Heyya guys! Sorry for such a long wait... This is a relativley long Chapter. I hope its' not too boring for ya!

disclaimer: I own nothing... Why is it that I'm always eating Ramen when I publish? EAT RAMEN IT HELPS TO KICK WRITER BLOCK ASS!

-Blossoms' POV-

Saturday the 8th of August, 8:04 pm.

I never heard from him…

Nothing… I heard nothing from him after that one day on the beach.

I wasn't really going crazy but I was still curious.

Boomer and Butch would occasionally call my sisters. They never came to our house but occasionally Bubbles and Buttercup sometimes out behind the Professor's back to see them.

That night when we went back to help the Professor we didn't tell him about the small encounter with the boys. We knew he wouldn't approve of us seeing them anyway.

I did miss Brick. I somehow felt a strange connection with him, like I had always known him for some reason.

One thing I was curious about however was: why did he shut himself off from the world? Why was he a little inward for some of his life unlike his brothers? And who was this woman whom he called his "mother" now?

That lady is a brave woman. I decided that I really wanted to meet her and get to know her a little more. She sounds very interesting.

Bubbles and Buttercup were out again.

It had been 2 months and now it was getting close to being time for high school again. I was excited to get back to school. I knew that the boys will be there this year but I thought to myself that if I stick to my routine and even if Brick was there, I would be able to let go of whatever attachment I had developed to him after spending just one friggin day together. I hate my hormones…

I sat in my room listening to music on my laptop. I had set up a play list with all the songs that were stuck in my head. Some of the songs were as some may call out of character for me.

When people look at me, they think I'm the kind of girl that listens to classical music or something. I do listen to some. I have learned and grown up to appreciate almost every single kind of music in almost every culture or language. Nothing really bothered me.

I did have some favorites though… I preferred some rock and some house music I guess. People would be shocked to know that I listened to dance music at all because even though I looked really shy, I have always loved to dance. Especially when I'm all alone in the house on a Friday night or something, I would go to my room, crank up the music on my stereo speakers and dance all alone like a nut. The only time I did that outside was that one day on the beach.

It was freeing; the most liberal thing in the world, to float around and dance to everything and nothing like you had no care in the world.

I considered doing that right now as I listened to this song (A/N: try to listen to the song as you are reading this section, it is on my play list and there is a link to it in my profile. The music makes it so much more bearable to read ^^). It is an Irish song, no words, just music and it is amazing. The Blood of Cú Chulainn' is what it's called and it is beautiful. It just makes me feel like floating in the air and moving to its rhythm. I knew that if I closed my eyes long enough I would smell the deep sea breeze that encompasses Ireland or feel the green grass that covered its land mass. More than anything perhaps, I wanted to be there. To be free from any stereotype I was placed under and to meet people who wouldn't judge me based on that. I needed someone to see through everything, to see the real me for a change; a person who appreciates beauty and music in its true forms and above all, a person who longs to be free and happy.

The things that brought that out in me were very few. Music is one of them and somehow, so was Brick. That night when we played guitar, it was amazing. To be bad I thought… felt so good.

I know it sounds wrong because we probably had no business on that stage but I loved it and part of me longed to do it again. To feel the rush of the audience cheering and having your fingers slide up and down the guitar neck. Strumming away to your favorite songs and not giving a damn what others thought, was really powerful. I sighed as I combed my finger through my still wet hair.

I was already on my bed although it was a Saturday night. The sun had just set and everything had a halo to it as the awkward stage of twilight came around. I walked up to my window and looked outside. No one was out except the occasional jogger or stroller.

One woman was walking her dog around. The dog had its fur cut and styled almost exactly the way the woman had her hair. It was very funny. I chuckled as I turned around to go see what the Professor was up to. As I went downstairs, I smelled a chocolaty scent of cookies baking in the oven. I took a deep breath and dove down the stairs to see if I can steal some before my sisters came back.

In the kitchen, the professor was in his pink apron that said "suga mama can cook too" on and humming to some old 80s song that he had playing on the radio as he checked on what I suspected to be his special chocolate chip cookies in the oven.

I grabbed some on a plate and went back to my room after having a quick chat with my father. When I went back to my room, I lay the plate of freshly baked cookies on my desk and went to sit by my bed again as I nibbled on one of the cookies.

The music had stopped playing.

I sighed and closed my eyes. As I opened them, I noticed something behind the corner of my closet; a case of some sort. I set the cookie aside and got up to walk over to my closet.

Oh!

It's my old violin! I hadn't set hands on this for years!

The case was now covered with dust. It's been at least 3 years since I've last played it… I patted the dust slowly off of the case hoping not to damage the expensive wood work. I remember the professor had to chip in a lot to get this for me as a birthday present.

I set the case on my bed and I waited before opening it, as if for fear of finding nothing inside…

But it was all in my head.

My old violin was just as it was when I last left it. The color of aged oak… I picked it up and spun it around to see the same diagonal scratch that was there 3 years ago when Buttercup had accidentally shoved me while I was playing.

I picked up the bow next and put the violin to my neck.

I drew the bow once against its now rusted strings and it screeched horribly out of tune.

"Gah! That was painful" I said with one eye closed as I rubbed my ear.

I sat down to tune it slowly. I took my time… It wasn't very hard but it was just a little tender I guess after being put away for so long. I turned the pegs around but careful not to snap the strings until it reached just the right pitch.

There! Now it was ready for playing, I put it against my neck again and started to play…

I played Orange…

I remember being around 5 or 6 and listening to this guy play it on the street one day. He played it so beautifully. His violin was not the usual acoustic, it was electric. I remember that he was my inspiration to start learning as a kid. I wish I had a violin like his… Maybe I can ask for one for my next birthday.

I sighed and put the violin back in the case. I thought that it wouldn't be too different to play this song on electric. I closed my eyes and swayed to its rhythm in my head.

It was all so peaceful until I heard a knock on my window. I turned around and froze in shock.

It was the least expected person. I could feel my eyes slightly leave my sockets as I took a step backwards. The step I took knocked the violin and its case and they both tumbled to the floor.

He was fast enough though and he caught them before they crashed.

And I just stood there dumbfounded as Brick held onto my violin.

I wanted to open my mouth and just hurl some 'what are you doing here' accusations but I was too surprised to see him to even talk.

He stood there in his casual jeans and red converse. His white shirt looked like he had been out for a while because of the dirt at its hems. His signature red cap hid some of his expression but he soon turned it around to get a good look at me. While doing so, I noticed the black curves under his eyes. He also looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep for a while. And for the longest split second, he looked tired… very tired.

That is, until he planted a smirk on his face and decided to speak,

"Didn't mean to scare you there Pinky…" Oh the ego…

I flinched and then just rolled my eyes.

"Right" I only replied. He looked me up from head to toe and seemed very surprised. I had been wearing my little pink nightgown since I knew I was ready for bed. It was really thin and somehow inappropriate for this. I blushed and he only smiled deeper as he snapped out of it.

"You ah… You look good Bloss" He said while not taking his eyes off of my now tomato red face.

"Um thanks…" I paused and looked away.

"Is this yours?" He pointed using the bow in one hand to the violin in the other hand.

"Yeah it is…" but before I finished my sentence even, he put it against his neck and started playing the same exact song that I was playing. He played for a few seconds and then stopped.

"This is pretty sweet! I like the homey sound that acoustics make. I kinda wish I owned one but all I have is an electric one at home."

Was he for real? This is way too much. I mean, I knew we were counterparts and all, but were we that much alike?

"Electric? You know I've always wanted to play one"

"No I did not know that" he replied as he put on a sexy smirk.

"You can check mine out anytime you want. I can bring it over here or you can come to my room sometime." He said as he casually laid the violin and its case on the bed. My eyes narrowed a bit.

"I haven't seen you in months Brick…" He didn't look at me.

"What are you doing here?" I finally chocked out. He sighed and turned to face me with a frown. He looked straight in my eyes for a minute and then his frown turned into a smirk

"I wanted to see how you looked like in a nightgown" I really wanted to blush and hide my body, but I turned these feelings of embarrassment into courage

"You like what you see?" I asked His eyebrows shot through his forehead

"Yeah I have to say that I'm impressed, although I had an idea…"

"Well, now that that's over, you can be on your way"

"What you're kicking me out already?"

"Not unless you tell me why you're really here besides imagining me half naked" He chuckled almost insanely. It's like he had just seen something out of a nightmare. I narrowed my eyes and waited for an answer.

"I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. I can leave if you want me to" he said with a now bored expression. I stopped a bit. I didn't really want him to leave but it's just that I haven't seen him in so long that I really wondered… Why now?

"No you don't have to leave Brick" I said with a frown on my face. His smile returned and then he casually sat down on my bed and made himself comfortable as he patted the space next to him, motioning me to sit there. I hesitated.

"Come on Bloss Bloss, I promise I won't bite" he said with a very sexy smirk on his face.

I smiled inwardly and even though I knew I was going to regret this, I decided to blow it off and instead just go with it.

We sat there on my bed and talked. That's all we did was talk, although Brick did most of the talking. I just kept asking him questions about his life. He seemed completely altered somehow. He was no longer that little sinister boy whose life purpose was causing havoc everywhere. He was… a young man I suppose. He grew up.

"And what's your mothers' name?"

"Our mom? Sara… Sara Hart" he replied with a grimace that made his face look like he was shy for a second.

"So your name is Brick Hart now?"

"Yeah… Yeah I guess so" he looked at me almost sleepily.

Brick had made himself completely home on my bed. He was now somehow lying on my pillow and one of his legs was now under my sheets. I however was almost completely under my sheets hiding my almost half naked body.

"You look like you're about to fall asleep." I said, and hee looked at me with lazy crimson eyes

"Not at all… I just feel… relieved" He then put his arms under his head and stared at my ceiling. I nibbled on the hem of my sheets.

"Although, it is 12:31 in the morning" he said, unconcerned.

Bubbles and Buttercup were not back yet. They must be having a good time I guessed.

"What are you thinking about?" He said, breaking the silence. I turned to him and he was looking at me with an amused expression. T

hat wasn't what I noticed first though. He was right nest to me. I could feel the heat radiating from where he lay. His face was only half lit by the lamp by my bedside, and he just looked at me expectedly. That pang in my stomach came back. When we were at the beach and I just looked at him which brought me pain. That painful beauty feeling…

"I-uh… Your name doesn't really fit you" He only smirked with humor.

"And why is that?"

"Brick Hart? You're not as badass as you think you are you know" He chuckled while looking away, pondering something.

"And you're not as goody-two-shoes as you think YOU are" I smirked and thought about it for a minute. I guess I'm not always the perfect little angel people think I am.

"I know you better" I looked at him now, a little challenging.

"You really think you know me Brick" He smirked deeper.

"I know enough to say that you put up a lot of acts" I narrowed my eyes at that.

"What are you talking about?"

"You always look so happy and cheery like everything is alright. But I can see that you wear that face for others around you only. You're a leader and so your sisters look up to you for comfort. In that process, the process of making everyone else feel good except yourself, you cage yourself up. You're not as free as you would like to be, are you?" He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face as he looked at me with amused half-closed eyes.

Mine however were wide open now. I sat up and looked at him. I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. I just turned around and avoided his eyes now. I felt him get up and slide his arms around my waist and turn me around. His face was close to mine now… too close.

"You know you don't have to act like everything is ok all the time. Just… if at least talking about them makes it better, then do that"

"Oh? And who do you suggest I tell these things to? It's not like they are simple things that anyone can deal with. I need someone who can understand them. I can't just tell Bubbles or Buttercup about the crap that goes on in my life when they have enough of it as it is!"

"I wasn't talking about your sisters?"

"Then whom are you talking about?"

"I'm here you know. I'm real, just as real as this touch" He touched my face again, tracing his fingers around my cheeks, "And I'll listen". He smiled that smile that would make any girls' heart melt right away. I smiled a bit but in my mind,but I knew this was somehow a little too good to be true. I said to myself that I'll try… I'll try and trust him, but carefully.

"It's getting really late I said while looking at the clock" He turned to read the 3:49 a.m. posted on my clock.

"Kicking me out again, Pinky?" he turned with a smirk. I didn't know what to say to that. I wanted him to stay but… I didn't want to risk anything.

"I'll be back you know" he broke my train of thoughts. He was already standing by the window, stretching.

"I know" I said sleepily, with a smirk.

"I'll be here" I replied. He smiled and before I could see him move, he was by me again. His face inches from mine again and his breath pouring into it.

"Good night Blossom" he pecked me on the forehead and disappeared with that red tail of light behind him.

"Good night Brick", I whispered into the dark.

Done! R&R please!