Chapter 22

Knuckle was embarrassed with himself.

He tried to explain to Tatsumaki about what he just learned, yet, he struggled with how to do it. The event played over in his mind time and time again. "Look, Tat… I just learned something about me, but I don't think you are going to be happy about it…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked and forced a smirk. "You aren't regretting last night are you?"

"GOD NO" he protested. "No, it's just that… before… I told you that since I am a cyborg I can't have kids right? I fire blanks… it's not the case." He said gently.

He watched her eyes widened in shock. "Now, knowing that, I get if something happens… you need to do what you need to do to take care of yourself, even if it means…"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" she demanded as her body glowed.

"I am just saying, I will understand and respect your choice of something happens out of this!" he protested. "I… I… Excuse me!"

He stormed back into the cafeteria shortly after. He stormed passed his brother and went outside where he could vent.

He had to find a clearing of some sort, when the coast was clear he unleashed a scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

The trees shook and trembled, every bit of life that was in the forest scurried away in fear to the sudden roar. He felt a little better, but not by much. "Goddamn it, why didn't I look into this farther!? What the hell was I thinking? What if… Oh God she won't forgive me if something happens" he muttered.

"So, this is where you ran off to?"

Knuckle turned and saw Fubuki. "What?" he demanded. "I thought you would be looking for your sister."

"Already spoke with her. She's upset you know."

"I would be to! Especially after you were told. 'hey, don't worry I'm a cyborg, I shoot blanks, you won't get pregnant' and if she does, she will never speak to me again! I may have just ruined her life, she doesn't like kids!"

Fubuki snickered. "You don't know her at all,"

"Huh?"

Fubuki stepped forward. "She's upset right now because you told her that you didn't want this if she becomes pregnant. At the moment, I sense nothing from her, so you don't have to worry. The first words out of your mouth to her were that you understood if she had this 'taken care of' You are an idiot you know that?"

Knuckle began rubbing his hands over his head. "But she doesn't want kids! If I had forced this upon her, after lying about not being able to have kids… how the hell would you have felt?" he asked. "I would love it if she were expecting… she and I… have a family… It was an impossible dream in my mind before. But we're still dating! I haven't asked her what she wanted for the future, let alone if she would ever want to get married"

Fubuki continued to snicker aloud. "Oh you have it bad for her!"

He paused, but then nodded. "I really got to know Tatsu… I know she has had a hard life, and… I just… I just want to see her happy."

Fubuki inched closer to him. "Then go and find her you meathead," she said. "She wanted to clarify something with you, and it's best she doesn't come to find you first… stuff tends to get pulled up when she is in a mood. The last thing you want is her dropping a building on you."

Knuckle froze for a moment, but nodded. His scanners picked up her energy and he was off like a shot!

Strange though, why did she wait for him in the mountains where they last spoke?

She was sitting on a rock of all things, waiting as he landed. She looked at him and then, turned her nose up. "Hmf, you have some nerve!" she stated.

"I know… Did you want to throw me a few thousand miles? I am sure I can survive the vacuum of space if need be…" he asked, Knuckle then sighed. "Tat… I am really sorry about everything. I should have looked into this more, I didn't know I had the ability…"

"You think I am upset over that?" she demanded.

He nodded. "I told you before, that I was of no risk for you having a kid, since… cyborgs don't really got the wedding tackle in working order. Let alone one at all…"

She snickered to that. "So that's what has you upset, you think you lied to me?"

"Yeah, and I don't like to do that to a lady. I'm a Brawler and we are true to our words… and I wasn't true to them…"

She smiled warmly at first. "You do forget though and you said so yourself, you still don't know everything about your own body, let alone capabilities. But listen here bub!" she said as she began to hover off the rock, she got right in his face and stated. "If you are going to have me have your kid… I want to see a ring on this hand!" she demanded.

He froze. A nervous smile came over him. "Really? I don't annoy you that much?!" he asked in a shocked tone.

"If anything, I see how Melee puts up with freak boy! She survived you didn't she?"

He snickered to her comment. It's true, Garou is a little rough around the edges, but he has some of the mentality of a Brawler. "Yeah, sis is also just as stubborn"

"Ha! You don't have to tell me twice," Tatsumaki snickered. She then peered away. "I was upset with you, when you told me that you could have kids… and if you thought I was pregnant… you assumed I would just get rid of the baby didn't you?"

He wanted to speak, but knew at this point he was trapped. Nothing he could say now would make things better. "I didn't want you to feel forced if you were, also I assumed you didn't want kids…"

"Look, I didn't like kids before. I admit that" she stated. But a pause came over her. "Yet… watching how happy your sister is… made me reconsider it… I mean… Melee is someone… different… and at the same time… she's… she's a good mother" she said.

"Why is that so hard for you to say?" Knuckle asked.

"BECAUSE SHE MARRIED FREAK BOY AND HE PUT US THROUGH HELL! I HATE GAROU BUT SHE GOES AND MARRIES HIM AND HAS A TON OF KIDS!" she shouted.

Knuckle froze to her outburst. "Oh…" he muttered.

"A part of me… is jealous of her… You never speak of this!" she said in a warning tone. He merely nodded his head as she continued. "I have envied her. Her kids, despite where they came from… they are good kids. They have SOME of their father's characteristics… a lot of his likeness, but… how they act, that has to be the work of Melee and your family influence isn't it?" she asked.

Knuckle smirked. "Yeah, dad ran a tight ship, however, dad would also let us explore our options. Just because your last name was Brawler, didn't mean you had to go into hero work."

"Yeah, well, because of her. Garou has even acted different. The kids, they all have a level headedness about them. Such there are cocky moments, but it's not all the time. I hate to admit it, but… she has the life I would like."

He froze to her confession. "Wow… I never knew you felt that way."

"With that being said!" she said defiantly. "If you want a family. I want a commitment!" she decreed. "No ring, no kids!"

Knuckle smirked but nodded in agreement. "Whatever you say babe" he then laughed aloud. "How about a few more dates then, and we will hold off on the more… adult stuff until we are ready. Sound good?" he asked as he gently took hold of her hands.

She smiled and nodded. "But you don't breath a single word of this to anyone, got it!" she said in a warning tone. "Or I will send you to the moon!"

"Noted…" Knuckle said meekly.