Meanwhile , at Siberias appartment, Shadow was pacing, waiting for Siberias to return. She had gone to the docters for advice and a check up and was dew back any time now. On the day of Knuckles wedding he had bought a ring for Siberia and so was shocked when the boque landed in her hands. But he still felt nervous that she would leave him even though it didn't make sence.

His ears twitched as he heard siberia come back in. She wondered into the living room and hugged Shadow, feeling his strudy frame and solid muscles. When they brock the hug, Siberia began teeling Shadow exitedly about her docters appointment.

" He said its very healthy and that from what he can tell at this early stage I shouldn't have any problems. He also says its due sometime in may" she said quickly. Shadow smiled and said

" Thats great Siberia". He reached up and ran his hands over her red tiger stripped quills, causing her to sigh contenly. She then leant forward and pressed her body into his and touched his lips lightly in a kiss. Shadow joined the kiss and pressed his lips into her own. When they stoped Shadow moved his head beside hers and sighed in utter content. Siberia smiled to herself. Normally she would have blushed if someone did this to her, but since she had known Shadow, which was only just over a year, she felt as if she could share anything with him. She had found her true love , and was know carrying his child. She smiled a little more and reached to her middle, only to find that it was still as flat as it always was.
Suddenly , she felt hands grab her middle and she was hoisted though the air and into Shadows arms. As he carried her she tickled his white patch and he laughed gently, placing her on her couch. She laid down and he crouched so thiey faces were leval. He smiled and said

"Now , I am going to give you whatever you want and you will no have to do anything at all, so , want anything to eat?" He finished cocking his head to the side playfully. She giggled and shifted so she was on her side.

" No" said Siberia

"What do you want?"said Shadow playfully. Siberia smiled and shifted her shoulder.

" I want you". Shadow smiled and climed onto the sofa with Siberia running his hand to her back and feeling the curves of her spines, so like his own. While Siberia moved her head by shadows, one of his hands came away from her back. She felt its heat again when it touched her stoumuch and shuddered slightly. It stroked the area then pressed gently into her skin. He sighed once again as he lay their and said soflty

" He'll be so strong and yet so gentle". Siberia closed her eyes and nuzzled into his neck.

"Him?"she asked questionally. He nodded and she said, opening her eyes and looking up at him "How do you know?". He took and deep breath and she felt his shoulders move as he shrugged.

" I don't know... But I know that he'll be special ... To both of us"she said slowly. Siberia closed her eyes again as she felt his arms wrap around her back again. They didn't know how long they stayed like that but would have stayed longer if the doorbell hadn't rung.
When Shadow opened the door he was supprised to see an eithusistic looking rouge and a casual looking knuckles standing at his front door. The only people who ever visted him were Sonic with Amy and Tails with Talim. Then again, he and Rouge had gotten pretty close latly, not close enough to threaten either realationship though.

" Hi Shadow, we came to see how Siberia was doing" said Rouge cheerfully.

" I guessed " said Shadow calmly. After Siberia had let people know the news, everyone had come to see her, curios about her and Shadows child . He led them inside where Siberia was now sitting and Rouge immidiatly began to talk to her. Knuckles and Shadow talked politly about random things, until Shadow mentioned the fact that Knuckles and Rouge were different species. Knuckles frooze. Shadow looked at him with concern.

" What? Whats wrong?" He asked. Knuckles sighed. The more he thought about it the more he began to realise that he really did want children some day and that he would never get one. He looked at his gloves, poking his knuckles for no apparant reason. Shadow caught on to why Knuckles had suddenly fallen silent and said in as much as a comferting voice as he could muster " Don't worry about it , at least your married and have a healthy wife, thats what counts". Suddenly , as if on que, Rouge ran out of the room and into Shadows bathroom. Knuckles immidatly rushed after her, skidding to a halt when he saw her bent over the toilet, throwing up.

Knuckles immidiatly ran forward and put a comferting hand on Rouges back. When she finnished she couldn't stop shaking. She weakly hung onto Knuckles for support and managed to stammer.

"Knuckles, I, I don't feel great... I think I I need to g go home...". Knuckles stroaked her lightly and wispered in her ear so she felt his hot breath.

"Of course Rouge, don't worry, you'll be ok". As gently as he could he picked her up in his arms and walked into the living room. He told Shadow and Siberia what was going on and walked out. As he did Siberia watched with a look of confusion written onto her face. It couldn't be. Could it?

In the next few days Rouge continued to vomit now and then. Knuckles tended to her as best she could, but she insisted that she felt fine. One day, Rouge slept till 3 in the afternoon. Knuckles didn't want to wake her as she was ill and when she came out of bed she asked Knuckles for an Icecream with chocolate.

" Are you sure Rouge?" Said Knuckles, narrowing his eyes " Why don't you just have a chocolate icecream?".

" It's not the same!" She snapped and stormed out of the room, leaving Knuckles beweildered and worried.

However , one day she realised what may be up with her, but somehow it seemed to strange to be true.

"I can believe im doing this" thought Rouge as she approuched Siberias appartment. She had left Knuckles on the island, saying that she had something to take care of. After staring at the doorbell for a few minetes, Rouge eventually diccided to ring it. After a few seconds of nervous waiting, Siberia opened the door, greeting Rouge and letting her in as if she vistied everyday. Rouge was confused, as she expected Siberia to be suprised at her visit, but instead she acted as if she expected Rouge to come.

Rouge nervously made her way to the couch, relieved to find that Shadow was out. She tried to act casual and asked
" So Siberia, hows the baby doing?". Siberia narrowed her eyes at Rouges sudden leap in conversation and said blankly
"Fine". They had discusted this for hours the other day, surly Rouge had found out all she could? Rouge shifted uncomfertably.

" This is amazing news, I still can't believe it myself, who'd of thought, Shadow a father?"

"Yeah I suppose...". There was an uncomfertable silence between them, before siberia looked Rouge in the eye and said

" Rouge, is there something you want to tell me?". The bat looked shocked for a second before stuttering

"Oh no, no not at all...". Siberia eyed Rouge suppisiuosly. She never stuttered, so she must have been hiding something.

"Why did you come her then?" The hedgehog asked.

" Well I just wanted to talk to you about the baby thats all..."

" Look Rouge, I know your hiding something, so just tell me, whatever it is i'll keep it a secret"

" I havn't got anything to tell..." Began Rouge, but stoped when Siberias glare stoped her. The stripy headghog was extremly good at telling peoples characters and when they were lying. " Well ok..." Said Rouge, seeing that Siberia wasn't convinced. " I just wanted to know how you felt when you became pregnant, I mean , symptoms and stuff". Siberia smiled knowing that she was getting closer to the truth.

" Well, I kept over sleeping, vomiting and I always wanted weird foods" she chuckled to herself " Once I even asked Shadow for some icecream with vinigar and toast! He thought i'd gone insane"

" Icecream. Why is it allways icecream?" Rouge thought aloud to herself.

" What?" Said Siberia.

" Oh! Nothing!" Shrieked the bat. Siberia smiled and Rouge chuckled nervously too, but inside she was panicking. Siberia had listed all the things she had been feeling , did that mean what she suspected was true? Siberia then realised something and her eyes went wide " Why Rouge? Do you think your..." She began, but was cut off by Rouge.
" No, no its errr for ... My freind, yeah thats it". Siberia , now seeing the truth even though Rouge was trying to hide it, moved over and sat beside rouge. She put a comferting arm on her shoulder and said

" Rouge... Don't worry about it... If you think your pregnant..." Rouge stiffened " Then you should have just said". Rouge burried her face in her hands and said

" But how can that be possible?". Siberias face grew dark and she said

" Rouge, have you been with anyone else appart from Knuckles?"

" Well yeah, what do you mean Siberia?"

" I mean like, did 'it' with anyone else the past few months?"

" NO!" Said Rouge, looking angry at Siberia suggestion, Who shrugged appologeticly. She lifted Rouges head up so she could see the bats face and said

" Well do you at least want to check?". Rouge stiffened and thought for a moment, before nodding uncertainly. Siberia got up and returned with a pregancy test. To awnser rouges unspoken question she said

" The pack came with two". Sighing Rouge moved into the bathroom. Using the test and went back into the living room. Now she had to wait, for ten minetes and after that, she would find out if the immposible had happened.

" Hey Rouge, what if you are pregnant? This is great news! What do you think Knuckles will say when he finds out huh? Rouge gasped, she had completly forgotten about Knuckles. She shock her head , sighing and saying

" I don't know, he never mentioned children before... I guess he could be angry". Siberia looked shocked at what Rouge had just suggested.

" He won't be mad, maybe a little shocked, but he won't be angry at you just becuase your giving him a child. I rememer when I told Shadow, I thought he would get mad too"

FLASHBACK

Siberia sat, sloaching her head into her hands, on the sofa she shared with Shadow. Through her head ran a thousand thoughts, none of them seemed good. What would Shadow think? Would he hate her?

Then it happened. The hedgehog who she had been thinking about and the father of her child entered the room, just as she had asked him too. Her heart racing, she looked up, feeling ancious and terrified.

" Siberia, what's up? You seemed really ancious on the phone"he said, looking concerned as he took a seat next to her. Siberia sniffed and said

" Please don't leave me". Shadow was taken aback.

" Why would I ever leave you Siberia? I love you" he said gently, a tone he never used for anyone else. Another tear escaped Siberia's eye.

" Do you Shadow? Becuase ...something's happened". Shadow looked confused when he replied

" Of course I do, what's wrong?". Siberia stared at the ground as she said

" I , i'm" she shook her head and burst out " Im pregant Shadow!". Out of shock Shadow shot up, making him look intimidating as he stared down at her. For a while he said nothing and Siberia thought she had blown it. But then his face molded into a smile and he hugged her.

" I can't belive it. This is... This is great!" He said, with apsolutly nothing fack note in his voice. Siberia suddenly simmered with joy at these words, as long as Shadow was by her, she could do anything.

END OF FLASHBACK

" Yeah, but Shadow trusts you, he knows it's his child. But Knuckles will probably jump to conclusion, saying i've been with some bat before I can explain, not that I can explain it" said Rouge , downcasting her eyes.

" Don't be silly Rouge... Now guy would leave his wife just becuase she was carring his child and i'm sure Knuckles will trust you. I mean , Shadow didn't leave me". Rouge nodded vagualy before realising there was something odd about what Siberia just said. She took her face out of her hands and said

" You said wife"

" What?" Said Siberia, vagualy confused.

" You said wife, no guy would ever leave his wife if they were pregnant and you also said that Shadow didn't leave"

" So..." Said Siberia, catching on slightly. Rouges eyes widened and a huge smile crept across her face.

" Shadow asked you to marry him didn't he!"said Rouge exictedly. Siberia eyes wondered before she nervously said
" Yeah, yeah he did" Rouge burst out laughing with happiness and said ran up and hugged Siberia.

" Siberia thats great!" Siberia smiled weakly before saying
" Thanks rouge" Rouge let go of Siberia and was just about to check the time again when a wave of nausousness over came her and she rushed into the bathroom. As she did Siberia glanced up at the clock, displaying the time of 9.55. She smiled to herslef and thought ' morning sickness'.

Throwing up for what felt like the hundreth time that week. Rouge chocked out the last of the vomit before weakly raising her head out of the toilt bowl. As he eyes re-foccased she saw the pregancy test standing beside her. She gasped and shut her eyes but it was too late. She already saw the colour blue mixed faintly into the clear liquid. She couldn't belive it. It just wasn't possible...

She was pregnant. She was carring Knuckles child, his child. Something she would never have been prepared for . Something that she didn't even think was possible. Siberia walked in and saw Rouge standing mostionless in the middle of the bathroom, her mind else where. Failing to notice the test Siberia moved over to Rouge. She smiled kindly and said

"Rouge, it was positive wasn't it?". Sniffing , Rouge nodded slowly. Siberia hugged her gently and said

"This is great news!" Rouge didn't resond, she just stood stifly, thinking there must have been some mistack. She thought of Knuckles, how would he react to the news? Supprise certainly, but what else? Confusion? Shock? Anger? She sighed and thought of how the baby could turn out. It could be a deformed mess. It could be in an egg. Or it could even be born premature... Or not at all... Rouge shuddered as she ran through the thousands of things that could go wrong in her mind. But then she thought about the fact that this was a being her and Knuckles helped to create. It was both of them in one creature. For that reason she could never abandon it, even if it was deformed or premature, or disabled, she would look after it and love it, even if Knuckles didn't.

As Siberia hugged Rouge she suddenly felt her let go of her tension and her stance became less fixed. Siberia smiled with relief as she felt Rouge become more relaxed. Siberia herself felt over brimming with happiness, not only becuase she was pregnant, but now Rouge as well, with a partner who no one thought she could ever projuce a child for. Siberia was just about to congratulate her when something caught her eye. The little test stod on the side, a weak shade of blue. Siberia eyes narrowed in thought, wasn't her test red?

" Siberia , thank you for your support, I don't know if Knuckles wants this, but I will never abandon this child, not even if its deformed or-"Siberia raised her hand, cutting of Rouge as she moved towards the test. Rouge looked confused as she said " What is it Siberia?". The tiger striped hedghod turned the packet on its side and read the label. She sighed and turned Rouge. The bat waited hastily to find out what was up.

" Rouge, did you even read the label?" Said Siberia questionally. Rouge was a little shocked by this but then realised that she didn't.

" No" she said, shaking her head in shame " I just assumed that blue meant pregnant, it is blue, right?" She asked nervously. The striped hegdehod shock her head and Rouge blushed, incredably embarrised. She felt so folish, as it wasn't possible for her to become pregnant. Her voice cracked as she said

" But , why have I been throwing up all the time? I can't keep my head out of the toilet!" She said as she tried to defend her thought. Her responce was a shack of the head from Siberia, who sighed sadly and said

" Who knows? But your not pregnant Rouge, the test never lies" her faced softenend into a look of simpathy and she said gently " Im sorry rouge". The bat looked up and tried to mask her expression. She shrugged casulally and said with little care

" That's ok, I don't want a child anyway, someone else around the house like Knuckle head and ill go insane!". She turned to go, walking into the living room. Siberia caught up with her and said as Rouge left

"But Rouge, I thought you said you did" SLAM! She said as Rouge slammed the door in her face, leaving the confused headghog standing alone by the door.

When Knuckles returned to the house he found Rouge wasn't their as she usually was. He wondered around the island, worried that Rouge had collasped or something, after all she was sick. It was almost an hour before he saw Rouge, crouched over the side of a lake. He sighed with relief and moved over to Rouge.

" Hey" he greeted gently. He got not responce, but from her relection in the water he could tell she had been crying. Frowning in concern he knelt down gently beside her and said gently " Whats the matter?". His only reply was a sniff. Knuckles didn't know what to do, so he wrapped his arms round Rouge protectivly and waited for her to tell him. Suddenly she looked up and her eyes met his. They were full of sadness that made Knuckles fell depressed.

" Knuckles" began Rouge tentavily " Did you ever... ever consider that you may have wanted children? I mean, not with me just... Children in general" she said , waving her hand to illistrate the generalness of her suggestion. Knuckles own eyes grew sad and sighed.

"I suppose I have" Rouge's mouth opened and closed a few times before she said

"It must be horrible, being the last of your race"

" Its not nice"

" I'm sorry Knuckles"

" What for?"

" For not being able to give you a child". At this Knuckles grew tence. He was shocked at her mention of children between both of them, but soon after he began to like the fact, even though it wasn't possible...

Knuckles felt a single tear role down his cheek. A wave of sadness washed over him, soaking him in despair. Another tear escaped his eye which he hastily tried to brush away. More tears appeared and Knuckles struggled to hold back a sob. His breaths becomes faster as his emtions took over. Why did he have to be the last of his kind? Why could he never become a father? His shoulders shock and tears soaked his dreadlocks.

Suddenly he felt a hand gently sqeeze his shoulder. He looked up to see Rouge reaching up with her other hand to wipe away his tears. He noticed that her eyes too were filled with tears, telling him that she felt the same way. Gently he took her hand and led her inside. When the got into bed, thet simply lay there until they fell asleep, their minds full of sadness.