My word, I am so sorry! It feels like it's been an eternity since I've uploaded one of these chapters! But fear not, there are many more to come down the pike!
I'd like to thank Nickstar777 for this prompt idea! :) It definitely wasn't one I would have thought of myself, and it's such a good one for these guys.
As always, I own nothing. Just putting words on a page!
Onto the story!
The door to his room opened, letting in a sliver of light from the hallway. Butch groaned, flinching away from the light. Tiny feet toddled against the carpet, causing him to sit up.
"Baby Girl? What are you doin' up?"
Grateful to see someone awake, Belladonna scrambled over to his side of the bed.
"Daddy! Mommy okay?" Her big eyes were watery, so Butch scooped her up.
"Of course Mommy's okay. See? She's right here."
BD put her hand on Buttercup's face, and Buttercup's eyes flew open. "Hi, Baby Girl. You okay?"
"No monster get Mommy?"
Butch's eyes widened as Buttercup's mouth fell into a gape.
"Honey, no. Why would you think that?" Buttercup sat up too, albeit more slowly due to her ever-growing tummy, and BD crawled into her lap.
"Monsters get Mommy on the TV. Had a dream monster eated Mommy." Clinging to her mother, their little girl let out a little sob. "No get eated."
"Of course not." Buttercup held her even tighter, meeting Butch's gaze.
He swallowed thickly. The two of them knew they weren't going to be able to keep Belladonna in the dark forever about what her mother and aunts did – how they saved the day. In fact, they both knew the option for her to train to do the same would come before they knew it. But they hadn't known for sure how it would affect her.
Butch must have left the television on when he went to make them dinner. He was sure to receive an earful about it later – deservedly so. They'd agreed not to show BD those fights until she at least turned three.
But, selfishly, there was a part of him that was grateful his daughter brought it up instead. He knew his wife could kick serious ass. There was no doubt in his mind about that. However, Butch also knew how reckless she could be in battle, having experienced it firsthand. And with her being over seven months pregnant, she really shouldn't be pushing herself like this.
She wouldn't listen to him, of course. Scowled and told him she could handle herself.
His only solace, if one could call it that, was that she ignored her father and sisters just as much when they voiced their concerns. Refused to be treated like an "invalid" just because she was pregnant.
Buttercup, his beautiful wife, was stubborn as a mule.
However, maybe their baby girl's tears would be enough to convince her.
The lime green orbs left his to return their attention to BD. "Honey, I'm okay. It's Mommy's job to stop the monsters."
"NO!" BD wailed. "Mommy no safe! Mommy get eated!"
And Butch watched his wife's heart break. She'd been protecting the city for so long – giving it up was an impossibility. But how could she tell that to their inconsolable child? Who only worried for her safety because she loved her Mommy so much.
Buttercup cleared her throat. "O-okay, Baby Girl. Mommy promises not to fight anymore monsters until after your brother is born, okay?"
"NO! Never! No more monsters!"
The desperation in Buttercup's expression finally made Butch scoop their daughter back. "Listen, Baby Girl. Mommy made you a promise to not fight anymore until after your brother is born. But then Mommy has to do her job. She keeps Townsville safe."
"BUT –"
"I know. It scares me too. But how about I make you a deal?"
BD's watery gaze met his warily. "Deal?"
"Anytime you're scared, or you just want to make sure that Mommy is okay, you can come in here. And if you need to, you can sleep in here with us. Until you're not so scared anymore. Okay?"
Their daughter considered. Her emerald eyes darted towards her mother once more before she slowly nodded. "Okay, Daddy."
Butch couldn't help but smile. "That's my girl." He hugged her to his chest with one arm while the other wrapped around Buttercup's shoulders. Pressing a kiss to his wife's temple, he asked BD, "Do you want to stay in here tonight?"
"Yes, Daddy."
He placed her between them, and BD immediately grasped her little hand around one of Buttercup's fingers. Within minutes, she'd drifted back off to sleep.
Before he could settle back into bed himself, Butch caught Buttercup staring at him. "What is it, Spitfire? You okay?"
"You never told me," she accused.
"Never told you what?"
"That what I did scared you." Buttercup's gaze remained hard. "I've been doing this since I was five. I can take care of myself. What the hell do you have to be scared of?"
With a sigh, he placed his fingers delicately under her chin. "It only takes once for me to lose you." He pressed another kiss on her skin, to her forehead this time. "You're the most badass woman I know. I will never doubt your ability to kick monster ass. But I will always be afraid of losing you."
Finally, those eyes softened. "You really think I'd lose to a monster?"
"Nope. But I'm too awesome for you to leave in any other way, so it's the scariest way of losing you I can picture." The joke fell a little flat, but the corner of her mouth tilted, and that counted as a victory in his book right now. He needed both of his best girls to be happy.
"You're such a jackass." With a roll of her eyes, she gave him a soft kiss. "Good night, you big worrywart."
"Good night, Spitfire. I love you."
She grinned. "I know."
Butch chuckled before settling into the covers. As his eyes began to flutter closed, her voice broke the silence again.
"Butch?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you too, you know."
"I know."
Thus Butch fell asleep with a smile on his lips with his whole world contained in one king bed.
And that raps up another little chapter of this universe! :)
If you have the time, I'd love to know what you think. And, as always, if there's anything you'd like to see and I can fit it in/it doesn't directly conflict with anything I have planned already, I'd love to hear what you'd like to see.
Thank you so much for reading!
Love and Rockets,
Stranique