Thank you to:-

Legolas19:- well I hope this wasn't too long to find out what is going to happen.

Draxidean Icefire T :- I'm glad u like it and hope that you will continue to like it.

Chibi Drigger:- glad you liked it too hunny and hope to speak soon.

Chapter 10

"hmmsj" moaned Knuckles as he shifted before he opened his eyes, he found he was still in the cave of the emerald but now he was on a bed of moss with a blanket over him. He shot up when he heard a crack and looked over to see a fire burning.

"Sleeping beauties awake" came Shadows voice as he came into the light of the fire carrying some nuts and berries. "here eat. Sonics cooking"

"Thanks" muttered Knuckles taking the offered food and started to pick at it.

"eat it all, you and the child will need it" ordered Shadow sitting next to him, Knuckles shifted away and dropped the berries and looked down.

"I thought I said to eat them not drop them" said Shadow picking them up.

"I'm not hungry" muttered Knuckles getting up and moving away from the hedgehog, the Echidna remember that night and knew that Sonic and Shadow would hate him thinking that he had seduced them, so he stopped himself getting close, settling to push them away.

"y..you should go" said Knuckles not looking at him.

"And why would we be doing that?" came Sonics voice as he walked into the area carrying a plate of chilli dogs for himself and Shadow.

"because I want you to leave" stated Knuckles hiding behind his anger.

"No can do Buddy" smiled Sonic as he sat on the bed that the two hedgehogs had made, Knuckles watched him, the smell of hotdogs was making his stomach rumble, growling he walked around the hedgehogs to get to the entrance seeing the rain, another storm was approaching.

"you'll get cold" said Shadow moving next to the Echidna. Knuckles ignored him and moved forwards not facing the dark furred bean so he wouldn't see the tears in his eyes, he was still tired and had given up on the 'I know what I'm doing' façade, he was scared, in his mind he thought that Sonic and Shadow despised him, he played the scene over and over in his head, his friends sneering at him and blaming him saying that he had seduced then, it had been his fault that they had slept with him and now he was starting to believe it, his barriers where breaking because he was connected to the child and the sire, he would lose his friends because of that night and he could die once the child was independent.

"come on Knuckles, sit down" said Sonic, his food muffling his voice. The Echidna continued to stare straight ahead, watching the rain drip on the leaves from the canopy above.

"Knuckles" said Shadow quietly putting a hand on Knuckles shoulder, the red furred bean flinched at the touch.

"please leave me alone" said the Echidna, flinching again when Shadow roughly grabbed him and made Knuckles face him but Knuckles refused to meet his eyes.

"What is the matter with you?" said Shadow, grabbing Knuckles' chin and forcing him to look at him, Violet eyes met with Black, Shadow was surprised at the emotions that where swirling around in their depth. "I think we need to talk" he said taking Knuckles paw in his own and leading him back to the bed, where he sat down. Knuckles looked uncertain before moving to sit with his back against the wall looking away from the other two.

"I guess you remember that night" started Knuckles quietly

"yes we do" said Sonic "we also know that Lazardo gave us some drugs"

"Drugs?. I didn't see him give you anything" said Knuckles.

"Mixed with our hormones making us act on them" explained Shadow, Knuckles looked uncomfortable "making us do things we would ordinarily push to the back of our minds"

"so you wanted to sleep with me?" said Knuckles uncertainly.

"come on Knux, we're teenagers and your good looking" said Sonic, The Echidna just looked at him like he was mad.

"No its true" said Shadow

"y…y don't blame me" whispers Knuckles thinking he had said that in his head. Shadow was in front of him in a flash, making him jump and his head shot back hitting the wall.

"you think that we blame you?" said the black hedgehog looking into those violet eyes, Knuckles felt trapped and pushed Shadow away and walked away.

"Why?" came Sonics question as he looked at the Echidna "Why did you think we would blame you?"

"I don't know" stated Knuckles tears filling his eyes, his will wasn't strong enough to push them back. "I thought it was my fault that we had been caught, then because of our escape leading to that cave. I thought you would think I did something"

"Okay Knux, me and Shadow are old enough and ugly enough to know when we don't want something, you are strong and could have taken one of us on, but not the two at the same time and I for one is not complaining" said Sonic standing in front of Knuckles. The relief that one of his friends didn't hate him made him lose all control as tears started tracing down his face, embarrassed he turned and hide his face in his paws, jumping when he was pulled against a strong chest.

"One thing I don't get. We heard you call for help" said Shadow coming to stand with them.

"Echidnas connect with the father of the child they are carrying in case of any problems or to tell them something" said Knuckles from his place in Sonics arms.

"But we both heard it, only one of us can be the father" said Sonic, Knuckles pulled away and walked over to the bed, Sonic and Shadow followed.

"From what I know, years ago Echidna males could have more than one mate in a committed relationship and many had too or three lovers, if they wanted a child to be of all bloodlines the one that could carried would have to mate with each of them within a certain time period and the seeds would mix. Creating the child of all bloodlines" explained Knuckles "so this one is both of yours'

Sonic and Shadow sat in shock, they where a father of a child from a male.

"What would have happened if we hadn't of known you had this child, the bond?" asked Sonic

"when the child becomes independent my need would cease" said Knuckles.

"Knuckles, you mean you could have died before we knew?" gasped Sonic. Knuckles shrugged.

"Why would I want to keep living?. The bond can only be formed with the ones you love, and if you didn't return that then why continue living to look after a stupid green rock!" snapped Knuckles before blanching when he realised what he had said, he lay down and curled up facing away from the others. "this is the part where you scream, shout, hit or run" he whispered as he curled around to protect his stomach.

"Don't be stupid" sighed Sonic "I loved you for a long time, and I suppose the time you where like a woman on her monthlies, you where actually on your monthlies"

Knuckles sat up and stared at the blue hedgehogs. " yo…you..wa?

"love you" repeated Sonic "took me a while but I got there"

Shadow looked between the too, he felt a bond with both of them but was it love, maybe he could love Knuckles who was accentually mothering his child and he could love the child, but Sonic, sure they had kissed a couple of times but it could have been a spur of the moment. He came out of his thoughts with Knuckles looking at him.

"Projecting" said Knuckles quietly

"So you know my answer then, and what have I got to go back for?" shrugged Shadow.

"What have you decided?" asked Knuckles looking at the two.

"we live here with you" they said both at the same time.

"We'll build a link between Morbius and here for a link in case we are needed but apart from that we're staying here" said Sonic, Knuckles sat in shock for a while, before he blinked and a yawn took him by surprise, being emotional made him tired.

"come on we better get some sleep" said Shadow, the three got into the bed pointedly putting Knuckles in the middle, Sonic answering the question of why.

"because we doing want you going off" he said, Shadow put his arm around Knuckles waist before placing a kiss on his forehead. Sonic dropped a kiss on his cheek before they cuddled together, Sonic was spooned behind Knuckles, while the Echidna lay his head on Shadows chest.