"What's wrong, Buttercup, don't you want to grow up again?" Blossom asked.
"Yes." was Buttercup's simple reply.
Blossom looked at Buttercup closely, she seemed about to break into tears, something she rarely did. Blossom didn't now what was up. Then, it suddenly hit her. Buttercup's calling Ms. Keane and the Professor 'Mommy' and 'Daddy', her recent depression when they were after Major Man and the spell, her hesitation at this moment, it all added up now.
"Now I get it. You want to grow up." Blossom said, more surprised than anything.
Buttercup, still holding back her tears, slowly nods.
"Isn't that what we'll be doing?" Bubbles asked, not quite understanding the situation.
"No, Bubbles, Buttercup wants to grow up..." Blossom thought hard for the right word or phrase, "...'the old fashioned way'."
"Like the way all the other kids do?" Bubbles said, realization dawning on her.
"Exactly, it's not that she doesn't want to be five again, it's just that she wants to have a full childhood. She wants to experience everything normal children do." Blossom said, trying to the best of her ability to explain what she understood of Buttercup's feelings, "The things we never really experienced because we were born five and already knew most of stuff that we should've learned through personal experience and being taught by parents."
"You mean like learning to ride a bike?" Bubbles suggested.
"Right, as well as walking, talking, having grandparents spoil you completely, going to Preschool...heck, maybe even potty training..."
"It's not just that..." Buttercup finally spoke up. Blossom and Bubbles looked at Buttercup, eager to learn what was causing her desire to remain.
"It's also that..." Buttercup said with a sniff, "...we have..." another sniff, "...a family here."
"We're a family at home, too. You, me, Blossom, the Professor..." Bubbles began pointing out before being interrupted by Buttercup.
"IT'S NOT THE SAME!" she shouted, finally letting her tears flow freely, "We don't have a 'Professor' here." Buttercup sobbed and looked at Professor Utonium, "We have a Daddy." she turned her head to Sandy, "We have a Mommy." she looked to Jack, "We have a Grandpa." she broke down completely at that moment. She now barely managed to speak between sobs, "I don't (sob) want (sob) to lose that!"
* * * * *
Sandy watched the display in front of her with nothing less than awe. Even if she hadn't known that they were older than their bodies suggested, she'd have known instantly something had Buttercup very upset. Anybody could tell that Buttercup wasn't giving a simple 'I'm hungry, feed me!' or 'I'm wet, change me!' cry. This was an all-out 'I'm upset and need comfort' cry.
She didn't understand a word of what was being said between the girls, but it was clear what was happening. Buttercup didn't want to go back. She seemed to prefer life as an infant over whatever it was her sisters wished to return to.
"Poor kid, what's wrong?" Jack asked, thinking out loud.
"The way she looked at us, I think she doesn't want to leave us." Sandy said. This was confirmed by a nod from Blossom, who overheard Sandy's comment.
"Poor little thing." said Sandy, unable to bear seeing Buttercup cry so. She walked over and picked up the weeping child, "There, there, Baby, don't cry." she spoke soothingly.
Soon, Buttercup's sobbing toned down to barely audible whimpers. The children and adults alike watched as Sandy whispered unheard reassurances into the child ear. Buttercup eventually pushed away from Sandy and gave a nod that almost went unnoticed by everyone had Sandy not spoken.
"Okay, Buttercup's in."
Buttercup once again hugged Sandy, burying her head in her mother's shoulder and started crying again. Sandy simply held her close in a tight hug.
Blossom, ready to get down to business, took the spell from Utonium's hand to see what was required for it. She read over it, though it was slightly fuzzy because her ability to read was beginning to slip due to the infant side of her mind. Despite that, she was able to make out the ingredients, though only by concentrating on that part alone. As she read, she noticed that all the ingredients were all pretty common and, if not in the house, were easy to get hold of. Then her eyes widened when she got to the last, and most important, ingredient. She suddenly pulled at the Professor's lab coat frantically, forgetting her strength and pulling Utonium down to the floor in the process of pulling. Utonium got up and looked at Blossom, who looked embarrassed by her little faux pas.
"What is it, sweetie." Utonium asked, rubbing his side where he'd landed on the floor. Blossom points to a point on the paper. Utonium took it from her hands and examined the place she'd pointed to, "Oh no!" he all but shouted.
"What is it?" Sandy asked, holding a now silent Buttercup who had cried herself out and had her head buried against Sandy's shoulder.
"There's something we missed. Something we need for the spell that we don't have." Utonium said.
"What?" Jack asked.
"'To allow the creation of a new history," Utonium read, "the casters must have present the duck of rubber of one who has had lengthful exposure to the supernatural.' The only person we know who could possibly fit that qualification is HIM. And he certainly won't help us."
"Oh no." Jack said. While the girls were definitely very special, they weren't magical.
Utonium and Sandy could clearly see Blossom was upset. She wanted to return. Bubbles, seemed disappointed, as if she could live with either world. Buttercup showed no reaction. Upon closer inspection, Sandy noticed Buttercup had cried herself to sleep and hadn't heard the recent exchange.
"Wait a sec..." said Sandy, "there might be somebody."
"Who?" Utonium asked.
Sandy shifted Buttercup in her arms slightly so she could hold the child in her right arm as she picked up the receiver on the telephone and balanced it between her head and left shoulder. She then began dialing a number. After a few minutes of ringing, Sandy started talking stopping for a few seconds to let the person on the other end speak.
"Hello, this is Sandy Utonium, your son's teacher. (pause) Yes, yes, he's doing very well in class. This might sound strange, but does your son by any chance own a rubber duck? (pause) He does, that's great. (pause) Um, no, this has no bearing on his grade, I just need a rubber duck, could he bring it here? (pause) Thank you so much."
With that, Sandy hung up the phone and turned to everyone, who looked at her puzzled.
"Our duck should be here a little bit later." Sandy announced.
* * * * *