CHAPTER 3
COMFORTING
Later that evening at Shadow's house, Shadow and Rouge were in the kitchen. Shadow was contacting Vector on his communicator with Rouge watching, "Did you find anything about the facility?"
Vector shook his head, "Unfortunately no. All the computers are password protected we can't get through. It'll take a genius to get through that. Anyway Espio said that you found a little girl."
"Yeah she's here with me. She put up one hell of a fight when I first found her. I settled her down with a drug. She's okay, she's in my bedroom sleeping."
"Get some information out of her, we're already in a confusing jam here anyway."
"I'll see what I can do", he shut off his communicator. He faced Rouge, "We gotta get through to that girl."
"Didn't you see how she acted when we tried to help her? That girl was helpless and scared." Rouge could still imagine what her terrified face looked like.
"I wonder what caused her to go off like that."
Rouge changed the subject, "Shad, sweetheart I'm sorry for what happened the other day. I didn't mean to..." The next thing she knew, she was held around her waist being hugged by Shadow. She hugged him back.
"I forgive you." he kissed her and she returned the favor.
With their tongues fighting it seemed that the moment would last forever.
Shadow had his hand in her pants letting her know what he wanted.
Rouge reached the zipper to her pants, but couldn't proceed any further because of the little yawn she heard from the doorway. She gasped as she looked over. She saw the little girl standing there staring at what they were doing.
Shadow hadn't notice that she was there until Rouge unexpectedly took his hand out of her pants. That caught his attention and he looked over to her as well. "It's you. Do you remember me?"
The girl said nothing and just went back upstairs.
Shadow crossed his arms, "That's a yes."
"We have to talk to her", Rouge followed the girl with Shadow following behind her.
When they made it upstairs, Shadow and Rouge came to the bedroom door.
Shadow twisted the doorknob and noticed that it was locked. He then kicked the door open.
The girl ran from the doorway getting even more afraid when she saw the black hedgehog appear in front of her. She began to run around the room, "Leave me alone!"
Shadow tried to talk to her, "Take it easy."
She sat in a corner, "No, get away!"
Rouge walked up to her slowly, "It's okay sweetheart, we won't hurt you."
The girl continued to resist, "No! You'll put me to sleep!"
Shadow grabbed the girl by her arm, "Listen, I won't put you to sleep! Just cooperate with us!"
The girl started to calm down, "What do you want?"
Shadow let go of her arm, "I want you to tell us what you doing in that alleyway by yourself."
The girl started to explain, "A group of Street Punks came into the facility and killed everybody. Even my dad."
Shadow's eyes widened, "What? Why would Lance and his gang do that?"
The girl shrugged, "I don't know, but he wanted to know about Project D.E.A.T.H. and my dad wouldn't tell him so that bad man shot him." She started to cry, "He shot my dad."
Rouge kneeled down to her and held her close, "It's okay."
Shadow crossed his arms, "Do you know anything about Project D.E.A.T.H.?"
The girl nodded a little while Rouge wiped away some of her tears, "A little."
"Damn, Lance could be searching for you. What's your name?"
"Kayla."
"What are we going to do, Shadow?" Rouge said as she cradled the small child in her arms.
Shadow kneeled down at the child and stroked the hair on her head, "I'll protect her and I swear I'm going to keep her safe."