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She was cooking dinner when she got the call from Brick. At first, she thought nothing of it - it was normal for him to call and update her on team business if her sister was too busy or if Butch wasn’t answering his phone. Sometimes it was even just to tell her about some conversation he’d had at work that he knew she’d find funny if no one else did.
This call was the usual Butch isn’t answering so put him on the line please type of ordeal but the tone of Brick’s voice just seemed so off-putting. In hindsight, it all made sense.
“He’s out back with Bruce throwing a ball around, he probably doesn’t have his phone on him. I’ll let him know you called when he comes in.”
“Actually, could you pass yours to him? I really need to talk to him.”
“Ok,” she’s already moving to the screen door out back to call her boys in, “is everything ok, Brick?”
The line is silent for a moment and finally Brick sighs before answering,
“I don’t…” the silence stretches for another moment as Butccerup finally opens the door, “they will be. I just need to talk to my brother.”
Without any more preamble, Buttercup steps out onto the back porch. She calls to get Butch and Bruce’s attention and almost feel bad for interrupting such a candid father-son moment.
Bruce comes running towards her colliding with her legs in a hug.
“Why don’t you go inside, green bean? I could really use some help finishing dinner.”
He scampers off inside without much hesitation and as soon as he’s gone Buttercup turns to Butch who is now at her side.
“I hope he burned off as much energy as I have”
“Here,” she holds out her phone, “apparently Brick has been trying to get ahold of you. Sounds pretty important from what I can tell.”
He gives her a concerned look but takes the phone. He turns to greet his brother on the other end of the line and BC decides to head back inside to give him some privacy and check on their rambunctious boy.
Bruce does seem to be calmer - his playtime outside has helped him run off a lot of his energy - and getting him to help finish dinner is an easy task. Bruce is happy to stir the pasta sauce with her and insists on being the one to float up and get the plates - a skill he’s pretty much mastered now at four.
It’s not until dinner is completely ready that she noticed Butch has been awfully silent. She sets up Bruce at the table and brings her and Butch’s plates over before going back outside to check on him.
She finds him sitting on the ground phone in hand but it’s obvious the conversation has been over for a while.
“Butch?”
He startles at his name. Buttercup thinks he must have been awfully distracted not to have heard her open the door. Nonetheless, he stands when he sees her and returns her phone.
“Are you ok? What did Brick say?”
“The monkey. He’s dead.” Butch’s voice is emotionless. His face even more so.
There is only one person he could be talking about. Mojo Jojo. Their initial creator. The one who was supposed to have been a father figure for them. He wasn’t though - far from that actually- and the boys had ended up raising themselves for a long time before Ms. Bellum eventually took them in. Buttercup knew that Butch’s feelings around Mojo were complicated, to say the least. She wasn’t very sad at the news but more concerned over how her husband was or was not processing it.
“I’m fine,” he answered when she’d asked if he needed anything, “he wasn’t really anything to me anyway. Bellum called Brick with the news and now he’s told me and now he’s probably telling Boomer. Doesn’t change anything though. Is dinner ready?”
“Yea, Bruce is already eating.”
“We should head inside before our kitchen is covered in pasta.”
And just like that, he’s back to the same old Butch - smiling and laughing with his family. But Buttercup wasn’t naive to think he was completely fine. She kept a close eye on him through their meal and Bruce’s bedtime routine.
When Bruce was down for the count, the two adults made their way to their own room to get ready for bed. When Buttercup emerged from the bathroom she found his husband sitting on the edge of their bed, that same distant look in his eyes from earlier.
When she sits next to him, he reaches for her hand. She gives it to him easily, holding one of his in both of her own.
“You know,” she starts, “it’s ok to feel things about Mojo.”
“Like what? Am I supposed to feel sad that the guy who used me and my brothers and then left us out to rot is dead?”
“No,” she lets go with one of her hands to rub his shoulder, “I meant that, right now, you’re trying not to feel anything. But it’s ok to be upset or angry. It’s ok to feel whatever it is you’re trying not to.”
He’s silent for a bit, reverent almost. And that’s when the tears start falling.
“I am angry. I’m upset at Mojo for all he did to us and that he died without ever even trying to make up for it. I’m upset with myself because I am sad. But I don’t think I’m sad because the monkeys dead. I think maybe I’m sad because now we’ll never get that and I don’t know why.”
She holds him as he cries. She becomes his anchor in the storm that’s raging inside of him. So she holds him as he rides it out.
At some point, Bruce wanders in, most likely having heard the sounds of Butch’s crying.
“Daddy?”
He lingers by the door, green blanket dragging on the floor behind him. Buttercup untangles herself from Butch for a moment to collect Bruce and bring him over. She sits him on her lap as she takes back her position next to Butch.
“You know how we explained that Grandpa is my daddy?” Buttercup starts to explain the situation to her son.
Bruce nods although his attention is still very much on his dad. Butch may have stopped crying but he still looks uncharacteristically sad to the young boy. His dad was always happy and energetic, ready to take on any new adventure with him. It was almost unnerving to see him like this.
“Well, Daddy just found out that his daddy has…” Buttercup pauses for a moment, trying to pick the best way to explain the concept of death to the young boy.
“Well… he’s gone away and he won’t ever be able to come back. And it’s all a little sad because daddy’s dad wasn’t a very good dad.”
“Oh…”
Bruce looks up at her before looking back at his dad. For a moment, it’s quiet in the room. Suddenly, he’s wiggling out of her arms and throwing himself at Butch. The little boy attempts to wrap his small blanket around Butch’s large shoulders.
“Here Daddy. Blanky helps when I’m sad so it can help you. And hugs!” Bruce wraps his skinny arms around Butch’s neck and in turn, Butch holds onto him tightly.
“You always hug me when I’m sad so now I hug you. ‘Cause you’re the best daddy ever and you don’t have to be sad.”
Butch chuckles a bit at his kids’ antics but appreciates them nonetheless. His heart melts and once again he asks himself how someone vicious enough to deserve the name Baron of Beserk could create something so wonderful and kind.
“Thanks, buddy. I feel better already. Your hugs must be magic.”
The little boy giggles and asks to sleep in bed with them when Buttercup suggests it’s time for everyone to head back to bed.
Butch agrees and Buttercup doesn’t have the heart to tell either of her boys no at the moment. So, the little family cuddled up together for the night and Buttercup has hope for the morning.
The next day Butch heads out for the afternoon to meet up with his brothers and make plans. Even though they haven’t spoken to Mojo in years, as their technical creator, decisions on what is to be done in the aftermath of his passing have fallen to them.
Buttercup decided to pack a bag of essentials for the day and head out with Bruce to her older sister’s place. There, he and his younger cousin, Bryce, play and share their toys while Buttercup chats with her sister.
“Thanks for letting us drop by on short notice. I know you’re usually busy with work.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Blossom waves her concern away while handing her a mug filled with coffee, “I’ll always do my best to make time for you. Plus with everything going on, I’ve been so worried about Brick that I cleared my schedule for the rest of the week.”
“I know what you mean. Butch was so upset yesterday. I don’t even think he’s mourning Mojo, more like the closure they’ll never get now that he’s gone.”
Blossom nods in agreement.
“I’ll be happy when this is all over and done with,” Blossom says before smiling at her son who has toddled over to show her his colorful block.
Eventually, the conversation moves on to other things and the two women chat while watching the boys play. Bruce builds new structures for his cousin to knock down, the two breaking out into fits of laughter every time the blocks tumble to the ground.
Sometimes Buttercup finds herself longing for the days when life was that simple. Had it ever been that simple for her and her sisters?
She’s broken out of her reverie by a message from Butch. They’re done handling business and he asks if she and Bruce would like to meet him in the city for dinner. She sends a quick reply and begins to pack up her and Bruce’s things.
“Bruce, clean up your toys, ok? We’re gonna go meet Daddy for dinner.”
“Can we have pizza?” The little boy asks as he packs his blocks away.
“We had pizza two days ago,” Buttercup laughs.
“I really like pizza!” Bruce shrugs.
“We’ll see,” is her answer but she’s already texting Butch to meet her at their usual pizza place.
“Thanks again, it was good not being alone waiting,” Buttercup says to her sister as they walk to the kitchen to clean out the mugs.
“Of course. You being here was helpful too. We should try to do this more. I hate just seeing you and Bubbles during interviews and PowerPuff business.”
“Ugh, I know. I feel like we’re all just so busy all the time. I’ll talk to Bubs. We should plan a girls' night soon.”
“I’d love that,” Blossom hugs her tight.
When they part, they head back into the living room and Buttercup sees Bruce is almost ready to go.
“Need help with your shoes, green bean?” She asks as she sees him focusing on tying his shoes
“No Mommy. I can do it!”
Indeed he does and with everything going on in their lives at the moment, the sight of her son not needing her help to tie his shoes anymore makes her think that maybe he’s growing up too fast. He’s not just her baby anymore he’s growing into his own person. A kind and compassionate person if last night was anything to go by.
When they reach the restaurant, Butch is waiting outside for them. Bruce runs to him as soon as he sees him.
“Daddy!”
“Hey, buddy!” Butch scoops him up in his arms as soon as he’s close enough.
He reached out with his free hand for her and they share a quick kiss in greeting.
“What have you been up to with Mommy?” he asks as they walk into the restaurant.
“We went to see Aunty Bloss and I played with Bryce. I built him towers so he could knock them down.”
“You went to see your sister?” He turns to ask her for the new information. He isn’t accusatory in any way, just curious.
“Didn’t particularly feel like being cooped up in the house all day,” she shrugged, “plus I was a little worried about you.”
The last part is said quieter and she hopes that Bruce hasn’t trained his superhearing enough to hear the quick, quiet conversation they have as they find a table to sit at.
“How’d it go? Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Better now that you guys are here.” He smiles serenely.
“Is… is it all over?” She almost hesitates to ask not wanting to ruin a good moment.
“Yeah,” he sounds relieved as he talks, “we decided to have him cremated and then we dumped his ashes into the volcano. Didn’t really talk about it much. I think we all just wanted to get home but we’re supposed to be meeting up sometime soon.”
“That's good,” she’s genuinely proud of him and hopes that her tone conveys that.
Bruce seems to have had enough of their quiet conversation and begins vying for his dad’s attention.
“Daddy, when we get home can we watch a movie?”
“Sure buddy.”
A server comes by their table to take their order and offers a kid's menu and some crayons to Bruce. He takes them eagerly.
Buttercup smiles from the other side of the table as she watched Bruce rope Butch into playing tic tac toe with him then doing some general drawing and coloring once they’ve used all the game boards. Both of them look genuinely happy which makes her happy.
She’s glad that Butch and his brothers are finally working through the trauma of their childhood even if she’s a little sad that it was thrust so abruptly on them. But it’s good, necessary even, for them to continue to grow.
She wonders briefly when her thoughts became so thoughtful and insightful. But she knows when the little boy across from her proudly shows her the drawing he made with his dad that all of these changes she’s experiencing are because of him. She also knows that she and Butch have definitely changed for the better.