Disclaimer: Thank CraigMccraken. I don't - nor will I ever - own the Powerpuff Girls.


A/N: First off I'd like to thank my lovely new beta readers, Antanomally and Timewriter. Sorry for dragging you into this after already 16 chapters; you guys are doing a wonderful job! And of course, to all my wonderful readers, sorry for not updating in a while. I wanted to give my betas some extra time to read everything. Don't worry, though. I have another chapter sitting in my computer, just waiting to be editted! I love you all! Until next time!

Toodles!


~ CHAPTER 17 ~

Birthdays


"Happy birthday, Bubbles! To my favorite blonde!" Blossom sang lightly, placing a neatly wrapped gift on her little sister's bed.

Bubbles rubbed her eyes, and mumbled, "What's all—" she yawned."—what's all this?"

Buttercup jumped up after tugging on her boots, resting an arm on her redheaded sibling's shoulder, and chirped, "It's your birthday, dummy! December 1st? Remember?"

Bubbles blinked a couple times and upon letting the words sink in, leaned forward to give her siblings a hug. "Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten. Thanks, you two are the best sisters anyone could ask for!"

"As are you," Blossom beamed, clapping her hands. "Now, go on, open it! Buttercup helped; we spent a lot of time just to get it."

"Nah, it was no problem. Didn't put much thought—" The taller of the three flapped her hand before Blossom nudged her roughly. "Oh, yeah—I meant, I spent a whole day searching for this! One of a kind. Yep, best older sister ever. No doubt."

Bubbles giggled, and said, "Still not very good at this, are you?"

"Terrible!" Blossom whispered jokingly, and Buttercup shot her a look.

She folded her arm and raised her chin at the box on Bubble's sky blue duvet. "Enough talk, open it!" She urged, green eyes shining.

The blonde looked down and began to carefully pick apart the wrapping paper, making sure not to rip it. Buttercup's foot tapped quickly, becoming more and more intense each time it hit the carpet. After a while, Bubbles decided, screw it, and tore the rest apart, revealing an elegant white box. In the back, Buttercup breathed a sigh of relief.

Bubbles took off the lid slowly, and gasped at the pair of heels.

They didn't.

She'd secretly wanted these since she was a little girl! "—Glass slippers?" She whispered, reaching to touch one. Every surface was smooth and rounded—save for the bottoms—and made from a slightly blue tinted glass, with a delicate crystal butterfly on each.

Eagerly, she kicked off her blanket, revealing two cream colored legs. Bubbles placed both shoes on the floor, her sisters backing away to give the girl more space, and spun around so her feet were dangling just a couple inches from the ground.

She held her breath as she slipped into the cool glass, then stood up. The fit was perfect, and at the bottom was a layer of white velvet cushioning so she would be able to dance away into the night without hurting.

Taking the first step, Bubbles sprang into a cheerful jig, placing one foot before the other, twirling around the room, testing the strength and durability.

"It's beautiful! Just like—" She gushed, her cheeks dusted with a light pink from excitement.

"Cinderella's," Blossom said, nodding at Buttercup. "We'd both noticed that ever since you were little you seemed to be obsessed with her, and decided to get it for your birthday."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you—both of you—so very, very much! I can't believe it. How did you get it?" Bubbles questioned she sat down, loving how it felt to wear these shoes, these wonderful, flawless shoes that her own sisters bought for her.

Buttercup shrugged, tugging at the belt around her tunic. "We've been working on it since October. Took lots of convincing from the Glass-Carver and the Cobbler for them to even consider this. Finding the perfect block of glass, making sure the tools were top-notch, getting your foot measurements, and—oh, by the way, it was Kim and Robin who picked out the fabric. Pretty great, right?"

"Oh, you shouldn't have! I didn't want to cause any trouble for you guys!" Bubbles protested, putting the heels back in the box. She still really, really liked the shoes, but now she felt as if she didn't earn them.

"Bubbles," Blossom warned, her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't feel bad about this. It's your sixteenth birthday! You deserve to feel special, so don't try to give it back! Besides, it's already paid for."

Despondency settled over the blue-eyed girl, but she quickly brightened up again and lept forward to crush both of them in a bear-hug. "Alright, I'll keep them! You two honestly are the kindest, most selfless sisters in the whole world!"


"I am not going."

"Yes, you are, Brick. You're obligated to as the fiancé of the eldest princess. Obligated."

"I don't care, Ima! I refuse to go." Brick grumbled, his back to the woman that had served as his nanny since he was a child. "Princess Bubbles' birthday is none of my concern, and even if it was—why don't my brothers have to go?"

"Just do it, Brick. Maybe you can get a kiss from Little Miss Pink if you're lucky!" A voice called from the bathroom.

"Shut up, Butch! Keep your disgusting fantasies to yourself." He snarled back, features twisted in a grimace.

"Brick," Ima scolded, her hands resting on her hips in a way that reminded him so much of her, that he could barely even look at who was possibly his favorite person in the entire castle.

"No."

"Young man, I will make you go to that party if it's the last thing I do!"


Blossom watched as her golden-haired sibling descended the grand stairs in a simple—yet elegant—baby blue gown, her tiara sparkling under the chandelier light. A sense of pride washed over her, seeing her baby sister all grown-up, walking, talking, acting just like a princess should.

Oh, God, I feel like a mother right now, she thought as Bubbles addressed her party guests.

From Bubbles' friends that lived in the kingdom, to wealthy nobles that traveled across the seas just to visit; everyone was having a fantastic time.

While the youngest of the Utonium girls had her fun with the company, Buttercup was—once again—standing around in a dark corner, trying not to look conspicuous. Polar opposites, the two of them. A cheerful, energetic extrovert and a sullen, tomboyish introvert.

It was practically a miracle they got along.

As Blossom made her way through the crowd to Buttercup, making small talk with familiar faces, and welcoming the ones she did not recognize, something unusual caught her eye.

The main door opened just a crack, and someone—wait no, not just someone—Brick slunk past.

She muttered his name under her breath, and it left a sour taste in her mouth.

Immediately she altered her path from her sister to the prince of the neighboring kingdom, her glare so intense the crowd parted just enough for her to slip through with ease.

Why in God's name was he here? He wasn't invited. She was sure not one of the cards she sent out had his name, so why was he here? Her father wouldn't ruin her own daughter's birthday by requesting the most haughty, sarcastic person in the entire hundred mile radius to attend, would he?

The rage and horror inside of her boiled with each step she took in his direction. Almost all questions cleared away and were replaced by one single, red-hot desire.

Get rid of him.

Even the way he stood bothered her. With his back straight, chin up, and eyes focused down; as if everyone was beneath him. As if she was beneath him.

Her glare intensified, and suddenly his gaze was on her own, eyes narrowed in what she could clearly see was contempt.

"Brick," she growled through clenched teeth, planting herself right before him, head tilted in the same challenging way.

"Blossom," he replied cooly.

"Would you care to join me outside?" She managed to pull a half-hearted smile. "It's quite cramped and stuffy in here, don't you agree?"

"Mm. I'm I afraid not, princess. You see as much as I would like to come with you, I just arrived, and would hate to leave without greeting the birthday girl first." He shook his head apologetically, and if she didn't know what kind of horrible person he really was, would've definitely been fooled.

"Oh no, Brick. I'm sure my darling little sister wouldn't mind. She's busy enough as it is. Now come on, I insist."

"I really can not, it'll be rude of—"

Sick of this ridiculous charade they were both putting on, she grabbed his wrist and hissed, "You're coming with me, whether you like it or not!"

Before he could even react, she dragged him out the nearest door, and into the castle gardens.

"Wow, ever heard of personal space? Don't you dare touch me ever again!" He spat, pushing her away.

She sneered back. "As if I would want to. Now would you care to explain to me why you of all people are here? Can't you leave me alone for even one second?"

"Psh. You think I want to be in the poor excuse of a palace? You think I want to help celebrate your dumb sibling's—" he said, face wrinkled in disgust.

"Hey! Bubbles is not dumb; she shows far greater intellect than the likes of you!" Blossom interjected indignantly.

"—birthday? 'Oh, I'm turning sixteen! I'm so special! Everyone look at me!'" Brick mocked, waving his hands about, purposely leaning down just to get in her face.

Blossom balled her fists, almost on the brink of hysteria. "Then leave! If you don't want to be here, then leave! Your filthy presence gone would do us all good."

"I can't! I'm obligated to stay!"

"Well whatever duty it is you have, you're in my kingdom, so I'm freeing you from them, alright? Go. Away!" She pointed a manicured finger in his face, making him take a step back.

Don't say it, don't say it, please, please don't say it.

"I already told you! I can't! Ima told me to come, and she sent a letter beforehand to your father, so if I leave she'll be on my ass like butter on bread!"

"Watch your mouth! And in that case, just stay out here! I don't want you ruining Bubbles birthday like you ruin everything for me!" Blossom lashed out, turning her back on him and opening the door back to the party.

"Fine."

"Great. Stay out here until the party ends. Don't come in." She snapped, stepping from the cobblestone onto the marble.

"Anything is better than being stuck with you." Brick muttered, his voice barely rising over the sound of people laughing, chatting, and dancing.


"Blossom!" Bubbles giggled, tugging at her sister's hand. "I couldn't help but notice you and Brick slipped away into the gardens!" She sang. "You didn't have to sneak you little boyfriend in, Bloss! I wouldn't mind inviting him."

The redhead sighed, her pink eyes drooping. "No, Bubbles. He's not my boyfriend. Brick is a pretentious idiot, remember? He said something about being forced to come, and I didn't want him at your party, so I told him to stay outside. He shouldn't be bothering anyone for at least an hour."

"Oh, Blossom! I'm so sorry! I just thought—since you two were—oh I didn't mean to jump conclusions," Bubbles gasped, her cheeks turning slightly red from embarrassment.

"No, no, it's fine. Now, run along. Go have yourself a fabulous birthday, alright?" Blossom waved her sister off, taking a seat in one of the chairs in the corner.

Her heart was still pounding in her head after the whole incident with Brick. He was just so gosh darn annoying, everything he did made her go insane. She was just glad he didn't bring up anything about the engagement between them.

Blossom knew that must've been what he had been referring to before; the obligation to come. She'd kept pleading and pleading inside of her mind for him not to say it out loud.

Things were already complicated enough.


Brick found a small swing in the garden after wandering around for a couple minutes. He promptly sat down in it, closing his eyes and enjoying the night air. Soft music wafted from the celebration, along with faint cheers and the light clinking of wine glasses.

Solitude was much better than fancy get-togethers or just spending time with people in general.

Mm. Far superior to Blossom's endless nagging. Yes, much more enjoyable.

He opened an eye and spotted her laughing with a group of girls, reaching for a tart from one of the silver platters that the servants were carrying around before taking a small nibble.

As much as he hated parties—especially ones involving the Utoniums—he didn't particularly appreciate being kicked out. He'd thought Blossom wouldn't be so immature as to ban one of her own guests.

She made him feel so angry. With that "holier than thou" expression always stitched onto her face. Made him feel less than he was.

She thought of him as garbarge, so it was only reasonable that he thought the same of her.

Right?


~ end of chapter 17 ~