A/N: Sorry I've been away for a while everyone. I was on an extended vacation for a while. But I'm back and I'm going to try and get back to my writing now. :)

Chapter 6

Knuckles' eyes slowly blinked open. He was looking up at the treetops that were moving with the breeze. He began to sit up, but suddenly realized how heavy he felt. 'I can't remember ever having this much trouble...' He looked down and suddenly yesterday hit him like a ton of bricks. He saw Rouge laying across him her face nuzzled into his chest. He blushed looking upward again looking more for knowledge than for strength in the situation. He sat up, this time using the proper amount of strength. He held Rouge to him so as not to drop her or move her injured wing. He looked at her carefully. He could tell her wing was getting better and that there was no infection. He tried to look only at her injuries, but his eyes drifted to her face. Why did his enemy have to be so beautiful, and why did he have to notice? He sighed annoyed. This was definitely all her fault, why was she coming here like this? Any other time she would be there to steal from him, and he'd be ready for her and her sharp mouth, but this time was different. She wasn't saying anything insulting and she hadn't even glanced at the Master Emerald, so what was up? How was he suppose to see her as his enemy if all she did was lay in his lap and look beautiful? Suddenly she began to stir. He jerked his head away from her quickly so as not to have to look her in the eye as she woke. He wanted badly to let her go, but he knew if he tried he could end up worsening her injuries, so for now he would just have to suffer. Rouge looked up at him with sleepy eyes. "Knuckles...?" She too had forgotten the events of yesterday for a moment. She suddenly felt the memories rush back to her as she stared at his face. "Thanks." She said at last as she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself into a sitting position. He resist a blush as he felt her arms around him. "My wing feels much better thanks to you." She smiled at him unable to hide her amusement at his expression. She'd always toyed with knuckles in the past, because of a little crush she'd had on him. She softened her grip on him and relaxed. If there was ever a person she felt she could trust it was him, even though he was her enemy, he was an honorable fighter and he simply wouldn't go beyond to any unnecessary need to prove his strength or pride. "Where's Lilly?" She asked softly.

"She's playing." He held her with a gentle grasp and turned her and himself so that she could see Lilly, who was chasing a butterfly around the meadow.

Rouge had stayed like that for a little while longer feeling that at least for a few precious minutes she could rest knowing that she and Lilly were safe. Finally she gently began to lift from Knuckles grip. She stood looking a little stiff. "Knuckles is there a spring around here?"

Knuckles blinked. "Um yes." he placed his arm across his knee and pointed to the left. "Why?" He asked confused.

Rouge smiled and made a cute blush as she looked at him. "You're thick."

He growled in annoyance. "Why you!" She turned and began walking down the stairs. He was glaring a bit as she looked over her shoulder. He noticed her eyes as she winked at him and pulled off her glove. His face suddenly turned bright red...a bath. "B-Be careful of your bandages." He said suddenly feeling a little self conscious.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Should you come and make sure I do things correctly?"

"As if!" He snapped his face away from her.

Lilly looked at Rouge as she passed. "I'm so glad you're better!" She smiled as she hugged Rouge's leg.

"You'll look after Knuckles for me while I'm washing won't you Lilly?" Rouge smiled.

"Oh yes!" Lilly scampered off to sit beside Knuckles.

The red echidna looked down at her. "What is it?" He asked with his arms and legs crossed still looking irritated.

"I'm gonna watch you till she comes back." She smiled up at him.

"Watch me?" He looked at her with his eye twitching. "I don't need watching. You're the one that's supposed to be watched." he said through slightly gritted teeth.

Lilly's head titled to the side. "Well I guess then since you're so bad at it she thought we should trade jobs." She smiled. Knuckles eye twitched again as he turned his gaze back to the meadow.

Later when Rouge had returned, Lilly had started to ask for something to eat and so Knuckles began to show them where to find food. "This is really sweet." Knuckles was bent down on one keen as he plucked a berry from a vine growing around a tree. "It's a great dessert." He popped it in his mouth.

Rouge was paying good attention, Lilly however was a little less attentive. "What about this one?" She held up a orange fruit.

"That's good for breakfast, taste a lot like a mix between an orange and a tangerine." Knuckles answered. Knuckles continued showing them different things to eat until they were both full.

Dusk was approaching and the sky was filled with red and orange rays bleeding from the setting sun. Lilly was helping Knuckles carry back some firewood from the surrounding forest. He had forbidden Rouge to help due to her injuries so she walked empty handed beside them. "Honestly, I don't see why you wouldn't let me carry something." Rouge sighed with a hint of annoyance.

Knuckles head was held high with the confidence of his decision despite Rouge's argument. "it's not worth opening any of you wounds. I'll be damned if let that happened and then end up resetting your wing or patching up some other reopened wound." He said with honest determination. Knuckles began setting up the fire and Rouge set on a log behind him, her elbows were propped on her knees and her head rested in her cupped hands. "Knuckles..." She said in a bored tone.

"No Rouge." He said as he lit the fire.

She jumped up slowly and then grabbed him in a hug from behind. "Please Knuckles I'm so bored." She pouted.

"Hey!" He blushed madly looking over his shoulder at her. "Get off!"

"Only if you let me do something." She said pressing against his back.

"Ugh fine." He growled. "Go get some of those sweet berries." He said wriggling out of her grip. Rouge smiled and walked away to fetch the fruit.

"Do you like her?" Lilly was suddenly next to Knuckles, who nearly jumped out of his skin from her sudden appearance and her question.

"What! Of course not!" Knuckles said his face red.

"But you're face is all red. You're blushing." She said with her head tilted to the side. "And you saved her." She approached Knuckles more closely and looked up at him as she stood there. She put her hand on his. "You take care of her and you make her smile." Lilly blinked watching his expression.

Knuckles face was still tinted red but it was less out of character as he looked up at the sky. "She and I are very different Lilly. I'm a guardian and she's a th-" He stopped and looked down at her. "and well she is not. True I did all those things, but I did them because they were the right thing to do. I would have done those things for anyone else in those circumstances." Lilly looked down she seemed a little saddened. "What is?"

Lilly tried to smile and looked back up at him. "It's nothing. It was silly." She said sitting down. "I don't know why I would think such a thing." Knuckles blinked and sat down beside her. He was going to ask more but Rouge had suddenly reentered the clearing.

"Here Lilly." Rouge handed her some of the sweet fruit.

"Oh yay these are my favorite." She smiled as she began to eat them. When she was finished she got to her feet and went to catch fireflies in the meadow nearby.

Rouge stuck a few berries on the end of a sharp stick and ran them over the flames. Knuckles watched in bewilderment as she did so. Then when she thought they were done she gently blew on them before picking one off and eating it. "Um taste like cake." She smiled. She tossed one to Knuckles. "Try it." He was reluctant at first but he did try it and to his surprise she was right. Rouge slid in to sit beside him. "Knuckles..." She looked at him gently, he resisted a blush as he saw her eyes twinkle in the light of the fire. "I have to thank you one more time." She said softly. "You've done so much for me, and for Lilly." Knuckles listened without interrupting. "Anyways I just wanted to say thanks again. The two of us will be leaving tomorrow."