Sister, Sister - Chapter 2
As the Professor opened the door to his beautiful suburban home, the
youthful sound of the Girls' voices filled the air. Unfortunately, it
wasn't too happy a sound. He smiled knowingly as he heard Bubbles' high-
pitched sobbing followed by Blossom's ever-ready "Girls, stop fighting!"
Buttercup then replied with her usual "Ah, she shouldn't be such a crybaby
anyway. It's not *my* fault she's so easy."
"Girls, I'm home!" Professor shouted up the stairs. He wouldn't intervene
with the Girls' quarrels; they were fully capable of solving things on
their own, after all. Bubbles was the first to react to his announcement;
she sped down the stairs and leaped into his open arms, smothering him
with kisses. "Oh Professor, I'm so happy you're home! Buttercup was being
mean to me again."
"I was not, you sissy." Buttercup had snuck up behind them and was hugging
the Professor's leg. Blossom was the last to join them, and she wrapped
her arms around his waist. "Now Buttercup, let's just drop it. You know
how sensitive Bubbles can be, and the Professor's just gotten back from
work. The last thing he needs is you picking on Bubbles all evening."
"Girls, I'm afraid I'm going to be quite busy tonight in the Lab. Now,
I know I usually let you all come down while I'm working, but not this
time." He noticed Bubbles' hurt expression and Buttercup's defiant
scowl, and he hurried to explain so they wouldn't be too terrbily upset.
"You see, I'm working on an experiment, and I just can't risk making the
same mistake twice, so I can't have any distractions. Okay?" He immediately
regretted what he'd said as soon as he'd said them.
"But Professor, what experiment?" asked Bubbles. She looked like she was
about to cry. He decided she probably *would* cry if he told her the
truth. "Well, it's an experiment I tried once before, but it turned out
different from what I expected." There. That sounded fine to him; he
didn't want to offend the Girls by letting them know he was working on
the formula that had created *them* in the first place. Blossom might
understand his reasons, but Bubbles was much more sensitive, and Buttercup's
temper always ruled over reason. "We understand, Professor." He heard
Blossom say. She was speaking for the three of them, as usual when
important decisions needed to be made. He was relieved to notice that
Bubbles looked much calmer, and Buttercup didn't quite look as though
she wanted to kick something anymore.
Professor thought maybe he should change the subject. He glanced at his
digital wristwatch and saw the time read 6:17. PM, of course. "Hey, Girls,
who's up for some take-out?"
"Me!" The Girls shouted in unison. His Girls sure did love their Chinese.
He went to the phone and pressed one of the buttons on the base unit.
They called Mr. Lee's so often, he had had put the number on speed-dial.
As the Girls set the table, Professor gave Mr. Lee his order. "...and
four orders of fried rice. [pause] Yes, that'll be all, Mr. Lee." He
looked down when he felt someone tugging on his pant leg. It was little
Bubbles, with a worried look on her face. He sighed. "Yes, Bubbles?"
"Don't forget the fortune cookies, Professor. They're my favorite." She
looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. He rolled his eyes Heavenward
before replying. "Now, Bubbles, you know that every time I call Mr. Lee's,
you ask me to not forget the fortune cookies. And every time I call Mr.
Lee's, I *always* remember to ask for fortune cookies." She didn't quite
look satisfied, and so he put the phone up to his face again. "Mr. Lee?
Don't forget the fortune cookies." And he hung up. He looked down again to
see Bubbles' smiling face. She stood there smiling for a minute, then
zipped out of the kitchen to join her sisters in front of the TV. Professor
just smiled and shook his head. He truly didn't understand what Carrie
had implied by suggesting he try the formula once more; to him, the
Girls really were perfect. But he had to admit, she had piqued his curiosity.
He walked into the living room and made a space on the couch between Bubbles
and Blossom. Buttercup was occupying her usual spot on the arm of the
couch.
Dinner was over, the dishes were washed, and the Girls were happily
watching their favorite show, TV Puppet Pals. He pulled his pipe out of
the breastpocket in his labcoat, and stuck it in his mouth. He never
actually smoked; he didn't want to promote such an unhealthy habit in
front of the Girls. But sometimes chewing on the end of the pipe helped
him to think.
He was deep in thought as he descended the stairs into his Lab. He turned
on the light beforehand though. One too many times he'd misjudged and
had fallen head over heels down the stairs. But that was before the
Girls. Now, every time he was about to fall, one of them would come
flying to his rescue before he could hurt himself. He smiled at the
memories. Lord, but he loved them.
The first thing he did when he got into the main room of his Lab was to
carefully move all his containers of Chemical X into the supply closet.
He couldn't risk the chance of accidentally adding any super-power
enhancing chemicals this time. That would defeat the whole purpose of
redoing the experiment. He couldn't help feeling a little guilty when
he mixed together the sugar, spice, and everything nice, so he reminded
himself that he was just doing this for the sake of science, not to
betray his little Girls. It didn't help. In fact, in only made him feel worse;
was he denying the little girls that would be born from this? Was he
just creating her for the sake of science? He frowned and shook his
head to rid himself of the thought. Of course not; besides, he didn't
think the Girls would mind having another sister around. Granted, they
might feel a little awkward at first, but they would warm up to the idea
sooner or later. He fervently hoped it would besooner rather than
later.
He stopped stirring the concoction and stood back a few feet. He waited
anxiously for something to happen, but nothing did. No blast, no puff of
smoke...nothing. Disheartened, the Professor walked toward the pot he had
put all the ingredients into and peered inside. The mixture was bubbling,
but nothing else seemed to be happening.
As the Professor opened the door to his beautiful suburban home, the
youthful sound of the Girls' voices filled the air. Unfortunately, it
wasn't too happy a sound. He smiled knowingly as he heard Bubbles' high-
pitched sobbing followed by Blossom's ever-ready "Girls, stop fighting!"
Buttercup then replied with her usual "Ah, she shouldn't be such a crybaby
anyway. It's not *my* fault she's so easy."
"Girls, I'm home!" Professor shouted up the stairs. He wouldn't intervene
with the Girls' quarrels; they were fully capable of solving things on
their own, after all. Bubbles was the first to react to his announcement;
she sped down the stairs and leaped into his open arms, smothering him
with kisses. "Oh Professor, I'm so happy you're home! Buttercup was being
mean to me again."
"I was not, you sissy." Buttercup had snuck up behind them and was hugging
the Professor's leg. Blossom was the last to join them, and she wrapped
her arms around his waist. "Now Buttercup, let's just drop it. You know
how sensitive Bubbles can be, and the Professor's just gotten back from
work. The last thing he needs is you picking on Bubbles all evening."
"Girls, I'm afraid I'm going to be quite busy tonight in the Lab. Now,
I know I usually let you all come down while I'm working, but not this
time." He noticed Bubbles' hurt expression and Buttercup's defiant
scowl, and he hurried to explain so they wouldn't be too terrbily upset.
"You see, I'm working on an experiment, and I just can't risk making the
same mistake twice, so I can't have any distractions. Okay?" He immediately
regretted what he'd said as soon as he'd said them.
"But Professor, what experiment?" asked Bubbles. She looked like she was
about to cry. He decided she probably *would* cry if he told her the
truth. "Well, it's an experiment I tried once before, but it turned out
different from what I expected." There. That sounded fine to him; he
didn't want to offend the Girls by letting them know he was working on
the formula that had created *them* in the first place. Blossom might
understand his reasons, but Bubbles was much more sensitive, and Buttercup's
temper always ruled over reason. "We understand, Professor." He heard
Blossom say. She was speaking for the three of them, as usual when
important decisions needed to be made. He was relieved to notice that
Bubbles looked much calmer, and Buttercup didn't quite look as though
she wanted to kick something anymore.
Professor thought maybe he should change the subject. He glanced at his
digital wristwatch and saw the time read 6:17. PM, of course. "Hey, Girls,
who's up for some take-out?"
"Me!" The Girls shouted in unison. His Girls sure did love their Chinese.
He went to the phone and pressed one of the buttons on the base unit.
They called Mr. Lee's so often, he had had put the number on speed-dial.
As the Girls set the table, Professor gave Mr. Lee his order. "...and
four orders of fried rice. [pause] Yes, that'll be all, Mr. Lee." He
looked down when he felt someone tugging on his pant leg. It was little
Bubbles, with a worried look on her face. He sighed. "Yes, Bubbles?"
"Don't forget the fortune cookies, Professor. They're my favorite." She
looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. He rolled his eyes Heavenward
before replying. "Now, Bubbles, you know that every time I call Mr. Lee's,
you ask me to not forget the fortune cookies. And every time I call Mr.
Lee's, I *always* remember to ask for fortune cookies." She didn't quite
look satisfied, and so he put the phone up to his face again. "Mr. Lee?
Don't forget the fortune cookies." And he hung up. He looked down again to
see Bubbles' smiling face. She stood there smiling for a minute, then
zipped out of the kitchen to join her sisters in front of the TV. Professor
just smiled and shook his head. He truly didn't understand what Carrie
had implied by suggesting he try the formula once more; to him, the
Girls really were perfect. But he had to admit, she had piqued his curiosity.
He walked into the living room and made a space on the couch between Bubbles
and Blossom. Buttercup was occupying her usual spot on the arm of the
couch.
Dinner was over, the dishes were washed, and the Girls were happily
watching their favorite show, TV Puppet Pals. He pulled his pipe out of
the breastpocket in his labcoat, and stuck it in his mouth. He never
actually smoked; he didn't want to promote such an unhealthy habit in
front of the Girls. But sometimes chewing on the end of the pipe helped
him to think.
He was deep in thought as he descended the stairs into his Lab. He turned
on the light beforehand though. One too many times he'd misjudged and
had fallen head over heels down the stairs. But that was before the
Girls. Now, every time he was about to fall, one of them would come
flying to his rescue before he could hurt himself. He smiled at the
memories. Lord, but he loved them.
The first thing he did when he got into the main room of his Lab was to
carefully move all his containers of Chemical X into the supply closet.
He couldn't risk the chance of accidentally adding any super-power
enhancing chemicals this time. That would defeat the whole purpose of
redoing the experiment. He couldn't help feeling a little guilty when
he mixed together the sugar, spice, and everything nice, so he reminded
himself that he was just doing this for the sake of science, not to
betray his little Girls. It didn't help. In fact, in only made him feel worse;
was he denying the little girls that would be born from this? Was he
just creating her for the sake of science? He frowned and shook his
head to rid himself of the thought. Of course not; besides, he didn't
think the Girls would mind having another sister around. Granted, they
might feel a little awkward at first, but they would warm up to the idea
sooner or later. He fervently hoped it would besooner rather than
later.
He stopped stirring the concoction and stood back a few feet. He waited
anxiously for something to happen, but nothing did. No blast, no puff of
smoke...nothing. Disheartened, the Professor walked toward the pot he had
put all the ingredients into and peered inside. The mixture was bubbling,
but nothing else seemed to be happening.