Chapter 15: Mounting Suspicion

The Next Day, Sonic and Sally's House, 22nd October 3241, 9:30 am…

Sonic's eyes slowly opened to the feeling of something caressing his shoulder.

Or someone, rather.

"Morning, Sonic." Sally said gently, smiling warmly. She was still in bed with him, garbed in just a black vest and her panties. Her hair was also all over the place, a common happening when it came to sleep.

Sonic smiled as he sat up a little and kissed his wife of two years gently on the lips, breaking the kiss as he once again stared into the sapphire coloured eyes of the only woman he had ever truly loved, the person he had given everything for, including his life. "Morning to you too, Sal. Sleep well?"

Sally nodded. "Better than I've slept for the past few days." She replied with a sigh. "I'm just wondering if Roman's gonna have another of those meetings he's been having lately."

Sonic shrugged. "You honestly can't blame him, Sally. This is his best friend we're talking about. I don't envy him for it. If I lost Tails… then I'd be the same way."

Sally nodded, but frowned. Sonic had tried to smooth it over, but she knew that the reason she wasn't invited was because Roman blamed her for what happened to Seth. The last words he had spoken to her before leaving the war room a few days ago echoed in her mind:

Seth's blood is on your hands. Not mine.

It was. She was the one that had given the order to leave, when she clearly could have ordered them to remain where they were until Seth had been extracted. Shaking her head, she sat up, deep in thought. It was in the past now. Hopefully, Roman would recover from it like he had the losses of Roth and other people he cared about, and continue to be one of her chief lieutenants.

She was brought from this line of thought when Sonic's hand found her shoulder.

"You alright?" Sonic asked.

Sally shook her head. "Do you think that… Roman's going to hate me for this?" She asked. "Leaving Seth behind, I mean."

Sonic sighed. "Don't worry about it, Sally." He said. "We both know Roman will get over it. He's done so in the past."

Sally sighed. "I don't know, Sonic. Maybe… maybe this is the time we're not so lucky."

Sonic turned her to face him and said: "Sally, relax. You and Roman are equally as good friends as Seth was with Roman. He'll forgive you. I know it."

Sally sighed and said: "I'm going for a shower." Before getting out of bed and heading to the shower, thoughts heavy on her mind.

Later, 11:00 am…

It wasn't long before Sally spotted Roman, lounging about on a park bench watching the children play. She wondered if he was imagining Seth's son or daughter playing alongside those children, minus their father. Shaking that thought from mind, Sally walked up and placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Roman?" She asked.

Roman looked up, and raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing here?" He asked. Looking down at her belly, he smirked. "Hiding something?" He asked.

Sally blushed. "No." Sally said with a laugh. "Wouldn't you sense if I was… that?"

Roman shrugged. "Maybe I'm not focusing." He replied.

Sally smiled and said: "Can I sit down?"

Roman moved. "Sure."

Sally did so, looking at Roman. "Are you still angry?" She asked.

Roman frowned. "Yeah." Roman said. "But it isn't like I can do anything about it. Orders are orders. I'll just focus this anger into caving Elias' face in next time I see him."

"Ditto." Sally replied. "But why this sudden 'orders are orders' shtick? The Roman I knew would do anything to help a friend, regardless of orders."

"Yeah." Roman replied. "But the Roman you knew was a Jedi Knight, with an entire clone army at his beck and call. Now I'm just a Freedom Fighter who just used to be a Jedi."

Sally frowned before she sat back. "Are you thinking… of what it'll be like to see Seth's son or daughter running around here, without their father looking over them?"

Roman scowled. "I'd rather we not talk about Seth." He replied. "He's gone, and that's all there is to it. At least until the baby's born, that is."

Sally nodded. "Are you and Ashley considering it yet?"

"Are you?" Roman replied.

Sally frowned. "Not until we've sent the Empire off of Mobius." She said. "Any child of mine and Sonic's would instantly be a target."

"Mine and Ashley's too." Roman replied. "So until I'm certain that it's safe, I'm not up for trying."

Sally nodded. "Fair enough."

"But either way." Roman said, getting up. "At least you and I both have things to look forward to. Me in particular."

Sally perked up. "How come?" She asked.

"Uh, you know." Roman said. "This and that. Seth and Ahsoka's baby, and the next chance I get to cave in Elias' face." With that, Roman turned and walked away, leaving Sally alone on the park bench.

Sally frowned. While she had enjoyed the conversation with Roman, it being the first one they'd had since their bust up over whether to rescue Seth or not, one of the last things Roman had said to her, about him having something in particular to look forward to.

Her mind began working, and in the process, she wondered: What if Roman had been lying about not going after Seth?

Later, Sonic and Sally's house, 12:30 pm…

"See, I told you Roman would get over it." Sonic said as he chowed down on a chili dog. "Anything you talked about in particular?"

"Well, we skimmed over the 'elephant in the room', so to speak, and conversation shifted to… whether we were going to have kids."

Sonic stopped eating, his eyes showing his interest. "And?" He asked.

Sally shook her head. "I said not until the Empire's been driven off of Mobius. Our son or daughter would only become a target."

Sonic shrugged. "I agree." He replied.

"You do?" Sally said, almost happy.

Sonic nodded. "As much as the prospect of being a dad appeals to me, I'd rather not have to live in fear of my kid being a target for assassination. I'd rather the whole Empire was eliminated before we had kids."

Sally nodded, but frowned. "There was something else." She said.

Sonic's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Sally sat forward. "I think Roman's planning on disobeying my orders and is going to try to rescue Seth anyway."

Sonic almost burst out laughing. "Seriously? What gave you that idea?"

"Something he said during our conversation." Sally said. "He said something about both of us having something to look forward to. Him in particular."

"He could just be talking about Ahsoka giving birth." Sonic said. "He must have said that as well."

Sally nodded. "He did, but now that I think about it, I'm not so sure."

Sonic reached over and placed a hand on Sally's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about it, Sal." Sonic replied. "Roman may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. He's not dumb enough to go on a potentially suicide mission just to rescue one person. Even if said person was your best friend."

"Wouldn't you do the same if it was Tails in Seth's predicament?" Sally asked.

Sonic was silent.

Roman and Ashley's House…

"You think Sally's on to us?" Roman asked.

"It's only a suspicion, but I have a bad feeling she'll catch on before long." Nicole replied. "Do you want me to notify the others? Make sure they know?"

Roman nodded. "Do it, Nicole. Better to be safe than sorry." Roman replied.

Nicole nodded and disappeared.

Roman frowned and said: "It must've been when I said I had something in particular to look forward to. I literally meant Ahsoka's baby, but she must have taken it a different way."

Ashley nodded. "We'll have to be careful from now on." She said. "Only individual meetings with people. Just to be safe."

Roman nodded. "Agreed." He replied. Smiling, he said: "But, there was a more light-hearted subject of conversation."

Ashley leaned forward. "Which was?"

Roman smirked. "Kids."

Ashley looked confused. "Are you telling me Sally's-"

"Nope." Roman replied, with that same expression he made whenever saying that exact word, which made Ashley laugh. "But we did start talking. About when we might start trying for one."

A coy smile crossed Ashley's face as she leaned in further, asking sultrily: "And?"

"We both said we wouldn't try until we could be sure the children would be safe." Roman replied. "I'd rather not raise a kid when there's a constant threat of them dying."

Ashley's face fell as she said: "Oh." She said, sounding a little downcast. "Okay."

Roman caught on. "Were you wanting to?" He asked.

Ashley nodded. "I'm at the stage where I really want a child." She replied. "We'll both be twenty-one soon and… It just feels right."

Roman nodded before kissing her passionately. "I get how you're feeling, Ash." He replied. His tone went husky as he added: "It doesn't mean we can't practise, though."

Ashley's eyes widened as she realised what he was proposing. Suddenly leaping off of the chair, she wrapped herself around Roman, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. All while kissing Roman as passionately as she could.

The force pushed Roman away a little, but he managed to recover, finally pinning Ashley down on the couch.

Ashley kissed Roman again and replied: "Don't you even dare stop."

Roman smirked. He didn't.

And I need not say any more about what else happened.

This was easy to write, mainly because I used some material from earlier fanfics to help me write this chapter. From there, it was fairly easy.

Regardless, thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter. If you enjoyed it, then please, leave a review in the appropriate section telling me what it was that you enjoyed and what you think I could have done better. In the case that you really enjoyed it, then I invite you to favourite and follow this story, so that you will be notified whenever I upload a new chapter.

Again, thank you for reading, and I will see you next chapter, where Elias speaks with Seth for the first time, with horrific consequences for Colonel Aryn.

T-Rock14