Kelly understood now why Snively seemed to gravitate toward the tiny kitchen for meals.  This sprawling cafeteria was cold and empty, lights flickering dimly above them.  She stared at the half-eaten sandwich in front of her.  Snively had made quick work of his meal already.  Ironic, Kelly thought.  After all, she had been the one working on rebuilding the factory since this morning.  Both of them had had little sleep the night before, and using her powers constantly like that gave her a dull sort of fatigue.  She sighed, pushing the plate a few inches away from her and resting her elbows on the table, watching Snively sip slowly at a cup of coffee.  Maybe that was the secret to his seeming inability to sit still.
       Snively heaved a sigh, looking into his mug with apparent disappointment at the fact the coffee was almost gone.  "Got to hand in some reports to Dr. Robotnik."  He muttered to himself, "I'll finish this thing first."  Reluctantly he took another sip of coffee.  He hoped it wasn't obvious that he wanted to stay near Kelly..just a little longer.  She didn't seem to notice.  She was watching him as if out of boredom.  She was far from being bored, in reality.
       He drained the last few sips of coffee, and sighed irritably when he put the mug down.  "We'll probably be working more on that damn factory later.  I'll let you know."  And he started for the door.
       Kelly frowned.  Something wasn't right.  It wasn't him; he was always irritable, and understandably so, when he had to deal with his uncle.  Kelly's ears pricked a few moments after Snively had left.  That Sense gripped her.  She needed to follow him.  She rose, careful to keep quiet.  Her hand waved in a vertical motion, and she snapped into invisibility.
       The Command Room was as ominous as always, with its dim lights and echoing, seemingly endless depths below the walkways.  Kelly shuddered at the mere sight of it, memories arising of the events just a couple of days before.  Snively had already arrived, ready to give a report.  Robotnik was standing, for once, at which Kelly furrowed her brow.  He was trembling.  He whirled around, his red eyes blazing.  "What..is this..Snively?"
       Snively's eyes widened and he seemed to shrink, shoulders hunched a little.  "S-sir?"
       "This!  Read it!"  Robotnik threw a rolled piece of paper onto the floor.  Only then did Kelly notice what once was a bird, crushed on the same floor not far away.  Her ears fell back.
       Snively studied the paper, fingers trembling as he held it.  She could see the words silently touching his lips: Oh god...no  "B-but sir, SWATbots have been guarding the area heavily, a-and--"
       "It's the spy, you dipshit!!  He has access somehow!  WHY HAVEN'T YOU FOUND HIM?!!"  His fingers were curled, as if itching to clamp around Snively's thin neck.  Kelly cringed at the roar of his voice, stepping back, not unlike Snively.
       "I-I-I've been t-trying s-sir...M-monitoring and um..uh..s-sir I.."
       "Shut up!  If the Freedom Fighters get wind of her, I'll kill you!!"
       Kelly's lips curled into a silent sort of growl.
       Snively wrung his hands. "If they do, I--"
       "You'll wish you were never fucking born!"  Robotnik lunged at his lackey, grabbing him up by the collar of his shirt, Snively shrieking pitifully.  He slammed his robotic hand hard into Snively's face; Kelly knew it had broken his nose.  The fat man drew back his fist again, his rage flying out of control.
       "ENOUGH!"
       Everything froze.  Kelly waved her hand, appearing instantly.  Robotnik's eyes immediately stopped blazing, and he dropped the lackey into a pitiful pile on the ground.  Snively groaned in pain.  Robotnik seemed to have lost his previous caution around Kelly.  "Just what...are you doing here, fox?!"
"None of your business."  Her eyes had begun to glow with rage as she brazenly passed by Robotnik.  She stooped down, cringing at the sight of the blood, the strange position of Snively's nose.  She could hear Robotnik's trembling growl as she pried Snively's hands away, then healed his nose with a soft green light enveloping it.  He gave a cry before it was over; it was painful, the quick restoration of the body that would normally have been so gradual.
       "What do you think you're doing?!" Robotnik bellowed.
       Kelly stood to her feet to shoot an icy glare at him.  "I'm healing him, dumbass!"
"What?!"
       Snively couldn't help but grin at the look on Robotnik's face.
       "You listen to me, Doctor!"  Kelly's voice had risen angrily.  "Leave him the fuck alone!"
       "Why you insolent little--" His words were replaced by an enraged roar, and he recklessly lunged for her.  Kelly's hands thrust forward, and he froze in mid-flight.  A canine growl rose from her throat.  "You touch me, and you die."  At his glare, she snapped, "What?  You think I'm joking?!"
       "Release me, bitc--AARGHHH!!"  He dropped to the floor, hugging his wide body and screaming in anguish.  Kelly's hands twitched, violet light leaping off of them.  Robotnik writhed sickeningly, and Kelly could hear Snively whimpering at the sight of it.
       "Stop it, stop it this instant, aughhhh!!!  Stop it or I'll kill you!!"  The fat man's threats fell on deaf ears.  Kelly screamed in rage, the light leaping from her hands turning into a red hue.  She gave one last thrust of her arms, the light flickering in intensity, then blinking out.  Robotnik had long since stopped screaming.  He was unconscious on the floor.
       Kelly's breath came swift and heavy now, her hands still held toward the tyrant.  Snively stared, scooting back in fear.  He'd never seen her this way.  She was usually so kind, so tender.  She turned to look at him, making him whimper--but there was that tenderness again.  The fox bit her lip.  "If anyone shouldn't be here, it's you, Snively."
       "You shouldn't have done that!"  His voice cracked.  "He'll...he'll..."
       "Let's just get out of here."  Kelly was beginning to catch her breath.  She looked at the mound on the floor that was Robotnik, one of his legs lying on the bird he apparently crushed.  "He'll be out for a good while."
       "Y-yeah..." Snively got to his feet, trembling.  "Don't ever do that again, fox."

       "What possessed you to do that?!"  Snively paced the floor nervously in Kelly's room as she sat on the couch.  "I don't need you butting in and--"
       "Shut up.  You were about to get the shit beat out of you, Snively."  Snively slowed his pacing.  There wasn't much he could say to that.  "If you think that's okay," Kelly added gravely, "something's seriously wrong with you."
       He flopped onto the couch.  "It's not okay," he admitted, and closed his eyes with a troubled expression.
       "I don't want you hurt."
       Snively opened his eyes to look into Kelly's.  It was so addictive.  "What?"
       "I don't want you hurt, Sniv.  You don't deserve it."
       "Since when did that make any difference to your quality of life?" he snorted.  "And you do realize that thanks to you, Robotnik's going to fucking kill me, right?  He'll think I put you up to this."
       "Well you didn't.  And he won't."  She waved him off in frustration.  The motion of her hand caught his attention.  He rubbed the back of his head as he sank into thought.  Maybe he won't get the chance.  A long silence loomed as his mind went to work.
       "Kelly?"
       The fox's ears perked.
       "Can you..transform me again?"