Chapter 5
Wolf's Ridge, capital of the Luceid business empire and home of the Luceid family and 30,000 of their employees. B.C. was sleeping at the air terminal when a thin man with light brown hair approached her. He took off his glasses, leaned over and kissed the sleeping maiden. B.C.'s eyes popped open and looked at the smiling man. "James?"
"Good morning, Princess. Welcome back to thy kingdom."
"Urrgh, how many times have I told you not too call me that. How'd you know I was here, anyways?" B.C. asked as she sat up on the terminal bench.
"I put a tracking device in your laptop. It signaled me as soon as you got here. I wanted to see you as soon as you got home."
"How cute. By the way, I have a little surprise for you. A little reward for your good work on finding me a Powerpuff Girl." B.C. opened her suitcase and produced the comic book she bought from Bubble's store.
"No way! SPORE #1?! Oh man, how did you.. I mean.. Oh baby, you're the greatest gal, a guy could ever have."
"Ha-ha, I'd knew you'd like it. Say, do you work today?"
"No, I took the day off, so I could spend some time with you."
"Well, I hope you're up for a drive because I'm going to visit Grandpa. He's at his cabin up in the mountains."
"Your grandpa? B.C., what about your report and the board? You know your Dad isn't going to like this."
"Actually, it was okay with him. He told me to take as much time as I needed."
"Really? Hmm, that doesn't sound like him."
"Yeah, I know." B.C. thought to herself, 'James is right. Dad normally expects me to stick to a timetable. I wonder..'
"Is something wrong? You got real quiet all of a sudden." James said, interrupting B.C.'s train of thought.
"Huh, oh it's nothing. We should go home and get some warmer clothes. It gets cold up in the mountains this time of year." B.C. grabbed her suitcases and got out of the seat. James led her to his truck, wondering what was on her mind. The situation seemed strange to him, he knew enough about Maxwell Luceid to know that the CEO and owner of Luceid Inc. expected his employees to follow through on their assignments with no deviations, especially his daughter. And why did B.C. want to find the Powerpuff Girls? She never had an interest in super heroes before, despite his best efforts. Why now? He just shrugged it off. 'I'm sure she'll tell me if something's up. She normally does. But something is a little strange. Hmm, well at least I'll get to be with her today.'
James pulled into the Luceid estate, B.C. slipped out of his car and looked up at it. An old mansion originally built by Luceid Incorporated's founder, Nathaniel Luceid. "Funny how it used to look so big when I was a little girl." B.C. remarked, thoughtfully gazing up at the old building. "It was so much fun running up and down the hallways." James just gave B.C. a strange look, 'What's with her? Since when does she get nostalgic?'
"Uh, yeah babe. "
"This is where we first met. Remember?"
"Oh yeah, at that party your dad had." He remembered, "You wore that green dress and had that flower in your hair."
"Yeah, I hated it when Dad made me dress like that." B.C. laughed. "C'mon, let's go inside." The pair entered the mansion to find a middle- aged man wearing a tuxedo waiting for B.C.
"Welcome back, Miss Luceid. It's good to see you again. Things have been quiet without you." the man said with a bow.
"Heh-heh, good to see you too, Kirk." B.C. smiled back at Kirk.
"I've taken the liberty of lying out some clothes suitable for your trip to the mountains, and your father has asked me to remind you that he expects your report upon your return from your Grandfather's cabin."
"Thanks, Kirk." 'Dammit, I forgot about that.' "I'll be right back, James. I'm just gonna run upstairs and get changed."
"I'll be right here." James sighed and watched the love of his life run up the curved stairway. B.C. walked into her room and noticed a sweater and a pair of spandex pants to fit under her jeans on her antique bed. B.C. got changed and took one another look at her room. A few posters of rock bands and speakers from her stereo decorated the walls, a simple nightstand next to her bed held a lamp and an alarm clock. B.C, flopped down on the bed. 'This bed seemed bigger when I was younger, almost lonely.' She continued to stare up at the ceiling, letting her thoughts wander when a knock on the door interrupted her daydreaming.
"Sweetie? You almost done in there? I'm getting toasty in these warm clothes."
"Oh! I'll be right out." B.C. cursed herself for letting herself get sidetracked. B.C. opened the door to let herself out, but then stopped. "Just one more thing." B.C. turned to the computer on her desk. She turned it on and connected her camera. After some work, one of the pictures taken at Townsville Cemetery was on the screen.
"That's Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls." James said.
"Yeah, I know." B.C. said printing out a picture.
"Why are you.." James almost asked but B.C.'s hand over his mouth prevented him form finishing his question.
"I'll explain later. Let's just get to Grandpa's" B.C. grabbed her boyfriend and Buttercup's picture and rushed downstairs and to his truck. It would be a long drive and she wanted to get going.
About an hour into the drive, B.C. fell asleep. She had that dream again but it was different this time. She was floating above the field of flowers, bubbles floated through her. The two girls who played with her were now playing with a black haired girl with green eyes. The third girl tackled the other two and tickeled them both into a fit of giggles. The green-eyed girl got up and looked straight at B.C.
'What will you do when you learn the truth?'
'What truth? What do you mean?'
'Why did you comfort, Bubbles?'
'I brought up some painful memories for her. It was the least I could do.'
'So why did it feel so warm? Why did feel so right?'
'I-I don't know.'
'It felt as though you were comforting a sister, didn't it?'
'How would I know? I never had a sister.'
'You've helped others before. Comforted them, when your friend Laura's hamster died, you held her and let her cry in your arms. But it felt different, right? That warm feeling wasn't there, was it?'
'...'
'When you first came to the ruins of Townsville, it felt familiar, even though you've never been there.'
'So? We studied it in our civics class.'
'It felt like you were there before.'
'It.. did..'
'Do you remember your first thought when you woke up at the hospital, twenty years ago?'
'I had fingers. I shouldn't have had them.' The scenery faded away along with the giggling girls leaving only Buttercup's specter.
'You're on the right track, now it's time to wake up.'
'Wait, who am I?'
'..wake up, B.C..'
"Wake up, B.C."
"Huh..? What?"
"You were talking in your sleep."
"I was?"
"Yeah, you asked 'who am I?'" James noticed that B.C had looked a little pale. "Is everything alright?"
"Just talk to me James." B.C. murmured.
"About what?"
"Anything"
"Okay, umm, what was Bubbles like?"
"Bubbles?" 'Aww, James not her. Figures he'd ask about her.'
"Yeah, I mean you did meet her, didn't you?"
"Yeah I did. She was real nice. Friendliest person I've ever met." A smile crept on B.C.'s face "She was a real cutie too. She had a nice body and a pretty face. If I weren't dating you, I'd go out with her in a second." James nearly drove off the road when he heard that last remark.
"W-What?!"
B.C. laughed heartily at her boyfriend, "Ha-Ha, watch your driving dummy. I swear, you are too easy. Ha-ha-ha"
James chuckled and shook his head, 'Now that's the B.C. I know and love. But still, something's bothering her. I hope she'll be okay.'
A few hours later, the two had pulled into the driveway leading to the mountain cabin of Bryant Luceid, B.C.'s Grandfather. An elderly woman was outside watering some flowers, Kay's mother, Mary. The woman noticed the pair and went to greet them. "Bethany! How wonderful to see you."
"Hi Mary." B.C. briefly embraced the old woman. "Is Grandpa around?"
"Yes, he's inside, sitting around as usual."
B.C. asked James to stay outside with Mary and went inside her grandfather's cabin. It was filled with old memorabilia from the 1970's. An old man sat in a recliner listening to some old music. The old man noticed B.C. and got up.
"Hello Sprite." Bryant Luceid greeted his granddaughter. "It's good to see you again."
"Hi Grandpa." B.C. hugged her grandfather.
"So, what brings you up here?"
B.C. pulled the picture she printed earlier out of pocket and unfolded it. "This, it's a picture I took in Townsville." B.C. answered showing Bryant the picture.
"Hmm, tell me a story about her."
"A story?"
"You remember the game we used to play, Sprite. Tell me a story about her."
B.C. sighed and started, "Once upon a time, there was a girl with super powers. She and her sisters protected a large city because they thought the people in the city loved them. One day, the girl was forced to do something terrible in order to save the lives of some townspeople and the whole town had turned against her. A few days later she got into a fight with her family and ran away into the woods where.. she.." B.C. found it hard to continue.
"It doesn't sound like she has a happy ending. Now you know I like happy endings, Sprite."
"Well.." B.C. trailed off softly.
"Let me come up with one. The girl was found by some good people who gave her a new life and she grew up to become a beautiful and intelligent young woman destined for great things."
"That girl. She's me, isn't she?"
Bryant turned to an old desk and pulled out a photo. It was photograph of a young boy, shot in the early 1960's. "Let me tell you a story about this boy. Once upon a time there was a young boy who lived a simple life in a small town. His father was a great athlete who loved to tell stories of a great college he went to and played football. The boy was taught to revere the college as a place of great honor. That little boy had an older brother who was also great athlete but he was also lazy and hated to do schoolwork. The brother had cheated on his college entrance exam. The boy found out and told the College Board. He did not want his dishonest brother dishonoring that great college. The boy's family was furious with him. Saddened and alone the boy ran from his home and went to the city bridge, that where he met them."
"Them?"
"A young woman who worked for the College Board offered the boy a ride, and gave him a new life."
"That boy. Was he you?"
"Yes, Sprite, that little boy grew up to be Bryant Luceid."
"But what happened to his, I mean your family?"
Bryant sighed sadly, "My family thought I had killed myself. My brother was so overwhelmed with grief and guilt he.. took his own life."
"Oh my god. How did you know all of this?"
"Mother sent me to my old hometown, to see about building a factory there. The mayor was an old family friend. He told me about them, about what had happened. I was young and curious, so I investigated. That's when I learned who I truly was."
"But why? Why did they take you.. us?
"Luceid's child"
"What?"
"Your father will explain it to you. As I explained it to him. As my mother had explained it to me."
"I-I see. Thank you grandpa." B.C. was shocked. 'Was this why Dad sent me to Townsville? So I would find out. Oh crap, my report.' "Grandpa would it be alright if stay here for a little bit? I need to work on my report."
"Of course, Sprite. Take as much time as you need."
A couple hours had past when B.C. typed the final few words in her report. 'Finally done.' B.C. was glad that she still had to do it. I took her mind off the recent revelations. James had stepped out from inside to cabin to the back porch where B.C. had typed up her report. "You almost done out here babe."
"Just finished." B.C. got up and folded up her laptop. 'James, how is he gonna take this? How am I gonna tell him?'
"Is something wrong." James was concerned. Something was definitely on her mind.
"I'm.. fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just some family matters. I'll talk about it later, I promise. Just take me home please."
"O.K." James walked B.C. to his truck and let her in. 'What's wrong with her. Family matters? Well, she promised to tell me. I guess I'll have to be patient. I just hope everything is gonna be alright.'
Wolf's Ridge, capital of the Luceid business empire and home of the Luceid family and 30,000 of their employees. B.C. was sleeping at the air terminal when a thin man with light brown hair approached her. He took off his glasses, leaned over and kissed the sleeping maiden. B.C.'s eyes popped open and looked at the smiling man. "James?"
"Good morning, Princess. Welcome back to thy kingdom."
"Urrgh, how many times have I told you not too call me that. How'd you know I was here, anyways?" B.C. asked as she sat up on the terminal bench.
"I put a tracking device in your laptop. It signaled me as soon as you got here. I wanted to see you as soon as you got home."
"How cute. By the way, I have a little surprise for you. A little reward for your good work on finding me a Powerpuff Girl." B.C. opened her suitcase and produced the comic book she bought from Bubble's store.
"No way! SPORE #1?! Oh man, how did you.. I mean.. Oh baby, you're the greatest gal, a guy could ever have."
"Ha-ha, I'd knew you'd like it. Say, do you work today?"
"No, I took the day off, so I could spend some time with you."
"Well, I hope you're up for a drive because I'm going to visit Grandpa. He's at his cabin up in the mountains."
"Your grandpa? B.C., what about your report and the board? You know your Dad isn't going to like this."
"Actually, it was okay with him. He told me to take as much time as I needed."
"Really? Hmm, that doesn't sound like him."
"Yeah, I know." B.C. thought to herself, 'James is right. Dad normally expects me to stick to a timetable. I wonder..'
"Is something wrong? You got real quiet all of a sudden." James said, interrupting B.C.'s train of thought.
"Huh, oh it's nothing. We should go home and get some warmer clothes. It gets cold up in the mountains this time of year." B.C. grabbed her suitcases and got out of the seat. James led her to his truck, wondering what was on her mind. The situation seemed strange to him, he knew enough about Maxwell Luceid to know that the CEO and owner of Luceid Inc. expected his employees to follow through on their assignments with no deviations, especially his daughter. And why did B.C. want to find the Powerpuff Girls? She never had an interest in super heroes before, despite his best efforts. Why now? He just shrugged it off. 'I'm sure she'll tell me if something's up. She normally does. But something is a little strange. Hmm, well at least I'll get to be with her today.'
James pulled into the Luceid estate, B.C. slipped out of his car and looked up at it. An old mansion originally built by Luceid Incorporated's founder, Nathaniel Luceid. "Funny how it used to look so big when I was a little girl." B.C. remarked, thoughtfully gazing up at the old building. "It was so much fun running up and down the hallways." James just gave B.C. a strange look, 'What's with her? Since when does she get nostalgic?'
"Uh, yeah babe. "
"This is where we first met. Remember?"
"Oh yeah, at that party your dad had." He remembered, "You wore that green dress and had that flower in your hair."
"Yeah, I hated it when Dad made me dress like that." B.C. laughed. "C'mon, let's go inside." The pair entered the mansion to find a middle- aged man wearing a tuxedo waiting for B.C.
"Welcome back, Miss Luceid. It's good to see you again. Things have been quiet without you." the man said with a bow.
"Heh-heh, good to see you too, Kirk." B.C. smiled back at Kirk.
"I've taken the liberty of lying out some clothes suitable for your trip to the mountains, and your father has asked me to remind you that he expects your report upon your return from your Grandfather's cabin."
"Thanks, Kirk." 'Dammit, I forgot about that.' "I'll be right back, James. I'm just gonna run upstairs and get changed."
"I'll be right here." James sighed and watched the love of his life run up the curved stairway. B.C. walked into her room and noticed a sweater and a pair of spandex pants to fit under her jeans on her antique bed. B.C. got changed and took one another look at her room. A few posters of rock bands and speakers from her stereo decorated the walls, a simple nightstand next to her bed held a lamp and an alarm clock. B.C, flopped down on the bed. 'This bed seemed bigger when I was younger, almost lonely.' She continued to stare up at the ceiling, letting her thoughts wander when a knock on the door interrupted her daydreaming.
"Sweetie? You almost done in there? I'm getting toasty in these warm clothes."
"Oh! I'll be right out." B.C. cursed herself for letting herself get sidetracked. B.C. opened the door to let herself out, but then stopped. "Just one more thing." B.C. turned to the computer on her desk. She turned it on and connected her camera. After some work, one of the pictures taken at Townsville Cemetery was on the screen.
"That's Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls." James said.
"Yeah, I know." B.C. said printing out a picture.
"Why are you.." James almost asked but B.C.'s hand over his mouth prevented him form finishing his question.
"I'll explain later. Let's just get to Grandpa's" B.C. grabbed her boyfriend and Buttercup's picture and rushed downstairs and to his truck. It would be a long drive and she wanted to get going.
About an hour into the drive, B.C. fell asleep. She had that dream again but it was different this time. She was floating above the field of flowers, bubbles floated through her. The two girls who played with her were now playing with a black haired girl with green eyes. The third girl tackled the other two and tickeled them both into a fit of giggles. The green-eyed girl got up and looked straight at B.C.
'What will you do when you learn the truth?'
'What truth? What do you mean?'
'Why did you comfort, Bubbles?'
'I brought up some painful memories for her. It was the least I could do.'
'So why did it feel so warm? Why did feel so right?'
'I-I don't know.'
'It felt as though you were comforting a sister, didn't it?'
'How would I know? I never had a sister.'
'You've helped others before. Comforted them, when your friend Laura's hamster died, you held her and let her cry in your arms. But it felt different, right? That warm feeling wasn't there, was it?'
'...'
'When you first came to the ruins of Townsville, it felt familiar, even though you've never been there.'
'So? We studied it in our civics class.'
'It felt like you were there before.'
'It.. did..'
'Do you remember your first thought when you woke up at the hospital, twenty years ago?'
'I had fingers. I shouldn't have had them.' The scenery faded away along with the giggling girls leaving only Buttercup's specter.
'You're on the right track, now it's time to wake up.'
'Wait, who am I?'
'..wake up, B.C..'
"Wake up, B.C."
"Huh..? What?"
"You were talking in your sleep."
"I was?"
"Yeah, you asked 'who am I?'" James noticed that B.C had looked a little pale. "Is everything alright?"
"Just talk to me James." B.C. murmured.
"About what?"
"Anything"
"Okay, umm, what was Bubbles like?"
"Bubbles?" 'Aww, James not her. Figures he'd ask about her.'
"Yeah, I mean you did meet her, didn't you?"
"Yeah I did. She was real nice. Friendliest person I've ever met." A smile crept on B.C.'s face "She was a real cutie too. She had a nice body and a pretty face. If I weren't dating you, I'd go out with her in a second." James nearly drove off the road when he heard that last remark.
"W-What?!"
B.C. laughed heartily at her boyfriend, "Ha-Ha, watch your driving dummy. I swear, you are too easy. Ha-ha-ha"
James chuckled and shook his head, 'Now that's the B.C. I know and love. But still, something's bothering her. I hope she'll be okay.'
A few hours later, the two had pulled into the driveway leading to the mountain cabin of Bryant Luceid, B.C.'s Grandfather. An elderly woman was outside watering some flowers, Kay's mother, Mary. The woman noticed the pair and went to greet them. "Bethany! How wonderful to see you."
"Hi Mary." B.C. briefly embraced the old woman. "Is Grandpa around?"
"Yes, he's inside, sitting around as usual."
B.C. asked James to stay outside with Mary and went inside her grandfather's cabin. It was filled with old memorabilia from the 1970's. An old man sat in a recliner listening to some old music. The old man noticed B.C. and got up.
"Hello Sprite." Bryant Luceid greeted his granddaughter. "It's good to see you again."
"Hi Grandpa." B.C. hugged her grandfather.
"So, what brings you up here?"
B.C. pulled the picture she printed earlier out of pocket and unfolded it. "This, it's a picture I took in Townsville." B.C. answered showing Bryant the picture.
"Hmm, tell me a story about her."
"A story?"
"You remember the game we used to play, Sprite. Tell me a story about her."
B.C. sighed and started, "Once upon a time, there was a girl with super powers. She and her sisters protected a large city because they thought the people in the city loved them. One day, the girl was forced to do something terrible in order to save the lives of some townspeople and the whole town had turned against her. A few days later she got into a fight with her family and ran away into the woods where.. she.." B.C. found it hard to continue.
"It doesn't sound like she has a happy ending. Now you know I like happy endings, Sprite."
"Well.." B.C. trailed off softly.
"Let me come up with one. The girl was found by some good people who gave her a new life and she grew up to become a beautiful and intelligent young woman destined for great things."
"That girl. She's me, isn't she?"
Bryant turned to an old desk and pulled out a photo. It was photograph of a young boy, shot in the early 1960's. "Let me tell you a story about this boy. Once upon a time there was a young boy who lived a simple life in a small town. His father was a great athlete who loved to tell stories of a great college he went to and played football. The boy was taught to revere the college as a place of great honor. That little boy had an older brother who was also great athlete but he was also lazy and hated to do schoolwork. The brother had cheated on his college entrance exam. The boy found out and told the College Board. He did not want his dishonest brother dishonoring that great college. The boy's family was furious with him. Saddened and alone the boy ran from his home and went to the city bridge, that where he met them."
"Them?"
"A young woman who worked for the College Board offered the boy a ride, and gave him a new life."
"That boy. Was he you?"
"Yes, Sprite, that little boy grew up to be Bryant Luceid."
"But what happened to his, I mean your family?"
Bryant sighed sadly, "My family thought I had killed myself. My brother was so overwhelmed with grief and guilt he.. took his own life."
"Oh my god. How did you know all of this?"
"Mother sent me to my old hometown, to see about building a factory there. The mayor was an old family friend. He told me about them, about what had happened. I was young and curious, so I investigated. That's when I learned who I truly was."
"But why? Why did they take you.. us?
"Luceid's child"
"What?"
"Your father will explain it to you. As I explained it to him. As my mother had explained it to me."
"I-I see. Thank you grandpa." B.C. was shocked. 'Was this why Dad sent me to Townsville? So I would find out. Oh crap, my report.' "Grandpa would it be alright if stay here for a little bit? I need to work on my report."
"Of course, Sprite. Take as much time as you need."
A couple hours had past when B.C. typed the final few words in her report. 'Finally done.' B.C. was glad that she still had to do it. I took her mind off the recent revelations. James had stepped out from inside to cabin to the back porch where B.C. had typed up her report. "You almost done out here babe."
"Just finished." B.C. got up and folded up her laptop. 'James, how is he gonna take this? How am I gonna tell him?'
"Is something wrong." James was concerned. Something was definitely on her mind.
"I'm.. fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just some family matters. I'll talk about it later, I promise. Just take me home please."
"O.K." James walked B.C. to his truck and let her in. 'What's wrong with her. Family matters? Well, she promised to tell me. I guess I'll have to be patient. I just hope everything is gonna be alright.'