Hey y'all! I'm back with a new chapter! It's been a whopping four months since I've updated this thing.. can you believe it? I apologize to all of my readers whom I have disappointed. I wanted to update sooner, but with school and track, I simply couldn't find the time to get started on a new chapter. Hopefully, you all can forgive me, and I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.

Anyway, enjoy! I do not own the Powerpuff Girls. I am just a big fan.

I dedicate this chapter to 1000GreenSun for helpin' me out! :3

Annnnnnnnnd onto Chapter nine~


(Brick's POV)

"So, do you have a father?" I asked the bubbly redhead. I had to know; I needed my question answered. Who was this girl's father and why wasn't he in her life? Who would do such a thing like that to this poor little girl, and most of all, to Blossom?

Bailey began, "Well-"

The redheaded kindergartner was interrupted by the loud sound that was made over by the kitchen. I turned my head to see Blossom, in shock, staring down at the freshly-made chicken that now lay on the hardwood floor.

I got up from my seat on the couch and walked over to her. "Blossom, are you alright?"

"I'm.. I'm fine," Blossom stuttered out. She looked rather distraught.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"N- no.." She replied. She still looked upset over something. "Thanks for your concern, Brick, but I'm fine…"

"Mommy, what are we gonna do about dinner now?" Bailey asked as she joined us. She put her two small hands over her stomach, rubbing it up and down. "I'm starving!"

Blossom sighed heavily as she put her right palm to her cheek. "I'm not sure, exactly. Well, there goes dinner.."

"How about a pizza?" I offered, taking out my cell-phone. "I know this great place back in Townsville."

Blossom shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, why not?"

"Can it be with pepperoni on top?" Bailey asked, her eyes full of hope. "Please?"

I couldn't help but crack a smile. There was some sort of connection that I felt with this little girl, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. I usually couldn't stand children, considering they're a bunch of brats, but there was something special about Blossom's kid. "Anything for you, cutie."

She smiled at me.

I saw Blossom from the corner of my eye, and for a quick second, it looked as if she too was smiling, however her smile quickly faded.

I shrugged it off and proceeded to dial the number. After a few rings, I got through. "Hello, Tony? This is Brick.."


(Bubbles' POV)

Immediately after my shift ended, I headed on down to Boomer's place. It took me awhile to get there because I don't really remember my way around Townsville considering I live in Riverside now.

I parked my 2003 baby blue Toshiba on the side of the street and walked up to his house where I rang the doorbell. His place was rather gorgeous. Jeez, the perks that come with your brother being quarterback of a major football team!

Boomer opened the door. His face lit up as soon as he saw me, as did mine. "Bubbles, you made it. Come on in."

He took my hand and led me into his home that he shared with his brothers. "Now, before we get started… a quick tour of this lavish home by yours truly, Boomer Jojo."

I giggled as Boomer showed me around the house. From the huge living room to the game room, to the weight room and to the huge swimming pool in his backyard…

"And last but not least," Boomer said as he brought me over to his kitchen. "The kitchen!"

My baby blue orbs widened in amazement. His kitchen was gorgeous! Just wow.

"Boomer, your kitchen is so pretty," I blurted out, and then covered my mouth. "Oh gosh, I'm such a nerd for saying that."

"…You're right about that," Boomer laughed, "But you're a cute nerd."

I don't think my cheeks could get any redder at this point. "How about we.. get started?"

"Right," Boomer said as he walked over to the freezer. "You have a lot to teach me and.. I have a lot to learn."


An hour later - (Blossom's POV)

We had just finished our meal, and Brick was helping me clean up before I was to put Bailey to bed. The meal was rather silent with only a few words being spoken among the three of us. It was a tad… awkward, to say the least.

On the bright side, though, Bailey never answered Brick's question (Go me!). Which means he never put two and two together and figured out that Bailey was his. ..Although thirty dollars worth of chicken went into the garbage, at least my secret wasn't revealed. Blossom, you are a flat-out genius. Really.

"Honey, put your pajamas on and Mommy will be there in a few minutes to tuck you in, alright?"

"Okay!" Bailey replied, walking away, leaving Brick and I alone. Greatttttt.

"So." I folded the cardboard box in half and put it in the black garbage bag. "It's just you and me.. in the kitchen.. alone.. heh," I let out a small, awkward chuckle. Jesus, kill me now. Please.

He raised an eyebrow. "You know, Blossom, you're making this much more awkward than it really has to be."

"Can you blame me for being awkward?" I questioned. I mean, it's true. I hadn't seen Brick in five years (Well, at least in person, that is). Not to mention I still had feelings for the guy. Oh, and did I mention that he's in the same area as his daughter? You know, the one he has no clue is his? Yeah, I think my reason for being awkward is justified.

His red orbs studied me as he played with the stubble on his chin. He was thinking of a comeback, I could tell. Finally he softened, and said, "I guess I can't."

"…Yeah," I pushed a strand of my auburn-hair behind my ear. "Well, it's getting late, and I'm pretty sure you have somewhere to be tomorrow. You better get going."

...

(Brick's POV)

I really did want to leave, considering I couldn't stand to look at Blossom's beautiful face anymore. Seriously, she looked radiant tonight, even though it looked as if she had suffered from a stressful day at work.

But I couldn't leave just yet. I needed closure. Answers. I know this may sound obsessive, but I just had to know who Blossom's husband was. If she even had one, that is. I just needed to know.

My lips formed a smirk as I shrugged my shoulders. "But you invited me here, Blossom. What's the rush? Why push me out so soon? You're a pretty bad host," I teased.

The gorgeous redhead before me furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "I didn't invite you here, Brick. My daughter did, but that's only because she appears to be infatuated with you."

I chuckled. "Can you blame her?" This pissed her off even more.

She glowered at me. "Brick, I think it's time-"

"Mommy! I'm ready!" Blossom's daughter came from behind me, holding a stuffed animal to her chest. "Time to tuck me in!"

"In a sec-" Blossom's cell phone went off. She sighed, retrieving the phone from her skirt pocket. "Hello? …Good evening, Mr. Mitchelson," She muttered.

Freakin' Mitch Mitchelson. Always has to go and mess up someone's mood.

Bailey walked over to her mother and tapped her on the leg. "Mommy? Did you hear me? I said I'm ready!"

"Hold on." Blossom held the phone to her neck, so Mitch couldn't hear her. "Bailey, I can't tonight. Something urgent came up with a client. Tomorrow, okay? I promise."

"Okay.." The saddened kindergartner replied, her voice faltering. I noticed her coral irises struggling to fight back the tears as Blossom gave her a kiss on her forehead. Poor kid.

Blossom resumed her business with Mitch, while the small redhead ran off to her room in tears. Blossom seemed oblivious to this, for she was so engrossed in the business she was handling with Mitchelson. Whatever it was.

My mind kept going back to the kid. She seemed really upset at the fact that Blossom couldn't devote her time to her tonight. You see, this is why I loathe children. One thing doesn't go their way and they get all pissy.

…But for some reason, I sympathized for her. I don't know why. Maybe because I never had a parent who could tuck me in at night when I was that age. My Mom was dead, and my Dad usually worked late nights. He usually left my brothers and I with the nanny and, albeit hot, wasn't my Mom or Dad.

I took the initiative to see what was wrong with Blossom's kid. Blossom wasn't paying attention, so she wouldn't mind if I snuck off. I walked down the hallway, and approached the door that had a piece of paper that had Bailey's Room written on it. I knocked on the door thrice, and opened the door to a dejected Bailey.

The auburn-haired child ceased her tears and looked up at me. Her saddened eyes filled with a little bit of hope when she saw me. "M-Mr. Jojo?" Her voice cracked.

"Call me Brick."

The kindergartner sniffled. "Okay."

"I see that your upset," I took a seat on the side of her bed.

"Yeah. Mommy couldn't tuck me in. She doesn't care about me," The redhead confessed, biting her lip.

"Hey," I wiped her tears away with my thumb. "Your Mom does care about you. Don't ever say that."

"I know," Bailey responded. She sniffled, "It don't feel like it sometimes."

"Sometimes she may not show it, but she does care for you, Bailey. She loves you. I just want you to know that." Oh God, have I gotten soft.

She nodded her head in response. She gave me a weak smile. "Thanks, Brick. You the best daddy I never had."

My crimson orbs widened in response. Never.. Had..?

I cleared my throat. "Wait, are you telling me you've never had a father in your life? Ever?"

She shook her head. "I never had a daddy. It's just my mommy and my two aunties."

Okay, so Blossom was never married.. at least, I think so. That surely answers my question.

I got up from her bed and walked over to the exit door. I glanced over at the pink-eyed kindergartner once more and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. To grow up without a father must have really taken a toll on the kid. Before exiting the room, I said to her, "Goodnight, Bailey."

"Goodnight, Mr- Brick," She corrected herself. In a soft voice, she said, "I love you."

My crimson irises widened in astonishment. She.. she loves me. I've got to be the closest thing to a father figure that she's ever had.

I didn't know how to respond, so I simply nodded my head and flipped the light switch. I walked out of her room, closing the door behind me. I looked up, only to see an infuriated Blossom glaring at me, her coral orbs hard, her arms folded.

"So I finish my phone call with my client only to find you missing," She placed a hand on her hip. "And then I walk past my daughter's room, only to hear your voice. Care to tell me why?"

I shrugged. I didn't see why she was making a big deal out of this. Same old Blossom, overreacting as usual. "She was upset because you couldn't tuck her in. I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Yeah, well, I think you've overstayed your wel-"

"Do you know what your daughter said to me before I left the room?" I cut the beautiful redhead off with the sound of my own voice. She needed to hear this. "She said I was the best dad that she never had. The kid's hurting, Bloss. What kind of person goes about their day while knowing there's a little girl that desperately wants them in their life?"

"That's none of your business," She seethed.

"Maybe not," I admitted, "But I can't just forget about this. I care about Bailey, Blossom. I don't know why the hell I care about her, but I do. She doesn't deserve this."

She laughed a sarcastic laugh. "Care about her? You haven't even known her for a week yet," She sighed. "Look, my family business is between my family and I. It has nothing to do with you."

I ignored her last statement. "Who's her Dad, Blossom? Do I know him?"

"Brick-"

"Why isn't he around? What kind of bastard would run out on his kid?"

"Brick-"

"What kind of-"

"She's yours, Brick!" Blossom cried. She quickly covered her mouth when she realized what she had said.

"What?" I asked, perplexed. Did she just say that Bailey.. was mine..?

In a soft, hush tone, she repeated herself. "She's yours."


(Bubbles' POV)

"Oh yeah, that hit the spot," Boomer patted his stomach in pure satisfaction. I giggled.

"Glad you liked it," I smiled warmly at him. I got up from the table and collected the two dishes that were placed on the dining room table.

"No, no, you stay put. I'll clean up," He offered. He gave me a small smile.

I smiled back. "Thank you, Boomer. But I'll feel bad if I don't help out."

"You've helped me enough. I wouldn't have bee able to enjoy this delicious meal if not for your expertise." I blushed at his kind words. He was definitely winning me over.

"Just relax, Bubbles. I'll be done in a second. Don't go anywhere," He winked at me. He went inside the kitchen, leaving me by myself in the dining hall.

My light-blue eyes wandered the nicely decorated room. There were various pictures hung up on the wall of Boomer and his two older brothers. However, there was one thing up there that wasn't a picture, and that caught my eye.

I got up and walked closer to it, examining it. My eyes widened when I realized what it was. It was a teaching degree, made out to Boomer.

Boomer was a teacher? How come I never knew about this..?

"Boomer, why didn't you tell me you were a teacher?" I said, loud enough for him to hear me considering he was still in the kitchen. "That's awesome!"

I heard a dish fall to the floor immediately after I had spoken those words. "Boomer, are you okay?" I walked inside the lavish kitchen, walking over to him. "Is it something I said..?"

"I.. I... It's.. it's not you," He sighed, running a hand through his golden locks. "I just.. I don't like talking about my past as a teacher."

"Why?" I questioned. I don't get it. Who wouldn't be proud of that kind of accomplishment? I surely would be..

Boomer sighed. "Bubbles.. I'm telling you this because I care about you," He began, "And I just want you to know that I was completely innocent."

"What is it, Boomer?" I became more interested in what it was he had to say.

"It… it was three years ago," Boomer began. "I had been teaching for about a year at Springfield Middle School…"

Three Years Ago

"He touched me," A chestnut-haired thirteen year old with jade-colored orbs admitted. She had light-colored freckles on both her left and right cheeks. "All I wanted was extra help in Math and… he touched me! He rubbed my legs and tried to touch my breasts. I felt so uncomfortable," The girl's mother held her in her arms as the girl fake-sobbed into her shoulder.

The principal, baffled at the news he had received, looked towards Boomer. "Is this true, Mr. Jojo? Did you touch her?"

"No, Mr. Lynch. I'm being completely honest here. You can blatantly see that she's lying!" Boomer defended himself.

"Why would I lie, you pedophile!" The girl continued to fake sob as her mother held a tight grip around her. "You tried to touch me! Sicko!"

"Mr. Lynch, come on. You've got to believe me. I swear to you, I never touched her. Please, believe me." Boomer pleaded, his voice starting to crack.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jojo," Mr. Lynch shook his head. "But you know the rules here. I'm going to have to fire you."

End Flashback…

"I got fired even though I was completely innocent," He sighed. "After that, I've just-"

"Say no more," I grabbed my purse. "I'm out of here."

"Wh-what? Bubbles-"

"How could you do that?" I said with emphasis. I was pissed. Hurt. Repulsed. You name it. I would have never thought that Boomer of all people would do something like that.

Boomer's eyes widened in astonishment. "What? Bubbles, I never touched her! Come on, you've got to believe me. Do you think that I'd really do something like that? That girl was simply trying to frame me!" He took my hands, I yanked them away. "Bubbles-"

"I don't know what to believe," I tried to hide the apparent hurt in my voice, but I had difficulty trying to do so.

"Bubbles, you know me. And you know that I'd never do something like that-"

"I never wanted to see you again!" I cried, running down the steps. I didn't want to hear what else he had to say. I was done with him. I opened the front door and closed it behind me and got into my car. I put my head into my hands, sobbing.


(Blossom's POV)

"I… I have a kid," Brick said, agape. He swallowed, "A daughter."

"Yeah," I said softly. Well, Blossom, the cat's out of the bag. Nothing you can do about it now… God, I'm such a moron.

"She's.. how old? Five?" Brick asked me, still appalled at the fact that he was a father.

"Four," I corrected him, a small smile forming on my lips. "She acts just like you."

He ignored my last statement. He started pacing around the room. I couldn't tell if he was simply appalled, or if he was flat-out angry. "So when I left to play football… you were pregnant… with Bailey."

I nodded my head in response. "I wanted to tell you-"

"Well why didn't you?" Brick spat, cutting me off, his bloodshot eyes full of rage and fury; his voice filled with hurt.

I felt tears struggling to escape my pink orbs, but I held them back. "You were off to fulfill your dream. I didn't want to ruin everything you had worked for."

"Bullshit," Brick spat. He glared at me. If looks could kill, then I would have been dead at this point. "Bull. Fucking. Shit. You really think that I would have let football get in the way of fathering my child? Do you really think that low of me?"

"Quiet down!" I whispered, loud enough for Brick to hear me. "She's sleeping. I don't want her to hear us."

"Let her hear us!" Brick shouted, the veins in his neck becoming more visible. "Let her! She deserves to hear this crock of shit you're spewing out of your mouth."

The tears I had struggled to fight back before now made its way out of my eyes.

"I missed out on four years.. Four years of my daughter's life because you decided to act selfish and keep her away from me!" Brick yelled, his voice dripping with fury.

I paused. I began to ball my knuckles into fists. Me? Selfish? I actually cared about his feelings and I'm selfish! Oh, no.

"You bastard," My voice was filled with hurt. "I actually cared about your feelings and I'm selfish! Do you think I was having a grand old time, knowing that you weren't in her life? I thought about it every day, Brick. Every day since I found out I was pregnant! I didn't keep her a secret from you because I wanted to. I kept her a secret because I felt it was best for all three of us."

Brick's cold demeanor immediately changed after he heard my words. He knew what I was saying was true. He knew it.

"I just," He sighed. He ran his fingers through his copper locks. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for acting like such a bitch. But put yourself in my shoes, Blossom. Would you be happy to find out that four years after the fact, you had a child that you had no clue existed? You'd be hurt, too."

"I know," I sniffled. "I'm so sorry, Brick. For everything. For keeping Bailey from you.. I'm such an ass. All I do is hurt people and I don't even realize it. I don't deserv-"

"Blossom?" Brick asked me, cutting me off.

"Yes?" I sniffled once more.

"…Shut up." He inched near me, putting a firm hold around my waist. He cupped my chin, and boom, planted one right on me. I returned the kiss, deepening it, whilst draping my arms around his strong shoulders. His tongue touched my lips, indicating that he wanted an entrance. I was happy to oblige.

There we were in the middle of the hallway, Brick and I, engaging in a steamy lip-lock. Something told me that this was wrong, but screw it, I needed this shit.

…Damn, how I missed this. This was pure ecstasy.


(Bailey's POV)

I tried to sleep but I heard yelling at screaming outside the door. It sounded like my mommy and Mr. Jojo. Whoops, Brick! Then the screaming stopped. I went to my door and opened it, only to see my mommy and Mr. Jojo kissing! KISSING! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

My smile growed big and I closed the door. I went back to my bed and tried to sleep but I was too excited!

I was gonna get a daddy! Yay me!


OH MY GAWD. The Reds.. have.. kissed.. boom. And Bailey thinks that she's going to get a dad, finally! How cute?

Hopefully this chapter makes up for me not updating for four months. Anyway, review!

~Steph.