Strange what desire will make foolish people do/I never dreamed I'd meet somebody like you/And I never dreamed I'd lose somebody like you

Blossom's hands quivered as she covered her eyes with one, the other hand clutching her thigh. She was trying to control what was happening to her, but it was no use.

She could see it again. Hear it. Jeremy was there. It almost felt like he was in the room. Her breathing was fast and loud, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to blind herself to what she could see, but it didn't make any difference.

She hated to admit in her head that she had no idea what she should do when this happened to her. With each flashback that came to her, she tried her best to push it away and pretend it wasn't happening.

She could even smell him. The musky cologne and moist smell of sweat. She clicked her eyes open, looking around quickly. He wasn't there. Of course he wasn't. She was in her apartment. She was back. But she could still hear it. Panting and mumbling. She reached over to her TV, switching it on and turning the volume up loud.

It's Monday. You are at your apartment. He is not here. You are perfectly safe. And so is your baby. You're stressing the baby. Calm down. Stop doing this! It's over. You're fine. Brick is on his way to pick you up. You'll be safe with him. You'll be safe.

"You'll be safe. You'll be safe." She mumbled, exhaling quickly, closing and opening her eyes again. The sounds disappeared slowly. Her chest loosened. She touched her face, realizing it was drenched in tears.

When would all this stop?

Brick twirled the keys to the house on his finger as he sat in his car below the apartment block Blossom lived in. He was waiting for her to come down. A few minutes later she appeared, walking over to the car.

"Hey." She said, sitting down next to him and pulling the car door shut.

"Hey. Are you okay?" He asked, scrutinising her face. She'd been crying, that was for sure. She looked tired and pale. He started the car and pulled away.

"Fine, fine. Beginning to get fed up of being this huge." Blossom grumbled, shifting the seatbelt uncomfortably under her bump.

Brick narrowed his eyes, but dropped it. "Not long left." He muttered as they glided along in his sleek red car.

Blossom had been home for 4 weeks now, but not much had changed. Brick had came with her to her appointment that week, which had gone much the same as the one before, Brick being just as mystified as he had been previously.

But they hadn't spoken about their relationship woes, or more, if one existed.

Blossom had an inkling Brick had something up his sleeve as they drove out to a suburban area of Townsville. It was in the west of Townsville, not far from Bubbles or Buttercup's houses. She didn't want to inquire too much, though she was curious. She was grateful to feel safe and distracted by his presence.

"Where exactly are we going? You've gone too far out for Bubbles or Buttercup's place." Blossom questioned.

"There's just somewhere I want to show you." Brick said in a cheery voice. Blossom looked at him curiously, why was he in such high spirits?

They pulled up in front of a large house, on a sleepy little street filled with lots of other houses very similar to the one they sat outside. Blossom turned in her seat slightly, catching the road sign. 'Azalea Avenue'. She didn't recognise it. They were sat outside number 3.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Blossom furrowed her brow confusedly. "Well, it's lovely, of course it is. Who lives there?"

Blossom noted how it looked empty, as Brick answered. "No one, at the moment."

It looked like a house plucked right off of Wisteria Lane, all of the houses did. This one had duck egg blue cladding, with white windows, panels and a gorgeous front garden filled with lots of lovely summer flowers. It was like a children's doll house, with such intricate detail, it was truly enviably.

"Right, so why are we…" She began, but the penny dropped.

"Do you want to go inside and have a look?" He asked, a cheeky glint in his eye.

"Have you -?" She asked, her voice getting higher in pitch. "Have you bought a house?!"

He shrugged, smiling. "Looks like it."

"Oh my god. Oh my god!"

"Do you like it?" He asked, hope clear in his voice.

"Well, of course, I mean, it's gorgeous, beautiful. I can't believe you've bought a house."

"I thought it was about time. Can't be raising a child in an apartment. Well, we could but we're not going to." Brick said, getting out of the car, and in a second being at her side, opening the door for her. "Want to come have a look inside?"

"Erm, sure, o-okay." She said, completely overwhelmed.

Brick took the keys from his pocket, passing one to her as they walked up the drive and to the front door. Blossom looked down at the shiny silver key, dumbfounded.

It was absolutely outstanding inside. A large lounge with a big open fire. A huge country style kitchen diner with oak cupboards and marble worktops; an island in the middle. 4 vast bedrooms up a winding white wooden staircase. The place was breathtaking, the kind of home she'd only dreamed about some day living in.

He'd even done a bit of furnishing, a pair of sleek crimson armchairs in the living room already, a chunky oak coffee table in the middle of the room, a shaggy red rug beneath it. After looking around, they'd ended up back in there so Blossom could sit down.

"I can't believe you've bought a house!" Blossom cried, flabbergasted. "I mean, we've not even spoken about things, about where we stand, about what we want, and, and you go and buy a house?!"

Brick realized she was beginning to sound like this was an unwise thing to be doing, no loner as awe struck and amazed as she had seemed as he showed her around.

"Well, you can just move in first if you want, if you're not sure about living with me. Then when, or if, you think you're ready I'll join you." Brick offered, trying to seem reasonable, though it was far from what he had planned.

Blossom's face fell. She began to struggle to her feet. "No, no, don't worry."

Brick's face fell now. "What?"

"I don't need this." She said simply.

Brick repeated himself, completely lost.

"I don't need this!" Her voice was indignant. "What do you think I am, some poor defenceless woman who needs some rich accountant knight in shining armor to come and, andrescue me, just because I got knocked up by him?! No, no, I can do this myself, thank you. I'm a doctor, I'm, I'm a woman! I can do this without you, without all this!"

"Blossom, it's nothing like that?!" Brick cried, following her as she made for the door. "I got this place for us because I thought –"

She'd turned suddenly, Brick nearly being flattened by the bump. Blossom thrust the key into his hand. "I don't need your charity Brick! I'm so sorry you feel obligated to look after me now! What a nuisance I must be!"

"It's not fucking charity! Why would I buy a fucking house for charity?!" Brick snarled as she threw open the door.

"You think I can't do this without you? You think you owe me this house for impregnating me?!" Blossom accused furiously, and rather loudly he noted.

"Blossom keep your voice down, it's nothing like that!"

"You'd sooner buy a house for me to live in –"

"For us to live in!" He hissed, but she carried on.

"That's not what you just said! You'd sooner buy a house for me to live in, and not move in too, then sit down and talk to me about our relationship, and what's actually going on and going to happen between us? You'd rather just set me up all happy and neat in a big pretty house, then face the mess that is us?!"

Brick growled, frustrated. "You, Blossom Utonium, are impossible! I thought I was doing the right thing!" He gnarled ferociously.

"Oh of course you did!" Blossom started up again but Brick interrupted.

"I'm not going to stand here and let you try to make a fool out of me, for buying us a fucking house!" He turned sharply, slamming the door and throwing Blossom's key down at her feet.

Blossom watched him speed off down the road, the silence of the neighborhood almost devouring her as he disappeared out of sight.

She tutted angrily, bending down awkwardly and scooping the key up, locking the front door. Popping it in her bag, she called a cab to take her home, hating the lonely feeling that swept over her.

Blossom is right.

Brick thundered about the apartment, pacing here and there, beside himself with anger.

Blossom is right!

He banged his fists against the worktop angrily, a crack appearing along it.

BLOSSOM IS RIGHT! He thought angrily. He wouldn't say it aloud. It hurt enough just thinking it. He needed to wake up and smell the coffee. He loved her. He did, he loved her, had never stopped.

He thought of her, putting his hands on her stomach as the baby kicked, her taking his hand gently as they listened to their baby's heart beating. She loved him too. She did, she hadn't stopped.

They were having a child together. They would be a family; they could be a family.

The question was: could he move past what had happened? What she'd done with his brother. Did he love her enough to make it work; to have a child together; to live together and be a family?

If he didn't, Blossom would forever be the mother of his child. The child who he'd only see on the weekends, or some similar arrangement. And the house on Azalea Avenue, that would go back on the market, to a couple who did want to be a family. Did he want that?

Of course you don't! His mind screamed at him. This is everything you've ever wanted and more!

Brick thought about how utterly miserable his life was without her in it. And now, he was potentially ruining getting everything he longed for, just because he was being too stubborn, and holding a grudge about something she did when they weren't together, even though she had seemed to be able to move past something he did when they were together.

He shook his head, a determined smile playing on his lips. He knew what he had to do.

It was safe to safe that Blossom was in a pretty foul mood. She couldn't believe what Brick had done, and was incensed by what he had said.

Why would he think buying a house would make everything better? It was moronic. And ridiculous. And she was so angry she could pop. He'd left her there too. Drove her out all that way and then just driven away without her in his rage. It wasn't as simple to just fly home when you were heavily pregnant; the large bump made her off balance.

The door went then, and she got up huffily, knowing exactly whom it would be. Sure enough, Brick stood there, looking quite jolly considering they'd just had a blazing argument on the doorstep of their potential home together.

She hadn't accounted for the armful of flat boxes, rolls of tape and marker pens he held though.

"What?" She said simply, the latch on the door. He pushed the door open, the latch breaking away like a pencil as he let himself in.

"Kind of a useless thing to own when majority of those around you are super powered." Brick noted, setting the tape and pens on the floor, and beginning to unfold a box.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Blossom demanded, closing the door, after inspecting the broken latch mournfully.

"Moving you in." He answered simply, taping a box together.

Blossom scoffed, not believing the man's nerve. "What, so now you're forcing me to move into your little love shack?"

Brick stopped as he had created a second cardboard box and turned to look at her, a devilish smile on his face. "Yes." He answered, resuming to make more boxes. "So I suggest you start filling these with your shit."

She folded her arms on top of her bump. "You can't force me. What if I refuse?"

He stood now, still grinning wickedly, and loomed over her. "Then I shall pick you up, kicking and screaming, and land you there myself." His voice was like velvet as he tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. She almost, very very almost succumbed to his charm, but she stood her ground.

"What if I don't want to live there?"

"We both know you do. You used to always go on about a house out that way, and starting a family in it. Well, now we can, can't we?"

"WE can?" Blossom said, looking surprised now.

"Yes, we." Brick answered, touching the side of her face tenderly. "Blossom, I love you. I really do, I always have. If you can move past what I did, I can move past what you did. Sound like a deal?"

Blossom smiled, pulling him as close to her as she can. "Sounds like a deal." She said, before she sealed it with a kiss.

"Oh Blossom, it's beautiful." Bubbles gushed, as she stepped into the kitchen diner, taking in the masterpiece that was Brick and Blossom's new home. "You did good!" She said, turning to Brick, who stifled a smile at her.

He shrugged. "I know what my lady likes." He was at her side now, planting a kiss on her collarbone.

"I'm so happy for you guys." Bubbles said, sitting down next to Buttercup at the big white and oak dining table in her country style kitchen. It had been 2 weeks since they had began to move in, the place was now fully furnished and looking like a large family home.

"Thanks." Blossom smiled, nuzzling into Brick.

"Where's Jay and Mitch?" Bubbles asked, turning to Buttercup.

"Jay's at a friends house, and Mitch is working over time, so, it's just me. Where's Boomer?" She replied.

"He's just getting some of the food we brought from the car with Butch." Bubbles said casually.

"With Butch?" Blossom asked.

"I didn't think that would be a problem…" Bubbles said in a quiet voice. Blossom and Brick looked slightly worried at the prospect of him being here, so did Buttercup.

"We can't leave him out just because, because of what happened! He's your brother Brick!" Bubbles cried.

"I don't want him here." Brick said firmly. Blossom turned, taken aback by his demand. "I don't want him here after, after what happened."

"I thought you two had moved past all that?" Buttercup asked, almost reading Blossom's mind.

"It's just difficult to be around him, and Bloss." Brick said sourly. "Did he even want to come?"

"Of course he did, he's still your brother." Bubbles answered matter of fact-ly.

"He wasn't saying that when he was…" Brick trailed off, catching Blossom's angered expression and red cheeks.

"He'll be on his best behavior." Bubbles smiled, as the two remaining ruff's walked in.

"Nice digs huh." Butch said, leaning on the counter as though he'd been here many times before.

Blossom and her sisters sat chatting at the dining table, the boys were in the garden cranking up the BBQ. There was loads of finger food laid out on the table, and they munched away as they chatted about their upcoming arrivals, Blossom and Brick being back together, and things that sister's generally chatted about.

"So are you glad to be back with Blossom, 4 years on?" Butch asked Brick, as he poked at a sausage on the grill.

"Yeah, I am." Brick replied, leaning against the back door. "Feels like we never broke up to be honest. Like none of it happened."

"You do seem a lot more, Brick-like." Boomer added.

"Well, I am more Brick-like now. The house is all furnished, even got the baby's room done. 7 weeks now till the little one is due to come along, and I'm beginning to get used to the fact I'm going to be a Dad. It's all good."

"You and me both, and I got 11 weeks to go!" Boomer said, laughing nervously.

Butch watched his two brothers chatting about upcoming fatherhood bitterly. Both were settled, happy and settled. Both were going to be Dad's. He didn't want to admit he was jealous of them both. Of everything they had.

So he did what he normally did. He ruined it. "That is," Butch said, stopping Boomer and Brick's conversation short. "if you are going to be a father."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Brick asked, shutting the tongs he held together violently.

"Well," Butch shrugged. "let's face it. Blossom and me? We were at it all the time. Like, all the time. It could be mine."

Boomer gulped. "Butch, shut up." He hissed at him. "Don't be so ridiculous, the baby is Brick's." He said this louder.

The tongs Brick was still holding snapped, as he ground his teeth angrily, staring complete daggers at his brother. If looks could kill, Butch would have died two or three times by now.

"No," Brick growled. "Blossom told me she'd already dumped you by then. I am assured you aren't going to be a father."

"Anyway," Boomer tried to lighten the mood. "you couldn't be the father could you Butch? What with your strong views on contraception, never catch you short of a condom or two hey!"

"Who said I used anything?" Butch teased.

"You did!" Boomer said, stepping ahead of Brick slightly. "When we all found out she was pregnant, you said you had done!"

"Brick knows Blossom likes to bare back, right bro?" Butch said, his voice an evil drawl.

Boomer turned on Brick then, noticing his fists tighten then loosen as he dropped the broken tongs to the floor.

"Just ignore him Brick. He's just being a prick." He turned to face Butch then. "Butch, what are you playing at? You said you wanted to come, and had no interest in starting anything?!"

"Wanted to come? Don't be stupid. I only came to check in on things. You see, the moment these two have an argument or whatever, Blossom will be right at my doorstep, begging to get into my bed again, you watch!"

Brick got to him before Boomer could stop him.

r&r! :)