By the time Rouge had made it back to her little home within Club Rouge, the sky was showing signs of evening's approach. Assortments of lights from golden yellow to neon started to pop up all over Station Square. As the day was dying out with night taken it's place the party time whether it was human or furry would be making their appearance. They'd crank up the music and party the night away! This was the life of the so-called 'night owl'. That was the type of person Rouge was. The night was her day.

As she was landing her feet upon the concrete of a side that stretched along ahead of her house, she spotted something making a leave from it. Getting a good fix on it-she was able to make out that it was her part-time 'co-worker'.

"Shadow?" Is what she said in a questioning tone approaching him. "What are you doing at my place? You rarely come out here..."

At hearing his name, the black hedgehog turned in the direction in which he heard it come from. Who he found was who he had come to see. "Looks like you caught me just in time. I was just about to leave." Began the dark male fully turning his entire body towards her. "And I came to talk."

"I can spare a couple of minutes." Siad the ivory bat with a friendly smirk making her way to the double doors of her house/club. "So, what's going on? You never come over just to have small talk. It's always something somewhat important..." She asked unlocking one of the doors.

What she got was a sigh. I don't even know where to begin! It's all been so strange..."

Cerulean eyes looked over a bare shoulder at the trouble sounding hedgehog. "Why don't you start from the beginning, hun." Strange, huh? That makes two of us! Rouge told him pushing the door she had unlocked in walking inside the dark club.

"Well..." Started Shadow crossing his arms over his chest fur. "This boy looking exactly me, but with eyes the color of emeralds showed up out of the blue claiming that his name is Dark and that Rose and I are his parents." Explained the Ultimate Life Form sounding a bit upset over it.

"Rose?" An eyebrow was rose at the name she was told. "Do you mean 'Amy Rose'?"

"Yes!" Yelled Shadow in response.

That is when the small aftershock of that information told to Rouge came to her and made her come to a screeching halt in her tracks! It's just like with me and Knuckles! "Did the boy have any proof?" Maybe he brought a device with him just like the boy with us did...

"He had some sort of circular contraption that emitted a holographic image of what was supposed to be future Rose." Shadow seemed to be slightly spaced out when he told her this explanation. "She talked of how we fell in love then of the boy..."

At that point, the bat woman was trying to process all this strange and new information. She didn't know how she should feel... "Why don't you come inside, and I'll make you something to drink. What would you like?" Rouge was torn between carrying on with her plan, and actually approaching Knuckles and the boy about all of this...

"Coffee. Black." Was what he simply told her taking a seat at the bar. Since he had been spending a little time with Amy, he had been getting used to drinking straight black coffee.

"Coffee it is!" Announced the bat-thief "And something much stronger for me!" It's going to be a looong night!

---

After deciding that grapes were the decided dinner for the night, Knuckles drug his so-called-son into a part of the tropical forest for the two to find some. Theie meal was caught in the tall branches of a tree where a vine entangled in them.

"It's up so high!" Exclaimed the echidna-bat with a whine to his tone. "And my wings can't carry me that high!"

"Then climb up there." Was what his father simply told him.

"But I don't know how to climb!" Argued the boy with a pout.

"What do you mean you don't know how to climb?!" Screamed Knuckles waving his giant gloved hands in the air before him.

Aboout the time he lashed out like that, Chakra withdrew from him looking frightened once more.

Sighing, the scarlet echidna repeated his question, but in a softer tone. "What do you mean you don't know how to climb...?"

In hearing his father's angry scary tone go down, the white echidna boy withdrew from his almost fetal position. "I didn't even know I was supposed to!"

Knuckles snorted at being told that. Aggitation was clear across his face. Damn that bat-girl! How could she raise him not to climb?!

"Since you don't know, I'll teach you..." Sighed out the gruff male trying to keep his anger in check as not to scare the boy again.

"Really?!" Violet eyes lite up while a scrunched up echidna tail wagged vigorously at the idea.

All Knuckles could do was nod. What was I thinking letting him stay with me...? I don't know how much longer my nerves can take this! He inwardly groaned finding his patients growing thin!

"So what do we do first?" Asked his son waiting in anticipation!

"Okay," Began the older male picking the boy from off the ground carrying him close to the tree trunk. "You know those claws that come out of your knuckles?" Was what he decided to acknowledge first.

"You mean these?" Responded Chakra with a question pointing to what his dad was talking about.

Red dreadlocks flopped back and forth when he nodded. "What'cha do with those is, is that you jab them into the tree - like this!" Demonstrating what he was explaining, he slammed a gloved fist into the side of the tree. "You have to jab claws on both sides of your hands into the tree. You don't do it with just one since climbing with one hand as a beginner is dangerous!"

Though his head was swirling with another part of this new found information, Chakra nodded in being told all of it.

"Now, you try it." Knuckles said, placing the boy onto his head.

He was hesitant about it, but he did as he was told, and slammed his tiny hand into the tree. A small yelp made itself known when he did that. "Ouchie! That hurt!" Shouted the smaller echidna with barely noticable tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Be careful! Putting too much strength into your jabs can hurt your fists!" Cautioned his father with a stern voice.

"Now what do I do?" Is what the younger male wanted to know.

"Next, you take out one hand and stick your claws into a higher part of the tree. You do that over and over with each hand going over the other." And that was the last part he explained to him.

It seemed to Chakra that each lesson was getting more difficult after another! "Can you show me 'cause I'm having trouble understanding..." He asked Knuckles whining a little.

Knuckles sighed once more. Was he not listening to a word he was saying?! With himself had to instinctively learn to climb, but with the boy, at least he was getting help! Wasn't that enough?! "Fine! But I'm only showing you a little of what to do! You have to get there up on your own! When you do, I'll join you up there." Is what he told the boy sounding a bit agitated. It must be that bat-girl's genes! No wonder he doesn't know how to climb!

"Okay!" Agreed the younger echidna keeping his position against the tree trunk. Those tiny knuckle claws of his were still inside the bark.

Moving from underneath his son, Knuckles sanks his claws into the tree side next to him. Then he did what he explained making his way just an inch or so up the tree. "See, like this?" Is what he asked the echidna-bat below him.

Nodding, Chakra decided to copy his father's actions like he was told then shown. Once he was getting the hang of it as well as noticed the pain leaving his hands... He sped up his motions being at the tip in a matter of seconds!

In seeing that he had indeed made it to his destination as his father taught him, his amethyst orbs lite up! "Look, daddy, look! I did it! I made it to the top!" Exclaimed the white echidna sounding excited as ever!

This strange feeling started to fill up the scarlet echidna at seeing the excitement in his so-called-son... He felt... proud... It made a smile tug at the corners of his lips causing it to stretch across his muzzle.

Good job!" Said the older echidna male making a hasty climb up the tree meeting up with son at the top.

Hearing that he did a job-well-done made Chakra smile so happily! He was enjoying all this time with his father! Even if he did get angry at times and yelled... "I love you daddy..." Cooed the ivory miniature Knuckles giving him loving eyes.

Knuckles said nothing as he released one of his giant gloved hands from out of the tree patting the top of his son's head. Hearing his declararion of love made him feel funny, but in a good way...