Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.

"Bubbles! Honey! Time to get up."

Unaware to her mother she had been up for hours. She didn't normally sleep much and when she did she always had a strange dream of a familiar man but she could never make out his face. In every dream though she knew he was happy to see her. Bubbles could make out dark almost black hair and what looked like a lab coat. But as soon as she tried to reach out to him Bubbles always woke up. Even though she couldn't see his face and everything in the dream was mostly blurry she knew he wasn't one of the villagers.

"Bubbles?"

"Yeah sorry Mum I'm up." Bubbles sat up and looked out her window. The sun had already risen and a few people littered the streets. Bubbles family wasn't well off but they were definitely better off than most of the people in the village. This wasn't hard considering there weren't very many jobs going. Most men had to leave to the big city to get jobs but the pay was terrible. Luckily enough her parents had opened up a shop that sold every day items. Her father had arranged for the items to be delivered to the shop every week from the city. This wasn't overly expensive to do and he saved money with staff as Bubbles and her brother, who were the only ones old enough, helped out. Bubbles dragged her eyes away from the window and glanced around her room. Her bedroom was in the attic, this gave her the chance to get better angles for her drawings. As she looked around the small dark room she slept in she realised it was quite bland until she looked at the wall across from her small bed. The only part of her room that had colour. Her drawings. She would draw everything from the streets, to people passing by or more likely the sunset. Bubbles placed her bare feet against the cold dark wooding flooring and inspected her surroundings a bit more. She had what was needed, a small bed, a large dark oak wardrobe dresser and matching desk with small mirror attached.

"Bubbles." Bubbles mother popped her head round the door.

"Yeah mum?" Bubbles said with a smile. Even though she felt different and like she didn't belong she loved this woman who was her mother. Her mother's patience with Bubbles' behaviour was overwhelming. Whilst everyone complained or muttered behind her back, her mother was always full of smiles for her. That was why Bubbles smiled. She loved this crazy woman despite everything.

"Can you do the morning shift please? Tom has had a bit of a fall so I want to get him patched up before sending him to work."

"Is he okay?" Bubbles' eyebrows pulled close together. Tom was only a year younger than Bubbles and even though she never tried to get close to any of her siblings that didn't mean she wanted any harm to come to them.

"He is fine. I just want to get him cleaned up properly before his shift starts but it begins in 15 minutes so I was hoping you could do the shift for him."

"Of course mum. Give me ten minutes to change."

"Thanks a lot Bubbles." She stayed there for a couple of seconds smiling before she finally left. Bubbles sat there for a minute wondering why her mother lingered. She wasn't one for standing around especially with Bubbles as she knew how uncomfortable she got sometimes. Bubbles shrugged it off, thinking it was her showing gratitude, and began getting ready for her new shift.

"Hey Bubbles. Thanks for swapping," Tom said as he walked through the door of the shop. Bubbles looked up to the clock. Her shift had finally ended. It had been a very slow morning, having only two customers.

"It's okay. How is your leg?"

"Oh its fine. I was playing tag with Sophie and Jack when I tripped. Mum made such a big deal out of nothing," Tom said as rounded the desk to stand next to her. Bubbles smiled and nodded her head slightly as she rushed out the door. It wasn't that she disliked working at the shop or even talking with her brother, she just couldn't wait to get home to paint the skyline she saw last night.

"Hey mum I'm home."

"Bubbles can you come into the living room for a second please?"

Bubbles walked into the living room to see her mother talking with a small brown haired lady. The woman didn't appear to be much taller than Bubbles who stood at 5"5. She looked at Bubbles with such a warming smile that she thought she should know her but as she sat down next to her mother, Bubbles didn't think she had ever seen this woman.

"Bubbles I would like you to meet Miss Keane."

"Um hello Miss Keane." Bubbles looked at her mother with slight confusion. Who was this woman and why was it important to meet her? Bubbles' mother never made a point of introducing her to anyone anymore, she knew how Bubbles was. She continued to look back and forth between the women, her confusion rising. She then saw the tears form in her mothers' eyes.

"Mother?" She then grabbed Bubbles' hands.

"I want you to know I love you very much okay?"

Bubbles drew her eyebrows close together.

"Bubbles I need you to come with me." She shot her gaze to Miss Keane.

"What? Why?"

"I'm sorry Bubbles I can't say a word. You will find out what this is all about when we reach our destination."

"Wait. What do you mean? Mum? What's happening?" Bubbles had always dreamed of going elsewhere even by herself but on her conditions.

"Honey you have to. Just trust me okay? I know it all sounds strange but please."

"But Mum why? Are you coming with me at least? How long for? I will be back right?" Bubbles could feel her voice rising but she didn't care. She didn't like what was happening.

"No I can't come with you baby. Look at me. Bubbles. Look at me. You have to calm down. You are in safe hands. Baby listen. You and me both know you are different but baby it's a good thing. You are a very special girl, Bubbles. Baby I need you to trust me," Bubbles mother placed her hands on either side of Bubbles' face, "you have to go with Miss Keane now. All will be explained there okay?"

Bubbles felt like she had floated out of her body and watched the whole scene like a fly on the wall. She didn't even realise she had agreed until Miss Keane had started to lead her out of her house. As Bubbles sat in the passenger seat of what she guessed was Miss Keane's car, she felt torn. She had never left her house before, not to even travel into the big city and here she was on her way to wherever she was meant to be going with a woman she didn't know, all by herself. She left her family behind to go on this adventure and regardless of the fear bubbling at the surface Bubbles couldn't help but feel slightly excited underneath.

Buttercup dove into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall and rose to the surface. The water was quite cool which Buttercup thought was perfect after a day of hunting. Even though no one approved of her hobby it didn't stop Buttercup. It wasn't just that she wanted to prove a point to everyone in her tribe but because she didn't have anyone to depend on. For as long as Buttercup could remember she had no one. She wasn't sure what happened to her parents or if she had any other family but no one would enlighten her on the subject. Everyone she asked when she was younger avoided the question and after a while Buttercup thought her parents must have been exiled. Once someone in the tribe had been forced to leave no one dared to mention them. She used to sit up at night wondering what her parents had done that was so bad but also what made them leave her behind. After a while Buttercup saw no reason thinking about them, if they didn't want her then that suited her fine. She was better off on her own anyway. Everyone she had ever met and tried to do things with had held her back. Buttercup swam up and down the small pool. This was another favourite of Buttercup's pastime. No one knew where her secret pool was, if it wasn't for her slipping off the ledge when trying to catch a rabbit she, herself, probably would never have found it. Buttercup raised herself out of the pool and started to put her clothes on. She had to get back to her camp. Even though she had no one the Tribe Chief liked to keep an eye on all his people. And regardless of there being no one to go back to Buttercup had nowhere else to go. It wasn't because she didn't think she could survive on her own, far from it, it was more the point of not knowing where she would go. Buttercup was happy enough to stay within her tribe for the time being. Buttercup began strapping her hunting knives to her legs before climbing the vines next to the waterfall. She pushed her way through the overgrown bushes at the top of the waterfall to get back on to the trail that lead her to the tribe's camp. But as she stepped foot on the worn out path she heard a noise to her left and she quietly hid behind a tree. The rustling of leaves and the snapping of twigs getting louder meant the intruder was getting closer. Buttercup drew a small hunting knife out and slowed her breathing, waiting for her chance to strike. When the opportunity came Buttercup spun round the tree and pointed it at the intruder's throat.

"Jesus Buttercup!"

"Liam?! What the fuck do you think you are doing? I could have easily slit your throat sneaking up on me like that?!"

"Sneaking?! I was looking for you. Jesus Buttercup you shouldn't be playing with those knives, they are dangerous."

"I know how to handle a knife, Liam." Buttercup hissed.

"Yeah whatever. Look, Tribe Chief is wanting to see you. He sent me out to look for you."

"What does he want?"

Liam shrugged, "never said."

"Fine." Buttercup said as she stormed off in the way to the camp. She didn't look to see if Liam was following her. She didn't care. She could have done some serious damage to him. But her mood darkened at the way he had used a patronising tone to tell her about the knife she was using. She was so frustrated with how the men viewed her. She knew she could hunt better than any of them. She had caught animals and brought them back to the camp before to have the men say she simply got it out one of the many traps they had set up.

As the camp came into view Buttercup couldn't help but think about going somewhere else again. Some place that would be grateful for her skills and not bring her down every step of the way. She walked past small groups of women and children and headed up to the big hut at the back that housed the Tribe Chief and his family. As she passed the women she could feel their eyes burning into her back. The men were difficult enough to handle but the looks the woman gave her made her want to poke their eyes out. They disapproved of Buttercup's behaviour so much that they refused to interact with her. Even as she turned to glare back at them they would turn away to avoid eye contact. She wasn't even good enough for that anymore. When Buttercup was younger she used to play the games the boys were playing, football or tag and the tribe thought she would eventually grow out of it. However the older she got the more she drew herself away from the tasks the woman were doing such as sewing and cooking and run off with the men, hunting. They tried their hardest to make her stay but Buttercup would sneak out and follow anyway keeping to the shadows to watch. This was how she picked up on the techniques needed. She would watch and listen to what the older members were teaching the younger generation and try it out by herself with no one watching. The whispers she would hear as she walked through the camp turned to silence but with hurtful gazes. However Buttercup decided that the camp was losing out on using her. It was their lost that they wouldn't use Buttercup to her full potential. As she continued with her way of living the tribe just shunned her completely, probably thinking she was a lost cause, Buttercup thought. But as always Buttercup held her head high and didn't let them bother her. And for any comment uttered to her, Buttercup would shoot it down with a sarcastic remark. Even though the tribe's opinions and attitude didn't bother Buttercup, the isolation did. She felt lonely. She wanted to be around people who understood the need to break out of their shell. She wanted to become friends with people who weren't afraid to be different, who weren't afraid of breaking society's expectation of them. She knew no one in the camp was like that, far from it, which is why she was alone. She didn't want to pretend to be someone else or like certain things to fit in, that just wasn't her. But as she climbed the steps to enter the hut she wished she just had at least one or even two people to talk to that thought the same way she did.

Buttercup knocked on the door waiting for permission to enter. She had no idea why the Tribe Chief wanted to see her. He already saw her yesterday afternoon to talk to her about the event with the upset children. He didn't seem particularly angry with her, he just wanted her to realise she had to watch her temper especially around the younger generation.

"Come."

Buttercup held her breath as she pushed open the door. When she stepped into the room she saw her Tribe Chief sitting talking with a stranger, intrigued as the tribe never had any outsiders in their camp Buttercup walked right up to them. The stranger turned out to be a very attractive woman with very curly ginger hair.

"Buttercup please have a seat."

"Who are you?" Buttercup asked as she sat down.

"Buttercup please don't be rude. This is Ms Bellum."

"Hello Buttercup."

"Hey." Buttercup wasn't sure what was going on and why the Chief had introduced her to the stranger but she had a feeling she might like it.

"Buttercup we both know you have itchy feet and are unrecognised in your talents. This is why I ask you to leave here today with Ms Bellum. She has needs for your skills."

Buttercup sat in silence contemplating what was said. Why did this lady need her? It didn't look like the woman was from another tribe in fact she looked like she belonged in one of the big cities that was occasionally whispered through the camp.

"I know this seems strange Buttercup and I can't say why I need you only that we need to leave here and when we arrive at the new place all will be explained."

Buttercup yet again sat in silence looking between both adults. She had no idea what was going but for some reason her Chief trusted the woman which meant she could be trusted. Buttercup might not be happy with how things were in her camp but she had huge respect for her elder that sat in front of her. He never once said that he was disappointed in her behaviour or her need to be different but, she even suspected at times that he encouraged it, knowing that Buttercup needed to do it. Buttercup looked at her leader and saw him looking at her with great respect of his own. Buttercup decided that if this is what her Chief thought needed done, she wouldn't let him down.

"Okay how soon do we leave?"

The lady turned to look at Buttercup and simply said, "Now."

Blossom dropped her head on top of her desk and groaned. This was not the first time she wished she wasn't the only clever person who worked at the inn. The owner was awful when it came to numbers for orders or even the income of the place. That was why Blossom found herself sitting in her boss' room trying to figure out what his scribbles were. It wasn't that she hated doing the work, she loved giving her brain a good workout but Blossom got easily frustrated with her boss' horrible handwriting and she had just finished a fourteen hour shift. She raised her head as she heard the door open. In walked her boss, he was short and little on the chubby side with hardly any hair.

"How are you getting on?"

"I'm getting on just fine, thank you Mr Smith." Another of, as Blossom had just decided, her 'bad' traits, a people pleaser. She had always tried her hardest to make people see her at her best. If that meant enduring a migraine trying to work out the scribbles or doing a long shift then she would. She very rarely said no. The only bad side, some people tended to take advantage of her nature.

"That's great Blossom but I was wondering. Sophie has just phoned in sick and her six hour shift starts in an hour I don't suppose you could do it."

"Of course not if you wouldn't mind with me having a nap in the staff room I did just came off of a very long shift."

"I suppose not," her boss grumbled. He hated when his employees slept in the staff room especially between shifts but he knew from past experience to let Blossom off with it if he wanted her working the shift. She may be a people pleaser but that didn't mean she didn't like to be completely walked all over.

"Thank you. I am almost finished here so I won't be long."

Her boss grunted a response before shutting the door behind him as he left. Blossom decided she needed to get a move on if she hoped to get any sort of rest before her new shift.

It hadn't taken her long before she managed to decipher the notes and get the calculations done so that's why she found herself trying to move furniture about to have a nap in the staff room, fifteen minutes later. As she moved the settee to the corner of the room to block out the day sun she heard someone enter the room. Blossom took no notice as she settled on the couch thinking she could probably get a thirty minute snooze at a push. But as she closed her eyes she heard a timid voice.

"Miss Blossom, what are you doing? S-should you not b-be getting home." Blossom opened her eyes to see Claire standing over her with confused blue eyes. Claire couldn't be much younger than Blossom who was turning eighteen next week but all the girls called her Miss. They had to do it with Miss Harris before Blossom replaced her so old habits had stuck but that didn't mean Blossom liked it. It made her feel old.

"Sophie called in sick so I'm having to cover her shift in forty five minutes. I was just going to have a sleep here before starting." Claire's confusion turned to annoyance.

"B-but you have just f-finished a fourteen hour s-shift. You shouldn't h-have to do t-that." Blossom sighed.

"I know but Mr Smith asked which, to me, means he is under staffed."

"How l-long is the s-shift?"

"Six hours." Claire's eyes widened at her answer.

"You g-go home. I will do it."

"What? No don't be silly if I remember rightly you have just finished a shift yourself." Claire shrugged her shoulders.

"It was only a small f-four hour one. I will easily d-do this for you." Blossom stared at the little girl who still looked a little scared but determined.

"Why?"

"B-because you work too hard and y-you are always nice to e-everyone. I think it was time f-for someone to help y-you out a little." Blossom knew the girl could do a very good job and she wouldn't let her down but she didn't want to do this to her.

"Claire I am very grateful but I said I will do it. No doubt you will be scheduled to take over from Sophie or not long after so you will end up doing a long shift too. Its fine honestly, you go home and get some rest." Blossom watched as the fight left the girl's body. Claire smiled and thanked her as she left. Blossom was known for her stubborn streak and once her mind was set there was no arguing with her especially with shift cover. She didn't want the girls she worked with to have to tire themselves out with working. Blossom knew every girl in here had a family waiting at home be it partners, children, or parents. Blossom had no one. Well she did have someone, her mother. Blossom smiled at the thought of the caring woman. The woman had brought Blossom up with so much love and affection that it was what had motivated her to work hard in life. It was only ever her mother and Blossom, she didn't know who her father was. She had never met him. Her mother said he had died before Blossom was born. She worked hard for her mother and Blossom to survive and then when her mother passed away when Blossom was only thirteen, almost five years ago, she swallowed herself with work. Blossom had grieved at the time but she never wanted to return home. She didn't want to see the place that held the most memories of her time with her mother. So she worked hard and kept herself in the inn as long as she could, doing the figures or doing shift cover to avoid the house. But after a few years Blossom started to return home and cherish all her surroundings. Her house was filled with books. That was a very vivid memory for Blossom, her mum returning every day with a new book. She would bring fairy tale books to medical ones. Blossom had always been very clever. Both her mother and she knew, that's why she read every book her hands could get a hold of. And with each new book her intelligence grew. Her mother said that someday she would rely on her intellect and leader ship skills to help others but Blossom just shrugged it off. She didn't really think her mother meant the girls in the inn but what else would she mean? As Blossom felt herself dropping off to sleep she dreamt of her mother and of tougher challenges.

As Blossom closed her front door behind her she dragged her feet to her worn out couch and collapsed face first on to it. The shift turned out to be a very busy with a few horrible customers. Blossom flipped round to lie on her back and closed her eyes. Least doing the shift had earned her a full day off tomorrow which never happened especially for her. But as she felt herself falling deeper into sleep a knock at her front door woke her. She groaned as she pulled herself up and off the couch but as she approached the door she had no idea who it would be. Even before her mother passed away they had never had any visitors. Blossom and her mother had always kept to themselves, away from everyone else. She thought it must one of the girls looking for her, maybe to cover another shift or come to work earlier than Mr Smith had said and with that she pulled her hand away from the handle praying the person would leave. But another knock came. Blossom decided that she would just send them away, politely. She opened the door to find a tall man with dark hair looking down at her. It was strange really. She felt like she knew him even seen him before but that didn't make sense as she never interacted with anyone outside work and then it clicked. He must have stayed at the inn before but as her eyes stared into his she knew even to her that theory sounded stupid.

"Can I help you?" Blossom asked. The man smiled with such affection it scared Blossom a little.

"Hello sorry. I'm old friend of your mum's. I tried to get in touch with her earlier to say I would be coming but she hasn't answered any of my calls." Blossom felt herself deflate. She was too busy feeling sorry for the man and the news she would have to give him, she didn't bother to question the supposed friendship.

"Mister…" Blossom left it hanging for the gentleman to fill in.

"Oh sorry. I am Professor Utonium." The name struck a chord in Blossom's head. She knew that name. She didn't know where from as they have never had a professor stay at the inn but she just knew it. But as her curiosity was starting to get the better of her the man cleared his throat.

"Sorry! How about you come in and have a seat." Even though Blossom had no idea who this man was she trusted he wasn't here to hurt her. It wasn't just that he was supposedly a friend of her mother's but her gut was saying she could. The man thanked her and walked through the door and straight to the couch. As he took a seat Blossom offered him refreshments which he politely declined which is why Blossom found herself sitting across from this man deciding how to tell him.

"Professor Utonium um I don't know how to tell you this but um my mother died almost five years ago. That's why she won't have been in contact recently. I'm always at work and hardly ever here so that's why I haven't answered the phone either." Blossom watched as the man's face dropped. God she felt horrible doing this to him. She didn't want to talk about it, never did but if this man needed answers she knew she would give them to him.

"I am sorry Blossom. So have you been here all by yourself the whole time?" Blossom didn't expect that question. It's not that anyone had any reason to ask but that this stranger's first question was to do with her wellbeing was out of the ordinary for her and by the sounds of things he was upset to learn the answer.

"Uh yeah I do. To be honest I am mostly at work so I'm never normally alone or anything but yeah I have been by myself since then." As Blossom told him she felt the loneliness rise. She was always surrounded by people especially with working at the inn but that didn't mean she had someone. She didn't have anybody to confide in and that's why she felt herself near to tears talking to the stranger. She hated this feeling but knew she didn't have much control over it.

"I am so sorry for your loss. If I had known I would have done something to help you out. She was a dear friend of mine. Met long before you were born but circumstances had me being kept away." The professor said with a melancholy smile.

"Sorry but she never mentioned you." Blossom cringed a little at how rude that sounded. But all the man did was smile a little more.

"I'm not surprised. Can I ask what you do?"

"Yeah I work as the head maid over at the village inn. I help out with the accounting side of things too." Blossom found herself trying to up her job in front of this man, try to make it sound better than what it was.

"If I remember rightly you are too intelligent to be a maid." The man said smiling brightly.

Blossom was a little confused at his observation of her but she found herself blushing a little and nodding.

"Blossom I am going to ask a very strange request from you and I was hoping your mother was around to help me out. I need you to leave here and come with me."

"Why?" Blossom asked confused. She had only met this man and he was asking her to leave with him. To leave all she knew behind and go someplace she had no idea where. It was a lot to ask especially from a stranger who she didn't even know if she should trust.

The man chuckled a little, "Blossom always analysing everything. I know you don't know me and I know you have no reason to trust me but I need you to come with me and if your mother was here she would say the same." Again Blossom was taken back with the man's knowledge of her which must have meant he knew her mother. She had never met this man but he knew she was clever and that she over analysed everything. It all just seemed strange.

"I will explain everything when we arrive at my place and if you don't like what you hear then I can drop you back here." The man was starting to sound a little desperate. Blossom decided that if her mother had been friends with this man then she could at least hear him out. That didn't mean that she fully trusted him or what he had going on but she owed him her time at least after the bad news she gave him. And if what he said was true and he knew her mother before Blossom was born he might be able to answer some questions of her mother's past and more importantly her father.

"Okay professor. I will come with you only if after what you have to say I can ask questions about my parents. And then I will come back here and go back to normal life." The man looked like he was about to argue but instead let out a sigh.

"Okay I can agree with that but I'm afraid Blossom we need to be leaving now."

Quick side note before you carry on. I do change the characters slightly to fit with my story. Nothing huge but a little of their personality and powers. I promise it doesn't change the girls at all but enough that I felt the need to put this little note. I had a confused review on one chapter as I changed a little on one of the enemies but I had put a note about it before I posted. Hopefully it doesn't put you off.