Chapter Text
Stone makes it three days before there is a knock on his door. He's decently happy with what he's managed to accomplish thus far. The house had come sparsely furnished, enough that he could live in and work on building up to his own tastes in the coming months. He has a car now, something other than his bike. A sturdy vehicle he did heavy research on beforehand, good for him now and after the bean arrives.
He's not gotten S.A.R.A. to do an anatomy scan yet, still feels on the fence about whether he should bother or not. Has taken to calling the baby bean in the meantime. Feels more personable anyway.
He has an infinite number of things to be doing, to get the house ready both for him to live and for the baby. But he's taking the evening easier at least. Had woken up ill and exhausted (people who said morning sickness ends in the first trimester are liars he has found) but needed to push through, get things done around the house and get some of what he needs.
It's only now, as the sun is starting on its descent down the sky, that he finally lets himself lose some of the tension he holds. At least until the knocking sounds from the door. He startles slightly, instinctively goes for his hip where the gun no longer sits (locked in his bedroom instead, Canada has laws). He still has a knife on him, securely hidden in his jeans. Takes a brief moment to consider what he's wearing.
Not sure the last time he's been so casual. A t-shirt, boxy enough to hide most of the curve that has developed and denim. With the doctor, this level of casualness never felt quite right, more like he was intruding. Creating softness where there wasn't supposed to be any.
Stone shakes his head. He can't think about that now and can't bring himself to care too much about his dressing habits in the moment. New country, new him or whatever.
He makes his way to the door cautiously. Unlocks it and opens it only partway.
An older woman is standing there, curly hair in different shades of gray thrown back in a bun. She has a kind face, with deep set wrinkles and a smile that turns the corners of her mouth and shows off crooked teeth. She's wearing a loose blouse, patterned in blue and purple and simple brown pants. Holding some kind of covered dish in her hand.
Stone schools his face into a smile, opens the door slightly more.
"Welcome," She says, with the soft accent common to this area, "You'll have to forgive the fact that its just me, my husbands a coward." It comes out fond and with a slight chuckle. These are his neighbours then.
"Just you is more than I was expecting." Its more honest than he means to be, and he opens the door all the way. "Please come in."
The woman, whose name he learns is Annie,makes for good enough company. She has a sharp tongue and an easy laugh, her husband Doug is less sociable apparently but good with his hands, she'll drag him over eventually.
She accepts a cup of coffee and compliments him on how well its made. The thing in the covered dish is a savoury pie of some kind, a 'welcome to the area' gift.
"You're on your own." Annie says it like a statement but he nods anyway, sitting down at the table across from her with his own cup.
"Needed somewhere new I guess." He offers up.
"No one coming along to help you then," She makes a nod to him, and he can feel the slight flush. Not used yet to anyone being able to tell, for it being okay to be spoken aloud. Not something secretive. He shakes his head.
"I didn't leave on the best of terms. Never told them either I-" He stops himself, shouldn't be saying all this to a veritable stranger but it spilled out of him before he could stop.
"Its easier sometimes, to go it alone before it breaks down. I think you'll find something good here, the both of you." She nods at him again and he can feel the slight hitch of his breath, the welling of emotion he is usually so adept at suffocating below a placid smile. Looks into his coffee cup instead like it will protect him.
The conversation moves then, to the town and the people in it, spots he should check out and nearby places. Its easy to talk to her Stone finds. And she only leaves once their mugs are drained and the sun is well and truly set.
Her number is scribbled on a sticky note, with clear orders to call her for absolutely anything. He won't take her up on that but its a nice gesture nonetheless. And when she leaves his home and he sets her gift in the fridge, Stone feels marginally less lonely than he did waking up that morning.
Feels like maybe for once, this is what it means to be a person again.
Robotnik won't ever admit to how long it took him to realize Stone was gone. The agent had practically become a shadow in the CRAB, barring the few instances where the man attempted to goad him into physical therapy or mild exercise. Nudging suggestions that dropped off in frequency until they stopped entirely.
Stone had always been good at making himself scarce so there was no reason to think about his infrequency in seeing him despite the cramped quarters. Half the time it was a badnik making him a coffee since Stone had gone off god knows where and he didn't care enough to get up and harass the man.
He hadn't even realized the CRAB had surfaced, sleep schedule as messed as it was. He didn't bother to try and keep a day/night cycle, Stone could do what he well pleased but Robotnik kept his own time.
So he was asleep when the CRAB went ashore and asleep still when it went back under. Only knew it had happened when he had checked the logs. Days after in fact.
The catalyst for noticing Stone was gone hadn't been one thing. But a culmination of very small things that had slowly registered as unusual. He may have been in the dumps but he was still a genius, still had his intellect. Knew that when dishes stopped miraculously disappearing and Tupperware emptied without being filled again that something was up.
Stone was slacking, that was the clear answer. Some kind of half-minded rebellion in another desperate attempt to get the doctor up and doing something other than watching his shows and streaming his games.
Well he had gotten his wish, but the only other thing Robotnik would be doing was tearing a new one into that disobedient sycophant.
Once he found him of course.
Which proved to be a far far harder endeavour than expected.
Stone wasn't in the CRAB. It was a ludicrous, absurd conclusion to come to, but the only one based on available evidence. After not being able to find him, he had one of the babies pull up the tracking in the watch.
It pinged inside the CRAB alright. Set neatly on Stone's small cot, resting on the made blankets. Room looking like no one had lived there at all.
He was gone.
Up and left in the middle of the goddamn night like some kind of teenager sneaking out to a party. And who gave him that right? And why now? He had a million different opportunities to leave, to pursue a new career at GUN. To simply not heed Ivo's call once he had been banished to shittake hell. Or even leave him in the remnants of the death egg.
But Stone had stayed, had run out after him after their rendezvous in the coffee shop. Pulled him from the rubble and brought him to the CRAB, to the doctors that had saved his life.
It made no fucking sense for Stone to leave now. Without a word. The mans motorcycle was gone, and with the watch left behind it was clearly for some reason. Stealing away like a thief in the night.
He slammed the door shut to the mans room, grumbled and heaved himself down into the control chair once more. If Stone wasn't going to be forthcoming, would rather run away and hide like a coward, that was fine. He would just find him.
Robotnik made a brief consideration for the fact that his own physical and mental decline combined with a lack of intimacy may have driven Stone away. Discarded that thought immediately as it came. Recovery from the death egg fall non-withstanding, the relationship between him and Stone was casual, rough, just like their working hours. They burned hot and went cold just as quickly. It was better like that, no messy feelings contending with anything.
A convenient way to get out tension, seek release with a compatible partner. He had never considered anything more. He and Stone were quite fine like that. The beginning of their time in the CRAB (barring his unconscious state) was no different to any time they had simply taken a break before.
No, something else had driven Stone away. He gritted his teeth, hated not knowing, hated secrets and things being out of his reach and out of his control. Simple solution, figure it out. Bring his wayward assistant back after a thorough thrashing and everything would be fine.
First, identifying the last docking of the CRAB, when Stone had left and on what coast. Then running through the hive and their memories for abnormalities and clues. Stone is better than the common man, but he's no Robotnik.
He'll find the man. Stone doesn't get to run away quite so easily.