(( Due to some rather convincing death threats, I was inclined to write another chappy in this fic before completely getting absorbed in the other. You may or may not have seen that it was going nowhere, but it was. After a short leave, I have jotted down a few new ideas for it. This DOES involve what becomes of Aka, what the Fairchild elders where warning Tarsa about, a confrontation between the parents and Knuckles regarding their daughter (:dramatic music:), a check-up on Kai, Espio and Poe in their temporary hideout (they're making plans to move…. somewhere. They won't know yet.), Nikki making her move on the vault and what Shadow's going to do about his predicament, and FINALLY the introduction to Morae. I really want to stuff Aria and Zephyr in SOMEWHERE, but I'm afraid they'll have to have their own fic. I have a whole story devised for them both, but you'll just have to see.))
Shadow: predicament? What predicament? I ditched tha bitch. End of predicament.
A: -bashes his baka head in repeatedly with a rather large fan- YOU HEARTLESS FUCKWAD! You are going to go BACK to her, APOLOGIZE, and MARRY HER! And then you shall both live HAPPILY EVER AFTER BECAUSE I SAID SO OR ELSE!-!-!-!
Sonic: wow, look at all the exclamation points. She means business.
Sh: That's ok, I think she ruptured my eardrums so I missed everything after "heartless fuckwad". :closed-eyed happy face :
Knuckles: …gra- -sees Aeyvi raise her fan in warning, hushes-
A: now, let's start with some uneasiness, shall we?
: the day I own Sonic and co. incorporated est. 1809 (all rights reserved, trademarked, copyrighted) is the day that Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp simultaneously ask me to marry them.:
Chapter 14- A Predicament Indeed
Things had settled down considerably at the Fairchild estate after the harrowing break-in. Cerebus had agreed with his brother on the account of their security, and Radien himself vowed silently never to be caught off-guard again.
However, the master and mistress of the mansion could not put off certain matters for much longer. These matters pertained mainly to their daughters and the escorts they had brought with them.
A summons was sent to the twins' rooms, requesting solely the presence of Shadow and Knuckles.
To their surprise, the summons for Shadow was sent back, informing the parents that he had left early due to important matters within his family. They hadn't even been informed of his departure. How very strange…
But now, Master Cerebus and Mistress Ulna were awaiting the scarlet youth in their drawing room, the father puffing at his pipe and the mother glancing through an old novel with little interest.
Knuckles stepped in cautiously as the door had been opened for him, eyeing the butler with suspicion. He stood, gnawing at his lower lip somewhat nervously as the door shut behind him.
"You…uh…s…summoned me?" he said meekly.
"Yes! Yes, Herman, please! Have a seat!" the fat old echidna beckoned. Knuckles cringed at the sound of his real name, but walked shyly to a leather couch and sat, clearing his throat and trying to decide a "proper" sitting position.
"You're surprised we know your birthname, aren't you?" the kind voice of the mother crooned as she turned a page.
"Well… yeah, maybe…. I mean-"
"Tut. Knuckles isn't a title fit for anyone below a common hooligan. Herman, though, that's a name that warrants respect! You should be proud of it!" Cerebus said matter-of-factly as he puffed another cloud of oily smoke from his pipe. "You shouldn't be surprised, any road. We do our due diligence. We know quite a bit about you."
Knuckles gulped a lump of fear, feeling sweat begin to bead on his face.
"We were quite impressed." Ulna began, looking at him over her thin gold-rimmed spectacles. "You've made quite a name for yourself, and you have such dedication! Your achievements give you something to be admired."
"But," Cerebus interrupted her, giving her a slight glare as she was getting ahead of him, "you don't appear to have much experience in business, or with money in general for that matter. All you really have is a severe perseverance to your guardianship, and what appears to be a strong liking to our daughter." He leaned in, resting his arms on his knees.
"The question here is…. Do you love her? And what plans do you have with her in the future?"
"ye….well…I …..bu……. didn't…… hadn't really…….thought about all that just yet….but…." he heaved a quivering sigh, feeling as if he were about to pass out.
"I do love her, Mr. Fairchild…..Cerebus….. Dad?"
"Mr. Fairchild will do."
"Yeah….well….yeah….. I mean….. look," he stood, fidgeting with his hands as they were encased once more in his crisp white gloves. "I love her, alright? I love her so much it hurts. I near died when she left for those two months…. She's like…. She's like water to me. Like air. I know that sounds like some old corny cliché, but I'm telling the truth here….. I can't live without her, and it would mean everything to me if you'd only give me your blessing…."
"Blessing for what?" Ulna asked, closing her book.
"For….for….for…well, just a blessing, you know? Ac….acceptance?"
"Do you plan to marry her?" Cerebus inquired.
"Oh, comeon… marriage is such a…. big… BIG… thing…. Can't we just live together for awhile and-"
"If you love her, you're planning to marry her." He retorted. "That's the way it works. We already had someone arranged to marry her in the case she were to return. All our marriages are arranged. Ever since the beginning of our line-"
"Goodness, Cerebus, you're going to make the poor boy faint!" his wife berated him, setting her book down angrily. "What he means is you're going to have to plan this out, child. Talk with her. You have to decide where this is all going. Arranged marriages! Humf! I wish I'd been informed on this 'arranged marriage' business." She hit his arm softly. He frowned at her, adjusting his glasses, mumbling to himself.
"Now go on. Dinner will be promptly at seven as always. We shall see you then." Ulna nodded, standing and taking Knuckles's hand in hers, patting it.
"Welcome to the family, Knuckles."
-o-
Another boring day was passing in their new life. Kai yawned, stretching as she lay against her new….. -she supposed the title "lover" was sufficient- on the battered old couch. How strange it all had been that past week. How everything had turned about face, as it were. Well, they were safe for the moment while their counterfeit IDs were being made, and Poe had gone out to buy some much-needed groceries for the following two weeks until they'd decided on a location.
"This show gets tiring after awhile…" Kai stated with flat boredom as they watched "Iron Chef" in the dissipating light that filtered through the drawn drapes.
"I'm not really paying attention…" Espio said in a monotone. His mind was elsewhere, itching at problems still unsolved. He tightened his embrace as his arms had been wrapped around her waist and kissed the back of her head softly. She sighed happily, snuggling closer to him.
"Poe might be gone awhile….." she said, suggestion in her voice.
"I don't know…. She said she'd be back in ten minutes….."
"We'll draw the chain across the door."
"She'll get mad….."
"Who cares?"
He leaned in and pecked her cheek playfully. "You're determined, aren't you?"
"Yes I am."
Chuckling softly, he began to nuzzle her neck, drawing her slender form onto his lap…
And her cell began to chime its jingly tune "Waltzing Matilda."
"That's probably Poe…" he said into the skin of her neck.
"Let it ring."
"It might be important…"
"Nothing that buzzard has to say is important. Don't stop or I'll be very mean….."
He chuckled again, now beginning to nibble slightly, hands sliding down from her waist…
A moment after the ringing had stopped, it started up again. Kai sighed angrily, turning round in his lap and straddling him, commencing a bout of full-on kissing. She was resolute not to be bothered.
On the third round of ringing, Espio had become irritated and lost of the mood. He pushed her off gently and reached for the offending device.
"What?"
"It's about gawdamn time you answered! Just what're you two doing over there anyway?"
"Kai's indisposed and I was hesitant to answer her private phone…"
"Ok, you guys were at it. It's understandable. Anyway, we've been found. I need you to pack it up. We're splittin'."
Kai wrenched the cell from his grasp, shoving it to her flared ear. "Who found us?"
"It's his personal assistant."
"FUCK!" Kai sat in silence for a moment, grimacing with a hand to her face. "We're fucked…"
"Kai, cool it! You have about twenty minutes. Meet me down the street about two miles south at a local mall. Seeya there."
She closed the cell, dragging a hand through her loose hair with anxiety.
"We better get packed…."
-o-
Rouge grabbed her water bottle and a towel as she headed for her private gym. She was wearing a baggy tee tied high above her midsection and sleeves rolled back with a snug-fitting pair of black biking shorts. Her ponytail bobbed as she trotted down the stairs. Shadow was reading a book he'd chosen randomly from one of her collections, contemplating the many things that had plagued his mind in recent nights.
"Shady! I'm gonna hit the gym, wanna come?"
He looked up, eyes widening slightly at the scant attire.
"I'll….I'll pass."
She shrugged, walking through a doorway and closing the door behind her.
Shadow shook his head of the absent, inappropriate thoughts that had begun to wander, and absorbed himself in the book…. which happened to be on astrology to his boredom.
A light blue head peeked around a doorpost cautiously, scanning the situation. The owner of the house was gone for the moment…. And the strange newcomer was engaged. Perfect timing. Well, three in the morning would have been better timing, but she couldn't force herself to stay up that late. So, she commenced her ploy…
Silently, she slinked across the room. She looked here and there for something heavy she might be able to tote with her to aid in her work, and finally decided on a moderately-sized ataman. She then dragged this across the length of floor between there and the false wall.
Now inside the secret room, she pushed the small article of furniture across the metal, heaved a corner of it onto a spoke of the wheel, and jumped on the cushion with force. With a creak, the wheel turned and the door swung open, causing the poor girl to topple precariously over the ataman. She was up in a moment, though, clapping her hands with greedy glee as she skipped inside the vault.
Looking through this drawer and that, she tried on various necklaces and bracelets, all sparkling brightly with precious gems. She marveled a tanzanite ring for a moment, admiring its cut (she knew her stones well for a seven-year-old). It wasn't long, though, before she found what she was looking for: a large, intricate crown that once belonged to a queen. It was set with rare blue diamonds and even rarer red pearls. In the center was the most expensive of all gems in the vault: a huge crimson star sapphire set in platinum. Nikki gave a gasp as she marveled the shining beauty before her, gently ventured to lift the treasure from its drawer.
The thing weighed half as much as she did. She cried out, staggering around under the weight, careful as she could possibly be not to drop it. The necklaces and bracelets swung in the way as she teetered in the direction of the exit. Perhaps her getaway wouldn't be as swift as she'd planned….
Shadow looked up from his book to the clatter of glass beads… or so it sounded. He looked over his shoulder momentarily to see the small child staggering under the weight of probably millions of dollars worth of jewelry. His brow furrowed.
Almost to the door…. If only she could reach the handle…. She managed to kick it open, then giggled as she made her way out the door. She'd have danced if she could.
Suddenly, she felt a weight lifted. The crown was no longer in her hands. She looked up in horror at the dark hedgehog who was glaring down at her.
"Is this yours?" he asked, indicating the crown in his hand.
"…..Yes. It is."
"I don't think so."
"Well it's not hers…" she whimpered in her defense, twirling a bead of black pearls around a finger.
"That doesn't make it yours."
"YES IT DOES!" she shrieked, leaping up suddenly and knocking the crown from his hand. Before he could grab her, she had heaved the thing over her head and made a dash out the door.
"Oh, you think you can outrun me?" Shadow blasted off after her.
He had to halt suddenly, though, being that she was nowhere in sight. He glanced around fervently. She couldn't have gone far….. not with that much to carry…. He dashed off to search the premises just in case.
Rouge was just coming out of her steam room as a dark form burst into her private spa suddenly, stirring the steam in the air. She shrieked, covering herself with a towel.
"I HAVE A GUN! AND MACE! AND A NASTY CASE OF HERPES!"
"Cool it, Rouge. It's me. And I didn't see anything." Shadow said, looking around.
"W…what's wrong?"
"It appears 'lil Nikki' has made off with half your most prized gems."
She gasped. "Not the Arc deu Vamprine crest!"
"If by that you mean the big crown with the red stone in the center, then yes."
She began to cry. "Parenting just isn't worth all this!"
"I've been searching for her for the last half-hour. She can't have gone far… but I don't know for the life of me where she went!" he made a snarl of aggravation.
"I'll get dressed and take a look from the air. You go check the jungle."
He nodded and sped out the way he came.
Nikki peeked from the hole she had retreated to. It worked perfectly. He hadn't seen her. She felt it was safe to make her getaway. Pulling her cell from a pocket, she dialed up her accomplice.
"Uncle Naaaaaack!"
"What? You're not dead?"
"Noooooo…. The nice Rouge lady took care of me all this time!"
"You little con artist! Haha, you're related to me after all! Tell me, were you successful?"
She was quiet for a long moment.
"Well?"
"I have to go, they're looking for me."
"What? Who-"
She hung up quickly, then started to stuff her little backpack with glittering wealth.
"I don't need him. He just wants it for himself, greedy greedy mean old uncle Nack…. They're mine. I found them… they're mine…."
And with some difficulty, she slung the pack over her shoulders and jogged off into the jungle.
-o-
"NOO! You don't understand! Let me- UNNH! LET ME DIE!" Aka screamed as she struggled in the grasp of the policemen. The helicopter awaited on the rooftop to take her to a jail on the opposite shore several miles away.
They managed to keep the cuffs on her while she was stuffed in the cramped, doorless aircraft, and it took off shortly with little difficulty.
She glared at the floor, struggling against her bonds and wishing for her katana, at least one of her tontas. No use.
A loud crash of thunder resounded from the darkened sky and rain blew through the 'copter as it fluttered forth over angry waves.
'How can they do this to me? Don't they know what's honorable? If only they'd understand… I can't go on living with the shame of failure….. even to the weakest of enemies….. I don't deserve to live…..'
These thoughts grew in volume until it was painful for her to breathe. She gave a final jerk at the handcuffs with a beastlike grunt, freeing a hand. With this, she drove the heel of her palm into one of the policeman's noses and threw herself from the helicopter.
As she descended rapidly to the frothy waves beneath, she sighed peacefully, awaiting the icy cold release.
…. But would she reach it?
(( the answer to that question remains entirely up to you, fine readers! Do you want her to live? Or do you hate her with a passion and want her dead? Do you sympathize with her? Do you believe that such disgrace deserves death? Talk amongst yourselves…. ha, ok, nevermind. I'm just trying to strike up some healthy discussion. Seriously, what do you think? Review, please, and speak your mind. ))
Radien: KILL THE BITCH.
Sonic: you sicken me. -shakes his head and walks away-
Knuckles. -looking at Aeyvi uneasily- …grapes -and gets slapped several times with a rather large fan- I take it back! I do! OW!