Buttercup swung her legs over the side of her cot, stumbling towards Butch's side. She put her hands on his shoulders, clutching them but not daring to shake him. "Don't do this," she said, her voice shaking. She grit her teeth to regain the steadiness. "You can't do this! You can't lose to that bastard, not after everything!" Buttercup shut her eyes, refusing the tears that were gathering there. She wouldn't let Butch go, not like this. Not because of her, certainly. The others, aside from Blossom, fell still, watching Buttercup try her damndest to wake Butch, but they knew there was no coming back for him anymore.
"Buttercup," Bubbles whispered, heartbroken for her sister, for Butch, for all of them.
"No!" Buttercup said harshly, shaking her head so hard her hair flew across her face. "No, it's not true. Not like this. Butch, listen to me, you have to come back! It's just a dream!" Buttercup ducked her head, resting it against Butch's chest. Come on, come on, he had to come back. "Blossom's right, you have so much left to do, so much you can still live for. There's so much I still have to show you. I'm so sorry, I never should've let you go," Buttercup's voice was getting thicker, her hands tightening in Butch's shirt. She thought she might've heard a faint thump, thump, but it was probably her own head pulsing in pain.
With a deep breath, Buttercup's body wracked with a dry sob. "So wake up! If you don't fucking wake up right now, I'll come down to the underworld to kick your ass!"
A groan, faint and pained, rumbled beneath Buttercup. She froze, not daring to hope, until a familiar voice made her heart skip a beat. "God, do you have to yell so much?"
Buttercup jerked back with a gasp, eyes swimming with tears, but she could still clearly see Butch's face, his mouth pulled into an exhausted smirk. His eyes were glassy, but he was awake. He was awake! "You asshole!" Buttercup cried, throwing her arms around him and making him grunt. She was crying freely now, unable to muster enough of a fuck to give about anyone seeing her cry. She'd been through a lot, all right? She'd earned this. Pulling back a bit, Buttercup pressed a kiss right on Butch's mouth, completely forgetting for a moment where she was.
Everyone in the room froze, eyes owlish. Butch himself didn't seem much better, but his eyes slowly slipped close, one shaky hand coming up to the back of Buttercup's head.
"Gross! Why would anyone wanna do that?!" Boomer exclaimed, making Buttercup yank herself back, finally realizing what she'd just done.
Bubbles shook her head. "Yeah, I don't get it either."
Blossom's eyes glistened with tears as she let out a wet laugh, looking up at Brick with a relieved smile. They were out of the dark, perfect—but there was still a lot of work to do, Blossom realized. Snapping into focus, she called for Mojo. "Mojo! Bring me a medical kit, I've got to stitch these wounds. We've got to stabilize him!"
Buttercup reluctantly stood up, giving Blossom and Mojo room to work. Butch's eyes stayed closed more than they were open, but his chest never stopped rising and falling. Buttercup knew, because she watched it carefully. Blossom's steady hand worked diligently as she stitched the wounds on Butch's chest and torso closed to stem the bleeding. "We need to get him to a real hospital, I can't do anything for any internal damage."
Brick stepped forward. "It'll be faster if we fly him there. Is he safe for that?"
Blossom furrowed her brows in worry, but she soon nodded. "Just try not to jostle him too much. We'll follow close behind."
Brick nodded, lifting his brother from the cot as carefully as he could manage. Boomer was on Brick's heels as they left the building. Blossom collapsed on the cot, and Buttercup finally noticed now that her blood-soaked hands were shaking. Buttercup realized she wasn't feeling much better, herself, but she still reached to put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Hey, come on, let's get you cleaned up first."
Blossom didn't seem to hear Buttercup for a moment, until Buttercup tightened her hand on Blossom's shoulder, prompting the redhead to look up at her. Blossom's eyes filled with tears again, and she launched up, throwing her arms around a startled Buttercup. Blossom clung to Buttercup so hard, the green puff could hardly breathe. From the side, Buttercup felt Bubbles throwing her arms around them, too, until they were all tangled together. Buttercup allowed her eyes to close, one hand on Blossom's waist and the other resting one of Bubble's arms, simply letting herself feel. Feel how safe she was, how loved she was, how her sisters were okay.
"Are you sure you're okay? You need to go to the hospital too, you…you need…" Blossom was stumbling over her own words, something she seldom did. Buttercup smiled and gave Blossom a squeeze before pulling away.
For a moment, Buttercup was quiet, giving her words some thought. She was getting a little better about thinking before she spoke, huh? "I'm…not sure if I'm okay," Buttercup admitted. "But I think I will be. Maybe with a little help."
Bubbles sniffled, and Buttercup was sure the shoulder of her shirt was gonna be soaked. "We'll get you all the help you need. We're right here with you, we promise!"
Buttercup knew. She knew. Distantly, she simply relaxed, noticing that her head no longer hurt. She felt…at peace. She didn't remember what that even felt like, but she was pretty sure this was is it, as close as she'd come in months. It felt…nice. It was as if she'd finally been let loose from a trap, a cage; claws were no longer sunk into her. It was like HIM had really, finally let go. Buttercup fetched a towel and washed off Blossom's hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, let's get going. They'll need help keeping Butch calm while doctors poke and prod him." Plus, the doctors might need help feeling safe with the Rowdyruffs around. She could just picture Brick losing his temper at one wrong look.
Both sisters holding her hands, Buttercup led them outside. With a deep breath, Buttercup shut her eyes and willed herself to fly. A bit unsteady, she floated off the ground, and with a joyous cry, Buttercup soared higher. She was back.
The hospital was a short flight away, but it felt like it took way too long to burst through the doors. The receptionist, looking frazzled as it was, dropped her clipboard when she saw the three. "Are you…here for them?" the woman asked, cutting her eyes to the side, where it looked like the hospital doors had a dent in them. Blossom groaned.
"I'm so sorry! Yes, we are, we'll, uh…try to keep them contained," Blossom smiled in reassurance, thanking the receptionist as she rattled off the room number. Though, Buttercup wasn't sure they needed it, because when she walked into the hall, she could hear shouting the second she rounded the corner.
"Jesus," she muttered under her breath, hurrying towards the source of the commotion. She came upon Boomer, his back against the wall as he stayed well out of the room right in front of him. "Boomer!" Buttercup called, making him cut his eyes towards her. He pointed into the room when Buttercup stopped beside him, and Buttercup looked at the scene.
"Butch, for the love of god!" Buttercup seethed, making Butch stop trying to yank the needle out of his hand. He snapped his head up towards her, scowl melting into surprise.
"Took you long enough," he grinned. Buttercup didn't have time to feel things about that. She marched towards the bed and grabbed his wrist, pinning it to the mattress.
"Leave it alone," she ordered, before turning her annoyance on Brick, who was standing in the corner and looking like he might kill the next person to walk through the door. "Can't you control him?"
Brick leveled Buttercup with a look that suggested she knew better than to ask. "They're taking him in for surgery soon."
Oh. Buttercup relaxed her grip on Butch's wrist, taking a seat on the hospital bed. She looked down at him as he relaxed, though his breathing was still shallow, difficult. Reaching out, Buttercup brushed her hand through his hair. "Sorry about this mess. Maybe you'll get some cool scars?"
Butch snorted. "You're gonna owe me from now until forever," he grumbled, to which Buttercup merely grinned. That didn't sound too awful.
A woman in a white coat entered the room, her curly dark hair pulled into a bun atop her head. "We're ready to take you back now. I'm afraid your family must stay out here," she explained. Buttercup hopped off the bed, and the doctor began to put the bars up on the bed, preparing to transport Butch.
"Hey," Brick muttered, making Butch glance at him. "Make sure to wake up this time."
Butch flipped his brother the bird, making him smirk as Butch got wheeled down the hallway. Buttercup collapsed into the chair in the room, a crumpled heap of green. Outside the room, she realized Blossom and Bubbles were standing with Boomer.
"He's tough, he'll be out in no time," Bubbles offered a soothing smile, making Brick roll his eyes and mumble something about soft girls.
"You're not so indomitable, yourself," Blossom said, and ugh, there was a big word that Buttercup didn't have the brainpower to figure out right now. She was content to recline back and enjoy the quipping back and forth between her sisters and the boys, though. That, she had all the energy in the world for.
Bubbles took a seat on the arm of Buttercup's chair, peering down at her. "Buttercup?" she murmured, making Buttercup grunt in acknowledgment. "How did you beat HIM?"
Buttercup tensed, her jaw tightening. She didn't have to open her eyes to know everyone was looking towards her, the room having fallen quiet. Should she? What if he tried the same trick, because she hadn't disclosed how to fight it? The very thought of either of her sisters going through what she had made Buttercup absolutely sick.
"Admitting I was afraid. HIM can't control you with what he doesn't have," Buttercup muttered, curling farther into her chair. Bubbles began to pet her hair, while Blossom tapped at her lips.
"That makes sense. He relied on Buttercup being afraid. Running from it, denying it, and that meant her never understanding that she was scared…when she finally owned up to it, that took away his biggest asset against her."
Buttercup rolled her eyes at the wordy explanation. Trust brainy Blossom. "Buttercup, I think we should get you something to eat. It's been a while since you lived off anything but coffee," Bubbles said, tugging at Buttercup's shirt. Buttercup groaned, but Blossom snapped her fingers.
"Come on, up. Bubbles is right. It'll take a while for Butch to get back, anyway," she said, glancing towards Brick. "You're welcome to join us."
"I don't need an invitation," Brick said back. Blossom held her hands up in defense, heading out of the room. It took Bubbles a few seconds to coax Buttercup out of the chair, but the promise of finding her something sweet made Buttercup traipse along. Boomer looked between them and Brick before shrugging and trotting along, the prize of food too alluring to deny. Brick heaved a weary sigh before he pushed off the wall, shoulders hunched as he made his way to the cafeteria.
Hospital food was by no means gourmet, but to Buttercup, it was one of the best things she'd ever tasted. Maybe that was just because she was starving; the first bite she took reminded her of that, bringing her hunger to the forefront. She scarfed a sandwich and three muffins before Blossom interfered for fear of Buttercup making herself sick, now Buttercup was sitting with her head leaning on Bubbles' shoulder while the others chatted lightly. Aside from Brick, who couldn't be bothered, it would seem.
"Can't pretend you hate us forever," Buttercup said, looking right at Brick. He didn't move for a moment, but he soon aimed a glance at her.
"Seems I'm stuck with you, in any case," he remarked drily, stabbing his fork into his tray. Buttercup bristled, and beside her, Bubbles covered her mouth to giggle.
"We're a packaged deal!" Bubbles grinned. If only Brick knew. Buttercup shook her head and pushed herself away from the table.
"I'm heading back, it's a little loud in here," she said, taking her leave. It wasn't entirely a lie; Buttercup didn't have a headache anymore, but she still felt a little oversensitive. As she made her way back to the room, she was startled by seeing the hospital bed back in place. "Butch!"
Butch was hardly even awake. His head rolled, something slurred escaping him. Beside him, the nurse was fixing the machines back in place. She looked up at Buttercup with a gentle smile. "It'll take a while for him to be totally alert, by tomorrow he should be back to normal. The surgery went very well!"
Buttercup rubbed her arm as she nodded at the nurse with a soft murmur of gratitude. Approaching the bed, Buttercup took a seat on the edge, glancing over Butch. He was dressed in a white hospital gown, such a far cry from his black and dark green. At least it wasn't soaked with blood. Shutting her eyes against that memory, Buttercup reached and rested her hand against Butch's. Butch muttered something incoherent, but his fingers clumsily tried entangling with Buttercup's, making her smile.
"Asshole," she grumbled, leaning down and kissing his forehead. She really was screwed now, huh? She didn't even know when it had happened. She must've had too much else on her mind, but Butch had always been there somewhere…
Footsteps corralled into the room, and Buttercup straightened, getting up to give Brick and Boomer room. Boomer bounced up to the bed. "How do you feel?" he asked, twiddling his fingers.
"Awesome," Butch slurred, waving a limp hand towards his IV drip. "What's the street name for this?"
Brick hit his brother's arm lightly. Looking towards Blossom, he nodded at her. "We'll be okay tonight. We promise not to maim a doctor or anything."
Blossom pursed her lips, having not considered that. However, she clasped her hands and cleared her throat. "We'll visit when he's more intelligible. And…thank you," Blossom said, looking down. Brick stared at her for a moment before looking away, down towards Butch.
Bubbles waved as the three girls took their leave, with Buttercup casting one more look towards Butch, who looked like he'd fallen asleep. As the trio left the hospital, Buttercup looked up at the sky, drinking in the fading pearly pink as it bled into violet. It looked as if Bubbles had spilled paint across one of her drawings. Buttercup closed her eyes, rising into the sky bit by bit. She was really going to have to kick it into high gear and start training again, she'd let herself go a little.
She'd worry about that later.
The flight back home was quiet, but every so often, either Blossom or Bubbles would brush against Buttercup, and they would all giggle together. Upon arriving home, Buttercup was the first through the door. It felt as if she hadn't been there in ages, but walking in welcomed her with a comforting familiarity.
Professor burst in from the kitchen suddenly, making all three girls stop in their tracks. "They're home! I'll call you back, I promise—" He hung up on whomever he was talking to, running a hand through his hair, which looked as if he'd been doing that for the past hour. "Where have you three been?! I've been worried sick!" Professor looked at Buttercup then, his brow furrowing even deeper. "Sweetheart, you look exhausted! What's going on?"
Buttercup swallowed thickly, feeling very small. Inhaling deeply, Buttercup looked her father in the eyes. "I have a lot to tell you."
Professor looked back towards the other girls before looking at Buttercup again. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he led Buttercup to the living room and sat down on the couch with her. "I have all the time in the world, Buttercup."
Buttercup took a deep breath, listening as her sisters scaled the stairs, likely to give her some privacy with Professor. "I…you know how I haven't been sleeping good?"
Professor nodded, watching Buttercup patiently. It took her a few moments to gather the courage. "I've been having nightmares. Really awful nightmares, and they were making me not want to sleep, and that led to a bunch of other stuff. I'd fall asleep in class, I'd…" Buttercup played with a string on her jacket as she told the story, explaining the events of the past few months. When she reached the part about realizing who had been behind the dreams, Professor's arm tightened around her.
It was hard admitting to Professor that she'd gone and fought HIM almost by herself, even harder admitting who she'd gone with to keep from going alone. Professor gasped, but he didn't interrupt, not until Buttercup explained they were just now coming home from the hospital and that Butch would make a good recovery. Buttercup was shaking, too nervous to look up at her father, but he drew her into a tight hug that made her squeak.
"I'm so sorry you've been going through this, Buttercup. Please, don't hesitate to talk to me or your sisters when something is wrong…especially something serious," Professor murmured, rubbing Buttercup's back as she nodded against his shoulder. "You were very strong, and incredibly brave. I'm so proud of you, honey."
Buttercup smiled, her eyes glistening as she pulled away and scrubbed at her face. "Thanks. I…it might be a while before I feel okay."
"You can take all the time you need, and we'll do what we can to help." Professor smiled, petting Buttercup's head as he stood. "Did you girls eat yet?"
Explaining that they'd eaten at the hospital, Professor nodded, and then gestured upstairs. "Do you want to try sleeping? I think you could really use it."
She really could. Buttercup hugged Professor one last time before she headed upstairs. Her room felt…strange. She'd spent a long time dreading being inside of it, for fear of falling asleep; and her bed alone looked daunting. Putting it off for a little longer, Buttercup went to her bathroom to take a shower instead, washing away the anxiety, the invisible blood of a battle fought inside her head. Donning her pajamas and tying her hair up into a tiny ponytail—she really needed to get it cut again—Buttercup headed into her room.
Sitting on her bed, Buttercup ran her fingers across the smooth comforter, pulling it back. It smelled fresh, clean…Professor must've washed sheets today. It made the bed feel new. Buttercup sat down, heaving a tremulous breath. She was so, so tired…but she'd spent so long being afraid of falling asleep, afraid of her dreams. Maybe she'd forgotten how to fall asleep entirely. She felt the edges of panic in her chest just thinking about it.
At her door came a knock, making Buttercup cock her head to look. The door cracked open, revealing Blossom, with Bubbles standing behind her. "Can we come in?"
Buttercup nodded, confused. Blossom shut the door behind her and Bubbles, and they came to stand at Buttercup's bed. "We thought you might like some company. Just for tonight," Blossom said, with an easy smile.
Buttercup blinked once, twice, before a wide grin brightened her face. "If you insist," she shrugged, scooting over as both Blossom and Bubbles joined her on either side. It was a tight squeeze, and it had been ages since they'd shared a room, much less a bed, but it felt every bit as familiar as it had years ago. Buttercup felt Bubbles nestle against her shoulder, smelled the faint strawberry of Blossom's shampoo, and closed her eyes. She felt completely, totally at ease. She felt safe.
For the first time in a long time, Buttercup slept.
She did not dream.
Buttercup looked down at the papers stapled before her, glancing over her loopy scrawl. She'd procrastinated it a bit, but that story for her class was due today, and she was kind of proud of the final result. Her character, Bling, had overcome her nightmares and learned they were a result of something greater. Her own fears and mental illness manifesting. In the end, she'd agreed to seek professional help to help her overcome her anxiety and learn how to cope with her mental health. It had been fun, almost, to write out the tale. It was cathartic to detail her own struggles and reach the solution for them. This might not be something Buttercup would hate to do forever.
A tapping at her window made Buttercup jump, turning in her chair to glance towards the boy floating in her window. Rolling her eyes, Buttercup hopped up to open it and let Butch in. "Why can't you use the door like a normal person?" she griped, glancing at Butch as he floated past her.
Reclining his arms behind his head, Butch's lips quirked into a smirk. "Door? What's that?"
Buttercup shook her head. She knew better. "Fine. But you can't copy off my notes!" she nudged past him, snatching her backpack off her bed so Butch wouldn't get any stupid ideas. "You're gonna pass those tests on your own!"
Butch groaned, flopping across Buttercup's bed. "Come on, I've been studying. I don't even know if Pythagorean theorem is even English!" he snapped, lamenting the rigorous study schedule Buttercup's high school had for their GED program.
It had been Blossom's idea, but all three of them had coerced (bullied, threatened, whatever you wanted to call it) the boys into taking the test and earning that diploma. It had taken even more convincing on the school's side. Ms. Keane was a pragmatic principle, and while she didn't take kindly to the idea of any villain, former or otherwise, in her school… She was also trusting of the Powerpuff Girls. If they promised to keep watch, Ms. Keane was willing to allow anyone to pursue their education.
Butch was struggling the most, but Boomer wasn't taking it too well either. Brick wasn't having much trouble with the practice tests, but Buttercup hadn't really expected him to, being Blossom's counterpart. There were certain rules to math or language he hadn't picked up, but he was making decent advancement. Of course, it meant that instead of turning to him for help, Boomer and Butch were bugging the Powerpuffs about it. Buttercup wanted them to pass the damn tests more than they did, at this point.
"Come on, you've got this. Brick's already scheduled his tests, right? You gotta catch up with him!" Buttercup was teasing, evidenced by her playful nudge.
Butch batted her away. "It's not my fault he's a know-it-all. He won't even let me copy his fucking notes, still blames me for us being stuck here." Butch's wounds were still healing; mostly recovered, but he still had to take it easy. The wounds had scarred, and he couldn't risk flying too far distances or too fast. Butch cast a glance at Buttercup as she shuffled her papers and put them into a folder, brushing a stray piece of hair away that hadn't fit into her little ponytail. He found himself smirking. Maybe he wouldn't leave this place, anyway.
Glancing at him, Buttercup cocked her head. "I've got therapy today. Sure you don't wanna go?" It was the umpteenth time she'd asked, but she hadn't given up. Buttercup had been in counseling for a couple months, now, at the behest of Professor and Bubbles. It had…helped, a lot, actually. She was taking medicine that helped her sleep, now, and she found herself slipping back into normalcy.
Butch scrunched his nose. "I'm not going to that crap. You can only get so much from me," he told her, sticking his tongue out at her. She stuck her tongue back at him.
"Whatever. Let's go, Bubbles might let you take a waffle," Buttercup called over her shoulder, racing for the stairs before Butch even got off the bed. He cursed at her, forgetting about Buttercup warning him not to swear when in her house. He almost collided with Buttercup when she waited for him at the bottom of the stairs, making her laugh her way into the kitchen.
Blossom was sitting at the table with her hands wrapped around a mug of tea, a familiar brown-skinned girl sat beside her, twirling Blossom's hair around her finger. "Hey Jessana," Buttercup greeted, to which the bespectacled girl smiled and waved. She reminded Buttercup quite a bit of Bubbles, only way more outspoken and sharp-witted.
Blossom glanced at Butch when he came in behind Buttercup. "Oh, Butch," Blossom cleared her throat. "Good morning." Blossom ducked her gaze, making Buttercup roll her eyes. Blossom was still awkward around Butch—around any of them, really, but the other two weren't making themselves at home here—despite everything. Still, she'd never said anything about it, and that was something Buttercup appreciated.
Bubbles bounced in with a plate of waffles, setting them down on the table and snatching her arm back when both Buttercup and Butch shot their hands out for them. "Easy! I made plenty!" Bubbled chided.
"Match made in heaven," Jessana grinned, to which Blossom hummed into her mug. They finished breakfast quickly, intending to get to class early. Blossom and Bubbles were helping with preparations for the end of the year dance, and Buttercup didn't want to fly alone.
Leaning down, Buttercup bumped her head lightly against Butch's. "Don't finish that game without me," she warned him, absolutely ready to throw down over a video game.
Butch pushed her away. "Get lost."
This was her house! Huffing, Buttercup turned away, sticking her tongue out when Blossom leaned down to kiss Jessana goodbye. The trio headed out, Bubbles flipping in the air so her back hovered over Buttercup's. Floating down to rest lightly on the green puff, Buttercup pushed upwards to support Bubbles. "Gosh, I'm so ready for this schoolyear to be over. I got invited back to work at the art store!"
Buttercup was looking forward to no homework, not necessarily eight hours spent staring at the same video game selection, but alas. "I'm just glad we made it through this year."
"You and me both," Blossom sighed, dropping to the ground with a flourish. "Let's go, Bubbles. Ms. Keane is already in the cafeteria, I'm sure."
Bubbles hugged Buttercup before bouncing after their older sister. Buttercup sighed. Well, now would be a good time to turn in her story. Professor had gotten her out of reading it aloud to the class with a phone call to the teacher. Mrs. Forrest had agreed, after hearing how the story was apparently quite personal for Buttercup. Heading for the classroom and finding the door open, Buttercup tapped on the doorway. Mrs. Forrest looked up, grinning when she saw Buttercup. "You're here early, dear. Is there something the matter?"
Buttercup shook her head as she fished her story out of her bag. "I just wanted to turn this in. I didn't want anyone else thinking I was getting special treatment, later."
She handed the papers to her teacher, but when she turned to leave, Mrs. Forrest held up a hand. "Oh, stay, won't you dear? Just until I finish."
Buttercup withheld a sigh, sliding into a seat in the front row. The clock on the wall ticked while Buttercup scratched at the wood on the desk. It amazed her that despite her boredom, she wasn't even slightly tired. It wasn't a feeling she missed. Several minutes passed, with the occasional sound murmured by Mrs. Forrest as she read. Finally, she set the papers down, a thoughtful look on her face as she digested the tale.
"Buttercup, that was phenomenal. I had no idea you had such a talent," Mrs. Forrest said, her voice warm and awed.
Buttercup flushed contently, rubbing at the back of her head. "It's nothing," she dismissed, "but thanks, it was a lot of work." She grinned in good humor while her teacher chuckled.
"This makes me wonder, dear. Have you thought more about what you'd like to do after school? Maybe pursue in college?" Mrs. Forrest was one of the counselors who were assisting the students in their plans for when school ended. If you asked Buttercup, they were being a little ambitious, trying to hound the juniors about it.
Pausing, Buttercup looked outside of the window. "You know, maybe I'll be a writer. Something in fiction, none of that boring crap," she waved a hand. Mrs. Forrest smiled fondly, nodding her head.
"A fine idea. I'll be happy to help you with that. You could take the advanced writing course, next year." Buttercup nodded as she stood.
"I think I'd like that. I'll see you later today, teach." She bid the woman a good day before leaving, heading for the outside commons area. She could relax a bit before school actually started. She plopped under a tree and leaned her head back, allowing her eyes to slip shut. She was learning to relax again, to not always keep one eye open or look over her shoulder. It was taking a lot of work, but Buttercup was willing to put the effort in; she wasn't doing it alone, either. Her family was by her side, doing everything they could. Butch helped, in his own special way. Whenever Buttercup felt afraid, nervous by the shadows in her room, she would call him, and he would talk until she fell asleep.
She might still have some scars, but they were fading by the day, nothing but a reminder of her own strength. She was stronger than ever, now, braver than ever, better than ever. The devil must be rolling in the ground, seeing that. "Stupid bastard," Buttercup muttered to herself, smirking. There were still hard days, but Buttercup wasn't afraid of her own fear anymore. She'd learned it was a part of her; how to live with it instead of hiding it.
Fear didn't have anything on her.
! ! ! ! It's the end! This is the last chapter! We made it! After years of having this on the backburner, months of working on it, it's finally finished! I couldn't be happier! I've had my moments with this fic. Worried it wasn't good, anxious about the lack of reviews/people who seem to enjoy it, but in the end…I really enjoyed writing this. It tested my abilities, it was an idea I was proud of, and the people who did leave reviews said things that really made my heart sing. You all made this worth writing, so I truly, genuinely hope you enjoyed it, and that you're content with the ending. I spent a lot of time planning and thinking about it. I'm still nervous about it, even now, but I hope it suits!
Thank you all so much for this long, painful, beautiful journey.