PotH: Revolution (NSFW)

Danny's ears went flat and she winced away from the sound. It was so angry, so sad. It hurt her... Not the sound - she was used to loud things - but it was the emotion behind it. She didn't know what to do, so curled into a tight ball in Aurora's lap and cried.

Armande slammed out of the car and darted to her. "Shine!"

The wail subsided, and the echidna collapsed back to the ground, sobbing horribly. It wasn't fair! Why did she suffer so much! How could she still hope for good things, when worse was to come! Why, God dammit! Why!?

"Shine..." He'd lost his logic. Never would he have believed that someone so cruel could exist, never would he have believed that after going through so much a person could still be so... innocent. So to hell with logic.

He gathered the echidna in his arms and fused his mouth to hers.

Most of the pain subsided in that instant. Subdued substantially, but there it was. Not even a kiss like this could ultimately break her from this deep sadness she felt for her newfound sister.

Even still, the kiss felt nothing like anything she'd experienced before. Still sobbing softly, she found herself wrapping her arms around the dog, her tears wetting their kiss.

He clung, rubbing her back soothingly. Murmuring condolences, he let his mouth trail over her face. "She'll be all right," he whispered. "We have her now. She's safe. She's survived. Shine..." He laid his lips back on hers. "She's safe," he whispered again.

"Yeah..." She said shakily. After all that, she wasn't surprised that Armande threw logic out the window. She smiled slightly, looking up at him. "Good to know you're not Vulcan, huh?"

She was starting to feel better. He nuzzled her gently, but his gaze was bland. "Live long and prosper," he muttered, kissing her again.

She smiled. "You too, Mr. Spock." This time, she kissed him.

He blew out a breath, leaning back slightly. His phone had started ringing and, when he glanced at it, he felt a pit in his stomach. It was his father.

"Shine... What do I tell him?" He looked into her eyes and, for the first time in his life, was at a complete loss.

"The truth." Shine said seriously, a determined look on her face. "We can't let them take her back, and we're gonna need all the help we can get."

He nodded and answered, hugging the echidna close. "Dad."

"How's it goin', kid?" Nova said, obviously cheerily. "The girls down there ain't givin' you too much trouble, I hope."

"No," he said quietly. He almost wished Nova was angry about something... It would've been easier adding to a poor mood than shattering a good one. "Dad..."

Nova was quiet for a moment. "...Why aren't you yakkin' my ear off with logical stuff? Something wrong?"

He ran through the events quickly, forcing his mind through the logistics of chronology and detail. It helped him push through it all. "Don't tell Star or Cross," he finished. "We all know he would lose it and if she was told, she wouldn't be able to keep from telling him."

When it was done, Nova was silent for a long moment. "Well... Fuck. Where are you guys now?"

"On the way to the hotel. Once Danny told us what had happened to her, Shine couldn't stand it any longer and pulled over." He rose, bringing the echidna with him. "We'll be there shortly. I'll be driving. Then we'll come home." He sighed. "We have to bring Danny along."

"All right. Keep us posted." With that, the line went dead.

He frowned, wondering how everyone else would react... He laid his lips over Shine's again, sighing.

"Let's go."

She nodded, started back to the van. When they got back, everyone was out, and all the shattered glass was on the ground. Luna smiled sheepishly. "I, uh, decided to do a little cleaning."

Shine ran up to her, hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Luna. You're the best cousin ever."

The hedgehog blinked, hugged her back. "No problem."

Danny was still being consoled by Aurora, the cat quivering and weeping still. She hadn't meant to make Shine so upset; she'd seen movies where things like what had happened to her went on, so how was she supposed to know it wasn't normal? She'd grown up with it. But everyone had seemed so shocked... What was she to do?

Shine released the embrace, turned to the cat with a warm. "Hey, don't feel bad. It's not your fault you didn't know any better. But we're gonna fix that."

"That's right!" Luna said brightly. "We'll teach you everything that is and isn't! We'll be the family you should've had!"

Aurora nodded, tail wagging. "We sure will!"

She sniffled. "O-o-okay. Should I n-n-not talk?"

Luna laughed. "That's a dumb question! Of course you can talk! Ask questions, get further information on what you don't understand. If something's bothering you, don't be afraid to tell someone."

"That's what families do," Shine said, taking Danny's hand. "They help each other out. Okay, Danny?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "Okay."