I don't own fusionfall.

Chapter 36: Homework

Three days later, Holden enters the living room of his home wearing an old faded orange shirt and a pair of white shorts. The Professor had asked to talk to him here for some reason. It had been almost three months since he had been back in the house for any length of time. Buttercup is sitting in a chair near the window looking agitated. She is wearing her normal green leather jacket, but is in jeans and has a white long sleeved shirt on. Holden looks at the table to find piles of paper, pencils and other things on it.

He sits down on the couch and says, "Did the Professor call you also, Buttercup?"

Buttercup frowns, leans back in her chair looking bored and replies, "Yeah, he did. It was right in the middle of my rehearsal too! What were you doing?"

Holden looks over at Buttercup and replies, "I was going to go for a run around Sector V and Pokey Oaks, but I didn't even get out the door when I got my call."

At that moment, Bubbles walks into the house and sits down next to Holden. She is in a navy blue sundress that stops just below her knees and sandals. Bubbles sighs, because she had been out with someone special.

She sees the look that her sister and adopted brother give her and she then replies, "What? I was having fun with the nanos! Why did the Professor have to ruin our fun?"

Holden leans back in his seat and whispers, "You were on a date with Boomer again."

Bubbles turns light red and replies, "I was, but how did you know?"

Holden replies with a small smile, "The sigh is what gave it away. I won't say anything until you're ready to tell them."

Bubbles smiles, hugs Holden and replies, "Thanks Holdie! You're the best brother ever."

The front door opens and then slams and Blossom walks in wearing a purple T-shirt and slender jeans. She has a small bag with her.

Buttercup looks over at her and replies with some interest, "What's in the bag, Blossom?"

Blossom sits down next to Holden on his other side and states, "I was at the book store looking for a new book to read later when the Professor called me and asked me to come home. I picked up a romance novel that looked interesting."

Buttercup stands up with a frown on her face and then comments, "Why do you think he asked us all to come home?"

Bubbles smiles and replies excitedly, "Maybe he has a surprise for us, because we missed our birthdays when the war started."

Blossom shakes her head and replies, "That's wishful thinking Bubbles. Maybe he wants to show us a new invention."

Holden frowns and replies calmly, "There's no point in guessing. He'll tell us when he gets here."

Holden stands up and goes into the kitchen and Buttercup shouts to him, "GET ME A SODA OR SOMETHING TO DRINK WHILE YOU'RE IN THERE."

Holden returns to the room from the kitchen with drinks for all of them.

A short time later, the front door opens again and the Professor enters the room with two large boxes. He puts one down next to the table and all four teens peak into it. There are text books for all sorts of subject.

Bubbles looks up at the Professor and replies, "What is it that you wanted to talk to us about, Professor?"

The Professor chuckles and replies, "I've decided that you all need to catch up on your education, since you all are woefully behind. Holden and Buttercup, you are even more behind than your sisters are, so you have some catching up to do."

The four teens then say in unison, "But Professor…"

The Professor speaks over them saying, "No buts! I want you all to study so you can be at the same educational standards as your peers. Ben and many others are in the process of catching up on their work as well."

Holden knowing it is pointless to argue with his godfather takes out a workbook that the Professor had made for them and starts to work. The girls knowing defeat when they saw it, follow his lead and they too start doing school work.

The Professor comes up from his lab around midnight and enters the living room. All four of his children were on the couch, Blossom and Holden in the center and Buttercup and Bubbles on the ends. As he gets closer, he chuckles. All of them were asleep after their tiring day of doing make up work. Buttercup's head was on Blossom's arm. Blossom's head was on Holden's shoulder while his head was resting on top of Blossom's was curled up next to Holden, using his other shoulder as a pillow. She held Mr. Octi tightly in her arms. The Professor smile broadens, not having seen this happen since his girls and godson were eight years old when they stayed up late to watch movies together as a family.

Hope you liked the chapter even if was just for life outside the war. I know it was short but it was just part of a set up for the next chapter also.

Tell what you think of chapter.