I do not own the Power Puff Girls or the Rowdy Ruff Boys.

Family Outing

"Blossom, leave him alone. He's fine." Brick commented as he saw Blossom reach for their son for the tenth time in fifteen minutes. He'd just learned to crawl at seven months and he was determined to explore. Brick was fine with him exploring, as long as he was within eyesight. Blossom was more comfortable with him in arm's reach.

At the moment, the small family was at the park, enjoying the first of many sunny days to appear after the passing of winter. Blossom was trying to keep their son on the blanket in the shade, but the young baby wanted nothing more than to venture off its edge into the grassy unknown. When his mother pulled him from the edge for the eleventh time, he let out a frustrated cry and his body began to heat from his inner fire.

"Brick, he's starting to burn up again." Blossom said as she used her ice powers to try and cool him down.

"Well, you've made him mad. He only gets that way when he's mad." Brick said, taking him from her. Brick set him on the blanket and the boy was immediately off to the edge of the blanket. He held onto Blossom to prevent her from going after the little boy, who was curious about the prickly green stuff under the blanket.

Reaching out he gripped the grass in his chubby hand, marveling at the prickly texture. He laughed as he reached for more and began pulling at it in fistfuls. His laughter grew the more he played. His parents watched him as he entertained himself with his new discovery.

"See, he's fine." Brick reassured her. "A little grass won't hurt him."

Despite Brick's words, Blossom couldn't stop the worry that welled within her. Every time their son breathed, moved, laughed, slept, woke up, she thanked God that he was still there. Granted, he lived much longer than Bunny did, she wasn't sure if that could change. She worried at any moment that she might lose him.

Brick looked away from their son to see the worry etched deeply into Blossom's face. "Hey. He's all right."

"I know he is, but—."

"Blossom." Brick waited until he had her attention, placing his finger under her chin to hold her gaze with his own. "He's all right. He's a Rowdy Ruff Boy. Made of stronger stuff."

The nervous mother worried her bottom lip, before turning back to their son. Their son who was no longer on the blanket and crawling away faster than a baby should've been able. The grass no longer held his attention as he chased after a green frog that had hopped in front of him. His giggles were the only thing that gave his parents any direction of where he was going.

"Hey Fireball, where you going?" Brick called after him following him at a leisurely pace. Blossom wanted to rush to grab her baby, but Brick held tightly to her hand as they walked after him.

"Brick!"

"We're right here if he needs us." Brick said. "We've got to let him toughen up somehow."

"He's a baby."

"He's a boy. Let him get a little dirty." Brick joked, just in time to see his son fall face first into a muddy puddle.

The frog the miniature Rowdy Ruff Boy had been chasing turned and then hopped onto the baby's red head. When he sat up the frog jumped down and disappeared into the relative safety of the green blades of grass. Not in the least but happy about losing the one-sided game he was playing, big fat tears formed in his eyes and his bottom lip trembled. When he began to cry, Blossom shot Brick an irritated glare as she released his hand.

Bending down, she scooped up her baby as he cried into her chest. Blossom used her fingers to wipe the mud from his cheeks. As he cried, his skin heated up and Blossom used her ice powers to cool and calm him down. "This is just great, Brick. He's muddy and upset now."

Brick winced as his son's cries grew louder with his indignation. "He'll be—." Brick stopped when he really looked at his son and the mud and tears mixed as it ran down his face.

A flashback of being in some Godforsaken pocket of hell with his brothers ran through his mind, along with the purging of H.I.M's essence for almost a week. Seeing his son covered in mud sent a chill down his spine.

"Don't say fine." She snapped at him as she walked passed him toward the blanket where a diaper bag with wet wipes waited. Easing down she held her son with one hand while she searched with the other. Brick helped her find the wipes and took their son into his arms as Blossom proceeded to clean his face. "We'll have to give him a thorough bath when we get home."

When his face was clear, she smiled and leaned over to kiss her baby. His crying had stemmed, and he reached for his mother's hair. She smoothed his spiky red hair from his face and kissed him again. She then looked down at his outfit and sighed.

"Throw that in the wash once we get home." She looked up at Brick's solemn face. "Brick? What is it?"

The young father flicked some mud from behind his son's ear. "Nothing."

"Brick."

When he exhaled a thin cloud of smoke, Blossom groaned and waved a hand around to dispel the cloud. "No smoking up around the baby."

"Sorry. It's just…seeing him covered in mud, just brought some…things I'd rather forget." Brick said as he held his son tighter. The boy had started blowing bubbles to entertain himself as he was rocked on his father's lap.

Blossom knew probably had something to do with H.I.M; it was only whenever Brick thought about his "parents" that he got so quiet. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Brick shook his head as he lifted his son to his face and blew a raspberry into his cheeks. When the boy in his arms giggled and kicked his dirty little legs, Brick smiled up at him. "Nah, I just want to enjoy the day with this little mudball and his mommy." He then set his son down into his lap and pulled the cap off his head. He set it onto his son's head and laughed as the little boy reached to pull it off. "Come on, fireball. You have to wear a cap like daddy."

"Maybe he doesn't like hats." Blossom mused teasingly.

Brick gave her a mock frown, before placing his hat on his head again. "No, you just haven't found the way you like to wear it yet. Haven't you?"

The little boy didn't understand anything his parents were saying. All he knew was that he liked the new game that his daddy was playing with him while his mommy laughed beside them. His innocent giggles filled the air as he finally got to play.