Authors notes
Before I begin I just want to say this story has nothing to do with heroes kin or robotnics discovery. This is in a different dimension or something, it has no relation at all. So please don't get them mixed up.
Disclaimer- Don't own any of the characters that appear in this chapter.
It was decided, Knuckles knew what he had to do. Sure they were both young, Knuckles not even reaching his 20th year yet, but they were in love and that was all that mattered. He was willing to accept the baby and in doing so, he was sure Rouge would be overjoyed.
A few weeks had passed since Knuckles had spied on Rouge and found out the news, yet the bat hadn't said anything to him about it, as if she wasn't pregnant at all. Knuckles would watch her carefully, increasing his protectiveness around her, showering her with love, hoping to pry the truth from her perhaps nervous mind. He noticed tiny variations in her behaviour, so unnoticeable that if he hadn't been looking he wouldn't have spotted them. She would eat more, despite sometimes complaining of feeling sick in the mornings. She quit her drinking, making Knuckles wonder if that was for the baby too. For the first time since he had begun living with her, Knuckles noticed that he would wake up before her, finding the bat sleeping peacefully in her bed. He longed to join her, but he knew if they would sleep together at night, Rouge would try to repeat the behaviour that caused her pregnancy in the first place and that would cause the searing scars the emerald had embedded into him to burn like white hot metal. He longed to caress her and his child within her, but he knew if he did that it would raise her suspicions. So for a while he was content to silently watch, watch as she unknowingly cared for his child, for filling it's needs.
But his patience wore thin. He longed to share his decision with Rouge and see her reaction. He longed to be able to watch her growth freely, rather than sneaking shots at her while she wasn't looking. So he approached her one day after she had stepped out of the bathroom, fur wet and waterlogged, a towel wrapped around her body, covering up the delights that lurked underneath. He smiled warmly, which she shunned with a rude glare of her own. Knuckles hadn't bothered to repeat their episode in the bed, one which she thoroughly enjoyed. So to her, he was becoming a pest around the house.
Unfazed by her lack of enthusiasm, Knuckles followed her into the bedroom, watching her dress herself. He pondered his words for a while, shyness suddenly presenting itself in the situation. How would he explain that he was spying on her?
" Rouge" he called softly. The responded with a small noise and he took that as a signal to continue. " I ... I've noticed some changes around here". The ignored him, although she appeared to hasten her effort to clothe herself. He hesitated, then urged " Is there something you want to tell me?"
" No" she replied bluntly, avoiding the question. Knuckles stood up, getting ready to offer his reassurance. He tried to keep his posture welcoming, but he didn't notice his stance turn a little angered, creating tension in the room.
" Rouge. These last few weeks, I've been watching you. I know what's going on. And I just wanted to say, it's ok , I will help you and that I'm not mad, not one bit". Rouge slipped on a top and turned around, looking him in the eyes and saying in a supposedly confused voice
" I don't know what your talking about". She turned around again, trying to busy herself with tasks around her room that didn't need attending to. Knuckles followed her closely, persistent.
" We can do this Rouge, you and I. It's early, I know but I really think I'm ready and I think you are too". Rouge sighed and looked at him again, replying with agitation
" What are saying?". Knuckles took a deep breath, this was it. It was almost a role reversal, the girl usually telling the boy the news, not the other way around. But Knuckles knew his child was growing inside of her, just as she did, the gap in communication just needed to be bridged.
" Your pregnant aren't you? I know you are. And we're going to have a child, which is fine. If it's with you Rouge, it's fine. I love you whatever happens " he said, reading his speech in his mind, waiting for Rouges rehearsed reaction. Unstemmed gratitude with mixed with uncertainess would swim together in her facial features, perhaps tears, of sadness and happiness, joy and fear. He was prepared for any of these reactions and he would accept anyone of them, it was just a natural process of going through something unexpected.
But Rouge didn't do any of those things. She didn't cry or sob, she didn't run the comfort of Knuckles open arms, rambling out her sorrows into his furry, red chest. She didn't erupt with joy at his calmness, or simply stare in wonder. What she did do however, worried Knuckles.
She laughed.
Unsure, Knuckles own mouth lifted a little, laughing back slightly, but with hollow intentions. This kind of laugh was not joyous, and seemed more evil in intentions. It was a wicked, superior laugh, filled with cold humour and smirking expressions. Knuckles didn't know what on earth to think.
" I suppose you found the test didn't you? I guess your more of a pervert than I realised, I'll have to be more careful with those things". Knuckles didn't reply, alarmed at the plural term she had used to the test and discouraged by her reaction. His mouth hung open in silence. She walked up to him, still smirking and said " You see Knucklehead, I'm really more of a player than a one man girl, and seeing that you now seem to care more about the rock than me, as well as how you really don't seem like the kind worthy of being a father. I saved us both the trouble of a child and got rid of it, just as I am going to get rid of you" she finished coldly. Knuckles simply stared, his mind trying to catch up form where it had been dropped in disbelief miles back. He went over each of Rouges words again in his head, trying to come up with another meaning over than the one that kept replaying in his head. Surely she hadn't meant what she had said. It was a mistake, surely? He and Rouge would be together forever and ever and ever...
" What do you mean. Got rid of...?" He mumbled, so scared to ask his voice was jarring. Rouge looked at him, apparently disgusted with his whimpish reaction.
" I take it even you have heard of abortion? It's a miracle in the modern world that let's girls get rid of unwanted pregnancies" she said sternly. Knuckles closed his mouth.
" It's gone?" He repeated in disbelief. Rouge nodded. Knuckles didn't seem to understand. " It's gone? Our child is gone? Our child is dead?" He said, half to himself. Rouge frowned and said coldly
" Its not that important. It was just a silly mistake". At her words, Knuckles felt his mind catch up with him. His mind swelled with delayed anger, his teeth tightened, crunching together his menacing jaws. His fists clenched, skin crushed together under the fabric of his gloves. His mind burned with confused anger, his breathing exploded into a rush of heaving, almost sob like gasps. His eyes weakened but his brow grew in strength, a strong frown appearing on his broken face. Without thinking, he grabbed Rouge by the scruff of her clothing, hoisting her up against the wall and constricting her body against the wall. He felt his eyes sting, threaten tears, but they were held back, through sheer disbelief, drained hope and hatred for the one he thought he loved.
" How!" He cried, his voice high, almost breaking " How could you kill our child? A life made by both of us? A symbol of our love! How could you just kill it! How!" He demanded, pinning her further against the wall, making it hard for her to breath and speak. In a rasped voice, Rouge struggled to reply
" I didn't think..." She began, but Knuckles bellowing roar deafened her weak voice out.
" That's right! You didn't think! And now it's dead! You killed it! MURDERER!" He screamed in utter, in controlled rage. Rouge sobbed and begged, but Knuckles was far beyond any reasoning. He threw her across the room with one swift thrust of his powerful arm. Her wings fanned out instinctively, trying to control her unplanned flight, but they did little but make her flight angle even more uneven and she crashed into the table, knocking the side of her face that had been struck the last time Knuckles lost it. The fuming echidna turned, still roaring, his teeth still bared, still angry. But when he saw Rouge, the old wound once again ripped open by his devastating throw, clutching her arm in obvious pain, he couldn't help but feel a rush of guilt, a feeling of complete helplessness as his animal side began to recede, letting the held back pain rush through. Rouge looked up at him, glaring in spite. She raised her unused hand and touched the blood on her face, her expression a mix of hatred and pain.
" I never loved you" she said , her voice ice cold, slowly saying the words, letting them each sink in and cause damage. A repayment to the physical damage he had inflicted on her. Knuckles stared at her for a few more seconds, feeling the guilt that bled from his heart and knowing he shouldn't be experiencing those emotions. How could he love someone who didn't love him? How could he love a murderer?
Everything built up, liking rising flood water, until Knuckles reached his emotional limit. Overwhelmed, he exploded into tears and rushed out, needing a realised from this place of pain. He didn't bother with the handle of the door, he just smashed his way through it, using his shoulder as a ram. He broke through the door so hard that he kept going, colliding with the wall opposite. Out of control, he staggered along the corridor, finding his way into the large hall, full as it always was with partying animal, dancing in time to the heavy bass, most probably all pissed, not a care in the world. Seeing them so care- free only worsened Knuckles own state, as he stumbled and blundered his way through the crowd, shoving men and ladies a like, his manners long gone, pushing his way through the crowds. It wasn't until he found his way outside, in the icy rain and moon less night, that he felt a hint of realise from the horrible world he had forced his way into. He didn't stop running, in fact, his pace doubled, tripled, as he pelted his way down the streets, wanting to be as far away from society as possible, wanting to die. He didn't know how long he was going for, all his knew was that his heart was broken, shatter, lying broken on Rouges floor, the hideous murderer who killed his child, the stupid thief who had stolen his heart and his life, broken him in every way possible, fooled him into giving her what he carried most sacred in his life. He felt dead. Now that he thought about it, he realised the other test he had found must have been hers to, she had never mentioned this ' friend ' again and now it just seemed like she was far more capable of doing such horrible things.
When he finally began running out of energy, his legs slowing to a moderate trot then stopping, collapsing underneath him, he didn't recognise any of the buildings around him, he was completely lost. But he didn't care. Both physical and emotional exhaustion overcame him and he felt himself falling, face first, into the concrete, falling unconscious, his soul dying in the rain.
Authors notes
Ah, the pivotal point in this story, or one of them. From this point on, I just want to warn you that things are going to get a little bit weird, strap yourselves in coz its going to be a hell of a bumpy ride.