Buttercup's Point of View—

I woke up at about 6:30 a.m. from a nightmare, screaming frantically, kicking the covers off of me.

"OHHH JESUS! JESUS HELP ME LORD HAVE MERCY ON MY POOR DEFENSELESS SOUL! AAAAAAAAAHHH! THE END IS NEAR! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! TELL MY SISTERS I LOVE THEM!"

Mitch burst through the door, turned on the lights, and dashed over to the bed.

"Babe, calm down! What's wrong?" he asked, holding my hand in his.

"OH MY GOSSSSHHH! NOOO!" I yelled.

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay," he soothed, rubbing my back.

I grabbed the covers as I hyperventilated hysterically.

"What happened? Nightmare?" he asked sympathetically.

I nodded, my eyes widened with fear.

"Tell me about it?" he urged, kissing me on my cheek.

"Well I was in a car with somebody and the sky was gray and it was a red streak in the sky and a purple and black spinning hole and I was all like 'Just take me back home please' and the person just kept driving until we drove into the hole then I woke up screaming then you came in here and-"

"Calm down, babe. Just a nightmare. Go back to bed, okay?"

He gently squeezed my hand before leaving.

I lay down miserably, shielding myself with the covers. I stared up at the ceiling fearfully at the eerie shadows cast by the light shining in from the window. Buttercup Utonium was never scared. But this time, there was something about that dream…it was so real…

I slung the covers off of me and tiptoed into the living room where Mitch was lying on the couch awake, watching Jersey Shore. He glanced up at me and smiled.

"You scared still? Come here."

I walked over to him slowly. He hugged me by my waist and laid me down beside him.

"Is this a new episode?" I asked halfheartedly, not really caring.

"Nah. But I love this one, though."

"Which one is it?"

"The one where Sammi finds that note about Ronnie."

I chuckled.

"She sure is a dumbass for going back with him while he still cheated on her," I said.

Mitch snorted a laugh.

"I know right. JWOWW did her a favor by knockin' the block off her ass. Too damn stuck up."

We laughed together for a moment. He pulled me into his lap and laced his fingers in my hair, turning my head gently to the side. He leaned down and locked his lips with mine. It. Was. Amazing. His tongue slipped into my mouth softly before slipping back into his own, savoring my taste. There was no fight for dominance this time; it was affectionate and sweet.

When he finally pulled away from me, he smiled at me and turned his gaze back to the T.V.

"Who wrote the note, Angelina?" Sammi asked.

"I'm not telling," Angelina responded.

I shook my head and turned my attention to the window. The sun was just beginning to rise over the trees, making the sky a warm pink-orange shade. I sighed in content and leaned my head into his chest and closed my eyes, wanting to make this moment last as long as I could stretch it.

Bubbles' Point of View—

"Hey, Bubbles. Are you okay?"

I turned to Boomer wearily and smiled weakly.

I hadn't slept last night. I was worried sick about Buttercup, and on top of that, had to be on the receiving end of Blossom's rage numerous times. I didn't bother to apply any makeup. My hair was strewn wildly in a mass of matted tangles on my head, bags beneath my reddened eyes, eyelids heavy. I threw on any pair of sweats I could find and walked out of the door, too upset to fly. I had more time to think when I walked, anyway.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

"No, you're not. Come talk to me for a minute."

I sighed and clutched my books as I walked towards his locker.

"I know how you must feel, with your sister gone, and all. I know it hurts a lot. You don't have to hide it. It wasn't your fault," he assured sympathetically, wiping a stray strand of hair from my face.

"No, really, I'm okay, Boomie. Thank you for caring."

I turned from him and began to walk when he grabbed me by my arm.

"No, Bubbles. You're not okay. Stop lying to yourself. Please. I-"

The bell rang through his words.

"Meet me after school."

I nodded somberly before sauntering off to my next class.

Butch's Point of View—

"Dude, you okay?"

"Mhm."

"You don't act like it."

"Mhm."

Melvin sighed in exasperation and clutched tufts of his hair.

"It's the thing about BC running away, huh?"

I looked up at him, my eyes dull and lifeless.

Hanna hadn't slept last night, just as Bella and I didn't sleep. I'm not sure about Melvin, however. BC leaving had an effect on all of us. Especially me. Hanna wasn't taking it very well, either. Her cheeks were tear-stained at the very moment as we sat around the table beneath the oak tree. The table that now has an empty seat.

"I just don't see why she left," Bella murmured, gazing down at the ground.

Hanna hasn't really said much of anything since BC's departure. Barely eats. Never wants to go to the mall or anything. But I can't blame her, honestly. I feel the same way.

"Look. I know you guys are upset, but damn! Stop sulking! BC is okay; I know this for a fact. I mean, come on! She's Buttercup Utonium! A Powerpuff! Do you guys honestly believe, in for a split second, that anything could affect her?" Melvin yelled, springing from his seat.

No one at the moment seemed to really care about his temper tantrums. As the bell rang, I grabbed my books and headed for my class.

Bubbles' Point of View (after school)—

I moodily trudged over to the corner of the building where Boomer was sitting patiently. I sat down beside him as he smiled at me.

"Wanna talk?" he asked quietly.

I looked into his eyes longingly, not really knowing what to say.

"I know how it feels. Butch has ran away so many times before…"

I furrowed my eyebrows in reminiscence.

"Yeah, I remember. Buttercup would always come home telling me how Butch had run off…"
He grinned in remembrance.

"Yeah. And since they are counterparts, BC probably ran off to clear her mind. That's all Butch did—he just left when stuff got overwhelming for him."

"So you think she's gonna come back?" I asked, a glint of hope in my eyes.

He didn't answer.

I looked back down at the pavement and bit my lower lip, trying to suppress the mournful whimpers that escaped my throat as my eyes welled up with tears.

"Bubbles…"

He wrapped his arms around me soothingly and pulled me closer to him, my face buried in his chest, as he fondled me in his arms, wiping my tears away with his thumb. Then, a dreadful possibility clouded my mind.

Buttercup may never come back.

Buttercup's Point of View (two weeks later)—

Mitch was beginning to act strange. When we first ran away, he was sweet and considerate. Now, he had a bit of a mean streak. Nothing horrible, though. I guess he was just upset about something.

"Hey, Mitch. Can I see my phone for a minute?" I asked.

He glared up at me and paused his video game.

"No."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why…not?"

"Just because."

"Well-"

"I said no, dammit."

"Well you don't have to get mad!"

He threw the game controller down and stood up. Only then was when I noticed our difference in height. He grabbed me by my collar and pinned me to the wall.

"Put me down, Mitch!" I ordered, struggling to free myself. He pressed his hand against my throat, making me gasp for air.

"If I say no, I mean no. No questions asked. Fucking deal with it."

And with one last menacing glare, he threw me against the floor, leaving me curled up in a fetal position on the carpet, coughing and panting. I looked in his direction, then looked away fearfully. That wasn't the Mitch I knew. His eyes were too cold, his voice too threatening. I crawled away to my bedroom after seeing that his attention was once again turned to the video game he was playing, closing the door softly behind me. I looked in the mirror and reached my hand up to my throat, fingering it gently. He left a bruise. It was already turning purple. I grimaced with slight discomfort and threw myself onto the bed.

He didn't mean to hurt you, Buttercup. He was just agitated. The real Mitch loves you.

After about ten minutes of thought, my door creaked open. I stared at him, slightly apprehensive, as he walked calmly towards me. He sat down beside me, the same fearful expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Buttercup."

I smiled weakly and nodded.

"It's okay."

He grinned back one last time before gently pulling me towards him by my shirt collar, closing his eyes. I fell into his lap as his soft, full lips intertwined with mine. His tongue pried open my mouth and tickled against mine a few times before he pushed me away, tenderly nipping my lower lip. He opened his eyes slowly and lightly caressed my cheek with his thumb before kissing me on the tip of my nose and turning to leave. When I heard the door closing behind him, I let out a sigh of mixed emotion.

He makes me so scared of him sometimes, his aggression. He's so rough sometimes. But then, just as I feel threatened by him, he kisses away the fear and pain and leaves me feeling so happy.

Is Buttercup Utonium in love?

Author's Note: Sorry the chapter was so short. I just hope the quality makes up for the quantity! :P

I wanted to have a whole lot of emotion in this one, and I didn't want to have the same feelings for everyone. So, basically, for me:

Lots of emotion and or drama and or heartbreak + tons of POV's = shorter chapters.

Sorry. :[

I just run out of ideas when I use so much emotion in one chapter, not because I'm boring, but because I don't want to ruin the chapter with something hilarious when the chapter is generally set in a mournful theme. Do you sort of get why the chapters are short sometimes? :[