Chapter 7: … It Really Never Ends

Halfway through the movie montage the private phone line that links them directly to the Mayor starts blinking wildly just before the blaring ringing chimes. Blossom froze momentarily.

"There should be no threats big enough to call us…" Bubbles watches her sister's nervous tick, Blossom plays with her long red hair as Buttercup rushes upstairs to answer the phone. Fear lit up Bubbles own insides as she struggles with a way to bring her sister to her confident, leader self. Blossom had spent many of their childhood years developing so many programs. The Professor backed her up by inventing several defensive items to make monsters submit and hold them. It was the only way they could lead a normal life.

They had given Townsville back their ability to hold their own. Only an extremely serious incident would have the Mayor call them.

An extreme incident like the Rowdyruff Boys…

Bubbles pats Blossom on the back. Brick, Butch, and Boomer had all given up most of their crime sprees about the time they hit puberty and started liking girls. Normal girls weren't impressed with pretty boys who got carted off to jail every other week and beat up on other girls, so in order to conform to society and their hormones they started living like normal boys.

Mostly… Here or there they'd be caught stealing and been lectured by Blossom and given community service, but otherwise there had been no illegal activity from them in years until a few days ago.

"You don't think…" Blossom whispers to herself.

Bubbles couldn't answer her sister. The youngest puff had lived as one of them when they were kids, had dated one, and was recently somewhat flirting with another. Even though she should know what they're capable of more than anyone else she didn't know anything. Bubbles lowers her eyes away from the red head.

"I'm sorry." Blossom states as she gets herself together. "I know that it wasn't that long ago Boomer decided to beat on you even though you two were together. I should know by now they are capable of the worst possible behavior and that they will never be reformed. We should have put them in jail permanently years ago."

"What if it's a trick?"

Blossom looks down at Bubbles curiously. "What do you mean?"

Bubbles whispers because she's not sure if she wants to be heard. "What if they're just doing it for some other purpose? What if they're just pretending because they want to… because he…"

She stares hard at the blonde. "They're criminals Bubbles. They have no ulterior motive unless it will help them not get caught."

Bubbles bites her lip. She almost told Blossom what had happened, but it seems like her sister didn't want to hear. It feels like there's a stone in the pit of her stomach and that it's holding her down. She just wishes in that moment more than anything that she had shared what has been happening to her with Buttercup and Blossom.

"False alarm!" Buttercup announces as she jumps back into the room and falls heavily on the couch.

"What do you mean false alarm? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Bloss. Just the Mayor getting his head stuck in a honey pot again."

Bubbles giggles. "Just like Winnie the Pooh."

"We are not watching that movie." The two girls tell the blonde.

Blossom pushes play on the DVD player. "Well…I'm glad it was a false alarm, then."

What was I thinking sharing what happened with Bloss and Buttercup? They'd never understand any of it. They'd probably lock me up and consider me one of them afterwards. Bubbles settles down on the floor. She breathes in deeply to try to get out the sinking feeling in her belly. I can handle this all on my own. I'll tell Butch sorry and I won't ever do anything stupid like get detention or dance with a Rowdyruff Boy at the worst place in Townsville again.

The movie was blaring and the girls were settling back into their places when they heard glass breaking and the sound of their house being crashed into. The girls watch in shock as a transit bus lands ten inches away from Buttercup who was near the farthest left of the living room.

A good chunk of roof, walls, ceiling, personal items, and everything in between fall in the rubble. Blossom reacts first. "Are there any people on the bus?"

"No." Buttercup says. She blinks once before she decides to back away from the vehicle used to destroy their home. Blossom and Buttercup's gaze goes in the direction of where the bus came from. Bubbles squeezes her eyes shut.

I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know.

"Your reaction time has gotten lame girls!" Butch laughs maniacally and slaps his leg as he floats above them.

Boomer is watching with wide eyes and Brick looks perplexed. It seems like Butch's action was a shock to them as well.

"Did you really have to aim for their house?" Brick rolls his eyes at the dark haired ruff.

"Yes."

Boomer's gaze flits from one thing to another. "You almost hit Bubbles…"

"No! You dumb blonde!" Buttercup yells. "He almost hit me!"

"Whoops." Butch snickers. "Missed."

Blossom sighs at them like she's scolding a small child. "What were you guys even doing with a transit bus?"

"Playing baseball." The Rowdyruff's answer.

"Until the idiot here decided to decorate your living room." Brick adds with so much sarcasm it makes Buttercup smirk, even Blossom cracks a little smile.

"I don't wanna see what the ball looked like." Buttercup snipes.

Butch stares down at Bubbles and she starts to feel uncomfortable. Before she can start rambling he smirks wildly and beats her to it. "Thanks for the other night by the way."

"Huh?"

"Yeah after you left the Dump I got free drinks all night for 'nailing' a Powerpuff. You're awesome toots."

Bubbles sunk onto the floor, her face blazing. Why'd he have to put it that way? He was so rude and condescending and his tone will make them think… She covers her face in her hands. She sobs. Her tears dampen her hands.

Just as quickly as Bubbles starts crying she stands again and glares up at Butch. "How can you be such a jerk!?"

"I guess it's just cause I don't care about anything."

She stomps her foot at him. "You destroyed my house to tell me that?"

"No." Butch crosses his arm with a frown. "I destroyed your house because you hit me in the stomach just for flirting with you. I mean, really? After you dated this idiot it shouldn't be a big deal if I pay a little attention to you."

"You only paid attention to me because of a stupid bet!" Bubbles screeches. She doesn't know why she's having a fight with the one Rowdyruff that should have ignored her after his job was done. Butch does too many things that take her out of her comfort zone and makes her question her actions. What's worse is it's in front of their respective siblings, who are wearing an array of expressions of shock. Boomer is looking down at her like he doesn't know her…

Doesn't he know that she loves him more than life itself? That it hurts so much she wants to forget it all and remember it more tightly than anything else that's ever happened to her.

She doesn't want him to know how easy it is to forget him when she adds in another boy who doesn't care about her at all.

'Leave! I want you all to leave!" Bubbles shouts. She's angry, hurt, and when she was finally feeling just a little okay they have to ruin it like they ruin everything. "I never flirted with you and I'm sick of both of you flinging me around like I'm nothing! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Blossom touches her shoulder, but Bubbles shrugs it away as she falls to her knees again in a painful scream. She makes the sound last as long as it could until her throat is raw and she's left with her sisters to comfort her.

The blonde puff closes her eyes. She tries to think of a topic to distract Blossom from asking, but it's Buttercup that speaks up.

"Don't start any of your fake happy crap. What the hell is going on?"

"I hate Butch Jojo! And I'm still in love with Boomer… and neither one of them care about me! They just like to tear me down!" Bubbles starts to wail. Blossom holds her tightly and even Buttercup taps the blonde's knee twice to comfort her.

"There, there." Blossom soothes. "Just calm down and tell us what's happened and everything will be alright."

Bubbles hiccups. She hopes her smart older sister (by seconds) is right. Because she can no longer take this crazy up and down rollercoaster that she put herself on. She just wants it to stop. She just wants to be happy.

But somehow she knows it's just the beginning.

NOTES:
Bah! I almost made this a filler chapter, but instead I managed to put what needed to happen next in here. With a little twist from what I originally planned. Now I really got to work on Boomer and Bubbles being able to be on speaking terms. X.x

Thanks for all your reviews guys. You make me want to update more often. I'm trying not to update anymore stories but I have quite a few in the works. One of them I really really want to put up is kind of like this one, except instead of highs and lows emotionally it has loads of drama!