The Girls Are All Grown Up

Ch. 23

*****

A dark haired girl sneaked in through the window to discover an unwanted visitor in her current resting place. But she recognized the red hair even in the dark room- where she could just make out her sister's outline.

''Thought you were staying safe with the Ruffs?" Buttercup asked, taking off her jacket that was soaked from the rain, and tossing it on her backpack.

''Who said I stayed working for them after the warnings?" was the soft spoken response.

''I didn't, I just know you wouldn't leave this city if someone was holding you at knife point. Wanted to check if you were still keeping an eye on them...''

Blossom shook her head,''To think they'd be the ones denying our deaths for years on end.''

''Yeah,'' the dark haired sister gave a small chuckle,''Butch sure stayed stubborn...''

''And Brick is still persistent.''

Green eyes narrowed at pink ones,''He found you. And you let him?"

Pink eyes narrowed, stepping closer,''We both know what's going to happen from here, Buttercup.''

The other snorted,''Yeah, he's convinced you to bring us together again!''

''I know you as well as you know me, sis,'' Blossom snapped,''We both know Bubbles ran, we both know that someone is hunting us- and getting closer. We know what the warnings really mean.''

Buttercup fell silent, unable to look at her sister.

''I know Buttercup,'' her sister whispered, the only sound in the room besides their breathing.

''That someone wants all three of us in the city? That someone is willing to kill us unless Bubbles comes back?" Buttercup demanded,''Or that it's getting impossible to run-''

''One of us runs, one of us hides, and the other doesn't care- because she blames herself,'' Blossom said, crouching down to lift up the blanket from the mattress, to reveal a note,''And someone was here before us.''

Buttercup immediately switched to X-ray vision,''No one else is here now.''

''They wouldn't still be here,'' Blossom looked up at her,''Care to tell me which one you are? Or do I have to say it?"

Buttercup fixed her with a hard stare,''You hide, Bubbles runs, and I chase death.''

''I'm helping Brick find you and Bubbles, but I won't make my sisters do something against their will again. They don't know I'm gone, they don't know much except that it's near impossible to find each other and that we really wouldn't know if the other is even still alive,'' Blossom spoke again in a soft voice.

Buttercup felt her nose twitch when she felt tears coming on, she wouldn't let her sisters see her cry. She was the strong one after all. She could finally see what the years had done to her smart and determined sister. And she knew Blossom didn't blame her for anything, she blamed herself. And she always would.

''How about I blame myself for not protecting my sisters, and you only blame yourself for not knowing what to do- no one was at fault for that night,'' Buttercup said, her voice cracking slightly as she reached out a hand for a handshake to finish the deal.

Blossom gave a small smile, but it was enough. ''We're at fault for the choices we made after, agreed?"

After shaking hands, Buttercup couldn't hold back from hugging her sister. Silent tears leaking down her face, she gasped at an attempt to stop crying. Her older sister by mere seconds, the one she looked to when she needed to know what to do or an answer. Her sister that she'd left behind to hide inside herself.

''We stay apart,'' Buttercup said firmly when she pulled away,''But we contact the other if needed. Unlike last time.''

Blossom nodded silently, she'd do whatever her sisters wanted this time around. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

''By the way, how did you find me?" Buttercup frowned,''This is my fourth place.''

Blossom raised an eyebrow at her,''I didn't. I've been up most of the night, checking the most likely places you would be. I happened to stop by here, it was where I first stayed after the deal.''

Buttercup looked like she'd been slapped in the face,''Oh. I didn't realize you never left the city once...I thought at some point at least...''

Blossom looked away first,''You know that I told lies to make sure the PPG were dead, but that doesn't mean I ever truly convinced myself with them.''

The darker haired sister laughed,''That's actually good to hear, but what will you do about Brick and the boys?"

She sighed,''I'm more worried about what to do with Bubbles, we both know what's going through her head right now.''

Buttercup nodded,''Here's a tip: put Boomer on a fishing hook and go fishing in another country- see what you catch.''

Both sisters burst out laughing.

''That's what I'll do with Butch when I need to get a hold of you, deal?" Blossom said between laughs.

Buttercup blushed,''Like that'd work on me.''

*****

And.... I'm crying again.

Dang it.