A/N: Ok so I've been doing a lot of ShadowXAmy fics lately, and I just felt like getting back to my first fav coupling. KnucklesXRouge! Also I'd like to dedicate this fic to one of my best reviewers: Icy Knuckles. :)

Chapter 1

Rain was falling and it could be heard hitting the tin roof that covered the kitchen. It was dark and the only light within the kitchen streamed in through window from a street light. A pair of big blue eyes flashed in the dark as they peered out from the shadows. "You will be mine." A small voice echoed quietly. Something was jumping quickly from shadow to shadow in the kitchen. Suddenly the movement stopped and the stealthy figure hid just inside the shadows of the refrigerator as a light was turned on. A tall cat stood in the kitchen looking around. "hum, I could have sworn I heard something..." She looked around once more. She was about to go further into the kitchen when she heard a cry come from behind her. "Oh no not another nightmare." The cry had come from a child and the she-cat turned away and switched off the light before heading toward the crying. Once she had gone, the figure hiding in the shadows emerged. A small white bat smiled as she jumped onto the counter. She wrapped her arms around some kind of jar her blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she removed the lid and took out a cookie. "Mine at last."

~End Flash Back~

Rouge came to again. She had been daydreaming as she sat in waiting room. She had been remembering the first time she had ever stolen something. She giggled a bit remembering how back then a cookie was a tall victory. 'I've come a long way since the orphanage days,' she thought as she looked around. What she said was true. She had moved on after she became old enough to leave the orphanage on her own, and her thievery became a most remarkable talent, but in the end it had cause trouble for her. She had used her talents for personal gain and personal gain alone. She became arrogant and sloppy in her work. It wasn't long until the consequences caught up with her. She was offered a choice. Work for the government and pay back society for her wrong or rot in prison for the rest of her life. The choice wasn't even that, it was simply a command given to a trapped animal that would prefer the freedom of a leash than the confinement of a cage. She sighed remembering her old mistakes. 'If only I had been more careful...'

Rouge was brought out of her memories when she heard a voice speaking to her. "You may go in now." The secretary instructed as she motioned to a door that Rouge was to enter.

Inside the door Rouge found herself face to face with the same man who had made her the offer of the leash or the cage long ago. "Mr. Daniels." Rouge bowed her head slightly before taking a seat.

"Ah Rouge, I've been meaning to talk to you. I hope your last mission went well." He said looking at her from across his desk.

"Fine. I retrieved the stone you wanted." She answered remembering back. "It wasn't all that difficult compared to some of your more usual requests."

"Of course it was easy." He looked at her curtly. "It could only be retrieved by you."

"What do you mean by that?" Rouged asked suddenly a little curious.

"Why do you think you weren't sent to jail Rouge?" He asked as his elbows rested on the desk and his fingers interlocked.

Rouge was confused and taken aback by the question, but she answered honestly, maybe even to honestly. "Because my talents were of more use to you as dog on a leash than as a useless caged bird."

"Foolish answer, and wrong." He said looking over his clasped hands. "You think good thieves aren't born every day? Perhaps you don't realize that we have an entire program dedicated to learning the art of undetected retrieval? Your 'thieving talent' is completely useless to us."

"Then why do you keep me?" Rouge demanded angered by his insult.

"Because of this." He slid a photo across the desk to rest in front of her.

Rouged suddenly clasped her right arm. It was a picture of what looked to be a tattoo that was always hidden by Rouge's glove. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"The night you were caught you were brought here for high security watch and as such your entire person was to be documented. Some of our researchers found this marking rather interesting." He said resting his head in his palm. Rouge didn't speak. "According to their research that symbol on your right arm is over a hundred years old. It is impossible that someone of your background would know anything about such representation. How did you come by the tattoo? Who put it on you?"

"No one." She took a step back from his desk.

"Wrong answer. The answer to this question is vital information. If you refuse to tell me, I'm afraid I will have to impress the full consequences of your past crimes upon your Rouge." He threatened her in hopes of gaining the information he so desperately desired. Rouge backed further away her mind racing with confusion and fear. At last Daniels relented. "You will answer me tomorrow." He turned his chair to face the windows. "And rouge," She was exiting the doorway as he spoke, "don't even think about lying."