Chapter 3 Losing
Author's Note- I'm glad you liked the last chapter, I thought it was bad! OK chapter three.
Disclaimer- I own everyone except the people I don't own.
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Knuckles returned home shortly after his visit to the hospital. He was feeling such a mix of emotions right now. Part of him was so depressed that he just wanted to break down crying. Another part of him was so angry that he wanted to scream out in rage. And yet another part of him was so confused he didn't know what to do. So, instead if trying to sort out his emotions, he decided to go back to bed.
Knuckles climbed up the stairs and quietly opened the door. He breathed a sight of relief when he saw that Rouge was still asleep. He really wasn't in the mood to explain what had happened, he just wasn't ready yet. He lied down next to her and closed his eye. He lay there only for a few minutes, but it seemed like hours.
Knuckles turned his head to look at the clock on his nightstand. 8:30. 'God,' he thought, 'Rouge can really sleep late.' He knew there was no way he was ever going to fall back asleep, so he just sat at the edge of the bed and thought.
'Why me?' he thought to himself, 'What did I ever do to deserve this? It's just not fair!' No matter how much he tried to hold them back, tears slowly ran down his face. He whimpered softly, but loudly enough to wake his wife.
Rouge sat up to look for what had made the sound that had woken her, and she saw her husband crying at the edge of the bed. "Knuckles? Honey, what's wrong?" she asked with deep concern. Never, in all the years she had known Knuckles, had she seen him cry.
Knuckles turned to see Rouge sitting up and looking at him. Her eyes had a worried look to them. He seemed embarrassed at the fact that his wife had seen and heard him crying, and he turned away. "I- I'm sorry that I woke you..." he whispered, his voicing cracking slightly as he held back sobs.
Rouge gave him a funny look. "I don't care if you woke me. What I'm concerned about is why you're crying," she told him gently.
He shook his head, still not looking at her. "I don't want to talk about it," he choked out.
Rouge put a hand on his shoulder. "It won't help to keep it all inside."
Knuckles shook his head again. "No, I'm Knuckles the Echidna. I've always been a tough-guy. Things aren't supposed to upset me, I'm not supposed to cry," Knuckles explained as he lowered his head in shame.
"That's ridiculous," Rouge assured him, "everyone gets upset sometimes. It's only natural to cry. Now, tell me Knuckles, what' upsetting you?"
This time Knuckles turned to face Rouge and he stared into her caring eyes. He took a deep breath. "My father's dead."
Rouge looked at him with great sympathy. "Oh Knuckles..." she whispered before drawing him into a hug.
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X Shadow's Apartment X
Later that afternoon, around 1:00, Sonic, Tails and Shadow were all hanging out in Shadow's apartment. Sonic and Tails were sitting at the kitchen table playing checkers and Shadow was on the couch, reading a book.
Sonic took one of pieces and jumped three of Tails's pieces. "King me," he remarked with a smug look on his face.
"No fair you cheated!" Tails argued.
Sonic smiled at his fox friend. "How do you cheat in checkers?" he asked.
It took Tails a few seconds to think of a comeback. "Why are you asking me? You're the one who cheated!" he shot back.
Sonic shook his head with a huge smile on his face. "Tails, my good friend, it's virtually impossible to cheat in checkers."
Tails shot him a glare, "I don't care I still think you cheated!" he replied, annoyed.
This whole thing was getting on Sonic's nerves now. Why couldn't Tails just shut up and play the game? "Yeah? Well you wanna know what I think?" With that Sonic picked his coffee mug off the table and held it over Tails's head, ready to pour it.
"Not so fast buddy," Shadow remarked as he grabbed the hedgehogs arm, "these are new rugs."
Tails stared at Shadow blankly, "Gee Shadow, thanks for the support..." he muttered.
Sonic smiled at Shadow. "Well, how would you like it in your fur?" he remarked as he aimed the mug towards Shadow. The phone rang at just that second.
"I've gotta get the phone," Shadow remarked as Sonic rolled his eyes. He walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello this is Shadow who DOES NOT WANT COFFEE ON HIS NEW RUGS, speaking how may I help you?"
"Is that how you always answer you phone?" Rouge asked on the other line, not sounding very amused.
"Oh hey Rouge, what's up?"
Rouge sighed, "I just wanted to let you know that Knuckles father passed away, and we want you to be at the funeral."
"That's harsh," Shadow replied with concern, "how's Knux taking it?"
"Well, he's on the couch taking a nap right now, and he only does that when something's bugging him."
"Yeah, well I'll be there, you can count on it."
"Good, and give Sonic and Tails the message too."
"I will," he promised her, "Bye."
"Who was that?" Sonic asked the minute Shadow hung up the phone.
"It was Rouge," Shadow replied, "Knuckles father passed away and she wants us at the funeral."
"Oh, that's so sad," Tails replied sympathetically, "Knuckles and his father were so close."
'Yeah I know," Shadow replied, "Now, I'm going to the stationary store to buy a sympathy card for him. Whether you guys come or not is up to you, but you have to get out of my house."
"Don't you trust us alone in here?" Sonic asked.
"No," Shadow replied quickly.
"All right we'll come. It's only right that we send him a sympathy card," Tails commented. Sonic nodded in response.
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When they got to the stationary store, they spotted Joan and Amy. "Hey guys!" Joan greeted as she and Amy walked up to the boys.
"What are you doing here?" Amy asked.
"Knuckles father passed away, so we're here to get a sympathy card," Sonic replied.
"Oh that's sad, when did it happen?" Joan asked.
Shadow shrugged, "Rouge called with the news about ten minutes ago."
"But it is sweet of you to get him a card. We'll have to get him one too," Amy replied.
Joan nodded. "Well, catch you guys later, bye."
"Yeah bye guys," Amy said, following Joan out of the store.
"Bye..." Sonic said in nearly a whisper, never taking his eyes off Amy. The minute the girls were out of the store, Shadow and Tails started cracking up.
"Bye..." Tails said imitating Sonic.
"Oh that is rich, Sonic loves Amy!"
Tails looked at Shadow, "You're just figuring that out now?"
Sonic turned red from a mixture of embarrassment and rage. "Shut up Shadow or I'll tell Joan you're cheating on her!"
Shadow immediately stopped laughing, "But I'm not cheating on her!"
Sonic smiled, "You and I know that, but she doesn't"
"Like she'd believe you," Shadow remarked. Then, under his breath he muttered, "Amy Lover..."
Sonic went red, "What did you say?!"
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Nothing. It's no fun to tease you anyway, you take everything too serious!"
Sonic turned away, "Whatever. Let's just get what we came for."
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Yay! Son/Amy! Ok, I hope you liked this chapter. The next chapter will go up soon, provided you review!
Author's Note- I'm glad you liked the last chapter, I thought it was bad! OK chapter three.
Disclaimer- I own everyone except the people I don't own.
==================================================================
Knuckles returned home shortly after his visit to the hospital. He was feeling such a mix of emotions right now. Part of him was so depressed that he just wanted to break down crying. Another part of him was so angry that he wanted to scream out in rage. And yet another part of him was so confused he didn't know what to do. So, instead if trying to sort out his emotions, he decided to go back to bed.
Knuckles climbed up the stairs and quietly opened the door. He breathed a sight of relief when he saw that Rouge was still asleep. He really wasn't in the mood to explain what had happened, he just wasn't ready yet. He lied down next to her and closed his eye. He lay there only for a few minutes, but it seemed like hours.
Knuckles turned his head to look at the clock on his nightstand. 8:30. 'God,' he thought, 'Rouge can really sleep late.' He knew there was no way he was ever going to fall back asleep, so he just sat at the edge of the bed and thought.
'Why me?' he thought to himself, 'What did I ever do to deserve this? It's just not fair!' No matter how much he tried to hold them back, tears slowly ran down his face. He whimpered softly, but loudly enough to wake his wife.
Rouge sat up to look for what had made the sound that had woken her, and she saw her husband crying at the edge of the bed. "Knuckles? Honey, what's wrong?" she asked with deep concern. Never, in all the years she had known Knuckles, had she seen him cry.
Knuckles turned to see Rouge sitting up and looking at him. Her eyes had a worried look to them. He seemed embarrassed at the fact that his wife had seen and heard him crying, and he turned away. "I- I'm sorry that I woke you..." he whispered, his voicing cracking slightly as he held back sobs.
Rouge gave him a funny look. "I don't care if you woke me. What I'm concerned about is why you're crying," she told him gently.
He shook his head, still not looking at her. "I don't want to talk about it," he choked out.
Rouge put a hand on his shoulder. "It won't help to keep it all inside."
Knuckles shook his head again. "No, I'm Knuckles the Echidna. I've always been a tough-guy. Things aren't supposed to upset me, I'm not supposed to cry," Knuckles explained as he lowered his head in shame.
"That's ridiculous," Rouge assured him, "everyone gets upset sometimes. It's only natural to cry. Now, tell me Knuckles, what' upsetting you?"
This time Knuckles turned to face Rouge and he stared into her caring eyes. He took a deep breath. "My father's dead."
Rouge looked at him with great sympathy. "Oh Knuckles..." she whispered before drawing him into a hug.
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X Shadow's Apartment X
Later that afternoon, around 1:00, Sonic, Tails and Shadow were all hanging out in Shadow's apartment. Sonic and Tails were sitting at the kitchen table playing checkers and Shadow was on the couch, reading a book.
Sonic took one of pieces and jumped three of Tails's pieces. "King me," he remarked with a smug look on his face.
"No fair you cheated!" Tails argued.
Sonic smiled at his fox friend. "How do you cheat in checkers?" he asked.
It took Tails a few seconds to think of a comeback. "Why are you asking me? You're the one who cheated!" he shot back.
Sonic shook his head with a huge smile on his face. "Tails, my good friend, it's virtually impossible to cheat in checkers."
Tails shot him a glare, "I don't care I still think you cheated!" he replied, annoyed.
This whole thing was getting on Sonic's nerves now. Why couldn't Tails just shut up and play the game? "Yeah? Well you wanna know what I think?" With that Sonic picked his coffee mug off the table and held it over Tails's head, ready to pour it.
"Not so fast buddy," Shadow remarked as he grabbed the hedgehogs arm, "these are new rugs."
Tails stared at Shadow blankly, "Gee Shadow, thanks for the support..." he muttered.
Sonic smiled at Shadow. "Well, how would you like it in your fur?" he remarked as he aimed the mug towards Shadow. The phone rang at just that second.
"I've gotta get the phone," Shadow remarked as Sonic rolled his eyes. He walked over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello this is Shadow who DOES NOT WANT COFFEE ON HIS NEW RUGS, speaking how may I help you?"
"Is that how you always answer you phone?" Rouge asked on the other line, not sounding very amused.
"Oh hey Rouge, what's up?"
Rouge sighed, "I just wanted to let you know that Knuckles father passed away, and we want you to be at the funeral."
"That's harsh," Shadow replied with concern, "how's Knux taking it?"
"Well, he's on the couch taking a nap right now, and he only does that when something's bugging him."
"Yeah, well I'll be there, you can count on it."
"Good, and give Sonic and Tails the message too."
"I will," he promised her, "Bye."
"Who was that?" Sonic asked the minute Shadow hung up the phone.
"It was Rouge," Shadow replied, "Knuckles father passed away and she wants us at the funeral."
"Oh, that's so sad," Tails replied sympathetically, "Knuckles and his father were so close."
'Yeah I know," Shadow replied, "Now, I'm going to the stationary store to buy a sympathy card for him. Whether you guys come or not is up to you, but you have to get out of my house."
"Don't you trust us alone in here?" Sonic asked.
"No," Shadow replied quickly.
"All right we'll come. It's only right that we send him a sympathy card," Tails commented. Sonic nodded in response.
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When they got to the stationary store, they spotted Joan and Amy. "Hey guys!" Joan greeted as she and Amy walked up to the boys.
"What are you doing here?" Amy asked.
"Knuckles father passed away, so we're here to get a sympathy card," Sonic replied.
"Oh that's sad, when did it happen?" Joan asked.
Shadow shrugged, "Rouge called with the news about ten minutes ago."
"But it is sweet of you to get him a card. We'll have to get him one too," Amy replied.
Joan nodded. "Well, catch you guys later, bye."
"Yeah bye guys," Amy said, following Joan out of the store.
"Bye..." Sonic said in nearly a whisper, never taking his eyes off Amy. The minute the girls were out of the store, Shadow and Tails started cracking up.
"Bye..." Tails said imitating Sonic.
"Oh that is rich, Sonic loves Amy!"
Tails looked at Shadow, "You're just figuring that out now?"
Sonic turned red from a mixture of embarrassment and rage. "Shut up Shadow or I'll tell Joan you're cheating on her!"
Shadow immediately stopped laughing, "But I'm not cheating on her!"
Sonic smiled, "You and I know that, but she doesn't"
"Like she'd believe you," Shadow remarked. Then, under his breath he muttered, "Amy Lover..."
Sonic went red, "What did you say?!"
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Nothing. It's no fun to tease you anyway, you take everything too serious!"
Sonic turned away, "Whatever. Let's just get what we came for."
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Yay! Son/Amy! Ok, I hope you liked this chapter. The next chapter will go up soon, provided you review!