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Disclaimer: I do not own the Powerpuff Girls in any way, shape or manner as the rights belong to Craig McCracken.

Chapter 2

Part II: A Bittersweet Farewell

With a light mist still present, three government certified SUV's veered off to the curb of the main gate to Mitchell McCoy's Military Academy for Girls just as morning call started. As the time was nearing 7:50, Blossom and Bubbles waited anxiously to see their sister before travelling back to Townsville.

-Bubbles-

"It's been ten minutes already. Where is she?"

"She'll be here Bubbles, just be patient." I could tell I was getting on Blossom's nerves from the twitch from the corner of her right eye every time I shifted in my seat, but I felt like if I didn't move something, I was gonna go crazy.

The Mayor (well I guess he should be called Mr. Morgan now, since he's retired) had us escorted out of our house in three SUV's, with me, Blossom, and the Professor with Mr. Morgan ,Gladys, and a certified government driver in one SUV that stayed in the middle with the other two coming from its front and back. I'm still trying to figure out why exactly they decided to make this into such a big deal, I mean it's not like we're going to Townsville on a parade, and if they were planning something, I just hope they give me and Blossom a chance to change, since the news of us moving out was last minute. All I'm wearing is a purple short sleeved shirt that I've had since I was eleven and my jean skirt with flip flops. Blossom looked a little better with her white short sleeved collared shirt and Capris, but still not dressed for anything special.

I could find myself staring out of the window every time something stood out in the slightest way. After all these years and it's like I'm looking at this town for the first time. There are places here that I never knew existed that were literally five minutes away from my house. I guess it's needless to say that my sisters and I rarely got out of the house. Or at least Blossom and I rarely did.

When we parked ourselves along the side of the base camp, the students were already starting drills, some using the obstacle course, others running along the border of the camp on the inside, already covered in sweat and mud. The whole place just gave off this intimidating atmosphere. I tried to imagine Buttercup in their place; climbing up the ladders, crawling in mud, listening to people bark orders at them like it was nothing.

How Buttercup managed 9 months in here is beyond me.

As if on cue I could see a figure come off from the side of the gate that separated the school from the main road way and knew it had to be her.

"She's here!" My legs sprung out from the back seat and ran out of the SUV to go meet her. The yelling I heard from behind me suggested it probably wasn't a good idea to do that so suddenly, but I didn't care. All I cared about was seeing my sister, who hasn't seen us in ages. Why was I the only one feeling so excited about this? If anything, I should be annoyed with them for being so insensitive!

By the time I was next to the SUV parked in front of us, Gladys had already placed a protective hand in front of me. I looked up at her, not quite figuring out who she was trying to protect me from, but stayed behind.

From here I finally got a close up to my sister as she got closer, and it was like I was seeing her for the first time. I could remember how angry she was all the time, giving off this stiff aura around her like a walking time bomb. Her hands would always be in fists and she would use them either on someone else or on the walls in her room every time she got the chance. All she would do was scream at someone and get into fights with Blossom, the Professor, and even me sometimes.

But now I've never seen her look so distant before. She was wearing a black long sleeved cropped top adorned by a chain pendant, she walked in steady languid strides with her head casted slightly downwards, a complete switch from the aggressive pace she used to carry around with her. She raised her head from the roadside to where we were standing with her hands dug into the pockets of her baggy cargos tucked inside a pair of black combat boots. Despite her staring right at us, she could've been in another world for all we knew. Out of all the years I've known her, I don't think I've ever seen her so detached.

But then she suddenly stopped actually looked at where she was headed. Her stoic features changing from annoyance to disgust. As I turned to where she was staring, I realized that the Professor might've left a few important details before hanging up the phone.

Like the fact that we're being "escorted" by government officials who were responsible for putting us here in the first place. I wasn't really sure of how Buttercup might react to three giant SUV's taking us to Townsville, and I was afraid to find out.

But for a few seconds she just froze there, taking in the whole picture. But the longer she stared at the whole situation, her face started to twist into contempt as she filled in the pieces as the whole atmosphere changed into something terribly familiar. When her eyes fell on the Mayor with a hint of recognition, I started to feel really uneasy and held my breath as we waited for her reaction. Her furious eyes changed over the years from a lime green to a bright olivine, with dark lime green flecks coming off the edges of the irises. Her lips pressed into a firm line of resolve as Buttercup stared dead at Gladys, whose arm was still protectively guarding me, and dropped her dark green Duffel bag before crossing her arms indignantly.

"I'm staying."

I did a double take at my older sister. Out of all the things she could've said, this took everyone by surprise. Everyone stepped out of the car and shared glances with one another, not sure of what to do, or even say at that point.

Then the door slammed revealing Blossom looking completely livid. "What the hell do you mean you're staying?" she snarled through her teeth as she marched menacingly towards Buttercup.

"I said I'm staying." The first time they see each other in nine months and they were already arguing. Professor just got out of the car, already starting to come up with something to help alleviate the situation but was already too late as Buttercup locked eyes on her next target.

"The fuck is this, Professor?! Apparently it wasn't important enough to mention in a phone call that the very people that threw us in this shithole of a town are the same people that are just going to bring us back?! Or am I the only one that finds that just a little shady?" Buttercup's eyes narrowed into thin slits as she observed him with suspicion and betrayal.

The Professor let out a weary sigh as he tried to calm her down. "Please, Buttercup, let's just-"

"Let's just what? Take a quick stroll down memory lane about all the "fun times" we had being associated with the same crooks we helped Townsville put away with this chick and her two foot dwarf? Sorry, but I think I'll pass. Oh! And while we're on the subject…" she motioned towards Gladys without ever turning her eyes from the Professor, "Just who the hell is she anyway?"

"I told you I'd explain as soon as we see each other face to face–" The professor growled, starting to lose his patience.

"–Oh really? So you couldn't have said one word about all of this on the phone? You didn't tell me anything about the Mayor, didn't tell me anything about all these stupid escorts, YOU DIDN'T TELL ME SHIT!"

"Because I knew you'd react this way!" he yelled losing every trace of his patience altogether as they glared at each other. He lowered his voice at a low growl as a warning. "Buttercup, you need to understand that it just isn't about you. Blossom and Bubbles were caught off guard all the same and they didn't react nearly as bad as you."

"Has it ever even occurred to any of you people that I might just actually like it here? Anyone? Anyone at all?" she asked as she looked towards everyone, expecting an answer. She chuckled when her eyes fell on me as they gorged my reaction. "Yeah Bubbles, Believe it or not, some people can actually enjoy military school in this world, especially those who can't stand the sight of their own house." Okay, that hurt. We all know the house wasn't all that great, but we tried our best to improve it over the years. Especially Blossom, who took all that time painting over the old walls to make it look at least a little more presentable. Hearing her say that was like a slap in the face for all the work we did on it.

Somehow she couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face as though it were a big joke. "So by all means Professor, go off with your two cut-out daughters and I'll just stay here with Boggs; it's only fair, right? Let's be honest here, it's not their fault for being here, it wasn't a crime that they committed, they don't have blood on their hands!"

She suddenly burst into fits of laughter at us. "Oh wait! But that's not even the best part. To think that you three spent ten years trapped in some hick town really just blows me away. So kudos to all of you for staying here to rot like a ton of cow shit, even though it's so blatantly obvious that the only one who was supposed to stay here in the first place was the Childhood Fuck-Up."

-Blossom-

The only thing I remember was hearing her last sentence before I slapped the side of her face in an earsplitting crack. Bubbles covered her mouth with her hands and just stared at me with her eyes widening with shock. I looked back at Buttercup to see her staring at me with her mouth wide open, unsure of how to even respond to that.

"Now that you're done with your little rant, I want you to listen." I gritted through my teeth. Since everyone else was so dumbstruck at one of Buttercup's antics, I figured it was up to me to settle this stupid tirade. God, I'll never understand why she chooses to act this way!

"First of all, I couldn't care less how much you say you like it here, but you need to realize that we can't just leave you here by yourself, and don't ask 'why not', because I'm pretty sure we all know why. Secondly," I stepped a little closer to the point of where we were within inches of each other, my voice barely above a soft whisper. "We… Are… A…Team, Buttercup. So why is it that the only people who're willing to be a part of it are me and Bubbles? For Chrissake, how do you expect yourself to move on when you can't even say the name of the stupid place, much less anyone in it?!" I was having such a hard time keeping my voice leveled that I knew I had to end this quick. I kept my voice dangerously low so that Gladys couldn't hear me.

"Now you're going to follow us into that car," as I motioned towards the door, "and we are going to drive to Townsville together, whether you like it or not. So I suggest that you STOP playing this game, PICK up your damn bag, and MAKE your way over to those kind men so they can put your stuff in the goddamn trunk. DO… I… MAKE… MYSELF… CLEAR?"

For a moment she just stared with a blank expression on her face, but I could tell from her clenched fists that nothing would make her happier than knocking my teeth out. "Crystal," she spat as she roughly tossed her Duffel bag at one of the staggering drivers. I grabbed her arm before she marched off to the SUV's.

"Oh! And while we're on the subject…" I mused. She responded with an icy glare. If looks could kill… "I don't want to hear you say anything like that again. You're not some fuck up, and you have no proof for anything that you just said, it was all of our faults for what happened, and not a day goes by that I don't want to change it. But our abilities only go so far and-"

Before I could finish, she harshly yanked her arm away from me as she trudged away, clearly done with the conversation.

With her back turned she didn't see the disappointment on my face as I opened the matching locket the Professor gave all three of us to show a picture of Bubbles and Buttercup at our seventh birthday looking like complete opposites. Bubbles was looking so enthusiastically at the camera with her bright blond pigtails matching the beautiful smile on her face, while Buttercup instead turned her eyes in the other direction with her stubborn signature pout, the birthday hat looking so awkwardly out of place with her hostile demeanor. This picture never fails to bring a smile on my face. Despite everything that's happened, I still can't find a single difference in the two.

In fact, it was as if the nine months that she was gone didn't change her one bit, but it certainly did change her appearance. Form wise, she always had a little more curves than me and Bubbles, but there was no real noticeable change besides a slight tan on her forehead and cheeks. She did cut her hair drastically from the shoulder length hair she had when we met last time, leaving it just below the jaw line like when we were kids, but only now it was in a high ponytail, leaving her side bangs hanging down all the way towards her chin with choppy bangs hanging just below the her right eye and rising until they disappeared right beside her left temple.

I looked back at Buttercup who was hoisting herself into the SUV to sit next to Bubbles, refusing any sort of help from the drivers. She changes her appearance on the outside, but is still the predictable little sister I've bossed around since I was a kid.

There's only so much that you can hold on your shoulders, Buttercup. The least you can do is let me help you.

Gladys just had this blank expression, unsure of what to do. But I couldn't blame her for underestimating how difficult the situation might be, though. Just pick up a couple of kids and their dad from some hillbilly town. Easy, right? But then again we are the Powerpuff Girls for a reason; nothing's easy when it comes to us.

I turned to Gladys, who was still speechless on the encounter. "It's time to go." I said, joining my sisters in the van for what was going to possibly be the longest drive of my life.

-Buttercup-

Stupid Bitch, I thought to myself as I scrolled to the first song I saw on my iPod. I didn't want to hear any of their freaking explanations for what happened, or at least not now. When Immortal Technique filled my ears I gave a huge sigh in relief, the acoustics already soothing my anger. With the lyrics, it felt as if he was singing the song just for me at that moment.

…Scared to talk shit in person, cause they stuck in a shell
and couldn't understand the pain of being stuck in a cell
Hell is not a place you go, if you not a Christian
it's the failure of your life's greatest ambition…

…I'm just like a desperate motherfucker strapped to a bomb
Humanity is gone, smoked up in a gravity bong
by a Democrat Republican Cheech and Chong…

…Try to confuse you, makin' it hard to follow this:
capitalism and democracy are not synonymous…

I stole a quick glance at the lady (I think her name was Sharon… whatever. It was a stupid name anyway) sitting beside the Professor. All of these stupid bureaucrats telling us what to do like we're freaking cattle. It's been like that since I was 6, always being told where to go and where to hide; how to live, how to act, who to talk to, who to avoid. If I had the choice to stay, I would've finally been done with it all and could've moved on with my life without worrying if I'm following some stupid rule that was made by some stupid administrator in stupid office building.

Being locked up in some cage for eleven years, and now all of a sudden everyone just had 'a change of heart'? Am I the only one that's not buying this bullshit? The government won't move an inch for someone unless it pads up their wallets, and this is no different.

She started to laugh at something the Professor said as I shook my head in disgust. She may have gotten to my sisters, and maybe even the Professor, but I know better. This bitch isn't here for anyone but herself, and I'm gonna prove it.

-Bubbles-

Western Pines is in a tiny little valley in the Midwestern Region of the country with one road going through both of exits. This place is kinda like a pit-stop town for most drivers before they move on to their next stop, and I think that's why the government chose this place as our new home. Just like the house we just left, this place blends in with everything. Nothing sticks out about this place or makes it distinguished out of the rest of the scenery. It virtually has no real identity, just like us in a way.

But as we're driving up the hillside and taking our final glimpses of the village that wanted nothing to do with us, I can't help but think we're leaving a part of us behind. A part of us where we were the invisible ones, looking as people went on with their lives. To leave such a huge portion of our lives would be like ignoring the fact that it existed at all.

I had only one chance, might as well be now.

"Stop! Stop the cars!" I shouted. The SUV's veered off to the curb as six pairs of eyes looked towards me for an answer, but it just seemed too complicated.

With that in mind, I took my disposable camera worth less than five bucks at the nearest gas station and strode over to the ledge of the road. With an aerial view of the entire town I could finally see the whole picture for the first time in ten years, and it's never looked so beautiful.

With a small tear slipping down my eye, I pressed the button on the camera with one small click. It was all we'd need, or want for that matter. Just a reminder of a time when we were passerby's to a story being told by someone else. But with this new identity in a new life, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Now, we have our own story to tell, starting with this very picture.

"Sorry… It was something I had to do." I said as I looked up at everyone. Through the mix of faces I could see confusion, annoyance, frustration, concern. But when I looked at Blossom, I could see her giving me an empathetic smile, as if she could read my exact thoughts. With a deep breath, I could finally leave with a piece of closure. Whatever may happen in Townsville, I have a feeling it'll only get better from here.

"All right, I'm ready!"

Let me just do a quick little speech to say how much those reviews mean to me. For those of you who really picked up on my reading and reviewed like l3rainy, I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart and to let everyone know that I will be continuing this no matter what.

As for the song, that was "Leaving the Past" by Immortal Technique, something I've been listening to lately, but I wasn't going to just copy and paste the entire song. Instead I chose phrases which go right into how Buttercup sees things in her perspective, which is actually true to an extent, something I'll go into detail with next chapter!