DISCLAIMER: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and most other characters and situations in the following story are copyrighted trademarks of Sega Incorporated, Archie Comics and/or DIC Productions. Permission to reproduce this specific material may be granted by the author so long as you email first. (c)2007 native_pangean@fsmail.net. Bookshire Draftwood (c) David Pitstone.

Chapter 5: The Truth

Sally had been working on breaking Robotnik's codes in an effort to intercept his transmissions all day, with limited success. The numbers had finally gone to her head and she switched the computer off, picking up NICOLE and clipping the hand-held computer to her boot. She decided some fresh air was just what she needed, and went for a walk.

She hadn't gone far when she found Bunnie sitting on the dead tree trunk, not looking very much at all like her usual extrovert self. She was gazing at the ground looking lost, so Sally walked over to her.

"Bunnie? Are you okay?" she asked. The rabbit looked up with all the sharpness of a toddler gazing out of its cot. Her voice, when it finally came out, sounded vulnerable and baby-like.

"Yeah, honey. I'm okay."

Sally was worried. "You look a little lost!"

"Yeah, I guess I'm a little lost," Bunnie said. Sally blinked at her, unsure of how to react. Bunnie didn't seem to sharpen up, so she knelt down beside her, feeling a little like she was condescending to Bunnie. For some reason Bunnie didn't seem to mind.

"D'you want me to take you home, sweetie?" she asked Bunnie, stroking her arm sympathetically. Bunnie lifted her eyes to Sally's and smiled vacantly.

"Okay, I'll... take you home... Yeah..." and made a half-attempt to stand up.

"Take you home"? Now Sally was really worried. "I've got an idea, Bunnie. Let's take you to see Bookshire."

"See Bookshire? Ah, yeah, Ah'd like to see Bookshire," Bunnie mumbled, dreamily walking along with Sally, who guided her gently in the direction of the village surgery.

Bookshire Draftwood, the general practitioner for Knothole Village, checked Bunnie's visual responses, her hearing, and her sensitivity to touch. He listened to Sally's description of what had happened when she'd found her, and finally tested Bunnie with a few statements. She agreed to the ones that could be agreed to and remained quite passive to the other statements. Finally, he concluded that she was in an induced hypnotic state.

"What do you mean?" Sally asked, holding her friend's living hand in an attempt to reassure her. Bookshire, brow creased, disrupting the smooth line of his dark facial mask, searched for the right words. He leaned back and held his pen between his fingers.

"I am sorry to say, Princess, but Bunnie has been drugged. Have you seen her take any medication?"

It took a moment before Sally realised what he was asking. "No, Bunnie would never be into anything like that." she said, taken aback. "I've never seen her take anything in her life." Bookshire nodded. Bunnie was a real trooper and this was the answer he had expected. Bookshire had tried to bring her out of her trance without success, proving that this had not been a person-to-person hypnotism and a blow to the head would have shown up in her physical check.

"I'm afraid to say, Sally, that Bunnie has had hypnotic medication from somewhere, and it's had the effect of weakening her willpower. As we've both seen, she agreed to everything you said."

Sally frowned, puzzled. She glanced at Bunnie, wondering why this had happened. "Who would have done this to her?" She asked quietly.

"It's very effective, whatever it is, Princess. She just needs to be looked after for a few hours until the medication wears off."

Sally looked at the ground with frustration and then at Bunnie. She closed her eyes for a moment. She put her arm around her friend and hugged her close. "It's okay, sweetie. You're going to be okay."

Bunnie agreed drowsily.

Velvet looked at the two pots in her hands. She sucked air in through her teeth and plumped for the basil, opening the lid and sprinkling a generous helping of it on top of the lasagne. She put the dish into the oven, picked up her wine glass and took a large gulp.

Velvet was nervous. There was something she wanted to talk to Rotor about, and it had to be soon.

The door unlocked and in walked Rotor, holding a big bag of shellfish in one hand. "The haul was great!" he enthused. "They're enormous this year!"

Velvet forced a smile. "Excellent work, mon amis! We shall eat like kings tomorrow!" She offered him a second glass of wine which she had poured ready for him. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Velvet watched as Rotor took a big slug of wine, put the bag on the work surface and looked for a knife to cut the beards off the swollen, blue shells. She licked her lips before addressing him.

"Rotor?"

"Mmm?" Velvet took a moment to steel herself before she took a breath to speak. But he beat her to it. "Hey, you know what? I got talkin' to Sonic while I was out. He said he needs more strings for his guitar. Did you see where the music shop is in Greenleaf?"

"Um, no," she replied. Rotor sounded funny somehow. Chirpy.

"Oh, okay. It's just that if you're over there again soon, he kinda wondered if you could pick some up."

"Oh, I'm not sure when I'm going to the next Iniquity!" Velvet laughed, and then straightened her face. "The thing is-"

"Ah, well he can probably pick some up himself before then," Rotor shrugged, apparently unaware that she was trying to speak.

"Yes," muttered Velvet. "Uhm, what would you say if-"

"OW! Bummer," Rotor exclaimed, looking at his finger; he'd cut himself on the knife. Velvet slumped and looked pleadingly at Rotor for a second before picking a box of plasters out of the drawer next to her.

"Come here," she said with a motherly tone and took his hand. She washed his finger before drying it and applying a plaster. He checked the plaster and then looked at her. He looked tired, she thought. No, not tired. Drunk. Strange, as he'd only had about 3 gulps of wine.

"Sorry, you were trying to say somethin'," he said, looking at her with half-closed eyes. She looked into his eyes, her face tense.

"Um... I was asking... If you'd like to come along to the club," she said uncertainly.

Rotor looked surprised and uncomfortable. "Oh... Uh, no!" he laughed nervously. "I'll sit that one out, thanks!"

She smiled back at him tiredly. "Okay," she whispered.

As Rotor turned away and continued cleaning the shellfish, Velvet cursed silently and ran her hand through her hair. She'd chickened out again.

It was the next morning and Velvet came downstairs late to see Rotor sitting next to the roboticizer capsule, gazing blankly ahead. She frowned. Rotor didn't sit doing nothing, he was always busy. She went over and touched his shoulder.

"Hello, boss! What's up with you?"

Rotor looked drowsily back at her and smiled vacantly. "Hello," he replied faintly. She frowned.

"Did you fall over and knock your head?" she asked wryly.

"Uh, yeah. I... fell over. Knocked my head," he said weakly.

Why are you quoting me? "I think you need to visit the doctor," she decided. Rotor made a small noise of agreement and smiled at her. Velvet stood up straight and pulled his arm to get him standing too.

"I love you," he murmured. Velvet smiled reassuringly.

"I'm sure you do, sweetheart, but let's find out who's put what in your breakfast first, eh?"

"Uh, yeah. Put what in my breakfast..."

Bookshire checked Rotor for responses in much the same way as he had with Bunnie. When he'd finished, he turned to the village newcomer and asked, "Velvet, will you fetch Princess Sally for me, please? There's something I need to tell her."

"So you're telling me that Rotor's got exactly the same wrong with him as Bunnie?" Sally asked.

"Yes," Bookshire confirmed. "They've both had the same medicine."

Sally looked at Rotor, who seemed mostly unaware of what was happening around him. She sighed and looked at him with a worried expression. "What's happened to them?" She asked herself.

Sonic patted Rotor on the shoulder. "You're gonna be okay, man."

Rotor vacantly agreed.

It was the following afternoon, and Bunnie was back on her feet. Sally had watched over her, sitting the rabbit on her bed in her hut so she could watch over her. Bunnie had gazed steadily ahead for several hours until finally, late in the evening, she had started looking groggily around. It had been a while before Sally could hold a conversation with her, and Bunnie's suggestibility had remained for two hours longer. Finally, Bunnie had decided of her own volition to lay down, and Sally had stroked her hair while she went to sleep. Bunnie had woken up after a long, deep sleep and only then had seemed composed enough for Sally to explain to her what had happened. Understandably Bunnie had been by turns furious and upset, but by that evening, Sally had allowed her to go outside alone.

Rotor was on the mend, too. Having been watched carefully by his lodger, he was still under strict orders to stay within sight and had spent the afternoon lounging with Antoine and Velvet, where the pair of them had chatted about Antoine's official place next to Princess Sally and what it meant for them as a family. Now, with Antoine gone, Rotor found himself alone with her again.

Rotor realised he was starting to feel something for Velvet, something he hadn't felt before. Truth was, he spent much of his time either on or preparing missions or inventing something. He liked his work, but even he knew that, sometimes, he was hiding behind his gadgets. In Velvet, however, he had found a girl with whom he felt no pressure. They didn't have to worry about silences or what to say next. He was comfortable with her and had thought more in the past day about whether he should try to take things further with her.

She was standing at the side of the porch watching Antoine leave. She turned and stepped inside. He decided that now was the time to make his move. But he felt nervous.

"Vel?" he asked. She looked around at him as he approached her. He'd been thinking about trying to kiss her all day. Now Antoine was gone and the day was ending in a beautiful sunset. He'd kiss her, he decided, then maybe take her upstairs to sit on the balcony and watch the sun go down. That'd be perfect! He stood in front of her and stroked the side of her face, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. His hands were shaking. He leant forward and brushed his lips against hers.

Her lips were soft and warm, but Rotor noticed, she wasn't kissing back. He began to feel a sense of dread. Something was wrong. He touched her shoulder with his other hand in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture and pulled back from the kiss, smiling and hoping she'd give him a positive response.

She looked up at him. She looks as nervous as I feel, he thought.

"Rotor," she said, her voice quivering.

"Yeah?" he whispered, and rested his forehead against hers. Her body was tense under his hands.

"I'm gay," she answered. Rotor pulled his head upright as if she'd pushed him, his eyes wide as saucers.

"What?"

She breathed out and looked back at him with wide, nervous eyes. "I'm gay," she repeated, almost apologetically. Rotor didn't know what to say.

TO BE CONTINUED...