Okay, it's that time again, the final chapter!

15. Place in the World

Blossom passed through the doors out of the hospital, and stop. She looked around, tying to see if she could see him. She couldn't.

"If MJ could there has to be a way I can," she muttered, but a small part of her interrupted. This is stupid, it said. Best you go back inside now and pretend it never happened; you've already made a fool of yourself. She slumped for a minute, then had a thought. Maybe it was her doubt which stopped her from seeing Brick. She closed her hers, and tried to silence the logical side of her that was screaming about how stupid this was.

When she opened them again, he was there. Fiddling with the saddle bag on a horse that was tied to some railings. She took a step closer nervously.

"Brick?" she asked. Now she was worried. What if she did hate her? It was too late now. Brick had heard her, and frozen stock still. He turned round.

"Blossom?" he said quietly. They just stared at each other for a moment. Katharine snorted and trotted off, defying the fact that she was tied up.

"It's been a while…" she said nervously. "Every night I dream of this moment, and now I can't think of anything to say."

Brick smiled. He walked up to her. "I wouldn't say anything. I'd kiss you if I could," he whispered. Blossom was trying not to well up.

"B…but I thought you'd hate me?" she said.

"Times a healer," he shrugged, "we've both suffered enough without hating each other. I never wanted you to suffer, and I know you never did."

"But I did let you suffer." She looked at her feet. "I can't forgive myself."

Brick lent under her head and looked up at her. "I can forgive you," he said, "because true love doesn't judge."

Blossom felt 17 again. She stood straight again, and smiled at him.

"You don't know how much that means to me," she whispered. She moved a hand out towards him, but it went straight through. She paused for a moment. Then Brick laughed.

"It seems they laws of Death keep some barriers intact," he said loudly. The moment had been lost. Blossom laughed to.

"I've missed you," she said.

"I've missed you too," he said, "it's been maddening. All I've got to do is to think of you."

"Really?" Blossom asked.

"Well I collect souls too," he admitted, "but dealing with people who've just died isn't greatly more cheerful."

"Don't you have any happy moments?" Blossom was feeling guilty again.

"It's not that bad," Brick read the tone in her voice, "I have some good times with my friend Roland, and there is always the moments I get to see you," he smiled.

"Don't you have a girl friend or something?" Blossom semi wanted him to say no. He did.

"It's hard to find someone who will accept that you will always love someone else more." He looked pointedly at Blossom. "You are very lucky to have him."

"Anyone would be lucky to have you," she replied, "and I don't intend on dying soon." She tried to touch him again, just showing how short memories are. "We'll be together one day, but not today. You'll go mad alone. I did."

Brick nodded. "But I'll be waiting," he said.

"You never know, you might find someone better."

"No chance." He smiled again, but there was now pain in his eyes. "I've got to go," he said, pulling out an hourglass, some selfish person is about to reach the end of the line!"

Blossom chuckled. "I love you," she said, "thank you for forgiving me."

Brick climbed up on to his returning horse. He turned back to her. "I love you. And I'll always be with you… in one way or another." Without prompting, Katharine shot off into the sky. Blossom watched.

"THANKS FOR SAVING EDWARD!" she shouted after him.

"NO PROBLEM," he shouted back, his voice fading as he was carried away, "ALL I Want is for you to be happy…" and his voice faded away.

Blossom stood there and thought. When ever she'd considered meeting Brick again before, she'd always had lots of questions to ask him. It hadn't been like that, but she knew what he needed to know. He still loved her, and he had forgiven her. Genuinely forgiven her. She thought that she should feel sad they couldn't be together now, but in a strange way, she finally felt free, released from her guilt and her fears. They would be together one day, now she knew that. And clutching that thought close to her heart, she turned and went back into the hospital. There was something else she had to do.

Such was the deepness of her thoughts, she never noticed the people staring at her.

Brick sighed as he rode though the sky. It was done. It hurt in some ways. He'd always know that they'd be together one day, so it not being today hurt. He tried to distract himself by looking at the bottle with his powers in, but it didn't help. All he could think of was Blossom, so he put it away again.

"You alright?" someone asked. Brick looked up. His room mate had ridden up along side.

"Sort of," Brick sighed. He explained to Roland what had just happened.

"So you're just going to count the days until Blossom dies?" he asked.

"Yep."

"Well you know what they say," Roland said cheerfully, "time flies when your having fun!" he put a hand on Bricks shoulder. "Take a leaf out of her book. Don't spend all your time moping, keep busy. Raise Brandy, take up a sport, do some causal dating. And that way, Blossom will be here before you know it!"

Brick gave Roland a short death stare, before something occurred to him.

"You're here?" he said.

"Yes, I was taking an interest in your family," Roland said proudly.

"Really? You can tell me about that after you answered me this question: If you're here and I'm here, who's looking after Brandy?"

"Oh don't worry; I've got the universe's best babysitter… "

Cooycooycoo, Death said, leaning over the cot. Inside it, the little green puff giggled.

Eddy was sitting miserably round the corner. He supposed he knew this day would come, but he hadn't been expecting to be alive to see it. He wallowed in his own depression for a while, it was quite good fun.

The sound of foot steps made him looked up.

"Blossom?" he said. He stood up, sweating nervously. "Did you find him?"

She stopped just in front of him. "Yes I did," she said gently. Eddy swallowed a lump.

"Do you still love him?"

Blossom nodded. "Yes. Yes I do. But I also realised something else."

"What?" Eddy could hardly bear to watch. But to his surprise, Blossom but her arms round him.

"I love you too, and I am lucky to have you," she echoed Brick's words.

"Really?" Eddy turned to her. Blossom nodded, smiling happily.

"You're a good father, a great husband and my second choice. You saved my life. You've managed to fill the unfillable hole."

Eddy kissed her gently. "Till death do us part," he whispered. His wife nodded.

Evening came. Bubbles and Boomer had returned to Paris, and Buttercup and Butch had gone home – both of them looked exhausted. But the long run wasn't quite over yet for the Panner's, because Edward had just woken up.

"How are you feeling darling," Blossom asked. She was sat on his bed, with her hand on his. Edward managed a smile.

"Cra…" he spotted MJ, who was on her father's lap, "awful," he corrected. Blossom nodded.

"I expect it will be sore for a while," she said.

"Yeah," said Eddy enthusiastically, "you should see the scar!"

"Really?" Edward looked. "Wow." He said, as Blossom rolled her eyes, and MJ giggled.

"Anyway, I've been doing some research son," Eddy said happily, "and although you can't compete in many forms of sport, I have found an exception."

"You have!" Edward said, as energetically as some one as ill as he was could.

"You know rallying, where they race cars off road against the clock. That has some mutants racing at the top of the American Championship!"

"Which isn't that impressive," Edward noted, "it's more of a British motorsport. But can I Mum?" he said, looking at her. Blossom smiled.

"Of course you can!" she said happily, "although you did a pretty good Superhero job earlier today, you saved my life."

"Yeah, but I got captured by the villain, which was pretty crap," Edward said. Eddy shot him a look.

"I'm going to put a swear box on you in a minute," he said.

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you Mum," MJ said sadly. Blossom shrugged.

"It's okay MJ," she said motherly, "we both made mistakes, so let's forget it. The Professor will soon have you cured, and then we can get on."

MJ blushed for a minute. "Mum, you know I said I can tell you anything, well, I don't want to be cured. I finally feel right." She looked up nervously at her amazed family, and smiled, showing the two sharp teeth.

"Well," Blossom hesitated, she hadn't thought of this, "if it's safe…"

"Last time I was in a hospital I nearly went mad," MJ pleaded, "now I'm fine."

"Well, okay," said Blossom slightly reluctantly, "but we'll always have a cure for you if you want it."

"Hey, what does that make you?" Edward asked MJ. "A Powerpuff or a Spider-girl?"

"Oh that's obvious," said Eddy, "she's a SpiderPuff Girl. And you're a RallyRuff Boy!"

Eddy and Blossom both laughed in that annoying way parents do, while MJ bust into hysterics. Edward just blew steam out of his ears. Being a mutant was going to take some getting used to.

Mojo was very pleased with his day's work He looked at his check list.

"Him eliminated: check. (For now.)

MJ returned: check.

Puffs lured into false sense of security by my helpfulness: check.

Equipment for cloning machine: check.

DNA sample…" He looked at a piece of the fully strength Spider-MJ's orange hair.

"Check Mate!"

Right, that's it. I will be starting a new story very soon, but it will need you to have read at least chapters 1, 3 and 9 of "Can you keep a Secret" for you to understand it. Okay please review, and thanks to all of you who have. See you soon!