This is another chapter told by Rouge. Written by Leah Crego

"Well? Did you get anything out of him? What are their weaknesses?" Asked Eggman, in his really annoying fake-friendly voice.
"Probably nothing you didn't already know… apparently their only weaknesses are trivial. Not much you can use Eggbrain!"
"That's the third time you have failed to complete your mission. Perhaps I should double your debt, you already owe me six years of labor!"
"Don't get your knickers in a bunch! I'm going on another date with him tomorrow night, I'll get as much information as I can!"
"It had better be good, for your sake! If you don't acquire any usable information, you'll be my servant for twelve long years!"
"Okay, okay! I'll turn up the feminine charm, he seems to trust me now!"
"I trust your words, but my patience wears thin!"
"I'm going home now, goodbye!"
"Remember, bat girl! If you do manage to get some feasible information, your sentence gets cut in half and you get the Chaos Emerald… try hard and you'll succeed!"
"…Right" I muttered as I walked out of the conference room.
As much as I didn't want to admit it, I started to feel guilty. He was very sweet to me, more than anyone had ever been. How was I going to repay him? I was going to tell Eggman his deepest secrets!
"When I do though, I will only have to be under Eggman for three short years, plus I get the Chaos Emerald as well! Sorry Knuckles, but I have to do it!"
I was surprised at how quickly that night crept up, it seemed like I just woke up and already it was time for Knuckles to pick me up. This time I picked the dress, and it was gorgeous! It was a dark purple dress that showed my figure without making me look like some kind of slut.
I looked at the clock, it was almost 6! I looked at myself one final time, I looked perfect! I felt nervous, I didn't know how the night would go. I heard the doorbell.
"You can do this, Rouge!" I muttered to myself as I walked to the front door. I opened it and saw Knuckles standing there, with a very goofy (but adorable) grin.
"You ready?" he asked softly.
"Yes I am, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise! Trust me, you'll love it!"
He seemed way more excited than I was, I was trying to figure out where we were going.
"Oh, before we go, I want to give you this!"
His took his hand from behind his back. He had roses, blood red ones!
"That's so sweet, Knuckles…thank you!"
I took the roses inside and put them in a vase on my kitchen table.
"Okay, now I'm ready!"
He escorted me to the car and opened the car door for me like he always does, and he helped me in.
"Please tell me where we're going, the suspense is killing me!"
"I really don't want to ruin the surprise, you're going to enjoy yourself!"
I let out a sigh as he turned the car on and backed out onto the street.
We were heading out of Station Square, I couldn't think of anywhere worth going way out there. All of a sudden, he stopped the car and turned to me.
"This will probably sound really weird, but can you put this bandana over your eyes for the rest of the way? I don't want to give away the surprise"
I looked at him like he was on crack.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes I am, please do it? I'm not going to attack you or anything, I just want everything to be a surprise!"
"…okay"
I reluctantly took the bandana and tied it around my eyes.
We drove for another 45 minutes (or that's my guess, I couldn't tell how long it really was because I was blindfolded). He stopped the car, got out, and helped me out of the car.
"Can I take this off yet?"
"Not yet, we still gotta walk for a little while"
"Are you crazy? I am going to fall and bust my head open! I have no idea where we are, how do I know you're not just going to leave me out in the middle of nowhere or something?"
"I wouldn't do that! Take my hand, I'll guide you the whole way"
He softly grabbed my hand, and I almost fainted. His hands were so strong and manly, but also soft and gentle. We started walking uphill. It was hard to keep up with him, he was walking so fast. Was he that excited about where we were going? Finally, we stopped.
"Okay, you can take it off now!"
"About time, this had better be good!"
I took the blindfold off, and my jaw about fell to the ground! He took me to Chaos Ridge.
It was beautiful, he even had a picnic table set up as if it were for a five-star restaurant, and it would allow us to see the sunset. It was a candle-lit dinner in the most beautiful place in the whole city!
"Knu-Knuckles, I can't believe you would do this for me!"
"Shhhh"
He gently placed a finger on my lips.
"Just enjoy the view" he said as he lifted my chin up so he could kiss me.
I have never had such a kiss. It was like nothing else mattered, it was as if we were the only two people in the world. I didn't want it to end. That's when I remembered I had work to do.
I ended our passionate embrace, way earlier than I had wished.
"S-so, what do we have for dinner?" I said, trying to change the subject.
Knuckles looked so disappointed, like he did something wrong. I wanted to tell him what I was doing, I really did, but I wanted that emerald and my freedom more than anything!
"Well, I made a three-course meal! First, we have a giant Cesar salad, then for the main course we have two cooked-to-perfection steaks, and a giant piece of chocolate cake to share!"
"You went through all that trouble for me?"
"It wasn't much trouble. To tell you the truth, I had my buddy Tails help me. I can't make a decant bowl of cereal by myself"
"Well, this is all very sweet of you!"
"You deserve it, you are an amazing woman!"
I walked over to the picnic table and sat down.
"I'm not that amazing…"
Knuckles sat across from me with a confused look on his face.
"I think you are the most amazing person I've ever met!"
"Why do you think that? I'm really not… worthy of being called amazing"
"I really don't care about your past…"
He gently grabbed my hand to get me to look at him.
"It's what you do now that's important! You can get your life together! You're a smart, strong, independent woman that does not see her worth. You are like a diamond that still thinks it's coal!"
"Knuckles…"
He stood up and we kissed again, this time more passionately, I could not help it this time. I have never met someone like him. Nobody has ever talked to me the way he did. I could feel his affections in our kiss.
When our lips separated, he looked at me with a huge smile.
"You can get your life together, I'll help you"
Two sides of my mind were fighting. One side was saying don't fall in love, you have a mission to accomplish! The other side saying forget that damn emerald and Eggman, go with your heart!
It was then I started to cry.
"What's wrong?" Knuckles walked over to my side of the table and put his hand on my back reassuringly.
I really wanted to tell him, but I couldn't. I quickly whipped up a lie, I had to get out of there.
"It's my grandma, she's really sick and I feel bad. I came up here while she's on her deathbed!"
"Do you want me to take you home so you can see her?"
"Would you? You went through all this trouble and I'm ruining it!"
"It's okay, I don't like seeing you upset. And I think your grandma needs you more than I do right now! Come on!"
He helped me up and we left.

I was silent the whole ride home, I couldn't even look at him. I was scared that if I did I would tell him everything!
"Here we are, do you want me to walk you to the door?"
"It's okay, I can manage"
"Alright then, be careful!"
"I will, don't worry"
I got out the door and headed up the sidewalk to my house.
"Rouge!"
I turned back at him.
"There's something I want to say…"
"What is it?" I asked.
"I had a good time with you, and I think I love…" he stopped mid sentence.
"I think I would love to go out again sometime…"
I looked at him and nodded my head, then turned around and walked up to my house. He did not leave until I shut my front door.

My house was completely dark. I felt around for the switch, but felt something else. It was someones hand!
"Who is that?" I screamed.
All of a sudden the lights turned on, it was Eggman!
"What are you doing here?"
"I was too anxious to wait until tomorrow for the information you acquired! I just had to know as soon as possible… what did you find out?"
"I quit this mission! I don't care about the emerald anymore!"
"What did you say? This is not a choice bat-girl! Do it, or I'll double your sentence!"
"I don't care, I'm not going to help you hurt him!"
"Hmm, if I didn't know any better, I would say you have fallen for the echidna!"
I turned away from him, I could not speak what my heat was screaming: yes! I have fallen in love with him!
"Hahaha! This is just too rich! He is just another man that would end up hurting you in the end!"
"He's different, Knuckles is genuine and sweet! "
"He's just another man, Rouge!"
I turned around and gave Eggman an earful.
"No he's not! He's a good man, better than you can ever be! And another thing, Knuckles has no weaknesses! You can't win!"
He stared at me for a few seconds, then he looked over at the kitchen table. He looked back at me and grinned an evil grin.
"Oh, he has a weakness alright…"
He walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the vase of roses.
"I think I have found his weakness, it's you!"
He threw the vase on the ground and stomped on the roses.
"You bastard! How could you do that!"
I fell to the ground and started picking up the pieces of glass and rose petals. I started bawling my eyes out.
"I have one final mission for you, listen well!"
"Go screw yourself!" I screamed.
"If you do this, I will give you the one thing that's more important to you than the emerald…"
He leaned down and whispered into my ear.
"…your freedom"
"What?"
I stood up and looked at him, shocked.
"Yes, do this mission and you will be a free woman!"
"Do you want me to get information out of him?"
"No, no… that won't be necessary"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an antique dagger.
"You're going to kill him!"