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 7

Knuckles blinked open his eyes. It was morning again on Angel Island. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. He began to remember the events of the night before. He looked around and realized he was alone. 'we're leaving tomorrow.' Rouge's word rang his head like a bell. He stood and for some unknown reason he searched the nearby area, but they were nowhere to be found. Rouge and Lilly were gone.

"But why couldn't we at least say goodbye?" Lilly asked as she and Rouge flew across the sky.

"I didn't want to wake him. He was up late last night making sure wing was good to fly. I wanted him to sleep." Rouge knew that these were only half truths. For some reason Rouge simply could not imagine a face to face parting with the red guardian. So instead she had decided to leave without saying goodbye at all. They were now approaching a town as it grew dark. It was small and nothing like the big city she and Lilly had come from. "This looks like a good place to rest."

Rouge also had other plans to take care of while there. She landed outside the edge of the town and took Lilly by the hand. "Remember don't talk to strangers and stay close to me. I don't know how far the men that were after me have gotten. If I know them they are already hunting the country looking for me." Lilly simply nodded her understanding. She and Rouge walked through the town unnoticed in the dark. "Here we are Lilly." Rouge had come to what looked like a small bed and breakfast. The place was very welcoming and warm. There was a gray she-wolf standing at the desk. "Would you and your little one like a room?" She asked in a voice that was smooth as honey.

"Yes please, just for tonight though." Rouge was thankful she had been able to pay in cash, she dare not use her credit card. She was lucky to have had so much money on her person. Rouge began up the stairs and Lilly was following but slowly. Rouge smiled and lifted her up when she realized the little panther was falling asleep on her feet. She entered the room and laid Lilly on the bed. She climbed in as well after tucking her in. She lay there staring out the window as the light of the moon fell in. It took a while but she finally fell asleep.

The next morning Lilly sat up in the bed rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Rouge was just walking in the door. "Ohh good I'm glad I got back before you woke up."

Lilly blinked. "Rouge...you're-you're fur...?"

Rouge looked blankly at first. "Ohh right," She ran her hand down the back of her head. "Do you like it?" Rouge's fur was no longer white but instead a shade of gingerbread brown. She was wearing new clothes as well.

"Are you in disguise?" Lilly finally came to the conclusion.

"Yes, I'm in hiding." Rouge smiled as she dug through her bag. "And this is for you." She handed Lilly a juice box and an apple.

Rouge waited for her to finish and then the two began to head downstairs. Rouge was signing out of the hotel when suddenly she saw a bunch of movement outside, and she became nervous. She had every right to be, those were government agents moving around out there. Rouge looked at Lilly who was being very quite as she hid behind Rouge. Rouge took her hand and in that moment Lilly simply knew to do exactly what Rouge did. She copied Rouge's calm face and acted as if she were any other child who wouldn't know what the men outside were doing or looking for. "Come Lilly." She proceeded out of the hotel and began to walk down the street with Lilly as if nothing were amiss. Several agents past Rouge and Lilly.

Rouge felt relief when she didn't see any suspicion in their eyes, she figured a lot of these agents were still green and not well trained in hunting. She slowly and carefully made her way to the edge of the town. She couldn't risk taking flight and being seen, even the green agents have sense enough to see that as fleeing. She was still very skeptical as they continued on the flow of agents was smaller but still lingered. Rouge was so busy watching ahead of them that she didn't notice one agent following her from behind. She and Lilly had just made it out of the town and into the woods.

"Phew." Lilly let out a little sigh of relief.

Rouge's ears twitched she was only just now realizing it was too late. "Hello Rouge." The agent that had been tailing her was standing behind her. "If I didn't know you so well I would never have recognized you." The agent had worked with Rouge since the day she joined the government's team and he knew her very well. He could see her a mile away.

"John I've known you for a long time, but I won't hesitate in a fight." She warned stepping in front of Lilly.

"You think in such an extreme case that I would try to take you alone?" He shook his head. "I can risk you escaping your far to important to the agency to lose in fight, and by the looks of those injuries you couldn't put up much of a fight anyway."

"You're handy work." She glared. John had been the one flying the copter that had shot Rouge in the wing.

"It was nothing personal Rouge." He held up a gun. "Now why don't you come quietly?" Several other agents emerged from the tree line and encircled Rouge. "Let's not make this difficult.

"I will go with you if you let her go." Rouge motioned to Lilly. "She's got nothing to do with this."

"Is that so?" John looked at her. "She seems pretty knowledgeable to me. She's obviously be taught to be afraid of the police."

Rouge narrowed her eyes. "You're not the police and furthermore no has to be taught to be afraid of someone pointing a gun in their direction."

"I think she know s too much." He looked at Rouge with a stratified look. "She'll have to be dealt with." He motioned for an agent to take hold or Lilly.

Suddenly anger flared in Rouge. "Don't you lay a finger on her!" Rouge through a kick right to the guys face and sent him flying and with that the other agents began to attack her. John lowered his gun as he watched the fighting he could never get a clear shot like this and even less chance of a nonlethal shot. She was wanted alive after all. Rouge was fighting off the agents as best she could. John had been right about her physical status. She was still weak from her wounds and she tired from the long flight off of Angel Island.

One agent showed no mercy he reached for Rouge's bad wing and squeezed the injury. The pain brought Rouge to her knees. Lilly stayed close by her side glaring at the men who fought her. They were coming closer now. The same one was just about to reach out and take hold of her wing again when suddenly he was sent flying backwards. He thumped against a tree and slid down into unconscious mass. Lilly looked over shoulder to see what had happened.

"Attacking an injury? How much lower can you sink?" Knuckles stood there in front of Rouge and Lilly now.

"This is none of your affair." John stated plainly.

"You out number an injured woman and a child and then you go onto attack them? I'll make it my business if it means being able smack some manners into people like you." He sent another fist flying into a second agent. He moved like the wind as he fought of two agents at a time until John stood alone. "So what now?" the red echidna popped his knuckles.

"You surrender." he held his gun up once more.

Knuckles growled he was fast but not fast enough to out run a bullet. He heard the gun cock. "Stop!" Suddenly Knuckles found Rouge standing in front of him. "If you try to shoot him you could end up killing me and how do you think Daniels will reward you for that?" She glared. John frowned as he lowered the gun. Rouge looked over her shoulder at Knuckles. "Please take Lilly and go. They're only after me." She was so weak that her legs were wobbling.

Knuckles took a breath before stepping forward and putting his arms around her. "I'm taking her as a shield." He lied. "Follow me and you could kill your precious prize." He began to back away with Rouge and Lilly followed him quickly.

John folded his arms as he watched them vanish. "Damn it all." He groaned. "Well don't worry Rouge, we'll meet again. You're not going anywhere in a hurry." He turned and began to head back to the town.