Author

Author's Note: Contact me at theak472@aol.com - you might even decide what happens! Gimme opinions. I like 'em. Thanks for all the reviews, and to Kim-Mei for proofreading. It's going to be confusing from here onwards, but that's how I like my fics. Hang in there. There's been a slight change of plans in the ending - and to you smart people who know what Her's three words meant, congratulations. But, well, everything will make sense soon.

Maybe I'm Twisted
by Rey

Chapter 10 - His Unwritten Apology
"You'll be sorry when I'm gone." - Blink 182

Buttercup came down the stairs for breakfast to find a frowning Professor waiting at the foot of the stairs. "Have you seen Blossom, Buttercup? I haven't seen her all morning! Is she still asleep?"

Buttercup paused, and shook her head. The Professor's frown tilted, with a worried air surrounding it. "Oh, dear..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm afraid she's gone missing. Buttercup, would you wake the boys up, please? I'm going to look around the house one more time, and if I can't find her, I'll have to file another police report."

Buttercup's forehead crinkled with a frown, as she hovered into the living room, where the two remaining boys were sprawled out on the couches lazily, snoring loudly. She settled down on the sleeping Brick's stomach heavily, promptly bringing him back into a state of consciousness. Hair tousled, he opened an eye slowly to glare at her. "Oi, girl, shove it. I need my beauty sleep."

"You ain't that beautiful," She snorted, hitting him with a couch cushion. Brick sat up, scratching the side of his head with a yawn.

"Well, I'm not, but you sure are," He snickered, reaching to grab his cap from the coffee table and jam it onto his head. The troubled expression on Buttercup's face remained, though, and he tilted his head inquisitively as his laughter quickly died away, studying her. "What's wrong?"

She did not deign to reply, instead hovering to the blonde lying on the opposite couch and shaking him roughly. "Wake up, Boomer."

"...Bee-Cee?" Brick frowned, knowing full well something was wrong. "What? Is Bubbles..."

"No," she said abruptly, as Boomer sat up, muttering something about 'early morning' and 'stupid girl', "The police couldn't come to a conclusion about Bubbles. It's... it's Blossom. She's gone."

Him, looking rather ridiculous in his glowing pink ballerina tutu and toeshoes, balanced neatly on one foot. He watched his sister, who was stretched out lazily on his couch. "Aren't you going to do something, dear?" He inquired politely, though his narrowed eyes would have suggested anything other than courtesy.

"What?" Her consisted of two personalities, just like her sibling, and presently her more eloquent persona was in charge.

"Well, I told you about my plan, and really, I think it's foolproof. I expect you've already figured out the rest, but... it surprises me that you aren't doing anything about it." Him, arms outstretched, took a flying leap over the couch, landing on his tiptoes smartly.

"Yes, I have figured it out. I'm not as stupid as you would've liked me to be, like mum reminded me all the time when we were younger. Something about you asking whether I was born retarded and looking rather disappointed when informed I wasn't."

"That is not my point!" Him snapped. "What my point is, is that since you already know what they're going to do, aren't you going to stick your claws in and twist something to your liking? It's because of you that all my plans for Townsville have failed!"

"Dad didn't expect to have two children. Not much I can do about the fact that he only had one town to pass on. Besides, it's pretty fair, isn't it? You got the town, I got the people. And another thing: How do you know I haven't done anything yet?" Her retorted, quite calmly.

Him paused sharply, sending a glance towards his leather-clad sister. Too much could be drawn from that one comment. "You've... you've intervened already? Why do I not already know about this? Don't reply to that," barked Him, noticing his sister about to make a sarcastic comment. "Ollie! OLLIE! Where are you, Ollie?"

His sister simply smirked, kicking out one leg, and smoothing down her leather jacket. "Don't blow a gasket, now. I haven't done much. You know I don't like arbitrating with Fate... though it was always Dad and you who were up to that."

As Her finished speaking, a small, handy-sized demon with comical little wings fluttered through the nearest cavernous doorway. "You called, master?" It squeaked, cowering before Him.

"Fate, schmate. I never had respect for her and I never - Oh, Ollie! There you are. Now," he grinned malevolently at the small demon, which trembled nervously, "Have any reports about her actions come in lately?"

"Err, well, that is to say, yes, sir! But you, you seemed very very busy, sir, and you were talking with ma'am, sir, so we thought we'd -"

"You thought? You THOUGHT?! I'll do the thinking around HERE!" Him screeched, his body bursting into flames which crackled and popped menacingly.

The winged demon squealed in fright, fluttering backwards through the door. "Yes sir, sorry sir, will remember that, sir!" Her shook her head, chuckling, and appearing over the end of the couch.

"You horrible chap, you've gone and frightened him. And I don't think you should have said that, Fate has ears that go around -"

"Ears called Her, perhaps?" Him chuckled nastily at his sister's indignant expression. "You like to be on the good side of everyone, I know at least that much."

"Perhaps Fate will deal you a wild card," Her shot back. "I'm not the only reason your plans all failed."

"Don't rub it in," Him grimaced, while attempting to pirouette gracefully. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he warbled indistinctly, "I want you to go away now. Shoo! I have more important things to do."

"Absolutely horrible host, you are," The voice came back shortly. But as Him turned, intending to shoot fire and/or lightning at her, or at least set some sort of curse on her, he found nothing. Her always liked to have the last word...

"Eh? Whaddaya mean, gone?" Boomer hovered up from the tangle of blankets on his couch, to plop down on the second couch, next to Brick.

Buttercup knitted her brow, upset. "She's just gone. I haven't seen her this morning; not since last night."

Brick shrugged, tactlessly commenting, "Well, she'll probably turn up sooner or later. It doesn't really matter right now."

That did it for Buttercup. Her face turned a peculiar shade of crimson, the blood boiling in her veins. She managed to hold herself down for a moment or two, as the boys watched apprehensively, but it bubbled over, and she exploded.

"It doesn't really matter? She doesn't really matter?!" She snarled, using a word that she wouldn't normally have used. "What is WRONG with you?! She's my -" And here she interjected that word again, in adjective form, " - sister!! Get out! Of! My! House!!"

Normally, Brick would have stayed to argue, but that look on her face goaded him to do otherwise. Standing up, his hair still ruffled and his cap on the right way, Brick hovered to the door, opened it, and left.

Boomer turned his gaze towards Buttercup, opening his mouth as if he were about to say something, perhaps something harsh. But it was too late; she'd already left the room, and, even though the tension in the room dropped indefinitely, Boomer still had a sick feeling in his stomach. He, too, stood and left the sitting room, heading towards the laboratory where he sensed the Professor would be.

"Mr. Utonium? Professor, sir?" Boomer said weakly, hovering down the stairs into the laboratory. It was full of strange things that he longed to touch, break, fool with, but he resisted the itching urge. He had a certain respect for the Professor, and he wasn't quite sure where it had come from.

"Yes, B -... uhm, B -..."

"Boomer, sir." The blonde hovered up in front of the Professor, arms outstretched. "Um, sir. Buttercup kind of got into a fight with Brick, and Brick's, err, left."

The Professor started, looking up from his calculations. "What? Has she yelled at our other guest?"

"Um, well, it wasn't really her fault," he said hastily. "Don't talk to her about it, but I think she's upset about it, too... You see, um, she..." Boomer trailed off, turning his gaze to the ceiling.

The Professor frowned slightly, glancing back towards his work. "Well, I will respect your wishes and I won't talk to her about it, but will you see that... that she doesn't get too distressed? It's a very, very hard time for all of us... I'm so worried for Bubbles, and now Blossom's gone, and I can't do anything until the police have... well..." He trailed off as well, and moments later, their eyes met.

Boomer chuckled nervously. "I.. I will, sir. Thank you."

The Professor allowed himself a small smile, though the creased lines on his forehead suggested a different emotion. "You're welcome, B -.. Boomer. Run along, now."

Boomer left the laboratory, shutting the door quietly so as not to distract the Professor.

Buttercup, brushing her teeth in the bathroom, gazed into the mirror. She expected to see Brick's face again, for some reason, but it was different this time, sorrowful, but not accusing. It watched her sadly, and she closed her eyes, trying her best to ignore it.

Exiting the bathroom, she first noticed the sound of wind rustling. Wind? Secondly, she noticed the window open. Was she really that careless, to leave the window open the whole day? But the third thing, the most important thing, was the object that sat upon the girls' bed. She couldn't ignore it, she couldn't put it out of her mind. It was there.

Brick's cap sat upon her bed, slightly grimy. But it was there. He'd been there. But where was he now?

Rey: Haha. It's Friday! ::beams:: Keep those reviews coming. I live for reviews; I've realized. Come on! The box is just down there! You waaaaaant to... Oh, and now do you see why it's under the category suspense? Ha ha, I've been waiting for this point. BEG for the next chapter, BEG! .... -ahem- Sorry, I'm getting a little full of myself. Thanks for reading.