Previously on First Dance:
Blossom: We all know that each other has been dating a Rowdyruff boy, but none of that matters anymore, because Mojo Jojo is going to kill them, and we're their only hope.
Boomer: Using technology similar to that of Professor Utonium's healing pin, Mojo Jojo will suck the life out of us little by little over the next four days until we are completely dead.
Brick: I don't care if I die. If it's to save the Powerpuff Girls, then I'd do anything.
This was "Previously on First Dance."
…
Professor Utonium had listened calmly through the entire explanation with his eyes trained intensely on Brick, who had been doing most of the explaining. The girls were standing with their fingers crossed behind their backs for good luck as they listened to the explanation and waited for the Professor's reaction.
"There may be a way to save you…" the Professor said. "But I do have a question."
Brick nodded. "Anything."
"Why would you come to the girls for help? Your enemies?" His voice was getting louder.
"If I may, sir," Brick said, "I love your daughter, Blossom. And I'm pretty sure that Boomer loves Bubbles and Brick loves Buttercup. We're sorry for keeping it from you, but we weren't sure how you might react."
The Professor's face was smiling and wide-eyed, sort of like a crazy person, and the Rowdyruff boys could almost hear the muscles and bones in his neck squeaking as he turned to look at the girls.
"Girls…" he said, his mouth barely moving, his eyes unblinking. "Care to explain?"
"Professor, I know you're shocked and probably a little bit angry," Blossom said, rushing into the room and placing her hands on his shoulder, "but can we do the interrogation later, please? They don't have much time and…we love them back, and we'd be crushed if they died. I don't think I'd be able to stand it if they died. Could you…do you think you'd be able to save them?"
The Professor stared at her a few seconds more before the look dropped from his face and he shook his head at himself. "Yes, I believe there is a way to save them. But it's going to take time. Several weeks…"
"Weeks?" The girls exclaimed.
"Professor, they don't have weeks!" Bubbles cried.
"They don't have one week!" Buttercup added.
"Isn't there another way?" Blossom plead.
"Well, I suppose I could ramp it up…" he replied. "But it will consume the majority of my time, and I'll have to put aside everything else…"
"You know we wouldn't ask you unless it was of the utmost importance," Blossom replied, kneeling in front of him with her hands folded in front of her chin. "Please?"
The Professor sighed. "I'll get on it right now. I'll need you boys to come with me for a few minutes, though."
They widened their eyes in alarm, but the Professor chuckled. "Not for an interrogation. I'll need to run a few tests before I can start the production." Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Well, maybe a little interrogation."
They nodded and followed the Professor towards his lab, leaving the girls in the living room.
"We'll set up the guest bedroom for you," Blossom called after them. Then she turned to her sisters. "I think we've all got some explaining to do."
"I'm sorry I kept this from you," Blossom said, hanging her head. "And…I already knew you and Brick were together."
Blossom's eyes widened. "You knew? For how long?"
"Since this morning," Bubbles replied. "I overheard you guys talking in the hallway after your geometry class."
"What were you doing in that hallway?" Blossom asked suspiciously.
Bubbles put up her hands in defence. "I was heading to class! We had art outside today."
"I was already really suspicious of you," Buttercup cut in. "You've been acting really strange lately, and when you mentioned Brick and fake History projects with someone who's not even in your History class, I knew something was up."
Blossom sighed. "I never was a very good liar."
Bubbles smiled softly. "No, you weren't. But we had no right to lie to each other, especially after we made that pact."
"Hey, if it makes me look any better, Butch initiated everything," Buttercup said.
"Boomer started it up with me as well," Bubbles said, nodding.
Blossom smiled. "Brick, too."
The girls shook their heads, thinking about their own respective boyfriend. Then they picked up a backpack and headed up for the guest bedroom, just beside the Professor's room. They set up the triple bunk and then returned to the kitchen to begin preparing supper for the Professor and the Rowdyruff boys.
…
The Professor stayed behind in the lab after he was done taking blood samples and interviewing them each, and the boys followed their noses to the kitchen, where the girls were setting the table.
Blossom looked up from where she was folding a placemat and smiled at them. "You hungry?"
They sat down in reply, and Blossom laughed. "Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes."
Bubbles brought in two fixed plates, Buttercup two more, and Blossom returned to the kitchen to come back with two more. The boys ate as if they had never eaten before, and were through seconds and thirds in minutes.
They finally sighed and leaned back in their chairs, ready for bed. A glance at the clock revealed that it was almost ten o'clock, so the girls decided to give the boys a quick tour of the house before bed.
"And here's your bedroom," Blossom said, stopping to open the door for them. "You can fight it out over who gets which bunk, if it matters, and we're in that room just down the hall if you need anything. The Professor's bedroom is right next to yours but, from the looks of it, he's not going to be out of the lab all too often, so you're safe from him."
Brick nodded. "Thanks for everything you're doing. We really appreciate it. Do you…want to go for a walk or something?"
Blossom smiled and took his hand in hers. "Sure. I'd like that."
"Want to go play video games and wait up for them?" Buttercup asked, turning to Butch.
He smirked. "Sure. Winner of the game gets a kiss."
"You're on," Buttercup replied, and the two raced down the stairs.
When the others had gone, Bubbles turned to Boomer. "Want to see our bedroom?"
Boomer smiled. "Sure. Lead the way."
Bubbles took his hand and lead him down the hall and into her and her sisters' bedroom.
"Nice," He said, looking around. "Is that your bed?"
Bubbles nodded. "What gave it away?" she asked sarcastically, eyeing the paintings she kept hanging around her bed and the coffee mug filled with pencils and paintbrushes. Beside Blossom's bed was a pile of books and beside Buttercup's bed was only a slightly-cracked alarm clock.
Boomer shrugged and headed over to her bed. He took a seat and pulled her favourite pillow into his lap as he looked around.
"Did you paint these?" He asked, reaching out to run his fingers along the frame of a portrait of a little girl seated in front of a tree, her legs pulled up to her chest, her eyes wide.
Bubbles nodded and sat down on Blossom's bed, facing him.
"Is that Buttercup?"
Bubbles nodded again with a smile and a soft chuckle. "Yeah. We were only eight. She hated sitting still."
"I can see how she would hate that," Boomer nodded. "These are really good. You could paint like this at eight years old?"
Bubbles shrugged. "We were all really talented. Blossom was in college level classes by then, and Buttercup had mastered ever form of martial arts. I didn't get anything very useful, but it sure is fun."
"That's how I was," Boomer replied. "Brick is a great leader and Butch is so strong. I was always kind of the stupid one with no place in the stealing and thievery. I just wasn't cut out for the Rowdyruff boys. But they include me because I'm their brother."
"You're not stupid, Boomer," Bubbles said, crossing to sit beside him on the bed. "And you're very talented. Better than me, even. I'm more of a writer, anyway. But you…you're an artist. You can do things your brothers can't do."
He shrugged. "So I can hold a paintbrush. That's not going to do much of anything."
She shook her head. "That's not true. I mean…you're drawing of me got me from the start. And you sure know how to catch a girl's attention."
He grinned and ran his hand through his hair. "Sure."
"And you're…you don't do that stealing and thievery anymore, do you?"
He shook his head. "Haven't for years. I can't say the same for the others, but that's their choice."
"I guess." Bubbles shrugged.
Boomer looked at her sideways. "Does that bother you?"
She shrugged again. "Well, yeah. I don't want my sisters pulled into anything like that."
"They won't hurt them, Bubbles," Boomer said. His eyes were sincere when she looked at him. "And neither will I."
Bubbles smiled. "I know they won't. I don't even know why I'm worried. They love each other."
Boomer smiled back. "And you know what? I love you."
Bubbles, still smiling, tilted her head to the side and crinkled her nose. "I know."
Boomer kissed her lightly.
"Now. You say you're more of a writer. Care to prove it?"
…
"I don't want to go anywhere the Jojo could find us," Brick said as they crossed the Utoniums' lawn and they headed in the opposite direction of town.
"Does that mean you're not coming back to school?" Blossom frowned.
Brick shook his head. "No. Way too risky. I'd much rather skip out until the Professor can fix us and we're safe from that creep."
"Do you really hate him?" Blossom asked. "I mean, he did create you."
"Doesn't mean I have to like him," Brick replied. "Face it – Mojo Jojo is completely evil. You know that. All he wants is for the rest of the world to be evil like him. Especially us. And I'm not so sure I want to be evil."
"I see…" Blossom replied, nodding. "Well, if you're going to be skipping out on school, then I want to stay home with you."
Brick shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I won't have you jeopardising your education for me. You should go to school."
Blossom sighed. "But you won't be there."
Brick smiled and stopped walking. They were closing in on a small forest. "But I'll be waiting for you at home. It'll all be okay." He kissed her forehead. "I promise."
"I think…" Blossom said, blushing. "I think I need more reassurance."
"Oh, do you?" Brick replied with a smirk. "Here, let me give it to you." He leaned down and kissed her deeply on the mouth, and Blossom was thoroughly reassured.
…
"I'm so totally going to kick your butt!" Buttercup exclaimed as she pressed all sorts of crazy combinations on her game controller.
Butch's eyes were wide. "I've been playing this game for three years and I've never seen anyone do that. Where did you learn those tricks?"
"You haven't seen nothing yet," Buttercup replied and, for some reason, Butch thought he caught a sly tone to her voice and his eyes darkened excitedly.
"Oh, I haven't?" he replied.
"Not at all," Buttercup replied, completely unaware that he was inching ever so slowly closer to her. "I'm going to beat you so bad your ego will hurt for weeks!"
Butch grinned and, without any warning, he claimed her lips with his, his eyes still on the screen and his hands still fumbling with the controller, while she simply dropped hers.
Butch didn't pull his mouth from hers until he crossed the finish line and he felt the need to exclaim in triumph.
Buttercup's jaw dropped. She jumped to her feet. "You cheated!"
"Hey, all's fair in love and war," Butch said, leaning back and stretching his arms across the back of the sofa. Buttercup glared and crossed her arms, looking away from him, and a pout clear on her face.
"Aw, c'mon, Babe," Butch said. "Don't be mad. I only did it for the prize."
Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Is that why?"
"Sure!" He exclaimed, not quite catching her sarcasm. "Who wouldn't with such an awesome prize?"
Buttercup shook her head. "Well, you cheated, so you're disqualified. No prize for you."
"C'mon, Babe," he repeated, reaching out for her, but she moved quickly, grabbing his arm and flipping him onto the floor, where she kneeled on top of him, one leg on either side of his hips, her hands keeping his arms pinned to the ground.
"I believe you owe me the prize, since you're a cheater and all."
"Is that how it works?" Butch asked darkly.
Buttercup smirked. "That's how it works."
"And if I refuse?"
"If you refuse…" Buttercup said, lowering her face closer to his. "…then I'm going to – "
"Buttercup!"
Buttercup flew so high into the air in surprise that she smacked her head on the ceiling. Rubbing her head and wincing, she glared at her sister, standing in the door, her face flushed and her hand in Brick's. Hypocrite.
"We'll be having none of that here!" Blossom exclaimed. "It's almost midnight, get to bed. We have school in the morning."
Buttercup made a face and continued to glare. "We do not; it's Saturday." But when she looked back down at Butch, who was still lying on the floor, she lowered her lashes and said, "I'm looking forward to that prize," and she passed him and strutted up the stairs to her bedroom.
Brick snorted at the image of his brother's love-struck face as he lay on the floor between the couch and the coffee-table.
"Comfortable there, bro?" he asked as he stepped into the room, still holding Blossom's hand, the other in his pocket.
"Nuh-uh," Butch replied in a strange, uncharacteristically dreamy voice. "Game controller under my ass. But that's okay."
Brick rolled his eyes. He looked over at Blossom to find her face was almost completely unreadable, but he sensed she was uncomfortable being in the same room as his wild, rambunctious, impulsive brother. So he took charge. Releasing Blossom's hand, he helped his brother to his feet and patted him on the shoulder. "Head on up to bed, bro. And actually go to our room. Okay?"
"Yessir," Butch replied with a mock-salute, still a little bit dazed.
After he was gone, Brick turned back to Blossom. "He won't hurt you, you know. We made a pact to never hurt each other's' girlfriends."
Blossom shook her head. "I know. I'm not scared. I know you won't let anyone hurt me."
Brick smiled and took her hand back in his. "Never. So you want to go upstairs to bed?"
Blossom nodded. "Yeah. Today was a really long day. I'm beat."
They headed up the stairs and parted with a kiss.
"Thanks again for doing all of this," Brick said.
Blossom smiled. "Don't mention it. I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied as he brushed his hand across her cheek. "Sweet dreams."
She grinned at him once before turning to her room, where Buttercup was in the bathroom and Boomer and Bubbles were asleep on her bed, still in their clothes and on top of the comforter and a pile of papers. Blossom was about to object, but she just shook her head, kicked off her shoes, and crawled into bed still in her clothes, too tired to undress. She was asleep within minutes, her "sweet dreams" all of Brick.
…
Just 300 short of 3,000! Darn it! Oh, well. A lot happened.
Let me know what you thought! With these stupid new properties to fanfiction, reviews mean everything. Without them, your stories will never be noticed, since you can choose the reviews range. -_- So please leave me a thought! And if you want, I'll read your story and review as well! All you have to do is ask! ^^
But I genuinely hope you enjoyed the story, and I just love hearing from you. Let me know if you want a second season after this is complete!
PEACE OUT.
