Work Text:
Tonight was going to be fantastic.
As of just a few minutes ago, Blaze had taken Amy back to her castle to spend the night there, as they haven’t done so ever since Amy got trapped at the Starfall Islands.
And with her out of this world temporarily, that meant the house was all Trip’s. …and Sticks’s. And Belle’s.
“So! What’re we gonna do?” Sticks asked, all of them on the living room couch.
“M-maybe not something that’ll th-thrash the place…” Trip suggested. “Amy would p-probably kill us.”
The badger rolled her eyes. “Lame. But fair. What did y’all have in mind?”
Belle, on the far left side of the couch, glanced at the Switch near Amy’s TV.
“Well, I don’t think Amy would mind if we played her video games… would you two want to do that?” she asked.
Once she saw the apprehensive look on Sticks’s face, she added, “It wouldn’t be anything with realistic looking graphics. It’d be, like, Mario Party or something.”
Sticks shut her eyes and sighed, while Trip nodded excitedly. “...sure. That works.”
For context, Sticks hated video games before moving from Seaside Island. She especially hated the ones that had modern graphics. They looked way too realistic for her liking, like whoever was being controlled was an actual person with thoughts and feelings. But after seeing Trip, who had never seen a video game before coming here, try a game out that didn’t look too real, it piqued Sticks’s curiosity. So while she still didn’t like realistic looking games, ones that were either blocky, polygonal, or had a good enough artstyle were fine for her.
“...oh, wait, I almost forgot, Motobud’s down in the basement,” the tinkerer realized.
“Th-the basement?” Trip asked. “Why?”
“He’s practicing going in a perfect circle without doing donuts,” Belle answered. “There was enough room down there for him to do so.”
“Hm… so that’s what that was!” Sticks realized. “I thought I’ve been hearing somethin’ similar to a bike for the past hour.”
Belle chuckled, and began to get up. “He could use a break. I’ll go get hi-”
“Nah, I’ll get ‘im,” Sticks offered, shooting out from her spot. “You two can set up the doo hickeys. I’m far from an expert when it comes to that stuff anyway.”
Belle smiled in appreciation. “Thanks, Sticks.”
“Y-you got it!” Trip gave her a thumbs up as the badger walked off.
-
Why are basements always so dusty? Sticks wondered as she walked downstairs. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a truly clean basement in my life.
Once she made it down, she turned to her left and gasped. Motobud was on his side, waving his little arms and trying his hardest to get back upright.
“Oh, shit!” Sticks quickly ran over and pulled him back into position.
On one knee, she put a hand on his shell. “You weren’t like that for too long, were ya, bud?”
Motobud shook his head, thankful for the rescue.
“Atta boy!” the badger grinned. “The three of us are hanging out upstairs. Belle wants ya to join us! Said you could use a break.”
The motobug’s eyes emoted happily, and he rolled himself past Sticks and up the newly installed ramp next to the stairs.
Smiling, Sticks got up and started to follow him, but her eyes landed on Belle’s little workshop in the corner. A bunch of tools and trinkets were laid out, with some kind of unfinished jetboard on the bench.
Something else that caught her eye, though, was some kind of note on a chair. She leaned down, rubbing her chin.
It seemed to have been ripped in half beforehand, but got taped back together. That didn’t make it unreadable, though.
She didn’t currently have the attention span to read through all of it, but a name at the very bottom did catch her eye.
“Mr… Ti-?”
“S-sticks? Are y-you still down there?” she heard Trip call.
…y’know what, not my main focus.
“Sorry! Coming up now!”
-
Two hours later, Trip and Belle were sitting at the bed in the guest room. Trip was in some pajamas, while Sticks was just getting out of the shower.
They had just gotten back from Trip’s biggest loss in Mario Party. She was pouting, looking away from Belle.
And Motobud, on the bed with Trip and Belle (his tire was cleaned beforehand, don’t worry), looked like he was trying not to laugh (could he even laugh?).
“Trip, c’mon… it’s only a game at the end of the day,” Belle tried to comfort her. She put her palm on her hand.
“...you took all my stars at the last turn.”
Ooooh, she wasn’t stuttering. Yeah, she was mad.
“I didn’t choose to land on Chance Time! The dice did!” the tinkerer pleaded her case. “And timing the blocks is hard! You know I’d never willingly bring you down like that!”
Belle could see her face slightly soften up.
“What if I was in first?” Trip asked.
“Oh, I’d absolutely aim for you. Every girl for themselves.”
The sungazer snorted. “And th-the AI that b-beat all of us.”
There we go.
“There’s that smile!” Belle laughed, turning Trip around and smushing her cheeks. In return, the tinkerer got a tongue blep from her.
“LEMME IN ON THIS!”
Belle and Trip could only snap their heads up in horror for less than a second before Sticks, who had her own pair of pajamas, threw herself on top of them. Motobud only observed, shocked by the sudden crash landing.
“Thought y’all can be affectionate without me, huh? Think again!” She squeezed them close, making Belle laugh. Trip, meanwhile, was blushing whilst feeling the badger’s silky smooth hair.
Praise the Black Onyx for showers.
Deciding it’d be best to not make them both throw up their insides, Sticks let go of them, sitting up straight.
“So, uh… what’s the plan now?” the badger asked. “Cause I’ve still got some energy left in me.”
Trip looked at the TV on the dresser. “H-how about a movie?”
“Works for me,” Belle nodded.
“Yeah. And Trip can pick this time. It’s the least we can do after you betrayed her trust,” Sticks jabbed.
That got a laugh out of Trip, while Belle leaned her arms on an amused Motobud, muttering, “I said it wasn’t on purposeeeee…”
A couple minutes later, Trip was scrolling through one of Amy’s streaming services, trying to find a good pick.
While Belle and Sticks waited, the latter remembered the note she saw in the basement. She turned to Belle.
“Oh yeah, Belle?”
“Mm?”
“While I was gettin’ Motobud earlier, I saw something at your little workshop.”
“Oh, you mean the board? Yeah, it’s a jet board fueled by water, something me and Kit were working on. I took it home with me because-”
“No, not that,” Sticks interrupted. “It was this letter that was ripped in half, signed by someone named Mr. Tinker?”
Belle jolted, and Motobud froze.
Trip turned around from the TV. “Mr. T-tinker? Who’s that-?”
Both her and Sticks’s eyes widened once they saw Belle clutch her head, flashes of static coming off her eyes.
No no no no NO I FORGOT TO PUT THAT AWAY-!
“YO! Belle!” The badger put her hands on her shoulders, scared for her, while Trip crawled over to them. “Easy! What’s wrong?!”
The tinkerer’s eyes went back to normal, and Motobud leaned himself onto her.
“Hey, y-you’re okay,” Trip tried, hovering her hand up, but not wanting to trigger her. “What’s th-the matter?”
Belle only stared ahead for a brief moment before properly facing Sticks.
“...how much of that note did you read?”
Sticks wasn’t expecting that.
“I-I didn’t really read it. I saw some words like ‘confession,’ ‘nightmare…’ I could be wrong, but I might have seen Eggman in there too,” she answered honestly.
“E-e-eggman?!” Trip gasped.
“...but the guy that signed it was the only thing that really caught my attention,” Sticks continued.
Unfortunately, the badger’s answer didn’t seem to ease Belle’s conscience. She smacked her palm into her face and brushed up to her tuft of hair.
“This… this wasn’t how I wanted you guys to find out, but…”
Before Sticks or Trip could say anything, Belle got off the bed.
“B-belle? Wait! Should I not have-?”
“I’ll be right back,” Belle stopped Sticks, as she walked out of the room.
Sticks only looked down, guiltily.
“What’s g-going on…?” Trip muttered, glancing to Motobud. The bugger only faced Trip sadly.
Only a minute later, Belle came back, except this time she had something in her hand… the letter.
Once she got back up on the bed, she placed the note down in front of them.
“You see, Mr. Tinker…” Belle gulped while Motobud rolled over to her. “...he was my father. The one who created me.”
Trip gasped, and Sticks covered her mouth. She had completely forgotten about Belle bringing up her dad back at Spring Valley.
“...w-what was he like?” Trip asked.
“Oh, you would have loved him. He was so kind!” Belle answered. “We had a home back at a place called Windmill Village… there we spent our time helping the other villagers, fixing toys and making rides for the kids… it was so fun, until…”
The other two could see the smile on their girlfriend wavering.
“Until… what?” Sticks asked. “Did he… die?”
Belle only slid the note closer to them. “...not necessarily.”
Trip and Sticks looked at each other, then at the note. This must be a gesture for them to read it.
Meanwhile, Belle kept her eyes squeezed shut, a hand on Motobud’s shell.
Sawdust, why didn’t she just tell them the truth beforehand?! Yes, their reactions will probably be the same regardless, but at least it would have been out of the way quicker! Lovers are supposed to be honest with each other, aren’t they?
“B-Belle?”
The tinkerer opened one eye. Trip was giving her an upset look. Surprisingly, though… not the mad kind. More like… a sorrowful one.
Sticks, though… her eyes were still glued to the note. She couldn’t see her face.
“Is th-this saying that… M-Mr. Tinker was Egg- Eggman?” Trip asked.
Belle glanced away and nodded, Motobud leaning into her.
‘W-who captured him?”
“A terrible, terrible man…” Belle snarled through grit teeth. “He was called Dr. Starline - a complete Eggman fanboy. He took his alter-ego away, and they'd worked together for a while… but it was very short-lived, and Eggman got sick of him, throwing him away.”
Somehow, Trip didn’t find that very surprising.
“Well, w-where is he now-?”
“Dead.”
The sudden answer and dark tone in Belle’s voice made Trip jump.
“But he couldn’t die before ruining more people’s lives, oh no,” Belle continued. “Surge and Kit… they were ordinary people before, but he brainwashed them into something they didn’t have to be. They’ve reformed, have friends, and live happily with Jewel now, but… their pasts are still a mystery.”
Suddenly, Trip felt ashamed for finding Surge scary when they first met. She made a mental note to apologize next time she sees her.
And Belle realized she was going way off topic.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to go on a tangent…” she sighed. “Just… he caused so much misery, all because he couldn’t let his idol go. And he dragged so many people into it because of that.”
Trip rubbed the back of her head, gulping. “H-he sounds awful…”
“You don’t know the half of it…” Belle shook her head.
Then everyone’s eyes landed on Sticks, who was unusually quiet and still looking at the note. Very concerning on Belle’s end.
Thankfully, though, she finally faced Belle, although she couldn’t quite read her expression.
“Why… why’s the note taped up like this?” Sticks asked.
And going back to that was the same as reopening an old wound. Especially since Motobud wasn’t aware of it either due to being MIA.
“It was in a fit of rage,” she admitted. “After I was just coming to terms with him throwing me away, Eggman… he had his own daughter, which he also created himself. Her name was Sage.”
That got Trip dumbfounded.
“Wait, s-so all of a sudden, h-he decides now he wants a d-daughter?” she asked.
“Those were my thoughts exactly,” Belle said, while Motobud looked up at her sympathetically. “So I stupidly went to look for her and Eggman. Harsh words were thrown, I said something really nasty, and… Sage destroyed me.”
Trip covered her mouth in horror, Sticks’s jaw was dropped, and Motobud, despite the lack of expressions, looked stunned.
“Wait… s-so when Amy said y-you looked different back th-then…”
“Yeah,” Belle confirmed Trip’s question. “I didn’t always look like this. Tails and Kit did a good job fixing me, but they couldn’t fully make me how I was before.
“Looking different doesn’t change my origins, though. At the end of the day, I’m a badnik.”
The silence proceeding this was deafening.
“Now, um…” Belle stammered, dreading what they were going to do next. “I understand if this makes you two have second thoughts about our relAT-?!”
In under a second, Sticks had pulled Belle right into her, making her nose honk.
“I’M SO SORRY!!!” she cried. “I didn’t- if I knew how important that note really is to you, I swear I wouldn’t have pestered you about it!”
Meanwhile, Trip was already crawling over to join them.
“Y-you don’t have to b-be scared of losing us f-for this,” Trip told her softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay…”
Sticks then looked up, angrier than ever. “We should go find Eggman! Show him what we think of him tossing her to the side, and give that Sage girl a-”
“N-no! Sticks, w-we don’t even kn-know where Eggman is!” Trip said desperately. “And S-sage destroyed Belle! Unlike her, we c-can’t be repaired!”
The badger’s anger died down a little.
“I guess you’re right, but…” Still holding Belle with one arm and palming her face with the other. “Ugh, that’s so frustrating!”
In shock, Belle pulled her face up.
“You two, are… are you really alright with dating a badnik?”
As if Sticks never looked pissed off at all, she sported a wide grin.
“Why not? It’s the fatass’s loss if he doesn’t want you around,” Sticks said. “And besides, he didn’t make you; Mr. Tinker did!”
A shine could be seen in the tinkerer’s eyes. She could feel a tear slipping out, which she immediately reached to wipe off…
But Trip beat her, caressing her by the cheek and wiping the tear for her.
“And he d-did a great job on y-you,” she added, the brightness of her smile rivaling the sun’s. “Though… I d-don’t think the word, ‘ba- badnik’ suits someb- body like you.”
She turned to Motobud. “He made you too, didn’t he?”
The ladybug nodded. Trip chuckled.
“I g-guess this applies to y-you too, then!”
Sticks’s eyes rose, and she snapped her fingers. “HA! I got it! It’s so simple!”
Belle faced Sticks again. “What-?”
“We’ll call you and Motobud ‘goodniks!’”
You could hear a feather graciously slide to the floor after Sticks said that. Everyone awkwardly glanced at each other.
“...no-?”
Belle burst out laughing, pulling herself away from Sticks.
“Oh, screw off! It’s not that bad!” she pouted, looking away and crossing her arms.
Sighing after that laughing fit, she smiled. “It’s… we’ll use it as a placeholder name for now.”
The badger only grumbled under her breath before turning around again.
“Still, um… I’m sorry, you two. I should have told you about this sooner,” Belle apologized.
Once again, Belle was covered in warm embraces… followed by one kiss on each side of her cheek.
“D-don’t worry about it, okay?” Trip said. “N-nothing’s gonna change betw- between us! We s-still love you!”
“I was the one that snooped around, anyway,” Sticks added. “I should be the one apologizin’.”
“You already d-did, Sticks.”
“Well, whatever! I’m doin’ it again! Belle, I’m sorry!’
The brief banter made Belle giggle as she was squished between her girlfriends. She put her arms around both of them.
“Thank you, you two,” Belle sniffed. “I love you both, too.”
Her eyes landed on Motobud, who winked at her. Belle rolled her eyes, but smiled at him nonetheless.
They all stayed like that for a bit more before they all pulled away.
“Okay, then… with that emotional coaster out of the way…” the tinkerer sighed. “You’re still picking the movie, right, Trip?”
“Oh! Y-yeah,” the sungazer realized. She picked the remote back up off the bed. “Hold on…”
While Sticks went over to join Trip, Belle glanced at the note again. She picked it up, folded it and stuck it in the pocket on her overalls.
And Motobud gave her an expression akin to a smile.
“Oooh, Over th-the Hedge? That s-sounds cool!”
Oh hey, looks like Trip finally found one.
“Guess we’re watchin’ that then,” Sticks shrugged. “Belle! You still with us?”
“Oh, y-yeah!” She and Motobud went over to join them. They all eventually huddled close to each other.
As the intros to the movie producers played, Trip and Sticks turned to their girlfriend.
“Y-you sure you’re alr- alright, Belle?” the lizard asked.
Belle looked at the two, and grinned wholeheartedly.
“...yeah. Couldn’t be better, really.”
Something told her this was going to mark the beginning of a real family.