No, I don't want to fall in love/This love is only gonna break your heart/With you/With you

"You've got your toothbrush packed?" Buttercup asked her son, twirling him around to check in his backpack herself.

"Yes!" He replied impatiently, turning himself back forcefully. Her kid may have been strong, but Buttercup was stronger. She demonstrated this as she turned him back around effortlessly.

"Change of underwear? Change of clothing? DVD's, swim trunks, a towel? Do you need anymore cash or will ten bucks do for swimming in the morning?" She asked, listing off the items in his backpack.

"Mommmmmm, I'm fine! You helped me pack!" Jay whined, yanking his backpack away from her, and turning to his friend apologetically.

"I know I did, but I also know what you're like, calling me at 3am because you forgot some toy or game console." Buttercup said, placing her hands on her hips.

They were standing at Jay's friends' doorstep. He was having a sleepover, then going swimming with his friend Toby in the morning. Buttercup wanted to make sure he was fully prepared, so she wouldn't be at his beck and call all day long, even when he wasn't at home.

Jay rolled his eyes. "Whatever Mom, can I go in now?"

"Is that how you say goodbye now?" Buttercup snapped, and Jay rolled his eyes again.

"Goodbyeeee Mom." He droned sarcastically.

"That's more like it." She replied equally as sarcastic. "You have my number if he's a little shit and you wanna strangle him?" This question was aimed at Toby's mother, who was almost quivering. It was safe to say the other Mom's on the playground were scared of Buttercup Utonium, and her son.

Toby's mother nodded fearfully, Buttercup nodded back. "Call me if you need me. Now be good, Jay. I mean it." She scruffed his black hair, and he tried to dodge it.

"Bye Mom."

Buttercup turned and watched him go in, then began to amble down the road. She'd had to park her car a few blocks down; the parking was awful in this kids' neighborhood.

She felt a little wary leaving Jay. More because she was scared of how he'd behave at someone else's house, than missing him. She would miss him though. Ahh well, they were the ones that asked him over…

She did a double take as she looked up at her car. There appeared to be a pair of legs on her bonnet. She sprang into the air and jetted over, stopping abruptly when she saw who it was. She banged a fist onto the bonnet, making him jump.

"Hey soccer mom." He said with a smirk.

Buttercup glared at him. "Butch, what the fuck are you doing here? Get off of my car."

He didn't move, just got more comfortable. Buttercup unlocked it and got into the driver's seat. Thinking she was going to drive anyway, Butch laughed, but his laugh turned into a yelp as Buttercup opened the bonnet, sending him to the floor.

"Jesus Christ…" He muttered, getting up and dusting himself off.

"Unluckily for you," Buttercup said, climbing out of the car. "I know how this car works." She grabbed the bonnet, popping the ding she had made when she'd banged the bonnet in anger back into place, and closed it gently.

"Oh good. Think you can put it into drive and make it move?" He teased, to which she rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him seriously.

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" He countered with infuriatingly.

"Well, I don't know, that's why I asked!" She sniped.

"I'm bored, aren't I?" He shrugged.

"So you thought you'd come and bug me?" Buttercup asked, turning her back on him and climbing into her car.

When he didn't answer straight away, Buttercup looked around momentarily. Butch was sat in the passenger seat beside her. "Pretty much."

"Get out!" She yelped.

"Can't we hang out?" He asked simply and she blinked at him.

"Get. Out."

"Hang. Out?" He queried back in the same blunt tone.

Buttercup grumbled as she relented, starting the engine. Butch smiled triumphantly, buckling up. Thoughts of driving hundreds of miles per hour and kicking him out of an open car door were rampant in her mind as she pulled onto the road.

The last place Buttercup wanted to be with Butch in tow was her home, so she'd driven to a drive thru restaurant not far off.

Butch had gotten them burgers and they were now sat in her car eating.

"So, remind me why you're here? And how the hell you knew where to find me?" Buttercup asked, folding her arms and glaring at him.

"I have my ways. Eat your burger." He answered casually.

She glared at him, then at the burger. "Don't you have work today?"

Butch worked as a fitness instructor at a large leisure centre downtown. Buttercup had made sure it was a different one to the centre she did her self defence classes in. The less she saw of Butch the better. Generally speaking, they didn't socialize anymore.

The arguments that would ensue between Buttercup and Mitch if they did, it just wasn't worth it. Not many current partners appreciated friendship or socializing with the ex.

When she'd dragged Butch away a couple of weeks ago at Blossom and Brick's place, she'd known instantly it was a bad idea. But Mitch wasn't there. He hadn't been there for awhile; he was constantly working at the minute.

Buttercup had no idea why he was doing as many hours as he could get, they'd been living comfortably on his contracted hours at the office. He practically lived at work nowadays.

But Buttercup hadn't let it play on her mind. Mitch could work all the time if that was what he wanted. Buttercup could also do what she wanted. He wasn't in charge of her. No one was. She could talk to who she wanted, even if it was Butch… Talking wasn't a crime, last she checked.

The thing about Butch was, no matter how long it had been, conversation came easy to them. Just as long as they avoided certain topics, anyway.

But right now, Buttercup didn't want to speak to him. He'd caused far too much trouble already just lately. And now, randomly coming to see her? It felt like a bad sign…

"Yeah, I had work this morning; I'm done for the day. Coached a load of lovely round ladies in their 50's. It was definitely the hottest class I've ever taught." He added sarcastically.

Buttercup laughed, kicking herself for doing so immediately after. "I'm sure they got their fill of you."

"Of course they did. Perks of the job, getting attention from a horny bunch of cougars." He dismissed, and she shook her head at him, trying not to smirk.

"So how come you suddenly want to hang out with me? Since when do we 'hang out' still? We're almost 30. Plus we're not exactly friends." She said, fiddling with the paper her burger was cradled in, trying to decide if she would eat it food he'd brought for her or not.

"No but that isn't my doing. And you're as young as you feel, soccer mom." Butch smirked.

She threw a balled up napkin at him. "Stop calling me that!"

"It's a compliment, soccer moms are usually hot. Definitely hotter than 50 year old cougars." He commented.

"Stop changing the subject. Answer my question." Buttercup demanded, finally taking a bite into her burger. Hey, it was a free lunch, even if Butch was the one to buy her it.

"What question?" He asked through a mouthful of cheeseburger.

"What are you doing here? In my car? That question." She said pointedly.

"Do I need an excuse to see an old friend?" Butch answered casually, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"Like I said earlier. We're not exactly friends, are we? Not anymore." Buttercup muttered. Her stomach had begun to flip and turn; this wasn't good, it wasn't good at all.

"Friends don't sit in a car and have a burger together after, years probably. So I think that's probably what we are. Old friends. Friends who are nearly 30 years old." He let out a low whistle. "Can you fucking believe how old we are? Just months left of being in our twenties. Shit!"

"As devastating as that is, you're changing the subject again." Buttercup murmured.

"You know I'd see a lot more of you if I could." He said, the banter completely gone, his voice was a little melancholy.

Buttercup scoffed. Like Butch, she wasn't great with serious situations. "No you would not. You were far too busy with my sister to even think of me." Once again, Buttercup was kicking herself. Why had she said that? It had just slipped out before she'd even thought about it.

He chuckled. "So you wanted me to think of you?"

"Of course not." She snapped automatically.

He raised an eyebrow at her, then shrugged. "Guy's gotta eat right? It was only a bit of fun. Wasn't meant to cause any harm."

"Hmmm... There's something wrong with you, I would never go for Boomer or Brick." She said, once again being unable to hold her tongue.

"Of course you wouldn't, your favorite rowdyruff is green, and in this car with you." Butch winked. Buttercup scoffed at him again.

"I do not have a favorite rowdyruff. You're all trouble, even the blue one when he wants to be." She complained, her tone half jovial half serious.

"I'm the worst one though right? Seducing the pink puff, leading a younger green puff astray. Bubbles is my only victim to have not suffered yet." Butch said sarcastically, stretching in his seat.

"You leave her alone." She quipped.

"I was kidding! I have no interest in Bubbles. Or Blossom."

"Or me - any of us." She added.

"Welllll, I wouldn't speak so soon on that." Butch said, pausing. Buttercup looked at him uneasily. "You got me thinking the other day."

Buttercup swallowed. "Thinking huh? You oughta be careful."

"Shut up." He laughed. "No seriously, thinking about us. Do you ever think of me anymore?"

Buttercup frowned. "Not fondly."

Butch cocked his head back and laughed loudly. Buttercup couldn't help but smirk at him. "Why are women like you so rare? I mean, we just click, I never click with anyone."

Buttercup felt her cheeks warm, and internally chastised herself furiously. "We're not rare Butch. We just don't go for guys like you. We're smarter than that. Also, we don't click. Not anymore."

Butch blinked, not knowing if she was kidding around or not.

"Now, get out of my car."

He knew she wasn't kidding then.

"Oh wow Blossom, you're absolutely huge!" Bubbles gushed as Blossom and Brick approached the table.

Blossom gave her a dry expression. "I never tire of people telling me how big I am."

"But it's only because you're pregnant!" Bubbles giggled as she patted her tummy. At 34 weeks pregnant, Bubbles was about as big as Blossom had been when she'd returned home from Paston. Blossom however, was the size of a house.

"I know." Blossom smiled, as Brick helped her into her seat.

He kissed the top of her head. "It could be any day now."

"Yeah," Blossom said with a nervy exhale of breath. "any day."

Blossom was due in just two weeks. Since her and Brick had patched things up, time was going incredibly quickly. Too quickly.

"Well, I am going to take a guess that Blossom and Brick are having a boy. Boy bumps are always bigger, so I've heard, girl bumps smaller." Kelly said, nodding at Blossom's belly.

"I've heard that too!" Bubbles agreed.

"Oh Kelly, that's just an old wives tale. All bumps are different, regardless of the sex of the baby." Blossom said, picking up the menu. "Bubbles is a slightly smaller build to me. That's probably all it is. She should think herself lucky. Less weight to lose after."

"I'm sure we'll bounce back, running around after kids. Buttercup sure did after Jay." Bubbles said, looking around for her green sister, who was late.

Brick was busy whispering in Blossom's ear how fantastic she looked pregnant, but that he couldn't wait to have her non pregnant form back again, to which she blushed profusely and swatted at his thigh.

Kelly had arranged a meal out with everyone, as they hadn't all gotten together in a long time.

"Aren't we a few chairs short?" Bubbles asked, noticing there were 8 seats at the large table. She'd been expecting there to be 10 of them.

"It's just Buttercup coming. Jay is at a friends house, and Mitch is working." The Professor said. "I think Buttercup's eager to keep his play dates going. He seems to be getting on really well with his new friend."

"Yeah, she's finally found someone who will have him over, and not mind the destruction he causes wherever he goes." Blossom said smiling, thinking fondly of her whirlwind nephew.

"I can't say I blame her. Remember the times we used to look after him as a toddler. He's such a rascal." Boomer said, to which Bubbles giggled.

"Definitely his mother's son. Speak of the devil, hey Buttercup! You're late!" Bubbles called to her brunette sister as she approached the table.

"Yeah, yeah sorry - Jay forgot some stupid game console or something. Had to go back for it. Buttercup sat down next to Brick a little begrudgingly, then glanced at her sisters. "You two had watermelons for dinner?"

Bubbles giggled and Blossom told her to be quiet.

Buttercup noticed the seat in front of her was empty. "I did tell you Mitch is working right?"

"Yeah, that seat's for Butch." Boomer said casually.

Buttercup screwed her face up. "Butch is coming? Why?"

"Of course he is Buttercup. He's family." Bubbles answered as she unfolded a napkin.

"Is he now..." She grumbled, talking to no one in particular and grabbing a menu rather violently.

Butch had been skating on thin ice just lately. The random visits hadn't stopped. She had no idea what he was playing at but she wished he'd quit it. If Mitch saw him hanging around her, god knows what he'd think. No good would come of it.

Everyone began to chatter amongst themselves, but Buttercup stayed silent on the end, hoping Butch wouldn't turn up.

As a few starters arrived he sauntered in; Buttercup flashed him a disapproving look as he took his seat in front of her.

"Didn't think you were coming." Brick said, the same unapproving look on his face as Buttercup had on hers. Although things were patched up between them, Brick still felt slightly agitated around him. He hoped it would fade once the baby was here, he didn't have long to wait now.

For once in their lives, Brick and Buttercup's feelings were mutual, the look Buttercup gave Butch was most definitely agitated.

"Forgot what restaurant it was." He said with a shrug, sitting opposite Buttercup. "Hey toots."

"Toots?" Buttercup asked incredulously. "Toots?! Seriously?"

He just chuckled, grabbing a menu.

He ordered his main meal to come with everyone else's, then looked at Buttercup in a challenging manner.

"So, soccer mom, how's your week been?" Butch asked Buttercup casually.

"You know how it's been, you've been bugging me constantly." Buttercup hissed under her breath back at him.

"Someone's touchy this evening." He commented and she gave him an irritated look.

"Just stop talking." She snapped.

The evening ensued much the same. Butch made comments that riled Buttercup, but no one else seemed to even notice. Apart from maybe Brick, as he was sat next to Buttercup. At one point he definiely noticed as he told Butch to settle down.

"I'm only having a laugh."

"No one's laughing." Brick said, making Butch roll his eyes.

Buttercup turned her attention away from Butch, and began to listen to Bubbles gabble on about her birth plan.

"We want a water birth, don't we Boomer? With some nice soothing music playing. I want it all calm, just me, Boomer and our little girl on her way." Bubbles said, a serene expression on her face.

Buttercup chuckled under her breath. "Sweet sweet Bubbles, it doesn't always go that way. It's not soothing. Or calm. It's bloody and sweaty and the complete opposite to calm. What about you Blossom? Have you got your head in the clouds too?"

Bubbles humfed, and folded her arms atop her bump.

"I don't have a birth plan. What happens, happens. Just as long as the baby gets here safely, that's all that counts to me. I mean I have a few requests. I'm gunna try without pain relief, if I can manage without it."

Buttercup nodded. "I managed it. It aint easy though. Definitely no walk in the park, even for us."

"I'll take pain relief if I think I need it but, I am sure I'll manage too." Bubbles said, squeezing Boomers hand.

"It doesn't matter does it? Just as long as baby is safe." Blossom smiled.

Buttercup felt calmer already for not having looked at Butch for a while. The main meals came down and she joined in the conversation, ignoring Butch and beginning to have a nice time.

Then she suddenly felt a foot on her calf. Thinking it was just an accident; she ignored it. Butch wouldn't dare. Then she felt it again. But this time it was no accident, the foot, his foot, was travelling. Higher and higher, till it reached her mid thigh.

Buttercup booted him in the shin. Hard. So hard that he fell off his chair.

Everyone looked round, Bubbles gasping at the force he hit the floor. Half the restaurant looked around.

Buttercup continued eating innocently. Brick looked at her searchingly, then at his cackling brother on the floor.

"I was err, swinging on my chair legs." He mumbled, grinning. "I fell off."

"You moron." Boomer said, to which the others laughed.

Brick was still looking at them both scrupulously; he then gave Butch a menacing look. Butch looked at him, unsullied, and carried on eating his dinner.

Buttercup sent a hard glare his way. "Watch your back Butch Jojo."

"I'd rather watch yours." He muttered, smiling up at her.

Conversation continued after the disruption, and it turned to baby names.

"We have a name but we're not telling." Bubbles said, stroking her bump. "We want it to be a surprise when she gets here."

"I haven't even thought of names… And we've only got two weeks." Blossom mumbled, looking worried.

"We'll know when we see the baby." Brick said reassuringly.

He seemed a little off, Blossom noticed, but didn't mention anything. She worried it was Butch's presence, but he seemed to be annoying Buttercup more than anything. She hadn't seen the pair of them talk as much as they had today in a long time. Not that they were being civil or anything. But that was pretty normal for them.

"Why did you and Mitch choose Jay, Buttercup?" Bubbles asked curiously.

"Well, I wanted to name him John after the Professor, but Mitch wanted to call him Jacob after his Dad. So, we settled on Jay, because it's kind of a compromise." Buttercup shrugged.

"That's really sweet!" Bubbles cooed.

"And an honour." The Professor said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"And very concordant of you." Blossom added, surprise on her face.

She noticed in the corner of her eye Butch giving her a funny look. So did Brick.

Buttercup turned and scowled at him. "Just don't."

Butch's expression almost seemed hurt. He looked down into his lap for a few seconds, then looked up at Buttercup again, the same somber look gracing his features.

"Don't look at me like that okay?" She hissed, thinking no one could hear. "I fucking mean it."

"What's the matter?" Brick asked.

"Nothing." Butch and Buttercup replied simultaneously, in the same flat voice.

Brick arched an eyebrow at them.

r&r :)