for was out here somewhere in the middle of the desert.

It hadn't been easy finding the place – or finding the person that she was looking for in said place for that matter. The person she was looking for had taken off without so much as a word to anyone after one particular… event, that had taken place roughly four months ago, and no one had known where they had gone.

Of course, they would take off into the middle of a desert, because why not? It was isolated and very hard to find. A perfect spot for someone who didn't want to be found.

It was only after some desperate begging, that Mitch had finally dropped the possible location of the person she was trying to track down – warning her not to disappointed if the person wasn't pleased to see her.

That was fine though – she wasn't expecting the person to want to see her anyways.

Screwing the cap back on her canteen, she began to walk down the sand dune. She shouldn't be far from her destination now.

As she walked, she fingered a chain fastened securely around her neck and she breathed a sigh of relief. Good, it was still there.

Not like it was ever coming off – she had practically welded it on to her neck after all. She moved her hand down to touch the circular pendent that hung off the chain under her shirt. It was by far her most treasured possession. She didn't know what she would do if she lost it.

It was what had brought her out here in the first place after all.

After another hour of walking she spotted it. There, off in the distance, was a dark shape spread out across the horizon. As she got closer to it, the shape began to take form, only to reveal a sprawling military compound, surrounded by barbed-wire fences and watch towers.

She grimaced slightly as she continued to walk towards it. She shouldn't be there – technically she shouldn't even know that the place existed – but being a Powerpuff girl had its advantages, and she had clearance to every single military base that was operated under the American government – getting in wouldn't be a problem.

It was what would come after she got in, that she was dreading.

A small alarm went off as she approached the gate, and a voice on a loudspeaker echoed from one of the guard towers. "Ma'am, this is a restricted area operated by the American Military force, you need to leave now!"

She smirked as she pulled off the shawl that was concealing her face. Pulling it off, she shook her head, letting her long, dark hair spill down past her shoulders. Turning to face the direction of the guard tower, she sent them her trademark grin, and flashed her government clearance badge up at the tower. "What's up boys?"

"Holy shit, is that Buttercup Utionum?" The same voice from before asked on the loudspeaker.

"Gotta be – no one else has eyes that colour." A second voice came over the speaker.

"Do you think she's here to see him- Sorry about that Ma'am, come though please." A buzzing sound echoed through the air as the chain-link fence slowly rolled open enough for her to squeeze though.

Pushing her way thought the fence she came face to face with a young private. Snapping his heels together he gave her a salute. "Ma'am, I'm at your service, ma'am. We were not expecting a visit from you ma'am. Has something happened back home ma'am?"

"At ease, private." She chuckled as she patted his shoulder. "Everything's fine on the home-front. I've come here for a more… personal reason."

"I- oh… Well ma'am… I suppose you would like to see the general in charge around here?"

"Suppose you're right private." She muttered as she looked around. "Is your general on hand?"

"Yes ma'am, he might be in a meeting right now, but I'll page for you ma'am."

"Thanks, private." She sighed as she glanced around the compound. Though the recruits where running about the site keeping busy, she could feel multiple sets of eyes on her–

The private brought out a small walkie-talkie and switched it to a different channel, there was a loud burst of static as he tapped the speaker, all the while sending her a slightly uneasy look.

"Ah general?" The young soldier spoke into the walkie-talkie nervously. There was silence for a moment on the other end, before there was a small burst of static, and a rough voice carried though the other line. "What private?"

"Sir, we ah… we have a woman at the main gate here." she smirked inwardly as she noted that the young man in front of her had specifically avoided saying her name to the person on the other end. Good man. Clearly, he had some indication of why she might be there.

Anyone who bother to keep tabs on the Puffs knew.

"The hell? The desert is two weeks in all directions, I don't know how the hell she made it this far, but she can't stay here." The voice on the other end sounded surprised. Oh if only he knew who was at the gates.

"This is private property. Get someone to give her a ride into the nearest town." The voice finally said gruffly.

"Oh sir, she doesn't need a ride." The private began to sweat lightly. "I think she's here to see someone actually…"

"Private are you questioning my orders?" the voice on the other end of the line growled dangerously.

"Sir, I think you better take this one." The young man took a shuddering breath, without taking his eyes off her.

"Why? I'm in the middle of a strategy meeting for Christ's sake. What the hell could be so important about this broad that you feel the need to draw me out of my meeting and-"

"Sir, she's here to see you."

There was silence on the other end for a solid minute, and she started to think that the man on the other end had turned the walkie-talkie off – before another short burst of static came through the line.

"I'll… I'll be out there in a second."

The line went dead afterwards, and the young private shot her an almost pitying look. "Good luck." He murmured as he shuffled off. She nodded her thanks to him as she waited for the General to appear.

She didn't have to wait long.

She heard him before she saw him. The tell-take crack that resonated though-out the compound signaled to her that someone was moving faster than the sound barrier.

Well there was only one other person here aside from her that could do that…

She composed herself and turned around to see him walking towards her.

Standing at close to six feet and five inches, build like a tank, complete with spiky black hair, and sporting his trademark dog tags – was Butch Jojo.

He walked towards her, calmly but swiftly. She stood still as he approached her. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses that hid his eyes from her – but judging from the way that his mouth was set in a firm line, she could tell that his forest green irises were cold as he looked at her.

She honestly couldn't blame him. She hadn't been expecting a warm welcome.

She fingered the chain around her neck as he approached her – the pendent suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds and was searing hot against her skin.

Again, she wasn't surprised.

He stopped within several inches of her and crossed his toned arms against his broad chest, as he stared at her without saying a word. She brushed some of her dark hair out of her face before offering him a weak smile.

"Hi Butch."

He nodded. "Butters." He murmured curtly, but she saw that he bit the inside of his cheek as he said her name.

Good, that meant that he was just as nervous to see her as she was him.

The green powerhouses stood still, opting just to look at each other amidst the bustling army compound, as they tried to find the words that they needed to say to each other – God knows quite a few needed to be said.

Finally, she broke the silence.

She looked up at him and nodded slowly. "You and I have unfinished business."

For the first time since she had laid eyes on him, his mouth twitched upward into a smirk, and a snort left his mouth as he caught her movie reference. Lifting a hand, he removed his shades and his forest green eyes looked right though her – piercing her very soul and stoking her bones.

He snorted again.

"Baby, you ain't kidding."

Next Chapter…

"You left me standing there for hours looking like a damn fool Buttercup!" He snapped as he glared at her.

"I didn't even know you had left until I sent Brick and Boomer to go looking for you – they couldn't find you anywhere, and that's when I knew you dipped. What the hell did you do? Jump out a second story window in your dress?"

"Actually yes." She said with a sheepish smile. "That's exactly what I did."