Well now I got my computer back after I had to send it out to get repaired...AGAIN... Here's is the long awaited update for this chapter.

Enjoy

I own nothing


Chapter 12

The Evening had come faster than Knuckles and Rouge would have liked it too.

The married pair were dressed for their night out with Amy and her demonic lover; and neither one of them were looking forward to this little outing, but were only doing so they could expose Mephiles for what he really was and clear Shadow's name.

Rouge looked at herself in the mirror, her muzzle was so pale.

Knuckles came into their bedroom with his coat on.

"You ready to go?" He asked his wife.

Rouge slowly turned towards him.

"Not in the slightest." She said, quietly.

Knuckles hugged her tightly.

"Neither am I, but it's now or never." He said.

The two took very deep breaths before they walked out of their apartment and into the busy streets.

It was about a half an hour later when they reached the restaurant that they were supposed to meet Amy and Mephiles at; and from the looks of it, they had arrived first.

"Looks like they aren't here yet." Knuckles said, looking around.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing." Said Rouge in a low voice.

"They'll be here... Mephiles knows that we would be suspicious if he didn't come tonight." Knuckles glared.

Sure enough, Amy and Mephiles were walking towards them with arms linked together.

"Knuckles! Rouge! There you guys are, I thought you weren't going to show. Mephiles these are my friends, Knuckles and Rouge." The pink hedgehog said.

Mephiles cocked his brow toward the echidna.

"I remember meeting Knuckles; it was night he was staggering on the street with his equally intoxicated crocodile friend. Have you gotten arrested for public intoxication recently?" Mephiles taunted subtly.

"Not recently!" Knuckles smiled through clenched teeth.

Rouge immediately chimed in.

"Let's go inside... I'm starving." She said, trying to stay at ease.

The four went inside where they were seated by their waitress.

"What can I get you all to drink?" She asked.

"Bring us a couple bottles of red wine." Knuckles said.

"I'll have water and some orange juice." Rouge said, gently rubbing her belly.

"I'll be right back with that and to take your order." The waitress was gone.

There was silence throughout the table before Amy was the first to speak.

"So Rouge... I remember you mentioning that you were having a boy; did you and Knuckles finish preparing the nursery?" She asked.

"Rouge smiled thoughtfully.

"Actually we did... I love the design of the room. I had it designed like a treasure hunter on the hunt with lush jungle life and cute little animals painted on the walls."

Mephiles turned his head towards Amy.

"Have you ever thought about how you would design a room for a baby if we decide to have one?" He asked lovingly.

Amy blushed.

"Oh Mephiles! We're only dating right now... But yes planning a baby's room will hopefully be in my do list in the future."

"WAITRESS CAN I ALSO GET A DOUBLE VODKA ON THE ROCKS?!" Knuckles cried to waitress.

"What's the matter Knuckles?" Mephiles asked, playfully.

"Nothing's wrong! I just want a little kick with my dinner is all!" The echidna protested.

"Wouldn't you rather have something spicy?" The demonic hedgehog purred.

"I would rather have a spicy drink than a spicy meal thank you very much!"

Mephiles laughed at the echidna's nervous expression.

The waitress came back with their drinks.

"Is everybody ready to order?" She asked.

"I think we are." Said Mephiles.

"So what does everybody want?"

"I'll have a vegetarian lasagna." Said Rouge.

"I'll have the chicken alfredo with no garnish." Said Amy.

"I'll have your seafood pasta..." Said Mephiles.

"I'll have your spare ribs and some onion rings." Knuckles finished. "I hate Italian food."

Mephiles rolled his eyes at him.

The waitress took their menus.

"I'll return with your food in a bit." She was gone.

Again there was silence for awhile before it was Knuckles to break the silence and commence the plan.

"So Rouge... What's the news about Shadow?" He asked.

Rouge breathed deeply before speaking.

"Not much has changed. The commander refuses to give Shadow a trial claiming the video footage was enough to keep him rightfully detained until they decide what to do with him."

"Do you think he did it?" Knuckles asked.

"It sure looks it; but you know the old saying: nothing is what it appears to be."

Mephiles chuckled lowly.

"Is there anything amusing about what she just said?" Knuckles asked, glaring.

The male hedgehog cleared his throat.

"Nothing like that, but it just seems to me that you seem to think that Shadow didn't commit this crime."

"I agree that the hedgehog in the footage did look like Shadow, but that doesn't automatically mean it was him."

Mephiles cocked his head.

"What are you implying?" He asked, playfully.

"What I'm saying is that someone that looked like Shadow could have committed the murder to frame Shadow."

"But Shadow had motive."

"What kind of motive could he have to murder Sally?!" Rouge demanded.

"Shadow was angry that Sonic had hurt Amy here when he decided to marry Sally. Then it made him even more upset that he had lost his chance with her when I started dating her. So in his rage he decided to kill the one person that was solely responsible for all his problems... Sally herself."

"Sally wasn't responsible for any of Shadow's pain and misery!" Knuckles growled.

"That may be true, but Shadow seemed to think so..."

"Then why would Shadow hold her in his arms as she was dying?! If he had murdered her, he would have just left her there to bleed out alone!" Rouge growled.

Mephiles continued to playfully talk.

"He probably had done that to fuck with her down to the very end. Letting her know that she and her unborn child were going to die and no was coming to help her."

"And you really think that is the case?!" Knuckles growled.

"What other reasons could there be?"

"Someone else who bears a striking resemblance to him could have staged everything!"

Mephiles glared.

"You're not suggesting I was the one who killed Sally, are you?!" Mephiles growled.

"I didn't say it was you who killed her, but you never know!" Knuckles answered forcefully.

Amy was silent the entire time. It seemed to her that her friends were just out right attacking Mephiles, but something in the back in her head knew that they wouldn't be doing this without a good reason. They were her best friends, after all; and they wanted to be sure nothing happened to her while their other friend was being, as they thought, wrongly accused.

It wasn't very long until returned with their entrees. The four ate their meals in silence as the tension between became higher and higher. Knuckles and Rouge were both worried that this entire night was nothing but a bust and they weren't going to get Mephiles to expose himself making Amy more and more vulnerable to him.

Mephiles was well aware of what the two were trying to do and was constantly beating them at their own plan; making their frustration grow with each passing moment. Mephiles had to laugh to himself as he thought that were seriously trying to make him feel vulnerable.

And Amy didn't even know what to do.

Finally they had all finished and paid for meal and they all got up to leave.

"This was so much fun; we should all do this again sometime!" Mephiles said in his playful tone.

"I would rather not!" Knuckles spat.

"Why don't you guys come back to my apartment for some coffee and dessert." Amy said, trying everything to lighten the moment.

Rouge smiled, sadly.

"I appreciate the offer honey, but we're really tired. We'll hang out again another time."

Amy sighed.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Well Mephiles and I are going to head off then. I'll call you tomorrow okay?" Said the pink maiden.

"All right then."

Amy and lover walked off.

"Do you think our plan worked?" Rouge asked, staring off at their disappearing forms.

Knuckles sighed.

"Only time will tell."


Did Knuckles and Rouge finally get through to Amy about Mephiles? Only next chapter will tell.., So stay tuned.