A/N: Here's the next installment of Operation Viper. I hope you all enjoy it. Please, let me know what you think.
Chapter 3
"Well, that was a complete disaster," Blossom said to no one in particular.
"You think so, huh?" Bubbles inquired sarcastically, trying, for what seemed to the millionth time that day, not to cry.
"We're so sorry, Bubbles," Buttercup said. "You know how the boys can be. I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it."
"Yeah," Blossom chimed in. "I'm sure Brick and Butch weren't serious."
Bubbles kept quiet. They were in the dining room, the ruins of dinner scattered over the floor and what was left of the dining table. She began to silently pick up the larger pieces of broken china. She'd sweep the food and smaller debris up later. Blossom and Buttercup watched their sister mechanically cleaning, worried expressions on their faces. "We'll talk with them tomorrow after they've had a chance to calm down."
The blonde Powerpuff Girl continued cleaning in silence. "Bubbles, say something," Buttercup pleaded. But Bubbles acted as if she hadn't heard her. She kept right on cleaning. She would have to scrub those gravy stains out before they had a chance to set in. She went to the kitchen and deposited her load of broken crockery into the trash. She returned with rubber gloves, trash bags, a bucket with warm water, a broom and dustpan, and some cleaning agents.
Her sisters exchanged worried glances and continued trying to speak with her. She continued cleaning, without a word. It was as if the act of speech had been lost to her.
Blossom huffed and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine, be that way," she said. She bent and picked up a piece of a plate, intending to at least help her sister straighten out this mess.
"Don't," Bubbles said, barely audible.
"What?" Buttercup asked, also beginning to help.
"Don't touch anything. I don't want your help," Bubbles stated angrily.
"But, Bubbles," Blossom began.
"But nothing. You two have done more than enough tonight," Bubbles yelled. The brunette and redhead could only look at their sister, embarrassed and then angry.
"It was for your own good, it just got out of hand?" Buttercup yelled right back. "And I'm sure the boys will apologize eventually."
"The boys will? The boys?" Bubbles screamed incredulously. "They were bad enough, but you two, you two….You know what," Bubbles stopped mid sentence, both hands raised in a dismissive gesture, "just leave me alone."
"Bubbles, sweetie," Blossom tried.
"Leave. Me. Alone." Bubbles went back to cleaning. Alone, she thought. She should start getting used to that. Her sisters watched her for a few moments. Both opened their mouths, as if to speak, but thought better of it. Maybe some alone time was just what Bubbles needed right now. They went to Buttercup's room, leaving her alone, cleaning the ruined dining room.
She removed the two pieces of the broken table and began to sweep. Bubbles didn't know if she should be more sad than angry, though she was plenty of both. She tried to concentrate solely on the task of restoring the dining room but her thoughts kept turning towards the happenings of that evening.
The door was opened at seven thirty by a muscular, red-headed man about Morris' age. He saw the dark young man in a black shirt and slacks holding flowers and a bottle of wine, and assumed the guy was looking for his date. "Wrong house, bro," Brick said and promptly shut the door in his face.
"Who was that?" Blossom asked as he made his way back into the dining room.
"Some guy with the wrong address."
"Are you sure?" Bubbles asked.
"Yeah, unless you're expecting someone else," Brick responded. He and Butch had arrived about half an hour ago, just as Bubbles was finishing up. They knew nothing of Morris and believed their party complete.
"As a matter of fact, I am."
"Really?" Brick asked curiously as another knock sounded at the front door.
"I'll get it this time," Blossom stated.
Morris hadn't expected one of the Rowdyruff Boys to answer the door. He also had not expected the wave of rage that washed over him upon seeing Brick. He was too angry to speak as the big redhead closed the door. That traitorous piece of scum! Butch was most likely in there too. He should kill them both right now. He should go in there and slaughter the whole lot of them. He should…calm down before he ruined everything and most likely got himself killed. It took him a few moments to master his anger and compose himself.
Strange, he thought to himself. He had no idea where that had come from. After all, he had dispatched Boomer because it was necessary, not out of any malice towards him, or so he thought. Which made his anger all the more bizarre. He would think more on it later. Finally, in control of himself once more, he knocked again. Another redhead answered, this one a lot more appealing.
"You must be Morris," she greeted him. "I'm Blossom." Bubbles was right, he was cute.
"Hello, Blossom. It is very nice to finally meet you," he responded smoothly. "You look positively radiant." And she did; her lustrous hair framed a heart-shaped face with delicate features. Her lovely curves were accentuated by the pink dress she was wearing. She exuded femininity. He found it a tad difficult to believe that someone so, well, girly, would choose to fight monsters and super-villains.
Blossom beamed at the compliment. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too. Well, come in. I don't bite."
"Thank you," Morris said, stepping into the Utonium household. It seemed a warm and happy place. It was quite pleasant. He would shatter it all soon enough.
Blossom led Morris through the front of the house and into the dining room. He made sure to memorize the layout as he went. He'd need it later. There was a staircase leading to the upper floor just inside the front door. To the left of that a short hall led to the rest of the house. There was a door on the right wall of the hallway. Next to this door was a keypad and biometric lock, similar to his. That must lead to the professor's basement laboratory.
"What's that?" he asked innocently..
"That's just my dad's lab," Blossom responded. "It's also where we were made."
"Really?" Morris had been eyeing the door, but his attention snapped back to Blossom at that comment. "You were born right here, in this house?" His father had neglected that rather significant bit of information. "May I have a tour?"
"We sure were, sort of, and no one's allowed in there unless the professor is present, hence the special locks. He doesn't like us in there half the time when he's actually here," his guide responded, leading him past the living room. "Bubbles said you were a science buff. Maybe he'll let you down there when he comes back."
Morris smiled sinisterly behind her back. "One can only hope," he said. Blossom led him through the kitchen at the back of the house and into the dining room. He had a pretty good idea of the downstairs. At some point, he'd have to investigate the second floor.
Brick was in quiet conversation with Bubbles and Buttercup upon Morris entry. Butch was nowhere to be seen. Bubbles, having her back facing the dark youth spun around when she noticed Brick looking past her.
"You made it!" Bubbles rushed around the table and threw her arms around Morris' neck.
"Uh, yeah," he said, not sure how to respond. She had never hugged him before. Now that he thought about it, the closest they had ever been was a foot apart. She smelled so very nice. She had been eating regularly again and had regained most of her normal weight. As a result, she filled out her baby blue dinner dress quite nicely. Though she shared her sisters' face, she was more curvaceous than either, and, uh, gifted in the bosom area.
"Who the hell is that?" Butch asked, perplexed. He was coming back from the restroom to witness his brother's girlfriend embracing some stranger. Bubbles let go of Morris at the sound of his voice.
"Butch, don't be rude," Blossom scolded.
"Everyone, this is my friend Morris. Morris, you've already met Blossom. This is my other sister, Buttercup. These are their fiancés, Brick and Butch," Bubbles, making the introductions.
"Glad to finally meet the "brave and strong" Morris we've been hearing about," Buttercup said, her emerald eyes sparkling with humor, the hint of a smile at her lips. She was just as pretty as he sisters. She looked just like Blossom, only her hair was black and cut short and spiky. Her nose was just a tiny bit crooked where it had been broken in some past fight. Blossom was in fantastic shape, but Buttercup's physique was downright athletic. She wore tight-fitting black pants that clung sweetly to her muscular thighs and buttocks, with a snug green top that displayed her modest cleavage quite nicely. Morris barely controlled the urge to stare.
"That's not funny," the blonde sister stated. Morris had no idea what that was about. He was confused, and his face showed it. Blossom and Buttercup exploded in laughter. The Rowdyruff brothers watched in silence. Like Boomer, they were both classically handsome with strong, chiseled features. Brick towered over Morris, just as Boomer had. He wore khakis and a red dress shirt. Butch was, if anything, more muscular than Brick, and that was saying something. He, intentionally or by coincidence, mirrored buttercup with black slacks and a green shirt that seemed ready to burst at the seams trying to contain his bulk.
"You two look awfully similar. Are you related?" Morris asked, playing his role. He knew everything about them, but could only act on the information Bubbles had given him, otherwise, he'd give himself away. She had only told him that both her sisters were recently engaged, but no details on to whom. She had mostly talked about her sisters and her relationship with Boomer.
"We're brothers, "Butch responded, confrontational. "What's it to you?"
"Wait a second," Morris cocked his head thoughtfully. "So, twin brothers are marrying a pair of sisters? Hmm, that's…interesting." The boys bristled.
"Triplets, actually," Bubbles jumped in, preventing what she was sure would be an argument. "Boomer was their brother." She was surprised that she had been the one to bring him up. She could tell that he thought it strange. His wide-eyed expression spoke volumes, though he did well to hide it quickly. A for effort, she guessed.
"These are for you. I remember you telling me you liked them." Morris handed over his flowers to Bubbles, effectively changing the subject.
"Orange silk cotton blossoms! My favorite!" she exclaimed.
"You see that, Butch? He brought her favorites," Brick deadpanned.
"Hmph," Butch grunted, crossing his arms. Morris could swear he heard cotton screaming as the black-haired man's shirt stretched to accommodate the gesture.
"And this, is for everyone," Morris, ignoring the brothers, presented a bottle of champagne to Blossom, "to celebrate your upcoming nuptials."
"You shouldn't have."
"Please, it's least I could do."
"Well, aren't you charming?"Brick inserted sarcastically. Morris looked at him strangely, but kept silent.
"Okay," Buttercup clapped her hands once, "let's eat."
Bubbles had laid out quite a spread and Morris couldn't wait to dig in. He was here primarily to gain some intelligence for his mission but there was no reason he couldn't enjoy a free meal.
It was a large dining table with plenty of room for everyone. The men sat opposite the ladies with Bubbles and Morris in the center. They had barely begun eating when the first questions came. After the first few, the young man in black could tell this evening would be go much differently than he had imagined.
"So, Morris, where are you from?" Buttercup started.
"Well, here, originally," he replied, "but I've been living in Citiesville until recently."
"Why'd you leave?" from Blossom.
"I was hurt in a monster attack and my dad sent me to live with a family friend while he continued his work. He thought I'd be much safer there with normal crime and whatnot."
"What did your mom have to say about that?" Blossom continued.
"Nothing, she died a month after I was born." Everyone noticed a certain look in Morris eyes, though no one could identify the emotion behind it.
"That's so sad," Bubbles sympathized. She felt bad then. As she went over the nearly two months she had known him, she realized that her sisters were absolutely correct; she didn't know much about Morris at all. He had seemed content to let her talk about Boomer, her life, and her family. It was just so easy to open up and share with him. It had helped her out of her depression and helped to better cope with Boomer's loss. There was something about him that made her feel comfortable and safe. She smiled inwardly at that, a regular person made her feel safe. Hah.
"Our mom died giving birth to us, so we know exactly how you feel," Blossom explained quietly. Not quite, on both thoughts, Morris thought to himself, but he composed his countenance into a believable expression of sympathy.
"That's enough sad talk," Blossom said after a moment of awkward silence.
"What about your dad?" Buttercup asked. Bubbles kicked her under the table. Her sister's confused look showed that she clearly didn't understand.
"Yeah, what kind of work does he do that's so important he sent you way?" Bubbles inquired.
"He doesn't do much of anything, anymore," Morris responded, melancholic.
"Is he retired?"
"Deceased, actually, about four months back." Suddenly, Buttercup understood Bubbles' kick. That was something her blonde sister probably should have mentioned earlier.
"Bummer," Brick offered, looking up briefly from his meal.
"Thanks…I guess," Morris replied. "I was prepared for it. I expected it much sooner, considering this town's reputation of giant, radioactive beasts constantly rampaging. It was quite a surprise upon my return to find out super heroes and villains are now in the mix."
"Well, what did he do, then?" Butch inquired.
"He was a scientist, researching what exactly was causing so many monstrous creatures to appear in this city," Morris lied.
"That could have saved us a ton of work," Buttercup, commented. "Did he make any breakthroughs? Are you going to continue his work?"
"No, unfortunately, he never reached his goal. He thought that he had come close at one point but it turned out to be the wrong course of action." Morris glanced sidelong at Brick as he spoke. Blossom caught the look and wondered what that was about. "I've made significant progress with a lot of his work but not the monster problem."
"That's a shame," Bubbles lamented. " I bet you can finish what he started. It would be a great way to honor his memory." Morris grinned at that.
"Oh, I fully intend to," he assured her. Blossom felt a chill at his words but, once again, wondered what that was about. "What is the professor a professor of, exactly?"
"Everything and nothing," Blossom answered. "He always has something new going on."
"Yeah, Bubbles told me he's into some of everything. I hope I get to meet him one day."
"Of course you'll meet him," Bubbles enthused. "Ooh, maybe you two could work together and finish your dad's research."
"It's certainly worth thinking about," her guest replied noncommittally.
"That's right, nerds of a feather fly together," Brick opined. Butch snorted, nearly choking on a piece of asparagus.
Buttercup kicked him under the table. "Not funny," she admonished. Her lover just smirked.
"What about you two?" Morris addressed the Rowdies. "Tell me about your parents."
"That's not really necessary, is it?" Blossom appealed. She knew it was a painful subject.
"No, it's fine. I guess we should join in since everyone else is sharing," Brick put in. "Our mother put us up for adoption when we were born. Don't know who she is. Don't want to. We grew up in a poorly funded orphanage where there was never enough of anything to go around until the age of seven, when we were adopted. The guy that raised us was a scientist, too, and a real asshole besides."
"Not to mention cruel, abusive, evil and probably insane, too," Brick added. "He did horrible things to us and made us do things just as terrible."
"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad," Morris stated, disbelieving.
"You would be surprised. I still have nightmares sometimes." Brick's eyes took on a haunted look.
"What happened?" Morris questioned. "You two seem pretty well adjusted to have been through something as rough as you describe."
"It was a combination of events, two major ones, in particular," the red-headed man explained. "First, he got very sick very quickly and wasn't able to keep up his usual sadistic activities. It gave my brothers and me a freedom we hadn't had before. Secondly, the three of us met amazing women that completely turned our lives around." Brick looked lovingly into Blossom's eyes. Morris rolled his. No one caught it.
"Yeah, it's amazing what the love of a great woman can do to and for you. And so, we stopped doing terrible things and began helping the girls keep the city safe." Brick added, holding Buttercup's hand in his own across the table. Both Buttercup and Blossom smiled demurely. Bubbles looked as if she were about to cry. She had had that same smile once, until Boomer was taken from her. Morris offered her a sympathetic smile. She was surprised at how much it comforted her.
"So what happened to your adoptive father?"
"We don't know. After we got free of him we had no reason to ever see or speak to him again. Sick as he was, he may even be dead by now."
"I see," Morris said thoughtfully. "Anyway, you guys' story sounds like some kind of fairy tale. Congratulations, again."
"And speaking of good women, what is your interest in our Bubbles?" Butch asked in what might be a hostile tone.
"We're friends," he stated simply.
"Really? Just friends?" he pushed.
"That's what I said."
"Butch, that's enough," Buttercup exhorted. Blossom looked to Brick to control his brother but her fiancé merely watched.
"You sure, Morris? Because I've been watching you watch her tonight, and I think your interest is a little more than friendly," Butch's tone was definitely hostile now. "I see the way you look at her. It's the same look Boomer used to get."
Buttercup's eyes widened at that and Bubbles gasped.
"Butch, stop. Now," Blossom said. Her tone brooked no argument.
Morris steepled his fingers and leaned back. "And what if it is?" he inquired quietly.
"What?"
"What if my interest is more than friendly? Morris asked again, eyes challenging. Bubbles was surprised by that. And confused, she wasn't sure how she felt about Morris' question. Or maybe, it was Morris himself that she was confused about.
"Do you seriously think that some regular pansy that has to be rescued, and by a girl no less, can replace my brother?" Butch stood and turned towards Morris as he spoke. Everyone else watched the exchange in stunned silence.
Morris stood so that he could look Butch in the…throat. That's where his eyes came up to. Butch was much bigger than he was, but he would not be intimidated. "There were five of them and I gave as good as I got, the girl had super powers, and I'm not trying to replace anyone." That was true, he thought to himself. I don't want to replace any of you. I want to destroy all of you.
"Okay, Butch," Brick finally stepping in. "That's enough. Who Bubbles dates is her choice. I think it's a little too soon, but it's not really our business."
"But how can we let this science tool think that he can just jump into Boomer's shoes?"
"I said that's enough. You're being rude to Bubbles' guest and don't' forget, our soon to be father-in-law is a science tool, too."
"Hey," the girls cried in unison.
"Whatever." Butch harrumphed and sat down.
"All of that aside, Butch does have a point," Blossom pointed out. Everyone looked at her strangely.
"And what might that be?" Morris asked, curious.
"You're normal," she said simply.
"Yes, and?"
"And that has certain dangers applied to it," she explained.
"I don't follow. I can't fly, I don't have powers, so what?" Morris knew Blossom was about to warn him off her sister. He just didn't know how.
"I got this," Buttercup jumped in. "I don't know how you two really feel about each other," she indicated Morris and Bubbles, "but whether friendship or something else, it's obvious you're close. Butch and Blossom are right, you're just a normal human.
"We have enemies that may take advantage of that if they learn of your relationship. They could get to Bubbles by going through you, and that could compromise the Powerpuff Girls completely."
"I can take care of myself," Morris argued. Boy, can I take care of myself. He smiled inwardly. She had just unknowingly outlined his plan.
"Let's say you can. Sure, against the common criminal, you'd do great. But what happens if someone like Mojo Jojo or Him comes after you? What do you do then?" Blossom contested. Brick listened, expressionless, Butch watched, a triumphant look in his eye. "I know you care about our sister, and we're extremely grateful for all the good you've done for her, but for her safety, and especially your own, maybe you shouldn't see each other anymore."
Bitch, Morris thought. It was a strong argument. He had to think of a way to salvage the situation. Luckily he didn't have to.
"How could you? Bubbles cried, tears in her eyes. "This was supposed to be a special occasion. Morris has only done good for me and you're trying to run him away."
"Bubbles you have to understand," Blossom began.
"I don't have to understand anything," Bubbles shouted. "If I want Morris in my life, then he will be."
"Not if I can help it," Butch interjected, standing once again.
"Shut up, Butch," Bubbles said.
"Ok," Morris said, standing as well, "I think I should go."
"You don't have to go anywhere."
"Yes, I do. It's clear that I'm not welcome here," Morris turned to leave. "Bubbles, thank you for dinner. I'll see you around."
"Let me walk you out," Brick said, rising from his chair.
"Thanks a lot" Bubble said angrily to everyone remaining.
"Bubbles, sweetie, we just want what's best for you," Blossom explained.
"What about what I want?" she countered loudly.
"Stop being so selfish. You heard Blossom, just letting him hang around us is dangerous for him." Buttercup said bluntly.
"What about all the friends we have now, Ms. Bellum, Robin, Mitch, the Professor, none of them have super powers and we hang out with them all the time."
"Yet I see none of your so called friends at this dinner," Butch said with a smirk.
Blossom and Buttercup turned an accusatory eye to their sister. "Yeah Bubbles," Buttercup chimed. "Why is Morris the only friend you invited tonight?"
"I invited him because…Well umm…" the words died on Bubbles' lips. Come to think of it, why had she invited him to the small family dinner? It seemed right at the time, considering he was the one who got her out of her deep depression, but in truth, she barely knew him. "I invited him because I wanted you all the get to know him." Bubbles said, standing. "I was hoping my family would be a bit more welcoming to the guy who helped me out so much. I guess I was expecting too much."
Bubbles walked away, not waiting for anyone to respond. She went to catch Morris and tell him that her family didn't make her decisions for her when she heard Morris and Brick arguing.
"Who are you, really?" Brick questioned Morris once they were in the hall.
"What do you mean?" Morris returned.
"I didn't want to say anything around everyone else, but there's something not quite right about you. I can't put my finger on it, though."
"You think so, Brick?" Morris asked. He wasn't too worried about Brick's suspicions.
"Yeah, I think so. That's why I want you to stay away from Bubbles." Brick stepped in front Morris with that, glaring down at him.
Morris yawned mentally at Brick's clear attempt at intimidation. The big ones all thought size and brute strength was all that mattered. "Noted," he said in reply to the RRB's not-so-subtle threat.
"I don't think you understand," Brick bristled at Morris' mocking tone. "I tried the polite way but I'm not asking. You stay away from Bubbles and you stay away from this family."
"Family?" Morris asked almost inaudibly. He was surprised that his voice was so calm. Inside he was seething with rage. "And what would someone like you and your worthless brothers know about family? Your own mother didn't want you."
"The fuck did you just say?" Brick nearly yelled as he grabbed Morris' shirtfront and slammed him into the hallway wall.
"Seems like you have some anger management issues," Morris commented snidely.
"You think so, huh? Well you should know better than to upset someone with anger problems and super powers, shouldn't you?"
"Oh, really? Boomer had powers too didn't he?" Shut up Morris, Morris', brain told his mouth. His mouth, however, wasn't listening. "From what I hear, they didn't stop someone from shoving a blade into his chest, did they? You all spent all that time flying around, fighting crime and monsters, fighting super villains and everything, and he gets done in by a mugger in an alley? If I were a super hero, frankly, I'd be embara-."
Morris was flying through the air at alarming speed. Time did seem to slow for a moment as he passed a wide-eyed Bubbles. Shit, he thought. She had to have heard what he said about Boomer. Then he slammed into and then through the dining table. Wood snapped. Food, glassware, and cutlery went flying. Brick had flung him back into the dining room.
That hurt, Morris thought, rising. The wide-eyed, open-mouthed faces of Butch and Blossom greeted him as he stood, covered in food and splinters. Buttercup lifted half of the table off of her legs and rose. "What the hell?" she screamed.
"Oh my God!" Blossom exclaimed. "Morris, are you oka-."
"You son of a bitch!" Brick roared, stomping into the ruined room. His face was red with anger. It nearly matched his hair. Morris would have laughed at that if he wasn't so pissed. The redheaded male came at him like a bull. He punched the enraged man in the throat. Brick gagged. He then dropped to one knee as Morris kicked him behind a knee. Then, Morris' knee slammed into his nose. It splurted blood. Super powered or no, every body shared the same soft spots, he thought. But Brick barely grunted. He began to rise.
Morris was flying again. Butch's fist had slammed into the side of his head. His head slammed into a wall. Morris' limp body slid down the wall and then everything went black.
"I had him," Brick, recovered, told his brother. The throat punch barely stung, and other than the blood running down his front, he was fine. He moved to pick up Morris' unconscious form, however, Bubbles stepped between him and her friend. She had returned right on Brick's heels.
"Don't touch him again," the blonde super heroine said. Brick knew better than to argue. Blossom and Buttercup merely gaped at the scene, too shocked to move.
"Well," Butch began, his tone nonchalant, "This night is obviously over. Let's go Brick."
"Yeah, okay. See you later, babe," he said as he approached the shocked Blossom. She leaned away from him as he attempted to plant a kiss on her. "What?"
"What? Are you serious?" she cried incredulously. "What happened? Why did you attack Morris?"
"Yeah!" Buttercup joined in. "He's normal. You two should know better." She was speaking to Brick, but staring daggers at Butch.
Butch was unapologetic. He didn't ask too many questions where his brothers were concerned. Brick was having a problem. He had solved it. She should understand, he thought. She'd do the same for her sisters, after all. A simple, "Tch," was all he uttered, however.
"It's not worth talking about," Brick answered, looking at Bubbles. She was down beside Morris, attempting to revive him. He was unaware that she had heard everything. "Let's get out of here." He and Butch then exited the dining room. A few moments later the front door opened and closed.
"They didn't even offer to clean up this mess. Unbelievable," Buttercup stated shaking her head. She went over to Bubbles and knelt beside her. "Is he gonna be alright? Do we need to call an ambulance?"
"No," Morris croaked, having just regained consciousness. "I'm fine."
"Oh good!" Blossom exclaimed. She had been worried there, for a second.
"Great," Bubbles agreed. "Now you can leave." Morris looked confusedly at her. That knock on the skull had scrambled his wits a bit. "I heard what you said," she whispered. It came back to him in a rush.
"Bubbles, I'm sor-"
"Save it," she interrupted curtly. The other sisters looked on, befuddled. They had no idea what was happening. Obviously, something had happened in the few moments between Morris' leaving and his sudden, violent return. Blossom and Buttercup couldn't imagine what it could have been to cause Bubbles to treat her friend this way. Morris stood sheepishly. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to salvage the situation. Nothing came to him.
He left, trying to decide which of his contingency plans to use.
So, here she was alone in the dining room cleaning up. She tried not to dwell on the previous hour, but it kept popping to the forefront of her mind. What could Morris have been thinking? She had not heard the whole conversation, but even if Brick had said something to anger him, and knowing Brick, he had, why would say something like that? How could he even think it? It hadn't been directed at her, hell,
Morris didn't even know she had been listening, but it was still the most hurtful thing she had ever heard. She didn't think she could keep being friendly with someone who would say such things, even in anger, about the love of her life. So, now she was alone again.
Even if tonight had not been a total disaster, her family had seemed determined to run Morris off. She understood the boys' loyalty to their brother but she didn't completely get why they had such a problem with who she chose to invite home. And her sisters seemed to think she was supposed to be unhappy and lonely. After all, their men were still around. It wasn't even like she and Morris were dating. She just really enjoyed his company. Used to enjoy his company, she reminded herself.
She finished cleaning, put up all her supplies and went upstairs. On her way to her bedroom, she passed Buttercup's door, where she heard both her sisters' voices in conversation. No doubt they were discussing the night's events. Whatever, Bubbles thought, making her way to her room.
She stripped down to her underwear and lay on her baby blue blankets, hugging herself. She was mentally and emotionally exhausted, but sleep wouldn't come. She thought of Boomer and the times they had spent and the things they'd done. She thought of those times they had lain together in this very bed.
Then, for some reason, Morris' face appeared in her mind. She thought of everything they had done; the walks in the park, long talks they'd had, and the integral role he'd played in getting her more or less back to her old self. Next, she thought of how both of those relationships, different in nature as they were, had come to abrupt ends.
For the first time in months, Bubbles cried herself to sleep.