PotH: Revolution (NSFW)

"Seriously. Stop actin' so damn pathetic. Ain't like ya'll." He turned on his heels, strode back inside.

Cross smiled, brought him and Star both back to their feet. "I gotta admit, Sunny, he's almost like a male you."

"S'why he's worth my time." Grinning, she went in after him, tail wagging happily.

Star smiled. "I need to do something. I have to make absolutely sure that I can look at Danny without... seeing him." She squeezed his hand and went in.

The cat was sitting on the floor, learning a clapping game from Nat. He just couldn't believe she'd never played before!

Star settled beside them, smiling. "Nat, I'm gonna borrow Danny a minute."

"'Kay." He smiled, clapping to himself to make sure he was giving her the right pattern.

Danny looked up and Star's first instinct was to flinch away. That wouldn't change easily, but it had to change soon. She cupped Danny's chin in her hand, gazed into those golden eyes. They didn't bother Nat. Why not?

So the hedgecat stared and stared until her lips curved. The cat started to purr and Star saw it. She was happy. Danny was, quite simply, happy. She had no idea how bad her life had been to this point, had just lived with it. But she was out and she knew that as well.

There wasn't any fear in this cat, just pure, undampened happiness. An innocent.

She hugged Danny, smiling. "My baby," she whispered. She was just as much a miracle as Shine was.

Cross smiled at the two, having followed Star into the house. He knew it would be a while before he could get used to it, as well. Sometimes, it felt like Sever was glaring at him, through those eyes of hers... But he could see that even though they looked the same as his, Danny's eyes were completely different, more like Star's.

"Feeling better, Pops?" Shine said, at the elder echidna's side.

Cross smiled warmly at his child. "You haven't called me Pops in a long time."

"Ten years. It was kinda a fad, or whatever."

He pulled his bundle of joy into a hug, smiling. "Well, it was a cute little fad."

The cat was purring happily, grinning. "I like hugs."

"You can hug me whenever you want, Danny. And I'm mom now, okay? I would've kept you," she said quietly, leaning back. "I was going to keep you. That's what made him mad, Danny. He didn't want me to keep you."

"So... That's why he took me?" She frowned, sadness creeping into those eyes. "'Cause you wanted me?"

Star sighed. How could she explain to this poor girl that neither parent had wanted her? She would have kept the girl, yes, but... She would've hated it, possibly would've grown to hate the girl herself.

"He took you before you were even born. Tore you out of my belly and made sure that I'd never be able to have a baby."

"But you did."

"Cross made sure of that." Star sighed. "Danny... Maybe I need to tell you everything..." She didn't know how much anyone in the room knew, but plunged into the story.

And when she finished, there was an entirely knew emotion in Danny's eyes: anger. For the first time in her life, she was angry. "Why was he so mean to you? You're so good!"

"For the same reason he was mean to you, Danny. He hates good and wants to destroy it. You didn't let him destroy you."

"No! And I won't let him hurt you, okay?" Danny hugged the hedgecat close, anger giving way to hope. "I promise."

Star smiled softly, returning the embrace. This girl was almost painfully hers.

Several others in the room had changed their expressions. Most of them knew the bare facts that Sever had raped Star, tore the child from her, and made her infertile. But those details...

"That son of a bitch..." Sol breathed, clenching his fists. His expression, however, didn't show extreme anger, rather a subdued, dark hatred. Many others were in similar states of distress, some more emotional than others.

Dusk was breathless, but something else bothered him. "This Sever guy... it sounds like he has blade skills on par with a Laroche or Baudoin..."

Cross thought on this as well. "You're right. Then there's the part where it sounds like he's working together with them..." The conclusion in his head greatly disturbed him. "...Could he...?"

"I don't know," Sunny muttered. She'd known all the facts... But hearing them again didn't make them worth any less. "It's possible."

"So, twenty years later, we're right back to square one, huh, only this time, it's with a filthy bastard known as 'Sever'." It was Damien, at fifty, his age showed with a touch of grey and a few bags under his eyes, but he still remained as fit as he was twenty years ago. "Before you ask, I heard it all. I may be fifty, but my hearing is still sharp as ever." His cocky smile hadn't changed a bit.

Star looked up, shook her head. "I was wondering if you'd ever pay us a visit."

Danny looked at him curiously. "Mew?"

Cross looked up, smirked. "About time you showed up. Now I can beat you soft, Damien."

He chuckled, shaking his head, "Hello to you too, Cross. So nice to see that you rebuilt the place after we turned it into a smoldering crater twenty years ago."

Danny smiled shyly, snuggling close to her mother. "Mew?"

"Mrow."

The cat looked up, blinked. Nobody'd ever meowed back... With a squeal, she tackle-hugged Star, who laughed.

"Thanks for reminding me," Nova said, cracking his knuckles. "Now I can call first dibs for that mess."

"Give it a rest, Nova!" The echidna sighed. "Seriously though. What kind of mess could've caused you guys to take off without so much as a goodbye?"

"I'll say," Sunny muttered.

He was looking at Star and Danny, smirking, "Adorable." At Cross' question though, his face hardened. "Classified."

"Who the hell are we gonna tell?" Sunny snapped.

Cross huffed. "Whatever you say. As long as you're back. Now, where's my son and daughter?"

Sunny scowled, insulted. And Star looked up. "Trip said they were with Akira..."

Armande quietly wondered why he had chosen that name, but didn't ask.

"I keep my word, Sunshine. That information is classified." He looked over at Cross, shaking his head. "Trip and Yue will be here in approximately one hour and thirty minutes. They'd be here quicker, but Akira suggested letting them get a nap in. Both are exhausted."

Star sighed. "Okay... They're okay, though?"

Nova sighed, scowled. "Just what the hell is going on?" he asked to nobody in particular. "First, Danny, then a Baudoin attack in England..."

"I don't know," Cross said. "But we've gotta get to the bottom of this. This is getting ugly..."

Damien nodded, "They're alright. We finnaly got ourselves something that rivals Mani's stuff, but in drinkable form." He smirked. "Don't worry, we didn't introduce them to Biofoam, that stuff is outdated now."

Mani rolled her eyes. "Lemme guess. You guys got a stock of 'red potions' from some fantasy-esque world."

He laughed, "Susprise, you hit the nail on the head. Red potion's regenerative qualities can heal all but the most serious of wounds., and Hyrule is overflowing with magic. Maybe I'll show it to ya'll one of these days, place is gorgeous."

Sunny scowled. "Good! That's shit was fucked up!"

Star sighed, getting to her feet. Danny stayed with Nat so he could resume teaching her the clapping game.

"Anyway, I guess it's good to see you," Cross said, offering his hand to the human. "Welcome back."