Chapter 1 – A Perfect Theft.
A/N: Just a quick message:
HHH and new chao – Well, I've never played any chao-inclusive Sonic games, but I've owned a lot of dogs; I guess they're a bit alike. I know you're a, as you put it, rabid emeraldshipper; so read on.
"Okay Cream, listen up", the rabbit glanced forwards as Knuckles led her towards where Sojourner was waiting for the trio of happy shoppers to arrive, zipping up his jacket to hide the crest on his chest, "now I don't know if you've been told already, but most of the echidnas up there on the surface have never seen other species before". As he'd expected, she didn't quite follow this,
"They've never seen others, not even humans?" Knuckles shook his head, his dreadlocks swaying as he tried to explain to the stunned rabbit,
"No, never, because they're all up here aren't they?" he borrowed the explanation Rouge had come up with in the past, "think about it; they're alone on this island up in the sky and there's no way off, so they can't have got out and about much. Besides that, they've only just come back from wherever Dimitri sent them, so all I'm saying is that you might get a few odd looks as you're walking about. Stick close to me and Rouge though, we'll make sure no-one bothers you, okay?"
"No problem Mr Knuckles; it's not a good idea to wander off in a strange place anyway" she told him, parroting the wisdom she'd been exposed to by her mother when she was a very young girl. The echidna smiled,
"Glad you've got a smart head on your shoulders", an idea struck him and he rolled one eye down to see her reaction to his next line, though he was careful to keep his tone casual, "now if Tails were here I'd have to break out the flexi-lead; shame he can't make it isn't it?" Not really thinking about what she was saying, Cream shrugged casually as she blithely dug her own hole,
"Yeah, but he says he's close to a breakthrough on, er", she tried to remember the name of what the fox had said he'd been trying to create, but it effortlessly eluded her and she had to settle for the next best thing, "on whatever it is he and Mr Locke are working on in the labs. Wish he could come though" she added before she could stop herself; Knuckles pounced without a second thought,
"Oho, is it now", Cream blushed as she braced herself for the avalanche she'd left herself open to, "sounds like someone's admitting feelings; taking a leaf out of Sonic's book are you Cream?" Cheeks fiery red now, the rabbit tried to look intimidating as she glared at the echidna,
"You tell Tails and I, I, I'll…"
"Stutter at me?" Knuckles laughed and squeezed her shoulder softly, putting on a gently reproachful look as he tried to keep the humour out of his voice, "come on, am I cruel enough to do something like that?"
"Probably", Cream answered without hesitation; Knuckles laughed again; she's learning; until her next pronouncement stopped him cold, "but if you do I'll wait until your asleep, tie pink ribbons in your hair and start taking snaps – what do you think Sonic would pay?"
"Pay for what?" Both Mobians looked around, Knuckles at a complete loss for words in the face of this extraordinary threat even as he mentally congratulated the rabbit for thinking of it on the spur of the moment, to see Rouge approaching them both, looking a little puzzled but with the full intention of joining in the joke, "what are you going to get spiky to buy this time?"
"Nothing" Knuckles assured her, too quickly to be entirely truthful; Rouge saw Cream mouth the word 'later' and gave a miniscule nod – from the rabbit's sudden smile she assumed Cream had seen it. There was a slightly awkward silence before Knuckles cleared his throat,
"Well, come on then, we'd best be off; you know Sojourner hates to be kept waiting".
"Is there anything he doesn't hate?" Rouge questioned sardonically; Knuckles shrugged as if to say 'your guess is as good as mine', then turned and led he way, Cream at his elbow as Rouge gratefully was at the back of the three, trying to still the frenzied beating of her heart as her plan approached critical point.
XXX
"This close enough for you"; the fifth-father glared around the trees that characterised his normal teleportation point whenever he had to travel to Echidnopolis, which admittedly wasn't that often. The spot was close to the border of the city so minimised the risk of accidental discovery, the green glare so characteristic of Sojourner's unique gift camouflaged by the foliage in the summer while in the winter the biting cold would dissuade most casual visitors. As Knuckles stooped to steady Cream, the rabbit not being used to travel by Chaos Control, Rouge took a casual look around and nodded,
"This should be fine; thanks for the lift".
"Don't mention it", Sojourner snorted bitterly without deigning to look at her; fortunately Rouge was expecting him to have all the personality of an axel-grinder and kept her feet on the floor as he finished, "give my regards to Lara". Without so much as a goodbye he was gone once more in a green haze, leaving the others blinking to try and clear their retinas. As she rubbed her eyes, Cream made a valid point,
"What's gotten his goat; not a morning person?" The two older Mobians shared a look over the top of her head; Athair had told them the reason why Sojourner had lost his love of life and, deciding discretion was a lot more convenient than several awkward questions, decided to divert the inquiry,
"Something like that, but anyway, forget him", Knuckles laughed as he held apart a few branches and let both ladies step through first, "this is about you floppy; now we best get a move on or we'll miss mum". Prompted by the reminder of the promise to see Knuckles' family, Cream upped her pace to stay by the side of him as Rouge hung back slightly, enough for them to keep her in their peripheral vision and avoid their suspicion, but not enough to allow them to gain an accurate guess of her expression; and the less acting I have to do now, the easier it'll be for me when I have to actually try, no, succeed, I can't afford to mess this up!
XXX
Lara-Le was jerked out of her newspaper-induced fugue as a voice she'd been waiting to hear for what seemed like another thirteen years rang through the air,
"Mum", she looked around wildly, newspaper casually tossed into the nearest bin as she looked around for a glimpse, the barest sight of her once-lost son, "mum". She couldn't see him in the press so shouted back,
"Knuckles, Knuckles where are you?" There was a chuckle from just behind her as someone she joyfully recognised purred in her ear,
"No need to shout mum; I'm not deaf". Her eyes closed for a minute in blissful certainty before she span on her heel, arms wide as she was swept up, held close by her baby, not caring of anything else in the world as once more Knuckles had found her.
"Good to see you again kid", she whispered, forcing back the threatening tears as she didn't want to cause a scene for him in the street, she felt his great heart beating and the breath rumble in his chest as his deep voice answered her,
"And you mum"; their embrace could have been seconds, minutes or some timeless years, but all too soon they slid free of each other's arms, standing back and allowing their eyes to see what their bodies had not.
He was just as she remembered him; still as strong, still as formidable and, most important of all, as she searched his face she could clearly see he was as capable of loving as he had been when she'd seen him last. Locke, I have to admit you're truthful; for a fleeting moment, Lara was able to feel some modicum of gratitude to her ex-husband; you could have lied and contradicted the truth of what happened between us, but you didn't, I can see that plain as day. Completing her spot inspection, the female echidna looked around her son's impressive muscle mass to see Rouge standing a little way away, in her mind giving Knuckles and his mother the time and space they needed to meet once more. More curiously, however, stood next to the bat was someone else; she could instantly tell she was a little girl due to the dress she was wearing, but she'd never seen anything like her before. Well, Knuckles did say his friends weren't echidnas, so I guess I'd better get used to this; switching her gaze back to her son, Lara smiled and inclined her head,
"Well, I'm glad to see you all looking so fit and happy"; if only you knew why; Knuckles thought wryly as his mother spoke on, "but who are you little one? Don't worry, I don't bite".
"I'd learn fast, 'cause she does", Rouge said snappily, causing the smaller Mobian, if that was the term Knuckles had told her earlier, to glare up for a second before gradually coming closer, a little shy in her movements in a way that was oddly endearing and, when coupled with her large eyes, pert mouth and large, swaying ears, most certainly cute.
"Hello, Ms Le", the girl ducked her head politely and did a small curtsy; Lara was struck by her properness as she finished her greeting, "I'm Cream, Cream the rabbit".
"Well Cream", in front of this display of manners, Lara felt strangely inadequate as she self-consciously offered her hand, "I'm, ah, Lara-Le". To her relief, the rabbit shook the pro-offered paw and smiled engagingly,
"I'm so glad to meet you at last; Mr Knuckles told me all about you – are we going to see Mr Wynmacher later?" The older woman laughed a little as she nodded,
"Yeah, he'll be along when his shift's over, but please Cream", she leant forwards as the rabbit cocked her head, "don't call him Mr Wynmacher, you'll give him a heart attack; he's an echidna who thinks manners are where rich people live". Cream's smile blossomed into a choked laugh as she managed to catch the joke,
"Aw, he can't be that bad".
"He can, but if he wants to eat this evening I've told him to tone it down; I said you were younger than Knuckles". Rouge stepped forwards with a sly smile and ran her tongue along her teeth,
"I agree in theory, but she can't stay innocent forever; it might do her good to see a bit of sauce from Wyn", as Lara looked incredulous, the bat widened her eyes and spoke in exasperation, not aware of Knuckles readying himself to pounce, "oh come on, he's not that bad; he won't turn Cream into a delinquent overnight".
"Nah, we've got you to do that batgirl". Knuckles licked his finger and hissed as Rouge appealed to Lara, only to see the guardian's mother with her mouth hidden by her hands, eyes crackling with barely contained laughter. She sniffed haughtily and cuffed the guardian on the back of the head, trying to retain her dignity as the same time as smoke-screen her intentions. Fortunately, Lara took that moment to check the sun and see that time was getting on,
"Come on, we'd best get going", she beckoned them and made to head off into the crowd, "it's a bit of a walk if we want to get there early".
XXX
The walk was stimulating and most pleasant for three of the party; it was pure torment for the last of them. Cream walked ahead with Lara, the two of them chatting as though they'd known each other for years as Knuckles brought up the rear with Rouge. As he watched Cream rise into the air, turning heads all around them as his mother watched on with her jaw dropped, Knuckles laughed,
"I guess you were right Rouge; flop-ears really can make a good impression on anyone", there was a few minutes pause before Knuckles glanced to the side in concern, "Rouge?" In his sidelong glance he saw the bat start,
"Hmm, yes, yeah I guess so". Knuckles came to a halt and turned to face her,
"Rouge, are you feeling all right?"
"Yeah, just", the bat stretched and flexed her wings, fighting back a yawn, "just a little tired, I didn't get much sleep last night".
"Oh, okay", he favoured her with a very piercing look, wanting to make sure his partner was feeling up to scratch; he couldn't see any lie in her face so decided to lay the matter to rest, though he resolved to keep an eye on her. Looking back around, he saw how far ahead his mother had gone and shouted over, hurrying to catch up,
"Hey mum, wait up". To his relief and confidence, Rouge kept up with him all the way; can't be too serious if she can still run as well as I can.
XXX
The sight of the mighty central shopping plaza rose up ahead like some behemoth from the ancient stories, a fortress of imposing might and vastness; had it not been for the steady stream of echidnas leaving and entering through the central gate, it would have been certainly intimidating. As it was though the weak winter sunshine gleamed from the polished stone and brightened it to a pearly sheen, transforming a tyrannical colossus into a benevolent giant, the warm air that ruffled the fur of the four travellers as they stepped in through the doors was invigorating as Cream shucked off her scarf and wound it around her arm.
"Whew, glad to be out of there; it was a bit nippy".
"Yeah, you were unlucky today wasn't yesterday", Lara said casually, explaining as she loosened the buttons on the front of her coat, "never seen a finer day in winter, but anyway, we're here now, so let's see", she looked down at Cream again with a warm smile, "what are you looking for Cream?" The rabbit thought for a second, rubbing her chin as she tried to recall her mental checklist; somehow during the journey it had managed to get all scrambled about,
"Umm, I need to find something for my mum and, er, there was something, oh yeah, that was it; Cheese and Chocola need a new bed pillow. Apart from that, I'm just looking".
"Pets of yours; Cheese and Choco I mean", Lara asked curiously as Cream, remembering Knuckles' words about the lack of chao on Angel Island, decided to make it simple,
"Yeah, they're my two little terrors; or at least that's what mum'd have you believe…"
"And she'd be right" Knuckles cut in, deftly ignoring Cream's death glare as he recalled the antics of the two chao over Christmas with a laugh. The echidna was about add some more when there was a tap on his arm and he looked around to see Rouge with her eyes glued on something in the distance. Following her gaze, he suddenly realised what had caught her eye and sighed to himself; sometimes I think you must be part magpie batgirl.
"Knuckles, could you…?"
"No" he said shortly, that was a habit he really couldn't afford even with his funds. Determined not to be denied, Rouge took guidance from Cream's school of thought and tried the cute look, batting her long eyelashes as she tried to weaken the obstinate echidna with a sustained charm offensive,
"Aww, come on Knuxie; you know you want to treat me really?"
"I do", that put her on the back foot; before she could recover he'd undermined her attack completely, "but not right now; I'll have to think about it". The bat looked agog as the echidna braced himself, waiting for the explosion of sarcasm he could see boiling in her face; the explosion that, by some miracle he was extremely grateful for, Rouge somehow managed to defuse internally,
"Oh well, you don't mind if I just go in and have a look do you?"
"Not at all Rouge", support from an unexpected quarter as Lara gestured towards the shop she had earmarked, "we'll look after flop-ears here so you…"
"Not you too; what is it with echidnas?" Cream asked of thin air, "Knuckles called me that the first time I met him, now you as well – I don't get it".
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything".
"You didn't", the rabbit smiled again, putting Lara-Le at ease once more, "I don't mind the name, I was just wondering how both of you made the same jump".
"It's obvious isn't it?" Knuckles said, puffing out his chest with pride, "I'm my mother's son", deep thankfulness welled up from inside Lara's chest as Knuckles said those words, though she remained silent as he fixed Rouge with a light-hearted gaze, "go admire, but remember don't touch what you can't afford". He'll be expecting a quip – gotta make this sound convincing; the bat replied with a shark-like smile,
"By that logic, you should have exclusion zone around me".
"Don't flatter yourself", Knuckles retorted as Rouge headed off towards her destination, though true to form she couldn't resist getting the last word in,
"Just as well I've got something you haven't". A dozen examples came to Knuckles mind but in present company he was smart enough to know they'd probably get him a thick ear from his mother if he spoke them out loud and besides Rouge was halfway there now. At least she's back to her old self now.
XXX
The door clinked shut behind her and for a second she rested her forehead against the cold glass; that had been hard – she'd been within seconds of bottling it and trying to slip what she'd taken back where it belonged, but no, she wouldn't let herself even consider retreat now. I've put this off for too long; with renewed purpose, realising she didn't have long to secure what she wanted from this place, she straightened and moved over to a display case, the jewel inside glittering alluringly from their velvet pillows; it's been such a long time, I need this now, or else… Rouge suppressed a shudder and scanned the displays again, trying to pick that perfect piece of jewellery from the many that assailed her vision.
XXX
With his crest, and therefore his identity, a secret hidden beneath his jacket, Knuckles finally realised he was just another face in the crowd; people pushed past him, talked over him and moved aside if he asked politely, though as he had suspected many of them took lingering glances at Cream, the rabbit sandwiched between him and his mother as she looked around, not looking at all perturbed by the attention she was receiving. She admired the racks of clothing available, picking one or two off the displays and holding them against her body, looking down at the effect. Knuckles really didn't have anything remotely resembling a fashion sense so took his mum's word for it when she whistled appraisingly,
"Very nice Cream, suits your eyes and face well that one".
"You think so?" The younger rabbit carefully returned the child's dress to its proper place on the rack and pulled off another, "I thought this one was better". Lara shook her head,
"No, it don't think red really goes with you fur colour too well; it's a bit clashy. The powder blue was much more gentle, blended it nicely if you ask me; it's your choice of course" she tacked on almost as an afterthought, not wanting to feel like she was pressuring the rabbit into a decision,
"Think I'll leave clothes shopping until I'm home", Cream said eventually, replacing the dress once more, "there's so much choice and I'm useless at making decisions".
"I wouldn't say that floppy", Knuckles mentioned airily, a smile that had trouble written all over it on his face as he spoke, "you can make other people's for them with ease; Sonic'll vouch for that".
"That was a one off alright; drop it" she demanded, for a second looking so much like her mother Knuckles instinctively fell back a pace. Fortunately for him, the silence was broken by a gasp of shock; a pair of hands had snuck over Lara's eyes and a voice whispered,
"Guess who?" into her ear.
"Wyn, stop messing around", she said in a would-be stern tone, though the effect was spoiled by the grin on her face as she turned around and hugged the older echidna, "had a good day at work?"
"Same old, same old", the brown echidna assured her before letting go and stepping forwards, extending his hand to Knuckles; the guardian grasped without restraint as the older echidna greeted him, "Knuckles, good to see you again".
"And you Wyn", as he let go, the guardian gestured towards Cream with his shaking hand and made the necessary introduction, "this is Cream, she's a friend of mine and very polite, so no dirty quips", he saw Wynmacher's wounded look and smiled, "sorry, mother's orders".
"Right", the chef muttered before raising his voice and offering his hand again, "hi Cream, good to meet you after what I've heard". The rabbit beamed like a sunrise as her hand was engulfed by the echidna's much larger paw,
"All good I hope?" she inquired – Wyn laughed and nodded as she carried on, "pleasure to meet you Mr, er, Wyn" she went pink at her slight slip of the tongue and was extremely grateful when it appeared he didn't notice. Instead, he straightened up and, finally seeming to realise where he was, let out a groan of horror,
"Oh no, not clothes shopping".
"No, don't worry", Lara reassured him, "we're just leaving here; I know there's a gift shop somewhere nearby, you can get something for Vanilla there".
"Okay", the rabbit hung the dress she'd been admiring back up and made to move out, "let's go".
XXX
A short while later, Knuckles felt a tug on his arm as Cream pointed to the shelves above her head,
"What's up flop?"
"Could you give me a lift up there please Mr Knuckles?" The echidna raised an eyebrow as he looked up at the shelf she was indicating and then down at her again,
"Can't you wing it, if you catch my drift?" Cream's eyes widened alarmingly as she dropped her voice to a whisper,
"No way, I tried flying in a shop once before and", she shook her head; unfortunately she'd already said too much – Knuckles' curiosity was up and he leaned forwards with interest,
"What happened?"
"I'd rather not say". The guardian tapped his fingers together as he leered at her in a way that suddenly made her very nervous,
"Really, well I in that case I'd rather not lift you to that shelf", he stood on tiptoe and craned his neck to annoy her, "and if that's the perfect gift for Vanilla I don't know what is".
"What is it?" Cream pawed at him, but he simply smiled and stepped back, smile now threatening to split his face in half as he made his offer,
"Out of your reach, 'less I get to know this story", Cream's face fell so dramatically he couldn't help but add, "but I promise not to tell anyone else". The rabbit licked her lips as she gave a tiny nod and sighing, signalled for him to lean in closer, her voice now barely audible over the din of the bustling gift shop,
"I lost control and went into a big display of tinned peas; don't laugh", she said warningly; Knuckles had to stuff his glove into his mouth to keep the sudden onset of the giggles bottled up, "it wasn't funny; it hurt and mum was so angry she had me stay there and rebuild the whole thing – everyone was watching me and laughing or trying not to laugh", she broke off, shuddering as the echidna tried to keep the mental image out of his head; if he imagined Cream, younger and eyes full of fright, suddenly skiing in mid-air into a stand of mushy peas he knew he'd lose it completely. It was only when there was a sharp kick to his shins that he was able to reassert his grip as Cream looked up with a hang-dog expression,
"Now can I get up there?"
"Yeah, come here", he bent down and gripped her gently around the waist; with a grunt of effort, he pushed her up onto his shoulder, her head and arms now easily able to reach what he'd seen.
"Perfect", he felt her shuffle a little on his neck and knew from the slight scraping she'd picked it up, "okay, set me down now please". The echidna did so, noticing the bottle of coloured sand now in her hand as she held it joyfully,
"This is just what mum'll love; she always gets one of these whenever we go to the seaside".
"Sure that's the one then?"
"You bet it is", Cream assured him; without further ado he moved for the wallet Wynmacher had given him as a present, "oh no Mr Knuckles, you can't pay for this".
"I'll have to Cream; you don't have any money up here do you?" The rabbit opened her mouth before thinking about this and realising with a nasty jolt he was right. Knuckles saw the realisation dawn and smirked as he opened the zip; when he took a look inside, he was perfectly still for a few seconds before his own realisation made itself plain.
"Mum", Lara looked over from where Wyn was testing out an open set of juggling ball to see Knuckles striding over, face like a storm cloud and Cream tailing him nervously, "mum, could you look after Cream for a few minutes?"
"Umm, yes, why Knuckles?"
"Because I've just got to go and beat my girlfriend to death" he snarled, though she could tell he wasn't actually that angry with Rouge, more with himself. Wyn gathered the balls he'd been throwing and set them down quickly, looking alarmed,
"Why, what did she do?"
"What did she do?" Knuckles parroted, reaching for his violated clothing, "knowing her habits she's probably bankrupted me; she's got something I haven't all right", he pulled the sides of his wallet apart hard and all three of his companions found themselves staring at a big empty space as the guardian hissed the last piece of the puzzle.
"She's got my bleeding credit card!"
XXX
There, for better or worse the deed was done; now all she had to do was leave the scene of the crime and convince Knuckles that his funds had been left untouched; no small task but she'd done far worse. Quickly and without drawing undue attention to herself, Rouge ducked away from the store she'd been ransacking mentally and start running her basic excuses speech through her head; she'd refine it when the time came,
"Rouge!" Okay, the time's just arrived; taking a deep breath, the bat turned to the source of the shout in time to see Knuckles bearing towards her like a tank out of control. She slapped on a friendly smile, apparently unconcerned that her impending doom was approaching,
"Hi Knuckles, having fun?" The echidna came to a halt in front of her and glowered,
"Not as much as I'm about to have", he snarled quietly, not raising his voice for fear of causing a scene as he thrust out a hand, "give it back batgirl".
"Give what", she stopped her joke just before Knuckles started spitting acid; with a laugh, she flipped the guardian's credit card out of her glove and let him swipe it from her, "oh, that little thing; I wondered how long it'd be before you realised. Well, look on this as a valuable lesson – always keep an eye on your cards". Sighing with both relief and regret, Knuckles tucked the thin strip of plastic back into his wallet and looked at her once more, gaze more determined than angry now as he demanded,
"Right, how much did you spend?" The bat's jaw dropped,
"You, you think I'd…"
"No, I know you'd…" Knuckles smiled and Rouge's stab of panic abated; he's not really angry about this – I'm half-way there; "come on, out with it, and let's see what you brought". She gave a theatrical wriggle and acted a little ashamed as she
"Well, I did buy something, but it was only small", she added as Knuckles shook his head, strangely deflated now as he realised she'd gotten one over on him again, "and anyway, I'll let you see it tonight".
"Can't I…?"
"No" the bat stated firmly; the mere thought of trying it here set her insides dancing the conga with embarrassment. Knuckles raised his eyebrows but, to her eternal gratitude, didn't press the point any further,
"Come on then, everyone's waiting, oh and batgirl", he moved before she was ready; next thing Rouge knew Knuckles had her by the ear; she let out a whimper of nervousness as he grinned evilly, a tiny tug making sure he had her full attention, "try and steal my plastic again and I'll do this", he use his special massage technique on her super-sensitive ear again and she gasped, feeling her knees go weak as her mind threatened to let go, drift away in that blissful, feather-light touch, barely hearing as the echidna finished, "until you quote the theory of relativity to make me stop; do I make myself clear?"
"C,Crystal", she managed to stutter and he let go, smirking as she pulled herself together and glared right back, "one day I'll find your weakness Knucklehead, and then, mark my words, I'll make you regret you ever started that little trick of yours". He laughed in the face of her obtuseness and clapped her shoulder,
"Come on, this way".
The rest of the trip passed amiably enough, though the guardian and former spy kept shooting deadly, invisible eye lasers at each other that fortunately no-one else spotted. All the time though, until they bade their farewells to Wynmacher and Lara-Le, both most sorry that they hadn't been able to spend longer with Cream, whom they had agreed was the politest young lady they'd ever met, Rouge had one hand in her pocket, checking her secret was still there, ready for when she made a break for it.
XXX
The chamber lit up with an emerald green glow; Shadow didn't even look up,
"Hey guys, have fun?"
"You bet", Cream released her hold on Sojourner and raced over, not touching the carpet as she reached the sofa in one bound and began to relate her day's adventures in to the black hedgehog, who closed the book he'd been reading and listened with a great deal of interest, looking appraisingly at the purchases she'd chosen as Sojourner sniffed and trooped off to his own surly devices. Knuckles waited until he had a quiet opening and then managed to get a word in edgeways, signalling to Shadow,
"Hey Shads, Amy and Sonic still in the hospital wing?" Cream looked around hopefully as well as the ebon hedgehog nodded and smiled warmly,
"Yeah, though she's still not able to walk too far yet; I think Sabre's just re-wrapped her feet again. Sonic's with her". Knuckles smiled and glanced carelessly to the side,
"Good, what say we just, huh, Rouge?" The echidna found himself talking to thin air, the bat had vanished, leaving him to curse uselessly, "what's with her today; she's been acting strange all day".
"Really, that's odd", Shadow stood up, his eyes narrowed as he stroked his lower lip, "when we were walking around with me trying to remember stuff, I joked she looked as preoccupied as I did; anything on her mind you know of?"
"No, not to my knowledge", suspicion flared up in Knuckles' keen mind; this isn't right for Rouge – okay she's been sneaky in the past but that's behind her now, isn't it?
Thinking hard, the echidna excused himself and started walking around Haven, the route not as important as his mental plotting; he fervently hoped the bat wasn't slipping back into her old ways, but this sudden preoccupation and, most glaringly of all, the theft and use of his personal card, made his deeply uneasy. Thoughts of potential betrayal and the thought, no the certainty, that he had to be wrong in that wrestled like a pair of dancing adders in his mind; he watched them squirm and writhe together until he suddenly forced them apart; coming to his decision; okay, I'll corner her tonight and find out what's going on. Satisfied with this, Knuckles finally looked up to where he was going and tried to plot his way to the hospital wing, never suspecting that his timeframe of operation was far, far too late.
XXX
Mealtimes at Haven, especially with all the extra guests, was a typically chaotic affair; people reaching all over the shop, Athair, resplendent in his typical chef's hat and apron, flittered overhead with arms loaded with plates, setting them down willy-nilly as he tried to keep the table well stocked and last but by no means least the rest of the Brotherhood trying to go unnoticed in using their telekinetic gifts to move certain items towards them, a practise Spectre had banned outright as the correct use of such powers required eye contact after an incident involving a full pot of thankfully cold gravy, a three foot drop and Vector leaning back at just the wrong moment. Once Sonic had carefully filled a pair of trays for himself and Amy and departed to the hospital wing, it was a case of every man for himself; you took what you fancied and hang the rest; when asked by a curious Tails, Thunderhawk had said that Haven was stocked to last a year's siege, so there was plenty to go around.
In this chaos Knuckles excelled; catching Espio's tongue, the guardian hastily snagged the pie the chameleon had been after before letting go, smiling sweetly as the released ninja snarled sourly. Yum, meat and potato; the guardian wolfed it down gleefully, tapping Sabre on the shoulder as he did and swiping the chip from out of his hand as he looked around,
"Hey, that was not the conduct of a guardian" his grandfather admonished sternly; Knuckles swallowed and licked a spot of gravy from his lip as he answered,
"Neither was using a little gift to make sure you got the last bowl of dip, was it?" Sabre managed to keep his surprise off his face but gave a nod as he called that even; how did he see that, I was sure I was discreet that time. The third-father was lost in thought for a second; more than long enough for Cream, sharp as a pin as always, to nip in and whip the dip he'd so carefully nicked from right out under his nose.
"Oi, give that back you little…" Knuckles chortled as his normally calm grandfather lurched upright and made to go after the speeding rabbit, who dived between Vector and Charmy to share her prize for protection. Deciding he'd had enough for the night, the echidna rose from his seat and made to depart; it was as he was hailed,
"Hey Knucks, wait up".
XXX
She'd watched him all night and knew as he stood up this was it; she stood up and darted around the table, narrowly avoiding treading on Tails' namesakes as they swished across the floor behind his seat.
"Hey Knucks, wait up", he paused and she steeled herself as he turned around,
"Hi Rouge, something up?" Oh yeah, something huge is up for grabs right now; she forced herself into a calm state she really didn't feel and answered as casually as she could manage,
"Yeah; remember I said I brought that thing in town?" As she expected, he smiled expectantly and folded his arms,
"Yes, I hadn't forgotten that", he smiled and her already racing heart when into a gallop, "don't worry, I'm not angry; I should have treated you then, it was a bit tight not to".
"Tell me about it Scrooge, but anyway, forget all that, I forgot to mention something", she palmed the second most precious thing in her life into her palm and hid it with her hand, "I didn't buy it for me".
"Right", he was understandably perplexed, "Rouge, what…?" Unable to contain it any longer, the worry and stress breaking though even her most formidable barriers, she quickly thrust it into his hand with a breathless explanation,
"It's for you"; she waited for what seemed like eons as the noise in the room fell away to nothing; she didn't spare a glance to see what the cause was; her eyes were on Knuckles' face, his eyes lingered on her as he unconsciously flipped the lid of the tiny box, then he glanced down. Only when his eyes widened, when she could see the light of the reflected diamond sparkling in his wide, shocked eyes did she drop to one knee and ask the question she'd agonised over for months and needed answering like she needed air to breathe and water to drink,
"Knuckles Echidna, will you marry me?"
XXX
All air was sucked from the room in a succession of shocked gasps, the sound of Athair dropping a plate from on high echoing for long moments in the void as for timeless eons the scene remained stationary, not a hair moved, not a word was spoken until finally, a tiny puff of stolen air was returned to the vacuum it's absence had helped create, though it did not return in the form it had been taken; it's returning form was far, far more important,
"Yeah".
XXX
The woman of my dreams is on bended knee asking me to marry her; Knuckles' mind had been blown apart by this bombshell; seizing the moment when its oppressive, clinical master had been taken out of action, a soul reached out for its partner, "of course yes". His mind tried frantically to reassert itself and add some order to this madness; I should say something, something timeless, something true, something…; he looked down as Rouge turned her face towards him, the sight of her triumphant tears knocked his mind off its perch once more and he was left with only the most basic, simplistic language to express himself; he spread his arms wide as his vision fragmented.
"I bloody love you, batgirl"; he swooped down for her, she launched herself up into his arms; they met halfway, nothing else mattering as together they stood, holding tightly, almost tight enough to hurt only it didn't – at this moment in time, nothing could hurt them, either of them. They heard the cries of delayed celebration as though through thick glass, felt the pats of the back and press of people joining in the hug as though they were clad in padded suits; Knuckles and Rouge were united for all time, and nothing on this earth or any other would ever drag them apart.
XXX
He'd been on the outskirts when it had happened; his shock had lasted fractionally too long and he couldn't get close enough to the new couple to express his happiness for them in person. Tails felt like howling aloud with celebration and he did, sheer joy for two of his friends pounding though his as he saw Athair and an, if not happy, certainly less surly-looking Espio in some kind of crazy dance that was half-on, half-off the floor. It was as he watched this, aching almost to join in, that a sudden thought slammed into his mind like a thunderbolt; two of the most important people weren't here, weren't part of this delirious, wonderful bedlam. Ducking under were Charmy was hovering for a better view and whistling, the fox sped down Haven's tunnels, running like the wind as his spirit was lifted with what he'd just seen, the joy behind it and the certainty that, whatever lay ahead, this night and what it meant for Knuckles and Rouge would never be forgotten.
XXX
It had been sudden; one minute he'd been chatting casually about the stupid things he'd done in his life, trying to think of one that could top standing on top of what was basically a bomb when it went off, the next the door to the hospital had been blasted open so violently he'd jumped a foot off his chair, the remains of his dinner slopping down onto his legs as he and Amy both looked around wildly to see Tails clutching onto the doorframe, gripping one side as though he had the mother of all stitches, though there was a manic grin on his face as he gasped and shouted,
"Rouge just proposed".
Sonic was under the distinct impression that someone had thrown a bucket of icy water on him; he was separated from his body and none of his normal reactions were there – all he was focussed on was what his younger brother had just said. So deep was his shock that Amy was the one who threw it off first and asked in a shocked, awed tone,
"W, what was that?"
"Knuckles, and Rouge", the kit spluttered, his stitch still paining him, "they're going to get married; there was a ring and everything". All of a sudden, much like the unstoppable smile broadening on his face, a flame was lit in Sonic's heart that just grew and grew more rapidly; the second it touched his legs he was gone, out of his chair and away; I've gotta see this, see them and…wait! He made it to the door where Tails had dived to the side before bringing himself to a screeching halt, spinning around and hammering back to the bed where, to his not so great surprise, Amy was throwing off the covers.
"Amy wait, you're…"
"I'm going to beat you to death if you even try and stop me", she snarled with venom, trying to swing her legs out of the now stifling confines of her resting place, "I'll sprint if I have to". Sonic shook his head and lunged down, scooping his arms under her body and giving a mighty heave; he straightened with Amy in his arms and by unspoken command she tucked herself in as tight as possible,
"Put your arms around my neck", he commanded quickly; as she did he winked at his brother, "Tails, you know the drill". The fox nodded and stumbled as quickly as he could with his still painful stitch and latched onto his brother's back, the spines depressed to spare him prickling injuries. When he felt comfortable, Sonic took off, blistering the floor as his speed increased beyond the norm in this place; nothing could stop him seeing this.
XXX
Pandemonium maybe, but a glorious, happy pandemonium; from his first glance, he could tell the new couple were in each other's arms, sharing a kiss as the epicentre of a calm in a sea of roaring, storming celebration. Sonic forced himself to stay calm externally, though he was internally burning up for this as Shadow battled his way through the press towards them, eyes wet but smile undiminished as he posed victoriously,
"Nice one Tails; I was about to come; this is, it's just, awesome".
"I know" was all Sonic said simply, eyes fixed on the two central figures as he no longer registered the weight in his arms; his strength was augmented by the sight in front of him as they broke apart, grinning at each other as though nothing else mattered. And nothing else should; Sonic thought fiercely as tears began to form in his vision; you two deserve each other and nothing less, not after everything you've been through. Almost as if reading his mind, the blue hedgehog saw Rouge glance at him from over Knuckles' shoulder; their eyes met for an instant and next minute, the newly engaged bat and echidna were walking stately over towards them, the crowd parting before them as though they had in invisible, invincible force-field surrounding them. Sonic stood his ground, holding Amy in his arms as they approached, searching for words and finding only two,
"Well done".
"Thanks"; for a split-second, in this minute of ascension, Knuckles managed a feat impossible; he saw through Sonic's normal mask of coolness into the hedgehog's deepest desires and saw the question he was so desperate yet so fearful of asking; he also knew the answer to it,
"You don't need to ask Sonic", Knuckles held up a paw and placed it tenderly on his oldest friend's shoulder, "you're best man; can't think of anyone I'd rather have there". That did it, the blue hedgehog fell forwards, sobbing with joy and happiness; Knuckles held him softly and Rouge tried not to sound too chiding as she pointed between the pair of them,
"Err, not to break the buddy moment, but you're kind of crushing Amy", there was general laugher as the pink hedgehog's head and white-wrapped feet protruded like a sandwich filling from this strange embrace; Sonic pushed himself away, finding his feet again with tears running down his face,
"I just can't b,believe it", he choked, looking from one to the other, "you two, you made it".
"Yeah, we made it, and you'll make it too the pair of you", Rouge smiled benevolently at the two hedgehogs as she put an arm around her future husband's broad shoulders, feeling him reciprocate as she drew him in close, "nothing's taking us apart now". The bat spoke with confidence, with utter self-assurance, not aware that, seconds ago, under the smoke-screen of wild celebration, someone here had been plotting how to do just that.
A/N: They're made for each other, no arguments about that. Hope this chapter was okay for all the other KnuxRouge fans out there.