The world was on fire/No one could save me but you - Wicked Game - Chris Isaak

"Nothing!" Blossom cried. "We do nothing at all, please! Brick, you've done enough!"

She made sure she didn't meet her sisters' eyes, not wanting to see their expressions after what they'd just learnt. "You're going to get into enough trouble as it is!"

"I don't give a fuck! He should be in a lot of trouble." Brick roared, his red eyes burning a hole into the side of Jeremy's head his glare was so ferocious.

"It's over. It's fine. I don't want this. I have much more important things to focus on now than dwelling on him, and what he did to me." Blossom said, though she could still only meet Brick's eyes.

Blossom stroked her stomach protectively, hating being in this close proximity to Jeremy.

"I am going to tell the police about this…" Jeremy slurred. "You're going to go to prison for what you've done to me!"

"That's rich, coming from you." Brick said, seizing him by the jaw. "Remember what you did to her? Here's an interesting tidbit: that night, Blossom called me as soon as she was able to. I know everything. There is absolutely NOTHING stopping me going to the police myself and reporting what you did. All the antagonistic shit you've said to her - all of it. I've seen what you've done to her. I've seen the way it's left her. So if you go to the police, I'll go to the police. And me? I'll get a few hours of community service, maybe a small sentence - something light. And I'll be fine in there. But you? You know you'll spend time, a lot of time. And guys in lock up? They fucking hate a rapist."

Jeremy looked like a deer caught in headlights. He swallowed hard at Brick's words.

"You go to the police, I'll go to the police. Maybe then you can explain to them why you left the country as soon as you were released from police custody - yeah that's right, I've done my homework. And you should remember - that's only on a good day. On a good day I'll go to the police. On a bad day, I'll fucking kill you. Understand?" Brick threatened, his voice filled with venom.

Jeremy nodded fearfully.

"And it's not just me you've got to look out for." Brick said, his brothers close beside him. "Now disappear."

Butch let him go, and he shakily ran out of the house as fast as he could manage.

There was an uneasy silence. Blossom, Bubbles nor Buttercup had seen Brick, Boomer or Butch act in such a threatening manner for a long time. And Bubbles and Buttercup could hardly believe what they'd just learned had happened to their sister.

Blossom broke the ice. "You didn't have to do that."

Brick looked up at her, eyes sincere. "Yes, we did."

They looked at each other for a few seconds. Brick's eyes travelled down to Blossom's bump, then back up again to her face. She nodded in reply.

The red ruff pulled his hands through his hair; something he did often when he was stressed. "We need to talk, don't we?"

"We do."

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" Brick asked her, hurt. She told him what Jeremy did straight away, but not that their one night of love had conceived a child - what gives?

Blossom sighed, lowering herself onto a chair in Bubbles' sunroom. "I didn't know till I was 3 months gone. I found out at the police department - when they did urine and blood tests."

"You found out then?" Brick reiterated, and she nodded sadly.

"I obviously had a lot of other things on my mind. I was scared, and to be honest I didn't know if the baby would be okay, due to the rohypnol. But, everything's okay so far, and they've been monitoring me more regularly at the hospital. I'm due 7th August, I'm 27 weeks gone right now." She explained.

"August? You're due in August? That's 3 months away!" Brick cried.

"I know… I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I should have told you before I left, I should have said."

"You hid it from me for like 6 months?!" Brick barked, and she shook her head.

"No, I missed the first 3 months myself. I only hid the last 3 months because I was in such a bad place. I needed to get my head straight. And I was just terrified -" Blossom began but he cut in.

"So you ran off? Just like I said?" He accused.

Blossom looked at him, her brow furrowed. "I didn't run! I didn't - okay fine, I guess I did kind of run. But it wasn't because I didn't want to tell you. I wanted you to know, I was just so messed up. It was easier to stay there and pretend for awhile until I really had to face the music."

The hurt look Brick was trying to hide made Blossom want to cry. "I'm sorry, Brick! I really am, I was just scared okay? After what that man did to me, not only did I have to start trying to deal with life now after that, but I had to face the fact that I was pregnant. Pregnant potentially to someone who was only talking to me because I'd called them in my hour of need, someone who hadn't spoken to me for months! I mean really, if it wasn't for what Jeremy did we wouldn't be talking now."

"Because you slept with Butch, my brother for a year, remember?" Brick mumbled, then his head clicked up sharply. "Hang on, you said potentially?"

"Well, at first I had no clue who the father was, I didn't know how far gone I was. If I was further along than I am, then -" Brick interrupted her, his voice severe.

"Blossom, is that my son or daughter in there, or my niece or nephew?"

Blossom's eyes were wide with shock from Brick's bluntness, but he deserved to know. "Son or daughter." She said, her voice dry.

"And how can you be sure?" Brick asked, his tone harsh.

"Because if it were Butch's child I'd be further along than I am. I hadn't seen Butch in awhile before we slept together. I'd been trying to stop it; he said some stuff and it just, it made me want to stop relying on it so much. And then that night happened, us… Can you honestly say you remember using any protection? I always did with Butch, always." She asked him.

"I'd already thought of that. I don't remember." Brick muttered.

"It was so…" Blossom mused.

"In the moment." They said in unison, then looked up at each other and smiled somewhat awkwardly.

But Brick's smile soon vanished into a serious frown. "You're positive? I mean really, can you even be positive?"

"I'm one hundred percent positive you're the father." Blossom answered him sincerely.

"You and Butch never had any accidents?" He countered with and she shook her head.

"Never."

"I couldn't take it if it's his." He mumbled quietly. "If you and him had a baby. I just, I couldn't take it."

"I know." She said in an equally small voice.

Brick froze, staring into space. Blossom watched him, wondering what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She whispered, her voice almost cracking.

Brick looked at her, eyes somber. He found it so hard to be around her and not think about the fact that she'd been with his brother. But he so wanted to be around her.

And now this? Keeping such an important thing from him, for 3 months. She shouldn't have disappeared. She should have stayed and told him, and let him be there for her. Was the last remaining months of her pregnancy going to be this way? Would she refuse to let him be there for her?

But then, he had no idea what had been going on in her head. She'd just been through that awful ordeal, and then found out she was pregnant. And like she said, they'd barely spoken, he'd actively told her he didn't want to talk to her. Then she discovered this. How did he expect her to react when her mind was anywhere but in a rational state?

He sighed. "How did things get so damn hard?"

She shrugged, like it took all the energy she could muster. "I have absolutely no idea. If someone had told 16 year old me that we'd end up like this? I'd have, I don't know, punched them in the head! I'd have never believed it for a second."

"Doubt I would either. This is all my fault really isn't it?" He said heavily.

She looked at him and shook her head gently. "No. I'm equally at fault."

"I didn't have to fucking sleep with my assistant though, did I?! That was inexcusable, unforgivable. My assistant, who I didn't even like?! Who I could barely even tolerate!" He cried angrily. "Over you." His voice was softer now as he looked down at her, with eyes filled with affection, the anger gone. "Over the only person who ever understood me. Whose ever really loved me."

Blossom gave him a condoling look. "No, you didn't have to do that. It was inexcusable. And many would argue that it was unforgivable too. And for a long time I would have agreed with them. But, there is still something here. And I think there always will be."

Brick gave her a slanted smile.

"I didn't have to sleep with your brother. For a year. When I didn't love him, I barely liked him. But I still did it. And even though I didn't do it to get back at you, we have both done wrong."

"I will never understand why or how you and him –" Brick began.

"And I will never understand why or how you slept with Carla, over an argument we'd had a million and one times. Look, from here on out, whatever outcome this has between us - it's gotta be semi amicable. We need to decide if we can put these things behind us." Blossom told him. There was a pause, and Brick sighed, looking up at the glass ceiling.

"Regardless of what you decide, I am doing this."

Brick looked down to see her stroking her bump.

"I couldn't be happier about it. This little baby has saved me from a dark place."

Buttercup and Bubbles waited outside Blossom's apartment silently. Bubbles had a red, scrubbed face; it was obvious to anyone she'd been doing an awful lot of crying.

Buttercup looked tired. It was obvious to anyone she'd not been doing an awful lot of sleeping.

When Blossom came to the door, peeking from behind the latch, she smiled warmly at her sisters. "Hi."

Buttercup smiled a tentative smile. "Hey."

Bubbles only sniffed in greeting.

Once they were in and sat down on her sofa, she offered coffee and tea and a few minutes later returned carrying a mug of coffee for Buttercup and a glass of OJ for Bubbles.

"So, how are you doing?" Buttercup asked awkwardly, trying to keep it normal - but at the same time not knowing if that was the correct way to act.

"I'm fine. Sleeping's getting hard. What with all the wriggling this one is doing." Blossom replied, her hand sitting on her tummy.

"I remember that." Buttercup answered, looking at Bubbles, waiting for her to agree, but Bubbles wasn't present. She was on the verge of tears.

"Have you heard from the Professor?" Buttercup asked, deciding Bubbles wasn't ready to join in on conversation at this moment in time.

"Yeah, he called earlier. That was an interesting conversation. He is happy though. Two grandchildren in a year huh?" Blossom said, a small smile on her face.

"Oh Blossom." Bubbles whispered sadly. "I am so sorry." The tears began to race down her cheeks then.

Blossom gave her a bewildered look. "Sorry? What on earth do you have to be sorry about?"

"This is all my fault!" Bubbles burbled, the tears coming thick and fast.

"How exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Blossom asked.

"I introduced you to him! I insisted you give it a go! I set you up with a, a monster! It's all my fault!" She yowled, sobbing.

Blossom heaved herself to her feet and sat down beside her sister, throwing her arms around her. "Don't be ridiculous! This is not your fault! This isn't any of our fault."

"I could have stopped him!" She insisted.

"No you couldn't Bubbles, only he knew what he had planned." Buttercup said darkly.

"Buttercup's right. He told me at the party he didn't even know he was going to do it; he reckoned it was chance. You can't guess chance." Blossom said sympathetically.

"But I could have stopped his target being you! They asked me to come that night! They asked me to come and I said no! If I were there it wouldn't have happened!" A whole fresh round of tears began.

"Bubbles, how were you to have known what he was going to do? How was anyone?" Blossom said, remembering looking for Bubbles that night.

"Exactly. Chances are he'd have still managed it. You just don't know. It's hindsight." Buttercup chipped in, putting an arm around her blonde, blubbing sister.

"He wouldn't have!" Bubbles wailed. "I wouldn't have let him take you away! I'd have taken you home myself! Then you would have been safe!"

"Bubbles please," Blossom implored, taking her sisters hands in hers. "Don't think about it like that anymore, okay? This was not your fault, do you understand? You're pregnant, and you were the the night it happened, clubbing is the last place you'd have wanted to go!"

"You were pregnant too! You were pregnant when he did this, I could have stopped it." Bubbles insisted, and Blossom shook her head fervently.

"Bubbles I know - but I didn't know! Please stop blaming yourself. It's okay - I'm okay. I'm - I'm getting there - healing slowly. This baby has helped a lot too. It's like a thin sliver of hope in my life. A silver lining." Blossom said, the baby kicking as if they knew they were being talked about.

Bubbles cracked a smile. "Well for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise for anything, silly." Blossom said, wiping a tear from her sister's rosy cheek. "None of this stress is any good for you and your baby girl."

"I'm not going to lie," Buttercup began, folding her arms over her chest. "I have been absolutely bat shit crazy angry since we found out. I wish I could have got my hands on that motherfu-"

"I think the boys did enough." Bubbles said, noticing her sister's sinister expression.

"Hmm, more than was necessary." Blossom agreed.

"What happened with Brick?" Bubbles asked, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at her eyes, trying to compose herself. She was about a hundred times more emotional as it was, carrying a little one.

"I don't know." Blossom said dejectedly. "We spoke, but I don't really know where we stand."

"Is he going to be involved?" Bubbles questioned, and Buttercup scoffed loudly.

"Of course he fucking is. Whether it be romantically is obviously up to you two, but that guy's paying his child's way regardless!"

"If we do decide to not be a couple, then yeah I am sure he'll do what he has to financially. It's not that I'm worried about though." Blossom said with a sigh. "I don't even know if he wants to be involved. He didn't really say, I guess he was still processing it all. There's so much we both need to move past."

"Maybe give him a call?" Bubbles offered.

"I guess I could invite him along to my check up this week coming." Blossom mused, eyeing her phone that sat on the coffee table.

"You should - and if he doesn't want to come, you should at least meet to talk. I know it's a lot to take in, but you deserve to know what's what." Bubbles said, and Blossom nodded her agreement.

Brick sat on his couch at home, trying to mull over everything that had happened. It had been a couple of days since Blossom had come home to Townsville. And since he found out he was going to be a Dad in just 3 months time.

Or so she insisted anyway. The thought that the baby wasn't his was just something he couldn't shake from his mind, no matter how certain she was he was the father.

She had just called him to ask if he wanted to come along to her antenatal appointment. He'd said yes, a little reluctantly. It wasn't because he didn't want to go, it just didn't seem real. It seemed like some weird strange illusion.

And he felt like if he started believing it and going along with the fact he was going to be a father, and have a baby with Blossom; if he allowed himself to get excited, then when the day the baby arrived came along, it'd arrive with jet black hair and emerald green eyes.

And it'd crush him.

Along with his relationships with Blossom and his brother.

He'd been looking forward to seeing Blossom, hoping she looked well. He'd missed her incredibly, and worried about her profusely. And she did look well. She was positively glowing, looking so curvy and womanly, her large bump in which his child grew. Or so she said.

He sighed, pulling his hands through his red hair. There was a slight shadow of doubt looming over it all. Which he guessed wouldn't fade until the baby arrived. It wasn't that he didn't trust her. He just felt like it wasn't something she could be so certain of. Yeah sure, she reckoned there was a big enough gap between himself and his brother to make it undeniably his baby. She'd said the dates added up, and factoring in the fact that they didn't use protection.

But it still could have been Butch's baby. And god, he could not deal with that. That would definitely, definitely be it for him.

He shook his head, holding it in his hands in exasperation.

Butch came out from his room to get a drink, looking over at Brick casually. He smirked, letting out a long whistle.

"Rather you than me bro." He told him, juggling a couple of mugs as the coffee machine whirred.

Brick scoffed angrily at him. "I couldn't agree more Butch. Rather me than you. I can't think of anything worse. Blossom bearing your child? The very notion makes my skin crawl."

"You and me both." Butch agreed, not taking what Brick said the way it was intended, as an insult.

Brick watched him for a moment, frowning deeply at him. "You're really not concerned about this?"

Butch shrugged. "I was at first when she walked in the size of a house. But, she said it's not mine."

"And that's it? You just believe that? I mean, you're not exactly out of the woods." Brick said, and Butch turned to look at him, his forest green eyes wide with panic.

"What do you mean? What have I missed?" He asked frantically, and Brick glared at him.

"Nothing. I just - how can you just accept it's not your kid and carry on like it's not your problem? Aren't you even a little bit worried she's wrong? You two had sex -" Brick began, glad when Butch interrupted him because it pained him so much to have to talk about Blossom and Butch having sex.

"We used condoms. Every time. No mishaps, no issues. You guys didn't. She says it's yours, it's yours. Plus, we all want it to be yours." Butch said, as he continued to make himself a cup of coffee.

"That doesn't mean it is mine." Brick mumbled, and Butch folded his arms across his chest.

"Dude she says it's yours. And you want it to be, right?" Butch said and Brick looked down at the floor, frowning.

"Of course I do." Brick replied.

"Then fucking go with it. I guess you two will get back together now?" Butch asked.

"I don't know. But that," Brick said, standing and turning to face him. "is none of your business."

Butch grunted in reply. "You know what Brick, you're pretty pathetic. I mean, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you just sitting here miserating and making the worst of the situation, when you could make the best of it? You do this, you've done it for years! You've got so much fucking money, yet you still live in this old apartment, holding onto dead memories. Blossom loves you, okay! Even though she found you fucking your assistant on the sofa, and now she's pregnant with your child - but you're still doubting you'll end up together! You're still brooding on your own, predicting the worst. What fucking more can you ask for? Yet you're still acting as if the world owes you so fucking much, sitting around waiting for something to happen!" He ranted angrily at his brother.

Sometimes, Butch hated Brick. He felt like things always seemed to land in his lap. The entire world bent over backwards for Brick. He fucking hated it.

Brick took it all in, glaring at his green eyed brother, fists squeezed together rigidly. Butch took a step away from him, expecting him to explode in a frenzy of anger; but he didn't. A little tiny smile popped onto Brick's face. And he laughed.

"What the fuck -" Butch muttered, looking at him incredulously. "Did I break you? Have you finally cracked?"

Brick turned, grabbing his laptop off the coffee table and flicking it on.

"What are you doing now?" Butch asked, stalking over to him, now satisfied that he wasn't going to pummel him.

"For once in your life, Butch, you're actually right about something. I'm making a change, that's what I'm doing. You can afford this place on your own, right?" Brick asked him.

Butch blinked dubiously. "I guess so, I dunno - why?"

"Because you're going to have to." Brick said as he clicked onto a property website.

Brick and Blossom sat in the doctor's waiting room, neither talking to the other much, both feeling an awkward tension in the air.

They hadn't spoken since Blossom's phone call inviting him to the appointment; Blossom and her sisters had come to the decision that the ball was in his court now, she couldn't do all the running around after him herself.

He wasn't being rude, and neither was Blossom; just they didn't know what to say to each other; or where to even begin.

"Blossom Utonium?"

She looked up, somewhat thankful for something to break the very loud silence in the room. She smiled at her obstetrician, then looked back at Brick, signalling for him to follow. He stood up before she did, helping her get to her feet.

"How are we feeling this week then, Blossom?" Dr Marsh said as they entered her room. She looked round from her computer to take Blossom's notes, looking at Brick curiously.

"This is Brick, Dr Marsh - he's the baby's father." Blossom said, and Brick couldn't help but notice how confident she sounded when she said that.

"I see, nice to meet you Brick. I'm Dr Chloe Marsh, Blossom's obstetrician." She said, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you." He said, taking a seat next to Blossom. His crimson eyes were peering at the doctor's room they were sitting in. The walls were lined with diagrams of baby's in utero and fetus's of all different developmental stages. He glanced from them to Blossom's stomach, and it seemed so mad to think there was a baby growing inside there.

His eyes went from Blossom's round tummy to a cork board by the doctor's desk - it was covered in photos of newborn babies; presumably ones she had delivered. It made Brick's stomach turn.

"And I'm doing fine." Blossom added, answering her obstetrician's original question. "My back aches, and I think I've started having the odd practice contraction, but apart from that, fine."

Brick's eyes had widened at the mention of practice contractions. He didn't even know that was a thing - the baby couldn't come yet, he thought he had 3 months?!

Chloe, a tall, thin woman, could feel the tension in the room, but didn't comment; it was far from her place. Sensing Brick's worry, she spoke to reassure them both. "Practice contractions, or Braxton hicks contractions, at your stage are perfectly normal - it's just your body warming up ready for the grand finale. If they become regular, or more intense, make sure you get yourself down to the labor ward just to get checked out. Baby kicking away?"

"Constantly." Blossom said, taking Brick's hand inadvertently and placing it onto her tummy.

Brick could feel tiny, jabbing feet, or where they little fists? Punching and kicking away at the heat of his hand on her stomach, the only thing in between skin to skin contact was the thin t shirt Blossom wore.

Brick's eyes widened in awe as he felt his baby moving for the first time. Blossom's cheeks reddened as she realised what she'd done, and she smiled at him, receiving a very un-Brick-like bashful smile back.

"Good, that's good. Do you have a sample for me?" She asked, and the sweet moment was broken as Blossom nodded and rummaged in her bag for the small pot of urine the obstetrician needed from her. She was sure to cover it in her hand as she passed it to the doctor.

Dr Marsh laughed as she went to the sink in the corner to test the sample. "You should know by now there's no dignity in pregnancy Blossom."

"I should, I am a doctor after all; there's no dignity in that either." She replied dryly.

Dr Marsh chuckled back, washing her hands after pouring away the sample. "All clear, which is what we want to see. Want to hop on the bed so we can measure this baby and see if we can find their heartbeat?"

Blossom looked at Brick, excitement visible in her eyes as she stood, yanking up her t shirt and stepping up onto the bed.

Brick thought her tummy almost seemed bigger bare. He was surprised at how beautiful he found it. Not that he didn't think pregnancy was a wonderful thing, it was. But Blossom looked so magnificent. He was actually disappointed when Dr Marsh stood in his line of vision in front of Blossom as she measured her tummy.

"30cm at 28 weeks. That's fine, all fine." She reached for the doppler to find the baby's heartbeat, and squirted some gel onto Blossom's belly. "Want to come and listen Dad?" Dr Marsh asked, gesturing at Brick to come stand with them.

Brick was stumped by being called Dad, but stood anyway, coming to a stand still by Blossom's head. She gently took his hand, watching his face to see how he reacted. He didn't let go.

A few whooshing, ocean-like sounds filled the room as she guided the device along Blossom's tummy, trying to find the baby. She had a quick feel of her bump. "Baby is head down, which is good, even though you've got a few weeks to go still. Laying posterior at the moment, but plenty of time to turn so no worries there. Some babies turn just before labor." She looked up to a nodding Blossom, and a confused looking Brick. "Posterior means the baby's back is the same way as Blossoms', so they are back to back. You want the baby to be anterior, back to belly. But I am sure they will turn in good time." All the while she was searching around on Blossom's tummy.

Suddenly a sound like no other filled the room. A quick rhythm, a galloping swishing sound. The baby's heartbeat. Brick's mouth fell open. It was a heart melting sound, and it made Brick feel extremely paternal. A heartbeat. That huge bump Blossom sported had a heartbeat. There was a little person in there, a little person half Blossom and half him.

The idea seemed so amazing, hard to believe. Yet people had babies everyday.

"Wow." He mumbled.

Blossom smiled. "I know. I cried the first time I heard it. Makes it all just that little bit real, doesn't it?"

Brick nodded, mouth still agog. It sure did.

r&r (: