Six - Conclusion - Buttercup Makes the Save!
Buttercup squirmed under the covers. She still couldn't sleep. Nervous energy. It was now almost 7 A.M. With no school they would usually sleep in but she couldn't take it anymore. She 'accidentally' bumped into Blossom, who grumpily stirred from her sleep, shielding her eyes from the bright morning sun.
"Geez, Buttercup, sleeping next to you is like being on the bumper cars."
"Sorry, Blossom. I had a really weird dream."
"Oh yeah?" Blossom sat up, suddenly interested. "What about?"
"I dreamt I ripped Octi in half by accident and Bubbles got really mad at me and we buried him outside and then Bubbles read his will and then we went to the store to buy another Octi and we couldn't find one." The redhead just stared at her. Buttercup shrugged and grinned. "Weird, huh?"
Blossom frowned and crossed her arms. "That wasn't a dream, Buttercup. It really happened."
"It did?" Buttercup asked, seeming confused. "Then where did he come from?"
She pointed at their sleeping sister. Blossom let out a yip. Snuggled up against the little blonde, with her arm wrapped around it, was Octi.
"Whoa. It was just a dream! Here we go with this having the same dream again. I wonder what it means?"
"Beats me." Buttercup answered. "Hey Bubbles! Wake up! Blossom, wake her up!"
So Blossom shook Bubbles until she opened her eyes, then pointed at the doll. Bubbles almost jumped out of her skin with joy, squeezing her toy and repeating his name, then she reached over Blossom to hug Buttercup. "Where'd you get him?!"
Buttercup pushed her sister off her. "I didn't."
Blossom explained, "We all had the same dream again, Bubbles."
"Oh, Octi, I'm so glad it was just a dream!" she cried, hugging the doll tightly. "And it all seemed so real. Let's go tell the professor what happened!"
Buttercup got a little nervous. She wanted the whole thing forgotten. "Uh, let's not and say we did."
Now awake and on duty, Blossom disagreed. "No, Buttercup, this might be important if this keeps happening to us. First it was the Sandman, then HIM. We need to know who's the villain behind this one and why."
Bubbles shouted, "Professor!"
Buttercup muttered to herself, "Uh oh."
As he always did, Professor Utonium came running whenever he heard one of his girls screaming. Still unshaven and in his robe and slippers, he looked like he hadn't slept much. But he had already been up, Blossom observed, because he held the folded morning newspaper in his left hand.
"Girls, what's the matter?" he said, not quite fully awake.
He sat on the edge of the bed as they explained the shared dream. "Hmmm. This is new. I had that same dream myself." That woke him up. "I better get right on this. As soon as I have my coffee and read the morning paper. Get dressed and come down for breakfast, girls." He stood up, unfolded the paper as he walked away from them, and froze. He turned around, staring at Buttercup and holding up the paper. "And did you all dream this, too?"
There was a photo of a building with a hole in the roof and a green streak flying out of it. The banner headline read, 'Green Alien Invades Detroit! Abducts Octopus at Hockey Game and Leaves!'.
"Hehe hehe hehe."
Blossom and Bubbles stared down their sister. "Just a dream, huh?"
"My own sister, a common criminal." Blossom said in disgust, leaning away from Buttercup in the bed.
Bubbles had already hurled the toy aside. "I don't want it if it's stolen!"
"But it's not stolen!" Buttercup protested, waving her arms for emphasis. "People throw these things on the ice when somebody scores a goal and then they just get scooped up and thrown away! There were tons of rubber ones, just like Mr. Giuseppe said. I got hit with one! Took me a minute to find an Octi. And that's why we couldn't find one. Every toy octopus in the country is in Detroit! Until the playoffs are over, that is. That's why the stores won't have 'em again until June."
"But why would anyone do something so stupid?" Blossom asked. She couldn't believe it. Professor Utonium had finished the complete article and knew the answer. He was just watching to see how Buttercup handled herself. He'd step in if needed.
"It's a tradition. About a zillion years ago, these two guys in Detroit that owned a fish store threw an octopus on the ice at the first playoff game that year. Back then, you had to win eight games to win the playoffs and the eight tentacles stood for eight wins. Well, Detroit won that game and the whole playoffs without losing a single game. So after that, the octopus became like a good luck charm. Only they throw toy ones now instead of real ones."
"Boy, I'm glad to hear that!" Bubbles said with a sigh of relief. "Poor octopuses!"
"They're not live ones, Bubbles. They were headed for someone's dinner plate. They didn't care."
Blossom made a face of disgust. "It's still wasteful and stupid. And throwing toys is stupid, too."
"Aw, who cares? It's all about having fun."
The professor interrupted, "Buttercup, may I see you outside?" It was clear to all of them that it wasn't a request at all but an order.
They stood in the hall outside the girls' room. Her father towered over her and she looked up nervously. "Am I in trouble, Professor?"
"Well, Buttercup, I do wish you had come and told me before running off in the middle of the night. You know I like to know where you girls are. But I'm glad you didn't tell Bubbles the whole truth. This is one time when I don't mind a little white lie. Just don't make a habit out of it."
"OK, Professor. You should get rid of that paper so she won't see it."
"Good idea. If she finds out they still throw real octopi on the ice along with the toys, tomorrow's headline will say, 'BLUE Alien Invades Detroit'.
"Yeah. 'Calls Everybody a Doo-doo Head and Leaves.'"
As they laughed together, Buttercup thought, "Whew, that was close. Got out of another one!"
Back in their room, the doll sat by itself on the made bed as the girls got dressed. Her sisters wanted to hear the whole story, after Buttercup had explained that she wasn't in trouble, just had gotten the lecture about leaving the house without telling the professor. In short order, they were dressed and ready to head downstairs to the great-smelling breakfast their father was making.
Buttercup went to the doll and picked it up. "Bubbles, I'll keep him if you don't want him. He is a little used. I'll still get you a new one as soon as Mr. Giuseppe can get one."
Bubbles reached out for it. "No, Buttercup. You went to all that trouble to get him for me and that makes him special."
"Good. I'm glad you said that." A grin began to show.
Blossom cried out, "Buttercup, no!", but she was too late. Bubbles got whacked over the head with her new toy before Buttercup placed it in her hands. Bubbles rubbed her head but this time, just grinned back at her devilish sister. It was all about having fun.
And so, a hockey tradition and a family one were saved, thanks to a little doll named Buttercup.
Story written April 21-22, 2003