Part 6
Where Do We Stand?

"But now we're one member less… We've always had to be so careful before… Without Bunnie's help we're going to have to cover even more ground now."
Sally was sitting on her desk, her legs swinging freely. Around her the Freedom Fighters were assembled. Even Tails was there, though he wouldn't be participating in any of the actual missions, as usual. The only one missing was Bunnie.
"Who's to say Bunnie can't continue on missions?"
"I'm not going to risk her in her current state Sonic," Sally said, shaking her head. We don't even know how she's going to function." She walked over to a window and stared outside, rubbing her elbows. "I hate to say it like this Sonic, but I'm also concerned about her emotional stability."
"How do you mean?"
"You saw how she reacted last night. She completely fell apart without any warning."
"The warning signs were there Sally. We all saw them. We just didn't think…"
"That Ah'd go berserk?"
Sally and Sonic looked up at the doorway. Bunnie stood there, her hand still on the door handle.
"No Bunnie, that's not what I meant…"
Bunnie's expression was clouded, her expression one of subtle anger. Her grip on the door handle tightened. "Then what did you mean?"
Bunnie's eyes fell on the map in the middle of the room. She got the hint immediately. "Ya'all planning a mission…" He voice lowered. "Without me."
"It's just that we can't be sure of how you'll hold together out there Bunnie. You know how stressful those missions are. You're on edge the whole time, wondering if the next step is going to blow your cover. I don't think your minds ready for it. We don't want you to come with us."
Her sentence ended abruptly as the door ripped from it's hinges beneath Bunnie's pull. With one hand she smashed the portal into the wall, sending a big crack running through it. She stood there for a moment. "Right. At least ah know where we stand."
She dropped the door, and walked off into the night.

The mission didn't happen. Sally gave it a lot of thought that night and decided that a show of solidarity was far more important than another small victory. That solidarity would be conducted with continued emotional support for Bunnie. She'd apologized the next day for her outburst, and even helped Rotor fix Sally' door. But it was apparent that her current mental condition still wasn't anywhere near stable enough to risk shaking her up any further. Besides, heading out with such divided thoughts would lower morale and critically endanger the safety of the Freedom Fighters.

Later in the day, Sally found Bunnie standing outside her hut.

"Looking for me?" she asked.

Bunnie smiled a little. "Just wanted to apologize."

"Forget it. You've apologized like 6 times already. Let's just chalk it up to awareness, shall we? Besides…" She rapped on her door with her knuckles. "It's as good as new." She took a grip of the door handle and tried to open it. It was stuck. "In fact…" She gripped the handle with both hands and planted a foot on the door and gave it a shove. "It's even better…" She strained on the door handle, planting her shoulder on the door and pushing. "…than it was before!" Smiling, Bunnie planted a hand on the door, and gave it a tiny push. The door swung open, sending Sally falling inside. The squirrel brushed herself off and stood up. "Like I said. Good as new. Even opens the right way this time. Forwards. Not backwards."

"Antoine never did make a good carpenter."

"He's not a great cook either."

Bunnie smiled, tracing her fingers along a dresser. "Oh, well, that's all part of his charm."

Sally smiled at Bunnie discretely. An idea struck her. "Say, Bunnie, wanna go for a walk?"

Bunnie brightened visibly. "Well sure! I don't got nothin' planned for the rest of today that's for sure." She darkened a bit. "'Cept maybe bitch abut this arm some more."

"Um, well, ;et's get going then, shall we?" Sally said quickly.

"Now?"

"Sure. Why not? The day's warm, the sun's out, and, well, it's warm and sunny. Yeah. Perfect for walking in. What with the sunny warmth and all."

Bunnie stared at Sally out of the corner of her eyes. "You wouldn't be all hiding something from me now would you, Sally girl?"

"Since when did I hide anything from you Bunnie?"

"Well, there was last night."

"That…was a completely different situation. This is something else entirely. Uh, that is, in that there is nothing that I am hiding. From you. At all." She took a deep breath. "Tell you what. Just let me grab Nicole. I think I left her under my pillow. I'll meet you outside."

"Under…your pillow?"

"Yes. She wouldn't keep quiet. So I had to silence her. Yes."

"Alright.Whatever you say girl." Bunnie turned around and let herself out, closing the door behind her.

Sally walked over to her bed and pulled Nicole out from under her pillow, opening her up.

"Hurt, Sally. Hurt."

"Oh it was only for 6 minutes Nicole."

"You slept on me."

"Well, I was tired."

"Your head is huge. And heavy."

"Yeah? And you're a brick."

"I could have dented."

"I would have had Rotor bang you back into shape." Her eyes bulged and a hand went to her mouth. "OH NO! Wait! I…!"

Nicole started to purr. "Oh really?"

"Oh God. Your naughty Nicole. Be quiet or it's back in the box you go."

"I'll be good Sally."

The typical banter over with, Sally turned to the more serious matter. "I need to know what Antoine's chores are for today Nicole. Could you bring up his worksheet please?"

"Of course Princess." Nicoles screen turned a faint blue, and the sensor above the monitor emitted a holographic projection of a spreadsheet with some numbers and data on it. "Alright. Good. Thanks Nicole." The hologram deactivated.

"Do you have something planned for Mr. D'Coolette, Princess Sally?"

"Actually, I have something planned for both him and Bunnie. If I'm lucky, I might be able to settle two birds with one stone."

"Don't you mean kill, Princess?"

"You know I don't like to phrase it like that. Besides, I'm not out to kill Antoine." She stared at her roof. "Though sometimes I'd bloody well like to."

"Remember the time he barged into your room when you were playing Chess with Tails, dressed only in his underwear?"

"I try not to, Nicole."

"And the adult magazines he was waving around…"

"Yes Nicole. I remember. All too clearly."

"He smelled slightly of beans."

Sally stared at Nicole. "How did you know that? You don't have a nose?"

"You mentioned after the event that he smelt of a certain sticky goo that I can only identify as ground beans, Princess Sally. Unless there is something you're not telling me, I must identify it as the closest substance I can think of." There was silence for a minute.

"You ok Nicole?"

"I think I just figured it out."

"You have my sympathies."

"You mammals are gross."

"I love you too Nicole."

Sally closed the front door carefully, trying not to jam it. At the bottom of the steps, Bunnie was shielding her eyes with a hand, to stop the suns glare. She was looking out over the tree tops.

"Something wrong Bunnie?"

"Just thought ah saw somethin', is all." She shrugged. "You sure took your sweet time."

"Sorry. Was just explaining a few things to Nicole."

"Isn't that meant to be the other way round?"

"Yes. But there's a few things that Nicole isn't too clued in on…"

"Beans!" Sally's left boot rasped.

Bunnie stared at Sally's foot, wide-eyed. Then she looked at Sally. "Did Nicole just say… 'Beans'?"

"Er, no. She said 'Jeans'. She thinks I should try wearing some in winter. Prevents crotch freeze."

Bunnie blinked. "Good advice."

Sally shook her head. "Uh, let's get moving, shall we?"

Bunnie nodded, her expression not even bothering to try and hide her befuddlement. "Yeah. Lets."