Chapter 5

Healing

You guys might want to know how old everyone is now(only characters mentioned so far)

Shadow: 66(looks 34)

Rouge: 33

Sonic: 32

Amy: 28

Dusk: 16

-Now back with our regular scheduled fanfiction-

Rouge helps Dusk through the door of the apartment with Shadow on their heels, a disapproving look on his face. Dusk looked around at the room and furniture. He slightly remembered the room from his brief time in it a few days ago, but he had been half dead at the time, so he did not necessarily take in the sights. He was led to a medium-sized room down the hallway from the living area. He sat down on the bed in the room.

"Here is the room I hope you like it" said Rouge

"It's very nice. Thank you very much for your kindness." said Dusk.

"Your welcome." she said, looking at him and seeing a deep weariness " You must be tired and those drugs the doctor gave you probably didn't help, you should probably get some sleep."

"I think you're right. I am pretty tired. I think I will get some sleep." he said.

"Okay. If you need anything, just holler" she said with a warm smile as she left.

She's pretty nice. She's what I think a mom would be like. If I had one. he thought as he went to sleep.

Rouge looked in on the sleeping teenager in the room. He look so peaceful when he slept. It was as if sleep took the tension away and gave a calm that he did not have when he was awake. She smiled as it reminded her of how Shadow sleeps.

"It's not proper to watch someone while they sleep, you know."

She jumped around in a start.

"Did you follow me Shadow?" she asked annoyed. She was not a child. Though she was looking in on hers.

"Yes I did. I don't want you to be alone with him, Rouge." Shadow said.

"He's asleep for God's sake Shadow he isn't going to hurt me. Unless he bat hunts in his sleep."

"I DON'T CARE! I DIDN'T EVEN WANT HIM HERE!"

"SHHHHH, Shadow keep it down your going to wake him. He needs his rest."

"Listen to yourself. Getting all concerned if he get enough sleep. You sound like a mom or something." said Shadow

"Well apparently I am one now. And like it or not,you are a dad. Try to act like one."

"Let's get one thing strait, honey. That- TEST TUBE- in their is not my child he is not yours either. He is a weapon created to kill us all. I just don't want you hurt if he does decide to go 'bat hunting in his sleep'."

"Just give him a chance, Shadow. Who knows he may prove himself to you." she walks off to go to bed.

"Yeah sure and Sonic will come through that window"

All of a sudden the blue hedgehog himself came right through the aformentioned window

He gets up "ROSY I JUST ASKED IF IT WAS DIET SODA! GOD! It must be that time of month again. Oh hey Shadow." Sonic jumps back out the window.

Shadow just walks off to be alone and, you know, pray.

Rouge sits and thinks about the conversation she had with her husband tonight. She could tell, well anyone could, that Shadow did not trust the did. When she looked at him she saw basically a peppy Shadow. Someone who looks like he used to be happy alot but for some reason has lost that happiness. She hoped that she could bring it back. He really is a sweet boy. I wish he had been spared this life. i wish we had found him when he was young. I bet that the Doctor trained him since he could walk to kill. It's sad. But i'm going to try and give him a new home. A new life.

Rouge looks up at the clock 9:00 p.m. The doctor said about every 10 hours to change Dusks bandages. Let's see she last changed them at around 11:00. Time for a changing she joked. She goes into the room and gently shook Dusk into the land of the living. Even from the gentle shake he pops up, face hard, ready for an attack. Rouge jumps back. No teenager's face should look like that. She thought sadly. When he turned and saw her his face softened and he spoke.

"Hello" he said.

"Hi" said Rouge.

"I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No you didn't"

"Good, I'm sorry it's just reaction I was trained to attack at the slightest touch or presence. To keep me from being killed in my sleep."

"Well don't worry i'm not here to kill you. I'm actually here to change your bandages and replace the antibacterial ointment on the wound."

"Oh, OK" he got into a position that would let it be easier for her to do this.

She took off the old, spent bandage. She winced at the wound underneath the bandages. She once again felt really sorry for the boy.

"It must hurt alot" she said.

"Not really" said Dusk,"I was trained to ignore pain. But it does get kinda painful if I move into an awkward position."

Rouge finished up applying the ointment and put another bandage on the gunshot wound.

"There you go all patched up." she said with a smile.

"Thank you" said Dusk.

'Uh-huh your welcome." she turned to leave.

"Why do care."

That stopped her in her tracks.

"What? What do you mean" she said

"Why are you concerned with my wellbeing. After you heard what I was why didn't you leave me to die. I know pretty much everyone else would have including Mr Shadow. So why didn't you?"

She wanted to tell him. She wanted to explain that her DNA and Shadow's were what made his. But for some reason the words could not come. She held her tongue.

"I guess my maternal instincts popped up"

"Maternal insticts?"

"A females compulsion to care for her young and the young of her species."

"But we are not the same species." he said

"Your half bat aren't you?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Then your close enough."

"O-OK" he yawns

"Tired?" she asks jokingly

"Yeah I think I need more sleep."

"Uh-huh, me too. Well sleep well."

"Goodnight."

As she left the room Rouge didn't notice the probe concealed outside of the window, recording their conversations. When they were done talking the probe decided to go back to it's origin, Kunoi's wrist.

"Analyzing coversation. Nothing of importance. Deleting." he said in his monotone, mechanized voice.

His communicator beeped

"KUNOI, report in."

"Kunoi-254 here."

"Kunoi come back to base I ave a new idea." said Eggman

"But what about the boy?"

"Screw the boy get back here now!"

"Yes Master." He said. He looked back at the sleeping hedgebat in the room and let out a machanical growl before flying off.

A.N) I think I have kept all of them in character. Well maybe not Rouge but hey when she found she was a mom, she went into "mom gear" huh? Shadow you are always so distrusting. That kid could save your life. Wait will he? Ha only I know.

Please R&R or I will cry :' (