Chapter 13

That night, Sonia and her brothers went to the hospital to meet Bartleby. A tall horse stood with him dressed in a long black robe. She hugged him as she told him briefly how their friends took the news once they were able to present it in a way that they could process. "Darling, did you know?" She asked him, referring to the article. "He named me his heir. That's supposed to be you."

Bartleby laughed a little. "Well, to be fair, I am still his heir. But he wanted to make you the heir to the throne. He thinks it's right and it's a good way to start mending fences." He explained as he held her. "The war is over. We have each other again. I'll be king at your side either way which is what he wanted for me."

Sonic looked at him. "So that's why he was fighting tooth and nail to keep it? To make you the king?" He asked. He was curious about what happened between them.

"Yes, he felt it was only right that I become king because the old king killed my parents." It was safe for them to know now. "And his wife, Aunt Maria..."

Manic bit his lip. "The old king? Our father or grandfather?" He clarified.

The horse coughed, reminding Bartleby he was there. "Oh, sorry. Sonia, this is Judge Equestris. Uncle is waiting."

The judge bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess. His Lordship has already told me a great deal about you. I understand the two of you would like to marry this evening. Are you sure you wouldn't rather hold a fancy wedding."

Sonia and Bartleby both laughed. "Oh, we will have a big, fancy wedding. Just not right away. We want to do the paperwork tonight so we can live together and be together without it being a scandal."

Bartleby nodded. "We've been apart too long. It needs to be official because I can't go another day without her by my side." They laughed as Sonic gagged. "But Uncle wanted to be there for the signing, so that's why we're doing it here." He looked back as the doors to the operating and recovery rooms opened. "Sleet, good, you're here. How is Uncle today?"

Sleet bowed. "He's doing much better, sir. He managed to read through a whole chapter and draw up some new designs."

"Thank you for watching over him for me while I couldn't. And how are you today? Did your landlord get the payment I sent him?" He asked. "I paid you up for a whole year."

Sleet nodded. "Yes, he rescinded the eviction notice. Thank you." He looked at the hedgehogs. "I suppose you want me to apologize for helping the old bastard?" He asked Sonic.

"I'm guessing you're not going to?" Sonic asked. Sleet was the one he trusted the least. The wily wolf had even betrayed Robotnik on occasion in a bid for his own selfishness.

"Nope. One must do what one must to survive. As a rebel, you know this." He turned and led them back. He was surprised when the green brother matched his pace. "And you have something to say."

Manic shook his head. "Only to ask how you're doing…" He looked up at the taller man, who gazed at him curiously. "I know you had no choice. I know what it is to have to do less than moral things to survive. I used to have to steal food and baubles. I was kind of a… well like the character, the Artful Dodger."

If Manic hadn't been watching so closely, he wouldn't have noticed the wolf's eyes open just a little wider. "I'm… surprised you know that character…"

The green hedgehog chuckled. "Our sector used to have a library filled with books from that era. Robotnik confiscated them all and closed the library after it was discovered that the librarian was selling some of the books."

Bartleby nodded, hearing the tale. "Yeah, Uncle had generously loaned his books to libraries around the city and when they abused the privilege, he had to take them back. They're the only copies remaining for many of the books. They need to be protected. I want to reproduce them though if it's possible without ruining them."

Manic nodded with understanding. "Yeah… I miss reading them. I like to read. After he did that, I had no choice but to lift a few when I was sent on Mouse Patrol. I always took them back in between runs though." The mink chuckled as Manic continued. "But I don't blame you… Robotnik's hard to defy."

Sleet grinned. "You know, perhaps later… we might grab a cup of coffee." He suggested.

"I think that I would like that…" The thief replied as they neared the hospital room. Inside they could see Robotnik tapping on his phone, typing out messages. Politely, Manic greeted him as they entered and sat down. "How are you doing, sir?" He wasn't sure what to call him.

Robotnik looked up from his phone. "Thank you for asking, I am doing well." He looked at Bartleby, Sonia, and the judge. "Oh, so you were planning to do this today then?"

Bartleby nodded. "We don't want to wait another day. We know we belong together. We can do a big ceremony and party later." He explained.

The old man chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I was planning to throw you a big ball on Monday evening to celebrate your engagement. I'll turn it into your wedding reception."

Sonia cocked an eyebrow. "You don't have to do that sir. Are you sure that you're going to be up for that?"

He nodded. "More than up to it. Sleet, do you think you can make a wedding cake according to their specifications by Monday evening?"

Sleet froze as they looked at him. "Yes, I bake, get over it!" He said to the hedgehogs. "I don't care that it's not manly. I can still kick your asses." He looked at Robotnik as Sonic sniggered. "Yes, sire, I think I can do that provided they don't want something crazy complicated."

Sonia and Bartleby looked at each other as if mentally conferring. "Um, we'll write down the particulars…" They hadn't expected to do this so soon but they should have known the old man wouldn't be satisfied with a small signing and waiting to hold the party.

Bartleby smiled. "Thank you, Uncle. It'll be fun but you have to promise to take it easy. Let us do the planning while you rest." He pleaded.

Robotnik laughed. "And take away what I was planning to do while I'm lying here, twiddling my thumbs… I will help to plan this event. You are my godson and yours is the only wedding I'm going to get to throw. Now, to change the subject, I assume you all saw the paper this morning. My letter included instructions that every house was to receive even if they were not subscribers and they could bill me for those."

Sonic looked at him. "Yes, yes we did…. Guys… can I talk to Robotnik, please? Alone." He asked. He couldn't help being suspicious of this. Things were just going too well, there had to be a reason.

Sonia bit her lip. "I don't know… Sonic, what's wrong?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I need to talk to him alone, Sonia. Please, humor me. I just need to put a gag on this little voice in my head."

They looked at each other before Robotnik nodded. "Let us do the certificate signing, and then we can let them get off to doing whatever it is that needs doing…" He showed a little of the lower class in him from his own youth.

The judge chuckled as he nodded. "Princess Sonia, Lord Bartleby, you both understand the commitment that you are making to one another. It is not a commitment to be taken lightly. Are you certain of your intentions here today?"

Sonia smiled at Bartleby, gazing into his emerald eyes."Yes, we are…" She said as they entwined their fingers together. Together they signed their names on the main lines. Her brothers and Sleet signed as witnesses and Robotnik endorsed the license with his cursive JR.

The mink pulled her to him and kissed her chastely, sealing the vow between them. "Now we are married, my love…" He said softly as the judge rolled up the document.

"I will get this filed and in a few days, you'll receive your commemorative copy." He promised. "I shall be off then. Glad you're doing well, sir." The horse tipped his hat and left.

Once Robotnik and Sonic were alone, the blue hedgehog regarded the man quietly for several minutes. "I know there's something else going on here. Why did you name my sister as your heir? She was convinced that Bartleby was your heir. What exactly brought this change just all of a sudden. You had to know for a long time that you were being an evil ass."

Robotnik considered his answer. "Very well, hedgehog, I will indulge your question. Yes, I'm doing this for myself as much as for Bartleby. Your sister has also been very kind to me. Are you familiar with Life Connections?"

Sonic thought and nodded. "Yeah, Manic uses it. Don't tell me that you use it and you've met someone… Come on, that's a bit far-fetched."

The scientist laughed. "Yes, I am aware but the truth is stranger than fiction. Her name is Aneela and I want to be worthy of her. She is the first person that I've felt this way about since my late wife." He savored the expression of utter disbelief on his archnemesis' face. "Is it so hard to believe that perhaps I am lonely and I might want companionship? No matter the things I have, the crimes I have committed, I am still a person…"

Sonic nodded. "We never considered that part before. You've always acted more like a monster than a person. Will this person be at the ball?" He asked.

"She will be. I convinced her to come after she sent me a panicked message about her daughter marrying someone she didn't necessarily approve of. I invited her to the ball so that I could meet her in person and reunite her with her children. Hopefully, in doing so, I will be able to show her that I am a changed man." Robotnik explained.

"Whoa, so she's already got kids and everything, man are you ready for that if she accepts you?" Sonic asked. "You know, if you want to be with her, you'll have to accept her kids too. They're a package deal."

The old man laughed again at the question. Sonic didn't know why but he didn't hear the usual gloating, plotting tone behind the laughter. "How did your friends take the article?"

Sonic shook his head and told him about the party they had shortly before coming. "Hey, there is something I want to ask you about. My mom and dad… not Aleena but…"

"The ones who adopted you?" Robotnik asked. "They believe you to be dead. I wasn't about to tell them that you were fated for my roboticizer." He saw the blue hedgehog freeze. "What?"

Sonic's mouth dropped open. "Wait a moment… I remember that night. Pa told me to run to Uncle Chuck. You arrested them."

Robotnik shook his head. "No, I rescued them from the resistance. I know you think your uncle rescued you from me when I attacked them. But have you ever asked yourself why your mother didn't simply give you three to your uncle? If she had to leave you behind, why not with family? You think I'm evil, ask who made me that way."

"Then… then they're alive… They're not roboticized?" He stammered. "I… I gotta go… I gotta go…" He took off out of the room, Robotnik could hear the nurses shouting as the hedgehog mowed them down and he shouted back an apology. The boy had believed his parents were gone. Sir Charles must have made sure to blame everything on him to the boy. What had the boy's life been like under the older hedgehog? The irony of the boy's question prior. He could indeed accept Aneela's kids. He would accept them. That would wipe the slate clean. He just needed to earn their acceptance.

END CHAPTER

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