A Tale of Two Brothers
Hey peeps, I don't own anything related to Sonic or his universe, that's SEGA and all other companies relevant to the creation of his various back-stories, and even though most of them have tanked it now that is besides the point.. Honestly, I actually own very little in this fic (next to nothing to be exact) but this is my story and even though I am using characters from Archie, DiC and SEGA I will be fleshing many of them out because they were only 2-dimensional so in many ways they will appear very OC.. Hopefully you'll beat with me! Anyway, I've bored you enough so enjoy... And let me know what you think!
Reviews:
Slayer 666: James Bond, huh? Well that can get pretty racy at times, meh not much of a Bond fan.. But thank you. Glad you liked it. And I don't really see him struggling with PTSD and he will have some struggles with fatherhood though, don't worry. After all he still has underlying issues with his own father to overcome.
Guest (hmmm, couldn't think of a name, huh?): Glad you like the story..
DaydreamingDuma: Thank you... Writing love scenes make every nervous so I'm glad you liked it. And did you... If you did then he won't be alone..
Chapter Thirty: The Everyday and the Espionage
The following days in Knothole were uneventful as Princess Aleena settled into her new role as a wife. She found herself quite happy to spend her time with her husband and his brother. They were a lot less confining than her father had been. She could come and go as she pleased and talk to any other Knotholers she wanted to, the only thing Jules asked of her was that if she chose to leave the safety of their hamlet sanctuary she must always take someone with her. However Aleena had no interest in leaving Knothole, there was enough to satisfy her curiosity inside the hamlet. It became obvious to all just what a pampered and sheltered existence the Princess of Mobius had led, she was fascinated by the most ordinary of tasks like laundry and housework, finding them both therapeutic and fun. She quickly adored gardening and could often be found outside covered in dirt, her quills falling loose or pinned back in a messy ponytail and beaming proudly at the flowers she had been organising all by herself. She had even borrowed gardening books from Missy Rabbot and often curled up beside her husband and reading about different types of rare breeds wishing to conserve them for their future hedgehoglets. There was one area the princess was completely inept at. This was cooking. Aleena would often find herself confused by all the kitchen utensils and the method behind recipes. After trying and failing to even prepare simple things like toast, boiled eggs and beans Jules decided it was probably safer if he just cooked himself and would shoo his new wife out of the kitchen if she dared try to help.
"Here Charles, I brought you some lunch.." Aleena's soft voice said as she walked carefully down the wooden steps to the basement wearing a pretty mint-green summer dress. Her emerald-green eyes looked curiously around the equipment that took up the whole basement.
"Huh?" Charles looked up from his wiring. "Oh. Thank you princess you can just set it anywhere.." He responded lightly and the lilac-furred female hedgehog cleared a space for the tray.
"There is no need for formalities Charles, we're family now. Aleena will do just fine." She smiled perching herself on his workstool and sorting the skirt of her dress. "What is it you are working on, your brother was very vague." This was a slight understatement as the only thing Jules had told her was he was working on a project, the obvious look of disapproval on his face had stopped her asking him anymore questions. So instead she had taken the lunch tray from her stunned husband and decided to do her prying at the source of her burning curiosity.
"This?" Charles responded. "It's a machine that will help heal the sick and injured and increase life expectantly, been working on it now for a few years."
"Increase life expectancy? How?" The lilac-furred hedgehog looked curious as she pushed a loose blonde quill out of her face and back towards her untidy ponytail.
"Well the idea is to turn the body from flesh and blood into metal and circuits.." The mild-blue hedgehog replied.
"You mean to transform someone into a robot?" Aleena asked kinking a brow.
"Well it's supposed to be more like a bionic suit but I guess that would be the general idea.." Charles said as he finished fixing the wires and replaced the cover to the base panel.
"Is that ethical?" Aleena asked him looking both curious and worried. "I mean, no-one can escape their death, it's a natural part of life and everyone has to go through it." Charles remained in a thoughtful silence as sat back from the newly fixed base. His lack of response prompted Aleena to speak again. "It's just that this is such an area of split opinion in society and how will you get the approval for testing this on other mobians?"
The mild-blue hedgehog sighed heavily.
"I don't know.." He finally replied a little defeated. "I just figured that with this war and the casualties, it might be helpful.." He said before looking at his machine. "But perhaps you are right, the more I stop and think about it the less ethical it seems.." Charles placed his tools on the floor looking around.
"Oh. Charles... I didn't mean to put you off..." The blonde-quilled hedgehog with lilac-fur looked guilty. "I was just curious.." She added softly.
"It's fine.. I have actually been thinking on some of these things myself.." He replied. "I think on some level my brother was right. I built this out of guilt.." The mild-blue hedgehog said and Aleena edged forward to rub his shoulders. "I'm not even sure I have the know-how to even finish it. I may have to collaborate with another scientist who understands the concept.."
"Whatever you decide I'm sure Jules will support you, as will I.." She smiled tenderly to her brother-in-law. "Now, why don't you eat your lunch, I promise I did not make it I only brought it.." Aleena hoped that by clarifying she had not prepared lunch with her next to nothing culinary skill it may tempt the mild-blue hedgehog into eating.
"Jules still not letting you near the kitchen?" Charles asked amused picking up one half of the sandwich.
"After last time, wisely he has decided that it is safer I stay out of the kitchen.." Aleena smiled back with a slight blush and a nervous giggle. "I honestly have no idea how I burnt the eggs when I was boiling them.."
"Locke! Buddy! How ya been?" Jules looked surprised as he answered his holophone and sat down in the seat by it with his sandwich and took a bite. "Mmph.. You back on the island?" He asked with his mouth full grateful his wife was in the basement with his brother. She couldn't chide him on his lack of manners.
"Eh-heh.. Yeh.. I'm back on Angel Island with Knuckles to teach him how to be the Guardian of the Master Emerald." The red-furred echidna replied looking sheepish before smiling. "I hear you got married since we last spoke.."
"Oh. Nuh-uh... Everybody knows I got married, I married a princess. Don't change the subject man, when did you guys get back on the island? I doubt Lara will be happy I thought you guys were gonna try to give it a shot in the city?" The cobalt-blue hedgehog grinned lazily.
"Actually.. It's just me and Knuckles." Locke added softly and Jules' warm hazel eyes widened in shock as he stared at his friend.
"Whoa! Wait! What?!" The twenty-one year old hedgehog dropped his jaw before blustering. "What happened buddy?!"
"Well..." Locke shrugged dismissively. "-I kinda... left her in Albion.."
"You left her?" Jules remained stunned.
"Yeh. T-to be honest, the city made it worse. We fought more and Knuckles didn't really like the other echidna kits. And when I had this vision in a dream that the island would fall if I stayed I took my son and came home." Locke said before his brow raised at Jules' deadpan expression. "What?!"
"A dream..." The cobalt-blue hedgehog said with sarcasm, his eyes narrowed. "You left your wife with your kit, for a dream..."
Locke frowned now.
"It was a vision.."
"Whatever. Look bud, the problems you were having were in the city, why didn't you bring her home with you?" Jules asked looking concerned. "You guys were so in love there.." The red echidna sighed at his words looking heavy.
"She wouldn't come back with me.." His voice was defeated and this made the male hedgehog on the holophone screen gasp and look with pity, finally understanding.
"Oh.. I'm sorry. That's rough.." Jules replied softly his hazel eyes looking sad. "You guys always seemed so solid together.."
"Yeh.. So how is married life working for you?" Locke decided to switch the subject back to Jules and immediately a slight flush tinted the cobalt hedgehog's cheeks.
"It's great, so far.. Now I feel kinda bad for being so insistent about staying here, Aleena's father wanted to send us to Angel Island to keep us safe." Jules shrugged guiltily. "But I did save you from getting scolded by my wife so I guess it's ok.."
"Dada, dada..." A small voice cried out as a small red echidna scurried into the room with an excitable smile and a gleam in his violet eyes. "I see'da moba... I see'da notha mo-" At this point the tiny echidna tripped over his own clumsy feet and fell right at his father's heel. "Oops.." He uttered scrambling quickly to his feet adding cheerfully, "I'm ok... Dada I see'd..." His sentence stopped at the sight of Jules on the screen, his eyes brightened and he suddenly pointed. "Who dat?"
"Knuckles... This is my friend Jules, he's a hedgehog from the mainland.." Locke said lightly picking up the tiny echidna and sitting him in his lap.
"Oh. Hiya!" Knuckles waved brightly before turning to Locke. "Dada I see'da notha moba.. I see'da moba. He had hard green skin an a big nose an a big mouf that goes nah, nah, nah..." He moved his arms in a large jaw-like motion making Locke chuckle and Jules smile.
"Heh, sounds like he met a croc.." The cobalt-blue hedgehog laughed lightly.
"A kuwok?" Knuckles eyes widened momentarily.
"Hmm, must've been Argyles' son Vector, they're a crocodile family who live over in the Swamp Zone on the other side of Mystic falls. He must be about four.."
"Yeh, yeh.. Vectah dats his name, can I pwease go play with him, pwease dada pweeeease.." Knuckles suddenly pleaded looking up with his big violet eyes.
"Knuckles, you're training to be a guardian.." Locke sighed.
"I know dada but pwease, pwease... Just this once.." The tiny echidna whined insistently putting his white mitts together begging his father.
"Hrrm.. Ok but we will train harder tomorrow and your to stay close to home." The older echidna said.
"Yay! Thank you dada..." Knuckles cried out happily before jumping down and running off again to play with his new friend. A small "oof" told them he had tripped again.
"I'm ok..." He called back as he scrambled up and dashed off again.
"Heh, he's a little accident prone but he's a good kit and he seems happier now he is on the island.." Locke smiled watching his son leave then turning back.
"He's also very advanced for his age. What is he a little over two? And he can talk in full sentences.." Jules added with a kink of his brow.
"Yes. He's a gifted kiton. That just means I have to keep a closer eye on him. Jules if you don't mind can we continue this later. I want to watch over my son.."
"Sure bud, whatever you want. Hear from you later.." Jules replied and the holophone screen turned to static and he switched it off. Before he could truly process his conversation with Locke and his first glimpse of Knuckles there was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it..." He called out knowing that both Aleena and Charles would hear it from the basement and made his way to the front door abandoning his half eaten sandwich. As Jules opened the door he expression turned into surprise to find Ian St John standing there.
"Ah Sir Jules, good. Just the hedgehog I wished to talk to." The skunk-mobian sounded amiably with a smile. "May I come in?"
"Of course commander.." Jules replied stepping back and allowing Ian St John to enter and turn left into the living room then following..
"Wait... You want me to join the secret service? Why?" The cobalt hedgehog looked confused at the black and white skunk-mobian before him.
"The King has declared that you are now too valuable to be a part of the Mobian Army. He has rendered your contract null and void, you will not be called back into service. You are to provide Mobius with an heir to the throne and the King has decreed that you are to be protected and not be placed it harms way." Ian's maroon eyes narrowed at Jules' expression. "I am offering you a chance to remain apart of the war. I have seen you stand up for yourself a number of times before and I know that you will not be happy forced to the sidelines and unable to help win the war. If you join the secret service you can still be part of the war. You would be surrounded by a team of skilled officers and you would only be called into action when needed for specific missions so for most of the time you will be here.."
"Who will other officers be?" Jules asked curiously wondering just who St John had in mind.
"Well, Amadeus Prower insisted that he head your team and considering your friendship with him he seemed most qualified. I have put him in charge of choosing the rest of your squadron. Since he knows you better than I do I trust him to pick ones you will be most comfortable around." Ian St John replied.
"Fine. But if I agree I want my brother to be a part of that team too.." Jules said immediately.
"I believe your brother was on a shortlist of candidates that Amadeus has, he told me about your insistence in keeping your brother with you but truthfully your brother's intelligence makes him an ideal candidate for the SS without it.." The skunk-mobian replied.
"I still don't understand, if King Ogilvie doesn't want me to be part of this war any more won't this be going against him?" The cobalt hedgehog asked curiously.
"The King does not want you in harms way, we can't have you on the front lines any more but you can still help us track down those who have been lost, those who the Overlanders have captured and help us find a way to gain the upper hand. So... Are you interested?" Ian St John asked raising his brows at Jules with a smirk.
"Very well.. I will join you but only because I want to help end this war so that any future kits I have have a nicer world than this to come into.." The cobalt blue hedgehog said solemnly holding out his hand and allowing the skunk-mobian to shake his hand.
"Good. I look forward to working with you." Ian St John added brightly then turned away towards the main door. "We'll be in touch when we have assembled the team. Have a good day.." As the skunk-mobian left through the front door Aleena pushed the door to the basement open and stepped out looking curious.
"Was that Commander St John? What did he want?" She asked curiously letting the door shut behind her.
"He offered me a job.." Jules frowned thoughtfully turning back.
"A job? What kind of job honey?" Aleena asked stepping up to him and stroking his red vest.
"He asked me to join your dad's secret service. Since your father has deemed that I am too valuable for the frontline of war he offered me a more behind the lines kinda job with a group of others to keep me safe.." He replied lightly encircling his arms around her.
"Ooh espionage hmm.." The blonde-quilled princess purred lightly with a pout, playing with the collar of his vest. "That means you'll be gone less, right?" She smiled warmly pulling him closer.
"Yeh, which is good. I wouldn't want to be gone from you for too long." He sounded in a low voice with a wolfishly smile.
"I wouldn't want you to be either.." Aleena sounded feeling a little light-headed as his fingers caressed her cheek, her breathing sharpening a little.
"Hmm, why don't we work on this heir to the kingdom.." Jules purred heavily then lowered his lips to her and kissing her slowly letting his tongue play with hers. Aleena gave a soft moan of pleasure holding him close as she broke their kiss keeping her eyes closed.
"Alright, let's do that.." She smiled opening her eyes and pulling him towards the stairs..
Little Notes:
Hey, been awhile but things are finally moving on. I hope you all liked toddler Knuckles, he's so cute XDD