I yawned as I closed my laptop. Already it was one a.m., and Buttercup wasn't back yet. It didn't matter to me if she was out until four a.m., because I needed to know how that card game had gone. I had managed to catch up on my homework, but now there wasn't anything else to do. It's funny how I can't remember what I used to do when I had free time. Well I haven't completely forgotten. Usually I'd be playing a game or watching a show with my sisters. That was a long time ago. That was back when Bubbles…

Speaking of Bubbles, she was also sitting in the living room. A rare occurrence. She spent nearly all of her time in her room or out…wherever it is she goes. She was sitting on the big leather chair, buried in a book. We'd been in the room for nearly three hours, and, had I been blind, I would have never known she was present.

I had so many questions to ask her. Imagine my shock when the Professor told me that she and Boomer had been friends back when we were kids! I never had even the slightest inkling. How did she manage to hide something like that so well?

I was trying so hard to hold back from sending a barrage of questions onto her. I realized too late that drilling her for information was not the way. In fact, it's not ever the way. Still though, I didn't get this far in my life without trying.

"Bubbles, I've been wondering about your relationship with Boomer. How long ago did you two become friends?"

The only noise in the room came from the old clock on the wall. Sixty soft clicks went by. Another sixty. Another. I just laid my head back and looked at the ceiling. I remember how Bubbles used to play word tricks with me. That was back in middle school. She had an amazing talent for finding loopholes in a statement. Where she picked it up, I have no idea.

I remember one time when she had come to school wearing a pirate bandana.

"What is that?!" I had asked as soon I saw her.

"It's my backpack." She replied.

"I mean what is that on your head?"

"My hair."

"No! What is that bandana on your head?"

"Yes, that's what it is."

"No you…why are you wearing it!?"

"I have to carry it on my back, it has my books in it."

"The bandana!" I yelled. "Why are you wearing a bandana with a skull on it in school?"

"Because I wrapped it around my head and tied the back."

Oh how those conversations would drive me crazy. It never mattered how carefully I asked, she would always dance around my words. I was so frustrated with her that I never stopped to think about how clever she was being.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door. Buttercup was back!

"Hey, how was it?" I asked as I flew towards the door.

"Hold on a sec, I'm thirsty." She replied, walking into the kitchen. I patiently wanted as she filled up a glass with water and take a few sips.

"How was the card game?" I asked, unable to hold in my enthusiasm.

"Well, I certainly had a good time." She said with a smirk.

"Aaaaand…what does that mean?"

"As soon as that idiot had me where he wanted me, I left."

"You just left?"

"He tried to stop me, until I gave him a piece of my mind!"

My face fell. Somehow I knew that was going to happen. "Buttercup, you promised you'd try and talk with him a little."

"Oh I talked with him plenty!" Buttercup said loudly as she opened the cupboard. She took out a box of crackers. "You should have seen the pathetic setup. Inviting those old morons, trying to…get me angry so I'd…pick a fight. Then he thinks I'm gonna just...play his stupid games like he wants me to do…" She said as she stuffed crackers into her mouth.

"What exactly did you say to him?

"What do you think I…said to him?" Buttercup replied between mouthfuls. "I told em how pathetic he is for…coming back here and…trying to…get involved in my life. Thinking that…all I care about it havin' fights…he doesn't even care how much trouble and pain…he caused us."

Buttercup filled her glass up with water and quickly drank it all down. She likes to eat when she's stressed out. She let out an angry breath. "Look, I'm not like you Blossom. I can't pretend those three didn't do countless horrible things to us and this city. I'm not gonna start any fights with them, but I'm not gonna let them-"

"Buttercup, listen." I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not pretending they weren't criminals all those years ago. You know that."

Buttercup closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. "I know…I'm sorry. It's just…" She walked over to the living room. "Too much is happening. They show up out of nowhere, Butch is trying to pick fights with me, Brick is trying to get information out of me, and Boomer," She sank into the sofa chair across from Bubbles, "was friends with Bubbles, but SHE WON'T-"

"Not so loud!" I interrupted. "The Professor's sleeping."

"I just don't get how everyone can be so nonchalant about this." She finished, crossing her arms. "Oh, and I'd like to visit the 'Mojo and Him are still unaccounted for' issue again, if you don't mind."

"Did you ask him about them?"

"Yeah, but once again the answer is 'I don't know.' Fat chance they don't know."

"It is possible they don't."

"Oh come on!" Buttercup gave me an angry look.

"I'm serious, it's a possibility. I mean, if the boys did decide to stop being criminals, then of course they would part ways with Him and Mojo."

"Well I'm not at all convinced that Butch wants to be an upstanding citizen."

"What if…it's more because Brick wants to be? Maybe he realized they were heading for a dead end, and he's making them change things around."

Buttercup gave me a suspicious look. "You sure that's not just wishful thinking on your part, Blossom?"

I wanted to respond, but...my mind had locked up.

Buttercup yawned and got out of her chair. "I'm not a psych major like you Blossom, but from where I'm standing, you're letting your feelings get in the way of your judgment. We scientists have to approach things with an unbiased opinion if we want to get any real results. I think that you want them to be good so badly that you completely believe they've changed. You won't consider that they might be tricking us. I know you say it's only a possibility that they've turned a new leaf, but…do you really think it's only a possibility?"

I stood there as Buttercup went upstairs. Just the sound of the clock's ticks once again. I fell into the now empty sofa chair. I was too tired to count. Bubbles hadn't moved an inch. I started to talk out loud. My mind felt too cluttered.

"She's right…I have convinced myself that they're not bad anymore. I really don't want it to be true. I don't want all of this to be a trick."

I listened to the soft ticking some more.

"Why did they leave? I…I didn't want Brick to leave. I wanted to help him." I let out a sigh. "Why couldn't things have gone differently?"

"If it were that simple, none would suffer in this world."

I looked over at Bubbles. I can't remember the last time she'd answered one of my questions. Actually, seriously, answered. "Bubbles…could we talk for a little bit. Please…sis?"

She put her book down and looked at me. She was really looking at me. For years there was fogginess in her eyes whenever our visions met. Like I was trying to look across a foggy field, but all I could see was the faint outline of the trees on the other end. Her blue eyes were now clear. Almost the way they looked when we were younger.

"Buttercup's right…and I'm really worried. It goes deeper, though. I've met and worked with so many people…but…I've got a strong attraction to Brick. I want to get closer to him…I've wanted to get closer to him for a long time."

Bubbles just looked at me.

I tried my best to explain it. "I know it's strange that I feel this way about him, and that I even felt this way somewhat when we were younger. I think it's because-"

"Because he inspired you in so many ways."

I was a bit taken back by Bubbles so bluntly reading my mind, but I was too tired to be truly surprised. "That's right, I saw something in him. I think it was the first time I realized I wasn't dealing with a villain…I was dealing with a person. I've based my whole life around that idea now, and he was the spark. The thing is…I don't know if I'm attracted to him, or the idea of him."

Bubbles stood up. "No matter how hard you try, you can't fake having genuine feelings for a person. Go tell him, see how he responds. If he feels the same way…you'll be able to tell. You'll feel it."

Bubbles silently went upstairs. I stayed on the chair and closed my eyes. The ticking became softer and softer as I drifted away.

"Please, just be the room, that's all I ask. You don't have to talk to him, or look at him, or anything." I begged.

Buttercup was taking deep breaths through her nose. "…fine, I'll be in the room. But I don't see how me being here is so important."

"Trust me, it's part-"

"Part of the process! Always part of the process. You know someday you're gonna have to work with somebody who won't accept that excuse all the time."

"I know, and that person won't be as great as you are."

Buttercup rolled her eyes at my compliment. She went back to working on her math homework. It was lunch time and we were alone in the science lab. I needed to see how her night with Butch had affected him. While I may not have been sure about the other two, it was pretty obvious that Butch needed some help. What kind of heroine would I be if I didn't help those who needed help the most? And if they were trying to start over, Brick would definitely appreciate the help…

Before I could start thinking about that slice of drama, Butch strutted into the lab.

"Blossom…and Buttercup! Two beautiful girls all to myself. Best lunch period ever."

I looked down at Buttercup and smirked as she gnawed on her bottom lip. I was really proud of her for keeping her temper in check this past month. She's never had to put up with someone like Butch since…well since Butch himself.

"Good to see you too, Butch. I wanted to see how you were doing lately."

"Really, you're worried about me? Even though I tried to beat you to death with a tree?" He patted me on the shoulder. "Aww, you're too good for this sinful earth."

He looked over to Buttercup and put on a sly smile. "Buttercup, I'm glad you're here," he walked over and put his hands on her table, "you didn't give me a chance to respond last night."

Buttercup glared up, which made Butch's smile widen. "Listen, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me."

Buttercup let out an angry sound, sort of like a combination of a growl and a raspberry. Butch put his hands up. "Ok, ok! You were right. Kinda. Yes, I did think we had something of a rivalry back in the day, and I was looking forward to picking up where we left off. But I just want you to know, it's not that I have nothing else in life. The fact is, there's a lot of stuff that gives me a rush. It's just that you used to give me a really, really big one. Honestly, I've never been able to replicate it."

"Oh for God sakes." Buttercup muttered as she rested her head on her hand.

Butch crossed his arms and kept smiling down at her. "If you don't feel that way, it's fine. I shouldn't be makin' assumptions like that. I just don't want you to think I've been doing nothing but obsessing over you for the last seven years. It's not like I'm an anime character. I'm much more of an irresistible, European type of character."

I chuckled a bit. That's one way of putting it.

"Anyway, I hope we can put all that playground craziness behind us." Butch said as he made his way out the door. "Oh and Blossom," He stuck his head back through the door, "I wasn't really gonna beat you death. I was just gonna beat you enough so that you'd walk funny." And with that, Mr. European was gone.

I shook my head and laughed. "Well that was-"

"A complete load of bull." Buttercup said flatly, without hesitating.

I looked down at her. "Oh, you think so?"

Buttercup closed her eyes and held her head up. "You should have seen the look on his face when I yelled at him last night. He was completely baffled when I said that I could have cared less about our fights, and that all I want is for him to disappear for good."

"So you think he really has been obsessing over you all this time?"

"Of course he has." Buttercup spat out as she put her paper away in her bag. "Everything I said last night was completely true, and that little speech is just part of another game he's trying to play with me."

I thought back to what Buttercup had said last night. Not to Butch, but to me. About not letting your feelings cloud your judgment. I could have pointed it out, but I figured Buttercup had had enough stressful conversations for the moment.

Brick wasn't in English class. Not that I was going to confess my feelings in the middle of a classroom, but I was hoping to have a nice chat. Maybe ask him to meet me at my favorite café after school. Oh, but then again, I do need to check up with a few of my colleagues. Bubbles was right. I wonder where she heard that little piece of wisdom.

Something was waiting for me at my locker after class. Sitting there on top of my pile of books was a letter!

A/N: I'm sorry, where you expecting Brick?

Glad everyone is enjoying the fic so far. I was curious to see what kind of reactions this story would get.

I got the idea for this after reading sbj's fic, "More Than Human." While it's very well written, I really hate how predicable it is, and how the Puff's and Ruff's are characterized. Especially Blossom and Brick, who got the Mary/Marty Sue treatment.

It's not just that story though. I see the same plots repeated over and over again in many fics. Rarely does anyone shake up the norm and try to go in different directions. Figured it would be fun to screw around with everyone's expectations.