CHAPTER 8
The next day seemed even more beautiful than the last in Future City while the blue male hedgehog sat on the large bed as he stared out the large window from his hotel room. The bed he sat on was neatly made with white blankets and pillows. With his elbows resting on the top of his thighs and finger resting under his chin, his green eyes stared blankly at the few clouds that were in the light blue sky. He sat there quietly in the silent room while he remained deep in thought. He let out a heavy sigh, 'What a mess...I don't know what to really do...' His ears had perked up when he heard a sudden light knocking on his door. He turned his head around to look at the closed door and wondered who was on the other side. He figured it had to be someone from hotel staff. After all no one knew where he was. At least he didn't think so. While he was trying to think of who was at the door another light knock was heard. He had then got up from the bed and started to make his way over to the door. When he stood in front of the door, he placed one hand on the door handle, and kept his other hand clenched in a fist and lowered slightly behind him. Like he was thinking, it could be just the hotel staff but also there was the possibility it could be an enemy. He turned the handle and slowly opened the door. When the door was completely opened, his body froze and his heart skipped a beat while his eyes fell upon a brown chipmunk woman standing there on the other side of the door.
She noticed how stunned he was to see her and figured he would have this reaction when he saw her. She knew he wasn't expecting her to see him. She saw him wearing his usual attire as was she. Both still wearing their work uniforms. It wasn't long when she realized the awkward silence that was shared between the two. She formed a weak smile at him and urged herself to finally speak out. "...Good morning, Sonic."
With her finally speaking to him, he snapped out of his thoughts and decided to reply to her with a blank expression on his face. "...Sally..."
She awaited for him to invite her into his room but it appeared that wasn't going to slip from his mouth right away. She tried to urge herself to speak to him again but this time couldn't look him in the eyes, "...May I come in?" After she asked, she saw him still giving her a blank yet chilling look. Her thoughts ran through her mind in circles. She kept telling herself she knew that this was all a bad idea. She then saw him step to the side and held his hand out towards inside of the room.
"...Yeah."
While she slowly stepped inside of the room, she realized that he was being short worded with her. It honestly all shouldn't be a surprise to her. She had to expect this sort of treatment. When she stepped inside of the room, she spun her body around to turn to the hedgehog and saw him quietly shutting the door. Her eyes glanced around the small room and noticed it had a small desk, a large bed, and a small refrigerator with a microwave. However the large open window made up for the room's small size. Her eyes shifted back over to him while she still had the same weak smile on her lips. "Nice place..." her words trailed off when she heard him coldly speak to her.
"How did you find me?"
She was caught off guard from the first question he decided to ask her. "Oh I..." She found it hard to look at him while she answered. "I overheard Rotor saying something about you may be staying in a hotel. I just checked around until I came across here."
"I see", he simply spoke while crossing his arms and flashing his eyes away from her. 'Damn', he thought. 'I forgot when I stormed back to the agency to get some of my shit, I did sort of ran my mouth about Sally being a whore and whatnot.' He made a slight and angry sigh towards himself. Back then he was angry with her and he had wished he didn't say such vulgar things in front of the other detectives. However, he still wasn't going to be sorry for meaning what he said.
She noticed the silent yet annoyed look on his face and decided that she should explain the real reason why she was even there in the first place. She finally found the courage to shift her eyes back over to him. "Sonic", she began. "I came to find you because I wanted to talk."
With him still being close to the door, he rested his back against it with his arms still folded across his chest. "For what? There's nothing to talk about."
"Sonic", she begged. "Just hear me out..." She was silenced when she heard him speaking out again.
"Why, Sally? Why didn't you tell me you wanted to screw around with him?" He took his back away from the door he was leaning against and took a small step towards her. "If you just told me that you wanted to fuck his brains out in the first place, then I would've never wanted us to get back together."
She held both of her hands up to him defensively, "No, no, I..." She was lost for a moment. She thought nothing she could say could make their situation any better. but she had to try at least. "Look, Shadow and I have hated each other for as long as I can remember." She slightly shook her head with her eyes lowered to the dark blue carpet floor. "Because that he was a demon, I couldn't stand him and wanted to do everything in my power to make sure he was kicked off of The Council and locked up in G.U.N.'s prison or even worse if that was possible. But...when we were forced to go to Acorn Kingdom together, we just..." She used her hand to gently rub her arm, "We learned more about each other and began to respect each other. And in such a short amount of time, we got close." Her eyes looked back up at Sonic and still saw his eyes giving her a cold look back at her. She placed her fingertips against her forehead and rubbed it in frustration, "Ugh! I don't know! I was just suddenly attracted to how nice he had gotten towards me! And just when I had started to get feelings for him, you came back into my life. Then I started to feel for both of you."
"Yeah", he scoffed bitterly. "And apparently demon boy was your top hedgehog..."
"What? No, uh, he was married..."
He arched an angry eyebrow towards her, "Oh? So you didn't go after him right away because he was already taken?" He held his hands out angrily, "Well that sure didn't stop you did it?"
"Sonic..."
"You fucked him, Sally! No matter what way you try to put it! You had sex with him! And don't you dare fucking say you didn't want it because the proof was in the video feed Infinite showed everyone!"
Sally's body slightly quivered from witnessing Sonic's loud shouting. She had hoped the other guests nearby didn't hear him shouting but somehow she doubt it.
He slowly shook his head in disgust towards her, "...You could've said no and pushed him away. Hell if that demon was set on just raping you, you could've fought back, but you didn't. You just...gave in..."
At that moment, she didn't hear anger in his voice anymore. Just disappointment and sadness. "I...I know..." Her voice was starting to break up and she didn't know how much longer she could fight her tears back. "I'll admit I loved him and I...wanted it to happen. But I didn't know how bad it was going to feel after..."
"Yeah and now look at you. Everyone's lost respect for you for what you did." He scoffed lowly, "How dare you call yourself a princess!"
While she stood there in silence as she heard his hurtful words, she heard the door being opened. She turned and saw him standing next to the door holding it wide open.
"Get out", he coldly said with his eyes lowering to the floor.
At this point, she knew there was nothing else she could say to him to possibly make the situation any better. She bit her lip and tried her best to continue to hold back her tears while making her way towards the door. When she stood at the doorway, she looked back up at the angry hedgehog. "...Sonic, I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't matter how sorry you are at this point. My mind's been made up."
When she stepped out into the hallway of the hotel rooms, she spun back around to turn to him. When she had, she saw his green eyes flash back over to hers.
"I'm going back to Kingdom of Acorn."
The door had then slammed in her face not giving her any time to react or say anymore to the heartbroken blue hedgehog.
A few days later at the Chaotix Detective Agency, the group of detectives were gathered in the main lobby listening to Espio speak of what happened with the battle between Shadow and Infinite. With his back leaned against the large front desk and his arms folded across his chest, Espio confronted the group of detectives that were listening closely to the new information about Infinite. He made a slight sigh while he continued, "And going by what Shadow had informed me about the guy, he's also another half demon..."
Ker made a loud gasp from among the group, "What? Another half demon?"
"But that's impossible. Isn't Shad the only halfbreed in existence?" Appex honestly couldn't believe it. He figured The Dark Alliance would've mentioned Infinite before but no one did. The high ranking demons kept Infinite's existence quiet for some reason.
"Apparently not", Tonya even found the news unbelievable to even hear.
Appex's eyes slightly widened as he slightly shook his head while he still tried to wrap his head around the news him and everyone else just heard. "Well that's just one hell of a competition."
Midnight looked over to the chameleon, "...So you've been talking to Shadow?...How is he?" He and everyone else hadn't seen Shadow since the night he stormed out of the agency to confront Sonic and Rouge. Since then he had wondered how he had been emotionally handling everything. Between dealing with Infinite and Rouge.
Espio paused as he hesitated before deciding what to say what had been happening with Shadow. "...I went to see him a few days ago and he's...better..."
The group of detectives gave him a look that he was obviously trying to make the situation Shadow was in not look so bad.
Espio saw the suspicious looking expressions everyone was giving him and knew he didn't have it in him to try to cover up how Shadow was really handling things. "...Than he was..."
Grace who was sitting behind the desk Espio stood in front of lightly bit her lip while she rested her back against the desk chair she sat in. A sympathetic look formed on her face, "Oh...he's still torn up about Rouge huh?"
Espio turned his head to the gray dove to make a slight nod, "Yeah...those two are still acting like children and not talking to each other. I tried talking to him but he just shuts whatever I have to say about it out." He turned away from her and looked back at the group, "And of course when I was there, Nell always had some stupid shit to say so he was just tuning out the both of us at the same time", he said as he rolled his eyes.
"Well you know Shadow. He's a stubborn hedgehog", Tonya spoke with a chuckle. She knew Shadow almost as long as Espio had known him and when it came to try talking to him, it always took quite a bit of convincing. She and the rest of them were suddenly startled when they heard the front doors open and then shut. She and the rest of them turned only to see a red ferret woman standing at the other end of the lobby staring back at them. There was a long and awkward pause between everyone until Midnight finally had the courage to speak out.
The black wolf's mouth hung open in surprise when he couldn't believe who he was seeing standing there in the lobby with them. The ferret was standing there wearing the same uniform shirt as the rest of them were, "...Freya?"
The ferret had then started to slowly approach the group of stunned detectives. The serious look she had on her face when she first walked in had disappeared when she forced a small smile on her lips. "Uh hey, guys. Long time no see."
Espio along with the rest of the group stood there in shock just as everyone else. Freya hadn't been to work since her mother died. He was honestly beginning to suspect that she would never return to work just for the fact that everyone still associated with Shadow. The last time he checked, Freya hated Shadow and didn't want absolutely anything to do with him. But there she was. In uniform and walking through the doors. "Freya", he spoke as he took his back away from the desk and began to approach her.
Before Freya could say anything else, she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace by the chameleon. Her body froze in surprise from him suddenly hugging her. She hadn't been at work for at least two months. She thought he would be furious with her but he wasn't. When he let her out of his embrace, she still had a surprised expression on her face. "...Wow...I thought you'd be mad at me."
He shook his head and placed his hand on her shoulder, "No, Freya, I..." He paused and turned back to the group of detectives who looked liked they wanted to know what was going on with Freya. Wondering why she suddenly showed back up to the agency and after all this time. He let out an annoyed sigh, "There is nothing to see here. Get back to work", he ordered.
With the group all making annoyed expressions, they did as he told them and went back to their own departments to continue doing their tasks.
After when he got the group of detectives to disperse, he turned back to Freya and pointed over to a far corner of the lobby. "Let's step over here." When he led her over to the small corner within the lobby, he now could talk to her more privately. "Freya, it's so good to see you finally back. How've you been, kid?"
"I'm fine..." Her green eyes slightly shifted from his as she tried to force the words that she was okay out of her mouth even though in the inside, she was still pretty distraught over her mother's death. Her eyes looked back up at him while she tried her best to talk with him. "I mean...it was...difficult at first don't get me wrong."
He made a slow nod as he could imagine how rough these past few months had been for her. "I understand. But you are okay...aren't you?" He saw her nodding slightly towards him with her trying to force a small smile.
"Yes I'm much better now. I just want to come back to work."
"I understand", he decided to try to keep the conversation between him and Freya somewhat short. This was her first day back and all. Even though he did want to discuss the subject of her and Shadow, he knew at that moment was probably not the best time to discuss it. He even figured it was still maybe too soon to try to convince her that Shadow indeed still cared about her. He looked over towards the garage door, "Midnight's been kind of taking care of things while you were gone. You should get with him to see what needs to be done."
She made a small nod with her eyes glued to the door of the garage. Just hearing Midnight's name slip from Espio's mouth sent a small shiver down her back. She had to admit to herself that she was nervous. She and Midnight haven't talked to each other since they broke up. She knew once she stepped foot in the garage, things would get awkward. But she couldn't keep running away from her problems. She had to face them even if it meant working alongside her ex boyfriend. "...Yeah. I got to talk to him anyway."
When Espio saw her walk over to the garage door to open it and step inside, it had hit him that Freya and Midnight did break up. He couldn't believe he forgot about them splitting up. However, he thought maybe if they started to work with each other again, then maybe the two would get back together. He had then heard Grace talking from the front desk she had sat at.
"I hope she'll be okay..." She watched Espio walk over to her and lazily place his hand down on the surface of the desk to rest it.
He made a heavy sigh, "Yeah, same. It's like freakin' heartbreak hotel around here." He had then made a sympathetic look towards her. "By the way Grace, I'm sorry I sent Charmy away for a few days. Luke's mech specialist needed a hand with a few projects and you know...Charms is the best there is."
She formed a wide smile, "Oh don't I know it? It's fine, Espio. Nails and Tikal have been great since he left."
"Oh yeah?"
With her wide smile on her face, she made a nod towards him, "Absolutely! They've been checking up on me every hour on the hour it seems."
"Well..." He stared at Grace's large stomach and pointed towards it. "I guess it is almost time for the little one to arrive." He and everyone else knew that Grace would be due any week now. It was just a matter of time.
She placed her hand on her stomach and gently rubbed it, "Yup! I'm so excited!"
"Same! I'm stoked for you and Charms!"
"Thanks!" She then leaned a little closer towards him to speak quietly to him. "Speaking of babies, you said Shadow still hasn't seen Rouge or Spike?"
He slightly shook his head, "Nah. Shad's too stubborn to see Rouge. Don't get me wrong though. He did say he misses Spike terribly. But you know...Rouge...her sister's house...lots of tension."
"I see..." She rested her back against the desk chair while placing her finger on the side of her face. "Doesn't want to confront them."
He had then saw her lean back over to him with an excited look on her face.
"Oh! I got it!"
"Got what?" He asked with a face of confusion.
"Okay just hear me out. What if I get Nails to bring Spike over to my place and she tells Shadow that I'm looking after him? That way he won't be so on the fence about seeing him."
"Ah...", he said while pointing over to her with a smirk. "So he'll think it's just you and Spike there?"
"But it won't! Rouge will be there too!"
"Wha?" He rose an eyebrow as he was unsure about Grace's plan. "You're gonna invite Rouge over too? And without him knowing?"
She nodded excitedly, "Yup! I'll trap them together so they can finally sit down and talk! Maybe I can even get them back together!"
Espio made a worried and unsure look about Grace's entire plan. "You-you're gonna invite them both over without them knowing about it using Spike as the bait?"
She again made another excited nod and clasped her hands together.
He had then made a heavy sigh and an uncomfortable look on his face. "I-I don't know, Grace. You really don't want to get in between their drama. Shit could go south and very quickly."
"Oh, Espio! You worry too much!" She exclaimed with a wide and confident smile. "Everything will work out! You'll see!"
With a slight uneasy smile formed on his lips, he couldn't help but to think that Grace's plan of trying to get Shadow and Rouge back together would end up in disaster.
"Ah! Damn it!" Midnight loudly groaned after dropping the hammer he was using onto the floor. He placed his sore thumb in his mouth and winced from the painful throbbing after striking it by accident with the hammer. "Not again", he muttered under his breath. "Every damn time..." When he spun around to attempt to make his way over to the first aid kit hung on the wall that was near the door, his body almost instantly froze. His eyes fell upon a red ferret woman who stood at the doorway staring back at him. He couldn't believe it, but it was none other than his ex girlfriend.
The ferret woman had a slight smile formed on her lips while gazing at the sight of the black male wolf. She held her wrist with her hand while she had them both placed behind her while she stood at the doorway. "Still banging up your fingers with hammers I see", she teased.
"Freya?" In slight embarrassment he took his thumb away from his mouth and tried to hide the fact that his thumb didn't hurt as much as she thought it did by placing his hand behind him. "You-you're here?" He watched her open up the first aid kit that was on the wall and began to search through it.
"Yup", she spoke before taking out a roll of gauze and shutting the first aid kit. She started to casually step over to him, "I think I've had enough time away from work don't you think?"
He watched her stop in her tracks in front of him and still couldn't get over the sight of her. It was unreal. Like a dream. She was there. She really returned to the Chaotix.
She noticed him silently staring at her and figured he was just in shock from seeing her. "What?" While letting out a small chuckle, she made a smirk towards him. "Shocked to see me?"
He broke out of his trance from staring at her when she continued to speak to him. "Uh, well...I'm just surprised. This is just so sudden..." The rest of his words trailed off when he saw her reach out and gently placed her hand around his wrist to take his hand from behind him. He then saw her beginning to take the gauze to start bandaging his hurt thumb.
"Surprised? You thought I was going to quit my job just because I had a few tragic things happen in my life?" She noticed his slight pause and continued before she gave him a chance to speak out. Her smirk had then slowly faded from her lips, "I'll admit it. Yes what happened to my mother was tragic and to answer another question yes, I still can't stand the sight or even thought of Shadow." After when she finished bandaging his thumb, she looked up at him. "But that all shouldn't excuse the way how I've been acting out towards the others and...to you Midnight. I'm sorry for how I've treated you. All because I couldn't handle my own emotions." Her eyes slowly shifted away from his shamefully, "You must hate me..." She had then felt his finger being placed under her chin to make her look back at him.
"Freya", he spoke softly while gazing into her green eyes. "I...could never hate you. I just hated the fact that your anger was the thing that changed you." He took his finger away from her chin and gently placed his hand against the side of her warm cheek. "I loved you so much and it tore me apart to see you that way. I just couldn't be around you."
"Do you?"
He felt her hand being placed on top of his, "...What?"
"...Do you still love me?" She had then unexpectedly felt the warmth of his lips being pressed against hers.
When he took his lips from hers, he placed both of his hands gently on the sides of her face while he gazed into her eyes lovingly. "I never stopped."
With a small smile, she happily leaned towards him to engage in another kiss with him.
While the two shared the passionate kiss with each other, little did they know that Espio was standing on the other side of the slightly cracked door with a relieved smile on his face before quietly shutting the door.
Author's Note: I apologize for the not updating in awhile! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon! Thanks for being patient with me, guys! R&R please!
In The Next Chapter...
Rouge: What the...
Shadow: Why the hell is she here?
Grace: Now...now...
Shadow: I can't do this!
Rouge: Shadow, please hear me out!
Shadow: ...Grace?
Grace: I think my water just broke...
Shadow: Oh hell...
