I always will/I always will/I always will

Buttercup reached the room Blossom had shut herself in first, her blonde sister close behind. She turned quickly and pointed a lethal hand at Brick and Butch. "You two back off. Let us talk to her first." She warned.

"But, but that thing could be -" Butch cried incredulously and Buttercup cut him off.

"I know! Just let us talk to her." The look she gave him somehow quieted him and he didn't contest her again.

Shutting the door behind them, Blossom's sisters rounded on her the moment it clicked close.

"You're pregnant?!" Buttercup asked, flabbergasted. "Blossom! How could you keep this from us?!"

Blossom sighed. "I'm sorry okay I really am - I planned to tell you both while I was at Mandeville but - I was so busy and it never happened.. So I was going to tell you both today - but I didn't know my entire family and friends would be here tonight!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise welcome home party..." Bubbles said in a small voice, her eyes on Blossoms' bump.

"Why did you not tell us as soon as you found out?!" Buttercup cried, annoyed. Her and Bubbles had been the first people she had gone to when she had found out she was expecting Jay. It hurt to know she hadn't felt she could do the same with her.

"I found out late myself, I've only known for like three months. I wasn't in the greatest of places mentally." Blossom said, skirting around what had happened with Jeremy. "I just wanted to go to Mandeville for 3 months, clear my head and come back and tell you all my news. And that's exactly what would have happened; I didn't plan for you all to find out like this all at once. Especially not Brick." Blossom winced. "I was taking your advice, Buttercup. Go away for 3 months, get your head sorted, that's what I've done!"

"Yes but you could have slipped in the fact that you are going to have a baby!" Buttercup replied.

"I didn't know then! I didn't know at New Years! When Bubbles announced her pregnancy, I didn't know I was also pregnant." Blossom explained.

There was a pause. "How far gone are you?" Bubbles asked.

"27 weeks. I'm due 7th August. I didn't find out till I was 13 weeks gone." Blossom said, looking at her blonde sister with worried eyes.

"Who's the father?" Buttercup asked, her voice hard and serious now, the shock dissipating.

"Brick." Blossom said, exasperated.

"You're positive?" Buttercup authenticated. "I mean, Butch - You're certain it isn't him?"

"Absolutely. I've done all the maths with dates - it had to be Brick. Plus, TMI and all but we didn't actually use protection the night we spent together." Blossom replied. Buttercup stared at her, nodding lightly. Relief was clear on her face. "Butch and I - we always did."

"And I take it from Brick's face he doesn't know this yet?" The brunette asked, and Blossom shook her head.

"No. I planned to tell him tomorrow - or tonight, or something. But, he obviously knows now. Look, I'm so sorry I didn't say something sooner. I was just so screwed up and confused I didn't know what to do, and I was frightened. But, now I'm so happy." Blossom said, patting her tummy affectionately.

"You're happy?" Bubbles asked, her voice perking up.

"I am. I'm doing this, with or without Brick. And really, I can't wait. It's given me a new purpose." Blossom said softly.

Bubbles smiled at her sister then. "Oh wow, I'm gunna be an Aunty again. Blossom, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations - ooh, we're bump buddies!"

"Oh Bubbles that means the world to me! I was so worried you'd think I was stealing your thunder or something!" Blossom told her guiltily.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Bubbles cried, pulling both her sisters into an awkward, bumpy hug. "That's my niece or nephew in there! Ooo, niece or nephew?! Do you know?"

"I didn't find out. But I hear this is my first niece in your tummy?" Blossom said, placing a hand on Bubbles' petite bump.

"That's right, little girl blue!" Bubbles said happily. "You should have seen Boomer's face, he was convinced it was a boy - he's excited now though of course -"

"Guys, I hate to break up the party, but there are two guys outside going crazy wondering if they're going to be fathers soon!" Buttercup cried, hearing Butch going insane with cry's of 'My life is over my life is over!' outside.

"You're right, I better talk to them. Whatever he says, it doesn't matter. I can do this on my own, I know I can." Blossom said, stroking her stomach tenderly.

Buttercup scoffed. "Hey, it takes two to tango Blossom."

"We're not together. We're not a family, and he won't want that anyway, not after what I did with Butch… I mean, there's a high possibility he won't even believe me when I tell him he's the Dad." Blossom mused sadly. "I think that's one of the reasons I've delayed telling him for so long. In case I now have to endure like 3 months of speculation and disgust from him until the baby is born and I can properly prove it to him. But, this is funnily enough the most positive thing that I've had come my way in a long time. I can't wait to do this, I can't wait to be a mother."

Bubbles and Buttercup smiled at her warmly. "Focus on that okay? Come on, it's going to be okay. We're here for you, no matter what."

"My life is over my life is OVER! I can't fucking believe this! How could this have happened?! It's gotta be yours, it's just got to be!" Butch yowled, almost hysterical.

Brick simmered quietly nearby, glaring at Butch.

He found himself praying internally that the baby was his, and not his fuckwit brothers'. He couldn't think of anything worse, Blossom having Butch's baby. But then, he could think of worse: Jeremy; after all, he had no idea how far gone she was. Her stomach was pretty large. It seemed unlikely to be his.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" Boomer asked, trying to break the tension that stood in the room between his brothers. They were hanging around in the hallway - Mitch had managed to usher everyone else down the other end of the house.

"Do I fucking look like I knew she was pregnant? Now it makes sense why she was so eager to go on this stupid work thing." Brick spat angrily.

"Why are you so mad, it's not the end of the world if the kid is yours -" Boomer started, but Brick cut him off.

"I know that! That's not why I'm mad! I'm mad cos - cos she didn't fucking tell me, and cos there's a slim possibility that Butch has figured out how to reproduce. And, it's potentially with - with Blossom." He added; his voice becoming distraught on the last sentence.

"It might not be! You know what Butch is like with contraception - he's always got it on him. Like we said at New Years, it's a wonder he hasn't got a few kids, the way he's always been with women. But he doesn't because he's always carrying rubbers. And actually using them. I really doubt he'd change that with Blossom." Boomer said, glancing at his brunette brother who was pacing up and down, exclaiming: "We used a condom! We always used a condom - do those things not work anymore?!"

"See?" Boomer reiterated.

Brick pulled at his red hair and sighed. "I don't know. Come to think of it, I don't think we did use anything that night before Thanksgiving. Not that I remember…"

"Well, there you go then…" Boomer added. There was a pause, in which Butch paced and gabbled crazy murmurings, and Brick sat quietly contemplating what had happened in the space of 5 minutes.

"Brick…" Boomer said in a hushed voice. Brick looked up in response. "I know this isn't really the best time but, could you possibly go into more detail about Jeremy, and what you said about him being dangerous?"

"What? No, he's the last person I want to talk about right now." Brick groused.

"But Brick, it's important -" Boomer urged.

"As important as the fact that I could have a kid on the way?! And soon, by the size of her!" Brick barked.

"Well, maybe! I overheard some of Bubbles' dancer friends earlier saying they didn't know why Bubbles had invited almost everyone else but not him. They were saying he's not been back long and Bubbles didn't even bother to invite him, I think they were going to call him and invite him over. You said he was dangerous; I don't want him here if that's the case. Why don't I want him here though, Brick? Tell me what happened!" Boomer explained.

"He might be coming here? No, he won't - he wouldn't be so stupid... He's not getting past the front door if I can help it." Brick growled. "He's not coming anywhere near Blossom."

"But why! Brick, you have to tell me why! I'll help!" Boomer pleaded.

Brick grunted, frustrated. It would be easier if he knew. "I just, I can't! It's not because I don't want to…"

"That's what you said the other day! What did he do to Blossom? Tell me Brick, my wife works with this guy!" Boomer almost begged.

Brick sighed. "He slipped something in her drink, at a club." Brick said in a hurried, quiet voice.

"He what?" Boomer was confused.

Brick looked around, then lowered his head. "He slipped something in her drink. Knocked her out and… You can guess the rest. About a week before she left. She went to the police, made a statement, but now won't press charges. She's dropped it all and doesn't want anything to do with it all anymore -"

Boomer interrupted him. "Are you saying he raped her?" Brick hissed at him to keep his voice down. Boomer's eyes were wide with rage. "What the fuck?! Why the hell haven't we done anything?!" He cried furiously.

"Keep your voice down! I haven't yet, but not for lack of trying. You know yourself he left the country. And now you know why. I don't know if he knows I'm after him or not, but he split either way. But, if he's walking right into the palm of my hands tonight…" An evil glint flashed into Brick's eye, one Boomer hadn't seen for a long time.

"What are you two girls whispering about?! That thing could be mine!" Butch yelped at the two of them. "What the fuck am I going to do?"

Brick gave him a baneful glare and got up. "I'm going to wait for him to get here, and stop him getting inside."

A couple of minutes after Brick left, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup exited Bubbles' room.

Butch looked up at Blossom with huge, hopeful eyes. "Blossom, Blossom - I'm sorry I was a dick - but please say you've not come here to tell me -"

"Butch, it's not yours. Okay?" Blossom snapped, and she watched him visibly wilt in relief.

"Oh my god - thank fuck. Sorry but, that would have been a fucking mess!" Butch said breathlessly, eyeing Buttercup, who was staring at him; her expression a mixture of disdain but also relief.

"Where's Brick?" Blossom asked, turning to Boomer, who she had noticed had been staring at her with a strange, almost saddened expression.

"He just umm -" Boomer started, his eyes flitting towards the front door. He wasn't really sure how to explain what was happening - and he didn't know if he should warn Blossom of Jeremy's potential arrival.

Blossom's rose eyes peeked at the door too, and she nodded understandingly. "He's left? Right, okay. I get it. It's fine." She said, sounding like she meant the exact opposite. She began to stalk out of the hallway towards the bathroom.

"Blossom wait!" Boomer cried but she carried on.

"I'm just going to the bathroom!" Blossom yelled, and they left her to it, no-one daring to rise the beast.

"Where is Brick?" Buttercup asked.

"He's outside…" Boomer mumbled. Buttercup decided to go and get him.

"Hey you! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Brick glanced around, confused. Buttercup stood at the front door looking angry.

"Get back in here! What, are you running away or something?!" Buttercup growled grabbing Brick's collar and dragging him back inside.

"Hey hey - get off of me! I wasn't running away. I was just -"

"I don't care what you were just doing. Get in here now." She pulled him into Bubbles and Boomer's house and into the study Blossom had been sitting in minutes before. "I'm sure you're pretty shocked right now but you have gotta snap out of it, she needs you!"

"I'm not running away or anything, I was just looking out for Jeremy, apparently he's coming over and I, I know Blossom won't want to see him." Brick said, trying not to give anything away.

Though how Buttercup would guess he had no clue.

"Who gives a fuck about Jeremy! Blossom is pregnant, okay?! Now you need to get out there and talk to her!" Buttercup said, and Brick nodded.

"I know. It's just - right, no, I know." He stuttered, his head all over the place. "Is it mine?"

Buttercup's expression softened - but only a little bit. "Just go and talk to her!"

Meanwhile, Blossom managed to slip into the kitchen and fix herself a drink of juice. No one followed her in, Buttercup was still off hunting down Brick, and Bubbles and Boomer had dashed off to the living room to try and save face with the remaining guests - including the Professor.

She was glad of this though. She needed a moment to process everything that had just happened. Leaning on the worktop, she exhaled slowly. What a mess.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice that made her freeze in fear.

"Blossom - welcome home. God, it's been awhile, right?" Jeremy's voice was a harsh whisper from behind her.

Blossom's back went poker straight and her eyes widened with shock. He was right behind her.

"So how are you? I was surprised you skipped out on me like that." He asked her, as Blossom tried to steady her breathing.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a strangled voice.

"Just came to party Blossom, and welcome you home - just like everyone else. Oh, and to thank you as well: for not pressing charges." His voice took a sinister turn then. "You know it was just down to chance that it was you. It could have been any girl in the club that night. It's so easy. Too easy. And I don't normally have any involvement with the police either, but it seemed the roofie didn't last as long in you as it normally does in ordinary girls. I have a whole little skit, it's a shame you missed it. I pop out for breakfast stuff after - you wake up to a nice spread. 'How are you feeling? I took you to my place because it was closer than yours, and you seemed so ill, I just wanted to get you to a safe place, and let you rest. I was so worried.'" He laughed viciously. "Fools them every time, as far as I know. None of them have been as brave as you though, rushing straight to the police station. And I should expect no less, from someone like you."

He took a step closer to her, so close she could now feel his breath on her neck. It gave her a sickening sense of déjà vu, but she was frozen rigid to the spot.

"You never slept with me when we were dating. No way - you wouldn't give it up. Too good for me. At least this way I got what I was after. And who'd have known there was such a rocking body underneath those scrubs of yours, hmm?" Jeremy purred, stroking Blossom's hip.

But that was enough to make her snap. Him, and his hand, so close to where her baby was.

She turned sharply to get him away from her, her bump almost knocking him back. Jeremy looked down at her round stomach, his face a picture of shock.

"But, but, how? I used a condom. I used protection!" He started babbling.

"My baby is not yours! When you did what you did to me, I was pregnant." Blossom growled, a protective maternal surge giving her strength.

Jeremy opened his mouth to say something, but someone tapped him on the shoulder.

As he turned, a huge fist to the face greeted him, which sent him spiralling to the floor.

But Brick wasn't done there. He raised a large foot and stamped on his face, blood erupting from his nose. Blossom knew she should have stopped him, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

Instead she just watched as Brick senselessly beat him in her sisters kitchen.

Boomer and Butch were the first to come running in, but neither moved to stop him in anyway. Boomer because he knew Jeremy had it coming, Butch because he didn't really care. He loved a good fight, he was more inclined to join in than to put a stop to it.

It was Buttercup who managed to pull Brick off Jeremy, who was now a swollen, bloody mess on the floor, partially conscious. Bubbles had tried to too but Boomer had hooked his arm around hers and stopped her getting anywhere near him.

"What the hell is going on?" Buttercup yelled. She was grateful Mitch had put some music on in the other room, it meant all this happened without an audience.

"Boomer! Why did you stop me?! And why didn't you stop him! Look there's blood everywhere, oh my god are you okay?! We need to call him an ambulance!" Bubbles yelped angrily as Buttercup held Jeremy up, blood pouring from his nose still, his face so swollen you could barely find his eyes.

"No, we don't." Boomer said flatly, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"Yes we do!" Bubbles said shrilly. "What is the matter with you?!"

Blossom gave Brick a shocked, dismayed look. "You told him?!"

"I had to - for his wife's sake! Your sister, I may remind you! She's around this guy 4 days in a week!" Brick said, pointing to Jeremy, still being held up by Buttercup but trying to bend over feebly.

"What the fuck is going on here?! If someone doesn't start explaining -" Buttercup growled, but Blossom interrupted.

"I am not talking about this." She hissed furiously, promptly leaving the kitchen. Buttercup chucked Jeremy aside, and herself Bubbles, Brick and Boomer followed. Butch trailed behind them out of sheer curiosity.

As they all piled into Bubbles' hallway, Butch closed the door behind them. There was a mixture of protests from Blossom's sisters.

"I have had enough of this! Tell us what is going on! There's too many lies and too much deceit amongst all of us, I'm fed up with it! I'm fed up with all the secrets! First a secret baby - now whatever this is?!" Bubbles cried, her voice going so high it was only dogs that could understand her. "What has Jeremy done, why have you just beaten him to a pulp in my kitchen?!" She rounded on Brick.

He looked from Bubbles to Blossom, torn. Blossom gave him a pleading look, slightly shaking her head.

He sighed. "Bloss, they deserve to know! Just tell them."

"Brick!" She growled ferociously.

"Deserve to know what?! Just tell us Blossom!" Buttercup barked.

"Why did you attack him?" Bubbles asked once more.

"Because, because of what he did to Blossom!" Brick finally cried.

There was an awkward pause, broken by Buttercup's loud scoff. "Oh for god's sake Brick! They've been over for months! They weren't even actually dating! If you want Blossom so badly then maybe you shouldn't have cheated on her. You'd still be together now if you hadn't done that! Fucking beating up a guy for sniffing around her. I mean I didn't see you give Butch this treatment -"

This angered Brick; he interrupted her. "I didn't beat him up because he happened to go on a couple of dates with Blossom ages ago! I have an actual legitimate reason!"

"Well what?" Buttercup asked sharply.

"I did it because -" The red ruff hesitated, glancing at Blossom.

"Just tell them Brick or I will!" Boomer urged. Blossom let out a resigned sigh, and covered her face with her hands, lowering herself onto the old vintage armchair in Bubbles' hallway.

"He - he raped her!" Brick blurted before he could stop himself.

Bubbles gasped, and Buttercup's mouth fell open. Even Butch's eyebrows rose in shock.

"He drugged her. He put rohypnol in her drink at a nightclub, and he took her back to his place, and he had sex with her while she was unable to stop him. And somehow, he is managing to get away with it." Brick said, hoping to incite the same rage in them that he felt. "He is out there right now, fucking getting away with it!"

Brick's last statement wasn't exactly true. Butch had disappeared out of the door, and seconds later returned holding a bloodied Jeremy by the throat.

"No, that's not something you do to a lady. Not something you get away with, anyway. So boys - what do we do with him now?" Butch asked his brothers, his voice aglow with evil.

r&r (: