6. Help and Helpless
MJ sat alone at the back of the class. This was normal; no one wanted to sit with a friendless freak. It didn't normally bother MJ too much either; she hated school anyway and everyone in it, so being left alone suited her just fine.
The difference today was that everyb her that murderers are evil people incapable of any human emotions. Did that mean her Mum just pretended to love her? Was that why she'd always lied to them? If Mum had lied so often, was lying wrong?
MJ's thoughts were incoherent and disorganised, but one thing eventually forced its way though; she wanted to go home this evening and be with her Mum.
"I want her to love me…" she whispered to her self.
The bell rang, and the teacher dismissed them for break. MJ hoped that she could find somewhere quiet to sit alone outside, but she had barely got out the class room when the first question was asked.
"So MJ, what's it like to have a murder for a Mum?"
MJ's confidence was none existent, so her mouth immediately dried up. She couldn't speak. The lack of response did nothing to help, as partially the whole class, and other classes were gathering round her. (Some people just wondered quietly off, but no noticed them.) With in moments she was being bombarded with questions, none of which she had any desire to answer. Like MJ, most of the questioners were five to six years old, so they went something like this.
‐D
"I want her to love me…" she whispered to her self.
The bell rang, and the teacher dismissed them for break. MJ hoped that she could find somewhere quiet to sit alone outside, but she had barely got out the class room when the first question was asked.
"So MJ, what's it like to have a murder for a Mum?"
MJ's confidence was none existent, so her mouth immediately dried up. She couldn't speak. The lack of response did nothing to help, as partially the whole class, and other classes were gathering round her. (Some people just wondered quietly off, but no noticed them.) With in moments she was being bombarded with questions, none of which she had any desire to answer. Like MJ, most of the questioners were five to six years old, so they went something like this.
"Is she going to get killed for it?"
"Are you sad?"
"Were you there when she did it?"
"Did you see a police car?"
"Did they hand cuff her?"
"You should be hung with her!"
"I heard your Mum killed all the superheroes!"
"That's stupid, she only killed superman didn't she?"
"MJ, are you deaf or something?"
And so on…
The "senior" playground and field was separated from the "Junior" one by a fence. Up against this fence, two boys were playing a game off top trumps. The Brown haired, green eyed one scoped up the cards.
"Alright!" he said delightedly, "Loris Caparoisi!" He put it to the back of his pack, while his Black haired, brown eyed friend smiled to himself quietly.
"Don't get too excited Paul," he said sniggering slightly. "Your turn to call."
"Okay Jamie," said Paul Johnson, "Err… wins five."
Jaime Fereto laughed. "Hand it over," he said, "I've got Valentino Rossi!"
"Next time we play MotoGp Top Trumps, we're taking him out of the pack!" Paul said as he handed his card over. Then his mobile beeped. He pulled it out. "It's from Edward!" he said. Jamie looked up.
"Is he okay?" he asked. They had been a solid group of three friends until three months ago when Edward had gone round the corner to swap lunchboxes with MJ. Both Jamie and Paul wished they'd gone with him now, because the school could hardly have suspended all three of them indefinitely. It was only because Edward was different, they had thought at the time. They still did.
Paul read the message. "It just says; MJ in schl."
Please forgive that appalling attempt at text langue. I like to annoy my friends be always sending text messages in full English, so I don't know it – mg56.
"That can't be good," Paul finished, but Jamie wasn't listening. He'd spotted something.
"She's just over there," he said pointing to the crowd of kids on the "junior" playing field.
Paul looked. Then he looked at the fence. "It's an automatic detention if we jump the fence," he said. Jaime laughed.
"I think that'll be the lightest part," he said.
"Do murders eat different food?"
"My Dad says that all Murders eat babies, does your Mum?"
"Is your Dad a murder too?"
"Are you a murder?"
MJ had had enough. At first the questions had just hurt, but now she was angry. Acid was foaming in her mouth, and her mind was picking out the position of every target in range of her fist. Now she cracked.
"YES I AM!" she screamed, and she whirled round, her fist flying towards one of the more persistent and less sensitive questioners. It never made it. Someone grabbed MJ's elbow, and stopped her hand right in front of the kid's face. MJ looked up in furry to she who'd done it, and was surprised to see that it was Jamie Fereto holding it.
"Please don't MJ," her older brother's friend said gently, "you attacking people is not going to help your mum."
"And," Paul added, "You're supposed to punch like THIS!" He smashed the kid they'd just saved in the face.
MJ dived out of the ensuing chaos. She new what was coming. Two eleven year olds were not going to be a match for about fifty six year olds, but Paul and Jamie were holding there own… and they managed it long enough for the tribal instincts that exist in Primary school to take over. Sure enough, half of Edwards year group had jumped over the fence to help his friends, and by the time order had been restored, Eddy had arrived and sneaked his daughter off home.
Blossom looked at Murdock sadly. "I'm sorry," she said, "I told them everything." Murdock paused and "looked" at her. (He's blind, remember.)
"That's a problem," he said sadly. Then he thought for a moment. "There is only one other way to get you out of this Scot free."
"Really? What?"
"We argue that you are not human," Murdock explained. "Then you can't be prosecuted with murder."
"What!"
"Are you human Blossom," he asked calmly, "because Daredevil has overheard some conversations about you and Chaos energy?"
"You have… I mean he has? Which ones?"
"The ones between Sonic and members of the science department, years ago of course. He always took a lot of interest in you Puffs, even If it didn't seem that way."
Blossom sighed. "I'd rather not talk about Sonic."
"I wouldn't say anything if it wasn't important. If we tell the court that you aren't a human, and are not covered by any of the dangerous animal acts, and back it up with scientific evidence, then they'll have to throw the case out. It would be like charging a cloud with murder."
"But clouds can't think," Blossom protested.
"Prove it."
"Only a lawyer would say that," Blossom paused, "or a philosopher."
"Well it's your choice Blossom," Murdock said calmly, "but I warn you, if this goes to trial, you will almost certainly lose, and put your family through a lot of stress and pain. And your life would be at the mercy of a judge."
"Yes," Blossom said, "but if I get out of in on a technicality, what life will I have after that? Endlessly hounded by the press, just waiting for the day they change the law and charge me? I can't do that!"
"Can you inflict a trial on your kids?"
"There is another way to avoid a trial!" Blossom felt the confidence returning, all of it that she had lost when she'd been looking at those three dead bodies. And as she spoke the next sentence, it all flooded back.
"I'll plead guilty," she finished.
Murdock nodded. "You would have been a great leader of the SSR," he said. "I will fight for a lenient sentence." He stood up. "We could really do with you now. The organisation will collapse without a strong leader."
And with that he left. Blossom sighed. The regained confidence turned out to be a temporary thing. She slumped in her cell, (being a Police holding cell it was a single cell.) Was she really strong enough to plead guiltily? Could she risk it all on the judge showing mercy? Especially with the press tearing her to pieces out side.
The cell door opened. "You have a visitor," the police officer told her, and she led her out.
Blossom sat down opposite Buttercup. She was nervous, her sister didn't look particularly happy. Then again, she didn't look particularly anything. Her face was totally blank.
"Buttercup?" Blossom as nervously. Her sister looked up.
"Hi Blossom," she said deadpan. "How are you?"
"I'm… okay," Blossom replied. She wasn't comfortable, the conversation felt very forced. "Bubbles not here?" she said, trying to bring the conversation to the point.
"No, she took it badly." Buttercup said. "Had a huge row with Boomer about it. She thinks that since he knew you weren't his brother's murderer, then he doesn't love her as much."
Shit, thought Blossom, the two Ruffs blew it! "How are you and Butch?" she asked.
"We've been through to much for that to cause problems," Buttercup replied.
"Oh good…" Blossom visibly relaxed. Buttercup didn't.
"I said me and Butch had been through too much, not you and me," she said tightly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
A feeling of impending horror spread through Blossom. "I…" she began, "I thought you might reject me."
"I told you about my fertility problem before I told Butch!" Buttercup shouted. "I told you everything. I thought we were close!"
"We are close!" Blossom protested, but Buttercup wasn't to be petered.
"I've never lied to you! I told you what I thought of everything! From your kids to your husband and I never once lied! But it appears that was all a one way street!"
"Buttercup, I…"
The Green Puff stood up, and Blossom saw tears in her eyes, such a rare sight that it stopped her dead. Buttercup had one last thing to say though.
"You could have trusted me? I thought our relationship was strong enough to survive you murdering someone!" She leant back across the table again. "I spent seven years defending you from Butch, for something you hadn't even done! Seven years we were apart because of your lie."
And with that she left Blossom, completely crushed, to be taken back to her cell.
Evening had come. Back at the Panner house, dinner was being eaten quietly. MJ was sadly pocking at her vegetables (the spider side of her had meant the meat was devoured without a second thought.)
"Dad?" she asked. "Does Mummy love us, even if she is a murderer?"
"Of course she does!" Eddy was flabbergasted.
"But how come she isn't here then?"
"Err… because she's in jail?"
"But she's strong enough to break out! She could be here if she wanted too!"
"Yes, but…"
"WHY ISN'T SHE DADDY?"
Before Eddy got totally lost, Edward swallowed his food and spoke.
"MJ, Mum does love you. I promise. She's sitting in prison right now wishing more than anything else in the world she could be with you, even though if she was they'd only take her away again. But don't despair MJ, because she does love you, and you can find her love around you and inside you if you look for it. Okay?"
MJ nodded. "Thanks," she whispered, before leaving reasonably happily. Eddy turned to Edward.
"Thanks son," he said, "that was a real help."
"Yep," said Edward quietly, "I just wished I believed it." He got up to leave, and had reached the door by the time Eddy clicked.
"What! You're Mum loves you Edward!"
"Yeah, she does. I didn't quiet mean it like that."
"How did you mean it then!" Eddy said angrily. Edward Suddenly whirled round to face him.
"I'll tell you how I mean it! Three months ago, my life was great! My parents were reasonably happy, my Mum and Dad loved each other, I had dreams and ambitions and plenty of time, I had friends and I was at school! Sure, I had some eccentric aunts, but that was all! Now I'm not in school, never see my friends, am a second class citizen that everyone wants to spend the rest of time in stupid clothes making heroic speeches, I've got a huge scar on my chest, and my Mum is a murder! It makes no sense!"
"But that's hardly Blossom's fault!" Eddy said, temporarily forgetting it was his son he was talking to. Edward stopped dead.
"That's the point," he said sadly, "I don't want Blossom, or any Powerpuff. I just want my normal, happy, loving Mum. The Mum from my old life."
Okay, that was better! Please Review. Next chapter your favourite Ruff is back!
