Rouge's Brothel-Reconcile

Chapter Seventeen

"A package from Uncle Dusk," Rouge exclaimed. "Seriously?"

"That's what it says on the label," Noir said, still staring at the package in her hand. She started to tear the wrapping and saw a video cassette tape. Also included was a key and a small note.

"Looks like he left you a video message," Rouge said. "He did the same for me when I inherited the building."

"Come on," Noir said, heading towards the brothel. "Let's go and see what's on it."

A few minutes later, the two of them were in Rouge's office. Rouge inserted the tape in the VCR and turned on the TV. Both watched anxiously, wondering what message Dusk had left. After a few seconds, the familiar image of Dusk appeared on-screen. Rouge couldn't help but notice he looked a bit sicker compared to how he had looked on the video he had left her. She surmised this must have been made when his illness had progressed even further.

"Hey, sis. I wish I could be doing this in person, but since you're off the grid, this is the best I can do. I'm hoping this video will make it to you. I've asked a friend of mine to use every resource at his disposal to find you and deliver this to you. If you're watching this, then it means he succeeded. Hopefully you won't be the only one watching this. And if that is the case, hello, Rouge.

Anyway, depending on when you get this, you may or may not know about my illness. Turns out I was diagnosed with cancer. You can probably tell just by looking at me. As it is, I haven't told Rouge because I don't want her to worry about me. And before you start to feel the need to rush to my side, please, don't. I don't want to see you get arrested on my behalf. That would do neither of us, or Rouge, any good. And don't for one moment feel guilty about not being here for me. Neither of us could have seen this coming. Just know that both you and Rouge were always in my thoughts. And I always hoped you were doing alright. More importantly, I hope the day comes when you and Rouge will reunite.

Rouge, if you are watching this with your mother, please, don't be too hard on her. Give her a little flak if you must, but it would mean the world to me to see you two reconcile with each other. Your mother does love you and having to leave you was the hardest and most painful decision she ever had to make.

One last thing before I wrap this up. Included with this video, will be a key and a note. The key opens a deposit box at the bank. The note will tell you which bank, as well as the number of the deposit box. Inside, you'll find a few things I left for you both.

Well, I think that should about cover it. Noir, I wish you well. I hope you live a good life with your daughter. Just know that I love you both and was very grateful to have you in my life. Take care you two."

The video then went to static, signifying the end of the message. For a while, both Rouge and Noir sat in silence, tears in their eyes, and overcome with emotion.

"That brother of mine," Noir whispered, wiping her eyes. "I should have come back sooner. I should have been here for him. For you both."

"You heard what he said," Rouge replied. "You would have been arrested on sight. And having you tossed in prison wouldn't have been good for his health."

"I know. But still," Noir persisted. "He should have at least told you. That way one of us could have been there for him at the end."

"I wish he had told me," Rouge said. "I wish I could have been there for him. But he didn't. He had his reasons. He didn't want either of us to worry about him."

"That selfless jerk," Noir said, smiling. "He always was like that. No wonder he was so well liked." She picked up the key that had been in the package and stared at it. "I wonder what he left us?"

"He already left me so much to begin with," Rouge said, indicating the building. "What more could he have had?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Noir said, glancing at the note. "Let's get down to that bank and see what's waiting for us there."

A short time later, both mother and daughter arrived at the bank listed on the note. They entered the building and made their way to the counter.

"Excuse me," Noir said, addressing the receptionist. "I'm here for a deposit box left to me by my brother."

"Certainly," she replied. "May I have the name and box number?"

"His name was Dusk," Noir answered. "And the box number is 15."

"Very well," the receptionist said. "If you'll follow me."

The receptionist led them to the back where the deposit boxes were kept. She approached the wall and withdrew a large deposit box. She then walked over to the table and set it down before Rouge and Noir.

"Holy crap," Rouge exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting it to be this big."

"Well, I'll leave you to examine the contents," the receptionist said. "If you need anything, please let me know." With that, she left.

"Well, let's see what Dusk left us," Noir said, unlocking the box.

She opened the lid and then peered inside. She reached in and pulled out a large manilla folder which she set on the table. Then she pulled out a small lock box.

"I wonder what's in there," Rouge said, indicating the box.

"Hopefully he left a key for it," Noir said. She peered inside the deposit box and checked. "Nothing. It looks like the folder and box were it."

"No key? Then how do we open this other box," Rouge asked.

"We'll figure something out," Noir replied. "In the meantime, let's see what's in the folder."

She picked up the folder and opened it. Reaching in, she pulled out several papers and photos. As she pulled the items out, something else slid out and fell on the table. It was a key!

"Hey! This must be for the box," Rouge said.

"We'll check it out in a minute," Noir said. "Let's see what these papers and photos are all about." She placed the photos on the table, spreading them out. "Oh, my god. Rouge, look at this."

Rouge took a look at the photos. They showed her at various stages of her life, from a little girl to a teenager all the way to an adult. There were also some showing Dusk.

"I remember a lot of these moments," Rouge said, picking up one of the pictures. "Uncle Dusk took these photos."

"He left them for me," Noir said, gazing at the photos. "Oh. Look at you in this photo."

"Oh, god! That was when I was going through my awkward teen years," Rouge groaned.

"He even left photos of when you were born," Noir said. "I remember that day well. The very first day I held you in my arms."

"Aw, come on, mom," Rouge said, wiping her eyes. "You're going to get me going here."

"I'm sorry," Noir said. "Just looking at these photos makes me realize how much I left behind...How much I missed out on. Oh, god! How could I have been so foolish?"

"Hey, come on, don't this to yourself," Rouge said. "You know Uncle Dusk wouldn't want you beating yourself up over this."

"You're right," Noir said, composing herself. "Why don't we see what these papers are all about." She picked up the papers she had laid aside and glanced over them. "Hmm. Looks like some legal documents regarding the building Dusk owned. It seems he also made me a beneficiary of his estate."

"Which would make you co-owner of the brothel," Rouge said.

"No. That business is yours and yours alone," Noir said. "I may have a stake in that building, but ultimately, it's yours."

"Well, I appreciate that," Rouge said. "But just know, you'll always have a place there."

"Considering the studs that come in and out of there, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Noir said, grinning.

Rouge laughed. "Okay, mom. Settle down now. So, what say we check out that box now?"

"Why not? I am pretty curious to see what's in there," Noir said, picking up the key on the table. She unlocked the box and opened it, glancing inside. Her eyes widened in shock! "Holy shit!"

"What? What is it," Rouge asked in alarm.

Noir reached inside the box and pulled out the item inside. Nestled in her hand was a medium sized green emerald.

"Is...Is that what I think it is," Rouge whispered, hardly believing her eyes.

"It is," Noir said. "It's a Chaos Emerald."

Both women sat there in stunned silence at this discovery. They had acquired one of the rarest and most valuable gems ever to exist.

"Dusk, you son-of-a-bitch," Noir said, shaking her head. "How in the hell did you manage to get a hold of this?"

She then noticed a small piece of paper in the box. She picked it up and saw it had a short message: For you, sis. One last thrill for the both of us.

"That brother of mine," Noir murmured. "He really was something."

"So, what do we do with it," Rouge asked. "That emerald is worth a god-damn fortune."

"I...I don't know," Noir said. "This is quite a lot to take in. I was not expecting to find something like this."

"Well, maybe we should take some time to think it over," Rouge suggested. "Like you said, it's a lot to take in. But, man, this emerald is even more beautiful than I ever imagined."

Noir placed it back in the box and locked it. "Yes, it's beautiful. But if I'm being honest, it only serves as a reminder of my mistake. Anyway, I suppose we'd better get this back to the brothel."

"We can stash it in my office's safe," Rouge said, gathering up the papers and photos and placing them back in the folder. "Also, maybe we should keep this a secret for now. If word got out we had one of these..."

"Good point," Noir said. "I think until we decide on what we're going to do with it, we'll keep it out of sight."

With their newfound possessions in hand, both women exited the vault and stopped by the counter.

"We're heading out now," Noir said to the receptionist. "Thank you for your assistance."

"My pleasure, ma'am," the receptionist replied. "Have a pleasant day."

Nodding, Noir and Rouge exited the bank and grabbed a cab back to the brothel.

Two weeks later...

In the days following Millie's departure and the unexpected gifts left by Dusk, business at the brothel continued. However, everyone noticed that, despite Millie leaving, Rouge seemed to be in very high spirits. Some, like Sally and Tony, knew that a lot of it attributed to finally coming to terms with her estranged mother. Noir herself was now settled in permanently at the brothel, though she was now in the process of trying to decide what to do with her house back on the island. At the moment, she was seated at the bar discussing the matter with Tony. Also present were Elias and Megan.

"Should I just sell it," she asked. "I mean, I really would hate to give it up. It is a nice house in a prime location. But if I'm going to be staying here now, then there's no point keeping it anymore."

"What about your possessions," Tony asked. "Aren't you going to need to get them moved out first?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Noir replied. "Though that's going to be a pain in the ass."

"If you ask me, I think you should hold on to it," Elias spoke up.

"Why? I'm not going to be living there anymore," Noir pointed out.

"I know. But hear me out on this," Elias continued. "As you said, you have a very nice house on a tropical island. So, why not go ahead and keep it, and consider it a summer home. You know, a place where you can go for some vacation time, of if you just need to get away for a while."

"Hmm. You know, that's not a bad idea," Noir mused. "Hell, I wouldn't be apposed to others using it if they want to. It'd be a good place for anyone who might want to go off on a romantic get-away."

"Exactly," Elias said.

"Maybe we could be one of those couples," Megan said, winking at Elias. "A tropical island sounds wonderful."

"Well, then that settles it," Noir said. "I'll take your advice, Elias."

As the four of them chatted, Fiona stood at the entrance to the bar watching them. In particular, she was watching Noir. Despite the fact that she and Rouge were now on better terms with each other, Fiona still didn't fully trust Noir. She still felt that Noir might try to take advantage of Rouge somehow. Or probably decide she didn't want to be a good mother anymore and then take off, never to be seen again.

"What do you have against her?"

Fiona started and whirled around to see Tangle standing next to her.

"What?"

"I said, what do you have against her," Tangle replied, indicating Noir.

"You even have to ask," Fiona retorted.

"Look, I get it," Tangle said. "She was missing for 20 years and then showed back up out of the blue. Yes, I'll admit it sounds a little suspicious. But considering she's still here, it's obvious she's not going anywhere anytime soon. Besides, we know why she left Rouge in the first place and the fact that she's back after all this time says a lot about her."

"I'm telling you, she's looking for a way to get a piece of the brothel's profits," Fiona insisted. "Get in good with her daughter, convince her to make her co-owner or something and then..."

"Oh, give it a rest already," Tangle said. "You sound like a conspiracy theorist. Maybe, just maybe, Noir genuinely does want to reconnect with Rouge. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I just...I don't know," Fiona replied. "I just have trust issues. Especially when it comes to mother types."

Tangle frowned. What had Fiona meant by that?

"Anyway, it doesn't matter," Fiona said. "I'm going to continue watching her until I'm thoroughly convinced otherwise."

"Whatever," Tangle said. "You want to waste your time spying on someone, then go for it. Personally, I can think of better things to do with my time. Later."

She turned and walked off, leaving Fiona to her own devices. What pissed her off most was that Tangle had a good point. Why was she wasting her time spying on Noir? Truth be told, her suspicions weren't entirely because she worried about Rouge. She truly had issues when it came to mother's in general. Was it possible she was feeling envious that Rouge had succeeded in establishing a working relationship with her mother, whereas Fiona and her own mother...

She shook her head, dispelling those thoughts immediately. She wasn't going to dwell on that woman, and she sure as hell wasn't going to go crawling back to her with bullshit hopes of being a loving family. Turning, she stormed out of the bar and made her way to the entrance.

At the main entrance of the brothel, a green hedgehog was just entering the building when Fiona stormed past, shoving him roughly out of the way.

"Yo," the hedgehog yelled. "What's the big idea?"

"Fuck off," Fiona yelled back, not even slowing down.

"Hey, Fiona!"

The green hedgehog turned to see Amy rushing towards the door. She stood at the entrance, watching the vixen get into her car.

"Hey! Come back here and apologize," Amy yelled after her.

Fiona didn't respond. Instead, she revved up her car and then peeled out of the parking lot, zooming off down the street.

"God. What is her problem," Amy muttered, shutting the door. She turned around and addressed the green hedgehog. "I'm really sorry about that. My name's Amy Rose, and welcome to Rouge's Brothel. What can I do for you?"

"The name's Manic," the green hedgehog introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, Miss Rose."

"Just Amy," she replied.

"Alright, Amy," Manic said. "Anyway, I'm here looking for someone. Well, two someones actually. My mother and my sister. Their names are Aleena and Sonia."

"Wait! Aleena and Sonia," Amy exclaimed. "You're related to them?"

"That's right," Manic said. "Are they here?"

"Well, yeah, they are," Amy said. "Follow me, I'll take you to them."

Amy led him down the hallway towards Aleena's room.

"So, Aleena and Sonia have never mentioned you before," Amy said. "Come to think of it, they never even mentioned they were related to each other."

"I guess that shouldn't surprise me," Manic said. "They had to keep it a secret."

"Why," Amy asked.

"It's a long story," Manic said. "One that will be explained later. I have to say, I was pretty surprised when I learned they were here of all places."

"Yeah, that seems to be a running theme here lately," Amy said, thinking about the event's of the last couple of weeks.

"So I take it you work here, Amy," Manic asked.

"I sure do," Amy said. "Say, if you're interested in having some fun, come back later tonight when we're open. I wouldn't mind showing you a good time." She winked at him.

"Whoo. I might just take you up on that offer," Manic said.

By now they had arrived at Aleena's room. Amy knocked on the door. A moment passed and there was no answer.

"Hello? Aleena? Are you in there," Amy called out.

"Hey, Amy."

Amy and Manic turned to see Tiara approaching them.

"Were you looking for Aleena," Tiara asked. "She and Sonia are in the spare bar. Sonia's playing her piano and Aleena wanted to listen in. Can't say I blame her. That girl's got talent. By the way, who's this?"

"This is Manic," Amy introduced him. "Manic, meet Tiara Boobowski. She works here, too."

"Pleasure," Manic said. "So where's this spare bar you mentioned?"

"Right this way," Tiara said. "I'll show you."

It wasn't long before they arrived at their destination. Even before they had arrived at the entrance, they could here the beautiful melody of piano music. Peering inside, they saw Sonia seated at the piano, playing flawlessly. Seated nearby was Aleena, listening to the music. They stood at the entrance and listened, not wanting to interrupt. After a few minutes, Sonia finished playing, Aleena applauding.

"Another stirring performance, Sonia," Aleena said.

"Thanks, mom," she said.

"I agree. You haven't lost your touch, sis."

Both Aleena and Sonia turned towards the entrance and saw Manic entering.

"Manic," Sonia gasped.

"Manic," Aleena exclaimed happily.

Both women rushed forward and embraced Manic.

"Hey, mom. Hey, sis," Manic said. "It's good to see you both."

At the entrance, Amy and Tiara were watching, Tiara looking slightly confused.

"Wait. They're all...related," Tiara asked. "Aleena never told me she had a son. Or that Sonia was her daughter."

"Believe me, I was just as surprised as you," Amy said. "I don't really know what's going on here, but I'd better go let Rouge know. She is not going to believe this."

End of Chapter Seventeen...