Okay fans this is just a story I'm throwing together but it's still pretty good I think no flames I know my grammar and spelling sucks you don't have to remind me.

DISCLAMER: I don't on anything copyrighted.

Chapter 1: Realization

The guardian slid backwards on the ground his dark blue demons were dusty and warn he ha done a lot of fighting with a certain white emerald steeling bat that just couldn't seem to stay away. Knuckles stepped forward and tried to punch Rouge but she just barely dodged his on coming fist. She did a roll to the left and landed back on her feet huffing a little. "Hey watch it Knuckles you act like you're trying to hurt me." Rouge smirked as she ran for the Master Emerald once again.

Knuckles jumped in her path and this time he hit smack in the stomach sending her flying backwards right into a tree. "Maybe that's because I am trying to hurt you." Knuckles frowned he was really putting on more of an act he didn't want hurt her he just wanted her to go away and leave the Master Emerald alone.

Rouge stood up and tried to move toward Knuckles put she fell to one knee gripping her right wing she had broken it when she landed the wrong way. She winched a bit and then tried to get up again but this time she fell to both knees. Her wings were a vital part of her body when she moved so did they and when a part of the body is broken the more you move it the more it hurts. She could hardly bare the pain she sat up against the tree she earlier slammed into. She looked at herself she was a mess her black pants were filthy and so was her pink tub top, she looked at her white gloves and boots which were also covered with a thin layer of dust. Rouge's attention was then averted back to Knuckles when she heard him speak.

"You should have known this would happen, when you play with me you'll end up getting hurt." Knuckles approached her and looked down at the white bat.

"You ever heard the expression corner a cat get scratched?" Rouge spoke through clenched teeth as she winched again her eyes closed tight.

"Well looks to me like kitty just got her claws clipped." Knuckles knew there was nothing Rouge could do to him while she was in this condition.

"Fine just throw me off the island and get over with." Rouge looked away from his violet stare.

"I would do that, I should do that, I could do that, but I'm not going too." Knuckles stepped a little closer.

"What's the catch Knxie?" Rouge looked at him with an arched brow as she glared suspiciously.

"One leave the Master Emerald alone and Two don't call me Knxie."

"I suppose those are reasonable terms." Rouge smiled slightly and tried to once again get up but of coarse it was causing her great pain.

"Don't do that." Knuckles put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down.

"But-" Rouge began to blush when Knuckles slipped an arm under her legs and the other around her back and gently lifted her up. Rouge wondered what was up with the red echidna sense when did he care about her pain.

"If you keep moving you're going to cause more damage." Rouge listened to him and had to agree she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder she liked it when Knuckles acted this way and if the truth be told she had a never ending crush on the guardian.

Knuckles blush became a little redder as he looked upward trying to ignore Rouge who was nuzzling his neck. 'Just ignore her; she's just trying to get under your skin so she can get at the Master Emerald that's all she wants.' Knuckles continued to tell himself this he didn't want to think otherwise because that would mean having to consider emotion and he didn't have room in his life or his position for such complicated things.

Knuckles sat Rouge down on the left side of the alter and then he took a seat on the other side where he could keep an eye on the Emerald and the bat. Rouge tilled her head to the side a bit as she became curious as to why he didn't sit down next to her. "Come on Knuckles I don't bite." Rouge smiled at the guardian.

"Yea you bite and scratch." Knuckles retorted as he crossed his arms and looked in another direction.

Rouge's smile turned to a frown "Can't you at least try to be nice to me?"

"That's like trying to be nice to 2000 pound crocodile, no matter what you just don't wanna be nice to it."

Rouge hadn't even been talking with the guardian for five minutes and she was ready to knock his head off. She was so mad that her wing had begun to sting from the strain. She mad a loudish whelp sound as she clutched her wing.

Knuckles glance whipped over to the white bat. He got to his feet picked up a stick that was laying beside him and walked over to her then reached out his hand and pulled a strange looking leaf from a plant that was growing on the vine which had become entangled on the column Rouge was leaning against. He bent down on one knee and held the leaf to the place where Rouge's wing was broken he squeezed the leaf and a strange substance was forced out of it. He gently massaged it into her wing so that was not as slimy on her skin then he ripped off an actual peace of the vine. "This might hurt a bit." He put his hands softly around the broken bone and pushed it back into place. Rouge clenched her teeth as she made slight growling noises. Knuckles grinned he thought fore sure she would scream. Knuckles put the stick against the bond to hold it in place and then tied the vine around it. He sat down beside her but there was a bout three feet of distance to separate them.

Rouge opened her eyes. "Hum?" She noticed Knuckles somewhat beside her.

He leaned back against his own column. "The lotion is like a special type of Aloe it'll help sooth the pain in your wing, and I'm goanna sit with you and I want insult you anymore because it's causing you unneeded strain." He didn't want to cause her any more pain besides the sooner she gets better the soon she could leave.

Rouge closed her eyes slightly as she looked away from the red echidna her ears twitched a little the words that were about to come out of her mouth were words she really really REALLY didn't want to say. "Thanks."

Knuckles glanced at Rouge from the corner of his eye. She wasn't facing him she was looking in the opposite direction he knew that had to be hard to say what he was about to say himself was just as difficult. "You're welcome."

The two turned and faced each other for a brief second. 'Did he just say 'you're welcome'? Maybe deep down he likes me.' She smiled softly, she felt the wind blow it was getting real dark now and she shivered a bit. Rouge pushed herself up on her knees and pulled herself to Knuckles side. She leaned on him causing his red blush to return, but Knuckles didn't resist he knew if he wanted her wing to get better he would just have to deal with her for now. She moved even closer and took Knuckles arm and wrapped it around her waste and placed her head on his chest. "I feel much warmer." Rouge coed as she pushed her head upward under Knuckles chin.

Now Knuckles had to admit that he felt a certain calmness settling on his being when Rouge made herself comfortable with him. He felt something he hadn't ever felt and it was feeling towards her it was a feeling of liking. He shook his head slightly he saw that Rouge had fallen asleep he sighed in dismay this had the makings of a real problem for the protector.