The Talk

"I see," Professor Utonium said at length. Hands clasped, supporting his chin. He remained mostly silent throughout. They sat at the kitchen table, where Professor had spent most of his day so far. As when they ate together, Blossom sat to his left, Bubbles across from him, and Buttercup beside Bubbles.

Buttercup had explained as best she could the development of her feelings and struggles with them. Yesterday she'd decided to push beyond her fears and tell Bubbles how she felt. She'd been certain of rejection, so she simply wanted to get it out and tell Bubbles that while she couldn't change the way she felt she had it under control and Bubbles didn't need to worry about her.

Instead, as the girls grew later and later for class, when Buttercup was unable to spit it out she became desperate and kissed her sister instead. Buttercup was pretty embarrassed by that. She admitted it pretty much invalidated her claim that Bubbles had nothing to worry about before she even made it.

At that point Bubbles explained that she was pretty shocked by what had happened and left without responding to any of it. Even by the end of the school day she hadn't been able to think clearly, so instead of going home or seeing Buttercup again she crashed at Mike's house.

Everyone already knew about the morning's fiasco. Princess had somehow acquired a picture of yesterday's kiss and kindly dropped reams of it on the school via helicopter. Buttercup fled in the ensuing mess. Shortly after that Blossom had found Bubbles riding to school with Mike.

Buttercup said she'd felt awful about it all when she flew off. Sure, she felt bad about the unwanted publicity, but from Bubbles's reactions before that point she assumed the worst and felt like she had really hurt her sister.

Bubbles had waited at Mike's house for Buttercup to return. She also convinced Blossom to let her be the first one to talk to their sister. At the time she agreed to that Blossom wouldn't have imagined that what would happen was even a possibility.

"So Buttercup and I had a little talk," Bubbles continued. "I made sure of how she felt." Bubbles started blushing at this point. "And since Buttercup had been kind enough to...show me how she felt, I kind of...returned the favor." Her face was almost painfully red.

"I found them in bed together," Blossom clarified, speaking her first words since she'd walked in the door with her sisters in tow.

Buttercup spoke up. "At least we weren't doing anything when you showed up."

"So, Blossom," Professor asked, turning to her and cutting off the impending shouting match, "how do you feel about this?"

Startled by the question, she asked, "Me?" She didn't dismiss the question, though. Not like when Bubbles asked. She had a lot of respect for authority in general and her father in particular. "Well, I think it's wrong. Like I told them, I could probably get over a homosexual relationship, but this is incest. This goes against the values of our society and the world. I mean, whatever technicalities of our parentage, you can tell by looking at us we're related, and in any case we grew up and live together as sisters."

"I see," he said again.

For an uncomfortable period no one spoke. Professor stared towards the wall at nothing in particular. Buttercup was the first to speak, though she did so with uncertainty and caution.

"Dad, are you upset with us?"

His smile put her at ease. "Buttercup..." He reached out and put his large, age-worn hand over hers. "All of you are and will always be the most precious, wonderful people in my life."

"But what happens now?" Bubbles asked. "Do you try and change our minds? Split us up? Send us to therapy?"

Professor shook his head before she even finished. He took a deep breath and sighed before he finally spoke. "There's no sense in sugar-coating this. You girls are celebrities. World wide, yes, but especially here in Townsville. The pictures, posters--Bubbles, your silhouette is still on post cards and brochures."

Professor was referring to one photographer's shot of a lifetime. Two years ago, while living in a high rise apartment, he'd snapped some photos from behind of Bubbles in a bathrobe standing on one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city. Those simple shadows against the sunrise managed to say a lot with so little.

He paused again. When he spoke, he chose his words carefully. "If we're not careful about this... You might not ever live this down."

"What do you mean by 'careful?'" Bubbles asked with suspicion.

"The picture is what it is. We might accuse Princess of fabricating it, but it was real, and at best would become a game of 'he said she said.' But all it shows is a kiss, and the only face visible is clearly surprised. We should at least consider--"

"What? Lying?" Bubbles interrupted.

Blossom cut in. "Would you rather--"

"Not hide the truth?" Bubbles interrupted again.

Professor slowly raised and lowered his hand, as if pushing down the volume in the room. "Bubbles, Buttercup admitted this has been on her mind for a while. But do you--"

"Dad, you know me," Bubbles interjected.

"Yeah, we know you all right," Blossom spat. "Little miss rebellious streak."

"What?" Bubbles asked, shocked. "You think that's what this is?"

"Well, there's Mike--nice image that makes. And what about that damned brochure picture? Flying out in public in your damned bathrobe whenever the fancy strikes you? Flinging food and playing the false translator shtick at a groundbreaking international diplomatic function? Barely any respect for authority, always fighting the 'sweet, harmless blonde' image--"

"Sorry if I'm not 'Little Miss Conformity International!' It seems that spot's taken! And if you think I'm just being rebellious you really have lost touch with me, haven't you?"

"Well, if getting back 'in touch' leads to that, I think I can live with it!"

"Right. Like you even have the courage to think about it! Is it really so different? Tell me one difference between a good family relationship and a good romantic one?"

"Sex?" Blossom asked sardonically.

"Apparently not anymore," Bubbles countered. "Really, if 'it just is' isn't an answer, then what makes this so wrong?"

"Bubbles--what the hell? What about genetics? Maybe you're not having kids, but does that make it right?"

"Girls, that's enough," Professor said calmly. He knew this spat was inevitable, but he decided it had gone on long enough for now. The girls had a lot of arguments when their teenage years hit. It probably contributed in some way to their drifting apart, though things had calmed down after that. He didn't doubt that they still loved each other, but sometimes it was tough love.

"Buttercup, you've studied the subject a little, if I'm not mistaken. What does the law say?"

"Well, if we're not sisters--"

"Assume the worst honey. Everyone else will. Please, trust me, I want to support you girls. So very badly, I do. I expect this is going to be hard, and if I could... Well, I will say there have been more than a few surprising developments with you girls. I'm prepared to think differently, and willing to accept ways in which you're different from the rest of the world. If I could, I would support you in every way possible, whether by standing at your side or by helping you past this before you hurt each other. But we all learned a long time ago that coddling you girls under this roof doesn't do you any good in the outside world."

Bubbles asked, "Why do you think we would hurt each other?"

Professor raised his hand to silence her, looking at Buttercup. Eventually, she answered, "It's against the law. Sisters can't have sex. Not even consensually."

"And what have you girls chosen to do with your lives?"

"I know, I know... We keep the law. Not break it." She looked up. "But this wasn't about sex!"

"And it doesn't have to be," Bubbles said. "Not anymore."

"Oh, and so today's little adventure was--"

"I'd love to tell you but I'm sure you're not interested," Bubbles snapped. She quickly calmed and continued. "Look, I know there's all kinds of love in this world. There's even all kinds of romantic love. And maybe you think life can be figured out by example and examination, but people aren't that simple. Love isn't that simple. It's all about what you feel, what you can feel, and what you choose."

Bubbles reached for Blossom's hand. She snatched it away. Bubbles bowed her head and sighed. She stood and stepped over to Blossom, dropping to one knee. She put one hand on her sister's shoulder, the other on the hands clasped in her lap. "Call me stupid for playing with fire if you want. I probably deserve it. But when that fire burns you sometimes and makes you whole other times, the only way to figure it out is to try."

Blossom jumped out of her chair and whipped some tears from her eye as she stomped to her first floor bedroom. She slammed the door.

Several moments of uncomfortable silence later, Professor spoke up. "Let it be for now, girls." He stood up, supporting himself on the table. "After everything else we've been through, don't believe for a minute that this will bring this family down. But promise me you won't go anywhere tonight. And check in with me before school tomorrow, all right?"

Bubbles and Buttercup nodded.

"I'll be downstairs if anyone needs me. Remember, girls, I love you all. I always will."