26. No Echidna is an Island: Chapter 10: One final problem

by NetRaptor1

Chapter 10: One final problem
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Talon was sick with worry when Knuckles smashed the crystals covering the Hidden Palace
entrance. He and Zephyer walked in, and Talon ran to them and hugged them both. "It's dead," said
Knuckles. "It's safe now."

"Yes sir." Talon looked at Zephyer's broken breastplate and Knuckles's grimed shield, and marveled
that they weren't hurt worse.

"Zeff," said Knuckles, "take Talon up to the house. The Chaotix and I have to warp the carcass back
to the mainland for evidence. I'll be home after that."

"Okay," said Zephyer, reluctant to leave him looking so tired. She looked at the Chaotix, who were
bursting with curiosity, but biting back the questions. "Look after him, you guys."

Vector saluted. "Aye aye, Zephyer!"

She took Talon's hand and led him out to the teleporter antechamber as Knuckles took off his
helmet. "Get some ropes," he told the Chaotix. "There's a lot of manticore hamburger out there."

* * *

Zephyer put Talon to bed in his old room, then went to her room, took off her armor and shoes, and
crawled under the blankets without changing clothes. She didn't even care about the scrapes on her
sides--she just wanted to sleep. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and didn't even
wake up when Talon came in and snuggled up to her, too traumatized to sleep alone.

It was after eleven o'clock when Knuckles got home. He dragged himself to the couch, flopped on it
and snored. He was still in the same position hours later when Zephyer awoke and went hunting for
him. She draped a blanket over him with a smile, and went back to bed.

* * *

When the echidnas called Howe the next day at noon, the ferret was purring with glee. "The whole
Blackguard Island chain is talking about this trial. This morning they brought in Mori and his
lawyer--I can clean that wimp's clock any day--and at first the jury felt sorry for him. I mean, he's
missing an arm and everything. And then we pulled back the curtain and showed them the
manticore! All sympathy went out the window. Especially after we told him what he'd done to his
kids. I'm expecting a verdict of a life sentence from them."

"How was Slasher's testimony?" asked Knuckles. He and Zephyer were sitting on the porch sipping
fruit drinks. Talon was slouched in a lawn chair, playing a game on Knuckles's handheld computer.

"Her testimony was brilliant," said Howe. "She was very calm and lucid about everything, and going
feral is something the Blackguard citizens understand, what with that horrible school being here."

"How's my lawsuit coming?"

"Wonderful." Howe savored the news. "There have been other lawsuits, but the school has its own
panel of defense lawyers who always got them settled out of court. Not this time! This case has
blown that school wide open. They'll go belly up a dozen times over once I'm through with them."

Her voice took on a more serious note. "Talon is without a proper guardian now, and your adoption
approval process still isn't finished."

Knuckles glanced at Zephyer, who had been listening, and they both looked at Talon. "So what'll
happen?"

Howe sighed. "They'll place him in foster care temporarily."

"Argh!" Knuckles slapped his forehead. "So we're back where we started! When do they place him?"

"Two o'clock this afternoon," said Howe. "I'll meet you at Orphan Aid."

Knuckles shut off his com and looked at Zephyer. "Ever get the feeling that everything we do is
jinxed?"

"Yes." Zephyer looked at him. "Hey, no electricity."

"You're right. Think about Talon." They did, and nothing happened.

"Maybe we blew out the charge with that last one," said Zephyer.

"Good," said Knuckles. "I was getting to the point where I was afraid to look at you."

"Likewise." They both looked at Talon, and the bad news hung over them like a storm cloud.

"Tal," said Knuckles. The anteater looked up. "I just talked to Howe. She said you have to placed in
temporary foster care until our approval process is finished."

Talon stared at him blankly for a moment, then dissolved into tears and put his head in his hands.
Zephyer rose and went to him. No one spoke--there was nothing to say. It seemed the past two weeks
had all been in vain.

* * *

Howe met them at the Orphan Air office, and didn't comment on the desolate expressions of the
echidnas and anteater. She explained the foster-child process to Talon and had him sign a few
papers, and watch a video. He didn't speak and performed mechanically, as if he was incapable of
feeling any more pain.

Finally the ferret said, "Would you like to meet the foster parent? He's in the next room."

"Yeah!" Knuckles jumped up. "And if he's not a nice guy, I'm gonna pound his head!"

Howe raised a hand. "No violence, please." She opened an adjoining door and ushered them
through.

A long figure rose to his feet, and everyone but Howe stared at him. "Espio?" said Knuckles. "What
are you doing in here?"

The chameleon's grin was big enough to wrap around his head. "While you guys were treasure
hunting, I got myself approved for foster care. So now Talon goes to live with me for a while. And
hey, if I happen to live on the Floating Island, it doesn't matter, does it?"

"Of all the diabolical--" Zephyer began, then started to smile. "--cunning angelic lizards!" She ran up
and hugged Espio until he choked. "Now, now," he said, pulling away, "no attacking other clients,
now! Come on, Talon, you go with me."

Talon was grinning as he walked up to him. This change of fortune had left him stunned, but it was
obviously no joke. Knuckles was just staring with his mouth open. Espio laid one finger alongside
his snout-horn and winked, then strode out with Talon.

They all met up at the same teleporter afterwards. "After you," said Knuckles to Espio and Talon.

Espio stuck his nose in the air and said, "Come along, slave--I mean son." He grinned as he and
Talon stepped on the teleporter and vanished.

"I ought to pound him for that," said Knuckles.

"The point is, you can," said Zephyer. They joined hands and stepped on the teleporter, and warped
home.

* * *

A few days later, Knuckles entered the house and shed his dripping raincoat. Outdoors was a solid wall of rain, and the air was heavy and warm. "Let it rain," thought Knuckles, hanging his raincoat on a nail by the door. "It'll wash away the manticore's stink."

Talon was lying on the couch with a book, and looked up as Knuckles entered. "Hello, sir."

"Heya Talon. Where's Zephyer?"

"In your room, I guess," said Talon, sitting up. "Can I see it?"

Knuckles walked over, slid off his ring and handed it to Talon. It was a copy of his brass one, but this time in gold--two thick bands wrapped around each other in a loop.

"It's better than the one Tails made," said Talon, grinning. His grin was even more lopsided than usual because of the bandage over his eye and cheek.

Knuckles was glad to see him resting, and even more glad to have him in the house. "You bet it is," he said, putting the ring on again. "Take it easy, Tal."

"Yes sir." Talon returned to his book, and Knuckles went in search of Zephyer.

She was sitting at their bedroom window, watching the rain with the window open, and the room was full of the clean, fresh scent. Knuckles walked up beside her and looked out at the trees bowing in the distance. "Quite a storm."

"Yes." She looked up at him. "Did you get it?" He pulled off his ring and handed it to her. She fingered it and tapped it against her teeth. "Real gold this time, I see."

"Yep." Knuckles slid it back on and sat down beside his wife. They watched the rain, and Knuckles was struck by a rare mood of self-doubt as he thought of the significance of their rings. Gold to symbolize true love ... but his ring had been brass. He looked at his wife and wondered if he loved her enough. Or if she really loved him. He thought of the electric surge that had killed the manticore--she had to love him now. But ... he had forced her to. He had derobotized her, so what if she had only married him out of obligation? "Zeff ..."

She looked at him. "Hmm?"

He looked down. "Do you really love me?"

"Of course." She peered at him. "You're not having second thoughts about marrying me, are you? I know I was kind of pushy about you carrying a weapon ..."

"No, no, nothing like that. Why did you marry me in the first place?"

It was a plainitive question, and Zephyer frowned. She had never thought of Knuckles as insecure. "Because I love you, dummy."

He fingered his ring. "I kind of ... forced you. After I derobotized you, you didn't have a choice."

"Hello, island to Knuckles," said Zephyer. "You'd been courting me a long time before that, and in case you forget, we had a deal. I'd marry you if you could derobotize me."

"But you wanted to back out, and I wouldn't let you ..."

He looked up to see Zephyer lean close and study his face. "All right, what have you done with Knuckles?" She shook her head. "Knux, the reason I threw such a fit was because I was robotized! You know that whole sordid mess I was in. Quit the pity party already. I knew what I was getting myself into."

He smiled. "You never cut me any slack, do you?"

"Somebody's got to whip you into shape sometimes," said Zephyer, putting an arm around him. He pulled her close and kissed her slowly, stroking her hair. Then he kissed her forehead and held her to his chest as he had done when she was recovering from derobotization.

She lifted her head and stroked his face. "If you're mad at me, just tell me."

"I'm not mad at you. I was just thinking."

"You think too much, mister Guardian."

"One of us has to."

She glared. "What did you say?"

He grinned. "I'm kidding."

They were in the middle of another kiss when they heard the front door blow open, and the footsteps and voices of the Chaotix. "Uh oh," said Zephyer, pulling away. "What are they doing back so soon?"

"Maybe the test wasn't as long as they thought," said Knuckles, getting up.

"Look at this, Talon!" Vector was whooping as the echidnas walked in. He pulled an envelope out from under his raincoat and waved it around. "This is my private detective license!"

"So you got it, eh?" said Knuckles.

"So did I!" said Espio, and Charmy produced his own.

"How about you, Mighty?" asked Zephyer as the armadillo entered last.

He held up his envelope with a grin. "Check it out! A license to snoop!"

Zephyer looked at the floor and yelped. "You guys are dripping all over my clean floor! Ditch the raincoats, pronto!"

The Chaotix sheepishly pulled off their coats and hung them beside the door. As they moved toward the living room, talking about the test, the door opened yet again and Slasher blew in, half-open wings streaming rainwater.

"Slasher!" Zephyer cried, slapping a hand to her forehead.

The raptor looked at the wet floor. "It's already soaked."

Zephyer threw a towel at her and left the room.

As Knuckles followed the Chaotix into the living room, Talon sidled past him and walked to Slasher. Knuckles watched from around the corner as Talon shyly took the towel and helped Slasher dry her wings. Then they both dried the floor with furtive looks at Knuckles.

He grinned and left.

The end

This story archived at: The Domain of NetRaptor

http://www.netraptor.org/fanfiction/viewstory.php?sid=1028