There was guilt riddling her insides as she stood outside the brown wooden door with a red foamed 'R' with pink glitter adhered to said surface.
In honesty, it wasn't her fault this time.
She had left an hour ago to pick up some groceries for the house, leaving two hotheads to do some bonding. Sure she was picturing the two laughing and doing whatever her husband could think of; but what she didn't expect was to come home with bags in her hands and a heated Echidna storming right past her. When she maintained her balance and looked at him then in the house seeing a white and red flash run upstairs and a heavy slam was made from the truck and bedroom doors.
After bringing most of the groceries in despite calling her daughter to help out multiple times but to her avail got no response. So she trudged out the kitchen and up the stairs with a light sigh, intent on seeing why her daughter was upset. Perhaps she was upset about being stuck with him and not her mother. Or maybe she wasn't asked if she could tag along on grocery shopping.
But it wasn't her fault. She took a left reaching the top of the stairs and stood at the door, her heart racing.
She needs some alone time.
She's upset.
I need to finish the grocery and start on dinner.
You're not a housewife! Make the echidna do it. It was his idea to get fresh ingredients for dinner anyways!
But-
Before her mental battle continued the house shook vibrating with a heavy boom. Her ears flicked and eyes widened. She hadn't-.
"Rhianna?! Ruby?!" She cried out quickly twisting the golden door knob and pushed the door open. Her eyes widened and all of her fears were just as she thought would be.
There stood her teenage daughter standing near her closet and a arm was stiffly outstretched towards the magenta painted walls. But at wrist length, her arm had sunken into the wall fiercely leaving a few cracks around the impact. Even her purple eyes were widened at what she had done.
Her head whipped towards the doorway and she glared at the white bat stunned.
"M-Mom, I-I didn't mean to." She stammered pulling her hand out the wall with ease revealing her extended sharp knuckles.
Rouge sighed and gestured towards the lime green sheets of the bed sitting against the corner of the room. She sat on the foot of the bed and patted the empty spot beside her with a loving smile.
Ruby stared at her mother for a bit before inching her way over to her own bed and sat down crossing her arms over her black tanktop and hunched over letting her red dreads hide the sorrow on her face.
Say something.
Let her speak when she's ready.
She needs comfort.
Rouge hesitated before wrapping an arm around her daughters torso and tugged her closer as she leaned up against her shoulder but still hunched over. She cautiously stroked her side earning a jolt and small giggle from her daughter before she sighed.
"Me and dad got into a fight," she tilted her head slightly. "It was nothing physical. Just verbally...We were just originally hanging out in the living room, I was playin' around with my hair watching tv while he was just lounging on the couch. It was kinda peaceful until I asked what was for dinner. He said it was surprise but I'd have to wait...I kept telling him how hungry I was and...he said that I barely eat anyway. And I snapped."
Rouge looked down at her daughter noticing her clawing into her lightly tan arms.
"I dunno-I guess...I was tired of hearing that stuff at school. How I'm getting thin or I'm losing my beauty."
"Hey Hey Hey, You're still beautiful sweetheart."
"No I'm not."
Rouge frowned staring deeply at the head of her daughter before her lips tugged into a smirk.
"Would you like to test it?"
Ruby paused before looking up at her mother with curious purple eyes that resembled her fathers whenever he's completely lost, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. I'll call up Amy to come over-No. WE'LL go over to Amys and she'll be a test subject for me. But on our way you have to pick one of your friends on the way,"
Ruby mulled the thought over in her mind; Flame needed a makeover but she has her maids in the Sol dimension to do that, she could torture her boyfriend into a whole new fashion statement but she didn't want to see Gyro give her cold looks of changing his twin, Dash was too perfect for a makeover, and Sugar was-.
Rouge watched a reflecting devious smile grow on her daughters face, "Who's the lucky contestant Rhianna?"
Ruby got off her bed and walked over to her vanity slowly with each hip swing and step.
"Oh...Just a certain little hybrid, I've been meaning to talk to in a while."
Rouge smiled and nodded getting up, heading to the doorway but paused. "I'll be outside when your ready."
"Kay Mom." Ruby called already pulling her tank top over her head luckily turned away showing her backside and purple with red wings outstretching on each side.
Rouge continued her way down the stairs pulling her phone out her back jeans pocket and unlocked it going to contacts as she snatched her keys off the counter and walked out the front door.
The phone ringed in her hands as she pressed it up to her ear heading over to the red truck that was still sitting in the driveway.
"Hey Rouge."
The bat smiled, "Hey Amy-Um are you busy this afternoon."
"No not really. Sonic took Anna and Dash out while Sophie decided to help me cook but that's not until another few hours. And-"
"Yeah anyway, I need to cheer up Ruby and I thought why not let her do a makeover on someone."
"Oh! That's cool...But why're you calling me?"
Rouge chuckled leaning against the red shine of the truck door ignoring the echidna that kept staring at her curiously out the window.
"Because we're coming over there Pinky. You still got my makeup bag?"
"Oh! Oh, yeah. I only used it once in a blue moon or once when Sonic wants to take me out somewhere fancy."
"Great. We'll be over in a few minutes."
"Alright! See you Rouge."
"Bye Amy~"
She hung up and prepped another phone call before the echidna could get an word out.
"Hey Tails!"
"Oh, H-Hi Rouge."
Even though the double tailed fox had grown he still felt a bit flustered and confused around the bat whenever she tried to pull something.
"Say...Can I borrow your daughter for a while?"
"Why?"
"So Ruby could give her a makeover."
"Uh, I don't think she's into that girly stuff Rouge. No offense."
Rouge pouted the plaguing image of her daughter upset rattled her mind. She tightened her grip on the red bejeweled case and talked with words of fire,
"My daughter is upset at the fact that she doesn't consider herself beautiful anymore. And I know your daughter has the same issue too. So grow a pair Miles and let the two bond over their damn insecurities. You could come and watch for all I care. But if she's not ready by the time we get there I'll chop BOTH of your tails off, then you wont be called a freak anymore. Got it?!"
It was mere silence except for Rouges heated huffing and the phone crackled slightly with slight muffled talking that her ears couldn't pick up.
"S-She'll be ready soon."
Rouge smiled, "Bye."
She hung up once again, shoving her phone into her pocket then leaned down to the drivers side of the truck where a red echidna stared at her bewildered.
"I guess I shouldn't get you angry again." He grumbled as Rouge rolled her eyes.
"It's too late for that Knuckie," she murmured before leaning closer, fluttering her eyes shut and kissed him passionately as he returned it.
They pulled away with a small sigh leaving each others lips and Knuckles looked at her knowingly.
"I'm fixing dinner aren't I?"
"Mmmhmm. And you're going to fix apology desert. Strawberries have to be included somewhere."
Knuckles shook his head sighing regretting to pick fresh strawberries from Angel Island.
"Can't I just buy takeout?"
"Nope. You wasted my time buying the groceries, I'll waste yours making the dinner."
She studied the echidna before leaning closer and gave him a seductive glare, "Don't burn the house down and dinner isn't burnt...I'll let you have seconds of desert. On Me."
His muzzle reddened the same color of his dreads at his wife's sultry threat and a thought of whip cream popped into his head.
"F-Fine. Move so I can get out."
Rouge giggled lightly stepping away from the door, the gravel crushing under her grey sneakers. Surprise, Surprise.
She watched her husband swing open the door and step out the tan leather seats shutting the door behind him as he stood tall at his wife.
"Nice outfit." She snorted.
He looked down at his dark green wife beater and grey sweatpants with socks before shooting his wife a look.
"Thanks."
They both turned to the white and red Echidbat who walked down the gravel driveway and over to her parents.
She wore a black t shirt as it said 'XOXO? Hell No!' across her chest in white cursive and a white heart at the bottom breaking in half. She too wore grey sweatpants but with small black ankle boots with white socks.
Knuckles squinted his eyes, "Are you wearing a bra?"
Ruby widened her eyes and ears stood tall as her muzzle tinted giving her wings a slight harsh flap, "Dad?!"
"I asked a question missy." He frowned as Rouge merely chuckled.
"Yes! Geez, You wanna see? Here!"
Knuckles at first looked away at his truck until Ruby merely pulled at the black strap from under her sleeve where he actually looked back.
"I don't want you getting raped by the fox you know."
"Knuckles sweetheart, we're going to Amy's." Rouge frowned glaring at her husband annoyed.
"Oh."
"For an Echidna you sure are deaf," she teased waltzing over to her white car.
"For a bat you sure are nosy." He spat back as Rouge smirked giving her ears a mocking twitch.
"That's what I was born to do."
"I hate you."
"I love you too Knuckles. Ruby you coming?"
She asked opening the drivers side and got in starting the car up with a push of a button.
Ruby chewed on her bottom lip coated with black lipstick before rushing over to Knuckles and wrapped her arms around his torso making him stumble at the forceful hug.
"I'm sorry Daddy." She muffled into his stomach.
He glared down at her soaking in the love before returning the hug and stroked her back lovingly, "I love you too Baby Girl."