I present to you: chapter nine! :D

In this chapter, we'll see the last of Kaitlin.
From now on, it'll just be Blossom (so glad for that). ;D

Also, it's the beginning of a bit romance, and it's about time too!
More romance later on, I assure it! ;D
Another thing, I decided to give Butch a bit of fame in this chapter.
Cause, you have to admit, he can be really funny, especially when put together with BC. ^^

I hope you enjoy!
I don't own anything!


"Love is everything it's cracked up to be…
It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for."
-Erica Jong-

Chapter nine:

It has been four days since they got to the base. Not even once had the redheaded girl left her room.
Professor Utonium said they should be patient, that she would come out as soon as she felt ready. He and Miss Keane were the only ones allowed to enter the room.

Often, Brick or Bubbles and even Buttercup would approach the door and listen or stand by it for some time with a tray of food at the base of the door. It always went the same way:
a soft knock for acknowledgment, a short "I brought you food", and then an expectant silence, followed by a muffled reply. It would always end in despair and aching for the one who brought the food.
The tray however often stayed untouched. Only the bottles of mineral water vanished.

Lying in her bed, Bubbles squeezed the sheets unstoppably when she heard the weeping from the room beside her.
Buttercup tried to tune the noise out, hiding underneath her pillow from the memories from her own despair, that seemed to come back to her when hearing the girl's sobs.

Of course they were all worried, but John Utonium wouldn't bent.
"She'll come around", he would say as an answer for each burning question.

And so, the occupants of the house continued their doings: the professor setting up a strong barrier around their new hideout for safety and trying to repair what they had retrieved from the jet, Sandra doing the casual chores and reading a lot of books to flee her worried thoughts, Bubbles trying to keep everyone smiling, Boomer playing music and trying not to worry, Butch and Buttercup losing themselves in endless trainings, Brick avoiding everyone and becoming more angry with each hour that passed.

All tried silently to forget the grief behind the pink-framed room.


On one of those nights, Boomer hears a soft knock on his door, causing him to open an eyelid, shrug, and go back to sleep.
The soft tiptoeing only vaguely reaches his ears and his sleepy brain decides to ignore it.

Suddenly, there's a soft hand shaking his shoulder, while a feminine voice whispers, "Boomer?"

Boomer moans and turns on his other side, mumbling, "Five more minutes."
"Boomer!" the voices says louder, making him jolt up.

Sitting straight up, he blinks his now wide-open eyes, still clinging onto his pillow. His hair is a mess, sticking out in all directions, but he is too sleepy to even notice.
When he sees a familiar pair of blue eyes, he sighs.
"Bubbles?" he says, still a little groggy, "What are you doing here at 3 a.m.?"

The girl shifts a little while looking down to her feet, and whispers, "Sorry, but I couldn't sleep."
"How come?" he asks with a yawn, trying to get his brain to work.
"Because of the weeping," she whispers while lowering her head slightly.

Boomer freezes, his hands still in the air from stretching, and slowly, he understands what she means.
"Oh, so that's it," he lowers his hands.
Suddenly, the blonde starts crying uncontrollably.
"Hey, hey!" Boomer jumps out of his bed and puts his hands on her shoulders, "Wait, don't cry! What's the matter?"
Bubbles grabs hold of his dark blue pajama shirt and presses her head against his chest.
Boomer blushes from the sudden touch and softly pets her back, "There, there. What's wrong?"
"I don't know what to do," the blonde says between sniffs, "I know how it feels. I want to help her, but I don't know how."

She starts sniffing again, and Boomer gives a sigh, "Bubbles, there's not much you can do. Crying surely isn't an option though."
When he notices she isn't planning on stopping, he asks slowly, "Why don't you sleep here tonight?"
The blonde girl looks up at him with wide eyes, but nods nonetheless.

They crawl in bed together and Boomer puts his arms around the slightly shaking girl. With Bubbles' head lying on his chest and her wetting his shirt, he stares up into the darkness, while whispering hushing words to her.
After a while, she has stopped crying and he's starting to doze off again, until he hears her voice, "Boomer?"
"Yeah?" he mutters.
Then he feels her lips on his cheek and his eyes shoot open while he stares at the smiling girl.
"Thank you."
Then she lies down and with a happy sigh, closes her eyes, resting her head on his chest.

It takes some time before Boomer feels the heat fade away from his cheeks, but he keeps staring at her.
Then, he too lies down, a smug on his face while he stares at his ceiling.


Together with the afternoon of the fifth day, came the rain.

Crystal blue eyes stare out of the window on the first floor. It was the second window to the right, if you look at the building from outside, in between another bedroom and a small bathroom with two washing basins and a tub.
Bubbles always liked looking out of her window when it was raining. The ticking of the drops hitting the Earth's face sounded like music in the silence of the world. People stayed inside, unless if you really got to go somewhere, and accompanied by a big umbrella and a raincoat.

She starts humming a melody she once learned in school. In her old life.
She sighs and lets the memories from her past flood her mind, like a dream she had at night and now suddenly remembered: A drawing she once made, a boy she kinda liked in first grade, the pride she felt when her grandma told her how good the dress her mom had made looked on her. Then the loss…

She shakes her head and decides not to think about her previous life because it makes her so sad.
Maybe I should go check on Kaitlin, she thinks while pulling her socks back on.

Quietly, because in the silence of the aisle it looked wrong to make a noise, she slips through her half opened door. Although her destination is the room next to hers, the distance looks so much longer than normal. She tiptoes over to the of a pink frame provided door and leans her ear against it to try and make out a sound.

"Hey! What the heck are ya doing?"

Bubbles releases a shriek and stares at Butch, who comes up the stairs, carrying a tray of food. His face is a stern one, with one eyebrow raised higher than the other, yet also holds a hidden smirk.
"N-Nothing!" Bubbles smiles sweetly while rubbing her arm to keep her hands busy.
"The old man said we aren't allowed to disturb the gal," he says scoffing.
"I was doing no such thing!" Bubbles pouts, trying to sound believable.
"Yeah, right," Butch smirks, "Get back into your room before I drag your there myself!"
"Y-Yes sir!" Bubbles squeaks and then rushes back to the safeness of her bedroom.

Butch shakes his head at the girl and bends to place the tray before the door, I ain't bringing it in she can get it herself I'm not an errand boy Goddammit!, until he hears a rumor behind the pink framed-door. He stands up again, still holding the plate with two hands, and hears Brick's words recalling themselves in his head.
"It'd be best to leave her alone for a while."

Shrugging, he decides to do the opposite.
The girl can't stay in there forever. And besides, science-man told me to bring her the food, right?

Smirking at that last thought, he quietly opens the door. The dull air that fills the room consumes him as he peers into the darkness. No light is on and the blinds have been closed. The cloudy weather wasn't helping much either.
But worse was that he didn't see the girl anywhere!
He slips inside the room and while holding the tray with his right hand, he closes the door with his other.
Holding the tray with both hands again, he looks around and says to the dark, "Hello? You there?"

A messy, red-haired ponytail appears from behind the bed's side and is followed by two hazelnut brown eyes, staring at him surprised.
He relaxes immediately when he sees she hasn't disappeared into thin air yet and walks over to her.

He finds her seated against the side of the bed, facing the wall with the window.
While she looks up at him, he gives her a cocked eyebrow, "Whatcha doin' down here?"
She blinks and gives him an apologetic look, "Sorry. I feel safer when I can sit like this."

After a minute of silence, in which either of them keep switching their looks from each other to non-essential parts of the room, Butch finally clears his throat and informs her what he's doing here, "I got you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry," the girl answers.
"All righty, then I'll go back. Nice talking to ya!"
"Wait!"

The boy turns back around at her and sees her pleading look.
"Please stay a little longer. Then I won't feel so alone," the girl says with a quiet voice, which makes it hard for Butch to hear her, even with his superhearing.
"What should I do that for?" he says with another cocked eyebrow, "I got nothin' to gain from it, do I?"
"You can have the food."
This is enough to make him sit down beside the girl, with the plate before him and dig in.

The girl smiles at him while he eats.
Because it makes him kind of uncomfortable, he swallows the food in his mouth and tries to start up a conversation.
"So, watcha been doin' in here? I heard a noise when I passed by."
The redhead flushes and averts her gaze and mumbles, "I was singing."
"Are you good at it?" Butch catches her startled look and hastily adds, "Singing, I mean."
She releases a chuckle while shaking her head, "No. I suck at it, really. But it helps me through moments like these."
"Oh", is the only thing he can bring out.

Ano,ter silence settles upon them while Butch devours the rest of the meal.
Just when he swallows the last fragments, Kaitlin's quiet voice reaches his ears, "How did you get in the team?"
He looks at her and considers his options.
Should I tell her? I never talk about what happened. Should I? On the other hand, she has the right to know, doesn't she?
He decides on his last thought.

All the while, Kaitlin sees him thinking, weighing his options. Once the light in his eyes returns, she's paying full attention again to what he's about say. He opens his mouth and after a second of reconsider, in which she fears he won't answer at all, he eventually starts telling her his story.

"Hi, my name's Butch Jojo," he says as to present himself in front of a group of unknowns.
Kaitlin gives him an odd look and sees he's kinda trembling and sweating, yet she doesn't understand what he's so nervous about, but pretends not to notice.

"In my former life, I was called Kyle Jackson. I grew up on the outskirts of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Beautiful place, I tell ya! My dad was a mechanic, my mom left us when I was two. I've never known the woman, but my father always described her as a whore and the biggest mistake of his life. That's how I grew up as well: as a mistake."

"My old man never concerned himself with my wellbeing. That was my uncle's thing. It was he who eventually raised me and thought me what I needed to know to stay alive and kickin'. I had a hard childhood, but hey, you don't hear me complainin'. But then… he came."

Kaitlin could guess who he referred to.

"They killed me uncle and they killed me dad. Well, I didn't really fuss about my dad, but it was my uncle that did the thing. At the time, I didn't know it was them yet. I knew though, when they killed Bucks, my only friend and brother in crime."

Kaitlin releases a breath and Butch smirks at her perplexed look, "Surprised, ain't ya? After them creatures killed my family, you could say I got on the wrong path."
"But hey, I got around. But then these shadows came and killed my best buddy and I was so angry I kicked the living daylight out of them."
"You did?"
Butch lowers his hands, that he had raised in his enthusiasm, and gives her a shy smile, "Not really, but I wanted to. Before I could even knock at least ONE out, they were on top of me. They tried to drug me with the freaking orange stuff as well, but I managed to escape."
"You got away?"
He nods his head while continuing, "A truck drove past. I saw my chance to escape when them sissies went all wacko about a possible witness or something. I fled and they chased me, until this giant, awesome plane appeared in front of me and before I knew it, I was safe with the professor and Boomer and Bubbly. They told me what this shit was about and that's basically how I got here."

They were both silent.
"That's a lot to endure," the redheaded girl nods while hugging her knees, seeking for comfort.
"I guess," the raven-haired boy says and then takes a gulp of the bottle of water.
"How do you cope with it?"
He turns his head to the girl and gives her a questioning look, "What'd ya mean how do I cope with it? Just like you do with any fucking problem! Just get loose and give it your best shot!"

Kaitlin stares at him wide-eyed, "You serious?"
"Of course I am, what do ya think?," Butch says while smashing the bottle back on the plate, "What would you do then, miss know-it-all?"
The girl averts her gaze and places her head on her knees with a sigh, "That's what I'm trying to find out."

Butch's eyes suddenly widen, now remembering she went through the same thing as he did. He stares in horror and backs off a few inches when a little amount of teardrops starts falling down.
Shit, I really have to keep my big mouth shut! Ugh, I'm such a dummy!
Angrily, he folds his arms before his chest and glares at the wall, not really knowing how to handle emotional situations.
When a soft sob sounds from beside him, he decides he has to do something.

Clumsily, he puts a hand on the girl's shoulder and pets it a few times.
She lifts her head up at him and hastily wipes the tears away, "I'm sorry. You must be thinking what kind of a wuss I am for crying before a stranger."

Butch stares at her and then smirks, "We ain't strangers, Pinky. We're family!"
"W-What?"
He nods, his smirk widening, "Well, family-in-law, seeing how you used to date my brother."

The girl's eyes take the shapes of two big, round, bowling balls.
"I did what?" she shrieks.
He chuckles and rubs her hair, startling her.
"Oh, Pinky. Don't be such a wuss!" he says while leaning closer, doing the same thing he would do when Buttercup was down, "Get loose sometimes."
While his smirk is nearly inches away from her face, the girl gives him an astonished look and then turns bright pink.

She pushes him off, rather harshly, and shouts, "What the hell are you doing?"
He laughs loudly.
Her arms crossed before her chest, she glares at him.
"See? I knew I could make you stop whining!" he grins.

Kaitlin stares perplexed, still a little glaring, "Why did you do that?"
"Don't think I meant anything with it," he snorts and sits up, while the girl feels slightly affronted, "I like someone else. But I had to do something to make you stop crying."
His face softens, "Stop being a crybaby, Kaitlin, and take some action."
Kaitlin stares for a moment, too stunned to believe this rude boy in front of her just made her forget about her problems and, though it was just for a split-second, it felt like the old days again. For the first time in five days, the girl smiles.

At that moment, the door slams open.
"Hey! No fair!" Bubbles says when she sees Butch, "How come you can get in her room and I can't?"
Butch shrugs and Bubbles pouts at him. But then she sees Kaitlin's smile.
She instantly releases a gasp of surprise and smiles broadly, "Kaitlin? Are you feeling alright?"

The girl takes in a breath, "Yes, Bubbles. I feel more than alright. Thanks to Butch, I have made a decision."
"Oh?" Bubbles says while looking at Butch, who shrugs his shoulders to say he doesn't know what she's talking about either.
"Yes," Kaitlin says looking at them with a confident look, a look they hadn't seen for a long, long time, "It's time for me to stop whining and fight back."
"You mean…"
"Let's go tell the others", a small smile graces her lips when the other two teens' eyes instantly look brighter, "that Pinky's coming home."


The only sound that can be heard in the large living room, is the buzzing of a fly: now flying, then landing and mopping the ground for food or cleaning himself, then lancing himself into the air again. Yet the noise seems to even worsen the tension between the ones sitting in the room.

Miss Kean and professor Utonium are sitting next to each other on the couch, holding hands solemnly.
Boomer is entertaining himself by following the fly, sitting on a chair lazily.
Buttercup is sagged down a few inches away from John and Sandra, wiggling her right feet and frolicking with the zipper of her jacket, finding it difficult to sit still.
In a nearby standing armchair, Brick is seated, mildly glaring at the small coffee table with the five empty cups on it. He's getting more and more innerved with Buttercup's tapping, sounding together with the ticking of the old clock and the buzzing of the fly.

After another painful minute, he finally snaps his head up at the raven-haired girl.
"Would you mind stopping that?" he snaps.
She scowls, while continuing tapping, "Don't get on my nerves. I'm aching to beat something up."
As if on cue, the little fly makes his way to her, his final mistake.
A clasp resounds when Buttercup smashes the little insect between her hands and smirks at Brick, as if her action just approved her statement.

The tapping continues when Brick glares darkly.
"Buttercup, stop that," John finally sighs while Sandra gives him an understanding smile.
The teen immediately obeys, but not without a small grunt. Now the ticking of the clock is the only sound left to fill up the silence.

Until the tapping comes. The tapping of footsteps on the staircase. Two, maybe three pairs of feet.
"Ah, there they are," John Utonium says, getting up from the couch.

A moment later, Bubbles and Butch enter through the door, both grinning suspiciously.
"Finally," Buttercup snorts, "How long does it take to bring her the damn plate?"
"Aaaw, what's the matter Butterbabe?" Butch smirks, "Missed me that much?"
Buttercup turns scarlet and snarls, while crossing her arms and looking away, "As if!"
Butch sniggers while John shakes his head, smiling, and asks, "And? Did you have any more luck on her today?"

Both Bubbles and Butch exchange a look and then Bubbles starts giggling and Butch grins widely.
"What's the matter with you two?" Buttercup asks, raising her eyebrow.
The others in the room straighten themselves and eye the two teens.

They, meanwhile, walk back to the door and hold it open.
"May I present to you, miss Kaitlin Campbell," Butch says ceremoniously while bowing slightly.
The others instantly stand up and stare as the red-haired girl in question appears in the doorway.
Brick's mood brightens visibly when he sees the girl sigh towards Butch, "Was that really necessary?"
"Of course," he smirks back, "This is a memorial happening! We've been waiting five days, ya know."

Kaitlin smiles and then looks around the room, at all the smiling faces in front of her.
"It's good to see you're doing a lot better," John Utonium breaks the silence.
Kaitlin grins, "Well, it's thanks to these two. Mainly Butch, though."
"Hold on, Butch?" Buttercup asks grinning, "Did BUTCH get through to you? You serious?"
Butch pouts, "Hey! I can be sensitive if I want to!"
"Yeah, right," Buttercup snorts, "I bet you raped the girl!"

At that, both Kaitlin and Butch's face suddenly turn a bright pink.
"Tss," Butch blushes, "I wouldn't- I mean, I- I would never do such a thing, except on you Butterbabe."
Now it was Buttercup's turn to blush. "Why you perv-"
"Okay!" John gets between the two, "Enough of that already. I think Kaitlin's got something to say."

The still blushing girl clears her throat and starts explaining, "Well, as I said, it was thanks to Butch's …extraordinary ways of treating people," on which both teens share a slight blush, while Butch rubs his head and avoids the suspicious looks he's getting from his fellow-housemates, "that I have come to a decision."
All people stare at her and it kinda makes the girl feel uncomfortable while she continues, after having taken a deep breath of course, "I have decided to undergo the professor's treatment."

A delighted squeak from the blues and bright smiles from the others are what Kaitlin receives and it gives her a double feeling:
On one side she's glad they want her to stay, but it also seems like they're glad with her decision on giving up on herself.
Then a thought occurs to her: What does it matter anymore?

And it was true. She had lost all of her family. These people, standing in front of her, offered her a way to let go of her problems. Was she so wrong to take on to that offer?

John Utonium walks up to her and puts his hands on the girl's shoulders.
"I'm so glad to hear that," he says with shimmering eyes, "It is the right thing to do."
Kaitlin can see Brick standing behind the professor. His hopeful smile pushes away her last doubts.
"I guess you're right," she says, looking back to the elder man, "It is the right thing. I just hope I'm not running away from my problems."
"You're not!" the man says, squeezing her shoulders a little, "You shouldn't feel that way. Feeling sorrow is not how you should solve things with. We'll defeat Felaket, together."
Kaitlin smiles at his reassuring, loving face.

"Now," John turns around smiling, "Let's start the training!"
"Now?" Bubbles gasps, "Isn't that a bit soon?"
"Sure!" the professor says with a determined expression, "We don't have much time. Felaket will surely try other ways to stop us, and it might be sooner than we all think. We have to make her ready."

"First off, we'll try stimulating her powers. We have four days to do that. For those four days, she, and Brick as well, are being put on a special diet. You're all going to help train them until the point that they are ready for the treatment."
The others all stare wide-eyed at him.
"Four days?" Bubbles gasps, "Is that even possible, professor? Will Kaitlin-"
"Another thing!" the redheaded girl interrupts her, surprising her, "Please, I wish for you to stop calling me Kaitlin. I… don't wish to be reminded of my previous life. My family's dead and If I'm going to become Blossom, I might as well get used to my new name. I just… want to start a new life."

Bubbles stares at her agape, blinking repeatedly, before continuing, "Will ..Blossom even be able to bring out her powers in that short time? I mean, it took us all about two or three weeks!"
Sandra nods, "Four days sure is short, John."
"I know", the man says, "But we don't have much time! I am getting strong signals that Felaket is planning a new attack. It might even be in a few days too!"

They all either gasp or narrow their eyes, but John continues, "We're starting the training now! Butch, Buttercup, I need you for the fighting. Brick, you are her mentor. Bubbles, you're on for the diet and meditation exercises. Boomer, self-defense and special defense/fighting techniques. Sandra and I will do the rest."

They all nod and Kaitl-Blossom gulps when she hears her schedule for the next four days, but simultaneously is determined on succeeding.
She would do this right and become a superhero.
She owed it, to her parents, her aunt and uncle, Amy (wherever she is) and most of all, to herself.


That's it for now.
Thanks for reading!
Please review!