Disclaimer- don't own them. At all. Never have.

It wasn't as if she realised what she had been doing. Her mind was too full of pain for her to think straight as she raised the glass to her face. Forgot what danger she could be putting herself in and drank away. Draining the glass quickly, she ordered another. She had gone to some pub. She didn't care where it was. After she had flown away from angel island, heart broken, she had ended up here and now she was trying to drown her sorries in some nice, strong alcahol.
The bar tender hadn't seen her walk in and so obviosly hadn't seen that she was expecting, so served her as he would have any normal costumer. But the alcahol hadn't been working, even after her 10th glass. Though her vision was starting to swirl and she found it hard to concentrate, she found her thoughts still lingering on him, the echidna that had just hours ago kicked her off the island and her home. Of course it didn't help that the pub's jukebox had picked out a soppy love song to play and the couple next to her seemed to be glued together at the lips. Rouge glared at them angrilly, as if they had known she had just been kicked out and were rubbing it in.
She continued to watch them, the pation she saw in their kissing caused her to miss Knuckles even more and suddenly, without warning, Rouges emotions surged and she burst into tears, burrying her face into the bar.
The couple looked up in alarm, the male foxes widened in recognition and he knugded his silver partner, who gasped.
" Rouge?" He said timedly. Rouge hiccoughed and didn't move or stop crying. The fox walked over and shook her shoudier forcefully, causing her to look up. " Oh my god! It is you! You shouldn't be drinking this! How much have you had?" He said, taking away the half empty glass that she was clutching halfheartedly. When she realised that the fox was adressing her, she looked up and came face to face with...
" Tails?" She said, her voice slurred and her vision swimming. The fox nodded , looking concerned and angry and repeated his question
" How many have you had?". Rouge blinked and look around slowly, she looked like she was half asleep
" I ...about...um 5 , 10?" She said slowly. Tails eyes widened and he turned to the barman.
" How come you let her drink all that?"he yelled angrilly, Talim watching uncertanly. The barman shrugged and said
" She wasn't over her limit, I have to serve her until it gets to 12 glasses of the stuff" he said sounding like he didn't really care. Tails however, was fuming. He grabbed Rouge's arm and yanked her too her feat
" How could you let her drink like this?" He said, refering to her obviosly pregnant belly. The barman gasped and said
" Criky! She's pretty far along isn't she! I'm sorry about that pal! I didn't see her come in! I didn't know she was up the duff!". Tails clenched his fist in fury and pulled Rouge up, helping her out of the bar.
" What's going on Rouge? Where's Knuckles?"he asked in concern. The mention of Knuckles name made Rouge burst into a fresh amount of tears. Tails gave Talim a fearful look and they headed for Sonic and Amy's place, as that was nearest.

AT SONIC AND AMY'S HOUSE

Amy had been quietly reading . It had been a very quiet and slow day, with nothing really happening. So Amy thought nothing of it when the doorbell rung and she went to answer it.
When she did however, she was shocked to see Tails standing there with Talim and most shocking of all , Rouge.
" Rouge! What are you doing here?" Said Amy before she could stop herslef.
" Hey Amy" said Rouge, grinning stupidly and leaning onto Tails shoulder. Amy narrowed her eyes in suspotion and said
" Rouge, are you drunk?". The bat looked at her through half closed eyes and began rambelling.
" It's not my fault, he didn't see and I forgot, I forgot and he forgot then Tails said we could go to your house and ..." She swayed dangerously and Tails just caught her, feeling embarrissed that the older women was pressing into him. Talim gave him a warning look and he hastily tried to prop Rouge back up, although she seemed more interested in falling asleep on his chest.
" Tails, can you be my new husband?" She said in an almost child like wine. Tails turnt a deep red and hastily threw Rouge at Amy, who struggeled to support her.
" Rouge, you know you shouldn't be drinking! It's not good for the baby!"Amy said in a nagging voice, as she helped her to the sofa. Rouge slumped into it and didn't look like she was paying any attention to Amy. Then Sonic walked out of the bedroom, doing a double tack when he saw Rouge half collasped on the sofa.
" Rouge! You didn't tell us you were visiting! Where's Knuckles?" He said, cheerful yet confused by her presence. Rouge didn't answer him and seemed to sink into her own mind.
" I wouldn't try to get any sence out of her now Sonic, she's drunk and only seems to want to sleep and right now, oh and marry Tails" said Amy, a hint of disaproval in her voice. Sonic raised his eye brow at her comment but didn't speak. Rouge and her had never been good freinds and Amy didn't exactly appricaite Rouge simply turning up at almost midnight, drunk and falling asleep on her sofa. Sonic turned to Tails and said
" Hey little buddy, it's not like I don't want you to visit or anything but, it's getting kinda late and me and Amy are going to bed soon ourselfs" . Tails snickered when Sonic mentioned him and Amy going to bed with each other. Sonic gave him a disapproving look and he tried to strighten his face out, although it was still in a bit of a smirk.
" Sorry Sonic but uh, i'm not exactly sober ever" he grinned and wobbeled a little " Could you give us a lift?". Sonic sighed and nodded, simply taking Tails and Talim by the wrists and wizing out the door, leaving Amy alone with the now asleep Rouge.
Amy eyed here wearily. She couldn't just chuck her out on the street and she was sure Knuckles would turn up soon. Until then, she would have to make do with the chair. ' At least she's not throwing up everywhere' thought Amy to herself.

In the morning.

The first thing the bat became aware of was a throbbing pain in her head. As Rouge's mind slowly turnt itself back on she began to realise that she probably wasn't on angel island anymore. She tried to raise her head to see where she was but merly got the smell of fabric and a cusion in her face.
She shot up, instantly regretting it as a sharp pain shot through her head. She outwayed the possibility of a one night stand when she realised she was at Sonic and Amy's place.
" Knuckles?" She called out automatically, but reseiving no anwser. She shrugged and stumbled to her feat, the memories of last night a complete blank. When Sonic came it, carrying a cup of coke, Rouge realised how thirsty she was.
" Sonic can I have a drink?" She said, her voice strangly gravel like. Sonic grinned and said
" At last, sleeping beuty is up". Rouge frowned when she realised she must have been sleeping a while. She looked at the clock, which neatly displaded the time 12.30. " So Rouge, how come you went to a pub on your own without Knuckles?" He asked, Rouge frowned again. Where was Knuckles? Her head pounded as she realised she had a hangover, which must have meant she had been drinking last night.
" Oh crap!" She said aloud. What was she thinking? Drinking? She knew she wasn't supposed to be drinking while she was pregant! She collasped again on the sofa and didn't awnser Sonic's question. Her head stung as the phones ring sliced through her sensitive ears and throbbing brain.
" Heya" said Sonic in his usual happy personality. His listened and talked for a while then hung up, while Rouge layed groggelily on the sofa, trying to calm her pounding headache.
" Rouge, do you know why you were at that pub without Knuckles?" Asked Sonic, as Tails had just rung up and told him what he remebered. Rouge sighed and tried to think about what happened. She certanly didn't remember going into any pubs, but if she had drunk the amount Tails said she had, she probably wouldn't remember. There were some fuzzy memories of before that. Her and Knuckles had been talking and she was worried about the baby. He had used the emerald to see it somehow and then...
She closed her eyes and sighed when she rembered it. Knuckles had left her. The painful memory made her want to start drinking again, but she knew she shouldn't, she had done enough damage already. She felt fresh tears run over the dried ones. Sonic saw this and said
" What's wrong?". Rouge managed to quell the flow just enough to stammer out
" He...left me" she said, staring at the floor as the tears started again. Sonic's eyes widened. Rouge sure was crying a lot. He had never seen her cry before. He wondered if it was something to do with being pregnant, or just the fact that she really loved Knuckles. He imagined Amy crying like that is he ever left her, but would he?
He decided to think about that later and instead focassed on why Knuckles had suddenly left Rouge, no-one had seen it coming. He asked her and she said between gulps and sobs
" He looked at the kid, u,using the ma , master emerald". Sonic nodded and said
" Yeah, and?"
" He said it was just a bat and he thought I had been with someone else. He thought I had been using him" she said, not bothering to add more as she started crying again. Sonic auccuadly patted her on the shoulder as Amy walked in. She took a seat opposite Sonic and he explained what had happened. Amy was instantly on Rouge side.
" I can't belive Knuckles would just kick her out like that! Espicially since she's pregnant! He should have shown more consideration!" She said. By now Rouge had stoped most of the tears and was now sniveling quetly. She wondered whether Knuckles was actually really serios about this breakup. Would she resive a letter asking for a divorce? Another asking who would want the custerdy of the child? Knuckles would refuse it off course, thinking it wasn't his and she would probably stay at Sonic and Amy's place until she had it. What then? She would have to be a single mother. It would be hard for her to cope without Knuckles. She had always thought of him being their, cuddeling their child, feeding it, showing it the ways of the guardian. But now their would be no Knuckles. Just Rouge and her child all alone. Then there would be when the child would start to question who it's father was. What would she tell it? How could she tell it that he didn't want it? Another tear slid down her eye, could this day get anyworse?
Just then the doorbell rung. She listenend to it open and she heard Shadows voice. She looked up suddenly, twisting round to see him and Siberia there. The sight of Shadow made her automatically happier, as their had always been a place for him in her heart. But then she saw Siberia standing next to him. His child inside her and their wedding rings happily sitting on their fingers. She went back to staring aimlessly at the floor, waiting for Sonic and Amy to tell them what was happening.
They did and soon after they finished, Shadow was at her side, followed by Siberia slightly latter.
" Rouge, are you alright?" Said Shadow, sounding very concerned.
" Rouge I can't belive it, I would never have thought" said Siberia on her other side. Soon Amy joined the flurry of questions and Rouge tried to block it out. She hated people groving over it becuase it made her upset as well. She listened for a few minetes to Shadow's concerned question, Siberia's offers of help and Amy's talk of how irrisponsible Knuckles was. She was growing sick of it and the questions didn't stop. If anything, they intensified when she didn't answer. She closed her eyes as she felt tears come again and , before anyone could protest, she stormed of the sofa, walking into Sonic and Amy' bedroom and slamming the door.

The three sat in silence for a while, knowing how upset Rouge must have been. Siberia glanced at Shadow. If he ever left her, she would be devistated, so Siberia had no dought in her mind that Rouge was on the virge of breaking down. She needed someone to comfert here, to tell her it would be all right and show her that it would.
Suddenly , Shadow got up, walking over to the door Rouge had just stormed through. Siberia watched and wonder what he was doing.
Inside the bedroom, Shadow slowly and queitly moved over to Rouge. He sat down beside her on the bed and said in a plain voice
" Hey Rouge". She sniffed and replied halfheartedly
" Hey Shadow". He didn't look at her, or speak right away. But when he did, his words were more wise than any she had heard in the last week.
" Rouge, life isn't perfect and i'm not going to pretent that all this will be fine in the end. But the thing is, it may not work out how you want it too and your just going to have to deal with it. Cry if you want to, but eventually your going to have to start over, I can help you Rouge, but in the end, it's about you and your will power". He stoped, reaching up to her face and wiping away a stray tear that hadn't quit gotten away yet. He smiled and said " But I think your gonna make it Rouge, you have the strongest person I have ever known and that's all it takes". Rouge stared at him. Shadow knew how to world worked better then anybody. He had been through all the sadness and loss and now was finnaly getting his happiness. Shadow had always been there for her and yet, she had let him go, now he was with some else and she didn't have anyone.
" Why did I ever let you go Shadow?" She asked, looking up slightly to see his face. He chuckeled gently and said
" I was 'to moppy and quiet'" he said, using her exact words. She smiled slightly and took in his features for what felt the first time in years. He elegant black fur. His thoughtful, calm face. His hidden secrets. The soothing curve of his spines. She sighed and leaned into his chest, saying
" I made a lot of wrong decisions then". He sighed, nodding slightly. The heat of Rouges body making his stoumuch tingle. He had to admit he missed her. Missed her sharp mind and playful personalty. He missed her kisses and remebered how good it felt when they used to lay together on the clifftop, watching the sun go down, listening to the waves churning in an out. He looked down at her as she shifted more of her body weight onto him. She had gotten heaveir, but that was too be expected . But their was something about how she moved, her eyes full of lust, as if she craved something that she hadn't had in a long time.
As he looked down their eyes locked and Shadow felt himself instantly becoming hot. He gazed into her beutiful blue eyes, eyes that he actually missed. Then it happened. Shadow almost knew it was coming and didn't object when Rouge leaned forward and kissed him, slowly, delicatly, as if savouring the moment. Shadow's heart raced as her touch and he soon kissed back, just as gently as she had done. Breaking the kiss Rouge stared into his eyes. This is what she needed, someone to replace the comfert Knuckles once shared with her. Starting to feel excited by their kiss Rouge leant forward again, this time taking Shadows lips with more firosity. She expected an equal amount of force back and for him to pull her in with his arms. However she felt no kiss this time and pulled back, wondering what Shadow was up to. To her dissapoinment he stood up, walking towards the door. He stoped just before it and said
" Like I said, I can help you, but you must deal with this on your own" . He turned back and smiled " I am meant to be with Siberia and you with Knuckles, nothing that has happened in the past can ever change that". And with that he left. Rouge watched sadly as he went, feeling the years of wisdom coming out through his voice. She leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes as she felt the baby kick. She hoped against all hope that the kid would have a father to grow up, and that she found the strength to get back with Knuckles.