"The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."

― F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The penalty for a witch is death."

So many times those words were spoken. Whether it was out loud or whispered, it didn't make a difference. It was already burned onto Blossom's skin like a brand. Along with the other criticisms that came along with the threat. She learned after a while to just keep her head down and take it. She would cry when no one could see. The last thing she wanted to do was empower them with the visible proof that like any brand, it burned.

So as she stood in front of the unknown girl who seemed to know a lot more than she should, all she could do was stare. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act. She was just starting to get comfortable again. She was just starting to believe that her fear of the past was ridiculous. She was just starting to allow herself to let loose. However, the nagging feeling that had been gnawing at the bottom of her heart had proven to be true.

She would never be free.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" Buttercup screamed. By now all eyes were on them. The bus driver looked conflicted on how to approach the situation. She was a young woman with very little experience when it comes to breaking up a fight. Despite that she did start to stand from her seat.

The girl with sneering eyes only smirked at Buttercup and a sickly sweet giggle dripped from her heavily glossed lips. She also stood from her seat and came nose to nose with Buttercup.

"Don't worry babe. You'll find out soon enough." Her eyes snapped onto Blossom one last time before she shoved her way through Buttercup to the aisle. "Relax. I'm getting off. The last thing my mom needs to hear is that I got into a fight on my first day. She'll cancel my monthly salon appointments and you losers aren't worth it." She smiled one last time, but her eyes held a more wicked emotion. "'Till next time." With that she shoved past the driver, who had just relieved that she didn't have to get involved.

Everything was silent for a few heavy moments, but as the clock reached 2:50 and the bus lurched forward people started to chatter again. Blossom remained quiet. Her mind hadn't fully processed what had happened yet. A thousand questions raced through her head. Her stomach twisted painfully just thinking of possible answers.

"Bloss." Bubbles' calm voice was enough to bring her back to reality. She wasn't even sure how she came to sit. Bubbles was to her right on the edge of the seat while Buttercup was behind, leaning over the tall back. "Are you okay?" The question almost felt silly. It was obvious that she wasn't, but it felt needed anyways. Blossom forced a smile but couldn't find the words to come out.

"I'm fine."

She had said them a million times before to her parents, but for some reason she couldn't right now as she gazed into Bubbles' baby blue orbs.

"Hey." Buttercup gained her attention. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure it all out. Let's not let this ruin our day. " Buttercup smiled and squeezed her shoulder. Blossom blinked back the burning tears and nodded. She deserved a break. Later she would think about what had happened and try to make sense of it, but for now she was only going to think of the fun that laid ahead.

"I was thinking of making some cookies. My mom got some dough yesterday. I usually eat it raw, even though it's bad. " Blossom admitted sort of bashfully. Bubbles clapped her hands.

"That sounds perfect. Ooh! Let's walk to the convenience store after we get dropped off and get some boxed candy. Then it will really be like a movie date!" She exclaimed eagerly.

"It's not a date." Blossom and Buttercup said simultaneously.

"Well whatever. It's sort of like a date."

"It's not a date at all." Buttercup argued. "We're just friends hanging out for a movie night. It's like we do every once in a while, but with the guys."

"Yeah, with the guys. The guys who are very attractive and find us very attractive." Bubbles stated. Blossom could only blush. Buttercup, however, didn't seem phased.

"I don't find them attractive."

Bubbles looked a irritably but just sighed. There was no way that she was going to argue with Buttercup on the bus. She was too stubborn and she would eventually start yelling. There had already been too much commotion to begin with. Buttercup would see anyways. It was only a matter of time.

"What kind of movies are we going to watch anyways?" She looked at Blossom for the answer.

"I was thinking we start off with a horror or action movie and then watch a comedy to lighten the mood."

"I put a vote to horror." Buttercup smirked at the petite blonde. She was replied with a similar irritable look as before.

"I wish to pick the comedy if that's the case. I need to know what I'm looking forward to." Bubbles sighed. Blossom only laughed and nodded.

"Do you have big selection?"Buttercup asked.

"Pretty big. I stayed at home a lot more before the move so I would just read and watch movies most of my free time. My dad is a pretty big movie fanatic himself so we have quite the collection. All genres." She gave Bubbles a reassuring look.

"Ooh. If you don't mind, I'd like to look at your books too. If you have a good romance one I'd like to borrow it. I'm horrible at deciding though, so I hope you can give me some recommendations?" Bubbles asked. Blossom nodded.

"I have a few in mind that you might like."

"Boring!" Buttercup exclaimed finally sitting in her seat. Bubbles and Blossom laughed.

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Lilly asked. The small woman was brimming with excitement. In all of her daughter's life she had never seen her invite a boy over. Let alone three. Lilly hadn't yet discussed with her beautiful girl about what she had heard from her father. She wasn't sure how to asses the situation. She knew Blossom held complex feelings for at least one of the boys, but she wasn't sure how deep they ran. The way they chattered about them had her believe that although they hadn't known each other long, there was definitely something there. Lilly remembered what it was like to be teenager and all the confusing feelings that came with it. Blossom had already been through so much. She knew that if this were to go south, Blossom would be absolutely destroyed.

Blossom smiled kindly at her mom and placed a hand on her forearm.

"Thank you, Mom. But you've already done so much. We'll be fine. It's just snacks and a movie." Lilly raised an eyebrow, and snickered.

"Snacks and a movie is exactly what your father and I called a date." She giggled at her daughter's now cherry-red face. From behind her, Lilly heard quick footsteps. She turned to see a brimming Bubbles. Her eyes were wide and playful. Her smile was bright.

"Hah! I told you!" She claimed and pointed a finger at Blossom.

"It's not a date!" Buttercup's voice came bursting from the kitchen.

Lilly couldn't help the laughter that erupted from her throat. The girls were now all bickering about the situation. None of them noticed the knocking that came from the front door. She quickly fixed her herself and opened the door. The first face she saw made her breath stop. Dark blue eyes looked up at her with a sense of familiarity.

"Hello, Mrs Richards. It's nice to see you again." He greeted offering his hand to shake hers. She quickly unfroze and shook his hand.

"Boomer?" She asked just to clarify. His smile was breathtaking as he nodded his head. "Oh my! Blossom didn't tell me. Oh, I can't tell you how happy I am that a nice young gentleman like you is her friend." Lilly gushed. Boomer blushed slightly and then gestured to his brothers. Both had allowed Boomer to be first since he was the one that helped at the market. Her eyes met theirs. She was baffled at how grown they looked compared to the picture she had seen. Butch was the second hand she shook, then Brick's. She nearly lost balance at the sight of his eyes. "How beautiful." She whispered. Brick chuckled happily and Lilly blushed.

"Thank you, Ma'am." He replied.

"Oh!" She exclaimed suddenly. "Where did my manners go? Please come inside. The girls are somewhere near the kitchen." The boys made their way inside, thanking Lilly as the walked by.

"You have a beautiful home, Mrs Richards." Brick complimented. She smiled.

"Thank you so much. Please call me Lilly. I'm not fond of formalities. It makes the feeling of creating bonds with new people seem... cold. I pride myself on having a warm home. Opened to anyone. So just Lilly."

"Yay! You're here!" Bubbles' voice gained all of their attention right away. Blossom wasn't too far behind. She smiled warmly at her guests. Lilly sat back and observed the five teens greet each other.

"Oops. Sorry, Mom. This is Boomer, Butch and Brick. Guys this is my mom." Blossom introduced. Lilly's smile was only kind as she waved.

"I've already met, Boomer. He helped me when I had some trouble at the grocery store." Both girl snapped their gazes to a now bashful Boomer.

"It was nothing." He mumbled. However, Bubbles nearly blew from her joy.

"Nothing! That was super sweet, Boom!" She exclaimed. "Such a gentleman you are. I'm impressed." Bubbles stated, staring at Boomer with admiration. Blossom had her own fond look towards the blonde boy. Lilly suppressed the urge to laugh when Boomer's face erupted in a brilliant red. It was then she noticed that Buttercup was still missing, and very quiet. Lilly walked to the kitchen to find Buttercup staring blankly out the kitchen window placed above the sink.

"Buttercup." Lilly called out gently. The girl didn't even twitch. Lilly got closer, calling her name once more. Still no reaction. It wasn't until Lilly placed a hand on her shoulder, that Buttercup finally looked at her. "A penny for your thoughts?" Lilly softly nudged her with words. Buttercup blinked a few times before giving a small smile.

"I'm really glad you moved here."Buttercup finally said. "I glad you brought Blossom here." Lilly felt close to crying from the sweet words. Then Buttercup turned her head back to the window. "I thought I knew what it was like to be strong, but I wasn't even close to figuring out until I met her. So, Thank you." Lilly couldn't find any words to reply with, so she only nodded her head. She urged Buttercup into a hug, that she happily accepted. "Did the boys get here?" She finally asked.

"Yes. Just a few minutes ago. As soon as I see things are settled. I'll be leaving to meet up with Michael." Buttercup nodded and walked away from the hug. She sighed when she heard the sound of Butch's voice in the other room. "Is something bothering you?" Buttercup shook her head and smiled at her.

"Nope. I just hate being a girl sometimes." With that, Buttercup walked out to where the others were gathered. Lilly made a mental note on the darkened look in her eyes and decided it would be best to bring it up later on. The girls just needed to relax without her going all "therapist" on them.

"Blossom! Is there anything at all that I can do before I leave?" Lilly called out. She grabbed her car keys from the counter and paused waiting for her daughter to reply. She only heard laughter from the other room. Pretty sure that Blossom hadn't heard her, but not wanting to ruin their enjoyment, Lilly just typed quickly on her phone. She had said she was leaving and to let her know if she was needed at any time. Lilly then left the house, leaving the kids to just have some fun.

Hopefully not too much fun. Michael will have a fit. Lilly giggled to herself.

"My mom just left." Blossom spoke up, glancing at her phone. She then looked at her friends. "We can start with a movie right away or I can whip up some food. We have some snacks but nothing filling made up."

"Dude, I'm starving." Butch grumbled wrapping an arm lazily around Buttercup. She huffed and shrugged him off. She received a mischievous grin from the boy as he used both arms this time, wrapping her in a full hug. Buttercup grunted, as she tried to shove him away. Butch was too strong and only laughed at her attempts.

"Could you make some food, please?" Boomer asked, ignoring the two dark-haired teens. Blossom nodded, also ignoring the scene, and gestured towards her kitchen. Brick followed them. Bubbles remained with the other two, slightly worried that Buttercup would soon become violent. To her surprise, she saw her best friend smile only slightly. Her face was red, but Bubbles was unsure if it was from her struggling or if for another reason. Bubbles knew Buttercup was strong, and was sure that if she was truly intent on escaping Butch's grasp she surely would.

Bubbles smiled and made herself comfortable on the couch, keeping her eyes on the two. It had been a while since she seen Buttercup so relaxed. With a boy at least. Buttercup wasn't one for romance, and never sought out for it. She was beautiful and her tomboyish attitude served her well in the eyes of the opposite sex. However, she was quick to put up a wall that quickly defeated any boys that a relationship. Bubbles was pleased to see Butch was not even slightly phased. He was just as stubborn as Buttercup. As quick she was too put up her wall, he was as quick to tear it down.

"Butch! I swear if you don't let me go!" Buttercup yelled. Butch laughed and squeezed the small girl in his arms a bit tighter.

"Oh stop fighting it, Butterfly. You love being wrapped in my manly arms." He spoke with a cheeky smile on his face. Buttercup glared at him, still trying to squirm out of his hold. It had finally dawned on her, that everyone left. Her panicked gaze fell on Bubbles who only waved from her spot on the couch.

"Help me!" She shouted at her blonde friend. She could only stare on in horror as Bubbles smile twisted into something pure evil.

"Oh but why would I do that... Butterfly." Bubbles laughed. Butch joined her gleefully.

"What? Don't...You... Bubbles!" Buttercup shouted. Boomer made his way from the kitchen too see what was going on. Once he had seen for himself on what was transpiring, he quickly backed up into the kitchen once more. "No!" Buttercup called out. "Boomer!"

Blossom was the one to appear this time. She sent a sympathetic glance in Buttercup's direction.

"Butch, would you like to come taste the brownie batter Boomer made?" She asked. Butch's eyes snapped towards the redhead. His mouth instantly started to water at the mention of the sweet batter, He then looked down at the girl in his arms. She was now still, waiting for him to release her. Her face was red, and her eyes glistened so beautifully. Her breath was shallow and her lips were slightly parted from being exhausted. Butch looked back at Blossom and like a child, he cradled Buttercup closer to him like a precious toy.

Blossom and Bubbles couldn't believe the adorable way Butch's face puffed. He refused to let Buttercup go. He looked like Blossom was a mean adult trying to take away his fun. Buttercup, on the other hand, was completely horrified. Her face was now pressed against his chest. Her arms slumped to her sides. She was too tired now to fight back. To be completely honest, she was also embarrassed to look at her friends.

"Damn it, Butch. Quit acting like a brat and get in here. Leave that poor girl alone!" Brick scolded. Butch sighed heavily and finally released Buttercup. He enjoyed how she slightly swayed towards him, trying to find her balance. Buttercup finally got her footing, and glared at the blonde on the couch. She was ready to get revenge. She pounced over the couch at the now cackling girl.

Blossom smiled and thanked Brick for diffusing the situation. Brick let his irritation disappear in replace for sheer fondness for the redhead. Butch rolled his eyes and broke through them, racing to the brownie mix.

"This is already becoming a hectic date." Blossom muttered. Her eyes grew wide in horror as she slapped a hand on her mouth. She knew it was too late though when she had seen the growing grin on Brick's face. He caressed her cheek softly. He leaned in dangerously close.

"Date?" He purred. Blossom made a dash into the kitchen to continue making food. Brick chuckled and spared a glance at the "Fighting" girls on the couch. He smiled warmly at the sound of their laughter. He ten peeked into the kitchen where Boomer and Butch were making fun of Blossom's blush. Both were arguing over the bowl of brownie mix at the same time.

Never had he felt so content.

Well... Hello there! A lot has happened. I've switched jobs and moved out of my old home. I've started college... and had a baby! Life's been hectic man, but I am back. I even got a new laptop, so I should be getting back into this story. I have to get back into the rhythm of writing new chapters again. Get ready for some angsty chapters coming soon.

Thank you for all the support.