Family Matters

Chapter 2: Not For The Dinner Table

"Seriously, how long do you plan to space out?" Buttercup demanded.

Bubbles appeared not to have heard her. She continued to pick at her food, prodding and piercing it. At the moment, her mind was just more occupied on something else other than her stomach.

"Weasel wouldn't do something like that. He and Brisbaine don't think of us as family."

"I don't like it, and neither do Brick or Butch, but it's not like we can just leave."

"It like we're in a cage."

"Bubbles!"

Bubbles jumped at the voice. She looked up to see the her father eyeing her, concerned. "W-What? Professor?"

Professor Utonium smiled warmly. "Sorry, Bubbles. You just seem to have something on your mind. Why don't you tell us?"

"Um..." Bubbles fiddled with her fork. She wasn't sure if she wanted to say, especially in front of Blossom and Buttercup. Her sisters openly expressed their dislike of the Rowdyruff Boys; if they knew she spoke with Boomer, they might get mad at her.

The professor noticed Bubbles glance first at Buttercup, then at Blossom. "It's okay Bubbles. I'm sure your sisters won't judge you." He looked at the two girls sitting near Bubbles. "Right girls?"

Blossom was quiet for a moment, then said, "Okay."

Buttercup lifted a brow. "Uh, sure."

"Well..." Bubbles took a deep breath, then said, "I talked with Boomer earlier."

"What?" Right away, Buttercup was on the offensive. "You talked to that dumb id—!"

Right in the middle of her protest, there was a sharp pain on her foot. She looked underneath the table just in time to see Blossom's leg retreating. When she glared at her, the latter looked pointedly at Bubbles.

The puff had clammed shut and was staring down at her food.

Buttercup saw this and scowled. "I wasn't trying to—ugh!" She heaved a frustrated sigh. "Just... Why'd you talk to him? He's a Rowdyruff Boy."

"Go on," Professor Utonium urged gently. "What did you say to Boomer Bubbles?"

Bubbles was silent for a moment, then she said, "I didn't talk to him. He talked to me first. He wanted to know about the kids leaving with their guardians."

"What does he want to know about them?" Blossom wondered. "They're just going home."

"He asked me where they went. I told him they were going home."

Buttercup scoffed. "Wow, he really is an idiot."

Bubbles shook her head. "I don't think he's an idiot. What I told him was, 'I think they're going home'. And he asked me, 'You think?'."

"Well, sometimes they go out to have some fun," Blossom interjected.

"That's what I told him. But he asked me why they didn't just go home."

Buttercup sighed. "What kind of a question is that? Can't he guess?"

"I told him why." Bubbles's patience was wearing thin with Buttercup's remarks, but she tried not to snap. The last thing she wanted was to turn the conversation into an argument.

"So, what's the problem?"

"I asked him if Dr. Weasel could, at least, stop somewhere, maybe so they could have a bit of fun. And you know what he told me?" Bubbles looked around the table, making eye contact with each family member. "He told me Dr. Weasel wouldn't do something like that, that he and Dr. Brisbaine don't consider them as family. I think his exact words were, 'We were reborn to be weapons, not to be children'."

A silence fell over the table. This time, not even Buttercup could think of anything to say. Bubbles saw the expressions on their faces shift, changing from intent to stunned, just as she had been. She continued to speak.

"It's so sad. Boomer said they can't act like normal kids, that Dr. Brisbaine keeps him and his brothers on a tight schedule, and that they can't disobey him. I mean, remember that conference at Dexter's lab?"

Blossom looked at her in confusion. Buttercup nodded. "Brick wanted to leave to find out what's taking Dexter so long, but Dr. Brisbaine kept telling him to stay. It took the fish to get him to let it go."

"Exactly! Boomer told me that they want to be freer. And, why can't they!? They should be allowed to! They're the same age as we are!"

"Bubbles, calm down," Professor Utonium told her. "You don't need to shout at us. We understand."

Bubbles blinked, a bit dumbfounded. "I-I'm sorry professor," she stammered.

Professor Utonium sighed. "It's okay Bubbles. It's understandable that you would feel that way. You're a kind person." Then his expression became sympathetic. "It is sad though. The Rowdyruff Boys got a second chance at life, and yet, their second chance is—"

"Complete—"

Blossom quickly shot her a warning look.

"—garbage."

Luckily, the professor didn't notice the silent message, and was oblivious to what Buttercup was originally going to say.

"But Bubbles," Blossom said, "there's nothing we can do about the situation. I mean, we can't just go to Dr. Brisbaine and ask him to be looser with the Rowdyruff Boys."

"Why not?" Bubbles demanded.

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "We're kids, remember? Do you really think he'll follow us all because we have powers? Like Blossom said, there's nothing we can do."

"That's no fair! There has to be something we can do!"

Blossom looked at her apologetically. "Sorry Bubbles, but unless we can get rid of Dr. Brisbaine's control over them, we can't do anything." And that was it.

Bubbles lowered her head, as deflated as a popped balloon. She was dismayed to find out she couldn't do anything. It was just unfair. Every other kid in Megaville Elementary were given the chance to have freedom and enjoy the opportunities life gives them. The Rowdyruff Boys were no exception.

However, if anybody had been paying any attention, they would've noticed the excited expression on Professor Utonium's face.

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Now the boys' secret's out! Bubbles, you really should've tried to avoid the subject. Now, the entire family knows about the Rowdyruff Boys' predicament. I wonder what Professor Utonium is going to do about it? It definitely seems like he's got a plan in mind. But what?

(^w^) Heehee!

- BlackAndWhitePersona