Chapter Fifteen

Preparing to Tell

As the weeks went by, Rouge's stomach began to expand as her baby got bigger, she then began to feel the baby moving about, she was over halfway through her pregnancy. Since that vision she had, she had began having more visions, many of her encountering Shadow and him saying he was trying to come back to her, but the people on Molly's planet wouldn't let him leave.

During the time her stomach got bigger, she began to wear loose clothing and not wear anything tight so that it wasn't obvious that she was pregnant and also so she would feel comfortable. She always felt tired as it was exhausting carrying a heavy weight inside her all the time. So she usually stayed at home, she had stopped going out with Knuckles for a while because she felt so tired, she simply told him she was still feeling fragile over Shadow's death.

Even though she was over halfway through her pregnancy, she hadn't told everyone about it and she realised that everyone would start getting suspicious. As she sat on the sofa stroking her stomach at Vanilla's house, she wondered how she was going to the others that she was pregnant, they must have guessed by now.

As she was wondering Vanilla came in with some lemon tea, Rouge smiled and took the tea, "it's getting obvious now" said Vanilla as she looked at Rouge's swollen stomach. Rouge nodded. "Believe it or not" she said "Knuckles has never noticed my bump" Vanilla looked surprised "I never thought he such an idiot" said Rouge.

Vanilla sat next to Rouge, "do you still think he'd take care of you?" she asked, Rouge sighed "I dunno" she said "he's ok, but he's not like Shadow….I can remember some things that Knuckles did which made me wonder if he was right for me" Vanilla looked at Rouge.

"He does have a short temper" Rouge said "Shadow was aggressive, but he was calmer, and he never laid a finger on me…." She began to think back when Knuckles had punched her in the face and she had almost fallen to her death from a bridge when he did that, even though he saved her, she was angry he had hit her in the first place.

"I'm going to tell them" said Rouge "I will let them know" she stood up, "I can't keep this hidden, in a few months my child will be born….the Sonic Team will need to know" Vanilla smiled "Good luck Rouge" she said. Rouge smiled and began to walk out the door; she knew that the Sonic Team were holding another meeting about planning an attack on Eggman.

She wanted to tell them about the pregnancy, yet she didn't know whether to tell them about her visions, "I know in my heart Shadow is alive….I just know it….but the others will think I'm insane….they'll never believe it…." She walked on holding her stomach.

At Tail's workshop, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Cream and Amy were talking about their planned attack; they were coming near the end of their meeting. "So we'll plant these bombs around the base, every door and window, and also near the oil and gas place, make sure the place gets blasted to pieces" said Sonic.

"You got it!" said Knuckles, Tails then placed some home made bombs on the wooden table in front of him, "I've got the bombs prepared" said Tails. "I have more in the trucks at the back of the shed; they each have a timer, so when we plant the bombs, we'll agree how much time we'll need to set them so everyone can get out of the place" "Agreed" said everyone.

As Tails was packing away the bombs Knuckles stretched, "I better get back to Angel Island" he said "Make sure the Master Emerald is ok" Sonic and Tails scoffed "scared that Rouge will take the pieces?" asked Sonic "After what happened whilst we were in space?" Knuckles snarled "for your information, Rouge hasn't left her apartment for a while; she's never teased me once!"

"Still upset about Shadow?" asked Amy "yeah I guess" said Knuckles, "I think theres more than just missing Shadow" said Tails, "she's been so withdrawn" "I believe that" said Amy. Knuckles just shrugged and walked out of the shed. As he did, the others looked at each other and shrugged.

Meanwhile Rouge was walking towards Tails's workshop, she knew the team would be having their meeting; she looked down at her stomach which she had covered under her baggy clothes, "will they understand?" she thought as she walked. As she got closer she began to practice what she was going to say to them yet kept stammering.

As soon as she got outside Tail's apartment, Sonic, Tails and Amy walked out of the workshop, "So anyone fancy pizza?" asked Tails "you bet!" said Sonic "yes plea…." Amy began until she saw Rouge walking towards them, pale and worried. "Rouge!" she cried "where have you been?" she ran up and placed her hands on the bat's shoulders.

"So where have you been hiding?" asked Sonic, Rouge bit her lip and looked at the floor, "what's wrong?" asked Amy "are you still thinking about Shadow after all these months?" Rouge looked at Amy and a couple of tears fell. "Rouge?" asked Amy stroking her cheek wiping the tears away.

"I need to tell you something" Rouge whispered. "What is it?" asked Sonic, "come inside Rouge" said Tails, gesturing everyone to come into his house. Amy wrapped her arm around Rouge's shoulder and led her into the house. As soon as they got in Amy and Rouge sat on the sofas and Tails went to get everyone some drinks, Sonic went to help him.

When tails and Sonic had come back with hot chocolate, they all sat together on the sofas, "we have been worried about you Rouge, being so withdrawn since the battle with the Metarex" said Sonic "yeah" said Amy, "we understand you're still grieving" Rouge looked up at them.

"It's not that" she said, "then what?" asked Tails, Rouge bit her lip, then took off her baggy coat, revealing her swollen stomach. Everyone stared at her in shock, "you're not…?" asked Amy, "I think she is!" said Tails, Sonic stared at her, "oh my….oh my er…." He then collapsed in a dead faint on the floor.

"Oh Sonic!" cried Amy, running over to Sonic and starting to fan him with a magazine from Tails's coffee table. "Sonic!" cried Tails, "speak to me! Speak to me!" Rouge stared at the unconscious blue hedgehog, "what's wrong with him?" she asked "he alright?"

Tails looked up "he's just fainted" he said, Rouge frowned "I wonder if Knuckles will react in the same way?" she thought "I hope not". Sonic then opened his eyes, "Sonic!" said Amy "you ok?" "Yeah, yeah I'm fine" said Sonic sitting up. Amy sighed with relief then sat next to Rouge.

"You're pregnant!" she asked "how? Who's the father?" Rouge looked up at them, "only one person" she said "Shadow" "WHAT!" everyone cried "when did this happen?" asked Sonic. Rouge then explained to them again about when they were on Eggman's ship and how they had made love thus conceiving the child she was carrying.

"I knew there was something between them" Sonic thought, Amy rubbed Rouge's shoulders as she explained how she was missing Shadow so much and how her baby was all she had left of him and that she was scared of being alone. "Knuckles has been kind to you though" said Amy "he's taken you out on dates, and been really caring, he could help you with the baby"

"I don't think so Amy" said Sonic "I know that Knuckle-head pretty well! He's all fists and no brains! They don't suit!" Rouge sighed as Amy gave Sonic a glare. "I worry about Knuckles though, I haven't told him about my pregnancy at all" said Rouge "I'm worried how he'll react"

"I'm sure he'll be fine Rouge" said Amy "I bet he'll want to take care of you and love you and the child" Rouge sighed again "Knuckles has been so kind" she thought "Amy's right, but I don't love him" "you should tell Knuckles about the child Rouge" said Amy, "I'm sure he'll want to take care of you"

Rouge sighed, "she's right Rouge" said Tails, "you're gonna have to get over Shadow, and move on" Rouge felt tears prickling her eyes, but she tried to hold them back. "Ok" she whispered "I'll meet up with Knuckles and tell him, then see what happens" Amy smiled, "that's the ticket Rouge" she smiled.

So....Rouge has finally told the team! But now she's got to tell Knuckles and how will he act?

Find out in the next chap!

Love Bloodrayne666