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Rock-a-Bye: A Different Path
Summary:
A different path of my other story Rock-a-Bye. When Sonia reveals to Bartleby that she is pregnant with his baby, the rich mink has to face some hard truths. However in this version, we see what might have happened if Bartleby trusted Robotnik. This keeps with the idea that Robotnik is Bartleby's godfather. Warning Robotnik may be OOC.
Prologue
Sonia Hedgehog; daughter of Queen Aleena, triplet sister of Sonic and Manic Hedgehog, formerly the ward of Lady Wyndimere, she had many titles. But if you asked her which one she liked best, she would be unable to tell you, for it was a secret. Only one person in all of Mobius would ever call her by this title.
Laying in a large four-poster bed, her head on his chest, gentle, loving fingers running through her hair, she smiled contentedly. "My Sonia, my love," he would whisper as he caressed her.
She looked up into his deep green eyes. "My Bartleby," she whispered back, her fingers running along the path of his chests, treasuring their closeness. "It will be dawn soon."
His eyes went to the window. "Do you really have to leave?"
Sonia sighed. "Oh Bartleby, you ask me every time. You know I have to. My brothers will wonder where I am if they wake up and I'm not there. They nearly caught me last time. And if Robotnik finds out about us..." she left the fear unfinished.
The mink held her hand, placing tender kisses upon it. "I miss you when you go though. You could always let me speak to Dr. Robotnik for you. I know he would give you a pardon if I asked, then we could be together."
"Bartleby, someday soon we will be together," she promised. "It's why I have to fight, for that day."
He knew he would not win. They had this discussion every time and she was unwavering in her convictions. He supposed she might not be the same hedgehog he loved so dearly if she gave in, though. He didn't want to admit it but her part in the Resistance brought out a side to her that he couldn't get enough of.
Therefore, instead of pressuring her further, he reluctantly let her go and got out of bed with her, putting his robe about him while she dressed. "You will be careful my darling?" he asked as he walked her to the door. "You won't force me to hear that you've been roboticized? Or worse?"
She kissed him in reply. "I promise, Bartleby, I'll be careful."
He stared off after her as she left his suddenly lonely mansion.
That was three weeks ago, Sonia thought as she stood in the bathroom at the base waiting. In a small cup, a thin stick-like device sat. She looked at her watch with anticipation. She was unsure what she wanted the answer to be. If it was no, how would she feel? If it was yes, what would she do?
When the three minutes had elapsed, at last, Sonia pulled the test from the cup. Two thin pink lines stared her in the face.
Sonia sat in the kitchen, staring at the test in her hands. How would this affect her role in the Resistance? What would her brothers say? What would Bartleby say? She would have to tell him first. Would he be happy or upset? How was she going to tell him?
The sound of the door broke Sonia from her thoughts. She had just enough time to stash the test in her pocket before Sonic and Manic came in.
"Hey sis, you missed a great time," Manic said. "The kids missed ya too."
Her brothers had gone to Sanctuary, where Resistance hid their families. The kids seemed to really like Sonia, possibly because, to many of them, she was the only female presence in their lives. When they found out, Sonic and Manic would probably insist she go into hiding at Sanctuary. Would they let Bartleby visit her or would they have killed Bartleby for touching her?
"I'm sorry guys, you know I haven't been feeling well," she said contritely. It was true. The last week had been murder. "I didn't want to take the chance I was contagious."
Sonic nodded. It made sense. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, a lot better. Um, would you guys mind if I went out tonight? We don't have any missions on the schedule for tonight right?" She wondered if she could even participate in a mission now.
"Nope, not tonight. You go have fun," Sonic told her. "Just be careful, Robotnik's upping the Swat-Butt patrols in this sector."
She nodded. That was fine, she wouldn't be in this sector. "K, I don't know what time I'll be back but it might not be back until late." She warned as she dashed out of the safe house, hopping on her motorcycle and driving a lot slower than she was used to.
Sonic and Manic watched after her as she drove off. She sure was acting weird.
Bartleby Montclair sat in his favorite easy chair, a steaming cup of his favorite tea arousing his olfactory senses. "Mmm," he sipped. "Rosebud tea..."
The ring of the doorbell interrupted his relaxation time and he placed the cup down on the table. "Coming," he called. There were few people who would ring his doorbell and all of them required him to answer it himself.
Looking through the peephole, he was pleasantly surprised to see Sonia. He pulled the door open, just barely catching her as she leaped at him. Her arms encircled his shoulders and her lips covered his. He eagerly returned the kiss.
" To what do I owe this delightful surprise," he asked as they needed air. He led her into the parlor. "Tea, my darling?"
"No thank you Bartleby. I have something for you." She held a pastel pink and blue gift bag she had picked up on her way.
The mink took the bag with a bright smile. "Oh Sonia, a gift for me? You shouldn't have my darling?"
She shrugged as he fumbled with the tissue paper to reach inside. "Actually, I just couldn't help myself. I hope you'll like it."
As he pulled out the item in the bag, he kissed her. "My Sonia, I'd love you gave me." He looked at the stick in his hand. "Um...Sonia..." his eyes found the double pink lines. "Is this?" She just nodded as he fumbled. "Are you, are we? Are you sure?"
"That's what the two lines mean," she replied.
He was beside her in all of two seconds, hugging her tight. "Oh Sonia, this is marvelous! This is wonderful!"
A good part of her anxiety over the situation fled with his glee. "Really?"
He looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course it is! This is a baby, this is the start of our family, of our life together. Oh, we have so much to do to get ready. I'll call my contractor and decorator to get started on the nursery. You'll need to tell the Resistance of course. It would simply be barbaric not to at least give notice. I'll go see Dr. Robotnik and talk to him about a pardon for you."
Sonia stopped him. "Wait, Robotnik, pardon? Bartleby, I can't just leave the Freedom Fighters and even if I did, Robotnik will not just let me go."
He stared at her incredulously. "And you can't possibly think you're going to keep fighting in your condition. It was different before, darling. I let you fight because I respected that it was your choice. But now, we're talking about the welfare of our child. Just a simple fall in the wrong place could have tragic consequences." Fear filled his face as a nightmarish vision of something happening to his Sonia and his baby. "No, absolutely not! No!"
Sonia hugged him comfortingly. "Okay Bartleby, you're right about that, I can't fight like this. But...the Freedom Fighters has a place I can go, some place safe."
"And hide you away from me," Bartleby wasn't happy about that idea either. "I know how your Resistance friends see me, Sonia. They'll hide you away from me and forbid me to even see you or our baby. Your own brothers hate me, Sonia. I don't want to be sitting here wondering how our child is growing up. I want to be there. Trust me, Sonia. I will pay whatever price Robotnik asks for a pardon for you, so that we can marry and raise our baby together."
She sighed. "Bartleby he'll just take your money and roboticize me anyway."
"Please Sonia, let me at least talk to him. If I have any hint that he'll betray me, then we'll come up with another plan. But I've known him too long to not at least give him the chance to do the right thing," Bartleby told her. "I won't tell him why. I'll say you've had a falling out with the Resistance and you've decided to remain neutral."
"Bartleby...right thing and Robotnik just doesn't go together," Sonia shook her head. "But...I trust you. Talk to Robotnik but don't just believe him blindly if he agrees. Because I'm willing to bet any price that he accepts the moment he hears money's involved. It doesn't mean he'll keep his end of the deal."
He kissed her. "Don't you worry about a thing my darling." He looked at his clock. "It's still early, I'll go see him right now. End the suspense. You wait here. I'll be back, an hour tops."
AN: Will Robotnik accept Bartleby's offer? Well, that's a foolish question. Will he accept the offer AND hold his end up? That is the question.
The reasoning behind Bartleby's trust in Robotnik is that Robotnik hasn't screwed him over, yet (this is set before Bartleby the Prisoner) and the mink sees him as a friend (loosely).
What do you think of the way she told him?
This prologue is the combination of the original prologue and chapter 1 of my original Rock-a-Bye. Chapter 1 will start us the next path.
