Jules: 30
Aleena: 30
Triplets (Sonic, Manic, Sonia): 2 (30 months)
Amy: 1 (15 months)
Chapter One: Four under Three
With nightfall, came tranquility. The graceful presence of solitude and the wondrous lack of motion. Soothing navy painting the sky and gently inducing the most active of children into a serene slumber.
The night had become her favourite time. For it lifted the weight of motherly duties just enough to breathe. For even just a moment, she could revert back to an individual with her own needs and requirements.
Taking solace in the plush armchair, Aleena sighed, drowsy with fatigue, and yet contently so. Another day had passed, and her children rested happily, knowing they were protected, warm, and loved.
Because that was what truly mattered. She could be a walking corpse, just barely functioning from lack of sleep. But as long as her children were happy and cared for, she was happy.
It was an exceptionally, one of a kind type of fulfillment. She wasn't afraid to admit her little darlings were also her stress inducers. From the sleepless nights, to the continuous, rotational crying, and endless amounts of mess her spawn served her on a daily basis in the two years they had existed, she often found herself contemplating running away from it all. Even jokingly (and depending on how her kids were behaving; premeditated) searched for train tickets on the internet in moment of desperation for liberty.
And then she'd see them smiling. Perhaps they'd learnt something new, or even turned to her when they had hurt themselves and sought a comforting hug.
The little moments made it all worthwhile.
Even still, the life of a mother was not a task to be taken lightly. With little breaks from child rearing and household maintenance, running on minimal sleep and lukewarm coffees, it was brutal.
Add the fact that there were three toddlers and only her as the primary carer most of the time; she was exhausted.
As much as she wanted, most definitely needed help, they simply couldn't afford it. Before the triplets, Aleena and her husband, Jules had a very good, stable income; with him being a soldier, and she, a senior nurse. Their joint income was enough to buy a modern, three bedroom, suburban, picturesque detached home, just outside of Central City. Accompanied with a garage, a long drive way and spacious garden for their children to run around in.
And there had been a sizeable amount possible to raise a child, so they got pregnant.
Only to discover the one child they were expecting, came with two other siblings. The cozy car became a family carrier, one set of baby furnishings became a set of three, and the nappies... seventy five thousand disposed of within the first year.
Child care for one was just manageable. Throw in three children and they were looking at a rival to their mortgage. So after maternity leave, Aleena never went back to work. She became a stay-at-home mother while her husband was the breadwinner.
Of course she loved to have the privilege to watch her babies grow up at first hand, but she was lonely. With her husband away, her regular talks usually consisted of baby talk, with the occasional new words thrown in. She did have mum friends. Only, they all had one child. To meet with them, she would be met with dolled up beauties, patronising her as a 'saint' for managing three kids under the age of three.
And the questions... If she had to hear 'oh goodness, were they, you know, natural?', one more time, she was going to scream the miracles of her and her husband's fertility over the mountain tops.
Having no one to vent to and having people sing praise for doing exactly what they were doing, with two extra, was an isolating experience. On occasion, her husband's brother, Charles, would visit, but she was certain an hour with the trio would require therapy afterwards.
Ah yes, her babies were more than a handful. With her first born, Sonic, being the leader of the pack. He was just like his father; in both appearance, and personality. Born leaders, extremely empathetic for his age, and adventurous. He could also be mischievous, known for being a little daredevil and giving Aleena acute heart attacks.
There was something peculiar about that boy. Ever since he had learnt to crawl, he had been abnormally fast. Advanced in his motor skills, the boy could run as fast as a 40mph moving car. His pediatrician speculated it was an extremely rare form of ADHD, Jules on the other hand believed Sonic was simply gifted. Another soldier in the making.
The second born, Manic, opposed his birth name. The laid back child, adept in cognitive developments. He was believed to be a late bloomer in personality, or merely overshadowed by his siblings. Either way, Aleena had strong hopes for the boy. With his mind, he could go far.
That left Sonia as the last born. Pretty and prim, an emerging diva. She was often seen bumping heads with her eldest brother on what to play. While she, most of the time, went along with whatever adventure Sonic had thought of, she did like to try and boss both her brother's around.
She too was peculiar. From what Aleena had seen, her daughter had the ability to lift and destroy the heaviest of objects. The mother discovered this when the boy's had gotten stuck beneath their bookshelf when attempting to climb the tall storage unit. As Aleena rushed into the room, she witnessed Sonia effortlessly lift the bookcase off of her brother's, even bend down and ask if they were okay.
The speedster, the potential genius, and the powerhouse.
There was never a dull moment in the house.
Her moment of rest had come to an end as she forced herself off the armchair. There was still so much to do before she could go to bed. There was a mountain of washing up to get through, then she had to clean the booster seats at the dinner table, tidy up any stray toys lying around, and mop the trek marks off of the floors in the kitchen, living room and hall way. If she was quick, there was a chance she could squeeze in a shower before bed and get a few hours of sleep before the toddlers decided that 5:00am was the perfect time for playtime.
Picking up a half empty sippy cup off the floor, the purple hedgehog headed towards the kitchen to get to work.
A harsh knock at the door immediately stopped her in her tracks. She stiffened, terrified. It was far too late to be expecting company, and judging by the force of the visitor's knocking, they did not come across as friendly.
Cautiously, she walked towards the door, leaving the hallway light at a dim setting. The knocking persisted, getting progressively louder and more profound. The forcible knocking made her wary of her sleeping children. She didnt want to risk putting them in danger, neither did she wish for them to wake up. Just what sane person would knock so ferociously at night?
The visitor pressed themselves against the front door, revealing a disproportionate body in the narrow, double glazed lite door. A well-built stature of a man. Fur the colour of royal blue and attired in what seemed to be a green neckerchief with green and black gloves to match his boots.
"Aleena!" He called out, persisting in his vigorous knocking.
It was Jules. Suspiciously back from deployment days too soon, at an equally questionable time of night. His way of knocking, more frantic than usual, was thought provoking.
Reassured of whom was knocking, the purple hedgehog rushed to the door and hastily unlocked it. She swung the door open to see her husband shivering in the bitter winter night. Nestled in his arms was a small gathering beneath his camouflaged military jacket.
"What on Mobius are you doing here?!" Aleena shrieked, keeping her voice to a minimum to prevent waking the sleeping children.
"I've missed you too, honey..." Her husband responded sarcastically. His humour lasting only a second. "Quick, I need to get her warm again."
Confused, Aleena stepped out of the way and allowed her husband to march passed her and into the living room. The sounds of him rushing through the house concerned her. Just what had he brought back home?
She closed the door and walked back into the living room to see her husband covering the bundle he had carried in with their children's freshly cleaned blankets. He discarded of the blood smeared clothing and then sat beside the little pile of blankets, soothingly rubbing the small lump beneath it all.
"Jules..." Aleena beckoned her husband for an explanation. "What is that?"
The man peered the blanket back ever so slightly to reveal a baby. A pink hedgehog it seemed. No older than one.
She gasped. Her head swirling with thoughts. Heart searing in pain at the possibility of her husband's betrayal. That she had been slaving away, raising his children, while he was away from his family, making more offspring. But he wouldn't actually--? He wouldn't possibly do that?
Leaning over, she examined the baby. Quills shaped similar to her eldest son, though more sleek and ever so slightly drooping downwards. She had bangs situated above her forehead, rather unkempt due to previous circumstances, resembled the hairstyle of their daughter.
In fact, she was only a few shades lighter than their daughter.
Her eyes scanned her husband, searching for similarities between him and the child. His quills were an array of different lengths. The two lower quills the longest, curling round to his tail, the middle spines somewhat shorter, spiking outwards, and the last quill, short and spiked up top. His wild array of spines could be a possible genetic factor, but not necessarily. His tanned skin was far from her complexion; the child was pale. Whether that was from being cold was another factor to consider. The last attribute was the eyes. Jules possessed sparkling gold eyes. An extraordinary colour he had genetically passed onto Manic. She was yet to tell if this child inherited them too.
"She's still a little cold, but she's warming up slowly." He muttered, still rubbing the baby's back.
His wife scoffed in a hushed tone. The audacity he had to bring in another child into their home with little to no explanation of her origins. Overwhelmed, she walked through the arch way separating the kitchen from the living room. Standing over to the sink, the mother inhaled deeply and gathered her thoughts.
Jules appeared behind her, responding to her quietened scoffing moments ago. "I know this is a little bit of a shock..."
"A little?" She repeated, looking over her shoulder quizzically at him. "You return home from supposed deployment with a baby and don't even think to consult me on arrival?"
The blue hedgehog raised an eyebrow, frowning at her doubt in him. "I was on deployment. I literally just piloted back from Mercia." He informed her. He steadily made his way to his wife and gently coax her to look at him. "You don't think she's mine, do you?"
Aleena looked away, ashamed to think so low of her spouse.
He smiled warmly to her, bringing her to rest against his chest. "I'd never betray the perfect woman." He said, cradling the insecure woman. "She's an orphan. I... I found her after her father..." He abruptly stopped talking, the memory of the man dying in his arms scorching him.
"What happened out there, Jule?"
The soldier released his wife from his comforting embrace and walked away from her, towards the rustic dining table. He pulled out one of the white, upholstered dining chairs and slumped over the surface with his head in his hands.
"We couldn't save them, Alley." He told her dejectedly. "There's little survivors but... Mercia has fallen."
Grief-stricken by the news, Aleena beared a doleful look on her face. Overcome with pity for the Mercians and for her husband to witness the ordeal at first hand.
She walked over to the table and took a seat next to her husband, placing her delicate hand on his back. "You did all that you could." She said in a calming sombre.
The heart-rending screams of the terrified Mercians scampering for their lives replayed on a loop. A deafening ringing from the onset of landmines and heavy artillery falling into place on the mental soundtrack. Harrowing pleas of affrighted mothers stuck in the burning wreckages they once called home, holding out their wailing children in hopes they could live another day.
Their wailing. Their relentless, spine chilling, wailing.
Reliving the agonising sounds of war brought it all back to him. The putrid stench of sulphur compounds, blending into the smell of smoke and burning flesh stung his nostrils. He held back his wretching and regrettably swallowed it down, tasting the rancid copper flavourings in his mouth.
He didn't dare close his eyes for more than a blink. The indefinable scenes he had witnessed in Mercia had been beyond anything the militant man had experienced in his time of service. He had seen death, injustice, and the detrimental results of war.
But such sights would forever tarnish his memory. And the eery silence that came after the fallen men, women and children, would become the most disturbing piece of retention.
"Even with all our artillery, Robotnik's robots were impenetrable. Our tactic of defence quickly changed to evacuation. We searched the homes for survivors; but most had already been reduced to bricks and char." He clasped his hands on the table before him, desperately refraining from crying. He sniffled. "And then I got to that house--"
A faint whimpered squeezed through his tremulous lips. He bit his quivering lower lip, distracting himself by looking at his twiddling fingers. Feeling his wife gingerly rub his back, he found the strength to carry on.
"I... I heard a baby's cry from the house. The home was still intact, no visible signs of impairment, like broken windows or doors and stuff, you know? Guess it put me in a false sense of security."
The purple hedgehog encouraged him to continue with her sweet touch across his back.
He blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what he had witnessed, while preventing the tears from flowing. "When I bashed down the door, I surveyed the home..." He sat back, unable to hide his emotions anymore. He looked to his wife, his body shaking as the last bit of repression was spent. "There was so much blood, Alley." He breathed out, choking on his sob. "One of Robotnik's robots came through back door and--I-I dont know if it was a malfunctioning robot, o-or it was created with such malice but--"
"Jule..." Aleena whispered softly, caressing his cheek lovingly. To see her husband so torn was a rare, distressing occasion. A 'macho-man', born and raised by an emotion stripping father. Abusive, hiding behind his idea of a militant parenting style. He had taught her husband how to hide his emotions behind a brave face. Any signs of emotion would result in violent, unorthodox punishments.
Only she had been the one to ever allow him to express himself. With that privilege, she understood how difficult it was to allow himself to show how he was feeling.
The tears rolled down his face, dropping onto his lap as he turned his body to his wife. "It... bludgeoned the mother... The room was just filled with her blood, dripping in every crevice. Pieces of her organs splattered across the bed and the floors... She was so mangled in the aftermath, I could barely identify her features."
He swallowed, the image of the woman's face singeing his mind. "You could just see her mouth stretched wide... Like she was screaming moments before the attack." Another whimper came from the solider, an ached grimace on his face as he shook his head in defiance to the images. "... She--" He sobbed. "She was protecting her child... A boy. Probably four, maybe five? Not even the child was safe from the attack... I think-- I think their organs were intertwined."
"Oh my..." Aleena muttered in horror. She looked away for a brief period, adjusting to the shock of the horrific information.
"I followed the sounds of the baby's crying... A baby should never have to cry like that. So distressed and jittery. And after what she must have seen, I can only hope she will forget the trauma."
She dreaded to hear of the scene. But as her husband's confidant, she would share his affliction.
"I found the dad sat up against the wall, in the nursery. The robot, metres away, on the opposite side of the room. He must have fought to protect his daughter. The scattered and broken furniture indicated a struggle... It was a SwatBot. A mighty foe to take down, especially on his own. I reckon he must've used the taser I found on the ground to shorten the SwatBot's circuits."
"He didn't survive the assault, did he?" Aleena asked solemnly, her hand now grasping his.
Jules shook his head. "He had shallow breathing. Very heavy and slow. Blood dripping down his yellow-tinted skin from both his nose and soon, his mouth. I... I tried t--" He inhaled deeply. "I tried to lift him, I wanted to save him, but it seems I was only making it worse. He was too close to death. I can only assume he suffered severe internal bleeding from the attack... I must've gotten there too late."
His wife squeezed his hand tightly, soothingly brushing her thumb over his fingers. "You are not to blame for this. There was nothing you could do."
He appreciated the reassurance, but it didn't prevent him from blaming himself. "I held him in my arms as he died. The baby still wailing in the background. I couldn't possibly imagine how it must've felt, to have your daughter's terrified screams as your last memory..."
The couple sniffled and desperately gripped each other's hands for comfort.
"In his last words he told me the baby's name was Rose. To take her. I-I comforted him, reassured him that she would be safe and live on. That she'd grow up to be happy and prosperous. A-and... He smiled. Only for a moment before his organs began to-- I cradled him, Alley. I didn't know what else to do." He sobbed.
Aleena pulled her husband into a hug. His head falling onto her chest as she ran her hands soothingly down his quills. She braved through the tsunami of tears cascading down her face and endeavoured to calm the distraught man down.
"Hey, hey." She whispered in a sweet tone. "You did amazing out there. You saw things no one should ever have to go through. With zeal, you sought to find survivors, and you did. She's right over there, fast asleep, all because of you. I'm proud of you, Julie."
His hold around her waist tightened as her words of admiration. Even after facing everything he had been through with a stone face, he believed the expedition had truly broken him, made him weak. For no matter what he had seen, a real man would've remained stolid.
With enough reassurance, he gave his wife a gracious smile and wiped away the remainder of tears off of his face. After composing himself, he continued on with his story. "I managed to gather a few things, you know, for sentimental reasons. A photo of the family, one of the small teddies, and a ring from the mother's jewelry box... Then I took her and left."
His presence begged the question of how he was able to head back home, shortly after experiencing the fall of Mercia. "Were you discharged?"
He nodded, not so enthusiastic about the ordeal. "Some of us received honourable discharge... Not that we've done anything honourable. Most of Eurish is likely to be taken over soon enough if we cannot counteract Robotnik's army."
The purple hedgehog looked back to the sleeping child on the sofa. If her husband brought her back with him, what were his intentions? "Jules... What are we gonna do with the child?"
He suddenly became motionless, blinking impassively. His eyes slowly drifted back to his wife, softening in an attempt to sweeten her. "I was thinking-- don't get mad, heh..." He smiled sheepishly, bringing his wife's hand to his lips and placing a strong kiss upon it. He looked deep into her eyes, another method of persuasion."I thought, maybe... She could stay with us?"
As he anticipated, his wife glowered. "Jule--" She angrily protested at low volume.
He held up his hands in defence and grinned nervously. "Honey, baby, easy." He hushed her. "Just hear me out--"
Aleena stood up from her chair and paced around the kitchen. "Jules, do you have any idea how much work it is to raise three kids, single handedly, while maintaining a house?"
Her husband followed her onto his feet. "I couldn't even begin to assimilate what you go through day-to-day. You're an amazing mother, a wonderful wife. I'm lucky to have someone as selfless and exceptionally kind-hearted as you are."
Unconvinced by his sweet talk, his wife crossed her arms and frowned at him. "We can't afford another mouth to feed. We've sacrificed a lot to raise them all, and I just don't think there's enough for one more."
"We can make it work, Alley. I swear, we can pull through it." He said, passional in his words. "The general thinks I have potential as an officer. He's already running me through the process of being ranked to a 2nd lieutenant, rather than a sergeant. So I'll be getting a pay rise and extra benefits, then in about two years, I'll likely be promoted to lieutenant, and receive roughly 35,400R"
"Wait..." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're earning about 33,000 rings annually right now. You'll only be getting an extra 2000 rings for taking on the responsibilities of a lieutenant?"
"Well when you put it like that, it sounds awful." He chuckled. "I mean, I passed the cadet officer rank." He grinned with little confidence in his persuasion.
She stared at him, a glare slowly taking over her features. "You're starting at the lower ranks again?" Her husband continued to grin back at her. "Jules! You've been a soldier for twelve years! You worked so hard to become a corporal. Can't they rank you onto a higher position? Like, I dunno, Captain, or something?"
"It's just the procedure, Aleena. I don't have much say in it. But, don't worry. As I've served a few years already, I'll likely advance a lot quicker than someone with little experience. In four or five years, I could be promoted to captain. In six, a major, then a lieutenant colonel."
"You really don't get paid enough for what you do." She sighed hopelessly, placing her hands against his chest and resting her head against his shoulder.
"I could say the same to you; both as a nurse and a mother." He faintly chuckled, wrapping his arms around his wife and running his hands down her long, two-toned purple quills. "With the extra income I'll get as a 2nd lieutenant, we can get a childminder for the kids."
"... Then I could get back into work, can't I?" She said hopefully, a smile forming on her face.
"Of course, sweetness. If that's what you want?"
"It is! I mean, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love looking after the kids, but to have some individuality back will be amazing. That, and we'll have a many more opportunity with two incomes coming in."
"Precisely... So, does that mean we can... ?" He grinned widely down at his wife. Her emerald eyes stared back at him, an uncertain smile on her lips. "I know it's not gonna be easy, but I meant what I said to her father when I said she would live on to be happy. As a dad myself, I would do anything to ensure our children never suffer the way that little girl has." He swallowed back his emotions once more, preventing himself from becoming emotional again.
Peering over to the sleeping baby, Aleena pondered the future. She knew a lot more than her husband, how difficult it was to raise three under three. To raise four? She imagined it would be painstakingly laborious.
Although she needed to consider the childminder. With somebody else helping them care for a quartet of kids, maybe they could manage.
Barely. Just barely.
There was so much-- Too much to consider with an adoption. Would she get along with the children, and vice versa? There wasn't going to be a transition for the kids to get used to a new arrival. Heck, there was hardly a transitional stage for she and Jules to process the change. The child was already here. Already an additional mouth to feed, already another little person to love.
It was a lot to take in for one night.
Though as her husband stared anxiously through his big smile, she knew in her heart that her beloved would do anything in his power to ensure all their lives would comfortably mould into one.
With a short sigh, Aleena compromised her confirmation. "She can stay, but before we can consider adopting her, we need to see how she is with us and the kids. We can't simply take her in without everyone being on board."
His eyes lit up in delight. Though it was conditional, it was still a temporary win. "Yes! You beauty! I'll do whatever it takes to make it work, I promise."
"I don't doubt that for a second." She smiled.
He placed a tender kiss on her lips, an expression of his gratitude and his love. The sweet sentiment was deeply in arrears after many months apart. With all the children still in dream, there was a chance for the couple to pay off some needed affection.
The sounds of faint stirrings came from the living room, a breathing denial of that chance.
Rising from beneath her covering, the baby sat up and gawped at her surroundings, not muttering a sound. She couldn't fathom the change in environment; different furnishings, different smell, different atmosphere.
She was in desperate need for her mother.
"Ma, ma, ma, ma." She babbled, holding out her hand as she looked around for security. No answer. Perhaps she hadn't heard. "Ma, ma."
Cautiously, the two adults approached the baby, being mindful to not startle her. Jules crept closer to her, offering his hand. "Hey there, Rose. Don't be afraid now. We're here to look after you." He said soothingly.
The baby looked at his hand, slowly moving her eyes upwards to see the stranger's bright smile.
She did not appreciate his presence. Whining warily, the baby's jade eyes glazed with forming tears, her cries were undoubtedly going to follow.
"Sssh... It's okay--"
The child wailed loudly, panicked by the unfamiliar presence.
"No, no, no. Hey, you're okay. We're not going to hurt you, little one." Jules tried to calm the baby down, but to no avail.
"Honey, I think she needs comfort." Aleena informed her spouse.
Jules nodded back at her. "Does somebody need a hug?" He gushed. "Come here, little Rosie." He said as he picked her up.
Her cries became louder and more unnerved.
"What am I doing wrong?! She's getting worse!" Jules turned to his wife in his turmoil.
"Calm down, Jules. You'll get her even more upset." She said.
A combined set of crying came from upstairs, an announcement that the toddlers were now awake. Rubbing her temples, Aleena sighed and went to check on them.
Jules panicked to see his wife leaving him alone with the crying baby. "Alley." He shrieked, looking hopelessly to his wife.
The purple hedgehog turned back to him. "It's not like you haven't done it before." She rolled her eyes at the man before leaving him with the baby.
"Yeah, she's right." He spoke to himself in hopes to boost his own confidence. He looked down at the screaming baby in his arms. "I've carried two little people in my arms before. Both crying and wailing up a storm. It's been awhile of course, but nothing I can't handle."
The persistence of the baby's cries were admirable. Even as her face became a darker shade to her pelt, she still never stopped crying.
"It's a lot to take in right now, Rose. You've certainly been through a lot for someone so young. You're safe with us now. We'll love you, protect you, and keep you happy. That's all your family would've wanted for you. To be happy."
He wasn't sure whether it was his talk about family or whether it was the tone of his voice. But hearing the little girls wails quieten to whimpers, he smiled contently.
"You're going to be just fine here, little petal." He whispered as he cradled the whimpering baby in his arms.
The blue hedgehog soon found himself persuasively talking into the early morning.
Incessant wailing came from the pink baby. No matter how often they took turns to comfort her, the child remained insecure and terrified of the adults and her surroundings.
They had provided her with a bottle of milk, bathed her, ventured to an open-all-hours store for the correct nappy size in order to change her, and clothed her in a pink and white striped sleep suit, one which Sonia had grown out of.
Yet the crying was on going. The couple were grateful their toddlers didn't wake up again, despite the noise.
The ongoing cries of the baby resulted in very little sleep from both the parents. They had chosen to take shifts; one to watch the baby, while the other slept. Both of them had managed to obtain three hours each before it was five in the morning.
And low and behold, the toddlers were up to play.
After forcing herself to get the kids bathed, she allowed them to run around in their nappies. The little energy she and her husband possessed begged for a simple day indoors.
Sonic had rushed down the stairs before his siblings could keep up. Running into the living room, he abruptly paused as he noticed his father's quills hanging over the back of the sofa.
"Daddy!" He cheered, gripping onto his dad's quills and proceeding to climb them.
"Yeow!" Jules yelped. He bent his arm backwards and grabbed the boy by his leg, pulling him off his quills and held the swinging boy in front of him. "Hey, mini me. My, haven't you grown?" He placed the boy in his lap and hugged him. "I've missed you, little man."
"Aw." Her son cooed, resting his head against his stomach.
Manic and Sonia soon came running into the room. "Daddy!" They cheered, jumping on the man before he could acknowledge their presence. Jules laughed fondly as his children smothered him.
"Hey guys. Looks like you're all here." He paid his second son some attention by ruffling his messy quills. "How's my little Manic doing?"
The boy smiled excitedly, giggling in his happiness.
"I'll take that as an A-OK." He smiled back at the boy before turning to his daughter. "And don't think I've forgotten my little princess." He said, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.
"Tickles." She giggled.
Holding the three toddlers in his arms, the man prepared them for the new addition to the family. "So, you guys. We have a special surprise for you al--"
"Look." Sonic said, point to the napping baby in a stroller. "Dolly."
Jules laughed in amusement. "She does look like a doll, doesn't she? But she's actually a baby."
"Dolly." Sonic insisted, continuing to point to the sleeping child.
"Aw, baby dolly." Sonia gushed, jumping off her father's lap and walking over to the baby.
Sonic copied his sister's actions, walking over to the pink hedgehog and leaning over her. He was sceptical of her, crouching and walking around her as his way of examining her.
Aleena leaned against the archway and looked at her curious children. Sonic supposedly running a safety check on his sibling's behalf, Sonia staring in awe, and Manic cautiously watching from his father's lap.
Her eldest son turned to her. In seconds, he dashed to her side and grabbed her hand. "C'mon. C'mon." He said as he pulled his mother into the living room. He stopped in front of the baby and looked back at his mum. "Look, dolly."
Aleena giggled, entertained by her son's innocence, and by his need to show her the new baby. "She's not quite a doll, sweetheart. She's a baby. Her name's..." She paused, not wanting to speak her name. A name carrying so many hurtful memories.
She looked to her husband, uncertain of his reaction to her proposal.
"What? What is it?" Jules asked. He scooped Manic into his arms and approached his wife. "Is everything okay?"
She looked down at the pink hedgehog before looking back at him. "If she's going to apart of this family, are we going to let her know about her own family at a certain age, or will we wait until she's an adult?"
Jules stared gormlessly for a moment. "... I hadn't thought of that." He chuckled softly. "I guess we wait until she's an adult. We don't want her feeling any different to the others."
"And, um... What about her name? I do like her name, it suits her well. But I just feel like she should be given a new name, to start afresh."
Her husband looked down at the baby, unconvinced. "I think her name's got sentimental value. Her parents gave her that name. I don't wanna take that away."
Following her husband's gaze, Aleena thought to herself. If she were to have a new name, it would need to have meaning, just like the old.
Or better yet, a sentimental new name to combine with the old.
"Amy." She said. "It means 'beloved'. Hyphenate it with Rose and you've got, Amy Rose. The beloved flower."
"Amy... Yeah, it suits her!" Jules enthused. "May take her some time to get used to the new name though."
"Babies are like sponges at that age. Always soaking up information." Aleena smiled down to the sleeping child.
The serenity of the moment had ended as the pink hedgehog slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes wondered around the room like they had before, this time, being met with more new faces. None of them matching the faces of her mother, father, or brother.
Her face began to scrunch up, her lip pouting in a quiver.
"Oh no. She c'ying." Sonia said, covering her mouth and looking to her parents. She rubbed the baby's head gently. "Aw, there, there."
"Uh, Sonia, Sonic. I think it's best to give her some space." Aleena recommended. She was about to grab the pair when Sonic dashed out of sight and reappeared with his sippy cup filled with milk. "Sonic--"
The boy shoved the sippy cup into her mouth and held it up for her to drink. To the parent's surprise, the baby contently drank from the sippy cup, her eyes watching the toddler feeding her.
"I think we found our baby sitter." Jules smirked. "Nice work, Sonic."
"Hung'y dolly." Sonic said, keeping his eye on the pink girl.
Jules laughed. "We could always call her, Dolly Rose? Or Amy Rose Doll?"
"Absolutely not." Aleena protested. "Her name will be Amy Rose."
"Amy dolly." Sonic said.
Looking smug at the purple hedgehog, Jules walked over to the trio of infants and placed Manic on the ground beside his sister. He crouched down before the baby and spoke gently to her. "Don't listen to that woman, Amy. By the order of the terrible triplets, you shall be known as Amy Rose, the dolly."
Rolling her eyes, Aleena smiled at her family, admiring the sweet moment before walking to the sideboard and pulling out the camera. She turned back to her family and snapped their picture.
"Welcome to the family, Amy." She muttered to herself, looking down at the picture she had taken of the wholesome scene. Placing the camera on the surface of the sideboard, the mother walked into the kitchen. "Who wants pancakes to celebrate the newest hedgehog to the family?"
"Me!" Sonia and Manic declared gleefully, running into the kitchen.
Jules watched as his children ran into the kitchen, smiling fondly to see the happiness his children expressed. He then turned to Sonic, examining his focus on the sippy cup in hand. "You wanna go and get some pancakes, Son?"
The toddler slowly looked up to his dad. "Dolly hung'y." He said firmly before focusing back on the bottle.
"She can have pancakes too, little man."
"Hung'y..." He trailed off, barely listening to his dad.
Shrugging hopelessly, Jules jumped up and walked towards the kitchen. Looking back at the pair, he decided to capture the moment and grabbed the camera. He snapped their picture and smiled at the scene of the two hedgehogs. A beautiful serenity that foretold of many more happy memories together, as a family.
"You'll definitely fit right in here, Amy."