Meet the Hodnicks

*All this has happened before, and it will all happen again. But this time, it happened in London. It happened on a quiet street in Bloomsbury. That corner house over there is the home of the Hodnick family, and Knuckles the Echidna chose this particular house because there were people and animals who believed in him. There was Mrs. Hodnick.*

In the bathroom of the corner house, there was an Andalasian woman with strawberry-orange hair and blue eyes, wearing a pink dress and matching ballet slippers. Her name was Giselle. And she was busy fixing her hair in front of the mirror for a ball.

"Proteus dear, do hurry," Giselle called out. "We mustn't be late for the party, you know."

*Mrs. Hodnick believed that Knuckles the Echidna was the spirit of youth. But Mr. Hodnick...*

In the town square of Bloomsbury, there was a Norwegian man with black hair, goatee, and mustache, and deep blue eyes, wearing a black shirt, dark brown pants, white stockings, and black shoes with silver buckles. His name was Proteus, Giselle's husband. And he was looking for his gold cuff links through some drawers.

"Giselle, unless I find my cuff links, we don't go to the party," Proteus called back. "And if we don't go to the party, I can never show my face on the boat again. And if I can never--"

Unfortunately, he got cut off by bumping his head on the open top drawer.

"OUCH!" cried Proteus, as he hopped around, holding his head.

*Well, Mr. Hodnick was a practical man. The boys, however, Miles "Tails" Prower and Charmy Bee, who were adopted Proteus and Giselle's adopted sons, believed Knuckles the Echidna was a real animal and made him the hero of all their nursery games.*

In the nursery, we see two shadows fighting each other with toys swords. One has one in its left hand and a hanger in its right while the other has another in its right hand.

One of the shadows belonged to an 8-year-old yellow two-tailed fox with blue eyes, a white muzzle, and a white underbelly, wearing a light blue pajama set consisting of a long-sleeved jacket with snaps and pants, dark blue goggles, a fake yellow mustache, and white gloves. His name was Miles "Tails" Prower, Proteus and Giselle's adoptive son. And he was the one with the hanger in his right hand and the sword in his right.

The other shadow belonged to an 6-year-old black-and-yellow bee with yellow eyes and wings, wearing pink footy pajamas and white gloves. His name was Charmy Bee, Tails' little brother and Proteus and Giselle's other adoptive son. And he was the one with the sword in his right hand.

"Blast you, Knuckles the Echidna!" Tails said in a scary voice.

Charmy bonked his brother on the head twice with his sword. "Take that!" he cried. Then he and Charmy blocked their toy swords together. "Give up, Dr. Eggman?" he smirked, "Give up?"

"Never!" called Tails. Then he opened a drawer that was underneath Charmy's pajama-clad feet with the hanger, and he fell in as Tails yelled, "I'll teach you to cut off me hair!"

Just about then, a 12-year-old light pink hedgehog with pink fur, pink quills, and green eyes walked in. She was wearing a red undershirt and boxers with pink hearts on them. She also wears a red hair band and white gloves. Her name was Amy Rose, Proteus and Giselle's adoptive daughter and Tails and Charmy's big sister. She was also carrying a jug.

"Oh no, Tails," Amy giggled. "He had a red mustache."

"Oh, yes. Thank you, Amy." said Tails, as he switched the yellow mustache with an orange one.

*Amy Rose, the eldest and adoptive daughter of Proteus and Giselle, not only believed. She was the supreme authority on Knuckles the Echidna and all his marvelous adventures.*

While Amy was in the hallway, she sighed as she talked to three figures, "Oh, Robespierre, Jaune-Tom, and Mewsette. Must we, like, always take that nasty tonic?"

"Yes, you have to." said a voice. The figures walked out to reveal a dark blue and white kitten named Robespierre, a white Persian cat named Mewsette, and a yellow cat with orange stripes named Jaune-Tom. Robespierre was carrying a tray of three spoons and a bottle of tonic for Amy, Tails, and Charmy.

*Robespierre, Mewsette, and Juane-Tom, the butlers and nursemaid, being cats, kept their opinions to themselves.*

"We do not!" Robespierre insisted after Mewsette and Jaune-Tom walked over a pillow.

*And they viewed the whole affair with a certain tolerance.*

Robespierre put the tray on a small table. Then Mewsette went over to the pillow to pick it up while Tails and Charmy were still playing.

"Take that!" Charmy called.

Tails and Charmy played around, hopping around the beds. "Insolent beast, I'll slash you to ribbons!" Tails yelled.

Mewsette went to the bed and placed the pillow there while she fixed the sheets and blanket up. "And I'll cut you to pieces!" Charmy called.

As he hit Tails, the fox yelped in pain. "Ouch! Careful, Charmy, my goggles!"

"I'm sorry, Tails." Charmy said.

Then Jaune-Tom picked up two blocks, and she went with Robespierre and Mewsette to the other blocks. Tails and Charmy hopped back to the bed, messing it up again. "Ah! You'll never leave this ship alive!" Tails shouted.

So both of them bounced up and down as the pillow fell off again. "Oh yes, I will," Charmy shouted back. "Take that!"

When Jaune-Tom placed the ABC on the top, he, Mewsette, and Robespierre walked, but they quickly turned as they realized that Jaune-Tom had made a mistake. He got them to BAC. "Oops," said Jaune-Tom. "I got A and B backwards." So he took the A block, moved the B block, and placed it to the first. He and the others smiled and walked to the tonic for the kids.

"Scuttle me bones, echidna! I'll slit your gizzard!" Tails yelled, as he stabbed with his wooden sword. It ripped through the sheets.

Then Jaune-Tom poured on the spoons. "Oh no, you won't," Charmy cried. "Back! Back! Back, you villain!" As they moved through the sheets, he pushed his wooden sword against Tails'.

"Insolent pup!" Tails snarled.

Jaune-Tom heard that as he turned, only to get the tonic on his paw. He put it down. "Wicked scientist!" Charmy cried.

"Aha! I got you!" Tails shouted.

"You didn't either. You never touched me!" Tails smirked. When Jaune-Tom licked it off, he was grossed out by the taste. "Oooh!" he grimaced, "This tonic *does* taste nasty." "Take that! And that! And that!" When Charmy thrust his sword at Tails, he got it under his arm as if he made it look like he got him.

Pretending he was dead, Tails placed a hand over his chest, groaned a fake death groan, and collapsed to the floor. That's when Proteus came into the nursery.

"Boys, boys. Less noise, please." Proteus said, without looking where he was going. He knocked the blocks down as Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom heard that, and they had to get them back together as they frowned in annoyance.

Tails saw him. "Oh, hello, dad." he said in a normal voice. But Charmy was still playing.

"You old bilge rat!" Charmy cried out.

Then Proteus heard that and was insulted. "Wha- wha-what? Now see here, Charmy!"

"Oh, not you, dad. You see, he's Knuckles the Echidna." Tails told him.

"And Tails's Dr. Eggman." Charmy added.

"Yes, yes, of course. Er, have you seen my cuff links?" Proteus asked before he bumped Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom knocking the blocks down again. "Oh, Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom, for goodness' sake!" Proteus shouted, walking past the annoyed cats, "Where are those cuff links?" Robespierre smashed the last blocks that were standing with his paw. "Here we go again!" said Mewsette, rolling her eyes.

"Cuff links, dad?" asked Tails.

"Yes. The gold ones." Proteus answered, still looking around.

"Charmy, the buried treasure," Tails whispered to his brother. "Where is it?"

"I don't know, Charmy." Tails said in an innocent way.

"The map then… Where's the treasure map?" Tails whispered.

"It got lost." Charmy said.

While Proteus was looking around the bed, he then spotted something under the covers, he was shocked as he shouted, "Good heavens! My shirt front!" He grabbed his shirt front.

"Hurray! You found it! You found it!" Charmy cheered.

Proteus put it on, as he turned. He didn't know that it got chalk all over his shirt front, the one that looked like the lost map. "Yes, so I have. And hereafter..." As then, Charmy came and pulled his shirt front "Don't paw me, Charmy! This is my last clean..." It was loose as he has saw something shocking and horrifying. He saw a lost map. "No..." He can't say something, only he covered his shirt front shouting, "NO!"

Giselle, now wearing a crown of leaves, came in and said, "Proteus dear, we really must hurry or we'll be late."

"Giselle! Look!" Proteus said, showing Giselle his shirt front.

Giselle saw that and was shocked. "Proteus!"

"It's only chalk, daddy." Charmy said.

"Why, Charmy..." Giselle was about to say something when Tails cut in.

"It's not his fault. It's in the story. And Amy said..." Tails said.

When Proteus heard what Tails said, he now knew what was up. "Amy? Story? I might have known." He walked to the hallway as he called out, "AMY?" He crossed his arms and called out even louder. "AMY!"

Amy heard him, walked in, seductively posing and asked, "Yes, dad?"

"Would you kindly explain-" Proteus was about to say something. But Amy walked by him when she saw the radiance of Giselle's dress.

"Oh, mom, you look simply lovely!" Amy said.

"Thank you, dear." Giselle smiled.

Proteus turned to her in annoyance and said, "Amy..."

"Just my old gown made over but it did turn out right. And I-" Giselle was about to say.

"Giselle, if you don't mind, I'd..." Proteus said, as Amy turned and saw his shirt front.

"Why, dad! What have you done to your shirt?" Amy asked.

Proteus couldn't believe what she was saying. "What have I...?" He then turned and screamed in shame. "AAAAAOOOOOOOHHHHHH!"

Giselle walked to him with a damp washcloth "Now, Proteus, really. It comes right off." She washed off the chalk on his shirt front.

"That's no excuse!" He frowned while Amy, Tails, and Charmy were putting the toys away. "Amy, haven't I warned you? Stuffing the boys' heads with a lot silly stories."

"Oh, but they aren't!" Amy protested.

"I say they are! Dr. Egghead! Knuckles the Scientist!" Proteus said.

"Knuckles the *Echidna*, dad." Amy told him.

"Echidna, scientist," Proteus shouted, trying to put on collar around his neck. "Cock!"

"Oh no, dad."

"Daddy, have you ever-"

"You don't understand." The children tried to tell him.

"ABSOLUTE COCK!" Proteus shouted, finally getting the collar together. "And let me tell you, this ridiculous..."

"Now, Proteus..." Giselle said, about to help him put on his purple vest.

"Now, Proteus! Now, Proteus!" He repeated of what Giselle said, while Mewsette and Jaune-Tom were almost done helping Robespierre put the blocks back up. But they stopped to listen. "WELL, 'NOW, PROTEUS' WILL HAVE HIS SAY!" He put it on himself, but he put it on hastily.

"Please, dear." Giselle said, adjusting the vest on him.

"Giselle, when we adopted Amy to our part of the family when she was orphaned, she's growing up," As when Robespierre picked up two more blocks, he listened very carefully. "It's high time she had a room of her own!" He pointed at the hall as it shocked them all.

"Dad!" Amy gasped.

"Proteus!" Giselle gasped.

"What?!" Tails gasped.

"No!" Charmy gasped.

Robespierre dropped all the blocks while he, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom gasped in shock and couldn't believe what's they were hearing and what Proteus was doing. "I mean it! Young lady, this is your last night in the nursery!" he said, as Amy lowered her head in sadness. "And that's my last word on the matter!" He walked away, only to nearly stomp on Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom and tried to get out of the way. Proteus couldn't move around and was ready to fall. And he was losing his steps!

Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom moved away, as they fully stopped. But they nearly knocked the blocks again because Proteus bumped into them and knocked them down. Now they must move away before it happens. But Robespierre stepped the wagon, rolled back, and fell as Proteus stepped on it and rolled around here. "NO!" And when Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom were rolling by, the wagon made a tear in the rug, and Proteus was sent flying as he yelled, "NO!" And with a large crash, he fell into the dresser, knocking the toys down. Amy, Tails, Charmy, and Giselle were shocked that Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom were against the wall.

As for Proteus, he was on the floor in pain, and last of the toys fell on his head, the last was a jack-in-the-box, and up popped the jack, as it stood on his head, which made Proteus mad and annoyed.

"Oh!" Amy, Tails, Charmy, and Giselle all said together. Proteus heard them, and knew that they saw him get hurt, and caring of him. So he closed his eyes and waited for them. But suddenly, they ran past him, which made Proteus open his widened eyes in shock. As they ran to Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom, but Proteus.

"Poor Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom." They said together again.

Proteus couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Poor Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom?" Now he was very angry as he hopped up on his feet when he stomped up and shouted, "This is the last straw!" He pointed his finger out the door shouting, "OUT! OUT, I SAY!"

Charmy was hugging Robespierre while Mewsette and Jaune-Tom were hugging Robespierre. "No, daddy, no!" Charmy pleaded.

Proteus grabbed Jaune-Tom by the tail while he, Robespierre, and Mewsette were still hugging each other and shouted, "YES! There will be no more cats for butlers or nursemaids in this house!" Charmy grabbed Robespierre's tail. But Giselle stopped him by picking him up as Proteus was dragging Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom out the room.

Charmy started to cry as he waved to his friends. "Goodbye, Robespierre. Goodbye, Mewsette. Goodbye, Jaune-Tom."

"Goodbye, Charmy!" Robespierre said cheerfully, as he, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom waved goodbye back. As Proteus walked out to the back, he muttered to himself, "Poor Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom. Oh yes, poor Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom. But poor father? Oh, no." He let go of Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom and looked for some ropes, and couldn't find any. "Blast it! Where are those ropes?" He turned as he saw Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom holding three ropes in their mouths. Proteus walked to them and said, "Oh, thank you." As he was tying the ropes to Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom's collars, Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom gave him sad looks. "Oh, boy!" Jaune-Tom sighed . Proteus saw that and couldn't bear the sight. "Oh, dash it all, you three. D-Don't look at me like that."

He walked to the fountain and filled up Robespierre, Mewsette, and Juane-Tom's dishes. He picked them up and filled them more. "It's nothing personal. It's just that- Well, you're not really butlers or a nurse at all You're… Well, three cats. And the children aren't kittens, they're a hedgehog, a fox, and a bee." He placed the water dishes near Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom. "And sooner or later, Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom, hedgehogs, foxes, and bees have to grow up." He petted Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom heads.

Inside the house, the kids are in their beds, as Giselle knew that Proteus didn't mean to do that to Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom.

Amy looked depressed. "But mom, I don't want to grow up." she pleaded.

"Now dear," Giselle said, as she kissed her on the forehead and covered her up with a dark red blanket. "Don't worry about it anymore tonight."

"He called Knuckles the Echidna 'absolute poppycock'." Tails said to himself after what his dad had said.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Tails," Giselle said, as she took off his goggles and the mustache. "Father was just upset."

As for Charmy, he had tears running down his cheeks. "Poor Robespierre, Mewsette, and Jaune-Tom," he sniffled. "out there all alone."

"No more tears, Charmy. It's a warm night. They'll be all right." Giselle said, as she covered him up with a blue blanket, kissed his forehead, and left.

Then Charmy remembered something. "Mommy?" he asked.

Giselle turned around and asked, "What is it, dear?"

"Buried treasure." Charmy had the cuff links that Proteus was looking for, and he gave them to Giselle.

"Now, children, don't judge your father too harshly. After all, he really loves you very much." She walked to the window door, and was about to lock it up.

But Amy stopped her as she said, "Don't lock it, mom. He might come back."

"He?" Giselle asked in a puzzled way.

"Yes, Knuckles the Echidna. You see, I found something that belongs to him." Amy said, as she lay down.

"Oh, and what's that?" asked Giselle.

She yawned and said, "His shadow."

"Shadow?" Giselle asked, very surprised.

"Mm-hmm. Robespierre, Mewsette, and Juane-Tom had it, but I-I took it away." Amy said, as she drifted off to sleep.

"Oh? Yes, of course." Giselle said, as she walked out of nursery, and left for the party.