RAB10

Rock-a-Bye

AN: We might actually be coming into the home stretch. I'm not sure but we are close at the very least.

Chapter 10:

The Oracle felt bad about having lied to Sonia's brothers, but he was also able to read them like a book. He could tell what they thought of her chosen lover and he knew her worries were justified. He also knew, from a new vision, that this development would ultimately lead to Mobotropolis' freedom.

"A fool," The Oracle said as he watched over the pink hedgehog. "I was a fool, Queen Aleena."

The amethyst-hued queen of Mobotropolis came forward from the doorway. "How so, Oracle?"

"I forgot the greatest lesson I learned when I trained to be a seer. There are thousands, millions of possible futures and one prophecy is easily rendered invalid with but a single choice," the Oracle explained. "I needlessly separated you from your children and put all of our eggs into one basket."

"And yet, if you hadn't, my daughter might not be so happy," Aleena told him. "As a seer, you should also remember that all things have a purpose. Destiny is what we make it. She will alright?"

The Oracle nodded. "Yes, she will be alright. She will be in the hands of the only one who can help her. It's a little ironic to be completely honest, almost paradoxical."

His only companions now, Sleet and Dingo found themselves watching as the overlord's health deteriorated.

"Sleet, do ya think he's gonna get better?" Dingo asked as they were sent away from the palace again.
This time they hadn't even received the order to hunt down either the hedgehogs or Bartleby and Sonia.

Sleet sighed. "He's not a young man Dingo, and he's extremely overweight. And I don't know why but that aristo-twat's betrayal affected him much worse than he wants to admit."

Dingo became pensive. "Do we want him to get better?"

"I don't know," was the only answer Sleet had. It was a strange, awkward situation. They despised the evil man as much as any of the other Mobians but this was different. How were they supposed think or act?

"Maybe, maybe we should..." he stopped when Sleet's hand drew his attention.

Sleet pointed ahead of them, near an alley near a children's supply store. "Isn't that the echidna from that island? Knuckles?"

Dingo looked and gaped. "But I thought he never left that island?"

Knuckles waited at the aircraft. With not long left to go, Bartleby had been excited to get all kinds of baby things. ("My children will not sleep on a bed of leaves, thank you.") It was sound thinking. Sonia didn't like the idea of them coming into town again, but Knuckles happened to agree with Bartleby on this one. If he can afford to give his children such things as a crib, then he should. And after all, he cloaked so no one would recognize him.

"Hey Knuckles!" the echidna jumped at Sonic's voice from a nearby chili dog stand. Who could have predicted that he'd see Sonic on their second trip in a row.

Knuckles waved at his blue friend and went over to the stand. "Hey Sonic, how's it going?"

"Alright...the band's not the same without Sonia's keyboard," Sonic admitted. "And the fight's not the same either."

Knuckles nodded with understanding. "I'm sure."

"So um, why were you just standing at your ship? You waiting for someone?" Sonic asked, always direct.

Knuckles debated how to answer that question. How long had Sonic seen him there? Was this meeting just a coincidence or something more? But you know, that Knuckles was so smart and so slick that he thought up a lie and he thought it up quick. "My battery died...I've been waiting for someone else with a ship so I could get a jump."

His lie to seemed to fool Sonic who nodded. "Well, let me call Manic. He's a whiz with vehicles. He can fix you up."

Before Knuckles could protest, Sonic was on the communicator with his brother. The echidna face-palmed. Manic would recognize that Knuckles had been lying and that would lead to questions. Should he just fess up and get it over with? They didn't like Bartleby, but maybe they would give him a chance if he vouched for him? But what if they didn't? What if they tried to take her back? She wouldn't be able to put up much of a resistance and the stress could hurt her and the babies. He would be hurting two friends that he'd grown to really care for these past few months. He would just have to hope he could play dumb really well.

Bartleby was engrossed in his task of picking out the perfect furniture for their improvised nursery. His eyes fell on a stuffed hedgehog and he picked it up. He could hardly believe his life had been building up to this. The hedgehog he loved and his two beautiful children. He felt completed, where before he'd felt like only half man. All of his money and his nobility could never give him a wonderful, nearly intoxicating feeling such as this. He had a family.

A female possum looked through a pile of baby clothes nearby with a friend. "Have you heard about Robotnik?" she said to her friend.

"No what about him? Is he instituting a new stupid tax or something?" the friend answered.

"When isn't he? But no, I've heard he's very sick. He hasn't made any public appearances in a couple of weeks," she stated. "The rumors say he might die. Not that we'd get so lucky."

Bartleby stopped and looked ahead. When he'd visited Robotnik his last night in the city, the old dictator had been fine. Now, he was supposedly dying. Of course, it was just rumors but what if they were true?

Manic looked over engine with a perplexed expression. "I don't see anything wrong. Try starting it Knuckles."

The echidna nodded and turned the key in the ignition. The engine turned over with ease. "Well, I don't know why it broke down on me...thanks Manic. You're a lifesaver."

The green hedgehog grinned. "No problem, Knucks. What are friends for?"

"Exactly," Knuckles agreed. "Well um...I should get back to the island. I was gone longer than I meant to be. Thanks again," he climbed in the driver's seat and flew off before they could stop him.

"Did you plant the bug?" Sonic asked.

"Yep, now we'll find out what he was hiding last time," Manic said. He hated spying on their friend but according to their informant, they knew that Knuckles had come with a friend in a cloak who then went into the baby store. Yes, something was up and they needed to know what.

Knuckles waited in the air, unseen by the hedgehogs, until they left. He landed just as Bartleby came out with several large boxes.

"I saw Sonic and Manic," Bartleby said as they loaded up the aircraft.

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, I don't know if Sonic was here by coincidence or by call of chili dog, or if he knew I was here, as if he knows something. Did you find everything?" he asked quickly to change the subject.

Bartleby nodded. "Yes. Let's get back to Sonia..." he said softly. They didn't see a little orange fly attach itself to the back of the vehicle.

Sonia sat at the fire. She did not feel well. Her back hurt, her legs hurt, her ankles hurt. Everything hurt. The twins were kicking hard against her womb but they felt lower than they were a few days ago. Her time was coming, soon.

AN: Ok, not my best chapter. I am tired. Note, I was actually inspired to write this chapter after I watched "To Boldly Flee."