Well, well, well, it seems as though people do like my story after all, except for one anonymous reviewer (Grrr!) and thank you Nifty Ninja for recommending my story to Astral Firefly. Sorry that I took a while to update; my computer bust and when I finally got it working again, the internet decided to be permanently disconnected. But after several phone calls to the internet dude and several trips to the bank to pay for the bill, the internet is finally up and running again! Enjoy this chapter guys!
Disclaimer: I forgot to do this last time so I owe deep apologies to Chaogirl. I do not own Christina, she is copyright to Chaogirl.
The next morning it was my turn to cook breakfast. It was Saturday morning which would usually equal my day off but, under the circumstances, I was still on duty. I couldn't stand the stench of bacon and eggs cooking, I would much rather be in the attic burning incense and meditating.
"Ugh, gross!" a croaky voice exclaimed from the doorway. "How do you cope with the smell?" It was Tabby, holding her nose and pulling a disgusted face. I smiled as I dished up the eggs and bacon.
"Breakfast is ready!" I called. A split second later, Sonic, Chris and Christina dashed to the table as I set the plates down in front of them. I received mumbled 'thanks' as they shoved the food into their mouths. Satisfied with my work, I joined Tabby in the hallway. She had pulled her bright green sweater over her nose and mouth. I laughed as she wore the same facial expression as when I was cooking.
"Bacon and eggs? Why not just do toast or something?" she asked, screwing up her nose.
"They requested a fry-up" I answered, playing idly with one of my ninja stars. Quick as a flash, Tabby snatched it off me and began to show off her moves. I watched in amazement as she threw it into the kitchen; it hit the pans hanging over the oven, circled the trio sat at the table, bounced off the milk and , just as it was about to make its way back to Tabby, Christina caught it and pocketed it.
"Hey! I was playing with that!" Tabby snapped, allowing her sweater to fall from her nose and mouth as she put her hands on her hips. Christina stuck her tongue out. "Can I please have it back?" Tabby continued to growl.
"When we've finished eating!" she sniggered; Christina could take hours to finish food if she wanted to. Tabby shrugged her shoulders and signalled for me to follow her outside. She looked sad.
"What's wrong Tabby?" I asked as we sat on the steps of the porch. She shook her head and pulled out a pack of cigs, offering me one as she lit hers. I obliged and we sat in silence for a few moments. Today her hair was a dull brown, concerning me even more; she usually wore her hair in bright colours. "Got a hangover from last night?" I continued to question Tabby, determined to get some answers. She turned her head slowly, her eyes beginning to fill up with tears.
"Its nothing anyone can help with" she whispered, taking a deep breath out. Her pale hands were shaking slightly as she took several long drags. I took another off mine; the taste was repulsive first thing in a morning, i didn't know how Tabby could take in the amount she did. I was about to shoot another question but then Vector joined us.
"Hi you two. Espy, you didn't make me any-" the croc stopped as soon as he laid his eyes on Tabby. "I didn't know you smoked" He said in an annoyed tone. Tabby forced a smile.
"You'll see a different side of me from now on; I can't risk the truth getting out..."
Weeks passed and Tabby continued to grow darker and quieter. Chuck was lucky if he could get her to sit down and eat a bite from a decent meal. Her skin was now a pasty shade of white and her cheeks no longer possessed their rosy glow. What worried Chris and Christina the most was that Tabby hardly spent any time at home. Chris explained to me in the past that Tabby rarely left the house because she was scared of people but now she was leaving home at eight in the morning and returning home eleven thirty at night. Strangely though, no matter how she acted in front of others, she would always greet me as cheerfully as she could manage.
One night she returned home at midnight and came straight up to the attic to see me. When I realised she was drunk I took her to her room and we sat on the balcony for a while; she was telling me about her day. We sat for hours as she cried and laughed, I was restraining her as she tried to stand and she kept offering me cigarettes. When she finally calmed down she rested her head on my shoulder, breathing heavily. Tabby remained this way for about ten minutes and I felt sure she was asleep so i made to pick her up and put her in bed.
"I love you Espio" she suddenly whispered, grasping my hand and turning her head so she could look into my eyes. I went numb. Could she really mean what she just said? No, don't be stupid, Tabby could never mean that, she's drunk, she doesn't know what she's saying. If only I had listened to the thoughts running through my head, I might not have hurt her beyond repair.
The next few days I spent my time gazing out of windows, eating and sleeping. No-one seemed to notice my behaviour- except for Christina. Charmy, Vector and Knuckles were aware that I was acting differently too, though they were too naive to say anything.
"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong or do I have to observe you day and night to make sure you don't end up like my screwed up best friend that doesn't spend any time indoors anymore?" she shot one day. I had been expecting this question for a while and had planned my answer.
"Christina, I'm in love" I uttered, my lips curling into a dreamy smile. I turned to face the younger ninja; her eyes were wide with shock.
"Holy cow. Please tell me it isn't Knuckles. God, I am begging you, please say it isn't Knuckles!" Christina cried, her voice shaking. I laughed and shook my head.
"It isn't Knuckles. I'm in love with a girl. A human girl" This made Christina's jaw drop even wider than before.
"Tabby" she whispered, folding her arms. I nodded and was silent. "Tabby" she continued to laugh.
"Yeah" I grinned, nervous; I couldn't understand why Christina was giggling.
"You do realise you don't stand a chance with her, don't you?" she asked as she swung herself around in the computer chair. I felt numb again, sick even. This was a comment I didn't expect.
"What makes you say that?"
"She gave up on relationships when her boyfriend left her for dead in that fire, she even struggles to trust me sometimes" she explained.
"Is there anyway she would ever change the way she feels about relationships?"
"There is one thing..." Whatever Christina was about to say, I knew I wouldn't be prepared, though I was willing to do anything to be with Tabby...
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