The next time Rouge flew up to Angel Island, it took her three times as long, and when she finally arrived her heart was racing at a violent rate and she looked like she was about to black out.
"Look, Rouge," Knuckles finally told her as they sat together side by side on the steps of the altar, "I like seeing you and all but I don't think you should risk the trip up here anymore."
"Maybe your right," she said trying to catch her breath, "But I'd like to still be able to see you, just in case something happens with the baby."
Knuckles stood there silently until finally he muttered, "Well, you could always just stay up here…with me."
Rouge raised her eyebrows, surprised by this suggestion. "Well…uh, that would be cool...do you actually have a house? Because sleeping on these stone steps isn't gonna do wonders for my back." she asked.
"Well, duh, of course I do! It's not much, but I have a bed, couch, TV, that only gets three channels, but I do have a microwave and plenty of food." Then he blushed a little bit because he felt like he was practically bribing her.
"That all sounds great, but one other problem," she bit her lip, "I'd have to take my vacation from work a couple weeks earlier than intended."
They stood there for a moment without saying anything. Her work had always come before things, flings and relationships happened when work wasn't. And working for the government, it wasn't like you could just leave a whole two weeks early and still get paid.
But here she stood, in front of the echidna she never thought she would never learn to love and his child inside of her. Things were different now, and she had to start to change with it.
"But you know what?" she said, a smile brightening on her face, "They'll just have to deal with it. Of course I'll stay here with you. So…uhm…when are you going to get my stuff?"
Knuckles grinned which made Rouge's heart start to pound, "Yeah, I guess I can go right now. What do you need? Just a few outfits?"
She waved her hand at him, "No, you don't have to pick out anything. Just grab my hospital bag."
"Your what?"
"Hospital bag. It's a big black bag with small white poka dots on it. I put it in my bedroom at the apartment."
"What's in it?"
"Basically everything. Like clothes, shampoo, all the vitamins I've been taking, comfy shoes….things that I planned to take to the hospital with me."
"Sounds more like things you'll need for a nursing home." he sniggered.
She gave him a small punch on the shoulder, "Shut up Knucklehead."
"Okay, so I'll go down to the city and get that for you. You cool with babysitting the emerald while I'm gone?"
"Yeah, sure." She replied, as Knuckles stood up. Then as he descended the steps, Rouge heard him start to laugh.
"What's so funny?" she called out to him.
He turned around to face her, "I just realized that if this was months ago, I'd rather jump off this island than leave you alone with the master emerald."
She smiled, "Times have changed babe. And so have I. Don't worry, this emerald isn't going anywhere. I promise."
"I know," he said, "I trust you Rouge,"
And then with that, he glided off into the dark night sky.
It took Knuckles only thirty minutes to return from her apartment with her hospital bag and by the time he arrived it was dark. After doing last minute security checks around the altar, he hefted the bag over his shoulder and took Rouge's hand with his last free hand as he led her through the dark forest.
Rouge used her arm to brush past the branches and bushes, "So did you build this home of yours by yourself?"
Knuckles nodded, "My dad helped a little."
"Your dad? Is he still alive?"
"Duh. Of course he is. He's only 38, he's not that old. Although, I do admit he has been sprouting a few gray dreads nowadays."
He carefully stepped over a rotting tree trunk that was laying across the forest floor before adding, "He lives here on the island in the village that's about forty-five minutes away."
"Does he come visit you?" she asked.
"Every so often."
"Do you get lonely out here?"
He shrugged, "Not really, I'm used to it."
She snuggled closer to him, "You don't have to worry about being lonely anymore though. Plus," she said, "If an army of bad guys would happen to show up, now you wouldn't have to fight them all by yourself."
"It's not like it hasn't happened before. And no offense, but a pregnant bat isn't going to intimidate anyone." he said with a smirk.
Rouge snorted, "Oh yeah, we'll see about that when my super crazy pregnant hormones get kicking into high gear. Then, there will be fur flying."
Knuckles laughed as they approached his shack. He didn't call it shack to Rouge because he was afraid that she might think he lived in some run-down, old, stinkhole that was previously lived in by doped-up hippies. But when she looked at it, she raised her eyebrows, "Wow," she said, "This is really nice. And I mean that too."
He blushed, "Thanks. Your actually the only other person I've brought here."
"Really?"
"Well, besides my dad and Sonic and Tails, but we go way back, so we're basically like family…"
"Oh," she said, "So I'm the first female then…"
"Well…" his voice trailed off and a smirk lifted onto his face.
Rouge gave him a death glare.
"I'm just kidding!" he said giving her a sheepish grin.
She crossed her arms, "You better be, hon, because there better not be any random Angel Island chicks coming around here."
He shook his head, "No. You don't have to worry about that."
"Good," she said, "because you're all mine, babe." Then she leaned over and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Now, how about we head on in? I'm freezing."
Knuckles grinned, "One more kiss and I'll do it."
She leaned in again and this time, instead of his cheek, her lips brushed against his. Then after they broke off, he turned the doorknob and opened the door.
--
For being such a hard-headed and serious guy, Knuckles sure does know how to keep his house pretty damn clean, Rouge thought as she looked around the small cabin home.
The floors were all wood, there was a cushy loveseat across from a TV and then he had a small kitchen space in the corner where Rouge could see a refrigerator, stove, and microwave. Sure, it wasn't perfect and it wasn't so clean that you could see your reflection in the floors and as most bachelor pads were, there were definitely messes here and there. But overall, Rouge found it to be cozy and warm.
"So what do you think?" Knuckles asked, setting her bag on the floor.
"It's cute."
Knuckles snorted as Rouge began to pace around examining things closer. On an end table, there was a picture of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles standing on the front steps of the capitol building, posing next to the president. Each one of them were wearing ribbons, medals, and smiles, all except Knuckles who was giving the camera his signature frown and had his arms crossed across his chest.
Then right next to that was a picture of an echidna who looked almost exactly like Knuckles, a female echidna, and a baby echidna nestled right between them.
"Is that your dad?" Rouge asked.
Knuckles walked over to where she was standing and looked at the picture over her shoulder, "Yeah. My dad, mom, and me when I was really little. It's an old picture. My dad was about my age in it"
Rouge squinted at it closer and noticed there was a thin strand of tape right in the middle where it looks like it had been ripped. She decided not to ask about it quite yet, so she directed her attention to the female.
"So," she said, "This must be your mom."
"Yup,"
"Does she live here on the island too?"
"I wish I knew."
They both stared at the picture silently until Knuckles finally cleared his throat, "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."
He led her down a hallway to his bedroom which had only one single bed in it which confused Rouge.
"Uh, if I'm sleeping here, then where are you going to be?" she asked.
"The couch." Rouge raised her eyebrows, "Don't worry," he added, "I usually sleep there anyways."
"Oh, okay. So, now you have me around to entertain, so what are we gonna do?
He sat down on the bed, "Maybe we'll go sight-seeing. There are lots of fascinating trees out there to look at."
Rouge rolled her eyes and sat down next to him, "I was thinking that we could go visit your dad."
"Why?"
"Knuckles! I'm going to have to meet him sometime! He is the grandfather of our baby."
"Good grief. That makes him sound old."
"So could we go see him?" she asked.
"Sure, I guess, but I warned you."
Rouge gave his shoulder a light shove, "Oh, I'm sure he's not that bad. Unless he's like you."
"You'd be surprised." he muttered.
She wrapped her arms around him and tugged him in closer, "You know what?" she whispered.
"What?"
She buried her head into his shoulder, "I'm beginning to feel like I'm at home."
--
ugh, another boring chapter. I just started school and I'm all stressed out about other stuff so my writing really sucks right now. I know, you guys are probably tired of me complaining about it so i'm sorry about that. But I'm trying to keep the story going and I promise more interesting things will happen in the coming up chapters.