PpG3 Author's Notes: I feel obligated to tell you that while in my original author's note I said that there wouldn't be any slash between the three Girls, I've changed my mind and in this chapter we begin to see a bit of slash between two of the Girls. Nothing major (I won't let this fic get higher than PG-13, and I still feel it's a PG fic), but if the concept squicks you, please leave now (or leave me my first ever flame!). Thanks for your time, and now I leave you to enjoy the 16th (dang!) chapter of Secrets and Surprises, "DATE"
Secrets and Surprises
Chapter 16 - DATE
"Buttercup!" Bubbles pounded on the door again. "Hurry up! I need to go to the bathroom!"
"Use the one down stairs!" Buttercup shouted back.
Bubbles stomped away from the door to Blossom, who was reading at her desk. "Blossom, will you get her out of there?"
"Leave her alone, Bubbles."
Bubbles stared at her sister for a moment. "What?"
"I said to leave her alone."
"Why? You've been bugging her for weeks! And now you're going to let her hog the bathroom for nearly an hour?" She put her hands on her hips. "It seems very suspicious to me."
Blossom threw her book down. "I don't want to deal with it, Bubbles! Leave her, and me, alone!" she flew from the room, leaving a bewildered Bubbles behind her.
Blossom flew down the stairs, buzzing over the Professor's head as he climbed the stairs. "Blossom?" he asked. She didn't stop, just kept flying towards the door.
"Blossom!" the Professor called again, then sprinted down the stairs, trying to beat his daughter to the door.
It was only because of Blossom's maturity the Professor caught up to her. Blossom had learned that it was best to open the door, rather than bust through it or the ceiling. When she stopped in front of the door the Professor leapt forward and firmly placed his hand on it. Blossom could still open it, she was much stronger than him, but she'd also end up throwing him across the room, something none of the Girls did. Intentionally.
"Blossom," the Professor panted. "What's. . . wrong?"
Blossom folded her arms across her chest. "Nothing."
"Oh? Then what possessed you," pause for a breath, "to try and fly off without notice?"
"Nothing," Blossom muttered again.
"I think you and I need to have a talk." The Professor checked his watch. "Buttercup! It's almost six! If you're going to get to Andra's on time you'd better go now!" He turned back to Blossom. "We'll talk after Buttercup's gone, since I have a sense that, once again, whatever's bothering you is about her."
"Why don't you talk to her then?"
"She's leaving at the moment. Or should be." He turned again towards the Girl's room. "BUTTERCUP!"
"I'm coming!" was Buttercup's faint reply.
The Professor turned back to Blossom. "Anyway, if I need to, I'll talk to her after she returns. Why don't you go wait on the couch."
"Fine." Blossom floated off just as Buttercup zipped down the stairs, earning her a dirty look from Blossom.
The Professor did a double take when Buttercup stopped in front of him. He hardly recognized her now. Usually clad in old jeans and a trademark green shirt, she was now in a dress. She hadn't worn one since she was seven, when the Girls decided they didn't want to wear their old pink, blue and green dresses anymore. He hadn't even realized Buttercup owned this particular dress: a green camouflage mini dress. The outfit was still casual, but for Buttercup it might as well have been a ball gown.
"You look very nice," the Professor managed to compliment her.
Buttercup blushed. "Thanks." She waited another moment before she said, "Do you need anything?"
"No, why?"
"You're blocking the door."
The Professor laughed lightly as he realized that he was still holding the door closed. "I'm sorry, Buttercup." He removed his hand and bent down to kiss Buttercup's cheek. "Have fun. What time are you going to be back?"
"Ten?"
The Professor frowned. "Try again."
"Okay, nine o'clock. At the latest. I promise."
"That's better." The Professor opened the door for Buttercup. "Bye, sweetie."
Buttercup rushed out. "Bye, Professor!"
***
At 6:30 exactly, Buttercup arrived at Andra's front door. She quickly ran a hand over her hair to be sure it was smooth, then straightened the skirt of her dress before ringing the doorbell.
A rush of footsteps from inside, then Andra was at the door. "Hi, Buttercup!"
Buttercup's eyes widened when she saw Andra, but she managed to say, "Hi."
Andra had also dressed up for their "outing." She was wearing a royal blue wrap around skirt with silver swirls and silver fringe around the bottom, and a matching blouse.
"You wanna come in for a minute?" Andra asked. "We've got time, right?"
Buttercup managed to find her voice. "Sure. I mean, yeah, we do." She giggled nervously.
Andra giggled too, as she stepped away from the door to give Buttercup room. "I'm nervous, too," she whispered as they walked across the living room.
"Hi, Cassie," Buttercup said to Andra's mother when they reached the kitchen where Cassie was making a light dinner for herself.
"Hi, Buttercup! Don't you look nice tonight. Both of you look very nice." Cassie smiled at the girls. She knew what was going on, she wasn't blind, she was just happy that Andra was happy. Besides, Andra couldn't be safer with a real life super hero as her best/girl friend. No one else would be able to get near Andra, and Buttercup wouldn't have been a super hero if she was the type that tried to hurt people who didn't provoke her. Besides, both of them are way too nervous to do anything but watch the movie and maybe steal a good night kiss. I'll have a talk with Andra later.
Cassie glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. "I'd love to keep you girls here to chat, or perhaps to feed you, but if you don't hurry you'll be late for your movie. Have fun, girls. Don't fly too fast, please, Buttercup."
"What's your definition of 'too fast?'" Buttercup asked.
"I'll let you know," Andra assured her. "Come on!" Andra grabbed Buttercup's hand and led her out the front door, calling a hasty goodbye to her mother over her shoulder.
"Okay, how do we do this?" Andra asked Buttercup when they were on the porch. "Do I climb on your back or what?"
"No way," Buttercup said. "Sometimes I can hardly fly with a backpack on my back, I don't want to try it with a person."
"Whatever happened to that super strength of yours?"
"It's not the weight, it's just that it throws my balance off. Anyway, I figured I'd just carry you, like this." Before Andra could say anything, Buttercup put one arm around Andra's shoulders, the other under her knees and in one swift motion lifted both of them into the air.
"Eep," Andra squeaked as she looked at the ground.
"Eep?" Buttercup asked. "Andra, we're not five feet off the ground yet!"
Andra blushed. "Uh, right."
"C'mon, put your arms around my neck. I won't go too fast and I definitely won't drop you, okay?"
Andra wrapped an arm securely around Buttercup's neck. "I know you won't. On purpose anyway. It's just fun to mess with you."
Buttercup was tempted to fly at top speed for a moment, just to mess with Andra, but in an amazing moment of perception, Buttercup saw that Andra's beautiful grin was hiding fear. Andra really was afraid of flying. She must be putting up with this just for me. . . . No one's ever done that before.
"I'll get you back later," Buttercup finally muttered as she finally began to fly, at a moderate speed, towards the theater.
***
As soon as Buttercup was out of sight, the Professor went to the living room where Blossom was curled up in one corner of the couch. He sat at the opposite end.
"Blossom, I want you to be honest with me. What's wrong? Why are you so upset with Buttercup lately?"
Blossom shrugged. "Personal stuff."
"Normally I'm an advocate for letting you Girls solve problems amongst yourselves, but this has gone on too long and is becoming too serious. You have to tell me what's going on, Blossom."
Blossom seemed to sink further into the couch. "You'll be mad at me," she said in a small voice that resembled Bubbles'.
The Professor sighed. "Well, yes, there is that possibility. But just because I may be angry or disappointed doesn't mean I love you any less."
"It's - it's really hard to explain."
"We have all evening," the Professor said gently.
Blossom sighed heavily. "You're right, it is about Buttercup. She's, I mean, I think there's more between her and Andra than just being friends. Remember Buttercup was acting weird all last weekend?" the Professor nodded. "And then they acted weird all week at school. They glanced at eachother during class and. . . I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it was exactly how boys and girls who like eachother act on TV. And you saw Buttercup tonight! She was in a dress! She wouldn't wear a dress for just anybody!"
"Yes, I noticed that, too. But haven't we already discussed that Buttercup is free to like anybody she wants?"
Blossom's cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded.
"So why are you still having a problem?"
Blossom started to answer "I don't -" but cut herself off and sank back down into the couch.
Things began to click together in the Professor's mind. Blossom's sudden need to know everything about Buttercup's life, by any means necessary. Blossom trying to control who Buttercup could be friends with, and when she could see them. Buttercup getting upset whenever something involving Buttercup was out of her control. All signs he'd prepared himself to look for when the Girls started to date, but never did he expect to see them in the Girls themselves!
"Blossom, I need to ask you one more important question, and you need to answer me truthfully. I promise I won't be mad. I won't yell or judge you or anything like that, alright?" Blossom nodded. "Do you like Buttercup, honey?"
Blossom's eyes widened in shock and her mouth full open slightly. "Why - what - how -"
"I'm sorry if I've jumped to conclusions, sweetie -"
"But you're right!" Blossom wailed. She threw herself into the Professor's arms, sobbing hysterically and nearly knocking him backwards off the couch. "I didn't want to say anything because it's wrong! I like boys, and it's unbelievably wrong to like someone in your family. They have laws against that sort of thing!"
The Professor patted Blossom's head. "Ssh, Blossom, it's all right -"
"No it's not! Everybody knows that! Nobody likes their sister. It's just wrong!"
"blossom, please, calm down a moment," the Professor said. "I want to talk."
Slowly, Blossom's sobs reduced to quiet sniffs.
"There's something you should know about you and your sisters," the Professor said quietly, still stroking Blossom's hair. "Technically, you aren't sisters."
Blossom lifted her head from the Professor's shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"Shortly after your creation I analyzed you Girls' DNA, trying to figure out what it was about the Chemical X that made you into super heroes and discovered that while your DNA is similar, you aren't exactly sisters."
"Then why -"
"Did I say you were sisters? It was easiest to say you were sisters and raise you as such. Few people would understand the complexities of your DNA, I'm even baffled sometimes. But I also thought it would be better for you to believe yourselves to be sisters, rather than random people who happened to be created together."
"So. . . Buttercup's not my sister," Blossom said slowly.
"Not genetically, no."
"But. . . it's still gross to like her!"
The Professor sighed. "It seems like that now, I'm sure. You can't change values you've held all your life in a few minutes. But I want you to know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with liking another girl, you just need to go about it the right way."
Blossom hesitated a moment before speaking. "Professor?"
"Yes, Blossom?"
"How did you know? I. . . I haven't even written this in my diary. I wanted it to go away and I didn't want to remember."
"I just put the pieces together now," the Professor admitted. "As you Girls have started to hit puberty, I knew you'd become interested in other people and want to start dating, so I read up on things, like when and where should you be allowed to go, but I also read about warning signs of possibly unhealthy relationships. I'm afraid, Blossom, that you've been displaying classic signs of the jealous, manipulative girlfriend. And you have been ever since Buttercup became friends with Andra."
Blossom nodded, looking absolutely miserable. "I knew it was wrong to keep bugging Buttercup, deep down. But. . . I guess maybe I thought if I can't have her, nobody can."
"But you know differently now?"
Blossom shrugged. "Now I could technically have her -"
"But she's obviously found someone she's happy with. You have no right to try and break up a relationship so you can squeeze in."
Blossom sighed. "I know. I know! It's just. . . ."
"Hard?" the Professor offered. Blossom nodded. "I wish I had a way to make it easier for you, but nothing I make down in the lab can change human nature."
"I know," Blossom muttered.
"You go back up to your room," the Professor suggested gently. "Rest for awhile, read some of those Japanese novels you got last week and have some quiet fun. Tonight after Buttercup gets home, or tomorrow morning if she's too tired, I'll explain to your sisters what I've told you. I think they deserve to know too, right?"
"Right. Thanks, Professor." Blossom hugged the Professor tightly.
The Professor patted Blossom's back gently. "Any time, Sweetheart."
***
"Man, that was sooo cool when she had the gun and was threatening to shoot them!"
Andra made a face. "No, the cool part was the end. When that guy opened that cupboard where the kids were hiding, that was creepy."
"Was not."
"You jumped too, Buttercup!"
"Only because you practically spilled the popcorn in my lap."
Andra shook her head. "Whatever you say, Buttercup." She looked at the large neon clock above their heads and sighed. "15 minutes to get home."
Buttercup made a face. "Dang, not nearly enough time to do anything else. C'mon, let's get outside, then I'll take ya' home."
The girls flew home in silence. Andra was slightly more comfortable flying now, but other things were on her mind at the moment making her tense: what would happen when they got to her house? A hug? A kiss? Nothing?
Buttercup gently set Andra down on her front porch, though Buttercup tripped slightly when she set her feet down, causing her to stumble into Andra's arms. Both girls giggled nervously as Buttercup regained her footing.
"Um, this was fun," Andra said. "We should, like, do it again."
"Definitely," Buttercup agreed quickly. "And, uh." Just do it! Buttercup leaned in and kissed Andra, and Andra, thinking quickly, put an arm around Buttercup to keep her from pulling away immediately.
A light flashed suddenly, causing Buttercup and Andra to jerk back in surprise. "Oooh, look at the dykes!" a grating voice called from the bushes. A head popped up and another picture flashed.
"Mitch Mitchelson!" Buttercup shrieked, her voice almost as high as Bubbles' could get. There was a rustling in the bushes as Mitch ran away, but Buttercup was after him immediately.
She caught up to him in a small patch of trees behind Andra's house. Buttercup dove down from above Mitch's head and tackled him to the ground.
"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Buttercup demanded as she stood over Mitch.
"Don't hurt me," Mitch wailed.
Buttercup reached down toward him, causing Mitch to shrink back with a whimper, but Buttercup was simply grabbing the camera from his grip. She threw the camera to the ground, stomped on it and, to ensure it was destroyed, melted it into a black chunk of scrap with her eye beams.
Buttercup knelt next to Mitch. "if you don't tell me what you were doing, you could be next."
"I'll tell!" Mitch said quickly. "Some of the guys at school heard you and the new girl were going out tonight. We wanted proof that you two were gay."
"Why was it any business of yours?!" Buttercup demanded. Mitch simply whimpered. "You listen to me, Mitch Mitchelson. If anybody finds out what happened tonight, and I mean anybody, I will hold you personally responsible."
"No, you can't!"
"Why not?"
"Be - because -"
"Oh, I don't want to hear it!" Buttercup said, standing up. "Just remember that warning. I will beat you to a pulp less recognizable than your camera if I hear about you saying anything." Without another word she turned from Mitch and flew back to Andra's front porch.
Andra's was still there, sitting on the porch swing with her mother. Andra was paler than ever and appeared to be shaking. "It's happening again," she whispered when she saw Buttercup. "It's happening all over again."
"She's told me everything, Buttercup," Cassie said gently as she held her daughter close.
"I had to," Andra said quietly. "She heard you chase after Mitch and came out to see what was happening."
"It's alright, Buttercup," Cassie said when she saw Buttercup's reddening face. "I'll admit, I already had some idea about you and Andra. I have no problem with it. And I'm glad you chased off that little cretin of a boy."
Buttercup smiled slightly. "I melted his camera and scared him pretty good."
"We won't have to move again, will we, Mom?" Andra asked.
"No!" Buttercup said.
"Definitely not," Cassie said firmly. "I like Townsville. You like Townsville. The vast majority of people here are wonderful, open minded individuals. I won't let a few idiots chase us out."
"I won't either," Buttercup said firmly. Andra smiled gratefully.
"Will you be needing a ride home, Buttercup?" Cassie asked.
"Oh crap," Buttercup muttered. "My curfew! No, thanks, Cassie. I'll fly."
"I'll give the Professor a call and tell him I kept you talking. Unless you'd like me to say otherwise?"
"No, no. I'll. . . tell him later. But thanks." Buttercup turned to Andra. "Call me tomorrow? On Sunday?"
Andra nodded. "I'll try."
"Don't worry about Mitch. He's a jerk, but I've got him pretty much beaten into submission."
"I hope so."
***
The Professor was waiting near the front door when Buttercup returned home.
"I was getting worried when it got close to nine and you weren't home," he said as he hugged Buttercup.
"I can take care of myself," Buttercup muttered. "Besides, Cassie called you, right?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid she doesn't lie very well."
"What do you mean?"
"With some people you can just tell when they lie. Cassie is one of them. So would you like to tell me what happened tonight?"
"No really," Buttercup said. "It wasn't serious or anything."
"Buttercup, too many secrets are being kept in this family lately. You can keep this one for tonight, but tomorrow I want to know what's happening, alright?"
Buttercup sighed. "Alright, Professor." Maybe by then I'll understand everything that happened tonight.