Bubbles woke early in the morning, when the sun had only just begun to peek at the edges of Townsville. It wasn't the hotline or an alarm clock that woke her; rather, it was a chipmunk on her windowsill.

She glanced over and saw the tiny creature tapping the glass with its claws, desperate, almost panicked.

Him was still sleeping beside her, his hair mussed and his tail twined about her ankle. The sight of him gave her pause, and in a spark of memory, everything that had happened between them the night before came back to her. Him had come into her room after she'd finished her shower, and coaxed her into a back massage. Bubbles felt her cheeks heat and she pulled her robe tighter about her petite form.

It hadn't just been a simple back massage.

It had been much more than that. Him had coaxed her into revealing her back back to him, and she had allowed him to straddle her hips and drag his claws up and down her skin. Heat had built within her in a way that Bubbles had never felt before in her life; how bizarre that Him would be the one to first expose her to adult passion.

Not that she'd fought him off of her, or even said a word to stop him. No, Bubbles had been curious about how far Him would take things, and the demon didn't disappoint. He'd coaxed, he'd touched, he'd kissed, and Bubbles had let it all happen. More than that, she had enjoyed every minute.

Bubbles wasn't sure what would happen between them next, she had never had more than a few friendly dates with boys in high school and college. What few rules she understood between men and woman could not apply to how she and Him related to each other.

But there would be time for all that later.

Careful not to wake Him, Bubbles uncoiled his tail from her leg and went to speak to the panicked rodent at her window. She opened the window and chirped at the chipmunk to find out what was happening, and what he told her was very alarming, a five-alarm blaze had erupted just down the street!

Bubbles wasted no time in blurring into a shirt and a pair of jeans, ready for action.

"Him, come on, a house in the neighborhood is on fire!"

The demon's eyes snapped open and he sat up, silently dissolving himself into mist to follow as Bubbles flew out the window, heading to the fire. The chipmunk had not lied, the house on the corner two blocks away was burning. Bubbles wasted no time: she could see through the building and see that there were people inside. She crashed into a window and raced up the stairs to pull out the family, bringing them away from the burning house and into the fresh air. As they coughed and gasped, Bubbles was thankful that she could hear the approaching sirens of an ambulance.

She turned to Him as he had just reformed himself at her side. The family, confused and frightened, cringed away at the sight of him. Bubbles looked back at the still burning home, and she saw a prime opportunity for Him to do some good. She only hoped that this wouldn't be a repeat of what happened wit the kite in the tree. "I don't have ice breath like Blossom, this is your chance- put out the fire!"

At her direction, Him summoned his power in calling the fire out of the house, effectively siphoning the flames into a compact fireball held in his claw. Bubbles smiled at him as the medics approached and began to check the family. She left the medics to it and watched as Him's eyes seemed to become mesmerized by the flames he held. He had the flames in his power, and at first he made it take the form of a bird, then it formed into the face of Bubbles, then into the image of a machine.

Bubbles wasn't sure what to make of that last image - Him appeared equally confused for a moment.

At looking at the image he made, everything came back to Him all at once in a flash that had him weak at the knees. He swayed slightly as the flames died in his grasp.

Bubbles reached forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Him, are you all right? What's the matter?"

Him blinked, and for a moment he saw with new eyes. His past was returning to him, fractured memories pulled into immediate focus and giving him a slight headache. There was a buzzing in his ears. Most importantly, Him could see the face of the one who had robbed him of his memory and more gallingly, his memory of his own powers - leaving him the undignified pet of once-despised enemies.

His control of his powers and his past had returned to him slowly during his time spent in the Utonium household, but the one memory that had escaped him again and again had been how he'd lost his memory in the first place.

Well.

Not anymore.

But Bubbles was looking at him with such concern on her lovely face. "I…yes, I'm fine. Just fine. Did the family get out in time?" He asked her, lost as he'd been in his own realization that he'd barely noticed the family and the ambulance.

She smiled, "Yes. Thank you, Him. I knew you could use your power for good."

She hugged Him then, leaving Him to wonder if she would feel the same toward him after he was finished with Mojo Jojo.

Several hours later, after the family has been taken in to the hospital and Bubbles had explained to her sisters all that had happened that morning (though naturally she neglected to mention that Him had been sleeping beside her when the chipmunk had come to her window), the family began its typical routines for the day.

Him had retreated to the study while Bubbles told her story, though he did not remain in the house for long. Rather, now that he memory of how to return to his realm had thankfully returned to him, Him disappeared from the realm of humans only to reappear in his own. Things were just as he remembered them, though he was dismayed to find that he'd left his television on all the time he'd been gone. He quickly shut it off before sending a message to calm his children with the news that he'd returned home and would be back shortly; he could see that Bubbles was approaching the study, intent to speak with him.

Bubbles knocked once and, with Him's called permission, opened the door and stepped inside. "Hello, Him."

The demon was seated comfortably on the low sofa, giving no hint to the fact that he'd just crossed dimensions. "Oh, good morning Bubbles, how are you?"

She smiled and sat down beside him. "I'm feeling fine. You know, since Blossom and Buttercup are patrolling today and the Mayor hasn't called, I think I'll have the day to myself. And I was thinking…"

"Yes?"

"You've been cooped up for the past few days, maybe we should go somewhere."

Him clicked his claw tips together. "Leave the house? Where would we go?"

She shrugged lightly, "I was thinking the park, it's such a pretty day and you did great this morning, I think you deserve it." Truly, she was very proud of him for putting out the fire with his powers rather than causing some new chaos to take its place.

"Oh, I don't know…" he groused playfully, teasing her.

"Please, Him? I want to go swimming and have a picnic."

"Hmm…all right! Let me just change into something a little more human." Him stood before her and changed his form, once again taking on the guise of the young human man that Bubbles had christened Larry. "How's this?" Him coughed to change his voice. "I mean, how's this?"

Bubbles smiled at him. "That should do it, let's go!"

After hours spent swimming in the park lake, eating a picnic lunch and playing a game of outdoor volleyball, Bubbles laid back to close her eyes and turned her face toward the sun, taking in the warmth like a newly bloomed flower. The strangeness wasn't lost on her; here she was in Townsville park, having spent the day with someone who was once her greatest enemy now turned friend, and possibly more, if she could find the courage to discuss what had passed between them the night before. Him had become her special confidant, seeking her company for games and long conversations, his attentions usually turned to her rather than her sisters - but anything more than that? She had no idea.

Still, she was happy to have seen the proof that, with the right coaxing, even Him could learn to use his power for good rather than evil. With Him as their talisman of proof, she and her sisters might change their entire approach to fighting crime and the forces of evil in Townsville.

Bubbles sighed happily, "This has been the most perfect day!"

She felt the blanket shift beside her as Him leaned in close. "Not yet it hasn't…"

"What do you me-?"

Bubbles's question was cut off once she felt Him's hands come over her upper arms as he pulled her closer to him, and pressed his lips to hers. For a moment, Bubbles was frozen. Confused, shocked, terrified. That moment passed quickly, for Him's lips had molded against her own in such a way as she had never experienced before. For one blissful moment she gave in, surrendering herself to the sensation of his kiss.

It was short-lived, however, for Bubbles was brought back to reality when he moved one hand down to clamp down on her waist, intent on bringing her into even closer contact with his body.

Bubbles pulled away from him, her hand planted firmly on his chest to keep him from moving against her once more. "Him, you're-"

Him's green eyes flashed, a mixture of arousal and fierce disappointment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought we-"

Bubbles shook her head, gesturing to him and warily looking about them to make sure no one had seen their intimate exchange. "No, Him, it's-"

Him moved to lean back, giving her distance from him. This isn't what he'd wanted, he had hoped to have her for his own, and soon. "I know, I shouldn't have-"

Bubbles pointed at him, his body that was rapidly undoing itself and returning to his natural demonic appearance. "No, you're changing, look!"

Him looked down at his sharp claw. He had allowed himself to be lost in the kiss with Bubbles and so had let his disguise slip for just a moment. He frowned, irritated both with his own loss of control and the apparent fear Bubbles had of being seen with him in his natural form.

Rather than give voice to his anger, Him smiled and transformed his claw back into the false hand of humanity. "Oh! Can't have that, now can we? No, you can't be seen with me as I am, what would people think?" He asked teasingly.

She understood what he was implying, that she was somehow ashamed to be seen with Him in his natural form. That was not solely true; she was more worried that the sight of him would panic the other people in the park, but as she looked around, no one had seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary despite Him having nearly reverted to his true form.

This kiss…Bubbles wasn't sure how she felt about it, but this place was not where she would discuss it with him. The look in his eyes was determined; he deserved for her to speak with him about this unexpected turn of events.

But was this unexpected?

In a flash, Bubbles recalled the special attention Him paid to her, the way his eyes had seemed to follow her of late, and the way he'd reacted to Marcus when they'd run into him at the market. But that had been an accident…hadn't it?

Another, much more troubling thought occurred to her: had Bubbles been leading Him on? And even worse, what would he do when she told him that this arrangement had to end? Did it have to end?

Bubbles fumbled for words, something to explain herself, some words of comfort for the demon who was so lost that he'd allowed himself to develop feelings for someone who had once been an enemy.

The only words that passed her lips, however, were somewhat less than profound. "Blossom and Buttercup will be home soon, we should go."

Him, determined to appear nonchalant, shrugged and nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're right. You go ahead, I'll follow you."

Despite the adventure in the park not playing out as he'd hoped, Him was sure of what he must do next.