"I'm so sorry is she hurt?" a lime green hedgehog ran over to the trio.
"And you are?" Celena asked,
"I'm Topaz her father." Celena had chills going down her back.
"Luna and you . . ." Celena said softly, and Sara looked at him sadly.
"How do you know about her?" Topaz growled,
"She came to torture Sophie." Celena growled, back at him.
"Oh what happened to 'I'm not seeing her anymore'?" Sara growled, Topaz was silent, Celena stared at him.
"You're an asshole." she declared to him. "Sophie will be devastated, more than that. She has enough going on without you taking your pants off." Celena said, "She doesn't need that, so you can see her tomorrow."
"I'm here to see my daughter." Topaz growled,
"And how do you know she's yours?" Celena questioned him,
"That's absurd of course she's mine." Topaz said, Kyle stared madly at Topaz.
"Just go man, you didn't help the last time she was in here, you only thought of yourself, now . . . our baby . . ." Kyle shuddered,
"What?" Sara stared,
"Sara she's pregnant," Kyle said, and Sara smiled.
"Oh she must be so excited." Sara smiled,
"She is, but will it survive?"
Kyle started crying,
"Will she survive even?" he sighed,
"Don't worry Sophie is strong I mean she got hit by a car last year and she came out alright." Celena smiled, and stared pointedly at Topaz.
"What?" Topaz said,
"You're the reason she's in this hospital, for the second time as for the first." Celena said, Sara smiled at Celena,
"I came to see Sophie." Topaz growled loudly, Vanessa ran over to them.
"Soph's awake!" she smiled and the five hedgehogs ran over to her room.
"Mommy . . . !" Sophie shouted softly, it was barely a whisper.
"Hi, Sophie honey what happened?" Sara sat in a chair next to her hospital bed. She closed her eyes gathering her thoughts. And when she opened them, they were wide and full of shock.
"I . . . rather not say." Sophie said,
"Why, tell us baby." Sara said as she soothed Sophie's quills.
"Mom when you came into my room last year . . . it was about daddy wasn't it?" Sophie whispered Sara nodded sadly.
"Your dad was leaving us, Soph." Sara said,
"I was not!" Topaz yelled, Kyle pushed him.
"I'm tired of your bullshit, if you ever gave a damn about these two women you would of done things differently." Kyle yelled,
"Kyle . . . please, I can't take it anymore, first Julie, then my accident, and now this." Sophie sobbed, "I can't take it anymore!" Sophie cried, Vanessa walked out into the hall quietly. "And I hoped you weren't like all my friend's dads, but you turned out to be anyway." Sophie frowned, "Topaz I never want to see you again get out." Sophie said,
"Sophie let me explain," Topaz pleaded,
"No, I already met your whore. I owe you nothing, get out."
"Sophie, please." Topaz said,
"No, just get out." Sophie got hysterical then. The nurse then signaled him to leave. Celena stared at Topaz.
Celena noted that Sophie's stomach seemed flat. Celena turned away so they wouldn't catch her crying.
"Celena?" A blonde hedgehog walked into the room. And Celena fell into her arms. Then, Kyle caught it and started crying as he leaned on Sara.
"My . ." he wept, they were all in tears as Sophie's hands drifted down to her flat stomach. Tori was talking to Celena softly as Sophie started crying along with everyone else.
"I lost it . ." she sobbed as she turned away from everyone else.
"Sophie, there'll be other babies . . . " Sara tried to talk to her.
"I wanted this one!" Sophie screamed at her, Topaz shook his head as he walked out of the hospital, hearing Sophie's scream. Everyone left except Celena, "I don't want to see anyone." Sophie growled,
"I know, I felt the same way." Celena smiled wisely at her.
"You had a miscarriage?" Sophie stared at her.
"I was married, divorced less in a year." Celena smiled in memory of her own child that she had borne.
She remembered how sweet she had been but she had died within two hours.
"I lost my baby two hours after she was born." Celena sighed softly,
"I'm sorry." Sophie whispered, Celena cried as she stared at Sophie.
"You can't punish your mother, Sophie." Celena stared at her.
"I wasn't." Sophie said,
"Sure looked like it." Celena said,
"I wanted this baby so damn much, Celena." Sophie cried softly,
"There will be another one," Celena said as she rubbed her stomach, and Sophie watched. And Celena was right in the end. Three weeks later, Sophie found out she was pregnant again. And when she did, she nearly screamed with joy. She and Kyle had been trying ever since she got out of the hospital. She waited for him impatiently to come home from work. He laughed as he glanced at her.
"What are you so happy about?" he smiled and she leaped into his arms. She just had turned twenty one the previous month.
"I'm pregnant!" she laughed, and he hugged her tight.
They were both crying, as they called their friends and families. Kyle called Kaleb. He just had turned seventeen.
"Guess what, Uncle Kaleb?" Kyle grinned,
"Oh I don't know it could be anyth- uncle!?" Kaleb shouted,
"Congratulations." Kyle smiled, he knew how badly Kaleb wanted a family of his own.
"Me? Stop always making it about everyone else! That's good for you! That's GREAT! How long has she been pregnant?" Kaleb smiled, he was happy for his older brother.
"Just short of four weeks." Kyle said,
"I'll have to come up, some time." Kaleb said and the two brothers promised they would talk again. Sophie called her mother first because she knew she should of before calling Celena and Tori.
"Oh, Sophie. How are you feeling?" Sara smiled as she recognized the Caller ID.
"Pretty fat. Actually." Sophie could barely contain herself.
"Fat?" Sara was puzzled. "Are you pregnant again?" Sara whispered,
"No I've been just- YES I AM!" Sophie whooped with joy.
"Oh, darling that's wonderful!" Sara smiled, "That means I'm getting old." Sara groaned,
"Don't be so uptight mom, you're only thirty nine." Sophie smiled,
"Only? I'll be forty when it comes!" Sara laughed, "You know, I forgot to call you earlier, but I decided to move up to Greenleaf."
"You did?" Sophie was truly shocked, "I thought you loved Porta Vista."
"I do, but it's time for a change." "I'm tired of running into Luna everywhere." Sara sighed,
"Well, that's good for you mom. I hope you'll like it up here."
"I'm sure I will. But, I have to go now, Soph. I'll call you later this week after I get settled in." They hung up after that. Sophie's hand drifted to her bulging stomach.
"I'm a mommy . . ." she whispered, as Kyle walked into their bedroom.
"How'd Sara take it?" Kyle smiled as he sat on their bed where their baby was conceived.
"She was so . . happy." Sophie smiled, and as Sophie explained how her mother had been. Sara herself was smiling. She just had gotten organized at her small house. She pulled out a photo album of Sophie. Sara smiled at Sophie's first birthday. She had been so sweet and loveable. She had finally put the album away when her cellphone rang.
"Sara, she won't take any of my calls." The voice roared at Sara.
"Topaz, how can you blame the girl?" Sara clicked her tongue annoyed that she even picked up the phone.
"I didn't do anything to her, Sara."
"Hell you didn't," Sara growled, "You hurt her, Topaz, you hurt her deep. Forget about me. What about her?" she hissed, Topaz didn't answer for awhile. "She has been hospitalized twice in the last year," Sara sighed,
"Sara tell her to talk to me." Topaz growled,
"Let me think about that one: yeah-no." Sara clicked the red button. She was beyond mad. How dare he? He should fix it. Not me. Sara thought angrily.
"Sophie?" Tori said, as she answered her cellphone.
"Tori," Sophie smiled in memory of the beautiful blonde. "How has Celena been?"
"She's been having a lot of false labors." Tori sighed, as she settled into their couch.
"Guess I'll have to get used to it then." Sophie said, and there was silence for a moment.
"What?" Tori said softly,
"Tori, I'm pregnant." Sophie closed her eyes in pleasure. She loved it.
"I knew it! Oh Sophie! You have to come over tonight." Tori smiled as she checked her watch. As Sophie looked at her clock.
"How about 7:30?" Sophie smiled, Kyle said he had to run into town anyway.
"Sounds, great see you later." Tori smiled, then they hung up and were lost in their thoughts.
Sophie was thinking of the baby she would come to love. She felt a sharp pain of terror though. She felt scared for a moment. But she brushed it off. It was going to be great. In nine months, she would be holding her own baby. She smiled as she pulled out an album from under the bed. Her fingers danced across the pictures. She sobbed, as she stared at a picture of her and Julie from a year before. She stared at herself. She saw terror in her own eyes. She closed the album with a thud. She nearly jumped off the bed.
"I promise you, I won't do that to you. You won't have that." Sophie whispered, and as she gazed off into space. Sophie could have sworn that her eyes turned red for a minute. And that her fur looked darker than usual. Almost a dark black. She sighed as she hopped into the shower. The hot water pounded at her chest. As she tried not to cry. She sighed, letting the anger slip away from her. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them. She inhaled deeply, Topaz was gone forever.
"Topaz, I mean it. Stop calling me." Sara growled,
"I love her, Sara." Topaz sighed softly,
"Topaz think about this, if she wanted you in her life, don't you think she would of called? And besides she is too busy, she's pregnant." Sara hung up the phone and turned it off. She smiled thinking back on the old days. Days when Moon was still alive. She looked around her as her mind drifted off. She smiled, as the memory of the first day how they met flooded her mind. She grasped the sea locket that had been Moon's. It had been many years. And she still missed her. Twenty one years had passed and it still hurt as if it had been yesterday. She smiled happily, thinking how sweet she had been. With the sky blue fur, the tan skin, the sparkly purple eyes that shimmered in the dark.
But suddenly, she heard her voice. She saw her so clearly in her mind.
"Sara . . . I'll never leave you." the voice was so sharp and clear. Tears escaped from Sara's eyes. She sighed, as she took a step out her door. And when she did, she nearly collided into a white hedgehog that was at the door.
"Mrs. Norman?" the white hedgehog said, as she took a step back.
"Uh, yes, Ms. Norman." Sara said nervously, her and Topaz's divorce final was in December. The white hedgehog was quiet for a moment.
"My name is, Sierra."
"Sierra?" Sara looked puzzled, and Sierra nodded.
"My mom is Moon." she said quietly, and Sara's eyes bugged out of her head.
"Moon?" she barely whispered as she held herself, she felt as if she was about to faint.
"Sara, she's alive." Sierra smiled at her.
"She is . .?" Sara said softly as she silently cried.
"Come inside." Sara said as they sat on the couches in the living room. "How is she . ." Sara said,
"I'll leave that for her to tell you that herself." Sierra said, as she crossed her legs.
"Why didn't she come here, herself?"
"I don't know," Sierra said honestly, "I think, well she probably figures you moved on. Or that you hate her still." Sierra smiled sadly,
"I love her." Sara said quietly,
"Do you want me to call her?" The white hedgehog smiled, she had done her job.
"Please . ." Sara whispered, the young girl pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
"Mom, you won't guess what I found." Sierra smiled,
"Oh what is it? It could be anything." Moon's voice cut right through Sara.
"Come to Royalview, Road 1051 and you'll find out." Sierra said, as Moon hung up the phone. And surely, four minutes later Sara heard a car door slam.
Sara jumped off the couch, and when Moon opened the door, they stared at each other. Then she glanced angrily at her child.
"Sara . ." Moon said and Sara hugged her tightly as she could. "I'm guessing you missed me." Moon smirked at her.
"You have no idea." Sara smiled sadly, "How in the hell are you living?" Sara wiped her eyes as Sierra watched in awe.
"Well, I'd like to tell you how, but I don't want to ruin the moment. I'll tell you later." Moon promised then she strode over to her child. "Sierra Ann Sevic, you are soooo grounded." Moon scolded her,
"I couldn't help it mom, you were so depressed. And plus I couldn't stand living in that boarding house anymore." Sierra sighed, And Sara's heart went out to them.
"Get your things, you're staying here." Sara didn't even wait for an answer.
"Sara, you don't have to do that." Moon said, Sara glared at her in the eyes.
"Moon, I mean it you're staying here." Sara growled softly, as soon they got into Sara's Porsche her phone went off. "Hello?" Sara said, as she pulled out of her driveway.
"Mom?" And Sara's eyes went huge it just occurred to her that Moon never met Sophie.
"Soph." Sara smiled,
"Are you okay?" What is she a mind reader?
"I'm fine." Sara said softly,
"I tried calling you, and you didn't answer." Sophie frowned, she was on her way to Tori's.
"I'm sorry. Topaz kept calling me." Sara sighed, Sophie was silent for a long moment. "Listen are you busy?" Sara's quills danced with the wind.
"Sorta. I'm going to Celena's and Tori's. I'm going to tell Celena." Sophie smiled,
"Well call me tomorrow." Sara said,
"Okay, love ya I'll see you later." Sophie smiled as she hung up the phone with a click. She slammed the car door. As she ran up to the door and slowly escaped inside.
"Is there something you're not telling, me?" Moon smiled,
"I have a daughter, but you never met her she's twenty one." Sara said quietly they continued filling each other what happened in the twenty one years they were separated. Sara sighed softly as Moon slid in the double bed with her. "Moon, you have to tell me what happened." Sara whispered, Sierra was sleeping in the guestroom that would soon be her bedroom. Moon sighed as she looked at Sara in the moonlight.
"Well, I shouldn't tell you." Moon looked away from her.
"Why not?" Sara was suddenly angry.
"It might ruin things with you and Topaz."
"Moon, our marriage is fucking over." Sara spat the words at her. Moon looked very shocked as she stared at her.
"How? What happened?" Moon gasped,
"He spent the last two years with a bitch that's what." Sara started crying as she said it. "I stopped loving him after what happened to Sophie."
"And what happened to her?" Moon whispered, fearing the child was dead or something worse.
"He nearly killed her." Sara sighed,
"Sara, how? What did he do?"
"Sapphire," she said chocking on a sob "Died with cancer." "And her little girl Julie, Sophie's best friend, committed suicide." Moon began to cry too knowing it was her fault. "Sophie, went crazy. She knew Topaz did it, she knew he killed her." Sara only cried harder. "She ran out into the streets and . ."
"Oh God, Sara." Moon said softly into the cold air.
"She was hit by a car, she nearly died that night." And her mind drifted back to Sonic's words. Her eyes were huge as she stared at her. "Sonic knew what happened, what really happened . ." Sara clenched her teeth thinking about him.
"Sara," "I had to leave. Topaz said he would kill me, if I didn't get out of town."
"He sold our friendship." Moon smiled sadly, "And I lost Sonic's child." Sara started sobbing as she listened to Moon. She realized what Topaz had done.
"How . ." Sara barely whispered,
"It started on the day Sonic assaulted Topaz." Moon's eyes closed as the memory of the flashback flooded her mind.
*** 21 YEARS AGO ***
"Moon get the hell out of here." Topaz roared at Moon in her house.
"Why?" Moon wailed,
"You sicken me with your pathetic life." he growled at her.
"Where will we go?" Moon sobbed, her little child Cole was just four years old.
"Let me worry about that, just get out of here. Don't contact me or Sara, ever again." And Moon quietly, but quickly packed her things and headed downtown.
By next month, she found a small apartment. And she had divorced Sonic by then. Or at least filed it. And as Sara moved on with her life with Sophie, and Topaz. Moon was struggling with Cole, and her new daughter on the way.
"Where's Cole now?" Sara said softly,
"He died." Moon's eyes were full of tears. Sara reached out to Moon in one single movement. Moon started trembling as she cried in Sara's arms. "I loved him so much, Sara," she went on. Sara stared at her.
"Sometimes that isn't enough." Sara said quietly, Sara held her hands as she asked what happened to Cole.
"He, got into a car accident." Moon sighed, everytime she repeated the story it just got worse. "We struggled so much, he got into alcohol, and drugs. And he was out with his girlfriend and they drove right into a tree."
"Oh Moon." Sara whispered, she held Moon until she fell asleep. When Moon finally had fallen asleep. She sat on a ledge, staring into the moonlight. She opened the long panned windows. Her light brown quills flew with the wind. As she stared at the moon, and the sky. The moon's light shone on her.